Supplements Updated 1/9/2017

     Good afternoon, Fitness Family and Friends! With all of this training and these new goals we are all looking to fuel our bodies with the best nutrition available. To further that effort, I am reposting a piece I did a while back covering supplements; however, I would like to open it up with an addition and an introduction. Kristen Michaelis is a personal friend and she runs an awesome food blog, www.foodrenegade.com. My wife and I met Kristen years ago when we lived in Dallas. Kristen and I actually met in the college library, we had some mutual friends. She worked with my wife for a while. Now she is running this blog and has published several books. She loves food. Let me clarify, healthy food.

     To introduce my piece on supplementation I want to summarize and link to her Kristen’s piece on a line called Gelatin. Vital Proteins Gelatin hit the top of her list for many reasons, including:

• High biologic value (BV) animal protein. Important due to the fact that vegan acceptable and plant based proteins are not as high in BV as animal proteins.
• The higher the BV the more gets absorbed by the cells
• Made from hormone free animals

     What precisely is gelatin? It’s processed collagen. Something that all animals, including us, make. The animals this product is made from are guaranteed free from chemicals and drugs. They are grass fed. Most likely they are even patted on the head thrice daily. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but, knowing people who work with animals, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they were.

     At any rate, the link to Kristen’s blog is here. Please let her know where you heard about her. The rest of my piece is below.

     Train hard, eat well, be happy!

     Supplement is defined as that which completes or enhances something else or adds an extra element or amount to something. It seems that we are all so busy that getting a decent meal is nearly impossible. Simplifying our lives would be the ideal, as would getting all of our nutrients and vitamins from our meals; however, a proper meal plan feels like an impossible goal. So, many of us, myself included, often reach for a nutritional shake or a meal replacement or some other kind of supplemental to pick up where we have left off. It has become the norm as almost all adults in America do this.

     There was a time that supplements were limited to just a few brands of multivitamins and an even smaller choice of protein powder mixes, the biggest name of which was Weider. Today's supplementary mix includes vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and a plethora of products in a variety of forms. They come in tablets, capsules, powders, drinks, bars, and even gel packs. There are also prepackaged vitamins that are “specifically designed” for your male or female, age, and athletic needs. Supplements can NOT replace a healthy diet. Here are two resources on that … Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate.

     Keep in mind that some ingredients found in dietary supplements are being added to a increasing number of foods, such as breakfast cereals and drinks. If you are currently supplementing, you could be getting more than you think, which may not be good. Too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, as well as birth defects. Excessively high levels of iron can cause nausea and vomiting and may also damage the liver and other organs, too.

     Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. What you take in gets passed on to your nursing child and many of these supplements have not been FDA approved for infants and children. If you are taking supplements, or are interested in doing so, see your doctor. Now. No, go see your doctor now.

     As with anything that you do in relation to your health and health-care, I strongly suggest and urge you to talk to your doctor first. You really need to be certain that what you are thinking about doing is not going to conflict with any medications you are taking or any health issue you may have.

Once you start using supplements, it is a great idea to keep a log of the results. Just as you keep a training record, keep a dietary record to track how you are feeling and reacting to your dietary changes.

What you need to know about the most popular dietary and nutritional supplements on the market. Let's categorize supplements under the following; Vitamins and Minerals, Meal Replacements, Sports Nutrition, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, and Homeopathic Medications.

Vitamins and Minerals

     There is really no harm in taking a daily multivitamin on a daily basis. It safely covers dietary shortfalls. If you are taking a good multivitamin, then you do not need to take an extra B vitamin. You should already be getting enough between your diet and multivitamin.

B vitamins

     B vitamins include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12. These are said to reduce stress. Still, many of us don't need these supplements. Not much research actually supports this theory of stress reduction.

     The exception to this may be seniors because seniors absorb less of it. Instead of supplements, the diet can be adjusted to include more grains, dark green vegetables, orange juice, and enriched foods. There are some medications that will inhibit the absorption of B vitamins, these individuals will likely need to supplement with B vitamins after talking with their doctors.

Vitamin C

     Vitamin C is often taken in an effort to ward off colds, though there's little proof this works.

Your health-care provider may tell you to take vitamin C if you have a wound that's healing. Otherwise, go for food sources. Rich sources include oranges, peppers, grapefruits, peaches, papayas, pineapples, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, and melons.

