Trainer Tip: “BUST THE MOVE WITH INCLINE INTERVALS”

Burn More Calories & increase Cardio Fitness during your Treadmill Workout

At The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles it’s our belief that the secret to quality training is to train smarter and more efficiently, to always find ways to maximize your workout, to find ways to get the max out of the time you have designated for your workout and to find ways to keep your body from hitting a counter-productive fitness plateau. By continually keeping your body guessing by throwing it exercise “monkey wrenches” (surprises), you will achieve greater results in less time.

Rather than just jumping onto to the treadmill and setting it to your usual time and speed (example 35 minutes at a speed of 3.7), mix it up with some “Intervals,” in this case incline intervals.

If you are not familiar with this highly effective performance training method, Interval training is basically exercise which consists of activity at low intensity for a period of time, followed by high intensity exercise for a period of time. These 'low and high intensity sets” are repeated for an established amount of sets throughout your planned workout.

Interval training will super-charge your fitness level, turbo boost your metabolism (burn extra calories/fat faster) and improve your over-all fitness level at an increased pace. The added bonus is that this method of training will keep you more mentally engaged, preventing workout boredom.

It’s really quite easy, here’s how:

First warm up at a comfortable walking or slow jogging pace for about three to five minutes. We are going to assume you will be doing a running workout (but the same simple principles may be applied if you choose to walk), now properly warmed up you are ready to start your incline interval training session. Set the treadmill speed to about one half your normal running pace. Set the incline angle at three percent and run for 30 to 60 seconds, than return it to zero incline for 30 seconds, repeat this sequence at five percent and ten percent, that’s one set, complete 8 to 10 complete sets.Implement this into you’re your treadmill workouts to mix things up and keep your body guessing.

Train smarter and more effectively and increase your fitness gains while you continue to move in a healthier direction.

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The greatest results in life are usually attained by simple means and the exercise of ordinary qualities. These may for the most part be summed in these two: common-sense and perseverance.

If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor,
caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration.

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge,
but rather a lack in will.

The important thing in life is to have great aim and to possess the aptitude and the perseverance to attain it.

Success in life is a matter not so much of talent or opportunity as of concentration and perseverance.

It is interesting to notice how some minds seem almost to create themselves, springing up under every disadvantage, and working their solitary but irresistible way through a thousand obstacles.

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

        

Did you know, that the Leanest Cuts "May" Have the Highest Sodium Levels.

Leaner cuts by definition are less juicy. To counteract this dried-out effect,
some manufacturers "enhance" turkey, chicken, and beef products by pumping them
full of a liquid solution that contains water, salt, and other nutrients that help
preserve it. This practice can dramatically boost the meat's sodium level.

For example, a 4-ounce serving of Shady Brook Farms Fresh Boneless
Turkey Breast Tenderloin that's enhanced by a 6 percent solution contains 55 mg sodium.

But the same-size serving of Jennie-O Turkey Breast Tenderloin Roast Turkey, which is
enhanced by up to 30 percent, packs 840 mg—more than one-third of your recommended daily value.

They don't make it easy, that's why we have to educate ourselves and be mindful of what we are putting in our bodies!

        

Think of sugar and you think of sugar cane or beets.
 
Nobody thinks of sugar when they see a field of corn. Most of us would be surprised to learn that the larger percentage of sweeteners used in processed food comes from corn, not sugar cane or beets.
 
As the most abundant source of calories and one of the cheapest ingredients in our food supply, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has found its way into everything. Check labels! Make any amount of HFCS a deal breaker!
 
The use of HFCS has grown rapidly, from 3,000 tons in 1967 to almost 9,227,000 tons in 2005. During the late 1990s, use of sugar actually declined as it was eclipsed by HFCS. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar.
 
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced by processing corn starch to yield glucose, and then processing the glucose to produce a high percentage of fructose. It all sounds rather simple--white cornstarch is turned into crystal clear syrup. However, the process is actually very complicated. Three different enzymes are needed to break down cornstarch, which is composed of chains of glucose molecules of almost infinite length, into the simple sugars glucose and fructose.
 
HFCS has the exact same sweetness and taste as an equal amount of sucrose from cane or beet sugar but it is obviously much more complicated to make, involving vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus and chemical tweaking, all of which take place in one of 16 chemical plants located in the Corn Belt. Yet in spite of all the special enzymes required, HFCS is actually cheaper than sugar. It is also very easy to transport--it's just piped into tanker trucks. This translates into lower costs and higher profits for food producers.
 
Today HFCS is used to sweeten jams, condiments like ketchup, soft drinks and many other foods you wouldn't even suspect. It is also a favorite ingredient in many so-called health foods. Check your food labels...you'll be surprised.
 
There's a couple of other murky things that consumers should know about HFCS. According to a food technology expert, two of the enzymes used, alpha-amylase and glucose-isomerase, are genetically modified to make them more stable. Enzymes are actually very large proteins and through genetic modification specific amino acids in the enzymes are changed or replaced so the enzyme's "backbone" won't break down or unfold. This allows the industry to get the enzymes to higher temperatures before they become unstable.
 
Aside from the fact that it's genetically modified, there's another reason to avoid HFCS. Consumers may think that because it contains fructose--which they associate with fruit, which is a natural food--that it is healthier than sugar. A team of investigators at the USDA, led by Dr. Meira Field, has discovered that this just ain't so.
 
Sucrose is composed of glucose and fructose. When sugar is given to rats in high amounts, the rats develop multiple health problems, especially when the rats were deficient in certain nutrients, such as copper. The researchers wanted to know whether it was the fructose or the glucose moiety that was causing the problems. So they repeated their studies with two groups of rats, one given high amounts of glucose and one given high amounts of fructose. The glucose group was unaffected but the fructose group had disastrous results. The male rats did not reach adulthood. They had anemia, high cholesterol and heart hypertrophy--that means that their hearts enlarged until they exploded. They also had delayed testicular development. Dr. Field explains that fructose in combination with copper deficiency in the growing animal interferes with collagen production. (Copper deficiency, by the way, is widespread in America.) In a nutshell, the little bodies of the rats just fell apart. The females were unable to produce live young.
 
"The medical profession thinks fructose is better for diabetics than sugar," says Dr. Field, "but every cell in the body can metabolize glucose. However, all fructose must be metabolized in the liver. The livers of the rats on the high fructose diet looked like the livers of alcoholics, plugged with fat and cirrhotic."
 
HFCS contains more fructose than sugar and this fructose is more immediately available because it is not bound up in sucrose. Since the effects of fructose are most severe in the growing organism, we need to think carefully about what kind of sweeteners we give to our children.
 
Because of the way our hormones react to HFCS, if you eat or drink HFCS, you'll actually continue to consume more calories, even 24 hrs later than you would had you just eaten plain table sugar. HFCS also increases triglycerides. Simply put - HFCS prevents leptin production....that's the hormone that tells you to stop eating.
 
Go through your cupboards...check you labels...and get rid of this poison!

        

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

If in our daily life we can smile and be happy, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it.

This is the most basic kind of peace work.

Happiness adds and multiplies as you divide it with others.

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or at play. with your family or friends.

Happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile or unpleasant atmosphere, you feel happiness.

Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

        

Do more than belong: participate.

Do more than care: help.

Do more than believe: practice.

Do more than be fair: be kind.

Do more than forgive: forget.

Do more than dream: work.

        

Let's face it, we all know we need to exercise... we know how to exercise. How many books and videos do you own? How many gym memberships have you had? So, why aren't you doin it?  Well the problem isn't lack of knowledge, it's lack of motivation. 
When working out with your trainer, it's easy - you have us to push you & keep you going. It's finding the motivation to exercise on the days when you're on your own that are the challenge. Here are seven tips to getting and staying motivated:

1: Find Your "Why"
In order to be successful at anything, you have to have a good reason for doing it in the first place. Exercise is no exception. What will get you up on those mornings when you just want to stay in bed? Many people say " I want to lose weight" or "I want to be fit". While these are good goals, they are not always good enough reasons for long term success. You have to dig deeper. What is really important to you? What do you value in life? Answer these questions, then see how a regular exercise program can support that.

2: Make a Commitment
Once you find your "why" it's time to make a commitment. Here is a definition of commitment you may not have heard: a commitment is the ability to carry out a worthy decision, even when the excitement of making that decision has passed. Read that definition again, and really understand it. How many times have you been excited to start an exercise program, only to become bored or distracted by other things? As soon as the excitement passes, so do your exercise plans. Make an honest commitment.

3: Set Daily Goals
If your only goal is to lose 40 pounds it will be a while before you feel successful. After all, it can take a while to see such results. Rather, set daily measurable, achievable goals that allow you to feel successful every day. Keep a weekly diary and set goals each day for what kind of exercise you will do, how long you will workout, how hard you will exercise, etc.

4: Keep Track of Your Progress
After you set your goals and write them down, you want to also chart your progress. Be sure to write down your daily achievements to compare to your goals. This will become extremely motivating as you see yourself meeting your goals. With consistent exercise, you will also see your workouts becoming easier and you'll be able to workout harder and longer. This often happens faster than visible results on your body, such as weight loss or definition. Many people become frustrated and quit exercise right before big changes are about to happen, because they don't see the results on their bodies. Seeing measurable progress on paper will keep you motivated while you work towards the bigger goals you have set for yourself.

5: Get Objective Feedback
You may know what a good workout feels like - you have that endorphin "high" after exercise, or you have energy to spare all day long. But do you know what an effective workout feels like? It is hard to know how effective your workout is every day without waiting for weeks or months to see the results. What if you could see day after day how many calories you burned, or what your heart rate was each workout or how many steps you'd walked? Using a heart rate monitor can tell you if you are working too hard or not hard enough. What about calories? An accelerometer can tell you all day long how many calories you are burning and keep you motivated to move! Get a pedometer and see how many steps you walk in a day! When you look for ways to add activity to your day it becomes a fun game and you can instantly see the results.

6: Avoid the "All or Nothing" Mentality
Have you had plans to exercise five times one week and then something comes up and you miss a workout? When this happens, many people give up on the rest of the week This is the All or Nothing Mentality. Keep away from this - it doesn't work. If you approach your exercise and nutrition program in that manner, you're setting yourself up for failure. Allow for flexibility in your exercise and nutrition plans and know one missed day is not a setback.

7: Be Accountable!
About 95% of all participants in an exercise program will stop exercising. Why? No support. Research has shown that exercisers with some kind of support system have a better chance of continuing exercise. That's where we come in - we're here to give you the support you need and and work with you to identify barriers to keeping your commitment and develop strategies to overcome these obstacles. Most people need far more support, follow up and accountability than they think to start and maintain an exercise program. Being accountable is key.

In the interest of avoiding the all or nothing mentality, don't try to implement all these tips at once. Pick one or two and when you have those working, add another. Just like results from exercise, building motivation and consistency will take time. Fitness is not just about reaching a destination, it is a journey where you will learn a lot about yourself and grow from your experiences. Keep your short term goals in mind, and enjoy the journey to reaching your ultimate goals.

Visit The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles
http://www.thefitnessunderground.com

        

Daily Reflections: Some Thoughts

Mastering Change:

- You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.

Just Listen:

- The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention... A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.

Self -Esteem:

- Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important than the judgment we pass on ourselves.

Optimists:

- Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible.

The Life We Live:

- The life each of us lives is the life within the limits of our own thinking. To have life more abundant, we must think in limitless terms of abundance.

Get Started Now:

- Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.

Your Coice:

- If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.

Enjoy Every Moment:

- Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family.

Visit The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles
http://www.thefitnessunderground.com

        

- Promise Yourself -

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

Author: Christian D. Larson
Courtesy of: Jim DeCicco

Visit The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles
http://www.thefitnessunderground.com

 

        

"Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even!"  Muhammad Ali

Inner Strength is the willpower and the inner engine that propels towards success and achievement. It is the power that pushes into action in every area of life. Willpower is one of the most important and desirable inner powers, and its lack or presence determines whether you will fail or accomplish your desires and ambitions and attain success.

Inner Strength is in all of us. How and when we call it up and put it into action is different for everyone. Inner strength is often considered a quality belonging only to highly successful people, who depend upon strength and force to achieve their goals. That thinking is totally false and self-defeating; Inner Strength is an awesome power that lies in all of us. Inner Strength can be developed and applied by everyone and it is important and useful in all facets of life, not just the pure attainment of goals.

I’ve seen first hand the power of Inner Strength in action; I’ve seen the amazing courage it takes for someone to face cancer in the eye and fight it with every bit of energy they have. I’ve seen the willingness to continuously battle the many daily struggles of being a single Mom for nothing more than the love of her children. I’ve seen the extreme weight on a Dad’s shoulders to provide the best he can for his family in tough times. I’ve seen clients I personally train, dig so deep to find that sheer determination inside to work through a difficult workout and allow me to drive them further than they have ever been driven, to reach their fitness goals and more importantly, regain a healthy life. I’ve seen people have their world’s turned upside down at the drop of a dime, because some corporate suit decided to scratch their name off of his holy spreadsheet after years of loyal service just to save a few bucks, pick themselves up and proudly seek a better life and a more secure future.

Inner strength manifests as the ability to control unnecessary and harmful impulses. Inner strength gives us the ability to decide, abide by this decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. This ability gives us the courage and strength to endure and overcome inner and outer resistance and opposition, difficulties and extreme hardships, no matter what.

There are some people who sadly- feel that they do not possess the power of Inner Strength; nothing could be further from the truth, again this is a self-defeating attitude. These people have not been enlightened, for Inner Strength lies in all of us and merely needs to be developed, trained and practiced. Their desire, earnestness, ambition and time devoted to developing and strengthening this inner power is what is sadly holding them back.

Like all self-improvement, be it mentally, physically or spiritually, developing the ability to summon up the power of Inner Strength is a process, a learning experience. We all are capable of achieving it, although some will reach higher levels than others and at different speeds.

The key is be positive and just commit to travel down the path of enlightenment while you stay mindful to avoid the things you have put in your way to block you from achieving happiness and a better and more fulfilling life. Trust that you will gain Inner Strength that will help you in the workplace and at home, in your relationships with family, friends, co-workers and strangers. Inner Strength will also help you achieve everything you can dream of.