It depends!  I don’t say this to be sarcastic.  It really does depend on what your goal is.  Some people want to lose weight.  Others want to “tone up” and feel stronger.  Some people want big, defined muscles. While others want to run faster, or jump higher. Technically speaking,  these goals dictate different training programs.

At lifeSport Fitness, my experience over the years has taught me that the majority of people we work with want fat loss, although they may not say it this way.  They tell us they want to lose weight, lose inches and/or develop muscles that are firmer and less jiggly. We also hear a lot about wanting to decrease “belly fat”.   This all points to “fat loss”.  We try to avoid the term “weight loss”, as it doesn’t really tell the whole story.

In a well-designed fat loss program, inches will be lost, and muscle mass will be maintained or improved, thereby giving people the feeling that their muscles are firmer and more toned. In some, but not all cases, scale weight will be lost as well (this depends on whether an individual has a lot of excess body fat).

With fat loss/muscle strengthening in mind, then, what is the most effective exercise method to achieve these results?   Lucky for the participants in our boot camps in San Jose and Campbell, they’re doing the right stuff for fat loss in every camp workout.  I’ll outline below what studies have found with regard to effective programs so that you’ll have ideas on how to design your own workouts during the week.

Intensity matters. Higher intensity exercise has been shown to facilitate better fat loss results than lower intensity or moderate intensity exercise.  This is why we include high intensity activities such as Tabata intervals into some classes, and why we coach our boot campers to work hard on the cardio segments during our cardio/ strength circuit and partner drills.

Functional exercises are superior to isolation exercises.  Strength training exercises utilizing several joints and/or large muscle groups (think push ups, rows, squats, lunges, dead lifts, squat to press, and lunges with medicine balls) have been shown to elicit hormonal shifts that favor fat loss more than single joint exercises such as biceps curls or leg extensions. We still have campers using smaller muscle isolation exercises in our classes on occasion, but we mainly incorporate exercises that utilize multiple joints at once for maximum calorie burn and to help the body function better as a whole.

Interval training is superior to steady intensity training.   Studies show that high intensity interval training trumps lower level, steady intensity endurance training for fat loss.  Interval training creates a kind of turbulence in your body.  It takes more energy to perform, and requires more energy (calories) from your body after the fact.  In the hours after a good, high intensity interval training workout, your body tends to utilize stored fat for fuel.

High intensity circuit training creates a “best of both worlds” situation for strength gain and fat loss. A 2010 study indicated that strength training done in a high intensity circuit format created better strength gains than a low intensity circuit format, and better fat loss gains than traditional endurance training.  Two major health benefits in ONE workout!  Yes !  Performed properly, the cardio/strength circuit we use in our fitness boot camps gives you the benefits of interval training, with the strength benefits of circuit training.

High intensity workouts hit you in the belly.  A 2008 study found that high intensity exercise was more effective for reducing total abdominal fat in women than lower intensity exercise.

In our boot camp programs in San Jose and Campbell,  we formulate the workouts to be a mix of cardiovascular interval training (like Tabata intervals), circuit training (our cardio/strength circuit) and functional training (many of the strength exercises in our circuit).  We think it affords our customers the most effective mix of exercise training for fat loss and muscle gain/maintenance.

Want to experience one of the best workouts in the Bay Area?  You’re invited to a FREE one week trial at one of our boot camps!  Try an early morning workout in Downtown San Jose or Almaden, or an evening workout in Campbell or Los Gatos.  Our camps are co-ed and all fitness levels are welcome.  Log on to:  www.lifesportbootcamp.com to reserve a spot for a free trial!

What have you got to lose but some unwanted fat???

Committed to your success,

Becky

Now let’s talk more about enjoyment. Yes, you CAN enjoy your favorite foods. But enjoy them by savoring them, not devouring them.

Chew your food slowly.

That might not seem it, but that is a BIG TIME tip.

Enjoy your favorites by taking your time eating them. That may mean finding a quiet space to eat when at a loud party. But it will be worth the little bit of extra effort.

It’s going to take about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full. So take your time. Enjoy every bite with zero guilt.

Again, this might seem too simple, but it’s not. It really can be this easy if you stay focused on your plan.

Also, remember that TONIGHT is the last day to save 15% on ALL of Prograde Nutrition’s awesome products. Their huge Holiday Sale ends at 11:59pm EST.

http://lifesportfitness.getprograde.com/specials.html

Yours in health,

Becky

PS – Again, Prograde Nutrition’s HUGE Holiday Savings ends TONIGHT. As a proud Prograde Partner I really cannot recommend their products enough. This is the first time I’ve seen them do a 15% discount off all their products like they are this week–not sure when they’ll do it again.

http://lifesportfitness.getprograde.com/specials.html

Plan on staying control of your alcohol intake.

