Gear Review: Puma Faas 250 Trail Running Shoe

As promised, I finally put shoe to pavement (well, more like hard-packed dirt) this weekend. Before I get in to my review of the Puma Faas 250 Trail Shoe, let me start by saying that I have several friends (and one physical therapist) who are big fans of the minimalist running movement.

And, for good reason. There's a lot of good science supporting it, and no real rebuttal to Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run" by any of the major shoe manufacturer's.

I'm not certain I'm ready to try running barefoot in Vibram Fivefingers any time soon, but I'm certainly open minded enough to try a minimalist shoe.

By definition, a minimalist shoe is a cross between a barefoot shoe (think Vibram) and traditional running shoes. Minimalist shoes are extremely lightweight, offer little to no arch support, and a minimal heel height of 4mm-8mm—to encourage a natural running motion and a midfoot strike, yet they offer some cushioning and flex.

The Faas 250 Trail Shoe has a low profile, a heel-to-toe differential that matches that of a typical minimalist shoe and is very light weight. The shoe tipped my scale at a mere 7 5/8 oz (US Women's 7 1/2).

The toe-box of a minimalist shoe is generally roomy to allow toes to splay inside the shoes, enhancing grip and balance. This is particularly appealing to me as I have a rather wide forefoot. Sure enough, I found the Faas 250 toe box to be plenty roomy.

I should note that I also have a narrow heel that can make my foot very hard to fit. The Faas 250 has a slightly smaller heel cup, which fit my foot perfectly.

Have I mentioned how comfy these shoes were right out of the box!? They seriously fit my foot like a glove.

The heel to toe differential didn't seem to change my natural running gait and being that this was my first run in quite some time, I was pleasantly surprised to find no blisters.

Another pleasant surprise was how cool my feet stayed in these shoes. It was a toasty weekend here in the North East and the mesh upper proved extremely breathable

So, after my first run in a minimalist shoe, have I become a convert? Moving from a running shoe with a heel-toe drop of 12mm - 15mm to one with a hell-toe drop of 4mm - 8mm has definitely shaken up my calf muscles and feet. I've read (and heard from those I know) that it can take an extended period of time (6 months to 2 years) to acclimate to minimalist shoes and I'm willing to work through the transition.

As for my Faas 250's, even the color scheme is starting to grow on me!

If you've made the switch to a minimalist running shoe, I'd love to hear from you! How long did the transition take? What is your running shoe of choice?

Looking forward to your feedback.

Susan

Here's To Another Happy, Fit Summer!

For the past two years, to celebrate the unofficial kick-off to summer I provided Catapult Fitness Blog readers with a 4-week workout program to ensure everyone would be on their way to being ripped by July 4th!

With the holiday weekend once again upon us, I thought it appropriate to re-post that workout.

Link To Free 4-Week Bodyweight Turbulence Training Workout

After clicking on the above link, make certain to download the file as a .PDF so you have easy access to it via your own computer!

I also wanted to provide CFB readers with two additional workouts - one for beginners and one for those of you who are more advanced Turbulence Training followers:

If you are a beginner, try this:

1) Bodyweight Squat - 30 seconds
2) Kneeling Pushups - 30 seconds
3) Stability Ball Leg Curl - 30 seconds
4) Side Plank - 15 seconds per side

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 1 more time for a 5 minute total body strength circuit.

Craig Ballantyne's 7-Exercise Sweat Circuit (Advanced):

1) Kettlebell Swings - 30 seconds
2) Pushups - 30 seconds
3) Kettlebell Snatches - 30 seconds per side
4) Jumps - 30 seconds
5) Mountain Climbers - 30 seconds (alternating sides)
6) Run at 8/10 intensity - 60 seconds
7) Plank - 60 seconds

Enjoy the long weekend!

Susan

Gear Review Teaser

I'm a lucky gal. My friends over at Puma sent me their new trail running shoe, the Faas 250, to test drive. I'm very thankful to Puma, especially since they let me post at will (as CFB fans know, sometimes I'm not in love with the products I'm sent to review).

I've had these shoes for a while now, but my shoulder rehab and then vestibular issues kept me from giving them a test drive. That is until this upcoming holiday weekend! I plan on taking these puppies out for a test drive. My physical fitness level at this point is sub-zero, so I won't be able to put much mileage on them .... but I simply can't wait any longer!

My initial impression out of the box: I'm not digging the color scheme.

My initial impression once I put the shoe on: Damn, I cannot believe how comfortable these are!
Yeah, I couldn't keep myself from knocking around in them the past few weeks.

Okay then. Stay tuned for a full review next week!

Susan

Can Lifting Lighter Produce Greater Results?

I've always believe in the saying, Go Big, or Go Home. New research published in the Journal of Physiology may have me re-thinking that mantra.

Certainly, how much weight you can lift, and how many time you can lift it will impact your muscle tone. However, there is an important variable called Time Under Tension (TUT)that leads to even greater muscular protein synthesis.

For this study, 8 men performed three sets of unilateral knee extension exercise at 30% of one-repetition maximum strength involving concentric and eccentric actions that were 6 seconds (6 seconds up and 6 seconds down) in duration to failure, or a work-matched bout that consisted of concentric and eccentric actions that were 1 second (1 second up and 1 second down) in duration. Participants ingested 20 g of whey protein immediately after exercise and again at 24 hour post recovery.

The study found that longer muscle time under tension increased the acute response of mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic protein synthesis and also resulted in a significant, but delayed stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis (24-30 hour after resistance exercise).

What this basically means is that the greater increases in protein synthesis were seen in SLOW lifting movements (increased time under tension) as compared to the same exercise performed with a rapid movement.

The take-away: Lighter weights can yield great results if you require your muscles to hold them for a longer period of time.

Susan

Foods That Heal Your Aches And Pains

My recovery has really gotten me to focus more than ever on my eating habits

1) Because I'm not exercising and want to do my best to maintain my weight and,
2) Due to the fact that I am a firm believer that food goes a long way towards hearing the body.

We all have read articles on how nutrition can help reverse inflammatory diseases (heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, arthritis, et al) but truth is, what we eat can speed our recovery when it comes to injuries such as stress fractures, sprains, tendinitis and even muscle soreness.

If you find yourself with an injury, below are some tasty remedies to help speed your recovery, including some terrific recipe ideas from Roni over at Green Lite Bites!

Injury: Stress Fracture

Foods That Heal: Low-fat milk, spinach, yogurt, collard greens, basil, kale, shrimp, sardines

The Science: The combination of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K speeds up bone formation to help repair fracture.

Check out Roni's recipe for Spinach Ricotta Roll's

Injury: Sprain

Foods That Heal: Bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, raspberries

The Science: Vitamin C encourages collagen formation which is crucial for rebuilding injured ligaments.

Check out Roni's recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Salad

Injury: Tendinitis

Foods That Heal: Salmon, scallops, sardines, shrimp, cod, walnuts, flaxseeds

The Science: Polyunsaturated fats such as those found in fish and nuts help reduce inflammation

Check out Roni's recipe for Oat and Flax Crusted Tilapia

Injury: Muscle Soreness

Foods That Heal: Whole grains, lentils, cod shrimp, turkey, salmon, yogurt, eggs, peanut butter

The Science: Carbs help to restore energy and protein helps repair the damaged muscle fibers

Grab yourself a post-workout shake or peanut butter on a slice of Ezekiel bread to help ward off those aches and pains!

Susan

My Home Rehab Gym

My home gym has changed dramatically - from my full set of dumbbells, clubbells and powerwheel to pulley's, rolling pin, tennis balls and hot compress.

These days it is not about building muscle, but regaining the Range of Motion (ROM) in my left shoulder.

If you are recovering from an injury, there is no substitute for working with a trained, attentive, Physical Therapist. A good PT will ensure that you're doing exercises that will benefit your specific condition. 

I am not going to actually share exercise specifics within this posting because (1) the exercises you do are dependent on your specific condition and (2) as with all exercises, form is everything. When it comes to rehab I feel very strongly that you need to be working closely with your PT to ensure you're using correct form.

Additionally, to realize optimum results from your PT sessions, you're going to need to train at home.

As a huge fan of Turbulence Training, working out at home is not new to me. TT has proven to me that you can reap major rewards via at home workouts.
With that said, there are a few items - some that you may be able to find around your home - that will go a long way in your home rehab efforts. These include:

A Pulley System. Seems like this should be a simple movement sans weight, right? WRONG. Killer movement post shoulder surgery. A pulley system is an invaluable rehab tool to have at home. You're going to be doing lots and lots of reps so be careful not to buy anything that looks flimsy. I settled on a set by JumpUSA and I'm pretty happy with my choice.  The one problem was that the over the door attachment was way to thick for my door to close.  I modified the system using a Theraband door anchor that I happened to have, and this set-up works perfectly.

A Rolling Pin.  "Wand" exercises are a big part of PT for the shoulder.  Flexion, extension, external rotation, internal rotation, shoulder abduction and adduction and horizontal abduction and adduction are all done with a stick.  My stick of choice has been a tapered rolling pin.  If you don't have one, cut a broom handle in half and you'll be good to go.

Tennis Balls.  Due to very poor physical therapy for the first 7-weeks following my surgery, I have a host of muscle and tendon issues that not only restrict motion, but cause a good deal of pain.  Tennis balls are an inexpensive and effective tool in targeting specific trigger points.  An additional benefit is that they're easy to take with you to the office, gym, or wherever else you may be heading.  I use a single tennis ball as well as two tennis balls that I've tapped together.  If you find that using one tennis ball is to painful on certain areas, using two tennis balls tapped together helps to distribute the load.

Moist Heat Pad.  Moist heat has been my saving grace over the past few months.  A hot shower or bath gives me a good amount of relief from what has otherwise been pretty constant pain.  With that said, there's only so many showers and baths a person can take in a day!  This is where my moist heat pad comes in to play.  I do at home shoulder exercises throughout the day.  Prior to each session I'll use the moist heat pad, followed by 2 - 3 minutes of pendulum exercises to loosen up.

Total cost of my home rehab gym was right around $60.  The value is priceless.

Susan

Cheat Days Vs. Junk Food

I've posted many times here on CFB that I am not a fan of "cheat" days.

The concept itself makes perfect sense. You spend days upon days preparing your meals so that they meet you caloric and nutritional requirements. You have kicked the soda pop habit. Snacking these days means ensuring that you're getting in a healthy serving of lean protein.

Then comes that one day a week where you can eat anything you want. The Cheat Day. Your reward for staying so strict all week long.

So what do you do? Maybe you grab a couple of slices of pizza. For a snack, an ice cream cone hits the spot. For dinner it's a burger with a side of fries. At the end of the day you look back and realize that things may have gotten a little bit out of control.

I prefer to employ the 80:20 rule. It works like this ...

Let's say you consume 5 meals per day (3 full meals plus 2 snacks). That amounts to 35 feeding opportunities per week.

Focus on 28 of those feeding opportunities (80%) being ideal meals based on your weight loss/nutrition goals.

The 7 remaining feeding opportunities (20%) is your chance to enjoy a meal or snack that may not be 'ideal'. However, they don't have to consist of junk food either.

For example, instead of a plate of French fries with ketchup, consider guacamole with baked chips. Avocados provide a wide range of nutritional benefits including optimized absorption of carotenoids (they help protect us against some forms of cancers, macular eye disease and cardiovascular problems) and help prevent inflammation.

The plate of French fries on the other hand ... well, they taste good, but that's about it.

Instead of a big bowl of linguine in butter, think whole wheat pasta tossed with a little olive oil and a bit of grated Parmesan cheese (a little Parmesan goes a long way!).

Ultimately, if you keep relying on cheat days, you may just be cheating yourself out of all the hard work you put in at the gym.

Susan