Vitamins D

     Chances are, you are not getting enough vitamin D for good health. Experts agree that we can safely take in up to 1,000 IUs a day. There is no risk of toxicity is at that level. We can get that with a daily vitamin or safe sun exposure. Just 15 to 20 minutes outside in the sun each day. Too easy!

Check with your dermatologist about guidelines for safe sun exposure.

Meal Replacements

     SlimFast, Ensure, Special K are just three of the many meal replacement drinks and snack bars that are out there. They are all designed to supplement the diet and are nutrient rich.

Weight management? So long as you are including your meal replacements as part of a meal plan that supports your physical needs in relation to a good exercise program, then there should be no problem. There are exercise routines on this blog, feel free to gibe them a try after you do what? Talk to your doctor!

Sports Nutrition Supplements

     This category has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. When I was a competitive swimmer and distance runner looking to stay lean and light, the market was dominated by Weider. The stuff tasted bad, at best. Either that, or it was the Rocky Balboa thing, a dozen raw eggs.

     Today, there are so many to choose from. Creatine, amino acids, protein formulas, fat burners, pills, powders, formulas, and drinks. There are fat loss and weight gainers and energy boosters and carbohydrate shots for fast glycogen during endurance events. Chances are, you want to know mostly about the meal and protein drinks and mixes.

     These products do help, when used properly. It takes time. As before, you are not going to see massive or drastic changes in couple of weeks. Patience, Grasshopper.

     Protein drinks are going to be effective within the first half hour after exercising. Also, once each hour. You could also just eat a good protein based meal at the same times, within a half hour of exercising and about every hour or two during the day. Your body cannot absorb more than 8-10 grams of protein per hour. That means, the 34 gram protein shake you just made and are chugging down, well, 24 grams of that protein is going to just go through your huts and wind up in the toilet. The big take away here is protein, be it whey, egg, beef, milk, whatever, protein within 30 minutes of your workout is going to provide the nutrients your body needs to rebuild from all of that tearing down you just did.

     Creatine monohydrate is also very popular. It pumps fluid into the muscle cells. This helps with the volume of the cell, it gets bigger. This also helps flush out fatigue compounds, lactic acid, thus enabling high intensity, short burst activity. This is not so much an endurance-type supplement. You make this naturally. You get it dietarily from beef and pork. If you want to, supplements are sold over-the-counter. These usually have a loading dose and then maintenance dose thereafter. One more point on this, if you already eat meat you will not notice as drastic a change as a vegetarian would.

     Caffeine and stimulants similar to it are also found in some supplements. Be very careful about this. Too much of this can cause, and has caused, serious issues. A cup or two of coffee about 30 minutes prior to your activity can sharpen your edge. You can keep using your caffeine source during your event to keep up the buzz.

Calcium

     According to experts, calcium is one of the most often lacking minerals in our diets. Taking a supplement may sound like an easy answer; however, experts recommend that we get our calcium from our diet. We need to be eating calcium rich foods like yogurt, dark leafy greens, soybeans, beans, fish, and raisins.

     If you have not been diagnosed as lactose-intolerant, some cheeses are also a good choice. This will provide both calcium and protein as well as some necessary fats. Yes, some fats are necessary, but that will be in a different article.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

     It is currently inconclusive if taking this combination does anything to help prevent joint damage or to repair the cartilage.

     Kaiser Permanente rheumatologist Eduardo Baetti states that only about 40% of his patients had taken this combination four times a day for four to eight weeks. The doses were 1,500 mg of glucosamine and 1,200 mg chondroitin sulphate. In addition, most of these patients were also taking pain relievers.

Homeopathic Medicines

     These are not technically dietary supplements, but are nonetheless a popular category. Homeopathic medicine is a medical philosophy dating back to the late 18^th century. It's supposed to be a self-healing response. The theory is that if a certain substance causes symptoms in a healthy body, a minute amount of the same substance may cure the symptoms.

     This practice may have a negative effective with medications you are currently taking, so, say it with me, talk to your doctor first. Thank you. Some professionals see this as nothing more than a placebo effect.

