Fitzy Bitzy

Six movements you must use in your workouts

Have you ever walked into a gym and said to yourself, “Okay, now what?”  Well guess what my friends; here are the top movements you need to incorporate into your exercise program to get the most out of your workouts.

They’re called primal patterns or prime movements.  These movements are what make up the basic movements of the body, and because of this, they incorporate multiple muscles and multiple joints when performing each exercise.  In order to get the most success out of your program, it’s a must to work as many muscles as you can with each exercise.  Since muscles are connected to joints, the more muscles you work, the more joints you also work.  These are called compound exercises, exercises that incorporate multiple muscle and 2 or more joints.

It doesn’t matter what your goal is, the more muscles you can work with each exercise, the faster the results.  From a weight loss standpoint, since muscle burns off calories, the more muscles used in an exercise, the more calories burned off, and the faster you’ll lose weight.  The more muscles incorporated into a muscle-building exercise, the faster the body will gain extra muscle.  In order to run fast, you don’t tiptoe along; you incorporate your arms, your core, all kinds of muscles in order to run faster.  Every successful program relates to these six prime movements.

So here they are.

1.    Push – Movements such as pushups and chest presses are great exercises that incorporate multiple muscle groups.
2.    Pull – Movements such as rows are another great multiple-muscle exercise.
3.    Squat – The granddaddy of them all.  Every exercise program has to incorporate squats into it because it works so many muscles.
4.    Lunge – Another great multiple-muscle movement, and just like the squat, it works the legs, the biggest muscles in your body.  By working the biggest muscles in your body, you’ll increase the rate of achieving results such as burning off more calories for fat loss and releasing more growth hormones for putting on muscle (assuming that you’re taking the necessary steps to try to put on muscle).
5.    Bend – Exercises that utilize bending at the hips are great for strengthening muscles such as the hamstrings and low back.
6.    Twist – These movements cover the widest range of motion for your body, and because of this, they’re essential for improving balance, stability, core strength, etc.  Twisting exercises are the most effective exercises for the core, so when you’re talking about developing a “six-pack”, twisting movements are a “must have” in your exercise program.

Now granted, there’s definitely a level of progression for each one of these movements; that’s why it’s good to consult with a fitness professional.  For example, if you’re unable to do a squat with proper form, then it’s not smart for you to progress to attempting a single-leg squat.  Consulting with a qualified fitness professional will help you determine how to progress with each one of these movements.

Instead of going through a workout that is filled with simple exercise that isolate one muscle in the body, for example, biceps curls and crunches, make it a point to structure your workout with these prime movements.  By creating a program around these key movements, not only will it be more interesting, you’ll also be more efficient with your workouts and achieve your results in a lot less time.

We're in the news!

This is some pretty exciting stuff! I had the chance to sit down with 10TV, Columbus, Ohio's CBS affiliate, and share with them how Your Live Trainers helps you achieve your fitness goals.  The interview went pretty well, but I was plenty nervous before it started.  Once it started, though, it wasn't too bad; it was just like talking to the camera during a live training session.  I really felt that this interview gave  me the opportunity to explain how our whole concept works.  I hope you like watching it.

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High gas prices are great!

Call me crazy, but the high prices projected for this summer may have a positive twist to them.  Yeah, it definitely is a bummer that we have to empty our wallets every time we go to fill up, but guess what, we don't have to fill up as much if we don't want to.

While there are many negatives to high gas prices, I actually see a positive to them.  I think the prices will force our country to become more active and healthier; it actually is already starting to happen.  Instead of driving everywhere, people are starting to ride their bikes more and walk and even run more.  On top of that, restaurants are starting to lose customers due to people not wanting to drive to a place to eat and spend extra money on pricey meals.  As a result, less people are consuming the enormous amount of calories that come with eating out.  Put it to the test.  I bet if you go into a restaurant right now, there will be less people in it compared to what there normally is. 

Instead of driving to a friend's house around the block, why not just walk there?  Not only will you get the health benefits of being more active, you'll also get the financial benefits of using less gas.  Instead of driving to the movies, why not go outside and be active in the backyard or ride your bike in the local park?

