Strength Changes Everything

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How Resistance Training Exercises for Seniors Can Boost Functional Capacity Dec 31, 2024

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Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher dive into the best resistance training exercises for seniors, offering insights into how these exercises improve strength, mobility, and independence.

You'll learn why resistance training is essential for healthy aging, how to tailor exercises to individual needs, and practical tips to start or improve your fitness journey. This episode is perfect for anyone ready to embrace a stronger, healthier future!

Amy and Dr. Fisher start by explaining why strength training is an investment for your future health: Build strength reserves now to maintain quality of life later.
They break down a systematic review paper titled: Machine-Based Resistance Training Improves Functional Capacity in Older Adults.
Dr. Fisher explains how the paper sheds light on how using machine-based resistance training can improve functional capacity in older adults.
What are the benefits of using machines for resistance training? According to Dr. Fisher, some people have lost so much functional capacity that they can't do any exercises to begin with.
A machine does not require a high degree of balance. You can always sit down and it's accessible to almost anybody.
Dr. Fisher explains how strength gains can directly influence your longevity and overall health--being stronger makes you harder to kill.
According to Dr. Fisher, strength training doesn't have to be complicated. You only need simple, machine-based strength exercises to produce significant improvements in both strength and ability to perform daily tasks.
Dr. Fisher highlights how seniors of around 70 years old experienced marked improvements in strength after just three months of strength training.
Amy explains why muscle strength is crucial for day-to-day activities and independence.
She reveals how improving muscle strength can lead to greater autonomy, enabling you to perform essential activities like standing up or lifting objects.
Strength training increases self-confidence and physical performance.
Dr. Fisher and Amy agree that resistance exercises can help boost self-esteem, resulting in greater confidence when performing everyday tasks.
The link between improved strength and better cognitive function.
Engagement in resistance training irrespective of strength gains improves self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is our self-confidence, how we feel about ourselves.
Amy and Dr. Fisher go through ways resistance machines provide effective strength training for seniors.
How functional strength improves life quality beyond the gym. According to Dr. Fisher, 12 weeks of focused strength training leads to measurable improvements in functional capacity, from walking to sitting and standing with ease.
Amy highlights two of the most rewarding long-term benefits of strength training: independence and the confidence to tackle day-to-day life.
For Dr. Fisher, small, consistent effort in strength training can lead to huge improvements in your ability to perform simple tasks and lasting improvement in your quality of life.
Amy and Dr. Fisher share how regular strength training can make even the simplest movements—like walking or standing—easier and less risky.
Strength training improves not just strength, but also overall well-being. It not only increases muscle mass but also boosts mental health, self-esteem, and confidence, leading to a better overall sense of well-being.

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Exercise Coach - Get 2 Free Sessions!

This podcast and blog are provided to you for entertainment and informational purposes only. By accessing either, you agree that neither constitute medical advice nor should they be substituted for professional medical advice or care. Use of this podcast or blog to treat any medical condition is strictly prohibited. Consult your physician for any medical condition you may be having. In no event will any podcast or blog hosts, guests, or contributors, Exercise Coach USA, LLC, Gymbot LLC, any subsidiaries or affiliates of same, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, or agents, be responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to you or others due to any podcast or blog content.

Q&A: Warm Up or No Warm Up, Eating Before or After Workout, Body Sculpting, Cardio vs. Strength Training Dec 24, 2024

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Amy Hudson, Brian Cygan, and Dr. James Fisher answer all your burning questions about health, fitness, and strength training.

They cover the best way to warm-up before strength training, eating before or after a workout, and why you should prioritize strength training over cardiovascular exercises.

