Check out my latest article which is appearing exclusively on OhioOutside.com!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Winter Nutrition For The Outdoor Enthusiast
Check out my latest article which is appearing exclusively on OhioOutside.com!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
No Social Support Network To Keep You On Track?
I have been reading a lot about MasterMind Groups lately.
The concept of MasterMind Groups was first introduced by Napoleon Hill in the 1937 publication of Think And Grow Rich! You can download this book for free and it's a worthy read.
Hill wrote about the Mastermind principal as: "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony."
He continues, "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind."
While MasterMind Groups are often used by entrepreneurs as a means to grow each member's business, they do not need to be limited to those seeking greater financial wealth. If you look at a MasterMind Group as a safe haven for members to collaborate and share knowledge and support, they can easily be adapted as a means for keeping you on track with diet and exercise.
In this day and age, claiming lack of social support in achieving your health and fitness goals is simply unacceptable. Online social networking is exploding and there is no lack of FREE support, if you choose to seek it out.
Blogs such as this one, health portals such as DailyBurn and social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook give us immediate access to mentors, coaches and peers. I have personally made new friendships through online social networking.
If you are unable to find the social support you need at home, don't discount the Internet as a means for building a network of like minded individuals who are as passionate about health and fitness as you are; and who will support and challenge you to stay on course in 2009.
Start building your own MasterMind Group today.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
The concept of MasterMind Groups was first introduced by Napoleon Hill in the 1937 publication of Think And Grow Rich! You can download this book for free and it's a worthy read.
Hill wrote about the Mastermind principal as: "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony."
He continues, "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind."
While MasterMind Groups are often used by entrepreneurs as a means to grow each member's business, they do not need to be limited to those seeking greater financial wealth. If you look at a MasterMind Group as a safe haven for members to collaborate and share knowledge and support, they can easily be adapted as a means for keeping you on track with diet and exercise.
In this day and age, claiming lack of social support in achieving your health and fitness goals is simply unacceptable. Online social networking is exploding and there is no lack of FREE support, if you choose to seek it out.
Blogs such as this one, health portals such as DailyBurn and social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook give us immediate access to mentors, coaches and peers. I have personally made new friendships through online social networking.
If you are unable to find the social support you need at home, don't discount the Internet as a means for building a network of like minded individuals who are as passionate about health and fitness as you are; and who will support and challenge you to stay on course in 2009.
Start building your own MasterMind Group today.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Ask The Trainer
Reader Gay Y. submitted a question regarding running so I thought who better to chime in than CFB friend Nicol Akins, an 8 time “All Big 8 Runner” out of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Question: Everything I've read and my own personal experience says if you keep doing the same thing, your muscles figure it out and then you are less effective at burning calories. You need to "mix" up your workout routine and you need to rest your muscles. However, runners seem to go out and run every day. Don't they have the same problems relative to resting muscles and hitting plateaus?
Answer: It's a great question Gay. Keep in mind that runners need to log base miles which is what strengthen muscles, builds endurance, and enables them to become more efficient in their sport. This is an aerobic activity performed at a low intensity.
Because runners can keep volume and intensity light, they are able to workout daily while still reaping the benefits of a recovery period. This is because aerobic activity does not require the same rest as an anaerobic activity such as high intensity strength training or HIIT.
With that said, there are plenty of runners who believe in cross-training activity, whereas they take one or two days a week off from running and concentrate on complimentary activities such as cycling, swimming and rowing.
According to Nicol, "Running is a very linear sport and the body's memory does kick in making running every day seem easier and easier, but it can damage your knees and other muscles if you do not keep those areas strong through cross training".
On off days Nicol recommends a mix of complementary exercises. "Spinning and/or cycling is one of the best cross training sports, but remember, this is also a very linear sport as well. Spinning/cycling will increase your level of strength, particularly in your quads and hamstrings."
Nicol points out that "swimming (which works all the muscles) and muscular cardio training such as a group body pump class (using high reps, low weight to get the heart rate up) can definitely be helpful."
Nicol also happens to be a firm believer in both yoga and Pilates and points out that these modalities "will help in preventing injuries and keep the core strong."
