Your only competition is yourself.

As long as you're a better you today than the you of yesterday, you're winning. Focus on that.

Stubborn Knees: Where Pain and Preventable Injury Usually Originate

Unless there is something structurally wrong in the actual joint, which is much less common, almost all knee issues (about 98%) are caused by problems with the ankles, hips, and by an imbalance of strength between the quads and hamstrings: overactive quads and underactive hamstrings. (This can result in explicit injuries as severe as ACL tears, or it will simply serve as the cause of general, relentless, frustrating, and all too common patellofemoral pain – usually just referred to under the blanket term, “Runner’s Knee,” and which includes anterior knee pain syndrome, patellofemoral malalignment, and chondromalacia patella.) But you don’t need to worry about those phrases. Bottom line: your knee area hurts, and it is usually easily attributed to a combination of issues we’re about to START to discuss in this post. There is no way I'll cover all of them here, and this particular subject (knee issues) is a MAJOR one when it comes to fitness in general...so I will just briefly begin touching on it and scratching the surface in this post and will continue to elaborate via subsequent posts. :) These knee issues albeit being common, are also usually just as curable and major injuries preventable...IF you learn about what causes the pain in the first place and how to embrace preventative stability, flexibility, and strength training. Far too many people resort to surgery too soon, or end up in a position where surgery IS required, because they either didn’t know or didn’t place enough value on proper form and training for effective neuromuscular control and function. Remember, pain happens as the body’s way of telling you that you are doing something wrong! Or using the wrong equipment - eg - bad shoes for your particular feet! - listen to your body, and make changes accordingly. You'll either listen now or you'll be forced to listen when you are taken out of commission by inhibiting injuries. I would be the latter, which is why I am now being smarter. I advise others to do the same. 6 months of casts and crutches was not an enjoyable thing, let me just tell you. ;)

Within the human body, several muscles will work synergistically to produce force, stabilize the body, and reduce force upon impact, etc. Because most people tend to be quad-dominant, they subsequently have underactive hamstrings and a much higher susceptibility to numerous types of injuries as well as general and ongoing knee pain. Increasing balanced co-activation between the quads and hamstrings has been shown to significantly decrease general knee pain as well as the risk of ACL tears and significant knee injuries that usually result from a lack of proper joint stabilization and in turn, increased knee adduction. How to go about doing that will be discussed in future posts. :)

Provided that you haven’t torn an ACL (connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the knee), PCL (also connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the knee), MCL (connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the medial – or inner – side of the knee), or LCL (connects the thigh bone to the fibula, the smaller bone of the lower leg on the lateral – or outer – side of the knee), along with any meniscus or other boney structure in the knee, it is usually a safe bet to say that your issue is in your hips, ankles, and/or hamstrings and has to do with overactive/underactive coupled muscles which over time enhance faulty movement patters and poor weight/force distribution on the knees. The sooner you identify your specific issues actually leading to the formation of pain, and address those issues by embracing the power of healthy and correct muscle synergies (how your muscles and muscle groups need to work together to function appropriately), the sooner you rid yourself of pain and hopefully prevent or heal injuries that will otherwise result almost inevitably, at least at one point or another. Remember that everything affects everything else, which is why we think of our body and its movement patterns as functioning within a kinetic chain through which very few muscles work in isolation; it would be extremely difficult and rare to have an issue with, for instance, your hips…and not have that issue in some way translate into additional issues with your knees and ankles.