Tips for Choosing Dietary Supplements

     There are some rules of thumb for choosing dietary and nutritional supplements. First, look for trusted brands that have been around for some time.

-- Read the labels carefully to be sure of what is found in the product.

-- Read the claims carefully. If they look too good to be true, they probably are.

     There is no possible way that you are going to pack on 20 pounds of muscle in one week or 40 pounds of muscle in one month, not without steroids, at least.

     You could check the studies companies site documenting the effectiveness of products by reading the journals International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism or Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise for studies on dietary supplements.

     Of course, always talk to your doctor about your goals. Your doctor may be able to make a recommendation for you.

     Whatever you choose to supplement your diet with, do not, and let me say that again, DO NOT over do it. Having too much of some vitamins can be dangerous. We touched on this earlier.

NOTE: The maximum rate that whey protein can be absorbed is about 8-10 grams per hour. Little Miss Muffet drank a 50 gram whey protein shake. Since Miss Muffet can absorb only 10 grams every hour. The next time she goes to the can, she is going to crap out a lot of protein.

     What your high protein, muscle growth, fat loss, diet plan would look like is a protein and fruit, vegetable meal about every hour or two. You can certainly grab a protein based snack like brrf jerky, a half or a quarter of a chicken breast, some pork, or a protein shake. What have you.

     My protein mix is 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit, whole milk, 2-3 cups of ice and water … I dump this into my blender and run it until it's smooth. If you prefer it a little sweeter, then you can add a touch of sugar or a few drops of vanilla extract. Occasionally, I will add half a scoop of whey protein as that will sweeten the mix, even though I know that the rate of protein absorption is going to make me drink this stuff slowly.

     Let me know what will help you! See you next week. Be healthy, be happy!

Federal Government Information Sources on Dietary Supplements

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

The National Institutes of Health supports research on dietary supplements.

• Office of Dietary Supplements
  The Office of Dietary Supplements provides accurate and up-to-date scientific information about dietary supplements.
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clearinghouse: 1-888-644-6226
• National Library of Medicine
  Medline Plus
  PubMed
• NIH Health Information

U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

The Food and Drug Administration issues rules and regulations and provides oversight of dietary supplement labeling, marketing, and safety.

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

The Federal Trade Commission polices health and safety claims made in advertising for dietary supplements.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on a variety of food and nutrition topics.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides an encyclopedia of health topics, personal health tools, and health news.

Motivation Dedication

     Motivation, the reason, or reasons, one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. The dictionary labels motivation as a noun. I suppose it must be since it is a thing. If you ask people what motivates them to exercise you will receive varied and interesting responses. Almost everybody who is exercising because of somebody else. For some the body is the temple of God. For others, it is to be healthier and more active with family and friends. Being eye-candy and feeling sexier were also mentioned.
     The responses to this question seemed to involve being there for others. This is a great motivator particularly when those others are your immediate family. I come up with, find, and commit to working out for my family, eye-candy for my wife, general eye-candy, and ego as being excellent motivators. I am also competitive and want to be able to go at lest as far, as fast, and as hard core as people half my age. But, getting to this point took re-framing my initial view of working out.
     Motivation is great for the initial jump. It is the kick in the guts that really gets us moving on a run schedule. But, motivation, like fires, will burn out. What happens next? What do you do? You dig deeper and find dedication.

     Dedication is defined as being dedicated to a cause or an activity. Dedicated is being devoted, single-mindedly, to a goal or purpose; allocating time, energy, and all other needed resources to a particular goal, purpose, or service. Dedication to yourself is the key.
     Dedication is everywhere in our lives. We are dedicated to a project at work. We are dedicated to our children. We are dedicated to our friends and family and they are dedicated to us. In fitness, as in any other aspect of your life, you must take care of yourself. You must first love yourself. Then, you can take care of yourself.
     Dedication requires courage. The bottom line here is courage. Motivation and dedication vital to the formula, but without courage it will all fall apart.
     The kind of courage that I am talking about is from love, not just being afraid to do something and doing it anyway. The kind of courage that this takes is what the Greeks wrote about. What they held dear in their heroes and legends. The kind of stuff that writers of legend and lore like Homer from the age of lyric wrote about. The great endurance embodied in his heroes. A driving will to resist obstacles that were thrown into his path at every turn can inspire us today. Some days we feel like we need that. This will to continue, this kind of endurance, is not just for the outward enemies that Homer wrote about or that veterans of all wars have.

