FIT BODY / EXPERT ANSWERS
intact, I sought the callus counsel of one
of the strongest women I know: Pamela
MacElree, creator of the Kettlebell
Training for Women DVD (PM LLC,
2009) and co-owner of Urban Athlete in
Philadelphia, Pa. This is the approach she
recommends: Twice a week, several days
apart, rub a natural pumice stone on your
calluses after you get out of the shower, or
use a PedEgg ( www.pedegg.com) to shave
them down. Next, use an emery board to
file them smooth and apply cocoa butter
or another heavy moisturizer afterward.
In retrospect, the solution seems obvious. Then again, I guess the notion of
shaving my palms had never occurred to
me. In any case, I’m happy to report that
my calluses are back to barely noticeable.
Q
I stumbled across the article “The Tabata Tune-Up” at experiencelifemag .com, and while I like the idea of a short, super-intense work- out, here’s the thing: I’m probably a hundred
pounds overweight right now.
Is this workout feasible for me?
A PedEgg is a great
way to shave down
troublesome weightlifting calluses.
Available at
many drugstores or
at www
.pedegg
.com.
A. I applaud your grit! And your question is a wise one, because when it comes
to shedding unwanted weight, interval
training reigns supreme. But you might
not be ready for a full-fledged Tabata
workout just yet. What makes the Tabata
Protocol, in particular, so effective is its
maximal effort level and minimal rest
time. It consists of eight total cycles of
alternately working as hard as you possibly can for 20 seconds and resting for
10 seconds, adding up to a four-minute-long workout.
That may not sound like much, but the
go-all-out factor triggers quick and certain changes in your body. Unfortunately,
that same go-all-out factor can put it out
of reach for those who are detrained or
carrying a lot of extra weight.
Most personal trainers would recom-
mend you build a fitness base first and
gradually work up to more intense inter-
val training. But then there are those
who argue in favor of a scalable, easier
version of Tabata right from the start,
regardless of your current level of con-
ditioning — with the usual stipulation
that you check with your doc first.
Angie Brambley, assistant varsity
strength-and-conditioning coach at
In Brambley’s view, scaled-back Tabata
cardio workouts are a great way to prog-
ress toward the real deal. So pick any piece
of cardio equipment (if you’re carrying
extra weight, select something low impact,
such as a stationary bike, elliptical trainer
or rowing erg) and do your best-effort
version of Tabata (search on “tabata” at
experiencelifemag.com for two articles
that will give you the basics). If you feel
like you’ve got more to give after your first
four minutes, choose a different piece of
equipment and do a second round.
Princeton University, is a member of
the latter group: “Trainers talk about
submaximal Tabata intervals not being
‘true’ Tabata, but who cares? You don’t
want to go so hard at first that you never
return to the gym.”
The term “shin splints” describes
a chronic irritation of tissues in
the front of the lower leg — a
nasty ache that can interfere
with your workouts.
Typical causes include training on hard surfaces, running
uphill or downhill, and having
weak dorsiflexors (the muscles
that pull the toes upward).
Overtraining, having tight calves,
and wearing old, ratty shoes tend
to make matters worse.
Accordingly, many physical
therapists prescribe calf stretch-
es, toe lifts and towel toe curls
for the condition. But while these
exercises do strengthen the dor-
siflexors and small muscles of the
feet and lower legs, they don’t
do much to treat what some
high-profile physical therapists
are now saying is often the root
of the problem: the core.
“Most people who get shin
splints,” says Bill Hartman, PT,
CSCS, “are poorly conditioned
runners with weak, stiff hips,
weak gluteus maximus muscles,
and weak core musculature.”
Such weaknesses promote
excessive pronation of the foot,
in turn causing an overload of
the deep posterior compartment
of the calf. This results in what pain
physicians often label as shin splints.
Most shin-splints sufferers,
Hartman contends, would benefit
most from strengthening their hips
and core with exercises like these:
Fitness
Fixes
The Shin-Core Connection
Yes, the ache is in your lower legs, but your
weak core muscles may be to blame.
Side Bridge •Lie on your side propped up on your elbow, body in a straight
line, feet stacked on top of one another.
•Lift your hips off the floor so you’re supported on your forearm and the side of your bottom foot. You should be aligned in a
straight line from nose to toes and from ear to hip to knee to ankle.
•Hold for a count of five, lower, and repeat for 10 to 12 reps.
Perform two to three sets, three to five times a week.
Glute Bridge
•Lie face up with knees bent about 90 degrees. • With your arms at your sides, press them into the floor while
pushing your hips upward until your body is in a straight line from
shoulder to knee.
•Hold for a count of five, lower, and repeat 10 to 12 times.
Perform two to three sets, three to five times a week.
