10 Guidelines to Great Lifting

• Do a general (cardio) warm up before lifting
• Perform a specific light warm up set for each muscle group
• Perform exercises throughout the entire range of motion
• Use light weight with new exercises
• Attend to joint pain immediately
• Design programs to enhance muscular balance
• Avoid bouncing weights at the bottom of each lift
• Train each muscle group with multiple exercises
• Execute correct technique and mental concentration

Derived and adapted from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, The National Academy of Sports Medicine, and fifteen years of banging weights.

Activity Guidelines

Living a generally healthy lifestyle and becoming physically fit are two entirely different things. Living that healthy lifestyle is far less intense, and perhaps even more important, than improving your fitness level.

In other words, it is not always important to “kill yourself” in order to be healthy. In fact, it has been shown that previously sedentary individuals actually attain better results when exercising at lower intensities.

That said, advancing your fitness level can be one of the most rewarding things you do for yourself. You can feel an increased sense of wellbeing, boost your self confidence, have more energy, feel less pain… even overcome depression just by becoming more physically fit, but it does take hard work.

Becoming more fit is a balancing act of patience and urgency, of discipline and play, of know how and of blind faith. Some say that fit people are just born “lucky.” Well… the harder you work, the luckier you will get. Like Machiovelli once said, the means employed to attain an end will be what is required to maintain that end. So choose your methods and your aims carefully.

At the end of the day, any activity above and beyond what you are currently doing will produce some benefit.

Below are the National Strength and Conditioning Association guidelines for general health and for improved fitness levels.

Which of the two are you and which do you want to be?


General Health Activity Recommendations:
Frequency: 5-7 days per week
Intensity: Moderate (increase your heart rate, breath a bit heavier)
Time: 30 minutes total per day
Type: General activity; walking, using stairs, dancing, mowing yard.
Enjoyment: The higher the better!

Improved Fitness Recommendations:
Frequency: 5-7 days per week
Intensity: 60 – 90% of heart rate max (max = 220 minus your age)
Time: 20-60 minutes per day
Type: Any Activity
Enjoyment: The higher the better!

Character

“Character is the product of an exceptional demand upon human ability by a situation. I think the ability of the average man could be doubled if the situation demanded.”
-William Durante


Intellectually the justification to give up is always present. Don’t let your mouth tell your body what cannot be done.

Too often people fall short of their goals because they lack the ability to extract from themselves everything they have to give. In this manner a person becomes stuck in a rut of blame and self pity. Accountability, faith, and persistent execution of a sound plan are what it takes. Overcome the intellectual justification of the impulse to quit and rise to exceed the situation.


Copy and paste the following link into your browser. See it first hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvlmDi_aD10&feature=related

Persistency Is the Enemy

Persistency is the enemy.

Persistent weight gain, compounded over time, is responsible for the majority of obesity in America today.

The "average" person gains only a pound during the holiday season and only a pound and a half over the course of an entire year. One and a half pounds may not sound like much, but with persistence the 1.5 pounds equates to a 10 pound weight gain every seven years.

If you entered the workforce at 22 years old at 170 pounds then slowly, consistently, over time (based on the research) you will morph into a 210 pound 50 year old, a 220 pound 57 year old! If the trend continues then by 64, just after Social Security has kicked in, you're staring 230 pounds dead in the face. Can you imagine the health consequences you could suffer?

The problem is persistence: Weight goes on each year, and typically stays on FOR-E-VER.

At the root of the problem is habits. Inevitably, habits enslave you.

Be a slave to good habits and make persistence your best friend.
your best friend.

BELIEF

Belief is one of the most powerful predictors of purposeful change and success. The more a person believes in themselves, the more likely they are to realize their full potential.

Research reveals that people who truly believe they will be successful are more likely to:

*Perform better in many domains (from academics to sports to keeping new years resolutions)
*Be happy, even while coping with ailments such as depression, anxiety, burnout, alcoholism, smoking and obesity.
*Set and achieve more goals
*Attribute failures to changeable causes (i.e. poor planning in lieu of poor genetics)
*React better to difficult circumstances from bad test scores to career setbacks, stressful jobs, paralyzing accidents, and even chronic illnesses
*Use more effective coping habits such as humor, regular exercise, and preventative care.

How good are you at believing in yourself?

Do you trust that you will do what you have set out to do?

Trust and belief are closely related. A degree of trust is needed before you will believe someone. Perhaps after a small series of “trust tests” you will come to believe in someone, holding what they say as valid and true.

Belief exercise:

Set a modest goal such as attending a new group exercise class or holding yourself accountable to 4 hours of exercise in a given week. Work to attain a series of small goals and reward behavioral results accordingly. After some time has passed, gradually increase the size and scope of your goals.


Trust yourself, believe in yourself, and reward yourself for improved behaviors before improved aesthetics.

“If you can conceive and believe then you can achieve.” - Unknown

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For an archive of all posts view “healthlinkblog.blogspot.com”

The Essence of Beauty Is...

“The essence of beauty is order.”
- Will Durante

Fitness results demand order and structure.

Study beautiful art, music, or sculptures. The beauty within shines not just in the essence of each detail, but also in the harmony of every detail in concert with the whole. So too the exactness of a surgeons hand exhibits meaning with each stroke.

Meaningful actions require a greater why, a definite major aim.

Great fitness programs are ordered and periodized. Every day trumpets cause. Each action exudes meaning. The place for enjoyment is found within the order of the program.

Folks who stumble around the gym, haphazardly, without plan or process are no more likely to attain their goals than the artist who, howling mad, smatters paint all over a canvas and calls it art. It is not art; it has no meaning, use or worthwhile purpose.

Have a plan, have a purpose, have a goal. Act in accordance.

Attaining an outstanding result… is a beautiful thing.


If general fitness is your goal, use the template below to help dictate how to order the timing of your workouts. Learn the proper actions to take within the scope of each parameter and act consistently.


General Fitness Time Program:

5-10 minutes light cardio
5-10 minutes flexibility
10-15 minutes moderate cardio
20-30 minutes weight training
5-10 minutes core exercises
5-10 minute flexibility

STABILITY LEADS TO MOBILITY

The year is 1949, Joe Dimagio sign’s Major League Baseball’s first 100,000 dollar contract, President Harry Truman is inaugurated for a second term, China declares itself a communist state, and two researchers; Kendall and Kendall, prove that the safest and most effective way to prepare for all resistance and stability training is through isolated isometrics… a.k.a. “core.”

Since 1949 it has been known that internal stability precedes external movement. Learning to stabilize your body effectively through isometrics (or core) is the best way to begin a fitness program.

Before you exercise on an unstable surface you must first exhibit sound execution and muscular endurance from a stable position.

Why do some core and balance workouts seem closer to Cirque De Soliel than exercise? In a word: hype.

Consumer’s insatiability fuels fitness trends. View the checkout line at your grocery store. You will see high sugar candy bars flanked by high hype fitness magazines touting the newest and best exercise routine ever.

Hype leads to confusion, don’t buy the hype. If you want to learn something new, perhaps it is best to study something old, like Kendall and Kendall.

Kendall and Kendall proved that isometrics are a basic way to effectively begin an exercise program. Excellent results can be attained by using a flat floor, a step, and gravity. You don’t need to know how to balance on one leg standing on top of a stability ball while juggling dumbbells to develop your balance or your core.

