The Effects Of Stress On Weight Management

It may start as trouble at work, an argument with your spouse, financial trouble, or overwhelmed with errands that you just don't have time to complete. 

An inkling of worry might soon grow into an avalanche of anxiety. That kind of stress can keep you up at night. It can send your mind racing with potential "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios. 

Stress is like a snowball rolling down a mountain. It gains momentum, gains speed and grows until it crashes. That crash, unfortunately, is often at the expense of your health.

The stress response originally was a lifesaving biological function. Stress enabled us to run from predators or take down prey.

Unfortunately, stress has become a new normal for many of you.

What happens to your body when you are stressed out?

When you feel stressed, your body ramps up production of the stress hormones. These hormones are cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine.

Whether it be an imaginable moment watching a scary movie. Or a moment where your company is cutting jobs and you don't know your future.  Your heart rate increases. Your lungs take in more oxygen, and blood flow increases.

Parts of your immune system become suppressed, which reduces your inflammatory response to pathogens and other foreign invaders. 

Weight gain and/or difficulty losing weight in general is a common problem associated with stress. Stress induced weight gain typically involves an increase in belly fat, which is the most dangerous fat for your body to accumulate as it increases your risk for cardiovascular disease.

The biggest issue I run into in coaching is gut issues that are stress induced. This is because your gut and your brain are in regular communication.

Embedded in the wall of your gut is your enteric nervous system (ENS), which works both independently of and in conjunction with the brain in your head.

This communication between your "two brains" runs both ways, and is the pathway for how foods affect your mood or why anxiety can make you sick to your stomach.

Stress is an inescapable part of life. It's important to understand that it is how you deal with stress that will determine whether it will translate into health problems later on.

Ultimately, what you do for stress relief is a personal choice. Your stress management techniques must appeal to you and, more importantly, work for you. If a round of kickboxing helps you get out your frustration, then do it. If meditation is more your speed, that's fine too.

There are some basic strategies to help you handle stress. One key strategy is to make sure you get adequate sleep, as sleep deprivation dramatically impairs your body’s ability to handle stress. Regular physical activity and a healthy diet are the foundational elements your body needs to bounce back from a stressful event.

Stress used to be a life saver. Stress is now an underlying source of many health issues. Take a deeper look into how you handle stress and make improvements where you see fit. Your life depends on it. 

What is the future of the fitness industry?

Training, nutrition and science are improving by the day. Every time you look up there is something new being innovated. 

To give you an example of what I mean here are just a few innovations that are quickly changing how practice health and fitness.

Fitbit was brought to the masses in early 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman, who saw the potential for using sensors in small, wearable devices. The updates, innovations and styles they are coming up with are trending in society today. It is actually cool now to track how many steps you take in a day, how many calories you are burning in a day, and the quality of your sleep.

Six pack bags introduced us to traveling fit in 2009. They create iconic bags, luggage, and meal management travel gear for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The bags are stylish and innovative and speak to those who live and breathe fitness. They come with great tupperware, ice packs and storage for different things like supplements and shaker bottles. 

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung unveiled a new "smart belt" called WELT, short for "wellness belt." WELT monitors your eating habits and can help you lose weight. A belt that monitors how much your stomach expands while eating to let you know when you are full. 

In 1975, the idea of portable heart rate monitors came into existence on a skiing track. During this time there was no way to accurately record heart rates during training. Polar now creates basic models that help motivate and inform beginners and regular exercisers, to providing complete training systems for world champions across numerous disciplines.

I don't know if you remember the great movie, "Back To The Future Part II." In that movie Michael J. Fox wore a pair of Nike shoes that had adaptive laces. Well Nike has finally released the new Nike Hyperadapt 1.0 that has adaptive lacing. 

Well what's next? I have my predictions. Who knows if they will come true. It excites me that the industry I'm so passionate about is changing before my eyes in a positive way. Here are some things you can expect to see more of. 

1. Your health managed digitally. 
   You are already starting to see a high dose of this with the health dashboard for iOS, and the myfitnesspal app. You will continue to see growth in online training and there will be a major shift to remote coaching. The internet has made training knowledge accessible to more people. 
2. Programs will get extremely individualized.
   We will have a better framework for the exercises that will provide the most optimal result for your body. Your frame, musculature, attachments and hormones will play an important role in this. Education and experience give enthusiasts a higher probability in helping you achieve your fitness goals. But having technology to aid in this will truly be revolutionary. 
3. The cults will end. 
   Truth is, there is no 'best exercise' and there is no 'secret program' for you to achieve your goals. Right now it is popular to belong to something. I have met people that would look down on others for not practicing their type of fitness. Crossfit, yoga, pilates, physique shows, power lifting, kickboxing, cycling, Insanity, mixed martial arts, and the list goes on. But this will change. We are fast approaching a time where we will be more inclusive rather than exclusive. Whether you are overweight, or a middle-aged individual regaining your youth, or an elite athlete; you need to figure out what works for you. Your decision should be based upon your likes, dislikes, and what you will adhere too. 

My advice to YOU. 

We will see a push for fitness trainers to be licensed, much like doctors, lawyers and other professionals. The rise in celebrity and Instagram trainers makes it hard for you to know what is science and what is gibberish. In the meantime, if you are following someone and trusting them with your body, make sure they have some credentials like educational background or personal training certifications. 

Why I Got A Tattoo Of 'Failure Is Not An Option' On My Arm

Failure has it's own meaning to you as an individual. You view it through the lens of experience, or what you learned. It can be a word that's as vague as it is scary. Whenever I meet someone who allows the fear of failure to get in the way of a goal, I want to know why. What does failure mean to him or her?

Most of the time it is always more than just the loss of money, time or reputation. It has more to do with personal monsters than the process of a measurable loss.

To me, failure, which is trying something that doesn't end up working out is just a step in the process of creating.

While failure may be a step into the unknown, it's needed for you to become.

I fell in love with exercise for that reason. Because it taught me how to handle failure. Taught me how to overcome failure. And it showed me how to try again.

In my later high school years I knew that I wanted to impact the world in the health and fitness field. My goal was to be a great personal trainer, own a small health club, and expand my reach through online training. Being a living example and showing people the way to a healthy lifestyle is my passion. I'm grateful that I saw the industry from many levels and humbled to share the journey. I succeeded a lot, failed often, and never stopped trying.

Here is a little snapshot of the past 10 years.

Curiosity Gets The Cat. I picked up every magazine, online article, and book I could find. I spent countless hours studying the craft. I dedicated time to being a practitioner.

The Discovery. The next step in the process was to receive a personal training certification. I studied for the NFPT Certified Personal Trainer exam and passed at the age of 20. My first walk into the industry was selling personal training for LA Fitness. I was the young guy but determined to perfect my skills. After every 'No' I received I went back to my desk to figure out what I could do different.

