You much like me have probably tried every gimmick from ab rollers to fat burners to doing 1000 crunches, or so it seems. But none of these methods actually get you that lean sculpted mid section that we all desire. The more money we spend on useless crap the less the results seem to show up. Trust me I have spent hundreds of dollars on fat burners thinking that they are going to work to help me get lean and ripped. In the end it was never the fat burners that got me to go from 268lbs of a Jell-O mess down to 190lbs and 7% body fat. It took some serious work.
Doing 100, 200, 500 crunches over and over and thinking that things are going to change by doing the same thing is just insane. Doing excessive cardio is actually working against our goal because we are stimulating excessive cortisol production in our body and in turn breaking down the lean muscle tissue for energy. This ends up slowing down our metabolic rate over time and then deposits more fat on top of what we already have.
Now don’t get me wrong here I’m not saying stop doing crunches and don’t do any cardio. What I’m saying is doing these alone will not get us that six pack we are dreaming of. Cardio plays a big role in getting lean as long as it is done in moderation and not for hours on end. And don’t give up those crunches yet because they actually improve your core strength and when you are lean enough you will see one great set of abs.
So you are waiting for it. “Tell me JJ how the hell do I get shredded?” There are a few factors that come into play here and I will give you the basic rundown on them.
First, diet and maybe I shouldn’t say diet because that scares everyone off. So I will say healthy eating habits. If you want to get lean and you want to have that great midsection then the MOST important thing here is your eating habits. Leaning out is by no means fun but when you get there man is it great to be fit. The basic guidelines here and I’m sure you have heard a million different versions like don’t eat past 6 pm and no carbs and so on, but what we need to do is to eat naturally. When I say naturally I mean if you can’t grow it pick it from the ground or off a tree wash it then eat it without alteration then it probably is not good. The other factor is the white meats, we need that protein when we are weight training don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. A good rule of thumb when eating to lean out is not eat only before 6pm but eat the right things at the right time. Don’t go filling your face with carbohydrates later at night (i.e. Post 6pm). Our bodies are pretty well done burning the stored glycogen and it ends up converting to fat while we sleep. Stick to dark green veggies throughout the day and even at night but concentrate on getting more protein later in the day. Our bodies love protein while we sleep it is the time to rebuild. Keep your crabs to the morning and store up that energy for the rest of the day while keeping portion size in mind. Remember protein the size of the palm of your hand and carbs the size of your fist. A good number to follow is 5 proportioned meals per day consisting of protein and greens.
Second, cardiovascular training has to be done at a rate that gets your heart rate into its target zone and keeps it there for about 20 minutes. What I mean is 15 minutes of warm up, then 20 minutes in your target zone, and 5 minutes of cool down. Now to calculate your target heart rate first you need to know your resting heart rate. The best time to take your resting heart rate is upon waking up in the morning. I know it’s hard to remember to do so but try it. Place your fingers on your left wrist and then turn your palm towards the ceiling to feel your heart rate. Get a stop watch or a clock with a second hand and start timing. Count the first beat as 0 and then 1, 2 so on. Time for 30 seconds and then multiply by two, now we have our resting heart rate. The equation for calculating looks like this: 220 – Your age = then take that number and subtract your resting heart rate. So let’s say we have a 60 year old man with a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute. 220 – 60 = 160 – 60 = 100. Now we take that number add back in our resting heart rate and times it by .6 and .8 (60 to 80%) and that give you your target zone. So 220 – 60 = 160 – 60 = 100 x .6 = 60 + 60 = 120 and 100 x .8 = 80 + 60 = 140. I know confusing, if you can’t get it send me a message with your resting and I will figure it out for you.
Third, proper periodization in your workouts. I don’t think I need to go through this all over again but you have to have your workouts be as intense as the rest of the factors to keep the calorie burning up and consistent.
Lastly I want to talk about how to calculate your caloric intake and expenditure for the day. Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume every day for basic functions such as breathing.
Step one is to calculate your BMR.
Women:655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men:66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Please note that this formula applies only to adults.
Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
· If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
· If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
· If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
· If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
· If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent
Add this number to your BMR.
The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.
As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.
Again if you have trouble with this one message me and I will help you out.
I want you to try theses things and let me know what you come up with. Check your resting heart rate, calculate you BMR, try to eat the healthy diet and come back to me and let me know how it turned out. I would love to hear back for you to see how your training is going.
