How To Use Cardio Machines

If you follow my blog, then you know that traditional steady state hours on cardio machines is not an effective way to lose body fat.  However, there are reasons for when cardio machines are useful and necessary.  Following is a blurb from Fitness Magazine online:

How to Use Cardio Machines at the Gym

Get the most out of each drop of sweat with these simple pointers from gym guru Mary Ann Browning, owner of Brownings Fitness in New York City.

Stationary bike: Set the seat so that it is at hip height when you're standing next to the bike and cycle with a tall posture "as if you're balancing a book on your head," Browning says. Aim to maintain a minimum speed of 85 revolutions per minute for a solid workout, and don't point your toes when pedaling. "It works more of the quads instead of the butt and hamstrings."

Elliptical trainer: "Pretend you're running," Browning says, using mostly leg power and grasping the handles occasionally. Warm up to a pace that feels brisk (a 5 or 6 on an intensity scale of 1 to 10), and add resistance when you're cruising along.

Stairclimber: To really work your lower body, only lightly touch or let go of the handles and press through your heels. "Stretch your quads and calves afterward," Browning says.

Treadmill: Run in the middle of the tread. "Being too close to the dashboard doesn't allow you to run in your normal gait," Browning says. Set the incline to 1 percent to replicate the feel of running outdoors.

Core Essentials

The core strength you gain from the full body workouts with me serves you in all you do.  Strong abdominal and back muscles keep your torso upright and your pelvis in healthy alignment.  This allows you to move more efficiently without incorrectly facilitating other muscle groups which prevents joint issues and unnecessary tightness.  Law Of Facilitation  If you are a runner, for example, a strong core makes all the difference in your stride and your time. 

5 Pounds of Fat

So what does 5 pounds of fat look like?

Can you see now how 5 pounds of fat gone can easily equal a pant size depending on where that 5 pounds of fat is located?  If that 5 pounds of fat is located on your mid-section, it can equate to more than a few inches lost.  All the more reason to focus on burning fat and relying on the tape measure over the scale.  Measuring Results

Excuses or Opportunity....Which Will You Take?

Long Week...

So this is a first for me.....With a very unexpected and extremely difficult week, I only posted on Monday and then nothing until today....no explanation as to anything, just disappeared!  Not like me, but very necessary!  Sufficed to say, all well ;-)

This is the final day of the 4 Week Challenge (Current Fitness Challenge) for me and even though I had a beyond rough week, I have ended the Challenge the way I had wanted....with a renewed passion and acceptance for a balanced diet, exercise program, and life .... and a few inches & pounds lost :-)  I know from some of you participating that this has been the strongest Challenge yet for you, and I know from others it ended as many other Challenges end for you...not so hot or strong.  Whether you participated or not, whether you ended strong or not, making just one positive, healthy change in your life at a time is still forward motion.  Keep moving forward in a positive way and you will find yourself better for it!!!!

So why was this week so rough....I might just post on that soon .... for now, know that all is well with me just as I hope all is well with you! 

It's Not About Me

True, this blog is written by me; and true, it contains personal information about my journey to hopefully inspire you, but this blog is not about me.  This blog is also not about how much I know, or am capable of, this blog is about providing a service to YOU and is therefore very much about YOU!  You won't find any fad info or quick fixes.  What you will find is factual fitness and nutritional information as well as inspirational and motivational support.  If you need and/or want additional information not found on this blog, let me know at cagib1@charter.net as I am here to help!

Why Workout With Me?

