Bodyweight Training

Use your body for resistance and get a full-body workout. Try pushups, sit-ups, lunges, and jumping jacks for a mixture of strength training and cardio.

What makes a Spinning class awesome?

I often ask people to tell me what they like about their favorite class or instructor. There seems to be certain qualities that pop up every time. People say things like: great music, encouraging instructor, well planned class, the instructor knows everyone by name, my instructor challenges me... I have to agree with all of these ideas, but there is more to it than that.  A great class is also about what the participants bring to the plate. An instructor provides the "ingredients", and whoever shows up has to be willing to create a "gourmet meal".

I have been on both sides of this fence as a rider and as an instructor and when the participants come to class and tune out the instructor or carry on their own conversations, it really detracts from atmosphere.  I think an awesome class happens when the participants and the instructor work together to create it. I don't think that the instructors can do it all by themselves.

Next time you go to a Spinning class, look around the room and see how much the participants are bringing to the table. Are they engaged, are they listening and following instructions. Do the participants keep those who would threaten the positive atmosphere in check via peer pressure? Is your favorite class your favorite solely because of the instructor, or is it the combination of who is in the room riding together that creates that magic? Think about what you bring to the table!

FINALLY! First mainstream newspaper to challenge the unsafe techniques of Soul Cycle

Click here for article written in the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-soulcycle-20111128,0,3219505,full.story

Healthy Recipes for Holidays

You already know what happens during the holidays. Instead of preparing the same dish you've prepared year after year...try something new this year. Here are some healthy alternatives. Good luck!

http://health-full.blogspot.com/2008/10/recipe-of-week-halloween-banana-pumpkin.html

Why Seniors Should Exercise

One of the best anti-aging activities you can do for your body is exercise. For years, it has been widely accepted that we start getting slower, weaker, and more fragile with age. But more recently, this has been proven otherwise by studies on the cellular process of aging and the impressive performances of older athletes.

As a matter of fact, most research is now showing that when it comes to your fitness, if you use it, you lose it far less quickly. And you’ll also age more slowly and have a higher quality of life in your older years!

The Effect of Aging on Exercise Capacity
But it can certainly get a bit more difficult to jump, sprint, and move just as powerfully as you may have been able to do in your younger years. There are a few reasons why:

1. Your metabolism decreases with age, by about 10% from your 30’s to your 60’s, and a further 10% from your 60’s forward. This means you main gain fat more easily.
2. Your maximum oxygen consumption decreases by significantly each decade from 25 to 65 years of age, and then decelerates even more quickly – which means intense cardiovascular efforts can be very difficult.
3. You grow less responsive to energy stimulating hormones called catecholamines (like epinephrine), and as a result, you maximum heart rate decreases, which also can decrease the intensity of hard efforts.
4. The total amount of blood your heart pumps per beat and the ability of your muscles to extract oxygen from that blood decrease, which can affect your cardiovascular capacity.
5. Your muscle strength peaks around 25 years old, plateaus through 35 or 40 years old, and then begins to decline quickly, with 25% loss of peak strength by the time you’re 65. This is due to a loss in the number of muscle fibers.
6. Your tendon, ligament, and joint elasticity is decreased as “cross-linkages” form between soft tissue fibers in these areas. This can cause a loss of 2-4 inches of lower-back and hip flexibility.
7. Your bone density decreases as the calcium content of bones gets lower and the matrix inside the bone begins to deteriorate, which can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis or fractures, especially in women.

Good Exercises for Seniors
Most of the fitness loss just listed can be drastically decelerated by engaging in regular bouts of physical activity through adulthood and into your older years. Based on the list above, good exercises for seniors should include:

Muscle Strength
Weight lifting machines are perfect for introducing a senior to exercise, especially since there is significantly lower risk of falling or injury. Free weights and elastic bands can be included once comfortable with machines. A 68-year-old friend of mine recently became certified as a TRX instructor, and this is certainly more challenging, but completely do-able for senior exercisers.

Cardiovascular Endurance
Treadmills can easily be used by seniors, and can actually help with building both cardiovascular fitness and balance, since a rail is there to help. Elliptical trainers and bicycles are also good for cardiovascular endurance, and for beginners, a recumbent bicycle is a great option.

Metabolism
Rather than simply riding a bicycle at a set pace, seniors should attempt to include a few hard intervals that involve hard breathing and burning muscles. This will help to boost the slowing metabolism.

Bone Density
Bone grows stronger in response to loading and impact. While impact-sprinting on a treadmill may be difficult for seniors, loading of the bones and spinning along the long vertical axis is a very good idea, and can be achieved with exercises such as squats, overhead presses, chest presses, or lunges.

Flexibility
While many yoga classes require a degree of balance that can be difficult for seniors, a beginner yoga class is the perfect solution for improving flexibility. In addition, a full body stretch routine can be included after exercise, when the muscles and joints are more warm and pliable

A Workout Program for Seniors
For an aging individual who is just getting into exercise I’d recommend starting with the following routine, 3-4 times per week:

Warm-up for 10 minutes on a recumbent bicycle, alternating 2 minutes of easy pedaling with 2 minutes of hard pedaling.

Perform a full-body stretch, including flexibility moves for the upper and lower body such as arm circles, leg circles, toe touches, reaching for the sky, and torso twists.

Do a full body circuit on exercise machines that consists of 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions of chest press, seated row, shoulder press, pulldown, leg press and leg extension and leg curl.

Finish with abdominal bracing on the ground, which simply involves lying on the ground with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then pressing the low back down and tightening the abs, holding for 5-10 seconds, releasing, and then repeating for 10-12 repetitions. This does not involve low back bending and extending, and can build abdominal strength while being easier on the spine.

Remember, it’s never too late to start exercising So what are you waiting for? Go get fit!

Healthy Holiday Cooking

I love to eat, but I sure don't want super high calorie foods on my holiday table. One heavy meal won't hurt a person, but generally it is the left overs that hang around for days after calling at you to finish them off.

Stuffing is usually made with broth and butter. Nix the butter and use non-fat, low sodium broth. You won't even notice the butter missing. Add bits of Fuji apple, almonds or walnuts for healthy fat and some dried cranberries to the mix.

Yams and sweet potatoes just need to be baked or boiled and instead of coating them with butter and brown sugar, just dust them with cinnamon and butter buds.

Mashed potatoes can be made with non-fat milk and butter buds, or whipped butter since a serving is lower in fat due to the whipping process. Steam the veggies and add Olive oil or Flax oil just before serving with some nice sea salt, instead of cooking with bacon.

