Health Link

Work Less, Do More

2010-04-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

"The greatest geniouses sometimes accomplish more when they work less. It is a very good plan now and then to go away and have a little relaxation... When you come back to the work your judgement will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose the power of judgement."

-Leonardo DaVinci, Treatise on Painting

The key to expanding capacity, in any endeavor, is to push beyond your ordinary limits and to regularly seek recovery. Recovery is when growth actually occurs.

The path to growth is simple: regular exposure to incrementally difficult doses of stress.

Challenging a muscle past it's limits prompts a series of reactions in the body which cause you to become stronger in anticipation of the next stimulous. Your ability to effectively respond to the next stimulous depends on your ability to periodically rest and repair your body. Low rest equals low performance.

Effective exercise requires rest at night, between exercise days, and even in between sets of heavy weightlifting.

Performance specialists recommend using rest breaks at work every 90 to 120 minutes to keep your mind alert.

Taking short walking breaks each 90 to 120 minutes during your day, and grabbing a glass of water to go during these breaks, can be an effective way to stay at the top of your mental and physical game.

This week: rest your mental muscle, use daily exercise to refuel and rejuvenate your brain, body, and mind!

Don't Mistake A Workout For Progress

2010-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

Don't mistake workouts for progress. There are 168 hours in a week. You are lucky if you spend 5 of them exercising. Exercise breaks down tissue... it's what happens during the other 163 hours that you achieve results.

Too often is exercise alone relied upon to achieve exceptional fitness results.

Be aware when you hear yourself say things like "I'm working so hard in training so...

... I can get away with this appetizer."
... I do not need to do my full 3 hours of cardio per week."
... This extra cake won't hurt."
... I deserve this wine/cocktail/beer."

... Why am I not getting results?"

Keep in mind that training breaks down muscle tissue, augments fibers, wears your body. Your job is to do everything you can while you are "resting" to repair your body.

Progress means repairing your body through...

...eating low on the glycemic index.
...eating 5-6 meals per day.
...eating a vegetable, dense carbohydrate, and lean protein with each meal.
...viewing food as fuel.
...never going more than 2 days without a workout (keep your body guessing).
...sleeping 7 hours per night, minimum.

Break down with exercise, but come back stronger through healthy habits.

No Starving, Just Good Carbing

2010-03-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

People fast, trim up, starve themselves and even exercise till they puke. Yet how many people actually stop to consider which foods will spike blood their sugar levels the fastest?

The glycemic index is a measure of the rate and the amount a given food will raise blood sugar levels. Food that breaks down faster (high glycemic) will result in a higher spike of your blood sugar, and food that breaks down slower (low glycemic) will provide a more gradual increase in blood sugar.

So why should you care about using the glycemic index as a measure of healthy eating?

Research shared by Werner J. Berger demonstrates that "eating a high glycemic breakfast results in an individual ingesting 80% more calories during the balance of the day, as compared to someone eating a low glycemic meal." Healthy stats for a guy named Berger!

Fast spikes and crashes in blood sugar devastate the bodies' sensitivity to insulin. Over time this can trigger an increase in blood pressure, LDL cholesterol (bad), and unfortunately, reductions in HDL (good) cholesterol.

"No starving, just good carbing" means switching to high fiber, low glycemic diets.

Many people are frustrated by cutting calories and then not seeing weight loss results right away. While the glycemic index may not be the answer, it may provide insight into your particular dilemma.

Foods to avoid:
All junk food, sodas, sports drinks and most highly processed foods.

Foods to limit:
Sweetened fruit juices, white flour, white rice, white potatoes and especially french fries.

Glycemic Index:
(Low 1 - 55; Medium 56 - 69, High 70 - 100)

Cereals:
Corn Chex - 83
Corn Flakes - 83
Cream of Wheat - 66
Oat Meal - 48

Snacks:
Jelly Beans - 80
Pretzels - 83
Popcorn - 56

Fruits:
Dates - 103
Banana - 56
Mango - 55
Grapefruit - 42

Vegetables:
Parsnips - 92
Carrots - 49
Tomato Soup - 38
Lima Beans - 32

For more information on the glycemic index... just GOOGLE IT already!

Nutritional Warning Signs

2010-01-19T21:31:00.001-08:00

The American Heart Association suggests that if obesity trends continue as they have over the last 20 years, then by 2048 every single American will be overweight.

Will you be one of these people? How about your kids... will they?

If you experience any of the following on a daily basis then you may be at risk of obesity:

*You are constantly fatigued
*You crave sweets, coffee
*You're often hungry, irritable, or shaky between meals
*You have frequent headaches
*You experience poor memory / concentration, but are relieved by eating

Again, if you habitually experience any of the above then your diet is imbalanced.

Visit www.sparkpeople.com to get control over your eating habits.

Exceptional Habits Initiate Exceptional Fitness Results

2010-01-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

It takes great discipline to develop the 5 habits mentioned in the last newsletter. Yet for every disciplined effort you get an exponential return.

If you commit to a new exercise program when do you start feeling stronger? Right away. You will feel stronger right away because finally you are doing something about it!

Some people set a fitness goal and just don't do anything about it.

Failing to do the easy stuff, that you know you should do, leads to feelings of guilt. Guilt erodes confidence.

Failing to attain fitness results is not the result of one single cataclysmic event. Failure is something that accumulates gradually, day by day, as you take casually what is asked of you.

Four servings of water today instead of eight. Two balanced meals today instead of five. No workout, and only twenty minutes of cardio. That's nine strikes against you for the week, and it's only Monday.

Confidence erupts from people who follow the 5 habits. The feeling of accomplishment you will get is almost as meaningful to your performance as the attainment of results.

Strangely, the 5 habits actually become desirable to you at the first sign of results. You will want to do what is asked of you by the 5 habits because those first tastes of results can taste so good.

The key to exceptional results is to do more than asked. Surpass the 5 habits day by day. Go beyond minimums.

A strength AND a cardio workout today. Six servings of fruits and vegetables today instead of five. Ten glasses of water when the minimum was eight. You are four points up and it's only Monday, outstanding.

This week: say less, and do more.

*Action: Record your water intake, cardiovascular work, and strength training sessions this week. As an excellent manager of people once said "don't make the minimum your maximum."

Inspired in part by audio excerpts of Jim Rohn.

5 fitness tips for a year of fitness results

2010-01-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

January 1 2010. The world makes another trip around the sun and you get a fresh chance to make this revolution the most effective to date.

Most folks will shrink into old complaints, repeating the roll over act of last year. Sad, but true. A select few, however, will use this year to regain control of their time and their life. Will that be you?

As you dictate your next 365 days, keep in mind these 5 fitness habits:

#1) Get a Schedule

Not a “routine,” routines are boring and besides they are fascist. Get a schedule, something you can look forward to.
The two most important elements of a schedule: when and where. Woody Allen said 80% of life is showing up. Find a way to make fitness something that you can just “show up” to. Group classes, personal training, and planned one on one time with a treadmill are all different ways to plan “showing up.”

* Schedule 3-5 hours of cardiovascular exercise and 2 hours of resistance exercise per week.

#2) Reign In Your Sleep

Just returning from vacation, how many folks sheepishly admit that the best part of vacation was the sleep? Answer – most people do. On vacation you went to bed early, you slept in, and you felt amazing. Highly effective people incorporate rest into their workout program.

* Average at least 7 hours per night of sleep.

#3) Drink, Drink, Drink

Water, of course, is the fundamental element of life. American’s live their life in a mild state of dehydration. Don’t short change yourself drink water. Your energy, stamina, and body composition are all affected by your water intake. Get a water bottle, get a water cooler, and get a lemon or 5 because you’re about to drink some serious water.

*Drink ½ your healthy body weight in ounces of water per day. Ex: 140 lbs = 70 ounces of water.

#4) Just Eat It

Learn what you need to eat. Consult a qualified nutritionist or check out a website like www.sparkpeople.com to learn how you can fuel your body. Post exercise – get a liquid meal replacement in you as soon as possible.
As a rule, if you cannot imagine what is on your plate growing in the wild then it doesn’t belong inside of you. Ever seen a twinkie tree? Enough Said.

*Consult a professional and take control of your nutrition.

#5) Move with a Purpose

Sports have seasons, animals migrate, weather changes. So too must your fitness program change if you are to experience lasting fitness results. As a rule, results happen in increments of 4-6 weeks. If your program’s not changing every 4-6 weeks, neither will your body.

* Know what you are doing, know why you are doing it, and be determined to act with intent.
...

Fitness results come only after you have taken control of your self and your time. This year marks another series of choices. To complain or to control, to roll over or to take accountability - the choice, as always, is yours.

10 Guidelines to Great Lifting

2009-11-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-23T13:06:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-09T12:33:00.001-08:00

“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

2009-11-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-26T15:07:00.001-07:00

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

…………….

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

The Essence of Beauty Is...

2009-10-19T14:26:00.001-07:00

“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

2009-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-14T20:23:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-07T19:09:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T19:24:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-02T10:03:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

*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

2009-07-20T09:12:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

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.

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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

2009-07-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T15:58:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-07T22:47:00.001-07:00

“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.
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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.
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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

2009-06-01T08:18:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-06T06:03:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-03-22T20:59:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-15T21:44:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-08T22:56:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

“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

2009-01-25T19:44:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-12T00:43:00.001-08:00

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)

2009-01-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

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/.
……….

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.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

2008-12-28T15:17:00.001-08:00

Holiday snacks laced with trans-fat and simple sugars should be out of the picture by now. But is it necessary to give up all forms of indulgence?

Giving up tasty treats may sound good on paper, but do you really want to live so stringently? Such rigidness is more likely to create a binge down the road than to get you to your goal. Better to anticipate dessert cravings, and prepare accordingly.

Bring some healthy dessert options home with you from the grocery store so that you can be satisfied and stay healthy!

A choice favorite: “the bodybuilders’ dessert,” otherwise known as mixed frozen berries.

Frozen berries are cold like ice cream, tasty like frozen yogurt, and full of anti-oxidants. Enjoy them unthawed after dinner as an alternative to ice cream.

The “bodybuilders’ dessert” can be purchased in the freezer section of your favorite grocery store. At Costco you can pick up four pounds (nearly 15 servings of fruit) for less than eight dollars!

For more flavorful dessert options less than 100 calories check out: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=6.

Give Beyond Yourself

2008-12-21T22:19:00.000-08:00

It’s better to give than to receive, no other season says it better than the holiday season.

It’s about being self-less.

After winning eight gold medals in Olympic Swimming Michael Phelps remarked “This was about something way bigger than any personal accomplishment… [it was] to elevate swimming’s place in the American sports landscape.

Phelps is a great swimmer, but his impact transcends his own self interest because he acts selfless.

Most fitness goals (particularly new-years resolutions) are established on selfishness.

Selfishness wants to build bigger muscles or a trimmer waistline, but also wants every other waning desire that comes about.

Selfish motives dissipate your energy and deter you from the road to your goals.

So; how can your personal health habits become a selfless gift to someone else?

Here are three hints:

*Childhood obesity portends more sickness and shorter lives for today's youth.

*98 percent of kids' meals in chain restaurants do not meet fundamental nutrition standards– they're way too high in salt, calories, or saturated fat! (How about at home?)

*Increased numbers of children have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes– all results of excessive weight.

This season, begin to give the gift of good health by encouraging sound nutrition for your kids, getting children involved different types of aerobic activities, and most importantly by making a resolution now to set a positive example for your children to follow.

In the coming new-year will your family be an excuse or a reason?

Test

2008-12-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is a test post to try the auto uplaoder.

That One Thing

2008-12-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

If there were just one exercise you could do for the rest of your life what would it be?

Would you like to ski, swim, play tennis or just bang weights forever? Well, one physical exercise that can greatly benefit your health and wellbeing at any age; but particularly as you mature, is stretching. Stretching is one of the best things you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In school students are taught the popular stretches like the hurdlers stretch or a seated groin stretch. However, these may not be the most useful stretches for you. When it comes to optimal performance you need to stretch specifically where your tightest muscles are. The best way to know which muscles need stretching in your body is to consult a professional who understands how to asses muscle imbalances, and who can help you create a program.

A tough fitness fact is that short bouts of activity (3-8 weeks) will seldom produce meaningful results. If you are going to see change then you must commit to the long term… period. This goes for stretching as well as lifting, running, swimming, or any other activity for that matter. Nothing worth having comes easy.

Stretching is actually very easy to do; the problem is that it’s also easy not to do. All you need are 5-8 key stretches that you do after each workout for 20-30 seconds each. If you’re above 65 years old you should hold your stretches for about 60 seconds.

Does eight minutes maximum per session sound like too much time? Ok… how much time do you spend talking during your workout? How hard would it be to turn talk time into stretch/talk time? Find or make a friend as you stretch… you can open up the conversation by talking about how great it is to do!

