The Truth About Exercise

I happened upon this great documentary from BBC about exercise myths. Set aside an hour to watch the video I really think you should see it.

Pike Push-up – Suspension Trainer

MUSCLES USED

• Shoulders
• Triceps
• Chest
• Abs

START POSITION

• Start by placing your feet in a suspension trainer (TRX or Jungle Gym XT)
• Get into a push-up position
• Pike up by lifting your butt up in the air
• Keep arms and legs straight

MOVEMENT

• Bend your elbows to lower your head toward the ground, stopping just before it touches the ground
• Press back up

GENERAL POINTERS

• Put as much weight onto the hands as possible without toppling over
• Keep abs engaged to maintain pike position
• Don’t let your elbows move outward, keep them in an imaginary plane glued to your sides
• Keep shoulder angle as open as possible, think pressing overhead, but upside down

 

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 4 Hrs
Ready In: 4 Hrs 15 Min
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans low sodium tomato soup
• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown; drain.
2. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomato soup, kidney beans, black beans and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice and salt.
3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 228
Total Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 42mg
Sodium: 343mg
Total Carbs: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 8g
Protein: 18g

Weekly Whiteboard – 01.28.13

3 Rounds for total reps of:

60sec – Handstand push-ups (or pike push-ups)

30sec – Rest

60sec – Reverse lunge – Rt leg (slider)

30sec – Rest

60sec – Pull-ups

30sec – Rest

60sec – Reverse lunge – Lt leg (slider)

30sec – Rest

Post total reps to comments.

Core Press – Band/Cable

 

MUSCLES USED

• Core

START POSITION

• Set band/cable at chest height
• Grab the handle with both hands, hold it in front of your chest, and brace your abs.
• With a hand-over-hand grip, grab the handle
• Stand with your side facing the anchor or weight stack, step away so the band/cable is taut, and spread your feet beyond shoulder width, knees slightly bent.

MOVEMENT

• Slowly press your arms in front of you until they’re straight
• Hold without letting your body rotate, and bring them back to your chest
• Do prescribed number of reps, then turn around and work your other side

GENERAL POINTERS

• Do not allow your body to rotate
• Squeeze your abs
• Keep chest up
• Keep shoulders back
• Move arms at a steady pace

The Fats of Life

You take the good, you take the bad,  you take them both and there you have The Fats of Life, the Fats of Life…

Ok, that was bad… Really bad I know! So, let’s move on…

Six dietary fatty acids:

Trans (avoid at all costs)

• margarine, snack chips, imitation cheese, and other processed foods.

Saturated (limit intake)

• animal fat: milk, meat, eggs, butter, and cheese; lard (pork fat), tallow (beef and lamb fat)
• Tropical oils: coconut and palm oil

Monounsaturated

• belly fat burner, fat high in calories, so be careful
• olive oil

Polyunsaturated

Omega 3

• lowers bad cholesterol & the risk of heart attacks to name a few)
  
• fish oils

Omega 6

• vegetable oils (soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn, cottenseed, peanut, Canola)

• needs to be balanced with omega 3 (3:1), excessive amounts of linoleic acid can contribute to inflammation and result in heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis and depression)

Omega 9

• oils, avocados
• can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke

Foods rich in EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids):

• Salmon, herring, trout, mackerel, tuna (albacore), halibut, scallops, & shrimp.
• Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hemp, pumpkin seeds, & flax seeds.
• Olive oil.
• Kale, collard greens, winter squash, & cloves.

Banana Protein Smoothie

Ingredients
1 serving of vanilla Vega sport performance protein or whey protein
1 medium to large banana
8 oz. almond or coconut milk
1 cup kale
3 to 4 ice cubes