Amy, Brian, and James discuss how becoming stronger can improve all aspects of your life.
Question 1 - To warm-up or not to warm-up?
- Dr. Fisher explains that there is no evidence to support any need for a warm-up before a strength training session.
- Brian and Amy add--when lifting heavy objects at home, you don't warm up. As long as you're increasing the load incrementally during a strength training session, you won't need to warm up.
Question 2 - Do you need to eat before or after a workout?
- According to Brian, you don't want to start a strength training workout in a fasted state. It's always a good idea to have a light, healthy snack 45 minutes before a workout to ensure your glucose levels remain stable.
- Dr. Fisher talks about eating after a workout: consuming high-quality protein an hour after a workout may help the body recover and build muscle.
- He adds that consuming a large amount of carbohydrates after a workout can blunt some of the positive hormonal responses you seek from the strength training session.
Question 3 - Is it possible to improve the aesthetics of our physique at different points in life?
- Brian explains that we all possess an ability to improve the aesthetics of our physique throughout our life. What we can't influence is the order in which body fat is gained or lost.
- When it comes to losing weight, you need to play the long game. Have conviction in the process and don't focus too much on the outcome.
- Amy shares how strength training, adequate protein intake, and anti-inflammatory eating will keep you on a positive metabolic trajectory that leads to leaning out over time.
Question 4 -Cardio vs. strength training: Which is better for your goals?
- Dr. Fisher reveals what the research says about cardiovascular training versus strength training--and why you should prioritize strength training over cardiovascular exercises.
- According to Dr. Fisher, cholesterol is not a villain. It's an essential part of our body and is used in the production of essential hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.
- Dr. Fisher explains why we should approach exercise based on the intensity of effort and how hard you're working rather than making it about cardio versus strength training.
Amy and Dr. Fisher break down the amount of time and effort it takes to optimize health, fitness, and longevity across a person's lifespan.
Dr. Fisher highlights how a single strength training session of around 20 minutes is infinitely more beneficial than 150 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise.
Does workout length matter? Amy and Brian agree that longer workouts don't guarantee better results. Effective strength training is about the quality of your workout, not how much time you spend in the gym.

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Exercise Coach - Get 2 Free Sessions!

SCE episode 116 - What is the Best Way to Lose Belly Fat?

SCE episode 105 - Running Isn't the Only Way To Train Your Heart and Lungs

SCE episode 111 - What about Cardio? – Part 1: Is It Possible To Improve Your Heart Health Without Doing Traditional Cardio Exercise?

NEW SEASON! The Secret to Feeling Decades Younger; Welcoming a New Co-host Dec 17, 2024

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Strength Changes Everything! In this kickoff pisode, Amy Hudson, Brian Cygan, and Dr. James Fisher dive into the science of strength training and how it can help optimize your health, wellness, and longevity.

Expect to hear the latest science, practical tips, and inspiring stories to help you build strength, optimize health, and redefine what's possible at any age.

Amy, Brian, and James start the conversation by discussing the relaunch of Strength Changes Everything.
They explain why season two will be more than just fitness—it will be about transforming how we age, helping us live with strength, vitality, and confidence at all stages of life.
Brian talks about the power of optimized exercises--it's a form of training that maximizes safety and efficiency while minimizing the time it takes for people to get the results they want.
Dr. Fisher covers the benefits of following a science-backed approach to strength training.
Amy talks about strength training and why it's the ultimate longevity tool. Learn why it's essential for preserving health, optimizing performance, and feeling younger for longer.
Brian talks about the rising interest in strength training and why it's such an important tool for health, performance, and longevity.
Strength training today is no longer a nice-to-have, it's a must have for people looking to elevate their health and fitness journeys.
Brian shares his thoughts on how people can feel and look decades younger. By restoring lost muscle mass, you can move, function, and live with the strength and vitality of someone 10–20 years younger than you.
According to Dr. Fisher, most people desire to have a biological age equal to or less than their chronological age. People want to be 46 but want to function like they're 25 years old.
The good thing about strength training is that it's never too late to start--it doesn't matter if you're in your 30s or 80s.
Wouldn't we all like to look, feel and function a decade younger than we really are? The answer is yes. According to Amy, strength training is one of the best ways to achieve that.
Brian and Amy explain why most people automatically assume that the benefits of strength training are too good to be true.
For example, most people find it hard to believe that strength training can make you feel and look like a person 10 years younger than you.
It's unfortunate that most people expect a decline in bodily function as they get older, and they're convinced there's nothing they can do about it.
For Amy, this doesn't have to be the case. The secret lies in understanding how much muscle is needed to unlock the magical fountain of youth.
Dr. Fisher breaks down a recent scientific paper on the benefits of engaging in strength training past retirement age.
The paper covers people in their mid to late 60s and how they drastically improved their quality of life and well-being a within a few months of engaging in strength training.
Brian reveals the connection between strength, health, and longevity.
Join the movement. Strength training isn't just about fitness—it's about reclaiming your life, your health, and your potential. Be part of the revolution that's changing how we age.

