SOME PERSONAL ADVICE…………

1.       Listen To Professionals

If you are experiencing a plateau, injuring yourself, or just not enjoying your training regiment anymore, find a certified fitness professional (NSCA preferred) and LISTEN to what they have to say. This can help you break through your struggles.  When I say listen, I don’t mean go into the meeting telling him/her what you are and are not going to do, don’t tell them what was in the latest magazine or what they did on the Biggest Loser last night.  Allow the fitness coach to do their job and be open to their information.  Allow them to help you and follow their instruction; don’t do half of what they say or not follow the nutrition advice and then say “well their program didn’t work”!  Does this sound like anything you have done?

2.       Be Happy With Who You Are

99.9% of us will never be able to look like body builders or models you see in magazines.  Most of those pictures you see are enhanced or the models are not in a healthy state in the first place.  The main component is the fact that we all have different genetics.  You are not going to be able to look like anyone but yourself.  You have the ability and the choice to look the best you possibly can.  First of all be healthy, feel good, and respect your body because it’s the only one you’re going to get.  No matter how far medical science advances, doing it the old fashion way (healthy diet and exercise) is still the safest and most efficient way of accomplishing your goals.  It’s cheaper too!!!!

3.       Don’t Over-train

Often you see people kill themselves in the gym for hours at a time every day, week after week, and they still look tired and not their best.  The reason is they are not allowing the body to recover and repair which is where the true changes occur.  For more info on recovery consult our blog titled longer isn’t always better.  Allow your body to rest.  Find a training regimen that best fits your goals and time frame (consult a professional!!). 

4.       Nutrition CANNOT Be Ignored

Short and sweet, if you are not eating healthier and making the dietary changes you should be making your fitness goals will only go so far.  There are no exceptions!  If you don’t know what you should be eating, don’t follow something in a magazine, go to a dietician because everyone’s needs are different and they will help from getting bored with your diet.

5.       Keep It Fun

Train with a friend, try a group class, participate in exercise events (like 5k’s or charity walks); any of these can keep your exercise from getting boring.  You don’t always have to go to the gym to exercise or to accomplish your goals.  There are a lot of options out there that are available to keep your exercise routine fun; you just have to keep an open mind.

TEN Look Great Nutrition Tips

Nutrition Tip #1: ALWAYS eat breakfast

Breakfast literally means, “break the fast.” The time spent sleeping is the longest time you go without eating. When you wake up whether you are hungry or not, your body is. It’s vitally important that you refuel your energy system and provide the necessary building blocks for supporting muscle tissue. If you tend to workout in the morning, start your day with a protein shake mixed with milk (<200 calories).

Nutrition Tip #2: Eat every 3-4 hours

Eating frequent meals will help keep your metabolism up and you’re blood sugar in check. It will help you avoid those energy highs and lows you experience throughout the day. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing balanced amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. If you can’t always stop to eat during the day, try having a nutrition bar available for your snacks.

Nutrition Tip #3: Eat within 30 – 45 minutes following your workout

During this time, the body starts repairing exercise damage by replenishing muscle glycogen (sugar stored as energy in the muscle), synthesizing muscle protein (building muscle) and boosting the immune system. For your post-workout meal I recommend a meal replacement shake with a carbohydrate to protein ration of 2:1 or 3:1. This ratio has been shown to maximize absorption and effectiveness.

Nutrition Tip #4: Eat a lean protein with EVERY meal

Eating a lean protein will help control insulin response, keep you satiated (full), and provide building blocks for muscle repair and growth. Remember, more muscle = faster metabolism. One pound of muscle burns about 50 calories per day. So, be sure to eat your protein in every meal.

Nutrition Tip #5: Get your fruits and veggies in!

I know you’ve heard it a million times, and for good reason. Fruits and vegetables provide you with necessary vitamins and antioxidants as well as other super-nutrients that have been shown to be vital to daily function and health. And, when they’re fresh they taste so good!

Nutrition Tip #6: Drink plenty of water

On average, an individual should consume 96 ounces, not including pre, during and post workout amounts (approx. 8 – 16 ounces each). Staying hydrated will keep your energy level high and help you lose weight – a dehydrated person has a 3% lower metabolism and performs at a significantly decreased level. It also helps you feel full so you will avoid overeating. Try drinking a glass of water before every meal (helps prevent overeating), and sip from a water bottle throughout the day.

Nutrition Tip #7: Watch out for café drinks

The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Watch out for soft drinks as well. A 16 oz fountain drink can have 300+ calories. Beverages such as this containing high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.

Nutrition Tip #8: Limit alcohol as much as possible

Calories add up real quick with alcoholic drinks, especially mixed drinks – that monster Margarita has over 1000 calories! Alcohol also negatively impacts your metabolism and when drank in excess will make your workouts the next day (or two) suffer. One night of boozing up can wreak havoc on your entire weight loss and fitness program. Save the drinks for special occasions.

Nutrition Tip #9: Don’t be fooled by “fat-free”

Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar, when eaten in excess, is just as fattening of a substance as fat itself, and can lead to Type II Diabetes.
Sufficient dietary healthy fat intake is critical to beneficial hormone production, which allows for optimal fat loss. Furthermore, your body cannot optimally burn stored body fat without a sufficient amount of healthy dietary fat. Consume healthy fats from natural sources such as olive oil,
, lean beef, salmon, whole eggs, avocado, mixed nuts, flax, & cheese.

Nutrition Tip #10: Don’t forget the fiber!

Eating fiber has many benefits for your health as well as weight loss. Fiber will keep you full, regulate your blood sugar levels and limit your cravings for sugar-filled carbohydrate filled snacks that tend to end up as deposits on your buns and thighs. The ADA recommends a minimum of 20-35 g/day.

