Hard Core Mother Of Four

Workout Of The Week 12/8/2011

2011-12-08T10:44:00.001-08:00

This is another workout designed for minimal space and minimal equipment just in case your house bound due to weather.

Warm up by jogging in place 1 minute, perform 25 jacks, 15 push ups and 15 sit ups and repeat cycle two more times.

Perform the following exercises from top to bottom, pause and then repeat for a total of 4X through.

20 burpees20 windmill push ups
Perform a push up and then rotate to one side into a side plank (see below).
20 squat thrusts
20 plank row- can use a weight of just pull elbow back.

20 tuck squat thrusts
Perform a squat thrust and then when you hop up out of it perform a tuck jump.20 renegade push ups
20 full burpees
Perform a regular burpee but instead of a push up lie all the way down on the floor before pushing up and hopping in.
20 travel push ups - 5 to the right, 5 to the left. Repeat.
Perform a regular push up and then walk hands and feet to the right until you have completed 5 push ups then repeat back to left for 5.

20 pike and drop
You can hop or walk your feet back into the push up.
20 tricep push ups

Rest

After 4th round of the above perform 4 sets of 10 jackknife sit ups (start out lying on your back and then pike up and touch your toes). Stretch.

Workout Of The Week October 13th, 2011

2011-10-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

W.O.W. 10/13/2011

You will need dumbbells and a place to run for this workout.

Warm up for five minutes.

Perform two rounds of the following:
Single leg squat hop Right X20
Burpee X20
Single leg squat hop Left X20
Push up and row X20 (10 a side)
Run a fast 400 meter
Rest

Perform two rounds of the following exercises:
Frog hop X20
Jack squat thrust X20
Frog hop X20
Squat and shoulder press X20
Run sprints 30 secs on/30 secs off - 5X

Perform two rounds of the following exercises
Split jump X20
Tuck squat thrust X20
Split jump X20
Overhead lunge X20/s
Run 800 meters

Finish with 4 sets of 20 sit ups.

Easy Spicy Beef Topped With A Fried Egg

2011-10-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

I can't remember where I found this recipe but I just ran across it. I love to add a fried egg to spicy beef dishes. It's a compliment to the spice and it adds an extra dose of the perfect protein.

Easy Spicy Beef Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 large green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Toss beef with marinade, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
Heat peanut oil in a wok or large, nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the green onions, and cook for 5 to 10 seconds before stirring in the beef. Cook and stir until the beef is no longer pink and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Fry an egg in a hot skillet so it is brown and crispy around the edges. Flip it and cook just long enough to set the yolk. Place it on top of the beef and serve.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving without the egg - Calories: 212 Total Fat: 13.6g Protein: 22g Carbs: 4g
With the egg - add 90 calories, 7g Fat, 7g Protein, 0g Carbs

Super Sets

2011-09-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

If your workout has stalled there is one simple change that can mix it up without even changing the exercises. Train one muscle group while your resting another. This type of training keeps your heart rate up and makes your workout super efficient.

Here's an example of a good, basic, total body lifting routine based on super sets:

Warm up first (always) with light calisthenics and/or cycling, rowing or elliptical.

Perform 3 sets of each combination of exercises. Take a very short break between sets.

Incline bicep curls X8 reps
Single arm tricep overhead extension X8/side

Dumbbell shoulder press X8
Walking lunges X20 steps

Pulldowns (or pull ups) X8
Bench press X8

Reverse curls on bench X20
Hyper extension X10

Top Four Body Weight Drills

2011-09-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

There are four exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere so keep them handy for when you are on the road or stuck in your house for any reason. Here are the drills with variations to keep it interesting.

Push Ups

#1. Decline push ups - put your feet on a chair or table to perform the movement.
#2. Renegade push ups - perform a push up and as you come up out of the push up extend the opposite arm and leg. There are a couple variations on this drill. The most popular one is push up and row (pull one elbow to the ceiling at the top of the push up) but it isn't nearly as effective without weights and the drills I have listed are specifically designed to be challenging without using any equipment.
#3. Tricep push ups - keep elbows close to your body throughout the exercise.
#4. Plyometric push ups - as you come up push off explosively so that your hands (and/or feet) leave the floor.

Squats

Here are just a few squat variations. There are many, many more.
#1. Change the tempo of the squat by pulsing at the bottom for 10-20 reps before you come all the way up.
#2. Take your feet really wide with toes turned out, place your hands on your head and sink down at least to a 90 degree angle at your knee.
#3. Drop into a squat with your hands on your head and walk around the room for 10-20 steps.
#4. Bring your feet together and touch the floor with both hands on either side of your feet. Explode up into a jump while reaching for the ceiling.

Squat Thrusts/Burpees

#1. Just to clarify - a squat thrust is nothing fancy, just down/back/in/up. A burpee has a push up thrown in.
#2. Add a jack with the legs once your in plank and a jack as you hop up.
#3. After you kick your legs back lay all the way down on the floor so legs, belly and chest are all touching then push yourself up and hop in and up.
#4. After you kick your feet back bring your knees into your chest and kick back again before you hop in and up.

Sit Ups

#1. Traditional gym-class sit ups - hands behind the head, knees bent and curl all the way up to touch your elbows to your knees.
#2. Straighten your knee with arms straight over head. Curl up and touch your toes.
#3. Start with legs straight and hands behind your head. Curl up all the way, bringing one knee into your chest, touch it with your opposite elbow (you should twist across).
#4. Put your hands behind your head and tuck elbows and knee together so they touch. Extend legs out parallel to the floor. Bring them up some if your lower back bothers you.

Mix up sets and reps for the above exercises to create even more variation.

Low Carb Dieting

2011-08-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

I highly suggest that you get a copy of 'Living Low Carb' by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS. Especially Chapter 6, The Biggest Myths about Low-Carb Diets. If you have been resistant to low calorie diets you may just see yourself in his text. Especially the quote "...there is no physiological need for carbohydrates in the human diet." There is a lot of research backing this up. Just think about it. It would be easy to study protein vs. carbs. Put one person on an all carb diet and one person on an all protein diet. The research shows that the person on the all carb diet would die within the year and the all protein person would be thriving. In chapter 7 he compares 38 diets and why they work and don't work for some people. He talks about how hard a diet is to follow and how effective he thinks it is. He doesn't just talk about low carb diets, he talks about the most popular diets over the past few decades. He shows why they may or may not work. Obviously he thinks low carb is the way to go but is not preachy about it.

I have seen many clients finally lose weight after embracing the low carb (or even just a lower carb life). Most of them tell me they don't miss bread or pasta once they have practiced the new way to eat for a week or so.

Go forth and live low carb!

W.O.W. July 13th, 2011

2011-07-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

Workout of the week:

This is a basic strength workout for the weight room.

Warm up well before beginning the workout because you will be lifting heavy. Choose a weight that you struggle with by the 6th repetition. If you really want to go for it you should find a spotter or lift with someone else.

Bench press 4X6-8

10 squat thrusts
(no push up)

10 burpee
(same as to the right)

Pull ups 4 sets to failure

25 donkey kicks

Squats 4 sets of 6-8 reps

20 frog hops

20 tuck jumps

1 minute of sit ups, rest and repeat for 1 min, rest and repeat one more time.

Stretch.

W.O.W. June 27, 2011

2011-06-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Work Out Of The Week

This is a complicated pyramid work out. It's complicated to figure out, not to do. You will perform 5 drills in order but the times will vary.

Here's the formula:

Drill #1-50 seconds
Drill #2-50 seconds, Drill #1-40 seconds
Drill #3-50 seconds, Drill #2-40 seconds, Drill #1-30 seconds
Drill #4-50 seconds, Drill #3-40 seconds, Drill #2-30 seconds, Drill #1-20 seconds
Drill #5-50 seconds, Drill #4-40 seconds, Drill #3-30 seconds, Drill #2-20 seconds, Drill#1-10 seconds

You can do the above with any five drills. The sequence is about 9 minutes long. Go through it in order, Drills #1-5, and then rest. Repeat everything but start with Drill #5 and go backwards.

Here are today's drills:

#1 Jacks

#2 Push Ups

#3 Jump squats

#4 Sit ups

#5 Burpees

Go through the above drills, rest, and then repeat in reverse order.

Yes, it's hard to keep your own time but there are ways to do it. There are interval apps for smart phones and there are watches with which you can program any interval length.

Great Summer Salad

2011-06-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Very simple and very good PLUS you don't need any dressing.

1/4 head of romaine lettuce
1 small tomato. chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper cut in slices
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 skinless chicken breast, chopped and mixed with one tablespoon of low fat mayo

Toss everything together. The salad is very satisfying and the protein means you won't get hungry as quickly.

Total calories: 300
Protein: 26
Carbs: 34
Fat: 8

W.O.W. June 18, 2011

2011-06-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Workout of the Week

Warm up for about 5 minutes any way you like.

Set up a barbell with enough weight on it that you can curl 8X. Perform the following in order.

25 jacks
Bicep curl 8X

20 burpees

Shoulder press 8X

10 8 ct bodybuilders*
Tricep french press with barbell 8X

25 crouch squat hops

Bent over row 12X

20 squat thrusts
Floor bench press 12X

10 jack and tuck**

25 sit ups

You can repeat everything or just stick to the one run through. You must make sure the barbell is loaded with enough weight that the one set is a struggle. Sometimes it's hard to figure it out so play around with it until you get it.

Stretch.

*8 ct bodybuilder: starts like a burpee (hands down, kick back, 1 push up) then add on 2 jacks with the legs on the floor, hop in and hop up.

**Jack and tuck: 1 jack, 1 tuck jump. Simple.

Get Outside!

2011-06-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

We stay inside way too much. Now that the weather is better it is time to get outside! I know it's really hot in some places but you do have options. Even in the desert the temperatures are tolerable in the morning hours.

It is also super easy to do. Find a park and you have a plethora of readily available 'equipment' to use. Use a wall or bench to perform step-ups, sit squats, bi-level squats, incline push ups and dips. Open fields can be used to run sprints and provide a cushy surface for push ups, burpees and ab work. Often there are stairs near by as well. Stairs are a fantastic work out. If you don't know what to do besides just run up and down them I have included a stair work out below.

And one of the most important benefits of exercising outdoors has to do with your brain. The Peninsula College of Medicine writes "......compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported a greater enjoyment in their exercise activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat it at a later date".

So there you go. Great benefits and a better chance that you will stick with your exercise program. Can't beat that.

Stair Work Out

Start with an easy jog to warm up. It's a great idea to park a few blocks away from the stairs and then jog to and from your work out. All the drills are simple and intense.

Run up singles 5X
Run up doubles (every other stair) 5X
Run up triples 5X - I have had clients that are 5 feet tall. If they can take every third stair so can you.

Hop up singles 1X
Hop up doubles (again, every other stair) 1X
Hop up sideways, leading with right shoulder into the stair 1X
Hop up sideways leading with left shoulder 1X
Repeat all four drills three more times (total of four sets).

Obviously the length of the workout depends on how long the staircase is but you can do all the drills one time through or repeat everything. Mix it up.

Make sure to stretch the crap out of your calves, quads and hamstrings....but especially your calves.

New Idea For Tracking Nutrition

2011-04-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

Actually it's not a new idea at all. One time, quite a few years back, I went to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting with my sister. In OA they have you write down your food before you eat it. The standard method these days is to write down everything that you eat after you eat it. That does work for a lot of people but some people need more guidance then that. It does take more planning too.

What you need to do is start a notebook, not for tracking but for planning. Planning what your going to eat tackles the impulse eating that people can easily fall into. It's the same theory as shopping. If you want to stay on a budget you stick to your list. You don't buy anything that is not on your list. The cool part is nobody is telling you not to eat (or buy) whatever it is. It just means you can't eat it today. If you really want it later then write it on your menu for the next day. The likelihood is that you won't want it once you step away from the situation.

This is going to sound funny but make sure you plan to eat enough food. When you write it out it can look like an awful lot of food. I also suggest that you start with pretty strict portion control. I know that sounds tedious but one of things that has proven true is that people underestimate what they eat. Once you develop an eye for portion size you may be able to relax a little bit.

People who know me know that I do not write out diets for my clients. It has been proven that people won't stay on a 'diet'. In order to maintain weight loss you have to make a life-style change. If you hate broccoli and I tell you to eat broccoli not only will you be unhappy but eventually you will most likely give up.

Okay. So go find a nice notebook and start planning. It is best to do it the night before. Look through your fridge and write down what you are going to eat the next day. Write down the time of day as well that way you will be reassured that you won't go hungry for any length of time. In general I eat at 7am, 10am, around 1:30pm, 5pm and 8:30pm. Write down as many 'meals' as you want, only you know when you are most likely to get hungry.

W.O.W. March 1st, 2011

2011-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Workout Of the Day

Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes then increase your speed and run hard for 3 minutes. Drop your speed and increase the incline to 10% and run for 2 minutes.

Hold one dumbbell up in your RIGHT hand, so it's overhead with a straight arm. Lunge forward and back with the RIGHT leg. Repeat 10X on each side for 4 sets.

Run fast for 3 minutes, decrease your speed and increase your incline to 8% and run for 2 minutes.

On the cable machine. Adjust a single-grip pulley about waist height. Step back and lunge forward with your LEFT foot and hold the lunge. Make sure the lunge is deep and static so don't move. Grab the handle with the RIGHT hand and pull it back in a row to your waist. The weight should be heavy enough that you feel off-balance. Repeat 12X on each side for 4 sets. The illustration on the left shows a one arm cable row and the height that I want but her feet are not in the position I want. If she puts her left foot forward and right leg and bends both knees she will be in a static lunge position.

