Your Best Body Ever

1 Oct 2009

Gym Equipment Roundup…The Stairclimber/ Stair Master/Step Machine

Ah, the stairclimber. Chances are you have at least one at your gym, most do. There’s an even greater chance that you’ve passed it by on your way to something a little less stressful looking, like the elliptical machine or the recumbent bike. I know my clients at any of the Diversifed Health and Fitness gyms I train at look at me in complete horror when I drag them over to this torturous looking device. Some would probably have wild pigs chasing them than climb on it for 15 minutes.

I know, I get it. Climbing stairs is not that much fun, especially when they’re not “real” stairs and you’re not going…anywhere. But the benefits of this machine should not be overlooked – and if you’re looking to step up your fitness level (sorry, no pun intended!) and are getting bored with your other typical gym machines, it’s worth a try.

Most stairclimbers are the stepper variety, where there are two plates that you stand on and alternate your legs, pressing down on one plate while being lifted up on the other. The other variety is the rolling staircase kind, which definitely takes a little bit of practice on a slow speed when you first get on it.

Stairclimbers are great because they can really burn some serious calories! An average 150 pound woman can burn 408 calories an hour. It’s also a great way to get low impact exercise, which can be great if your having some knee problems or other injuries.

It’s important to maintain proper form on this machine, to prevent back injuries. First of all, choose a comfortable stepping pace. Also, don’t lean on the machine for support, which can throw your body out of alignment. You should have your hands rested gently on the handrails and use them to provide balance, nothing else. If you find yourself draped on the handrails, slow down or take a break from the machine for a bit. It’s better to do this exercise right than wrong.

Correct body positioning for this machine is standing tall, with your feet around hip distance apart. After a short warm up, you should start your workout at a lower speed and gradually build up to a quicker one once your body adjusts. You can also change the settings on the machine to different types of workouts.

In addition to getting a great cardio workout, the machine can really tone up your buttocks, legs, and calves. Your abs and lower back can also get a good workout, if you’re standing up straight as you’re supposed to.

As I reminded some clients at Butterfly Life this morning, ALWAYS drink some water before your workouts, and bring a water bottle with you to put in the machine’s cup holder. You’re going to get thirsty, climbing up flight after flight of stairs!

25 Sep 2009

Understanding Protein – Part 3

The Low Carb Diet Craze


In the past several years, the popularity of diets low in carbohydrates (Atkins, Zone diet) has soared. A lot of my clients at the Diversified Health and Fitness gyms ask me advice about these diets; in fact, it’s this type of diet that I get the most questions about. I love to answer questions about this topic, as I feel that most people are uninformed about how this kind of diet works and will look to it as a “quick fix”. And when you’re trying to achieve your best body ever, I know there’s no such thing.

Low carb diets are generally structured around eating minimal carbohydrates (breads, grains, rice, starchy vegetables) and lots of protein. Proteins that people usually go to when on this diet include poultry, fish, beef, pork, nuts/seeds, and cheese products. Unfortunately, a lot of people will ditch the leaner sources of protein on this list and eat a lot of bacon and cheeseburgers. I know firsthand – my father went on this diet and pretty much ate bacon the entire time. Not exactly a super healthy diet, right?

The idea behind these diets is that ingesting carbohydrates raises your blood sugar, which thereby causes a release of insulin into the bloodstream. The theory is that insulin then drives blood sugar into the cells, where it inhibits the breakdown of fat in the body, which will prohibit you from burning fat and losing weight.

The proponents of this diet feel that if you don’t eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar and insulin levels will be lower. And as carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, if there is less of this to use, the body will turn to fat as its main source of energy, causing you to lose weight.

Sounds like a great theory, right? Initially, when you begin this kind of diet, you will end up losing more weight than if you had tried a more traditional, restricted calorie, low fat food based diet. However, most of this initial weight drop off is due to water loss. When the body needs to use protein as its main source of energy, a large amount of water is needed to convert the protein into a usable source of energy. In essence, it’s not fat you’re losing, its water. Eventually, though, this diet becomes like all others – a restricted calorie diet. Carbs make up the majority of the American diet, so when you remove those you end up eating less.

It might sound great to eat solely bacon and cheeseburgers every meal, but it can actually be pretty difficult to maintain this kind of diet without getting bored with your meal choices. So although you’ll see some initial weight loss, studies show that eventually most people who adhere to this diet for a little while will eventually go back to eating carbs at some point.

The safety of this diet is also in question with experts. In the case of my father, he had way too much saturated fat, which led to gallstones and emergency gallbladder removal. Other drawbacks of this diet include foul breath, low energy levels, and unhealthy looking skin.

Most people are also not “carb sensitive” as a lot of these low carb diet gurus would like you to believe. Those that are do often benefit from this kind of diet, but for the most part, it’s a better bet for long term weight loss if you go it the hard route – exercise, eat properly, and take care of yourself all around.

23 Sep 2009

Understanding Protein – Part 1

For the last several years, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding protein. Most people know they need it, that it helps build your muscles, and can help you lose weight, should you decide to eat it exclusively. However, as a personal trainer, I find that most of my clients at Diversified Health and Fitness gyms are somewhat misinformed or confused about this nutritional powerhouse.

Protein is considered one of the three main macronutrients, fat and carbohydrates being the others. As an energy source, it’s the one that is used last, as the body has a harder time converting it from protein to energy. Stored in the muscles, it’s necessary for maintaining the body’s normal growth and muscle mass, the immune system, and heart and regulatory functions. It’s safe to say that you can’t live without it.

Most Americans typically eat more protein than they need. We’re a burger and cheese loving nation, and you won’t find too many protein deficient people here. In developing countries, though, it is a chronic problem and sadly, can be a cause of death.

So how much protein do you really need? The standard rule of thumb is 5 – 15% of your total daily caloric intake. So if you normally consume 2,000 calories per day, 200 of those calories should come from protein, or about 50 grams. You should be eating about 1 gram of protein per one Kilogram of body weight. An easier way to figure this out is to take your weight, divide it in half, and then subtract 10. This should give you your recommended daily amount, if you’re exercising at a moderate level (two and a half hours or so per week).

With these numbers in mind, it’s easy to understand that most Americans generally eat way more than this amount of protein in a given day. Is this harmful to your health? Generally speaking, it’s not. Unless you have a kidney or liver disease, such as cirrhosis, then it could be dangerous. These two organs process protein and could be hurt by an abundance of it. If you have these issues, talk to your doctor for more information.

Protein is made up of amino acids, of which there are 20 different kinds. These are the building blocks of protein, and you need all of them to fulfill your body’s needs. The combination of amino acids determines the type of protein. Amino acids are also broken down into essential and non-essential, and these can come from either plant or animal sources. Essential acids are those that cannot be gained except from food sources. These essential amino acids can then be broken down into the non-essential type.

Your body requires all these amino acids. Animal proteins are typically also known as “complete” proteins, meaning that you body can get all the amino acids from this kind of protein. This is one reason why being a vegan (eating absolutely no meat) can be quite difficult. Eggs are known as having the most complete amino acid structure out of all the animal protein sources, and are the standard by which the others are measured.

The “incomplete” amino acids come from plant sources, meaning that they’re missing some amino acids that your body still needs. These include things such as legumes, nuts, and seeds. These need to be consumed together in a complementary fashion to ensure that the needs of the body are met. For example, you could eat beans with rice, or hummus and pita bread – these combined will give the body a more complete source of all its requirements. Soy and protein bars and powders are also great sources of complete aminos.

You don’t have to eat all the amino acids everyday. Interestingly, we do have a biological drive to get what we need from our food sources; so typically, we’re not deficient in most amino acids. I tell my clients at the gyms I work at to try to get what they need on a monthly basis, and to listen to your body. If you’re craving a hamburger or eggs for breakfast, listen to it!

Tomorrow – Protein and the athlete, how much do they need?

17 Sep 2009

Proper footwear: An important part of your workout

Today I posted a quote on the importance of bringing your old running shoes with you to the store when you’re shopping for new ones. I’d like to elaborate on this topic, as I do feel it’s something that a lot of people don’t understand or overlook, no matter what kind of exercise they’re doing.

If you’re a runner like I am, the proper running shoes can be crucial to your performance and preventing injury. I know a lot of newbie runners who will start out in whatever athletic shoes they have lying around, who end up being discouraged and then injured with shin splints or strained muscles because the shoes didn’t offer them proper support.

Your structural body isn’t perfect, of course. How our hips are placed will affect how are knees are, and in turn, how our feet are. Most people have feet that pronate, meaning that they roll outwards or inwards. A lot of people also have either flat or high arches too, making that part of the foot painful if there is too much or too little support.

We’re pretty lucky in this day and age, though – so many companies have spent a lot of time and money making shoes for runners and other sports that are specific to your body’s needs and the needs of that sport. Now, I’m not saying you should go out there and buy a bunch of different sneakers if you’re playing tennis one day and doing aerobics the next. It’s just a good idea to have proper sneakers that offer you the support you need to enable you to do the activities you want without injury.

For example, the other day one of my clients at Butterfly Life walked in with some pretty cute sneakers. She had gotten them on sale at the local department store. And although they matched with her outfit (yes, this is important to some people), they were woefully unsupportive and not built for a strenuous workout. I had to tell her to stop wearing them in the gym and invest in some better sneakers for her workouts.

Great sneakers can be expensive, especially if you’re a long distance runner like I am and need to shell out $140 every few months. But listen up – it’s going to be a lot more expensive to have to deal with a medical problem you might have because you aren’t wearing the right shoes! I’ve seen this happen with my clients at my gyms so I know firsthand that it’s no joke.

If you’re a runner, or thinking about running, make sure you go to a proper running store and get fitted for shoes. They’ll watch you run, analyze your gait, and have you try on several pairs for fit. I go to Fleet Feet, which is an excellent store that allows you to return your shoes if they end up not working out.

If you’re not a runner, I still urge you to go to an athletic shoe store like Foot Locker or the Sports Authority and get a good pair of shoes. Your feet and body will thank you for it!

15 Sep 2009

A Few of My Favorite Ab Blasting Moves.

Yesterday I wrote about the abdominals, how they function, what it’s important to remember when training them. I think it’s also important to remember that while you can have very strong abs, they may not achieve that “6 pack” look. Most people have a difficult time getting this way, and a large part of it is really due to genetics. I’ve trained a lot of people at the Diversified Health and Fitness gyms whose bodies just like to store fat in that area.

So while I know that you’d like to have a great 6 pack, in reality, let’s look at just making the abs stronger and more firm. These support your everyday movements, along with your core muscles, and over time and as you age, they’re vitally important for preventing back pain and other body structure issues.

After the “Captain’s Chair” exercise (see yesterday’s post), my next favorite move for your abs would be with the exercise ball. Here’s a rundown of the fun things you can do with this handy piece of equipment:

1. The Basic Ball Crunch: Start by sitting on top of the ball, and then roll your body down until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Your knees should be at a 90 degree angle. If you’re already got strong abs, you can roll your body back a little more so more of your back is extended off the ball. If you’re just starting out, almost your whole back should be lying on top of the ball. Place your hands gently behind the neck, in a traditional crunch way, but lightly. Look straight up to the ceiling, don’t bring your chin into your chest. (This is the number one thing I see people doing wrong in every crunch move.) Imagine that there’s an orange between your chin and your chest, and you’re trying to keep it balance there. Then, slowly, sit up slightly, and you’ll feel the abs working. This should be a small, controlled movement. Lower back down, and repeat at least 20 times.
2. The Lying Ball Lift: Lie down on the floor, with the ball between your lower legs and knees. Then lift the ball up, squeezing as you go. Lift your legs up perpendicular to the ground, then lower them slowly back down. This is great for your lower rectus abdominals, and it’s a toughie! Keep repeating until you get to 20 or need to stop.

Ok, now let’s hit those obliques and rectus abdominis muscles again. The “Bicycle” is just the move to do this. So lie down on you back, place your fingers behind your head. Bring the knees into the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground at the same time. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously twisting the right side of the body, bringing the right elbow to the left knee. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow to the right knee. Continue alternating sides in a “pedaling motion” for 12 -16 reps. The American College of Sports Medicine counts this as its number one move in your quest for a 6 pack, and it really does work.

I’ve got some clients coming into 123Fit, so I need to go…give these a shot and I’ll be giving more advanced abdominal moves in the near future!

14 Sep 2009

The Elusive 6 Pack…

One of the most common requests I hear at Diversified Health and Fitness gym is the request for “6 Pack Abs”. These, besides the perfect butt, seem to be the Holy Grail of working out. And while there are many things you can do to get your abs in gear, it’s important to understand the abs and how to best acheive results.

Your abs are not just the space between your chest and your bikini line. Your abdominal muscles are a part of your core muscles, which is the group that supports your entire middle zone. That’s pretty much the neck down to the mid part of your thigh. You core is vitally important in almost every exercise you perform, so strengthening this entire area is, without a doubt, a very important goal. You engage your entire core in everyday movements, all the time.

But let’s focus on your front abdominal muscles, the ones that you’d like to look like a washboard. A lot of my clients think that if they just do 100 crunches a day, they’ll be well on their way. And while this can help a little, it’s not going to help if you have a layer of fat over your muscles, and if you’re only doing crunches. So it’s important to attack this from all sides: proper nutrition, smart exercise, and minimizing stress. Why the last one? Studies have shown that increased stress packs on the midsection pounds.

It’s also important to know that some abdominal exercises are much more effective than others. It’s also better to really work out your abs in a short amount of time with highly effective exercises than to waste time and energy on the aforementioned 100 daily crunches.

According to research, the single best move you can do for your abs is the device in your gym called “The Captain’s Chair.” This is a great piece of equipment that you hoist yourself between the two side supports on your elbows and forearms, which will cause your legs to dangle. Now bring your legs up from the waist for as long as you can to work those rectus abdominals, and then turn to the side and work those obliques. This is an AB KILLER, and believe me, yours will be burning in no time! My clients hate it when I put them on here, but they’re not paying me to not get them results. You’ll see some results too when you’re on here for awhile, I promise!

The second best thing you can do is use an inflatable exercise ball. Besides being a lot of fun, these work on your stabilizer muscles as well, and those sometimes get less use than they should. For core work, the ball is a must, and it’s very versatile. Tomorrow I’ll go over some more exercises on the ball, but most gyms have them and they should not be ignored.

The traditional crunch can still work wonders, it’s true. However, it’s important to switch up that crunch a little so you get the most out of the exercise (we’ll also touch on form for crunches tomorrow) and also work all the various areas of your abdominals. And unlike the others, the crunch is easy to do in a hotel room or when you’re at home, during TV commercials (hint, hint!)

So tune in tomorrow for my favorite ab blasting exercises!

12 Sep 2009

“Read labels on muffins. A bran muffin may not even contain whole-wheat flour, and may have excessive amounts of eggs, butter, and oil, as well as sugar, honey, and other sweeteners. Some have more than 20 grams of fat - as much as a Big Mac - and more than 500 calories.”
— University of California, Berkeley. 365 Tips for Better Health.

10 Sep 2009

Working out when sick – a good idea?

As summer comes to an end, flu and cold season is rapidly approaching. While you may be speeding steadily along on your workout schedule, and rarely missing a day, chances are that you may, at some point this fall or winter, be sidelined with some kind of illness.

I often see a lot of clients at the Diversified Health and Fitness gyms wiping their noses and coughing into their hands. While it’s not a bad idea to work out while slightly under the weather – say, a mild cold – there are some general guidelines to whether or not you should work out or just sit it out until you feel better.

So let’s say you feel like you’re coming down with something. This can vary from anything to a slight cold to a flu. Some experts think that if you even feel something coming on, you should avoid working out and go home and rest – if you’re sick, your body is trying to tell you something.

Perhaps you think you can make it to the gym that day, though. Maybe it’s just a little tickle in your throat, a little hacking cough. Working out with a mild cold is probably ok, most experts agree. And it can be hard to want to miss a day when you’re really feeling like you can do it.

If you’re running a fever, however, it’s best to skip the gym. Working out puts more stress on the heart, which is already beating faster due to your higher body temperature. If you’re taking certain kinds of medication, your heart rate can also increase, and combined with exercise, this can be dangerous. And if you’re suffering from chest congestion or a cough, or shortness of breath, it’s definitely better to skip your workout. I think it also goes without saying that if you have stomach flu symptoms, you’re probably not going to want to step foot in the gym either.

A lot of people mistakenly believe that exercising while working out sweats out the “toxins” in your system, and can actually help you get rid of a cold or flu faster. This is completely false, as toxins in your system do not leave your body through your sweat glands. Working out while sick can often prolong your illness as well, as your body doesn’t need the extra stress and should be using its energy reserves to fight off the illness.

When you’re feeling good enough to make it to the gym again, make sure you don’t go 100% your first time there, even if you’re really tempted to. I had a client today at Butterfly Life that recently got over the flu, and today we focused only on 10 minutes of light cardio (walking on the treadmill), some light weightlifting, and stretching. Next week, when she’s feeling even better, we’ll get back into her normal, intensive routine.

Exercise is great for boosting your immune system, it’s true. But when an illness comes on, listen to your body and take care of yourself! It’s not worth making yourself even sicker just so you don’t miss a workout.

4 Sep 2009

Stopping post workout binges

You may have recently read in TIME magazine an article about how exercise increases your appetite, and you’re more likely to over compensate post workout because of this. While I have many issues with that article in general, which I won’t touch on here, I thought we’d discuss how you can stave off post workout hunger.

Truthfully, most exercise shouldn’t increase your appetite substantially. You may feel completely ravenous after a long or intense workout, but those feelings tend to be short and should not be catered to. If you do, you won’t see any budge on your scale. Obviously, if you go to spin class for a half hour and then stop by Starbucks on the way home for a whipped cream topped Mocha Frappucino and a brownie, you’re just consuming the calories you burned, and then some. So how do you ward off the growling in your tummy and feelings of famine?