What Multivitamin Do I Take?

Vitamin Labels

n      The Recommended Daily Allowance is the basic amount of a nutrient needed daily to meet basic needs of healthy people.

n      Daily Values are the amounts recommended to help prevent against disease (these amounts are often higher than the RDA).

n      DV is what’s presented on food labels.  RDA is mainly used by health professionals.

n      Experts say you should look for a multivitamin that provides 100% of the DV for most of the essential vitamins and minerals in one pill.

n      Multivitamin ingredients are measured in terms of the Daily Value (DV)

n      The recommended amount of each vitamin and mineral is established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

n      Vitamin ingredients is based in part on the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)

Best Multivitamin For Men

n      One-A-Day Men’s Health Formula.

n      Contains no iron.  Men receive recommended amounts from diet usually.

n      Has 150% of selenium and Vitamin E, both of which may help prevent prostate problems.

Best Multivitamin for Premenopausal Women

n      Centrum from A to Zinc.

n      Women lose iron during menstruation.  In this age group 18 milligrams of iron is suggested.

n      The Centrum Formula also contains 500 micrograms of folic acid, which is essential for preventing neural tube defects (like spina bifida) in babies.

n      The Centrum formula vitamin A is 29% beta-carotene.

n      Experts say the higher percentage of beta-carotene, the better since too much Vitamin A in the form of retinol palmitate or acetate can contribute to birth defects

Best Multivitamin for Pregnant and Lactating Women

n      Century Prenatal formula.

n      Increased folic acid and a slightly higher percentage of vitamin A in the safer form of beta-carotene to prevent birth defects is recommended.

n      Century has 800 micrograms of folic acid and 4,000 micrograms of vitamin A (50% in the form of beta-carotene)

Best Multivitamin for Men and Women Over 50

n      One-A-Day Women’s and (OAD) Men’s 50+ Advantage.

n      People over 50 have unique needs.

n      Ageing causes a decrease in our ability to absorb B12.  Higher amounts are recommended after 50.

n      People taking blood thinners should consult physician.

n      Increased selenium if you’re a male at risk for prostate cancer.

n      Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.

Best Children’s Multivitamin

n      Flintstones Children’s Complete Chewable Vitamins.

n      Pediatricians warn, never to give more than one multivitamin per day to a child.

n      Keep vitamins in safe place.  Sweet taste and fun shapes kids perceive just like candy.

n      Children’s needs vary by age group.  For example, 2 to 3 year olds need 500 milligrams of calcium, whereas 4 to 8 year olds need 800 milligrams.

n      Flintstones has a growth chart on their website to help determine which formula is best for a child.

Things to Consider

n      Multivitamins can interfere with prescription medications. Consult physician first.

n      Steer clear of dollar store or ultra-cheap discount brands.  In testing, many did not contain claimed amounts, or didn’t dissolve properly.

n      Choose a multivitamin that contains 100% DV of most essential vitamins and minerals. Greater than 100%; at best, you’ll just expel the excess through urine.

n      All women of childbearing age should take 400 micrograms of folic acid (folate) to prevent neural tube birth defects.

n      Don’t assume that all forms of a multivitamin have the same ingredients.  Chewable and liquid multivitamins may not contain same amount of nutrients.

n      Always buy a children’s formula for children.  Children have different nutritional needs than adults.

n      The National Institutes of Health have “Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets” listing the current information known about each nutrient, daily values and food sources.

PERIODIZATION: How pro athletes train

To promote long term training improvements and avoid over training, an overall training program can be split into specific periods, each with their own objectives and set of training parameters. This concept is called Periodization and it is the most effective approach to planning strength training programs for sport (1).

The overall training program (usually taken as one year long) can be split into set periods and usually consist of the:

·         Preparation Period (Pre-season)

·         Competition Period (In-season)

·         Transition Period (Off / closed-season)

By co-cordinating the different elements of a strength training program with the phases of a typical season, the athlete can reach a peak for the start of the competitive season and most important parts of year.

Just as an overall season is split into distinct periods or phases so is the development of sport-specific strength.  Here are the phases, in order, of an overall strength training program (which also lasts a year) and how they should coincide with phases of a typical season above:

Phase 1 – Basic Strength

A period of basic strength training should occur at the start of the preparation period (early pre-season). For less experienced athletes it may be necessary to start during the transition period (closed season) (15).

Phase 2 – Maximum Strength / Hypertrophy

Most athletes benefit from a period of maximal strength training. The length of this phase will vary depending on the sport. Strength and power athletes will spend more time in this phase compared to endurance athletes for example. If a period of hypertrophy training is required (i.e. football or rugby players) it usually occurs before maximal strength training (15).

Phase 3 – Conversion

Until this point strength training has been generic in nature. To be effective however, this general base of strength must converted into sport-specific power or muscular endurance or both. The conversion of maximal strength occurs late in the preparation phase and may continue into the start of the competitive season (15).

Phase 4 – Maintenance

 In order to avoid the detraining effect, a certain level of conditioning is required to maintain the gains made in the preparation phase.  Fortunately, the volume required to maintain strength is less than that required to build it. The maintenance phase occurs throughout the competitive season (15).

Phase 5 – Active Recovery

Following a strenuous season, a break from structured training and the rigours of competition is crucial for physical and mental respite. This can mean a complete break from all types of strength training programs for several weeks. Any longer than 3-4 weeks however, and fitness, particularly strength and power, diminishes rapidly. The active recovery phase occurs in the transition period (off / closed season) (15).