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Preventing Osteoporosis with your Long, Slow Cardio Event

2010-04-02T15:38:00.004-05:00

Osteoporosis is a bone degenerating disease that leads to potentially dangerous (even deadly) bone fractures. Commonly discussed as a risk area for aging women, if you're thinking that this problem is just for the girls, think again! Recent research at the University of Wisconsin shows, that while "While a 50-year-old woman faces a lifetime risk of 50% for an osteoporotic fracture, anywhere from one in eight to one in four 50-year-old men face that risk."

Further, the complication and death rates for men are higher than for women.

But wouldn't you know it ... one of the best ways to avoid osteoporosis is to maintain a regular resistance program! If you're not regularly exercising, we can certainly help you with that. Additionally, now that we're basking in 15+ hours of daylight, your long slow cardio event can help there too!

Because if you're following our prescribed cardiovascular programmingrecommendations your weekly cardio efforts will include:

One short duration, high intensity event (SDHI)
Two moderate duration, moderate intensity events (MDMD)
One long duration, low intensity event (LDLI)

Sundays, early mornings, and late evenings are perfect times to get out and complete that Long Duration, Low Intensity (LDLI) event.

But just what, exactly, is Long Duration? And Low Intensity?

Generally, you'll want the long duration, low exercise event to be measured in hours,preferably closer to 2 or 3. But it shouldn't feel exhausting.

You'll want to pick up your heart rate just a bit, but not so much that you're really challenging your circulatory or respiratory systems. The increased blood flow provides much needed nutrient rich blood to your muscles, bones, and joints.

Under the stress of more intense exercise (resistance or cardio), muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments all get damaged a bit. This is by design, as the rebuilding/recovery that follows makes them stronger, longer, or leaner. It also increases bone density, which is why it's particularly effective in avoiding osteoporosis.

Additionally, conversion of energy sources to energy produces a toxic waste product called lactic acid during exercise. The more intense you exercise, the more lactic acid you produce. This waste product is the primary reason why you may feel sore afterresistance exercise: your body doesn't like the lactic acid hanging around muscle groups. Stretching can help help eliminate lactic acid buildup, but we mostly depend on the circulatorysystem to flush it out.

Your LDLI then, provides an important niche role in assisting with your recovery: upside nutrition for your recovering tissues, and increased blood flowto remove lactic acid waste product.

If you have a heart rate monitor we can tell you exactly what range to be in for this exercise.

Or ...

You can enroll in our Targeted Cardio Program and get one for free!;
You can use the perceived exertion scale;
You can use this handy minute rule tip from RealAge.com.

But before you start thinking "... hey, I'll just do that daily then ..." , do recognize that this only has practical value within a comprehensive program that includes prescribed resistance training as well as more intense bouts of cardio work. It's part of the puzzle, but a lost puzzle piece by itself.

Exactly what you do for your Weekly LDLI will depend enormously on your current fitness level, but here are a few suggestions.

Walk. The lakes, the rivers, and the bridges all have excellent separation from traffic. And the intensity of a brisk walk is exactly in the right range for LDLI exercise. Again, check this handy tip from RealAge to gauge intensity.

Nordic Walk. If you want to do even than better than just walking, start nordicwalking. Long popular with the skiers for summertime training, nordic walking has a leg up on just plain walking in that with the use of hiking poles you:

Engage your entire body in the exercise
Improve Core Strength and Stability (lower back and abdominals)
Increase Shoulder and Arm muscular endurance
Improve the safety and stability of your walk, especially for geriatrics

... thereby burning an additional 45% more calories than with walking alone!!!

You can stick to the urban trails, or get onto the many city and county park hiking trails (Hennepin County Parks, Ramsey County Parks). You can get your hiking poles at REI, or one of the many area cross county shops: Finn Sisu in St. Paul, or Gear West in Long Lake.

Ride your Bike. Check out my May 7th 2009 blog entry on commuting by bike to work!

Your Shorter Short Term Goal

2010-03-26T13:15:00.004-05:00

When we speak in terms of goals, we have long term goals and short term goals. Long term goals are the things that change our lives and are measured in months, years, and, in some cases, decades.

Short term goals, on the other hand, are typically measured in weeks. With respect to fitness, 6 weeks is indeed enough time to observe measurable change in fitness levels, even if only slight. Things like increasing the total number of push ups you can do by one or two, or reducing your resting heart rate by a single beat per minute aren't life altering changes to your health and fitness, but the do matter ... on a couple of levels. For one, even those small changes require a level of commitment and dedication to your program. All progress, even a single added push up requires some effort and diligence. But more importantly, they help us take one small, measurable, postive step towards that long term goal that can sometimes seem intimidating.

Short term goals can be further broken down into weekly goals, daily goals, and, at the smallest possible measurable goal, an exercise workout goal. Oh, I suppose that that too could be broken down into your warmup goal, and individual exercise set goals, which do matter by the way, but in

The Latest Healthcare Reform Failure

2010-03-18T09:40:00.007-05:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else believe that a bill requiring congressional tricks and tactics to get it passed is doomed from the start?

I hate to go off on a rant here, but this bus is missing a few wheels!

Project Ownership Incomplete

Most managers of personnel recognize that their best shot at completing a project or reaching team goals is getting collective buy-in from the team. People need to feel that they helped craft the vision and direction, and therefore consider it personal to see it through to completion. The team needs to feel some ownership of the plan.

But when a project begins with highly fragmented support, all of the many and guaranteed obstacles that arise throughout the project's journey become larger than they really are. People look for reasons to kill the project instead of looking for solutions for success.

With congress almost completely divided on the reform bill now at hand, this project simply doesn't have the necessary ownership needed to succeed. Completing the sweeping changes needed to fix the ailing system is going to take a lot of creativity, a lot of effort, and a lot of faith. Just half of us working towards that goal isn't enough to get us there. Though perhaps it's enough to get us to a place where we can make further progress.

Sugar Tax Funding Missing

Another puzzle piece missing from the bill (as I last saw it), are Sugar Taxes. Indeed, it was about this time last year when the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated the strongest correlation yet between artificial sugars and obesity. With legislation so closely tied to nutrition, not using this seemingly obvious funding resource (sugar tax) is unforgivable.

Fat Tax Funding Missing

And then there's the fat tax. As individuals we absolutely have the right to choose to eat whatever the hell we want ... deep fried foods, bacon, ice cream, and Twinkies included!

But consuming those things does hurt your health.

And if we, as taxpayers and employers are shouldering the burden of funding an increasingly socialistic health care system, then we, the taxpayers should be getting a little extra help funding the solution from those who continue to choose to make poor nutritional choices.

It only makes sense, that if we can tax alcohol, cigarettes, and (yes, according to the most recent bill), tanning studios, we can and should include taxing highly saturated and/or trans fat foods. They're every bit as detrimental to health, perhaps even more so for some.

Fitness Incentives Missing

Above all else, the plan fails to create any incentives for fitness.

Indeed, the most significant Obama initiative around fitness is Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative for kids. I like the idea, but feel strongly that it's largely the tail wagging the dog. Kids tend to be more active when their parents are, not the other way around. Getting kids moving is a good idea, but it's up to their parents and business leaders to provide leadership, example, funding, and structure. More important than all, it's also up to their parents to buy and prepare healthy foods. So while the idea sounds good, and is, it's only a piece of the puzzle.

Lastly, and I really didn't think it would make this generation of 'reform,' but the attendance based model of encouraging adults to exercise doesn't work. You know what I mean: your employer says she'll give you 20 bucks a month if you simply show up at your club 8 times per month. While I'll be the 1st to agree that simply showing up is almost always the hardest part of completing your exercise program, what tends to happen is that the people who would normally exercise simply do it for cheap. For those who are entirely new to exercise, or perhaps in the obese category, the 20 bucks isn't enough to make it work. At some point, and perhaps it will be a day after I've signed off for good, there will be ...

... an incentive based program to reduce premiums for people who are demonstrably maintaining or improving their fitness levels.

Tests will be done for blood pressure, resting heart rate, body composition, and functional fitness.

People who are maintaining acceptable fitness levels will earn an insurance premium discount for doing so. And deserve it.

Muscular Definition Starts with Range of Motion in March

2010-03-11T21:37:00.010-06:00

My good friends running bike and ski shops in the north woods of Wisconsin have a term called the 'brown zone.' It's that dead spot in the seasonal changes where it's just too cold and wet for a lot of us to enjoy cycling, and there isn't enough snow on the trails for good skiing. The trees are dormant and the ground is mostly brown.

While die-hards will bunny suit up to get into the saddle, or strap on the outback skis in search of snow-crust skiing, they're also missing out on the best time of the year to train indoors. And that, my friends, is right now!

In fact, now is the time to start working on that summer body. Work begins right now on muscular development becomes apparent when you loose those last few more pounds of body fat with increased Spring and Summer cardio effort.

But pay particular attention to form, because a strict range of motion with your resistance training in March goes a long way towards how you look in July!

In fact, one of the more common mistakes I see in the gyms is incomplete range of motion exercise. People get too hung up on the volume of weights, and end up jerking and throwing the weight through a shortened range of motion. As a result, they do, in fact, develop shorter muscle fibers than the disciplined lifter who exercises good form.

It takes focus and some practice, but if you're looking for a long, lean and toned muscular look, use smooth controlled muscle contractions, and be sure to keep good overall body posture throughout the exercise.

Trainers use the term Range of Motion, or ROM to describe how fully muscles and bones rotate around a specific joint. And complete ROM is your key to long, well defined muscle tissues. Allow the resistance to fully elongate the muscle fibers around the joint during the eccentric (recovery) part of the exercise. And completely contract the muscle fibers when shortening them (the concentric part). Not only does this tone and build tissue from tendon to tendon, but it also stimulates full fiber development up and down the muscle to avoid 'bulky' looking muscles.

And breathe! Exhale when contracting muscle and inhale elongating.

Then, when the weather finally does warm up, and you get get outside for extended periods of additional cardio to pull off a few more pounds, the emerging muscle tissue is beautifully developed and will emerge looking as good as the form you used to build it!

