A great way to get in shape this New Year is to exercise in a group! Group exercise is great for exercise variety, consistency, motivation, accountability and fun! It allows you to not worry about what exercises you have to do. A group exercise instructor takes care of that for you. You can just show up to class, get motivated, have fun and get into great shape!
With some planning, you can arrange your entire exercise schedule around group exercise. Focus on the exercise component that you want to address: strength training, cardiovascular exercise or flexibility, and then find the appropriate group exercise class that will take care of this.
Example: Let's say your goal is to lose 10lbs and "tone up". An exercise plan that encompasses cardiovascular exercise 5-6 days/week along with 2-3 strength training sessions and 1-2 flexbility sessions may be an appropriate plan to follow. To utilize Group Exercise for all of this look for the following:
For Cardio: Step classes, Dance Classes, Spinning, boxing (including taeboxing and kickboxing), anything with the word "aerobic" in it. If you aren't sure, just ask the instructor.
For Strength Training: Lower or uppper body classes, general strength training. Look for words like "strength" or "anaerobic". Again, ask the instructor if it is focused on strength training or cardio primarily.
For Flexibility: Yoga, Pilates or even most martial arts could work well.
Look to take one cardio class each weekday and one strength training class every other day while mixing a stretching class in there as well.
Personally speaking, I love group exercise classes. I get highly motivated when I work out in a group. I push myself harder and achieve much more than when I am by myself. If you are a member of The Works, and you are looking for a great workout, any of the classes taught by Amy A. are the best! I would recommend checking out any of the classes that she teaches.
Also, I will be starting my own "boot camp" class this January. Come check it out: Fridays at 4:30pm at The Works!
Decide this year to make your goals count! Get in shape with a group!
"Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties." Mark 6:39-40 (NIV)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Recipes for Holiday Treats!
Here are a few recipes for some holiday treats that may not add up as much as you might think. I found these on the "Eating Well" Website (http://www.eatingwell.com/). Let me know what you think:
Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose, flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Glaze & Garnish
1/2 cup packed confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
Preparation
1.To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2.Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
3.Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
4.Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.
5.To glaze & garnish cake: Combine confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Nutrition
Per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (New International Version)
Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose, flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Glaze & Garnish
1/2 cup packed confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
Preparation
1.To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2.Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
3.Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
4.Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.
5.To glaze & garnish cake: Combine confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Nutrition
Per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.
Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Filling
20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 large egg
2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.
2.To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.
3.To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.
4.Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the center of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the center of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.
5.Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.
6.Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.
Nutrition
Per serving: 221 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber; 220 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Filling
20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 large egg
2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.
2.To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.
3.To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.
4.Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the center of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the center of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.
5.Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.
6.Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.
Nutrition
Per serving: 221 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber; 220 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1-2 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1.To make crust: Stir together flour, granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is light brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Stir in oil. Slowly stir the butter-oil mixture into the dry ingredients with a fork until the dough is crumbly. Gradually stir in ice water, adding just enough so that the dough will hold together. Press the dough into a flattened disk.
2.Place two sheets of plastic wrap on the work surface, overlapping them by 2 inches. Place the dough in the center and cover with 2 more overlapping sheets of plastic wrap. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Remove the top sheets and invert the dough over a 9-inch pie plate. Remove the remaining plastic wrap. Fold the edges under at the rim and crimp. Chill the pastry while you prepare the filling.
3.To make filling: Position rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub through a sieve into pumpkin mixture and whisk until incorporated.
4.Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake until the filling is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes longer. During baking, cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly. Cool on a rack.
Nutrition
Per serving: 285 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 59 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 2 g fiber; 210 mg sodium; 386 mg potassium.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1-2 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1.To make crust: Stir together flour, granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is light brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Stir in oil. Slowly stir the butter-oil mixture into the dry ingredients with a fork until the dough is crumbly. Gradually stir in ice water, adding just enough so that the dough will hold together. Press the dough into a flattened disk.
2.Place two sheets of plastic wrap on the work surface, overlapping them by 2 inches. Place the dough in the center and cover with 2 more overlapping sheets of plastic wrap. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Remove the top sheets and invert the dough over a 9-inch pie plate. Remove the remaining plastic wrap. Fold the edges under at the rim and crimp. Chill the pastry while you prepare the filling.
3.To make filling: Position rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub through a sieve into pumpkin mixture and whisk until incorporated.
4.Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake until the filling is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes longer. During baking, cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly. Cool on a rack.
Nutrition
Per serving: 285 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 59 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 2 g fiber; 210 mg sodium; 386 mg potassium.
Riesling Baked Pears
Ingredients
4 ripe pears, preferably Bosc, with stems, washed and dried
2 cups Riesling or other fruity white wine
1/4 cup honey
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 strips orange zest
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear, so they will stand upright. Arrange the pears in a 9- to 10-inch pie pan or similar baking dish. Whisk wine and honey in a medium bowl until well blended; pour over the pears. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest to the wine mixture around the pears.
3.Roast the pears, basting every 15 minutes, until they are wrinkled and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of pear used.
4.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears to shallow dessert bowls. Pour the wine mixture into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Drizzle over the pears and garnish with the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition
Per serving: 241 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 4 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 176 mg potassium.
Ingredients
4 ripe pears, preferably Bosc, with stems, washed and dried
2 cups Riesling or other fruity white wine
1/4 cup honey
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 strips orange zest
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear, so they will stand upright. Arrange the pears in a 9- to 10-inch pie pan or similar baking dish. Whisk wine and honey in a medium bowl until well blended; pour over the pears. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest to the wine mixture around the pears.
3.Roast the pears, basting every 15 minutes, until they are wrinkled and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of pear used.
4.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears to shallow dessert bowls. Pour the wine mixture into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Drizzle over the pears and garnish with the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and orange zest. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition
Per serving: 241 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 4 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 176 mg potassium.
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (New International Version)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Working With What You've Got
Sometimes, having to deal with an injury or an illness is inevitable. For many people, this can often eliminate exercise progress and/or stop everything altogether. But, it doesn't have to.
I have personally dealt with some annoying setbacks from injuries. However, even though I might have back problems or knee problems, it hasn't stopped me from making progress with my workouts. I find ways to work around the issue and still get in a good workout. An injury may slow progress down, but it shouldn't eliminate progress.
Here are a couple of work-around examples of exercises that I personally deal with and have helped some of my clients work through:
Leg Exercises:
Want to do squats, but can't because lower back is too tight:
Do Ball Squats or Leg Press - Using a physioball to help support your lower back while you do squats can really help to alleviate the lower back tension that is often experienced doing regular squats.
A Leg press machine can be setup to allow you to push heavy weight within a range of motion that allows you to use your quadriceps without putting your lower back at risk for further injury.
Want to do leg extensions, but can't because knees hurt:
Do 1/2 leg extensions or slow lunges - A leg extension doesn't have to come all the way up to effectively work the quad muscles in your thighs. You can work those muscles just by bringing your legs up 1/2 way and pausing for a few seconds and then lowering the weight slowly. Depending on the knee injury, this should be able to take away a lot of the pressure that is often felt under the knee cap.
Slow lunging can also be an excellent exercise to really target the quads (and glutes). If your knees can tolerate you taking the motion all the way to the ground then do it because it will more thoroughly work your glute muscles. The slower you take the exercise the better for the quads.
Upper Body:
Want to bench press, but can't because my shoulder hurts:
Do Chest flys or cable presses - Depending on how injured the shoulder is, a chest fly may not irritate your shoulder as much. A pressing motion may create shoulder discomfort since a bench press heavily involves the shoulder ligaments.
If the shoulder isn't injured that bad, then consider a cable press for the chest in lieu of a regular bench press. Cables can offer a more fluid motion for the exercises that you normally do with free weights. This may help to reduce some of the shoulder tension felt during a regular bench press.
If an injury is permanent, then working with what is left is the only plan. Giving up, is never helpful! I have met stellar athletes that are confined to wheelchairs all their life. They work with what they have and stop making excuses for why they can't succeed!
I have also seen grown men complain of a minor knee ache and quit exercise completely for 6 months! Now, how helpful is that? People who are looking for an excuse to stop exercising will find it! In addition, people who are looking for an opportunity to succeed with their workouts, even though they may have some injury setbacks, will also find it! Deal with your underlying issues. Stay committed to succeeding with your plans and you will!
Prayer
Finally, the best remedy for your injury is God's medicine! Pray about what is ailing you. I often pray about the troubles I face with my workouts. I pray God gives me the strength to succeed even though I may have back problems or knee pain. When I pray and turn my problems over to God, I am more often than not thrilled with how my workouts go, even with all of the issues I face! God knows and cares about our troubles and concerns, don't be too proud to ask for help!
"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain...and he healed them." Matthew 4:24 (NIV)
I have personally dealt with some annoying setbacks from injuries. However, even though I might have back problems or knee problems, it hasn't stopped me from making progress with my workouts. I find ways to work around the issue and still get in a good workout. An injury may slow progress down, but it shouldn't eliminate progress.
Here are a couple of work-around examples of exercises that I personally deal with and have helped some of my clients work through:
Leg Exercises:
Want to do squats, but can't because lower back is too tight:
Do Ball Squats or Leg Press - Using a physioball to help support your lower back while you do squats can really help to alleviate the lower back tension that is often experienced doing regular squats.
A Leg press machine can be setup to allow you to push heavy weight within a range of motion that allows you to use your quadriceps without putting your lower back at risk for further injury.
Want to do leg extensions, but can't because knees hurt:
Do 1/2 leg extensions or slow lunges - A leg extension doesn't have to come all the way up to effectively work the quad muscles in your thighs. You can work those muscles just by bringing your legs up 1/2 way and pausing for a few seconds and then lowering the weight slowly. Depending on the knee injury, this should be able to take away a lot of the pressure that is often felt under the knee cap.
Slow lunging can also be an excellent exercise to really target the quads (and glutes). If your knees can tolerate you taking the motion all the way to the ground then do it because it will more thoroughly work your glute muscles. The slower you take the exercise the better for the quads.
Upper Body:
Want to bench press, but can't because my shoulder hurts:
Do Chest flys or cable presses - Depending on how injured the shoulder is, a chest fly may not irritate your shoulder as much. A pressing motion may create shoulder discomfort since a bench press heavily involves the shoulder ligaments.
If the shoulder isn't injured that bad, then consider a cable press for the chest in lieu of a regular bench press. Cables can offer a more fluid motion for the exercises that you normally do with free weights. This may help to reduce some of the shoulder tension felt during a regular bench press.
If an injury is permanent, then working with what is left is the only plan. Giving up, is never helpful! I have met stellar athletes that are confined to wheelchairs all their life. They work with what they have and stop making excuses for why they can't succeed!
I have also seen grown men complain of a minor knee ache and quit exercise completely for 6 months! Now, how helpful is that? People who are looking for an excuse to stop exercising will find it! In addition, people who are looking for an opportunity to succeed with their workouts, even though they may have some injury setbacks, will also find it! Deal with your underlying issues. Stay committed to succeeding with your plans and you will!
Prayer
Finally, the best remedy for your injury is God's medicine! Pray about what is ailing you. I often pray about the troubles I face with my workouts. I pray God gives me the strength to succeed even though I may have back problems or knee pain. When I pray and turn my problems over to God, I am more often than not thrilled with how my workouts go, even with all of the issues I face! God knows and cares about our troubles and concerns, don't be too proud to ask for help!
"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain...and he healed them." Matthew 4:24 (NIV)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Follow Through this New Year!
It's that time of year again. In a couple of weeks, the fitness facilities will be packed. Everyone will be deciding to get into shape this new year! There will be lines of people waiting for their favorite cardiovascular machine. The majority of parking spots will be taken up and people will begin to get frustrated.
This year, make your decision to get in shape last! Try these 4 things to keep yourself on track with your fitness goals:
1) Be accountable
Have someone you trust keep you true with your goals. A friend could work well here, however most friends are too nice to let you know the honest truth. When you begin to "fall-off the wagon", a real friend will let you know how damaging missing even one workout can be.
Consider investing in a personal trainer/consultant this new year. It is one of the best ways to make sure you stay on track and push yourself to reach higher fitness levels than you ever thought possible! If you are truly serious about getting in shape this new year, it is very much worth the investment!
2) Track your progress
By tracking your exercise and diet, you will dramatically increase your chances of seeing progress! It is far easier to steer your fitness goals if you can clearly see where you have been. Also, a personal trainer can help you FAR more if you have accurate exercise and diet logs. A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that people who tracked their diet are 90% more likely to lose weight compared to people who don't track their diet.
Consider using an easy online tracker like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It's pretty simple to setup, and after just a couple of days of using it, it remembers all of your choices so you will be able to fly through the tracker within 5 minutes by the end of each day. Plus it's free!
3) Try a "competition"
Now, normally when I talk about "competition", most of the time I am talking about bodybuilding competitions. However in this case, it could be any type of competition. If you are new to fitness, consider doing a 5k (3.1 mile) walk/run. This will give you a focus for all of your workouts.
