Category Archives: Conventional Wisdom – How I hate you
Workouts – What should we really be doing?
So last night when I was talking about workouts with a friend I realized how deeply it is ingrained in us that not only are certain exercises the key to weight loss success but so is a certain duration of activity.
She assumed I ran a lot and worked out for long periods of time because I’m “thin” and “in shape.”
Most women assume the same thing. They believe that running and long workouts are the key to weight loss success.
But they are wrong.
For one, I rarely ever run and when I do it usually is sprints or really light jogging if I’m going any distance over a mile.
And two, I don’t think any of my workouts have been anywhere near an hour for months now. Shoot, at least a few times a week my workouts aren’t even longer than 15 minutes!
Running and cardio in general is a key piece of the weight loss puzzle, but it isn’t the only piece. Strength training, and diet, are also very important.
If you don’t do strength training, you won’t add muscle.
Why do you want to add muscle when your goal is weight loss?
Because by adding muscle you burn more fat. When you have more muscle, you burn more calories allowing you to lose weight more easily and keep the weight off!
If you only do chronic cardio, when you take time off and eat normally, you will find the weight goes right back on. Also, you will find that your body will get used to the chronic cardio that you are doing and that you will constantly need to be upping the amount of time you spend running to get the same calorie burn!
BUT if you’ve added muscle, you will find that you won’t gain the weight back near as easily because you’ve raised your metabolic rate by adding muscle which needs more calories to be maintained!
Also, strength training will help prevent injuries that may develop from repetitive motions, such as running, that would hinder your progress or keep you from working out!
So while cardio is important, STRENGTH TRAINING, is actually more key to maintaining a healthy “in shape” weight!
Now to workout length….
Workout intensity is what really matters when you are trying to figure out how long your workout should be.
When I go for a hike or a walk, my workout will be longer. BUT if I workout super intensely, there is no need for my workout to pretty much ever go over 45 minutes.
So it isn’t that long workouts can’t be good, but if you are working out super intensely for an hour, you are probably going to either burn out or start feeling the effects of overtraining, which will actually hinder your progress toward your goal (be your goal weight loss or added strength or merely feeling fitter!).
So I guess to sum up what I’m saying is there is no one form of exercise or a certain length of time you have to spend working out to reach your fitness goals!
Variety is key!
(HMMMMM….Variety is key….That sounds familiar….I was going to link to another post here but there are too many preaching this on this site to pick just one! :-))
The good, the bad and the simply stupid
When I was doing my low-fat diet a few years ago, Ryan and I would watch Man vs. Food and plan out our next cheat. Our meals simply weren’t satisfying. We actually watched a ton of food shows or “food porn” as many of us call them.
Right now Jamie, Tucker, and baby Cooper! are watching Man vs. Food. They just showed a huge Cinnamon Roll and I have to say, my belly started hurting just looking at the 3 pound monstrosity. WOW! What a difference between my current diet and my previous low-fat one! I’m pretty much ALWAYS satisfied!
Welcome home baby Cooper! Congrats Jamie and Tucker!
The Good
- You CAN eat pretty healthily even if you eat out. Here are a few of our quick and easy meals out since coming to Cali.
Homemade corn tortilla tacos (steak shrimp, carnitas) and a protein style hamburger. LETTUCE BUN!
- See I’m not the only one that claims you can eat healthy on a budget!
- I also thought it was cool to see a number of recent articles and posts against vegetable oils and in favor of cooking with natural fats!
- An interesting article especially for any trainers out there – what and how we can motivate people to exercise!
The Bad
- Uhm seriously!?! We need to adopt a vegetarian diet or we will face a food shortage crisis!?! HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA!
- So Statins really don’t have any benefit…Yet half of our nation is taking them….(This article is good…the whole fact that it even needs to be written is bad.)
