Monday, November 29, 2010

Finally solved huh?

The Obesity Riddle Finally Solved

A RIDDLE?!?! Hardly.. This article was published on 11/25, yet we've been barking this well-known idea, that was called "Banting" like 170 years ago, to you since MAY and have been practicing it ourselves for much longer than that. Darn scientists think they know everything yet their entire industry revolves around things they DON'T know. If only they'd open a couple books before trying to solve the "mysteries" of life..

I still think it's a bit off and the paleo way of eating wins by far, but it's a step in the right direction.

enjoy

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Hit the ground Running!

Like I've said before, fitness is residual and aggregate. Body builders need to worry about their "shape". We don't need to too much since not THAT much is going to change after a single weekend of binge eating in the bigger course of things. It's all about the big picture. Therefore, I will be imposing a strict 50 burpee penalty for anyone who utters the words "back in shape". We don't work for "shapes"; we work hard for performance. Shapes and aesthetics are a CONSEQUENCE of performance. What better way to improve your performance, and consequently, your shape than with a swift 50 burpees? I suggest you all spread the word, and I also suggest not testing me on this one, as I have remorselessly thrown burpees at very minor things before, as many of you can attest.

Aside from that, here's a couple more performance-boosting, sweat-producing, vomit-inducing, always fun, never boring workouts.

1. For Time:
50-40-30-20-10
-Double-unders/ Jumping Jacks/ 4x jump rope
-Sit ups

2. For Time:
Run 100m, 20 Burpees
Run 200m, 15 Burpees
Run 300m, 10 Burpees
Run 400m, 5 Burpees

Recover: Hang/Swing on Pullup Bar for 5 min. Stretch your shoulders and chest.


Remember to warm up well. Don't skimp on that.

Here's a couple more good reads about PERFORMANCE-NUTRITION (remember about aesthetics being consequential?):

PALEO BOOKS

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Additional Thought for Food

To follow up, some great additional food reads are:
The Paleo Solution, the Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Some additional online sources are:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
http://www.fathead-movie.com/
http://www.robbwolf.com/

Sometimes even science sucks.

I highly encourage everyone to always call B.S. on everything they see and hear. Apply your own wits and think things through before coming to your own conclusions.

I recently stumbled upon this article about eating whole grains. I simply disregarded it since you all know my stance on grains and carbs. But then I realized that perhaps it might help to discuss why I think this article is bunk.

The article feeds the fairly recent claim that argues whole grains, rather than highly refined grains,are good (better) for you. The idea there is that the whole grains take longer for your metabolism to break down and as such keep you full longer and, ultimately have a lower glycemic index than highly refined carbs (takes longer to become glucose in your blood). Also, because much of the grain remains intact (bran, endosperm, etc..) you supposedly get more nutrients for your buck while still keeping the calorie count relatively low. And since there are fewer fat-calories (which somehow are linked to human fat, in this case and many other pro-carb studies; of course there is no direct link but lets play along) then a caloric deficit (also not well shown to be a succesful method of aquiring fitness) will ultimately produce a leaner and more fit individual. Quite a nice theory indeed.

As we all hopefully know by now, all calories ARE NOT created equally and our bodies deal with them quite differently. Calories from sugars (carbs,starches, etc.) trigger insulin to be released into the blood. Calories from protein trigger glucagon to be relaesed to metabolize that. And fat is completely separate in it's metabilsm because it is hormonally neutral (for the most part) and has many uses in addition to fueling the oxidative pathways. So this is important to consider.

One of the argument presented in the article is lower visceral fat leads to lower risk of type-2 diabetes and metabloic disease. Lets think about this for a second. Insulin (triggered by glucose) is respomsible for storing "stuff" as fat in our bodies. Chronically high levels of insulin is also the cause of "insulin-resistance" which essentially is the precursor to type-2 diabetes. I know I just generalized two very complex issues, but sometimes, that helps. So basically, the two seemingly separate issues have one single factor. Now, some might ask, "well, why then are there skinny diabetics and fat people without any signs of diabetes?" Well, our susceptibilities are all different because our genetic predisposition seem to be different. Here's a source about fat cells that may help (good read). Perhaps some people max out their fat-cells earlier than others..

So if chronically high glucose is the major cause of all of these issues, wouldn't it make sense to address that issue rather on focusing on a related symptom? Here's an analogy: Smoking gives you bad breath and emphezema. Would it make sense to try and address the bad breath to treat the emphezema, or should we just address the real cause of BOTH of those issues; the smoking? Discuss.

I'm not going to get into too much economics here, but the carb-favoring study was funded by the USDA and General Mills and their intersts lie in creating wealth for the agricultural markets, which happens to be an enormous factor in the health of our economy, especialy during times of economic hardship.(the farm bill was created after the great depression along with the food pyramid, no surpises there).

Ironically, the study concedes that much more research needs to be done to find various missing links in their logic. Furthermore, no links to fat-loss and consumption quatitities of whole-grains were found. So why do people who eat whole grains solely have 10% lower visceral fat? I imagine that those who eat whole grains are probably just more health-minded in general and as such, have less body-fat as opposed to those who are not or CANNOT be health-minded because of financial circumstances.

Here's an actual study about auto-immune disease which will hopefully make you reconsider consuming any grains whatsoever as they are a major contributor to systemic inflammation.

Discuss! DO IT!

P.S. We'll have a little turkey-day leftover contest next week, where I will be the judge. Just kidding, kind of..

Monday, November 22, 2010

Preview of Tuesday's Workout

Commence Eating!

For those of you who only check the blog on Mondays, check out my previous post. A few good reads if you have the time and interest.

Tis the season to eat. So eat hearty and don't look back. Please do not hold back on ENJOYING yourselves and the time spent with families. True fitness is residual and aggregate; you will not lose it after a large meal and a few days of rest. In fact, you'll probably come back stronger. Personally, I took 2 weeks off from any lifting because my back was hurting, came back and lifted more than ever. SO fear not, you can have seconds, thirds, fourths, till you pass out. Just save me some leftovers, ;).

Also, "burning-off" yesterday's calories today is a load of nonsense, and many of you have already caught on to that. It's not like you have an over-filled fuel tank that needs to be burned off. Storage happens when your blood sugar remains high for too long. Like perhaps after eating a bunch of donuts and drinking a bunch of beer and soda (yes diet soda too) for a few days straight.

Anyway, here's a couple workouts for you all, and we'll probably post up more closer to the holiday for those that really want to get sweaty before the eat-a-thon. We do encourage you all to get creative about it and involve your whole family. So during the annual football game, losing team has to do 50 burpees. That sort of thing. Aslo, check out mobility WOD. Many of us need mobility work so please take some time to look through this link and do some of the exercises.

Workouts:

1.
10 Pushups,
1 minute each
30 sec down, 30 sec up
Rest about a minute between.

Then do 50 more pushups as fast as you can. Full Range of Motion!

Stretch and work on mobility, foam roller.


2.
150 Jumping Jacks
Tabata Situps
Tabata squats
150 Jumping Jacks

rest as needed.


Enjoy!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Get Smart(er)!!

First off, I just want to remind you all that I thoroughly enjoy what I do. The best part is when you guys come in knowing that it's about to get rough and you just smile about it and laugh. It's your attitudes that drive you and determine your success in whatever you do. Just ask the most successful people around; sports and any other end of the success spectrum. They'll all tell you that it's all about attitude. You have to have a positive attitude about things; it's really the only thing in life the YOU CAN control. Those of you who read "Mind Gym" by Gary Mack already know what I'm talking about. If not, I highly suggest you read it. I find myself reading that book continuously in a loop and get something new every time. It's great. Buy a copy, read it, make your friends read it. Do it!

Also, I was going to put up a bunch of articles, but then I checked a friend's site and he already posted about a million.. so I want you guys to browse and peruse them and write a litte commentary in the comments about ones you liked.. repost them on facebook, or share them any way you like. Be the expert. Anaerobic Endurance

Read these too:

FOOD MATRIX

Has a vegan diet been shown to benefit epilepsy, braintumors or parkinsons? No, but a ketogenic diet has!

Epilepsy’s Big, Fat Miracle

BOOM!

Monday, November 15, 2010

More fun

Hope everyone is well rested from a long weekend. Here's some more adventures for you all.


Workouts:

1.
100 Burpees for time.
(No need to be scared this time) If burpees are an issue, feel free to modify it. You can do pushups and another exercise of your choice. Do 100 of both.

2.
100 OverHeadSquats (full squats)

100 leg levers (on your back,legs together, up and down)

100 superman

100 2ct flutterkicks


Enjoy!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Workouts

Another week's worth:

1.
Run 2 miles tabata fashion

20 Sec ON::10 sec OFF until

full distance is covered.

Record total time.

*if you cannot run, Then Row 3000 meter in the same fashion.


2.
In as few sets as possible and for time:
50 pushups
75 situps
100 squats



So we've been doing the continuation program for a longer time than the actual BHIP program and yet we do way too much review in class. Please make sure you know what the names of the movements mean. You should know the difference between a deadlift and a sumo-deadlift, and a sumo-dead lift high-pull. You should know how to do ring dips and bench dips without an introductory workshop every time they come up. You must know the difference between a clean a front squat and a thruster. I'm pretty sure that 7 month is plenty of time to learn a handful of movements.

Thank you all for your hard work.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Rise of the MACHINES

So by now, pretty much all of you are familiar with my disdain for machines.. Some of you have even been scolded by me when spotted on a machine. The problem with them is that they don't work. If machines like treadmills and elipticals actually helped people acheive more than just a heavy sweat, we wouldn't have or need BHIP or any other such nonsense. Our lives would just be filled with machines. Why bother doing things that don't work, if machines did work?

The reality is that machines simply make things that reward strain less strenuous. Like running and cycling. As we make things easier, we reduce necessary stressors and replace them with comforts that inevitably lead to less-than successful exercise program. In short, machines suck because they make life easy. Done.

Enter the rowing ergometer, aka The Rower, aka, the rowing erg, aka the rowing machine. They are often hidden in the back of a cardio room, to be neglected and ignored. Why? Because they DO NOT make life easy. In fact, they do just the opposite. They provide a very good way of developing sustained, powerful hip extension (power-stamina: crucial for fitness)and can be used by nearly anyone (back problems excluded). The most common ones are the "Concept-2" ones. We actually have a handfull of them in the cardio room in the Wooden Center. Perhaps, if more of us took advantage of them, we might be able to buy a few more (demand drives supply, econ 101).

Please check out this link from the CONCEPT2 manufacturer. There are a bunch of nice links to tutorials and stuff.

also, please view this link to their "Workout of the Day" page. It's pretty cool. You can do different workouts.

So if you desire a little extra "cardio" or you missed a session or whatever, feel free to hop on one and substitute. And if you didn't get a chance to check out their workouts, you can actually program the thing to do a tabata on. 20:10 x 8 rnds. Ask the consultants to help you out if you want.

over and out, enjoy

DRINK UP

DRINK WATER

It's a link.. watch it

wmv version