Antioxidants And Fighting Free Radicals

Free radicals are unstable molecules that have lost an electron, are unbalanced and seek to replace the lost electron by randomly attacking nearby molecules and extracting desired electrons. One free radical can damage a million or more molecules in a chain reaction (referred to as radical propagation).  Free radicals that exceed the body’s antioxidant stores are the cause of oxidative stress.

Uncontrolled oxidation is very destructive. Oxidation in our body by free radicals is thought to be responsible for extensive muscle damage, premature aging, wrinkling of the skin, hardening of the arteries, stiffening of the joints, formation of cataracts, the initiation of cancer and much more.

We are constantly exposed to free radicals from the air we breathe, water we drink, the food we eat and even exercise. Exercise has numerous benefits such as increasing oxygenation of tissue and improving insulin sensitivity but there is a down side. Every breath we take has us using oxygen to aid in the process of converting carbohydrates, protein, and fats into energy, which in, turn, create unstable oxygen molecules. Exercise uses 12-20 times more oxygen, which ramps up free radical production.

To increase your antioxidant protection, start by rebuilding your diet around green leafy vegetables and dark berries. Because free radicals are generated in different areas or compartments of the body, and because antioxidants vary in their ability to penetrate these compartments, an array of antioxidants is necessary to keep free radicals in check. These protective nutrients work synergistically, patrolling different but overlapping territories within the body.

Vitamin C for example, is water-soluble. It hangs out primarily in the water compartment, or the blood. Vitamin E is fat-soluble, so it stakes out the cell membrane compartment, which consists primarily of fats. Coenzyme Q10 and glutathione positions themselves next to the mitochondrial membranes, where they field the barrage of free radicals that’s released as the mitochondria converts food into energy.  Since different antioxidants have different functions you want to make sure you’re getting a broad range rather than just one or two.

Vitamins C, E, glutathione, n-acetyl cystiene, beta-carotene, lycopene, grape seed extract, alpha lipoid acid, CoQ10, selenium, resveratrol, and zinc. These are some of the best and should be taken with meals through out the day.

Larry Betz, CSCS

Post-Workout Shake

I would like to share with you some information that I have gotten from a fellow trainer, Mark Diaz (http://www.physiqology.com/index.htm), on post-workout nutrition.

Drinking a shake after your workout restores muscle glycogen-the energy source your muscles need in order to operate up to fifteen times faster than if you just left the gym and got a meal. It lowers cortisol, the hormone released by spiking insulin levels when you are under stress (these two hormones are inversly related). High cortisol levels are linked to higher body fat around the waistline, so drinking a shake post workout can actually help you become leaner faster.

A post-workout shake should consist of:
30-60 grams of a quality Whey Protein
20-45 grams of Glutamine
5-20 grams of Glycine
0-100 grams of carbohydrates, preferably from an organic-juice blend

These amounts are dependant upon the body composition of the individual, the desired aesthetic goal and the type, intensity and duration of the exercise program.

The best way to incorporate a post-workout shake into your routine is to start at the lower values for each nutrient, and titrate upwards as you monitor your progress. Do not use additional carbohydrates unless you are at the low end of the body fat spectrum (10% for men and 15% for women). If the post workout shake makes you groggy or you develop gastric distress, you may have a dairy allergy. If you exhibt symptoms, try a different kind of protein, such as:

Goatein, from Garden of Life
Ultra Protein Plus-protein from yellow peas
Rice protein concentrate from Biogenesis.

Larry Betz, CSCS, Holistic Health Councelor

Health Benefits of a Sauna

First and fore most, a sauna should be viewed as a leisure product. It provides a relaxing and enjoyable environment to help you kick back and unwind. A place to find peace of mind, relaxation and contentment. In other words, a way to deal with daily stress by putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Having said that, there are all kinds of established and professed health benefits from saunas. We have reviewed the literature and listed some of the most significant health advantages:

* During a 10-20 minute sauna session, your heart rate can increase by 50-75%. This can provide some of the same metabolic results as physical exercise. The increased cardiac load can be the equivalent to a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heart also causes blood vessels in the skin to expand to accommodate the increased blood flow.

* Blood vessels become more flexible and there is increased circulation to the extremities. During a sauna, blood flow to the skin can increase as high as 50-70% of cardiac output (compared to the standard 5-10%). This brings nutrients to subcutaneous and surface tissue, resulting in glowing healthy skin.

*Saunas induce sweat which provides a comprehensive cleansing of the skin and sweat glands. Skin is the largest organ in the body. 30% of the body’s waste is passed through the skin. Profuse sweating enhances the detoxifying capacity of the skin by opening pores and flushing impurities from the body.

* When taking a sauna, skin temperature rises to about 104 degrees and the internal body temperature rises to about 100.4 degrees. Exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state. Fever is part of the body’s natural healing process. It stimulates the immune system resulting in increased production of disease fighting white blood cells, antibodies and interferon (an antiviral protein with disease fighting capability).

* Fitness centers and other therapeutic facilities utilize saunas in conjunction with massage to loosen fatty tissue in the battle against cellulite.

* Taking regular saunas and getting a “good sweat” at the onset of a cold or flu can help to relieve symptoms.

* They can provide relief from the pain and stiffness of arthritis.

* They can also revive tired an strained muscles after physical exertion (active recovery do to the elevated heart rate).

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100 Days to Get Summer Ready… and Then Some!

I know it may seem crazy to start thinking about getting ready for summer when the thermostat hovers at around 15 degrees and the weatherman still warns of impending snow storms. However, this really IS the time to start training for a summer ready body.

Year after year I see the same thing happen. At the first sign of a 70 degree day in April everyone runs out to enjoy the day. But, it isn’t long before reality sets in and they realize that summer is right around the corner and they never lost the ten (or more) pesky, post holiday pounds they meant to lose back in January. Frazzled, they convince themselves that they’ll be able to do it in the 4 or 5 weeks left before summer. WRONG. Unfortunately, they’ll soon come to realize that such a last minute plan will not work and that, even worse, it also gets tougher to do the older you get. Instead of frantically scrambling to meet your goal, why not start on March and set a realistic goal of being summer ready by June? That’s 100 days, or about 14 weeks, and that’s just enough time to do a lot of good things for your body.

If your body is not already accustomed to exercise, the first 6 to 8 weeks will center on your brain figuring out these new models of behavior and from that point forward, you will begin to see real, lasting changes in your body. While you could also lose weight from other means, such as a detoxifying cleanse, that is not the type of steady, permanent weight loss I’m talking about. After all, there’s much more to the exercise process than merely rapid weight loss or muscle gain. An exercise regimen is, instead, a change in lifestyle that brings with it significant, positive changes for your body, mind and spirit as well.

Achieving your goals in 100 days takes a real commitment. In order to be truly effective, you will have to do strength training 3 days a week and cardiovascular training 3 days a week (on different days than those on which you do strength training since you don’t want to overexert yourself), and monitor every calorie that goes into your body. Have you ever seen the infomercials for the P90X exercise program where the spokesman talks about “muscle confusion” as the secret behind why his program works? Their program consists of a 90 day regimen in which you work out 6 times while following their diet guidelines…sound familiar? “Muscle Confusion” is what exercise professionals call periodization – and we’ve been using it for years! The key is to diversify your exercise routines in order to avoid the plateau effect that often stagnates your fitness progress. My “100 Days to a Summer Ready Body” program incorporates those same principles along with proven methods of personal fitness training that cannot be matched by a “boxed” fitness plan purchased from an infomercial.
The key to our success is the “personal” in personal training. When you enroll in the “100 Days” program, you’ll receive the undivided attention of a fitness expert whose single goal is to help you look your best. So, if you’re serious about making some really positive changes in your life, come see us. It is definitely hard work, but it is also well worth the effort. Our team of trained fitness professionals really can help you get ready for summer – and then some!

Larry

Your Gym Membership – The Best $2.50 a Day You’ll Ever Spend!

In these tough times, just about everyone’s being hit pretty hard by the stress and uncertainty that come with an economic downturn. In my line of work, I get the chance to speak to a wide range of people. Many of them, even those who haven’t lost their jobs, are on-edge because they have to work twice as hard to make up for the shortages in staff due to layoffs.

These days, a lot of what’s happening around us, and to us, is outside of our control. I know people have problems; everywhere we look people are getting laid off, fired or downsized. I understand these things happen and I understand they can happen to really good people. To a certain extent that’s just the harsh reality of life – sometimes, bad things happen to really good people. And, while things like a struggling economy, your company being sold or massive layoffs are not within your control, how you choose to react to those events is yours to control.

If you’re one of the millions of people who’ve been affected by the current economic environment, ask yourself what your reactions have been. Have you decided to sit at home, watching Jerry Springer and eating junk food all day? Have you gone out looking for the nearest “all you can drink” special? I know that a certain “mourning period” after something like this is to be expected so I’ll give you two weeks, at most, to feel sorry for yourself. But, longer than that and you’ll prove Larry Winget, the “Pitbull of Personal Development,” right when he says that we are often our own worst enemies as we sabotage our opportunities for growth!

In my business, I’ve seen the following two reactions to hard economic times like these: 1) Some people cut back on everything across the board, including canceling their gym membership or 2) they choose to use their “downtime” to get into the best shape of their life and work on developing themselves in ways they didn’t seem to have time for before.

As you go over your expenses to see where you can save, I’m sure you’ll see that your gym membership will truly give you the most bang for your buck and will add the most value to your overall health and well being. When you begin to really take a look at what a gym membership can do for you, you will see that nothing else can compare.

The average gym membership breaks down to approximately $2.50 a day – you’ll spend more than that on a cup of coffee on Bedford Avenue or at Starbucks! But, how long will that cup of coffee last? You can use your gym membership all day and, for the same price of that coffee, include up to four or five fitness classes in that time! Where else but in your local gym could you find a Yoga class for just $2.50? If you know of one, please let me know!

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With health care costs being what they are, you can’t find a more affordable way to stay healthy. Exercise is a large piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting – and staying – healthy so why not stack the cards in your favor? If you’re out of work, or simply overworked like most of us, why not use your time wisely instead of spending it whining about how unfair life is? It’s time to realize that when it comes to your physical fitness and personal development, you may not have a chance like this again. Among the many benefits your gym membership has to offer are the opportunities to socialize and network. After all, you never know who might be on the treadmill next to you…who knows, you might just find yourself working out next to your future boss!

Larry

Just for Laughs…kind of

This is valuable information, so pay close attention. What you do with this information is entirely up to you, but I highly recommend you do what I suggest.

Wine or Water…..

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine and those who don’t.

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,
in beer there is freedom,
in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, ( coli) – bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop. However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine and beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop,
Wine = Health

Therefore, it’s better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I’m doing it as a public service.

On the serious side, check out this article by Dr. Mercola on Tap Water Toxins

;D
Larry

A Weekend With The Masters

from left to right: assistant to Dr. Ed, Dr. Ed, Ken Blackburn, Larry Betz & Steve Cotter

I was recently asked by two friends Steve Cotter and Ken Blackburn to present a module at the IKFF Level 2 certification. What a great weekend and an unbelievable opportunity! Steve and Ken started the International Kettlebell Fitness Foundation this year and it has really exploded. They are presenting everywhere.

Those of you familiar with the Kettlebell world will know Steve Cotter as an amazing athlete and terrific instructor. He and Ken are very generous with their knowledge and work hard to present. To be a part of this organization is quite an honor.

Dr. Ed started everybody off with Qi Gong, this set the tone with breathing exercises. Then Ken followed up with a warm up of the joints (Joint Mobility Module) and I continued with the Active Isolated Stretching portion. Steve’s ordering of the exercises is actually genius-starting internally (Qi Gong), then to the joints & muscles. By then the body was ready for Steve’s Dynamic Movement Module.

I would like to thank Steve and Ken for giving me the opportunity to present Active Isolated Stretching to the members of IKFF and look forward to working with them in the future.
Any time I get to spend with the top people in the fitness industry is always an amazing experience!

Larry

Why Should I Hire a Personal Trainer? All the Exercise Information I need is in a book or on the Internet…

As a student of exercise science, I love that question. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I bought my first Judo book. I was convinced I could teach myself Judo from that one book! After all, every move was printed out with diagrams… just follow the dotted lines, practice & I’m a pro, right? My first day on a Judo mat taught me different! I was stuck in the mat like a lawn dart (remember those?!) again & again & again. It was a great class, staring up at the ceiling tiles…
I know what you’re thinking; exercise is much easier than Judo, dancing, tennis or skiing, but isn’t it the people who get some sort of formal instruction that excel in these sports? Why do people think fitness is any different? I love it when I see people at my gym walking around with some fitness book or the latest issue of Men’s Health & then ask me how to do some exercise they found in it. I mean, hey, I’m the owner & I’m happy to help all of my members whenever I can (try finding that at a franchise club!), but there are just so many things about fitness training you just can’t learn from a book, magazine or even a video.
You can’t see adduction of your femur in the eccentric phase of a squat. You most likely wouldn’t know what exercise to do if your ankle is everting in a rear lunge. You might not even know what all these words mean in regards to your body at all! Some things, like the necessary progressions, proper technique or corrective exercises to fix muscle imbalances, just need to be learned one on one.
Hey, I know that all these books, dvds, an information on the internet are getting people moving and I think that’s great! God knows people need to move more & eat healthier so take the motivation wherever you can get it! But if you aren’t sure about exactly what movements to do to reach your goals, it’s worth your while to look into an exercise professional. Think of it as an investment in your future.
Add life to your years!

Larry