I wrote this article in order to educate women and some men who believe that doing cardio and abs will help them shed pounds on their midsection. I also think it will help out trainers who have a hard time getting clients to understand the benefits of lifting moderately heavy weights, which is the best thing for them to do to lose weight.
Everyone knows that cardio is the best thing for you when looking to burn extra calories. Or is it? What most people don’t know is cardio can be the worst thing for cutting fat when it isn’t paired with weight training. If you ask the girl (or even the guy) on the ab machine what she’s trying to do, nine times out of ten she will reply with “lose my stomach fat.” Ten times out of ten, she won’t loss stomach fat. The number one reason for this is that you can’t spot reduce an area. When you lose body fat, the fat will be reduced throughout the body, not just from the area you’re working. If we could lose weight in just one area, don’t you think we’d look a little funny? People would walk around with rock hard abs, saggy glutes, and flabby arms. All beach guys would have fat legs because they only do chest, arms, and abs.
The following is a short story between the girl on the ab machine and me. We will call her Jenny Abs. If you dig deeper, you’ll find out that her full name is Jenny Cardio and Abs. I asked Jenny what she did before the ab machine, and she said, “I normally do an hour of cardio on the treadmill or a cardio class.”
My reply was, “Awesome, you must have burned a lot of calories. How is your eating?”
She said, “Oh, I ate really good—egg whites in the morning, chicken and a salad for lunch, and dinner was something light. And no carbs after 6:00 pm.” Jenny said that as if she had taught me a lesson.
Seems Jenny has listened to all her uneducated group fitness class groupies. In case you haven’t guessed by now, I had my work cut out for me. I wanted to touch on three main things here, and I wanted to do it delicately without hurting Jenny Cardio and Abs, who is now unable to function because she is carb depleted from over an hour of high intensity cardio.
So I said, “That is stupid and you must be too if you believe that.” Kidding of course. It isn’t her fault that everyone who reads a fitness magazine is a professional now. I asked Jenny if she had a minute because I wanted to help her maximize her gym time and of course her goal of weight loss. Jenny didn’t really want my help because she thought that most trainers were either hitting on her or trying to sell her something. However, she agreed to sit down and have a chat with me.
We sat down and I opened with a bunch of nice complements on her workout routine. I then asked her how long she had been working out for and of she had been making much progress.
She was all smiles and said, “Yeah, I have lost eight pounds so far, and I want to lose another ten, but it’s getting tough to drop. I don’t really know why. I’ve been eating even less and upping my time on the cardio. See, I lost five pounds the first week and three pounds the second week. Now, it’s week seven, and I actually gained a pound. It’s pretty frustrating.”
I cut right to the chase. I’m not one to waste time or sugar coat anything.
“You’re working too hard and burning too many calories. Your body is eating your muscle, which is slowing your metabolism down, and you aren’t strength training.”
Jenny’s mouth opened wide and said “Oh, yes I do strength train. I took that extreme weight training class with Krissy with the amazing body.”
“Ok, cool. That isn’t strength training. That’s basically cardio with weights, and it only adds to your overtraining. Let me explain how the body works. Let’s start with this—your body needs a certain amount of calories throughout the day in order to function, and more importantly for you, to maintain muscle.”
Jenny cut in with, “I don’t care about my muscle. What does that have to do with me losing weight.”
“Jenny, it has everything to do with you losing weight. Your muscle is going to be what regulates your metabolism. Your metabolism is going to be the amount of calories you burn at rest throughout the day. Now this is where muscle comes in. Your muscle determines your metabolism. A pound of muscle can burn anywhere up to 50 calories a day depending on its health. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. This is known as your basal metabolic rate, an estimated amount of calories you burn throughout the day. If you don’t take in enough calories throughout the day, your body will have to get the nutrients it needs from somewhere. If you had to choose between eating fat or meat, what would you eat?”
“Umm…meat. Duh!” Jenny replied.
I smiled and said, “That is exactly what your body would do. It would get the nutrients from your muscle, which makes your muscle lose its density and size. Over time, it will disappear and make the scale go down, although that isn’t a good thing. Your metabolism can drop as much as 50 calories for every pound of muscle you lose.”
“Wow, that isn’t good! So what I’ve been doing is wrong?” Jenny asked.
“No, it isn’t wrong. It just isn’t the right way to do it,” I said with a smirk.
Jenny laughed and said, “So what else can I do the right way?”
“How about we talk about meal frequency? You said you eat three meals a day, correct? That is ok if you’re eating the right amount of calories and your metabolism hasn’t been damaged like yours has. The trick to keeping your body burning calories or keeping your metabolism moving is to constantly put food in to be used for fuel for the body. An easy way to understand this is to think of your body as an old furnace that needs wood for fuel. The wood represents the food. To turn on the furnace, you must put wood in it. The wood will burn for a few hours, but in order to keep the furnace on, you must add more wood. The same thing goes for the body. If there isn’t any food to fuel the body, the metabolism slows down. If you are to eat every two and a half to three hours—four being the most—you will keep your metabolism constantly working. Five to six small meals should do the trick.”
Jenny nodded and said, “Ok, do you mind if we go get a shake at the juice bar. It has been six hours since I last ate.”
At that point, I knew I had Jenny’s complete attention. We decided to get a shake. I got mine with a banana in it. She stopped me and yelled, “Are you crazy? It’s after 6:00 pm.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t turn into a pumpkin, and the carbs won’t turn into fat” I responded. “Carbs are good for you, especially after a workout such as yours. You have been in here for over an hour. Any exercise over about 45 minutes can be long enough to completely destroy your carb or glycogen storage. Glycogen is what carbs are stored as in the body. It is stored in muscles and organs. After an intense cardio session, Have you ever noticed that your muscle are flat or you feel thinner? That isn’t just from sweating out fluids. It is also from using your energy storage. This is where the whole low carb diet thing came about.
After one day of cutting out carbs, most people will lose one to two pounds, mostly from water. Not only do you lose weight, but you also feel thinner. That’s because you’re depleting your muscles of glycogen. Carbs will keep your muscles hydrated, making you feel like your muscles are bloated, hence the name carbohydrate. Cutting carbs will decrease your performance physically and mentally. About two-thirds of your carb intake is used for the brain. That is why most people get light-headed until of course they get used to operating on less carbs. You will be able to function but not at your max.
People will tell you that they are carb sensitive, which is bull. They just eat too many carbs and move too little. I say eat carbs and keep your muscles full. It’s what is on top of the muscle that is the problem—fat! The fat stays, and your muscles will constantly inflate and deflate. Most bodybuilders will carb load and deplete all through their training. The reason this works is because normally on low carb days, they take in less calories than they do on high days, which brings us to weight loss 101. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you will lose weight.
Don’t get me wrong—too many carbs are bad, but so is too much of anything. If you were able to have 2000 calories and ate 2500 calories of all protein, you wouldn’t lose weight. The same thing goes if you ate 1800 calories just from cake. You wouldn’t lose weight. Each macronutrient, protein, carb, or fat has its own job. Protein is great because it is the most versatile one. But don’t send a hairstylist to do a make-up artist’s job if you want it done right.”
