By Terry Cobb, ACSM CPT

Get the skinny on “skinny”

As personal trainers, we often hear our current clients and potential clients tell us they would like us to help them get “skinny”. We see and hear this term everywhere we turn. The swim suit models, beautiful actresses and TV personalities. The media encourages the philosophy that skinnier is somehow “better”. Society, in general has begun to equate success and health with “skinny”.   Are skinnier people healthier than heavier people?   Well, let’s get the “skinny” on “skinny”.

Recently, scientists at the Mayo clinic came up with an interesting discovery:   After comparing various health markers with the weights and body mass index numbers of thousands of adults, they found that more than half of those with normal weights and BMIs actually had “high body-fat percentages as well as heart and metabolic disturbances.” In other words, they had the same risks of coronary disease, diabetes, and other chronic illness as people who weighed much more.

It appears it’s not your total weight but the characteristics of that weight—how much is fat and where it’s deposited—that matter most.

This research, and its sobering implications for millions of Americans, led to the establishment of a new condition called normal weight obesity (NWO) or what we here at Your Personal Best refer to as “skinny-fat”. This is more than just the latest fat phobia. It’s worth paying attention to because the accumulation of fat in the body, especially in the belly and around internal organs, causes low-level inflammation that gradually damages tissue and blood vessels. (Think of it as metabolic rust.) So even though your weight or BMI may be within acceptable limits for your height and age, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security.

Do your own analysis, starting with these steps:

1.   Stop being preoccupied with pounds. As with total cholesterol, total weight is just one general assessment of your health. Seeing numbers that are within a healthy BMI range may actually disguise your heart disease risk. Keep them in perspective.

2.    Measure your body fat. For a quick estimate of this key factor, wrap a cloth measuring tape around your naked waist just above your belly button. If your weight is fairly normal but the number you see above your navel is 35 inches or more (40+ inches
for men), you may have NWO. For a more exact reading ask your personal trainer to measure your body fat. This can be done using a variety of noninvasive methods. If it’s higher than 30 percent (20 percent for men), you likely have NWO.

3.   Get a blood test. Ask your doctor to order a thorough blood analysis at your next physical. Warning signs of NWO include low HDL (total cholesterol and LDL may be normal), along with elevated triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

4.   Target belly fat. If you’re diagnosed with NWO, take aim at visceral fat. Despite how entrenched it may seem, you can lose it. The keys are: Avoid the white stuff (white bread, rice, pasta, and other refined carbohydrates). Add monounsaturated fats, which target belly fat, to your diet. And do interval exercises to burn more fat and strength-training to build lean body mass.

5.   Keep tracking fat. Just as you hop on the scale to keep tabs on your weight, do the same with your body fat. Have it measured periodically by your trainer at Your Personal Best Training Studio. A lot of the time, you will find that the scale’s numbers don’t reflect the actual fat loss/muscle gain you may have. Body fat testing will.

Remember…

Continue to eat smart and exercise, but accept your body for what it is and know you’re not unhealthy because of it. And remember, skinnier is not necessarily healthier!

Find more information about “Skinny Fat“.

Terry Cobb

Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down, in a head down position on an inversion platform. In theory, inversion therapy takes gravitational pressure off the nerve roots and disks in your spine and increases the space between vertebrae. Inversion therapy is one example of the many ways in which stretching the spine (spinal traction) has been used in an attempt to relieve back pain.

Some people find traction temporarily helpful as part of a more comprehensive treatment program for lower back pain caused by spinal disk compression. Although it has been helpful to some in easing low back pain, it isn’t safe for everyone. Certain positions, such as the head-down position could be risky for those suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma.

As with any new activity, especially inversion it is a good idea to start slow and stay at very mild angles for the first week or so. Most people will find the 40-45 degree position the angle they will use most often once they acclimate to the table.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS NOT TO OVERDO IT. INVERSION IS NOT A “NO PAIN, NO GAIN” SITUATION. AS SOON AS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH, STOP! THE STRETCHING OF MUSCLES, LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, NERVES, ETC. IS MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU REALIZE WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT ON THE GRAVITY TABLE YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU OVER STRETCHED UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF BED DUE TO A PULLED MUSCLE IN YOUR NECK OR BACK.

Find more information about the cons and pros of inversion therapy.

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Terry Cobb

I started off recording myself preparing this salad, but for whatever reason, my computer didn’t record it!   So I have included a picture of the finished dish. This recipe is a favorite of one of our clients here at YPB. I ate this for lunch then invited a friend over for dinner and she helped me eat the rest. It was very good and I would highly recommend trying it. The pecans give it that “extra something”.

Chopped chicken with chilled red and green grapes, accented with bites of apple and pecan.

2 Servings
Ingredients:

• 2 portions of cooked chicken, chopped (about 1/2 lb)
• 1/2 C seedless red grapes, chilled, halved
• 1/2 C green grapes, chilled, halved
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1/4 t ground black pepper
• 2 C baby romaine leaves
• 2 T chopped pecans

Directions:

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine precooked and chopped chicken, chilled red and green grapes, apple, mayonnaise, lemon juice and black pepper.
• Place baby romaine leaves on 2 small plates.
• Divide chicken salad mixture into 2 portions and spoon onto lettuce.
• Sprinkle each salad with half the chopped pecans.
• Serve and enjoy!

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Terry Cobb

As we become more aware of our weight and become “weight watchers”, most of us can get a bit obsessed with every calorie we eat and every pound we gain. Sometimes, the more obsessed we become, the more trustworthy we come to view our scale. Some people insist that weighing every day, is best; others feel that weekly suits them better. How often should you weigh yourself? Here are some thoughts:

The scale can be viewed as a “constant daily reminder” to control your diet and help you focus on losing weight. As you progress daily, it can help evaluate the effectiveness of your eating/exercise plan. Some people will respond very well to the approach of constant monitoring. For others; however, there can be disadvantages.

Some people can become “obsessed” with the scale. They may become discouraged by the fluctuating numbers; Water retention can vary by as much as five pounds throughout the day.   If you do decide to weigh every day, make sure you are weighing at the same time everyday.
Weighing weekly can also be very rewarding and motivating. It may not provide the instant gratification that weighing once a week does; but it can be rewarding. Without the constant nagging of the scale, you’ll feel less pressure. You can focus on your diet and exercise and feel a bit more at ease.   If you do weigh weekly, you could end up being less strict with your diet, and “put off to tomorrow-what you should be doing today”.

In the beginning of a weight loss program, weighing daily can encourage and spur you on, as you see immediate results; however, as your weight loss slows, this can be discouraging-down the line. See below for pros and cons:

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Dramatic Improvements in a Short Period of Time

If you want the benefits of long, steady endurance exercise, but lack the time for such workouts, interval training may be a great alternative or addition to your current routine. Intervals or sprints can be done while running, cycling, swimming, or almost any other type of cardiovascular exercise. Sprint training can offer an option for those that don’t have much time for exercise but still want to improve their cardiovascular system. Although this type of training is demanding and requires a high level of motivation, it can lead to dramatic improvements in a short period of time.

Evidence shows that short, high-intensity sprint workouts improve aerobic capacity and endurance in about half the time of traditional endurance exercise.

Recent studies of sprint training with cyclists showed greater cardiovascular results in less time. In fact, one study found that just six sessions of four to seven all-out thirty-second sprints (with four minutes of recovery between sprints) could be as effective at improving cardiovascular fitness as an hour of daily moderate-level aerobic exercise.

It’s always a good idea to vary your routine every few months. This type of workout is intense, and you may need to take a break and perform some long slow workouts for a while. Try it, you may find that you like it!

· How Often?

Perform sprint workout routines three times a week with plenty of rest between workouts. Because of the intensity of these workouts, most athletes shouldn’t do sprint work more than three times a week.

· Warm up.

Before sprints, warm up thoroughly with easy exercise for 5-10 minutes. Perform the same exercise you will be using for your sprints.

· Sprint.

Perform your first sprint at about 60 percent max intensity. If you feel any muscle tightness or joint pain, back off and continue to warm up.

· Recover.

Recover for 2 minutes by slowing to a comfortable pace, but keep moving. This can be an easy jog or a walk, depending upon your fitness.

· Sprint.

Perform your next sprint at about 80 percent max intensity.

· Recover.

Recover for 2 minutes.

· Sprint.

Perform the remainder of your sprints at 100 percent max intensity or all-out efforts of 30 seconds. You should be pushing yourself to the max for each one.

· Recover.

Recover for 2 to 4 minutes after each sprint to allow your breathing and heart rate to slow to the point that you can hold a conversation without gasping.

· Repeat.

Repeat the sprint/recovery routine 4-8 times depending upon your level and ability. For your first workout, you will want to stop at 4 sprints. That’s fine. Try to build up to 8.

· Workout Goal.

The goal is to do this work out six times in two weeks and then back off to twice a week for maintenance for six to eight weeks before you change your workout.

· Rest and Recovery.

Allow at least one to two days of rest or other easy exercises between sprint workouts.

_{Kirsten A. Burgomaster, Scott C. Hughes, George J. F. Heigenhauser, Suzanne N. Bradwell, and Martin J. Gibala. Six sessions of sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative potential and cycle endurance capacity in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, February 10, 2005;}

_{Burgomaster KA, Heigenhauser GJ, Gibala MJ. Effect of Short-Term Sprint Interval Training on Human Skeletal Muscle Carbohydrate Metabolism During Exercise and Time Trial Performance. Journal of Applied Physiology, February 2006.}

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Increase Your Energy

Exercise has been proven to increase overall energy. When someone has been sedentary for a long period of time, it takes a bit of work to get rid of the inertia that accompanies this lifestyle. Getting started on a regular exercise regime can seem daunting at first. The only way to generate energy is to begin to MOVE your body.  The more sedentary and lazy we are, the more tired we become.

Exercise is something a lot of people dread, but everyone loves the results.   Getting started is truly a case of mind over matter.  The mind must be motivated to move the body to dislodge the matter that is clogging up our bloodstream and our cells. The cells must be freed to produce energy. Once we begin moving, our bodies begin to work the way they were created to work.

ATP

A quick physiology lesson:  The body creates energy a variety of ways.  ATP (adenosine triphosphate) relies on glucose (i.e. carbohydrates) as its energy source.  When you do things like sprint quickly, you are using the ATP, which is produced from the anaerobic system.   ATP is basically to your body what gasoline is to your car. There is a limited supply.  When you run out of ATP the system moves over to the aerobic system.  The aerobic system produces more ATP than the anaerobic system.  The aerobic system relies mainly on fatty acids, glucose and glycogen as its source for energy.

Fat produces 9 calories of energy per gram, while glucose only yields 4 calories per gram.  You can see why you get more energy and burn more fat with aerobic training. The more you exercise, the better your body is at producing more ATP and, therefore, you have more energy.  The more fit a person becomes, the greater the ability to burn fat.  When you are exercising consistently, your heart can pump more blood and it can also extract more oxygen from the blood pumping through your body.  So get moving.  Start slow and remember, in time, you will feel energized!

A few simple tips to get you going:

Drink Up. Even a little dehydration can sap your energy, so keep a water bottle handy and sip it throughout the day, drinking more when you exercise.

Eat Up. Isn’t it nice to be told to eat? Your body needs fuel and fuel is food. Many people respond well to eating 5-6 small meals (around 200-400 calories, depending on your size) throughout the day to stimulate the metabolism. Skipping meals or not eating all day long can make you sleepy.

Sleep Up. You need at least eight hours of sleep a night. Am I telling you anything you don’t know? Hit the sack!

Exercise. It’s a dirty word, isn’t it? But, working out doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. Try to be more active every day; walk the dog, cut the grass, park far away and take the stairs. Or start an exercise program. You’ll feel better and have much more energy.

Have Some Fun. Whatever happened to fun? Fun is something you used to have back when you were a kid, remember? It’s time to re-visit your childhood and spend some time doing something utterly pointless.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisehealth/a/couchpotatoes.htm

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