Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE)

July 21st, 2010
exercise journal

Sometimes it's best to go off schedule.

There is a new fad sweeping across the strength training world called Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance Exercise, or APRE for short. This new fad suggests that one should tailor his or her workout program according to how he or she is feeling at that moment. Although the name suggests some kind of mystical training system, it’s very straight forward. So is this just a passing fad, or is Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance Exercise the real deal? Let’s sort it out!

There was a recent study conducted on Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) in which the results seem to suggest autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) produces better strength results than linear periodization. For those who don’t know what autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise is, it’s the idea that you train based on how you feel at that specific moment in time. If you perform a set of exercises and feel great, you increase the weight and continue, but if you feel like crap and perform poorly, you stop for the day or go easy for the rest of your workout. It’s really not new, but it seems to be getting a lot of attention lately, which is why I decided to write this article. So let me tell you how I use autoregulatory training with my clients.

I have been using a type of Autoregulatory training with my clients for a long time, and with great results. Of course I don’t keep myself, or my clients, constrained to any rigid training system. Instead I will use a combination of different training systems depending on my clients specific goals, needs, and progress. I use autoregulatory training in my training by monitoring my clients daily progress and how they feel that day, but only after they warm up. I cannot tell you how many times my clients, or myself, have felt tired or worn out on a particular day only to set a new personal record. On the other hand, I also feel that if one fails at a weight they feel should be able to lift, they will usually develop a mental block regarding that weight in the future. I try to avoid this at all costs, so if my client is really feeling down in the dumps even after warming up, we will take it easy that day and may even attempt to avoid certain exercises in order to avoid developing any mental blocks regarding that exercise and weight, and come back to tackle it another day when they are feeling better. That is basically how I incorporate autoregulatory training into my programs.

One problem I have with the study is the study in question seems to set Linear Periodization into a rigid training system. I guess there probably are a lot of people who follow a rigid linear periodization training protocol, but I know a lot of trainers who do not follow such a rigid linear periodization schedule. for those who do, perhaps this study will give them a good reason to go off schedule without having to feel guilty.

If you are wondering how you can implement this type of training into your own training program, all you have to do is train based on how you feel that particular day or moment. Of course this really depends on what your goals are, but for instance if your goal is to increase your 1 rm bench press, you would simply perform your max days depending on how you feel that day. If you are feeling strong, you could go for a new max that day instead of being stuck performing a set of 5, or you could do like I will sometimes do and go for a new 5 rep max that day if you are mixing the two systems together. It just depends on your goals and what your feel is right for yourself or your client.

Another option is to use all the different training programs at your disposal. For example, you can use linear periodization for a cycle, then some conjugated training, and then some Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance training, and then some other program, etc, etc, and of course you can even mix them up and have some fun.

The main message to take home from this is to train hard when your feeling good and back off when your feeling down and in a rut, and don’t feel guilty about it. I am sure many of you have already used Autoregulatory training whether you knew it or not, but I hope this short article sheds some light on this topic which I am sure you will hear more and more about.

The Effect of Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance Exercise vs. Linear Periodization on Strength Improvement in College Athletes.
Mann JB, Thyfault JP, Ivey PA, Sayers SP.
J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract
Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) is a method by which athletes increase strength by progressing at their own pace based on daily and weekly variations in performance, unlike traditional linear periodization (LP), where there is a set increase in intensity from week to week. This study examined whether 6 weeks of APRE was more effective at improving strength compared with traditional LP in division I College football players. We compared 23 division 1 collegiate football players (2.65 +/- 0.8 training years) who were trained using either APRE (n = 12) or LP (n = 11) during 6 weeks of preseason training in 2 separate years. After 6 weeks of training, improvements in total bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM), squat 1RM, and repeated 225-lb bench press repetitions were compared between the APRE and LP protocol groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to determine differences between groups. Statistical significance was accepted at p </= 0.05. Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise demonstrated greater improvement in 1RM bench press strength (APRE: 93.4 +/- 103 N vs. LP: -0.40 +/- 49.6 N; ANCOVA: F = 7.1, p = 0.02), estimated 1RM squat strength (APRE: 192.7 +/- 199 N vs. LP: 37.2 +/- 155 N; ANOVA: F = 4.1, p = 0.05) and the number of repetitions performed at a weight of 225 lb (APRE: 3.17 +/- 2.86 vs. LP: -0.09 +/- 2.40 repetitions; ANCOVA: F = 6.8, p = 0.02) compared with the LP group over the 6-week training period. Our findings indicate that the APRE was more effective than the LP means of programming in increasing the bench press and squat over a period of 6 weeks.

