VIDEOS FROM THE LAB
Welcome to one of the most exciting aspects of this website- the movies. Well, they aren't exactly movies but they can inform you a little about a few of the many tests that can be done here at Principle Centered Health. I have tried to keep them short and informative. Some of the aspects may take more or less time than what you see in the video.
The Aerobic Capacity tests are what most runners and cyclists would like. The first video with Neville is more instructive and should probably be seen first. The second with Mark shows the same test in a different trial.
This test can tell you 4 main things:
a) what your VO2max or maximum capacity to take in and use oxygen. This basically can tell you "what kind of shape are you in" and compare you to the rest of the population.
b) What your anaerobic thereshold is in terms of an absolute value and as a percentage of your VO2max. This is important to know because some people may be able to get large gains in racing performance with small amounts of higher intensity training. There is a balance between high and low intensity training that this the key.
c) When you are at your maximum fat burning and how to shift that point with training. This is important if you want to lose weight or spare your carbohydrates for the long hard runs.
d) What speed or workload you will be able to maintain for amount of time. This is critical for effective pacing and not "hitting walls" or "bonking" before the end of the race and to track your performance increases or decreases.
The Jumping Power test is great to find out how much lower body power someone has. This is a combination of the strength and speed combined. The strength is the ability to lift your body weight, and the speed is your acceleration off the ground which will equal your jump height or time off the ground. This test you will see with Carlos is a four jump test with both the time in the air and time on the ground being measured which gives an "explosive leg power factor"!!
Flexibility Test
Flexibility in the lower limbs- lower back, gluteus, hamstrings, is critical for performance and injury avoidance. Here is an example of the Sit and Reach Test being performed by Lauren. Hint: she is really extremely flexible and can max out! If I were in the video, we would have to edit the audio like a Jerry Springer show!
Extremely Accurate Body Composition with the Bod Pod
One of the new and very exciting ways to measure body fat is with the Bod Pod! This is described in details in the assessments section. Basically the capsule measures your body volume. A scale measures your weight. The two are combined to determine your body density and this is used to calculate your body composition. There is no underwater submersion or faulty scales or long, wet, difficult testing. In about 4-5 minutes you know your body composition. Carrie is our subject for the analysis and shows how easy it is. Listen for the voice.
Muscular Endurance is another factor which people should know. The military is more concerned about this than the strength of someone. Muscular endurance is more about the everyday use we put our bodies through. Lauren is trying to do a dip- tough stuff!
Strength is the force someone exerts on a single contraction. The grip strength is a reliable and simple test of overall strength. At PCH, we also offer a bench or squat test and can use a sub-max weight to calculate a theoretically max (which is safer- especially for novices).
The final video basically shows how PCH takes performances and puts it into numbers and graphs. The "Brains of the Operation" is specialized software that uses database technology combined with beautiful graphics so you can "see you improvement" quite literally and stay motivated toward your goal.