Day 84 - Motivational Saturday

Very cool stuff here! Exercise and training is one thing. Whether you spend time in a big box gym, a small fitness 'studio', a home gym, etc., you are only doing one thing, and that is training. Training is great, but go and find something that you enjoy and test out your new body. Enjoy life! I am not necessarily advocating some of the things practiced in this video, but it should give you enough fuel to find something that you enjoy doing!

Quote of the day:

"There is no failure except in no longer trying."

~ Elbert Hubbard

Day 83 - Grow Younger Every Day Step 2: Eat Naturally

Time for step 2 folks: Eat Naturally

I spend a lot of time reading through the latest in health and fitness 'trends'. I am not going to go into detail on every single diet plan and exercise regimen out there, as there are FAR too many to keep track of.

Let's look at the facts, and think about this as honestly as we can. Nearly every single person/specialist/expert in the health and fitness industry who is trying to gain some attention is trying to do something different. This is pretty common practice if you are running a business, you want to stand out from the crowd and do something different or educate folks with something they have never heard of.

In many cases, that is how you sell products/books/DVDs/educational classes, etc., is to be different than the guy/girl next to you. You have to grab attention. You've all seen it, every diet book out there promises you that it is the one that works. It is the one book that is the easiest and best possible way to structure your diet.

Take a step back for a second. Think about the health and fitness industry. It is one of the only industries in the world that thrives on failure. Think about it! If everyone was thin, happy, and healthy, we wouldn't need experts telling us how to eat and exercise.

Because of this, there is literally an endless sea of "experts" who claim to have the 1 solution to everyone's problem.

Here is another swift dose of reality; no two people are the same, so why should they live their lives the same way?

I am proposing you follow 2 simple steps. That's it, 2! I know, I know, I sound just like 'those folks' who sell their books, but I promise you this is much easier.

Step 1: If man made it, don't eat it.

Pretty simple right?

Doritos? Man-made. Cola? Man-made.

Step 2: If nature made it, eat it.

Apples? Nature made it. Avocados? Nature made it.

Sure, there are some grey areas when following these 2 simple steps. You may even be thinking of some scenarios right now. I am asking you to think about this and follow it as closely as you can.

Eat things that nature intended us to eat. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish, healthy sources of fat, nuts, grains, etc. Get rid of the preservatives and extra ingredients in your food (as best you can) and I am sure you will not only feel better, but you may surprise yourself with the changes in your body composition!

Quote of the day:

"If you care at all,you'll get some results.If you care enough, you'll get incredible results."
-Jim Rohn

Day 82 - Grow Younger Every Day Step 1: Exercise

In following the theme of this blog; "A Better You, to Grow Younger Every Day", I have compiled a list of steps/tips/pieces of advice that everyone can do to improve their lives. This list is based around the idea that not everyone is perfect, but if you try to fulfill the requirements on this list, you should become a much happier, healthier person.

So, the first in my list is exercise. For my usual readers, this first step is probably a no-brainer, as many of you probably live a life with plenty of exercise already. If not, I highly recommend you get your butt moving!

If you didn't already know, exercise is a tremendous tool to keep your body youthful and less prone to injury/illness. Although it plays a part in weight loss, what you eat (diet) really is the better tool to successfully lose weight and maintain a healthy body composition. (more on that in a future blog)

Exercise is so much more than that, however. It makes the cardiovascular system more effective/efficient, it improves cognition, it can relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, it improves confidence, it makes the bones, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues stronger. The list goes on and on!

One of the biggest problems with exercise, however, is there seems to be a vast discrepancy with some people as to what they believe exercise actually is. Gardening is not exercise. Walking your dog is not exercise. Walking through the mall is not exercise. Sure, all of those mentioned activities are great ways to get active, but they are certainly not exercise!

Exercise should be challenging, you should sweat, you should be breathing hard, and it most certainly should be raising your heart rate to a respectable level, that is when change happens.

You see, when you push your body outside of its comfort zone, into a place when it is struggling to 'keep up', that sends signals to your brain causing a cascade of hormonal releases throughout your body. These hormones are the ones that signal growth and improvement in your tissues.

Why is growth important?

Think of your body like a constant construction site. When you are a kid growing up, your body is growing, adapting, and changing. This is like springtime for your body, your bones, ligaments, muscles, and cells are all new and enjoying the swath of growth hormones. These growth hormones are like a brand new construction site, building, improving, and expanding.

Unfortunately, as we age, these 'growth' hormones begin to slow down. Your body, which was once a construction site of growth and improvement is now beginning a slow decay. Sure, there are little construction projects going on all over, but for the most part, decay is winning over the growth.

Exercise, and the subsequent flood of growth hormones caused by intense exercise, recruit a whole new construction crew to continue building your body and improving your body just like when you were a child. Healthy food is great in many ways, but it exercise that sends the signals to you brain and body that you are still growing and improving, and that, is the best way to stay young!

So here's the deal with my "Grow Younger Every Day Step 1"; exercise intensely 5-6 days a week. This does not need to be an all-day affair, as science has shown as little as 20 minutes of intense exercise a day makes monumental improvements, but make those 20 minutes count! In a future step, we will discuss what intensity really means, but for now, just focus on challenging yourself physically 5-6 days a week, no questions asked.

At this point in time, I really don't care how busy you are, nor does it really matter. All that matters is that you get active. Find the time to do something challenging. I am sure you find time to eat, and find time to go to the bathroom, and you probably even find time to shower and wash yourself. Well, consider exercise as one more piece of that puzzle needed to maintain your body - because it is.

This is outside of the fact that you should be as active as you possibly can (remember gardening and walking your dog?). In future posts, we will also discuss the need for recovery and 'downtime', but for now, get off you butt and get moving, and make it count!

Quote of the day:

"Choice, not circumstances, determines your success."
~Author Unknown

Day 81 - You Are What You Eat

We have all heard this term before, but don't think that everything you put in your mouth stays in your body and is digested. Just keep in mind, there are things that come out the other end - and that will be as far as I go with that!

When you eat your food, your teeth chew it up, then the juices in your stomach breaks things down further into a paste. This paste then travels through your intestines where the nutrients are absorbed through the spongy walls. For most people, however, 5-10% of this paste just keeps passing on through and is expelled as waste. 

For the most part, fat digests easily and passes through the intestinal walls quickly. Keep in mind that animal protein sources are absorbed better than plant-based sources. Then we come to carbs. Glucose and starchy carbs (i.e. chocolate, potatoes) are absorbed rapidly, whereas high-fiber carbs like in fruits, vegetables and grains take their sweet time passing through your system.

Not only that, but fiber seems to prevent your body from absorbing certain calories and can even lower cholesterol levels. Therefore, a specific amount of broccoli and chocolate may register as the same number of calories in a laboratory, but that does not mean that they act the same way in your body.

Studies have shown that individuals with high-fiber diets have close to 20% of their daily ingested calories move through their digestive system without being absorbed. Less calories this way can lead to less body fat!

Quote of the day:

"Happiness is more a state of health than of wealth."
-Frank Tyger

Day 80 - Muscle Loss

For the longest time, there was this belief that as people age, their muscle tissue decreases. This is in fact true, but this is a sort of chicken-and-egg problem. Does your muscle tissue disappear because you age, or because you stop using your muscles as you age?

Studies are now showing that it is in fact possible to continue muscle growth with strength improvements later in life. Yes, men have lowered testosterone as they age, but there is more to it than that. Once you hit the age of 65, sure, you may not be making major muscle gains, but you can still use resistance training to reduce the loss of muscle. 

Not only that, men and women can greatly benefit from resistance training throughout life to help strengthen bones, muscles and connective tissues which can help reduce the risk of injury as we age.

From the Boston Globe:
Beginning at age 30, most of us lose about 1 percent - or a third of a pound - of muscle every year, as the body starts tearing down old muscle at a faster rate than it builds new tissue. (It’s why world weight-lifting records for the 60-year-old age bracket are 30 percent lower in men and 50 percent lower in women compared with records in the 30-year-old bracket.) The loss of muscle, which burns more calories than fat, slows the body’s resting metabolic rate, causing us to pack on fat pounds through the years. While we can’t completely halt this aging process, researchers believe we can do a lot to slow it down, mostly through resistance training, or weight training, that targets specific muscle groups.

Oftentimes there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding resistance training. I personally believe that many people automatically think of "beefed up meatheads" when they think of resistance training when in fact the style and type of training can be tailored specifically to any individual's needs!

People of all ages can benefit from a properly-designed resistance training program. If you ever have any questions, you are obviously welcome to educate myself by reading any of my blogs, but do not hesitate to e-mail me to ask me anything that may not be covered here. Not all personal trainers are the same, and only a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist can help you with certain aspects of your health and fitness journey!

Quote of the day:

"There is little you can learn from doing nothing."

~ Zig Ziglar

Day 79 - Effects of Self-Selected Music on Strength, Explosiveness, and Mood

A recent research paper that I have come across could probably be filed under the "No $h*t" category, although here is some studied proof that using self-selected music helps you get "pumped".

Effects of Self-Selected Music on Strength, Explosiveness, and Mood

Abstract: Biagini, MS, Brown, LE, Coburn, JW, Judelson, DA, Statler, TA, Bottaro, M, Tran, TT, and Longo, NA. Effects of self-selected music on strength, explosiveness, and mood. J Strength Cond Res 26(7): 1934–1938, 2012—There has been much investigation into the use of music as an ergogenic aid to facilitate physical performance. However, previous studies have primarily focused on predetermined music and aerobic exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-selected music (SSM) vs. those of no music (NM) on the mood and performance of the athletes performing bench press and squat jump. Twenty resistance trained collegiate men completed 2 experimental conditions, one while listening to SSM and the other with NM. The subjects reported their profile of mood states (POMS) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) before and after performing 3 sets to failure of the bench press at 75% 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and 3 reps of the squat jump at 30% 1RM. Statistical analyses revealed no differences in squat jump height or relative ground reaction force, but the takeoff velocity (SSM-2.06 ± 0.17 m·s−1; NM-1.99 ± 0.18 m·s−1), rate of velocity development (SSM-5.92 ± 1.46 m·s−2; NM-5.63 ± 1.70 m·s−2), and rate of force development (SSM-3175.61 ± 1792.37 N·s−1; NM-2519.12 ± 1470.32 N·s−1) were greater with SSM, whereas RPE (SSM-5.71 ± 1.37; NM-6.36 ± 1.61) was greater with NM. Bench press reps to failure and RPE were not different between conditions. The POMS scores of vigor (SSM-20.15 ± 5.58; NM-17.45 ± 5.84), tension (SSM-8.40 ± 3.99; NM-6.07 ± 3.26), and fatigue (SSM-8.65 ± 4.49; NM-7.40 ± 4.38) were greater with SSM. This study demonstrated increased performance during an explosive exercise and an altered mood state when listening to SSM. Therefore, listening to SSM might be beneficial for acute power performance.

I personally use my own workout music all the time. Whether I am working out in my home gym where I can have my music blaring through some speakers, or if I am out on a run where I like to take my iPod with me, I find music helps me blast through a workout. This is especially true on those days when I really am not 'feeling it', whether I am sluggish, etc.

Self-selected music helps get the blood pumping and the energy levels up. Music is so opinion-based, however, so what works to get one person pumped up may not help someone else nearly as much. The main thing here is to find something that works for you so you can get the most out of those tough sets.

Quote of the day:

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."
~ Frederick Douglass

Day 78 - 10 MORE Tips for Fat Loss

I did "10 Tips for Fat Loss" just the other day. Here are 10 more:

1. Don't Forget Your Fiber - Think of fiber as a sponge; it absorbs water and makes you feel full. You should aim for more fiber and less carbs.

2. Eat More Protein - Replacing refined carbohydrates with lean protein will not only help satiate you, but will also increase your metabolism, through something called the thermic effect of food.

3. Eat protein more frequently. Piggy backing on #10, it’s important to also time your intake so you’re eating protein regularly throughout the day … not just in one lump sum, like most do at dinner. Every meal and snack should include some protein.

4. Strategize Your Carbs - Sure, carbs are important, but you surely don’t need as many if you’re not working out or if you workout just 30 minutes per day and then are sitting most of the other 23.5 hours.

5. Watch Your Portions - Avoid the buffet line and never super size a thing; instead make sure you’re following what the nutrition label recommends for a serving. Majority of the population vastly miscalculate what their portion size really is.

6. Don't Grocery Shop When Hungry - This is one that I try to avoid at all costs. When you are hungry, you are more likely to purchase 'junk' foods.

7. Bake, Don't Fry

8. "Regular" - I have mentioned before about not drinking your calories. Some folks don't realize that those extra large 'fancy' coffees can have up to 500 calories in them. Instead, go with black coffee in the morning, or if you absolutely must, use milk instead of cream, and 1 sugar instead of 2 or 3.

9. Always Leave Something - Try this at every meal: leave something on your plate. You can take the leftovers and box them up for a snack or meal later, but leave something there. This will not only allow you to cut some calories out of your diet, but you can also develop much stronger willpower.

10. Be Honest With Yourself - This has to be one of my most important tips. Similar to #5 on this list, be honest with yourself. If a serving size is listed as "1", don't take 1 & 1/2 and just call it '1', those little halves add up over time!

Quote of the day:

"If you want it badly enough, there are no limits on what you can achieve."

~Brian Tracy