This is a great question and one a person with my background gets a good deal.  A number of products are available that are touted for use by strength and power athletes or athletes who desire to be strong and powerful while also maximizing muscle mass and minimizing fat.  Easily, the best way to answer this question is to reword the question into, “which supplements would I spend my own money on to gain strength and power and maximize body composition changes!”  The list is short and supported by a great deal of science: creatine monohydrate, whey protein, beta-alanine and caffeine.  In an effort to strike a balance between saying the things which need to be said about each ingredient but not writing an article that is too long, this topic will be broken down into installments.  Next month is whey protein, then beta-alanine, then caffeine and after that I will quickly summarize some “honorable mentions”.

First Things First

I have said this before many times and I will say it again, do not even think about taking a supplement for these outcomes if you: 1) are not consistent with your workouts and 2) your diet is crappy.  Seriously, take the time to get your life mapped out to where you are regularly working out and first spend your money on good, high quality food.  Things like complex carbohydrate, lean cuts of protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy oils.  Start there and work at it.  Every day!

Buy a cookbook, buy cooking utensils, pots/pans, plastic storage and small kitchen appliances to help.  Open the cookbook.  Read it and grow your repertoire of healthy meals you can prepare.  Shoot, you could even consider this to be good dating advice as well.  What guy does not like a woman that cooks well and what woman does not like a guy who will cook for her once in a while?  It’s really important and something that everyone puts their head down about, but it’s a big deal.  Too many people depend on a supplement to perform miracles and then gripe and moan when it does not give them their expected results.  This is like putting high octane racing fuel in a Toyota Corolla and expecting to win a NASCAR race.

Creatine Monohydrate

Why creatine?  Easy.  Hundreds of scientific reports consistently report that both short-term and long-term use of creatine in dosages ranging from 2 – 15 grams each day improves one or multiple bouts of exercise performance lasting less than a minute or so.  The jury is still out on whether creatine can be effective for longer periods of exercise (one to several minutes or longer).  Creatine works by increasing your muscle’s ability to rebuild energy that is expended quickly during exercise [1, 2].  With greater energy available, your muscle is able to perform better.  You should note that some people respond better than others to creatine which means if you are a non-responder you may not see the anticipated increase in muscle mass, strength and power.  Does not mean you won’t respond at all, but this is something to consider.

Is Creatine Safe?

With the information we know right now, the answer to this question is Yes.  A number of studies have examined safety responses to supplementing the diet with creatine and findings from these studies consistently indicate the creatine is well-tolerated.  This may surprise some nurse or doctor friends, but this statement has multiple scientific reports to support it [1, 3, 4].

Initially, reports circulated that creatine causes dehydration resulting in any number of combination of injuries including muscle pulls, torn muscles, heat injuries, cramps, etc.  Fortunately, studies have been conducted in a number of different groups of athletes over long periods of time and these non-scientific reports are unfounded [5, 6].

The only known side effect is weight gain [1].  For those who plan to take creatine for this purpose, you certainly won’t view this as a side effect, but for an athlete who needs to watch their weight but also perform maximally (e.g., wrestler, gymnast, etc.) this effect can be viewed as a problem.

Recommended Dosing Amount and Regimen

Take 2 – 5 grams every day.  This amounts to a spoonful of a standard kitchen spoon.  You can take it with or without food; all depends on how your stomach can handle it.  If your stomach gets upset, take it with some food as this will likely help.  When you take it doesn’t appear to be critical, but some researchers have indicated that taking it after a workout may help facilitate its absorption.  I say take it whenever you won’t forget and take it every day.

Summary

Creatine would be the first supplement I would have a strength and power athlete begin taking after they have demonstrated consistent workout habits and a sound diet.  It’s relatively cheap and overall is a must-have really for any athlete who wishes to maximize performance as scores of scientific reports consistently report its ability to improve performance and recovery.

REFERENCES

1. Buford TW, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Greenwood M, Campbell B, Spano M, Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, and Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007; 4: p. 6.
2. Kreider RB, Wilborn CD, Taylor L, Campbell B, Almada AL, Collins R, Cooke M, Earnest CP, Greenwood M, Kalman DS, Kerksick CM, Kleiner SM, Leutholtz B, Lopez H, Lowery LM, Mendel R, Smith A, Spano M, Wildman R, Willoughby DS, Ziegenfuss TN, and Antonio J. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010; 7(1): p. 7.
3. Mayhew DL, Mayhew JL, and Ware JS. Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002; 12(4): p. 453-60.
4. Kreider RB, Melton C, Rasmussen CJ, Greenwood M, Lancaster S, Cantler EC, Milnor P, and Almada AL. Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes. Molecular and cellular biochemistry. 2003; 244(1-2): p. 95-104.
5. Greenwood M, Kreider RB, Greenwood L, and Byars A. Cramping and Injury Incidence in Collegiate Football Players Are Reduced by Creatine Supplementation. Journal of athletic training. 2003; 38(3): p. 216-219.
6. Greenwood M, Kreider RB, Melton C, Rasmussen C, Lancaster S, Cantler E, Milnor P, and Almada A. Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. Molecular and cellular biochemistry. 2003; 244(1-2): p. 83-8.

