Atlanta Personal Training

For Atlanta and Coffee Lovers

2009-08-27T15:12:00.004-04:00

Atlanta, roast and brew your own coffee for the best taste

Whether it’s the rich taste; the feel-good effects; or the health properties - Atlanta and the rest of the US love our specialty foods.

Especially foods like chocolate, tea, wine, and coffee.

For some reason these foods bring out the inner connoisseur in all of us. And once we get a taste of the really good chocolate, coffee, wine, or tea, it’s hard to go back to the corner store variety.

That’s why I’d like to share with you an excellent way to roast and brew your very own tasty, and healthy coffee.

If you like coffee, this is a must read.

Just click the link below.

Roast Your Own Coffee

How much Ab Work is Needed?

2009-07-19T22:24:00.004-04:00

Everyone wants to know how much work is need to build a ripped, flat stomach. They are looking for the number of reps, how many times a week, do I need to use weights, etc...

If you would like more great tips and workouts sent to you just fill out your name and email below.

These are all great questions, some if not all may be on your mind as well.

The key to a great mid section is diet. Endless amounts of sit ups and crunches will not make a difference if you are over weight and need to some help with fat loss. Low body fat will help you get the shape you are looking for. Low body fat for guys is around 12%, and for the women under 17% once you reach this point you can expect to see your top abs.

If you want to those lines that run from your lower abs and disapear into you pants you will need even lower body fat numbers.
A good place to start with the diet is with lots of whole, natural foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables, and you have to eliminate all the processed foods in a bag or a box.

With a good diet taken care of it is time to get some cardio in. For that interval training is the best method to burn the most belly fat possible and get a flat stomach.

To answer the question, all you need is just a tinny bit of ab work, 2 or 3 times a week get in 5 minutes of ab work and you will have a fit flat stomach.

Contact Atlanta Personal trainer here

Grounded Personal Training

Pizza as diet food

2009-06-23T00:08:00.002-04:00

About a month ago friend and fat loss nutrition guru Joel Marion released a program called “Cheat Your Way Thin.” It is a system that scientifically teaches you how to use your favorite foods such as pizza, ice cream, pancakes, burgers and the likes to accelerate fat loss. His program works by overriding your body’s starvation protection mechanisms. So when done strategically you can actually lose fast FASTER by CHEATING.

As crazy a claim that may sound, let me assure you, it’s not!

Joel has done his homework. After 6 years and 308 research papers on the regulation of human body weight and metabolism plus years of working with “real life” clients Joel has developed the complete Cheat Your Way Thin system.

Now, when Joel first released the full 7-component package (including manuals, audios, video, workbooks, and checklists) last month, he also ran a special 3-day promotion in which people were able to get the entire package at less than half price.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to thoroughly review the product until just a couple weeks ago, now that I have had the chance to I can say that he has put together a great package.

BUT, check this out:

I just spoke to Joel and he’s agreed to open up that same less than half price 3-day sale again for my readers since we missed it the first time around!

Pretty sweet, huh?

if you want to learn that full system that Joel's clients use to literally eat whatever they want while stripping away fat faster than most "dieters" ever could, you CAN--but don’t pay full price.

In fact, don’t even pay HALF price.

As my subscriber, for the next three days you have the opportunity to grab hold of this ground-breaking fat loss information at LESS THAN HALF PRICE.

Just use the below special link to access the “hidden” page on Joel’s site:

back door to Joels site

Again, do NOT go to CheatYourWayThin.com and pay DOUBLE like everyone else is doing right now. Instead, use this special link:

back door entrance

[[firstname]], if you've ever hit a diet plateau, if you've ever struggled to see the number on the scale change, or if you've ever felt guilty after eating something you "shouldn't have" while dieting, then you owe it to yourself to check out this powerful, game-changing information.

Frankly, I’m excited to share Joel's program with you because I know it’s going to help so many people finally "click" with dieting and fat loss.

Here’s to your upcoming success!

Jason, CSCS

P.S. Get ready to see some powerful testimonials and before and after pictures when you visit the site. Not only is this program scientifically based, but it’s been proven to work in the REAL world with real people time and time again.

Eat Pizza and Lose Weight Diet

P.P.S. One last thing: Attached to the "Add to Cart" Button on the site is a little icon that I want to specifically point out to you--it's a 60 Day, Money-back Guarantee. This way, you KNOW when you click “Add to Cart”, you're protected.

Essentially, you can try Joel’s entire system for a full 60 days completely risk-free. With that kind of guarantee, the only thing you’ve got to lose is your stubborn body fat!

Atlanta Personal Training - Contact me here

10 Things to Do To Have A Great Workout

2009-04-29T18:41:00.003-04:00

As a Personal trainer in Atlanta making sure everyone has a great workout is very important. Below are a few tips I sometimes use to as a Trainer to help people get the best fitness workout.

By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems

A warm-up is to prepare yourself adequately for the intense work to come, without fatiguing yourself.

Get into it mentally first: The Mental Warm-up

The experienced athlete has been thinking about the impending workout all week. He’s rehearsed the workout dozens of times in his mind, and is already aware of the possible problems he might encounter (such as dealing with rush hour in the gym or a nagging hamstring pull that might kick up during the workout).

A novice trainee, on the other hand, can be identified by the fact that he doesn’t even know what he will do until he gets to the gym (and maybe not even then!). Since novices typically get novice-level results, I urge you to explore visualization and autogenic training, both of which are established methods of maximizing physical performance both in training and in competition.

Some people learn these techniques on their own, others need instruction. Either way, USE them!

If you’ll be training early in the morning, and/or if it’s cold out, beef up the warm-up process commensurately.
Training in dry climates requires a more thorough warm-up than training in humid surrounds.
Older trainees generally profit from more extensive warm-ups.
If you are otherwise healthy but have “creaky” joints, err on the side of being too extensive with your warm-up. After all, the goal of being able to train takes precedence over the fact that you might fatigue yourself slightly with an extensive warm-up.
The closer you venture toward 1RM in your workout, the more extensive your warm-up should be. In other words, do a more thorough warm-up for 5×5 than you would for 3×12.
You can accelerate your warm-up through passive means such as a hot bath or shower. Although active means are superior to passive, often, a combination of the two leads to great results.
On exercises where your own bodyweight is the minimal load possible (chins, dips, etc.), first warm up with similar exercises that allow lesser loads (e.g., lat pulldowns and decline bench presses), and then proceed to the target exercise, using multiple sets of 1 rep. As soon as the next set of 1 does not feel any easier than the set before it, you’re ready to proceed to your work sets.
If you are executing exercises for antagonistic muscle groups “back to back” (such as training seated rows with triceps extensions), do your warm-up sets for these exercises in the same pattern that you’ll use for the work sets.
If you’ve done it right, your middle work set(s) will feel the easiest. For example, when performing 5×8, the 3rd set should feel the best, and sets 4 and 5 should feel progressively more difficult. If your last sets feel the best, it indicates that your warm-up was not thorough enough. If your first work sets are easiest, you may have warmed-up too much.

On to the Heavy Metal…

If you’ve followed my suggestions, you should now feel warm, strong, loose, and enthusiastic about training hard. It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? Fifteen minutes ago you could barely tolerate the thought of a hard workout; now you’re looking forward to it!

About The Author

Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.

Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.

Fast Food Fat Loss Failure

2009-04-23T12:35:00.002-04:00

There is no question that we live in a busy time and that means we can not always eat what we should. Even a personal trainer in Atlanta, GA I have made a few stops at fast food places to grab a bite to eat.

Think it was sometime in the the nineties that Fast Food companies tried to change their menus. Low fat diets were popular so fast food places tried coming out with lighter and lower fat versions of their sandwiches, tacos and everything else.

That did not go over all that well. You may have seen the "healthier" menus disappear. They were all pulled and replaced by newer options that were bigger, fattier and contained more calories then even before.

This could have been when Triple Burgers and Mega Burgers and tacos wrapped in melted cheese stuck to yet another taco started to take up the majority of the menu boards.

You can still get a grilled chicken sandwich and salads but the dressing and pop that goes with it can easily make your quick snack a 1000 calorie fit body disaster.

There are better choices to be made. And if you plan your day you won't be in a position where you have to gobble a meal down at KFC, McDonald's or Burger King.

Things like:

Low fat cottage cheese

Hard boiled eggs

Fresh fruit and veggies

Raw almonds

Protein bars

Look, the bottom line is simple: A little bit of planning and some smart food choices go a long way to getting that flat stomach you're looking for.

Weight Loss in Atlanta

Top 10 Exercises

2009-04-10T12:49:00.001-04:00

If you are new to fitness and working out these are the top exercises you can do.

1. Push – Push Up
2. Push – Dumbbell Front Press
3. Pull – Inverted Row
4. Pull – Pull Ups: negatives, assisted
5. Legs – Basket Squats
6. Legs – Lunge: forward, back, side
7. Legs – Romanian Deadlift
8. Core – Plank
9. Core – Side Plank
10. Core – Chop, high to low and low to high

If you are looking for some of the best fitness training in the Atlanta area get in touch.
Contact Grounded Personal Training

Recovery Shake March Madness Sale

2009-03-16T13:03:00.003-04:00

As an Atlanta personal trainer and fitness coach I feel there are two things you want to know about the Prograade Nutrition sale

1.the better you recover from your workouts the more fat you're going to burn. That's why I recommend Prograde Nutrition's advanced recovery shake, Prograde Workout.

2.to celebrate College Basketball March Madness they are having a sale on this awesome product! Which is great news for you because this delicious shake will help you accelerate your lean tissue growth and fat burning.

A few details about the recovery shake special:

*get 10% off all purchases of Prograde Workout because it is College Basketball March Madness. What better way to celebrate than a sale?

*You can only get the sale with a coupon code. To save the 10% type in the following code at the checkout: NCAA2009 it is UPPER case sensitive so make sure you type just as you see it

*The offer cannot be combined with others from Prograde Nutrition and it ends this Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm EST.

*Prograde Workout is NOT available in stores anywhere. You can only find them online here: Prograde Workout

Look, I'm not kidding about how much Prograde Workout will improve your exercise performance. It tastes great and it's ready to drink in less than 60 seconds.

Yours in health,

Jason, Atlanta Personal Trainer and Strength Coach

PS - Remember, it's 10% off all Prograde Workout purchases this week only. The sale ends this Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm EST.

PPS - Prograde Workout is NOT available in stores anywhere. You can only find them online here: Prograde Workout

The TRX and the Biggest Loser

2009-03-02T15:40:00.005-05:00

TRX makes it to Prime Time Weight Loss

For those of you who follow the Biggest Loser you may have notice that the trainers used the TRX in a recent episode.

I have to admit that I do not watch the Biggest Loser, but from what I have heard Bob had the Pink and Blue couples outside for their workouts because they had lost their gym privileges? Not sure why but that is what I hear. Anyway this gave them a chance to use the TRX and get a workout in outside the gym.

I have been using the TRX Gym Suspension Trainer for a few years now for myself and with clients but never had a chance to be on TV, or any mention, oh well. I think the TRX Gym Suspension Trainer is a great tool that is easy to use and travel with.

Want to see how TRX can help get fit? Check out TRX Home Training Bundle

I guess the TRX Suspension Training program is being incorporated into the The Biggest Loser workouts now. I hear the two trainers like it giving the producers great feedback.

I also hear that if you have been paying close attention to past episodes you could have seen the TRX Suspension Trainer in action before the big ouside episode.

This is a quote from one of the trainers on the Biggest Loser

"I have been a trainer now for almost 20 years and I am constantly looking for new equipment. Now being a trainer on "The Biggest Loser", my workouts have to be effective and on the cutting edge. Thanks to the TRX, I got some really great workouts with my contestants this season. Watching them be challenged by working on something that requires such core strength, as well as shear FULL body strength, I knew I had a great piece of equipment on my hands. I really LOVE this piece of equipment!!! "-Bob Harper

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10 Best Ab Exercises

2009-02-26T23:59:00.003-05:00

Great Ab Exercises that do not include crunches

Here are Men's Health expert Craig Ballantyne's 10 best ab exercises
that you can do without cables, ab crunches, or sit-ups.

1. Plank with your arms on the Ball (30% more effective than plain
ol' planks, according to Men's Health magazine)

2. Ball Rollouts (probably my favorite ball ab exercise)

3. Hanging Knee Raises (classic exercise that most folks do
wrong...but if done right, will work your abs safely and
effectively)

4. DB Renegade Row (this is the biggest surprise on the list...but
it works your lower obliques incredibly hard)

5. Ball Jackknife (always a tough one for beginners to get the hang
of...but when they do, they get a lot of six pack ab benefits)

6. Ball Jackknife Rotation (a tougher version of the jackknife)

7. Ball Jackknife-Pushup Combo

8. X-Body Mountain Climber (one of my favorites...so simple yet so
effective)

9. X-Body Mountain Climber with Hands on Ball

10. X-Body Mountain Climber with Feet on Ball (an even more
effective version of the regular X-Body mountain climber)

All of those exercises are in the programs at:

=>http://tinyurl.com/abTraining

Use only the best ab exercises to get more results,

Jason

5 Six Pack Ab Workout Myths

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Protein Supplement Review Report Card

2009-02-24T10:44:00.004-05:00

Beyond The Basics

In This Bodybuilding Supplementation Article:
By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson

Find out if your protein supplement is:

primed to build you more muscle
or is it more likely to play you like a chump

Find out if your protein supplement:

get's an "A+" on the Muscle Nerd Report Card of supplements
or if it needs a tutor to make the grade

Find out:

the EXACT time of day it is best to take your protein supplements to gain more mass

We all know that to build muscle, you need protein, right?

And unless you're stuffing gifted enough to stuff down 10 cans of tuna a day, chances are you've figured out that supplementing with protein shakes is an easy way to get in some great quality protein to build muscle.

But WHICH protein should you be taking?

With so many options, it's hard for the "Average Joe" to see through all the marketing smoke and mirrors and determine the best choice that will fit into their diet and meet their mass-building goals.

Well, look no further...class is in session and the "Muscle Nerd" has the podium!

Contact me here

In search of an Atlanta personal trainer?

2009-02-19T17:19:00.005-05:00

If you are in search of an Atlanta personal trainer you may have a few questions and specifications in mind.

Take a quick look through the list to help you on your search for the Atlanta personal trainer that is for you.

Before you hire a personal trainer you should ask the following questions:

What are their qualifications/certification

Just about any trainer in Atlanta is likely to have an impressive-looking diploma or certificate indicating that he or she is a personal trainer, do not be dazzled. Find out just what organization performed the certification you will soon find that some ar better than others, some are just weekend classes, so beware.

There are about 400 organizations in the U.S. that purport to certify personal fitness trainers. Of those 400 or so only a handful are considered legitimate. Certifications to consider come form the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). The better organizations have specific requirements based on tested and practical knowledge, mandatory retesting at renewal periods, and continuing education. The ACSM has recently begun to require that its certified trainers have a formal educational degree in exercise science or a related field.

Be sure to read those acronyms closely. Some of the more dubious organizations select names that closely resemble the well-known and legitimate certifications.

Maybe the next most important consideration when selecting your personal trainer is whether you and your trainer are a good match. You and your trainer do not have to be the best of friends but do make sure it is someone you like.

It is a good idea to take your time in choosing a personal trainer. Make sure that you feel comfortable with him or her and that you're not afraid to ask questions. Because if there isn't a good rapport there, you're just not going to want to go back to the gym. Personal training should be a positive experience and possibly a lifetime habit. The personal trainer must fit your specific needs, goals, lifestyle, and limitations.

The American Council on Exercise, a certifying organization, suggests that by passing their certification a personal trainer will have a minimum level of proficiency and theoretical knowledge essential to screen and evaluate you, design a safe and effective exercise program, instruct you in the correct exercise techniques to avoid injury, and respond to the typical questions and problems that arise in a one-to-one setting.

Most certifications require continuing education credits which ensures that the personal trainer keeps current with the available body of knowledge.

Experience is an important aspect as well. Often experience and price go together, as experience increases you can expect the price to go up as well. Some will even say that experience is far more important than any certifications.

most important aspect in choosing a personal trainer

goals

You must determine what they want out of personal training, that way you will get the most out of your training.

For example, if the your goal is in improving sports performance, then a certified strength and conditioning specialist is the most appropriate person for the job.
If your goal is to compete in a bodybuilding contest, perhaps having a bodybuilder as a personal trainer will provide you with the best results.
If weight loss is your goal, find a personal trainer in Atlanta who also has a background in nutrition and weight loss. You may find that a weight loss boot camp may work for you as well.

You have to choose a personal trainer that can help you achieve your goal. Your personal trainer’s skills should match your needs. The first step there is to have a clear goal as to wht you want.

Where and how do you want to exercise?
In Atlanta there are a number of options as to locations:

at home
at a gym
outside biking or out on the tennis court
private studio
outdoor boot camp
train with a friend
a group exercise class
weight training
cardiovascular training
sports specific exercise
or a combination

Personal training sessions can cost as little as $30 an hour to over $150 an hour. Some trainers will offer packages and discounts. It is a good idea for you to develop a budget for personal training and try to find someone who meets all of their criteria within that budget.

Finding a qualified personal fitness trainer can be difficult. Some people base more credence on educational background, some want a trainer they can be friends with, and some will base their decisions on how much the trainer costs. Whatever the end result, the process should still be the same.You will need to have a clear-cut idea of your personal exercise goals and should interview trainers like any other job interview.

Guidelines for Choosing a Personal Trainer

Set your fitness/exercise goals before meeting with the trainer
Determine if certification, education, specialization, or experience is most important
Make a budget for personal training and know what your limit is
Decide where you want to exercise and how you want to exercise
Determine if you want to be alone or with a group
Interview the trainer to determine philosophy, personality, and flexibility
Rate the Trainer

To help the determine which Atlanta personal trainer is the best for you try this checklist. Rate each attribute on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the best, and total each column. At a quick glance, this chart can give the client a comparison of trainers.

Trainer’s name:
Certifications:
Education:
Years of experience:
Personality:
Philosophy:
Rate:
Availability:
Flexibility:
Other:
Total:

For more information you can contact
Grounded Personal Training and Sports Performance

The Welch Experience To Train Atlanta's Biggest Loser

2009-02-08T20:33:00.002-05:00

Atlanta's biggest loser Mom's edition will soon be here. To local Atlanta trainers will go head to head to help his team lose the most weight and eventually crown one mother they have personally trainer Atlanta's biggest loser.

This year you will notice a slight twist with one of the trainer involves. Sule Welch of The Welch Experience is a martial arts instructor in many different disciplines. He has put together a fitness program, Martial Fitness which is aimed at helping people get stronger and lose weight. Martial arts is not what one typical thinks of when thinking of weight loss. His unique Martial fitness program will get the contestants into shape without getting them to do endless hours of work on a cardio machine. It should be a fun new experience for people to get out of the gym or away from boot camps to have fun, burn fat , and get great results.

Good luck to all the biggest losers moms.

Contact me here

Grounded Personal Training and Sports Performance

2008-12-29T00:15:00.003-05:00

Wanted to let people know of the new websites that we will be moving to

If you live in the Atlanta, GA in the Buckhead Midtown area and are looking for a personal trainer take a look at the new site: Grounded Personal Training In Atlanta

Weight loss and workout training tips and articles will be moving to the: Grounded Personal Training Blog

Carving Definition Into Every Inch Of Your Back

2008-11-19T15:38:00.007-05:00

Training and Looking for a Personal Trainer In Atlanta

With Full-Range Pulldowns

While chins may be a better mass-builder, this version of the pulldown

works WAY better for bringing out eye-popping detail in your back.
And if you've ever had a hard time feeling your back working, THIS
exercise will fix that in an instant!

For me, it's rare that I do pulldowns, hins or weighted chins hit the back for targeting growth much better. But when I DO perform pulldowns, THIS is one my very favorite versions of it.

Believe me, if you have a hard time feeling your back working when you train it, this is the cure...your lats will be BURNING by the end of the set...heck, after just a couple of reps!

This exercise is a combination of a pulldown movement and a rowing movement - the two BASIC planes of movement for the lats. The trick here is that you're going to go from one directly into the other without releasing the tension in your lats. It's VERY tough but VERY effective.

The good thing is, you don't need to be super-strong to perform this exercise - even a total beginner can do it. Just adjust the weight to what you're able to use.

Basically, all you need is a pulldown machine. I prefer a close, underhand grip but you can do wide-grip as well. Use a weight that's lighter than you think you'll need for this one - about 1/2 to 2/3 of what you'd normally use for pulldowns (trust me on this - don't be a hero).

Start the movement like a normal pulldown.
Pull the bar down to your upper chest.
Now the CRITICAL part...holding the bar IN PLACE IN SPACE, lean a ll the way back. You'll now be in a vertical rowing position.
Now row the bar all the way down as far as you can.
You're hitting a peak contraction on the lats TWICE in this exercise. It's quite an experience!
Now come back up, bringing your body up and the bar up at the same time. The way down is a two-part movement but the way up is all at once.

Now do it again!

Believe me, you will get a REAL burn in your lats by the end of the first set of this one. It's one of my favorites for carving definition into the back.

This exercise can be found in my book "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" - one of 53 unique and powerful exercises that will kick your butt out of any training plateau!

------------------

By: Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Atlanta area personal fitness coach that comes to you.
Weight Loss In the Atlanta area?

Internationally Certified Strength Coach

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jason@inthegym.info

The "Great" Nutrition Debates part 2

2008-11-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

Contact me for private training In the Atlanta Area

The Top 6 Displacing Debates

Part 2

Article By:Dr John M Berardi, CSCS
This is part 2, for the rest of the article visit Part 1

4. Tap Water vs. Bottled Water

Speaking of beverage consumption, people are dehydrated because they drink too little water while drinking too many caffeinated, diuretic drinks (coffee, soda, and alcohol). Dehydration leads to all sorts of health problems for the inactive, not to mention the decrements in athletic performance seen in dehydrated athletes.

But rather than simply promoting the heck out of water consumption, experts will bicker on and on about tap water vs. bottled water. Sure, good quality bottled water is usually a better choice, but don’t be one of these people who stay away from tap water, forget to pick up their bottled water, and simply remain dehydrated.

What to do? Drink sufficient water first; worry about the source later. (Of course, you may want to avoid drinking out of puddles next to pig farms in Uganda.) Put a water filter on your tap or buy one of those filter jugs you store in your fridge and be done with it.

5. Glass vs. Plastic
And how about the bottles the water comes in? That’s right, the glass vs. plastic debate. Just the other day, I was recommending that a group of my athletes pick up some Tupperware so they could whip up all of their meals and shakes in the morning. It’s easy to make a good food choice during the day when you’ve got all your good food with you, pre-cooked, pre-wrapped, and ready to be eaten.

After the talk, one of the athletes came up to me and told me he avoids Tupperware altogether because of the potential leeching of xenoestrogens into his food. When I asked what he uses to store his food in, he told me he doesn’t even preplan his meals. He also told me he needed to lose fifteen pounds and that he was overweight because his nutrition sucked!

Buddy, I agree that glass containers may be marginally better than plastic, but for the love of God, pick up some plastic if it'll help you plan your meals! And this was a world-class athlete! You can imagine how the average guy fares!

What to do? Plan your meals in advance, storing them in woven baskets if necessary. Buy the best containers you can afford. If you can get the glass versions, great; if not, the generic plastic ones will do just fine.

6 . Free Range vs. Extremely Limited Range Meat
Most weightlifters eat lots of protein and that’s no mistake. One of the best ways to get all that protein is by eating a lot of protein and micronutrient-rich lean meat. Protein supplements are okay to supplement your diet, but real food should be your nutritional mainstay and there’s nothing better than good ol’ fashioned lean meat.

Since eating more protein can increase metabolic rate, improve your weight loss profile, increase protein turnover, accelerate exercise adaptation, and (when replacing dietary carbohydrate) decrease the chance of cardiovascular disease, it should be clear that most people would do well to increase their consumption of lean meat.

So imagine the dismay someone might experience when hearing that the experts are now bickering about the type of meat we consume. Many experts muddy the waters when discussing free range vs. grain fed meat, telling people that grain fed meat (the only kind you can find in many grocery stores in North America) is full of toxins, bad fats, and hormones.

Sure, free-range meat is probably a better choice, although there’s little proof the supposed toxins and hormones actually get passed on to us. But again, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of eating habits that are less than optimal and you’re exposed to all this bickering about lean protein. What do you do? Well, when you’re afraid of the meat you have access to, you shy away from all types of lean meat and reach for another bagel. Bad choice!

What to do? Find the best meat you can by going around to various grocery shops and butchers. Owners of health food stores may also be able to help you locate the best stuff. But don’t be afraid to eat the meat you find in your grocery store — the reports of your impending death are greatly exaggerated.

These are just a few of the displacing debates gaining momentum in the nutrition world. Do your best to get past the marginalia, to get past the differences between all the new programs, and try to discover for yourself the basic principles all the successful programs seem to be built upon. Most importantly, when faced with a choice between two good options, one of which may be marginally better than the other, but both of which would be an improvement over what you're currently doing, just pick one and go with it. You can optimize later, as long as you make an improvement now.

There's no debating that.

SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

And what's more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.

Atlanta area personal and group training.
Weight Loss and Performance Training In the Atlanta area?

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jason@inthegym.info

The "Great" Nutrition Debates Part 1

2008-11-06T21:12:00.008-05:00

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Article By:Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

While displacement foods (unhealthy foods that fill us up, knocking healthy foods out of our diets) are probably at the root of many of our health and body composition crises, what I call "displacement debates" have also become a real problem in today’s information age.

For example, the average North American barely knows what a carbohydrate, protein, or fat is, yet when they hear well-respected experts at the ADA recommend high carb diets and the highly (though not universally) respected Atkins group recommend low carb diets, they get so confused and frustrated they ultimately do little or nothing proactive to improve their health.

This argument is an example of a displacing debate: an academic argument that pushes the more important problems out of the public discourse. For the average North American, following either the ADA recommendations or the Atkins recommendations would go a long way toward improving their health. But instead of suggesting that people just do something, these groups continue to bicker about who’s right at the expense of an ever-growing obesity rate.

Below I’ve presented six of the interesting displacing debates I’ve heard argued lately. Hopefully by discussing them I can put to rest the idea that these issues are of critical importance to your overall health and body composition. I’d like you to understand that these represent small, fine tuning details which are only relevant to a small percentage of the population, if that. On the whole, these debates do more to confuse and paralyze people than to encourage them to take their health into their own hands.

The Top 6 Displacing Debates

1. Fruit is Bad Now?
We all know fruit provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, and low glycemic index carbohydrates, so it should be no surprise that many experts recommend eating a few servings of fruit each day. Heck, this notion has even been turned into a clichéd rhyme:

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

Yet some experts out there actually suggest that fruit might be bad for us! That’s utter nonsense. So, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of eating habits that are less than optimal (for some of you, it might not be so hard to do) and you’re exposed to this debate. What do you do? Well, nine times out of ten, you figure that if there’s a chance fruit is bad for you, you might as well stay away from it — probably better to reach for a Big Mac instead. After all, it does taste better.

What to do? Eat the damn fruit – but, as with everything else, don’t overeat!

2. Raw? Organic?
Speaking again of fruits (and vegetables), it’s recommended that the average person consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a bare minimum. I recommend 10-15 servings per day. Yet most North Americans (athletes included) consume far less than the standard recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables.

However, rather than simply recommend more fruit and veggies (no matter how you can get them, for any fruits and vegetables are better than none), experts spend their time fighting about canned fruits and veggies vs. raw fruits and veggies. And then they fight about raw fruits and veggies vs. organic fruits and veggies! Sure, I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they probably have a higher micronutrient count, but let’s face the facts: any fruits and veggies are better than none!

So again, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of bad eating habits and you’re exposed to all this bickering. What do you do? Well, you'll probably avoid the fruits and veggies, wait for the experts to finish dueling it out, and reach for a Snickers bar instead.

What to do? Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they’re organic or not. Once you’ve done that, worry on.

3. Raw Milk vs. Regular Milk
What about milk? In my opinion, it’s not necessary, doesn’t always "do the body good," and should be minimized in the diet (although I see no need for total elimination unless you’re lactose intolerant).

