As I mentioned in a previous post, there's a lot you can learn from Olympians that will help you reach your goals and improve your life.
One thing I didn't mention in that article was coaching. Even though they've be involved in their respective sports for many years, even world class athletes have coaches.
Regardless of whether your goal is...
* getting stronger
* dropping body fat
* improving sports performance or
* preventing osteoporosis
... a well designed program, proper instruction and good form will help you meet those goals safely and effectively.
Although I have clients that do so, you certainly don't have to meet with a trainer every time you work out to get the benefits of professional coaching. Some clients have sessions once a week or once every two weeks and exercise on their own the rest of the time. Most of my members and clients just see me every 4-6 weeks for a new routine.
Unless you love learning about exercise and staying current on the research, why waste time trying to create an effective workout program for yourself? Find a knowledgeable fitness coach and get the most out of your exercise time.
If it's good enough for elite athletes, it's good enough for you.
.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wii Fit Video
One of my members has a Wii and really likes it. I have no first hand knowledge of the thing but if I understood her description correctly, one of the exercises used is a Turkish Get Up. If that's true, the Wii Fit is probably not quite as useless as the video below portrays but it's really funny so check it out.
Wii Fit Parody - Watch more free videos
Wii Fit Parody - Watch more free videos
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Age Ain't Nothing But A Number
I had planned on writing about Dara Torres but found the article below from Jon Benson in my inbox this morning. Jon says it better than I could so I'll leave it to him but I have posted a few notes of my own at the end.
This Woman is My Hero!
by Jon Benson
I want you to remember this quote for the rest of your life:
"Don't put an age limit on your DREAMS."
-- Dara Torres, Olympic Champion
Dara is truly one of my heroes.
Not too long ago Dara Torres did the unthinkable: She dared to enter the 2008 Olympics and swim a "kids race": The 100 Meter Free.
It's an all-out sprint. One length of the pool. Winner takes the gold-medal.
Dara lost the gold by 1/100th of a second. That's almost too short to measure.
She won silver.
She beat the American 16-year-old who was swimming just a few lanes over.
She beat her personal record set when she herself was a teenager.
She smashed the American world record.
She bested her last Olympics, and the one before that, with a time that, except for a slight start mistake would have won her a gold-medal.
Dara is 41 years old.
Let me put that into perspective: Dara lost by 1/100th of a second to a girl young enough to be her daughter.
In fact ALL the racers were young enough to be her daughter!
It staggers the mind, doesn't it?
It shouldn't.
Dara is not "old". She's not even "middle-age." These are all terms we create to limit our ability to achieve.
Dara is simply an athlete. A mom. A true woman of power. Someone who lives in the present.
Dara is a champion, and there is not an age criteria required to be labeled "champ". Even Olympic champ.
The New York Times article had it right: "Getting Older, Swimming Faster."
That's right: She beat her personal best at the age of 41, set almost 20 years prior, and did it in the toughest arena the world has ever created.
If you are fed up with putting an age limit on your dreams, I encourage you to read or re-read my book, "Fit Over 40" --
Fit Over 40<--- no age limits!
I devote an entire section of the book to champions between 40 and 80 who simply refuse to buy into the rumor that says, "I'm too old to..."
So...what do you think you're "too old" to do?
Be an Olympic champion perhaps?
Oh, just for your information: Dara was not the oldest Olympian this year. John Dane III was 58. He crewed a Star boat for the Olympic Sailing Team.
Libby Callahan, 56, became the oldest U.S. female Olympian of all time. She competed with the shooting team.
So, I'll ask you again: What do you think you're too old to do?
Think again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll add just a few notes to Jon's thoughts:
* Not only are many of the swimmers young enough to be Dara Torres' children but Michael Phelps and 3/4 of her female Olympic teammates had not even been born in 1984 when Torres won her first gold medal.
* Although it wasn't quite fast enough to catch the Australians, who had built up a sizable lead, Torres' 52.27 split on the 4x100 medley relay ranks as the fastest 100 freestyle split in relay history.
* That amazing performance by the 41 year old came only about 1 minute after the emotional medal ceremony for the 50-meter freestyle (where Torres' had missed the gold by 1/100th of a second).
.
This Woman is My Hero!
by Jon Benson
I want you to remember this quote for the rest of your life:
"Don't put an age limit on your DREAMS."
-- Dara Torres, Olympic Champion
Dara is truly one of my heroes.
Not too long ago Dara Torres did the unthinkable: She dared to enter the 2008 Olympics and swim a "kids race": The 100 Meter Free.
