The Effects of Meat on Your Health

Weight Loss Tips

Why wait until January 1 like everyone else to drop a few pounds? Weight Loss remains the number one initiative when I encounter a personal training client for their initial consultation. While other goals (i.e. increases in bone mineral density and muscular strength and endurance) are often mentioned, weight loss continues to be what most exercise enthusiasts are after.

I’d like to present the following weight-loss strategies that have proven to be successful with my clients over the years:

Ø Switch to smaller plates when preparing meals at home

Ø East slowly and enjoy every bite

Ø Improve both quantity and quality of sleep

Ø Invest in a digital bathroom scale to monitor weight loss

Ø Keep both a food journal and exercise journal to track your progress

Ø Avoid going to holiday parties and grocery shopping on an empty stomach

Ø *Utilize compound-multi-joint strength training exercises (i.e. squats and chin-ups versus bicep curls and leg extensions) to improve body composition and maximize caloric burning*

Total Body Joint Mobility Warm-up

I thought Jim Laird and Molly Galbraith did a great job with the above video. They run through some very basic joint mobility exercises which benefit the body far more than the way your typical gym-goer warms up (i.e. 5-10 min. of moderate pace stationary cycling or treadmill walking). Feel free to email me with questions about the video (paulconnolly123@gmail.com).

Maybe I Should Make The Switch to Camels

From Good to Great

I spent the majority of the weekend doing some "fall cleaning." Specifically, I made it a point to organize all the clutter that's been building up in my office for quite some time. 90% of it was notes, journals, seminar/conference info, books, etc... that have been piling up. While I still have a fair amount to do, it was nice to organize what I did.

One specific "agenda item" was to re-write/organize notes from the seminars/conferences I've attended over the last year or so. One specific speaker whose work I follow closely is Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Jack (see above pic). Dave's worked with athletes at all levels, including Paul Pierce and many other pros. In reviewing notes I took from Dave's lecture, "From Good to Great," Coach Jack had a great quote when he was talking about running a business. He said, "the time to be concerned is when you feel comfortable." That really rang true as I've experienced this now and then and clearly that means I need to work harder.

Another quote I really liked from Dave was when he said, "Today is a gift; that's why we call it the present."

Littleton, MA Strength & Stretching Workshop

Today I had the opportunity to head out to Littleton, MA to conduct a workshop on resistance training with exercise bands (http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product2_10151_10751_1003898_-1_1000353_1000281_1000281_ProductDisplayErrorView?img=537&kbid=1249), as well as review some great stretches. The group was very attentive and I look forward to keeping in touch with them to see how they progress with the exercises and stretches.

Contrast Training

Strength & Conditioning Coach Nick Tumminello wrote a good article on Contrast Training for T Nation recently I thoroughly enjoyed. According to Nick...

"Contrast Training is easy to explain: Start with a set of heavy lifts, five to 10 reps, and then follow it immediately with an unloaded, explosive exercise using the same movement pattern and the same reps.

Or to make it even simpler:

Squats followed by jump squats. Bench presses followed by explosive push-ups. Pull-ups followed by medicine-ball slams.

The concept isn't new — researchers have been studying it since the 1960s, and strength coaches and athletes have been employing it for at least that long — but I never run out of new applications for it. I use it at various times, and with various modifications, with all my athletes, as well as the regular folks I train.

With athletes, contrast training builds strength and power simultaneously. For non-athletes, it's a great way to tap into high-threshold motor units for hypertrophy, or to boost the metabolism to improve body composition. And while you're accomplishing those objectives, you're also changing up your workout in a way that's fun and challenging."

US Obesity Rates Continue to Climb

Sadly, 12 U.S. states have obesity rates over 30%. Here are the states with the highest obesity rates and the respective percentages of adult obesity:

1. Mississippi (34.4%)
2. Alabama (32.3%)
3. West Virginia (32.2%)
4. Tennessee (31.9%
5. Louisiana (31.9%)

Middleboro, MA "Heart Matters"

I recently had an opportunity to conduct a strength training and stretching workshop with some wonderful Middleboro, MA town employees. We discussed barriers to exercise, FAQs of strength training, and how to structure an exercise chart. Additionally, we practiced several exercises with resistance bands and reviewed various flexibility exercises. I had a great time and hope to go back and visit in the near future!

Super Healthy Breakfast!

How to Modify Push-ups

The Push-up remains one of the most underrated exercises available for upper body strength improvements. I came to a point over the last couple years where I got away from anyone doing push-ups on their knees (foolishly called "Girl Push-ups") as it completely takes away recruitment of any core musculature. In the gym, I typically will have those who can't complete a standard push-up to do them against an angled barbell (see video above).