When it comes to muscle function and activation, the human body naturally wants to take the path of least resistance. So when the body recognizes that one muscle is far stronger than another in its synergy for any given function, it is going to fire and make the stronger muscle to do all the work, leaving the weak muscle out of the equation - which also means leaving the weak muscle's intended JOB left unfilled. To clarify that, for example, one of the most predominant causal factors of ACL injuries in runners and other athletes is an imbalance of strength between the quad and hamstring – which I’ve already mentioned in some capacity – but here’s why. One of the hamstring’s important jobs is to keep the tibia (shin bone) from sliding forward upon impact and/or as you come to a quick stop. When you have an imbalance in strength between the quads and hamstrings (meaning you have overactive quads due to weak and underactive hamstrings) it means the hamstring isn’t strong enough to do its job…so put simply, it doesn’t! This is because the quad wants to be super nice and “help it out,” except that doesn’t help you. ;) The quad basically says, “hey, no worries! I know you’re not strong enough for this, you can just chill and relax and I’ll cover everything for you!” Except that’s not possible, and thus the protective jobs of the hamstring don’t actually get performed, leaving you with far less protection (if any) against unwanted turning motions upon motions of impact, and subsequent tears, etc. It also drastically increases the likelihood that you will simply experience to no avail, ongoing general pain and discomfort, or at the very least, seemingly endless ‘cycles’ of such pain.

There is of course a TON more to all of this, as well as lots more contributing factors to knee pain and injury. In posts to follow, I'll elaborate on each of many main concepts that pertain to effective exercise and injury prevention, including:
-muscular force
-length-tension relationships
-force-velocity curve
-force-couple relationships
-muscular leverage
-arthrokinematics
-muscular synergies
-effective proprioception
`sensorimotor integration

We will then get into the MANY modalities of training that will get you progressing to being in INJURY-FREE great shape, all of which fall into the categories of stability, flexibility, strength, and endurance training...among other divisions.

There are a million terms and muscle activation concepts to understand, as well as scientific explanations for the immense importance of posture and how poor posture and poor form results in pain and injury. However, it would be impossible to get into all of that in one blog post. SO – for the purposes of this post, let’s stop here and I will elaborate more specifically on various causes and implications in subsequent posts. Also, my NEXT post to come soon – within the next couple of days or so – will provide you with a general overview of some specific exercises and ideas you can try within stabilization, flexibility, and strength training so that you can begin NOW on your path to prevention, or treatment, and/or alleviation of this knee pain or knee related injuries. As always, make decisions based on your individual needs and capacities.

Ref's

1.   Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.
      Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.

2.  Gregory D Myer, Kevin R Ford, Jane Khoury, Paul Succop, et al. Biomechanics laboratory-based
     prediction algorithm to identify female athletes with high knee loads that increase risk of ACL injury. Br J Sports Med 
     2011;45:4 245-252 Published Online First: 17 June 2010.

3.  Kovaleski JE, Gurchiek LG, Spriggs DH. Musculoskeletal Injuries: Risks, Prevention, and Care. In: American College
     of Sports Medicine, ed. ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 3rd ed.
     Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1998:480-87.

Clarifying CREATINE: A work generator, NOT a direct muscle builder

If you’re using or considering using any type of supplement, you need to understand how it works and know exactly why you are using it, as well as HOW to use it appropriately and effectively. Creatine can definitely be beneficial, but only when used correctly and depending on what your personal idea of a "benefit" would be. For instance, creatine will definitely cause some type of weight gain (whether it is "good" or "bad" depends on how you use it, to be further discussed below) but some people may not want this weight gain for any reason (eg competitors who need to cycle out before a competition, athletes with weigh ins, etc) and thus these types of people would NOT want to use creatine supplementation.  Or they'd need to cycle on/off it. That aside, generally benefitting from the use of creatine supplementation is entirely dependent on someone's specific fitness goal, and subsequently, the type of exercise(s) [intensity & duration] he or she is performing to reach that goal. If misunderstood and/or used incorrectly, creatine will do nothing or may work against you by causing pure water weight gain without any desirable gains to accompany it. You do not want that.