So, while you may see runners hitting the pavement daily, keep in mind that they are not constantly training at a high intensity and many cross-train, which helps them achieve their overall fitness goals.
If you have any questions submit them to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. Also feel free to post suggestions for any topics you would like to see covered!
About Nicol:
Nicol Akins is a wife, mother of two, marathoner and founder of DiRTY ReD Athletic Wear for Women.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Question: Everything I've read and my own personal experience says if you keep doing the same thing, your muscles figure it out and then you are less effective at burning calories. You need to "mix" up your workout routine and you need to rest your muscles. However, runners seem to go out and run every day. Don't they have the same problems relative to resting muscles and hitting plateaus?
Answer: It's a great question Gay. Keep in mind that runners need to log base miles which is what strengthen muscles, builds endurance, and enables them to become more efficient in their sport. This is an aerobic activity performed at a low intensity.
Because runners can keep volume and intensity light, they are able to workout daily while still reaping the benefits of a recovery period. This is because aerobic activity does not require the same rest as an anaerobic activity such as high intensity strength training or HIIT.
With that said, there are plenty of runners who believe in cross-training activity, whereas they take one or two days a week off from running and concentrate on complimentary activities such as cycling, swimming and rowing.
According to Nicol, "Running is a very linear sport and the body's memory does kick in making running every day seem easier and easier, but it can damage your knees and other muscles if you do not keep those areas strong through cross training".
On off days Nicol recommends a mix of complementary exercises. "Spinning and/or cycling is one of the best cross training sports, but remember, this is also a very linear sport as well. Spinning/cycling will increase your level of strength, particularly in your quads and hamstrings."
Nicol points out that "swimming (which works all the muscles) and muscular cardio training such as a group body pump class (using high reps, low weight to get the heart rate up) can definitely be helpful."
Nicol also happens to be a firm believer in both yoga and Pilates and points out that these modalities "will help in preventing injuries and keep the core strong."
So, while you may see runners hitting the pavement daily, keep in mind that they are not constantly training at a high intensity and many cross-train, which helps them achieve their overall fitness goals.
If you have any questions submit them to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. Also feel free to post suggestions for any topics you would like to see covered!
About Nicol:
Nicol Akins is a wife, mother of two, marathoner and founder of DiRTY ReD Athletic Wear for Women.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Monday, October 19, 2009
And The Winner Is ...
I ran all of the entry's through the random number generator and the winner of the Gymboss Interval Timer is ...
Susan
Congrats Susan! It sounds as if you'll be able to put the Gymboss to good use.
I really wish that I had more of these to raffle. Keep in mind that the holiday's are around the corner and the Gymboss is a great wish-list gift that won't break anyone's pockets! I know that I plan on giving out a few this holiday season.
Susan, please email AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com with your name and address details.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Susan
Congrats Susan! It sounds as if you'll be able to put the Gymboss to good use.
I really wish that I had more of these to raffle. Keep in mind that the holiday's are around the corner and the Gymboss is a great wish-list gift that won't break anyone's pockets! I know that I plan on giving out a few this holiday season.
Susan, please email AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com with your name and address details.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Gear Review - The Gymboss Interval Timer
If you're looking to burn more calories, improve your cardiovascular fitness, break a plateau, or increase workout duration, interval training should be part of your workout program.
When I was contacted several weeks ago by Gymboss.com asking if I would be interested in test-driving the Gymboss Interval Timer, I jumped at the opportunity and even recruited a CFB reader to help review the product.
To start, let me explain what the Gymboss is and what it claims to do.
According to the Gymboss packaging, this high quality, muti-use timer is designed and used by fitness experts to increase strength, endurance, cardio, and general health. The Gymboss will accelerate any workout to the next level by allowing you to control the intensity, set the pace, and avoid interruptions, resulting in a more precise, disciplined workout.
Features and Functionality
For the low price of $19.95 the Gymboss has some very nifty features that are usually found in $100 + interval timers:
- Ability to set one or two intervals. This is incredibly useful if you’re doing a high intensity interval workout (HIIT) and need to switch from one exercise to another in an allotted time frame. For instance, I did 2 minutes of Clubbell swings followed by 30 seconds of mountain climbers; cycling through this sequence for a total of 6 sets.
Catapult Fitness Blog reader and co-reviewer Caron S. found another great use for the dual interval option – “My trainer set up circuits and as soon as the timer went off, we moved to the next station. Easy for all of us to hear and keep the session moving at a better pace. No more watching the clock for my trainer either … she was able to focus on our form, training and beatings.”
Intervals can be set from 2 seconds to 100 minutes.
- Multiple alarm options. You can set the Gymboss for a low beep, high beep and/or vibrate mode. As Caron mentioned, the high beep is loud enough to hear in a group setting. For running intervals on the treadmill, I personally prefer the vibrate mode.
- Stopwatch functionality. Very basic but a nice addition.
- Water and shock resistant. I wouldn’t have thought the Gymboss would have held up as well as it did. To no fault of the product, I dropped the unit twice and it kept on ticking. The belt clip was perfect for running intervals while keeping the Gymboss on vibrate.
Ease of Use
While not intuitive, the instructions that come with the Gymboss are pretty straight forward and I was up and running with the unit within 10 minutes of taking it out of the package (actually, I think it took me longer to open the clamshell package than setting up the unit itself!).
If you require assistance, Gymboss has posted YouTube videos to walk you through the set up process.
The unit is small and very light weight, and comes with a belt clip that will hold tight regardless of what speed you may achieve on the treadmill. The battery life is great.
Round-up
So, does the Gymboss meet its claim in regards to accelerating any workout to the next level?
If weight/fat loss is your goal, interval training is a must. While the Gymboss cannot do the workout for you, it is definitely a tool that will benefit anyone performing any of the following exercises:
- Boxing (the Gymboss enables you to set the number of rounds, the length of rounds and the length of the rest period)
- Interval Training
- Weightlifting
- Running/Sprinting
- Crossfit
- Tabata
- Kettlebells
As Caron mentioned to me in her review, “I never used an interval timer prior to this and now I do not work out without it.”
I concur and based on the value the Gymboss provides at a sub $20 price point, The Gymboss Interval Timer is the newest recipient of the Catapult Fitness Blog NO BULL Seal of Approval!
If you're interested in the chance to win a Gymboss Interval timer, leave a comment on this posting telling us how a Gymboss would help your workout.
This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents from Wednesday, October 14, 2009 through 11:59 pm ET, Sunday, October 18, 2009.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Shake The Salt Habit
While our bodies only require around 250 mg of sodium/day, the average sodium consumption in the US for consumers is closer to 5000 mg/day! No wonder hypertension (aka high blood pressure) affects 3 in every 10 Americans.
Interestingly, salt is an acquired taste and the more we consume it, the more salt that is required as our taste buds become desensitized.
In my effort to go low-sodium I've developed a few guidelines in regards to food to avoid:
Cured and processed meats - ham, bacon, Canadian bacon, deli meats (salami, bologna, et al), sausage.
Salty and smoked fish - Canned tuna and salmon, Smoked salmon, smoked whitefish, sardines, anchovies, salted cod, herring.
Foods prepared in brine - pickles, olives and sauerkraut.
Prepared and packaged foods - seasoned rice, salted beans (buy dry or canned Eden brand no-sodium added!), canned soups (unless it's no salt added), most prepared breads, frozen appetizers and main dishes.
Cheeses, especially processed varieties
Crackers and snack foods
Baking products - baking soda and baking powder.
Canned foods - canned and instant soups, canned vegetables, tomato sauce and tomato paste.
Condiments, sauces and seasoning blends - ketchup, salted gravies and sauces (chili, barbecue, soy, steak, Worcestershire), seasoned salt, meat tenderizers and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Now, you may be thinking, "well, what the heck can I eat?". The good news is, that with a little due-diligence and careful label reading, you will find that there are a multitude of products in the marketplace that not only taste GREAT, but are low sodium as well.