“This is a lot to take in. How am I supposed to know what to do?” Jenny said.
“That is the tricky part” I said with a sigh. “It is all trial and error. There are many different ways to go about it. For you in particular, I would start by adding a carb in at breakfast and lunch and then two small, healthy snacks in between lunch and dinner.”
“What kind of snacks?”
“ Well, you just had a shake. Those work great. You can do fruit and maybe some almonds.”
“Almonds?? Those are all fat!”
“Some fats are good for you. The body needs fat for certain things, and you shouldn’t deprive your body of it. It is the secondary source of energy and also helps with joint health. There are other things your body uses fat for. But no matter how good it is for you, fat is fat in the end. Too much of any one thing isn’t any good, especially fat. It contains nine calories per gram as opposed to protein and carbs, which both have four calories per gram. That’s why fat should be kept to two servings per day in my opinion. So, yes, almonds. I would have about ten to fifteen as a snack.”
“Ok, got it—some fruit and almonds for a snack” Jenny said firmly.
“No, not together. Separately” I jumped in. “As a general rule of thumb, to help portion meals, I recommend having a small amount of protein with each meal with a serving of carbs or a protein and a serving of fat. It will balance out to about the same amount of calories. If you do a fruit or almonds by itself, that is ok to start. It is a step in the right direction.
Now that you have somewhat of an idea of how to keep your muscle from being used as food for your body, let’s talk about how to increase that muscle mass to make you a calorie burning machine. Follow me to where the little boys curl and the real men move mountains—the squat rack!”
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
10 no-questions-asked tips
Strength is the foundation of nearly all physique and performance goals. When you're strong, you more easily gain muscle size, lose fat, run faster, hit harder, play longer, and move more living room furniture for your wife. We've rounded up 10 no-questions-asked tips to help you make everything in your life feel just a little bit lighter.
1.) Own the "big four."
The squat, deadlift, bench press, and shoulder press are the best strength-building exercises, period. The chinup and row are great moves too, but don't make them the focus of your workout — they can be assistance lifts to complement the bench and shoulder press, keeping your pulling muscles in balance with the pressing ones.
2.) Use barbells first.
Forget all the fad equipment. The barbell is king, the dumbbell is queen, and everything else is a court jester — it may have its place, but it's not essential. Start your workouts with barbell exercises, such as the "big four," as described above. Barbells let you load a lot of weight, and lifting heavy is the first step toward getting stronger. Once your heaviest strength exercises are out of the way, you can move on to dumbbell and body-weight training.
3.) Keep it simple.
Some trainers make their clients lift with a certain rep speed, like three seconds up, one second down. But know this: There's no need to count anything but reps during a set. Simply focus on raising and lowering your weights in a controlled manner, pausing for a one-second count at the top of the lift. Using an arbitrary tempo can lessen tension on your muscles or force you to use varying amounts of weight, slowing your progress. The only way to be sure you're getting stronger is if your loads consistently increase.
4.) Maintain a log.
Write down your exercises, sets, reps, and the fate of each workout. Keep track of your best lifts and the most reps you've done with a certain weight on an exercise. Constantly strive to improve those numbers.
5.) Don't overdo it.
Try to stick to three or four lifts per workout. Keeping your workouts short helps you take advantage of hormonal surges. When you do too many exercises in a session, at least some of them get done half-assed. All you need is one main lift per workout (one of the big four), one or two assistance lifts (for keeping the body in balance and further strengthening the muscles that perform the main lift), and then core or specialty work at the end (ab exercises or some forearm or calf moves, depending on your goals). Doing any more lessens your results.
6.) Think five.
You should rotate many different rep ranges in your workouts, but sets of five seem to offer the best blend of muscle size and strength gains. If you're pushing through one of the big four moves, you'll find that your form often breaks down after five anyway.
7.) Add weights slowly.
The main reason people plateau and stop gaining strength is that they go too heavy for too long. Abandon your ego and do your main lifts using 10% less than the most weight you can lift for the given rep range. Increase the weight each session — but by no more than 10 pounds — and stick with the same lifts. You'll rarely plateau again.
8.) Take to the hills.
Cardio is a must if you want to be lean and healthy, but long-distance running or cycling increases levels of hormones that break down muscle tissue. To get stronger while getting leaner, do cardio in short, intense bursts. Go to a moderately steep hill and sprint to the top, then walk back down. When you're ready, sprint again. In your first workout, do only half as many sprints as you think you could. In your next workout, do two more sprints than you did the first time. Continue adding two sprints to your workouts until you can't improve anymore. Then do sets of sprints.
9.) Balance your training.
Whatever you do for one side of the body, you must do for the other side. Follow that rule in your workouts and you should be able to avoid injury and muscle imbalances. If you're doing squats (mainly a quad exercise), also do Romanian deadlifts (which hit the hamstrings hard). Your chest exercises should be balanced with back-training lifts. You don't necessarily have to do your balance work in the same session, but it should be done in the same week. In general, follow a ratio of two-to-one between your pulling-and-pushing movements. So if you bench-press on Monday (and most of the world seems to), you can do chinups on Tuesday and bent-over lateral raises on Thursday, for example. Every other pressing exercise you do should follow this formula.
10.) Do it right. Form is key.
You may think you know how to perform the big four, but you could probably get more out of them. Here are some quick pointers for each one.
Squat: Begin the squat by pushing your hips back as far as you can. Keep your lower back arched and you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. When your hips are bent, begin bending your knees and squatting low. This is what you need to squat maximal weight.
Deadlift: Use the same stance you would to perform a jump — your legs should be narrowly placed. When you bend down to grab the bar, keep your hips down and your back straight, with your shoulders directly over your knees.
Bench Press: Start with your head off the bench. Keeping your feet steady, grab the bar and pull your body up off the bench and forward, so that when your butt comes down on the bench your lower back is very arched. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Your range of motion should be significantly shorter for stronger pressing.
Shoulder press: Flare your lats when the bar is at shoulder level. It will allow you to use more weight.
1.) Own the "big four."
The squat, deadlift, bench press, and shoulder press are the best strength-building exercises, period. The chinup and row are great moves too, but don't make them the focus of your workout — they can be assistance lifts to complement the bench and shoulder press, keeping your pulling muscles in balance with the pressing ones.
2.) Use barbells first.
Forget all the fad equipment. The barbell is king, the dumbbell is queen, and everything else is a court jester — it may have its place, but it's not essential. Start your workouts with barbell exercises, such as the "big four," as described above. Barbells let you load a lot of weight, and lifting heavy is the first step toward getting stronger. Once your heaviest strength exercises are out of the way, you can move on to dumbbell and body-weight training.
3.) Keep it simple.
Some trainers make their clients lift with a certain rep speed, like three seconds up, one second down. But know this: There's no need to count anything but reps during a set. Simply focus on raising and lowering your weights in a controlled manner, pausing for a one-second count at the top of the lift. Using an arbitrary tempo can lessen tension on your muscles or force you to use varying amounts of weight, slowing your progress. The only way to be sure you're getting stronger is if your loads consistently increase.
4.) Maintain a log.
Write down your exercises, sets, reps, and the fate of each workout. Keep track of your best lifts and the most reps you've done with a certain weight on an exercise. Constantly strive to improve those numbers.
5.) Don't overdo it.
Try to stick to three or four lifts per workout. Keeping your workouts short helps you take advantage of hormonal surges. When you do too many exercises in a session, at least some of them get done half-assed. All you need is one main lift per workout (one of the big four), one or two assistance lifts (for keeping the body in balance and further strengthening the muscles that perform the main lift), and then core or specialty work at the end (ab exercises or some forearm or calf moves, depending on your goals). Doing any more lessens your results.
6.) Think five.
You should rotate many different rep ranges in your workouts, but sets of five seem to offer the best blend of muscle size and strength gains. If you're pushing through one of the big four moves, you'll find that your form often breaks down after five anyway.
7.) Add weights slowly.
The main reason people plateau and stop gaining strength is that they go too heavy for too long. Abandon your ego and do your main lifts using 10% less than the most weight you can lift for the given rep range. Increase the weight each session — but by no more than 10 pounds — and stick with the same lifts. You'll rarely plateau again.
8.) Take to the hills.
Cardio is a must if you want to be lean and healthy, but long-distance running or cycling increases levels of hormones that break down muscle tissue. To get stronger while getting leaner, do cardio in short, intense bursts. Go to a moderately steep hill and sprint to the top, then walk back down. When you're ready, sprint again. In your first workout, do only half as many sprints as you think you could. In your next workout, do two more sprints than you did the first time. Continue adding two sprints to your workouts until you can't improve anymore. Then do sets of sprints.
9.) Balance your training.
Whatever you do for one side of the body, you must do for the other side. Follow that rule in your workouts and you should be able to avoid injury and muscle imbalances. If you're doing squats (mainly a quad exercise), also do Romanian deadlifts (which hit the hamstrings hard). Your chest exercises should be balanced with back-training lifts. You don't necessarily have to do your balance work in the same session, but it should be done in the same week. In general, follow a ratio of two-to-one between your pulling-and-pushing movements. So if you bench-press on Monday (and most of the world seems to), you can do chinups on Tuesday and bent-over lateral raises on Thursday, for example. Every other pressing exercise you do should follow this formula.
10.) Do it right. Form is key.
You may think you know how to perform the big four, but you could probably get more out of them. Here are some quick pointers for each one.
Squat: Begin the squat by pushing your hips back as far as you can. Keep your lower back arched and you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. When your hips are bent, begin bending your knees and squatting low. This is what you need to squat maximal weight.
Deadlift: Use the same stance you would to perform a jump — your legs should be narrowly placed. When you bend down to grab the bar, keep your hips down and your back straight, with your shoulders directly over your knees.
Bench Press: Start with your head off the bench. Keeping your feet steady, grab the bar and pull your body up off the bench and forward, so that when your butt comes down on the bench your lower back is very arched. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Your range of motion should be significantly shorter for stronger pressing.
Shoulder press: Flare your lats when the bar is at shoulder level. It will allow you to use more weight.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
DEAL of the MONTH:
From now till the end of April (limited time folks) I will be running a "drop 1 pants size in 1 MONTH" program. So there you have it. 3 Sessions a week, at least one pant size down. For more information comment here or contact me.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Static vs Dynamic? When and why..
Ever since first grade gym class were taught static stretch before playing. You know, the while touch you toes and hold stretch and things of that sort. But now researchers are coming to the conclusion that static stretching before most intense activites is actually bad for you since it pre-exhausts your muscles making them weaker. This is where the dynamic stretching aka movement stretching comes into play. Things like leg swings, butt kicks, jumping jacks, which increase blood flow and range of motion in the areas you plan to use. Now there is still a time and place for static stretching at the end of workouts when your trying to recover but like the G.I Joes show, learning when to use them is half the battle.
Dynamic Stretching Examples:
Leg Swings
Body Weight Squats
Jumping Jacks
Butt Kicks
Arm Swings
Carioca
Speed Good Mornings
etc...
Dynamic Stretching Examples:
Leg Swings
Body Weight Squats
Jumping Jacks
Butt Kicks
Arm Swings
Carioca
Speed Good Mornings
etc...
Bridal Bootcamp
For the month of April I will be doing my bridal bootcamps again. So if your in the area and getting married soon drop me a line and ask about the discounted sessions to get you ready for your big day.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
7 Foods to Keep You Young
Continuing my food listing so far, here are 7 foods to help you feeling more active and youthful. And remember, age it a mental thing overall. Its not how old you are, its how old you act.
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Olive oil
Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.
Yogurt
In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per capita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis. It also contains "good bacteria" that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.
Fish
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.
Chocolate
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The likely reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.
Nuts
Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They're also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants
Wine
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits—and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.
Blueberries
In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University's Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in "rat lives" is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits in memory and motor function.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Olive oil
Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.
Yogurt
In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per capita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis. It also contains "good bacteria" that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.
Fish
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.
Chocolate
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The likely reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.
Nuts
Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They're also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants
Wine
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits—and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.
Blueberries
In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University's Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in "rat lives" is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits in memory and motor function.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Creatine: Safe boost or Roger Clemens Secret sauce?
People have different views (mostly for reading sites and having no actual experience) but still personal views none the less. So to help, heres a article written by a Elite trainer (not me by the way) that shows the good and bad side of creatine. Hopefully it helps.
Is Creatine For You?What you need to know about this muscle-building supplement
By: Brittany Risher
Creatine works. Lifters know this, professors know this, the marketers who sell the stuff know this.
But nobody should put anything in their body without weighing the benefits and risks first. That goes for everything from beer to marshmallows to the amazing amino acid called creatine.
It's not anything scary. It's not a Barry Bonds starter ---.
Creatine -- typically bought in flavored powders and mixed with liquid -- increases the body's ability to produce energy rapidly. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.
It's as simple as this: "If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger," says Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma.
Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and explosive activities. This includes weight training and sports that require short bursts of effort, such as sprinting, football, and baseball.
There is less support to indicate that creatine improves endurance performance and aerobic-type exercise.
One thing is almost certain: If you take creatine, you'll gain weight.
It'll happen quickly, says Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England. While the initial gain is water (about 2 to 4 pounds in the first week of supplementation), subsequent gains are muscle due to the increase in the workload you can handle.
Because creatine is an "asthmatically active substance," it pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis, Kerksick says.
Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.
The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.
Nobody argues with any of this. But there are some questions about creatine that lots of guys have.
Any guy mixing his first glass of creatine powder has hesitated. Is this the right move? His questions include:
Will creatine mess with my kidneys?
Researchers are constantly studying creatine -- for effectiveness and safety. That's why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine: Studies indicate it's safe."Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe".
Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."
But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.
Some of these conditions can be caused by consuming too much of certain vitamins, says Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, and too much iron may lead to stomach problems," he says.
To be safe, he recommends using creatine only if you are healthy and have no kidney problems. That's because your kidneys excrete creatinine, a breakdown product of creatine.