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Exercise Coach - Get 2 Free Sessions!

Dr. James Fisher's research paper on Evidence-Based Resistance Training Recommendations

How Fitness Might Help You Live Longer Dec 11, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about myths involving fitness...

Brian and Amy explore a couple of articles talking about the impacts of weight loss vs. exercise on longevity, and discuss the myths surrounding losing weight and achieving optimal physical health. Learn why focusing on losing weight is the wrong goal, and why a proper strength training program is the best way to maintain fitness as we age.

There is a ton of information regarding health and fitness out there, and sometimes the info conflicts, so discerning the truth can be challenging.
A recent article published in the New York Times essentially claimed that exercise is more important than weight loss for longevity. The behavior of exercising matters more statistically than losing weight, but that could be narrowed down to having a higher fitness level is more important than weight loss.
Activity has its limitations related to weight loss and increasing longevity. Intentional exercise is a means to an end. The goal of which is to change the systems of the body for the better.
Muscle quality is one of the #1 predictors of mortality. The exercise and muscle mass itself doesn't increase your longevity, but they are correlated to the physiological effects that are.
Weight loss is hard. It has to be combined with nutritional changes, and if your goal is to be thinner, the optimal path is to combine exercise that maximizes muscle health and proper whole foods nutrition. However, when it comes to overall health, there are positive changes outside of weight loss.
The research looked at overweight and obese individuals with health problems, and they found that poeple that exercised effectively saw great results, whether or not they lost any weight.
Exercising and improving the related biomarkers leads to better longevity, even more than people that simply lose weight by dieting.
Blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance are the measures that truly indicate someone's health and overall longevity, far more than their weight.
There are a number of ways to lose weight that are extremely unhealthy. Cutting calories without strength training is one of the worst ways you can lose weight.
Another study involved 81 sedentary overweight women and putting them into a walking program. At the end of 12 weeks, a few women had lost some body fat, but 55 of them had actually gained weight. Just moving your body will not cause weight loss, nor will it improve the systems of the body.
In terms of exercise for anyone over the age of 30, we need to target the optimization of muscle mass and strength through exercise. Sarcopenia is the root cause of the deterioration of fitness as we age.
Compared against each other, exercise is considerably more beneficial than simple weight loss. In some studies, weight loss had no improvement on mortality risk at all.
Activity and weight loss are not enough. Even if you've had trouble losing weight in the past, you can make a huge difference in your health by starting an effective strength training program.

Links:

exercisecoach.com

The Dose-Response Relationship in Exercise Dec 04, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about dose-response and what it means for your fitness...

Learn how a little-known principle in exercise determines whether you get the fitness results you are looking for, or you just spend some time moving weights up and down at the gym. Find out why the dose-response to exercise is what you should really be paying attention to, and how it can guide you to easier fitness gains in a shorter amount of time.