It is much easier to focus on an event for your training than to just "get in shape". The "get in shape" mentality will only carry you for about the first 2 weeks. Then, your child will get sick and you will miss a workout. Then, your boss will want you to stay late and you will miss another workout. Before you know it, it's been 3 weeks since your last workout and your new plan needs to be remodeled! However, when you have an event that you schedule (and preferably pay for ahead of time to keep yourself honest and on track), even if there are 6 inches of snow on the ground with no plowing, you will make it to the gym!
The great part of having a competition focus is it will always keep you moving in a new and different direction that will help you stretch yourself. For example, you can start with a small running event and then consider a swimming event and then maybe eventually venture out into triathlons and before you know it you will be joining me and The Works Bodybuilding Team for your first natural bodybuilding competition!
Another compeititon I want to briefly mention is the one that got me started. The Body-For-Life competition is one of the best ways to get your start with event-specific training. It's a competition that is based on before and after results over the course of a 12-week period. The top winners receive $10,000 and there is an overall winner that receives $25,000! This is all for getting in shape, basically what you were going to do anyway! Goto: http://www.bodyforlife.com/ if you have any questions or you can email me.
4) Make it Fun!
Yes, fitness can be fun! Try something new and different this new year! More preferably try it with a friend to keep it interesting (--side bar-- however, don't let your friends decide if you are going to get in shape! Just because your friend that you love to workout with can't make it to the gym doesn't mean that you shouldn't go. Go anyway! You might even make some new friends and friends that may be more true to their fitness goals! It's your life, decide to take action and follow through this new year with or without your friends!).
There are a bunch of group exercise classes that members rave about. Try a "Zumba" class (don't ask me what it is, because I don't know) or group spinning or tae boxing. Make fitness fun, that way you will look forward to coming to the gym instead of making it feel like a chore. Also, a fitness trainer can help you make the most out of your training time. Personal trainers are the best people to contact for making workouts different and exciting. Consider calling one today!
This New Year will be different for you! By following these 4 points, you can and will follow through with your fitness goals this new year! For more information about personal training, please email me jonathanearnold@gmail.com
"Oh that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees" Psalm 119:5 (NLT)
This year, make your decision to get in shape last! Try these 4 things to keep yourself on track with your fitness goals:
1) Be accountable
Have someone you trust keep you true with your goals. A friend could work well here, however most friends are too nice to let you know the honest truth. When you begin to "fall-off the wagon", a real friend will let you know how damaging missing even one workout can be.
Consider investing in a personal trainer/consultant this new year. It is one of the best ways to make sure you stay on track and push yourself to reach higher fitness levels than you ever thought possible! If you are truly serious about getting in shape this new year, it is very much worth the investment!
2) Track your progress
By tracking your exercise and diet, you will dramatically increase your chances of seeing progress! It is far easier to steer your fitness goals if you can clearly see where you have been. Also, a personal trainer can help you FAR more if you have accurate exercise and diet logs. A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that people who tracked their diet are 90% more likely to lose weight compared to people who don't track their diet.
Consider using an easy online tracker like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It's pretty simple to setup, and after just a couple of days of using it, it remembers all of your choices so you will be able to fly through the tracker within 5 minutes by the end of each day. Plus it's free!
3) Try a "competition"
Now, normally when I talk about "competition", most of the time I am talking about bodybuilding competitions. However in this case, it could be any type of competition. If you are new to fitness, consider doing a 5k (3.1 mile) walk/run. This will give you a focus for all of your workouts.
It is much easier to focus on an event for your training than to just "get in shape". The "get in shape" mentality will only carry you for about the first 2 weeks. Then, your child will get sick and you will miss a workout. Then, your boss will want you to stay late and you will miss another workout. Before you know it, it's been 3 weeks since your last workout and your new plan needs to be remodeled! However, when you have an event that you schedule (and preferably pay for ahead of time to keep yourself honest and on track), even if there are 6 inches of snow on the ground with no plowing, you will make it to the gym!
The great part of having a competition focus is it will always keep you moving in a new and different direction that will help you stretch yourself. For example, you can start with a small running event and then consider a swimming event and then maybe eventually venture out into triathlons and before you know it you will be joining me and The Works Bodybuilding Team for your first natural bodybuilding competition!
Another compeititon I want to briefly mention is the one that got me started. The Body-For-Life competition is one of the best ways to get your start with event-specific training. It's a competition that is based on before and after results over the course of a 12-week period. The top winners receive $10,000 and there is an overall winner that receives $25,000! This is all for getting in shape, basically what you were going to do anyway! Goto: http://www.bodyforlife.com/ if you have any questions or you can email me.
4) Make it Fun!
Yes, fitness can be fun! Try something new and different this new year! More preferably try it with a friend to keep it interesting (--side bar-- however, don't let your friends decide if you are going to get in shape! Just because your friend that you love to workout with can't make it to the gym doesn't mean that you shouldn't go. Go anyway! You might even make some new friends and friends that may be more true to their fitness goals! It's your life, decide to take action and follow through this new year with or without your friends!).
There are a bunch of group exercise classes that members rave about. Try a "Zumba" class (don't ask me what it is, because I don't know) or group spinning or tae boxing. Make fitness fun, that way you will look forward to coming to the gym instead of making it feel like a chore. Also, a fitness trainer can help you make the most out of your training time. Personal trainers are the best people to contact for making workouts different and exciting. Consider calling one today!
This New Year will be different for you! By following these 4 points, you can and will follow through with your fitness goals this new year! For more information about personal training, please email me jonathanearnold@gmail.com
"Oh that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees" Psalm 119:5 (NLT)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Event Specific Training
Training for an event is my favorite way to train! When you know there is a specific deadline and a reason for why you need to be in shape, it helps you harness much more intensity from your workouts. When I am preparing for a competition, I try to pull out all the stops for my diet, workouts and general health as best as I can. This allows me to go much further than I ever thought possible!
People who train for events such as 10k's, swimming events, triathlons, marathons and Ironmans workout with far greater intensity than people who come to the gym just to get into shape. When you have a reason for your workouts, your workouts will explode! When I train for a bodybuilding competition, I am constantly focused on the deadline of the current phase that I am in.
Bodybuilding Training Phases:
Bodybuilders who compete tend to follow 2 main training phases. The leaning phase and the gaining phase.
Leaning
The leaning phase is the preparation phase for a bodybuilding event. This is usually a countdown of approximately 12-16 weeks before the competition (depending on how much weight needs to be lost). During this time, the competitor is trying to lose as much bodyfat as possible and preserve muscle. Their routine is typically focused on consistent cardiovascular exercise sometimes twice each day, 5-6 times/week along with weight training. Their diet tends to be pretty lean during this period as well so that they can hopefully see all of their muscle groups when they are on stage. The end of the leaning phase is the moment the competitor gets up on stage and poses. Once that is complete, the "gaining" phase begins (and some bodybuilders start the moment they step off stage!).
Gaining
The gaining phase focuses on trying to build as much muscle as possible. Many competitors tend to not put as much intensity into this training phase as they do with the leaning phase which I think is a major mistake! Many bodybuilders call this phase the "off-season", mainly because bodybuilders take the majority of this time off until it's time to start the leaning phase again! However, if a real competitor uses the same amount of focus as they do with their leaning phase during the gaining phase, he/she can make some tremendous gains.
The time period for this phase is dependent on when the next competition in scheduled. It's best to give at least 3 months of proper gaining before leaning begins again. This way, you can give your body ample time to see significant strength improvements. It's this time that makes the real difference for the competitor. If a bodybuilding competitor consistently sees strength improvements during this phase, then it is just a matter of time before he or she will win each show that he/she enters!
Personally speaking, this past year I was able to put on 14lbs of muscle during the "off-season" and this helped me move from 4th place in the heavyweights in 2008 to 1st place in the heavyweights this year! Keeping the training focus makes a big difference!
Maintenance mode
This is the mode that a competitor follows when he or she just can't consistently workout for some reason. This may be during a time of family emergencies or other life events. A typical maintenance mode plan may be working out 3 days/week with some cardio and some weight training. Doing these activities 3 days/week is just enough to hopefully slow the muscle atrophy and keep the competitor relatively the same (Often bodybuilding competitors tend to get on "maintenance mode" during the off-season when they should really be following a proper gaining plan).
Bodybuilders are very much focused on their events and keeping this focus can keep bodybuilders leaner and stronger than their non-bodybuilding counterparts! However, training for any event can really help you strive harder and achieve more! If you have questions about a training event that may be appropriate for you, just ask!
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
People who train for events such as 10k's, swimming events, triathlons, marathons and Ironmans workout with far greater intensity than people who come to the gym just to get into shape. When you have a reason for your workouts, your workouts will explode! When I train for a bodybuilding competition, I am constantly focused on the deadline of the current phase that I am in.
Bodybuilding Training Phases:
Bodybuilders who compete tend to follow 2 main training phases. The leaning phase and the gaining phase.
Leaning
The leaning phase is the preparation phase for a bodybuilding event. This is usually a countdown of approximately 12-16 weeks before the competition (depending on how much weight needs to be lost). During this time, the competitor is trying to lose as much bodyfat as possible and preserve muscle. Their routine is typically focused on consistent cardiovascular exercise sometimes twice each day, 5-6 times/week along with weight training. Their diet tends to be pretty lean during this period as well so that they can hopefully see all of their muscle groups when they are on stage. The end of the leaning phase is the moment the competitor gets up on stage and poses. Once that is complete, the "gaining" phase begins (and some bodybuilders start the moment they step off stage!).
Gaining
The gaining phase focuses on trying to build as much muscle as possible. Many competitors tend to not put as much intensity into this training phase as they do with the leaning phase which I think is a major mistake! Many bodybuilders call this phase the "off-season", mainly because bodybuilders take the majority of this time off until it's time to start the leaning phase again! However, if a real competitor uses the same amount of focus as they do with their leaning phase during the gaining phase, he/she can make some tremendous gains.
The time period for this phase is dependent on when the next competition in scheduled. It's best to give at least 3 months of proper gaining before leaning begins again. This way, you can give your body ample time to see significant strength improvements. It's this time that makes the real difference for the competitor. If a bodybuilding competitor consistently sees strength improvements during this phase, then it is just a matter of time before he or she will win each show that he/she enters!
Personally speaking, this past year I was able to put on 14lbs of muscle during the "off-season" and this helped me move from 4th place in the heavyweights in 2008 to 1st place in the heavyweights this year! Keeping the training focus makes a big difference!
Maintenance mode
This is the mode that a competitor follows when he or she just can't consistently workout for some reason. This may be during a time of family emergencies or other life events. A typical maintenance mode plan may be working out 3 days/week with some cardio and some weight training. Doing these activities 3 days/week is just enough to hopefully slow the muscle atrophy and keep the competitor relatively the same (Often bodybuilding competitors tend to get on "maintenance mode" during the off-season when they should really be following a proper gaining plan).
Bodybuilders are very much focused on their events and keeping this focus can keep bodybuilders leaner and stronger than their non-bodybuilding counterparts! However, training for any event can really help you strive harder and achieve more! If you have questions about a training event that may be appropriate for you, just ask!
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Fear of Failure!
Fearing failure is what holds most of us back from achieving ultimate success! Regardless of your endeavour, fearing failure can stop you in your tracks!
As a kid, I always had a difficult time in school. I was often not paying attention in class. I would daydream about summer, playing video games and how to take over the world (you know, typical childhood thoughts)! As a result, I often failed a good amount of the classes I took. I remember one day when I received a report card and I received all "D's"! Both my parents and I were so elated with this report card because I didn't fail anything!
Eventually, I did get my act together and started putting as much attention into school as I did playing video games and I did a lot better in school. However, going through that and many other trying experiences in life has allowed me to realize that failure is what helps me move forward in life and not hold me back like I thought it would.
This is one of the aspects of training that really separates the champions from everyone else. Failure during a workout is what the goal is! Becoming familiar with how you feel when your body completely fails on you can help you propel your conditioning from mediocre to extraordinary!
The concern I often get with training to failure is: "Won't I get hurt?" The truth is: if you do it right, most likely not. If your form is as good as it can be until the last few repetitions, then you shouldn't worry too much. However, if you have sloppy form throughout the entire set, then you might get injured. This is why having a spotter or a trainer help you during these sets can help make sure you are doing it right. When done correctly, training to failure can bring results significantly faster than any other type of training, period!
I often train to failure in most of my basic exercises. I always try to get a spotter to help me with these sets. I try to get as many repetitions with a challenging weight until I think I can't do anymore and then I ask myself "can I do just one more?" and then I try. Most of the time, I find that I can do one more. Then I ask again "can I do one more?" again and again until I absolutely can't!
Training this way can completely blow away your expectations for how strong or fast you think you are! For example, if you think a challenging weight for you when bench pressing is 35lbs with dumbbells and then you try to do this exercise with 30lbs and you find you are able to do 25 reps....that will prove you can go heavier!
Training to failure can really take your own self-limiting beliefs off of your workouts!
Failure can often lead to great success in life! As God tells us: when one door closes, another one opens. Also, everything works together for the good for those who believe in Christ Jesus!
