MAIN EVENT FITNESS - BLOG

Low Sodium Salsa...the perfect game-time snack

2008-09-30T15:41:00.000-04:00

Make this salsa to snack on during the game- it's super easy, and healthy! Cut back on the sodium and never know the difference.... Pair it up with low sodium chips for an extra healthy combo everyone will love! Try it at home and add your own 'flavor' if you'd like.

Ingredients
3 large tomatoes
1 onion (small or medium)
4 tomatillas (the little green tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno peppers (you can buy them chopped!)
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro (fresh has more taste)
1/2 lime

Preparation
chop the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and add the other ingredients. Squeeze the fresh lime juice into the salsa. It's THAT simple!

You can blend it for a more liquid salsa, and add ingredients like pepper, garlic or oregano depending on your preferences. There's a chef inside everybody! Definitely give this salsa recipe a try- there is NO SALT added! You'll get plenty of salt from the jalapenos and chips. This is one of my all time favorite salsa recipes. Super delicious, and the ultimate healthy salsa.
*If you want it more spicy, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Smile your way to stress relief

2008-09-30T15:19:00.001-04:00

Smiling is natural when you're happy, but what about when things get a little too stressful? Next time you feel that stress taking over, relax... and SMILE! Here are a few reasons why you should be smiling- you never know what may come a simple smile.

Smiling can improve your mood! Yep, smiling can put you in a better mood because it tricks your body, and can make you think of happier things... give it a try next time you're in the line for gas!

Smiling relieves STRESS! People who smile look less tired and fatigued than those who don't. It also makes a person seem more approachable.

Smiling makes you attractive! It is a natural instinct for people to be attracted to those who smile. Smiling can also build self-confidence too!

All these benefits of smiling... what are you waiting for? Put a smile on and feel great! It's a free gift that could help a stranger have a great day, you just never know!

How Colorful is Your Plate? (part 4 of 5)

2008-08-29T17:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, we're narrowing it down! Hopefully you've incorporated some of these foods into your meals- on to the final two colors! Many red fruits and vegetables are considered a favorite among many, but do you really know what you're eating? These vibrant red foods not only look great on salads, they pack plenty of nutrients too!

What nutrients can I find in red foods?
Lycopene-it can dramatically reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, and may help prevent it from spreading. Many red foods are also packed with antioxidants that protect your body from age-related diseases and some forms of cancer.

Ideas for Red Foods:

Red apples
Red grapes
Raspberries
Cranberries
Cherries
Strawberries
Watermelons
Beets
Red potatoes
Red onions
Radishes

Here's a fun way to incorporate red foods into your life (your kids will love it too!)

How Colorful is Your Plate? (part 3 of 5)

2008-08-21T12:41:00.000-04:00

Now moving on to a color that not only provides amazing health benefits, but it can be used in many ways to create healthy meals (and tasty treats to satisfy your sweet tooth!) You can find blue and Purple foods almost anywhere, but watch out for the artificial color and flavor! It's best to stick with natural food when it comes to decorating your plate with color.

What's in blue and purple foods?
Anthocyanin: very powerful antioxidants that can suppress the growth of tumors.
Flavonoids: they play a big role in cancer prevention, can help reverse short-term memory loss, and also helps improve motor skills.

What kind of foods have these benefits?

Blackberries
Blueberries
Dried plums/prunes
Raisins
Purple cabbage
Eggplant
Purple potatoes

Try incorporating these foods into your daily meals! mixing blueberries into your oatmeal in the morning, mixing in purple cabbage with regular lettuce... you can't go wrong with these delicious fruits and vegetables!

How Colorful is Your Plate? (part 2 of 5)

2008-08-14T21:33:00.001-04:00

On to color number two! The GREEN foods are very popular... how many can you name? it's probably more than you think.... either way, this colorful food is yet another one that helps delay the aging process! Read below for more GREAT benefits that will keep you shopping in the produce section!

What nutrients can you find in GREEN foods?
Lutein (an antioxidant) and other cancer fighting nutrients. Lutein helps keep your vision sharp and even rejuvenate your cells! Many green foods are also rich in many minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Some Green Foods to Eat:

Avocados
Green grapes
Kiwifruit
Broccoli
Green peppers
Spinach
Asparagus
Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Zucchini
Green peas
Snow peas

Here's a few great ways to add green foods to your meals!

Add a box of frozen chopped broccoli when cooking the macaroni from a box of macaroni and cheese or other boxed rice/pasta side dishes.
Put a few slices of avocado on a turkey sandwich.
Freeze your grapes for a nice treat!

How Colorful is Your Plate?

2008-08-13T16:28:00.003-04:00

If you like to decorate your meal with bright foods (and who doesn't?!), chances are you are receiving plenty of nutrients that provide some great health benefits! There are 5 groups of 'colors'... I'll give you the first one today and list the benefits, the actual food, AND easy ways you can prepare them!

What's In YELLOW and ORANGE foods?
beta-carotene! this nutrient is responsible for giving certain foods their bright colors. alpha-carotene is also present in these colorful and tasty foods....your body converts these nutrients into vitamin A!

Why is Vitamin A important?
Vitamin A maintains the linings of your organs (eyes, respiratory tract, urinary tract, intestinal tract). Bacteria has a difficult time growing when these tissues are healthy, and it prevents viruses from attacking your body!

Diets rich in alpha- and beta-carotenes have been linked to lower risks of certain types of cancer... and best of all?

They may help slow the aging process! These orange and yellow foods get MY vote for sure! Below is a list of common foods that may be the real fountain of youth!

Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Oranges
Mangoes
Papaya
Pineapple
Peaches
Bananas
Butternut squash
Yellow peppers
Yellow summer squash
Yellow wax beans

For an easy summer snack, cut up some fruit and keep in in the refrigerator- where you have access to it all the time. You can also cut up yellow peppers to make a nice topping for any salad!

Check Back Soon for the Next Color and Benefits!

GREAT meals - LESS calories!

2008-08-11T11:27:00.000-04:00

This salad is a winner for sure. The Avocado Mandarin Salad is super easy to make, VERY low in calories.. and is almost too good to be true! (it even lists your Weight Watchers points... you just can't beat it!)

Give this salad a try, and leave your comments below! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:
1 rip avocado, peeled and sliced
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup sliced green onions
4 cups salad greens
1/4-1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/8 teaspoon pepper
salt, to taste

Preparation:
1. In a bowl, combine the mandarin oranges, pecans, green onions, salt and pepper.
2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, place the greens in a salad bowl; top with the avocado slices and orange mixture.
4. Drizzle with the Italian dressing; toss and serve.

Servings: 8

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 136
Calories from fat: 97
Total fat: 10.9g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Total carbs: 10.5g
Fiber: 3.7g
Protein: 2.1g
WW points: 3

5 Benefits of Your Gym Membership

2008-07-21T14:24:00.002-04:00

Should you join a gym? The benefits are many if you become a dedicated attendee. Studies show that having a gym membership is the key to a well-rounded lifestyle.

1. Regular Workouts: Many people have good intentions for exercising, but getting to it on a routine basis can be challenging. When you join a health club, you may feel more of a commitment to get busy and keep with it. After all, getting dressed and heading for the club is more fun than doing a workout on the living room floor in front of the television. Arrange your schedule in advance so you know which days are best for your workout, and then stick to your plan so you can see results.

2. Socialization: Going to the gym several times a week means that you will probably meet many different members, most with goals that are similar to yours. It may be fun to compare goals or methods or exchange ideas with others who are there for the same reasons. After a few visits you will get to know others by name, and they will know you, reinforcing the sense of membership that you will enjoy from going to the gym for exercise.

3. Equipment and services: Many gyms feature the latest in workout equipment, weights, and even aerobic routines. From pilates to yoga, you can find a variety of techniques, methods, and machines that will help you reach your goals. You’ll feel more motivated to spend 30 minutes on your favorite workout technique at the gym than you will at home with a jump rope.

4. Encouragement and support: Because of the many members of many gyms, you will probably cross paths with others with similar mindsets. As you develop acquaintances and friendships, you can encourage each other with comments, accountability partnerships, and sharing enjoyable activities. The staff members are specially trained to pace you appropriately at activities that are geared to address your specific concerns. Being with professional instructors and dedicated club members will help keep you focused on your workout goals.

5. Monetary commitment: Paying a monthly or annual fee can make anyone feel more committed to the program. After all, you don’t want to lose your investment. Whether you go to the gym or not, the statement will still come due. Plus, paying for something often gives it greater value. When you pay a fee to join a gym, you may feel like you’re doing something important for your overall health and well-being, as indeed you are. Paying your dues can help to keep you involved and motivated.

Nuke Your Veggies for Better Benefits

2008-07-11T14:12:00.002-04:00

Our busy lifestyles have turned stovetop cooking into a distant memory. The microwave has replaced the solution for quick meals that satisfy the whole family. You'll be glad to hear that 'nuking' your food in the microwave may help retain more nutrients than other methods of cooking.

Harvard Medical School released an article that may influence the way you cook your vegetables. Cooking your veggies in the microwave may help retain the nutrients your body needs!

"Some nutrients break down when they’re exposed to heat, whether that heat comes from a microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest example. So, cooking with a microwave probably does a better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking times are shorter. Cooking vegetables in water causes some of the nutrients to leach out into that same water. For example, boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate, the compound that may be responsible for its cancer-fighting properties."

Next time, nuke your veggies for a quick and very nutritious solution.

www.health.harvard.edu

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-02T17:07:00.000-04:00

Main Event Fitness is celebrating Independence Day with a special offer for you!

If you get a little carried away this holiday weekend, don't worry- we're here for you! Print out this coupon to receive a special Independence Day discount to get you back in the swing of things! I want to wish everyone a happy, safe, and HEALTHY holiday!

Friday July 4th Hours of Operation
10am-2pm

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave"
~Elmer Davis

All You Need to Know About Lazy People Can Be Seen in a Grocery Store Parking Lot

2008-04-25T11:07:00.002-04:00

It occurred to me again last night that we are really lazy. I was sitting in my truck waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store and while I listened to the news, I was observing the behavior of people who were looking for a place to park. It is amazing to me that someone will drive circles around a parking lot looking for one of the ten closest spots to open up instead of parking 250 feet away and actually saving time by hoofing it! Not to mention, I watched a Suburban try to squeeze in a spot intended for a Prius. Queen Latifah would have a better shot getting into Jessica Simpson's jeans. And people don't really seem to care about what happens to the other car when they swing open their doors and crash it into the nice door in the next parking spot. So wouldn't it be better for your body, save time, save gas, and save your car doors if you parked a little further away? Don't be lazy.
by Chris Scully

Obama Can't Be Our President!

2008-04-21T23:42:00.014-04:00

I probably shouldn't pontificate about politics or religion on my company website; however I enjoy both subjects so I'm going to start talking about them. So...after the ongoing battle between Hillary and Barack you'd probably think I'm going to weigh in on some crucial issue? But actually, it's something else: it's Obama's bowling! I have been wondering how a person who bowls a legitimate 37 can POSSIBLY run the world's greatest nation? Now I just took a 10 year-old boy to the bowling alley a couple weeks ago and he's only bowled a couple times in his life - and he managed a 68! I bet Hillary, Bill, Bush, Condi, McCain, McCain's wife, Ralph Nader, and the Bush's dog, Spot, could beat a 37!! Do you realize how humiliating that is? Obama couldn't get more than 4 pins per frame! I have always observed how well Presidents throw out the first pitch at baseball games - but PLEASE: Keep Obama away from the pitcher's mound! It would be so embarrassing to our country. I can already see it! We need a leader that has some kind of athletic ability to go along with their intellect and leadership. I don't want to cringe on Opening Day!

by Chris Scully

4 small lifestyle changes that can give you 14 extra years

2008-04-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

If your New Year’s resolve to eat better and be more active is wearing thin, here’s some news that may help bolster your efforts: scientists have reported that people who engage in just four healthy behaviors — eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, drinking moderately, not smoking, and getting some kind of physical activity daily — live 14 years longer, on average, than people who don’t have these habits. This finding, published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Public Library of Science Medicine, held true even among people who were overweight.

