Trainer Profile Fitness Articles

Hydration or Dehydration?

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:15:15 +0000

Proper hydration is essential; water makes up 60 to 65 percent of our total body weight. When we exercise we loose water in sweat, and this water needs to be replaced. If it is not replaced dehydration will occur. Dehydration is a serious condition that can be easily spotted and prevented. Dehydration can diminish energy and impair performance.

Even a 2 percent loss of body weight through sweat (i.e., 3 pounds for a 150 pound person) can put you at a disadvantage.

Signs of Dehydration:

Thirst is one indicator of dehydration, but it is not an early warning sign. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Other symptoms of dehydration include:

* feeling dizzy and lightheaded
* having a dry or sticky mouth
* producing less urine and darker urine

Preventing Dehydration:

1. The easiest way to avoid dehydration is to drink lots of fluids, especially on hot, dry, windy days. Water is usually the best choice.

2. Always dress appropriately for your activity. Wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat if you can, this will keep you cooler and cut down sweating.

3. Preventing dehydration starts long before the activity. The night before, and before your workout intake those fluids: 16 ounces of water before bed, 16 ounces of water in the morning, and during exercise 4-8 ounces every 15 minutes. And be sure to replace your fluid loss post exercise: 24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost!

Fitmiss Tip: If you can’t remember how much water you drank today, you haven’t had enough!

The Milk Miracle

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:37:02 +0000

With 9 grams of protein per serving, milk is often used as a cheap, convenient way to get in some needed protein. However, this is only the beginning of the many advantages of milk. Recent research has shown that a postworkout glass of milk not only boosts protein synthesis, but also rehydrates better than water or sports drinks. In addition, researchers in the UK recently reviewed 324 milk consumption studies and found that milk may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancers. Why milk may prevent these diseases and illnesses is currently unknown, but one reason may be because of the peptides in milk that have been found to reduce blood pressure.

24 Things That Will Make You A Better Fighter

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:02:16 +0000

24 Things That Will Make You A Better Fighter

Get off first, set the pace of the fight. Don’t let your opponent set the pace.
Double and triple up on your jab.
Angle your jabs. First jab center chin, second jab side chin, third jab center chin.
Keep your opponent at the end of your jab to minimize a right hand counter.
Turn your jab into a punch. Step with it and through your opponent.
Catch a jab, pop a jab!
Use off set and staggered rhythms to avoid being timed and countered. Especially when throwing the jab.
Throw punches in bunches.
Bring your punch back as fast as it goes out. Don’t float your punch.
Don’t load up on every punch.
Don’t fly your punches. Put your weight behind them. Your body should work as one unit. Shoulder, arms, hips, and legs all load up and explode at the same time.
Breathe with your punches. Expel your energy and don’t get body countered with a bucket full of air.
Move your head after throwing a punch. Make your opponent work for his shot.
When working in close, bang in 2-3 punches. Don’t stay in the “pocket” too long. Going for 4-5 punches will get you countered.
Don’t pace your combinations. Explode into your opponent with them.
Don’t “format”, don’t become a predictable fighter. Diversify, learn to mix, not blend.
Don’t waste your legs. Learn to move in inches not yards. Learn to move with a purpose.
Never move straight back. Doing this will get you knocked on your butt by a left hook.
Learn absolute balance. Disperse your weight from your center of gravity (1/2” below your navel)
Stalk, don’t chase.
Learn the lost art of the feint. It’s an excellent tool for creating openings.
Learn to spot 2-3 openings at a time.
If you can’t find an opening, then blow your punches into your opponent’s arms and shoulders. This will cause a Charlie-horse in his arms and slow down his punches.
If you’re a tall fighter stay tall. If you’re a smaller fighter stay small.

Gaspari’s SuperPump 250 Review

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:34:16 +0000

Gaspari’s SuperPump 250 Review
Energy and Focus: 8.5
Increase Pumps: 8
Muscle Building: 9.5
Decrease Body Fat: 9.5
Side Effects: 8
Blood Flow: 6
Overall Rating: 8.7

After taking nearly every other pre-workout supplement on the market, I thought it was time to give Gaspari’s SuperPump 250 a try, and I was very impressed with the results. I took 2 scoops 30 minutes before each workout. Sometimes I ate a small snack right before taking the supplement, as to insure it was not to hard on my stomach. I would recommend starting with 1 scoop if you have not taken a pre-workout supplement before.

Pros: The most profound and unique result that I experienced with SuperPump 250 was my body fat to muscle ratio. SuperPump greatly increased muscle mass and muscle density while instantaneously decreasing body fat. The results show in my numbers, as my weight increased by 3 pounds and my body fat decreased by 2%. In addition, my energy levels remained extremely high throughout my workout, and I was able to achieve one or two extra repetitions because of my increased intensity. Focus was also amazing. Definitely one of the best supplements I have taken. Gaspari scores again!

Cons: Very few bad things to say about this supplement. I did get a little restless when taking it to late at night, but that is expected of an energy supplement. In addition, I didn’t achieve great blood flow or thermogenic effects.

Nutrient Timing – Get the most out of your workout!

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:15:56 +0000

If you are one of the many individuals slaving away at the gym to loose weight, but not seeing results, the answer could be your diet! Planning when, what, and how much you eat could be the difference between loosing a pound a month and loosing 10!

Let’s look into Pre-Workout nutrient intake first. Before your workout it is important to take in some calories so that our body has fuel for your workout. You want to take in simple carbohydrates and leave the high fat, fiber, and low glycemic foods for another meal.

Examples:

1 cup low fiber cereal with ½ cup skim milk
1 medium banana with 6 oz low fat yogurt
Homemade smoothie of 1 cup milk and fruit
2 pieces bread with small amount of meat

This Pre-Exercise meal should happen 1-2 hours before workout to ensure proper gastric emptying and uptake of nutrients. 16 ounces of water should also be consumed in this time period.

Now you’re at the gym! During the Workout there is several important nutrients to intake.

Water: 6-8 ounces every 15 minutes

*Carbohydrates: 0.7g/kg per hour

*Protein: 0.04g/kg per hour
*Carbohydrates and Protein during workout not recommended for everyone. If your workouts are high intensity or lasting longer than an hour, you just ended a fast, or have a suboptimal eating pattern this may be a good option for you.

Examples:

4 oz skim milk washed down with 4 oz water
Handful of pretzels or crackers with 6-8 oz water

Post-Workout intake is the most important period. Post-Workout intake will stop protein breakdown and initiate protein resynthesis. It is also very important to replenish glycogen stores that have been depleted during workout. It is important to replace these stores immediately after, and up to two hours post workout.

Examples:

15 min post-workout: 12 oz chocolate milk
45 min post-workout: Ham and cheese sandwich with a glass of OJ

15 min post-workout: 3 chocolate chip cookies and 1 cup milk
45 min post-workout: spaghetti and meat sauce with grapes for dessert

Tips for Success:

Keep a food log. Write down what you ate, when, how much. Track fluid intake as well.
Remember to keep the fat and fiber out around your workouts, work it back in during other meals.
Eat every 2-3 hours. Meals consisting of whole foods, vegetables, fruits, adequate protein, and healthy fats are best.