myfitnesshut

If you don’t know my take on dietary supplements by now, then here it is again—GET THE NUTRITION AND ENERGY YOU NEED FROM FOOD CONSUMPTION FIRST! Supplements are just that–supplements! Besides the safeness of food, you’ll save yourself alot of money.

Researhers have completed a small study dealing with the effects of energy drinks on people with high blood pressure. The results of the study prompted researchers to advise people with high blood pressure or heart disease to avoid energy drinks because they could impact blood pressure or effect medications. These energy drinks generally have high levels of caffeine and taurine which can effect heart function and blood pressure.

The person who led the study had this to say:

“We saw increases in both blood pressure and heart rate in healthy volunteers who were just sitting in a chair watching movies. They weren’t exercising. They were in a resting state,” James Kalus of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who led the study, said in an interview. The increases did not rise to dangerous levels in the group of 15 healthy volunteers, whose average age was 26, the researchers said.

But the increases potentially could be significant in people with cardiovascular disease or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.

The study participants were asked not to consume other forms of caffeine for two days before starting the study and then throughout a study in which they consumed two cans of energy drinks daily over seven days. Each can contained 80 milligrams of caffeine and 1,000 milligrams of taurine.

The volunteers’ heart rates rose by about 8 percent on the first day and 11 percent on the seventh day.

Maximum systolic blood pressure — the top number in blood pressure readings that represents pressure while the heart contracts — rose by 8 percent on the first day and 10 percent on the seventh day, the study showed.

Diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number that gives the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats — rose by 7 percent on the first day and 8 percent on the seventh day.

Kalus said the study did not address possible health effects from the way some people consume these drinks, such as mixing them with alcohol.

Again, PRIMARILY GET THE NUTRITION AND ENERGY YOU NEED FROM FOOD CONSUMPTION!

Dumbbell Chest Press

This is a great exercise to tone triceps (grandmother arms!) and to burn fat and build muscle in the chest and anterior (front) shoulder areas.
1) Sit in an upright position on the ball with a DB in each hand. (You may rest each DB on the corresponding thigh.)
2) Start position: Lie on your back and bring the DB’s to your shoulders.  Your legs should form a 90 degree angle at the knee bend.  Keep your torso straight and flat.  Press the DB’s up directly above the chest with palms facing forward.
3) Lower the DB’s keeping your forearms close to your body and your hands aligned at the nipple line.

When you talk about shaping up your glutes, you need to know your body type. Because of your genetic makeup, you are predisposed to respond to exercise in a particular way. Among other things, genetics determines your ratio of testosterone to estrogen, types and distribution of muscle fibers, where body fat is stored and body type.

There are three basic body types. You will fall under one or a combination of these body types.

Mesomorphs - Mesomorphs tend to be muscular with large bones and thick joints. Due to more muscle mass, mesomorphs usually don’t have weight problems unless they overeat and undertrain.

Endomorphs - Endomorphs are more rounded, voluptuous or sometimes chubby. Their bones and joints are not as large as mesomorphs but larger than ectomorphs. Endomorphs tend to have more body fat and need regular weight and cardio training and good nutrition.

Ectomorphs - Ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. They often lack muscle tone and sometimes have postural problems of the vertebrae (scoliosis is an example). Therefore, weight training is very important. Ectomorphs often have to eat more just to maintain weight (we all should have that problem)!

Mesomorphs respond to weight training by building muscle mass much faster than ectomorphs, even though they are following identical programs. And endomorphs generally need to lose body fat to see changes in shape as a result of strength training. As you can see, it is critical to have your training program tailored to your individual needs and goals.

You probably know where your body stores the most body fat. When you train your glutes, don’t neglect the other areas of your body. For instance, it is critical to stabilize and strengthen your body’s core first. This will aid you when you train other areas of your body.

In general, with the possible exception of ectomorphs, it is a good idea to start your training program with 3 days a week of full body circuit weight training. This type of training has been proven to effectively burn fat and improve heart function. Combine circuit weight training with 5-6 days a week of cardio exercise and you will burn even more fat. This type of training should last about 4 weeks to build a foundation. The later stages of your training can target problem areas such as your glutes.

In the next part of this series, I will discuss the function of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

Losing body fat, especially abdominal fat, is a good thing. Losing too much body fat is a bad thing! There have been many people who worry so much about weight and body fat that it leads to serious illnesses like anorexia or bulimia. So what is the general standard for body fat? Here it is:

Necessary Body Fat: Women 10-13%, Men 2-5%

Athletes: Women 14-20%, Men 6-13%

Fit: Women 21-24%, Men 14-17%

Acceptable: Women 25-31%, Men 18-25%

Unhealthy: Women 32%+, Men 26%+

A body fat assessment is a part of every fitness assessment.  Have your body fat checked today!

