Monday, March 26, 2012

5 Pretty Good Tips

I read a lot of articles and I do a lot of research on a pretty regular basis and these 5 tips keep coming up in various posts. I really can't argue with these!

1. COMMIT!

The trick to staying committed is setting a routine. Carve out time for lifting (or cardio, getting outside, something!), set it in stone, and consider it non-negotiable. Like a second job. Because other things in life will try to interfere, but if you deem that lifting time as gospel, you’ll have no excuses.

2. HUSTLE

Lifting and exercise in general is a mental game. I’ve had some amazing workouts on days I could barely make it through the gym door or into my workout room to press play. When getting there is the hardest part, find a way. Tell yourself doing something is better than doing nothing. Just get moving, and don’t freak if you can’t go extreme.

3. WRITE IT DOWN

Write down everything! Your goals, your sets, your reps EVERYTHING. If you keep your journal with you every time you hit the gym or begin any workout, you are focused. You can see actual improvement every time whether you hit one more rep than last time or lifted heavier than your last session. This also coincides with keeping an accurate food journal. If you are like me and you tend to forget what you really snacked on, try it for a week. You will be surprised.

4. CHANGE

Bored? Plateauing? It’s time to switch it up. I’m guilty of not doing it enough. I rely on staple exercises and programs that I like. But I know changing your routine is crucial to growth and avoiding muscle adaptation. Every 8 weeks or so, challenge yourself. Doesn’t have to be a complete reboot; a few tweaks can do the trick.

5. EAT

PROTEIN PEOPLE! Especially after a hard lifting session. Since everyone’s needs are different based on size, gender, lifestyle, etc., it’s best to do some research to find out specifically how much you need, how often, the best type for your goals, and so on. You can’t grow without it, so might as well do your homework and do it right. You can not starve yourself into a better body. The harder you work, the more you need to eat (eating the right things of course) If you treat your  body like a machine, why would you want to refuel it with crap?


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Women and Protein

http://cutandjacked.com/Women-And-Protein

Picture the typical first date: the man confidently orders a steak to appear masculine while the woman orders a salad to seem feminine. What’s wrong with this picture? Women need protein too, and if you’re a fit woman you need it even more to support that beautiful muscle! Here you’re going to learn the benefits of adequate protein, how different sources affect your health differently, how much you should be eating, and the best ways to add in protein to keep you lean and sexy!

A new study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that the prior recommendation of 0.36 g protein per pound of body weight is grossly inaccurate for women who lift weights. This is because the body needs more protein to build and maintain muscle and also to produce enzymes in the body that are key to metabolism. And it packs a one-two punch for those who are trying to lose or maintain weight. Of all the macronutrients, protein takes the most work to digest and it, therefore, increases energy expenditure when you eat it in greater proportion to other macronutrients or to the amount you are right now. Also, because it is harder to digest, it stays in the stomach longer than carbohydrates helping you feel fuller faster and longer. So how much protein should you be eating? About 0.8 – 1 g per pound of body weight every day is a safe estimate for most women to maintain and build muscle and keep their metabolisms revved up. Get this through 5 – 6 servings/day, 20-30g/meal, so that the body can better metabolize and absorb it and you’re not flushing protein and money down the drain (pun intended).

But what kind of Protein is best?

But what kind of protein is best? We all know that chicken, egg whites, and canned tuna are great lean sources of protein, but it turns out that different protein sources offer different health benefits, so your best bet is to get protein from a variety of sources: red meat, pork, poultry, whey/casein/dairy (if it doesn’t give you a bad reaction), fish, nuts, beans, and soy.
Here we’ll talk about the benefits of a few of these. Red meat helps your brain to better remember important phone numbers (remember when you were standing at the ATM the other week and couldn’t remember your PIN?). This is probably due to the creatine monohydrate content found in beef, the concentration of which increases in your brain when you consume it. Creatine also has benefits in your training regimen as it has been shown to increase power – can you say new PR? Also, red meat is high in zinc and iron, both of which are critical to proper metabolism function and training capacity as they are key for delivering oxygen to working muscles and immune health. Finally, if you buy grass fed beef you are giving yourself a dose of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy fat that has been linked to decreased body fat by increasing insulin sensitivity (so it helps your body use carbohydrates for fuel instead of storing them as fat). Aim for 1 – 2 servings/week. Pork has comparable benefits for muscle building as beef, with the same lean meat to fat ratio of turkey. It’s also high in thiamin, a nutrient that is often lacking in the average woman’s diet and key to metabolism because it helps to efficiently convert carbohydrates to energy and it also helps with muscle fiber repair and recovery – so if you’re working out hard, this is an important nutrient! Other micronutrients in pork help regulate energy release, strengthen bones, prevent injury, and increase your immune system function.