The Simply Stupid
- So Sunday night Ryan and I ate pizza for the first time in over two months. Right now we are living with cats and I’ve had problems with allergies and cats in the past. I haven’t had any trouble with allergies while I’ve eaten Primally. BUT Monday after the pizza, not only did I feel swollen, dehydrated and sick, I also had ALLERGIES. Of course a return to my version of Primal got rid of them quickly, but still the whole experience was eye-opening. The reason this whole story is under stupid is because many people are too lazy or stupid to go without gluten for any extended period of time and see if they feel better without it. I guarantee they will! Health issues they just accepted before, like allergies, may just go away!!!
- READ THE INGREDIENT LABELS PEOPLE!!!!! Soybean oil and other crap is hidden in random products. You may have gone Primal, but if you are still eating some of these products laden with hidden gluten and vegetable oil, you may not be reaping all of the benefits! Check your spices even! Some may not be simply the herb or spice!
Macro THEN Micro-Managing
Today I saw a guy in about his early 60s walk out of 24 Hour Fitness. He had a beer belly hanging out from beneath his nice tight spandex Nike shirt.
And while this picture made me shake my head what made my jaw drop was the fact that this overweight guy, with relatively little muscle, in his 60s was carrying a huge jar of N.O.-Xplode in his hand.
N.O.-Xplode is a nitric oxide booster and dilates your blood vessels to supposedly help deliver all of the extra CRAP the supplement has in it to your tissues quicker.
Some people say it enhances their workouts. Others just feel ill from the rapid heart beat that can follow a dose of N.O.-Xplode.
Really though it is one of those supplements that the average Joe shouldn’t even be worrying about. (I mean I don’t think even the fitness models and athletes should take it, but that is a totally different discussion).
But that is what average people do. They buy supplements and diet stuff that the super in shape models use instead of working on their base program first.
They overcomplicate things instead of focusing on a few solid basics.
This 60-year-old man didn’t need a diet supplement. He needed a new workout program and a solid diet of whole, natural foods.
But the diet supplement was a simpler solution. An easier solution.
One that won’t work.
He is focusing on micromanaging his diet. Supplements are for those people who have a solid diet and workout program and may be looking to get off that last 1% of body fat (of course I don’t think even these people need them, BUT if anyone does they do).
Everyone besides these fitness models and elite athletes shouldn’t even go near any supplements. First, they need to focus on the macronutrient proportions in their diets. They need to focus on eating only nutrient dense carbs, whole, natural sources of protein and lots of good fat. WHOLE NATURAL FOODS!
Build a solid base and then once you have seen results from that, then start getting closer to micro-managing every last thing.
Because if you don’t, you’ll be that 60-year-old man walking out of the gym with your belly hanging out and the latest supplement in your hand.
And in three years, if he hasn’t given up by then, he will be three years older and still walking out of 24 Hour Fitness with the newest supplement. His beer belly still hanging out from below his tight Nike spandex shirt.
One size doesn’t fit all
I was telling everyone at work about my “AH HA!” moment in the shower the other day.
I was thinking about our gym, Crossfit and personal training when I thought….
“Would you go to a doctor that prescribes the same thing to cure all of his patients? NO! So why would you go to a gym that does?!?”
I like Crossfit for a number of reasons, BUT some of the people doing it really shouldn’t be doing it.
Sorry but that is the cold hard truth.
Crossfit is one prescription for a whole bunch of problems and frankly that just doesn’t work.
I usually don’t say anything negative about Crossfit because I do like the movement and a lot of what it stands for.
But it shouldn’t ever have become mainstream.
I’m sorry. Lifting “heavy” is for everyone, but as I’ve said before “heavy” is so very relative.
While I love the variety of Crossfit, a lot of the people doing the workouts SHOULD NOT be doing the moves they are doing. Can they be learning snatches?
YES. But they should be learning proper form and progressing in a fashion that allows their bodies to adapt to the loads.
Unfortunately this doesn’t happen at many Crossfit gyms (which gives the ones that do do this a bad name).
Crossfit is also all about pushing the body past the point of failure.
Which I love.
But the average person doesn’t have the same understanding of their body that athletes and advanced/experienced lifters do.
I know when my form breaks down. I know how far I can push my body past that point of absolute fatigue without risking injury.
