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

Day 77 - Motivation Saturday

Today's video is great because of its parallels to life. There will be plenty of people who say you can't do something. There will be plenty of people who say that you aren't good enough. You may even start to believe what they say about you and begin to look down and out. That is until you give just one more strong effort...

Quote of the day:
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."
-Vince Lombardi

Day 76 - 10 Tips for Fat Loss

Here is a list of 10 effective tips to reducing body fat. Remember that the most effective method in losing weight/body fat is through diet, supplemented with a well-structured exercise program. Body fat cannot be spot-reduced - doing crunches will NOT shrink your belly.

1. Decrease/Eliminate Simple Carbs - There is a time and a place for simple sugars, such as immediately before a bout of extreme exercise. Other than that, there really is no use for simple sugars besides inflating your adipose tissue (fat cells). If you wish to lose the body fat, eliminate these the best you can!

2. Eat More Veggies - Related to #1, if you are filling up on veggies, you shouldn't be as hungry for simple carbs. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals. They are great to keep you full and sustain your energy levels with very low calories. They are also a great way to stay hydrated as most vegetables are 95+% water!

3. Eat More Fruits - Also related to the 2 points above, although fruits have lots of sugar in them, they also have fiber and a slew of vitamins and nutrients. Fruits are what you should be using to help you power through workouts!

4. Lift Heavy Things - Resistance training helps burn more calories than steady-state cardio. Not only that, but a properly-designed resistance training program can increase your resting metabolic rate for 24-48 hours after the workout is over.

5. Interval Training - If you are training for an endurance event then long, slow distance (LSD) training is great. However, if you are just looking to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight, then interval training has been shown to be most effective!

6. Full-Body Workouts - If you wish to train for a bicep competition, then go right ahead and do bicep curls. However, if you are looking at total-body fitness, you are better off with multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises such as pushups, squats, pullups, etc. The more muscle you can recruit into each exercise, the more effective and efficient your workout is going to be!

7. Keep a Food Journal - I do not track calories all the time, but I highly recommend everyone at least try it every once in a while. Tracking your calories allows you to mentally focus on what is going into your mouth and then you can better understand your caloric intake, not to mention your macronutrient breakdown. There are a ton of free resources at your disposal on the internet and smart phones that can help you with this!

8. Don't Drink Your Calories - This is such a huge culprit for many people! Our bodies have evolved to feel 'full' when we eat things, not when we drink them. This can be a major problem for most folks as they can down a couple hundred calories in a sugary beverage yet still want to eat a full meal. Artificial sweeteners have their own list of problems too so I recommend just sticking with water, tea, coffee (limit your milk/sugar).

9. Skip Dessert - Sure it can be fun, but it is also completely unnecessary!

10. Little Things Add Up - Watching less tv. Taking your dog for a walk. Parking at the back of the parking lot and walking to the store. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Standing at your desk rather than sitting. All of these little changes add up over time. Try to mentally set yourself to think of small ways to be more active and burn more calories on a daily basis!

Quote of the day:

"You must have long term Goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures."

~Charles C. Noble

Day 75 - More on Barefoot Running

A noteworthy article in Science Daily today regarding barefoot running discusses the benefits gained from barefoot running. What the article has to say:

In new research, Dr Michael Wilkinson found that when runners who always wear shoes run barefoot they immediately alter their gait to that characteristic of habitual barefoot runners, and also use less oxygen during barefoot running compared to running with shoes at the same speed. This indicates greater running economy which is an important determinant of distance running performance, especially in elite runners.

For those of you who have been following my blog, you should know that I have been transitioning to 'barefoot running' this year to help prep me for Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder. I have read and heard about barefoot running for some time now, but finally decided to give it a shot after competing in Warrior Dash last year.

One of the first obstacles I encountered at Warrior Dash last year was a giant mud pit. Needless to say that making my way through said mud pit, both of my feet (with running shoes on) became encased in mud making the rest of the race course that much more difficult!

Anyways, I always felt that no shoes at all would probably be best to compete in some of these 'mud runs' but because of certain dangers on the course, have decided to pick up a pair of Vibram Five Fingers to practice with, and compete in.

I can honestly say that I have already noticed a major difference in my running. I will be looking to do a full review and analysis of not only the Vibrams, but also barefoot running later this year after I have completed my events, but I would like to give some early assessments as well.

From the first time I went running 'barefoot', I immediately noticed a difference in my running stride. Not only that, but I felt 'springier' and felt as if my running was much more effortless.

My running times have not necessarily improved, but they haven't gotten worse either. In fact, I believe that during my current adjustment period from shod running to barefoot running, I was expecting a greater drop in performance, which simply hasn't been the case.

As I adapt to barefoot running some more, I expect my performance to improve and my times to fall. Stay tuned as I progress!

Quote of the day:
"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can."
-Lowell Thomas

Day 74 - Michael Phelps' Super Jammies

Well, actually, I guess they are technically Under Armour's, but Phelps claims to wear the suit after workouts, swim meets, and when he sleeps. Either way, this is a pretty cool looking suit in my opinion, and almost want to pick one up, if not for the expensive price tag, just to feel like a superhero.

I have written about the use of compression garments in the past, and their role in performance recovery, although the study I wrote about discussed how compression garments aid in recovery during exercise by improving venous return and oxygen exchange at a cellular level.

Under Armour, on the other hand, claims that their suit helps recovery by reducing water retention in the muscles.

Imagine experiencing 50% less soreness, 50% less fatigue, and 30% more power after a workout or game. That’s exactly what Recharge® was built to give you. When you train or compete, your muscle fibers get damaged and take on water—making you sore. The UA Recharge® Energy Suit with its super-tight compression fit pushes that water out so your muscles recover faster. From world-class triathletes to MMA champions to pro football and soccer players, all kinds of athletes are recovering better and faster with Recharge®.

As I said, I have read and written about the benefits of compression garments in the past, and even use compression shorts during my workouts on a consistent basis, but these pieces of clothing should be taken with a grain of salt.

Sure, there may be benefits to using compression garments, including quicker recovery and performance enhancements. I am not disputing the fact that there are pros to wearing pieces of equipment such as this, I just think that the costs of such a suit may not yield as many benefits as may be desired, especially for someone who considers themselves a "weekend warrior".

For somebody like a weekend warrior, a well-structured exercise program, coupled with a well-balanced diet will do wonders to increasing performance. In fact, those two factors alone will more than likely place you head and shoulders above your competition.

On the other hand, someone like Michael Phelps may wish to experiment with such equipment, as even having miniscule improvements to his performance times can make the difference between a gold and missing the podium altogether.

Regardless, I always find it interesting and exciting to see just how far scientific advancements combined with human performance can take our levels of athleticism. I am looking forward to the Olympics!

Quote of the day:

"How long should you try? Until."

-Jim Rohn

Day 73 - Sign of Overtraining

How do you know if you are overtraining? There are a number of symptoms or signs that you may in fact be overtraining. These symptoms can include trouble sleeping, irritability, moodiness, lack of interest in training, etc. I feel like most overtraining symptoms can be pretty vague, however. There are a number of other lifestyle factors that can lead to lack of sleep or decreased interest in training for example. 

I would hate for someone who exercises once a week to say, "I am really dreading my workout today! Oh, that must be a sign that I am overtraining, I better take the day off."

On the other hand, one of the simplest ways to monitor your training status just so happens to be one of the most accurate indicators as well!

Everyone should have a pretty good understanding of what their resting heart rate is. You can find yours out by taking your pulse first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. By leading a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a healthy diet, your resting heart rate should come down. 

The reason why a lower resting heart rate is so beneficial is that it means your heart has become much more efficient at meeting the aerobic energy demands of your body in fewer beats. Fewer beats can potentially translate to a longer life with decreased risk of cardiovascular problems.

By checking your resting heart rate on a regular basis, you can not only gauge how well your fitness progress is coming along (by lowering), but you can also check to see if you are either overtraining or have a cold coming on. If your pulse is 10 beats per minute higher than what you are usually at, this can be a sign that you are overtraining and could benefit from taking some time off.

Keep in mind that not only is exercise and training important, but the time you take to recover is tremendously important as well. When you exercise, you are damaging your bodily tissues in order for them to recover and repair and come back stronger than before. This causes inflammation in the body. If, however, you are exercising or training too hard, you can actually cause a state of chronic inflammation in the body which can lead to complications.

Remember, exercise is good, too much can be problematic!

Quote of the day:

"Success does not come to those who wait, and it does not wait for anyone to come to it."

~ Author Unknown