Don't Use Your Microwave

Don't use your microwave!  At least that's what we've all heard at one time or another.  Many concerns are radiation leaks, toxic foods, and/or changes in the food's nutrient value. 

Microwaves heat your food by vibrating molecules, mostly water molecules, which produce friction.  Since radiation is not used in microwaves, radiation does NOT pose any health threats.  Furthermore, there have been no studies that confirm that microwaved foods have resulted in sickness or disease.

On the other hand, microwaving foods can change vitamin and mineral content; but, so does traditional cooking.  The decrease in the amount of vitamins and minerals occurs because of the heat and not the source of the heat.

Microwaving (or cooking) your food in plastic is a whole other topic.  But if you use glass or most ceramics, there shouldn't be any danger in using a microwave to heat your food.

Fish and Shrimp for Joint Pain?

We've all know by now that fish and shrimp are a great source of protein.  Many of us also know that fish and shrimp are a great source of essential fatty acids.  But did you know that fish and shrimp can also help with joint pain?

Many people suffer from joint pain whether it's arthritis or tendinitis.  Pink colored seafood like salmon, lobster, crab, and shrimp also have anti-inflammatory properties that will aid with joint pain.  Many people warn against the over consumption of seafood because of the possibility of mercury poisoning.  Therefore, eating 2 or 3 servings of seafood per week should be beneficial to your health and your joint pain.

If seafood is not your style, you can always turn to fish oil.  Many people buy fish oil to ensure they are receiving they proper amount of omega-3s in their diet.  Taking 1 or 2 tablespoons of fish oil per day, whether in liquid or pill form, will also improve your overall health and aid with joint pain.

If you have attended PFTA Personal Trainer Certification School, and you would like more information, please visit our website: www.PFTAschools.com or call 800-994-7382.

Does Honey Help With Allergies?

On my drive to work, I sometimes see road side vendors claiming they have the cure for allergies.  Their signs boast of their honey coming to the rescue of allergy sufferers.  But are their claims true?  I looked deeper into honey and the claims of allergy relief.

The theory behind honey and its allergy relief lies within the bees little feet.  As they fly from flower to flower collecting nectar, they also carry different types of pollen on their limbs.  When they go back to their hives, the pollen is mixed in with the nectar to make honey.

When the beekeeper takes the honey, it has many of the allergens causing problems among the local residents.  It does not have so much as to cause problems but just enough of the allergens for your body to make antibodies.  In theory, one tablespoon of local honey per day will help your body make antibodies to these allergens...very similar to a flu shot.  The trick is...it has to be local honey.  Buying honey manufactured many counties and/or states away may not carry the same pollen causing you problems.  Many people swear by local honey so if you are suffering this spring...it may be worth a try :)

The World Is Getting Fatter

Obesity is spreading around the world and continues to pose serious health threats according to Dr. Richard Horton, the editor of the Lancet a medical journal.  Besides posing health issues to individuals, the increased costs of treating obesity is a major expense for everyone.  Obesity can cause diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, and certain forms of cancer.

This initial study shows that 1.5 billion adults in the world are overweight while 500,000 million of those adults are also classified as obese according to the U.S. Center of Disease Control's BMI calculator.

A different study by Dr. Wang at Columbia University predicts that 50% of Americans will be classified as obese by the year 2030 if this upward trend continues.  Inactivity and diets high in processed foods are the two main culprits for the rise in obesity.

More education is needed to reverse this trend in the U.S. and the rest of the world.  Today, personal trainers are learning how they can prescribe diets and exercise programs in order to help adults and kids alike win the battle against obesity.

The Perils of Stress

Stress at work and/or at home causes many problems.  The first thing it does is raise cortisol levels.  Increased cortisol levels will break down protein for energy.  If you have increased stress in your life, then it is most likely that you have lost muscle which will lower your metabolism and lower your energy levels.

Stress also causes emotional eating or sometimes the loss of your appetite.  Neither of those two stressful events are healthy.  Over-eating will cause you to gain weight which will eventually cause more stress.  Losing your appetite will cause weight loss but you may lose too much muscle and have decreased energy levels and a slower metabolism.

One way to battle stress is to confront it head on.  When you are feeling stressed, take a time out from the stressful event and go for a walk or jog.  Many experts agree that light activity will lower stress levels and reverse the effects of stress.  Another way to confront stress is to have healthy foods at your disposal so when you are craving comfort foods, you can turn to fruits and nuts instead.

Speaking of stress...it's time to go for a jog :)

Supercharge Your Workouts

Supercharge your strength training workouts by incorporating advanced training principles.  Because muscle recruitment is highly dependant on the size principle, your workouts will normally recruit the same muscle fibers as the previous workout.  In order to recruit more muscle fibers or different muscle fibers, you need to involve the "overload principle." 

There are several ways to "overload" your muscles including increasing the number of sets, increasing the number of reps, increasing the amount of weight, or decreasing the amount of rest time.

Other advanced training principles include forced reps and dropped sets.  The goal of every strength training workout should be to recruit more muscle fibers than the previous workout.  A good indicator of increased recruitment is muscle soreness.  You don't have to be sore after every workout but soreness, even slight soreness, indicates you may have recruited fibers that were NOT recruited in the previous workout.

Personal trainers often help their clients with forced reps.  Once a client can NOT do any more reps, the trainer will assist the client with one or two more reps.  This ensures that the client is recruiting muscles fibers that may not have been recruited previously. 

Common sense will tell you that the same workouts will yield the same results.  If you want to make changes, if you want to make improvements, then you should improve your workout by changing it up.

Boost Your Metabolism

Many people have decided to lose weight this year.  Most of them have chosen a diet to reach their weight loss goal.  Some have chosen to began an aerobic exercise program.  But if you really want to boost your metabolism and reach your weight loss goal, it's time to incorporate resistance training into your diet and cardio plan.

Resistance training is NOT just for bodybuilders.  Resistance training is for anyone who wants to improve their overall health.  A proper resistance training program will develop muscular strength, improve muscular flexibility, enhance bone health and bone density, strengthen tendons and ligaments, and develop muscular endurance.

As an added bonus, a resistance training program will also boost your metabolism.  It has been well documented that a pound of muscle burns 80 to 100 extra calories per week while a pound of fat only burns 3 to 5 calories per week.  This one pound of muscle will burn over 10 fat pounds per year.  With all the benefits of resistance training, the only question is why more people aren't doing it!

If more information on boosting your metabolism, call 800-994-7382.

Too Little Protein May Increase Body Fat

A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that diets low in protein may lead to increased fat storage.  CNN reported the study as most Americans began their annual battle with weight loss at the turn of the year.

Furthermore, the study suggests that the minimum protein intake federal health officials currently recommend may not be enough to maintain muscle mass in some people.  Americans involved in exercise require more protein than those Americans that lead a sedentary lifestyle.

There are several mechanisms at work.  First, your body needs a minimum amount of protein just to maintain the muscle you already have.  Second, a person involved in exercise requires additional protein to build muscle and to cover an increased amount of energy expenditure.

In summary, if you have begun a diet and/or exercise program, make sure you are eating enough protein; otherwise, you may be losing muscle along with fat....or even worse....gaining fat!

If you are interested in becoming a personal trainer, and you desire more than just a piece of paper, give us a call at 800-994-7382.

#1 New Year's Resolution

The #1 New Year's Resolution is Weight Loss.  Although some people were able to lose weight in 2011, most Americans failed in their quest to reach their weight loss goal.  The best thing anyone can do to attain their goal is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Be Specific in your goal.  Choose to lose fat, lose inches, and/or gain muscle.  Goals like "toning up" or "getting in shape" are not specific enough.

Make sure your goal is Measureable.  Again, goals like tone up or get in shape are hard to measure.  Goals that include pounds, inches, even push-ups are easier to measure and are better goals.

Set up an Action plan.  What steps will you take to reach your goal?  How many times will you exercise each week?  How many calories will you eat each day?