A fitness assessment is performed by a professional trainer before you start your exercise program. One of the critical measurements taken is your  Waist-to-Hip Ratio  (waist measurement divided by hip measurement). This measurement is important because there is a correlation between chronic diseases and abdominal fat. A ratio above .80 for females and above .95 for males could put a person at risk for a number of diseases, including cancer.

For example, if your waist is 31 inches and your hips are 41 inches, your Waist-to-Hip Ratio would be .76. Some people who consider themselves to be “skinny” could really be “skinny-fat”, which is a skinny person with too much body fat. A “skinny-fat” person could have an unfavorable Waist-to-Hip Ratio. The lesson? Everyone needs to know their Waist-to-Hip Ratio.

Most of the people I know don’t drink enough water! So who gets intoxicated by drinking too much water? One group that is at risk are runners (especially marathoners). Hyponatremia is basically a low concentration of sodium in the blood. Sodium is required to draw and distribute water through membranes in the body. When you sweat, you lose water and salt. If the sodium levels in your blood get too low (hyponatremia), you will no longer be able to move water across your body’s membranes and you will become dehydrated - even if you are drinking enough water.

Some of the signs and symptoms of hyponatremia include bloating, upset stomach, nausea, headaches, cramps, disorientation, slurred speech and confusion. Untreated, hyponatremia and dehydration can lead to collapse, convulsions, and sometimes even death.

Everyone is different, but generally you should try to ingest 1 gram of sodium per hour during a long event. You should also increase your sodium intake in the days leading up to the race. Ingest about 10-25 grams of salt per day before the race. You can’t drink enough sports drink per hour during a long race (it would take about 2 liters of drink to get 1 gram of sodium). Salt tablets and salty foods (such as crackers or pretzels) are an option. Salt tablets and water are a good combination during a race.

It is also possible to become hyponatremic without sweating out all your salt. Over-hydration in a cooler climate can cause low sodium concentrations in the blood.

When preparing for a race, practice salt replacement while training, increase salt intake in the days leading up to the race, drink an amount of fluid which is appropriate to the race climate, and ingest salt during the race if the day is hot.

Weight Gain During Pregnancy

The amount of weight a woman should gain during her pregnancy depends on her weight prior to becoming pregnant. Excess weight gain and failure to lose this weight six months postpartum are predictors of long-term obesity.

Weight Gain Norms during Pregnancy

Normal weight prior to pregnancy: 25-32 lbs.
Overweight prior to pregnancy: 15 lbs.
Underweight prior to pregnancy: 40 lbs.

Exercise Risks For Pregnant Women

Physician approval for exercise is always required for pregnant women. Risks for the mother include hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), fatigue, and muscoskeletal injuries. The baby is at risk for hyperthermia (overheating) and decreased uterine blood flow. The mother should stop exercising before fatigue sets in and follow the recommended guidelines for exercise mode, frequency, intensity, and duration. Should any of the following warning signs occur, exercise should be discontinued and the mother should consult her physician.

Exercise Warning Signs during Pregnancy

Vaginal Bleeding
Muscle Weakness
Shortness of breath prior to exercise
Calf pain or swelling
Dizziness
Preterm Labor
Headache
Decreased Fetal Movement
Chest Pain
Amniotic Fluid Leakage

The Pushups On The Stability Ball exercise is superior to regular pushups because you engage many more muscles, including the critical core muscles. The exercise also helps to improve your balance.

1) Get on your knees and place hands a little less than shoulder width apart onto the stability ball.

2) Align hands at the nipple line with your feet hip width apart on your toes. Extend your arms to raise your body. Your trunk and hips should be in a straight line. Don’t bow your back!

3) Lower your body 1-2 inches from the stability ball.

4) That is one repetition.

The next time you work out, try this great exercise!

Don’t blame weight gain or health problems on cinnamon! Blame weight gain, etc. on what’s added to cinnamon and put in your food products. Need an example? Have you ever eaten a cinnamon roll from your local bakery? I’m nodding my head yes! It’s not the cinnamon that’s unhealthy—-the excess sugar is unhealthy! And, cinnamon get’s blamed for what the excess sugar is doing to your body.

The truth is this: cinnamon is a wonderful health food. Research has found that cinnamon helps to reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Research also found that adding about a teaspoon to rice pudding helped regulate blood sugar in people without diabetes.

Cinnamon also contains polyphenols (antioxidants) which help maintain healthier arteries and reduce risk of heart disease. It doesn’t matter if the cinnamon is eaten in stick form or grounded. Cinnamon sticks have a longer shelf life than grounded cinnamon (1 year vs. 6 months).

A health food that also tastes great! What are you waiting for? Go eat your cinnamon!