Sometimes Less is More

Decreasing exercise intensity and duration can actually improve performance in the gym or in sport. Overtraining occurs when someone trains beyond the body’s ability to recover.  Training hard actually causes micro trauma to your muscles and makes you weaker, rest and recovery makes you stronger.

Overtraining is too common in Any-Gym-USA, among athletes, and the average Joe just trying to get in shape. Strategy is key when implementing a fitness program.

No pain no gain is a huge misconception.  When the check engine light comes on, you are lacking sleep, stressed, and just got off work maybe it’s a good idea to skip today’s workout. Your body need its energy to recover and repair.  True, exercise is work and you need to push the limits, but it shouldn’t be completely painful.

So, how much can you bench man?  Right, give me a break.  As a personal trainer, I spend more time in the gym in one week than most people spend all year.  The same guys…five days a week…bench pressing way too much weight…terrible form…making terrible noises…zero results, skinny legs.  Hum, go home and think about it. There is way more to fitness than the bench press!  Example given, point made.

So now what?

1. Establish your fitness goals, keep it realistic.

2. Develop a thought out workout regimen and nutrition plan.

3. Track your results, progress, and assess how you feel.

Be subjective.  Are you seeing results?  If you are putting in the time and discipline you should see results period.  If not something is wrong.  Overtraining or poor planing could be the problem.

Common Warning Signs of Overtraining:

• Lack of energy, tired, washed out feeling
• Soreness, aches, pain
• Decrease in performance, strength, intensity
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Changes in mental state
• Irritability, anger
• Increase or abnormal heart rate
• Compulsive exercise

If you are subject to overtraining.  Rest is the first step to treatment.  Followed by nutrition, massage, and stress reduction.

Seek the advice of a “qualified” fitness professional.  Program design should include; a review of medical history, posture, body fat, blood pressure, goals, lifestyle choices, ect.  There is no generic blueprint for a workout program.  Each individual should have a customized regimen. Get down to it, figure out what is really going on, make the right changes!  Remember to schedule in proper nutrition and significant rest.

Photographer: Jullian Micheals

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Taking a Strategic Approach is the Answer to Weight Loss

Adjusting the way you think and your lifestyle choices will keep the weight off.  Making this commitment will require discipline, willpower, hard work, and planning.  However, the rewards are endless.

So many people spend hours in the gym and starve themselves.  This is not a healthy approach to weight loss and over training will result in negative results.

It is important to implement a proper workout regimen and plan designed by a “qualified” fitness professional.  Not all trainers are equal, check credentials, experience, testimonials, and ask around.

Your plan should include a resistance training program, cardio, recommendations, some stretching or yoga, and a nutrition plan.

Group fitness classes are a second option, but keep in mind that the workout is geared towards a general audience and not you as an individual.  Use your discretion because you can be counterproductive in fitness.

Here are 10 weight loss secrets to help you achieve your goal and live a healthy life style.

1. Grazing: Do Not Skip Meals. Many people are over weight or obese because they have slow metabolisms.  Try five mini meals.  This will promote portion control.  In addition, it will give you energy, speed up your metabolism, and lead to weight loss.

2. Avoid Bad / White Carbs.  The research is out man, this stuff kills.  Bad carbs are a major contributing factor to the obesity epidemic.  Read your labels, stay away from white sugar, white flour, and processed foods.

3.  Nutrition Log. This holds you accountable for your caloric intake.  Choose the good stuff!  Good protein sources, high variety of fruits and vegetables, low and good carbohydrate choices.

4.  Set Realistic Goals. Don’t stress out and set yourself up for failure.  Go for 2 pounds per week.

5.  Gradual Changes. Take the first step and alleviate the junk food.  Then continue to make healthy changes in your life each week.  If you flip a 180, chances are you may feel overwhelmed and relapse.

6.  Check Your Cart.  Simple, but effective.  At the end of your grocery trip check your cart and take out the junk food, it feels good!

7.  Movement. Motion creates emotion.  Move around, wash your car, go dancing, clean your house, walk, ride your bike, whatever it takes!

8. Hide the TV Remote. Get off the couch and shut off the boob.  Go live and enjoy life.

9.  Take the Stairs, Park Further Away. Being active during your day will build muscular endurance and burn calories.

10.  Build a Lifelong Healthy Lifestyle. Make the nessesary changes and stick to it.  You will look good and feel good. Read thefitnessrevelation.com and you will be on your way to health and happiness.

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Plastic Water Bottles Leach Toxins Linked to Cancers and Reproductive Mutations

It’s true recent scientific studies have shown that bottled water, including Lexan bottles #7 and #1 on average is not safer than tap water and often less safe.

Studies have shown that plastic water bottles break down into carcinogenic compounds when reused, heated, or frozen, including Bisphenol A (BPA) is linked to:

• Breast cancer
• Reproductive mutations
• Decreased testosterone in men.

Europe banned all products containing BPA and San Francisco followed suit. Lawsuits have followed around the country.

Most plastic water bottles sold contain a #1 on the recycling symbol and are recommended for one time use only. Due to the concern stores are pulling products and some manufactures are producing new BPA-free products.

However, your health and the health of your loved ones can be protected from BPA by making the right choices.

Here are some of the competitors BPA-free water bottles.

• Titan BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Camelbak BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles
• Nalgene BPA-Free Water Bottles
• New Wave Enviro Stainless steel water bottles
• Novara BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Sigg BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Laken BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Nathan Bpa Free Water Bottles
• Platypus BPA-Free Hydration Bladders

Photographer: Bill McClaren

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Carbohydrates “The Good” “The Bad” “The Ugly”

Trendy, fad diets such as the Southbeach and Atkins have left the vast majority of the population completely confused on the amount and type of carbohydrates to consume each day. Despite what these diets have taught the population about cutting carbs, carbohydrates are a very important part of energy production and a healthy diet.

There is no doubt that “Bad Carbs” are contributing to chronic disease in the United States and around the world including:

• The obesity epidemic
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Cancers
• Ultimately mortality

Alleviating “Bad Carbs” from your diet and choosing “Good Carbs” is the key to weight loss and feeling your best. Understanding how to make these choices at the grocery store is crucial.

“The Good”

• Unprocessed carbohydrates in their natural state
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Legumes and beans
• Whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas
• Brown Rice
• Metabolized slowly and increase your glycogen stores
• Substained, natural energy
• High in fiber
• Nutrient dense
  

“The Bad”
“The Ugly”

• Refined, processed, altered, bleached, enriched carbohydrates
• White flour products
• White sugar products
• White breads
• Sugary cereals
• Sodas
• Candies
• Spike blood sugar levels
• Rapidly absorbed stimulating insulin release and fat synthesis
• Low nutrient density
• Lead to obesity and chronic diseases
  

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The Fountain of Youth Discovered
7 Secrets to looking and feeling great

The age long quest for the legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters has been discovered. Finally the 7 secrets to restoring your lost youthfulness.

1. The power of positive thinking can unlock the best in you and change your life. Focus on maintaining a positive outlook day to day and you will change your life and you will feel great.

2. Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition! Eat right, your body deserves it. Lots of fruits, veggies, fish, water. Completely cut white flour and white sugar from your diet.

3. Get off the couch and do your cardio. The recommendations are 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. Have fun with this and switch it up; biking, running, treadmill, elliptical, swimming, jump rope, jumping jacks, ext.

4. Implement a resistance training program. Hire a qualified personal trainer to design a proper muscular strength and endurance training regimen or join a class at the gym. Put in the time and you will tighten, tone, and strengthen your body.

5. Join a yoga class at the gym, the college, buy a video…whatever it takes. Increase your muscular flexibility, de-stress, breath, and reap the immediate and long term benefits.

6. The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep per day. Sleep deficit will ultimately affect your health and wellness. Try to go to sleep and wake at the same time each day.

7. Live in the moment! When you are fully present and conscious in the moment the weight and guilt of your past slips off your shoulders and the fear of the future diminishes. Now you can feel the youthful
sense of calm and focus

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10 Compelling Reasons Why Functional Training

Will Lead to Better Muscular Balance and Improved Performance

Functional training involves exercises that train movements, working several muscle groups at once. The goal is to mimic real life situations that will convey to daily activities or sports.

Life doesn’t happen in the isolated planes used in a traditional body building regimen or on a standard resistance training machine that isolates one muscle group.

In addition, we sit in cars all day, at the desk, on the couch, so it’s not a great idea to train sitting in a machine with a back rest.

Functional training uses weight bearing activities that target the core muscles and emphasizes the bodies natural ability to move in three anatomical planes of motion. Focusing on six patterns of movement in a persons daily life;

• Squat
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Twist
• Bend

Using little equipment such as:

• Cables
• Bosu balls
• Stability balls
• Kettle bells
• Medicine balls
• Resistance bands
• Etc.

The benefits of a functional training program are tremendous!

1. Improved muscular balance and joint stability.

2. Increase Core stability.

3. Improved neuromuscular coordination.

4. Save time working several muscle groups at once.

5. Improve your posture.

6. Prevent injury.

7. Improve balance.

8. Workout anywhere using body weight and little equipment.

9. Sport specific training.

10. Functional training movements can be done in an almost endless number of variations forcing your body to acclimate.

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Eating Organic May Promote Weight Loss

An organic diet may promote weight loss because you are not ingesting unnatural ingredients and chemicals that sabotage your hunger levels and slow your metabolism.

In 1960 obesity was not an epidemic in the United States. In addition, foods did not contain:

• Growth hormones
• MSG
• High fructose corn syrup
• Olestra
• Aspartame
• Saccharine
• Splenda
• etc.

An update in 2008 reported 32.1% of adults in the United States ages 20-74 were obese and 97.1 million American adults are overweight. Contributing factors range from imbalances in caloric intake, energy expenditure and sedentary lifestyles.

But new research is showing how synthetic chemicals may be the underlining issue to the obesity epidemic. The stored chemicals disrupt our body’s natural abilities to send signals when you are full or hungry, causing over eating and weight gain.

The Solution May Start with Eating “Real Food” Free of Carcinogens.

On an organic diet your body is able to filter out built up toxins and free radicals that cause damage at the cellular level. Thus, keeping our bodily functions healthy and efficient.

You will look and feel your best by choosing organic foods with no:

• Synthetic pesticides
• Synthetic herbicides
• Growth hormones
• Preservatives or additives
• Genetically engineered seeds
• or any other ingredients from Mars.

In addition, organic foods have a dramatically higher concentration of nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins.

This is because of:

• Improved ecology
• Farm biodiversity
• No irradiation
• Enriched drought resistant soil
• Less soil erosion
• and less groundwater pollution.

Give your body what it deserves and your body will thank you.
Remember to go for food that is minimally processed with 10 or less ingredients and close to its natural state.

Cheers to feeling good!

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