Quitting Smoking = Increased risk for Diabetes???

When the media ever so gently threw out this tag line for an upcoming story, I was irate….  Being the daughter of a Type 2 Diabetic and a now FORMER smoker (Yeah!! Go Mom), I was upset that this was the tagline they needed to grab the attention of viewers.  I can hear it now, “see I can’t quit, I’ll increase my risk…” So before ranting too much, I looked up the study,  thankfully it does acknowledge that the increased risk is because of the extra weight that is typically put on after quitting smoking.

So let it be clear that quitting smoking is NOT the culprit, the extra pounds are the problem.  If you plan to quit smoking and are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, talk to your doctor, or other health expert on how you can also manage your weight while you quit.

“Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, killing more than 5 million people a year. A report by the World Lung Foundation last August said smoking could kill a billion people this century if trends hold.”

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Whats Right, Whats Wrong?

Many in this industry want to tell you what is right and what is wrong, what is good for you and what is bad for you.  my goal is to inspire people to move, do what feels right for you.  so if it’s yoga, pilates, “functional training”, traditional lifting, cardio, swimming.  WHATEVER, Nike had it right when they said just do it!

We are talking about a scientific phenomenon of calories in and calories out.  As long as you are burning the calories you need (if that’s your goal) then it is right and “good” for you.

Your workouts should be goal specific.  For example if you want to loose weight, but all you do is Yoga, it would probably take you 6 times the amount of time to do it that way then to incorporate weights and cardio with your workouts

Be careful with too much cardio as that can also inhibit fat loss efforts.  Too much cardio can sacrifice lean tissue, thus lowering your metabolic capacity.  Your muscles are like the engine of a car, to burn more fuel (fat) it takes a more efficient engine.  Would you rather have a v4 or a v10 engine to burn fat?

That being said, be safe, consult with professionals you trust and just GET IT DONE!

Legs – 3/9/09

Here is my leg workout 3/9/09

Squats 

135 – 15 reps, to jump squats (20 alternating wide and narrow jumps)

225 – uh, yeah! got about 6, range was a little limited, can you imagine!, again followed by the same 20 jump squats (almost puked )

205 – range was a little better, got 6 again, same jump squats

185 – did about 8, then dropped to 95 got my range back and went to failure (failure for me in this case is just when my form breaks, that saves my back), same 20 jump squats.  i think i did puke a little in my mouth – PERFECTION!

leg extension & leg curls, supersets of each, drop-sets of each.  starting with leg extensions (110, 90, 70) then curls (85, 70, 55).  I did as many as I could at each weight.  

off to Teach my spin class – 45 mins!

…..and for those of you why say that leg extensions and curls are not “functional” my legs still function!  ;-)

March Leg Training (FCM)

March – Leg Training

March – Leg Training

Check out my article in Fashion Chicago Magazine for a couple of my favorite leg workouts……. Comment if you have questions!

To Stretch or not to Stretch

That is the question….. and yes I’m going THERE!

Research is inconclusive on this issue and still the debate continues.  Many research reports that stretching produces an inhibitory response in muscle tissue.  Hence, the reason that in is now not recommended to stretch before exercise or activity.  (inhibition = bad communication to the nervous system)

An official government review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the March 2004 issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concluded that the research available on stretching is inadequate.

Other reports indicate that stretching can actually decrease performance and has no real effect in the prevention of injury.

Make your own conclusions, I’m not saying stretching is bad, just know what you are doing (or what someone else is doing) to your body. Check out this article from the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=1&em

Ugh! Gym Irks

It isn’t often that you get to ramble about the things that really bug you at the gym.  here are a few of my favorites.  What really irks you at the gym?

WORKING IN -”Excuse me, can i please work in”? this question is a polite way to say “if your not going to use the maching, get off of your A$$ and let me use it for 60 seconds.  Please don’t respond to me, i’ve just got one more.  I didn’t ask you how many sets you had left, I asked you if I could use the machine at this moment, while you are NOT using it.

SWEAT PUDDLES – For the love of God, please wipe your sweat off of the machine when you are finished using it.  I don’t think you want to sit in a puddle of someone else’s urine.  I don’t want to sit in or touch yours.  by the way…. Sweat contains the chemicals or odorants 2-methylphenol (o-cresol) and 4-methylphenl (p-cresol), as well as a small amount of urea. (wiki). Uhm… disgusting!

YOU REALLY AREN’T THAT IMPORTANT! – Unless you are Barak Obama and just can’t live without your blackberry, don’t talk on it in the gym.  If you must, that’s why texting was invented to keep annoying people from being loud and obnoxious in public.  The gym should be a place where people are taking time to give back to themselves…. leaving work and home life at the door for that precious time they are in the gym.  Please, if you really need to take a phone call, step out of the workout/exercise area and take your calls.  Besides, if you can carry on a conversation while working out, you really need me to train you because you aren’t working hard enough

The Miracle Supplement

People always ask me what supplements I take.  it’s a really short list.  First on my list is fish oil.  Fish oil has many benefits, many of which continue to be discovered, including the reduction of inflammation, one of the leading causes of disease. It has also shown improvements in brain function.

As you know there is an abundance of information on the web about almost anything.  I came across this article and found it interesting.  let me know what you think & get yourself some Omega 3′s

Omega 3 fish oil EPA and Dha explained

Author: David Mcevoy

There is no doubt that Omega 3 fish oil can not only help your heart and joints, but your brain too. Most people are aware of these benefits, but aren’t sure whether the benefits of Omega 3 fish oil apply across the board for all types of Omega 3 fish oils. There are now many different brands available on the world market, with sellers aiming to capitalise on the Omega 3 fish oil ‘boom’. This makes for such a wide range of products and so many claims that it is hard for the consumer to sift fact from fiction.

Omega 3 fish oil contains two active ingredients: EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). Most fish oils on the market contain both these ingredients in various quantities – the argument that has arisen concerns which of these essential nutrients you need, and which is better than the other.

The simple answer to this is that both are vital nutrients, but they are each important at different stages of life; it is becoming clear in the scientific community that they both have different functions.

DHA

DHA is now thought to constitute the ‘building blocks’ of the brain, forming about 8% of the brain by weight – this is why it is important for pregnant mothers to ensure an adequate supply throughout pregnancy.

DHA is also added to some infant milk formulas by some leading manufacturers, as an infant requires a lot of DHA in the first two years of life to support the growth of the brain.

EPA

EPA however is different; this essential nutrient is now considered by some leading doctors and professors in the UK as being the single most vital nutrient in the functioning of the brain and nerve stimulation.

This was highlighted by the release of a very high profile book by a leading psychiatric professor, who is using a very strong form of ethyl EPA to help treat patients of his who suffer from depression and schizophrenia. Moreover, the ethyl EPA that the professor is using has had the DHA removed. In the book he explains that Ethyl EPA fish oil is not as potent, and does not give the same therapeutic effects as when the DHA is present.

According to the professor, this is backed up by two randomised controlled trials at the University of Baylor and Sheffield, where depressed people who were given DHA only fared slightly worse than the placebo-controlled group.

Conversion

So what happens if the body becomes deficient of DHA? The professor goes on to describe that the body can convert EPA into DHA, as it is only two steps down the chain of ecosanoids. This is a process the body can do relatively easily. The body can also convert DHA into EPA, but our bodies struggle to make this conversion and it is not a very efficient process.

A good example of this would be with flaxseed oil, that is high in the omega 3 parent fatty acid ALA (alphalinoic acid); to obtain roughly 1 gram of EPA, you would have to ingest 11 grams of flaxseed oil.

Conclusion

The simple truth is that you need both these essential nutrients. The evidence is increasingly pointing towards the two being important for various stages of life. DHA when compared against EPA in treating depression is faring no better than a placebo; however the DHA is important for pregnant mothers and children from birth to two years. Beyond that some leading doctors (Mercola, Stoll, Puri) are leaning towards EPA being very beneficial for the daily functioning of the brain

About the Author:
The author Dave McEvoy has CFS and bipolar disorder with a history of schizophrenia in his family. Dave also runs a high quality supplement site http://www.mind1st.co.uk.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/omega-3-fish-oil-epa-and-dha-explained-4011.html

Because It’s Hard!!!

Being in and out of gyms all day, I’m sure you can imagine the things I see.  (Many of which I’ll probably share at some point.)  the Standing on the ball thing really gets me!!!! WTF are you training to be, a circus elephant????

When I ask someone why they do it, usually get because it works my core.  Well, how do you know it works your “core”, because it’s hard….. you should try it.  

       first of all because it’s hard is not a good enough reason for me to try it.  Balancing on the balls of my feet off of the edge of a cliff is probably harder than standing on a ball, why don’t you go try that!

Now let’s be serious for a moment, Balance and stability are way over used in this industry.  Most people are not balanced or stable enough to stand on the ground…. the ground moves people, it’s already an unstable surface.  let’s start there.  Balance and stability are most important inside the body, not outside.  Just because you can hold it together long enough to stand on a ball (or another “unstable” apparatus) does not mean that you have balance and stability inside  your body.  Think about it!

 

DISCLAIMER *this is not meant to offend anyone, these are just my thoughts.  This does not mean that standing on a ball or any other balance training protocol is wrong or bad. Just think about it and be safe!

My Training

Here is a great place to start, no BS, just my training schedule. I’ll post details later! You’ll usually find us in the gym from 11 to 1pm daily.  it’s quite a show!

Monday am- 30 mins cardio before my first client

Monday pm- lift legs (ouch on a Monday)

   - 45 minute spin class (75% MHR)

 

Tuesday pm- 20 minutes cardio 

   -lift chest/back

   - 20 minutes cardio

Wednesday am – 30 mins cardio before my first client

Wednesday pm – lift legs & shoulders (legs, different focus and exercises from Monday)

   - 45 minute spin class (75% MHR)

Thursday – my favorite day, REST! 

Friday pm – 20 minutes cardio

   - lift arms & abs

   20 minutes cardio

Saturday – lift ches/back

  - 45 minutes cardio

Sunday – lift shoulders only

  -45 minutes cardio

Figuring It Out

So I did it, buckled down and training for about 12 weeks.  I ready EVERYTHING!  I was stalking women daily, what they looked like, how they training, suits, tanning, makeup, shoes…… EVERYTHING.  After way too much brainstorming (overload) we figured out a plan, stuck to a low calorie diet and trained our tails off.  Not knowing too much, we did it.  talked to people, got help with posing, got advise from other competitors, etc.  All of this work yielded me a 3rd place finish as an amateur in 2007.  

Then I caught the bug, this feeling of ultimate health and fitness.  I have never felt better, my body felt clean (my diet was clean), strong, and lean.  It was awesome!  I wanted to step it up and I knew that one of the keys was nutrition.  So after much STRESS I finally was turned on to a nutritionist named Chuck, we later renamed Chuck as “The Wizard”.  he took my final 8 weeks from last season to a whole new level.  I was amazed and hooked on the Wizard’s diet.  

I took First in my division and the Overall Figure title at a show in IL last year, then I went to Atlanta for a much bigger show with much more competition and placed 7th.  Not bad for my first debut on a large stage.  I’m now training for another big stage, but closer to home.  Please some out and support me on April 25th in Bolingbrook, IL. 

* In case you were wondering about the “we”, I am fortunate to share my life with a wonderful person who is so supportive of me and deals with the craziness and all of the ups & downs of competing.  without him I don’t think i would have gotten this far.  Thanks Babe, for always being there and for pushing and encouraging me daily!