No 6am Group Class on 12/21

Due to the weather there will be no 6am group class on 12/21. We will be having all other classes.

Ancient Greeks

The ancient Greek's had a saying "tell me what you eat, with whom you eat, and how you eat and I will tell you who you are." In the last couple of years I have spent countless hours talking with clients about their nutrition habits and I think that this quote hits the nail on the head as far as nutrition goes. The first part of the statement deals with the quality of the food that you are eating. I have been telling people for a long time that the quality of what you eat is the most important factor with nutrition. You should be focusing on eating real foods. Eating processed foods is no way to get the body you desire. Stick with vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and gluten free starches.



The second part of the statement deals with who you are eating your meals with. My most successful clients are usually the ones who are doing the program with a friend or family member. These clients often have success because they can enjoy healthy meals with this person and not be pressured or tempted into eating junk foods. They have a built in support system and this helps them stick with quality foods. The clients who are constantly surrounded by junk food often have a hard time because it is difficult for many people to eat healthy foods when all of their friends and family are eating junk.



The third part of this statement deals with how you eat your meals. Do you eat your meals at your desk, in your car, in a hurry, or under stress. If the answer is yes to any of these questions then I would suggest you make time to enjoy your meals. Everyone today is always in a hurry and this leads to chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels. These high levels of cortisol can make you insulin resistant, so when you eat your food you are more likely to store it as fat. By slowing down and making time to enjoy your meals with friends or family members who are not pressuring you to eat junk you will allow your body to digest your food in a relaxed atmosphere where the body can work like it is supposed to.

Just remember to eat quality foods and make time to enjoy your meals.

Put some weight on the bar

Are you constantly trying to push yourself to get stronger? The answer to this question for most people is no. Most people go to the gym and do the same thing that they always do. For example, if you go to the gym and do a set of squats with 100lbs for 8 repetitions and then go back the next week and do the exact same 100lbs for 8 repetitions how are you ever supposed to improve your body. Our bodies improve by adapting to your workouts. If you always do the same thing your body will never improve. If you go to the gym and are not improving from week to week then you are doing something wrong(poor nutrition, lack of sleep, over stressed, training too much, training too little).

So why do most people do the exact same thing over and over again? People do this because it is the easy route and everyone always wants the easy path. Trying to push yourself to get better requires hard work and discipline and that is why so few people have the bodies that they desire. If it were easy to get stronger or leaner then everyone would be fit.

The meat controversy

These days there is a lot of controversy about whether or not meat is good for us. There are countless studies that have come out saying that meat is bad for us and that we should limit the amount that we eat especially red meat. So is meat really bad for us?

That depends on what kind of meat you are eating. If you eating commercially raised meats and processed meats then those meats are probably not good for you because they are full of toxins, antibiotics, hormones, nitrates, and who knows what. However, if you are eating properly raised meats such as wild game, wild caught seafood, free range poultry, and grass fed beef then I would say that meat is extremely healthy for you.

The issue is not whether or not meat is good or bad for us. The issue is the quality of the meats we are eating. If you are eating high quality meats then you are reducing your exposure to a lot of toxins and hormonal disruptors. Just remember that meat is not bad for you, it is the toxins in the meat that are bad for you. The reason why meat has gotten such a bad reputation in the studies lately is that the meat people are eating in the studies is not the high quality meat that we are talking about. I have yet to see a study that has people eating only naturally raised meats. There is a big difference between eating commercially raised bacon and a buffalo steak. High quality meats may be more expensive but I do feel that they are well worth the extra money.

Getting the fat off of certain areas

The other day I was driving into my neighborhood and as I came over the top of the hill that crosses into my neighborhood there was a woman who was running up the hill sideways. I have seen this woman running through the neighborhood several times over the last couple of months but she still looks the same. I know what she was doing running up the hill sideways. She was trying to work the muscles in her hips in order to get the fat off of that area. Many times clients ask me what the best exercises are to lose weight in certain areas and my answer is always the same. NUTRITION. If you want to get the fat off your belly tighten up your nutrition. If you want to tighten up the back of your arms or your legs the answer is nutrition. There are exercises that work certain areas better than others but these exercises are not going to burn the fat in these areas they are just going to build the muscles. Targeting where you lose fat is all about controlling hormones and the mother of all hormones is insulin. Insulin regulates all other hormones in the body and it is the hormone that you can control the easiest with proper nutrition. If you want to control insulin you need to eat adequate amounts of protein and vegetables and limit your fruit, starches, sugars, and other refined carbs.

The importance of rotating your foods

Most people don't take me very seriously when I tell them that it is important to rotate your foods. I see it all the time, everyone eats the same 10 foods over and over again. The truth though is if you have a lot of stress in your life, are sleeping poorly, eat a lot of processed foods, or drink a lot of caffeine then you are producing a lot of cortisol. How do you know if you have an issue with cortisol. Look down at your stomach and if there is more fat there than you would like, then this topic probably applies to you.

Cortisol punches small holes in the lining of your digestive system. This process leads to food intolerances and the more often you eat a food the more likely you are to develop an intolerance to the food. For example, most everyone that I see only eats chicken, beef, and some occasional pork or seafood. Many people only eat chicken. These same people usually only eat one or two types of vegetables so there is not much variety in their nutrition. It is very important to rotate your foods and eat as many types of meats, veggies, fruit, and nuts as possible. This will make you much less likely to develop these food intolerances.

So what happens when you eat a food that you are intolerant to. You will secrete cortisol in response to the food and this starts the viscious cycle over again since the cortisol will punch more holes in the lining of your digestive system. The other side effect of this process is that cortisol in excess will make you insulin resistant, this insulin resistance will raise cortisol again, throw off the balance of sex hormones in the body, and ramp down thyroid production. This is a viscious cycle that can be taken care of by removing foods that you are intolerant to. One of the easiest ways to limit your exposure to these foods is by eating different types of meat and veggies. For example if you always eat chicken and beef you might try to eat more turkey, buffalo, lamb, and salmon. If you always eat broccoli then try switching to asparagus, cucumbers, celery, etc.

Another easy way to identify food intolerances is to do an elimination diet for 3 weeks. By doing this you should eliminate all wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, eggs, caffeine, tomatoes, peppers, and citrus fruits. These are the most common food intolerances. After 3 weeks of the diet you can introduce one of these foods and see how you feel. For example, you may try a piece of toast and see how you feel. If you don't feel as well after eating the toast then you are intolerant to wheat. In a study that I found recently the average weight loss in 12 weeks on an elimination diet was 35LBS. This is pretty impressive weight loss considering there were no other guidelines given other than to avoid these foods.

What to eat on the road

Yesterday was a travel day for me and there are a lot of you who always ask what to eat when you are traveling, so I thought I would share some of the strategies that I use when traveling. I had a layover in the Charlotte airport for a little over an hour so this gave me some time to sit down and have dinner. Most of the restaurants in the airport do not have exactly what I am looking for listed on the menu but most of the time if you ask they will make what you want. So yesterday I found a Mexican restaurant and ordered a salad with a double portion of grilled chicken and a side of avocado. I topped the salad with salsa. This was very good and very filling. If there are times when I cannot find a restaurant that serves healthy food then I will just skip the meal. I think that it is actually better not to eat than to eat junk.

When I arrived at my hotel the first thing I did was go to the grocery store. When you are traveling the best thing I can tell you to do is to go the grocery store and stock up on good food so that you have it around especially for breakfast. So what did I buy at the grocery store? The grocery store had a bistro area where the meats were already cooked(this is great for traveling). I bought some roasted turkey, grilled salmon, carrots, celery, and almonds. These are all foods that do not require any preparation or cooking. So for breakfast this morning instead of eating a continental breakfast I ate turkey and almonds.

Traveling is usually a challenge for most people when it comes to sticking to their nutrition and fitness. The key to meeting this challenge is having strategies in place to keep you on track. Strategies such as going to the grocery store, always getting a hotel room that has a refigerator, ordering an extra portion at dinner to have for breakfast(instead of the continental breakfast), finding a local gym, having bodyweight workouts that you can do in your hotel room, and sprinting(sprinting is great for reducing body fat and building muscle and can be done anywhere).

What about dairy?

When I go over nutrition with clients one of the most common questions I get is regarding dairy. Typically, I do not recommend that clients consume a lot of dairy. There are several reasons why dairy should be limited especially if you are trying to get leaner. First of all, dairy can be a bit confusing when it comes to the insulin levels that result from consuming things like milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. For example, yogurt has a glycemic index in the 30's which is fairly low since it is based on a scale from 0-100. The glycemic index measures how much a food raises your blood sugar. This is a a good index to familiarize yourself with but it does not tell the whole story.

