‘Weight training’ Archives

Strength Training: Why Aren’t You Getting Stronger???

posted on September 21st, 2011, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Gym goers work out for many reasons.  One common reason is that they want to get stronger.  At some point most people hit plateaus and fail to continue to gain strength.  Here are some common mistakes that most people make in their strength training.

You Are Lifting Too Heavy. You see it every day, someone puts too much weight on the bar and fails to complete more than one unassisted repetition without the aid of their spotter.  It is better to perform eight repetitions with 185lbs than to try to bench press 245lbs two times unsuccessfully. Pick a weight that you know you can lift for the desired number of repetitions that you want to perform.  Going a little bit lighter will also help you maintain proper form and use the right muscles to perform a movement.

You Aren’t Allowing for Enough Rest. Your muscles need time to rest, recover, and rebuild.  Working the same group of muscles day after day will never allow the muscles to fully recover and rebuild to their maximum potential.  Try giving a muscle group 48 hours between workouts.  You can accomplish this by doing just three days of full body resistance training a week and allowing for adequate recovery in between workouts, or doing upper body exercises on one day and lower body exercises on another day.

You Are Spending Too Much Time in the Gym. Lifting weights for two straight hours is counterproductive.  Studies show that after an hour of intense exercise cortisol levels rise.  (Cortisol is a stress hormone.)These rising levels inhibit the release of testosterone and human growth hormone from your muscles. These hormones aid in muscle growth and development.  Limit your strength training sessions to forty-five minutes to an hour for greater strength gains.

You Aren’t Eating Enough. If you want to get stronger you have to eat enough in order to refuel and repair after exercise.  Make sure you are taking in enough protein to rebuild muscle after intense strength training.  You also have to eat more calories than you burn in the day.  You may gain some unwanted weight in the process; however, if your goal is strength gain this isn’t the end of the world. The added muscle you will assist in dropping the pounds quickly after you have attained your goals.

There Isn’t Enough Variety in Your Workouts. Muscle development thrives on diversity.  Don’t do the same exercises for the same number of repetitions in the same order every time you go to the gym.  We all have our favorite lifts and have a tendency to get complacent by falling into the same routine each day.  Try mixing up the order in which you perform your exercises, find new exercises that work the same muscles groups and substitute them for your favorite lift, and vary between sets.  If you start every workout with 3 sets of 10 on the bench press, start with lat pull-downs and perform  2 sets of 15 repetitions on the  incline press later in your workout.

For more lessons on strength training like these, follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter or like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

Garrett Bludau

Photo credit: pasukaru76

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filed under strength training, Weight training.

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Loss of Strength in Men, Leads to Loss of Function

posted on June 23rd, 2011, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Sarcopenia is defined as the age associated loss of strength and muscle mass. Sarcopenia affects us all, as we age. Starting as early as the mid to late 30′s, it is common to see a slow loss in strength.  This gradual loss of strength is often associated with pain and eventually a loss of function. It appears that for men, the strength loss occurs at a greater rate than it does for our women counterparts.

This scenario is seen over and over in our clinic.  Men will come into the clinic with some sort of pain. This is usually a pain that they have been dealing with for a long time. They come through our doors because the pain has gotten so bad that it is interfering with the things they want to do,  like playing golf, tennis, or even working.  Upon evaluation 2 things quickly become apparent:

  1. there is a loss of mobility
  2. lack of  strength/stability

Strength loss can significantly affect your ability to do the things you like to do.  If you have given up on some of your favorite activities, have trouble competing at the same level, or are looking to prevent this from happening to you, try strength training.