However, if we could simply get more people to drink milk instead of sugary soda, we’d have less obesity and disease. But instead of focusing on healthy behaviors, experts will bicker on and on about regular milk vs. raw milk. Of course, all this does is serve to draw negative attention to milk and away from the other healthy decisions people could be making.

Sure, if it were possible to get raw milk that was guaranteed aseptic, it would be better than processed, pasteurized milk. But faced with the confusion, what do you, the hypothetical sub-optimal eater, do? Well, nine times out of ten, you avoid both kinds of milk and drink another Coca-Cola instead.

What to do? Limit milk, and drink calorie-free beverages like water and green tea instead.

Part 2 to come...

And what's more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.

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Looking For Stronger Abs?

2008-10-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

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BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT
6 MINUTE ABS

Get out your timer, in just 6 minutes you will have had an effective core workout. The following midsection strengthening workout is all done with bodyweight, and the best thing about this unique core workout is that it does not involve any crunches or sit ups. Often the first thing that comes to peoples mind when talking about core training and six pack abs is situp and crunches. As I mentioned this 6 minute rutine is short, effective, and does not involve situp or crunches. 6 minute abs ivolves a circuit of 6 exercises done in sequence. This is repeated again after a short rest, it is that simple and that fast. Give it a try.

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Follow the Path of MOST Resistance!

2008-10-08T18:04:00.001-04:00

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Why weight training is the fast track to sculpting your body.

Resistance is NOT futile! When it comes to changing your body for the better quickly and permanently, nothing comes close to good old-fashioned weight training.

The shape of your body is determined by three things: muscle, bone and fat. While there's really nothing you can do about changing your bone structure, there is a whole lot you can do about muscle and fat. This ratio of muscle to fat is commonly known as your body composition.

And what is the fastest way to change your body composition? Weight training. Why is it so effective? Because it builds muscle.

Muscle is the key to changing your body. While fat certainly gives your body shape, muscle is what gives you the shape you actually WANT!

One of the greatest things about muscle is that it burns calories all day long, even when you're lying on the couch. What this means is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn during the day and the more you'll be able to eat without gaining weight. Sound interesting? There's more.

Weight training stimulates your metabolism more than aerobic training such as cycling or walking. This means that you'll continue to burn calories long AFTER you've completed your weight training session. The calorie-burning effect of aerobic training generally declines rapidly once you stop the exercise.

Beginning trainers, who are just starting with exercise, are often under the impression that they should stay away from weight training because they might gain weight before they start losing it.

I like to use a car as an analogy. Imagine your body is a car, your muscles are the cylinders in the engine, and your bodyfat is the gas.

With a four-cylinder car, you only burn a minimum amount of gas/fat. Weight training and building more muscle is the equivalent of putting more cylinders into your engine. As you can imagine, you'll burn a whole lot more gas even while idling! And, just like a car with more cylinders, you'll be a lot more powerful too!

The bottom line to you is this...with more muscle, you'll get greater fat loss with less effort.

While it certainly is a possibility that you could gain weight before losing it, if you gauge your success solely by numbers on a scale then you're not getting an accurate picture of yourself. Measure your progress by how you feel, how you look and how well your clothes are fitting, not by which direction the needle on a measuring device is moving.

At the end of the day, I'm not suggesting for a moment that you should eliminate cardiovascular training from your exercise routine, but, if you are struggling to lose fat and keep it off, weight training may be just the thing you need to lose that fat and keep it off for good!

For more information on resistance exercises you can do at home, go to:

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Begin/exercises.htm

For more information on weight training exercises you can do at the gym, including optimized exercise technique, tricks for improving the exercise and common errors, go to:

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Exercises.htm

------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at (http://www.fitness-ebooks.com). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

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Sample Workout

2008-10-05T10:52:00.002-04:00

Looking for a Personal Fitness Coach In Atlanta

Full Body Workout

The workout below is an example of what a full body workout looks like. No equipment or gym is needed so you can do it while traveling for business or vacation. The workout is easy to modify for all fitness levels. A beginner can take their time as they go through the workout, resting 30 - 60 seconds between each exercise. An advanced person could do 50 reps of each, go through the circuit multiple times. At the advanced level, no matter what they decide to do, the circuit will always be done as fast as possible. For those past the beginner stage but not yet advanced can a mixture of things. Reps can be increased allowing rest between exercise, repeat the circuit multiple time with a short rest between circuits, or see how fast the circuit can be completed.

The variables are endless allowing a different workout each time and that progresses as you do. Just because you are traveling or do not have access to a gym there is no excuse not to get a great workout in. Have fun and burn some fat.

5 Bodyweight Rows

10 Bodyweight Sumo Squats
15 bodyweight squats
15 Pushups
50 jumping jacks
10 spiderman climbs
10 reverse lunges, per leg
25 bicycle crunches

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What You Should Know About Tea

2008-09-27T10:00:00.003-04:00

by Ryan Andrews

Nowadays, pretty much everyone has accepted that tea (especially the green kind) confers some tremendous health benefits.

Indeed, as recent as two years ago, you could hardly find green tea in most grocery stories, convenience stores, or restaurants.

Now, the stuff is ubiquitous. Anywhere you turn, if you want a green tea, you can find it. You can even find it in some fast food restaurants.

So in this newsletter, we'd like to talk about tea - what it is, why it's good for you, and what benefits it offers.

What is tea?

Tea is a beverage made by steeping leaves, twigs, or buds of Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, in hot water for 1 to 5 minutes.

The fermentation of a tea determines its color. White tea is the least fermented form. Black tea is the most fermented form.

Interestingly, when the tea is fully dried, fermentation stops, and that's how tea leaves retain their color (white, green, black) once dried.

So how does a tea leaf go from its natural state to your tea cup? Well, the leaves undergo fermentation, and are then heated and dried. During this process, flavor enhancers such as herbs, spices, fruits and flowers can also be added.

Note: when the label describes the tea as “herbal tea,” it’s referring to a beverage that contains only fruits and/or herbs with no actual tea leaves. So don't get duped. Most "herbal teas" contain no actual tea.

Tea contains no calories and is a rich source of phytochemicals as well as a specific group of chemicals called methylxanthines (e.g., theophylline, caffeine, etc - although the methylxanthine content is much lower than in coffee and other caffeinated beverages).

How tea works in the body
Tea offers a host of health benefits, which will be outlined shortly. Many of the beneficial effects of tea are due to the flavonoids it contains.

Flavonoids belong to a grouping of chemicals that have strong antioxidant properties and can reduce free radical damage (free radicals produce what we call "oxidative stress" and can contribute to chronic disease).

When thinking flavonoids, think of catechins, specifically EGCG. The catechins are one type of powerful flavoniods that occur naturally in tea. And many believe it's these flavonoids that contribute most of the benefits associated with tea.

In addition to the flavonoids, as mentioned above, tea contains methylxanthines (caffeine is a methylxanthine). The caffeine content in tea is lower than that of coffee and does not have an abrupt effect. Prospective jitters and withdrawal symptoms are unlikely.

How Milk May Ruin Tea
Interestingly, milk has long been added to tea to neutralize tannins (which are the most bitter components of tea) and reduce their acidity - leading to a smoother taste.

However, research has indicated that casein in milk will negate many of the beneficial components of tea. So don't ruin your tea by adding milk. Order it straight up. And if you don't like the flavor, mix your regular tea with a mint or herbal tea.

JB's favorite is a mixture of loose green tea leaves and a bag of mint or pear flavored green tea.

Loose Tea vs. Bags
Tea is commonly packaged in “tea bags” for convenience. Among tea experts, this tea is known as “dust,” due to its poor quality.

The tea in bags is considered a waste product left over from sorting the higher quality loose leaf teas. Furthermore, tea in bags may be prone to oxidation and not steep as well due to the restricted form of the bag.

Now, if you enjoy tea that comes in bags – don’t stress – it can still offer similar benefits. However, we encourage you to try loose tea (or some combination of loose and bagged) to see how you like it.

If you're new to loose tea, check out these infusers below or even a tea press. They'll help you avoid picking leaves out of your teeth!

Tea Infuser A

Tea Infuser B

Tea Infuser C

Tea Press

The shelf life of tea varies based on the degree of processing. Black tea has a longer shelf life than green tea. The shelf life of herbal tea is usually the shortest.

To prevent oxidation, tea should be stored in an air-tight container and placed in a dry, cool and dark location.

Tea Temperature

Recommended water temperatures for steeping tea are as follows:

White tea: 140-165 degrees
Green tea: 170-180 degrees
Oolong tea: 190-205 degrees
Black tea: Above 200 degrees

Don’t get stressed if you don’t feel like breaking out the thermometer every morning. Bring water just short of boiling. That will usually do the trick.

Note: The more fermented teas require higher water temperatures. When water temperatures are too low, the leaves can be devoid of oxygen and the taste can be bland and flat.

Supplements and Extracts

While we're not against using green tea supplements, we want to make sure you don't go getting too happy with green tea extract consumption.
Case reports have been published indicating that a very high consumption of these extracts can induce liver damage. This has yet to be validated in well-controlled studies but it's worth thinking about.

Here's some additional info on this:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/me...ead.php?t=6771

The Benefits of Regular Tea Consumption

Now, let’s outline some of the benefits attributed to regular tea consumption.

Note: These benefits were outlined at the 2007 "Tea and Health" symposium, a conference in which tea researchers world-wide got together and provided some definitive answers on what tea does and what it doesn't do - at least, according to what we know today.

We'll list these benefits by category...

Tea and body composition
Green tea increased 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
3-months of tea consumption decreased waist circumference by 4.5%
Tea and cardiovascular health
Tea increased lipid oxidation
Tea improved blood vessel function
Those who consumed 3 or more cups of black tea per day had a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
Drinking 6 or more cups of black tea per day was associated with decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides
Those who drank a cup or more of black tea daily had a 44% reduction in the risk of heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers
Those who consumed tea during the year prior to a heart attack were up to 44% more likely to survive following the cardiac event
Japanese men and women who consumed just over 2 cups of green tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22 - 33%
5 cups of black tea per day reduced LDL cholesterol by 11% and total cholesterol by 6.5% compared to placebo beverages
Those who consumed 4 cups of tea per day had a 69% lower risk of atherosclerosis
Tea restored blood vessel function in those with coronary artery disease
Tea helped to prevent atherosclerosis
Tea enhanced dilation of blood vessels
Regular tea drinkers had a 65% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
Tea and cancer
Tea inhibited oxidative damage
Tea decreased the growth of abnormal cells and inhibited uncontrolled cell growth
Drinking tea combated free radical damage
Tea boosted the immune system
Tea helped prevent prostate cancer
Those who drank tea had a reduced risk of skin cancer
Tea assisted in the regression of oral cancer
Tea drinkers had decreased ovarian cancer risk
Tea and immune function
Tea boosted natural resistance to microbial infection
Tea and oral health
Tea inhibited the plaque forming ability of oral bacteria
Tea and bone health
Although caffeine intake has been suggested to be a risk factor for reduced bone mineral density, research indicated that drinking tea does not negatively affect bone mineral density
Older women who drank tea had a higher bone mineral density than those who did not drink tea
Tea and kidney stones
Those who drank tea had a lower risk of developing kidney stones
Tea and neurological decline
Drinking tea resulted in a reduced risk of Parkinsons disease
Tea and spouse selection
Those who drank 5 cups of green tea each day had a more attractive spouse (are you still paying attention to my article? This one has yet to be confirmed by research - but you never know).

Tea Recipes

When talking to folks who don't consume enough tea, their excuse is usually that they don't like the taste. However, this excuse is fairly lame.

Just like with other healthy meals and drinks, you've gotta be a little creative. To this end, here are a few recipes that can make including tea in your diet a delicious proposition:

Mint Chocolate Shake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with mint
1 cup ice
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp flaxseed oil or vanilla flavored fish oil
1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Instructions:

Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.

Pour tea in the blender and add 1 cup of ice.

Add to the blender, protein, yogurt, oil, and chocolate.

Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Nutrition Information:

Makes 1 large 593kcal shake (22fat, 36carb, 61 protein) or 2 small 296kcal shakes (11fat, 18carb, 30 protein).

Blueberry Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with berry flavor
1 cup of water
1/2 cup Old fashioned large flake oats
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp pure honey
1/4 cup low fat milk or soy milk
1 scoop vanilla protein
1/4 cup frozen berries

Instructions:

Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.

Pour tea and 1 cup water into a pot.

Bring pot to a boil on high heat and add the oats.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed (approx 7-10 mins).

Remove from heat and stir in flax and honey.

Combine milk and protein in a blender and pour over oatmeal.

Add frozen berries.

Nutrition Information:

Makes 1 large 472kcal serving (10fat, 60carb, 35 protein) or 2 small 236kcal servings (5fat, 30carb, 15 protein).

------------------------------------------------------
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Final thoughts
Most benefits are seen with around 3 – 4 cups of green or black tea per day. So make sure you start there there.

In the research, regularly steeped tea was used in most trials. To this end, be careful with pre-bottled teas as they may have excessive amounts of added sweeteners and degraded beneficial compounds. Therefore they may not offer the same benefits as regularly stepped tea.

For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, Gourmet Nutrition, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

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Great fat loss and nutrition recipe

2008-09-14T01:49:00.005-04:00

For more Nutrition Tips:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

Pan-Seared Salmon with a Citrus Mint Sauce

There are limitless possibilities for cooking and flavoring salmon. Here is an out of the ordinary twist that combines citrus and mint to compliment that ever-gratifying crispiness of seared salmon. For this recipe, prepare the sauce first so that you can serve the salmon when it's hot and crisp. And don't forget to add a nice helping of veggies to this dish. Try some grilled asparagus for an extra special treat. Now on with the show . . .

Part 1: Citrus-Mint Sauce

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice squeezed from ½ fresh pink grapefruit

½ pink grapefruit, cut into sections for serving
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of Splenda (equivalent to 1 tsp sugar)

Make sure to remove all of the membrane from the grapefruit sections. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, shallot, and Splenda in a medium bowl. Mix well, and then gradually stir-in the olive oil, mint, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while cooking the fish.