Before reading the rest of this post (or really any posts within my blog, for that matter) did you check out the exercise metabolism post in the exercise science section? If not, PLEASE quickly go back and read this post about exercise metabolism, which provides you with a fast and simple mini lesson about exercise metabolism & bioenergetics - and if the terminology sounds complicated, worry not...I highlight in that post only the most critical and pertinent information, which I promise I have written in simple, easy to understand terms. :) Once you go back and read that post, you will understand how the body generates energy, which happens in one or more of three ways . The specific energy system(s) used by the body during exercise (and thus the different nutrients required) totally depends on the intensity and duration of exercise you're performing. Understanding how that works is not just "extra" knowledge; it is KEY to getting in shape because it is key to fueling yourself correctly for your workouts. You need to be fueling yourself differently according to your specific workout modality, intensity, and duration. This knowledge will set the foundation for you, so you can continue to learn how to maximize your nutrition---->maximize your workout----> maximize your results and get in killer shape in the most efficient way. :) So now that you promise to have already read this FUNDAMENTAL post before continuing (otherwise some of this may seem like it is written in a foreign language and you are doing yourself a major disservice) it's time to get to the point and break down the most important components to understand about creatine. Ready, aaaaand GO:

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the body, specifically in most skeletal muscle. In very simple terms, its function relative to exercise is to increase the body's ability to produce energy FAST, which is why it is relevant and can be effective for high weight/low rep weight training (low rep being about 1 -3 reps), sprinting, explosive exercise (plyometrics), etc. Anything requiring high-intensity, short duration bursts of energy and power. 

In essence, creatine works to extend the ATP energy production cycle, replenishing used up energy quickly so as to extend someone's high-intensity efforts. As stated above, creatine is produced in the body, but the body only produces so much creatine on its own, which is where supplementation starts to come into play. (Creatine is also found in meat and fish, but not in a heavily concentrated enough way to practically serve the training purposes discussed in this post.) When used correctly, creatine supplementation has the potential to be very beneficial. (Again, depending on one's personal definition of a benefit. For instance, if you don't want to gain any water weight, do not take creatine supplements or cycle off of them as necessary if you are an athlete or competitor who deals with weigh ins, etc.) Creatine supplements are ergogenic, meaning they are work generating and enhance one's capacity for more/improved athletic performance. When combined with the right strength-training program creatine supplementation can increase muscle mass, strength, and anaerobic performance. (Note: CREATINE IS NOT an androgenic anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids mimic testosterone, and have been shown to have MANY adverse side effects, as well as are banned from all major sports organizations.)

When it comes to high-intensity muscular efforts, a person can typically go "all out" for about 5-10 seconds before his or her strength & stamina drops off because the body's ATP stores are depleted. Creatine phosphate is required to convert to more ATP again, and once available is converted into ATP (energy) VERY quickly! Thus, put very simply, adding creatine helps extend the ATP energy cycle by several seconds, which as you might assume, means that you can put more effort into getting a few more reps in a set and so on. Subsequently, this additional exertion on your muscles means something very simple: you can get stronger, faster. So again because this cannot be overemphasized, this makes creatine supplementation ideal for people who require short bursts of energy during weight training, explosive plyometrics, sprinting, and so forth. All of those activities involve short bursts of power rather than long term endurance (such as, for example, running a marathon.) Creatine has not been shown to provide any benefits for longer duration endurance training of any kind.

If you do not train hard via explosive types of exercises, then creatine will do little if anything for you and in fact, depending on the result you are seeking, WILL likely work against you! (Especially true for women, as women are usually not trying to bulk up, etc.) So...don't use creatine (or any supplement for that matter) just because someone else uses it! Others may have different goals in mind. With taking creatine inherently comes a certain amount of water weight gain, because creatine pulls water into the muscles as part of its means to provide that rapid energy production (which ties into protein synthesis, but I'll spare you that for simplicity's sake.) So if you are not taking advantage of the 'added energy' generated via creatine supplementation, you'll just puff up from water weight. Creatine DOES NOT build muscle on its own. It indirectly aids in building more muscle mass, faster, by providing YOU the additional energy that YOU will require to add MORE reps and DO MORE WORK to build that added muscle/strength as quickly as possible. The key is that you absolutely still have to do that extra work. Simply taking creatine will in no way make you gain muscle mass. If you take creatine, and don't engage in high intensity activities such as high-weight/low rep weight training, you will just gain puffy looking water weight without any real benefit to go alongside that.

How is creatine supplementation generally taken?

