Ford's Fitness

Daily Food Plan

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Meal 1 (within in ½ hr. of waking)

The morning is the best time to hydrate as well as nourish your body for the upcoming day. That is why, generally, a good breakfast will be slightly larger in portion size than any other meal. It is important to include all three macronutrients in this meal (Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats)

Example meals:

1. Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, glass of skim milk.

2. Two eggs, two slices of whole grain toast (easy on butter or margarine), coffee.

3. Protein shake (scoop of protein powder, milk, ice, fruit and/or peanut butter.)

Meal 2

This can be referred to as “mid-morning snack.” If you workout in the morning than this can also be your post-workout meal. Since this is a snack, portion size will be smaller.

Example meals:

1. Whole wheat crackers, natural peanut butter, skim milk.

2. Chocolate milk, protein powder, and banana (note: use chocolate milk only if this is your post workout meal, otherwise stick to skim or low fat.)

3. Yogurt with fresh fruit (avoid yogurt with “fruit on the bottom”)

Meal 3

Lunch is usually the deal breakers for Americans, a good lunch will give you sustained energy while burning fat, a bad lunch will cause insulin levels to spike and energy levels to crash, tempting you to reach for a high caffeinated beverage just to make it through the day.

Example meals:

1. Turkey sandwich on whole grain (no mayo, lots of veggie to top it off), with avocado.

2. Salad with dark leafy greens (the darker green, the more vitamins and minerals), grilled chicken or tuna, with a low-fat dressing.

3. Whole grain pasta, extra marinara (avoid white sauces since they tend to be high in fat), and light cheese.

Meal 4

Meal 4 is very important to the individual that usually finds themself by dinner, if you find that the gap between lunch and dinner is too much, then you want to make sure you eat something small in between (if you work out after work this could be your pre-workout meal)

Example meals:

1. Pear, 3 oz. cheddar cheese, ice tea.

2. Protein bar or protein shake (see meal 1)

3. Sugar free cranberry juice, peanut butter sandwich.

Meal 5

Many Americans starve themselves all day, by the time they get off work or get a chance to eat they usually reach for the easiest (and fattiest) foods they can find. But by carefully planning all of your meals in advance you can avoid this problem. It is still important to nourish your body after a long day though.

Example meals:

1. Stir-fry (assorted veggies, 3 oz of lean meat, brown rice, and a little olive oil)

2. Bowl of cereal (yes even for dinner!) with skim milk

3. Salad (see meal two)

Meal 6 (within ½ hr. before bed)

This is the last chance for your muscles to get nutrients before an eight hour fast that is why this meal should be high in protein and low in carbs and fats.

Example meals:

1. Casein Protein with skim milk

2. Low or non-fat cottage cheese

3. Chicken breast (3 oz.)

Note: this meal plan is not a prescription, merely a suggestion and in no way intended to treat or cure and disease or illness.

A good start to the week.

2010-10-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Workout (Total Body)

10-25-10

Warm Up – 20 mins shoot around (basketball court)

Heart Rate Intensity:

Zone 1 – 17:10

Zone 2 – 7:29

Zone 3 – 0:00

Average Heart Rate – 130

Max. – 158

Weight Training – 45 mins

Hear Rate Intensity:

Zone 1 – 17:23

Zone 2 – 18:26

Zone 3 – 10:25

Average Heart Rate – 145

Max. – 174

Exercises:

Exercise	Reps	Sets	Weight
Dead Lifts	10	5	205 lbs.
Pull ups	To Fail	5	n/a
Dead Lift to press (See notes)	12	6	120 lbs.
Standing Lat Pull Down	10	4	100 lbs.
Bent Over lateral Raise	30	3	5 lbs.
Medicine Ball toss (side throws)	15	3	15 lbs. medicine ball

Notes on exercises

I performed the dead lift to press using a ground rotational trainer (check out purmotion.com) but you can simply anchor your barbell in a free corner of your gym. Also when you go from the lift to the press do it with one hand, this allows for more balance and stability. Do six reps on one side then switch to the other. This is a very advanced move, so start off light if you are unsure.

I did really light weight on the Bent over raises (and threw in some variations every 10 reps) because I am currently rehabbing from a shoulder injury, if your shoulders are healthy, try using a little more weight and fewer reps.

This workout is intended for well-conditioned individuals, never begin a workout program without your doctor’s clearance.

You are not a body builder so don't exercise like one.

2010-10-22T14:09:00.001-07:00

One of the things that irritates me the most are the countless men and women I see in the gym each day doing isolation exercises. No matter what their goal is, for some reason they feel it is necessary to break the body up onto several different categories and work each one like its own separate system. They typically break workouts up into ridiculous categories like biceps/triceps/quads, back/abs/calves, chest/hams/traps/shoulders. They do single plane motion exercises, with many of the movement being awkward, dangerous, and completely artificial. At the end of each workout they usually over train their big muscles, and neglect the smaller stabilizing muscles (the average gym member's balance is terrible.)

Now for many years I was guilty of this too, when I was fourteen I picked up Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding bible and went to town. I dedicated each exercise to a different body part, thinking that was the only way I would get a good workout. Well five years and a personal trainers certification later I no longer workout like a bodybuilder. Why? Because I am not one! And chances are neither are you. Chances are you are a student, a parent, a construction worker, or something that requires natural movements.

Tell me, when was the last time your life required you to horizontally abduct (move away from your body) your front deltoid muscle in the sagital plane to parallel with your shoulder for 10-12 repetitions? My guess is never, but that is exactly what you do when you perform a front dumbbell raise. You see how pointless isolation exercise is? (unless of course you are a BODYBUILDER!) Now when was the last time you had lift something overhead? (i.e groceries, tool box, textbooks, you name it.) With a exercise program that dealt specifically with movements, these everyday activities will be much easier, allowing you to save your energy things you really enjoy. Say weekend bike ride, an afternoon of flag football, and yes even window shopping.