Reap the Rewards of Rolling

2008-12-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Foam Rolling, the newest prescription anti-depressant

Imagine that rolling your body across a little blue tube, i.e. a “foam roller”, can reduce anxiety. Preposterous; isn’t it. If anything the sheer embarrassment of sprawling across the gym floor twisted up like a pretzel on some strange blue tube should INCREASE your anxiety! Added to which the indignant expressions on your face when you hit your trigger point (which you know your on when if feels like someone is squeezing your leg with a pair of needle nose pliers)!!! But; according to a recent article produced by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, foam rolling regularly can “decrease feelings of anxiety and fatigue.”

Foam rolling is a relatively mainstream method of inducing what experts call “ischemic compression” on the body. Some doctors, chiropractors, and massage therapists have been using this type of compression for years to reduce pain in the body (although through other tools than a foam roller). This type of compression works to alleviate pain by diminishing the effects of trigger points (active or latent) within the body.

The “pain receptors” in your body (interstitial receptors and ruffini endings) that indicate a trigger point have recently been proven to do much more than just indicate pain. The receptors themselves have autonomic functions within the body that include changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

The following are examples of how foam rolling can greatly decrease the overall effects of stress (emotional or physical) on the human movement system:

Foam rolling reduces internal pressure on the muscle and increases blood flow. Blood flow brings about more oxygen and nutrients, removes waste bi-products, and facilitates tissue repair.
Foam rolling makes for a more uniform density throughout each muscle group thereby increasing the way your muscles work with each other in the body. This in turn translates into fewer faulty muscle contractions, making you more physically coordinated and less prone to injury.
Foam rolling builds humility and character by making you flop around the floor like a fool.

AND

Foam rolling can actually lead to better oxygen content in the blood and better respiration which can decrease feelings of anxiety and fatigue.

Foam rolling really does give credence to the saying that “sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven!” Once you make rolling a habit, though, it’s really not that bad. Considering all the good that rolling can bring should encourage you to add rolling to your stretching routine. Find one trigger point in each muscle you stretch before you stretch that muscle, and reap the rewards of rolling!

The case for isloating movements

2008-11-09T20:54:00.001-08:00

Why should you care about “optimal movement?”

Many people are both secretly and openly frustrated with the inability to see change in their bodies. Part of the reason that even the most devoted “gym rat” can plateau is that they are relying on the same old movement patters used since birth. Faulty muscle recruitment patterns can “skip” the muscles they really want to develop and instead; by using the path of least resistance, develop other muscles which may not be as important.

Performing challenging new exercises with good form is like skiing. When done by an expert, both new exercises and skiing can seem graceful and harmonious. When done by a beginner both are awkward and slow.

Learning to ski is one of the most humiliating activities an adult can take part in. After all, an adult has been walking for a long time. She knows where her feet are, how to move one foot in front of the other to get somewhere. But her old movement won’t do anymore, as soon as she straps skis on her feet it’s like learning to walk all over again. She stumbles to the chair lift, slipping and falling before even getting onto the mountain. She may get her skis crossed, slip and fall again and again before lumbering back to her feet and flopping right back down face first into the powder.

Even the best instructor seems at first to be of no help. The ease with which the instructor performs the actions she says are simple (but that the student secretly believes are impossible) is almost insulting. How can you remember everything the instructor says to remember? Bend your knees. Look downhill. Keep your weight on the downhill ski. Keep your back straight but nevertheless lean forward. The commentary seems endless – how can you think about all that and still ski!?!?

The point about skiing; of course, is that to be a great skier you cannot focus on each individual movement of every part of your body. The acts should blend naturally and gracefully as you simply make your way down the hill – avoiding other skiers and following a smooth line. You must learn to forget the separate acts in order to perform all of them, or any of them in unison! But in order to perform the separate acts in unison you must first learn them individually! Only when you take command of each individual movement are you ready to put them all together. This is exactly the case with mastering new exercise techniques. You need to isolate muscles first, give them time to develop and then begin to move your whole body in a more efficient and functionally sound manner.

When you are done with your lessons; and have become a proficient skier, the skill of skiing will have been attained. Your new skill; however, will be of little use unless you are in your ski boots. But you are always in your body! With the right exercise program you can become not only a better skier; but a better golfer, soccer player, or any other sport for that matter! You will have attained a balanced body and knowledge of how to use it. By so doing you will be less prone to injury, and seem to have more energy because you have become more efficient with every move of your body.

No Weights, No Time, No Problem

2008-11-02T19:05:00.001-08:00

Can you meet your goals with no machines? Undoubtedly yes. You have the two most important machines with you at all times; your body and your mind. Whether you are on the road, at home, or on a county park walking trail you have all you need to get results.

When all you have to work with is a floor, a wall, and maybe 20 minutes to spare you are going to have to throw out all the bells and whistles. Forget about running a perfectly executed program, go back to basics.

Equipment free workouts:

Beginner:
Step Ups and pushups
1 minute left leg step (max reps)
1 minute right leg step (max reps)
1 minute wall Pushups (max reps)
1 minute rest
*Repeat 1 to 3 times; then follow some of the core exercises that are attached.

Experienced:
300 squats
200 situps
100 pushups

*Sound too tough? Set aside 20 minutes and try to get as many rounds of 30 squats, 20 situps, and 10 pushups as you can. After just 10 rounds your done, and you’ve burned some serious calories.

Bored with squats? Follow the following guidelines for activating your quads on a lunge.

Lunge Tips:
1) Find a wall.
2) Put your left big toe right against the wall and kneel down on your right knee.
3) Put your left knee against the wall, make and keep contact.
4) Check both legs to make sure that there is about a 90 degree angle.
5) Use your left leg only to press your body up and over your left foot. (repeat)

For more information on exercises you can do at home or on the road check out the attachment.

It’s hard to be motivated outside of the gym. So if you don’t feel like exercising then just tell yourself “I’ll start with a warm up… and if I’m warmed up and I still don’t feel like exercising then I don’t have to.”

Fitnss Hibernation

2008-10-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

Winter is approaching, but that doesn’t mean that your desire to live a healthy lifestyle needs to go into hibernation.

If you’re looking to gain weight this winter, stop reading right now. Otherwise; it’s time to get prepared, because you're about to be tempted.

Your first challenge will come with the trick or treat temptations. Next; a holiday that revolves around eating. Then winter hits and, statistically speaking, clothing layers pile on while visits to the gym dwindle. By the time that the Christmas party season is in full swing you’ve been bombarded with more reasons than any other time of year to avoid your health. “Just put it off” you hear, “New Years is around the corner and your resolutions can start then.” The problem is that with this mindset, you could spend until tax day struggling to get back to where you are right now.

