Joy Fitness # 11 - Protein Consumption & Muscle Growth

       How's it going people, it's been roughly a month since my last post. Thanksgiving flew by, now time for some more holidays! As hectic as holidays can get, it is always refreshing knowing that a new year is on its' way. New year, new goals...it's good to hear people talk about what they want to change, or what they want to accomplish. The hard part is doing it, but it has to start with the thought! Today I want to talk about protein consumption...how much protein do we really need? There's tons of misleading information regarding supplements out there, and I would say protein is the most debated topic. Contrary to popular belief, we only need roughly 0.5 - 0.8 grams per pound while being on a regular strength training program. Everyone's dietary needs are different, but to significantly increase your protein consumption beyond this point will not build additional muscle. With all sorts of protein powders, pre-workout and post-workout supplements, and fad diets out there, sometimes it can be very frustrating to the average person knowing what these products actually do. Well the fact of the matter is, regardless of the product your taking, your fitness goals won't be attained simply by consuming these products. Results come from a proper strength training, cardio, and nutritional program which are directed to your specific goals. In this particular instance of talking about protein, most people believe the more protein you eat, the more muscle you will build. False! The more intense your muscle contraction, the more muscle you will build. How do you contract your muscles intensely? Lifting heavy weights! This and only this, will promote muscle growth. Next time you see an advertisement guaranteeing you fat loss or muscle growth, remember that protein consumption is an aid to your strength training program, not the other way around!

Joy Fitness # 10 - Personal Challenges

       Happy November everybody, these months are flying by! I can't believe in a few weeks it'll be Thanksgiving...looking forward to the holidays though. Today I am provoked to write about personal challenges; whether it is running a faster time in a 1 mile run, or quitting smoking, there are always obstacles that each individual has to face. Challenge yourself and identify ONE lifestyle change that you want to make...Have you been wanting to go to the gym before work in the morning but haven't followed through with it? Did you set out to stop smoking cigarettes but failed to do so? Have you let your favorite TV show take priority over going for your nightly run? Has substance abuse been destroying your life and making your goals unattainable? All of these situations are relevant to so many people, yet the cycle repeats itself. One of the most vital steps in tackling an ongoing personal challenge is to admit when you're wrong, and identify WHY you weren't successful. Was it because you were being lazy? Do you not care enough about your goal? Is it your diet or lack of exercise? Do you strength train regularly? Do you cave in to peer pressure? Knowing what you want is one thing; knowing how to get what you want is another.
       Recognizing why progress isn't made is the first step; the second step is to establish a plan to make your efforts consistent and successful. Communicating and speaking to others about your failures is the best thing you can do for yourself; you'll find out that by doing this, so many other people share the same difficulties and it will encourage you to continue to fight and achieve your personal goal. Often times, people set unrealistic goals. Try to identify ONE personal challenge that has been ongoing in your life and face it head on...sometimes you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself what's important in life. Don't let your previous failures dictate your future; go out and get what you want! I'll leave you guys with this quote:

"It takes a little courage, and a little self-control. And some grim determination, If you want to reach the goal. It takes a great deal of striving, and a firm and stern-set chin. No matter what the battle, if you really want to win, there's no easy path to glory. There is no road to fame. Life, however we may view it, is no simple parlor game; But its prizes call for fighting, For endurance and for grit; For a rugged disposition that will not quit."

