The important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we can become.
Showing posts with label Cardio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cardio. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Bron Brief: Fasted Cardio
Want to burn a few quick extra calories? Get into the habit of doing 15 minutes of fasted cardio (cardio on an empty stomach) every morning, and watch your body start to change shape. When you work through a short workout on an empty stomach, you’re using stored fat for energy. If you eat breakfast and then do cardio, you’re only burning off some of the food you just consumed. These workouts can be intense but you should never look to push yourself to the point of feeling light headed.Work out harder, AND Smarter.
The important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we can become.
The important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we can become.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Bron Brief: The Best Damn Abs
"Beach body" programs are all I've been asked for lately. Summers coming around so everyone is rushing to the gym hoping to kill it for one month and look like a underwear model. While I've already stated in numerous blogs why that won't work, I'm sure everyone is still going to try. Step one, the washboard abs.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Bron Brief: Toning is More than Cardio
If I asked someone to describe the average woman workout at your basic gym, how would it go? Probably something like; 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the elliptical, some machine crunches, few reps on the abductor machine, and another 15 minutes on the stair stepper if your bad ass. Sure your tired after and feel like you should be dropping pounds but did you do enough? The answer is no!
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Athlete Profile: Jennifer Austin
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Labels: Athlete, Athlete Profile, Cardio, Fitness Profile, Jennifer Austin, Men, Miles Austin, Olympics, Women, Workout
Labels: Athlete, Athlete Profile, Cardio, Fitness Profile, Jennifer Austin, Men, Miles Austin, Olympics, Women, Workout
"Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident." While not 100% accurate,that line from the cult classic movie "Anchorman" was pretty much the general idea I had about Javelins when I joined freshman track in high school. Suit up, throw an awesome spear thing at someone, sit back down, get a medal. You could imagine my dismay when not only was there more to it, I was actually BAD AT IT. Though it looks simple enough, throwing a Javelin takes a lot more technique than just raw athletic ability or arm strength. So sadly my dreams of being the next Achilles or throwing a spear and kicking someone in a giant hole Greek mythology style lasted one full day. For the athletes lucky enough to even be good at it, avenues to show off that talent are pretty limited. Sure you can do it throughout high school and maybe college but like most sports the road ends there...unless you are elite. Once you are elite, a whole new door opens up with the possibility of competing in the Olympics. With the 2012 Olympics coming up, today I bring you Olympic track and field hopeful Jennifer Austin. If the last name sounds familiar she is the older sister of Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin. The original Austin athlete, Jen, is a former Big East champion in Javelin and now has her eyes set on the 2012 Olympics trails. Like anyone else who knows the Austin family, being dedicated and a hard worker is just in their blood. Apparently, so does being a top notch athlete, although their father, Miles Austin II, hacks in basketball (don't tell him I said that).Without further ado, Jennifer Austin.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Bron Brief: Kill Your Lacks
No its not a typo of my trying to say Lats. 2 Common excuses for not working out are known as the 2 lacks. Lack of money and Lack of time. Money is the tougher of the 2 to fix but I'm sure if you sat down and wrote out what you spent money on in a week you'd see plenty of things that could be redirected towards your health goals. As for time, this ones easy. Everyone says they can't train or get to the gym because of time at one point or another. So try this out. For one day, schedule a time to workout, and then MAKE SURE you do it. Even if you can only exercise 10-15 minutes, get it done. At the end of the day, ask yourself if you were any less productive throughout the day than usual. The answer will probably be a no and one of your two main lacks will be gone.
The important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we can become.
The important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we can become.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Diet and Starvation: Thin line
When most women talk diet, their first instinct is to stop eatting...EVERYTHING. Now some see results from this eventually but the news flash is, its actually kind of bad for you and pretty counter productive. Monday, August 08, 2011
More Diets YAYY Part 2
I posted week one a few days ago and hopefully your moving along well with it. Below is part two which is actually HARDER. You'll see your gains at this point so it will be worth it but chances are your going to want to eat. Bare with me and if you get too hungry healthy snacks are allow. Avoid snacks loaded with sugar and excess calories. And on to Week 2...
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Perception or Reality: Fat or Body Fat
Many people perceive overall weight as a general determining factor of just how “in shape” you are. Even things like BMI “body mass index” going off height and weight can really kill a person’s motivation (trust me, my WII fit character looks like a square with a head because of that). Sure being scale heavy sucks but more importantly, a high body fat REALLY SUCKS.
