Friday Q&A: Foot Position in Pigeon Pose

Q: I'm wondering if you would please weigh in on something in one of your posts. It has to do with the position of the ankle - dorsiflexion or plantar flexion - in pigeon pose. I've always heard to dorsiflex the ankle (toes toward knee) in thread the needle and pigeon. But recently I heard that in pigeon the ankle should be in dorsiflexion only if the shin is parallel to the front edge of the mat, i.e., at a 90 angle to the knee, as it is in thread the needle, and plantar flexed (pointed, Barbie style) if the knee is bent more than 90, with the foot closer to the hip rather than the top edge of the mat. 

Do you guys have an opinion on this? I'd appreciate any insights you can offer.

Pigeon Pose Preparation with Flexed Foot
(I'd have her turn her foot onto its pinky edge so it's in a more neutral position.)

A: Great question, and like most things dealing with yoga poses and alignment issues, it depends! Remember, each person’s body is a bit different from the next, so individual variation is very important in deciding how to do poses. 

I don’t have a hard and fast rule about the front leg foot in One-Legged Pigeon pose (Ekapada Rajakapotasana 1) or Pigeon preparation (the hip stretch), but I do have one regarding the front knee in these poses. Due to the shape of the pose and the weight and force that gets placed on the front leg, especially in the forward folding version of Pigeon preparation, the pose should never create pain in your front knee joint. The front knee joint is particularly vulnerable to strain or injury in many practitioners with stiff and inflexible hip joints, which is a lot of people! When your hips are stiff and can’t move much, your knee ends up taking the extra forces and can get tweaked and injured. Because most practitioners do have some hip tightness, I typically recommend having the front knee and shin bend towards the opposite hip, so the angle between the thigh and the shin is about 45 degrees of flexion at the knee. At that angle the shinbone rolls towards the floor a bit (external rotation, for my anatomy geeks out there), which can then present a challenge to the next joint downstream, the ankle joint. When the ankle joint is dorsiflexed to 90 degrees here, it can lead to excessive supination or rolling in of the ankle joint—not so good for the ligaments of the outer ankle area. So, I find that for many practitioners, pointing the foot and ankle, known as plantar flexion, feels better and is safer for the ankle, and likely the front knee as well.

What about poses such as Reclining Thread the Needle and Pigeon preparation where the front shinbone is parallel with the short front edge of the mat? First off, almost everyone can do Thread the Needle safely, and when you dorsiflex the ankle of your top leg, notice if the knee joint feels better and more stable then when it relaxed or pointed. If it does feel better, then do that. If not, don’t! For the small percentage of practitioners who have enough flexibility in the front hip joint to do Pigeon preparation safely with the front shin bone parallel to the front short edge of the mat, you can try flexing the foot/ankle to 90 degrees with the shinbones and notice the effect on your knee joint: does it feel better and more stable or not? Let that be your guide as to the effectiveness of pointing or flexing the ankle in these poses. Also, notice how it feels when your torso is more upright versus when you forward fold your torso over your front leg. 

The theory on the benefit of dorsiflexing your front ankle to 90 degrees (as in our photo) is that may bring the knee joint into a more neutral alignment that is safer for all the soft tissue structures of the knee, such as the menisci, ligaments and tendons. But, again, remember that IT DEPENDS on the individual to see if this is true for their body or not. Good luck exploring Pigeon pose!

—Baxter

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Positive Psychology vs. Yoga Philosophy

by Ram

The Moon Over a Waterfall
by Hiroshige

Recently, I was introduced to the topic of positive psychology, a newer branch of psychology that has earned wide popularity thanks to the seminal work done by psychologists Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (this name is tougher to say than a yoga pose in Sanskrit: the closest I can come to his name is “Me-high Sheek-sent-me-high”). 

According to Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, the focus of general psychology is on treating abnormal behavior and mental illness. In contrast, positive psychology was established on the conviction that normal people prosper by leading a meaningful and fulfilling life. Positive psychology does not describe dysfunction and abnormal behavior; rather it is centered on determining positive human development and helping people to prosper and lead healthy, happy lives. Positive psychology describes the “good life,” and uses scientific tools, strengths and virtues to enable individuals and communities to prosper and lead a well-lived, fulfilling life.  

