advice from the trainer
------------------------------
Steven Reichert
Certified Personal Trainer
www.stevenreichert.com

Choose the Best Cardio for Maximum Fat Loss (1/4/10)

My primary goal is to help you be the healthiest you can be. So, let's talk about your cardiovascular exercise plan. If you want to lose fat, you have to use that stored energy by doing cardio! I want you to do these rhythmic, continuous exercises which elevate your heartrate and burn lots of fat.

Choose the Most Effective Cardio Exercises
Generally, the most effective exercises involve moving and lifting your body. This gets your heartrate its highest and burns the maximum calories.. For example, you expend more calories running than biking because you're on your feet instead of seated. Be sure to pick exercises you enjoy, because I want you to stay with the plan!
Here are my favorite cardio exercises:

Beginner and Intermediate-Level Exercises:
Elliptical machine
Walking uphill on a treadmill
Biking
Active dancing
Swimming
Aerobics classes

Advanced-Level Exercises:
Jumping rope
Racquetball or squash
Climbing stairs or Metro escalators
Running
Ultimate frisbee
Kickboxing class
Basketball (full court team play)

Find the Most Effective Intensity Level
There are several ways to monitor the appropriate intensity level for cardio exercises. The easiest is the "talk test." When you're exercising at the right intensity level, it should feel slightly uncomfortable to talk. If you can recite the Declaration of Independence with ease, pick up the pace! Conversely, if you can't utter your name, slow it down!

Make Cardio a Regular Part of Your Week
The American College of Sports Medicine is a trusted leader on cardiovascular exercising. They recommend this amount of cardio each week:

Beginner Level:
3 sessions per week; 20 minutes each session

Advanced Level:
5 sessions per week; 60 minutes each session

How Do You Know When You're "Fit?"

Being "fit" means something different to everyone. You may feel "fit" if you can wear a smaller clothing size. To someone else, it may mean winning a 5K running race. Or reaching a target weight on a scale. Or simply feeling strong and full of energy.

But all of these personal accomplishments are the result of reaching a level of fitness in five specific categories. When I first meet with clients, I evaluate their fitness level in these five ways, then I design workouts to help clients improve on their weaknesses. When you score well in each of the five areas, the impact on your life is amazing, and your personal goals can become a reality!

So how "fit" are you? Grade yourself in these five aspects of physical fitness and see what you need to improve:

1. Cardiovascular Health
Do you get winded easily? Or is breathing easy even when you're doing strenuous exercise? The ability of the heart and lungs to fuel your body with oxygen is a key part of physical fitness.

To improve your cardiovascular capacity and endurance, focus on exercises which increase your heartrate, like jogging, swimming, and cycling. Begin slowly, then progress up to one hour, 3 to 5 times a week.

2. Body Composition
The more fat you have, the higher your risk for illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. I encourage my clients to be in the lowest health-risk category. Men should have less than 20 percent fat out of their total weight, and women should have less than 27 percent, according to the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.

If you're overweight, you must burn your fat through exercise and by eating smart portions of lean foods. If you don't know your body-fat percentage, please ask me to measure it for you.

3. Muscle Strength
Muscle strength refers to the amount of force a muscle can exert in a single effort. Grade yourself on how easily you can perform everyday movements like lifting objects and moving your own body. If you're an athlete, you'll need to develop the strength to perform a specific task, like hitting a powerful tennis serve.

To improve your strength, you'll need to do resistance exercises using dumbbells, barbells, cables, and even your own body weight. I help clients gain strength by loading their muscles with enough resistance to cause fatigue in 8 to 12 repetitions using good form.

4. Muscle Endurance
Muscle endurance refers to your ability to perform a continuous effort without fatiguing. For example, if your legs get tired walking up stairs, you lack muscle endurance. If you want to perform well in sports, you need a high endurance level to outlast your competition.

To improve your muscle endurance, practice moderate-level exercises, gradually increasing the duration of your training. If you're an athlete, focus on movements specific to your sport.

5. Flexibility
Flexibility is being able to move your joints easily through their entire range of motion. Grade yourself on how freely you can move your body. Do you feel stiff and tight just bending over or reaching for an object? If you're an athlete, do you lack the range of motion to perform a specific movement well? Tightness not only restricts the activities we want to do, but, I believe, the mind too.

Flexibility training should be included in all fitness programs to prevent the loss of joint mobility and injuries. Stretching at the end of your workout is preferred, since the muscles are warm and pliable.

Managing Low Back Pain

Advice from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America

Do you suffer from low back pain? If you do, you are not alone. Millions of Americans develop low back pain at some time during their lives. The tightness, aches, and pain may be due to lifting the wrong way, making sudden moves, or taking a fall. Maintaining poor posture, carrying extra weight, being out of shape and living a stressful life are also some causes of low back pain.

