Thursday, May 31, 2007

Confidence

It's amazing what a little self-confidence can do.

It's also amazing how little of it the average person seems to have nowadays.

I've have several clients tell me, "oh I can't do that" referring to this or that exercise, without even trying it. I usually tell them to just try to do one, even if it is not perfect, just get it done. More often that not they are successful, and surprise themselves.

Then this cool thing happens. For the rest of the session they are like a new person. They give everything they have to everything I have them do. Then the next session if they hit a wall again I'll just remind them of "the time the did that" and it's right back to focused mode again.

Self-confidence can be grown and harvested. Once you get a little of it it will accumulate more and more, and before you know it there will be nothing you can't do.

Believe in yourself, and make it happen.

Train smart,

RL

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

I'm oh so sorry

Stop apologizing for change.

Some people feel guilty when they try to better themselves.

Taking time for yourself is nothing to feel bad about. Within reason. An hour a day for exercise, yes I said an hour, start with 5 minutes if you have to, is not too much to ask of the world. I think it can survive for one hour while you do some exercise.

A really common excuse I hear, especially from mothers, is that they can't take the time away from their kids. And sometimes they get a little peeved when I simply say, "yes you can, just do it."

But but but...

No buts about it. You just have to do it. Have them exercise with you if you must, or plug them in front of their favorite movie for a bit. There's nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

The simple truth is exercise will help them be a better mother, they will be more active and be able to keep up with the kiddies.

So don't feel like you have to apologize to anyone for changing your life. Besides, if anyone feels like they deserve an apology for you taking time to exercise, they aren't a good person to be around anyway. Cut 'em out!


Train smart,

RL

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

DNA poison

I'm sure some of you saw this ***SHOCKING*** news bulletin this weekend.

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Report: Soda May Seriously Harm Your Health

You may want to put that soda can down.

A common preservative found in drinks such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Fanta and Diet Pepsi may cause serious cell damage, according to a report in Britain's The Independent.

Sodium benzoate has the ability to switch off vital parts of a person's DNA, according to research from a British university.

The problem is usually associated with aging and alcohol abuse, but new findings show that drinking soda with the preservative can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

Sodium benzoate, which derives from benzoic acid, has been used for years by the carbonated drinks industry to prevent mold from developing in soft drinks. The ingredient has been the subject of concern on cancer, because when mixed with Vitamin C, it turns into a carcinogenic substance called benzene, the Independent reported.

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I've been saying it for years, soda is poison. I always tell people, cut the soda first, then focus on the food. It's just gross. All the chemicals in the stuff, ew. Now this report is saying it actually messes with your DNA. I'm not surprised. The sad part is people out there will still drink it, and give it to their kids. Going through life with this nasty stuff festering inside their bodies. Hold on, I think I'm going to be sick...

Train smart,

RL

Friday, May 25, 2007

Make it easy

I've had several clients whom have had difficulties with certain exercises. It varies from person to person.

One little trick I've learned during my own training, and with my clients, is to "just make it easy." It sounds too simple, but you would be surprised how much this works.

If you are having trouble performing a specific exercise try this: quite your mind and block out all other thoughts. Visualize yourself performing the exercise in perfect form, as you would want to in a perfect world. Breathe deep into the image and see it, feel it. Then tell yourself to make it easy. Your intent is to make it easy. Then without any more thinking or pausing just go for it.

I've used this technique to teach myself to do exercises that 10 years ago I would have thought to be impossible. It really helps with coordination. I've had several clients tell me they "were just not coordinated." Oh really? Then how do you walk? Don't all the kinesiology experts say that walking is a series of controlled falls? Walking is something that actually seems like it should be impossible. Just like a bumblebee flying. But it happens.

You can be coordinated. You can perform physical feats that will leave your friends gasping in awe.

All you have to do is give it time and practice and, most importantly, make it easy.

See you on Tuesday. I'm taking Memorial day off. Have a great holiday weekend with lots of exercise.

Train smart,

RL

Thursday, May 24, 2007

It's all Smiley faces

Optimism is often viewed as a weakness in our society today.

"Oh he has his head in the clouds, what a loser."

"He's out of touch with reality."