So I say yeah to higher gas prices ... well maybe not, but you get my point. 

You know what else?  High gas prices could be good for Your Live Trainers too because instead of using gas to drive to the gym, you can keep that gas in your tank by staying at home and getting a great workout with our live and interactive, online fitness trainers. ... Just a thought.  Here's to a healthier America!

Focus: one quality that’s a must have in your workout program

When I see people working out, sometimes I can’t believe what I see.  I have to give them a round of applause for meaning well with getting their workouts in for the day, but to be honest, sometimes their workouts really aren’t doing much.  I sometimes have to fight the urge to run up to some people and ask them why they’re doing what they’re doing.  Consider this to be my attempt at running up to them and getting them on the right path.

Focus, it’s something every successful exerciser has.  Too many times I see exercisers turn their workouts into social hours.  For some, going to the gym or exercise class is nothing more than another way to stay in touch with friends.  This is why I feel some of the gyms and exercise classes out there really aren’t all that effective.  My feeling is, why not spend the money on something else if you’re going to spend $50 a month on sitting on a machine and talking for 5 minutes about how your weekend went?

When I used to work at a local gym, sometime the other trainers and I would stand in amazement over members’ exercise routines.  We’d see a woman attempting to exercise on an elliptical while talking on the phone, or we’d see a guy perform an exercise and then walk around for 5 minutes checking himself out in the mirror.  Here’s my first bit of advice, if you’re able to talk on a cell phone while you’re “exercising”, that’s a pretty good indicator that you’re not getting much of a workout.  My second bit of advice, if you’re more worried about impressing your reflection, then you’re cheating yourself out of even better results.

Too many times, exercisers dread working out because they feel it requires hours a day to achieve the body or health they’ve always wanted.  Well here’s the secret … it doesn’t.  For some, if they’d just make their workouts more intense, they’d achieve success.  Some people need help figuring out what to do for a great workout, but some already know what it takes to have a great workout; they just don’t do the workout intensely enough.

One thing that gets on my nerves is when others come up to me during my workouts and try to start up a conversation; it’s not because I’m a very unfriendly person, it’s because when I’m in the middle of a workout, I’m a very focused person.  I like to start my workout, get everything in, and be done with it.  Plus, the less time I spend talking with others, the more intense my workout is, and the faster I’ll get results.

Ask anyone on my college track and field team, I wasn’t the greatest person to be around during track meets.  After meets, I’d laugh and goof off with the best of ‘em, but during meets, I was in a zone all meet long until my events were over.  Like I said, it wasn’t because I was a scrooge; it was because I wanted to keep my mind and body revved up to perform in my events.

If you take the time to stop and talk to others during your workout, not only are you cheating yourself out of results, you’re also creating a dangerous situation with your workout.  Taking too much time in between exercises can cause your body to cool down too much to where you’re not able to maintain the intensity that you had at the start of your workout.  On top of that, if you allow your body to cool down too much and then jump right back into an intense exercise, you can risk issues such as tearing a muscle or blacking out.

To separate yourself from the exercisers who slave away with working out and be successful with getting the results you want, make it a goal that when you start your workout, you’ll stay on task until you’re done with it.  If you can keep the intensity up for your entire workout, instead of continually taking breaks to chitchat, not only will you get better success from your workout, you’ll also be able to spend less time exercising.

Stay focused.  If you think that working out with friends is going to be a distraction, then don’t exercise with them; you’ll have plenty of other times to talk with them.  If you think you’re going to have the urge to talk on your cell phone while working out, then don’t have your cell phone with you when you exercise.  Your workout time is your time; don’t cheat yourself out of time that’s used to better yourself.

By staying focused, you can turn an hour workout into a quality, 30 to 45-minute workout.  That means faster results and less time doing something you dread.  So keep the intensity up, the talk time down, and your focus to succeed will help lead you to reaching your fitness goals.

