Virtual Fitness

Give yourself permission for You Time and get in shape

2008-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

Today's post is a guest post over at Workout Mommy. After having our second son, I learned an important lesson about making the time for myself and getting to the gym. Go check it out!

Thanks to Lisa for the opportunity to post over at Workout Mommy!!

Eye Of The Tiger. How to get the most out of your workout

2008-12-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

Many people who workout are just going through the motions. At one point they may have had some motivation or were working towards a goal. Then, either the goal is long term, they met their goal and are maintaining or have lost sight and or motivation. Sometimes people do their workout just to do it without getting much from it other than saying they did it.

Whatever the circumstance, it takes focus to change your body and it takes focus to get a worthwhile workout. It takes the Eye Of The Tiger. The hunger and fire from within. Here are a couple of techniques to help you get that edge and maximize your time for optimum results.

Visualization is a powerful tool in making a change, be it physical or mental. It's a technique that works for everyone from the athlete to the beginner at home and it's something that can be applied to every aspect of your life. There are different ways to use visualization in your workout. You can start by visualizing yourself once you've met your fitness goal. Imagine what you look like or your performance in the skills you trained for. Visualizing yourself being successful works wonders.

In the short term, you can also use visualization on a physical level in every workout. While lifting, rather than thinking about your day, the errands you have to run, the conversation with your spouse, the challenges at work - focus on your body and how it's moving and working. With every rep, feel the muscle contraction, focus on your form and notice how your body functions in a bicep curl or a squat. Not only will this help you to become more familiar with your body and keep your focus on your workout, but it will also help to prevent any injuries during your routine.

Another great technique to get more from your workout is to tap into your emotions. Your time at the gym can be cathartic. Some of the best workouts are not only a physical experience, but emotional and spiritual as well. This is can also be an awesome way to purge any ill feelings like anger, rage, resentment and annoyance. By using these powerful emotions you can add fuel to your inner fire to propel you into an intense workout, usually best done during cardio. It's a quick way to get that "runners high". The best part is not only purging those feelings to your benefit in the gym, but reaping the rewards with the end result feeling clear and refreshed.

If you're lost in your routine and needing a little something extra to get you through, try these techniques to see how much of a difference they can make. You'll be pleasantly surprised that they can make a world of difference in a short amount of time.

Back to normal

2008-03-28T13:07:00.001-07:00

What started out as a holiday break from writing and focusing on fitness soon turned into a medical leave of absence on the blog here. Shortly after the holidays I became sick, nauseas, tired and just not feeling right. I knew right away that our plans to have another baby were now solid. I was pregnant.

When I am pregnant, I always and forever will develop a complication called Hyperemesis. Over the last few months, I was severely dehydrated and starving due to unrelenting nausea and vomiting. I lost 20 pounds (of muscle, of course) and had to discontinue my workout routine. I couldn't get off the couch let alone do a bicep curl.

Now that the medication is working and the hormones that cause me to be close to death are stabilizing, I feel like I can once again take some time and focus on writing fitness tips and advice - which is great because I feel like I lost some brain power along with the muscle mass.

Posts may not be daily, but they will be at least weekly for now. Since the weather is warming up and people are realizing that swim suit season is right around the corner, more and more people have been asking me about starting my online training program, so the Cyber-Client list has been updated as well.

I have a lot of topics running through my head from marathon training to prenatal workouts (obviously). Hopefully I can get this thing rolling again!

I'll let you in on a little secret. Everything you need to know about getting a gym membership

2007-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

I've often said that you don't need to have a gym membership in order to get in shape. However, the winter months are quickly approaching and the days of workouts at the park are slipping through our fingers. While some people may want to take their workouts indoors at home, others may be headed to the gym to get the job done.

Gyms are not a bad place to workout. In fact, this is my preferred workout location. There is a variety of equipment, group class options and it's a fun place to people watch. There is a different and often, more motivating energy that can be felt there as well. One of the downsides to working out in a gym is trying to navigate the sales process when looking to purchase your membership. I've worked in a large corporate gym for a few years and know the ins and outs of the car salesman-like tactics that a potential gym member may run into. I'm going to spill the beans on what the sales team might pull on you and things to look for when trying to find the right gym for your workouts.

Location, Location, Location
This is the first thing you want to consider when looking for the right gym. If you have a lengthy commute, it may end up squashing your motivation. The last thing an individual wants to think about when going to the gym is fighting traffic to get there. More often than not, the decision to lounge around at home on the couch will beat the dreaded drive and throw you off the wagon.

Does Size Matter
Some people don't like to workout in a crowd while others may really enjoy the social interaction. Gyms come in all shapes and sizes from high traffic corporate conglomerates to friendly neighborhood "women's only" fitness centers, so finding a gym to suite your comfort level is easy. It's important to find a gym that fits your personality and style. A shy, reserved person is not going to feel comfortable at the commercial club and may end up being intimidated before even walking through the door.

They've Got What You're Looking For
Do you prefer to do circuit training? Do spin classes give you the cardio rush you need on your lunch hour? When touring a potential gym, make sure they have what you need and that it's working. All gyms have elliptical trainers in their cardio station but they aren't going to do you any good if they are perpetually out of order.

Nothing In Life Is Free
Be wary of the free membership trials or free sessions with a personal trainer. This is only a marketing ploy to get you in and talking to a salesman. Sure, you may get to use the gym for a week, but you'll have to sit in the membership sales pit and listen to the "fitness counselor" go through the "7 steps to overcoming an objection" and other sales techniques they learned at the Monday morning meeting. If you're not privy to these business practices, you may end up with a gym membership that you had no intention of singing up for. The same goes for personal trainers. They might take you through a workout on a circuit station, but it's mostly to show you what you don't know about working out, making you feel like you would be lost without their services.

After you've found a gym that's convenient and comfortable with the equipment needed for your training program, you're ready to rock. Don't let the gym staff suck you into any gimmicks or schemes and all you'll have to think about is how much you can bench!

It's time for...Cyber-Client Results!

2007-10-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

People have been working out, eating right and achieving great results. Here are some updates from people who've been following the program:

Wendy- Finished another marathon with great time and a wonderful attitude. Amazingly, she finished the race with a blister and a leg cramp, but that was it! If she recovers fast enough, she wants to run another marathon...in 5 weeks. WOW!

Robin- Despite having a few non-workout related injuries, she's still been able to lose 10 pounds and keep it off because she's been great about following her nutrition plan!

Cheri- Continues to buy new clothes because all of her others are getting way too big. Nice!

Ellen- After only a few weeks on the plan, she's lost about 6 pounds and has been shopping for new clothes as well. She's excited about feeling great in her new clothes for an upcoming vacation. I'm excited for her too!

These are great results!! I'm so happy for all of them and I'm excited to see what else they can achieve!

Trick or Treat? What you need to know about artificial sweeteners

2007-10-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner and before you know it, your house will be full of sugary treats. The average American eats approximately 170 pounds of sugar a year or 20 teaspoons a day and considering what the average American looks like, it shows! Is there a way to enjoy our favorite desserts while still keeping our waistlines in check? Artificial sweeteners can help make our indulgences a little lighter but they aren't a guiltless delight.

They go by several names, including sugar substitute, non-nutritive sweetener, very low calorie sweetener, or alternative sweetener. But one thing is common. They all taste similar to sugar with little to no calories or glycemic response. Each substitute is also sweeter than sugar, meaning that a little goes a long way.

Currently the FDA has approved five types of sugar substitutes for use in the United States:

Saccharin
Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener, developed in 1879. It is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. After being suspected of causing bladder cancer in rats in 1972, many studies were done which ultimately disproved any link to cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, "Human epidemiology studies (studies of patterns, causes, and control of diseases in groups of people) have shown no consistent evidence that saccharin is associated with bladder cancer incidence." Saccharin has been considered safe for human consumption since 2002 and is marketed under the brand names SweetN' Low, Sweet Twin and Necta Sweet.

Aspartame
Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Its chemical compound breaks down into a substance known as phenylalanine. This can pose a danger for people who have Phenylketonuria, (PKU) but overall, aspartame is considered safe for the general public. Equal and Nutrasweet are the brand names for aspartame.

Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K was approved in 1988 as a "tabletop sweetener" and in 2003 as a general purpose sweetener. It is not metabolized by the body, which means that no calories are absorbed when eaten. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is marketed under the brand names, Sweet One and Sunett. It is frequently blended with other artificial sweeteners.

Sucralose
Sucralose comes from sugar, but it is 600 times sweeter. It isn't absorbed by the body, so it does not add calories to foods. In 1999, it was approved as a general purpose sweetener. It can also be used in home baking to reduce calories in homemade foods. The brand name for sucralose is Splenda.

Neotame
Neotame is a cousin to aspartame, and is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. It was approved in 2002 as a general purpose sweetener. Although it is related to aspartame, it doesn't carry the same warning about phenylalanine, because a minimal amount of phenylalanine is produced during digestion. Neotame is not marketed under any brand names yet.

There are a few reasons why someone would consider using a sugar substitute:

Dental Hygiene — sugar substitutes are tooth friendly, as they are not fermented by the microflora of the dental plaque.

Diabetes mellitus — people with diabetes have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels. By limiting their sugar intake with artificial sweeteners, they can enjoy a varied diet while closely controlling their sugar intake. Also, some sugar substitutes do release energy, but are metabolized more slowly, allowing blood sugar levels to remain more stable over time.

Reactive hypoglycemia — individuals with reactive hypoglycemia will produce an excess of insulin after quickly absorbing glucose into the bloodstream. This causes their blood glucose levels to fall below the amount needed for proper body and brain function. As a result, like diabetics, they must avoid intake of high glycemic foods like white bread, and often choose artificial sweeteners as an alternative.

While artificial sweeteners may reduce the calories in our favorite foods, they do not make them calorie-free. Many people consider artificial sweeteners an essential component to a weight loss program. These sugary treats may be a bit lite with sugar substitutes, but it's portion control that will keep you in your skinny jeans this holiday season.

To ice or not to ice, that is the question. What you need to know about treating sports injuries.

2007-10-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

While one of the aspects of working out using an integrated training program is to reduce the risk of injury, it does not completely eliminate that risk. Let's face it. You're bound to come across a soft tissue injury like a sprain, strain, tear or bruise at some point in your training. Once you've been injured, what do you do next? What is the best way to recover from a sports injury?

There is a plethora of information out there from reliable sources like your Doctor to old wives tales from your know-it-all neighbor down the street. It can be confusing to hear one person recommend ice while another will suggest using heat. So what is an injured athlete to do? Here's a run down of what to do if you've been benched because of an injury.

There are two types of injuries, actue and chronic. Acute injuries are those you have incurred within the last 48 hours. These are your typical sprains, strains, pulls and bruises. Acute injuries tend to have a lot of swelling when the tissue is damaged and possibly bleeds internally. Chronic injuries are those nagging aches and pains that you've been dealing with for weeks if not years. This include arthritis and overuse injuries like carpel tunnel, tendonitis and shin splints, just to name a few.

For Acute Injuries:
First and foremost, stop. Whatever you're doing; running, playing tennis, lifting weights, just stop. By continuing the activity trying to "work through the pain" you will only make it worse. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away and it certainly won't just heal on it's own. "No pain, no gain" is not a mantra to live by and is truly a fitness myth. When soft tissue is damaged it swells. The swelling causes pain and a decrease in motion which limits the use of the muscles. Continuing the activity after incurring the injury will increase the swelling and the pain, causing more damage and a longer recovery time.

Next is R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Resting the injury will give your body the appropriate time it needs to heal, without re-injury causing the acute injury to become a chronic injury. Using ice will help to reduce the initial swelling which will help to reduce the pain. Never use heat on an acute injury, as heat will induce swelling and inflammation, not reduce it. Compression by using tape or a wrap will help to keep swelling to a minimum and offer additional structural support to the injured body part. Finally, elevating the injury keeping it above heart level will continue to reduce swelling as well.

A few days of using R.I.C.E should help your body heal and ready to start training again. You'll want to take it easy and start with corrective exercise and stabilization training (phase 1 and 2) in the NASM OPT Model, no matter what stage of training you were in when you were injured.

For Chronic Injuries:
Chronic injuries tend to have a lot of built up scar tissue that immobilizes the joint and decreases the contraction of the muscle, which combined, decreases function and performance. By using heat prior to the activity, it will help to relax and loosen the tissues and increase blood flow to the area. Using ice afterward will help reduce the pain and swelling, just like an acute injury.

By following the guidelines in corrective exercise and stabilization training when you begin working out, you can "re-train" your body to work efficiently, minimizing the flare up of a chronic injury.

Here is a quick guide on what to do and when:

Ice or Heat?
	Ice	Heat
When To Use	Use ice after an acute injury, such as an ankle sprain, or after activities that irritate a chronic injury, such as shinsplints.	Use heat before activities that irritate chronic injuries such as muscle strains. Heat can help loosen tissues and relax injured areas.
How To Do It	Read through the information on how to ice an injury. There are several ways to ice an injury.	Heating pads or hot wet towels are both excellent methods. Place a washcloth under hot tap water and then apply to the injured area.
For How Long	Apply ice treatments for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. Too much ice can do harm, even cause frostbite; more ice application does not mean more relief.	It is not necessary to apply a heat treatment for more than about 20 minutes at a time. Never apply heat while sleeping.

*Disclaimer*
The information in this article is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have incurred a sports injury, please see your Doctor for a proper diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan.

Gym in a bag. Taking your workout outside.

2007-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

I often tell my clients that they don't need a gym membership to get in shape. With a few simple tools, you can workout anywhere. Now that the weather is cooling off a bit, you can experience a fantastic workout while enjoying the changing seasons.

Late summer and early fall are, in my opinion, the best seasons for outdoor workouts. It's not too hot, not too cold and very beautiful. Many neighborhood parks offer fitness courses complete with circuit training stations. It's an easy way to focus on body weight exercises (bench dips, pull-ups, squats) combined with sprints mixed in between sets for cardio. This type of routine is handy if you want to have a spur of the moment workout or you would rather leave your workout equipment at home.

For a more intense routine, you can pack a "gym in a bag" to take along with you. For clients who want to want a change of scenery or a breath of fresh air in their workouts, I pack everything I need for a complete integrated training program into one backpack:

Foam roll
Yoga mat
55 cm stability ball (deflated)
45 cm stability ball (deflated)
Hand or foot pump for stability balls
Set of 10 pound free weights
Set of 5 pound free weights
Jump rope

While the backpack may weigh 30 pounds (which makes for a great warm-up and burns extra calories) you can achieve the same accelerated results that you would expect from a typical gym workout.

Sometimes you can get stuck in a rut while in the gym and moving your routine outside can also jump start your motivation. Creating variety in the routine and in the workout environment as well, can really add that extra "something" making exercise a lot less boring.

So get out there while you can and get a great workout in the great outdoors!

Tools of the trade: BOSU Balance Trainer

2007-08-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

Do you need to kick it up a notch in your workout routine? Are you looking for great looking abs, legs and glutes? Do you just want to try something fun and different? Go get yourself a BOSU Balance Trainer to add to your fitness equipment collection.

BOSU stands for "Both Sides Utilized" or "Both Sides Up", referencing to it's limitless uses in a training routine. Developed in 1999 by David Weck, this "stability ball cut in half" provides an amazing way to improve balance and stabilization training while minimizing the potential risk of injury.

You can do practically any exercise that you can imagine with this tool; from push-ups, lunges, crunches and even combo exercises like V-sit bicep curls or plyometrics like ski jumps. BOSU balls constantly activate your core muscles (or the stabilizing muscles of the body) while engaging muscles all over the body all at the same time. This efficient recruitment of muscles maximizes the caloric burn in your routine, yielding accelerated results.

Here are some examples of how you can use the BOSU ball in your routine!

Be Creative. Use F.I.T.T. to your advantage

2007-08-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

Nobody like to do the same workout routine day after day after day. It gets old fast and leads to mental burnout pretty quick. Not only is it mentally draining, but being rigid in a strict routine can set you up for failure, as life is never the same everyday. By using the F.I.T.T factors (frequency, intensity, time, type) you can be creative in your training routine, keeping it mentally stimulating while also providing flexibility for those times that cut your workout session short.

Frequency
This variable can be adjusted to compliment a progressive integrated training program. By starting with just a few times a week, you can increase your training frequency (i.e. from 3 days a week to 5 or 6 days a week) to promote accelerated results without overtraining.

When certain life events get in the way of your workout routine, you can decrease the frequency while increasing other variables in the F.I.T.T factor (i.e. intensity and/or time). Say you have a project at work that is holding you in the office later than usual. You can decrease your training frequency from 5 days a week to 2 or 3 while increasing the intensity of your workout.

Intensity
Intensity refers to the level of demand an activity places on the body. This is usually measured by heart rate and/or VO2 max. By keeping track of your Target Heart Rate, you can easily modify this variable to fit your desired fitness goal. Knowing your training intensity is key to avoiding overtraining, mental burnout and decreasing your risk of injury.

This variable can be altered when you are in a time crunch and want to maximize your results. If you typically have time for a 2 hour workout session in the gym but something has come up and you now only have an hour, you can train with less time at a higher intensity. This will yield similar results.

Time
Time is similar to frequency in it's ability to compliment a progressive routine and allow for flexibility in unusual circumstances. By starting with 30 minutes a day of activity and increasing to 60 minutes, you can gradually build strength and endurance without overdoing it.

When life throws a wrench in your workout plans, you can adjust your training time accordingly to accommodate for prior engagements. Implementing a circuit training routine both decreases time while increasing intensity, thus maximizing results.

Type
This is where constant variation can not only provide opportunities for fun and challenging exercises, but it also keeps you open minded about changing up your routine when you may be forced to. Variation in the type of exercises you do will coincide with a progressive training routine, constantly challenging your body to move in different ways while developing muscles in a more efficient manner.

Being familiar with different types of exercises and activity will ensure a successful workout session, no matter what situations may arise. Many times you may find cardio equipment under maintenance or you may be working out at "prime time" in the gym where you end up waiting for a specific machine. Rather than wasting your time, you can find different types of exercises that achieve the same desired effect.

By utilizing the F.I.T.T factors, you can design a progressive program that fits your fitness goal, no matter what life may throw your way. These variables can help spice up a humdrum routine or provide flexibility when you need to be creative in order to maintain consistency.

Back to Business: Cyber-Client Results

2007-08-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Now that I've got the all clear from the Doctor and I don't have any more worries looming over my head, I can focus my attention back to training and writing. I thought it would be fitting to post the latest client results to get things rolling again.

After about 15 weeks of training, Cheri has lost almost 30 lbs and about 10 inches. 4.5 of those were from the waist. She had to buy a whole new wardrobe and prior to leaving for vacation, she was able to go on a shopping spree to a store where she was never able to shop before.

I'm so excited for her! What an achievement!

Distracted, but not forgotten. I will post again soon!

