Trends…

For every overrated trend, there is an underrated or otherwise under-appreciated aspect of diet and fitness. Let's take a look at some lesser-known, under-the-radar entities that may be helpful.

The Mediterranean Diet: Why this way of eating isn't the standard pyramid is beyond me. Year after year, study after study this pattern of eating comes out shining and yet still doesn't seem to catch on.

Side Planks/Tabletops:
This exercise is phenomenal for engaging the abdominal muscles and for enhancing stability. It is especially helpful for those with bad backs as this won't allow you to use your back to aid breathing.

Apples: Yup, plain old apples are loaded with flavanoids, quercetin, pectin and other flavanoids. They are not as sexy as the Goji or Acai berries but they are still an underrated food.

Foam Rolling: More and more gyms carry these fascia release devices but through my observation, people still don't use them. When used correctly, foam rolling can help reduce trigger points, improve tissue quality and enhance mobility.

Matcha Tea: This powdered form of green tea is one of the highest grade teas available - packed with antioxidants and chlorophyll. It is also versatile, making a great addition to smoothies and bars.

Wall Angels: This is an exercise that most people should do - especially if you sit at a computer most of your day. Standing up - back against a wall - head, shoulder blades and tailbone touching the wall, back of arms against wall at shoulder level, bent 90 degrees - slide arms up while keeping them in contact with the wall - without arching back or letting tailbone lose contact with the wall. Repeat for 10-20 reps daily. This will help stretch some likely tight muscles and help strengthen the deep and underused muscles in the upper back.

Vitamin D: In the news quite a bit, but again doesn't have the sex appeal that a fat burning supplement might. It is also overshadowed by fish oil supplementation. There is a compelling reason for most people to supplement with this vitamin/hormone - especially for those in northern climates.

Deadlifts: The hardcore lifters wouldn't dream of excluding this all-around gem of an exercise but it is surprising how many people eschew it - even personal trainers. It does take more practice to perfect and form is more crucial on this one than most others, but when used properly, it doesn't get much better as an overall strength builder.

What diet and exercise-related trends to you feel deserve more recognition? Now lets look at what I feel are some of the most overrated exercise and diet trends, I feel a disclaimer or two is in order:

I'm in favor of anything that helps people become healthy or fit. The word "overrated" needs to be taken into context and is certainly open to interpretation.

Just because I deem something to be overrated does not mean I don't think it has merit. I may feel something is "overrated" simply due to the amount of hype it gets or to the degree that its proponents revere it.

With those 2 things in mind, let's get going.

Balls, BOSU's, balance boards, Oh my!:
Walk into any gym facility and you are bound to see trainers and other gym goers alike performing squats, pushups and other circus-like maneuvers on balance implements. The truth is, plain old squats are far more functional and effective for the vast majority of people. These tools should really be used sparingly.

Acai Berry Juice: You may have had some salesperson tell you of the magical powers possessed by this exotic berry. When tested for polyphenol content, Acai rates below concord grapes, red wine and blueberries. Stick with a variety of fruits and veggies here and save your cash.

Yoga: I usually get ripped for this one but there is a geographical influence here. See where I live, Yoga reigns supreme and don't try and tell anyone differently. The truth is, Yoga can be helpful for many, but indiscriminate flexibility is not always the ideal prescription for everyone. If you have time left after weights, cardio and specific mobility work - or you are training for something that requires being in one spot for an hour - knock yourself out!

Antioxidants: Especially when taken as supplements, vitamins C, E and Beta Carotene have proven utterly disappointing for preventing disease. It seems the whole, nutrient dense foods win out again.

Detox and Cleansing: I can't see any justification for it - especially the more extreme ones. Eat healthily most of the time and there is no need to "cleanse" away your dietary sins. If you haven't been eating healthily, start eating healthily instead of subsisting on spiked water.

CrossFit: CrossFit is a very intense training method that combines Olympic lifting, body weight and gymnastics-type exercise with little to no rest. Barbells, boxes, gymnastics rings, big lifts, no machines...love it. Arbitrary and extreme programming, no concept of progression, flimsy certification process, inadequate screening... not so good. Go with a coach/system that addresses the aforementioned.

Nitric Oxide Supplements: When browsing a supplement store last week I noticed a lot of shelf space dedicated to Nitric Oxide and other blood flow enhancers. Many bodybuilding sites and other supplement gurus tout its benefits, but when put to clinical trials, NO has no effect compared to a placebo on body composition, insulin, carbohydrate uptake or muscle strength.

The Biggest Loser:
The fact that the reality (let's call it "unscripted") show is in its 7th season tells me that it is more popular than it should be. You could make the argument that people will be inspired by the show, but I would argue that it sets people up for unrealistic expectations. The premise of the show is completely flawed - promoting a "lose scale weight at all costs" mentality.

Do you have any exercises or trends that you think are either over or underrated? Please let me know.

Til next time…

Nag, nag, nag…

"How you could you eat that junk? It's so bad for you!" (nag, nag).

"Don't you know those fries will give you a heart attack?" (nag, nag).

Your friends nag you, your family nags you, your doctor nags you, the health newsletters, websites and magazines - they all nag you, and of course, your personal trainer nags the heck out of you, to stop eating all those BAD FAST FOODS. But does all that nagging you and bad-mouthing the fast food industry really help anyone stop?

It doesn't look that way. The fast food industry is thriving, even in the bad economy. The Chicago Tribune recently said that McDonalds is "recession proof."

As one of only two companies to turn a major profit over the last year (the other being Wal Mart), McDonald's is laughing its way to the bank. In fact, McDonalds plans to open 1,000 new stores this year.

I was driving down I55 a few weeks ago and pulled over to use the rest room at McDonalds on a Saturday morning (there's a McDonalds conveniently located immediately off almost every exit up and down the full length of Interstate 55).

The parking lot was full, it was standing-room only inside and the lines snaked around into the seating area! You'd think Brad and Angelina were there signing autographs or something. Nope. Just a regular weekend at breakfast-time.

I was shopping in Wal Mart the same week and I almost passed out when I saw (smelled, actually) a McDonalds… INSIDE THE WAL MART! Also, with lines.

Yep. It looks like your friends and family's nagging you to stop eating fast food, and all the messages of the health and fitness industry to get people eating more "health food" are not working!

So what does work?

The results of a new survey from the behavior and psychology section of the journal, OBESITY (Feb 2009) provide some answers:

Researchers at the University Of Minnesota School Of Public health surveyed 530 adults about their attitudes towards fast foods.

They found that people already know fast food is unhealthy. (like, no kidding!)

The primary reasons they eat it anyway are because of the perceived convenience and a dislike for cooking! (I'd add another: they think fast food is always cheaper than healthy food).

So, said the authors of this research paper, nagging people to eat more health food and warning them that "fast food is going to make us fat and kill us" is not the best approach.

What's the right approach?

Focusing on teaching people how to make healthy eating fast, convenient and easy, because those are the reasons people are choosing fast food in the first place.

So what's holding us back from implementing or taking this advice?

Well, I think that most people can't get over the ideas that they "just cant cook" or that cooking is "too time consuming" or that healthy food "tastes like dirt" (as if McDonalds is gourmet food!)

That said I'm not going to nag you, scold you or try to scare you out of eating fast food. I'm not going to lecture you about health food (not today, anyway). Nor am I going to bad-mouth the fast food restaurants.

I'm going to lead by showing you just how easy and convenient it is to eat healthy and nutritious food and make it delicious.

Here are a few meal ideas (for starters) to prove my point.

3-MINUTE APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL

* natural oatmeal (like Quaker old fashioned rolled oats)
* natural (unsweetened) applesauce
* cinnamon
* for protein, serve with scrambled eggs or egg whites on side or stir 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder into the oats

I eat this almost at least three times per week. It's faster, easier and cheaper than going to the donut place or getting sausage, cheese, bacon breakfast muffins at the fast food joint! (And, you don't have to wait in line, either!)

10-MINUTE LAZY PERSON'S CHINESE STIR FRY

* Brown rice
* frozen oriental vegetables
* chicken breast, grilled (try foreman grill)
* light/lo-sodium soy sauce

This takes 30 minutes, however, if you get a rice cooker and make a giant batch, you can have your rice on standby for instant eats and this will take less than 10 minutes.

It doesn't get much easier than that. (I like those Chinese veggies that come with the little mini-corn-on-the-cobs)

2-MINUTE BLACK BEANS AND SPICY SALSA

* black beans (15 oz can)
* Medium or hot salsa
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic or chopped garlic to taste
* salt and pepper to taste

This one takes you all of 2 minutes to make. No cooking required! And it's good! It's vegetarian as listed above, but if you're a carnivore like me, just add a chicken breast or lean ground turkey.

 

Best part: this is all inexpensive food! Oats, rice, beans… doesn't get much cheaper than that - buy your healthy staples in bulk and the cost per serving is probably less than Mickey D's! (yes, even the "Value" meals)

These kinds of recipes are easy to find and I'll share some more in future. (You should read~Larry is writing an eBook in the near future)

So not only can you look more muscular and leaner… fit into those clothes you were hoping to for this summer… be healthier… and save money too.

Til next time…

21st Century Workouts

One of Albert Einstein's student assistants once asked him, "Professor Einstein, what test are we giving the students this week?" Einstein replied, "The same test we gave them last week."

Bewildered, the student assistant replied, "But Professor Einstein, we already gave them that test." Einstein patiently answered, "Yes, but the answers are different this week."

 

The one thing that I have learned being in this business and still remains true about the fitness profession is that things are constantly changing and changing fast.

Traditionally - fitness programming has been nothing but the cross-breed of a bodybuilder and an endurance athlete. We just did body part routines and steady state exercise. And it worked great because in the past, the gym members had a relatively active lifestyle and added to that lifestyle by joining a gym...

A traditional one hour program consisted of a 10 min warm up, 50 mins strength training (muscle group split) and usually 30+ mins cardio on "off-days". These people would come to the gym every single day for 90 mins or so.

But just like all businesses and services need to evolve over time - the fitness profession needs to evolve. Currently we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic (who ever thought we'd need to create FAT LOSS programs ten years ago?)

Today's client has changed – the gym may be their ONLY physical activity. Seriously we have clients that their entire physical activity is the gym a couple of hours per week.

Today's client arrives in worse shape than levels seen even 10 years ago. We have tracked the body fat of every single member that has ever joined our gym over the past nine years. The average body fat percentage of a beginner is about 6-7 percentage points higher than when we opened, and their functional movement screen score is about 4 points lower.

Today's clients lives have changed. Today's clients goals have changed (speed training programs for kids? Youth fitness? Type II Diabetic 12 year olds!).

It's essentially a new client and the fitness profession needs to evolve -- and quickly...

We can no longer offer solely strength and cardio -- the modern fitness professional focuses on seven key areas:

• Mobility and Movement Preparation: activate muscles, stretch tight muscles and improve movement.
  
• Corrective Exercise: Do you know anyone who has ever had a shoulder injury? I'm sure you do - it's one of the most common musculoskeletal problems of today. Let's start implementing some basic strategies to make the body resilient...
  
• SPE (speed, power and elasticity): We need to develop power and speed in ALL populations. Power is lost faster than strength -- let's develop it through sound training practices.
  
• Core Training: Despite what some writers would have you believe - direct core training is necessary- the science validates it. And today's core training is about stabilization and dynamic stabilization -- not thousands of crunches in an "ab class".
  
• Resistance Training: Still the most important part of a program -- but we need to focus on function, linked system strength and real world strength - not necessary isolation. Science has shown that a higher frequency exposure to training each body part, and a multiple exposure to rep ranges outperforms the old-fashioned "once a week, three sets of ten" approach for today's client.
  
• Metabolic Training: 21st Century cardio - the ability to do higher levels of work - and sustain that output over time -- not just the ability to work at a level where you can "hold a conversation"
  
• Regeneration: If you have a training strategy - you need a recovery and regeneration strategy. Life is too demanding to just assume that not coming to the gym is optimal for your results. We have too much science available to ignore.
  

And by the way - you need to get this done in maybe three hours per week....

In addition - the traditional tools of weight stacks and treadmills are fast becoming obsolete. We need to embrace bodyweight training, The TRX, The X vest, the ValSlide and Sandbags alongside dumbbells and kettlebells to reinvent our training programs and provide what the modern day trainee NEEDS.

The game has changed.
The client has changed.
The goals have changed.
We need to change.

Are you ready for a really good and efficient workout?

Til next time.

Are you willing?

Sometimes a 6 minute video can make life so clear - perhaps this will help you as much as it has helped me. Please let me know... Til next time.

“Friggin” Limits…

I have gotten out of the habit of writing on my blog of late. I lost some of my zeal while I was working at the Tour of California - we were pretty busy with the record breaking crowds and had some pretty long days – but then I got some career altering news while working in Modesto about the community center I help to run.

You see, when you are worried about collecting a paycheck you tend to focus and prioritize differently – but I suspect the nearly 1.5 million that have lost their jobs over the last few months understand that statement better than I. For me the truth is that no matter what happens, focusing on things that are out of your control tends to derail my thoughts and what I'm open to. It's as though the thoughts create a state or mindset where you actually create what you don't want to have happen – in essence it's self fulfilling prophecy. You get so concerned about the "what if" that you don't see the real opportunities that are being unveiled before your eyes. So in an attempt to get my head on straight I thought I would go back to the basics… And you know what I realized; I have been overlooking so many new opportunities since I returned from California because I was worried that I wouldn't be employed in a few months.

Truth is that it doesn't matter where I work; it is that I do work – and do something of value that I love. By framing my work life in those terms – I've got plenty of choices – I'm very lucky and blessed.

I suspect that we can all agree to some extent that if you're truly passionate about something, productivity becomes largely irrelevant. You become naturally motivated and naturally driven, but that's not always enough, is it?

There's something else and it's keeps most of us from pursuing from what we really want. It's the same thing every time …And it all comes down to one word: Limits. I was limiting my thought process when I was thinking about my current position. What's really fascinating is how much we avoid doing what we love because of these arbitrary limits.

It really is amazing to me because it seems like we all have nicely organized boxes of preplanned excuses. We convince ourselves that the reasons for not pursuing the things we really want are actually legitimate. Most of the time, they're not. Most of the time, shrugging something off as "impractical" or "too whimsical" is really just an avoidance of the truth.

What all of these limits really come down to is the difference between surviving and living. We end up going through the motions instead of moving through life deliberately. Part of my "enlightenment" over the past week or so I would rather choose the deliberate path.

So this is one of the basic exercises that I use when I feel like I need to push myself past a plateau or road block:

• First, I write down all those really important things that I want or really need to do, but have been avoiding. The key here is to leave enough space after each goal for the next step.
  
• Second, I write down all the reasons/excuses I'm not taking action toward making those goals, needs, wants or desires a reality.
  

I have found that if you take a close look at all of your reasons for not taking action. That many you list are just not legitimate. This process allows you to question if they are real obstacles, or if they are imaginary. For this to work you have to be brutally honest with yourself about what you want. It doesn't matter if other people don't think it's practical; what matters is that you want it.

Once you have that down in print the third step is to give yourself permission to completely abolish these imaginary ceilings. There are no ceilings; the limits of your imagination are the only boundaries.

Okay so that's the first part. The second part is moving beyond those limiting patterns. I believe that most if not all limitations are based on patterns. For example, when I write, I have a pattern of thinking that an article should be written a certain way. I know that when I've written an article that had a good response – I become conditioned to write that way in the future. If I see something become so popular on a social media site; I start to think that I should try to emulate that format now. I also have a pattern of thinking that in order for an article to be worth reading, it needs to be a certain length. That if an article or one of my blogs is beyond that certain length, people won't read it, because it's too long or too time consuming. But when I take a step away from all this I find that what all of these patterns come down to are limits.

There is no question that patterns may be necessary for noticing trends and seeing what's desirable and undesirable. And that recognizing patterns in popular pieces of writing, while studying other successful writers, may help one to become a better scribe. And that by seeing the patterns of greatness that we can emulate, may help us to better our own style. Copying patterns is one of the greatest reasons we've succeeded as a species.

But like most great things, patterns have their limitations. If you become too conditioned, you become fixed and immovable. (I need to stay in the Recreation business –that is all I know how to do) You become conditioned to having a certain reaction to a certain stimulus. You see that you failed in the past, so you fear failure in the future. You notice that that failure happened while trying to pursue something impractical. Now you've developed a pattern of seeing "impractical" endeavors as doomed for failure.

Can you see where all this is headed?

It's easy to get yourself stuck in following patterns because you're afraid of unknown responses. You've seen things go wrong before (or you just have some social conditioning that it's not a good idea), so you hold yourself back from doing what you really want to do. You sell yourself out because you're stuck thinking the loop is an accurate representation of reality.

Well, guess what? That loop is just a tiny figment of your imagination. A minute fragment of an event stuck on repeat that has long been extinct (hello, it happened in the past). Life, on the other hand, is more than just a pattern. It's dynamic. It's alive. It changing and it's constantly in flux.

If there is any enemy, it is the groundless divisions of the possible and probable. If there is anything we should limit, it is how many limits we let seep into our lives.

Its sad thinking that some people keep doing what they've been doing, never really living, because they're afraid that they might be wrong. They're afraid that their pattern, their idea of what's real, might actually be broken. Their limits might be mentally conjured specters. And the lives they lived might have been a lie.

So the question is … What patterns are you unconsciously repeating that are holding you back?

I know that no matter what decisions are made and how they might affect my career at the JCC, I know that looking at my skills and abilities in a broader light and not limiting myself to any specific industry - there seem to be many more opportunities that may just fulfill or trickle my inner Buda.

Let me know what you think…. Til' next time.

What happened?

Greetings... I've got a story for you to read from the Wall Street Journal - Peggy Noonan reported on a tragic event last year from San Diego and the Marines investigation.

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html#printMode

Humm... when are we going to hold our politicians and american businesses to the same standard? Accountability? Responsibility? Change? I remember those words during the campaign... What happened, or were we just hopeful.

Til next time.

My trainer kicked my a…

The other morning my son and I were sitting around waiting for me to take him back home for his week of school - he spent the weekend at my house. We had about an hour, and I was itching to work out. I turned to him and said, "Do you wanna to train me?" (I've got some fitness equipment at the house and unfortunately for me it is conveniently located near the TV.)

"Uh, sure!" he said. As he put on his hiking boots.

I jumped rope to warm up while he pondered the workout. "Wow, it's hard to think of stuff to do," he said. "Yeah, my job isn't so easy a monkey could do it," I replied grinning. "Okay, put down the rope," he commanded.

"Do two push ups, two punches on the heavy bag, and two squats with this kettlebell," he told me. "How cute," I thought. "Two reps. Guess, it won't be a tough workout." I did my push ups, ran to the bag, hit it, and did my squats. "What's next?" I asked.

"Now do four of each thing," he said. "Ruh roh," I thought, realizing evil might just be genetic. We did six reps, eight, ten, then eight, six, four, and back to two. By the time we finished I was sweaty, happy, and totally gonna make my clients do the exact same thing. Maybe a monkey couldn't do it, but my nearly teenage kid came up with a kickass program. "Now let's do a lap around the block," he said. (Shit! I thought)

He ran alongside me in his size 10 hiking boots, managing to both keep up a good pace and talk without stopping the entire time. I was impressed by that alone. "Phew! I'm getting tired!" he said. "Yeah, it's hard…" I started to explain, but then he instructed me to run with high knees, then kicking my heels towards my butt, in the process also buying himself a break. "Brilliant," I thought.

We went back into the home gym, and he told me to do overhead presses with the 25lb Kettlebells. "It's so funny, you are suffering and I'm just standing here," he said. I welled up a little. "You are a real trainer now," I told him.

He had me do two more exercises he made up that I will totally use—one thing with bicep curls and squats, and a sit up with the medicine ball that is really good—and he encouraged me to go faster. He even friggin' giggled a little. "You get such a funny face when you lift weights," he laughed. "Shhhh. You can't laugh at the weightlifting face," I said, even though everyone else does. Then he stretched me out ("okay, your fingers are little ants, and the food is right there, just out of reach. Run towards the food, ants!"), then I suggested we end the session with Queen and Aerosmith blasting from his I-Pod. He concurred, and then it was time to take him home. It was one of the few workouts of my life that was over much too soon.

I don't know if this is one of those stories that is cute to me because I love my son more than anything. But when I got into fitness, I thought maybe it would help him feel athletically capable in a way I never was as a kid, because he'd see me exercising and feel like he could do it too. Fast-forward, and I guess I now know it has less to do with him observing me and more to do with this all being part of his life. He's drawing program design from his sports experiences, time spent playing with me in the gym, and the little bit of P.E. he gets at school and scouts. I ought to put him on the payroll. Heck he only charged me three dollars! Hope word doesn't get out about that, he's totally undercutting me there, and he's a good trainer.

The other day he told me he was going to teach himself volleyball and practice until he gets good so he can beat the guys that say he can't play. He said it matter-of-factly, not angrily. He is starting to get complete confidence in his athletic abilities. Last week we found out that he made the school team!

Near the end of our session, I told him that he had designed an awesome workout, and I wanted to use it with the people I train. "Would it be okay if I credit you?" I asked with a serious face. He looked up proudly, flushed, and looked down. "Well, sure, it would be great," he said shyly. His grin was huge.

Funny, I miss him and I can't wait for our next session.

Til next time…