Be Safe and Enjoy your Workouts
JJ Confalone
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Injuries
We all have experienced some sort of injury while working out. Whether it is something as simple as delayed onset of muscle soreness or as serious as a fracture we have all had some sort of pain from working out. What is the best way to treat them? Well first of all recognizing them and learning how to treat them so you can keep training regularly and pain free.
The most common injuries in fitness are caused by overuse. We all have to understand how to avoid overuse to prevent injuries. As we learned in my periodization blog, exercise should be preformed at a moderate and gradual increase of stress to our skeletal muscle system. Stress along with rest allows our cardiovascular and muscle systems to strengthen and prepare for the next time we ask our body to exceed our stress level. This is where we as humans are phenomenal. If we were to take a motorcycle for example and run it hard and stress it, it would either return to its normal state (if it’s a good one) or it will start to show signs of wear and tear. On the other hand if we stress our body and then give it adequate rest we will get stronger.
I can hear the question now. How much stress is too much? We always assume that more is better. If I lift heavier and more often I will get bigger. Now what we are forgetting is to let our body rest in between workouts. If we choose not to rest there is no rebuilding or strengthening. Long ago when I first started working in a gym the owner had pulled aside a young kid who had been coming in everyday to train his biceps. He wanted bigger arms period. The owner asked this kid “if I punch you in the nose today and you come back tomorrow and I punch you again and again then next day. Is your nose ever going to heal?” The kid looked shocked and said “no” So the owner then asked “Then why do you beat up your biceps everyday?” I always loved that analogy. We need minimum 48 hours of rest for each specific muscle before we place them under stress again.
The overuse of a muscle or groups of muscles can lead us to many common injuries because we don’t allow our body to heal. A typical warning sign that you need to rest a specific part of your body is localized pain or soreness. We are all different and our bodies all handle stress differently so don’t gauge your workouts on someone else. An increase of 10 or more beats per minute in your resting heart rate, being irritable or sluggish, fatigued and tired are warning signs that you may need a day or two off.
Rest is so important and I can’t stress that enough. The more you work a sore or damaged muscle, tendon or ligament the greater your chances of serious injury. Listen to your body. We all know our bodies best.
Common injuries related to fitness or other sports activities would be:
Muscle Soreness
Soreness 1-2 days after a workout is normal when exercising unconditioned muscles. Stiffness or soreness in these muscles can even persist for a week or more. Rest, ice, stretching, and extended warm-ups will aid in the repair of these sore areas.
Sprains
A sprain is a damaged ligament. Ligaments attach bones to bones. Ligament damage can occur through an accident, falling, or overuse. Sprains can range from overstretching and micro-tears in the ligament to complete tears in the ligament. Minor sprains are often treated with ice and extended rest, where as severe sprains require immediate medical attention and could involve surgical repair procedures.
Tendonitis
Tendons attach muscle to bones. Tendonitis is an injury to the tendon or the muscle, and one of the more common injuries in fitness. Mild tendonitis or muscle strains can be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling. In some cases, your doctor or physical therapist may prescribe an exercise routine that strengthens the supporting muscle groups to take the strain of the injured tendon. These routines often include an exercise that isolates the supporting muscle using low weight and high repetitions.
Contusions
A contusion is usually caused by a blow or strike to a muscle. This collision may cause swelling and bleeding and form a contusion. Normal muscle function and range of motion will be impacted as the blood coagulates and scar tissue forms in the impacted area. Treatment can consist of rest, ice, and a light muscle massage. Always consult the medical advice and treatment of a physician in the event of a serious injury.
Fracture
A fracture is a serious injury and involves a chip or break in the bone. A ‘stress fracture’, while also serious, is not a true fracture. If not treated, stress fractures can become actual fractures of bones in the weakened area. Depending on the impacted bone, the treatment of a true fracture usually involves immobilization of the impacted area with a cast. Once the cast is removed, re-conditioning of the area could take months, as the area will be weakened and will need to be gradually introduced to increased work loads.
All of these injuries are preventable. What we need to do is add time into our workout programs for rest after the muscles have been stressed. This is the only way to reach our fitness goals quicker and easier. Train hard and rest hard. We don’t want to spend more time injured then healthy. Take it from me when it comes to injuries I have broken just about every bone in my body, torn many ligaments, fractured, sprained and even collapsed lungs. Don’t make the mistake and get injured, get your rest. Don’t make me punch you in the nose to teach you a lesson.