Do It For Love

Would you allow your children to abuse themselves and/or someone in your life that you love dearly?  NO you would not!  Then, why do you continue to allow yourself to abuse you?  Whatever do I mean?  Well, I'll tell you ;-)  It's like this:  If you are still on the excuse-a-go-round and not eating supportively or working your body out, then you are in fact harming yourself.  In the short run depending on where you are on your fitness journey and what your health is like as well as your genetic lottery, then you may be okay in the short run....but the long run could be a very different story indeed.  You are someone's child!  You are special to at least one other individual!  If that someone special in your life had a life threatening disease, you would want them to do everything medically possible to overcome that disease...right?  Then why is taking a few moments each and every day to prevent life threatening and/or life shortening situations any different?  Beyond the example you set for those around you (especially those fragile little beings entrusted in our care...Your Children Are Watching!), do it for yourself.....and....If not for your own sake, if not for money in your pocket instead of the insurance companies/doctors/medicine, then do it for love...that someone special in your life!  Take a step outside of what is routine and comfortable and challenge yourself today to take at least one excuse away and replace with the healthy choice you have been neglecting!  This blog is full of helpful tips and information and free workouts, and I am always available at cagib1@charter.net.

Reminders & Info

Reminder This Saturday, 9/15/12, at 8 am is the Free Trinity Workout....This month is a special WORKSHOP so come and check it out if you have never been as it will be a great opportunity to meet with me and get some free one-on-one assistance and/or if you have some things you would like to work on to improve we can "workshop" that together!  Free Monthly Workouts

Info If you are a smart phone web browser and frequent my site but do not opt to "View Web Version" you are short changing yourself on all the info provided.....To see the whole site and all of the tabs full of info, be sure and scroll down and click to view web version.

Reminder "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

Law of Facilitation

You are only as strong as your weakest link and if you aren't feeling (using) the muscles you are working, then you are just going through the motions and not benefiting...in some cases, you are harming yourself.

Law of Facilitation The body subscribes to the law of facilitation, meaning that the body will achieve the desired movement following the path of least resistance. If your body has any mobility-stability compromises, you will end up with dysfunctional movement causing inevitable breakdowns at your weakest link. This is corrected by focusing on moving correctly as opposed to just moving. A great example is the squat and the push up. If you just move through either of these movements regardless of incorrect movement just to say you got the move done, you are actually causing layers of damage to muscular and joint function which will impede your progress to moving correctly in those and other movements. An excellent way to get in touch, stay in touch, as well as improve your mobility-stability issues is to STRETCH. Yoga is an excellent way to accomplish this. When you are stretching, regardless of what modality you use, pay attention to what is tight and what is overcompensating for your “weak links” and communicate those findings to me during our sessions. We can work together to improve your movements so your body doesn’t have to “compromise” to move.

Count Your Tempo Your muscle gain is in the eccentric movement and not as much in the concentric movement. The concentric movement is away from the pull of gravity and moving the joints closer together (e.g., in a bicep curl the concentric movement is when the wrist moves towards the shoulder joint). The eccentric movement is toward the pull of gravity and moving the joints further apart (e.g., in a bicep curl the eccentric movement is when the wrist moves from the shoulder joint back towards the floor). Note, that delayed onset muscle soreness (the soreness you feel a day or two following exercise) is mostly associated with eccentric actions, especially during higher-intensity exercises (e.g., deadlifts). You should never just let your eccentric movements fall, meaning you should never let gravity do the pulling without you controlling the movement. Rather, eccentric contractions should control the rate of motion, slowing the downward movement against the pull of gravity. There are numerous reasons for this, not the least of which is prevention of joint and muscular injury. During your next workout, see if you can focus on your control of both the concentric and eccentric contractions by counting your tempo. The commonly recommended movement speed of six seconds per repetition is broken out as 2-3 seconds for the concentric muscle action and 3-5 seconds for the eccentric muscle action. How on track have you been between contractions? What have you noticed in focusing on this? 

Check out other Workout Tidbits

Just Tongue It!

To help alleviate neck pain when crunching your abs simply press your tongue into the roof of your mouth until your abs are strong enough that your neck and shoulders don't compensate causing the neck pain.  Also look up to the ceiling instead of downward towards your feet.  Need other workout tidbits?  Be sure to check out the posts on Workout Tidbits

Where is the Finish Line?