So there's no downside?
Not so fast, Biceps-Brain. If you can get big without it, there's no reason to use creatine.
"I feel it would be better for no one to use creatine even though it's shown to increase some strength and muscle mass," says Jim King, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
"I wouldn't recommend doing anything that would show minimal improvement and possible risk. Weigh the negatives and the benefits before you try it."
Kids under age 18 should avoid creatine, King says, because few studies have been done on children using creatine as an exercise enhancement.
There have been reports of overexertion causing torn muscles. That can mean permanent damage. "Children are still in a growing phase, and we're not sure what impact creatine may have on muscles and bones as they grow," he says. "I feel very strongly that middle and even high schoolers shouldn't use it."
Will it transform me?
Here's one thing all the experts can agree on: It's impossible to say.
Creatine has different effects on every individual. Some people just don't respond to creatine -- it's a genetic thing.
You should know in about a week -- if your training volume increases, it's working for you. If not, you're probably a "nonresponder" -- taking the powder isn't going to help you.
Diet is important. Meat, especially herring and beef, has high levels of creatine, so vegetarians usually see a greater response, while those whose diets are highly carnivorous may see less change.
Of course, a healthy diet is key to anyone's muscle-building plan. "If your diet is junk, there's no point in adding creatine," Kerksick says. "It's better to eat good sources of carbohydrates and lean protein."
In the end, creatine alone will not make you a bigger man.
"Only when combined with exercise does it improve the quality of training," Greenhaff says. "You still have to do the work."
What kind of creatine should I take?
Powder is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system. Don't bother with them.
Kerksick recommends 100-percent pure creatine powder. Some companies add electrolytes and other ingredients, but tests indicate those do little to improve performance.
"Save money and buy creatine powder and [mix it with] fruit juice," Kerksick says.
Fruit juice? That's right -- the sugar in the juice raises insulin levels, which helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.
You need about 70 grams of simple sugars for every five grams of creatine, Greenhaff says. He suggests looking for a drink or supplement with 60 grams of carbs per 100 grams of product.
To ensure your body maximizes the benefits of creatine, buy the best stuff you can afford. It's your body -- this isn't the time to get cheap.
You'll know the powder is of poor quality if it's hard to dissolve and there's residue at the bottom of your glass after you drink it. You want the powder in your muscles, not in the glass. If this happens, try a different brand.
You can also check ConsumerLab.com, which writes reviews on creatine products and other muscle supplements every 3 years.
Is Creatine For You?What you need to know about this muscle-building supplement
By: Brittany Risher
Creatine works. Lifters know this, professors know this, the marketers who sell the stuff know this.
But nobody should put anything in their body without weighing the benefits and risks first. That goes for everything from beer to marshmallows to the amazing amino acid called creatine.
It's not anything scary. It's not a Barry Bonds starter ---.
Creatine -- typically bought in flavored powders and mixed with liquid -- increases the body's ability to produce energy rapidly. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.
It's as simple as this: "If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger," says Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma.
Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and explosive activities. This includes weight training and sports that require short bursts of effort, such as sprinting, football, and baseball.
There is less support to indicate that creatine improves endurance performance and aerobic-type exercise.
One thing is almost certain: If you take creatine, you'll gain weight.
It'll happen quickly, says Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England. While the initial gain is water (about 2 to 4 pounds in the first week of supplementation), subsequent gains are muscle due to the increase in the workload you can handle.
Because creatine is an "asthmatically active substance," it pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis, Kerksick says.
Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.
The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.
Nobody argues with any of this. But there are some questions about creatine that lots of guys have.
Any guy mixing his first glass of creatine powder has hesitated. Is this the right move? His questions include:
Will creatine mess with my kidneys?
Researchers are constantly studying creatine -- for effectiveness and safety. That's why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine: Studies indicate it's safe."Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe".
Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."
But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.
Some of these conditions can be caused by consuming too much of certain vitamins, says Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, and too much iron may lead to stomach problems," he says.
To be safe, he recommends using creatine only if you are healthy and have no kidney problems. That's because your kidneys excrete creatinine, a breakdown product of creatine.
So there's no downside?
Not so fast, Biceps-Brain. If you can get big without it, there's no reason to use creatine.
"I feel it would be better for no one to use creatine even though it's shown to increase some strength and muscle mass," says Jim King, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
"I wouldn't recommend doing anything that would show minimal improvement and possible risk. Weigh the negatives and the benefits before you try it."
Kids under age 18 should avoid creatine, King says, because few studies have been done on children using creatine as an exercise enhancement.
There have been reports of overexertion causing torn muscles. That can mean permanent damage. "Children are still in a growing phase, and we're not sure what impact creatine may have on muscles and bones as they grow," he says. "I feel very strongly that middle and even high schoolers shouldn't use it."
Will it transform me?
Here's one thing all the experts can agree on: It's impossible to say.
Creatine has different effects on every individual. Some people just don't respond to creatine -- it's a genetic thing.
You should know in about a week -- if your training volume increases, it's working for you. If not, you're probably a "nonresponder" -- taking the powder isn't going to help you.
Diet is important. Meat, especially herring and beef, has high levels of creatine, so vegetarians usually see a greater response, while those whose diets are highly carnivorous may see less change.
Of course, a healthy diet is key to anyone's muscle-building plan. "If your diet is junk, there's no point in adding creatine," Kerksick says. "It's better to eat good sources of carbohydrates and lean protein."
In the end, creatine alone will not make you a bigger man.
"Only when combined with exercise does it improve the quality of training," Greenhaff says. "You still have to do the work."
What kind of creatine should I take?
Powder is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system. Don't bother with them.
Kerksick recommends 100-percent pure creatine powder. Some companies add electrolytes and other ingredients, but tests indicate those do little to improve performance.
"Save money and buy creatine powder and [mix it with] fruit juice," Kerksick says.
Fruit juice? That's right -- the sugar in the juice raises insulin levels, which helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.
You need about 70 grams of simple sugars for every five grams of creatine, Greenhaff says. He suggests looking for a drink or supplement with 60 grams of carbs per 100 grams of product.
To ensure your body maximizes the benefits of creatine, buy the best stuff you can afford. It's your body -- this isn't the time to get cheap.
You'll know the powder is of poor quality if it's hard to dissolve and there's residue at the bottom of your glass after you drink it. You want the powder in your muscles, not in the glass. If this happens, try a different brand.
You can also check ConsumerLab.com, which writes reviews on creatine products and other muscle supplements every 3 years.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
HEALTHY EATING TIPS AND SAMPLE MEALS
Most people will agree that there is more weight loss and fitness information today but there is also more and more people that are getting even more confused about proper nutrition. Each diet contradicts with one another. I know it can get very confusing.
I will provide you with a great guideline to help you lose weight. Let me simplify it for you and all you have to do is follow these guidelines and lose the pounds like young celebs lose their underwear.
Rule #1: Eat smaller meals through out day.
Ideally, try to eat every 3- 31/2 hours of a smaller meal everyday. Not only will you feel less hungry but it will help boost your metabolism by constantly supplying your body with the adequate amount of ?nergy.?nbsp; Stay away from eating 3 larger meals and start eating smaller meals through out the day.
