Spring Bootcamp Archives

Thanksgiving Fitness Survival Guide

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 3:02 am  
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By: Sean Millhouse of Fitness 101 Bootcamp in Spring, TX

Worried about the holidays coming up? Think you are going to blow up like a balloon? Well, I hate to say it…but you could be right. Thanksgiving Day marks the day when most people fall off the fitness boat. But with a little flexibility in exercise and nutrition preparation, you can easily stay on track with your health and fitness routine.

With holidays looming around the corner, time is always a precious commodity. So the first thing to go is the 1 1/2 hour trip to the gym. But wait…who said it has to be that long. For a few weeks or even a couple months, you can change up some things in your exercise routine to accommodate the hectic lifestyle that the holidays bring. Try some of the following tweaks to your daily regimen:

· Circuit Training- This is one time when Curves has the right idea. The idea is that you pick 7-8 different total body strength exercises. Warm-up first for 5 minutes on a bike or treadmill. Then do 1 set of 15 reps on each exercise with little or no rest in between, and perform 3-5 minutes of cardiovascular exercise after each cycle. Perform 2-3 cycles and then cool down. Total time spent should be 30-45 minutes. Then leave and spend time with your family. And this is just as effective for men as it is women.

· Split Strength Routines- This is for those who are trying to build muscle. Split all of your muscle groups up, for example: Chest & Shoulders, Back, Biceps & Triceps, Quads & Abs, Hamstrings and Calves. Do 1 group per day. And Pick 4-5 exercises total for each grouping. Do 4 sets each of 12 reps. Spend no more than 30-45 minutes, and then get out. You will be so pumped, you may want to keep this routine.

· Cardio Interval Training- Cardiovascular exercise is usually one of the most time consuming components of a fitness routine. Instead of doing the traditional 45-60 minutes, try dropping down to 20-30 minutes. The key here is increasing the intensity! If you are a walker try 3 minute intervals, where 1 minute you are jogging then for 2 minutes you walk. Do this 8-10 times. And watch the sweat drip!

· Time of Day- If you simply must workout for a longer period of time, then you will just have to get up earlier. Instead of working out in the evening, wake up an hour earlier before the family and get your exercise done. It will jumpstart your day.

Eating healthy is always a big challenge during the holidays. 1 serving of a typical Thanksgiving Dinner can easily contain over 2000 calories. Ouch…makes you think twice about seconds. Try to adhere to these tips and you can limit the damage:

· Keep healthy snacks readily available- Things like raw almonds, unsalted pretzels, fruit, vegetables and graham crackers are very nutritious and low calorie. Try to make them easier to reach for than junk food. We are creatures of habit and convenience. Out of sight, out of mind.

· Use portion control- When loading your plate full of your Thanksgiving feast, use good judgment. This is hard, I know! But, try to have 1/4 of the plate be turkey (no skin), 1/4 be yams and stuffing, and the other 1/2 be vegetables. And if you must get seconds, go for the turkey and vegetables. And for desert, go small. Ask for a thin slice of pie, instead of the one that covers the plate. If you can do this, you will be much happier when you step on the scale the next day.

· Use healthy alternatives- If you are the unlucky (or lucky) one who gets to cook the meal, try incorporating healthy alternatives. Use lots of vegetables and fruits. Look for things that are low or non-fat. These will help everyone feel good about the meal that they are devouring.

Now, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and keep healthy and fit!

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OUCH! I’m so sore!! – What is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)?

Saturday, May 15th, 2010 at 9:00 pm  
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By: Justin Yule (Guest Post) Owner of Fitness Revolution in Chanhassen, MN

Here’s the scenario:

Alarm goes off.

Ugh, what the hell?  It hurts to reach for the clock.  Oh, my God!  I don’t know if I can get up.  Holy $#!^ it hurts to walk!!  Uh-oh, I don’t know if I can sit on the toilet…

Does any of that sound familiar?

Ah, yes, good old next-day muscle soreness ?

But, why does it happen and what can I do about it?

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (a.k.a., DOMS) is the muscle soreness that occurs in the days after a challenging bout of exercise, a new exercise program or a dramatic increase in the intensity and/or duration of an exercise program.

DOMS usually kicks in about 12 – 24 hours after the workout and lasts for 1 – 3 days.

IT IS TOTALLY NORMAL. 

I’ve come across many clients who get a little freaked out by DOMS.  They think they’re too out of shape or maybe exercise just isn’t for them.  That’s not the case.  Everyone goes through it at some level or another.  Hell, I did some exercises yesterday I haven’t done in a while and guess what – I’m sore.

So what the heck causes DOMS anyway?

There’s actually not a 100% known cause, but there are some commonly accepted theories.  The most agreed upon one is that DOMS is the result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers during exercise, particularly the eccentric (lengthening) portion of an exercise.  The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do.  In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle, which may contribute to soreness.

Muscle Fibers after a bout of Intense Exercise

Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Muscle tearing?  That doesn’t sound good.

Actually, it’s quite normal and necessary in an exercise program designed to increase strength, build muscle, burn fat – in other words, an effective weight loss program.

To be clear, we’re talking tears at the microscopic level, not major muscle tears like a torn bicep or pec injury.  As a result of these microscopic tears, several good things happen that ultimately boost your metabolism, help you build muscle, burn fat and lose weight.  With proper rest and nutrition (that’s why taking a high-quality multi-vitamin like Prograde VGF and using a post-workout shake like Prograde Workout is so important) your body will go into repair mode and rebuild the damaged muscle cells.  However, they don’t just fix the tears and put everything back together.  Instead, the body goes into an adaptive mode and builds the muscle fibers bigger and stronger so they can handle that same exercise stress if it occurs again.

Proper Nutrition Will Speed Repair & Recovery

Remember, more muscle equals faster metabolism, better fat burning and essentially a tight, toned, sexy body that looks great naked!

OK.  That all sounds good, BUT is there anything I can do about this soreness?  I need to function today!

While there are no “scientifically proven” techniques for getting rid of DOMS there are several things that work well for people.   Here are my recommendations:

Foam Roll

If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of your day chained to a desk.  And when you actually do have time to workout, all you usually can fit in is the workout itself. Really, who has time for daily stretching?

Well that’s where a foam roller comes in.  It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically bolster injury prevention and improve performance.  It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes pre-workout to loosen your muscles up for a better workout.  You can also use it post-workout to promote healing of the small micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process.  Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.

If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one.  The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months.  My brand of choice is PB Elite Foam Rollers.  It’s not the cheapest or most expensive; I feel it’s an all-around good buy.  By the way, if you have no idea how to use a foam roller ask your Spring Bootcamp instructor.

Warm-up!

You simply can’t afford to NOT warm-up. It’s like pushing the pedal to the medal in the dead of winter in your frozen car- things just don’t work right and you’re not going anywhere.

A super-fast sports car is worthless if it’s not properly warmed up

It only takes about 5 – 10 minutes to loosen your muscles and lubricate your joints to best prevent injury and ready your body for a more effective fat burning workout.  So, slow down tiger and don’t skip the warm-up!

Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath.   Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness.

Use Active Recovery techniques.  This strategy does have some support in the research.  Perform some easy low-impact aerobic exercise to increase blood flow.  You could simply go for a 20-minute walk or light jog.  This may help diminish muscle soreness.

Use the RICE method of treating injuries.  RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.  Try two or three 20-minute treatments a day.

Stretching.   Although the research doesn’t show that it reduces soreness, some people find it simply feels good. For some good stretches, check out the Tools Section.  You will need your password.

So, there you have it.  The most important thing to realize is that DOMS is totally normal.  The first couple weeks of a new exercise program can be rough, but this is the time to make it or break it.  Stay tough.  Stay committed.  Your results are just around the corner.