Run fast for 3 minutes, slow down, increase incline to 6% and run for 2 minutes.

Perform decline push ups (feet on a bench or a couple of stacked plates, depends on how easily you do push ups). 4 sets of 20 reps.

Jog easily on the treadmill for 5 minutes.

And yes, stretch. Again I know it is highly unlikely that you will stretch on your own but please, stretch at least your low back, hamstrings and chest (see illustrations below).

Hamstring Stretch

Chest Stretch on the left, low back stretches on the right.

Nutrition For February 25th, 2011

2011-02-27T14:00:00.001-08:00

A lot of women ask me how to control bloat. Our weight can fluctuate 5 lbs either way, on a daily basis. It is discouraging to weigh yourself and see that you are up 3 lbs when you have been working out like crazy and eating a healthy diet.

The way to control bloat is to watch your refined carbs. One gram of starchy carbs holds four grams of water, which is one of the reasons I adhere to a lower carb diet. I mainly stay between 50-100 grams of carbs a day and I stay far away from anything starchy (rice, bread of any kind, potatoes, etc. Oh yeah and SUGAR!). I do eat Fiber One every morning but the amount of fiber in that cereal lowers the the amount of carbs that you count toward your daily total. I'm sure you have heard the phrase 'impact carbs'. The amount of impact carbs in any given food is grams of total carbs - grams of fiber. For example a serving on Fiber One is 1/2 cup. It contains 25 grams of carbs and 14 grams of fiber. 25 - 14 = 11 grams of impact carbs.

Here is my nutrition intake for 2/25/11:

On this particular day I took my kids out for lunch so it shows what you can do if you do the same thing.

Breakfast
Muscle Milk Protein Bar
Snack
100 calorie pack of almonds
2 ounces of cheddar cheese

Lunch
Triple stack hamburger
3 pieces of American cheese
1/2 a hamburger bun

Snack
2 chicken thighs (just the meat from a teriyaki place that I had left over from the day before)

Dinner
2 fried chicken wings
1/4 cup rice
1 Bourbon and soda

Total calories: 2,277
Total carbs : 57 grms
Total Protein: 176

I am not suggesting that you eat the way that I do. A couple people commented on the fact that I eat no fruit and almost no vegetables. That's true. I do try to get more leafy greens in my diet on a daily basis. I manage to do that about three times a week in the form of spinach, broccoli and lettuce. Yes, you should eat vegetables but I do suggest that you are careful with how much fruit you eat. Research shows that the body still recognizes fruit as sugar.

Workout Of The Week February 17th, 2011

2011-02-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

W.O.W.

Warm up:
5 minutes of jogging

50 jacks
25 push ups
15 pull ups

Sprint on the treadmill for 3 minutes

50 burpees
25 renegade push ups - when you come up out of the push up reach out with one of your arms and lift the opposite leg (at the same time)
15 chin ups

Sprint on the treadmill for 3 minutes

50 fast feet and drop - do the fast feet with feet wide
25 decline push ups - put your feet on a high or low bench
15 tricep push ups (elbows stay close to your rib cage)

Sprint on treadmill for 3 minutes

Jog for 5 minutes

Stretch

Nutrition for January 24th, 2010

2011-01-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a more typical day for me. I am going to post random days and you will notice some trends (Brie is one of them) and (some would say), crazy (hamburger with no bun, layered with a slice of ham, cheese and an egg - super protein, right?). My calories also fluctuate because I think it's good to have higher and lower days, it keeps your body from going into starvation mode.

Breakfast
3 scrambled eggs
3 pieces of Canadian bacon

Snack
1/2 slice of flat bread pizza (a pretty darn small piece)

Lunch
Sandwich thins
A very large portion of deli sliced pan-roasted turkey breast
About 1.5 ounces of Brie

Snack
About 2 ounces of cheddar cheese
A package of almonds (those 100 calorie packets that you can buy)

Dinner
1/2 cup of rice
6 ounces of lean beef

Total calories for the day: 1,708 Carb count: 77g Protein: 160g

Wonder what I eat?

2011-01-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Clients and class participants often ask me what I eat, especially when I am asking them to eat more protein (over and over again). So I have decided to occasionally (or maybe more) list what it is that I eat. So here it goes....

For Monday, January 17th, 2011

Breakfast
Sandwich thins with 2 slices of cheddar cheese

Snack
14 almonds (in snack packs) and 1 ounce of cheddar cheese

After workout
8 ounces of low fat chocolate milk

Snack
1 package almonds

Lunch
1 can of sardines in mustard sauce and 4 Milton Crispy Sea Salt crackers

Snack
1 ounce brie and 4 Milton crackers

Dinner
Small flour tortilla, 3 ounces of lean beef, 1/8 cup refried beans and 8 ounces of red wine

Total calories - 1,957
Carbs - 145g (high for me)
Protein - 115g (low for me)

I don't really care about how many grams of fat that I ingest, fat keeps you full longer, nor do I pay much attention to calorie intake. Also you'll notice that I graze all day long. There are rarely more then 3 hours between meals (or snacks). I normally would not eat crackers, sandwich thins and a tortilla all in the same day even though all of those items are fairly low in calories.

Tabata Interval

2011-01-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

If you haven't tabata'd yet, you better!

Here's a great one:

Do each drill for 10 secs and repeat 8 times = 4 minutes.

#1 Wide squat hops with hands on head
#2 Squats (no hop)
#3 hold a deep squat

Your thighs will be on fire, I guarantee. I did it in my class tonight (and with several clients) and they totally hate me now. If your feeling brave you can follow it up with a 20 minute cycle interval workout - 20 secs hard, 10 secs recovery. I think you'll be sufficiently done. Literally.

High Carbs VS High Protein....Again

2010-12-27T13:07:00.001-08:00

In order to fatten cattle quickly they are fed a diet high in refined, simple carbohydrates made up primarily of corn and grain bi-products. They are also kept in a pen to inhibit movement. That pretty much describes the majority of Americans.

You guys need to eat more friggin' protein if you want to get lean. Low fat, high carb diets don't work well. I'm not suggesting you should adhere to the Atkins Diet. I am suggesting that you plan meals around a solid source of protein. You'll get the carbohydrates you need, trust me. Also, don't worry so much about the fat. Notice that they don't feed the cattle a high fat diet in order to fatten them up. Don't drown yourself in fat but use it to cook and flavor foods. I also tell my clients to get rid of foods that aren't supposed to be non-fat. Those foods have all sorts of other crap in them to make them taste good.

Our bodies were designed to move so do it. The average working American sits for more then 12 hours a day. 12 hours! One hour of focused, intense exercise will help combat the negative affects of that sedentary lifestyle. Also try to add in more non-exercise activity. I know you've heard it a million times but take the darn stairs, walk the dog a little bit farther then you normally do, walk to anything that's within a mile or two. Seriously. It doesn't take that long.

So here it is again: Lower your simple carbohydrate intake, increase your protein intake and move your body. That's the magic formula. And it's not very magic.

Chicken "Bouillabaisse"

2010-12-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a great cold weather meal that's super tasty.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 medium fennel bulb
2 cans (14-16 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
2 teaspoons bottled chopped garlic in oil
Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken into 3/4 inch cubes. Trim the fennel, halve lengthwise and cut into thin slices.

In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine the tomatoes with their juices, the fennel and 4 cups of water. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and saffron threads to the soup, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is white but still moist in the center, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic in oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

It freezes really well for an even quicker meal later.

W.O.W. December 13th, 2010

2010-12-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

Workout of the Week 12/13/2010

What you will need: 1 set of medium and 1 set of heavy dumbbells

Start out with a warm up of jacks, high knee run, leaps and push ups.

With medium dumbbells perform walking lunges with a shoulder press. Press the dumbbells up as you drop down into the lunge so it's one smooth movement. Hold on to the dumbbells and perform 40 lunge jump (start in a lunge position jump up and switch feet in the air landing with the other leg forward - see above diagram). Rest briefly and repeat 2 more times.

With medium dumbbells perform an alternating reverse lunge with bicep curls for a total of 10 reps. Still holding the dumbbells perform 20 squat thrusts. Rest briefly and repeat two more times.

With one of the heavy dumbbells perform a tricep overhead extension (both hands are holding the dumbbell for 10 reps. With the dumbbell in both hands at your chest squat hop out and in (that's one) for a total of 20 reps. Rest briefly and repeat 2 more times.

With heavy dumbbells perform 20 deep squats with feet close together trying to touch the dumbbells to the floor. Immediately following perform traditional walking lunges for at least 20 steps. Rest and repeat two more times.

In plank position with hands on heavy dumbbells perform a row alternating sides, being careful not to rotate your body, for 10 repetitions. Keeping hands on the dumbbells perform 20 tuck hops in and out (in plank position hop in with both feet until your in a deep squat and then hop back). Rest and repeat two more times.

With one medium dumbbell perform Turkish Get-Ups, 3 sets of 5 reps per side. (See diagram below)

Stretch (please?).

W.O.W. November 29th, 2010

2010-11-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

You'll need a treadmill (or access to the outdoors fairly quickly). You'll also need one dumbbell.

Warm up on the treadmill for 5 minutes.

Pick up dumbbell and perform a squat, touching dumbbell to the ground and as you come up perform a shoulder press. Repeat X20.

Hop on treadmill and run for 2 minutes as fast you can.

Perform a walking lunge and as you step press the dumbbell over head (shoulder press) for 15 reps. Repeat with other arm.

Repeat treadmill run.

Perform a squat and as you squat reach the dumbbell toward your shoelaces. As you come up out of the squat swing the dumbbell up to the far corner of the room. I usually cue this as 'pick it up and put it away'. Perform 20 per side.

Repeat treadmill run.

Perform Turkish Get Ups for 10 each side. Look at the photo above if you don't know what these are. You can use a dumbbell or kettlebell.

Repeat everything one more time through then jog on the treadmill for 3-5 minutes.

Perform jack knives for abs 3 sets of 10/side. Lay flat on your back with one foot on the floor and the other leg straight. Arms should be over your head. Swing up touching your foot at the top. Hold for a split second and then roll down.

Stretch hamstrings, back and chest.

Snowbound Bodyweight Workout (W.O.W. November 23rd, 2010)

2010-11-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

This week the Workout Of The Week is all about being housebound (as we are in Seattle right now due to snow). You don't need weights to get a great workout regardless of if you are snowbound or not.

Start with a light warm up of jogging in place for 1 minute, leaping side to side for 1 minute, jacks for 1 minute and then jump rope with heels touching in front for 1 minute.

Here' the workout:

15-20 push ups
15 squat thrusts
20 rows in plank position - you don't need weights for this, just pull your elbow back, changing sides right then left.
15 full burpees
15-20 tricep push ups
40 mountain climbers (count every single one, not every other one)
20 falling push ups. Crouch down with elbows inside of knees, hands up in a defensive stance and heels lifted. Slowly fall forward, catch yourself and then push back up forcefully with your arms.
20 squat hop out and in and then one flying jack - that counts as one.
20 full sit ups

Repeat from the top two more times and then stretch hamstrings and lower back (that's the very minimum stretching you should do).

High Pro-Joe

2010-11-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is a fabulous, easy, high protein recipe.

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
1 medium onion
1 pound lean ground beef (10% fat)
8 eggs
Salt and pepper

Optional:
4 Kaiser rolls, split in half (I don't eat it with rolls)

Put the spinach in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on High until thawed, about 2 minutes. Drain off excess moisture.

Cut the onion into quarters and place in a food processor, or finely chop the onion.

In a large frying pan, cook the meat and chopped onion over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach.

Beat the eggs until frothy, Season well with salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the frying pan. Cook, stirring, until the eggs are set, about 3-4 minutes. Serve with, or without, the rolls.

Servings = 4
Nutrition information per serving (without rolls):

Calories 429
Protein 41
Carbs 7
Fat 26

W.O.W. November 13th, 2010

2010-11-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

Here's your Workout Of the Week:

Set two pairs of dumbbells aside, one medium and one heavy. You will also need access to a weight bench.

Jog on the treadmill for 5 minutes. Increase the incline to 6% and increase your speed by .3-.5. Run for 3 minutes.

Hop off the treadmill and pick up the heavy dumbbells. Perform step ups on the weight bench. 3 sets of 10 per side.

Return to the treadmill. Run on the flat for 2 minutes. Increase the incline to 8% and increase your speed. Run for 3 minutes.

Pick up the medium weights and perform a reverse lunge with bicep curls for 10 reps total (or 5 a side) follow immediately with 10 squat thrusts with dumbbells. Repeat 2 more times without a break between sets.

Return to the treadmill. Run on the flat for 2 minutes. Increase the incline to 10% and increase your speed. Run for 3 minutes.

Pick up the medium dumbbells and perform squats with shoulder press for 3 sets of 10.

Return to the treadmill. Run on the flat for 2 minutes. Increase your speed and the incline to 6% running for 2 minutes, increase incline to 8%, maintaining speed, for 2 minutes and finally increase incline to 10% and run for 2 minutes. Bring treadmill down to flat and run for 3 minutes.

Pick up one heavy dumbbell and perform push up and row for 10 reps (5 a side) and then perform 20 mountain climbers (count every other one). Repeat two more times.

Perform 3 sets of 20 full sit ups - these are standard, gym class sit ups elbows all the way up to your knees on every repetition.

