photo credit: stuartpilbrow

Eating clean is a way of eating in which the food consumed is as close to its natural state as possible. That means no processed foods, nothing that comes in a box – basically if it’s man-made, chances are it shouldn’t be eaten. To give you an idea of eating clean, bodybuilders tend to eat this way. However, most people who are trying to eat healthier and lose weight find it difficult to follow.

I run another blog about clean eating and many times, depending on the topic, people will leave comments like “that isn’t clean eating.” I have even received emails about the links I point to for recipes stating that I need to learn what clean eating is. I totally think it’s fine since I started the blog in the hopes to get better at eating clean.

Yet, lately I have been less and less interested because I feel like I have fallen into the category of those who just want to eat healthier without having labels applied to my meals. Just recently, someone left a comment that resonated with me:

Please just stop. Stop with the “clean” and “dirty” eating or “clean” and “dirty” foods. Food is food. A meal is a meal. You do not “cheat” when you eat “dirty” food. The moral attachment that occurs when labeling foods in this way serves to generate guilt and is counterproductive to the goal of fat loss. Eliminate these words from your vocabulary and you’ll be happier and less neurotic. [view the comment in full here]

That comment made a lot of sense to me which is probably why I haven’t been able to really get into writing much on that blog. I still like the idea of eating clean. It makes sense and I believe people who do it are very satisfied with their results.

Are you a clean eater? Do you feel like there is a moral attachment to eating that way?

I am happy to post a new fitness interview with Aaron Harris, Certified Personal Trainer. Aaron can be found at his web site: www.AaronHarrisFitness.com

1. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what made you decide to become a personal trainer?
 
I first started exercising when I was in the sixth grade. I was always the smallest and weakest kid in my class, so I would do pushups and sit-ups every night to build up my strength. My older brother and I used to read comic books and I remember every issue had the ad for Charles Atlas’ Dynamic Tension Program. That got me even more interested in exercise. My brother started to get Muscle and Fitness issues and Joe Weider catalogs. Impressed with Arnold, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo and others, I asked for a York Junior Barbell set for Christmas. Since then I’ve been hooked on fitness and working out.

I decided to become a personal trainer based on my desire to work in a field involving something I love. I made up my mind to find a satisfying career that I would enjoy and I have found it.
 
2. What does you current workout routine consist of?
 
Currently I am doing strength training 3 or 4 days a week. I lift for about 45 – 60 minutes per workout focusing mostly on compound movements.

As far as cardio, I get plenty by participating with some of my clients during their training sessions throughout the week.

3. How does your approach to training differ from other personal trainers?
 
I get my clients to make fitness and exercise an enjoyable component of their lives, not make their entire lives revolve around workouts. I’ve met too many people that were unhappy with their trainers because the trainer did not take into consideration the client’s life. Family, work, and leisure time are important, so I make sure that exercise, fitness, and healthy eating are able to be incorporated without expecting my clients to live like monks.

I also let clients know from the beginning what are realistic expectations based on how much of a commitment they are willing and able to make.

Unfortunately, lots of folks expect to be able to lose double digit pounds in a week thanks to the Biggest Loser, or be able to get in a total body workout and get amazing results in just 2 easy 10 minute sessions a week like they saw on an exercise product infomercial. I let them know not to compare themselves to fitness models unless they want to live the life of a fitness model. I won’t fill them with false hope and promises that are undeliverable.
 
4. Do you feel it is important to track progress such as keeping workout journals and food journals?
 
If someone has specific goals they are working towards it is best to log their workouts and menus. I don’t feel that it needs to be done for every phase of training though. If someone is doing a week of active recovery or they are doing a maintenance phase usually they can skip the logging until it’s time to get back to serious training. Definitely, the best way to track exercise progression is by keeping a log and referring back to it.
 
5. What do you suggest for people who are just getting back into working out?
 
My main suggestion is to prepare a solution for every imaginable excuse to not workout. Finding a good workout or training program is easy. Learning to do the exercises is not that difficult. Most people have big trouble just getting themselves started. Whether it is lack of motivation or not enough self-discipline, I think it is the toughest for some people to just get going. I recommend they go over all the reasons they’ve used in the past for skipping a workout or delaying the start of an exercise program and find all the ways they can overcome these obstacles. Once they’ve eliminated the obstacles, they can create a plan suitable for their goals, and find a partner or mentor that will hold you accountable.
 
6. Recently, I’ve received a lot of comments about the topic of eating one meal a day to lose weight. Could you give your feedback on this?

I’m sure there are a few rare individuals that might be able to survive, thrive and enjoy a healthy active life eating one meal a day, but for most people I don’t think there would be any positive outcome from following, or trying to follow a one-meal-a-day diet.
 
First of all, in order to get a sufficient amount of calories the majority of the meal would need to be energy dense. It would be too difficult to get enough calories eating the healthiest, nutrient rich foods because they are so full of fiber and much lower in calories. That would lead to a problem of getting all your required nutrients.
 
The average person would probably feel very low on energy, and the first thing to suffer from that effect would be their workouts, and we all know that exercise is a major factor in successful permanent fat loss.
Two other major concerns would be the decreased metabolism from prolonged daily fasting, and the possibility of the body cannibalizing skeletal muscle for its protein requirements.
 
Anyone looking for eating or diet guidelines for losing fat should consider that most athletes, especially physique athletes follow the rule of eating smaller frequent meals throughout the day to keep the metabolism running higher, even out blood sugar levels, maintain energy levels and keep hunger in check. The athletes that are best known for following the opposite, eating just two meals a day, are sumo wrestlers. Just by looking at those two examples, anyone should be able to see that eating one meal a day is not the way to go about losing fat.

7. Could you describe your diet and any supplements that you take?
 
Right now I am following a very strict vegan diet, just as a personal experiment for thirty days. I call it my “Bird Diet.” Normally my eating is very sound. I try to avoid or limit trans fats, high fructose corn syrups, MSG. I never use artificial sweeteners or products containing them.

I definitely follow the 80/20 rule, eating very well 80% or more of the time so I can enjoy a treat once in awhile. Except during my experiment, I never deprive myself of anything. Mainly I just make good choices, the same thing that I teach my personal training clients to do.
 
As far as supplements, I try to take Mega Omega (EPA/DHA capsules) regularly, but I’m not a pill person, so that doesn’t always happen. The same applies for my multivitamin, The Big One. Occasionally I will supplement with whey protein, and depending on what training program I am doing, I will use creatine.
 
8. What are some things to keep in mind to help avoid injuries when exercising?
 
The first thing is to know your limits and not test them. Progress your workouts gradually, not too much all at once.

Properly warming up and maintaining adequate flexibility are also very important, along with maintaining proper form, not just for strength training exercises but cardiovascular exercise too.

Also, people need to occasionally vary their workouts. Performing the same repetitive movements will lead to overuse injuries. The best way to prevent that is by taking a break from the normal routine and doing something completely different.

Another important thing to help avoid injuries is proper nutrition. Exercise breaks down tissue. You need to have enough nutrients to repair and build the tissue damaged from your workouts.
 
9. Is there a fitness myth you would like to debunk?
 
The myth that conventional strength training shortens muscles and that Pilates lengthens muscles. First of all, exercise itself is the best thing to counter “muscle binding.” Individuals become “muscle bound”, inflexible through inactivity, not exercise. I have nothing against Pilates, just its proponents that try to hype it by making it sound superior to other forms of exercise such as resistance training or weight lifting by making false claims. It is impossible to lengthen your muscles through exercise.

They are attached at their origins and insertions, and you should want them to always stay there! They can experience hypertrophy or atrophy, their tone can improve or decline, but to say you can change the length is just false.

10. Is there anything you would like to add?
 
Just thank you for the interview.

Thank you Aaron for participating! Visit Aaron at: www.AaronHarrisFitness.com

photo credit: Andres Rueda

I have collected my share of fitness dvd’s over the years and some of them were good and some of them I just got bored with after a couple of weeks. Once I joined the gym, I didn’t think much about in-home fitness dvd’s. That is until I started hearing about P90X. I knew it was a fitness program on dvd and I once caught a glimpse of the infomercial and was impressed by it.

Then not too long ago, I learned more about Beachbody® products and realized they produce some of the most popular dvd’s around. I had heard of Hip Hop Abs plenty of times. Soon after, I signed up with the Team Beachbody Club, became a coach, and have started P90 (the program before P90X.)

I’m into day 9 of P90 and here is what I like about the whole system thus far:

Accountability – Unlike other fitness dvd’s you can buy, Beachbody has created a way for you to be accountable. If you join the Team Beachbody Community, you can log in your workouts, team up with buddies who are also doing the same program you are, join groups, utilize the message boards, and use personalized meal planners (paid version of club.) It is a good way of feeling part of a group and it keeps track of your overall progress too (calenders, before/after stats, etc.)

Progression – The workouts are set up for progression. For example, in P90, there are 4 phases. You start in phase 1-2 and progress into phase 3-4. Average progression from phase 1-2 to 3-4 happens at the 30 day mark but can vary depending on how you feel. I can tell you after day 9, I have noticed improvement in my overall strength already.

Meal Plans – Food is my biggest obstacle. Working out is fun for me but I just couldn’t get my eating habits down. I was so happy to read over the meal plans that come with the programs and the ones you can use in the club. Sure, I could get healthy recipes online, but that brings me back to the accountability issue. Participating in the club and knowing that I want results at the end of 90 days pushes me to eat properly.

Time Saver – I quit the gym recently and I have no regrets about doing so. One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m saving myself a lot of time by working out at home. I can do my workouts any time I want and they don’t take long at all. I’m done within 30 – 40 minutes and I feel great afterwards. It’s convenient, I get it done, and move on with my day.

If you are struggling to find a fun way to exercise without investing time and money in a gym, I recommend checking out Beachbody® products. I think their programs are a great resource for people who just want a simple way to get in shape while making it fun at the same time. It is working out great for me so far and I am documenting my progress over at my other fitness blog.

I am an Independent Beachbody® Coach – Making purchases or becoming a coach through my web site below, will allow me to team up with you in the club, introduce you to my coach, offer support, and answer any questions as well:

Beachbody® products
Fitness blog

photo credit: FotoosVanRobin

Two years ago I wrote a post under the category of fitness myths titled “Fitness Myth – Eating Once a Day to Lose Weight.” Almost everything I have read in terms of diet has always been to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with 2 snacks in between. Most popular fitness sites will say the same thing – eat 5 to 6 small meals a day.

Well, I never thought that the article I posted 2 years ago would get so many comments and mostly of people saying that eating once a day is GOOD for losing weight. Surprisingly, most of the comments state that eating once a day was the only way to lose weight. Even with all of those comments I still have to disagree just from my own experience. I don’t like starving. I get moody and I get headaches if I haven’t had enough to eat.

I do believe that eating more throughout the day (of the right foods) keeps you fueled for exercise as well as keeping you functioning in general. Besides, how can you get all of the vitamins and nutrients you need from one meal a day? Supplements are fine but they are to supplement – not replace food as your main source of nutrition. I just thought I’d bring this up again since the topic continues to generate comments on the post.

What do you think? Is it safe to eat once a day?

photo credit: SashaW

I decided to cancel my gym membership the other day. I still believe a gym membership can motivate some people to start working out. In fact, joining a gym helped me turn my attitude around about exercising regularly. However, it got to the point where I enjoyed running much more than anything else. I do incorporate weights when doing bodyweight exercises at home so I still get my resistance training in. I realized that I was paying a monthly fee for what I can do for free.

Exercising at home will save me money in fees and gas. I like waking up, seeing a beautiful day, and going for a run outside. I usually do my resistance training in the evenings.

I’m not worried about losing motivation about working out. It is a part of my life now and exercise is something I truly enjoy. One thing that was tough was cancelling my membership. Wow, the person on the phone had a rebuttal for everything I had to say! Have you ever canceled a gym membership? What were your reasons and did it work out better for you?

photo credit: houseoftext

Could chocolate milk be the new cheaper alternative to all of the expensive protein shakes on the market? I’ve been coming across it a lot lately and found out why it may do the job just as well if not better.

Protein shakes are very popular, especially among people who lift weights. Protein aids in the recover of the muscles because when we lift weights, we are basically causing rips/tears in the muscles. When they repair, they grow bigger. Protein helps to speed up the muscle recovery. At least that is what I get from reading about it.

Benefits of Chocolate Milk as a Recovery Drink

• Milk’s mix of high-quality protein and carbohydrates can help refuel exhausted muscles.
• Research suggests it may reduce exercise-induced muscle damage.
• Helps reduce lactic acid levels in the blood.
• Milk also provides fluids for rehydration and minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium that recreational exercisers and elite athletes alike need to replace after strenuous activity.

It seems like a good alternative if you want to save money and have no preference in your sport drinks. What do you think?

Source: [telegraph.co.uk]

The following is an interview I conducted with Son Trinh, Doctor of Physical Therapy. He provided some great insight into ways to get motivated to workout, good workout tips, as well as ways to help avoid injury. You can find Son at his web site located at: www.fitnessisthekey.com

1. Could you provide a little background about yourself and how you got into fitness?

My mom tells me that at 10 months, I went from crawling to running. I don’t think I’ve stopped moving since. Fitness came out of those early experiences, a side effect, if you will, but one that I’ve gladly lived with.

“Getting into fitness” didn’t happen in a formal way until I read a book by neurologist Oliver Sacks during a bus ride along the California coast about 6 years ago. He talked about the “music” of movement and its unlocking effect on the brain, the body, and the systems that integrate the two.

Physical therapy stood at the crossroads. That was the case for Sacks and it became the same for me. Many years and a doctoral degree later, I’ve worked with everything from spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, and fibromyalgia, to orthopedic rehab, sports conditioning, and aquatic rehab. Recently, I started my own business with Beachbody, a giant in the home fitness industry.

2. What is your workout routine like?

I’m on my second round of P90X. If you’ve been watching TV you’ve probably heard of P90X along with the list of people who are doing it (Sheryl Crow, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Braves outfielder Matt Diaz, and football greats Brett Favre and Ray Lewis along with the entire Philadelphia Eagles team…)

Under all the hype is a program that works. Ninety days of intensity, consisting of three phases that are each four weeks long (90 days total). The variety lies in alternating between kenpo, kickboxing, yoga, weight-based isotonics and plyometrics.

When I’m not doing the “X”, I typically exercise at least 5 days with one to two days of rest/week. Of course, some weeks will be more intense then others. The idea though is simple: functional and mechanically correct exercises with a balance of strength, power, flexibility and fun.

3. What does your nutrition plan consist of? Are you a big supplement user?

You are what you eat, and you eat what you have. People tend to forget the latter. If you stock up with binge bags full of high calorie snacks, what do you think you’re going to end up eating? So, my first priority speaks to this. I keep as little junk food around as possible. While I certainly don’t discourage the occasional “slip”, I just try to prevent it from becoming a slip and slide into the bowels of unhealthful eating.

I typically eat frequent, balanced and nutrient dense foods (usually 4-6 small meals if possible). I also drink a chocolate or berry shake called Shakeology which contains just about every macronutrient known to man as well as all the antioxidants, phytochemicals, prebiotics, vitamins and minerals that I find impossible to find elsewhere.

Other than that I drink a small creatine based recovery drink after my workouts. My supplement philosophy is that it depends on your goals and your needs. If you’re doing intense exercise and want to build muscle, it makes sense to take in some extra protein, especially if you normally don’t eat much. On the other hand, too much of anything is usually bad.?

4. Staying motivated can be tough for many people. What are your suggestions for getting and staying motivated to workout?

1. Get a program that works for you. If you like dance, by golly, don’t get going on a yoga routine.

2. Take measurements, set goals, take pictures, and track your progress. You need to know where you were to find out how far you’ve gone.

3. Establish accountability. Let a few people know what you’re trying to do. It’s harder to flake out on others than it is to flake out on yourself.

4. Stay on track. Just because you fell off the train doesn’t mean you can’t get back on. It’s not all or nothing. You WILL slack off some days. Just re-commit and realize that you don’t have to be perfect to get results. The only people who fail are those who let a few missteps turn into an excuse to quit.

5. What are some things to keep in mind to help avoid injuries when exercising?

Very general principles:
If it hurts, don’t do it (there’s a difference between “burn” and pain)
If you didn’t warm up, don’t exercise. Period.
Too much isn’t necessarily better.
Focus on form unless you want to injure yourself and spend the next few weeks or months getting back to where you were.
Train upper and lower, front and back, right and left. Balance keeps you aligned and when you’re aligned you won’t get injured.

6. What are some good ways to warm-up before exercising?

Keep it simple. Run in place, do some “jacks”, and start of with very light weights. Stretch when your muscles are warm. This shouldn’t take more than 5 to 10 minutes.

7. There are so many exercise programs out there. What would you suggest for people who want to keep things simple but stay in shape.

If nothing else, park far and walk more. Take the stairs and ride a bike. Find ways to challenge yourself and relish in the new, stronger, slimmer and happier person you see in the mirror each morning.

Don’t forget, fitness isn’t about having your cake and eating it too. I mean this literally. Some people think that they’ll just work off that 6lb burger later by doing an extra lap. Eating right and moving more is about making lifestyle choices. It’s not about finding the easiest way to indulge yourself without paying your dues.

8. What would you recommend for people who want to break a plateau or add more challenge to their workouts?

Bodies adapt. That’s a physiological fact. That’s why you need to throw the change-up every now and then. Cycle through one program, switch to another one for a few weeks and cycle back. You have plenty of options. Sports, resistance training, hiking, dancing, running, swimming…variety will keep your body going AND it keeps things interesting.

My workout (P90X) already has the variety built in so plateaus don’t have a chance to develop. As soon as the body starts to say, “Oh, I see the pattern…” the workout changes. That’s the key.

9. Is there a fitness myth that you would like to debunk?

“Jocks are dumb.” While I can’t speak for everyone, I do know this: IF jocks are dumb, they would be even dumber if they stopped exercising. Physical activity doesn’t just help your muscles. It makes your bones stronger, your heart healthier and your brain better at processing information. Braun and brain can definitely go together.

10. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Have fun. For ideas on how you can get fit, visit my website at www.fitnessisthekey.com. You can find out how to win $300 to $1,000 every day just by doing whatever workout you choose. This is completely free and a great incentive to stay on track. You can also enter to win up to $250,000 by being the most inspiring success story in our Million Dollar Body Game. Finally, you can find out how to make fitness a business that will help you and others to get healthy and stay that way.

I came across this video from the Bar-barians blog and couldn’t believe it. I think it is great when kids take an interest in fitness. Do you think this is too much or does this kid’s parents have the right idea?

The diamond push up is one tough way to attempt to do a push up but it does add a challenge if you are seeking one in terms of push ups. You will be working out your triceps and chest muscles.

This is tough but a very cool way to do push ups. It is an exercise that you can work up to and be proud of yourself for accomplishing.

Diamond Push Ups

Do you want to try something even harder?

Check out the fingertip push ups done by Bruce Lee. No joke.

photo credit: Aidan Jones

When you haven’t exercised in awhile and start back up again, you may wonder what the heck people mean when they say exercise makes them feel better. I used to wonder also when I got back into working out, but now I’m to the point where I do feel the benefits.

It won’t happen right away, but over time when you exercise regularly, I do believe you will experience some if not most of the feel good benefits exercise offers. The feel good benefits may include:

• Stress relief
• Improved moods
• Better sleep
• Reduced anxiety
• Decreases depression
• Increased confidence
• Improves circulation (feel refreshed)
• Improved social life (meet others who workout at your gym, etc.)
• Look better

Personally, I find that I have more energy, I’m in better moods, and I feel stronger. I even get bummed out when I have appointments that cut into my gym time. Missing a workout makes me moody which I think is a good thing.

If you think exercise is just a chore and it is keeping you from working out, just try it for a few weeks and see if it doesn’t improve how you feel mentally and physically.