2007-08-21T19:58:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to update the blog to let regular readers know that there will be some great information posted soon! It's been a crazy time with a distraction that makes it incredibly difficult to focus my thoughts. I have great things to write about, but I can't seem to sit down and type them out.

Not too long ago, I wrote about a fellow blogger and her very informative post about Inflammatory Breast Cancer. The information motivated me to finally call my Doctor to get in for an exam. I've had a lump since I started breastfeeding. When I weaned my son almost 8 months ago, it was still there. I thought it would go away and it never did. I started to worry when it became increasingly tender.

I had to wait three weeks to finally get in to see a Doctor (thanks insurance company!) and had my exam on Friday. There is something there and I will get further testing (hopefully this week) to determine the diagnosis. My Doctor is confident that it's not cancer, but now I'm hearing horror stories from people who've been told the same thing. Thus, the lack of posting here.

In the meantime, Whymommy nominated those women who have read her post and made the decision to get checked out for the Rockin' Girl Blogger Award.

I'm thankful for her post because without it, I probably would have continued ignoring the lump for quite some time. I hope the re-posting of her information on here was helpful to other women and inspired them to take action.

I'm positive the outcome will be nothing to worry about but until I get an official answer, I'm afraid my thoughts will be elsewhere. However when I get the all clear, stay tuned for some very useful tips and advice on how to achieve your fitness goal!

Ask The Trainer. What to do about back problems.

2007-08-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm always flattered when someone I've never met, emailed or known in general asks me for advice. I'm often taken aback, not because I doubt my knowledge or skill, but because of all of the fitness and health professionals in the world, I seemed to be the one who could help out the most. It's a very humbling experience.

The other night I received this email:

Hi there,
I don't know if you can help me...I am simply looking for guidance/feedback. I live in Australia and have an ongoing lower back/pelvis problem. I am a dancer and for the past few months (despite having danced for nearly 3 years) my left hip joint keeps rotating backwards and up causing severe misalignment and pain down my right side. The therapist I am seeing suggests to take 1 month off dancing to work on core stability (have been doing her exercises for 2 months now) and allow myself to become stronger and more stable so that my hip joint won't keep coming out...and my pelvis out of alignment. I am afraid that my body will never become strong enough to allow me to dance (my passion in life).

Could I possibly ask for your thoughts on this? I need guidance and help and would appreciate any feedback....

Kindest Regards,
N in Australia

Hi N-

I'm sorry to hear about your back and hip problems. It's very disappointing to deal with physical limitations, especially when your passion in life is very demanding.

While I can't diagnose conditions for people I've never examined and assessed, I can tell you what I would do to find out the cause of your misalignments, possible resolutions and referrals to professionals in Australia who could help.

First and foremost; a chiropractic, orthopedic, neurological exam complete with full spine x-rays would be recommended. This would allow a health professional gather all of the physical information needed to properly diagnose the true cause of the imbalances and misalignments. Part of this exam should include a gait analysis and an overhead squat assessment. These are biomechanical tests that a health professional would do to see how your body moves, finding your muscular imbalances (what muscles are tight and weak).

After a proper examination, the general course of action would include deep tissue massage or myofascial release to relax the "knots" in the muscles, causing them to hyper-contract. After that, the muscles are prepped for corrective exercise training. This "re-trains" the muscles to work in a more balanced manner. Specific Chiropractic adjustments will compliment the corrective exercises, as our bodies are made up of systems that work together. You can't correct imbalances without addressing both the muscular and skeletal systems.

After corrective exercise training, stabilization training would be your next step. This stage is more core intense and also progresses you into exercises that will begin to build more strength, in addition to stabilizing your joints.

You'll want to find a Chiropractor who specializes in human movement science. Chiropractic Biophysics is a great spinal/joint rehabilitation technique. These Doctors may recommend physical therapy or give you the corrective exercise training program themselves. If you go through a personal trainer, you'll want to find someone who is NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certified. You might be able to contact NASM directly for a referral.

I agree with the recommendation of your therapist in that taking a break from dancing will help, giving your body time to heal and retrain. Unless there is something seriously wrong, you should be able to regain your strength and stabilization, allowing you to dance again.

I hope this information helps you out and points you in the right direction.

Good luck!

K.I.S. Keeping It Simple...with the 5 keys to fitness

2007-08-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Health and fitness can be a complicated subject with the vast array of information available. We are constantly being bombarded with the newest discoveries in ground breaking research, publication of the latest fad diet and more tips and tricks than anyone can keep track of. How can the average gym goer decipher the good from the bad? What is the clear cut, no fluff secret to total fitness?

Here's the K.I.S. (Keep It Simple) strategy focusing on the five keys to reaching your goal. You can use this simple guide to help, making sure you have all of the components in place and ensuring your success.

1. Nutrition
This is by far the most important key to reaching you goal, be it reducing body fat, increasing muscle or improving sports performance. Without this component in place, you will never achieve optimum results.

A. Portion Sizes
I. Consuming more and moving less leads to stored fat, or weight increase. Consume less and move more and you'll achieve fat loss. The key is to know exactly how many calories your body needs to reach your specific goal.

B. Type
I. You won't get to your goal by eating highly processed, unbalanced foods.
II. Keep it fresh and clean.
III. On average, most people need a macronutrient (carbs, protein, fat) balance of 60/20/20.

2. Cardio Training
This component will make you slim and trim while keeping your heart healthy and beating strong. It's also important to find balance and synergy. Too much can derail your progress, leaving you frustrated and unmotivated.

A. Frequency
I. 30 minutes of moderate daily activity is a must.
II. Most people are successful in cardio training with a more intense frequency of three to five times a week.

B. Intensity
I. Use Maximum Heart Rate formula to determine the appropriate intensity that best suits the goal.
II. Beginners: 50%-60% of MHR (Maximum Heart Rate)
III. Advanced: 65%-85% of MHR

C. Time
I. Beginners: 10-20 minutes
II. Intermediate: 15-45 minutes
III. Advanced: 30-60 minutes

D. Type
I. Walking is best for beginners
II. The best kind of cardio is the type you enjoy doing.
III. Keep it interesting with variety.

3. Resistance Training
This key component will help you become a lean, mean optimum performing machine. Increasing muscle density will increase your metabolism, thus decreasing body fat. Increases in strength does not equal increases in size. Everyone, including women, needs to incorporate integrated strength training into their routines.

A. Balance
I. Improves functional, or everyday performance.

B. Coordination
I. Keeps communication between mind and body movement strong.
II. Core (stabilization) training prevents injury and improves strength performance.

C. Flexibility
I. Ensures muscles contract efficiently, maximizing results.
II. Helps to improve other aspects of fitness programing (increases speed, decreases weight, increases strength

D. Strength
I. Increases metabolism, thus decreasing body fat
II. Creates not only muscular looks, but also "toned" look or definition.

4. Rest
Stress and over training can lead to injury or halt progress. By creating a progressive program, you can methodically train while allowing for proper recovery.

A. Rest Day
I. Take one day off a week from working out
II. Allow for 48 hour recovery time after lifting routine (per muscle group)

B. Sleep
I. Make sure to get 6-8 hours of restful REM sleep to ensure full recovery

C. Cheat Day
I. Decreases the feeling of deprivation that often sabotages a fitness program.
II. Balance and moderation is key as over indulgence will halt success.

5. Education
Knowledge is power. By understanding the basics, you will master the essential skills it takes to be successful in achieving your fitness goal. Education is also an incredible motivator.

A. Form
I. Provides an understanding of body movement and helps you to achieve perfect form.

B. Progression
I. Provides you with the knowhow to advance through platues

Dimples aren't cute when they're on your backside. Everything you need to know about cellulite

2007-08-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Many women of all shapes and sizes have often done a double take when getting a glimpse of their derrière in the mirror. Some have vowed to never wear shorts or skirts. Women around the world are covering up to hide cellulite.

The "cottage cheese" appearance seen on the thighs and buttocks of many women is cellulite. Some 90 percent of women have cellulite. Even the thin and physically fit are prone to dimpled thighs. The true cause of cellulite is not completely understood. However, it appears that in individuals with cellulite, there is irregular connective tissue under the skin. To understand what cellulite is, you need to understand a bit about musculature and fatty tissue.

If you look at a cross section of a woman's thigh, you'll see tight fiber bands connecting muscle through the fat to the skin. Where the bands aren't attached, the fat bulges up. When enough fat is deposited under the skin, it will tend to bulge through the connective tissue much like a balloon bulges when you squeeze it. In essence, the irregular connective tissue squeezes the fat and causes it to bulge. This may explain why cellulite has an irregular "cottage cheese" or "orange peel" appearance. Men generally don't have the problem because their fibers criss-cross and the fat can't bulge up as easily.

Other factors that may contribute to the development of cellulite are genetics, hormones (specifically estrogen), stress and diet.

While many remedies have been proposed to reduce cellulite (creams, herbs, massage, etc.), many have little effect on this condition. Creams have not been shown to be very effective at all, but some forms of massage may be beneficial. The use of deep tissue massage or a self-myofascial release (SMFR) technique has worked for a number of women. Using a foam roll is the easiest way to accomplish this.

While there's not much you can do to control genetics or the way your body responds to hormones, you can help to smooth out the lumps and bumps by:

Reducing stress levels
Eating a well balanced high fiber diet
Staying hydrated
Quit smoking
Workout following an integrated training program complete with SMFR

You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

2007-07-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

While my posts here are about nutrition and fitness, this health related post contains some important information that could really change someone's life. I have a family history that involves different forms of cancer (colon and skin) and I've also worked in a cancer clinic. I've seen more cancer than I care to remember.

Leading a healthy lifestyle can be a proactive way to curb the potential growth of cancer in oneself. However, prevention only takes you so far. Early detection is another key. Whymommy at Toddler Planet has been recently diagnosed with Inflammatory breast cancer. In her fight, she wrote this very informative post on IBC to help educate women across the world and inspire them to take action. She writes:

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?

I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.

Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.

Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.

You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

I would walk 500 miles, And I would walk 500 more. Pedometers and walking 10,000 steps per day

2007-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Walking is easy. Almost everyone can do it. The problem is that most people don't. As technology advances, society becomes more sedentary and daily walking, or motion in general decreases. When activity decreases, weight increases. It's science and part of The Law of Thermodynamics; calories in versus calories out. By walking 10,000 steps a day anyone can easily fight the battle of the bulge. And win.

The word mile derives from the Latin word for thousand, because it was the distance the average Roman soldier covered while walking 1,000 paces. A pace is two steps, one with each foot, so for the average person 2,000 steps is a mile. That makes 10,000 steps about 5 miles for most people.

The Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research has conducted research on how much exercise we need for optimum health and fitness for over four decades. They find that 10,000 steps a day is enough beyond what the average sedentary person takes to meet the surgeon general's recommendation of 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity. A person who walks 10,000 steps a day will burn between 2,000 and 3,500 extra calories per week.

In the January 2004 issue of Sports Medicine, Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke classifies people taking less than 5000 steps a day as sedentary. Taking 5,000 to 7,500 steps a day is typical for people with no sports activities and is classified as low active. Taking 7,500 to 10,000 steps a day requires some walking, either on the job or in an exercise program, and is considered somewhat active. Dr. Tudor-Locke classifies those taking more than 10,000 steps a day as active.

Steps Per Day	Activity Level
<5,000>	sedentary
5,000 - 7,499	low active
7,500 - 9,999	somewhat active
>10,000	active
>12,500	highly active

Now you know how many steps to take, it's just a matter of counting them. There are many gadgets out there to help you out. Pedometers are fairly inexpensive and you can find them in almost any sports equipment store. My personal favorites are the shoe pedometer and the Nike Sports Kit.

You can increase the amount of steps you take very simply. You can always park at the end of the paring lot, take the stairs rather than the escalator or even taking an after dinner stroll in the neighborhood. The first thing to keep in mind is to keep moving. You can't fail.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together or Misery Loves Company. How your friends are getting you fat

2007-07-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is the latest and greatest in health and fitness related news. Your friends are getting you fat and obesity is "socially contagious". I agree 100%.

Those who have gone out to dinner with friends and tried to make good nutritional choices have all experienced the peer pressure at the restaurant table. "What are you eating? Can't you just order straight from the menu without all of those changes"? It's a lot easier to cave in and eat to your hearts content (or discontent, really). It can be an uncomfortable situation when others comment on your eating habits and most people try to avoid uncomfortable situations at all costs.

Not only does this happen at the table, but with activities as well. An obese friend is less likely to want to go for an after dinner stroll in the neighborhood, a bike ride in the park or even tag along to the gym. The activity levels between fit and obese friends may be drastically different, thus leading the duo (or trio) to find more sedentary forms of entertainment.

The study was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the National Institute on Aging. The researchers found a person's chances of becoming obese went up 57% if a friend did, 40% if a sibling did and 37% if a spouse did. In the closest friendships, the risk almost tripled. On average, the researchers calculated, when an obese person gained 17 pounds, the corresponding friend put on an extra 5 pounds.

Researchers think it's more than just people with similar eating and exercise habits hanging out together. Instead, it may be that having relatives and friends who become obese changes one's idea of what is an acceptable weight. Obesity experts not involved in the research said the results back up what they have suspected all along - that people look toward one another for what is an acceptable weight. "If you're just a little bit heavy and everyone around you is quite heavier, you will feel good when you look in a mirror," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center.

That finding may support efforts to provide nutrition education in the workplace, where many people find their friends. There is also value in targeting interventions at the person in a family in charge of food buying and preparation. The bottom line is that no one can do it alone. It takes the support of friends and family, the entire social network, in order to be successful in leading a healthy lifestyle.

Awesome Abs! Try this on for size

2007-07-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

It's a hot topic in the gym and in the world of fitness. Awesome Abs, Washboard Stomach, Six Pack, whatever you want to call it, everyone wants it. People will obsessively train their abs in order to achieve this result. Knowing that nutrition and genetics play a huge role in the end result, variety in training plays another.

There are a million different exercises for core training. From basic floor crunches to ball crunches to creative exercises that incorporate balance and stability training. There's no lack of ab routines, that's for sure. However, people often get stuck in a rut repeating the same ab exercises week after week. This is one way to not only kill your motivation and excitement about working out, but it's also a good way to kill any progress in achieving that nice waistline. Variety truly is the spice of life and the trick to Integrated Training.

If you've been bored with your basic crunch, try this exercise out: Prone Iso-Abs.
This is a great basic exercise that can take your dull core routine to the next level. It makes you burn, sweat and even shake! Once you get stronger and this becomes too easy, there are a handful of ways to progress this exercise to increase the challenge.

This is one of my favorite ab exercises that I swear by and it has the tendency to make my clients swear. After some time with this, a good nutrition plan and a well designed workout routine, you'll swear this works too!

Time Wasting Machine - Standing Calf Raises

2007-07-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

Here is another time wasting machine for everyone to avoid. The standing calf raise. This is yet another machine that gyms have in the weight room just because potential members specifically look for it. Any trainer worth their dollar won't even go near it, let alone put a client on it.

First, the calf raise machine is designed to train the calf group in a concentric manner and to strengthen the action of plantar flexion. This machine has been a common piece of equipment for years. Yet, if we examine the true action of the calf group in gait and function, the calf group actually decelerates dorsiflexion, stabilizes the ankle, indirectly helps to stabilize the hip and assists to accelerate plantar flexion.

he posterior tibialis, soleus, and gastrocnemius, all work synergistically to decelerate dorsiflexion. None of these muscles work independently of each other. When looking at muscle function, all muscles have a tri-phasic action, deceleration (eccentric), stabilization and then acceleration (concentric). To be effective, all muscles need to eccentrically load first, then concentrically unload. Selectorized machines work primarily by concentric muscle action and in one plane of motion. This is detrimental to people who run as this will shorten the muscle group and is opposite of what they require, which is a strong ability to eccentrically control the action of the tibia, ankle and foot. Additionally, these machines also work in a single plane of motion.

When examining different types of muscle fibers in the lower leg, it's been shown that the muscles on the shin are approximately 73% slow twitch (stabilizing muscles) while part of the calf has approximately 49% fast twitch (force and power producing muscles). Because of the different muscle types and various functions, it makes sense to train using an integrated progressive program that encompasses all aspects of training: flexibility, stabilization, balance, strength and power. If all of these components are addressed, the calf muscles will function at an optimum level of performance, the risk of injury is decreased and results will be quick to happen.

Not a gerbil in a wheel. Calculating cardio alternatives

2007-07-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Cardio is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, but it tends to be very challenging when it come to finding the motivation to do it. By incorporating a variety of exercises and activities into your routine, you can help prevent the boredom that comes with doing the same thing each day. Different activities utilize various combinations of muscle groups and intensity levels, therefore burning different amounts of calories per session.

The table below runs down (on average) the number of calories that various exercises burn, which depend on both the activity itself, and the weight and sex of the participant. Try some of the ideas below to spice up your workout routine and keep it interesting.

30-Minute Workout	Female 140 lbs.	Female 165 lbs.	Female 190 lbs.	Male 170 lbs.	Male 190 lbs.	Male 210 lbs.
Moderate Walking	94	116	138	111	128	145
Brisk Walking	115	141	166	136	156	176
Jogging 6.7 mph	419	499	578	505	568	632
Running 8.5 mph	545	648	750	659	740	821
Racquetball	250	300	350	300	340	379
In-line skating	461	548	636	556	626	695
Swimming	250	300	350	300	340	379
Weightlifting	81	101	121	96	111	126
Stationary Biking	250	300	350	300	340	379
Circuit training	292	349	407	352	397	442
Jumping rope	376	449	521	300	511	568
Stationary Rowing	250	300	350	300	340	379
Tennis (singles)	292	349	407	352	397	442
Golfing (walking with clubs)	145	176	206	172	196	221
Soccer (casual)	250	300	350	300	340	379
Basketball	208	250	292	249	282	315
Aerobics (low impact)	167	200	235	198	225	252

Take one down, pass it around. Enjoying alcohol while dieting

2007-07-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

You've had a great summer vacation and enjoyed fabulous 4th of July celebrations. There were picnics in the park, back yard barbecues, and alcohol. Your intentions of healthy eating have gone down the tubes. But! All is not lost. Here's the scoop on alcohol.

Information about alcohol is often asked possibly by clients wondering what they can “get away with.” Ideally, abstinence from alcohol is the best solution, but it's not always a realistic solution. More often than not, when someone is told that they "can't" or "shouldn't" eat or drink something, chances are that they will anyway. So, we work with it. Balance is the key here.

If you look at the caloric profile of the macronurtients carbohydrate, protein and fat , each provides a specific amount of energy measured in calories. Basic laws of thermodynamics say that if one’s intake of calories is greater than their expenditure, the excess calories will be stored in the form of body fat.