The Wii Fit

Just when we thought the Wii was already cool enough, Nintendo goes and releases a new game called Wii Fit.  Wii Fit, which was released on April 25, features more than 40 different stretches, aerobic exercise, and yoga poses.  On top of that, it also includes a computerized "personal trainer" that helps you track your fitness progress.

The game is operated through a balance board that users stand on.  The balance board can detect the distribution of the user's weight, and through this, it's able to act as a controller for the game. 

Here's to hoping that this game can catch on for the video game junkie.  After playing the regular Nintendo Wii, it's good to see that you can have fun with video games while being active at the same time.  I remember back in college when Dance Dance Revolution was huge.  I remember getting together with friends and having tournaments to see who had the best moves.  We'd work up quite a sweat when we got going on that thing, and I imagine that this will do the same, except now, instead of just flailing our bodies around aimlessly, it sounds like there's a method to the madness.    

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Sorry for the downtime

I apologize for my blog address being messed up.  (Thank goodness everything is fine now.)  Since the website was down this weekend, I'm not going to write much; that way people will be able to get caught up and read this weekend's blog post.  See you Thursday!  Oh yeah, the May issue of the DF Free Press went out yesterday.  If you missed it, make sure you check it out.

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Are carbs really bad?

I’m sure you’ve heard one time or another in your life that carbs are evil.  Well, let me ask you, “Do you believe that?”  I’m still amazed at all the people I come into contact with that still practice low-carb eating.  While the Atkins Diet isn’t the only low-carb diet out there, it sure started quite a storm and has left a large debris field in its path.  So why am I focusing so much on low-carb nutrition?  It’s because I really feel it’s not only unhealthy, but it can also be dangerous.

Our society is flooded with so many new trends and diets, half of which have their moment of glory and then fade off into the distance.  Diets with names like Atkins, Zone, South Beach, Subway Diet, Carb Blockers, Sugar Busters, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig, Trim Spa, NutriSystem, and Weight Watchers are some of the more popular ones.  What about PACE, Gut Busters, Grapefruit Diet, Hawaii Diet, Hay Diet, Pritiken Diet, and Inhalers Diet?  For a lot of you, you’ve probably never heard of many of those.  Well guess what?  The list goes on and on.

As I said earlier, the Atkins Diet really focused on low-carb eating, and while after filing for bankruptcy and emerging with a focus centered more on healthy “on-the-go eating”, Atkins still promotes low-carb nutrition.

So why is low-carb eating unhealthy?  Before we get into that, a general rule of thumb is that if a diet is selling its own products as a requirement of completing it, chances are it’s probably not that great of a diet.  While there are some diets that map out good eating plans, most are in it to make money … well actually, I guess all are in it to make money; it’s just that some are better than others.  Remember, diets are businesses, and although they may sound wonderful, their main objective is to convince you of why you need to give them your money.

OK, so why isn’t low-carb eating a wise decision?  First, I know I’ve used this analogy before, but think of a car and the fuel it takes to run it.  Try to go without emptying your pockets to fill your car back up, and see what happens.  Obviously, you’ll run out of gas, and your car won’t run.  The same can be said for your body.  Carbohydrates are to your body as gas is to your car.  Without carbs, your body won’t run properly.

When I’m training a client, and they get dizzy, the two things I ask them are if they’ve been drinking water (dehydration), and if they ate anything before our session together.  Most of the time, the answer is no to one or both things.

Based on a 2000-calorie diet, the recommended daily value for carbohydrates consumed is 300 grams of complex carbohydrates, or 60% of your total calories.  Now this number can vary based on your total calories consumed, anywhere from 55-65% of your calorie consumption.

Here are some cool facts.  For every gram of carbohydrate eaten, 4 calories are consumed.  For every gram of fat eaten, 9 calories are consumed.  For every gram of protein eaten, 4 calories are consumed.  From this, you can see that a high-carb diet will most likely contain fewer calories than a high-fat diet.  Also, converting glucose (a carbohydrate) into fat requires that calories be spent in order to complete this process, so consuming complex carbohydrates is actually less fattening than eating fatty foods.