     This will, this inner strength, this courage, is aimed at inward passions and misfortune in general as well as the outside elements. These intangible enemies can be just as deadly and destructive as any met on beachheads and mountainsides. The courage, the heart to keep going forward at home, with family and, especially, inside oneself is the hardest courage to find on most days. But, it is the type that you already have and live every day whether you know it or not.

     Above, we mentioned your family and friends. You do almost everything for them and they for you. No questions asked. Well, there are the occasional, “Are you out of your mind?!” questions and looks. Still, by and large, there is a core group that falls into the You-Call-I-Haul category.

     Now, show yourself this kind of courage and dedication. Seriously. Many of us have a difficult time doing this. If someone you trust and love is willing to do that for you, aren't you worth doing it for yourself?

     This is ironness of heart, from the Oddyssey and the Illiad. This ironness is love. That is what drives us to greater achievements than any mindset alone ever could. It was no mindset by which Shakespeare wrote any sonnet. It was by no mindset that a squad member or platoon member ever ran back into a hail of gunfire and explosions to grab a wounded buddy. No, these were done from the heart, out of love. Courage, from love, is what gives the true warrior his heart. Love is what makes a mother such a formidable force.

     Bottom line? Love yourself enough to invest the blood, sweat, and tears into you that you would invest in your family or battle buddies without a second thought.

     Love your self enough to go that extra mile. To get to the gym even though you really don't feel like it. You show strength in the face of great pain or grief for your children. Now do it for you.

     It's 95+ degrees outside. I am going to the track to do my push ups, pull ups, sit ups, squats, and other aerobic training. I am going to do this because I want to be there for the people who need me. That list starts with Me and my Family.

What is your courage?

Positive Thinking For Health

      How much of what we say to ourselves is negative? How does that impact us? Our family? Our children?

      We all have our down times. Those moments, or days, when everything is dark. No matter what happens we see things negatively. Depression. Some of us look at the world through the eyes of doubt as a regular thing, the pessimist. “Well, Marc, one person's pessimist is another person's realist,” you might be tempted to say. But, I ask you, what impact does this life view have on your health? How does it impact your body? Can changing how you look at the world change your health?

      There are several studies that tell us positivity, optimism, can improve the quality and longevity of our lives. Let's look at that a little.

Live longer

      Rather than just falling apart, positive outlooks enable people to overcome and persevere in the darkest of situations; optimists look at what they can do and do that. This is a lesson taught at military survival schools. Look for what you can do and focus on that. This is resilience. It also manifests in our immunity system.

      If you can improve how you view the world and the circumstances you find yourself in, you can improve your body's immunity. These studies show those with positive emotions about how they are doing in important areas of their lives have better resistance to infections. Positivity actually strengthens our immune system while negativity weakens it. This is not a cure-all, but if it can help keep the flu away, it's worth smiling more.

      You can handle stress better and outperform negative attitudes. How is that? By being able to look at the situation and seeing what went right and how to change what went wrong you can readjust what is being done and move forward.

      Mark Divine, a former Navy SEAL writes, in his book The Way of the SEAL, described fast forward failure. Understand that failures happen. All the time. SEALS hit snags in every operation. Business leaders hit shags in every deal. None of those snags matter. What matters is how people deal with them. When the failure hits, these elites look at what went wrong and, rather than finding who to blame, they find the way to go forward and succeed. You will be better able to see the big picture and identify solutions as you move forward.

      As you get better at doing this fast forward failure you will make better decisions under pressure. It takes practice. Positivity takes practice. As you practice you will also find that you have happier long-term relationships.

      Optimism to positive self-esteem to success to optimism is a cycle of thought habit

. It really does not matter which way you take the cycle, just so long as you take it and begin. It is a learned habit. Start with small things and small successes and work your way up, building confidence. Mark Divine, a former Navy SEAL writes, in his book The Way of the SEAL, that every night as SEAL candidates went to bed they were taught to focus on their successes from that day. In so doing, they built a wellspring of confidence to draw upon when things became tougher. …

Use this as a triangle of good mental health

and self talk during a workout, during the day, or whenever you may need a gentle reminder. This is something that is both positive and healthy to model and teach to our children. I am using this triangle and the lessons from
Mark Divine in my house on a daily basis. They help me and my children.