Have fun and enjoy the season. Take advantage of all the extra fun and networking opportunities that this time of year can bring. Just don’t forget that success is a choice you make. A choice you make continuously throughout each and every day.

Remember that your choices:
-In a day will shape how you feel.
-In a week will shape how committed you are to your goal.
-In a month will shape how close you get to that goal (or blow right past it!!!).
-In a year will shape your business associations, your personal convictions, and your relationship with your family.
-In a lifetime will shape the legacy you leave behind you… your longevity, your risk factor of stroke, osteoporosis, heart attack, and cancer; and of course your impact on future generations.

Oh, and by the way… let your New Year’s resolutions fantasies go, everyone knows that they're more likely to fail than to succeed. If you are to resolve to anything then resolve now to start the New Year in better shape than last year.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

2008-10-19T19:33:00.001-07:00

Do what you’ve always done and get what you’ve always got.

If you’re not trying anything new within your fitness program, don’t expect any positive changes.

Your body’s goal is to develop so well that it can stop changing itself to meet the demands you place on it. Your goal is to keep placing new stresses on your body so that it continues to change favorably towards your fitness goal.

To understand your body’s ability to adapt towards reaching your goals you need to understand how your body reacts to stress (general adaptation syndrome).

Three bodily responses to internal (muscular) tension/stress:

Alarm reaction (a necessary stimulus to change)
-Demands are imposed on your body which it is inefficient at dealing with. (This is when you “push” yourself and experience extreme soreness)

Resistance Development (GOOD)
-Your body is “alarmed”, given proper rest and nutrition, and as a result increases its functional ability to deal with the imposed stressors.

Plateau (BAD)
-Your body’s resistance level rises to meet the needs of your program. Your body has achieved its goal. Whether or not you have reached yours, this is where your body stops moving forward.

Exhaustion (UGLY)
-Prolonged time in a given program or intolerable stresses upon the body create stress overload. Stress overload can result in strains, joint pain, fractures, and emotional fatigue.

It will be necessary not only to vary your fitness program periodically (3-6 weeks) but also to choose certain workout sessions to push yourself beyond your limits. The goal of the fitness enthusiast; and the chief aim of the fitness professional, is to facilitate superior results by building resistance development through challenging demands without reaching traumatic exhaustion.

In short; keep changing it up, know when to push and when to pull back, and don’t be afraid to try something new. A good car needs a gas pedal and a brake. Knowing when to use both will get you where you need to go safely and reliably.

Your Fitness Stimulous Package

2008-10-19T19:26:00.002-07:00

Your Fitness Stimulus Package
Have you ever noticed that some people just seem more alive than others? People who exercise their brains and their bodies are more alert, attentive, and eager to serve. These are the “high energy” folks whose personal magnetism makes them leaders in their respective businesses and helps their ideas to be received in a more positive manner.
The man who places his work above his health cuts the roots out from under himself. He sacrifices the best years of his life and thousands of dollars in health expenses. He robs himself of an active, energetic and effective lifestyle. He robs his employer and his family as well.
Your fitness, or lack of fitness, could be a critical ingredient in your personal success, or lack of success.

An Incomplete List of the Costs of Poor Health:

* Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts found that with every 1 percent increase in body mass index, an individual's annual health care costs goes up $120. Source: Boston Globe, March 22, 2006
* "Of the $5000 per employee the average employer spent on health care in 2001, more than 95% was spent on diagnosis and treatment, with maybe 2-3% being invested in early detection (screenings) and no more than 1-2% in prevention (prevention - like your trainer talks about). This reactive approach persists despite evidence that up to 50% of health care expenditures are life-style related and therefore potentially preventable." Source: David Anderson, PhD reporting in Wellness Councils of America's Absolute Advantage 2003
* Each smoker costs an employer an additional $3,856 a year in health-care costs and lost productivity. Source: Billings Gazette December 10, 2005
* Nationwide smoking attributable productivity losses from 1997-2001 cost $92 billion. Source: Centers for Disease Control, June 2005
* The National Safety Council stated that in 1996, backaches alone cost industry more than $1.2 billion in production and services and $275 million in worker's compensation. Source: The American Council on Exercise, ACE Fitness Matters, January/February 2006
Don’t let excuses come in the way of your health. Not during these tough economic times. It’s not the case that you cannot afford to spend the time on fitness. In fact; the statistics show that when it comes to maintaining good health, you can’t afford not to invest the time.
Let the change start with you. Start with something as small as a renewed commitment to your own fitness and the health of your family. It’s good for your body, your mind, your work, and your country.

Sound Fitness and Nutrition Can Decrease:
Sound Fitness and Nutrition Can Increase:

*Daily fatigue
*Depression
*Coronary artery desease
*Hypertension
*Noninsulin dependant diabetes millitus
*Cancer
*osteoperosis
*obesity

*Work, recreational and sports performance
*Insulin sensitivity
*Glucose (blood sugar) tolerance
*Immunity to desease (sick days)
*Sense of well being

Your FITTE Factor

2008-10-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

Your FITTE Factor… five things to keep in mind regarding your cardio routine:

Follow “to get fit” if you are on your way to building exercise habits and follow “to blast off” if you have been at it for a while and are in good to excellent shape!

Frequency

-To get fit: you need to get moving every day. Good news is that it can be done in small periods of time. A walk around the block, using the stairs or walking the dog can count.

-To blast off: Exercise on a prescribed routine 3-5 days per week. Be committed.

Intensity

-To get fit: stick to moderate intensities, don’t overdo it… just build habits.

-To blast off: if you’re already in good shape then its ok to turn up the volume; just don’t blow out the speakers! You should vary your intensity level from high to low so as to always keep your body guessing and adapting accordingly.

Time

-To get fit: 30 minutes per day, five days a week. The key is to break it up into small manageable pieces. (Six – five minute bouts, three – ten minute bouts, or two – fifteen minute bouts recommended)

-To blast off: 20-60 minutes per session. Think you need more time? Instead of dragging your routine out; try doing more with less. Increase what you do and decrease the amount of time it takes to do it.

Type

-To get fit: Everything counts; park far away in a parking lot, take the stairs, mow the lawn with a push mower, rakes the leaves by hand, Garden, go dancing and have fun!

-To blast off: Use the stairmaster, treadmill, try weight training circuits, take advantage of aerobic classes, and push yourself strategically.

Enjoyment
You have got to LOVE it. Your program must be enjoyable. If you love to hike, make the time. If you love to sail, do it! What do you enjoy that is active? How can you take advantage of opportunities to make what you DO enjoy more of an activity? What new activity can you learn to have fun, be active and become more fit in the process?

