Training For Life

Cyclists are weak. No, we’re not singling anyone out–even the mighty Lance had a maximum power output that was roughly the equivalent, in horsepower, to a Go-Ped scooter. Gears let us maximize our low-power motors on the bike; specifically, being able to choose a gear that keeps us in our cadence comfort zone, the point at which we can pedal seemingly indefinitely without flailing around or succumbing to a muscle-scorching slow grind.

If you really want to rock the gears, though, you need to know when to shift outside your comfort zone, into a slightly higher (harder) or lower (easier) gear, even momentarily, to suit what you hope to accomplish on the bike. While the old adage “shift early, shift often,” still applies, you should add “shift smart” to the mix. Here’s how to do it in four common situations.

The Situation: A long, gradual road climb

The Shift: This is usually the easiest shifting situation, after flat terrain. At the base of the climb, you should be in your comfort-zone gear–it varies from rider to rider, but for most of us it’s in the 90-revolutions-per-minute range. When your cadence starts to slip, ease the pressure off the pedals slightly and shift into an easier gear. Remember, shifting in the front means a big resistance change; rear shifts are for fine-tuning your cadence. If you need to stand, shift up a cog or two in the rear; the slightly harder gear will allow a smooth transition. Shift between these sitting and standing gears as you make your way up the climb.

The Situation: A moderately steep, twisty, rocky descent on your mountain bike; the trail ends smoothly before transitioning to a long climb

The Shift: This is a heavy shifting situation. On the way down the slope, you’ll want to shift around to stay on the harder-geared side of your comfort zone, so you can power out of corners and over most obstacles. (But don’t stray too far–if you get hung up on something, you’ll want to be in a gear you can manage at a slower pace.) During the transition, soft pedal and shift to the lower gear you’ll need to start the climb–you want to be in your comfort zone at the beginning of the uphill.

The Situation: A group road ride that’s heading into a sprint-finish area

The Shift: The biggest mistake most of us make in just-for-fun sprints is telegraphing our move–we suddenly (and noisily) shift into much higher gears, alerting everyone to our intentions. Surreptitious presprint shifting is partially done in advance (with the front chainring) and partially on the fly–you need to be in only a slightly harder gear to start, as upshifts in the rear can be managed after you jump. Move up one gear at a time, spinning out each gear (meaning faster than your comfort zone) before shifting again.

The Situation: A rock-strewn, technical climb on your mountain bike

The Shift: Use too low a gear on a loose, technical climb and you’ll spin the rear wheel, lose momentum, and come to a halt.

To avoid that, climb in a slightly higher-than-comfort-level gear, which helps the rear tire grip the terrain and gives you leeway for the short power bursts needed to ascend larger rocks or log step-ups. Don’t expect to reach the top of the climb without feeling your muscles burn–in a good way, of course.

Cycling.com

Does using an elliptical machine with incline and resistance count toward strength training? I’d like to skip the squats and lunges, which are hard on my knees, and focus my free weight strength training on my upper body.”

To answer this question properly, I need to explain what happens when you strength train with weights.

I explain that the tension from the weight of resistance training with dumbbells, barbells, and machines stretches the muscle fibers and causes tiny tears in them.

When the cells in your muscle fibers sense this trauma, they begin to rally the muscle-building troops from your body to repair the tears, and your muscles grow stronger and become more “toned.”

For a response like this to occur, the muscle needs to be subjected to amounts of force that are typically only possible to produce for 8-12 repetitions. In contrast, even a “high resistance” elliptical trainer workout involves literally hundreds of repetitions. So trying to “strength train” with cardio is impossible if your goal is muscle gain.

If your goal is simply to make your legs stronger, then a high resistance elliptical trainer, bicycle, incline treadmill, or stairmaster workout can certainly do the trick, but at a much slower rate of progress compared to doing squats, lunges, or deadlifts.

If your knees hurt while doing squats, lunges, or any variations of them, then try this:

Going through less range of motion
Using machines like leg extension and leg curl for 6-8 weeks before progressing to squats and lunges
Ensuring your hamstrings are flexible.

GFG

The big assumption is that clients set goals that are realistic, healthy and will actually make them happy. But that may not be true. In fact, their goals may be unrealistic, dangerous and destined to make them miserable. But even if they are good, healthy goals, the way that many would pursue their goals can fall somewhere between sub-optimal and counter-productive.

“Focusing on ‘achieving your goals’ sounds good, but from a training perspective it can be inherently problematic,” says TRX Director of Programming Chris Frankel.

We met with Frankel in his office recently to discuss some of the most common foibles that men and women commit in the pursuit of their most typical goals.