Rule#2: Consume enough high quality protein every day.
Protein (such as chicken) has a high thermic effect than carbs and fat. What does it mean to you? Your body has to burn extra calories to break down your protein into smaller amino acids. Plus, it will keep you satisfied a lot longer compared to carbs. In addition, protein is needed to build and maintain lean muscle.
Rule#3: Consume 25-35 grams of fiber a day
Your carbohydrates should be mostly high fiber foods such as vegetables, fruit, and high fiber unrefined grains. Fiber in your food absorbs water causing it to expand in your stomach and therefore making you feel more satisfied for a longer time. In addition, high fiber food will also control your blood sugar level; therefore, allowing you to release more body fat.
Rule#4: Avoid refined sugars and refined grains.
One of the biggest reasons why we are so overweight is because of the amount of sugar intake that we consume every year (Yes. That means to put your soda down). High sugary food/drink intake can cause your blood sugar to spike up causing you body to stop producing another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is a releasing hormone that is responsible for releasing body fat to be utilized as energy. However, when you consume too much sugar, your glucagon production is discontinued.
Rule#5: Consume an adequate amount of fat.
When I say fat, I meant the healthy kind of fat such as nuts and seeds, nut butters, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, virgin coconut oil, and avocados. Depleting yourself with the healthy fat can negatively affect your hormone levels that will only result to more cravings.
In addition, you want to limit the unhealthy fat (saturated fat) such as butter, margarine, and the fat around your steak. Avoid hydrogenated fat at all costs as they cause more harm than good.
Rule#6: Keep yourself hydrated all day;
It is crucial to keep yourself hydrated especially while working out. Try to drink .6 - .7 ounces per pound of body weight. We are made up of mostly water and a slight decrease in your body fluid level can affect your exercise performance. My number one rule in regards to water: If you are thirsty, you are also dehydrated. Do NOT wait until you are thirsty.
I am not a nutritionist and I do NOT claim to know everything. However, I?e spent over 7 years of my life studying how the body functions. These are just the general guidelines that I use for myself.
Below is a chart that I made for you. These are my basic meals. In each meal, I consume a lean protein (i.e chicken breast), Starch Carbs (i.e brown rice), and fibrous carbs (i.e. broccoli).
Lean Proteins
Eggs Whites Chicken breast Tuna
Shrimp Grouper Mahi-mahi
Cod Salmon Swordfish
Lobster Shellfish Sushi/ sashimi
Halibut Marlin Cobia
Wahoo Tofu (Soy)
Starchy Carbs
Potato Cream of Rice Cereal Corn
Brown rice Tomato Jasmine Rice
Sweet potato Basmati rice Peas
Couscous Oatmeal Corn tortillas
Fibrous Carbs
Broccoli Onions Cauliflower
Asparagus Carrots Spinach
Green peppers String beans Yellow peppers
Cucumbers Red peppers Celery
Mushrooms Jerusalem artichoke
Sample Menu #1
Meal # 1
2 egg whites
1.5 Cup high fiber (low sugar) cereal
? cup milk
? cup cranberry juice
Meal # 2
1 ounce of Almonds
1 medium Orange
Meal # 3
3 ounces Chicken Breast
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1 Large Apple
Meal # 4 (My post workout meal)
1 Banana
1 scoop protein powder
(22grams protein, 5g
carbs, 1 g fat)
Meal #5
? cup of brown rice
? cup Asparagus
3 ounces Turkey Breast or Salmon
1.5 cups lettuce
2 tsps olive oil dressing
Sample Menu #2
Meal # 1
6 egg whites
? cup oatmeal (measured dry uncooked)
1 small orange
Meal # 2
1 ounce of Almonds
1 medium skim milk
Meal # 3
4 ounces Turkey Breast
2 ounce sweet potato
Meal # 4 (My post workout meal)
? banana
2 scoops protein powder
Meal # 5
? cup Spinach
Medium tomato
1.5 cups lettuce
4 ounces Chicken Breast or Tuna
2 tsps olive oil dressing
I will provide you with a great guideline to help you lose weight. Let me simplify it for you and all you have to do is follow these guidelines and lose the pounds like young celebs lose their underwear.
Rule #1: Eat smaller meals through out day.
Ideally, try to eat every 3- 31/2 hours of a smaller meal everyday. Not only will you feel less hungry but it will help boost your metabolism by constantly supplying your body with the adequate amount of ?nergy.?nbsp; Stay away from eating 3 larger meals and start eating smaller meals through out the day.
Rule#2: Consume enough high quality protein every day.
Protein (such as chicken) has a high thermic effect than carbs and fat. What does it mean to you? Your body has to burn extra calories to break down your protein into smaller amino acids. Plus, it will keep you satisfied a lot longer compared to carbs. In addition, protein is needed to build and maintain lean muscle.
Rule#3: Consume 25-35 grams of fiber a day
Your carbohydrates should be mostly high fiber foods such as vegetables, fruit, and high fiber unrefined grains. Fiber in your food absorbs water causing it to expand in your stomach and therefore making you feel more satisfied for a longer time. In addition, high fiber food will also control your blood sugar level; therefore, allowing you to release more body fat.
Rule#4: Avoid refined sugars and refined grains.
One of the biggest reasons why we are so overweight is because of the amount of sugar intake that we consume every year (Yes. That means to put your soda down). High sugary food/drink intake can cause your blood sugar to spike up causing you body to stop producing another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is a releasing hormone that is responsible for releasing body fat to be utilized as energy. However, when you consume too much sugar, your glucagon production is discontinued.
Rule#5: Consume an adequate amount of fat.
When I say fat, I meant the healthy kind of fat such as nuts and seeds, nut butters, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, virgin coconut oil, and avocados. Depleting yourself with the healthy fat can negatively affect your hormone levels that will only result to more cravings.
In addition, you want to limit the unhealthy fat (saturated fat) such as butter, margarine, and the fat around your steak. Avoid hydrogenated fat at all costs as they cause more harm than good.
Rule#6: Keep yourself hydrated all day;
It is crucial to keep yourself hydrated especially while working out. Try to drink .6 - .7 ounces per pound of body weight. We are made up of mostly water and a slight decrease in your body fluid level can affect your exercise performance. My number one rule in regards to water: If you are thirsty, you are also dehydrated. Do NOT wait until you are thirsty.
I am not a nutritionist and I do NOT claim to know everything. However, I?e spent over 7 years of my life studying how the body functions. These are just the general guidelines that I use for myself.
Below is a chart that I made for you. These are my basic meals. In each meal, I consume a lean protein (i.e chicken breast), Starch Carbs (i.e brown rice), and fibrous carbs (i.e. broccoli).