Confidence to Achieve and Succeed

      We need to have confidence in that we are supposed to be happy, that we deserve to enjoy and benefit from what we have worked for. Otherwise, we are living a life of drudgery, slogging from one day to the next. This is the embodiment of low self-esteem.

      Low self-esteem leaves us vulnerable to negative thoughts and ideas such as not being good enough, self-distrust and leads to lower creativity and productivity. Those who live in this state, and I have been one, just go through the motions of life, doing what they have to do to get by. Just get by, nothing more.

High self-confidence brings empowerment, energy, motivation, the world is open and full of challenges and opportunities. Granted, these people are hard to handle until I have had some coffee in the morning, but it is better to be one than not.

Things Suck, Now What

      Life has just kicked you in the jewels. I don't know what this looks like, but you do. Your challenges are yours. But, what can we do to get out of that ditch?

Focus on the Good

      Not easy, believe me, I know how hard this is to do. Still it is extremely important. Remember some of those things that you are really grateful for when you are flying high? Yeah, those. Write some of them down. Look at that list of blessings and people that are all around you when you are in that dark place.

      It is natural to focus on the negative. Ignoring problems does not make them go away; however, dwelling on them does not make solutions appear.

      I am not going to lie to you, this is going to be difficult when you are down. But, it will also be well worth it. Perhaps there is a smell that you find particularly pleasant. Go find that. Scent is the most powerful memory stimulant. Find that scent and connect again to that happy memory and its joy.

      Write a Daily Blessing Journal. Each day you write down a few things that made your day really great, or even just a few moments of it splendid. Something to refer back to when you need it.

      Stop and do something that you really enjoy. Step away from the chaos, go to your favorite coffee shop or cafe, book nook, or whatever and indulge for 15 or 30 minutes. Take a few minutes to reset yourself.

      Focus on someone else. No, I am not saying that you should stalk anyone! But, perhaps, you should focus on someone else and make sure that they are having a pleasant time. By taking the focus off of yourself and putting onto someone outside you change your thoughts. Your actions also bring about the release of feel good hormones in your brain. So, this is a double tap on the feel good actions.

      Expressing gratitude. Just saying thank you and putting a smile on your face, even when you dont feel like it, will tell your brain that you must release something inside to change what you are feeling in your brain. The positive neurotransmitters, called serotonin, will be released in small amounts. Resulting in a slightly better mood.

      Positive affirmations do work. As goofy as it sounds, they work and you should use them. In Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich, these are part of his plan. They have been used for more than 100 years and are still in use today because they work.

Final Thought

      Tigers, the most successful land hunter on the planet in the animal kingdom, has a kill rate of … 80%. Tigers, the deadliest land based killers, miss their meals 20 out of 100 times. 20 out of 100 times these 700+ pound magnificent beasts go hungry. Yet, they still go on. So will you.

Teach this to your children. Model this in your family and life. See how much healthier you will be for it.

Changes

     Pressed for time? Want to work out, but not sure what to do to get the best bang for your buck? Looking to improve your muscle strength and cardio? Looking to make changes:? Changes for the better? Changes to loose that fat? Changes to get stronger?

     This week I will address these questions and provide a simple routine that will work the largest muscle groups, the greatest amount of supporting muscles, and get your heart pumping. There are two aspects to weight loss and fitness that we need to address. Those two are cardio and muscle mass and how they impact your weight loss goals.

     What is your metabolism? Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. It changes its rate throughout the day and throughout our lives/ It varies also based on whether you are man or woman. Men tend to have a higher metabolic rate than women of the same age. Sorry, ladies, it's nothing personal.

     Age related changes also occur. At a point in our lives we start losing muscle mass and start putting on fat due to changes in metabolism. At around 25 our bodies change. Our metabolism does a downshift. It begins to slow down at a rate of 2%, or maybe a little more, per decade. If we do not make appropriate changes to our input or output, we will gain weight.

