How to Tie Your Shoes

12 08 2010

Courtesy of Runner's World Magazine

I had no idea I wastying my shoes the wrong way all these years.   There are two common knots that most people use to tie their shoes: the granny knot and the reef knot.   The granny knot is the one pictured on the left above looks a little sloppy and has a tendency to loosen with activity.  The reef knot on the left is much neater and will actually tighten with activity.  No more untied shoes.

If you are using a granny knot now it is very easy to switch to a reef knot.  You just need to change one step of your shoe tying routine.  The good people at Runner’s World provided step by step instructions and a video to show you how!


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Categories : Equipment, Just for Fun

Fat Burning Zone Myth

11 08 2010

Highway to the Danger Zone!

If you’ve ever used a cardiovascular machine at a gym, you are probably familiar with the above graphic.  This colorful box is a target heart rate zone chart.  You  jump on a cardio machine, look at this handy guide and by simply matching your age to your goals find the perfect heart rate to work at to achieve the results you want.  Sounds good in principle but in practice it is very flawed and is misunderstood in the world of fitness.

My first problem with the chart is that most of them get their information from old research originally used for cardiac rehab patients.  The heart rates listed on these charts can be off by as many as 20 to 40 beats per minute depending on the population.  According to this chart, yesterday I was in the danger zone numerous times during a bike interval workout but I’m still here typing this blog, none the worse for wear.

My second and main problem with these charts is the “Fat Burning Zone”.    In my opinion this area of the graph has done many exercises a disservice by preventing them from working up to their full potential.  Let me explain.   It is true that your body will burn a higher percentage of  fat calories in this zone.  (So maybe it’s not a myth, but a mislead!)  The problem is that at this low-level of effort you burn very few calories.  So in the end you’ve burned a high percentage of fat, but very few calories which isn’t very efficient.

You are better off working harder for less time.  See my post on Interval Training for a full description of how to do this and the benefits of this style of exercise.  When you work harder, your body uses a lower percentage of fat for its energy needs and gets more from carbohydrate stores.  But since you are working harder you burn exponentially more calories and a higher number of fat calories.  Keep in mind this is a simplified explanation of a more complicated process you get the idea.

The target heart rate zone charts also don’t consider post exercise energy consumption.  After most forms of exercise there is a period of time that the body will continue to burn calories at a high rate.  With low intensity “fat burning zone” exercise this time period is very short.  At higher intensities you body will continue to burn fat well after you’ve finished the activity.

So for your own good get out of the fat burning zone and see if you can get your heart rate up a little higher so you can get better results faster.  As always, this information is geared towards healthy individuals with some exercise background.  If you have any pre-existing conditions check with your doctor as higher intensity training may not be right for you at this time.


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Beware of Toning Shoes

23 07 2010

You should see my butt after wearing these shoes for 2 weeks!

The American Council on Exercise released results this week of an independent study on the effectiveness of toning shoes.  I know this will anger some of my readers because I know some of you wear these shoes!  The study showed no evidence that the shoes can help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or improve muscle strength or tone.   For the full study results go here:  http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/toningshoes072010.pdf

The manufacturers tout their own studies that “prove” the benefits of their shoes, but really, how do you trust a study done by the maker of the shoe.  Do you think they would release a study that showed their sneakers did no more than any other sneaker?

A big problem I have with these products is that even if they did work there is no way to progress.  Let me explain- the human body responds to progressive resistance.  As you get stronger, you must challenge yourself more.  If these shoes did make your butt or legs stronger, then your body would adapt in a week or two and then no more benefit for you.

I’m just not a big fan of anything to alters your normal gait- this includes common running shoes that supposedly help with pronation, supination, flat feet etc.  In my mind, these shoes are just crutches.  If you really have a problem with your foot, don’t just put a shoe on it and hope it will get better.  Fix your foot.  Is it even a problem with your foot or does your foot flatten because there is a problem at your hip?  You would get better results and probably feel better if you explored the root of the problem and not just a symptom.

The study did reveal one positive attribute to the shoes- the ability to get some sedentary folks of their butts and moving more.  So, if you are in that group, great.  However, don’t buy into the marketing hype that these shoes will cure all that ails you.  You won’t miraculously lose weight and get stronger just by putting on a pair of shoes.  You do have to do some work, even if it is just walking more.  Sorry to be Danny Downer today but if it sounds too good to be true, it is.  Losing weight and getting in shape takes work, dedication and effort.   Beware of the quick fix, as they are all just marketing and promises.   To lighten the mood, I give you my newest favorite infomercial…..  The Shake Weight!


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My Workout

22 07 2010

This used to be a favorite of mine

I’m asked what my workouts are like all the time.  So I decided a good post would be to share what my workouts are like as of late.  Before I get into the details, I’d like to tell you some of the general principles I follow to design workouts for myself and my clients.

I don’t do bodybuilding type workouts.  Ex. Chest day, Leg day, Chest and Triceps, etc.  This style of workout is only good for one population- bodybuilders.  So unless you are preparing for a bodybuilding competition stop working out like this!

I don’t do long, slow bouts of cardiovascular exercise.  I don’t have the time and this style of exercise is very inefficient.

I very rarely do any isolation exercises.  I consider an isolation exercise one that only works one muscle group at a time.  Examples are most circuit machines at a gym, such as a leg extension or bicep curl.  Muscles don’t work in isolation in the real world so I don’t train them that way.

I break my workouts into very simple categories: 1.  Push  2. Pull   3. Core  and 4. Legs.  Each of these can be broken down into more detail but basically these 4 categories define my workouts.  Pushing exercises work chest, shoulders and triceps.  Pulling exercises work back and biceps.  Core exercises work the abs, back and hips.  Leg exercises work everything from the waist down.  Keep in mind this is a simplified description but you should get the idea.

I do high intensity interval training for cardiovascular exercise.  Interval training is simply alternating between periods of high intensity and low intensity.  You can vary the amount of time you are exercising and how long you are resting to create a number of challenging workouts.

These are just some of my guiding principles but with these guidelines I have built my current workout which is perfect for me now.  Here is a sample week:

Monday:  Lower Body

  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Walking Lunges
  • Stability Ball Leg Curl

Tuesday: Intervals

Treadmill or Airdyne Bike (this bike has a fan on the front which is perfect for interval training since the faster I go the more challenging the exercise is)   30 second sprint followed by a 90 second slow recovery.  I repeat this 8-10 times which takes about 20 minutes.

Wednesday: Upper Body

  • Dumbbell Press
  • Bent Over Row
  • Pull Ups
  • Dips
  • Overhead Press

Thursday: Intervals

Treadmill   60 second sprint followed by a 60 second slower recovery.  Notice I increase the sprint time and decrease the recovery time to make this day more challenging.  Repeat 8-10 times.

Friday:  Full Body

  • Single Leg Deadlift
  • Side Squat
  • Planks
  • Side Planks
  • Push Ups
  • Pull Ups

Saturday: Intervals

Bike, Treadmill, Pool, etc.  90 seconds high intensity with 120 seconds of recovery time.  The longer high intensity period requires a longer recovery period.  Repeat 4-6 times.

Sunday:  Rest

This workout fits my life perfectly right now.  Strength training on one day and cardio on the next.  If I miss a cardio day I don’t mind tacking it on to the end of one of my strength training sessions.  The 3 day split for strength training (Lower Body, Upper Body, and Full Body) are broad enough categories that I can swap out exercises but specific enough that I work all my muscle groups at least once a week.

I will do this workout for 2-4 weeks and then change some exercises and tweak interval times but the skeleton will remain the same.  This is one of many ways to split up your workouts during a week.  This is a confusing topic so if you have any questions please ask me in the comments section.


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Smaller Plates = Smaller Waistlines?

19 07 2010

Pass the Carrots Please....

I read this post today on www.coreperformance.com and had to share it with all my readers.  If you want an easy way to lose weight, then put all your food on smaller plates!  Here is the post:

Switch to Small Plates

Joe Kita June 30, 2010

A month ago when I committed to eating every meal from 10-inch plates or 6-inch bowls, I was skeptical. Although there’s a significant body of research showing that downsizing dinnerware promotes portion control and weight loss, it seemed gimmicky.

But I stuck with it and, before long, the experiment gained momentum. My smaller dinnerware led to smaller silverware, which led to smaller glassware, which ultimately culminated in trying to eat drive-thru fast food in a SmartCar. In the end, I weighed in 4 pounds lighter for the month without having changed any other aspect of my diet. That’s right, I didn’t reduce fat, cut carbs, or swear off sweets. I simply used smaller implements to eat.

In the 25 years I’ve been reporting on health, this is one of the easiest, most effective small changes I’ve ever encountered for weight loss. In fact, I’m not going back. Everybody else in my house is doing it, and our big plates and bowls have now been relegated to the same cabinet as the Ginsu knife, Slap Chop, Fry Daddy, and other long-discarded kitchen items.

If you’re considering giving it a try, here are some things to keep in mind:

It’ll make you a more mindful eater. This was actually my top goal for the month—to slow down my shoveling and be satisfied with less. And although I still have a way to go to achieve this, it’s a great start. The more mindful you become of what you put in your mouth, the less you’ll struggle with weight control.

It’s easy to get carried away with the concept. You can take this strategy in all sorts of directions. Use smaller serving spoons in casserole dishes. Reach for smaller knives to spread cream cheese and butter. Grate your cheeses. Slice steaks and other meats into smaller pieces. Buy kids’ sizes of packaged food. A downsizing mindset is contagious.

Beware of tapas restaurants. At first glance, these trendy establishments where you share a variety of appetizer-size dishes seem to perfectly mesh with the small-plate strategy. But I found it’s actually worse than dining at a conventional restaurant. You’re with friends, you’re having cocktails, everything looks so good, and before you know it you’ve ordered even more than you normally would.

Unfortunately, a lot of stuff doesn’t come on plates. This is especially true of fast food, which comes in wrappers, boxes and cartons, as if intentionally trying to confuse our sense of proportion. If you absolutely must indulge, bring the sack home and eat only what fits on a 10-inch plate or, if that’s not possible, rip the wrapper into a similar-sized circle and do the same.

Correction: My Ford F150 has 8 cup holders, not 6. Since my last blog, I found two more in the door panels. Where else might they lurk? Under the hood for the mechanic?

I’m downsizing my dogs’ bowls next. I just read some advice that pets live longer and stay healthier if fed 30% less. So my fat Jacks (Jack Russells, that is) are next. I’ll be putting less food in smaller bowls from now on. If they’re anything like me, I suspect there won’t be any stomach growling.

Core Performance is another great resource for all your wellness needs.  Check it out!


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Exercise of the Week: Medicine Ball Circuit

23 06 2010

Stressed Out? Try this medicine ball circuit!

We all have stressful days, weeks or even months occasionally and this week has been a challenging one for me.  So I’ve decided to share with you one of the best stress reducing exercise circuits that I know.  The circuit has 3 separate exercises done back to back for a full body workout that really gets your heart pumping.

Here is a breakdown of the circuit:

  1. “Medicine Ball Chest Pass”- a big long name for throwing a medicine ball against a wall.  Pretty good stress reliever.
  2. “Rotational Throw”- still throwing the ball against the wall but now with a twist.  You can pick up the pace with this one and work out some aggression.
  3. “Medicine Ball Slam”- just like it sounds.  Slam the medicine ball into the ground as hard as you can and repeat.  There would be far less stress in the world if everybody tried this exercise when they were angry.

This circuit is great for everyone but is very beneficial for athletes.  Every athlete needs some type of power, speed or explosiveness.  This medicine ball circuit trains these qualities in all the different planes of motion.  So whether you are just trying to burn some calories, train for your sport or just burn off some stress, throwing a medicine ball is just the exercise for you.


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Product Review: P90X

17 06 2010

P90X Package

As you can tell from this blog, I am a huge fan of working out at home.  So I love any product that adds some variety to my at-home workouts.  P90X is such a product.  I bought it about a year and a half ago and was really impressed with the entire product.  This program is the reason I built my own pull-up bar in my basement.

I haven’t used P90X in a while so I’ve decided to dust it off and give it another go round.  I’ll be sure to describe the workouts in the blog to give you all an idea of what the program is all about.  Basically, the program comes with 12 DVD’s that work all your different muscle groups with incredible variety.  The workouts include strength training, core work, flexibility, yoga, kickboxing and many more.  I especially like how the program covers all aspects of fitness.  I can’t say I agree with all the exercises or workouts but overall they put together a well-rounded program with enough variety to keep boredom at bay.

The program also comes with a nutrition plan and online support which are key components to any successful lifestyle changing program.  You do need some equipment to do the entire P90X program: a variety of dumbbells, a pull-up bar, rubber tubing, yoga mats and blocks and of course a bit of space to do the exercises.

The first workout is called Chest and Back.  During this workout you alternate between push-ups and pull-ups.  There are many varieties of each exercise but the basic premise is push then pull and repeat.  You do mix in a few dumbbell exercises like bent-over-rows or band pulls to round out the workout.  You are left with a puffed out upper body and arms hanging by your sides.  I forgot to mention that on most days you have the option to end your workout with a 15 minute ab workout called Ab Ripper X.  This is a tough 15 minutes that will leave your midsection crying.   Look for more reviews and descriptions of all the workouts in the near future.


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Categories : Behavior Change, Equipment, Exercises, Just for Fun, Nutrition

The Pipes of Bunker Hill

15 06 2010

"Don't Fire Until You See the Whites of their Eyes!"

Happy Bunker Hill Day!  Well almost… Bunker Hill Day is officially celebrated on June 17th every year in Suffolk County Massachusetts but the parade in honor of the Battle of Bunker Hill is held on the weekend prior.  So this weekend, me and the boys from the Bunker Hill Pipe Band marched to remember those who died in one of the earliest battles of the Revolutionary War.

I ripped the above picture from the Boston Metro… out of all the bands in the parade and we got picked!  I’m tucked way in the back right but still a great picture if I do say so myself!  Here are a few more of us:

All that marching was a decent workout- my calves are still sore from all that walking and I’m nursing a mean blister on the bottom of my foot.  No one ever said piping was easy!   For those of you want more information on this historic battle check out this link from Wikipedia to learn more about the Battle of Bunker Hill and get your history lesson for the month!

I also played a little golf this weekend with some friends in the rain on Saturday.  My lessons and commitment to practice are really paying off this year as I am breaking 100 consistently now.  With all this activity I’ve had little time to post anything to the blog so I’ll be working overtime this week to get some good content up.

All that good content will have to wait one more night minimum because I’ve got to go watch the Celtics play game 6 of the NBA championships.  Go Green!


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What’s Your Workout Playlist?

10 06 2010

What do you listen to?

Ever since my high school sports days, music has played an important role in motivating me to move.  I remember all the songs we’d play in the hockey locker room before a big game to get us pumped up.  I still listen to most of these songs during my workout today!  The right music inspires me to push a little harder or run a little farther.  It can take your workout to a higher level or just help you to get through it.  Music is such a personal choice- I’m curious to hear what you listen to during your workouts.  Here’s my top 5 hockey locker room songs in no particular order ( and all with awesome old school videos!):

  1. Black Betty by Ram Jam
  2. Thunderstruck by AC/DC
  3. Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
  4. Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses
  5. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

And a list of more current songs that get me moving:

  1. Bleed It Out by Linkin Park
  2. I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
  3. Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
  4. 1901 by Phoeniz
  5. New Shoes by Paola Nutini

Now that I’ve shared with you it’s your turn…. what’s on your playlist?


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Poisoned Protein?

6 06 2010

Eat more chicken...

Consumer Beware!

This week Consumer Reports released a study that showed high levels of heavy metals in 15 popular protein shakes.  The study found one or more of the following metals in the drinks: mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium.  Of course, the companies that sell these products issued follow-up statements calling the studies flawed and misleading.   I use protein shakes myself and have recommended protein shakes in the past as a supplement so I will be erring on the side of caution since the release of this information.

The best way to avoid this problem is to eat natural sources of protein.  As is always the case with nutrition, the best source of fuel for the body is real food.  High quality protein is found in chicken, fish and eggs as well as many other foods.  Most people can get enough protein from these sources alone.  It all comes down to planning and preparing healthy meals for yourself.

Supplements can make life easier but at what risk.  Reports like the one by Consumer Reports drive home the point that there are no shortcuts.  If you want to lose weight, you have to eat right and exercise.  If you want to add muscle, you have to eat right and exercise.  If you want to improve your health, you have to eat right and exercise.  Get the idea?


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