3/18/2009 2:22:00 PM The muscles you don't want to use will keep you fit
Berndt works with NFL player Anthony Harris.
Training for real fitness is a continuing endeavor, according to Ryan Berndt.
Ryan Dostalek ConnectFitchburg.com
No matter how much we tinker with our DNA and fine tune our biochemistry, good health sometimes boils down to mechanics, the physics of muscles, tendons, joints and bones.
We were designed for more demanding tasks than opening peanut butter jars, shuffling papers or dragging cursors, and for more varied activity than a single sport or episodic exercise.
As a result our bodies often sag, slump or are pushed into unnatural shapes, some of which are debilitating and painful.
That's usually when Ryan Berndt sees us - as supplicants, seeking to regain control over bodies that no longer function smoothly due to gravity, misuse and hubris.
Berndt, a trainer and owner of Fast Action Fitness in Fitchburg, has a reputation as the go-to trainer in Fitchburg and surrounding areas.
One client is Anthony Harris, an NFL player who drives up daily from Rockford, Ill. At more than 300 pounds, Harris is sheathed in muscles, which makes most of us look like mere containers of smooth cartilage. Harris is proof that fitness doesn't confer immunity to problems.
Harris was recently cut by the Carolina Panthers and is trying out with the Green Bay Packers. He was referred to Berndt to fine-tune his performance, particularly his lateral movement.
Berndt's clients range in age from 9 to 75. They include professional athletes (former UW football star Ron Dayne and Greg Stiemsma, former UW-Madison basketball player, who now plays professional basketball in China), those recovering from surgery, strokes and other ailments; amateur athletes, housewives and children. In short, everybody.
"Berndt takes a different approach to training," said Travis Gavinski with Elite Sports Management in Madison, who represents Harris. "Most trainers know how to train, but not how to deal with sports-related injuries. Berndt has allowed a lot of my athletes to excel," he said.
"By far, Ryan is the best, and I've had tons of trainers," said Karen Christianson, Fitchburg. With five children and three dogs, Christianson said she has little time to exercise and wants to make the best use of the time she has available. Some might view a personal trainer as an indulgence, but "if I had to give up something, Ryan would be one of the last things to go," she said.
Her husband, Craig, and children, ages 9 to 16, also trained with Berndt.
"I've seen him do magic," including helping a friend rebound from the effects of cancer treatment, she said. "I'm worried about praising him too much because he might become too popular."
Lisa Rosenstock, Fitchburg, trains with Berndt three times a week. She has trained with him for five years; her husband has seen Berndt even longer. Their four daughters also train with Bernd. Their 17-year-old daughter, a competitive diver, has trained with him since she was 10 and now sees him twice a week.
"Every time we go, we do something we haven't done before. He's really innovative and does his homework," Lisa said.
Ann Merfeld started training with Berndt three years ago. She had suffered from lower back pain for several years, and said she found only temporary relief from physical therapist, chiropractors and a spine specialist. She said she is now pain-free after Berndt helped her strengthen her core abdominal, back and leg muscles.
He husband, Tom, who tore his ACL in his right knee and was facing corrective surgery until Berndt helped strengthen the supporting muscles around his knee.
Berndt practices reactive neuromuscular training (RNT), which he said "emphasizes the functions of a person's own body, correcting errors resulting from sports, occupation and gravity."
He compares it to examining the wear pattern on shoes, which is indicative of wear on the joints. He uses those patterns to identify and correct structural or musculature problems.
"It's not a quick fix. It's retraining the body for life," he said. It also prevents the aches and pains that some have come to view as normal.
The goal is to "keep joints in neutral positions, where muscles help the joints support the bones," he said. "The joints tell you what your musculature is doing."
Sooner or later, your muscles will probably tell you something's wrong.
Training beyond the gym
Berndt said RNT enables peak performance, but it doesn't mean relegating training to the gym or sports. For example, people usually lean to the most comfortable side when they're in a car. Instead, they could use their core muscles more efficiently, after they've been trained to do so.
When pain indicates something's wrong, Berndt said following our instincts often makes matters worse.
Stretch the strong muscles
"We tend to work on our strong muscles, which should instead be stretched. People prefer to do those exercises that feel good but instead should do those exercises that they can't complete correctly," Berndt said.
Joining a gym and using exercise equipment might not help matters, Berndt warned. For example, many people engage in exercise that only trains the rectus abdominus muscle and neglect to properly train their transverse abdominus which can lead to poor form and injury.
"If you can't explain why you're doing a certain exercise, you shouldn't be doing it," he said.
Berndt recommends using machines only for specific rehabilitation purposes. And he doesn't recommend a particular exercise unless it has a specific purpose. The increased popularity of health clubs, a phenomenon that dates from the 1980s, doesn't necessarily bode well for fitness. Berndt said there's been a counter movement to "older exercises" popular before the advent of equipment.
"Get out of a seated position and work on stabilizing your body. You should be able to do an exercise while standing to maintain the full function of movement," he said.
Berndt includes a cardiologist among his clients. He works with chiropractors, physical therapists and hospitals. In addition to focusing on training for pediatric and geriatric clients, he also emphasizes the interactions between medications and exercise.
Continue after physical therapy
"People tend to go to physical therapy and then quit. It's important to continue working after insurance coverage stops and rehabilitation is over," Berndt said.
Berndt, 31, grew up in Fall River, Wis., and earned a degree in kinesthiology from UW-Eau Claire. He worked in health clubs in the Minneapolis area and at Pinnacle Fitness in Fitchburg before starting Fast Action Fitness in 2006.
His wife, Sarah Mattison, recently resigned as director of nutrition for the UW-Madison Athletic Department to work full-time with Berndt as a registered dietician and personal trainer. His sister, Robin Berndt, recently joined the business as a master trainer.
"Fitness is a family passion," Berndt said.
Berndt is no slouch in the fitness department, and works 5-6 days a week using a myriad of disciplines (full body exercises including resistance training, pilates, plyometrics, yoga, and running), always striving towards a neutral joint alignment and balance between muscle groups.
Berndt is expanding his facility in Fitchburg, which is used by several independent trainers.
Fast Action Fitness will also offer classes on specific topics, such as training and nutrition for diabetics; cardiac health, nutrition and exercise; and alignment.
Information:
•MultiDimensional Healing by Carrie Cameron (www.multidimensionalhealing.
com)
•Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Patterns Ref Voss D. 3rd Ed. 1985
•Reebok Master Training Team
Full disclosure: After more than three decades of recreational running, I have developed a running style characterized by constant pain punctuated with intense pain, and a stride that enables me to go slightly faster than people walking their dogs.
Advanced age and a paunch are partially responsible, but there's more involved - muscles and tendons tighter than a bowstring, the inability to do a variety of simple tasks, such as maintaining my balance while walking in a straight line, and so on. I have attributed my plight to various causes, including peripheral artery disease, dehydration and nutritional imbalances.
Once in a while I stretched - sort of - and my laxity here is a major culprit in my pitiful condition. Berndt said I haven't done any serious damage and can run normally again. We'll see.
Fast Action Fitness, 2881 Commerce Park Drive, Fitchburg 53719. (608) 276-8074. www.fastactionfitness.com