Eat Up

Eat up, aim for 1 – 2 servings of pork/week as well! Fish is another great source of protein. Most fish is very low in fat and calories (such as cod, tilapia, and albacore tuna). But the ones that are higher in fat are also important too; they contain a healthy fat known as omega-3, which has been linked to better brain function and mental acuity, lower rates of depression and anxiety, and heart health. But on top of that, omega-3s are being linked to greater levels of physical fitness and lower body fat. One recent study published by Washington University has even found a correlation between omega-3 fatty acid consumption and your body’s ability to turn protein in the diet into precious muscle. Eat fish often, and eat sources high in omega-3s at least 3 times/week!

Non Animal Sources

Finally, let’s talk about a non-animal source of protein. Beans are a great, economical source of protein and are often overlooked as a supplement in the diet. Beans are high in folic acid which helps with cognitive function and helps prevent depression. Also, if you’re a female in your reproductive years, the folic acid in beans is important to help prevent certain birth defects that develop in fetal spinal cords in the first 2 weeks of pregnancy – a time when most women do not even know they are pregnant yet. So including beans as a regular part of your diet can help. Beans also have high amounts of magnesium and some have high amounts of iron, both of which are important for nerve function and muscle building. Finally, beans not only have satiating protein but also satisfying fiber – keeping your belly full and flat. Aim to eat beans 3 times per week or more. As you can see each source of protein offers unique health and training benefits. Reap the most from your protein by getting it from a variety of sources.

How should you add it in?

Okay, so you know how much protein you should be eating and you know why you should be eating it…but how should you add it in? Here are some quick and simple ways to add some extra protein into your day without too much time and effort:
  • Fruit and cottage cheese
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Grilled pork tenderloin, marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and rosemary
  • Greek yogurt with fruit or vegetables
  • Fajitas made with grilled flank steak or chicken
  • Egg whites and turkey sausage for breakfast
  • Protein shakes
  • Salad with grilled salmon and chickpeas
If you plan ahead and batch-cook your protein, it’ll be easy to pack for the week or day and have protein on hand for every meal. Next time you’re out with friends, your guy, or by yourself, do yourself a favor and eat some protein. Let’s change the stereotype and make eating a diet rich in protein a girl thing too. You can do it! No More Excuses!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Managing Change In Your Life, Fitness Or Otherwise

Starting a fitness program certainly requires a lot of change - both physically and mentally - and how we manage and accept this change will ultimately determine how much success we achieve! Here are some general tips on managing change.

Change is something we experience everyday whether we are aware of it or not. On a simple level the bus driver is different this morning or the toll booth operator is on holiday. Maybe our favorite brand of something is sold out and we have to choose a replacement this week. Or maybe our internet connection is down for maintenance (again!) and we have to find another way to communicate.
On a broader level we often make decisions to change something fundamental in our life. It might be your job, a change of abode, breaking up or forming a relationship, and (of course) starting a new fitness program to change your health and well being. These are major changes and can cause a lot of negative stress in our lives.

How we handle change can have a massive impact on our health and our relationships. These tips below may not help you to LOVE change, they will help ease the ride by reminding you to take care of your most important asset along the way - YOU!


Tip 1: When in doubt, go slow and get your bearings before moving on. If you ever found yourself lost while on the way to someplace else then the best thing to do is to slow down and take a look at your surroundings. This is the same for life - once you have a pretty good idea of where you are, it will be much easier to see what direction you need to go in next.
Tip 2: Be grateful for the new opportunities and possibilities that change brings. Change can sometimes bring new lessons and new connections that can help us further down the road, and these things can ultimately make us a healthier, happier human being.
There is also a lot of wisdom in the saying that "what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger". While this not always true (repeat stair running is a good example) the tough times in our lives can you a more rounded and balanced person, and might allow you to appreciate the not-so-tough times even more!

