10/07/2008

Pre and Post Exercise Nutrition

Proper nutrition before and after competition or workouts can improve performance and results and in recovery. Many people today are putting too much emphasis on protein. Your muscles need carbohydrates for fuel and after a hard workout, they need to replace depleted glycogen - glycogen is the energy source that your muscles use and it most readily comes from carbohydrates.

PRE EXERCISE Eating before exercise can be tricky and very individual, you want to make sure that you can tolerate different foods at different times. Don't try new things the day of a big race or competition, and be aware of your body's signs. In general, you want to start with an empty stomach but plenty of energy flowing in your blood and stored in your muscles. Some people prefer a light snack within the hour before exercise, some prefer a larger snack about 2-3 hours before, others perform better with a large meal. It is also important to have enough fluids, and avoid greasy foods that can upset the stomach. Here are some guidelines:
1 hour before: fruits, fruit/vegetable juices, energy gels
2-3 hours before: fruits, fruit/vegetable juices PLUS low-fat yogurt and/or bread or bagel
3-4 hours before: fruits, fruit/vegetable juices plus low-fat yogurt, bread or bagel, PLUS a meal that is high in carbs, moderate in protein and low in fat (ie, pasta w/sauce, whole wheat bread w/chees/peanut butter/lean meat, cereal, baked potato), energy bar

POST EXERCISE Most important, replace lost fluids, about 20 oz per pound of weight lost during the exercise session.

Within 15-30 minutes, replace carbohydrates with a drink or light snack.
Within about 2 hours, have a meal that is high in carbohydrates, about 100-200 grams, together with some lean protein. That's about 3 cups of pasta or mashed potatoes.
For an excellent article called "Training Diet" from the Iowa State University, click here.

10/06/2008

HURRY UP!!! Mini Work Out Program

Maybe you've been stuck on XpressLine for a while and aren't getting the results you want, or you've advanced your program but need a few new moves to kick it up a notch. I've got 4 words for you: TOTAL BODY EXERCISE CIRCUIT!

This mini program empasizes two factors that will maximize your calorie burn:
Exercises that use multiple joints and muscles groups simultaneously. The more muslces you use, the more claories you burn, especially when we incorporate the larger muscle groups (legs, back, chest - especially legs). You'll want to be as flexible as possible to begin, so try the program above as a warmup, and make sure to keep your abdominal core engaged throughout.

Circuit Training to keep the heart rate up. Bring your water bottle along, this program is designed to minimize the rest period between exercises to keep your heart pumping. The faster yoru heart beats, the more calories you burn. Be careful to stay in your comfort zone here, if you don't have a heart rate monitor and target zone, keep the exertion level at about 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10 depending on your fitness level.

Click here for your program: HURRY UP! Mini Program

10/05/2008

FLEXIBILITY: From Desk to Gym or Road

We've talked about it before in this space. Most of the clients and gym members I meet work at a desk all day long, seated and leaning over to reach their keyboards and computer monitors. Many also spend long hours on cars, trains, buses and planes. Their bodies become tight in front and some are virtually locked in that seated position head and shoulders forward position. For all of you, this is a fairly simple mini program to address the most typical issues as summarized below: TIGHT/SHORT MUSCLES: Calves, Iliotibial Band (side of leg), Adductors (Inner thigh), Hip Flexors/Quads, Piriformis, Chest, Anterior Deltoids and Internal Rotators (Front of Shoulder), Upper Traps, Lats WEAK/EXTENDED MUSCLES: Glutes Medius and Maximus, Deep Abdominal Core (mainly Transversus Abdominus) , Lower Traps and Rhomboids, Shoulder External Rotator Follow the link below to a flexibility program designed to stretch/lengthen the tight muscles and strengthen the weak/extended muscles. This program is not meant as a complete program or a substitute for a personalized fitness assessment, but is a effective way of getting most of you started towards addressing some of the most common flexibility issues.

BENEFITS OF IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY:
- Muscles work as intended, doing their proper jobs
- Helps avoid using the WRONG muscles leading to better performance, better results and reduced risk of injury.Click here for your program: FLEXIBILITY FROM DESK TO GYM OR ROAD

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