To me, the best part of our family trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania was hearing about the life of Milton Hershey! To help illustrate how not fearing failure can make a big impact on your life, read about his story:
Milton was born in the mid 1800's. He barely had any formal education. He became an apprentice to a candy-maker in Pennsylvania when he was a teenager and soon thereafter tried to start his own candy business but failed! He then moved onto New York city to try again and failed again! He moved to New Orleans to try again and failed again! By this point he had gone bankrupt and needed someone else to help him finance another venture if he was going to follow his passion.
He then went back to Pennsylvania and convinced his aunt to remortgage her house so he could try yet another business. Just 2 days before the bank was going to foreclose on his aunt's home, Milton received an order from England that more than completely covered all of his debts and Hershey Chocolate took off!
What's even better about this story is what Milton did with his fortune. In addition to creating a huge business that employs an entire city, he also opened a school for orphaned and underprivileged boys. He created state-of-the-art teaching facilities for these kids. Today the school teaches approximately 2000 boys and girls from all states of the U.S. who have very little means. They can attend K-12 and when they graduate they are given $77,000 to use toward any college of their choice. All of this is provided to the child at no cost to the family whatsoever!
Milton Hershey was a man that would not quit regardless of how many times he failed! He had the faith to keep striving in the face of failure! He was handsomely rewarded because he didn't care that he failed! Among his personal belongings that were on display at the museum was his own personal bible that he read. It is obvious that faith was the key to success for Milton!
"Jesus looked at them and said 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
As a kid, I always had a difficult time in school. I was often not paying attention in class. I would daydream about summer, playing video games and how to take over the world (you know, typical childhood thoughts)! As a result, I often failed a good amount of the classes I took. I remember one day when I received a report card and I received all "D's"! Both my parents and I were so elated with this report card because I didn't fail anything!
Eventually, I did get my act together and started putting as much attention into school as I did playing video games and I did a lot better in school. However, going through that and many other trying experiences in life has allowed me to realize that failure is what helps me move forward in life and not hold me back like I thought it would.
This is one of the aspects of training that really separates the champions from everyone else. Failure during a workout is what the goal is! Becoming familiar with how you feel when your body completely fails on you can help you propel your conditioning from mediocre to extraordinary!
The concern I often get with training to failure is: "Won't I get hurt?" The truth is: if you do it right, most likely not. If your form is as good as it can be until the last few repetitions, then you shouldn't worry too much. However, if you have sloppy form throughout the entire set, then you might get injured. This is why having a spotter or a trainer help you during these sets can help make sure you are doing it right. When done correctly, training to failure can bring results significantly faster than any other type of training, period!
I often train to failure in most of my basic exercises. I always try to get a spotter to help me with these sets. I try to get as many repetitions with a challenging weight until I think I can't do anymore and then I ask myself "can I do just one more?" and then I try. Most of the time, I find that I can do one more. Then I ask again "can I do one more?" again and again until I absolutely can't!
Training this way can completely blow away your expectations for how strong or fast you think you are! For example, if you think a challenging weight for you when bench pressing is 35lbs with dumbbells and then you try to do this exercise with 30lbs and you find you are able to do 25 reps....that will prove you can go heavier!
Training to failure can really take your own self-limiting beliefs off of your workouts!
Failure can often lead to great success in life! As God tells us: when one door closes, another one opens. Also, everything works together for the good for those who believe in Christ Jesus!
To me, the best part of our family trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania was hearing about the life of Milton Hershey! To help illustrate how not fearing failure can make a big impact on your life, read about his story:
Milton was born in the mid 1800's. He barely had any formal education. He became an apprentice to a candy-maker in Pennsylvania when he was a teenager and soon thereafter tried to start his own candy business but failed! He then moved onto New York city to try again and failed again! He moved to New Orleans to try again and failed again! By this point he had gone bankrupt and needed someone else to help him finance another venture if he was going to follow his passion.He then went back to Pennsylvania and convinced his aunt to remortgage her house so he could try yet another business. Just 2 days before the bank was going to foreclose on his aunt's home, Milton received an order from England that more than completely covered all of his debts and Hershey Chocolate took off!
What's even better about this story is what Milton did with his fortune. In addition to creating a huge business that employs an entire city, he also opened a school for orphaned and underprivileged boys. He created state-of-the-art teaching facilities for these kids. Today the school teaches approximately 2000 boys and girls from all states of the U.S. who have very little means. They can attend K-12 and when they graduate they are given $77,000 to use toward any college of their choice. All of this is provided to the child at no cost to the family whatsoever!
Milton Hershey was a man that would not quit regardless of how many times he failed! He had the faith to keep striving in the face of failure! He was handsomely rewarded because he didn't care that he failed! Among his personal belongings that were on display at the museum was his own personal bible that he read. It is obvious that faith was the key to success for Milton!"Jesus looked at them and said 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Health vs. Competition
As another competition approaches (This next weekend for all of you interested!), I have to remind myself about the differences in what I am currently doing versus a normal "healthy" lifestyle.
A competitive athelete (whether a football player, swimmer, bodybuilder, etc) all need to train significantly harder than the norm if they want to stay "competitive". However, it is very important to remember that these atheletes are training for a very specific purpose. The average American adult does not need to workout as intensely or as frequently as most competitive atheletes to get their body into or remain in a "healthy" state.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) defines healthy exercise guidelines for people under the age of 65 as cardiovascular exercise 3-5 times/week for 20-30 minutes from moderate to vigorous intensity along with resistance training a couple times/week. That is basically all it takes to maintain a healthy body and help diminish the prevalence of chronic diseases.
That, to me, is the baseline standard! Regardless of whatever else is going on in life, I must make sure I am doing at least 3 days of exercise made up of cardio and some strength training. Now, I also realize that 3 days/week is not enough to help me achieve higher strength levels or enough to really help me lose weight. But, it is enough to keep my body happy and help delay muscle atrophy.
To help put this concept into a practical example, let me give you a little history about my bodybuilding career:
I started bodybuilding back in 2003 when I first did the Body-For-Life challenge and became the 1st runner-up in my category. I then competed in my first formal natural bodybuilding competition in the summer of 2004. After that, I competed in the fall of 2005. However, after that competition, I took approximately 3 years off from competing as I finished up my degree. Although, during that time, I still made sure to workout with weights approximately 3-4x's each week and do intense cardio for 20-30mins three times each week. Doing that allowed me to keep my weight at a relatively lean level (+/- 10% bodyfat). I didn't notice much strength gain, but I didn't notice that much muscle atrophy either.
Last year in the summer of 2008, when I decided it was time to get back into bodybuilding, it took about 2 months of hard training (5-6 days/week of strength training and cardio, which is the norm for bodybuilders) to get back to a similar strength level as compared to 2005. From that point, I have been able to keep making gains. However, it wouldn't have been that simple if I didn't keep up the baseline healthy guidelines when my life was too hectic to compete.
I personally don't believe that bodybuilding is for everyone. Just like swimming isn't for everyone (and football or any other sport for that matter). However, I do believe that the baseline healthy guidelines ARE for EVERYONE!
Regardless of your current lifestyle, no excuse is good enough to prevent you from spending 20-30mins, 3-5 days/week on keeping yourself healthy! That is YOUR baseline standard. Even when your mom is in the hospital and the kids are sick! Taking 20 minutes out of the day to give back to yourself will help you become a better you! Doing so will help you cope with whatever life turmoil you are currently going through.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3: 7-8 (NIV)
A competitive athelete (whether a football player, swimmer, bodybuilder, etc) all need to train significantly harder than the norm if they want to stay "competitive". However, it is very important to remember that these atheletes are training for a very specific purpose. The average American adult does not need to workout as intensely or as frequently as most competitive atheletes to get their body into or remain in a "healthy" state.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) defines healthy exercise guidelines for people under the age of 65 as cardiovascular exercise 3-5 times/week for 20-30 minutes from moderate to vigorous intensity along with resistance training a couple times/week. That is basically all it takes to maintain a healthy body and help diminish the prevalence of chronic diseases.
That, to me, is the baseline standard! Regardless of whatever else is going on in life, I must make sure I am doing at least 3 days of exercise made up of cardio and some strength training. Now, I also realize that 3 days/week is not enough to help me achieve higher strength levels or enough to really help me lose weight. But, it is enough to keep my body happy and help delay muscle atrophy.
To help put this concept into a practical example, let me give you a little history about my bodybuilding career:
I started bodybuilding back in 2003 when I first did the Body-For-Life challenge and became the 1st runner-up in my category. I then competed in my first formal natural bodybuilding competition in the summer of 2004. After that, I competed in the fall of 2005. However, after that competition, I took approximately 3 years off from competing as I finished up my degree. Although, during that time, I still made sure to workout with weights approximately 3-4x's each week and do intense cardio for 20-30mins three times each week. Doing that allowed me to keep my weight at a relatively lean level (+/- 10% bodyfat). I didn't notice much strength gain, but I didn't notice that much muscle atrophy either.
Last year in the summer of 2008, when I decided it was time to get back into bodybuilding, it took about 2 months of hard training (5-6 days/week of strength training and cardio, which is the norm for bodybuilders) to get back to a similar strength level as compared to 2005. From that point, I have been able to keep making gains. However, it wouldn't have been that simple if I didn't keep up the baseline healthy guidelines when my life was too hectic to compete.
I personally don't believe that bodybuilding is for everyone. Just like swimming isn't for everyone (and football or any other sport for that matter). However, I do believe that the baseline healthy guidelines ARE for EVERYONE!
Regardless of your current lifestyle, no excuse is good enough to prevent you from spending 20-30mins, 3-5 days/week on keeping yourself healthy! That is YOUR baseline standard. Even when your mom is in the hospital and the kids are sick! Taking 20 minutes out of the day to give back to yourself will help you become a better you! Doing so will help you cope with whatever life turmoil you are currently going through.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3: 7-8 (NIV)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Recipes!
Bodybuilders become pretty creative in the kitchen as they get closer and closer to competition time! Since the next competition is less than 2 weeks away (Halloween, Saturday October 31st at Dover High School for anyone interested in attending!), I thought I would share some of the recipes that have been keeping me on track these past few months. These foods will typically be high in protein and some high in good carbohydrates (which means it has plenty of fiber).
Meals:
Homemade Pizza!
Many pizza's are loaded with fat and refined carbs. However, when you make it all yourself, you can change a lot of that to a healthy low-fat, good carb and high protein meal. Here is what we made this past weekend and boy was it yummy!:
Chicken Spinach Supreme Pizza:
Ingredients:
12oz chicken tenderloin (chopped)
1 small bag of whole wheat pizza dough (found in grocery store where pizza is sold)
1 8oz container pizza sauce
1 bag of shredded low-fat (or fat-free) mozarella
1/2 bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 can black olives (chopped)
1 cup stir fry peppers and onions
1/8 red onion (diced)
Preparation:
Roll out the dough on a cookie sheet
Spoon in the sauce
Put on 1/2 the bag of mozarella cheese
Put on chopped vegetables
Add on Chicken
Then Spinach
Put the rest of the bag of cheese on top
Bake in the oven at 475°F for 10-12 minutes
Enjoy!
Nutritional Info:
Serves 8
Cals: 262
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 25g (with approx 5g fiber/svg)
Fat: 7g
A very delicious, high protein, good carb, low fat meal! Check out my pictures on Facebook showing how we prepared the pizza this past weekend.
White Bean Chicken Chili:
This chili recipe was taken and slightly modified from the Cooking Light Super Fast Suppers cookbook.
Ingredients:
1 cup Onion (chopped)
2 teaspoons Garlic (minced)
2 16oz cans cannellini beans undrained
2 16oz cans of chicken meat (found next to the tunafish at grocery store)
1 15oz can of chicken broth, low sodium
1 1/2 salt-free Mexican seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup low fat monteray jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (shredded)
Prep:
Place large pot on stovetop and turn to high
Mash one can of beans in small bowl then add to pot
add all ingredients except cheese into pot
Once boiling, reduce temp to simmer and let it sit for 15 mins
add shredded cheese and enjoy!
Nutritional:
Serves 6
Cals: 284
Pro: 28g
Carb: 23g (6g Fiber)
Fat: 8g
Protein Recipes:
Caley Whitney's Protein Bar
This is the recipe for a protein bar a coworker of mine told me about. Everyone that has tried it has absolutely loved it!
Ingredients:
1 cup Quick Oats
6 Egg Whites
1 1/2 cups Skim Milk
2 packages Nutrilite Whey Protein
1 oz Raisins
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl, stir until completely blended
Pour onto baking pan
Bake at 350°F for 20-30 mins or until golden brown
Nutrition:
Serves 6
Cals: 140
Pro: 16g
Carb: 16g
Fat: 7g
Pistachio Protein Pudding
You can try this with any of the Jello instant pudding mixes. I personally like Pistachio!
Ingredients:
1 box Jello Pudding Pistachio Fat Free, Sugar Free mix
2 packages Nutrilite Vanilla Whey Protein
16 oz ice cold water (make sure the water is really cold)
Prep:
add all contents to mixing bowl
blend with beaters or whipping spoon for 2 mins
Let sit in refrigerator for 5-10 mins
Enjoy!