It's an all-out sprint. One length of the pool. Winner takes the gold-medal.
Dara lost the gold by 1/100th of a second. That's almost too short to measure.
She won silver.
She beat the American 16-year-old who was swimming just a few lanes over.
She beat her personal record set when she herself was a teenager.
She smashed the American world record.
She bested her last Olympics, and the one before that, with a time that, except for a slight start mistake would have won her a gold-medal.
Dara is 41 years old.
Let me put that into perspective: Dara lost by 1/100th of a second to a girl young enough to be her daughter.
In fact ALL the racers were young enough to be her daughter!
It staggers the mind, doesn't it?
It shouldn't.
Dara is not "old". She's not even "middle-age." These are all terms we create to limit our ability to achieve.
Dara is simply an athlete. A mom. A true woman of power. Someone who lives in the present.
Dara is a champion, and there is not an age criteria required to be labeled "champ". Even Olympic champ.
The New York Times article had it right: "Getting Older, Swimming Faster."
That's right: She beat her personal best at the age of 41, set almost 20 years prior, and did it in the toughest arena the world has ever created.
If you are fed up with putting an age limit on your dreams, I encourage you to read or re-read my book, "Fit Over 40" --
Fit Over 40<--- no age limits!
I devote an entire section of the book to champions between 40 and 80 who simply refuse to buy into the rumor that says, "I'm too old to..."
So...what do you think you're "too old" to do?
Be an Olympic champion perhaps?
Oh, just for your information: Dara was not the oldest Olympian this year. John Dane III was 58. He crewed a Star boat for the Olympic Sailing Team.
Libby Callahan, 56, became the oldest U.S. female Olympian of all time. She competed with the shooting team.
So, I'll ask you again: What do you think you're too old to do?
Think again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll add just a few notes to Jon's thoughts:
* Not only are many of the swimmers young enough to be Dara Torres' children but Michael Phelps and 3/4 of her female Olympic teammates had not even been born in 1984 when Torres won her first gold medal.
* Although it wasn't quite fast enough to catch the Australians, who had built up a sizable lead, Torres' 52.27 split on the 4x100 medley relay ranks as the fastest 100 freestyle split in relay history.
* That amazing performance by the 41 year old came only about 1 minute after the emotional medal ceremony for the 50-meter freestyle (where Torres' had missed the gold by 1/100th of a second).
.
Friday, August 15, 2008
What You Can Learn From Olympians
I know lots of people have been recently showing up to work bleary eyed from staying up late watching the Olympics. Most of us are in awe of the physical abilities of these athletes and think of them as very different from us.
While I doubt that any of my readers will one day win a medal at the Olympics, there are traits and habits of these elite athletes that anyone can emulate to help them reach their goals.
* Believe in yourself.
If you don't really think that you're capable of decreasing your body fat, learning a new skill, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, starting a business, going back to school, etc., you won't succeed.
Remember what Henry Ford said,
Whether you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.
* Have clear, definable goals.
Saying "I want to get healthy" is too vague; it's not measurable. Completing a 5K race, eating 5 vegetables every day for a month, strength training a minimum of 10 times a month for 6 months, trying out 50 new, healthy recipes, performing a certain number of Chin Ups or Single Leg Pistol Squats- those are definable, measurable goals.
* Be passionate.
You can't be wishy washy. The goal has to be something you really desire and you must be fully committed to achieving it. If your goal is based on what someone else wants- spousal nagging, parental expectations, societal pressures, medical warnings, etc. - you will ultimately fail. You may succeed in the short term but it's unlikely that you will be successful in the long run.
* Learn and master the fundamentals first.
Athletes don't start out running marathons, powerlifting hundreds of pounds, doing triple flips, etc. They learn and practice the basics and build up to more difficult challenges.
If you can't perform a Bodyweight Squat or Lunge with good form, don't use weights. If you get winded walking down to the corner, don't start out trying to jog a mile a day. And, sorry guys, but if you can't do 25 strict Pushups, you shouldn't be loading up the bar with a bunch of plates to Bench Press.
Let's be honest, is it really doable for most people to go from a primarily fast food diet one day to a super restrictive nutrition plan the next? Does it make sense for a couch potato to follow Mike Musclehead's 25 sets per body part routine from the latest issue of Muscle & Steroids magazine?
* Consistency.
They, "Just do it."
Even elite athletes are human. I'm sure that there's plenty of times they feel like staying in bed rather than getting up and training but they do what they need to do to get where they want to go.
Whatever your goal, you need to take consistent action. And it can be done; we find ways to do the things we really want to do. If people spent as much time finding solutions as they do making excuses, their capabilities would amaze them.
