Plus learn about a vitamin that most people are deficient in and this deficiency can make it harder for you to lose weight. Change that!
Monday, November 30, 2009
How the heck did I get here?!
Check back next week to hear about a situation that I found myself in that I NEVER would have imagined, not even in a million years...
The POWER of the opposite sex (well at least for men)
Based on a new study -
Men perform better during exercise and experience less pain when in the presence of WOMEN.
The authors of the study speculate that men try to impress women with physical strength and try to minimize any signs of physical discomfort or pain. Unfortunately, based on this particular study, women do NOT benefit in the same way when working out in the presence of men! Sorry ladies, maybe try and focus on the good eye candy the guys are providing, and try and use that to inspire you a bit more...
The patient's motivation during bicycle stress ECG test is dependent on the investigator's sex in male patients
3rd & 4th session with my personal trainer
(Photo at left taken by my sister, she said it reminds her a bit of Jillian from the Biggest Loser. I have been loving that show and am so inspired by the contestants and am so happy for the fantastic changes they are making in their lives and in their health!)
Did some ab work that I had never done before- a plank with my forearms on a bench and my feet on a stability ball, which was unsteady in itself, and then Chris had me pull one knee up to my chest and just try and balance tripod style on my two forearms and the other foot on the stability ball. Note to girls- do NOT put moisturizer on your arms before doing this! My arms kept wanting to slip off the bench and this really added way more to the instability aspect than I wanted!
Before hiring a personal trainer, I had been doing my leg extensions on a Nautilus machine, pretty much using the whole weight stack. Chris said that I needed to switch to a different type of machine that wouldn't make it so easy on me, and so we did. He loaded it up progressively until I had 4 45lb plates on each side for a total of 360lbs. My eyes bulged at the thought, but it was actually doable, and I could feel it working my legs & glutes way better than on the Nautilus.
TRAINER TIP - It is also important to keep your knees in proper formation when doing leg presses, don't let them roll in or roll out or you will not be working the proper muscles (too much adductors or abductors, respectively).
4th Session
Chris asked what I wanted to accomplish next with my workouts. Mentioned that I had climbed Mt Si the past weekend and wanted to be able to bound up through the vertical ascent parts vs plod through. He smiled and said we will do more plyometrics. Also said that maybe the workouts weren't hard enough because he saw me go and do additional lifting after my workouts with him. Oh no! That's not the case at all. I just like to "burn out" whatever muscles still have a little more ability in them.
"Competitions" keep coming up...
(3rd PT session)
After my workout a 24hr fitness employee came and chatted with me a bit while I was stretching on the mats. He said that I should think about entering competitions, I said that I didn't think I really fit that mold - not strong enough or lean enough.
(4th PT session)
Once again, when I was at the mats, chatted with a fellow gym member that I have chatted with several times in the past. She said she saw me training with Chris and while I was doing one move she said that my back actually had muscles ripple across it. I have no idea what that looks like, but it sounds interesting. She then said that she and her boyfriend had been talking about me and they think I should do figure competitions. There that "competition" thing is again, what's the deal?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NASM Workshop - Fantastic!
I went to a 2 day seminar put on by NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and it was both a blast AND a major download to the brain. Before embarking on this new career path, I too, like many others, may have discounted most trainers at the gym as a bit of the musclebound/meathead mentality. After this past weekend (plus the textbook that I am trying to absorb as well as all the online study materials, DVDs, MP3s and workbooks) my previous pre-conceptions are all being dropped. I had already had a high opinion of my own trainer, and after this past weekend it was just all the more elevated.
The instructor, Tony Ambler-Wright, was top-notch and I would whole-heartedly recommend a class by him anywhere, anytime. His knowledge on the subject was expansive and he did a lot of hands on demonstrations to really clarify the points. To be an excellent personal trainer there is really such a large component of anatomy understanding and exercise science that I would have thought would only be needed by doctors and physical therapists. My trainer, Chris, says that NASM training is very thorough and even though most clients will never ask (or know to ask) about all the components that I will know about, it will still make me a more effective and highly skilled trainer. I like and agree with that. I want to be beyond excellent for my clients, and a NASM certification is a key component.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Let the turkey be stuffed & plump over Thanksgiving, while YOU stay nice & lean!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving without totally porking out AND be able to eat your pie too! Just follow 1 or more of the following 10 tips and you could be a lot better off this year than last- 1. Morning Exercise First thing in the morning get in some cardio however you best like. You will feel so much better later knowing that you got this in, and you will be more mindful of what you eat during the day so as not to negate all your early AM efforts.