Nutrient	cal/gram
Carb	4
Protein	4
Fat	9
Alcohol	7 cal/oz

For example, one 12-ounce beer yields 84 cal (12 x 7), depending on the type of lager. On a typical drinking binge, several alcoholic drinks can be consumed, leading to excessive calories consumed for that day. That number alone doesn’t appear too alarming, but multiply that by the number of drinks consumed in one day, one weekend, or one vacation, and you begin to see how alcohol consumption might increase the storage of body fat.

Here is a list of drinks and their caloric totals. You can use this guide to find some of your favorites to make a good choice next time you decide to indulge in a few drinks. This information may even surprise and motivate you to cut out alcohol completely.

Drink	Serving Size	Calories
Red wine	5 oz.	100
White wine	5 oz.	100
Champagne	5 oz.	130
Light beer	12 oz.	100
Regular beer	12 oz.	140
Dark beer	12 oz.	170
Cosmopolitan	3 oz.	165
Martini	3 oz.	205
Long Island iced tea	8 oz.	400
Gin & Tonic	8 oz.	175
Rum & Soda	8 oz.	180
Margarita	8 oz.	200
Whiskey Sour	4 oz.	200

Keeping moderation in mind, other ways to decrease the impact of alcohol is by keeping hydrated. Drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic drink consumed, you'll be less likely to overindulge.

While drinking and healthy nutrition do not go hand in hand, you can still practice balance and moderation. It's still possible to enjoy life, indulge occasionally and still reach your desired fitness goal.

Whistle while you work. Working out at home.

2007-06-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

There are a myriad of excuses for why an individual doesn't workout. Generally, the excuse most often given is a lack of time. As a society, we're working long hours, taking the kids to soccer practice, running errands; anything but working out. We're just far too busy. Well, where there's a will, there's a way.

You can workout anywhere, with practically anything. You most certainly don't need a gym membership to get in shape. You don't even need a complete weight set, heavy cardio equipment or an exercise room taking over the guest bedroom in your house. The best way to maximize your time is to multi-task. Turn everyday experiences into workout opportunities!

Grocery Shopping
We all know that by parking at the farthest end of the parking lot, you're going to get a little more exercise. This is an easy one. But did you know that grocery shopping can be a great way to get in a little strength training too? Using the hand baskets rather than the shopping cart will work your biceps and shoulders, giving you a great burn. Getting a half gallon of milk? When you get home to unload the goods, turn that milk carton into a triceps exercise. This works great for weighted squats and shoulder presses too.

Yard Work
This is a very labor intensive chore. If you have a lawn service, save yourself some cash and get out there to do it yourself. Pushing the lawn mower is a complete body workout. Pulling weeds can turn into an isolated squat, or even a lunge. Trimming the hedge will be a comparable substitute for a few shoulder exercises. You'll start looking as great as your yard in no time.

House Work
If you have enough time to clean your house, you have enough time to workout. Vacuuming the carpet is just like moving the lawn with a whole lot more emphasis on your core muscles, especially your obliques. You can do push-up's and crunches in any room that your cleaning, even the edge of the bathtub makes for a great push-up bench. Picking up the laundry basket can turn into bent over rows and deadlifts. Scrubbing the shower tiles? Wiping the windows and mirrors? Those make for some great upper body movements that produce noticeable results.

Watching TV
This is a prime opportunity for fitness. TV programming is inundated with commercials. As far as I know, nobody's paying attention to them. Maximize this break from your favorite sitcom by doing something active. Again, it's a great time for crunches and push-ups. It's an even better time to get a few minutes of cardio. Try jump roping, calisthenics, or even running in place for the entire commercial break. With as much TV as Americans watch, if everyone did this we would make great strides in overcoming the obesity epidemic.

There really are no excuses. Fitness and exercise opportunities present themselves many times throughout the day. Even brushing your teeth can turn into a balance and stabilization exercise. You just have to do it. Time is something that all of want (or need) more of, but you just have to work with what you've got.

Constantly moving. Maximizing cardio in a time crunch

2007-06-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Many people today have the same fitness excuse. "I don't have time". For some people, this is just an excuse, where they could easily make improvements with their time management. For others, this is a valid excuse, but still. It's an excuse. If you plan your day accordingly, most individuals can find an hour in their day for a workout. It may just be an hour and that's fine. We can work with that!

If you have plenty of time to devote to an integrated training program, it typically takes two hours to complete. This is including time for a warm-up, flexibility, core, strength and cardio routine. By modifying the routine to a specific circuit, you can cut that time in half. You still have all of the components of the program, but you are maximizing your time and effort making for some serious time management skills.

The trick to this circuit is to be constantly moving. You will have to take a break every now and then just to catch your breath and let your heart rate drop some, but the goal is not to take a 30 second (or longer) break in between lifting sets. With this "break" time, your muscles are recovering from the lift, but your body is still working by either doing a set of crunches or cardio.

Not only is this a great plan for those who have little time for a workout, but it's an incredible way to achieve a quick weight loss goal. If you're in a predicament where you need an "emergency" workout plan to fit into a swimsuit for your upcoming vacation, this is the plan for you too.

So, if your excuse for not working out is that you don't have time, try this circuit. I'll bet you can fit it in and see results in just a few weeks.

Back in the Game! And what personal training means to me

2007-06-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

After a short blogging hiatus, I'm back in full force. This break was nice in the way that it was recharging, giving me some great topics for future posts. And there's no better way to get going again than to explain what personal training means to me.

This was a question that was asked of me last week. "...What are your feelings on personal training, what makes you happy and excited about it, the feelings that you have when you are exercising, the feelings that you want others to have while exercising, what you want your clients to get from you..."

While this question was asked for business purposes, it was exciting to reflect on the feelings I have for one of my biggest life passions. It was extremely motivating for me and it was a wonderful reminder of why helping to motivate others to change their lives is so rewarding for me.

I want to be able to help people help themselves, to feel empowered, be excited about fitness and successful in reaching their goals.

To me, personal training is a life changing experience. Many times when someone starts personal training, they have a horrible self image. They are usually depressed, desperate and confused because they just don't know where to start. When I sit down with someone in an initial consultation, they are often brought to tears because they are so frustrated with themselves and the false fitness information that they come across. I'm usually their last resort.

Personal training brings them hope and confidence. It brings back the spark that's been missing in their lives. They feel happier about themselves and the life they are leading. They have more energy, they feel stronger. They feel a sense of accomplishment and they are excited about the new "you" they see in the mirror. My training program has even saved a marriage.

My primary goal as a personal trainer is to educate. I want my clients to learn everything they need to know to become dependent on themselves, not me, to lead a healthy lifestyle. It's so important to me that people are empowered and capable because this is how lives are changed, with long lasting results. Not only are the individual lives changed, but this education on healthy living is passed down to their children.

Hope, excitement, optimism, physical/mental strength, accomplishment, self confidence, exhilaration from the adrenaline rush, education, motivation, a life changing experience...these are all of the feelings and results that I want people to get from my programs while exercising.

For me personally, the fitness hook is the adrenaline rush. While I'm doing cardio, pumping away to whatever music I have on my iPod, pushing my physical and mental limits...the rush is amazing. The goose bumps, the energy that flows through my blood and my entire body...I feel it from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I get the same feeling after completing a particularly difficult exercise. I love it. I walk out of the gym tired, but it's a good tired. I feel great. I get that rewarding sense of accomplishment.

It's difficult to limit my feelings to a few short paragraphs, but it's why I love doing what I do.

Bigger & Better Things

2007-06-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Most of you may be wondering, "What is going on with this blog? There hasn't been a post in days, even weeks!" Well folks, just a little reassurance, I'm not jumping ship & abandoning the blog. No, it's actually quite the opposite. With the help from one of my cyber-clients, Robin, we're working on a new and improved online training program! I've received some great feed back on ways the program could be more user friendly. Robin is restructuring all of the documents for me and even creating more. I am so excited about this! I feel like the program is going to be unlike any other online training program (not like there's a whole lot of them anyway).

Please bare with me during this hiatus. I should be back to posting tips and information regularly, starting next week. I'll try and sneak a post in before then, but I can't promise anything just yet.

Thanks for reading!

Sometimes less is more. The ramifications of over training.

2007-06-06T23:49:00.001-07:00

The saying "too much of a good thing" is true, even in the world of fitness. There are times when a person can exercise too much. This move into over training can cause many health problems and stop the breaks to achieving your fitness goals.

Among chronic exercisers, there is always the potential of doing more but receiving less. This is a common mistake in the weight room. What many exercisers do not realize is that additional workouts can sometimes lead to the law of diminishing returns, where anticipated results do not occur. It has been well established that in order to receive a training effect (weight loss, hypertrophy, speed, power), the exerciser must experience some fatigue. This fatigue will in turn induce a need for recovery, which leads to a period of overcompensation or the training effect. However, if there is little or no recovery, combined with additional intense activity, the overcompensation or training effects do not occur, and over training symptoms can result. The term over training has been used interchangeably with staleness, burnout, chronic fatigue, stagnation, overwork or run down. Researchers have reported no less than 31 features of over training extending to 84. The most prominent features of over training include heavy legs, sore muscles, high resting heart rate, poor motivation, sleep disturbances, low libido, frequent sickness or infection, weight loss, depression and increased rating of perceived exertion.

Over training occurs when an athlete has been exposed to prolonged high intensity, high volume training, which manifests itself in an accumulated fatigue state. It has been reported under over reaching, burnout, staleness etc. Athletes generally experience a deep and prolonged fatigue, poor performances and at times an inability to train and compete at the highest level.

The prevalence of over training appears to be specific to certain sports and exercise activities. Elite distance runners tend to demonstrate higher levels of over training, as do female athletes.

The three major causes of over training reported are inadequate recovery between sessions, excessive amounts of high intensity training and sudden increases in training load. General exercise prescription for overloading has recommended increases of no more than five to 10 percent. Other factors reported include too much intense strength training, too many competitions and travel and no breaks between training seasons. It is unusual to see over training symptoms in exercisers who maintain high volumes of low intensity training or moderate long term training.

An athlete’s lifestyle and the stress associated with it can contribute to over training. These may include poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, psychological conflict and an inability to achieve set goals.

The physical symptoms of over training include: poor performances, unable to maintain training load, chronic fatigue, elevated resting heart rate, hormonal changes, high blood pressure, continual muscle soreness, sudden weight loss, headaches, frequent sicknesses and menstrual irregularities. Emotional symptoms are: depression, poor self confidence, mood changes, apathy, lethargy, low motivation, poor sleep habits, irritability, boredom, poor appetite, inability to relax and anger.

It is of some concern that when these symptoms are recognized, it is often too late for adequate recovery before competition. Over training symptoms appear to be very much an individual response, and many times, an individual will exhibit a combination of symptoms. As a rule of thumb, one of the best indicators is still prolonged fatigue lasting one week.

Over training often requires extensive recovery. Elite athletes are always pushing the limit and as such train very close to the over trained state. In this case, it is much more effective to prevent the over trained state rather than treat it. Over training can be prevented by individualizing training programs, monitoring fatigue levels, increasing training load gradually, encouraging variety in workouts, scheduling rest days, providing breaks between seasons, encouraging good nutrition and including regenerative techniques such massage, flexibility, relaxation and hydrotherapy into the training program.

Remember, resting and off days are not a bad thing. These are very important components to a well balanced and successful fitness program. Over training can lead to injury, where you'll be forced to sit on the bench and slow your progress.

For the love of....Chocolate. The health benefits and detriments of chocolate

2007-06-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

One food that has derailed more diets than any other is probably chocolate. Whether it's birthday cake or that tempting chocolate bar at the grocery check-out, chocolate is always hard to resist. As a trainers and nutritionist, I often include it as a cheat food. "Only in moderation," I will tell my clients. Lately, there has been a lot of attention on chocolate. Should we believe the media hype surrounding the potential health benefits of this sinful food? Here’s the scoop on everything you ever needed to know about chocolate.

The idea that the sweetness of fruit is going to satisfy a chocolate craving is sometimes hard to believe. When the urge hits, there is very little that can be done to stop it until the only thing left of that Hersey's bar is the package. So why do we need it so bad?

There appear to be many reasons why chocolate seems to be so addictive. For example, the sugar in chocolate can increase the levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitters: serotonin and endorphins. Chocolate also contains an amphetamine-like compound called phenylethylamine (PEA), which is generated in relatively high amounts in the brain when happy events occur (i.e., falling in love). Chocolate also contains caffeine (although not very much), which provides an energy boost and small amounts of a substance called anandamide that mimics the pleasurable effects of marijuana by binding to the same receptor sites on brain cells as the active ingredient in the plant. Even the aroma of chocolate may affect brain chemistry.

However, the addiction some people claim they have to chocolate is not nearly as strong as the urge for nicotine or other highly addictive substances. The sweetness, aroma and the melt-in-your mouth quality of chocolate makes it very appealing. Despite this, there is a real difference between being addicted to something (e.g. cigarettes, heroin) and just liking something a lot. Liking chocolate has both its positives and negatives.

Cocoa and chocolate products have been delicacies for centuries, but only recently have they been recognized as significant sources of phytochemicals with healthful effects. Chocolate and cocoa powders are derived from beans that contain hefty amounts of phytochemicals called flavonoids that are also found in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine. Flavonoid compounds are found almost exclusively in the plant kingdom, and it’s estimated that there are more than 4,000 of them. Various epidemiological studies have shown that populations consuming a diet rich in flavonoids (including foods such as wine, tea and certain fruits and vegetables) have lower rates of heart disease and stroke.

The specific flavonoids in chocolate receiving the most interest are the procyanidins, which are also present in apples and grapes. Both tea and red wine contain flavonoids called catechins. These catechins can bind together to make larger molecules called procyanidins that are present in the cocoa bean.

Some of the ways that chocolate’s flavonoids can be heart-healthy include:

Antioxidant Protection
Antioxidants fight free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments like cancer. Flavonoids present in cocoa and chocolate may protect the heart by inhibiting the oxidation of the “bad cholesterol” called LDL (oxidized LDL is much more likely to result in the formation of plaque on the artery wall). Studies have shown that as the amount of chocolate flavonoids in the blood increases, there is a corresponding decrease in the markers associated with oxidation damage. In addition, the antioxidants in cocoa and chocolate may help spare other antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, which allows them to act longer to fight off foreign invaders.

Reduced Platelet Activity
Some studies indicate that after consuming flavonoids in chocolate, there is a decrease in markers associated with platelet aggregation and adhesion (stickiness of the blood/blood clotting). Both platelet aggregation and adhesion are associated with a higher risk of plaque formation on the artery wall. As plaque formation increases, so does the risk of a heart attack by blocking flow of blood to the heart. Thus, chocolate can almost have an aspirin-like effect.

Relaxation of Blood Vessel Wall
Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids may protect the heart by increasing concentrations of a substance called nitric oxide that relaxes the inner surface of blood vessel walls. This has the effect of increasing dilation of the arteries, which improves blood flow and heart functioning. This function of cocoa and chocolate may help those who have high blood pressure. In fact, a small study found that dark chocolate lowered blood pressure in those with hypertension.

Researchers found that 15 days of dark chocolate intake improved insulin sensitivity (increased glucose uptake). Nitric oxide bioavailability deeply influences insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and flavonoids present in dark chocolate and cocoa increase nitric oxide bioavailability. This same study saw a reduction in blood pressure among dark chocolate participants.

Reduced Inflammation
Research reported found that procyanidins (flavonoid found in the cocoa bean) can reduce blood levels of leukotrienes, which are a pro-inflammatory substance. This has positive effects on the immune system. In addition, this benefit could help protect the heart as inflammation in the lining of the artery walls is believed to be part of the damaging process that leads to cardiovascular disease.

The well publicized healthy properties of chocolate have lead many to believe they can enjoy chocolate in all its many forms. Not so! While the exact amount of cocoa or chocolate needed daily to exert health benefits is still yet to be determined, some studies have needed up to four ounces of antioxidant rich chocolate per day to elicit positive outcomes. Considering that an ounce of chocolate has roughly 145 calories and eight to ten grams of fat, if most people simply added this much chocolate to their existing diets, it would be detrimental to achieving their fitness goals. Individuals should be encouraged to substitute good-quality chocolate for other less healthy treats such as donuts, muffins and candy.

Also, all the studies showing promising health benefits from chocolate have used dark (“bittersweet”) chocolate and not the overly processed milk chocolates full of sugar that most people are consuming. Many find the taste of dark chocolate to be too overpowering and thus opt for the higher sugar forms with a lot less flavonoids.

To know which forms of chocolate are best as a treat or satisfy those cravings, here is a simple guide you can use:

1. Cocoa
Pure cocoa is the best type of chocolate substance to consume since it’s the richest source of flavonoids and contains none of the added sugar and fat present in processed chocolate. Cocoa is made when chocolate liquor (the ground up center of the cocoa bean) is pressed to remove much of the cocoa butter. It is virtually calorie free. Cocoa powder can be added to smoothies, oatmeal and plain yogurt.

When purchasing a cocoa powder, make sure the only ingredient is cocoa powder (unsweetened cocoa). To preserve the flavonoids, it’s wise to look for a brand that uses non-alkaline processing. Alkalized cocoa is also known as “dutch” cocoa. This process, which increases the pH of the product, has a negative impact on flavonoid levels.

Carob powder comes from the dried pods of the carob tree. Although research has found that carob does contain relatively high amounts of antioxidants, its impact on heart health has yet to be studied to any great length.

2. Dark Chocolate Over Milk Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains up to twice as much antioxidants as milk chocolate. Milk chocolate, which is made when dry milk is added to sweetened chocolate, contains more milk and less chocolate liquor than dark chocolate. In fact, the major problem with milk chocolate is that the first two ingredients are often sugar and milk, leaving less pure chocolate and therefore less flavonoids.

In addition, research has found that the addition of milk to dark chocolate may cause chemical bonds to form between milk proteins and antioxidants in chocolate, thereby inhibiting the absorption of antioxidants into the body. However, this is a finding that has yet to be fully proven.

If cocoa, cocoa solids or chocolate liquor (the ground up center of the cocoa bean) is the first ingredient, then you know you are getting a lot of chocolate and less sugar. Chocolate bars with at least 70 percent cocoa can be considered “dark chocolate” and will have more flavonoids and less sugar. A bar that lists sugar as the first ingredient will contain less than 50 percent cocoa.

So there you have it folks. The skinny (and fat) on chocolate. It has it's pro's and it's con's. Just like pretty much everything in life, "Only in moderation" is still the motto to follow. Don't deny yourself the indulgences of chocolate, but don't over do it either. Otherwise, you'll have a lot of working out to do to make up for it.

Spreading like wildfire. Get a button for your blog!

2007-06-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Writing tips and helping people with fitness information has been a lot a fun for me and it's been a great challenge thinking of different topics to post on a regular basis (or at least I try...) I'm proud that this blog is unlike any other fitness blog out there, providing factual and scientific information to help people achieve their fitness goals.