     That works out like this. A man eating 2,000 calories a day and maintaining a healthy weight up until 25 os going to have to make one of two changes after age 25. He will either have to take in 1,960 calories per day or burn 40 to 50 more calories per day. A woman of the same age eating 1,800 calories at the same age would need to make a change that looks like 1,764 calories or burning off 36 to 45 more calories per day.

     In a nutshell, that is how to address your weight gain by adjusting your diet. But, who really wants to eat less and less over the course of their life? I mean, really? Slowly cutting your intake down to cheese and a slice of sausage on a cracker? That's no way to live. Besides, calorie reduction sends the body into a starvation response. This response takes muscle tissue for the calories necessary to keep functioning. Not good.

Effecting Changes in Your Metabolism Through Exercise via Cardio and Building Muscle

     Essentially, we burn calories every time we move. But, I am not going to go into that minutia. I am, however, going to look at the cardio aspect of weight loss. Aerobic activity, an exercise that gets us breathing heavy and our heart pumping for an extended period of time, is going to use fat stores while exercising. Here's how that works.

     Muscle glycogen, which stores energy, is broken down into glucose. This glucose goes through the process of glycolysis, a determined sequence of ten enzyme-catalyzed reactions, that reults in pyruvate. This pyruvate then reacts with oxygen to release CO2, water, and release energy. In the case of a lack of oxygen and an increasing intensity in the workout, lactate builds up in the muscles. This causes muscle soreness and, if goes too high, can also cause vomiting.

     When glycogen levels in the blood stream fall, the liver releases glucose. Fat is then used at a higher rate in order to fuel the aerobic pathways.

     Studies show that 65% of your maximum aerobic capacity is going to use the most fat stores possible for the duration of your exercise period. Calculating your VO2, the amount of oxygen you take in compared to the amount you exhale, is beyond the scope of this particular piece. So, we will revisit that another time. Still, you should be breathing heavy, but not so much that you can not talk to your training partner. Think about singing cadence. If you are breathing to hard to sing a few lines of running cadence then ease back on the throttle, you are going to hard. If you exercise too hard your body will keep burning glycogen and not the fat.

Cardio/Aerobic For Fat Loss

     Cardio/Aerobic is no longer just running forever. Interval style training is the preferred method for fat loss. Intervals combine muscle building, intense activity, and getting your heart and lungs working well above normal. But, we'll get to that later.

     If cardio/aerobic is not the greatest for fat loss, why do it? What's in it for me? There are several reasons why this is an important activity to include in your training. It lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. It floods your brain with chemicals that improve functions like memory, problem solving, and decision making. It spurs the release of “feel good” hormones into your brain.

     If, like me, you take part in other physical sports like grappling and kick boxing, you need that aerobic capacity to outlast your opponents. Running is still one of the best ways to get that. Jumping rope is a close second, not to mention the coordination and balance training you get with this. I love jumping rope!

     Movement is great! Keep moving and you are burning more calories with each movement. Cardio is not just laps on the track, but a mix of sprints, squat thrusts, push ups, pull ups, and other body movements that can be mixed in between the sprints. Exercises that are done in such a way so that your heart rate and respiration are elevated, hence aerobic.

     That being said, let's address the muscle building aspect of this.

Muscle Building For Fat Loss

     Resting metabolism burns 30% of the calories taken in over the course of the day. Increasing the resting rate by increasing the lean muscle mass increases the resting metabolic rate. Scientist know that a modest increase, such as 2-3%, in our resting metabolism could end up reversing the age related fat and weight gain.

     How we will do that is by improving the quality and quantity of lean muscle in our bodies. Yes, we. I have a routine at the end of this article that I am doing right now, and enjoying thoroughly. The challenge that I am inviting you to accept is to complete three months.

     Anyway, the goal is to increase our resting metabolism by increasing our quality of lean muscle and the density of that muscle. The reason is because that muscle requires more calories to exist. Muscle burns 6 calories per pound for its existence. If you increase your bodyweight by 10 pounds of lean muscle that means that you will burn 60 extra calories per day. I wish that it were more, I really do. Still, that's 60 calories right off the top. Fat, on the other hand, takes only 2 calories per pound to exist.

     What this means is more lean, solid muscle will require the consumption of more calories just to exist. This is why building muscle is so important to the weight loss process. Now, keep this in mind about fat and muscle; being denser than fat, muscle weighs more. While you train and are building lean muscles you may see an increase in weight.

