The Scale is Not Your Friend!

The Scale is Not Your Friend!

 

    Most people who want or need to lose weight will eventually stand on the scale in utter frustration. The scale is a definite measure of total weight. It is not, however, an indication of our body composition: How much of our body is made up of fat. There are cases of bulimics with 50% body fat and low total body weight. Weighing less is not seeing the bigger picture of our overall health. A body composition analysis and a full blood work-up combined with a VO2Max test would probably be most comprehensive. Since most don't have access to all of those tests, sometimes a scale is the best you can do.

    What is the best way to improve your body composition? Strength training, of course! It has even been proven to lower LDL Cholesterol, by transferring the LDL out of the muscles. Imagine that, something that helps to lower your cholesterol; all you have to do is increase your muscle mass. The benefits of this miracle are better functioning muscles and more muscle tone. Sometimes the number on the scale stays the same. Sometimes that number stays the same because you are putting on muscle. It is pretty UNcommon to have the muscle gain equal to the fat loss in most 12 week studies.  One study showed no significant weight loss over 12 weeks of just strength training, but a "trend toward an increase in fat free mass." Many of these studies show small changes over the 12 weeks but those who lifted weights AND did cardio exercise lost more weight when combining diet, exercise, and strength training. Diet lost 15lbs; cardio lost 17lbs; weights, cardio, and diet lost 20lbs! In 12 weeks!

    The scale can be frustrating if you don't have realistic goals AND actions. If you weigh yourself every 2 weeks you should see changes in the healthier direction. If you do not see adequate shifts on the scale, then something needs to change. However, if you SEE changes in your muscle tone and the scale reflects no movement then your clothes and the naked test are the real tests. Now don't think I am going to tell you you can eat what you want. Your body will tell you what it wants to eat.

     Why not perform your own test? Your very own 1 person study, you will prove those studies right or wrong either way. It doesn't matter how old or out of shape you, commit to 13 weeks of heathy change. That is 91 days of diet and exercise to change how you feel inside and out. In 90 days you have the opportunity to begin test driving a new body, your new body. It will perform better. Sometimes you weigh the same but look and feel better. So commit to the challenge of exercising for 90 days to improve your physical performance. Make sure your doctor has cleared you to exercise and then begin.

    I suggest beginning by writing your goals down. Choose a fitness goal, a sleep goal, and an eating goal. Keep them handy and follow them. Make yourself accountable.

 

The night before you begin your 13 week diet and exercise program here are a few things you can do: 

1. Weigh your self and write down the date first and then the weight. Write it on your mirror where you brush your teeth in the morning.

2. Put on that pair of pants, or shirt that is just a little bit snug. Write your weight and date on the tag. (Put them back on every 2 weeks)

3. Begin your exercise program with a good nights sleep.

4. Write your goals for the next day.

 

Once you have begun

1. Try exercising for as many days as you can.

2. Listen to what your body communicates to you. Is it telling you it's tired or that you need rest? Are you drinking enough water? Was the last thing you ate going to move you in the direction you want? 

3 Be responsible for your own actions. If you know you "should not be eating this" THEN DON'T!

4. Find some support. Begin the program as a family, you can all be healthier together.

5. Honor the commitment you are making to yourself. .

6. Do not get on the scale more than every 10 days. .

7. Be nice to yourself. Don't beat your self up if you miss a day.

8. Make yourself proud.

Cold Weather exercise

Cold Weather exercise

 

    Winter is here and the whole country is feeling its effects, even Florida is seeing record cold. Exercising in the cold is an option for some while others still prefer the gym. Exercising outdoors actually can help you to better adapt to the cold and feel its effects a little less. However there are some things to keep in mind when exercising in cold temperatures.

    We all have enough excuses to not exercise, but the cold should not be one of the reasons. If you truly hate the cold you can stick to the gym for this season, if you are a competing athlete the gym is a nice off season change. If you are getting off the couch for the first time in a long time then the gym can be a source of inspiration and group atmosphere; don't get intimidated. If you don't want to pay for a gym membership, tough it out until the spring thaw by exercising outdoors. 

    The following list is by no means comprehensive but it should get you thinking about your outdoor activities.