One of the leaders in functional exercise would have to be PTA global, they are a personal trainer certification but also have much information open to the public you can check out their facebook page here. In the upcoming weeks I will have more posts that are dedicated specifically to functional exercises.

I one day hope to open my own gym, and in that gym I hope to have members who are serious about health and fitness like I am. I hope to have members who are excited and passionate about the amazing system that is the human body, and I hope to have members that workout like real people, doing everyday movements. I hope that as this industry grows, more and more people will make the switch from working out like a bodybuilder and start working out like the individual they are.

Brock Lesnar

2010-10-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Still don't believe me about Hear Rate Monitors? Well just consider Brock Lesnar, considered the most dangerous fighter in the UFC, and his choice of workout gear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJb_AinjchY&feature=related (go to 1:08)

Heart rate Monitors

2010-10-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

So it's time for me to resurrect this blog, I am about a month into my new job as a personal trainer at Xsport Fitness and my schedule is a little less crazy (still seven days a week though.) Anyway, I have been learning a lot at this job (both what to do and what not to do) partially from the week of training they give to new PTs and partially from keeping my eyes and ears opened when I am at my gym. In this post there is one thing that I want to share, it has completely changed the way I view exercise, whether it is my own personal workouts or the workouts I put my clients on. I am talking about heart rate monitors.
    Would you feel safe, or even the least bit confident if you drove a car with no dashboard? With no speedometer to tell you how fast you were going, no fuel gage to tell you how much fuel you have left, and no warning lights to tell you if something was wrong. Chances are you wouldn't feel safe going above 25mph and even then you would be uncomfortable. With no feedback from your engine, driving is a very dangerous activity. Well guess what, your heart is the engine of your body, and without getting feedback working out can be just as dangerous (not to mention ineffective.) Don't think of a heart rate monitor as a fancy toy, like I used to, but as a necessary tool that gets you to your goals quickly and effectively.
    The fact is, many people opt out of using HRM because they simply cannot see any visible effects from a healthy heart! This is trivial fitness at its best, and it is sad to see how many people buy into it. The truth is, having a healthy and efficient heart will power you through intense workouts. So even if you goal is to get bigger, leaner, faster, or stronger having a strong heart will get you there AND KEEP YOU THERE where as a weak heart may get you half way there then give up on you, and the results you did get will quickly fade away.
    When choosing a hear rate monitor make sure it has the following features: (1) Calories Burned – this is crucial, cause whether you are trying to gain or lose calories play a huge part in that. Many cardio machines that give you an estimate are, in fact, so far off that it's not even funny. And I have yet to find a weight machine that can tell you how many calories you burned in three sets of ten. (2) Heart rate zones – hear rate zones are different for every person, that is why you need a device that is personalized to you. If you do not know about the heart rate zones here is a quick summary: Zone 1 is your fat and sugar burning zone, usually referred to as the warm up/cool down zone. Zone 2 is your fat burning zone; people who need to large amounts of weight zone should spend most of their workout in this zone. Zone 3 is your cardio zone, and your primary source of energy will come from carbohydrates (that's why carbs are important.) Being in this zone will give your heart a true cardio workout, just make sure you recover back to zone 1 after about 5-10 mins depending on your fitness level. (3) Weekly goals – A HRM that not only tell you what you are doing but what you should be doing is a must. Many HRM have a feature that, depending on your goals, will actually build a program that tells you how long you need to work out each week, how many calories you need to burn, and how long you need to be in each zone. (4) VO2 Max test – simply put your VO2 max is the amount of oxygen your lungs can intake when you inhale, this is another critical feature that your HRM must have.
    There are many hear rate monitors out there, and as long as they meet the criteria above you really cannot go wrong. I happen to use a polar heart rate monitor, the FT60 to be exact; I really love this model because it gives everything you need in HRM without being overly expensive.
    So before you begin any sort of program, make sure you have the right tools to get you where you need to be.

Explosive Strength Workshop

2010-09-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Wow, Ive been so busy being a trainer I have had no time to blog about training! Anyway here is a quick look at what me and Sean are going to be going through at our workshop today. In case it is a little confusing, the unstable land mine is a bosu ball (just make sure it is stable!) If you have never tried these I really encourage you to, they are crazy hard!

Exercise	Sets/Reps
Foot/Ankle complex	3/12
Single leg plyo box jumps	3/12
Turkish Get-ups	3/12
Double Hop – unstable landmine	3/12
Lateral Lunges w/ overhead DBs	3/12
Single Leg Romanian Dead lift	3/12
Deadlift to Clean Press	3/12

Since this is a class we are doing, we will be throwing some things in between each workout so nobody is ever just standing around, try adding something like that to your workout, so your recovery time is an active recovery.

Fitness: NFL Style.

2010-09-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Week 1 in of the NFL season is underway! And while my Bears bring me no optimism this season, there are many hopeful fans out there that believe their team has what it takes to get to the big show. What exactly does it take to get to the superbowl though? Does it take raw talent, a genius for a coach, a rocket arm at QB, or a tenacious defense? I would venture to say that the single most important element of a winning football team is their training regimen. Think about it, you can have all the talent in the world but if your sucking air by the end of the first quarter your talent will not show when it really counts. That is why every NFL, college, and high school team places so much emphasis on preseason training.

Football, maybe more than any other sport, has benefited from the modern age of strength and conditioning training. Football players are now bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter than they have been in years. However, you do not train athletes like that on accident, it takes a lot of research and well planned workouts from some of the worlds best strength and conditioning coaches.

If your curious like me as to what a NFL training regimen looks like then check out this article: http://tinyurl.com/2ckudu3

There are some great principles in this article that you would be ill advised to ignore, there are many speed drills done by the professional that can help you reach your goal as you are pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

So if even if your favorite team doesn't do anything special this year, maybe you will be all the motivation you need to bring out your inner football player, and get healthy.

Stability Ball Workouts

2010-09-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ready for a more advanced workout? For workouts that not only build strength and increase heart rate, but also require mental concentration and balance? If your answer is yes, and you already have a base of adequate strength then maybe it is time for you to incorporate stability balls into your workout. Stability balls are a relatively new edition to the health and fitness industry, first being utilized by the physical rehab industry; they have now crossed over because of their versatility, low cost, and ease of use.

Stability balls are a great (and I emphasize great) way to help you reach your fitness goals. Most of the exercise that are done on stability balls not only put increased stress on your muscles, but they add the extra dimension of balance and concentration. Let’s take use the dumbbell bench press for an example: normally, this exercise is done on a bench lying on your back, but if we swap out the bench for a ball it requires two extra things from you. (1) With your feet now act as stabilizers, in order to keep you from falling off the ball, this means you will trigger some small muscles in your legs to keep you stable that you otherwise would just not use. (2) In an attempt to keep your torso stable you now have to contract your abs throughout the exercise; this added stress will increase your core strength.

But they are not just good for variations of existing exercises, they have an endless potential for original workouts that range from beginner to advance. Any work out done on a stability ball can be done in a relatively small space, and you don’t need a multiple balls, to do multiple exercises, just one is all you need. This askmen.com article is a good example of the diversity that stabilities balls give; notice that if you did all ten exercises in this article you would have gotten a total body workout.

So next time you’re in the gym give them a try, if it’s your first experience expect to feel awkward and a little shaky, chances are your stabilizing muscle have not had to work as hard as they do now.

Here are some links for more great workouts and ideas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IbDhaWDLu0

Quick Fix - Stability Ball Workout

Fat to Firm Fitness Ball Workout for Dummies The

Health and Fitness: a Survival Technique.

2010-09-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” – C.S. Lewis

I start with this quote today, not only because I admire C.S. Lewis and his works, but because I think it can be applied to fitness in a unique way. On the surface this quote looks like it belongs in a philosophy blog or something to that effect, but not a health and fitness blog. But take a look at the last phrase “it [friendship] is one of those things that give value to survival.” The key word here is survival, and I believe as the time and culture has changed, our method for surviving has dramatically altered as well.

When the word survival pops into your head what do you think of? If you are like me then you conjure up a “castaway” image; complete with long beards, spear fishing, and the volleyball companion. Obviously this type of survival is no longer necessary in our culture, so would we conclude survival is dead? Certainly not, for in this sedentary society we have a much more subtle problem: excess. It is excess that is cutting our lives short, it is excess that limits our potential, and it is excess that requires us to expend our energy in such an artificial way.

We are in this fight against excess and its companions, (heat disease, diabetes, obesity, premature death, and many others) some are fighting vigorously; others seem to have given up. But is survival not worth fighting for? As C.S. Lewis states, friendship gives value to all this, and not only that but family, art, philosophy, education, love, and freedom.

It’s an abstract idea, but health and fitness is a survival technique, probably one of the most overlooked in today’s age. So if you are having trouble motivating yourself, just know that health and fitness is more than just the pursuit of six pack abs and overall sex appeal. It is a survival technique that not only gives us a better quality of life, but gives us more days to enjoy what is really worth living for.

Labor Day Workout

2010-09-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

Arms

Selected exercise	Reps per set	Weight
Chin Ups	6-6-5	bodyweight
Cable Press Down	10-10-10	110Lbs
Wrist Curl	15-15-15	20Lbs
Preacher Curl	10-10-10	65Lbs

Back

Selected Exercise	Reps per set	Weight
Pull Down	10-10-10	120Lbs
Straight Arm Pull Down	10-10-10	100Lbs
Bent Over Row	10-10-10	80Lbs

Abs

Selected Exercise	Reps per set	Weight/Duration
Plank	1-1-1	1:40
Crunch w/Plate	10-10-10	35Lbs
Hanging Leg Raise	10-10-10	N/A
Russian Twist	10-10-10	35Lbs

Cardio

20 mins. stationary bike

I love getting a great workout in on these semi-holidays, the gym is usually pretty quiet and on a day when most Americans are overeating its, good to know your one of the few doing some good for your body. Also, I'm splitting my workouts up a little differently these next few weeks. Instead of upper body, lower body, core I am doing arms/back/abs, shoulders/legs/traps, chest/abs/core. Its a little more specific, and allows me to put more emphasis on my core (a must in any athletic performance!)

On a different note: this summer I got into the habit of getting my workouts in the late afternoon/early evening instead of the morning like I used to. And let me just say I had forgotten how great it felt to have that extra boost of energy for the rest of the day. When I got off of work I actually had the energy to get stuff done! If your not getting at least a quick workout in in the morning I strongly recommend it!

The Guide to Sit-down Restaurants

2010-09-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

If I was to write a post on the nutritional bankruptcy of fast-food chains would anyone really be surprised? I would say not. We all know that fast food is bad for us, and most people only eat it when they are hard pressed for time or short on cash.

