When you are doing a 6 week program like Boot Camp, you need tools to help keep you moving and working towards your goal. You know that eating the right foods at the right time is crucial to really accomplish what you set out to do in Boot Camp. You know that getting enough rest is important to help you recover from workout to workout. One thing that I think that you might be overlooking is the importance of massage or self Myofascial Release, here is the definition:

Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.^[1]

In English that means applying a light massage to your muscles. It is extremely important to keep your muscles healthy and knot free. Stretching alone will not work for keeping length in your muscles. Imagine a long tube. If I tie a knot in that tube and begin to stretch it, what happens to the knot. It remains and gets even tighter. This is where you need to do self myofascial release on that muscle.

Most of us can not afford to go get a massage everyday or even a few times a week.  I do encourage our clients and Boot Campers to try and get a real massage at least twice a month, but for the purpose of keeping your muscles functioning properly on a day to day basis I recommend using a tool like “The Stick” or a Foam Roller. We have been using these tools for the last 5 years and have had great success with them.

The correct amount of pressure used to self massage with the stick or roller is seven pounds. We want to massage the soft tissue. If you go beyond that, you are into the deep tissue. Unless you are a skilled massage therapist, you should not go deep in the muscle tissue. This is why a lot of trainers and therapists do not recommend the roller. It is easy to go to deep with the foam roller. The Stick on the other hand is easier to control pressure. Below is a good video on using the Stick. Remember we do sell the medium sized stick at our gym for $39 and you will get 10% off with your wristband. You will not find it cheaper anywhere. It is a good investment. I use my Stick everyday.

I will cover the foam roller in part 2 of this blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3kdMles-Dw&feature=player_embedded#

The recipes for protein shakes that I posted below can be used as a meal replacement, or as a great tool to help you build lean muscle and burn fat after your workout. Before your workout begins, you have a responsibility of fueling up. The food ratio that you choose is vital. Remember before and after you need a 2 to 1 to 1 ratio of Carbs, Protein and Fat. If you use any of the recipes below as a pre and post workout shake. You will make about 14 to 16 ounces of total shake. Then you will split it into two. You drink one serving one hour or 30 minutes before and the other half within one hour of your workout. It is that simple, one shake becomes two servings. Now I promise you that after drinking a pre workout shake, then doing Boot Camp followed by a post workout shake you will be a fat burning machine. Keep in mind that when your metabolism is in high gear, your appetite will go up a bit. I recommend having a whole food meal planned for two to three hours after you post workout shake. If you do not keep the fire going with food, you will slow your metabolism down. So, it is your responsibility to provide the fuel for the fire. We will most definitely supply the workout responsible for your overall fat loss.

Graph 1. After 10 weeks of exercise the group that performed nutrient timing (blue) experienced significantly better gains in lean (muscle mass) and fat loss as well as a lower body fat percentage. Note: the benefits were achieved without calorie restriction. All results have been peer-reviewed and published by the American College of Sports Medicine.

I promised that I would post some recipes for protein shakes that can be used as a meal replacement and for before and after workouts.  Keep in mind that you can add your own spin on any of these, just make sure to keep it making sense. What I mean by that is, you should not replace yogurt for lets say, ice cream. Obviously. Really, you need to keep it balanced. Every meal should have a serving of protein, carbs and fat. The recipes below will be a 2 to 1 to 1 ratio. This works well for most people as a pre or post workout meal. It also works as a meal replacement. Remember, you can learn more about your unique balance with metabolic typing. These should keep you building lean tissue and burning fat though.

The first thing that you need to do is go shopping. You will want to shop at Trader Joe’s, Lassen’s or Von’s. I recommend these stores due to the availability of good quality organic food. Please do not say that you can not afford organic food and yet you drive an expensive car. Food quality is not where you cut back. That is a big pet peeve of mine. Ok, back to shopping, you will need bananas, organic peanut butter, plain Greek yogurt Low Fat  or Fat Free, frozen strawberries, and frozen mixed berries.  I use Trader Joe’s and Lassen’s for all of my protein shake needs, except for the actual protein powder. I sale the Jay Robb at my gym for the cheapest price in town. I carry and use whey protein powders because in every study comparing protein powders, whey built more lean tissue and helped burn body fat better than the others. Never use soy! That is a blog post that I will cover here on the site.  Jay Robb protein is the best I have ever used, so please try it in these recipes. If you go with cheap whey protein you will more than likely get bloated, gassy and just not digest them well. If you are not digesting a food properly, you are not receiving the nutrients that they could be providing. The Jay Robb protein powders we carry are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. They are sweetened with stevia, a healthy alternative to sugar.

When you make your shake, use cold ingredients. That makes it taste 100 times better. Always put your liquid in first, protein second, fruit third and yogurt or peanut butter with ice last. When you blend break your fruit and ice down, then blend for about 20 to 30 seconds. If you are under 150 use one scoop of protein or 25 grams, above 150 use one and a half scoops or 35 grams. Notice that some recipes call for full fat yogurt and some fat free. This is to keep the balance. If you use peanut butter or almond butter, you are getting plenty of fat, so we use fat free. If no nut butters are present please use yogurt with fat. If you do not have fat, you will not feel satisfied and you will end up over eating. That is a subject that I will cover on it’s own. Oh, do not use regular yogurt because it is too watery. Greek yogurt is perfect for these shakes. It is tart, so if you need a little more sweetness add a touch of stevia . Stevia can be purchased  at both Trader Joe’s and Lassen’s.

Alright, enough of the art of protein making, here are my recipes. Enjoy.

“Sunrise” (breakfast or pre or post morning boot camp)

1. 6 to 8 oz. Orange Juice

2. 1 scoop Vanilla Jay Robb Protein

3. 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (Low fat if using as a meal replacement or fat free for pre or post shake)

4. 1/2 Banana

5. 4 Ice Cubes

“Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana” ( breakfast and mid afternoon)

1. 6 to 8 oz. Cold Clean Water

2. 1 scoop Chocolate Jay Robb Protein

3. 1/4 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

4. 1 Tbsp. Organic Peanut Butter

5. 4 Ice Cubes

“Peanut Butter and Jelly” (breakfast, pre or post)

1. 4 oz. Organic Apple Juice

2. 2 oz. Cold Clean Water

3. 1 scoop Vanilla or Strawberry Jay Robb Protein

4. 1 Tbsp. Organic Peanut Putter

5. 1/4 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

6. 1/2 cup Frozen Strawberries

“Mixed Berries” (breakfast, pre or post)

1. 4 oz. Apple Juice

2. 2 oz. Clean Cold Water

3. 1 scoop Vanilla or Strawberry Jay Robb Protein

4. 1/4 cup  Greek Yogurt (Fat Free or Low Fat)

5. 1/2 cup Frozen Mixed Berries (Trader Joe’s and Lassen’s)

6. 1 Tbsp. Organic Almond Butter

5. 4 Ice Cubes

Tim

Gallup and Healthways started collecting BMI data as part of the Well-Being Index in January of 2008 and surveyed in 187 metro areas in 2009. This is the first in a two-part series reviewing the most and least obese metro areas in the United States. Gallup will reveal the 10 least obese metro areas in part two of this series.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Montgomery, Ala., and Stockton Calif., tie for the most obese metro areas in the U.S., with adult obesity rates of 34.6% — substantially surpassing the national average obesity rate of 26.5%. More than one-third of adults are classified as obese in the 10 metro areas found to be most obese according to Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index collected in 2009.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/126242/America-Obese-Metro-Areas-Common.aspx?CSTS=alert

One of the biggest excuses that I have heard over the years is ” I don’t have time to workout.” Now, I know how busy we all are these days, but if you do not find time to workout on a weekly basis, you will more than likely end up in big trouble with your health.

Most Americans have very sedentary lifestyles these days. Our lives now revolve around convenience, so our health has shown to decline the more we accept convenience over physical work. One of my biggest pet peeves is the person driving around the parking lot for 5 minutes looking for a spot. Would it really hurt you to walk an extra 20 yards to the store. Really, we need to take advantage of burning calories when ever we can. So take the stairs, park further away from the store, walk that poor dog that has not went for a walk since he was a puppy. These extra calories do add up.

Getting back to Boot Camp. Remember we offer 3 times now; 5am, 6am and 6pm. Once you sign up for Boot Camp and receive your wristband, you can rotate between the 3 different times to make sure you get your workout in for the day. If being outdoors is not your thing, remember that we have a really good indoor circuit at our gym that starts when Boot Camp starts. It is Monday- Friday from 6pm to 7pm, and Saturdays at 9am. For that class, you purchase a card for 3, 4 or 5 days a week and choose to come to any class that fits your schedule.

So lots of options= No Excuses!

Tim

There are few things in life as liberating as discovering your metabolic type, few things as enlightening as finally coming to understand exactly what foods and food combinations will enable you to thoroughly enjoy your life and live it to the fullest.

Most of us have been slaves to food in one way or another all our lives. Quite literally, what we eat controls every aspect of our existence — how we look and feel, our range of productivity and performance, the quality of our emotional experiences, whether we stay well or fall prey to disease, even the quality of our sleep and the nature of our dreams.

When we don’t understand how specific foods affect us, eating becomes a daily struggle. We struggle to feel satisfied, to fight the battle of the bulge, or just to feel decently from one hour to the next.

Once you recognize your metabolic individuality, however, everything changes. The balance shifts, the tables are turned — suddenly you’re the one in control of food, it’s not in control of you. Eating right is no longer a complex challenge and food is no longer your adversary. When you know how to choose foods that effectively sustain your body’s unique style of functioning, eating is what it should be — easy and enjoyable.

Imagine the sense of excitement and empowerment you’ll have the first time you go to the supermarket and select groceries in a truly well informed and targeted way — rather than being forced to make purchases in a random, haphazard fashion, based largely on guesswork about what might or might not be good for you or your family.

Think of the freedom you’ll experience once you’re able to identify, with certainty, what kind of meals or snacks can make you feel great and give you high levels of energy and endurance for hours at a time.

Won’t it will be exhilarating to know exactly what you can eat anytime you need to be at your best for a business presentation or a tennis match, to take an exam or embark on a long road trip? What’s more important than knowing how to choose just the right sustenance to enable you to put in a long day at the office, enjoy your kids, pursue your hobbies, write a novel, or burn the midnight oil in any one of a thousand different ways?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that, once you identify your metabolic type and begin to eat accordingly, your life will never be the same. It’s literally like having a blindfold removed, and experiencing a whole new dimension in life. You’ll wonder how you’ve managed to function all these years without this kind of fundamental self-awareness.

Call our gym today to make an appointment to have your test done with our Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach- (661) 325-0900

I get asked this question a lot. Most people are more concerned about what should be eaten before the workout but the truth is that you should be prepared to eat before and after your workouts. When you attend Boot Camp I want you to be fueled. If you are going through the workout on an empty stomach, you will not really be able to give a 100%. Remember the Boot Camp workouts are not just cardio. We are building lean tissue, working on your power and speed. In order to truly give your all, you have to have a good mixture of carbs, protein and fat before and after your workout. There is a good book that studied this topic extensively, it is called nutrient timing. The authors looked at studies over ten years on when to eat to get the most out of the body during activity. The conclusion was that you should eat a certain ratio of carbs to protein and fat before and after. For Boot Camp, I suggest eating 2 to 1 with carbs being the 2 and protein and fat being 1. An example of that is a protein shake made with 40 grams of carbs (a serving of plain yogurt) and one scoop of Jay Robb protein powder (20 grams). Or 3 eggs with two pieces of toast would give you this ratio. I usually recommend the shake because it is so easy to make and it digests quicker than a meal.

I did this with a group of 25 Boot Campers a couple of years ago. It was a nutrition class where I made a rule that everyone will use this ratio in the form of the shake before and after Boot Camp. It was a huge success. The entire group lost an average of 15 pounds over 6 weeks. You can’t argue with real results. I will be posting some protein shake recipes that will be balanced and tasty. I mean lets face it, if they do not taste good, you will not drink them.

Tim