Monday, July 05, 2010
P90x: Life Saver or Latest Fad
Each year, a handful of fitness fads explode onto the American scene. And, each year, an equal number fizzle out in far less spectacular fashion. But every so often, one sticks around, and for the last several years running it has been P90X—a wildly popular home-based fitness routine with a growing (and near fanatical) following among weekend warriors and A-list celebs alike (Ewan McGregor, Ashton Kutcher, and Donavan McNabb are among its devotees). It’s also one of the most popular search terms on MensHealth.com. But if you’re reading these words, you’ve found the only ones we’ve ever written about it. Why? Because while P90X might be able to accomplish what it claims for $120 (i.e., “transform you from regular to ripped in 90 days”), it’s likely not the total-body fitness solution that most people are looking for.
If you watch late night television, you’ve seen the infomercials: Fitness trainer Tony Horton and a handful of attractive models explain that by constantly introducing new exercises and workouts—which run the gambit from traditional strength sessions to Kenpo karate classes—you’ll achieve a constant state of “muscular confusion.” The less your muscles adapt, Horton explains, the faster they’ll grow.
The idea of “muscular confusion” isn’t new. And unfortunately for Horton and the folks at Beachbody—who also introduced the world to Hip Hop Abs and the Turbo Jam workout—it’s not based on science. “It’s a marketing term invented by Joe Weider [the creater of the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest] back in the 1980s,” says Bill Hartman, C.S.C.S, a strength coach in Indianapolis. “And it’s kind of counterproductive.”
If you watch late night television, you’ve seen the infomercials: Fitness trainer Tony Horton and a handful of attractive models explain that by constantly introducing new exercises and workouts—which run the gambit from traditional strength sessions to Kenpo karate classes—you’ll achieve a constant state of “muscular confusion.” The less your muscles adapt, Horton explains, the faster they’ll grow.
The idea of “muscular confusion” isn’t new. And unfortunately for Horton and the folks at Beachbody—who also introduced the world to Hip Hop Abs and the Turbo Jam workout—it’s not based on science. “It’s a marketing term invented by Joe Weider [the creater of the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest] back in the 1980s,” says Bill Hartman, C.S.C.S, a strength coach in Indianapolis. “And it’s kind of counterproductive.”
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Know your cardio...
I asked you a while back, who is usually in better shape, a sprinter or marathon runner? If you said sprinter, then you are absolutely correct.
Why is that? Why is a sprinter, who sprints for 10 seconds be more ripped than a marathon runner who can run 2 hours per session?
Well, it is actually pretty simple. A sprinter focuses on the fast twitch muscle fiber (type IIa and IIb) and a marathon runner focuses on the slow twitch muscle fiber (Type I).
Two different styles of training, two different results.
I am not saying that you shouldn't do long boring cardio but if your goal is to burn fat efficiently, then you must train the right muscle fiber. Most people will tell you that all you have to do is run 30-60 minutes a day and you will be ripped in no time. The sad truth is that long boring cardio (slow twitch muscle fiber) alone does NOT give you an athletic, fit and defined body. In fact, doing too much cardio can actually break down your muscle tissue (convert it to amino acids to usable glucose) to use it as an energy source. That is not the ideal outcome. Muscle is the location where your fat is being burned so it is something that you don't want to sacrifice (plus muscle is what gives your the awesome definition).
Why is that? Why is a sprinter, who sprints for 10 seconds be more ripped than a marathon runner who can run 2 hours per session?
Well, it is actually pretty simple. A sprinter focuses on the fast twitch muscle fiber (type IIa and IIb) and a marathon runner focuses on the slow twitch muscle fiber (Type I).
Two different styles of training, two different results.
I am not saying that you shouldn't do long boring cardio but if your goal is to burn fat efficiently, then you must train the right muscle fiber. Most people will tell you that all you have to do is run 30-60 minutes a day and you will be ripped in no time. The sad truth is that long boring cardio (slow twitch muscle fiber) alone does NOT give you an athletic, fit and defined body. In fact, doing too much cardio can actually break down your muscle tissue (convert it to amino acids to usable glucose) to use it as an energy source. That is not the ideal outcome. Muscle is the location where your fat is being burned so it is something that you don't want to sacrifice (plus muscle is what gives your the awesome definition).
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Infomercial fitness: B.S as seen on TV
Experts say all infomercial machines are not created equal. Some are mere gimmicks, some actually work. But targeting one area, such as the midriff, is no way to get fit or lose weight.
