Interval Training for Performance and Fat Loss
Which cardio method works best for fat loss? There’s clearly a winning pick: interval training. That's because hard and fast beats slow and steady every single time. Better yet, interval training is also a secret weapon for endurance athletes and bodybuilders. In fact, you could say it's the ultimate training tool for any goal.
An interval is a brief bout of intense physical activity--such as a sprint--alternated with a longer period of rest or lighter exercise. For example, you might run all-out for 15 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds--that's one interval. By varying the duration of either your sprint or your rest period, you can change the way the interval affects your body. In other words, some types of intervals are better for losing fat, while others would be superior for endurance conditioning or weight training. Whether you want more muscle, less fat, or better conditioning, interval training is the way to go.
Remember, most people prefer cardio, such as jogging or walking to interval training-simply because intervals are harder. But interval training is certainly not as boring. ask yourself this: Would you rather be walking on the treadmill for an hour or do 22 minutes of a hard interval?
Interval
Beginner Workout - 22 Minutes
Warm up
5 Minutes: RPE 3-4: Warm Up at an easy pace
Rest Set
5 Minutes: RPE 5: Increase speed from warm up and set the incline to 1%. Keep a moderate pace.
Work Set
1 Minute: RPE 7 - Increase incline to raise the intensity level. You should be working hard!
Rest Set
5 Minutes: RPE 5 - Decrease speed and incline to lower your heart rate back to a comfortable level
Work Set
1 Minute: RPE 8 - Increase speed to raise the intensity level. You should be working hard!
Cool down
5 Minutes: RPE 3-5 - Decrease speed/incline to lower your heart rate back to a comfortable level and cool down
A study in December in the Journal of Applied Physiology and conducted by a team at Canada's University of Guelph found that just two weeks of alternate-day interval training increased moderately active 22-year old women's fat burning ability by 36%.Here are some Advantages of choosing Interval Training over Steady State Cardio:1) Saves time. Most intervals last about 20 minutes in comparison to 1 to 2 hours on the treadmill with old school cardio.
2) Stimulates a greater release of growth hormone. Studies have shown that intense interval training produces growth hormone which build lean muscle mass.3) The intervals should be done on alternate days not back to back and I usually recommend for about 3-4 days out of the week. There is also less exposure on the joints because it takes less time to complete.4) Metabolic disturbance. Interval training increases metabolism and post-exercise oxygen consumption which has been shown to burn fat for 24 hours after the interval bout.5) Creates variety. Interval training can be done with body weight exercises, on exercise machines, with medicine balls, with weights, and outdoors. Interval training is an effective method that has many tools.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Welcome Kerry McDaniels
Springfield Health and Fitness Center and Pat's Personal Training would like to welcome our newest personal trainer, Kerry McDaniels.
Kerry comes to us from Columbus where he trained clients for Westerville Athletic Club and Lifestyle Fitness. Some of his Qualifications include
Kerry comes to us from Columbus where he trained clients for Westerville Athletic Club and Lifestyle Fitness. Some of his Qualifications include
- NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
- APEX Diet Certified
- CPR and Basic Life Certifications
Come up and say hello to Kerry!!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
How Figure Competitors and Fitness Models Eat
Okay girls. Have you ever wondered how the fitness models in the magazines get in such great shape? Of course they train 6 days a week but that is only 30% of the battle. Here is the diet, straight from the horses mouth, my friend Diana Johnson sent this to me to pass along.
Figure Diet
Yes, correct training is a requirement for building lean, shapely muscle, but it’s only 30% of the battle. If you’re like me you won’t be satisfied with just 30% effectiveness. I just can’t overemphasize how important proper nutrition is. Honestly, your nutrition is at least twice as important as your training. It accounts for the other 70% of the results you’ll achieve. To improve your nutrition the first step is to clean up your diet and make better food choices. This is the time to remove processed foods, high fat fast foods, sugar, white flours and pastas. A diet consisting of approximately fifty percent lean protein, twenty percent quality complex carbs and thirty percent healthy fat works best. You should consume 10-15 calories per pound of bodyweight (depending on your metabolism, age and current condition). You should consume closer to 15 calories per pound of bodyweight if you have are already in decent shape, if not, you’ll want to start in the 10-12 calories per pound range. Eating enough calories in the proper macronutrient proportion will help you build muscle, increase your metabolic rate, and ultimately lose more fat. It will also set a solid foundation for your body and help it adapt properly to each new phase of contest dieting. Here’s an effective nutrition plan to get started.
BREAKFAST: Start most days (or every day) with egg whites and oatmeal. Yeah, it’s boring but it’s also effective and pretty easy to prepare. You have to stick with regular Oatmeal; the flavored packets won’t get the job done. You can add Splenda and Cinnamon for flavor though. For the egg whites, you can crack your own eggs and throw away the yolks (and don’t worry if some yolk gets mixed in, it won’t hurt anything at this point). The easiest way is to buy a carton of egg whites or egg beaters. One of the fastest ways to get breakfast is to mix four or five egg whites in a blender with half a cup of oatmeal, a couple of packets of Splenda and some cinnamon, then pour the mix into a skillet and cook them like pancakes.
It’s okay to add three or four ounces of 95% lean ground beef or ground turkey breast to your egg white – oatmeal breakfast a couple of mornings each week. Maybe one day eat egg whites and a ground beef patty, but no oatmeal. A couple days later have egg whites, a ground turkey patty and oatmeal. The rest of the week it’s egg whites and oatmeal only.
MIDMORNING: There’s no doubt that the most convenient midmorning meal is a quality protein shake. If you like thick and creamy shakes mix a scoop or two with eight ounces water for each scoop of protein. You can use a blender or simply shake it up in a shaker bottle. If you use a blender try adding a teaspoon of no sugar added raspberry preserves. A couple of frozen strawberries makes a shake into an awesome low-carb smoothee. You can also add diet red pop, Crystal Lite, or other diet drinks to the mix to get any flavor you’re craving. Protein powder also makes a perfect pudding. Again, mix one to two scoops powder in a bowl with a little less than half the water you’d normally use for a shake (just enough water to make a pudding texture). I know it sounds too easy, but it really is. Some people even use coffee instead of water for a mocha dessert. Top it with a Tablespoon of Cool Whip and pinch yourself. No, you aren’t dreaming; and Yes, it is good for you! You may also add a little low carb fruit (one-half peach, three strawberries, or one-fourth cup blueberries) or a teaspoon of nut butter in your pudding (or shake) for variety.
LUNCH: Lunch is going to almost always be chicken or turkey breast with brown rice or a sweet potato. Sounds bland, but believe me, this is what just about every figure competitor you’ve seen in the magazine eats for lunch in one variation or another. Now I’ve found some ways to make it easy to prepare and pretty tasty to eat. Chicken tenders fresh or frozen in the bag are great. They’re about an ounce per tender, so it’s easy to determine how much you need even without a scale. Warm up the grill, throw the whole bag on the rack, and in 15 minutes or less you have enough chicken to make five or six meals. If you don’t have a grill, just bake them in the oven. If you like turkey better, ground white turkey breast is great. You can make patties to cook on the grill or just "fry" it up in a pan like you’re making taco meat (you can even use a little taco seasoning for flavor.) Having tuna, shrimp or chicken packets handy is another way to assure you always get your protein in. Cooking a lot of rice at once is a cinch. Get a big pot and a box or bag of rice and cook away. Even more convenient though, are pre-cooked rice packets. They contain about two servings and you’ll find them in the grocery right by the boxed rices. Just open the packet, pop in the microwave for about a minute and voila. Eat half and save the other half for later. Most grocery stores have sweet potatoes or yams wrapped individually in plastic that are convenient and the plastic wrap helps the potato cook faster. These usually weigh six or seven ounces; a great size for a lunch carb. Canned sweet potatoes are also an option, but be sure they are canned in water, not syrup. If you are tired of rice and sweet potatoes, try canned black beans or red beans. They offer a good change of pace and a great source of fiber too. Eat half the can and save the other half for another meal. Remember, your food doesn’t have to taste bad to be good for you. Play around in the spice, herb and seasonings isle to find flavors that will help you make your food more enjoyable. As long as they aren’t loaded with fat and sugar, you will be fine. You can always add a small serving of any of the vegetables I’ve listed as "Free Foods" to your lunch without hurting your diet.
MIDAFTERNOON: Half your day is over, but your tank is running on empty. Don’t wait until dinner to eat. That’s a bad idea, as it puts too much time between meals and may cause your body to use protein stores. Here is a great place f0r a protein shake or a can of tuna.
DINNER:Many days this will be your last meal and should consist of either rice or a sweet potato again and chicken, turkey, fish or a couple of times a week you can do some very lean ground beef or a small steak. I recommend skipping the starchy carb two or three nights each week. You can add a double serving of vegetables from the "Free Foods" list on these nights. This will rotate your calories a bit, keeping them high enough for muscle building, but low enough to still burn fat. On the "no carb" night, don’t stress out, you can still have a tasty and satisfying meal. Try making a stir fry with chicken or lean strips of beef and a bunch of peppers, onions, broccoli and mushrooms. A leafy green salad with veggies on top and a piece of grilled fish is tasty too. Some nights I put veggies in a foil packet, spray with Pam and cook them on the grill for about 20 minutes. Toss those on the plate with a nice piece of grilled sirloin and I’m in heaven.
BEFORE BED: I know you’ve heard that you shouldn’t eat before going to bed if you want to lose fat. Well, that’s true for the most part. But remember, you’re also trying to build muscle, especially during the first two months of your four-month figure competition project. So I’m going to tell you it’s okay to eat an hour or so before going to bed, but you have to eat what I tell you and only if you feel like you have to have something. Egg whites with some tomato (and green peppers or onions if you like them) is one option. . There’s a very important reason why you should stick to egg whites or protein shake pudding before bed, both sources of protein will give you an extended release time so that the protein slowly breaks down into amino acids helping you build muscle all through the night.
FREE FOODS:You can add any of these foods to your nutrition plan during the first two months without compromising your results. Most important is water. You should drink at least one-half gallon each day. That’s the minimum, drink all you want. Other beverages you can drink are diet sodas, Crystal Light, coffee (no cream or sugar) and unsweetened ice tea. (It’s okay to use Equal or Splenda to sweeten your coffee or tea.) Low carb vegetables are fine with any meal. I like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, cucumber, lettuce, and spinach. Seasonings are fine also. I rely on vinegar, mustard, relish, salsa, hot sauce, and just about any dry seasoning. Sugar-free gum is a life saver; a pack of gum a day is about right for me.
Figure Diet
Yes, correct training is a requirement for building lean, shapely muscle, but it’s only 30% of the battle. If you’re like me you won’t be satisfied with just 30% effectiveness. I just can’t overemphasize how important proper nutrition is. Honestly, your nutrition is at least twice as important as your training. It accounts for the other 70% of the results you’ll achieve. To improve your nutrition the first step is to clean up your diet and make better food choices. This is the time to remove processed foods, high fat fast foods, sugar, white flours and pastas. A diet consisting of approximately fifty percent lean protein, twenty percent quality complex carbs and thirty percent healthy fat works best. You should consume 10-15 calories per pound of bodyweight (depending on your metabolism, age and current condition). You should consume closer to 15 calories per pound of bodyweight if you have are already in decent shape, if not, you’ll want to start in the 10-12 calories per pound range. Eating enough calories in the proper macronutrient proportion will help you build muscle, increase your metabolic rate, and ultimately lose more fat. It will also set a solid foundation for your body and help it adapt properly to each new phase of contest dieting. Here’s an effective nutrition plan to get started.
BREAKFAST: Start most days (or every day) with egg whites and oatmeal. Yeah, it’s boring but it’s also effective and pretty easy to prepare. You have to stick with regular Oatmeal; the flavored packets won’t get the job done. You can add Splenda and Cinnamon for flavor though. For the egg whites, you can crack your own eggs and throw away the yolks (and don’t worry if some yolk gets mixed in, it won’t hurt anything at this point). The easiest way is to buy a carton of egg whites or egg beaters. One of the fastest ways to get breakfast is to mix four or five egg whites in a blender with half a cup of oatmeal, a couple of packets of Splenda and some cinnamon, then pour the mix into a skillet and cook them like pancakes.
It’s okay to add three or four ounces of 95% lean ground beef or ground turkey breast to your egg white – oatmeal breakfast a couple of mornings each week. Maybe one day eat egg whites and a ground beef patty, but no oatmeal. A couple days later have egg whites, a ground turkey patty and oatmeal. The rest of the week it’s egg whites and oatmeal only.
MIDMORNING: There’s no doubt that the most convenient midmorning meal is a quality protein shake. If you like thick and creamy shakes mix a scoop or two with eight ounces water for each scoop of protein. You can use a blender or simply shake it up in a shaker bottle. If you use a blender try adding a teaspoon of no sugar added raspberry preserves. A couple of frozen strawberries makes a shake into an awesome low-carb smoothee. You can also add diet red pop, Crystal Lite, or other diet drinks to the mix to get any flavor you’re craving. Protein powder also makes a perfect pudding. Again, mix one to two scoops powder in a bowl with a little less than half the water you’d normally use for a shake (just enough water to make a pudding texture). I know it sounds too easy, but it really is. Some people even use coffee instead of water for a mocha dessert. Top it with a Tablespoon of Cool Whip and pinch yourself. No, you aren’t dreaming; and Yes, it is good for you! You may also add a little low carb fruit (one-half peach, three strawberries, or one-fourth cup blueberries) or a teaspoon of nut butter in your pudding (or shake) for variety.
LUNCH: Lunch is going to almost always be chicken or turkey breast with brown rice or a sweet potato. Sounds bland, but believe me, this is what just about every figure competitor you’ve seen in the magazine eats for lunch in one variation or another. Now I’ve found some ways to make it easy to prepare and pretty tasty to eat. Chicken tenders fresh or frozen in the bag are great. They’re about an ounce per tender, so it’s easy to determine how much you need even without a scale. Warm up the grill, throw the whole bag on the rack, and in 15 minutes or less you have enough chicken to make five or six meals. If you don’t have a grill, just bake them in the oven. If you like turkey better, ground white turkey breast is great. You can make patties to cook on the grill or just "fry" it up in a pan like you’re making taco meat (you can even use a little taco seasoning for flavor.) Having tuna, shrimp or chicken packets handy is another way to assure you always get your protein in. Cooking a lot of rice at once is a cinch. Get a big pot and a box or bag of rice and cook away. Even more convenient though, are pre-cooked rice packets. They contain about two servings and you’ll find them in the grocery right by the boxed rices. Just open the packet, pop in the microwave for about a minute and voila. Eat half and save the other half for later. Most grocery stores have sweet potatoes or yams wrapped individually in plastic that are convenient and the plastic wrap helps the potato cook faster. These usually weigh six or seven ounces; a great size for a lunch carb. Canned sweet potatoes are also an option, but be sure they are canned in water, not syrup. If you are tired of rice and sweet potatoes, try canned black beans or red beans. They offer a good change of pace and a great source of fiber too. Eat half the can and save the other half for another meal. Remember, your food doesn’t have to taste bad to be good for you. Play around in the spice, herb and seasonings isle to find flavors that will help you make your food more enjoyable. As long as they aren’t loaded with fat and sugar, you will be fine. You can always add a small serving of any of the vegetables I’ve listed as "Free Foods" to your lunch without hurting your diet.
MIDAFTERNOON: Half your day is over, but your tank is running on empty. Don’t wait until dinner to eat. That’s a bad idea, as it puts too much time between meals and may cause your body to use protein stores. Here is a great place f0r a protein shake or a can of tuna.
DINNER:Many days this will be your last meal and should consist of either rice or a sweet potato again and chicken, turkey, fish or a couple of times a week you can do some very lean ground beef or a small steak. I recommend skipping the starchy carb two or three nights each week. You can add a double serving of vegetables from the "Free Foods" list on these nights. This will rotate your calories a bit, keeping them high enough for muscle building, but low enough to still burn fat. On the "no carb" night, don’t stress out, you can still have a tasty and satisfying meal. Try making a stir fry with chicken or lean strips of beef and a bunch of peppers, onions, broccoli and mushrooms. A leafy green salad with veggies on top and a piece of grilled fish is tasty too. Some nights I put veggies in a foil packet, spray with Pam and cook them on the grill for about 20 minutes. Toss those on the plate with a nice piece of grilled sirloin and I’m in heaven.
BEFORE BED: I know you’ve heard that you shouldn’t eat before going to bed if you want to lose fat. Well, that’s true for the most part. But remember, you’re also trying to build muscle, especially during the first two months of your four-month figure competition project. So I’m going to tell you it’s okay to eat an hour or so before going to bed, but you have to eat what I tell you and only if you feel like you have to have something. Egg whites with some tomato (and green peppers or onions if you like them) is one option. . There’s a very important reason why you should stick to egg whites or protein shake pudding before bed, both sources of protein will give you an extended release time so that the protein slowly breaks down into amino acids helping you build muscle all through the night.