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Natural Remedies for Athlete’s Foot

July 20th, 2010

Home and Natural Remedies for Athlete’s Foot

You can either try one remedy at a time, or you can combine them.

Tea Tree Oil: Tea Tree Oil is one of the best natural substances to treat and cure Athlete’s foot. Simply apply the Tea Tree Oil once in the morning and once before going to bed.

Garlic (Allium sativum): Garlic fights fungal infections and boosts your immune system. You can take 500 to 1,000 mg of garlic twice daily, or you can eat 4 small cloves every day. In addition, you can rub garlic oil directly on the affected area. Be sure to only use this if you don’t mind smelling like garlic.

Oregano Oil (Origanum Vulgare): Take the suggested dosage on the product label 3 times a day with your meals. You can also use Oregano oil directly on your feet.

Caprylic acid: Caprylic acid has been shown to have antifungal properties. You can take 1,000 mg three times a day.

Grapefruit Seed Extract: Grapefruit Seed extract has antifungal properties. You can take 200 mg three times daily.

Yogurt: Yogurt can help reduce the symptoms of Athlete’s foot. You can use it to help reduce the symptoms until it’s been eradicated. You can apply it as often as you need.

Astragalus: Take up to 3 times a day. Divide the recommended label dosage up so that you can take it three times a day with your meals.

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Natural Remedies for Acne

July 20th, 2010

There are many great natural treatments for acne, and before you decide to use the harsh prescription drugs, I would like to let you know about the natural treatments available. Be sure to always check with a medical professional before using any treatment.

Tea Tree Oil: The first item I would like to add to this list is Tea Tree Oil. Tea Tree Oil has been used successfully by many people to combat acne. The advice I would give is to start applying it only once every night until your skin gets used to the oil and if you need to, you can use it every morning and every night. In studies, Tea Tree Oil has been shown to be more effective at treating acne than Benzoyl peroxide, without the drying side effects. Tea Tree Oil is a great remedy for many of the things that ail us.

Vitex (Chasteberry): Vitex is a hormone balancing herb and can be effective in fighting acne. The usual dosage is about 160 mg a day of the standardized Vitex extract. It usually takes about 6 weeks to start seeing any results, so remember this if you decide to give it a try.

Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil is an essential fatty acid which may help reduce inflammation from acne. If you take flaxseed oil, be sure to take the prescribed doses on the package. Like Vitex, it may take 4 to 8 weeks to see any results from Flaxseed oil.

Zinc: Zinc has been shown in studies to help cure acne and promotes the healing of the skin. The suggested dose is 50 mg of zinc twice daily. You should take the Zinc with meals for about three months and then reduce the dose to 50 mg a day. It may take between 2 and 3 months before you see the results.

Burdock Root: (Arctium lappa): Burdock Root supposedly has the ability to detoxify and hormone-balancing properties. The suggested dose is 300 to 500 mg every day. I have seen mixed results with Burdock Root, but it’s definitely worth a try. You will need to take it for at least 8 weeks to see any results.

Vitamin A: Accutane, which is a very potent acne drug is derived from Vitamin A. Vitamin A has the ability to reduce sebum and Keratin production. You should not take Vitamin A if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. The suggested dosage is about 5,000 IU a day, but you should seek the advice of a doctor. You can use a lower dosage and take it with Zinc.

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Home Remedy For Skin Tags

July 20th, 2010

Home and Natural Remedies for Skin Tags

I had a few skin tags that were driving me crazy. I was going to have a doctor remove them until they wanted to charge me $100 to cut them off. Usually, the doctors will just either freeze them or cut them off, but the big one I had would have been cut off. After a little research, I decided to just remove them myself.

First of all, if you decided to remove the skin tags yourself, make sure they are indeed skin tags. Before you read the next line, I want to make it clear that it does not hurt at all, nothing more than a simple pinch, and I had a big one to remove. What I did to remove my skin tags was to purchase some sharp nail cutting scissors from the store. I soaked them in rubbing alcohol and used the alcohol around the skin tag. I used tweezers to pull the skin tag from the skin and cut them off. I was amazed how little pain was involved, but they will cause some bleeding, so if you decide to cut yours off, be ready for the bleeding.