Charlie Bit Me!

2008-04-12T23:18:00.001-04:00

Calorie Restriction and Aging

2008-04-03T20:39:00.000-04:00

The first suggestion that the process of aging might not be inevitable—or at least that it could be slowed—emerged about 70 years ago. Scientists discovered that when animals are forced to live on 30% to 40% fewer calories than they would normally consume, something unusual happens: they become resistant to most age-related diseases—cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease—and live 30% to 50% longer.

Scientists set out to understand what genes are turned on by calorie restriction because if they could figure that out, they might be able to develop medications that turn those genes on just like calorie restriction does (but without people having to drastically reduce food intake). Over the past 15 years, scientists at MIT and Harvard Medical School identified a family of genes called sirtuins that are responsible for the health benefits of calorie restriction. Then they developed compounds called sirtuin-activating compounds (STACs) that turn on the sirtuin genes. The first STAC is called resveratrol, which is found in red wine. Resveratrol can extend the life span of simple organism like yeast, fruit flies, worms, and fish. In late 2006, resveratrol was shown to extend the life span of mice fed a high-calorie, high-fat diet. Not only did it extend life span in all these animals, but the animals were protected against several diseases of aging and remained physically active and vital until very late in their extended lives.

It’s easy to see why this research is potentially relevant to humans. Like the mice in these studies, many of us are middle-aged mammals who eat a high-calorie, high-fat diet. While research results in mice do not always prove true in humans, they often do. Still, we are a long way from knowing whether human life span can be extended, and the added years made vital and active, by such knowledge of the biology of aging.

Reprinted from HealthBeat

Taking the Sting our of Five Common Stressors

2008-03-20T22:39:00.001-04:00

Glance at the 10 leading causes of death in America, and you won’t find the word “stress” anywhere. Yet many well-respected studies link stress to a variety of ailments, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Depression and anxiety, which afflict millions of Americans, can be caused or exacerbated by stress. Stress also triggers flare-ups of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Sometimes just thinking about embarking on a program of stress control can be stressful. Rather than freeze in your tracks, start small. Pick just one stumbling block or source of stress in your life, and see if these suggestions work for you.

Often angry or irritated? Consider the weight of cognitive distortions. Are you magnifying a problem or leaping to negative conclusions without checking to see if they have any foundation in fact? Take the time to stop, breathe, reflect, and choose.
Unsure of your ability to do something? Don’t try to go it alone. If the problem is work, talk to a co-worker or supportive boss. Write down other ways that you might get the answers or skills you need. Turn to tapes, books, or classes, for example, if you need a little tutoring.
Overextended? Clear the deck of at least one time-consuming household task. Consider what is truly essential and important to you and what might take a backseat right now.
Feeling unbearably tense? Try massage, a hot bath, mini-relaxations, progressive muscle relaxation, or a mindful walk. Practically any exercise — a brisk walk, a quick run, a sprint up and down the stairs — will help, too. Done regularly, exercise wards off tension, as do relaxation response techniques.
Upset by conflicts with others? State your needs or distress directly, avoiding “you always” or “you never” zingers. Say, “I feel ________when you _____.” “I would really appreciate it if you could ______.” “I need some help setting priorities. What needs to be done first and what should I tackle later?” If conflicts are a significant source of distress for you, consider taking a class on assertiveness training.

Reproduced from Harvard Health Publications

Proper Warmup for Weight Training

2008-03-16T16:56:00.000-04:00

Warm up with ten minutes of aerobic exercise. This can be with treadmill walking or jogging, stationary bicycle, cross-trainer or stepper machines. Extend this to thirty minutes depending on requirements for fat loss. In any case, I recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise at moderate intensity three times each week for all weight trainers in order to promote aerobic fitness. It need not be done at the same time as the weights session.

Warmups are important to get blood flowing to heart, lung and muscles and lubricating (synovial) fluid loosening the joints ready for action. Each weights exercise should include a warmup with light weights and practising the same form as for the workout weight. Sixty per cent of your workout weight is about right for warmups. Stretching is not so important before exercise and is better performed after exercise. Some light stretches will do no harm.

Pay Attention

2008-03-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

Scent of a Woman - Al Pacino

2008-03-05T17:34:00.002-05:00

Please be aware that some language may be offensive to viewers:

Seasonal Weight Changes Linked To Metabolic Syndrome

2008-02-24T00:56:00.001-05:00

Seasonal changes in weight increase the risk for metabolic syndrome, a group of scientists from National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.

This finding was based on analysis of 8,028 individuals, representative of the general population aged over 30, who attended a nationwide health examination survey.

According to the current study, individuals with metabolic syndrome have more seasonal changes in their mood and behavior. The study concludes that the seasonal changes in weight in particular are linked to metabolic syndrome.

With people having the 'winter blues' the risk of metabolic syndrome is heightened by 56 per cent. The negative effect of the seasonal changes equals to the protective effect against metabolic syndrome gained with regular physical exercise.

Because of easy assessment the scoring of seasonal changes in weight might be taken as a routine part of health status examination in persons being at risk of or currently having metabolic syndrome. If there were these changes, treatment options including scheduled exposures to light and regular physical exercise need to be considered.

"Disruption of circadian rhythms has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Our results give support to the hypothesized links between the metabolic and circadian cycles generated and guided by the circadian clock", says Timo Partonen, MD, academy research fellow of the group. "Our findings herein now extend these links to include relationships between the metabolic and seasonal fluctuations."

The current findings now suggest that abnormalities in the circadian clockwork predispose to seasonal changes in weight and to metabolic syndrome. This means that the circadian clockwork may well be a key to public health.

Obesity is an increasing problem concerning public health. High caloric intake or low physical exercise for example may lead not only to obesity but also to hypertension, insulin resistance and abnormal circulating lipid levels. These abnormalities tend to coincide and contribute to the term metabolic syndrome.

Reprinted from ScienceDaily (January 23,2008)

Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light Therapy at MEF

2008-02-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

Studies of light therapy for SAD go back to the 1980s, but many have been small, short, or flawed in significant ways. Still, there’s enough wheat amid the chaff to safely say that light therapy does help some people with SAD. Most studies have found it to be more effective first thing in the morning than later in the day.

Some SAD light boxes look like medical equipment, while others are more like regular table lamps. The prices vary, but from our quick look online, it seems you should expect to spend in the range of $100 to $200. Professional groups and government agencies have endorsed light therapy, but your insurance company may balk. If you are counting on coverage, better check first.

You can start gradually, but most studies suggest SAD sufferers need about 30 to 45 minutes of exposure to a 10,000-lux light source daily for light therapy to be effective. Lux is a measure of light intensity; 10,000 is about the intensity of light from the sun at dawn. In most homes in the evening, 300- to 500-lux light is the norm.

Exposure to such bright light has caused some concern about eye damage. Some companies sell light boxes that don’t emit light in the blue part of the spectrum, because blue light is believed to be more damaging to the retina. Others sell equipment that uses LED lights that can be calibrated to emit light in the range of the spectrum that the companies contend is more effective at resetting circadian rhythms. Most experts say regular fluorescent lights — as long as they have an ultraviolet (UV) filter — are safe and effective.

The special light at Main Event Fitness literally energizes the human system by interaction with our light receptors…an advantage for everyone year round, but particularly on the dreary days of the year. In fact, Germany has even banned ordinary cool-white fluorescent lighting in both schools and hospitals for its harmful effects. Ordinary fluorescent lights can emit X-rays, radiation, and radio waves – emissions that can decrease productivity and cause fatigue, confusion, eyestrain, irritability, depression, and hyperactivity in children.

What does it Mean to be "Fit?"

2008-02-18T02:42:00.001-05:00

Does fitness matter? I know some people who think the whole notion of fitness is just a waste of time. Their attitude is, "Well, I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well enjoy myself." This, in their mind, gives them license to just do whatever they want. What they don't know, until I mention it, and I'm careful about dropping such a bomb especially at a party, is that the average person will spend the last ten years of his or her life in ill health and most of the diseases, injuries, and surgeries are preventable. And, adults who are physically active in their 50s and early 60s are 35 percent less likely to die in the next eight years than those who are sedentary.

But, the question is still on the table. What does it mean to be fit?

Being fit is not the same thing as being healthy. You can be healthy with low fitness. For example, you may have well controlled blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat, be free from any known diseases but not be able to jog five miles. The ability to jog requires a greater degree of physical adaptation than day to day activity. Fitness is the state of being suitably adapted to the demands of an environment. The more demanding the environment, the greater degree of fitness required.

I think of fitness existing across a spectrum from Sedentary to Sport level physical demands. Where people run into trouble, and usually around this time of year, is trying to perform in a more demanding environment with insufficient fitness. There's a mismatch between the person's physical ability and the task. If you look at the graphic, an example of this mismatch is a person with Sedentary level fitness trying to exercise at a Recreational level (e.g. starting a jogging and exercise routine, Recreational Fitness, when you haven't jogged or exercised in many years, Sedentary Fitness). This is how people get hurt and why many people quit their exercise routines.

There are a number of factors which effect your fitness or state of being suitably adapted to an environment: nutrition, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular capability, coordination, balance, mental and emotional capacity. To raise your fitness level, you need proper nutritional support, physically train slightly above your current ability and live below it, and work just as hard on expanding your mental and emotional capacity. If your training is too far above or below, your body is unable to adapt and the result is you will actually become weaker over time (this phenomenon is also known as "over-training").

To really get the most out of life, to really engage with the world, you need a certain amount of fitness. Your challenge is to figure out what you need. How fit do you need to be? How fit do you want to be?

Doug Kelsey

Posted on January 09, 2008 in Training | Permalink

Are you Willing to Suffer?

2008-02-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

I read something that really sums up all of life's challenges: "The strength of what we believe is measured by how much we are willing to suffer for those beliefs." This statement could apply to a variety of things (physical, philosophical, emotional, etc.) but in the athletic or nutritional field, it's pretty self-evident. We "get good" at what we practice and there's no two ways about it. If you believe strongly in yourself and have set some attainable yet difficult goals, there will be some suffering...but the finish line is so rewarding because of it. Anyone reading this has had victories that came as a result of hard work and sacrifice...and usually, there was some losing along the way. It never seems to be easy, does it? But that's where the value of the accomplishment is derived - it was tough to get there but awfully rewarding.
by Chris Scully

Calorie Counting made Easy

2008-02-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

When you can’t count calories

Guidelines to follow when straight calorie counting is impractical.

1. Eat foods that are filling and low in calories. That means meals and snacks made with whole grains, such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and oatmeal, as well as legumes, such as lentils and other beans.

2. When you eat meat, choose lean cuts of meat and modest amounts — about 3½ or 4 ounces per serving.

3. Avoid fried foods. For stovetop cooking, it’s better either to stir-fry foods in nonstick pans lightly coated with a cooking-oil spray or to braise them in broth or wine. Baking, broiling, and roasting add no extra fat to your meals.

4. Use low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of protein and calcium, but the whole-milk versions of these dairy products are very high in fat.

5. Avoid fast foods. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, French fries, and other fast-food meals and snacks tend to promote weight gain for two reasons. First, they are high in fat, calories, or both. Second, the “value meals” are often excessively large and tempt you to overeat.