FREE FOODS:You can add any of these foods to your nutrition plan during the first two months without compromising your results. Most important is water. You should drink at least one-half gallon each day. That’s the minimum, drink all you want. Other beverages you can drink are diet sodas, Crystal Light, coffee (no cream or sugar) and unsweetened ice tea. (It’s okay to use Equal or Splenda to sweeten your coffee or tea.) Low carb vegetables are fine with any meal. I like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, cucumber, lettuce, and spinach. Seasonings are fine also. I rely on vinegar, mustard, relish, salsa, hot sauce, and just about any dry seasoning. Sugar-free gum is a life saver; a pack of gum a day is about right for me.
Monday, November 3, 2008
How to Build muscle and burn fat
I found this on the Stronglifts.com question and answer and thought I would share it with you.
Mehdi, I'm trying to get rid of the fat and build muscle. I want to changemy life round for the better and am pretty new to all this. Myproblem is my diet. I have a very sweet tooth and I know if I wantto see results I have to watch what I eat.Could you please advise me what to eat and what NOT to eat to buildmuscle? I have smoked and drank for many years but no more now. Iwant to get as strong as I can, as fast as I can. >>>
MY ANSWER: Quality of food isn't that important to build muscle. Quantitymatters. You can build muscle eating junk food all day, as long as you eat enough food. There are plenty of people who eat shitty food all day and who are strong and have lots of muscle mass. One example is Power Lifter Dave Tate who has a 900lbs Squat & 600lbsBench Press. However, if you're like me, you not only want to build muscle, youalso want them to be visible. The only way to achieve this, is bykeeping your body fat healthy (10-12% or if you're a woman 15-18%).And to keep your body fat healthy, you need to eat healthy the majority of the time. This is eventually also about your health:eating healthy will improve you digestion, skin, mood, etc.One of the biggest mistakes you can make if you're new to all this,is to go from 1 extreme to another: from smoking, drinking, lack ofexercise and bad nutrition to training 6 times per week and eating strictly healthy foods. This approach usually only lasts a couple of weeks. You'll end upcraving for certain foods and get physically & mentally drainedfrom going to the gym 6x per week. One day you snap, quiteverything and get back into your old habits. And usually when you go back, it's to gain (or lose) everything you lost (or gained)PLUS a little more as a bonus.You don't turn PRO overnight, it takes time to get there. And let's be realistic, if you're like me, you have a life outside the gym,you have a career or business to run, you have family & friends,you have hobbies, ... Nobody can train 6 times per week and eat 100% healthy all the time. Better: you DON'T need to do this to get the results you're after. So instead of stopping to eat "bad" foods forever, keep eating them, but lower the intake. I recommend eating healthy 90% of thetime. If you eat 6 times per day , that leaves room for 4 junk meals per week. Besides helping fat loss by keeping your hormones sharp, eating junk food also serves 2 other purposes:* Rewards. Since you've been strict on your diet for several days,you can reward yourself with a junk meal every once in a while.These junk meals are guilt-free: you know you ate healthy the rest of the week, so no problem.* Reminders. If you've been eating healthy for a while, you knowthat junk food can be fun for 1 day, maybe 2, but then it just gets impossible to continue. Excess junk food makes you fat,bloated, tired, ... By eating some from time to time, you get a reminder of how it used to be.
The 2 foods you should watch out for if your goal is to build muscle and keep your body fat low are alcohol & junk food.* Alcohol. Contains calories and promotes fat gain. Alcohol is especially a problem for men, since we tend to eat junk food when we drink, while women tend to drink instead of eating. * Junk Food. This is any food that is processed: which doesn't come in its natural state. Junk food is usually high carb, high fat (badfats, read trans-fats), low protein and low fiber.If you're not sure about what is junk food and what not, best is to focus on the foods you should eat to build muscle. These are:* Proteins: ground beef, chicken breast, tuna cans, whole eggs, cottage cheese, whey, ...* Veggies: Spinach, broccoli, bok choy, lettuce, ...* Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, berries, ...* Healthy fats: fish oil, olive oil, mixed nuts, real butter, ...* Water: 2 cups with each meal, sip also water while working out* Carbs: brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, oats, ...* Fiber: green veggies, whole grain carbs, flax seeds, .
..Example diet would look like this:*
breakfast: eggs, veggies, orange, green tea*
snack: cottage cheese mixed with pieces of apple*
lunch: chicken breast, spinach, lemon juice*
snack: mixed nuts, banana*
post workout: ground beef, whole grain pasta, tomato sauce,parmesan cheese*
pre bed: plain yogurt, berries, flax seeds, fish oilFollow the above 90% of the time, 10% of the time: have junk food &alcohol. Don't feel guilty about it, it makes little difference in results but will make social gatherings a lot easier.
Mehdi, I'm trying to get rid of the fat and build muscle. I want to changemy life round for the better and am pretty new to all this. Myproblem is my diet. I have a very sweet tooth and I know if I wantto see results I have to watch what I eat.Could you please advise me what to eat and what NOT to eat to buildmuscle? I have smoked and drank for many years but no more now. Iwant to get as strong as I can, as fast as I can. >>>
MY ANSWER: Quality of food isn't that important to build muscle. Quantitymatters. You can build muscle eating junk food all day, as long as you eat enough food. There are plenty of people who eat shitty food all day and who are strong and have lots of muscle mass. One example is Power Lifter Dave Tate who has a 900lbs Squat & 600lbsBench Press. However, if you're like me, you not only want to build muscle, youalso want them to be visible. The only way to achieve this, is bykeeping your body fat healthy (10-12% or if you're a woman 15-18%).And to keep your body fat healthy, you need to eat healthy the majority of the time. This is eventually also about your health:eating healthy will improve you digestion, skin, mood, etc.One of the biggest mistakes you can make if you're new to all this,is to go from 1 extreme to another: from smoking, drinking, lack ofexercise and bad nutrition to training 6 times per week and eating strictly healthy foods. This approach usually only lasts a couple of weeks. You'll end upcraving for certain foods and get physically & mentally drainedfrom going to the gym 6x per week. One day you snap, quiteverything and get back into your old habits. And usually when you go back, it's to gain (or lose) everything you lost (or gained)PLUS a little more as a bonus.You don't turn PRO overnight, it takes time to get there. And let's be realistic, if you're like me, you have a life outside the gym,you have a career or business to run, you have family & friends,you have hobbies, ... Nobody can train 6 times per week and eat 100% healthy all the time. Better: you DON'T need to do this to get the results you're after. So instead of stopping to eat "bad" foods forever, keep eating them, but lower the intake. I recommend eating healthy 90% of thetime. If you eat 6 times per day , that leaves room for 4 junk meals per week. Besides helping fat loss by keeping your hormones sharp, eating junk food also serves 2 other purposes:* Rewards. Since you've been strict on your diet for several days,you can reward yourself with a junk meal every once in a while.These junk meals are guilt-free: you know you ate healthy the rest of the week, so no problem.* Reminders. If you've been eating healthy for a while, you knowthat junk food can be fun for 1 day, maybe 2, but then it just gets impossible to continue. Excess junk food makes you fat,bloated, tired, ... By eating some from time to time, you get a reminder of how it used to be.
The 2 foods you should watch out for if your goal is to build muscle and keep your body fat low are alcohol & junk food.* Alcohol. Contains calories and promotes fat gain. Alcohol is especially a problem for men, since we tend to eat junk food when we drink, while women tend to drink instead of eating. * Junk Food. This is any food that is processed: which doesn't come in its natural state. Junk food is usually high carb, high fat (badfats, read trans-fats), low protein and low fiber.If you're not sure about what is junk food and what not, best is to focus on the foods you should eat to build muscle. These are:* Proteins: ground beef, chicken breast, tuna cans, whole eggs, cottage cheese, whey, ...* Veggies: Spinach, broccoli, bok choy, lettuce, ...* Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, berries, ...* Healthy fats: fish oil, olive oil, mixed nuts, real butter, ...* Water: 2 cups with each meal, sip also water while working out* Carbs: brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, oats, ...* Fiber: green veggies, whole grain carbs, flax seeds, .
..Example diet would look like this:*
breakfast: eggs, veggies, orange, green tea*
snack: cottage cheese mixed with pieces of apple*
lunch: chicken breast, spinach, lemon juice*
snack: mixed nuts, banana*
post workout: ground beef, whole grain pasta, tomato sauce,parmesan cheese*
pre bed: plain yogurt, berries, flax seeds, fish oilFollow the above 90% of the time, 10% of the time: have junk food &alcohol. Don't feel guilty about it, it makes little difference in results but will make social gatherings a lot easier.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Elevating your Metabolic Rate
This is a good article by Tom Venuto, professional body builder
Meal Frequency
We will keep your metabolic rate elevated firstly by meal frequency. I explain the importance of this in my last fat burning article. I strongly suggest that you review of it by clicking here.
Correct Way to Feed Your body
If you don't feed your body properly, " at the right times" it will rebel against you by lowering its thyroid hormone output, thereby slowing your metabolism to a crawl! Your mission in this diet will be to properly feed your body the correct amount of carbs at the times that it needs them most.
When I say It needs them most I am referring to the times in which your body will least likely store fat. As mentioned before there are two occasions in the day in which you will find yourself in this situation. Both are related to the same scenario. This is based on the time when your muscles are depleted the most and are primarily looking to replace these stores rather then store fat. During these periods you can take advantage of the anabolic effects of insulin. These two meals are of course breakfast and post workout.
If you feed yourself the proper amount of carbs at these times you will notice that your metabolic rate maintains itself for a much longer time throughout the duration of your diet.
Your sole purpose for the rest of the day will be to control your insulin levels by placing them in a state that is conducive to burning fat. You will again do this by only eating leafy green, fibrous vegetables and proteins. This way you get the best of both worlds. Increased recovery and optimal fat burning.
Maintaining Muscle Mass
The largest problem with mainstream starvation diets is that they burn an equally high amount of muscle as they do fat. The goal when dieting is to burn fat and maintain as much muscle as possible. As you may know the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate will be. And conversely the more muscle you lose the slower your metabolic rate will become. ( To further read about the importance of maintaining muscle click here )This is accomplished by
A. maintaining a proper saturation of amino acids in your body. I.E. six protein rich meals a day.
and
B. Promoting optimal recovery under an adverse situation. I mention the word adverse because when you are dieting you are low on macronutrients ( food ) so recovery is made difficult and cortisol levels ( muscle wasting hormone ) are allot higher then when maintaining or bulking. This is why I tout insulin control as a priority of this diet. I encourage you to use it when fat storage is unlikely and cortisol is at its highest and I discourage you from using it the rest of the day. Thereby you get the best of both worlds. Increased recovery and increased fat burning. And therefore maintain muscle at a much higher rate.
Caloric Deficit Very Important!
You need to understand that the only way to lose fat is to burn more calories in a day then you consume! If you do not then you cannot reach your goal. Therefore you must lower your calories or up your workload in order to tap into your fat stores. However you do not want to lower your calories too low too quickly! If you do, you will undoubtedly trigger your bodies alarm systems and your metabolism will immediately suffer. To avoid this travesty, start by slowly lowering them by 500 and when you hit a plateau lower them slightly again. Perhaps only by 200 to get your fat burning going again. ( or you could calorie cycle, see below )
My point is that I do not advice dropping your calories by 1500 in one day! You need to slowly lower them! For example, say someone was bulking up with 4,000 calories a day. They would start their cut by lowering them to 3,500. They burn fat for a while with this and then hit a plateau. The problem may only be that they need to change their workout up. But if that doesn't work then they should lower their calories down to 3,000 to give their fat burning another kick start. By the end of their cut they may be all the way down to 2, 500 calories a day. But they did not get their over night! Doing so would cause their body's to go into shock and slow their metabolic rate to a crawl! I urge you to take this into consideration when you come up with your caloric intake. Starvation is never an option! If you do starve yourself then you have defeated the purpose of this article which is to control your body. Not for your body to control you!
Calorie Cycling ( This is a more in depth method of raising and lowering your calories )
Since the goal is to keep your metabolic rate revved you may also incorporate calorie cycling. The concept is simple. Say my goal is to create a deficit of 500 calories a day for a week. If I maintain at 4,000 a day then I would then need to lower my calories to 3, 500 to accomplish this. Or the average of 3, 500 over a week. This is where cycling comes in. By changing the amount of calories I eat each day I will end up tricking my body into believing that it is not dieting and in turn it will keep its metabolic rate revved longer. An example of this would be:
Monday: 3, 700 caloriesTuesday: 3, 300 caloriesWednesday: 3, 600 caloriesThursday: 3, 400 caloriesFriday: 3, 800 caloriesSaturday: 3, 200 caloriesSunday: 3, 500 calories
On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday you will have raised the calories in your diet rather then lowered them. By doing this you will trick your body into believing it is just fine and it will reward you by more readily releasing its fat stores. In edition you still created the same deficit that you would have if you simply had gone 3, 500 the entire week. I know several bodybuilders and clients that I have trained that literally never hit a plateau because they cycled their calories so well. And as a mental bonus it helps to be able to feed yourselfextra calories on certain days. This can do wonders for the dieters state of mind.
Another way to calorie cycle would be to average 3,500 for 3-5 weeks and then for 5 days re-up your calories to 4,000 to re-set your metabolism. There are many many different ways to cycle calories. Just as you keep your body on the edge with your workout you should do so with your diet. You can cycle up to re-set your calories or cycle down to re-create a deficit. The key is to keep your body on its toes throughout your diet.
Sample Diet Diagnosed
I will now explain my thinking behind each meal. The following diet is a sample 2, 400 calorie regimen. You will follow the same pattern. The difference will of course be your daily intake of calories. You may need a little more than 2, 400 but that is beside the point. What I want to do here is to breakdown the pattern for you.
Meal One:
As stated earlier in the article, breakfast is a key meal in your day! You need to replace your glycogen stores so that you promote recovery and keep your bodies metabolic rate high. I would recommend 300 calories of oatmeal and 200 calories of protein. This is an excellent way to get your day started and will accomplish exactly what you set out to do. Giving you well over 50 grams of protein and several complex carbs to promote recovery.
Meal Two:
Our goal here is just to maintain a steady flow of amino acids in your body. In this meal I recommend a spoonful of flax or Safflower oil and 200 calories worth of protein. This is approximately 300 calories and roughly 40-50 grams of protein. The main reason I include fat is because if you only consumed protein then your body would not have a source of energy. It would then have to convert the protein you consumed to glucose. In turn you would still end out releasing more insulin then you intended to and not create a sound environment for fat loss. Let me also add that flax seed and safflower oil have several essential fatty acids which will aid you in your goal of maintaining muscle mass and improving insulin sensitivity.
Meal Three:
You will again need a source of carbs in this meal. I would suggest a tossed salad. It should consist of lettuce, broiled chicken cut up in small pieces and a spoonful of safflower oil and vinegar. The ratios would be about 150 calories worth of chicken, 100 worth of safflower oil and 150 worth of lettuce or other greens. Which is actually allot of greens because they will go a long way. This will give you a slow burning source of carbohydrates that release a low and steady stream of insulin, rather than a quick burst which is completely counter productive to your fat burning goals.
workout: This is filled in by whatever your workout is
Meal 4 " post workout meal " :
Again, this is one of the few times in which your body will not store fat in the presence of a large burst of insulin. Rather its full concentration will be to store the carbs you eat as muscle energy reserves. In edition by feeding your body properly during this window you will not set off any alarms that would cause it to slow its metabolic rate.I recommend 300 calories of a quick burning carb source such as cool aid or a sugary sports drink. Mix this with 40 grams of whey protein for a total of 500 calories.
Meal 5 Dinner
This will be your last carbohydrate meal. I suggest 200 calories worth of greens and 200 worth of protein. A vegtable and meat stir fry would be an ideal dinner. Again, I choose greens because it is extremely slow burning and very conducive to burning fat!
Last Meal
One of the biggest myths taught to our society is telling people to stop eating at a certain time of the day. That is complete and utter nonsense! Think about it. After you go to sleep you will force your body to fast for the next 6-12 hours! To force it to go without food for any longer than that would be pure insanity! So right before you go to bed I want you to have another protein shake with a spoonful of flax or safflower oil for a total of 300 calories. This will actually increase your metabolism while you sleep!
Supplementation
For optimal muscle retention I recommend:
1. 10-15 grams a day of glutamine
2. Chromium: if you are deficient in this your fat burning goals may be sabotaged!
3. Multivitamin: If you are not taking one of these, then you need to be. There is no way that you can get enough vitamins from your diet alone, no matter what anyone says! Popping one or two multivitamins a day takes the guess work out of it!
4. Vitamin C: This is my all time favorite supplement. Its cheap and it is the ultimate antioxidant. You see, when we have calorie deficiencies our bodies will become susceptible to colds. Vitamin C will boost your immune system tremendously! Take at least 3 grams a day of this vitamin and more if you are feeling run down. You can read more about it by clicking here
5. Creatine is an excellent supplement and can assist you in maintaining muscle mass
6. Flax Seed Oil and Safflower Oil: These are an excellent source of essential fatty acids and will assist you in maintaining proper blood sugar levels while your carbs are lower.
Meal Frequency
We will keep your metabolic rate elevated firstly by meal frequency. I explain the importance of this in my last fat burning article. I strongly suggest that you review of it by clicking here.
Correct Way to Feed Your body
If you don't feed your body properly, " at the right times" it will rebel against you by lowering its thyroid hormone output, thereby slowing your metabolism to a crawl! Your mission in this diet will be to properly feed your body the correct amount of carbs at the times that it needs them most.
When I say It needs them most I am referring to the times in which your body will least likely store fat. As mentioned before there are two occasions in the day in which you will find yourself in this situation. Both are related to the same scenario. This is based on the time when your muscles are depleted the most and are primarily looking to replace these stores rather then store fat. During these periods you can take advantage of the anabolic effects of insulin. These two meals are of course breakfast and post workout.
If you feed yourself the proper amount of carbs at these times you will notice that your metabolic rate maintains itself for a much longer time throughout the duration of your diet.
Your sole purpose for the rest of the day will be to control your insulin levels by placing them in a state that is conducive to burning fat. You will again do this by only eating leafy green, fibrous vegetables and proteins. This way you get the best of both worlds. Increased recovery and optimal fat burning.
Maintaining Muscle Mass
The largest problem with mainstream starvation diets is that they burn an equally high amount of muscle as they do fat. The goal when dieting is to burn fat and maintain as much muscle as possible. As you may know the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate will be. And conversely the more muscle you lose the slower your metabolic rate will become. ( To further read about the importance of maintaining muscle click here )This is accomplished by
A. maintaining a proper saturation of amino acids in your body. I.E. six protein rich meals a day.
and
B. Promoting optimal recovery under an adverse situation. I mention the word adverse because when you are dieting you are low on macronutrients ( food ) so recovery is made difficult and cortisol levels ( muscle wasting hormone ) are allot higher then when maintaining or bulking. This is why I tout insulin control as a priority of this diet. I encourage you to use it when fat storage is unlikely and cortisol is at its highest and I discourage you from using it the rest of the day. Thereby you get the best of both worlds. Increased recovery and increased fat burning. And therefore maintain muscle at a much higher rate.
Caloric Deficit Very Important!
You need to understand that the only way to lose fat is to burn more calories in a day then you consume! If you do not then you cannot reach your goal. Therefore you must lower your calories or up your workload in order to tap into your fat stores. However you do not want to lower your calories too low too quickly! If you do, you will undoubtedly trigger your bodies alarm systems and your metabolism will immediately suffer. To avoid this travesty, start by slowly lowering them by 500 and when you hit a plateau lower them slightly again. Perhaps only by 200 to get your fat burning going again. ( or you could calorie cycle, see below )
My point is that I do not advice dropping your calories by 1500 in one day! You need to slowly lower them! For example, say someone was bulking up with 4,000 calories a day. They would start their cut by lowering them to 3,500. They burn fat for a while with this and then hit a plateau. The problem may only be that they need to change their workout up. But if that doesn't work then they should lower their calories down to 3,000 to give their fat burning another kick start. By the end of their cut they may be all the way down to 2, 500 calories a day. But they did not get their over night! Doing so would cause their body's to go into shock and slow their metabolic rate to a crawl! I urge you to take this into consideration when you come up with your caloric intake. Starvation is never an option! If you do starve yourself then you have defeated the purpose of this article which is to control your body. Not for your body to control you!
Calorie Cycling ( This is a more in depth method of raising and lowering your calories )
Since the goal is to keep your metabolic rate revved you may also incorporate calorie cycling. The concept is simple. Say my goal is to create a deficit of 500 calories a day for a week. If I maintain at 4,000 a day then I would then need to lower my calories to 3, 500 to accomplish this. Or the average of 3, 500 over a week. This is where cycling comes in. By changing the amount of calories I eat each day I will end up tricking my body into believing that it is not dieting and in turn it will keep its metabolic rate revved longer. An example of this would be:
Monday: 3, 700 caloriesTuesday: 3, 300 caloriesWednesday: 3, 600 caloriesThursday: 3, 400 caloriesFriday: 3, 800 caloriesSaturday: 3, 200 caloriesSunday: 3, 500 calories
On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday you will have raised the calories in your diet rather then lowered them. By doing this you will trick your body into believing it is just fine and it will reward you by more readily releasing its fat stores. In edition you still created the same deficit that you would have if you simply had gone 3, 500 the entire week. I know several bodybuilders and clients that I have trained that literally never hit a plateau because they cycled their calories so well. And as a mental bonus it helps to be able to feed yourselfextra calories on certain days. This can do wonders for the dieters state of mind.
Another way to calorie cycle would be to average 3,500 for 3-5 weeks and then for 5 days re-up your calories to 4,000 to re-set your metabolism. There are many many different ways to cycle calories. Just as you keep your body on the edge with your workout you should do so with your diet. You can cycle up to re-set your calories or cycle down to re-create a deficit. The key is to keep your body on its toes throughout your diet.
Sample Diet Diagnosed
I will now explain my thinking behind each meal. The following diet is a sample 2, 400 calorie regimen. You will follow the same pattern. The difference will of course be your daily intake of calories. You may need a little more than 2, 400 but that is beside the point. What I want to do here is to breakdown the pattern for you.
Meal One:
As stated earlier in the article, breakfast is a key meal in your day! You need to replace your glycogen stores so that you promote recovery and keep your bodies metabolic rate high. I would recommend 300 calories of oatmeal and 200 calories of protein. This is an excellent way to get your day started and will accomplish exactly what you set out to do. Giving you well over 50 grams of protein and several complex carbs to promote recovery.
Meal Two:
Our goal here is just to maintain a steady flow of amino acids in your body. In this meal I recommend a spoonful of flax or Safflower oil and 200 calories worth of protein. This is approximately 300 calories and roughly 40-50 grams of protein. The main reason I include fat is because if you only consumed protein then your body would not have a source of energy. It would then have to convert the protein you consumed to glucose. In turn you would still end out releasing more insulin then you intended to and not create a sound environment for fat loss. Let me also add that flax seed and safflower oil have several essential fatty acids which will aid you in your goal of maintaining muscle mass and improving insulin sensitivity.
Meal Three:
You will again need a source of carbs in this meal. I would suggest a tossed salad. It should consist of lettuce, broiled chicken cut up in small pieces and a spoonful of safflower oil and vinegar. The ratios would be about 150 calories worth of chicken, 100 worth of safflower oil and 150 worth of lettuce or other greens. Which is actually allot of greens because they will go a long way. This will give you a slow burning source of carbohydrates that release a low and steady stream of insulin, rather than a quick burst which is completely counter productive to your fat burning goals.
workout: This is filled in by whatever your workout is
Meal 4 " post workout meal " :
Again, this is one of the few times in which your body will not store fat in the presence of a large burst of insulin. Rather its full concentration will be to store the carbs you eat as muscle energy reserves. In edition by feeding your body properly during this window you will not set off any alarms that would cause it to slow its metabolic rate.I recommend 300 calories of a quick burning carb source such as cool aid or a sugary sports drink. Mix this with 40 grams of whey protein for a total of 500 calories.
Meal 5 Dinner
This will be your last carbohydrate meal. I suggest 200 calories worth of greens and 200 worth of protein. A vegtable and meat stir fry would be an ideal dinner. Again, I choose greens because it is extremely slow burning and very conducive to burning fat!
Last Meal
One of the biggest myths taught to our society is telling people to stop eating at a certain time of the day. That is complete and utter nonsense! Think about it. After you go to sleep you will force your body to fast for the next 6-12 hours! To force it to go without food for any longer than that would be pure insanity! So right before you go to bed I want you to have another protein shake with a spoonful of flax or safflower oil for a total of 300 calories. This will actually increase your metabolism while you sleep!
Supplementation
For optimal muscle retention I recommend:
1. 10-15 grams a day of glutamine
2. Chromium: if you are deficient in this your fat burning goals may be sabotaged!
3. Multivitamin: If you are not taking one of these, then you need to be. There is no way that you can get enough vitamins from your diet alone, no matter what anyone says! Popping one or two multivitamins a day takes the guess work out of it!
4. Vitamin C: This is my all time favorite supplement. Its cheap and it is the ultimate antioxidant. You see, when we have calorie deficiencies our bodies will become susceptible to colds. Vitamin C will boost your immune system tremendously! Take at least 3 grams a day of this vitamin and more if you are feeling run down. You can read more about it by clicking here
5. Creatine is an excellent supplement and can assist you in maintaining muscle mass
6. Flax Seed Oil and Safflower Oil: These are an excellent source of essential fatty acids and will assist you in maintaining proper blood sugar levels while your carbs are lower.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Weightlifting and Senior Citizens
Now that you're older, you may not spend much time flexing in front of the mirror or trying to add inches to your vertical leap. So why bother lifting weights? The truth is that building your muscles is more important than ever at this stage of life. Muscles tend to weaken with age, and this decline can eventually rob seniors of their active, independent lifestyles. Fortunately, you can reverse that trend with a few simple exercises. It's safe, it's effective, and it's never too late to start. You may even enjoy it!
Should seniors lift weights?
The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends weight training for all people over 50, and even people well into their 90s can benefit. A group of nursing home residents ranging in age from 87 to 96 recently improved their muscle strength by almost 180 percent after just eight weeks of weightlifting, also known as strength training. Adding that much strength is almost like rolling back the clock. Even frail elderly people find their balance improves, their walking pace quickens, and stairs become less of a challenge.
Among these elders is Sara, 91, who had a lot of trouble walking after healing from a serious hip fracture. But after starting a weight-lifting program in which she practiced either leg presses or leg curls three times a week, she was able to walk a quarter of a mile without assistance and pedal a stationary bike.
"I feel better physically and mentally; I feel wonderful inside and out," Sara told the authors of the book Successful Aging (Dell, 1999). "I must go for that exercise three times a week, I must. You have to push yourself."
What are the benefits of weightlifting for seniors?
•Improved walking ability. A University of Vermont study of healthy seniors ages 65 to 79 found that subjects could walk almost 40 percent farther without a rest after 12 weeks of weight training. Such endurance can come in handy for your next shopping trip, but there's an even better reason to pep up your gait. Among seniors, insufficient leg strength is a powerful predictor of future disabilities, including the inability to walk. An 89-year-old senior interviewed in Successful Aging said that after two years of weightlifting, "I walk straight instead of shuffling. It gives me lots of energy. My family can't believe it."
•Ease in performing day-to-day tasks. By giving you the strength to handle your daily routines, weightlifting can help you maintain your independence. Researchers at the University of Alabama found that healthy women ages 60 to 77 who lifted weights three hours each week for 16 weeks could carry groceries and get up from a chair with much less effort than before.
•Prevention of broken bones. Weightlifting can protect you from devastating fractures in several ways. For one, the exercises boost your strength, balance, and agility, making it less likely that you'll suffer a nasty fall. A study at Tufts University found that older women who lifted weights for a year improved their balance by 14 percent. (A control group composed of women who didn't lift weights suffered a 9 percent decline in balance in the same year.) Weight training can also build bone mass in the spine and the hip, so it's especially important for people with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
•Relief from arthritis pain. By strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around your joints, weightlifting can dramatically improve your range of motion. It can also cut down on pain by increasing the capability of muscles surrounding the afflicted joint, which eases stress on the joint itself. Arthritis sufferers should begin by using light weights and work up to heavier ones very gradually.
•Weight loss. Lifting weights doesn't burn many calories, but it does rev up your metabolism. Overweight seniors who combine strength training with a healthy diet are almost certain to shed a few pounds.
•Improved glucose control. If you are among the millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes, strength training can help you keep it under control. In one study of Hispanic men and women with diabetes, 16 weeks of strength training provided dramatic improvements, comparable to taking medication. The study also showed that volunteers increased muscle strength, lost body fat, and gained more self-confidence.
•Other benefits. Studies suggest weight training can help people sleep better and even ease mild to moderate depression.
How can I get started?
You should always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program -- and when you do, expect your doctor to be thrilled with your decision. If you have hypertension, your doctor may want to run a few tests to make sure lifting weights won't cause a dangerous rise in your blood pressure. Fortunately, almost all people with high blood pressure can safely enjoy the benefits of strength training.
Once you get your doctor's go-ahead, you will choose your setting and your equipment. You can join a gym or a university exercise program that offers exercise machines, professional guidance, and lots of socializing, but you can also get an excellent workout at home using barbells, cans of food, or even plastic milk jugs filled with water or gravel. And get advice from a physical trainer before you begin: Instruction on proper technique is very important to help you enjoy the exercise without risking injury
Should seniors lift weights?
The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends weight training for all people over 50, and even people well into their 90s can benefit. A group of nursing home residents ranging in age from 87 to 96 recently improved their muscle strength by almost 180 percent after just eight weeks of weightlifting, also known as strength training. Adding that much strength is almost like rolling back the clock. Even frail elderly people find their balance improves, their walking pace quickens, and stairs become less of a challenge.
Among these elders is Sara, 91, who had a lot of trouble walking after healing from a serious hip fracture. But after starting a weight-lifting program in which she practiced either leg presses or leg curls three times a week, she was able to walk a quarter of a mile without assistance and pedal a stationary bike.
"I feel better physically and mentally; I feel wonderful inside and out," Sara told the authors of the book Successful Aging (Dell, 1999). "I must go for that exercise three times a week, I must. You have to push yourself."
What are the benefits of weightlifting for seniors?
•Improved walking ability. A University of Vermont study of healthy seniors ages 65 to 79 found that subjects could walk almost 40 percent farther without a rest after 12 weeks of weight training. Such endurance can come in handy for your next shopping trip, but there's an even better reason to pep up your gait. Among seniors, insufficient leg strength is a powerful predictor of future disabilities, including the inability to walk. An 89-year-old senior interviewed in Successful Aging said that after two years of weightlifting, "I walk straight instead of shuffling. It gives me lots of energy. My family can't believe it."
•Ease in performing day-to-day tasks. By giving you the strength to handle your daily routines, weightlifting can help you maintain your independence. Researchers at the University of Alabama found that healthy women ages 60 to 77 who lifted weights three hours each week for 16 weeks could carry groceries and get up from a chair with much less effort than before.
•Prevention of broken bones. Weightlifting can protect you from devastating fractures in several ways. For one, the exercises boost your strength, balance, and agility, making it less likely that you'll suffer a nasty fall. A study at Tufts University found that older women who lifted weights for a year improved their balance by 14 percent. (A control group composed of women who didn't lift weights suffered a 9 percent decline in balance in the same year.) Weight training can also build bone mass in the spine and the hip, so it's especially important for people with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
•Relief from arthritis pain. By strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around your joints, weightlifting can dramatically improve your range of motion. It can also cut down on pain by increasing the capability of muscles surrounding the afflicted joint, which eases stress on the joint itself. Arthritis sufferers should begin by using light weights and work up to heavier ones very gradually.
•Weight loss. Lifting weights doesn't burn many calories, but it does rev up your metabolism. Overweight seniors who combine strength training with a healthy diet are almost certain to shed a few pounds.
•Improved glucose control. If you are among the millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes, strength training can help you keep it under control. In one study of Hispanic men and women with diabetes, 16 weeks of strength training provided dramatic improvements, comparable to taking medication. The study also showed that volunteers increased muscle strength, lost body fat, and gained more self-confidence.
•Other benefits. Studies suggest weight training can help people sleep better and even ease mild to moderate depression.
How can I get started?
You should always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program -- and when you do, expect your doctor to be thrilled with your decision. If you have hypertension, your doctor may want to run a few tests to make sure lifting weights won't cause a dangerous rise in your blood pressure. Fortunately, almost all people with high blood pressure can safely enjoy the benefits of strength training.
Once you get your doctor's go-ahead, you will choose your setting and your equipment. You can join a gym or a university exercise program that offers exercise machines, professional guidance, and lots of socializing, but you can also get an excellent workout at home using barbells, cans of food, or even plastic milk jugs filled with water or gravel. And get advice from a physical trainer before you begin: Instruction on proper technique is very important to help you enjoy the exercise without risking injury
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thin on the outside can hide a big problem
I have talked about being TOFI (thin outside, fat inside) before, but it is back in the news more than ever right now.
New research has found that people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim.
They eat too many fatty, sugary foods — and exercise too little to work it off — but they are not eating enough to actually be fat. Scientists believe we naturally accumulate fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
There is an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes with anyone who has increased fat, no matter where it is. This means that normal-weight persons who are sedentary and unfit are at much higher risk for death than obese persons who are active and fit.
MRI's seem to be the only real way to tell if you're TOFI right now, so in order to keep your internal fat deposits at bay then a combination of diet and exercise is the way to go. If you just want to look thin, then maybe all you need to do is diet, but if you want to actually be healthy, then exercise has to be added as well.
New research has found that people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim.
They eat too many fatty, sugary foods — and exercise too little to work it off — but they are not eating enough to actually be fat. Scientists believe we naturally accumulate fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
There is an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes with anyone who has increased fat, no matter where it is. This means that normal-weight persons who are sedentary and unfit are at much higher risk for death than obese persons who are active and fit.