Here are some tips to get you started:

  1. To get stronger you need resistance exercises. Generally you should select a resistance that you are able to do about 8-12 repetitions.
  2. Slower is better than faster. Lift the weight slowly and with good control. This will help you recruit more muscle fiber and reduce chances of injury.
  3. Strength can be gained with as little as 1 set of an exercise, 1 to 2 times per week.
  4. Allow for enough recovery time between workouts. I like at least 48 hour recovery period. In general, the harder you work out the longer the recovery needed.
  5. Body weight exercises are great. Exercises like push ups, pull ups and bridges can be an effective, inexpensive option. Remember to perform the exercises slowly. If these are too hard to complete 8-12 reps, modify the exercise to make it easier.
  6. Weight machines are another way to get started with strength training. Use a variety of machines to promote muscle balance. Choose a resistance that you can complete 8-12 slow repetitions.
  7. Use good form and don’t work into pain.
  8. For best results you should consult a professional to specifically design your program. There are many things that go into effective strength training. A physical therapist or exercise physiologist are ideal to fit your specific needs.

For additional information on strength training or the programs here at Baudry Therapy Center please feel free to comment or contact our office at 504 841 0150.

filed under Aches and Pains, Athletes, Back pain, Core stability, Exercise, Healthy Living, Men's Health, Physical Therapy, Recreational Activities, Senior Health, Weight training.

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Men’s Health Month

posted on June 8th, 2011, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Certainly men face their share of medical conditions and disease processes. Prevention and early detection are the keys to successful treatment of any condition. To help heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men Baudry Therapy Center is joining the Men's Health Network in recognizing June as Men's Health Month.

This month we encourage you to not only schedule an appointment with your Doctor for your regular check up, but also schedule an appointment with Baudry Therapy Center to

  • find out why your back hurts
  • learn how to lose weight
  • learn how to feel and play better

Take charge of your health with a little knowledge. It only takes 20 minutes and will lead you down the road to good health.  Call us at 504 841 0150 to set up your free musculoskeletal consult.

For more information on men's health topics and men's health month, see the Men's Health Network at  www.menshealthnetwork.org.

filed under Aches and Pains, Back pain, Exercise, Golf conditioning, Men's Health, News & Events, Recreational Activities, Weight Loss, Weight training.

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Fitness Training for Runners

posted on January 13th, 2011, by . Comments Off posted so far.

By Chaz Caiado, CPT

Crescent City Classic is April 23rd! We’re only 14 weeks away, so don’t waste anymore time and start training today.

Running is an easy, fun, and inexpensive way to keep your body healthy, young, and full of vigor.  Whether you run to be fit, race, or to test your limits you’ve no doubt enjoyed the feeling of being able to push your body further or faster than you had previously.  Unfortunately, many runners can be stubborn and use running as the sole means of being in shape. This often leads to overuse injuries and can ultimately sideline runners from doing what they love…running.

Strength, balance, and technique are key components of the ability to run injury free. Besides the prime movers, there are many muscles that provide the stability needed for running. Often runners lack this stability and incur completely avoidable injuries. This is why I strongly recommend cross training for all of my runners.

The good news is that proper fitness training for runners is not difficult or time consuming.  In just one or two 45 minute sessions a week you can adequately get the all the strength and stability gains necessary to stay strong and keep your body balanced.

There are several things to look at when incorporating fitness training for running. You want to first identify the physical needs and purpose for training. You must identify where your strengths and weaknesses are. This is accomplished by finding a professional trained in human movement. Physical Therapists are very knowledgeable and perfectly suited for this task.  Once you’ve identified the purpose of the training and identified your specific needs you can develop the appropriate program. Based on a individual findings, we typically recommend a combination of high intensity strength training for whole body strength and functional training to address the muscular imbalances, joint problems, and bio-mechanical issues that affect your running.

The benefits of cross training are all there. We’ve seen incredible changes in runners participating in our strength and fitness programs. They look better, feel better, and perform better. Challenge yourself and go beyond your usual routine to give yourself the best chance for success. Find out more about fitness training for running, it may just be the x-factor you need to get to the next level.

filed under Exercise, Run Training, Running, Weight training.

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Exercise – A Vital Component to Healthy Living

posted on January 7th, 2011, by . Comments Off posted so far.