Use isometrics within your exercise program for the first 6-8 weeks in a new routine. After this initial period, aid your program by applying isometrics at least twice per week. Say goodbye to nagging little injuries and say hello to increased muscular recruitment, enhanced coordination, and a higher level of joint stability without appearing to have joined the circus.

Energy

People who perform at their best are not lethargic; they go after their goal with zeal and enthusiasm. They are highly energetic people.

Energy must flow and it will either flow in a positive direction or negative direction. Make sure to put yourself on the positive side as much as you can.

Over the course of your day you will be engaging in activities which will either energize you or leave you feeling drained.

Energy is the locomotive power of your life. Your energy is in your attitude, in the strength of your convictions, in the way you relate to people. Positive or negative, your energy is contagious.

Your energy pays off in the form of an idea, a relationship built, a sale that is made.

Be energetic, and be willing to work to get ahead. To maintain a higher energy level, seek activities that revitalize you, lift you up.

Physical fitness training is an action that, regularly taken, can help to boost your energy.

People who combine mental and physical exercise are more alert, alive, awake, and eager to serve. To be in excellent physical, mental health and psychological health is to be at the pinnacle of your performance.

Exercise your mind and your body for thirty minutes each day, and engage in activities which leave you feeling energized.

Harness the Power of Group

Motivating yourself to work hard at the gym can be difficult.

Fortunately, at great gyms, fitness classes are available for you every day. The well structured, competitive nature of classes stimulates you to work harder and follow a program.

With the format established for you the stress is gone. You just make an appointment in your calendar, show up to class on time and get moving.

Classes using resistance training, cardiovascular training, or some combination thereof have been known to get the best results. Aim to attend two to four different types of fitness classes each week.

Be sure to touch base with the lead instructor before attending a class for the first time. Only then can you be sure this class is the right one for you.

Not all classes are created equally, and no class will be absolutely perfect for you, due to the group nature of the environment. However, when it comes to increasing your personal fitness enjoyment, frequency, and intensity the group environment plays a vital role.

Harness the power of the group to enhance your own good health.

Consistency

Consistency counts.

Continuous, moderate progress trumps sporadic fits of intensity.

The consistent pursuit of excellence will far surpass the occasional stab at perfection.

Create your vision, set your course, and take action… consistently.

Consistently Cut the Fat

The American Heart Association urges adults to limit their calories from fat to less than 25% of their own personal daily caloric limit.

To achieve less than 25% calories from fat in your diet just ration your intake of foods obviously high in fat such as:

*Butter
*Margarine
*Mayonnaise
*Salad Dressing
*Ice Cream
*Cookies
*Chips
*Sugar

Healthy people moderate their consumption of these foods, regardless of how much they exercise.

Want to be healthy? Consistently cut the fats.

Lose Weight While You Sleep

The newest study on obesity, from Columbia University, is just the latest to find that adults who sleep the least appear to be the most likely to gain weight and to become obese.

Other researchers have found that even mild sleep deprivation quickly disrupts normal levels of the recently discovered hormones ghrelin and leptin, which regulate appetite. That fits with the theory that humans may be genetically wired to be awake at night only when they need to be searching for food or fending off danger -- circumstances when they would need to eat to have enough energy.

"The modern equivalence to that situation today may unfortunately be often just a few steps to the refrigerator next door," Mignot wrote in his editorial.

In addition, studies show sleep-deprived people tend to develop problems regulating their blood sugar, which may put them at increased risk for diabetes.

Your Waistline, Your Dollars

Healthcare reform creates an economic interest in fitness and weight control.

"Rising obesity rates are increasing health care expenditures per person in a way that is going to be very difficult to finance," warns Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a health economist from Stanford University's center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research. The article was found on the front page of Sunday’s edition of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle announced startling figures from the Center for Disease Control:

$147 Billion spent on obesity related medical spending in 2008 - US
$15.5 Million Medical costs related to obesity in LA, SF, Alameda and Contra Costa counties in 2006
50 % of CA adults do not exercise enough
33 % of children born in 2000 likely to develop diabetes
30 % of adult Americans are obese
20 is the average number of days a year an obese person is unable to work
16.7% of American children are obese

The facts are becoming more and more clear that their must be an accounting.

Imagine how much money 20 days of your average daily salary would cost you. That's just about one months salary, given that you take weekends off. What could you purchase with that sum of money each year, every year?

Isn’t that sum of money worth 5 hours a week of healthy, purposeful activity?

Begin your own personal health care reform initiative. Set an example for your family and community. Emphasize health reform on a personal level and start the accountability at home.

Author of article in the Chronicle, Carolyn Lochhead at clochhead@sfchronicle.com

Fitness on the GO!

Nothing can distance you from your health like travelling away from home. Absence of a gym, perceived lack of time, sleep deprivation, mental stress, and inadequate nutrition are just some of the obstacles faced on business trips.

There are times during your travels when you will need to put your fitness on hold in order to build relationships and get ahead. Just face it, critical relationships are built at the dinners and parties that take place when you are off of the clock. These are relationships that may be leveraged later during times of crisis. You need to invest the time into making your trip as successful as possible. Fortunately, failing at fitness is not necessary to winning at work.

There are three critical elements to monitor while you are away from regular training:

Nutrition:
It’s ok to have a cigarette break… why can’t you have a nutrition break? Company lunches and corporate flights malnourish you. Inadequate nutrition during the day leads to overindulging at night. The only way to be sure you will stay nourished is if you bring healthy food with you. Bring 2 apples per day and ½ pound of almonds with you on your trip. Then, during breaks you can always go get some balanced nutrition.

Rest:
Be fully rested before you leave on the trip. Cumulative lack of sleep is called “sleep lag.” Always leave home on a full tank of sleep.
Be moderately social. Less (alcohol) drinking time means more resting time. Don’t lock yourself away from the world, but enough is enough. When you are serious, one glass is usually enough.
Drink water. Too much caffeine during the day makes it tough to go to sleep. Drink your water.

· Exercise:
o No more than ten minutes at a time of exercise are necessary.
o A study showed that college aged females who exercised three times per day for just 10 minutes at a time burned more calories than those who exercised just one time for 30 minutes straight. This is good news!
o Look to elevate your heart rate right inside your hotel room (email jonathan for a free 10 minute workout you can do while in the comfort of your own home or hotel room).

When it’s time for you to leave your home base take your food, your positive mental attitude, and your workout along for the ride. Getting your rest, staying hydrated and not overindulging at night can make your trip more effective. Being effective on the job can open up more opportunities when you come full circle and arrive back at home.

1/2 Hour of Cardio a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Study proves that ½ hour per day of moderate exercise helps reduce risk of cancer by 50% in men:

“PARIS (AFP) - Men who regularly do heart-pounding exercise are less likely to develop cancer, according to a study released Tuesday.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that the key factor in the reduced risk of cancer was a higher rate of oxygen consumption.

A team of researchers from the universities of Kuopio and Oulu in Finland studied the leisure-time physical activity over a 12-month period of 2,560 men between 42 and 61 years old with no history of cancer.

Over an average follow-up period of 16 years, 181 of the subjects died from cancer, mostly of the stomach or intestines, lungs, prostate and brain.

