I'm not big boned, I'm fat blooded...

There's another heart risk out there that we all forget about but need to keep tabs on. -Triglycerides- Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body. Any calories that aren't immediately burned after eating-whether from fats, proteins, or carbohydrates are converted into this fat and stored as an energy reserve. Triglycerides circulate in the blood where they can stick to artery walls which contributes to plaque and heart disease.

It's important to get your levels checked, because even if you have normal cholesterol you may still be in danger of developing heart disease if your triglycerides are high. So talk you your doctor today about getting your levels checked.

Okay, so that was the bad news, here's the good news. Triglyceride levels can be controlled through diet and exercise! Yay! Limit high fat meals and drink less alcohol, which slows down fat metabolism. Avoid starchy and sugary carbohydrates and try some Omega 3 fatty acids like salmon and sardines. Working out 3 to 4 days a week for at least a half an hour can really help to clear the fat from your blood and will also help with lowering cholesterol. It's not an overnight fix, but exercising and eating right will significantly reduce your Triglycerides... It's a fact and it's easier than you think! More questions? Give me a call, you know my number.

You Asked For It!!!

Okay, I have been teasing some of you folks out there with my ultimate smoothie recipe. The truth is... it's very simple to make. The main ingredient I based this drink around is the protein, this way you can use it as a meal replacement if need be. I use Trader Joe's Soy Protein Powder, it's the quick dissolve, no flavor added kind. 2 scoops provides 23 grams of protein with only 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. The next thing you need is juice, either grape, apple or cranberry. Whichever you prefer just make sure it's the no sugar added kind. The next item up is toasted oat bran. The toasted kind has less fat and just as much fiber as regular oat bran and has more flavor than wheat germ or bulgar; you can find it in bulk at Raley's or Winco Foods. I usually use about 2 to 3 tbsp. of this. Okay now you gotta get the smoothie consistency, I use low-fat plain yogurt to smooooth it out and frozen berries. You can throw a handful of frozen raspberries or strawberries in or buy a mixed fruit bag if you want a really berry infused smoothie. Either way it will taste great. You can throw a little fresh fruit in if you like, but the frozen stuff makes the smoothie thick and cold, plus you want to keep the overall size of the beverage around 12 to 16 oz.

Once you've assembled this all throw it in your blender and blend it to your desired consistency. I use a Magic Bullet, that way I can make the perfect sized portion and have a really easy clean up too. I think they cost about $50.00 at Target. If you want to change it up a bit throw in a few tablespoons of rich, chocolatey Ovaltine instead of the wheat bran. If you really want to get fancy you can throw in some Flax-Seed oil or a sprig or two of mint. Pour it in a glass, stick a straw in it, and enjoy!

The items:
Soy Protein 1-2 scoops
Juice 6 to 8 oz.
Yogurt, Plain non-fat or low-fat 3 Tbsp.
Toasted Oat Bran 2 Tbs.
Frozen Berries, your choice, about a handful

Can Plyometrics Work For Me?

You've heard the term but what is it? Basically Plyometrics refers to an exercise that enables a muscle to reach maximum force in the shortest possible time. The muscle is loaded with an eccentric (lengthening) action, followed immediately by a concentric (shortening) action. A muscle that is stretched before a concentric contraction, will contract more forcefully and more rapidly. A classic example is a “squat" just prior to an explosive vertical jump. By lowering the center of gravity quickly, the muscles involved in the jump are momentarily stretched producing a more powerful movement. The way I sometimes describe it to my clients is a pre-stretch followed by an explosive action.

The most common plyometric exercises include hops, jumps and bounding movements. One popular plyometric exercise is jumping off a box and rebounding off the floor and onto another, higher box. These exercises typically increase speed and strength and build power. You've probably done plyo exercises and not even known it. A few more exercises are Burpees, One Foot Box Jumps, Clap Push-ups and Medicine Ball Push-ups.

The idea of plyometrics is to develop the greatest amount of force in the shortest amount of time. Plyometrics is one of the best ways if not the best way to improve power. Power is similar to strength except you are adding a time factor. Therefore the relation of strength and speed is what we are talking about when we talk about power. So what we are looking at is not just the contraction of the muscle, but how fast will it contract. It has been shown that a muscle will contract the fastest when it has been loaded. This is why you should be able to jump higher if you crouch down then immediately jump up than if you started in the crouch.

Plyometrics can also promote reflex power through a broader range of motion than most endurance athletes use. These exercises also train an athlete to absorb shock better, improving resiliency in the joints and soft tissue. With plyometric training, an athlete is able to sustain repetitive contractions over time. As with any exercise there is always a risk of injury. You should never do a plyometric workout without being properly warmed up. The most important aspect of a safe and effective plyometric program is developing safe landing techniques when doing plyo jumps. This means the athlete lands softly on the toes and rolls to the heels. By using the whole foot (and a larger surface area) for landing it helps dissipate the impact forces on the joints. The other key to proper landing is to avoid any twisting or sideways motion at the knee. Got more questions? Want to check out a plyometric workout? Drop me a line, I'll put you through a workout on me.
Source

Plyometric Training for Children and Adolescents, December 2001, www.acsm.org.

American Council on Exercise, Plyometrics: Controlled Impact/Maximum Power, Fit Facts, 2001, M01-076 PLY - 52.

Cancer Fears ME

You can help out my nephew and other children with cancer by going to cancerfearsme.org It's through the Cool Kids Campaign. They sell t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other miscellaneous items with the logo Cancer Fears ME on it. 25% of every sale goes directly to Luke and the other helps the Cool Kids Campaign with all they do for children with cancer. You can get on their website to read about the non-profit co. and how they got started and where the money goes. It really ends up helping so many. You can order directly online at:
http://www.cancerfearsme.org/ and put in Lukey's customer number which is #264. They will ship directly to you.

I'm so excited about this. Cancer Fears US, we don't fear cancer. I urge everyone to go to the website an check it out. Even if you don't order there are so many other ways to help support children with cancer. If you know someone who has been affected by cancer this would make a great statement.

Know Your Numbers

Hi everyone. Yesterday at morning bootcamp we were discussing cholesterol numbers and it occurred to me that there might be some people out there that don't know their vital stats (my bootcampers did, good job ladies). Your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) comprise your vital stats. If these numbers get too high, you could be a risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and the list goes on and on. Relax, there are many ways to lower these numbers, but for now let's talk about what they mean.

BLOOD PRESSURE
Your blood pressure readings measure the force of blood against the artery walls. As blood vessels become stiffer with age, your heart works harder to pump blood through the arteries and your blood pressure increases. High blood pressure, or hypertension can lead to heart disease or stroke. SO GET IT CHECKED TODAY! These are the ranges.
Optimal Less than 120/80 (mm/Hg)
Prehypertension Between 120/80 (mm/Hg) and 139/89 (mm/Hg)
Hypertension 140/90 (mm/Hg) and above

BLOOD GLUCOSE
Your body converts food into glucose, a sugar that circulates in your blood. The hormone insulin shuttles glucose to cells where it can be used as energy. But sometimes, excess glucose stays in the blood, putting you at risk for diabetes. On a fasting blood glucose test:
Normal 99 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) or below
Pre-Diabetes 100-125 mg/dl
Diabetes 126mg/dl and above

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
Your BMI is a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. BMI is linked to numerous health issues like heare disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, cancer and diabetes. If you're overweight or obese, even a weight loss as little as 5 percent can cut your risk of disease. You can calculate your own BMI by going to:
http://www.exrx.net/index.html Then go to Fitness Calculators and click on Body Mass Index or you can just click on the title of this blog and it will take you directly to EXRX.NET
Underweight Below 18.5
Normal 18.5-24.9
Overweight 25.0-29.9
Obese 30.0 and above

CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is a type of lipid (fat) produced by your liver and sent through your bloodstream to the rest of your body. It combines with protein to become lipoproteins. High-density lipoproteins (HDL or GOOD cholesterol) carry cholesterol back to the liver to be processed and excreted from the body. Low Density lipoproteins (LDL or BAD cholesterol) can clog blood vessels and restrict blood flow. You also take in cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Total Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dl
LDL Bad: Less than 160 mg/dl for people at low risk for heart disease. Less than 130 mg/dl people at intermediate risk for heart disease. Less than 100 mg/dl for people at high risk for heart disease. Think about that last one... Does heart disease run in your family? I know it does in mine. Get your numbers checked.
HDL Good: 50 mg/dl or higher for women 40 mg/dl or higher for men.

DON"T PANIC! Here are some things you can do to bring these numbers down. Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, restrict sodium, limit alcohol and maintain a healthy weight. Limit saturated fat intake to 7 to 10 percent of your daily calories. If you already have cardiovascular disease keep it under 7 percent. You can lower it by eating more fiber and by dropping those extra pounds. Talk to your doctor and find out your numbers.

Does Circuit Training Work?

The easy answer to that question is yes, absolutely. You can get a more time-efficient workout and burn about a third more calories by doing strength and cardio in one shot. Cardio blasts calories immediately, while strength-training increases metabolism over time, so combining the two gives you the best workout for your time spent. Schedule yourself 30 minutes to workout, I promise this will be plenty. Alternate 2 minutes of weights (cables, resistance bands) with 2 minutes of cycling (eliptical, treadmill) for 30 minutes, ramping up the intensity about half way through the workout. Some gyms offer a circuit-room that puts you through a workout with a timer. Another option is the bootcamp method, which pushes you to do cardio and strength training for 30 to 40 minutes with very little rest and is probably the most effective workout.

You can also do the bootcamp style workout at home by working your biceps, shoulders or back with a resistance band or dumbbells while alternating with Jumping Jacks, Squat Jumps or Mountain Climbers. Most people who have tried this workout 3 times a week for 12 weeks trimmed their waistlines by 4%. If you are interested in some other cardio excercises you can do at home without a machine, drop me an e-mail. Good luck and stay motivated!

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Empathy for the Comeback

Like a lot of people, much of my self-esteem and even how I defined myself was tied up in my appearance. I have always had a nice physique, even when I was a little heavy I always had a big chest and arms to compensate. I would work out with guys ten to fifteen years my junior and crush them on the bench and the pull-up bar.

Being a personal trainer, I have prided myself on looking good by exercising and eating right. Eat right, exercise and feel good about yourself, right? I thought this philosophy was good enough to make me an excellent example for my clients. There is one thing that I never had in my toolbox to make me the best trainer I could be. Empathy. I have never had to make a comeback. I have never known what it is like to return from an injury or being 40 pounds overweight, or trying to get in shape after having a baby. Now I realize you can’t be an excellent trainer until you know what it’s like to return from the abyss.

It was about 5 days after my living donor (Liver) surgery, I was finally able get up and go to the bathroom so I could clean myself up a bit. I stood in front of the mirror and dropped my gown to the floor. I was stunned into silence, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Who was this little withered man in front of me? My chest and shoulders had shrunk and my biceps and triceps had almost disappeared, my body had literally been eating itself. I lost almost 20 pounds in the matter of a week. I stared in disbelief for what seemed like an eternity. I started to feel dizzy and tears began to well up in my eyes as I stared at this hunched over invalid in the mirror. I reached out and touched my reflection just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Somehow I managed to brush my teeth and wash up. I climbed back into my hospital bed, closed my eyes and hoped that it was all a dream. I no longer have to assume that this is how someone feels the day they look into a mirror and see only a version of their former selves.

I can say now for sure, that I will never take for granted the pain that my clients are going through, not just the physical pain, but the mental pain too. I will make my comeback, it will be painful and hard work, but I will make my comeback, and I won’t forget.