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Jul 15 2010

Maximize Results with a Perfect Workout

Posted by admin in health6

When it comes to exercise, routine is your enemy. Your body should constantly be forced to guess what crazy new workouts you decide to put yourself through. This practice inhibits your muscles and physiological systems from gradually adapting to the demands you place on them. While some training programs address this adaptation by completely changing the workout program’s set, rep, and exercise routine every 4-8 weeks, I’d like to explain a less common idea: changing the daily intensity. For the purposes of this article, I will be incorporating three different intensities - high, medium, and low. With a routine like this, you won’t have to worry about switching your workout mode every few weeks, as long as you constantly plug and play new exercises.

Think of your body as a car’s engine. Low intensity would involve idling at a stoplight. Your primary fuel is fat, and your actual caloric expenditure is low. There is still a good amount of blood flow to exercising muscles, but the actual cardiovascular stress and fiber tearing in the muscle is minimal. You are not breathing hard, conversation with your fellow gym-goers is fairly non-stressful, and muscles really don’t burn all that much. Such an intensity is great for a recovery workout, or for a strength/power workout with long rests between sets. You could potentially go for several hours at this intensity and still be able to do another workout the next day.

You’re cruising down the highway when in medium-intensity mode. Breathing and heart rate become a bit more rapid, you can feel a burn in the working muscles, and the primary fuel is a mixture of fat and carbohydrate. Mental focus is typically a little higher than low-intensity mode, and the workout itself is challenging, but not daunting. You can usually exercise the next day, but typically want to avoid stressign the same muscle groups.

In high-intensity mode, you are working at a 100%, all-out effort. Muscles are constantly burning, breathing and heart rate are very high, carbohydrate is the main fuel source, and caloric expenditure is through the roof (as is your post-workout metabolism). The entire body is tired after this type of workout and you generally need about 24 hours of rest of very easy work afterwards. Many times, it can be difficult to mentally force yourself to *begin* one of these kind of workouts, although once you launch into and the adrenaline kicks in, energy levels naturally rise.

The key to the sample training program outlined below that the low, medium and high intensities are stacked so that your body optimally responds and optimally recovers from each workout. So here is a sample daily-intensity based workout for a fairly frequent 6 day work-out routine.

Day 1 (i.e. Monday): high-intensity cardio intervals (shorter, i.e. 20 minutes) with high-intensity full body resistance training (longer, i.e. 45 minutes), incorporating back-to-back sets, challenging weights, difficult training scenarios, and short rest periods.

Day 2: low-intensity cardio, long and steady (i.e. 45 minutes+), with no lifting. Good day for an outdoor workout, like a hike or easy bike ride.

Day 3: high-intensity cardio intervals with medium-intensity full body lift, incorporating primarily body weight training. Great day to experiment and try new exercises and/or group exercise classes.

Day 4: low-intensity cardio, long and steady (i.e. 45 minutes+), with no lifting.

Day 5: medium-intensity cardio (shorter, i.e. 20 minutes) with low-intensity lifting (longer, i.e. 45 minutes),. For the lifting, incorporate heavier weights with longer rest periods, and focus on slow and controlled movements with perfect form and little to no ballistic activity.

Day 6: high-intensity cardio (longer, i.e. 45 minutes) with high-intensity full body resistance training (shorter, i.e. 20 minutes). Great day to try the Weekly Trainer Challenge, plus some extra cardio.

Day 7: active rest. Does not equal couch+bon-bons. Get up and move around, but just don’t stress your body too much.

There you have it. This type of exercise routine allows for sufficient recovery after the high-intensitiy periods, while still allowing for maximum caloric burning and efficient workouts. There are many different ways you could approach such a routine (in terms of exercises, specific cardio intervals, etc.). Just let me know if I can help you put a training plan together…you can e-mail me at elite@pacificfit.net.

Head trainer Ben Greenfield runs the online training website Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.
www.pacificfit.net

Tags: execise, fat loss, fitness, gym, health, nutrition, personal training, weight loss, weightlifting

Can Food Make You “Good”

Posted by admin in health5

Over 95% of people who use restrictive dieting to lose weight, gain it all back within one year. Restrictive dieting alone will never solve your weight problem. In fact, many studies show that dieting actually causes weight problems because it forces you to focus most of your energy on food and your weight. Dieting fosters diet mentality which causes us to call some foods “good” and others “bad”. If you’re dieting your feelings about yourself are often dictated by your food choices.

Here are some common statements you might hear people make when they’re on a diet:

“I was really good today, all I had was rice cakes and a protein shake.”

“Wow! That cheesecake is so good I felt like licking my plate.”

“I wish I could be good like you, look at how bad I’m being.”

Notice how the word “good” is used for the diet food and the high fat food interchangeably. Notice also how dieter’s judge themselves based on the food they put in their mouths. Our words and beliefs have power over our feelings and our actions. If we do something we think is “bad”, we will likely begin to feel bad and even make choices to prove how bad we are. This is called a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, one of the keys to stress-free slimness is to stop judging ourselves based on food choices. Another key is to change our definition of “good” so that it’s consistent and self-affirming. There is no food that’s universally “good” or “bad”. We all have different tastes and we can eat a variety of foods in moderation without gaining weight. However, it is true that some foods contain more nutritional value than others and therefore are good for our bodies. Some foods give our bodies more of what we need. If you must call food “good”, reserve the label for food that’s: high quality, enjoyable and beneficial to your body’s health.