By Rich Baudry, PT, DPT, OCS

The benefits of exercise are well documented and include favorable effects on body composition, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.  At it’s core, exercise improves the quality of our movement and thus our function.  But as there are many options when it comes to exercise, what’s really the best exercise for you? Well, by determining why you want to exercise you will discover how you should exercise.  The movement  qualities of coordination, endurance, strength, and power can all be improved with exercise.

Coordination refers to the ability to move body parts in an effective and efficient way. Coordination requires using the appropriate amount of muscle activity with the right speed and direction, at the right time. This requires the controlled firing of the appropriate muscles in a smoothly sequenced way. An ideal way to train for coordination is to use light resistance and perform many repetitions.  In order to gain coordination for a particular task may take as many as 10,000 repetitions.

Endurance is the ability to perform an activity for an extended period of time and is specific to the function at hand. Endurance training typically includes lighter resistances for longer periods of time or repetitions. This type of training relies heavily on the cardiovascular system.

Strength is the amount of torque a muscle or group of muscles can generate. A certain amount of strength is required for any activity. Strength is generally gained by lifting at moderate to heavier weight. Strength gains are directly proportional to the resistances used.  The lighter resistances produce modest strength gains, while higher resistances produce greater gains. Generally, when exercising for strength you should use a weight that you can lift for 8-15 repetitions.

Power is strength with speed. For pure strengthening you may use a weight that you can lift only 3-8 times.

The truth is that all of these qualities of movement are vital to healthy living; so, incorporating variety with your training is certainly important. To help you better target your workout, identify why you are working out. Your answer will help focus your program. The appropriate level of training depends on many factors. Things like your age, physical condition, previous injury, joint problems, arthritis, and/or the presence of other medical conditions affect your tolerance for training and must be taken into consideration when developing your exercise program.

Exercising is too important to your health to avoid. So for better success with exercising, put some extra thought into your exercise strategies. Start today. Any training is better then none at all, so get out there and do it!

For more information on how to train please contact our office or ask questions below.

filed under Balance, Core stability, Exercise, Golf conditioning, Weight training, Women's Health.

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Be Like Brees: Suspension Training at BTC

posted on October 6th, 2010, by . 4 Comments posted so far.

Looking for a new type of exercise?

Can’t fit a multi-gym in your house?

Try TRX…

TRX, Total Body Resistance Exercise, is a new and exciting workout tool we have incorporated at Baudry Therapy Center (BTC).  The great news about TRX is that it’s extremely versatile and does not discriminate it’s users as it is adaptable to suit anyone–from young to old, from de-conditioned to the performance athlete.  As a matter of fact TRX is a regular part of Drew Brees’ workout. Who Dat!

TRX is equipment that can be used to gain strength, flexibility, balance, and mobility.  For being such a simple piece of equipment you can do so many exercises with it! It takes up very little space and can provide a wide range of challenges to your musculoskeletal system. Your body weight and angle of pull provide the resistance.  TRX promotes core stability by challenging the trunk stabilizers while isolating different body parts. Beyond being beneficial as a core stabilizer and strengthening tool, the TRX allows for high-level coordination and functional training in all planes of motion.  Strength and stability in all panes of motion guarantees better function and performance.  Just ask Drew Brees…

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Come to Baudry Therapy Center to work with our experts and see for yourself what a difference suspension training can do for you! TRX is such a simple piece of equipment yet you can perform so many exercises with it.

by Brandon Rousseve
CPT, TRX Certified for Baudry Therapy Center

strength, balance, motion…for fitness, for life

filed under Athletes, Back pain, Balance, Core stability, Exercise, Weight training.

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The Effects of Exercise on Our Health

posted on September 21st, 2010, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Procrastination. It gets to us all.  “I’m going to get in shape.” “I need to exercise more.” “I’m going to eat better and work less.”…These are things we say to ourselves all the time. But how often do we listen?