2. Eat Small/Eat Frequently If you eat a little something (a mix of carb/fat/protein) every 3-4hrs then you will keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable AND stop any extreme hunger/gorging behaviors. Sure, that means that you won't be totally stuffing yourself at the Thanksgiving meal itself, and thats fine - remember, the leftovers will taste just as good the next day, maybe even better!
3. Red Wine & Water Red wine is probably your healthiest alcohol choice, just try and keep the quantity low, 1 glass for women*, 2 for men. Any more than that and you may lose the ability to keep making mindful choices. And keep your water glass nearby and drink that frequently to help keep your stomach full. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, what you really are is thirsty, so give the water a try first.
*Why just 1 glass of wine for women? Besides usually being a smaller mass then men, women metabolize wine a bit differently and a lesser amount affects ladies more. Also, if you are predisposed to breast cancer in the family, then you may want to take special care to limit your alcohol intake. (On a more fun note, in a future blog, learn some of the scientifically lusty benefits of wine consumption!)
4. Act like a Rabbit Go ahead and stuff in as many raw or steamed veggies as you'd like. These have practically no calories, loads of nutrition, and all the fiber and bulk will help fill you up. Skip the dip or go very easy on it.
5. Add more Cinnamon to the Pie This trick can actually help you reduce the amount of sugar that you use in pie or crisp recipes as cinnamon "registers" on your tastebuds as added sweetness. You can reduce the sugar in recipes by 25% or more when you double or triple the amount of called for cinnamon. Cinnamon also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, so your insulin doesn't rollercoaster. This helps keep you healthy and prevents your from feeling ravenous.
6. Go Crustless Eat your pumpkin or apple pie with half the guilt and all the antioxidants. Eat the filling and leave the soggy crust behind, it is loaded with empty calories and fat. Skip that! The crust is usually not all that good, save your calories for something better. Or make a crisp, there is often healthier ingredients in a crisp topping like oats and walnuts, both of which are heart healthy and delicious. Also, try to really slowly savor the first few bites of whichever dessert you choose, turns out that is where most of the satisfaction lies. Make a game of it- tantalize yourself and see how long you can keep that first bite in your mouth before you just have to swallow it.
7. Walk it out After the main meal, go take a walk around the neighborhood and recruit whatever relatives that you can. This will give you the chance to burn a few calories and get away from the table for a bit.
8. Play Outside During the day, see if anyone wants to play a game of football in the backyard or any other sport, or go for a walk, or stay inside and play some Wii - tennis or boxing will get your heart rate up if you really start swinging (just be careful not to knock over any lamps, or knock out anyone).
9. Sip Hot Tea This can be comforting, fill you up, give your hands something to do, and tea just has a ton of health benefits. Go herbal or green if its getting late and you'll want to be sleeping anytime soon.
10. Visualize Your Success Go back and review the steps and spend some time really visualizing yourself making these good choices. The more detailed your vision is and the more frequently you do this, the better it will cement in your head and then lead to you acting out that behavior. Visualization is a tool that athletes use in sports and it works in applications like this as well.
There's Always Tommorrow Did you blow it and eat way too much? It happens. Don't berate yourself, this is not helpful. Instead, resolve for tomorrow that you will get in some exercise first thing in the morning and then eat a little more sensibly (do not drastically reduce your food intake or you will rebel) and all will be well. You don't get obese after just 1 day. Get back on track and you will be just fine.
One last thing - Come back and, in the comments on this blog, report what tips you tried. Planning to do this will help give you some accountability and therefore help you make good choices so that you can report back your success!
2nd session with my personal trainer
"My arms are seriously DEAD. I can barely lift up my water bottle." I told my trainer, Chris, this partway through our second session together and I wasn't exaggerating. Yet we were only halfway through the workout. Apparently he had seen me lifting in the gym before I started training with him, and so he wasn't going easy on me in any way. Great, wish he had seen me pumping 2lb weights.
