Eating, it's something that we all do. The vast majority of us really like it, we look forward to the next time we can get something tasty. But, what about eating while being healthy and fit? How does eating fit into a workout routine? Happily, these are simple to answer.
Food is fuel, our bodies need the calories in order to produce the energy our muscles need to propel ourselves through not just our day, but also our workout. I;m not talking about a full meal on the way into the gym. If you are anything like me that would be an awful idea. But, we all need to eat something before we workout AND we need to refuel, eat something, immediately after our workout.
Choosing the right food to eat before working out also means that you need to understand that different nutrients are broken down at different rates. Fat takes between 4 and 6 hours to be digested, protein takes 3 hours, and carbohydrates 2 hours. What we're seeing here is that you would do very well to have something like peanut butter and bananas at noon if you are hitting the workout at 3. This will allow the protein and carbs from your meal to be digested and ready for your body to use for you to power through your training.
After your workout your body is going to go into overdrive to repair all that muscular damage. Let's face it, exercising causes muscle fibers to break, this is trauma to the body, it's damage. Your body is going to work hard to repair that damage and to replenish the glycogen stores that you have just burnt through. So, take a shower and go get some quality protein and carbs within the first hour after your session.
The window of optimal effect is 15 minutes to one hour. Take that shower and then go fuel your recovery with something like your regular protein shake, some chicken and rice, yogurt and fruit, turkey with cheese and apples. Aim for foods that are high in protein and healthy carbohydrates. These foods will go into restoring your energy. Your body is still in a fat burning mode in order to repair that damage you just did. Oh, it would also be advisable to get some solid antioxidants into you, too, as these will help make your recovery more comfortable.
Protein and carbs a few hours before your workout and within the first hour afterwards will, according to research, serve you best.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Stronger Knees
Years ago, I was a competitive power lifter. After 10 years my shoulders had both come apart and I could not deny the pain I had in my knees. I knew people who had decades of experience training and competing without the injuries I had. Some people are just built for it and I was not one of them. As much as I loved lifting, it was not for me. I knew that I needed to have all of my joints working properly. So, how do we train and protect our knees?
There are essentially two ways to protect your knees, nutrition and exercise. This article is going to look at exercises and stretches that stabilize our knees.
Strengthen
When all the muscles that support your knees are strong and flexible your knee joint is stabilized. The three muscle groups here are quadriceps (you thighs), hamstrings (the back of your legs), and your calves.
Flexibility
I prefer to stretch daily and not just before or after a workout. Strive to perform each stretch for 30 seconds for each of three sets.
Hamstrings
Stand with feet together, legs straight, bend down and relax. Let gravity pull you further down, relax with each exhalation. You will find that reaching your toes or the floor is easier when your body and mind relax.
Calves
Feet flat on the floor, step forward with your right foot two feet to start. Press your left heel down and bend your right knee. Do not allow your right knee to go forward past your knees, keep your upper body straight up, and allow your weight to lower down through your hips. Gold for 30 seconds, three sets each leg
Quads
Stand near a wall or a piece of sturdy exercise equipment for support. Grasp your ankle and gently pull your heel up and back until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Tighten your stomach muscles to prevent your stomach from sagging outward, and keep your knees close together, hold for about 30 seconds, three sets each leg.
Low Impact Exercises
Bicycle riding, gentle rowing, walking, swimming are excellent activities to strengthen the muscles around your knees AND, as they are low impact, allow your knees to get stronger with a minimum of discomfort
Your knees are vitally important and keeping them pain free will make all the difference. Stay healthy and stay strong with your family.
There are essentially two ways to protect your knees, nutrition and exercise. This article is going to look at exercises and stretches that stabilize our knees.
Strengthen
When all the muscles that support your knees are strong and flexible your knee joint is stabilized. The three muscle groups here are quadriceps (you thighs), hamstrings (the back of your legs), and your calves.
Flexibility
Strength building is important, but flexibility through stretching is equally important. Tight muscles are ready for injury whereas limber, more flexible muscles are better prepared to handle the rigors of life.
Stretching the muscles that you strengthen is an important part of preventing injury. Strengthening exercises build muscle to help support your knee, but can also tighten the muscles. Tight muscles are more prone to injury. Gentle stretching after strengthening exercise reduces muscle soreness and will keep your muscles long and flexible.
Strength and flexibility are both equally important. Don't think so? Try these exercises and stretches to see how your knee comfort can improve. First, and always, talk to your doctor before starting or changing your activities.
Start slowly and take your time. My lifting coach and martial arts instructors all said the same thing. Form first. Take it easy, perfect your form, and the strength will follow.
If you have pain, which is different from soreness, means you need to stop. Do not hurt yourself trying to get to your goal.
Be patient, remember, strength will come. Just be sure that you are doing the stretches and exercises with proper form.
Again, talk to your doctor. Unless your knees already sound like rice cereal, they should be happy to hear that you are taking better care of your knees.
Stretching the muscles that you strengthen is an important part of preventing injury. Strengthening exercises build muscle to help support your knee, but can also tighten the muscles. Tight muscles are more prone to injury. Gentle stretching after strengthening exercise reduces muscle soreness and will keep your muscles long and flexible.
Strength and flexibility are both equally important. Don't think so? Try these exercises and stretches to see how your knee comfort can improve. First, and always, talk to your doctor before starting or changing your activities.
Start slowly and take your time. My lifting coach and martial arts instructors all said the same thing. Form first. Take it easy, perfect your form, and the strength will follow.
If you have pain, which is different from soreness, means you need to stop. Do not hurt yourself trying to get to your goal.
Be patient, remember, strength will come. Just be sure that you are doing the stretches and exercises with proper form.
Again, talk to your doctor. Unless your knees already sound like rice cereal, they should be happy to hear that you are taking better care of your knees.
I prefer to stretch daily and not just before or after a workout. Strive to perform each stretch for 30 seconds for each of three sets.
Hamstrings
Stand with feet together, legs straight, bend down and relax. Let gravity pull you further down, relax with each exhalation. You will find that reaching your toes or the floor is easier when your body and mind relax.
Calves
Feet flat on the floor, step forward with your right foot two feet to start. Press your left heel down and bend your right knee. Do not allow your right knee to go forward past your knees, keep your upper body straight up, and allow your weight to lower down through your hips. Gold for 30 seconds, three sets each leg
Quads
Stand near a wall or a piece of sturdy exercise equipment for support. Grasp your ankle and gently pull your heel up and back until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Tighten your stomach muscles to prevent your stomach from sagging outward, and keep your knees close together, hold for about 30 seconds, three sets each leg.
Low Impact Exercises
Bicycle riding, gentle rowing, walking, swimming are excellent activities to strengthen the muscles around your knees AND, as they are low impact, allow your knees to get stronger with a minimum of discomfort
Your knees are vitally important and keeping them pain free will make all the difference. Stay healthy and stay strong with your family.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Health Benefits of Tea
Globally there are more people drinking tea than any other beverage with the exception of plain old water.
There are centuries of anecdotal evidence claiming a wide variety of health benefits and a mix of clinical results.
Green, White, and Oolong tea all come from the same plant. That is the Camellia sinensis. From oral hygiene to fat loss tea from this plant offers a wide spectrum of benefits.
There are centuries of anecdotal evidence claiming a wide variety of health benefits and a mix of clinical results.
Green, White, and Oolong tea all come from the same plant. That is the Camellia sinensis. From oral hygiene to fat loss tea from this plant offers a wide spectrum of benefits.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Motivation
Motivation, the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. The dictionary says motivation is a noun. I suppose it must be since it is a thing. I asked several people what motivates them to exercise and received some interesting responses.
Almost everybody who responded is exercising because of somebody else. The body is the temple of God, to be healthier and more active with my family and friends were some responses. Being eye-candy was also mentioned. The responses to my question basically involved 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. I 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.
It comes down to want. Many people 'want' to be there for their children. some 'want' to be sexy. Some do it because they 'want' to be healthier. It all comes from what we want. That can also become the need, if chosen in a positive way.
Designing your routine to be fun helps. Seriously, make it fun. If slogging through repetition after repetition, set after set is not fun, then what is? If you get bored with lifting weights, lift your body. Maybe you should try swimming for a set period of time trying to go further each time you get back into the pool.
Maybe you like to see numbers adding up. I like to watch the Calories Burned function of my fitness tracker stack up. It feels grand to watch those numbers add up.
Perhaps you have read enough of the success stories to have decided that now it is your turn. You've been watching people drop pounds on a weekly basis on TV and you have made the leap into the game yourself. If they can do it, then so can you. The truth is, you can.
The trick is finding your want and aiming for that. Just like with any other goal setting, this also takes time to become a habit. Once fitness becomes a habit you can write it into your lifestyle as a daily habit. Whether it is going for a walk with your daughter three or four times a week, having a group of friends to count on, a more active future, self-improvement, or that ego boost when you catch someone scoping out your hard earned shape are all good reasons.
I urge you to find your reason. What is that reason? Fitting into new clothes, a chance to contemplate issues on your mind, the adrenaline pump? Feel free to put your reasons in the comments below. It just might help motivate someone else.
Almost everybody who responded is exercising because of somebody else. The body is the temple of God, to be healthier and more active with my family and friends were some responses. Being eye-candy was also mentioned. The responses to my question basically involved 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. I 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.
It comes down to want. Many people 'want' to be there for their children. some 'want' to be sexy. Some do it because they 'want' to be healthier. It all comes from what we want. That can also become the need, if chosen in a positive way.
