Core Train Back Pain!

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Virtually every strength training move will engage your core (abdominals) if done correctly, meaning, that you are consciously engaging your core.  This gives you stability through the exercise and works double duty in tightening abs.

Many people stay away from strength training because of lower back problems and fear that it will aggravate the problem.  This is the exact OPPOSITE of the actual truth.  Lower back "weakness" is usually an indicator of a weak core.  Strengthening your core will aide in overuse of lower back muscles and improve posture.  If you have disc issues or injury, always consult your chiropractor or physician before entering a fitness program.

Our bodies are very complex and connected in ways that would seem to make no sense at all.  For example, hamstrings run through the back of the thighs.  Tightness through lack of stretching will cause limitation of motion in the pelvis.  This increases stress across the lower back, compromising posture.  Stretching will eventually lengthen the muscles and relieve stress on the lower back!!

If you don't believe me, believe the Mayo Clinic, this link gives many different exercises for the core with modifications.  As with any exercise, if you feel pain, and I mean sharp pain, not the pain of exertion! stop and move to another exercise or try the modification until you build up enough strength.

Now, if you are looking to see abdominal results, visit my fan page for training tips and nutrition. http://www.facebook.com/bootcampacademy101  You will not reduce belly fat from abdominal exercises alone!! The two go hand in hand! 

New Camp Heaven!

This morning was the christening of the 5:30 a.m. Body Sculpting class.  Campers learned some basic weight training techniques they can take to the gym if they choose to.  Everyone works at their own weight level.

1. Work in enough reps to cover 40 seconds per exercise - don't be a slave to the clock, but get in the zone
2. Three count down, fast return - ex. would be when you are performing curls, don't just sling them up and down quickly.  Curl the weight quickly, then do a slow three count down as you position to curl back up, then repeat.
3. 30 seconds to 3 minute recovery depending on your cardiovascular endurance.

This morning we worked with 5 and 10 pound weights, doing 10 reps each focusing mostly on the heavier weight with 30 second breaks as these are not new campers.  The body parts are broken up between the 2 days, Monday and Wednesday.

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Remember to drink lots of water and stretch!!!   Awesome job ladies!!

PATRIOT GAMES MUD RUN IS FINALLY HERE!

After months of training and Boot Camps, the Mud Run is finally here!  I LOVE MUD!  I've got several campers joining in and it should be a lot of fun.  Hopefully pictures will be available to post.  I know newbies are a bit apprehensive, but we're sticking together and I can feel the love!

This run is family friendly and geared for finishing, I hope to get 'em hooked!

Skinny Fat

If I am diagnosing right, skinny fat is a low scale weight with high percent of body fat (Body Mass Index - BMI).  This can be discouraging for people who have lost weight and look slim in clothes, but still have pockets of fat in unwanted areas.  Also, for people who have been slim most of their life without diet or exercise and as they age, see layers of fat start to come on.

What are some of the causes?

• Skinny fat is a common side effect of starvation diets.  Fat is emergency storage, your body will burn muscle first if caloric intake is too low.
• Overdosing on cario may result in loss of muscle mass if not combined with strength training
• And of course, on a naturally slim person, lack of exercise in general with poor eating habits

What is the solution?  Lifting and eating clean.  Taking in less calories is not the answer, taking in the right calories is. You may gain muscle mass, which will translate in pounds on the scale, yet all the while appearing slimmer.  When I say pounds, in women, I am not talking 10 pound gains, unless you are competing and really making a concerted effort to do so.  The average person may gain 1-3 pounds or stay the same trading fat for muscle and go down a dress size.

Keep these principles in mind if you are trying to gain more muscle mass and less fat on a slim frame.

• Eating clean, this means whenever possible avoid processed foods, soda, sugar and fried foods.  Take in good fats like coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, avocados and raw nuts.
• Increase your lifting weight regularly, this is called strength training.  Slinging the same weight week after week, even if it is heavy, or too light is not building strength.  Increasing the weight gives you a bench mark.
• Taking a week off periodically (try once a quarter) to recuperate from the load.

Street Foods

I have been coveting the food truck phenomenon for awhile, and it seems that it has been perfected first outside of the US.  But we've caught on, and now I am seeing it everywhere.  Or at least reading about it :(  Austin and San Antonio have caught on and hopefully we will see it in the DFW area as well.  Not your standard hotdogs and roasted peanuts either!  I have also been hearing the foodie buzz for smoked paprika.  So the marriage of the two was a great opportunity to venture out into unchartered food territory.  The trip was fantastic!

The recipe was Hot Smoked Paprika Pork with Mango Salsa I was so excited because I saw that they had been selling flat bread at Walmart in the bakery section, traditionally called Naan, which is part of the Indian cuisine.  Of course when I went to get it, it wasn't there!  So the substitute was small corn tortillas that were double wrapped because singly they tend to crumble when stuffed.  This is a very versatile recipes as I imagine it would be good with ground pork or chicken as well and done on the stovetop.

I will be trying out different recipes from this venue, as they can be quick and pretty healthy.  As with most things, adjustments can be made to lower the calories, as most of the bang comes in the exquisite combination of spice.

Dry Bones

There is a book that recently got the dust blown off it called A More Excellent Way.  It's premise being that root causes of illnesses, and the first place to approach healing, is emotional.  That is very oversimplified, but I don't want to sound "preachy" with all the spiritualized jargon that only means something if you are, well, spiritual.  I mention this because I very quickly glanced at a secular article on pain, that, for all intents and purposes, said the same thing!  The article was on arthritis pain.  It sounds like there are principles at work in our body, that are recognized, whether you are spiritual or not.  Coincidence?  I guess if you believe in that sort of thing.  In any case, I wanted to convey the information in case it resonated with anyone.  The section that is underlined is almost word for word, what you would read in A More Excellent Way.

Chronic pain is both physical and psychological, so certain ways of thinking can make it worse, says Ingela Symreng, PsyD., director of psychology for the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of California at Davis.  "Fear, anxiety and depression around pain may cause more suffering than the actual physical pain condition", she says.  Chronic pain is a broken alarm system, she explain, designed to trigger a "fight or flight" response.  That works great if you touch something that is hot - it hurts, so you pull your hand away.  With chronic pain, however, you can't get rid of the discomfort, so your left with an intense, unrelenting focus on it and a surfeit of adrenalin, which causes anxiety.  "You have to retrain your brain to react differently to those signals," says Dr. Symreng.  This is the crux of cognitive behavioral therapy, which can be highly effective in reducing pain, but you can learn these techniques on your own.  Here are five common responses to pain that make it worse - and what you can do to change them.

1. Stop expecting the worse

2. Move beyond the fear

3. Lower your stress quotient

4. Challenge negative thoughts

5. Recognize depression

I thought it was also interesting that A More Excellent Way suggests that even the suggestion of a negative object being nearby will elicit a response, even if the stimulus is not present.  For example, if you are allergic to strawberries, to even mention that strawberries are being served in the next room as a snack can (and they really aren't), in some people, may cause symptoms of an allergic reaction to start.  I am not talking actual broken bones being caused by emotional pain, but if you broke a bone 10 years ago and are still using crutches, you may want to look at that.

You can click on the source link for more detail on the solutions given by this article.  I am not personally a big cognitive therapy person, but I DO believe in the power of the mind, our thoughts, to bring life or cause death.  Before you call a doctor, consider taking a quick inventory or seek a counsellor to identify if fear, anxiety or depression, not just around the symptoms, but in general, is related to an unresolved hurt as well.  It may be time to, as Eminem would say, start "Cleanin' Out My Closet".

source: ivillage.com

Vegan Delight

Perusing some vegan recipes trying to get ideas for more veggie recipes, I decided to read the introduction to Vegan Delight.  Right there in the first few pages were some of the same insights from Fit For Life, albeit very abridged.  Here were some of the revelations from the author:

1. In food combining, it is OK to eat grains and legumes together
2. Eat raw veggies with your meal, it aides digestion
3. Eat cooked fruit with carbs
4. Avoid 5, 7 & 9 grain breads (I am not sure why but I have heard this elsewhere, including Fit For Life)
5. Eat fruit alone
6. Eat melon and grapes by themselves
7. Eat citrus alone or with vegetables

It was a confirmation that this is not just one man's opinion.  It also signaled to me that perhaps people can be confused about what is "healthy".  For instance, the swith from white to wheat bread is a common misconception in terms of health benefits. White flour is stripped of all nutrients through a process called "refining"and then enriched to try to put nutrients back in.  It is refined so that is has a shelf life and bugs will not eat it.  Many think that they are eating healthy by buying whole wheat.  But there is a difference between whole "wheat" and whole "grain".  Whole wheat is just that, whole wheat, but not whole grain.  Whole wheat is usually refined and enriched and uses molasses to color it.   Whole grain is as it states, whole grain.  It should be the 1st ingredient, and 1st choice if you are trying to get get grains into your diet as a source of fiber.

I would recommend Vegan Delight for anyone looking for alternatives to mainstream food, such as gravies, dressings, sauces and desserts.  The vegetable recipes are very basic, but it is also a great introduction to unfamiliar ingredients such as arrowroot, sea kelp and kombu sea weed!

The two recipes that caught my eye were VERY simple, so simple, I never thought of it myself!

TURNIP FRIES
6-8 medium turnips, peeled or unpeeled
Natural Oil (I am assuming olive)
Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 350.  Chop turnips into "fries" and lightly coat with oil.  Place on oiled baking sheet and lightly salt.  Bake for 20 minutes or until tender.

STUFFED AVOCADO SALAD
1/2 avocado on a bed of spinach
Fill with marinated vegetables!!
I am assuming the veggies can be raw, steamed or roasted.

So easy but it sounds so yummy!