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The beauty of mixing cardio in between sets is you’re keeping your leg muscles on alert the whole time, but changing their function back and forth. My workout lasted only 1:15 but I was exhausted afterwords. I had another 20 minutes of gym time left, but I was running on empty so I decided my body would be better served getting something to eat.

The workout:

12 minutes stair stepper
3×10 leg extension plate 12
3×10 leg curls plate 65 lbs
12 minutes stair stepper
3×10 one legged leg press plate 12 (for both legs)
3×12 leg abductors 130 lbs
2×12 leg adductors 130 lbs
8 minutes reverse rotex
3×20 calf raises 90 lbs
3×10 squat thrusts (I think that’s what they’re called) 25 lb dumbells

With little rest, my legs were burning and my body was quickly fatiguing. However, this workout was very high intensity for short but substantial intervals which burned more calories than if I jogged on the treadmill for 30 minutes.

My plan of action was to divide the workout into three sections with each section containing a cardio followed by weights. In a sense, my legs got a rest on each turn because their function was different but in another sense the pressure was still on because they were still working.

Try this workout if you want to burn fat and build strength with endurance. You’ll need to keep your rest minimal between reps and sets, but by the end you’ll have completed a great workout.

Post from: EveryJoe

How to Mix Cardio with Strength Training

As you know, I’ve been focusing on building better balance in my legs lately.  This is paying off.  Just by putting shorts on, I can already tell my balance is much better than before.  Now that I’ve moved up a few notches with my balance, I’m adding to that foundation and working to increase my coordination as well.

SXC.hu

One long lost exercise that I brought back in the routine combines coordination, balance, and strength efficiently.  I don’t know what it’s called but you get on all fours and then stick one arm forward and then the opposite leg straight back.  This is great for toning not only your gluteus but also increasing coordination and balance within.

I applied the same idea to another exercise.  I’ve told you about my 1 legged body weight squats before.  This time, I grabbed a 2 lb medicine ball and palmed it in the opposite hand of the leg I was lowering down with, holding that hand outstretched in front of me.

Other leg exercises included:

• air squats
• jump squats
• squats with medicine ball
• calf raises
• leg extensions
• hamstring curls
• adductors
• abductors
• 18:00 running

I would have liked to have gotten to some lateral weight movements and lunges, but by the time I reached that point I was noticeably hungry so I went home and replenished.

How are your workouts going?  If you have any unique awesome exercises, please share them with us.

Post from: EveryJoe

Resistance Training Without Weights

The healing ways of Ayurveda are so plentiful, they can even make getting up in the morning a pleasure.

Try some of these rituals for a lovely, relaxing way to start your day tomorrow. Give them a try and see for yourself. You might even want to make them a part of your daily routine.

As part of its approach, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of developing morning rituals that help balance your body with nature, and work your doshas. It’s true-building just one of these practices into your daily routine can change the way you experience your day.

-Get up before the sun rises. It’s a simple–and somewhat difficult push for many of us, but the early morning air is believed to possess special qualities and energies. Ayurvedic philosophy holds that Vata energy fills the earth’s atmosphere during pre-dawn hours. And the bonus–if you’ve already awakened your body by the time the sun rises, you’re more than ready to meet the day when the sun comes up.

-Get your body moving. A very soothing Ayurvedic practice is drinking a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon or lime. The warm water wakes up your intestines and tummy. The lemons and limes are high in vitamins and minerals, which can help loosen the toxins in your digestive tract.

-Wake up your face. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but waking up your face after a sound night’s sleep can be a challenge. You’re puffy and dehydrated. Ayurveda recommends splashing the face with water. Try seven splashes–seven is an important number, as it represents the number of chakras or energy centers in your body. Well, this does feel good. And I find it a relaxing way to refresh my skin in the morning.

-Douse your eyes. While you’re at it, splash your eyes, too. I’ve actually done this by accident, before trying any type of Ayurvedic practice, and it felt good, even then. Try splashing your open eyes with cool water in the morning. It’s believed to help balance your dosha, and it does wake up your eyeballs. You might even try lukewarm water at first. This feels good, too.

-Eat lightly. Yes breakfast is the most important meal. But according to Ayurveda, morning is the time to get your body exercising and moving, so it’s recommended you eat lightly, maybe some fruit, vegetable juice or yogurt. Some whole grains are always a good choice.

Lovely ways to start your day, and hopefully, rituals that will become day-changers for you too!

Post from: EveryJoe

Good Morning, Sunshine

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a lot of time to read labels when I shop. But I also don’t want to grab something I just know I won’t eat later, either. Well, hopefully the dash through the grocery aisle will become a lot simpler after today’s announcement that new front-of-pack nutrition labeling (although voluntary) called “Smart Choices” will soon be available on products in grocery stores across the U.S.

The criteria that will determine which products will and will not qualify for the new labeling system were set by a group of scientists, nutritionists and manufacturers, and were built on science-based nutrition data, in hopes of helping Americans make better food and beverage choices.  You’ll see the “Smart Choices” symbol begin to appear next year on products that don’t exceed the standard for “nutrients to limit,” and, for many of the categories of products measured, they must also possess positive qualities like “nutrients to encourage,” or “food groups to encourage.”  Products that do qualify for the new label will also be required to clearly display caloric information on the front of the package. It’s about time!

Not a big surprise, some of the “nutrients to limit” include saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, added sugars and cholesterol.  “Nutrients to encourage” include fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. 

The new initiative was unveiled today at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo.  A lot of major companies say they’re already on board–ConAgra, Kraft, General Mills, Kellogg and even Wal-Mart.  But the products they plan to request for inclusion in the labeling program have yet to be announced.

It’s great to finally see food manufacturers acknowledge how important it is for them to encourage the ravenous American consumers they normally capitalize on to make better life choices.  I hope it becomes the new way to do business.  What a great thing that would be for the universe! It’s so important what we feed our bodies and our minds.  And sometimes we could all use a little help and guidance.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

New Nutrition Labeling Should Make Healthy Choices Simpler

My sister is a nutritionist who is so meticulous about food that sometimes I need to take a nap before going to a family dinner at her home. 

She asks so many questions about what I’m eating, I feel like I need to be read my rights :-). But this weekend’s “serving” of  nutritional knowledge may just alter my shopping habits a bit.  Just a bit…

She told me I am at an age (thanks a lot–and no, I am NOT–and to all her friends out there, she’s only a year younger than me) where I need to be stocking up on “functional foods.”  Sounded kind of painful to me, but it makes a lot of sense.  Functional foods are basically the foods we should all be eating to live a longer, healthier life. Here’s her list of ”must-haves” for good health:

Beans

Just four half-cup servings of beans per week can help you reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Beans are also great for regulating blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of obesity. And any type of bean, from kidney beans to sugar snap peas, qualify as a functional food. They are all low in fat, high in protein and rich in vitamins

Blueberries

Between 8 to 16 ounces of blueberries can provide your body with more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.  Blueberries can also reverse some of the effects that aging can have on your brain

Broccoli

Ok, not everyone loves broccoli.  But just one-half to a full cup of broccoli each day can protect you from all types of cancer, including colon cancer. Broccoli is full of vitamins and nutrients. It is also a great source of vegetarian iron.  But if you really can’t stand broccoli, it’s health promoting attributes can also be found in brussel sprouts, cabbage or any dark, leafy greens

Oats

A warm bowl of oatmeal will do more than just warm your tummy in the morning.  It can also help keep your digestive organs healthy for a long time. Oats naturally protect our bodies from heart disease and high blood sugar, and are an excellent source of fiber, which is great for the old digestive tract. If you get a little bored with only oats, other great–and healthy-options include brown rice, rye, barley, wheat and flaxseed.  Flaxseed is one of my personal favorites, love the barley, too

Oranges

There’s nothing better than a fresh glass of juice in the morning. Bonus, it also helps prevent cardiovascular disease and having strokes later in life. And it’s also been shown to reduce the risk of breast, lung, pancreatic, colon, rectal and cervical cancers

Pumpkin

Wondering what to do with your Halloween pumpkin this year?  Although many of us do, don’t throw out the insides, instead, keep them for cooking. Pumpkins – and other carotenoids like carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash – are loaded with nutrients. They can dramatically reduce the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, heart disease and loss of vision

Salmon

This is a no-brainer for me. I love fish. Salmon and other fatty fish contain high amounts of a prized fatty acid called omega-3. 
Omega-3 reduces the risk of coronary artery disease, breast and colon cancer and loss of eyesight.  It also enhances our mental state (yippee!), raises good cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation and just plain tastes great.  So by consuming salmon, halibut, oysters or even canned albacore tuna between two to four times per week, you can actually lengthen your life

Soy

Soy is not just for us vegetarians anymore!  You can find soy everywhere, from milk and soy burgers to miso soup. Why soy? Soy can do so many amazing things for your health. It lowers the risk of cancer, keeps the immune system strong and prevents tumor growth. 
Soy is also extremely high in protein and oils that are both cholesterol-free and contain omega-3 fatty acids

Spinach

Consuming spinach, or any other dark leafy green,  is a great way to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, coronary artery disease, cancer, vision loss and cataracts. A cup of steamed, or two cups of raw spinach is a quick and easy way to add vitamins and nutrients to your meal

Tea

Tea is a very healthy, life-extending beverage. It has been shown to lower blood pressure, prevent cancer and osteoporosis (yes, osteoporosis), lower the risk of stroke, minimize sun damage to skin and keep your heart healthy

Tomatoes

I know a lot of people who don’t like tomatoes.  Here are a few reasons why they should change their minds. Tomatoes themselves, not to mention products made with tomatoes, like spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, ketchup, etc., are loaded with health benefits. The more concentrated the tomato-based product–let’s say tomato paste, for example–the more it’s loaded with lycopene. Lycopene is a nutrient that works to keep your body free of cancer and free-radicals. Tune into tomatoes.  They are really great for your body and longevity

Turkey

I’m a vegetarian, and though I don’t normally indulge in poultry, Thanksgiving is one day out of the year that I will bend–and I am so glad that I do! Skinless turkey breasts are low in fat, high in protein and an excellent source of niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. These vitamins provide us with oodles of energy, and are pretty good for heart health, too.  Turkey meat also contains zinc, a mineral that helps lower cell division, which for cancer patients and survivors is a very important thing, as it ultimately prevents tumor growth

Walnuts

Pretty much everyone knows nuts are a great source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. They also make a great snack that boosts your energy and make it possible for you to keep moving longer, even extend your workouts :-)  All you need is about one ounce of nuts each day to lower the risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension and type II diabetes

Yogurt

I hear about pre- and probiotics all the time, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to hear about this last “functional food.” These bacteria are beneficial microorganisms that are added to food items-yogurt is a great example-to help boost your health, fight disease, and improve the health of your digestive system. The pre- and probiotics found in yogurt can also help fight off cancer, high blood pressure and ulcers.  Just check the label before you make your next yogurt purchase and make sure it states “contains live, active cultures”

So, functional foods are “it” for me.  The list isn’t that daunting, and the items are really easy to find in the grocery.  And if you know where to shop or when things go on sale, you can stay pretty healthy without destroying your grocery budget.  Just cut out that six-pack of frosted cupcakes and put the bag of chips or candy down, and you’ll find your grocery bill will not have to tip into an unhealthy range just because you’re making the right choices for your diet and your life.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Next Time You Shop, Stock up on Functional Foods

It’s a common belief that many of my friends share–if you follow a vegetarian diet, you won’t be able to get as far with strength training and athletic pursuits.

Wrong. True, it is going to be a bit more complex to attain the level of protein in your diet that your body looks for when you’re undertaking a strength traning regimen. But it isn’t impossible.

Many experts recommend 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 grams per pound). There are ways for you to get enough protein to reach this recommended amount with low-fat dairy products and protein rich plant sources.

Try working these non-meat protein sources into your diet for your daily dose:

-Milk, 8 ounces=8 grams
-Tofu, 3 ounces=15 grams
-Yogurt, 8 ounces=8 grams
-Cheese, 3 ounces=21 grams
-Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons=8 grams

An even stickier issue, especially for female athletes who are vegetarians, is how to get much-needed iron into your diets. The truth is, our bodies just don’t absorb the iron found in non-animal proteins as easily as they do from animal proteins. Good sources of non-animal based iron include leafy green vegetables, whole grain cereals, figs, lentils, kidney beans and some dried fruits. If you do eat fish or chicken, you should be able to get plenty of iron in your diet.

Because your body will need a little extra help absorbing the iron from non-animal sources, you need to be sure you are getting enough vitamin C. Try to work vitamin C into meals where you’re consuming significant amounts of iron from non-meat sources. For example, if you’re eating a breakfast loaded with whole grains, don’t forget to drink your juice! It will help your body absorb the iron found in your cereal.

One of the most common nutrients missing from the vegetarian athlete’s diet is B-12. Found only in animal products, B-12 can be tricky to control. You should be able to get enough B-12 from eggs, cheese, milk and yogurt. But another great way to supplement is by replacing cow’s milk on your cereal with soymilk.

So going green with your diet doesn’t have to diminish your returns when it comes to strength training. With a little planning and education, you should be able to achieve your goals and maintain your vegetarian lifestyle, beautifully.

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

Think a vegetarian diet and being an athlete don’t mix? Think again

so I was wondering if you need to increase or decrease calories when trying to turn fat to muscle and how often/how much should you lift to tone and turn fat to muscle? And since I’m impatient how long should I wait to expect results?

This is one of those try-and-explain-evertyhing-about-working-out-in-one post questions, but I’ll give it a go.

 First of all, you can’t turn fat into muscle.

 Muscle and fat are 2 completely different things. When you strength train, your fat cells shrink (or you burn them, however you like to think about it) and your muscle fibers tear and repair themselves bigger than they were before. You can build muscle without burning fat, or you can burn fat without gaining muscle- they don’t neccessarily correlate to eachother. To get ideal results, you want to do both, burn fat and gain muscle. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism, and the mopre fat you burn doing nothing at all.  If you burn fat without building muscle, you will shrink in size, but be just as soft and “flabby” so you want to build that muscle tone underneath.

As for the rest, I will tell you where I have written on this before….

In regaurds to eating more or less calories, it all depends on how much you are eating now. I posted the Harris Bendict formula a while back, which allows you to plug in your information and activity level and will tell you the exact amount of calories you should be eating to fuel your body.

I also wrote about strength training and cardio recommendations here. This will tell you how much you should be working out to see results.

As for when you will actually see results, it depends on how hard you work, and how fast you push yourself (increasing weight and whatnot.) Generally, if you stay consistant, you should start to see results in about 3 months, but if you do assessment type testing, with body fat and girth measurements, you will notice changes around 8 weeks. BUT everyone’s different, so don’t get too down on yourself if the numbers don;t budge. Keep at it, and focus on the immediate effects: increased energy, feeling good, and relieving stress.

Post from: EveryJoe

Q and A: How Long for Results?

Your body is designed to protect itself. If you don’t eat, your body slows down all of its function to conserve energy and help you live longer.

You’ve got eyebrows and eyelashes to keep stuff from getting into your eyes.

You feel pain so that you are aware that you are injured in some way and to avoid injuring yourself further.

Self preservation- its where it’s at.

Your muscles are no different. In your tendons, which connect muscle to bone, is a sensor called the Golgi Tendon organ. Its purpose is to protect you against too much contractile force. When the tendon organ is stimulated by too much contractile force, the associated muscle involuntarily relaxes to prevent injury. Under normal circumstances, this organ prevents you from using your muscles to their maximum potential, which might cause tearing of the muscle, the tendon, or the surrounding motor units.

In extreme situations, however, you can override this organ. Ever wonder how a woman can lift a car off of her trapped baby?

I wonder how all these babies are getting trapped under cars in the first place, but I digress.

Your first instinct is to probably say adrenaline, which is partially true, but it has more to do with overriding the Golgi tendon organ.

So baby is trapped under car, mother runs over, reaches under the bumper and lifts the car with Herculean strength. Baby wiggles out, hopefully, unharmed.

The mother was able to do this by overriding the Golgi inhibition, and generate maximum contractile force in the muscles needed to lift the car. By overriding this, however, she has undoubtedly caused a lot of damage to her muscles and connective tissues.

You can increase your threshold of force generation at which the Golgi tendon is stimulated by strength training. This happens because as you continually overload your muscle during strength training, more protein is added to the tendon to make it stronger as your muscles get stronger. Therefore, it takes more force to stimulate the Golgi tendon organ.

You still aren’t going to be able to lift a car as a fun party trick, but in serious cases, you may be able to help more than you think.

I don’t have children, but if my puppy was trapped under a car, I could hurl it 3 city blocks. My puppy, or my Michael Korrs flats. Either one.

Post from: EveryJoe

You Are Stronger Than You Think

I’ve been working out regularly for 7 months (I swim 2-3 times a week for an hour, run twice a week, sometimes for 30 minutes, sometimes for an hour, do a Cardio Core class once a week-which is 30 minutes of strength using your body weight and 30 minutes of different cardio workouts, and do strength twice a week, once with just arms, once with just legs) and eating healthy (I eat about 2000 calories a day) and although I’m in better shape (I can run further, do more push ups, etc) there’s no physical difference in my body! I started working out not because I wanted to lose weight (I’m 5′11 and 140 pounds) but because I wanted to tone up-and I’ve gained no tone at all! What am I doing wrong and how can I fix this? Thanks Kelly

 Oh, human body, why must you frustrate us so?

 It seems you are doing everything right: you are working out a lot, doing a variety of different things, eating enough calories- so what could be the problem?

Unfortunately, I can’t answer this without a complete workup on your body, and even then there might not be an answer. 

 A lot of things come into play:

• how active you were before these 7 months
• how often you have changed your routine (even though this one seems varied, your body will still plateau if it hasnt been changed)
• your metabolism

The only thing that I would really point to would be you are only doing strength training twice a week: split body, so really your muscles are only being overloaded once a week.  Swimming and running are great, as well as body weight exercises, but they dont provide sufficient overload to get the definition i think you are trying to achieve.  They will tone you, but for true, obvious definition you need to lift weights.

You should strength train all your major muscle groups atleast 3 times a week.  So if you do split body (upper one day, lower the next) you will need to train 6 times a week.

Its good that you notice you are getting stronger, but it can still be frustrating when you dont see the results you want.  I’d say up the strength training by adding some weights, and you will be well on your way.

Post from: EveryJoe

Q and A: Not Seeing Any Results

Alex sent me this question: 

I have a question that is completely unrelated! (This somehow deserves an exclamation point.) What is the difference, if any, between doing exercises that work only one side of your body at a time (for example, lunges) in consecutive reps for each side versus alternating one side with the other? That may or may not any make sense. What I mean is, is there a benefit to doing lunges all on one side and then all on the other – so one set 10 reps for left leg, followed by one set 10 reps right leg – versus doing one set 20, alternating each leg? Besides the whole mixing-it-up-for-your-muscles thing. I realize this might be a painfully stupid question, I just have seen some people do it one way and some do it the other, and so I’ve always wondered.   

Alex,

There are no painfully stupid questions, just painfully stupid people. And you, my dear, are not one of them, because you can lift a house over your head.

To quote some kindergarten teacher somewhere, “sometimes things aren’t good or bad; just different.”

I’ll use lunges as the example, focusing on the quad muscle (front thigh) even though lunges work a multitude of muscles.

Performing a set of lunges with your right foot forward, then a set with your left, will work the quad muscles in the right leg continuously, without rest first; thus making the intensity on that muscle greater than if you alternated and also did your left (your right quad would get a one-lunge rest each time.) However, the right will rest while you do your left side, so it is working for a shorter duration than if you alternated (the right quad would be active the entire 20 lunges). it just kind of a trade off. no biggie.

 However, doing stationary lunges and walking lunges are very different. They each fire the muscles in a different order, but more importantly, walking lunges engage your balance and lateral stability (the supportive muscles on the inside and outside of your knees, which arent engaged very often through regular movement), which makes them more of a functional movement than stationary lunges. Functional training is very important: it teaches your body how to move safely and effectly decreasing the chance of injury as well as improving your quality of life. 

 I always say, “how often do you actually need to bench press something?” when asked why I focus so much on functional training.  Functional training mimicks movement that you need to do every day.  You rarely do any movements that isolate one muscle.  They usually use full body movements like when lugging groceries or picking up your child, which require transfering momentum from your upper to your lower body and vice versa (thats why core strength is so important; its the point of transfer.)

But, again, when choosing methods of strength training, its all about your goals.  One exercise is not better than another, they justdo different things.  It all depends on what you want out of it.

Post from: EveryJoe

Q and A: Any Advantage to Alternating?