     To the left you see what five pounds of fat looks like compared to five pounds of muscle. I think that clearly illustrates it.

    Below is a bodyweight routine that you can do just about anywhere that has a place to do pull ups. I use pull up handles that I an hook on a bar that is on the back of the bleachers at the local high school, there are several parks and playgrounds nearby.

Routine: Level 1 3x (24 minutes), Level 2 5x (40 minutes), Level 3 7x (58 minutes)

Each set is one cycle through. Start with Pull Ups, select one of the 3 cardio choices and stick with that choice for the duration of the workout, and do each event for 1 minute. Each cycle is 8 sets with 30 seconds rest between each exercise.

Pull Ups

Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Running in Place

Push Ups

Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Running in Place

Bicycle Crunches or Sit Ups

Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Running in Place

Squats

Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Running in Place

     The first month we are doing this challenge is Level 1. The second month is Level 2. The last month, Level 3. Time durations are listed above at 24, 40, and 58 minutes.

     There is a very specific reason behind the choice in selecting the exercises for this routine. The cardio events are outstanding at getting and keeping your heart rate at a good level. Pull ups, push up, and squats are the exercises of choice because of their being compound exercises. That is to say, they involve more than one joint and more than one muscle group.

     

These particular selections will hit practically every muscle in your entire body. We are all getting a head to toe work out that is effective and efficient. It will turn your metabolism into a fat burning furnace and give you the lean, muscled body you want.

The Benefits and Importance of Stretching Are No Stretch

     Better flexibility brings better performance in your chosen field of athletics. It decreases your risk of injury through moving your joints about its full range of motion. Stretching also enables your muscles to work at higher levels of efficiency. Stretching also increases blood flow to your muscles. In this it helps with recovery from exercise by speeding nutrients into your muscles and lactic acid out. Stretching should be done at a minimum of three times per week.

      Improves range of motion in joints and muscles – how far a muscle/joint can move without injury; We get this by applying constant pressure to a muscle group in order to lengthen it. This lengthening improves the range of motion and reduces the stiffness and soreness. You should not, however, stretch after your workout, just before.

Warm up then stretch

      First, warm up. Get your blood pumping a bit and your muscles loosened up some in order to elevate your core temperature. This has neuromuscular benefits as it improves the brain-body connection and function. This can also psychologically get you pumped up for your routine. Warm ups also help to increase metabolism (prime the pump to burn more calories). Studies have proven that warming up and doing passive stretches, that it is not bouncing but holding the static stretch, improve muscular performance during your workout. The result is that your muscles work at higher levels of efficiency.

Improves muscular coordination

      Nerve-muscle impulse, or the time it takes for messages to get from your brain to your muscles, is a factor in how our body moves. Say that you are having a hard time walking due to stumbling or tripping over your feet. This may be due to brain messages not being transmitted effectively to the muscles in your legs.

Here are some Do Nots to keep in mind

• Stretch the muscle groups that you will be using
• Do NOT bounce, hold the stretch for 30 seconds
• Do not try to balance and stretch. Yes, it is fun and a great way to show off. It is also a great way to fall on your kiester, get hurt, and sideline yourself early on in your fitness routine.

      Do stretch for tension, not pain. If you are experiencing pain, as in. “Oh, now that is NOT right.” Stop. See your doctor. Stretching will, as in must be and will be, done daily. At least, I am going to be doing the stretches herein daily. It's part of my challenge to me and to you.

Warm up

Fast Walking 10 minutes Or Jump Rope 3 minutes

Jumping Jacks 25

Seal Jacks 25

– This requires some explanation. It will also require some getting used to and a good bit of laughing at yourself as you get accustomed to this. The only difference between these and jumping jacks is what you do with your arms. You start out with your feet together and your arms out straight in front of you, hands together. When you jump and spread your feet apart you spread your arms out your sides so that you would look something like a starfish. You jump up and pull your feet together and you swing your arms together out in front of you just as you did when you started. Please, keep your arms as straight as possible throughout the exercise.

Standing Side Bend

     This stretch will work on your Abdominal Obliques which are located between your floating ribs and the tops of your hip bones.

