Stay Focused And Fit This Holiday Season

As we enter in to the holiday season you will likely find yourself over-committed with office functions, family dinners, holiday shopping, and the typical end of year revelry.

It’s difficult enough to find time to prepare healthy meals and get to the gym the other 11 months out of the year. Between Thanksgiving and New Years it seems nearly impossible.

Now more than ever, you need to prioritize. First and foremost, be realistic in regards to your fat loss efforts. Rather than focusing on weight loss, for the next several weeks focus on maintaining your current weight. Keep in mind that maintaining your weight still requires planning, so the next issue to address is how you should best utilize your limited time.

As your Mother may have told you, you are what you eat.

Your first priority should be your diet. A good nutrition program will enable you to

• improve your body composition
• improve your health
• improve your stamina

Fact is you cannot out train a bad diet. However, you can lose/maintain weight without exercise. If you have limited time on your hands my suggestion is to focus that time on meal planning and preparation.

Keep up with your food journaling and take adequate time to prepare healthy meals. The effort it takes to eat healthy, nutritious meals now is much less than the effort it will take to burn off a Whopper and fries later on.

If time allows, you certainly want to continue with your workouts. If those workouts will be limited use this time to focus on strength training. Why? Because over the course of any given day the bulk of the calories we burn is based on our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). The more muscle mass we have, the higher our RMR.

If twice per week you can squeeze in an extra 20 minutes at the gym, focus on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

HIIT is done by alternating brief periods or high intensity work (85% or more) with a brief recovery period. HIIT is an example of an anaerobic exercise, which means that an inadequate amount of oxygen is being delivered to working muscles during the course of the exercise.

When compared to steady-state cardio, HIIT results in significantly more calories burned in a much condensed period of exercise.

To summarize, if you find yourself with limited time over the remainder of this year and are concerned about packing on pounds, your order of priority should be:

1. A focused nutrition plan
2. Strength training
3. High Intensity Interval Training

Catapult Fitness Blog will be taking the week off in celebration of Thanksgiving. I am heading down to Florida and looking forward to cooking a traditional (healthy) Thanksgiving meal for family and friends.

Wishing those celebrating a very happy holiday!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

They Like Me! They Really Like Me!!

I'm honored that my good blogger friend, Fred, has included me in such an auspicious list of his favorite blogs.

Being the humble blogger that he is, Fred did not mention his own blog, Luck is for Rabbits, which has been a long time fave of mine! If you're not yet a reader of Fred's blog, check it out. You'll be inspired, motivated and amused - promise.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Stop The Madness (AKA, Sit-Ups Don't Work)!

I was chatting with someone yesterday and they mentioned to me that they do 100 sit-ups every night before they go to bed.

I'm certain they were expecting me to respond with a resounding WOW, but the best I could do was muster a shrug and ask them 'why'?

There are several inherent problems with sit-ups and crunches:

1. The movement actually strains the back at it's weakest point and can cause disk damage
2. The movement is limited to targeting the rectus abdominus muscles which can ultimately lead to a distended stomach appearance
3. The movement is contrary to how we typically use our abdominal muscles and is not at all functional in nature

If you're going to take the time to work your core, work it in a way that is going to benefit your overall health and give your mid-section the overall toned look you're striving for.

To achieve this, work your core muscles - back extenders, rectus abdominus, transversus abdominus, obliques, hip flexors - as a group.

Some of my favorite core exercises include:

The Plank - I have found the plank to be one of the most effective core exercises around. You can modify this exercise to make it more difficult by using a stability ball, but this is definitely a no-equipment-required exercise. Remember not to let your hips or back sag!




The Overhead Squat - I bet you were not expecting this one! The overhead squat engages all of your core muscles as once that bar is over your head, it seems to have a mind of it's own. Caution - this exercise should only be used by those of you who are more 'advanced' lifters with good squatting form.



Turkish Get-Up - Another over-head exercise that engages all of your core muscles and requires precision balancing from start to finish. I love this video and how it breaks the movement down in to several drills. Keep in mind that you do not need a Kettlebell to perform a Turkish Get-Up. A dumbbell works just fine!




Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Fish And Olive Oil Linked To Better Mood

I found this article on the Vital Choice Seafood site. If you're not familiar with Vital Choice Seafood, check out the company's offerings!

I became familiar with Vital Choice several years ago after reading one of Dr. Nicholas Perricone's articles. I now get regular shipments from the company. The seafood is delicious, sustainable, and top quality. Do a little Google search and you can even find discount coupons that can be applied to your order.

But I digress ... back to the article.

As if we need another reason to add more fish in to our diet (heart healthy, low in saturated fat), research now indicates that fish may actually make us happier (and who can't stand to be a little bit happier these days?).

Fish and Olive Oil Linked To Better Mood
Study among older Greeks links fish and olive oil to being happier.
by Craig Weatherby

Two years ago, we reported the conclusions of an expert panel of the American Psychiatric Association, which concluded that omega-3s from fish are capable of reducing depression risks.

Now, Greek researchers have reported the results of two population studies ... one that links fish to better mood, and one that does the same for olive oil.

Fish may fuel better mood

The first study involved people living in various Greek islands and in Cyprus (Bountziouka V et al. 2009).

They recruited 1,190 men and women aged over 65, and gathered data on the participants' diets, lifestyles and personal characteristics.

The Greek team then administered a psychological test designed to detect depression, called the validated Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).

People who had the healthiest GDS scores were more educated and physically active, but they also reported higher fish consumption that their sadder peers.

Importantly, the study detected a "dose-response" effect that strengthens the association between eating more fish and being less prone to depression.

After adjusting for various factors associated with depression, their analysis showed that each extra portion of fish a participant reported eating per week further lowered their chances of having a GDS score above the "clinical threshold" that indicates depression.

As the Greek team concluded, "These findings may assist public health policy makers in better preventing emotional disorders among the elderly by promoting healthier eating habits." (Bountziouka V et al. 2009).

Olive Oil may help mood ... other vegetable oils may harm it

Several studies have linked the standard American diet's imbalance between omega-6 (too many) and omega-3 fats (too few) to increased risk of depression.

Now a study from the Athens area of Greece suggests that diets high in olive oil may boost mood, while diets high in omega-6-rich vegetable oils may promote depression (Kyrozis A et al. 2009).

Researchers from the University of Athens Medical School recruited 610 healthy men and women aged 60 years or older and gathered data on the participants' diets, lifestyles, and personal characteristics.

Six to 13 years later, their mood was evaluated using the same GDS test used in the fish study.

Their analysis showed that people who consumed more olive oil had healthier GDS scores, while people who consumed lots of cheap "seed oils" - that is corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, and cottonseed oils - had worse scores.

To be precise, the link was between monosaturated fats and mood. And olive oil - specifically extra virgin grade oil - was by far the main source of monosaturated fats in the diets of the participants who had the highest intakes.

As they wrote, "We conclude that ... lower intake of [omega-6-rich] seed oils and higher intake of olive oil ... predict a healther affective [mood] state." (Kyrozis A et al. 2009)

We take their results as positive affirmation that extra virgin olive oil helps make people feel good!


Train hard; stay strong; eat more fish!

Peace.

Susan

Evolution Of Push-Ups

I've been asked many times if I have one favorite exercise. My answer is NO, but if I had to pick my top 5 you can be certain that push-ups would be included!

Why should you include push-ups in your workout routine?

1. The require zero equipment and can be performed pretty much anywhere (even your cubicle at work!).
2. They're extremely versatile in that a simple change in hand position can make the movement easier or more difficult.
3. Push-ups work your chest, shoulders, triceps and core.

If you need some ideas for getting started with push-ups, check out this video by Turbulence Training founder, Craig Ballantyne:




Remember to tuck your head when performing push-ups. You do not want to look forward as your neck should stay in-line with the rest of your spine.

You can check out Craig's bodyweight exercise packages HERE.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Ask The Trainer

CFB reader Helen H submitted what is a very timely question pertaining to training after a prolonged illness.

Great question with cold and flu season in full swing!

