What is Your 1 Rep Max?

By Dr. Maria Villarini PT, DPT, CKTP, CYI

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Many people put in lots of time and effort working out and lifting weights without ever achieving their desired goals. It can not be said enough times that desired results and body transformation require a combination of WHAT you fuel your body with (food, nutrients, and supplements) and HOW you challenge your body (Training Program: weight, resistance, repetitions, intensity, volume, variation). Some things that help with HOW you challenge your body is having some ACCOUNTABILITY with your workout. Some people call a friend to “check in” with and be accountabIe for even making it to the gym. Others will rely on using a heart rate monitor or a fancy watch to help keep them accountable of the efforts they put into their workout. But, If you want to see results and consistently have- Gains (muscular growth and development) then you need to start using your 1 Rep Max (1RM) for accountability.

“The CHALLENGE is not meant to be comfortable”

— MV

“The CHANGE is your reward”

— MV

Your 1RM is the maximum weight you can lift for an exercise with proper form for a maximum of 1 repetition. Using your 1 Rep Max will keep you honest with yourself and your efforts during a workout. It will help you set goals. It will help you develop a Training Program that will definitely lead to desired growth and development. That being said, people very rarely work with their 1 Rep Max on a consistent basis at the gym. In fact, the 1 Rep Max is often ESTIMATED and not actually tested to avoid injury and keep movements safe. You should avoid attempting to achieve or test your 1 Rep Max if you have only recently started strength training, recovering from an injury, or are not being guided and checked by a strength training professional.

Instead, your estimated 1RM can be used to design a training program or follow a given training program of particular percentage of effort. For example, if your goal is to train within 80% of your 1RM for a particular exercise, you should be able to lift a certain weight for a set number of repetitions until muscle failure. So, depending on your goals for training you can be more consistent and see better results by recording your 1RM and working within various ranges of that weight. Remember- credit is given for every time you are physically active- at the gym or in other forms. But, Let’s get real, if you don’t challenge your body enough, you won’t see change. The challenge is not meant to be comfortable. The change is your reward.

Click on the Link to calculate your ESTIMATED 1 Rep Max

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Call 914-505-6556 or visit www.innerstrengthpt.org to make an appointment

for more assistance on Training Program Design, Training Technique,

Athletic Optimization, or Injury Prevention.

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Dr. Maria Villarini is a licensed Physical Therapist specialized in Pelvic Rehabilitation of dysfunctions resulting from the Pelvis and Pelvic Floor (Bowel, Bladder and Sexual dysfunction) as well as performance optimization for Athletes. Dr. Villarini has helped to heal, educate, and empower men and women of various dysfunctions with the emphasis of a holistic approach and mind-body connection. Her education and experience as a classically trained dancer, marathon runner, weight lifter, and yoga instructor help her to bridge the gap between Sports Rehabilitation and Pelvic Rehabilitation to find the “Missing Link” and allow others to Live Life Without Limits. She continues to embrace her mission to Reduce The Time Of Suffering by educating patients, the health and wellness community, colleges, and doctors on available noninvasive and effective physical therapy treatments for these problems.

Some Life Lessons To Learn Through Yoga

By Dr. Maria Villarini PT, DPT, CKTP, CYI

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Yoga is becoming more popular and more accessible to the masses. You no longer have to look like a classically trained dancer to feel comfortable taking a yoga class. Each yoga studio has seen its fair share of diversity in students and teachers are learning more and more about how to work with such diversity. There are different options of Yoga Styles (Bikram, Ashtanga, Kripalu, etc.) and settings- within a heated or nonheated room- in which you can practice. Some people practice yoga as a form of exercise while others practice yoga for more of the mental connection. The true benefits of Yoga come in the form of improvements in both the mind and body.