But thankfully today is Friday, you got some extra coin in your pocket and a few hours before that movie starts, feeling good about your decision to avoid the fast-food today you head to your favorite sit-down restaurant. The dark atmosphere, and badly places televisions distract you from the similarities between their menu and McDonald's menu (Burgers, wraps, salads, desserts, ect.) so without so much a though you order up. It takes a while for your meal to come, but that is okay, because you are having a good time talking with friends, snacking on chips, and sipping your mountain dew. The main course finally comes, and by this time your so involved in the conversation that you fail to recognize that french fries are the "vegetable" of your meal. You quickly clean plate, close check, and leave a tip, and head out the door excited for Toy Story 3 for the third weekend in a row.

Now let me first say that I am not anti-restaurants, they are a great place to meet up with friends, (socializing is a crucial aspect of a healthy lifestyle that I will explore in a later post.) convenient, and really do provide some nutritious choices on their menu. It is not my goal to deter you from going to a restaurant this weekend or the next, my goal is simply to show you what that food really is.

When i say sit-down restaurant I mean those chain places like Applebees, Perkins, TGIFridays, IHOP, Chilies, Ruby Tuesdays, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Denny's, and other chain places like them. Your mom-and-pop restaurants may or may not be just as bad, and unless they release their nutrition info you really can not tell.

Here is the nutritional info for Denny's http://www.dennys.com/LiveImages/enProductImage_790.pdf I hope you noticed right off the bat the same thing I did TRANS FAT! It seems that Denny's is still one of the few places remaining that cook with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils resulting. Besides the dangerous amounts of fat, you will notice that some of the burgers weigh in at 1,500+ calories, while the rest hover around 900. And this is just the burger we are talking about, not including the sides it comes with

This is where I would love to analyse the menu of Applbees (a favorite among college students), but they have yet to release the nutritional information on anything but their weight watchers menu.

So before you go out this weekend take some time to reaserch your favorite resturantes menue, chances are they will be several tasty options that don't set you back five pounds. A great web site for this is http://caloriecount.about.com/ it has listing from most every restuarnt you can imagine. Or check out Eat This Not That! A great book on making better-for-you choices when dinning out. Eat This Not That! 2010: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution
So enjoy the weekend, enjoy the company, and enjoy the food!

Supplements in Their Proper Context

2010-08-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

The topic of dietary supplements is a confusing one in the health and fitness industry, the opinions are as diverse as the people who hold them. Many people hold to one extreme or another (love them or hate them) rarely do you find somebody right in the middle who can use supplements to reach goals but not be dependent on them. But that is right where I am, smack dab in the middle. And while in the past I have held both extreme views (loved them, then I hated them) I feel that I have an argument adequate at defending my current position.

To me supplements are all about convenience, either for time purposes or ease in the kitchen. If you stopped by the gym before you way to work do you really have time to fix a meal containing 3-2-1 parts of carb, protein, and fat? Or do you trust that drive through on your right to supply you with the nutrition you need? The answer to both is an obvious no, and in this case, a meal replacement bar washed down with a sport drink (carb based) may be just what you need to recover and br energize for whatever activity is next. But maybe you do have some time to go home and get a nice meal on the table, the only problem is you realized that you haven’t been grocery shopping in the past two weeks, and nutritious choices are in short supply. Now would be a great time to use the last of that low-fat milk with a scoop of protein powder, or maybe throw both of those in a blender with some ice and fruit of your choice for a great fruit smoothie (On a side note: do not be fooled by this smoothie craze going around fast food places. Sugar and a little fruit will be the only ingredients found in those.)

Whether you are looking to prime or recover, supplements can aid you in both, but only if you are willing to pay the price. Go to your local GNC and you will not be har pressed to find tubs (yes, I said tubs) of some mystery powder going for $75-$95. If you can afford this, and are willing to pay, then supplements are a great way to go.

If you’re like me however, and you don’t want to see your hard earned cash go to synthetically engineered nutrients you won’t necessarily lose out on gains in the weight room. There are many ways to get the nutrients you need in a quick and easy way, all you have to do is pick foods that are dense in nutrients and calories (hold off on the leafy greens for now.) If you need carbs to fuel long workouts bananas, raisins, jelly beans, and pretzels are not only portable enough, but can be eaten quickly and without weighing you down. If its proteins and healthy fats you need to recover from a grueling workout try foods like almonds, walnuts, lean deli meats like turkey and ham, and beef jerky (Make sure it’s real jerky and not those meat stick with god know what in them.) Also, eating at the right times will help ensure that your workouts won’t go to waste. Eat a high carb snack before your workout, and a high protein/healthy fat snack about a half an hour after your workout.

But if you are still convinced that supplements are the way to go just remember this: supplements will never make up for a good diet, only enhance it. If you’re eating like crap now, adding supplements to your diet will make no difference. A sound diet is the foundation of every healthy lifestyle, supplements are the addition.

There is a lot more to discuss as far as supplements go like, which ones should I take? Should I use creatine or not? And how much should I take? These are all great topics of discussion, but what I really wanted to do with this article was to put supplements in their proper context: helpful but not necessary.

Sport Science: Randy Couture

2010-08-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

Did any of you seriously think that James Tony would win yesterday? The problem is that boxing is a very one dimensional sport, and while that one dimension is grueling, it can't compare to all the different dimensions of MMA. Don't believe me? Check this video out.
http://youtu.be/EgQ4y7Fn7QI

Trainer's Lingo

2010-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you talk to a professional in any field about their job chances are, unless you work in the same field, you wont understand most or any of what they are saying. Its because when they are learning and talking with peers about their certain field of study they tend to develop a language filled with terms and words not used in everyday English. Trainers are no exception to this we have our own set of terms that we have learned over time, and after talking with other trainers and fitness minded people we tend to forget that everyday people do not know, or even want to know what the heck these terms mean. As a trainer it is our responsibility to make sure that our clients clearly understand what we are trying communicate. So this post is my attempt to bridge the gap between the language of trainers and everyday language.

Anaerobic - Occurring without the use of oxygen, this means any workouts that rely on muscular strength and only last a few minuets.

Aerobic - Occurring with the use of oxygen, this means any workouts that require a oxygen to give your muscles power. These exercises last anywhere from 1 min - 30 mins

Anabolic - A state of the body in which simple substances are put together to form more complex ones (i.e. amino acids into body proteins.) If your goal is to build muscle you want your body to be in a Anabolic state.

Catabolic - A state of the body in which complex substances are broken in to simple ones (i.e. stored fat into energy.) For any one looking to shed a few pounds, your body being in a catabolic state is desirable.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) - The minimum energy required to maintain the body's life function at rest, usually expressed in calories per hour. This means if you lay in bed all day and burn 2,000 calories your BMR would be 83.3

BMI (Body Mass Index) - A formula (body weight in kilos/hight in meters) designed to show you if your overweight, average, or obese. This formula does not work with people high in muscle mass.

Calisthenics - a system of exercise movements, without equipment, for the building of strength, flexibility, and physical grace. Comes from the Greek meaning "beautiful strength"

Macronutrients - Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Max VO2 Uptake - The maximum usable portion of oxygen uptake. This will differ from person to person depending on the condition of their lungs.

Maximal Heart Rate - The highest heart rate of which and individual is capable.

Mesomorph - A body type that is naturally muscular.

Ectomorph - A body type that is naturally Lean.

Endomorph - A body type that is naturally heavy set.

Watt - A measure of power equal to 6.12 kilogram-meters per minute. This unit of measurement is usually found programmed into cardio machines

Supinated Grip - A grip where your palms are up.

Pronated Grtip - A grip where your palms are down.

Neutral Grip - A grip where your palms in between the pronated at supinated grip (looks like a handshake.)

Alternated Grip - one hand is Pronated the other is Supinated.

Hook Grip - Similar to a pronated grip, but the thumb is located on the same side as the middle and index finger.

Planes of motion - There are three different planes of motion the sagittal (anteroposterior), frontal (coronal), and transverse (horizontal) Rather than trying to explain these three planes of motion refer to the illustration.

I know there is a lot of information to process in this one post, and believe me I am still trying to remember it all (the planes of motion still confuse me), but the next time you hear some of these terms being thrown around the gym like its everyday language just refer back to this post! Additionally if there is any other terms I have forgotten about, or anything you have heard recently that isn't included hear just let me know and I will be happy to explain!

6 Painless Ways to Upgrade Your Lifestyle

2010-08-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Lets face it achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is hard work, there is a lot of sweat involved usually coupled with some muscle soreness, not to mention the good chunk of time that you have to devote to working out and selecting the right food choices every day. There are no two ways about it, if you want to achieve something great you have to put in the work. For many this is the reason they never reach their goals, simply because they do not want to put in the work. Whether it is because they work hard elsewhere and do not think they have the time or energy, or simply because they are lazy.

In this article I will share six painless ways to upgrade your health today; quick and easy. These are not some secrets know only to personal trainers and a few of the select public, these are simply principles that our bodies are based on. One way or another they have gotten lost in our fast-paced society, I’m here to bring them back

1. Eat Breakfast. I don’t care what your excuse is to not eat breakfast, “I don’t have time” (wake up earlier or prepare something the night before), “I’m not hungry in the morning” (chances are you’re eating too much at night), “I don’t like breakfast foods” (enjoy your favorite lunch or dinner foods then) Not only does eating breakfast get your metabolism off to a running start, it also gives your body the fuel it needs to stay energized through a long day at work or school.

2. Drink water. This just might be the most important aspect of a healthy lifestyle, and yet it is all too often overlooked. Staying hydrated not only keeps your metabolism up and gets you through tough workouts, it also fights off hunger and reduces you intake of high calorie drinks (i.e. pop, beer, sugary coffee drinks, etc.)

3. Sleep. Instead of watching T.V. late into the night, making yourself susceptible to food ads, give your body a break and call it a day. Getting the proper amounts of sleep gives you energy and alertness for the next day, maybe you will find that going to the gym isn’t so daunting since you have all this extra energy.

4. Eat slowly. Eating slowly is a lost art in today’s world, maybe it died with disco, whatever the case it needs to be brought back. When you scarf down your food Joey Chestnut style you don’t give your body the proper time to decide when enough is enough, and you end up overeating.

5. Eat with purpose. This is closely related to number 4, and it may not fall under the “easy” category for some, but eating with purpose can save many unwanted pounds and even premature deaths. When I say “eat with purpose” I mean to look at food in its proper context. Food is not entertainment, it is not comfort (it is nourishing though, these two aspects seem to get confused all the time), it is simply fuel. You should eat when your body needs the fuel to complete an activity or just make it through the day, you shouldn’t eat out of boredom or loneliness.

6. Be Realistic. If your already giving and effort to live a healthy lifestyle, and your frustrated because you not seeing the results you may have your standards set to high. Sad to say it, but living a healthy life style doesn’t always mean you will have a body like that movie star or model you saw recently. Chances are you are already have a healthy life style, and you should be proud of that because it is so rare these days.

After you implement these six easy principles I hope that you realize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and the hard work it takes, is worth it after all. You only get one life, live it to your fullest.

