Avoid Overtraining: Giving Yourself a Deserved Break

Most of us these days have been taught to believe that more is better.  In some cases this holds true, yet when it comes to intense exercise, this is not always the case.  A condition known as overtraining can occur from bout after bout of the same type of intense training without allowing for adequate recovery between workouts.  Dr. Frederick Hatfield in his book Fitness: The Complete Guide, states that the cause of overtraining is the “cumulative microtrauma (cellular damage from an overreaching episode that gets worse and worse over time).”

The most effective way to make certain that we aren’t on the path to the condition known as overtraining is to design our training programs in a way as to avoid chronic microtrauma to the cells.  Here are some ways to go about doing this:

1)      Using training cycles, particularly with resistance and high-intensity training programs, using the training principle of periodization.  This simply means that we break our training year down into cycles in which we vary the types of training and intensity levels to allow for recovery and rest between workouts.  You can also achieve changes in your training cycles by varying duration and frequency of workouts to allow for added recovery during your training year.  Using a typical triathlon training schedule, every fourth week is called a recovery week where an athlete lessens the total volume of training by 50-80% of the following week’s training volume.  After the recovery week, the athlete resumes the path of increasing volume and intensity for the next three weeks until reaching the next recovery week.  In terms of weight training, an athlete can vary heavy training/ strength building cycles with lower weight, higher repetition cycles in order to allow muscles to recover from the intensity of heavy training. 

2)      Change the way you are training, meaning that if you’ve lifted weights for a 90 day period, consider an alternative means of resistance training, such as a functional bodyweight training focus, for the next 60 days before resuming with weight training.  Some folks call this cross training, but it simply means that you mix things up in terms of training approach and focus. 

3)      Get enough sleep and rest.  This is a pretty simple concept, yet given the responsibilities in life that we face, getting enough sleep on a daily basis can be a real challenge.  It is recommended that men get a full 8 hours of sleep nightly as a minimum, while women are able to function well on a minimum of 7 hours each night.  Also consider sneaking in a short 20 to 30 minute nap during the day if at all possible.  Make certain that you allow 1 to 2 rest days from training each week.  This can be complete rest or active rest (Read: engaging in light physical activities such as walking with your kids at the park, taking a quick ride around the neighborhood on your bike, or playing a game of softball with your friend).

4)      Good nutrition is a must in order to avoid overtraining.  Eating clean, nutritious whole foods will flood your body with the quality nutrients necessary for recovery.  Working out depletes our muscle’s glycogen stores (carbohydrates are converted into glycogen and stored for energy if not immediately used).  Glycogen is what we use for activity and once these energy stores are depleted, they must be replenished through nutrition.  By getting the nutrients we need, as well as electrolytes, enzymes and antioxidants needed for proper cellular function, we can actively work towards preventing overtraining. 

5)      Avoiding stress and actively taking steps to increase Emotional Wellness is another effective way to prevent overtraining.  Stress has a catabolic effect on our muscles meaning that it in very simple terms, it causes the muscles to shrink and wither away due to cortisol (a stress hormone) release.  Engaging in activities such as meditation, yoga, reading, taking a long hot bath, listening to music or any other stress relieving activity on a regular basis can work wonders to help us with reducing the risk of overtraining. 

Some of the signs of overtraining include: Increased resting heart rate, loss of appetite, insomnia, emotional difficulties including depression and irritability, fatigue, decreased body mass, and increased resting blood pressure. 

By knowing the signs and detrimental effects of overtraining, we are better able to take the steps necessary to avoid it.  Education is our greatest tool to living a Wellness Based Lifestyle! As always:

Stay Focused and Happy Training Y’all!!!!!

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

Considered a super food, Chia seeds have been consumed for centuries for their health benefits and the ancient Aztecs used them to treat sore skin and joint pain.  Chia seeds are the richest plant source of heart-healthy Omega-3 Fatty Acids.  Omega-3’s are also important in terms of lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol.  In fact, 30% of the oil in chia seeds is Omega-3 oil and 40% is Omega-6, which is considered a healthy ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 Fatty Acids. 

Chia seeds have high fiber content.  Fiber is important in digestive health and they are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Fiber is important in maintaining stable blood sugar levels, which is important in reducing the risk of type-II diabetes.  One ounce of chia seeds provides 42% of the daily recommended amount of fiber (11 grams).

Chia seeds are a plant source of complete protein and are high in cancer fighting antioxidants. One ounce of seeds provides us with 10% of the daily recommendation of protein.  Antioxidants help to destroy free radicals in the body that damage our healthy cells.  Free radicals are formed through a processed called oxidation.  Body internal and environmental factors can increase the amount of free radicals in our systems.

Chia seeds are easily digestible and require no grinding in order for the body to assimilate and absorb their nutrients.  They are highly absorbent, meaning that they can hold high amounts of water, which in turn can help us remain hydrated. 

These seeds are a great source of minerals including calcium, manganese and phosphorus.  A one ounce serving provides 18% of the RDA of calcium.  They also provide 30% of the RDA of manganese and 27% of our daily recommended amount of phosphorus. 

References:

www.healthmd.com

www.mychiaseeds.com

www.livestrong.com (article by Steve Donald.2011)

www.drweil.com

My new book is available for purchase......

So finally I've gotten my book on health and wellness, entitled Simply Wellness: Learning to Live a Wellness Based Lifestyle One Day At a Time, ready for purchase on Create Space and Kindle.  It will be ready to go on Amazon.com within a week or so!  Below is a link and please check it out or share this with anyone looking to make a lifestyle change!  I share workouts, nutrition, tips for happy living, and my philosophy of wellness being composed of 4 components: Spiritual, Social, Physical and Emotional. 

Here's the link:

https://www.createspace.com/4249381?ref=1147694&utm_id=6026&fb_action_ids=10151559237902250&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B515385131853143%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Thanks for reading and remember, Stay Focused and Happy Training Y'all!!!!

Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weight and Resistance Training?

 

A question that I am often asked and one that I have seen countless times on message boards across the Internet is whether a person should do cardiovascular exercise before or after a resistance training workout?  Before going any further, I want to clearly state that it is my position that all exercisers should engage in a cardiovascular exercise of their choice for 5 to 10 minutes prior to any workout, be it a cardiovascular, resistance or flexibility workout.  This is vitally important for several reasons as a proper, light-intensity cardiovascular exercise will warm up the muscles, ligaments, joints and tendons that will be used more intensely in the following workout routine.  Warming up with cardio also increases the core temperature slightly, increases circulation, slightly elevates the heart rate and helps to prepare the heart for an increased workload, it helps increase lung functioning and helps you to mentally focus in on the upcoming workout routine.  The most important advantage to warming up with light intensity cardio is the substantial decrease in risk of injury.  If the body is not properly warmed up, you are much more likely to experience an injury to a muscle, joint, ligament or tendon.

Now back to the question of whether you should do cardiovascular exercise prior to or after a resistance workout?  There is no single best answer here and instead, you should evaluate your individual fitness goals.  If you goal is to increase endurance, stamina or overall cardiovascular health, then I suggest doing your cardio workout prior to weight and resistance training.  By doing the cardio workout first (after your 5 to 10 minute warm up of course), you are able to engage in a more intense cardio session, which possibly might include some intervals in which you really push up to your lactic acid threshold or VO2 max level.  It is much less likely that you would be able to achieve high intensity cardiovascular work after you have engaged in a weight training session.  So, in short if your goal is to increase cardiovascular fitness levels, you should perform cardio workouts prior to resistance training. 

On the other hand, if your goal is fat and weight loss, a current mode of thinking in the fitness community is by doing a cardiovascular workout after a resistance workout, you increases the rate of fat metabolism (fat burn as it is often referred to as).  The theory is that by engaging in an intense resistance workout, you will deplete the glycogen stores in the muscles during this workout.  Once the glycogen stores are depleted, the body begins to utilize fats in the body for fuel.  Endurance athletes have long know this, yet typically in order for this to occur in endurance training, an athlete has to continuously run for approximately 90 minutes to fully deplete the muscles of glycogen.  Therefore, I remain somewhat skeptical that many average exercisers are pushing themselves to the point of glycogen depletion during their resistance workout, particularly workouts of less than an hour in duration.  For more advanced exercisers, I do believe that it is possible and therefore can be an effective means of decreasing body fat perhaps for these individuals. 

I tend to look at it like this, if you are engaging in a cardiovascular and resistance workout on the same day back-to-back, one or the other will be of a lesser intensity level naturally.  Again, evaluate your personal fitness goals before deciding whether to do your cardio workouts before or after resistance training.  If you are trying to build muscle, you want to have as much muscle strength as you can available for your resistance workouts, therefore doing cardio before weight training would be counterproductive to your muscle building goals.  If you are looking to gain endurance or heart health, place your focus on the cardio workouts and do them first.  Remember, regardless of which you end up doing first, it is more important to properly warm up with a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes of cardio (even if it is only a brisk walk on the treadmill) in order to prepare the body for the workouts ahead, to get your head in the right space in order to bang out a productive workout, and most importantly to decrease the risk of injury.  This debate won’t mean a thing if you get injured 5 minutes into a workout and are sidelined for the next 8 weeks rehabbing an injury!

Stay Focused and Happy Training Y’all!

P.S. Doing the final editing of my book, Simply Wellness, and looks like I will have it ready for distribution by early Summer!  Stay tuned for updates and info on how to get your copy!

Video Demonstration of the Lunge

This is a short video demonstration of the Lunge, as detailed in the Strength and Resistance workout in my upcoming book, Simply Wellness: Living a Wellness Based Lifestyle One Day at a Time.

Probiotics: The Real Deal

Probiotics are a popular topic these days in the world of nutrition, but what exactly are they and do they really provide us with any health benefits?  The World Health Organization defines them as “live microorganisms when administered in adequate amounts can confer a health benefit on the host.”  I think it is safe to say that most nutritionist, doctors and researchers agree that there are health benefits to consuming probiotics.  I want to note that probiotics are considered safe for consumption by all resources that I researched, therefore making them one of the healthiest ways to increase wellness. 

Probiotics help us to in maintaining healthy bacteria levels in the digestive tract.  We each have colonies of bacteria in our intestinal tracts called gut or intestinal flora, which consist of both healthy and unhealthy bacteria.  WebMD states that there are approximately 400 different types of probiotic bacteria that promote a healthy digestive tract.  While researching this subject, I saw estimates of up to 500 different types of bacteria that are in our digestive systems at any time!  In terms of digestive health, we should strive to create a healthy balance between both the healthy probiotic bacteria and the negative bacteria present.  It is when we have an overabundance of unhealthy bacteria that we see health issues arise. 

One of the largest groups of probiotic bacteria found in the intestinal tract is Lactic Acid bacteria, which is the type of probiotic found in dairy yogurt.  Yeast is another common probiotic found in humans.  Foods that contain probiotics typically refer to them as "live cultures." Some of the unhealthy bacteria found in the human body and can lead to disease are Candida and E. Coli.  These unhealthy bacteria, if in abundance in the intestinal tract can lead to short term illnesses including upset stomach, headaches, emotional and mood instability and fatigue. 

There are things that destroy the healthy probiotic bacteria in our bodies including pharmaceutical medications (antibiotics most always), diet (especially highly acidic foods), food toxins, and environmental toxins.   Many medical doctors recommend consuming probiotics when prescribing antibiotics for this reason.  One study found that probiotics can reduce diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics by up to 60% (Lactic Acid Probiotics like in yogurt).  Keep in mind that probiotics are only effective as long as they are being taken, meaning that consistency is key when consuming them.  The healthy probiotics that we consume do not remain in the system indefinitely, so we must continue to reintroduce them into our systems on a regular basis. 

Foods such as yogurts, cottage cheese, fermented teas, and foods that are fermented such as sauerkraut are all high in probiotics.  You can also purchase probiotic supplements in most natural food and nutrition stores.  Here is the list of some of the health benefits:

                - Probiotics help in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea and gas

                - They help in prevention and treatment of vaginal yeast infections

                - They can help in preventing and treating urinary tract infections

                - Probiotics help in strengthening the immune system

                - They can help to delay the development of allergies in children

                - They can help with the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s Disease

                - They can help to reduce the level of lactose intolerance in people with lactose sensitivity

                - They can treat halitosis (bad breath)

                - They increase the rate of absorption and assimilation of B vitamins

                - Probiotics increase calcium absorption

                - They can promote anti-cancer activity in the body

                - Research shows that consuming probiotics can have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels

                - They help to lower to rate of diaper rash in children

                - Probiotics can help reduce colic in infants

                - They can help prevent common colds and decrease the recovery time from a cold

               

If you aren’t already consuming a hearty dose of foods that contain probiotics, it is certainly worth consideration.  More and more research being conducted confirms the positive health benefits that probiotics offer.  Unlike many of the marketing claims used to drive food sales these days, in the case of probiotics, scientific research continues to confirm that they are the real deal! 

Stay foucused and happy training y'all!

References:

www.webmd.com

www.health.harvard.edu “Health Beneftis of Taking Probiotics.”

www.globalhealingcenter.com “Health Benefits of Probiotics.”

Video Demonstration of the Biceps Curl

Here's a simple visual demonstration of the Biceps Curl, one of the go-to classic resistance exercises for strengthening and toning the arms.  This is exercise 3 from the Strength and Resistance Workout in my upcoming book, Simply Wellness.

Video Demonstration of the Overhead Press

This is a short instructional video of the Overhead Press from the Strength and Resistance Workout in my book, Simply Wellness, which I hope to release this Summer.  I am using a resistance tube to demonstrate the movement, but you can just as effectively gain the same strengthening benefits of the exercise using dumbbells, canned foods, or without added weight at all.

Video Demonstration of The Squat

So I am finishing up my first book entitled, Simply Wellness: Learning to Live a Wellness Based Lifestyle One Day at a Time and hope to have it available this summer.  I give a simple to follow and execute Resistance and Strength Training plan in the book and in order to make the exercises a little more simple to master, I created a series of short instructional videos for each exercise.  I've uploaded them on Youtube, but want to share them here on the blog too.