Fitness & Strength - The Latest

Movie Review!

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:39:15 -0800

My Favorite health and inspiration documentaries:

Forks over Knives--makes you think twice about all that "protein" is it really as necessary as we've been brainwashed to think it is? Can humans live on plant based diets? If you've ever wanted to learn more about plant-based diets and what they can do for your health, watch this now.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead--All about juicing! I love the way this documentary was done. Very casually filmed and nicely organized. It has me tearing up and over joyed by the end. I just think it's so fantastic the healing powers of a human mind set. You've got to see this, get inspired, it's about more than just weight loss, it's about health, and about taking action and sticking to it.

Food Inc.--Everyone in America needs to watch this one. The food available to us has been messed with. We need to know the truth and vote for change together. Every person votes every time they choose a meal. Very powerful thinking!

Cold Water Therapy

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:40:50 -0800

Can cold water actually help fat loss??

Apparently you can spend a few mins in an ice bath, or even just put an ice pack on the back of your neck, and lose fat.. Really? I'm skeptical.

I first read about this technique in "the 4 hour body" by Tim Ferriss, one of my all time favorite fitness books. So much incredible mind-boggling info on quirky ways to get fit quicker.. He pretty much ignores the good old fashion way of committing to a healthy lifestyle which is what I usually recommend. But anyhow..for those of you who'd prefer to cheat the system this book is for you.

And for more info on the Cold water therapy and it's benefits check out this article by Mark Sisson

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cold-water-therapy/

As for trying the cold therapy myself...I dunno..I'm a warm loving kinda gal..I think I'll stick to hot showers thank you! But please, if you have tried this method post a comment about your

How much do you know about fitness nutrition?

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:52:04 -0800

True or False? To lose weight or be healthy you should give up coffee.

·       False. There is absolutely no evidence that coffee affects weight or health negatively. On the contrary, many studies have shown it to boast health benefits. The polyphenols in coffee is the number 1 source of antioxidants in the Western World and in some studies has been associated with lower incidences of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes. Do make sure that you drink plenty of water as the caffeine in coffee can act as a diuretic possibly causing dehydration. For every cup of coffee you have, ideally you’ll want to drink an additional cup of water afterwards.

True or False? If I exercise often enough, I can eat whatever I want.

·       False. Although exercise is a powerful weight control tool, it is unfortunately not sufficient to control a persons weight in the long term and certainly cannot combat the negative effects on health that have been associated with consumption of “junk foods” such as refined sugar, grains, alcohol and fried foods. Not to mention the risk of injury associated with over-exercising or the possibility that one may lose interest in exercise but still maintain poor nutrition habits. The best approach is to learn good nutrition habits early on, along with a safe and effective workout regimen.

True or False? Whole milk is healthier than skim milk

·       True. Many people think that the saturated fat found in full fat dairy like whole milk is bad for you and associated with weight gain and heart disease. However, studies have shown that whole milk can actually help control weight since calcium binds with fat in the food digesting in your gut, meaning that you absorb less fat. Also, since the fat has been removed from skim milk, more of the remaining sugars are able to react with your insulin levels. Not a good thing for those sensitive to insulin fluctuations. The fat in milk helps provide satiety therefore helping you feel full longer and eating less throughout the day. Whole milk does however provide more calories per ounce, so enjoy in moderation, or for a happy medium, choose low-fat or 2% dairy products.

True or False? Some foods are so healthy that you can eat as much as you want, while some junk foods should never be eaten.

·       False. Too much of ANY food no matter how healthy can have undesirable side effects. Most vegetables, especially leafy greens, are so calorically light that overdosing on them is nearly impossible, however some dense foods, such as fried foods and sugary sweets tend to produce ill effects even in relatively small doses. The key to optimum health is to eat a wide variety of foods and choose those that offer the most nutrition per quantity. Never say never, because today’s demonized foods will be tomorrows glorified health foods. Enjoying all foods in moderation is the best strategy to stay healthy and lean throughout your lifetime.

True or False? “Fat Free” means “Healthy” and I can eat more because it’s lower in calories.

·       False: When foods are made “Fat Free” manufacturers remove the natural sources of fat often times disturbing the satiating and palatability of the foods. What is lost in taste and texture has to be made up for in sugar, sodium and thickeners, and the result is that the eater is left hungry and searching for more food. By consuming more of the lower calorie foods, you may end up eating more calories total than if you had enjoyed in moderation the “regular” foods.

True or False? In order to maintain ones weight calories consumed must equal calories burned.

·       True: This is called the energy balance. Since calories are a unit of energy and exercise utilizes this energy, we are able to predict weight gains or losses by measuring the amount of calories in versus calories out. However, studies have shown that it’s not necessarily how much you eat but what kind of food you eat that ultimately determines weight control. Foods most common with weight gain were: French fries, potato chips, sugary drinks, meats, sweets and refined grains. The foods most associated with weight loss were yogurt, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Calorie counting has proven to be successful, but so have diets rich and abundant in healthier food choices. If you had the choice between obsessively counting and tracking everything you eat or eating abundantly those foods associated with health which would you choose?

True or False? Nutrition alone can control a person’s weight.

·       True: Diet does play the major role in weight control, but exercise is not to be taken for granted either. While it is possible to lose weight rapidly and even permanently with dietary changes, a lean and healthy body is going to be built through a sound and sustainable diet and workout plan. Diet alone and/or exercise alone will not be able to reach ideal fitness goals, but a combination of the two can produce phenomenal results. Since muscles are metabolically “expensive” exercising them will allow one to eat more calories while maintaining a low fat percentage.

True or False? To build muscle you must drink a protein shake after every workout.

·       False. Protein shakes have become a popular substitute for post-workout meals because of their convenience and lack of required thought process. Real food provides as much, if not more and better nutrition than a protein shake. Do not be swayed by advertising that promises muscle gains or fat loss. Healthy foods can provide exactly the nutrition you need to build and maintain a strong and healthy body. Consuming protein shakes may indeed provide the nutrition your body needs post workout, but they are not the only option or a guaranteed way to get results.

True or False? Working out and dieting can change a person’s body shape.

·       True. The combination of workout and diet together can have transformational effects on a person’s body. Despite genetic predispositions, health behaviors have been proven to have profound effects on body shapes.

True or False? Exercising on an empty stomach will help burn more fat.

·       False. When food is consumed it’s converted into glycogen. When you exercise you are using the glycogen stores in your muscles. When all the glycogen is depleted, the body reverts to using up muscle tissue for energy. Fat is the least preferred fuel for exercising, especially in light to moderate intensity exercise. When exercising on an empty stomach the body receives signal that glycogen is low and therefore the next fuel to reach for is muscle tissue, and finally, fatty tissues. The best strategy for maximum leanness is to eat frequently to keep glycogen stores full and exercise intensely for short bouts of time. Intense exercise such as sprints or heavy lifts stimulates fat loss better than low-intensity exercise.

True or False? You have to eat within the half hour after exercise or else your efforts are wasted.

·       False. It is a good idea to replace the muscles lost glycogen stores soon after exercising but there is no evidence to show that exact timing of your post workout meal will have any significant change in your long term result.

True or False? It takes x weeks to see results from a new diet and fitness plan.

·       False. Results will vary. It depends greatly on the individual, the amount of effort put in to the plan and the severity of results expected.

True or False? Carbs are bad.

·       False. Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation recently, but looking back through history it is clear to see that not only are carbohydrates okay to eat, they are a staple of human nutrition. The healthiest and fittest carbohydrates are whole grains like oats, rice, and wheat, other good choices include potatoes, yams, and other starchy vegetables and roots. Carbohydrates provide a great source of energy and satiety from meals. If you have ever tried a low-carbohydrate diet, you know that it is difficult to sustain.

Sprint

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:55:13 -0800

I love sprinting. Just finished my sprint workout at the track and I wanted to share some, hopefully helpful, tips that make me feel powerful and wonderful.
First of all: don't spend more than 30 mins. That's about all my body can handle when it comes to this type of intense workout. It may sound like 30 mins is nothing...but if you are truly working at max intensity, it's PLENTY.
Next: MUSIC helps a lot. This song: "Someday" by the Black eyed peas, came on my ipod just before I started. The lyrics are so positive and the beat is up and it just made me feel like pushing myself. I encourage you to use music. It makes the experience so much better. Make sure you use good headphones that will stay in your ears when you turn up the speed.
Last: quit when you are tired. Don't risk injury. You have to be honest with yourself. You don't need to work yourself into wheelchair the next day kind of fatigue, but do put in a good effort. The results you achieve are a reflection of the effort you put in.
Good luck my friends. Get out there and spend 20 mins of your day changing your body and your mind. Everyone's got 20 mins to spare, no matter how "busy" you are. This is time well spent, and a small sacrifice for pretty significant rewards.

How to: Replace the gym by getting creative

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:21:31 -0800

Dilema: You want to workout but have no access to a gym. No gym? No problem. Here's what you do: Think outside the box and use your own body.

Lower Body. Work your leg muscles with all different variations of squats and lunges. Traditional Squat, Sumo Squat, One-Leg Squat, Pistol Squat, Jump Squat, Front Lunge, Back Lunge, Side Lunge, Plyometric Lunge, Walking Lunge, the list goes on and on... Luckily, these happen to be the very best exercises for your legs anyway, so, no extension machine, no leg press, no seated calf raises, don't fret. You'll be doing yourself a favor by focusing on your form, balance, and performing deep knee bends anyway.

Upper Body: Do not underestimate the push-up. All around amazing exercise for your upper body strength. And guess what, added bonus of core strength as well. You'll virtually get rockin abs on accident. So get down and gimme 50! or as many as you can squeeze out. If you are not yet using proper form in this exercise, use some sort of bench, chair, edge of your bed or whatever, for your hands, this decreases the intensity allowing you to practice with proper form, OR go ahead and use the "girly pushup" method with your knees on the floor. Hey..cheating is WAY BETTER than quitting. Don't quit! You will get better soon enough. And don't forget, for you advanced folks, there are an incredible amount of push up variations available so you'll never get bored. One of my favorites: Handstand pushups. that's right, put your hands on the floor next to a wall, kick up into a handstand and lower your face to the floor, then push back up. If it's your first time, try it with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle and your feet on the wall. Another fun variation: clapping pushups, see if you can sneak a clap in between reps. you'll have to push off the ground with enough force to create space underneath you. And of course, the one-arm pushup. My nemesis since my first Ms. Fitness contest. Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to post that video...but until then, it remains in the embarrassing fitness disaster files. :) Anyway, I'm rambling, but my point is: There is SOOO much available to you even when you are not anywhere near the gym. We are unlimited beings with incredible potentials. So get creative, get busy and maybe you can even invent a new exercise to share with the world.

How to do body weight exercises effectively: There is no magic number of reps that need to be performed. My advice to you is: do NOT pick a number. Just start squatting lunging or pushing, once you begin to feel some fatigue or burning, then you are getting close, don't stop yet, work through it (my famous phrase: "2 more!"), only terminating the set when you feel you cannot do anymore. Your facial expression should be a good indicator of this. If you are making crazy faces, you are doing a good job! :)

Feedback welcomed. I would love to hear about your new found PR's (personal records) with theses basic and super effective moves. Happy workout! xoxo

The difference between training for fun and training for a purpose

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:58:57 -0800

I'm getting ready to enter my contest prep for Sept 17th Pro Natural in NYC, but as you can see I've been training almost daily anyway leading up to this, getting stronger and feeling great, and have I been eating right? well... most of the time... :) So what things will I change in order to align my self with my projected two month goal? The difference is: the mindset. Yes, there will be behavioral differences, for example, I will probably do more cardio sessions, for longer and with more intensity, I will lift heavier and keep track of my lifting schedule and work on a 3 day split routine rather than just whatever I feel like doing. My diet will be cleaner, not that it's ever really un-clean, but it will go from "normal" and casual to picky and strict. And most importantly I'll begin to train my mind to push myself, to think great thoughts, and to believe I can achieve what I wish to and that no obstacle can stand in my way.
I hope that through my training and sharing my process I can inspire others to get what they want out of life. To stop complaining about things and JUST DO it!
Training for a show is an amazing life experience.
I will be attempting to put as much video footage and detailed updates as I can. Please follow my journey, get inspired, and wish me luck! -Jessica

A month of Firsts!

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:33:25 -0800

It's been an amazing month of training! I am beginning to feel very aligned with my body and my strength. I'm incredibly grateful and appreciative of my overwhelming sense of physical wellness and ability. All of a sudden things that used to seem impossible to me are becoming possible. Pull-ups, Handstands, Back walkovers, sub-40sec swim sprint. Yes, I have been training consistently, but I don't always get results like these. What changed?? Well, in the hopes that this doesn't sound corny or unrealistic, I'm going to attempt to explain my success. It's mind power. I'm not sure how else to say it. But when I begin to believe that I CAN and WILL become stronger, faster, and more flexible, then voila, I do. But it's much more than JUST believing. It's actually FEELING that it can and will become true. And then of course DOING something about it. Working towards it. But the DOING matters actually less than the BELIEVING. It needs to become a deep rooted, consistent, un-wavering faith. The principle is the same no matter what your goal is. So even if you don't care about being strong or fast, and the only reason you work out at all is to lose weight or get more "toned"..well, the rule applies to you too. Going thru the motions is a very poor way of achieving anything. But those exact same motions with a dedicated intensely focused effort can absolutely change everything.

Backbend Pushups

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:47:37 -0800

This is a fun exercise to try. If you can find two sturdy benches the right width apart, I encourage you to try this one. First work on the backbend since this requires a lot of flexibility, and also on your arm and shoulder strength with pushing movements, then you'll be able to master this move. Getting creative and having fun makes working out thoroughly enjoyable.

Cheating on your diet?

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:08:27 -0800

Oh how good it feels to be bad!!
Let's talk about this idea of cheat days, cheat meals, and yummy treats. I certainly understand the meaning of being on a "strict" diet and goal-oriented eating. But I'm going to be very honest with you. I AM A CHEATER! :) lol. I love yummy food just as much as anyone. So how do I get away with enjoying food AND having a 6-pack? I "pretend-cheat" all the time!
Here's what I mean: I eat healthy foods that are good for the metabolism but taste so good they just SEEM to be treats! I cook at home and transform traditionally un-healthy food into very healthy food by using more veggies and less calories. I've also trained my mind and my taste to get a kick out of simple pleasures in life like a dash of cinnamon on a hot bowl of oatmeal, or a juicy peach, or a big salad with sprouts! To me, those are life's treats! I also express gratitude for the nourishment and fuel that food gives to my body. I never feel guilty for eating anything. Guilt over food creates stress in the body, and we all know what stress does to the waistline. NOT GOOD. So relax! Enjoy healthy foods and appreciate the small things in life.
Check out a couple of my regular "cheat" foods on my Food and Diet page.

Is is possible to enjoy food and stay lean?

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:57:23 -0800

Everything is possible my friends! I want to you think for a second about what the deciding factors behind a persons body fat percentage are. Can you tell me? Is it luck?! LOL, certainly not! Is it extreme discipline, Nope. Is there any rule that says "you must eat disgusting health food if you want to be lean" ?? Of course not! that's crazy talk.
Getting lean is all about fueling your body with the Earths amazing nutrients (real food), stay away from over-processed junk, and train like an athlete (try to improve every day, don't just go thru the motions). Oh! and the most important detail of all: believe in yourself. Stop thinking about being overweight or about food making you fat. Food does not make you fat, only your negative thoughts and self-sabotaging behavior can do that to you. When you are full, stop eating. When you are hungry, eat. Food should be thought of as fuel to give you energy, pleasure and delight, not as treat or punishment. Oh and yes, food is supposed to be delicious. So if you are eating tasteless boring gross food just in the hopes of getting leaner, quit that. It's no way to live. Eat well and be well.