Get BACK Into the Game

2008-10-19T19:25:00.002-07:00

Have you ever said 'My back hurts... I must be getting old?' Read on and face the facts.

When it comes to your back, it’s use it or lose it. In 1997, a study was conducted that identified low back pain occurrence in lower and middle income countries around the world. The study was originally intended to prove that people underdeveloped countries would experience more occurrences of lower back pain (due to an increased amount of physical labor). The study showed just the opposite! According to this study, low back pain was much more predominant in people who worked in sedentary positions in enclosed areas such as cars or offices. Contrary to popular belief; it was those who did NOT put back into their work who were most at risk of back injury.

Low back pain affects more than 80% of adults in the United States. You are most at risk if you work in an office or in a seated position. Research has shown that people who spend more than half of their day sitting in a car have a 300 percent increased chance of disc herniation. Studies suggest that degenerative conditions are related to lack of use, and are not necessarily the result of advanced age.

It is the opinion of this newsletter that regular exercise and flexibility will extremely reduce your risk of low back pain. If you have been exposed to an injury, consult your physician. If you are in the “pre-injury” stage (remember that 80% of adults will get injured) then the following lists and attachments can be just what you need.

First Step to Prevention:
*Flexibility and Self Myo-fascial Release (foam Rolling) of the lower extremities.
*Stretch and roll your IT band, Glutes, Quads, Calves, and Hamstrings.
*Download Flexibility Menu

Second Step to Prevention:
*Strengthen the muscles in your back by staying active. (playing sports, walking around the block at lunch, walking your dog, golf, tennis, swimming, or anything that moves your body)
*Get on a regular, scheduled strength training routine.
*Download the core exercises associated with this email.

Third Step to Prevention:
* Be pro-active about identifying a game plan regarding your back and your health. Consult a professional to asses your unique body structure so as to come up with a plan that best fits your situation.

A Heart Act To Follow

2008-10-19T19:25:00.001-07:00

Would you get investment advice from your dentist, or listen to your mechanic tell you how to save money on your taxes? No. So why would you listen to your personal trainer tell you how to manage your office time? When it comes to managing a corporate lifestyle you should listen to the folks who have been in the trenches.
For example; the following message comes from a woman who has found tremendous success in the corporate world, she’s established a demanding social calendar, and along the way has managed to raise teenagers.
Two and a half months ago she decided to begin a regular exercise routine. After following a 3-4 day per week routine, her heart rate recovery time went from a non-recovery at 80% to a full recovery from 90% in less than two minutes. Un-be-lievable. The strength of her heart increased dramatically.
Read on to learn how she managed to get her heart on track while maintaining her other responsibilities as a professional and a mother.
How to Manage Stress
Edited by Jonathan Azevedo
Have you ever found yourself so stressed out that you are ready to yell at your boss or throw a stapler at the person in the cubicle in front of you?
Stress is inevitable, particularly at this stage in our economic times when employees are asked to "do more with less" while frequently being reminded of possible "rears”, layoffs, and relocations. You can’t change the stress, so you need to change what you do with yourself.
One of the most obvious ways to manage stress is to have a fitness program in place. Every expert in the field of fitness has emphasized and proven this fact over and over again. The difficult challenge arises when it comes to implementation. When you are "doing more with less" and you find yourself working long hours both in the office and at home while juggling carpools, dinner preparation, and laundry – execution of a fitness program seems daunting.

The key is to prioritize and to implement these 6 steps.

1. Schedule wellness time for you. Block off one and ½ hour on your Outlook calendar 2 or 3X every week "Mark it as outside appt."
2. Mix it up. Leave room for spontaneity, if something or someone "pushes your buttons" and you’re not in a meeting... leave. Just take a deep breath, grab your car keys and leave the building –go take a walk outside and give yourself 15 to 30 minutes and focus on calmness, not madness.
3. Be prepared. Always have your fitness bag packed in the car- for the emergencies (like #2 ABOVE). It may seem like just one more piece of baggage, but it's worth it in the long run.
4. Find your rhythm. Load songs on your IPOD that you personally relate to that make you feel good or force your mind to look at your stressful situation differently. One of my personal favorites is from CAKE, entitled "Pressure Relief." Find yours.
5. Drink it up. Always have a tall cold glass of ice water with you when you are in a meeting or at your desk. At that moment in the meeting when you cannot wait to say something very obnoxious, pick up your glass of water and take a long drink. Drinking ice water no only can save you from an embarrassing comment, it actually burns calories!
6. Keep it in perspective. Do not take yourself or your life too seriously, remember to laugh and exchange jokes with your friends at the office. Laughter is the best medicine.
Often your workload is more than you can accomplish. It may be tempting to get your office work done during the time your have blocked off for "outside appt”. However; one point is certain: when you return to your task after having worked out, your mind will be fresh and so will your attitude. The decision to exercise ultimately leads to a higher level of productivity.
If you think you "don't have time"... you really do. It is just a matter of choice and prioritization.
Make yourself and your health your first priority (after the safety of your family and friends of course) and this will give you more strength to manage the stress and the additional work that is being asked of you.

How to Break a Plateau

2008-10-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Have you hit a “plateau?” Solution: change up your program.

Changes in the body are preceded by changes in your routine. This means changing what you do, how long you do it for, and how hard you try when you are doing it.

If you have been exercising consistently for more than 4 months then you need to incorporate easy days (stage I), moderate days (stage II), and high intensity workout days (stage III) weekly in order to keep changing.

The following is an incomplete list of different classes you can try right here at club sport to change your program.

Stage I classes:
Aqua Aerobics
Yoga

Stage II classes:
Group Power
Sports Conditioning
Spin
Zumba

Stage III classes:
Boot camp
Group Kick

Remember that how hard you push yourself can make a Stage I class a stage III and a stage III class a stage I. Just like anything, pushing yourself can be tough… particularly when it seems like everyone and everything are pushing you from all directions. Remember that exercise is about you. Stage III intensity is a chance for you to take control of yourself. When you do it will mean a greater sense of accomplishment and more fitness results in the long run!

6 Points of Preparation #5) Raise the Bar

2008-10-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Raising the bar does not mean do more curls! To raise the bar means having a mindset of continuously enhanced performance.

You have heard that most employees work just enough not to get fired while being paid just enough to keep from quitting.

Are you caught in the trap of putting in “just enough” to get through a workout?

The flaw behind a "just good enough" mindset is that if you don’t begin to push your limits you will never grow.

How you lift is how you live. Are you intense, focused, goal oriented, smart, complacent, laid back, casual, or lazy? What type of legacy will you leave behind you?

Fitness and employment are about performance. To raise the bar is to set a higher standard of performance and rise to the challenge.

True satisfaction cannot be given, it must be earned. Nothing worth having comes easy. So the next time you walk through those sliding glass doors keep in mind how you would want to be remembered, and act as if.

6 Points of Preparation #4 Learn to "see"

2008-10-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine yourself performing at your best? How vividly can you see yourself at your pinnacle of fitness; after all of your goals have been reached? Here’s a hint; the more clearly you can see yourself attaining your goals, the more likely you will be able to achieve them.

We are talking about the minds ability to manifest thought into reality, otherwise known as “visualization.” Olympic athletes have gone on record discussing the power of visualization as it relates to athletic performance. In fact many successful athletes spend time visualizing themselves playing at their best.

Athletes are not the only people who have “learned to see.” Top performers in business, great public orators, top salesmen, and highly successful people from all walks of life have been known to use visualization to prepare them to perform at their best.

The power of the mind is not to be underestimated. To get prepared to train physically, you must learn to be prepared mentally. See yourself at the top of your game, maintain this vision in your mind, you will become what you think about.

6 Points of Preparation #3) Get With the Program

2008-08-17T20:06:00.001-07:00

The goal is to take control of your body and make it change the way you want it to.
In fitness, we do this with a “program.” Programs are great when written well and executed properly.

The major problem is that many of us are lost when it comes to developing and implementing our own program.

Take computer programs for example. A computer program generally has functions that when used correctly create a specific desired result… most of the time. Ever had your keyboard lock and had no idea how to get it undone? Ever lost a project halfway through without saving because you hit some button? Or your internet suddenly got so slow that it made the Comcast turtles look like Michael Phelps?

Who got you out of that mess? Someone with specialized knowledge got you out of that mess. It was you, your technical support associate, or a 12 year old who solved the problem (maybe in three keystrokes or less).

See; that program was running fine until you did something that messed it up! It took someone with specialized knowledge who was able to look at it from an outside perspective, make a few tweaks, and get you going again.

In fitness it’s kind of like that… just not as obvious. Your program could be malfunctioning for years and you could go on, business as usual, with no idea how well you could be doing.

Keep in mind that your body doesn’t want to adapt (change) unless it has to. So the challenge is to keep changing the program so that you never hit a plateau and your body keeps changing favorably.

There is no one solution or “miracle” program. Each individual program will be different according to the specific needs of each individual and their desired goal.

An incomplete list of common denominators of a successful program:

Intensity:
*Move with a purpose; your mind should be focused on the muscles used during the exercise at hand.
*Make each rep count; don’t get “through” a workout; get “from” a workout.
*Socialize after your workout; the gym is a great place to meet wonderful people… after your done working out (or at least with the bulk of your workout).

Consistency:
*Four to six days a week you need to be moving your body in any general way (hiking, playing a sport, running the dog).
*Three to six days a week you need to be following your specific program.
*Think quarterly; not weekly. You should show some changes if you are consistent for three months straight.

Basic Nutrition Guidelines (from the National Academy of Sports Medicine):

For Fat Loss:
*Eat balanced meals (each having appropriate protein, carbohydrate, and fat content) throughout the day.
*Choose whole grains and fresh vegetables over refined grains and simple sugars.
*Schedule no fewer than four to as many as six meals a day. This will control hunger, minimize blood sugar variance and increase energy levels throughout the day.
*Avoid empty calories and highly processed foods.
*Drink water (up to 12 cups per day)
*Understand serving sizes. If you’re lost then measure servings with a measuring cup or scale for a week until you can “eyeball” serving sizes. Please don’t get too crazy with this one, understand what a serving looks like and move on with your life.

For Lean Body Mass Gain:
*Eat four to six meals a day. The more often you eat balanced meals the more you will repair your body tissues.
*Spread protein throughout the day to aid in muscle repair.
*Do not underestimate the importance of post workout nutrition; the first 90 minutes after exercise is the best chance you have to re-fuel your body. You need a liquid meal replacement here so that your body can ingest nutrients quickly; a meal will be digested too slowly and you will miss your window.
*Do not neglect the importance of carbohydrates and fats. It’s going to take more than just more protein to increase muscle mass… regardless of what the ads in Muscle and Fiction will tell you.

6 Points of Preparation #2) Create the Time

2008-08-11T07:27:00.001-07:00

We find the time for the things that we truly want to do in life.

If we really wanted to play in a softball league, fantasy football draft or a weekly poker tournament we’re probably too busy to do it… but we do it anyway.

Take a look at the demographic of Club Sport. At our gym we have busy mothers, fathers, professionals, business owners, politicians, commuters, even professional athletes all working for their own fitness each and every day. Are any of these people busier than you?

The fact of the matter is that everyone has obligations outside of their own fitness. Our time is “under siege” from all angles! It is easy to make excuses as to why you cannot make it into the gym (a process known as excuse-ercising). But if you have clearly defined your “why” then creating the time is not going to be an issue because you know exactly what you want for yourself.

Have you heard the investment philosophy of “pay yourself first?” Exercise is an investment that pays huge dividends for those who invest regularly. Isn’t taking control of your schedule and prioritizing your own fitness a way of paying yourself first as well?

The people who get the most results exercise more than 20 times per month, roughly 4.5 times per week. This type of commitment is proof that nothing worth having comes easy. Don’t expect results to come instantly. Expect results to be in direct proportion to the strength of your “why.”

Since you know exactly “why,” NOW it’s time to make the commitment, schedule the time, and walk whichever path you’ve decided is best for yourself.

6 Points of Preparation #1) Defining Your "WHY?"

2008-08-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Many people consult fitness professionals to discover “how’s”.

How do I get better abs? How can I lose weight? How should I do this exercise?

The answers to “how” questions will only get you so far, though. Ask five people how to get bigger biceps… you’re likely to get five different answers. It is also very unlikely that one “how” answer will satisfy your curiosity. Once you know the answer to one “how,” you may have seven more questions to follow with until you have so many questions and answers that you forget why you asked in the first place!

Start with uncovering for yourself “why” it is you are asking “how” to be more fit.

Why do you want to know more about fitness? Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you think you need better abs? Why is it that you seek to improve yourself through exercise? What is it exactly that you wish to gain from your personal fitness experience?

It’s been said that you can overcome any “how” if you only know why.

Your “why” can serve to guide you when the conditions are rocky and the forecast is rough. Your “why” will keep you consistent when “how” gets monotonous and dreary. Your own personal “why” statement will be the beacon with which you chart your course, set your goals, and navigate faithfully forward.

