Skinny Fat
Hard Lessons About the Importance of Fitness and Conditioning
Top was 6 weeks ago, bottom was this week. Although he’s fluffier, you can definitely see greater muscle definitions throughout his topline, in the neck and shoulders, and in his haunches. I attribute much of this muscle gain to MYOS since he was restricted to leash walks and rest over the majority of this time.
Left is 6 weeks ago, right is this week. Again, despite the fluff, you can really see the difference in his hamstrings and quads.
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The COVID19 pandemic has taught me many things, like how to order anything for delivery, and that pants with buttons are entirely optional; but most recently, it’s taught me the importance of a good canine fitness and conditioning routine for performance dogs.
Sure, I knew dogs should be fit to be the athletes we expect them to be. But sometimes you take your basal activities for granted, and just like I know I should tie my shoe before running, sometimes you have to fall flat on your face to really internalize that message.
Many of you already know that a little under two months ago Fin injured himself. We’ve been slowly rehabbing our way back from that; working with a Certified Canine Rehab. Therapist (shout out to the amazing Susan McIntyre!) and it has given me a lot of time to think about what I’ve taken for granted, and what we need to do better moving forward.
You see, about a year and a half ago our lives changed drastically (and not just because of the pandemic). We had been hiking at least 5 times a week, trained agility 2-3 times a week, and mixed in barn romps, frisbee throwing, and any other fun activity you can name. But our life circumstances changed, and our move to the city was rapidly followed by stay at home orders and park closures. The result was all that glorious cross training got cut to leash walks in the city. As the country began to open back up, Agility became our only escape from endless hours trapped in the house. We threw ourselves back to into training, and I should have realized that while the mind may be willing, the body may not.
Now, I’m not saying that Agility training and lack of fitness was necessarily the cause of Fin’s injury (it’s still undiagnosed), but in my heart of hearts, I know that he should have been better conditioned. So I’ve been reflecting on how to move forward from here, with a more intentional and accountable fitness plan, so that fitness happens by design, not just as a bi-product of our activities.
The fabulous Laurren Zimmerman (of Oakley Canine Athletics) was kind enough to share her fitness schedule with us, and I’ve been working hard to hold myself accountable to that while balancing the rest of my life (see below for more details). The truth of the matter is that it really does only take a few minutes a day to add in stability and stretching exercises, and the dogs truly love it (they fight over who gets to get on the fit paws). I’ve also taken the opportunity to multi-task this training by stationing the dogs who aren’t working in a stay while they wait for their turn.
The last piece of the puzzle has been dietary; at the strong recommendation of Susan, and friends, we’ve added in MYOS canine muscle formula. This apparently delicious powder contains Fortetropin from fertilized egg yolks, which has been clinically proven to help build muscle in dogs. When your rehab therapist tells you story after story of surgery recoveries significantly reduced after adding MYOS, you go out and buy the product. When your own dog shows visible muscle gain while being restricted to rest and leash walks, you become a believer! Seriously y’all, this little yellow powder may as well be liquid gold. If you’ve been on the fence about trying it, use my discount code (HOH20) to get 20% off and give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose.
So here’s to moving forward with functionally fit dogs, and saying goodbye to my skinny fat dogs. I don’t think we’ll miss them ;)
Example Fitness / Conditioning Plan
Note: I am by no means a Certified Canine Fitness Therapist or any other fun accreditation. If you have any questions, or want to get the real deal, please go to the professionals. I really can’t recommend Laurren enough; she’ll set you up with a custom plan tailored to your goals, activity level, and dog’s fitness level. She does this in person or through Zoom, and she’s not just for those in the sport world! Even if you’re not doing sports / athletics with your dog, you owe it to them to keep them in shape. Studies have shown that obesity decreases a dog’s life span by as much as two years, and that fitness and conditioning can help stave off geriatric conditions and give your dog better quality of life for longer. Laurren’s even got an online fitness class coming out soon if you aren’t quite ready to jump into personal training! Ok I’m off my high horse, so see below for our cross training plan :)
Hiking 3+ miles > 2x per week
Strengthening & Stability Exercises (at home, limited equipment necessary, takes about 10 mins) - 3x per week
1 Jump Work & Cavalettis (extension, collection, body awareness, stability, again about 10 -15 mins) - 1 - 2x per week
Agility Sequencing (focus on shorter sequences building skills, independence, and drive) - 1x per week
Agility Skills Training (obstacle criteria training i.e. RDW life) - 1x per week
Rue cat says “Don’t steal my MYOS”