Many of the people doing the heavy Crossfit lifts don’t.
I mean, “Do you?” Can you tell when your form breaks down? Do you know which muscles are compensating and how much they can handle? Do you know that your body is prepared to handle the loads placed on it?
If you can’t answer yes to those questions, you shouldn’t be using a heavy weight till failure. You shouldn’t be doing many of the Crossfit workouts.
Sorry.
I guess what it comes down to for me is that Crossfit is a sport – A sport MEANT for elite athletes.
I know many of you will disagree with me, but before you start ranting and potentially leaving comments just take a second to think about what I’m saying.
One size doesn’t fit all.
Is Crossfit really getting you toward your goals?
Or is this another one of those things that people do because it is popular right now, but eventually get injured/tired/bored or don’t reach their goals so they give up?
Is Crossfit really the right program for you?
It may be super cool and “bad-ass” right now, but in the long run, is it the right prescription for YOU?
Carbs
Carbs – To eat or not to eat…
Isn’t really the question.
What you should actually ask yourself is, “Where should I be getting my carbs from?” and “And how many should I eat on any given day?”
You need some carbs. How many you need exactly is dependent upon the activities you are doing.
Especially when I was lifting and doing very little cardio, I found that I felt best when eating relatively no carbs.
Now that my workouts are more cardiovascular, I find that I need to eat more carbs than before.
BUT that doesn’t mean that I’m gorging myself and pasta and stuffing myself with all of those simple sugar power gels and drinks. You don’t need to “carbo-load” they way that people often do.
Anytime I need to fill up or replenish my glycogen stores, I eat whole,natural, unprocessed and unrefined carbohydrates.
I’ve always gotten a large portion of my carbs from veggies. Now that my body is craving more carbs with the increase of aerobic exercise in my circuit training, I’m finding that I’m craving more fruits and even occasionally some white rice and potatoes.
I’m sure some of you will be surprised by the fact that I said WHITE RICE over BROWN RICE, but my stance on “whole grains” is an issue for another post.
The point of this post is that you do NEED CARBS. You just don’t need to eat pasta, oatmeal and bread to get what you need.
Honestly, depending on your level of activity, your body may be satisfied if you just eat some nuts and veggies. If you workouts are intense and you are doing more cardiovascular activities, you may find that you deplete your glycogen stores more and that you crave more carbs after your workout. Fruit is a great way to get some extra carbs because fruit also contains essential vitamins and minerals.
And if you need quick acting carbs to replenish your depleted stores, potatoes and white rice, yes white rice, are a great way to get the carbs you need.
How many carbs you need exactly is dependent on YOUR level of activity. Not what your friend or neighbor or trainer eats.
Too many carbs can lead to fat retention and the “carb belly.”
BUT consuming too few carbs can also hinder your progress. Sometimes you need to eat a few more carbs or “carb cycle” (high carb and low carb days) to get off that last little bit of fat or to enhance your performance.
So experiment. Take a look at your diet. Have you been severely restricting carbs but are struggling to get off that last little bit of fat? Has your performance lagged? Have you failed to lose any fat?
Your carb intake, or the types of carbs you are consuming, may have something to do with it.
The good, the bad and the simply stupid
The Olympics have begun! Anyone else excited!?!
What do you think about skimpy workout clothes for women? Some women feel that they are more comfortable while others believe that skimpy workout clothes are negatively impacting the image of women’s athletics…Either way, the cold London weather may keep beach volleyball players from strutting their stuff in bikinis! Will ratings take a hit!?!
The Good
- I like this quote: “Even when the going gets rough, never forget why you started!” Sometimes I think we get so focused on our failure at that moment that we forget to remember why we are even doing any of it in the first place!
- Here is an interesting article about the Olympics. It is exciting to hear that more and more women are participating!
- This isn’t really good but it is an interesting article about why it may be harder to stay focused on your goals when you are stressed!
The Bad
- I HATE hearing that someone penalizes him or herself because they don’t workout or stick to their diet. Don’t penalize yourself for a slip up! Everyone is going to slip up every once in a while. Instead REWARD yourself for doing the right thing! We want positive reinforcement people!
- I disliked this article from the very first couple of sentences. While it is a great idea to keep a food journal, never eating out and never skipping meals is just too unrealistic. The diet that people will STICK TO is one that is easy to fit into their lifestyle. You CAN make a diet work even if you do have to eat out or skip a meal! I actually think that the ability to eat out and even skip a meal is what makes Primal such a great diet and so easy to stick to!
The Simply Stupid
- TAKE SOME TIME OFF! Too often I hear people complain that they are run down or not getting the results they want when they are working their butts off. Most of the time it is because they never give their body a chance to recover. Your muscles grow when they have time to rest and rebuild! Recovery is an ESSENTIAL part of any training regime. If you don’t rest enough, all or your hard work won’t pay off as much as it could!
- Really!?! Decreases cellulite? Strengthens and increases flexibility?!?! And all you have to do is stand on it and it shakes!?! WHAT!!!! Oh but if that isn’t enough you can get the Power Step and do other moves that really have nothing to do with their supposed technology! AHHHH! And the worst thing about all of this was the trainer endorsing the system!
Blast cellulite! “You can get a better workout in just 10 minutes than you would get in one hour on the treadmill!”
Look at all the moves you can do on it that have nothing to do with the shaking step!
Uhm….Red chips serve as a stop sign to help people stop eating!?! I guess this could work…I mean it is way too hard to just take out a serving size or pay attention to the fact that your stomach is full….
Strong, Beautiful and Proud
So I’ve discussed this before with the Olympics starting shortly, but what truly is the “perfect” body?
Mainstream society tells women they should be thin and not even have that much muscle. If you base the “perfect” body off of high fashion, you should be rail thin and tall.
If you base the “perfect” body off of fitness models, you should be down to almost only essential body fat and be proportionally muscled.
If you base the “perfect” body off of a 100 different things, you will find that each one has a different ideal. Some ideals, however, are more acceptable than others.
Generally speaking, women who are big with muscle are not considered to have the “perfect” body – they are considered to be “masculine.”
Uhm…usually I’m the one flexing! 😉
Shoot sometimes even if women AREN’T BIG but can lift heavy weights are deemed to be unfeminine.
But says who?
I actually love the response that British Olympic lifter Zoe Smith had when she was told by people that she was “unfeminine” or a lesbian just because she can out lift many men.
The obvious choice of slander when talking about female weightlifting is ‘how unfeminine, girls shouldn’t be strong or have muscles, this is wrong.’ And maybe they’re right… in the Victorian era. To think people still think like this is laughable, we’re in 2012!
Actually the whole documentary about her and two other female competitors from Britain is awesome!
The “perfect” body for those three women in the documentary is a body that allows them to lift the most weight in their weight class!
The same goes for Cheryl Haworth.
Cheryl Haworth is 5’8″ and 300lbs and a top Olympic weightlifter. By mainstream standards her body isn’t considered “perfect.”
But if you were 5’8″ and 300lbs and America’s top Olympic weightlifter, would you really think your body wasn’t “perfect?”
NOPE!
I think generally our image of the “perfect” body is to focused on aesthetics. We never stop to think about how maybe our big butt or muscled arms (that society may tell us aren’t perfect) help us move and perform as well as we do!
I would much rather have a body that can run and lift and do any activity that I ask it to do than fit a standard of beauty that mainstream society has defined.
I would rather have biceps the size of the average man’s than sacrifice one ounce of my strength!
I’m glad to know that I’m not alone.
What the documentary about Zoe Smith and two other British weightlifters called “Girl Power: Going for Gold.”
Also, watch the documentary Strong! about Olympic Weightlifter Cheryl Haworth.
STRONG! explores the contradiction of a body that is at once celebrated within the confines of her sport and shunned by mainstream culture. Through Haworth’s journey of strength, vulnerability, loneliness, and individuation, we learn not only about the sport of lifting weight, but also the state of being weighty: the material, psychological, and social consequences and possibilities of a having a body that doesn’t fit.
I think Strong! is a must see. TV showings of the documentary started on Tuesday (July 24th). Here is the website if you liked to find a showing in your area!
Can we please start focusing on how strong and capable our bodies are instead of how skinny we can become?
Can we please stop thinking of muscles and strength as masculine qualities?
So I got some weird looks…
So currently I don’t have a gym to train at consistently.
But that is no excuse not to workout intensely!
Sunday I went and ran Stadiums, or as Ryan calls them “Serpentines.”
On Monday, Ryan and I borrowed any random workout equipment we could and did a workout in the backyard.
And then yesterday, I went to the park and busted out a very nice workout.
Yep….the park…er…playground
So what if a couple of people gave me a very strange look?! So what if I was crawling through the grass?!
Monkey bars are a great place to do pull ups and knees to elbows. Heck if you even just go back and forth across the monkey bars it is a great workout.
Ok so this wasn’t from yesterday…it was from Boston when I spent the afternoon playing with preschoolers!
A park bench or picnic table is perfect for box jumps.
There is just so many great exercises that you can do on a playground!
And hey, at least a kid said, “Mommy, I want to do what she is doing on the monkey bars!” (At this point I was doing knees to elbows.)
Who cares if you look “weird” bear-crawling on the ground?!?!
You are running and “playing” just like a kid! Shoot! Get your kids to do the workout with you on the playground! They will think it is so much fun!
It’s better than being one of those people just sitting around WATCHING their kids play, right!?! 🙂
So no excuses! Go out and play in the sun (and get in a great workout while you are at it!)
You can even try this workout!
Bear crawls (forward then back) 25 steps forward and 25 steps back
Pull ups 25
Picnic bench jumps 50
Leg lowers 50
“Walking” Lunges (jumping up and slightly forward each time switching legs) 25 each side
Knees to elbows 50
1 leg skater squats 25 each side
Monkey bars 50 (go back and forth across the monkey bars until you hit 50 reps)
Mountain climbers 50 each side
Pull ups 25
Bear crawls (forward then back) 25 steps forward and 25 steps back
What’s in a name?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
– Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
When people hear the name “Paleo Diet” or “Primal Diet,” they scoff and say, “Oh that is that crazy Caveman diet right?”
BUT if I tell people, “Oh I eat only whole, natural foods and avoid gluten, processed foods and vegetable oils” they nod their head in agreement.
UHM HELLO!?! Basically what I’m doing is eating the exact Primal diet that they scoffed at!! The only difference is…..
I DIDN’T CALL IT PRIMAL!
One word can define how people view a diet, workout program even a way of living!
Once mainstream media deemed the Primal/Paleo diet the “Caveman diet” people began to scoff at it even if they will nod in agreement when you list off all of the principles of the diet.
The same thing is true if you say you eat a “low-carb” diet.
People instantly say, “Oh like Atkins?” or “So you don’t eat fruits and veggies?”
BUT if you say you avoid “unhealthy carbs,” again people nod in agreement. (Of course my definition of unhealthy carbs is most often different from theirs, but still…)
There are just so many things that annoy me with the above situation.
For one, if people did any research, they would know that Atkins has now changed and DOES allow carbs as well as a plan to help you add them back in to an appropriate level after the initial weight loss.
For two, why does low-carb instantly mean to people that you cut out fruits and vegetables!?!
Trust me you can eat low-carb but still eat tons of fruits and vegetables! Honestly, I eat more fruits and vegetables since going “low-carb” than I ever did when I ate lots of carbs and low-fat!
In one cup of broccoli, there is only 6g of carbs versus one cup of brown rice in which there are 45g of carbs!
So I could eat 7 cups of broccoli throughout the day and still eat fewer carbs than if I had ONE cup of brown rice!
And personally I think having just two cups of broccoli is better nutritionally than one cup of brown rice (AND fewer carbs!)
And diet isn’t the only place that I see “names” being misconstrued.
Honestly, I believe that the same thing has happened as Crossfit has become more and more popular.
