A running complex

I've mostly talked about nutrition so I'm going to share one of my work out exercises with you today. This is a cardio work out and for those of you who think you shouldn't or can't do cardio while trying to build, you are dead wrong! Cardio is the most important part of fitness. Cardio is also not limited to running, swimming, or the elliptical machine. Find an activity that you enjoy doing that increases your heart rate for an extended period of time with little to no breaks that involves large muscle groups. Some other examples are dance classes, kick boxing, zumba, rowing, jump rope, bike riding etc.

 This work out will build your endurance, stamina strengthen and tone your legs and is great for reducing belly fat. You can adjust the the workout to your level  of fitness comfortability by increasing or decreasing the speed, distance and incline but for now I'm going to use a template for someone who is already physically fit.

- part 1 begin on a treadmill at a speed of 5.5 mph.
 Every minute increase the speed .1 mph.
 So at 1 minute increase the speed to 5.6, 2 minutes 5.7 etc.
 Do that for ten minutes ending at a speed of 6.4.
 (for more of a challenge, increase the incline 1 level every minute as well. You can also increase the speed increments)

- part 2 Step off the belt but do not stop it. This transition should last a minimum of 30 sec, max 60. (Keep the belt moving) increase the speed to 9 mph.  For this part it's easier if you have a stop watch. You are going to run on the belt at 9 mph for 10 seconds then jump off the belt and rest for ten seconds. You are going to repeat the same thing again except run for 20 seconds then rest for twenty.
After the second time you are going to increase the speed to 9.5 mph. You then run for 30 then rest for 30.  Increase again to 10 mph. Run for 40 sec rest for 40 sec. Increase the speed to 10.5. Run for 50 sec then rest for 50 sec. Increase the speed one more time to 11 mph. Run for 60 sec then rest for 60 sec. Be sure to adjust the speed during the rest period.

-Part 3 During the 60 sec rest you are going to slow your belt down and raise the incline to the highest setting which is usually 15. Some machines may vary. Once it has reached the highest setting, POWER THE MACHINE OFF.  In case you didn't get that last capitalized part I'll say it again. TURN THE MACHINE OFF. (Depending on what kind of treadmill you are using this may not work because some of them automatically decline when shut down. If that is the case, try and find another treadmill.) Now that the machine is at its highest setting and completely turned off you are going to do a 30 second uphill sprint powering the belt with just your legs. After 30 sec rest for 30 sec and then repeat. If at any point this becomes to easy or you are feeling really ambitious, repeat one more time. I guarantee your butt, and legs will burn.

It is not necessary to do this as cardio everyday. I like to switch my cardio up so my body doesn't get used to one thing. I recommend doing this the most, 3 times a week. Make sure you stretch properly afterward. This will tighten your hamstrings and IT Band so be sure to roll them out using a foam roller and STRETCH for at least  30 minutes. Your body will thank you later.

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An Alkaline body is a better body.

A loyal reader of my blog and good friend of mine and I got into a conversation about my most recent post and suggested that I recommend the best source for water. So here it is! For someone like me who lives in the city I would recommend a water PH ionizer. The benefits of PH ionized water opposed to filtered water is the high alkaline level. A higher PH ( potential of hydrogen) level means that the body is less acidic. The lower your PH level the more acidic (toxic) your body is. Eliminating toxins in water and replacing it with water high in PH levels can help your body achieve a higher alkaline level.  There are certain bottled brands of water that are high in PH like Fiji for example. As I said before the big issue with bottled water are the BPA's in plastic. What I failed to mention is that the BPA's are most commonly released when the plastic has been heated. Most people may say, "Well I'll just make sure I store my bottles in a cool place." That is a good idea but we don't know what conditions the bottles have been stored in before reaching the grocery store isles. You may ask, if BPA's are so bad in plastic, why mention bottled water at all? Because, a good PH ionized water filter is very expensive. Filters like Brita, Aquasana, PUR... are fine to use but they are designed to filter everything in water including the good minerals. Personally, I think  any of these are better alternatives to tap water; just remember to recycle your plastic bottles. Until you can afford a PH ionized water filter here are some tips to help alkalize your body. Drinking 1-2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar  once or twice a day can not only help alkalize your body but break up mucus causing congestion (I dilute mine in water or juice cause it has a really strong taste). Certain foods can be very alkalizing as well but don't be fooled by their acidity  because some foods like lemons, are a very acidic but metabolize very alkaline forming in the body. Meat on the other hand can test very alkaline but can leave an acidic residue in the body after digestion. Most animal products are very acid forming. As I've stated before, eat mostly fruits and veggies. I'll go into detail on alkalizing foods in a later post.

Abs! They're less of a workout than you think.

I was stretching in the sauna the other day and over heard a work out bud and a trainer talking about fitness competitions. The trainer started talking about different tricks competitors use to get an extra edge. One that stood out in particular was using preparation H on your abs. "Preparation H's active ingredient is phenylephrine, a natural vasoconstrictor, which means it constricts blood vessels. By constricting blood vessels, excess water is removed from under the skin. This in turn creates the illusion of a tighter, more fit body." (The Daily Beast) This may work as a quick fix but what about having lean abs all the time? I often tell people when they ask me how I got my abs, that it's 90% diet. I'm not going to go into diet specifics in this post but more about toxins and how the consumption of too many toxins can prevent you from having the abs that you dream about. Let's start by asking what are toxins? Toxins are chemicals or poisons that are known to have harmful effects on the body. The issue with this is that toxins can be found in everything. Food, water and even air. Your probably asking, What does this have to do with abs? The answer is the liver. The liver has many functions but I'm going to discuss two of the largest,  ridding the body of toxins and the processing of triglycerides. 95% of fats in your diet are triglycerides; this includes fats from foods and carbohydrates. (I will discuss in depth carbohydrates aka carbs in a later post) But for now, all you need to know is that  unused carbohydrates convert into triglycerides. The liver can only process a limited amount of triglycerides and the rest is stored through out the body. A large reason why the liver can't process triglycerides is because it is spending most of its time ridding the body of toxins. Now, its not possible to eliminate all toxins because as I said, they are everywhere but it is possible to minimize the consumption of toxins thus giving the liver more time to process triglycerides (fat). Ways to minimize toxins: eat organic or locally grown foods, drink filtered or purified water; tap water even in NY can contain bleach, fluoride, ammonia, and many other harmful toxins. And be careful with plastic bottles The BPA's (BPA stands for Bisphenol-A. BPA is a synthetic estrogen found in many water bottles canned goods and liquid infant formula. Also, it can be found in clear polycarbonate plastics and tough epoxy resins which are found in products such as glasses and and computer and cellphone casings. When ingested, it is found to increase disorders such as chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity, and resistance to chemotherapy.-Wiki Answers) from the plastic can contaminate the water you drink. Try to avoid using highly chemical products on your skin and hair as well as using strong chemical cleaners. Probably the biggest toxin the liver has to process is Alcohol. Reduce consumption and you will definitely see results. I know it isn't easy or in some cases possible to follow all of these but implementing some of these small changes along with exercise  can make a big difference. 

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   I was at the gym the other day with one of my work out buds and a trainer was offering free stretching sessions. We both decided to sign up. While he was being stretched he started complaining about how he isn't as cut as he'd like to be. He's in very good shape and even challenges me when working out. Naturally, the trainer and I asked him about his diet. It quickly became clear to me that he doesn't really understand healthy eating. I tried to explain the effects of ethanol, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, soda... and saw him slipping into a world of confusion. I realized that I was throwing a lot of info at him and most of it was stuff he had never heard about. Later that night it became clear to me that I was trying to shove all the knowledge that it took me 5 years to obtain down his throat in a matter of minutes. I thought back to when I first started studying nutrition and imagined how I would want to be introduced to all this new information. The result were these simple points. 

1. Try and get a close as possible to single ingredient foods.
- the less the ingredients food has the more likely it is food.

2.Stay away from processed and fast food
- processed and fast foods use a lot of artificial ingredients and hydrogenated oils.

3. Eat mostly vegetables and fruit

4. Drink  a lot of water

5. Avoid artificial sweeteners 

6. Minimize or preferably eliminate alcohol and soda consumption 

7. Cook as often as possible 

     These points are just a really simple outline that got me started on the complex and very rewarding physical journey in fitness that has helped get from good shape

To Great Shape!