Part 2: Pan-Seared Salmon

Two 8-ounce salmon fillets, without skin
1 tbsp Smart Balance butter spread or coconut oil
Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel, and then season both sides of each fillet with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Heat the butter or oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add fillets to the skillet and cook until edges are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets. Gently flip the fillets with a spatula and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is firm yet tender and moist, and the flesh has become opaque with a slight translucence.

Before serving, whisk the citrus mint sauce to recombine, and drizzle it over the fish fillets. Serve immediately garnished with grapefruit sections.

Serves two.

Nutritional information

	Per Serving
Total Calories	529	k/cal
Protein	46	g
Total Carbohydrates	12	g
Fiber	0.13	g
Sugars	8	g
Total Fat	33	g
Saturated	5.3	g
Monounsaturated	16	g
Polyunsaturated	9	g
Omega-3	4.2	g
Omega-6	3.2	g

Tip: When is salmon cooked just right?

Cooking your salmon until it's 'flaky', as commonly suggested, can result in overcooking. Here's how to cook it just right: use a paring knife to peek inside the middle of the fillet. If the flesh is translucent, it is undercooked. If it is opaque and slightly flaky but still juicy, it is ready to serve. It is overcooked when the flesh falls apart and looks dry.

Food Fact: Are all omega-3's created equal?

Plants provide a form of omega-3's called alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Flax seeds are one of the best sources of ALA. But it's becoming clear that some of the best health benefits come from docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in fatty marine fish, like salmon and mackerel. DHA is particularly beneficial, and contributes to better body composition, brain health, stress relief, and has even shown potential in preventing dementia. Granted, some ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is low, particularly in men.

What's the lesson? Go ahead and eat your flax, but don't skip the fish!

Want more great tasting recipes designed to get you real results?

If you want to build the body you never thought you could have, start eating the meals you never thought you could eat! Get over 100 recipes and a no-nonsense nutrition plan that will show you how to make it work in the new ebook written by Dr. Berardi and Dr. Williams, Gourmet Nutrition.

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The 1000 Calorie Diet Tip

2008-09-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

Training and Looking for a Personal Fitness Coach In Atlanta

If you eat at restaurants, it's easy to eat over 1500 or 2000 calories per meal.

Yikes! That's a full day's worth of calories in
one dinner...

Pre-dinner bread & butter -> 200 calories
Pre-dinner cocktail -> 150 calories

Appetizer -> This could be a 500-1500 calorie bomb on it's own!

Steak -> 300-500 calories
Potato -> 150-300 calories
Vegetable -> 100 calories
Dinner Drink -> 150 calories

Dessert - 300-750 calories
After Dinner Drink - 150

And that's only if you CONTROL yourself. If you go on a rampage,
you could be looking at 2500 or even 3000 calories in one sitting.
Those numbers are scary.

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this dietary nightmare while
dining out. Here are 5 rules to cut 1000 calories from your
dining-out diet...

1) Plan ahead and avoid restaurants that offer huge portions.

2) Skip the bread. It won't stop you from eating your full meal
anyways, so just send it back.

3) No booze or liquid calories of any type.

4) No potatoes. Stick to your protein and your vegetables.

5) Reward yourself with only the tiniest bit of dessert, if at all.

It's all about taking responsibility for your choices. And yes,
choosing between the "Pain of discipline or pain of regret". What's
your choice?

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Dumbell Whip-Arounds

2008-08-22T13:45:00.001-04:00

For Explosive Core Power

Play any sports? Want to improve your performance on the field or in the gym? This simple rotational
exercise will build TREMENDOUS explosiveness that will add yards to your golf drives,
speed to your throws, and build devastating punching power for combat sports.

So who DOESN'T want a stronger, more explosive core. Show of hands...

I've got a GREAT exercise for you for developing explosive rotational power in the core area. This is EXACTLY what you need for hitting a golf ball further, throwing faster and hitting harder - without rotational power, all you've got is the power in your limbs and that's NOTHING compared to the overall power you can generate with your core.

I call this exercise the "Dumbell Whip Around" because that's basically what you're going to do!

This is a challenging core rotational exercise - you're going to be swinging the dumbell around ALMOST like you're swinging a discus to throw.

The key is this...

You're going to use a lot of power and momentum on one side to get the weight moving but, instead of using muscle action on that same side to stop/slow the movement, you'll use the core muscles on your OTHER side to "catch it," then stop it, then whip the dumbell back around to the original start position for another go.

Sounds confusing, but you'll see what I mean. Basically, the reason this works so well for building explosive core power is that because the muscles that start the explosive movement don't have to work to SLOW the explosive movement, it teaches them to explode that much more effectively. There's no deceleration hesitation in the core and you can sling the dumbell around at MACH speed.

PLEASE NOTE: With this one, be VERY sure you don't go too heavy to start with - this is a rotational exercise and if you haven't done much rotational work, you could strain yourself. We don't want that! So start light and work your way up as you feel comfortable! But once you're ready, don't be afraid to use some weight!

For this exercise, you'll need one dumbell. Pick it up in your right hand and hold it at your side. Your feet should be set apart a bit - you're going to be generating force through your legs up into the core - and they need to be apart for stability.

Swing the dumbell back and around behind your body like you're winding up. Keep your knees bent and midsection tight!

Now whip that dumbell around as explosively and as fast as you can! It's almost like throwing a discus (rotational and explosive movement) like you were trying to sling the dumbell as far away from you as possible. Hold on TIGHT, though, as not everybody has concrete walls in their gym like I do...

Now here's the trick - as you whip the dumbell around, "catch" the dumbell in your other hand and use your OTHER arm/side abs to slow the momentum.

The slowing of momentum should take the dumbell all the way around behind you in the other direction.

Now using BOTH hands, whip that dumbell back around the OTHER way to where you started from. Use a powerful push from the left hand and a powerful pull from the right hand (they'll work together on this whip around back to the start position).

Here's the key - the turnaround point. Don't hesitate AT ALL at the change of direction. When you stop the rotation one way IMMEDIATELY and explosively whip that dumbell back around. We're trying to put rotational torque on the core muscles (safely, of course) and that change of direction and momentum is the most important point.

So do your reps on one side (about 4 to 6 reps - explosive movements shouldn't be done for more than that or you start hitting the wrong fiber types and losing explosiveness), then switch hands and repeat on the other side...same movement, direction reversed.

Perform the same number of reps on this side as you did on the first side. I like to stick to just 2 or 3 sets of this one. Any more than that and your core will get too fatigued and it won't be "quality" work anymore, which is critical for an explosive rotational core exercise.

I HIGHLY recommend checking out the video for this exercise to see exactly how the whip-around is performed. It'll give you an idea of the power and speed you should be using when you do the exercise.

Women, Weights are the Way to go

2008-08-06T11:58:00.003-04:00

Training and Looking for a Personal Fitness Coach In Atlanta?

It’s the staple diet of most weight-conscious women these days - a sensible eating program and a regular exercise routine. It makes them feel good about themselves, it keeps them stress-free, and it helps them sleep well each night. Their energy levels are on the up, and they feel able to go from day to day without worrying about putting on weight. They know well enough to attribute this feeling of wellness to the sweat and toil of their daily workout, but mention the phrase weight training and watch them shrink back like they’ve been burned.

