News and Rants (slightly informative)

    The Importance Of sleep | Part 1 - The side effects of bad sleep   Do you want to be as strong as a bull, as energetic and fast as a panther, and have a clear mind all day?   Well, how you feel during your awake time is determined by how well you slept the night before.   When it comes to sleep quality, the sleeping routine and pre-bed habits are crucial.   Lack of sleep is well-known for causing attention problems, hormonal imbalances, and anxiety, as well as being a cause of a variety of illnesses.   So, How Important Is Sleep?   The significance of good sleep cannot be overstated, as it has a positive impact on overall efficiency, wellbeing, and cognitive functions.   Going to bed earlier to boost sleep quality is important, as it will make it easier to deal with daily situations the next day.   Getting enough sleep will allow you to produce better results in less time, or in other words, your pro...

Calories IN Calories OUT. WTF is the Truth?  WTF is a calorie?   Simply put . . . it is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram of water one degree celcius.  Geez, thanks Coach Clarence I am good now,  watch the weight fall off (eye roll ensues). Energy is heat production.  Whenever muscle contracts to initiate movement, heat is being generated, thus calories are being burned. If you were to measure your temperature right now, you would probably be in the vicinity of 98.6 degrees. Your body maintains heat on an ongoing basis, and since a calorie is a measure of heat production, it correlates to the amount of energy a food provides. I know you are thinking what does that mean to me?  When the number of calories that you take in equals the number of calories that you expend in energy, you are maintaining an energy balance and your weight will not fluctuate very much. Conventional "diet wisdom" (a contradiction in terms) dictates that if you cut b...

  You have most likely heard about “Keto” unless you’ve been living under a rock. Or have you heard you need to be in a state of Ketosis in order to get into a state where significant ketone bodies are being produced and are actively traveling in your bloodstream. It’s how you   burn fat, right?   Basically, grab a fat piece of protein add butter or saturate it with a heavy dose of oil and “voila,” repeat all day and boom watch the magic happen. I know we live in the cancel culture and for some I just got canceled. I know some people are actively making money on the keto phenomenon. And some people are just into their feelings about it. First, I don’t do good or bad, I work with the science and let you decide. I have no stake in the keto game WHAT IS THE KETO DIET? We live in a polarized society, on one side Trumper’s, on the other side Biden boys and girls.    Its no different in fitness ask one “expert” and he or she will tell you the best way to g...

Never Give Up  Feeling stressed? Most people are these days.  The past couple of months have been filled with new levels of stress as we’ve all dealt with the   coronavirus pandemic.  But you don’t have to let stress get the best of you.  When stress is getting you down, you need something that makes you feel good and is good for   you.  I’m talking about exercise!  Every time you exercise you increase your body’s production of endorphins.  In case you have forgotten, endorphins are responsible for those good moods you get into after a race and the pleasure you feel while chomping down on a piece of chocolate. However, before you grab a piece of chocolate and skip your workout, remember the end result of each and choose which one will help you battle stress in the long run. (Hint: It’s not the chocolate.) Any and all exercise you do helps you fend off the effects of stress, in addition to all the other benefits of exerci...

Have you been getting on your scale while stuck at home? Or are you afraid of what it might say? There are different methods of tracking whether or not you’ve gained the quarantine 15 with a simple bathroom scale. Some step on every day, meticulously tracking the ups and downs. Others jump on it once a week. Still, others skip the scale altogether and simply focus on how they look and feel. Which method is best for you? Let’s dive deeper and find out… The Everyday Method:  There’s a large school of the thought that says in order to lose the most weight in the shortest amount of time you must get on the scale every day. Weigh yourself at the same time, preferably first thing in the morning, wearing as little as possible. Record the daily number and react accordingly. If your weight has gone up then make modifications to your diet (eat less) and to your workouts (exercise harder). If your weight has lowered then keep on doing what you’re doing because it’s working. Every...

When the social distancing mandate is lifted and we all emerge from our homes, you’re going to notice that many people put on weight during this stressful time. And it’s hard to blame them. Because fitness is  hard. It’s hard when life is normal, let alone when the world is on lockdown causing our stress to steadily rise and tempting us to turn to comfort food. Every day we have choices to make, and these choices take us closer to a fit and lean body or farther from a fit and lean body. Exercise or NO Exercise? Lace-up your shoes and take a run or do a bodyweight workout instead of getting extra sleep, watching TV or doing whatever else it is that you’d rather be doing. Do this 3-5 times each week for 30-60 minutes. OR Spend your spare time being as sedentary as possible. The less that you use your muscles, the more aches, pains and mobility limitations you’ll experience. Oh, and if you’re consuming more calories than your natural metabolism burns then you’ll s...

You’re stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic with Netflix and comfort foods causing you a huge amount of temptation. Not to mention the stress of this uncertain time making it easy to resort to stress eating… The fact is that after this quarantine you’re either going to be in worse shape – having gained many at-home pounds, OR you could use this extra time off to make visible progress towards your best body ever. Here are  12 Steps to Getting Lean while in Quarantine: Step One: Do Some Burpees.  Can burpees safely be performed at home? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your morning and evening routines to burn extra calories and tighten your core. Here’s how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to the squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead. Step Two: Reduce Sodium.  Did you know that salt cau...

Oops, You’ve relapsed Is this you? Have you relapsed into your old unhealthy habits? The sad truth is that nearly everyone who started off 2020 with strong fitness goals has by now given up. I sincerely hope that this is not you. This is the cycle that happens when you relapse into your old unhealthy habits, and here’s how to pick yourself back up: 1) First You Fall Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn-out process. You may fall out of exercise slowly as a result of health problems or other various life issues that spring up and monopolize your time. Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that’ll get you off the wagon. Once you’re off the real damage begins. 2) Second You Surrender There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. It may be a dramatic moment when you decide to eat anything you want, ...

Spring has arrived, bringing with it the promise of warm weather to come. You know what happens when the weather warms up? People put on bathing suits. Are you ready to bare it all on the beach? If not, no worries, there is still time. Follow these 12 steps to get your abs beach ready: Step One: Do Some Burpees.  Can burpees really help flatten your abs? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your workouts to burn extra calories and tighten your core. Here's how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to the squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead. Step Two: Reduce Sodium.  Did you know that salt causes water retention? Puffy skin is not going to make your abs look great in a bathing suit! Take the time to pay attention to the sodium content of your food. Limit salt intake by not eating packaged foods and by putti...

1. Breakfast pastry: muffins, doughnuts, bear claws, and croissants sure taste good with coffee, but all those refined carbs are going to cause unwanted weight gain. But you knew that, right? 2. Granola Bars: Watch out for the breakfast bars that claim to give you fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Check the number of carbs and sugars on the back of the label - most contain the same sugar as a pastry. That is probably what makes them taste so good (and why you should avoid them like the plague) 3. Cereal: here's another popular breakfast item that has tons of sugar lurking beneath its surface. I think the concept of a "healthy" cereal is one of the BIGGEST lies perpetrated by the health food industry. Carbs upon carbs. 4. Drive-Thru Breakfast Sandwich: Oh please. Don't even think about heading to the drive-thru for a quick breakfast sandwich. You are much better off grabbing a...

The Real Food Challenge Processed foods, additives and chemicals are inferior to real food and are potentially harmful to your health. So why do you still eat it? Why do you still eat that packaged granola bar and snack on those whole-grain crackers? You may think that a heart-healthy label means something, but it doesn't hold a candle to real food. What is Real Food? Here's an easy way to tell if your food is real or not: If your food can go bad, it's good for you. If your food can't go bad, it's bad for you. Real food is fresh and unprocessed. The Real Food Challenge This real food challenge has the potential to change your body forever. Take the next 7 days to ONLY eat real food. One week is a very short time in the grand scheme of things, and I know you can do this. Just try it for one week to see and feel the difference in your body. The Rules During the next 7 days you will avoid eating all of the following food items: Bread Grains Rice Crackers ...