Question: I had the H1N1 flu back in August; started getting better and then came down with pneumonia. It is now October and I am only now feeling confident about my body's ability to accomplish normal daily activities. I don't think I will feel totally back to normal until I start workout out regularly.

Do you have any suggestions for where to start regaining muscle and cardiovascular health?

I read one post where you mentioned trying to regain fitness after a prolonged illness. What did you do?

Answer: Helen, I hope that you are well on your way to a full recovery!

I'd like to start addressing your question with some general guidelines:

- If you are sick with symptoms above the neck - runny nose, sore throat - it is OK to exercise.

- If you are sick with symptoms below the neck - a deep bronchial cough, gastrointestinal problems - it is best to give your body a rest for 3 days or so before resuming your exercise routine.

- If you are running a fever, no matter what your symptoms are, you ideally want to wait for 24 hours after the fever has abated before resuming light exercise.

Of course, you should always listen to your body and lower the intensity of your workout if your regular pace feels too strenuous. Keep in mind that a body that is recovering from an illness is quick to fatigue, so when you do resume exercise moderation is key.

Due to my prolonged illness I was pretty non-mobile for approximately 3 months. When I was well enough to start moving I started by taking walks - a few blocks at first and ultimately working my way up to 2 miles at a fairly brisk pace.

My next step was following the Turbulence Training Bodyweight Manual. This is a 6 month program that I am still using today.

I started with the Preparation Phase workouts which consist of 3 circuits that include

- Hip extensions
- Planks
- Push-ups
- Stability ball leg curls
- Squats
- Ab curls

Because of the limitations I have due to my illness, I have been going through each Phase of the manual at a slower pace than is typically recommended. For example, some phases take me 6 weeks rather than the proposed 4 weeks. I have also had to forgo the interval training component of the workouts, although I am slowly incorporating jogging back in to my workout.

Again, it's about listening to your body. As long as I notice improvement (and I journal everything!), it is all good. I know that fitness is a journey; not a race.

While I have always been a fan of bodyweight workouts, having to start from scratch has really made me appreciate just how effective bodyweight workouts truly are. This program is brutal - illness or no illness.

So Helen, my advice is to start by gradually re-building your endurance and consider bodyweight exercises as a means for re-starting strength training if you've taken an extended leave from working out.

Train hards; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Fish Is Good; Mercury Is Bad

Whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, or just get yourself a little more toned in time for summer, your focus should be on including a form of lean protein at every feeding opportunity.

Protein helps with satiety and dietary protein is crucial in the rebuilding and recovery of our muscles.

There has been alot of discussion lately on various message boards in regards to 'inexpensive' sources of lean protein. Hey, the economy is not looking all that rosy and we're all looking to cut back where we can.

Stay tuned for an upcoming posting that further explores good, inexpensive sources of protein! For now, I'd like to focus on canned tuna, which I'm seeing recommended over and over again.

At first glance, canned tuna appears to be an ideal source of protein. A 5 oz can of Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna In Water will cost you around $1.99 and contains:

175 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 carbs, 37.5 g protein

However, it's important to note that The Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for longline-caught albacore tuna (the kind used in most canned tuna) due to elevated levels of mercury. The EDF recommends that adult men and women limit their consumption of canned, albacore tuna to no more than 3 meals per month (a "meal" is defined as 6 oz).

The EDF also points out that fish is generally healthy to eat, but you should limit the consumption of certain types of fish. You can access a chart here that lists the most contaminated fish, and how much can safely be eaten each month (assuming no other contaminated fish is consumed). The advice is based on EPA guidance and the latest mercury and PCB data.

My Two Cents

All this talk about mercury poisoning should not turn you away from eating fish, which is an excellent source of heart healthy Omega-3 fats and an excellent source of protein!

You can still have a can of tuna a couple of times each month, but you also want to make certain to incorporate fish into your diet that are low in toxins. Domestic (US) shrimp, wild salmon, Pacific flounder, rainbow trout and tilapia can be eaten several times each week.

While a bit more expensive than canned tuna, I love wild, canned salmon - which doesn't need any mayo to taste good! You can literally eat it right out of the can, although salmon cakes are another tasty treat.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan