Training For Life

Of course, there are many additional forms of cardio; but for maximum calorie burning benefit no matter which form you choose, be sure to incorporate a form of cardio that is inefficient or unfamiliar to your body. So if you always walk, try switching to cycling or using the elliptical; or if you always run, try the rowing machine. Keep throwing those cardio curveballs at the body, and you’ll burn more calories and lose that weight. Of course, most importantly, have fun when you’re exercising. And clean the sweat off that machine when you’re done, for goodness sake.

The study, from scientists at Canada’s McMaster University, adds to the growing
evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-
efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise.
Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less!

We have shown that interval training does not have to be‘all out’ in order to be
effective, says Professor Martin Gibala. Doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard
stationary bike with about one minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as
well in improving muscle as many hours of conventional long-term biking less
strenuously.

HIT means doing a number of short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery
breaks in between. The authors have already shown with young healthy college
students that this produces the same physical benefits as conventional long duration
endurance training despite taking much less time (and amazingly, actually doing less
exercise!) However, their previous work used a relatively extreme set-up that involved

stationary bicycle and a workload which was still above most people’s comfort zone – about 95% of maximal heart rate— but only about half of what can be achieved when people sprint at an all-out pace.

This less extreme HIT method may work well for people (the older, less fit, and slightly
overweight among us) whose doctors might have worries about them exercising“all-
out.” We have known for years that repeated moderate long-term exercise tunes up fuel
and oxygen delivery to muscles and aids the removal of waste products. Exercise also
improves the way muscles use the oxygen to burn the fuel in mitochondria, the
microscopic power station of cells.

Running or cycling for hours a week widens the network of vessels supplying muscle
cells and also boosts the numbers of mitochondria in them so that a person can carry
out activities of daily living more effectively and without strain, and crucially with less risk
of a heart attack, stroke or diabetes.

But the traditional approach to exercise is time consuming. Martin Gibala and his team have shown that the same results can be obtained in far less time with brief spurts of higher-intensity exercise.

The“secret” to why HIT is so effective is unclear. However, the study by Gibala and
co-workers also provides insight into the molecular signals that regulate muscle
adaptation to interval training. It appears that HIT stimulates many of the same cellular
pathways that are responsible for the beneficial effects we associate with endurance
training.

The upside of doing more exercise is well-known, but a big question for most people
thinking of getting fit is: How much time out of my busy life do I need to spend to get the
perks?

Martin Gibala says no time to exercise is not an excuse now that HIT can be tailored for
the average adult. While still a demanding form of training, Gibala adds, the exercise
protocol we used should be possible to do by the general public and you don’t need
more than an average exercise bike.

Quinoa

Ok, quinoa–pronounced “keen-wah”–is not officially a grain, it’s actually a seed. But you can use it just like you would cereal grains. Often referred to as the “super-grain”, quinoa is one of the very few non-animal sources of the complete set of amino acids. Or in plain English, it’s as good a protein source as meat, making it a must-try for vegans and vegetarians.

But that’s not the only super fact about this super grain: quinoa is full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, manganese and copper–all great stuff for your body. Compared to most other grains, quinoa is especially high in calcium, potassium and iron. Quinoa is also a prebiotic, just like yogurt is–meaning it feeds the good bacteria in your body, bolstering your immune system and keeping your digestive system happy.

Is there anything quinoa doesn’t do? Not really, it’s considered to be one of the most complete foods in nature. And it’s totally gluten-free.

If you want to try quinoa, look for a light colored grain about the size of a mustard seed. You’;; need to rinse and let it soak for 8 hours before cooking it. Quinoa can be used for a variety of unique and tasty salads, side dishes and soups.

Remember to consult your doctor before trying any new diet or fitness routines.  Happy Training.

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Here’s some good news for everyone out there suffering on a diet right now—it isn’t working. No, actually, this is not bad news. I meant what I said when I said it was good news—you can finally stop starving yourself.

I’ll admit some diets might work for a little while, but think about it—can you really survive on 1,000 calories a day for the rest of your life? Would you really enjoy life that way? I think not. And it’s ultimately counterproductive. When your caloric intake drops drastically below your body’s baseline needs, your body reacts by going into “starvation mode.”

Unfortunately, your body doesn’t get the memo that you’re deliberately starving yourself—it thinks you must be going through a time of famine and so it hangs on tight to every little calorie you do consume. Your body decides to try to burn less energy, and your metabolism grinds to a halt. In order to get the fuel it’s no longer getting from food, your starving body will breakdown any lean muscle tissue you have—that’s very bad because lean muscle tissue burns through a lot of calories. The longer you starve yourself, the more obsessed with food your brain becomes—because when you lose fat too quickly the hormones that control your appetite plummet. So when you do finally cave in from hunger after weeks of eating nothing but salad, you’re probably going to gain back more weight than you lost.

So dieting is a bust—that’s a relief! But then, how in the world are you supposed to lose that extra weight? First off, remember the real reason you’re doing this. Your ultimate motivation shouldn’t be some essentially arbitrary number on a scale—your ultimate motivation should be to treat your body right so you look and feel better for life.

Now, let’s just be clear on one thing. Am I giving you free license to go polish off a bag of chips whenever the whim should strike you? I think you know the answer to that. You do need to remember that ancient maxim “all things in moderation.” But instead of starving and punishing your body, focus on giving your body the right amounts of healthy, high-quality fuel so it can build muscle and charge through tough workouts like never before—and you will get fitter. Here’s your new strategy for weight loss:

Eat More and Burn More

Start every morning with a good solid breakfast, and make the time for healthy snacks in between major meals to avoid getting too hungry. That will keep your metabolism humming along all day and keep your blood sugar levels stable. And dust off that exercise DVD that’s been lying around in your basement for months. Working out is the best thing you can do to lose weight—hard-working muscles need a lot of calories, and just three pounds of muscle can eat up to 150 extra calories a day. You don’t need to start off with anything too intense. Just get your body used to the idea of a regular exercise regimen. Once you get started, it will be hard to stop—you’ll get hooked on all those feel-good endorphins.

Start Small

It’s a daunting task to revamp your entire life all at once. If you try to go from couch-potato and midnight snacker to gym rat and protein shake aficionado in 24 hours, you’re setting yourself up for failure—big time. So take on one goal at a time. This week, trade those calorie-packed Starbucks treats for lighter homemade coffee. Next week, start trading out white processed carbs for whole grains.

Listen To Your Body

You honestly don’t need to count calories or calculate fat and protein percentages— if you just pay attention to what your body is telling you. Eat when you feel hungry. Eat slowly so you have time to realize when you’re full—and when you’ve had enough, stop. If you’re not really hungry while you’re watching television and you’re just eating because you’re bored and want something to do—well then, don’t eat! I know it sounds obvious—but we’re all guilty of boredom-eating sometimes. So get off the couch and go for a jog—you’ll beat boredom and fat that way.

Remember to consult your doctor before trying any new fitness or nutrition program.  Happy Training!

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What do you reach for to quench your thirst after a long and grueling workout? For many years the typical athlete or fitness buff had an easy standard answer to that—a sports drink like Gatorade. But a new star has risen on the horizon of post-workout recovery drinks—a new star that’s actually and old childhood friend. A slew of studies, health and fitness magazines and news reports have touted the classic chocolate milk as the best post-workout recovery drink.

In a study published in the Journal Of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, cyclists biked to exhaustion, rested four hours and chugged either Gatorade, Endurox or chocolate milk. Then they set off for another round of cycling. The people who drank chocolate milk biked just as far as the subjects who drank Gatorade.

Proponents of post-workout chocolate milk point out that after a workout, the body is most receptive to using amino acids—protein—to repair muscle tissue. Every cup of milk packs about 8 to 11 grams of protein, while your typical sports drink has no such built-in protein source. Even better: cow’s milk is about 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein. You probably know that whey protein is ideal for immediate post-workout recovery since it’s fast-acting, delivering amino acids straight to your muscle tissue. But casein protein is digested slowly—so you can a steady stream of amino acids to your muscle for hours after you workout.