Be safe and enjoy your workouts.
JJ Confalone
ucdi2qafnx
The most common injuries in fitness are caused by overuse. We all have to understand how to avoid overuse to prevent injuries. As we learned in my periodization blog, exercise should be preformed at a moderate and gradual increase of stress to our skeletal muscle system. Stress along with rest allows our cardiovascular and muscle systems to strengthen and prepare for the next time we ask our body to exceed our stress level. This is where we as humans are phenomenal. If we were to take a motorcycle for example and run it hard and stress it, it would either return to its normal state (if it’s a good one) or it will start to show signs of wear and tear. On the other hand if we stress our body and then give it adequate rest we will get stronger.
I can hear the question now. How much stress is too much? We always assume that more is better. If I lift heavier and more often I will get bigger. Now what we are forgetting is to let our body rest in between workouts. If we choose not to rest there is no rebuilding or strengthening. Long ago when I first started working in a gym the owner had pulled aside a young kid who had been coming in everyday to train his biceps. He wanted bigger arms period. The owner asked this kid “if I punch you in the nose today and you come back tomorrow and I punch you again and again then next day. Is your nose ever going to heal?” The kid looked shocked and said “no” So the owner then asked “Then why do you beat up your biceps everyday?” I always loved that analogy. We need minimum 48 hours of rest for each specific muscle before we place them under stress again.
The overuse of a muscle or groups of muscles can lead us to many common injuries because we don’t allow our body to heal. A typical warning sign that you need to rest a specific part of your body is localized pain or soreness. We are all different and our bodies all handle stress differently so don’t gauge your workouts on someone else. An increase of 10 or more beats per minute in your resting heart rate, being irritable or sluggish, fatigued and tired are warning signs that you may need a day or two off.
Rest is so important and I can’t stress that enough. The more you work a sore or damaged muscle, tendon or ligament the greater your chances of serious injury. Listen to your body. We all know our bodies best.
Common injuries related to fitness or other sports activities would be:
Muscle Soreness
Soreness 1-2 days after a workout is normal when exercising unconditioned muscles. Stiffness or soreness in these muscles can even persist for a week or more. Rest, ice, stretching, and extended warm-ups will aid in the repair of these sore areas.
Sprains
A sprain is a damaged ligament. Ligaments attach bones to bones. Ligament damage can occur through an accident, falling, or overuse. Sprains can range from overstretching and micro-tears in the ligament to complete tears in the ligament. Minor sprains are often treated with ice and extended rest, where as severe sprains require immediate medical attention and could involve surgical repair procedures.
Tendonitis
Tendons attach muscle to bones. Tendonitis is an injury to the tendon or the muscle, and one of the more common injuries in fitness. Mild tendonitis or muscle strains can be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling. In some cases, your doctor or physical therapist may prescribe an exercise routine that strengthens the supporting muscle groups to take the strain of the injured tendon. These routines often include an exercise that isolates the supporting muscle using low weight and high repetitions.
Contusions
A contusion is usually caused by a blow or strike to a muscle. This collision may cause swelling and bleeding and form a contusion. Normal muscle function and range of motion will be impacted as the blood coagulates and scar tissue forms in the impacted area. Treatment can consist of rest, ice, and a light muscle massage. Always consult the medical advice and treatment of a physician in the event of a serious injury.
Fracture
A fracture is a serious injury and involves a chip or break in the bone. A ‘stress fracture’, while also serious, is not a true fracture. If not treated, stress fractures can become actual fractures of bones in the weakened area. Depending on the impacted bone, the treatment of a true fracture usually involves immobilization of the impacted area with a cast. Once the cast is removed, re-conditioning of the area could take months, as the area will be weakened and will need to be gradually introduced to increased work loads.
All of these injuries are preventable. What we need to do is add time into our workout programs for rest after the muscles have been stressed. This is the only way to reach our fitness goals quicker and easier. Train hard and rest hard. We don’t want to spend more time injured then healthy. Take it from me when it comes to injuries I have broken just about every bone in my body, torn many ligaments, fractured, sprained and even collapsed lungs. Don’t make the mistake and get injured, get your rest. Don’t make me punch you in the nose to teach you a lesson.
Be safe and enjoy your workouts.