Men: “I want to get big and strong”

Guys often want to get leaner while building bigger pecs and biceps so they hit the weights to melt fat and bench and curl over and over. In reality, Frankel explains, men need to spend more time on range of motion and overall joint mobility in order to optimize their foundational strength and durability. The durability factor is key, because they can’t get bigger and leaner if they’re missing workouts due to soreness and injury. Plus, guys will be able to sustain their workouts over a longer period of time.  Furthermore, says Frankel, stretching the muscles activates the blood flow which will allow them to use the muscles more effectively. So, to the guys, a bit of mobility and stretching work can play an important role in getting them stronger and bigger.

Women: “I want to get skinny and toned”

Women, on the other hand, can be wary of weight training because they don’t want to bulk up. They want to get thinner and more toned so they go to yoga, walk, run or do other long, slow exercises to reach their goals. In reality, Frankel points out, integrating strength training is a quicker and more effective path to that goal. As women train for strength to do pull-ups or multiple push-ups, they build muscles that in turn means greater calorie burn. Plus, it helps add that muscle definition that they’re after. What they may not realize is that there is little risk of bulking up due to the nature of the female hormone profile. So strong is the new skinny for women.

The bottom line, explains Frankel is that identifying the goal is only part of the equation. Once you have that, you must thoughtfully consider the path to that goal and the fact that many elements of human performance can work together for more effective results.

What’s Frankel’s goal? Since he’s been able to maintain his durability into his 50’s, he wants to compete in the Masters Track and Field at the national level in the 400M dash.

Have you just dissolved the membership of a gym club just because you cannot continue? It could be due to a lack of motivation or so.

Or is it something because you cannot do without your world of fast food? Whatever may be the reason but the truth is that you are weak enough to stand against the challenges of a physical work out and you can not keep patience. Some of the ads and commercials may attract you with their promise on losing weight in just a few weeks but know that losing weight effectively will require a great commitment as it is a slow and steady process. In fact gradual weight loss goes a long way and not one that is achieved by hook and by crook.

This is the reason experts believe in the notion of a lifetime fitness that can be equally authentic to teach to others about setting goals of their own and succeeding. What can be inferred from lifetime fitness are dietary regimens that reduce your calorie intake by 500 to 1000 on a daily basis and burning the same with physical work outs. With this, you can be sure of a healthier weight loss.

What is good about a lifetime fitness programs is its sense of enjoying and living a happy and contended life. It teaches how to keep balance between the food and exercise. Even team sports like the cycling or walking can be scheduled into one of the exercises that is enjoyable yet effective. This is where lifetime fitness is admired much when it advocates the concept of permanent elimination of health problems.

Some of the basic facts about the lifetime fitness can be discussed as follows:

1. A lifetime fitness programs encompasses a wide variety of simple yet effective measures to keep healthy and fit. Besides they help you to feel gratified with its right procedures of maintaining competence and take care of your family’s fitness also.

2. A lifetime fitness program is meant for an achievement that can go a long way to lead you on the path of a healthy and prosperous life. In fact these programs make use of a variety of exercising equipments that helps you to tone up the muscular portions of your body as well as keeps the cardio vascular functioning at its optimum level. Through a fitness program, you can include a daily dose of a sports activity as an alternative way of maintaining fitness.

3. Lifetime fitness programs also helps you make out plans for nutritional products so as to ensure the daily intake of necessary dietary essentials. These can alone make your blood cells and tissues healthy and lead you to the peak of your performance. Besides, they are equally involved in providing the updated information about the health tips through magazines or the online internet service. These internet services and the magazines often help you get motivated through true inspirational stories of health achievers in life.

DS

But do you really need a personal trainer? Here are three quick questions to help you determine if you do:

1. Are you completely confident that you’re performing your exercises properly?

Although weight machines can be fairly easy to figure out based on the instructions, free weight exercises like squats, dead lifts, and lunges can cause a serious low back or knee injuries if they’re not done properly.

If you have no clue how to do them right, then you should consider a few meetings with a personal trainer to teach you how to do free weight exercises properly.

2. Do you have a plan?

Your unique schedule, family, and work limitations will determine how often you can do cardio, stretch, lift weights, or play sports.

A personal trainer helps you put all this together into a manageable schedule that reduces risk of overtraining and maximizes results. If you’re banging your head against a wall trying to put together a plan, then a meeting with a personal trainer could help you.

3. Do you have unique limitations?

If you are trying to get fit and are fighting against joint pain, have blood pressure issues, struggle with diabetic or blood sugar limitations, or have other health or joint limitations, a personal trainer can help customize a program to meet your needs and make exercise more enjoyable.

While trainers are not doctors, they are equipped and educated to help you exercise in the presence of medical conditions or limitations.

You don’t have to commit to a personal trainer for life. Often, just a single meeting can be enough to get you pointed in the right direction or equipped with the knowledge you need.