Stretch

WOW October 25th, 2010

2010-10-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

You will need a couple pairs of dumbbells in the heavier weight range (12 lbs minimum for women) and a bench.

Start with a light warm-up on a piece of cardio equipment or jog for 5-10 minutes.

Perform 15 repetitions of dumbbell bicep curls, pausing if you need to but making sure you get through all 15 reps.
Perform 15 squat thrusts with dumbbells in your hands.
Repeat one more time.

Perform 15 repetitions of dumbbell row.
Perform 20 minutes of over the bench squats. On these you stand next to the bench with shoulder facing the bench. Place one foot on top of the bench. Now hop up and over to the other side, always leaving one foot on top of the bench.
Repeat one more time.

Perform 15 dips.
Perform 15 full burpees (these are the ones where you lie all the way down on your belly before hopping in and up)
Repeat one more time.

Perform 5 dumbbell shoulder presses. Repeat on the other side and then repeat the 5/5 two more times so that you perform a total of 15 reps on each side.
Perform 2 minutes of box hops on the bench. If the bench seams to high place one dumbbell on the floor and perform 2 minutes of slalom hop over the dumbbell.
Repeat one more time.

Perform 20 push ups.
Perform 15 burpees (a squat thrust with a push up).
Repeat one more time.

Perform 4 sets of 20 counts of slow bicycle.

Stretch.

Homemade Beef Jerky

2010-10-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Beef jerky is a great lean, high-protein snack that's easy to pack around. I lived on the stuff when I was bodybuilding. Store bought beef jerky can be down right inedible so here is an easy, tasty recipe so you can make your own.

Heat oven to 150 degrees.

1 flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Cut flank steak lengthwise (with the grain) in long thin strips no more then 1/4-inch thick. Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl. Add meat; marinate 1 hour. Baste occasionally if meat is not completely covered with sauce.

Arrange meat strips on rack; place on cookie sheet. Bake 12 hours. The time can vary a little depending on how your oven bakes. Meat should be cooked through and dry, but not brittle. Cool and store in a covered container.

It's also easy to tweak the marinade to something you might like better.

W.O.W. October 1st, 2010

2010-09-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Speaking of wow.......

Here is your workout of the week:

This workout requires no equipment and minimal space.

After warming up for 5 minutes (light jog, bicycle, calisthenics) perform 20 reps each of the following. Rest and repeat.

20 push ups
20 full burpees (squat thrust but when you kick your feet back into plank lay all the way down on the ground then push up, hop in and hop up)
20 plank/rows (hold yourself in full plank and alternate pulling one elbow back)
20 jacks
20 flying jacks
20 tricep push ups
20 squat thrusts
20 squat hops (touch both hands to the floor between your feet and then hop up reaching for the ceiling)
20 scissor kicks (for abs)
20 tuck jumps

There are 200 reps. Try to complete the above in 15 minutes. Rest 3-5 minutes and then repeat everything.

Have fun!

Broiled Tuna With Orange Sesame Glaze

2010-08-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Everybody has heard 'Eat more fish'! Here's a very tasty tuna recipe.

If you can't get tuna this recipe works well with swordfish, cod and halibut.

1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or powdered ginger
4 fresh tuna steaks approx. 6-8 ounces each

In a 1-quart resealable plastic bag, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Add the tuna steaks and let them marinate for 5 minutes. Turn the fish frequently while it's marinating.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and arrange on a broiler pan; reserve the marinade. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes, turning the steaks over once, until the fish is just opaque throughout but still juicy.

Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and boil over med-high until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 1-2 minutes. To serve, spoon the glaze over the fish.

W.O.W. July 28th, 2010

2010-07-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

For this workout I suggest a set of 10-15lb dumbbells. You may want to bring two sets over to your workout area. The arm sequence is pretty fatiguing and you definitely do not want to sacrifice form in order to get every singe repetition completed. Choose wisely.

Hop on a treadmill. Run or walk at a comfortable pace for three minutes. Crank the incline to the highest setting and continue to walk or run for one minute. Drop the incline to 0% and continue your walk/run for one more minute.

Get into push up position. Execute a push up and then pick up your dumbbell and perform a row, that counts as one rep. Alt push up and row until you have complete 10 total repetitions.
Stay on the floor and return to push up position with your dumbbell out of the way. Hop in and back with both feet for 20 repetitions. It looks like your hopping into a pike position and then back into a plank, back and forth until you reach 20 reps.
Repeat both drills back to back two more times through without stopping.

Return to treadmill and repeat above.

Pick up one dumbbell. Start with feet together and weight in your left hand. Step out to your right (laterally) and place the dumbbell down by your right foot making sure to keep your left leg straight. Step back in leaving the dumbbell on the floor. Now step out and pick up the dumbbell again returning to the start position. Continue until you have completed 10 reps on each leg, each time you step out counts as one repetition. You execute all 10 reps on one side before switching.
Set the dumbbell down on the floor and stand next to it. Keeping your feet together hop over the dumbbell and back (like your slaloming). Over and back is one rep. Complete a total of 20 reps.
Repeat both drills back to back two more times through without stopping.

Return to treadmill and repeat above.

Pick up dumbbells. Hold dumbbells by your sides, palms forward. Keeping your elbows by your sides, lift both weights until your forearms are parallel to the floor. Then, extend your arms straight out in front of you (as though your were serving a platter). Return your arms to the bent position, then extend them overhead while rotating your wrists so your palms end up facing forward. Slowly return to the starting position. Complete 10 reps.
Perform 10 squat thrusts with dumbbells in your hands. A squat thrust with weights: start in a standing position. Place both dumbbells on the floor. Kick your legs back into a plank. Hop your feet back in. Stand up (still holding the dumbbells) and hop. Repeat.
Repeat both drills back to back two more times through without stopping.

Return to treadmill and repeat above.

Perform 20 slow bicycles followed by 20 scissors, continue back and forth between the two for a total of three sets. Scissors: Lying on your back bring one leg straight up and the other leg parallel to the floor. Switch legs (scissoring) touching your hands together behind the knee. Count every single switch as one. Repeat the sequence two more times.

Stretch.

W.O.W. June 27th, 2010

2010-06-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

This workout requires one set of dumbbells and is pretty intense if you select the right amount of weight. The dumbbells should be heavy enough that you have a hard time completing 8 repetitions of tricep kickbacks.

Once you pick up the dumbbells you do not put them down until you complete the entire workout. The workout should take you about 20 minutes. You don't need any other equipment.

Warm up for 5 minutes without dumbbells. Whatever warm up you like is fine (treadmill, bike, etc).

Pick up your dumbbells.

Perform one set of walking lunges, walking at least 10 steps in each direction.

Step forward with one foot (for lower back support) and perform 10 reps of wide dumbbell rows (elbows out, not in).

Perform 15 reps of squat thrust with weights.

On the last one stay down in push up position and perform push and row sequence for 10 reps (push up and then pick up one dumbbell and perform a row, repeat on the other side. Every row counts as one).

Hop feet in and stand up. Perform 20 close stance squat hops.

Bring elbows slightly in front, resting against belly. Perform 8 bicep curls.

Perform 20 split jumps, every time you jump counts as one.

Perform 8 tricep kickbacks, stepping forward with one foot for back support.

Perform 10 shoulder jerks. Shoulder jerk: Start with dumbbells at your shoulders. Squat deeply and as you thrust up, through your glutes and legs, forcefully push the dumbbells up into a shoulder press.

Perform glute/quad series (this will be hard to explain but bare with me). Start in a split stance position (stable lunge, one foot forward the other foot back). Perform 10 lunges, knee touching the floor. On the last rep lean forward and place dumbbells on the floor in a low lunge position, back leg straight. Bring back leg in, tapping by front foot and then extend all the way back, try to keep your hips down throughout the movement. Finally, bring back leg in so that back knee is directly under your hip (as if you are a sprinter about ready to take off out of the blocks), pulse up and down for 10 trying not to straighten back leg. All three exercises are performed on one leg. Repeat other side.

Place dumbbells on your hips. Squat hop out and in for 10 (out and in counts as one). Stay deep in the legs.

Put the weights down. You are done. If you aren't done-done next time choose heavier weights.

Gain Weight to Lose a Size

2010-06-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

There is a great article in the June issue of Health magazine.

The headline states: Lose a dress size by gaining 3-4 pounds!

Do you know how hard it is to convince women that the weight they initially gain by strength training is a good thing. When my clients complain that they haven't lost much weight after working out hard for a few weeks and watching their diet I ask '...but how do your clothes fit?' They almost always say 'Looser'. Okay, then what difference does it make how much your weigh?! You don't walk around all day with your weight attached to your forehead but you do walk around in your better-fighting clothes and leaner physique.

The weight that you have gained is muscle, not fat, and that's why you lose inches. Everybody knows that muscle weighs more then fat but do you really know it. You have got to embrace it in order to truly understand the concept. Muscle is denser so it takes up less space thereby creating the loss of inches. You will also burn more calories on a minute to minute basis because muscle is active tissue. It doesn't just sit there, doing nothing, like fat.

So lift weights or do some sort of challenging resistance training at least twice a week. Oh, and ignore the scale. Don't forget, you can drop a dress size by gaining 3-4 pounds.

W.O.W. June 2nd, 2010

2010-06-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Once again, the following work out can be done in your home or at a gym using minimal equipment.

Warm up with light jogging or calisthenics.

Perform 50 jacks
Pick up two 25-35lb dumbbells and perform 20 close stance squats lowering until thighs are parallel to floor.
Repeat both two more times.

Perform 50 crouch squat hops - crouch down touching elbows to your thighs and then jump up forcefully reaching for the ceiling.
Pick up 10-15lb dumbbells and alternate lunge while performing a shoulder press with both arms. Keep palms facing each other during the shoulder press. Repeat for 20.
Repeat both two more times.

Perform ten 8-count bodybuilders - this is an embellished squat thrust: hands down on the floor, kick your legs back, push up, hold a plank and do two jacks with the legs, hop in and hop up reaching for the ceiling.
Lying on floor or bench pick up your heavier dumbbells again. With knees and hips at a 90 degree angle perform 20 dumbbell bench presses. Make sure your knees and hips are in the correct position. You should feel your abdominals fully firing throughout the drill. If you don't, push your feet further away from your body.
Repeat both two more times.

Perform 20 tuck jumps, trying to hug your knees to your chest on every tuck.
Grab one of your heavier dumbbells. Hold a plank position (top of a push up) and perform a one arm dumbbell row, 15 per side.
Repeat both two more times.

For abs perform 3 sets of 20 military sit ups. Hook your feet under a couch or bar, place your hands across your chest (making an 'X') and bring your elbows all the way up to your knees.

Stretch. I know your won't but please, at least stretch your hamstrings. For me.

More Evidence on the Benefits of Interval Training

2010-05-20T07:12:00.001-07:00

Interval training rocks. If you haven't been totally convinced yet read the following information as written in a Men's Health publication.

No matter what exercise you choose, there's only so much fat you can burn during, say, a 30-minute workout. And research shows that the better trained you become, the more your body's 'exercise efficiency' improves, meaning the same amount of activity burns fewer calories as time goes by. For instance, University of California, Berkeley, scientists have determined that to avoid age-related weight gain, avid runners need to boost their weekly mileage by 1.7 miles a year.

Sure, aerobic exercise burns calories. However, if you're already dieting studies show that distance running does little to further enhance fat loss. Most likely, this is because aerobic exercise doesn't boost your metabolism after your workout. But that doesn't mean cardio can't help: high intensity intervals-such as short sprints of 30 seconds or more, interspersed with a slow jog-are great for accelerating fat loss. Why? Because they're similar to weight training. After all, a 200-meter sprint challenges your lower-body muscles hard for 30 seconds or more, just like a set of 8 reps of squats. So by doing a few intervals on the days you don't lift weights, you can spike your metabolism even higher.

In other words, if fat loss is your goal, do intervals. If your just doing steady-state aerobic activity re-read the information study above. If your a runner you would have to run an extra 1.7 miles A WEEK, every single year just to stave off age related weight gain. So there's no fat loss involved. Think about how many more minutes you'd have to add to your elliptical workout every week. The elliptical is really a waste of your time to begin with, but pretty soon you would have to be on that thing for hours.

When I design workouts for clients, and the workouts of the week I post here, they include both weight training and cardio interval training mixed together in the same workout. If's efficient and very effective.

You have to get uncomfortable in order to move forward in your fat loss goals.

Know it. Embrace it. Now go out and do it.

W.O.W. May 10th, 2010

2010-05-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

The following work out is designed to accommodate people without equipment.

Perform 30 body-weight squats lowering thighs parallel to the floor and making sure to push your butt back.
Perform 30 body-weight lunges, alternating legs - back knee should touch the ground on every repetition.
Perform 30 switch lunge jumps hopping as high as you can to switch legs front to back.
Perform 30 crouch squat hops - feet are wider then shoulders, crouch down and touch both hands to the floor between feet then hop up as high as you can reaching hands toward the ceiling.
Hold a plank for 2 minutes.

Run 5 sets of 60 second on/15 second off sprints - run as hard as you can for 60 seconds and recover for 20 seconds. Don't forget, you don't have to use a treadmill for your sprints. You could do this entire workout at a track.

Repeat sequence a total of 3 times.

Good luck.

Salmon Fillets With Sauteed Cucumber

2010-05-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fish eater but I do like firm fish so salmon is right up my alley. I never knew how to cook it except the boring salt-pepper-and-broil method. This recipe has a great twist - sauteed cucumbers! Cucumbers become very sweet when sauteed with a little butter and they compliment salmon very nicely.