MRI's seem to be the only real way to tell if you're TOFI right now, so in order to keep your internal fat deposits at bay then a combination of diet and exercise is the way to go. If you just want to look thin, then maybe all you need to do is diet, but if you want to actually be healthy, then exercise has to be added as well.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Glycemic load/ glycemic index
Glycemic index is a way of measuring the impact a given amount of carbohydrate has on your blood sugar, something you definitely want to know. But to do a fair comparison, they have to use a fixed amount. In the case of the glycemic index, it's a standard 50 grams of carbohydrate.
Problem is, very few carbohydrate foods in real life are 50-gram portions.
See, if you go to a store to buy spices and there's a spice that's $500 a pound, that sure sounds like a lot of money. But if you're only buying a half-teaspoon of the stuff, it's pretty irrelevant. You want to know what you're going to pay at the register, not necessarily what you'd pay if you bought a pound.
Similarly, you really don't care what the impact of 50 grams is on your blood sugar; you care what the impact of the amount you're actually eating is.
Glycemic load is a more sophisticated formula that takes into account the actual grams of carbs you're eating -- the portion size. The glycemic index of carrots is high, leading a lot of people to think you should never eat carrots, which is a dumb conclusion. Fact is, the average carrot has 3 grams of carbs. You'd have to eat like a giant rabbit to have a significant impact on your blood sugar.
The glycemic load of a carrot, on the other hand, is only 3, making it an extremely low-glycemic food -- unless you're drinking pure carrot juice or eating 13 carrots at a sitting.
Pasta, on the other hand, has a moderate glycemic index, but is almost never eaten in 50-gram portions. Factor in the portion size at a typical Olive Garden and your blood sugar will be on the roof, and stay there for a week. Not surprisingly, the glycemic load of pasta is very high.
The technical formula for glycemic load is GI (glycemic index), multiplied by the number of grams of carbohydrates in the portion, then divided by 100. Low glycemic load is between 1 and 10, medium is between 10 and 20, and anything over 20 is very high.
That said, remember that both glycemic index and glycemic load only refer to the food eaten alone. Add some fat or protein and the total impact goes down. And plenty of high-glycemic foods are good for you (say, carrot juice) while plenty of low-glycemic foods (fried donut holes) are not.
So take glycemic load into account, but don't be a slave to it. It's just one measurement to consider when planning a diet.
Incidentally, athletes in training actually can benefit from high-glycemic foods, especially when they're training twice a day. Mrs. Smith with Metabolic Syndrome... not so much!
Problem is, very few carbohydrate foods in real life are 50-gram portions.
See, if you go to a store to buy spices and there's a spice that's $500 a pound, that sure sounds like a lot of money. But if you're only buying a half-teaspoon of the stuff, it's pretty irrelevant. You want to know what you're going to pay at the register, not necessarily what you'd pay if you bought a pound.
Similarly, you really don't care what the impact of 50 grams is on your blood sugar; you care what the impact of the amount you're actually eating is.
Glycemic load is a more sophisticated formula that takes into account the actual grams of carbs you're eating -- the portion size. The glycemic index of carrots is high, leading a lot of people to think you should never eat carrots, which is a dumb conclusion. Fact is, the average carrot has 3 grams of carbs. You'd have to eat like a giant rabbit to have a significant impact on your blood sugar.
The glycemic load of a carrot, on the other hand, is only 3, making it an extremely low-glycemic food -- unless you're drinking pure carrot juice or eating 13 carrots at a sitting.
Pasta, on the other hand, has a moderate glycemic index, but is almost never eaten in 50-gram portions. Factor in the portion size at a typical Olive Garden and your blood sugar will be on the roof, and stay there for a week. Not surprisingly, the glycemic load of pasta is very high.
The technical formula for glycemic load is GI (glycemic index), multiplied by the number of grams of carbohydrates in the portion, then divided by 100. Low glycemic load is between 1 and 10, medium is between 10 and 20, and anything over 20 is very high.
That said, remember that both glycemic index and glycemic load only refer to the food eaten alone. Add some fat or protein and the total impact goes down. And plenty of high-glycemic foods are good for you (say, carrot juice) while plenty of low-glycemic foods (fried donut holes) are not.
So take glycemic load into account, but don't be a slave to it. It's just one measurement to consider when planning a diet.
Incidentally, athletes in training actually can benefit from high-glycemic foods, especially when they're training twice a day. Mrs. Smith with Metabolic Syndrome... not so much!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Indoor Rowing getting big
The indoor rowing classes are getting fairly popular here at Springfield Health and Fitness Center. We had to turn someone away last week!!
In response to that , beginning on Sept. 15th there will be an additional class each Monday, Wed. and Friday evening. Classes will be at 6 and 7 pm. Be sure to call and reserve an Erg to save your spot. 937-325-9770.
Beginning in Oct. there will be a Saturday, 9am class if there is any interest!!
In response to that , beginning on Sept. 15th there will be an additional class each Monday, Wed. and Friday evening. Classes will be at 6 and 7 pm. Be sure to call and reserve an Erg to save your spot. 937-325-9770.
Beginning in Oct. there will be a Saturday, 9am class if there is any interest!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Exercise 14 hours a week and still gain body fat
How To Gain Body Fat While Exercising 14 Hours A Weekby John Berardi, PhD, CSCS
Exercise Without DietA few weeks back I shared with you an article called "When Exercise Doesn't Work." And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn't have much of an impact on body composition. Even to the tune of 6 hours per week...Even when it's high intensity exercise.......participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.Disheartening, I know. But oh so true.Especially when supported by this new information I'm going to share with you today.More Support For the "No Diet Hypothesis"Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.(Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training)Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here's what he found.2 Hours a Day and They Still Got Fatter!In Dr Homann's study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 - all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections - volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program.The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:
A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitnessHeight, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body compositionShuttle run for agilityStanding jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and enduranceAnd sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibilitySo, what happened?Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That's great!What's not so great is that body composition measures worsened. Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point. Now, I don't know about you. But this isn't exactly what I'd expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!
The USDA Food Pyramid circa 2003(note: the pyramid has since been updated...thank god!)Exercise + The Food PyramidAs you'd imagine, I'm kinda disappointed to learn that it's actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You're probably disappointed too.However, what's even more disappointing is the fact that it's possible while actually following a nutrition plan!Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA - you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.
(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations - for the better. But can you blame me if I'm a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)QuestionsNow, you might have some questions about the study design...as I did when first reading it.
After all, maybe the girls didn't follow the USDA plan to a "T"...Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain...Or maybe being put in a detention center isn't exactly condusive to fat loss in the first place.Well, after speaking with Dr Homann, I'm pretty confident that these factors can't really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA's guidelines, and got fatter.
For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn't much room to cheat.Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can't be explained by simply "getting older" or "puberty".Let's Bottom Line ThisI could probably go on and on here...but I'll spare you that. Instead, I'd like to simply say the following. The data are pouring in. And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise...(although 14 hours a week probably isn't necessary). But, even more importantly, you've got to look after your nutrition - specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can't expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse!So don't leave your nutrition up to chance.
Exercise Without DietA few weeks back I shared with you an article called "When Exercise Doesn't Work." And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn't have much of an impact on body composition. Even to the tune of 6 hours per week...Even when it's high intensity exercise.......participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.Disheartening, I know. But oh so true.Especially when supported by this new information I'm going to share with you today.More Support For the "No Diet Hypothesis"Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.(Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training)Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here's what he found.2 Hours a Day and They Still Got Fatter!In Dr Homann's study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 - all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections - volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program.The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:
A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitnessHeight, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body compositionShuttle run for agilityStanding jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and enduranceAnd sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibilitySo, what happened?Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That's great!What's not so great is that body composition measures worsened. Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point. Now, I don't know about you. But this isn't exactly what I'd expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!
The USDA Food Pyramid circa 2003(note: the pyramid has since been updated...thank god!)Exercise + The Food PyramidAs you'd imagine, I'm kinda disappointed to learn that it's actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You're probably disappointed too.However, what's even more disappointing is the fact that it's possible while actually following a nutrition plan!Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA - you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.
(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations - for the better. But can you blame me if I'm a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)QuestionsNow, you might have some questions about the study design...as I did when first reading it.
After all, maybe the girls didn't follow the USDA plan to a "T"...Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain...Or maybe being put in a detention center isn't exactly condusive to fat loss in the first place.Well, after speaking with Dr Homann, I'm pretty confident that these factors can't really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA's guidelines, and got fatter.
For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn't much room to cheat.Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can't be explained by simply "getting older" or "puberty".Let's Bottom Line ThisI could probably go on and on here...but I'll spare you that. Instead, I'd like to simply say the following. The data are pouring in. And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise...(although 14 hours a week probably isn't necessary). But, even more importantly, you've got to look after your nutrition - specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can't expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse!So don't leave your nutrition up to chance.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Getting ready to compete
I wanted to share with you a diet that a friend of mine who is a figure competitor is using to get ready for a contest. This diet SHOULD preserve her hard fought for muscle while shedding the remaining fat. One trick of the trade is to eat as many green leafy vegetables as possible . Your body will burn more calories trying to digest them and will keep you from getting so hungry you head for the kids corn chips.
Meal 1 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites. 3 oz. canadian bacon, 1/3 cup oatmeal
Meal 2 protein drink
Meal 3 5 oz. any lean meat, 1/2 sweet potato , 1 cup green beans
Meal 4 protein drink
Meal 5 5oz. fish or chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli
Note: free foods that can be eaten in unlimited portions
Sugar free jello-o
Green leafy vegetables
Once a week, free meal to eat what you want ( notice it is meal, not day or the entire weekend)
Meal 1 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites. 3 oz. canadian bacon, 1/3 cup oatmeal
Meal 2 protein drink
Meal 3 5 oz. any lean meat, 1/2 sweet potato , 1 cup green beans
Meal 4 protein drink
Meal 5 5oz. fish or chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli
Note: free foods that can be eaten in unlimited portions
Sugar free jello-o
Green leafy vegetables
Once a week, free meal to eat what you want ( notice it is meal, not day or the entire weekend)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Yoga at Springfield Health and Fitness Center
Yoga
Beginning September 2, 2008
Tuesday 12 to 1PM
Interdisciplinary Yoga Class
By
Jen Ater
Natural Therapeutic Specialist
InnerLight
Yoga & Bodywork
Class fee $10
Private classes for Yoga and Thai massage are available from Jen
Beginning September 2, 2008
Tuesday 12 to 1PM
Interdisciplinary Yoga Class
By
Jen Ater
Natural Therapeutic Specialist
InnerLight
Yoga & Bodywork
Class fee $10
Private classes for Yoga and Thai massage are available from Jen
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Updated Aerobics Schedule !!
Springfield Health and Fitness Center
14 E. Main St. Suite #205
(937) 325-9770
Beginning September 2, 2008!!!
ZUMBA; a low impact dance party set to Latin dance music. GREAT FUN!
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM
Senior Aerobics to increase strength, balance, and agility
Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM
Instructor: Pat Frock
Cardio Kickboxing; a high energy, 45 minute class for advanced exercisers
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 noon
Instructor: Nathan Adkins
Combative Fitness; Lose weight, get conditioned while learning self-defense techniques – all fitness levels
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 AM
Instructor: Jujitsu and Judo black belt Jimmy James
Indoor Concept 2 Rowing; a great workout for endurance, strength and power (reservations required due to small class size)
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 PM
Instructor: Pat Frock
Keep watching for additional classes
Cost: $6 per class ($3 for club members)
Entire month unlimited only $30 ($15 for club members)
14 E. Main St. Suite #205
(937) 325-9770
Beginning September 2, 2008!!!
ZUMBA; a low impact dance party set to Latin dance music. GREAT FUN!
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM
Senior Aerobics to increase strength, balance, and agility
Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM
Instructor: Pat Frock
Cardio Kickboxing; a high energy, 45 minute class for advanced exercisers
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 noon
Instructor: Nathan Adkins
Combative Fitness; Lose weight, get conditioned while learning self-defense techniques – all fitness levels
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 AM
Instructor: Jujitsu and Judo black belt Jimmy James
Indoor Concept 2 Rowing; a great workout for endurance, strength and power (reservations required due to small class size)
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 PM
Instructor: Pat Frock
Keep watching for additional classes
Cost: $6 per class ($3 for club members)
Entire month unlimited only $30 ($15 for club members)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Exciting news for Springfield Health and Fitness
Whew!! What a whirlwind couple of months.
Here's an update.
We have more personal trainers coming on board with a vast array of specialties; i.e. martial arts, combat training, and senior specialists.
The aerobic classes are starting to come together and I hope to have a full line up by Sept. 2nd
So far we have:
Here's an update.
We have more personal trainers coming on board with a vast array of specialties; i.e. martial arts, combat training, and senior specialists.
The aerobic classes are starting to come together and I hope to have a full line up by Sept. 2nd
So far we have:
- Indoor Rowing with Concept 2 ( This class will require a reservation due to small class size)
- Senior aerobics
- Cardio Kickboxing
Keep your eyes open for the full schedule as we begin to close out August.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Free Indoor rowing class
Free Indoor Rowing Class
Springfield Health and Fitness Center
Sat. August 23rd. 10:00 am to 11:30 am!!
Taught by Rick Kip, professional rowing instructor and medaled competitor.
· Is a complete exercise. It exercises all the major muscle groups
· Allows muscles to be exercised through a greater range of motion than other exercises
· Promotes greater flexibility through greater joint movement
· Provides strength and aerobic/anaerobic conditioning
· Does not discriminate against age or gender. It is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed by all ages
· Is time efficient. It does not take much time for a great workout
· Is smooth, rhythmic and impact free
· Is adaptive for the handicapped: Those who are blind deaf and wheelchair bound
· Is both casual and highly competitive
· Is a great calorie burner, better than stationary biking at the same level of exertion
Class size is limited call 937-325-9770 to reserve your rower!!
Springfield Health and Fitness Center
Sat. August 23rd. 10:00 am to 11:30 am!!
Taught by Rick Kip, professional rowing instructor and medaled competitor.
· Is a complete exercise. It exercises all the major muscle groups
· Allows muscles to be exercised through a greater range of motion than other exercises
· Promotes greater flexibility through greater joint movement
· Provides strength and aerobic/anaerobic conditioning
· Does not discriminate against age or gender. It is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed by all ages
· Is time efficient. It does not take much time for a great workout
· Is smooth, rhythmic and impact free
· Is adaptive for the handicapped: Those who are blind deaf and wheelchair bound
· Is both casual and highly competitive
· Is a great calorie burner, better than stationary biking at the same level of exertion
Class size is limited call 937-325-9770 to reserve your rower!!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Do Low Carb Diets Work - Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coachwww.BurnTheFat.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Low Carb Diet Truth
No diet issue has ever created more confusion and controversy than the low carb vs. high carb debate. You are about to finally hear the low carb truth... simplified... But then, you will also hear about a few surprising "twists" to the low carb story!
Contrary to what certain "gurus" tell you, carbohydrates are NOT fattening. If you eat too much of anything, it will get stored as fat. Period. That is the pure essence and scientific truth about fat loss:
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CARBS!!!
IT'S ABOUT THE CALORIES!
But don't throw out your low carb diet just yet!
Reduced carb dieting does seem to have some beneficial effects on weight loss and fat loss, but it may not be for the reasons that most people think! In fact, it may not have anything to do with carbs at all ... it may be about protein and appetite regulation!
Low carbers usually don’t want to admit this - they usually want to insist on “metabolic advantage” - but the fact is, one of the biggest reasons that low carb diets can help improve fat loss is because it's very difficult to overeat when you restrict an entire group of energy dense foods like carbohydrates.
And there we have the truth again - if you eat less because of a low carb diet, you lose weight because you ate less, not because you ate less carbs. Got it? Less carbs = less calories!
Test it for yourself:
See how easy it is to overeat if you are told "eat as much of anything as you want." Then see how hard it is to eat a surplus of calories if you’re told, "eat as much as you want - but only lean protein, salad veggies and green veggies with a little bit of essential fat." You will lose fat like crazy on a diet like that, but it's not necessarily because carbs are low, it’s primarily because the CALORIES are low!
The problem is, most people cannot stay on a diet so restricted in choices. That's why over the long term, low carb diets aren't really much more effective than any other diet.
Appetite control - a legit benefit of low carb diets?
Very low carb diets often tell you not to count calories and they say you can eat as much as you like if you just stick to protein and fat. However, they're making a huge assumption that by restricting carbs and allowing fat intake, your appetite will regulate itself and you will eat less as a result.
That's often exactly what happens with low carb, high fat diets - you tend to eat less automatically - so appetite control appears to be a legitimate benefit of low carb diets. However, there is nothing special about "low carb diets" that allows you to eat unlimited calories. If you eat in a caloric surplus, you are going to gain weight, no matter what the macronutrient composition of the diet.
High thermic effect: A second weight loss advantage of a low carb (higher protein) diet?
Here's another potential advantage: Low carb diets tends to be higher in protein. Since protein has a much higher thermic effect, it can lead to slightly greater fat loss than a diet of the same calorie amount that is high in fat and carbs.
In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005 (93(2): 281-289), researchers followed a group of 113 overweight subjects after 4 weeks of a very low calorie diet, through a 6 month period of weight maintenance. The subjects were divided into a control group and a protein group that was given an extra 30 grams of protein in place of an equal amount of carbs.