1. There is a temperature of diminishing returns, you just have to decide what that temperature is for you. I can run outside in temperatues as low as 35 degrees with my face uncovered. I cover my face below 35 degrees and don't exercise out doors below 20F. If you are in pain or have numb fingers and toes, it is too cold for you.

2. The air is drier in the winter which my cause throat and sinus irritation. This can be aided by covering your mouth and nose. I like the running mask from Saucony with the mesh front.

3. Layers: A base layer for wicking moisture, an insulating layer to keep you warm, and a wind protection layer to keep the heat in. I don't layer my legs when I run because they're always moving and generating lots of heat. If you are cycling in the cold follow the same rules and make sure your knees are protected from the wind.

4. The gym is not a bad place to be. If it is too cold outside, talk to your local gym about a short term membership, sometimes you can get a 3 month deal and most gyms offer month to month.

5. If you exercise in the cold then start your work out feeling a little chilled. Your body will warm up quickly, just keep your fingers and toes warm with wool and make sure you wear wind protection.    

Change Workout

 Is it time for a Change to Your Workout?

Andy Nelson for GetFitNYC - andy@getfitnyc.com   

 

    When your body is stimulated and challenged, it adapts at a pretty rapid pace. If you give your body more physical activity and exercise than it is used to, it will go through a host of biological adaptations that make you more efficient at handling similar exercises next time. This is called progressive adaptation; your body adapts to physical challenges, provided it’s given enough recovery.

    Rest is often an overlooked part of our health and fitness. If you rest too much or not enough during your workouts, you may not achieve optimum results. If you don't rest enough between workouts, you will not be able to progress as quickly as you would hope (I will address the effects of sleep deprivation and benefits of adequate rest on another day). If you get excited about how high intensity exercise feels and don't do enough lower intensity exercise you will eventually pay the price in emotional and physical distress. If you have been doing the same workout for weeks/months/years, you have probably kept every other area of your life stagnant as well, right?  Change is important on so many levels. If you no longer see the results of your exercise regimen, then you need a change in your workout. Maybe even some changes in the rest of your life; but that’s a topic for another discussion.

      Lets look at some simple changes you can make:

1. If you run/walk/bike, change the mileage. Travel farther; explore new territory. if you cover a longer distance in the same amount of time, then you are more fit.

2. Change how long you work out. Been doing those same 5 exercises for the last 5 years in 1 hour? Then try doing them all in 45 minutes.

3. Do the same exercises with more weight. If you can lift 5 lbs over your head 15 times then maybe you should try the same thing with 7.5 lbs, 12 times. Once you can lift the 7.5 lbs 15 times, try 8 or 9 lbs, 12 times, and so on.

4. Take a class that looks fun. Or you can take one that looks completely silly; you might even like it. You do not have to belong to a gym to take a class, there are outdoor classes offered in most major cities in the US.

5. Lift your weights slower. This may seem counter to #2 but it increases the time a muscle has to work. This in turn increases the endurance of the muscles (involving more muscle fibers overall). This is not recommended if you have high blood pressure. Don’t hold your breath.

6. Workout for longer. This applies mostly to cardio workouts, but can be used while doing resistance training as well.

7. Change your intensity. Walking on the treadmill at 3.5, incline 0, for 45 minutes will only provide you with results for so long. Increase the incline or do intervals of harder effort.

 

    As the body adapts to the demands placed on it, it wants (even craves) more. Try it for 90 days. Change something about your workout once a week for 13 weeks. You will see some amazing and surprising results. Make the commitment to yourself.

Have fun and be healthy, change can be good.