JJ Confalone
ucdi2qafnx
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Spot Reduction
The myth of spot reduction is just that. All of us wish by some chance that there is some miracle exercise that will reduce our belly, but or hips. Well to this date there is still no miracle cure for spot reduction and if I knew how to I would be a millionaire.
I know that all of us have our insecurities when it comes to our trouble spots. After hours of infomercials and hundreds of dollars spent on useless products there is still no way other then good ol’ healthy diet and exercise. Think of all the crap we have seen over the years like the thigh master or the sauna belt all claiming tighter abs and a loss of “X” inches in just 1 hour. At one time or another we have been sucked in to find out that it is just that. Crap!
Our main enemy here is FAT! When we eat fats our bodies break them down by a chemical called lipase into tiny chemicals like fatty acids, glycerol and glycerides. These chemicals are taken into the blood and become fat. The tiny molecules of fat travel through our bodies and then are used or stored. Our fat stores are used as either insulation, absorption or as fuel. Fat is actually a fantastic source of energy. Fat can store twice as much energy as proteins or carbohydrates.
Here comes the bad part. Where we store our fat is determined by our gender, and genetics as described in my body type’s blog.
Men and women tend to be a little different on where they store fat. Men tend to store fat around our waists which is mirrored on the inside and can put us at risk of heart disease or diabetes.
Women seem to collect fat around their butts and hips. Typically fat is stored there as “reproductive fat” as a supply of energy needed for the growth of babies. Luckily women don’t have the same health risks if they don’t have the excess fat around the waist.
We are all sick of seeing the sexy slim and ripped models on T.V. who are used for some gimmick that claims that miracle cure or spot reduction. They are all on a healthy diet and don’t kind yourself they do spend hours in the gym to look like that. Even if we were to do 1000 crunches a day we would never see our abs until our diet and workouts change. Sure our abdominals would get wicked strong but we just won’t get that six pack we are looking for. The place where we tend to store is the place where fat goes first and sadly is the place where fat will come off of last. So to get those abs we need to drop our body fat down to pretty low levels.
Focusing on one particular spot during exercise will not burn up the fat in that specific area. It is a whole body effort and burning enough calories from our fat stores is the way to go to reduce our overall body fat percentage. Like I said fat is a fantastic source of energy so use it! Burn it up! But do it properly and don’t expect results overnight cause it just doesn’t happen that way. Make sure your eating habits are good and you are burning the required amount of calories per day.
This is a lifelong battle but it doesn’t have to be a battle if we make fitness and healthy lifestyle part of our daily routines.
Be Safe and Enjoy Your Workouts.
JJ Confalone
I know that all of us have our insecurities when it comes to our trouble spots. After hours of infomercials and hundreds of dollars spent on useless products there is still no way other then good ol’ healthy diet and exercise. Think of all the crap we have seen over the years like the thigh master or the sauna belt all claiming tighter abs and a loss of “X” inches in just 1 hour. At one time or another we have been sucked in to find out that it is just that. Crap!
Our main enemy here is FAT! When we eat fats our bodies break them down by a chemical called lipase into tiny chemicals like fatty acids, glycerol and glycerides. These chemicals are taken into the blood and become fat. The tiny molecules of fat travel through our bodies and then are used or stored. Our fat stores are used as either insulation, absorption or as fuel. Fat is actually a fantastic source of energy. Fat can store twice as much energy as proteins or carbohydrates.
Here comes the bad part. Where we store our fat is determined by our gender, and genetics as described in my body type’s blog.
Men and women tend to be a little different on where they store fat. Men tend to store fat around our waists which is mirrored on the inside and can put us at risk of heart disease or diabetes.
Women seem to collect fat around their butts and hips. Typically fat is stored there as “reproductive fat” as a supply of energy needed for the growth of babies. Luckily women don’t have the same health risks if they don’t have the excess fat around the waist.
We are all sick of seeing the sexy slim and ripped models on T.V. who are used for some gimmick that claims that miracle cure or spot reduction. They are all on a healthy diet and don’t kind yourself they do spend hours in the gym to look like that. Even if we were to do 1000 crunches a day we would never see our abs until our diet and workouts change. Sure our abdominals would get wicked strong but we just won’t get that six pack we are looking for. The place where we tend to store is the place where fat goes first and sadly is the place where fat will come off of last. So to get those abs we need to drop our body fat down to pretty low levels.