Navy SEAL Masterchief

Joy Fitness # 9 - Keeping It Balanced

       What's going on people, how was everyone's work week!? Hopefully everything has been bearable for you guys. I figured this rainy Friday would be a good day to sit down and reflect on a topic that I have been thinking about over the last week or so. Today, I wanted to talk about keeping a balanced health and wellness program. In today's world, most people's workout routines are specifically designed to enhance their physical appearance. Nothing wrong with that, in fact I encourage everyone to do so; it helps in every area of your life, not just appearance! So often strength training and cardiovascular exercise are the focal point in our routines, yet flexibility is overlooked. I know it can be boring, yada yada yada...the fact is that flexibility is just as important in creating a balanced look for our bodies. Shoulder injuries, knee injuries, ankle injures, hip injuries...all of these troublesome parts of our anatomy stem from lack of mobility/flexibility. Although it can be a bit tedious and tiresome, it is necessary.
       Foam rolling in particular has recently been one of my new additions to my workout routine that I have neglected for years...keeping it simple, a foam rollers' purpose is to break down adhesions and scar tissue that form on soft tissues. Basically a fancy way of saying breaking down tight muscles...Certain areas such as your hip flexors, tensor fasciae latae, iliotibial band (IT band), quadriceps, hamstrings, and lower back are the most common parts that need treatment. Following foam rolling, static stretching (traditional stretching) is ideal directly after for best results. It will enhance your ROM (range of motion), which allows you to devote yourself to a more vigorous and intense free weight strength training program. This will result in better appearance! Also, your injury risk will significantly be lowered when a foam rolling and static stretching routine is incorporated into your weekly workouts. Too many times people forget about long-term health, and how their lower back will feel 20 years from now. If you start now, you will reap the benefits short-term and long-term...maybe if I told you that foam rolling was a form of a deep tissue massage, more people would do it!

Joy Fitness # 8 - Empower Yourself

       What's going on everybody, hope your week has been going well so far. The weather has been great recently; the only bad thing about fall is that you know that winter is right around the corner. Hopefully we get lucky with another warm winter just like last year. Anyway, today I want to talk about a specific word - Empower. The definition of empower is the following: 1-Give someone the authority or power to do something; 2-Enable someone to do something. The reason I wanted to touch on this word is because it has so much meaning, yet most people don't apply it into their own lives. Whether it be diet and fitness related, or financially related, empowering yourself is what it takes to be successful in whatever your goal may be. Every morning, you make the decision of what you're going to do that day. Let me repeat...YOU make the decision. There are always obstacles present in any goal, but at the end of the day the responsibility falls onto the individual striving to achieve that goal. If you tell your best friend you are going to pick him/her up at work at 5:00 p.m. and you don't show, you are accountable for not being there. Suppose your sister or brother told you that they would have the car home in time for you to pick up your friend by 5:00 p.m. and failed to do so, YOU are still accountable for not being there to pick up your friend. The point is, regardless of the excuse, it is just that...an excuse! If you have a specific goal and you know what the protocol is to successfully attain that goal, then do it! If not, then the blame is put on yourself. Empowering yourself is applying your energy to something that is important to you; most of the time when people make excuses, it's simply because whatever they are aiming to do is not important enough to them. If you actually want to make a change, start by empowering yourself and make yourself accountable for your actions!

Joy Fitness # 7 - Never-Ending Calorie Balance

       Good morning people! Well I was already out and about earlier this morning, and I can say with confidence that Fall has officially arrived..it's chilly outside! It's a nice change though, Fall is always an exciting season for me. As for my knee injury, it feels 100% better right now; I've been monitoring the exercises I'm doing, and I've been doing rehab 3 times per week. It's only been 2 weeks of "keeping off it" I guess you could say, and I'm very happy with my progress thus far. Today, I just wanted to talk about calories once again...the never-ending calorie balance. No matter what day, week, month, year or season, calories will always be calories. Every day someone new will make a goal to finally get in shape, and unfortunately most people will fail at reaching that goal. An interesting statistic I read this weekend stated that 85% of gym members will fail to reach their goal, 10% will make a little bit of progress, and only 5% of people will actually reach their goal that they set out to reach when they first joined the gym. Think about that...5%! This can be for many reasons, but at the end of the day 5% is 5%!
       Once again,  it's calories in VS calories out that's going to make the difference...simple formula but not the easiest task to do. Every day, I tell my clients to focus on today and today only. What did you eat today? How many calories are you at? Did you save room for your post-workout meal? How about your cardio? Completely bombarding your mind with your goal is what it's going to take to be part of that 5% of people that actually reach their goals...and honestly, people that want to see drastic changes in their body composition are the people that need to win the calorie balance day in and day out. It can definitely become frustrating when you don't see quick results..but you need to be completely honest with yourself and ask yourself if you've given it 100% of your effort to do what it takes to get in shape. If you concentrate on winning the calorie balance of today and today only, all of those days will add up. The daily sacrifices you make reward you with a satisfying goal in the end. Be part of that 5%!