Dairy can be as polarizing as politics. Some athletes claim cow’s milk causes bellyaches, aggravates inflammation and produces phlegm; others tout its benefits. Milk products contain loads of vitamin D, calcium and high-quality proteins that provide the full spectrum of amino acids necessary for rebuilding muscle cells. In fact, several studies have shown that milk’s blend of protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes (such as potassium and magnesium) make it as effective as a sports drink.

“Milk is good for you, but there’s a time and place for it,” explains Robert Kunz, MS, vice president of science and technology for First Endurance. Here, we explain where and when dairy does your body good.

THE CLAIM: Dairy helps you lose weight.
THE TRUTH: A clinical review published in May 2008 found that among 49 studies examining dairy and body weight, only five produced evidence of weight loss. Most concluded that dairy has no effect, and a few studies resulted in their subjects gaining pounds. “Dairy is nutrient-dense,” says Cara Marrs, RD, CPT. Don’t expect to shave pounds by choosing low-fat versions; one cup of 2 percent milk contains 138 calories–just eight fewer than a cup of whole milk.

THE CLAIM: Dairy increases mucus production.

THE TRUTH: Several studies, including a 2005 review published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found no measurable mucus increase among milk drinkers. “Yet I’ve had cyclists tell me that drinking milk makes them cough stuff up during their ride,” says Roberta Anding, RD, CSSD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. The culprit could be certain genes that may cause increased mucus production. Anding recommends cyclists perform a self-test: If dairy produces phlegm that clogs your breathing, don’t drink any until after your ride.

THE CLAIM: Dairy triggers inflammation.
THE TRUTH: “There’s mixed evidence on whether dairy is pro-or anti-inflammatory,” says Anding. One study published in the June 2008 Journal of Nutrition suggests milk products reduce inflammation, but other trials have documented increases. That’s why Kunz recommends that cyclists eliminate dairy for several days before a major endurance event. “It seems to cause inflammation in the gut,” he says, which can keep cyclists from efficiently absorbing carbohydrates, electrolytes and other nutrients that are critical for peak performance.

THE CLAIM: Dairy is difficult to digest.
THE TRUTH: For some individuals, this is true. “Some people lack lactase, an enzyme that digests lactose, a sugar found in milk,” Marrs explains. Genetics, ethnicity and age (over time, some people’s lactase levels decline) can influence the ability to produce lactase. But Marrs cautions against eliminating dairy altogether. “When you cut out entire food groups, you’re limiting your nutrition intake,” she says. If milk upsets your stomach, try yogurt or experiment with various cheeses (aged cheeses are lower in lactose). “Try to pinpoint the aggravating foods rather than assuming that all milk products are indigestible,” Marrs says.

THE CLAIM: Dairy strengthens bones.
THE TRUTH: A 2009 trial published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that milk-fed rats had stronger, denser bones than those that consumed calcium carbonate (a supplement). That’s good news for cyclists, whose bone density tends to be lower than average thanks to the sport’s low impact levels (impact stress cues bones to build more mass).

This article is good for the everyday person.  I do not think we realize how little we are actually doing in the gym.

I’ve been receiving several e-mail questions recently from listeners who want to know whether to take an “off-day” at least one day a week from working out. The answer is …

… Maybe!

A rest day is not really necessary for people who are exercising for just 30 to 60 minutes a day and not doing a very high intensity interval-based program like P90X, Beach Body Insanity, or CrossFit.

The body just isn’t broken down enough by 30 to 60 minutes of easy exercise, like walking, bicycling, or resistance training on machines. As a matter of fact, the extra calories you burn from that extra day of exercise can really add up over

the course of a year!

But you should give your body and nervous system a break if you are

working out for a long time each day, such as training for an Ironman triathlon or a marathon
working out at a very high intensity each day
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you lie around on the couch all day on your “off-day.” A short and easy walk, swim, bike ride, or stretching session is usually just fine.

BGF

Your between-meal choices can be as important as what you eat during your main three. Snacks can help you manage hunger and energy level, and ensure that your diet provides all the nutrients you need. Plus, a mid-a.m. or afternoon nosh helps put the kibosh on cravings and prevents overeating later in the day or evening. But it’s easy for a simple snack attack to turn into a pound-adding binge. Here we smack down the most common bad snacking habits to help you make the most of every calorie you eat.

Starving by Day, Snacking by Night Being very disciplined about what you eat during the day and while training backfires if it leaves you so hungry at night that you end up mindlessly stuffing your gob while watching Entourage. “Bottom-heavy diets are a problem for many athletes,” says sports nutrition consultant Michelle Rockwell, R.D. “Those with a more normalized eating pattern of breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack or two usually have an easier time keeping lean.” The reason is simple: Eating regular meals and snacks makes it easier to find your balance of calories in versus calories out to maintain or lose weight, and it helps keep cravings at bay. Aim to evenly space your calories throughout the day: 25 percent at breakfast, 25 percent at lunch, 25 percent at dinner and the remaining 25 percent split between two or three snacks.