OK, so why can low-carb eating be dangerous?  Since glucose is our main source of energy, and carbohydrates are made up of glucose, carbs are our main source of energy.  What happens when we don’t consume enough carbs during the day is that our bodies can’t get enough energy from the carbs we eat.  When this happens, our bodies go into survival mode and have to find energy from somewhere.  Our bodies first turn to protein for providing the “backup” energy, but the problem with this is that this takes away from protein’s main functions like maintaining our immune systems and maintaining our muscle mass (our muscles will break down without protein).  The body can convert protein into glucose, but it’s very resistant to do so; this is why it’s suggested to always consume a mix of protein and carbs after a workout.  The protein is used for muscle repair, and the carbs provide energy for the body so that protein doesn’t have to.

Even though it’s not good to, the body can convert protein into glucose, but it can’t convert fat into glucose.  In order for fat to be used for energy, it has to combine with a carbohydrate.  The problem is, when you’re not eating carbs, there’s none there for the fat to combine with.  This means that during the breakdown of fat, ketone bodies can be produced.  Ketone bodies upset the acid-base balance in the blood, and as a result, the body can go into ketosis.

During ketosis, the brain slows down and causes the body’s muscles and organs to break down in order to provide energy to it.  Essentially, your body is eating itself away, and as this happens, your metabolism drops; this means it’s even harder to burn off calories.  On top of all this, ketones can cause other issues such as kidney problems.

Low-carb diets have led people astray because when it comes to carbohydrates, there are two different kinds.  If you remember my articles on simple sugars and the glycemic index, then you’ll remember that smart eating choices with carbs are all about choosing complex carbs over simple carbohydrates and low-glycemic foods over high-glycemic foods; it’s all about controlling your blood sugar and insulin levels, not about staying away from carbs all together.  Another benefit of complex carbs is the fiber they contain.  Fiber slows down the break down into glucose, so the slower the break down, the smaller the spike in blood sugar.  The smaller the spike, the less likely fat will be stored in the body.

When it comes to knowing what to eat, it’s essential you get a well-balanced diet of carbs, proteins, and fats.  [The average ratios should be 12-20% protein, 55-65% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats (based on a 2000-calorie diet, only up to 20 grams of saturated fat per day and up to 300 mg of cholesterol per day).]  Without a balance, problems such as the ones talked about can result.  The most successful eating plans focus on moderation of calories, balance, and smart eating choices.  So the next time you hear about a new diet that’s out, make sure it sticks to the foundational principles of healthy eating.  If it’s more about eating a certain type of food or product, you’re better off keeping your money in your pocket.

References:

American Council on Exercise (2003). ACE personal trainer manual: The ultimate resource for fitness professionals, (3^rd ed). San Diego, Ca.: American Council on Exercise.

Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2003). Nutrition concepts and controversies, (9^th ed). Belmont, Ca.: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

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Who knew sugar-free gum could be dangerous???

"Beware of sorbitol."  That's what doctors are saying to people who love their sugar-free gum.  According to U.S. News & World Report, two patients were taken to a Berlin hospital because they were suffering from severe diarrhea. ... You know, the kind that makes you lose 46 pounds!

A 21-year-old woman, who lost 24 lbs., and a 46-year-old man, who lost 46 lbs., were stumping doctors until they asked them about their chewing gum of choice.  That's right.  It turns out that the two were daily chewing enormous amounts of sugar-free chewing gum that contained sorbitol ... 15 to 20 sticks a day to be exact.  The woman's 15 to 20 sticks of gum earned her a gift of 20 grams of sorbitol consumed each day, while the man's 20 sticks of gum, plus about 200 grams of artificially sweetened candy per day, earned him an even bigger gift, as you can imagine.

The good news is once doctors realized what was going on, they took the two off the chewing gum, and both started to go back to their "normal" amount of trips to the bathroom.  After a year's time, the woman regained 15 lbs., and after only 6 months, the man regained 11 lbs.