4 salmon fillets (6-8 ounces each)
2 medium cucumbers
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place them on a broiler pan. Preheat the broiler.

Peel the cucumbers. Quarter them lengthwise. With the tip of a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Cut crosswise into 3/4 inch dice.

Place salmon under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat. Broil until just opaque in the center, 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cucumbers and dill and cook, stirring, until the cucumbers are heated through, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the cucumbers with the salmon.

W.O.W. April 26th, 2010

2010-04-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Begin with a light warm-up for three to five minutes.

Perform each of the exercises below in sequence, then rest. Repeat three times through before going on to next group of exercises.

You will need 20lb dumbbells for this workout.

Squat hop out and in 20X
(hop wide and then narrow, that counts as one)
Squat Thrust 20X
(also known as a burpee)
Push Up and Row 20X
(Place a dumbbell on the floor between your hands, perform a push up and then pick up the dumbbell performing a row in plank position, that counts as one. Alternate sides.)

Turning Squats 20X
(Bend knees into a squat and as you hop up and out of the squat turn 180 degrees, that counts as one.)
Crouch Squat and Hop 20X
(In a wide stance squat touch both hands to the floor and as you hop out of it reach to the ceiling.)
Slow Bicycle for Abs 20X (right/left counts as one)

Split Lunge 40X
(One foot is forward, the other foot is back. Hop up and switch leg positions, that counts as one.)
Squat Hop with Dumbbells in Hands 20X
(Feet should be close together.)
Tricep Push Up 20X
(A push up with elbows tight to the body.)

Alt Leap or Speed Skater 20X
(Touch hand to the floor in front of foot on every leap, that counts as one.)
Tuck Jump 20X
Dumbbell Bicep Curl, Up 2 counts/Down 4 counts 20X (or whatever you can get)

Squat and Shoulder Press 10X
(Dumbbells by your sides squat down, as you come up perform a bicep curl and then press dumbbells over head.)

Knock yourself out!!

Sweet and Sour Beef with Cabbage

2010-04-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I have posted a few chicken breast recipes and will continue to do so but I am also going to post beef recipes. I am a big beef advocate. As long as you choose lean cuts the nutritional pay off is huge. And of course it's high in protein and low in carbs...even when the recipes involve other things besides beef.

Whenever I have complete nutritional information about a particular dish I will include it in the post. Up to this point the chicken breast recipes that I have posted have been from my older files and have been hand written. I do have some recipes that have been copied from who-knows-where and some do have calorie, fat, protein and carbohydrate information.

On that note, here's the recipe:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound lean beef cut-up for stir-fry
3 cups cut-up cabbage
1/2 cup sweet-and-sour sauce

Heat wok or skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil; rotate wok to coat sides.

Add beef; stir-fry 2 minutes or until brown. Remove beef from wok.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to wok; rotate wok to coat side. Add cabbage; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add beef and sweet-and-sour sauce; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until hot.

Prep and cook time is appox. 15 minutes, so super fast. Makes 4 servings.

1 Serving:
Calories 225
Fat 10g
Carb 13g
Protein 22g
Sodium 150mg

W.O.W. April 12th, 2010

2010-04-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Here's your Workout of the Week:

Short and sweet. Warm up for 5 minutes with light jogging or on any piece of cardio equipment. Set a pair of 15 lb dumbbells aside and stake your claim on a treadmill for the next 30 minutes. If you can run outside, all the better.

Run 30 seconds as fast as possible, followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat 10 times.

Go find your DBs and perform 15 squat thrusts with hops holding the dumbbells throughout. A squat thrust: holding the dumbbells place both hands (holding the weights) on either side of your legs. Kick your legs back into a plank. Hop back in and hop up out of the squat. Repeat for 15. Perform a total of 3 sets. The movement is diagrammed above.

Run 60 seconds at 75% of your maximum (you should have been able to determine your max, or close, in the first set of intervals) and recover for 60 seconds at an endurance pace (so no walking). Repeat 5 times.

Find those DBs again. With hands holding the dumbbells perform a push up and then row with one arm. Alternate push up/row for a total of 20 reps (that's 10 per side). Repeat 2 more times.

Run for 5 minutes at a uncomfortable pace.

Find your DBs. Alternate lunge while performing a shoulder press. If 15 lbs is a tough weight for you, complete 10 reps otherwise go for 16-20 reps. Repeat for 3 sets.

Run at a comfortable pace for 10 minutes. Stretch.

You. Are. Done.

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes & Potassium

2010-04-05T07:13:00.001-07:00

This is a great recipe that combines both protein and good carbs. Until recently I haven't eaten a potato in about 15 years but they have a significant amount of potassium. Potassium has many benefits but the one that I like best is balancing out sodium intake which can decrease water retention and bloating. Those are things my female clients complain about regularly and I can relate. Sodium seems to be in everything we eat these days unless you eat close to the source but without any sauces, which is boring. Even the light dressing or mayo that is used in this recipe has a lot of sodium although you can buy low-sodium salad dressing.

The maximum recommended amount of sodium intake per day is 2,500 mgs. I tracked my sodium for a week and some days it was as high as 5,000 mgs! After I saw that I was able to bring it down to close to 2,500 but it was hard. If you bring your potassium intake up, the negative affects of too much sodium are decreased. A large russet potato (3-4") has 1,500 mgs of potassium which is incredible. One potato can provide almost half of your recommended daily allowance. Everyone seems to know that bananas are a good source of potassium. Other good sources are dried apricots, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and oranges. Those are all foods that are healthy anyway and are great to include in your diet every day.

So...here's the recipe:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 pound small red potatoes, cut in quarters
1/3 cup of light mayo or light salad dressing*
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, crashed
Chopped fresh chives, if desired

*Italian, vinaigrette, honey mustard (you may not want to eliminate the Dijon) and even ranch are good choices. Blue cheese and French are not.

Heat over to 350 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan, 15.5 x 10.5 x 1

Place chicken and potatoes in pan. Mix remaining ingredients except chives; brush over chicken and potatoes.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink at the center. Sprinkle with chives.

Now go eat and revel in the knowledge that you are including so many good nutrients in your diet.

Workout Of the Week April 1st

2010-04-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a workout for awhile so I think it's time. You all know I am all about intervals. I don't think any of us has time to waste so don't do it by getting on a piece of cardio equipment and slogging along for 45 minutes while you zone out to whatever is playing on the club's televisions. Walking outside has tons of benefits - nothing can beat fresh air, especially now that Spring has arrived - but don't forget, fat loss is not one of them.

Here's the workout:

First start out with Dillon lunges. I call them that because the owner of the studio where I train my clients does them with her clients all the time and they are awesome.

Take a GIANT step forward, lean down and touch the ground with BOTH hands just to the inside of the front foot. Continue that same movement as you walk forward (find a long hallway or place in your gym that you can cover some space). Perform a set of about 20 total steps. Immediately follow the Dillon lunges with squat and drop. Perform a wide squat then pivot to the right and drop into a lunge. Repeat left and continue R then L for a count of 10 - R/L counts as one. The lunge in this pattern is slightly diagonal, not completely to the side. It should feel fairly natural to perform. Take a short break and then complete two more cycles of both exercises.

Now find a treadmill or a 3 mile route outside with a steep hill somewhere around the middle of the route. I prefer outside just because of all the other benefits associated with being outside (fresh air, sense of well-being, anxiety/stress release because of the wide-open space, etc). Jog to warm up, about 5-10 minutes. If you are outside the route will dictate how much you will warm up. Once you get to the hill run up it as fast as you can and jog slowly back down, taking small steps. Repeat the hill runs 10 times. Jog home. If you are on a treadmill take the incline up to the highest setting which is usually 15%. You will also need to increase the pace to something that is super hard. Run that hill for 15-20 secs then decrease both speed and incline. Repeat 10 times. As you can see running this routine on a treadmill is somewhat more cumbersome so I suggest you go outside.

You should be gasping for air at the top of the hill. Have fun.

Chicken Stir-Fry With Garlic and Greens

2010-03-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is another fabulously nutritious recipe!

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen greens*
4 garlic cloves**
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste

*I like spinach but you can use any type of frozen greens.
**I use already minced garlic because I am lazy.

Cut chicken into thin strips and season lightly with salt and pepper. Thaw the greens in a microwave on High for 1-2 minutes. Drain greens in a colander and press out most of the liquid. Chop the garlic (or not, if your like me).

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the greens and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Season with the Tabasco and salt to taste and serve.

If you use turnip, mustard or collard greens and Tabasco, this dish is Southern-y. I like to use plain old spinach and season to taste with Sun Luk La Yu Chili Oil. That makes it more Asian-y. Not that I don't like turnip, mustard or collard greens. Actually I love collard greens.

Fat Burning Zone?

2010-03-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

The myth still prevails but there is no such thing as a fat burning zone. I know, it says so right there on those cardio machines at the gym. Ignore those charts.

The myth probably began when reports came out about 20 years ago stating that during very low intensity exercise (walking) fat accounts for the highest percentage of energy expenditure, while during high intensity exercise carbohydrates account for the highest percentage of the energy expenditure. If you read that without qualification it sounds like all you have to do is walk and you will lose fat.

Here's a closer look. Let's say you burn 200 calories walking for an hour and fat accounts for 75% of that energy expenditure, so you have used 150 calories of fat during your walk. Now let's say you run for 30 minutes and burn 400 calories and fat accounts for 25% of your total energy expenditure, so you have used 100 calories of fat during your run. BUT the total calorie expenditure when you exercised shorter and more intensely was higher. The fat calories you used to fuel both workouts was pretty close but you burned the equavilant of a Starbucks grande latte during your walk. During your run you burned the equivilant of a Starbucks double chocolate brownie. You also spent less time working out. It would take TWO hours of walking to equal 30 minutes of running. Yes, it's uncomfortable but the pay off is worth it. And don't you have a lot more important stuff that you could be doing with that extra hour and a half?

Overall calorie expenditure is more important then fat percentage used during your workout. Low intensity workouts will not get you to your fat loss goals. Walking has many benefits but fat loss is not one of them.

Chicken in Garlic Green Sauce

2010-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is a really easy chicken breast recipe. The cilantro and green salsa make it very fresh and tasty.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 chopped or minced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup green salsa or taco sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Pound chicken until it is flattened evenly. Season chicken with pepper.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook over medium heat until the chicken is browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to plate and leave drippings in pan.

Add garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the salsa along with 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Serve with warm whole grain tortillas and fresh lime.

Great, Easy Way To Lose Fat

2010-02-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a great way to 'diet'. Using this simple eating guide developed by Alan Aragon, M.S., a nutritionist in Thousand Oaks, California you don't even need to count calories or weigh and measure food. All you have to do is eyeball your portion sizes and eat.

Step 1 - Divide your daily menu into the six food groups below, which include every category except 'junk'.

Step 2 - Eat two servings a day from each food group, split any way you want into four meals. Also, regularly drink 50 ounces of water, or 80 ounces on the the days you workout.

Here are the food groups:

PROTEIN - 1 serving
Meat (beef, pork, poultry, fish), eggs or protein powder.
A piece of meat the area and thickness of your palm; one egg; two scoops of protein powder.

FRUIT - 1 serving
1 fist size piece of fruit or a heaping cup.

FAT - 1 serving
Oils, butter, nuts, seeds and avocados.
2 tablespoons of oil; butter (regular, peanut or almond), or avocado; a handful of nuts and seeds.

DAIRY - 1 serving
Milk, yogurt, and cheese.
1 cup of milk or yogurt; 1 slice of cheese.

VEGETABLES - 1 serving
Any fiber-rich vegetable that's green or that you'd eat raw.
It doesn't matter - feel free to eat as much as you want.

STARCH - 1 serving
Any plant food not categorized as a 'fruit' or 'vegetable'.
1 cup of cereal or cooked pasta, rice or other grain; two slices of bread; one medium potato.

Step 3 - Two meals a week, eat whatever you want.

That's it. Now go and lose some body fat, will ya?

Portions

2010-01-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the midst of New Year's resolution time which usually includes fat loss goals and I want to write a little bit about food intake.

Don't let other people dictate how much you eat. You wouldn't let someone in a clothing store tell you how much to buy, right? Sales people love to try though because it increases their sales and sometimes it is very hard to say no. The same thing applies when you go out to eat or buy food. Just because a restaurant sells an amount of food to you doesn't mean you have to eat that amount. They chose that specific amount, you didn't. A manufacturer makes a product that's '20% larger' because it increases their sales. You do not need to eat all of it just because it is served (or sold) to you that particular way. You don't need to eat a whole candy bar or muffin or even an apple because that's the way it comes. There is no law against eating whatever is left over at a later time. It's your body. You decide how much, and what, goes into it.

I really believe that you can eat what you want as long as you eat only the amount that will satisfy you. That takes practice, focus and awareness - things we aren't used to when it comes to eating. We usually eat without thinking about it at all. We snack on what's around, eat what's served to us and grab whatever is handy. When something tastes really good it's hard to stop eating it. I understand that. But who says you can't have it again later in the day or tomorrow? I can almost guarantee that it is not the last chance you will ever have to eat chocolate. Or french fries. Or a donut.

Think before you eat. Think WHILE you eat. Don't let someone else think for you.

