Randy Pausch: "The Last Lecture"

If this doesn't move you, there's something wrong with you. Incredible stuff...

Fill your shopping cart with...

Some healthy choices for your next grocery store trip should include any of the following...

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salmon

Extra lean ground beef

Bagged spinach

Onions

Sliced Mushrooms

Tomatoes

Avocados

Cashews

Baby Carrots

Red & Green Peppers

Olive Oil

Almonds

Walnuts

Apples

Bananas

Frozen Berries (great for smoothies!)

Frozen Broccoli

Frozen Green Beans

Low fat string cheese

Eggs

Lean Turkey Ham

Oatmeal

Cottage cheese

Brown Rice

And remember...get in and get out out. Don't dilly dally up and down the aisles. Get what's on the list and leave.

Movie recommendation

Yes not every entry is about fitness in my blog- as you've probably discovered. Anyway, great movie to check out: Reign Over Me with Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler. Let me know what you think.

Celtics time

Quote

"First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you."

-Ron Gilbert

Hypoxic chamber training

If you've got any interest in exercise physiology, you're probably come across articles about athletes training at high altitudes. One method of training that mimics this is the use of hypoxic chambers. Not to be confused with hyperbaric chambers which increase the amount of oxygen in a sealed area to aid injury recovery, hypoxic chambers simulates conditions high above sea level.

Boston Globe sports columnist Shira Springer, an avid runner, wrote two fantastic articles in today's paper that are worth checking out. The direct links are as follows:

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/articles/2007/10/19/up_and_coming_method/

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/articles/2007/10/19/tent_provides_an_elevating_experience/

Excellent article

Highly sought after strength & conditioning coach Mike Boyle has written some incredible articles for various media outlets, one being Core Performance. Currently the director of http://www.strengthcoach.com/, Coach Boyle is the head strength coach for BU men's ice hockey and continues to run his facility in Winchester (http://www.bodybyboyle.com/). Here's a piece of his article entitled "I Think I'll Do Upper Body Today:" (reprinted with direct permission from Coach Boyle)
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"Interesting fact. Most people go to the gym and immediately do the exercises they like. If you're a man, that means bench press and curls. If you're a woman, it means hopping on the treadmill for a long, slow walk or a long, slow run. I think this might be the reason most people look so bad. They never
work on the stuff they can't see or don't like to do. They promise themselves they will do it tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes.

As a college strength and conditioning coach, I encountered the same problem early in my career. I came to the early realization that Monday would always be lower-body day. This was done for one simple reason. Every day, I was forced to do battle with human nature. Athletes are no different than the average gym-goer. They want to do what they like. I was like the parent who needed to say, "No TV until your homework is done."

When we first began developing training programs for athletes, they were just like the folks described above. Athletes who were not on a program would wander into the weight room, do a couple of sets of bench presses, and then wander over to the curl bar for a few sets. After this, they would simply leave. My solution to this problem was simple. The first day of every week was always a lower-body day. This meant that athletes would return the next day to do the stuff they really wanted to do. A simple but effective solution.

The solution for a fitness person is even simpler. Perform a full body, every workout, every time you go to the gym. Do your lower body and pulling exercises (like chin-ups) first. Save the bench press and curls for last. If you just did a squat or squat variation, a pull-up variation, and then benched and curled, the result will be a vast improvement in your physique.

The average person's work ethic in the gym is the equivalent of going to a restaurant, ordering dessert, getting too full from dessert and skipping the meal. Lots of empty calories and none of the stuff you need.

The truth is that training is much like nutrition. Ever notice that everything that is good for you doesn't taste very good? In addition, all the stuff that tastes great is fattening. Exercise is the same way. Most of the exercises that are best for you are the ones that are least popular -- and seem to hurt the most. Have you ever noticed the popularity of exercises where you sit or lie down? The whole machine concept is based on appealing to the lowest common denominator of human nature. You can exercise while seated on a padded chair. Just remember, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is."