Using an intensity scale for physical exercise that measured "metabolic units" of oxygen consumption, the scientists found that the men who exercised for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to get cancer as those who did not.

The sharpest reductions occurred in gastrointenstinal and lung cancers, and held true even when other factors -- age, alcohol consumption, smoking, weight -- were taken into account.

"The intensity of leisure-time physical activity should be at least moderate [75-85% of Max Heart Rate] so that beneficial effect ... for reducing overall cancer mortality can be achieved," the researchers conclude.”

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/healthcancersportsexercise_20090727231417.html

13 Tips for Successful Weight Reduction

*Derived from Nancy Clarks “Sports Nutrition Guidebook”


Write Down What and When You Eat or Drink in a Day and WHY
o Keep a log of every morsel of food and drop of liquid for 3 days
o Record why you eat. Are you stressed or tired or hungry?
o Pay careful attention to your mood when eating.
o Remember that food is fuel and should not be used like a drug. Sometimes a hug is more satisfying than an Oreo cookie.

Start Your Diet at Dinner
o Become aware of meal timing. Eating skimpy at breakfast can cause you to overeat during the day. If you eat lightly during the day and excessively at night then experiment with eating a larger breakfast and a lighter dinner.

Learn Your Caloric Budget
o First you under-eat, then you become ravenous, and eventually you blow your diet. Don’t eat blindly, a road map is essential – your calories are your guide.
o The best way for you to understand your caloric budget is to experience a “Hydrostatic Weight Test.” There is a Hydrostatic Weigh in truck coming to Club Sport of Pleasanton Tuesday July 28th. Whether you are a member of the club or not you can book an appointment by calling 925-463-2822.
o For a cheaper, faster, less effective way to understand your caloric needs then email healthlinknewsletter@live.com for a free calorie calculator spreadsheet.

Subtract 20 Percent of Your Total Calorie Needs
o When you cut back too much you will lose muscle, slow your metabolism, and consume too few calories to protect your health and invest in top performance. Just a 500 calorie per day deficit should burn 1 pound of fat per week.

Divide Your Calorie Budget Evenly Into Three Parts of The Day
o You won’t gain weight by overeating at breakfast or lunch if you compensate later in the day.
o Break 1/3rd of your calories into 3 categories: 1-breakfast + Snack 2- Lunch + Snack 3- Dinner + Snack

Read Food Labels
o Look for meals with balanced Protein, Carbs, and Fats.

Eat Slowly
o Give yourself ample time to completely chew your food.
o It can take up to 20 minutes to realize you are full, slow down.

Eat Your Favorite Foods Regularly
o Food is something that should be enjoyed, find healthy meals you like.

Keep away from Food Sources That Tempt You
o Out of sight, out of mouth. Don’t walk down the street with your favorite ice cream shop on it. Avoid parties where your temptations can get the best of you.

Post a List of Ten Pleasurable Activities That Require No Food
o It’s important to have some strategies in place for when you are bored, lonely, or tired that don’t require food.

Each Week, Plan a Day Off From Dieting
o You do not have to go non-stop! Give yourself permission to fully fuel yourself.

Exercise Consistently
o Exercise should not be viewed as punishment but as a means of improving performance.

Think “Fit and Healthy”
o Each morning visualize yourself as being fitter and leaner.
o Think healthy, positive, encouraging thoughts.
o Avoid all negative stimuli of the mind as a positive and a negative thought cannot occupy the mind at the same time.

Instant Delusion

One of the biggest mistakes ever made in any youth athletic league is to give trophies to the losing team.

“But every child needs to know what it feels like to win” is the argument. What a joke.
Victory is not something that can be given. Victory must be earned. Giving trophies to losers is like rewarding a person for taking the easy way out. It’s imposed instant gratification and it’s ugly. Inevitably; this breeds delusion, frustration, suffering or worse.

Learning to perform in a win or lose situation teaches dedication, perseverance, focus, teamwork, and how to overcome obstacles. Figuring out how to deal with and overcome failure can be the best lesson a young athlete can learn! How could you rob anyone of such a valuable lesson?

Athletics teach that adversity is there strictly to keep out those who are least willing to win. Sure there are natural talents who win effortlessly while others toil to a losing end. But those who put forth the effort to win will be rewarded; if not in the immediate victory then in subsequent battles. Battles which may take place in the classroom, the workplace or in family life where the virtues and disciplines learned through sport transcend themselves to more noble ends.

Want to know what it feels like to win? Don’t try to change the circumstances. Try changing your actions, your behaviors. You don’t have to do the same thing you did last time… you can try something different. You can train smarter or harder or both. You can change the way you eat and the way you live. You can change your behaviors.

You cannot feel your way to better behaviors… but you can behave your way to better feelings.

Understanding the role of delayed gratification is an essential element in producing winning behaviors. Effort now, results later. Pain and humility now, pleasure and honor later.

Delaying your own gratification is the process which forges virtuous behaviors. The result of which is enduring happiness which can not be stolen, lost, or forgotten like some worthless second place trophy.

Learn from your mistakes and keep your eye on your target, you will get there if you understand the value of delayed gratification.

Recognize that instant gratification may be what is keeping you from your own goals. Are you “rewarding” yourself prematurely? What cravings have you succumbed to lately that have impeded your journey towards your goals?

ACTION ITEM: Write down 10 behaviors you’d like to see in your children or in your family that would also help you to reach your own health goals.

Break The Plateau

Keep your body guessing. That’s your job. That doesn't mean going to the fair, eating from every vendor, then guessing what it was you just put in your body... it means doing something different each workout.

When people say they have “reached a plateau” what they really mean is that they are still doing what worked last year only nothing’s changing anymore.

You will recall that a definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Don't drive yourself crazy, change your actions instead.

To combat cardiovascular “Plateau” three different types of training methods will be discussed: Long Slow Distance (LSD) runs, Interval Training, and Fartlek Training.

………………

Long Slow Distance (LSD):
The intensity of this type of training is considered “conversation exercise.” You should be able to hold a conversation the whole time your doing this type of cardio. If you are training for a specific event then train longer than the distance of the actual event.

Interval Training:
This type of training should not be performed until a strong cardiovascular base has been established.
With intervals you are pushing yourself to the limits for a given amount of time (typically 3-5 minutes), then resting for the same exact amount of time and resuming with the next interval. This is considered a 1:1 work/rest interval and it boasts the benefits of an improved anaerobic metabolism.
Use this type of training sparingly as it is very intense.

Fartlek Training:
This type of training combines short sprint work, interval training, and LSD training all in one workout. You can use an interval program with an LSD pace in lieu of a rest period to simulate Fartlek Training. Yes it's tough, but nothing worth achieving comes easily.

…………..

Don’t let analytics impede action; the continual pursuit of excellence will far surpass the occasional stab at perfection. So don’t stress over detailed programs, that’s a trainers’ job.

Sometimes just lacing up your shoes or stepping through the gym door can be the toughest part of your workout. Consistency first, details later, action habitually.

These types of program variations are for people who are running more than 5 hours a week but are not showing results. Attached is a sample interval training program for use once a sustained base of cardiovascular fitness has been established.


Sample Interval Training Program for a 10 KM Runner:

Sunday
Rest Day

Monday
10 reps of 0.5 KM intervals at race pace with 1:1 work/rest ratio.


Tuesday
10 - KM easy run

Wednesday
45 minute LSD run.