Designing your routine to be fun helps. Seriously, make it fun. If slogging through repetition after repetition, set after set is not fun, then what is? If you get bored with lifting weights, lift your body. Maybe you should try swimming for a set period of time trying to go further each time you get back into the pool.
Maybe you like to see numbers adding up. I like to watch the Calories Burned function of my fitness tracker stack up. It feels grand to watch those numbers add up.
Perhaps you have read enough of the success stories to have decided that now it is your turn. You've been watching people drop pounds on a weekly basis on TV and you have made the leap into the game yourself. If they can do it, then so can you. The truth is, you can.
The trick is finding your want and aiming for that. Just like with any other goal setting, this also takes time to become a habit. Once fitness becomes a habit you can write it into your lifestyle as a daily habit. Whether it is going for a walk with your daughter three or four times a week, having a group of friends to count on, a more active future, self-improvement, or that ego boost when you catch someone scoping out your hard earned shape are all good reasons.
I urge you to find your reason. What is that reason? Fitting into new clothes, a chance to contemplate issues on your mind, the adrenaline pump? Feel free to put your reasons in the comments below. It just might help motivate someone else.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Exercise "as good as medicines" in treating heart disease
That is the title of the article in Reuters. Those of us who exercise regularly have been told this by our doctors for years. Actually, regular exercisers or not, we have all been hearing this for years. We know it to be true. Moderate cardio helps. All out, gut busting sprint workouts help.
Exercise helps people who are recovering from strokes. It helps veterans with PTSD to be calmer. Exercise does not even require a prescription.
This link is for the entire article.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-heart-exercise-idUSBRE9910HU20131002
"Patients deserve to understand ..."
Yes, we do understand. We have been hearing the results for years. Now it is time to put action to what we know.
Get up and go lower your diabetes risks, lower your blood pressure, lower your body fat percentage. Do this so that you can give the people who love you more of you for a longer time. You deserve better than the chemically synthesized "moderate" benefit of medicines. Tell your doctor your plans.
Exercise helps people who are recovering from strokes. It helps veterans with PTSD to be calmer. Exercise does not even require a prescription.
This link is for the entire article.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-heart-exercise-idUSBRE9910HU20131002
"Patients deserve to understand ..."
Yes, we do understand. We have been hearing the results for years. Now it is time to put action to what we know.
Get up and go lower your diabetes risks, lower your blood pressure, lower your body fat percentage. Do this so that you can give the people who love you more of you for a longer time. You deserve better than the chemically synthesized "moderate" benefit of medicines. Tell your doctor your plans.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
5 Minute Drills
::EDITORIAL NOTE:: After my first day of this challenge I am going to be doing it every other day. It seems to make more sense for me to be able to recover a day. If you can do it daily, five days a week, more power to you. Tell us your progress, please.
We finished the 30 Day Burpee challenge and took a week off for full recuperation. The daily workouts, stopped. The daily diet, not a chance. Now it is time for a new challenge, a new workout to get us moving and into fighting shape. I challenge you to do 5 Minutes Drills. This is an awesome dual purpose routine combining strength training and cardio in an efficient system.
This is a workout that is going to work about every muscle group in your body except your neck muscles. But, you can add neck bridges if you like. When I put this one together several years ago I was interested in Interval Training. I still am interested in intervals, they are fun. This routine is designed your heart pumping and your lings working hard. Cardio is a factor here. This is accomplished by doing each of the 5 minutes blocks without stopping and without resting in between. Doing the routine at a moderate pace, minimum, will result in your heart and lungs really being worked. If you are like me, you will go into each exercise at 80% intensity or better.
The muscles are getting a good push, too. Particularly in the Bodybuilders. This is where you will need some equipment. This point and the jump rope would be the only times in the workout that this is true. You must have a place to do pull-ups. Start standing tall, squat down and place your hands on the ground. Now, kick your feet back so that you are in a full plank with your arms straight. Do a push-up. Do it as hard and as forceful as you can. Quickly pull your feet back in to where they were at the start and jump. While you are in the air try pulling your knees up to your chest before you have to straighten them and land on your feet. Once you have your feet on the ground again grab your overhead bar and do a pull-up. That is one count. Do that for 5 minutes.
The other exercises are fairly common and you should have no trouble with them. You can also substitute Russian Twists for the Bicycle Crunches if you prefer.
The workout is a series of 6 exercises that will be performed for 5 minutes at a time. Yes ,5 minutes for each exercise.
Jumping Jacks
Bodybuilders
Mountain Climbers
Bicycle Crunches
Pogo Hops
Jump Rope
That's it, folks. 30 minutes of digging deep to do more each day. What days of the week are we doing this on? Monday through Friday. I am thinking 4 weeks for this challenge, I may go ahead and do 8 weeks. This mix of exercises is going to burn fat fast. It also gives you an excuse to use your kids jungle gym for the bodybuilders. Share it with your teens as a challenge, who is the better man.