Country Captain Chicken

2010-01-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a great recipe that's a little bit different. It's really tasty during the winter months.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound boneless chicken breast
1.5 teaspoons curry powder
2.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can (14-16 ounces) stewed tomatoes, with juice
.5 cup raisins
.5 teaspoon salt
.25 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cut each piece of chicken crosswise in half. Sprinkle the curry powder over both sides. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook over medium heat, turning once, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Add the stewed tomatoes, raisins, salt, pepper and 1/3 cup of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to med-low and cook until the chicken is white throughout, 3-5 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a serving dish. Boil the sauce until slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes. Pour over the chicken and serve.

This dish goes really well with arugula salad.

Drink your water!

2010-01-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I know. You've heard it a million times. Drink more water. Drink 8 glasses a day. Replace other fluids with water. Blah, blah, blah.

I don't really care if you are sick of hearing it, you need to drink more water. Period. Essentially, water is about as much of a cure-all as is exercise. Dehydration is the NUMBER ONE cause of fatigue. So if your energy is low, drink more water. Don't drink more energy drinks. Your body does not need more sugar and caffeine, trust me.

Here are other symptoms of MINOR dehydration or, simply not drinking enough water:

Extra body weight. People tend to confuse thirst for hunger and eat instead of drink.

Constipation. Without enough fluid you can't get the toxic stuff out of your body.

Low and high blood pressure. Without water blood volume is insufficient to fill all your arteries, veins and capillaries.

Problems with respiratory system. Without enough moisture your mucous membranes cannot filter out the bad stuff from the air you inhale.

High cholesterol. When you cells lose too much moisture your body tries to stop the loss by producing cholesterol.

Headaches and dizziness. Lack of water constricts the blood vessels impeding blood flow to the brain. This also makes blood more likely to pool in your lower extremities and that can cause dizziness and fainting.

The general rule is that you need to drink enough water that your pee should be almost clear or a very pale yellow.

I know it's a pain in the ass but buy a couple cool stainless steel or aluminum water bottles. Fill them up in the morning and vow to finish BOTH of them by the time you leave work. Fill one up again and drink it before you go to bed. If they are 24 oz bottles then that will get you just about enough of what you need. Any other water you happen to drink will just be a bonus. Pop, juice, coffee, tea, wine, beer, etc. Those do not count. If you choose to flavor your water with any lo-cal drink mix that's fine for one of your daily bottles. Your kidneys process flavored water differently then they do regular water. You need to drink plain water. Learn to love it. Don't complain to me that it's boring or that you hate the taste. Water has no taste. Deal with it. You know the benefits of exercise and the reasons you have to get uncomfortable in order to meet your goals. Apply those principles here and just like exercise, drinking water will be a habit.

When I leave the house it's keys, phone and water bottle. If I don't have one of those things with me I don't go anywhere.

PS - Here is a good trick to get yourself to drink more water, if you use it wisely. Take small bites off of a nutrition bar throughout the day. Those bars always make you want to drink water so if you snack on ONE bar throughout the day and drink water after every little bite you will probably drink your daily allotment without even realizing it. Uh, just don't eat bar after bar. One will suffice.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the holidays, well almost. As you all know this is the time everyone floods the gym with their New Year's fitness goals fresh in their minds. Sad truth is that in about 90 days most of those resolute individuals will have dropped out of their fitness programs.

There are a couple of reasons why this happens but the main reason is lack of results. If they hired a trainer, even if it's just for a couple of sessions, they would be more likely to stick with their program.

My suggestion is to spend the money to meet with a trainer once a week for a couple of months and you will have given yourself accountability, motivation and a clear program to follow. Get that trainer to take your measurements, body fat and weight. You have to know where you are to know where you are going. 'I just want to lose some weight' is an ambiguous goal. Be clear. 'I want to lost 10 pounds of body fat' is a much clearer goal. Set a time to reach that goal. Be specific. If you read my blog regularly you know that I prefer non-aesthetic goals. Instead of setting a goal to lose 10 pounds how about setting a goal to run 3 miles, 3 times a week in 2 months? Your aesthetic goals will be a fantastic benefit of your fitness goal. Break down your larger goal into smaller goals. Using the goal to run 3 miles, 3 times a week decide that during the first week you will run three times a week. Jog for 10-15 minutes. Jog/walk a familiar route. Slowly build the length of time you spend jogging until you are jogging 3 times a week for about 30 minutes. There you go....but be specific with your weekly goals so you feel successful each time you meet one.

Success breeds success and no one was ever successful at reaching a goal by giving up.

No-time, Fat Burning Workout

2009-12-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned earlier, try to stick to an exercise schedule throughout the holiday season. Here is a short, challenging workout that can be done anywhere with no equipment.

Jog in place for 2 minutes, easier intensity to get some blood flowing.

Jog with high knees up, pumping your arms, for 2 minutes between each of the below exercises.

Perform a 'prisoner squat' for 15 reps, going as deep as possible. A prisoner squat is executed with your hands on your head and feet shoulder width apart. Squat deeply.

Perform a 'waiter's bow' (or a good morning) for 15 reps. Place your hands behind your back and bow forward from your hips, not your waist.

Perform a step lunge going all the way down to the floor and placing your hands on either side of your foot. Push yourself back up and repeat on the other side. Perform 30 reps, or 15 per side.

Perform a single leg dead lift. Hinging at your hips reach down toward the floor as you lift one leg behind you to hip level. Perform 30 reps, alternation legs.

Perform a back step lunge, alternating legs, for a total of 30 reps.

Perform 15 push-ups

Perform 50 bicycles.

Stretch.

The above workout should take about 20 minutes.

Remember, stick to a routine!!!

Holiday Season Tricks and Tips

2009-12-05T16:34:00.001-08:00

As I am heading out to a holiday party I realized that I haven't shared some of my staying lean tips with you! So here they are:

#1 Don't throw all your progress away just because you ate a little too much at a party or dinner!! A lot of people just say 'screw it' and go back to terrible eating habits for the entire month of holiday activities. They often stop going to the gym as well. Why?! Exercise eliviates stress (mother-in-laws anyone?), helps you sleep better and will help control depression which is often felt around this time of year. Why do your think there are so many New Years resolutions involving weight loss? I bet it has a lot to do with the guilt people feel for throwing it all out the window between Thanksgiving and New Years.

#2 Pick three events and eat, drink and be merry! Don't worry about what your eating and drinking. Enjoy yourself and your friends and family. Don't think about low-fat or low-carb or low-anything. It might be your company blow-out party of the year. It might have been Thanksgiving dinner. It might be New Years Eve. Choose three and have some fun!

#3 Set realistic goals when it comes to working out. Don't expect to have as much time to go to the gym as your normally do. Plan to go three times a week for 30-45 minutes and get your butt there! Once your there I bet you'll stay a little longer and I know you'll feel a lot better.

#4 Finally, if your pants feel tighter the day after one of your parties don't yell at yourself! I can almost guarantee that what you feel is a little water weight gain. It takes a lot of extra calories to gain a pound of fat. You can't gain 3 pounds overnight! If the scale says you did, it's water that you are holding, not fat. Eat clean throughout the day, drink a lot of water and go to the gym. Your pants will fit better and you'll be a lot happier.

Now go out and enjoy this time of year it's made for good cheer, not regrets!

Work Out Of The Week November 29th, 2009

2009-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

15 Minute Workout - Power Surge
For each set perform the exercises back to back without resting between, 10 repetitions each. Perform three rounds of each super set, resting a couple of minutes between sets.

Super Set #1

Plyometric Push-Up
In full push up position lower yourself to the floor then push yourself up with enough force so your hands leave the floor.

Dumbbell Bench Press
Lie on bench with a set of dumbbells and perform a dumbbell chest press.

Super Set #2

Explosive Step Ups
Perform a regular bench step up but explode off the floor and bench. Repeat all on the right and then all on the left.

Alternating Dumbbell Step Ups
Hold dumbbells, step up and down on a bench. Repeat all on the right, then all on the left.

Super Set #3

V-Up
Lie on the floor with legs straight out and arms extended over your head. Jackknife up to a full V sit up, touching hand to shoelaces.

Weighted Sit Up
Lie on the floor, holding a dumbbell at your chest. Perform a regular crunch.

Following the above workout with 30 minutes of cardio will increase your fat loss significantly.

Chicken Florentine

2009-11-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is one of my very favorite chicken breast recipes and the nutritional value is phenomenal!

Chicken Florentine

1 Package (10 Ounces) frozen spinach
2 Garlic cloves (I used garlic that is already chopped. They sell huge jars at Costco that are very good).
1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets (I buy regular chicken breast because it's cheaper and then pound it down so it's thinner).
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Thaw the spinach in a microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Finely chop the garlic.

2. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook over med-high heat, turning, until lightly browned and cooked throughout, 1 1/2- 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. To serve, spread the spinach on a platter and arrange the chicken on top. Drizzle any juices from the plate over all.

You really don't need to add anything to this dish. It's a full meal with lean protein and leafy, dark green vegies and the garlic and Parmesan makes it very flavorful.

Enjoy!!

Workout of the Week November 16th, 2009

2009-11-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

Another fabulous treadmill workout. Again, only 30 minutes. You don't need to go for an hour. As a matter of fact you will get more benefit going shorter and harder. You don't need to workout longer, just more efficiently.

After 3-5 minute warm up.

Take around 3 minutes to find a comfortable pace (walking OR running).

Here's the interval sequence:

2 minutes at 6% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
90 seconds at 8% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
60 seconds at 10% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
30 seconds at 12% incline
1 minute at 0% incline

Repeat the entire sequence again.
Recover at 0% incline and then slow your speed to a very comfortable walk.
Lower speed to a 1 on the treadmill and walk backward for at least 1 minute.
Hop off the treadmill and stretch hamstrings, quads, hips and calves.

Now reap the benefits of a hard workout because you are burning 6X more fat and your metabolism has been raised for the next 24-48 hours. Then you can repeat it again and continue on that fat burning track.

Garlic Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar

2009-11-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

Skinless, boneless chicken breast is probably the number one choice for getting lean protein in your diet. It is easy to find and can be inexpensive.

I have had several requests lately to post some good chicken breast recipes. Yes - skinless, boneless chicken breast is flat-out boring and am not one to spend hours in the kitchen so any dish that I cook has to have a few ingredients and be easy to make.

Garlic Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar

1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets (easy to make your own)
Salt and Pepper
4 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

Season cutlets with salt and pepper and chop the garlic.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a pan. Add chicken and cook over med-high heat, turning once, until browned (about 1.5 minutes per side). Remove to plate, leaving drippings in pan.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the garlic. Cook over med-low heat, stirring, until softened but not brown, about one minute. Add the vinegar and 1/2 cup water to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, Boil one minute. Stir in the parsley.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pan and simmer for one minute to heat through.

I have several great recipes in my stash and I will post more in the future.

Work Out of The Week November 2nd, 2009

2009-11-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Here is this week's workout:

This cardio interval workout is best done on a stationary bike, but can be performed on any club cardio machine except the treadmill. You can run outside and perform the intervals. A treadmill just doesn't react quickly enough to accommodate the short speed increases and decreases of this workout. My past workouts have all involved a treadmill so I thought I'd shake it up a little bit.

A study was conducted in Sweden a couple of years ago and they discovered that shorter bursts of high intensity output followed by recovery at at 1:1.5 ratio burned NINE times more fat then steady state cardio. The thing is this workout is harder to manage then the previous workouts that I have posted.

Warm up for 4-5 minutes.

Starting at the top of the minute go full out, run for your life hard, for 8 seconds (that's right, just 8 seconds) followed by 12 seconds of recovery. Continue this 8/12 pattern for 20 minutes followed by a cool down.

You have to have a clock with a second hand right in front of you or a watch that can be set to beep every time you need to race/recover.

I usually do this workout once a week on a bike in the cycle room at one my clubs. It is really challenging (and uncomfortable in a not-so-good way) to do the intervals on one of the cardio bikes out on the floor. You know the ones - they have really big bike seats and you have to sit really upright. It is better to do them on a recumbent bike if you don't have an indoor cycle available for your use, I know some clubs lock their cycle rooms between classes.

Good luck!

Workout Of The Week October 24th, 2009

2009-10-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Cardio only. Yes, another treadmill interval workout. Hey, they're very effective so don't fight it!

Warm up for 3-5 minutes finding a comfortable walking or running pace. Raise the incline to 8% (or 10%) and stay there for two minutes. Return treadmill to 0% incline for one minute. Repeat the two minute/one minute cycle for a total of seven rotations. Cool down for 3-5 minutes. Walk backward on the treadmill at a speed of 1.0, for one minute or more. Stretch.

Exercise counteracts fat loss?!!?

2009-10-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago TIME magazine published a cover story questioning the benefits of exercise in weight management. I was pretty disappointed when I saw the cover, and even more disappointed when I read the article. I felt it was really irresponsible to put something like that out there to the general public when we already have an obesity epidemic in this country. Plus it simply isn't true. The author sounded disgruntled with HIS fitness routine and maybe he should re-think what he is currently doing for exercise. Maybe then he can actually enjoy the benefits of exercise instead of complaining about it.

Cardio activity and weight conditioning will help you lose weight. Research has shown that it works. I know it works. I can tell you from personal experience, if I don't perform some sort of intense exercise three times per week I put on five pounds pretty darn quickly. So I continue to do my three-times-per-week workouts. The TIME magazine article further states that intense exercise actually counteracts fat loss because participants find themselves hungrier and therefore eat more. I'd have to say the opposite is true for me. I find that I am less hungry after I finish an intense workout. Actually I am usually hungrier after I take my dogs for a long walk.