Doctors say that most sugar-less gums in the U.S. don't contain sorbitol; they contain aspartame (NutraSweet).  In fact, all doctors are aware of the fact that sorbitol can cause these terrible side effects.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that dangerous side effects result when more than 50 grams of sorbitol is consumed daily.

The ironic thing, even though most sugar-free gums in America don't contain sorbitol, guess which does?  Stride.

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Are artificial sweeteners really the better option?

A recently published study from Purdue University may have discovered a shocking truth.  This study examined the response of rats after eating an artificially-sweetened yogurt compared to a sugar-sweetened yogurt. 

The astonishing thing about this study was that the rats which were fed a yogurt sweetened with saccharin went on to consume more calories, put on more weight, gained more body fat, and didn't show signs of decreasing the amount of calories consumes over time, compared to the rats that were fed the yogurt sweetened with sugar. 

The reasoning ... the body is wired to associate consuming sweet foods with a lot of calories about to be consumed.  What happens when an artificially-sweetened food is eaten is that the body is prepared for a lot of calories, but zero calories result from eating this type of food.  This causes the body to become very confused, and it leads to eating even more calories and burning off less energy. 

When the body eats, its calorie-burning engine is revved up.  In the case of zero calories being associated with a sweet, artificially-sweetened food, the body's engine doesn't feel it ate anything, it doesn't rev up, and as a result, the body ends up eating more and burning off less.

Since these findings were discovered in rats, researchers are still to figure out if the same response would occur in humans.  They also aren't sure if this is specific to saccharin, or if all artificial sweeteners would evoke a similar response.

I’ve started working out; why am I still gaining weight?!

Here’s a question I hear all the time, and to be honest, even though I know why it happens, it can still be disheartening to see your client so disappointed because after a few weeks of working out very hard, he hasn’t lost any weight but has actually gained weight instead!  This may have even happened to you and left you standing on the scale with a confused look on your face.  I think this is a big contributor to why so many people aren’t successful at weight loss programs.  Sure, some are just plain lazy and don’t exercise with enough intensity, but some become so discouraged with the scales that they simply just give up.  Whatever you do, don’t give up!  Here’s why.

I hope by now that we all know that losing fat takes time and effort.  For many, simply hopping onto a treadmill and walking for 20 to 30 minutes isn’t going to cut it; for a very small number of people yes, but for many no.  Most of us have to have a very structured and intense program to be successful at dropping the fat.

Here’s the first step to success.  Are you ready?  Ignore the scale.  That’s right.  Don’t even step onto a scale for the first month of your exercise program.  I know it’ll be hard, but don’t do it. I know some of you are scale addicts; well, consider this Day 1 of your scale detox program.  Remember, a successful “weight” loss program is based on the number of lbs. of fat burned off, not the number of overall lbs. burned off.  This is why you see programs out there that guarantee 6 lbs. lost in 6 days.  You know what they’re guaranteeing?  They’re guaranteeing an eventual 6-10, or more, lbs. being put back on.

The “yo-yo” effect, I’m sure a lot of you have heard of it before.  The “yo-yo” effect is when your body loses weight, then gains weight, then loses weight, and so on.  That’s what these types of guarantees are.  Sure, some overly obese individuals can lose more than 2 lbs. of fat in a week, but the majority can’t.  Losing 6 lbs. is mostly muscle and water, which is a horrible thing. Muscle is vital to your body, so when it loses it, it wants to get it right back, and a lot of times, it’ll put muscle back on and bring excess fat storage with it.  This can leave you having more body fat than when you originally started a “weight” loss program.

Alright, so we’ve established that all weight is not the same.  Losing a pound of muscle isn’t good for the body, while losing a pound of fat is (in most cases).  Also, hopefully it’s clear why scales aren’t always the best indicator of fat loss.  When I evaluate a client’s success, figuring out her body fat percentage is a lot more meaningful to me than seeing the number on the scale.  If her body fat stays the same, but she’s smaller on the scale, then that tells me she’s either lost muscle or water.  If her body fat is the same, but she’s bigger on the scale, then that tells me that she most likely is retaining water.  When both her body fat percentage and weight on the scale drop, then I know that she’s actually losing body fat and achieving success.

