Jul
22
The Names of Sugar
Filed Under Diet, Recipes, Washington DC, Weight Lifting | Leave a Comment
While you’re checking out nutrition labels for sugar content be on the lookout for the following names that all describe refined sugar:
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Sep
12
What if I told you that the Fountain of Youth had been discovered and that you could reap the benefits of its life-extending, body-enhancing powers today? You would probably think I had either lost my mind or that I was about to pitch a new line of supplements to you! But it’s true, the Fountain of Youth exists, and I need you to read on, because these next few paragraphs will change the way you view your body forever:
Age creeps up on you in the form of lowered metabolism, easier weight gain and aching muscles and joints. In fact, at the age of 50 most people begin to lose 12% of their muscle strength and 6% of their muscle mass with each passing decade. It’s no wonder that for centuries people have been so intrigued with finding the Fountain of Youth!
But did you know the real culprit behind age-related ailments? Disuse That’s right—your body feels the effects of aging most when you don’t use it! Makes sense, doesn’t it? In youth we are generally active and vigorous, and as the years pass by we tend to be more cautious and less apt toward physical activity. This disuse takes quite a toll on our bodies.
Exercise is the Fountain of Youth.
Exercise is the only proven way to drastically combat aging and to regain your youthful body. In fact, most people are able to regain up to 1/3 of their muscle strength and mass after participating in an exercise program for just a couple of months. Many studies have also shown that seniors who exercise regularly live longer than those who don’t. Isn’t that amazing!
What if you aren’t 50 yet—maybe not even 40? Should you simply sit back and relax, since aging is so far off in your future? No! If you are younger than 50, I still have one piece of advice for you—exercise! By making exercise a part of your daily life you are in the position to arm yourself against ever feeling the full effect of aging on your body. What a powerful thing! And guess what? Exercise brings you a plethora of other benefits as well.
And you thought that exercise was only useful for losing weight! Not only will exercise increase your strength and muscle mass, check out this list of the proven benefits of exercise:
- improved sleeping patterns
- improved blood profile
- increase in bone density
- increased life expectancy
- improved cardiovascular health
- decrease in life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes, insulin resistance and heart disease
- increased muscle strength
- decreased blood pressure
- improved psychological health
- increase in mobility and flexibility
Wow! Did you know that exercise could do all of that for you? It has been proven that regular exercise will help keep you younger even as your age increases. And we are talking about both physical and metal youth.
So now that you know the secret power of exercise, what should you do to harness it? Participate in a regular exercise program and feel younger and more vibrant than ever! Making the decision to get into shape will be the best one you make in your life, and I encourage you to contact me to jump start your exercise program.
Aug
21
How does weight lifting make me stronger?
Filed Under Ask the Trainer, Personal Training, Weight Lifting | 1 Comment
A good strength training program is based on a principle called progressive overload – which calls for progressively placing greater-than-normal demands on the muscles you are working.
When you lift weights, you do a little bit of damage to your muscles. For a couple of days after the exercise, your body recovers and repairs the damage you did to it. And when the muscle repairs itself, it makes it bigger and stronger than before.
So you are breaking down the muscle, so your body can build it back up.
Jul
19
What happens when I stop exercising?
Filed Under Ask the Trainer, Weight Lifting, Weight loss | Leave a Comment
So you have been working out for a while, seeing great results and loving the difference you see and feel in your body. But what happens if, for some reason — injury, vacation, burnout, or something else — you have to stop for a while.
What happens?
Well first, let me tell you what doesn’t happen. Your muscle does not turn to fat. That would be like saying if you stop driving your car, your tires will turn to marshmallows. You may lose muscle mass and gain some fat, but your muscle does not turn to fat.
Here is what does happen:
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Cardio: You begin to lose aerobic endurance in as little as two weeks.
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Muscular Strength: Studies have shown that muscular strength will return to pre-exercise levels after four to 12 weeks off.
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Muscular Size: Muscles will shrink after 4-12 weeks off.
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Metablism: As your muscles atrophy, your metabolism will slow. This means that if you eat the same amount, you will gain weight.
Jul
13
Exercise: Signs of Overtraining
Filed Under Weight Lifting | 1 Comment
More is better right? If exercise is good for you, than more exercise is automatically better, right? Well, yes, to a point. But, it is possible to exercise too much.
When you exercise more than your body can handle, you can reach a state of overtraining. In the past overtraining was no big deal. You were just “hitting a plateau”, or “burning out”. But if you continue to exercise in a state of overtraining, your performance will continue to get worse, not better.
How can you tell if you are overtrained? Well here are some common symptoms:
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Decreased performance
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Irritibility
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Lack of desire to exercise
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Depression
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Sleeplessness
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Increased muscle soreness
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Higher Resting Heart Rate
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Higher submaximum heart rate
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Lowered testosterone levels
Jun
28
So you are at the gym and you sit down at a weight machine. You figure out how much weight to use, but now you are stuck on how many reps to do. How many reps you perform really depends on why you are lifting and what you are trying to accomplish.
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To build strength: Aim for 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
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To build muscle mass: Aim for 3 sets of 6-12 reps.
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To build muscular endurance: Aim for 3 sets of more than 12 reps.
Jun
27
So you are at the gym and you sit down at a weight machine. You take the pin out of the stack to add some weight. How do you know how much weight to use? It really depends on why you are lifting and what you are trying to accomplish.
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To build strength: Use more than 85 percent of your one rep maximum.
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To build muscle mass: Use 67-85 percent of your one rep max.
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To build muscular endurance: Use less than 67 percent of your one rep max.
Jun
25
So you finish a set while weight lifting. How long do you rest before starting you next set? It really depends on why you are lifting and what you are trying to accomplish
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To build strength and power: Rest 2-5 minutes between sets. You want your muscles to completely recover between sets.
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To build muscle mass: Rest 30-90 seconds. You want to begin the next set before you are fully recovered.
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To build muscular endurance: Less than 30 seconds. You want your muscles to stay fatigued throughout the workout.