Seeing Snacks as Treats Everything you drink and eat impacts how you perform, both in your daily life and on the bike. Think of between-meal foods as minimeals, not junk calories. “Every snack should have a purpose,” says sports nutritionist Susan Kundrat, R.D., founder of the online nutrition consulting company NutritionOnTheMove.net. It should either help you hydrate, aid in recovery from exercise, shore up nutrient gaps in your diet–or a combination of all of these. If your snack isn’t pulling its weight, skip it.

Water and sports drinks work well for hydration, but Kundrat also suggests soups and smoothies as snacks. For quality carbohydrates, she recommends fresh fruits, whole-grain breads, crackers or pretzels. Good protein sources include low-fat cottage cheese, lean deli meats, omega-3 fortified eggs or steamed edamame.

Thinking 100-calorie Mini Packs will Minimize You If you need to lose a few pounds, restricting calories will do it, but 100-calorie packaging doesn’t always help. The key to sending the scale readout south is finding low-calorie snacks that fill you up. The best are fresh fruit, vegetables (raw or cooked) and high-volume but low-calorie foods such as broth-based soups, rice, oatmeal, puffed cereals and popcorn.

Riders on the Trek/VW pro mountain bike team, including 24-hour specialist Chris Eatough and cross-country riders Jeremiah Bishop and Lea Davison, all go for a whole-grain breakfast cereal with skim milk at night. “The combination of fiber, carbohydrates and protein will stick with you until breakfast,” says Bishop. The milk helps you hydrate, and most cereals are fortified with more than 20 vitamins and minerals.

Saying “I’m riding a century–it doesn’t matter what I eat” If you have an epic ride tomorrow, sure you’ll burn off all the calories in that double-fudge flourless torte the night before, but you don’t want to run the risk of loading up on fat and missing out on much-needed carbs that will fuel your muscles. In eight hours of rest, the brain burns through about 48 grams of carbohydrate, which comes from your liver glycogen stores–the same source of energy that your body will tap in the morning as you start pedaling, leaving less for your legs. You want to go to bed with enough carbs in the tank to supply the brain and leave you with a little leftover to fuel the early part of your ride.

Rockwell suggests pre-event evening snacks that have plenty of carbohydrate but are low-fat or fat-free and contain fluid: 100 percent fruit juices, flavored low-fat milk or milkshakes, recovery drinks, smoothies or frozen yogurt.

Healthy Snacks that Don’t Taste Too, Um, Healthy

With thousands of new snack foods launched each year, there are many choices available that are designed to be better for you than the snack standards.

And some of them even taste great. Here are a few of the newest and best.

Salty

Popchips A tasty, low-fat potato puff that’s popped, not fried or baked (popchips.com)

Corazonas Heart Healthy Tortilla and Potato Chips Contain plant sterols and oats to help lower cholesterol (corazonas.com)

Lesser Evil Krinkle Sticks A low-fat alternative to potato chips (lesserevil.com)

Sweet

Lesser Evil Black & White Popcorn A low-fat, carb-rich munchie

Hershey’s Wafer or Pretzel Bars A 100-calorie chocolate fix (hersheys.com)

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Novelties Several flavors of low-fat treats that taste high-fat (skinnycow.com)

Figamajigs Chocolate-coated figs (figamajigs.com)

Bicycling.com

You know exercise is good for you — but do you know how good? From lowering your risk of obesity to increasing your energy levels and boosting your mood, the merits of regular physical activity are hard to ignore. Read on as we list the top five reasons to make fitness a part of your life.

1. Improve your mood. Need to blow off some ste am

after a stressful day? A brisk 30-minute run or a workout on the TRX Suspension Trainer can help you calm down. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2. Combat chronic diseases. Worried about heart disease? Want to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity might be the ticket. Regular physical activity can help you prevent (or manage) high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts “good” cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. And there’s more: regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Manage your weight. Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade your couch time for TRX time. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn, and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. And while dedicated workouts are great, physical activity you accumulate throughout the day (stairs vs elevator, a brisk lunchtime walk) helps you burn calories, too.

4. Boost your energy level. Regular physical activity can leave you breathing easier. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Get a good night’s sleep. A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood, and what promotes a good night’s sleep? You guessed it: physical activity. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. There’s one caveat, however. If you exercise close to bedtime, you may be too energized to fall asleep, so try to exercise earlier in the day.

The benefits of fitness are yours for the taking, regardless of age, gender or physical ability, so in the words of Olivia Newton John, get physical! There are a million different ways you can incorporate fitness into your life. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Take a page out of the TRX Team playbook and join a local kickball or soccer league. Take your TRX to the local park or playground, and try some of the workout ideas here. The type of activity is irrelevant. All that matters is you’re moving!

We all have our own favorite benefits from being fit — what are yours? Tell us below!

TRX website a great resource