As written by Shaun Dreisbach in an article for Glamour magazine, "Quite simply, exercise is the most powerful drug I've ever seen. Get your fix three times a week at least."

Enough said.

Read the November 2009 GLAMOUR Mag

2009-10-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! You should really pick up a copy of the November 2009 issue of Glamour magazine (the one with Scarlett Johannson on the front).

On page 121 there is an article on how effective interval training is for burning fat. You know that's what I have been preaching forever. The article states '.....recent research found that woman who cycled for just 20 minutes three times a week but included intervals lost six pounds of fat after 15 weeks, while those who did a consistent pace for 40 minutes lost, get this, NONE.' Whoah.

The intervals have to be intense. On the perceived exertion scale, a scale of 1-10, 1 being easy and 10 being very hard, the interval should be an 8 or 9. The recovery can be very comfortable (3-4). There are many different ways you can train using the interval method. If you haven't ever done any kind of interval training I suggest you start with a bursts of 20-30 seconds, followed by 60-75 seconds of recovery. Within a couple of weeks increase your rotation to 30 seconds on/ 60 seconds off. Then work your way up to 60 on/60 off.

Interval training is the only type of cardio I do. I train three times a week for about 30 minutes per session. One day I use the incline on the treadmill, going up for 60 seconds and then returning to the flat for 60 seconds (just like the workout of the week 1o/4/09). Sometimes I will do speed work - running 6 minute miles for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery. Sometimes I run outside and sprint between two landmarks, for example; two telephone poles, and then I'll jog to the next pole and repeat (this method is called fartlek, a swedish term). Don't forget to warm up, cool down and stretch. The body of my workout is 20 minutes, with warm up and cool down it's about 30 minutes total. There is also a great workout at the end of the article and it's super tough.

Losing six pounds of fat, or zero pounds of fat. Hm. Now that's a tough question..........

Workout of the Week 10/5/09

2009-10-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the workout of the week:

Warm up by doing some NON-weighted walking lunges and squats.

Grab some 15lb dumbbells and head to a weight bench (or chair, if your at home). Perform step-ups, 15 a side (do all 15 with the right leg leading and then all 15 with the left leg leading). Put one dumbbell down, hold the other one at your chest. With feet about hip width apart touch your butt to the bench and then hop up out of the squat (do not sit down, just barely touch). Repeat the jumps squats 15 times. Repeat all of the above for a total of three cycles.

Hold one of the 15lb dumbbells over your head and take a giant step forward on your right foot, stepping into a stable stance lunge (you won't move your feet). Perform 15 lunges with the weight over your head, straight arms, weight high. Repeat on the other side. Immediately following return to the bench and put your weight aside. Place your right foot on top of the bench. Push off with your left foot as you pull yourself up with your right, performing a single leg hop up onto the bench. Leave your right foot on the bench and return the left to the floor. Repeat 15 times per side. Repeat both of the above drills, back to back, for three cycles.

Continue to hold the 15lb dumbbells (you may need to drop the weight for this one). With feet hip distance apart perform a squat as you perform a bicep curl - repeat that for two reps and then raise up onto your toes (calf raise) performing a shoulder press at the same time. Repeat the sequence for 15. Keep the weights in your hands and perform squat thrusts with the weights in your hands, jumping out of each one. Repeat 15 times and then repeat above sequence for three cycles.

Take one of the dumbbells over your head. In a wide stance perform an overhead triceps extension. Repeat for 15 (yes, again with the 15). Put the weight down and immediately perform 20 jump squat with your feet very wide and with one hand touching the floor as you squat down and then reaching for the ceiling when you jump out of the squat. Yes, repeat all for three cycles.

Alternate push-ups and pull-ups, 15-20 each, for three cycles. For abs perform a very slow bicycle for 20 repetitions and repeat two more times (this is an old-school bicycle, twisting right and left).

*In between each of the above super-sets (ie; step-ups followed by hops up onto the bench), rest for 1 minute*

Immediately after all of the above go to the treadmill. Spend the first 3 minutes finding a comfortable running (approx. 5.0-6.0) or challenging walking pace (approx. 4.0-4.8). Take the treadmill to a 10% incline and hold your pace for one minute. Bring treadmill back to 0% incline for one minute. Repeat the 10%/60 seconds, 0%/60 seconds rotation for a total of 10 cycles. Stay at 0% incline and slow to an easy walk. For the last minute slow the treadmill to 1.o and slowly walk backwards, hold onto the treadmills side railings.

Spend 5-10 minutes stretching hamstrings, quads, calves, chest and back.

Rant Of The Moment

2009-09-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

I am disappointed when celebrity trainers hock weight loss products. Especially rapid weight loss products and 'cleansing' products. All that stuff is crap. Don't you think that if they really did work we would all be using them? It taps into people,s need for a quick fix and there is no such thing. When it comes to fat loss you need to change your lifestyle. You need to make changes that will stick for the rest of your life. That's one of the reasons I never, ever write out a diet for a client. If I wrote out a diet for someone that included items that my client did not like or enjoy, how likely is it that they will stick to it for any significant length of time?

I ask my clients to keep a food journal for 4-5 days and that log has to include at least one weekend day, preferably both. Then I look at it to see what my client likes to eat. I want to see what they gravitate towards. I have a client who loves to go out with her husband. They have no kids and stressful jobs so at the end of the day they often go out, away from their stresses, talk and drink some wine. She wants to lose fat. I am sure as hell not going to tell her she can't go out with her husband. That is an integral part of her life and she will resent the food plan and eventually reject it completely. What I have done is work with her on the types of places that they go and the types of foods that she eats (of course). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I also encourage her to stop half way through her meal and ask the server to package it up in a to-go container so it's off her plate. She can now enjoy her conversation with her husband with out being tempted by what's left on her plate.

One very famous celebrity trainer - 'Americas Toughest Trainer' - who appears on one of the most popular weight loss shows on television (I'm sure you know who I mean) is currently selling products with her name on them which include Quickstart Rapid Weight Loss System, Maximum Strength Calorie Control, Maximum Strength Fat Burner and some sort of Detox product. And, get this, you have to pay extra to get what really matters - diet and exercise tips - because she wants you to join her online program.

There is no such thing as a 'fat burner' supplement. There has been a lot of research that has proven that the body does not need to be cleansed and/or detoxed. Yes, you may feel less bloated after following some sort of detox regimen, but guess what? As soon as you are back to eating, everything will be the same as it was before the detox.

This celebrity trainer has a TWO PAGE advertising spread in Marie Claire right now, as well as most other major magazine including two popular weekly gossip mags. She also has an ad on my blog (I haven't figured out a way to control the ads that are shown here yet).

Do you realize how much that costs in advertise in major magazines?!? That's how much cash she is producing. She can place large ads in most major magazines! She is making a lot of money offering products that buy into people's hope that there really is an easy way to lose fat.

Guys, there is no easy fix. That's the sober truth. Trust me and don't buy those products. Please don't waist your money. Read the fine print, all those products have disclaimers.

Workout of the Week 9/27/09

2009-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Lots of people get stuck or bored with their workout routine. I am going to post a workout a week that will help you break out of your rut. You can continue to do your same workout and just add in the below workout once or twice or you can take a break from your regular routine and just follow what is written here. It is a really (really) good idea to take a complete break from what you normally do because it 'shocks' your body into making changes. Remember, even if fat-loss is not your main goal everyone wants to continue to move forward with their fitness goals, right?

For the following workout you will need a treadmill, either in your home or at the gym.

Hold a 10-20 pound weight at your chest. Take two counts to sit down on a weight bench or a chair and two counts to stand up. Repeat 15 times. Immediately following your 15 reps, continue holding the same weight but this time when you squat down barely touch the bench (chair) with your butt and when you come up, hop up. Repeat 15 times. Repeat the sequence two more times, for a total of three cycles.

Immediately go to a treadmill. Find a running pace that is comfortable (10-12 minute miles). At the 60 second mark increase the incline to 2%, at the 90 second mark increase the incline to 4%, at the 2 minute mark increase the incline to 6%, etc - increasing the incline by 2% every 30 seconds until you reach a 14% grade. Return treadmill to 0% incline for one minute. Spend 1-2 minutes lowering the incline or slowing down before hopping off the treadmill.

Return to your bench/chair. Pick up two dumbbells (use the same 10-20 pounds). Step up and down onto the bench/chair, on the same foot, with the weights in your hands, 15 times on each side. Put the weights down this time and perform 30 split jumps. A split jumps is when you start in a lunge position (one foot forward, the other foot back) and jump into the air, switching the feet so you land with the feet in the reverse position. That is one repetition (so repeat it 29 more times). Repeat both drills two more times, for a total of three cycles.

Immediately return to the treadmill. Find a comfortable running pace. At the 60 second mark increase the incline to 10% and stay there for one minute. Return to 0% incline and continue to run for one minute. Repeat the 10% for 60 seconds/0% for 60 seconds sequence for a total of five cycles. Spend 1-2 minutes lowering incline and/or slowing your pace before hopping off.

Return and pick up your dumbbells. Bring your feet together so the balls of your feet almost touch and both feet face forward, with heels in-line with your toes. Holding the dumbbells by your side perform close-stance squats for 15 repetitions. Immediately following your squats perform 15 squat thrusts, with the dumbbells still in your hands, jumping out of each squat thrust as you come up. A squat thrust: place both hands on the floor, just outside your feet. Kick both legs back into a push-up position. Hop both feet back in to hands. Hop up as you bring your body to a full upright position. Repeat weighted squat thrusts for a total of 15 repetitions. Repeat above drills for a total of (again) three cycles.

Immediately return to the treadmill. Find a comfortable running pace. At the 60 second mark increase the incline to 14%. At 90 seconds drop the incline to 12%. At the 2 minute mark, lower it to 10%. Repeat lowering the incline by 2% every 30 seconds until the treadmill has returned to 0% incline. Spend one minute running/jogging at 0% incline. Take the next 2-3 minutes to slow your pace to an easy walk before hopping off the treadmill.

Finish the workout with a good stretch for hamstrings, quads and glutes (especially the glutes). Enjoy the benefits of a great workout. This one is tough but entirely worth it!

This workout should take you about 45 minutes. Make sure you move quickly from the weighted work to the treadmill. You can take a breather AFTER the treadmill and before you move on to the next weighted drills.

Goal Setting For Results

2009-09-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

Do one thing today to bring you closer to your goal.

Research shows that people tend to give up their goal if they focus on the end result. Let's say that you would like to lose 40 pounds. You set a realistic goal of losing the weight in 6 months. After one month you have lost 5 pounds and you think 'If I only lose 5 pounds a month I will never reach my goal!' You get discouraged and give up. A fat loss of 5 pounds per month is great, but it doesn't seem like enough and your goal seems further and further away.

6 months can seems pretty far off for some people. The end result is a loss of 40 pounds but what can you do everyday to help you reach your goal? Ask yourself that question right now. 'What can I do today to help me reach my goal?' Start with picking one thing. Maybe it's that today you are going to eat a healthy breakfast. Even if you do that one thing you will feel successful, I guarantee it! It is also helpful to set a weekly goal so you can include in your schedule fitness, grocery store runs for fresh produce and some time you can take out of your daily schedule to focus on stress release (a big one that can contribute to weight gain).

Since fat loss is an emotional issue, especially with woman, research also shows that changing your goal from weight loss to fitness, achieves better results. Maybe your goal could be to run a 5K in three months, and then pick a race and train for that event. It could be to anchor the swim-leg of a triathlon - why not split the race up to accommodate every one's strengths? If racing isn't your thing what about setting a goal to ride your bike for 25 miles continuously - it doesn't have to have anything at all to do with racing. Another goal maybe to participate in three dance classes per week - Zumba, hip hop, ballet, cardio striptease -whatever excites you. Maybe schedule a yoga class during your week. Whatever seems doable to you. Forget what other people say and focus on what you want to do that is fitness, not fat loss, related.

Making a goal that is NOT weight related might feel less emotional and empower you to accomplish something other then fat loss. The end result will be what you wanted all along - a feeling of success and an appreciation for your body.

Diet Tip

2009-09-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

If fat loss is your goal, this week try eating half of everything you make or order. It is hard when you are really hungry.

All blogs/books/DVDs/Infomercials/trainers will tell you to think about how hungry you are before you eat, right? That's good advice but you have to know what real hunger is first. Until you can identify the difference between 'I want a sandwich' and 'I need to eat' it will be very difficult to figure out that true hunger cue. If you make yourself a whole sandwich, eat half and walk away. Check your e-mail, fold some laundry, walk your dog again....anything. After that, ask yourself how hungry you still are. You would be amazed at how little can make you feel full. Beside what is wrong with eating the second half and hour or two later? Eating every 2-3 hours is a great way to stay satiated all day. The food police are not going to arrest you for eating throughout the day, as a matter of fact they would probably REWARD you. It's a much better way then the three-squares thing.

It's sort of the same thing as the put-your-fork-down-between-bites or eat slowly advice except that you have a very clear goal. Stop at half. Plus if you are eating out with someone you get caught up in the conversation and may not think about putting your fork down. Everyone should enjoy going out!

I remember when I was bodybuilding I avoided going out. I never accepted dinner and party invitations and I refused date-nights with my husband. All I thought about was food. I didn't enjoy any of it! That's an extreme because I absolutely could not waver from my diet, but I was miserable without friends and family to enjoy some time with.

Socializing is part of our nature. So don't stop going out! Look at your plate, decide what's half and then have some fun.

I think it's easier at home. After I eat out I have to carry my doggy-bag with me and it's very enticing. Try putting it in the backseat and think about something else.

Try it this week and see what it does for you!!!

Toning?

2009-09-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

What the heck is toning, anyway?

Actually, I'm not sure what people (women) mean when they tell me 'I just want to tone up'. I mean, I know what they mean but they still think lifting light weights is how to 'tone'. Toning is simply shaping the muscle and being able to see definition, right? You can't do that with light weights. I often wonder if those women really see themselves. I see scores of participants in weight conditioning classes that look exactly the same after 6 months of taking classes regularly. Guess what? They never increase their weights and, that's right, they are the ones that use 5 pound weights for their large muscle groups (legs, back and chest) and 3 (!) pound weights for everything else.

The other day one of my friends, who also happens to be a fitness instructor, ask me a great question. She asked me 'If you feel a burning sensation when you are lifting those light weights, isn't that working the muscle?' Of course she knows that you are working the muscle but she was asking why then do you need to work heavier weights, especially since you feel a burning sensation while lifting those light weights. The muscle will not change if you have been lifting the same amount of weight over a 3+ months. That burning sensation that you feel is your body's inability to process lactic acid (a bi-product of exercise) out of your muscle at the rate your are producing it. In reality you shouldn't feel a burn at all, your muscle should ultimately fatigue so you have to struggle to complete the last repetition. The discomfort you SHOULD feel is soreness within 24-48 hours. I am not saying that you should feel debilitating soreness, but you should feel your workout the next day, or the day after. If that's happening, you will get the results you are want.

To elaborate on when you should increase your weights, research now shows that the body adapts to a particular exercise or drill within 6-8 weeks, give or take a little bit. They used to think it took about 3 months for your body to adapt. That's a huge difference. What that means is that every couple of months you need to change what your doing. If you take a weight conditioning class, and your club has heavier weights then you are currently using, you need to increase the amount of weight you are using so that you can keep moving forward with your fitness goals.

If you aren't getting the results that you want, change up what your doing and see what happens.

Fat Loss and Goals

2009-09-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Eat less, move more. Right? If it really were that simple we wouldn't have an obesity rate approaching 75%. There are a lot more factors involved. Culture, our habits and our genes play a significant role in fat loss. We don't all gain fat or lose fat for the same reasons, or at the same rate. Each person has to think about their own obstacles. Following are a few to consider:

* Not enough exercise (this is the duh one).
#1 excuse? Not enough time. If you have time to sit at the computer and play around on Facebook, you have enough time to exercise. It's all about choices. Start by making a plan and schedule exercise into your week. START SMALL!!! I think that is the one that trips up the most people. They think 'I can't go to the gym for an hour so I might as well not go at all'. Wrong. Jogging 2 miles takes approx 30 minutes. Not long at all and you don't even have to figure in the travel time. I wouldn't expect you to bench press 400 pounds the first time I worked with you. That's ridiculous, right? Then why do you expect to go to the gym and workout for an hour or two when you haven't been going at all. Another great motivator? An iPod loaded with your favorite music.

* Choosing the wrong foods.
You may be rolling your eyes and saying 'I know! I know!' but it isn't as complicated as it seems. If you have a sweet tooth, try fruit first. And two you already know - eat a better breakfast and eat slowly. Seriously. Try it. Good breakfast choices? Half a bagel with light cream cheese and some fruit. Low fat yogurt, fruit and toast. Hard boiled egg and oatmeal. If you find something that you like eat it every day. Studies find that when people stick closely to meals that they like and are healthy they maintain a leaner physique. I'm not saying that you need to eat the same thing every day, but stick close to it. Eating slowly involves putting your fork down. Talk to people if you are dining with anyone, but do it without taking bites between words. Sip some water. You really will be amazed at how little it takes to fill you up.

* Mindless eating.
This is really a mind/body disconnect. You aren't really aware of what your eating or how much. Anytime you eat when your not hungry or don't stop when your full, the food you are eating has no connection to your body. Use yoga breathing to focus. Breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. I usually use a count of four - inhale-2-3-4, exhale 2-3-4, etc. Remove distractions when you are eating. Turn off the computer, even if you need to eat at your desk. Hang up the phone. Turn off the television. This one also involves portion control. If you are eating mindlessly, you aren't aware of how much your eating. Try smaller bowls and plates. And never, ever eat straight out of the bag, carton or package. Ever.

* Stress and fatigue.
The less you take care of yourself the more likely you are to gain fat. For an example, look at the nursing population. They are notorious for devoting all their love and care to other people and never taking care of themselves. They are wonderful people in a thankless career, but when you don't care of yourself depression follows and with depression there is often fat gain. Get more sleep. Write down what is causing your stress and list ways to help alleviate it. Yoga, deep breathing and meditation are all wonderful for reducing stress but many people aren't comfortable with those methods or feel silly doing them. My suggestion is to find something that you love to do and do it regularly. It could be painting, dancing, reading, getting your nails done, thrifting/garage saling, etc. It's your life so take care of you.

My best advice for tackling a goal, any goal, is to break it down. Way down. Try to do something every single day that helps you reach your goal. Maybe your overall goal is to lose 40 pounds. That will probably seem over whelming and the majority of people will give up before you start. First, I would suggest that you change that goal to something like, running a 5K by the end of October or walking in the Breast Cancer Walk on whatever date. Those goals will get you to the fat loss just by the nature of the goal itself. So everyday you walk, or run, or ride, or whatever it is, brings you closer to your goal. Maybe it's running for 15 minutes.....or even 5 minutes. It doesn't matter because you are still moving forward, not backward. If fat loss is your goal, try changing one thing about your diet everyday as well. Exchange your morning donut for fruit. Trade in your whole milk for 2%. Pretty soon all those things become second nature and now you don't even miss what you were eating before.

That is the recipe for permanent change and that's what you have to do to be healthy. You hear it all the time. Life-style change - that's what works.

Moderate Exercise

2009-08-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to follow up on my earlier post about low-intensity vs high intensity cardiovascular exercise. I don't want you to think that if you don't perform high intensity exercise every time you workout, you aren't getting any benefit. That's not true. There are a ton of benefits that can be achieved by engaging in moderate exercise.

Here are just a few:

*It plays an integral in maintaining weight and metabolic balance.
*It tones all the muscles, joints and connective tissue needed for heavier activity.
*It physiologically and hormonally counters the effects of stress.
*It reduces the risk of breast cancer and death due to cardiovascular disease.
*It can decrease overall systemic inflammation in the body and the risk for a vast array of diseases that it causes.
*Believe it or not, it reduces the risk of the common cold.
*It elevates mood and the sense of well being for 2+ hours after performing the activity.
*It can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic depression.
*It promotes better sleep.

So why am I suggesting that higher intensity is better then lower intensity (overall)? Because it is necessary for fat loss. If you notice above it states that it is great for maintaining weight, not losing fat. It is also great for metabolic balance not increasing metabolic rate.

All the benefits above are fantastic and worth pursuing. So if moderate exercise is what you do, fabulous! But if fat loss is what you seek, you need to up the intensity. Period.

What constitutes moderate exercise? Rollerblading, heavy gardening, leisurely bike riding, brisk walk, mowing the lawn, outdoor hiking, light swimming, dancing, badminton or ping pong - you get the picture. Just lead an active life and you'll reap all the benefits of moderate exercise. But, again, if it's fat loss you want you will have to increase your energy output.

Low Intensity Vs Higher Intensity Cardio

2009-08-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have received several follow up questions on the posts that I wrote earlier on cardio vascular training, so I am going to elaborate a little more on that.

We are going to look at lower-intensity vs higher-intensity, not interval training per se.

One of the reasons that people have a hard time changing the way they think about cardio vascular training is because of past media attention to the 'fat burning' zone. The fat-burning zone does exist, well, sort of. Yes, the body burns a greater percentage of fat at lower-intensity aerobic training, not a greater amount of fat. That's where all the confusion comes into play.

Working out at a lower intensity may burn 50% of your total caloric expenditure in fat, and working out at a higher intensity may burn 35% of your total caloric expenditure in fat. That looks like you should keep going at in the lower intensity range, right? Well, let's look at the numbers:

A 150 pound woman who is reasonably fit gets on the elliptical trainer for 45 minutes at a low intensity (reading her Cosmo or watching TV - this is the most likely scenario in any health club). She has been doing this same thing for, let's say, six months now. During that 45 minutes she burns approx. 200-300 calories. *The machine will say she has burned more, but in reality she is probably burning a little less every time she performs the activity because her body is used to it.* Of that 200-300 calories, she has burned 100-150 calories of fat, based on the above equation.

Now the same 150 pound woman hires me as her trainer (very smart woman). The elliptical is a safe piece of equipment (my least favorite) so we stick with it. To make it simple, before I really start to push her, I ask her to select the interval or hill program listed on the machines console. I also ask her to forward through all the prompts asking for her age, weight and sex. The machine is supposed to be able to figure out how many calories you burn with that information which is absolutely ridiculous. Does the machine know your resting heart rate? Does the machine know how much muscle you have? Does the machine know if you are on medication? Didn't think so.
Anyway, we get her going and I monitor her exertion by asking her how she feels, but I also watch her. If she starts to look around the gym at the other members during the higher intensity segments, I increase the intensity. If she is focused, we stay at the same intensity. I do not expect her to go at a high intensity for the full 30 minutes. If your mind is wondering, you are not pushing yourself hard enough.

Now she has burned approx. 300-400 calories, 100-150 of them from fat. She has burned the same number of calories from fat but in a lot less time. As long as she monitors her intensity, and she doesn't start zoning out (which will lower her caloric expenditure), she will continue to burn more fat. Next step would be interval training to bump that fat burn even more.

Remember, this is not INTERVAL training, this is just increasing the intensity of your cardio vascular training. I will write more about interval training later. This is a great place to start learning why increasing the intensity of your cardio vascular workout is so great for your fitness and fat loss goals.

All you have to remember is: If you can read a magazine while working out, you might as well get off the machine.

Lift More Weight For Significant Fat Loss

2009-08-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

One thing I hear women say all the time is "I don't lift weights, because I don't want to get big". That is a myth. A myth that just doesn't seem to go away! Strength training is one of the three components of fitness - strength, cardio vascular endurance and flexibility - you need to do all three to be your fbest shape. Lean and defined, that's what most people want when they say they want to lose weight. I tell them 'Nope, you want to lose fat".

You won't get big by lifting weights, unless that is your specific goal. You would need to increase your caloric intake significantly in order to build that much muscle. Women are not predisposed to building large muscles. We don't have enough testosterone in our system. When you see pictures of bodybuilders, including women, they are huge. They take performance enhancing drugs. Period. I've seen it myself. I competed as a natural bodybuilder. When I was in the back, before a competition, I would see other women who had the side-affects of male hormone and steroid use. It is horrible. Back acne. Enlarged jaw. Enlarged clitoris. Some women even had to tape down their private parts so they wouldn't show through the competition bathing suit. And they were competing in a natural bodybuilding show. Very little drug testing was done, due to the cost. I could never understand why women would do that to their bodies just for a trophy.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, no 5 pound weights. That does not constitute a weight training program. You need to tax your muscle in order to build muscle. I think the term 'build muscle' is how the myth of getting big started. The 'building' part of weight training is actually very small. You create tiny, micro-fiber tears in your muscles whenever you lift weight enough weigt to challenge the muscle. Sounds bad, but it's good! When you create those tiny tears your body has to work at repairing the muscle tissue by knitting it back together. Ever time the body knits a muscle back together, it is stronger then it was before. Repairing the muscles also takes more energy (calories), so your metabolism is raised for the next 24 HOURS(!) after you weight train.

Of course, just lifting weights will not account for significant fat loss, although most of my clients notice a big difference in body composition with in 3-4 weeks of training regularly. You do need to do some cardio (but not much) and develop better eating habits. But you won't have to cut your calories by as much as you would if you didn't lift weights regularly.

There are a lot of really great books out there that will help you design a weight training program. Start slow and build from there. A little soreness is good (that's the discomfort from breaking down the muscle tissue), but I-can't-get-out-of-bed sore, well, that's not so good, although it may happen the first couple of times. You don't even need to join a gym to get a good weight work out. All you need to do is buy a set of dumbbells (NO 5 POUND WEIGHTS) and a bench, and that bench could be a step aerobics bench which you could use for so many different things that I can't even list them all here.

The formula for fat loss? Weight training 2-3 times per week, cardio 2-3 times per week (but short and intense is best) and a good diet. Remember, I don't believe in significantly cutting calories. You should eat when your hungry and stop when your full. Try to get more protein into your diet and try to get rid of starchy carbs, such as white bread, white rice and sugar. Replace them with whole vegies, fruits and whole grains - not whole wheat, but whole grain. There is a big difference.

I often ask clients and my class participants "Do you think I look too muscular". Assuming they are answering honestly, they almost always say no. I lift heavy weights regularly. It keeps me strong, lean and defined.

If you don't believe me, check it out.

Treadmill Workout

2009-08-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

If you work out on indoor cardio equipment (well, really, what is OUTDOOR cardio equipment?), then you may be awfully bored with what you have been doing. The following is a fantastic treadmill workout which my clients love (to hate)!

First check your treadmill to see what the incline percentage is, i.e. is the range 0%-10%, or 0%-15%. They do vary, but most treadmills now have the 0% to 15% range.