Thursday
5 reps of 1 KM intervals at race pace with a 1:1 work/rest ratio.

Friday
45 minute LSD run

Saturday
45 min. Fartlek run on a flat course.


For more information on program design or training email healthlinknewsletter@live.com

For an archive of previous newsletters view “healthlinkblog.blogspot.com.”

Stretch Your Limits

Is static stretching before a workout a waste of time?

When you hold your stretches (a.k.a. static stretching) you lengthen your muscles but you also weaken them. For low to moderate exercise sessions this may not be a big issue. But if you are about to compete at a high level, or are walking into a very high intensity situation, you do not want to risk losing strength.

Why would holding a stretch make your muscles weaker?

Think of a rubber band. In order to get the maximum strength out of a rubber band you want it to be pliable enough to stretch out, but springy enough to snap back forcefully. The same follows for your muscles; you want muscles that are pliable enough to move through their intended range of motion, but also that are tight enough to contract forcefully when called upon.

When you hold your stretches before exercise it is like pulling the snap out of that rubber band.

Studies performed by Professor Duane Knudson of California State University Chico show that static stretching can dramatically reduce your strength. “Within the field” says Knudsen “it is now largely acknowledged that athletes will experience anywhere between a 7 percent and 30 percent loss in strength for up to one hour following static stretching.” Knudsen also supports the theory that static stretching prior to exercise does not help to prevent injury.

Before you exercise at a high level try dynamic flexibility instead.

Dynamic flexibility is the act of swinging your limbs gracefully through their entire range of motion. This will accustom your muscles to moving through their intended range, raise your heart rate, and will likely stimulate blood flow to the area you are about to exercise. Lastly, dynamic stretching does not loosen your muscles to the degree that static stretching does, so you should keep up your strength while also loosening up.

So when is the best time to static stretch?

Post exercise. Your muscles are tight and will benefit from returning to their normal length.

Remaining flexible is a critical fitness goal. Flexibility needs to be a priority in any exercise session. Stretch wisely and stretch with your fitness plan in mind.

Control Your Stress or Your Stress Will Control You

Stress can be positive when it is purposeful, motivating, and when it is directed towards positive results. Stress overload; however, can cause you to break down and stop functioning. Try some of the following techniques to help manage your stress levels for the long haul.

From: “The Diet Cure” by Julia Ross, M.A.

Nutrition: Eat Right to Keep Your Blood Sugar Even

*Don’t skip meals.
*Avoid sweets and white flower products forever.
*Eat at least three solid meals per day.
*Don’t let more than 4 hours go by without food. Whole food (low-carb) snacks may be used in mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or at bedtime.
*Eat a substantial (25% of the day’s food intake), protein rich breakfast.
*Stay away from refined sweets, starches, alcohol, caffeine and nutrasweet.


Lifestyle: Addressing stress long term:

*Anything that will rest and calm you will restore yout adrenals.
*Cutting out refined carbohydrates is crucial.
*De-stress your lifestyle.
*Get counseling for emotional stress, if you need to.
*Don’t over-exercise.
*Learn to Relax at least twice a day.
*Breathe quietly.
*Get massages.
*Learn yoga or other stretching to relax exercises.
*Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night and, ideally, get to bed three hours after sunset.
*Take time off.
*Get away as much as possible.


For those who want to learn a substantial amount about handling stress and controlling blood sugar check out the following article:

http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm


Intensity: The Azevedo Method

Take the stressors from your day and use them to motivate you to work harder.

*Intense exercise destroys stress.

*If you are having a bad day… take it out on the weights.

*Feel like punching a wall? Why not punch the heavy bag?

*Someone won’t return your calls? Add 15 pounds to your next set.

*Visualize what’s bothering you and go hammer out your session as hard as you can.

Intense weightlifting can have a dramatic impact on reducing stress and increasing results.

What It Takes To Win

What it Takes To Win.

If you would only look to weekly planning then you will learn all you need to know about the certainty of your fitness. A week is a pretty substantial chunk of time, 168 hours to be exact. How many hours have you invested in your good health?

Below is a list of questions. Answer them truthfully to learn how well you are caring for your number one asset – your health.

Remember; it is likely that the biggest liar that you will ever meet probably watches you brush your teeth in the mirror each day. Be honest; no one is counting here but the one who counts the most – you.

What it Takes to Win: (Y or N)

I used some form of resistance training for at least two hours this week. (Y or N)

I elevated my heart rate through cardiovascular exercise for at least three hours this week. (Y or N)

I used flexibility at the beginning and end of each workout this week. (Y or N)

I got at least 50 hours of sleep this week. (Y or N)

I ate between four and six meals per day, each day, this week. (Y or N)

I stayed within my body’s caloric requirement each day this week (If unsure then reply to healthlinknewsletter@live.com for a free calorie counter). (Y or N)

I consumed between .7 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day this week. (Y or N)

I found a fun and exciting way to be active while staying social and involving those closest to me. (Y or N)

I brought my lunch to work each day this week. (Y or N)

I ate breakfast every day this week. (Y or N)

Extra Credit: I drank one ounce of water for every 0.5 pounds of my healthy bodyweight for my height (Google BMI).


Score Outcome:

9-10 Yeses – What are you an Olympic athlete?

6-8 Yeses – Smokin! You are doing just about everything you can to attain your fitness goals. Search for variety in your workouts so that you do not become bored. Look at the questions that you missed and make sure that you did not really blow it in one or more areas. If all this is true and you still don’t hit your goals… THEN blame your trainer.

4-6 Yeses – Ok, you are trying. You should get credit, even four yeses takes work. The key is to get closer to your goal without extremely blowing off one or more criteria. Look to add another Yes by next week. Rank yourself on the best and worst of the criteria and work on your toughest “NO” first. Don’t stop until it is a “YES.”

3-4 Yeses – What’s up? This stuff is hard to do every single day isn’t it? So what will you do? Roll over and quit? Try this one on for size… throw away your blame list and replace it with THIS list. Then figure out what you need to do to get into the next category. The good news for you is that 5 out of 10 of the criteria involve diet. You can build a workable plan around just your meals and WALLA; you will be on your way.

1 Yes – You may only have one certain “YES,” but you probably have more than a couple “Maybes.” The key for you is certainty. It’s time for awareness. Become aware of your “Maybes” and keep searching until you can get a definite yes or no. Once you have done that, get your cardio and caloric requirements in line. If you can just do those few things then you may soon find yourself in the 4-6 category. At that time you will be progressing readily towards a healthy, active, fulfilling lifestyle that you can be proud of.

Intensity

Think of a plane that is taking off.

As that plane is gaining speed on the runway the engines are firing at full intensity. The plane is moving slower than you could in your car, but the engines are the loudest and the most intense of the entire flight. Why? Because it takes intense energy to get that plane moving.

In this manner so too must more energy be required of you to reach your fitness goals.
In order to change your body composition you must over-stress or overload your body. Taking your body to this limit can be a bit scary, but you must go through this type of stimulus in order to produce change.

You may overload your body in two different manners; short bouts of vigorous exercise, and long durations of moderate exercise.

Vigorous exercise is tough, at least a 7 or 8 out of ten on a relative scale. Bouts of vigorous exercise should not last more than 20 minutes.