* Work hard.
Yes, it's obvious but it needs saying. Regardless of your goals, going through the motions won't cut it. If you want to drop fat but can read a magazine while on the treadmill, you're not working hard enough. If you want to learn to play the piano but only practice 15 minutes a week, that won't cut it. If you want a promotion, doing a half-assed job won't get you far (at least in most cases).
* Don't allow others to impose limitations on you.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team his sophomore year. Instead of giving up, he worked harder and ended up making the team and leading it to the state championship. Jordan was named college basketball player of the year in 1984 and went on to win 2 Olympic gold medals and multiple NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Who would have ever thought that a 41 year old swimmer and mother of a two-year old could have qualified for the Olympics, let alone be competitive? Had Dara Torres listened to "conventional wisdom", she'd be sitting at home right now instead of collecting more medals to add to her collection.
As Harvey Firestein says,
Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
While I doubt that any of my readers will one day win a medal at the Olympics, there are traits and habits of these elite athletes that anyone can emulate to help them reach their goals.
* Believe in yourself.
If you don't really think that you're capable of decreasing your body fat, learning a new skill, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, starting a business, going back to school, etc., you won't succeed.
Remember what Henry Ford said,
Whether you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.
* Have clear, definable goals.
Saying "I want to get healthy" is too vague; it's not measurable. Completing a 5K race, eating 5 vegetables every day for a month, strength training a minimum of 10 times a month for 6 months, trying out 50 new, healthy recipes, performing a certain number of Chin Ups or Single Leg Pistol Squats- those are definable, measurable goals.
* Be passionate.
You can't be wishy washy. The goal has to be something you really desire and you must be fully committed to achieving it. If your goal is based on what someone else wants- spousal nagging, parental expectations, societal pressures, medical warnings, etc. - you will ultimately fail. You may succeed in the short term but it's unlikely that you will be successful in the long run.
* Learn and master the fundamentals first.
Athletes don't start out running marathons, powerlifting hundreds of pounds, doing triple flips, etc. They learn and practice the basics and build up to more difficult challenges.
If you can't perform a Bodyweight Squat or Lunge with good form, don't use weights. If you get winded walking down to the corner, don't start out trying to jog a mile a day. And, sorry guys, but if you can't do 25 strict Pushups, you shouldn't be loading up the bar with a bunch of plates to Bench Press.
Let's be honest, is it really doable for most people to go from a primarily fast food diet one day to a super restrictive nutrition plan the next? Does it make sense for a couch potato to follow Mike Musclehead's 25 sets per body part routine from the latest issue of Muscle & Steroids magazine?
* Consistency.
They, "Just do it."
Even elite athletes are human. I'm sure that there's plenty of times they feel like staying in bed rather than getting up and training but they do what they need to do to get where they want to go.
Whatever your goal, you need to take consistent action. And it can be done; we find ways to do the things we really want to do. If people spent as much time finding solutions as they do making excuses, their capabilities would amaze them.
* Work hard.
Yes, it's obvious but it needs saying. Regardless of your goals, going through the motions won't cut it. If you want to drop fat but can read a magazine while on the treadmill, you're not working hard enough. If you want to learn to play the piano but only practice 15 minutes a week, that won't cut it. If you want a promotion, doing a half-assed job won't get you far (at least in most cases).
* Don't allow others to impose limitations on you.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team his sophomore year. Instead of giving up, he worked harder and ended up making the team and leading it to the state championship. Jordan was named college basketball player of the year in 1984 and went on to win 2 Olympic gold medals and multiple NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Who would have ever thought that a 41 year old swimmer and mother of a two-year old could have qualified for the Olympics, let alone be competitive? Had Dara Torres listened to "conventional wisdom", she'd be sitting at home right now instead of collecting more medals to add to her collection.
As Harvey Firestein says,
Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Diet Myths Revealed
Check out the video below for 6 weight loss myths. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to embed the video here so you have to click on the link. Sorry, you'll also have to watch a short commercial first but the info is worth it.
Diet Myths Revealed
Diet Myths Revealed
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
How To Boost Metabolism with Supplements or Exercise by Craig Ballantyne
How To Boost Metabolism with Supplements or Exercise
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
You can't boost your metabolism with supplements. Or at least not enough to cause weight loss. This is hope in a bottle, but this hope doesn't stand a chance. It doesn't work.
One misconception is that caffeine boosts your metabolism, but I’ve also heard that fish oil, protein, CLA, and green tea will do it, too. As with the fat burning zone, this myth comes from a distortion of science.
Green tea, for example, was shown to increase the daily energy expenditure of young men by eighty calories per day. Now, that’s great news for the people who make supplements because they can put that claim on their label, but what that doesn’t take into account is that people’s bodies adapt to a stimulus.
If there is any benefit to taking a particular supplement, by the end of the week, your body has adjusted to the chemical and no longer reacts to it. And that’s why, as a recent study showed, that taking Green Tea supplements for 12 weeks did not cause any fat loss. Most supplements seem to be nothing more than glorified caffeine pills.
Let’s think of this another way. Say for example that green tea extract actually did help you burn an additional eighty calories per day. It is agreed upon by most trainers that one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Even if the supplement worked as intended, then it would take nearly a month and half to lose one pound!
Unfortunately, you’ll find big promises from supplements in every magazine, and it is very difficult to avoid the allure of the quick fixes that supplements present. Supplements make you think, “Why work out when you can take a pill?”
And as long as there are people who aren’t willing to work for their results, there will always be a product claiming to work miracles.
Unlike these “miracle” supplements, research repeatedly shows that both strength training and interval training can help boost your metabolism and burn fat.
In one study, women did a strength training session with eight repetitions per exercise and had a significant increase in their post-exercise metabolism. This is just another example of how short burst training will burn more calories and more fat. These are proven results that no diet pill can compete with.
Boost your metabolism with hard work, not the easy way out,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
You can't boost your metabolism with supplements. Or at least not enough to cause weight loss. This is hope in a bottle, but this hope doesn't stand a chance. It doesn't work.
One misconception is that caffeine boosts your metabolism, but I’ve also heard that fish oil, protein, CLA, and green tea will do it, too. As with the fat burning zone, this myth comes from a distortion of science.
Green tea, for example, was shown to increase the daily energy expenditure of young men by eighty calories per day. Now, that’s great news for the people who make supplements because they can put that claim on their label, but what that doesn’t take into account is that people’s bodies adapt to a stimulus.
If there is any benefit to taking a particular supplement, by the end of the week, your body has adjusted to the chemical and no longer reacts to it. And that’s why, as a recent study showed, that taking Green Tea supplements for 12 weeks did not cause any fat loss. Most supplements seem to be nothing more than glorified caffeine pills.
Let’s think of this another way. Say for example that green tea extract actually did help you burn an additional eighty calories per day. It is agreed upon by most trainers that one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Even if the supplement worked as intended, then it would take nearly a month and half to lose one pound!
Unfortunately, you’ll find big promises from supplements in every magazine, and it is very difficult to avoid the allure of the quick fixes that supplements present. Supplements make you think, “Why work out when you can take a pill?”
And as long as there are people who aren’t willing to work for their results, there will always be a product claiming to work miracles.
Unlike these “miracle” supplements, research repeatedly shows that both strength training and interval training can help boost your metabolism and burn fat.
In one study, women did a strength training session with eight repetitions per exercise and had a significant increase in their post-exercise metabolism. This is just another example of how short burst training will burn more calories and more fat. These are proven results that no diet pill can compete with.
Boost your metabolism with hard work, not the easy way out,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Are You Juiced?
It seems that a lot of people think that an easy way to meet their daily requirement of fruits and veggies is juicing. Although convenient, even homemade juice is nutritionally inferior to whole fruits and vegetables. Brad Schoenfeld explains why.
Juice Your Way to Better Health…?
Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS
I recently happened upon an infomercial where none other than Jack LaLanne is seen touting the benefits of his "Power Juicer." Listening to his spiel, you'd think that the juicer was the best thing since the invention of the wheel. Now I have nothing but respect for Mr. LaLanne. He is unquestionably one of the people who brought exercise into the mainstream and for that deserves a huge amount of credit. Unfortunately, his claims regarding juicing are simply off-base. Way off base…
Fact: fruit juice is generally a poor substitute for whole fruits. Why? Well, juicing removes fiber and phytonutrients from a fruit or vegetable. Not only does this deprive you of important nutritional benefits, but it also decreases transit time through the gut. Since liquids require very little digestion, they quickly pass through your gastrointestinal tract and are rapidly assimilated into the bloodstream. This is detrimental on a couple of different levels.
First, rapid assimilation of a carbohydrate source increases blood sugar levels, causing a corresponding spike in insulin secretions. Insulin is a storage hormone that turns on various fat storage mechanisms and blocks certain enzymes that are responsible for lipolysis (i.e. fat breakdown). When insulin levels are high, excess
nutrients are more readily shuttled into adipose cells, facilitating increases in body fat deposition.
Worse, the rush of insulin clears sugars from your circulatory system in such an expeditious fashion that it creates a rebound effect, producing a sudden and dramatic drop in blood sugar levels. A hypoglycemic state is induced, causing hunger pangs and food cravings. This creates a vicious cycle that encourages binge eating.
As a result, more calories are consumed (especially in the form of high-glycemic foods) and fat storage is heightened even further.
Second, juices don't satisfy hunger in the same way as whole fruits and vegetables. When whole foods are consumed, they activate satiety-inducing stretch receptors in the gut. The stretch receptors, in turn, send signals back to the brain indicating a sense of fullness. The end result is that you eat less than you otherwise would. Juices, though, don't stay in the gut long enough to activate these stretch receptors. The net effect is that you tend to be hungrier and thus inclined to consume excess calories.
The one time it is beneficial to consume juice is immediately after a workout. The reason: during the post-exercise period, it is actually advantageous to spike insulin. You see, insulin has both anabolic and anti-catabolic functions, helping to increase protein synthesis, decrease protein breakdown, and shuttle glycogen into cells. Just as importantly, the elevated insulin levels won't promote increases in
body fat. Because your muscles are in a depleted state, nutrients will tend to be used for lean tissue purposes rather than fat storage. It's a win/win proposition.
Take home message: stick to whole fruits and veggies except for after a hard workout. It will keep you leaner and healthier in the long run.
Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, is an internationally renowned expert on fitness and sports nutrition. As the owner/operator of the exclusive Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, NY, he is regarded as one of the leading authorities on women's fitness. He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles including the ANPPC Tri-State Naturals and USA Mixed Pairs crowns.
Juice Your Way to Better Health…?
Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS
I recently happened upon an infomercial where none other than Jack LaLanne is seen touting the benefits of his "Power Juicer." Listening to his spiel, you'd think that the juicer was the best thing since the invention of the wheel. Now I have nothing but respect for Mr. LaLanne. He is unquestionably one of the people who brought exercise into the mainstream and for that deserves a huge amount of credit. Unfortunately, his claims regarding juicing are simply off-base. Way off base…
Fact: fruit juice is generally a poor substitute for whole fruits. Why? Well, juicing removes fiber and phytonutrients from a fruit or vegetable. Not only does this deprive you of important nutritional benefits, but it also decreases transit time through the gut. Since liquids require very little digestion, they quickly pass through your gastrointestinal tract and are rapidly assimilated into the bloodstream. This is detrimental on a couple of different levels.
First, rapid assimilation of a carbohydrate source increases blood sugar levels, causing a corresponding spike in insulin secretions. Insulin is a storage hormone that turns on various fat storage mechanisms and blocks certain enzymes that are responsible for lipolysis (i.e. fat breakdown). When insulin levels are high, excess
nutrients are more readily shuttled into adipose cells, facilitating increases in body fat deposition.
Worse, the rush of insulin clears sugars from your circulatory system in such an expeditious fashion that it creates a rebound effect, producing a sudden and dramatic drop in blood sugar levels. A hypoglycemic state is induced, causing hunger pangs and food cravings. This creates a vicious cycle that encourages binge eating.
As a result, more calories are consumed (especially in the form of high-glycemic foods) and fat storage is heightened even further.
Second, juices don't satisfy hunger in the same way as whole fruits and vegetables. When whole foods are consumed, they activate satiety-inducing stretch receptors in the gut. The stretch receptors, in turn, send signals back to the brain indicating a sense of fullness. The end result is that you eat less than you otherwise would. Juices, though, don't stay in the gut long enough to activate these stretch receptors. The net effect is that you tend to be hungrier and thus inclined to consume excess calories.
The one time it is beneficial to consume juice is immediately after a workout. The reason: during the post-exercise period, it is actually advantageous to spike insulin. You see, insulin has both anabolic and anti-catabolic functions, helping to increase protein synthesis, decrease protein breakdown, and shuttle glycogen into cells. Just as importantly, the elevated insulin levels won't promote increases in
body fat. Because your muscles are in a depleted state, nutrients will tend to be used for lean tissue purposes rather than fat storage. It's a win/win proposition.
Take home message: stick to whole fruits and veggies except for after a hard workout. It will keep you leaner and healthier in the long run.
Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, is an internationally renowned expert on fitness and sports nutrition. As the owner/operator of the exclusive Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, NY, he is regarded as one of the leading authorities on women's fitness. He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles including the ANPPC Tri-State Naturals and USA Mixed Pairs crowns.
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