As a dieter, you are in a quandary when you label “good” food: boring. I’ve seen long-time dieter’s roll their eyes at people who are healthy or “good”. They say things like “I’m not good like her” or snicker at the prospect of eating “good” as if it’s somehow uncool or dreary. We must change our mindset if we hope to have long term health and weight maintenance.

If you’re like many dieters you have assimilated numerous low-fat, low-calorie foods into your diet and you call yourself “good” for eating them. Yet these foods are not good in any way. They don’t taste good, they usually aren’t good for you and they don’t necessarily make you feel good after you’ve eaten them. In fact, many dieters will admit that certain diet foods cause a myriad of symptoms such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, headaches and constipation to name a few. I think we can all agree: these side effects are not “good”. So, to help you reframe the concept of “good” food and “bad” food, I’m going to leave you with a mental image you can carry with you so that you are eating more “good” foods and feeling better. If you keep it up, you will probably lose weight too.

Imagine that “good” food is the kind of food that makes your body say “hooray!!” Imagine the food goes down the “conveyor belt” of your throat, to your stomach. When it arrives; your organs, cells and glands all say, “WOW check out all the new nutrients we just got in! There’s tons of good stuff here. Yipee!!” On the flip side, when you eat pre-processed, preservative and chemical-laden foods, your body says, “Oh no, not again. How does she expect me to exist on this? There’s almost nothing I can use here. The whole thing is waste! I’m going to have to spend all my energy processing this worthless foodfor what?”

I hope this mental image will stick with you the next time you’re making a food decision whether it’s at the grocery store, a restaurant or a party. Be good to yourself. You deserve it and your body deserves it.

Sheri O. Zampelli, M.S., CCH is the author of From Sabotage to Success - How to Overcome Self-Defeating Behavior and Reach Your True Potential. She helps people find fun and creative ways to make lifelong change. Listen to the Donate Your Weight.com Podcast or go to http://www.donateyourweight.com for more information.

Tags: Eating, eating disorders, food, health, motivation, nutrients, nutrition, self esteem, weight loss

7 Healthy Habits

Posted by admin in health5

There has never been a better time to take stock of your life than right now. This moment is the beginning of the New Year. It is the beginning of resolutions to lose fat and get fit. However, 2006 promises to be another year that we grow fatter and unhealthier. Use these 7 healthy habits to go against the tide and create a vibrant year.

Habit 1- Eat Regularly. Eat small meals every 3-4 hours. Skipping meals can lead to unstable blood sugar levels which can cause fatigue or restlessness. Eating throughout the day causes stable moods and a healthier metabolism.

Habit 2- Eat Lightly. Each meal should contain a complex carbohydrate and a lean protein. Keep high fat foods or salty snacks out of the pantry. Once sugar and salt are kept to a minimum, the body begins to heal and crave fresh, healthy foods.

Habit 3- Do Not Smoke. There is not one positive fact on smoking. Cigarettes cause the human body to deteriorate at ridiculous levels. Quitting smoking is the number one way to improve health drastically. Also be aware of second hand smoke. It can be just as harmful.

Habit 4- Consume Alcohol in Moderation. A bottle of beer or glass of wine each day is realistic. However, drinking more than three servings daily is a bit much and puts the body at risk. Moderation is certainly important.

Habit 5- Sleep 7-9 Hours Each Night. Deep, peaceful sleep rejuvenates the body. It relaxes the mind and replenishes the soul. Irregular sleeping patterns can lead to mood swings and poor nutrition. The trick is to receive 7-9 hours of sleep each night as opposed to a few nights out of the week.

Habit 6- Exercise Regularly. Get active and promote health and fitness by participating in a fitness program. Combine cardio, strength training and stretching for a balanced approach. Learning how to strengthen the body will improve mood and sleep patterns.

Habit 7- Consult With the Professionals. Tackling each of the above habits can be a nightmare. That is why habit 7 is the most important habit of all. Consulting with a nutritionist or personal trainer can be motivating as well as insightful. The best way to trim the fat and get in shape is to follow the advice of industry professionals.

2006 does not have to be the same as last year. The promise of a better life is in reach. Fueling the body with healthy habits will create a happier and healthier world. Eat regularly and lightly, do not smoke or drink a lot of alcohol, sleep and exercise consistently and ask your personal trainer or nutritionist the best way to stay fit.

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Melt the Fat & Gain a Life is a viable alternative for those without the income or desire to meet with a trainer or nutritionist. This interactive guide comes complete with over 200 exercise photos, over 160 daily meal by meal menus, over 60 secrets to motivation and tons more. It provides a jump start for weight loss seekers and those looking to get healthy and fit in 2006.

To learn more about the Melt the Fat Program, please visit http://melt-the-fat.com. Lynn VanDyke is an elite fitness trainer and sports nutritionist dedicated to helping you achieve your fat loss goals in 2006.