Some people out there in the blogging world have buttons on their sidebars to help spread the word about Virtual Fitness and my cyber-training programs. I greatly appreciate their support. The readership continues to grow with new visitors and I thought I would get the button codes up for those who have this blog bookmarked as a favorite, linked to their blog rolls or anyone who wants to help get the word out. Just copy the HTML code in the box and you're set!

Thank You for your continued support!!!

It's like turning water into wine. The myth of fat turning into muscle

2007-05-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, personal trainers can work magic. This magic usually entails motivating and inspiring people to live healthy lifestyles, or using education and creativity in fitness routines to maximize results. However, personal trainers are are not miracle workers and miracles rarely happen in the gym (except for the few people who may have had a heart attack while doing cardio and lived to tell about it).

One fitness myth that many people believe is that fat can turn into muscle when you workout. Or, that muscle can turn into fat when you stop your regular routine.

It doesn't work that way. Fat is fat and muscle is muscle. They are biochemically drastically different. It's like apples to oranges or oil and water. What happens when you lift is that you build muscle, making it more dense and that muscle burns more calories - getting rid of fat, or really, shrinking the fat cells. The fat does not convert to muscle. When a person stops lifting, the muscle does not convert to fat. What happens then is the muscle atrophies (losing muscle) and burns fewer calories. The loss of muscle increases body fat and increases inches. It's like a balancing scale.

So, while we hope for miracles to happen in our fitness routines, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to really get results. Eating right for your body and goal, working out with a balanced cardio and integrated training routine and staying on track is the only way to change your body composition, shifting the scale in the right direction.

Recovering from Memorial Day Weekend. Cyber-client results!

2007-05-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone is still recovering from the festivities this Memorial day weekend. However, there are some updates on results that I just can't keep to myself!

First, there's Wendy who completed another (yes, another!) race this weekend. It was a tough race because it was poorly organized, BUT she still beat her personal time by seven minutes. Seven minutes!!! That's great!

Then Erica posted about her results a couple of weeks ago. While changing her daily habits was a challenge, she did it. And she achieved fabulous results from it. She lost a total of nine inches and dropped 1-2 dress sizes in three weeks! Yea!!

Last weekend Van reached her weight goal. She feels "great, very energetic and positive". Congratulations Van!

Sometimes the scale lies. Fat loss versus Weight loss

2007-05-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is a common mental hurdle for so many people. Everyone wants to weigh a specific amount and it often becomes a motivational killer when the scale gets involved. One great piece of advice for anyone working out; get rid of your scale.

When determining your fitness goal, if the primary goal is to lose body fat, it is important to realize that this is achieved through fat loss, not weight loss. When the body receives the proper amount of calories and nutrients, appearance goals can be reached and maintained. In addition, eating foods that fuel muscle tissue helps burn fat efficiently during exercise and when at rest.

It is very important to understand the difference between fat loss and weight loss. Calories are burned in muscle tissue. One pound of lean body mass burns approximately 30 to 50 calories daily and stores 450 calories of energy. Conversely, body fat is a storehouse for calories. One pound of fat burns approximately six calories daily and stores 3,500 calories of energy.

When not following proper nutrition, a minimum of 25 percent of quick weight loss is lost from lean muscle tissue. If 25 percent or more of the weight lost is from lean muscle tissue, an individual may easily regain the lost weight and most likely gain additional weight. Muscle tissue is denser that fat because it's 70 percent water, while fat is approximately 20 percent water. This is where the scale really trips people up.

Rapid weight loss and under eating cause muscle tissue to be used for energy, which decreases metabolism. Providing the body with the food and nutrients it needs will sufficiently fuel working muscles, initiate fat loss and develop a healthier metabolism.

To lose body fat instead of muscle tissue, you can focus on these points:

Loss of body fat rather than weight loss
Loss of inches rather than weight loss
Positive changes in daily eating habits and exercise habits
Positive changes in how you feel
Clothes fitting better
Eating one to two hours prior to training to fuel muscles and prevent muscle tissue loss
Eating within 90 minutes after exercise to replenish nutrients in the muscle tissue

Sometimes you need a boost. Using Pyruvate to accelerate fat loss

2007-05-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

You've changed your diet. You workout using an integrated training program. Your body is constantly being challenged, but your results are starting to slow down. This is common and normal. Accelerated fat loss is not going to be a common occurrence throughout your entire fitness program. Some people can accept this and move ahead with patience. Most people want instant gratification. If they are not continually seeing positive and constant results, their motivation waivers. Sometimes, you may consider supplementation during certain periods of your training program. Pyruvate is one of those supplements that can kick it up a notch for you.

Pyruvate was discovered as a fat loss aid by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. When looking for compounds to improve the lipid profiles of obese subjects, researchers found that pyruvate had a positive effect on health, increased fat loss and decreased the amount of lean body mass lost.

In a six week, placebo-controlled, double-blind study (Kalman et al, 1998), researchers found that the supplemented subjects participating in a three day/week aerobic/anaerobic exercise program lost 5.5 pounds of body fat and 2.8 pounds of body weight compared to no changes in the placebo group. Thus with no changes in the placebo group following the same program, the changes in the pyruvate group were attributed to the 6 g/day of pyruvate.

Pyruvate is a buffered (typically with calcium) form of pyruvic acid that is created in the body during the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein. It is also found in several foods such as, red apples, cheese, dark beer and red wine.

Animal studies found that pyruvate supplementation leads to weight loss by increasing the resting metabolic rate. A few clinical trails also indicated that pyruvate supplements may improve exercise endurance, though no increases in strength were found. New research is being conducted on how pyruvate functions as an antioxidant, inhibiting the production of free radicals. Because of these antioxidant properties, pyruvate may inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors.

By eating a balanced diet in addition to working out regularly, you can speed things up by adding 3-6g /day of pyruvate to your program.

"I don't want to 'bulk up'". The fitness myth about womens' weight lifting

2007-05-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

Whenever I ask a female client about her fitness goals, the answer is pretty much always the same. "I want to lose weight and tone up. I don't want to lift heavy or too much because I don't want to bulk up". Well, I'm here to bust that myth.

Women bulking up and looking like a female version of the incredible hulk is an extremely difficult process. It doesn't happen just by walking into the gym a few times a week and lifting a little. Like most body composition changes, be it fat loss or muscle gain, it comes down to genetics. Some people are just plain lucky. Along with that, it takes a major commitment of time (typically 3 or more hours a day) in the gym lifting with a very specific routine, but also a huge commitment in diet and very strict nutrition. It takes an incredible amount of calories, more than most people can consume in any given day, to allow for hypertrophy (muscle gain). Along with genetics, many hours in the gym, specific lifting routines catered to volume and specific nutritional guidelines, it takes testosterone.

Plain and simple, women just don't have what it takes biochemically to bulk up. Estrogen does nothing for increasing muscle size. The women body builders who scare the rest of the (uninformed) female population out of the gym are taking steroids. Regardless if they admit it or not.

The benefits of lifting are so numerous, that the "chance" of bulking up is overshadowed by results of increased metabolism, bone density and better health and wellness. In all of my years of sports and personal training, I have yet to witness a women bulk up by chance. Or, bulk up easily. Between the goals of body fat loss and muscle gain, losing fat is easy. Way easy. Gaining weight, specifically muscle, takes so much more time and effort. It doesn't "just happen" to your typical gym goer.

So women, lift! And lift heavy! You will absolutely NOT bulk up. You will look awesome. Fit, lean, healthy and strong.

Time Wasting Machine - The Butt Blaster

2007-05-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

Is there seriously a machine called "The Butt Blaster"? Yes. Yes, there is. And sadly enough, it's a favorite machine of the women in the gym because they are working towards a shapely rear. This is just like all of the other time wasting machines, with the major exception that it does not have it's place in rehabilitation. This truly is the biggest time wasting machine in the gym. Period.

So what's so wrong with the Butt Blaster? First and foremost, your genetics determine the shape of your derriere. No matter how many squats, lunges or reps on the Butt Blaster you do; your DNA is the determining factor of the curve (or lack thereof). Second, like the other time wasting machines, you can achieve dramatically different results with balance and stabilization exercises.

The primary goal of most women is to decrease the size and "tone" the shape of the rear-end. By incorporating stabilization training, an individual will burn more calories, while utilizing multiple muscle groups simultaneously. In essence, you get more bang for your buck. Simple reps on the Butt Blaster isolate the glutes and hamstrings, burning far fewer calories. If your goal is size and strength, this might be a machine to consider. But, only if the smith machine is being hogged. And even then, you would be better off doing something else.

Other aspects of the machine are of course, the biomechanics. Much like the prone hamstring curl, it is difficult for the majority of gym goers to isolate their core, protecting their spine during this exercise. You'll notice a lack of core strength when an individual kicks back and the low back dips or sways. Oddly, the machine actually fits a small percentage of exercise enthusiasts appropriately, causing an exaggerated dip. This dip can be very dangerous because not only is the body moving ineffectively, but the L5/S1 disc is being compromised. This ultimately results in the development of a disc injury (bulging disc) and subsequent back pain.

If you really want to kick your butt (seriously) the exercise that will always do it is the Alternating Forward/Reverse Lunge. This keeps your Target Heart Rate up higher, thus burning more calories and decreasing your body fat. It's an intense exercise that incorporates all aspects of fitness: strength, power, stability and balance.

So really, stay far away from anything that claims to "blast your butt".

The Battle of Wills. Dealing with temptation.

2007-05-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

The daily struggle with temptation is something we all experience. Some people crave salty, crispy snacks; others, sweet sugary treats. Whatever the flavor or texture, it's a challenge that we all have in common.

When I question clients about the progress of their changing nutritional habits, I often hear, "Well, I did OK, but then the kids had (chips, cookies or some other junk food) and I had to have some too". Other times it's that someone had a great week & blew it by eating a pan of brownies at the Sunday night family dinner. Let's face it. Temptation and having strong will power is difficult. If you're an emotional eater, it's even more challenging.

There are so many reasons for the midnight munchies and caving into temptation. For emotional eaters, high stress is the biggest trigger. For other people, boredom is another trigger. Typically (excluding emotional eaters), poor nutrition and the lack of appropriate calories for that individual often leads to after dinner binges.

There are two solutions to this problem. First, one must determine why they are so tempted. Is it something biological and just part of who they are? Could it be resolved through proper nutrition and balance? Is it emotional eating? Figuring out the "why" is always easier said than done. However, once an individual gets to the core of the situation, the resolution becomes much easier.

In the interim, the second solution is to create a temptation free environment. If you don't have those tempting snacks in the house, you can't eat them. If your craving is strong enough to make you get in the car and drive to the local grocery store, it's not so much an impulsive decision and you have some time to talk yourself out of it, thus resulting in making a better choice. It really is that simple.

Many people live in households where other family members (or roommates for that matter) don't share the same nutritional and fitness goals. One member of the family may claim that they don't need to get into shape and question why they are being made to change their habits. In this situation, a level of compromise and respect must happen. Of course, it is always up to an individual on what to eat at any given time. If one choses to eat junk, that's their choice. However, they should be respectful of those under the same roof who struggle with the challenge of changing their eating habits. It's not supportive to eat a bag a chips in front of someone who is trying to change and tends to go overboard with that particular snack.

In addition to determining the cause of the cravings and creating a temptation free environment, one can also use distraction and focusing on the "x factor" for motivation. It's hard to polish off a jar of peanut butter when you're busy with something else (reading, exercising, tackling the things you've been procrastinating on) or thinking about why you started working out in the first place. With these coping mechanisms, a person can be very successful at overcoming temptation.

So, skip the snack foods isle at the grocery store. You and your family don't need that junk in the first place and it will only be your downfall during those times of temptation. Out of sight, out of mind, not in your stomach and not on your butt.

Structural Integrity - How to Observe Posture

2007-05-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Some people have great posture, most people have terrible posture. Our work habits and daily movement patterns greatly effect posture and more often than not, are the cause of poor posture. Posture is the alignment and function of all components of the kinetic chain at any given movement.

Proper postural alignment allows optimum neuromuscular efficiency. Proper posture ensures that the muscles of the body are optimally aligned as well. Without proper postural alignment, we set the body up for degeneration. Altered movement patterns result in muscular imbalances which can place unusual stresses on the joints. This can lead to the development of arthritis.

A quick postural observation can give general structural information regarding the state of an individual's muscles and joints. There are five major deviations to look for: Forward head, protracted shoulders, anterior pelvic tilt, adducted and internally rotated knees and flattened feet. These deviations can be grouped into three postural distortion patterns: lower-extremity, lumbo-pelvic-hip, and upper extremity.

Training with these postural distortion patterns can often lead to reoccurring injuries. The body is not functioning at an optimum level of performance, thus hindering fitness results. For each distortion pattern, there is a group of tight and weak musculature. Combined with SMFR, static stretching techniques and corrective exercises, these various distortion patterns can be resolved, allowing the body to perform at 100 percent again.

Tools of the trade - Heart Rate Monitors

2007-05-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Target heart rate training is a very important component to maximizing results in your cardio program. There are a few different techniques to monitoring your intensity, from quick pulse checks to the use of heart rate monitors.

A quick pulse check is a cheap and easy way to make sure you're on track. It is however, not 100 percent accurate and many errors can occur that greatly effect the outcome. To determine if you're working within your training zone, locate your radial artery at the side of your wrist with your index finger, and count the beats for 10 seconds, then multiply by 6. This result should be within the minimum and maximum training heart rate values of your cardio program.

For a more accurate and scientific approach, you can use a heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitors measure your heart rate during exercise without you having to stop and count, thus eliminating human error. There can be dramatic changes in fitness and body composition among individuals who train with a heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitors provide immediate feedback of intensity throughout an entire exercise session, and above all else, they are easy to use. Once an individual is educated on the science of heart rate zone training, the use of a heart rate monitor becomes as important as wearing a pair of shoes.

A heart rate monitor is a transmitter equipped with electrode strapped to the chest to record the heart’s electrical impulses and radio precise measurements of the heart rate to a receiver worn on the wrist. Through the measurement of heart rate, trainers and exercisers can structure productive routines and workouts. Heart rate monitors range from basic models that simply provide a continuous readout to more complex mechanisms that store times spent in various zones and download data to a personal computer.

Heart rate monitors can be very useful for outdoor athletes who are too busy clinging to rocks or running through streams, or the gym rat who wants to track the intensity of their routine. They're a great gadget for any fitness enthusiast!

You complete me. Complete protein versus Incomplete protein

2007-05-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

There are millions of different types of protein and each is designed for a specific purpose. When protein (from chicken, beef, fish, eggs, etc.) is ingested, the body must alter it by breaking it down into smaller units known as amino acids. This allows the body to prioritize the distribution of amino acids to sustain life. The body must then rearrange the amino acids into the proper sequence in order to form the necessary protein.

Foods containing protein may or may not provide all of the essential amino acids. Foods derived from animal sources naturally contain all of the essential amino acids in adequate amounts and are therefore referred to as complete proteins. Vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts generally do not have all of the essential amino acids in adequate amounts and are referred to as incomplete proteins.

For years, researchers concluded that vegetarians could easily become protein deficient unless each meal provided a balance of amino acids. Current studies continue to indicate that the body must receive sufficient amounts of the essential amino acids in order to sustain life.

It is now known that protein requirements in vegetarian diets can be safely obtained through a combination of complementary plant proteins that produce the necessary amino acid balance. Proper amino acid balance can be achieved by combining foods from two or more of the following columns:

It's getting hot in here. Why you need to warm-up.

2007-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is one aspect of a fitness program that everyone seems to "forget" or really, leave out. Either an individual simply doesn't allow for the time it takes, or more often than not, doesn't see the importance of it. It is very important and can make a huge impact on your performance during your routine.

A warm-up is generally described as a person preparing the body for physical activity. It can be either general in nature or more specific to the activity. A general warm-up consists of movements that do not necessarily have any movement specificity to the actual activity to be performed (i.e. walking on a treadmill or riding a bike prior to weight training). A specific warm-up consists of movements that more closely mimic those of the actual activity (i.e. unweighted squats and push-ups prior to weight lifting).

Here are a few benefits and effects of a warm-up:

Increases heart rate and respiratory rate, helping to increase the cardiorespiratory system's capacity to perform work. Also increasing blood flow to active muscle tissue and increases the oxygen exchange capacity.
Increases tissue temperature, which increases the rate of muscle contraction, increases the efficiency of opposing muscle contraction and relaxation, increases metabolic rate and increases soft tissue extensibility.
Increases psychological preparation and mental readiness for exercise.

There is speculation as to whether a warm-up is helpful in preventing injury. While some researchers claim benefits, others show no change. It is proposed however, that while a warm-up may not be directly associated to injury prevention, it may be beneficial for enhancing overall performance. In this case, better overall function of the body may allow for more efficient movement patterns, thus decreasing the risk of future injuries.

A warm-up should last about five to ten minutes at a low to moderate intensity. A complete warm-up should include both general and specific warm-ups, with the inclusion of cardio and flexibility programming.

For optimum results, don't neglect your warm-up. It can help to ensure superb performance in your routine and ultimately, help you to achieve your fitness goal safely and effectively.

Off the cuff. Shoulder anatomy and the Rotator Cuff

2007-05-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

There are many, many injuries in the gym everyday. A lot of these injuries can be prevented with a little bit of caution and some basic knowledge in human movement and proper exercise form. One of the most common injuries are to the shoulder. The rotator cuff, to be exact.

The rotator cuff consists of four small muscles that form a sleeve around the shoulder and allow us to raise the arm overhead effectively. These muscles, consisting of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis, oppose the action of the deltoid and depress the head of the humerus (upper arm) during shoulder elevation to prevent impingement. Rotator cuff injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis and tears are common among certain populations.

The most commonly injured muscle is the supraspinatus. It is responsible for initiating and aiding in elevation of the arm. If torn, the individual typically experiences persistent pain in the upper lateral arm and significant difficulty raising the arm without compensatory motion from the scapula (shrug sign). The hallmark signs of a supraspinatus tear are nocturnal pain, loss of strength and inability to raise the arm overhead.

Acute tendonitis may also present with similar signs and symptoms, as pain can inhibit motion and strength. However, symptoms associated with tendonitis normally respond to rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication and therapeutic exercise. Pain is often described as a dull ache or sharp pain along the top of the shoulder or upper lateral arm.

Rotator cuff tears are most common in men age 65 and older. Tears and/or injury are typically related to degeneration, instability, bone spurs, trauma, overuse and diminished strength/flexibility related to the aging process. However, youth are also at risk for injury if they are involved in repetitive overhead sports including swimming, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, gymnastics, etc. It is also important to mention that instability can contribute to secondary rotator cuff pain and inflammation.

The key to avoiding rotator cuff injury is performing adequate conditioning prior to stressing it with vigorous activities. Many weekend warriors try to pick up the softball, baseball, football, etc. and begin throwing repetitively and forcefully without properly warming up. In addition, they are not likely to condition before the season like competitive athletes. This often leads to excessive strain on the rotator cuff and swelling. The inevitable result is soreness, especially with overhead movement or reaching behind the back. The act of throwing is the most stressful motion on the shoulder. Without proper strength and conditioning, the shoulder easily becomes inflamed.