Make sure your goals are Realistic.  Losing 50 pounds in January is not only unrealistic but it would be very unhealthy to even attempt it.  Realistic goals are 1 to 2 fat pounds per week (up to 10 pounds per month).

List a goal date or make it Time-Sensitive.  For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds, give yourself 5 months to do so.  If you want to increase your bench press by 25 pounds, give yourself 2 months.

In conclusion, setting up S.M.A.R.T. goals on January 1 gives you the best chance to reach your goals this year...whatever they may be.  But don't just make a mental list.  Studies have shown that subjects who write down their goals (especially S.M.A.R.T. goals), have a better success rate that those subjects who did not write them down.  Good luck and make it a great 2012!

Work Out Those Holiday Blues

Feeling a little stressed during the holiday season?  Forget the comfort foods this season.  That will only make you feel worse down the road.  Instead, put aside your worries for 30 to 60 minutes and get involved in some type of physical activity.

There have been well over 100 scientific studies on the effects exercise has on anxiety.  The type of exercise that has shown to have the most positive effect is a low intensity, aerobic type exercise.  There are 4 main reasons why exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety: (1) rhythmic nature of exercise, (2) thermogenic effect of exercise, (3) a diversion or time-out from daily concerns, and/or (4) the sense of accomplishment.

For those athletes who prefer a high intensity workout, there have been studies showing that a high intensity workout will also alleviate stress for similar reasons, especially the accomplishment of a very challenging workout goal.  So put down the ice cream and head to the gym for a great stress relieving workout that won't leave you bloated with holiday calories :)

Source: National Strength & Conditioning Association

The Healing Power of Cinnamon

Cinnamon has been used for centuries, both as a spice and as an herbal medicine.  There has been much debate on the healing power of cinnamon.  Some experts believe that cinnamon may be used to treat a wide array of diseases.  Most of the studies have been performed on animals.

The most promising studies have been the use of cinnamon to treat type 2 diabetes.  The effect of cinnamon either increases insulin sensitivity and/or slows the absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine.  One or both of those effect will lower your blood sugar thus helping control type 2 diabetes.

There has also been studies showing the effects of cinnamon as an antioxidant.  The antioxidants in cinnamon appear to attack free radicals similar to the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables.  Another study has even shown cinnamon to lower blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure.

The evidence seems to indicate that adding cinnamon to your diet will improve your health.  But more human studies are needed to establish better protocol and dosage amounts.  Currently, most experts believe adding 2 to 4 teaspoons of cinnamon per day would be enough to benefit your health.  This amount of cinnamon could easily be added to your tea, oatmeal, toast, cereal, etc.  Happy Health!!

Source: Gruenwald et al, Cinnamon and Health, 2010

National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month.  There have always been concerns about the safety of eating fish because of the toxins, mercury, and pollutants.  But more and more studies are showing that the benefits of eating fish greatly outweigh the risks.

Fish is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health indicates death caused by heart disease decreased by as much as 36%.  Also noteworthy is that death by all causes decreased by 17%.

Shrimp is all very beneficial to your diet.  As "shrimpy" as they may be, they are packed with protein, vitamin D, vitamin B3, and zinc.  Shrimp also contain the trace mineral selenium.  Selenium has been found to lower many cancers including lung, colerectal, and prostate cancers.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends we all eat two 6 oz servings of seafood each week which is about the size of an iPhone.  If you are looking to change up your diet, try adding fish and shrimp once or twice per week.  These creatures from the sea will add important fatty acids plus many important vitamins and minerals which will greatly benefit your health.

And if you are fortunate enough to eat fresh fish right out of the lake or ocean (pictured above), that's even better :)

Tap Water vs Ionized Water

Ionized water is another trend to hit the market the last few years.  Although sellers of ionized water claim to improve health benefits, there is no evidence that any of the claims are true.  But it has not stopped many consumers from buying ionized water and claiming that the benefits are real.  Believers of ionized water not only recommend its consumption, but many have also become sellers of the product.

Everyone agrees that water is an important aspect to improving your health.  Everyone should drink about a gallon of water per day depending on variables like activity, temperature, and environment.  Many studies have confirmed waters many benefits.  Properly hydrated individuals not only feel better but perform better as well.  Studies have even linked water consumption to the prevention of some cancers.

Sellers of ionized water claim that the alkaline water promotes healthy weight loss, boosts the immune system, neutralizes free radicals, and slows the aging process.  The claim is that the ionized water serves as an anti-oxidant very similar to beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E.  It is the capture of these free radicals that provides all the aforementioned benefits.

Experts in the field of chemistry and physics rebuke their claims.  Science has proven that your body prefers homeostasis, which means, your body makes adjustments all day long to stay at the preferred pH of 7.4.  Also, experts claim that once the negative ions are ingested, they would quickly bind with positive ions thus neutralizing any effects that may have been theoretically possible.

As with all supplements, it is "buyer beware" because supplements such as ionized water are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  This means that the claims made by the sellers of ionized water have not been evaluated by the FDA.  Some consumers have claimed to feel better while other consumers do not notice a difference.  Again, the most important thing is you are drinking enough water.  Have a great workout and stay hydrated!

How to Finish a 5K

Personal trainers are in a unique position of being able to help people better themselves.  Personal trainers can actually make a difference in a person's life.  One of a personal trainer's first clients is usually a friend or family member.  Everyone wants to be healthier.  Everyone wants to be in better shape.  One of the easiest things to do is to get them to start a cardiovascular program.

Not everyone can start jogging right away.  You will want some of your friends and family members to start a walking program.  A walk for as little as 10 minutes can actually get someone started on their way to a 5K.  Slowly increase the exercise duration and exercise frequency.  Once they are in better shape, they will be able to perform intervals.  For example, they can start jogging for 30 seconds and walking for 2 minutes.  Again, as they increase their cardiovascular fitness, they will be able to jog for more time while walking for less time.

Hopefully, somewhere along the way they have signed up or a local 5K for some additional motivation.  Accomplishing a 5K goal (walking or running) will not only bring on physical benefits; but, your friends and family members will experience a huge emotional lift as well!  Have fun and good luck!!

Shoulder Press Does NOT Work Shoulders

Shoulder press does not always exercise your shoulders. In fact, most people in the gym keep the movement too high to stimulate your deltoids.  Most of the work will be done by your trapezius muscles, specifically your upper trapezius, if you keep the movement above parallel.

The primary action of the middle deltoid is shoulder abduction up to 90 degrees.  In other words, your deltoid is almost completely contracted when your humerus (upper arm) reaches 90 degrees which is about parallel to the floor.  In order for your upper arm to move any higher, the movement has to be completed by the trapezius muscle.

Therefore, lateral raises are a better exercise for stimulating your deltoid while shoulder press above parallel is better for your traps.  However, if you perform the shoulder press through a broader range of motion, one where your upper arm dips down below parallel and also well above parallel, you would have stimulated both the deltoid muscle and the trapezius muscle.  Happy lifting!!

Reading Food Labels

Our clients are sometimes confused with food labels.  Here is an example of a test question on our Sports Nutrition Exam.

If Jane ate the entire bag of 94% fat free popcorn, how many total calories would she eat?  How many of those calories come from fat?  How many from carbohydrates?  How many from protein?

One bag of microwave popcorn has about 2 servings.
Each serving has:
2g fat, 27g carbohydrates, 4g protein.

There are 9 calories in each gram of fat; there are 4 calories in each gram of carbohydrate and each gram of protein.

Fat calories = 2g x 9 calories x 2 servings = 36

Carb calories = 27 x 4 x 2 = 216

Protein calories = 4 x 4 x 2 = 32

Total calories = 36 + 216 + 32 = 284 calories.

In summary, make sure you look at the number of servings in each bag/box/can/container.  Multiply the number of servings with the amount of grams on the food label and the number of calories per gram of each macronutrient. 

