Step Twelve- Stretching

Xfactor Xplanation: What About Stretching?

You may be wondering if stretching is a necessary supplement to the X Gym workouts.

The short answer is no. For general health and fitness, it’s just not necessary. The X Gym workout is designed with Xercises that go beyond your normal range of motion and when you do that, you get more flexible, but it’s functional and not “over-flexible.” It’s a little bit more than what you need in every day activities, so you feel as flexible as you need to feel for the things you love to do.

As people get older, they typically become less flexible, but that’s not because their body is getting stiffer from getting older. It’s because they are moving less each year, due to sedentary occupations or lifestyle, engaging in less physical activities (because they tell themselves they’re getting old) and frankly, thinking like an old person.

Old people end up with little shuffle steps because they consciously and unconsciously decrease their range of motion as they age. This can also be due to pain, from things like arthritis or other ailments as people age, but with reduced inflammation and proper lifestyle habits, those can be minimized as well. Plus, decreased movement doesn’t have to happen even with those problems.

The second part to this answer involves a maybe, but only under certain circumstances. Many X Gym members have come from the referral of a Chiropractor, MD, DO, or physical therapist because we are known for our safety and ability to rehabilitate injuries. Sometimes though, rehab involves getting flexibility back, so in that case, you might need to do some Xtra stretching that is prescribed by your doctor or therapist.

Some members ask about a formal flexibility program like yoga. Yoga is great and all, but it can make you “over-flexible” and if you already have that tendency, it can make you more prone to injuries and problems with your muscles, ligaments tendons and joints.

Research has shown that light, easy stretching after a workout can augment strength gains, so I sometimes recommend it for people post workout, but not necessarily for flexibility improvements, but rather, for faster strength gains.

If people do want to become more flexible, either because they want to get back their flexibility from before they were injured or from their younger years, the best way to do that is to begin stretching after a workout, while their muscle is warm, and continue to stretch as they cool down. Some athletes who need to recover their range of motion rapidly after an injury, will put a moist heating pad on the muscle or tissue they want to stretch, then go into a static stretch motion or use proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques while that muscle is cooling down. Some even use a cold pack to speed that cooling process.

There are many kinds of stretching, like the PNF mentioned above, but the latest research indicates that you should gently move into a stretch, only to the point of it feeling like a healthy stretch (a feeling that you like) and not ever painful. Then hold that for five seconds. Then release for two seconds. Then go back in for five seconds, then released again for two, and so on, for as long as you like.

I don’t ever stretch, unless it’s just to feel good, or to loosen up before a strenuous activity or race. I am more than flexible enough for the things I like to do, and thanks to the X Gym workout, I am about twice as flexible as most other people my age, or even half my age!

Nutrition Revolution Step: The truth about macronutrients.

There are three kinds of calories: Fat, protein and carbohydrates (carbs). Only two of these are essential though (meaning we can’t live without them).

We must have protein, because it is an essential building block of every cell. Without it, we die.

We must have fat, because it is another essential building block of every cell. Without it, we die.

Carbs on the other hand, are not essential. Without those, we can easily live and many Xperts even claim that the less we eat, the more we thrive.

Personally, I love my carbs, but my carbs are “slow” carbs and fiber-rich, like fitness chocolate, nuts, seeds and green veggies.

My diet is 70% fat by calories, 15-20% protein and 10-15% total carbs, but if you calculate the “net” carbs (total carb grams minus fiber grams), it’s pretty darn low – around 10-20 grams per day.

There are still the naysayers out there who claim that we “need” carbs for cellular energy. This is simply not true. If it were, the ancient Eskimos wouldn’t have been able to thrive for thousands of years without ever having to deal with cancer, diabetes heart disease, obesity, etc. Now the modern westernized Eskimos are eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) and getting diseases at the same rates as the rest of us.

Sure, we do need glucose for some processes, but the liver is designed to MAKE Xcactly as much glucose as you need. If it’s fed too much glucose and doesn’t ever have to make it, fatty liver disease can result due to those unhealthy and unnatural levels of glucose consumed. Eskimos never got that either. And neither do other modern hunter-gatherer societies that still Xist on our planet – until they get a hold of the SAD that is…

So eat your fat! Eat your protein! And get your carbs from “slow” carb sources, like green vegetables. You don’t need those “fast” carbs at all (i.e. sugars and starches). They are not only completely unnecessary, they are damaging your health and shortening your life as they make you fatter and sicker with every bite.

Giving them up is easier said than done though, because the addictions that come from fast carbs can be stronger than cocaine. So how can you do it? With X Gym University and learning how to eat, Xercise and re-wire your brain to make it happen with much less need for willpower! Just keep it up with these issues and practice the techniques, guidance, tips and tricks and you will be on your way to rapid results that last for the rest of your life!

Brain Training Revolution: 

Do you ever sabotage your success? Most people do, in some form, and most of the time they don’t even know why they are doing it because it’s mostly happening on a subconscious level. Here are some solutions for breaking that nasty little habit and getting your subconscious on the same page as your conscious mind:

Resource Revolution:

Warning! Only two issues left of X Gym University after this one! Remember to “opt in” to the FREE “Masters Program” at X Gym University (if you haven’t already) for current X Gym members! Just let me know through pj@xgym.com that you would like to continue with more lessons and I’ll put you in the “special inner circle” group that will continue to get these issues, with even more advanced training and content! Otherwise, you will see these issues come to an end as you graduate with your BX (bachelor of X Gym) degree soon!

Revolution Reminder:

This “course” is intended for X Gym members in order to learn the unique Xercise methodology and health principles, but our main goal is to help as many people as possible, so if you know other people who could also be helped with this information, please feel free to forward any or all of these pages or email issues to those individuals.

The advice and guidance given at the X Gym, through emails, newsletters, blogs, and other sources are not meant to replace any advice given by your medical practitioner. All ideas, guidance, and concepts should be confirmed with your medical practitioner to be appropriate for you before implementing or adopting into your lifestyle.