Holiday Cheesecake Recipe

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Provided by EatingWell.com


Serves
16
Prep Time
90 min.
Total Time
330 min.

A spectacular, graceful ending for a holiday feast or any elegant fall or winter meal.



INGREDIENTS

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)

1 tablespoon canola oil

20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoon cornstarch, divided

1 large egg

2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions

8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree

3 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves



COOKING DIRECTIONS

Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.

Step 2
To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.

Step 3
To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.

Step 4
Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the center of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the center of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.

Step 5
Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.

Step 6
Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.



MAKE AHEAD TIP

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Fat Building Muscle

I know what you are thinking, I have finally lost it. There is no way there is any truth to the heading of this post. Can Fat really build muscle? Traditional thinking would tell us to increase protein if you are trying to build muscle mass. While protein is absolutely necessary to help build muscle mass, it is not the only nutrient we need.

A brand new study coming out in the next issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is showing promise with Essential Fatty Acids and protein synthesis. Essential Fatty Acids, such as Omega 3's, have been shown to be very helpful improving brain function, nerve tissue development, mood regulation, metabolism, and hormone production. This study however wanted to see the effects of Omega 3's on protein synthesis in older adults.

The researches compared Omega 3 with Corn Oil supplementation. They found that after 8 weeks of supplementation Omega 3 fatty acids stimulated muscle protein synthesis and may be useful for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass that occurs with aging. This usually leads to weakness, fatigue, increase falls, and increase risk of bone fractures.

EFA's are essential for building anabolic hormones such as testosterone which build muscle mass. It seems that supplementation may help increase muscle synthesis or at least help in the prevention of muscle loss.

So yes it is true. Fat can actually build more muscle. But I hesitate to say this. Remember this study used EFA's, not saturated fat, which is found in most food in a Western Diet. Stick to foods high in EFA's such as salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, sardines, and halibut. You can also take a EFA supplement if you are not a fan of fish.

Start getting some fat in your diet and build more muscle. And yes even if you are trying to lose weight building more muscle is a good thing, so don't avoid EFA's if you are trying to lose fat. You need it to function properly. Get rid of the other fat in your diet.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Best Fitness Gifts

Well it is that time of year already. As it always seems to do, the year has just flown by. I love shopping for the holidays when I know what I am getting. I can just run into a store and run right out and not have to deal with the crowds too much. When I don't know what I am getting it is a nightmare. Luckily I can do most of my shopping online now. I thought I would do you a huge favor and give you some great holiday gift ideas for the fitness enthusiast in your family. These are my top 5 favorite exercise tools that anyone can use. To return the favor please send me some other holiday gift ideas. I am really stumped this year.

If you click on the links you can actually take advantage of Perform Better's Annual Free Shipping sale, which is great for ordering kettlebells. Click on the pictures to learn more about each tool.

1. The TRX Suspension Trainer





Suspension Training is one of the hottest body weight training techniques in the fitness industry today. Personally I love using the TRX and use it with all of my clients. It is simple to set up and can be used anywhere. There are literally hundreds of exercises that can be performed with this piece of equipment, including some of my favorite and toughest ab exercises. It is no wonder that this product is being endorsed by some of the best athletes in the world, including Superbowl MVP Drew Brees.

2. Kettlebells





Again another personal favorite of mine. Kettlebells, like the TRX, can be used in a variety of ways and train multiple muscles and goals at the same time. Kettlebells are showing to be a very effective tool for fat burning workouts due to the ballistic nature of the exercises. If you are looking for fast paced, challenging workouts that will build strength and endurance at the same time, then this is your answer.

3. The Valslide





The Valslide is a lesser known piece of equipment. This unique tool can turn your flooring into an unstable surface. This piece of equipment uses friction training to improve muscular stability and strength. Use them to target multiple body parts such as your legs, inner thighs, and butt all at the same time. Or use them to stretch and tone your shoulders, chest and back. Some of the toughest core exercises I know use the Valslide.

4. The Power Wheel





No I don't mean Power Wheels that kids can ride around in. Although they should make those for adults. You can actually use the Power Wheel just like the Valslide but on surfaces that are not good for sliding. This is another very simple tool that can train all different parts of the body. The Power Wheel was designed to challenge the entire body to stabilize while moving. Because of its unique patented design, you can put your feet into the PW or your hands so you can perform unlimited core exercises. And because of the top level instructional booklet included, you will learn the best way to to get your core (abs, back and surrounding muscles) to its most powerful level ever!

5. The Gym Boss





If you have been reading this blog in the past I don't have to tell you how important interval training is for fat loss. The Gymboss Interval timer is the perfect tool to keep track of intervals. It is about the size of a beeper and can clip onto your waist band. Just set the work and rest time and hit start. You work as hard as you can until you hear the beep, then rest and repeat. Below you can actually see a video I made a while back using the Gymboss and Kettlebells.




There you have it. My 5 top holiday gift ideas. I highly recommend using the holiday free shipping deal going on, especially if you are purchasing Kettlebells.

Enjoy the holidays!

You Stay Healthy San Diego.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Find Skinny Friends

Whether you want to believe it or not your circle of friends have a lot of influence over you. Think about who you hang out with the most. Chances are they are very similar to you in age, values, financial status, education... Many times our friends are really just a reflection of ourselves.

Can this phenomenon include your health as well? A study in the New England Journal of Medicine is claiming this is so. In fact it looks like obesity is almost contagious and can spread like a virus. It is no wonder that we are facing an obesity epidemic. Obesity can pass from one person to the next.

This study followed a very large social network of people. They observed relationships between friends, family members, and neighbors. They followed obesity trends between different social networks. For example if one person gained weight would it have an impact on any of their networks. What the researchers found was that friends were the most influential. When one person would gain weight, they would see a common trend. The friends of that person would start to gain weight. Even when friends didn't live in close proximity to each other they would still witness this occurrence. They concluded that when a friend becomes obese it increases your chance of becoming obese by 57%. Whether your friend live down the street or across the country it will still have the same effect on you. If it is a very close friend that is obese you increase your chance to 71%.

This study just reinforces how influenced we are by our friends. The study found some similar effects with family members, but nothing like the obesity link between friends. This really isn't too surprising though. When I think about some of my clients I see this exact thing. I have had many clients come to me saying they needed to lose weight for a school reunion or other social gathering of friends, but I have not seen many who say they need to lose weight for Thanksgiving or other holiday when they get together with their family. I'm sure there are some out there who want to but I just don't see it as much.

The bottom line is this though. You have the power to help fight obesity and help your friends get in shape. If we know friends are the most influential it should work both ways. If you have a friend lose 20lbs or you lose weight, you will probably start to see your friends follow you. If obesity is contagious then maybe being fit and healthy can be too. There is only one way to find out. If you need to lose a few pounds try and get that weight off. Then see if some of your friends start to follow along. You can help America get back into shape.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Drink Water, Lose Weight

I don't think I need to tell you how important water is. Water is the most abundant substance found in your body. You can only survive a few days without water, while you can go almost a month without food. It is quite simply one of the most important things you need to consider in your nutrition program.

Can drinking water though help you lose weight? This is something that is always stated, but actually has not been studied very much. There are a few newer studies that wanted to find out if water could help with weight lose.

The main research findings out there are showing how important it is to drink water before your meals, not just throughout the day. One study found that middle-aged and older people, consumed 75-90 calories less per meal, when they drank 2 cups of water before a meal. I know these aren't huge numbers but still that 1575-1890 less calories per week or an extra 2-3lbs of weight loss each month.

And an newer study found very similar results. This study compared two groups. One drank 2 cups of water before meals while the other group didn't. Over a 12 week span the water drinkers lost 4 more pounds than the non water drinkers.

I know you might not be impressed with losing an extra 4lbs over 12 weeks but in actuality both groups lost weight. The water drinkers just lost 15lbs compared to 11lbs. 15lbs in 12 weeks is a pretty substantial amount. And even better is the fact that these studies did not involve exercise. These number could have been even better with the incorporation of strength and cardio training.

Now we have research to back up what many of us have probably assumed for awhile. Water is very important for weight loss. It is not just important to drink it though. Drink 2 cups of water before every meal to see even fast weight lose. Try replacing your calorie containing beverage with a glass of water.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Eat More And Burn More

Hi there. Well its the end of the week already and I hope you are getting ready for a fun filled weekend.

In the past I have often written about how important it is to eat after your workout. Whether you are trying to gain or lose weight, what you eat after a workout can help you reach your goals dramatically.

What you intake before your workout can also dramatically help you out. More studies are now showing the importance of Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. Our bodies can make some amino acids, while others must be ingested (essential). BCAA's are 3 essential amino acids. These three amino acids make up 1/3 of skeletal muscle in the body. These 3 are leucine, isoleucine and valine. These BCAA's are necessary in order to build muscle. They can also be used for energy. The body can break down protein (muscle) and use these BCAA's for energy when needed. This is not a good thing. If you are not getting enough BCAA's in your diet you will lose muscle mass. This is one of the biggest problems with extreme low calorie diets.

By ingesting these amino acids before a workout you will do a number of important things, like prevent muscle degradation and building more lean body mass. There are three main reasons why you want to include BCAA's prior to your workouts.

1. BCAA's can reduce cortisol levels that are elevated during exercise.
2. Taking in new BCAA's can prevent your body from using muscle for fuel, even when you are on a restricted diet.
3. They can help burn fat and build muscle at the same time. BCAA's actually will use stored fat for energy to build muscle.

There may also be one other huge benefit of combine BCAA's with carbohydrate before your workout. A newer study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that when 6g amino acids were ingested with 35g of sugar prior to resistance training energy expenditure was higher during and after the workout. This means that those that had protein with carbohydrates before their workout burn more calories.

So for a little extra boost to your workout you can try and snack on some protein and carbohydrates before your workout or you can try a BCAA supplement with a sports drink.

Click here to try out a great BCAA Supplement.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Eat Bread And Reduce Stomach Fat

Hi there. I hope you are doing great this week. I am still recovering from a friend's bachelor party this past weekend. It feels good to be back on my workout routine and regular eating habits. One fact I am definitely sure of, is that bachelor parties are not good for reducing stomach fat. I am hoping I didn't do too much damage this weekend. But can breads actually help us reduce stomach fat?


If you have ever tried to lose weight or know someone who has, the title of this post may seem completely wrong. We have been told that you need to stay away from carbs or grains if you want to lose weight. While there may be some truth to that a new study actually found the opposite.

The key is what kind of carbs you are eating.

In the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition there was a study released that looked at eating whole grains vs. refined grains and how fat was stored in the abdomen. This study involved 2,834 participants (men & women) of ages 32-84.

The study found that there was in fact a correlation with eating grains and abdominal fat. What they observed was that by increasing whole-grains into a diet there was lower visceral fat in the abdomen and those that ate more refined-grains saw an increase in visceral abdominal fat.

Visceral Abdominal fat, is the fat tissue that is found in the abdominal cavity surrounding organs. This is the fat that is seen as a high risk for heart disease. Basically it is very bad to have a lot of this type of fat.




It is important to understand the difference between refined and whole grains. A whole grain consists of 3 parts. The Bran, which is the protective outer hard shell, the endosperm, which provides energy for the seed, and the inner germ which provides the growing seed nutrients. The Bran contains fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals and the germ contains oils, antioxidants, and additional vitamins. The endosperm consist mainly of carbs (sugar). During the refining process the bran and the germ are stripped away leaving only the endosperm so all you are left with is the carbohydrates without the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

When you eat refined grains you are essentially eating simple sugars. Some simple sugars are not the worse thing to be eating, but in our society, these refined grains make up the majority of our diets. When possible stick with whole grains which are rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.

Examples of Whole Grains:

Whole Wheat (Ezekiel Bread)
Barley
Brown Rice
Bulgur
Oat Grouts
Quinoa
Rye
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Spelt

Examples of Refined Grains:

White Flour
Degermed Cornmeal
White Bread
White Rice
Corn Tortillas
Crackers
Pasta
Pretzels
Chips
Cereal (Although you will find some that contain whole grains)

Remember to check the labels. Some of the examples listed above can be found as whole grain products but not all. If you see the words whole grain you are probably ok although some products will mix whole and refined grains.

So it is possible to eat bread and have a smaller stomach, as long as you are sticking with whole grains, which most people will not do.

You Stay Healthy San Diego.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

The year is flying by and we are already in fall. Although the past few days in San Diego have been some of the warmest all year. If you are looking for a great fall recipe, here is one I came across in the September issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs lime juice
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (or substitute parsley or another herb if you like)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook until just tender (7–10 minutes). Drain and transfer to large bowl. While potatoes are cooking, make dressing: in small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and cilantro. Add red bell pepper and scallions to drained potatoes, and toss with dressing. Add salt and pepper. Serve warm, or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving. Makes six servings.

Per Serving: 260 calories; 10 grams (g) total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 4 g fiber; 420 milligrams (mg) sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbs; 3 g protein.

Studio Remodel Pictures

I had a few people who wanted to see what the studio looks like after we expanded. I took a few quick ones you can check out below. Let me know what you think. It is still a work in progress until I am completely satisfied with the layout.






Thanks,

Mike

Does Less Sleep Make You Fat?

Hey. I hope you are having a great week. I'm hanging in there, but I have to admit that I have been dragging this week. With all of the traveling I have been doing, it is catching up with me. I am ready to get some solid sleep and recovery.

One common issue I hear from clients is their lack of sleep. Most people will just ignore this by having extra coffee or some other energy drink. These methods will most likely cause more harm than good. If you are tired there is really only one cure. You need to get rest. Caffeine and energy drinks will just hide this and make you even more tired when they wear off.

In fact, there is evidence that lack of sleep with lead to weight gain. We need sleep for a variety of reasons including recharging energy, our muscles recover and rebuild during sleep, and it allows the brain time to store experiences as memories. There are three major reasons why lack of sleep will lead to weight gain.

First, our hormones can be effected by our sleep patterns. Specifically, when we get less sleep there may be an increase in Cortisol levels, which has been shown to increase food intake and increase abdominal fat storage. Sleep deprivation is also associated with a decrease in Leptin from fat cells. As Leptin decreases the hypothalamus interprets this as the fat cells need more food for energy, which makes you feel hungry. When Leptin levels decrease there will be an increase in Ghrelin, which stimulates hunger. So in summary you feel more hungry even though you don't need to food and the extra calories will be stored in your abdominal area.

Secondly, there can be a disruption in glucose metabolism. Researchers are finding a high link between sleep deprivation and diabetes. It is hypothesized that less sleep will lower levels of insulin secretion and impair glucose utilization.

The final reason may be very simple, but it is very true. Less hours spent sleeping means there are more hours awake for snacking or being sedentary. When people don't sleep well they are going to feel very tired during the day. This means they will most likely not want to workout and more likely to choose higher calorie and caffeinated snacks and beverages.

There are a number of reasons why people may be sleep deprived. Some can be simple fixes while others will be more complex and take time. Here are 10 tips to help get a better nights sleep taken from the University of California's Wellness Newsletter:

1. Cut down on caffeine consumption in the late afternoon and evenings.
2. Do not smoke or use any other products with nicotine before bed. (More importantly just quit smoking)
3. Create a noise free sleeping environment.
4. Create a sleep-friendly bedroom by using comfortable linens and pillows, put up darker shades, replace worn out mattresses, and keep the bed cool during sleep hours.
5. Drink fewer fluids after dinner.
6. Attempt to deal with stressful issues during the day and put them away at night. (seek professional consultation if necessary)
7. Set a regular time to go to bed and a consistent time to wake up. Stick to this every day.
8. Avoid bringing work projects and personal paperwork to bed.
9. Avoid bringing food to bed.
10. Limit naps to a maximum of 30 minutes and try to take the naps earlier in the day.

To summarize, I remember something my old boss said in grad school about sleep. "The only thing you should be doing in bed is sleeping." I strongly recommend not watching tv, reading, or eating in your bed. When you lay down to go to sleep it should be a signal to your brain to shut off and go to sleep. We tend to be very habitual. Once you start a pattern it will be much easier to stick to.

You stay healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

5 Unhealthy Health Foods

I always find it amazing that even though grocery stores are getting more and more packed with "health" foods, we are becoming increasingly unhealthy each year. With obesity becoming an epidemic in adults and children and more people dying from preventable illness it is amazing we aren't doing anything about it.

The hard part is the education. You hear conflicting information and it is hard to know what to follow. The food industry is making matters worse. By coming up with terms low fat, diet, low sugar.... it sounds like everything we eat now is healthy. Obviously if this was the case I wouldn't be able to find much work. Luckily for me though most people do eat so called healthy food, and it is making them feel worse.

I found a great article in the latest PFP magazine that talked about the 5 unhealthiest health foods that people eat. Below are those 5:

1. Agave Syrup:

Check the labels. Despite health claims agave syrups can be very high in fructose content then commercial sweeteners. Some also may even be watered down with corn syrup. High fructose levels has been linked with insulin resistance and elevated triglycerides. Don't worry you can still have your fruit. Fructose levels won't be nearly high enough to cause problems.

2. Gluten:

While whole grains are an essential to your nutrition plan, some people have a problem with gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten may impair proper digestion and trigger other food intolerances. There are some grains that do not contain gluten including rice, millet, quinoa, corn, and buckwheat.

3. Soy:

Many of the soy products found in the US have been genetically altered and processed with chemicals. Soy may also be harmful for proper hormone function. Soy may be responsible for lowering testosterone levels and lower thyroid function. These are two major problems, especially if you are concerned about losing weight.

4. Fruit Smoothies:

Watch out for so called healthy fruit smoothies. Many of these will contain sweetened yogurt, juice, and corn syrup. With all of that sugar it might as well be called a milkshake. Most of the smoothies found on the Jamba Juice menu contain over 50 grams of sugar per serving. If you are going to use a shake for a meal replacement or snack make sure it contains healthy ingredients. Read my previous post How To Make A Smoothie to learn more.

5. Flavored Water:

All these drinks are is sugar added to water. If you are drinking your sugar or eating it your body will crave more sugar. Vitamin water may sounds healthy but unfortunately it is not. In fact Vitamin water is being sued over claims that it is a health food product. Their defense is that a reasonable person would not consider Vitamin Water to be a health food product. Sounds funny but it is true. Vitamin Water have 33 grams of sugar per serving. Stick to water. If you need extra vitamins take a multivitamin.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

Should you stretch before you run?

Hi there. I hope you are having a great day. Well we have actually had a few days of sun in San Diego and it has been perfect weather for running. With the Oceanside Turkey Trot coming up I thought it would be appropriate to give you some tips on what you should and should not do before a run.

Stretching surprisingly is a major controversy in the fitness world. Some people will tell you to stretch before you go on a run while others say you never should. Who is right?

Technically, both are correct, but it is very important to know how to incorporate your stretching routine into your program.

First lets look at why you SHOULD NOT stretch before you workout. Very simply, think about why you stretch in the first place. Most people will say to prevent injury, but this isn't really the case. Essentially, when you stretch you are relaxing your muscle. As the muscle is stretched out, it will send an impulse to the brain and tell it become inhibited and relax so you can pull it into a further range of motion. Once you hold a static stretch for around 20-30 seconds this neurological impulse occurs. You have probably felt this before. Try holding a static stretch for 30 seconds. After that time you will notice your muscle will relax and you will be able to reach further into the stretch. For roughly an hour after a stretch you have deadened this muscle. This is not the ideal situtation for exercise and performance. Research is showing that static stretching before exercise, like running, does not decrease the risk of injury and may actually increase the risk.

There is also much evidence that by stretching before a run you will decrease power and running economy. If you look at elite runners, it looks like they bounce from stride to stride. They are actually using the elastic property of muscles and tendons to save energy. This will allow them to run faster without using as much energy. If we stretch you loose this bounce from the muscles and tendons.

If you are going to perform static stretching before a run you only need to stretch overactive muscles that you do not want to become even tighter during the run. I think one easy example to see with running are the upper trapezius. This is the muscle that will allow you to shrug. As people get tired during a run you will often see their shoulders start to creep up towards their ears. This is not good running form and is a waste of energy. If we static stretch the traps before the run, however, we may be able to prevent this. Below is an example of a trap stretch.



So if you shouldn't static stretch before a run, what should you do? We obviously do not want to just hit the run without warming up at all. So instead we perform a series of dynamic stretches. These are move movements that will prepare the joints and muscles for the exercise. This has been shown to be a much more beneficial warm up that static stretches. Below are a few sample dynamic flexibility exercises you can incorporate before a run.

Hip Flexor/Hamstring Stretch













Thoracic Spine Rotation




















Lateral Leg Swings



















Leg Swings
















Active Hip Flexor Stretch





















Balance To Reach

















The World's Greatest Stretch




It is however always a good idea to static stretch after a run or a workout. We want to make sure we return our muscles to a lengthened position after a workout that might have tightened them. It is not necessary to stretch every muscle. Focus on the ones that cause the greatest problem. If you have a guitar that is out of tune do you need to adjust every string? Most likely you only have a few strings that need to be adjusted. Our bodies are the same way. If you don't have a tightness problem you don't need to work on flexibility as much there.

While this is a very quick summary of flexibility and stretching I think it at least will give you an idea of a few concepts and what you should and should not be doing. Flexibility is actually a very complicated concept and we are still learning more and more about the best ways to utilize it. With time we will gain a better understanding of everything.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator