Oil Pulling

Friday, May 2, 2014

Prehab:

Band Posterior Floss
Leg Swings
Shoulder Bridges

Warmup:

10 Goodmornings with bar
5 Inchworms
20 Wide Mountain Climbers, slow
10 Supermans
10 Squat Jumps
10 Straight Legged Deadlifts with bar

Classic Strength:

Deadlift 3×3
3×12 GHD Hip extensions

 Notes:  You will perform your Deadlifts first, then the Hip extensions separately.  This is the same work being performed as the Advanced strength, except without percentages.  This is designed for the newer athlete that does not have a true 1 rep max, but we still want you to keep track of these numbers because you will be repeating them over the coming weeks.    Perform 2 warmup sets and then add weight each set as needed.  The last set will be like the advanced where you will perform as many reps as you can.

For the GHD Hip extensions, maintain a rigid back (no snaking).

Advanced Strength:

Wendler Cycle 1, Week 2:

Deadlift: 70% x 3, 80% x 3, 90% x 3+
3×12 Weighted Hip Extensions

 Notes:  Percentages are based off 90% of true 1 RM. When you see 3+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout. These sets are not touch and go reps.  Lower the bar back to the floor and reset each time (release the hands and re-grip). Perform a few warm up sets before getting into your working sets.  Keep rest intervals around 2 minutes.  Click HERE for a full description of the Wendler 531 cycle.

Conditioning:

5 rounds for time of:

Run 200 meters
10 Deadlift (225/155)
30 Ab mat sit ups

-18 minute cap

 Notes:  Scale weight as needed.

Cooldown:

Straddle Hold, 1 min
Pigeon, 30 sec Each
5 Cat/Cow Stretches
Child’s Pose, 1 min

 Good Luck Alissa!

Have you heard of the craze yet? Oil pulling is a folk remedy that originated in India and dates back 3,000 to 5,000 years ago. The process involves taking a tablespoon of oil (many sites recommend sesame oil as the number one best friend of all possible oils, but others swear by coconut or sunflower, while others warn against coconut) into your mouth by morning and swish or pull it around and through your teeth and gums without swallowing it. You do this for about 20 minutes. Yes, 20 Minutes!! Then you spit it out. By the act’s end, the oil is supposed to go from being clear to a white, milky substance, as it is now loaded with toxins and bacteria it has drawn out via all that swishing.  

What are the benefits?  Allegedly it helps heal literally everything on or in your body and makes it look better as well as improving all the things. I’m not kidding. That is what the people are saying.  But some common effects are that it will whiten your teeth,  and strengthen your gums/teeth/& jaw. It helps with sensitive teeth & even has reported to help TMJ sufferers like myself.  It also prevents cavities & gingivitis, helps get rid of acne/ eczema/ psoriasis/ & other skin care issues, a general body detox, cures a hangover & a migraine, helps with sleep issues, clears out your sinuses & helps allergy sufferers, cures your morning breath, helps with general pain issues, manages any weird hormonal imbalances, & so much more.

I had been hearing about oil pulling everywhere, and I was curious, so I figured why not try it. I mostly wanted to see if it would help my allergies, which lately have been horrible.  Even though the recommendations are to use 1 TBSP, I used 1 Tsp and the oil of my choice was Coconut.  In the end I don’t think I could handle a larger amount in my mouth.  I began the swishing process and continued it for the desired time of 20 minutes.   This was very difficult to do.  I found it useful to keep yourself busy and distracted, as I was getting antsy after the first 10 minutes.  Those 20 minutes seemed like 40!   But I got through it and as I continued to do this each day, it got a little easier.  

I know you are wondering about my results.  Well, I would say that my allergies have gotten better, but I think maybe it’s in my head.  But one true thing that I’ve found for sure is that my teeth are a lot whiter.  This will definitely help with my coffee drinking habit.  I’m still experimenting to see if it will effect other things.  But overall, oil pulling is known for  improving oral health.  And when we do this, it improves so many other things in the body. When there is a healthier mouth, there is less inflammation in the body, and overall then everything can heal, the skin is better, you’re in a better mood, you have more energy, because gum disease — if you have all this infection in the mouth, your body is constantly trying to fight this bacteria to keep it from entering your body.  That is stressful for us. That chronic infection in the mouth, once it improves because we have better oral hygiene, we feel better and look better.  And who doesn’t want that?  I’m curious to know how many of you already do this, and what your results are.  Feel free to comment below. In the meantime, Happy Pulling!