The researchers found that the group with the higher protein intake was less likely to regain the lost weight, and any weight gain in the protein group was lean tissue and not fat. The results were attributed to higher thermic effect and a decrease in appetite.
A third advantage to low carbs?
Another potental benefit of carb restriction is better glycemic (blood sugar) control. This may provide some body composition and health advantages for individuals who are carb intolerant or who suffer from "metabolic syndrome" (where the body doesn't process sugar very well and tends to overproduce insulin).
Of course, as with nearly everything in life, there are two sides to every coin...
Disadvantages of low carb diets
1) For most people, strict low carb diets are difficult to stick to.
If you remove most of your carbohydrates from your diet for a long period of time, you're setting yourself up for a relapse. You tend to crave what you cannot have, both physiologically and psychologically. The more you cut the carbs, the easier it is to rebound will be when you put carbs back in.
2) Very low carb diets are often unbalanced and missing many nutrients.
It's still up for debate whether low carb programs like the Atkins diet are unhealthy, but removal of entire good groups such as fruits and 100% whole natural grains is definitely not nutritionally balanced for fiber, phytochemical and micronutrient intake.
3) Very low carb diets may cause low energy levels.
Most people will feel physically tired and mentally irritable without carbs, so their training will usually suffer: Low carbs = low energy. Low energy = poor workouts. Poor workouts = poor results. This makes low carb diets a poor choice for highly active people. The reason I don't recommend "very low" carb diets to my clients is because I am a strong advocate of weight training and cardio training as part of a fitness lifestyle. When you are training hard, you must "feed the machine" and eat to support your activity.
4) The intial rapid weight loss on a very low carb diet can be deceiving.
Much of the initial weight loss on low carbs is water and even lean tissue. If you drop 5-7 lbs in your first week on a low carb diet it sounds impressive, but if one pound is fat, 2-3 pounds are water and 2-3 pounds are muscle, what did you accomplish? Your goal should be fat loss, not "weight" loss.
Taking a lesson from the leanest athletes on Earth
On an interesting side note, I've made an 18-year long study of how the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models get so incredibly lean. One thing I noticed was that almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor uses some variation of the low carb diet to prepare for competitions. Why? because although there are disadvantages, they want those low carb advantages, even if it's a difficult diet to follow.
Most bodybuilders however, use an interesting variation on the traditional low carb diet. It's called "carb cycling," where you increase carbs at regular intervals rather than staying on low carbs all of the time. Carb cycling makes low carb diets safer, more effective and easier to follow.
The bottom line?
Yes, there is something to the low carb diet that helps accelerate fat loss. But in the end, it all comes back to calories and to whether or not you can stick with your program. Ability to comply with a program may be the biggest factor of all in long term success, not the level of carb intake. Low carb diets work primarily because they make you eat less. Eat too much and you gain weight, regardless of whether it's protein, carbs or fat.
My advice is not to jump into a low carb diet without reason, but to assess whether you are a good candidate for this type of approach. Then, if you decide to try the low carb approach, it's best used temporarily to break a plateau or reach a peak and it appears that a small reduction in carbs with a slight increase in protein is enough to get most of the benefits of low carb diets.
Cutting out carbs completely (or even dropping all the way to 20-30 grams a day as some programs advise in the beginning), is not necessary, it's hard to stick to and is probably not healthy in the long term. It's usually not wise to go to extremes in anything and that's as true for nutrition as anything else in life: moderation is the key..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Low Carb Diet Truth
No diet issue has ever created more confusion and controversy than the low carb vs. high carb debate. You are about to finally hear the low carb truth... simplified... But then, you will also hear about a few surprising "twists" to the low carb story!
Contrary to what certain "gurus" tell you, carbohydrates are NOT fattening. If you eat too much of anything, it will get stored as fat. Period. That is the pure essence and scientific truth about fat loss:
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CARBS!!!
IT'S ABOUT THE CALORIES!
But don't throw out your low carb diet just yet!
Reduced carb dieting does seem to have some beneficial effects on weight loss and fat loss, but it may not be for the reasons that most people think! In fact, it may not have anything to do with carbs at all ... it may be about protein and appetite regulation!
Low carbers usually don’t want to admit this - they usually want to insist on “metabolic advantage” - but the fact is, one of the biggest reasons that low carb diets can help improve fat loss is because it's very difficult to overeat when you restrict an entire group of energy dense foods like carbohydrates.
And there we have the truth again - if you eat less because of a low carb diet, you lose weight because you ate less, not because you ate less carbs. Got it? Less carbs = less calories!
Test it for yourself:
See how easy it is to overeat if you are told "eat as much of anything as you want." Then see how hard it is to eat a surplus of calories if you’re told, "eat as much as you want - but only lean protein, salad veggies and green veggies with a little bit of essential fat." You will lose fat like crazy on a diet like that, but it's not necessarily because carbs are low, it’s primarily because the CALORIES are low!
The problem is, most people cannot stay on a diet so restricted in choices. That's why over the long term, low carb diets aren't really much more effective than any other diet.
Appetite control - a legit benefit of low carb diets?
Very low carb diets often tell you not to count calories and they say you can eat as much as you like if you just stick to protein and fat. However, they're making a huge assumption that by restricting carbs and allowing fat intake, your appetite will regulate itself and you will eat less as a result.
That's often exactly what happens with low carb, high fat diets - you tend to eat less automatically - so appetite control appears to be a legitimate benefit of low carb diets. However, there is nothing special about "low carb diets" that allows you to eat unlimited calories. If you eat in a caloric surplus, you are going to gain weight, no matter what the macronutrient composition of the diet.
High thermic effect: A second weight loss advantage of a low carb (higher protein) diet?
Here's another potential advantage: Low carb diets tends to be higher in protein. Since protein has a much higher thermic effect, it can lead to slightly greater fat loss than a diet of the same calorie amount that is high in fat and carbs.
In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005 (93(2): 281-289), researchers followed a group of 113 overweight subjects after 4 weeks of a very low calorie diet, through a 6 month period of weight maintenance. The subjects were divided into a control group and a protein group that was given an extra 30 grams of protein in place of an equal amount of carbs.
The researchers found that the group with the higher protein intake was less likely to regain the lost weight, and any weight gain in the protein group was lean tissue and not fat. The results were attributed to higher thermic effect and a decrease in appetite.
A third advantage to low carbs?
Another potental benefit of carb restriction is better glycemic (blood sugar) control. This may provide some body composition and health advantages for individuals who are carb intolerant or who suffer from "metabolic syndrome" (where the body doesn't process sugar very well and tends to overproduce insulin).
Of course, as with nearly everything in life, there are two sides to every coin...
Disadvantages of low carb diets
1) For most people, strict low carb diets are difficult to stick to.
If you remove most of your carbohydrates from your diet for a long period of time, you're setting yourself up for a relapse. You tend to crave what you cannot have, both physiologically and psychologically. The more you cut the carbs, the easier it is to rebound will be when you put carbs back in.
2) Very low carb diets are often unbalanced and missing many nutrients.
It's still up for debate whether low carb programs like the Atkins diet are unhealthy, but removal of entire good groups such as fruits and 100% whole natural grains is definitely not nutritionally balanced for fiber, phytochemical and micronutrient intake.
3) Very low carb diets may cause low energy levels.
Most people will feel physically tired and mentally irritable without carbs, so their training will usually suffer: Low carbs = low energy. Low energy = poor workouts. Poor workouts = poor results. This makes low carb diets a poor choice for highly active people. The reason I don't recommend "very low" carb diets to my clients is because I am a strong advocate of weight training and cardio training as part of a fitness lifestyle. When you are training hard, you must "feed the machine" and eat to support your activity.
4) The intial rapid weight loss on a very low carb diet can be deceiving.
Much of the initial weight loss on low carbs is water and even lean tissue. If you drop 5-7 lbs in your first week on a low carb diet it sounds impressive, but if one pound is fat, 2-3 pounds are water and 2-3 pounds are muscle, what did you accomplish? Your goal should be fat loss, not "weight" loss.
Taking a lesson from the leanest athletes on Earth
On an interesting side note, I've made an 18-year long study of how the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models get so incredibly lean. One thing I noticed was that almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor uses some variation of the low carb diet to prepare for competitions. Why? because although there are disadvantages, they want those low carb advantages, even if it's a difficult diet to follow.
Most bodybuilders however, use an interesting variation on the traditional low carb diet. It's called "carb cycling," where you increase carbs at regular intervals rather than staying on low carbs all of the time. Carb cycling makes low carb diets safer, more effective and easier to follow.
The bottom line?
Yes, there is something to the low carb diet that helps accelerate fat loss. But in the end, it all comes back to calories and to whether or not you can stick with your program. Ability to comply with a program may be the biggest factor of all in long term success, not the level of carb intake. Low carb diets work primarily because they make you eat less. Eat too much and you gain weight, regardless of whether it's protein, carbs or fat.
My advice is not to jump into a low carb diet without reason, but to assess whether you are a good candidate for this type of approach. Then, if you decide to try the low carb approach, it's best used temporarily to break a plateau or reach a peak and it appears that a small reduction in carbs with a slight increase in protein is enough to get most of the benefits of low carb diets.
Cutting out carbs completely (or even dropping all the way to 20-30 grams a day as some programs advise in the beginning), is not necessary, it's hard to stick to and is probably not healthy in the long term. It's usually not wise to go to extremes in anything and that's as true for nutrition as anything else in life: moderation is the key..
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The quick fix disease
One of my favorite motivational speakers is Brian Tracy, who is one of the world's top experts on success psychology and personal achievement.
I recently attended a seminar Brian held here in New York City. One part of his talk really grabbed my attention, and I'd like to share it with you because it could profoundly affect whether you succeed or fail in your body transformation goals...
Brian said that there are two diseases running rampant across America and much of the industrialized world today. If you had to guess, which two do you think they are? Cancer? Diabetes? Heart Disease? Osteoporosis? Obesity?
Nope. None of the above. In fact, they're not even physical diseases - they are mental diseases.
The first mental disease, according to Tracy, is called something-for-nothing disease.
Something for nothing disease is contracted by people who believe they can take more out than what they put in. These are the people who want all the rewards without paying full price, or as Brian put it, "They want to go through the revolving door of life on someone else's push."
Quick fix disease is the second of the mental diseases. According to Brian, this disease is contracted by people who always want a quick way to reach their goals.
They search for instant cures to solve problems that may have taken months or even years to develop. They seek short cuts to acquire key skills that actually take many months and years of hard work to master.
These diseases are not to be confused with the desire to constantly get better and search for more efficient ways to reach your goals (which is a positive trait). The "diseased" people are those trying to reach their goals faster than nature intended or without any effort (which is a negative trait).
Brian's New York City seminar was mostly filled with businesspeople and sales professionals, so he gave financial examples, such as: wanting to work fewer hours while earning more money, investing in get-rich-quick schemes, or buying lottery tickets.
However, I believe that quick fix and something for nothing disease are more rampant and insidious among people with fitness goals than any other group.
Health and fitness seekers with something for nothing disease think they can get twice the results in half the time. They want weight loss without dieting, fitness without exercise, and perfect health while eating, drinking and smoking whatever they want.
Those with quick fix disease want to take a pill, go to sleep, and wake up skinny. They are forever on a quest to bypass hard work and find short cuts to fitness goals that that normally take months or years to attain.
People afflicted by quick fix disease are suckers for the latest "exercise in a bottle," "fat burning cream," "diet pill," or "steroid replacement" scams. They impulsively buy miracle solutions on a whim, which they haven't researched and know nothing about.
Saddest of all, they often waste YEARS of their lives on a misguided quest for the holy grail of fitness, when they could have reached their goals with a better work ethic and a little bit of persistence.
People with these diseases are violating the most basic laws of the universe: Cause and effect, sowing and reaping, action and reaction. This is just as ridiculous as attempting to violate the law of gravity. Jump off a cliff, and you're going to plummet to the Earth below - 100% of the time.
Not only will you fail and hit bottom if you catch one or both of these diseases - the very act of seeking a quick fix or wanting something for nothing makes you a weaker person.
On the other hand, the act of setting a worthy goal for something you want and reaching it through determination, discipline and hard work changes the very fiber of your being and you become a stronger person, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
It's been said you don't get what you want in life, you get what you deserve. If you want success and achievement... If you want to lose weight, improve your health and transform your body, then set the goals and go for it!
But whatever you do, don't catch these two diseases. Avoid the quick fixes, work hard at it, and deserve it. You can have, do or be anything you want... you can have the body you want! Just pay the price and it's yours!
Burning fat and transforming your body is simple, but it's not easy. You gotta work at it. But if you're willing to put the work in, you will take out the rewards!
I recently attended a seminar Brian held here in New York City. One part of his talk really grabbed my attention, and I'd like to share it with you because it could profoundly affect whether you succeed or fail in your body transformation goals...
Brian said that there are two diseases running rampant across America and much of the industrialized world today. If you had to guess, which two do you think they are? Cancer? Diabetes? Heart Disease? Osteoporosis? Obesity?
Nope. None of the above. In fact, they're not even physical diseases - they are mental diseases.
The first mental disease, according to Tracy, is called something-for-nothing disease.
Something for nothing disease is contracted by people who believe they can take more out than what they put in. These are the people who want all the rewards without paying full price, or as Brian put it, "They want to go through the revolving door of life on someone else's push."
Quick fix disease is the second of the mental diseases. According to Brian, this disease is contracted by people who always want a quick way to reach their goals.
They search for instant cures to solve problems that may have taken months or even years to develop. They seek short cuts to acquire key skills that actually take many months and years of hard work to master.
These diseases are not to be confused with the desire to constantly get better and search for more efficient ways to reach your goals (which is a positive trait). The "diseased" people are those trying to reach their goals faster than nature intended or without any effort (which is a negative trait).
Brian's New York City seminar was mostly filled with businesspeople and sales professionals, so he gave financial examples, such as: wanting to work fewer hours while earning more money, investing in get-rich-quick schemes, or buying lottery tickets.
However, I believe that quick fix and something for nothing disease are more rampant and insidious among people with fitness goals than any other group.
Health and fitness seekers with something for nothing disease think they can get twice the results in half the time. They want weight loss without dieting, fitness without exercise, and perfect health while eating, drinking and smoking whatever they want.
Those with quick fix disease want to take a pill, go to sleep, and wake up skinny. They are forever on a quest to bypass hard work and find short cuts to fitness goals that that normally take months or years to attain.
People afflicted by quick fix disease are suckers for the latest "exercise in a bottle," "fat burning cream," "diet pill," or "steroid replacement" scams. They impulsively buy miracle solutions on a whim, which they haven't researched and know nothing about.
Saddest of all, they often waste YEARS of their lives on a misguided quest for the holy grail of fitness, when they could have reached their goals with a better work ethic and a little bit of persistence.
People with these diseases are violating the most basic laws of the universe: Cause and effect, sowing and reaping, action and reaction. This is just as ridiculous as attempting to violate the law of gravity. Jump off a cliff, and you're going to plummet to the Earth below - 100% of the time.
Not only will you fail and hit bottom if you catch one or both of these diseases - the very act of seeking a quick fix or wanting something for nothing makes you a weaker person.
On the other hand, the act of setting a worthy goal for something you want and reaching it through determination, discipline and hard work changes the very fiber of your being and you become a stronger person, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
It's been said you don't get what you want in life, you get what you deserve. If you want success and achievement... If you want to lose weight, improve your health and transform your body, then set the goals and go for it!
But whatever you do, don't catch these two diseases. Avoid the quick fixes, work hard at it, and deserve it. You can have, do or be anything you want... you can have the body you want! Just pay the price and it's yours!
Burning fat and transforming your body is simple, but it's not easy. You gotta work at it. But if you're willing to put the work in, you will take out the rewards!
Monday, July 21, 2008
124 reasons not to eat sugar
Contributed by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., www.nancyappleton.comAuthor of the book "Lick The Sugar Habit"
In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences
from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.
Sugar can suppress the immune system
Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body
Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides
Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)
Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose
Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins
Sugar leads to chromium deficiency
Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostrate, and rectum
Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose
Sugar causes copper deficiency
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium
Sugar can weaken eyesight
Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia
Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract
Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children
Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease
Sugar can cause premature aging
Sugar can lead to alcoholism
Sugar can cause tooth decay
Sugar contributes to obesity
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis
Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers
Sugar can cause arthritis
Sugar can cause asthma
Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)
Sugar can cause gallstones
Sugar can cause heart disease
Sugar can cause appendicitis
Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis
Sugar can cause hemorrhoids
Sugar can cause varicose veins
Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis
Sugar contributes to saliva acidity
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity
Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E in the blood
Sugar can decrease growth hormone
Sugar can increase cholesterol
Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children
High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non- enzymatically to protein)
Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein
Sugar causes food allergies
Sugar can contribute to diabetes
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children
Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease
Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
Sugar can change the structure of protein
Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen
Sugar can cause cataracts
Sugar can cause emphysema
Sugar can cause atherosclerosis
Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL)
High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body
Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function
Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease
Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body
Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide
Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney
Sugar can damage the pancreas
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention
Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement
Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness)
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries
Sugar can make the tendons more brittle
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine
Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women
Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves
Sugar can cause depression
Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer
Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion)
Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout
Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates
Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets
High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity
Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol
Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease
Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive
Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones
Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli
Sugar can lead to dizziness
Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress
High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion
High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer
Sugar feeds cancer
High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant
High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents
Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract
Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon
Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men
Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more dificult
Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer
Sugar is an addictive substance
Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol
Sugar can exacerbate PMS
Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce
Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability
The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch
The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects
Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition
Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function
Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases
I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain
High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer
Sugar increases the risk of polio
High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures
Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people
In Intensive Care Units: Limiting sugar saves lives
Sugar may induce cell death
Sugar may impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in living organisms
In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior
Sugar can cause gastric cancer
Sugar dehydrates newborns
Sugar can cause gum disease
Sugar increases the estradiol in young men
Sugar can cause low birth weight babies
In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences
from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.