Since the rotator cuff muscles are small, it is best to utilize lower resistance and higher repetitions to sufficiently strengthen them. Sample exercises include Theraband or light dumbbell external and internal rotation exercises and scaption, which can be performed at various degrees of abduction. In addition to cuff specific exercises, it is also important to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder blade.

There are some common exercises that are known to increase the risk of a shoulder injury if not performed properly. Here are a few of those exercises with some key points to keep in mind in reducing that risk and saving your shoulder.

Bench press – Do not lower the bar or dumbbells below where the arms are parallel to the floor
Shoulder press – Keep the arms 30 degrees in front of the body and do not lower much below where the arms are parallel to the floor
Bar squats – Avoid behind the head bar placement and opt for front barbell squats or dumbbells in standing
Dips – Do not lower beyond the point at which the upper arm is parallel to the floor
Push-ups – Do not lower below the point at which the upper arm is parallel to the floor
Rows – Do not pull beyond the plane of the body to avoid excessive strain on the anterior shoulder capsule
Lat pull downs – Keep the bar in front of the head
Upright rows – Limit the elevation of the bar or dumbbells to the point at which the arms are parallel to the floor
Lateral raises – Keep the arms about 30 degrees in front of the body (elbows are slightly bent) and raise the arms no more than shoulder height

These modifications will avoid excessive stress on the shoulder joint capsule and help prevent rotator cuff impingement. They will not limit hypertrophy (muscle gain-increased size), strength gains or function. They will, however, ensure that you are training safely and minimizing the chance for injuries. If you consistently follow these guidelines, you will have a pain free workout and a better chance of reaching your goal effectively.

Ask The Trainer. A lesson on Lecithin

2007-05-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of emails everyday. Some are from clients working out on the program and they have a question about a certain exercise. Others are from friends who have health and fitness questions and end up emailing me for answers (which I'm truly flattered by). This morning I answered a question for a friend and I thought that it would make a great post for today.

So without further ado...the very first Ask The Trainer post!

Hi there! Hope you don't mind me asking you a question. It is actually from my hubby! He is reading a book about men who were on a naval submarine. One stated that he would eat almonds after every meal to get lecithin. He was just wondering what that is exactly.

Almonds are a good source of mono-unsaturated fats. This type of fat helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL), among other great health benefits. However, lecithin is not an ingredient (as far as I know) in almonds, but it is in peanuts.

Lecithin is a fat like substance called a phospholipid. A phospholipid is the major component of a fraction which may be isolated from either egg yolk or soy beans. Lecithin is a compound containing two fatty acids and choline. It is the most common phospholipid in the body.

It is produced daily by the liver if the diet is adequate. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation (helping to fight free radicals and other cancer causing substances) and largely comprises the protective sheaths surrounding the brain. It is composed mostly of B vitamins, phosphoric acid, choline, linoleic acid and inositol. Although it is a fatty substance, it is also a fat emulsifier. Hence, it supports the circulatory system. It's choline is one of the more important aspects.

Choline can be made by the body. It is also found in liver, soybeans, egg yolk and peanuts. The diet will provide 400 to 900 mg choline daily. Due to its choline make-up, lecithin has been touted as a memory enhancer by improving cognitive function.

So in a nutshell (no pun intended), lecithin is a healthy fat found in egg yolk and soy beans. It helps protect cells from breakdown and helps the body process fat soluble vitamins like A, D, K & E. It's beneficial for improving heart and vascular function. Because it is a fat, it's recommended that lecithin be ingested from a healthy, well balanced diet and not as a supplement.

***If you have a question to Ask The Trainer, email me at klmastre@gmail.com***

You don't always need non-fat foods. Lipids and their importance in nutrition

2007-05-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Lipids are a group of compounds that include triglycerides (fats and oils), phospholipids and sterols. Most lipids in food and in the body are triglycerides, which are three fatty acids (saturated or unsaturated) attached to a glycerol backbone. Polyunsaturated fats provide important essential fatty acids. Saturated fat and trans-fat are implicated as a risk factor for heart disease because they raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL), while unsaturated fats are associated with increases in good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Lipids (or fats) are the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. One gram of fat yields approximately nine calories, more than twice the calorie per gram of carbohydrates or protein. In addition to providing energy, fats act as carriers for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Here are some important fat facts:

Work to help balance hormones
Regulation and excretion of nutrients in the cells
Protects and holds organs such as the liver, heart and kidneys in place
Insulates the body from environmental temperature changes and preserves body heat
Prolongs digestive process, initiating the release of the hormone cholecystkinin (CCK) which contributes to satiety.

A diet containing 10-30 percent of calories is recommended for fat loss or to enhance overall health. Without this balance, an individual will eventually overeat. And that will not help you get to your goal in any way. However, if an individual consumes too much fat, that will lead to many health problems and complications down the road. It can be a slippery slope.

The best way to balance fat intake is to include healthy fat foods into your diet. By consuming olive and canola oils, and cold water fish like salmon, you can prevent heart disease, hypertension, arthritis and cancer. Your body will be at optimum performance and health.

Holy Cow! Cyber Client Results

2007-04-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

This has been a great week of updates from everyone working out. As always, there's a lot of hard work and diligence, but the results are worth it! Here's some of the latest updates:

Stefanie is at her goal weight, with a total loss of 10 pounds (or more) & continues to get buff!
Kim finished a half marathon last week and was down 5 pounds
Wendy continues to increase her speed, with her last running time: 12 miles in 1:44:01
Van is down 10 pounds and 2 pant sizes
Erica lost 3.12 pounds, an inch off the hips and a half inch from her waist
Tonia has lost 3 pounds, continues to lose inches everywhere and is down another pant size
Michelle lost 2.2 pounds her first week

Wow! These people are doing it! Way to go!!

Planning your attack by setting SMAART goals

2007-04-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

Vision is important. But, more important is the strategy to make that vision a reality. Strategy (and goal setting) channels effort, boosts motivation and enhances performance. Try the six SMAART goal principles:

Specific- Specific goals result in better performance. Aim to workout a certain number of days per week, the total amount of cardio time per day, etc.
Measurable- Measurable goals help you to know if the strategy is working. This also helps to minimize the tendency to view success in "all or nothing" terms, which sets up an individual for certain failure.
Aggressive- Aggressive goals tend to create greater performance. This is a great confidence builder as well. You feel better knowing that you're not taking the easy way out.
Approach- The approach to goal setting should be a focus on the positive end result, rather than the negative states to avoid. Avoidance goals tend to backfire.
Relevant- Relevant goals help to maintain focus. Multiple goals can cloud your vision, thus limiting your success. Keep your eye on the prize.
Time bound- Short-term goals raise confidence and determination. By creating dead-lines, you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Time Wasting Machine- The Prone Hamstring Curl

2007-04-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another time waster for you. The prone hamstring curl. Just like all of the other time wasting machines, form is compromised due to the biomechanics of the machine. Again, all machines have their place in the world of fitness, it's just that they are best utilized in rehab programming (and really, this is not the best option entirely).

The big issue with the prone curl is the recruitment of other muscle groups, mainly the hips and back. While the hamstrings work in a cooperating fashion with these muscle groups, they should not be the primary movers in the exercise. You'll easily notice this compensation by watching the individuals (hopefully not yours) rear end pop up in the contraction. It's not really the most flattering position to be in.

Better alternatives involve the stability ball, of course. If you need to work on incredible amounts of strength, go for cable exercises. If you absolutely have to use a machine, use the seated curl rather than the prone. You'll be glad that your hamstrings will get a great workout and your won't be the one flashing the junk in your trunk for the rest of the gym to see.

How many calories did you burn while saving the Earth?

2007-04-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Earth Day. It was a great day to get out and enjoy all that Mother Nature provides for us. It was also a great day to be proactive and physically active at the same time. How many calories did you burn? Here's an Earth Day list to find out!

A leisurely bike to the grocery store, leaving the car at home: 291 cal/60 min.
Walking/running/playing with the kids at the park: 175 cal/60 min.
Tending to your organic vegetable garden: 233 cal/60 min.
Planting a tree: 204 cal/60 min.
A jog around the neighborhood: 350/60 min.
A friendly game of basketball in the driveway after dinner: 291 cal/60 min.
Flag football before a family barbecue: 408 cal/60 min.
Ultimate Frisbee on the green grass: 146 cal/60 min.
Tennis in the sun: 350 cal/60 min.
Hiking in the Great Outdoors: 291 cal/60 min.

The end of the flexibility continuum. Dynamic Flexibility

2007-04-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Flexibility, like any other form of training, should follow a systematic progression. This is known as the flexibility continuum. There are three phases of flexibility training: Corrective, Active and Functional.

Corrective flexibility is designed to improve muscle imbalances and altered joint motion. It includes static stretching and self-myofascial release (SMFR). This is the beginning of the flexibility continuum.

The next progression is Active flexibility. Active flexibility is designed to improve the extensibility of soft tissue and increase neuromuscular efficiency. It allows for cooperating muscle groups (agonists and synergists) to move a limb through a full range of motion while the functional muscles (antagonists) are being stretched. This progressive phase includes SMFR and Active-isolated stretching.

The final progression is Functional flexibility. Functional flexibility is integrated, multiplanar soft tissue extensibility, with optimum neuromuscular control, through a full range of motion. Essentially, it is movement without compensations. Functional flexibility uses dynamic stretching and SMFR.

Dynamic stretching uses the force production of a muscle and the body's momentum to take a joint through the full available range of motion to improve soft tissue extensibility. Dynamic stretching is used as a pre-activity warm-up, formed as 1 set of 10 reps for 3-10 different exercises. Medicine ball rotations and walking lunges are good examples of dynamic stretching.

By training in an integrated, systematic fashion, you'll achieve optimum results in an efficient manner. You'll maximize your results without increasing the risk of injury, leaving you sitting on the sidelines.

Faster than the speed of light. Cyber Client Results

2007-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Wendy completed a 5K race yesterday afternoon. She didn't just complete it, she had a goal of running under 23 minutes and crushed her goal, finishing at 22:51.

She's been running many miles, working out on the program for a little over 2 months, all the while getting faster and stronger along the way. She's put in some hard work and it's totally been paying off. Way to go!!

Go give her a shout out & a congratulations for an amazing accomplishment!

Adding fuel to the fire. Carbohydrate loading for the athlete

2007-04-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

In endurance exercise of greater than a 90 minute duration (marathon running), muscle-glycogen stores become depleted. This depletion limits the performance. Carb-loading, also called glycogen supercompensation, is a technique used to increase muscle glycogen prior an endurance event. This practice can nearly double muscle-glycogen stores, increasing endurance potential.

Historically, the week-long program includes four days of glycogen depletion (through a low-carb diet and exhaustive exercise), followed by three days of rest and a high-carb diet. This method had many drawbacks, including periods of hypoglycemia, irritability, increased susceptibility to injury and difficulty in compliance. In 1981, one study proposed a revised method that accomplishes the same goal with greater ease of compliance and fewer side effects.

6 days out: 70-75% intensity for 90 minutes, carbs = 4 g/kg of body weight
4-5 days out: 70-75% intensity for 40 minutes, carbs = 4 g/kg of body weight
2-3 days out: 70-75% intensity for 20 minutes, carbs = 10 g/kg of body weight
1 day out: Rest, carbs = 10 g/kg of body weight

Music that moves you. Motivation for cardio interval training

2007-04-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more painful than doing cardio when it is dull, drab and boring. When you go through the motions, feeling like a gerbil on a machine, it just sucks the life and energy out of you. This can also be a huge problem in maintaining that x-factor motivation.

Music is a great investment. Any kind of MP3 player (or CD player, for that matter) with the music of your choice can make a big difference in the level of intensity, the ease of performance and give you the "cardio rush". Corporate Gyms tend to pump the latest Pop album into your brain until you go crazy. This music will not have the same effect as the music that you really like. The music that moves you.

To keep your cardio interval training interesting, just keep your pace with the beat of each song. You'll notice that some songs will get your Target Heart Rate way up there, where you're training at 80-85% intensity. Surprisingly enough, it won't feel like you're going to keel over. The music keeps you moving and you know about how long you'll continue pumping to the pace. Typically the next song is at a slower pace, offering you a little recovery time and an opportunity for your Target Heart Rate to drop before you work back up to the higher intensity again.

Going back and forth, up and down in intensity with music is a great way to keep interval training interesting and fun. You truly will be moved to the "cardio rush" with adrenaline pumping through your veins and making it that much easier to get to your goal.

Get some shut eye. Sleep and it's impact on your goal

2007-04-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sleep and the appropriate amount of rest plays a huge part in the success of every goal, be it sports performance training, fat loss or muscle gain. Modern technological advances and the way we function as a society has made that success very challenging. In 1910, the average adult slept nine to 10 hours per night. Currently, we are lucky to get seven. The body is greatly effected by this.

Mammals are hard wired to store fat, become insulin resistant and get high cholesterol during the longer days of summer and then to sleep (hibernate) or at least starve for a while, become insulin sensitive again and drop cholesterol levels when the days are shorter (winter). This cycle was programmed into our physiology over thousands of years. Electricity and the light bulb brought endless light, which the body interprets as endless summer. Now, we don’t sleep (hibernate) and we don’t starve (for carbohydrates).

Literally, the later you stay up at night, the more your brain will force you to seek energy for storage by eating sugar (carbs). Again, your body is thinking “endless summer before the winter.” Sugar is the only path to insulin release. Insulin’s job is to store excess carbs as fat and cholesterol. Cholesterol levels increase to lower the freezing temperature of the cell membranes in preparation for the hibernation that never comes.

Additionally, all of these late nights equate to massive “light toxicity.” This condition causes excessive paranoid, aggressive, hysterical and urgent behavior, otherwise known as stress. In this chronic state, blood sugar is elevated, taxing the insulin response, increasing cotisol levels in the blood, which has powerful blood sugar mobilizing effects. This means, if you are not paying attention to these factors, signs and symptoms and you stress yourself out too much, exercise can make and keep you fat!

Sleep is the most important form of rest. A good night's sleep of seven to 10 hours provides invaluable adaptation time for athletes to adjust to the physical and emotional stressors they experience during the day. There are two major forms of sleep patterns: deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement sleep). During deep sleep, the body is so physically relaxed that fatigued muscles get access to a good blood supply and critical hormones such as human growth hormone (HGH), which are released in the early stages of deep sleep. This has an anabolic or regenerative action for soft tissues in particular. REM sleep is the lightest stages of sleep when dreams occur, and it is during this stage of sleep that we work through any emotional and social issues that concern us. REM sleep also assists with the patterning of new motor programs or techniques and skills learned during the day. We need sufficient hours of good quality sleep in order to cope with all of the both physical and emotional demands we face.

No matter the goal, sleep (or the lack thereof) can have a huge impact on not only performance, but the goal itself. If you're not sleeping well and under a lot of stress, this alone can effect your body and increase the level of body fat. For a recovering athlete, muscle recovery is slower, thus resulting in an extended injury cycle. Along with balanced nutrition, proper hydration and an integrated, organized strength training routine, a good amount of sleep can make a big difference in your success and overall health.

OK! That's it! Motivation and focusing on the X-Factor

2007-04-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Whether you are trying to find the motivation to get started or you're trying to hang onto what got you going in the first place, it's all about the "X-Factor". The X-Factor is that moment in time where you think to yourself "I have to get in shape. I have to go to the gym. I have to do this NOW".

The X-Factor is raw feeling. It's the feeling of catching a glimps of your expanding rear as you pass by the bathroom mirror and are completely shocked and caught off guard. "Is that really my butt? You've got to be kidding!" It's the feeling of overhearing the honesty of a child in the grocery store. "Mom! Look at how big their tummy is! Are they having a baby too?", when you're not expecting. It's the feeling of not being able to button up your favorite pair of jeans that used to fit OK. It's the feeling of not being able to open a jar of pickles and you have to ask your wife for help, who doesn't struggle in the least bit. It's the feeling of thinking you just ran a marathon when it was only a flight of stairs. It's the feeling of eminent death after your father just died from a preventable obesity related heart attack. It's the feeling that something is not right. It's shocking and it's urgent.

The X-factor makes you call to get a gym membership without hesitation, no matter the cost. It makes you skip the candy and chip isles at the supermarket. It makes you wake up early to get your workout done for the day. It makes you push that last rep out in your lift, when all you want to do is quit. It's the last mile in your morning run. It's the motivation to Just Do It. No starting on Monday. No "last meal" or last sugary treat. It absolutely starts NOW.

You may never get started on your fitness program if you don't know and understand your X-Factor. You may never stay in the game if you lose sight of it. Getting the ball rolling is not easy, but it's certainly easier when you have the X-Factor staring you in the face. There are always highs and lows in a training program. This makes it easy to slack off or quit. Not so much when you're reminded of your X-Factor.

What made you start working out and eating better? What made you get a personal trainer? What motivated you so much that you put action behind thought and feeling and followed through? What is your X-Factor?

There isn't a magic pill. Caffeine and the Athlete

2007-04-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Much to our dismay, there hasn't been ground breaking development in The Magic Pill of weight loss. There is an array of different supplements out there that "claim" to accelerate results, but with any and all supplements, it's just that. A claim.

If you read the nutritional labels of energy sports drinks and fat loss supplements, you'll notice a common ingredient. Caffeine. Caffeine is a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant that belongs to a group of drugs called the methylxanthines. Methylxanthines are found in more than 600 species of plants. The most common sources include coffee, tea, guarana, cocoa, mate and cola (kola) nut.

In various studies, caffeine ingestion was found to cause:

an increased mobilization of free fatty acids (FFA)
to spare glycogen (energy)
stimulate the release of epinephrine
block the effects of adenosine
alter the calcium levels in the muscle
increase blood pressure
stimulate the CNS

Caffeine may also directly stimulate certain tissues, such as adipose (body fat) and vascular tissue. Caffeine may stimulate neurons, cardiac muscles, diuresis, relaxation of smooth muscle and gastric acid secretions.

Many studies have tried to demonstrate caffeine's ability to increase sports performance, but trial results have been unfounded. Caffeine has been found (but not necessarily proven) to influence performance lasting 30 to 120 minutes by increasing FFA release from adipose cells (body fat), possibly sparing glycogen utilization during endurance training. Caffeine may also increase oxygen uptake and lower the respiratory exchange ratio (RER).

Using caffeine in pill form has been found to be the most effective. Coffee does not appear to enhance performance in the same way. One study found that coffee was less effective than a caffeine pill (3-6 mg/kg pure caffeine).

However, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits of intaking large amounts of caffeine. Studies have used anywhere from 300 to 500 mg of caffeine in pill form (2.5 cups of percolated coffee = approximately 300 mg). The side effects would include headaches, increased heart rate and a potent diuretic effect (promoting dehydration) that could be detrimental during activity. Caffeine should definitely not be used as an ergogenic (sports performance) aid.

Time wasting machine- seated leg extensions

2007-04-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is another machine that has it's place in rehab, but ends up doing more harm than good in the weight room. Much like other time wasting machines, the seated leg extension really does not factor in biomenchanics and functional movement. Leg extensions are a potentially dangerous exercise because when only the shin is in motion, the exercise draws the patella back onto the femur increasing joint compression forces, which can damage the connective tissue and the ligaments supporting the knee joint. It can also cause anterior knee pain so people with existing knee problems may aggravate them by doing this exercise.
The knee joint is a modified hinge joint, which basically means it has one degree of freedom (sagittal plane extension and flexion). The important thing to remember is that the machine will not dictate which muscles are used. Rather, muscle fiber alignment and the direction of resistance will. The quadriceps and hamstrings have a fiber alignment set up to concentrically perform extension and flexion. The entire exercise is wrong when it comes to functional movement, seeing as the quads function as reactors to gravity and ground reaction forces, not by selectively contracting against a machine.

The better option for increasing leg strength or specifically targeting the quads are squats. Hack squats, ball squats, dumbbell squats, single leg squats...there are a million different ways to do them. Plus, you'll increase your core strength and burn more calories this way than on a machine.

It's not so sweet. Sugar and it's effects.

2007-04-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

This is where you need to be a super sleuth with your nutrition, because sugar is in just about every single processed food. It goes beyond the cookies and soda pop. It's slipped into breads, crackers, cereals and even soup. Yes, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and other forms of sugar can be found in a can of chicken noodle soup. HFCS began to infiltrate our food in the 1970's as a cheap and profitable way to sweeten processed foods (this is also one of many contributing factors to the obesity epidemic in America).

So what is sugar and why is it such a big deal? First there are simple sugars, fructose (or monosaccharides) such as those in fruit and honey, that require no digestion. Double sugars, fructose and glucose (or disaccharides), such as table sugar (sucrose), require some digestive action. High fructose corn syrup is made from corn starch. HFCS is a thick liquid that contains fructose and glucose, in roughly equal amounts. Sucrose is a larger sugar molecule that breaks down into glucose and fructose in the intestine during metabolism.

When we eat sugar, the consumption of glucose kicks off a cascade of biochemical reactions. It increases production of insulin by the pancreas, which enables sugar in the blood to be transported into cells, where it can be used for energy. It increases production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage, and it suppresses production of another hormone made by the stomach, ghrelin, that helps regulate food intake. It has been theorized that when ghrelin levels drop, as they do after eating carbohydrates composed of glucose, hunger declines.

The interesting fact about fructose is that it is metabolized in a totally different way than other carbohydrates. It does not stimulate or require insulin for transportation to the cells. Since there is no need for insulin release, there is also no secretion of leptin. Therefore the feeling of satiety is altered—you continue to eat and possibly overeat.

Another concern is the action of fructose in the liver, where it is converted into the chemical backbone of trigylcerides more efficiently than glucose. Like low-density lipoprotein, the most damaging form of cholesterol, elevated levels of trigylcerides are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. A University of Minnesota study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000 found that in men, but not in women, fructose "produced significantly higher blood levels" than did glucose. The researchers concluded that diets high in added fructose may be undesirable, particularly for men.

Other recent research suggests that fructose may alter the magnesium balance in the body. That could, in turn, accelerate bone loss, according to a USDA study published in 2000 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

While sugar may be a craving that you give into by munching on cookies and soda, or make your coffee taste better, it's not worth it. What's worse is that you could be consuming sugar without even knowing it. Read your nutritional labels. Don't eat anything that lists HFCS as an ingredient. If sugar (in any form) is in the top ingredients, don't buy it. A sweet treat every now and then isn't going to kill you, but when you unknowingly (or knowingly) eat it everyday, it just might.

Change it up. Cardio Adaptation

2007-04-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Just as your body adapts and becomes more efficient in your resistance training routine (SAID principle), you body does the same in your cardio program. Stage training can help continue the cycle of adaptation, but what about other variables?

Creating variety can be as simple as changing your form of cardio every 4-6 weeks. You can chose specific programs that target certain aspects of your goal (not spot reducing). For upper body development combined with cardio training, swimming is great. Need more leg and glute power and development? Try running hills or adding an incline to the treadmill. Rowing is an amazing way to improve back and shoulder development.

By combining Stage training with an organized cardio plan, you can create optimum long term results.

Switch it up. Resistance Training Systems

2007-04-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Following an organized, integrated training program and manipulating variables is key to achieving optimum performance. There are many training systems that can be utilized to structure a resistance training program for different results.

Single Set System
This is one of the oldest training methods out there. The single set system is the execution of one set of each exercise. Each set usually consists of 8-12 reps at a controlled tempo. This is most often used for individuals who workout twice a week. Although multiple set training is perceived as being more beneficial for strength and size gains in advanced exercise enthusiasts, the single set system has been shown to be as beneficial for a beginner.

Multiple Set System
This training method has been popular since the 1940's. The multiple set system consists of performing a multiple number of sets for each exercise. This form of training can be appropriate for both novice and advanced athletes, but has been shown to be superior to the single set system for the advanced exerciser.

The Pyramid System
This system involves a progressive or regressive step approach that either increases or decreases weight with each set. In the light to heavy system, an individual performs 10-12 reps with a light load and increases the resistance for each following set, until the individual can perform one to two reps, usually in four to six sets. This system can be used for workouts that involve only two to four sets or higher rep schemes, like 12-20 reps. The heavy to light system works in the opposite direction. The individual starts with a heavy load and for one to two reps then decreases the amount of weight and increases the reps for four to six sets.

The Superset System
This type of training utilizes a couple of exercises performed in rapid succession of one another. It can be combined with compound set and tri-set systems. Compound sets involve the performance of two exercises for antagonistic (opposite) muscles (chest/back combos). Working opposite muscle groups allows for better recovery and is more time efficient. Tri-set systems use three (or two) exercises for the same muscle group or body part (chest press, cable press, push-up). Typically, supersetting involves sets of 8-12 reps with no rest between sets or exercises. This is beneficial for muscle gain and muscular endurance.

The Circuit Training System
This is a system consisting of a series of exercises that an individual performs one after the other, with minimal rest. Circuit training is a great training system for those with limited time or those who need to increase their Target Heart Rate to burn more calories.

The Peripheral Heart Action System
This is a variation of circuit training that alternates upper body and lower body exercises throughout the circuit. This system is very beneficial for incorporating an integrated, multidimensional program to alter body composition.

The Split Routine System
A split routine involves breaking up muscle groups to be trained on separate days. Many body builders and sports athletes use the split routine system. It helps to bring about muscle size (hypertrophy) and more work can be performed for the allotted time per workout.

By creating variety in your routine, not only will you fight boredom, but you will also fight adaptation and plateau. The are so many ways to switch it up. Be creative, but stick to the techniques that compliment your fitness goal. Variety is the spice of life and also the key to efficient results.

Genetics vs Lifestyle. The Set Point Theory

2007-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

The two most common obstacles individuals face when attempting to reach their fitness goals are genetics and lifestyle choices. The set-point theory demonstrates how genetics and lifestyle overlap or may actually be the same.

A person's set point is the approximate weight and fat percentage that an individuals body settles into during adulthood. Body fat is regulated in the brain by a mechanism in the hypothalamus. This mechanism chooses the amount of body fat it considers ideal for the body's needs and works to maintain that level. Theoretically, each person has a set point range. A low and a high side, determined by genetics. Where an individual ends up in that range is a result of lifestyle. If a person is active and eats right, they will end up on the lower side of the range.

The regulating mechanism controls body weight in two ways. First, it has an effect on the amount of food you eat. It is responsible for increasing or decreasing appetite to maintain the set point weight. Second, the regulating mechanism can trigger the body's systems to "waste" excess energy if you overheat or conserve energy if you don't eat enough. Energy conservation may lead to muscle loss and a slowing of the endocrine system due to the body's attempt to protect fat stores for future use. In addition, less muscle mass means the body requires fewer calories to function.

An individuals set point is genetically determined. Some people are satisfied with it, others struggle with it all their lives. There are some who can eat every sweet treat that crosses their path and still maintain a low body fat percentage. However, many still struggle with their set point and constantly diet and exercise to lose weight. The truth is, this weight loss is often a loss of both muscle and fat. Once they stop dieting, those who battle fat loss incorrectly or are unable to make the necessary lifestyle changes will ultimately return to their original body composition and most likely gain additional body fat.

On a typical calorie restrictive diet, the body loses lean body mass and in turn, burns fewer calories. As a result, the dieter is severely limited in the amount of food they can eat without experiencing an increase in weight and fat. To complicate matters even more, because fat is burned in muscle tissue, the decrease in lean body mass results in a decrease in the amount of fat burned while either resting or exercising. Poor genetics, in regard to body fat, can be exacerbated by improper dieting and exercise techniques.

Genetics may also play a role in how fast an individual is able to lose body fat. Two people with similar body composition and fat loss (or muscle gain) goals could workout using the same program and the dieter with the "good" genes may reach their goal in less time and with less effort. Genetic predisposition may have a twofold effect on a persons ability to lose weight and fat. It may determine the amount of body fat the system will attempt to store and the speed at which the individual is able to lose body fat.

While there is no way to change a persons genetical predisposition, it is possible to control whether genes are allowed to fully express themselves. If the cause of a persons body fat is genetic, they do not have to be a prisoner to heredity, because you can control what you eat and how much you move. Regular exercise and proper food intake must become "ingrained" in the brain.

The set point theory is applicable to those individuals who workout and eat right. It's for those women who strive to fit into a size 4 pair of jeans or patiently wait for the scale to show them the "ideal" number. It's for the men who focus on six pack abs and 21 inch biceps. It's for everyone who feels like they should all be the same size and shape as everyone else. It is not an excuse for the overweight or obese. The set point theory doesn't not mean that an individual is destined to be unhealthy.

How are they doing? Cyber Client Results

2007-04-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone who's working out with the OPT (TM) training program and following their nutrition plan has achieved great results. Here are updates from a few people:

Stefanie emailed me with news (before she got sick) that it's been ten years since she's been at her new weight.

Last week Kim was successful with her nutrition and cutting out sugar. She lost 5 pounds that week!

Wendy got her body fat percentage checked and has ONLY 3 percent (6 pounds) more to go to get to her goal (along with continuing to increase her speed in her marathon training).

Beth posted about her 13 pound loss after working out on the program (yeah!)

Van emailed and she didn't see any results with Weight Watchers after three weeks. Now after three weeks of diligent effort on the nutrition and workout plan, she's lost almost 9 pounds!

Big high fives to everyone busting their butts. It takes commitment and effort to achieve these kind of results. They've definitely earned it!!

Just don't hold your breath. Breathing and Weight Training

2007-03-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

This issue can be a source of confusion for many exercise enthusiasts. What's the right way to breath during your lifting routine? In or out on the lift? What about holding your breath? Deep or shallow? This information should be a breath of fresh air.

Breathing dysfunction is a very common cause to muscular and postural dysfunction. It often results from breathing due to high stress and anxiety. When the breathing pattern becomes more shallow, the secondary respiratory muscles are used more predominantly than the diaphragm. This upper-chest, shallow breathing pattern causes overuse of the neck and shoulder muscles. These muscles play major roles in posture. Their increased activity and excessive tension often result in headaches and dizziness. This alters the pain cycle by increasing pain receptors in the brain. The inadequate oxygen consumption and retention of metabolic waste within muscles can create fatigued stiff muscles. This can also decrease joint motion of the spine and rib cage. Needless to say, shallow upper-chest breathing can cause a whole mess of problems.

When it comes to breathing techniques in your exercises, just don't hold your breath. When you hold your breath in your routine, it causes your blood pressure to rise, which can be fatal. So if you forget everything about breathing in your lift, just remember to breath. Period.

The standard in weight training is to breath out on exertion. It activates the core and helps to produce more power. There are a few different exceptions to this rule, however. When moving weight toward the body upon exertion, it doesn't fit the body's natural movement patterns.

Here's a guide to help you sort it all out:

Lower body exertion: Breath out
Upper body push: Breath out
Upper body pull: Breath in
Functional training and light lifting: Breath naturally

There's a fine line. The complexity of calories

2007-03-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

One of the most challenging components of a nutrition plan is determining the appropriate caloric intake that compliments your fitness goal. As a society, we consume 260 more calories a day than we did 10 years ago. The over consumption that Americans engage in is causing the obesity epidemic that is not only effecting the health of adults, but children as well.

Because it gets drilled into our heads that we're eating too much, when an individual starts to change their nutritional habits, it's a knee jerk reaction to drastically cut calories. Now instead of consuming too much, they are consuming very little. This causes cravings that are difficult to control and an appetite that goes haywire. Eventually, this decrease causes metabolism to slow down and in turn creates a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

First, let's take a look at the science of the energy equation, the First Law of Thermodynamics. This basically states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred. It's also known as the Conservation of Energy. So what does this mean in the world of fitness? If you eat too much and move very little, calories (energy) are stored and weight increases. If you eat less and move more, calories (energy) are burned and weight loss occurs. It's basic math, simple addition and subtraction. However, our bodies are more complex than elementary mathematics. What happens if you eat little and workout often, but your weight doesn't change. Or worse, you gain weight. What is the science in that?

If this truly happens, there is either an under reporting of caloric consumption (caloric amnesia or nutrition denial) or the body is not getting the amount of energy it needs. It boils down to your Basal Metabolic Rate (aka: resting metabolic rate). Your BMR/RMR is approximately the amount of energy expended during rest or the amount of calories needed to sustain life. The release of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, brain and the rest of the nervous system, liver, kidneys, sex organs, muscles and skin.

What happens in this drastic decrease is that the daily caloric total is often less than an individuals BMR/RMR. The body does not get what it needs, lean body mass (muscle) is lost and metabolism slows down, meaning your body burns less calories at rest than it did before. Optimum performance does not occur at this level.

The car analogy is perfect for this situation:
Your planning on driving across the country. The first thing you think about is filling up the gas tank, but you get too busy and forget. You start your trip but end up getting stranded on the side of the road because the car ran out of gas.

Your body is that car, but much more amazing. Your cross country trip is your fitness goal and the gas is your calorie consumption. When you consume too few calories, your amazing body will not leave you stranded on the side of the road. No, your body will find an alternative source of fuel. Muscle and organ tissue. Your body becomes catabolic (breaking itself down) to keep you alive and going. The loss of lean body mass increases body fat. The metabolic processes slow down attempting to conserve energy.

Taken to the extreme, this is weight loss through anorexia. However, the majority of individuals who drastically cut calories are not anorexic, nor intend to be. They are walking the fine line. They are consuming enough to live, but not enough to function (metabolically) efficiently. More often than not, it's a difficult lifestyle to maintain and the individual gives in to binges, continuing the yo-yo cycle.

For optimum health and performance, one needs to think "balance". Don't be afraid to eat. Just don't over do it. Balanced nutrition complimented with a balanced workout routine will ensure overall fitness success and it won't compromise your health or wellness.

Stand tall! Form is everything

2007-03-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

We've all seen it. The sloppy lifter. They're either the person who really is a novice and just hasn't learned about proper form, or they're the meat head trying to impress the other 'roid ragers with how much they can pick up (even if it pulls something out of socket).

The best ways to prevent improper form are to determine the appropriate intensity, tempo and posture for the specific exercise that fits the individual's goal.

In regard to posture, the best "trick" is to think of yourself as a stick figure, straight and angular. Your head is back above your shoulder, not forward, tilted or turned to look at yourself in the mirror. Your shoulders are back rather than protracted (rounded forward). Your abs and glutes are activated in every motion to stabilize your body. Your legs are in line with your hips (unless specified in specific exercises). Your knees are lose, not hyper-extended (locked out). Your feet are pointed straight ahead, not turned out.

During your reps, you want to continue this "angular" thinking. Many injuries occur when joints are extended beyond certain points in the range of motion. Take a chest press, for example. When bringing the weight back toward the body, many people will take it (barbell, dumbbell, cable) all the way to the chest, causing the shoulder and elbow to go beyond 90 degrees. This over extension with pressure damages the shoulder and sends you to rehab to repair your rotator cuff.

The goal is to keep this solid posture in every rep. If you find yourself swinging in a bicep curl, drop your weight so you can maintain good form. It's always better to workout effectively rather than getting injured. An injury will not only hold you back because of the time it takes to heal, but also the time it takes to "re-program" your body to work efficiently due to the alteration of the kinetic chain in the injury cycle.

Remember this checklist before you start your lift:

Head back over your shoulders
Shoulders pulled back
Abs tight
Glutes tight
Legs even with hips
Knees lose
Feet pointed straight ahead

Once you've started your set, keep your posture and remember your "stick figure" angles. Having good form not only reduces your risk of injury, but it also ensures efficient muscle contractions helping you achieve your fitness goal.

How hard are you really working? Figuring out your training intensity

2007-03-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

Most people unknowingly take the easy road in their routines and really don't understand what training intensity they should be working in. Training intensity is defined as an individual's level of effort compared to their maximum effort. It can also be derived from the percentage of maximal oxygen consumption (MHR), as in cardio training programs. Training intensity is one of the most important variables to consider in you training program and it can make or break your success.

An individual's training goal and the appropriate phase that will help them accomplish that goal will determine the number of sets and reps for an exercise and in turn, determine the appropriate level of intensity.

Power training is best performed with 30-45% of 1 rep max when using conventional weight training or up to 10% of body weight when using medicine balls.
Maximum strength training requires training at 80-100% of 1 rep max.
Hypertrophy (or muscle gain) is best achieved when training at 70-85% of 1 rep max.
Endurance (stabilization) is optimally developed with a training intensity of 40-70% of 1 rep max.

All training intensities are determined by calculating your 1 rep maximum. Note that it is stated calculating, as the risk of injury when attempting a 1 rep max is very, very high.

There are many ways to increase the level of intensity in your routine. Training in an unstable environment in the stabilization phase can increase the intensity because it recruits more muscles to perform the exercise. This leads to burning more calories per exercise. Changing other variables such as rest period and tempo also changes the level of intensity by increasing your heart rate. It's more than just changing the resistance and increasing the weight.

Time wasting machine- ab benches

2007-03-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is one of the machines that will waste the most amount of your time. With nutrition, genetics and body fat aside, ab benches (specifically the ones with arms rests) will do absolutely nothing for you. Why is that? Your upper body does more work than your abs.

This is really short and simple. If it has a place for your arms, regardless if it's a weightless bench or a plate loaded machine, don't use it. Go for ab exercises on the floor, a ball or even adjustable decline benches. All of these options will enable your abs to do the work rather than your neck, shoulders and arms.