Focusing on one particular spot during exercise will not burn up the fat in that specific area. It is a whole body effort and burning enough calories from our fat stores is the way to go to reduce our overall body fat percentage. Like I said fat is a fantastic source of energy so use it! Burn it up! But do it properly and don’t expect results overnight cause it just doesn’t happen that way. Make sure your eating habits are good and you are burning the required amount of calories per day.
This is a lifelong battle but it doesn’t have to be a battle if we make fitness and healthy lifestyle part of our daily routines.
Be Safe and Enjoy Your Workouts.
JJ Confalone
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Water
With all my clients I find that one of the major things they are missing in their daily routines is the intake of water. The most common answer to my question of “how much water do you drink in a day?” is 3 500ml bottles.
Let me start by telling you that water is the most basic nutrient needed by the body. Our bodies are composed of about 50 to 75% water depending on our age and body fat percentage. Water is used for three essential processes; body composition, cellular process, and most importantly temperature regulation. We intake water through the consumption of fluids, through the food we eat and it is created in the cells through oxidation. We have to find a healthy balance between intake and loss from going number 1 and number 2, respiration and sweat.
Water plays an important role in our exercise routines. We regulate or control our core temperature through sweat. Most of us tend to lose more water then we drink, which can lead to heat cramps, dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Dehydration is the most common imbalance between water and electrolytes. A loss of just 2% of our fluid reserve will reduce our ability to work by 10 to 15%. 16oz of fluid or two cups of sweat equals about one pound lost. This is usually used as a guideline when replenishing our fluid stores after each work out. We should try to prevent this by taking in adequate amounts of water during exercise.
The general guidelines for water intake look like this.
The body needs roughly 64oz of water everyday for cellular and metabolic process.
2 to 3 cups of water should be taken 2 hours every work out session.
For intense workouts or exercise in heat we should drink 8oz of water every 20 minutes.
Post exercise we should drink enough water to quench our thirst.
A good measurement of how much water each individual should drink is .65 multiplied by your body weight. The number you are left with is the amount in ounces that you should consume everyday.
These are just general guidelines for water intake and should be adjusted according to the type, duration and intensity of your workouts. Remember to make sure you are getting enough water to keep you hydrated and regulate your core temperature. Water is important especially when we are working out.
Be safe and enjoy your workouts.
JJ Confalone
Let me start by telling you that water is the most basic nutrient needed by the body. Our bodies are composed of about 50 to 75% water depending on our age and body fat percentage. Water is used for three essential processes; body composition, cellular process, and most importantly temperature regulation. We intake water through the consumption of fluids, through the food we eat and it is created in the cells through oxidation. We have to find a healthy balance between intake and loss from going number 1 and number 2, respiration and sweat.
Water plays an important role in our exercise routines. We regulate or control our core temperature through sweat. Most of us tend to lose more water then we drink, which can lead to heat cramps, dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Dehydration is the most common imbalance between water and electrolytes. A loss of just 2% of our fluid reserve will reduce our ability to work by 10 to 15%. 16oz of fluid or two cups of sweat equals about one pound lost. This is usually used as a guideline when replenishing our fluid stores after each work out. We should try to prevent this by taking in adequate amounts of water during exercise.
The general guidelines for water intake look like this.
The body needs roughly 64oz of water everyday for cellular and metabolic process.
2 to 3 cups of water should be taken 2 hours every work out session.
For intense workouts or exercise in heat we should drink 8oz of water every 20 minutes.
Post exercise we should drink enough water to quench our thirst.
A good measurement of how much water each individual should drink is .65 multiplied by your body weight. The number you are left with is the amount in ounces that you should consume everyday.
These are just general guidelines for water intake and should be adjusted according to the type, duration and intensity of your workouts. Remember to make sure you are getting enough water to keep you hydrated and regulate your core temperature. Water is important especially when we are working out.
Be safe and enjoy your workouts.
JJ Confalone
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Periodization
Hello All,
So I did a health and beauty show last week and ran into another “personal trainer” who was trolling the booths and decided to stop at mine to have a little discussion. I was blown away at how much she thought she knew and how little she actually did know. She had claimed to be in the business since 1997 and knew all there was to know about fitness. When I asked her how her workouts were going she decided to give me a demonstration of the lets say 12 different exercises. When I asked how often she changed her routine she looked like garden gnome.. No reaction and completely lost. For someone who knows and has clients I would think she would have some sort of idea of Periodization. She asked me if that was a new thing and that she had never heard of it before. I explained to her that it and the term has been around since the 1960’s, go figure. Being in the business for about 11 years now and working in multiple gyms over the years I should have known.