Lean Proteins
Eggs Whites Chicken breast Tuna
Shrimp Grouper Mahi-mahi
Cod Salmon Swordfish
Lobster Shellfish Sushi/ sashimi
Halibut Marlin Cobia
Wahoo Tofu (Soy)
Starchy Carbs
Potato Cream of Rice Cereal Corn
Brown rice Tomato Jasmine Rice
Sweet potato Basmati rice Peas
Couscous Oatmeal Corn tortillas
Fibrous Carbs
Broccoli Onions Cauliflower
Asparagus Carrots Spinach
Green peppers String beans Yellow peppers
Cucumbers Red peppers Celery
Mushrooms Jerusalem artichoke
Sample Menu #1
Meal # 1
2 egg whites
1.5 Cup high fiber (low sugar) cereal
? cup milk
? cup cranberry juice
Meal # 2
1 ounce of Almonds
1 medium Orange
Meal # 3
3 ounces Chicken Breast
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1 Large Apple
Meal # 4 (My post workout meal)
1 Banana
1 scoop protein powder
(22grams protein, 5g
carbs, 1 g fat)
Meal #5
? cup of brown rice
? cup Asparagus
3 ounces Turkey Breast or Salmon
1.5 cups lettuce
2 tsps olive oil dressing
Sample Menu #2
Meal # 1
6 egg whites
? cup oatmeal (measured dry uncooked)
1 small orange
Meal # 2
1 ounce of Almonds
1 medium skim milk
Meal # 3
4 ounces Turkey Breast
2 ounce sweet potato
Meal # 4 (My post workout meal)
? banana
2 scoops protein powder
Meal # 5
? cup Spinach
Medium tomato
1.5 cups lettuce
4 ounces Chicken Breast or Tuna
2 tsps olive oil dressing
Saturday, March 06, 2010
The Walk of Shame
Now at a gym waiting to meet and greet clients, time can go very slow. I've learned to try and keep myself occupied and the easiest way to do that is to people watch. One always interesting thing is watching men and women on cardio and how often people waste their time on it. It would almost seem like common sense yet I'd bet you a million dollars we could go to any gym right now and find at least 5 people with this issue. NOT PUSHING THEMSELVES..
Now I don't expected everyone to be Michael Johnson (not to be confused with magic johnson women) but walking for a hour barely does anything to your body. But why, you ask? The machine says your burning 300 calories in that hour??? Well the issue is, that when you walk at a easy pace for that long, you never really have to force your body to work past the level of condition its already at. Now again, I wouldn't expect you to run for a hour straight either unless your kenyan or something but like with most training, the ultiate goal is to make your body push to that next level. So what is the solution? Is it to do more cardio? Of course not! Doing extra cardio will not help you. You will be surprised to know that 6-7 hours will NOT help increase your metabolism. In fact, it can actually slow down your metabolism.
Lucky for those of you out there who don't like to or can't run for that long, the secret is simple...INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval training is far more superior to boosting your metabolism than it is to do steady state aerobic training. Steady state aerobic does not increase your metabolism at all. It is true that you are burning calories while you are actually performing the aerobics. However, once you are done with your session, your metabolism returns to normal.
However, interval training (consisting of moderate to high intensity cardio) will burn more calories per minute, and will elevate your metabolism for hours and hours. The right amount of resistance training combined with an intense interval training session can keep your metabolism up for at least 24 hours and in some cases, up to 42 hours. Imagine what that can do to your body if you are burning high amounts of fat all day and all night long (even when you are sleeping).
A lot of people focus too much about ?he workout when in fact, they should focus more on the whole picture. It is not the 1 hour of workout that counts but it is the 23 hours remaining in the day.
If you take a second to think about it, its actually pretty simple. Consider a man or women who do a steady cardio pace for a hour a marathon runner. Now picture someone who does interval training as a sprinter. How many out of shape sprinters do you see in olympics?NONE. Yet, how many people do you see that actually finish marathons year after year, just with slow times? ALOT, Heck Oprah ran the new york marathon. So heres how we do interval training.
The Rule to Interval Training
Always warm up for 4-6 minutes
Average intensity: Slow down to a moderate pace for one minute(think a fast walking pace)
(Level 6-7 intensity).
High intensity: Perform 30 seconds as fast as you can.
(Level 9 or 10 intensity on a scale of 1-10)
Therefore, one round will last about a minute and 1/2. Do this for a total of 15 minutes
Always cool down for 5 minutes
Warning: Do not perform interval training before resistance training. It can actually cause a negative effect on your routine.
So about 25 minutes and bam, your done with your cardio for the day and buring calories all night. Much easier than jumping from the treadmill, to the stair stepper, to eliptical right? And I PROMISE you that you will look AND feel much better too. So take the magazine off your eliptical and get to burning.
Now I don't expected everyone to be Michael Johnson (not to be confused with magic johnson women) but walking for a hour barely does anything to your body. But why, you ask? The machine says your burning 300 calories in that hour??? Well the issue is, that when you walk at a easy pace for that long, you never really have to force your body to work past the level of condition its already at. Now again, I wouldn't expect you to run for a hour straight either unless your kenyan or something but like with most training, the ultiate goal is to make your body push to that next level. So what is the solution? Is it to do more cardio? Of course not! Doing extra cardio will not help you. You will be surprised to know that 6-7 hours will NOT help increase your metabolism. In fact, it can actually slow down your metabolism.
Lucky for those of you out there who don't like to or can't run for that long, the secret is simple...INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval training is far more superior to boosting your metabolism than it is to do steady state aerobic training. Steady state aerobic does not increase your metabolism at all. It is true that you are burning calories while you are actually performing the aerobics. However, once you are done with your session, your metabolism returns to normal.
However, interval training (consisting of moderate to high intensity cardio) will burn more calories per minute, and will elevate your metabolism for hours and hours. The right amount of resistance training combined with an intense interval training session can keep your metabolism up for at least 24 hours and in some cases, up to 42 hours. Imagine what that can do to your body if you are burning high amounts of fat all day and all night long (even when you are sleeping).
A lot of people focus too much about ?he workout when in fact, they should focus more on the whole picture. It is not the 1 hour of workout that counts but it is the 23 hours remaining in the day.
If you take a second to think about it, its actually pretty simple. Consider a man or women who do a steady cardio pace for a hour a marathon runner. Now picture someone who does interval training as a sprinter. How many out of shape sprinters do you see in olympics?NONE. Yet, how many people do you see that actually finish marathons year after year, just with slow times? ALOT, Heck Oprah ran the new york marathon. So heres how we do interval training.
The Rule to Interval Training
Always warm up for 4-6 minutes
Average intensity: Slow down to a moderate pace for one minute(think a fast walking pace)
(Level 6-7 intensity).
High intensity: Perform 30 seconds as fast as you can.
(Level 9 or 10 intensity on a scale of 1-10)
Therefore, one round will last about a minute and 1/2. Do this for a total of 15 minutes
Always cool down for 5 minutes
Warning: Do not perform interval training before resistance training. It can actually cause a negative effect on your routine.
So about 25 minutes and bam, your done with your cardio for the day and buring calories all night. Much easier than jumping from the treadmill, to the stair stepper, to eliptical right? And I PROMISE you that you will look AND feel much better too. So take the magazine off your eliptical and get to burning.
The top 5 ways to boost your metabolism naturally:
1. Do not skip breakfast! Picture your metabolic rate shaped as an ice cream cone. In other words, starting at the top – it is at its highest in the morning and starts to decline on a gradual level as the day progresses.
Unfortunately, most of us have a backwards approach to eating when it comes to weight loss and meals. We skip breakfast for a variety of reasons such as lack of hunger, a busy schedule or to save on calories. While this may seem to make sense from a pure “calories in, calories out” theory, research has demonstrated time and time again that this approach will result in weight gain. Whether it is a protein shake, a yogurt and granola parfait or slow-cooking oatmeal – you need something to start your day off right.
2. Eat more protein! The hormone glucagon is released in response to dietary protein, such as egg whites, low-fat cheese, lean meats, chicken, fish and protein powder. Glucagon signals fat cells to release fat into the blood, thereby promoting its use. In other words, more fat is burned and more weight is lost when you eat more protein.
3. Say good-bye to refined grains. Products made from refined grains, such as many breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, cause most people to oversecrete the hormone insulin. Insulin has the opposite effect of glucagon. Of its many functions, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to facilitate the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.
Glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar) is derived from carbohydrates and is the main source of fuel for the body. When too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates are consumed, such as refined white sugar and/or white flour, excess insulin is secreted to deal with the sugar. In short, excess insulin = excess fat.
4. Stick to low glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (breads and pastas) and beans. Do not be scared of eating bread! Research demonstrates very clearly that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and the prevention of type II diabetes, colon cancer and constipation.
5. Go for green! Instead of your morning coffee, opt for some green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, from helping to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease, to aiding in weight loss. Studies show that catechins, the antioxidants in green tea, help increase fat burning. Research also shows that green tea may lower blood sugars by inhibiting enzymes that allow the absorption of starches, and it may reduce the absorption of fat from the intestine. Typical dosage is three or four cups per day or a 300 to 400 mg capsule of green tea extract daily.
Take home point
Your total metabolic rate is not fixed. In fact, there is a certain part of it that is flexible and when given the proper foods, hydration, exercise and supplements can rev up and help you slim down naturally. Bon appetit!"
Unfortunately, most of us have a backwards approach to eating when it comes to weight loss and meals. We skip breakfast for a variety of reasons such as lack of hunger, a busy schedule or to save on calories. While this may seem to make sense from a pure “calories in, calories out” theory, research has demonstrated time and time again that this approach will result in weight gain. Whether it is a protein shake, a yogurt and granola parfait or slow-cooking oatmeal – you need something to start your day off right.
2. Eat more protein! The hormone glucagon is released in response to dietary protein, such as egg whites, low-fat cheese, lean meats, chicken, fish and protein powder. Glucagon signals fat cells to release fat into the blood, thereby promoting its use. In other words, more fat is burned and more weight is lost when you eat more protein.
3. Say good-bye to refined grains. Products made from refined grains, such as many breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, cause most people to oversecrete the hormone insulin. Insulin has the opposite effect of glucagon. Of its many functions, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to facilitate the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.
Glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar) is derived from carbohydrates and is the main source of fuel for the body. When too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates are consumed, such as refined white sugar and/or white flour, excess insulin is secreted to deal with the sugar. In short, excess insulin = excess fat.
4. Stick to low glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (breads and pastas) and beans. Do not be scared of eating bread! Research demonstrates very clearly that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and the prevention of type II diabetes, colon cancer and constipation.
5. Go for green! Instead of your morning coffee, opt for some green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, from helping to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease, to aiding in weight loss. Studies show that catechins, the antioxidants in green tea, help increase fat burning. Research also shows that green tea may lower blood sugars by inhibiting enzymes that allow the absorption of starches, and it may reduce the absorption of fat from the intestine. Typical dosage is three or four cups per day or a 300 to 400 mg capsule of green tea extract daily.
Take home point
Your total metabolic rate is not fixed. In fact, there is a certain part of it that is flexible and when given the proper foods, hydration, exercise and supplements can rev up and help you slim down naturally. Bon appetit!"
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Fat Burning Food pt.2
So I had more time today and redid the fat burning foods list. I switched a few for easier food and gave more detail at why they work. All the ones listed before still are effective
15 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism part.2
________________________________________
Grapefruit
This diet super fruit lowers the insulin levels in your body that trigger your system to store fat. Plus, it is rich in fiber, and your body must burn extra calories in order to break it down.
Green Tea
Green tea is the main source of epigallocatechin gallate, known better as EGCG. This healthy catechin speeds up your brain and nervous system, causing your body to burn more calories.
Yogurt
The high levels of protein present in natural yogurt require a lot of energy to be processed. Plus, the pro-biotic cultures found in yogurt help regulate your digestive tract.
Almonds
Almonds’ essential fatty acids help raise your body’s metabolism. Just don’t overdo it because they’re also very high in calories.
Coffee
Coffee has caffeine, which does give you a boost. Just ensure that you don’t exceed 2 or 3 cups a day, or you risk a host of side effects, including irritability and jitters.
Turkey
This protein-rich meat builds lean muscle tissue, which causes your body to burn extra calories and raises your metabolism.
Apples
Like grapefruit, this low-calorie snack is high in fiber, which your body must burn calories to break down. Plus, since apples help you stay full for longer, you’ll eat less.
Spinach
Popeye was right about one thing: spinach can help make you strong and healthy. In addition to speeding up your metabolism, it’s a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
Beans
Low in fat and packed with protein, beans keep you full for long durations, and your body must burn extra calories in order to process this fiber-rich food.
Jalapenos
The capcaisin found in jalapenos causes your body to burn extra calories for hours after you ingest them, speeding up both your heart rate and metabolism.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains a highly effective metabolism-boosting team of nutrients: calcium and vitamin C. Calcium acts as a metabolic trigger, while vitamin C helps your body absorb more calcium.
Oatmeal
Because your body takes a long time to break down the fat-soluble fiber in oatmeal, this healthy food lowers your body’s insulin level and speeds up your metabolism as a result.
Soy Milk
Fortified soy milk is loaded with calcium, which helps boost your metabolism. Just stay away from the sweetened varieties.
Curry
Like jalapenos, curry increases the amount of calories your body burns and speeds up your metabolism.
Cinnamon
A little bit of cinnamon can go a long way. Add some zing to your daily cup of tea with this tasty spice to help your body metabolize sugars more effectively and maintain steadier blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can also help lower your cholesterol.
15 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism part.2
________________________________________
Grapefruit
This diet super fruit lowers the insulin levels in your body that trigger your system to store fat. Plus, it is rich in fiber, and your body must burn extra calories in order to break it down.
Green Tea
Green tea is the main source of epigallocatechin gallate, known better as EGCG. This healthy catechin speeds up your brain and nervous system, causing your body to burn more calories.
Yogurt
The high levels of protein present in natural yogurt require a lot of energy to be processed. Plus, the pro-biotic cultures found in yogurt help regulate your digestive tract.
Almonds
Almonds’ essential fatty acids help raise your body’s metabolism. Just don’t overdo it because they’re also very high in calories.
Coffee
Coffee has caffeine, which does give you a boost. Just ensure that you don’t exceed 2 or 3 cups a day, or you risk a host of side effects, including irritability and jitters.
Turkey
This protein-rich meat builds lean muscle tissue, which causes your body to burn extra calories and raises your metabolism.
Apples
Like grapefruit, this low-calorie snack is high in fiber, which your body must burn calories to break down. Plus, since apples help you stay full for longer, you’ll eat less.
Spinach
Popeye was right about one thing: spinach can help make you strong and healthy. In addition to speeding up your metabolism, it’s a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
Beans
Low in fat and packed with protein, beans keep you full for long durations, and your body must burn extra calories in order to process this fiber-rich food.
Jalapenos
The capcaisin found in jalapenos causes your body to burn extra calories for hours after you ingest them, speeding up both your heart rate and metabolism.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains a highly effective metabolism-boosting team of nutrients: calcium and vitamin C. Calcium acts as a metabolic trigger, while vitamin C helps your body absorb more calcium.
Oatmeal
Because your body takes a long time to break down the fat-soluble fiber in oatmeal, this healthy food lowers your body’s insulin level and speeds up your metabolism as a result.
Soy Milk
Fortified soy milk is loaded with calcium, which helps boost your metabolism. Just stay away from the sweetened varieties.
Curry
Like jalapenos, curry increases the amount of calories your body burns and speeds up your metabolism.
Cinnamon
A little bit of cinnamon can go a long way. Add some zing to your daily cup of tea with this tasty spice to help your body metabolize sugars more effectively and maintain steadier blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can also help lower your cholesterol.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Quick at Home Circuit
Scenerio: Its been a long day, your getting home late from work and knowww you have to workout but don't want to take that trip to the gym and don't have any weights at your house...what do you do? Well this simple circuit. As you watch Tv, every commercial do; 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 crunches. Real simple just like our basic gym circuit. Only difference is, try to get them all done as fast as you can. If your really feeling froggy, try to get them all done before your show comes back on. So do that every commercial subtracting 2 reps each commercial till your only down to 2 squats, 2 pushups and 2 crunches. Then your done
Example:
First commercial: 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 crunches
Second commercial: 8 squats, 8 push ups, 8 crunches
Third Commercial: 6 squats, 6 push ups, 6 crunches etc...
There you go, a easy way to burn some calories without having to dedicate time to a full blown workout. This also makes a good off day routine. And if you want to spice it up, take a deck of cards, and every commerical pick a card and thats the number of reps your doing for each. So pick a 5, its 5 of everything, pick a 9 and its 9 of everything. All face cards are 12.
Example:
First commercial: 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 crunches
Second commercial: 8 squats, 8 push ups, 8 crunches
Third Commercial: 6 squats, 6 push ups, 6 crunches etc...
There you go, a easy way to burn some calories without having to dedicate time to a full blown workout. This also makes a good off day routine. And if you want to spice it up, take a deck of cards, and every commerical pick a card and thats the number of reps your doing for each. So pick a 5, its 5 of everything, pick a 9 and its 9 of everything. All face cards are 12.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Fat Burning Foods
Sometimes people ask me what they should eat to lose weight. Its actually a really vague question. So to help out, here are some fat burning foods to add to your menu:
-Free Range Chicken
-Whole Eggs
-Almonds
-Cottage Cheese (yuck but it works)
-Avocado
-Brown Rice
-Yams
-Strawberries, Blueberries etc..(you can even freeze them for a nice treat)
-Dark Green Vegetables like spinach
-Oats
-Green Tea with raw honey
and Lasty Cinnamon
These are just a few but add some to your meals is a easy step to reaching your goals
-Free Range Chicken
-Whole Eggs
-Almonds
-Cottage Cheese (yuck but it works)
-Avocado
-Brown Rice
-Yams
-Strawberries, Blueberries etc..(you can even freeze them for a nice treat)
-Dark Green Vegetables like spinach
-Oats
-Green Tea with raw honey
and Lasty Cinnamon
These are just a few but add some to your meals is a easy step to reaching your goals
WORKOUTS
So heres out first workout.
At the gym, the most basic observation for a male personal trainer is...? The women. No offense but once your off the cardio, the majority have the deer in headlights effect while walking around the gym trying to avoid the free weights and meat heads and go straight to the machines. Machines are great and all but in total fitness, you probably want there to be your last choice. So heres a sample workout that will get you burning calories and at hopefully make you feel more comfortable away from your treadmill. Its a basic cardio/Body weight circuit.
First:
Do 10 minutes of cardio
(you can do this however you like on whatever machine you like, as long as its fast enough for you to break a sweat within those 10 minutes)
Second:
Go and do 10 pushups, 10 body weight squats and 10 crunches. Go through that group 3 times. so a total of 30 of each.
(if you can't do pushups well, do them girly with your legs crossed or elevated on a smith machine. Also on the squats focus on your form by sitting your hips back as if you were sitting on a chair or the toilet.)
Third:
Rest
(Now you can rest either by relaxing until your breathing rate goes back to normal, or by getting back on the cardio and doing a walking pace for a minute.
Fourth:
Like hair, repeat steps 1 through 3 another 2 times until you do a total 30 minutes of cardio.
There you have a easy workout that hits your cardio needs for the day while also adding a small amount of strength training without you feeling like wonderwoman just yet. Keep in mind, if the exercises are too easy, you can always adjust them by adding dumbbells or changing tempo but progress slowly. Just because a normal pushup is easy, don't instantly try to jump to 1 arm on a swiss ball blindfolded type pushups.
Do this 3 times a week.
At the gym, the most basic observation for a male personal trainer is...? The women. No offense but once your off the cardio, the majority have the deer in headlights effect while walking around the gym trying to avoid the free weights and meat heads and go straight to the machines. Machines are great and all but in total fitness, you probably want there to be your last choice. So heres a sample workout that will get you burning calories and at hopefully make you feel more comfortable away from your treadmill. Its a basic cardio/Body weight circuit.
First:
Do 10 minutes of cardio
(you can do this however you like on whatever machine you like, as long as its fast enough for you to break a sweat within those 10 minutes)
Second:
Go and do 10 pushups, 10 body weight squats and 10 crunches. Go through that group 3 times. so a total of 30 of each.
(if you can't do pushups well, do them girly with your legs crossed or elevated on a smith machine. Also on the squats focus on your form by sitting your hips back as if you were sitting on a chair or the toilet.)
Third:
Rest
(Now you can rest either by relaxing until your breathing rate goes back to normal, or by getting back on the cardio and doing a walking pace for a minute.
Fourth:
Like hair, repeat steps 1 through 3 another 2 times until you do a total 30 minutes of cardio.
There you have a easy workout that hits your cardio needs for the day while also adding a small amount of strength training without you feeling like wonderwoman just yet. Keep in mind, if the exercises are too easy, you can always adjust them by adding dumbbells or changing tempo but progress slowly. Just because a normal pushup is easy, don't instantly try to jump to 1 arm on a swiss ball blindfolded type pushups.
Do this 3 times a week.
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