By: Steve Ibach

As a massage therapist with a strong medical focus I encounter many interesting questions and stories regarding health, fitness, and the general state of our medical system. People with chronic pain and other symptoms that have been through the medical system (sometimes for years) finally end up, often by accident, seeing me or another therapist on our team.  Using neuromuscular and other advanced massage techniques, along with common sense and general health advice, we are often able to provide relief to their symptoms that they have not found elsewhere.  We have hundreds of client testimonials attesting to this fact.

The purpose of this blog is to share my knowledge and incites on health, fitness, and pain relief and to share as many helpful tidbits of information as possible.  I will explore where I believe the medical system has failed (based or my client’s experiences) and where it is succeeding, and what you can do to help yourself when you encounter a medical problem – especially one involving any type of pain.  I will also post tips on general fitness, weight loss, anatomy and physiology, and much more.

All information provided in this blog is obviously general in nature. Nothing posted by me is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. I have a strong appreciation for the education and training of health care professionals in all fields of scientifically based medicine and believe that everyone should work with a qualified physician in managing their own health care.

I am not a doctor, but that really is the whole point of this blog – exploring heath and fitness from a different perspective.  My greatest hope is that the information I am able to provide will help people have a healthier, happier, and more pain free life.

by: Steve Ibach

Build muscle tissue and burn more calories even when you are not exercising. It is absolutely true that muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even when you are not active. That means if you can increase the amount of muscle tissue in your body, compared to the amount of fat tissue, you will burn more calories every minute of the day just to maintain your body’s systems.

How do I do this? Add weight lifting to your exercise routine in the right proportions and you will build muscle tissue and lose fat tissue without building huge muscles. Simply starting a weight lifting routine where you do 20 repetition of each exercise at the heaviest weight you can properly handle and still do 20 repetitions. Then work out those muscles twice a week until you can do 25 repetitions. Once you can do 25 reps, increase the weight so you can only do 20 reps again. This routine will build muscle tone (not bulk) and will help you lose weight along with a proper diet.

Always consult a doctor before starting an exercise routine and seek professional training on how to properly perform weight lifting exercises.