The Grit & Grind. I was ready for the big leagues. I needed to prove to myself that I could be a positive impact in someones life. There was a brand new Gold's Gym opening not to far from my school and where I lived. Gold's Gym has been around since 1965 and was a top tier health club at the time. I applied for the position and was the first trainer hired to start opening day. I spent 3 years learning something new,  and creating conversation with a new member. Pushing my own body to new limits became a daily practice. My days would go something like this: Trained clients from 5am-7am. Went to school from 8am-12pm. I worked out from 1pm-3pm. Trained clients from 4pm-10pm.

Earning My Place. After graduating college I wanted to go pro. There is no such thing of course. But a step up from Gold's Gym was a corporate gym that had huge growth potential. After doing my research I set my eyesight's on Lifetime Fitness. I went through a lengthy hiring process and became a trainer for them with three goals in mind. I wanted to impact hundreds of people by teaching them the benefits of corrective exercise and a balanced healthy lifestyle. Earn my place as the best trainer in the gym by doing right by members, clients, and peers. And I wanted to move up and become a department head within 3 years. I worked 5am-10pm every single day of the week and found pockets throughout the day to get my own workout in. I was 100% Focused. I failed over and over again. But I kept getting back up again. Needless to say, I accomplished it all.

Branching Out, Finding Failure. I was not satisfied with where I was. I still wanted the opportunity to open a gym. Big risk excited me and creating a new lane inspired me. I was not convinced that all the organizations that I had been apart of did it right. In the back of my head I said things like, "This could be better." or "If I were in control I would do this." That pushed me to jump and do it my way. I teamed up with a few friends and decided to build a brand. We opened a gym with the goal to take over the world with customer service and a balanced approach to health and fitness as our mission. Unfortunately I fell head first and the goals I had set for myself did not pan out. I was fortunate enough to learn some valuable lessons and have great friends to pick me up and encourage me not to give up.

Sky Is The Limit. One of my best friends knew that I did a lot of online training. At the time I used nothing but Excel Spreadsheets. He told me he could create an app that would make online training mobile. I was mind blown. I could not believe that someone finally shared a vision with me. He created an application that would allow me to reach people the right way. He gave me the tool to create content, programs, and extend my voice. For the past 3.5 years I have been working side by side with him to perfect the tool that helps spread the message of 3 W's. If your WILL is strong enough, you WORK hard enough, and you patiently WAIT long enough, you can achieve anything.

I continue to perfect my craft, advance my learning, and remain humble. WebFit has deep roots that will continue to hold as we grow. Failure is not an option because I see failure as an opportunity, and apart of the journey to growth.

My hope is that you don't allow failure to stop you either. Your best days are in front of you.

Exercise Is For Long Term Health

Exercise is important for all stages of life. In my experience young people exercise because they want to look good in a bikini, have six pack abs, or better arms. Middle age people exercise because things are starting to hurt, the doctor told them to, or because body fat levels have gotten out of hand. Older individuals exercise because they want to improve there quality of life, be around for grandkids, or to reinvent themselves.

Those reasons are valid. But the true positive essence of exercise is suffering because of the superficial attitudes.

Yes, exercise will take up some of your free time.

Yes, exercise will not always be what you want to do.

Yes, exercise is a process so visual changes come with time.

Exercise Is For Long Term Health

Everyone will not share the same view on exercise but the research is clear. If you lead a lifestyle that includes exercise, you will reap the rewards as you age. If you haven't started yet, you can still benefit by starting now.

One of the key benefits is to make you steadier on your feet and reducing your risk of falling.  Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults. It’s estimated that one out of three adults aged 65 or older will fall each year.

An indicator that you are at risk of an injury causing fall would be if you are shaky when you try to balance on one leg. Starting a functional training program right away is important.

Research shows that physical activity can reduce your chances of falling. If you do fall, people who are physically fit are less likely to become injured. According to a study done in 2013 by BMJ, older adults who took part in an exercise program were 40 percent less likely to suffer an injury during a fall compared to non-exercisers. This included a 61 percent lower risk of having a fall-induced broken bone and a 43 percent lower risk of sustaining a fall-related injury serious enough to need admission to a hospital.

After fall prevention, the next key benefit to exercise is to help preserve muscle mass. Use it or lose it applies to muscle tissue.

Did you know by the time you are 30, age related muscle loss may have already begun. It is possible for it to begin even sooner if you've neglected to take proactive steps to prevent it.

Without any sort of intervention, you can lose an average of 7 pounds of muscle per decade. The result of this is catastrophic and include: * Impaired ability to regulate body temperature * Slower metabolism * The loss in ability to perform everyday tasks.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, much of this is preventable. But you have to challenge your muscles with an appropriate workout program.

The fact is, if you want to extend your life with quality years, you've got to exercise. It acts on every area of your body. Exercise can ignite the body's immune system, improve mental function, boosts energy, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce the risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, come cancer and diabetes.

If you do not move, one day you will not be able to move. I promise you that you will never say, "Man, I am sorry I exercised today."

Is It Important To Create A Grocery List?

The short answer is Yes. I shouldn't have shared that because I may have ruined the build up to the post. But I'm sure you know that list are important already. Getting in the kitchen and preparing your food is one of the best ways to take control over your health. Preparing meals is important when you have a busy schedule if you desire to nourish both you and your family.

Going grocery shopping and not having a list creates all sorts of issues. You end up picking up things you don't need, probably won't like, and items not conducive to your goals. Having a grocery list when shopping saves you time and money. A simple list can ultimately have an effect on your health in a positive way. If you go into the store knowing what you already need to buy, you won't waste countless minutes wandering the store debating on what sounds good.

Have your grocery list, get the items on your list, and get out.

Have you ever bought food and never ate it? I have loads of items in the pantry and freezer that I have not ate. Every time I have been to the grocery store without a list I waste too much money on food and never eat it, or it goes bad. Buying food that you have planned to eat will help cut wasted food.

How many times have you gone to the grocery store without a list and you left with cookies, chips and ice cream? If so, chances are you were making an emotional buy. These are comfort foods and when they are in the house, they are hard to avoid especially if you are feeling bored, tired, lonely or sad. Chances are you will not only eat one serving unless you have mastered the art of self discipline.

Having a list also helps you from making impulse buys. You are less likely to become distracted by all the pretty packaging and clever marketing of refined foods.

If you are making your own list here are a few tips: 1. Make sure that you count how many servings you have for a week of each meal item. 2. Measure your protein sources and always purchase a little more than you need because it cooks down some. 3. Don't forget spices and small ingredients. Things like cinnamon, cumin, season salt, paprika and others are hard to remember to purchase sometimes. These items can make your meals taste so much better.

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WebFit just launched an update. We have a grocery list available for your personalized meal plan. It is for sure one of the most innovative ideas we have come up with yet.

How I View Work Life Balance

By choice or necessity, we all seek balance in our lives. The balance of work vs play, and of freedom vs responsibility. Balanced even comes to play when we seek out nutritionally dense food vs empty calories. Our bodies seek balance by compensating for changing conditions to keep temperature, blood sugar, and dozens of other characteristics stable. Lifestyle is the medicine of the future. Improving your balance will be the prescription.

How I View Work Life Balance

Taking into consideration how you define balance is the key. Your balance will look different than my balance.

I love to wake up at 3am. It is a time where I can get the most amount of work done and quite frankly my body doesn't likes to sleep in. Between 300-330am I am trying my best to be as quiet as possible to go downstairs without waking up my wife.

Being in the gym for 2-3 hours makes me happy. I'm not much of a social butterfly but I do like to enjoy the work I put in.

I'm open to change though. Sometimes my schedule has to change and me being okay with that is a part of balance. Sometimes I don't get to bed until late from watching the 2 hour episodes of The Voice with my wife so waking up at 3am is out of the question. My workout is cut in half if making programs for clients ran into my workout time. I may skip a training session because I have something else planned with family. For me, all of those circumstances are okay. Balance is meant to be shifted from time to time.

That is the way balance fits in my life. How your balance will look depends on how you define it. Here are 4 things to avoid:

1. Instead of talking about what you don't have, talk about what you could have. It is common for me to hear, "I want to drop 40lbs but I don't have the time to exercise and eat healthy." That conversation should be about how you have 30 minutes in the morning before and after work to dedicate to your fitness. 2. Realize there's no right answer. There is no such thing as a perfect workout routine, perfect diet, or what you should weigh for your height. 3. Stop judging yourself and others. There was no mistake made when you were born. You may not have Michelle Obama's arms, J-Lo's bottom, or Kim Kardashian's waistline but you are unique in your own way. 4. Leave room for periods when there's more work and less life, and vice versa. You will have times in your life where you won't be able to spend hours on the weekend prepping meals or 6 days a week in the gym. Let go of the guilt. It will be okay. 

When will you know you have made it? When will you be able to say that you feel balanced? Truth is, balance is a moving target. Managing your work and life is an ongoing practice.  On occasion you will feel like you are riding the balance wave. Truth is you can only optimize it for a particular set of work and personal circumstances for small pockets of time.  Then realities will change, and so will your balance. It relieves the pressure and allows you to experiment more freely with what works best for you when you realize there is no right way.

What are my 4 tips I have found helpful for increasing my balance?

1. Sometimes we are so focused on the next goal that we fail to celebrate the great milestones of achievement we have made. Make it a pleasant experience next time to reach your next milestone. You’ll find yourself motivated to continue to strive for more.2. Just say 'no'. Setting boundaries early with others should not be considered walls, but paths to your sanity.3. Come up with a plan and share it with those who you value the most. Outlining how you are going to shift time, be more flexible, and maintain getting things done is important. This does not have to be done alone. 4. Take some time each week for reflection and self-introspection. This could include journaling, going out in nature for a walk or work in the yard. This also includes meditating, praying or reading. Looking at the broader picture of your life will keep you going and pay huge dividends. 

Why I Became Frustrated With The Fitness Industry

Being in the gym can either be a great experience for you or a terrible one. I experienced both. The insane part about it, is that I would experience both sometimes in the same day, or even the same hour. I was a personal trainer in a gym for 8 years. It was a limiting experience because of gym protocols and limited time with clients. Being unable to provide the quality service that my clients actually needed became frustrating.

One example is the beloved 1 hour session. I blocked out an hour of time to meet with potential clients, and personal training clients. When I first started in the business I thought this was the silver lining of the career. It wasn't.

When you walked in the door, my clock was already ticking. As you were walking up to me I had already started to pick your physical attributes apart. The conversation in my head sounded a lot like this. "Tight hamstrings, duck feet, tight chest, and definitely sedentary." I am open minded, and I don't believe in judging a book by its cover. But there was a shot clock that started the moment your hour started with me. I needed to hear your story, and you had to learn something about me in a short amount of time. It's a lot like speed dating in hyperdrive. Except I had to convince you why you should spend $500-$1,000/month dollars on me and not why you should go out with me for drinks.

I need to research on who made the rule that all personal training sessions should last one hour. They made a huge mistake with that protocol. An effective workout is hardly ever exactly 1 hour in time. Some protocols call for 45 minutes, some an hour and a half up to 2 hours. Individuals that were brand new to any kind of physical exercise that only need 30 minutes. In the instances where I had 60 minutes with a client that only needed 30 presented quite the dilemma. I can't count how many times I had to fill time with conversation about what they had on the schedule for the weekend. Or pointless movements because I knew they needed to get there 'moneys' worth.

It was so frustrating.

Training should dictate business practices and not vice versa. The only way I avoided a scheduling nightmare, and provided a steady income was to stick to that strict schedule.

I couldn't be happier that I don't have that as my reality anymore. With WebFit as the tool, I changed the rules. Unlimited communication, unlimited support and motivation is forever in the forefront. Designing programs that fit your needs and goals with no time fillers or wasters.

Chuck and I had one goal in mind when we created WebFit. To create a new lane in the health and fitness industry by doing things right. We are off to a good start.

What Are 3 Lifestyle Changes To Help Manage Your Cholesterol?

When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked? I'm sure 5 years ago when you had blood work done you were in the clear but as you age it is so important to schedule regular check ups to see where you stand. Think of it as a brand new car. When it is fresh off the lot we drive it until the wheels fall off or until the maintenance light comes on.

But as that car gets older it is important to make sure everything under the hood is in tip top shape more often. So instead of going to the mechanic every 6 months, you go every 3 months. While nothing can ever replace proper advice from a physician about how to manage cholesterol, there are a few well-known changes that can be made through diet and lifestyle that can help with overall maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels.

How is cholesterol made?

The body produces some cholesterol while some of it comes from the foods you eat. Your liver cells and other cells in your body make about 75 percent of cholesterol. The rest comes from foods, especially animal products such as shellfish, meat, butter, and eggs.

Once cholesterol enters the blood stream, carriers called lipoproteins transport it to cells. There are two types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL cholesterol molecules are composed mostly of cholesterol with a small amount of triglycerides and protein and work to deliver cholesterol to cells. Too much of LDL cholesterol can cause buildup in the inner walls of your arteries resulting in decreased blood flow to the heart and brain. A complete block of the artery, or a clot, can result in a heart attack or stroke.

HDL is the  “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol molecules are composed mostly of protein with only small amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides. HDL molecules pick up excess cholesterol and deliver it back to the liver to be excreted from the body. High HDL levels have been linked to decreased risk of heart disease, possibly because they assist in the removal of buildup in arteries.

When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup causes "hardening of the arteries" so that arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.

Your total cholesterol count is a combination of LDL and HDL along with triglycerides and a lesser known genetic variation of LDL cholesterol known as Lp(a) cholesterol. The desired total blood cholesterol count for adults is below 200 mg/dL.

What do statistics say about having high cholesterol?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about one in six adults in the US have high cholesterol, putting them at a higher risk for heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States. Each year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease.

How can you lower “bad” cholesterol, increase “good” cholesterol?

1. Participate in regular physical activity: Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (brisk walking) or 75 minutes of intense aerobic physical activity (running, jogging) per week is touted by the American Heart Association to support health cholesterol levels.
2. Include soluble fiber in your diet: A diet high in soluble fiber (such as from oats, nuts, beans, apples, and blueberries) is shown to help reduce cholesterol levels. When ingested, soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance and can bind with cholesterol and reduce the amount absorbed into your bloodstream.
3. Get enough healthy fats: Replace saturated and trans fats with healthy fat sources. People who follow a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have healthier blood lipid levels. Olive oil, flaxseed, hemp seed, and fish such as salmon are good sources of omega-3s. You can also supplement your diet with omega-3s. A good rule of thumb: eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day for a healthy individual and less than 200 milligrams per day for someone with an increased risk of heart disease.

What Is Wrong With Gyms Today?

I am sure you have seen a rise of gym facilities all around you. Some gyms are charging $10 a month, and some allow you key card access to come whenever you like. The industry that I fell in love with at a young age is changing fast. I want to share with you 2 of the issues I have with these recent changes that I've observed recently.

Some Gym Owners Are Fine With You Not Showing Up. Gyms would experience big problems if everyone who purchased gym memberships exercised on a regular basis. The owners are okay with this though. The estimated amount of people to use a membership is around 20%. When I worked at big corporate clubs that percentage was good. Most clubs need about 10 times as many members as they can actually fit in the door to be profitable. So don't expect a phone call if you are lacking motivation or not in the mood to get your workout in.

You Are Less Likely To Cancel A Low Rate. Why are so many clubs charging $10-$20 per month? They know you won't go through the hassle to cancel. Big clubs started freezing gym memberships if you injured yourself some years back. If you were going out of town for a while you could freeze your account. A reduced rate would keep your account active for as long as you would be away. Now we have gyms actually making it the actually monthly rate. There is no way these facilities can make money by charging so little without a hidden agenda. They know the statistics for you keeping your health a priority is slim. They would rather have 5,000 members paying $10 a month and only have 1,000 show up during the week. This gives them less wear and tear on equipment, less likely to have issues with equipment availability, and good class sizes.

Health and fitness clubs were once about the betterment of human life. Quality of life used to be a core value shared amongst all the clubs. It is now about big business. Clubs are now in direct competition, and slam other clubs/gyms through marketing and social media. The lifestyle that I am passionate about is in some ways a disaster. It's unregulated and populated with people who do not have your best interest at heart.

Be careful.

Is There A "Magic Pill" To Weight Loss?

The unsubstantiated claims have finally caught up with all of the weight loss “gurus” and “celebrity doctors.” How many special weight loss products have you seen in the past 30 days? I have heard all sorts of weight loss scams from green coffee beans, garcinia cambogia, forskolin, to raspberry ketones.

In 2015, Dr. Oz was reprimanded for his “flowery language” without scientific evidence to sell what he called “magic weight loss cures,” “revolutionary fat busters,” and “fat-burners in the bottle.” On occasion, Oz said these products meant consumers would lose weight without any additional effort in the form of exercise or changing dietary habits.

It’s an unfortunate situation for consumers who’ve been led to believe Dr. Oz’s claims and ended up wasting money and gaining little benefit. In turn, it’s created difficulties for the Federal Trade Commission in their efforts to protect consumers from false marketing and advertising practices.

There are two main takeaways for you from this situation: First, beware of misinformation in the media and circulating around the Internet regarding health and weight loss cures. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Second, there’s no such thing as single ingredients or single product solutions for weight loss. Weight management, in fact, does take time and effort and will often require lifestyle modifications that can include small or large changes to eating and exercise habits.

A serious difference with my approach to a healthy lifestyle to the ones that are advertised is pretty simple. I believe in the true value of balance, combined with encouragement of better eating and exercise habits. Instead of being a quick fix, crash diet, or latest workout program; it is best to adhere to a program that can be easily upheld and followed long-term. The plain and apparent reality that I have witnessed is that even with the convenience of any good program designed for you, time and effort is involved in achieving a negative caloric balance and increasing physical activity to achieve weight-loss goals.

What Is The Supplement Glutamine Used For?

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid (building block of protein) in the body. The body can make enough glutamine for its regular needs, but extreme stress (the kind you would experience after very heavy exercise or an injury), your body may need more glutamine than it can make. Most glutamine is stored in muscles followed by the lungs, where much of the glutamine is made.

Glutamine is important for removing excess ammonia (a common waste product in the body). It also helps your immune system function and appears to be needed for normal brain function and digestion.

Glutamine also aids in wound healing and recovery from illness. When the body is stressed (from injuries, infections, burns, trauma, or surgical procedures), it releases the hormone cortisol into the bloodstream. High levels of cortisol can lower your body’s stores of glutamine.

Athletes who train for endurance events (like marathons) may reduce the amount of glutamine in their bodies. It’s common for them to catch a cold after an athletic event. Some experts think that may be because of the role glutamine plays in the immune system. Glutamine can be a crucial supplement for strength athletes as well. It will aid in the recovery of damaged muscle tissue from hypertrophy training as well as strength training.

Supplemental glutamine is often given to malnourished cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments and sometimes used in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants. Certain medical conditions, including injuries, surgery, infections, and prolonged stress, can lower glutamine levels, however. In these cases, taking a glutamine supplement may be helpful.

You can usually get enough glutamine without taking a supplement, because your body makes it and you get some in your diet. Dietary sources of glutamine include plant and animal proteins such as beef, pork and poultry, milk, yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, raw spinach, raw parsley, and cabbage.

Glutamine, usually in the form of L-glutamine, is available by itself or as part of a protein supplement. These come in powder, capsule, tablet, or liquid form. Typical doses range from 500 mg to 5,000 mg daily depending on the circumstance. Take glutamine with cold or room temperature foods or liquids. It should not be added to hot beverages because heat destroys glutamine. Glutamine supplements should also be kept in a dry location.

Are you your own worst critic?

How many times have you been your own worst critic? I’m guilty of it myself and everyone that wants to be better than they were yesterday might fall into this from time to time. It can be healthy to reflect on behavior so we can improve it or make changes. But more often than not I observe many people who are critics in unhealthy ways. It normally falls into a number of categories. Below you will see the 7 categories and if you find yourself fitting in one or more of them it is time to do something about it.

• Instatrend Iggy: As a Instatrend Iggy keeping up with the latest trends is a must. You often compare yourself to photos you see on social media and judge your own appearance in an unhealthy way from those comparisons. You follow the latest workouts, exercises and wear the clothes that all the famous fitness models are seen in. Diving head first into the newest diet to lose that last 10 pounds, making sure everything is gluten and dairy free, and always bouncing back from being a Vegetarian to ‘If It Fits Your Macros’ is not uncommon for Iggy.
• Critical Christy: The ultimate nit-picker. You change clothes at least 4 or 5 times in the morning because your weekend meal made you gain 2 pounds. You will rarely notice anything positive about yourself. After losing 20 pounds and 4 pants sizes you will still tell everyone that your arms are too fat and that your love handles aren’t improving. You will quickly judge and criticize yourself before anyone can get a word out. Any perceived flaw sends you into an immediate ‘self-improvement session.
• Control Freak Cathy: You can’t get the over achiever in you under control. You never seem to have time to get everything done on your to-do list because things keep piling up at work or at home that get in the way of your ideal life and success. Often times you forget to eat because you are so ‘busy’. When the stress of life hits hard you control your emotions with food and held captive to the ‘hell with it’ affect and tell yourself that you will start over on Monday.
• Perfectionist Patrick: Name it, you got it. You exude confidence, always look put together, and everything seems to come easily and effortlessly to you. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving. While you may ‘have it all’ on the outside, on the inside, you’re wilting. Why? You never feel "good enough" and are constantly striving to reach your super high standards when it comes to diet, exercise, appearance, etc.
• Blaming Betty: Whether you did anything or not, you are always blaming yourself for everything. If you are constantly saying things to yourself like, “Why did you do that?” or “I can’t believe I did that?” or “What were you thinking?” you might held hostage to Blaming Betty. Coping with your perceived failures by using food as a coping mechanism is not unheard of. More often, you restrict food intake as a way to punish yourself.
• Self-Doubting Steven: Steven is very indecisive and plagued with self-doubt and low self-confidence. When you do something, the doubts immediately come in. What will seem like a small decision to someone else is a major one for you and you will knock your head over coals thinking about it. Simple nutrition and exercise choices are a nightmare because you are always second guessing whether you should or shouldn't be doing high reps and low weight or a high fat/low carb diet.
• Terrified Timothy: Timothy takes everything personally. Even when constructed criticism is given properly, you will take it to heart. If things don’t go your way you feel like you failed. The fact that your experiences are shaping you into a much better manager and each and every time you make a mistake is just an opportunity to do things better next time never appears in your conscious. You will often turn to food as a coping mechanism as a way to deal with your perceived failures or workout 2 times a day to wear yourself out so you don’t have to deal with the stress.

So what do you do if one (or more) of these critics is true for you? These are some easy tools to put in place to change that inner critic:

• Figure out where these beliefs came from because often times they are from experiences in childhood that you never addressed as an adult.
• When you feel yourself sliding into that critic, sit and think rather than just acting on your feelings. Sometimes taking a step back and reflecting can do you some good.
• Practice self-forgiveness. Old wounds can open back up like a scab that never healed when not treated correctly. If you happen to fall back into those hold habits, forgive yourself and just get back on the horse.

How To Mentally Deal With Injuries

At some point in our life we all face some kind of injury. Though I don’t know the statistics on injuries sustained at work or during exercise, I’m going to figure that a substantial portion of people sustain a serious injury at some point in their careers. When I was a personal trainer in corporate clubs I regularly worked with people of all sorts helping them recover and return to their exercise regimen or work better than ever. Finally, having recovered from a serious injury during my own career as a torn ACL, I learned first hand how difficult recovering from a serious injury is.

Accept that getting hurt sucks and you will feel bad at times, especially early in your recovery when you’re more disabled than working toward recovery. You will not be able to do the normal things to which you are accustomed. You will be in pain. You’ll feel frustrated, angry, and depressed. You’ll want to curl up in a ball and withdraw from life. These reactions are normal and, to some degree, healthy, as you have to allow yourself to grieve for your loss.

At the same time, if you allow yourself to stay in that funk for too long, you will surely slow your recovery. So, after a short time, get over your “pity party” and get your mind on your recovery; keep focused on the present and the future. I remember being so torn about my injury but my trainer told me, "It's not about how you get hurt, it's how you come back from being hurt." The day after my surgery I showed up for therapy and had no idea what to expect. The problem is that rehab hurts (a lot!), is boring, tiring, monotonous, in other words, it gets old fast. That’s why so many people that have injuries end up either shortening or skipping rehab sessions, or not putting in their best effort. The result: slowed or incomplete recovery.

I have seen injuries save a lot of people as well. It seems weird right? Think of it this way. Getting injured can teach you to be tough, endure hardship, and really find your motivation for goals. Injuries can also enable you to focus on areas of your body that have been weaknesses, but you simply haven’t had time to work on them. Your low back injury may cause you to focus on strengthening your core, and stretching your hamstrings. Your knee injury might slow you down so you work on your quad strength and ankle/calf flexibility. The goal is for you to return to your job or exercise program physically better than you were before.

Mental imagery can also play a major role in your mental recovery from an injury as well. Imagery is not just something that goes on in your head. In fact, it connects your mind and your body and, amazingly, activates muscles in the same way as when you are actually performing exercise or physical labor on your job. Research has shown that you can improve your skills without actual training by engaging in regular mental imagery.

The bottom line is when you get seriously injured, it is a real bummer. But what is an even bigger problem is not returning fully or as quickly as possible to your exercise program or job. For you to return to better than before, you need to do everything possible to facilitate your recovery. That means following your physical rehab program to the letter. But you also need to develop a habit of conjuring up healthy thoughts to foster a full recovery as well. This will allow your body and your mind to be fully recovered and prepared for your job and exercise program.

The 5 Key Benefits of Following a Meal Plan

There is no doubt in my mind that one of the most critical components to a healthy lifestyle and diet is nutritional variety. For example, the people of Okinawa, Japan are some of the longest living people on the planet. They have the greatest proportion of centenarians in the world (People that live to 100 years old.) They also happen to have one of the highest food varieties of any culture in the world. So it is safe to say that a great percentage of their health comes from diet. Can you eat your way to a century?

In contrast, there are health professionals today that coach and help people around the world to be this healthy but go about it in a different way. They will claim to be all about health, but you have to cut out gluten, dairy, red meat, “processed” foods, fruits, legumes, starches and whole eggs, only to end up with the shortest list of foods you could imagine. The diets that are being prescribed will unlikely meet your micronutrient needs. Not only that but following rigid diets result in the self-fulfilling prophecy of you being unable to digest foods on their clean list without terrible discomfort due to the loss of enzymes and gut bacteria that are essential to the digestion of a variety of foods.

So how do you combat this? Finding a balance, trying new things, learning more about food, and understanding what works for you. This is why we use a very simple meal plan approach on WebFit. Below are 5 reasons why we implemented meal plans within the app to help you reach your goals.

1. Teaches Behavioral Factors For Continued Success Meal plans provide a framework sort of like having a calendar does in planning your day. If you are someone who used to under eat and not consume enough calories, having a meal plan will reinforce the daily thoughts necessary for you to consume more calories and hit your macronutrient goals. If you are someone who forgets to eat and overeats later in the day, having a meal plan will help remind you to have better proportions throughout the day to avoid energy slumps and binging late in the day.

1. Controlling The “Hell With It Effect” Have you ever been on a restricted diet and someone offered you something that you have not had in a long time and you ate it? When you eat a highly-palatable but self-restricted food when you are ‘not supposed to’ then the “Hell With It Effect” kicks right in. This often leads to you just eating whatever for the remainder of the day and telling yourself that you will start fresh tomorrow or on Monday. Dieting or restrained eating generally increase the likelihood of food craving. Having a meal plan can combat this by giving you options with foods that you enjoy eating and meal options that you can move around to meet a specific craving you may be having.

1. Less Time Consuming & More Economic Having a meal plan can allow you to meet budgetary needs for the household. Food is often a major expense to everyone’s budget. Having a plan with specific foods, portions, and amounts can help you not waste food and have a better idea of what you will be spending week to week. Meal planning can also help conserve time during the busy week and allow you to have more free time to spend with your family, friends and loved ones. Typically meal plans can be prepared before the week gets away from you. Your food and raw ingredients can be gathered at the grocery store, and cooked all in few hours. This type of preparation will free up time during your busy week so you can spend less time thinking about what fast food place to go to and spend more time on hobbies, exercise, spending time with loved one’s or relaxing from a busy day.

1. Better Performance and Energy Are you waking up drowsy? Needing coffee daily just to get you going? Hitting a mid-day slump where you feel like you need a nap? All of these things can be tied back to what are you eating. A meal plan that has a variety of foods can help give you good fuel for your day and eventually lead to better performance in and out of the gym.

1. Consistent Weigh Ins Bodyweight is one of the most important variables you can track to gauge if you are actually getting to your goal. It is totally normal for your bodyweight to fluctuate by 1-2% on a daily basis due to shifts in water (sometimes more for some people). This is caused by day to day fluctuations in food intake, sodium intake, alcohol, and stress hormones or from hormonal shifts during certain phases of a menstrual cycle. When you are consuming different calorie ranges day to day your bodyweight can be affected drastically. A meal plan can help you get a little hold on having a really huge fluctuation in bodyweight.

Meal plans can be really beneficial in helping you find a balance with food variety which is why we incorporate them in WebFit plans.

Why Working Out to Pure Exhaustion is Good For You

Most people will tell me that aging sucks, and hurts. But science contradicts that. I have also observed somewhat the opposite of that as well. I have personally viewed videos of individuals like 93 year old bodybuilder, Charles Eugster; or 70 year old cyclist, Tony Linturn. How is the quality of life of some individuals drastically different than others? Is it dedication? Maybe the mindset they have? Does it have to do with their persistence? It might be a little bit of both but I want to tell you how you can change your health for the better. Your health could drastically change by an all-out effort of 10-12 minutes of exercise per day. Say what? Yes it is true. How about we break down the science and I tell you how?

Did you know your body is made up of some 10 trillion cells? You actually age because your cells age. Therefore, the fountain of youth is found in the process of controlling the aging process of your cells.

Each of your cells has a nucleus, which contains the chromosomes that in turn contain your genes. The chromosome is made up of two "arms," and each arm contains a single molecule DNA, which is essentially a string of beads made up of units called bases. A typical DNA molecule is about 100 million bases long, and at the very tip of each arm of the chromosome is where you'll find the telomere.

Your telomeres shorten every time your cell divides, starting at the moment of conception. If you were to unravel the tip of the chromosome, a telomere is about 15,000 bases long at the moment of conception, and once your telomeres have been reduced to about 5,000 bases, you will essentially die of old age. That is why even with a perfect diet and exercise program no one lives past 120 years old. Exposure to environmental toxins like trans fats, smoking, free radicals, and obesity can actually accelerate the shortening of telomeres and lead to feeling “old” and possibly dying before the age of 70.

It was previously believed that this telomere shortening process could not be affected or stopped by healthy eating habits or exercise. Now, researchers have discovered that both diet and specific training may indeed be able to do just that! In an exciting study published in 2010 showed that there's a direct association between reduced telomere shortening in your later years and high-intensity-type exercises.

Human Growth Hormone is considered to be the ‘fitness hormone’. In 2003 researchers found that exercise intensity above lactate threshold for a minimum of 10 minutes appears to elicit the greatest stimulus to the secretion of HGH. HGH is a hormone that promotes the gain of muscle and effectively burns excessive fat. It also plays an important part in promoting overall health and longevity. If you're over the age of 30, especially if you lead an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, you've likely entered a phase known as somatopause (age-related growth hormone deficiency).

Here is an example of a high intensity exercise routine that you can perform on a recumbent bike that will help promote the stimulus required to the secretion of HGH.

1. Warm up for three minutes at a low speed with no resistance.
2. Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds by increasing your speed and the resistance. You should be gasping for breath and feel like you couldn't possibly go on another few seconds.
3. Recover for 90 seconds, while still pedaling, but at slower pace and decreased resistance.
4. Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times.

3 Key Reasons You Should Cheat On Your Diet

When someone mentions the words “weight loss,” “tone up,” or “get in shape,” people IMMEDIATELY go into full blown diet mode. Why is that? Those words have a trigger effect.  It causes you to think you can't have all the things you enjoy because it is the reason why you are not where you want to be. So often I hear of someone attempting to change their lifestyle and the direction they take heads toward some really low calorie diet. They believe if they maintain a strict diet the weight just sheds off. Since when did health become so black and white? I wish when they unlocked their phone they would see my face screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOO," please don't DIET!

When it comes to calorie crunching to lose weight, health experts know that a 1,500-calorie diet is healthier than a 1,000-calorie diet. That's because, in the space of 1,000 calories, it's practically impossible to get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy unless you take supplements. And at 1,000 calories a day, you're getting too close to depriving your body of the energy it needs for basic functioning, like getting out of bed in the morning and maintaining a heartbeat throughout the day. But let's face it, if you have a problem over eating then cutting back on the amount of food you eat is already going to feel restrictive, so it doesn't really matter what low calorie diet you try to follow. The truth is, you're likely to cheat, and statistics say you're very likely to fall off the wagon altogether.

I'll use myself as an illustration to demonstrate how bad a diet can be for you. When I was getting ready for a bodybuilding competition 10 years ago I decided it was best to follow a strict diet. In my mind the more sacrifices I made, the more results I would get. Man, do I wish I could slap myself for thinking that. I would eat the same thing for weeks, and months on end. After the 13th week of dieting on the same foods every single day I found myself in the best shape of my life physically, but in the worst shape possible mentally. With 2 weeks to go until the big day I just couldn’t take the restriction anymore and I found myself at a convenient store around 1:00 a.m. buying all the foods I felt I was missing out on. I ate 2 boxes of Honey Buns, a couple apple pies, a few packages of Reese’s cups, and a Pay Day. I felt amazing during the binge, but awful after. After that night I didn’t need science or psychology to tell me that dieting was bad and I needed to find a new approach to reach my goals.

I don’t believe in diets, but if you happen to be on one, here’s why you should cheat on it.

• It's very hard to stick to a calorie-controlled diet. Initially you have a sense of fulfillment, because the challenge of being strict is fun, but it quickly turns into a chore. You can, however, turn your feelings of deprivation and frustration into pleasure by making the experience as easy and fun as possible though. Easy is all about following balanced, calorie-controlled menus that include foods you like to eat, and having those foods available so that it's easier to stick to your plan. Allow yourself some small indulgences and plan them into your diet. This can turn into the fun part.
• You can't kid yourself. If you want to lose or maintain weight, there are limits to how much you can eat, but it makes more sense to find a way to incorporate reasonable amounts of snacks and treats into your diet plan than to avoid them altogether, especially if living without certain types of foods is going to drive you crazy. The secret is simply to plan your cheating, rather than letting it happen randomly or at times when you're feeling out of control. When you have a plan, you have something to look forward to and you're less likely to overdo it. There's no rebellion involved.
• You have to stop saying, "Oh, I shouldn't eat this!" when you know you're going to eat it. Instead, whether it's chocolate, potato chips, or pepperoni pizza, figure out how to include small amounts of "cheat foods" in your diet plan and give yourself permission to eat and enjoy them as part of a meal or well-planned snack. Even better, choose healthy versions of your favorite treats, and try to combine your cheat foods with healthier foods, as in dark chocolate-dipped strawberries or bananas, baked potato chips with yogurt-based dip, and a slice of pepperoni pizza with a large salad on the side.

The thought I want to leave you with is one of sustainability. If you can’t see yourself eating the way you are now 5-10 years from now, what is the point?

Healthy Eating Options While Watching the Game

It is common to throw your current diet, meal plan, clean eating regimen, or whatever plan you were following out the window when the Super Bowl comes around. Social gatherings, having friends over, and having an evening off from the daily grind creates a mindset to just let loose. I believe that a balance should still be in the forefront of your mind. Cheat day? No! Cheat meal? Why!?

Practicing self control, moderation in food choices, and being mindful of when you are getting full so food babies are avoided should still be important to you on Super Bowl Sunday. I shake my head and get a little sad by the people that tell me that they are practicing a low carb diet for the week so they can save all the bad choices for Sunday.

"That isn't progressing toward self mastery."

There is definitely a place for the foods you miss, love, want and wish to enjoy with friends and family. I hope you have a great Super Bowl Sunday with friends and family. Create a plan ahead of time of what you will have and avoid. Be mindful of your choices and make sure you don't over consume. Stop before getting too full.

I want to leave you with some great options for some of the favorites for Super Bowl Sunday.

COCONUT FRIED CHICKEN

{Ingredients} * 2lbs of Chicken Tenderloins * 1 cup of Coconut Flour * 2 tablespoons of Tapioca Starch * 1 1/2 teaspoons of Garlic Salt * 1 teaspoon of Salt * 1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper * 2 Eggs, Whisked * 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of coconut Oil, for Frying * 1/2 teaspoon of Paprika

{Instructions} 1) Heat ¼ cup coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. While the oil is heating, prepare the chicken. Place coconut flour, tapioca starch, garlic salt, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper in a bowl and mix. Put the whisked eggs in a separate bowl. Dip each chicken tenderloin into the egg and then coat each with the coconut flour mixture. Place the prepared chicken into the hot oil and fry it for 5 minutes. Once the first side is browned, turn the chicken and fry the other side for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and shows no pink in the middle. During the last minute of frying, sprinkle paprika over the chicken. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

BAKED CORN TORTILLA CHIPS

{Ingredients} * 15 Corn Tortillas, cut into wedges * Nonstick Cooking Spray * 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt

{Instructions} 1) Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat both sides of tortillas with spray. Arrange in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp. Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy.

HOMEMADE SALSA

{Ingredients} * One 28-ounce can of whole plum tomatoes, including juice * 1 small white onion, peeled and roughly chopped * 1 or 2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and chopped * 3 cloves of garlic, chopped * 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin * 1 teaspoon of salt * 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of sugar, optional if you like it sweet * 1 or 2 handfuls cilantro leaves * 3 tablespoons of lime juice

{Instructions} 1) Add all ingredients to food processor in the order listed. Pulse a few times to break up the large pieces, then process until texture is as smooth as desired. Taste the salsa and based on personal preference, adjust as necessary. Transfer to airtight container and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or 1 day for best flavor. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

{Ingredients} * 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract * 1 large egg * 4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, lightly packed * 1/2 cup of coconut oil * 1 and 1/2 cups of oat flour (regular oats blended) * 1 teaspoon of baking soda * 1 teaspoon of cinnamon * pinch of salt * 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

{Instructions} 1) Take regular old fashioned oats or quick oats and blend them until they resemble a flour or powder in a blender or food processor. Combine the vanilla extract, large egg, and brown sugar in a bowl. Melt the coconut oil and let it cool slightly before adding to the bowl. Beat everything together until just combined. Stir in the oat flour (measured after blending NOT before), baking soda, cinnamon (scale this amount to taste preferences), and salt. Stir until just combined and then fold in the dark chocolate chips. Chill the dough for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a cookie scoop (and pack these in the scoop very tightly or they may crumble), scoop out balls of the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips in the tops if desired. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove and allow to stay on the baking sheet for another 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!

Why Supersets Could Be The Work-out Change You Need

Build more muscle in less time.Fatigue a muscle without lifting heavy weight. Keep training fun, challenging and interesting.

Superset! Superset! Superset! Superset!

Strength gains become harder and harder to attain the longer you train. Adding more weight to the bar or moving up in dumbbells/resistance is not always the solution.

I'll attempt to explain a very underestimated training technique that will help you build muscle, lose body fat, and keep you excited to train.

"Superset" A superset is when you work muscle groups in back-to-back fashion, taking as little rest as possible in between sets (typically just enough time to wipe your face and get a drink of water). This style of training could be done a number of different ways which makes it more interesting. Some supersets have you are alternating sets between opposing muscle groups (such as biceps and triceps or chest and back). Some trainers call this a push/pull program. When you train one muscle group, the other is recovering (sometimes even being stretched) as you complete the set. Think about when you do a bench press and follow it with doing a bent over row. With two muscles or muscle groups being worked, workload is raised which raises your intensity, increases caloric expenditure, and pumps more blood to the working areas. That is considered a win on all cylinders.

A compound superset is when you perform two exercises for the same body part. This can be brutal on the nervous system and requires extra recovery time after a workout. The major disadvantage with compound supersets is that your form can get sloppy, increasing your chances of getting injured. They should always be systematically placed in the workout with the right amount of weight, sets, and reps.

Isolation supersets are when you take smaller muscle groups like biceps and triceps and perform an exercise for each of them. When you perform a tricep kickback and follow it with a bicep curl would be a prime example of this. Isolation supersets are helpful in increasing your mind muscle connection and also great for improving single muscle groups. Now don't get the idea that just because you do 1,000 curls you will get big biceps. Doesn't work that way. But when you have enough years of training under your belt, these little changes in your program can help change your physique.

A staggered superset is where you combine a major muscle with a smaller, completely unrelated muscle. This technique allows you to bring up a weak body part by working it to a greater extent each week. For example, when you throw in a set of lying leg lifts or crunches after you completed a set of leg presses. I love utilizing this in programs because you do not need to be advanced for it to raise your intensity of your session, and it can create an environment where you can get more work done in less time.

"Tri-Set" Doing three sets in a row for the same body-part with as little rest as possible in between sets. Three exercises in a row more thoroughly exhaust you. This training technique is effective for those who want to gain more muscle and for those who are looking to lose body fat. The drawback for this style of training is typically the endurance of a given muscle group for a beginner or intermediate person is relatively low. In my experience until a person can exceed a 55 push ups in a minute or leg press there body weight for 15 or more reps then they will not see the benefits of it. This technique is amazing in stressing the muscle to the max.

"Giant-Set" Doing 4-6 exercises for the same body-part with as little rest between sets. Giant sets are used to create overwhelming stimulation to a body-part and totally exhaust the muscles involved. This technique should only be used occasionally as your body needs time to recover from this level of effort. This type of training is great for muscular endurance and calorie burning. It is also taxing to your nervous system, takes a great deal of discipline and will power and not for the faint of heart.

Advantage of Supersets 1) Save time by reducing rest intervals between two exercises. 2) Having a shortened rest period will increase the intensity of a workout by performing more work in less time. 3) Allow you to overload a muscle quickly without the use of heavy weight and long rest periods.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Some of the most common comments I have heard over the years in regarding sleep patterns are: "You should be getting 8 hours a sleep a night."

"Taking a daily nap is needed so your energy levels don't drop."

"Wake up early during the week and catch up on sleep on the weekends."

Have you ever heard any of those?

This is probably the toughest topic to address in my opinion. I will be the first to admit that I am not a good example of proper sleep patterns. I find it hard to sleep past 3:30 am unless I am just completely exhausted, I rarely sleep 8 hours in a night, and I like getting a little nap in sometimes (no more than 30 mins). But what I do works for me.

I will attempt to lay out the science behind the big question of, "How much should you sleep?"

In my experience, you can have the best diet in the world, have the best exercise program and be free from emotional stress, but if you aren't sleeping well, for whatever reason, it is virtually impossible to be healthy. But how much sleep do you need for optimal health?

Over the years, I've come to a conclusion that there is no perfect answer to this question because like everything else, the answer depends on a large number of highly individual factors. The general consensus seems to be that most people need somewhere between six and eight hours of sleep each night.

There is compelling research available that indicates sleeping less than six hours may increase your insulin resistance and risk of diabetes. Some recent studies even show sleeping less than five hours a night can double your risk of being diagnosed with angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. On the contrary, the same appears to be true when you sleep more than nine hours per night.

One of the first indications that you may be getting sick is that your body tries to rest, as sleeping helps strengthen your immune system. So chronically sleeping longer than the average eight or nine hours could be an early indication that you have an underlying illness your body is trying to recover from.

In terms of making up for sleep, it is a very common pattern in our world that people short sleep during the week and then sleep in on the weekend. It's considered a delightful experience. For me, it's kind of funny. It's like starving yourself during the week and then pigging out on the weekend. It's not the best way to eat, as we know.

Everyone loses sleep here and there, and your body is typically resilient enough to allow for that. However, when poor sleep becomes a constant, there's no question your health may be at risk.

You can make up for some lost sleep on the weekend but here is the price: it throws off your circadian rhythm. Basically you are confusing your brain. Not a good thing.

Asking how much sleep you should get is like asking how many calories should you eat. There are way too many factors that go in to play. With nutrition it normally comes down to the quality of the nutrients you are consuming and the same can be said about sleep patterns.

In a recent study done by clinical psychologist, Dr. Rubin Naiman; who is a leader in integrative medicine approaches to sleep and dreams made a great recommendation to this subject matter. He said you should sleep "enough hours so that your energy is sustained through the day without artificial stimulation, with the exception of a daytime nap."

Why "Diet" Foods Aren't Actually That Great for You

You spot 'diet' this and 'diet' that on tons of nutritional labels as you are in the grocery store walking down some of your favorite aisle's. Are they worth you picking up and or should you just look right past them? Yes, and No.

Many people who I am very close with ask for nutritional advice. Not because I claim to be some guru, or expert. But I try to be as honest as possible with what science and human physiology says while being sensitive to the state they are in and the circumstances they are under.

Everyone's journey starts somewhere and being respectful of that is always a good thing. If you are consuming tons of sugar from various sources on a daily basis then maybe some of those 'diet' items in the grocery store might be a good change. Changing some of those very refined sugar items you are consuming to some lower calorie 'diet' items may result in you lowering your overall caloric intake to improve your lifestyle.

The untold truth about items in the grocery store that have 'diet' on the label is the artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are added to about 6,000 different beverages, snacks, and food products, making label reading an ever pressing necessity. Disturbingly, food industry groups are now trying to hide the presence of artificial sweeteners in certain foods.

One of the reasons why artificial sweeteners do not help you lose weight relates to the fact that your body is not fooled by sweet taste without accompanying calories.

When you eat something sweet, your brain releases dopamine, which activates your brain's reward center. The appetite-regulating hormone leptin is also released, which eventually informs your brain that you are "full" once a certain amount of calories have been ingested.

However, when you consume something that tastes sweet but doesn't contain any calories, your brain's pleasure pathway still gets activated by the sweet taste, but there's nothing to deactivate it, since the calories never arrive.

Artificial sweeteners basically trick your body into thinking that it's going to receive sugar (calories), but when the sugar doesn't come, your body continues to signal that it needs more, which results in carb cravings.

In recent years, we've learned that gut microbes play a significant role in human health. Certain gut microbes have been linked to obesity. As it turns out, artificial sweeteners disrupt your intestinal microflora, thereby raising your risk of obesity and diabetes.

As for safer sweetener options, you could use stevia or Luo Han, both of which are safe natural sweeteners. Now days reading food labels are becoming a necessity.

Americans in particular are addicted to sweet flavors, which appears to trigger a complex set of biological systems, pathways, and mechanisms that in the end leads to excess weight gain whether that flavor comes loaded with calories or not. In the end, the research tells us that artificial sweeteners are nothing more than a pipe dream when it comes to aiding you in becoming healthier, because contrary to what the marketing campaigns claim, low or no calorie artificial sweeteners are more likely to help you pack on the pounds than shed them.

Just be careful as you choose what you consume. Also, be sensitive to those who may be trying to change there lifestyle. Sugar, and artificial sweeteners can be addicting and someone may need your empathy and support while they are going through their journey.