A few of my favorites include:
Eden No Salt Added Beans. You name it, Eden makes it - Aduki, Black Beans, Black Eye Peas, Butter Beans, Cannellini, Garbanzo, Kidney, yadda yadda. I use these in chili's, salads and even have made my own hummus using the garbanzo beans. A 1/2 cup serving of Eden's Cannelini beans has a mere 40 mg/sodium compared to a half cup of other Cannelini beans which have 390 mg/sodium.
Imagine Organic Low Sodium Free Range Chicken Broth. In an ideal world I would simply make my own salt free Chicken Broth. In the real world, when I'm making a sauce and need to de-glaze my pan, I reach for Imagine's Low Sodium Chicken Broth. With 95 mg/sodium per cup, this is a no-brainer over Imagine's regular Chicken Broth which has a whopping 570 mg/sodium per cup. Makes this a no-brainer plus I love the re-sealable carton!
Applegate Farms Cheddar Cheese - Medium. I can give up alot of foods but cheese isn't one of them. I'm a cheese junkie, but I try to be a healthy one at that which is why I like Applegate Farms cheeses which is made from cows not treated with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). As far as cheddar's go, this medium cheddar has a good bite to it, is relatively low in fat (6g), significantly lower in sodium than other cheddar's I looked at at 120 mg/serving, and the single slices make it very simple in regards to portion control.
Muir Glen Organic No Salt Added Tomato Tomato Sauce and Fire Roasted Tomatoes. I love Paul Newman, but a 1/2 cup serving of his garlic pasta sauce has a whopping 580 mg/sodium, and that's 'low' compared to many other jarred sauces. I'll stick with a half cup of the Muir Glen at 15 mg/sodium and toss in my own, fresh roasted garlic. Oh, and their No Salt added Fire Roasted Tomatoes is killer in homemade chili!!
As a self-confessed Iron Chef wannabe who is on a salt restricted diet, I am always on the lookout for tasty, lower-sodium food products. If you have any recommendations please post them here!
I'd would really love to hear about them and feel that it is extremely important that we recognize and support the food manufacturer's who are looking out for our health! Unfortunately, there are far to few.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Interestingly, salt is an acquired taste and the more we consume it, the more salt that is required as our taste buds become desensitized.
In my effort to go low-sodium I've developed a few guidelines in regards to food to avoid:
Cured and processed meats - ham, bacon, Canadian bacon, deli meats (salami, bologna, et al), sausage.
Salty and smoked fish - Canned tuna and salmon, Smoked salmon, smoked whitefish, sardines, anchovies, salted cod, herring.
Foods prepared in brine - pickles, olives and sauerkraut.
Prepared and packaged foods - seasoned rice, salted beans (buy dry or canned Eden brand no-sodium added!), canned soups (unless it's no salt added), most prepared breads, frozen appetizers and main dishes.
Cheeses, especially processed varieties
Crackers and snack foods
Baking products - baking soda and baking powder.
Canned foods - canned and instant soups, canned vegetables, tomato sauce and tomato paste.
Condiments, sauces and seasoning blends - ketchup, salted gravies and sauces (chili, barbecue, soy, steak, Worcestershire), seasoned salt, meat tenderizers and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Now, you may be thinking, "well, what the heck can I eat?". The good news is, that with a little due-diligence and careful label reading, you will find that there are a multitude of products in the marketplace that not only taste GREAT, but are low sodium as well.
A few of my favorites include:
Eden No Salt Added Beans. You name it, Eden makes it - Aduki, Black Beans, Black Eye Peas, Butter Beans, Cannellini, Garbanzo, Kidney, yadda yadda. I use these in chili's, salads and even have made my own hummus using the garbanzo beans. A 1/2 cup serving of Eden's Cannelini beans has a mere 40 mg/sodium compared to a half cup of other Cannelini beans which have 390 mg/sodium.
Imagine Organic Low Sodium Free Range Chicken Broth. In an ideal world I would simply make my own salt free Chicken Broth. In the real world, when I'm making a sauce and need to de-glaze my pan, I reach for Imagine's Low Sodium Chicken Broth. With 95 mg/sodium per cup, this is a no-brainer over Imagine's regular Chicken Broth which has a whopping 570 mg/sodium per cup. Makes this a no-brainer plus I love the re-sealable carton!
Applegate Farms Cheddar Cheese - Medium. I can give up alot of foods but cheese isn't one of them. I'm a cheese junkie, but I try to be a healthy one at that which is why I like Applegate Farms cheeses which is made from cows not treated with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). As far as cheddar's go, this medium cheddar has a good bite to it, is relatively low in fat (6g), significantly lower in sodium than other cheddar's I looked at at 120 mg/serving, and the single slices make it very simple in regards to portion control.
Muir Glen Organic No Salt Added Tomato Tomato Sauce and Fire Roasted Tomatoes. I love Paul Newman, but a 1/2 cup serving of his garlic pasta sauce has a whopping 580 mg/sodium, and that's 'low' compared to many other jarred sauces. I'll stick with a half cup of the Muir Glen at 15 mg/sodium and toss in my own, fresh roasted garlic. Oh, and their No Salt added Fire Roasted Tomatoes is killer in homemade chili!!
As a self-confessed Iron Chef wannabe who is on a salt restricted diet, I am always on the lookout for tasty, lower-sodium food products. If you have any recommendations please post them here!
I'd would really love to hear about them and feel that it is extremely important that we recognize and support the food manufacturer's who are looking out for our health! Unfortunately, there are far to few.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Monday, October 12, 2009
And The Winner's Are ...
Today is the day where I announce the winners of the Catapult Fitness Blog Get Fit In Time For The Holiday's promotion.
The rules for this promotion were that for every 5 comments (only one comment per person), one winner would be selected. A maximum of 5 workouts were going to be awarded.
I was pretty disappointed to see that only 4 CFB readers entered to win this promotion, as traffic to CFB has been sky-rocketing over the past month.
With that said, since I was going to give away up to 5 free Turbulence Training workouts, I'm happy to announce that each of the 4 CFB readers who left comments are all winners!
Yarnball, Patsy, Evelyn and Lori, please email AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com with your PayPal account details.
I would love to know which Turbulence Training Workout you will be selecting. You can view all of the Turbulence Training workouts HERE.
Please leave a comment stating which workout you will be choosing and I hope that you will leave comments over the course of the next month telling us how your program is going!
Train hard; stay strong; and remember, the holiday season will be here before you know it - start training now to be the best you you can be come 1/1/2010!
Peace.
Susan
The rules for this promotion were that for every 5 comments (only one comment per person), one winner would be selected. A maximum of 5 workouts were going to be awarded.
I was pretty disappointed to see that only 4 CFB readers entered to win this promotion, as traffic to CFB has been sky-rocketing over the past month.
With that said, since I was going to give away up to 5 free Turbulence Training workouts, I'm happy to announce that each of the 4 CFB readers who left comments are all winners!
Yarnball, Patsy, Evelyn and Lori, please email AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com with your PayPal account details.
I would love to know which Turbulence Training Workout you will be selecting. You can view all of the Turbulence Training workouts HERE.
Please leave a comment stating which workout you will be choosing and I hope that you will leave comments over the course of the next month telling us how your program is going!
Train hard; stay strong; and remember, the holiday season will be here before you know it - start training now to be the best you you can be come 1/1/2010!
Peace.
Susan
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Truth About Cardio
As a Core Conditioning Specialist, I couldn't agree more with Craig in regards to crunches! Waste of time folks.
What I particularly like about this Turbulence Training video? It has GREAT high intensity cardio training that you can do at home (no gym membership necessary!).
By the way, those cross body mountain climbers ... brutal once you build up some speed!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
What I particularly like about this Turbulence Training video? It has GREAT high intensity cardio training that you can do at home (no gym membership necessary!).
By the way, those cross body mountain climbers ... brutal once you build up some speed!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Running For A Cause
Catapult Fitness Blog reader The Fat Runner is training for the Adidas half marathon in March 2010.
The charity The Fat Runner has chosen is Save The Children. Founded in 1932, Save The Children is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need around the world.
What I particularly like about Save The Children is that 92% of monies collected go directly to program expenses rather than in to the pockets of the administration. Great choice The Fat Runner!
Please join Catapult Fitness Blog in sponsoring The Fat Runner's efforts in this event. You can donate HERE.