Moderate exercise is safe and relatively comfortable. Examples of moderate exercise would be water aerobics, swimming with an efficient stroke, walking, or doubles tennis.

If you are to choose moderate exercise as the main driver for your program then depend on exercise sessions of more than an hour at least three days a week. Exercise duration needs to be greater than 5 hours per week at moderate intensity.

Like a plane that has already reached its cruising speed; less effort will be required to maintain fitness results once you have attained them.

Once you have reached your goals then your workouts design may shift. For one; your capacity to produce effort will have changed. After over-stimulating your body you will have adapted to meet the demands of vigorous exercise. What was once vigorous will now seem doable. In this manner you may expend less relative effort while balancing results.

Less time will be needed to maintain results than to attain results. Individual efforts will vary, but regardless of personal performance levels a minimum of 150 minutes of activity will be needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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For an archive of previous newsletters see "healthlinkblog.blogspot.com"

Your Country, Your Health

“Utopia must begin in the body of man.” Plato said as he dreamed of the utopian society. The broad shouldered, aristocratic philosopher regarded the ill health of an indolent society as “the absurdity of the idle rich.”

Plato spoke of the medicine of his day as something that “educated diseases,” offering no cure but only a treatment to the symptom. The remedy to health care problems; then, was to be found in physical health habits.

“For the first 10 years of life, education should be predominantly physical… and in this first decade such health will be stored up as will make all medicine unnecessary.”

Today we see the validity of Plato's thoughts as we analyze the facts of the obesity epidemic in America today.

According to the center for disease control:

*In 2000 the total cost of obesity in the United States was 117 billion dollars.
*In 2000 health care costs associated with physical inactivity topped 76 billion dollars.
*2/3rds of the American population are overweight.
*If 10% of adults began a regular walking program, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved.
*A sustained 10% weight loss will reduce an overweight person’s lifetime medical costs by $2,200–$5,300 by lowering costs associated with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol.

According to a study conducted by Duke University researchers:

*Workers compensation claims per 100 employees cost $51,019 for obese workers and $7,503 for non-obese workers.
*Obese employees filed 11.65 workers compensation claims per 100 workers compared to 5.8 filed by those within a health weight range.
*Obese workers lost 13 times as many days of work as their colleagues who weighed less.
........................

So what are we to do? Plato would have us banish all citizens above 10 years of age and start all over. Nah... too much trouble. One does not need to banish citizens, but only to banish poor habits and replace those habits with positive health habits. The National Academy of Sports medicine provides a road map for success.

National Academy of Sports Medicines Guidelines for attacking obesity:
*People struggling with obesity need to burn 200-300 calories per day from exercise, with a minimum of 1250 calories burned per week.
*Low impact cardiovascular exercise sessions (40-80% of max heart rate) 40-60 minutes per day; or 2 ½ hour sessions per day, at least 5 days per week.

*Regular flexibility practices

*Core and balancing exercises 2-3 days per week.

*Resistance exercise consisting of 1-3 sets of 10-15 reps 2-3 days per week. Repetitions of up to 20 may be used. Resistance should consist of a push, a pull, and a squat. Resistance training will burn fewer calories but will be vital to preserving muscle mass and continuing results.
………

Too much of a good thing can also act to the detriment of the state. As Plato wrote “we do not want a nation of weight lifters and prize fighters… To be merely an athlete is to be nearly a savage.” Work hard on your job and be creative in developing a fun, healthy lifestyle which will serve to care for your health and the health of your country.

Smoke the Muscle, Not the Joint

Too often in the search for the bulging bicep do we forget about that missing link; the tendons and ligaments at the musculo-tendonous juncture – the joint.

Ailments like joint pain; in all of its various forms, can seriously restrict your mobility and reduce your quality of life as you mature. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and tendonitis are some of the ailments that can result from not caring for your joints – even if you are exercising regularly.

The expression “use it or lose it” has never been more apt than when applied to your joints. If you want to be healthy, mobile, and pain free for life then you are going to need to stay well hydrated and put your joints through frequent, numerous repetitions of their full intended range of motion.

When you take each joint in your body through its intended range of motion it’s like giving your joints a much needed oil change. You can prevent those serious degenerative conditions like arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Joint exercises, when performed properly, will release tension in your body so that you move more freely. Furthermore; joint exercises are relaxing and invigorating. In no other way can improving your resistance to injury feel so good.

Joint flexibility exercises are nearly impossible to describe accurately in writing. For increased joint mobility; consult a professional about a 20 minute routine that will work best for you and your particular needs.

Remember that it’s about your health and wellness. It’s great to be fired up on fitness. Learn to care for your body so that in being fired up you smoke the muscle, not the joint.

Making Nutrient-Dense Food Choices

Cutting the fat can sometimes trim out the taste! The key is to find tasty low fat alternatives to the fattiest foods in your diet.

Remember that one gram of fat carries 9 calories! Dropping a little fat can really lighten your caloric load.

Replacing high fat with high flavor is possible; but it is your call. Find the nutrient dense options that are right for you.

For a quick list of nutrient dense gems check out: http://www.mypyramid.gov/STEPS/nutrientdensefoodchoices.pdf

Major Research Findings of the Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Each and every person from every walk of life can benefit from regular exercise. Read the list below to get the United States Government’s interpretation of the major research findings around exercise.

The Health Benefits of Physical Activity – Major Research Findings
· Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes.
· Some physical activity is better than none.
· For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and / or longer duration.
· Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes (2.5 hrs) a week of moderate physical activity such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity.
· Both aerobic (endurance) and muscle strengthening (resistance) physical activity are beneficial.
· Health Benefits occur for children and adolescents, young and middle aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group.
· The health benefits of physical activity occur for those with disabilities.
· The benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of adverse outcomes.
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The minimums are there, 5 days a week 30 minutes per day. If you are still unsatisfied at that rate then that’s good; that means you expect more of yourself. To get more just do more. Start by getting a plan that’s right for you, and then proceed with poise and persistence.

Pattern Overload

Pattern overload occurs when the body works in repetitive movements. Pattern overload can cause serious inflammation and pain in your body.

The most common repetitive movement among professionals is sitting. Sitting frequently can place stress on the body and lead to poor posture. Postural inefficiency can lead to inflammation and joint pain.

The way to prevent pattern overload is by stretching the affected muscles.

If you sit for more than half of your workday then stretch your:
*Hip flexors
*Quads
*Claves
*Chest
*Upper Traps
*Lats

You’ve been provided with a list of muscles to stretch. Stretch them during your cool down. Consider these stretches long term tools to help save your joints from trauma and inflammation.

What Great Fitness Programs All Have in Common

Successful exercise programs all have two things in common; consistency and effort. There is no substitute for hard work.

You can possess the newest, flashiest, most ergonomically correct exercise machines on the market but at the end of the day somebody still has to use them.

Follow sound exercise principles, perform the basics very well, and never let your mind tell your body what it cannot do.

Exceeding your limits, this is the foundation of growth. Do not fear exerting beyond the familiar. You will return stronger, faster, and better than before.

Athletic trainers see a direct link between effort and results; and it is as follows:

Poor effort: poor results.
Average effort: average results.
Outstanding effort: outstanding results.

Results are what you want; and results require hard work. There is no way around it.