(Try adding fat free cool-whip for a topping, only 15cals for 2 tblspoons!)
Nutrition (without the cool-whip):
Serves: 2
Cals: 175
Pro: 25g
Carbs: 9g
Fat:3g
Smoothies
Protein smoothies can be made a million different ways! I personally really like a smoothie to be thick and creamy, like a milkshake at Friendly's! :) Feel free to modify these recipes to your liking, especially if you like your smoothies to be more liquidy than I do.
Orange Julius:
Ingredients:
2 oranges (preferred without seeds)
2 Vanilla Nutrilite Whey Protein packages
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add 2 peeled oranges to blender
Add protein powder
Add 6 ice cubes
Start blend at slow to chop up ice
Then switch to high once chopped
and keep on high for approx 30 seconds or until thick and creamy
Enjoy!
There is no need to add water to the blender, the oranges produce more than enough liquid once blended.
Nutrition:
Serves: 2
Cals 180
Pro: 25g
Carbs: 15g
Fat: 3g
Thick and Creamy Strawberry Smoothie:
Ingredients:
1 6oz container vanilla Thick and Creamy Yoplait yogurt
2 packages vanilla Nutrilite Whey Protein powder
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup strawberries
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add ingredients to blender
Blend from low to high to chop ice cubes
Blend for 30 seconds on high
Enjoy!
Nutrition:
Serves 2
Cals: 268
Pro: 31g
Carbs: 38g
Fat: 4g
Thick and Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie (weight-gainer!):
This smoothie I really like in the "off-season". It definitely can add quite a few calories, but boy is it tasty!
Ingredients:
1 6oz container vanilla Yoplait thick and creamy yogurt
1 small banana
2 packages chocolate Nutrilite Whey Protein
2 tblspoons Teddy natural peanut butter smooth
1 cup skim milk
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add all ingredients to blender
blend from low to high
blend on high for 30 seconds
Enjoy!
Nutrition:
Serves 1 Big Guy! Or 4 Little Girls! LOL :)
Cals: 870
Pro: 75g
Carbs: 100g
Fat: 23g
I hope you enjoy these recipes! Please let me know what your thoughts are. Also, feel free to send along some recipes that you might enjoy and believe to be fun, healthy and tasty!
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
Meals:
Homemade Pizza!
Many pizza's are loaded with fat and refined carbs. However, when you make it all yourself, you can change a lot of that to a healthy low-fat, good carb and high protein meal. Here is what we made this past weekend and boy was it yummy!:
Chicken Spinach Supreme Pizza:
Ingredients:
12oz chicken tenderloin (chopped)
1 small bag of whole wheat pizza dough (found in grocery store where pizza is sold)
1 8oz container pizza sauce
1 bag of shredded low-fat (or fat-free) mozarella
1/2 bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 can black olives (chopped)
1 cup stir fry peppers and onions
1/8 red onion (diced)
Preparation:
Roll out the dough on a cookie sheet
Spoon in the sauce
Put on 1/2 the bag of mozarella cheese
Put on chopped vegetables
Add on Chicken
Then Spinach
Put the rest of the bag of cheese on top
Bake in the oven at 475°F for 10-12 minutes
Enjoy!
Nutritional Info:
Serves 8
Cals: 262
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 25g (with approx 5g fiber/svg)
Fat: 7g
A very delicious, high protein, good carb, low fat meal! Check out my pictures on Facebook showing how we prepared the pizza this past weekend.
White Bean Chicken Chili:
This chili recipe was taken and slightly modified from the Cooking Light Super Fast Suppers cookbook.
Ingredients:
1 cup Onion (chopped)
2 teaspoons Garlic (minced)
2 16oz cans cannellini beans undrained
2 16oz cans of chicken meat (found next to the tunafish at grocery store)
1 15oz can of chicken broth, low sodium
1 1/2 salt-free Mexican seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup low fat monteray jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (shredded)
Prep:
Place large pot on stovetop and turn to high
Mash one can of beans in small bowl then add to pot
add all ingredients except cheese into pot
Once boiling, reduce temp to simmer and let it sit for 15 mins
add shredded cheese and enjoy!
Nutritional:
Serves 6
Cals: 284
Pro: 28g
Carb: 23g (6g Fiber)
Fat: 8g
Protein Recipes:
Caley Whitney's Protein Bar
This is the recipe for a protein bar a coworker of mine told me about. Everyone that has tried it has absolutely loved it!
Ingredients:
1 cup Quick Oats
6 Egg Whites
1 1/2 cups Skim Milk
2 packages Nutrilite Whey Protein
1 oz Raisins
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl, stir until completely blended
Pour onto baking pan
Bake at 350°F for 20-30 mins or until golden brown
Nutrition:
Serves 6
Cals: 140
Pro: 16g
Carb: 16g
Fat: 7g
Pistachio Protein Pudding
You can try this with any of the Jello instant pudding mixes. I personally like Pistachio!
Ingredients:
1 box Jello Pudding Pistachio Fat Free, Sugar Free mix
2 packages Nutrilite Vanilla Whey Protein
16 oz ice cold water (make sure the water is really cold)
Prep:
add all contents to mixing bowl
blend with beaters or whipping spoon for 2 mins
Let sit in refrigerator for 5-10 mins
Enjoy!
(Try adding fat free cool-whip for a topping, only 15cals for 2 tblspoons!)
Nutrition (without the cool-whip):
Serves: 2
Cals: 175
Pro: 25g
Carbs: 9g
Fat:3g
Smoothies
Protein smoothies can be made a million different ways! I personally really like a smoothie to be thick and creamy, like a milkshake at Friendly's! :) Feel free to modify these recipes to your liking, especially if you like your smoothies to be more liquidy than I do.
Orange Julius:
Ingredients:
2 oranges (preferred without seeds)
2 Vanilla Nutrilite Whey Protein packages
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add 2 peeled oranges to blender
Add protein powder
Add 6 ice cubes
Start blend at slow to chop up ice
Then switch to high once chopped
and keep on high for approx 30 seconds or until thick and creamy
Enjoy!
There is no need to add water to the blender, the oranges produce more than enough liquid once blended.
Nutrition:
Serves: 2
Cals 180
Pro: 25g
Carbs: 15g
Fat: 3g
Thick and Creamy Strawberry Smoothie:
Ingredients:
1 6oz container vanilla Thick and Creamy Yoplait yogurt
2 packages vanilla Nutrilite Whey Protein powder
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup strawberries
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add ingredients to blender
Blend from low to high to chop ice cubes
Blend for 30 seconds on high
Enjoy!
Nutrition:
Serves 2
Cals: 268
Pro: 31g
Carbs: 38g
Fat: 4g
Thick and Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie (weight-gainer!):
This smoothie I really like in the "off-season". It definitely can add quite a few calories, but boy is it tasty!
Ingredients:
1 6oz container vanilla Yoplait thick and creamy yogurt
1 small banana
2 packages chocolate Nutrilite Whey Protein
2 tblspoons Teddy natural peanut butter smooth
1 cup skim milk
4 tblspoons whipped cream
6 ice cubes
Prep:
Add all ingredients to blender
blend from low to high
blend on high for 30 seconds
Enjoy!
Nutrition:
Serves 1 Big Guy! Or 4 Little Girls! LOL :)
Cals: 870
Pro: 75g
Carbs: 100g
Fat: 23g
I hope you enjoy these recipes! Please let me know what your thoughts are. Also, feel free to send along some recipes that you might enjoy and believe to be fun, healthy and tasty!
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Balancing Priorities
Your priorities in life dictate exactly what you want to do with your time. Often, priorities like prayer, reading the bible, exercise and eating healthy foods tend to get moved down the totem pole for priorities like work and family time. Unfortunately, it is this mis-prioritization that causes many of us to not be at our absolute best and as effective as we possibly could be.
Order of Operations (for your life)
1) Spiritual
2) Health
3) Family
4) Education
5) Financial
6) Work
Reasoning
#1 God) Above all things, Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We do that through reading His word, praying and fellow-shipping on a regular basis. When we place God first in our lives, we will be following the narrow path that Jesus talks about:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
By following God first, we will never be lead astray with the other priorities in life!
#2 Health) After your spiritual health, your physical health (not the health of others) comes next. If you believe that self-sacrifice and putting others ahead of yourself is "helpful", you are doing the people who you believe you are helping a real disservice! You cannot be at your absolute best if you are not taking care of yourself!
By spending a little time on you (20mins-1 hour/day) through exercise, you can dramatically compound that time back. As I mentioned in a previous post, your energy level increases the more you exercise, not decrease! You become far more efficient and energized when you exercise regularly and eat healthy foods. I personally love the feeling that regular exercise gives me. If I spend 3-4 days with no real exercise, I start to become very sluggish and considerably less effective. When you exercise regularly, you will find time that you didn't know you had because you are that much more efficient!
Often, when I meet with parents, I hear about the difficulties of finding time to exercise when there are kids that are screaming for their attention. Many of us have been brought up to believe that any time away from the family is considered selfish time. Their thoughts are: in order for their family to flourish, they need to spend as much time as possible at home with them, that is, when they are not at work, of course!
Unfortunately, this line of reasoning is really setting the wrong example for our kids. If we want to have children that function at their best, we need to show them how to keep their own body healthy through exercise and eating healthy foods. 20mins to 1 hour/day of exercise can work wonders in anyone's life. If you currently are not setting this example, how will your children learn to keep themselves healthy? Chances are, if you have poor eating habits, your children will as well. Chances are, if you are not exercising on a regular basis, your children will not either. You set the example in your household!
#3 Family) Your family does want to spend time with you! So, after you have done some exercise (and who says you have to exercise without your family?), get on home to play! Now, doing what most Americans do and sit in front of the television may not be the best way to get "quality" time with your family. Try actually planning some dates every month to do something fun, creative and exciting.
Every month, I try to plan at least one night to spend alone with my wife. As many of you parents know, it can be a bit challenging to actually have an adult conversation with your spouse, or just enjoy each others' company when the kids need you constantly. By having a 'date night', a minimum of one evening each month to spend alone, it helps to calm our nerves and reignite our passion for each other!
Also, every month, we try to plan at least one day or weekend to do something fun with the whole family. We try to make it something special and hopefully different. It may be a trip to the fair or apple picking or to a museum or even just spending a whole day looking at drainholes(that's Teddy's favorite)!! The point is to do something together, that's fun for everyone.
We make sure to have these days each month regardless of actual vacations. A vacation is very nice, and we try to take one every year, however that does not take the place of spending regular family time each month. Doing this, helps us remember why we had a family in the first place!
#4 Education) Education is key to becoming the best you that you can be! However, many people believe that formal education is the only key to success. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, a quick glance at the world's wealthiest individuals will let you know that only couple of the top 10 wealthiest even have a bachelor's degree! It is not the degrees on the wall that determine how high you can climb, but your own education does make a tremendous difference.
In fact, a staggering difference between the wealthiest individuals in this country and the rest of the public is that the majority of the wealthy read at least one nonfiction book each month and the rest of the public stops reading altogether once they finish their formal education. Another way to think about that is... There really is no difference between someone who cannot read (being illiterate) and someone who does not read (the majority of Americans).
Make a difference in your own education and start reading more today! Read more about your interests. If you are not interested in your job, then start reading more about different lines of work. One of the best aspects of reading is that you get to learn from everyone else's experience before you try to jump into something new and different yourself. You get to learn from the best through reading!
I am currently reading a great book by John Maxwell, called "Your attitude makes the difference!". If you are interested in hearing more about some of the other books I have read this year, please let me know.
#5 Finances) Your finances should also be prioritized like the rest of your priorities. Many people struggle with financial control because of their impulsive desires. Health and wealth are very similar. Both require self-control. Your money needs to be directed like your calories do. When those George Washingtons don't have a plan and purpose, they fly out the window, just like your diet plan on Thanksgiving day! I recommend setting a monthly family budget (which needs to be modified each month) and specific financial goals. I would also recommend a very helpful course like Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace program to help guide you through all the steps that it takes to get your finances in order and completely focused on financial freedom!
Just as scripture tells us, when we are faithful with a few talents, He will reward us with more. If you feel that you don't have as much as you want financially, that might be because you currently are not handling what you have very well. Once you start to handle the little money that you have better, then God will reward you with more!
#6 Work) Work is the final priority. Unfortunately, many Americans believe work comes as the first priority and then family and then somewhere later health is a part of all that and God usually isn't even in the equation! Following that line of priorities, there is no wonder that divorce, health problems and suicide rates so high!
When it's time to focus on work, focus on work and nothing else. Just as Dale Carnegie writes in his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living "Live in 'day-tight' compartments". He writes about dealing with the situation at hand. Don't worry about every little detail in life that could frustrate you or get your mind off track. Focus on work when you are at work! If you work when you are supposed to work, then you can live peacefully when you are done!