Well I say Optimism is not only important, but essential to living the life you want.

It all comes back to the idea of you become what you think about all day. If all you think about how terrible life is, or even how it's "good enough how it is," how do you expect it to get any better?

Deep down in your core what do you think about yourself? Not just fitness wise, but life-wise. Are your goals worth the effort? Are your dreams valid or are they pies-in-the-sky?

Ruthless optimism is something we should all strive for. You will get what you want. You will achieve your dreams. You will do it, no matter what. Believe that. Know that. Then go do it.

Have a great day.

Train smart,

RL

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Common sense

I saw another ground breaking study that concludes obesity makes asthma symptoms worse.

You gotta be kidding me!!

It never ceases to amaze me the lack of common sense in our society today. Do we REALLY need a big, EXPENSIVE, scientific study to tell us that if you are fat and have asthma, you're worse off than if you were normal weight? Apparently we do. Or at least researchers need excuses to have jobs.

The next one is going to be a study to find out why people who eat fast food regularly are less healthy than people who don't.

Here's a quote from an article about the study,

"Although the reason why obesity increases asthma severity is not entirely clear, evidence suggests that the hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells and plays a role in weight regulation and asthma-related airway inflammation, may be involved."

Yeah that could be it. I bet moving around a huge body doesn't help with your asthma either, just a guess.

How come when I don't sleep for 24 hours I get really tired? I think I should give some researchers a grant to study this phenomenon for 10 years.

Time to exercise.

Train smart,

RL

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Results

One of my favorite sayings is "Focus on the result, not the excuse."

In other words, think about what you can do and not on what you think you can't.

Everybody always has a reason why they can't do something. They're too old, or young. They're too tired, or don't have the time. They aren't smart enough, or strong enough. All is BS.

We all have potential in us that is untapped for most of our lives. Everyone. And if you go through life focusing on your excuses you will never get any meaningful results.

Whenever you feel yourself making an excuse for why you can't do something you want ask yourself "why."

Really consciously examine if what you are telling yourself is a valid reason or just fear trying to stop you from reaching your desired results. You'll soon discover there are very few legitimate excuses out there.

Stop limiting yourself to what the world thinks you should be and grow yourself into the person you were meant to be.

Train smart,

RL

Monday, May 21, 2007

Step in the right direction

More reading.

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Experts: Kids avoid weight gain on diet
By RODRIQUE NGOWI, Associated Press Writer

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - More fruits and vegetables were added to school lunches. Restaurants offered smaller portions. Crosswalks even got a fresh coat of paint to encourage walking and biking. The whole city of Somerville went on a diet to curb childhood obesity, and researchers say it worked.

Tufts University nutrition experts found public schoolchildren in this Boston suburb avoided gaining about a pound of excess weight compared with their 8-year-old counterparts in two nearby communities. The results of the study were published last week in the journal Obesity.

The report covered the first year of the 2003-04 study involving 1,696 children in first, second and third grades. If other communities take similar steps, the findings could help children avoid becoming overweight as they grow older, said Christina Economos, who led the program called "Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart Play Hard."

Researchers picked Somerville, a city of 77,500, because it has a large population of minority children in low-income families. Only 3 percent of the town's land is set aside for children to walk and play safely, a situation that fuels a sedentary lifestyle.

In the weeks before the study, researchers met with parents, teachers and school officials to explain the importance of avoiding meals high in fat and sugar and encouraging children to be active, Economos said.

Children began seeing fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and other fruits in school cafeterias. They were told they could eat as much as they wanted. School cooks started using fresh ingredients instead of frozen foods. They also turned to olive and canola oils and replaced fried foods with baked products, including potatoes with cheese.

More than 90 teachers were taught a new health curriculum, and the program leaders learned yoga, dance and soccer to encourage children to be more active before, during and after school.

Since the study ended, the city has kept up with many of the activities and healthier eating plans.

Kayla Brown, 10, feels the difference.

"I always got tired when I walked home," said Kayla, a fourth-grader who gave up snacking on milk and cookies after school in favor of fruit or carrots and dip. "Since I have been eating more healthier foods at school, I just feel so excited, and I walk home and I never get tired."

Encouraging children to eat fresh fruits was easy. Getting them to munch on vegetable dishes was more difficult. Students were enticed to taste new foods and vote on what they would like to see on their plates.

"If it looks good, they'll take it. And if it tastes good, they'll keep eating it," school food-service director Mary Jo McLarney said.

Researchers also sent newsletters to parents and other members of the community each month offering health tips, coupons for healthy foods and updates on the project.

They also posted a physical activity guide and a healthy snack list on the city and public elementary school Web sites. Somerville school nurses were trained to keep track of students' weight gain and counsel families with a child at risk of becoming overweight.

Some businesses supported the effort. Twenty restaurants agreed to offer healthier meals — including low-fat dairy products, smaller portions, and fruits and vegetables as side dishes.

The study was funded with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also contributed a grant to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

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At least somebody out there is doing something. It's surprising what some schools have for sale in their cafeterias that they are passing off as food. They count all forms of fried potatoes as vegetables. That's right, that means that big, heaping plate full of french fries is considered a big, heaping serving of veggies. Ridiculous. But it happens. I wish schools would realize the cheapest way isn't always the best way. Sure, they save money by getting the cheapest, processed junk to pass off as food, but at what cost? Some kids, unfortunately, get their biggest meal at school. French fries, chips, and ice cream are not the way to build a strong body.

I think the trend of wellness is starting to take hold. And fortunately I believe this sort of thing will start to become more common. Too some degree I think the positive change is also motivated by money. Teach kids to eat healthy, exercise regularly and they are less likely to become drains on the healthcare system in the future. Governments are starting to realize that. That means more money in education budgets for healthier food, and physical activity programs. At least that's my hope.

Train smart,

RL

Friday, May 18, 2007

Heal me!

So that spot in my back is almost feeling better. I have been taking it easy for about 10 days and it is driving me crazy. Once you get to the point where exercise is a very important part of your life it really bothers you when you can't do as much as you would like. I tried to push it last weekend and ended up flaring the injury up. So I decided to go against character and be smart about it for once.
So basically I haven't done one upper-body exercise in over a week.

I guess I'm not invincible. Who woulda figured?

Sometimes it is important to use your head. Not your muscles. Actually, I couldn't ever turn my head when I first injured myself. But you know what I mean.

Anyway, after lots of painstaking rest I think I might be back in the game soon. And thank goodness because I couldn't take this passivity much longer.


Train smart,

RL

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Getting started

Another good article.

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Even limited exercise helps overweight women: study
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Just 10 minutes of exercise a day can help even the most inactive overweight women, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

Tests on overweight and obese women, many of whom had high blood pressure, showed that even small amounts of exercise improved their fitness and toned them up enough to lower their overall risk of early death.

The study is the first to reinforce using hard medical data what other studies have suggested -- that exercise does not have to be an all-or-nothing venture, Dr. Timothy Church of Louisiana State University and colleagues said.

"This information can be used to support future recommendations and should be encouraging to sedentary adults who find it difficult to find the time for 150 minutes of activity per week, let alone 60 minutes per day," the researchers wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

While virtually everybody knows that exercise is good for you, 20 percent of U.S. adults admit they do no exercise whatever and most do not get as much as is recommended.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health recommend at least a half hour on most days a week of moderate exercise to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

The Institute of Medicine, which advises the federal government, says people need to get themselves slightly out of breath for closer to an hour every day.

But Church and colleagues wanted to see whether women overwhelmed at the idea of that much work might be helped by something they consider a little more manageable.

They studied 427 overweight women with high or borderline-high blood pressure who had an average age of 57.

The volunteers were randomly assigned to continue their normal lives or to exercise 75 minutes a week, 135 minutes a week or 190 minutes a week. This works out to just what the NIH and CDC recommend, half as much as recommended, and 150 percent of what they recommend.

"The women in this study walked on treadmills and rode stationary cycles, but any activity of comparable energy expenditure would produce similar results," said Dr. Steven Blair of the University of South Carolina, who worked on the study.

"Any type of moderate intensity physical activity should provide comparable benefits to those seen in our study. And that's good news. This can include work around the house and yard, swimming, playing in the park with your grandchildren, or other activities that are of a similar intensity to brisk walking."

After six months, the women had not lost any weight on average and their blood pressure, as a group, had not changed.

But all the women who had exercised were fitter, as measured by oxygen intake as they exercised. And their waists were smaller.

Waist circumference is an important indicator of health risk. Women with waists bigger than 35 inches and men whose waists are bigger than 40 inches (100) have a documented higher risk of early death.

"Even a little is good; more may be better!" I-Min Lee, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston wrote in a commentary.

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The hardest part is getting started. Go go go!

Train smart,

RL

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Think it.

You become the person you think of yourself as. Your self-image shapes your reality.

If you constantly think, "I'm a person who has trouble exercising, I just don't like it, or can't do it." Then that's who you'll be.

The first step in making a change in your life, no matter what the change is, is to see yourself as that person.

You have to begin thinking of yourself as someone who exercises and likes it. Think of yourself as one who enjoys exercise so much that you do it everyday, and it will start to happen. Maybe not overnight, but it will. It's all in your mind, your self-image is who you want to be, and it is who you will be. If you get out of your own way and let it happen.

Think it, and do it. It's really that simple.

Train smart,

RL

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

1000 words

A picture is worth a thousand words.



I don't think I really need to say anything else.

Train smart,

RL

Monday, May 14, 2007

One month

Today my son is one month old.

They grow up so fast.

Like all fathers I like to visualize what he will be like as he grows up. I have been pretty accurate with my daughter who is turning 4 soon. I am molding them into healthy strong people. My daughter thinks exercise is just a part of life. She also says McDonald's is yucky.

I see it as my responsibility as a father to do my best to make my kids into fit people. Fitness is so often overlooked by parents in general today, not just for their kids but for themselves too. Exercise does not have to be something that is dreaded. It can be fun, and if you do it often enough eventually it will always be fun because you'll start to enjoy challenging yourself. And teaching that to your kids can be one of greatest gifts you give them.

So he's one month now, I'll give him until 3 months before we start working on squats.

Be the example.

Train smart,

RL

Friday, May 11, 2007

Vanity

Give this a quick read.

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Obese women less likely to be screened for cancer
By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are extremely obese are less likely than thinner women to undergo screening for breast and cervical cancer, according to a new study.

Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that severely obese women were about half as likely as normal-weight women to be up-to-date with their mammograms and Pap tests.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that women have a mammogram to detect breast cancer every 1 to 2 years, starting at age 40, and a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer at least once every 3 years, beginning about 3 years after they start having sex.

It's not clear why severely obese women are less likely to be compliant with these guidelines. But the study found no evidence that their doctors were lax in recommending the screening tests.

Instead, these women appeared less likely to follow their doctors' advice, according to findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

It will be important to figure out why, since obesity has been linked to higher risks of breast and cervical cancers, the study authors point out.

"We are currently conducting focus groups with women and interviews with physicians to determine what can be done to help improve cancer screening among severely obese women," said lead study author Dr. Jeanne M. Ferrante, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

These discussions have yielded some ideas on what could be done, she told Reuters Health -- including making sure doctors' offices have appropriately sized gowns, scales, exam tables and other equipment, or having special facilities for severely obese women so they don't feel self-conscious.

Special training for doctors and other health professionals on how to deal with severely obese women sensitively and professionally might also be helpful, according to Ferrante.

The study included 8,289 women between the ages of 40 and 74 years. The researchers found that women who were severely obese were half as likely as normal-weight women to have had a mammogram in the past 2 years and 57-percent less likely to have had a Pap test in the past 3 years.

This was despite the fact that obese women were as likely to have received a doctor's recommendation to have the screening tests.

It's uncertain whether women, in particular, find their weight to be a barrier to preventive healthcare. In a previous study, Ferrante and her colleagues found that obese women and men alike had lower rates of colon cancer screening. But, she noted, some other studies have failed to show that obese men undergo less cancer screening.

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I'll tell you the exact reason why obese women are less likely to get checked out for cancer. They are embarrassed by their bodies and don't want a doctor (or anybody else) to look at it. It's as simple as that, vanity.

Don't let the way you look define who you are as a person. You can lose weight, you can be the person you want to be. All it takes is mind power.

Train smart,

RL

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Ouchy, the sequel

Well I'm still dealing with this muscle strain, and to be perfectly blunt and honest, it sucks.

But I shall overcome!

I don't really have much to say today except for thank God for Advil. Nothing like a good anti-inflammatory to take the edge off.

Hopefully I'll feel more inspired tomorrow. Until then, train hard, train often, and most importantly...

..train smart,

RL

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Ouchy

I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday and it is killing me right now. However, from prior experience I know it is something that will heal in a day or two.

Sometimes you just get hurt, no matter how in condition you are.

One of my coaches used to say, "are you hurt or are you injured?" The two are very different. Being hurt is something that you can live with and will be fine in a few hours/days. An injury is something that needs serious attention. I've been lucky in my life so far and have just been mostly hurt. I have had some injuries, but nothing too too bad.

It can be very discouraging when you get hurt. Especially when you are as into working out as I am. Today I'm going to have to rest, I really have no choice, because it hurts to move.

It's important to keep the big picture in mind. One or two days days off will not derail any fitness goals I have set for myself, even though it will feel like it. All too often people will give up on a fitness program because they missed a couple days and feel like there's no point in continuing. Not the case. If you have a minor set back, think of it as just that, minor. And get back up on that horse as soon as you are capable.

Now I need to go lie still and do some deep breathing exercises and command my body to heal.

Train smart,

RL

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Dad's fault

It's all dad's fault!

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Dads' Parenting Style Influences Childhood Obesity
Sun May 6, 11:45 PM ET

SATURDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Fathers' parenting styles have a major influence on children's weight, says an Australian study that looked at almost 5,000 children, ages 4-5, and their parents.

The researchers found that fathers with permissive (no limits on their children) or disengaged parenting styles were more likely to have overweight or obese children, while fathers with a consistent (clear limits, following through with instructions, etc.) style were less likely to have children with a higher body mass index (BMI).

There was no association between the mothers' parenting styles and children's weight, said the study authors from the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The findings were to be presented this weekend at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, in Toronto.

"This study of a large cross section of Australian preschoolers has, for the first time, suggested that fathers could be at the frontline in preventing early childhood obesity. Mothers are often blamed for their children's obesity, but this study suggests that for more effective prevention, perhaps we should focus on the whole family," Melissa Wake, an associate professor at CCCH, said in a prepared statement.

"Given the importance of the family unit in a child's preschool years, and its influence on their nutrition and physical activity levels, it is timely to look at the parenting roles of both parents and the impact they have on a child's tendency to be overweight or obese," Wake said.

She noted that more than 60 percent of the fathers and more than 40 percent of the mothers in the study were overweight or obese.

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Interesting stuff.

Train smart,

RL

Monday, May 07, 2007

Walk the dog

We adopted a dog last week. Well, puppy. He's about 10 months old so he's like a adolescent canine. He's a basset hound mix, mixed with what we aren't sure. Everything on him screams basset houns except for his ears and his color (black and white.)

My daughter is thrilled and he's very good with her.

"Taking the dog for a walk" is not only for the dog, you can use it to squeeze in some exercise yourself. I'm no dog whisperer but I know it's important to lead your dog on the walks, you don't let them lead you. That means they belong at your side and slightly behind. They should never be in front. Anyway, why am I saying this? Because that means you set the pace of the walk. You keep it going and turn it into an actual workout session.

Dogs like to be lead, they like to work. They have it built into their genes. And you know what? So do you. That's why you feel good after a workout. Your body needs to move, it wants to move. Life is movement.

Make your dog happy by getting into shape. I bet you've never heard that sentence before.

Train smart,

RL

Friday, May 04, 2007

Walk, jog, run?

Walking is not as good as jogging, and jogging is not as good as running. Running is the epitome of "cardio."

Not necessarily true.

I've seen it too often. Overweight people start walking regularly, they feel good and decided to try to jog a little. Then they hurt themselves (twisted ankle, sore knee etc..) and stop exercising all together.

You see, walking is fine, walking combined with deep breathing and a steady pace is awesome. If you just want to lose weight you can't go wrong with walking. Some will be able to walk for an hour but couldn't jog for 5 minutes. In that case, for pure weight loss the walking would be superior.

Don't push yourself farther than your body is ready.

If you've got 100 pounds to lose the last thing you should be trying to do is run. You'll hurt yourself. I know it stinks but that's where you are so you must accept it and deal with. Use your anger about the situation to fuel your motivation.

If you want to run, be patient, it will come. But if you push your body before it is ready only bad things can happen. Lose the weight first. Remember, injury changes everything. It can make the strongest man in the world as weak as a kitten.

Train smart,

RL

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Get strong

Here's a good one.

"The only way to get stronger is to lift heavy weights."

That is not true. You can get stronger lifting heavy weights, but you can also get stronger by lifting light weights or no weight at all, meaning just your body weight.

The type of training I specialize in is functional fitness training. Now the term "functional" has become sort of a buzzword in the fitness world lately, but the style of training has been around for literally thousands of years. Long before the first pec deck was invented.

Lifting heavy weights on a regular basis can actually lead to damaging the body later on in life. Don't believe me? Try to find an older heavy weightlifter, like a body builder or power lifter, most of the time their bodies are falling apart. Then have severe joint pain and sometimes take 60 minutes in the morning to "loosen" up before then can even walk right, or even get out of bed.

You can get stronger without heavy weights. A lot stronger. Look at a male gymnast (females too), they're strong as hell for their body size, and they don't lift heavy weights, in fact I doubt they even lift weights at all. They train by moving their bodies through space, and they get strong, really strong.

So don't believe everything you see in the glossy fitness magazines. If you even look at them at all, you'd be better off spending the money on fruits and veggies.

Do you know that a lot of those world's strongest man guys drop dead in their 30's and 40's? Their hearts give out. I'm not saying they all do, but a surprising amount statistically do. Could that mean what they are doing is bad for them in the long term? Plus they probably pump their bodies full of unnatural "enhancers." Perhaps.

The average person who just wants to be strong enough to function well in life does not need to bench press 600 pounds. Do 50-100 straight push-ups, and you'll get stronger. Guaranteed.

Train smart,

RL

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Prediction?......Pain.

No pain, no gain.

Myth?

Well, to some degree yes. It really boils down to what your personal definition of "pain" is. Personally I have pretty high pain threshold, probably due to a childhood of chronic migraines. That sort of conditioned me to have a thick skin.

When you are working out hard you will have some discomfort. However, it is not necessary to feel legitimate pain while you exercise. In fact if you are feeling pain pain, you should stop and let your body heal.

Just to clarify my view, I don't think of a muscle burn as pain. Sure, it doesn't feel good and you want it to stop, but it's not pain. A blown out knee is pain, a severe migraine is pain, child birth is pain. Doing one more pushup when your body is burning is not pain.

Don't feel like you must suffer to get results from exercise. You'll get uncomfortable, maybe even a little sore, but you don't need to be in agony. If you feel any sharp, stabbing, or dull, persistent pain stop and go get yourself checked out.

So no pain, no gain? Well, maybe for you sissies out there, but for everyone else, I don't think so.

Train smart,

RL

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Is there only one way to burn fat?

In order to burn fat you must do "cardio" for hours and hours.

Another myth.

Sure you CAN burn fat that way. But it is not the only way.

Whenever someone asks me about this myth I tell them to take a look at the sprinters in the Olympics. They are lean and muscular. Do they run for miles and miles in their training? No. They run sprints.

I've never liked the term "cardio." Mindless dredging on some elliptical machine just seems like a waste of time to me. You'll sweat sure, and get some exercise. But you could be doing something so much better in that same time.

It takes the human body about 2 hours of non-stop movement before it starts burning fat as a primary energy source. What did he just say? Yes, you read that right. Most people don't burn fat while they are actually exercising. The fat burning comes throughout the rest of day. While you resting and are not thinking about exercising.

10 minutes of interval sprint training will blow any "cardio" routine you can think of out of the water.

The modern idea "cardio" training is not bad. It just could be made so much better.

The bottom line is it is not necessary to pound out hours and hours jogging on the treadmill to burn fat.

Train smart,

RL