Turn On, Tune In, Zone Out

Mainstream cardio demands that we turn on a treadmill, tune into a television program, and zone out of your mind. The goal of the “cardio theatre” is to distract you enough that you forget that you are working out.

Seldom does the “turn on, tune in, and zone out” strategy bring significant results. To maximize your results and your efficiency you must focus your mind on the task at hand; which is to execute an effective cardio program.

Great cardio programs use interval training as a tool. Interval training brings your heart rate up and down a variety of times during each workout.

Your best bet to getting interval training that is effective is to become involved in a variety of group exercise classes at your training facility.

Or you can try guided cardio workouts from a personal trainer. Go to www.cardiocoach.com and demo some of the music tracks. For less than 5$’s you’ll have a results oriented trainer in your ear guiding you through effective cardio workouts for every skill level.

Keep an open mind, and you will find what works for you.

10 Hard and Fast Guidelines to Great Lifting

Use the following 10 guidelines as an acid test to the efficacy of your workouts. Score one point for each one you already do:

· Do a general (cardio) warm-up before lifting.
· Perform at least one specific light warm-up set.
· Execute exercises through a full range of motion.
· Use light weight with new exercises.
· Do not ignore pain in or around the joints.
· Design programs to enhance muscular balance.
· Avoid bouncing at the bottom of each lift.
· When squatting; keep your knees over your shoelaces.
· Train multiple exercises for each muscle group.
· Emphasize correct technique and mental concentration.

Score:
(10/10): You are good to go lift on your own, and people like you.

8/10: Learn more about muscular balance and program design.

6/10: You ain’t as strong as you think you are tuff guy.

4/10: Step away… carefully… from the bench press. It’s not how much you bench, but how much you know that matters. Your next lift should be a good book on lifting (hint: two great sources are mentioned in italics below).

Derived and adapted from The National Strength and Conditioning Association, The National Academy of Sports Medicine, and fourteen years of banging weights.

How Much Water Do You Need to Drink?

The more you weigh the more water you need.

To find your basic water intake, take your healthy bodyweight and divide it in half; that is how many ounces of water your body needs each day. It follows that someone who weighs 180 pounds should drink 90 ounces of water each day (That’s nearly 12 – 8 oz cups).

Sound extreme? Don’t think so fast. The body is estimated to be 60-70 percent water.

The water in your body helps regulate your body temperature, delivers nutrients to organs, transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and even helps protect your joints and organs. Recent studies have linked dehydration to lower back pain. Water is important, water is life.

It can be hard to drink as much water as you need during a busy day. Look for opportunities such as early morning, evening, or while driving to increase your consumption.

Special situations:

Arid climate: add 2 servings of water (16 oz) per day.

On a plane: add 8 oz of water for every hour on the plane.

Obesity: don’t drink too much. Add only 8 oz for every 25 pounds you are overweight.
If you drink caffeine or other diuretics: drink two extra cups of water per cup of diuretic.

*Having a full water bottle on hand at all times is the single best way to increase your water consumption. Start by purchasing a water bottle, and get in the habit of having it on hand and ready to drink.

Basic Nutrition Guidelines for Altering Body Composition

From the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

For Fat Loss

*Distribute protein, carbohydrate, and fat throughout the day and at each meal.
*Choose whole grains and fresh vegetables over refined grains and simple sugars (as the fiber and complexity of the starch will aid in hunger control).
*Schedule no fewer than four and as many as six meals a day. This helps to control hunger, minimize blood sugar fluctuations and increase energy levels throughout the day.
*Avoid empty calories and highly processed foods, which contain many calories and do little to provide satiety (the feeling that you are full).
*Drink a lot of water (8 to 12 cups a day).
*Weigh your food for a week. If you have never done this… it will blow your mind. Chances are you under report your daily calories. Measuring your intake to the gram will give you clarity on the truth behind what you eat.
NOTE: Weighing and measuring food obsessively can lead to a “diet mentality,” so be careful. Diet is a four letter word that starts with DIE (DIE = BAD). However; one week of measuring can serve to educate you on actual serving sizes (education = good).

For Lean Body Mass Gain
*Eat four to six meals per day. Insulin response to a meal stimulates protein synthesis.
*Spread protein intake out through the day to take advantage of the aforementioned tip.
*Keep in mind the post-workout window of opportunity. Ingestion of protein and carbohydrates within 90 minutes of a workout will increase recovery and protein synthesis, maximizing gains. This may be most easily accomplished with a liquid meal replacement formula that can be absorbed quickly due to being pre-digested. Food may take several hours to digest… missing the window.
*Do not neglect the importance of carbohydrates and fat. It takes more than protein to increase body mass.

Psychological fitness

Great athletes do not always make great leaders, and great leaders do not always make great athletes, but personal achievement and athletics go hand in hand.

Sports conditioning and rigorous training will yield many great results, a trimmer waistline, nice shoulders, thighs that don’t touch… but there are also psychological results to be attained through training your body.

The following are four major skills that can be developed through training:

Determination - Determination makes winners; the refusal to quit or accept defeat; the persistence to try and try again; and the willingness to practice long and hard. Determined athletes are relentless in their efforts to improve themselves and to win.

Responsibility - Winners accept total responsibility for their actions. Responsibility is taken for self – performance, and errors are viewed as learning experiences.

Leadership – The ability to take charge, to take personal responsibility for difficult tasks, to respect authority. Leadership is developed on the field, and in the gym. Becoming a great leader is preceded by being a great follower.

Mental Toughness - Mental Toughness is a huge factor in attaining one’s goals. Winners learn to accept strong criticism and intense training from demanding coaches. They recover quickly from setbacks and maintain composure when adversity is in their face.

Team sports and regular training cultivate character traits outside of fitness alone. Children are taught athletics and team sports at an early age so as to learn these skills. Continue this trend yourself, in the here and now, to drive performance and build your fitness resume.

Weight Lifting Terminology

Can you Pyramid a superset? Will a split-routine help increase peripheral heart action? How many tri-sets are in a circuit?

The following table is meant to help clarify the communication in the weight room.

Single - Set
Performing one set of each exercise.

Multiple - Set
Performing a multiple number of sets per exercise.

Pyramid
Increasing (or decreasing) weight with each set.

Superset
Performing two exercises in rapid succession.

Circuit Training
Performing a Series of Exercises, one after another, with minimal rest.

Peripheral Heart Action
A variation of circuit training that uses different exercises for each set through the circuit.

Split - Routine
A routine that trains different body parts on separate days.

Knowledge is power. Check your program; do you know why you do what you do?

Expectations, Courage, and Will

Clear your mind of expectation, have the courage to be who you are, and have the will to go after what you want.

Expectations can lead to frustration, which can lead to quitting.

You must boldly assert yourself to taking action towards the change you wish to see in your life, without burdening yourself with expectations of perfection. Do not expect anything to come easily or quickly. Do not expect to eat perfect, look perfect, act perfect, and do not expect anything to feel perfect. DO expect to do all that you can for yourself and be at peace with the outcome.

It takes courage to ask for help if you need it.

Whether you are stepping into a crowded gym full of extremely fit people, taking that group exercise class for the first time, or braving the weight room floor, some degree of courage will be needed to get what you want.

It takes will power to overcome obstacles.

Will power begins with clarifying just exactly what you want for yourself, and then aligning your choices with your highest purpose. It means knowing exactly what you want, without at the same time wanting a thousand other contradictory things. Will power is the catalyst that combines knowing with doing, even if that means cutting some strings.