Our bodies take a lot of abuse and tolerate it pretty well, at least on the surface. Our bodies can take the abuse of being overweight, weak and out of shape for a good while and unnoticed for up to 10, 20, even 30 years. But there is hidden wear and tear your body is experiencing. This abuse can lead to issues such as arthritis, high blood pressure, and degenerative discs. If we don’t take care of ourselves eventually our bodies will break down, often at the most inopportune time.

Certainly genetics are a component to our health and well-being and there are a lot of unfortunate, unavoidable things that happen to us. However, in many cases we are our own worse enemies. The “I’m too busy to exercise”, or “I’m too tired”, or the “I’ll do it tomorrows” that we all are guilty of are all excuses that really affect our health in the long run.

Literature on the benefits of exercise is overwhelming. Exercise has been demonstrated to help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Among these conditions are coronary artery disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Have a conversation with a healthy 80, 90, and 100 year old man or woman and most of them will testify the importance of exercise in their lives.

We have all seen the eighty something year old who looks and acts like they are in their fifties. Conversely, we also know the person who is fifty something and looks and acts like they are eighty. Just a little care can go a long way in helping us age gracefully. We are all getting older. Who do you want to look like? Do you want to look like this?

A little exercise, some discipline, and an awareness can go a long way. Here are a few tips to get started:

  1. Set a goal
  2. Write it down and refer back to it often
  3. Schedule regular exercise like any other appointment
  4. Find something that you like to do
  5. Add variety to for effectiveness and avoid boredom
  6. Get professional help to develop an exercise strategy
  7. Commit yourself to it and have something to remind you of your commitment everyday

Start walking. Ride a bike. Get out of the office earlier. Just do something to get your body moving. Make exercise a priority. It does not have to be difficult. A good group of stretches, a regular walking/running program, regular visits to the gym, tennis court, or swimming pool. The list is endless. Find something that you enjoy, and make a point to do it…or else.

You’ll be surprised at how you well you look, feel, and move!

filed under Exercise, News & Events, Recreational Activities, Weight training.

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Add Variety to Avoid Overuse Injuries

posted on August 16th, 2010, by . Comments Off posted so far.

Variety, the spice of life.

Everything in moderation.

Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.

We all have heard these old adages. Usually from our mothers…such wisdom. When it comes to exercise, sports, and training these adages certainly hold true.

All too often we find ourselves treating people for overuse injuries.  Too much of even a good thing can cause problems. We see it in athletes, office workers and now even in kids who play year round sports! Repetitive motion can cause breaking down of muscles, tendons, and ligaments leading to soft tissue injury.

Although our bodies are very resilient and have an incredible capacity for healing, recovery and soft tissue repair takes time. Overuse injuries occur when the body’s recovery process is not able to keep up with the tissue break down occurring with the offending activity. Runners, tennis players, golfers, and even office workers often fall prey to these types of injuries.

To avoid injury, pay attention to the little warning signs. It may be just a little twinge with activity or an ache after activity. Do not ignore these signs! Rather, address the problem early on with professional advice.  Overuse injuries usually respond well to rest, physical therapy, and modified exercise provided the injury is caught soon enough.

Tips to avoid overuse injuries, add variety:

For office workers:  change up how you sit, use your mouse, where your phone sits, and how often you get up.

For runners:  spread your heavy runs out to allow time for recovery, lift weights (especially for the upper body), and add core exercises to your routine.

For tennis players and golfers:  hit less balls , add resistance training with core strengthening and other fitness activities to keep you conditioned.

For kids: be careful with year round sports, be a kid and enjoy a variety of activities and sports, and watch for signs of overuse.

So whether you’re an elite athlete, a housewife, or an office worker don’t let overuse injuries spoil your fun. Add variety to your workouts and stay healthy.

Do you have a specific question or comment on this topic? We would love to hear from you. We value your feedback so please feel free to leave a response below and we will gladly answer your questions.

filed under Aches and Pains, Athletes, Exercise, Golf conditioning, Sports injury, Tennis, Weight training.

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