We get so focused on reaching our goals and "being done"...but there are no quick fixes or finish lines when it comes to good health and fitness.  You either have good habits and a healthy lifestyle or you don't.  A healthy lifestyle doesn't expire until you do.  The only finish line in these flesh bodies is the grave, and I don't know about you, but I'm in no hurry to cross that line.  Up for the next step and to challenge yourself?  Lots of options at Current Fitness Challenge ;-)

Need help getting started or bumping up the intensity?  I'm here:  cagib1@charter.net

Bootstraps

Wherever you are in life or your fitness journey, sometimes you hit the wall, fall down a hole, crash off the wagon and just need to find your bootstraps.  If that's where you find yourself at the end of this first week of September and/or if you just need some extra momentum....take a few moments to read through some of these previous posts:  Inspiration & Encouragement Find your bootstraps and move forward into your future!

Supplements Part Deux

from the September 2012 issue of Fitness Magazine:

Should You Swallow by Paige Greenfield

"Taking vitamins to stay healthy seems like a no-brainer.  But new research has found that supplements aren't the magic bullet we've been led to believe.  One recent review of 78 studies found that antioxidant supplements don't reduce the risk for death from disease; in fact, in some cases they actually raise it.  And now calcium supplements, which so many of us have been dutifully popping for years, have been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.  Say what?  But don't trash your stash just yet.  Read on so you can make the best decisions for your body."

The article goes on to state the facts that "Vitamins don't cancel out bad health habits"  &  "Megadoses are useless and possibly even harmful"  &  "What you put on your plate mattes most". 

See my earlier post:  Supplements & The Rest

Supplements & The Rest

First know that the information contained on this blog is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. I am not a registered dietician. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications. 

That all said....Just a little blurb on supplements.  Supplements should not be "replacements" for obtaining actual sources of nutrients your body needs, but only in addition to obtaining these nutrients.  Bottom-line is you should always try to get your vitamins and minerals from natural, whole food sources.  That being said, sometimes this isn't always feasible.  A good whole food multi-vitamin with probiotics can be a great way to supplement your healthy and supportive dietary intake daily.  When choosing a vitamin, make sure it is from a good source, will be ingested as opposed to excreted out and what times of day and with what foods is best for it to be taken, and that you are not taking an overabundance of any such vitamin.  B Complexes are another good add on ... not to replace actual produce and other food sources, but to enhance what you are not able to intake on a daily basis.  Things to know about any supplements you choose to take:

1) No one other than a medical doctor and/or a registered dietician who also know your full medical history should advise you of what supplements to take.  Why?  There can be severe drug and medical interactions that without full knowledge of your personal situation could cause harm to you. 

2) It is important to get educated on what you are taking, whether it be medicine or supplement because there are certain foods you have to take with certain things in order for your body to ingest it as intended as well as certain foods you should not eat while taking certain things or they will cause adverse effects to you either immediately or over time.  An example would be certain medications that cause adverse effects if you also eat grapefruit while taking.  Another example would be something as simple as a vitamin which in large doses and with certain auto-immune diseases can cause thinning of the blood.

3) Everyone's make up is different and so too are their bodily demands.  What an athlete may require, I would not, nor would you most likely need.  So don't get caught up in sports enhancing selling practices for reasons why you need this sports drink and/or supplement.....'cause you don't, nor would that very sports drink and/or supplement have the same effect in your body as it does in a highly trained athlete. 

Mostly what everyone needs is a balanced and supportive diet with proper daily/weekly exercise and rest.  Save the quick fixes and gimmicks for folks who are not yet educated on proper healthy choices and practices!

Go Bananas

From the September 2012 issue of Shape Magazine:

"Next time  you're refueling during a sweat session, go bananas--literally.  A new study from Appalachian State University found that when cyclists ate half of one in place of downing a bottled sports drink every 15 minutes during a simulated race, they got an identical performance boost, plus added nutritional benefits.  'Bananas offer an all-natural, fiber-packed source of carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamin B6--without empty calories and artificial ingredients,' explains lead researcher David C. Nieman, Ph.D.  So fill your water bottle, pack one of these travel-friendly fruits, and get ready to slip into high gear."  --21 Grams of sugar you'll save by swapping a 20-ounce sports drink for a banana. (that's a candy bar's worth).

Also reference: Bananas