Lasting results come from the “mental” game. If you can train your mind to manage expectations, gain courage, and act upon your highest will… then at that point there will be no more doubts… results will begin to chase after you.

Breakfast, The Meal of Champions

“I don’t get hungry in the morning.”

“I can't eat until lunch.”

“It’s hard for me to burn calories; I guess I was just born with a low metabolism.”

Not necessarily.

Remember that metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. In the morning, your metabolism, like the rest of your body, just needs some time to wake up before it gets going. If you eat breakfast, you can jump start your metabolism.

Your metabolism not only increases during and after exercise, but also after eating. It goes without saying that if you exercise in the morning and eat a well rounded breakfast you will burn more calories throughout the day.

Furthermore, making a commitment to eating a healthy breakfast can also support healthy eating habits throughout the day. A study of the eating habits of over 12,000 women published in the November 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that “eating a healthy breakfast helps maintain a healthy weight.” The study found that lower energy density, high nutrient foods and beverages (such as whole grain oatmeal and 100% orange juice) tend to re-enforce healthier eating habits across the board. These facts suggest that eating this type of breakfast can offer an advantage when it comes time to manage your body weight.

That’s not all… don’t think you have to ditch the joe! Research has shown that caffeine can improve endurance by up to 50 percent, as well as increase power, without making it feel like you’re putting in more effort.

“When you’re exercising for a while, your body sends signals to the brain that make you feel tired. Caffeine appears to bind to the neurotransmitters in the brain that receives those signals, so you don’t sense as much fatigue.” -Lawrence Spriet, Ph. D., professor of exercise physiology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

So long as you keep it all in moderation, your coffee, oatmeal, and an early morning commitment to fitness can help you to brew a cup of your own good health.

How To Start Working Out Again

What Works?

What is the best way to start a new exercise routine?

You need to know how to start exercising again. This is different for everyone. To start with; you need to asses your particular imbalances, know your “tipping point” when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, know how to avoid over training, implement a flexibility routine which will cater to your particular muscle imbalances, and you NEED to work your core. It’s easier than it may seem once you begin to feel it working.

If you’re planning to begin exercising then do not underestimate how likely you may be of injuring yourself during your first six weeks of actually working out.

Research has proved that people who are sedentary are at a much higher risk of injury when entering into an exercise program. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, during the first six weeks of a study that physically trained sedentary adults there was a 50 to 90 percent injury rate. This was a program done in 1994 that was meant to reduce risk of injury.

If you use a desk, computer, or a car in your job you may be prone to muscular imbalances you don’t even know about. These muscle imbalances are a major contributor to strains, sprains, and tissue trauma within the body, the type of trauma that can be exacerbated by exercise.

So how do you stay safe enough to see results? Step one: GET TO THE CORE.

Training the core first is nearly always the best of approaches when starting an exercise program. This is due to the fact that training your core (i.e. the area from the bottom of your ribs to your tailbone) deals with training the structure of your body. It deals with posture, flexibility, optimal movement patterns. But you have to do the exercises right.

Your core is also one of the first places to get injured in today’s world. Training that core will help to guard you against being one of the 80% of Americans who will endure low back pain. Developing your core will help stave off your risk of injuring your trunk like 60% of the people who go on disability every year.

Better yet, when you train the core… you begin to feel better! Have you ever tried to stand up really straight? Don’t you feel more astute, erudite, sophisticated? As funny as it may seem, posture is important. Did you know that just sitting up straight in your chair can help raise your energy level?

Training the core is certainly not “cool.” It is, however, the opinion of this article that the core is the best place to start when it comes to helping you get back into shape so that you can enjoy all the benefits of being fit while accepting as little risk as possible in the process. And, you can even do it in a small amount of time.

There Is No Failure Except In Not Trying -- From Motivating Max

THERE IS NO FAILURE EXCEPT IN NOT TRYING.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You cannot be beaten at anythinguntil you quit in your own mind.
There is no defeat except from within.You have no real insurmountable
barrierexcept your own inherent weakness of purpose.

Consider yourself on a very long journey.
Sustain your personal vision of success.
In the end, you can only fail if you do not try.

Success is a road paved with perseverance.
The odds are with you if you keep on trying.

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is.
If you've got the never to try to make it, you will.
© Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com

Reproduce freely but maintain Copyright notice.Was Today's Daily Motivational Message Forwarded to you from a friend? Click here to have a fresh Daily Motivational Message delivered directly to YOUR inbox every day:
www.maxsteingart.com www.yourdailymotivation.com

Fitness Fact vs. Fitness Fiction Part II

Ok. So Last Week is over. And, since you are only as good as your last battle, your chance for redemption is at hand. Here is the second half of the fitness fact vs. fitness fiction quiz. Good luck!


Fact or Fiction:

1) Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will get rid of belly fat.

2) You need to sweat to burn calories; the more you sweat the more calories you burn.

3) An aerobic workout will boost your metabolism for hours after you stop working out.

4) As long as you feel OK when you're working out, you're probably not overdoing it.

5) Machines are a safe way to target and sculpt all areas of your body.

….







Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will get rid of belly fat.

FICTION

Ab machines sell. Period. Take a look at all of the infomercials out there right now capitalizing on your new year’s resolution to lose weight. “Perfect abs for three easy installments of $19.99”… why wouldn’t you want that?

The truth is that the best machine to use for your abs is the front door to any fitness facility. A good stomach comes with regular cardiovascular exercise, proper diet habits, and a gradual increase in muscle mass from weight bearing activities. This trio will lead to a decreased amount of overall body fat… over time.

You already have abs, they are just hiding under body fat. And yes, genetics do play a role.

You need to sweat to burn calories; the more you sweat the more calories you burn.

FICTION

Look, you can sweat so hard that you are re-defining the catch phrase “making it rain in the club” and still not be getting a great workout. Have you ever heard of the “executive workout?” You know; go to the gym, jump in the hot-tub, hit the sauna, and do some stairs on your way up to the sports bar. Sure, at the end of that hour you spend at the club you have certainly dropped some sweat, particularly in the sauna. But you have not necessarily burned that many calories.

Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself; if you are hot you will probably sweat. But sweating does NOT guarantee a great workout.

An aerobic workout will boost your metabolism for hours after you stop working out.

FACT

A good workout will burn calories while you are exercising. A great workout sends you back to where you came from still burning calories. Within the industry, this phenomenon is referred to as “Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption” or EPOC.

Typical aerobic workouts will not burn significant calories after the fact. However, power based workouts intermingled with high intensity cardiovascular exercise has been shown to significantly boost EPOC. Certain training philosophies are founded on this concept, but they are not for everyone.

As long as you feel OK when you're working out, you're probably not overdoing it.

FICTION

There are none so righteous as the newly converted. Sometimes, particularly at the outset of a new exercise program, it’s easy to get so excited about being back into the game that you overdo it. You feel great the entire time you’re exercising, perhaps only a slight degree of burning. Watch out, you’re more likely to feel the pain later rather than sooner.

The real pain does not usually set in until up to two days later. When you get out of bed in the morning and feel as if someone has surgically removed all of the muscles in your body, filled them with rock salt, and re-inserted them in your sleep.

This is referred to as Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is misleading because it can lead you to believe that working out is always painful and it shouldn’t be. DOMS is a serious deterrent to beginning, and sticking to an exercise program.

The great news is that at the start of a program you don’t need to push hard to see results. The outset of a program is the time to build habits, not muscle mass.

Machines are a safe way to target and sculpt all areas of your body.

FICTION

Isn’t it true that you can sell a machine more than a technique? Who was it that originally began telling people that it was the “machine” that gave you the results? It was probably the same person selling the machine.
The main “machine” being used in any workout is your own body. How you use your “machine”, and how long you use it at a given time, will be the measure of your safety and your results, nothing else.

Don’t buy into the marketing; if the machine is not set correctly for you then you may still be at risk of injury. Furthermore, if you are not aware of your own bodies’ intrinsic compensation patterns then you may be doing more harm than good and setting yourself up for injury down the road.

Unless you have a coach or a trainer to give you a list of beneficial machines and can show you how to set them up for yourself, you may still be at risk of injury.

Separate Fitness Fact From Fitness Fiction (Part I)

There is so much information out there about health and wellness that it can be hard to distinguish fitness fact from fitness fiction.

Some myths are just half-truths, exercises or techniques that work well for some people but not for others. Other information is just plain bad information passed down from gym member to gym member over the years. This type of myth can certainly derail your results. The wrong information can even lead to injury.

To see how good you are at separating fitness fact from fitness fiction, answer the following true false questions, and read on to find your results.

1) Running on a treadmill instead of pavement will reduce stress on your knees.
2) You need to lift weight to keep weight off your body.
3) Swimming or water aerobics is a great weight loss activity.
4) Exercising at low intensity in the “fat burn” zone is the way to lose body fat.
5) You can lose weight simply by cutting back on calories.


…………………..







Running on a treadmill instead of pavement will reduce stress on your knees.

FALSE



Anyway that you look at it, running is a full contact sport.

Many treadmills are built with a specific design to absorb shock. In this respect the companies that build and sell the treadmills are able to claim that the treadmills are safer than running on pavement. However, there are other ways to give yourself a cardio workout which resembles running, without actually stepping on a treadmill.

Reduce stress on your knees by varying your workouts. If cardio machines are your passion then try using an elliptical or stairmaster occasionally. Or, better yet, use circuit weight training to simulate a cardiovascular workout while toning and shaping your arms and upper body as well.

You need to lift weight to keep weight off your body.

FACT

Let’s talk about what typically happens. You start an exercise program… which consists of the long and varied routine of: treadmill… treadmill… elliptical… treadmill. WHOAH… you’re setting yourself up for failure; first of all booooring.

Consider what cardio does to your body. Cardio reduces muscle mass in the body. Did you know that muscle weighs three times as much as fat? Your initial weight loss from cardio may be more muscle than fat.

Muscle mass burns calories, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn. The more caloris you burn the more weight you lose.

This is where women get cheated. Because they have less muscle mass; women are more likely to keep on weight. Even with dainty eating habits, women can find it harder to keep the weight off than their self-indulgent gorging male counterparts.

Furthermore, as you do more cardio your pulmonary system and your cardiovascular system progress. Inevitably your body will adjust to the demands your imposing on it and your program (or lack thereof) will no longer yield new results.

The combination of less muscle and more necessary cardio can leave you in a rough situation. Not only are you burning fewer calories every day, but it’s going to take you more time on that boooring treadmill to keep the weight off.

So there you are plodding away at the treadmill, losing weight and feeling happy. Not knowing the whole time that you are dropping the one thing your body needs to burn the calories, your muscle mass. And you will think you’ve done the right thing, right up until three months later when you find you’re stuck on that all too familiar treadmill, and you just can’t seem to keep off the weight.

If you’re serious; this time, about losing weight. Then adding weight training is not an option, it’s a necessity. Building muscle will maintain your metabolism, a requirement if you are to end up “the biggest loser.”

The good news is that there are ways to lift weights which will stimulate a response in your body which can surpass that of traditional cardio AND simultaneously sculpt a nicer figure.


Swimming or water aerobics is a great weight loss activity.

FICTION

Since Michael Phelps has hit mainstream media we all believe that swimming is the way to achieve the “swimmers body.” But we often underestimate just how much time it takes for swimming results to occur. Olympic swimmers swim for hours on end for weeks at a time. They seldom take more than a one day rest and what you may call a workout they don’t even call a “warm-up.”

That said; water based workouts are low impact, low intensity ways to produce total body exercise. Seldom do you find a safer way to exercise or a better way to “jump in” to exercise again. Swimming itself is great for toning muscles, increasing lung capacity, and ridding the body of stress or tension.

However, since your body is mostly water, there’s just not that much resistance down there. You will get more fat burning results on land using your own energy without the help of your body’s buoyancy. Furthermore, swimming often leaves you ravenous, and can cause you to eat more after you workout.


Exercising at low intensity in the “fat burn” zone is the way to lose bodyfat.

FICTION

The way to lose body fat is to burn more calories than you consume. The “fat burn zone” concept says that at low intensity intervals you will be burning more calories from fat than if you were operating at a higher intensity. This may be true, but that doesn’t necessarily ensure that you will be burning that many calories at all.

According to the National Association of Sports Medicine your body burns 100% calories from fat when it is completely at rest. That means if you really want a fat burn workout you should hang out at home on the sofa watching T.V. or better yet, just go to sleep. Sounds like the All-American workout. But… with more than 35% of the American population tipping the scales at obese or beyond obese that strategy may not “carry that much weight.”

Low intensity exercise should be used at the outset of an exercise program to bring your cardiovascular system up to speed. Individual results may vary, but after 6 weeks of consistently sustained periods of low intensity exercise your heart and lungs should be ready for a more intense workout. Which will be required if you are to continue losing body fat.


You can lose weight simply by cutting back on calories.

FACT

Don’t ignore the law of thermodynamics; which is to say that if you input (or eat) less calories than you expend you will operate at a deficit (lose fat). If you input more calories than you use during the day you will operate at a surplus (store fat).

It follows then that by simply reducing your caloric intake you will lose weight.

But combining exercise with diet will help you lose weight more quickly. More importantly, it will help you keep the pounds off long term.

“The majority of participants in the National Weight Control Registry (a survey of thousands of people who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for years) report that a consistent exercise program is one of their key weight maintenance strategies.”
http://www.uchsc.edu/nutrition/WyattJortberg/nwcr.htm

It’s sort of like gaining wealth. You can increase your income to increase wealth, or simply reduce your spending. But the quickest way to wealth is to reduce spending, while increasing your ability to earn.

Sure you can secure your way to a comfortable retirement by living like you are a pauper all the time… but would you really want to? What kind of life would that be for you? The same applies to just eating less food or cutting back on calories. Denying yourself of personal liberties is not the only way to your goals. Also, don’t ignore the minimum amount of calories you must consume to live a balanced lifestyle. For more diet information go to: http://www.sparkpeople.com/.
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So… how did you do?

Are you upset, frustrated, re-affirmed, or bewildered? Look… what’s most important in any undertaking is a keen, pulsating desire to achieve. With enough will power you will reach your goals.

Have the courage to see through tough times and to view setbacks as only temporary.

The next quiz is next week… so brush up on your study skills by getting actively involved in your fitness education.