More exercise is not necessarily better. The dose-response relationship applies not only to medication and stressors but also to exercise.
It describes the magnitude of the response the body has in response to a stressor, in this case exercise and the response is the result that we are looking for.
Your body is what produces the results and adaptations that you want, not the exercise. If the stress is of sufficient intensity or quality, you will get the response that you want. Just going through the motions of exercise won't necessarily produce an adaptive response in the body.
You also need to give the body enough time and resources to produce the response you are looking for. Exercising too often is actually preventing your body from adapting and growing. This is how athletes experience overtraining.
The adaptations occur after the exercise session is complete, and only if the stimulus is of a high enough intensity and quality.
Exercise is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Just putting in time exercising isn't necessarily a good thing. A lot of what passes for exercise is just enjoyable activity, and it won't trigger adaptations or reverse the effects of aging.
Exercise impacts every system of the body. For every single exercise session, you should be able to measure the improvements in fitness level. This is a key component of the program at the Exercise Coach.
When you don't see improvements between sessions, it means one of two things. Either you need to increase the intensity of the exercise, or increase the amount of rest and recovery between sessions.
Your dose-response is very individualized. The amount of stimulus you need to generate an adaptation will vary. At the Exercise Coach, client's individual abilities are measured and programs are designed to be just the right fit for them.
At the end of the day, the right intensity for one is different from the right intensity for another.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

Why Does Muscle Really Matter for Weight Loss? Nov 27, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about how strength training should complement dieting for weight loss...

Dr. James Fisher answers the question "Why does muscle really matter for weight loss?" Find out why muscle mass should be a vital component of your weight loss strategy and why dieting without strength training is a recipe for long term disaster for your body.

There is a direct connection between your body's muscle mass and its metabolic effectiveness, the ability to lose fat and keep it off, and your overall health.
Why does muscle matter for weight loss? Muscle is metabolic reactive and consumes calories just by existing. You will burn a larger number of calories on a daily basis by having more muscle mass than someone with less.
Instead of thinking about weight loss, we should think of it as fat loss because we don't want to lose just any kind of weight, we want to improve body composition.
Focusing on weight loss can be discouraging when people lose less weight than they hoped without taking into account gains in muscle mass.
Without strength training, any weight you lose with dieting or activity will not be as much fat as you could lose by incorporating strength training into your routine.
Anyone who goes on a calorie reduction plan to lose weight will end up with about 50% of the weight loss occurring within their muscle mass, which is an absolute tragedy. We want to hang on to as much muscle mass as we can as we age.
Diet and cardio without strength training exacerbate the loss of metabolically valuable muscle tissue.
Protein is a great calorie to consume as it's thermogenic and used to absorb some of the protein you take in. Government nutrition guidelines should be adjusted to account for this.
Maintaining your muscle mass has the additional benefit of preventing and reducing injuries so you can continue enjoying aerobic activities as you age.
Weight loss without strength training results in frailty. In the older population, people who are lean are generally weak and have poor mobility. The best thing to do is to focus on strength training to build muscle and improve quality of life along the way.
If you increase the amount of muscle mass you have, you will burn more calories by default. Muscle also stores glucose, which will help you with insulin-related conditions like Diabetes.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

The Secret to Strengthening Your Lower Back and Eliminating Lower Back Pain Nov 20, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about effective exercise for your lower back and what can surprisingly make lower back pain worse...

In part two of the interview with Dr. James Fisher, we explore what it takes to actually strengthen the lower back and why exercises like the deadlift are not effective in targeting your lower back muscles. Find out how some people can experience significant lower back strength gain in as little as ten weeks with only 15 total minutes of muscle tension (60 to 90 seconds per week!) and why stretching without strength training can actually make your lower back pain worse.