There are different views on best practices for benefitting from creatine supplementation. The most widely supported view on how to go about it deals with a loading phase and a maintenance phase. (Though you can absolutely just do a one phase approach, which would be the maintenance phase. It would simply take longer to "kick in.") Though dosing should be specific to the person and will vary, a typical creatine regimen will begin with a loading phase lasting about 5 - 7 days and which consists of consuming the supplement at about 20 grams per day to rapidly increase and build up muscle creatine. Then follows the maintenance phase of about 2 to 5 grams per day to sustain maximal muscle creatine levels. Consuming creatine supplements with carbohydrates - such as fruit juice - has been shown to be most effective, as this increases the body's insulin levels and in turn helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.

Also - one very common risk when taking creatine, is dehydration. (As the water is taken up by the muscles, it is not available for other important functions such as regulating your body temp via sweat, etc.) So - stay HYDRATED!

Ref's

1.  Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.

     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.

2.  Branch JD. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport

      Nutr Exerc Metab 2003;13:198-226.

3.  Brosnan JT, Brosnan ME. Creatine: endogenous metabolic dietary, and therapeutic supplement. Annu Rev Nutr

      2007;27;27:241-61.

4.  Green AL, Simpson EJ, Littlewood JJ, et al. Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine

      feeding in humans. Acta Physiol Scand 1996;158:195-202.

5.  Kreider RB. Creatine. In: Driskell JA, ed. Sports Nutrition: Fats and Proteins. Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2007:165-86.

Exercise Metabolism & Bioenergetics SIMPLIFIED

Basic relationship between intensity and duration of exercise (1).

Just as a car will not drive without fuel, our bodies will not perform without it. Thus, getting in shape requires working out and the right nutrition for fueling our energy production, and the meaning of 'right' nutrition is dependent upon the intensity and duration of the exercise in which you will be engaging. Put simply, this is because our bodies use different energy systems for different types of exercise. That said - take a few minutes to learn the basics! I promise in this post I have made complex concepts very simple for you to understand, and you WILL save yourself a very large amount of time, money, and frustration both now and in the long haul by simply investing a few minutes now. Understand how things work and you'll be able to make solid choices for yourself, regardless of the situation. It will just "make sense." For your body to perform work and function on any level, it

Energy metabolism (1).

needs fuel (food) which goes through a chemical process to provide you with energy. ATP is a molecule that serves as a primary source of energy to be used during exercise, among other things. Your body processes nutrients and provides you with energy by generating this ATP in three different ways. It is NOT a one-rule-for-all gig and the energy systems used are very dependent upon the types & subsequent demands of exercises performed! In the most basic sense, the intensity and duration of whatever type of exercise you’re performing will determine which energy supply system/process(es) your body will use. So, it’s important to understand your nutrition requirements as they relate to YOU specifically - in other words, what you need more and/or less of and when, to compliment the energy system your body will use (and thus how much you will "get" out of your workouts) depending on the level of intensity + duration of whatever exercise(s) you specifically are performing. This is critical if you are to see the results you set out to achieve. My guess is if you are working your ___ off at the gym or elsewhere, you want it to pay off and you don't want to work against yourself or get in your own way. ;)

Here are the basics regarding the three energy systems.

You generate ATP(energy) in three ways:

1. ATP-PC system

2. Glycolysis

3. Oxidative/aerobic system

THE ATP-PC SYSTEM:
HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'IMMEDIATE' ENERGY SYSTEM
Just as quick background knowledge, this is an anaerobic system, and:
ATP = adenosine triphosphate
PC = phosphocreatine (notice the a word hidden in there?... phosphocreatine. ;) For those who may
          not be aware, this is the system that deals with creatine and in turn, using creatine
          supplementation.)
HOW IT WORKS:
ATP is used as energy. This happens when it splits off a phosphate group which is used as free energy. Once it is used, what's left over is ADP and one inorganic phosphate molecule called Pi. Don't let the long names intimidate you. It's really simple! The relationship can be thought of like this:
ATP <----> ADP + Pi + energy release
As you'd expect, something that is used up, is...well...used up! Makes sense. :) But wait! What happens when we still need more energy, and from this system? Well...what happens is this used up ATP has to be replenished before it can provide you with energy again. This is when PC comes into play. PC is another high energy molecule, and when combined with that left over ADP and Pi...boom! You have an ATP molecule for energy again. :) And that's the whole cycle and system, simplified. (Great, but who cares? You do. Particularly when strength training. Next, let's cover "who" cares and when to care about this system....)
WHEN IT IS USED:
Think of this as your short term, high-intensity energy system. What does that mean in the simplest form? WEIGHT TRAINING requiring maximum muscular output (maximum effort). This energy system is the simplest and fastest-delivering of the energy systems, which is why it is activated right away at the onset of your activity, and thus I will repeat...it is an essential means of energy production for high-weight/low rep strength training (weight lifting), explosive exercise (plyometrics), and other high-intensity/short-duration exercises that require quick, full effort bursts of power. It is also the system that deals with creatine. Creatine is very important to understand, and especially so in considering the benefits and drawbacks of potentially using creatine supplementation to enhance performance and energy production. So to fully understand how all of this works together, be sure to see this post about creatine/creatine supplementation. That post is very complimentary and important to understanding this one.

THE GLYCOLYSIS SYSTEM:

HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'SHORT-TERM' ENERGY SYSTEM

Just as quick background knowledge:

Aerobic = in the presence of oxygen

Anaerobic = in the absence of oxygen

HOW IT WORKS:
The glycolysis system isn't all that tricky to understand, but sometimes people get confused because this system itself can occur aerobically OR anaerobically. Let's quickly and briefly "uncomplicate" it. The glycolysis system as a whole produces ATP as energy for your body through the chemical breakdown of glucose or glycogen to pyruvic acid OR lactic acid. 
WHETHER GLYCOLYSIS HAPPENS AEROBICALLY (WITH OXYGEN) OR ANAEROBICALLY (WITHOUT OXYGEN) THE PROCESS IS EXACTLY THE SAME. :) THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IN AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS IS THE END PRODUCT!... Aerobic glycolysis produces pyruvic acid. Anaerobic glycolysis produces lactic acid. Simple!
WHEN IT IS USED:
This system can provide you with a significantly greater amount of energy than the ATP-PC system (for reasons I left out for the sake of simplicity.) However, although it lasts longer than the "immediate" ATP-PC system, glycolysis too is limited to only about 30 - 50 seconds of exercise duration. But! It is a very common - if not to say THE most common - system used in most general fitness workouts, because most fitness workouts embrace a typical range of 8 - 12 reps, which falls within this 30 - 50 second time range.

THE OXIDATIVE/AEROBIC SYSTEM:

HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'LONG-TERM' ENERGY SYSTEM

Just as quick background knowledge:

This system is also referred to as "oxidative phosphorylation." But who really cares about complicated and ridiculously long names for systems. I am just throwing in that term in case you ever see it referenced somewhere. :)

Substrates = the three main substrates are proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats)
Acetyl CoA = an IMPORTANT molecule in METABOLISM. Stands for "acetyl coenzyme A."

HOW IT WORKS:
This is by far the most complicated system to understand! But I will hopefully make it easy for you to understand. :) I will leave out much of the detail that you probably don't need to learn for the purposes of just developing a basic understanding of how these systems work for your body. The oxidative/aerobic system generates ATP for energy by using SUBSTRATES (see above 'background knowledge' on substrates) with the aid of oxygen. This system uses the substrates: CARBS AND FATS.
The Oxidative System works through three component systems, which happen one after the other:
1. Aerobic glycolysis (yep - the one we already mentioned. Aerobic glycolysis is really a component
   process of the Oxidative system; it uses oxygen. So it makes sense!)
2.  The Krebs Cycle
3.  The ETC (electron transport chain)
Here's the BASIC chain of events:
Aerobic glycolysis (which we already covered) occurs. It results in the production of pyruvic acid. 

The pyruvic acid is converted into Acetyl CoA (see above 'background knowledge' on this term.) Acetyl CoA then contributes substrates (carbs/fats) for use in the second process of the oxidative system: the Krebs Cycle.  The oxidation of Acetyl CoA gives you 2 units of ATP, as well as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Hydrogen ions are released during glycolysis and during the Krebs Cycle, they combine with other enzymes, and in the third process of oxidation - the ETC - provide energy to form the ATP. THAT IS A VERY VERY SIMPLE EXPLANATION! I've left out the complicated chemical processes because you shouldn't need to give yourself a headache trying to filter through all of that. This should give you the necessary foundation of understanding. Feel free to do your own research and you'll quickly see that if you found THIS to be complicated, it is nothing compared to the whole big-long-scientific background! Trust me...I took the headache for you in making it as simple and to the point as possible. ;)
WHEN IT IS USED:
There is NO simple way to detail the justification and science behind when it is used. Just look at how complicated the basic explanation was of how it works (and that was the really short version!) You may be able to make the correlations yourself between how it works and thus when it is used in the body. But regardless, I will simply state that this system is the one used for long-term endurance exercise/training such as long-distance running, etc.


NOW let's tie it all together in a clear and visual way, and you'll be DONE with this fundamental understanding of how and from where you get your energy during exercise. (AND IN TURN, YOU CAN BEGIN TO CONSIDER HOW TO MAXIMIZE AND EXTEND YOUR ENERGY/WORKOUT.) Below is an awesome visual representation of the relationship between the INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOUR EXERCISE ACTIVITY, and the SPECIFIC ENERGY SYSTEM OR SYSTEMS BEING USED AT THE VARIOUS POINTS WITHIN YOUR WORKOUT. To summarize the picture below, you should see that:
-As indicated by the "Immediate Energy Systems" line, very short duration exercises (eg. sprints/heavy-weight, low rep lifting) are fueled primarily by the ATP-PC energy system (thus the relevance of creatine/creatine supplements), but a small amount of energy still does come from anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic metabolism.
-As you increase the time spent on the exercising (the duration), up to about 2 minutes, the exercise is fueled from energy mainly produced through anaerobic glycolysis...some still coming from other pathways. 
-After many minutes of exercise, the oxidation of GLUCOSE AND FAT becomes the main energy system. (After about 90 minutes this too becomes depleted, however...
-One can conclude that through training and increasing carbohydrate intake, you could extend the duration of your exercise before becoming fatigued and exhausted. This is why marathon runners "carb load." ;) 

Energy during exercise (1).

References:
1.  Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.
     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012.

2.  De Feo P, Di Loreto C, Lucidi P, et al. Metabolic response to exercise. J Endocrinol Invest 2003;23:851-4.

3.  Gastin PB. Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise. Sports Med 2001;31:725
     -41.

4.  Glaister M. Multiple sprint work: physiological responses, mechanisms of fatigue and the influence of aerobic
      fitness. Sports Med 2005;35:757-77.

5. Grassi B. Oxygen uptake kinetics: old and recent lessons from experiments on isolated muscle in situ. Eur J Appl
     Physiol 2003;90(3-4):242-9.

6.  Johnson NA, Stannard SR, Thompson MW. Muscle triglyceride and glycogen in endurance exercise: implications for
     performance. Sports Med 2004;34:151-64.

7.  McArdle WD, Fl Katch. Exercise Physiology. Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance, 7th ed. Philadelphia:
     Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010: 134-69.

8.  McMahon S, Jenkins D. Factors affecting the rate of phosphocreatine resynthesis following intense exercise. Sports
     Med 2002;32(12):761-84.

9.  Wells GD, Selvadurai H, Tein I. Bioenergetic provision of energy for muscular activity. Paediatr Respir Rev 2009;
     10:83-90.

10.  Howley ET, Powers SK. Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance, 7th ed. New York:
       McGraw Hill, 2009:22-46.

One for the girls: NIKE WOMEN: MAKE YOURSELF.

NIKE - MAKE YOURSELF. MOTIVATION FROM ALLYSON FELIX, JULIA MANCUSO, AND SOFIA BOUTELLA..."THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING THAN KNOWING YOU GAVE 100% AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS."