05.03.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:25 am by Jenny
Good article here, an inspiring article, on Willie Gault. He was a world class sprinter and NFL wide receiver in his 20s. He still is a world class sprinter in his 40s. Pretty amazing.
I don’t know what to make of the 1500 crunches - conventional wisdom says a little variety would be nice. He benches 225 x10 (and does 3 sets) which is pretty good for a guy who is 175-180 pounds.
Obviously anyone who gets on an Olympic team has good genes but clearly some of Willie’s success comes from his training regimen. I just wish we had more details.
We know he eats organic food, not too much, and eats fish but not meat. He works out 4 days a week with HSI - apparently a professional track club. He does less weight training than the younger sprinters but does at least benches and squats. And we know at least once in a while he does a rediculous number of crunches.
That’s more than we know about Brian Leetch, the last athlete I thought I’d use for inspiration.
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04.20.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:40 am by Jenny
Questions for Health/Fitness experts:
First, I had bet $100 with a friend that I could lose 18 pounds in 19 days. After a week now, I realised it was a foolish bet and paid him off.
What started this bet was my cholesterol was at a extremely high level of 270 and I’m only 30 years old. In the process of this bet, I have lost 6 pounds over the last 7 days and want to continue to lose those last 12 pounds in a healthy way.
My first question is, I’ve been jogging/running 2-3 miles per day five times a week. I want to slowly bring that up to 5 miles per day. Problem is, after my runs my shin’s start to act up and become sore for a few hours. I’ve only been doing this for a week, so I’m not sure if this is a normal feeling after a running a few miles. Or is it my body trying to tell me I’m doing too much too soon. Should I cut back a little on my running to maybe 4 times a week?
Second question, is my diet and nutrition. I’ve cut out all sweets and junk food from my diet. But I wanted to know if anyone had a link to a good diet/nutrition web site? Basically looking for a healthy diet that would help me lose the most stored up extra fat on my body in the quickest time. (FYI, I’m 182 pounds now and looking to drop to 165-170 range).
Final question, with two small kids at home I don’t have time to hit the gym. Outside of jogging/running, I’ve also been doing 100 situps and 40 pushups per day. Does anyone have any other exercises I could do at home to help lose weight in my waist and mid section? Thanks for any help, it’s much appricated.
Answer 1: You’ve got a case of shin splints - don’t run on a hard surface…. get new running shoes. I always thought running or walking backwards helped shin splints, but that might be just an old wives tale.
Also don’t do too much running. Combine aerobic training with some weight training other days (even just dumbells at home). There are no specific exercises to reduce waist really, just have to increase your metabolism and decrease intake.
You can’t spot reduce so no excercise will help you lose inches of your midsection(despite what the commercials say). Your midsection gets smaller from overall weightloss, not sit ups, crunches or any other core training exercise.
Answer 2: According to my doctor running intervals will burn more calories in the long run than jogging. Also, I used to get shin splints, and a buddy of mine showed me a trick he used. After running, run an ice cube up and down each shin until the cube melts. Sounds simple, but it worked for me. It also might be your shoes. Go to a real running store (Fleet Feet, Road Runners, etc), and have them identify your gait. They can then show you which shoes are best for your running style. Good luck, and keep it up!
Answer 3: If I were you I would not jump right in and run that frequently. That is probably the reason you are getting shin splints. also, running on a track or grass is much better than pavement in that regard. As far as waistline reduction, you need to just reduce calories so you burn fat. As other posters have said, you can’t spot reduce.
One great way to incorporate more exercises into your aerobic activity is with conjugate training. One circuit might be, sprint 50 yards, drop do 20 pushups, sprint another 50, do some bodyweight squats, sprint 50 do some situps.
That will work you more efficiently than running for distance and is actually more effective at burning fat. Good luck and good health.
P.S. You could also purchase a doorway pull-up bar and some dumbbells for variety.
Answer 4: Your diet is good so far - eliminate sugars and simple carbs. Be mindful that you get alot of that with what you drink, even gatorade. Try drinking only water for 2 or more weeks (no alcohol, no juice). Take a B-complex and Calcium supps to aid your metabolism and lost nutrients from working out. Consume lots of high fiber foods (mainly green veggies) and take probiotics to help your digestion.
For your cholesterol, garlic as a supplement is highly recommended. Add it to your food too. Use only regular butter or extra virgin olive oil for cooking (no margarine or substitutes). If you want to eat eggs only eat the white. Other than that, read labels and watch your calories and you could lose the weight pretty fast.
Answer 5: I do Cross fit. I started with Body for Life, then went through several iterations of sports related workouts (Hockey player, so I did hockey related workouts) Now I’m doing crossfit (see link) It’s advanced, so you have to be very careful with how you do it, but it is an intense workout. BFL will give you a good idea about how to deal with diet, and is probably one of the best diet/exorcize combo’s I’ve seen because it preaches balance, which is key to long-term results. Shin-splits: Ice them down post run. run every other day rather than stacking one day on top of another. In between days do some wieght training, or resistance training (pushups, pull ups, body-weight squats, sit ups to start) your body will adjust, but also be sure you have good shoes- watch for arch support- key to avoiding shin splits…
Also, you can help get rid of shin splints by strengthening the muscles in the front of your lower leg. The exercise movement would be the same as hanging a bucket filled with sand off of your toes and moving your foot slowly up and down. This is an easy exercise to do just by creating resistance with your other foot or using an object.
Answer 6: Running first thing in the morning is a plan, but be advised if you have any possibility of cardiac problems this can have a fatal outcome. I forget each and every physiologic reason but something to the effect of the tendency of clots to form and spread to the heart is significantly increased in exerciseing on a empty stomech in the morning. A running guru of the eighties Jim Fixx was thought to have this as a contributory factor in his death of cardiac arrest during a early morning no breakfast run.
Answer 7: To maximize caloric burn relative to what your body can handle use a form of circuit training. I know this because, as a type II diabetic, my goal is often to burn as many carbs as I can in a given time period, in order to drop my blood sugar. I test before and after, so I know what works.
The way to do this is to 1)get your heartbeat up to your target range and keep it there; 2) use as many different sets of muscles as you can; and 3) minimize the risk that you will suffer an overuse injury relative to what your body can handle, as you obviously just did.
So, do a broad series of exercizes, without too severe pressure on your body, and no more than 30 seconds of rest in between. This can include intervals on the treadmill, pushups, abs/gluts on the exercize ball, no weight squats agains a wall, light dumbells, Therabands, etc. Several days a week, you can add somewhat heavier weights as well.
Stretch before and after. Since you aren’t straining any specific body segments, this type of routine can be done more than once a day. A half hour of this twice a day can work wonders. A link below to one example. (Btw, when you first posted and talked about what you intended to do with jogging to win your bet, my first response was: tendonitus. No one can go from zero to that much training overnight.)
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04.12.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:00 am by Jenny
Everyone would love to have a flat belly with a stunning six pack abs. After all it is the epitome of sexiness and once you can model a flat tummy everyone will admire you and your self confidence will shoot through the roof. But what is the best exercise to lose belly fat and get a flat midsection? Here are some of the most amazing exercises that you need to know to get a flat tummy:
Exercises #1- Basic Ab Crunches
This is one of the most common exercise to work the abdominal muscles. If can lay on and exercise mat of a rug for this exercise. Just laying on the floor may be too hard but if you don't have an exercise mat or rug that can be an alternative. You will bend your legs so that your knee point upwards while the sole of your feet is still on the ground. Place your hand behind your head for support and lift your upper body upwards towards your knee while keeping your buttocks on the ground. Return to floor position and then start the cycle again. Doing about 6 sets of 20 repetitions is good if your are just starting and then you can increase as your fitness level increases.
Exercise #2- Leg Lifting
This is also efficient to work your lower abdominal muscles. It also requires that you lay on the floor but this time you will lift your legs and keep your upper body on the ground. You can place your hands by your side with your palms facing down for stability while you lift your legs to a 45 degree angle from the ground. Return your leg to floor position and then start over the cycle. Doing 3 sets of 15 repetitions is recommended if you are just starting out and you can gradually increase as your fitness level increases.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:00 am by Jenny
Do you want to lose excess fat and get a supermodel body? If your answer is yes then continue to read as I reveal some of the secrets that is keeping you from burning that excess fat that you do not need.
Secret #1- Watch your diet
You may hear this several times before but it is very important to mention here also. You see if your diet is not on track it will be very hard to lose the excess fat that you don't need. You will have to change your diet and start having low calorie foods and avoid foods that will not help you to lose fat. One thing that you can do is to start having more fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of water and have whole wheat products instead of while bread products.
The amount of food you eat and how fast your eat is also very important. It is best for you to eat several small meals per day rather than3 larger meals. This way your metabolism will be faster and help you to burn fat quicker. Also you should eat slower; your brain takes several minutes after you are full to recognize that you are full. So instead of rushing your meal just take your time to ensure you do not over eat.
Secret #2- Exercise regularly
Exercising is one of the most effective method to boost metabolism and to lose excess fat. Exercising does not have to be strenuous but it should be consistent. At least 30 minutes per day for at least 3-5 days per week doing some aerobics can be effective to lose weight. Find a time that suits you best and workout that time every time you workout.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:00 am by Jenny
Obesity is a climbing condition not only in the United States Of America but also all over the rest of the world. People are getting fatter and fatter everyday. Some people say that it is due to the increase in processed foods and the amount preservatives and other chemical constituents that they may contain. This good news though is that if you are overweight but willing to put out a little work you can shed your extra pounds. This article will discuss the best way to lose body fat to get the amazing body you desire.
Before you can start to lose body fat, you must first understand how the fat burning process works. The two main driving forces to burn fat are:
Proper Dieting and
Proper Exercising.
Both your dieting and exercise program should be on target in to lose weight.
Dieting- You must have a healthy diet plan. Avoid bad carbs such as too much sugars and products made from white flour. Consumption of these products will lead to reduction in fat burning and increase in appetite. Instead you can have whole wheat and whole grain products that are rich in fiber. Increase you vegetable and fruit intake and drink a lot of water everyday. Water will help to flush out unwanted toxins from your body and speed up your metabolism helping you to burn fat faster.
It is also important to eat several small meals throughout the day than 3 larger chunk. One of the best way to lose body fat is to make your calorie intake less than the amount of calories your burn each day. One way to do this is to start out with a heavy breakfast so that you will be less hungry in the day. This way you won't have to consume too much food in the day.
Exercising- Not all exercises are created equally. Though you do not need to spend countless hours in the gym working out, you must do exercises that are intense and targeting specific regions of your body. For example, the best way to lose body fat from your tummy would be to target your abdominals with exercises such as crunches.
Once you have a proper diet plan and exercise program then you are well on your way to achieving the amazing body you desire. There are several programs that you can follow that are proven to give results. So do your research and get started already to your new super model body.
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