I will post my body weight and body fat changes over the coming weeks. Enjoy your training time.
We finished the 30 Day Burpee challenge and took a week off for full recuperation. The daily workouts, stopped. The daily diet, not a chance. Now it is time for a new challenge, a new workout to get us moving and into fighting shape. I challenge you to do 5 Minutes Drills. This is an awesome dual purpose routine combining strength training and cardio in an efficient system.
This is a workout that is going to work about every muscle group in your body except your neck muscles. But, you can add neck bridges if you like. When I put this one together several years ago I was interested in Interval Training. I still am interested in intervals, they are fun. This routine is designed your heart pumping and your lings working hard. Cardio is a factor here. This is accomplished by doing each of the 5 minutes blocks without stopping and without resting in between. Doing the routine at a moderate pace, minimum, will result in your heart and lungs really being worked. If you are like me, you will go into each exercise at 80% intensity or better.
The muscles are getting a good push, too. Particularly in the Bodybuilders. This is where you will need some equipment. This point and the jump rope would be the only times in the workout that this is true. You must have a place to do pull-ups. Start standing tall, squat down and place your hands on the ground. Now, kick your feet back so that you are in a full plank with your arms straight. Do a push-up. Do it as hard and as forceful as you can. Quickly pull your feet back in to where they were at the start and jump. While you are in the air try pulling your knees up to your chest before you have to straighten them and land on your feet. Once you have your feet on the ground again grab your overhead bar and do a pull-up. That is one count. Do that for 5 minutes.
The other exercises are fairly common and you should have no trouble with them. You can also substitute Russian Twists for the Bicycle Crunches if you prefer.
The workout is a series of 6 exercises that will be performed for 5 minutes at a time. Yes ,5 minutes for each exercise.
Jumping Jacks
Bodybuilders
Mountain Climbers
Bicycle Crunches
Pogo Hops
Jump Rope
That's it, folks. 30 minutes of digging deep to do more each day. What days of the week are we doing this on? Monday through Friday. I am thinking 4 weeks for this challenge, I may go ahead and do 8 weeks. This mix of exercises is going to burn fat fast. It also gives you an excuse to use your kids jungle gym for the bodybuilders. Share it with your teens as a challenge, who is the better man.
I will post my body weight and body fat changes over the coming weeks. Enjoy your training time.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
I Challenge You!
This is going to be a simple challenge in that it has few moving parts. The catch is, it will be harsh.
The fitness challenge which I am planning is a combination of the high intensity interval training (HIIT) and endurance. As I have been writing, the HIIT training is going to force my system to become more efficient at using oxygen and removing lactic acid. This part of the training is also going to rapidly increase my leg strength and muscular capacity. That is, according to all the scientific studies I have been reading. Also, my own experience in the past with Tabata drills and other HIIT routines.
The bicycle riding is an endurance and cardio event. We are familiar with how the low impact, moderately paced cardio workouts burn fat after 20 minutes.
By combining the two routines we, if you also take this challenge, will see a significant drop in body fat along with an increase in our overall aerobic capacity.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Drop Set Pull-Push Routine; Interval Runs (2 mile minimum); Bicycle Crunches (2 min)
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Bicycle Riding, for me, 20.4 miles
If you are still reading this, then the challenge is for you to get up and get going. I am going to be posting my progress. You can substitute the bicycle ride with a long run/jog or a good swim. Join me with this for 4 weeks.
Join me and post your progress. I am starting off with a body weight of 216 pounds and a body fat percentage of 22%.
The fitness challenge which I am planning is a combination of the high intensity interval training (HIIT) and endurance. As I have been writing, the HIIT training is going to force my system to become more efficient at using oxygen and removing lactic acid. This part of the training is also going to rapidly increase my leg strength and muscular capacity. That is, according to all the scientific studies I have been reading. Also, my own experience in the past with Tabata drills and other HIIT routines.
The bicycle riding is an endurance and cardio event. We are familiar with how the low impact, moderately paced cardio workouts burn fat after 20 minutes.
By combining the two routines we, if you also take this challenge, will see a significant drop in body fat along with an increase in our overall aerobic capacity.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Drop Set Pull-Push Routine; Interval Runs (2 mile minimum); Bicycle Crunches (2 min)
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Bicycle Riding, for me, 20.4 miles
If you are still reading this, then the challenge is for you to get up and get going. I am going to be posting my progress. You can substitute the bicycle ride with a long run/jog or a good swim. Join me with this for 4 weeks.
Join me and post your progress. I am starting off with a body weight of 216 pounds and a body fat percentage of 22%.
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