17.4.12

New Blog Schedule

Finally, our updated blog schedule (NEW ITEMS!):

1. Daily Lifestyle Fact - Tuesday and Thursday 10am MDT. Tuesdays will cover nutrition/diet and Thursdays will cover lifestyle/exercise.

2. Your Question - Wednesday 12pm MDT. Submit your question on our website or on Facebook for the trainer to answer! If your question is used, you will receive a FREE BCA including the Defender calipers and Orbi-Tape to keep!

3. News Supplement - Friday 8am MDT.  You'll get a digest version of what we found pertinent in leading journals and news sources.

Defender and Orbi-Tabe are trademarks of Sequoia Fitness. We are authorized dealers.

6.3.12

DF 6.3.12 - Macro- and Micro- Nutrients

Not sure what these terms are or how they apply to what you eat? Here's a quick little primer:

Macro-nutrients: Corbohydrates, Fats and Proteins. Macro-nutrients comprise the calories in a food. Carbohydrates and Proteins are 4 calories per gram. Fats are 9 calories per gram. The correct mix of these is determined by many factors, including gender and activity level. Get a BCA or contact a Dietician for more information.

Micro-nutrients: Your vitamins and minerals, for the most part. Think arsenic and mercury kill you? While high amounts are toxic, the trace amounts which naturally occur in food are used by your body. :)

As a good resource for more information, we like Nutrition Data.

Happy Tuesday!
-Crystal

(Links open a new window and leave this site.)

31.1.12

Lab Rat 1.2 - End of the rat

I realize the lab rat has been quiet. This is two-, or maybe even three-, fold depending on how you look at it. So, after much work, it has come to an end. I will tell you why at the end of this post if you just have to know. The best part for you, however, is that I will get to create it for one of you for free. That is right, free...because I like the topic so much. To become the new Rat, you will have to meet all of our standard acceptance requirements for training, and have you ob/gyn's approval. That said, send me a note via our website with your current stage of pregnancy and why you are interested. (Remember this is a post-partum Rat.) I will then discuss with you further what the specific requirements will be.

Why did I stop?

1 & 2. Between kiddo sickness and the holidays' schedule, I could not provide a workout with conclusive and imperical results.

3. I am now into the triathlon season, which requires a more complex and tailored workout of a different nature...which really makes me think I was right when wondering if I was not the best candidate to represent an average Rat in the first place.

So, please email if interested and we can get this Rat back up and running!

10.1.12

Daily Lifestyle Fact - 10.1.12

Made a New Years' Resolution to work out, but still haven't started? You still have 51 weeks (98.1% of the year) left to obtain your goal! That's still an A to us on your resolution report card.

Not sure where to start? Ask you local gym or try out our plans. Just get moving - try Googling "recommended weekly exercise" and you will find plenty of free advice.

7.12.11

Lab Rat 1.1a - Week 1 Re-Do

Here is the quick and dirty workout (as always, use at your own risk...provided for informational purposes only), with my notes below. The TRX moves are my design (may be the same as someone else, but inadvertently), and I will post pictures in the morning. Sorry for the delay, but had an emergency and wanted to make sure this was published.

1. Run - 10 minute warmup, 8x45 second sprints with 45 seconds jogging/walking recovery, 10 minute walking cooldown.
2. TRX - Front squat (single leg), Power squat (single leg), Leg curls, Bent row, Incline press, Bent lateral raise, Arm Curls, Reverse crunch, Side crunch (single leg)
3. Run - 30 mintues easy.
4. TRX
5. Run - 10 minute warmup, 4x90 second hill climbs with 90 second descents, 10 minute jogging cooldown.

Alright, so what does that mean?
1. I jogged until I was comfortable (about 8 minutes), then sprinted for 45 seconds...a comfortable sprint, not something I was out of breath after 5 seconds with...I managed to jog between the first 5. After this, I was walking between them, which led me to modify the end to walking. I was looking for 125 HR on my monitor within 30 seconds of recovery. It hurts the next day but feels good. I am working on increasing my 5k speed.

2. Hard to describe without the pictures. I did 10 each (10 each side for singles), and will up for week two. I think it hit most of the full body. Try not to stop during it. If single leg stuff is too hard, start with both feet on the ground, and build.

3. Uhm, yes. HR should be kept well below 80% of your max for this one.

4. Repeat 2.

5. Ok. This is the big one. I kept the same pace throughout. Do not plan on slowing on the hills, so start at a slow pace. I kept the same pace on the downhill. This is not a use your neighborhood and go up and down bumps. If you can't go a steady 90 seconds up, find a new hill. Keep the same pace on the cooldown. If you practice at a steady pace, hills on races will be inconsequential...except on the California 70.3...but that is another story.

Do not put more than one workout in a day, and you get two days off in the week. This will help you; took my extra one the day after the first run as it beat me up! Use your equipment, HR monitors are a must, and if you don't have a great Suunto set-up like I do, there are plenty of ways to track your pace on your smartphone. Make sure that you drink enough water...64 oz to 80 oz a day plus extra to replace sweat while working out.

Keep a log of your feeling during the run and the next morning. Are you having trouble controlling your HR or are your muscles setting the pace? This is especially important to discern during the 5th workout with the steady pace. If you are having to work to keep your HR down, even when breathing easy, you need to focus on cardio during your recovery. If you are feeling the fatigue in muscles first, more TRX for you! Now, do you see why it is hard to post a generic workout? Nothing is a perfect fit...but, my hope is two-fold:

-Most importantly, get out and do something. If you can follow a workout, any workout (almost), is better than none.

-Hopefully, you will see the need for a personalized plan to get you to your goals. If not through our company, find a trainer at a local gym. It's worth the money.

If you have questions, please post them here so that all may see, and I will respond.

See you next week.

6.12.11

Daily Lifestyle Fact - 6.12.11

Looking for Christmas gifts for associates? Go buy a 32oz water bottle, and give them the gift of starting to get in shape by drinking well. Include a snazzy note, and tell them that drinking two of those a day of whatever fluids (non-alcoholic) will get them hydrated correctly. For those that seem to constantly drink water, tell them that two is enough! :)

Once they have that mastered, they can move up to eating well and exercise in the New Year...

2.12.11

Daily Lifestyle Fact - 1.12.11

News about Type 2 diabetes cure we had to share here and here. There are great benefits to diet and exercise.

Ever wonder why all of the ads say, "When used in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise."? Skip the extra money for quick cures and try the balanced diet and exercise route alone.