Training the Anterior and Posterior Power Lines

Last week I wrote a post about the Bunkie Test. It basically tests your fascial lines. Both my anterior and posterior power lines on the left were weaker then my right. This is what I came up with to strengthen them while getting some upper body work in.

6 Ways to Raise your HDL Without Drugs

There's a lot of misinformation out there about cholesterol and the numbers that go with your heart disease check up.  LDL, HDL, VLDL are some of the acronyms thrown around.  First LDL, low density lipoprotein, High density and very low density.  VLDL is the worst, LDL is bad as well. HDL is the good guy.  The high number no longer seems to be as important in terms of total cholesterol score.  What is carrying more weight these days is your HDL to total score.  You want 5 or less.  So a total score of 240 and HDL of 60 would be 4.  Not bad.  Total score of 180 and HDL of 30 wold be a 3.  If you looked at the total score you would say the first person is worse off, not so.  The ratio is the key.

One of the things that "experts" are starting to agree on, is that the higher your  HDL score, the better off you are.  In fact HDL raises your chances for protecting you against heart disease and I recently read it raises your chances for preventing Alzheimer's.

So here are some concrete measure to raise that HDL score.

1.  Quit smoking if you smoke.  Hopefully you don't.
2.  Elevate your heart rate 20 min 4x a week.
3.  Add monounsaturated fats to your diet.  Think avocados, olive oil, walnuts, wild fish.
4.  Supplement with Omega 3's.
5.  Have some alcoholic beverages a few times a week.  No more then 1-2 a day.
6.  Supplement with B3 (Niacin).  I was reading this can raise your HDL levels by as much as 35%.

Monday Motivation: Nike- Human Chain

Plank Variations

Two types of plank variations after a front hold stops being as challenging.

Burzynski Documentary

Recently a friend let me watch the documentary Burzynski.  Burzynski is a MD from Poland practicing in Texas that has been treating cancers the last few decades with a "new" type of approach.

While most drugs for cancer treat one gene.  Burzynski developed what he calls antineoplastons that treat hundreds of genes at once.  I copied this from his website as it does the best job of describing antineoplastons.

"Dr. Burzynski discovered naturally occurring peptides and amino acid derivatives in the human body that control cancer, not by destroying cancer cells but by correcting them. He observed that cancer patients typically had deficiency of certain peptides in their blood as compared to healthy individuals.  He named these substances antineoplastons. Chemically, the Antineoplastons include peptides, amino acid derivatives and organic acids. They occur naturally in blood and urine, and they are reproduced synthetically for medicinal use. The name of Antineoplastons comes from their functions in controlling neoplastic, or cancerous, cells (anti-neoplastic cells agents)."

Now here is the catch.  The therapy is FDA approved.  FDA has said that the antineoplastons are safe.  Wait for it....the FDA gets to say who can and can't be treated.

FDA has decided that only people that have failed chemotherapy and radiation can qualify.  The other qualifier, a brain tumor that is so beyond what can be treated by are "recommended protocols."

The FDA actually set up a few clinical trials and these are the results.

Clinical trials of Anaplastic Astrocytoma patients treated with chemo

5 of 54 patients  9% cancer free

Treated only with Antineoplastons

5 of 20 patients 25% cancer free  with no toxic side effects.

FDA trial #2

Childhood brainstem glioma

treated with chemo

1 of 107 were cancer free no one  lived 5 years 

 treated with antineoplastons

11 of 40 were cancer free and 11 of 40 lived 5 years.

Pretty crazy stats.  The overall statistics not in the clinical trials would be better, but the ones the FDA says can be treated have already failed lots of chemo.  Chemo kills, literally kills your immune system.  So they are in a much weaker state. 

One of the things that really struck me is that with all this new research on cancer, many of the chemo drugs that are being used are the ones developed in the late 70's and early 80's.  That's not to breakthrough-ish to me.  Just a thought that I could be way off on, just seemed a bit wrong to me.  

The documentary wasn't entertaining, as much as it was enlightening.  I don't want to turn it into Big Pharma vs Health, but he has been on trial in Texas for almost 10 years.  Every time they go to court, the accusations are thrown out.  It just seems wrong that the FDA can control your options of treatment in the United States.  

If your interested in this type of subject, I recommend reading through his patients website.  Very interesting stuff.  

Operation Hope for Japan

My good buddy Tetsuya Hasegawa is a chiropractor in Dallas, TX.  I met "T" through bobsled.  While I worked with Bobsled, the last couple years, T worked with the Skeleton athletes.  We were roommates in the Athlete Village for 3 weeks last year at the 2010 Olympics.

T grew up in Japan and still has many family and friends there.  I'm sure you've seen some of the heart wrenching footage coming out of Japan after the Tsunami.  T has started a project called Operation Hope for Japan.  He is trying to raise a dollar for every life lost during the earthquake and tsunami.  

T is currently trying to get Operation Hope for Japan non profit status, but in the meantime  you can send checks to:

Operation Hope for Japan, 6720 Horizon Road, Heath TX 75032. Pay to the order of Operation Hope for Japan. 

T is a great guy and I can vouch that this is a legitimate way to help out.  

Testing Fascial line with The Bunkie Test in Grand Rapids

I discovered the Bunkie Test about a month ago surfing the Internet reading about fascial lines developed by Thomas Meyers, author of Anatomy Trains. The Bunkie Test was created by a physiotherapist in South Africa. I believe she calls it the Bunkie Test, because the test uses a small stool called a Bunkie. It is recommended the Bunkie be the height of the length of your humerus bone. The stool I use in my video was a little big. You could also use a TRX or other suspension trainer.

I actually first noticed a weak fascial line on my left doing single leg blast strap push ups. I felt very strong with right leg down and weak with my left leg down. This got me thinking of the fascial lines and what that all meant.

Bring in the Bunkie Test. Five positions are tested. Posterior stabilizing, Posterior power, anterior power, medial stabilising and lateral stabilising/power. Each test is tested bilaterally. You should be able to hold each position for 30 seconds. If not it it recommended you receive fascial work on the weak line and strengthen the line. You should see immediate improvement after treatment and retest.

I think the real beauty is the way it can show some discrepancies under load that tests the specific fascial lines, but also show right and left imbalances. Imbalance's between left side and right side have been shown to be a good predictor of injury.

I like that your athletes or patients can test themselves and show themselves what is weak. I love the fact that you can test, find weakness or strength, treat and then retest. Instant feedback.
I've started to use this test in my office in Grand Rapids and have had some promising results.