“Good life” according to these psychologists is about using our strengths and positive traits to produce genuine happiness and unlimited fulfillment on multiple levels that include, among others, the biological, personal, relational and institutional dimensions of life. Some of the major topics of interest in positive psychology include: happiness, optimism and helplessness, mindfulness, flow, character strengths and virtues, hope, positive thinking and resilience. Notice how these positive psychology traits resemble most of the ethical principles highlighted in the Ashtanga Yoga Philosophy by Patanjali. Similar to therapeutic yoga, positive psychology is being implemented in real-world applications in areas including therapy, self-help, stress management, and workplace issues. 

Let me now focus on one of the positive psychology traits, flow. I had an opportunity to read excerpts from the book “FLOW” by Csikszentmihalyi and what amazed me was that the flow principles described by the author in the book resonated soundly with the principles of yoga philosophy as well.  According to Csikszentmihalyi, “flow”occurs when:

1. An individual is faced with a task that has clear goals and which requires specific responses
2. When one is engaged in an activity where the challenge matches the individual’s skill, that is, when a person's skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenging task 

When the above two happen, the individual has an undivided focus and gets totally involved and forgets everything else but the activity. “Flow” may seem an effortless state but it requires a whole lot of effort initially to make that state accessible. The flow can be explained through the phenomenal compositions of musical maestros such as Bach and Beethoven, exquisite art work by Da Vinci and Picasso, or the mesmerizing sounds of the opera singers. In all of the above-mentioned examples, these respective individuals experienced “the flow,” a state of complete immersion in that specific activity. In “the flow” state, the ego falls away, time just vanishes, every new action, movement, and thought succeeds the previous one, the individual’s body, mind and intellect get completely united as a “whole,” the individual’s skills gets used to the utmost, and, at the end of all of it, the activity turns intrinsically rewarding for the individual.

Csíkszentmihályi puts forward several factors that are required to experience flow:

• Clear and challenging goals that are attainable
• Concentration and focused attention
• Activity that is intrinsically rewarding
• A loss of feeling of self-consciousness 
• A loss of time—feeling so focused on the present that you lose track of time passing
• Feeling of personal control over the situation and the outcome feeling of personal control over the situation and the outcome (without being attached to the results of your actions)
• Lack of awareness of physical needs
• Complete focus on the activity itself 

Flow experience is not restricted to any one activity and occurs in different ways for different people. Some might experience flow while engaging in a sport; others might have a similar experience while engaged in an activity such as music, reading, painting, drawing, or writing. If it’s challenging and you have the necessary skill sets to immerse in the activity completely, it can result in flow. Flow keeps an individual in a truly happy state. Csikszentmihalyi proved that the more an individual is in flow the happier he/she becomes. 

Now coming to yoga, notice how it is a perfect activity to achieve flow. Be it yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, or pratyahara, all of these require dhayana (focus) and dharana (concentration and motivation). This very nature of yoga allows an individual to match challenges to skill level. The breath work, concentration, precise alignment, the controlling power of how hard you’re pushing yourself—all of this puts an individual in a flow state. It was as though Patanjali designed the entire yoga philosophy to provide a flow experience. Every time you achieve flow in your yoga practice, you gain experience and inherently improve your skill level. Very soon, the practice takes your skill sets to a higher level and you are able to do more by challenging yourself further. You experience contentment and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. It’s a great positive spiral and it results in improved health and happiness. That is “Living Samadhi” (bliss/enlightenment) in an everyday life.

So the next time you encounter a positive psychologist, declare that you too are in “Flow” with your yoga practice. Better, read the book and “flow inwards” in your yogic life!

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Featured Sequence: Easy Balance Practice

by Baxter

As we have talked about many times here at YFHA, balance is one of the key physical skills to cultivate as we age. As Shari said in Nina's interview with her about aging and balance:

“ …if we can’t balance, we fall and break bones or hurt ourselves in different ways. Twenty percent of all Americans have balance issues, and falls are a public health catastrophe. They send people to hospitals and may require costly surgeries and months of pain, suffering, and hard work to try to regain prior levels of functional independence. 

In addition, if we are afraid to move because we fear falling, this fear affects every aspect of our lives and starts the spiral of further decline and illness. People who fall are afraid of exercise and movement because of the anticipation of future falls. But if you don’t use your physical body the decline is unrelenting.”

The good news it that balance is a skill you can practice and improve if you do a home practice regularly. The following sequence is the first of two that I will share with you to help you on your way to better balance. If you have poor balance already or have recently taken a fall secondary to losing your balance, I recommend working close to a wall that is behind your back. That way you can easily lean back against the wall if you feel like you are losing your balance.

Easy Balance Sequence

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana): You might say, “Hey, this is not very balancey.” But Mountain pose is the foundation of all standing pose work, so it is good place to begin. Start with Mountain pose with a block on its narrowest side between your thighs and your feet set so you feel a nice squeeze of your inner leg muscles against the block. Stand for 60-90 seconds with your legs actively squeezing the block. This will strengthen your inner thigh muscles in addition to working all of the standing muscles in your legs. Then repeat the pose without the block. When working without the block, try to feel evenly balanced on the ball and heel of the foot, the inner and outer edges of the foot.

2. Mountain Pose with Arms Overhead and Heels Lifted (Urdhva Hastasana): Starting in Mountain pose, bring your arms slowly out to the sides and up until your arms are overhead alongside your ears.

To make it more of a balance pose, try coming up onto to the balls of your feet, lifting your heels just a few inches off the floor. Try to stay as even side-to-side on the balls of your feet as you can for a few seconds, and then lower your arms and heels back to the earth. Repeat one or two more times, focusing on getting steadier each time. If you are feeling particularly off balance, try facing the wall with your feet just a few inches from the wall and rest your fingertips on the wall overhead as you lift you heels.

3. Hunting Dog Pose: Come down to hands and knees, trying to keep your body very steady going into the pose. Follow the instructions at Featured Pose: Hunting Dog Pose. If you feel too wobbly in the pose, keep the toes of your straight leg lightly on the floor. Stay for at least 30 seconds, but work up to 90 seconds gradually over time. As you come out of the pose, try to keep your body very steady. 

4. Warrior 1 Pose (Virbradhrasana 1): This post Featured Pose: Warrior 1 will give you the basic idea of how to do Warrior 1, but for this practice, pay close attention to the transitions into and out of the pose, making them as smooth and stable as possible. 

5. Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana): As I had you do in our Lower Body Strength Sequence, you may want to start by coming in and out Triangle pose dynamically a few times. This can really challenge your balance, so feel free to set up with your mat parallel to and up against a wall, and look toward your front hand has you go in and out of the pose, not up at the ceiling. Start with your legs apart and feet aligned as usual for Triangle pose. Inhale your arms parallel with the floor, and then exhale into Triangle pose. Inhale back up with your arms out to sides, and then exhale your arms down to your sides. Repeat six times. Then hold full Triangle for six breaths, and work on increasing your time in the pose. Repeat on second side, with the dynamic sequence as a warm up for the full static hold.

6. Tree Pose (Vkrsasana), Easy Version: If your balance is wobbly, stand with the wall just behind your back. Start in Mountain Pose with your feet a bit closer together than usual. Shift your weight onto your left leg and bend your right knee a bit, coming onto the big toe of your right foot. Swing your right knee out to the right about 45 degrees. Then slide your right foot up against the inside of your left ankle, placing your right heel just above your left ankle bone but keeping your right big toe on the ground. Press your right heel firmly into your left ankle. See if you can then take your arms out to your sides parallel with the floor. Keep your gaze relaxed and on the horizon in front of you. If you are still feeling steady, try taking your arms overhead as in Arms Overhead pose. Whichever version you do, keep your legs steady and still, and try to stay for six breaths or so, gradually working your way up to 60-90 second holds. Repeat on second side. 

For those already experienced with practicing the full version of Tree pose, feel free to do any version of the pose that you’re comfortable with. 

7. Warrior 3 Pose (Virabadhrasana 3), Easy Version: Start at the wall, coming into Half Downward-Facing Dog Pose at the Wall, as described here. As your press your hands into the wall, lift your left leg up behind you as close to parallel to the floor as you can manage while still keeping your hips relatively square. While you’re in the pose, try to lighten the touch of your finger on the wall, as you continue to keep your hips square with the floor beneath you, your bottom foot squarely on the floor, and your lifted leg strongly reaching back behind you. Try to stay for six breaths or so, gradually working up to 60-90 second holds. Repeat on second side. See Featured Pose: Warrior 3 (Wall Version) for detailed instructions on this pose.

For those already experienced with practicing the full version of Warrior 3, feel free to do any version of the pose that you’re comfortable with. 

8. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana): Come back into Mountain pose and savor having both feet back on the ground! Place your hands on your hips and, on an exhalation, begin to bend forward from your hip joints. When your pelvis won’t rotate over your upper leg bones any more, allow your spine to round gently into a full forward bend, as you release your arms toward the floor. If your hands easily make it to the floor, great. But if they fall shy of the floor, don’t force them down; instead place your hands on opposite elbows. Feel free to bend your knees a little bit if your lower back or hips feel strain or pain. Stay for 30-60 seconds. 

9. Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana): Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor in front of you. Hold onto the backs of your knees and rock back to balance on your buttocks with your feet just off the floor. See how long you can stay before your front thighs begin to tire. If Version 1 is easy, try Version 2, bringing your shins parallel to the floor and holding there. If Version 2 is easy, try Version 3, letting go of your knees and stretching your arms forward. Finally, if Version 3 isn’t challenging enough, try Version 4, straightening your knees so your upper and lower body forms a “V” shape. Start with six breaths and work up from there.

10. Reclining Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana): Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Keeping your knees bent, bring your legs and feet close together, and stretch your arms on the floor out to your sides in a T position. Now let both knees drop easily to your right, as close to the ground as they will go. Allow your head to turn gently to the left. Rest in this position for a minute or so, noticing any tension or fear that might have crept into your body from the challenge of your balancing poses. As you exhale, imagine releasing as much of that emotion and feeling as you can. Come back to center and repeat on the second side.

11. Relaxation Pose (Savasana): Focus today on feeling the security, stability, and safety of your entire body resting on the floor. Use any props that would make your body more comfortable (see Corpse Pose Variations). Ideally, set a timer for 10 minutes, and let your mind stay focused on the gentle flow of your relaxed inhalation and exhalation, and enjoy your relaxation pose! 

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An N of One and an N of All: Personalized Medicine and Personalized Yoga

by Brad

Patterns in Nature by Melina Meza

A couple months ago I attended a conference in Seattle sponsored by US HUPO (Human Proteome Organization) called “From Genes to Function.” Afterward, while I was mulling over the talks, I was reminded of some earlier posts I’ve written where I discussed studies that were “under powered,” that is, they didn’t have enough subjects and controls to come to any firm, or statistically validated, conclusions. These included the papers that looked at reduced IL-6 levels (an inflammatory cytokine) or the effect on telomere length (the ends of DNA sequence that correlate with age) in practioners of yoga (see Science, Aging and Yoga).  In another post, I discussed the issue of the “N of one (N = 1),” a reference to anecdotal cases or one’s own experience. I have often felt that we should not be overly tough on the lack of data on some aspects of our behavior before embarking on changes, as the bar for scientific proof is often simply too high—and the likelihood of someone carrying out the rigorous study needed to obtain a higher level of confidence is not likely to happen any time soon.

So, it was interesting to be reminded of two important trends taking place in the health sciences these days: the “N of one” and the “N of all.”  Both of these concepts came up in the talk by Leroy Hood, CEO of the Institute of Systems Biology, a major leader in the field of integrated “omics” technologies in medicine, i.e., genomics, proteomics, etc.  His point was that with new technologies becoming cheaper, we could envision a situation in the very near future of routine genomic sequencing and other data intensive methods to follow one’s own health (the N of one) as well as this data being integrated with thousands of patients for a virtual cloud of data (the N of all).  The N of one concept was reiterated in a fascinating talk from Michael Snyder of Stanford in which he discussed a project where such efforts are being carried out longitudinally to monitor precise changes in one’s microbiome and other parameters.  This idea stemmed in part from his own self-diagnosis of type 2 diabetes from information he was collecting on himself (talk about personalized medicine!). It is now expanding into larger, but still relatively small cohort of 50 pre-diabetics, to identify genes and other factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes. This project is already underway and will likely be expanded to include several thousand subjects if successful. Such technology innovations would allow you to have vast information about your own DNA, blood and microbiome status from which to make more informed health decisions.

Obviously the N of all concept is related to the N of one, but refers to an even larger amount of medical data that is now becoming available to researchers, as these data from thousands, if not millions, of people become available. Access to such a trove of information would allow scientists to identify genes for rare diseases, as well as to better pinpoint behaviors that are linked to diabetes or Alzheimer’s, for example. These data would also allow individuals to make better-informed decisions about what drugs they should or should not be taking, as well as what behavioral modifications would be best for their personalized health. As this idea really gets traction, maybe we will be able to better assess how the practice of yoga affects our health (and contributes to healthy aging), both from a personalized view  (N of 1) as well as that gleaned from thousands of people (N of all). Until then, using your subjective experience along with input from your yoga teachers and colleagues to evaluate which yoga practices are beneficial to you is a perfectly valid way to make decisions about what and how to practice.

One last thought: This scenario may seem like a dystopian future to many of you, as there are clear issues of privacy and how much information we really want to know about ourselves or others to know about us. Not surprisingly, these issues are being hotly debated among scientists, medical ethicists, and policy makers—and we should be participating in this discussion as well. There are already some pretty serious guidelines in place to insure privacy and remove personal identifiers from much of this data, but things are changing rapidly. The explosion of medical and behavioral information about ourselves and others will almost certainly happen as the technology become cheaper and more widely available. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out—and whether the rewards of personalized medicine will lead us to better ways to manage our health.

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Cultivating Healthy Posture with a Simple Restorative Pose (Rerun)

by Timothy

Poor posture is a common problem that people of any age can have but it is one that tends to worsen over time. Particularly common is the rounding of the upper back into a C-shaped curve, aka Slumpasana. People often hold their heads several inches forward of the body’s plumb line, which can lead to neck and upper back discomfort, among other problems. I’m just back from teaching workshops on therapeutic yoga at Kripalu and the Himalayan Institute and several of the people I worked with—some despite years of yoga practice—still had this postural habit. So I thought today I’d share with you a simple technique that in a number of cases has proved helpful for improving posture.

You might not think poor posture would be a factor is serious health problems, and we certainly weren’t taught much about it in medical school. But if you read medical textbooks and search out relevant studies, you will see that poor posture can contribute such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoporotic fractures, and even heart disease and depression. From a yogic perspective, this combination of slumping posture and the less-than-ideal breathing that accompanies it is also believed to contribute to anxiety, insomnia, digestive difficulties, etc.

When your back rounds, your lower ribs compress the top of the abdomen so it’s not possible to fully move your diaphragm, the major muscle of breathing, and take a full breath. As a result, people take shallow breaths, primarily bringing air into the upper parts of the lungs. Such a breathing pattern is not as efficient in bringing oxygen into the body, and more importantly for many health concerns, is agitating to the nervous system. I won’t go into the physiology here, but suffice it to say that I have repeatedly seen that improving your posture in a way that allows you to take slower, deeper breaths can lead to an improvement in overall health and well-being.

When you’ve had a long-term habit of slouching, however, it may not just be as simple as remembering to sit up straight or to pull you shoulders back when standing. Long-term slouching leads to shortening of muscles in the front of the upper body, as well as of the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates the muscles, and which can limit movement. It’s said that longer holds of poses are necessary to help lengthen the fascia, and while people differ on what the ideal holding time is, I believe staying in a pose for a few minutes may be ideal. That’s hard to do in most regular asana, particularly the backbends, which open up the back. The pose described below is a supported backbend, which like a regular backbend helps correct the postural problem, but because it’s restorative, it’s easy to stay long enough to have the desired effect on the fascia.

To do the pose, you’ll need one blanket and something to place under your head. Take a standard folded yoga blanket and unfold it once, so that you’ve got a long rectangle. Roll the blanket from the longer edge into a thin cylinder. Place the cylinder sideways on your mat a couple of feet from the head of the mat, sit in front of the blanket, and lie back so that rounded edge comes to your mid-thoracic spine.

Thoracic Spine, the portion of your spine to which your ribs attach—
between your cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine

You can play with the placement, maybe a little higher or lower to get the region of your upper back that seems the most stubborn. Most people, particularly those who tend to slouch, need a pillow or folded blanket under the back of their heads, so that the chin can be more or less at the level of the forehead or slightly lower.

This photo uses a bolster in place of a rolled blanket, but you get the idea...

Once you’ve got your props in place, come to a supine Mountain pose with your back on the blanket roll, your head on the head support, and the tops of your shoulders on floor between the head support and the blanket roll. Now, take your arms out to your sides in a T-position, externally rotating your upper arms so your palms face the ceiling, which will help counteract the tendency of most slouchers to internally rotate them. Engage your leg muscles and lightly flex your feet. After  you’ve established your alignment, let go of all effort and lie back into this restorative backbend and let the blanket do all the work. Your only job is to remain mindful, trying to breathe slowly and deeply for the next several minutes. Titrate the time you stay to your comfort levels and schedule. For most people, I’d recommend starting with a minute or so then working up to 5-15 minutes a day. The longer you hold it (as long as you remain comfortable), and the more regularly you do it, the better the results!

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Are Partial Reps Bad? By Veeraj Goyaram

Training

Who Said Partial Reps Are Bad?

By Veeraj Goyaram

The Myth Sergio Oliva used partial reps to build his chest

"Half reps equal half results" 

One of the first advice I received when I started training was to always train with a full range of motion (ROM) in order to get the maximum benefit. That's the usual advice we always hear and can be generally viewed as good advice for those starting out. However, nothing is set in stone as partial repetition training can also bring sizeable muscle building benefits. It is important, however, to know when and how to use them. That's what this article aims to teach you.

Half-assed reps vs. partial reps (pardon the english)

Some gym clowns do partial reps for the wrong reasons because the weight is too heavy for them to do even a single full repetition. Therefore, what they do is to rep out whatever range of motion they can with that weight, almost always with the help of a spotter. This half-assed approach is most commonly seen on leg presses, bench presses, squats and shoulder presses. We have all seen people piling up the weight on the bar or machine and then lower the weight only a quarter or halfway down rather than go any deeper. That's the easiest range of motion because the deeper you go the harder it gets.

That's the deepest that some gym clowns will go on the bench press. They'd be better off dropping the weight a bit and do the stuff right.

Give 'em no chance to relax

A great stimulator of muscle hypertrophy in resistance training is the time the muscle spends under tension. A lot of top trainers, like Dennis James and John Meadows advocate subjecting the working muscle to greater time under tension (TUT) using partials reps. On certain exercises partial reps allow you to maintain constant tension on the muscle. These are exercises that would normally involve a "lockout"position, which is a position at which there is less tension on the muscle.

On shoulder presses, for example, I stop a few centimetres short of lockout, meaning that I don't go all the way to the top. The top part of the pressing movement involves my triceps a lot and therefore doing partials, "bottom partials" as I would call them, allows me to keep my deltoids under constant tension while reducing triceps involvement. This creates a greater pump which contributes to muscle hypertrophy. Now, try to imagine doing the same bottom partial trick on bench presses, dumbbell (not cable) flyes and squats. 

Examples from old school

Mr. Olympia Larry Scott performed shoulder presses only in the middle 3/5th of the movement because, according to him, the top portion is mostly triceps and the bottom portion is mostly traps. Read more here.

Larry Scott Partial Presses

Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva performed bottom partials in the bench press as shown in the video below. He actually built his chest using this technique and its not something he was doing, as some would argue, to just maintain his chest size as he had already reached his maximum growth.

How to use partials?

• Pure partial rep sets: Every rep of the exercise is performed with partial reps or you can do a full rep once to lockout after performing a few partial reps (as in the Sergio Oliva video above). Let's say I'm bench pressing. I'd do five bottom partial reps followed by one full rep. I then repeat with 5 partials followed by an excruciating full last rep. I get 12 reps.

• At the end of a set: I like performing full range of motion barbell curls until my biceps are exhausted and can't perform any more full repetition. I can still crank out a few more reps by moving a few inches from the bottom of the lift (your strongest part of the lift).

I hope you liked the article. Don't forget to share and discuss on our forums

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My Bio: I am a Mauritian originally from Roche Bois, Port Louis and now based in Cape Town, South Africa where I am busy with my postgraduate studies in molecular biology of exercise. My research, supervised by Prof. Edward Ojuka and Dr. Tertius Kohn, looks at the influence of nutrition and exercise in gene expression in muscle, research which is relevant and applicable to exercising individuals, sports persons and diabetic individuals. The knowledge that I share with you stems from my 18 years of experience in bodybuilding and 8 years (and counting) of university education in the field. I have also published work in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (2012, 2014), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2013) and co-authored two book chapters on exercise and diabetes. I also presented my research work at the 2012 International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference (UK). I am grateful to each and everyone at the UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. "Knowledge without sharing is worth nothing"

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Friday Q&A: Aging Muscles, Bones and Joints

Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Q: You all have been writing a lot about muscles and bones lately. I was wondering, how exactly does aging affect our musculo-skeletal system? And how can we influence the aging process with yoga and our lifestyle choices?

A: The process of aging affects our musculo-skeletal system in several particular ways. As I have written about previously, as muscles age, especially after about the age of 50, we start to lose muscle mass in a process called sarcopenia (see Strength and Aging). Sarcopenia is considered a normal part of the aging process, one that can lead to visibly smaller skeletal muscles—the ones that move our body and limbs around—which are then also going to be weaker. It is usually a slow, gradual process, but unchecked could lead to a point in a person’s life when the weakness could negatively impact his or her daily activities. According to an article Aging changes in the bones – muscles – joints from the National Institutes of Health: 

“Changes in the muscle tissue, combined with normal aging changes in the nervous system, cause muscles to have less tone and ability to contract. Muscles may become rigid with age and may lose tone, even with regular exercise.”

The body’s soft tissues tend to mostly made of water, and as we age, we also gradually experience a decrease in the amount of water in the muscles and the connective tissues (fascia and tensions) that surround the muscles and attach them to the bones, as well as the ligaments that connect bones to bones. As these changes occur, these structures become more brittle, less resilient and more likely to suffer injury, such as, strains and sprains. And because these structures don’t have a very good blood supply to start with, repair and recovery is typically slow, and slower as we get older. Other important soft tissue structures, such as the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae bones of the spine, and cushions, such as the meniscus in the knees and the labrum in the hip and shoulder joints, also suffer the same changes and the same potential for injury and degeneration. 

The skeleton, which is made up of over 200 bones, also undergoes changes as we age. Most commonly, the joint surfaces between the mobile joints can suffer wear and tear over a lifetime of use. The connective tissue barrier known as cartilage that coats the ends of each bone to make it slippery and cushioned can gradually thin out and leave the underlying bone exposed and sensitive to inflammation. This is commonly referred to as osteoarthritis (see Yoga for Osteoarthritis), an extremely common aging-related problem that can actually start at about any age, especially in those who use their bodies intensely for sports and work activities. 

Finally, the bones can begin to thin and lose density as we age, making them more vulnerable to fractures, which can then be slower to heal due to the abnormally thin bones. Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) is extremely common in women over 65, with up to 50% developing it, and surprisingly common in men as well over 65, at 25% incidence. The bones of the thoracic spine (your mid spine) are at greatest risk for fracture, followed by the wrist bones and the femur bone (thigh bone) of the hip joint. Fractures from osteoporosis can lead to ongoing chronic pain, physical disability and, particularly with hip fractures, premature death. 

These factors and others, such the connection between the muscles and the neurologic system, can also lead to changes in posture and balance, which can also increase the chances of injury over time. An increase in general stiffness and pain can also arise with combinations of the above changes. 

On a brighter note, it has been noted in aging athletes, specifically long distance runners and cyclists, who maintain good cardio-vascular and respiratory function may see improved endurance in their sports compared to when they were younger! Here is a case where long term participation in physical activity pays off in improved function, not decline. This speaks directly to what we can do with regards to our lifestyle choices that can positively influence these changes of aging: stay active!  Regular exercise, modified to accommodate body changes such as arthritic joints or thinning bones, can help to slow, stall and even reverse many of these conditions. And for our purposes here, yoga can be an ideal standalone practice for some conditions, such as sarcopenia, and great in combination with other health practices for others, such as with osteoporosis or arthritis (which might also require medications and mineral supplements, for example). Eating a healthy diet and drinking adequate amounts of water to fuel and hydrate the body, and by extension these parts of the musculo-skeletal system, is another wise choice. 

For further information, check out these posts from our archives:

• Yoga for Strength: An Overview 
• Yoga and Flexibility: An Overview
• Healthy Bones for Men and Women Alike
• What is Osteopenia? How Can Yoga Help?
• Yoga for Osteoarthritis

—Baxter

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Can you expand your Ribcage with pullovers? With input from Doug Brignole.

Q&A

Can you expand your Ribcage with pullovers?

Freddy Ortiz was known for his impressive ribcage

 Question:

From Bodybuilding Mauritius member Ludovic Chanson (France)

Q: What do you think about expanding your rib cage ?

It seems like Arnold and Vince believe you can, while Arnold himself said that other people believe you cannot.

What's your point of view ?

Answer by Veeraj Goyaram:

Ribcage expansion is indeed a big debate. The current belief is that at a young age the ribcage can grow not because of an extension of the cartilage which attaches the costal bones (ribs) to the sternum (breast bone). From my current understanding, this expansion stops by the early 20s when these cartilage becomes fixed. Someone older can still expect to expand his ribcage, although to a lesser degree. Pullovers are believed to be useful in that regard, especially when done following squats (superset fashion or after squat sets). I don't know if this is true. As I said, it is a still a debatable topic.

Arnold performing cross-bench dumbbell pullovers

Another element in creating the illusion of a bigger ribcage is the ability to hold a stomach vacuum. In the picture below, in spite of my current high bodyfat percentage I can still hold a vacuum although to a lesser extent than when I am leaner. Various vacuum exercise variations have helped me. I learned about these exercises in the yoga classes that I took way before I started bodybuilding. 