"These ads communicate to the public the flawed notion that spot reducing is possible," said Jessica Matthews of the non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE). "Research has shown that's not the case."
She added that a well rounded program includes cardiovascular work and strength training of all the major muscles, not just the abdominals.
"The more muscle mass we have the more efficient our body becomes and that's when we start to lose body fat so we can see that definition," Matthews explained.
And those buff and smiling TV exercisers?
"The ads say that if you want six-pack abs, spend 10 minutes a day using this equipment," she said. "Those people are not just doing 10 minutes a day."
Matthews cited an ACE-commissioned study that concluded you don't need to purchase a piece of exercise equipment to strengthen your abs.
"The abdominal rollers and rockers tested were not any more effective than a traditional crunch, and some were much less effective," she said.
The study also advises that strong abdominals are important for long-term health, good posture and the alleviation of lower back pain, so if a particular device inspires you, it may be worth it.
Before you phone in the plastic, Henry Williford, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine, has some advice for evaluating infomercial claims.
"You have to be very careful," he said. "Qualitative terms like improved muscle tone' don't mean anything. In the lab we can measure body fat and body composition, but there's no way to measure muscle tone, so there's no way to evaluate."
He added that there is also no evidence for another claim that suggests people will lose inches.
"They don't have any data. Where do the inches go? They use those kinds of claims a lot," he said. "Then they'll tell people that a low intensity exercise will burn fat. Well, it doesn't matter if you're burning fat or no fat. The important thing is to burn calories."
Williford said a product can be good if it's used correctly but it is the amount of exercise that's important.
"Stay away from gimmicky things," he advises. "Don't trust testimonials by individuals that aren't based in research."
And know what you're buying. Even Williford who is an exercise physiologist and researcher at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, has been burned.
"We did an evaluation of these little exercise balls they were making all kinds of claims about," he said. "So we ordered the ball. But according to the fine print we had also ordered a new DVD every month for a year."
So what is the secret to six-pack abs as seen on TV? Williford is skeptical.
"A lot of them are photoshopped, to be honest with you," he said.
So FYI: If you see the same model pushing 6 different machine commercials, chances are its junk, because obviously he/she isn't using them or they'd have a house full of 5 different ab rocker, ab rocker pluses etc..
"These ads communicate to the public the flawed notion that spot reducing is possible," said Jessica Matthews of the non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE). "Research has shown that's not the case."
She added that a well rounded program includes cardiovascular work and strength training of all the major muscles, not just the abdominals.
"The more muscle mass we have the more efficient our body becomes and that's when we start to lose body fat so we can see that definition," Matthews explained.
And those buff and smiling TV exercisers?
"The ads say that if you want six-pack abs, spend 10 minutes a day using this equipment," she said. "Those people are not just doing 10 minutes a day."
Matthews cited an ACE-commissioned study that concluded you don't need to purchase a piece of exercise equipment to strengthen your abs.
"The abdominal rollers and rockers tested were not any more effective than a traditional crunch, and some were much less effective," she said.
The study also advises that strong abdominals are important for long-term health, good posture and the alleviation of lower back pain, so if a particular device inspires you, it may be worth it.
Before you phone in the plastic, Henry Williford, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine, has some advice for evaluating infomercial claims.
"You have to be very careful," he said. "Qualitative terms like improved muscle tone' don't mean anything. In the lab we can measure body fat and body composition, but there's no way to measure muscle tone, so there's no way to evaluate."
He added that there is also no evidence for another claim that suggests people will lose inches.
"They don't have any data. Where do the inches go? They use those kinds of claims a lot," he said. "Then they'll tell people that a low intensity exercise will burn fat. Well, it doesn't matter if you're burning fat or no fat. The important thing is to burn calories."
Williford said a product can be good if it's used correctly but it is the amount of exercise that's important.
"Stay away from gimmicky things," he advises. "Don't trust testimonials by individuals that aren't based in research."
And know what you're buying. Even Williford who is an exercise physiologist and researcher at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, has been burned.
"We did an evaluation of these little exercise balls they were making all kinds of claims about," he said. "So we ordered the ball. But according to the fine print we had also ordered a new DVD every month for a year."
So what is the secret to six-pack abs as seen on TV? Williford is skeptical.
"A lot of them are photoshopped, to be honest with you," he said.
So FYI: If you see the same model pushing 6 different machine commercials, chances are its junk, because obviously he/she isn't using them or they'd have a house full of 5 different ab rocker, ab rocker pluses etc..
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Women and their cardio/classes....ughhh
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!”
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!”
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
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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