In a recent post, I discussed the Evolutionary Fitness Diet, a diet rich in plant foods, protein and essential fats. So here’s an example of an evolutionary fitness dinner. I made sauteed kale (which I first boiled), sauteed sweet mini-bell peppers with red onion and a grilled turkey burger. The burger is 99 percent fat-free and made from free-range turkey …
What Is Evolutionary Fitness?
I came across a compelling theory on fitness and nutrition, recently, that’s based on our evolutionary past. The idea is that our minds and bodies are a product of millions of years of evolution. And since our genes haven’t changed over the last 40,000 years, our DNA is that of the hunter-gatherers. Athlete/scientist, Art De Vany suggests that our genes …
Monitor Your Heart Rate During Intervals
I often take my clients to the track at Santa Barbara City College for their first interval session. This is a beautiful stadium that’s located right by the beach and there’s a spectacular view of the ocean from the top of the bleachers. I’m a big believer in my clients doing cardio on their own. But for the first session, …
The Deadlift Is A Functional Exercise
I was working with one of my clients on his deadlift recently. And after he completed a nice set of five reps, I commented that the weight was 235 lbs. Another gym member, who overheard our conversation, then asked my client if he was “powerlifting.” No doubt, the deadlift is a powerlifting exercise that’s used to measure strength at competitive …
Exercise Tip: Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
The Stiff-Leg Deadlift is a great functional exercise that strengthens the glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings for activities like running, jumping and skating, as mentioned previously. It can be done with either dumbbells or a barbell. Muscles involved: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus (buttocks) and Erector Spinae (low back). Action: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your …
The Leg Curl Is A Useless Exercise
In the traditional gym setting, the leg curl is often considered a staple of lower body strength training. It’s an isolation exercise (a single joint movement), knee flexion, that’s used for strengthening the hamstrings. I believe this exercise is useless because you never use this particular muscle action, isolated knee flexion, lying on your stomach, in everyday activities and sports. …
Essential Fatty Acids Control Inflammation
There’s been a lot of research on the aging process recently and the latest findings suggest that low-grade inflammation is the cause of many of the modern degenerative diseases, like coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and some cancers. Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s immune system. When you burn your finger, for example, white blood cells secrete a …
Aerobic Exercise Makes You Fat
I was recently contacted by a client I trained a few years back who said she’s been doing steady-state aerobic exercise everyday for 40 minutes (skating along the bike trail by the beach) and that she’s beginning to gain weight. How could this be since aerobic exercise burns calories? Athlete/scientist, Art De Vany theorizes that too much aerobic exercise increases …
Why Stretch?
Flexibility is defined as the measure of a joints movement through a normal range of motion. A flexible joint has the ability to move through a greater range of motion so you’re much less likely to become injured in the course of your everyday activities and sports. Flexibility training, or stretching, improves posture. Poor postural habits can cause your muscles …
Exercise Tip: Step Ups
The step up is a great exercise that works every muscle in the leg. It’s an excellent way to develop leg strength for running and jumping because the independent leg action closely resembles the movement patterns of those activities. Step ups can be done with a barbell, dumbbells or simply using your body weight. Muscles involved: quadriceps (thigh), hamstrings, hip …
What Is Functional Training?
I like Mike Boyle’s definition in Functional Training for Sports. He says that “functional training is best described as a continuum of exercises that teach athletes to handle their own body weight in all planes of movement.” We humans perform a wide range of movements (walking, running, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, starting, stopping, etc.), which take place in all three …
Intervals vs Aerobics For Fat Loss
The most effective training you can do for fat loss is intervals. The main reason is that intervals are more metabolically demanding, which means you to burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after you finish exercising, when the muscles are busy repairing, recovering and replenishing themselves. As many of you know, the term “intervals” refers to exercise …
Welcome To The Fitness Transform Blog!
This is my very first post! Sometimes when I’m reading an article or thinking about a topic, I want to comment on it. But I may not have the time or the desire to write an entire article. This blog is the perfect place for those musings. And while I’ve contributed to my friend Phil LeClair’s blog, Tough Love Nutrition, …