 

Your Body Will Thank You

Bret Thorson, Get Fit NYC trainer, writes:

Sometimes exercise benefits can be hard to quantify. One person who lives a very healthy life won't ever know for sure what pitfalls he may have avoided; maybe arthritis or cancer, maybe obesity. Over the long run, probably something debilitating on one level or another.
On the other hand, sometimes the results are very clear.
I believe our bodies and psyches have built in mechanisms that encourage us to stay active. Exercise high comes to mind. Other benefits include feeling fitter in general, feeling more self-confident, or receiving unsolicitated compliments.
But what about blood circulation? I know that if I am inactive for more than a day or two I tend to start feeling pockets of tension in the back, and sometimes the neck, or at the site of an old injury. Our muscles have a layer of sticky film overlapping them called fascia. It's a bit like spiderweb material and it's known to grow stickier the more inactive we are day to day. As we consistently raise our activity levels, that fascia loosens up AND our blood better circulates all the things our bodies need and eliminates the junk we don't. As our bodies adjust to regular heartrate elevation, neurons fire more rapidly and effectively and the system as a whole better supports an aroused and stimulated physical state. I know for certain that if I'm feeling the couch potato blues the best thing I can do is to go exercise. I may need to start off slowly or choose a low-impact activity at first to allow my body time to transition, but my body will thank me and the result is that I feel much better and happier.

Don't be Lied to About How You Burn Fat!

Don't be Lied to About How You Burn Fat!

 

This blog has a few numbers in it so please don't panic. The numbers are not the main message. The main message for today is that you should probably focus on doing more than the minimum. What would you expect from following the basic guidelines for any endeavor? The basic outcome. That is it, nothing more. The guidleines from the CDC are just to keep from getting more fat IF you follow their guidelines for eating as well, and how many people actually get their 5 serving of veggies a day, much less the 30 minutes of light exercise.  Do this and expect the MINIMUM results. So why not try to see what the MAXIMUM results can be for you?

 

  Some people need maximum results for their weight loss RIGHT NOW! If you have trouble walking at all, or you cannot climb stairs pain free, then you need top have maximum results in minimum time. What can you do? Combine your cardio and weight workouts for 90 days. Commit to 90 days of eating by the Food Guide Pyramid. It is more in depth than you think, but within less than 5 minutes you can find out how much you should be eating of each type of food. Included in the pyramid (www.mypyramid.gov) is physical exercise. It does list the minimums so keep that in mind. Strive to achieve a healthy weight, chances are you need to lose weight, not just maintain.

 

   So if you think that just walking 30 min a day is going to burn your fat, you are being lied to. Although it is true that you tend to burn about 90% of your calories from fat at very low intensity, you burn very few calories. Then there is the Cross-Over point in exercise. At this point you can burn 3x the total calories and burn 50% of your calories from Carbohydrates and 50% from Fat. Basic quick math:

If you only burn 100 calories an hour at low intensity (25% of your max, walking), 90 of them will probably be from fat. 

If you burn 300 calories an hour at a moderate intensity (60% of your max, jogging), 150 of them will be from Fat.  

If you burn 500 calories an hour at high intensity (90% of your max, running),  100 calories will come from Fat.

 

   These are just for easy numbers. If you are running for an hour, as you would in a long race in which you do not stop, you would probably burn about 600 calories for a 6 mile race if you weigh about 130 pounds. That would probably be about 800 for me since I weigh about 175. Adjusted for what my fitness level is that would be about 60/40 fat and carbohydrate respectively.

 

   So go out and challenge yourself today, and every day for the next 90 days. Go for one jog this week, and lift weights twice. Next week add in a bike ride. Take your spouse or a friend for a walk, then race them. Make it fun. Or if it is not fun, do like the Southern Baptists say, "fake it , until you make it."

Ready to hit the gym?

Ready to hit the gym?

(or at least get out of your chair?)

 

So we have discussed periodization, strength, lifestyle and running, now let's get moving. Just take the first step. If you are the person who is motivated by the voices in your head saying "Move!" then come back tomorrow. If you are the person who is looking for those motivating words that will make you move, here they are: "Premature Death." Not moving, or inactivity, leads to premature death. It is not quick and painless; it generally pretty slow and painful.

 

When you move you help to flush toxins from the muscles. Moving, whether for exercise or another reason, helps to send fresh oxygenated blood into the muscle fibers and take away carbon dioxide that is in the blood stream. I am not certain exactly why these toxins build up in our muscle cells, but it may be so we don't sit on our keisters all the time and get fat. So it is know wonder that you feel crummy when you don't get out and move. 

 

There is no pill that is going to make you fit and there is not one in the FDA pipeline either. There are pills that can help you lose weight faster, but there are still no pills to help. You can go to the doctor and get pills to combat the effects of not moving but they all have side effects.