The Surgeon General's tips for Minnesota's Business Leaders

2010-03-04T18:40:00.019-06:00

Regina M. Benjamin, MD, the United States Surgeon General, is on a mission! She's calling on all Americans to live and be healthier through better nutrition and exercise in the 2010 Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation Report!
Within the very readable 13 page report are REQUIREMENTS for individuals, schools,the medical community, and business leaders to living healthier and put an end to the obesity epidemic.
I regularly rant on about what individuals can do for themselves to live longer and stronger, and mostly like what Dr. Benjamin says around that. It's all good stuff.
Additionally, as a parent of two high school boys, influencing what schools do for fitness ... or what schools do anything for that matter ... is like shoveling your driveway with a pair of chop sticks! I forfeit there.
And, thankfully, the medical community is figuring it out all by themselves! Most physicians now realize that they really don't want to be drug dealers for the large pharmaceutical corporations. These days, they prescribe more than ever, EXERCISE as a 1st step in treading many diseases.
So, Minnesota Business Leaders, this Blog's for you!
In May of 2008 Time magazine ran a story on "Mandatory Fitness." Apparently, various organizations around the world have a new sheriff in town. And she's wearing spandex with a bad attitude. According to the article, “… eighty four percent of Americans said that they’d get healthier … if (only) the boss insisted.”

So, at a few leading companies, the boss insisted. Verizon, Microsoft, and Dow Chemical, among others were actually offering cash bonuses for loosing weight.

Indeed, the data is overwhelming in favor of exercise programs. Employees are more productive, more energetic, use less sick time, look better, feel better, have improved self esteem, have reduced stress, reduce the risk of many diseases, reduce anxiety, have reduced blood pressure, and avoid depression with regular exercise.

Further, by being healthier, they help to directly improve your bottom line by utilizing ‘health care’ services less frequently, thereby reducing your usage rating and health care premium costs.

In short, everyone is more productive and more valuable to an organization when they exercise regularly.

Fit people walk more quickly to meetings, can take a flight of stairs to avoid elevator congestion, and spend less time in the restroom. They’re also more likable, and make better sales people (Cialdini, Robert B., Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion).

One of the more frequent excuses we get from clients is that they "don't have time" to regularly exercise 3 or 4 days per week. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're serious about your career, your business, your family, or your spouse, you simply CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO exercise regularly.

Time report on Mandatory Fitness was almost 2 years ago. I'd be very interested in a follow up story on how well that's working out, though judging by the Surgeon General's report, it doesn't look like it's been a game changer.

The Surgeon General reports, in fact, that nearly 60% of all adult Americans are still either overweight (BMI > 25) or obese (BMI > 30). Wow.

So, what can possibly be done about that in the workplace?

Well, as it turns out, plenty!

For one, the Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) lab at Mayo Clinic developed a computer station atop a treadmill few years ago to get office workers more active within otherwise sedentary office roles. Office furniture maker Steelcase is manufacturing and marketing it commercially. Upsize Magazine reported in 2008 that Salo, LLC has a few of them on site here in Minneapolis.

Whether tossing worker bees onto the gerbil spinwheel, or offering cash incentives for weight loss, these types of programs require a significant change in corporate culture. And every corporate culture shift starts with executive management.

Here then, are my Top 5 tips for Corporate Executives:
Schedule exercise into your calendar, and don’t move it unless there’s a death in the family. Make your exercise appointment the most immutable appointment of the day.
Be accountable to someone. It helps if you have a personal trainer waiting on (and charging) you for the appointment whether you show up or not, but it is also helpful to have a training buddy/partner. You’re much more likely to show up when you know someone is waiting for you.
Establish, write down, and publish a very specific health lifestyle goal for the next 3 months. These are things like: exercise for 90 minutes 3 times per week; or walk for 60 minutes 6 days per week; or make every scheduled exercise appointment. Lifestyle Changes.
Establish, write down, and public a very specific, Non-Appearance related fitness goals for the next 6 weeks. While the body will certainly undergo composition changes with regular exercise, the initial 6 weeks should focus entirely on strength or endurance measurements: doubling your push ups; or completing 40 sit-ups within one minute; or completing a mile run in under 8 minutes. Don’t worry about the body weight or body fat at all just yet.
Update your Corporate Values, Behaviors, and Ethics document to include the statement: Regular Exercise is a fundamental and necessary element of heath and happiness, and improves professional productivity.
Once the boss is engaged, all sorts of things are possible and things get easier.

10 More things that corporate leadership can do to encourage a better health and fitness culture within their organizations:
Encourage and allow a 10-minute walking break every two hours. Not only will this burn a few calories, but it will energize and refresh the body and mind.
Stock Fresh Fruit in your break room and lobby (Kwik Trip bananas just 49 cents/lb.).
Strongly discourage staff from bringing in cookies and candies. They’ll just clog your heart and/or stick to your rear anyway.
Grant allowances for exercise. Corporations won’t hesitate much when a parent dashes off to rescue their child from daycare at the end of the day. Neither should they question employees who dash off to keep their exercise appointments.
Install a shower and changing room at your office bike commuters, and midday runners & walkers .
Make sure bike commuters have a safe, indoor place to store their equipment (bikes, helmets, gear); See my Blog entry for more ways to get employees started with bicycle commuting.
Offer cash compensation to employees who commute by bike and save you parking expenses
Stage regular, monthly Health and Fitness Seminars with key expertise on getting more fit and healthy
Sponsor a Get Fit Month twice annually, complete with awards and recognition for people who most effectively change their lives in positive ways
Do it now! Having helped thousands of individuals improve their health and fitness over the decades, I can honestly tell you that the hardest part is just getting started!

Olympic Training Secrets

2010-02-25T07:27:00.035-06:00

As the Vancouver Winter Olympics wind down this week, I am reminded of what makes Olympians so different from the rest of us.

And really, there are just three simple things: their bodies, their minds, and their soul.

From a physiological perspective, the most distinct difference between those humans, amateur athletes worldwide, and the general population is genetics. Don't get me wrong ... world class athletes become world class athletes through a tremendous amount of hard work, dedication, mental preparation, and nutritional diligence. You simply can't compete among the best of the best without the right attitude and effort (more on that below).

However, that effort really isn't what makes them different.

What makes them different is their inherited ability to recover and adapt to the physiological stress that that level of training places on their bodies.

Olympic Athletes endure thousands of hours of training to reach the fitness and athleticism required to compete on the ultimate world stage. In order to get stronger, and improve fitness, they put increasing burdens on the body. Recovering from this kind of stress requires proper nutrition, rest, and stretching.

It's the same thing the rest of us do when exercising for good health and fitness. We all put incrementally increased amounts of resistance, endurance, or intensity in our exercise programs to force the body to adapt. And we all recover with varied results.

Unfortunately, the speed with which your body rebuilds itself is primarily genetic.

Indeed, understanding individual that recovery rates, and how much volume and intensity can be put into an exercise program is one of the primary reasons why personal trainers exist at all: finding that fine line between progress and pain.

In their minds, Olympic athletes need to genuinely believe that they will have success. Everything they do is around the belief that all the hard work and sacrifice will eventually pay off. It's what drives them to endure. They expect to win.

In this regard, they have another distinct advantage over the rest of us. Nearly every Olympians has had early success in their lives that helped build confidence for additional success, that led to higher and higher levels of confidence in their pursuits. For the same reasons that the Chinese are good at math, gifted athletes become superstars through early and frequent re-enforcement of their talents that many Americans don't ever see with common exercise programs. As elite athletes are spiraling up to the stars, common Americans are spiraling downward into a sedentary, inactive lifestyle without the benefit of positive exercise experience and payoff.

A lot of the clients that we work with have tried, without any luck, dozens of programs and diets over the years only to end up right back where they started. So, in this regard, it's actually HARDER ... indeed, a LOT Harder ... for a middle aged adult who hasn't seen a lot of success with exercise to get fit than it is for an Olympic athlete to go from good to great. The confidence built upon early success matters enormously.

But above all else, what sets Olympians apart from the rest of humanity is what's in their hearts. A deep, burning desire to accomplish their goals is what makes Olympians Olympians. It's not enough to be interested in being an Olympian. As Linsday Vonn says, "You must go out and take it."

I often run into folks who share 'amazing' stories with me about how individuals went from fat to fit. Helping people do that for several decades now, there isn't much I find amazing anymore ... there really are no tricks, or secrets to exercise, and it's sad that the industry is overloaded with hype, mis information, and, in some cases flat out lies about pills, 6 minute training fads, and 'incredible' breakthrough fitness programming! It comes down to a powerful belief to accomplish their goals, a lot of hard work, and a burning desire to succeed.

I have really enjoyed these Winter Olympics, and am truly amazed with the degree to which athletes have taken their sport!

But I am mostly in awe of the many clients we've worked with over the years who have had the burning desire to succeed and have done so in spite of average genetics, and early exercise failure.

With a burning desire to succeed, they have discovered the most important Olympic training secret.

The Fat Burning Zone Myth

2010-02-19T09:21:00.005-06:00

February is Heart Healthy Month!

Last week, as it was Valentine's Day, I touched on the hottest heart rate training zone, Zone 5.

This week, I'd like to slow things way, way down and comment on the coolest of the 5 heart rate training zones, Zone 1, or the Fat Burning Zone. While time spent in the Fat Burning Zone has it's time and place, one of the more common mistakes I see in clubs is the use of the Fat Burning Zone program on cardio equipment. Without knowing anything more, it certainly seems like a reasonable choice in cardio effort for a lot of folks:

"I want to loose some fat; therefore, I want the Fat Burning Program."

Unfortunately, spending a lot of time in the fat burning zone actually isn'tthe best way to reduce body fat! Nor is spending a lot of time in this zone the best route to good heart health. While time in this zone does have value in overall good health and fitness, you already spend most of your life in this zone ... when at rest ... when sedentary ... and when sleeping.

Therefore, when exercising, it is critical that you pick it up a bit!

You see, energy for activities and exercise always comes from blend of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Normally 60% to 70% of your Max Heart Rate, energy requirements for exercise in the Fat Burning Zone do indeed allow for energy to come primarily come from fats. But for fats to be used as an energy source f0r exercise (or activities that aren't too rigorous), they must be first converted to a more usable form of energy called glucose. Also oxygen is required to convert the fat to glucose, this level of metabolism is also considered aerobic (with oxygen).

The rub though, is that while the Fat Burning Zone metabolism is in fact slow enough to convert fats to glucose, exercise in this zone doesn't require much total energy, and, therefore doesn't burn all that much fat.

Furthermore, and to the point now, is that at some point the utilization of fat as an energy source tops out: Exercise faster and you won't burn any more fat. Exercise harder and you won't burn any more fat. You do, however, burn additional calories as you pick up the pace within the Cardio (3) and Anaerobic (4) zones.

While the fat utilization tops out beyond the fat burning zone, carbohydrate utilization continues to escalate with increased effort. And this is why spending time in the fat burning zone isn't a practical way to loose fat: at the end of the day, it's all about calories. CaloriesIngested = Calories Spent + Fat Stored. If you consume more calories than you burn, you add fat. If you burn more calories than you ingest, you loose fat.

While beyond the scope of this entry to provide a complete tutorial of heart rate zones and heart rate zone training, just send me an email to request full copy of my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic Report!

Further, if you're looking to significantly step up your Heart Health, do check out our new

Enhanced Cardiovascular Programming Model.

Intended to provide a higher level of service to clients interested in a more focused cardiovascular programming model, as well as a way for potential clients to gain limited exposure to one on one training, three new programs have been developed.

Maroon Program Participants Receive, Monthly

Cardio equipment access 4x/wk
An introductory 1:1 cardio workout
Individually tailored prescribed cardiovascular program (PreCOP)
Weekly Tips Cardio Email
$99/mo Non FT Clients
$19/mo Current Active FT Clients

Gold Program Participants Receive, Monthly:

All Maroon Program benefits
A New Heart Rate Monitor
Max Heartrate testing
A one on one heart rate monitored personal training session
A one on one heart rate monitored cardiovascular session
FT cardio team membership
$229/mo Non FT Clients
$139/mo Current Active FT Clients

Platinum Program Participants Receive, Monthly:

All Gold Program benefits
An additional one one one heart rate monitored personal training session
An additional one on one heart rate monitored cardiovascular session Enrollment into the FT MSP Maroon Nutrition Program (Spring 2009)
$379/mo Non FT Clients
$279/mo Current Active FT Clients

Hot Zone Heart Rate Training for Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T13:16:00.005-06:00

February is Heart Healthy Month!

And for good reason: Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the US; Stoke the 3rd leading cause. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that 67M Americans currently have Heart Disease. Another 47M Americans show 3 or more symptoms of Heart Disease, according to Center for Disease Control (CDC). Together, that’s 40% of all Americans!

Sunday is also Valentine's day! So I thought a few words close the the heart would be appropriate.

Heart rate zones are quite simply ranges of heart beat rates where the heart, lungs, and circulatory system convert energy sources to energy uniquely within each range. Between your Maximum Heart Rate (MaxHR) and Ambient Heart Rate are five (or seven, depending on who you ask) heart rate zones, all based on a percentage of Maximum Heart Rate. Determining your MaxHR can be either very straightforward, or somewhat difficult. A common formula used to find your MaxHR is 220 minus your age. While a reasonable place to start for most people, this method of determining MaxHR can be highly inaccurate. Check with your fitness expert to determine a more accurate number for yourself.

While beyond the scope of this note to provide a complete tutorial of heart rate zones and heart rate zone training (just send me an email to request full copy of my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic Report), since it's Valentine's Day, a few tips on Zone 5, also known as The Red would seem appropriate.

This zone, sometimes also called The Hot Zone, is where heart rates exceed 90% of MaxHR. At this rate, fuel comes completely and exclusively from the purest form of energy ... a broken down glycogen molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Zone 5 ATP stores are depleted at this pace within just 5 to 35 seconds (depending on fitness level). At that point your body will tell you in no uncertain terms that you must slow down or stop to utilized more moderate energy systems and replenish the depleted ATP levels. Caloric consumption in this zone can be as much as a hundred times what is during a resting state. Like anaerobic exercise in zone 4, zone 5 metabolism also generates a lot of lactic acid.

Even world class aerobic anomalies like Lance Armstrong can only hold the red zone for a few minutes before needing to back off and replenish the ATP debt. Of course, with a 200 BPM MaxHR and an anaerobic threshold near 95% of that, Lance is burning fat while most of us are depleting ATP! As you can imaging, time in this zone must be very carefully managed. Indeed, for the most part only 0.5% to 1% of your total weekly training time should be spent in this zone. Most athletes train this zone with regular interval training. And while most exercisers will train in this zone only sparingly, it is still an effective, beneficial, and necessary part of good heart health.

So what is an interval? Intervals are quite simply carefully prescribed short, but high intensity cardiovascular exercise followed by lengthier 'recovery' periods between. More complete info in intervals is also available in our New Enhanced Cardio program (details below), but in the spirit of Valentine's Day, here's a Great, Easy Hot Zone Interval program for you our your loved one:

Complete a thorough 10 minute warmup
Increase intensity for 2 minutes to a point where you feel 'winded'
Rest for about a minute
Increase intensity for 2 minutes until you feel some pain, but not agony
Rest for about a minute
Sprint for 30 seconds
Rest for about a minute
Sprint for 45 seconds
Rest for about a minute
Sprint for 1 minute
Complete a thorough 10 minute warmdown

And that's it! If you're lucky, and really working hard, all you will spend between 10 and 20 seconds in Zone 5 with this workout.

But if you're looking to significantly step up your Heart Health, do check out our new
Enhanced Cardiovascular Programming Model.

Intended to provide a higher level of service to clients interested in a more focused cardiovascular programming model, as well as a way for potential clients to gain limited exposure to one on one training, three new programs have been developed.

Maroon Program Participants Receive, Monthly

Cardio equipment access 4x/wk
An introductory 1:1 cardio workout
Individually tailored prescribed cardiovascular program (PreCOP)
Weekly Tips Cardio Email
$99/mo Non FT Clients
$19/mo Current Active FT Clients

Gold Program Participants Receive, Monthly:

All Maroon Program benefits
A New Heart Rate Monitor
Max Heartrate testing
A one on one heart rate monitored personal training session
A one on one heart rate monitored cardiovascular session
FT cardio team membership
$229/mo Non FT Clients
$139/mo Current Active FT Clients

Platinum Program Participants Receive, Monthly:

All Gold Program benefits
An additional one one one heart rate monitored personal training session
An additional one on one heart rate monitored cardiovascular session Enrollment into the FT MSP Maroon Nutrition Program (Spring 2009)
$379/mo Non FT Clients
$279/mo Current Active FT Clients

Super Sunday Calories

2010-02-05T09:10:00.007-06:00

Just when I thought we were out of the woods with the food holidays, here comes yet another opportunity for extra calories ... Super Bowl Parties! Dang.

While you might just treat this day as a throwout day, particularly if the rest of your week has been clean, below is a recipe that both tastes great and is 'fairly' low in fat. But to clean it up even more, do note eggplant substitution option towards the bottom.

Further, with game being late in the day, MAKE SURE you get in a good workout Sunday afternoon! With the new snow this week, you'll have plenty of quality outdoor options to burn a few calories.

Lastly, be sure to have AT LEAST a small protein snack before you go to your party. The last thing you want to do is show up hungry and dive right into those artery clogging bacon wrapped weenie things.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups dices onions
1.5 pounds of ground turkey
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (14 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
10 to 20 turns of black pepper

Preparation: Saute onions over medium heat until clear. Add Turkey and brown. Stir in red wine, increase heat, and cook until the wine is reduced to 1/4 cup. Add remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for several hours. This long simmer works best in a crock pot, which will also conveniently serve.

If you'd like to kick it up a notch, saute a (seeds removed) jalapeno with the onions, or ad a dash of cayenne to the seasoning mix. I also like to add a tablespoon of ancho chili powder (though any chili powder will work) and a dash of paprika INSTEAD of the tsp salt.

ALSO, to reduce calories a bit more, try substituting an eggplant for half of the turkey. Slice it into 1" pieces and add in just prior to simmering.

If the consistency isn't thick enough upon serving, add in a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

Serve on whole wheat buns. Top with a dollop of yogurt, or cottage cheese, if desired.

10 Fab Fitness Tips for when it's Damned Cold Outside!

2010-01-29T08:22:00.005-06:00

Sixteeen degrees BELOW ZERO this morning!

Fortunately, there isn't much wind and the forecast is for plenty of sunshine. But still. It's damned cold out there!

So, what's a Minnesotan to do when we're looking up at zero for a few days?

Well, as it turns out lots!

Check it out: My top 10 things to do when it's nothing short of damned cold outside.

Defrost your freezer. Box or bag up all of your freezer items an move them to the garage, deck, patio, or your car. They will stay plenty frozen for the 12 or 15 hours it might take to defrost your freezer. Hopefully, you'll need to take a flight of stairs or two in the process to burn a few calories! And while you're at it, thaw out and prepare at least one of the items you bought because it's good for you, but you just haven't gotten around to preparing. We all have them, and you know what I'm talking about: liver, frozen brussel sprouts ... that bison steak. Also, check the expiration dates on anything pre packaged. If it's expired, just throw it out!
Drink. And drink a bunch ... of water! Temps this cold reduce humidity levels indoors and out. Heating systems dry it out even more! And because of the cold, most of us don't seem thirsty, so we tend to hydrate less. Got a slight headache? Maybe you're dehydrated. Sip on a hot cup of green tea, or a cup of hot water if you need something warm in your hands. Otherwise, plan to consume at least 8 ounces of water before each meal today.
Bake some squash or yams ... the more yellow or orange the better. In 20-some years of working with clients on diet, the yellow and orange vegetables tend to get neglected more often than almost anything else. Technically classified as caretenoids, they are low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, and a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium. They are also a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese. Complete nutrition facts here, for baked with added salt, so you can/should reduce your sodium intake by cutting back on (or eliminating) the added salt ... especially if hypertensive. Plus, your oven will add some heat to your home!
And while the oven is hot, Roast some pumpkin and squash seeds. Low in Cholesterol, they are a good source of Protein, Vitamin K, Iron and Copper, and a very good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus and Manganese. This food is, however, high in fat, especially saturated fats, so you'll want to sprinkle them on salads and use sparingly in other dishes.
Go to the gym! With the New Year's resolutes out in full force, it's guaranteed to be warm and humid in there! Or call Fitness Together if you don't like the crowds or humidity, but really want to heat it up!
Book a trip to someplace warm ... like hot enough to require that you eventually shed some clothing. Facing an immediate deadline for exposing otherwise well covered body parts will help keep you focused this Winter. Click here to connect with my good friend Renata at AAA for some travel tips.
Get some sun. Rarely does it get this cold with a lot of cloud cover. Grab a book, your notebook computer ... or whatever ... and find a sunny window to sit near for an hour or two. Some physicians believe that a good portion of our winter ailments are due to sun derived vitamin D deficiency.
Women, schedule your annual breast exam. While October is breast cancer awareness month; if you missed it then, schedule it now.
Men, check your prostate. While heart disease is still your best chance of checking out early, cancer is #2 and colon cancer is one of the likelier villains. Very treatable when caught early; very deadly when not. Pick up the phone right now and get it scheduled!
Register for my Our Highland Park Client Appreciation Event NEXT SATURDAY! You don't need to go or call anywhere cold; JUST CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

So, even though it's not (Rio de Janeiro forecast) 85 degrees outside, there are still plenty of things to do to stay fit and healthy!

Having a (medicine) Ball with Exercise!

2010-01-21T10:36:00.010-06:00

For the same reason that home exercise equipment doesn't work for a lot of folks, training at my own personal training studios doesn't work too well for me personally. Oh, there's plenty of equipment to keep me interested, and with which I can get a great workout, but there are simply too many distractions about.

I really, really do need to get out of my 'work' environment to get an effective 'workout.'

In doing so, I encounter many of the same challenges a lot of you do when working out at large public facilities. And this time of year can be especially frustrating. Whether it's morning, noon, or night, it seems I'm always bumping into equipment contention.

So, as they say, let's make lemonade out of these lemons!

And the way we're going to do it is by using one of the oldest pieces of exercise equipment known to mankind ... the medicine ball. In fact, did you know that medicine (med) balls have been used in physical therapy since 1000 BC?! Sizes and shapes vary from 1 Kg to 11KG, but all medicine balls will be soft enough to bounce on a firm surface (like a wall or floor). Indeed, it's ability to absorb impact is what makes a ball a medicine ball.

What's even better is that while you'll frequently find the benches, the bars, and the pin select equipment in use at the club this time of the year, you will ALWAYS be able to find an unused med ball and a few square feet of open space.

What's more, most of the exercises you do with a med ball are compound exercises that incorporate a LOT of major muscle groups and burn tons of calories!

A couple of tips before you get started:

Keep to the edges and the corners of the gym floor to avoid widely flung bars and cables;
Always start with the lightest weight ball available when learning a new med ball exercise;
Gradually use (over weeks and months) heavier and heavier balls as you develop competence and strength.

Here then, are a few simple med ball exercises. Use one or two of them to supplement your workout, or use all of them for a complete workout!

Walking diagonal lunges with a gentle hand to hand shot-put-like overhead toss (works the glutes, deltoids, and improves balance). Hold a med ball in one hand close to your ear as a shot putter would. Step forward into your lunge keeping the ball near your ear. Then, as you step up out of the lunge to a standing position push the med ball overhead with one hand like a shot putter might. Keep control of the ball as push it over hand over head to your other hand. Lower the ball to shoulder height near your other. Lunge with the other leg and again, pass overhead to the other hand as you recover. Pause between steps and keep your head up!

Explosive seated overhead throw and catch against a flat wall (trains your lats and core). While sitting upright, and like an overhead two handed basketball pass, throw the ball into a wall and catch it on the rebound. NOTE: You might need to wander into a lesser used area of the facility ... perhaps even the basketball court or an unused racquetball court to find a non-mirrored wall and space enough to make this safe to other gym rats. You do not want to hit another gym member with a med ball! And you should not throw med balls against a mirror!

Sit-up and overhead throw to partner/trainer (abs, lats). Like the overhead throw, but this time start with the ball overhead as you lay flat on your back on the ground about 3 feet from your partner. Perform a situp with the ball overhead (a strong back is required!) and complete the exercise with an overhead throw to your trainer. While recovering from seated upright position back to lying prone, have your partner toss you the ball back. You can catch it anywhere, but is most effective if your partner throws to and you catch it over head. Repeat until fatigued.

Explosive squat position basketball chest pass against a wall (gluts, delts, triceps). Begin facing a wall about 5 feet from it. Perform a basic squat with the ball grasped at chest height. As you recover from the squat position (and are raising up to a standing position) forcefully chest pass the med ball to the wall. Be sure your arms are fully extended when you release the ball. Catch and repeat until fatigued.

Russian Twist on the floor. An exercise specifically for your abdominals, balance on your butt with feet and torso lifted off the floor to form a 'V' with your body. Suspend the med ball with two hands above your abdominals. Twist at the waist to your right while balancing on your butt to rotate the ball to above your right hip. Then twist in the other direction to move the ball in a twisting motion (abs, obliques) to atop of your left hip ... all the while keeping the ball suspended off of your body. Repeat until fatigued.

Overhead karate-type chops. Wile standing w/ feet shoulder width apart and with a slightly bent leg, grasp the ball with two hands. Raise the ball overhead. Then, while keeping your arms fully extended, bend at the waist and accelerate the ball downwards towards one foot, but don't let go of the ball! Recover by bending only at the waist (keep those legs and arms mostly straight) standing upright again with the ball overhead, and arms fully extended throughout the motion. Bend at the waist again , but this time accelerate the ball downwards towards the other foot. Again, don't let go! Repeat until fatigued.

Once you have those exercises down, here are a few more advanced movements:

Single arm supported dumbbell rows: support yourself in a plank/pushup-like position with one arm fully extended atop of a med ball. Then, grab a very light dumbbell with the other. Balance on the ball with the extended arm while knocking out a few single arm dumbbell rows with the other. You'll train Tris, Delts, Pecs, Core, Traps, and Lumbar with just this one exercise! CAUTION: Do NOT do this exercise if you prefer to avoiding attention. It's a difficult exercise and turns a lot of heads.

Mostly for biceps, but with significant core stability and balance training, try doing some standing dumbbell curls while standing on top of the med ball! Yes, on top of the med ball. It's actually easier than you might think. Getting on top of the med ball is, of course, the trickiest part. You should try this with lots of open floor space and WITHOUT dumbbells before trying it with dumbbells. Find the largest, softest ball you can find to start with ... it will squish flatter onto the floor and roll the least. Use harder, smaller balls as you get better.

There are a few techniques for getting up onto the ball, but my favorite is to start with your left foot (for righties) atop of the med ball just left of the ball's crown. Then, without hesitation, simply step up with the other foot and place it just to the right of the ball's crown. The key is to try to keep the ball from moving as you step up onto it with the second foot. It takes some practice, but do persist. I've been doing this exercise for years to try to improve upon one legged balance needed to help my suffering hockey game. Even to this day it sometimes takes me 6 or 8 attempts to get up on top of the ball.

Once you're standing on top, simply perform alternating dumbbell curls as you would do standing. Just don't fall of the ball! Try to 'wrap' your feet around the ball to put as much foot in contact with the ball as possible to improve control.

Last, if you're truly at an advanced fitness level without any lower back ailments, try some of what I call offset med ball pass push ups. Assume a normal push up position, but with just one hand atop of a smallish (3 K) med ball. The fact that you'll have one shoulder naturally higher in this position (it being over the ball) makes it an 'offset.' In a single explosive move, execute a accelerated push up by pushing simultaneously against both the floor and the ball. At the top of the movement (you'll need a bit of 'hang time' here) roll the ball from the hand with it towards the hand without it, and control it under the new hand as you recover from the push up ... then recede to the floor. Repeat for 15 and you, my friend, are king/queen of the gym!

Reaching your Fitness Resolution

2010-01-15T09:53:00.007-06:00

We're halfway through January and already about half of the Americans who resolved to live healthier and be fit have drifted away from their plans by now!

What's worse, in just 2 more weeks fully 93.8% (according to a Johns Hopkins University study) will have abandoned their fitness programs!

What's going on here!?!

Well, it's not an exact science, that's for sure, but a big part of it is the lack of results. Or, more accurately, I should say it's the lack of measurable results. Indeed, one of the most critical errors people make in January is to monitor their progress with the bathroom scale. While that might be right for some people at some point, it's flat out wrong for most people starting a fitness program in January.

Here's why. Exercising forces the body to adapt. In fact, the less fit you are the more dramatic the adaption. Your body creates new and more efficient neurological pathways. You add mineral content to your bones increasing its density. Blood volume increases. And yes, you both increase the size of, and add muscle fibers to your frame.

All of this blood, nerve tissue, bone, and muscle is lean body mass.

And adding lean body mass is a healthy way to make you stronger, live longer, and is one of the keys to weight loss!

Each ounce of additional lean body mass is living, 'breathing', calorie-consuming tissue. Increased strength not only allows you to move more weight and burn more calories when you workout, but the additional lean body mass will also burn more calories when you're at rest.

You can think of muscle tissue as your primary fat 'burning' facility. The more muscle you have, the more fat you can burn!

The trouble is, all this lean body mass also adds to your overall body weight! So while all of that exercise is burning calories and reduces your body fat, that same exercise is offsetting the fat loss with an increase in lean mass! So the scale doesn't move. Or doesn't move much.

In an effort to get you back on track, my tip this week is simple:

Pick One and ONLY One Fitness Goal this Month! And make that goal anything other than weight loss.

Fitness Goals can be one of many things:

Cardiovascular Condition;
Muscular Strength;
Muscular Endurance;
Flexibility; and
Body Composition, which includes body fat.

What most people don't realize is that the most direct path to reducing body fat is usually found through initially improving the less interesting goals of improved Cardiovascular Condition, Muscular Strength, or Muscular Endurance.

So, make it easy on yourself, and pick one and only one non-composition related fitness goal to work on this month! If you haven't been getting the cardio in, make that job #1. And ignore the scale at this point. Your primary goal is to establish and maintain consistency with your program.

Improving Cardiovascular Condition helps both establish a consistent pattern of aerobic exercise, and lays the foundation for more intense cardio training to follow. In addition to the 10 minute warmup and 10 minute cool down prior to and following your strength training efforts, you should also be completing an additional 30-45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week.

Or take a strength or muscular endurance test at the beginning of the month and then again at the end of the month. Record the percentage improvement. Pushups to failure are a great muscular endurance test. Or, leg press twice your body weight to failure. Check with your trainer if unsure of how or what to test.

Next month, pick and focus on a different individual fitness element! In a few months, you'll discover that not only has your body composition improved along the way, but you'll also have a more complete appreciation of how a balanced fitness program keeps you motivated month after month, year after year, and decade after decade.

Wading Through January Gym Jams

2010-01-08T07:08:00.008-06:00

It happens every year.

One of the top New Year's Resolutions year in and year out is getting fit and living healthier.

Tens of Thousands of Resolve Resolutes join gyms to make it happen. Most of them will be gone by March, but they're here now, and cannot be neglected.

Here then, are my 10 top tips for making your workouts effective within the present river of resolutes.

Go Early. Way early. Particularly on the weekends, traffic in the bigger, busier fitness centers doesn't really get too annoying until after 9:00AM
Plan for working body parts instead of specific exercises. You will regularly bump into unexpected contention for equipment as you navigate through your workout. Make lemonade out of lemons by training the same body parts on new/different equipment rather than wasting time waiting around for your 'regular' equipment to free up.
Give your self a bit of extra time to deal with diversion & distractions. More people and less equipment availability will mean more 'hunting' time than normal. Add an extra 10 minutes of time to your workout to handle the unexpected, including parking.
Exercise by proximity. As you are finishing up with an exercise, don't look further than you can throw your towel for the next piece. Chance are, if you need to walk more than 50 steps to get to your next exercise, it will be gone by the time you get there.
Don't stray too far away from your equipment. Be sure to leave a towel & water bottle on your equipment to help mark territory.
Turn around slowly, and always look before turning. Neophytes are unpredictable and carry bars, plates, and dumbbells in unimaginable ways. Save yourself a headache and look before moving.
Perform large and multiple muscle group exercises. They burn more calories and can better optimize your workout time by hitting more muscle tissue. Additionally, they tend to be among the least used pieces of equipment in the gym. Examples here are good old fashioned flat bench bench presses; barbell squats; and Barbell Rows.
Plan to do some cardio both at the start of and at the end of your workout. The warm up and warm down are both important by themselves, but in planning for two cardio events you'll double your chances of getting the equipment you prefer.
Don't expect that loaded bars are being used. Gym newbies are notorious for leaving bars loaded even after long abandoned. If you see equipment that appears to be abandoned, it probably is. Stand nearby your potential find, and look in 360 degrees for anyone willing to make eye contact with you. If you don't see anyone, just ask someone near you if they've seen anyone on the equipment. If they haven't, consider it yours!
Don't go at all! You'll still need to exercise, but use January and February to broaden your fitness experience with outdoor activities. It's been an outstanding year for both snow (cross country skiing, and snowshoeing) and ice (most outdoor rinks were open 2 weeks early this year).

Or, Give me a call and we'll train you in private to avoid all of the above!

Resolution vs. Commitment

2010-01-02T06:56:00.011-06:00

Are you resolve to improve your Health and Fitness this decade?

Or are you truly committed?

Dictionary.com defines resolution as " a formal expression of opinion or intention made." It also defines commitment as " a pledge or promise; obligation." I hope you agree that there's a serious difference between expression of opinion and an obligation.

It's like the ham and eggs breakfast: the chicken is opinionated, while the pig is committed.

As we begin a new decade, let's resolve to be committed to our health and fitness rather than opinionated about it.

It's the commitment, above all else, that counts. Setting specific, concrete goals is of course important (and more on that next, and in the following weeks), but committing to reach those goals is critical.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

Reaching our fitness goals will not happen casually. There are too many distractions. Too many obstacles. Too many excuses. Indeed, reaching our 2010 Health and Fitness goals requires a genuine, sincere, pull-no-punches commitment.

Here's one way: Lay it on the line! One of the best and most natural motivators in life is the spirit of competition! Having a concrete, time bound competitive deadline event to work towards is one of the most effective ways to keep your program on track!

Generally speaking, the more expensive and more highly publicized, the better! If you really, really, really want rock hard six pack abs and buns of steel, seek out and enter a physique competition. Send in your entry fee right away.

Or, seek out and enter a 10K run, or a short mountain bike race. Or, given all of that fabulous snow out there, enter a cross county ski event! The City of Lakes Loppet is just around the corner, and has events ranging from non-competitive trail tours to highly competitive races.

Whatever event you pick isn't important. What's important is that you register.

That's your commitment. Because with your registration fee on the line, you are far more likely to prepare for, and then complete the event. Preferably, find something with an entry fee of greater than $50 (just high enough to bother you if you don't show). Further, do tell as many of your friends and family about the event as possible!

Because nothing will keep you motivated, help you push through those last few burning reps, or pound out that final 200 foot climb like knowing that you're putting it all on the line in front of your own personal audience 3 weeks from Sunday. It works.

Afraid of crowds? Make it personal. Find a friend, family member, training partner, or trainer and place a personal bet. Pick a specific, or small collection of fitness elements ... resting heart rate, body fat percentage, total push ups in 1 minute ... (whatever you like!) ... and a testing date 4 weeks from now. Place $50 each into escrow somewhere. Winner takes all on test date. Believe it or not, this works! I've seen people work their butts off (quite literally!) for bragging rights and a t-shirt!

Or, if you've tried everything, and are ready to kick it up a notch, enter our 12 Week Transformation Contest!

Maybe you'll win the contest and spend 8 days in Jamaica. Or, maybe you'll merely end up looking and feeling 20 years younger. The important part is that you've committed.

Extra Holiday Calories Can Improve Your Health!

2009-12-11T08:39:00.007-06:00

Get your flavanoids! They're good for your heart. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables for that. Make sure you get enough Omega 3 fats in your diet; they're good fats and can reduce cholesterol and ease the metabolism of bad fats. Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, and soybeans are good sources of those. Make sure you get enough dairy in your diet; protein, calcium, and Vitamin D are needed for strong bones and will help avoid degenerative disease like osteoporosis. Cottage cheese, yogurt, and milk will cover you there.

Oh, and don't forget about fiber, vitamin C, minerals, and ... the list goes on an on and on.

Has it occurred to anyone else that if we actually followed all of the nutritional guidance pumped into the media by food companies, supplement companies, and well-intentioned fitness professionals, that we'd all look like sumo wrestlers?

The missing 'ingredient', of course is exercise.

While reading a few things written by other Fitness Professionals around Holiday indulgences this morning, and the creative ways they suggested to restrict calories and abstain from some of your favorite foods during the holidays, it suddenly occurred to me ... duh ... that it's simply easier to exercise than it is to worry about all the extra calories!

Because what's the point of even attending a party or preparing a special meal if you can't fully enjoy it! So, while there are lots of great reasons for exercising, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT OF EXERCISE could very well be that it simply allows us to eat more! Most of us love to eat, and a lot of us exercise just so that we can eat more!

But without exercise, most of us would be obese within 6 months if we consumed all of the food needed for proper nutrition. Or you could pay thousands of dollars per year on organic supplements, though even the best manufactured nutrients fall far short on nutrient quality when compared to natural food sources.

It's well documented that exercise alone improves your heart health, reduces stress, increases your energy levels, and enriches your lifestyle. HOWEVER, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF EXERCISE TO YOUR HEALTH IS THAT YOU CAN EAT AND DRINK MORE?

And don't forget about Hydration. Water is the body's primary means of cleansing itself by flushing toxins out the back (bottom) door. Further, proper hydration improves digestive efficiency, reduces blood pressure, and improves the appearance of skin, nails, and hair.

We've all heard that we should drink 8 glasses of water each day. You know what, that's a lot of water! It actually takes significant, conscious effort to consume that much water on a daily basis. But crank out a few hot cardio intervals, or knock down one of our HEAT programs, or blast through 35 sets in 45 minutes, and you'll have 20 ounces through your body before you event think about food!

The primary vessel we drive, our bodies, simply requires exercise induced thirst to get in enough fluids on a regular basis. Further, no matter how hard you scrub, you still need a good sweat to flush the body odor creating bacteria out of the pores in your skin.

So, there you have it! Never mind that exercise improves your health and reduces the risk of acquiring all types of disease and illness.

Exercise primarily gives us the privilege to eat and drink more and
be healthier for it.

With the holiday season upon us, go ahead and eat!
Just make sure you exercise too!

Exercise Quickies Beat December Distractions

2009-12-04T07:00:00.005-06:00

December is one of the toughest months of the year for Fitness Professionals . As if busy lives, work schedules, and family affairs weren't enough, extra travel, holiday parties, out of town guests, and office gatherings all add to the normal daily stresses. Making time to exercise is always a challenge, but this added pressure can be a nightmare for trainers trying to keep their clients on track!

Of course, in the blindered world of a Fitness Professional (because no matter what the question is, exercise is almost always one of the best answers), we'd argue that if you're life gets so stressful that you don't have time to exercise, you really can't afford to NOT exercise. Indeed, exercise is the ultimate anti-anxiety medicine.

And here's another suggestion: to roll through all of the December distractions try Frequent Exercise Quickies.

Rather than spending your normal 75 to 90 minutes working out 3 or 4 days per week this month, plan instead for training 4 or 5 days per week (one extra) for just (much shorter) 45 to 55 minutes.

Normally, we coach clients (and you should plan) for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes warming up before your workout and 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular work following your session. Along with your 45 minute session, this give you have a standard 75 to 90 minute workout. While that doesn't seem like a huge time commitment to us, it can certainly seem intimidating when there's cooking to be done, the in-laws are inbound, and you have an unfinished gift shopping list.

A 45 minute workout, on the other hand, is short, sweet, and
mentally conquerable. Indeed, just showing up is the hardest part!

Heck, it's not even a workout ... more of a workoutling ... a workout too small, cute, and incomplete to be a real workout. Get in, get it done, and be on your way. The key, of course, is that if you reduce you cardio and resistance workout volumes, you'll really, really need that additional exercise quickie per week!

Training for 45 minutes 4 times per week (200 total minutes) instead of 75 minutes 3 times per week (225 total minutes) also has other advantages.

For one, you raise your metabolism one extra day per week. Not only do you burn calories while exercising, but you'll burn additional calories recovering from the exercise after your workout. And this extra day of recovery effort more than covers for the reduced total volume (25 minutes).

Additionally, the 4th workoutling per week gives you one more boost of energy to make it through stressful days, and another shot of endorphins to make the holiday stress more tolerable.

If you're training with FT, your session pace is always quick and with aerobic elements, but if you're getting your (regular or extra) workoutlings on your own, keep these things in mind for effective exercise quickies:

It's just 50 minutes, so plan for being seriously committed for the entire workout; it goes fast!
Rest no more than 1 minute between sets
Drink plenty of water
Wear your headphones, and don't make eye contact with anyone else in the gym (no time to get pulled away into a conversations)
Look ahead, and plan your next exercise before you're finished with your current one
Have an alternate exercise in mind with alternate equipment to keep you moving should your equipment get taken before you get there
Go relatively light with high repetitions (20+) on the 1st set of any exercise (the abbreviated warmup will increase the risk of injury, so you'll need to warmup in-line)
Plan for no fewer than 10-12 repetitions on any exercise (again, making the workout more aerobic in nature to compensate for reduced cardio)

Exercise: The Ultimate Solution to the Holiday Blues

2009-11-27T09:56:00.008-06:00

The holidays can be an especially depressing time for a lot of Minnesotans. Stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial stress, and the inability to be with one's family and friends all contribute the the 'Holiday Blues.' Add in overeating, alcohol, travel, and normal sleep pattern disruption, and the formula gets worse yet!

The good news is that there are plenty of remedies, and Nutrition and Exercise play a huge part! As mentioned last week in my 5 tips for making it through the holiday season, one of the most effective ways to both fight the holiday blues AND get a head start on your New Year's fitness resolutions is to start an exercise program now!

Experts from Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and others all recommend exercise as a critical part of fighting the holiday blues.

Making time for exercise, especially with extra holiday activities underway, is generally the hardest part!

Here then, are my Favorite Four Tips for getting it done:

1. Exercise quickies. While 3 or 4 resistance training workouts AND 2 or 3 cardio workouts per week are optimal for good health and weight control, planning on more frequent, shorter workouts can help get you fit it in.

2. Train with a partner, or hire a trainer to hold you accountable. Showing up is more than 90% of your grade in exercise, and you're much, much more likely to show up if some one's counting on you to be there!

3. Abandon all of your weight loss, and fitness - related goals for the month of December. You'll have plenty of time next year to work on those. Instead, merely establish attendance goals: I will exercise 3 or 4 days per week not matter what. Circle completed days on your wall calendar to help track your commitment.

4. Exercise in the morning. Not only will you avoid allowing other agenda items to trump your exercise appointment, but you'll have extra energy for the entire day!

Top 5 Tips for Making it Through the Holiday Season!

2009-11-20T06:26:00.004-06:00

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF WAITING UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS TO BEGIN OR REJUVENATE AN EXERCISE PROGRAM!

Soon after Halloween (the beginning of the end), many of us begin to think of the holidays and all the happiness, joy, stress and guilt that comes with them. So begins the media hype regarding eating, drinking, and overall indulgence that leads us to gaining an average of 6 pounds between Halloween and New Years Day!

It’s an emotional set up! The toxic messages begin….eat more, drink more, buy more. And a lot of us are doing enough of all that already! Those messages, along with the long standing, powerful TRADITIONS of your particular family unit may lead you to overindulge throughout the holidays and leave you feeling tired, depressed and frustrated come January.

But This Year can be Different! You CAN go through the holiday season with a spirit of joy and hope with lots of energy and enthusiasm. With just a few small “attitude adjustments”, you can sprint into January feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Here then, are my Top 5 Tips for making it through the Holiday Season WITHOUT gaining the dreaded 6 pounds of fat the average American gains between October and January.

1. Have a meal replacement shake before attending a party.

Holiday Parties are loaded with irresistible, high caloric, high fat content foods and drinks. It’s a party and it’s the Holiday Season! You will indulge. You should indulge. But the last thing you want is to show up famished and take down a quick 1000 calories before the band even starts! And that wouldn’t take much. Here are a few examples:

1 Mai Tai – 310 Calories
1 Strawberry Margarita – 210 Calories
2 Fried Won Tons 620 calories & 20 g. fat
1 Cheese Ball 155 calories & 14 g. of fat
1 Bacon Wrapped Smoky Link 167 calories, 11 g fat
- Total: 1152 calories, all of which could easily be consumed inside of 60 minutes

So, take in a healthy, protein rich (15-20g) shake before you go to reduce your appetite to avoid the additional calories. And only have one won ton!

2. Don’t keep trigger foods in the house.

Trigger foods, which are typically high in fat, set the stage for unrestrained eating, and contain hidden calories that subvert weight loss efforts. You don’t need them and your kids don’t either.
The displays in the grocery store can be compelling, but the rule is simple: Don’t buy them and they won’t be a problem

3. Begin or Maintain a Regular Exercise Program NOW

Lots of folks conveniently defer exercise until after the 1st of the Year when the mystic weight lost elves will miraculously help solve both years of unhealthy diet and exercise and eliminate the seasonal weight gain …all within the magical month of January! Guys, gals ...it always was and still is a fallacy. The only thing you’ll gain by waiting to begin an exercise program until January is a few more pounds. Get started in November!

4. Make your Holiday Weight Loss Goals Net Zero

That’s right – plan to loose no weight at all! But plan to gain none either – net zero. Enjoy a few extra calories during the season, but burn them all off immediately with 3 strength training workouts and 2 hours of cardio weekly. Let me know if I can help you with this!

5. Make your Holiday Fitness Goals Cardiovascular or Strength Related

Especially if your Health and Fitness Related Goals are weight loss, establish and reach NON-Weight loss goals of improved cardiovascular conditioning or improved strength in December! Improving your cardiovascular fitness levels and muscular strength now can set the stage for accelerated weight loss in January. Adding lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood) now means that you’ll burn more calories both when you exercise as well as when you’re at rest.

Cardiovascular or Strength related goals can be simple:

Walk every day of the week, starting with 10 minutes and add 2 minutes every day – you will be up to 90 minutes of walking by December 31st!
Do 3 pushups 3 times a week – you should be able to triple your repetitions in 6 weeks
Do sit-ups 3 times per week – you should be able to double your repetitions by boxing day

Or more complex:

Have a VO2 Max test done now, then …

Run, spin, roller ski or skate twice weekly 40 minutes at moderate intensity

Run, spin, roller ski or skate once weekly for 20 minutes at high intensity

Test again in 6 weeks

Have a sub max bench press and pull-up test done now, then …

Complete 3 full body resistance training exercises per week

Test again in 6 weeks

Drinking Green!

2009-11-13T07:39:00.009-06:00

No, not St. Patrick's Day green beer, and not blended hemp and alfalfa drinks (though they are indeed quite nutritious). And certainly not your favorite mint martini.

Today, it's all about drinking green tea.

I 1st fell in love with green tea about 15 years ago on my 1st trip to China. While Starbucks and other coffee houses are common in most Chinese cities these days, back then it was actually quite difficult for a tourist to find any cup of coffee at all, much less one that didn't look and taste a lot like watered down brown tea.

So I drank a lot of green tea on that trip, and have been ever since! Fortunately, there are lots of great health benefits to drinking green tea, so my new found habit actually turned out to be a good one! The Chinese, of course, have been drinking green tea and using it medicinally to treat ailments from headaches to depression for 4000 years!

And just when you thought that Vitamin D was the miracle Nutrient, get this:

Japanese researchers have found that drinking green tea reduces the risk of blood and lymph system cancers by 40%.
Case Western University Researchers have concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from arthritis.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently found Reduced Risk of Esophageal Cancer Associated With Green Tea Consumption.
And Scientists at The University of Wisconsin have seen positive benefits in prostate cancer prevention.

Furthermore, Green Tea consumption ...

Improves skin clarity;
Reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation; and
Aids in digestion

Wow. But if that weren't enough, it also assists in weight loss! Research by Japanese and other researchers suggest that five cups of green tea a day consumes an additional 70 to 80 extra calories through a process called thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is, at the most basic level, the heat produced when energy sources are converted to energy. And while a good deal of green tea's thermogenetic effect can be attributed to it's caffeine content, researchers around the world have found that it's anti-oxidant content contributes more.

And that's what makes Green Tea So Special!

It is rich in catechin polyphenols, which are flavenoids. Flavenoids, of course, are well documented to be hightly effective anti-oxidants. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, antioxidants kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

With regards to green tea, the specific catechin that makes it particularly beneficial is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

In addition to being a powerful anti-oxidant, EGCG also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots, and, most recently, has is under investigation in the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS, and other immunity system diseases.

How much Green Tea should I drink?

Answers to this question will vary, but most scientists agree that 3 or more cups per day is the minimum you'll need to see benefit. On the upside, other than the normal side effects of too much caffeine, very little adverse effect to getting too much EGCG has been found.

EXCEPT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, where intake should be restricted.

Another tip I learned from the Chinese nearly 20 years ago was that green tea can be infused many , many times. Add hot water to steep. Drink it down, then add more hot water to re-steep the same tea. Repeat as many times as you like. The flavor tapers off, of course, and each additional cup contains decreasing amounts of caffeine (and EGCG), but you can enjoy something hot to drink all day long without getting the jitters.

Looking for more useful tips on Eating Light, Eating Healthy, and Eating Often? Ask me about our New Nutrition Together program!

Shortened Days Require more Vitamin D in your Diet

2009-10-29T17:30:00.010-05:00

If you're looking for a simple, easy way to reduce your risk of catching the flu, you may need to look no further than your grocery store!

While it's still true that regular, moderate intensity exercise is helpful in fighting off infections, your next best bet could be as simple as getting enough Vitamin D. Especially in northern climates where exposure to the sun, our primary source of vitamin D, is limited during the Fall and Winter, increasing attention is now being given to vitamin D requirements. And vitamin D deficiencies.

In fact, some physicians contend that a major portion of winter ailments can be attributed to Vitamin D deficiencies, including heart disease, chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, hypertension, arthritis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, PMS, Crohns Disease, cancer, MS and other autoimmune diseases. Wow!

A Highland Park client of ours has seen Vitamin D deficiencies in action 1st hand. Working through lower back pain for several months, she'd gone through physical therapy, chiropractic care, and had several MRIs and X Rays performed to help diagnose the source of her ailment. Nothing worked. Eventually, her physician suggested a diet loaded with Vitamin D, and her back pain went away!

The problem is, it's really, really hard to compensate for the lack of sun. Your body manufactures about 20,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin D with just 20 minutes of sun. To get that much vitamin D in your diet would require something like 40 glasses of milk per day! (3300 calories, even if it's skim milk). The good news is that Vitamin D is fat soluble, so your body is capable of storing some D in your body fat. You won't need to consume the entire amount that you would otherwise manufacture, but with close to NO sun exposure these days, some dietary intake becomes critical.

Your best bet is actually an occasional trip to a tanning bed! This, of course, carries the added risk of developing skin cancer, so many of us avoid those.

As a Result, Natural Foods, become your next best source of vitamin D, and here are some high quality choices:

Salmon, canned (3 ounces)	530 IU
Salmon, cooked (3.5 ounces)	240–360 IU
Tuna, canned (3 ounces)	200 IU
Soy milk, fortified (8 ounces)	100 IU
Orange juice, fortified (8 ounces)	100 IU
Milk, low-fat, fortified (8 ounces)	98 IU
Cereal, fortified (1 cup)	40–50 IU
Eggs (1 large)	20–26 IU
Swiss cheese (1 ounce)	12 IU

The problem is, even a diet with only these foods you could still be deficient in D! So we're not done yet. How much, exactly, you need daily is still under debate, but a daily intake of up to 2,000 IU is currently considered a safe upper limit. The medical community agrees that up to this much won't create other problems, even if they can't agree on what the required minimum should be.

So, even with a naturally rich vitamin D diet, some supplementation is recommended. The best way to take vitamin D supplements is with Calcium. The two nutrients work together to build strong bones and teeth.

Furthermore, it's been shown that taking vitamin D with Calcium can actually reduce your fatty food cravings and help you lose weight!

So, with the Sun getting further and further away for the next 60 days, please take note of your Vitamin D! If in doubt, have your doctor administer a 25-hydroxyvitamin test to determine if you have optimal levels of Vitamin D in your blood. The Vitamin D Council considers optimum levels to be approximately 50 nM/L.

Looking for even more useful nutrition tips? Ask me about our new Nutrition Together program!

Eating Too Little Contributes to Weight Gain

2009-10-15T11:48:00.011-05:00

That's right, eating too little at the wrong times can actually have a negative effect on your weight loss efforts. Don't get me wrong, at the end of the day weight loss is still a very basic calorie calculation: weight lost = calories out - calories in. Consume more than you burn and you gain weight. Burn more than you consume and you loose weight. Simple math.

However, eating too little at critical times of the day, like breakfast or prior to exercise can actually have a negative effect on your ability to loose fat.

Skipping breakfast, for instance can create a hormone imbalance that triggers the body to go into "starvation mode," and consequently triggers the body to store more fat than it otherwise would by reducing your metabolism. Not good.

Further, as the day progresses, this hormonal imbalance unnaturally increases appetite to the point where you're far more likely to overeat for your next couple of meals. That's even worse.

Eating too little prior to exercise is another frequently made mistake.

Whether you're heading to the club to loose body fat, add muscle tone, or just feel good about yourself, it is critical that you have a small pre-workout meal.

And here's why.

Energy for exercise always comes from a blend of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. But fat sources only work at very low intensity levels, and carbohydrates are quickly utilized and must be constantly replenished.

So, while you might hope that your body will always use fat as an energy source during exercise, stored fat is metabolized ONLY when you are either sedentary or exercising at a very, very low level of intensity. You will, indeed, burn more calories when you exercise at more rigorous levels, but you'll burn no more fat. Check out my Heart Rate Zone Training to Look and Feel Fantastic report for LOTS more detail on this.

Most exercise is aerobic in nature. The energy source that will help you work harder to burn more calories, and work more efficiently to recruit additional muscle fibers is carbohydrates. Unlike fat, which is stored as fat, carbohydrates are stored in the blood stream, muscle tissues, and organs as glycogen and glucose (and, technically ATP at the cellular level, but we'll ignore that for now).

These immediately available "sugars" are your primary energy source for exercise ... at least until they're gone, which can be in as little as 20 minutes, depending on your metabolism and the nature of your exercise. Once the supply is spent (metabolized to exercise), your body needs to replace those spent sources with new sources .. .your pre-workout meal.

So, when you're consuming your pre workout meal, you're really filling your gas tank for the second half of your workout.

If you get it right, you're in good shape for high energy levels and higher levels of intensity during the second half of your workout. If you get it wrong, you'll "hit a wall", struggle with even moderate intensities, and ask your body to metabolize less efficient sources for energy, like proteins. That's right, even if you've got 30 pounds of body fat to loose, if your body needs energy sources beyond the immediately available carbohydrate sources, it doesn't convert your stored fat, it converts proteins!

And it gets worse yet, for if those proteins aren't in your bloodstream (from a consumed meal), your body converts stored proteins ...your muscle tissue ... through a process called catabolism.

And if you are catabolising you will almost certainly gain fat because maintaining lean body mass is a key factor in loosing body fat!

So, (ahem), here's the skinny on your pre-workout meal. You don't need to have much, but be sure that you have a few hundred (200 to 400, depending on your body weight) balanced calories between 30 and 60 minutes prior to exercise. This window will vary from person to person (and your hydration levels and prior daily food intake), but 30 to 60 minutes ahead of your workout is a good place to start. A well balanced snack should consist of approximately 25% protein, 65% carbohydrate and 10% fat. One half of a peanut butter sandwich and half a banana handle this perfectly. Or a yogurt and a few crackers.

This pre-workout requirement is also well recognized, and aggressively marketed by the nutritional supplements industry (Cliff, Powerbar, Gatoraide, etc.). Products from these suppliers also nicely handles the requirement. However, just be sure that you consume the product far enough ahead of exercise for benefit: it takes most digestive systems 30 to 40 minutes to move food to the bloodstream. Consuming these products during exercise is almost always too late for any benefit for exercise shorter than 90 minutes.

Looking for more healthy tips on eating right and proper nutrition?

Ask me about our New Nutrition Together program!

The Silver Bullet for the Flu Season!

2009-10-08T13:13:00.002-05:00

Looking for an easy way to worry less about H1N1 and the Flu season?

Look no further. It's called regular, moderate intensity exercise!

While no one is completely immune, with the H1N1 virus circulating, it's a good time to point out that regular moderate exercise improves your body's ability to fight off disease and infection!

Even better, you don't need to train intensely for those benefits. Because while you do need to work a bit harder to improve strength, and you do need to work a bit longer to improve your endurance, and you do need to work a bit faster to improve your cardiovascular fitness levels, regular moderate exercise is all that's needed to improve your immune systems.

Why is that?

Well, a few theories exist.

First, the more rapid breathing associated with moderate exercise helps flush the lungs of airborne illnesses.
Second, increased sweat and urine production helps rid the body of carcinogens.
Third, an elevated heart rate more quickly circulates antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections.
Fourth, increased body temperatures have been found to help prevent the growth of bacteria.
Lastly, and as we've mentioned for a few weeks in a row now (insulin and calories; insulin and sugar; insulin and sleep), hormones are related in no small way. But this time, it isn't insulin we're blaming, it's cortisol.

For while cortisol is required to handle stress and other stressful events, prolonged periods of elevated cortisol levels are quite detrimental to your health, and your immune system.

Moderate, regular exercise, however, helps inhibit the production of cortisol, thereby enabling the immune system to operate efficiently.

So, what's moderate? It all boils down your a Long Slow Cardio Event as was described back in February. I'll need to update that posting for today's frost less landscape, but that should get you started!

And what is regular? Well, that's most days of the week (4 or more with the new math). Sorry, there are no short cuts on frequency.

Need a bonus tip for fighting off the pig flu? Don't forget to get enough rest! For while adequate sleep will help with your job performance, it also improves your immune system!

Your Two Most Important Meals of the Day

2009-10-02T08:35:00.010-05:00

As it turns out, your mother was right all along: breakfast is in fact the most important meal of the day! However, not just any breakfast will do. The choices you make for breakfast can influence your job performance, your energy levels, and more!

Breakfast

One of my favorite websites, RealAge.com had a nice article recently on not just making breakfast an integral part of your day, but food choices that make it the right breakfast. Indeed,the food choices you make for breakfast can go a long way in how sharp you think throughout the day, how well your immune system fights off infection, and how the right choices can trigger your body to burn more fat.

As it turns out, there isn't much magic in it at all: whole grains; wholesome fruits; and low fat dairy are the key ingredients; but do check out their helpful article for specific menus to improve the value of your most important meal of the day!

Close behind, the second most important meal of the day is Your Post Exercise Nutrition, otherwise known as a recovery meal.

After exercise, your body is, at a minimum, in a state of depletion.

You might even be fatigued if your workout was an intense workout. Energy stores have been reduced, lactic acid has accumulated in muscle tissues, and you have an empty stomach. Blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism, while somewhat reduced though a proper cool down, remain elevated for an hour or more.

In short, your body is starving for nutrients, and
how you respond effects how well you recover for your next workout!

As it turns out, there is a critical 30 - 60 minute window of opportunity following exercise within which the adsorption of nutrients is more efficient than at any other time. Your body is literally a sponge, so feed it well and help your body recover!

Exactly what you eat actually depends on the type of exercise you've just completed. You'll recover differently from a long, slow cardio event than you would from a resistance training event. And different recoveries beg for different recovery meals.

A meal high in carbohydrate content is appropriate for extended or high intensity cardio activities where larger amounts of carbohydrates are spent. A well well recognized formula for cardiovascular recovery is a meal rich in carbohydrates, but with some protein. Many experts recommend 200 to 400 calories, depending on your body weight, in a ratio of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein (4:1). A good, wholesome food that fits this almost perfectly is chocolate milk, and fruit based yogurts.
For most resistance training, however, including a typical Fitness Together session, a balanced meal a bit higher in protein is best. Muscle tissues have been broken down with resistance training, and the pace of our sessions makes them somewhat aerobic. If your training session is prior to 3:00PM, we would recommend a 400-500 calorie meal of 35% protein, 60% carbs, and 5%. If you're on the run and won't have a chance to eat a proper meal for an hour or more, a quality protein supplement may suffice. Otherwise, a small chicken breast sandwich with a small salad and yogurt is one way.

If you train later in the day, say after 6:00 pm, you'll want to reduce your starchy carbohydrate intake, replacing them with simple carbohydrates (primarily fruits & vegetables). A large vinaigrette & olive oil salad with nuts, a piece (or 2) of fish/chicken breast, and some fruit is perfect : 45% protein, 45% (non starchy) carbohydrates, and 10% fat.

And if this all sounds too confusing,
ask me about our new Nutrition Together program!

A Protein Supplement Primer

2009-09-24T09:31:00.013-05:00

Atkins, Zone, South Beach, Dean Ornish, Weight Watchers, Pick Your Diet-of-the-week and you'll inevitably be discussing Protein.

It's a Hot Topic!

But how much protein do you really need?
With what is it best consumed?
And, if in the form of a supplement, what's the difference between a good protein supplement and a waste of money?

Protein: The Building Block for Healthy Bodies

Proteins are the basic building block for lean body mass. Protein is the primary material making up all soft tissue in your body, and makes up your DNA, enzymes, and hormones. Proteins, quite simply are not only a hot topic for weight loss, but are a required nutrient for lean body mass development, and is an absolutely necessity to live!

But everyone's protein needs are different. Exercising adults have a higher protein requirement than sedentary adults. Even the kind of exercise you're performing matters: some runners actually need less protein than someone working on core strength and functional fitness.

The safest, most accurate way to ensure that your protein intake is appropriate is to work with a licensed nutritionist or fitness expert to better understand your individual needs. However, a practical guideline to follow is that if you are resistance training 3 or more days per week, you require between .75 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of desirable body weight each day. This translates into 125g for a 150# person.

And that can be a lot of protein for a lot of people! Put into perspective, a typical 8 oz chicken breast is approximately 30 grams. A cup of steel cut oats oatmeal 18 grams. A cup of cottage cheese 20g. If you simply had those 3 foods alone for dinner, breakfast, and lunch, you would have consumed 68 grams of protein ... just barely half of your protein needs for the day.

So the challenge becomes how to get sufficient protein into your diet without picking up a lot of extra calories that sometimes come from lower grade protein sources.

As a result, some form of protein supplementation will be appropriate for a lot of us.

To be clear, supplementation should be exactly that ... supplemental to your food intake, not a food staple. A perfect diet includes 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. When working with supplements, a good rule of thumb to follow is to consume no more than one supplement per day. If you're using supplements for more than one snack or meal per day, you're treating it as food, and that's not practical, healthy, or sustainable over the long term. It isn't necessarily that the protein is bad for you; it's those last few ingredients listed on the package you need to be concerned about.

But, for a lot of us on the move, a protein shake on a busy morning, or a protein bar between afternoon appointments can be a lot healthier than most alternatives AND still contributes to the daily protein target.

In looking at protein supplements, however, the options can be overwhelming and confusing. You will find products based on soy proteins, whey proteins, casein proteins, and "proprietary blends." So, a few notes are in order ...

Not all proteins are created equal

From a chemical perspective, proteins are combinations of 22 known amino acids ("aminos" for short). 9 of these Amino Acids are considered essential ... they are required to live, and can only be found within food sources; the other 13 are considered non-essential and can be manufactured by the body (from the essential aminos).

When looking for a supplemental protein, the two most significant things to consider are:

How many of the key aminos are present; and
How easily can the body adsorb them.

Amino Acids

Food source and food source alone drives amino acid content ... how many of the essential aminos your protein supplement contains depends entirely on where it came from!

Remember Little Miss Muffet? You know, the wench (hey, been renaissance fest lately?), who sat on her tuffet eating her curds & whey? Indeed, the curd (solids) and whey (liquids) derived from whole milk are the exact food products from which Casein (think 'curd') and Whey Proteins are derived. And they're boss.

From an amino acid content perspective, whey proteins have long been recognized as the king of proteins ... boasting not only a high quantity of amino acids, but the best collection as well.

Topping the list of essential amino acids found in whey proteins are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Arginine, Glutamine, and Proline. This chemical collection contributes to or regulates everything from muscle recovery to immune system performance to sex drive to anxiety control to skin appearance.

Are we there yet?

But don't throw out your casein or soy based products just yet! While whey proteins are top dog, even they don't contain ALL 9 essential amino acids. You'll need to get those from other sources like soy or casein. As a result, you will frequently see something like "proprietary protein blend" on many supplement labels. As long as whey protein is listed as either the 1st or 2nd ingredient in the blend, you can be sure that your money is being well spent. And if you see both whey and soy, you should have a complete set of aminos.

Biological Value

The other thing to consider when evaluating protein products is how effectively your body handles the protein ... something known as Biological Value (BV).

BV, as it turns out, is entirely dependent upon protein preparation techniques: when manufacturers take good care of the amino acid molecule during preparation you're body will adsorb the protein more quickly and more effectively. The most expensive and best quality proteins are derived from a process that produces Protein isolates: chemical ion exchange techniques preserve the structure of the protein best, ensuring high quality and efficient adsorption. Ultra filtered or micro filtered products are also high quality proteins (though 2nd tier), but protein concentrates and hydrolyzed proteins are cheaply produced and to be avoided.

Therefore, things like "whey protein isolate,", "casein isolate,", and "soy isolate" will be your highest quality protein sources, and the ingredients you should look for when selecting a protein supplement.

Lastly, don't forget that high protein intakes places additional demands on your digestive system, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day!

Fitness Reform - No Lie!

2009-09-10T17:48:00.004-05:00

While congress and the president figure out who's doing all the lying in Washington, here in Minneapolis, We've got a TRUE FITNESS REFORM program underway!

OK ... reform might be a bit of an embellishment. In all honesty, there really isn't anything new at all to announce or reform! Except more of the same: good old fashioned safe, effective, consistent exercise and lifestyle habits to look, feel, and move better! The American public will always seek and experiment with short cuts to exercise. We're simply wired that way. And many fitness "professionals" will mislead you with false promises and ridiculous expectations that can be nothing short of dangerous.

The truth of the matter is that "there are no short cuts to any place worth going" (Beverly Sills), and your health is the most precious journey and destination you have!

So, we're heading back to the most basic of basics this week ...

The Benefits of a Proper Warm-up and Cool down

We take warm-up and cool down quite seriously here at Fitness Together! There are many reasons for this, but the most important is that the quality of your warm-up frequently determines the quality of your session!

When sedentary or mostly inactive, blood flow to the stomach is largely unrestricted to assist with digestion. As you begin to begin to exercise, however, torso arteries actually contract to shunt blood flow away from the stomach. This increases blood pressure and flushes the limbs (arms & legs) with nutrient-rich blood.

Unfortunately, the whole process takes up to 15 minutes to complete and there are no short cuts - which is why we tend to be so adamant about arriving early enough for your session to complete a proper warm-up. Skip the whole process, or cut it short and we need to spend part of your personal training session completing warm-up process to avoid possible cramping, or injury to 'cold' muscle groups. To get the most out of your session, plan for starting your warm up no later than 10 minutes before your session appointment!

Once finished with your session, it's time to reverse the entire process! As you exercise, various energy sources are tapped to produce the energy required to shorten (contract) muscle fibers. Conversion of these energy sources produces lactic acid and lactate - both of which are responsible for that muscle 'burn' you feel when your trainer demands those last two reps to completely fatigue a muscle group. :-)

While your energy, circulatory, and cleansing systems will eventually rid the body of this lactate accumulation, a proper cool down accelerates the waste elimination process. Additionally, time to recovery (rebuilt muscle fiber and replenished energy sources) and muscle soreness are significantly reduced with a low intensity cardiovascular event immediately following your strength training session. Call it a cool down, a warm down, or a short cardio event, but it's at least as important as your workout itself! Exercise is performed ENTIRELY to force the body to adapt, to grow, to improve fitness levels. Your warm down is the 1st step in this adaptation process, so don't short change your workout by recovering poorly! And, it burns a few more calories!

Stretching has a similar benefit, but we've already taken care of that within your session. A proper cool down also assists with the gradual relaxation of constricted stomach arteries to prepare for your second most important meal of the day ... your post session recovery meal. More on that next week.