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So true Coach Boyle, so true.

Aquatic workouts

Courtesy of "Core Performance"...


Exercising in Water Reduces Osteoarthritis Pain

After an analysis of six studies and more than 800 subjects, the October 2007 issue of The Cochrane Library reported that in people with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, pain may decrease by one point or more on a scale of 0-20 by participating in aquatic exercise and that physical function may improve by three or more points on a scale of 0 to 68. Most of the studies measured patients after three months of aquatic therapy.

[Note: These studies were conducted primarily with older adults, but there is no reason why the effects of aquatic exercise on younger adults who have arthritis wouldn't be the same.]

Talking female bone mass

Did you know women gain 98% of their skeletal mass by age 20? This is a HUGE reason why it's so important to strength train and practice good nutrition habits starting at an early age.

KG Commercial

Most people I talk to have never seen this commercial. Hope you like it. One of the best I've seen- one of my fav. songs too. Enjoy...

Paul Pierce: Beyond the Glory

In case you missed it a couple years ago, Paul Pierce was profiled on Fox Sport's "Beyond the Glory." Broken up into 5 parts, you can check it out here:

Winning is the Only Option

Heatlhy Eating

One of the top "go-to" nutritionists in my field is Dr. John Berardi. Having blogged about him in the past (http://pcconditioning.blogspot.com/2007/05/nutrition-seminar.html), Dr. Berardi continues to be someone I know I can turn to for the most realiable nutrition information available. One term he uses when setting up a sound nutrition program is "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs." They are as follows:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.
2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.
3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.
4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.
5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.
7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).


Simply following the above should produce HUGE improvements in your body composition, self-image, and performance in the gym. Instead of attempting to master all of them, simply try a couple at a time and let me know how you do.

Book Review

I just finished, and highly recommend, "Men's Health Power Training." Coach Robert dos Remedios, a former NSCA Award Winner, did an outstanding job. He covered all angles and kept things easy to follow, including sample workout templates and plenty of illustrations. He didn't throw in meaningless machine-based exercises. Rather, he stuck to the worthwhile exercises (free weight stuff, bodyweight exercises). If you read it, let me know what you think.

Article published

An article I did for the Waverley Oaks Athletic Club newsletter (http://waverleyoaks.com/page/NewsLetter/NewsLetter.pdf) was published in today's Watertown Tab. Check out the article here:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1998361725

Music lowers RPE

Using music to lower the rating of perceived exertion of exercise (RPE) undoubtedly works. It was the topic of a reserach paper of mine in school and is something I practice regularly. How people can work out without music amazes me. Just my rant for today...

Celebrate What's Working

"Out of necessity, you often focus on the things in your life that are not working as well as you'd like them to be. It pays to also consider, appreciate and celebrate the vastly large number of things that are working just great.
Occasionally you'll turn the key in the ignition and your car won't start, causing hassles, frustration and delays. Yet how very many more times do you have cause to be thankful when you turn the key, the car starts right up, and you drive quickly and safely to your destination?

The problems and the pains may at times seem to be overwhelming. Keep in mind though, that the only reason you notice them at all is because they are so relatively rare.

The news each day may appear to be all bad news. However, what qualifies anything to be news is the fact that it is highly unusual.

In the normal course of life, there are so very many things which work just fine that you only notice a small fraction of them all. Open your awareness to more of them, seek to be more genuinely thankful for them, and you'll connect more fully to their immensely positive power.

Celebrate what's working in your life and in your world, and those few things that are not working will hardly be able to even slow you down. Celebrate what's working, and it will increasingly work even better for you."

-- Ralph Marston

Hoops time

Good video

This video actually features one of the cool-down songs I used today for my group class in Danvers. Enjoy...

Classic Seinfeld

Cholesterol profile

Best email I got all day from one of my fittest clients:

"...and--another thing...i had to go to the doc's for a yearly exam yesterday and she told me that my hdl and ldl choloesterol levels are the best she has seen out of all of her 4,000 patients! that made me feel nice and healthy!"

Hearing stuff like that makes me love my job even more. Another happy customer :-)

Ways to make things more challenging

We've all hit training plateaus at one time or another where things get stale/stagnant. While there are way too many to list, here are 4 ways to prevent potential plateaus in your workout regimen:

1) Increase time under tension (TUT)- that is, slow down how fast you are raising and lowering the weights. A fair warning: this may cause increased muscular soreness, so make sure to always warm up adequately and engage in proper joint mobility work.

2) Increase # of reps- instead of doing sets of 6-8, increase the # to 10-12.

3) Increase weight- many people I watch in the gym can clearly do more reps after they terminate a set. Don't be afraid to pump out a few extra reps to get the most out of the exercise.

4) Decrease rest periods between sets- It drives me INSANE when people (typically guys) dilly-dally between sets, either chatting for 10 minutes about the Sox blowing another lead or texting their friends- ridiculous. Cut the rest time down to 30-60 seconds between sets and you'll feel the difference.

So good

Concord grapes are soooooooo good...

New Book

One of my favorite strength and conditioning coaches, Robert Dos Remedios, had his book come out last week. Mike Boyle did the foreword for it. I just got my copy from Amazon in today's mail. Yeah! I'll post down the road as to how it is.

Only 1 week 'til training camp!!!

Dre Day

People have been asking me lately if I saw how jacked Dr. Dre got. If you saw the MTV Awards (yes I admittedly still watch them), you'd have seen how huge he is now. I'll give you an idea of how he looked a few years ago and how he looked a couple weeks ago at the MTV Awards...

BEFORE:


AFTER:


What a transformation, huh? The guy's got the traps of an NFL player! I'm so jealous :-)

Being a Captain

Here's to my boy 'Tek for rallying the Sox to another win. His home run tonight was great, but what was greater was after the home run, he wanted no part of going crazy in the dugout when all his teammates were cheering and jumping around. As always, he simply put on his gear and was ready to catch Papelbon in the 9th. The man has always been all business- a true Captain and the reason he's always been my favorite.

Power Diet Shoes

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I read this article from strength & conditioning coach Mike Boyle courtesy of Core Performance:

http://coreperformance.com/article.php?p=3&s=1&atID=3&id=589

Next stop...Danvers, Massachusetts

So I began teaching another 8-week group exercise class in Danvers for their municipal employees (town hall employees, teachers, etc...) on Wednesday. I taught the same class back in the spring and had a great time. The Danvers people are outstanding and genuinely give their best effort. While there are more participants this time around, (supposedly they actually wanted me back!) we make due with the limited space we have.

To the class participants reading this entry, here's to a wonderful future of training each Wednesday together. It's a joy seeing you each week!

-PC

Fat loss plateaus

I often peruse other fitness blogs, with 6 or 7 in particular that I check out regularly (3-4 days/week). One of my favorites is from Alwyn Cosgrove (http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/). I first met Alwyn at a seminar in Boston back in March- great guy. Anyway, he speaks a lot about "fat loss," and had a great point today I wanted to share. In his blog he states:

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"Exercise Economy-

As the body becomes more skilled at performing a particular exercise (e.g. cycling) it actually becomes more efficient at the movement and burns less calories, even beyond the adaptations mentioned above."

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This is the principle reason behind why those who exercise need to periodically change their workout routines. We "in the biz" call it periodization. As I say to my clients, "we gotta shake things up now and then." Stop doing the same thing over and over again. The body adjusts, and subsequently burns less fat, and this is the reason why weight loss plateaus in so many. Try a new exercise, change (shorten) the rest time between sets, change the speed of each repetition, change the exercise itself in favor of something different (i.e. choose squats instead of lunges).

Cheating article

I've come across yet another writer's viewpoint on the recent fiasco of cheating in pro sports.

Check it out here:

http://coreperformance.com/article.php?p=4&s=1&atID=4&id=585

More Kids Turning to Personal Trainers

MSNBC ran a story recently about an increased number of kids working with trainers. While expensive for parents, I've seen so many benefits gained when I've trained my young athletes. 2005 stats showed that 824,000 children between the ages of 6 and 17 use trainers — a figure that accounts for about 13 percent of trainers’ clients.

Check out the full story here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19403443/

A similar piece ran in The Washington Post in October of '04. The link is as follows:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62816-2004Oct25.html

Workers penalized on issues of health

It's now come to the point where workers are being PAID LESS for having high BMI scores- wow. It's bad enough there is still such a disparity as to the pay rate of women versus men. Imagine being an obese woman compared to a healthy man counterpart. Quite a difference in pay!

Check out this story the Globe ran courtesy of the Associated Press:

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/fitness/articles/2007/09/10/workers_penalized_on_issues_of_health/?rss_id=Health

Make the Most

"You are where you are and life is the way it is. The more completely you accept it, the more power you have to do something about it.

This moment carries enormous opportunity. No positive purpose is served by fighting against it.

Instead, accept what is, the way you are, the way you feel, and the things that life has brought to you. Then you can make the very most of it all."

-- Ralph Marston

Your new USC strength coach: Will Ferrell

A Healthy Body

"When you move regularly (in the right amount, without overdoing it), drink lots of water (with the minerals it's supposed to have), eat nutrient-dense foods (preferably organic), reduce your exposure to toxins, get adequate sleep, develop a performance mindset, reduce your mental and emotional stress, and breathe fully, your body is amazingly resilient and vital. Sometimes the answer is so simple that we find it hard to believe." Scott Peltin (Tignum AG Performance Specialists)

Hitting the Zoo on my day off

I had today off and spent the day with my brother, mother, niece, and nephew at the Franklin Park Zoo. Check it out:

Being blessed

"The goodness in your life is so much a part of you that you can easily take it for granted and rarely give it a second thought. On a regular basis, though, it pays to think about that goodness.

Whatever else may be going on in your world, the fact is that you are extremely blessed in many ways. Think about those blessings that blend quietly into the background, supporting and sustaining you in every moment." Ralph Marston

All good things...

"To insure good health: Eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." William Londen

Food temperatures

I recently found this picture on a colleague's blog and wanted to share it with you. It's a nice breakdown as to the appropriate temperatures when cooking certain foods. Check it out:

Dr. McGill quote

"Every great 'trainer' will have a philosophical approach to training their clients. They have a reason for everything they do. The average trainers look in the book and see pictures of a few exercises and have their clients doing them without really understanding why."

-Stuart McGill

Why Being Active Makes You Happy

Michael O'Shea wrote a nice article for Parade Magazine inside last Sunday's Boston Globe. In it, he writes about why/how exercise makes you happy. I thought I'd share with you what I took from the article:

-Most people are aware of endorphins being released in the body during exercise to improve one's mood. However, two other compounds are also released. Serotonin keeps us from getting depressed and dopamine keeps us motivated. These morphine-like compounds prove exercise to be the best drug on the market. Best of all, it's free!

-Exercise improves sleep patterns as well. Stress hormones (i.e. cortisol) and anxiety are each reduced, contributing to a better night's sleep.

-Engaging in regular physical activity improves one's self-image. Boosting your self-esteem leads to higher levels of confidence, something many people could use.

Fitness Fundraiser

Last weekend, I was invited to participate in a fitness challenge for charity at the Acton Indoor Sports Complex. The event was set up to raise money for Franciscan Hospital for Children. There were 4 divisions, each separated into men’s and women’s sub-divisions. Teams were comprised of 3 people, and each team competed in 5 events (standing broad jump, medicine ball reverse scoop throw, weighted rope pull, sled push, and an obstacle course). The latter had 3 phases to it, so my team strategized who would do which leg of the race. Not only did I have a great time, but my team won 1st place in our division! I’m looking forward to defending our title at next year’s event. We had a great workout, met lots of enthusiastic and positive people, and raised a lot of money for charity. All good things.

Fitness plays a key role in battling cancer

Judy Foreman had a nice article in today's Health & Science section of the Boston Globe. Check it out here:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2007/08/06/fitness_plays_a_key_role_in_battling_cancer/

The Trio

-My favorite team
-My favorite rapper in the background
-Time for a new clip

Enjoy...

I miss Phil Hartman on SNL

I'm still pinching myself

From the old...



To the New...


Is it really true? Did my beloved Celtics actually acquire one of the top 5 players in the league this week to complement Paul Pierce and Ray Allen?!?! I still can't believe it's true to be completely honest. With all that's happened to this franchise over the last 20 years, I had no idea when the curse would be lifted. Maybe this move signals it has (Yes, I firmly believed that like the Red Sox, the Celtics had a curse placed on them for some reason). I know one thing- Red is smiling down on us because you know he would've LOVED this trade. Here's to a successful '06-'07 Celtics season.

Spinal anatomy

Ever wonder what the heck your yoga, Pilates, Group Exercise instructor, etc... is talking about when he/she says to lay back one section of your back at a time? Check out a view of the spine above and you'll discover what they're talking about. The 3 major divisions of the back (spine) most often talked about are the upper (cervical), middle (thoracic), and lower (lumbar). The area of discomfort in most is the lumbar region. Surprise your instructor next class and ask them if they know the major divisions of the spine and let me know how many of them get it right!

Medicine Ball Training

Medicine ball exercises are typically implemented to improve one's power, or explosiveness. Here's a great example of how medicine ball throws should be performed:

Lifting Too Little

I was going over some of my favorite articles I've archived over the years and came across this one:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6391058/

Those who deal with me on a regular basis know I have plenty of pet peeves in the gym, but people lifting too little is easily still in my top 3. Put down the pink dumbbells and challenge yourself. Ladies, the heavier weights will NOT make you big! If anything, they'll help you reach that "sculpted," "toned," etc... appearance so many of you are after.

The "Secret" Behind Positive Thinking

Rhonda Byrne's book & movie, "The Secret," has been used to increase the power of positive thinking. Several philosophies are discussed in the book. A few of my favorites are the following:

• When you surround yourself with positive people, you become buoyed by their positive energy.


• Your current thoughts are creating your future life- what you think about or focus on the most will appear as your life- like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


• Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and drawing more of what you want into your life.

Time to ditch the heels

Women, and cross-dressers for that matter, have been told for years about the negative effects of wearing heels. The problems it causes to one's back, legs, etc... are plentiful. Check out a great article I recently came across:

http://www.dirttime.org/2007/06/04/you-cant-run-in-these-girl/

Diet quote

Nutritionist Chris Mohr had this to say recently when the topic of dieting came up:

"If diets were successful, there wouldn't be so many. It's about simple changes, not drastic overhauls causing you to turn your life upside down."

So true!

New Latino nutrition campaign towards healthier eating

The Latino Nutrition Coalition, a nonprofit organization, displays the following statement on their web site: "The traditional Latin-American diet offers an incredible array of delicious, healthy foods. Yet Hispanic Americans suffer disproportionately from many food-related health problems, including obesity and diabetes."

After reviewing their campaign, I found it quite useful. Shopping lists and healthier versions of traditional Latino foods are offered. Check out their web site at the following for more information:

http://latinonutrition.org/pdf/CaminoMagico.pdf

Living in the Moment

"Let go of your concerns about the speed at which time is passing, for time is nothing more than an arbitrary measure. What matters is what you do with each moment now as you live it.
Take your eyes off the clock and look instead toward your highest vision of what life can be. Fill the world with your own unique beauty, and go beyond the limits of time."

-- Ralph Marston