Focus on “why” and you will discover “how.”

Drink Like a Champion!

2008-08-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Why does the average American spend their life in a mild state of dehydration?

Too busy to drink water? Not enough time? Slipped your mind? Just not thirsty?

Let’s talk about what happens when you miss on your water consumption.

When you don’t get enough water your body goes into a state of dehydration. In even a slightly dehydrated state the body clings to as much water as it can. You’ll soon become “sponge-like”, putting on water weight and losing muscle tone in the process.

As you become more and more dehydrated it takes more and more difficult for your body’s vital processes to function. This means more energy spent trying to manage involuntary body functions (breathing, your digestion etc.) and less energy left over for voluntary body functions (i.e. “banging weights”).

So not only are you thirsty; you’re tired. And you’ve just reduced your training effectiveness or worse: decided to skip your workout completely.

Furthermore; the human body’s metabolism can drop up to 5% if not supplied with the water it needs. So your missing workouts, feeling bloated, and now you’re not even burning as many calories as you could be. Where’s a faucet when you need one?

A good rule of thumb is 8 16oz. glasses of water per day. But the reality is that we all need different amounts of water. Here are some things you can try to make water easier for you:

Buy a water bottle.
Drink two cups of water for every one cup of coffee.
Drink extra water at night.
Put ice in your water to raise your metabolism.
Get a water filter for your sink.
Drink one cup of water before, during, and after your workout.
Drink water instead of soda.

Do whatever works for you to get “water conscious”.

On Heart

2008-07-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Def: Heart (ha-art) n.

1. That inextricable quality inherent in all leaders, visionaries, and forward thinkers
2. Substance; extracted by all athletes, of every shape and size. Overcomes obstacles
3. State of mind, quality, necessary ingredient of champions

You don’t need to bring any special equipment, new and improved diet formula, or some magical potion to the gym to get results. You only need to bring a good pair of shoes, some comfortable gym clothes, and heart.
In sports, if an athlete is great they say he’s got talent. If an athlete used to have talent they say he’s a “has been”. If an athlete gives everything he has, when all others have quit, he’s got heart. Heart transcends talent. Heart keeps pushing when talent lags. Heart is there when talent wanes, still driving, after the lights are burned out of the stadium and all of the fans have gone home. Heart lasts when talent hangs up his shiny helmet and is forced to retire. Heart is always with you; for life. Not everyone has talent, not everyone has heart. Some people will never have talent, anyone can have heart.

You can have anything you want, but you’ll get nothing of value until you give your heart.

The Foundation of Results

2008-07-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Consistency is the foundation of results.

Winning athletes in any sport, top producers in any company, and great parents all have something in common. They are all consistent.

Think about it. Could you raise a child one hour per week? Can a top salesperson in your company have one great month and then rest on their laurels? Does your favorite baseball player just show up, knock it out of the park and go home? Not even close.

You are what you consistently allow yourself to be.

The bottom line is that regardless of any circumstances; consistency gets results.

How consistent is your fitness? How consistently do you allow yourself to become the person whom you envision yourself to be?

Sometimes it is more about quantity than quality. Don’t think that you can make up for lack of hours training by having one or two great workouts per week… it doesn’t matter how good your workouts are you just will not get results unless you make the time to train 4-6 days per week.

Let’s go back to the Major League Baseball Player; not only does he play more games than any other major league sport, but he will also strike out more than he gets on base. In fact if he hits only 3 times out of ten at bats… meaning he missed on 7…he could make it to the hall of fame!

There’s no difference with your fitness. Not every workout needs to be a “home run”. Just getting in uniform is all it takes sometimes.

In order to see results you need to plan and schedule time for training, just like you would plan time for work or your family.

Take control, be consistent not perfect.

------------------

How strongly do I believe that consistency breeds results? Strong enough to give results out for free.
In fact; if you are training or can plan to train with me two or more hours per week then I will be glad to offer you an additional session per week FOR FREE during my flex time… one additional free session during my flex hours.

This offer is good through July 15th and is dependant upon scheduling availability.

If you are ready to prioritize your schedule around your fitness then we can make it happen!
Regardless of your current training status; respond to this email with the word FLEX in your title and I will be glad to work some times in with you!

Until Next Time,
Jonathan Azevedo

Nutrition for Max Results

2008-07-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

Allow me to summarize this article for those of us with busy schedules:

1) Eat wholesome, fiber rich carbohydrates to get more results.
2) You only need as much protein as your body can process in the moment.
3) For a list of foods I support download “Grocery List.”
4) To be educated; read on!

Most Nutritionists out there will tell you that about 60-70% of your diet should consist of carbohydrates. The fact of the matter is that all of us need carbohydrates, especially when we are training hard.

Carbohydrates are the gasoline of our muscles, except that you won’t need to refinance to fill up on them! Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as fuel, protein is not. In fact any excess protein that your body does not need at the moment is just passed through your system.

In a landmark study; weight lifters who ate a high fat or high protein diet after exercising to exhaustion remained glycogen depleted for 5 days after their session (they had no energy). Compare these results to the people who reached for a high carbohydrate meal and replenished their bodies in 24 hrs. (1)

“Carbohydrates are important not only for endurance athletes but also those who train hard day after day and want to maintain high energy. If you eat a low carbohydrate diet, your muscles will feel chronically fatigued. You’ll train, but not at your best.” (2)

But there are diet fad’s that have come and gone which boasted a “no carb” approach. Some people were very successful in the short term with these programs. So what gives?

My personal opinion is that when many of us think of carbohydrates we think of the “junk foods”. In other words, we eat refined carbohydrates and sugars (i.e. white breads, soda, anything containing “high fructose corn syrup”) when we should be searching for darker, more dense, high fiber options (i.e. fruits, vegetables, any bread with a big red heart on the label from the American Heart Association).

Refined grain products and simple sugars are converted into fat very quickly. So by ridding our bodies of that sugar we can drop weight, for a while (and in my opinion very un-naturally and unsafely).

Don’t buy into the hype; a business can profit from marketing protein powders and diet fads much easier than by selling fruits, vegetables, and a well rounded diet… take it from an Agriculture Business graduate.

1- Bergstrom J., L. Hermansen, E. Hultman, et al. 1967. Diet, muscle glycogen, and Physical Performance. Acta Physiol Scand 71: 140-150.
2- Clark C. 1990. Sports Nutrition Guidebook 2nd Edition. 115.

One Percent at a Time

2008-07-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Visions are either growing or dying. One great way to commit “vision suicide” is to try to be everything, do everything, or attain everything all at once.