1. Eat more intuitively, conscientiously, intelligently. Only eat until you’re not hungry, not until you feel you’re stuffed. Experts say you should eat until you feel about 80% full. Eat more deliberately – really savor your food, chew slowly, enjoy it. This also helps us to stay lean. For most people, the hormones that kick in to let your brain know that your stomach is full don’t start working for about a full 20 minutes after you start eating. And you can put away a lot of food in that time if you’re not careful.

2. Make a really concerted effort to eat healthfully and mindfully after your workout. Try to eat within 20 minutes, and eat something with protein and carbs. Liquid shakes work well, but other choices for solid meals include turkey on whole wheat bread, or grilled fish with brown rice and veggies. If that’s too much to tote along, there are also some excellent sports bars that can fit the bill. This should also be planned before you’re going to the gym, so you’re not likely to stop at your local McDonald’s on the way home.

3. Eat before you workout. This is something I always do, even if I’m not overly hungry. About 30 minutes pre workout, help yourself to a small nutritious snack of some protein and carbs, no more than 200 calories. In addition to warding off hunger, this can also give you a nice boost as you’re exercising.

4.Eat enough protein. Protein is important for muscle recovery, but it’s also very satiating. Keep you intake at around 1g per pound of body weight per day.

5. Be aware of your diet throughout the day. Your calorie intake on a daily basis is what ends up mattering the most for effective weight loss. Write down what you eat in a journal, and tally up the calories as best you can. So after your workout, you can figure out if you can help yourself to a slice of veggie pizza, or if you should stick with that lower calorie veggie burger instead.

Eating healthfully is truly not that difficult, as I’ve said before. The more you recognize food as a tool in your success, the more effective you will be at losing weight and keeping it off. I tell this to my clients at my gyms all the time, and it’s starting to sink in, I think!

3 Sep 2009

How much water should I be drinking?

This question comes from another reader this week, and it’s another great one.

We’ve all been told we’re supposed to be drinking 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day. And really, that does seem like a lot of water, especially if you’re like me and don’t really enjoy the taste of water. It can be pretty irritating and tough to fit all those glasses in.

As I tell my clients at my Diversified Health and Fitness gyms, it’s actually not that bad. I get this inquiry a lot, especially when I’m training runners and other competitive athletes too.

According to the Mayo Clinic, we lose approximately 6.3 cups of urine per day, and that’s without sweating from exercise. So women, on average, should be drinking about 2.2 liters (9 cups) of fluids daily, and men should be averaging about 3 liters daily (about 13 cups). And more importantly, you don’t necessarily have to drink water – it’s just a recommendation for fluids. So juice, milk, iced tea, and all other beverages do count. Alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks, such as soda, also count, but you should not be using these as a big source of fluid during the day. Water is cheap, calorie free, and readily available, making it your best option.

It’s also important to know that a good source of fluids can come from your food, especially fruits and vegetables. Food, on average, provides 20% of your water intake on a daily basis. Many fruits and veggies are almost 90% water, actually. Yet another great reason to get your veggies!

If you’re physically active, you’ll need to replace more fluids in your body, obviously. If you engage in activities around an hour long or less, you should be replacing the lost fluid with about a 1.5 cups to 2.5 cups of water. For longer bouts of exercise, such as a long race, you’ll need to plan accordingly and drink a lot more. If you’re exercising intensely for more than an hour and half, it’s best to replenish your fluids with a drink that contains electrolytes to give you some needed sodium and potassium for recovery.

Some tips to get more water in your diet:

1.Drink a glass of water with each meal and one between meals. That’s 6 glasses right there!

2.Hydrate before, during, and after your workout. Get used to passing by the water fountain at the gym. I encourage my clients at my gyms to get a sip of water as often as they need, and that’s usually every 10 minutes or so if I’m really working them out.

3. Add a squirt of lemon or lime juice to your water, it can make it taste more refreshing.

4.Try club soda. Mixing club soda with a little bit of juice makes a sparkling, refreshing drink. Also, if you like to drink alcoholic beverages, a great and lower calorie drink can be made by mixing club soda with a flavored vodka or gin.

I should also mention that it’s important to not over consume water. This can lead to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia, and it can be life threatening. It’s safe to say that if your urine is pale yellow and you feel good, that you’re probably well hydrated. Keep up the good work!

Tags: water. fitness. health.