If we simply looked at the glycemic index of common dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese we would conclude that it would not negatively impact on insulin. However, there is another index called the insulin index which measures how much insulin you produce in response to foods. This scale is also from 0-100. On this scale many dairy foods are actually over 100. For example, plain yogurt is about 110, which is the same as sugar and white bread. Keep in mind this is for plain unsweetened yogurt not the sugary yogurts that most people eat.
So keep in mind when choosing your protein sources, that dairy foods will produce much more insulin than meat or eggs.

Another reason why dairy should be limited is because there are proteins in dairy that closely mimic the proteins found in the human body. These proteins can trigger a number of autoimmune conditions such as asthma, allergies, arthritis, psoriasis, etc. Dairy consumption is also linked to acne. I have found that for many people simply removing dairy relieves their allergies pretty quickly.

So is there any dairy that is acceptable? I would say that if you are going to have any dairy that the best choices would be the full fat options such as heavy cream, butter, and hard cheeses. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when consuming these products though. Since these products do contain a lot of fat they can be filled with toxins. When I talk about toxins with most people they completely disregard this topic and think it does not matter but I can tell you that reducing your toxic load makes a huge difference in a fat loss or muscle building program because toxins can disrupt hormones. Just keep in mind that the average person today encouters about 500 different toxins per day. Fat is where toxins are stored so it is important to choose cream, butter, and cheese from organic sources. If you consume butter from a cow that was fed antibiotics and sawdust you are also consuming those things. If you can find dairy from grass fed cows it is even better because the quality of the fats will be better and there will probably be a much lower level of toxins in the food. One special note about cheese is that cheese is one of the most common food intolerances(food intolerances will stimulate a release of cortisol in response to the food). For this reason many people would also get better results if they eliminated cheese as well.

What about my bones? This is usually the next question that comes up. Will your bones become brittle if you reduce your dairy consumption. Consider the fact that in the U.S. we consume more dairy than any other country in the world and we also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. Calcium is not the whole story when it comes to building bones. Magnesium and vitamin D are just as important for building bones as calcium and people today are much more likely to be deficient in these two nutrients than calcium. The other factor that most people don't consider when thinking about bone health is stress. If you have high stress levels then you are going to release large amounts of cortisol and cortisol breaks bones down. In Chinese medicine the health of your bones is related to the health of your kidneys(which is the same meridian line that produces cortisol). So I would say the best thing you can do for your bones is to relax and get a good nights sleep. For those that are still worried about getting enough calcium I would say that you can get plently of calcium from things like leafy greens and salmon, and the calcium in these foods is actually much more absorbable(without the insulin load).

Dealing with adversity

If you are trying to change your body you are probably going to encounter adversity along the way. You are going to come across times when the easy thing to do is to make poor nutritional choices, you are going to encounter times when the workouts get hard and you want to quit, and you are going encounter times when you are so busy that it is hard to find time to eat right and workout. The trouble is that when most people encounter adversity in their path towards a better body they quit and say that the program is too hard. The truth is that those who are willing to push through the hard times are the ones who are probably going to get the best results. So what are some possible road blocks that you may face along the way?

• Eating with friends and family who will try to feed you poor food
• Holidays
• No energy to workout
• Muscle soreness
• Too much to do and not enough time to workout
• Travel
• Vacations
• Social events

These are all roadblocks that can be overcome if you keep a long term picture of what you want to accomplish. Most people are too caught up in the now. For example, the cheesecake may taste good now but is it helping you reach your goals in the long run. Body transformations require several weeks of hard work, discipline, and consistency. Those that can stay the course and deal with the adverse situations along the way are the ones who will reap the rewards.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

So you want to change your body? I will tell you that you need to get outside your comfort zone. Most people take the approach of walking or doing light exercise to try and change their bodies. The way to make real changes to your body is to step outside of your comfort zone and push yourself a little further than you thought possible.

All sorts of good things happen when you step outside of your comfort zone. By pushing yourself and stepping up the intensity of your workouts you will increase levels of many hormones. These hormones determine where the food goes(nutrient partitioning). If you have a better hormonal environment then the food you eat will be more likely to go to your muscles instead of your fat.

There are a lot of people who say they want to change their bodies but when it actually comes time to put in the work, they are not willing to do the work that it takes to be successful. This is the reason why such a large percentage of people fail when attempting to change their bodies. It is the person who has the mental ability to keep pushing when things get hard that will always have the best results.

If you want to change your body you must also have the bigger picture in mind. What would cause anyone to want to step outside of their comfort zone? If you have a vision of what you would like to accomplish then you often know the work that will need to take place to get you to your goal. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is just part of the process of reaching your goals. By stepping outside of your comfort zone you will disrupt your bodies homeostasis. Our bodies must be forced to change by doing thing that you have never done before. So push yourself a little harder in your workouts and just remember that "extraordinary results require extraordinary methods."

Eat Like a Man and Still Lose Weight

On the nutrisystem commercials that are on TV you hear the saying "eat like a man and still lose weight." There is some truth to the statement. I don't think nutrisystem understands what this truth is but there is truth in this statement. The hardest clients to get to lose weight are the ones who have constantly resrtricted their nutrition, have tried every diet, and eat almost no food. The easiest clients to ge to lose weight are the ones who have not really dieted much and just eat whatever they want. It is pretty easy to get these clients to lose 10-15 lbs within a couple of weeks with just some small changes. Lets take a look at why this is the case.

What happens when you eat like a man? When you eat enough food for your body but do not overeat you send the proper signals to your body to maintain adequate levels of hormones such as testosterone, leptin, ghrelin, and thyroid. On the other hand when you constantly diet and eat really low calorie levels you lower your levels of all of these key hormones, and remember that hormones are what determine body composition because they determine nutrient partitioning. Nutrient partitioning is simply your hormones directing the calories you consume into either muscle or fat. If you have proper hormonal balance then you will partition your calories well and it will be easy to lose fat. If your hormones are out of balance from constant dieting then you will have a partitioning problem and it will be hard to lose weight.

So if you eat like a man you probably will lose weight if you keep the quality of your nutrition high(veggies, meats, nuts, fruit, a little starch, and no sugar). Low calorie dieting is not the way we are made to eat. Restore the balance in your body by eating plenty of the right foods. The quality of your food is what determines nutrient partitioning, along with weight lifting, good sleep, and low stress levels.

Boost Your Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is responsible for brain power. Dopamine is also responsible for regulating your metabolism. When you influence your brain chemistry this is the origin of where normal hormone production starts. Thus, changing brain chemistry is the fastest way to influence body composition.

So if you want to lose weight you should consider things that will raise dopamine. If you have low levels of dopamine you are likely to be overweight with extra weight in your stomach. In order to raise dopamine naturally the easiest thing you can do is to eat more protein. Protein is rich in the amino acid tyrosine(the precursor for dopamine). One of the biggest mistakes that the average person makes is that they eat no protein at breakfast. By skipping your protein at breakfast you are missing out on an easy way to naturally increase your dopamine and lose weight. Another easy way to increase dopamine is to exercise. Exercise increases dopamine and the increased dopamine makes you want to exercise even more.

When your dopamine levels are increased you will be more likely to want to exercise, less likely to overeat, and you will have better energy throughout the day.

Strength

When it comes to changing your body and improving your health strength is king. Muscle mass is very metabolically active and requires more energy to maintain. This means that by having more muscle you will have a higher metabolism. Strength is also a much more needed quality in everyday life than cardio. Strength is necessary to carry bags, move furniture, lift your kids, and many other things that you do everyday.

So how do you build strength. Resistance training that incorporates progressive resistance is the way to get stronger. Resistance training with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or body weight exercises all work. The key to getting stronger is to use progressive resistance, which means that the amount of weight that you lift is gradually increasing. Strength training is a process that your body adapts to, so every time you repeat a workout you should expect to do better. You can do better by either lifting the same weight for more repetitions or lifting more weight. As long as you constantly try to improve your workouts with progressive resistance you will build strength. The most common mistake that people make is that they do not push themselves to do better in their workouts. The easy thing to do is to settle and do what you did last time, but this approach will not provide you any gains because once your body adapts you will no longer benefit from that workout.

Grass Fed Beef and Dairy

Most of the beef and dairy you find these days is from cows that have been fed corn, antibiotics, and who knows what else(sawdust has been approved as feed). Cows are made to eat grass not corn. They are fed corn because corn is cheap and it fattens them up. If the cows are fatter then the farm makes more money. By feeding the cows corn they change the nutritional value of the meat and dairy that comes from the cow. Cows that have been fed corn have more saturated fat, higher levels of Omega 6 fatty acids, and they lack CLA(which is helpful in burning body fat).

Commercially raised beef and dairy is also a warehouse for toxins. You have to remember that fat is where all animals store the toxins that they are exposed to, so if a cow is fed antibiotics and exposed to a lot of toxins then those toxins will be found in the meat that you are eating.

For these reasons it is important to choose grass-fed beef and dairy. By choosing grass-fed products you will lower your exposure to toxins, and increase your consumption of healthy fats. The only problem with grass-fed beef is that it is not easy to find. In order to find grass-fed beef consider going to the farmers market, health food stores, or contacting local farms. If you live in an area that has large health food stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes then you will be able to find it there.

Grocery Shopping

One of the keys to a successful nutrition program is learning how to grocery shop properly. When you go to the grocery store the foods that you should be eating are all on the periphery of the store. The produce, meats, nuts, and dairy can call be found on the outside edges of the store. It is when you go in the aisles that you get in trouble. In the aisles is where you will find all of the processed and fake foods. Most people who are trying to lose weight eat fake foods that are fat free or sugar free. You will get much better results if you stick to real foods. By sticking to real foods you will avoid all of the sweeteners, additives, preservatives, trans fats, and high fructose syrup that cause a lot of health and metabolic problems. Sticking to real foods will allow your metabolism to function properly without the toxic loads of all the fake foods.

There is no try

Yesterday, one of my clients reminded me of a quote that I used to use when I coached baseball. The quote comes from Yoda and states "do or do not. There is no try." This quote is very true regarding body transformations. With body transformations you either have an excuse or a result. You either improved your body or you didn't. There will always be a reason to eat poorly or skip a workout and if you wait for the right time to make changes, the right time will never come. There will always be a reason to put things off. There will always be a party, friends coming into town, a birthday, a holiday, or a vacation right around the corner. If you try to find 12 weeks with no events coming up then you will never find those 12 weeks.

If you really want to change your body then you must commit yourself to following your plan no matter what. Your nutrition and your training must be non-negotiable. So if you are at a birthday party or social event and there is bad food being served then you may have to skip out on the food this one time. Will anybody really care? Probably not. Some people may give you a hard time because nobody likes to see others doing better than them but it will be worth it in the long run.

When you are trying to lose weight sticking to your nutrition is vital as well as showing up and performing your workouts. Losing weight is really not that hard it just requires consistently sticking to a good plan. The thing that most people lack is consistency. I think that for most people tracking what you are doing is very important because it allows you to see if you are making progress. There is a saying that those who keep records break records.

Spices can create variety

When most people try to get leaner they eat the same foods over and over with no variety. I think one of the reasons for this is that when people eat a certain way and lose weight they tend to stick to those foods. The problem with this is that many people get tired of eating the same foods over and over again. This is one reason why it is good to rotate your foods and eat a wide variety of meats, veggies, nuts, seeds, and some fruit. Another great way to keep from getting bored with your nutrition is to add spices to your food. Herbs and spices are a great way to add variety to your nutrition. They also add a lot of flavor and keep your nutrition rewarding.

On top of this there are also a number of other benefits to herbs and spices. Many herbs and spices have medicinal properties that are very beneficial to the body and can even help you lose body fat faster. For instance, cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity, which will help you lose body fat and speed up the metabolism. There are a number of other herbs and spices that have beneficial properties. So instead of eating that plain chicken breast consider adding things like garlic, ginger, basil, oregano, tumeric, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

What is normal?

I often talk about the importance of changing your habits for making a long term body transformation. What I am really talking about is changing what is normal for you. If waking up and eating the right breakfast is what you automatically do then that is normal for you and you are in the habit of eating a good breakfast. If you wake up and want to eat sugary cereal then that is normal for you and that is what you are going to want. Anything that varies from what you normally do is not going to feel or taste right.

Changing your habits takes a conscious effort at first but when you are able to sustain those changes without thinking about them then you have created a new normal or habit. It is only by changing your habits that you are going to make a body transformation that lasts.

So if you are a person who has to have something sweet every meal or every night I would say that you need to make a conscious effort to change that habit until it becomes normal to not have the sweets everyday. If your normal is to drink soda through the day then you need to make the conscious effort to replace that soda with water until water is really what you want. You will find that as you change your habits, especially with nutrition, that the foods that you get into the habit of eating are the ones that you will crave. Most people only eat 10-15 foods and they eat those same foods over and over. If you can improve the quality of those foods one by one you will improve your body and your health.

Eat Real Unprocessed Food

One of the most basic rules in nutrition that everyone should adhere to is to eat real unprocessed food. Remember that the quality of the food you eat is what matters the most. By eating real unprocessed food you will be eating vegetables, meats, nuts, oils, and some fruit. If you stick to these foods and avoid all of the other stuff you will be doing better than most.

I can hear the questions now. What about fiber one bars or pasta? The answer is simple, these foods are processed so you would do better by avoiding them. If you look at the consequences of eating these foods then you would probably realize that you would be better off eating real food.

Many people have been tricked by clever marketing to think that processed foods are healthy. They are not. We are made to eat real food and fiber one bar or kashi cereal are not real food.

Push Yourself

The worst program done with intensity is better than a great program done with no intensity. Intensity is one of the keys to changing your physique and your health. In order to up the intensity of your workouts you can increase the weight, decrease your rest period, or do more reps. One thing that I have noticed is that the clients we have who push themselves to their limits always get better results than the clients who stop when things get a little challenging. The ability to keep going when things get hard is something that many people need. The easy thing to do is to quit when things get hard but if you can dig deep and push just a little bit more the results will often be worth the effort.

So why does intensity matter? Intensity is what drives hormones, and hormones send the signals to your body to burn fat and build muscle or to store fat and eat away muscle. By working out with intensity you will send better signals to your body which will create better results.

A Different Perspective

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a guy who was able to put the way we think about food and exercise into persepective. He stated that most people are conditioned to think of things as either good or bad. He said that a good way to think of things rather than as good or bad is by what the consequences are, for example eating a certain food. For example, yesterday I stated that one of the common questions I get regarding nutrition is whethere or not a food is good or bad. The example I used yesterday was juice. Rather than thinking of juice as good or bad it may be better to think of the consqequences that result from drinking juice and then deciding if those consequences match your goals.

So what are the consequences of drinking juice? Juice is going to elevate your levels of blood sugar and insulin. Since juice is mostly fructose the majority of that fructose is going to be processed in the liver. Since the liver can only handle so much fructose the quantity of the juice becomes an important factor. Anything more that the liver can hold will be repackaged as triglycerides and cholesterol leading to an accumulation of body fat in the midsection. This response will also be stressful and elevate the stress hormones which will lead to more accumulation of body fat in the midsection. A large part of these consequences have to do with your response to the hormone insulin, which often times is determined by how lean you are. If you are very lean then insulin is the hormone that is responsible for putting things in the muscles.

So is juice good for you? This depends on the situation. If you are overweight and trying to lose body fat then no juice would not be a good choice. If you are very lean and looking to gain muscle then juice in the post workout period will help. I think we often get caught up in whether or not something is good or bad and then jump to conclusion. I think a better way of thinking is to have an understanding of how things effect you and whether or not those consequences match your goals.

Juice

One of the most common questions I get regarding nutrition is about juice. If you are trying to lose fat then I would say that juice would not be my first choice. I would much rather someone eat a piece of fruit rather than drink juice. When you drink juice you are just drinking sugar, and high amounts of fructose.

High levels of fructose can accelerate the aging process as well as increase levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. If you eat the fruit rather than drink the juice you will get some fiber which will slow down the absorption of the sugar. With my clients who are trying to lose weight I usually make sure that they are not eating too much fruit anyway.

So is juice good for you? If you are trying to lose fat and get healthy then no. The only time I would have someone drink juice is if they were extremely lean and needed to add some muscle. Even then they would only consume the juice in the post workout period when they can best utilize the sugars.

Add Some Spice

One of the easiest ways to increase metabolism and yang energy is to add some spice to your foods. Things such as garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper all are considered to be hot foods in Chinese medicine. Hot foods increase yang energy, which will increase metabolism. Yang energy is responsible for increasing energy and metabolism, so adding some simple spices to your dishes can be a simple way to increase energy and motivation to workout early in the day.

Cinnamon is a great spice that can definitely help with weight loss. By adding cinnamon to your foods you will increase metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity. By improving insulin sensitivity you will make it easier to lose fat and gain muscle, as well as improving your health. One of the easiest ways to include cinnamon into your day is to add some into your coffee or tea in the morning.

Another Reason to Eat Your Veggies

One of the biggest problems that I see on a daily basis is elevated cortisol levels. One of the side effects of elevated cortisol is acidity. Having high levels cortisol makes your body acidic. Your body tries to always maintain its ph balance and cortisol shifts that balance to the acidic side. Your blood ph is always maintained in a tight range so when the blood is too acidic the body will pull alkaline materials such as calcium from the bone.

When your body is in an alkaline state it is less likely to get sick and it becomes much easier to build muscle, burn fat, and lower your cortisol. The best way to make sure that your body is in an alkaline state is to eat your veggies. All foods have an impact on the acidity of your body. For the most part the only foods that are alkaline are fruits and veggies. So if you are eating your meats(which are acidic) it is important to eat your veggies in order to balance your ph. If you have problems with stress and sleep it is very important to eat enough veggies.

How many veggies should you eat? If you look at books on Paleolithic nutrition you will find that most scholars state that Paleolithic people ate around 100 grams of fiber/day from fruits, veggies, and root vegetables. 100 grams of fiber/day is a lot considering that the RDA for fiber today is around 25 grams/day. I would recommend that you shoot for 6-12 servings of veggies/day and make sure to rotate the sources of veggies so that you are eating a wide variety of foods.

Keep a Journal

One of the easiest ways to change your body is to keep a journal. There is a saying that "those who keep records break records." A journal can help you keep track of your progress and show you where you are doing well and where you are lacking.

So what should be in your journal? You should keep track of all your workouts, food and liquid intake, supplement intake, sleep, stress levels, and any thing else that you can think of. The more detailed you can get the better. One of the things that I like to keep track of is my food and how it affected my focus and drive during my workouts. The other thing that I like to track is the food and supplements that I take and how they affect my sleep.

As you begin to compile several weeks of journal entries you will begin to see patterns that emerge, and these patterns will give you clues about how your body works. For example, if you find that eating a certain meal always gives you a better workout or makes you sleep better then that may be a change that you want to make. Everyone has their own unique formula for changing their body and keeping a journal can help you hone in on what will work best for you. Here is a list of things to keep in mind when you look at your journal

How was my energy throughout the day?
How was my ability to focus and get work done?
How was my focus and motivation during my workout?
Am I getting leaner or fatter?
Was I able to recover quickly from my workout?
Did I make progress in my workout?
How did what I ate affect my mood?
Are there any foods that don't make me feel well?
Are my bowel movements regular?
How did I sleep?

Help Your Kids Get Better Grades

One of the easiest ways to help your kids do well in school is to feed them quality proteins at breakfast. Most kids that I meet with either eat no breakfast because they are in a hurry or they eat a breakfast full of sugar and fast carbohydrates. This is not the way to start the day especially for someone who is trying to learn all day. Yesterday, I talked about the important role that nutrition plays in your brain chemistry.

If you can feed your kids quality protein in the morning you will set the stage for them to do much better in school. If your child is struggling with school then you may also consider adding some fish oil with breakfast. The DHA is necessary for brain development. If your child is below 6 years of age then make sure to give them pure DHA because they will not be able to metabolize regular fish oil.

If you are not a kid and you are having trouble learning new things then you may also benefit from adding some protein with breakfast and taking fish oil. This combination is a very easy change that can make a huge difference for many people.

The Brain and Nutrition

There are many people who want to know how to optimize their brain functioning. Brain functioning is very dependant on nutrition. Consider this quote from MIT research psychiatrist Richard Wurtman " the ability of a meal's composition to affect the production of brain chemicals distinguishes the brain from all other organs. The crucial compounds that regulate other organs are largely independent of whatever was in the last meal we ate - but not the brain." The brain works on a what have you done for me lately basis in that it is the only organ that is affected immediately by what you eat. Brain chemistry is regulated by neurotransmitters and there are four main neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, acetyl choline, and GABA. All of these neurotransmitters are responsible for different moods and feelings and these moods or feelings are regulated by the foods that you eat. So if you are eating junk food all of the time what do you think your mood is going to be like.

How can you utilize nutrition to improve your mood, memory, cognition, ambition, and motivation to workout? Amino acids are the building blocks that are necessary for neurotransmitter production. Amino acids are found in protein, this is one of the reasons why I always emphasize proper protein intake with all of my clients. Ensuring proper protein intake from quality sources is one of the best ways to regulate your brain chemistry. Protein at breakfast is one of the best things you can do to regulate your brain chemistry. The first thing you eat everyday influences your brain chemistry for the rest of the day so make sure to eat some protein at breakfast.

Do you need motivation to workout? If you need more focus and motivation to workout then you should look at increasing your dopamine levels. Dopamine will provide you with energy and focus and this is what you want during your workouts. One of the best ways to increase dopamine levels is to eat grass fed red meat before your workout because it is rich in the amino acid tyrosine(the precursor for dopamine production).

Yin and Yang

I have talked about Yin and Yang several times on this blog. It is important to have a balance between yin and yang in your life. Recently, I heard Charles Poliquin give a very good explanation of yin and yang. You should think of yang as fire, so things like waking up in the morning, having energy, and working out would be yang. On the other side you should think of yin as oil. Yin would be rest and relaxation. In order to burn your yang fire you must have a yin oil reserve. So people who burn the candle at both ends are using up their yin oil. If your yin oil is used up, then you have nothing left to create your yang fire. This is why I place such an emphasis on rest and recovery with my clients. If you do not take the steps to ensure that you are building up your oil reserves then there is no way that you are going to make it through a challenging workout which is a yang fire activity.

The other thing to consider is that most people today live a very yang lifestyle, in that most people work too much, have too much stress, sleep too little, and never make any time to relax. If this is always the case, then you are eventually going to suffer from low energy because you will have no oil to burn. If this describes you then I would suggest that you place an emphasis on sleep, relaxation, and proper recovery from your workouts.

A Different Perspective

Last week I spent quite a bit of time with several very good trainers from Canada. It was eye opening to see their reaction whenever we would go to eat anywhere. They kept on making comments on how many more overweight people there are in the U.S. compared to Canada. The other thing that they noticed was that not only were there more people who were overweight, but that there seemed to be a really high number of extremely overweight people. They said that in Canada they do not see extremely overweight people that often.

So what is it that causes Americans to have such a problem with obesity. I would say that it is several factors. Stress, lack of activity, poor sleeping patterns, and poor nutrition all play a role. I don't think that there is one factor that is to blame but several factors that are added together to create the formula. The answer to solving our obesity problems has more to do with changing our lifestyles and habits than anything.

How to help your kids become better athletes

If you would like your kids to become better athletes one of the best things you can do is put them into gymnastics and martial arts. These two sports will help children to develop strength, power, agility, coordination, and flexibility. The other thing you can do is get your child doing sprinting exercises between the ages of 8-10. This is the time during a childs development that he of she really developes their speed for the rest of their lives. I see a lot of parent who are encouraging their kids to run long distances when they are young. This would be the last thing I would do. Teach your child how to sprint, jump, and throw at an early age and they will be much better athletes as they get older.

Working out in the cold

Do you burn more fat if you work out in the cold? The answer is yes. If you work out in the cold you burn about 37% more fat. The exact mechanism for this is not know but it may have something to do with the different types of fat in your body. In your body there is brown fat and white fat. Brown fat is more metabolically active and actually helps you burn more white fat and that is what you want. One of the ways to activate this pathway is by working out in the cold. On Arthur Devany's site he talks about how surfers always stay lean because they are always in the cold water.

Cardio for Fat Loss

Over the long term, steady state cardiovascular work is not effective for fat loss. In the short term for about 3-6 weeks it can be effective but after that it can actually make you fatter. If you do steady state aerobic work for a long period of time you will eventually begin to lose muscle and power. Since muscle mass is one of the driving factors in your metabolism your metabolism will begin to slow. The elevation in cortisol is one of the biggest factors that leads to the loss of muscle mass and fat accumulation. When your metabolism slows eventually the same amount of food that used to allow you to maintain or lose weight will make you gain weight. Another problem with aerobic work is that it causes you to lose your type 2B fibers which are considered your fast twitch fibers. By losing these fibers you will lose strength and lower your metabolism.

Changes in the Meltdown Group Training Schedule

This Monday 3/16 there will be no 12pm class and there will also be no class at 9am on Tuesday 3/17 and Thursday 3/19. All other classes are as scheduled.

How Does Tricia Stay So Lean?

One of the questions that I get asked often is how my wife Tricia stays so lean. My answer would be that there is not one thing that she does in particular, but many factors that you must consider.

One of the first things that I will tell you is that she has always made sleep a priority. For a few years she would always go to bed before me and I would wake up earlier than her. She always sleeps at least 8 hours, has no trouble falling asleep(usually within 2 minutes), and rarely wakes up during the night. She also wakes up early every day, even on the weekends. When I began to adopt her sleeping patterns I got leaner.

Another thing that Tricia does is she exercises every day. For as long as I have known her she has exercised in some way 6-7 days per week. Most of her workouts are short 20 minutes or less but they are very intense. When she finishes her 20 minutes she is usually drenched in sweat. I think that the intensity of her workouts is part of what keeps her so lean. She has a rare ability to really dig deep and push herself a little further when things are getting tough. When most people would quite she does more.