It is so funny the different reactions I get from other trainers when I say “intense circuits” versus “Crossfit-style workouts.”
To me, Crossfit means pushing your limits. Trying new things. Constantly varying up the workout. Lifting heavy things and sprinting often.
It means intense circuits that are never the same and constantly challenge your fitness level.
But that isn’t what it means to most trainers.
To most trainers, Crossfit means injury and Olympic lifts with bad form.
But what in this DEFINITION of what Crossfit TRULY is supposed to be says that?
CrossFit describes its strength and conditioning program as “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement,”with the stated goal of improving fitness (and therefore general physical preparedness), which it defines as “work capacity across broad time and modal domains.”Workouts are typically short—20 minutes or less—and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. They combine movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, weightlifting, and carrying odd objects; they use barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls, and many bodyweight exercises.These elements are mixed in numerous combinations to form prescribed “Workouts of the Day” or “WODs”. Hour-long classes at affiliated gyms, or “boxes,” typically include a warm-up, a skill development segment, the high-intensity WOD, and a period of individual or group stretching. Performance on each WOD is often scored and/or ranked to encourage competition and to track individual progress. Some affiliates offer additional classes, such as Olympic weightlifting, which are not centered around a WOD.
Uhm I swear I’ve heard the exact trainers that condemn Crossfit utter this exact same phrase to describe their strength and conditioning program “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement,”with the stated goal of improving fitness (and therefore general physical preparedness).”
Am I wrong?
Nope!
But because a few people practice something in a way that some consider “wrong,” a whole movement gets condemned.
There are always going to be people who do things that you don’t agree with….in any movement or facet of life.
But that doesn’t mean you can just ignore and belittle something without learning more!
How many things have you not tried because of one word associated with them? How many times have you not done the research to find out the principles behind the diet/lifestyle/workout?
Also, can we ever really accept that one word represents an entire movement? Let’s face it…Primal SHOULDN’T mean the exact same thing to ever person. Neither should “low-carb” or “Crossfit”……
Surrendering to Aging
I’ve heard “older” women say, “My body just can’t look like that or do that any more. I’m just past the point of being able to have the body I want.”
That is completely and utterly bogus.
Why just surrender to the aging process? Why not work against it?
I mean people buy all those stupid face creams and get plastic surgery so why would they workout hard to help keep their body young and supple?
Yea, it’s hard.
BUT IT ACTUALLY WORKS!
You can have the body you want at any age. Getting older doesn’t mean you can’t have toned defined arms. Getting older doesn’t have to mean that you can’t do all the activities you love and enjoy!
The Man Bicep Mom is a great example of this. She lifts weights and does plyometrics. She goes on long hikes. She even sprints after her dog if necessary and goes stand up paddling. She has no problem taking on any new challenges! (Even if I ask her to do pull ups!)
She also looks great! She looks young, lean and toned.
The Man Bicep Mom is the exact reason that you can’t just surrender to aging, people!
You can also look great and be physically fit at any age!
Actually this post was encouraged by a recent story the Man Bicep Mom told me.
The Man Bicep Mom was standing in her driveway with one of her friends when Charlie, her dog, ran off. The Man Bicep Mom went sprinting after him and grabbed him and picked him up.
When she was walking back, her friend says, “Oh my gosh, Jamie! Your arms look amazing!”
The Man Bicep Mom then told her friend about all the weights she does.
Her friend says, “Well I used to have muscle, but since having my last child, I just have lost all tone. I just figured I would have to accept it since I was getting older. But I used to have tone like that!”
Of course what the Man Bicep Mom’s friend also didn’t realize is that the Man Bicep Mom is older than her.
Her friend was actually shocked and couldn’t believe that the Man Bicep Mom was 62. She even said she didn’t think that there was any way you could look that good at 62.
BUT YOU CAN!
If you commit to a healthy diet and workout routine, you can have the body you want at any age!
Age is just a number! You don’t just have to ACCEPT physical decline!!!
Don’t just surrender! Fight back! Lift and be active! Enjoy life!
Man Bicep 