Ok, some of you might be thinking what the hell is this blog going to be about. Let me tell you this workout is one of the most punishing  ones I have ever done!  It’s quite simple, actually… squat 225 lbs for one hour.

It’s been some time since I last did this workout, but I will definitely be reincorporating it into my arsenal of quad workouts. This workout was introduced to me about 12 years ago by a friend of mine who played football at Southeast Missouri State. Their strength coach would implement this workout every couple of months.  It’s not for the weak, and it will definitely test your level of Social Darwinism!  In fact it’s hard to find partners to partake in this warped type of training session. Trust me, if done correctly, with maximum effort, and with each set taken to failure over a one hour period, your legs will be sore for 4-5 days. The soreness that sets in will make you not want to eat, because sitting on the toilet becomes a challenge!

Things needed…

1. 3 people with testicular fortitude
2. Squat/power rack with an Olympic bar totaling 225lbs that can be occupied for 1 hour
3. A hardcore gym/ home gym where guttural noises are allowed!
4. Very motivating music
5. A pen and piece of paper to write down each sets reps (this keeps things competitive)
6. A stop watch

I hadn’t done this routine in years, but after much talking about it, I finally was ready to experience the 225 Death March once again. I had two guys I had been training with who I thought were perfect candidates for such a grueling experience. We had the perfect gym setting at American Family Fitness, on a Sunday afternoon. It’s imperative to find candidates who can truly push themselves through pain barriers and not just quit or give up. The goal is 400 reps per person in an hour, which is damn hard to do which I have only been able to attain a couple times and this was years ago at a much younger age! There is limited rest, each person goes right after the next, but remember each set should be taken close to failure!

The workout started out great for all three of us as you can see from the table above, but as time wore on the reps slowly started to decrease for me and Tony. Lance on the other hand kept the 30 rep pace going and would of gotten the magic 400 mark with one more set, but time had expired. I believe he is half cyborg, because he was a machine this day! Tony was only one week removed from competing and was only about 200lbs, his effort was admirable and respectable at 250 reps. I was a bit disappointed in my total reps, the back tightness set in early but I did my best to overcome. By the time had expired the gym floor looked like a crime scene, only thing missing was the yellow tape. All three of us were sprawled out on the gym floor unable to move for a bit. I am happy to say no one tossed there cookies, which is often common place with this type of workout.

Hit me up on Facebook if any of you try this routine, and let me know how it goes. All I can say is Good luck, and bring all you got because the death march, if done correctly, takes no prisoners.

Brett

When I go to the grocery store, I always follow a strict route around the OUTSIDE perimeters of the store, occasionally I will grab a few things from the inner isles but that is it!  Why?? Because this is where you will find everything you should buy when sticking to a good diet. You will find fresh Produce, Vegetables, the Deli, Bakery, Meat department, Seafood Department, and Dairy section. Cruising the inner isles will set you up for disaster if you lack will power… Inner isles usually contain your dressings, marinades, soups, tea/ coffee, pasta, cereal, candy, baking products, spices, juices, soda, alcohol, snacks, candy and cookies. Inner freezer isles contain frozen pizza, appetizers, pre-made dinners, frozen fruits, veggies and juices, ice cream and breakfast food.  So keep this layout in mind when heading to the grocery store your next trip out!

The first section I hit when I go to the grocery store is the produce section. I absolutely love fruit and I’m not sure if there is any kind I don’t like! Fruit is a very important component of a healthy balanced diet. Although, depending on my own personal diet I will pick up grapefruit, apples, bananas, some type of berry or kiwi fruit. At some point, a few of these won’t be on the menu… So, I ALWAYS make sure I am super picky with the types fruits I choose! Knowing what to look for in good produce is key especially when you have specific ones you can consume! I like to pick the best, so I can thoroughly enjoy every bite! There is nothing worse than looking forward to eating a piece of fruit or vegetable and realizing that you bought a dud!

Here are a list of fruits with the helpful tips I have to picking the best ones when I do my weekly grocery shopping.

Grapefruit: Don’t just look for a bright yellow color, make sure the skin is smooth, shiny and pick it up to weigh it. The heavier the grapefruit, the juicier and sweeter! Some grapefruits will give off a sweet scent or develop a blush tone color when ripe, just make sure they are heavy with smooth, shiny skin!

Strawberries: These are some of my favorite in the berry family! Strawberries are always best when they are in season.  Even though strawberries are carried by your grocery store most of the year, they are only in PEAK season from June through the middle of August! When choosing your carton look for the plump, deep red color berries.  Make sure they look firm and do not contain a hint of green or white at the base of the stems, chances are that means they still have ripening to do! The larger the berry doesn’t always mean the better or sweeter… so don’t ignore the small ones too!

Apples:  Did you know that there are over 40 different varieties of apples to choose from?! Ranging from the colors, to the taste, to the size and the baking uses! No matter what the color, make sure you handle the apple to tell whether it is firm and look for soft spots or “Bruises”.  Also be mindful of the reason you purchase them. Are they for consumption, baking or cooking? I generally buy apples to eat them fresh. The variety I love to buy is the “Honeycrisp” apple. Honeycrisps are available starting in September. These apples can also get to the size of softballs!!! They are blush tone, coral colored apples bursting with juice and a crisp, sweet flavor. I also like to use Honeycrisp apples for my holiday apple salad! I used to use Red Delicious apples, but they got mushy and brown if they sat with my other ingredients… Honeycrisps I find, don’t brown as quickly and they keep that crunch These apples are great for baking pies too!!

Blueberries: In this case it is always “The bigger the berry the sweeter the juice”  so choose the plumpest, blue/grey container of berries you can find. Steer clear of any with red or purple colored undertones… That means they are not quite ready to consume. These are also one of many Super Foods! Blueberries are very high in anti-oxidants, and are great on anyone’s diet!

Bananas: I actually bought a bundle of bananas at my local grocery store a couple weeks ago and the entire display of them were very green throughout… I had no choice but to take my pick of what they had and they sat on my counter for 1 solid WEEK and never ripened!!! I guess the shipment of bananas they had gotten were picked too soon and were not able to ripen after being picked. I tried to peel one before I threw all of them away and I ended up having to cut the peel with a steak knife to even get it started!! The actual banana itself was as hard as a rock. I have never seen anything like this before when buying bananas. Sooo… learn from my experience… when you pick up a bunch of bananas at the store, it is OK for the top of the peel to be somewhat green, but it should then fade into a nice yellow color. You want to buy a bunch a little under ripe so they last longer in your home. If the bundle you get is pretty green and that is all the store has on display, you can place them in a brown bag and it speeds up the ripening process for them.  When bananas start to over ripen they develop little freckles or brown spots. From a baking standpoint the browner the better, because the banana is over ripe and sweet, just make sure you cut out any soft spots or bruises before baking.

So there you have it!! The run down of my top fruit picks and tips to picking the perfect produce! And remember to have a healthy balanced diet you will need to consume at least 1 piece of fruit each day!!

This is the time of year it is still bearable that you find yourself  thinking about that after work drink on a nice patio outside where you can unwind from your day, people watch and enjoy a refreshingly cold skinny margarita while catching up with friends. While this sounds like a lovely way to spend your afternoon and evening, most of us don’t stop at just one drink. Drinking can be beneficial or harmful, depending on your age, health status and of course how much you drink.

Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker’s body, most dramatically your liver. With moderate drinking, the liver can process alcohol fairly safely.  However, heavy drinking overtaxes the liver resulting in serious consequences.  A liver clogged with fat causes liver cells to become less efficient at performing their necessary tasks, resulting in impairment of a person’s nutritional health. Alcohol is very rich in energy, packing 7 calories per gram.  But like pure sugar or fat, the calories are void of nutrients.  The more calories an individual consumes in alcohol, the less likely it is that they will eat enough food to obtain adequate nutrients.  Alcohol affects the brain, the liver, the kidneys, the heart, the blood vessels, the lining of the stomach and other systems. Your body can be affected in the following ways:

1. The kidneys increase urination, leading to fluid loss.
2. Blood vessels in the skin open up, causing flushing and the heart to work harder.
3. The liver starts working over-time to detoxify the blood and can’t keep blood sugar regulated.

To make matters worse, chronic alcohol abuse not only displaces calories from needed nutrients, but also interferes with the body’s metabolism of nutrients, leading to damage of the liver, digestive system, and nearly every bodily organ. The effects of alcohol not only effect your physical health but also your mental heath.  Alcohol abuse, which can lead to alcoholism, is a pattern of drinking that result in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work. More than 30% of Americans say they have had problems with alcohol.

Researchers say the percentage of Americans who say they drink has changed little over time, averaging about 63% since Gallup began surveying Americans about drinking habits in 1939, however the most recent poll shows that the frequency of drinking has risen from 54% in 1996 to 71% in 2006. Recent studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation — particularly wine — may promote better health, and researchers say the increase in number of drinks per week may be a reflection of this.

For the past 10,000 years or so, wherever humans have gathered, there has been alcohol. Some never touch the stuff. But most do. It is used to celebrate, commiserate, mourn, remember and, often, to forget. It is different things to different people: libation, anesthetic, emotional crutch, social lubricant, addictive substance, sacred potion, killer or commodity. So be mindful before you begin to drink of how it could affect your work, health, your workouts and relationships.  Moderate use of alcohol can be an enjoyable, safe experience if used with caution. If you do choose to drink, sip each drink slowly, and always consume alcohol with food.  Space drinks out to no more than one drink per hour, and consume plenty of water in between drinks, and don’t let it impair your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you find yourself skipping your workouts to enjoy a cocktail or munching on junk food during and after you drink, you probably should consider how your social times is affecting you, and make the necessary changes and sacrifices in order to get back on track with your goals.

REFERENCES:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20060801/americans-drinking-alcohol-more-often

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm

So the day has finally arrived and after months of hard work, discipline and deprivation you are ready to step on stage and strut your stuff!  After all the hard work you’ve put into your physical appearance, it’s important to be fully prepared for traveling and show preparation as well. Here is a helpful checklist of everything you need to pack in your backstage show bag!  I usually pack all these items in a small roller bag rather than a shoulder bag since I don’t want anything to carry when I have a layer of tan on my body!

Competitor checklist for show day

• The following are the most important 3 items so I always take the greatest care in packing each of these in ziplock bags so that nothing gets lost and so that the accessories do not catch on your suit, causing an unsightly snag.  Let’s not forget to mention how bloody expensive show bikini’s are- the last thing you want is a snag or stain on your pricy suit!  I also usually bring these along in my carry-on if I’m flying.

1. Suit
2. Heels
3. Accessories

For the most part, everything else can pretty well be packed in your standards suitcase:

1. Tanning products- it’s a great idea to put these in a sealed plastic bag because they are super messy!
2. Suit adhesive (bikini bite or fashion tape)
3. Snacks (approved by your trainer, of course!)
4. Bottled water
5. Chewing gum for dry mouth
6. Stage makeup (don’t forget extra eyelash and nail glue)
7. Rubber gloves and sponges for tanning products
8. Flip flops for back stage
9. Loose fitting, dark colored warm up suit or dark, loose fitting robe
10. Exercise bands for “pumping up”
11. Personal, hand-held mirror for backstage
12. Hair products
13. Extension cord- I have found this useful in the past for plugging in my curling iron/flat iron for hair touchups backstage (sometimes you wait for hours and the hair may need a little touching up)
14. Hair dryer for drying tanning products (bring your own, don’t rely on the hotel to have one, and then you have it all day)
15. Camera
16. Sexy outfit to celebrate in after the show- After finals are done and you walk away with your big fat trophy, it’s always nice to put on a hot outfit and go out to celebrate your victory!   The promoter of the show generally has an after party planned for all the competitors and it’s a great way to mingle and socialize with other members of the fitness community.

If you are traveling out of town for a show and staying in a hotel, it is very important to remember these items:

1. Dark towels, sheets and pillowcases- Most hotels charge a fee if any of their linens are stained with tanning product.  Show tan is extremely messy and stains everything so it’s best to pack some dark bedding and swap them for the hotel whites.
2. Food, snacks and water- I prepare a bunch of measured out meals ahead of time and label everything in separate Tupperware containers.  If you are staying at the host hotel, you may be able to reserve a bar fridge for your room if you book early, providing the room doesn’t already have one.  The host hotel usually has a microwave accessible for all competitors to heat up your food.  If you are flying, it is easier to check your food in a cooler with your suitcase so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of taking it through security.  Most times it’s just a quick flight so everything will stay cool and fresh if you pack it super tight in sealed containers and use leak proof ice packs.
3. Movies, laptop, IPOD, IPAD and/or Kindle.  It can get lonely and boring the night before the show and in between prejudging and finals.  I like to have my Kindle or some fitness magazines to keep me inspired and relaxed. J
4. 1^st Phorm Downtime PM- I suggest taking a sleep aid with you to your show so that you can get a good night’s rest the night before your show.  I have had the unfortunate experience of water retention in my lower abdomen the morning of a show because I had a poor night’s sleep the night before.  There is a lot of stress for some competitors and their nerves can get the best of them.  1^st Phorm Downtime PM is an excellent sleep aid that will ensure you get a good night’s rest.

I hope you find this checklist helpful in getting you prepared for the day of your competition!  If you have put in the work, you will most definitely reap the rewards!  If anything, be sure to give yourself credit for having the discipline and confidence to compete!  Now get out there and rock that stage!

Xoxo G

As a powerlifter I take a lot of pride in being proficient in all three lifts (squat, bench & deadlift). However, if I had to pick only one lift I like the most and really feel is my best lift it would have to be the pull.  The biggest question I usually get from people is how to improve their deadlift because it’s an easy lift to plateau on.  Included in this blog is a list of tips I think will give you some ideas to think about implementing in order to add some serious weight to the bar.

Technique – To me this is the biggest key to increasing your deadlift.  In a previous blog I talked exclusively on the proper way to deadlift – (Click here to read that blog). This is one lift where being off even one inch can be the difference between the weights flying up from the ground or the weight feeling like it has magnets stuck to the bottom.  Sometimes you have to put your ego aside and spend several months working on perfecting your form in order to lift the heavier weights later on.  Feel free to go back and read my previous blog on technique for some help.

Set Goals – In any program, especially one where strength is the main focus, one should have a set goal you’re trying to accomplish by the end.  Don’t try to hit a max single deadlift every time you do the exercise as it really taxes your body.  I suggest trying a max lift no more than every five to six weeks.  Your routine should be either adding smaller weight increments every week with the same rep scheme or lowering your reps with heavier weight added.  At the end of your program see if your goals are met and then adjust accordingly.

Warm up Properly – This is the biggest mistake I see the most people doing.  When you’re warming up for a single max attempt or just your work sets, don’t waste energy working up to either.  Use the warm up for exactly that, not to waste your strength.  I see several people start light and do ten or more reps for several sets to warm up.  I see this as energy wasted as this lift is so taxing you want to warm up only to where your body is firing correctly, then jump to your work sets.  My work sets start at over 500 pounds so I will start with 135 and do five reps, I then add a plate to each side and stick to two or three reps until I reach my work sets.  If you are “over” warming up on this lift you are shorting yourself on your work sets.

Think Speed – After you have your technique down, now is the time to work on speed.  After gripping the bar and getting yourself into position, you should try to pull as fast as you can off the floor.  This starts in your warm up, especially with lighter weights.  Really over exaggerate the speed on your warm up sets as it will transfer over and teach your body to pull fast on the heavier weights as well.  Now of course it won’t feel like you are pulling as fast with the heavier weights but trust me, it’s helping.

Assistance Exercises – There are several muscles that work in unison in order to pull big and I am a big believer that if you have one weak link, it will show up in your lift.  You might have the world’s strongest back, but if the rest of your core or hamstrings aren’t up to par, you won’t be able to show how strong that back is.  There are several assistance exercises I feel are extremely influential to building a stronger deadlift.  These include reverse hypers, good mornings, glute ham raises and heavy ab work.  Besides the ab work, you probably won’t see anyone doing these exercises in any commercial gym.  Heck, they might not even have these pieces of equipment in order to do them.  If you throw them in your workouts though, you will build a great posterior chain in order to pull big.

Variations of the Deadlift – I usually deadlift once a week and then throw a variation of the lift in at the end of my week.  These include deficit deadlifts, sumo deadlifts and rack pulls.  If you are having trouble with speed from the floor, try standing on 3 to 5 inches of a rubber mat while deadlifting.  This will increase your distance needed to pull and will really work the bottom of the lift.  The opposite of this is the rack pull.  If you find yourself having trouble locking the weight at the top, stand inside of a power rack with pins right below your knees and use this as your starting position.  This really places the focus on the top end of the lift.  Make sure to look out for an upcoming video blog on how to properly execute and use these variations to help your weak points.

Nutrition & Supplementation – In order to build your strength in any lift you need to be sure you’re properly supplying your body with what it needs.  If you’re taxing your body but not putting anything back in it, no matter how hard you workout you’re not going to get stronger.  Make sure you’re getting enough quality nutrition and to supplement your diet with a high quality protein in order to make strength gains.

Dieting for most people can be very stressful and overwhelming.  One measure I have personally discovered that alleviates much of my stress takes place during the food preparation process.

Many people end up “cheating” on their diets because they aren’t prepared.  They try to take it meal by meal, but that often becomes time consuming and unpractical.  Personally, I try to think in increments of about five to seven days when planning my meals.  I have found this method to reduce much of the stress that I used to encounter on a daily basis.

To begin, before I go to the grocery store, I make a detailed list of what I need for the week.  I calculate how many pounds of meat I need down to how many eggs I will consume down to how many apples I need.  Basically, I go to the grocery with a detailed, calculated plan.  By shopping this way, you will not run out of food unexpectedly; you know exactly when you will need to go shopping again.

Once the food is home, I try to cook for about five days at a time.  It takes a few hours in the kitchen to accomplish this, but it’s worth it.  To make the time pass more quickly, you can listen to music or watch some of your favorite television shows.  You should also try to get your significant other involved in the process; it’s a great way to work together toward a shared goal and to spend some quality time together.

After the food is prepared and cooked, I take the time to measure out all of my meals for the next five days.  I put meals in either ziplock bags or Tupperware containers; this makes it easy to grab your meals as you are walking out the door.  I know this may sound like a simple concept, but it truly can make things much easier when it comes to dieting.  Plan your grocery list (calculate quantities), prepare and cook for several days at a time, and measure your food once you cook it.  I have discovered that organizing and preparing my food this way helps me stay on track with my diet and reduces the possibility of “cheating” and becoming stressed.

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend who was telling me about her diet.  She explained that she put herself on a 1000 calorie a day diet in order to lose weight, and she could eat whatever she wanted as long as she stayed within the 1000 calorie daily limit.  She calculated all food, alcohol, sweets, bread, and whatever else she ate and put it in her plan. She told me she wouldn’t get cravings anymore so long as kept within her daily limit because she could eat what she wanted. This got me thinking, is a calorie really a calorie? And is a diet based solely on calorie consumption a healthy and beneficial diet to individuals with weight loss goals in mind? I decided to do a little research into what calories really are and how they play into our choices in diets and eating.

According to the US Department of Health Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)  the recommended daily caloric intake is 1,800 calories per day for women and 2500 for men.  But how many calories are needed each day varies from person to person depending on lifestyle and other factors. According to a 2010 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, only 12% of Americans can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day. Age, height, weight, and physical activity all have a factor is what is the ideal calorie consumption.

Calories are needed for energy in order to fuel metabolic processes, growth, lactation and maintenance of body temperature. Some people think that the word ‘calorie’ refers to a term in a weight loss diet, but it is really a measure of energy. The definition of a calorie is “the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C”. The word “calorie” came into general use in English in the 1880s, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The first example of “calorie” being used in relation to food rather than heat energy in general is this: 1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 22 June 6/1- A pound of beefsteak contains: 870 calories of energy.

So where do calories come from? According to an article published in the LA Times, calories come from the food we eat that contains carbohydrates, fats, alcohol and proteins. Water, vitamins and minerals are all calorie-free. When we digest food, the nutrients are released, absorbed into the bloodstream and converted to glucose, or blood sugar. This powers the body, allowing us to shiver, blink, remember, breathe and run. The food energy we don’t need right away is stored as body fat, regardless of the nutrient it comes from. That means excess carbs are no more fattening than additional calories from any source, including fats and proteins. A calorie is neither good nor bad, it just is.  But not all calories are created equal according to Leslie Bonci, RD, coauthor of The Active Calorie Diet. Studies show that foods that take more effort to chew — like fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains — can increase your calorie burn. “More calories are required to digest them, and they’ll keep you satisfied longer,” she adds.

So is 500 calories worth of celery really different than 500 calories of french fries? A 2011 breakthrough study discovered that the quality of calories might matter more than the overall quantity. Those who ate a greater amount of certain unhealthy foods, like processed meat, french fries, and sugar-sweetened beverages, gained more weight faster over time than people with healthier diets. Unsurprisingly, eating  healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat yogurt were associated with less weight gain.

Food preparation also affects the amounts of calories in our meals, instead of cooking by adding lots of oil and butter try upping the spice content in your dishes. Ingredients such as caffeine and other compounds in coffee and tea, and spices such as chilies, cinnamon, and ginger fire up your central nervous system and can boost your metabolism.

Calories become fat when we consume more calories than we burn, at the heart of most modern weight-loss diets, we all know that in order to lose weight, we need to eat fewer calories than we expend. Let’s consider this; typically there are 3500 calories for each pound of body fat, so in order to lose one pound of stored fat, technically you would need to burn 3500 extra calories. Eeekk!! Don’t get discouraged just yet; your body is a constant fat burning machine through your metabolism. Your own individual metabolic rate determines how quickly your body burns fat. The average person will burn approximately 1000 to 1400 calories per day at a resting metabolic rate. When you add in daily exercise you are spiking your metabolic rate to burn additional calories, factor in small healthy meals throughout the day and you will have a successful recipe for fat loss!

It’s the combination of exercise and diet that will help you to burn more calories and achieve your weight loss goals. Having a diet rich with fibrous veggies will double your efforts. It’s important to learn to eat foods that facilitate your dieting habits and avoid foods that trigger cravings and overeating. Maximize your fat burning efforts and turn up the heat in your workouts!! You can burn up to 800 calories doing a boot camp class workout, or up to 750 on the elliptical machine. But be wary of exercise machines’ calorie counts. The University of California, San Francisco, used a V02 test to track down calories burned while on machines. The VO2 analyzer calculated how hard the body is working with its height, weight, age, and body fat. The machines’ calorie counts and the VO2 counts didn’t match up at all. Machines overestimated calorie burn by 19 percent! If you really want an accurate count of how many calories you’ve burned, invest in a heart rate monitor which will help you learn how intense your workouts are.

Paying attention to both sides of the equation actually makes it easier to lose weight than relying on one or the other, and it is much easier on your body.  You see, fat tissue lowers the rate at which one burns calories.  On the other hand, muscle is a more physically and metabolically active tissue. It therefore burns more calories than fat does. Through exercise, especially strength and resistance exercise, you can decrease the amount of fat in your body and increase the amount of muscle. This will then help you burn more calories each and every day, even when you’re not exercising. And you will have a hard time building muscle if you don’t have a proper diet which includes lean proteins and wholesome fruits and vegetables.

Calories are not the devil, they are the fuel that your body burns that keeps you alive and kicking, but if you are not conscious of your diet and health then you are allowing those calories to turn into fat, and we all not fat is neither good for you or good on you. Balancing the calories you take in with those you put out is the safest, healthiest way to control your weight – for the next two weeks, or the next 20 years. In all, eat enough calories so your body can function but few enough to create a healthy deficit and you’ll lose fat and keep it off!

I thought I would include some other interesting facts pertaining to calories:

1. The average deep fried mars bar contains almost 1,000 calories – that could be most of your daily allowance, if you’re a small, female, inactive dieter
2. The Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories per day while training.
3. Eating a high-calorie diet when pregnant is linked to giving birth to boys rather than girls. (The rise in low-calorie diets in the developed world is seen as one possible reason for the increasing number of female babies being born compared to male babies.)
4. There are no calories in tea or coffee (just in the milk and sugar that you add…)
5. Sumo Wrestlers consume 20,000 calories a day.. eeeshhhh!!
6. 60% of American consume 20% of their calories from snack food.
7. 1/3 of Americans get their calories from junk food.
8. The United States has the highest calorie consumption in the world, with the average consumption being 3,830 calories a day.
9. Some scientists think that the extra calories from cooked food might have given ancient humans the boost they needed to develop complex brains.
10. Fidgeting can burn 350 calories a day.

 REFERENCES:

• http://www.wisegeek.com/how-many-calories-do-americans-eat-per-day.htm
• http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/reference_calorie.asp
• http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/15/health/la-he-calories-about15-2010feb15
• http://www.news-medical.net/health/Metabolism-Energy-Transformations.aspx
• http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/ten-tips.html
• http://www.popjolly.com/the-facts-about-calories-1542
• http://chartsbin.com/view/1150
• http://www.top10stop.com/lifestyle/countries-with-highest-calorie-consumption-top-10-list-around-the-world

Most people don’t think about how their shoes can affect our workouts.  I can honestly say I didn’t think about it much in the beginning.  If it looked cool, I bought it.  Now, after years of being on my feet and working hard, I realize the benefits not only in your feet but your knees, other joints and even your spine that using the right shoes brings.  ”The biggest mistake people make when they start running, jogging, or doing any exercise program, is just reaching into the closet and pulling out an old pair of sneakers,” says Tracie Rodgers, PhD, an exercise psychologist and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise.  Your shoes play a huge role in overall training results, and it’s something we all need to pay more attention to.

Every shoe is made different.  A shoe made for running is going to be different than a shoe made for tennis, basketball, weight lifting, etc.  “Running shoes have no lateral stability built into them, because you don’t move your feet laterally when you run,” says Joe Puleo, the author of Running Anatomy and the head men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field coach at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J.  “You’re only going forward, and a running shoe is built to give you support and stability as you move your foot through the running gait cycle,” Puleo says. “Basketball and tennis shoes both have to be stabilized laterally, because you move your feet side to side a lot when playing these sports. You can’t build a running shoe that has lateral stability, and you can’t build a shoe for basketball or tennis that doesn’t have it.”

So when you are in need of new shoes, how do you know what to get?  It can be hard to choose from the many different types of athletic shoes available!  But remember, don’t just go for the color or design you like, there are big differences in material and weight that are sport-specific.  These differences have been developed to protect the areas of the feet that encounter the most stress in a particular athletic activity.  Athletic shoes are grouped into seven categories:

Running, training, and walking. This category includes shoes for hiking, jogging, and exercise walking as well. Look for a good walking shoe to have comfortable, soft upper, good shock absorption, and a rocker sole design that encourages the natural roll of the foot during the walking motion. The features of a good jogging shoe include cushioning, flexibility, control and stability in the heel counter area, lightness, and good traction. 
There’s also a big difference between running shoes and training shoes. Training shoes are usually heavier than running shoes, have better support at the sides and have a lighter tread when compared to running shoes.

Court sports. These include shoes for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Most court sports require the body to move forward, backward, and side-to-side. As a result, most athletic shoes used for court sports are subjected to heavy abuse. The key to finding a good court shoe is its sole. Ask a coach or shoes salesman to help you select the best type of sole for the sport you plan on participating in.

Field sports. Includes shoes for soccer, football, and baseball. These shoes are cleated, studded, or spiked. The spike and stud formations vary from sport to sport, but generally are replaceable or detachable cleats, spikes, or studs affixed into nylon soles.

Winter sports. Includes footwear for figure skating, ice hockey, alpine skiing, and cross-country skiing. The key to a good winter sports shoe is its ability to provide ample ankle support.

Track and field sport shoes. Because of the specific needs of individual runners, athletic shoe companies produce many models for various foot types, gait patterns, and training styles. It is always best to ask your coach about the type of shoe that should be selected for the event you are participating in.

Specialty sports. Includes shoes for golf, aerobic dancing, and bicycling.

Outdoor sports. Includes shoes used for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and boating.

Now that you know what KIND of shoe you need, how do you go about picking one to actually buy?  According to the American Orthopedic foot and ankle society these are the steps to take in finding a good shoe.

1. Try on athletic shoes after a workout or run and at the end of the day. Your feet will be at their largest.
2. Wear the same type of sock that you will wear for your sport.
3. When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.
4. The shoes should be comfortable as soon as you try them on. There is no break-in period.
5. Walk or run a few steps in your shoes. They should be immediately be comfortable.
6. Always re-lace the shoes you are trying on. You should begin at the farthest eyelets and apply even pressure as you do a crisscross lacing pattern towards the top of the shoe.
7. The shoe should have a firm grip on your heel. Your heel should not slip as you walk or run.
8. If you participate in a sport three or more times a week, you need a sports specific shoe.

And while it may not be on the doctor’s list… one I’ll personally add in is to find a style or design you like (or at least don’t hate).  J  When you hit the gym or head outside, you want to make sure you feel your best and for me, something as silly as bright orange or hot pink shoes can add a little extra pep in my step!!

All of these tips should help ensure your feet are able to perform at their peak. And hopefully next time you walk into an athletic shoe store you won’t feel quite so overwhelmed by the walls and racks of options!  Thanks for listening and I look forward to questions or comments.

Resistance training is the best form of exercise to build strength and muscle mass.  Many variables are key factors to consider as you build and follow a resistance training program.  A number of theories exist as to why and how our bodies build stronger muscles.  The answer to the “why?” question is more straight-forward as it most simply is because your body is responding to the new and foreign level of overload you place against the muscles and bone when you perform heavy resistance training.  The “how?” question is much more debated and complicated.  It is currently accepted that muscle growth occurs primarily through a coordinated increase in muscle protein synthesis and a number of anabolic or body building hormones.  While some scientists have recently debated against the impact of hormones and their role in muscle growth, additional research needs to be completed to fully determine the role in which they play.  A number of hormones are closely linked to muscle growth and they are testosterone, cortisol, leutinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone.  Before this conversation continues too far, a hormone is basically a substance that your body produces and releases into the blood where it then travels somewhere else inside the body and cause some type of change.  The signal for this process oftentimes starts in the brain and progresses to other body parts where the hormone is actually produced.

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones regarding growth of cells like muscle cells.  Resistance training is widely known to increase the production of testosterone.  With more testosterone circulating throughout the body, the greater chance it will bind to important cells and stimulate any number of positive changes.  Key variables must be utilized in your favor to maximize the hormonal change which occurs after resistance training.  As mentioned before, resistance training is responsible for much greater changes in testosterone as opposed to endurance exercise.  In fact, endurance exercise has been shown to result in the suppression or decreases in testosterone.  When deciding to do resistance training to stimulate large changes in testosterone, the complexity of the exercise must be considered.  The easiest way to determine if an exercise is simple or complex is to count the number of joints in which movement has to occur when the exercise is performed with perfect technique.  For example, performing leg extensions involves primarily one joint in the body, the knee.  On the other hand, when performing squats or leg press, the body has to move the ankles, knees and hips to perform these exercises correctly.  Same goes when comparing the chest fly to the bench press or a dumbbell curl to a pulldown.  When more joints are involved, more muscle is involved.  When more muscle is involved, greater changes in testosterone will likely occur.  Rule #1 is thus to have at least one exercise for each body part you intend to train that involves multiple joints in the body.  A 2^nd reason exists why this rule works.  When more weight is lifted, more muscle is recruited.  If more muscle is recruited, more testosterone is likely produced.  The more joints you use, oftentimes the more weight you can use which means more muscle is recruited which means more testosterone will be produced.

Other variables can also be considered and manipulated in your favor.  For example, changing the amount of rest you take between sets of each exercise can greatly impact hormonal changes.  Less rest results in more fatigue which can stimulate certain hormones to be released.  This is a catch-22, however, because if you rest more completely your muscles will be more recovered and thus more likely to be able to lift more weight.  Remember rule #1 more weight = more muscle recruited.  All in all rule #2 says to grow bigger, lower rest is needed.  Rule #3 relates to intensity; the single most important variable to consider.  The bottom line is if you don’t train with enough intensity, the amount of rest or number of joints being used won’t matter nearly as much.  To best stimulate changes in hormones, you need to commit yourself to train with intensities that will result in muscular failure between eight and twelve repetitions.  When the word “fail” is used, it is meant literally.  You physically cannot lift the weight anymore; that is true muscular failure.  Not, “I’m tired, my muscles are getting uncomfortable and I am going to stop”.  Big difference!

In response to a heavy bout of resistance exercise, testosterone will rapidly increase during the workout and reach peak levels within several minutes after you complete the exercise bout.  These values will then slowly decline back to normal levels.  However, people who regularly resistance train will maintain higher levels of testosterone overall and this can go on to positively impact many other things besides just your strength.  In summary, testosterone is a key hormone that needs to be maximized through heavy resistance training.  For years, studies have shown an association between increases in testosterone and positive improvements in strength and muscle mass, but it is also related to general positive feelings of mood and self-esteem.  Certainly, the saying, “Go Heavy or Go Home!” has some application, particularly for those people serious about their training and gaining muscle mass.