The other thing that Tricia does is she sprints. She was a pole vaulter in college and was forced to do a lot of sprinting. She has said ever since college that the fastest way to get lean and work your midsection is to sprint. When was the last time that you sprinted?

Nutritionally, Tricia does have an advantage in that she is very carbohydrate tolerant. She is able to handle a decent amount of carbs. At each meal she always eats a protein and a fruit(usually 1-2 pieces/day) or vegetable and she has always made it a priority to eat her vegetables everyday. Most people would think that Tricia eats a very low calorie diet but the truth is that she eats a large quantity of calories compared to most women probably around 2000 calories/day. Her nutrition consists mostly of meats, veggies, fruit, nuts, and organic yogurt. Rarely does she eat any grains, any dairy other than organic yogurt and some occasional cheese, and she does not drink her calories. She eats quality foods and has the ability to partition those calories to her muscles rather than her fat because she sleeps well, exercises, and eats the right foods.

One other aspect of Tricias nutrition and exercise that I think is important is that she eats according to her activity. If she is exercising less she will focus on eating even better. If she is exercising more she will adjust her nutrition accordingly.

When you add all of these variables together and consider the fact that she has been doing all of these things for as long as I have known her it adds up to be a pretty powerful formula. I would say that the most important aspect of all of this is that she has been sleeping, exercising, and eating the right way for several years. Over time the consistency adds up. Many people are looking for the quick fix, but unfortunately there is no such thing as a quick fix. Yesterday, Carol B forwarded me a great article by Mark Sisson that talks about the fact that body transformations take time and discipline. If you are trying to change your physique you should check it out here.

Losing an Hour of Sleep

This last weekend we lost an hour of sleep. I have noticed that quite a few people have been complaining about their energy throughout the day since the time change. This only points to the fact that our bodies function in a rhythm and sleep is a vital part of that rhythm (and for those of you who are wondering, I did not write this at 3am, I was asleep at 3am).

Our hormonal system is what sends the signals throughout the body telling it what to do on a cellular level, and this system works on a very precise rhythm throughout the day and night. When this rhythm is disrupted or altered it changes the way you feel and your body composition. Many people are complaining about changes in the way they feel after losing only one hour of sleep. If one hour can make that big of a difference what do you think chronically under sleeping can do to you.

The other factor to consider with the time change is that you were forced to wake up at a different time. Most sleep experts agree that the most important factor with sleep is that you wake up at the same time every morning. When you sleep in on the weekends it has the same effect as a time change, it throws your system out of rhythm. Most people will tell you that when they sleep in on the weekends that they feel more tired than if they had woken up at their usual time. The better option is to wake up at the same time on the weekends and take a nap if necessary.

Cheating Just A Little

When I look at peoples food journals what I often see is people who cheat more often than they think. When it comes to nutrition it takes quality nutrition 90% of the time in order to really make progress. The other 10% of the time you can do whatever you want as long as you don't go too overboard.

So is it better to cheat just a little everyday and be 70% compliant or to have a better cheat and be 90% compliant. I would argue that I would rather you be 90% compliant with your nutrition and really eat what you want in the other 10%.

So what is wrong with being 70% compliant. If you are 70% compliant with your nutrition then you are trying to make an effort to eat well which means that you are probably trying to avoid a lot of foods. When you cheat 30% of the time which is about once per day then you usually eat a small amount of foods that are off limits and then feel guilty about it. This guilt only causes more stress which leads to more cheating.

The better thing to do is to be 90% compliant and cheat only 10% of the time, but when you do cheat eat what you want without the guilt.

From a hormonal standpoint it is also more beneficial to cheat less often and with the foods that you really want. When you constantly cheat a little everyday you don't allow your hormonal system to adapt into a fat burning metabolism, which will slow down your fat loss. By cheating less often with the foods that you really want you are manipulating your hormones and creating an environment in which the excess sugars and calories will be more likely to be stored in your muscles rather than your fat. Then when you go back to your quality nutrition again you will spark faster fat burning.

So what does 90% compliance look like. If you eat 3 meals and one snack everyday then then that gives you 28 feeding opportunities per week. This gives you 2-3 meals/week where you can eat what you want. 70% compliance would be about 7 meals/week or once per day.

Whats Your Nutrition IQ?

The clients that I have had who have had the best long term success are the ones who take an active interest in educating themselves about nutrition and fitness. Since March is National Nutrition Month, this is a great time to talk about the importance of what I like to refer as your nutrition IQ. In order for someone to make a body transformation, they are going to have to change their daily habits, and I think that it is important to have a basic understanding of why your are eating what you are eating. The more knowledgeable you are when it comes to nutrition, the more likely you will be to make better choices, especially when you are eating out. In a given week I often receive many emails, newspaper articles, and magazine articles from clients who have been doing their reading. It is no coincidence that these are often the clients who are the most successful with their body transformations. I think the old saying that "if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish then you will feed him for a lifetime," is true. One of the most common questions I get is for meal plans where I tell people exactly what to eat. I have found that for most people these do not work, because most people do not know how to make proper substitutions if they do not have the food on the meal plan. This all goes back to your nutrition IQ. If you really want to make changes in your habits then do your research.

So how do you increase your nutrition IQ?

Find books, websites, or any other materials that have nutrition information and begin to do your research. As you read through the various materials you will find a lot of conflicting information, but once you have read enough you will find common themes among all the different sources. It is these common themes where most people will gain a better understanding of nutrition.

The other great way to increase your nutrition IQ is to find a mentor, or others who have made successful transformations and ask questions. Just remember that success leaves clues, and if you can find the common themes in the people who have been successful then you will be on your way.

Put Some Weight on the Bar

If you are doing any type of resistance training one of the most important things to do is to gradually lift heavier weights over time. When you first begin a resistance training program you are forcing your body to adapt and change by putting it under stress. Over time your body will adapt to the weights that you are lifting and the weight that used to cause your body to change will eventually not have the same effect. In order to keep forcing your body to adapt you must continually try to put your body through harder workouts and one of the easiest ways to do this is by adding weight or more resistance to your lifts.

When adding weight it is important to make small jumps and keep your technique perfect. Many people try to add large amounts of weight to the bar which causes their technique to break down. This will not lead to sustainable long term progress. If you look at your workout simply as a way to force your body to adapt then all you need to do is to add 1 pound to a lift in order to force your body to change. By making small jumps like this you will be able to maintain your technique and sustain your progress for longer.

My favorite way to add small amounts of weight to the bar or dumbbells is to use Platemates. Platemates are small 1 1/4 lbs magnets that can be attached to the weight. They are a great way to make small jumps in weight. The example I always give with the Platemates is with dumbbells. If you have a woman who is lifting 10lbs dumbbells and the next jump is 15lbs dumbbells then this is a 50% jump in weight. It may only be 5lbs but it is a 50% jump in weight which is a huge change. If you have Platemates then you can make either an 11.25lbs or 12.5lbs dumbbell. This is a much smaller change and it will lead to much more sustainable progress over time.

What if one arm is stronger than the other

So what do you do if you are lifting weights and you notice that one arm is stronger than the other? This is called a bilateral deficit and it is something that should be addressed. You want your body to be balanced and that includes the right and left sides. In order to fix a bilateral deficit you should focus on training with dumbbells so that each arm must work separately. If you were to use barbell exercises all the time then you could potentially make the problem worse. If you are performing exercises such as a one arm db row then you should always perform the weaker side first and then match whatever repetition total you get with the other side. By doing this you will ensure that the weaker side is still getting the same amount of work. Many people make the mistake of lifting with their strong side first because that is the side that is easier, and they will perform 12 repetitions with their strong arm and only 8 on their weak arm. This will only make the problem worse. Another tip that can help to fix the problem faster is to use dumbbells with a thick grip. By using a thick grip you are forced to work harder and this will help to fix the bilateral deficit faster. If you do not have dumbbells with a thick grip you can simply wrap the dumbbell handle with either tape or a small towel.

No 6am Class This Morning

The 6am Class Will be Cancelled due to weather this morning

Why is there so much confusion over which diet is the best?

The truth is that all diets work for a short period of time. Your body adapts to a diet the same way that it adapts to a workout program. People see results with all kinds of diets but in the long run many of the extremely low calorie and low fat diets cause hormonal disruptions and they cause you to lose lean muscle mass. This only sets you up to gain more fat in the long run. So what is the answer to diet question? The answer is to eat according to your activity and your goals. One of the best formulas for many people is to base their daily nutrition around their activity levels that day. By doing this you will naturally have higher and lower days based on your activity levels. By alternating between higher and lower days you will not allow your body to adapt to your nutrition and this is one of the keys to long term success. If you can base your nutrition around your training and stick to quality unprocessed foods then you will be setting yourself up for success in the long run.

3 Things to be Carefull With

Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar are three things that people with cortisol issues should be carefull with. All three of these cause a stress response in the body which leads to more cortisol. For those who love their morning coffee make sure to have your caffeine between 6-8am(when your cortisol levels are naturally the highest) and have your coffee with your breakfast. The protein and fat in your breakfast will slow down the stress response on your body from the caffeine.

Sugar and alcohol also cause stress on the body. Sugar causes a large release of insulin which is a stressor. If you have a cortisol problem then you are more than likely to have a problem with insulin resistance, which means that any excess sugar is going to create a lot of problems for you. Alcohol can also wreak havoc on cortisol metabolism, because it is also perceived as a stress. Once again, if you are going to have alcohol make sure to have it with some protein and fat in order to slow down the absorbtion.

Cortisol is meant to be high in the early morning in order to give us energy and then gradually decrease throughout the day. Many people today have backwards cortisol patterns in which they have very low levels in the morning and high levels at night. The typical person with a backwards cortisol pattern often needs caffeine to wake up in the morning and alcohol to wind down at night. If you fit this mold then try to break free of your dependance on these substances.

Lowering Your Cortisol

Do you make time to relax everyday? If not then you should make an effort to do something relaxing everyday. Most people that I talk to feel like they have more to do than there are hours in the day. If you fall into this category then it is important that you make some time to get away from everything for a couple of minutes everyday. This time can be a short break for 5 min or it can be 30 minutes to an hour, but it is important. For most people, simply getting away from your desk at lunch time and actually sitting down to eat is a good start. This will give you a little break from your workday. One of my favorite things to do to relax is yoga. Yoga can have a very calming effect on the body and is a great way to relax and add some flexibility work at the same time. If yoga is not for you then anything that relaxes you such as listening to music or reading will do just fine.

Another great way to relax is to establish a bed time routine that is full of relaxing activities that will prepare you for sleep. Since you should be going to bed earlier this can be helpful. For most people, the simple things such as taking a couple of minutes everyday to relax combined with going to bed an hour earlier can make a huge difference in the way you feel and the results that you get from your workouts. So make it a priority to get away from everything even if it is only for a couple of minutes today, and then get to bed early tonight.

Anti-Stress Week

So you have started working out consistently, your eating is getting dialed in but something is still missing and you are not getting the results that you would expect. What is the problem? Probably stress! Stress can ruin the best fat loss plan. When our bodies encounter stress it changes our hormonal environment which can make it very hard to lose fat and gain muscle. Some of the hormonal changes that occur with stress are increased cortisol, leading to abdominal fat storage, decreased testosterone leading to a hard time building muscle, and reduced insulin sensitivity leading to an inability to burn body fat. All of these changes are produced by stress and they are detrimental to your results and your health. So how do you know if you have a stress problem? Answer these simple questions

1) Do you feel like you have more to do than there are hours in the day? If yes, then this is strike one.

2) Do you routinely sleep less than 8 hours per night? If yes, then this is strike two.

3) Have you been overly aware of how many calories you have been eating for an extended period of time? If yes, then strike three.

All of these factors play a role in stress and most of the people that I know would answer yes to these three questions. So what do you do if you have a stress problem? This week every post will be devoted to giving you ways to lower your stress levels.

The first tip that I will give you to lower the stress levels on your body, is to go to bed earlier. Try to get to bed before 10pm and sleep for at least 8 hours. When you go to bed late you destroy the natural rhythm of the body and your hormones function by this natural rhythm. By getting more sleep you will regulate your cortisol, improve insulin sensitivity, and improve your growth hormone release. All of these things will improve your body composition and health.

What do you do while you eat?

What are you doing while you are eating? This is a common question that I ask many of my clients. The typical response is that most people are either watching tv or working on the computer while they eat. A simple trick that can help your body composition is to get away from everything when you have your meals and just eat. Step away from the computer, turn off the tv, and enjoy your food. For many people this is easier said than done. By making some time to relax while you eat you will lower your cortisol levels, which will help you lose some of the fat on your stomach. If you are a person who works right through lunch this little break will definitely help you. One of my facvorite quotes by Paul Chek is that "you should drink your food, and chew your liquids." This means that you need to chew your food until it becomes liquid. So the next time you eat get away from everything, take your time and chew your food.

Keeping Records

The only way to know where you are going is to know where you have been. If you are not keeping records then it is hard to know if you are making progress on a consistent basis. If you are really looking to change your physique then you should be recording all of your workouts and probably some aspects of your nutrition. To record you workouts you should keep track of the exercises you performed, the amount of repetitions performed, the tempo that was used to lift the weights, and the rest period you took between sets. All of these aspects determine the quality of your workout, and by keeping records you will be able to track your progress.

Making long term progress in the gym is about continually improving the quality of your workouts which can be done by manipulating any of the variables that I mentioned earlier such as the amount of weight lifted or the rest period between sets. However, if you can't remember how much weight you lifted in your last workout or how many repetitions you lifted it for then you are just guessing the next time you workout. "They say that those who keep records break records."

To track your nutrition I don't think most people need to obsess about counting every gram of everything they eat. This often only makes people stress out more. There are two ways that often help many of my clients. One method is to simply write down every food that is eaten. This will give you a record of which foods provided the results that were obtained. The other method that works well for people is to give yourself a set of nutrition rules or guidelines to live by for a two week period. Track how often you follow these guidelines and the results that it produces. Through this process you can gradually refine your guidelines to find a formula that works for you.

Pre Workout Nutrition

One question I get asked often has to do with what to eat before your workout. The answer to this question depends on a couple of factors, such as whether you are looking to gain or lose weight, and if you are carb tolerant. If you are looking to get leaner I would most likely tell you to focus on eating something with protein and very low in carbs(no carbs at all is often better) before your workout. Many people make the mistake of eating a meal high in carbs before a workout while trying to get leaner. If you eat carbs before your workout you essentially shut off all fat burning during the workout and that is not what you want. If you are trying to gain mass then some carbs before your workout will probably help.

Those who workout early in the morning often ask about eating before working out and the answer to this question changes based on what people will actually do. If you are working out early in the morning and you are trying to get leaner then I would suggest that you take in something, but for most people they cannot eat before they workout that early. The optimal thing to do would be to wake up about two hours before your workout and eat a protein rich meal but not many people would choose this option. In this situation either a protein shake or a Branch Chain Amino Acid supplement would probably work best because they do not require much digestion and your body will be able to utilize these nutrients very easily. If you want to maximize your results then it is important that you make your nutrition surrounding your workout a priority. You can make tremendous progress by simply focusing on eating the right foods before and after your workouts.

Paired Antagonists

When scheduling your workouts one easy way to make it flow and get through it faster while performing the same amount of total work is by using paired antagonists. Paired antagonists are two exercises that work opposing muscle groups, an example would be overhead pressing and pullups. By alternating between the two movements you will be able to shorten your rest periods while still maintaining your strength. This occurs through something known as recipricol inhibition, which means that you tire out the opposing muscle group so that it does not apply the brakes. In any exercise the muscles that oppose the muscles working apply the brakes to the movement, but if you tire out the muscles that are applying the brakes you will often be stronger. If we use the example of the overhead press and pullups, then an example of a workout would be to perform 10 overhead presses, rest for 1 minute and then perform 10 pullups. Following the pullups rest for 1 minute again and then repeat the sequence. This format will allow you to perform your workout faster while still maintaining your strength because of reciprocal inhibition. This format also allows you to rest longer between each particular exercise, in the overhead press you would have about 3 full minutes of rest before performing your second set of presses. Since this format allows you to perform more work in less time and possibly with more weight the impact on your hormones will be much greater. Increasing the density of your training session in this way has a beneficial impact on your hormones. Keeping the total workout time under 50 minutes by using this format will also help you maximize the testosterone boost that comes from lifting weights while minimizing the cortisol(stress) response.

Workouts are an Irritant

With all of the different workout programs that are out there it can be difficult to figure out which one is best, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Workouts are an irritant to the body that it must adapt to. Workouts disrupt the body's homeostasis and cause it to adapt and change.

If you look at your workout from this perspective then all you need to do to improve is to put your body under a little more stress than it was under in your last workout. There are several ways to do this. You can increase the weight, the reps, the time under tension, or decrease the rest. Just remember that the basic idea of working out is to constantly force the body to adapt and you do this by giving it new challenges or irritants in each workout. The most common mistake that I see most people make is that they do the same exact workout over and over, which never forces their body to change.

Diet Sabotage

I have seen it many times where people who are trying to lose weight sabotage themselves with foods that they think are healthy. There are some common foods that people struggle with when trying to get leaner and here are some of those foods.

Peanut butter or other nut butters - Many people struggle with peanut butter because they cannot control their portions. How many of you have eaten peanut butter by the spoonful? Those spoonfuls can add up the calories in no time. The other issue with peanut butter is that most people do not eat the natural kind. If you eat the regular peanut butter off the shelf then you are eating a big dose of trans fat and that is not going to help your fat loss efforts

Nuts - I think that nuts are a very healthy food and that they should be allowed in most peoples nutrition plans but they also present a problem because most people cannot control their portions. I have seen many people myself included make the mistake of eating too many nuts. They are very easy to overeat.

Cheese - One of the first problems with cheese is that many people have food intolerance's to dairy so they would get better results by cutting out cheese. Cheese also presents the problem of controlling portions. Most people eat bigger portions than they need.

Dried fruit - Many dieters turn to dried fruit as a healthy alternative but I do not think that dried fruit is the best choice for most people looking to get leaner. Dried fruit is full of sugar and has been stripped of the fiber. If you want fruit then eat the real fruit do not drink the juice or eat dried fruit. Dried fruit is also another food that people have trouble controlling their portions with and the calories add up quickly.

Most of these foods I would say are fine in moderation but I have found that the people who need to lose body fat are usually the ones who like food the most, and it is often hard for them to stick to the correct portion sizes. All of these foods are very dense in calories, which means that they taste good nut also that the the correct portion sizes are not very big. So if you are trying to get leaner consider cutting out these foods.

Couch Potato

Is it natural to want to do a strenuous workout or is it natural to want to be a couch potato? I would say that for most people it is natural to want to be a couch potato. How many people wake up and say I really want to make my legs sore today? If you have thoughts that creep into your head that try to convince you not to workout that is natural. Our bodies always seek the path of least resistance and not working out is that path. What I have found is that if you can just show up to the gym and start your workout you will usually get a good workout. Showing up at the gym is half the battle. A great way to keep you motivated to workout is to workout with a partner or a group of people who can keep you accountable to your workouts. If you are ever lacking motivation to do your workout then remember this quote from Dennis Waitley "Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."

Weight Training Cements Your Current Flexibility

Recently I came across a quote from Dr. Eric Cobb who is the founder of Z-Health, which is a program that focuses on creating better health and performance by maximizing the nervous system. The quote stated that "weight training cements your current level of flexibility." So what does this mean. It means that weight lifting makes you stronger in the range of motion in which you lift the weight. For example, if you do squats and you only go 1/4 of the the way down, then you will become tighter in the hips because the muscles will tighten to accommodate the shortened range of motion. However, if you use a full range of motion you will cement the ability to move through a full range of motion.

Yes, moving the weight through a bigger range of motion is much harder, but there are many benefits. Not only will you gain flexibility but you will also gain more strength and elicit a better hormonal response by using a full range of motion on your lifts. So what do you do if you cannot move through the full range of motion?

You should either modify the the exercise to allow you to use a full range of motion or you should choose a different exercise that will allow you to progress your range of motion. I will use squats as an example again. If you cannot perform full range of motion squats one of the best things to do is split squats(which are very similar to lunges). By performing split squats with a full range of motion you will gain flexibility in the hips and the calves which are two common areas that prevent people from squatting properly. Once you have mastered the split squat it may be time to try the squats again.

Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup

I have talked several times about staying away from high fructose corn syrup. HFCS has many detrimental effects on the body and you should stay away from it all costs. The rise in obesity in the US actually mirrors the use of HFCS in our food supply. Recently, I came across a study that showed another reason to stay away from HFCS. It seems that HFCS has high levels of mercury, and that consumption of HFCS can lead to toxic levels of mercury in the body. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this stuff.

What Determines Your Strength

Your strength is determined by the number of muscle fibers that you have and the ability to turn on all of those muscle fibers. So there are two ways to get stronger. You can increase the size of the muscle or you can get better at turning on the muscle that you already have. The way to increase the size of the muscle is to use weights that are challenging for 6-12 repetitions, and the way to increase your ability to turn on the muscle is by using weights that are challenging for 5 or fewer repetitions. Most people spend their time using repetitions between 6-12 trying to make the muscles bigger but there is a lot of benefit in lifting heavier so that you teach your body how to turn on all of its available muscle. Most people never reach their true potential when it comes to turning on all of their muscle fibers. Being able to turn on all of your muscle fibers is a function of your nervous system and the way to improve this ability is by challenging your body to lift heavier loads. One of the best ways to improve these two areas of strength is by alternating between periods where your focus is on lifting heavier loads and periods where you try for more repetitions. When you do this you build more muscle for a period and then you teach your body how to use that new muscle.

Coffee

Coffee consumption is a very controversial subject among many people knowledgable in nutrition. Is drinking coffee healthy? I would say that it is. I believe that success leaves clues and one thing that I have noticed is that many people who have lived into their 80's and 90's without any health problems drink quite a bit of black coffee. Last weekend I met a guy who was 82 years old with no health problems, and a full head of thick hair. He said that he drinks about 4-5 cups of black coffee per day. Another example I have seen is Arthur Devany who is 72 years old and looks like he is 50, he is about 195lbs with 10% body fat and no health problems. So is there something in coffee that is good for your health? Coffee is full of antioxidants, and there are also compounds in coffee that improve insulin sensitivity. Another reason why I believe black coffee is good is because it is very bitter and people who are addicted to sugar have a very hard time drinking black coffee. In Chinese medicine bitter flavors are associated with good liver and gall bladder health. If you regularly drink black coffee then you probably are not addicted to sugar and have normal insulin sensitivity, which is one of the keys to aging well.

How Does Nutrition Change Your Tissue

All Classes for today are as scheduled

Does your nutrition cause changes in your tissue? Yes, and I will provide a couple of examples. If you eat trans fat it will change the quality of your cell membranes causing them to become hard and less pliable. When I perform body fat measurements on clients I can tell if they have been eating trans fats because their tissue is extremely hard and sometimes I am not even able to pinch their tissue. Fish oil on the other hand, has the opposite effect. Fish oil improves the health of your cell membranes and makes taking body fat measurements much easier.

The other thing that causes changes in your tissue is sugar. Sugar causes inflammation in the body which causes changes in your soft tissue. Sugar is sticky and it binds to proteins in the body which accelerates the aging process. Excess sugar also causes people to become less flexible because of the binding that occurs.

Another other source of problems for many people is food sensitivities. Food sensitivities cause an inflammatory response in the body which changes the quality of your tissues. If you are having problems with chronic pain, adhesion's, or trigger points then I would suggest you try to eliminate all possible sources of allergens. The most common food sensitivities are wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs.

Having taken quite a few body fat measurements in the last couple of years I can tell you that the diet that you eat definitely changes how your tissue feels. It is very easy to tell just by taking skin fold measurements on someone if their tissue is healthy or not. Often times I have seen dramatic changes in clients tissue within in a couple of weeks of nothing but dietary changes.

Optimum Flexibility

How do we achieve optimum flexibility so that all of our joints can move through their full range of motion? This is a question that many people want to know. The answer lies in having proper structural balance. Stuctural balance means that you have equal levels of strength in opposing muscle groups. For example, the muscles in the front of the hip work as hip flexors and the glutes work as hip extensors on the opposite side of the pelvis. Thus, if your hip flexors are stronger than your glutes you will have poor range of motion in your hips because the stronger hip flexors will not allow the hip to move through its proper range of motion.

So how do we ensure proper structural balance? The first step is to use a well designed strength program that will provide either a balanced program if you are already balanced or a corrective program if you are imbalanced. In order to correct an imbalance you should try to lengthen or stretch the stronger side and strengthen the weaker or inhibited side. By having proper structural balance you will not only improve your flexibility and range of motion but you will also reduce your chances of injury and improve your levels of strength. Some common areas of structural imbalance are tight hip flexors with weak glutes, tight quads with weak hamstrings, and tight internal shoulder rotators with weak external rotators.

The Afterburn

If you have ever done a challenging workout then you probably know what I am talking about when I say "the afterburn." Following a tough weight lifting or interval workout your metabolism can often be elevated for up to 72 hours. This often causes people to feel hot later in the day or even the next day. The reason that you feel hot is because of EPOC.

EPOC(excess post exercise oxygen consumption) is what causes the afterburn and is one of the keys to burning body fat because it increases the number of calories that are burned throughout the rest of the day for up to 72 hours. Weight lifting and high intensity intervals are the way to increase EPOC because they put your body into oxygen debt. Workouts that are anaerobic cause a lack of oxygen in the body because the body is working faster than it can take in oxygen. This oxygen debt must eventuallly be paid off over time. In order to pay off this oxygen debt your body will work overtime(raise the metabolism), and this can cause the afterburn feeling.

Lower Your Toxic Load

People today are exposed to more toxins than you can imagine. Being toxic can wreak havoc on your fat loss. If your body is toxic and you do not provide the proper nutrients to the body then it can be extremely difficult to lose fat, as well as stay healthy. So what are some ways to lower the amount of toxins that you are exposed to? First of all, buy a water filter and possibly a shower filter. This will go a long way in lowering your toxic load. Another thing that you can do is to try and avoid plastics whenever possible and make sure to avoid microwaving plastics. Microwaving plastics causes your food to store all of the toxins in the plastics. Another important thing to consider is eating organic foods. Two of the most important foods to buy organic are butter and coffee. Butter and coffee contain more chemicals than any other substances we consume.

Structural Balance

How is your posture? One of the things that we emphasize in all of our workouts is structural balance. Structural balance is having proper balance in strength and flexibility throughout the body. There are many people today that have problems with their posture. The usual problems that I run across are shoulders that are rounded forward, forward head postures, tight hip flexors and quadriceps, weak external rotators of the shoulders, weak glutes, abs, and hamstrings. So what does all of this add up to? If your body is not in balance then you need to be careful with your exercise selection so that you are performing exercises that will not make your problems worse. Many people try to perform advanced exercises that their bodies may not be ready for. One of the keys to long term success with fitness training is staying injury free and the way to do that is to be properly balanced and use perfect technique.

Are You Covering All of Your Nutritional Needs

Does the average person get all the nutrients that they need from their diet. The answer is no, and there are several reasons why. The first thing we need to look at is what the average person needs to live optimally. The RDA for most nutrients is set at the minimum level that is necessary to avoid disease. I would not call this the optimal level. First of all the average person today eats a diet that is full of processed foods which contains little to no nutrition. Second, the food supply today is not as nutritious as it used to be. Our soils have become depleted and many studies have shown that the food today is not nearly as nutritious. The other factor to consider is that many of the foods that we eat today are anti-nutrients(they steal vitamins and minerals from your body). Some common anti-nutrients are grains, beans, soy, and coffee. All of these foods bind to minerals such as calcium and zinc and steal them from the body. So how do you defend yourself against a poor diet, depleted soil, and foods that rob your body of valuable nutrients? The first step would be to take a quality multi-vitamin. One tip you can use to find a good multi-vitamin is to look at the source of magnesium in the multi. If it is from magnesium oxide then it is not very absorbable and there is no use in taking a supplement if you are not going to absorb it. If a multi comes in a one a day formula then it most likely has magnesium oxide in it because if the company were to use a quality form of magnesium they wouldn't be able to make it in a one a day formula. Remember that with supplements you get what you pay for. There is no such thing as a cheap high quality supplement.

Great Abs are Built in the Kitchen

I came across a saying yesterday that "great abs are built in the kitchen," and I couldn't agree more with this statement. I can't tell you how many people have come to me wanting to know which exercise will pull the fat off of their stomach the fastest. The thing that will pull the fat off the fastest is proper nutrition. If your diet is not good then no workout program that you ever do will give you the results that you are looking for. The other thing that I know will help pull fat off of your stomach is good sleep. If you are having trouble sleeping then you are not going to be able to lose fat easily. Good sleep helps you burn fat.

What are you really addicted to?

Are people addicted to the caffeine in their coffee or the sugar. Many people load up their coffee with all kinds of stuff, especially sugar. I do not think that coffee is something that you need to give up but many people cannot drink it without having a bunch of sugar or artificial sweetener in it. Part of this is due to altered taste buds. If you eat a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners then black coffee will taste very bitter to you. However as you get away from sugar and artificial sweeteners your tastes will change and things that did not used to be sweet will start to have a better flavor. Many people often complain that they cannot give up their coffee and I don't think that they should have to in the majority of cases, but the question usually arises as to whether they are addicted to the coffee or the junk they put in the coffee.

Stay on the Periphery

There is one easy way to make sure that the foods you buy at the grocery store are healthy. Stay on the periphery of the store. On the periphery of the store you will find all of the produce, meats, organic foods, eggs and dairy. It is when you go into the aisles that you get into trouble. In the aisles are all of the processed foods. Many of these foods are full of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup which are two ingredients that you should always avoid. About the only reason to go into the aisles is for some olive oil. Other than that, everything you need can be found on the periphery of the store. Next time you go shopping take a look into other peoples carts to see what many other people are buying. You will see that many people are buying what are supposed to be diet and health foods but they are really just buying processed junk.

Is Obesity a Nutrient Deficiency?

What if obesity is not only due to overconsumption of the wrong foods but the underconsumption of the right foods? Many people have put forth the theory that obesity is really caused by having a lack of nutrients. In today's society, most people eat a lot of junk food which has been stripped of all of its nutritional value. If you couple this with dieting and trying to cut down on the number of calories that you are eating, then you begin to create a situation where the body is receiving very little quality nutrition, but this is what most people try to do. This causes people to be lacking in many key nutrients which can affect body composition, hormonal function, and overall health. When the body is lacking nutrients it sends signals to cause cravings for certain foods, which can cause binges on junk food. Another example of a case when there is not enough nutrition, is when people become insulin resistant. The nutrients that they eat do not get into their cells, thus they continue to be hungry. So how do we fix obesity if it is really caused by nutrient deficiencies? We encourage people to eat more of the right foods which will help to provide the body with more nutrients. This not only works to provide the nutrients that are necessary for the body to function optimally but I have found that it is also much easier mentally to focus on what you should eat rather than what you should not eat. When you take foods away from people they tend to focus on them more. So if you are trying to lose weight the biggest mistake you can make is not eating enough of the right foods. This is a radical change in mindset for most people.

Yin vs Yang

One of the things that I like to study is Chinese medicine. I got interested in Chinese medicine through a massage therapist that I worked with and Charles Poliquin. In Chinese medicine yin and yang must be in balance in our lives. Yin and Yang can very easily be applied to both training and nutrition and it is often helpful to think of Yin and Yang for achieving maximum results.

Yin in our lives is represented by rest, relaxation, and night so things that cause the body to relax are yin producing. For example, sleep would be considered yin, and if you are overly tired or sluggish then you have excess yin and would need more yang. Yin foods would be mostly in the form of carbohydrates. So if you are trying to get ready for a workout or wakeup in the morning then carbs are probably not your best choice. However, if you are trying to go to bed then carbs will help. Carbs make you sleepy and are thus a yin food.

To balance out the yin our lives we must sufficient yang. Yang would be characterized by energy, movement, and daytime. For example, working out is a very yang activity. So in order to wake up in the morning and prepare for a workout you should increase your yang. Yang foods would be mostly protein foods, especially red meat and eggs. These are great foods for waking you up in the morning. Most people do not eat enough protein with breakfast and that is one of the reasons why they have such a hard time getting moving in the morning. One quesiton that I often get asked about is what people should eat before a workout. The answer is Yang foods, which are mostly protein. You want to be awake and have energy for your workouts so you should definitely have yang foods before your workout.

One of the keys to success with your workouts and nutrition is to have a proper balance of yin and yang in your life. If you are laking energy then do things that will increase your yang such as working out and eating more protein. An example of a condition that represents a lack of yang would be hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when thyroid production slows down which slows down the metabolism and causes the individual to lack energy. Thyroid problems are considered to be excess yin in Chinese medicine. In the Biosignature program one of the key things to understand is that excess insulin(from too many carbs) will slow down thyroid production. Which makes sense because overconsumption of carbs will mean an excess of yin in the body. If you are having trouble winding down then try to do things that will increase your yin such as relaxation exercises, naps, extra sleep, and possibly some high fiber carbs. If these things do not help then there are also many supplements that can help to increase yin and yang. Just remember that to get the best results you must keep things in the proper balance.

Saturday Classses

We will now be having a class on Saturday's at 10am. The first class will be this weekend 1/10 at 10am.

Leaky Gut

Most people do not know what leaky gut is, and it is a very common problem today. Leaky gut is when the permeability of the intestinal barrier is compromised. When this barrier is compromised many things pass through the barrier and into the body that are not supposed to. Your digestive system is the only contact your body has with the outside world and as food passes through the digestive system the intestinal barrier allows some things to pass through and blocks others. When the lining of the gut is compromised many things are allowed to cross this barrier into the body that would normally be blocked. This can lead to many food sensitivities and digestive problems. Food sensitivities are not full blown food allergies but when foods that we are sensitive to are eaten the body reacts with a cortisol response. This cortisol reponse is created because substances are allowed to pass through the compromised gut lining that would not normally pass through. The body sees these substances as a stressor even though it is food. So how do we get leaky gut? Stress, poor diet, overuse of medications and stimulants are all causes. The way to fix the gut is to remove foods that we are sensitive to and to use a smart gut rebuilding protocol.