The lower back is a notoriously difficult to train muscle group, which is why so many people are walking around with weak lower backs that are easy to injure and irritate.
Fisher did some research with professional athletes to measure the effectiveness of certain exercises in strengthening the lower back and found that exercises that didn't isolate the lower back didn't make a major impact. However, lower back isolating exercises had a greater impact over more general exercises like the deadlift.
The lower back needs an isolation exercise and preferably one that doesn't also load the gluteal muscles. These exercises are best done with lower back specific pieces of equipment.
In terms of overall strength, people who do lumbar exercises see significant increases in strength. Dr. Fisher has seen lumbar strength increases as high as 200% over the course of ten weeks, as well as improved lifestyle function, with a training frequency of once per week.
Lower back exercises are typically just one set and roughly 90 seconds of muscle tension.
The lumbar muscles are an example of how you can use your muscles and still lose them due to the deleterious effects of aging. You need to use specific muscle fibers in a specific manner in order to build the strength in your lower back.
Stretching can be taken too far if you are not also strengthening the muscles involved. Making your spine and back more mobile without making it stronger can make things worse for you in the long run. Things like yoga should be supplemental to a proper strength training regime.
Lower back pain often restricts range of motion, but there are still opportunities to train the muscle group without a full extension. You can start small and expand the range as you get stronger.
People with lower back pain also tend to be cautious about moving their lower back, especially during exercise. This is why lower back machines that control the range of motion are effective. They maintain safety and stability while loading the muscles properly.
In terms of age, lower back exercises are suited to pretty much everyone in society except for certain individuals; ex. If you're pregnant, a small child, or have an injured spine. Once you've ruled out those conditions, you can safely and confidently strengthen the lower back.
The more we know about our body, the more we know how to fix it. Helping identify the source of lower back pain, as well as what isn't the issue, is all part of the journey of alleviating pain and improving quality of life.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

The Causes of Lower Back Pain Nov 13, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about solving the problems causing lower back pain...

Brian Cygan and Dr. James Fisher discuss the origins of lower back pain and why the vast majority of Americans will experience some form of lower back pain in their lives. Learn about the root cause of lower back pain and why most treatments only deal with the symptoms and the pain instead of solving the problem, which often leads to even worse issues down the road.

Fisher is an academic and researcher in the UK. He's published research on muscular strengthening as well as lower back pain.
Lower back pain is a constant issue for a large swath of society. According to his study, somewhere between 70% and 90% of people will experience lower back pain in their lives.
Lower back pain can be extremely debilitating to a person's lifestyle and sleep patterns, and can have a major impact on their mental health as well. There is also an enormous cost to society in terms of productivity.
At the Strength Coach, we've found that strengthening is an important strategy to improving the quality of life of someone experiencing lower back pain.
Chronic lower back is when it occurs for longer than three months. At that point it's important to seek medical guidance from a physiotherapist or general practitioner.
About 10% to 15% of people experiencing chronic lower back pain have a specific reason for it like nerve issues or a slipped disc. The remaining 85% to 90% have what's referred to as non-specific back pain which reduces the ability to mitigate the pain.
For many of those people, the solution is often some form of painkiller or passive treatment like stretching and massage.
The theories about the existence of non-specific lower back pain have to do with our evolution from quadrupeds in the past. The muscles around the lower back don't tend to get much direct exercise and there seems to be a correlation between non-specific lower back pain and weak or atrophied lumbar muscles.
The muscles that are more intrinsic to the spine over time, as we live a normal life, can atrophy as a result of not using them in a specific and demanding enough way.
For most people, their gluteal muscles and hamstrings are very developed and do a lot of the work that the muscles in the lower back should do, and this can result in those lower back muscles becoming weaker, misfiring, and causing pain.
With non-specific back pain, strengthening the muscles in the lower back should be the foundational approach to prevent future episodes of lower back pain.
Specific lower back exercises are important for everyone in society to maintain their strength and muscle mass in that region and avoid the onset of lower back pain. Once something negative has happened, the road to recovery gets longer.
Your lower back is central to everything you do. Without good control of your central muscles, you cannot throw or catch or jump or move well. From there it's a downward spiral into the realm of disability.
An imbalance between ab strength and lower back muscle strength can be part of the problem. We want all of the muscles surrounding the core of the body to be trained effectively, and it's the lower back muscles that tend to be forgotten.
The weak link is usually the lumbar muscles, and this can lead to a negative feedback process, where someone avoids exercising those muscles even more to avoid the pain resulting in greater muscle atrophy.
We have other societal factors that are also contributing to the lower back pain that so many people experience as part of their lives.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

Muscle Burn Is Your Friend Nov 06, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the importance of muscle burn...

Amy Hudson and Brian Cygan explain why that feeling of your muscles burning is exactly what you want to feel every time you go to the gym. Learn why muscle burn is one of the best indications that you're exercising at the right intensity and without it, you won't get the fitness results you're looking for.