Brown Bagging It

2010-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

This week school has started for most states across the country, this means that kids are not only a lot less active than they were in the summer but that greasy fried foods are being served to them daily at lunch. I remember sitting in the cafeteria during my high school days eating pizza, burgers, fries, and washing it all down with sugary drinks, then being yelled at by teachers to stay awake during class. This food that is being served to kids on a daily basis is not only harmful to their health but is counterproductive to their education, and while a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger every once and a while will be the death of no one, it is better to be the exception rather then the rule. A great alternative to buying the food served at cafeteria is to bring your own, this allows you to control what goes into your and your kids body. You can select natural foods, made from wholesome ingredients, and customize each lunch to everyones personal taste. I found this article at Web MD that gives some great tips and tricks on the subject. Try it out for your self, and see what works and what doesn't You may find that you don't miss that greasy fried cafeteria food all that much!

Losing 10 Pounds

2010-08-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

As a personal trainer my body is an example of my knowledge and expertise, whether it is fair or not, most of my success will be based on how I utilize my own knowledge and the visual example that my body displays. In short, trainers better be fit! Or else they will have no credibility.

After of summer of cookouts, parties, and eating out I could stand to lose a few. Now I would consider myself overweight but my ability to perform and demonstrate high intense workouts for some more advanced clientele is hindered by the few pounds I’ve put on over the last few months. Therefore, I have decided to make it personal goal to lose around 10 pounds in the next month, without losing any lean muscle mass that is.

The game plan is simple; I will have five weight loss days a week, and two maintaining days. My body requires 3,000 calories on days that I work out, so I will eat about 2,500 spread out over three small meals, and two snacks.

As for workouts, I am going to get my butt moving: running wind sprints on the basketball court, supersets in the weight room, and intervals on the treadmill and stationary bicycle, in addition I will bike to work at least three times a week. My goal will be five times a week at the gym but if I only get there four times I will do a workout at home with dumb bells and resistance bands.

My starting weight is 185 (some of that may be water weight, because I was just recently on a creatine regimen) and my goal weight is 175, but because the body is unpredictable 175 is just a number to shoot for. Losing storage body fat is the key here. If I lose any muscle mass I will just be wasting my time.

As for supplements, I will take protein powders only if I cannot get my needed protein from natural resources (in other words if I am too busy to cook a meal.) I will not use any thermogenic aids, green tea pills, or anything else that you see on the shelves on GNC most of that stuff doesn’t work, and is terribly expensive.

I will check in weekly to let you all know how my progress is going, and I will put up some before and after pictures at the end of all of it.

If you have similar goals for this next month, share them! I would love hear about your program and give any advice you may need, plus once you goal public with a desire to lose weight it’s that much harder to just give up!

Food Addiction

2010-08-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

In this age of information the secret is out on junk food. We all know it is terrible for us, and the numbers of death associated with obesity rivals those of tobacco and alcoholism. Even so there is a line out the door of McDonalds three times a day, why is this? Could it be that we are actually addicted to this stuff? Has it become such a part of our daily life that we cannot function without a kick of sugar and simple carbs, washed down by a hefty dose of saturated fats? Here is an article I found at precisionnutrition.com on exactly this topic: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/is-food-addiction-real

Read it and tell me what you think, did the finding surprise you? Do you look at your junk food differently now?

Hopefully with more studies like this one we can educate the generally public on what their food is actually doing to them. So spread the word!

Mental Toughness

2010-08-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Mental Toughness

Have you ever ended your workout a little earlier than you knew you should? Have you ever given up on a wind-sprint 10 yards before the finish line? Have you ever stressed out over a mid-term paper, or some big deadline at work? Chances are what you lacked was mental toughness. Mental toughness is defined by David Yukelson, Ph.D., of Pen State as the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (e.g., competition, training, lifestyle) that are placed on you as a performer (Jones et al, 2002) Mental toughness is hardly found outside the world of competitive sports, many people tend to think that there is no place for mental toughness off the court or field. This is simply not the case, there are many life situations that require mental toughness, ask any CEO of any company and they will tell you that they would not be able to do their job well without being mentally tough. Tackling that 15 page psychology paper that’s been in your assignment book for the past four weeks will not seem so daunting with a good amount of mental toughness.

It is possible to train for mental toughness in the gym, and using unconventional methods, a great workout video I found on mental toughness is this one by Martin Roonie at Training for Warriors.com (This guy is insane!) 100 reps in 100 seconds - United States, Training for Warriors Video

A great read on the subject is The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning By James E. Loehr (you can find it here at amazon The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning from One of the World's Premier Sports Psychologists) This book is great because it gives you a systematical approach to mental toughness that you can do at anytime and anywhere

A good quick read on the subjet would be this PDF from Pen State University. http://www.mascsa.psu.edu/dave/Mental-Toughness.pdf

So the next time you think about quitting your workout early, or walking the last stage of your sprint, remember that mental toughness is key to achieving the goal that you have set, both in the gym and in everyday life.

Circuit Training

2010-08-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Circuit Training: Increase intensity, decrease time, dramatic results

Walk through your local health club or gym and observe the type of people you find, no doubt there will be a wide array of people coming from all walks of life, all with the same desire as you to improve their body and quality life. But if you look more closely you will probably realize that most everybody can be categorized into one of two categories: those who spend their time on the treadmills, elliptical, and stationary bikes sweating out mile after mile. And those who hang out in the weight room pumping the iron and watching themselves in the mirror. Both of these “clubs” have their strong points and weak points. Strength conditioning is a great way to lose body fat, have more energy, and increase sports performance, cardiovascular training on the other hand is great for strengthening the heart, increasing the efficiency of the lungs, and psychological well-being. The only problem is that you hardly have a person who is a member of both clubs, most people tend to be very biased to their preferred workout, what they don’t realize is that an effective workout plan incorporates both of these two types of training. Another reason why people have a one dimensional program is because of time constraints.

For some people the answer lies in circuit training. Essentially, circuit training is a series of workouts done over a period time (not repetitions) with no rest in between workouts. Also circuit training is usually used to work the entire body, but it can be used for specific muscle groups if the right exercises are assigned. By doing these workouts with no rest in between you get your heart rate up and stress your lungs, just as you would with a treadmill or a Stairmaster.

My personal experience with circuit training comes from a workout designed by Men’s Health Magazine.com (I usually do not endorse anything from Men’s Health, but this workout is pretty straight forward.) When I first started the workout, I was amazed at how intense these simple movements were when done for one minute and getting my heart rate up was certainly not a problem.

Here is what an example of a circuit program looks like:

Exercise

Bent over row

Side Plank with reach

Push Press

Squats

Single arm DB Swing

T-Pushups

Side Lunges

Crunches

Split Jump

Lunge with Twist

Pushup Position Row

Each exercise should last for one minute with no rest in between, after you completed all ten exercises rest two minutes that is one set. Do one or two more sets depending on your current physical condition. (Make sure you select weights that you can use for a minute at a time, you will more than likely have to use lighter weights than you initially thought.)

Sound Nutrition vs. Fad Dieting

2010-08-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sound Nutrition vs. Fad Dieting

We hear about it all the time, some new product or plan that will finally shed those unwanted pounds for good. We go to GNC and shell out seventy bucks on horrible tasting powders that promise to get us ripped in two weeks. We seek that quick fix, or a magic pill that will make it all better. We have this mindset because of the society in which we live, everyone is a product of their environment and ours is a fast-paced, no-time-to-waste environment. Our banking works this way, our shopping works this way, our entertainment works this way, and our work even works this way, but unfortunately healthy living doesn’t work this way.

For this post, Fad Diet will be defined as a diet that promotes fast weight loss by adhering to a set of guidelines. These guidelines usually ban one of the three macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat, or protein) or greatly restrict them. Probably the most notable fad diet of the last ten years would be the Atkins diet; this diet restricts the dieter’s carbohydrate intake to only 30 grams or less a day. When carbohydrates are restricted in such a drastic way your body enter a metabolic state called ketosis. Essentially ketosis means that your body is using fat stores as its primary source of energy instead of glycogen (derived from carbs). The problem with this is that your body was made to convert carbs into its primary source of fuel; therefore it is not as efficient at converting fat into fuel. This means that your energy output will not be as great, and if you’re an active person or a competitive athlete your performance will suffer. The fact is the body was meant to process carbohydrates, fats (ideally polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), and protein. If you restrict anyone of these nutrients, you may lose a bit of weight, but you will also experience negative side effects.

Another problem with fad diets is that the total weight loss doesn’t come exclusively from fat, but also from lean muscle mass. This can cause further problems down the road because the less muscle you have the fewer calories you burn throughout the day, making it easier for you to put on the weight you lost and even harder to take it off for a second time.

Because fad diets do not work we must rely on sound nutrition to meet our health and fitness goals (note: sound nutrition is as much, or more, of a discipline as it is a science. In order to eat and be healthy it takes hard work and discipline just as anything else worth pursuing in life is, but that is a different post.) But what is sound nutrition and what does it look like?

Sound Nutrition will vary from person to person, depending on their dietary needs. Obviously a gymnast will have different needs then a NFL linebacker, and a stay-at-home mom will have different needs than a construction worker. How many calories you need each day will vary each day as well, but the basis for sound nutrition lie in the 1-2-3 rule, as in one part fat, two parts protein, and three parts carbohydrates (ideally fats should come from nuts and oils, proteins from lean meats and beans, and carbs from whole grains.) So if you need 2000 calories in a day 1000 of those should be from carbs, about calories 666 should be from protein, and about 333 calories should be from fats. With this rule in mind, and the correct amount of calories, you will not only have the energy your body needs to make it through the day but also to limit and control fat stores on your body.

As discussed earlier, there is no quick fix to a lifetime of bad nutritional needs, but with these sounds principles, that are based on giving your body the nutrients it was designed to process, and staying active you will be able to achieve and maintain any fitness goal you set your mind to.

To estimate your calorie needs check out this Ehow article, (keep in mind that this is only an estimate) http://www.ehow.com/how_5138_calculate-total-daily.html

This Week in Workouts

2010-08-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

This spotlight of this post is my personal workouts from Monday-Friday, I will discuss what worked for me and what didn't. Also I will discuss what I hope to do in the weeks to come.

Monday/Thursday
Strength Training (upper body):

Workout	Reps	Weight	Sets
Bench Press	6	185	3
Lateral DB Raise	10	20	3
Wrist Curl	10 each arm	20	3
Bent Over DB raise	10	20	3
Pull-ups	5	N/A	3
Upright Row	10	70	3
Cable Extension	10	100	3
Shrugs	10	85	3
Standing Preacher Curl	10	65	3

Cardio:

Exercise

Duration

Pace/Intensity

Sets

Jog

1 mile

8 mins

1

Sprint

45 seconds

85% of VO2 max

4

Walk

1 min

Recovery from sprints

4

Cool Down: Ten minutes Dynamic Stretching

Tuesday/Friday

Strength Training(Lower Body):

Workout

Reps

Weight

Sets

Squats

10

135

3

Good Mornings

10

135

3

Standing Calf Raises

10

135

3

Dead Lifts

10

155

3

Lunges

10 each leg

60

3

Seated Calf Raise

10

90

3

Leg Curl

10 each leg

N/A

3

Step-Ups

10 each leg

40

3

Cardio:

Exercise	Duration	Pace/Intensity	Sets
Stationary Bike	20 minute	65%-85% of VO2 max	1

Cool Down:

10 minute dynamic Stretching

Wednesday

Strength Training(Core):

Workout	Reps	Weight	Sets
Plank	30 seconds	N/A	3
Ball Crunch w/Plate	25	25	3
Russian Twist	15	25	3
Hanging Leg Raised	10	N/A	3
Side Plank w/Reach	10 each side	N/A	3
Back Extensions	15	25	3
Supermans	10	N/A	3
Bosu Ball Bridge	15	N/A	3

Supplement notes: On days of workouts 5 grams of creatine before workouts. After workouts consume a high protein (either protein powder or by natural sources) meal.

Obviously this week was a strong emphasis on strength training. I try to incorporate as many multi-joint movements into my training as possible some of my favorites are the bent over rows and dead lifts. For added intensity I would pair these workouts off into supersets, with thirty seconds rest in between sets. Next week I hope to be a little more balanced with cardio and strength, not so one sided. And if you were wondering about a warm up, I shoot around on the basketball court for about 15 mins, or at least until I work up a light sweat.

Approximate time for each workout is 1hr and a half, except for Wednesday which is 45 minutes.

Photos of the workouts to come in later posts.

The Importance of Goal Setting.

2010-08-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Who ever coined the phrase "If you aim at nothing your going to hit it" was truly a wise individual, the whole concept of starting something with the end in mind is a powerful notion, but one that we take too lightly. If your like me, then your time and energy is valuable (and very limited) and if your going to apply yourself to something you better see some damn results. But we tend to think the results will take care of themselves as long as we give it half the effort. The fact is a workout that has no goal behind it is a useless thing, and has lead to more wasted hours in the gym then any of us care to know.
The best way to free ourselves of these pointless workouts is to begin with a tangible goal, for instance "I want to lose 10% body fat in the next two months" is something that you can strive and work for, unlike the more popular phrase "I want to lose weight" which gives you no real direction. How many times have you heard an adolescent boy say "I want to get stronger for sports" when they should really be saying things like "I want to bench 135 lbs by preseason" or "I want to run the 50-yard dash in x-amount of time by the end of summer" This simple idea of setting tangible goals not only motivates us to work harder, but it encourages us when we actually make those goal.
So now we know that goal setting is a crucial part of any active or athletic lifestyle, but how do we set a goals that are right for ourselves, and more importantly will help achieve the results that we want? Well thankfully after much trial and error in my own quest for personal fitness, I have put together a list of dos and don'ts that will clear up the air on the most common errors is goal setting.
1. Do make goal that our relevant to your lifestyle and body type. For an extreme ectomorph (a person who is naturally skinny) a goal of say "benching 250 in five weeks" will only lead to failure and frustration. Now I'm not saying that an ectomorph will never be able to bench 250, it just takes so much work that you would be better off starting with smaller goals and work up to it. Which transitions into my next point:
2. Do make short-term goals, and long-term goals. This way you not only make progress, you stay motivated all year long. A good short term goal may be something like "I want to run 3 miles in 21 minuets (a 7 min mile pace)" while a long term goal might look like "Keep going to the gym on a regular basis all year, including during the holidays."
3. Do not make the same goals that the person next to you did. Each and every person who walks through the gym doors is a unique individual therefore, each should have their own unique set of goals . A goal that says "I want to have a flat belly like that women" is not an acceptable goal.
4. Do not make negative goals, only positive ones. Instead of saying "I will stop eating junk food for the next four weeks" say "I will eat a wholesome and balanced diet that limits fatty foods to 10% or less of my daily consumption."
5. Do WRITE IT DOWN!!! I cannot emphasize this point enough, just right it down. In your journal/diary, in a Word document, a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, or for added motivation post it on your Facebook. Odds are your friends will be really supportive, and you may even inspire some others to get their butt moving. But where ever you end up writing it, make sure that you can visit it time and time again so as to make sure that you are not losing focus of your goal.
So there it is: the importance of goal setting. I hope that if you do not already set goals for yourself, this has inspired you to start. And if in a month or two you finally reach your goals, I would love to hear about it.

Why Health and Fitness?

2010-08-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

Just as every individual is different so is their motivation to do or accomplish something. So why should diet or exercise be any different? Everybody who steps through those gym doors (or doesn't) does so with a different motivation than the person next to them. Some do it merely for aesthetic reasons, they crave a lean sculpted body, one that makes them not only feel like a god or goddess, but look like one too. Others go the gym for increased energy and a healthier lifestyle, trying to ensure a long-lived, high-quality life. Still others work up a sweat on a regular basis for increased sports performance. Whether they are weekend warriors or elite athletes, these individuals are often motivated by the desire of having a body the equivalent of a fine tuned machine. One that operates at peak performance for long periods of time. But most common are individuals who enter the gym doors for preventive reasons. Maybe they recently had a scary call with some medical emergency, maybe it was a death in the family that opened their eyes, or maybe they simply noticed that the years of potato chips and cable TV finally caught up with them. Your reason for walking through that gym door may not be any of those reason, or it may be all of them. Only you can decide what your reasoning is, and only you can apply yourself and be successful.

I can sit here and type until my fingers fall off about the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle, but I cannot truly influence your quality of life unless you are willing to put the work in. So if you've realized that you have plenty of reasons to get to the gym but only a few excuses not to, then its time to lace up your sneakers and step through that door.