Sugar can suppress the immune system
Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body
Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides
Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)
Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose
Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins
Sugar leads to chromium deficiency
Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostrate, and rectum
Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose
Sugar causes copper deficiency
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium
Sugar can weaken eyesight
Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia
Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract
Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children
Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease
Sugar can cause premature aging
Sugar can lead to alcoholism
Sugar can cause tooth decay
Sugar contributes to obesity
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis
Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers
Sugar can cause arthritis
Sugar can cause asthma
Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)
Sugar can cause gallstones
Sugar can cause heart disease
Sugar can cause appendicitis
Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis
Sugar can cause hemorrhoids
Sugar can cause varicose veins
Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis
Sugar contributes to saliva acidity
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity
Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E in the blood
Sugar can decrease growth hormone
Sugar can increase cholesterol
Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children
High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non- enzymatically to protein)
Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein
Sugar causes food allergies
Sugar can contribute to diabetes
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children
Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease
Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
Sugar can change the structure of protein
Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen
Sugar can cause cataracts
Sugar can cause emphysema
Sugar can cause atherosclerosis
Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL)
High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body
Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function
Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease
Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body
Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide
Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney
Sugar can damage the pancreas
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention
Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement
Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness)
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries
Sugar can make the tendons more brittle
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine
Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women
Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves
Sugar can cause depression
Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer
Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion)
Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout
Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates
Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets
High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity
Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol
Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease
Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive
Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones
Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli
Sugar can lead to dizziness
Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress
High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion
High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer
Sugar feeds cancer
High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant
High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents
Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract
Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon
Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men
Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more dificult
Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer
Sugar is an addictive substance
Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol
Sugar can exacerbate PMS
Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce
Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability
The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch
The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects
Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition
Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function
Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases
I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain
High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer
Sugar increases the risk of polio
High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures
Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people
In Intensive Care Units: Limiting sugar saves lives
Sugar may induce cell death
Sugar may impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in living organisms
In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior
Sugar can cause gastric cancer
Sugar dehydrates newborns
Sugar can cause gum disease
Sugar increases the estradiol in young men
Sugar can cause low birth weight babies
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Selecting a Diet Plan
Selecting a Diet Plan
Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial
Are you ready to diet? Again? Diets entice us with promises of quick weight loss. But the people we know who eat well and look healthy aren't dieting at all. They have simply adopted good eating habits.
Diets can be so restrictive that they set you up for failure. Some are so low in caloric intake that you literally don't have the energy to continue with them. And while most diets produce quick weight loss at the outset, they often cause your metabolism to slow.
The result is that you have to eat less and less to keep losing weight. You quickly become discouraged, give up, and start eating like you used to. But now, with a slower metabolism, you regain all the weight you lost, and more.
Many Diet Plans Are Designed for Temporary Use and Lead to Temporary Weight Loss
You do not need to join a commercial diet program, purchase special foods or dietary supplements, or use diet pills to succeed at weight loss. In fact, the best thing that you could do would be to start eating healthy right now and continue to do so for the rest of your life.
Of course very few people could do such a thing, so think of a diet or the use of diet aids as tools to help you get started. A good diet plan can teach you how to eat well and give you a jump-start toward meeting your goals.
But whatever path you choose to follow now, your goal should be to make it on your own at some point down the road. Many diet plans are designed for temporary use during weight loss, but only sound knowledge put to practice will provide a permanent solution.
A good diet plan will be healthy from the start, and will be based on principles that you can follow for a lifetime. In fact, if you have found the right diet plan, it will be one that you will want to follow for a lifetime.
Most All Diet Plans Work
Follow almost any diet plan and you will lose weight. This is because whether you are counting calories, fat, or carbohydrates, or restricting certain types of food, you are ultimately restricting the number of calories you consume. The formula for losing weight is very simple: Consume fewer calories than you burn.
So, what should you eat? You would likely do well to eat mostly fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas), and limited amounts of lean animal protein (reduced-fat dairy, fish, chicken, and lean cuts of other meats). Also choose whole and natural foods over processed foods whenever possible. Foods with good nutritional value are not only healthy, they help you lose weight.
The above paragraph describes a commonly accepted, healthy way of eating that for most people will result in weight loss and improved health. But there are many diet plans to choose from.
Finding the Right Diet Plan
After learning the fundamentals of diet and weight loss you will be able to choose the diet plan, or simply a healthier way to eat, that is right for you. You will be able to steer clear of marketing gimmicks and promises of short term results, and find a solution based on sound, realistic and healthy principles.
While diet trends come and go, the most basic form of dieting, the low calorie diet, will always be popular. It is based on simply reducing the number of calories you consume. Recent diet trends include the low fat diet and, most recently, the low carb diet. Following this topic you will find:
The Low Calorie Diet
The Low Fat Diet
The Low Carb Diet
In addition, we recommend that you read the following book:
Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: A vegetarian-optional diet plan based on eating highly nutritious, low calorie foods.
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto: A diet and exercise plan that teaches you how to lose fat without losing muscle and causing your metabolism to slow and weight loss to stop.
Whether or not you choose to follow either of these two diet plans, we believe that reading them will have a positive, lifelong influence on your eating habits, weight, and health.
Take It Easy
Unless you are excited to be following a very specific diet and exercise plan, do not try and change too much too fast. If you have been eating poorly and not exercising, both your body and your mind will have a lot of adjusting to do.
All the sugar and fat were actually quite enjoyable, and sitting on the couch didn't feel too bad, either. If you try and change everything too quickly the odds are greater that you will feel bad, get discouraged, and give up. So be patient.
A time will come when a healthy snack will taste as good as the junk food you felt bad about eating, and you will look forward to your regular exercise. I promise
Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial
Are you ready to diet? Again? Diets entice us with promises of quick weight loss. But the people we know who eat well and look healthy aren't dieting at all. They have simply adopted good eating habits.
Diets can be so restrictive that they set you up for failure. Some are so low in caloric intake that you literally don't have the energy to continue with them. And while most diets produce quick weight loss at the outset, they often cause your metabolism to slow.
The result is that you have to eat less and less to keep losing weight. You quickly become discouraged, give up, and start eating like you used to. But now, with a slower metabolism, you regain all the weight you lost, and more.
Many Diet Plans Are Designed for Temporary Use and Lead to Temporary Weight Loss
You do not need to join a commercial diet program, purchase special foods or dietary supplements, or use diet pills to succeed at weight loss. In fact, the best thing that you could do would be to start eating healthy right now and continue to do so for the rest of your life.
Of course very few people could do such a thing, so think of a diet or the use of diet aids as tools to help you get started. A good diet plan can teach you how to eat well and give you a jump-start toward meeting your goals.
But whatever path you choose to follow now, your goal should be to make it on your own at some point down the road. Many diet plans are designed for temporary use during weight loss, but only sound knowledge put to practice will provide a permanent solution.
A good diet plan will be healthy from the start, and will be based on principles that you can follow for a lifetime. In fact, if you have found the right diet plan, it will be one that you will want to follow for a lifetime.
Most All Diet Plans Work
Follow almost any diet plan and you will lose weight. This is because whether you are counting calories, fat, or carbohydrates, or restricting certain types of food, you are ultimately restricting the number of calories you consume. The formula for losing weight is very simple: Consume fewer calories than you burn.
So, what should you eat? You would likely do well to eat mostly fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas), and limited amounts of lean animal protein (reduced-fat dairy, fish, chicken, and lean cuts of other meats). Also choose whole and natural foods over processed foods whenever possible. Foods with good nutritional value are not only healthy, they help you lose weight.
The above paragraph describes a commonly accepted, healthy way of eating that for most people will result in weight loss and improved health. But there are many diet plans to choose from.
Finding the Right Diet Plan
After learning the fundamentals of diet and weight loss you will be able to choose the diet plan, or simply a healthier way to eat, that is right for you. You will be able to steer clear of marketing gimmicks and promises of short term results, and find a solution based on sound, realistic and healthy principles.
While diet trends come and go, the most basic form of dieting, the low calorie diet, will always be popular. It is based on simply reducing the number of calories you consume. Recent diet trends include the low fat diet and, most recently, the low carb diet. Following this topic you will find:
The Low Calorie Diet
The Low Fat Diet
The Low Carb Diet
In addition, we recommend that you read the following book:
Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: A vegetarian-optional diet plan based on eating highly nutritious, low calorie foods.
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto: A diet and exercise plan that teaches you how to lose fat without losing muscle and causing your metabolism to slow and weight loss to stop.
Whether or not you choose to follow either of these two diet plans, we believe that reading them will have a positive, lifelong influence on your eating habits, weight, and health.
Take It Easy
Unless you are excited to be following a very specific diet and exercise plan, do not try and change too much too fast. If you have been eating poorly and not exercising, both your body and your mind will have a lot of adjusting to do.
All the sugar and fat were actually quite enjoyable, and sitting on the couch didn't feel too bad, either. If you try and change everything too quickly the odds are greater that you will feel bad, get discouraged, and give up. So be patient.
A time will come when a healthy snack will taste as good as the junk food you felt bad about eating, and you will look forward to your regular exercise. I promise
Friday, July 11, 2008
What to buy organic
Things to Buy Organic
Fruits and Vegetables:
With fruits and vegetables, many of them contain thin or edible skins than cab contain pesticide residue. In addition, some of them have to be heavily sprayed due to their high level of pests.
Check here for a list of fruits and vegetables ranks in order of most or least pesticide load: http://foodnews.org/
(Arranged in order of highest to lowest pesticide load) Fruits: Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes, Pears, Raspberries, Plums, Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe, Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Blueberries
(Arranged in order of highest to lowest pesticide load) Vegetables: Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes
Other:
Fair Trade Certified Coffee Beans: Check out this site to find out where to buy them: http://www.transfairusa.org/content/WhereToBuy/
Milk: Check this site for a rated list of organic milk and other organic diary products. http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
Meat: Organic meat is free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO). These animals are raised more ethically and humanely, meaning they are allowed to range freely and not confined to pens. In addition, the land that they eat from and live on uses no or less chemicals as well.
Search the web or take a look in your local paper to find a local farmers market or organic farm.
Fruits and Vegetables:
With fruits and vegetables, many of them contain thin or edible skins than cab contain pesticide residue. In addition, some of them have to be heavily sprayed due to their high level of pests.
Check here for a list of fruits and vegetables ranks in order of most or least pesticide load: http://foodnews.org/
(Arranged in order of highest to lowest pesticide load) Fruits: Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes, Pears, Raspberries, Plums, Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe, Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Blueberries
(Arranged in order of highest to lowest pesticide load) Vegetables: Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes
Other:
Fair Trade Certified Coffee Beans: Check out this site to find out where to buy them: http://www.transfairusa.org/content/WhereToBuy/
Milk: Check this site for a rated list of organic milk and other organic diary products. http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
Meat: Organic meat is free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO). These animals are raised more ethically and humanely, meaning they are allowed to range freely and not confined to pens. In addition, the land that they eat from and live on uses no or less chemicals as well.
Search the web or take a look in your local paper to find a local farmers market or organic farm.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
South Beach Diet Phase I
I have been getting some requests for a condensed version of popular diets so one doesn't have to read the whole book to get the guts of the program. We will start with South Beach.
South Beach Diet phase 1 is the strictest but most effective one. You can lose up to 13 lbs in two weeks. The objective here is to put the insulin level under control and thus lose weight and eliminate the unhealthy cravings (for sweets, baked goods and food containing starches).
During Phase 1 six meals a day are allowed: three main meals and three snacks, based on protein, good fats and the lowest-glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. The quantity will be enough to satisfy hunger — normal size meals.
Allowed foods
meat and nuts — tenderloin, sirloin, boiled ham, peanuts and pistachios,
poultry — skinless chicken or turkey breasts, turkey bacon,
all types of fish, whole eggs,
fat-free cheeses,
green vegetables, legumes — salad, tomatoes, zucchini, snow peas, cucumbers, broccoli, and asparagus,
canola and olive oils,
lots of water.
Foods to avoid
meat beef rib steaks, honey-baked ham, breast of veal,
all dairy products except low fat cheeses — all yogurt, ice cream, milk including whole, low-fat, soy, and full fat cheeses,
carbohydrate-laden vegetables — beets, carrots, corn, potatoes,
fruits and fruit juices,
all alcohol,
all starchy foods such as bread, cereal, oatmeal, matzo, rice, pasta, pastries, baked goods, crackers, etc.
sweets or sugar — candy, cake, cookies, ice cream
These foods will be reintroduced into your diet again after phase 1 (two weeks). During these weeks you will lose some weight and your body will use insulin more efficiently so that when the carbs will be re-introduced your body will be able to deal with them better.
South Beach Diet phase 1 is the strictest but most effective one. You can lose up to 13 lbs in two weeks. The objective here is to put the insulin level under control and thus lose weight and eliminate the unhealthy cravings (for sweets, baked goods and food containing starches).
During Phase 1 six meals a day are allowed: three main meals and three snacks, based on protein, good fats and the lowest-glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. The quantity will be enough to satisfy hunger — normal size meals.
Allowed foods
meat and nuts — tenderloin, sirloin, boiled ham, peanuts and pistachios,
poultry — skinless chicken or turkey breasts, turkey bacon,
all types of fish, whole eggs,
fat-free cheeses,
green vegetables, legumes — salad, tomatoes, zucchini, snow peas, cucumbers, broccoli, and asparagus,
canola and olive oils,
lots of water.
Foods to avoid
meat beef rib steaks, honey-baked ham, breast of veal,
all dairy products except low fat cheeses — all yogurt, ice cream, milk including whole, low-fat, soy, and full fat cheeses,
carbohydrate-laden vegetables — beets, carrots, corn, potatoes,
fruits and fruit juices,
all alcohol,
all starchy foods such as bread, cereal, oatmeal, matzo, rice, pasta, pastries, baked goods, crackers, etc.
sweets or sugar — candy, cake, cookies, ice cream
These foods will be reintroduced into your diet again after phase 1 (two weeks). During these weeks you will lose some weight and your body will use insulin more efficiently so that when the carbs will be re-introduced your body will be able to deal with them better.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Beat the Bloat - Biggest Loser Trainer
Friday July 04
Welcome to Losing It with Jillian Michaels, the newsletter designed to help you shed pounds, increase energy, and finally get fit for life! Beat the Bloat You know sodium best as table salt, but salt and sodium are hidden in all kinds of products, including packaged foods, fast foods, frozen foods, canned foods, and condiments, to name a few.
When you eat sodium, the excess sodium is deposited just beneath the skin where it attracts water, which is retained in your cells. This makes you look puffy and feel bloated.
You don't have to make yourself crazy over this, because there is sodium in everything! But here are a few tips:
Read labels to check the sodium content of what you're eating.
Replace processed foods with fresh.
Avoid prepackaged and canned foods.
Be wary of salt-laden condiments and use very little soy sauce, mustard, and table salt.
Go easy on dairy, and avoid processed meat (hot dogs, jerky, bologna, corned beef), anything pickled (pickles, capers, sauerkraut), relish, ketchup, and butter. Here are some sodium-free substitutes you can use instead: garlic, lemon, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, basil, cayenne, chili powder, cilantro, cumin, curry, dill, garlic powder, ginger, lemon, lime, mint, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.
Welcome to Losing It with Jillian Michaels, the newsletter designed to help you shed pounds, increase energy, and finally get fit for life! Beat the Bloat You know sodium best as table salt, but salt and sodium are hidden in all kinds of products, including packaged foods, fast foods, frozen foods, canned foods, and condiments, to name a few.
When you eat sodium, the excess sodium is deposited just beneath the skin where it attracts water, which is retained in your cells. This makes you look puffy and feel bloated.
You don't have to make yourself crazy over this, because there is sodium in everything! But here are a few tips:
Read labels to check the sodium content of what you're eating.
Replace processed foods with fresh.
Avoid prepackaged and canned foods.
Be wary of salt-laden condiments and use very little soy sauce, mustard, and table salt.