The intensity of an exercise is crucial to achieving the fitness results you want, and the feeling of muscle burn is a positive indication of that intensity.
Effective exercise is simply a stimulus, where you stress the body in order for it to change for the better. Effective strength training needs to be intense enough to serve as that stimulus. Labored breathing, muscle burning, and a little discomfort are necessary elements of that kind of exercise.
If you're not experiencing some level of discomfort when exercising you are just going through the motions and aren't putting in enough effort to see any real results.
The fast-twitch muscle fibers are the ones that burn during exercise and they are the main focus of high-intensity exercise. The reason they burn is because they utilize the anaerobic subsystem of metabolism.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers store sugar in the form of glycogen, and that's what is consumed when exercising at an adequate intensity level. Muscle burn is a sign that you're really tapping into the stored energy of your muscles, which is a good thing and you need to do to get stronger.
Some people have more fast-twitch muscles than others and some muscle groups have more fast-twitch muscle fibers than others.
Our natural response to the sensation of muscle burn is to be worried, but it's okay to keep pushing through. The burn sensation is different from pain.
As muscles fatigue near the end of a set, that's when coaching and encouragement are vital.
The brain is a prediction machine, and we have to intentionally override the survival mechanisms that tell us to stop exercising and preserve some energy in order to achieve the greatest results.
People often look to muscle soreness as an indication that the workout was effective, but it doesn't actually correlate to results later on. Muscle burn doesn't necessarily lead to muscle soreness afterward.
Eccentric training doesn't burn as much as basic strength training, but it does produce more soreness later on. Delayed onset muscle soreness occurs more at the beginning of a new program and tends to reduce over time.
The Exerbotics equipment gives Strength Coach clients an important advantage but showing progress over time instead of relying on sensations like muscle soreness.
If your exercise isn't delivering any changes to your body, then it's not intense enough.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

How Strength Training Prevents and Reverses Pre-Diabetes Oct 30, 2024

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Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about life-changing advice and details about pre-diabetes...

Amy and Brian break down the science behind pre-diabetes and how strength training is the most efficient and effective way to escape the negative feedback loop of insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and weight gain. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, this information could change your life.

Approximately 1 in 3 Americans are pre-diabetic, which increases their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, and most people don't even realize they are at risk.
Pre-diabetes also increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, problems with vision, and amputation later on in life.
There are two leading factors to pre-diabetes: exercise and nutrition. As we lose muscle as we age, we develop insulin resistance which exacerbates the problem. High blood sugar levels over time lead to the wearing out of the body's ability to even produce insulin.
The good news is that pre-diabetes is a very modifiable condition that can be positively affected by exercise and proper nutrition.
When we condition our muscles, we improve insulin sensitivity. Fast twitch muscle fibers store sugar in the form of glycogen, which removes it from the bloodstream.
When muscles resist the effect of insulin, the insulin remains in the bloodstream at elevated levels and leads to systemic inflammation.
Systemic inflammation is the root cause of all the health issues mentioned. Unlike acute inflammation, you don't feel systemic inflammation except for the symptoms of the diseases and the effects of aging.
The most important lifestyle recommendations are to start eating a whole food diet, eliminate high carbohydrates and refined sugars, and then begin strength training.
A1C is the measurement of how saturated your red blood cells have become over a 90 day period. Whole food and whole effort strength training are how to keep that number in the safe range.
Only strength training can target the fast twitch muscle fibers which are directly related to A1C levels in your body. People can experience tremendous improvements in their A1C levels over a short period of time just by implementing a strength training program in their life.
If your doctor has diagnosed you as pre-diabetic, they are going to recommend exercise, and whole effort strength training is your best bet.
Research shows that losing the first 5% of your body weight confers the majority of the health benefits, which is good because that means it's easier to see results in a short period of time.
Diabetes predisposes you to weight gain, but the reverse is also true. Elevated insulin levels, weight gain, and insulin resistance act on each other, which leads to a dangerous feedback loop. The best way to break the cycle is smart and brief strength training sessions.

Link:

exercisecoach.com

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