Also, don't forget, this was 94% fat free popcorn.  Most popcorn has more fat grams thus more calories.  Time for a movie and some popcorn :)

Six Pack Abs

Everyone is looking for the secret to six pack abs.  The truth is, everyone is born with six pack abs, but some people choose not to show them off.   I don't mean they choose to conceal their six pack abs with clothes; they choose to conceal their six pack abs with a layer of fat.  Sometimes people choose to conceal their abs with several layers of fat.

As you can see from the picture, the rectus abdominis is a large muscle that extends from the pubis to the rib cage.  The rectus abdominis is divided into smaller sections by a tendinous intersection.  It is these smaller divisions that give the appearance of six pack abs.

Furthermore, there is no such thing as spot reduction so the best thing you can do to reveal your six pack abs is diet and cardio.  Many people falsely believe that doing hundred....even thousands....of sit-ups per day will produce six pack abs.

In summary, one should do sit-ups and other ab exercises for core strength; BUT, you and your clients should eat healthy and start/continue a cardiovascular exercise program to show off those abs!!

Rest Between Workouts

Each muscle requires a certain amount of time to recover and rebuild.  The amount of rest needed depends on the intensity of the workout.  A heavy workout would require at least 72 hours of recovery.  If your muscles are still sore after 72 hours, you may need additional rest.  A heavy workout with some eccentric training causes more soreness referred to as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) than any other type of workout.

A more moderate workout will require about 48 hours of recovery time while a light workout requires at least 24 hours of recovery time.  The most important thing to remember is listen to your body.  Your body will tell you if you had a light, moderate, or heavy workout.

Of course, any workout for a beginner may seem like a moderate to high intensity workout.  Therefore, beginners should initially workout 1 to 2 times per week and rest 2 to 3 days between workouts.  Once a person becomes more advanced, resistance training workouts can increase to 3 to 5 times per week.

Exercise and diet are important.  Sometimes, they can produce all the benefits of medicine without any of the side effects.

Rest Periods

How much rest do you need between sets?  Very few people actually time their rest periods.  Most people  just guess or start the next set when they feel rested.  But recently, studies have shown that there is actually more science involved than we actually first believed.  The amount of (or lack of) blood lactate concentration dictates the physiological changes in the muscle.

For increases muscular endurance, you should rest about 30 seconds between sets.  Also, circuit training or boot camps are similar to this style: lots of work and very little rest.

On the other hand, if your training goal is hypertrophy (an increase in the size of a muscle), then resting 60 to 90 seconds would be optimum.  Multiple sets of the same exercise along with 2 or more exercises targeting the same muscle group will effectively produce hypertrophy.

Finally, a training goal of strength/power would require even more rest.  It normally takes 3 to 5 minutes for complete ATP restoration so that is about the time you should rest between sets if strength/power is your goal.

As with all exercise, beginners should exercise with caution.  Always listen to your body and take some extra time if necessary.  Happy lifting!!

Should I Lift Heavy or Light?

As professional trainers, that's one of the questions I've heard at the gyms many times.  The answer (like most answers) is "IT DEPENDS"!!!  Experts tend to group resistance training goals into 3 groups: endurance, hypertrophy, and strength.

Endurance training is for beginners and for the experienced lifters who would rather "tone" than get bigger or stronger.  Choose a weight that you can lift 15 to 20 times.  This type of workout stimulates an increase in aerobic enzymes and mitochondrial density which improves endurance.

On the other hand, hypertrophy training is for those experienced lifters that would like to add size.  Choose a weight that you can lift 8 to 12 times.  This will stimulate an increase in size of the muscle fiber with added contractile proteins like actin and myosin.

Furthermore, strength goals are for those who would like to get stronger without necessarily getting bigger.  Experienced lifters should choose a heavy weight they can only lift 1 to 5 times.  This will enhance greater, more efficient, neural response while lifting heavy weights.

In conclusion, recent studies have shown that emphasizing one protocol but utilizing all 3 will elicit the best results for muscular fitness.  Happy Lifting!!!