I bring this up because, lately I have noticed that Lisa has been getting a lot of these types of generic questions pertaining to exercise.  My personal favorite was from a woman who was trying out a class. She bombarded Lisa with random questions throughout the whole class. Not questions about doing the exercises correctly, but questions that are specific to her. At the very end she asked in all seriousness, “So, how many calories did I just burn?”  I am sure there is an exact answer to her question, but surely the answer requires knowing some specific details.

Sometimes you can just tell when someone is wasting your time(and theirs). So far, that woman has not been back.  It truly is her loss. Lisa and Greg have a wealth of knowledge that they are more than willing to share. It seems to me that exercise and healthful living is a highly personal experience and results are varied. Taking a one time free class to see if you like it is great, but if you want to get the results you are looking for and personalized information, sign up for a session and schedule a consultation- You get what you pay for!

I showed up to an empty parking lot at 10am for my 10:15 class. After waiting 14minutes I had almost given up, but right as the clocked ticked 10:15 a woman pulled in and started lugging things out of her trunk. As we made our introductions I watched Barbara get the room ready for our experience.  Lights were off, incense and candles were lit. Am I on a date? Or is this what yoga is like???  As the zen like music flowed into the room we began our “practice.” I don’t know why I am always solo for these things but I tried to focus on my breathing and listen to what Barbara was saying to me. She is a very positive person and keeps negative words out of her speech patterns.  Eventually another client showed up.(she was stuck in traffic, but I really think yoga just goes at its own pace) I have to admit I was very happy to have another person there, I’m not very comfortable having the focus all on me. She came in quietly and blended right into our practice, no boisterous hellos, that is not the yoga way. Even her shirt was appropriate, it read- Living On Southern Time.

This class is held at Action Fitness where I put in a lot of hard work and sweat. My mind set when I walk through the door is “let’s move!” So at first I had a hard time moving so slowly. I was thankful for Barbara’s gentle reminders and soothing monologs throughout the class to keep me focused on yoga and not my usual losing weight.  In the beginning of class she had said “you don’t want to lose weight” that implies that you will “find weight” again.  It seems to me that yoga is more a lifestyle than just a class. I am looking forward to exploring this more……

I’ve noticed that cupcakes are all over the TV lately. So much, that my daughter has requested that I make her a cupcake costume for next Halloween. So it’s no wonder that these little morsels have made their way into my brain..along with tons of other tempting confections. I have been plagued by the sweet tooth.

It started a few weeks ago when my son Axel asked me to buy some Nutella. While I did not give in to that purchase, my friend just happened to have some and offered us a taste.  Axel said it was like eating Heaven, and I of course agree.  At the time I remember thinking, I can eat this, I will just have to work a little harder at the gym this week. Sounded reasonable to me..right? But what happens when I go on spring break? DISASTER, that’s what happened!

My family decided to roadtrip it up to CT and NY to see family and friends. I started off strong-no fast food breakfast sandwiches for me, I had the oatmeal. I was proud of my iron will. If only it stuck around.  Upon arriving at my brother in laws house I quickly realized I was going to be in trouble. These are dessert people- I’m not just talking about a slice of pie with coffee, I’m talking cream puffs, ice cream, cakes, and YES, CUPCAKES! Adorable homemade little cakes just waiting for me to eat them. They were always in sight, sitting on the table at all hours of the day and night. I couldn’t even go to the powder room without seeing them and then eating them. Midnight seemed to be my witching hour.Throughout the week with various friends and family there was chocolate cake, crème brulee and even more Nutella. I know the commercial says I should feel good about eating this all natural snack, but take a look at the calories!

The visiting was wonderful- the eating was sinful. Remembering my week of gluttony I asked Lisa if I could tryout one of the 60minute classes. Thankfully there was room for me in the 6pm class.  What a fun group of people! They were all so encouraging, I’m used to 30minutes, 60 was really pushing it.

The nice thing about this class was that I would get to see how Greg conducts a class. I have met Greg a few times but never had the pleasure of taking one of his classes. (however, I believe they both conduct   this class depending on the day) It was nice to mix it up a little. While technically, the 30minute classes do the same workouts as the 60 the big difference is obviously the time spent on each exercise. Starting with the warm up, we had time to run outside all the way around the building. Here is where I get back to my sweet tooth, on my second lap I looked down and saw a sad melty little cupcake in the parking lot. That gross ant covered cakes relatives were the reason why I was torturing myself for an extra 30minutes. I felt like kicking across the parking lot.

I loved the experience!  All you 60minute people out there ROCK! That class kicked my butt, but it was exactly what I needed to get back on track. I can safely say that my cupcake OBSSESION is officially over! I hope!

Well, it seems that the French family has a different idea of fun, and why not, Action Fitness IS the family business.  Many of our work outs are inspired by their everyday activities.  Why shouldn’t we do catcher drills and ball thrusts like baseball players? Thank goodness, they have not had us doing cheerleading pyramids…yet!  How about using furniture slides? I can tell you that those slides may make moving your furniture around a breeze, but exercising with them is no walk in the park!

Let’s talk Tabata, don’t know what that is?  That is our Friday workouts designed to help us burn more calories to carry us through those hard to stay on track weekends.  Next time you see Lisa, ask her for more details….

For me, part of the fun is seeing what they will come up with next…..Karate Kid, Bar Brawling, Deck of Fun…Stop in and see what they’ve come up with.  I promise your work outs will never be boring!

I Get by with a Little Help from my friends:

When I started with Action Fitness I was the only 12 o’clock client. While I loved the personal attention something was missing. Once in a while a random client or two would miss their regular class and join in on mine. Those days were so much more fun!   It took a few months for me to persuade my friend to join the class. She in turn invited her friend to join us as well.  Misery LOVES Company! What better way to stay motivated!  My advice to anyone considering a class…Bring a friend.  But maybe not your most physically fit one lol!!!

I should let you know that at this point in my life I had NEVER stepped into a gym. So needless to say I was nervous  about going to my first class….were there going to be people wearing outfits reminiscent of Jane Fonda’s days in the 80’s??(ya know, leg warmers and headbands)  Was the seemingly nice woman that I spoke to on the phone turn into a drill sergeant (this was boot camp after all) and start screaming at me???  Armed with my water bottle and the wrong type of sneakers, I braced myself to just get through that first 30 minutes.

All my misconceptions of what this experience would be like were quickly shelved…..Action Fitness is a studio, NOT a big gym with rows of torture devices lined up like soldiers. They do have torture devices, but more of the unassuming kind, more on those later…

Upon meeting Lisa, who was NOT wearing a ridiculous outfit, she immediately put my mind at ease. She explained the types of exercises I would be doing and asked me what my goals were. Frankly, I don’t know why she asked me that, anyone with eyes could see that I was FAT and OUT OF SHAPE! But talking to her really felt like talking to an old friend.

Ok, now for the hard part, actually doing what Lisa was telling me to do. First off, it was like she was speaking a foreign language…planks, mountain climbers, bosu balls…WHAT??  Then after she showed me how to do these things my brain said, “sure” and my body said “are you kidding me?” But before I knew it, the 30 minutes were up… I DID IT!!! I was so proud of myself…..

Diving into a loaf of French bread before dinner is a definite no-no. Devoid of fiber, protein or nutrients, bread charges through our bloodstream, stimulating the appetite. The result: We eat more during dinner than if we had no bread at all. No wonder so many establishments give out free bread! Soup, on the other hand, can make us feel fuller. A study published in the journal Appetite found that people who started their meal with soup ate 20 percent fewer calories during dinner than those who had no appetizer. Water-packed foods like soup are generally high in volume and low in calories. Because they’re bulky, they fill us up faster and help us consume fewer calories. Even drinking a large glass of water before the main course will make us eat less.

You’ve heard of probiotics, those good-for-you bacteria that aid digestion and support healthy immune function. Many processed foods like cereal and yogurt are fortified with them. But did you know your body can make probiotics naturally? Prebiotics, indigestible parts of plants (otherwise known as fermentable fiber), stimulate the growth of good bacteria as they move through your intestinal tract. Bananas, berries, whole grains, leafy greens and legumes are all great sources. Because stress, a poor diet, certain medical conditions and some medications can decrease the amount of healthy bacteria in your gut, eating plenty of prebiotics can help maintain equilibrium. To talk to our Registered Dietitian contact Action Fitness

For beginners and experts alike, intense soreness can turn you off of the gym. This week, I’ve got five tips to help you alleviate muscle pain after a training session so you aren’t discouraged from returning to the gym.

1. Prevention is Key. Warm up before your workout and cool down afterwards to avoid workout-induced pain. It’s important that you stretch out your muscles to encourage healing and repair of muscle tissue. Your workouts, whether cardio or strength training, should be appropriate to your fitness level. That means they should offer you a challenge but they shouldn’t strain you excessively.

2. Suit Up. Having the right equipment for your activity is extremely important. Your shoes are an essential part of the equation because they provide you with proper stability and cushion your joints from impact. Also bring gloves to the gym to give you a better grip. This allows you to perform exercises with more control and, just in case, prevents the weights from slipping out of your sweaty hands.

3. Kill the Pain. When my muscles are especially sore, I add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath and soak in them for 30 minutes. The salts slow down the inflammatory response occurring deep down in muscle tissue, resulting in reduced muscle pain and swelling. Topical agents are also useful for alleviating pain. Look for products with menthol and camphor as they both help block inflammation.

4. Take a Rest. It is very important that you allow a muscle group to rest after you’ve trained it. When you train with weights, you are producing little tears in your muscles. After a workout, your body repairs these tears with new muscle tissue. It also adds a bit of extra tissue to make the area stronger resulting in muscle growth. If you don’t allow those muscles to rest properly, your body doesn’t have time to repair that tissue. As a result, your muscles will remain sore for a longer period of time and you will slow the progress of your muscle growth.

5. Eat Clean. This is a given. For rapid recovery after a workout, you need to Eat Clean. Complete proteins such as grilled chicken breast, egg whites or natural protein powder are optimal. These foods provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to repair and build muscle tissue.

Your body is always talking to you, so make sure you listen! If you’re feeling intense soreness for more than 48 hours after your workout, then you’ve pushed yourself too hard. If you continue to exercise through extensive soreness you risk not only injuring yourself, but also reduced energy, insomnia and mood swings.

Action speaks louder than words!
ACTION FITNESS

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.

THE FACTS ABOUT OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY

• Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese.
• 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years were overweight* in 1999. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades.
• The increases in overweight and obesity cut across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and both genders.
• 300,000 deaths each year in the United States are associated with obesity.
• Overweight and obesity are associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological disorders, such as depression.
• The economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000.

STOP THE INSANITY NOW!

www.fitness-n-action.com

Whey protein isolate

Whey protein concentrate

Hydrolyzed whey

Calcium caseinate

Egg white

Whole egg

Micellar casein

Etc, etc, etc…

What are the benefits of all these different forms of protein?

Whey protein makes up 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides.

Casein protein makes up 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestion and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is slowly digested into your bloodstream, don’t use it during workouts or after workouts – you need a fast absorbing protein at these times.

Soy protein is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations.

Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein. Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein.

Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and are also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more quickly absorbed; more so than any other form, since your body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates are produced through very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration processes, (those highest in the essential and the branched chain amino acids) and are potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as 15 minutes prior to a workout, during a workout and immediately after a workout.

Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:

Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves are made up of whey concentrate and mixed in with a small portion of whey isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.

Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available that comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties it is the easiest to absorb into your system. Obviously with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. However, this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is purer does not guarantee that it will help build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.

How can we use these different forms to our advantage?

Whey Protein:

Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it is within six hours after a workout, prior to a workout or breakfast.

Casein Protein:

Since it is slowly digested the best time to consume it is anytime of the day except breakfast and within six hours after a workout when your body requires a more immediate source.

Soy Protein:

As mentioned I would avoid this one altogether.

Blend Proteins:

Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein – use this kind at periods outside of the six hour post workout window.

Whey Hydrolysates:

Use a hydrolysate protein for your pre, during and post workout nutrition because this will enter your blood stream quicker than any other form.

Money aside, which form of protein do you believe is most beneficial? Why?

Dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Don’t get me wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in my book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.

Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However getting all your protein from whole food is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat 6 or more times a day to get your required intake. I will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, that you should limit yourself to a maximum of three per day or 40 % of your meals.
The bottom line is that both are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you’re not a big fan of cooking. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.

So what is the bottom line? Which should you choose?

For the pre, during and post workout phase, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a very extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre, during and post workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.

If you are looking for the strongest protein powder to exploit your full growth potential during all other times of the day then use a blend. You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein.