January 5, 2009 by spartantraining
Well you’ve survived another Holiday season… (I hope.) And it’s time to start-up that same weight loss New Year’s resolution that you started last year (and probably didn’t finish). If that sounds familiar then you are probably thinking a lot about nutrition. I get asked a lot about nutrition this time of the year (probably because we’re all feeling ‘a bit round’ from our nutrition habits over the last month or two).
Well here’s some simple but very effective advice that I give all my clients and friends:
(taken from Dr. John Berardi’s book, Precision Nutrition)
First you need to know how to evaluate a nutritional strategy. I teach my clients to use The 3S Criteria:
1. Simple. Are the rules easy to follow?
2. Science-based. Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
3. Successful. Have the rules produced success in others like you?
A system based on those three things is absolutely critical.
Think again about your nutritional rules. Are your rules based on simplicity, science, and success? Have your rules produced the desired effect – a lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror?
If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.
In light of the above key points, here are 5 very simple yet very effective rules that will guarantee you achieve your weight loss or performance goals.
1. Eat every 2-3 hours.
You don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours – some of them can be smaller snacks. But every few hours you should be getting a dose of good food that follows the other rules below.
That may seem like a lot, but understand a) that each meal will be smaller than the ones most people eat, and b) that eating this way can drastically reduce your body’s inclination to store the calories you eat as body fat.
2. Include lean protein in each meal and snack.
Complete, lean protein generally is food that, well, was an animal or comes from an animal. Things like chicken, beef, fish, dairy, and the like.
“Lean” means low fat. So you want food high in protein but low in fat (e.g., leaner cuts of meat, low fat dairy, etc.).
Are you getting protein in each meal? If not, make the change.
Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you’re just going to have to be more creative with your choices.
3. Include vegetables in each meal or snack.
One of the best and easiest things you can do to improve your health is to include veggies in each meal or snack you eat – every 2-3 hours, right?
Psychologically, that’s a big change for most people. But it makes such a difference physically that it’s well worth it. And it really isn’t that hard. Consult a personal trainer at Athlon Elite to learn more creative, and tasty, ways of including veggies in each and every meal.
4. Save carb-heavy meals for after exercise.
This includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. You can eat them all – but wait until after you’ve exercised. Plenty of research shows that the body is better able to process carbohydrates in the 3 hour period following a bout of intense exercise.
It’s true that starches, grains and sugars are dietary staples in North America, but remember that heart disease, diabetes and cancer are medical staples in North America – and there’s a relationship between the two!
Challenge yourself to not eat carbs unless it’s after you’ve exercised for the day. (I do something like this when I go to Vegas… I won’t let myself go sit poolside and enjoy the day until I’ve gotten a workout in!) It really works from both ends! You will be more likely to stick with your meal plan and you’ll be more likely to exercise each day (because carbs are good!)
To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after. For the rest of the day, stick to lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.
5. Include a good balance of healthy fat in your diet.
For a long time, dietary fat was vilified in the media. The truth is that dietary fat is absolutely essential! There are 3 types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health, and actually help you lose fat.
Your saturated fat will probably already be covered. Most foods containing lean protein also contain some saturated fat, and that’s okay. You can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking.
Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil.
Your polyunsaturated fat should come from flax seed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.
Working healthy fat into your meals is easy. Again, consult a personal trainer at Athlon Elite for tips and tricks to getting more healthy fats in your diet.
Good nutrition can seem complex, but it starts out with a few simple rules. The 5 rules above alone will have you eating better – and looking better – than 85-90% of the population.
Again, for more help with your diet plans consult a personal trainer at Athlon Elite. We’re here to help!
Until next time,
Ryan
December 31, 2008 by spartantraining
Ask anyone who has achieved long-term weight loss how they did it and they’re sure to mention portion control. In fact, it can make or break your weight loss efforts. Learn how to size up servings and avoid overeating with the Top 10 Ways to Control Portions.
1. Break Leftovers Down
Instead of using one large container to store leftovers such as casseroles, side dishes, or pasta, why not separate them into individually-sized containers? That way, when you reach in the fridge to find something to reheat, you’re retrieving just enough for one helping (about the size of your fist). Breaking down meal-sized servings into single servings will help you limit your food intake with no additional effort.
2. Say Yes to Salads
Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a sure-fire way to keep from overeating. It will help curb your appetite and give you a sense of satiety sooner. Of course, we’re not talking a little bit of iceberg lettuce here. To reap full portion control benefits from rabbit food, load up your salad with veggies or even lean meat like turkey cubes. The fiber in the veggies will help you feel fuller and lean meat’s protein will give you an instant energy boost. (this does not mean a ton of cheese, bacon and dressings!)
3. Single out Trigger Foods
Buy snack foods in single serving sizes or divvy up full size packages into smaller, indvidual bags. It may be difficult to stop eating, oh, say, tortilla chips (My biggest weakness!) straight out of the bag while watching TV, but am I as likely to inhale the contents of 12 zipper bags without some forethought? Doubtful.
4. Master Mini Meals
You can make sure your blood sugar stays at an even keel and keep hunger at bay by eating healthful small meals throughout the day. We have a number of clients who have maintained as much as a 30 pound weight loss for 3 or more years. They swear by "mini" meals for maintaining their weight and keeping their energy levels up. Mini meals are by far the best way to prevent overeating because you’ll never get too hungry and lose control of your portion intake. (remember to eat every 3-4 hours)
5. Keep Seconds Out of Sight
Don’t serve family meals family-style. Keep pots and dishes away from the table where it’s all too easy to go for seconds. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rethought my second helpings as I’ve made my way from the table to the stovetop. I’ve often told myself to sit back down and wait it out. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes to feel satiated. By giving myself that "breather" I’ve realized I wasn’t hungry enough for another helping after all.
6. Make Grains and Other Starchy Carbs a Side Dish
Treat the grains and starchy carbs in your diet as a small side dish rather than the main part of your meal. By loading up on veggies and as the bulk of your meal instead of using them as sides, you’ll feel full sooner and get extra vitamins and fiber. Experiment with new vegetables and preparation methods to keep things interesting.
7. Meet Yourself Halfway
Make lunch a "two-fer." Your mid-day meal can be twice as good by being shared or serving as both your lunch and dinner, i.e., why not split take-out lunch with a buddy, or pack-up half of your meal before you even start eating: Voila! You have an instant dinner already cooked!
8. Be a Kid at Heart (or Tummy?)
Order a kid’s size meal when you go to fast food places to automatically control portions (and save money!). Don’t be embarrassed about asking for a child’s meal. It’s really no big deal. And if you are in a place that has a "12 and under" sign — order it "to go" and then plop right down in the dining room, eat it, and give the toy to a kid sitting nearby!
9. Serving Standards
Learn to "eyeball" standard portion sizes and stick to them when dining out or dishing up meals. Keep these tips in mind: 3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards or an audio tape; 1 oz. of meat is the size of a matchbook; 1 cup of potatoes, rice or pasta looks like a tennis ball.
10. Treat Yourself
And last, but not least … indulge! Treating yourself once in a while to a "forbidden" food will keep you from feeling deprived; a sense of deprivation can easily lead to overeating. Stop a binge before it starts by indulging every now and then, i.e., have a cheat day on the weekends. (however, watch it! Cheat days can turn into pure gluttony if you’re not a little bit careful)
Take these 10 tips to heart and follow them! They work. Really. Also, come meet with a personal trainer here at Athlon Elite. We’ll help you through not only the 10 tricks above but we’ll give you even more strategies, then we’ll do what EVERYONE needs… hold you accountable to them! (click here to get started)
Cheers,
Ryan
December 23, 2008 by spartantraining
Katie Arndt Chopping Down a Christmas Tree at Athlon Elite
Do one of the following two workouts after Christmas (on Friday in Athlon Health & Fitness or on Saturday in Athlon Elite).
The 12 Days of Christmas
- 1 burpee
- 2 push press 95#
- 3 front squats 95#
- 4 hang cleans 95#
- 5 deadlifts 95#
- 6 box jumps 24"
- 7 pullups
- 8 pushups
- 9 GHD situps
- 10 air squats
- 11 kettlebell or dumbell swings 50#
- 12 Run a 1/4 mile
The workout has 12 rounds, just like the song = 1 burpee, then 2 push presses and 1 burpee, then 3 front squats, 2 push presses and 1 burpee, then 4 hang cleans, 3 front squats, 2 push presses and 1 burpee, etc…
Total Reps:
Burpee = 12
Push Press = 22
Front Squat = 30
Hanging Power Clean = 36
Deadlift = 40
Box Jumps = 42
Pullup = 42
Pushup = 40
Situp = 36
Air squat = 30
KBS = 22
1 Quarter-mile run
or
Lindsay’s Christmas-Tree Workout
- 1/4 Mile Run - "Run to find a tree."
- 15 (ea side), Cable Chops - "Chop down the tree."
- 20 Walking Lunges - "Drag the tree home."
- 20 Bent or Seated Rows - "Pull the tree through the door."
- 10 Thrusters - "Lift the tree into the Christmas tree stand."
- 15 Floors on the StairMaster - "Climb the ladder to hang the ornaments."
3 Rounds for Fastest Time
Have a great Christmas and we’ll see you soon!
December 22, 2008 by spartantraining
Cupcakes and Stuffing and Rolls, Oh My!!!
Thanksgiving may be tucked under your belt, but Christmas and New Year’s are still right around the corner. If you’re feeling a bit fatigued, bloated, or otherwise run down, here are some simple holiday health tips to feel better this week:
10. Veggie Cleanse
Do a one-day vegetable cleanse at some point this week. Load up with a delicious salad chock full of veggies. Eat steamed veggies with olive oil for dinner. Enjoy sliced tomatoes and avocado for breakfast. Make sure your cleansing day contains a generous selection of greens. Spinach, in particular, is good for clearing your body. And its high B-vitamin load will help reduce stress.
9. Long Showers
It’s not very eco-friendly, so don’t make this a regular habit (but hey, you’re not watering the lawn this time of year). You might not have time for a day at the spa or a massage. But a simple, soothing long shower can feel like a treat if you’re tired and stressed.
8. Buddy Neck Rubs
Enlist your spouse or the kids to give you an invigorating neck rub. Then trade.
7. Buddy Scalp Rubs
This is even more energizing! It’s best when done briskly with the knuckles.
6. Dark Chocolate
Instead of all the carbs and starches and refined desserts, make dark chocolate your indulgence. Normally, you only should have a few ounces a week, but feel free to indulge a bit more during this stressful time of year.
5. Don’t overdo New Year’s Resolutions
Most of us cram ten years’ worth of goals into a single annual list, then fail to accomplish anything. Write out your specific goals, then ruthlessly edit them down to three or four things so you feel manageably challenged.
4. Avoid Shopping.
You’ve already spent quite a bit on Christmas gifts; now sales tempt us all. Avoid the guilt of huge credit card bills come January by forgoing shopping this year. Allow yourself and each family member one small splurge, but cap it after that… save your money for something more important like your New Year’s fitness training!
3. Make a Reminder List of the Positives.
Rather than assess all your flaws and determine to fix yourself into perfection in the coming year, celebrate all your positive traits. Make a New Year’s Acceptance list.
2. Remember water!
This is essential for good health, but particularly so during the holidays, when we’re eating more salty, sugary foods and the air is often dry. Stay comfortable by staying hydrated.
1. What’s YOUR best holiday health tip?
Leave a comment below… we’d like to know!
December 19, 2008 by spartantraining
If that sounds like a tabloid headline, well, it is. Except it was culled from Oprah’s own Magazine “O”.
Why do we Americans have so much trouble with being over-weight. And why Oprah, a
successful type-A woman who’s “trying to do the right thing” when it comes to weight loss, just
like most of America.… despite the fact that she’s had daily access to world-famous personal trainer
Bob Greene (OK, she was the one who made him famous).
And, she has world-famous doctor Mehmet Oz (author of You: The Owner’s Manual and You on a
Diet – OK, she made him famous too).
Oh, and let’s not forget that other Oprah creation - world-famous self-help guru Dr. Phil, who penned his own weight-loss program, but could still stand to lose five… or fifty-pounds himself.
Clearly, losing weight and staying fit is not easy in this “toxic” world, however is it impossible…
Clearly it’s not! We have many, many success stories that prove that wrong.
So what’s the problem? Maybe Oprah’s realizing what many are now realizing… “conventional wisdom”
has a “problem.” The health and fitness programs that the people above preach are not that effective… clearly!
Eating mostly grains and breads in your diet doesn’t work!
Eating only protein doesn’t work!
Three or four, moderately-paced, 30-minute cardio workouts per week doesn’t work!
Only lifting weights for exercise doesn’t work!
Sure, we humans were “built” to do moderate cardio and it’s good for us… but we were also built for hard and fast periodic sprinting, and it’s very good for us! Look at this workout we do at Athlon Elite on occasion:
And this one to see a little more about speed training:
We were also built to pick up heavy (very heavy) things… and that too is very good for us. In fact, it may be the most important thing if you’re trying to tone-up without bulking up! Here’s some proof…
look at these “hotties” picking up heavy things at Athlon Elite:
I won’t even bother to go into all the misconstrued “conventional” diet wisdom out there. (How many times has the government’s food pyramid changed?? Is it right yet… NO.)
The fact is, there’s a lot of bad information out there about being fit and healthy and even the
“conventional” wisdom often is based on a poor “paradigm.”
I’m very fond of the “paradigm” of the “primal fitness” people. And I see our greatest successes at
Athlon Elite paralleling it… Our bodies are based on a hunter / gatherer lifestyle which means we should
do a lot of the following for true and ultimate health and fitness:
- Eat lots of animals, insects and plants
- Move around a lot at a slow pace
- Lift heavy things
- Run really fast periodically
- Get lots of sleep
- Play a lot (actively, not sitting in front of a video game)
- Get a little sunlight everyday
- Avoid trauma
- Avoid poisonous things
- Use your mind
That’s a good recipe for fitness success. Do you think Oprah’s been following it? No. She’s talking
about her thyroid a lot and depression… THERE’S ANOTHER BLOG POST FOR SURE!!
Call us today and escape the prison of “conventional wisdom” and start being an unconventionally
fit human being!
December 15, 2008 by spartantraining
Posted by Amy Kistler, certified personal trainer at Athlon Elite.
High Intensity Exercise……IMPROVES BODY COMPOSITION IN HALF THE TIME
Guess what…… you don’t have to be at the gym for two hours to get in a good work out. According to the American College of Sports Medicine’s scientific journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, high intensity exercise is the best way to improve body composition. Arther Weltman, PH.D. did a study that showed high intensity training reduced total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, and visceral abdominal fat. Too much visceral fat can lead to diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, not to mention what it does to your swim suit! By incorporating high intensity training into your program you can improve your body composition and quality of life.
And guess what… You can get it done in half the time of a more moderate workout and get the same results!!!
Often, people think they cannot engage in high-intensity exercise because they associate it with what athletes are able to do. High intensity exercise is not only for athletes, it is for everyone. High-intensity exercise is prescribed based on each individual’s capabilities. ( fitness level, age ect.)
So how do you get started? Come to Athlon Elite today and start to incorporate high intensity training into your program. It is fun ,effective and gets you results!!!!
Contact us today to learn more about how you can rev up your workouts and get better results:
(805) 440-0215
or
http://www.athlonelite.com/get-started/
December 9, 2008 by spartantraining
Sitting down for long periods of time sucks. It has the notorious ability to contribute to tight hamstrings, tight hip flexors, lower back pain, and what is known as “Neanderthal posture” (upper body slouched, shoulders forward and head forward). Unfortunately modern daily life requires us to sit all the time, whether you are a student, an employee, a channel surfer or a pro athlete, and all this sitting has very detrimental consequences to your health (see the diagram below).
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to fight these effects:
- Balanced weight training... If you’re at Athlon Elite you’ve already got this covered. Proper weight/strength training encourages the correct amount of flexibility, builds strength in not only the big "visible" muscles but more importantly in the small stabalizer (posture) muscles and it gets your blood moving.
- Examine how you sit... Do you slouch? Do you crane your head forward to look at the computer? If you do things like this while you sit, you will also do them at other times. Pay attention to your posture when your sitting or ask someone to watch for it during the day. Anything that will make you aware of the way you are seated is good. Take note of how much (or lack of) curvature you have in your spine (low back and neck), where are your shoulders resting (forward of your ears or inline with your ears), are you sitting your "sitting bones" or is your butt tucked forward and way out in front of your body in the seat??
- Get up and get moving! Take a couple of minutes every hour and walk around a bit and stretch. Not only will this help your posture, but it’ll keep you more awake, more relaxed, and it’ll give you a great reason to take a break. Remember that the body is built to move, not sit for hours on end. Move it!!
Correcting things is a long process. You probably won’t help out your low back pain or fix your posture right away. It took a long time for negative changes and bad habits to occur, and it generally takes a while to change them for the better. Be patient, and improvement will come. Be sure and consult the Athlon Elite trainers for more things you can do in and out of the gym to help improve your posture and ensure that as you age your head doesn’t migrate forward and start sticking out of your chest!!
December 4, 2008 by spartantraining
Posted by George Beckham, certified personal trainer at Athlon Elite.
Bob Turbow doing sumo squats… A great exercise for strengthening the hips as well as creating more flexibility.
The Other 23…You’ve just finished up at Athlon Elite. You worked hard, you’re still sweating, you’re tired and you’ve just started up the car to drive home. Think for a minute about what you will do with the next 23 hours before your next training session…Will you sit down in front of the TV with a beer?Will you stay up too late, then not have time for breakfast?Will you drink soda instead of water before your next workout?Or will you drink your Fluid on the drive home, eat a good dinner and breakfast, and turn off the TV so you can get a good nights sleep? We hope you’re doing the latter.Training is more than just going to the gym. Training is going to the gym, eating right, sleeping enough, drinking the right amount of water, and recovering for your next session. There is a saying: “Great physiques are built in the kitchen”. This only addresses the nutrition aspect, but the theme is important – it is not only what you do inside the gym, it is also what you do outside the gym that counts.
We at Athlon Elite give you the stimulus – the gym training – better than anyone else in the County, but you half to follow the other 6 steps when we’re not around to bitch at you to really see results… it is eating right, taking your supplements, drinking your water, sleeping enough, and keeping good habits that shape your total response.Next time you’re driving yourself home, think to yourself: What am I doing with the other 23?
