Solid Core Fitness -- Sai's Blog

Not only should you exercise regularly, but you should also fuel your machine right, i.e. you should eat well! Half the battle is supplying your body with good foods. Your performance in anything will always depend on how well you eat.

What are the health benefits to cardiovascular exercise?
● Reduction in blood pressure
● Increased HDL cholesterol
● Decreased total cholesterol
● Decreased body fat stores
● Increased aerobic work capacity
● Decreased clinical symptoms of anxiety, tension, and depression
● Reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion
● Increased Reduction in mortality in postmyocardial infarction patients
● Prevention of type 2 diabetesPrevention of type 2 diabetes

What are the health benefits of improving flexibility?
● Enhanced muscular relaxation
● Improved range of motion within joints
● Improved muscular balance
● Enhanced speed of movement
● Reduced injury occurrence for certain activities
● Improved performance in certain sport-related activities

What are the health benefits of strength exercise?
● Increasing and restoring bone density (for example, prevention of osteoporosis)
● Increased lean muscle mass, muscle strength, muscle endurance
● Injury prevention during physical activity
● Improved balance, flexibility, mobility, stability
● Decreased risk of coronary disease
● Aids rehabilitation and recovery
● Enhanced performance is sports or exercise
● Aging gracefully, reducing muscle loss as one ages

     How do I start reaching my goals?
     Make realistic goals for yourself. Set long-term, as well as short-term goals. For example, a long-term goal might be, "I want to lose 20 lbs by the end of the year." A short-term goal might then be, "I want to lose 2 lbs in the next seven days."
     Make a realistic workout schedule for yourself and STICK TO IT. Pretend that this workout schedule is set in stone and unchangeable. No excuses. Do not move or change these times for anything. Stick to the plan. For beginners, I recommend starting to workout 2-3 times per week, with rest day(s) in between.
     Keep a journal. This journal will be your Food Diary as well as your Workout Diary. You will record everything you eat: what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat it. Do not skip anything. If you are walking out the door and you grab a goldfish, write it down. If you took an extra scoop of butter, write it down. Do not pretend that it never happened. Also, write down your workouts: when you worked out, what you did, how intense the workout was, and how long it lasted.

     How do I tone up?
     Toning comes from a combination of losing fat and hardening muscle. You lose fat by burning more calories than you consume. Strength training will build muscle, as well as its strength and endurance.
     To shed calories, do some form of cardiovascular exercise, such as running, biking, elliptical, martial arts, dance, circuit workouts, HIIT (high intensity interval training), etc. Fat will be lost from the last place your body stored it. Even though everyone's body is a little different, men tend to store fat around the stomach, and women tend to store fat around the thighs and legs.
     It is a myth that if you work out a particular part of your body, fat will then be lost from that same part of the body. For example, just because you do a ton of biceps curls does not mean that fat will then shed from your arms. Fat will be lost from the last place your body stored it.
     This means that all those products advertising that you will get a six-pack just from some form of abdominal exercise are misleading. Yes, it takes strengthening your abs in order to make them bigger and solid. But doing a hundred crunches will not cause the fat covering your abs to burn off. Running 5k will.

I'm too busy to worry about all of this.
You are never going to have time to worry about it. You must MAKE time. This is your health, your body, your mind. It is the most important thing you have, and the most important thing to take care of.

I need motivation.
For many people, self-motivation is really hard. To get over this lack of drive, you might want to try getting a workout partner, signing up at a gym (i.e. being pressured to put your fees to good use), signing up at a fun fitness class (such as dance or yoga or MMA), or, yes, signing up for personal training sessions. :-P

How do I eat better?

Use your Food Diary to look back and see what kind of improvements you can make for yourself. Also, take the following recommendations that I have paraphrased from the ACE Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant Manual:

How much to consume?
     - Americans in general should eat fewer calories, be more active, and make wiser food choices.
     - Nutrient needs should be met primarily through consuming foods.
The following is recommended for an active person or athlete:
     - Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages from the basic food groups. Choose foods that limit your intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
     - To maintain weight, balance calories expended to calories taken in.
     - Meet recommended intakes with a balanced eating pattern, such as the USDA food guide or the DASH eating plan. Maximize nutrient intake by choosing a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods. This is especially important for people who are restricting their caloric intake to lose weight. Choosing foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients may mean that the active individual is not adequately taking in appropriate nutrients for performance.
     - If you need to lose weight, slowly cut down on your caloric intake while increasing your physical activity. The ACE manual recommends a decrease in intake by 250 calories (e.g. 2.5 tablespoons of butter or mayonnaise or a small order of french fries) while increasing your expenditure by 250 calories. This will promote a weight-lose goal of 1 lb per week.

Encouraged food groups:
     - Eat a good amount of fruits and vegetables while staying within your caloric needs. It is recommended that you have two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day for a 2,000 calorie/day intake. Fruits and vegetables will provide you with complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
     - Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. This maximizes nutrient intake, minimizing the need for supplements.
     - Consume three or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products per day. Whole grains provide complex carbohydrates, as well as B vitamins, and many products are fortified with iron. Diets rich in whole grains may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and help with weight management. These foods will provide you with the necessary energy.
     - Consume three cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products. These are low-fat sources of protein, necessary for muscle growth. They are the most available sources of calcium, necessary for bone growth.

Fats:
     - Consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fats and animal fats.
     - Consume less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol.
     - Keep trans fat consumption as low as possible.
     - Saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol can clog arteries and affect long-term health and performance.
     - keep total fat intake between 20 and 35% of calories, with most fats coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Examples are fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
     - Choose low-fat or lean sources of protein as much as possible, such as when preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products.

Carbohydrates
     - Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Active people require 55 to 65% of total calories from carbohydrates.
     - Choose foods with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners. Added sugars may mean more fluctuations in glucose level (hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), which may affect performance.

Sodium and Potassium
     - Consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium (approx. 1 teaspoon of salt) per day.
     - Choose and prepare foods with little salt. At the same time, consume potassium-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Highly active individuals may sweat out more electrolytes and need to replace them through their diet.

Alcoholic Beverages
     - If you choose to drink, drink sensibly and moderately. This general means up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Alcohol may promote dehydration, which may result in poor exercise performance.

FAVORITE LINKS

WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/
WebMD Health Corp. (WebMD) is a provider of health information services to consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, employers and health plans through its public and private online portals, and health-focused publications.

Fitness Tips to Get Lean and Toned, not Bulky! | Fitness Black Book
http://fitnessblackbook.com/
My name is Rusty Moore. In June 2007 I launched Fitness Black Book…A site where I could lay out a training approach to help guys and girls get the lean, "Hollywood Look".

Straight to the Bar
http://www.straighttothebar.com/
Here you’ll find everything that grunts, groans and ticks in the world of strength training. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

IDEA Health and Fitness Association: Offering a Wealth of Fitness Professionals Success Tools
http://www.ideafit.com/
Since 1982, IDEA has provided fitness professionals with unbiased research, educational resources and industry leadership.

FAVORITE BOOKS

Hey all-- if you are a client of mine or of Sarah's and you would like to borrow one of these books, please let me know! I would be more than happy to lend.

The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise, and Excellence in the Martial Arts by Loren W. Christensen and Wim Demeere

Men's Health Power Training: Build Bigger, Stronger Muscles through Performance-based Conditioning by Robert de los Remedios MA CSCS

Tae kwon do Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring by Sang H. Kim, Kuk Hyun Chung, and Kyong Myong Lee

ACE Personal Trainer Manual: The Ultimate Resource for Fitness Professionals from the American Council on Exercise

ACE Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant Manual from the American Council on Exercise

Timing in the Fighting Arts: Your Guide to Winning in the Ring and Surviving on the Street by Loren W. Christensen and Wim Demeere

The Men's Health Gym Bible by Myatt Murphy and Michael Meija CSCS