Tip 3: Take time for yourself to re-establish your personal foundations. Reconnect with yourself and with your goals and desires. Sometimes activities that take the focus off of the everyday like taking a walk, reading a book, or listening to music help us to reconnect with what is important to us and give us a certain calmness and strength that helps us keep going.
Personally we find fitness training is a great way to get away from it all and find some "me time" in our day. A walk, run, cycle or gym session can be an almost "meditative" experience that can clear away negative thoughts and bring some focus back into your day. This is true both mentally and physically, because studies have shown that after exercising people have greater mental clarity and make better decisions. So the next time things are becoming over-whelming or you feel bogged down try taking some time out for fitness.
Tip 4: Allow some room for mistakes. So you chose the wrong direction, or made a mistake, now what? You can be angry with yourself but that might not get you back on track. The best thing to do is acknowledge your mistake and turn around to try something else. Beating yourself up may only slow you down and make you feel bad about yourself as well. Most of the time we allow room for children to make mistakes as they grow and learn - so why not do this with ourselves.
People often beat themselves up over missing a training session or having a "bad" meal or snack. Whilst it's not helpful to miss training or eat poorly, it's also not the end of the world and is certainly no reason to stop altogether. Try to let it go, and get back on track as soon as possible. Also, see if you can determine the reasons for why you had a bad patch, and then organize things so they don't happen again!

Tip 5: Make lists of things you need to do as you think of them - keep a notebook with you. One of the reasons change sends us into a tailspin is that we lose control of our regular schedule. We can be afraid of not being able to do everything we want to do. While being organized is not the only method of dealing with change; it can help you remember what is essential that needs to be done like paying the bills or doing the washing.
Similarly, stick to a training plan and keep a track of how everything is going. We can often forget what is important when it comes to fitness or eating well, so if we have a plan that takes care of itself it will ensure you keep right on track and wont be distracted by the things that inevitably try to disrupt us.

Tip 6: Stop and breathe when you feel overwhelmed, nervous or unsure, and know these feelings are absolutely normal. It's hard-wired into our biochemistry to be concerned or worried about changes to the environment, because it's what helped us stay on guard from the physical threats we used to experience - tigers, lions, famine, etc!. We're often concerned about change and the unknown but it is perfectly normal to have feelings of fear and uncertainty. The trick is how you manage this stress and ensure it doesn't becoming overwhelming or out of control.

Tip 7: Give yourself several weeks to get used to your new situation, because it can take some time to get fully acquainted with new surroundings. If it is a new job, use the first few months to learn all there is to know about how to do your job on a basic level. If after the first three months you see that you need to make changes then you will have all of the information you need.
It's the same with fitness - start out slow and get used to the movements and activities you are doing. It may take some time for it to become natural or even enjoyable, but if you give it some time you'll be surprised what can be achieved!

Tip 8: Keep a positive attitude and find something to be happy about everyday - a new experience or discovery; even something as simple as the color of a wall or a leaf on a tree. Being joyful or stopping to smell the roses helps us to slow down and in the slowing down we can see that we are where we are supposed to be in the process of change.
If you are new to fitness, or even an old hand, look for the small improvements at every training session. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it does take time for your fitness program to work it's magic! You need to focus on what you can control - which is the here and now of the training you are doing right now, and let the end results take care of themselves.
For a short but excellent read on the subject of change try "Who Moved My Cheese ?" by Spencer Johnson.





Thursday, March 8, 2012

Not being defeated by life

Last week I had a really hard blow.

My dad and mom's best friend for most of their lives (since my dad was 14 actually) passed away on Monday morning. It was a blow because while we all knew that he had terminal bile duct cancer, the treatments that he was being provided were actually kicking ass and the cancer was diminishing. It was very sudden and I was at a total loss of how to feel. I think I felt worse for my parents and the loss of their dearest friend. He had been around since before I was born and  he was my "uncle" in so many more ways than blood.

I know he lived the hardest life that anyone probably could have been delt. With all of the short comings, he was always a joy to be around. He had an amazing heart and soul, he would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, I had seen him do this on many occasion.

What upset me about this whole thing was first, I didn't get a real chance to say good bye and second, if he had taken better care of himself with nutrition and exercise, this probably could have been prevented.

There are two lessons here.

One  is hold those close to you closer, tell them you love them and show them you care even if you think they already know.
Two is take care of yourself now so you can be around a long time and enjoy life. If you or someone you know and love needs that push, don't let a tragic event or call from the doctor be your wake up call. At that point it may be too late.