Other reasons cited for drinking chocolate milk after aworkout: it provides calcium and vitamin D, which many people don’t get enough of. And calcium is essential for proper muscle contraction. Chocolate milk’s carbohydrate content also helps you recover faster so you can get back in the gym.  Plus, you can whip up some chocolate milk for yourself at home, and it’s cheaper than sports drinks.

Not surprisingly Gatorade launched an advertisement campaign challenging the claims that chocolate milk is the ideal post-workout recovery drink.  But the beverage giant may be on to something. Milk as a post-workout drink really does have its drawbacks.

For one thing, there’s the much higher caloric count that milk carries. For an athlete who’s training hard and needs some extra calories that might be all right, but many people who exercise are doing so at least in part for the calorie burn—and chocolate milk will set them back a lot further than a sports drink.  A serving of Gatorade has 1/3 the calories of your average serving of chocolate milk.

For another thing, many people—30 to 50 million Americans—are lactose intolerance. And even if you haven’t been diagnosed with lactose intolerance and can usually get away with dairy, it’s not at all uncommon to have some degree of sensitivity to dairy, meaning that drinking a lot of milk—especially on an empty stomach, as you’re likely to have after a workout— at once could give you some milder symptoms. And the last thing you need after a tough workout is milk-induced cramps or stomach pain. Even if you’re not sensitive to dairy, slamming down something as rich and creamy as chocolate milk on a hot, humid summer day after running 10 miles doesn’t seem like doing your stomach a favor.

Finally, if you’re choosing a conventional, non-organic brand of chocolate milk, than you may be taking in hormones and antibiotics along with your protein and calcium. Gatorade, with all that sugar and artificial color, is no saint either when it comes to chemical food additives. But chocolate milk may not always be as pure and wholesome as is claimed. And if you workout regularly and you’re taking the time to find your best post-workout recovery drink, than you’re probably the kind of person who wants what’s pure and wholesome for your body whenever possible.

Ultimately, the best post-workout drink is the one that you like enough to drink plenty of so stay hydrated, and that makes you feel stronger and more energetic quickly so that you can get back in the gym sooner. If that’s chocolate milk, great, but if you’re a sports drink fan you don’t have to give up Gatorade just because of some media buzz. Even just plenty of plain water will do wonders to re-hydrate your body after a tough training session—there’s no need for anything fancy. So the best post-workout recovery drink is simply the one that’s best for you.

Just some food for thought.  I know what I use and those of that you know me are probably wondering why I posted this.  I believe not everything works the same for everyone.  Just trying to keep people informed. Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new fitness or health routine.  Please feel free to leave comments or e-mail me with questions.  Happy Training

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Fat—it’s one of the most maligned characters in the cast of food. An outcast for decades, fat has become the scapegoat for the fitness woes of all America, public enemy number one on the diet police’s most wanted list. But does fat really deserve this villainous reputation? Or has fat been framed to take the fall for thebig-time criminals in the shady underworld of the diet industry?

We actually cannot live without fat, as I’m sure you know—it serves a variety of crucial purposed like keeping you warm and cushioning your vital organs, and there are several vitamins which your body cannot absorb without the help of fat. But fat is more than just a “necessary evil.” The right kinds of fat in the right amount are an integral part of a healthy diet—and your doctor should be telling you to eat more fat.

Fat as a whole is charged guilty by association because of the transgressions of the “bad fats”—saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats are found in animal products—meat, poultry skin, full-fat dairy—and in a few plant oils like coconut oil. Trans fatty acids—the most nefarious of all the fats—are used as frying oils and in processed snacks, baked goods, and margarine. These two are the real thugs—the ones that spike cholesterol, clog arteries, and make it harder for you to fit into your skinny jeans.

But two other types of fat are working to redeem their reputation—omega-3s and monounsaturated fatty acids (affectionately called MUFAS in the nutrition business.) Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, trout) are rich in omega-3s. You can also get some from walnuts and flaxseeds. Studies have suggested that omega-3s help lower blood pressure, defend against Alzheimer’s disease, boost the immune system, and improve the quality of skin and hair. Omega-3 supplements are popular, but studies have not shown them to be as effective as omega-3s derived from food sources.

Monounsaturated fatty acids, the latest superstars in the world of healthy eating, are posed to undo fat’s ill-deserved rep once and for all. The hallmarks of traditional Mediterranean eating, like olive oil, hazelnuts and almonds, and sesame seeds, are all rich in these fatty acids, are hailed as the reason for the remarkably low incidence of heart disease in Southern Europe. More examples of monounsaturated fatty acid sources are dark chocolate, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil.

Even more interesting—a recent study at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center found that monounsaturated fatty acids actually have the power to target excess abdominal fat—the most dangerous kind of excess body fat that smothers the visceral organs. According to the MRI results of the study, a MUFA-rich diet can slash these deadly fat deposits by over 30%. Plus, these fats make you feel fuller longer, so you ultimately eat less if you incorporate one or more sources of MUFAs into every meal.

One wicked ploy which you should never fall prey to is the deceitful claims of “low-fat” or “fat-free” food products. These products are no healthier for you than their full-fat counterparts—in fact, they could be even more harmful. First of all, fat is what gives most of these foods their flavor and satisfying texture. In order to make up for the lack of fat—without which many of these products would taste downright nasty—manufacturers simply load these products up with extra sugar so they’ll taste good. But guess what your body does to extra sugar? It converts it into body fat!

Even worse, the Journal of Market Research reports that people end up consuming far more calories of these products then they would the original versions—because they get a false sense of security from the “low-fat” and “fat-free” claims. And new research implies that these products may actually even make you hungrier. That’s because fat naturally sends a message to the brain to tell you when you feel full—without fat, these “lite” products can’t send that message, so your body can’t tell when it’s had enough.

So it’s time for us to finally free fat from the depths of notoriety to which it has been banished for far too long. For tighter abs, a healthier heart, and a much tastier dieting experience, start eating more healthy fats.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new diet or exercise program.  Please feel free to to e-mail me with questions or comments.

BG

To focus on form, just perform this routine once the very first time you do it. Eventually, work up to three times through.
The key to the routine is to maintain constant core tension by performing each repetition in a smooth and controlled
manner. My favorite way to do this is a 3 count up, 3 count down for each rep. Do 10 reps of each exercise (per side for
the single side exercises) before moving on to the next exercise with little to no rest.
1. L-Pullups: perform a pull-up with the body shaped like an “L”, meaning a 90 degree bend at the hip, with the legs
held straight out in front of the body. If you can’t do a pull-up, do 10 lat pulldowns followed by 10 hanging, straight
leg raises (hang from a bar and raise the legs).
2. One Leg Romanian Deadlifts: Hold a weight in one hand and stand tall on one leg. Now hinge forward, keeping
the back completely straight and allowing a very slight bend in the knees. Your leg that is off the ground should
extend behind the body in a “laid out” position. Looking forward and keeping the rib cage pushed out, return to the
starting position. That’s one rep.
3. One Leg, One Arm Rows: Hinge forward at the waist again, but this time stabilize yourself with one hand on a
bench or other supporting object. One leg should still be out behind you, with your body weight supported on the
other leg. Hold a weight in on arm and complete 10 rows, utilizing a “starting the lawnmower” motion.
4. Split Squat – Hold a weight in each hand and get in a lunging position, with one leg out in front of the body and
one leg back behind you. Place the foot of the leg behind you on a bench or other supporting object that is about
3-4 feet off the ground. Keep all your body weight over the front leg, and bend it to 90 degrees, then back to the
starting position.
5. One Arm Overhead Press – Stand tall, suck the bellybutton in towards the spine, and press a weight overhead 10
times, with one arm. Switch the weight to the other hand and repeat.
6. Woodchopper – Stand with the feet shoulder width apart, holding a weight with both hands and outstretched arms
in front of the body. Rotate the entire torso to the right while simultaneously squatting down and bringing the
weight to the outside of your right shoe. Now stand and rotate the entire torso as far as possible to the left,
swinging the weight to the outside of the left shoulder. Remember to keep the arms straight.
If you feel any pain in the low back during this routine, stop and make sure you’re keeping your back completely straight. If
your core is unconditioned, it is likely that low back fatigue will set in very quickly during this workout, so listen to your
body!  Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new exercise routine.  Please feel free to e-mail me with questions or comments.

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I found this article to be very  entertaining.  Take it for what it is worth. Hope it helps you with your balance between Exercise & Life Happy Training!

Do you struggle to find a balance between exercise and “life”? Eating healthy and “life”? This guest post from pro triathlete Angela Naeth may put things into a different perspective for you. Do you agree? Disagree? Leave your comments at the bottom of this post…

From Angela Naeth:

“In the past couple of weeks I have had a number of comments from people I know about balance. Some feel that I’m not living a “balanced” life and need to step out of the ‘triathlon scene’ and enjoy life. Hmmm…..

Enjoy life? I am enjoying life…more than ever! Waking up in the morning and moving my body is exactly what I enjoy doing. I don’t think being an athlete is a job and maybe that is what these others are thinking. It makes me assume that these people feel I am not “balanced” may not like their jobs and feel that I’m working 24/7 at a job I don’t necessary enjoy. This is NOT the case.

For me, being a full-time athlete (meaning, I don’t do much else) is a gift. I love it! I enjoy having the days slip away while I’m out riding my bike, running, swimming or some other form of training. I enjoy going to bed early, waking up early, and staying away from all the hoopla that nightlife provides. I enjoy reading and talking about the sport. What is the harm in doing something you love day in and day out? Is there any harm in it?

Of course there are days that I’m tired and want to get away from the routine of training but these have been few and far between. If I’m tired, I listen to my body and rest. If I’m bored or sick of something I’m doing, I (we: Chuckie and I) are sure to change it up. The beauty of triathlon is that you have three distinctly different disciplines in which to challenge yourself. If you get bored of swimming, you run; if you get bored of running, you bike; and so on.

The best thing about all of this is that triathlon is a game. “Like life,” Chuckie says. This is precisely where the balance resides. I take it seriously but I also know that in the end, racing is a game. And who doesn’t love games? Triathlon provides me the ability to challenge myself that I don’t believe I would otherwise. I want to do my best and that means living my best each day – sleeping well, eating well, training well…and, well, enjoying it.

The problem I see when people say I need “balance” in my life is that they either:

1. Don’t understand what it really means to love what they do 100%.
2. Hate their jobs and want to follow their dreams but are too scared to try…they have a fear of success.
3. Have a fear of failure.
4. Worry too much about what others think—family members, friends, etc.
5. Might be jealous or envious. I would be too!
6. Cut themselves short in everything they do in life—family, work, etc

I do believe it is important to enjoy other things in life and I do. But what is “balance”? What does having “balance” in your life really mean? Is it not balance in your life when you do the very things that give you happiness? Pleasure is one thing. I could watch movies all days, eat candy and chocolate, hang out with friends at bars…but to me this is NOT happiness. Not even close. I feel like crap the next day or two and that’s supposed to give me balance in life?

Attempting to be the best you can be offers the ultimate in happiness. I love triathlon, the challenge, the way I feel after training, during training, and even on those tired days when all I want to do is sleep and not move a muscle. That is life to me….that is why I have the body, mind and spirit that I do. So, the next time someone asks me about so-called “balance”, I’ll counter: “Balance to what? Balance in trying and finding the time to enjoy life?”

I’ve already got that down.

Sadly, it seems some people may just never understand….”

What is your passion, what is your drive, what would you make you happy.  Find it and do it.  Life is too short.