My own journey into Yoga started off extremely disappointing. At the time I felt like I was physically fit: running half marathons and taking lots of group fitness classes. I took a yoga class at a gym. I didn’t feel “flexible” enough to enjoy or even complete the class and left feeling frustrated. Needless to say, I didn’t go back. In later years, after I became a Physical Therapist, I attempted yoga again at a gym and had the best experience of my life. I had started to incorporate more strength training into my fitness routine and this yoga class challenged me in a different way. I was sweating bullets when just trying to hold a chaturanga (like a narrow push up) without falling flat on the floor or on my face. I saw men and women gracefully float off of the ground in inversion and arm balance poses. I had the motivation and most importantly I saw that I could progress to doing greater things in yoga and more advanced poses without needing to be very “flexible”. In time I also saw improvements in my flexibility. I had even started to work around some structural issues I’ve had in my hip for years.

Fast forward several years later, after practicing at home and in yoga studios on a regular basis, I found myself incorporating yoga more into my physical therapy treatments to help patients of all physical abilities get back to their prior level of function, prevent future injury, and excel with performance optimization. I decided to give to to become a Certified Yoga Instructor to increase my mind-body connection within my own practice. I knew that the program that I was interested in would be consuming in time and I was finally ready to set that time apart for myself and be open to grow deeper in my own practice. I was open to whatever lessons I would learn through this process. I just didn’t expect my lessons to begin on the first day

It all began when we were asked to sit in Sukhasana

The lessons that I learned about life and myself on the first day of my yoga teacher training were profound and long lasting. Ironically, I didn’t realize them right away. In fact, on the first day of class, we focused on a pose named Sukhasana- “comfortable seat”. It’s basically a pose where you are sitting tall with your legs criss-crossed in front of you. Simple enough, children sit like this all the time without any training. This pose in yoga could be used at the start of class, during a warm up, or even for time in mediation. While everyone in my class was trying to “find their breath” in this pose I struggled just trying to get into the pose and look “comfortable”.

A structural problem in one of my hip bones and limited movement of my pelvis in this position just didn’t allow me to do it. Ultimately, the instructor and I realized that it would be impossible for me to obtain and sustain this pose without the help from blocks and blankets. So I thought, It’s the first day of class and already I am showing everyone in class my “Limitations”. I didn’t expect to come to class and be a shining star but I definitely needed some building up of confidence after that class.

But Sukhasana, and my struggle to get into Sukhasana, had a profound effect on me.

These are the Life lessons I’ve learned from my “struggle”

1. It is okay to get help to support you when you can’t do it alone- hence the blocks and blanket in this example- but pertains to life in general.

2. It may be a struggle for me to do what others find “easy”- but it feels like a great accomplishment when I do get it done.

3. Time spent overcoming any hurdle is time well spent

4. My journey/path in life is my own- I can’t live someone else’s life or be envious of anyone else’s success

These lessons stayed with me throughout the entire training and I grew more grounded in my faith, beliefs, confidence, and commitment to myself as well as to others at the end of the training. My mind-body connection became stronger than ever before.

If you find yourself limited by pain or physical dysfunction and unable to enjoy activities that you once enjoyed you don’t have to give them up. There could be a Missing Link that you unaware of that will make you enjoying or returning to that activity possible. Your Pelvis and Alignment could be the key. To confidentially discuss specific concerns or make an appointment for an evaluation, don’t wait, call 914-505-6556 or visit www.innerstrengthpt.org for more assistance.

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Dr. Maria Villarini is a licensed Physical Therapist specialized in Pelvic Rehabilitation of dysfunctions resulting from the Pelvis and Pelvic Floor (Bowel, Bladder and Sexual dysfunction) as well as performance optimization for athletes. Dr. Villarini has helped to heal, educate, and empower men and women of various dysfunctions with the emphasis of a holistic approach and mind-body connection. Her education and experience as a classically trained dancer, marathon runner, weight lifter, and yoga instructor help her to bridge the gap between Sports Rehabilitation and Pelvic Rehabilitation to find the “Missing Link” and allow others to Live Life Without Limits. She continues to embrace her mission to Reduce The Time Of Suffering by educating patients, the health and wellness community, colleges, and doctors on available noninvasive and effective physical therapy treatments for these problems.