Moving onto...Active Flexibility

2007-03-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

We are multiplanar people, moving in all different directions. Most tend to forget this when working out, only performing motions in a forward motion (frontal plane). This one dimensional form of training often causes muscular imbalances and injury. Most injuries often occur when moving to the side (transverse plane). If the soft tissue is not extensible through the full range of movement, the risk of injury dramatically increases. This is where organized and progressive workout techniques come in, specifically active flexibility.

Active flexibility is designed to improve the extensibility of soft tissue and increases neuromuscular (brain and body connection) efficiency. Active flexibility allows for specific muscles to move a limb through a full range of motion while being stretched. Active flexibility uses active-isolated stretching and SMFR techniques. This is the type of flexibility training one would progress to when moving onto strength training on the OPT model.

Active-isolated stretching is the process of using cooperating muscle groups to dramatically move the joint into a range of motion. This type of stretching is is suggested for pre-activity warm-up, as long as there are no muscular imbalances present.

Once you've improved stability and muscle efficiency through stabilization training and corrective flexibility, you're ready to progress onto strength training and active flexibility. This progression enables you to continue your success while constantly challenging your body, making you the best athlete you can be.

Cardio Stage Training

2007-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Just like any other form of training, cardio is effected by the General Adaption Syndrome and The SAID Principle. In order to continue with effective progression, variety needs to be incorporated. Stage training is a great way to do that.

In order to continue the adaptation cycle, a cardio program must be progressive and organized to minimize the risk of over-training and injury. Stage training is a three stage system that uses different heart rate zones. The three different stages mimic the three stages of training in the OPT model.

Zone One
Zone One consists of a heart rate of 65-75% of a heart rate max. This zone is a recovery zone for those working in higher intensity programs. It's a great zone for beginners to start in. This form of training coincides with the stabilization training.

Zone Two
Zone Two consists of a heart rate of 80-85% of a heart rate max. This is near the anaerobic threshold. Anaerobic threshold is the point where the body can no longer produce enough energy for the muscle with normal oxygen intake. As a result, it begins to produce higher levels of lactic acid (part of what causes post-workout soreness) than can be removed from the body. Training and staying at this level will burn more calories with a higher percentage of those calories coming from fat (but this is not a "fat burning zone"). Zone Two coincides with the progression from stabilization training to strength training.

Zone Three
Zone Three consists of a heart rate of 85-90% of a heart rate max. This is a true high intensity workout and cannot be sustained for long periods of time (more than 10-60 seconds). Staying in Zone One or Two will cause an individual to hit a plateau. Working out in Zone Three about once a week is typically enough of a change to continue the adaptation cycle. One must be careful to not spend too much time in Zone Three because it can lead to over-training. Zone Three coincides with the progression from strength training to power training.

By organizing these zones to fit in with the appropriate strength training program for your goal, you will effectively achieve your goal while improving your performance.

Carbs don't make you fat! The fitness myth about Carbohydrates and weight gain

2007-03-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

There has been an abundant amount of time and energy spent on investigating the link between carbohydrate consumption and the increase of obesity in America. This is also the claim to most fad diets, "Carbs make you fat", "Don't eat bread, it's a bad carb", etc.

When reviewing that data on Americans food intake, it's interesting to note that in the early 1900s, the percentage of carbohydrates consumed was higher and fat consumption was lower than it is today, without the obesity epidemic that we're currently experiencing. It's only over the last two decades that there's been a significant increase in obesity. The research being done has concluded that there are two reasons for this dramatic rise: An increase in caloric consumption (eating too much) and a decrease in energy expenditure (not moving enough). Data published in 1996 by the US Department of Health and Human Services found that 60% of American adults are not regularly active and that 25% are completely sedentary.

The facts are very clear. America's increasing problem of obesity is not because of carbs, but because of an energy imbalance.

Our bodies need carbohydrates. This is why:

They provide satiety (keeping you full) by keeping the glycogen stores full and adding bulk to the diet.
They balance blood sugars levels (provided there is a consistent intake of low-glycemic carbs)
They are the perfect and preferred form of energy
They constantly need to be replaced, causing a craving that must be satisfied
Parts of the central nervous system rely exclusively on carbs
They efficiently burn and utilize fat and protein

The recommended carbohydrate intake:

25 grams of fiber a day
should be between 60-70% of total caloric intake
Fruits, whole grains and vegetables are the preferred source of carbs

In conclusion, don't be afraid to eat carbs. They aren't bad for you. If you're worried about weight gain, take a look at the whole picture. Are you eating right (notice it's right, not less)? Are you working out regularly? Most importantly, are you being honest with yourself about your fitness and nutrition?

Tools of the trade - Stability Balls

2007-03-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Stability ball, swiss ball, therapy ball, whatever you want to call it. If you don't have one, run out and get one now! This is one handy fitness tool to have at home and at work.

You can do a variety of exercises for every single muscle group with one of these. By incorporating a ball into your routine, you will work multiple muscle groups at once, maximizing your caloric burn. You also constantly work our core stabilizing muscles, making for a more stable back and joints and stronger abs.

You can use a ball at the office, provided you have a health conscious boss. As a society, we are sitting in front of computers and TV's for longer periods of time. If you work in an office, you're most likely sitting in front of a computer all day long, causing you muscular imbalances and back pain. If you use a ball as an office chair it will help prevent low back pain and you can get an ab workout in while you get your work done. Two birds with one stone. Sounds great to me!

You can find a ball pretty much anywhere. There are a few things you want to look for though. First, make sure you get a burst resistant ball. These balls have a tacky kind of texture to them. This is really important for those who have kids. The last thing you want to to do an exercise and have the ball explode from under you. The burst resistant balls will slowly deflate if punctured, saving you and your family from injury.

Secondly, get a ball that's fitted to your height. Balls come in different sizes. Look on the sizing chart to make sure it will work out for you. Most women need a 55 cm ball, while most men need a 65 cm ball. This is a generalization, however.

Once you get a safe ball that fits you and your program, you'll be ready to rock!

A great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got an update on how Wendy did in her race. It was cool to hear that all of the muscles that had given her a hard time in previous marathons were working well. It was also great to see her how her core training helped out too!

She's been diligent in her workouts making sure she can get not only cardio doubles, but her core and resistance training in as well. Her dedication has really been paying off! She is going to run in another half marathon in 10 weeks and I can't wait to see what her time will be. Awesome job Wendy!!

What's your type? I'm talking about muscle fibers

2007-03-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons for working out in a progressive, integrated fashion. One of the main reasons is due to the different muscle fiber types and their responses to resistance training. Muscle fiber types vary in their chemical and mechanical properties. They've been separated into two main categories: Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 muscle fibers or "slow twitch" are smaller stabilizing muscles. They produce less force and are slow to fatigue. These fibers are important for muscles producing long-term contractions needed for stabilizations and postural control.

Type 2 muscle fibers or "fast twitch" are larger short-term contracting muscles. The produce more force and power and are quick to fatigue. These fibers are important for producing movements like sprinting.

All muscles have a combination of slow and fast twitch muscle fibers that will vary depending on the function of the muscle. It's been shown that the muscles on the shin are approximately 73% slow twitch while part of the calf has approximately 49% fast twitch.

In order to have successful, efficient results, it requires a varied and integrated program that encompasses all aspects of training: flexibility, stabilization, balance, strength and power. If all of these components are addressed, your body will function at an optimum level of performance, the risk of injury is decreased and results will be quick to happen.

A pinch for good measure- checking your progress

2007-03-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Let's say you've been working out for a few weeks and you're not quite sure about your progress. What's the best way to measure your success? Well, here's the skinny on a few different techniques.

Skin Fold Caliper Measurements
While this may not be the most accurate technique in assessing the exact percentage, it is an accurate way to chart progress. Caliper measurements are done by measuring the amount of fat that can be pinched from three to seven sites on the body. Most fitness professionals use the Durnin/Womersley formula, which is a four site upper body measurement. The key to an accurate measurement is consistency.

Bioelectrical Impedance
This technique uses a portable instrument (or a scale) to conduct an electrical current through the body. This is based on the hypothesis that tissues that are high in water content conduct electrical currents with less resistance than those with little water (like body fat). This is not the most accurate technique due to the constant fluctuations in hydration.

Underwater Weighing
This technique is the most accurate in determining the exact percentage. This method determines the proportion of fat to lean body mass. This is done by weighing a person through normal methods and then, being weighed again underwater. Because lean tissue is denser than fat, the more lean a person is, the more they will weigh underwater. The results indicate a person's overall density. While this may be the most accurate technique, it's not the most practical. Unless you have access to an exercise physiology lab.

Circumference Measurements
This is another technique that can be very beneficial with consistency. Not only is this a useful technique to asses gains in lean body mass, but also the percentage of body fat. This is an excellent alternative for when skin fold measurements are not an option. The measurement sites are: neck, chest, upper arm, forearm, waist, thigh, calf.

Waist-to-hip Ratio
This is one of the most used clinical applications of girth measurements. This can be an important assessment because there is a correlation between chronic diseases and fat stored in the midsection. The ratio can be determined by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement. If your waist measures 30 inches and your hips 40 inches, the waist-to-hip ratio is 0.75. A ratio above 0.80 for women and above 0.95 for men may put people at risk for a number of diseases.

Body Mass Index
This technique is not designed to assess body fat, but the BMI is an easy method for determining if your weight is appropriate for your height. To calculate this measurement, divide body weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters squared). The obesity classification using BMI are : mild = 25-30, moderate =30-35, Severe >35. This assessment is not accurate for athletes, due to lower body fat percentages and higher amounts of lean body mass.

The fluid of life- Water

2007-03-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Water is the most important resource for the body. You can survive weeks without food, but only days without water. Keeping hydrated can be a challenge and dehydration can have a huge negative impact on your fitness performance.

On average, an individual should drink approximately 96 ounces (3 quarts) of water a day. Those looking to alter their body composition and decrease body fat should drink an additional 8 ounces of water for every 25 pounds they carry above their ideal weight. Water intake should be increased if an individual is exercising briskly or living in a hot climate.

Studies have shown that a fluid loss of even two percent of body weight will affect circulatory functions and decrease performance levels. The effects of dehydration can also include:

decreased blood volume
decreased blood pressure
decreased sweat rate
increased core temperature
water retention
increased heart rate
sodium retention
decreased cardiac output
decreased blood flow to the skin
increased perceived exertion
increased use of muscle glycogen

Thirst alone is a poor indicator of how much water is needed. Athletes consistently consume inadequate fluid, managing to only replace about 50% of sweat losses. Guidelines for the athlete are:

consume 16 oz. two hours prior to exercise. An additional 16 oz. may be needed for warmer climates.
drink 20-40 oz. for every hour of exercise
water should be cold
if exercising longer than 60 minutes, use a sports drink (containing up to 8% carbohydrate)
if exercising less than 60 minutes, water is all you need
drink 20 oz for every pound of weight loss after a workout session, especially if you're doing two-a-day's.

More Great Results!

2007-03-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Last night Beth posted about her results with the fitness program. She's lost 8 lbs in a week! This is great stuff. She's eating right, working out at home & staying committed. Even with two kids, the youngest one being 7 months old.

I am so happy for her and I can't wait to see what her results will be like after the next couple of weeks. Way to go Beth!!

How injuries can come back to haunt you - The Kinetic Chain

2007-03-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

At one time or another, we've all been injured in some way. Be it a broken arm, a sprained ankle, a torn rotator cuff, a pulled muscle in the low back or even a surgery like a cesarean section. Past injuries have a huge impact on how our bodies function.

In the human body, the components that make up the human movement system include the nervous system, the skeletal system and the muscular system. Together, these components are known as the kinetic chain.

All systems of the kinetic chain must work together to move the body. If one component of the kinetic chain is not working properly, it will affect the the other components and ultimately affect movement and function of the body.

Reflecting on past injuries can help you discover possible dysfunctions. There is a vast array of research that has demonstrated that past injuries affect the functioning of the kinetic chain. This is especially true of the following injuries:

Ankle Sprains: Ankle sprains have been shown to decrease control to the glutes. This in turn can lead to poor control of the hips and legs during many functional activities (running, walking), which can eventually lead to injury.
Knee Injuries: Knee injury can cause a decrease in control to the quads. Non-contact knee injuries are often the result of ankle and/or hip dysfunctions, like the result of an ankle sprain.
Low Back Injuries: Low back injuries can cause a decrease in control to the stabilizing muscles of the core, resulting in poor stabilization of the spine. This can lead to various injuries in the upper and lower extremities.
Shoulder Injuries: Shoulder injuries cause poor control of the rotator cuff muscles which can lead to instability of the joint during functional activities (throwing).
Other Injuries: Injuries that result from the kinetic chain imbalances include repetitive hamstring strains, groin strains, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and headaches.

If injuries seem to be repetitive, that's a clear sign that the kinetic chain has been affected and the body isn't functioning properly. By focusing on integrated training, starting with stabilization, you can "reprogram" the kinetic chain, helping your body to preform efficiently. After a few weeks of stabilization training, your body will be at peak performance when you start true strength training. You won't need stop training to recover from injury and you'll be able to continue your success with better results.

Another fitness myth- The "fat burning" zone

2007-03-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

While the overall benefits of cardio are vast, the primary purpose in fitness programming is to reduce body fat. Most people think that you can drop body fat by only working out for an extended period of time on a certain machine or in a class. Most people also believe that there is a "fat burning" zone for exercise. However, body fat reduction can only take place when there is a caloric deficit. When there is more energy being burned than consumed. This is the Law of Thermodynamics.

Typically, the "fat burning" zone is thought of as when the body is mainly using fat for fuel. Fat and glucose are major sources of fuel for exercise. In order for them to be used efficiently, the body must receive enough oxygen. Oxygen allows fat and glucose to be used as fuel, or energy. This in turn produces carbon dioxide and water as waste products. By using a metabolic analyzer you can figure out a person's respiratory exchange ratio (RER), which will measure how many calories are being burned in a specific exercise.

The body uses the highest percent of it's fuel from fat when the body has an RER of 0.71. So how do you exercise at this level? You don't. The body can only be at 0.71 RER when is at complete rest. This is how the fat burning zone started.

Thought the percentage of fat being burned is at the max, the amount of energy used and calories burned is minimal. This isn't very productive in achieving weight loss or body fat reduction. So, it's not how much fat an individual burns, but how many calories that ultimately produces results.

Burning calories while on the couch - It's all about EPOC

2007-03-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Many people want an easy exercise routine that you can do from the couch. Well, you can! Sort of. It does take a little bit of work to make it happen.

The human body is designed to expend as little energy as possible. To do this, the body adapts to the demands placed upon it. Our bodies have perfected this conservation due to our highly adaptable qualities. One way you can combat this is by maximizing the amount of calories burned in a workout session. By maximizing calories burned, you're also maximizing the O2 consumption needed for the workout and recovery. This recovery oxygen consumption is known as EPOC. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

EPOC is the elevation of the body's metabolism after exercise. This means that the body is burning more calories following exercise than before the workout started. EPOC is like a car engine that stays warm after you've been driving around. After exercise, the body must utilize increased amounts of oxygen to replenish energy supplies, drop body temperature and return to a resting state.

Research has indicated that the higher the intensity (percentage of HR max) of the training session, the greater magnitude of EPOC. It has also been shown that splitting the workout into two (doubles) of equal time has the greatest effect on EPOC.

So in your workouts, work hard. Try two-a-day's. When you maximize your intensity, you'll still reap the rewards while you're sitting on the couch.

Time wasting machine- hip adduction/abduction machine

2007-03-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

There are a few machines in the gym that are only there because when people come in to take a tour possibly thinking about joining, they look for specific machines. These machines are there for that gym goer, but if you watch closely, no reputable trainer will work their clients out on them. The hip adduction/abduction machine happens to be one of them.

This machine is a favorite of the women in the gym. The majority of these women share the same goal. Firm legs, smaller hips and shapely rears. Notice that the goal is to be smaller in these areas of focus, not bigger. However, with the techniques typically used, the end result is muscle growth.

Now, this isn't to say that this machine is all bad. It does have it's place in the world of fitness, but it's in rehab. If you've had a major knee, hip or back injury, this machine can be a great tool for regaining strength. Just not changing your body composition.

The biggest reason for not using this machine (other than it generally leads you to a completely different goal) is the biomechanics of the motion. This is why any personal trainer who understands human movement science looks for other methods of training for these muscle groups.

This is a seated machine. If you think about it, what muscles are you utilizing when you're sitting? None! When do you ever use your hip muscles when you're sitting? You don't. And on top of this, most people are sitting for long periods of time during their workdays. If you're stuck in front of a computer all day long, the last thing you want to do in training your muscles is to continue sitting in your workout routine.

To effectively train your legs, hips and glutes, try to incorporate balance and stabilization into your routine. Do standing or walking motions. Lateral resistance band walks are a much more effective and much more intense way of targeting these muscle groups.

Going insane in your workout routine. The two sides of Adaptation

2007-03-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Repeating an action expecting a different result is one definition of insanity. This fits perfectly with workout routines that yield little success.

Just as you get bored doing the same thing repeatedly, like eating the same thing for breakfast everyday or watching the same movie every night, your body gets "bored" doing the same exercises over and over again. This drives people "insane" while working out, wondering why their favorite routine isn't getting them what they want.

This can work in a positive and negative way, using The SAID Principle.

The SAID Principle stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. This means that the body will specifically adapt to the type of demand placed upon it. So, if you lift heavy weights, you can expect an increase of maximal strength. If you lift lighter weights for many reps, you can expect a higher level of endurance.

So, lets say your goal is to increase strength. You lift heavy weight expecting to increase your maximal strength. Over time, you get closer to this goal. Your body adapts to the weight, becoming more efficient at lifting the load. You become stronger as a result. But, now what? If you keep lifting the same way, nothing new happens. No additional increase in strength, no additional effort. It's just not the same, so you can't expect anything new to come from it.

Most people at this point would increase the weight, when in fact this is only one of many ways that increased stress can be placed on the body. There is more than one way to challenge your body, continuing the cycle of adaptation without increasing the risk of injury.

What many gym goer's don't know, is that your body is made up of different types of muscle fibers. By just increasing the load or weight, focusing on the power movers (main muscles), the stabilizing muscles are more prone to injury, leading you down the road to breakdown or exhaustion. Exhaustion is when the stress is too much for the body to handle causing stress fractures, muscle strains, joint pain and overall fatigue.

Training programs should provide a variety of intensities and stresses to optimize the adaptation of all different tissues to ensure the best result. By focusing on the body as being more than one dimension (more than just lifting heavy) you can use the SAID principle of adaptation to your benefit rather than your detriment, achieving a higher level health and fitness.

Multivitamins. Do you need one?

2007-03-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

The supplement industry is a multi billion dollar business and it continues to grow every year. People are often looking for a quick fix to their health needs and will turn to anything that promises a cure. I want to preface this post by warning those who are looking for any supplementation guidance, be it to improve general health, to find a fat loss aid or a muscle builder, to steer clear of the pro-shop in your local gym.

The trainers at large corporate gyms often times do not have enough education in nutrition and supplementation to accurately recommend the right supplements to compliment your fitness goal. They are usually pushers, trying to get the sale. More often than not, this is not to their fault, as the higher up's at corporate have set goals for them to achieve. One of these goals is to gross X amount of dollars in supplement sales. If a trainer does not meet this goal, their jobs are threatened and they are generally fired. A trainer who is pressured by management, wants to keep their job and increase their commission is not one to turn to for guidance in this aspect of health care.

This is also true for supplement retail stores too. They are there to do their job. Sell you on supplements. Walking in a store without having done any research on your own is like walking in the store with a bright red stamp on your forehead "I'll Take Your Word. You Take My Money". It sets you up for an empty wallet and a big bag of supplements that could lead to health problems rather than better health and wellness.

This is not to say that they are all bad people or that there aren't educated trainers that have your best interest in mind. It's just that they're few and far between.

So, please. First talk to your Doctor. Do your homework. Take the advice of trained professionals who are not getting kick backs, commissions or paychecks from supplement companies.

With all of that being said....Yes. You do need a multivitamin.

Nobody has a perfect diet. Even if you have great habits, with the way today's nutrition standards go, you're still probably eating some kind of processed food. If you're vegetarian, you're still lacking essential nutrients. It is almost too difficult to get all of your nutrient requirements from food alone. Food intakes account for approximately 60% of your nutrient needs, where a balanced antioxidant, multivitamin and mineral (separate calcium) make up the rest.

So what is the best multivitamin for you?

This is where you want to do a little bit of homework. You want to find a reputable company that has high standards and quality products. Supplements aren't regulated by the FDA, so companies can put orange peel shavings in a pill and call it vitamin C (you can email me for a list of a few trusted companies).

Just like with fitness goals, there's no short cut to optimum health. Be careful of one-a-day's and all inclusive vitamins that claim you get antioxidants, multivitamins and minerals in one dose. Iron is an oxidant. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Taken together, they cancel each other out. You want to look for time released delivery systems. Otherwise, you're wasting your money. Literally. It's going straight into your toilet.

Nutrient deficiencies are common, but you can over do it too. Even essential nutrients are potentially toxic at some level of intake. The effects of some nutrients can be extremely serious. Among the vitamin category of nutrients, excess vitamin A, D, and B-6 can produce serious adverse effects and are commonly available in supplement form. Complete tables of the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) values are available at the Food and Nutrition Board web site. The tables include the UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) values and brief descriptions of the adverse effects of excessive intake.

A good quality multivitamin can not only help you achieve your fitness goal, but help you achieve better overall health and wellness.

More success!

2007-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Along with Stefanie's post about her results and workout experience, last night I got a couple of emails from Kim and Wendy. Both have completed their first week with their plans and have had great results!

I have to say, everyone working out with the fitness and nutrition plans are working really hard and doing a great job. It's so much fun to get updates on their progress!

Why high protein diets aren't so good

2007-02-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

A high protein diet is one that consists of more that 30% of the daily caloric total from protein, or 3 times the protein RDA for athletes. When a person eats a higher percentage of protein, their kidneys are overworked. They are also increasing their intake of saturated fat & decreasing the amount of fiber as well. Both of these instances increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Consuming a high amount of protein causes the body to go into ketosis. Ketosis changes the pH balance of the blood. There's less oxygen. The decrease in oxygen promotes an environment in the body that helps cancer grow. The body tries to balance the pH balance of the blood by taking calcium to neutralize the effects.

For every gram of protein consumed above tissue maintenance, between 1 and 1.5 mg of calcium is excreted. The typical American diet already consumes very little calcium. By depleting calcium stores in the body, people who eat high protein diets are at a higher risk for osteoporosis. Especially women.

The need for fluids is also increased by high protein intake. Protein requires approximately seven times the water for metabolism than carbohydrates or fat. The low carb consumption (common for weight loss) can lead to a decrease in glycogen stores (energy) which results in poor physical performance and dehydration.

So overall, high protein diets increase your risk of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. It causes your kidneys to overwork, your body is prone to dehydration and as a result, you will have very little energy. It's not really the picture of health, is it!

You can do it! Ways to minimize FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt)

2007-02-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

When beginning to change your body, you can have all of the science in the world to back you up, but it all starts in your mind first.

A person must truly believe they can make the changes to achieve their goal. Belief is one of the most powerful predictors of change and success. If you really think you can do it, you will!

There are some strategies that can help you believe in yourself a little more:

Take baby steps: Making drastic changes all at once can seem overwhelming and unattainable. If you make modest goals and gradually increase them, you may have better success.
Visualization: World-class athletes often use visualization to enhance their performance. You don't have to be an Olympian for this to work. You can begin visualizing yourself working towards your goal. Eating right everyday, overcoming temptations. Being consistent in your workouts, making it to the gym everyday. You can visualize what it will be like once you've achieved your goal, being thinner and or stronger.
Schedule negativity: Self doubt and the accompanying thoughts that run through our minds often lead us to sabotaging our own success. It's difficult to just "stop the tape". By scheduling a specific time during the day (like from 8:30-9:00 am) to just let it happen, it will help you to deal with those thoughts without it interfering with your day or your success.
Flipping negatives into positives: Sometimes we can use those negative thoughts to help us get through a workout. When there are people in your lives that are less than supportive of your fitness goal, or there are people who don't think you can do it, use that anger to your benefit. Use it to do that last rep when your muscles are so tired and you want to quit. Use that anger to push through the last 10 minutes of your cardio when you just want to get off the machine. Think to yourself, "I'll show you! I am going to do it!" This type of anger management really works well.

By using the power of your mind, you can achieve so much more. There's a lot to be said about the lesson in the book, "The Little Engine That Could". If you think you can, you will!

Timing is everything with Rep Tempo

2007-02-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

Some people may ask themselves, "how fast should I be doing this?" while going through the motions of a certain exercise. More often than not, some don't even think about it. You can spot these people in the gym very easily. They're the ones doing bicep curls like they're shoveling coal into a steam engine.

Repetition tempo refers to the speed with which each repetition is performed. This is an important variable that can be changed to achieve specific training goals such as power, size, stability and endurance.

Repetition Tempo Spectrum
Training Phase Rep Tempo (eccentric/isometric/concentric)

Power = explosive (x/x/x)
Strength = moderate (2/0/2)
Stabilization = slow (4/2/1)

The amount of time that a muscle is under tension produces a specific result (time under tension). For example, the best tempo for muscle gain is about 20-70 seconds per set (8-10 reps with a tempo between 4/2/1 and 2/0/2). By focusing eccentric and isometric muscle actions at slower motions during stabilization phases of training, the connective tissue (as well as the stabilizing muscles) work harder and it prepares the body for more specific forms of strength and power training that will follow.

So what does all of this scientific mumbo-jumbo mean? By incorporating rep tempo into your workout routine, you can maximize your desired fitness goal (like getting "toned" opposed to increasing size) while decreasing your risk of injury. This is a great focus for circuit training for that very purpose.

The best way to remember the differences in eccentric, concentric and isometric contractions and when to go at a slower pace; concentric is similar to "contraction", or flexing. Eccentric is similar to accelerate, like if you let gravity or the machine do the work, it accelerates your motion. An even more simple method is to think about the force in the workout. Whenever you feel like it would be easy for gravity or the machine to do the work for you, slow it down.

Lets do a few exercises with the rep tempo spectrum...

Triceps- Cable Press
Stabilization Phase 4/2/1-2: Extending down (concentric) 2 second motion. Hold (isometric) 2 seconds. Returning to starting position (eccentric) 4 seconds.

Strength Phase 2/0/2: Down (concentric) 2 seconds. No hold (isometric). Up (eccentric) 2 seconds.

Ab Floor Crunch
Stabilization Phase 4/2/2: Crunch up 2 seconds. Hold 2 seconds. Back down 4 seconds.

Strength Phase 2/0/2: Up 2seconds. No hold. Down 2 seconds.

You can see how just the slightest difference in technique can produce a completely different result. By using the appropriate tempo that compliments your fitness goal, you can notice a world of difference when you look in the mirror.

Integrated Training

2007-02-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Integrated training is a concept that incorporates all forms of training in an integrated fashion as part of a progressive system. These forms of training include flexibility training, cardio training, core training, balance training, reactive training and resistance training. This system was developed by NASM and is termed Optimum Performance Training (TM).

The OPT model is a training program that systematically progresses anyone to any fitness goal. It's detailed. It's organized. It's science. It's how I work out and it's how I train all of my clients.

The OPT model is based on the scientific rationale of human movement science. Each stage has a designated purpose that produces a systematic approach for progression toward individual goals.

The OPT model is divided into three different building blocks- Stabilization, Strength and Power. Each building block contains specific phases of training.

Stabilization training addresses muscular imbalances, challenges the core muscles, improves the stabilization of joints and overall posture. This is a component of training often left out by the fitness professional however, it is the most important in helping to achieve the desired fitness goal.

Strength training focuses on increasing muscle size and or maximal strength. Most traditional programs begin at this point and as a result, often lead to injury. The body is not strong enough from the "inside", or the core and stabilization muscles, and the body cannot tolerate the type of load needed in this phase.

Power training is to target specific forms of training that are necessary for force production. This is the training program for any athlete looking to improve their sports performance.

All of these phases of training have been specifically designed to follow biomechanical, physiological and functional principles that minimize injury and maximizes long lasting results.

If fitness was easy, nobody would be fat

2007-02-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

It takes a lot of hard work to get in shape. Some people want to do it, others aren't quite ready to commit to the effort. Well, Stefanie has been committed and working very hard to get to her goal. She's getting closer and closer every day, every week. It hasn't been easy, but nothing good in life is. And you know what? She's already seeing results! It's very exciting. I love it!

She wrote about her results while still continuing to work towards her ultimate goal...Shakira-like abs. I just wanted to give her a shout out because she's been doing great. Even if she did cheat on her nutrition once.

So, go check her out & giver her some props too!

Improving flexibility and function with Self Myofascial Release

2007-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

What is Self Myofascial Release (SMFR)? It's a flexibility technique where muscles are rolled over a foam roll (or some other cylindrical object at home), using body pressure to massage micro-adhesions in the fibrous tissue that surrounds and separates muscle tissue.

What does this really mean? Massaging your own muscles to get rid of muscle knots, improving flexibility and helping you to feel and function better after your workout.

When you workout, you cause damage by creating micro-tears in the muscle. Don't worry, it's a good thing. Your body heals by using protein to patch it up, also creating muscle density and increasing your metabolism. However, that protein patch produces a knot in the muscle, making it tight and inflexible. It also changes the way the muscle works, decreasing it's efficiency in a contraction. When a muscle isn't working right (or the way it's supposed to), your amazing body will find a better way. The path of least resistance.

This path of least resistance in recruiting other muscles to do the job produces joint pain, chronic muscle tension and pain and poor posture. When working out in a physical state like this, you can set yourself up for disappointment because your aren't achieving the results you're looking for and ultimately, you could be injured during an exercise.

A little visual, if you will:

This is the way your muscle fibers should look

This is how they look after a workout

Lovely, isn't it? The concept, not my drawing. Anyway, to remedy the predicament your muscles are in all you have to do is roll the knots out, making the muscle nice, smooth and flat again. Then you start this process all over again with the next workout. This is why SMFR is a very important component of a flexibility and warm-up (and cool-down, for that matter) program.

This technique will make your muscles and body work better, helping you to achieve the fitness goal you're working so hard at. Plus, it really makes you feel better afterward by reducing your post-workout soreness. Now, who doesn't want that?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

2007-02-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

We live in a fast paced world where our most valuable resource is time. What seems to suffer from our lack of time is our nutrition. Most often we're lead to fast food as meal options & more often than not, we skip breakfast on our morning rush out the door.

We've been told by our mother's that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". This is very true. By skipping breakfast, we're literally starving our brain & sabotaging our physical performance throughout the day.

If you think about it, your body has been fasting all night while you've been asleep. When you wake up, your "tank is on empty". If you try to drive your car on an empty tank, you end up stranded on the side of the road waiting for AAA or the kindness of a good samaritan to get you back on the road.

Your body is much more amazing than your car. If you run your body on empty, it will keep going, but it will also find a more efficient fuel source. And that's not body fat. Body fat is like putting diesel in your brand new Mercedes. Nope, your body is going to use the best fuel source available, muscle. When your body uses muscle or other lean tissues, it's equivalent to putting the most expensive, premium grade fuel in your car. And there's a cost for that.

While your body has a great back up for a source of energy, it's very damaging to your overall health. When trying to reach a fitness goal, losing lean body mass decreases your metabolism. This is why we tend to hear people say, "But I hardly eat anything! Why am I still fat?" Because losing muscle increases body fat. If you make sure to eat breakfast, as well as frequent meals throughout the day, your body will have enough energy to get you through the day & make sure your workout kicks some major butt (your butt, that is).

Spot Reduction is a fitness myth!

2007-02-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

Many people believe that if you just do a lot of crunches, your waist line will shrink. Or, if you do a million squats in your routine, you'll drop the fat from your thighs.

Wrong!

The concept of spot reduction is a complete myth. We have absolutely no control of where we lose body fat in our quest of a slim & toned body. It's all up to genetics. And ladies, I hate to tell you this, but the first place to shrink is usually your chest.

While we have no control of where we lose fat, we do have control in targeting specific muscles for strength. Focusing on your chest will help you achieve an increase in upper body strength. Incorporating a multitude of leg exercises will make your quads stronger.

You'll see a difference in muscle specific routines as long as the rest of the components of your program are in place. Your nutrition must be balanced & the type of cardio must fit your goal. With the right routine, you'll watch your body change before your eyes.

Show some love

2007-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Fighting childhood obesity is something that really tugs at my heart strings. I really enjoyed coaching kids soccer, watching them learn and have fun while running around. I also know how much obesity effects kids emotionally, absolutely demolishing their self-esteem.

Nike is working to fight the fat with their NikeGO program. The long term goal is to get full time P.E. classes back in schools. They are funding after school programs, providing places for kids to play, making donations to parks and giving grants to schools, clubs and anyone dedicated to children's physical fitness.

You can help support NikeGo by recycling your gym shoes. The recycled shoes are used to make sports surfaces for kids to play on. There are other ways you can help the cause as well.

The best kind of cardio

2007-02-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

A lot of people wonder, "What's the best kind of cardio"? "What will burn more calories, the treadmill or the elliptical trainer"? "It must be the stair master. That thing makes you sweat like no other".

It's much more simple than that. The best kind of cardio is the kind you like to do.

There's nothing that kills motivation more than dreading the exercise you're about to do. Especially when it comes to cardio. I mean, really! Who wants to go crazy for 30 minutes (at least)! You like running every day? Great! That's the best kind of cardio for you. The key to making it the most efficient type of cardio is to make sure you keep track of your Target Heart Rate.

With Target Heart Rate training, it will maximize your workout. You won't wast your time working out too hard or not hard enough. You can workout at different intensities to achieve specific goals. By having a specific, scientific number to work from, you're pretty much guaranteed success (provided the rest of your program is on spot).

Anatomy lesson on abs

2007-02-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

The most asked about muscle group without a doubt, has to be the abdominals. This is next to the glutes of course. Everyone is looking for that nice flat stomach, or the washboard six pack. This muscle group also takes the most work.

Without the right nutrition plan, you can do all of the crunches in the world & it won't make a difference. Your abs are covered by a layer of body fat. If there's too much body fat, you won't see the results of your efforts underneath.

Genetics comes into play too. Some people were born with fitness model bodies. Some people have to work a little bit harder. That doesn't mean it can't happen at all, it just means that it will take a hell of a lot more work than the genetically gifted.

So, with nutrition & genetics aside, how do you get the coveted six pack? It all starts with anatomy & working from the inside out.

Most people want to worker their "lower abs". What they really want to work is their deep internal muscles that support the body. The Transverse Abdominis. The core.

The best way to start working your core is using the "drawing-in maneuver". It's as simple as pulling the navel in toward the spine. You want to focus on the region just below the navel pulling in as well.

You should do this all day long. In your computer chair at work, while you're out & about running errands & most definitely during every single exercise. This maneuver activates your core, not only making it stronger, but stabilizing your body helping to prevent injury to your spine.

If your abs are strong from the inside, the outer muscles, the Rectus Abdominis, will work more efficiently. Then you'll be on your way to a kick butt set of abs that you'll want to show off.

From the beginning

2007-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

First let me start off with my qualifications. I've been a personal trainer for 4 years with a large corporate gym. I'm certified though NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and I'm also certified through Apex for nutritional & supplement education. This qualifies my programs to be approved Level 1 weight control programs and in compliance with goals and recommendations of the American Dietetic Association for weight management.

Prior to becoming a personal trainer, I worked in chiropractic for 4 years. I studied Chiropractic Biophysics as a C.A. and I apply rehab & biomechanical education to my workout programs. I also did patient fitness programs to restore function to the body, and for weight loss to help with joint pain. I became certified through Pneumex, a physical therapy technique that helped to correct scoliosis, improved neurological function for those who had suffered trauma (like a stroke)and also used it for improving sports performance.

While in high school, I played soccer and ended up coaching for a kids team for a few seasons. I've trained clients for marathons in power walking, running, cycling and swimming. I've also trained guys for baseball, lacrosse, soccer, mountain biking, rock climbing, martial arts. I don't train anyone for body building or fitness competitions.

My own sports obsessions are hiking with my husband and kids, mountain biking, rock climbing and really, any outdoor sport.

I've had many successes with my clients, from loosing 80 lbs in 6 months, to recovery after hip replacement surgery in only 3 weeks. I myself had lost 30 lbs in 2 months, my husband lost close to 90 lbs in a year. I now can add my post-pregnancy success as well.

Along with specialized workout programs, I also have a passion for nutrition. In my years of training and studying fad diets, I've found out what works and what doesn't. I've developed my own signature nutrition plan. It's a unique plan that is tailored to the individual. I base it off of a persons Resting Metabolic Rate. With that number, I then figure out how many calories an individual needs to achieve their fitness goal. Once I've figured out the caloric total, I balance the macronutreints (carbs, protein, fat) in every meal and throughout the day. I incorporate balance with the glycemic index as well. It's been a very successful plan for myself and many, many dedicated clients.

I started this blog for a few reasons. Before I became a parent, my passion in life was everything fitness related. That soon changed when my son was born. Even though I got myself back into shape 3 months post-partum, fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans, my own motivation was lost.

A friend emailed me asking for a workout program. I was flattered and thrilled to help someone out again. In developing her a virtual fitness plan and in essence becoming her cyber trainer, my motivation is back. I feel that spark of excitement knowing that I'm helping to change someones life for the better. It's amazing!

With that motivation and her help, I've decided to attempt to work from home, developing plans for people all over the world. I also want this to be source of useful information, so I will frequently post health and fitness tips.

It's a great time to learn something new, change your life and the health of your family!