Try These Techniques for Back Pain Relief
According to many healthcare providers, using ice, over-the-counter medications and heat are remedies you can do at home. It is also important that you keep moving. Prolonged bed rest or sitting will actually aggravate your pain, while walking or stretching frequently help lessen the pain. However, it is advisable to check with your physician first.

• Non-prescription medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen can help reduce pain. It is best to check with your doctor to make sure you are taking the best medication for you.
• Ice is great for decreasing pain. Apply an ice pack at the point of pain. (Don't apply ice without an outer protective covering. If ice is not available, a bag of frozen vegetables will work). Apply for approximately 20 minutes each hour. Ice can be applied on this intermittent basis over a 24 to 48 hour period for immediate pain relief.
• If discomfort still remains after icing for two days try heat. A heating pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and applied to the sore area for approximately 15 minutes each hour can relax the affected muscles.
• Relaxing in a warm tub or shower may also help to lessen low back pain by relaxing tense muscles. Also, stretching and massage therapy can help relieve muscle tension.
• Good posture can help relieve discomfort. Stand tall and avoid excessive curve to low back and pelvis while maintaining a neutral spine.
• Relax! Focus on dealing with stress and your back pain often disappears.

Tips to Avoid Low-Back Pain

• Use back rests and lumbar supports when sitting.
• Make sure seats offer optimal comfort and support whether you are at the office, home or in a car.
• Maintain healthy weight by eating a good diet and exercising regularly.
• Reduce stress and anxiety.
• Change your position regularly. For example, if you find yourself sitting for long periods of time, try to switch between sitting and standing.
• Adjust table and work station to comfortable heights.
• Avoid activities that are clearly associated with previous episodes of pain.
• When lifting, always keep loads close to your body, face the load and use proper lifting techniques.
• Allow for adequate warm-up and cool-down before and after exercise.
• Always wear protective footwear and avoid exercising for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces.
• Strengthen your abdominal and back muscles to help maintain good posture.
• Stretch your muscles frequently to keep them relaxed and flexible (focus on upper and lower back, and front and back of thighs).

Use Proper Body Mechanics

• Lifting: When lifting, face and get close to your object. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart bending at the hips and knees, tightening your abdominals and keeping a slight arch in your back. Take a deep breath and exhale as you lift with the muscles in your legs and buttocks. Stand tall and carry object close to your body.
• Getting in and out of bed: When getting out of bed, roll over to your side. Using your arms, push your body up to a sitting position with your legs lowering toward the ground. Use your arms and legs to bring you to a standing position. Reverse the steps to get into bed.
• Getting in and out of a car: When getting into a car, stand with your back turned toward the side of the seat. Using your arms and legs, lower yourself into the side of the seat then gently scoot into the center of the seat. Sitting sideways in the seat, keeping your back straight and moving as an entire unit, pivot your body around until you are sitting erect and in front of the steering wheel by bringing one leg in at a time and grasping onto the steering wheel.
• Sitting: Sit in a chair that provides lumbar support. If not available, utilize a rolled towel or pillow. Sit with your knees level or slightly lower than your hips with feet flat on the floor. Maintain good posture from your head to your toes keeping your ears, shoulders and hips in line with each other.
• Prolonged Standing: When standing for long periods of time it may be helpful to elevate one foot off the ground and rest it on a step stool to help relieve stress to the low back.

Speed Recovery with the Nutrients Your Body Needs

After your workout or sports competition, you can help your body recover and rebuild with a meal consisting of the following:

Lean Protein
Examples include lean cuts of chicken or fish or turkey (grilled or baked without skin), canned tuna (packed in water), beans, lentils, veggie burgers, tofu, tempeh (soy cakes), low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt, skim milk, and egg whites.

"Sugary" or "High Glycemic" Carbohydrate
Examples include fresh fruit, fruit juice, yogurt, soy milk.

Water
Drink 1 large glass (and more after intense exercise or in hot weather).

Carbohydrates are the Best Energy for Performance

The carbohydrates we eat are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. This is the fuel which provides the energy our muscles need to exercise.

You will get better results from your competitions and workouts if you are properly fueled. The best fuel source is "complex" or "low glycemic" carbohydrates which include oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, brown rice, lentils, whole wheat bread and pasta, and vegetables.

You can greatly reduce your chances of "hitting the wall" if you follow these suggestions on what to eat:

For Exercise Lasting Less than 90 Minutes

Eat a small meal about 1-2 hours before exercising. This meal should include a serving of complex carbs and a large glass of water.

For Exercise Longer than 90 Minutes

The body's glycogen stores are sufficient to supply energy for competitions lasting up to 90 minutes. But for events lasting longer than this, extra consideration should be given to fueling the body. In the days leading up to the competition, meals should include foods rich in carbohydrates (it takes 48 hours for glycogen stores to be built up). You should also consume extra water during this time to hydrate your body.

About 1-2 hours before your competition, eat a small meal. This meal should include a serving of complex carbs and a large glass of water. Then during your event, you should drink diluted juice or a sports drink to add beneficial electrolytes and help maintain blood sugar balance.

Learn to Reduce the Risks of Overheating

Training and competition in hot weather can cause problems for athletes, and everyone needs to be aware of the risks and preventative measures. Be aware of the importance of drinking fluids before and during exercise to prevent dehydration and heat- related illnesses which include muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

An athlete's temperature, normally about 98.6 degrees, may increase to 104 degrees or more during intense exercise. The circulatory system transports the heat generated by muscles to the skin to be dissipated. While a certain percentage of blood is used to regulate body temperature, large quantities of blood are still required to meet the energy and metabolic needs of working muscles. These demands may overtax the circulatory system, resulting in an inadequate removal of body heat and a corresponding rise in the athlete's body temperature.

Even in mild weather, you can run the risk of overheating. The threat becomes more severe when weather conditions are hot and humid. Sweat doesn't evaporate well in this sort of climate because the surrounding air is already saturated with water. If you continue to exercise in this state, you will increase your chances of suffering from heat exhaustion.

If you're preparing for competition, it's wise to drink extra fluids in the few days before you compete to ensure maximum hydration at the start of an event. You should also drink fluids before and frequently during a long event to keep your body temperature at safe levels.

Additionally, use common-sense strategies like progressively acclimating your body to warmer conditions, avoiding exercise in the hottest part of the day, and wearing skin and eye protection.

To Perform Your Best, Give Your Body the Fluids it Needs

When you exercise, your body loses water through sweating and evaporation. Sweat is your body's coolant. During an intense workout, your muscles generate heat, which is carried by your blood through capillaries near the surface of your skin. Your sweat glands release perspiration that evaporates, cooling the skin and the blood underneath.

Sweating is therefore an essential mechanism for regulating body temperature. But when your body loses water, it limits the capacity of your blood to carry nutrients (such as glucose, fatty acids, and oxygen) to working muscles. Even mild dehydration (as little as 2 percent of your body weight) can impair athletic performance. The capacity of the blood to remove the by-products of metabolism, including carbon dioxide and lactic acid, is compromised as well.

How to Measure Your Body's Need for Fluids

Athletes must drink fluids to combat the sweat loss that naturally accompanies exercise. Check the color and quantity of your urine (it should be clear and copious). Weigh yourself before and after exercise. For every pound of of weight lost, drink two cups of water.

It's hard to over-hydrate before and during exercise. Drink one to two cups of water 5 to 15 minutes before your workout, and a minimum of three ounces every 20 minutes of exercise. During hot and humid conditions and during prolonged and/or intense exercise, even more water is required (drink up to 8 to 10 ounces every 20 minutes). After exercise, continue to drink when thirsty, plus more.

For exercise lasting less than 90 minutes, pure water is sufficient. For exercise lasting longer than 90 minutes, diluted juice or a sports drink will add beneficial electrolytes and help maintain blood sugar balance.

Achieve Your Goals with a Smart Action Plan

As a personal trainer, I help motivate my clients to achieve their fitness goals. I'd like to share some common traits from clients who succeed by setting realistic goals, then taking steps to reach them.

Start with a Winning Attitude
If you feel trapped in an unbearable situation and want to change, realize you have the power to change. You make choices every day, and you can always make different choices. Believe in yourself and the power you have!

Set Specific Goals
To achieve your goal, first clearly define it. Your goal might be to "lose weight," but this is too general and needs to be refined into specific behavior changes that are necessary to lose weight. Examples of specific goals:

"I will eliminate 150 calories a day from my food intake for the next month."

"I will perform 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week for the next two months."

"I will pack a healthy lunch instead of eating fast food twice a week for the next three weeks."

Record Your Progress
Keeping a record of your eating, exercising, and behavior habits will allow you to periodically evaluate how well you are progressing toward your goals. This way, you can document your rate of change and add a sense of accomplishment.

Be Action Oriented
When you set goals, it's not enough to just think or talk about making changes. Achieving your goals involves action. Focus on specific steps that move you toward your goal. Don't waste energy just thinking about your goals any more!

Be Realistic
If your goals aren't realistic, you'll set yourself up for failure. Long-term goals are achieved by reaching numerous short-term goals. You'll gain confidence as you take baby steps. Setting goals which require drastic reductions in food or increases in time exercising will ultimately result in failure.

Set a Time Frame
Setting a specific time frame can help motivate you and sets the stage for readjusting or setting new goals. A series of timed, short-term goals can serve as stepping stones to the long-term goal.

Take Action NOW with These Six Fat-Loss Strategies

In my experience helping clients lose fat, I know the most effective strategies. I'd like to share these strategies in my Get Lean Plan. A sexy waistline can be yours if you take these actions:

1. Cut Calories with Smart Food Choices
To get lean, choose lower-calorie foods. Eliminate fatty and sugary foods, then replace them with lean alternatives. For example, instead of fried chicken, eat a grilled chicken breast. For breakfast, dump those donuts and try a healthy bowl of oatmeal.

2. Reduce Portion Sizes
Portions are smaller than you think. A serving of meat is 3 oz. (the size of a deck of cards). A serving of rice or pasta is 1 cup. And carefully read food labels. If a container of food says it has 2.5 servings, you'll be over-eating if you eat it all. Better yet, don't buy large packages in the first place.

3. Drink Water
Drink water like there's a drought coming. Choose other calorie-free drinks, including tea, club soda, and diet soft drinks. Many people find they eat less food if they drink a large glass of water before each meal. Water fills your stomach, keeping hunger in check.

4. Eat Small, Frequent Meals
Starting with a healthy breakfast, eat 5 to 6 small meals each day. Eating frequently will help rev-up your metabolism and stabilize blood-sugar levels to prevent hunger from taking control of you. Take food and water with you to work and while traveling. Plan to have healthy snacks available.

5. Do Cardiovascular Exercise

To burn your body fat, you must do cardio. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 3 to 5 sessions each week. When you're beginning, go for 20 minutes. Then increase to 60 minutes as you progress. Pick exercises you enjoy and have fun! (See the next article for my suggestions of the best exercises.)

6. Train with Weights

Weight training can build more lean muscle. More muscle helps raise your metabolism which, in turn, helps you burn more calories even while you're resting. In my training sessions, I'll help you get the maximum fat-loss benefit by focusing on your major muscle groups and keeping the pace moving.

Choose the Best Cardio for Maximum Fat Loss

My primary goal is to help you lose fat. So, let's talk about your cardiovascular exercise plan. If you want to lose fat, you have to use that stored energy by doing cardio! I want you to do these rhythmic, continuous exercises which elevate your heartrate and burn lots of fat.

The Most Effective Cardio Exercises
Generally, the most effective exercises involve moving and lifting your body. This gets your heartrate its highest and burns the maximum calories. For example, you expend more calories running than biking because you're on your feet instead of seated. Be sure to pick exercises you enjoy, because I want you to stay with the plan. Here are my favorite cardio exercises:

Intermediate-Level Exercises:
Elliptical machine
Walking uphill on a treadmill
Biking
Active dancing
Swimming
Aerobics classes

Advanced-Level Exercises:
Jumping rope
Racquetball or squash
Climbing stairs or Metro escalators
Running
Ultimate frisbee
Kickboxing class
Basketball (full court team play)

The Most Effective Intensity Level
There are several ways to monitor the appropriate intensity level for cardio exercises. The easiest is the "talk test." When you're exercising at the right intensity level, it should feel slightly uncomfortable to talk. If you can recite the Declaration of Independence with ease, pick up the pace! Conversely, if you can't utter your name, slow it down!

Eating to Perform Your Best!

Pre-Workout Meal Plan
You'll get better results from your workouts or sports events if you're properly fueled. The best fuel source is "complex" or "low glycemic" carbohydrates which include oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, brown rice, lentils, whole wheat bread and pasta, and vegetables. These foods provides the energy your muscles need to exercise.

You can greatly reduce your chances of "hitting the wall" if you follow these suggestions:

For Exercise Lasting Less than 90 Minutes

• Eat a small meal about 1-2 hours before exercising. This meal should include a serving of complex carbs and a large glass of water.
  

For Exercise or Sports Lasting Longer than 90 Minutes

• Your body's glycogen stores are sufficient to supply energy for exercise lasting up to 90 minutes. But for events lasting longer, you'll need extra fuel. In the days leading up to your event, meals should include foods rich in carbohydrates. You should also drink extra water.
  
• About 1-2 hours before your event, eat a small meal. This meal should include a serving of complex carbs and a large glass of water. Then during your event, drink diluted juice or a sports drink to add electrolytes and help maintain blood sugar balance.
  

Post-Workout Meal Plan

What you eat after your workout can have a huge benefit. Help your body recover and rebuild with a meal consisting of the following:

Lean Protein

• Examples include lean cuts of chicken or fish or turkey (grilled or baked without skin), canned tuna (packed in water), beans, lentils, veggie burgers, tofu, low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt, skim milk, and egg whites.
  

"Sugary" or "High Glycemic" Carbohydrate

• Examples include fresh fruit, fruit juice, yogurt, soy milk.
  

Water

• Drink 1 large glass (and more after intense exercise or hot weather).