 

Go move while you are able. For that matter go move BECAUSE you are able. Do what you can today and then challenge yourself tomorrow to do a little more. There are people in hospitals and war torn countries who wish they could go play. If you need extrinsic motivation, do it for them. If you need intrinsic motivation, do it because that pain you are having might go away if you move.

 

Start with basics, like the push-up and the squat. These may be slightly harder than walking for 10 minutes, but they are basic movements that everyone should be able to do. Let's face it you squat every day and if you were to fall down, being able to do a push-up is awfully helpful in getting back up.

Periodization for All!

Periodization for All!

 

   The secret behind any good exercise program is adherence. If you stick with a program of exercise and diet for 90 days you will probably see some very good results. Lose focus and forget what you are doing for a few days within that 90 and you will probably have trouble adhering to the rest of the 90 days. It's just basic behavior modification. Make yourself stick to ANYTHING for 90 days and will become a habit.

 

    Periodization, the concept of altering your workout to achieve gains and resist injury, is one of the safest and most effective ways to keep getting healthier. Although the concept is generally applied to strength and endurance conditioning, as heavily researched by Tudor Bompa, it has also been applied more recently to nutrition for sport and exercise performance by Bob Seebohar. I will review the basics.

  Defintions: Repetitions - the number of times a given exercise is performed.

Sets - Performing an exercise for given number of repetitions.

 

For a 13 week program of strength exercise:

1. Muscular Endurance -Begin with weights that you can handle for about 15 to 20 repetitions for the 5 major muscle groups. Make this challenging for 4-5 weeks by finding what you can do for ONLY 15 repetitions per exercise for 2 or 3 sets, 2-3 times a week.

 

2. Muscle Hypertrophy - Next move to about the same exercise for 4-6 weeks at a higher weight that you can only handle for 8-12 repetitions for 3-4 sets per exercise. The weight you can lift 8 times in the first week you should be able to lift for 10 or 12 in the second or third week of this phase. Be safe and gradually increase resistance.

  

3. Power - For the most challenging phase spend 3-4 weeks doing a weight that you can only lift for 5 or 6 repetitions of 2-4 sets 2 or 3 times a week. This phase requires more recovery between sets and between days when you lift. It is also the most taxing on soft tissue. I personally only lift this phase for 2 weeks at a time; more than that I feel an uncomfortable tightness in the joints.

 

4. The transition phase - This phase should last 1-2 weeks. At this phase I like to find a balance between the first 2 phases; some exercise I lift for 12, some I lift for 15. At any point they are meant to be done for a lighter over-all workload. This allows the joints and muscles to adapt to the stresses they have been subjected to for the last 12 weeks. Your body is able to rest, a key component to exercise, and become more efficient for the next round of increased workload.

 

This has been an overview of the basics of and a quick intro into periodization principles. When beginning an exercise program please make sure you are cleared by your physician first.

 

A quick note - Try to keep your workouts to about an hour. Studies have shown increased dropout rates for workout plans that require more than an hour.

 

Good luck, have fun, and be healthy.

How Strong are You?

How Strong are You?

 

   So we have all been told that we need to lift weights/do resistance training exercise. What does that really mean? Are we supposed to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan: the Barbarian? I would hope not, but lifting weights or even your own body weight, with the intention of becoming stronger, has some very big benefits. 

 

I will not make any outsized claims as to what strength training does or doesn't provide. The science proves strength training makes you stronger. Peer-reviewed scientific research articles are what I use for my information regarding health and exercise; not random, unsupported claims made by trainers or fitness product companies, and not claims found on the back of a supplement bottle.

By gradually increasing the work load of the major muscle groups (legs, back, chest, arms, abdominals and shoulders) for a 12 week period, the following results have been seen and proven:

1. Increased insulin resistance - the body is better able to handle the sugar consumed without an excess of insulin.

2. Increase in lean muscle mass - the first 6 weeks are mostly neurologic adaptation, after that the body has to increase the motor recruitment of the muscles to handle the increased load.

3. Decrease in total serum cholesterol - it was believed that only cardiovascular training reduced cholesterol. More studies are showing a decrese due to strength training as well.

