TRAINER TUESDAY: Questions answered by Trainer Jon from Madison Park #1- I am motivated to go to the gym because health and fitness has become in-grained in who I am as a person. It is not only my career, but also my passion. I absolutely love working out: they physical and mental benefits from it are unparalleled. I like how I feel and how I look from all the time spent in the gym and in the kitchen #2- I prefer to do my cardio first think in the morning before breakfast, as this is the best time to oxidize (burn) fat for fuel. And I prefer to lift weights in the late afternoon or evening when I’ve already consumed 3-5 meals. This allows me to be full and strong in the gym. #3- Cottage cheese has more sodium than people realize. So does most processed foods – especially canned foods like soup. Choose low sodium foods, and then add salt to taste. This way you’re in control of how much you consume. Also, increase your potassium intake (vegetables, potatoes, some fruits (but watch that fructose consumption), etc.) are loaded with potassium. Sodium isn’t as bad as we think (unless you already have high blood pressure, or are salt-sensitive), but the ratio between sodium and potassium is way off for most people. Eat more veggies! #4- I like Christian music during my cardio, and something fast and aggressive when weight training. #5- I always consume a whole food meal after cardio (usually oats and egg whites after my pre-breakfast cardio). But I always drink a shake consisting of whey protein and simple carbs (like dextrose or maltodexterin) after a grueling weight training workout. This is only time I consume simple carbs. #6- I have been at FT now for 5 years. And one of the most interesting things I’ve learned is that motivation comes from within the individual: Some clients get better results than others, even when the high- level of service given is equal to all clients. The ones that are self-motivated make much more progress. #7- I’ve been blessed to maintain my client load during the time I’ve been here – working with many of the same individuals year after year. I’ve also increased my ability to work with an even greater variety of clientele – ranging from all levels and abilities. #8- Both have their place. Too much fat makes us fat: Since dietary fat is already structurally close to bodyfat, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to convert and store dietary fat. Plus, fat is very “energy dense” – meaning a little goes along way (9 calories per 1 gram). It is very easy to eat too many calories when fat intake is high. Extra calories from fat will always get stored as fat. So a low (or lower fat) diet is important. Low carb diets have their place too. When carbs are reduced, calories are reduced and insulin is lowered. With insulin down (or steady), your body has a greater chance of using stored fat for fuel. However, if carbs (or calories) get too low, your body may use muscle tissue for fuel – which you don’t want! You spend all that time trying to build or maintain your muscle, way waste it away? But if you cut your carbs and your fat too low, your calories will be too low, and your body will go into starvation mode, and fat loss is stopped or dramatically reduced. Some people are also more sensitive to carbs than others. So not all diets (low carb or low fat), can fit all individuals. You need to eat clean, whole-some foods (not processed) every 2-3 hours throughout your day, being very consistent, to see if you do better with more or less carbs, etc. Lastly – not all carbs are metabolized the same inside your body. So you might not need more or less carbs, just different types, and/or no longer eaten by themselves, etc. See me for more info #9- “ I don’t have as time to workout and eat right” is the most common excuse I hear. I say you don’t have time not to! Life goes by so fast, you need to make time now to take care of your body. Every human gets 168 hours a week. No more, no less. Are you telling me you can’t delegate a few of those hours to exercising and eating right? Stop watching TV! #10- Drink plenty of water prior, during, and after training to keep your body temperature down. Wear light/loose clothing, and use shade when possible to prevent over-heating while training hard outdoors. #11- Depends on what type of stretching you’re talking about. Dynamic stretching (stretching that involves movement and motion) should be done before you workout. Whereas slow, static stretching should be reserved for after working out. Traditional static stretching “dulls” the nervous system – in other words it puts muscles to sleep (relaxes them). You want your muscles to wake up prior to training. Get warm with movement and motion. Save your static stretching for after your workout. #12- I like the colors of fall and crisp, sunny days! #13- Unsaturated fats have many health benefits: they can help lower bad cholesterol, help protect joints, improve skin and eyes, etc. However, unsaturated fats (good fats) can still make you fat if you eat too much, as they are still 9 calories per 1 gram – so keep them in check. Good sources are nuts (walnuts), seeds, (flax and chia), oily fishes and fish oil, avocados, olive oil, flax oil, evening primrose oil, etc.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:14:43 +0000
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