I have heard of people trying to use wart and mole removing products with little or no success. I am glad I didn’t waste my money and they were immediately removed and have since healed without issue.

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Elderberry, nature’s cure for the flu?

July 20th, 2010
Elderberry cures teh flu

Elderberry Tree

Did you know there was an herb which has been shown in studies to be better than Tamilflu in the fight against the flu virus (3)? Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a natural herb which can be bought any health food store and has the ability to actually block the flu virus from entering and infecting your cells (1). In addition, Elderberry will greatly reduce the length of your Flu illness if you already have the flu (2). I have been very interested in Elderberry after I read a few studies on the topic of Elderberry and the flu virus (even H1N1), and also intrigued by how few people have ever heard of Elderberry and it’s ability to treat the flu, and possibly other viruses as well. Before I go over the actual clinical trials and science behind Elderberry, let’s step back and cover some of the basics.

The fact that Elderberry is an excellent treatment for the flu is nothing new, but what is new is the method in which it might inhibit the influenza virus from infecting host cells, at least in vitro. In the past it was speculated that Elderberry may boost the immune system, and it was believed that it was this immune system boost which helped fight off the flu virus. Although this sounds wonderful, one problem with boosting the immune system is the possibility of Cytokine Storms.

The Cytokine Storm is one of the ways in which the flu virus can over stimulate a healthy immune system and can kill a perfectly healthy person. What happens is the Cytokines signal immune cells which are the used to fight off whatever is infecting the body. So far so good, and this is what your body is supposed to do, but when your immune system is over stimulated, you may trigger a Cytokine Storm. Simply put, the Cytokine Storm is the over production of immune cells which can wreck havoc on the tissues and organs, especially on the lungs. So what does this have to do with Elderberry?

To get back to the recent study on Elderberry (1), the benefits of Elderberries method of inhibition, the prevention of the virus from entering host cells, and not an immune system boost, should become clear. If indeed Elderberry’s method of action is the ability to block the Virus from entering the cells, and not an immune boost, the possibility of a Cytokine Storm seems to be a non-issue!

In this article I have thus far concentrated on Elderberry and influenza, but there is also research which suggests that Elderberry is also effective against other types of viruses and the common cold (5). I wanted to focus on influenza due to the amount of research in this area. Up until this point, I have also avoided using my own personal experiences with Elderberry, but I will give you a brief overview of my own personal experiences.

I, along with my oldest daughter, have been using Elderberry for about a year. We start taking them at the first sign that someone is sick around us or in our family. My wife is breastfeeding so she doesn’t use it, and we don’t give it to my youngest daughters (6 and 2). Over the last year I, nor has my oldest daughter been sick at all. Of course this can be a coincidence, and there have been other years in the past where I didn’t get sick too often. My other two daughters and wife have all had a few colds this year, but nothing severe. Again, I will not give Elderberry all the credit because I have had other years in which I went the entire year without getting sick while the whole family were ill. On the other hand, my oldest daughter has been around a lot of sick kids in school, and has yet to get ill herself. One thing I do know, if anyone gets sick in my house with the Flu, I will be using Elderberry.

I hope you found this article informative. If there is anything that needs to be corrected, please let me know.

1. Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro. Roschek B Jr, Fink RC, McMichael MD, Li D, Alberte RS.Herbal
Science Group LLC, 1004 Collier Center Way, Suite 200, Naples, FL 34110, USA.

2. J Int Med Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40. Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. akay-Rones Z, Thom E, Wollan T, Wadstein J.Department of Virology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.

3. Elderberry Fights Flu Symptoms

4. Phytother Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):1-8. A systematic review on the sambuci fructus effect and efficacy profiles. Vlachojannis JE, Cameron M, Chrubasik S.Department of Orthodontics, Columbia University, 630 W 168th, NYC, NY 10032, USA. jec2142@columbia.edu

5. Altern Med Rev. 2007 Mar;12(1):25-48. Colds and influenza: a review of diagnosis and conventional, botanical, and nutritional considerations. Roxas M, Jurenka J.Thorne Research, PO Box 25, Dover, ID 83825, USA. m.roxas@comcast.net

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We’re Live!

July 20th, 2010

Welcome to the new YourOnlineFitness.com News and Articles center. Here you will find all the latest fitness, exercise, etc, news, fit-bits, studies, and more. It is my goal to update this site daily. Stay tuned.

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