4. Reduced body fat - that doesn't mean you can still eat all the pizza you want. You can reduce ("burn") what you've already stored.

5. Become more efficient at expending calories - this makes losing weight easier.

 

So you can begin with 20-30 minutes, 3 times per week, and see some pretty amazing benefits. 

Here are few tips to get you started:

1. Start with a weight you can handle for 15 repititions of a given exercise.

2. Start with your larger muscles first - everyone wants nice arms, but biceps curls don't burn a lot of calories. The hip area has the highest concentration of muscle and largest muscles in the body.

3. Give your self time to recover - if you are still sore 2 days later(you probably will be after the first time) then go again on the 3rd day.

4. Seek professional help. Find a reputable trainer with a good track record. I do email programs and if you have a computer camera, I can watch you work out. 

5. Start light. It's better than sitting on the couch.

6. Stop when you feel pain, not just mild discomfort -

7. Set a goal of 90 days - that is how long it takes to really make a change. It is also why P90X works so well. If you work out with me for the next 90 days I can get you some pretty impressive results.... but it will cost you (and you will have to go skiing with me on Sundays).

 

Have fun and be healthy.

How are our knees?

How are Your Knees?

 

In the latest edition of ACE Fitness Matters, the Journal of the American Council on Exercise, their was an article about how running can save your knees. They pointed to 2 recent studies involving distance runners in which researchers found fewer knee injuries than their non-running counterparts. The article points out a few flaws in the study, like its small cohort size and the studies were done mostly on professional/elite athletes. However, a growing amount of research is showing us that "it is better to wear out, than rust out."

 

Dr Paul William of UCLA is author one of the largest long term studies of runners, The National Runners Health Study(its main flaw is that the information is "self reported" rather than physician reported in some cases). The increase in HDL cholesterol, the Good Kind, was shown to be comparable across age ranges and was shown to increase with every increase of 15 miles per week. These effects stretch into the 70s as well as younger runners. The decrease in LDL cholesterol was not as great over the age of 60 but that may have to due with a decrease in bile acid production and its ability to remove LDL from the body. As a note, faster runners also had higher HDL.

 

So why do I choose running as my means of exercise to write about most? Quite simply it is one of the easiest ways to incorporate exercise into your day. Running has a "Low cost of entry," it just costs you the price of your shoes and workout wear. Running also has a pretty darn good bang for the time spent doing it, about 400% of the Net Calorie Burn of walking (you burn more calories per mile running and you go twice as far). So the new studies show that you also build the muscles AND cartilage around the knee joint when you run.   

 

So you say you have "Bad Knees," I'm not buying it. What, are they talking in the library? Shooting spitballs? Unless a doctor has told you not run AND you got second opinion on that, then you should be out there running. It is a very natural form of activity. It was the runners who got us where we are, the others got eaten by the sabre-tooth tigers. 

 

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. Go get fitted for a pair of shoes. You can throw on a pair of Keds and do alright, but a good store will video you running in several pairs of shoes and put you in the best one for you.

2. Start slowly and build slowly. If you haven't run before, ever, go to a track and jog around slowly 3 or 4 times, or jog around your block 1 or 2 times.

3 Hire a coach. They will help you design a program you can stick with that is safe.

4. Attend a clinic at a local running club. The social aspect may be enough to keep you going on the cold winter months and the heat of summer. See links below for local clubs.

5. You don't have to run a marathon your first year. As a marathon veteran, I can tell you you have to really like running to train for a marathon.

6. Start your own running group. Remember that bird house you built with your dad? Your new running friends will remember what you have built.

7. Listen to what your body tells you. If you are new to exercise you will have to tell yourself not to stop at first, but pain in a joint is a sign to stop. Usually there are warning signs before that pain.

8. Just get outside and move. It may take your body a few days to recover if you are new, but it will thank you.  

 

http://www.rrca.org/

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_4/index.shtml

Make it your Lifestyle

Make it your Lifestyle

  I read an article in Triathlon Life magazine, the magazine published by USA Triathlon, entitled "Is Triathlon Recession Proof." It quotes a New York Times article suggesting the sport of triathlon may be "recession proof." The article was published in late 2008 (I was throwing out some magazines and found this one in the stack) but it still seemed to ring true. My ideas about the sport were confirmed when they said that triathletes just seem to make it a part of their life. Some race directors even saw 20% percent of their race attended by college students. 

 

   Why does this still happen in an economic downturn? Because these people make it part of their lifestyle. They make it part of their every day life. Do want you to become a triathlete? You bet I do. I also want you to hire me as your coach, but that is for another day. What I really want from everyone is to make doing something active part of their every day life. "Use it or lose it" has been scientifically proven. Lack of activity is a greater cause of arthritis than is activity. Lack of activity has been linked to early death. Early Death! I like living even it is just to my next race.

 

   Maybe you have a child or a grandchild you would like to live to see. maybe you want to see what feels like to be 60, 70, or 80. If you don't like what feels like in your 50s then you can do something about it. Start moving in your 50s. Hey, you might find you like it. Sure their are some minor aches and pains involved with being active but they are just from actually using your muscles and go away in a few days. The aches from not using your muscles last much longer, not to mention to the side effects of the meds you have to take to alleviate the pain.

 

Some simple steps:

1. Go for walk as fast as you can. Don't panic when your heart starts to beat fast, it is normal.

2. Buy some exercise clothes. New materials can help you stay warm in the cold, cool in the heat.
3. Find some friends to exercise with. Triathletes like associating with other healthy people.

4. If you don't like competition, don't go to compete. Exercise can be done for its own sake, but having something to aim for makes it better.

5. Smile when your exercise. It has been proven to make it hurt less, and grimacing can age you prematurely.

Sometimes I Don't Get "IT"

Sometimes I Don't Get "IT"

  I have to admit that I don't think like everyone else. I am sure of this, but we don't really know what goes through another person's mind. I don't get Reality TV; spending hours watching shows about Hollywood, or getting your news from only one source. However, since this is about your health and fitness, I do "get" exercise and eating.

   I like to eat. I like to exercise. But even on a basic level I just like to move and move comfortably. I like food that tastes great and I like a run through the woods. I wasn't always this way. There were times when I was less healthy; when I would eat just about anything with little regard for the long term effects. I understand that I am in the health industry and that it is more or less my job to know about exercise. However, it is not my job to know everything about food and nutrition. Enjoying food and being conscientious about nutrition is my passion. I never ate a calorie, could not tell you what one tastes like. I have eaten burgers, salads, nuts, pizza, tofu, tempeh, snails and, of course, many other things. We all have to eat and so we should all make it our business to know what we are eating.

   Now to what I don't get: I don't get the second 10 pounds someone puts on. The heaviest I have ever been was 194 pounds. I was a very serious weight lifter and workout guy then. I was doing a workout that an NFL team gives their linebackers and tight ends. I could squat and bench press and do pull-ups with obscene amounts of weight. My body fat was, using calipers and a Jackson and Pollock calculations, around 8.5%. When I switched over to doing to more endurance type of exercises I lost 18 pounds in about 8weeks. My body does not "like" being that big and I felt it. How often do we actually take the time to acknowledge how our bodies feel? Try it next time you eat. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Thirsty after eating? The food probably had too much salt. Stomach not happy? Probably too much fat in the food or what you ate was past its expiration date. Tired after? Probably too much sugar in the food.

   According to a Businessweek article in 2008, 40 billion dollars are spent annually in the diet industry in the US. Divided by the roughly 300 million of us, that is more than $1300 per person per year. That is about 400 Big Macs per person. Now i know I did not go on a diet last year and neither did my immediate family, so those statistics are not right. Maybe if we just paid attention to what we ate and moved a little more we could find a whole new industry to replace the diet industry: Moving.

So a few tips:
1. Don't eat while you are moving. Eat at a table with a knife and fork, you will consume fewer calories.
2. Go for a walk after you eat. A 15 minute walk could save you a bundle on antacids.
3. Know what is in your food. Learn how to read a label beyond the calories and fat grams. Can't pronounce the ingredients? don't eat it.
4. If you are not at a healthy weight, begin to reduce your calories today. Start by reducing your saturated and animal fats.
5. Do something to get moving. Something, even a little, is better than nothing.