When making deserts, replace oil with the same amount of apple sauce and use canned non-fat milk when it calls for milk or cream. White sugar and corn syrup can be replaced with any number of sweetners made from fruit or brown rice. A pie crust can be made with 2/3 C soy milk replacing the butter and most of the oil, though you still need at least a couple TBL's for a pie crust. There are plenty of low-fat ice creams and non-fat or low-fat versions of whipped cream as toppings for deserts.

I hope this helps give you some ideas of how easy it is to replace some of the heavy ingredients that make holiday foods so calorie dense. This way even the leftovers won't weigh you down for days on end.

Update on my previous post: 7 deadly...

If you are new to this blog, make sure to read the Seven Deadly Sins of Spinning post.


So, let’s break this one down from the very beginning of the video. Forgive me if you’ve heard any of this from me before, but I do want to address the specifics of this particular video. And there are some “new” ones to address in this video.

I’m developing a new 1-10 scale, rating the following for each of the movements or techniques: effectiveness (how well it does what that movement purports to achieve); functional benefit (as in is it functionally helpful for anything you may do in any activity, on or off the bike); danger (injury proneness); silliness (lol). The first two you want to be as high as possible (9-10 would be highly effective, highly functional), and the second two you want to be as low as possible (like zero would be preferable).

1. Crunches with back extensions from the saddle. First the backbend part: I need to go to a chiropractor just from watching this. The danger she is presenting to her students is beyond belief. Taking such a high risk as this places this into the major liability category. I’m baffled – do club owners not care that their liability is being challenged? It’s their pocketbooks. I mean, instructors don’t make any money, so who would be the one the rider with the slipped disc goes after? Personal trainers (good ones) would never EVER consider having their clients lean back like this when the body is not stabilized (and most wouldn’t do it even if they are stabilized, because it serves no purpose and the risk is too high). But why is it acceptable on a Spin bike? This is where the fitness industry is whacked – there is no standardization, no accountability, no professional requirements for group fitness instructors. No reputable indoor cycling certification program, NONE OF THEM, would either teach or condone any of these moves.

Scale: see #2 since it’s combined with that movement.

2. The oblique crunch. Where in any exercise physiology book, or personal training certification, would they teach you to do a crunch of any kind while sitting upright? They wouldn’t. Why? Because that is not the way the abdominal muscles get strong. They must contract AGAINST a resistance, and usually, the resistance is moving away from gravity – as in doing a crunch while laying on the floor opposing gravity. Personal trainers know this, I guess some cycling instructors do not.

Effectiveness: zero. Functional benefit: zero. Danger: 10 (due to added back bend – the actual “crunch” is more ineffective and silly than dangerous, although many students end up pulling their neck down). Silliness: off the scale.

3. High cadence standing movement (at :20). Leg speed is way too fast with insufficient resistance. People are bobbing all over the place. I could prove it to them if I could put power meters on the bikes. Slower cadence with higher resistance would actually mean MORE power output which means MORE calories burned, while at the same time actually doing something to strengthen the legs. There are no strength benefits to spinning the legs as fast as in this video, because it’s the flywheel turning the pedals, not the legs. Also, by not having resistance, rider’s hips and spine are unsupported at such a high cadence, potentially injuring the low back. There’s a whole lot of spinal jiggling going on by people without the body strength or skill to be jiggled like that.

Effectiveness: 4/10. Functional benefit 1/10. Danger:7/10 Silliness: 5/10.

4. Hip thrusts while pedaling like a hamster on crack (at :24): Add this to the unsupported uncontrolled cadence, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. One wrong move, one moment of distraction by a rider and they ain’t coming back. Ever.

Effectiveness: zero. Functional Benefit: zero. Danger: 9/10. Silliness 10/10.


5. Boxing (at :29). Um, no.
Just so you know, standing up and trying to balance while you are pedaling does not teach you balance, and it does not work the core. Have you ever heard of functional training?

Effectiveness: 1/10. Functional Benefit: zero. Danger: 6/10 (not from the “boxing” but from losing balance or slipping off the bike). Silliness: 10/10.

6. Pushups. One word: why? Do a pushup at your desk while sitting upright and you’ll have the answer to that question. They.Do.Not.Do.Anything. Except of course, get in the way of proper pedaling, proper mechanics, and effective breathing. The back is at risk, especially when done that fast, but you’re more likely to smack your teeth into the handlebars. It’s actually more silly than dangerous.

Effectiveness: 0/10. Functional benefit: 0/10. Danger: 5/10. Silliness: 9/10.


7. Hand behind the back (at :32). Again, I have to ask why? It doesn’t teach balance, it doesn’t work the core, and it detracts from proper anything on the bike.

Effectiveness: 0/10. Functional benefit: 0/10. Danger 2/10. Silliness: 9/10

8. Arms swings to a standing position (at :36). Imagine doing that on a real bike? OK, these people haven’t ridden a bike since their tricycles. So imagine throwing your hands a little too hard, and losing control of where your hips go (easy to do when the legs are whirring around like a weedwacker at 120X a minute). The feet can so easily come out of the pedals (so few students wear shoes that clip in and most do not tighten the toe clips).
And please tell me how is this going to improve your fitness? Anyone? Buehler?

Effectiveness: 1/10. Functional benefit: 1/10. Danger 8/10. Silliness: 10/10.


9. Humping movement at :40. Huh? I had to go back and watch that several times because I was so incredulous. I wish I could hear what she is cueing because I can only imagine her say “hump the bike”! See her spine? With an unsupported movement like this while the legs are spinning that fast, the spine curling fore and aft like a cat, she should be charged with attempted bodily harm of her students.

Scale – everything off the charts.

I find a class like this to be such a travesty, because she is a very cute and obviously charismatic instructor. And I bet her students love her. Can you imagine what she (and her students) could achieve if she trained them properly? She’d be off the charts (in a good way).
 

EDIT Oct 31: This woman, doing all these dangerous contraindicated moves, apparently has a kinesiology degree from Cal State Northridge! Now that’s a stunning endorsement of their kinesiology department…. that or she has completely eschewed all the knowledge she learned of how the body works and moves. Or, she barely passed her exams.

Every time I post anything regarding CI moves I get some comments from people defending those moves (and of course telling me I'm crazy or jealous or elitist) - but those are GOOD. I want more of those, it means I am hitting a nerve. The only way to make a change in the industry is to strike a nerve.

That is my commitment and mark my words, it's getting stronger and bolder. The tsunami is just beginning. Get it or be left behind.

There are 7 Deadly Sins of Spinning in classes.

1.  Thou Shalt Not Hover-it doth not work thy glutes, it doth not mimic mountain biking but you shall be cursed with an aching back!

2.  Thou Shalt Not Performeth Isolations!-this move offends thy knees and helps not in strengthening. The burn you feeleth is from the Devil himself and makes you no faster, no stronger, no cooler and no wiser!

3.  Thou Shalt Not Spin Like a Hamster who Smoketh Crack!-super high cadence with little or no resistance will surely causeth thy Lady Parts (or thy Boy Bits) to feel as if they are being scourged by demons! Lo, though some sinners think they lookth cool with feet that fly, they surely will burn from the fires below (if thou knowest what I mean).

4.  Thou Shalt Not Overload thy Resistance and Grind Slowly!-do not burden my peoples with an overload of Resistance that would surely cause them to have to strain and clutcheth the handlebars. They will surely suffer from multitudes of joint problems.

5.  Thou Shalt Not Performeth Push Ups on thy Handle Bars!-this doth not work thy Pects and doth surely decrease the number of teeth in thy head if thou slippest.

6.  Thou Shalt Not Dip Thy Shoulders Down- cornering or contrived upper body movement doth nothing to improveth thy upper body and doth taketh away from the true aerobic training of Spinning.

7.  Thou Shalt Not Sucketh in Thy Core-thy core shall remain supple and thy people shall be commanded to do deep diaphramatic breathing. Thou shalt work thy core in Pilates Classes.


There are more sins that are Venal in nature like aero position, stomping on the pedals, bouncing, and chatting in class but the big sins will send you straight to hell. The very best resource is Jennifer Sage's Ebook "Keeping It Real" It has the very best specific information on the whats and whys of all the contraindicated moves you come across. The best rule of thumb that I still carry with me is "if you wouldn't do it on the road, don't do it in class"

- Eric

Feeding Overweight Kids

If your child is overweight, what can you do? Diets are not recommended for growing kids and teens. Instead of weight loss, emphasize positive eating and physical activity changes. 

Try these suggestions:

• Eat dinner together as a family so you can monitor what your kids are eating daily.
• Sit down at the table, where you can teach kids how to eat more slowly, pay attention to their hunger and avoid the mindless eating that may occur when watching television.
• Involve kids in planning menus, shopping for food and preparing meals.
• Make high-fiber fruits and vegetables a part of every meal.
• Focus on offering lower-calorie, nutrient-rich meals and snacks without severely restricting food intake.
• Buy healthier foods and keep them easily accessible in the fridge and cupboards and on the counter. Keep sweets, chips and soda out of sight or out of the house.
• Limit sweetened beverages, including soda and fruit drinks, to an occasional treat.
• Reduce television watching and computer/video time to less than 2 hours a day.
• Promote physical activity as a family by taking walks, playing outdoor games and riding bikes together.

Quick & healthy after-school snacks

Nutritious snacking is an important part of every kid’s diet. Here are some winning combos to try:

• peanut butter and jelly sandwich topped with sliced bananas or apples
• carrot and cucumber sticks drizzled with low-fat dressing
• apple slices dipped in peanut butter
• grapes and pear slices with cheese cubes
• fruit skewers dipped in yogurt
• whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese slices
• pita bread with hummus
• air-popped popcorn
• yogurt with granola and banana slices
• homemade trail mix (raisins, peanuts, whole-grain cereal)
• bean burrito

Need Motivation?

Getting results is the best motivation for going to the gym. You’ll like what you see happening. Results will inspire you to go back for more. To get results, you must get serious about your workouts.

For women, getting serious usually means heavier weights. Many women fear heavier weights will transform them overnight into female bodybuilder versions of Lou Ferrigno. Nonsense! Female bodybuilders must dedicate and sacrifice years of their lives before achieving that muscle-bound look. The more casual female gym member will NOT transform overnight into the Incredible Hulk.

For women, heavier weights will produce that “toned” look most crave.

Heavier weights mean poundages where strict form is impossible after 10 to 12 repetitions. For most women, heavier weights means curling 20 pound dumbbells instead of 10 pound dumbbells— and not stopping at the first pangs of discomfort during the set either, but working through the pangs until maintaining strict form becomes impossible. Ditto with other exercises. Women must lift heavier and work harder in the gym.

Men have the opposite problem. For many men, getting results usually means going lighter with the weights. Men have a propensity to train their ego, as opposed to their body. They grunt through 2-3 reps in bad form with weights far too heavy. After a period of time, men become demoralized when they don’t see results. Or they get injured.

Men need to drop the weight and concentrate on proper form. Poundages must allow strict repetitions. Also, men need to work the legs. Come on guys! The muscles in the legs aren’t as flashy as the ones in the arms and chest, but they need to be worked all the same. Otherwise you’ll end up looking like a light bulb.

Finally, set goals. Best is stepping on the scale.

Set small, achievable goals on the scale— like gaining or losing 5 pounds. You will have a quantifiable number to target with a reasonable opportunity to succeed


Getting results will have you going back to the gym. You can do it.

Peace!
E

How Can You Start Exercising

Whether you’ve let yourself slide out of shape, or you’ve never worked on getting fit, it can be frustrating to get through the uncomfortable process of starting an exercise program. But look on the bright side –- when you’re first getting started, it’s very difficult to plateau, and nearly everything you do will get results!

Here are 2 tips to help you get started:

1) Get Professional Help While you don’t need to hire a full time fitness coach, just a single session with a personal trainer can help you design a roadmap and make sure you’re not wasting your time with guesswork!

2) Make A Plan Don’t blindly jump into a week of workouts. Instead, at the beginning of the week, write out which days you lift weights, which days you do cardio, which days you try a new class, and which days you rest and recover.

By enlisting professional help and writing down your weekly plan, you’ll get motivated to start (and maintain) an exercise regimen –- without hurting yourself or wasting time

Coach Cassie's Blog

Cassie is a personal trainer and fitness instructor at Xcelerate Fitness, Dinuba. Check out her blog and feel free to add to your favorites for future reference.

Coach Cassie

10 Exercises Everyone Should be Doing

As a new trainer I have seen people perform some really "interesting" exercises. Just when I think I've seen it all, some guy in tight spandex and a headband surprises me.

There are literally thousands of different exercises designed to target all areas of the body and help you achieve lots of fitness goals. Many of these are perfectly good exercises when performed correctly and used appropriately in a well designed, progressive program. Unfortunately there are also a lot which are, well just plain ridiculous.

So what are the best exercises to help you get the most from your workouts and utilize your time in the gym most efficiently? Here is our list of the top 10 exercises that everyone should include in their workout program.

1. Squat 2. Deadlift 3. Overhead Press 4. Push Up 5. Pull Up 6. Dip 7. Swing 8. Push Press 9. Step Up 10. Hang Clean

These are all multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises that incorporate very functional, everyday movements. They can help to develop all-around strength, power and endurance as well as increase lean muscle mass and aid in weight loss.


You do not have to perform all these exercises at once (although it would make for a pretty good full-body workout.) Nor do you have to perform them every time you workout. They should be scattered throughout your workouts and performed pretty frequently.

They can all be modified using different equipment to create variations from beginner to advanced so that everyone regardless of level, age or sex can perform them. They also do not require any fancy, expensive equipment and can be performed in pretty much any gym, at home and in most cases even outside.

Can You Do Cardio With Bad Knees?

“I was wondering which cardio workouts are best for people with bad knees? I'm 21 and I love to run but I already have bad knees. So, I'm torn between running or quitting cardio altogether because I don't know what else to do that’s as good a workout as running. Help!”

Because cardio often involves repetitive motion of the knee joint, it can be especially aggravating to injured knees. I personally had to avoid running for nearly a year when I developed knee pain, and was convinced I’d never run again. But many “bad” knees can be addressed with proper training. Here are 3 easy tips to get the most out of your bad knees:

1) Train Your Quads
A weak quadriceps muscle can allow the knee to track improperly in its bony groove, which results in knee pain and soft tissue damage. Often, the fix for this is as simple as doing exercises for a specific knee muscle called the vastus medialis, which is the teardrop-shaped muscle on the inside of the knee. Cable kick forwards are my favorite exercise for this, and you can do 3 to 4 sets of 15-20 reps per leg every other day.

2) Stretch Your Hamstrings
Tight hamstrings on the back of your legs can also significantly affect your knee mechanics. If you have knee pain, you should stretch your hamstrings 2-3 times each day for at least 60 seconds. One of the best moves for this is the lying hamstring stretch.

3) Use Low Impact Training
To maintain your cardiovascular fitness as you implement the tips above, engage in low impact training like bicycle riding (make sure seat is high) and water running.

With these 3 steps, most individuals can significantly reduce knee pain.

KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AND THE SPINNING® PROGRAM

Osteoarthritis is a condition caused in part by gradual wear and tear on the joint, and occurs commonly in the knees and hips. The condition may be a leading cause of disability in adults, but it doesn’t have to limit you. For a fitness-training experience that will keep your knee joints stronger longer, go to a Spinning class!

For years, it was commonly believed that exercise might worsen the joint integrity and decrease function. However, a study conducted by cycling enthusiast Greg Marchetti, Ph.D., and rheumatologist Kelly Krohn, M.D., has brought to light the positive aspects of the Spinning program for those with osteoarthritis of the knee.

The study followed 41 volunteers with an average age of 57, all with confirmed osteoarthritis. Participants in the Spinning group took part at least twice a week in a class designed specifically for their condition, while the control group continued their regular fitness routines.
After the 12-week evaluation, participants in the Spinning group had greater improvements in walking performance, experienced less pain when walking and had less symptom-related disability than the control group.

Spinning is a non-impact exercise that delivers a great cardiovascular workout while strengthening the leg muscles that help to stabilize the knee joint. Stick to the following guidelines for a safe and effective ride.

Movements:
To keep weight off the knees and reduce the risk of hyperextension of the knee joint, keep to these core movements: Seated Flats, Seated Climbs and limited Standing Flats for saddle relief. Avoid Jumps, Jumps on a Hill, Sprints and other advanced movements.

Remember that the goal of riding for those with osteoarthritis of the knee is to improve function and mobility of the joint while improving cardiovascular fitness through aerobic training.


Cadence:
To decrease the physical forces of the flywheel and to protect joint integrity, the following cadence ranges should be observed: 80–100 rpm on flats and 70–80 rpm on hills.

Resistance:
Light to moderate resistance will allow for a smooth pedal stroke while avoiding undue stress to the knee.

Intensity:
Moderate-intensity exercise provides a good aerobic training program for health and well being. To achieve aerobic training, you should stay at 65–80% of your maximum heart rate.

Starving off the compulsion

I try to keep it 100 with those in my classes and share my struggles with food, and body image.  In a way, it’s cathartic to write about it to an “anonymous” audience (though I’ve definitely connected with a few of you on a more personal level—thanks you internet!) but also, I am hoping that in sharing there will be a solidarity amongst those with similar struggles, and the realization that one is not “alone”.  

I have come to realize that day times are easy—I  have a very structured routine, and I go about it easily and with lots of good control. At night, though, when I’m at home and left to my own devices (I live alone), that’s when the real struggle begins.  Yes, I know that to prevent crazy binge eating, or even obsessions about food, one should eliminate food from their home. But, it’s not like I am going to keep NO food in my house. But even then, it’s a struggle at night to fight whatever urges might exist to not just go and binge on even the “healthy” foods sitting around.  It’s not easy.   

There’s this obsessional component to it (that thinking about the food in the house) followed by a need to act upon the obsession and eat (there’s that pesky compulsion). Yes, it’s easy for anyone to say “just don’t eat then!” but if you’re someone who struggles in their relationship with food, you will know it’s not an easy cycle to break, and it’s not so easily handled by oneself, and alone at night.   

For those of you who have been successful in doing so, perhaps you might share with the rest of us some tips that help you stave off the compulsions?

Keepin' it real...

E

Drink Drink Drink

Ah, the battle of the bulge: for most of us, there is no love lost between our hips, our thighs, our stomachs and our extra pounds. With the world - and most notably the United States - becoming increasingly overweight, diets, and exercise routines have popped up around every corner. Still, there is a bit of a conundrum: people aren't only looking for a way to lose weight, they are looking for an easy way. Well, what do you know, H2O may be the easiest way yet.

Drinking water isn't an end all be all to weight problems: anyone who chokes down two double cheeseburgers for lunch won't be saved from extra baggage simply by sipping on a liter or two of water. But, for those who eat sensibly and exercise regularly, the consumption of water may help speed up metabolism and take a few calories right off the top (or, perhaps, the bottom).

According to a recent study, water may increase your metabolic rate by as much as thirty percent on a daily basis. It doesn't take a mathematician to know that's quite a bit. Normally, in regards to weight loss, water was shoved down our throats (forgive the pun) in an attempt to make us feel full and thus, more likely to pass on that third slice of pizza. Nowadays, however, water is proving to do more than fill us up: it's a much more talented liquid than we previously thought.

In 2003, an article was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. It spoke of a study involving seven healthy men and seven healthy women. All participants were of normal weight. Each participant consumed 500 ml of water per day. When their metabolic rates were measured, the researchers found that all metabolic rates were
increased by roughly 30 percent.

This spike in the metabolism, according to the study, occurred quickly after water consumption: the metabolism was at its greatest spike within a half an hour and was maintained for more than an hour. The reason for this? Well, it's all really pretty simple: the water enters the body cold and must be warmed up in the stomach. This "warming up" causes the body's metabolism to skyrocket.

This study further substantiates the idea that ice water, in particular, can help burn calories. Just as the researchers stated above, the ice water in your system must be warmed up by your body. It goes in cold, but when it exits - unless you find yourself peeing icicles - it's no longer freezing. The conversion from ice water to warm water burns calories.

A person who consumes the recommended eight glasses of water a day - and adds in a few ice cubes - can burn around 70 extra calories on a daily basis. While 70 extra calories doesn't seem like much, over time it does add up.

Drinking water without adopting other weight friendly goals probably won't get you fitting into your tight jeans anytime soon, but it can help. It's easy, it's simple, and it provides all sorts of other benefits so why not raise a glass to H2O. Bottoms Up!

How many calories do you burn AFTER your workout?

Last week a member came up to me after class with a great question so I want to share this with you because this applies to many of us. Enjoy!

Member's Question: How many calories do you burn after your workout?

My response: After a tough workout instead of being tired have you ever felt totally energized? Maybe you are still sweating a little (or a lot) even after a shower?

Some people call it the after-burn or a workout high. It's actually called the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC. Technically EPOC is the increased oxygen consumed after strenuous exercise or activity to reduce the oxygen debt created by said exercise or activity resulting in caloric expenditure. In layman's terms this means the additional calories you burn after exercise while your body is recovering back to it's normal resting state.

Due to these extra calories being burned because of this "after-burn", your EPOC can play a very significant role in weight loss.

When we exercise we are utilizing a massive amount more of oxygen than normal, our heart rate and body temperature can greatly increase, we are burning a lot more glycogen from both the muscle cells and blood stores, and we are producing more by-products. So after exercise we need to stock back up on oxygen and glycogen we have used, reduce our body temp and heart rate, and deal with those by-products. All of this post-exercise work requires energy and this is where EPOC comes in.

The amount of calories burned post-exercise depends on the amount of oxygen consumed during EPOC and how long it lasts (it can last as long as 24 hours or as little as 90 minutes.) The amount of post-exercise oxygen consumed can also vary greatly from person to person and is dependent on a number of factors including the person's level of fitness and type of training. We do know that EPOC is present after both cardiovascular exercise and strength or resistance training. We also know that one factor that can have a big effect on EPOC is workout intensity. The amount of EPOC is directly related to the intensity of your workout. Both heavy strength training workouts and high intensity interval style training have been shown to have the greatest effect on EPOC.

Here are some tips to help maximize your EPOC:

• Add Some Intervals - Beginning June we will move forward into Interval SPINNING rides and I will be introducing and including 'Sprints' into our rides. Not only will they help you burn more calories while you are performing them, they can also crank up your EPOC levels, not to mention make SPINNING a little bit less boring.

• Lift Heavy -  Those doing R.I.P.P.E.D. choose weights that make it difficult (but not impossible) to complete 8-10 reps. For the women who are afraid they will turn into a female Arnold Schwarzenegger overnight, don't worry you won't. For the guys who wish they could turn into Arnold overnight, sorry it ain't that easy. Some studies have shown that heavy resistance training can have an even greater overall effect on EPOC than aerobic or cardiovascular exercise.

• Reduce Your Rest - Another simple yet highly effective way to increase your EPOC is to reduce your rest intervals in between sets while working out. Instead of taking 1-2 mins between sets cut it down to 45 secs. Shorter rest basically gives you less time for recovery thus requiring more time after the workout to replenish the overall oxygen consumed during the workout.

One very important point to remember is that while intensity is a key factor in determining the size or amount of EPOC you still need to adhere to the basic principles of rest and recovery in between workouts. You can't ALWAYS go balls to the wall every workout trying to rev up your EPOC and expect to see big results. There must be a balance between high intensity workouts and adequate rest and recovery.

Have a great Memorial Weekend

No class this coming Monday

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Maximum Heart Rate

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Does there come a time that your body says you are where you need to be?

Answer: You may be at a plateau, which eventually happens to everyone. As you get in shape, you become more efficient at burning calories (like getting a tune-up for your car) which means that you burn fewer calories than you used to.  If you tend to do the same thing for your cardio workouts, consider changing it up (Stairmaster one day, bike the next, jog the next, or try the elliptical or rowing machine).

You’ve probably had to reduce your food intake and increase your activity level a lot during the time you’ve been losing weight. If you choose to continue to lose fat, make sure you have room to add activity and/or lower calories and still enjoy what you are doing. If not, stay where you are for now until you feel like taking another run at losing weight.

You must be able to maintain the lifestyle that got you to your current level of fitness. If it is too hard to maintain, you won’t. You may be where you need to be from a health standpoint.

How to Deal With Bad Dogs

By Fred Matheny and Ed Pavelka of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Dog attacks are high on the list of cycling fears. Maybe you can’t stop Fang from giving chase, but you can outsmart him if you know how dogs think—assuming that stinkin’ mutt even has a brain! 

• Know dog psychology. The majority of dogs who chase cyclists are merely defending their territory. When you pedal off the section of road that they consider their turf, you no longer pose a threat to their ancestral instincts and they lose interest. Incidentally, this is why you’ll rarely be chased by a dog you encounter way out in the boonies. He’s not on his turf so he couldn’t care less about you.
  
• Know dog tactics. Dogs want to attack from the rear, coming up from the hindquarter. Even one who sits up in his yard ahead of you may wait till you pass before giving chase. You can use this to your advantage in the next tip because it gives you a head start.
  
• Sprint! You often can outsprint Fido when he’s more interested in fooling around than in actually attacking. You can tell his intent by how hard he’s running and his expression. An easy gait with woofing and ears and tail up, no problem. A full-out sprint with ears back, tail down and teeth out, problem. Still, the territorial gene can save you. If the road is flat or downhill, stand up and sprint to get past the dog’s invisible boundary.
  
• Guard your front wheel. When a dog sees you coming, he might make a beeline for your bike, then attempt to turn up beside you. The danger here is that his poor little paws will skid on the pavement and he’ll plow into your wheels. If he hits the front one, you’ll crash. Sprint so that you move forward faster than he expects, and give him a margin for error by steering farther into the road—if traffic permits!
  
• SCREAM! Most dogs know what happens when a human is angry with them. A sudden shout of “No!” or “Git!” or “Stay!” will surprise Fluffy and probably make him hesitate for just the second you need to take the advantage. If he’s hard of hearing, raise your hand threateningly as if it contains a rock. Outlaw mutts usually have had experience with bad things flying at them when a human makes a throwing gesture.
  
• Play douse the Doberman. If you see big, fast Prince up ahead and know that he sees you, sprinting might not work. Especially if the road is tilting up. Take out your water bottle. Just having it in your hand may make him stay away. If he does come near you, give him a faceful and a loud yell. This distraction will slow him down, though he may come back for more. Just don’t distract yourself and ride off the road.
  

Some riders swear by Halt pepper spray that they clip to their handlebar. This stuff works great—if you hit your target. That’s a big if when you and Spot are going different speeds, the air is moving, and you’re trying to stay on the road. Pepper spray stings a dog’s eyes, nose and mouth, but it doesn’t cause lasting damage. It also works on human attackers, but that’s a different story.

• Give up and get off.  If nothing works and Toodles has the upper hand, dismount quickly and hold your bike between you and those sharp teeth. Swing it like a weapon if necessary, and start calling for help. Someone may eventually come out of a house and yell, “Oh, he won’t hurt you!”
  
• Call the cops. If you are attacked and bitten, report it to the county sheriff or other authority immediately. Include the location, a description of the dog and the owner’s name and address if you know them. Get medical attention without delay. If the dog was rabid, you are at risk of serious illness or even death. Demand proof of rabies vaccination or insist to authorities that the dog be quarantined.
  

If the same dog accosts you every time you ride the road, report this to the authorities, too. You have a right to use public roadways free from fear for your life, liberty and pursuit of cycling happiness. Keep following up with calls to make sure steps are taken to put PupPup on a rope.

How to Lose Fat Quickly

Spring is in the air, which mean summer is quickly approaching. Before you know it, swimsuits, tank tops, shorts, trips to the beach, and pool parties will be in full swing--and there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be exposing the backs of your arms, stomach, thighs and calves.

But don’t panic! In this two part series on how to lose fat quickly, you’ll learn how fast you can safely lose fat, and about the best fat loss exercises and fat loss workouts.

How Do You Lose Fat?

Imagine you have a big barrel of crude oil in the trunk of your car. Even though your car’s engine uses gasoline, and crude oil is used to make gasoline, all that crude oil in your trunk isn’t doing you a bit of good unless it somehow gets converted into gasoline and put into your engine!

Your body is no different. Think of all that fat around your waistline like the crude oil in your car’s trunk. You can’t just take the fat and burn it right where it sits on your waistline, because your body must first convert the fat into a form of fuel that your body can actually burn for energy. Your body accomplishes that by taking the fat, sending it to the liver, and breaking it down in something called “free fatty acids,” which can then be used for energy.

What Must You Do to Lose Fat?

Why do I use this gasoline analogy? Because to lose fat, you must put your body into a state where it needs to burn its crude oil (fat) for energy. If you’re constantly pulling over at gas stations and getting more gasoline, your body will never even think about tapping into that crude oil in your trunk. So to burn through that crude oil you need to A) avoid frequent gasoline stops and B) drive your car.

What Happens if You Lose Fat too Quickly?

Before we can talk about safely losing weight quickly, we must first discuss what happens if you lose fat too quickly. You body, just like a car, doesn’t operate very well on fumes. But unlike a car, your body will actually start to break down its parts and turn them into fuel if you don’t have enough energy on board.

In other words, you will literally start to cannibalize non-fat tissue, stop making hormones, slow down your metabolism, and have lots of other nasty effects if your calorie deficit is too low!

That is why very low-calorie diets, such ones where you just drink juice made from cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and bits of maple syrup, seem to work very well at first, but then rate of weight loss slows, the immune system weakens, exercise and muscle toning become impossible, and eventually, you return to eating lots of food and yo-yo-ing until your weight comes right back up. The same effect can happen if you exercise too much, but in that case, you not only pay the metabolic price, but you can also do permanent damage to your joints.

How Fast Can You Safely Lose Weight?

So when it comes to calorie intake, how little is too little, and how much is too much exercise? Although the numbers vary widely, because people come in all shapes, sizes and weights, a safe and permanent fat loss strategy is approximately 1-3% body fat loss per month, which comes out to around 2 pounds per week for most people. Most people can achieve this with an hour of moderate exercise a day combined with a daily calorie deficit of approximately 500 calories.

However, if you’re willing to put up with fatigue, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea, a very low-calorie diet of 800 calories per day or less can increase your weight loss to 3-5 pounds per week. Although this type of diet shouldn’t be combined with exercise, you could mimic the effects of a very low calorie diet by eating 1500-2000 calories per day and exercising for 1.5-3 hours per day--in which case the gym and treadmill will become your very close friends.

What Are the Best Fat Loss Exercises?

Usually, multi-joint, full body exercises such as a squat to overhead press, deadlift to curl, or uphill run on a treadmill are the fastest way to burn calories, increase fat-burning hormones, add lean muscle, and lose fat. But if you’re doing a high amount of exercise for fast fat loss, such as 1.5-3 hours per day, you’ll want to include non-weight bearing or non-impact exercise to protect your joints--such as riding a bike, using an elliptical and, rowing machine, swimming, and performing cable or elastic band movements.

What Is The Best Fat Loss Workout?

If you’re just getting started, and especially if you are obese, this type of routine can be tough, so you may need to simply start with a daily routine of light, aerobic cardio, such as a 30 minute walk each morning, combined with easy resistance training, such as three sets of 12 repetitions for each of your muscles, using a weight machine or set of home dumbbells.

After 4-6 weeks of this type of activity, you should be able to add cardiovascular intervals mixed with weight training. If you need to lose weight more quickly than that, and you’re not currently completely inactive or obese, you can combine weight training with cardiovascular intervals 6 days per week, with one easy, aerobic recovery day, and continue this type of training for 4-6 weeks, before taking an entire easy, recovery week to give your hormones, joints, heart and mind a break.

Is There A Fast Fat Loss Diet?

As mentioned earlier, severe calorie restriction will certainly accelerate weight loss temporarily, but may have lasting health effects, and be intensely uncomfortable. In reality, when total calorie intake is equal, large studies haven’t shown that eating low-carbohydrate is any better for weight loss than high-carbohydrate, high-fat, or high-protein.

Good Luck!

Put Your Love to the Fitness Test

Sure it might be tempting to eat an entire box of chocolates, splurge on a romantic dinner or skip the gym in favor of a movie this Valentine's Day, but you don’t have to let your love life derail your plans to get fit this year. With these workout ideas for couples, you and your partner can spend quality time together while you stay on track to reaching your goals in February and beyond. 

The Benefits of Exercising with Your Partner

The two of you may be at different fitness levels and have different goals, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise together. There are plenty of reasons to give it a try:

• Safety. With someone else watching your form and being there to spot you when you need it, you’ll exercise more safely than if you were alone. Besides, who cares more about your safety than your soulmate?
• Quality time. Couples spend most of their time apart due to careers and other responsibilities. Instead of hitting the gym alone, plan a workout time that fits both of your schedules. You’ll reach your fitness goals, without sacrificing that one-on-one time that every partnership needs.
• A common interest. Add exercise to your list of shared interests and hobbies. The possibility for new, unique activities is endless and keeps things exciting. You can never have too much in common.
• Motivation and support. Getting encouragement and praise from your partner is one of the best motivators. It’ll help both of you remain consistent and take care of one another.
• A deeper bond. Exercise produces chemicals in the brain that evoke feelings of happiness, reduce stress, and also increase arousal and libido. Several studies show that men and women who exercise regularly report better (and more frequent) sex with their partners.
• Respect and pride. Taking care of your body and your health shows the person you care about that you want to be your best for them—and that you want to be around for years to come.
• Balance. In many couples, one partner tends to favor cardio (typically women) while the other tends to favor strength training (typically men). By working out together you can balance your workout program to include more of both. Let your partner teach you about the areas of fitness you’re unsure of and be open to new fitness experiences.

Wondering how working out as a couple might work in the real world—especially when you’re both at different fitness levels? Here are some great ideas to get you started:

• Sign up for a class together. While a class like salsa dancing is perfect for couples, other classes will work just as well. Consider trying something new that interests you both: martial arts, an indoor climbing clinic, yoga (including Partner Yoga), 5K training, adult swim lessons, or other sports.
• Do cardio that allows you both to work at your own intensity level. Group classes like Spinning (indoor cycling) allow each participant to cater the workout to their fitness level, meaning that you both get the workout you want—easy, challenging, or somewhere in the middle.
• Do cardio side-by-side. At the gym, simply pick two cardio machines next to each other and work towards your individual goals. You’ll be together but can each work at your own speed, intensity, incline and resistance level.
• When walking or jogging outside, try intervals. If you are a slow jogger and your significant other is faster, intervals will be perfect for both of you. Work at one partner’s faster pace for a few minutes, and then recover at the other person’s slower pace. Intervals are also a great way to improve your fitness level and speed over time. Before you know it, you’ll both be able to work at the same pace together.
• When strength training at the gym, "work in" (switch places) with one another between sets. About 90 seconds of rest between sets is beneficial anyway. So while you rest, your partner can complete one set of the exercise. Switching the weights to your own level is quick and easy to do on most machines. Another time-saving option is to use dumbbells, so that you don’t have to constantly add and remove weight plates when switching between sets.
• Stretch together. Assisted stretching has major benefits for your flexibility. Giving your partner a gentle tug or soft push in one direction can be helpful—just don’t overdo it.
• Enjoy the great outdoors. Create a more active lifestyle together by picking up new hobbies. While these may not always count as traditional cardio or strength training, every bit of activity you do will benefit your body and your health. Geocaching, hiking, canoeing, tossing a football, recreational cycling, rafting, camping, and just enjoying a nice, leisurely walk at the end of the day—all of these beat an evening in front of the TV.
• Change it up. Try your partner’s exercise ideas just as you want them to try yours. If you have trouble agreeing, compromise. Do your walking routine on one day, and your partner’s upper body strength routine the next, for example. Be open-minded, but keep your partner’s needs (fitness level, goals, comfort level) in mind too.

(No Comment...lol)

 

You've heard me say this over and over "don't judge...don't judge..."

This woman makes it hard not to...lol. Spin-gasm?

Spinning Loves Safety

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

  

Doctor: So, what brings you in today?

  

Patient: Well, where do I start? My back hurts. My knees hurt. My heart is always racing and I’m always tired.

  

Doctor, reading chart: Says here you do indoor cycling?

Patient: Yah, I go every day. The instructors are so creative! Love the hovers, standing without using our hands and how comfortable I am in the tri-bike position, especially when the gear is so heavy I can’t pedal faster than 40 RPM. We sprint every day, which hurts so good—makes me feel like I sweat blood!

  

  

Lots of people think that generally all indoor cycling classes are the same, but because this instructor yanks the seat away to deliver the most painful class possible, or that instructor has their clients stay seated and clipped in with one foot and the other foot goes on the handle bars for a hamstring stretch, that somehow these instructors have taken a sound program and enhanced it. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.

  

Does this mean that instructors from the original Spinning® program are robots, stuck in tiny parameters such as three hand positions and five core movements (Seated Flat, Seated Climb, Standing Flat, Standing Climb and Jumps)? Not at all. In fact, adhering to the basics of precise bike fit, rider control of the resistance knob, and incorporating the basic principles of good form on the road, Spinning instructors are relieved of the traditional role of entertaining fitness clients and freed to coach them toward their optimal fitness with the knowledge that the riders are safe and able to train with longevity in mind.

  

There is a reason that some things are considered advanced and not for the beginner and other things are outright contraindicated and known to be unsafe on a stationary bike. Only after a rider has had an opportunity to build up a good aerobic base for training and is comfortable with the nuances of shifting out of the saddle and back down safely should they attempt the more advanced techniques of Sprints and Jumps.

  

Contraindicated movements, such as hovers, “handlebar draping” and incorporating other equipment for an upper body workout, are always contrary to the Spinning training program because they work against the rider, increasing risk of injury with no real fitness benefit.

  

As a class participant, how do you know that what you’re doing is both safe and effective with minimal risk to you?

The general rule is, if you don’t do it on a bike on the road, you don’t do it in a Spinning class. The reverse is not always true, however. There are a couple of things we do in the Spinning program that we don’t do out on the road. Hand Position 1 is one example. Cyclists do not ride in that position on their road bikes, but on a Spinner bike during warm-up, cool-down or easy flat roads, some riders enjoy the position and find that it allows them to connect the mind, body and bike.

Riding with the elbows/forearms on the handlebars, however, similar to riding a tri-bike, is one thing that is not brought into the studio. Locking down on a bike that is geometrically designed differently (angling the body backwards, rather than forward) and does not shift from side to side under the rider like a bike does on the road concentrates the energy generated to power the pedals into the lower back of a still rider. The elbows must be free to help dissipate that energy: Since the bike does not rock, the rider must.

  

So, why are Jumps okay, since you never see cyclists moving in and out of the saddle repetitively? Some programs dismiss the value of Jumps, indicating that it poses a risk of sheering to the knees to move from seated to standing several times in a row. Without the precision fit that is expected of Spinning instructors, a saddle that is too low or too far forward might pose this risk. However, when the rider is fit to the bike correctly, cyclists do need the coordination to transition smoothly in and out of the saddle depending on the terrain or competition of their ride and Jumps help build that fluidity for effective repositioning.

  

Which leads us to hovers. Mountain bikers will argue that they need that lowness for absorbing shock on a descent down unstable terrain, which is true. However, this quad and glut strength should be found off the stationary bike through more traditional squats and lunges, because hovering (keeping the body still and low while pedaling) does not mimic what happens on the bike outdoors. Generally pedaling stops on descent, and to continue to pedal on an indoor cycling bike while holding the body low and still is more stressful on the knees, hips and lower back than it would be to just gain that strength on the weight room floor.

  

Spinning instructors who stick to the Spinning program, delivering a sound class within the guidelines of their instructor manual, are equipped with the tools to challenge the riders, both mentally and physically, to build strength and stamina while minimizing the risks associated with physical training. The program takes perseverance, patience and is not based on a single workout, but rather on the larger picture of training and periodization. Instructors who feel the need to entertain their clients to avoid boredom are often the ones who are afraid of boredom themselves. Creativity, however, is not about being “new and different.” Creativity comes from adherence to the foundations of a safe and effective training program while engaging the rider in an intelligent, emotional dialogue with their own bodies across the topography of the class and the classes that cumulate across the training calendar.

  

Remember, before improvement can happen, you must establish safety. Once safety is at the core of the program, it is the instructor’s job to coach you into a workload that pushes your cardio fitness, not your upper body strength, your fear factor or your total exhaustion.

Humor

If exercise is getting in the way of relationships or commitments, then you haven't discovered intense interval training.

What to Eat Before and After Exercising

How often do you think about exactly what you’re going to eat before you exercise? How about what you’re going to eat when you’re done exercising? And no, I’m not talking about that big bowl of ice cream or tasty martini that you’re trying to earn while you’re slaving away while Spinning. I’m talking about really planning your pre and post-workout fueling so that you get maximum results from your fitness efforts.

What to Eat Before and After Exercising

If you don’t have a nutrition plan for your fitness routine, you’re doing yourself a pretty big disservice when it comes to getting the results that you desire. If you workout while you’re starved, you simply won’t have the energy for your body to gain maximum fitness. If you exercise for a long time without eating, you’ll limit your ability to burn calories and maintain intensity. And if you don’t feed your muscles and replenish your energy stores after exercise, you won’t have the necessary building blocks for recovery.

In this posting, you’re going to learn about ideal pre-workout, during workout, and post-workout nutrition, with a quick and dirty tip for optimizing each of these components of fitness fueling.

What Should You Eat Before Exercising?

Just before you exercise, the last thing you want to do is put a bunch of proteins and fats into your body, even if they’re healthy proteins and fats. These types of fuels take a long time to digest and draw precious oxygen and energy-delivering blood into your stomach and away from your exercising muscles. They also carry a greater risk of giving you a stomachache during your exercise. But if you don’t eat at all, you risk breaking down muscle and causing a great deal of stress to your body during exercise.

The ideal pre-workout meal is consumed about two hours before exercise, contains about 300-500 calories, and is composed primarily of healthy carbohydrates. If you don’t have time to eat two hours before, a quick 50-100 calorie snack 5-10 minutes prior to exercise will also be effective.

Good Pre-Exercise Snacks

Try a bowl of oatmeal, whole-grain cereal, whole-wheat toast, or even sweet potato or yam as a pre-workout meal eaten two hours before your workout. If you have to eat directly before your workout, a small piece of fruit—like an apple or banana—will do. If that sounds a bit too blah for you, then you can try just a little bit of protein or fat, like a teaspoon of peanut butter or a small handful of almonds, but just don’t go overboard and eat last night’s pizza for your pre-workout meal.

What Should You Eat While Exercising?

Take good care of your body’s fueling needs for exercise, and engage in any type of caloric restriction apart from exercise.

Interestingly, research has shown that if you exercise for longer than 60 minutes without supplying your body with any nutrients, you actually burn few calories and less fat than if you had eaten, and your post exercise metabolic rate, or rate of calorie burning, is also lower.

If you plan on exercising for less than an hour, you don’t need to eat; just make sure you hydrate with small, frequent sips of water during your workout. But if you’re doing something like a long run or bike ride, or maybe a couple of back-to-back fitness classes, try to eat 50-100 calories every half hour, preferably from a quick carbohydrate source that is easy to carry, like a ziplock bag of raisins, an energy bar, energy gels, or even a sports drink. The goal is not to replace every calorie that you burn, but rather to give you just enough fuel so that you can maintain a brightly burning metabolism.

What Should You Eat After a Workout?

There is a window of time about 20-60 minutes after you exercise in which your muscles will readily accept the carbohydrates and protein that you consume and suck them up to be stored away as precious energy and building blocks for recovery. But if you wait too long after exercising to eat, your body become less likely to use what you eat as fuel and recovery, and more likely to run out of energy during your next exercise session, whether later in the day or even the next day.

The ideal post-workout meal is comprised of a blend of carbohydrates and protein. There are all sorts of fancy ratios used by elite athletes, but the basic rule is to eat just a little more carbohydrates than protein, and to consume about 2 calories of carbohydrate for every pound of target bodyweight. For example, if your target bodyweight is 150lbs, you should eat about 300 calories of carbohydrate, and about half that many calories of protein. A sample post-workout meal would be chicken with brown rice, yogurt with almonds, or a protein shake with a banana.

Here’s your quick and dirty tip for post-workout fueling: Don’t wait until you get home or to your office to eat. Typically, by the time you’ve prepared breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you’ve missed your magic window of 20-60 minutes. Instead, prepare and carry your post-workout fuel in your gym bag or car. This is when Ziplocs, Tupperware containers, and shaker cups will be quite handy.

Summary

As you can see, when it comes to getting fit, nutrition is just as big a part of the equation as exercise. That doesn’t mean you need to arrive at the gym with a grocery shopping bag full of fruit, or a 24-pack of energy drinks, but it does mean that you should plan ahead to give your body the fuel it needs for fitness. Don’t worry--you aren’t going to sabotage your fat-loss efforts as long as you fuel in moderation. The way I like to think about it is this: Take good care of your body’s fueling needs for exercise, and engage in any type of caloric restriction apart from exercise.