Joy Fitness # 6 - Dealing with Injuries

       Hey everyone, it's been awhile since I've last posted. I think its' been since April since I actually posted my last blog entry. I have a few other posts written, but I can't find them on my computer..oh well, if I find them I will upload them! I think before I burnt myself out from writing a few entries per week; I think aiming for one entry per week is more reasonable. Today I wanted to talk about dealing with injuries..whether it's sports related, or any physical limitation. Recently, I've developed patellar tendonitis (jumpers knee) in my right knee. The first question you should ask yourself if how did this injury occur. For me, I've been playing basketball very frequently during the summer, and this involves a lot of jumping and stress on the knee joint. Having said that, there were times when there would be knee pain present, but I would continue to play anyway. Definitely not the right solution! The problem with this is that the longer I procrastinate to allow my knee to rest and heal, the more serious this injury can become. From what probably started out as an acute injury, could lead to a chronic injury (long-lasting). Chronic injuries must be dealt with every day, or else the symptoms will recur. Always listen to your body; if there is pain present, avoid that activity! Every injury must be handled differently based on the circumstances, but most of the time you will be able to identify the injury from research.
       My patellar tendonitis has finally healed; however I might have a case of pre-patellar bursitis as well. Any kind of "itis" is very similar, and usually when there is one of these present, an individual has the other as well. Going back to what I said earlier in my post, I probably wouldn't have developed pre-patellar bursitis had I listened to my body and layed off of my knee when I was feeling pain. This is a sign of a chronic injury developing. Let me say first-hand that it is so frustrating to deal with, especially since I love playing sports and doing high-impact activities. For now, I have to treat it the right way so my health is better for the long-term. The main lesson here is to listen to your body, and always prepare for the worst. At the time of playing basketball, I wasn't lifting my legs as intensely as I normally do. Had I been doing that, my supporting muscles around my knee joint would have been stronger and took a lot of the pressure from the high-impact landings off of the joint. So even though a lot of people avoid strength training, it is necessary not only for building muscle and burning fat, but preventing injuries as well!

Joy Fitness #5 - Progress Update/Body Fat vs Weight

          Hey everyone, hope your weekend went well..haven't posted since last Wednesday, feels good to be back writing again. Today I wanted to update you on my progress thus far on my individual goal of dropping 25 lbs of body fat by July 7th. As of this morning, I've dropped 5.5 lbs since my last weigh in 16 days ago. Seems about right...I always encourage people to not get so caught up on their "weight" as opposed to their body fat. In most cases, as their weight drops, so does their body fat. But there does come to a point where measurements may go down, such as waist or hips, but your weight actually goes up. This is a tell-tale sign that even though your weight increased, your body fat is dropping. Measurements, such as these, are far more indicative of how successful someone's diet and fitness program is going, rather than weight alone. So why am I weighing myself? Well I'm not one of those people who gets caught up on my weight as a number...if I drank two bottles of water and then got weighed, I understand that my weight will be higher but not my body fat. It doesn't affect my confidence because I know I am sound in my other areas of my program. I know how many calories I want to take in daily for fat loss to occur, how many times a week I want to weight train, and how many times a week I want to do cardio. Because I know for certain that I am doing what it takes to scientifically drop my body fat, why should the weight matter? It doesn't. The weight will take care of itself if your other parts of your program are organized and accurate.
          The other issue I want to touch on today is urgency. The definition of urgency: 1) The quality or condition of being urgent; pressing importance/ 2) A pressing necessity. No matter what challenge an individual undergoes in life, without a sense of urgency, there will be a chance of failure. It's tough to always be on top of your game, always have that extra motivation, always have that eye of the tiger. But when it comes to diet and fitness, people need to find their sense of urgency when it doesn't exist at the moment. For instance, tomorrow is May 1st. Any time I think of May, I think of summer. I'm sure most people my age think that way, just because we've been used to finishing our spring semester around that time. Use these types of strategies to remind yourself how important your goal is to you, and how you felt last year when you weren't able to achieve your goal. Think and visualize how much progress can be made in the month of May alone prior to summer even beginning. Every day is a new day, and empower yourself by creating a sense of urgency!