Reprinted from Harvard Health Publications

"You Missed Your Calling"

2008-02-13T01:08:00.001-05:00

I imagine we've all been told that we've "missed our calling" but what does that really mean? I could argue that you're exactly where you're supposed to be at any moment in time. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was winning Mr. Olympia, did he miss his calling to be the Governor of California? He likely would not have had the opportunity to become Governor had he not gone through the bodybuilding and acting. So when will his "calling" really be determined? Nobody's story is written in full yet...therefore none of us are marching in a linear fashion toward our "calling." Ok, Tiger Woods has been playing golf since he was knee high to a grasshopper and he clearly was destined to be a golfer in the first phase of his life. But his "calling" may not be golf after all - it may just be a vehicle to get him there? He may be end up being the most innovative entrepreneur that the world has ever seen - one that educates kids better than our school systems do? Who knows? So don't be frustrated if you are not "there" yet...there must be a Design and some Artistry to our lives? As the German philosopher, Nietzsche, wrote: "He who has a WHY to live for can bear almost any HOW." Just believe that all these zigzags we experience in our quest for answers is part of a grand scheme to make our role in the puzzle something that is meaningful to the universe.
by Chris Scully

Election 2008 | Presidential Candidates' Platforms Reflect Differences in Perspectives of Democratic, Republican Primary Voters on Health Care Issues

2008-02-11T19:51:00.001-05:00

"A newly published article in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that the contrasting health care platforms of the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates reflect underlying differences in the views of their primary voters, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports...

According to the survey, 65% of Democratic voters say they would like presidential candidates to propose plans that would expand health insurance to all residents, regardless of whether such plans would increase government spending. Among Republican voters, 23% would like to hear about proposals that would expand health insurance to all residents, compared with 42% who prefer more limited proposals and 27% who would like to see no changes to the current system, the survey found."

The sad part is that just about everybody wants more from a system that will not be able to deliver their expectations.

Health improvement is a personal responsibility that comes from fitness. At least the parts over which you have control.

Sick care, regularly mischaracterized as health care, is a rescue industry.

As long as we keep getting the two confused, we will not achieve health and we will keep chasing our tails. (Figuratively. If we did it actually and properly, we might be able to improve fitness and health of some people.)

by Michael Applebaum, M.D.

Brittany Spears vs American Soldiers

2008-02-02T16:19:00.001-05:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with fitness.

I am tired of seeing this bimbo everywhere - taking the millioinaire's freefall. We have injured soldiers lying in Walter Reed Army Hospital trying to put their lives back together (after getting their bodies put back together); but our antidote for boredom is to read about junk like this instead of doing something positive for these warriors of freedom. We're all guilty of it, I imagine. But why? Why do the positive stories take a back seat to the train wrecks? Maybe if each of us wrote just one soldier a card to thank them for their sacrifice instead of buying one US Magazine, our karma buckets would overflow? I'm not trying to be self-righteous...I just clicked on a Brittany story on the Fox News site and then got disgusted with myself for doing so!
by Chris Scully

Running Your Own Race

2008-01-31T23:47:00.001-05:00

If you have ever read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, you know that Howard Roarke 'ran his own race.' He was deaf to critics - not trying to win them over - just honoring his conscience and doing what he felt was right. He ran his own race. Wouldn't our world be better off if more people lived with this as their mantra? Are we all just too worried about what others think? Of course, this theme can be taken too far and become destructive to mind, body, and soul. I think we all have seen that scenario play itself out. That's not what I'm talking about here.

Life is a series of votes - votes that are made for or against us and votes we make for or against others. All these votes have consequences for us: who we choose as friends, who we choose as our spouse, where we live and work, what kind of fashions we wear, etc. It takes an amazing amount of fortitude to live a life like Howard Roarke. Because of this strength of conviction, he probably didn't have any sleep problems or bouts with depression, either. Are we creating our own circumstances or are circumstances defining and directing us? After years in the gym, which incidentally might be the best sociology lab anywhere, I get a kick out of trying to figure all this stuff out. We are funny, fascinating, and strange creatures...that's for sure.
by Chris Scully

'What Makes People Happy?'

2008-01-30T20:27:00.001-05:00

This was a very cool segment from the ABC News show "20/20." If you have a few minutes read through the article and gain some perspective.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=4087250&page=1

Honoring Commitments

2008-01-30T19:59:00.001-05:00

It seems as though commitments aren't really commitments any more. Financial promises such as loans or contracts have become lukewarm "I will if I can" declarations and not "I will" promises. RSVP's have become "I got the invitation and will attend if nothing better comes along." Arriving to work on time, getting to your dinner reservation on time, returning phone calls, not blowing off your trainer, etc. have all taken a back seat to "me" initiatives like "I'll do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it." But the thing that gets me is that the biggest examples of this selfish non-discipline are with people's health. The same people whose self-discipline is lacking in the stuff mentioned above often are poster children for the National Institutes of (non) Health. Straight lines are many times better than operating in some kind of crazed non-pattern of individualism that proves nothing more than how unreliable and unprofessional one is! If you look at any team or any individual that has ACCOMPLISHED in their lives, they all have had one thing in common: concentration. They only took their eyes off the ball when it was "okay" to do so but never for very long. So let's all keep our eyes on the ball and keep our commitments....especially to ourselves!
by Chris Scully

What has the iPod done to us?

2008-01-30T19:26:00.001-05:00

I'm certainly as guilty as the next person of "tuning out" while working out. But the iPod has done something to me (and everyone else) that really changes the gym dynamic: people don't talk to each other much any more. Back in the day, the old Walkman was too bulky to really make it convenient to do every exercise while listening to cassette tapes. But nowadays, the iPod is so small that the most cumbersome part of the gadget is the ear buds that weigh only a couple ounces. There isn't anything we can't do with an iPod hitched securely to our person! I even toyed with getting one that allows you to view video but I'm resisting just so I don't become even more of a prisoner to all this technology! All the old school stuff that I loved in my youth has been invaded by technology. I just got back from golfing and if your golf cart doesn't have a GPS in it, you must be playing some kind of bogus city course! The gym I worked out in as a kid had the local rock station playing at decibel levels unsafe to all humans and now we play satellite music at a comfortable volume so as not to disturb the throngs of iPod users casually going through their workouts! All the cardio equipment will soon be iPod compatible so the BIGGEST LOSER in the gym will be the art of conversation! Maybe I should pitch an iPod Heart Monitor with an alarm that rings in your ears when your heart rate stays too low during your workout? Some of these folks are really tuning out so much that their biggest workout is song selection and not the exercise at hand! Oh well....
by Chris Scully

Fun Facts about Vanilla

2008-01-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

Burn your tongue on pizza or other hot food? Put a few drops of vanilla on your tongue to ease the pain and soothe the burn.
Love the flavor of chilies but can't take the heat? Sweet neutralizes heat: add some vanilla to soften the bite but bring out the sweetness and flavor of the peppers.
Have problems with spiders living on the underside of the furniture? Add a vanilla bean or two to your furniture polish. Apply to both sides of the furniture. Bugs don't like the smell of vanilla and will leave.
House paint smell too strong? Add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to a gallon of paint to help cut the smell.
Want to settle a nervous stomach? Add pure vanilla extract to mineral water or apple juice.
Want to soothe jangled nerves? Place vanilla beans in a bottle or jar and use as aromatherapy. Sloane-Kettering and other medical facilities use the vanilla aroma to calm patients undergoing MRI and CAT scans.

Coffee: The New Brain Fuel

2008-01-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

Go ahead. Have another cup. As it turns out, drinking coffee daily may be the key to staying sharp as you age. According to a recent study that followed more than 7,000 people in France, women who drank three or more cups of coffee each day were 30 percent less likely to have a decline in memory than women who had just one cup of coffee per day or less. While this might make you want to Dash to Starbucks, experts recommend keeping your daily caffeine intake to no more than four 8-ounce cups per day.

from article in Health.com

Weighlifting Bloopers

2007-12-15T23:27:00.000-05:00

More Stuff about Colds

2007-12-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Here are the answers to six commonly asked questions about colds and the flu.

Why do colds and the flu increase in the winter?
The reason has nothing to do with the temperature, at least not directly. Cold weather itself does not cause these illnesses, but people are more likely to stay indoors and spread germs to one another when it’s cold outside.
When should I stay home from work or keep my child home from school?
It is important to stay home when you are most contagious. For colds, you are contagious the entire time you have symptoms, but you are most contagious right after you contract the cold, before you even have symptoms. For the flu, adults are most infectious from the day before symptoms start until about the fifth day of symptoms.
When should I see my doctor?
If you experience complications such as high fever, shaking chills, chest pain with each breath, coughing that produces thick, yellow-green mucus, or if your symptoms do not go away as quickly as you would expect them to, see your doctor.
How can I avoid passing my cold or flu on to my family?
There are many steps you can take to try to avoid spreading germs to the people around you. Always cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Throw used tissues away immediately. Wash your hands often, especially after you sneeze, cough, or touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Keep your distance from others — don’t kiss, hug, or stand so close to someone that saliva might get on them when you talk. Make sure someone is disinfecting household surfaces and items frequently, including children’s toys.
Is there any truth to the old saying, “Feed a cold; starve a fever”?
No. When you have a cold or the flu, you should be sure to eat healthful foods and drink plenty of fluids, but there is no need to eat more or less than usual.
Is it okay to get a flu shot when I have a cold?
Yes, you can get vaccinated when you have a cold as long as you are not feeling very sick and do not have a fever.

5 Ways To Get Rid Of A Cold Fast!

2007-11-28T22:43:00.000-05:00

If you're already sick (like I am -- and I never get sick), these remedies will have you on the mend in no time.

TAKE ZINC. In a study at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, people who used an over-the-counter (OTC) zinc nasal spray four times a day recovered almost two days faster and had fewer symptoms than those given a placebo. Another study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that volunteers treated with zinc lozenges had colds that lasted about half the time as those who didn't pop zinc -- four and a half days instead of eight.

EAT CHICKEN SOUP. Mom was right: A Nebraska Medical Center Study shows that the broth reduces inflammation and inhibits the activity of neutrophils, the white blood cells that may increase mucus production.

TRY GINSENG. People who took 200mg of ginseng twice daily during cold and flu season had shorter colds than those who just popped a placebo, according to a study performed at the University of Alberta, Canada.

STAY IN BED. If your body is exhausted, it will be that much harder for it to fight the virus. If you must go to work, at least get a good night's rest: People who sleep four hours a night have weaker immune systems than those who get a seven and a half to eight and a half hours, according to a University of Chicago study.

TREAT YOUR SYMPTOMS. To power through the day, look for a product that contains the nasal decongestant phenylephrine. It's a stimulant, so it won't leave you feeling groggy. It can temporarily drive up blood pressure, though, so if you've got hypertension, talk to your doctor before using it. Choose a remedy that has an antihistamine, as well as acetaminophen. The antihitamine will make you drowsy, and the acetaminophen will relieve the fever and achiness that may keep you up. If coughing is disturbing your sleep, an OTC with dextromethorphan will help.

Article originally appeared on Fitness, food, gadgetry, life, travel and trends (http://www.lift-magazine.com/).

Losing Weight Can Cost You - WORK OUT!

2007-11-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

Wake up. When is everyone going to figure this stuff out? All the fancy, well-marketed diet gimmicks in the world won't fix you. If you don't raise your heart rate and exert yourself, you'll keep getting what you've been getting. Read below...

Assuming you've already decided that the money-saving "eat less" method won't work for you: How much will it cost to lose 30 lbs? Bankrate checked out five diet programs and calculated the total cost based on losing the recommended healthy amount of weight per week:

• Jenny Craig: $399 with a payment plan or $358 upfront, not including food.

• LA Weight Loss: Calculating the cost with a setup fee of $174 and $7 per week charge, the total cost of the plan is $685 for 73 weeks, not including the cost of food and L A Lite bars.

• NutriSystem: $1,174.88, including all food, except fresh greens and dairy.

• Weight Watchers: The total cost is between $214.80 and $299.80, depending on location, not including food.

• The Zone Diet: $3,599.10 to $4,798.80 including all food.

Low carb. Low fat. Low energy. A low-down, dirty drag. I still like the eat less (and eat REAL) method, but to each his own!

Article originally appeared on Fitness, food, gadgetry, life, travel and trends (http://www.lift-magazine.com/).

Behind-the-Scenes Workouts for Movie "300"

2007-11-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

Arnold and Old School Bodybuilding Clips

2007-11-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

Some key events of 1975 include:

Gerald Ford was President
Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl IX
Vietnam War continues
Watergate convictions
"Jaws" is released
Jimmy Hoffa comes up "missing"
Ali vs. Frazier "The Thrilla in Manila"
Bill Gates coins the term "Micro-soft," later to become Microsoft Corporation

Maybe the Best 3 Rounds of Boxing Ever...

2007-11-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

A Trainer could have Helped...

2007-11-17T23:21:00.001-05:00

Fabulous Fiber

2007-11-17T22:47:00.000-05:00

Fiber is the part of plant foods that the body cannot digest. It moves through the digestive system, absorbing water. This helps eliminate food waste from the body more quickly. Since fiber is not absorbed, it is not a nutrient. Rather, we refer to fiber as a "component" of food.

Fiber is found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, dry beans and peas, nuts, seeds, bread, and cereals. (It is not found in animal products — meat, milk, eggs.) Fiber can also be added to foods during processing.

Fiber’s health benefits

Fiber comes in two varieties: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which does not. Although fiber does not nourish our bodies, it has other ways of promoting good health as the chart below illustrates.

	Soluble Fiber	Insoluble Fiber (Roughage)
Name	Pectins, gums, mucilages	Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin
What it does	Dissolves in water, forming a gel in intestines	Holds on to water, moving waste through intestines
How it promotes good health	Binds to fatty substances in the intestines and helps carry them out as waste, lowering LDL or bad cholesterol Regulates the body's use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.	Helps push food through the intestines quickly, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation.
Where it's found	Dried beans and peas, lentils, oats, barley, apples, bananas, citrus fruits, berries, pears, carrots	Whole-wheat products, wheat and corn bran, brown rice, oats, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, fruit skins (apple, peach, pear)

Reprinted from Harvard Health Publications

Low-Carb, High-Protein Diets: The Bottom Line

2007-11-06T17:17:00.000-05:00

Beware of closely following an Atkins-type diet for an extended period of time. At the same time, beware of the amount of refined carbohydrates in a typical low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet. They cause people to become unhealthy and overweight.

We come back to the same old trusty recommendations, continually borne out in the research, with some new twists:

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Whole-grain carbohydrates with a low glycemic index are part of a healthy diet.
Eliminating refined carbohydrates, which have a high glycemic index, helps you to lose weight and improve health.
Choose moderate servings (3 to 4 ounces) of lean protein, balancing animal and plant sources. Poultry and fish are the leanest animal proteins. Beans, nuts, tofu, and meat imitators such as veggie burgers are good sources of plant protein.
Include healthy sources of fat for nutrients and satisfaction, such as nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive- and vegetable-oil-based dressings, canola oil, and trans-fat-free margarines for baking.
Limit manufactured, synthetic food products. These are labeled as low-carbohydrate, and are made with sugar alcohols that are not digested and can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea if eaten in quantity.

Reprinted from Harvard Health Publications

The Best Workout Video Ever!

2007-11-03T23:27:00.000-04:00

Retrain Your Brain to Love Exercise!

2007-11-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

The best diet for weight loss may still be under debate, but there's no doubt that the dynamic duo of diet and exercise continues to be the gold standard for weight loss and, more importantly, maintaining a weight loss. In spite of the much-publicized benefits of exercise, too many people fail to stick with an exercise program. Here are three ways to think about exercise and its benefits that will help you love it — especially if your goal is to lose weight.

Tip #1 — Without the appropriate fuel, exercise can feel more like punishment than pleasure. For those seeking a quick fix, a very low-carbohydrate diet can seem like the magic bullet. But a balanced diet with adequate carbohydrates is necessary to optimize energy for exercise. Any diet, especially a weight-loss diet, that is too low in carbohydrates — 125 grams or fewer a day — is a recipe for disaster when it comes to exercise. The primary fuel for muscles is glucose (from carbohydrates) and its storage form, glycogen. Without them, you're likely to feel tired or have sore muscles early in your workout. Planning an exercise routine includes timing meals and snacks to prevent exercising on empty. If you feel sluggish while walking at 5 p.m. because you haven't eaten since lunchtime, try having a pre-workout snack. The same walk just an hour or so after dinner will probably be adequately fueled from that meal. To boost your stamina, eat a 150- to 200-calorie snack that contains one to two servings of carbohydrates about 30 minutes to 1 hour before exercise. Here are some examples: • An apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or mixed nuts • One ounce of string cheese and 6 crackers • A granola or protein bar with about 150 calories and five to seven grams of protein

Tip #2 — Think of exercise as a savings account. With a savings account, you make deposits, watch your money grow with interest, and then reap the rewards. You don't deposit money so you can immediately withdraw it. Exercise is similar. It also gathers interest: As you get more fit, your body rewards your hard work by using more calories during and after your workouts. Here are some other ways that exercise contributes to long-term weight loss and weight maintenance. • Muscle burns calories while fat does not, even though it weighs more than fat. • Exercise builds muscle, which increases your body's resting metabolic rate, so you expend more calories even when you're not exercising. Exercise also helps maintain muscle. Because muscle burns calories, exercise can also help you maintain the weight you lose, which is often harder than losing weight. • Some studies show that vigorous exercise can help reduce appetite; therefore exercisers take in fewer calories during the day without even thinking about it. • Researchers estimate that your body continues to burn calories at a higher rate for between 2 and 24 hours after you finish exercising. If you have not exercised in a while or plan to do more than walking, check with your physician prior to starting to exercise.

Tip #3 — The benefits of exercise aren't measured just by a scale, but by a better working body. Instead of focusing on the minutes that tick by, the calories racked up on the treadmill, or the number on the scale, focus on how exercise changes your body from the inside out. • It reduces depression and can be especially effective for women who have postpartum depression. • It can increase insulin sensitivity if you have diabetes; if you're at risk for diabetes, exercise can help prevent it. • It can help reverse sarcopenia, a condition associated with inactivity and aging in which fat replaces muscle. According to one study, postmenopausal women were able to reverse muscle-mass loss after two months of small increases in physical activity and strength training. This was linked to better overall health, better balance, and fewer falls. Many people are discouraged by the slow weight loss associated with moderate calorie restriction (250-500 fewer calories per day) plus exercise (mobilizing another 250 calories a day) especially in light of the old adage that muscle weighs more than fat. It can be disheartening not to see your hard work reflected in a lower number on the scale. Some changes can't be measured on the scale. Rather they create a better functioning body. Success isn't about any one workout, but if you challenge yourself for the long-haul and continue to exercise even if your weight isn't changing, you can affect more lasting improvements in your body.

Rerinted from Harvard Health Publications

Rocky (1976) - This is still cool!

2007-10-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

New Zealand Rugby - Haka War Dance

2007-10-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

The New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team (their National Team) performs this war dance before every game. As a sign of respect, the opposing team stands together and watches. Recently, the Italian National Team turned their backs on them during the Haka. That was a mistake -- New Zealand beat them like a drum, 76-14.

Chris Scully
President, Main Event Fitness

If You Don't Get Goosebumps, You Don't Have a Pulse!

2007-10-29T13:51:00.000-04:00

I really like this video clip. I hope the good people of our country realize what a great place America really is!

Chris Scully
President, Main Event Fitness

The Germiest Places in America

2007-10-25T23:46:00.000-04:00

We call them the dirty dozen. It’s our laundry list of the germiest places you’re likely to encounter during an average day. Sure, there are outbreaks of microbes and viruses across the country, but these buggers are where you live. In the office, at home, at the gym, on your vacation. “It’s enough to make even the least germophobic person a little worried,” says Dr. Germ, a.k.a. Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. After all, some of these germs lurk where you least expect them, he says: “People are more worried about the trash can than the kitchen sink, when it should be the other way around.”

Dr. Germ and a panel of other experts helped us identify the dirty dozen and devise ways for you to keep clean. After all, the fight is in your hands. Literally. Eighty percent of infections are spread through hand contact. So wash up, people, and get ready to wage a bit of germ warfare of your own.

Your Kitchen Sink
Airplane Bathrooms
A Load of Wet Laundry
Public Drinking Fountains
Shopping Cart Handles
ATM Buttons
Your Handbag
Playgrounds
Mats and Machines at Health Clubs*
Your Office Phone
Your Bathtub
Hotel Room Remote

* At Main Event Fitness we are cognizant of this fact. We therefore work diligently to keep our gym as clean as possible! Our cleanliness is so important to us that we devote a significant portion of our budget to its implementation.

by Ginny Graves, Health, October 2007

Tired of being tired? Tips for fighting fatigue...

2007-10-25T22:51:00.000-04:00

Feeling tired all the time? You’re not alone. In fact, fatigue is one of the most common complaints that bring adults to doctors’ offices. Numerous studies indicate that people who see their doctor about fatigue have generally experienced it for a considerable length of time — anywhere from six months to several years!

Causes of Fatigue

Some causes of fatigue are obvious, such as lack of sleep or a medical illness, but many others are harder to pinpoint. Depression or anxiety, overwork, sedentary living, nutritional factors, or even a medication could contribute to fatigue or cause a feeling of low energy.

Fatigue can be due to numerous causes, such as medical conditions like congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, or diabetes. It can also be a result of sleep disturbances brought on by menopause, or by physical changes that accompany aging. But while fatigue may be an inescapable part of life, there’s no need to take it lying down. Your body is geared toward generating energy as well as expending it. And there are numerous strategies to help regain the physical and mental energy needed to enjoy life to its fullest.

Eat for energy

The tried-and-true advice for healthful eating also applies to keeping your energy level high:

• Eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats with an emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. Taking a daily multivitamin will ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need, but taking extra amounts of individual nutrients won’t give you more energy.

• Eating certain types of foods in particular amounts can help prevent fatigue. Because different kinds of foods are converted to energy at different rates, some — such as candy and other simple sugars — can give you a quick lift, while others — such as whole grains and healthy unsaturated fats — supply the reserves you’ll need to draw on throughout the day.

• Eat small, frequent meals. Where energy is the issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day. This approach can reduce your perception of fatigue because your brain, which has very few energy reserves of its own, needs a steady supply.

Reduce stress

The most common cause of persistent fatigue is stress and the emotional response to it. People who feel fatigued most of the time don’t necessarily have more stress in their lives than other people, but they may be more sensitive to its effects. Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. Relaxation therapy can be an effective tool for reducing stress and naturally boosting your energy, particularly when used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy. Meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are all relaxation techniques. One of the easiest techniques to use is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves systematically tightening and releasing sets of muscles, beginning with your toes and progressing up your legs, torso, hands, and arms. You might also consider other relaxation therapies, including aromatherapy and massage. No matter what age you are, there are things that you can do to feel more energetic.

The Top 10 Mistakes Gym Members Make...

2007-10-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently polled 2,500 certified Fitness professionals to learn what they considered to be the top 10 mistakes being made by gym members. Here are the results:

NOT consuming a nutritious "meal" within one hour of workout: the optimal time for consuming a combination of protein and carbohydrates is immediately following an intense workout session.
NOT drinking enough water: in exercise, the key is hydration, hydration, hydration!
NOT warming-up properly: people who start their workouts full-force are likely candidates for injury and/or exhaustion.
SKIPPING a cool down: cooling down after a workout will lower the heart rate and prevent dizziness.
NOT stretching: stretching helps reduce the likelihood of injuries and increases muscle length and mobility.
LIFTING too much weight: if a complete range of motion is not possible, then they weight is most likely too heavy. More is not necessarily better!
USING momentum rather than muscles to lift weights: slow, controlled movements are what builds muscle strength.
BAD posture: people should never slouch or slump when exercising. Proper posture can prevent back injuries.
NOT exercising intensely enough: picking up the pace will help members achieve changes. If their workout is not challenging enough, then lack of results will be the consequence.
EXERCISING too hard: moderate exercise is the most effective. Many people think they can "make up" for missed workouts.

The Benefits of a Sports Massage

2007-10-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

Everyone has heard of a Sports Massage but ever wonder what exactly the benefits of one are? Jim Poniente spells out the best things about this unique service:

Sports massage is a specialized type of massage therapy used before, during and after athletic events. The purpose of this type of massage is to help the athletes prepare their body for the event and to help it heal faster afterwards. All athletes extol the benefits of a sport massage and this is why many of the major competitive teams have their own therapist on the payroll. Some of the benefits include:

* Enhance performance
* Reduce muscle fatigue during the event
* Relieve pain and swelling afterwards
* Promote flexibility of the muscles
* Prevent injuries

To read the rest of the store, click here

Top Foods for Burning Fat

2007-10-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

It seems everyone these days is looking for the best foods to burn fat. Just eat those particular foods and see the fat melt away, or so we wish! Of course, it just isn't that easy. But, research does indicate that certain foods seem to help burn fat when used sensibly.

The reasons vary for why some particular foods are better at burning fat than others. Some foods are thought to increase metabolism, some seem to satisfy cravings so that we don't overeat, and still others work wonders because they are rich in Vitamin C or contain lots of fiber. However, most people looking to get rid of fat don't care about the scientific details; they just want to know what works!

Instead of looking at specific foods, let's look at the top categories of foods that tend to burn fat. For instance, some lists of top fat burning foods include cayenne pepper. However, there are several other similar foods that could also be listed such as garlic and mustard, which all fall into the category of spicy foods. Thinking in terms of these broad categories will give more variety in choosing foods to help burn fat.

Here are some of the top categories of fat burning foods:

* Spicy Foods - we already mentioned foods such as cayenne pepper, garlic, and mustard. Cinnamon and ginger should also be included in this group.

* Protein - lean meats such as turkey and chicken, very lean red meat.

* Essential Fatty Acids - best sources are fish, salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines.

* Dairy - low fat and nonfat milk, cheese, and yogurt, eggs, especially egg whites.

* Fruit - apples and berries, bananas, citrus fruits, especially grapefruit.

* Green Tea - natural and safe to use, it helps to rev up the metabolism.

* Water - good for you in so many ways, it's necessary to flush the burned fat out of your system.

* Vegetables high in Vitamin C - these include broccoli and cabbage, celery, carrots.

* Soybeans - considered by many to be the newest wonder food, soybeans can be found at most health food stores.

* Whole Grains - oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain breads.

The above list is by no means all inclusive. And it has to be said that you can't expect to just eat some of these foods and then sit around while the fat burns away. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way. As in all nutrition and dieting programs, a combination of proper diet and exercise is the key to healthy weight loss. But being aware of the food categories that can help burn fat will guide you in adding more of these foods to your diet.

By Laura Hinkle

No Time to Exercise Is No Excuse

2007-10-21T22:55:00.000-04:00

ScienceDaily (Sep. 18, 2006) — A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows that short bursts of very intense exercise — equivalent to only a few minutes per day — can produce the same results as traditional endurance training."The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar improvements in muscle health and performance induced by two such diverse training strategies," says Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University (Canada).

Gibala's team made headlines last year when they suggested that a few minutes of high-intensity exercise could be as effective as an hour of moderate activity. However, their previous work did not directly compare sprint versus endurance training.

The new study was conducted on 16 college-aged students who performed six training sessions over two weeks. Eight subjects performed between four and six 30-second bursts of "all out" cycling separated by 4 minutes of recovery during each training session. The other eight subjects performed 90-120 minutes of continuous moderate-intensity cycling each day. Total training time commitment including recovery was 2.5 hours in the sprint group, whereas the endurance group performed 10.5 hours of total exercise over two weeks. Despite the marked difference in training volume, both groups showed similar improvements in exercise performance and muscle parameters associated with fatigue resistance.

"Our study demonstrates that interval-based exercise is a very time-efficient training strategy," said Gibala. “This type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation. However, short bursts of intense exercise may be an effective option for individuals who cite ‘lack of time’ as a major impediment to fitness."

5 Reasons you've Failed at your Goals

2007-10-05T00:55:00.000-04:00

1. Lack of Clarity

Clarity is perhaps the most important concept in Setting up Goals. The greater clarity you have, the easier it will be to reach our goals. Decide exactly what you want. Write it down. Only about 3 per cent of adults have clear, written goals. This helps us to keep focus on the goals. Normally unwritten goals lead to confusions.

2. Lack of crystallizing the dreams

Crystallize and give a tangible form to the the goals. Be specific and practical about the dreams and eliminate the fantasies.

3. Lack of Planning

Make a list of all the steps you have to take to reach your goals. Keep reviewing the list and make necessary improvements.

4. Lack of homework

Prioritize the goals in a list. Try to do some steps every single day which helps to move closer to the goals.

5.Lack of action

Once all the above four steps are accomplished, take the action plan. Start working on the goals. Review the steps taken daily. Take all the measures which help to move closer to your dreams.

Heard of an old proverb? Something is better than nothing. Yes Time is never late. So lets start with a pen and paper and scratch the dreams there.

Develop Back-saving Habits

2007-10-04T22:37:00.000-04:00

You can take some of the pressure off your back by following these simple tips:

While standing to perform ordinary tasks like ironing or folding laundry, keep one foot on a small stepstool.
Don’t remain sitting or standing in the same position for too long. Stretch, shift your position, or take a short walk when you can.
When bending from the waist, always use your hands to support yourself.
When sitting, keep your knees a bit higher than your hips and bend them at a 90-degree angle. Sit with your feet comfortably on the floor. If your feet don’t reach the floor, put a book or a small stool under them.
Because vacuuming can take a toll on your back, tackle rooms in chunks, spending no more than 5–10 minutes at a time doing this task.
Choose an office chair that offers good back support (preferably with an adjustable backrest, lumbar support, armrests, and wheels) and set up your workspace so you don’t have to do a lot of twisting.
Try not to overload briefcases or backpacks (see “Lighten your load”).
Make frequent stops when driving long distances.
While driving, sit back in your seat, and if your seat does not provide sufficient support, place a rolled blanket or some towels behind your lower back. Try to shift your weight occasionally. If you have cruise control, use it when you can. Also consider using a foam seat cushion to absorb some of the vibration.
Sleep on your side if you can, and curl your body up a bit. Also, choose a pillow that keeps your head level with your spine; your pillow shouldn’t prop your head up too high or let it droop. Choose a mattress that’s firm enough to support your spine (so that it doesn’t sag into the bed) and that follows your body’s contours.

Best Workout Tip Ever

2007-10-02T08:21:00.000-04:00

Leonard Rogalski gives what he considers "the best workout tip" EVER:

The tip I am going to give to you today I got from my younger brother (of 2 years).

One day out of the blue he asked me why I increased the weight on my exercises every time I worked out.

I replied, well I got my targeted number of reps, so I felt I should increase the weight, to drop the reps back down.

True, my brother replied, but I watched you do your last couple of sets of dead lifts ( a wonderful exercise that when done correctly works a ton of muscles in the body) and you looked like you were about to pass out. Don’t you think you would be wise to keep the weight the same for at least a couple of workouts, better yet keep the weight the same until you are not scared of it anymore, when you know without a shadow of a doubt you can get all of your reps, and you do, without having to kill yourself. Then, he went on to say, you will know that your body and almost more importantly your mind has adjusted to the weight, so then and only then should you increase the weight.

Click here to read "the rest of the story"

Tips on Gaining Quality Mass

2007-09-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

Kai Lo gives you 10 free tips on how to bulk up. You are getting tips from a hard gainer going from 138 lbs to 180 lbs of muscles.

1.) Are you eating enough? You need at least 20 calories per pound of body weight to gain mass. So if you are 150 lbs., you need at least 3000 calories per day.

2.) Separate your meals throughout the day. Don't just load up 3000 calories in the morning because it'll just become fat. Separate your meals and eat 6-8 times a day.

3.) Eat most of your carbs in the morning and in between workouts. Eat quality carbs like whole-wheat bread and oatmeal. Only time you want to eat starchy carbs like white bread is the 2 hours frame right after a workout. Starchy carbs help you recover fast from working out, and will not convert into fat.

4.) I usually don't keep count of my fat/protein/carbs ratio. I am a very busy person and a lot of things to do. I can't sit down and write out what I ate and carefully jot down the nutrition facts. There are good fat and bad fat to eat. Good fat is something like peanut butter and olive oil. Always look for the Total Fat and Saturated Fat. If the total fat is like 10g Fat and saturated fat is like 1g saturated fat, then that is a good ratio of unsaturated fat. I eat about 70-90g of fat per day with roughly 10-12g of saturated fat. And ALWAYS stay away from trans fat!

5.) About half an hour before working out, have a protein shake with bananas and plain whole-wheat toast. They give great energy, and good for your muscles. Don't work out in a full stomach (ex. right after lunch) or on an empty stomach. They both will slow your metabolism down, and working out on an empty stomach will end up eating your muscles up for energy.

6.) Right after workout, drink a protein shake, have a couple slices of white bread, oatmeal, and fat-free chocolate milk. If you can, an hour later go for rice with chicken breast or fish.

7.) You see that on tip #6 there is nothing that has a lot of fat. Fat slows your protein and carb intake, so taking in more than 6+ grams of fat within 2 hours after working out is a bad idea. Even though some fats are good like olive oil, you still want to stay away for now.

8.) When working out, do compound exercises like Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts, Pullups, Shoulder Presses. I see a lot of skinny people going for bicep curls and a little bit of tricep workouts, but that is why they don't get big! To gain mass, you must lift very heavy weights that let you do 5-8 reps in a set. 5 sets of 5-8 reps is ideal for gaining mass. Make sure you rest about 2-3 minutes each heavy sets to recover. To get big, you must let your body rest, and that means after you bench press one day don't work out your chest again for another 4+ days.

9.) Sleep! Most people don't even sleep more than 6 hours a night. To gain quality mass you must let your body rest, which means you need to sleep 8+ hours a day. This might sound unreasonable because everybody has a busy life. Atleast try for 7 hours of sleep.

10.) I almost forgot about your protein intake. Just because protein is good for your body doesn't mean you should take in thousands of grams of proteins a day. Take 1 to 1.5 grams per body weight per day. So like if you are 150 lbs., take roughly 150-225 grams of protein per day.

I hope I didn't leave anything out. Thanks for reading my article.

Kai Lo
My fitness blog is http://chinesemuscles.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kai_Lo

Have You Developed "Computer Posture"?

2007-09-26T01:01:00.000-04:00

Have you developed "computer posture?" Is your neck beginning to jut forward while your upper back takes on the rounded shape of someone hunched over a keyboard all day?

Natalie Cordova explains what you can do to handle this unfortunate problem:

Have you developed "computer posture?" s your neck beginning to jut forward while your upper back takes on the rounded shape of someone hunched over a keyboard all day?

It makes sense that no matter what your occupation, if you spend extended amounts of time in the same position, your body will begin to stay that way. Your body loves to adapt. If you lift weights, your body thinks that you must need bigger muscles to accomplish your daily activities. On the other hand, if you don't lift weights, your body assumes there's no need for big muscles.

If you are hunched over the keyboard, your body begins the process of creating a computer posture for you. A postural change that will help you stay in the position that you are in the most.

Click here to read "the rest of the story"

Chill Out With Meditation

2007-09-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

Mari Torell has written a great article on Meditation. She explains how meditation can help "bring us back to ourselves".

Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies which more and more doctors are prescribing as a means to lower blood pressure, help asthmatics breathe easier, relieve insomnia and just overall relax the everyday stresses of life. The value of meditation in easing suffering and to promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years. Proof is in the pudding, kind of thing!

The purpose of meditation is to bring us back to ourselves. To discover how to hone our self-awareness, improve our mental performance and develop a keen sense of intuition. As a consequence, we can expect to feel healthier and happier. True story! It is not at all difficult, just takes patience and consistancy. And, of course should appear somewhere in the top three on your priority list of getting 'round-to-it's.'

Click here to read the "rest of the story"

Flip-Flop Fallacies

2007-09-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

Dr. Michael Loshigian Explains Why You Shouldn't Wear Flip-Flops All the Time

(CBS) Shorts, short-sleeve shirts and flip-flops. These all are part of a typical summer outfit for both men and women. However, a foot care expert says that you might want to reconsider your summer footwear.

Dr. Michael Loshigian, a podiatrist and foot surgeon at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital and spokesperson for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (www.footphysicians.com), discussed the dangers of flip-flops on The Early Show.

Flip-flops are meant for short walks to and from the beach, not for everyday use. A thin bit of foam rubber that separates your feet from hot sand, sidewalk or pavement isn't meant to be your everyday footwear.

Statistics prove that the lack of arch support from these sandals increases the likelihood of a foot injury.

"The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons has an increase in reported injuries every spring and summer directly related to wearing (flip-flops) too much," Loshigian said. "So people develop strain in their heel and their arch. Ankle injuries, ankle sprains and ankle fractures are actually becoming more common."

The thong that goes between your toes can also be a problem. Loshigian said, "In people, especially those who have sensitive skin or circulatory conditions and conditions such as diabetes that make their feet more prone to injuries and infections, this can be a point of irritation that can lead to infection."

While using a skeletal foot, Loshigian was able to clearly show the weak support that a flip-flop gives. "The standard beach flip-flop is very flat and really supports the arch very little," Loshigian said. "This is part of the reason that these sandals are really not good for long-term wear."

There are safer alternatives for those in need of comfortable summer footwear. As examples, he displayed a pair of sturdy sandals and the popular Crocs.

When choosing a safer sandals, Loshigian said you should look for a good tread pattern on the bottom of the shoe. The inside of the sandal should be molded to fit the arch and cup the heel. Having a strap around the back of the heel adds additional support.

Burning Off Excess Stomach Fat

2007-09-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

Burning off excess stomach fat is just like getting rid of fat from any other part of the body. You must lose fat everywhere in order to burn stomach fat. Unfortunately there is no wacky ab contraption anywhere that will burn your stomach fat - they will only strengthen the muscles.

Don't be afraid of resistance training
Besides improving your strength and overall health, resistance training elevates your metabolism for hours after you finish working out. Not only that, but by packing on lean muscle mass, your basal metabolic rate raises, which means you will be burning more calories when you're at rest. If you're a woman, don't be afraid of 'bulking up' - it requires a lot of testosterone to build the amount of muscle that male bodybuilders have!

Do cardio before your first meal
If you run before your first meal, you have to rely on burning stomach fat for energy because your body has used up all its left-over carbohydrates during the night. This trick has been proven to increase fat metabolism by up to 300%! You'll raise your metabolism for the rest of the day, which will help you burn more calories.

Eat every 2-3 hours
Eating every few hours allows you to get a constant, controlled stream of blood sugar. This will prevent you from having those 'highs' and 'lows' we all are too familiar with! Also it will limit insulin release, which will lower overall fat storage.

Drink enough water
Water is essential for just about every function in the body. It removes toxins from the body, improves elasticity of the skin, and increases fat metabolism. Make sure you get enough of it!

Get plenty of sleep
Your muscles grow when you are out of the gym, not in it. Exercise breaks down the muscles, and while you're sleeping, your body rebuilds the muscles a little bit stronger to adapt to the stress they were put under. Getting enough sleep will ensure you have plenty of time to rebuild muscles.

So there you have it, five quick tips to help you burn stomach fat.

Fitness Tip: Don’t Be a Softy in the Weight Room

2007-08-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

Lifescript.com's Jennifer Gruenemay talks about women and their trials and tribulations in the weight room. The article is an interesting read on how we differently we treat different fitness activities.

Original Link

Most women are too hard on themselves when it comes to cardio. But when it comes to weight training, they might very easily be going too easy on themselves. Studies show women tend to life weights that are too light because they are afraid they'll bulk up. But that's not the case. Women generally do not produce enough testosterone to build bulky muscles. And if the weight isn’t heavy enough, it won’t provide enough resistance for your muscles to make gains in muscular endurance or strength, which makes lifting weights completely pointless.

Experts recommend that you start with a 10-pound weight, which is light enough to avoid injury, and see how many repetitions you can do of a certain exercise (like an overhead press or biceps curl). If you can easily do more than 15 repetitions at that weight, you should increase the weight by five to 10 pounds and repeat the drill. Do this until you figure out how much you can safely lift in 8-12 repetitions, which is the preferred amount of reps for improving muscular endurance. Once you’ve found a weight that challenges you, stick with it until it also becomes too easy. Then, increase the weight by five to 10 pounds again until you find a comfortable but challenging weight. Muscular adaptations can occur in as little as a few sessions or a few weeks of training, so don’t be surprised if you have to increase weights a lot in the first few months of training.

15 Simple Ways to Improve Your Athletic Performance Right Now

2007-08-23T22:42:00.000-04:00

Fueling Guidelines That Are Easy to Follow and Incorporate

Proper fueling of the body prior to, during, and after exercise requires personal experimentation to find the ideal fit for you, the individual athlete. There is no “one size fits all” approach; we are all experiments of one" when it comes to fueling during exercise. You need to determine, through trial and error in your training, what works best for you. However, there are some basic guidelines that will enable you to eliminate much of the guesswork, so you can more rapidly learn how to properly fuel your body, allowing you to enjoy higher quality workouts and better race performances.

Some of these recommendations may seem pretty foreign to you, especially in regards to fluid, calorie, and electrolyte replenishment during exercise, where some “experts” tell you that you need to eat and drink at or near depletion rates. Before you subscribe to and follow those suggestions, consider the words of Bill Misner, Ph.D.:

The human body has so many survival safeguards by which it regulates living one more minute, that when we try too hard to fulfill all its needs we interfere, doing more harm than good. If I replace all the fuels I lose at the rate of 700-900 calories per hour, I bloat, vomit, present diarrhea, and finish the event walking or at an aid station. If I replace all the fluids lost all at once, I end up in the emergency tent with an IV for dilutional hyponatremia. If I replace all the sodium my body loses at the rate of 2 g/hour, I end up with swollen hands, eyes, ankles, feet, and noticeably labored exercise, or hypornatremia-induced bonking.

At an easy aerobic pace, the rate of metabolism increases from a sedentary state to a range of 1200-2000%. As a result, the body goes into survival mode where blood volume is routed to working muscles, fluids are used for evaporative cooling mechanisms, and oxygen is routed to the brain, heart, and other internal organisms. Interestingly, it NOT focused on calorie, fluid, and electrolyte replacement, as some of the experts advise.

1. Keep fluid intake during exercise between 20-28 ounces (approx 600-825 ml) per hour.

Most athletes, under most conditions, will satisfy hydration needs with a fluid intake in the 20-28-ounce/hour range. Cool weather exercise might require only a little over half of that. Larger athletes and/or athletes exercising under very hot and humid conditions are the ones that can consider fluid intakes at the high end of that range (28 ounces/hour), perhaps even upwards of up to 30 ounces/hour. Sure, you can sweat more than that, but you cannot physiologically replace it ounce-for-ounce. Regular fluid intake over 30-34 ounces hourly really increases the potential for serious performance and health problems, so keep that in mind before you indiscriminately gulp down excessive amounts of fluid. If you override your internal mechanisms, you’ll find out the hard way how your body deals with excess water intake during intense exercise. Unless you enjoy nausea, bloating, and DNFs, forget advice like drink to replace or drink even when you’re not thirsty…it’s just plain wrong.

2. Restrict caloric intake to 300 cal/hr during exercise.

If you want to watch your race go down the drain fast, follow the “calories out, calories in” protocol that some “experts” recommend. Fact: your body can’t process caloric intake anywhere near your expenditure rate. Athletes who attempt to replace all the fuels they lose, which can be upwards of 700-900 calories per hour, will most likely end up with bloating, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Sound like a good strategy to you? We didn’t think so.

If you want to achieve your best performance, replenish calories in “body cooperative” amounts, allowing your fat stores to make up the difference, which they will easily do. For most athletes, 240-300 cal/hr will do the job. For lighter athletes, 180-200 cal/hr may be just the ticket, while larger athletes can consider hourly intakes of slightly over 300 cal/hr.

3. Avoid simple sugars in your fuels; use complex carbohydrates only.

You’ve heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out,” right? Guess what: simple sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, and dextrose) are garbage. They’re inefficient fuels for exercise, and they’re health hazards when consumed regularly in typical dietary quantities. They have no place in your body.

Simple sugars give you energy peaks and crashes, and they also have a severe limitation on absorption. They need to be mixed in weak concentrations for efficient digestion, which means you can only intake about 100 cal/hr. You can consume more, but you can’t absorb more. You’ll only get sick trying. Complex carbohydrates, however, absorb at about three times the rate as simple sugars. That covers the 300 cal/hr we just mentioned. Plus you get smooth, steady, reliable energy: no peaks and valleys. Yes, complex carbohydrates do contain, as part of their naturally occurring structure, a small percentage of 1- or 2-chain sugars. There’s a big difference, however, regarding how your body responds to these sugars when they are “part of the whole” rather than when they’re isolated and added to a product as a separate ingredient: big difference.

4. Exercise over two hours requires protein, too.

Carbs alone won’t satisfy all of your energy requirements once you exceed two hours or so. Protein will have to satisfy roughly 10% of your energy requirements. You have two choices: (1) Use a fuel that contains both complex carbohydrates and soy protein; or (2) Allow your body to literally feed upon itself (that is, digest your own muscle tissue) to make fuel. Did you pick #1? Good call!

5. Use soy, not whey, during exercise.

Whey protein is a superb protein when it’s used at the right time: after exercise. Do not use it before or during because the added glutamine quickly degrades to produce ammonia. Ammonia build-up is a primary culprit in muscle fatigue, and you’re already producing ammonia when you exercise. Don’t make it worse.

Now, there is some confusion regarding glutamine and ammonia that we’ll clear up. Yes, glutamine does eventually scavenge ammonia. The key word, however, is "eventually." When glutamine metabolizes it increases ammonia initially, but then scavenges more than originally induced systemically, taking approximately three hours or so for it to accomplish this. Again, since you’re already producing ammonia during endurance exercise and since ammonia is a primary culprit in fatigue, it seems logical that you’d not want to increase ammonia levels. However, that’s exactly what you’ll do when you consume glutamine supplements or glutamine-enhanced whey protein during exercise.

Soy or rice gives you the protein you need with minimal extra ammonia production. After exercise, when ammonia production is not an issue, glutamine-enhanced whey protein is great for immune system boosting, muscle tissue rebuilding, and enhanced glycogen synthesis.

6. Use liquid fuels as your main energy source, even during prolonged training and races.

There’s nothing wrong with consuming a little solid food on occasion during prolonged exercise as a pleasant diversion from the monotony of liquid fuel consumption, but you must:

a) Make wise choices. Choose foods that have little or no refined sugar and saturated fats. Don’t think, “I’m a calorie burning machine so I can eat anything that I want.” What you put in your body greatly determines what you get out of it. Remember: garbage in, garbage out!

b) Make solid food consumption the exception, not the rule. Solid food is harder to digest than liquid, and it requires more time, water, and electrolytes. Relying too heavily on solid foods can leave you feeling lethargic, bloated, and nauseated. Liquid fuels digest and absorb readily, so you avoid those unwanted maladies. Most of all, avoid all junk foods, which contain lots of saturated fats and refined sugars, at all times. Believe me, when the latter stages of the race are upon you, you’ll be thanking yourself that you took a pass on that sugar & fat laden pastry earlier in the race.

7. Remember to replenish electrolytes during exercise.

You can get your energy fuels (“gasoline”) dialed in right, but if you neglect the electrolytes (“oil”), the dash light comes on - except your body doesn’t have a dash light. Instead, you get cramps, spasms, muscle revolt, irregular and rapid heartbeat, and major bonk. Don’t wait for the light to come on; those are the final symptoms of increasing impairment. If you don’t respond well before your body’s oil light comes on, you can pretty much kiss optimal performance, and probably the whole race, goodbye.

8. Don’t rely on salt tablets to fulfill electrolyte requirements.

People think sweat = major salt loss, but that’s very misleading where it counts: in your replenishment program. Salt is just one of several electrolytes you need to replenish during exercise. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium also play key roles in fulfilling electrolyte requirements.

Here’s the bad news with salt, which is all too easy to overload on: excess salt consumption causes edema and impairs your normal body mechanisms for handling electrolytes. That’s why throwing down salt tablets is a bad idea; you should avoid them altogether.

How much salt is enough? Electrolyte depletion is widely variable: you can’t rely on a “one-size fits all” bottled drink or drink mix. You need to experiment and find your own range for any given weather condition and duration of exercise. That being said, 200-400mg NaCl/hr, as part of a full spectrum electrolyte replenishment product, is a good starting point for most athletes under most conditions.

9. Do not use any new supplement or fuel, or supplement/fueling protocol, in a race without having first tested it in training.

This is a cardinal rule for all athletes, yet you’d be amazed how many break it. Unless you’re absolutely desperate and willing to accept the consequences, do not try anything new in competition, be it equipment, fuel, or tactics. These all must be tested and refined in training.

10. Be flexible with your fuel consumption during a race, keeping in mind that what may have worked in training may not be appropriate under race conditions.

Caloric intakes that worked during training may not be appropriate during a race; you may need to consume slightly less in a race than you did during training. Why? Increased anxiety, increased pace, and increased potential for dehydration all contribute to the possibility of a less-than-optimally functioning digestive system. In addition, at the increased pace during a race, more blood is diverted from digestion and directed toward maintaining muscle performance.

11. Replenish your body with carbohydrates and protein as soon as possible after each exercise session.

Here’s a statement to remember: “When you’re done training, you’re not done training” at least not until you’ve put some fuel back into the body. Equally important as your workout (muscle exhaustion and nutrient depletion) is what you do immediately following your workout (muscle repair and nutrient replenishment). If you neglect to refill the tank, you’ll never get the full value out of all the work you just put in and what a waste that would be.

Increased fitness simply won’t happen, at least not efficiently or effectively, if you ignore your body’s cries for fuel replenishment. Give your body what it needs immediately after exercise, when it’s most receptive to replenishment, and it will respond wonderfully, recovering faster, efficiently adapting to physical stress, and “learning” how to store more and more readily available fuel in the muscles. A 3:1 ratio of complex carbohydrates to protein is the best combination.

12. Don’t over-consume food the night before the race in the hopes of “carb-loading.”

It would be nice if you could maximize muscle glycogen stores the night before the race, but human physiology doesn’t work that way. Increasing and maximizing muscle glycogen stores takes many weeks of consistent training and post-workout fuel replenishment. Excess consumed carbohydrates are only going to be eliminated or stored as body fats (dead weight), so don’t go overboard during those pre-race pasta feeds. Eat until you’re satisfied, but not more.

13. Finish a pre-race meal three hours prior to the start of the race.

Let’s assume you’ve been really good – you’ve been training hard (yet wisely) and remembering to replenish your body with adequate amounts of high quality calories as soon as possible after each and every one of your workouts. Great! You’ve now built up a nice 60-90 minute reservoir of premium muscle glycogen, the first fuel your body will use when the race begins. Don’t blow it now by eating something an hour or two prior to the start of the race!

Do you know what happens when you eat within three hours of exercise? Your muscle glycogen stores get burned much more rapidly . . . definitely not performance-enhancing! If you’re going to have a pre-race meal, you need to finish it three hours prior to the start of the race. That’s the best way to top off liver glycogen stores (the goal of the pre-race meal) without screwing up how your body burns its muscle glycogen. Not possible to get up and eat three hours before the race? Read on.

14. Don’t sacrifice sleep to eat a pre-race meal.

OK, you’re convinced that it’s a good idea to eat at least three hours prior to the start of your race. “But wait,” you say. “My race starts at 7 a.m. Are you telling me I have to get up at 3 a.m. or so just to eat?” Well, you could get up to eat if you’re so inclined, but you don’t have to. The fuel you’ve got stored in the muscles? It’s going to be there, full strength, even after a night-long fast (really). In the morning your brain may be saying, “I’m hungry,” but your muscles are saying, “Hey, we’re good to go.”

Bottom line: do not sacrifice sleep just to eat. If you’ve got an early morning race start, the best strategy is:

Eat a high quality meal the night before (topping off liver glycogen stores)

Get an adequate amount of sleep

Have 100-200 calories of easily digested fuel 5-10 minutes prior to the start of the race

That’s right, 5-10 minutes prior, not one or two hours prior. The key, in terms of muscle glycogen depletion rates, is in the timing. If you must eat before the start of your race, you need to complete consumption three hours prior. If that’s not logistically feasible, have a little something 5-10 minutes prior. Do that and you won’t expend your hard-earned glycogen too rapidly.

15. Consume appropriate amounts of high quality food for your pre-race meal.

The goal of the pre-race meal is to top off your liver glycogen, which has been depleted during your sleep. Believe it or not, to accomplish this you don’t need to eat 600, 800, or 1000 calories or more, as some would have you believe. A pre-race meal of 200-400 calories, comprised of complex carbohydrates, perhaps a small amount of soy or rice protein, and little or no fiber or fat, and consumed three hours prior to the start of the race, is quite sufficient. You can’t add anything to muscle glycogen stores at this time (you’ll just be topping off liver glycogen stores), so stuffing yourself is counterproductive, especially if you’ve got an early morning race start.

By: Steve Born

Main Event Daily Tip: Weight Loss is 90% Mental

2007-08-20T14:15:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Gruenemay of Lifescript.com had a great tip on Weight Loss and slimming down.....
Original Link

While a personal trainer is one of the best coaches you can have in your weight loss journey, a positive attitude is even better to have in your corner, and it won’t cost you anything extra. While the science behind weight loss breaks it down to a “calories in vs. calories out” equation, the reality is that weight loss is largely a battle of the mind. But the battle is lost when you end up talking yourself out of exercising, talking yourself into ordering that cheeseburger and listening to negative self-talk every time you look in the mirror and pick apart your image. If you want to get serious about weight loss, don’t just pay attention to how much you eat and how often you exercise – also make a mental checklist of how often you put yourself down, even as you’re trying to build yourself up. Once you get an idea of how damaging your attitude really is to your goals, start putting encouraging thoughts and images into your mind. Stomp out those negative thoughts and keep a positive attitude, even when things aren’t looking so great. So you missed a workout and had a piece of cheesecake for breakfast – so what? Don’t beat yourself up over it. Rather, tell yourself you’re human and you’re allowed to make mistakes now and then, but you’ll do better next time. Visualize yourself at your goal's end and you’ll find yourself there sooner than you know.

Now you know and knowing is half the battle!

Seven Proven Steps to Overcome Procrastination

2007-08-18T00:56:00.000-04:00

I know what I need to do, but I am unable to get started. Who among us hasn't been stuck in this scenario before? Momentum is a powerful force but inertia can be more powerful. We know what to do, but we don't put knowledge into action. The result is the frustration of procrastination and remaining stuck in your current reality even though you do want change.

Inside, it seems one part wants to get started and achieve success. Yet another part wants to stop, give up, or take it easy. An inner tug of war ensues between these two parts. Which side will win? Achieving success depends on not allowing these two parts to maintain a perpetual battle and keep you at a stalemate. Success is realized when you become aware of these two opposing sides and deal with them in productive manner. You always have the choice of which side to nurture, cultivate, and strengthen.

To become successful and move beyond the status quo, check out the list below for some bright ideas on how to take action. Discover the inner motivation that will enable you to conquer complacency and move forward. Even though change is difficult, it is absolutely possible – you just have to know how!

1. Fear = False Emotion Appearing Real

It is normal that a part of you has fear and insists, perhaps rather loudly, not to get started. Fear is a natural part of any change process. However, one lesson worth learning is, “Be scared . . . and do it anyway.” It may be impossible to take your next step without experiencing fear. Do not make the mistake of waiting for fear to leave before you take the action.

2. Thoughts Determine Success

Earl Nightingale has a saying: “We become what we think about.” So what do you think about? Are your thoughts centered on fear of failure, or the joy of having what you want? Thoughts have a powerful impact on your attitude and your ability to get motivated and stay motivated.

3. Start Small

Do not underestimate the power of baby steps. If 40 minutes of exercise five days a week seems impossible, how about starting with five minutes today? Tomorrow will take care of itself. Psychologically and spiritually, the important thing was that you had an idea or a dream, you allowed yourself to think positive thoughts about having your outcome, and you took action. What action step can you take today?

4. Change Your Routine

How long has it been since you have had your desired outcome in mind, but have not moved forward? Maybe it is time to shake up your routine. Take a moment and notice the patterns of your day. Have they become predictable and dull? Now check out the goal you have in mind for yourself. Is there perhaps one specific step in your goal that sounds fun, exciting, and different? Not only could you begin taking action on something you have been wanting all along, but it could shake you out of a rut.

5. Reward Yourself

One way to motivate yourself to do something when you do not feel like doing it is to offer yourself an incentive. For instance, if you eat one extra serving of vegetables today, you can allow yourself the luxury of sleeping in tomorrow morning. Maybe you will buy that CD you have been wanting, or take a bubble bath, or get a pedicure.

Give yourself small rewards on a regular basis. It can do wonders for your motivation. Find ways to make the change you are creating as enjoyable as possible. No one is forcing you to change; it is something you have decided to do on your own. Why not make it as fun as possible? Rewards do not have to be big or expensive; they just have to be something meaningful to you. Make a list of delightful rewards and link them with your actions!

6. Connect Action With Pleasure Not Pain

When you find yourself lacking motivation, you may be associating action with pain, rather than pleasure. For instance, if you are deciding to lose weight, you may be associating the goal with having to eat food you hate, feeling deprived, connecting the idea of exercise with physical pain or embarrassment, and envisioning failure.

What you could do instead is remind yourself of the immediate and long-term positive benefits. Make a written list of the instant and future payoffs to working on your goal. What will you gain by choosing to take action on your goal? Learn to work ‘for’ what you want, not ‘against’ what you do not want.

When fear or doubt begin to creep back in, remind yourself to stand strong in your decisions to have what you want. Create positive tapes to play for yourself to override the negative ones. Staying focused on the positive unleashes your internal motivating force and changes your attitude about the action you are considering.

7. Act When The Idea Is Hot And The Emotion Is Strong

With your goal, notice when positive emotions are present and when your idea is strong, clear, and powerful. When this happens, your idea has gained momentum and now is the time to take action. Listen to your inner wisdom and follow up immediately. If you hear about a motivational book that makes you curious, go out and buy it. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold. Begin the process. If five minutes of exercise sounds good right now, do not wait until tonight and do not force yourself to do forty minutes. Climb on that treadmill, or go outside and walk five minutes. Then tell yourself you did a great job. Feel good about listening to your inner wisdom and following through. Take advantage of favorable circumstances while they last. Act quickly while the opportunity is still available. Strike while the iron is hot!

'No Time To Exercise' Is No Excuse

2007-08-15T09:52:00.000-04:00

"Time is wasted, time walking Time, time You ain't no friend of mine. " - Hootie & the Blowfish

Alright, cheesy song I admit but it brings up a real issue in the fitness industry. The catch-all excuse of I don't have enough time to exercise is ever present but now its simply not true. New studies have shown that short bursts of very intense exercise — equivalent to only a few minutes per day — can produce the same results as traditional endurance training!

From Science Daily:

"The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar improvements in muscle health and performance induced by two such diverse training strategies," says Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.

Click here to read the original source story.

News from the World of Fitness: Updated National Fitness Guidelines

2007-08-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest questions the trainers at Main Event get asked is:

How long should I work out each day?

While the answer to that question depends greatly on the person and their fitness level - updated national exercise guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine give a good idea of how to structure your workout.

From Science Daily — By Nancy Dohn

GAINESVILLE, Fla.---Fitting aerobic exercise and weight training into busy schedules may have just gotten easier. Updated national exercise guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine Wednesday (June 3) in Orlando show breaking up aerobic exercise into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day can be just as effective as one 30-minute session.

In addition, performing one set of weight lifting exercises (eight to 12 repetitions) will build the same muscle endurance and strength as doing multiple sets, said University of Florida exercise physiologist Michael L. Pollock.

New to the national guidelines, last updated in 1990, is the recommendation to perform weekly stretches to increase muscle and tendon flexibility, which reduces potential injury and maintains function as people age, Pollock said.

"The first guidelines established in 1978 looked mainly at the importance of cardiovascular exercise. In 1990, strength training exercises were added as part of an overall fitness program," Pollock said.

"These current guidelines include flexibility exercises and modifications to aerobic and weight training based on current research that will help the average person adhere to a fitness program."

Click here to read the rest of the story

Sweat and the Pursuit of Happiness

2007-08-09T16:33:00.000-04:00

"The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain

I'm reading a book called The Athlete's Way by Christopher Bergland and it is really resonating with me. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to dig deeper into the pursuit of goals. Why some people are able to take the steps necessary and others just never get started. The author has done some pretty extraordinary things such as Ultramarathons and Ironman triathlons so he is clearly an overachiever. But he breaks down the psychology of performance in such a way that it applies to all things in life.

Here is a sample:

"The most valuable lesson that I've learned about the athlete's way is that it isn't just about the outcome, it really is about what happens along the way. The trick is to set goals and achieve them, but to take it down a thousand. To keep the bar high but stay very relaxed. You need to demand the most for yourself, but cut yourself some slack. Don't be a control freak, or try to be perfect-but still try to be the best you can. This is that tightrope walk of the athletic paradox."

"The pursuit of happiness is the prime motivating force in most people's lives. Athletes like to exercise because it makes them happy. If you are someone who thinks of exercise as a suffer-fest, a disagreeable, unpleasant experience to be avoided, the key is going to be for you to flip your perspective to associate physical activity with happiness...Athletes consider working out to be rewarding and pleasurable because they intuitively incorporate the four tenets of athletic bliss into every workout:

Presence of positive emotions
Physical pleasure
Meaning/Significance
Sense of achievement

If you can make even one of these a part of your exercise experience, you will be on your way to enjoying working out."

"Set a goal and don't quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don't quit until you reach it. Never quit." - Bear Bryant

So if you have extra bandwidth in your day and can afford the time, this is a very good book to help you either get started or to reinvigorate you if you have plateaued.

Chris Scully

Main Event Fitness' Proud History & Bright Future

2007-08-04T16:04:00.000-04:00

Since its inception in 1989 Main Event Fitness has acquired an almost mythic reputation as a gathering place of celebrities and bodybuilding freaks working out side-by-side with students and "regular" folks. When Lex Luger and Sting opened the first MEF on Buford Highway in November 1989, the buzz was unbelievable. Wrestling was climbing the charts as an entertainment outlet and many of the top talents were living right here in Atlanta.

All of the top wrestlers were regulars at MEF: Hulk Hogan, Randy Macho Man Savage, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Marcus Bagwell, Diamond Dallas Page...a who's who of talent were there all the time. And the neat thing about these guys was that they were on TV every week and yet they were approachable, nice guys with good attitudes toward the staff and members.

There was also the bodybuilding culture, which was huge with regular coverage on ESPN and with Atlanta as one of the country's epicenters for the sport. The Buford Highway gym was the place to be for bodybuilding, celebrity-watching, and powerlifting. The change in the area over on Buford Highway during the mid-90's caused businesses like Target and Publix to rethink their strategies and this meant MEF had to do the same thing.

The Marietta MEF opened in April 1992 as the previous occupant of the space, Skyline Athletic Club, decided to sell. The Marietta location was always considered the "bigger" and "nicer" sister to the Buford Highway gym but they both enjoyed considerable success. The focus of the business became the Marietta unit with its terrific location and huge growth potential. When Sting decided he wanted to move his family back home to California, I got a wonderful opportunity to step into his shoes as co-owner with Lex.

I credit both Lex and Sting for giving me the chance to pursue my dream. Sting could have sold his interest to any number of people and Lex could have chosen to go into business with someone else - so I'm very thankful that they allowed me to climb the ladder. I always loved the business model: a real gym, not a health club. The definition of "real gym" has changed somewhat over the years but all in all, it is still pretty easy to distinguish between a real gym and a health club.

Let me tell you, there are not many real gyms left so I feel lucky. When the Buford Highway gym was sold in 1998 it afforded us the opportunity to focus on our flagship facility and the changes that occurred at MEF Marietta over those years are immense. Wrestling and bodybuilding are no longer the attractions that they once were, the facility has been renovated several times, and Lex has moved on to pursue other interests. The celebrity faces have changed - we enjoy plenty of notable NFL players as customers now (Hines Ward, Jamal Lewis, Jason Allen, and Wayne Gandy to name a few) as the sports performance division of XPE Sports grows its business within MEF.

Our customer base, which back in the 90's was younger, is now a bit older and more affluent. Our gym is a source of great pride for me as most gyms do not last beyond three years let alone 18 years! But we are still a real gym - that is what I wanted in 1993 and that is what I want in 2013. I am also very fortunate that Bob Scully is right there with me in my quest to have the best gym anywhere! I couldn't do it without his help.

Chris Scully

Most Common Phrase: "I used to...."

2007-08-02T22:59:00.000-04:00

I have been involved in sports and fitness all of my life and I'm a listener by nature. So it occurred to me that over the years, one phrase that is constantly used in the gym is "I used to." It's amazing how many of us look back and say that phrase when explaining ourselves to someone. Here are some that I logged because they were so darn funny:

"I used to be on the Canadian Olympic Archery Team" - this person was from NY
"I used to own gyms back in California" - that was a lie
"I used to be a competitive bodybuilder in FL" - doubt it
"I used to model" - if you saw what I saw, I'm not sure what kind of model they were referring to?
"I used to play in the NFL" - lie
"I used to be in the FBI" - probably a lie
"I used to be a star baseball player but I tore my knee up and it cut my career short with the Yankees" - lie
"I used to be an Olympic decathlete but only three get to go to the Olympics and I was number 4" - probably a lie
"I used to be a world class sprinter. I beat Darrell Green (4-Time NFL's Fastest Man) in a charity race in D.C." - sure you did
"I used to be the Choreographer for the Olympic opening ceremony" - lie
"I used to be...a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, chef, taught Major Leaguer catchers how to catch, bodybuilder, firefighter, and radio d.j." - one person who did all this by age 26 - right!

There are plenty of these types of exchanges I have had where the truth was told. But it's amazing how people feel the need to embellish their past. I actually enjoy playing along with some of them. Keep them coming...it makes for good entertainment! I guess we all are guilty of looking back at the glory days (either real or make-believe).
Chris Scully

Introducing Chris Scully

2007-07-05T00:15:00.000-04:00

For those of you that don’t know Chris – he is the co-owner of Main Event Fitness with his father, Bob. He is originally from Miami, FL and attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. Having played all sports as a kid, he decided on soccer as his sport of choice in high school and played for Wake Forest as a collegian. After graduating in 1989, he began his career in fitness in Miami and moved to Atlanta in 1993 to explore the opportunities of owning a gym. He became involved with Main Event Fitness shortly after arriving in Atlanta and several years later in 1997, bought ownership in the company. Chris' dream was always to own a gym - a real gym- and he is very proud to have had a large hand in the development of such an exceptional facility. He loves the atmosphere at MEF and truly looks forward to each and every day at the gym. Chris is married, has four dogs (3-Siberian Huskies and 1-German Shepherd), enjoys cycling, and occasionally plays golf and tennis. He enjoys reading mostly non-fiction and is a history buff. He attended Miami Dolphins games as a kid and wished the Falcons played outdoors so he could relive some of those wonderful fall days in a sun-soaked stadium (instead of the sterile Georgia Dome). Chris loves talking Pro Football and English Premier League Soccer.

Nutrition - Online Monitoring

2007-07-04T21:58:00.000-04:00

One of the coolest new features of our website is our Online Nutrition Monitoring. Members can access this feature from any web browser. Just click and go!

The Skinny:

This innovative online tool assists our members in tracking their diet and helping educate them along the way. Introduced in 2007, our new software system allows a Main Event Fitness coach to advise our members on their meal planning and caloric intake (versus caloric expenditure). The online program is different than other online diet programs in that we do not provide a meal plan to follow. The meal plan approach has proven to cause a great deal of stress and frustration because it alters a person’s eating and food preparation habits significantly. This makes it very difficult for the individual to follow the program long-term. Main Event advocates recording what eat and gradually making changes to your diet by substitution of healthier alternatives that contain fewer calories.

To take a tour of the industry’s newest technology, please visit https://mef.stayinstep.com/login.htm.

Some of the features include:

An integrated Food & Exercise Log
Ideal & Goal Setting
Integrated Calendar that displays:
- Daily Weight
- Gain or Loss
- Calories Consumed
- Calories Burned
- Net Calories
Over 8,000 foods in the database
Over 600 exercises in the database
User community with Forums

The online monitoring is both affordable and convenient. For more information, please call Dell White at 770-951-2120 or e-mail him at Dell@MainEventFitness.com.

New Website Launches

2007-07-03T17:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the New Main Event Fitness! Our new website is bigger, better, and easier to use.

Here are just some of the features of our new design:

• Better Navigation – ease of use will be its hallmark.

• More interactive – when it comes to fitness; we want to know what you think. Our new site will allow us to get feedback from our members and non-members alike.

• More Content – our new site will give the information you need. Finding classes and services at Main Event will only be a click away.

• Fitness Tips – Weekly tips from our trainers will be posted on the Main Event Fitness blog.

• Online Class Schedules – No more looking (or calling) to find out the current class schedule. The schedule will always be available online.

• Online Monitoring - an innovative online tool that assists our members in tracking their diet and educating them.

• And much, much more!