I am pleased to bring you the input of well-known exercise biomechanics expert, Mr. Doug Brignole, on this topic. As some of you already know, I trust Doug's information very much and I am a big fan of his. In the paragraphs to come, Doug will give us his opinion on the effectiveness of the cross-bench dumbbell pullover as a "ribcage-expander" exercise as well as his advice on performing the vacuum.

Valued input from Mr. Doug Brignole

1986 AAU Mr. America and Mr. Universe

1979 Teen Natural Mr. America, Teen Mr. California

1982 AAU Mr. California overall

Biomechanics of exercise expert 

How to do the vacuum

I've been doing a vacuum since I was in my teens. It's unfortunate that bodybuilders don't do it so much anymore. It would be nice if it were a "required" pose.

The best way to learn how to do a vacuum, is by first understanding the breath. It's impossible to do a vacuum after one has inhaled. The only way to do it after an exhale. The next thing I would recommend is to begin by lying down on the floor, facing upwards. This will allow gravity to assist in the pulling "down" of the abdomen - at least until the feeling is learned.

So lie down on the floor, exhaled, and then pull the stomach inward, while holding the breath. Then relax and breath, and repeat. Once it's grasped while in this position, it will be easier to do it while standing.

Doug at the 1979 Teen Mr. America

Can breathing squats and pullovers expand the rib cage?

When I first started training at the age of 14, I did breathing squats followed by dumbbell pullovers (across the bench). My goal was to increase the size of my ribcage, as per the recommendations in the magazines of the time. However, I don't really think it did that. My ribcage has never been especially large, and I did not see it change much, despite the fact that I did that combination regularly. I'm not convinced that the size of the ribcage can be influenced by pullovers; I'm more incline to believe that it cannot be influenced. Pullovers do seem to help the serratus anterior, more so than the lats. It's not a very good Lat exercise.

The effectiveness and safety of pullovers

The problem with pullovers is that it's not an entirely natural movement for the shoulders. And to make matters worse, the mechanics of the standard pullover is that the resistance increases - and reaches its maximum - precisely when one's arms are extended above one's head (arms alongside the head). That is where the greatest risk to the shoulder joint occurs.

A better way to work the serratus anterior is with a staight arm pulldown (which follows a similar path to the pullover). This allows you to stop the movement before the arms reach the point where they are alongside one's head. And it provides more resistance at the point where the arms are in front of the torso (i.e., the typical "conclusion" point of the pullover). And you can take the handle past that point, all the way down to the point where it touches the thighs. This provides better Lat stimulation, as well as serratus anterior stimulation, without jeopardizing the shoulder joint.

Sorry for the detour - back to the ribcage. While I don't regret having done pullovers when I was young, I don't think they contributed much to my ribcage, and I would never do them today. The flexibility and resilience of a youthful shoulder joint could tolerate a fair amount of that type of unnatural stress. But I think it would cause problems for anyone over the age of 30.

Doug can still master the vacuum at age 51

Old school is still alive. Doug hits the vacuum onstage at age 51

Some more pics of the fabulous physique of Doug Brignole

"Be Inspired" 

Where to find Doug's work?

Doug writes for IRONMAN magazine. He has his own blog on the IRONMAN website (Click to visit) where he regularly provides his expert analysis of the effectiveness of many exercises. Doug also co-authored with Dr. Adrian Tan a book titled "Million Dollar Muscle: A Historical and Sociological Perspective of the Fitness Industry". The best way to receive his updates is to follow him on facebook and his website http://www.dougbrignole.com.

Click to buy on Amazon.com.

Thank you a lot Doug Brignole for your input and your massive contribution to bodybuilding

YOU INSPIRE US A LOT!

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My Bio: I am a Mauritian originally from Roche Bois, Port Louis and now based in Cape Town, South Africa where I am busy with my postgraduate studies in molecular biology of exercise. My research, supervised by Prof. Edward Ojuka, looks at the influence of nutrition and exercise in gene expression in muscle, research which is relevant and applicable to exercising individuals, sports persons and diabetic individuals. The knowledge that I share with you stems from my 18 years of experience in bodybuilding and 8 years (and counting) of university education in the field. I have also published work in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (2013), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2013) and co-authored two book chapters on exercise and diabetes. I also presented my research work at the 2012 International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference (UK). I am grateful to each and everyone at the UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. "Knowledge without sharing is worth nothing"

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Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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