Next I learn that I have been "cheating" on my chin-ups. Chris tells me that I have to extend fully ALL the way down to an absolute dead hang. This feels like my arms are about to pop out of my sockets, but the cheating reference has fired me up and so I'm all for the challenge. He also has me to a wide Y grip vs my close grip and that is infinitely harder. It works my lats more vs my biceps and it feels completely different. I don't do nearly as many reps on my own as I can do in my usual "cheating" style :) To help me complete the set he uses what looks like a gigantic rubber band that wraps around my feet and attaches up by the handlebars. I'm kind of an independent person, and so being dependent on this rubber band thing kind of bugs me. But I think that will motivate me to increase my reps sooner rather than later.
Learn from my mistake - drink some water before your workout, a good amount during (especially if you're sweating a lot), and drink some more after. I didn't drink very much this particular time and got one pounding headache later that day and all that night. At my next workout, Chris said I probably needed to be drinking more water. My massage therapist seconded that and told me about a large study in the New England Journal of Medicine on migraines & headaches that found out that as many as HALF of all headaches are due to dehydration. That is pretty profound. You may have heard before how as humans, our ability to sense our need for water is not very good. By the time you sense that you are a little thirsty, your body is oftentimes actually VERY thirsty.
Next I learn that I have been "cheating" on my chin-ups. Chris tells me that I have to extend fully ALL the way down to an absolute dead hang. This feels like my arms are about to pop out of my sockets, but the cheating reference has fired me up and so I'm all for the challenge. He also has me to a wide Y grip vs my close grip and that is infinitely harder. It works my lats more vs my biceps and it feels completely different. I don't do nearly as many reps on my own as I can do in my usual "cheating" style :) To help me complete the set he uses what looks like a gigantic rubber band that wraps around my feet and attaches up by the handlebars. I'm kind of an independent person, and so being dependent on this rubber band thing kind of bugs me. But I think that will motivate me to increase my reps sooner rather than later.
Learn from my mistake - drink some water before your workout, a good amount during (especially if you're sweating a lot), and drink some more after. I didn't drink very much this particular time and got one pounding headache later that day and all that night. At my next workout, Chris said I probably needed to be drinking more water. My massage therapist seconded that and told me about a large study in the New England Journal of Medicine on migraines & headaches that found out that as many as HALF of all headaches are due to dehydration. That is pretty profound. You may have heard before how as humans, our ability to sense our need for water is not very good. By the time you sense that you are a little thirsty, your body is oftentimes actually VERY thirsty.
TRAINER TIP
The specific amount of water recommended by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is-
Pre-Workout
Drink 2-3 cups (16-24oz) approximately 2hrs before exercise
During Workout
Drink 3-6 oz every 15 minutes
Post Workout
Drink 2 cups (16oz) for every pound lost during exercise
Even if you don't measure this out specifically, the takeaway is to drink a LOT more water- pre, post and during your workout!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Doing the dips
(I'm rather self-conscious about it, but my sister said I needed to be sure and include lots of pics on my blog plus some video clips, so here goes...)
I haven't seen many women, or men, do a lot of dips with additional weight, so I thought that might be a good clip to share. On YouTube there is a clip that has been viewed over 52 thousand times of a girl doing dips. She did a fairly high quantity, but did not add any weight. Here is a clip of me doing a set of eight reps with a 45lb plate attached.
Another fellow gym member decided to walk by and make a comment while my sister was recording the clip. After he found out he was on the video, said he wants some royalties. I'll get right on that :)
TRAINER TIP- Dips are a great exercise for your triceps and pectoral muscles. A lot of machines, like the one in the video, allow you to "take off" some of your weight and make the exercise easier until you can accomodate your own weight or potentially even more. If you prefer, you can even do them in the privacy of your home using a chair or step. Check back - I'll get some pics made of that soon to show you exactly how to do that with proper form and how you can progressively make the exercise more challenging.
I haven't seen many women, or men, do a lot of dips with additional weight, so I thought that might be a good clip to share. On YouTube there is a clip that has been viewed over 52 thousand times of a girl doing dips. She did a fairly high quantity, but did not add any weight. Here is a clip of me doing a set of eight reps with a 45lb plate attached.
Another fellow gym member decided to walk by and make a comment while my sister was recording the clip. After he found out he was on the video, said he wants some royalties. I'll get right on that :)
TRAINER TIP- Dips are a great exercise for your triceps and pectoral muscles. A lot of machines, like the one in the video, allow you to "take off" some of your weight and make the exercise easier until you can accomodate your own weight or potentially even more. If you prefer, you can even do them in the privacy of your home using a chair or step. Check back - I'll get some pics made of that soon to show you exactly how to do that with proper form and how you can progressively make the exercise more challenging.
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