The Fat Runner, please email me your name and mailing address at AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. I have something to send!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
The charity The Fat Runner has chosen is Save The Children. Founded in 1932, Save The Children is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need around the world.
What I particularly like about Save The Children is that 92% of monies collected go directly to program expenses rather than in to the pockets of the administration. Great choice The Fat Runner!
Please join Catapult Fitness Blog in sponsoring The Fat Runner's efforts in this event. You can donate HERE.
The Fat Runner, please email me your name and mailing address at AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. I have something to send!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Monday, October 5, 2009
Ask The Trainer
7
comments
Labels: Ask The Trainer, Cardio, High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT, Steady-State Cardio
Labels: Ask The Trainer, Cardio, High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT, Steady-State Cardio
I received an excellent question from CFB reader Tammy M. regarding target heart rate. There seems to be a lot of confusion out there in regards to this topic, so this is a great opportunity to shed some light on the subject.
If you have any questions submit them to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. Also feel free to post suggestions for any topics you would like to see covered!
Question: There seems to be so much conflicting information out there about the optimal heart rate for burning the most fat and calories. Can you please clarify what I should be aiming for with my heart rate during workouts?
Answer: I'm going to preface my response by first stating that my preference is to perform aerobic exercise and strength training on different days. The reason being that mid to high intensity cardio activity will cut in to muscle glycogen stores and hamper your strength training workout.
With that said, to explore this question we need a brief primer on aerobic and anaerobic exercise:
Aerobic exercise - exercises performed at low to moderate intensities for long durations (jogging, a leisurely bike ride) get their energy predominantly from oxygen dependent energy pathways.
Anaerobic exercise - exercises performed at higher intensity for shorter duration (sprinting, weight lifting) get there energy predominantly from non-oxygen dependent pathways.
I speak often about high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is done by alternating brief periods of 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 inadequate oxygen is available lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid is what give you that burning feeling during a workout. It leads to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be performed. This recovery period also allows the muscles to use oxygen to replenish the energy used during HIIT.
Conversely, aerobic or "steady-state" exercise uses oxygen at a constant rate with no accumulation of lactic acid.
Here is why there is a good deal of confusion in regards to which modality is best for weight and fat loss ...
More calories are burned during aerobic exercise than anaerobic exercise. The benefit of anaerobic exercise is in excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
While both anaerobic and aerobic exercise burn calories and create some EPOC effect, studies indicate that EPOC increases dramatically with intensity thus making anaerobic exercise a more effective means for fat loss. You can see this represented in the chart below:
Now, watch as I back track on much of what I have preached over the past year.
What is unclear from these research studies is the effect that the thermic effect of food (TEF) has on overall calorie burn, when comparing aerobic to anaerobic activity.
Obviously we are going to eat at some point following a workout, and we know that TEF on a whole comprises approximately 10% of overall energy balance. This would lead me to believe that the benefit of EPOC may be less than what has been reported in many of these studies.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
If you have any questions submit them to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. Also feel free to post suggestions for any topics you would like to see covered!
Question: There seems to be so much conflicting information out there about the optimal heart rate for burning the most fat and calories. Can you please clarify what I should be aiming for with my heart rate during workouts?
Answer: I'm going to preface my response by first stating that my preference is to perform aerobic exercise and strength training on different days. The reason being that mid to high intensity cardio activity will cut in to muscle glycogen stores and hamper your strength training workout.
With that said, to explore this question we need a brief primer on aerobic and anaerobic exercise:
Aerobic exercise - exercises performed at low to moderate intensities for long durations (jogging, a leisurely bike ride) get their energy predominantly from oxygen dependent energy pathways.
Anaerobic exercise - exercises performed at higher intensity for shorter duration (sprinting, weight lifting) get there energy predominantly from non-oxygen dependent pathways.
I speak often about high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is done by alternating brief periods of 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 inadequate oxygen is available lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid is what give you that burning feeling during a workout. It leads to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be performed. This recovery period also allows the muscles to use oxygen to replenish the energy used during HIIT.
Conversely, aerobic or "steady-state" exercise uses oxygen at a constant rate with no accumulation of lactic acid.
Here is why there is a good deal of confusion in regards to which modality is best for weight and fat loss ...
More calories are burned during aerobic exercise than anaerobic exercise. The benefit of anaerobic exercise is in excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
While both anaerobic and aerobic exercise burn calories and create some EPOC effect, studies indicate that EPOC increases dramatically with intensity thus making anaerobic exercise a more effective means for fat loss. You can see this represented in the chart below:
Now, watch as I back track on much of what I have preached over the past year.
What is unclear from these research studies is the effect that the thermic effect of food (TEF) has on overall calorie burn, when comparing aerobic to anaerobic activity.
Obviously we are going to eat at some point following a workout, and we know that TEF on a whole comprises approximately 10% of overall energy balance. This would lead me to believe that the benefit of EPOC may be less than what has been reported in many of these studies.
My recommendation is to stop worrying about optimal heart rate. The fact of the matter is that the concept of training within a target heart rate zone for those of us who are not professional athletes is highly over-simplified.
Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not here to sell anyone a BodyBugg or heart rate monitor. Truth be told, I trained with an expensive HR monitor for years and that in and of itself had no real impact on changing my body composition.
My body composition changed when I started to eat and train in a manner which would help me obtain my goals. For me that was using Turbulence Training and modifying my diet with the help of FitDay.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Functional Fitness Bootcamp For Women
Woman or man, this is one kick-butt bootcamp!
The one day workshop called “Functional Fitness For The Female Athlete” was put together by Will Brink and conducted by coach John "Sully" Sullivan at Excel Sports and Fitness in Waltham MA.
Fun!
Train hard; stay strong. Get out and move today!
Peace.
Susan
The one day workshop called “Functional Fitness For The Female Athlete” was put together by Will Brink and conducted by coach John "Sully" Sullivan at Excel Sports and Fitness in Waltham MA.
Fun!
Train hard; stay strong. Get out and move today!
Peace.
Susan
Friday, October 2, 2009
Happy Baby
Did you know that studies show that healthy eating habits begin to develop with baby's first foods?It brings to light the importance of introducing our our children to fresh, all-natural foods as early as possible, as this is the foundation for your child to make healthy food choices as an adult.
This is why Catapult Fitness Blog is proud to support Happy Baby, a finalist in the NBC Universal and American Express Shine a Light campaign.
The winning small business will win $100,000 in grant and marketing support from American Express. The winner will be selected based on user votes, so I implore all CFB readers to get out there and vote!
To learn more about Happy Baby click HERE.
To vote for Happy Baby click HERE. You will need to register to vote, but please take the time to support this wonderful small business.
If we stand together we can fight the obesity epidemic!
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Happy World Vegetarian Day!
I should start by saying that I'm not a vegetarian. However, since moving to an anti-inflammatory diet I find myself eating less meat and relying more and more on beans and legumes as a source of lean protein.
Over the past few months I've spent alot of time seeking out recipes and came across this yummy one by personal trainer and certified nutrition expert, Kardena Pauza. Anything that contains lentils (I used black lentils for the salad shown in the video), avocado and cayenne pepper are a-ok in my book, and this is seriously yummy:
October 1 is World Vegetarian Day and to celebrate Kardena is offering 50% off the Easy Veggie Meal Plans for the next 48 hours. The half-price Easy Veggie Meal Plans celebration discount is only available until Friday, October 2nd at 11:59pm.
If you're interested you can click HERE for the discount.
Train hard; stay strong; happy eating!
Peace.
Susan
Over the past few months I've spent alot of time seeking out recipes and came across this yummy one by personal trainer and certified nutrition expert, Kardena Pauza. Anything that contains lentils (I used black lentils for the salad shown in the video), avocado and cayenne pepper are a-ok in my book, and this is seriously yummy:
October 1 is World Vegetarian Day and to celebrate Kardena is offering 50% off the Easy Veggie Meal Plans for the next 48 hours. The half-price Easy Veggie Meal Plans celebration discount is only available until Friday, October 2nd at 11:59pm.
If you're interested you can click HERE for the discount.
Train hard; stay strong; happy eating!
Peace.
Susan
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