Look, a drink or two isn’t going to be the end of the world. But when two turns to three in a night…… or two every night for three nights straight….well…..it’s gonna hit you in the waistline.

I’m not getting on my soap box here. I’m just telling you something you already know:

Too much alcohol not only adds up to too many calories, it leads to bad decisions. And in this case, we’re talking about bad eating decisions.

When alcohol enters the equation even the best laid plans crumble. The extra calories from the cocktails is one thing. But really it’s the extra calories you chew that start to add up.

One piece of cake turns to two…

A handful of chips turns into a a bag…

The dip sitting in front of you mysteriously vanishes…into your belly…

You get the picture.

Over-indulging in alcohol leads to disintegration of your resolve and control.

That said………..

Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Just be conscious of what alcohol does to your decision making. Stay in control.

Yours in health,

Becky

PS – Remember, Prograde Nutrition’s HUGE Holiday Savings ends TOMORROW night. You definitely want to get over to http://lifesportfitness.getprograde.com/specials.html right NOW and place you order to save 15% on all their killer products. It’s my duty as a proud Prograde Partner to remind you .  I’m going to stock up on EFA-Icon (fish oil) myself!

You know you know this.

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

You can’t just HOPE you’re going to behave yourself at holiday parties. You can’t just do the same old things you’ve been doing. You can’t just  miss breakfast, have a light lunch and then go to a party filled with temptation and not go a little insane on the cheese platter .

You have to plan your meals.

You have to plan your workouts.

You have to set your goals in stone.

You don’t want to be the person that comes out of the holidays 5 to 10 pounds heavier, do you?

If you don’t plan your strategy to prevent weight gain, well, you can PLAN on getting some new clothes that fit your new size (yuck).

This is far from doom and gloom. You can still enjoy your favorite foods at parties. You can still have a great time.

But what you can’t do is just free-for-all it and stuff your face with everything put in front of you. You know that.

Tell you what: Plan on taking a nice 30 minute walk this weekend and do some solid thinking about what your plan will be. And when you get back home, put it on paper and commit to it. Seriously–writing stuff down helps you focus on it and keep it at the top of your mind.

Think about how great you’ll feel about yourself when January comes after you’ve followed your plan. Oh, and be sure to reward yourself to by doing something special for yourself (see my P.P.S. for an idea).

Yours in health,

Becky

PS – Speaking of eating well over the holidays, as a proud Prograde Nutrition partner I should let you know that Prograde is having a heck of a Holiday Blow Out on ALL of their awesome products. Everything you need, including the coupon code to save 15% on all Prograde Nutrition products is right here: http://lifesportfitness.getprograde.com/specials.html

Hurry because this deal expires this Friday, December 11th at 11:59pm EST.

P.P.S.  Want to treat yourself or someone you love to something awesome in January? How about a one week FREE trial at a lifeSport Fitness boot camp in San Jose or Los Gatos in January?  I just opened my “1 week free trial” program today!  Get on the list now if you want to get in the best shape of your life in 2010:  http://www.lifesportbootcamp.com .  The first free trial week starts January 4th!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a very short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program.

There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.)   Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges). I really like this format and use it for my personal training customers in San Jose, as well as for many of my own workouts.

2.)   Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges).

3.)   Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option for time-crunched recreational exercisers who want to boost their metabolism and decrease body fat . That’s one reason why we  incorporate a strength/cardio circuit into about 90% of our monthly bootcamp workouts in San Jose and Los Gatos.  They incinerate calories, as well as develop lean muscle and cardiovascular endurance.

Here’s an example of a 6 station cardio/strength circuit:

Exercise#1- Jump rope

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- High knee jog in place

Exercise#4- Pull-ups  (if you don’t have a pull up bar, you can do an inverted row at home by putting a broomstick across two chairs)

Exercise#5- Fast lateral shuffle

Exercise#6:  Push ups

Exercise at each station for 1 minute, and take a 10-15 second recovery break between each station.  At the cardio stations (1, 3, and 5) you’ll go “all out” for one minute.  At the strength stations (2,4, and 6), perform sets of 8-12 repetitions of the exercise, and then take a brief rest.  Beginners might get in 2 sets, advanced folks might get in 4 sets during the 60 second time frame (due to less rest time).

Perform this circuit up to four times for an excellent fat burning workout.

The key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain.

When you’re short on time (and who isn’t these days!), nothing beats a high intensity circuit training workout.

Committed to your success,

Becky

“Love handles”, those little rolls of fat at your waistline, are often the last thing to go when you’re on a fat loss program.  As I’ve mentioned before at this blog, WHERE you hold your body fat is determined in large part by your genetics. However, HOW MUCH body fat you have is almost a direct correlation to to how you live your life:  your calorie intake, your exercise activities, and even your choices of exercise activities.

If you’re battling with your love handles–or you’re struggling to lose your last 5-10 pounds, here are some ideas that will help you win the battle:

-Replace some of your longer, moderate intensity cardio workouts with shorter, high intensity interval training workouts. You’ll burn more calories in an interval training workout and you’ll also stoke your metabolism to burn more calories for a few hours after your workout it over.  Some studies have shown that high intensity interval training may help reduce abdominal obesity.

-Decrease  your consumption of sugary treats and beverages. We’re not sure why, but there seems to be a correlation between  high sugar consumption and fat accumulation in the belly.  This is the one time where genetics isn’t the only thing putting stored fat around your waistline!  So, cut down on added sugar wherever possible.  If you want to take it a step further, cut down on processed carbohydrates in general (white bread, white rice, cakes, cookies, etc.) , and switch to whole grain carbohydrates eaten in moderation.

-Strength train. And, no, I’m not talking dozens of side bends (spot reducing doesn’t work, remember??).  I advocate strength training for lots of reasons.  With regard to the “love handles” issue, my reason is this:  Regular strength training (done right)  increases your resting metabolic rate over time.   Choose exercises that work several muscle groups/joints at a time like squats, lunges, deadlifts, push ups and pull ups.  Lift or push enough weight so that your muscles become extremely fatigued.  This creates “protein turnover”, or muscle rebuilding.  This protein turnover stuff requires energy  (calories) and results in more muscle mass over time.

-Make sure the fat you add to your diet is good fat.  Choose monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, nut butters, and canola oil as your sources of added at.  Mono-unsaturated fats are heart healthy fats.  Some studies have shown that consumption of mono-unsaturated fats decreases abdominal obesity in individuals who carry excess fat in their bellies.

-Add in two more servings of vegetables every day. Okay, so I’m fibbing a little bit here.  I don’t know of any studies that have shown eating more veggies every day will decrease the size of your love handles.  However, most of us don’t eat enough veggies.  Chances are, if you add in two more servings of veggies every day, you may decrease your consumption of some not-so-good for you foods.  In addition, by eating more veggies you’ll increase your vitamin and mineral intake and your fiber intake for the day.  All good things to do for your body.

I could probably add another 3-5 bullet points here, but let’s keep it at a manageable five for now.

The bottom line is this:  You CAN decrease the size of your love handles.  Side bends and ab crunches won’t do it.  A slightly negative energy balance (fewer calories IN than OUT), good food, and smart exercise WILL get you there.

Have you decreased the size of your love handles recently?  Please share your success here by leaving a comment!

Committed to your success,

Becky

I’ve been asked by both Campbell boot camp and San Jose boot camp customers what to eat before boot camp workouts (or any workout, for that matter). Not many people ask me what they should be eating after exercise—but it’s also an important topic. So in this post, we’ll look at not only pre-workout nutrition, but also post-workout nutrition.

Pre Workout Nutrition

Some folks don’t like to eat before working out. If you absolutely can’t tolerate a small snack before working out, don’t force yourself. However, if you can handle a little food an hour before a workout, it’s a good idea to eat. Some recreational exercisers feel they will get nauseous if they eat before exercise. If food is properly selected and intake is properly timed, this shouldn’t be an issue. For those of you who do the San Jose/Almaden boot camp and exercise first thing in the morning, you haven’t had food for probably 8-10 hours. That’s almost a fast! Fasting is detrimental to performance, because our glycogen reserves aren’t at an optimal level.

Here are some reasons to consider eating a small snack before a workout:

• To provide “fuel” for the exercise and replenish glycogen stores (glycogen is the storage form of sugar in your muscles and liver)

• To prevent low blood sugar during exercise

• To settle your stomach, absorb gastric juices and prevent hunger

Most experts agree that the pre-exercise meal should consist primarily of high carbohydrate, low fat foods for easy and fast digestion.  This is especially true if the exercise is within 1 hour of eating. Avoid eating highly sugared foods however (candy bars, sugary cereals, etc.) as these may cause an insulin spike followed by a drop in blood sugar around the time you’re exercising (not to mention the fact that those foods offer you no nutrition!).

Here are some suggestions for a light, carbohydrate rich snack to eat before an exercise session:

• 1 slice whole wheat toast

• 1 small banana (or other piece of fruit)

• ½ of an energy bar (such as a Power Bar)

• ½ c. cooked oatmeal (easy on the sugar!)

Campbell boot camp participants, I realize you’re coming from work, and some of these items aren’t available to you at work.  The oatmeal and the toast ideas will work better for the Almaden boot camp participants who work out in the early morning.

Morning campers, if you’re trying to lose body fat, remember that you don’t want to eat all of your breakfast calories before your workout. Split them up. Eat 1/4 to 1/3 of your breakfast calories before your workout, and the remainder after.

Post Workout Nutrition

When and what you eat after a workout can have a serious effect on your recovery. The first 2-3 hours after exercise are critical for you; don’t wait to eat. Be selective in what you eat after exercise. Wise choices will help you recover quickly and enable your muscles to work better the next time around. Inadequate recovery can lead to chronic fatigue and a gradual decline in your performance.

Although post exercise nutrition research is aimed at competitive athletes performing exhaustive exercise, there are lessons in the research for the recreational exerciser. For the fitness enthusiast whose workouts generally last less than 90 minutes, your main concern is to re-fuel with a well-balanced meal that provides not only carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores, but also protein to help re-build muscle. Some protein/carb post-workout meals might be:

• Two poached eggs with whole wheat toast

• Yogurt and high fiber cereal with low or non-fat milk

• Whole wheat bagel w/peanut butter

* String cheese and whole wheat crackers

For the Campbell boot camp crew who gets home from a workout around dinner time, here are some dinner ideas:

* Steamed vegetables and lean protein (chicken, fish, pork tenderloin or lean cuts of beef)

* Dark leafy green salad with lean protein in it

* Whole wheat tortilla with rotisserie chicken pieces inside

Please make sure you get some protein after a hard workout! Time and again, studies show that a combination of protein and carbohydrate replenishes muscle glycogen more rapidly than does carbohydrate alone. If you don’t “re-fuel” your muscles, they won’t work for you well the next time you exercise.

If you need to rush to work after boot camp, consider a post-workout drink with a 2:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. You can drink these drinks right in the car! It may not be enough calories to qualify as a “meal”, but it will start the repair/recovery process until you can get to “real” food. If you need a suggestion for a post-workout drink, I recommend “Workout” by Prograde nutrition:

ProgradeNutrition

I trust their products, and they create their product formulations based on current research in sports nutrition. One word of caution: As  many of you know, I’m not a fan of “drinking” your calories if you’re trying to lose weight.  For some folks, though, a post workout shake makes sense.  Just remember to log the calories you drink!

One final word about pre- and post-workout nutrition: Don’t forget the water! It may not be “food”, but hydration is important so we should address it. Many of us are slightly dehydrated and don’t even know it. Mild dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, constipation, and other not-so-fun things.

Drink water before, during and after exercise. For workouts lasting less than 60 minutes, sports drinks aren’t really necessary. However, if you prefer the taste of sports drinks over water, I see no problem with using them in moderation during exercise lasting less than an hour. Just don’t forget to log the calories!

What do YOU eat for your pre or post workout meals??  Leave a comment here to give your fellow campers more ideas for good nutrition.

Committed to your success,

Becky

A special welcome to Nancy B., Leslie, Nancy S. and Emma at our boot camp in Campbell!

We had a big turn out yesterday at the Campbell boot camp for our free body fat testing service, and I’ve got campers from the Willow Glen “boomer” boot camp reserving spots for testing next week.

Once you’ve gotten your results, what do you do with them?   I suggest you write out a goal you’d like to achieve in 10-12 weeks. Make sure your goal is measurable.  For example, measuring whether you’ve become more “toned” will be hard! But re-measuring your waist or hips, or how many push ups you can do is more concrete. Be specific.  

Once your goal is set, write down what you will do to achieve it.  Again, be specific. Instead of writing “I’ll eat better” or “I’ll exercise more” try defining, very specifically, what that means for you.  What, exactly will you change in your eating habits? What exactly, will you do outside of camp for additional exercise?

It might seem tedious to write all this stuff down, but research shows time and again that what gets measured gets managed.  If your goals are written down and you post them where you can see them, they’re at the top of your mind more often.  You’re more likely to maintain focus.

In fact, our theme for the month at the Willow Glen “boomer” boot camp is “FOCUS”, with the intent being to focus on what you DO want.  Not on what you DON’T want.

What you focus on gets done!

Jackie and I have goal sheets in our boot camp box at all classes.  Please feel free to ask for one if you’d like to use one to help you get the results you want from camp.

Committed to your success,

Becky

Meal planning

Now, I know you’re probably rolling your eyes thinking this is worthless and tedious–especially if you’re single. Why would you want to plan meals if you’re single and you’re not prepping food or meals for a family?  Or, perhaps you “don’t cook”, so why in the world would you want to plan meals??

Simply put, if you’re struggling to lose weight, you need to get a better handle on your food intake. One way to do this is to have better stuff on hand, and, if you do prepare meals at home, plan them ahead of time.

I remind participants in my boot camps in San Jose and Los Gatos all the time that good workouts are important for weight loss and lifetime weight maintenance.  However, exercise for weight loss needs to be backed up by good nutrition.  I see great exercise habits developing in my boot campers, but a lack of supportive eating can slow down their results.

Let’s broaden our definition of “meal planning” for a moment, and consider Solution #2 as “food planning” or “pantry stocking”.  

That’s what I mean by planning.  I don’t care if you don’t cook, or if you’re single, or a single parent with octuplets for that matter.  You need to have good, healthy food on hand if you want to lose weight.  Otherwise, when you’re hungry and on the go, you’ll grab less than nutritious options.

Here are some ideas on how  you can plan your way into busting through a weight loss plateau-

-Pick one day during the week where you can sit down for a few minutes and plan out what you need to buy to stock your kitchen w/good food and then shop for the food.

-If you eat at home, plan out a few meals ahead of time. Build your meals around these items:  Lean protein, produce (fruits and veggies) and a little healthy fat (olive oil, nuts, nut butters).  

-If you’re busy and on the run a lot, buy healthy convenience items like salad in a bag, pre-cut veggies in bags, frozen veggies, string cheese, rotisserie chicken, and pre-seasoned pork tenderloin (check sodium content on pre-seasoned proteins, though!).  

-Buy healthy, non perishable snacks for your office and car.

Having good stuff within reach at all times so that  you don’t grab junk takes just a little forethought and planning.  It’s not rocket science.  It works for busy parents with families, single folks, and folks who are on the road a lot.

If you’re struggling with a weight loss plateau and you’re not eating as well as you could, give weight loss plateau Solution #2 a try.

You’ve got nothing to lose, except maybe a few pounds.

Committed to your success,

Becky

My experience has been that a lot of my customers get the exercise part down pretty well (could be because when I show up, they have to work out!).  It’s the food part that holds them back from shedding body fat.

There are a number of reasons why weight loss doesn’t happen when we think we’re doing everything right. Over the next few weeks, I’ll give you a few solutions to help you bust through your weight loss plateau.

Solution #1:  Measure your food

Please don’t shoot the messenger, but if you’re hanging on to extra weight, one of the reasons may be that you’re still eating too much. I was reminded of this today as I looked over a new client’s food journal. Although she was making some decent food choices most days of the week, she really had no idea how many servings of food she was eating.  Big mistake.  

We can’t simply pour high fiber cereal into our bowl and call it a “serving”.  It might be 3/4 of a cup.  It might be 2 cups.  Depends on your bowl, doesn’t it?  You’ve got to measure it.  Yes, I know.  What a pain in the butt.  Here’s the thing–you don’t have to measure every single time!  But, you’ve got to do it at least once so that you know how much 1 serving of a particular cereal looks like in your bowls.  Read the label for serving size and then measure it out and dump it in your bowl. You need to know what 8 oz. of non-fat milk looks like in your glasses.   You need to know what 4 oz. of chicken, fish or beef looks like on your plates.  Get the picture?  You need to be a label reader and a measurer.

My suggestion:  Get out your measuring cups and buy a food scale (I got a cool electronic scale at eBay for $20!).  Weigh and measure the foods you commonly eat at home.  You’re gonna be surprised.  As a rule, we eat portions that are WAY too big.

Does this sound tedious?  Well, yes, perhaps it is, but it’s not a forever thing. And here’s the bottom line:

Do you want to look and feel better?  If you do, measuring stuff for a few weeks is a small price to pay.

This solution alone could save you a few hundred calories a day!

The moral of this story:  If you’re trying to lose weight, know (really KNOW!) how much you’re eating.

I’ll be back next week with solution #2.

Committed to your success,

Becky