          Stand with your feet together and reach up over you head with both

hands, put your hands palm together. Interlace your fingers and point your index fingers if you have to in order to keep your hands together. Inhale as you point and stretch upwards, exhale as you bend to your right side. Take 5 slow breaths then return to the middle. Repeat on the left.

Forward Hang

     This stretch will work your frontal deltoids and your rotator cuff. The deltoids are your shoulder muscles and are in three parts or heads. The rotator cuff is the thin and vitally important layer of connective tissue that provides smooth and painless movement for this ball and socket joint. Believe me, you do NOT want to go through ANY kind of joint pain here.

    

     Reach behind you and put your hands together with your fingers interlaced. If you can't mange this, you can use a small towel. It's all good, you're working on it! Feet should be shoulders width apart. Now, bending at the hips, lean forward, exhale, and raise your hands towards your head. This movement is done at the shoulder and is where you will feel some stretching.

      

     The below picture shows the beginning portion for illustrative purposes. Start here and then bend forward at the hips and try to allow gravity to bring your hands toward your head while keeping your arms straight.

Seated Back Twist

      This is mainly for the Erector Spine. These are the muscles that are along each side of your spinal column. Their purpose it to keep your spine erect and flexible. There are a multitude of things going on back there, as this picture plainly shows. As anyone who has had back problems can attest to, as well. Which is why it is vitally important to maintain a healthy and strong back. If you have ANY problems with this one before trying it, see your doctor. I do NOT want you to aggravate an already existing issue.

      Honestly, this is one of my favorites! It has helped me out of SO much back pain over the years. Sit down and extend your left leg. Cross your right leg over your left so that your right foot is as close to your left hip as possible. Place your left elbow on the right side of your right knee. Press back with your left elbow lightly. This should be forcing you to twist tightly to the right. It should be tight and make breathing a little difficult due to that tightness. Hold this for 5 slow breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Quad Stretch

     The Quadriceps are the four muscles that make up your thigh.

      Standing near something for support, reach behind you with your right hand and grab your left foot. Gently pull up on your left foot and hold it steady. You should feel and look somewhat like a bow without an arrow. Hold this for 30 seconds. Do it 2 or 3 times and then repeat on the other leg.

Hamstring

     What we call the Hamstring is the Bicep Femoris, Semitendinosis, and the Semimebranosus. These muscles are located on the back of the leg opposite the thigh muscles.

      Stand with your feet together. Do not lock your knees in this, but keep them just slightly bent. Bend at the hips and let your upper body hang down. Reach a little bit further. Hold this for 30 seconds. Repeat this two more times.

Calf Stretch

     The calf is the meaty portion of your lower leg. It's also the spot where many of us get the dreaded and hated Charlie Horse … I know that is where I get them when I do get them …

      Stand one or two steps from a wall or telephone pole or something stable. Step in with one foot and keep the heel of the back foot down. Also, keep that back leg straight and in line with your hips and shoulders. Lean in towards the wall, or whatever you're using. You can have your hands up on that vertical surface. If you don't feel a gentle, tight pull in your calf you need to move your back foot further back and try it again. Hold this for 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Chest Stretch

     Pectoralis Major and Minor are your chest muscles.

      Lift one arm up so that your upper arm is straight out to the side and your forearm is straight up in the air. Place the upright portion of your arm against the wall, pole or whatever you used for the calf stretch. Now, turn so that you feel the stretch across the muscle of your chest. That is the pectoral muscle. Hold this for 5 slow breaths then repeat on the other side.

Lat Stretching

     Latisimus Dorsi are the large muscles that go from the back of your shoulders down to the base of your spine. They also wrap inwards from around your rib cage.

      Stand with your feet a little more than shoulders width. Raise your right arm over your head and grab your right wrist with your left hand. Bend to your left side and pull on your right arm with your left hand. Hold for 5 slow breaths then repeat on the other side.

      This stretching routine is to be done as part of a daily workout routine, as I alluded to above. One that I will be doing as part of a video fitness blog and posting soon. I really hope to see you there. Please, join me on what will be a 2 month trek to better flexibility, strength, and stamina.

      At any rate, please consider the importance of stretching and how you could integrate it into your daily routine. Apply these simple stretches so that you may find and enjoy more flexibility and less pain in your daily life and mobility.

      Happy living!