Go easy on dairy, and avoid processed meat (hot dogs, jerky, bologna, corned beef), anything pickled (pickles, capers, sauerkraut), relish, ketchup, and butter. Here are some sodium-free substitutes you can use instead: garlic, lemon, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, basil, cayenne, chili powder, cilantro, cumin, curry, dill, garlic powder, ginger, lemon, lime, mint, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Power Program
CLANCY ROSS' POWER PROGRAM
5 Days per week
1 hour per workout
20 sets per exercise
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Exercises:
Day #1 - Bench Press
Day #2 - Deadlift
Day #3 - Cheat Curl
Day # - Parallel Squat
Day #5 - Power Row (Bent Row)
Set:
1: 5 - reps at 0 - 70% of your one rep max
2: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
3: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
4: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
5: 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
6: 2 - 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
7: 2 - 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
8: 2 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
9: 1 - 2 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
10: 1 rep with 5 - 10 lbs more (this should be your
one reps max)
REST 5 MINUTES
Set
11: 1 rep with same weight as set 10
12: to failure with 10 lbs less
13: to failure with 10 lbs less
14 : to failure with 10 lbs less
15: to failure with 10 lbs less
16 : to failure with 10 lbs less
17: to failure with 10 lbs less
18: to failure with 10 lbs less
19: to failure with 50 lbs less
20: same as set 19
5 Days per week
1 hour per workout
20 sets per exercise
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Exercises:
Day #1 - Bench Press
Day #2 - Deadlift
Day #3 - Cheat Curl
Day # - Parallel Squat
Day #5 - Power Row (Bent Row)
Set:
1: 5 - reps at 0 - 70% of your one rep max
2: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
3: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
4: 3 - reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
5: 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
6: 2 - 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
7: 2 - 3 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
8: 2 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
9: 1 - 2 reps with 5 - 10 lbs more
10: 1 rep with 5 - 10 lbs more (this should be your
one reps max)
REST 5 MINUTES
Set
11: 1 rep with same weight as set 10
12: to failure with 10 lbs less
13: to failure with 10 lbs less
14 : to failure with 10 lbs less
15: to failure with 10 lbs less
16 : to failure with 10 lbs less
17: to failure with 10 lbs less
18: to failure with 10 lbs less
19: to failure with 50 lbs less
20: same as set 19
Friday, June 20, 2008
Goals to get lean
.
1. Set the big goal and go for it. If your goal doesn’t excite you and scare you at the same time, your goal is too small. If you don’t feel fear or uncertainty, you’re inside your comfort zone. Puny goals aren’t motivating. Sometimes it takes a competition or a big challenge of some kind to get your blood boiling.
2. Align your values with your goals. I understood my values and made a decision to be congruent with who I really was and who I wanted to be. When you know your values, get your priorities straight and align your goals with your values, then doing what it takes is easy.
3. Do the math. Stop looking for magic. A lean body does not come from any particular type of exercise or foods per se, it’s the calories burned vs calories consumed that determines fat loss or fat gain. You might do better by decreasing the calories consumed, whereas I depended more on increasing the calories burned, but either way, it’s still a math equation. Deny it at your own risk.
4. Get social support. Support and encouragement from your friends can help get you through anything. Real time accountability to a training partner or trainer can make all the difference.
5. Be consistent. Nothing will ever work if you don’t work at it every day. Sporadic efforts don’t just produce sporadic results, sometimes they produce zero results.
6. Persist through difficulty and self doubt. If you think it’s going to be smooth sailing all the way with no ups and downs, you’re fooling yourself.. For every sunny day, there’s going to be a storm. If you can’t weather the storms, you’ll never reach new shores.
7. Redeem yourself. Non-achievers sit on the couch and wallow in past failures. Winners use past failures as motivational rocket fuel. It always feels good to achieve a goal, but nothing feels as good as achieving a goal with redemption.
1. Set the big goal and go for it. If your goal doesn’t excite you and scare you at the same time, your goal is too small. If you don’t feel fear or uncertainty, you’re inside your comfort zone. Puny goals aren’t motivating. Sometimes it takes a competition or a big challenge of some kind to get your blood boiling.
2. Align your values with your goals. I understood my values and made a decision to be congruent with who I really was and who I wanted to be. When you know your values, get your priorities straight and align your goals with your values, then doing what it takes is easy.
3. Do the math. Stop looking for magic. A lean body does not come from any particular type of exercise or foods per se, it’s the calories burned vs calories consumed that determines fat loss or fat gain. You might do better by decreasing the calories consumed, whereas I depended more on increasing the calories burned, but either way, it’s still a math equation. Deny it at your own risk.
4. Get social support. Support and encouragement from your friends can help get you through anything. Real time accountability to a training partner or trainer can make all the difference.
5. Be consistent. Nothing will ever work if you don’t work at it every day. Sporadic efforts don’t just produce sporadic results, sometimes they produce zero results.
6. Persist through difficulty and self doubt. If you think it’s going to be smooth sailing all the way with no ups and downs, you’re fooling yourself.. For every sunny day, there’s going to be a storm. If you can’t weather the storms, you’ll never reach new shores.
7. Redeem yourself. Non-achievers sit on the couch and wallow in past failures. Winners use past failures as motivational rocket fuel. It always feels good to achieve a goal, but nothing feels as good as achieving a goal with redemption.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Carnie Wilson's New improved Diet
On Her New Diet: "Breakfast is two egg whites and one whole egg, scrambled with seasonings, two to three pieces of turkey bacon, and then a half a cup of mixed berries. A snack would be 15 raw almonds or four celery sticks with three tablespoons of sugar-free hummus. Lunch would be a salad of chopped kale, romaine and spinach, cucumber, celery, bean sprouts, raw mushrooms, broccoli sprouts. Then I will make a balsamic dressing from scratch. I sauté a 3-ounce patty of chicken breast and eat that with the salad. If I feel like I want something sweet, I’ll have a quarter cup of blueberries or strawberries. Then dinner will be another round of veggies. I’ll steam cauliflower, zucchini and some spinach. I’ll do a piece of protein with that, like 4 ounces of Chilean sea bass ... I’m trying not to eat after 7:30 p.m."
On Her Success on the Diet: "I don’t wait till the last minute to eat. I measure my protein in 3-ounce patties and put them in the freezer and make them taste good without it being fattening. Also, I write down every single morsel of food that I put in my mouth. I used to give in and finish what my daughter had on her plate. If I had nervous energy, I would walk by and pick up anything I saw. Now if there’s pasta left on her plate, I just throw it out."
On Her Exercise Plan: "I started doing a power-yoga DVD, 40 to 50 minutes a day, three or four days a week. I’m more calm, and I have more energy. I also exercise twice a week for an hour with my trainer, Lanre Idewu. We’re doing fast-paced walking, elliptical, lunges, squats and band resistance for my arms."
On Her Next Goal: "I want to get pregnant again! I’ll be so healthy. I’m happy to feed the baby good food. I’m going to start trying in a few months. First, I’d like to take off another 20 or 30 pounds." See Photos From Wilson's Shoot With OK!
On Her Success on the Diet: "I don’t wait till the last minute to eat. I measure my protein in 3-ounce patties and put them in the freezer and make them taste good without it being fattening. Also, I write down every single morsel of food that I put in my mouth. I used to give in and finish what my daughter had on her plate. If I had nervous energy, I would walk by and pick up anything I saw. Now if there’s pasta left on her plate, I just throw it out."
On Her Exercise Plan: "I started doing a power-yoga DVD, 40 to 50 minutes a day, three or four days a week. I’m more calm, and I have more energy. I also exercise twice a week for an hour with my trainer, Lanre Idewu. We’re doing fast-paced walking, elliptical, lunges, squats and band resistance for my arms."
On Her Next Goal: "I want to get pregnant again! I’ll be so healthy. I’m happy to feed the baby good food. I’m going to start trying in a few months. First, I’d like to take off another 20 or 30 pounds." See Photos From Wilson's Shoot With OK!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Springfield Health and Fitness Center
Pat Frock and Pat’s Personal Training Company join in the Center City Development Project
In an effort to help as many people get fit as she possibly can, personal trainer Pat Frock, CEO of Pat’s Personal Training, is bringing her mission to downtown Springfield.
Frock has decided to purchase the Springfield Health and Fitness Center in the historic downtown Bushnell Building.
“It seemed the logical move for me to further my personal mission, to help as many people be as fit as they possible can,” Frock said. “I also have a firm belief in the revitalization of the Center City Neighborhood especially in the preservation of the older historical buildings like the Bushnell Building that Jim and Nike Lagos have worked so hard to restore”
Springfield Health and Fitness Center is on the 2nd. Floor of the Bushnell Bldg. Suite #205 (4th floor of the parking garage) and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Although there are a lot of health clubs in Springfield, the Springfield Health and Fitness Center will fill a need for people who live and work downtown. The center provides free and easy access through the Bushnell parking garage and is also within walking distance of most downtown buildings.
Dr. Narinder Saini started the business as a cardiac disease prevention and rehab clinic. Pat Frock wants to continue his philosophy of disease prevention through fitness.
Of course, “Looking great is a wonderful side effect,” Pat says. The motto of Springfield Health and Fitness Center will be “Turning back the clock, one workout at a time.”
Springfield Health and Fitness Center provides free fruit to snack on while at the club and a comfortable area to eat and refresh after the workout if desired. There is even a refrigerator and microwave if clients wish to bring their lunch with them.
There are clean private showers and changing rooms with free towel service so people won’t have to take home wet towels.
The purchase of Springfield Health and Fitness Center fulfills a lifelong dream of Pat’s. In addition to being a fitness expert, Pat is a retired athlete with many world records in Natural Athlete Strength Association and the Amateur Athletic Union. She is a certified personal trainer in 3 organizations, an experienced strength coach and committed to helping anyone who wants to improve their fitness level.
All personal trainers and staff at the fitness center are experienced coaches and/or athletes to ensure all exercisers get the best possible service to reach their individual goals.
The manager of the fitness center is Carol Frank, an experienced fitness trainer. Carol is also a Master’s Athlete.
For more information, call (937) 325-9770 or just stop by!
In an effort to help as many people get fit as she possibly can, personal trainer Pat Frock, CEO of Pat’s Personal Training, is bringing her mission to downtown Springfield.
Frock has decided to purchase the Springfield Health and Fitness Center in the historic downtown Bushnell Building.
“It seemed the logical move for me to further my personal mission, to help as many people be as fit as they possible can,” Frock said. “I also have a firm belief in the revitalization of the Center City Neighborhood especially in the preservation of the older historical buildings like the Bushnell Building that Jim and Nike Lagos have worked so hard to restore”
Springfield Health and Fitness Center is on the 2nd. Floor of the Bushnell Bldg. Suite #205 (4th floor of the parking garage) and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Although there are a lot of health clubs in Springfield, the Springfield Health and Fitness Center will fill a need for people who live and work downtown. The center provides free and easy access through the Bushnell parking garage and is also within walking distance of most downtown buildings.
Dr. Narinder Saini started the business as a cardiac disease prevention and rehab clinic. Pat Frock wants to continue his philosophy of disease prevention through fitness.
Of course, “Looking great is a wonderful side effect,” Pat says. The motto of Springfield Health and Fitness Center will be “Turning back the clock, one workout at a time.”
Springfield Health and Fitness Center provides free fruit to snack on while at the club and a comfortable area to eat and refresh after the workout if desired. There is even a refrigerator and microwave if clients wish to bring their lunch with them.
There are clean private showers and changing rooms with free towel service so people won’t have to take home wet towels.
The purchase of Springfield Health and Fitness Center fulfills a lifelong dream of Pat’s. In addition to being a fitness expert, Pat is a retired athlete with many world records in Natural Athlete Strength Association and the Amateur Athletic Union. She is a certified personal trainer in 3 organizations, an experienced strength coach and committed to helping anyone who wants to improve their fitness level.
All personal trainers and staff at the fitness center are experienced coaches and/or athletes to ensure all exercisers get the best possible service to reach their individual goals.
The manager of the fitness center is Carol Frank, an experienced fitness trainer. Carol is also a Master’s Athlete.
For more information, call (937) 325-9770 or just stop by!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Get a Mentor
Question Of The DaySo, the question of the day is this...do you have somebody in your life that actually knows how to eat well - and is healthy enough, vibrant enough, and fit enough to demonstrate it?
Seriously, do you have someone that can help you work through nutrition problems and troubleshoot obstacles, rather than just telling you to eat more proteins, carbs, and fats?
If you have a good role model in your social circle right now, someone who has already done what you want to do, and someone who can mentor you to success, make the absolute most of it!
If however you don’t already have a mentor like that, FIND ONE IMMEDIATELY.
Seriously, do you have someone that can help you work through nutrition problems and troubleshoot obstacles, rather than just telling you to eat more proteins, carbs, and fats?
If you have a good role model in your social circle right now, someone who has already done what you want to do, and someone who can mentor you to success, make the absolute most of it!
If however you don’t already have a mentor like that, FIND ONE IMMEDIATELY.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Low Carbohydrate Diet- What you need to know
If you have started a high fat , low carbohydrate diet then there are a few things you should know:
By reducing carbohydrates you will see a drop of body weight and body fat. Sounds good doesn't it? However, if you drop them too low you could alter your body's T3 levels. T3 is an active thyroid molecule that helps regulate your metabolic rate. Diets low in carbs tend to cause a reduction of T3. which in turn can slow down your metabolic rate. This is particularly true for people who under eat and over exercise.
A lot of the weight you drop while on a low carb diet is water weigh. For every gram of carbohydrate you ingest, three to five grams of water usually accompany it. By decreasing your carb intake you naturally drop body water. Although this may wound like a good idea, when you resume eating carbohydrates you may find that your body rebounds and retains excess water. The water retention will dissipate after a few days but it wreaks havoc on the dieters motivation.
During the 70's clinicians began noticing that people that followed the Atkins diet regained their weight very rapidly once they were off the diet. In face, they found the longer a person had been on the low carb diet the more carbohydrate sensitive they became. The person notices a fast accumulation of body water that's followed by an abnormally fast body fat gain. The person notices that he gains body fat very easily but loses it more slowly in the future.
The best diet for fat loss is a diet that includes lean protein, pleantly of vegetables and fruit with some good fats.
For a great book I suggest "You, On a Diet" by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen
By reducing carbohydrates you will see a drop of body weight and body fat. Sounds good doesn't it? However, if you drop them too low you could alter your body's T3 levels. T3 is an active thyroid molecule that helps regulate your metabolic rate. Diets low in carbs tend to cause a reduction of T3. which in turn can slow down your metabolic rate. This is particularly true for people who under eat and over exercise.
A lot of the weight you drop while on a low carb diet is water weigh. For every gram of carbohydrate you ingest, three to five grams of water usually accompany it. By decreasing your carb intake you naturally drop body water. Although this may wound like a good idea, when you resume eating carbohydrates you may find that your body rebounds and retains excess water. The water retention will dissipate after a few days but it wreaks havoc on the dieters motivation.
During the 70's clinicians began noticing that people that followed the Atkins diet regained their weight very rapidly once they were off the diet. In face, they found the longer a person had been on the low carb diet the more carbohydrate sensitive they became. The person notices a fast accumulation of body water that's followed by an abnormally fast body fat gain. The person notices that he gains body fat very easily but loses it more slowly in the future.
The best diet for fat loss is a diet that includes lean protein, pleantly of vegetables and fruit with some good fats.
For a great book I suggest "You, On a Diet" by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen
Monday, May 26, 2008
Get back in your skinny jeans
"I need to brag just a little...hope you all don't mind. Five years ago I splurged on a pair of DKNY jeans. I loved them. Then the weight started coming on and I couldn't wear them any more. This morning, after 5 years of sitting in the drawer (couldn't bear to get rid of them), I put them on, buttoned them, zipped them, and I am wearing them again!! They are a size 8!! That has set the mood for my day. I am freaking ecstatic! So, for my affirmation: I believe that I can accomplish great things and have the life and body that I want. I am doing this for me and me alone because I am worth it." — Magic Shannon
Okay, now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite pair of jeans lurking in your closet that have been a little too snug to wear in public? Make it your short-term goal to get back into those jeans! Like Shannon said, these small victories will make you feel accomplished and encourage you to work even harder to meet your weight-loss goals!
Okay, now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite pair of jeans lurking in your closet that have been a little too snug to wear in public? Make it your short-term goal to get back into those jeans! Like Shannon said, these small victories will make you feel accomplished and encourage you to work even harder to meet your weight-loss goals!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Sorru that I have been absent!!
Okay, I know. Summer is coming and everyone still has fat to lose.
I have been getting some e-mails wondering where I have been and why I haven't posted anything.
Well, it has been kind of a crazy month as I am preparing to buy a fitness center. The current owner wants to keep it a secret until the last minute for whatever reason but I will respect her wishes.
It looks to be a lot of fun and I hope all the local readers will stop by and say "Hi"
We will be taking over operations on June 16th and I will give you all the scoop the weekend before.
Until then, I promise to put together some foolproof " get this stuff off quick" information this weekend.
I have been getting some e-mails wondering where I have been and why I haven't posted anything.
Well, it has been kind of a crazy month as I am preparing to buy a fitness center. The current owner wants to keep it a secret until the last minute for whatever reason but I will respect her wishes.
It looks to be a lot of fun and I hope all the local readers will stop by and say "Hi"
We will be taking over operations on June 16th and I will give you all the scoop the weekend before.
Until then, I promise to put together some foolproof " get this stuff off quick" information this weekend.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Fitness facts you should know
Getting in shape? Learn 10 fitness facts from our fitness advice experts that will help motivate you to get in shape.
Fitness Fact 1. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent.
Fitness Fact 2. About 25 percent of American adults — and an even greater percentage of women — are sedentary. After age 44, upwards of 30 percent of women are sedentary, and by age 65, the proportion increases to almost 35 percent. By the time they reach age 75, about 50 percent of all women are sedentary.
Fitness Fact 3. Only about 22 percent of American adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week, and only 15 percent exercise both regularly and vigorously.
Fitness Fact 4. No matter how poor your current level of fitness, you can start an exercise routine and become fitter and healthier. Even 90-year-old women who use walkers have been shown in studies to benefit from light weight training.
Fitness Fact 5. Simply adding movement into your daily routine can increase your level of fitness. For example, if you park in the last row of the parking lot and walk briskly five minutes each way between your office and your car, walk up and down the stairs at your office during your 10-minute afternoon coffee break, and walk the dog for 10 minutes when you get home, you've racked up 30 minutes of exercise for the day.
Fitness Fact 6. Women with heart disease or arthritis actually experience improved daily function from involvement in various modes of physical activity.
Fitness Fact 7. Fitness consists of four components: your body's ability to use oxygen as a source of energy, which translates into cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength and endurance; flexibility; and body composition.
Fitness Fact 8. To address all the components of fitness, an exercise program needs to include aerobic exercise, which is continuous repetitive movement of large muscle groups that raises your heart rate; weight lifting or strength training; and flexibility exercises or stretching.
Fitness Fact 9. Walking at a brisk pace (a 15-minute mile or 4 mph) burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance. The benefit of jogging is that it takes less time to cover the same distance and it benefits the bones; however, it may be too strenuous for some.
Fitness Fact 10. It takes about 12 weeks after starting an exercise program to see measurable changes in your body. However, before 12 weeks, you will notice an increase in your strength and endurance.
Fitness Fact 1. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent.
Fitness Fact 2. About 25 percent of American adults — and an even greater percentage of women — are sedentary. After age 44, upwards of 30 percent of women are sedentary, and by age 65, the proportion increases to almost 35 percent. By the time they reach age 75, about 50 percent of all women are sedentary.
Fitness Fact 3. Only about 22 percent of American adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week, and only 15 percent exercise both regularly and vigorously.
Fitness Fact 4. No matter how poor your current level of fitness, you can start an exercise routine and become fitter and healthier. Even 90-year-old women who use walkers have been shown in studies to benefit from light weight training.
Fitness Fact 5. Simply adding movement into your daily routine can increase your level of fitness. For example, if you park in the last row of the parking lot and walk briskly five minutes each way between your office and your car, walk up and down the stairs at your office during your 10-minute afternoon coffee break, and walk the dog for 10 minutes when you get home, you've racked up 30 minutes of exercise for the day.
Fitness Fact 6. Women with heart disease or arthritis actually experience improved daily function from involvement in various modes of physical activity.
Fitness Fact 7. Fitness consists of four components: your body's ability to use oxygen as a source of energy, which translates into cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength and endurance; flexibility; and body composition.
Fitness Fact 8. To address all the components of fitness, an exercise program needs to include aerobic exercise, which is continuous repetitive movement of large muscle groups that raises your heart rate; weight lifting or strength training; and flexibility exercises or stretching.
Fitness Fact 9. Walking at a brisk pace (a 15-minute mile or 4 mph) burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance. The benefit of jogging is that it takes less time to cover the same distance and it benefits the bones; however, it may be too strenuous for some.
Fitness Fact 10. It takes about 12 weeks after starting an exercise program to see measurable changes in your body. However, before 12 weeks, you will notice an increase in your strength and endurance.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Powerlifting squat program
All powerlifters have at least one thing in common: they all want to become stronger in the fastest and most efficient way. Powerlifting programs and schedules vary widely, depending on such variables as experience, age, commitment, gender, and genetics. Unfortunately, many of the programs offered in magazine articles represent the methods of the person presenting the program. Also, many long-term powerlifters forget the basic needs and views of those just starting; they offer advice to beginners that is more suitable to lifters with two or more years of experience in both training and competition.Experienced powerlifters have learned, through years of training, what works best for them. They know which exercises have helped them and which exercises have not. They know when to work through pain and when to back off and rest a painful area.
The programs they use and the schedules and goals they set reflect this experience.Older powerlifters may have gray or thinning hair, wrinkles, glasses, or hearing aids. However, none of these conditions adversely affects the muscles or the strength-gaining capacity of the muscles. Their worst problem is the well-meaning people who tell them to take it easy and make excuses for them when they fail. People are told that it takes elderly people (whatever that age is) longer to recover from a set, workout, and injury. However, this is true only if you are not conditioned for a hard workout. This is also true for poorly conditioned young people - it has nothing to do with age. These myths are built on lack of knowledge about the capabilities of elderly people.
Personal trainers and doctors usually play it safe and tell their clients and patients what they have heard other people say - to take it easy. All the recent research indicates that muscle tissue of older people responds the same to training as muscle tissue of young people. Also, injured muscle tissue in an older person will heal at the same rate as muscle tissue in a younger person if the treatment and rehabilitation are the same. We should quit babying elderly people and encourage them to push their limits. Don’t caution them any more than you would caution a young person. Who decides the point in a person’s life when they become elderly? Is it 40, 50, 60, or what? We have all seen 40-year-olds who look and act old, and we have seen 70-year-olds who look and act young. If a person’s only "disease" is age, that person should not be encouraged to take it easy. If you are in this category and people try to get you to slow down, stay away from them. Although these people mean well, they are not doing you any favors.Female lifters encounter two major difficulties. First, almost all exercises and programs are tailored to male lifters. Second, female lifters have difficulty finding competition. Even in states with more than 100 lifters at their state championship meets, there will only be 6 to 10 women distributed across several weight classes. Also, they are not usually taken seriously as strength athletes, which discourages most women from participating in the sport.Commitment and personal life are very important in this sport. In some sports, such as swimming or gymnastics, the top competitors are in their teens or early twenties and still living with their parents. In powerlifting, most athletes are well into their thirties when they achieve national prominence. It is in these years that the obligations of work and family life also become demanding. Without a strong commitment and strong support from family and friends, many potentially great lifters drop out of the sport.Beginners search for the one perfect program and quickly learn that there is not one program but many different programs that accomplish the same things. Many beginners will switch training programs often on the advice of their training partners, other powerlifters in the gym, or articles in powerlifting magazines. Sometimes beginners will switch to the program used by the person who beat them in the last meet. After several training cycles and competitions, beginners will learn what works best for them and be able to develop a training program that produces the best results. All people are different and need to make adjustments that will fit their needs.This chapter offers training programs for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. These programs are basic programs to start with and, if followed, they will increase strength. However, you don’t want to just gain strength, you want to gain strength the fastest and most efficient way possible. Therefore, you are encouraged to continue learning and experimenting with your program in order to develop the ideal program for you. Lifters who compete usually train in the order of meet competition: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Some people perform the squat and deadlift once a week and others perform them every 10 days. These sessions are spaced so that every three to five days they are performing either a squat or deadlift. The reason for this is that both exercises use the same muscles and both are very strenuous exercises that require at least three days of recovery. The bench press is usually performed two times each week, three days apart, and includes a heavy day and a light day.Squat Training ProgramThe squat is the most difficult of the three lifts to learn properly. Bar placement, foot placement, hand placement, body positioning, breathing, use of the belt, and strokes (the down and up movements) all have to be learned properly or you will never become a great squatter. You should make a habit of practicing proper techniques during every training session. It is an advantage to have a knowledgeable training partner who will constantly remind you of the proper techniques and instantly correct you if you do the exercise incorrectly.A beginner should remember that the amount of weight lifted is not as important as proper techniques. Once you have mastered the proper techniques, you will find the amount of weight you are able to lift will increase rapidly. Proper technique also reduces the possibility of injuries.This program consists of a light, medium, and heavy phase with a "max out" at the end of the heavy phase. The time for each phase is (1) five weeks of a light phase, consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps; (2) three weeks of a medium phase, consisting of 3 sets of 5 reps; and (3) two weeks of a heavy phase, consisting of 3 sets of 2 or 3 reps.Light PhaseThis phase begins with 1 or 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps for a warm-up. This weight should be approximately 50% of your maximum. During your warm-ups, ask your partner to correct you on the spot if you make a mistake, especially in the depth of your lift. This is the time to find your feel for the correct technique and should be carried over into your workout reps.After the warm-up, proceed to your workout weight, which should be a weight that you can lift eight times with the last lift requiring a total effort on your part, which is near failure or failure. Remember to always have a competent spotter while squatting. During any part of this cycle, if you can do additional reps, you should add weight. If you train with a weight that is too light, you will not gain strength and muscle at the fastest possible rate.Example (Assuming your max is 200 pounds)2 x 100 x 12 (2 sets lifting 100 pounds doing 12 reps)3 x 125 x 8 (3 sets lifting 125 pounds doing 8 reps)Support WorkSupport work is used to strengthen muscles in areas that are not getting enough stimulation during the squat. Examples of these muscles are the quadriceps (front of leg), hamstrings (back of leg), adductors (inner leg, or groin), abductors (outer leg), and calves (lower leg). You should use a weight that you can lift for 3 sets of 8 after doing a warm-up.Medium PhaseThe medium phase also starts with a good warm-up before proceeding to the workout weight. This phase sometimes requires a transition set or a set somewhere between your warm-up and workout weight but no more than 1 to 3 reps. The workout weight is a weight you can lift five times, reaching near failure, or failure on the last rep each time.Example (Assuming a 200-pound max)2 x 100 x 121 x 125 x 3 to 53 x 150 x 5Support WorkYou should continue your support work during this phase. The amount of weight should increase in proportion to the increase in your workout weight (10%, 15%), and the reps should be reduced to match your workout reps.Heavy PhaseThe heavy phase also starts with a warm-up phase and possibly two transition phases of 1 rep each before proceeding to the workout weight. The workout weight is a weight you can lift two or three times, reaching near failure or failure on the last rep of each set.Example (Assuming a 200-pound max)2 x 100 x 12 1 x 175 x 11 x 140 x 1 3 x 195 x 2 or 3Support WorkSupport work should not be done during this phase because of the intensity of the workout. However, if you want to continue doing support work, use lighter weights with 5 to 8 reps.Max Out or CompetitionAt this point of the cycle, you should either be entering a competition or testing yourself by doing the maximum amount of weight you are capable of, to determine how much strength you have gained. Either way that you decide to test yourself will be a good indicator of your improvements. Take about one week off and start again in the light phase and continue doing cycles until you have reached your goals.
The programs they use and the schedules and goals they set reflect this experience.Older powerlifters may have gray or thinning hair, wrinkles, glasses, or hearing aids. However, none of these conditions adversely affects the muscles or the strength-gaining capacity of the muscles. Their worst problem is the well-meaning people who tell them to take it easy and make excuses for them when they fail. People are told that it takes elderly people (whatever that age is) longer to recover from a set, workout, and injury. However, this is true only if you are not conditioned for a hard workout. This is also true for poorly conditioned young people - it has nothing to do with age. These myths are built on lack of knowledge about the capabilities of elderly people.
Personal trainers and doctors usually play it safe and tell their clients and patients what they have heard other people say - to take it easy. All the recent research indicates that muscle tissue of older people responds the same to training as muscle tissue of young people. Also, injured muscle tissue in an older person will heal at the same rate as muscle tissue in a younger person if the treatment and rehabilitation are the same. We should quit babying elderly people and encourage them to push their limits. Don’t caution them any more than you would caution a young person. Who decides the point in a person’s life when they become elderly? Is it 40, 50, 60, or what? We have all seen 40-year-olds who look and act old, and we have seen 70-year-olds who look and act young. If a person’s only "disease" is age, that person should not be encouraged to take it easy. If you are in this category and people try to get you to slow down, stay away from them. Although these people mean well, they are not doing you any favors.Female lifters encounter two major difficulties. First, almost all exercises and programs are tailored to male lifters. Second, female lifters have difficulty finding competition. Even in states with more than 100 lifters at their state championship meets, there will only be 6 to 10 women distributed across several weight classes. Also, they are not usually taken seriously as strength athletes, which discourages most women from participating in the sport.Commitment and personal life are very important in this sport. In some sports, such as swimming or gymnastics, the top competitors are in their teens or early twenties and still living with their parents. In powerlifting, most athletes are well into their thirties when they achieve national prominence. It is in these years that the obligations of work and family life also become demanding. Without a strong commitment and strong support from family and friends, many potentially great lifters drop out of the sport.Beginners search for the one perfect program and quickly learn that there is not one program but many different programs that accomplish the same things. Many beginners will switch training programs often on the advice of their training partners, other powerlifters in the gym, or articles in powerlifting magazines. Sometimes beginners will switch to the program used by the person who beat them in the last meet. After several training cycles and competitions, beginners will learn what works best for them and be able to develop a training program that produces the best results. All people are different and need to make adjustments that will fit their needs.This chapter offers training programs for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. These programs are basic programs to start with and, if followed, they will increase strength. However, you don’t want to just gain strength, you want to gain strength the fastest and most efficient way possible. Therefore, you are encouraged to continue learning and experimenting with your program in order to develop the ideal program for you. Lifters who compete usually train in the order of meet competition: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Some people perform the squat and deadlift once a week and others perform them every 10 days. These sessions are spaced so that every three to five days they are performing either a squat or deadlift. The reason for this is that both exercises use the same muscles and both are very strenuous exercises that require at least three days of recovery. The bench press is usually performed two times each week, three days apart, and includes a heavy day and a light day.Squat Training ProgramThe squat is the most difficult of the three lifts to learn properly. Bar placement, foot placement, hand placement, body positioning, breathing, use of the belt, and strokes (the down and up movements) all have to be learned properly or you will never become a great squatter. You should make a habit of practicing proper techniques during every training session. It is an advantage to have a knowledgeable training partner who will constantly remind you of the proper techniques and instantly correct you if you do the exercise incorrectly.A beginner should remember that the amount of weight lifted is not as important as proper techniques. Once you have mastered the proper techniques, you will find the amount of weight you are able to lift will increase rapidly. Proper technique also reduces the possibility of injuries.This program consists of a light, medium, and heavy phase with a "max out" at the end of the heavy phase. The time for each phase is (1) five weeks of a light phase, consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps; (2) three weeks of a medium phase, consisting of 3 sets of 5 reps; and (3) two weeks of a heavy phase, consisting of 3 sets of 2 or 3 reps.Light PhaseThis phase begins with 1 or 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps for a warm-up. This weight should be approximately 50% of your maximum. During your warm-ups, ask your partner to correct you on the spot if you make a mistake, especially in the depth of your lift. This is the time to find your feel for the correct technique and should be carried over into your workout reps.After the warm-up, proceed to your workout weight, which should be a weight that you can lift eight times with the last lift requiring a total effort on your part, which is near failure or failure. Remember to always have a competent spotter while squatting. During any part of this cycle, if you can do additional reps, you should add weight. If you train with a weight that is too light, you will not gain strength and muscle at the fastest possible rate.Example (Assuming your max is 200 pounds)2 x 100 x 12 (2 sets lifting 100 pounds doing 12 reps)3 x 125 x 8 (3 sets lifting 125 pounds doing 8 reps)Support WorkSupport work is used to strengthen muscles in areas that are not getting enough stimulation during the squat. Examples of these muscles are the quadriceps (front of leg), hamstrings (back of leg), adductors (inner leg, or groin), abductors (outer leg), and calves (lower leg). You should use a weight that you can lift for 3 sets of 8 after doing a warm-up.Medium PhaseThe medium phase also starts with a good warm-up before proceeding to the workout weight. This phase sometimes requires a transition set or a set somewhere between your warm-up and workout weight but no more than 1 to 3 reps. The workout weight is a weight you can lift five times, reaching near failure, or failure on the last rep each time.Example (Assuming a 200-pound max)2 x 100 x 121 x 125 x 3 to 53 x 150 x 5Support WorkYou should continue your support work during this phase. The amount of weight should increase in proportion to the increase in your workout weight (10%, 15%), and the reps should be reduced to match your workout reps.Heavy PhaseThe heavy phase also starts with a warm-up phase and possibly two transition phases of 1 rep each before proceeding to the workout weight. The workout weight is a weight you can lift two or three times, reaching near failure or failure on the last rep of each set.Example (Assuming a 200-pound max)2 x 100 x 12 1 x 175 x 11 x 140 x 1 3 x 195 x 2 or 3Support WorkSupport work should not be done during this phase because of the intensity of the workout. However, if you want to continue doing support work, use lighter weights with 5 to 8 reps.Max Out or CompetitionAt this point of the cycle, you should either be entering a competition or testing yourself by doing the maximum amount of weight you are capable of, to determine how much strength you have gained. Either way that you decide to test yourself will be a good indicator of your improvements. Take about one week off and start again in the light phase and continue doing cycles until you have reached your goals.
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