It’s a common misconception that most women carry around with them like excess baggage – that working out with weights is liable to give them bulging biceps and well-rounded thighs like those seen on professional body builders. Au contraire, there are various benefits that accrue to women when they start working with weights, some of which I’ve listed below:

Weight training helps build muscles, not the ones that are clearly visible on a body builder’s façade, but the ones that help boost your metabolism. The higher your metabolic rate, the faster you burn the calories you eat. If you’ve wondered how some people you know are able to eat all they want and not gain a single pound, the answer lies in their metabolism – they simply burn all they pack in, leaving nothing to be stored as fat on their bodies.
When you work with weights, you build your strength. Stronger bones and muscles allow you more stamina during the course of your daily routine and prevent the onset of osteoporosis and arthritis, diseases that women are more prone to than men when they hit menopause.
Your body looks so much better because of the toned muscles, a look that does not come with doing just aerobic exercises.
Weight training allows you to exercise specific parts of your body rather than just the whole as with cardio workouts; you can target those areas which are the biggest, like your thighs or abdomen and work on getting them into shape.
An exercise routine with just cardio workouts burns both fat and muscle, which means you end up slowing your metabolism, and one with only weight training does not make your fat deposits disappear. You need combine the both cardio and weights so that you get the best of both and keep your body looking fit and healthy.

Remember to drink lots of water and eat sensibly, a diet high in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, when you work out with weights. Don’t worry about looking like a muscular man, because unless you’re on testosterone supplements or anabolic steroids, there’s no way you’re going to get that body builder’s look.

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This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of X-Ray Technician programs. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

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Why Your Glutes Are Small, Flat and Shapeless…

2008-08-04T16:46:00.001-04:00

It Could Be All In How You STAND!

Body position and posture has a HUGE impact on how you look. Get the inside scoop on how
something as simple as how you stand could be why your
glutes are small and flat (and your back hurts!).

If you're one of the MANY men and women who want larger, firmer, rounder glutes but haven't had much luck in building them, THIS is the article for you.

I know it's popular to say "it's not your fault" about almost anything these days...but in this case, it actually COULD be your fault...and you don't even know it!

You see, something as simple as your everyday posture could be responsible for the tough time you're having building up those glutes of your dreams.

Let's set genetics aside for a moment - while it's true that genetics CAN and DO play a big part in how your body develops, blaming a small, flat butt completely on genetics then just giving up is just not an option I'm going to let you get away with... :)

First, a little functional anatomy - we need to know and understand HOW the glutes work. Relax - nothing too technical here - just a little info so you'll be able to take these concepts and put them to work for you right NOW.

Everybody knows WHERE the glutes are, so I won't get into that. If you don't, you're sitting on them right now...heck, they're following you everywhere you go!

The glutes are among the biggest muscles in the body because their main function is movement (technically, it's to extend the hip backwards) and movement is VERY important. This backwards extension of the hip is what moves you forward with every step you take. It's what moves your body up when you take a step up on a stair. It's ALSO what helps keep your body upright and stabilized while standing.

So how can your posture and how you STAND possibly impact this big muscle and how it works and grows?

Well, I'll tell you!

First, you'll need to do an easy visual test on yourself in the mirror. This is going to help determine if your posture is causing your glutes to shrink up and not respond well to training.

Go to a long mirror and stand beside it so that your side is towards it (you're not facing it right now). Don't look in the mirror yet. Now stand like you're waiting for a bus or you're in line at the movies - "normally." Make sure you're standing on both feet with your weight evenly distributed (not on one foot or the other). Relax and don't try and do anything differently than you do in everyday life (if you try and fix yourself now, you'll mess up the test).

NOW keeping that exact same body position, turn JUST YOUR HEAD and look in the mirror. We're going to look at where your hips are in relation to where your shoulders are.

Ideally, you want your hips to be in a direct up-and-down line with your shoulders so you're standing up straight.

But what we'll often see (especially in the cases of those who have trouble building their glutes and feeling them working when training glute exercises) is that the hips are FORWARD of the shoulders and the butt is kind of "tucked" under the hips.

So instead of a vertical line like this: |

The body forms a forward angle kind of like this: <

When the hips shift forward like this, the glutes are taken almost completely out of the postural chain - they become relaxed and little work is required of them.

The immediate problem with THIS is that the glutes then get weaker and smaller. But the REAL problem (and the one that affects your glute-building) is the STRUCTURAL change that takes place in your body in the long term.

Over the course of YEARS of this "hips-forward" posture, your body will strengthen OTHER muscles and tendons to take over the loads and functions that the glutes were supposed to be in charge of. It can also lead to back pain and overstretching of the abdominals, which makes your stomach LOOK bigger than it actually is!

Don't have a mirror? Another good way to test yourself on this without a mirror is this: stand up right where you are and stand up straight with posture like you're a soldier standing guard. If this feels EXTREMELY weird to you and it's an effort to hold that position for more than a few moments, chances are your body has undergone the structural changes I talked about.

Eventually, these structural changes in your body will carry over to walking and exercising! Your body will not properly recruit the glute muscles when it comes time to do squatting and lunging movements even if it LOOKS like you're doing them correctly.

The thighs will tend to take over the movement to compensate for the reduction in glute function. The body, quite simply, isn't USED to using the glutes anymore and has a hard time activating them.

This means even when you do direct exercises to work the glutes, your body is unable to properly USE the glutes to perform the exercises!

And when you walk, instead of using the glutes to actively PUSH yourself forward with each step, you'll have a short stride and a more "shuffling" gait (this happens because your leg isn't coming back far enough behind you).

You're using your hip flexors (the muscles on the front of your hips) to bring your leg forward with each step but you're using GRAVITY and momentum (in a way, you're almost falling forward with each step) to keep moving, NOT pushing with your glutes!

SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?

Well, the first BIG step is to be mindful of your posture and how you stand. It's going to be strange at first - you're going to forget yourself and have to constantly be your own "posture police" to keep yourself straight and upright. You might have even to recruit friends and family members to "keep you honest" and remind you when your hips start drifting forward.

We're basically going to be looking to reverse YEARS of "glute-reducing" posture here, so it's something that will take time. The upside is, you will most likely start feeling more confident and looking better almost immediately when you make the effort to stand up straight!

The extra work your glutes are going to get simply by doing what they're supposed to should start helping you increase glute size and firmness rapidly as well.

Abdominal exercises can also help here, by tightening up abs that have gotten overstretched from this "hips-forward" posture. Keeping your abs tight and "in" will help you keep your hips back and in the right position.

Finally, when you're walking, you should focus on actively PUSHING yourself forward with the glutes with each step you take. You'll end up taking longer strides and getting places sooner, which is not a bad thing either.

Bottom line (no pun intended!), we have to RETRAIN your body to use the glutes properly. Now I know it's not a quick fix but it IS an effective fix and can be done with relatively little effort.

Because once your body starts learning how to use the glutes again, you'll have a MUCH easier time developing the glutes that you're looking for!

Changing how you stand won't give you a bigger butt overnight but it WILL set the stage so that the work you ARE doing to improve your glutes will be more effective!

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