New Year’s Resolutions: Fat Loss Edition
December 22, 2009
New Year’s Resolutions: Fat Loss Edition
Imagine this… the year 2010 is finally here and you have won the struggle with having the health and body you have always wanted. You close your eyes and picture yourself smiling from head to toe because this summer is the summer where you are looking forward to shedding your clothes and showing off all your hard work. THIS is the greatest feeling, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of well-being, a sense of complete victory.
Now if you think you’re alone in always trying to lose fat, well let me tell you that’s complete bull! Everyone including the most elite fitness competitors are always challenged by their body’s fat percentage. Fat is the one element that covers our muscles and separates it from our skin all the while removing definition and tone.
With this said I should preface to say that fat is not all bad! Media and magazines force us to believe that if we have some fat that we are unhealthy, but through evolution there must have been a reason that we were created with the ability to store fat. The real truth is that fat is a form of fuel that keeps our muscles, brain and heart running when we are sleeping and in times when we have no food. Without it we would be completely non-functional and our organs would all crash. So where do we find balance?
Why Fruit Can Harm Your Health These Holidays
December 21, 2009
Why Fruit Can Harm Your Health These Holidays
In several articles on this site I state that a key component to any healthy eating plan is to include lots of fruit. But the question is, can fruit really be bad for us considering all the chemicals and pesticides that are sprayed on most fruit we eat?
My intention in writing this is to just make us all more aware of what we buy and what we put into our bodies. You may disagree with this statement whole-heartedly but the healthy thing here is that we generate discussion on this topic…
I came across a scientific report lately on how many chemicals are actually found on apples…ready for this? Scientists have found over 189 chemicals to be found on apples by the time they arrive in the grocery store, and not all the chemicals are pesticides. We already know that many pesticides, even those stated as being organic are harmful to our health and have been linked with cancer.
Deadlift: Exercise of the Week
December 17, 2009
Deadlift: Exercise of the Week
There aren’t that many different types of exercises you can do for the lower back since the range of movement is pretty limited in this area. With that said the deadlift is one of the most effective exercises to really strengthen the erector spinae muscles of the lower back.
The trick with this exercise is that you absolutely MUST have proper form to do it right otherwise you risk excessive strain on your hamstrings and lower back. Not fun, and why so many people shy away from this exercise, but when done correctly you will see some exceptional results.
If you’re beginning this exercise it is best to start with using dumbbells instead of a barbell. Light dumbbells will allow you to focus on your form and perfect the movement before you advance to a heavier barbell which challenges your balance more. Also when beginning do the deadlift with bending at knees. Once you have been doing that for several weeks you can try the exercise with stiff legs.
A variation I like to add is having one hand with an under-grip and one hand with an over-grip, it allows you to keep the bar balanced a little easier when you go heavier with the weights.
Weight Training Plateau – 5 Tips to Push You Through
December 15, 2009
Weight Training Plateau – 5 Tips to Push You Through
At some point everyone will get stuck with their workouts and stop seeing results in the mirror. This is the dreaded weight training plateau stage and this article will point out 5 of the most effective ways to break the plateau and push you through to the next level of gaining more muscle.
If you’re female or a male who doesn’t want to get bulky hopefully other articles on this site have shown you that it takes muscle to burn fat, and the more muscle you have the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. This means you will be burning more calories at rest if you have more muscle. There are more many more benefits of having a little more muscle such as protection of your joints and muscles and you can always cut back by adding more cardio.
Vitamin D Facts
December 14, 2009
Vitamin D Facts
Recently I’ve had a lot of people ask me about vitamin deficiencies and what we should be supplementing with. The problem arises particularly when we process foods with preservatives, pesticides or other chemicals that we see a major shift in lack of vitamins and minerals that we get from our foods. Therein lies the fact the controversy of organic foods having higher levels of natural vitamins. But what about non-essential vitamins that we generate naturally from other sources?
If we look at Vitamin D it is actually classified as a non-essential vitamin because our body generates it from other sources such as sunlight. However, the problem is that in the winter many of us do not get enough sunlight and skin doctors now mention that because many of us are now using sun-block creams this results in insufficient generation of vitamin D.
Just 20 minutes of sunlight a day would allow our bodies to generate adequate Vitamin D levels so it does come as a surprise that researchers are noting that most North Americans do not have enough Vitamin D. So what are the common problems associated with Vitamin D Deficiency?
Health Benefits of Yoga Part 2
December 10, 2009
Health Benefits of Yoga Part 2
My last article on Health Benefits of Yoga generated a lot of discussion especially in the Twitter world (http://twitter.com/samomidi) and since I noticed I could write pages on this practice this is the 2nd part in the series which will get you to see even more outside-the-box benefits.
In this article we look at how Yoga can benefit your weight loss efforts, sexual health as well as how it can excel athletes of all kinds of sport and exercise.
Weight Loss Health Benefits of Yoga
Last time I touched on Yoga as a way to reduce mental and muscular stress by allowing you to bring your mind to peace with the outside world as well as challenge you with deep stretching of all your muscles from head to toe. This directly also will benefit you when it comes to weight loss, and not just any weight loss but specifically fat loss. How does it do so?
Nutrition Facts Label – How to Read
December 8, 2009
Nutrition Facts Label – How to Read
Turn over any packaged product and you are faced with a Nutrition Facts Label. But how do you read it, and what do you look out for? After reading this article you will be able to take 5 seconds and look at the Nutrition Facts Label and determine if this is the right product to keep your fat-reducing muscle-producing nutrition plan in place or not.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size
The serving size is the first thing you’ll want to look at. Is the portion size indicated a real life amount that you would be consuming? A lot of times I see this number is a little off especially with cereals. Some manufacturers indicate that half a cup of cereal is a regular serving size when a lot of times it is actually a full cup (250ml size). So if that is the case remember to double everything listed below.
Health Benefits of Yoga
December 7, 2009
Health Benefits of Yoga
As a health coach and personal trainer I feel like it’s my responsibility to always try and step outside the box and attempt different physical activities which challenge not only my body, but my mind and overall well being. Yoga is no exception and I thought I’d share my recent experiences with Yoga as well as talk about the numerous health benefits it provides.
Overview of Yoga
Originating from India several thousand years ago, Yoga is a practice which includes techniques to bring about a higher state of consciousness through meditation, physical postures, and breathing. In the Western World Hatha Yoga is the most practiced although there are several other types identified by the religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
Exercise Ball Ab Crunch – Exercise of the Week
December 3, 2009
Exercise of the Week: Exercise Ball Ab Crunch
Yesterday I tweeted to see what people thought was the most difficult exercise and the number one response was sit-ups/crunches. I see this a lot in the gym mostly because people are doing the exercise with a swinging motion, or they have their hands behind their heads and causing strain on their necks.
There are a lot of devices which have been invented to try and circumvent the lower back pain or neck pain caused from ab crunches but I believe the one that is most effective and can help even the most advanced are ab crunches on an exercise ball. The natural arch created by the ball keeps your back in place and allows you to focus on keeping your abs tight and really concentrating all your efforts on a smooth controlled motion.
Let’s take a 360 approach on ab crunches with a stability ball…
Jake Gyllenhaal Prince of Persia Workout
December 1, 2009
Jake Gyllenhaal Prince of Persia Workout
You may have already seen glimpses of Jake Gyllenhaal preparing for his upcoming role in Prince of Persia, but I thought I’d jump the gun and write an article on his workout. Mind you he was always in shape but he has definitely put on a good amount of bulk for his role.
This is a simulated workout routine of Jake Gyllenhall including real Insider information from his trainer that will build serious muscle mass. Only attempt this workout if you are at an advanced level working out for at least 6 months continuously. If you’re not quite there then you can begin with lighter weights and lower reps until you feel confident with your form and ready to push to the next level.
Jake Gyllenhaal Workout Routine:
