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Lost Children Foundation, Incorporated
Literacy, Personal Training, and Continuing Education
Blog
Recomping ???
Posted on January 7, 2015 at 8:45 PM |
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Recomping ??? First, to offer some perspective,
let’s briefly talk about bulking and cutting. Bulking is trying to gain
weight, and ideally most of that weight would be muscle. When Bulking
one intentionally consumes more calories than their body needs, in
conjunction with weight training, in order to gain weight with the
understanding that fat gain will be inevitable. The idea is to limit fat
gain as much as possible while maximizing muscle gain. Cutting on the
other hand is the exact opposite. When cutting, one intentionally
consumes less calories than their body needs in order to lose weight
with the understanding that muscle loss will be inevitable. The idea is
to limit muscle loss as much as possible while maximizing fat loss. You
can see how it's impossible to achieve these two goals simultaneously .
You cannot not be in a caloric surplus and a caloric deficit at the
same time. Now when recomping, the idea isn't to get
the number on the scale to move up or down, but to improve body
composition. In other words, one isn't interested in weight loss, they
just want to have less body fat and improve the appearance of their
physique by increasing the size of their biceps, their shoulders, and
maybe decrease their waistline. Now this is possible
with people who are untrained. In fact clients of mine will frequently
tell me that their clothes fit differently after several months, but
unless their diet is such that it allows them to lose weight, the number
on the scale stays put. Also, recomping is only
worthwhile if you're someone who is unhappy with a particular part of
your body, or your physique, rather than how much you weigh . For
instance, many dresses are sleeveless. If you're a woman who isn't over
weight, you can certainly improve the appearance of your arms without
losing or gaining weight, but if you have too much body fat the muscles
of your arms won't be visible due to the layer of fat covering them. In
essence, if you're happy with your weight, but not your physique, than
recomping is for you, but if you're not happy with your weight, than you
need to focus on increasing or decreasing your weight. As
for the exercises you should employ, the rep ranges should be in the
12-15 range for three to five sets. If someone wants to improve the size
of their chest, the exercises should include bench press, incline bench
press, chest flyes and cable cross-overs. For triceps and shoulders,
in addition to bench press and incline press, because those two
movements hit the shoulders along with the chest, military press should
also be included, and to further isolate the shoulders, you can include
lateral raises, front raises, and rear delts flyes. For compound
exercises ( bench press, military press, and shoulder press ) a lower
rep range ( 6-8 reps, 8-10 reps, or 10-12 reps ) is fine. For back, bent
over rows, lat pull downs, single arm dumbbell rows, and cable rows are
compound exercises that will hit the back and ,to some extent, the
biceps. Now isolation exercises for the biceps and
rear deltoids of the shoulders are crucial due to the size of the muscle
groups in the back. Just relying on compound movements for biceps and
the rear deltoids is insufficient because ( since the back is such a
large muscle group ) they aren't as involved in those compound
movements. They're involved, and it's fine just to rely on them if
your goal is simply a full body workout, but if
increasing the size of your biceps or rear deltoids is your goal, you'll need more
stimulation. For isolation exercises ( lateral raises, front raises,
etc. ) one should stay within the 12-15 rep range. This is for two
reasons. The first reason is safety. Isolation exercises involve one
muscle and one joint. The higher the rep range, the lighter the weight,
and the less pressure that is put on the joint responsible for flexion or extension
during the contraction of muscle. The second reason is that your body is
a machine that's designed to work together. When "isolating" a muscle,
you're not isolating the muscle in the sense that the muscle is the
only muscle that's involved in that movement. What you are doing is
limiting the involvement of any other muscles that are involved in that
movement. The heavier the weight, the lower the rep range, and the lower
the rep range, the more other muscles will become involved. Obviously,
that's not what you want. |
Exercise, The Key That Can Open the Door to Good Health
Posted on January 26, 2014 at 8:48 PM |
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The benefit of exercise is unquestionable. We have all heard that exercise is “good” for
you. When we’re young, it is so easy to
exercise. It happens naturally, and it
takes very little effort when we are in our twenties, but wait, once we are in
our mid-thirties, and heading toward forty and fifty, not only is regular
exercise tremendously important; it is tougher to do because regular exercise,
at least two to three times a week, requires a commitment and has to be built
into one’s lifestyle. Everyone exercises without even trying when they are young,
but once we get older and busy with our lives, families, careers, and numerous
interests, we tend to put exercise at the bottom of the list or on the back
burner. Only those people who are
dedicated to an exercise regime will reap the benefits of healthy aging and a
healthy lifestyle free of debilitating diseases that accompany old age. In retrospect, if you doubt the positive impact of exercise
on the body, just compare a person who made exercise a regular part of his/her
life with one who did not. The
difference in the two individuals is incontestable. The person who exercised will look healthier,
may even be slimmer, more energetic, and most of all he/she will be mentally
sharp and have a good image of self. Believe me, when I say, these individuals are
happy. People, who keep exercise at the forefront of their lives,
are the healthiest people on the planet. Take a look around you. A cancer patient or person suffering a heart
attack has a greater chance of survival because of the benefits of
exercise. So fight sickness with the
best remedy of all−a regular exercise regime. Not many people, fifty and over, can boast that they don’t
take medication. Many of us rely on
pills to keep us healthy, to control our blood pressure, our cholesterol, diabetes,
to keep our joints flexible, and, yes, to relieve pain, but I say to you now,
the best pill anyone can take is exercise.
Just as you make time to take your medication, you need to take time to
exercise, the best pill of all. The purpose of this blog is just to impress upon my readers
how important exercise is to living healthy.
Stay tuned for more good advice about very simple ways to enhance the
only life you have. No one can do it for
you; you are all on your own. Take one
day at a time, and make exercise count.
You won’t regret it, and your body will thank you. Dustan Howell LCF Personal Trainer |
Hormones that effect weight loss
Posted on November 26, 2013 at 10:11 PM |
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Hormones
that affect weight loss: Insulin Insulin is a protein
chain or peptide hormone that is produced by the beta cells of the islets of
Langerhans in the pancreas. The role of insulin is to lower blood sugar,
deliver nutrients into cells that need it, and to store fat.
Glucagon
Glucagon (also a
peptide hormone) is secreted the by alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans in
the pancreas. It’s role is to raise blood glucose levels. The pancreas releases
glucagon when blood glucose levels are low.
Cortisol Cortisol, also known
as hydrocortisone, is a steroid hormone (or a glucocorticoid) produced by the
zona fasciculate of the adrenal cortex. It is released in response to stress
and low blood glucocorticoids.
Leptin Leptin plays a major
role in regulating energy intake, expenditure, appetite, metabolism, as well as
behavior. It’s one of the most important adipose-derived hormones.
|
EPOC or the After Burn Effect
Posted on November 26, 2013 at 10:08 PM |
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My Blog Posted on Wednesday,
August 07, 2013 8:01 PM Following cardio or a weight lifting session, your body
continues to use oxygen at a higher rate than it did prior to exercise. This
sustained oxygen consumption is known as excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption (EPOC). The phrase EPOC has been used to describe numerous events
that occur while the body returns to homeostasis. During EPOC, the body
is in the process of returning to a pre-exercise state, so it consumes oxygen
at a higher rate. This means that calories are being burned at a higher rate. Four things occurs during EPOC: 1) Replenishment of Energy Resources: Replenishment ensues for the
immediate source of energy, known as the phosphagen system, which is
includes creatine phosphate and ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In
addition, lactate, a molecule produced while performing intense exercise, is
being converted to pyruvate for fuel utilization. The body is also
replenishing the glycogen stores that were depleted during the workout 2) Re-oxygenation of Blood and
Restoration of Circulatory Hormones : During exercise metabolism, sizeable quantities of oxygen
are used to break down food substrates for energy. Consequently, the body
continues to utilize energy following exercise to re-oxygenate the blood. In
addition, in the post-exercise period, the body restores the levels of
circulatory hormones, which increased during exercise, to normal. 3) Decrease in Body Temperature: As energy is released from the muscle tissues of the body,
during exercise, heat is produced, so during EPOC, the body must burn
calories in order to return to it’s normal temperature. 4) Return to Normal Ventilation and
Heart Rate: Energy expenditure is greatly
elevated as the body rapidly returns to a normal breathing rate. Heart rate
is also returning to a pre-exercise rate. Evidence indicates that interval training (HIIT) has a
distinct effect on EPOC. Also, it appears that weight training produces
greater EPOC responses than aerobic exercise such as jogging. HIIT
disturbs homeostasis more so than cardio at moderate intensity resulting in
more calorie expenditure to restore the body to homeostasis. Mechanisms that
cause the higher EPOC observed in resistance exercise include elevated blood
lactate, and an increase in circulating catecholamines (epinephrine and
norepinephrine) and anabolic hormones. |
The Benefits of Resistance Training
Posted on November 26, 2013 at 9:49 PM |
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It’s been five years
since I committed myself to become a certified personal trainer. I began
by looking for one of the premier recognized certification programs. I
wanted the best certification and training, so I committed to prepare myself to
complete the American College of Sports Medicine Certification program for
Personal Trainers. I spent two years studying, attending personal
training classes, participating in special preparatory workshops, getting First
Aid and AED Certification, and doing extensive research into becoming a
specialist in the field of personal training. I was successful and have
spent the past three years honing my skills as an ACSM Certified free-lance
personal trainer. My clients are varied, ranging from young athletes to
retired seniors. Resistance training
is not the end all be all of fitness. It’s only one aspect, but it serves as a
foundation. In other words, if a person is unaccustomed to physical activity,
but wants to start and exercise program, they shouldn’t start jogging, nor
should they start doing any type of interval training at high or even moderate
intensities. They should start with weights. Lifting weights, or resistance
training, strengthens you muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which will prepare
your body for the various forms of stress it will undergo during other forms of
exercise. Resistance training
(RT) works for everyone. Age is irrelevant. What matters is
commitment, consistency, and a personal trainer who views each client as unique
and has the ability to customize training programs to meet each client’s unique
needs. I begin with my clients where they are and map out a program that
guarantees success. RT is not a quick fix approach, but rather a lifetime
approach. It is, in my estimation, essential to maintain personal fitness
and good health as you age. The one piece of
advise I give to my clients and am now passing on to my readers is that
whatever method of fitness a client decides upon, it has to be something that
he or she can do for the rest of his/her life. Most people cannot do
high impact exercise or high intensity interval training (HIIT) as a way of
maintaining health for a lifetime. Some people cannot maintain an
“insanity” approach as a lifestyle, but EVERYONE can do RT for the rest of his
or her life. An investment in RT is an investment in yourself and
your health. There are a few
people who can work alone and be methodical and successful, but I find in my
experience that most people need a personal trainer for commitment,
consistency, and sustainability. My goal for all my clients is to help
them attain, maintain, and sustain. How I work: ·
My fees are reasonable, and I reserve the right to be compensated up front. ·
Clients are responsible to be available for scheduled sessions. A client
may cancel a session with 24 hours notice and MUST reschedule within a week or
he or she forfeits the fee. Special accommodations are always made in
circumstances over which the client lacks control. ·
The client must have space available for IHT (In-Home Training). ·
I make every session count so that your money works continually for you. ·
I employ the principles of RT using the progressive overload model so that the
client is always developing muscle strength, raising metabolism and increasing
fat burning capacity. ·
I recommend at least two sessions weekly. Three sessions are ideal.
However, a client may combine his or her own personal workout sessions with
personal training sessions. RT works as evidenced
by the results of a client (age 60+) with whom I have worked for one year.
Prior to RT, my senior client had been diagnosed with osteoporosis and
osteopenia of the spine. The client decided to
continue calcium supplements, declined medication, and started RT in August of
2012. The client’s 2013 DEXA SCAN showed a 3% increase in BMD (bone
mineral density). I worked with this client twice a week for one
year. RT WORKS! It takes commitment, consistency, and a skilled
personal trainer. Results are guaranteed. |
How exercise effects fat burn
Posted on November 26, 2013 at 9:47 PM |
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Many are under the
impression that their workout turns them into a fat burning machine 24 hours
following their workout. It’s a widely held belief that regular workouts result
in accelerated fat-burning around the clock. Not so fast, at least
not for moderate-intensity workouts. According to Edward Melanson, PHD, and
associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado “ Moderate duration
exercise of and hour or less has little impact on 24-hour fat oxidation.” http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20090528/24-hours-of-fat-burning-from-exercise Most studies
regarding fat burning—from exercise—have been short-term studies, which spanned
only several hours and looked at people who were in an unfed state. Melanson’s
team looked at a more true to life scenario where they followed the subjects
over a 24-hour period; they exercised and ate normally or they did no exercise
and ate. It’s not that we
don’t burn fat through exercise; it’s that we replace the calories with the
food we eat. Exercise increases your body’s ability to burn fat, but if you
replace the calories, you’re back to square one. This information
shouldn’t dissuade you from exercise; however, it should let you know that you
need to be more realistic about calories and calories out. Melanson's team
evaluated fat burning in 10 lean, endurance-trained participants, 10 lean but
untrained people, and eight untrained and obese
people during exercise conditions and sedentary conditions. Participants were fed
a diet
that was 20% fat, 65% carbs, and 15% protein for three days before each session and on
the day they exercised or did not exercise. On the exercise day, participants
rode a stationary bike at a moderate intensity for one hour, burning about 400
calories. When Melanson's team
measured calorie expenditures, they were higher in each group when they
exercised compared to when they did not, not surprisingly, but they found that
burning of carbohydrate, not fat, seemed to increase in the 24-hour period
after exercising.In the journal report, Melanson reports additional fat-burning
studies, including one that compared seven men ages 60-75 with seven other men
ages 20-30, with no differences in fat burning between groups for the 24 hours
after exercise or no exercise. Why don't we become
long-term fat burners after a good workout? The most likely reason is
that we eat, and what we eat affects fat burning. For instance, eating as
little as 240 calories of carbohydrate during the hour before exercise can
reduce fat burning during exercise, and the boost in fat burning during
exercise can be "blunted" for up to six hours after eating a meal,
says Melanson, citing other research. To maintain their low
body fat, endurance-trained exercisers may simply eat less fat than they burn
habitually, he says.The study findings are ''dispelling the myth that you can
create a 24-hour fat-burning situation after exercise," says Pete McCall,
an exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise.
But, he tells WebMD, the findings were limited to exercisers who did
moderate-intensity exercise, and for an hour or less. "These results might
not apply to different forms of exercise or higher-intensity exercise,"
McCall says. Still, he says, the
research results might be a crucial wake-up call. "The point of this
study, I think, is [that] he is trying to get people out of that mind-set: 'I
just worked out and I can eat whatever I want.'" At least for people
trying to lose weight, McCall says, that's certainly not true.Melanson says
that the take-home message from his research depends on whether you are trying
to lose weight or just maintain. "If you are using exercise to lose body
weight or body fat, you have to consider how many calories you are expending
and how many you are taking in," he says. The goal is a negative fat
balance. "If your body mass
index is below 25, you shouldn't be concerned about losing more body
fat," he says. |
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