Thursday, February 28, 2008

10 Exercises That Suck!

Replace these time-wasters for safer workouts and more muscle.

There’s a simple rule of thumb for deciding whether to include an exercise in your workout: If it makes you look like a jackass, don’t do it. Walk into any gym today (aside from the one I train people at, of course) and you’re likely to see guys trying to isolate their “medial deltoids” with machines that look like something out of a medieval torture chamber, or struggling to balance on a ball like some kind of circus bear. Most of these people aren’t getting bigger or stronger, and a lot of them are getting hurt.
There’s nothing wrong with varying your workout and performing a move that hits the muscles a little differently, but exercises that force you to work with extremely light weights, use over-complicated equipment that puts you at risk for injury, or make you feel like an idiot just aren’t worth doing. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 10 exercises that absolutely suck, accompanied by better alternatives that promote a safer, more effective workout.
THE BOTTOM 10
1. THE PEC-DECK FLY This lift simply doesn’t allow you to move enough weight to overload the muscles and elicit growth. Moreover, most guys unintentionally allow the arm pads to hyperextend their shoulder joints as they per- form the lowering phase of the lift, and that causes injury. And no, it doesn’t “bring out” your middle chest.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The blast-strap push- up. Blast straps (available at elitefts.com) are basically nylon leashes with metal handles that can loop around a chinup bar, tree limb, or practically any other apparatus and provide the means to do a limitless number of body-weight exercises. Using them to perform pushups forces each shoulder to stabilize itself, increasing muscle activation. Wear a weighted vest or rest your feet on an elevated surface, and you’ll have an exercise that fries the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
2. THE LEG EXTENSION Like the pec-deck fl y, this lift doesn’t allow the quads (some of the strongest muscles in your body) to move much weight. Worse, the more weight you use, the greater the shearing forces you place on your knees, risking injury.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The single-leg squat with back foot raised. Bend one knee, raising your lower leg behind you so that you’re standing on the opposite leg. Rest the top of your raised foot on a bench or other elevated surface so that it’s level with your butt. Now squat down and up with your supporting leg. Because you’re supporting your weight on only one leg, this move trashes the quads and glutes, and challenges your balance. Your hips move freely, too, which is safer for your knees. When you can’t get to a gym, this move provides a great leg workout without weights.
3. THE SMITH-MACHINE SQUAT Since the bar travels along a fixed track, it virtually eliminates the need for your core to stabilize your body. Not good. Because your abs and lower back aren’t working like they should, frequent Smith- machine squatting leads to muscle imbalances. Also, because the track won’t allow your hips to bend like they do on a free-weight squat, you may overstress your knees.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The box squat. Set up a box behind you and then lower your body until your glutes touch it. Touching the box requires you to “sit back” as you squat, as if you were lowering yourself into a chair, and this action gets the glutes and hamstrings maximally involved in the lift. It also helps you to perfect your squat form. You can start with a higher box and gradually move to smaller boxes as you improve, ultimately training your body to squat below parallel with no box at all. Better still, the box squat places no strain on the knees, so even people with knee problems can attempt it safely.
4. THE CONCENTRATION CURL Though it’s probably the second-most common exercise in the gym (after the bench press), bag it! The weight you can use is very limited and the movement has no function in daily life or sports.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The modified preacher curl. Raise the height of a preacher curl bench so that you can curl on it while standing. Grab a bar- bell and position your triceps against the pad, as in a normal preacher curl. As you curl, bend your upper body forward to somewhere between a 45- degree angle and parallel to the floor. After you’ve curled the bar as high as possible, slowly bring your body back to upright as you lower the weight. By leaning forward as you curl, you change the angle of your forearms in relation to the floor and allow for more tension at the end of the range of motion. The payoff: You can go heavier.
5. THE LEG CURL The only time your hamstrings will ever work in isolation is when you do this exercise. The hams are meant to act in unison with the glutes and lower back, so training them alone only leads to imbalances, especially in the posterior chain—the interrelated muscles on the back side of your body that are responsible for explosive speed and power. And that’s not just bad, it’s a catastrophe, because a faulty posterior chain can leave you with an excruciating hamstring pull—even if you’re just out for a jog.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The weighted 45- degree back extension. Use a back extension apparatus while holding a weight plate to your chest; do not use a machine. This exercise works the hamstrings, spinal erectors, and glutes together. While you’ll probably never find yourself in a leg-curl position outside the gym, you’ll always be bending forward to pick things up off the floor, and the back extension trains all the muscles that make that possible.
6. THE TRICEPS KICKBACK Never mind that it’s a lift women often perform with soup cans, the kickback is just too easy. The way your body is positioned—with the arm parallel to the floor and the elbow pointing up—the triceps only really have to work to lock the elbow out at the end of the lift’s range of motion. And since the weight you’re forced to use is so light, you won’t get stronger (unless you normally have trouble lifting soup cans).
DO THIS INSTEAD: The Warren press. With a shoulder-width grip, grab a bar and lie on your back on the floor. Hold the bar overhead and begin lowering it in a straight line to right above your neck. Allow your upper arms to lower as in a bench press and your forearms to simultaneously bend back toward your head as in a triceps extension. Stop when either your triceps touch the floor or the bar is six inches off your neck, and then reverse the motion. That’s one rep. Combining a compound and isolation movement allows you to blast the tri’s with heavy weight.
7. THE ROLLING SHRUG You know this move: Roll your shoulders forward, then shrug to your ears, then roll your shoulders back behind you before lowering the weights. Whoever invented this exercise forgot one key thing: Gravity pulls downward, not forward or back. So not only will you look like you’re going into convulsions, you’ll take tension off the traps, and you’ll grind your shoulder joints.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The seated dumbbell clean. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing behind you, and sit at the edge of a bench. Lean forward 45 degrees and then explosively straighten your body, shrugging the weights and then bending your elbows and flipping your wrists up so that you finish in the bottom position of a shoulder press. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Seated cleans work the entire upper back, traps, and shoulders, giving you a thick-necked look without damaging your shoulders.
8. THE LATERAL RAISE While most guys use bad form anyway, swinging the weights up to shoulder level as if they were birds flapping their wings, this exercise blows even if it’s done right. The shoulders get plenty of work from presses, pullups, squats, deadlifts, and just about any other exercise you do. The lateral raise just isn’t necessary.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The muscle clean and press. This may be the best shoulder builder of all time, and it works so many other muscles that it’s also one of the most efficient moves you can do in a time-crunch workout. To perform it, just think of a clean and press, but with no thrust from the hips: Use a shoulder-width grip and perform an upright row explosively (keep your lower body in one place). Then, still using the momentum generated with your shoulders, rotate your forearms to the ceiling and press the bar straight overhead.
9. ANY CRUNCH PERFORMED ON A CRUNCH MACHINE Crunches are a poor ab exercise, period, given that abs don’t perform crunching motions in daily life. Adding a machine to the mix only makes the move less effective. Machines limit the involvement of the lower- back muscles, which the abs aren’t designed to contract without. This leads to muscle imbalances and—you guessed it—injury.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The modified Turkish getup. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left leg bent and left foot flat on the floor. Your right leg should be straight and your right arm angled 45 degrees to your side. Now raise your torso off the floor, keeping your left arm perpendicular to the floor. Once you are up, turn to your right side and raise your hips off the floor, supporting yourself with your right arm and right leg (you will be balancing on the side of your right foot). This old-school move works all your muscles, enhancing core strength and your six-pack.
10. ANY EXERCISE DONE STANDING ON A BOSU BALL “Functional-training” gurus will tell you that performing your lifts on an unstable surface, such as a Bosu, will build more muscle than lifting with your feet fl at on the ground. It won’t. The ball makes your body so unstable, you can’t handle much weight. So you’ll burn fewer calories, work fewer muscles, and end up training half as hard.
DO THIS INSTEAD: Anything!

Five gym mistakes that keep you from losing weight!

Why You Stay Fat
Five gym mistakes that keep you from losing weight
By Kimberly Flynn

1) ALWAYS DOING THE SAME WORKOUT.
“People often fall into the trap of hitting the treadmill for 30 minutes every time they work out,” says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. “It works at fi rst, but then your body starts to adjust to the routine, and you burn fewer calories.” To keep seeing results, change one workout factor like intensity or duration every trip to the gym, then completely switch your activity every three to four weeks.

2) DISTRACTIONS.
If you can watch TV during your workout, you’re not working hard enough. Instead of relaxing while you run, try interval training. After a five- to six-minute warm-up on a cardio machine, work as hard as you can for one minute, then reduce the intensity for two minutes. Alternate back and forth for five rounds, making sure to increase the number of intervals you do each workout.

3) HOLDING ON TO THE HANDLEBARS.
When your arms take your body weight off your legs, you burn fewer calories. “If you have to hold on or lean, go slower,” says Cosgrove. (Supporting yourself without assistance gives you a better core workout as well.)

4) NOT USING THE INCLINE.
Setting the treadmill on an incline increases the activity of your glutes and hamstrings so you make them even stronger and burn more calories. Depending on your fitness level, set the incline at between 6% and 10%.

5) OVERFUELING.
You don’t need to sip sports drinks all afternoon, then eat an energy bar at the gym, and then follow that up with a post-workout shake. Instead, limit yourself to about 300 calories—the same number you burn in an average 30-minute workout. Any more and you’re not going to get thinner.

Daily Inspiration


"I define happiness as a continuous, creative activity."
~ Baba Amte

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Daily Inspiration


The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.
~Zen Quote

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Definiton of the Day

DILLIGENCE: a learnable skill which combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence.

More on using diligence in your workouts in the near future!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Definition Of The Day

Progressive overload: The gradual increase of stress placed upon the body during exercise training. This technique is recognized as a fundamental principle for success in various forms of strength training programs including fitness training, weight lifting, HIT training and physical therapy programs.

Daily Inspiration


Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings.

~Proverbs 22:29

Become the One in a Thousand Who Achieves Incredible Outcomes

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

How Should You Maximize Your Macronutrient Intake?

You will naturally crave more calories as your immune system gets taxed during an intense workout and glycogen stores are depleted and muscle fiber is stressed. The key is to deliver ample doses of macronutrients to your body at planned intervals throughout the day to ensure the following :

  1. Your body is consistently loaded with slow release, nutrient-laden, low-glycemic carbohydrates in the morning and also prior to working out. Foods that meet these criteria include oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
  2. Your body has a steady flow of protein from a variety of sources (salmon, halibut, turkey, lean beef, eggs, soy, lean dairy products, and chicken) to ensure that your system remains in an anabolic state; and your body is replenished with high-glycemic carbohydrates (juice, cereals, pastas, sweet potatoes) and rapidly assimilated protein (whey protein isolate, lean animal protein) within the first hour following each training session.
This strategy will take advantage of the bodies natural high levels of human growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin-like growth factor, which tend to peak 45 to 60 minutes after training commences.

Nutrition Tip: Healthful Fast and Portable Snacks

Examples of healthful fast and portable snacks that can help you meet your protein intake goals include the following:

Trail Mix: 100 percent oats, raisins, almonds, soy nuts, high protein, and soy cereal
Carrot Sticks, whole grain crackers, and hummus
Yogurt with fruit (low sugar)
Cottage cheese with fruit
Light string cheeses
Protein smoothies with soy milk, frozen berries, and flax seed oil

Six Meals Away Will Keep The Doctor Away!

Did you know that you should be eating more than 3 times a day?

Eating too much food at once shifts the whole body into digestion and sedation. Fueling your body with six smaller yet balanced meals that contain protein, carbs, and healthy fats is best to maintain energy or aid in weight loss.

Eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and an evening snack. This will nourish your body with the proper balance of nutrients that you will need in your workout program.

Daily Inspiration


Most of us spend our lives as if we have another one in the bank.

~Ben Irwin

Fiesta Quesadillas with Black Beans

Fiesta Quesadillas with Black Beans

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time : 20 minutes Cooking time : 10 minutes
Ingredients For the salsa:

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 teaspoon minced jalapeƱo chili pepper, or to taste

3 tablespoons diced red or green peppers

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice salt to tastefreshly ground black pepperhot sauce (optional), to taste

For the Quesadillas:

4 large whole wheat flour tortillas

1 cup low-fat Monterey jack cheese1

15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3/4 cup chopped red onion

3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
Cooking Instructions
For the salsa:1. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. (This can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)
For the quesadillas:

1. Preheat the oven to 200F.
2. Lay the tortillas out on a work surface and arrange the cheese, beans, cilantro, red onion and tomatoes on half of each tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half to cover the filling.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Carefully cook one quesadilla at a time in the skillet until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the browned quesadillas to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the rest.
4. Slice each quesadilla into 4 wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 quesadilla
Amount Per Serving
Calories 356
Protein 19 g
Total Carbohydrate
55 g Dietary Fiber
6 g Soluble Fiber
0 g Insoluble Fiber
1 g Sugar 10 g
Total Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g

What Are The Most Effective Abdominal Exercises

If you dream of tightening your tummy but dread doing endless sets of sit-ups, then California researchers have good news for you. The classic sit-up, they say, is not the best answer for stronger, flatter abdominals.
A study led by Peter Francis, Ph.D., at the biomechanics lab at San Diego State University put different abdominal exercises to the test and found that not all are created equal.
The traditional sit-up - or crunch - fell close to the bottom in a ranking of the ab exercises.

"The sit-up is ineffective," Francis says. Typically, he says, people do sit-ups by lying with their back on the floor, with their legs straight or knees bent. Then, they sit all the way up, relying on their hips and less on their abdominals. Not only is a sit-up ineffective but it can strain the back, Francis adds.

"You don't have to spend $150 on a piece of exercise equipment to strengthen your abs," Francis says.

Tummy-tightening comparison
The San Diego study, sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), compared 13 of the most common abdominal exercises, some involving equipment, and ranked them from most to least effective. Muscle activity was monitored during each exercise using electromyography equipment.

Each of the 13 exercises was ranked for muscle stimulation in the rectus abdominus (the long, flat muscle extending the length of the front of the abdomen) and the obliques (the long, flat muscles extending along the sides of the abdomen at an angle).
The top three abdominal exercises were:
Bicycle maneuver. To do this exercise, you lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.

Captain's chair. This was one of the few on the "most effective" list that involves gym equipment. To do the exercise, stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad of the chair-like equipment. The starting position begins with you holding your body up and legs dangling below. Now slowly lift your knees in toward your chest. The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring your knees up and return them back to the starting position.

If you do not have access to a captain's chair, Francis says you can improvise by hanging from a bar, although that may be difficult for many people who aren't in shape.
Crunch on exercise ball. A high-quality exercise ball, which costs about $30 depending on the size, is needed to do this exercise. Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back slowly. Now lie back on the ball until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and slightly tuck your chin in toward your chest. Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. For better balance, spread your feet wider apart. To work the oblique muscles, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position.

If you do a crunch, researchers found you are better off doing a vertical crunch (which ranked number four on the list of most effective ab exercises for the rectus abdominus) or a reverse crunch (which ranked number three for strengthening the obliques).
"These crunches don't put as much stress on your back," Francis says, as a traditional sit-up type crunch.
To do a vertical crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands behind your head for support. Extend your legs straight up in the air, crossed at the ankles with a slight bend in the knee. Contract your abdominal muscles by lifting your torso toward your knees. Make sure to keep your chin off your chest with each contraction. Exhale as you contract upward; inhale as you return to the starting position.

To do a reverse crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head or extend them out flat to your sides - whatever feels most comfortable. Crossing your feet at the ankles, lift your feet off the ground to the point where your knees create a 90-degree angle. Once in this position, press your lower back on the floor as you contract your abdominal muscles. Your hips will slightly rotate and your legs will reach toward the ceiling with each contraction. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position.

Abs need regular workout
Unlike strength training, Francis says abdominal exercises should be done frequently rather than for intense periods. "Abdominal strength isn't the same as working on big muscles with large resistance," he says. Instead, what's needed is "endurance training for the abdominals."
Five minutes a day of abdominal exercises can make a difference if you do it regularly.

If one exercise feels uncomfortable or is too difficult, then Francis says try others. The captain's chair exercise, for example, might be too stressful for someone who has low back pain or is out of shape.

Top Six Fitness Myths

With so much health and fitness information coming from so many different sources, it's no wonder people are confused.

What does it take to get fit? Will crunches get rid of my spare tire? What’s the best way to lose weight?

More than 1,500 Professionals responded with the most pervasive myths and misconceptions about exercise.

Here are their top six responses.

1. Women who lift weights will get bulky muscles.

2. Spot reducing is possible.

3. No pain, no gain.

4. Exercise requires a hefty time commitment.

5. If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want.

6. There’s a magic bullet (quick fix) out there somewhere.

Fitness Tip: Where to Find Your Pulse

Although you can find your pulse in several spots around the body, the best place is probably your neck. The pulse in the carotid artery (located next to the windpipe) is very pronounced.

To get your pulse, you can either hold it for 60 seconds, or take it for 10 seconds and multiply that number by 6 (for example, 20 beats in 10 seconds gives you 120 beats per minute).


~Damian Mcknight

Daily Inspiration


God ever works with those who work with will.

~Aeschylus

No Pain, No Gain? The Truth about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)


No one knows your body like you do, so it is up to you to know whether your aches fall under the term "good pain" --the result of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS usually occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise and is best remedied with active recovery training, not passive rest.

If you are feeling sore after a workout, perform a few lightweight, high-rep resistance exercises a day or two after the initial training session. This will enable sufficient blood supply and nutrients to those muscles for better muscle recovery.

However, "bad pain" will usually feel much worse. Injuries such as sprains, strains, and tears are not uncommon when training and can be prevented by using proper technique and form. If pain of this type is ever encountered, immediately stop training and seek medical attention.


Damian Mcknight

Monday, February 18, 2008

Daily Inspiration


"A dream comes through much activity, but a fool is known by his many words."
~Ecclesiastes 5:3

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Daily Inspiration


Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.
~Abraham Lincoln

Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.

--Goethe

Weight Gaining Tips!


To get the most muscle out of your weight gain, avoid the junk food and focus on eating whole foods.


A good weight gain diet should be composed of 30-50% protein, 20-50% carbohydrates and 20-40% fat (the majority of which should be essential fatty acids).


Different ratios within these ranges will work differently for different people. Keep up your food journal and experiment to find the ratios that work best for you.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Daily Inspiration



You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
~Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Push Is On To Cut Obesity Among African Americans

I found this alarming article on OrlandoSentinel.com by Linda Shrieves.

A war is raging against obesity in the black community, where weight-related health risks run especially high.
by Linda Shrieves
Sentinel Staff Writer

February 12, 2008

When Clinette Richardson got a note from her 11-year-old son's school, asking her to enroll in a free health program because her son was in danger of becoming obese, she wasn't angry. She was elated.Richardson, a single mom, had been trying to find ways to help her two kids slim down and avoid what has become a real issue in the black community: diabetes and strokes.

"When I got the notice, I thought this was an answered prayer," said Richardson, 36.

For 12 weeks, from September through December, Richardson and her children, Clinton, 11, and Akirah, 14, attended a weekly class at Nap Ford Community School, where a team of dietitians, psychologists and doctors coached 11 families on how to slim down, shape up and eat right.They ate healthful meals and exercised together, laughing as the dads attempted to jump rope, and the moms hopped between cones.

In the process, Richardson said, her family experienced a transformation.

"Now we exercise together two or three times a week," she said. "Before, I would go to the pool by myself, and my son would stay home and play video games. Now we go and race around the track together. It's more like play than exercise.

"As the obesity crisis has enveloped the United States, it has thundered through the black community, where adults are more likely to suffer from diabetes, hypertension and strokes than whites. The crisis is especially severe among black women, 79.6 percent of whom are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Orlando, black leaders are trying to tackle the issue. From churches to schools to gyms, pastors and principals and personal trainers are urging black men and women -- and kids -- to rethink the way they eat and exercise.

"This is a huge problem for our community, and we've got to address it," says Jean Piccard Jacques.From the small gym that he opened in a Pine Hills shopping center, Jacques can see the toll that obesity takes on the community: the working moms with diabetes. The men who have heart attacks in their 40s. The children who are overweight before they enter their teens.

In Central Florida, 35.9 percent of the region's blacks are obese, compared with 20.7 percent of whites and 20.2 percent of Hispanics, according to a 2004 survey by the Health Council of East Central Florida.

Jacques, 32, a former instructor at a national fitness chain, opened a small, no-frills gym almost two years ago. On most nights of the week, his gym is full of black women of all shapes and sizes, but Jacques wanted to reach people who couldn't afford a gym.So last year, he began offering a free workout every Saturday morning at Barnett Park.

"I thought this would be a great way to teach people about the benefits of exercise," Jacques said.

He's part of a growing movement to tackle the health problems that plague black America.

Last year, Dr. Ian Smith, a graduate of Dartmouth Medical School and a former health correspondent, made headlines when he launched a "50 Million Pound Challenge" -- a challenge to the nation's black community to lose weight and tackle some of the serious health issues plaguing it.

"If you look at the numbers, African Americans tend to reside at the upper end of spectrum," Smith said. "Almost 80 percent of women are overweight, almost 70 percent of men are overweight, as are 20 percent of boys and 25 percent of girls," Smith said.

Since he launched the challenge last April, an estimated 300,000 people have lost, collectively, 1.2 million pounds.This year, Smith plans to challenge churches and black fraternal organizations to join him.

"I suspect we'll lose millions and millions of pounds this year," Smith said.

Nationally, more black ministers are pushing members to watch their health.

In Orlando, Terence Gray, pastor at St. Mark AME Church, became more interested in health issues in 2006, when doctors told him that he had two blockages in an artery. That wasn't all. Gray weighed too much, his cholesterol was high and his job, although spiritual, was often stressful.After doctors placed stents to clear the blockages, Gray changed his diet. He started working out three days a week and taking long walks two days a week. He lost 25 pounds and soon turned his attention to his congregation's health. Now every Monday and Wednesday night, church members can take an exercise class at church, led by a personal trainer. The cost is $5 for each church member; the church subsidizes the rest.

He has also teamed up with a hospital to hire a parish nurse."I think more and more churches are realizing that we're not just speaking to a person's spirit, but we have to reach the whole person," Gray said.

If church is the best place to reach black adults with the health message, perhaps the best place to reach kids is at school.

At the Nap Ford Community School in downtown Orlando, Director Jennifer Porter-Smith is testing that theory. So last year, when she realized that the charter school's 136 students weren't getting enough exercise in their daily routine, she extended the school day one hour each day. By the end of the school year, they saw a reduction in the students' body-mass indexes.

"The parents embraced it," Porter-Smith said. "It wasn't a hard sell at all."

Likewise, when Florida Hospital introduced a free, 12-week Health Intervention Program, aimed at teaching families how to eat and exercise right, Porter-Smith brought the program to her school. She invited families whose children had body-mass indexes in the danger zone.

For parents such as Clinette Richardson, the program was a godsend. She learned how to flavor greens with smoked turkey, not fattier ham. She began experimenting with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. And her daughter chose to become a vegetarian."We have a whole different mind-set now," said Richardson. "We want to be healthy."

Linda Shrieves can be reached at lshrieves@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5433.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Daily Inspiration


"Mindfulness of the body leads to nirvana." Such awareness is not a superficial practice. Mindfulness of the body keeps us present.
--Buddha

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Daily Inspiration!


“those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness” (Proverbs 14:22).

Friday, February 8, 2008

Prescription for Training

Prescription for Training:

Begin with 1 set of 12-15 repetitions. The amount of weight should produce noticeable muscle fatigue by the last few repetitions.

Master each technique before adding sets or weight. Control the speed of movement with each repetition.

Any increase in sets or weight should occur after 4-6 weeks of training.

Gradually increase to 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Perform a compound exercise before an isolation exercise.

Train 3 times per week, every other day.

Rest for a minimum of 2 minutes between sets and exercises.

Always finish your workout with a cool down and stretch.

REMEMBER: To either maintain or lose extra body fat, aerobic exercise is essential in the fight against accumulating fat stores. Aerobic exercise is the only form of exercise that burns fat, thus helping to lose fat weight.

Some important facts about fat:

Fat will not turn into muscle, nor muscle into fat.

Fat is burned through both aerobic exercise and strength training.

Initial weight loss may be from losing water weight.

An improper diet, or fasting, will not reduce fat stores. Instead, the body will hold onto the fat to keep functioning!

An Ideal Exercise Program

An ideal exercise program consists of three major components.

Aerobic Exercise.

Muscular Strength and Endurance.

Flexibility.

AEROBIC exercise is a sustained, rhythmical activity using all of the major muscle groups of the body. It improves the heart and lungs' ability to function on a daily basis. Aerobic exercise also helps decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and other diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle. Some examples of aerobic exercise are walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH is the maximum force that a muscle produces against resistance in a single, maximal effort or 1RM. From this One Repetition Maximal effort (1RM), a percentage of resistance, or weight, is calculated for the starting weight in a strength training program. Muscular strength may improve in as little as 4 to 6 weeks of consistent training. Strength gains continue to improve after 12 weeks by increasing sets and weight. Maintaining, or increasing muscular strength decreases the rate of age related loss of lean muscle mass. It also decreases the risk of injury and age related diseases such as osteporosis. The exercises in this section are muscular strength exercises.

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE is the capacity of a muscle to exert a force repeatedly against a resistance. The best illustration is running, where the feet repeatedly hit the ground and push off for the next stride. When weight training, performing one set of 15-20 repetitions with a relatively light weight is more of a muscular endurance exercise than a muscular strength exercise. The exercises in this section can also be used to improve muscular endurance.

FLEXIBILITY is the range of motion around a joint. That sounds simple, but this component is often neglected in the most avid exercisers. Flexibility is very important in the prevention of injury in daily activities, as well as during training or athletic event. Overall flexibility declines with age as soft tissue gets thicker and loses elasticity, thereby decreasing mobility and range of motion.

Keep your exercise program balanced by incorporating all of the components of fitness.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Healthy Recipe: Grilled Shrimp with Mango-Barbecue Glaze

Grilled Shrimp with Mango-Barbecue Glaze
This recipe serves: 4

Preparation time : 5 minutes Cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the mango-barbecue glaze:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup mango jam or jelly
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon finely diced onion
salt to taste
pepper to taste

For the grilled shrimp:
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
pound skewers metal or wood (soaked)

Cooking Instructions
For the mango-barbecue glaze: 1. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and sugar over medium heat until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. Add the mango jam, barbecue sauce and onion and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the grilled shrimp:

3. Preheat the grill to medium-high.

4. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

5. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the shrimp, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.

6. Place the shrimp on a serving platter and brush them with the mango-barbecue glaze.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 pound of shrimp

Amount Per Serving
Calories 273
Protein 23 g
Total Carbohydrate 33 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Soluble Fiber 0 g
Insoluble Fiber 0 g
Sugar 26 g
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g

Find Your Ideal Heart Rate


The formula to find your ideal heart rate when exercising is 220 minus your age multiplied by 0.80.

To get in shape you need to work out at your target heart rate for no less than 20 minutes, and no less than three times a week.

Healthy Eating Tip: Using Olive Oil

A crucial part of any well-rounded diet includes one or two tablespoons of olive oil a day in foods like salad dressing.
However, one thing to keep in mind about olive oil is that you should not fry foods in it. If you take a healthy fat and you fry it—if it reaches its smoking point—then you actually are oxidizing it.
When you oxidize it, you actually damage the fats and you lose a lot of the benefit. Rather than putting the oil in the pan and heating it, a better method is to put the food in the oil first and then add it to a heated pan.

That's a wonderful way of reducing the amount of oxidation that occurs.

Fat Burning Tip: 100% Whole Grain


When you're in the bread aisle at the grocery store, here's one thing to keep in mind to maximize your family's health. "Remember, you don't want it to say 'mixed grain,' 'great grain,' 'the best for you grain.' It's got to say '100 percent whole grain.' If it doesn't say 100 percent, it's not."

Dr. Oz's Green Drink

Oprah's Dr. Oz says he makes a breakfast drink for himself many mornings that he calls his green drink.

What's in Dr. Oz's green drink?

2 cups spinach
2 cups cucumber
1 head of celery
1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
1 bunch parsley
2 apples
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon

After everything is combined in a blender, this recipe makes 28 to 30 ounces—about three to four servings. Oprah takes a sip and is pleasantly surprised. "It's a glass of fresh," she says. Dr. Oz's second drink might not be as pleasant, but it's still important—a shot of cod liver oil. "First of all, cod liver oil has the right kind of vitamin D in it—vitamin D3. That's why people who live in the north lands who don't get any sun at all can still survive. It's got the healthy fats that you want in it," Dr. Oz says.

Monday, February 4, 2008

CHANGING YOUR MIND BY CHANGING YOUR BODY

CHANGING YOUR MIND BY CHANGING YOUR BODY
By Lise Funderburg

What if fitness, besides shaping your body, also sculpted your mind—sharpened it, opened it, even changed it? What if exercise swept you up into a back-and-forth of brain and brawn, taking off pounds and putting on wisdom, stretching your confidence and flexing remnants of character long buried in your life's rubble. Weight training gave Lise Funderburg an appreciation of her own form.

I took a trip. I packed nothing—although believe me, there was baggage—and I traveled far and wide. Without ever imagining such a destination, I ended up in a surprising place of comfort and joy: my own body.

The trip, after decades of aimlessness, turned toward its end a year ago, when in a moment of harmonic convergence, a friend I'd made at my gym started to offer personal training sessions. Russell Swan, Esq. (a lawyer for the government with a master's degree in public administration), started training people just because he likes to. I signed on for one session a week.

In our first few months, I felt like a walking bruise. I experienced pain and stiffness that consigned me to the right side of escalators for days at a time. Russell laughed at my complaints (although he also checked to make sure the aches were appropriate muscle soreness and not injury). When he asked for my goals, I said I wanted to preserve a feminine silhouette. Tone, not bulk. I admitted that my underlying aims were one part health but two parts vanity. In terms of health, I knew that weight lifting increases bone density—an excellent defense against osteoporosis, a condition that runs in my family. A more developed, balanced musculature also reduces the risk of injury and improves athleticism and endurance. Who could argue with such benefits?

Inside, my body has begun to develop quirks—none of them good. A chronic knee thing. A chronic wrist thing. A pinch here, a twinge there. Outside, well, I believe I just mentioned that birthday. And so the purpose of regimes—for skin, hair, or physique—has, for me, shifted from improvement to preservation.

As it turns out, I am also relying on something I hadn't ever noticed: my own determination. After I'd been working out with Russell for a while, the aches abated. Since then, changes have surfaced. I feel previously unknown muscles switch on from a dead sleep—strength coming from odd places. I find myself bouncing up stairs. I run faster. I jump higher. My arms have become so articulated that I now go sleeveless in the dead of winter. Don't try to stop me. Russell tells me to "dig it out" at the end of a hard set; when I'm running alone, up that last long hill, I tell myself to dig it out. And I do, with a big strong sprint that leaves me panting and proud.
Russell was the one who pointed it out. "What I really didn't expect, even though I knew you," he told me one day, "is how competitive you turned out to be." Now I no longer look at every reflection of myself and see a map of disappointments. I see vigor, curves, and force, an organic tumble of sensual, sexual energy. (Russell has watched me struggle to make peace with failure when I couldn't lift another time, another pound, another set. He has reassured me that even if I fail in a specific instance, I make progress—by testing my limits, and then pushing beyond them. Who knew that losing meant winning?) Russell went on to say he saw that drive emerge over time, a fight that kicks in every time he bumps up the weight or increases the reps. I am competitive, I thought. I do want to win. "Everyone's competitive about something," Russell said. "At its core, competition is passion. It's hope."

I stand straighter. I breathe deeper. My heart opens. I dress differently—I feel better about how I wear clothes but also less concerned with the whole enterprise. I don't buy as much, and when I do, I buy to complement, not compensate.

Lise Funderburg is the author of Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity (William Morrow).

From the November 2001 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Daily Inspiration


You won’t ever walk on water until you step out of the boat!

Stretching Program

Stretching Program

This workout can take as little as 7-10 minutes, or as long as you'd like. A few minutes every day can improve your performance, prevent injuries, and help you relax.

Neck Rotation. Turn your head to the side, stretching your chin toward your shoulder. Turn head back to center and repeat to the other side.

Shoulder Stretch. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Raise one arm overhead and stretch as far as you can without bending the torso. Repeat with opposite arm.

Forearm Stretch. Extend your right arm straight out in front of you, palm downward. With the left hand, grasp the fingers of the right hand and pull back gently, stretching the wrist and forearm. Repeat with the left arm.

Triceps Stretch. Raise one arm straight up, so your upper arm is near your ear. Bend at the elbow and let your hand fall to the back of your neck. With the other arm, reach behind your head and place your hand on top of the bent elbow. Gently pull down and back on the elbow. Repeat with other arm.

Trunk Stretch. Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. Reach your left arm overhead and bend to the right at the waist. Repeat on opposite side.

Torso Twist. Stand at arm's length from the wall, with the wall at your side. Reach one arm out and place your hand on the wall. Reach the other arm around the body, stretching the hand to the wall. Repeat on opposite side.

Chest Stretch. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Clasp your hands behind your back and gently press your arms upward, keeping your arms straight.

Back Stretch. Lie on your back and bring one knee to your chest. Hold the knee with both hands and gently pull in. Alternate knees and repeat.

Hip Roll. Lie on your back and bend your knees, feet flat on the floor. Let your knees fall to the right while reaching both arms across your body to the left. Hold the stretch, then roll the hips over to the left, stretch arms to the right and repeat the stretch.

Lower Back Reach. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Reach forward toward your toes, keeping your chin up and lower back slightly arched. Try not to round the back or tuck the chin in - this decreases the effectiveness of the stretch.

Butterfly Stretch. Sit on the floor, bend your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. Place your hands on your knees and gently press the knees toward the floor. Keep your back straight.

Lateral Hip Stretch. Sit on the floor with both legs straight in front of you. Bend your left leg and place the left foot over the right knee. Place your right hand on the outside of the left knee and gently pull the knee toward your right shoulder, twisting the torso to the left, until you feel the stretch in your left hip. Repeat with opposite side.

Hamstring Stretch. Stand with legs shoulder width apart and the left leg slightly in front of the right. Shift your weight to the back leg (the right) and bend the knee, turning the knee and toe to the right. Extend the left leg and place the heel on the floor, toes in the air. Keep the back straight and bend forward at the hips until you feel the stretch in the hamstring of the left leg. Repeat with the opposite leg.

Standing Hamstring Reach. Stand with one foot crossed over the other. Bend at the hips, reaching toward the floor and keeping the knees slightly bent. Repeat with the opposite foot crossed in front.

V-Stretch. Sit on the floor with your legs extended to either side so they form a "V". Bend forward, grasp your toes or ankles, and stretch your chest toward the floor. Try to go a little lower each time you perform the stretch.

Leaning Calf Stretch. Stand about 2 1/2 feet from a wall. Place your hands on the wall and lean in, gently pushing your hips forward. Keep your legs straight and heels flat on the floor.

Standing Calf Stretch . Stand with your feet together. Extend one leg in front of you and place the heel on the floor, toes in the air. Keeping the back straight, bend forward at the hips until you feel the stretch in the calf. Repeat with opposite leg.

Quadriceps Stretch. Lie face down and reach back with your right arm to grasp your right ankle. Pull your foot toward your buttocks. Be sure to keep your hips and pelvis on the floor. Repeat with left leg.

Standing Quad Stretch. From a standing position, reach back to grasp your right ankle with your right hand. And Pull your foot toward your buttocks. Place your other hand on a wall or chair if you need balance support. Repeat with left leg.
Stretching Tips
1. Always warm up for 5-10 minutes prior to stretching. Suggestions - stationary bike, running in place, stairmaster, or treadmill.
2. Move slowly when stretching. Take this time to relax and focus on your breathing.
3. Depending on what you choose, music can help energize or relax you.
4. When lying on your back, move your legs one at a time. Sudden movements with both legs can strain the muscles of the lower back.
5. Stretch to the point of gentle tension. If something hurts, stop immediately. Stretching should feel good.
6. Try to stretch daily.

** Reduce your daily caloric average by another 100 calories. Write down EVERYTHING you eat including measurements and calories.

** Save enough calories to eat one teaspoon of healthy oil each day.

** Avoid the feeling of deprivation by finding non-food activities to nurture yourself EVERY day.
** Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

**Save enough calories to eat two servings of dairy products each day.

**Increase your mileage. Walk 1.50 miles five days this week. You are allowed to increase your speed to the point of sweating, but if you are sore the next day you MUST go slow again.

Give yourself kudos for coming this far!