By keeping the other priorities in-line you will more than likely be looked at highly for a promotion! You will be a highly peaceful (from following God), energized (from exercise), happy (from time with your family), smart (from reading), and financially organized (from budgeting) person! Who wouldn't want to promote you!
Keep your priorities in order and your priorities will take care of you!
"Jesus replied 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
Order of Operations (for your life)
1) Spiritual
2) Health
3) Family
4) Education
5) Financial
6) Work
Reasoning
#1 God) Above all things, Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We do that through reading His word, praying and fellow-shipping on a regular basis. When we place God first in our lives, we will be following the narrow path that Jesus talks about:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
By following God first, we will never be lead astray with the other priorities in life!
#2 Health) After your spiritual health, your physical health (not the health of others) comes next. If you believe that self-sacrifice and putting others ahead of yourself is "helpful", you are doing the people who you believe you are helping a real disservice! You cannot be at your absolute best if you are not taking care of yourself!
By spending a little time on you (20mins-1 hour/day) through exercise, you can dramatically compound that time back. As I mentioned in a previous post, your energy level increases the more you exercise, not decrease! You become far more efficient and energized when you exercise regularly and eat healthy foods. I personally love the feeling that regular exercise gives me. If I spend 3-4 days with no real exercise, I start to become very sluggish and considerably less effective. When you exercise regularly, you will find time that you didn't know you had because you are that much more efficient!
Often, when I meet with parents, I hear about the difficulties of finding time to exercise when there are kids that are screaming for their attention. Many of us have been brought up to believe that any time away from the family is considered selfish time. Their thoughts are: in order for their family to flourish, they need to spend as much time as possible at home with them, that is, when they are not at work, of course!
Unfortunately, this line of reasoning is really setting the wrong example for our kids. If we want to have children that function at their best, we need to show them how to keep their own body healthy through exercise and eating healthy foods. 20mins to 1 hour/day of exercise can work wonders in anyone's life. If you currently are not setting this example, how will your children learn to keep themselves healthy? Chances are, if you have poor eating habits, your children will as well. Chances are, if you are not exercising on a regular basis, your children will not either. You set the example in your household!
#3 Family) Your family does want to spend time with you! So, after you have done some exercise (and who says you have to exercise without your family?), get on home to play! Now, doing what most Americans do and sit in front of the television may not be the best way to get "quality" time with your family. Try actually planning some dates every month to do something fun, creative and exciting.
Every month, I try to plan at least one night to spend alone with my wife. As many of you parents know, it can be a bit challenging to actually have an adult conversation with your spouse, or just enjoy each others' company when the kids need you constantly. By having a 'date night', a minimum of one evening each month to spend alone, it helps to calm our nerves and reignite our passion for each other!
Also, every month, we try to plan at least one day or weekend to do something fun with the whole family. We try to make it something special and hopefully different. It may be a trip to the fair or apple picking or to a museum or even just spending a whole day looking at drainholes(that's Teddy's favorite)!! The point is to do something together, that's fun for everyone.
We make sure to have these days each month regardless of actual vacations. A vacation is very nice, and we try to take one every year, however that does not take the place of spending regular family time each month. Doing this, helps us remember why we had a family in the first place!
#4 Education) Education is key to becoming the best you that you can be! However, many people believe that formal education is the only key to success. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, a quick glance at the world's wealthiest individuals will let you know that only couple of the top 10 wealthiest even have a bachelor's degree! It is not the degrees on the wall that determine how high you can climb, but your own education does make a tremendous difference.
In fact, a staggering difference between the wealthiest individuals in this country and the rest of the public is that the majority of the wealthy read at least one nonfiction book each month and the rest of the public stops reading altogether once they finish their formal education. Another way to think about that is... There really is no difference between someone who cannot read (being illiterate) and someone who does not read (the majority of Americans).
Make a difference in your own education and start reading more today! Read more about your interests. If you are not interested in your job, then start reading more about different lines of work. One of the best aspects of reading is that you get to learn from everyone else's experience before you try to jump into something new and different yourself. You get to learn from the best through reading!
I am currently reading a great book by John Maxwell, called "Your attitude makes the difference!". If you are interested in hearing more about some of the other books I have read this year, please let me know.
#5 Finances) Your finances should also be prioritized like the rest of your priorities. Many people struggle with financial control because of their impulsive desires. Health and wealth are very similar. Both require self-control. Your money needs to be directed like your calories do. When those George Washingtons don't have a plan and purpose, they fly out the window, just like your diet plan on Thanksgiving day! I recommend setting a monthly family budget (which needs to be modified each month) and specific financial goals. I would also recommend a very helpful course like Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace program to help guide you through all the steps that it takes to get your finances in order and completely focused on financial freedom!
Just as scripture tells us, when we are faithful with a few talents, He will reward us with more. If you feel that you don't have as much as you want financially, that might be because you currently are not handling what you have very well. Once you start to handle the little money that you have better, then God will reward you with more!
#6 Work) Work is the final priority. Unfortunately, many Americans believe work comes as the first priority and then family and then somewhere later health is a part of all that and God usually isn't even in the equation! Following that line of priorities, there is no wonder that divorce, health problems and suicide rates so high!
When it's time to focus on work, focus on work and nothing else. Just as Dale Carnegie writes in his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living "Live in 'day-tight' compartments". He writes about dealing with the situation at hand. Don't worry about every little detail in life that could frustrate you or get your mind off track. Focus on work when you are at work! If you work when you are supposed to work, then you can live peacefully when you are done!
By keeping the other priorities in-line you will more than likely be looked at highly for a promotion! You will be a highly peaceful (from following God), energized (from exercise), happy (from time with your family), smart (from reading), and financially organized (from budgeting) person! Who wouldn't want to promote you!
Keep your priorities in order and your priorities will take care of you!
"Jesus replied 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Keeping Consistent at all Cost!
Many researchers say that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. For some reason, this statement just doesn't seem to apply to the fitness industry! I have seen many enthusiastic people join the gym at the beginning of the new year and workout like they have never worked out before, for one month, and then quit all exercise for 9 months! Then they come back to see me again, right before the next new year, and tell me "This time, I am serious, and I am really going to get in shape!" Then they proceed to do it all over again!
Everyone wants to see the results that staying steady produces. However, most people are not willing to put forth the effort of staying steady when it is inconvenient. Usually, most people cut out their workouts when life suddenly throws them a curve ball! Unfortunately, it is how we handle the 'curve balls' of life that truly defines our life! Will you stay the course or become derailed?
I have noticed 3 "consistent themes" about people who get completely derailed from their fitness plans when a curve ball is thrown.
1) They aren't consistently exercising enough to see the results of their efforts
2) They usually don't consistently keep track of their progress (diet log/workout log)
3) They tend not to be consistently intense enough with their workouts to really see a change
First Point) Many people believe that exercising (cardiovascular exercise especially) three times/week is enough to create weight loss results. I hate to be the bearer of bad news (well, okay that's a lie! :), but for most people, three times/week is just enough to keep you where you are.....frustrated! Unless you have a very fast acting metabolism and/or really good genetics, three times/week with cardiovascular exercise will usually not produce much weight loss, if that's your goal. It usually takes 5-6 days/week of cardiovascular exercise, for a minimum of 30 minutes, with a heart rate 80% MHR, for consistent weight loss to occur (that is, as long as you're not over-consuming calories either).
Second Point) If you are truly serious about getting results from your exercise and dieting efforts, having a journal is your greatest asset! It is SO hard to know where you are going unless you have been keeping track. Your journal is your personal guide to weight loss (or weight gain) if that is your goal. By keeping track, you become a great student of yourself! You will learn what types of foods help you and what types of foods hinder you. Also, in the weight room, you will see what exercises are really making you stronger and which ones you really need to work on more. Also, by keeping track, you can see over a long period just how much progress you have really made.
I have workout journals that go back 6 years! Whenever I have a down day and am feeling really bad about the workout I did, I just open up that old journal and see just how far I have come! It's amazing how much stronger you can become over that much time when you are consistent! If you are not currently keeping track of your workouts and/or diet, you need to start right away! Well, that is, if you want to see real results from your efforts!
Third Point) Workout intensity is what truly defines a "workout"! You actually have to push yourself.....hard! And yes, sweat! Or, you can keep using the gym as a social club and wonder why you don't see results!
Not to be a complete jerk, but it takes effort and consistent effort, at that. I wish I could workout really hard for one day and take the rest of the week off, but that's not how it works! It's that really hard effort, as often and consistent as possible. That's what creates change in our bodies! If you aren't happy with how your body is feeling or looking right now, then change it! But realize, change is painful! Learn to enjoy the pain of change and you can have a stellar looking/feeling physique! Consistent intensity brings about consistent change.
Personally speaking, I really like the results that working out consistently produces. When life throws me a curve ball, I try to manage the best that I can to stay on track with my fitness goals along with all the other goals that I have for life (in order of priority). If I get off course for a day or two, I try as hard as possible to get right back on track as soon as I am able.
When the results start to occur, your will to stay the course will be much firmer as well! Personally speaking, if I was going to a gym, that was more like a social club (because I wasn't working out hard enough), three times/week, and then the boss asked me to work late the day I was planning to go to the gym, then I guess I would decide to work late and skip the gym as well. However, when I know I can create results from the workouts that I do, I would make every effort to make it to that workout, no matter what (barring medical emergencies for myself or my family)!
Your consistency makes all the difference! Make your goals count and do the work when it is not fun! That way, you will actually see the fruits of your labor!
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)
Everyone wants to see the results that staying steady produces. However, most people are not willing to put forth the effort of staying steady when it is inconvenient. Usually, most people cut out their workouts when life suddenly throws them a curve ball! Unfortunately, it is how we handle the 'curve balls' of life that truly defines our life! Will you stay the course or become derailed?
I have noticed 3 "consistent themes" about people who get completely derailed from their fitness plans when a curve ball is thrown.
1) They aren't consistently exercising enough to see the results of their efforts
2) They usually don't consistently keep track of their progress (diet log/workout log)
3) They tend not to be consistently intense enough with their workouts to really see a change
First Point) Many people believe that exercising (cardiovascular exercise especially) three times/week is enough to create weight loss results. I hate to be the bearer of bad news (well, okay that's a lie! :), but for most people, three times/week is just enough to keep you where you are.....frustrated! Unless you have a very fast acting metabolism and/or really good genetics, three times/week with cardiovascular exercise will usually not produce much weight loss, if that's your goal. It usually takes 5-6 days/week of cardiovascular exercise, for a minimum of 30 minutes, with a heart rate 80% MHR, for consistent weight loss to occur (that is, as long as you're not over-consuming calories either).
Second Point) If you are truly serious about getting results from your exercise and dieting efforts, having a journal is your greatest asset! It is SO hard to know where you are going unless you have been keeping track. Your journal is your personal guide to weight loss (or weight gain) if that is your goal. By keeping track, you become a great student of yourself! You will learn what types of foods help you and what types of foods hinder you. Also, in the weight room, you will see what exercises are really making you stronger and which ones you really need to work on more. Also, by keeping track, you can see over a long period just how much progress you have really made.
I have workout journals that go back 6 years! Whenever I have a down day and am feeling really bad about the workout I did, I just open up that old journal and see just how far I have come! It's amazing how much stronger you can become over that much time when you are consistent! If you are not currently keeping track of your workouts and/or diet, you need to start right away! Well, that is, if you want to see real results from your efforts!
Third Point) Workout intensity is what truly defines a "workout"! You actually have to push yourself.....hard! And yes, sweat! Or, you can keep using the gym as a social club and wonder why you don't see results!
Not to be a complete jerk, but it takes effort and consistent effort, at that. I wish I could workout really hard for one day and take the rest of the week off, but that's not how it works! It's that really hard effort, as often and consistent as possible. That's what creates change in our bodies! If you aren't happy with how your body is feeling or looking right now, then change it! But realize, change is painful! Learn to enjoy the pain of change and you can have a stellar looking/feeling physique! Consistent intensity brings about consistent change.
Personally speaking, I really like the results that working out consistently produces. When life throws me a curve ball, I try to manage the best that I can to stay on track with my fitness goals along with all the other goals that I have for life (in order of priority). If I get off course for a day or two, I try as hard as possible to get right back on track as soon as I am able.
When the results start to occur, your will to stay the course will be much firmer as well! Personally speaking, if I was going to a gym, that was more like a social club (because I wasn't working out hard enough), three times/week, and then the boss asked me to work late the day I was planning to go to the gym, then I guess I would decide to work late and skip the gym as well. However, when I know I can create results from the workouts that I do, I would make every effort to make it to that workout, no matter what (barring medical emergencies for myself or my family)!
Your consistency makes all the difference! Make your goals count and do the work when it is not fun! That way, you will actually see the fruits of your labor!
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Battling the "Low-Energy Demon" and Winning!
Why do so many people struggle to make time for fitness?
We are all aware of the benefits of being "in-shape", here are just a few of them:
- More energy
- More strength
- Longevity
- Less depression
- Better sleep
- More confidence
- Sharper memory
- More physical capabilities
I am pretty sure most people would want all of that! So again, why do so many people make so many excuses about not being able to exercise regularly? Why is it that on average only 10% of members of a gym attend regularly (3 or more times/week)? My personal belief is that many people are afraid of the pain that "LED" lies to us about!
Let me clarify. Often, most people have a moment of mental debate before they decide to exercise. It is at this point when the "Low-Energy Demon" (LED for short!) pops up! LED tells us "You don't have enough energy to workout hard enough to make a difference! You might as well not go to the gym today." LED also tells us "Do you really want to put yourself through that much pain right now? You are plenty cozy doing what you are doing. Besides, you really need to spend more time with your family! Why are you trying to be so 'selfish'!"
LED is a liar! In order for you to be successful with your fitness goals, or any virtuous endeavour for that matter, you have to put LED in its place! You must first pray and then do as Ephesians 6:10 tells us and "Put on the full Armor of God". LED is a reminder that our battle is not physical but spiritual. God wants the best for you! Cast your cares upon the Lord!
Once you have prayed, keep these points in mind:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV
We are all aware of the benefits of being "in-shape", here are just a few of them:
- More energy
- More strength
- Longevity
- Less depression
- Better sleep
- More confidence
- Sharper memory
- More physical capabilities
I am pretty sure most people would want all of that! So again, why do so many people make so many excuses about not being able to exercise regularly? Why is it that on average only 10% of members of a gym attend regularly (3 or more times/week)? My personal belief is that many people are afraid of the pain that "LED" lies to us about!
Let me clarify. Often, most people have a moment of mental debate before they decide to exercise. It is at this point when the "Low-Energy Demon" (LED for short!) pops up! LED tells us "You don't have enough energy to workout hard enough to make a difference! You might as well not go to the gym today." LED also tells us "Do you really want to put yourself through that much pain right now? You are plenty cozy doing what you are doing. Besides, you really need to spend more time with your family! Why are you trying to be so 'selfish'!"
LED is a liar! In order for you to be successful with your fitness goals, or any virtuous endeavour for that matter, you have to put LED in its place! You must first pray and then do as Ephesians 6:10 tells us and "Put on the full Armor of God". LED is a reminder that our battle is not physical but spiritual. God wants the best for you! Cast your cares upon the Lord!
Once you have prayed, keep these points in mind:
- Exercise actually creates energy, it doesn't take energy away. If you have low energy, then give what little energy that you have to exercise and it will compound that energy and give it back to you! Just as the Scriptures tell us, "What you sow, so shall you reap!" Your energy levels will continue to climb as you continue to put forth energy.
- When LED pops up again trying to scare you about the "pain of exercise", remind LED that being diagnosed with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and depression will be one thousand times more painful!
- If LED tries to tell you that you need to skip spending time at the gym to spend time with the family, tell LED "Spending 30-60mins/day on myself will allow me to be a fit daddy or fit mommy and that sets a far greater example to my children than spending that time with the kids in front of the television!" Also tell LED "I am going to the gym so that I CAN have energy to chase after my children and not be so exhausted anymore!"
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV
Monday, September 14, 2009
Caffeinated Craziness!
Most people consume some type of caffeinated product regularly. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), approximately 150 million Americans drink coffee every single day! This does not account for people who consume other caffeinated products other than coffee, such as energy drinks and other performance supplements that contain caffeine. Of course, this information should come as no surprise to anyone reading this. Who doesn't like that alert buzz that you get from a few sips of hot joe!? We all need that extra pick-me up to stay on top of the game at work or at school or even in the gym, right?! Besides, for the past 25 years, "The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup!"
Caffeine Pros:
Caffeine consumption has been growing considerably over the past few years. To help accelerate this, more health research studies have discovered positive health outcomes for people who drink coffee regularly. Some of these studies show a decreased incidence of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and asthma.
In addition to these health studies, performance supplements have been increasing the caffeine market. There are quite a large number of supplements that can help workout performance because of the amount of caffeine in the supplement. Caffeine can help increase focus and endurance, which can help many athletes perform better.
Caffeine Cons:
Unfortunately, many of us forget that caffeine is a drug. The more we use it, the more dependent on it we are! For people who consume at least 2 cups of coffee each day, skipping a day may create withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include: headache, fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting and muscle stiffness and soreness! For someone who is active, it's quite a challenge to stay active during withdrawal! In addition to that, our moods are greatly affected by how much, or how little, caffeine we have consumed. If you skip even half the amount of caffeine you normally consume, depression usually ensues! Of course, if you have the caffeine your body craves or maybe give it a little bit more (which is what most drug addicts want to do!), you will have that nice elated feeling of control and peace and the whole world will sing in harmony!
Personally, I have found that caffeine can be a helpful servant, for a little while. However, it quickly becomes a ruthless master! I have used (and still use, because I am hooked) multiple types of caffeinated pre-workout beverages and supplements. Caffeine can give you a bit more focus when working out and help you push yourself a little harder than you normally would. However, keep in mind that the more you use a caffeinated product prior to working out, the more you will need to keep using it, just to be "normal". Try working out without caffeine after you have used a caffeinated product daily for 3 months! The birds outside will stop chirping so peacefully!
Caffeine Intoxication
In addition to caffeine withdrawal, there is a much worse situation that could develop. Caffeine intoxication! Just like alcohol, you can have too much caffeine. Of course everyone's individual tolerance is different. Symptoms associated with intoxication may include: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, flushed face, muscle twitching, seizures, heart palpitations and death. High amounts of caffeine consumption can be a factor in developing anxiety disorders and depression according to the American Psychiatric Association. For some people, the above conditions can develop with as little as 250mg of caffeine/day (about 2 cups of coffee) other people would need 1000mg to notice those affects.
My recommendation:
I personally believe that using caffeine for what it is intended for, as a stimulant, can help give you an advantage when you use it, infrequently. I remember having one small cup of coffee before I took a test and it helped me concentrate during that exam. However, I would make sure to not consume anything caffeinated for a couple of days afterwards to make sure I didn't develop a habit. I would recommend trying to keep caffeine consumption infrequent to allow your body to recognize the caffeine when you consume it and not become dependent on it.
The bottom line when thinking about caffeine is to remember that it is a drug!
It all starts with drinking one cup of coffee each day to help you get off to a "good start". Then, your body gets used to that and you need 2 cups to give you that alert edge! Then that medium at Dunkin' Donuts turns into a large (approx 3 cups) when you want to be extra focused for your presentation. Then, before you know it, you will need the whole pot before lunch time just to get the wheels turning! Anxiety then starts to accelerate and you find you can't sleep as well at night. Ibuprofen becomes your next best friend because of all the headaches you are getting from caffeine withdrawal and you take that with some Tums because your stomach hurts from new peptic ulcers that develop from the intense amount of caffeine (and ibuprofen) that you need to consume, just to feel normal! Definitely the picture of health, right!?
"Do you not know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
Caffeine Pros:
Caffeine consumption has been growing considerably over the past few years. To help accelerate this, more health research studies have discovered positive health outcomes for people who drink coffee regularly. Some of these studies show a decreased incidence of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and asthma.
In addition to these health studies, performance supplements have been increasing the caffeine market. There are quite a large number of supplements that can help workout performance because of the amount of caffeine in the supplement. Caffeine can help increase focus and endurance, which can help many athletes perform better.
Caffeine Cons:
Unfortunately, many of us forget that caffeine is a drug. The more we use it, the more dependent on it we are! For people who consume at least 2 cups of coffee each day, skipping a day may create withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include: headache, fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting and muscle stiffness and soreness! For someone who is active, it's quite a challenge to stay active during withdrawal! In addition to that, our moods are greatly affected by how much, or how little, caffeine we have consumed. If you skip even half the amount of caffeine you normally consume, depression usually ensues! Of course, if you have the caffeine your body craves or maybe give it a little bit more (which is what most drug addicts want to do!), you will have that nice elated feeling of control and peace and the whole world will sing in harmony!
Personally, I have found that caffeine can be a helpful servant, for a little while. However, it quickly becomes a ruthless master! I have used (and still use, because I am hooked) multiple types of caffeinated pre-workout beverages and supplements. Caffeine can give you a bit more focus when working out and help you push yourself a little harder than you normally would. However, keep in mind that the more you use a caffeinated product prior to working out, the more you will need to keep using it, just to be "normal". Try working out without caffeine after you have used a caffeinated product daily for 3 months! The birds outside will stop chirping so peacefully!
Caffeine Intoxication
In addition to caffeine withdrawal, there is a much worse situation that could develop. Caffeine intoxication! Just like alcohol, you can have too much caffeine. Of course everyone's individual tolerance is different. Symptoms associated with intoxication may include: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, flushed face, muscle twitching, seizures, heart palpitations and death. High amounts of caffeine consumption can be a factor in developing anxiety disorders and depression according to the American Psychiatric Association. For some people, the above conditions can develop with as little as 250mg of caffeine/day (about 2 cups of coffee) other people would need 1000mg to notice those affects.
My recommendation:
I personally believe that using caffeine for what it is intended for, as a stimulant, can help give you an advantage when you use it, infrequently. I remember having one small cup of coffee before I took a test and it helped me concentrate during that exam. However, I would make sure to not consume anything caffeinated for a couple of days afterwards to make sure I didn't develop a habit. I would recommend trying to keep caffeine consumption infrequent to allow your body to recognize the caffeine when you consume it and not become dependent on it.
The bottom line when thinking about caffeine is to remember that it is a drug!
It all starts with drinking one cup of coffee each day to help you get off to a "good start". Then, your body gets used to that and you need 2 cups to give you that alert edge! Then that medium at Dunkin' Donuts turns into a large (approx 3 cups) when you want to be extra focused for your presentation. Then, before you know it, you will need the whole pot before lunch time just to get the wheels turning! Anxiety then starts to accelerate and you find you can't sleep as well at night. Ibuprofen becomes your next best friend because of all the headaches you are getting from caffeine withdrawal and you take that with some Tums because your stomach hurts from new peptic ulcers that develop from the intense amount of caffeine (and ibuprofen) that you need to consume, just to feel normal! Definitely the picture of health, right!?
"Do you not know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Wounded Warrior!
Training hard can sometimes, but hopefully not often, lead to an injury. Most athletes have suffered some type of injury which is often associated with the high frequency and intensity of training. In fact, if you are interested in getting your body into great shape, it is important to understand the more often you train with vigorous effort, the greater your chance for injury will occur. However, being afraid to work to your maximum capacity because the threat of injury scares you, should not occur! The occurrence and severity of these injuries can diminish greatly by paying attention to a few key points during exercise.
Focus on Form!
When doing most exercises, take your time to focus on the form of the exercise. Try to take twice as long to lower the weight as it does to contract the weight. There are multiple studies that show the slower a repetition is executed, the more muscle is actually developed. In addition to that, the slower the repetition, the less likely you will use momentum. Using momentum is a great way to achieve only half the results and more than double your risk for injury!
There are two parts to an exercise repetition. There is the "eccentric" motion and the "concentric" motion. The concentric motion is when the muscle you are working is contracting or getting tighter. For example, if you are doing a bicep curl, this is the part where your arm is "curled" and your bicep muscles are very tight. The eccentric motion of an arm curl is when you are lowering the weight and the bicep muscles are getting longer.
By taking your time with the eccentric motion of an exercise, you can actually produce greater results faster because you will more thoroughly work the muscle, allowing more blood and lactic acid to build up faster which will help to fatigue the muscle more quickly. More lactic acid leads to greater deterioration of muscle, which will lead to a greater amount of muscle rebuilt! Also, controlling the lowering phase of the exercise significantly decreases the likelihood of injury since you won't be putting your joints at risk for injury with momentum.
Improper form with the use of momentum is usually the culprit of many ligament tears. Momentum will rapidly cause the deterioration of joints!
Stretch!
Stretching is another great way to help prevent significant injuries. This is often one of the aspects of exercise that is overlooked by a good majority of exercisers from the amateurs to the professionals! Stretching is typically placed in the "if I have time for it" category. We all know that we never have "time for it", so it often never gets done! Avoiding stretching will greatly increase the chance of a torn muscle. Exercising with tight muscles greatly increases the risk for injury because your body may not be mobile enough to perform a proper exercise. Stretching and massage are very helpful tools in loosening the very tight muscles that occur through regular strength training and cardiovascular exercise.
Stretching and holding the stretch ("static stretching") for 20 seconds is a great way to help lengthen the muscle so it can allow greater blood flow and mobility of the muscle. It may require multiple "reps" (20 second holds) to thoroughly loosen up the muscle.
Most everyone has some area of their body that is tighter than other parts. If you workout regularly (3-5x's/week) then your chance of having some muscle that is tighter than another is extremely high. It's just a normal part of exercise and recovery. However, continuing to train major muscle groups without consistent stretching will increase the likelihood of an injury to one of the major muscles since your mobility is decreasing.
Vigorous stretching prior to strength training or cardiovascular exercise is generally not a good idea. Doing so can create small tears in the muscle and increase the chance of an injury to that muscle during your workout session. However, by spending approximately 40 seconds (but not much more) between exercise sets, stretching the muscles that you worked can help delay fatigue and decrease muscle tension allowing you to push yourself a little harder to achieve greater results. Then, after your exercise session is over, spend approximately 10 minutes stretching all the muscles that you worked that day. Doing this will help to not only prevent further injury, but it will help to increase (not just maintain) mobility and flexibility.
For some people who have significantly tight muscles (determined by exercise testing), it may be a good idea to make use of a foam roller before and after you exercise. A foam roller is a hard foam roll that you lay on for 30 seconds to 1 minute that helps to release tension in a muscle which will then allow you to stretch the muscle more effectively. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) highly recommends foam rolling or "self-myofacial release" for tight muscle groups before and after exercise. If you have any questions about using a foam roller, I would recommend speaking with a personal trainer before using one for the first time, since using one inappropriately may lead to further injury.
Even by following the above steps, there is still the probability of an injury. This is especially true if you continue to train vigorously quite often (5+ days/week). However, the severity of the injury and how often you get injured will significantly decrease in likelihood. Doing these above steps should help you feel comfortable in knowing you are doing your best to protect your body, now it's time to push it as hard as you can! :-)
"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed. The bows of warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength." 1 Samuel 2:3-4 (NIV)
Focus on Form!
When doing most exercises, take your time to focus on the form of the exercise. Try to take twice as long to lower the weight as it does to contract the weight. There are multiple studies that show the slower a repetition is executed, the more muscle is actually developed. In addition to that, the slower the repetition, the less likely you will use momentum. Using momentum is a great way to achieve only half the results and more than double your risk for injury!
There are two parts to an exercise repetition. There is the "eccentric" motion and the "concentric" motion. The concentric motion is when the muscle you are working is contracting or getting tighter. For example, if you are doing a bicep curl, this is the part where your arm is "curled" and your bicep muscles are very tight. The eccentric motion of an arm curl is when you are lowering the weight and the bicep muscles are getting longer.
By taking your time with the eccentric motion of an exercise, you can actually produce greater results faster because you will more thoroughly work the muscle, allowing more blood and lactic acid to build up faster which will help to fatigue the muscle more quickly. More lactic acid leads to greater deterioration of muscle, which will lead to a greater amount of muscle rebuilt! Also, controlling the lowering phase of the exercise significantly decreases the likelihood of injury since you won't be putting your joints at risk for injury with momentum.
Improper form with the use of momentum is usually the culprit of many ligament tears. Momentum will rapidly cause the deterioration of joints!
Stretch!
Stretching is another great way to help prevent significant injuries. This is often one of the aspects of exercise that is overlooked by a good majority of exercisers from the amateurs to the professionals! Stretching is typically placed in the "if I have time for it" category. We all know that we never have "time for it", so it often never gets done! Avoiding stretching will greatly increase the chance of a torn muscle. Exercising with tight muscles greatly increases the risk for injury because your body may not be mobile enough to perform a proper exercise. Stretching and massage are very helpful tools in loosening the very tight muscles that occur through regular strength training and cardiovascular exercise.
Stretching and holding the stretch ("static stretching") for 20 seconds is a great way to help lengthen the muscle so it can allow greater blood flow and mobility of the muscle. It may require multiple "reps" (20 second holds) to thoroughly loosen up the muscle.
Most everyone has some area of their body that is tighter than other parts. If you workout regularly (3-5x's/week) then your chance of having some muscle that is tighter than another is extremely high. It's just a normal part of exercise and recovery. However, continuing to train major muscle groups without consistent stretching will increase the likelihood of an injury to one of the major muscles since your mobility is decreasing.
Vigorous stretching prior to strength training or cardiovascular exercise is generally not a good idea. Doing so can create small tears in the muscle and increase the chance of an injury to that muscle during your workout session. However, by spending approximately 40 seconds (but not much more) between exercise sets, stretching the muscles that you worked can help delay fatigue and decrease muscle tension allowing you to push yourself a little harder to achieve greater results. Then, after your exercise session is over, spend approximately 10 minutes stretching all the muscles that you worked that day. Doing this will help to not only prevent further injury, but it will help to increase (not just maintain) mobility and flexibility.
For some people who have significantly tight muscles (determined by exercise testing), it may be a good idea to make use of a foam roller before and after you exercise. A foam roller is a hard foam roll that you lay on for 30 seconds to 1 minute that helps to release tension in a muscle which will then allow you to stretch the muscle more effectively. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) highly recommends foam rolling or "self-myofacial release" for tight muscle groups before and after exercise. If you have any questions about using a foam roller, I would recommend speaking with a personal trainer before using one for the first time, since using one inappropriately may lead to further injury.
Even by following the above steps, there is still the probability of an injury. This is especially true if you continue to train vigorously quite often (5+ days/week). However, the severity of the injury and how often you get injured will significantly decrease in likelihood. Doing these above steps should help you feel comfortable in knowing you are doing your best to protect your body, now it's time to push it as hard as you can! :-)
"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed. The bows of warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength." 1 Samuel 2:3-4 (NIV)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Taking a BREAK!
Sometimes, if you have been training seriously for a considerable amount of time, it's a very good idea to take some scheduled time off. Most people, unfortunately, don't actually schedule this. What happens is that people often just stop working out and slip back into old habits. However, if you plan a break ahead of time, it may give you just enough time to recuperate, rejuvenate and remotivate yourself to keep going!
I often find that when I train (myself and others) that if training is steady for a long period of time (3+ months at a time), exhaustion and boredom soon settle in. Sometimes, just changing the workout routine is all that is needed to keep the training spark alive, but often a scheduled time off is what your body is actually crying for!
Our body, mind and spirit need time to refresh. Having some time to get away from the hectic workout, work and stressful life situations can allow yourself the recovery your body needs to keep yourself on the path to true health and peace.
What happens with no breaks:
Athletes:
For the athletes who are constantly looking for progress, it's important to allow a certain amount of time off. Some physicians believe that the adrenal glands can become over-stimulated and create nervous system disorders if athletes don't take some good scheduled down-time. Anxiety and depression can result if the hardcore trainer doesn't take some time to relax. In addition to that, stress fractures and other strains and sprains can occur more often for the athletes who don't allow their body to recover.
General Public:
For the general public who does not train as hard as the athlete (5-6+ days/week), if you train 2-3x's week and consistently do that, it's also a good idea to have some scheduled time off. However, for most people, it's hard enough to develop the habit of working out regularly so you should be very careful with doing this. It's best to make sure there is a very specific start and end time of your break. However, after the break is over, it's very important to get right back on your training plan to make sure the habit is still there.
It is very important to make sure the time-off is "scheduled" because what often happens is that a person follows their plan for awhile until they start to notice boredom, lack of results, or fatigue and then they skip a day one week and then they'll skip 2 days the next week and then before you know it, it's been 6 months of vacation from the gym! It's important to give your body a break ahead of time, before it steals them from you and you end up off course!
How much time-off?
There really isn't a clear answer to this question. The best answer is a nice scheduled break with specific start and end times that allows yourself enough time to relax and recover. Everyone is different.
5% Time
However, for those math nerds out there like myself, I have noticed that if I take about 5% of the time off that I put into working out, I usually can keep myself going pretty steadily. For example, if I follow a very strict 12-week program that has me working out 6 days/week, that would be 72 days of working out. 5% of that time is 3.5 days (let's round up to 4 days, shall we?). So, after a hard 12-week training routine, I take 4 training days off (I make sure to schedule it). If I want a full week off from training (6 days off from any exercise), I usually will have just completed a 5-month training program (fairly typical for prep for a bodybuilding competition). In some ways, I kind of look at it like "earned time off" kind of like many employees get for their vacation time from work. :)
It's important to allow your body the time it needs to recover ahead of time instead of trying to steal time away from it. This way, you don't break your training discipline, you allow your body time to recover and you keep a bit of your sanity! :)
"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28 NLT
I often find that when I train (myself and others) that if training is steady for a long period of time (3+ months at a time), exhaustion and boredom soon settle in. Sometimes, just changing the workout routine is all that is needed to keep the training spark alive, but often a scheduled time off is what your body is actually crying for!
Our body, mind and spirit need time to refresh. Having some time to get away from the hectic workout, work and stressful life situations can allow yourself the recovery your body needs to keep yourself on the path to true health and peace.
What happens with no breaks:
Athletes:
For the athletes who are constantly looking for progress, it's important to allow a certain amount of time off. Some physicians believe that the adrenal glands can become over-stimulated and create nervous system disorders if athletes don't take some good scheduled down-time. Anxiety and depression can result if the hardcore trainer doesn't take some time to relax. In addition to that, stress fractures and other strains and sprains can occur more often for the athletes who don't allow their body to recover.
General Public:
For the general public who does not train as hard as the athlete (5-6+ days/week), if you train 2-3x's week and consistently do that, it's also a good idea to have some scheduled time off. However, for most people, it's hard enough to develop the habit of working out regularly so you should be very careful with doing this. It's best to make sure there is a very specific start and end time of your break. However, after the break is over, it's very important to get right back on your training plan to make sure the habit is still there.
It is very important to make sure the time-off is "scheduled" because what often happens is that a person follows their plan for awhile until they start to notice boredom, lack of results, or fatigue and then they skip a day one week and then they'll skip 2 days the next week and then before you know it, it's been 6 months of vacation from the gym! It's important to give your body a break ahead of time, before it steals them from you and you end up off course!
How much time-off?
There really isn't a clear answer to this question. The best answer is a nice scheduled break with specific start and end times that allows yourself enough time to relax and recover. Everyone is different.
5% Time
However, for those math nerds out there like myself, I have noticed that if I take about 5% of the time off that I put into working out, I usually can keep myself going pretty steadily. For example, if I follow a very strict 12-week program that has me working out 6 days/week, that would be 72 days of working out. 5% of that time is 3.5 days (let's round up to 4 days, shall we?). So, after a hard 12-week training routine, I take 4 training days off (I make sure to schedule it). If I want a full week off from training (6 days off from any exercise), I usually will have just completed a 5-month training program (fairly typical for prep for a bodybuilding competition). In some ways, I kind of look at it like "earned time off" kind of like many employees get for their vacation time from work. :)
It's important to allow your body the time it needs to recover ahead of time instead of trying to steal time away from it. This way, you don't break your training discipline, you allow your body time to recover and you keep a bit of your sanity! :)
"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28 NLT
Monday, August 17, 2009
Getting an "A" on your diet!
Finding the right balance between being in control and enjoying freedom can be one of the most frustrating aspects about staying on track with a diet plan. Often, we feel pulled to not limit ourselves and eat the tasty foods that we know won't really help us attain our goals. However, we don't want to be too strict and feel like we need to live in a box in order to achieve weight loss (or gain) results. There are several methods that may be helpful in allowing you to have freedom, yet keep you on course with your goals.
"Free Day"
Having a day during the week that allows you to eat the foods that you have been craving all week, might give you the freedom you were looking for. However, I would be very cautious on how you approach this day, if you plan to choose this route of enjoyment. Often, a "free day" really turns into a "binge day" where you eat any and all types of junk food that you may normally not even consider. This day, for many people, turns into a "Last Supper" mentality and many people find that they need to eat everything in sight because they have to wait another week before they can eat junk food again.
I was first introduced to the "Free Day" concept with the Body-For-Life program. A day during the week, you were supposed to pick as your day off and eat whatever you want. The thought process behind this is that after eating all the junk food, you would not want to eat junk food again because of how it made you feel. However, what I find it does is create binging and exercise bulimia mentalities. I personally didn't have that big of an issue with binge eating until I rigorously followed this plan.
This plan can work well for some. It works best if you enjoy 2-3 meals during that day off that you normally wouldn't eat, but keep it reasonable. Don't force feed yourself junk food, just because you are running out of daylight!
Be Reasonable Plan
This plan basically means that you can enjoy the foods that you like on a daily or most days basis, if you have a small portion and keep it to that. For example, if your favorite food is ice cream, have a serving (1/2 cup) at night, but no more than a serving.
This plan can work very well if you keep yourself full from all the healthier foods that tend to fill you up (like lean protein and high fiber foods). If however, you don't keep yourself full, or you skip meals, this plan may not satisfy you all that well. One small serving of your favorite food, may just lead you into another small serving and then another....
But, I think if you are a reasonable person, you should be able to do very well with this approach to diet planning. Eat a well balanced diet and keep treats small (wow, what a concept! :).
Get an "A" on your diet plan
This plan is about having a certain number meals that are on track versus not on track. For example, let's say you eat 6 meals each day. That means you eat 42 meals each week. Now, if you want to keep at least 90% of all your meals on track, you have to eat at least 38 good meals. However, that means that 4 of those meals can be off-track or "fun meals". These 4 meals can easily be up to 150% of what you would normally eat calorically and really not create any lasting weight issues. For example, if your normal meal is about 400 calories, then a "fun meal" might be up to 600 calories.
Of course following this plan requires keeping good track of calories, and your meal plans in general. This plan may work well for bodybuilders, but might be a bit impractical for the general public. However, it can work well for people who struggle with controlling their diet too much. If you find you need to stay on track and are very strict with your diet planning, this may be an opportunity to allow yourself to relax a little bit and not worry about being thrown off course.
However, be cautious that one "fun meal" doesn't turn into another and another and then it eventually turns into a "free day". This plan is still about being in control, but allowing yourself to relax a little bit.
My Recommendations
I personally like the "Get an "A" plan" the best because it allows me to stay in control, yet enjoy myself occasionally. I think for the general public, the "be reasonable plan" is probably the best. Keep treats small and eat a well balanced diet. For the more strict dieter, the "Getting an "A" plan" may work better. I personally don't recommend the "free day plan" to that many people, just because it sets the wrong mentality. Any day that has a "no holds barred" mentality can create a lot of problems for folks.
"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world." 1 Peter 1:13(NLT)
"Free Day"
Having a day during the week that allows you to eat the foods that you have been craving all week, might give you the freedom you were looking for. However, I would be very cautious on how you approach this day, if you plan to choose this route of enjoyment. Often, a "free day" really turns into a "binge day" where you eat any and all types of junk food that you may normally not even consider. This day, for many people, turns into a "Last Supper" mentality and many people find that they need to eat everything in sight because they have to wait another week before they can eat junk food again.
I was first introduced to the "Free Day" concept with the Body-For-Life program. A day during the week, you were supposed to pick as your day off and eat whatever you want. The thought process behind this is that after eating all the junk food, you would not want to eat junk food again because of how it made you feel. However, what I find it does is create binging and exercise bulimia mentalities. I personally didn't have that big of an issue with binge eating until I rigorously followed this plan.
This plan can work well for some. It works best if you enjoy 2-3 meals during that day off that you normally wouldn't eat, but keep it reasonable. Don't force feed yourself junk food, just because you are running out of daylight!
Be Reasonable Plan
This plan basically means that you can enjoy the foods that you like on a daily or most days basis, if you have a small portion and keep it to that. For example, if your favorite food is ice cream, have a serving (1/2 cup) at night, but no more than a serving.
This plan can work very well if you keep yourself full from all the healthier foods that tend to fill you up (like lean protein and high fiber foods). If however, you don't keep yourself full, or you skip meals, this plan may not satisfy you all that well. One small serving of your favorite food, may just lead you into another small serving and then another....
But, I think if you are a reasonable person, you should be able to do very well with this approach to diet planning. Eat a well balanced diet and keep treats small (wow, what a concept! :).
Get an "A" on your diet plan
This plan is about having a certain number meals that are on track versus not on track. For example, let's say you eat 6 meals each day. That means you eat 42 meals each week. Now, if you want to keep at least 90% of all your meals on track, you have to eat at least 38 good meals. However, that means that 4 of those meals can be off-track or "fun meals". These 4 meals can easily be up to 150% of what you would normally eat calorically and really not create any lasting weight issues. For example, if your normal meal is about 400 calories, then a "fun meal" might be up to 600 calories.
Of course following this plan requires keeping good track of calories, and your meal plans in general. This plan may work well for bodybuilders, but might be a bit impractical for the general public. However, it can work well for people who struggle with controlling their diet too much. If you find you need to stay on track and are very strict with your diet planning, this may be an opportunity to allow yourself to relax a little bit and not worry about being thrown off course.
However, be cautious that one "fun meal" doesn't turn into another and another and then it eventually turns into a "free day". This plan is still about being in control, but allowing yourself to relax a little bit.
My Recommendations
I personally like the "Get an "A" plan" the best because it allows me to stay in control, yet enjoy myself occasionally. I think for the general public, the "be reasonable plan" is probably the best. Keep treats small and eat a well balanced diet. For the more strict dieter, the "Getting an "A" plan" may work better. I personally don't recommend the "free day plan" to that many people, just because it sets the wrong mentality. Any day that has a "no holds barred" mentality can create a lot of problems for folks.
"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world." 1 Peter 1:13(NLT)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Post-Competition Blues -- The Darker Side of Competitions!
The weeks following a competition can be a real downer for a lot of bodybuilding competitors. It's a time when you can relax. However, after being so focused for such a long period of time (months to even years for some), it's hard to let go.
Many competitors spend multiple hours every day in the gym trying to burn off as much bodyfat as possible the weeks leading up to a competition. After the competition is over, it's definitely a time to celebrate and relax, however this can be challenging since you were just rewarded for not relaxing and not celebrating!
In fact, many members at the gym are encouraged and motivated by what you as a competitor have just accomplished! Now, with no competition to focus on, you want to relax but you don't want to either! You have become a quasi-gym star for all your hard work, yet you need to let your body rest and recover from all the stress you have put on it and allow yourself to regain some weight. This is where many potential disorders really start to make themselves apparent!
Exercise Bulimia
Many bodybuilding competitors struggle with this condition post-competition. Once a competition is over, many competitors still want to stay really lean to see all the muscle they have worked hard for, yet they want to indulge on all the foods they have been denying themselves. Episodes of binging often occur for many competitors. There are many reasons why binging occurs:
1) the body has been deprived for a prolonged period of time and physiologically needs more nutrients than you have been giving it
2) you eat foods that are absorbed quickly and spike your blood sugar (cakes, candy, donuts, etc, you know, "junk food"), therefore eating one will create a craving to eat another and another...
3) You mentally need a break! You have been so focused for months and now it's time to relax! So you tell yourself, "it's okay! You just worked your tail off to get your body into great shape. The competition is over and besides you can always do just a little more cardio to burn this off..." And that's where the danger lies!
Binging episodes often lead to feelings of depression, guilt and withdrawal from friends, family and social events. The only thing worse than a binging episode is trying to rectify the episode with exercise and/or vomiting!
An episode of binging often occurs when you feel really out of balance with life due to high emotions (could be: stress, anxiety, depression, happiness, etc). Our emotions can often act like a pendulum on a clock. If it's allowed to swing one way without too much resistance or extra force, than it will eventually even itself out and stay in rhythm. However, if you try to force the pendulum to go back in the other direction when it's not ready, it could create a much bigger emotional swing!
What I am getting at is that if you try to rectify a binging episode with lots of extra cardio, it:
1) tells yourself that it's okay to keep binging because you can correct it!
2) can cause an even bigger binging session later because of an increased pendulum momentum!
3) may actually cause physical harm through either the excessive cardio or GI problems from the binging episodes!
Recovering
I am not a therapist or counselor and if you feel this situation is out of control in your life, I would first recommend speaking with one. If you feel it hasn't reached that level yet, then this is what I would recommend starting with:
1st) Tell someone you trust! Discussing this issue brings light to your episodes and allows you to see a little more clearly what really is going on.
2nd) Allow yourself to rebalance. If (or when) another binging episode occurs, allow yourself to feel awful! Don't try to control the situation with more exercise. Allowing your body to process the junk food helps you remember why you don't want to feel this way. Feeling a little bloated for a day or two may help you remember in the future when you begin to eat a certain food that typically sets you off to not have as much.
3rd) Pray! God listens when you pray! He wants the best for you and He will find a way to help you with this situation! However, you never know how that help may appear until it does!
My Issues
The main reason why I am discussing this topic is because it has been an issue for me with just about every competition that I do. There is always a time (usually the first few weeks) after a competition where I find myself binge eating. I also tend to try to rectify theses episodes with lots of cardio. However, I have found that the more I try to force myself to keep my bodyfat down after a competition, the more I want to rebel at the same time! I have had binge eating episodes where I consume nearly 3000 calories of junk food within an hour and a half! Of course after doing something ridiculous like this, the next morning I would go run 10 miles trying to get rid of it. This of course would just set me up to do it again, because I know I can control (or at least I feel like I could control) the situation.
Doing this binge eating causes severe stress on my GI system. I have had severe heart burn, in fact it has been so bad that I have mistaken the symptoms for a heart attack a couple of times (chest pain, short of breath, dizziness, etc) and gone to the emergency room to find that I need lots of pepcid AC just because of all the crap I had been eating!
I have been able to get out of these habits by first allowing myself to feel like crud after an episode and humbling myself enough to not try to correct it. I also pray consistently for God's guidance and strength! After an episode or two without trying to control it, I begin to realize I can still eat the foods I like but I don't have to overdo it.
I realize that this subject can hit closer to home for some rather than others. Also, it can be a very serious issue for some and not others. I definitely don't want to make light of these disorders. In fact, if you find yourself binging and exercising to rectify it consistently, I would recommend speaking with a counselor sooner rather than later. This is not something you want to prolong in your life!
I have personally found that through prayer and accountability with someone who understands the seriousness of the situation, I have been able to overcome these issues. I pray you will find healing also if you are seeking it!
"Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Luke 22:42 (NASB)
Many competitors spend multiple hours every day in the gym trying to burn off as much bodyfat as possible the weeks leading up to a competition. After the competition is over, it's definitely a time to celebrate and relax, however this can be challenging since you were just rewarded for not relaxing and not celebrating!
In fact, many members at the gym are encouraged and motivated by what you as a competitor have just accomplished! Now, with no competition to focus on, you want to relax but you don't want to either! You have become a quasi-gym star for all your hard work, yet you need to let your body rest and recover from all the stress you have put on it and allow yourself to regain some weight. This is where many potential disorders really start to make themselves apparent!
Exercise Bulimia
Many bodybuilding competitors struggle with this condition post-competition. Once a competition is over, many competitors still want to stay really lean to see all the muscle they have worked hard for, yet they want to indulge on all the foods they have been denying themselves. Episodes of binging often occur for many competitors. There are many reasons why binging occurs:
1) the body has been deprived for a prolonged period of time and physiologically needs more nutrients than you have been giving it
2) you eat foods that are absorbed quickly and spike your blood sugar (cakes, candy, donuts, etc, you know, "junk food"), therefore eating one will create a craving to eat another and another...
3) You mentally need a break! You have been so focused for months and now it's time to relax! So you tell yourself, "it's okay! You just worked your tail off to get your body into great shape. The competition is over and besides you can always do just a little more cardio to burn this off..." And that's where the danger lies!
Binging episodes often lead to feelings of depression, guilt and withdrawal from friends, family and social events. The only thing worse than a binging episode is trying to rectify the episode with exercise and/or vomiting!
An episode of binging often occurs when you feel really out of balance with life due to high emotions (could be: stress, anxiety, depression, happiness, etc). Our emotions can often act like a pendulum on a clock. If it's allowed to swing one way without too much resistance or extra force, than it will eventually even itself out and stay in rhythm. However, if you try to force the pendulum to go back in the other direction when it's not ready, it could create a much bigger emotional swing!
What I am getting at is that if you try to rectify a binging episode with lots of extra cardio, it:
1) tells yourself that it's okay to keep binging because you can correct it!
2) can cause an even bigger binging session later because of an increased pendulum momentum!
3) may actually cause physical harm through either the excessive cardio or GI problems from the binging episodes!
Recovering
I am not a therapist or counselor and if you feel this situation is out of control in your life, I would first recommend speaking with one. If you feel it hasn't reached that level yet, then this is what I would recommend starting with:
1st) Tell someone you trust! Discussing this issue brings light to your episodes and allows you to see a little more clearly what really is going on.
2nd) Allow yourself to rebalance. If (or when) another binging episode occurs, allow yourself to feel awful! Don't try to control the situation with more exercise. Allowing your body to process the junk food helps you remember why you don't want to feel this way. Feeling a little bloated for a day or two may help you remember in the future when you begin to eat a certain food that typically sets you off to not have as much.
3rd) Pray! God listens when you pray! He wants the best for you and He will find a way to help you with this situation! However, you never know how that help may appear until it does!
My Issues
The main reason why I am discussing this topic is because it has been an issue for me with just about every competition that I do. There is always a time (usually the first few weeks) after a competition where I find myself binge eating. I also tend to try to rectify theses episodes with lots of cardio. However, I have found that the more I try to force myself to keep my bodyfat down after a competition, the more I want to rebel at the same time! I have had binge eating episodes where I consume nearly 3000 calories of junk food within an hour and a half! Of course after doing something ridiculous like this, the next morning I would go run 10 miles trying to get rid of it. This of course would just set me up to do it again, because I know I can control (or at least I feel like I could control) the situation.
Doing this binge eating causes severe stress on my GI system. I have had severe heart burn, in fact it has been so bad that I have mistaken the symptoms for a heart attack a couple of times (chest pain, short of breath, dizziness, etc) and gone to the emergency room to find that I need lots of pepcid AC just because of all the crap I had been eating!
I have been able to get out of these habits by first allowing myself to feel like crud after an episode and humbling myself enough to not try to correct it. I also pray consistently for God's guidance and strength! After an episode or two without trying to control it, I begin to realize I can still eat the foods I like but I don't have to overdo it.
I realize that this subject can hit closer to home for some rather than others. Also, it can be a very serious issue for some and not others. I definitely don't want to make light of these disorders. In fact, if you find yourself binging and exercising to rectify it consistently, I would recommend speaking with a counselor sooner rather than later. This is not something you want to prolong in your life!
I have personally found that through prayer and accountability with someone who understands the seriousness of the situation, I have been able to overcome these issues. I pray you will find healing also if you are seeking it!
"Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Luke 22:42 (NASB)
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