Instead of trying to swallow your fitness goals whole, take steps to achieve them over time by improving by just one percent per week.

Sound like too little? A little bit over time can make a big difference in the long road.

Here’s the secret: consistency. At first one percent may seem small… but over time, with consistent improvement one percent can be the difference which keeps you on track and moving steadily towards your goals.

Look at it this way; a one percent increase compounded weekly will accumulate to well over 50% in the course of a year. Wouldn’t it be nice to be 50% stronger, faster, or leaner?

Take the one percent challenge. Go 1% slower on all of your exercises and feel the burn a bit more. Eat 1% healthier by reaching for the apple over the candy bar just 1% more often. Be 1% more consistent, timely and focused during your training. Improve by 1% each week and reap the rewards tomorrow.

Keep the consistency… keep the vision alive.

Shape Your Habits

2008-07-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

Health is not about “fad”, health is about habits.

Your habits:
-In a day will shape how you feel.
-In a week will shape how committed you are to your goal.
-In a month will shape how close you get to that goal (or blow right past it!!!).
-In a year will shape your business associations, your personal convictions, and your relationship with your family.
-In a lifetime will shape the legacy you leave behind you… your longevity, your risk factor of stroke, osteoporosis, heart attack, and cancer; and of course your impact on future generations.

What habits can you improve throughout the day?

Let’s start small. How about walking to lunch, taking the stairs, playing with your kids/pets outside, parking far away in each parking lot, or turning your TV off and putting your hiking shoes on!

The following information from the Center for Science in the Public Interest says it all:
“Modern conveniences like remote controls, elevators, car washes, washing machines, leaf blowers, and drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants all mean less physical activity. The Dallas Morning News tallied up the number of calories a person could burn if he replaced several “convenient” activities, such as driving through a “drive-through” window, with their more active counterparts, such as walking into the store. Together, they added up to 8,800 calories worth of missed physical activity opportunities each month, or the amount of activity needed to burn off 2.5 pounds of fat.”
http://www.cspinet.org/takeaction/

So, what kind of shape are your habits in?

Think about it… now shut off your computer and go outside!

The abdominal Machine Won't Move Itself

2008-07-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

Results do not come from a machine – results come from the activation of the correct muscles and the processes which occur in the body as you approach fatigue.
Abdominal machines are notorious for being mis-used. You spend all day on an abdominal crunch machine but at the end of the day if you aren’t engaging your muscles correctly you still won’t see any changes!
It doesn’t necessarily take a machine to get good abs, but it does take focused effort, determination, and know-how to use your abs correctly. Achievement is more than just going through the motions.
(Hint: we all have abs already, they are just hiding. A few more “table pushaways” could be the best “ab” exercise you do!!!)

Vision and Persistence

2008-07-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Where do you want to take your personal fitness?

Before you get anywhere substantial you will need to decide what your fitness goal is and put it in writing. On your way to achieving your goal you’re going to have setbacks. No one’s perfect. You’re going to make mistakes. Losers make a mistake and give up. Champions make mistakes as too, but champions use their setbacks as a source of motivation.

You can learn from your own mistakes or someone else’s. I feel this is one area where a drug addict can be a great teacher. One way recovering addicts use to stay on course after a slip up is to “look upon the slip as a single, independent event, something which can be avoided in the future with an alternative coping response.” (1)

What slip have you made lately? What can you do to avoid it again in the future?

Look, if you fall go ahead and pick yourself up! Give yourself a pat on the back, and realize that you already burned a few calories by picking your butt up off of the ground!!!

Until Next Time,
Jonathan Azevedo

References:

1. Marlatt GA, Gordon JR. Relapse prevention: maintenece strategies in addictive behavior change. New York: Gulliford; 1985.

Keys to effective Goal Setting (2):

Be SMART about goal setting. Set goals that are:

Specific
-Write down what it is that you want; do not be vague, BE EXACT. Know “why” it is you want what you want. You can overcome any “how” if you just know “why”.

Measurable
-Quantify your goals by using numbers. Sales people are the best at this. Every good sales person has a quota. Give yourself a numeric goal (weight loss/gain, mile time, or number of visits to the club) and reward yourself when you hit that goal. Every good salesperson also earns a good bonus!

Attainable
-GET REAL. If you have not trained in the last 6 years it pretty unrealistic that you will be able to sustain training for 6 days a week! Break down your loftier goals into smaller and more reasonable pieces and reward yourself regularly. It’s tough to eat a whole cake at once but you can enjoy it slice by slice!

Relevant
-If your trying to achieve a fitness goal then you need to begin with fitness “how’s”. In other words; if you want to build stronger muscles then learn the “how” and tie that into your written goal statement. Make sure what you are doing while you are training is relevant to where you want to go.

Time Bound
-Know WHEN and you can make it happen. Tie a date to your written statement and post it with your goal. The date will act as a stimulous when discipline gets low (and it will).

Everyone's Got One

2008-07-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Of course you know that being healthy is important don’t you! You’ve read articles about staying healthy, pondered different exercises, taken fitness classes, maybe even looked at someone who’s really fit and copied what they were doing! I’m guessing that you’ve already done quite a bit of studying fitness yourself. So odds are you have developed some sort of an opinion about how be healthy.

Over the last few years of being involved in the fitness industry I have heard many fitness “opinions”. Some opinions are just crazy, others have value. The funny thing is that a person can be just as passionate about a fad as they can a fact! To make things more difficult to understand; what was once fact can be revealed as fad, and vice versa. It’s my intention to help you stay up to date and clear the ambiguity that comes with the many different methods of getting in shape by delivering my opinion to you weekly via email (that is; unless you spam me!).

This weekly email is also designed to address some of the fitness questions I’ve heard along the way. Questions like: “If I lift super heavy will my arms get bigger”, “what’s the best protein powder”, or my favorite: “what’s the best ab exercise to do to get rid of this” (grabs belly).

Of all the complex theories, people I’ve approached and programs out there that I have studied; two things have really rang true to me. The first is that the truth is always simple; the other is that if the person you’re talking to has an answer for everything… they are probably not listening. With that said there’s not always a “right” answer for every question, only right answers for you.

We'll get to more questions in due time. As far as a general answer to most fitness questions... when in doubt choose enjoyable, do-able alternatives to hyped up fitness fads and take advantage of healthy options that you know are good for you. Start small; with the apple a day and a walk around the block at lunch. Small habits repeated over time can have lasting benefits!

(Hint: fitness truths are simple to understand and can be difficult to do… fitness fads are tough to understand and usually very easy to do!)

Until next time!
Jonathan