For those of you who can’t seem to shake your scale addiction, here’s why you need to be prepared for what you’ll see at the start of your weight loss program.

Like I said earlier, it can be very discouraging when you step onto the scale and see that you haven’t lost any weight and may have evened gained weight.  As long as you don’t give up and are doing the right things with eating right and working out hard enough, your body fat will slowly start to come off.  You just need to be patient.  Don’t give up.

When you first start an exercise program, your body is basically thrown a curve ball.  Your body is used to having to use a certain amount of energy throughout the day, but now that you’re exercising, your body figures out that it needs a greater energy supply.  So what happens?

If you remember, your body’s source of energy comes from glucose.  Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the glucose is used to make energy, and your body performs how it needs to.  Well, your body also has a “reserve tank” for excess glucose. Instead of storing all the excess glucose as fat, your body stores some of the excess glucose in an easier form to break down for energy; it’s called glycogen.  Glycogen is long chains of glucose molecules that are stored in our muscles and liver.

Your body adapts to how much glycogen it needs to store in order to have enough “energy” on stand-by for when your blood sugar starts to drop because there isn’t enough glucose in the bloodstream from the food you last ate.  When we start to exercise, our bodies require more energy and become more efficient at getting that energy, so as a result, our bodies start to store more glycogen.  Here’s the kicker.  For every gram of glycogen stored, approximately 3 grams of water are stored with it.  This means that now your body has a larger amount of water and glycogen stored in the muscles and liver, and as a result, your body weight can go up by a few lbs.

Picture a piece of bread or pasta noodle.  What happens when you put them in water?  They’re like sponges.  They soak up the water and expand.  The same can be said with glycogen.  Glycogen is a carb, and it sucks up water just like any other carb.

Here’s another culprit.  If you go from not working out to working out very hard, your muscles will most likely be sore for the next 2 or 3 days.  This is because when you work out, you essentially create mini-tears in your muscles.  Working out too intensely can cause these tears to become overly inflamed to the point where the mini-tears start to swell with fluid.  This excess fluid in the muscles can cause an initial, excess weight gain.  By starting out an exercise program slowly and working your way up, you reduce the likelihood of tearing your muscles too much.  To some extent, though, muscle soreness will occur when you first start exercising, but the amount of soreness and inflammation can be controlled by gradually working into a fitness program.

If you continue to stick to your weight loss program and don’t become discouraged by the initial weight gain that may result, you’ll slowly start to see the weight come off for good.  Rest assured, even though you may be retaining water during that first month of working out, your body is still burning off fat.  After a month’s time, that excess water weight and glycogen will still be there, but your body will have started to burn off enough fat to overcome the water weight gains, and you’ll start to see a difference on the scale.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the individuals who are the most successful with permanent weight loss are those who don’t see results in the first month.  One thing I’ve noticed about my most successful clients, the majority of them actually gained a pound or two during the first month of exercising.  My clients who weren’t very successful were those that maintained the same weight during the first month, the second month, and so on.  Why?  I’d have to say it’s because my most successful clients were working so intensely that they experienced extra glycogen and water storage.  My clients who wouldn’t put in the effort didn’t need extra glycogen stored, so they didn’t see any initial weight gains.

You see, my successful clients saw an extra pound or two on the scale during the first month, but as the program went on, that extra glycogen storage meant their bodies had the extra fuel to stay revved up and burning off excess calories.  It also meant that of the food they ate, less was going into fat storage and more was going into “high-octane” glycogen storage.  Less fat storage equals faster weight loss.

So here’s my advice.  Don’t be scared of delayed results within the first month.  Your body is going through an adaptation process, and it requires some time to prepare itself for its new lifestyle.  Keep your exercise intensity up, your eating habits right, and you’ll slowly start to see your fat loss results overcome your new glycogen and water storage results.  You’ll slowly start to see that success you set out to achieve.