Start on the 0% incline, at 3.5 miles per hour, or a comfortable walk. Stay there for about 3 minutes and then increase your speed until you are at the fastest, but also comfortable walking or running speed. What that means is, if you are a runner, you will need to increase your speed until you are running very comfortably. For a walker you will have to increase your speed until you feel as if you need to break into a run, and then back it off until you are walking at a brisk pace, but comfortably.

Once you have established your pace, the workout really begins. I am going to outline one workout in this post. There are quite a few you can do, but I am going to leave those for later posts, so check back.

After you warm-up and find your pace (which should take approx. 5 minutes), increase the incline to 5% for one minute. You must try to keep your original pace throughout the workout. After one minute at 5%, drop the incline back to 0% for one minute. Repeat, raising the incline to 7%, dropping to 0%. Repeat the same sequence at 9%, 11%, 13% and 15%. In other words, up one minute, down one minute. Again, throughout the work out you need to try to maintain your original pace. Cool down for 3-5 minutes and then stretch.

This is an interval workout without the need to increase your speed, which a lot of people assume they need to do. I love this type of cardio training because you do not have to be a runner, walkers can achieve the same intensity (and same results) without running.

The workout takes 25-30 minutes to complete and burns approx. 9X more fat then steady-state cardio activity. SO if you got on the treadmill and walked or ran steadily for 45-60 minutes, you would achieve LESS fat loss results then if you performed the above workout for 25-30 minutes.

I would say that was much better use of your time, wouldn't you?

More Nutrition Information

2009-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Fat loss is not as simple as cutting calories and increasing activity. Calories are not the primary focus of some very successful fat-loss programs. How much you eat may not be as important as what you eat. Fats are no longer considered bad. And eating a lot of carbohydrates may make you fatter, even as much as cheese and steaks can. Research shows that certain carbs may cause more metabolic problems than any other food you put in your mouth, because of the assault of glucose on your system, which essentially shuts down almost all other nutrition processing functions (including fat burning) while it is being processed.

Eating more protein will even speed up your metabolism and slow down your appetite. It will make you feel full faster then either carbohydrates or fats. You body uses more energy to to digest then carbs or fat. The more protein you eat, the harder your body has to work to digest it, which means more expended calories. People that eat a high-protein diet (over a high-carb diet) burned more then twice as many calories during the hours after they eat.

Everybody has heard of good carbs vs bad carbs. The good carbs are the ones that empty out of your stomach slower. Bad carbs empty out quickly. The longer it takes for something to process through the system, the more satiated you will feel.

So what do you eat?

Best protein sources are (you probably already know these):

* Lean beef
* Chicken breast
* Turkey breast
* All types of fish

How about carbs? (these may surprise you):

* Breads - pumpernickel and sourdough
* Grains - Barley, parboiled rice, Bulgar and kasha
* Pasta - Angel hair, linguine and other thin strand pasta; bean threads or cellophane noodles; whole grain spaghetti
* Cereals - Rice bran, unsweetened high-fiber, like an all bran cereal.
* Vegies - Sweet potatoes, yams, green peas, tomatoes
* Fruits - Mangoes, bananas, kiwi, oranges, grapes, apples, pears, strawberries, dried apricots, peaches, plums and cherries
* Snacks - Cheese, nuts and olives
* Protein-carbs - Unsweetened peanut butter, beans, eggs and unsweetened soy milk
* Misc - Low-fat yogurt, foods sweetened w/sucralose, saccharine, fructose or aspartame.

What about fats?

* Olive oil
* Canola oil
* Corn oil
* Walnut oil
* Soybean oil

Got it? The easiest way to think about the above foods is to ask yourself, 'How many steps did this food take to get to my table'? If the answer is, 'Alot'. Avoid it. A whole, fresh potato? Ground to produce section. Potato chips? Ground, processing factory, packaging factory, long truck transport (most likely) and then to the grocery shelves. Phew.

Good luck on your fat loss goals, and refer to the above lists often.

The Power Of Protein

2009-07-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

You have probably heard all you want to hear about the benefits of eating more protein, but I am going to talk about it even more.

Make note of the following: Eating more protein is essential to fat loss.

Why? The main reason is that protein repairs tissue, not just muscle tissue, but all tissue. That is it's job. You want to keep your muscle at all cost, because everyone knows that the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more calories you can consume. I am a big proponent in not cutting your calories. Once you have reduced your calories to, say, 1200 per day, your body will adjust down to that level. Sure, on the Biggest Loser they are eating very few calories AND working out 4 hours a day. That show is completely unrealistic. Do you want to spend the rest of your life working out 4 hours a day and starving? I don't think so. And, have they checked in with all the participants? Nope. But the one's that they have checked on have gain all or some of the weight back. They keep that part on the down-low.

I'm going to use myself as an example. When I started bodybuilding I went on a low-fat, high carb diet of around 1500 calories a day. I lifted weights twice a day and taught my regular load of group exercise classes, which was around 5 per week, and added in about 45 minutes of cardio on top of it. You usually start a bodybuilding diet 15 weeks out from the show. In 15 weeks I lost a total of 5 POUNDS!!! I am serious. How disappointed was I? I was devastated when I got on stage and look soft next to my opponents.

But I didn't give up. The next couple of times I experimented with diets. The best I ever looked was when I ate 3,000(!) calories a day, low carb/high protein/med fat. All the fats were good fats, and that's where I got my energy. My metabolism has never slowed down.

The other thing about protein is that it does not hold water. Carbs hold 4 gms of water to every 1 gm of carbohydrate. That's why your body weight can fluctuate 5 pounds over night. Mine did, until I changed the way I ate.

Even vegetarians can eat a diet higher in protein. I will say that vegetarians will almost never have a lot of lean muscle mass. It just is what it is. And I am not saying that if you eat a lot of protein you will get huge muscles. I tried to get more muscular when I was competing. It just doesn't work for women because we don't have enough testosterone in our system to build that much muscle. When you see a woman with a lot of muscle mass, she has probably taken performance enhancing drugs. I have seen it, even at 'natural' bodybuilding' shows. You have to trust me on that.

Try it. Eat a higher protein, lower carb diet for 3-4 weeks and see what happens. Obviously, you will have to continue to exercise, but see how your body changes. Then let me know.

No Juice No Smoothies

2009-07-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

The unfortunate truth is that juice affects the body very much in the same way as pop. Both of them contained refined sugar. I know your thinking 'but juice just has to be better'! Well, yes, juice doesn't (usually) contain chemicals, as does pop, but it is still sugar and your body recognizes both in almost the same way. Really juice IS processed sugar. They took all the fiber out of the fruit and/or vegetable and all you have left is (duh) the juice. Your body doesn't have to do much work to break it down. It enters your stomach already partially digested (yup, they did some of the work for you and that is never a good thing when it comes to nutrition) and if you aren't about ready to run 5 miles it is immediately stored as energy (fat). The worst juice? Apple. It kills me when I see mom's giving their kids apple juice in a sippy cup thinking it is nutritious. I have gotten in many an arguement with moms on that very subject. Sugar is sugar. White sugar comes form a plant right? Apples come from a tree, right? There you go.

That's why they talk about the glycemic index so flippin' much! The longer it takes for something to empty out of your stomach the better it is for you.

When I have analyzed food logs, for men especially, they usually take in a lot of calories in the form of liquid (your thinking alcohol, but that is for a later post). Men are pretty clear that sugared pop is not a good thing if they want to be lean, but I have seen food logs where men are drinking a half-gallon of juice every day! As soon as they stop, they quickly lose 5 pounds.

Smoothies are another story entirely. They are packed, packed, packed with sugar and calories. You have to be super diligent about checking the ingredients whenever you think about ordering one. When I order a smoothie, I always order a low-carb version. For no other reason then that low carb usually means low sugar. Again, smoothies have done some of the digestive work for you. If that's true, your whole system is putting out less energy, and, remember, that's not something you want. Period.

Think before you drink. And I'll say that again later. And probably again after that.

No 5 lb weights!!!

2009-07-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

I think one of my most frustrating things in teaching a group fitness class is those people (usually women) that grab 5 lb weighs for the workout! I always tell the class that my gym bag weighs more then 5 lbs and as proof I weighed it. It weighed 7.3 lbs.

How can lifting 5 lb weights help you reach your fitness goals if you lift more then that on a regular basis? Again, I don't assume that everyone is in my class for fat loss, but I'm pretty darn sure they have some sort of goal they are trying to reach. IF THE BODY ISN'T CHALLENGED, IT WILL NOT CHANGE! Another way to look at it: It nothing changes, nothing changes.

I'm sure participants that aren't looking for fat loss want to get stronger, more defined and have an over all sense of well being, all of which are benefits of exercise....IF it makes your body react. I have written this before as well: even if you don't have fat loss goals, I'm pretty darn sure you don't want to burn muscle to fuel your work outs. I bet you would prefer to burn stored fat, which is really stored energy, instead. If you burn muscle, your metabolism will DEcrease, something I know no one wants to happen!

So remember, next time you take a group fitness class, or go into the gym to lift some weights:

NO FIVE POUND WEIGHTS!!!!!
(otherwise you'll like the shapeless, but thin, woman above from 1985).

Best Cardio For Fat Loss

2009-07-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

If fat loss is your goal, steady state cardio is not your friend. Getting on the elliptical for 45 minutes 3-4 times per week or walking four+ miles is not going to do it for you. Why? Because your body gets used to those activities very quickly. As a matter of fact, research shows that a body probably adapts to an exercise within 2-3 weeks of performing that exercise regularly. We used to think it took 12 weeks! That's a big difference. Interval training burns 9X more fat then steady state cardio. Let me explain. When you get super uncomfortable, or near maximum output, followed by recovery of course, your body thinks 'if he/she is going to do this again, what can I do to make it easier?' The heart and lungs are muscles, so now it thinks 'if I were a little lighter (weight loss) then my heart and lungs wouldn't have to work so hard, so I'll use a little of my stored energy (fat) to fuel these workouts and repair muscle (increased metabolism AFTER the workout). I don't want to burn muscle as fuel because he/she is using that muscle, so I will sacrifice the fat, lightening the load, and thereby making the activity easier'.

When you perform steady state cardio, your body thinks 'no big deal, I want to survive, this is low intensity so I'll just put out less effort'. And there's the difference. The body doesn't want to put out much effort. It is always in survival mode. How can it make anything easier, so it will last longer.

I think people stick with the 3-4X per week cardio-machine workout because A. It's easy and B. They initially see results so they think it is still working, even though they see no change in body composition. Plus, I don't think people like to get uncomfortable. I see it with my clients all the time. They don't like the work but they absolutely LOVE the results. Leaner, tighter and more defined. Who doesn't want that?!

I'm shrinking!

2009-07-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm really surprised that no one has really written about this phenomena. I have pretty much always been the same weight - ever since high school. Yes, my body has changed because of my fitness level. I have much more muscle definition from my years of lifting weights, but my weight has stayed the same. The thing is, I have dropped two sizes in the past five years. This whole thing involving clothing manufactures making sizes bigger is so strange to me!

I realize that they do it to sell more clothes. Designers have always up-sized, but now everybody is doing it. I also understand that we now have an almost 50% obesity rate in the US. The CDC is predicting that, if we continue the way we are going, we will have 100% obesity by 2040. Of course, that is impossible, because some people just don't gain fat. That statistics just goes to show us how much the rate is increasing year to year. Therefore, if the general public is getting fatter, then why not make current sizes bigger? That way the over-fat people can still fit into ready-to-wear, and readily available, clothing.

Maybe I'll shrink even more? My prediction? Probably.

What's the best exercise?

2009-07-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

I get asked that all the time. My answer? The one you'll do. Your first goal should be to get moving. Once you have a form of movement on your schedule regularly, then we can talk about what else you can do to get the results that you want. I never assume that fat loss is my client's goal. Maybe it's stress release or a sense of well being or better sleep or better sex. All of those are great benefits of exercise which can be achieved by low intensity movement. Do you like to dance? Try a ballet barre class...or hip hop....of NIA. There are many, many choices. Do you like nature? Simply walking or riding a bike, for fun, will bring you those benefits. Bowling, square dancing, golf, roller-blading, etc - all those activities have many benefits BUT fat loss is not one of them. Maybe initially, if you haven't moved your body for a long time, but after a couple of weeks of regular activity you will need more. Especially if fat loss is a goal.

Research now shows that a body will get 'used to' an activity in as little as two weeks. That means that if you take up a walking program say, three days a week, you will intially see results but after about two weeks those changes will level out. Why? Because your body recognizes the activity and adjusts down. I know. That sucks. But your body is always in survival mode. It thinks 'if he/she does this all the time, I need to put out LESS energy in order to last (live) longer'. So now you add an extra day per week of walking. Again, you'll probably see a little results in the next couple of weeks, but then your body will adapt again. Adaption is a very good thing. That is one of the reasons we have survived this world/environment of ours over the years. People used to live to be 40 years old, now we live to be 80 or 85 or even 100. Statistic show that almost 50% of women today will live to be 100. 100!! That's incredible! Don't you want to make it the best 100 years ever?

Fat Loss Not Weight Loss

2009-07-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

July 13th, 2008

People confuse fat loss with weight loss. Really, weight loss isn't important. Fat loss is. The number on the scale does not reflect how lean you are....or how good you look. I am 5" 8' and I weigh 145lbs. Picture a person that you think looks like those stats. You probably pictured someone that was pretty over fat. I'm not. That's just a fact. It takes thought, planning and work, but not as much work as you think. It's all about choices. I will talk about those choices more later.