So today I’m going to talk about something forgotten in program design and maybe not explained correctly when anyone is starting a fitness program. There are different types of periodization such as fitness/fatigue theory, undulating model, and repeated mesocycle model. For today I am going to talk about a classic or traditional periodization.
A macrocycle is typically a years worth of training and is broken down even further into mesocycles. The theory of General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS is the body’s ability to adapt to a variety of stress that comes with exercise. For example cardio training strength training and interval training that occur in one of the phases of a macrocycle.
Phase 1: Commonly referred to as the shock and alarm or foundation phase. Depending on ones fitness level or ability this phase is primarily adapting neurologically to stress placed on the body. Your foundation is the introduction of new compound exercises and is the building blocks to any good workout program. This phase is also sometimes referred to as a structural phase. If you don’t have a good foundation on your house you are not going to have a proper built home in the end. This phase typically lasts 3-4 weeks.
Phase 2: Super Compensation stage. The body will progressively adapt to exercise stress in the form of physiological adjustments (the body is under no stress). This includes skeletal, biochemical, muscular, cardiovascular and connective tissue changes. This phase is usually broken up into 4 parts, Functional training, Hypertrophy training, Strength and Power training.
Functional Training- Involves weighted exercises that are targeted at the core muscles. Functional training adapts and develops exercises that allow one to perform daily activities free of stress and injury.
Hypertrophy Training- Is the increase of muscle mass through the body’s adaptation to resistance training. This phase is the preparation for more intense training by performing resistance training with high volume. (3 to 6 sets of 10 to 20 reps, low intensity 50% to 75% of your 1 rep max, 3 to 5 times per week). This lasts about 4 to 6 weeks.
Strength Training- After you have reached your peak in the hypertrophy phase one can introduce static to dynamic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or PNF, plyometric training and an increase of intensity. PNF is an advanced form of flexibility training that includes stretching and the contraction of targeted muscle groups. (3 to 5 sets, 4 to 8 repetitions, 80% to 90% of 1 Rep max). Plyometrics is training designed for strong fast movements to help improve the functions of the nervous system. Muscle is loaded and the contracted in a rapid sequence. More advanced exercises such as power cleans occur over a 4 week period.
Power Training- Training becomes lower volume. (90% to 95% of 1 Rep max, 2 to 4 times per week). The goal in this phase is to reach ones highest peak performance. If you are an athlete this stage would be to get the most strength and power required for his or her sport. All other activities in this stage are also preformed at higher intensity such as aerobic, plyometric, flexibility and speed.
Phase 3: Endurance or active recovery stage. This stage is the active rest stage in which one typically rests from heavy weight bearing exercises and recovers with low intensity cardiovascular and non weighted movements. The recovery stage lasts about 2 to 4 weeks depending on ones ability and recovery.
Aerobic activity can be preformed in all stages at the same level and intensity as each Phase suggests.
I know it was long but I hope it gives you a better understanding of how a workout program should be designed. Your program should change and it should follow the proper changes usually forgotten or left out because we find and phase we enjoy. This is probably the most common reason for the “Plateau” problem many people face.
If you have trouble understanding the phases or want to know more about a particular phase feel free to email me your questions jjconfalone@gmail.com
Be safe and enjoy your workouts
JJ Confalone
So I did a health and beauty show last week and ran into another “personal trainer” who was trolling the booths and decided to stop at mine to have a little discussion. I was blown away at how much she thought she knew and how little she actually did know. She had claimed to be in the business since 1997 and knew all there was to know about fitness. When I asked her how her workouts were going she decided to give me a demonstration of the lets say 12 different exercises. When I asked how often she changed her routine she looked like garden gnome.. No reaction and completely lost. For someone who knows and has clients I would think she would have some sort of idea of Periodization. She asked me if that was a new thing and that she had never heard of it before. I explained to her that it and the term has been around since the 1960’s, go figure. Being in the business for about 11 years now and working in multiple gyms over the years I should have known.
So today I’m going to talk about something forgotten in program design and maybe not explained correctly when anyone is starting a fitness program. There are different types of periodization such as fitness/fatigue theory, undulating model, and repeated mesocycle model. For today I am going to talk about a classic or traditional periodization.
A macrocycle is typically a years worth of training and is broken down even further into mesocycles. The theory of General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS is the body’s ability to adapt to a variety of stress that comes with exercise. For example cardio training strength training and interval training that occur in one of the phases of a macrocycle.
Phase 1: Commonly referred to as the shock and alarm or foundation phase. Depending on ones fitness level or ability this phase is primarily adapting neurologically to stress placed on the body. Your foundation is the introduction of new compound exercises and is the building blocks to any good workout program. This phase is also sometimes referred to as a structural phase. If you don’t have a good foundation on your house you are not going to have a proper built home in the end. This phase typically lasts 3-4 weeks.
Phase 2: Super Compensation stage. The body will progressively adapt to exercise stress in the form of physiological adjustments (the body is under no stress). This includes skeletal, biochemical, muscular, cardiovascular and connective tissue changes. This phase is usually broken up into 4 parts, Functional training, Hypertrophy training, Strength and Power training.
Functional Training- Involves weighted exercises that are targeted at the core muscles. Functional training adapts and develops exercises that allow one to perform daily activities free of stress and injury.
Hypertrophy Training- Is the increase of muscle mass through the body’s adaptation to resistance training. This phase is the preparation for more intense training by performing resistance training with high volume. (3 to 6 sets of 10 to 20 reps, low intensity 50% to 75% of your 1 rep max, 3 to 5 times per week). This lasts about 4 to 6 weeks.
Strength Training- After you have reached your peak in the hypertrophy phase one can introduce static to dynamic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or PNF, plyometric training and an increase of intensity. PNF is an advanced form of flexibility training that includes stretching and the contraction of targeted muscle groups. (3 to 5 sets, 4 to 8 repetitions, 80% to 90% of 1 Rep max). Plyometrics is training designed for strong fast movements to help improve the functions of the nervous system. Muscle is loaded and the contracted in a rapid sequence. More advanced exercises such as power cleans occur over a 4 week period.
Power Training- Training becomes lower volume. (90% to 95% of 1 Rep max, 2 to 4 times per week). The goal in this phase is to reach ones highest peak performance. If you are an athlete this stage would be to get the most strength and power required for his or her sport. All other activities in this stage are also preformed at higher intensity such as aerobic, plyometric, flexibility and speed.
Phase 3: Endurance or active recovery stage. This stage is the active rest stage in which one typically rests from heavy weight bearing exercises and recovers with low intensity cardiovascular and non weighted movements. The recovery stage lasts about 2 to 4 weeks depending on ones ability and recovery.
Aerobic activity can be preformed in all stages at the same level and intensity as each Phase suggests.
I know it was long but I hope it gives you a better understanding of how a workout program should be designed. Your program should change and it should follow the proper changes usually forgotten or left out because we find and phase we enjoy. This is probably the most common reason for the “Plateau” problem many people face.
If you have trouble understanding the phases or want to know more about a particular phase feel free to email me your questions jjconfalone@gmail.com
Be safe and enjoy your workouts
JJ Confalone
Friday, June 12, 2009
Body Types
Hello
Body types play an important role in weight loss and weight gain when it comes to working out and dieting. For anyone starting a workout program or diet program it is important to figure out which body type you are. We are all unique based on our own genetics so it is possible to fall into more then one category. Our metabolism and hormones play a big role in our genetic make up.
There are three categories that body types fall into:
Ectomorph
Endomorph
Mesomorph
The Mesomorph
Here is the person everyone loves to hate but wants to be. The mesomorph is naturally muscular, has a lower then average body fat %, can lose fat easily, has broad shoulders, can gain muscle and strength easily and has a fast, efficient metabolism.
A Mesomorph is usually naturally gifted in sports and has a great frame and make up for bodybuilding.
The Endomorph
Endomorphs store fat very easily and finds it difficult to lose excess fat. The endomorph typically has a pear shaped frame with a slow metabolism. Endomorphs are the calorie counters who have to pay close attention to their diet as to not gain excess weight and increase their risk of health related problems like diabetes. Endomorphs tend to be overweight, are larger around the waist, may be sensitive to carbohydrate intake, and have reasonable strength and fitness levels.
Endomorphs will find that diet only is not good enough to decrease weight so the must incorporate weight training and cardiovascular training to boost metabolism. We are the ones who have to work the hardest.
The Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are naturally lean and skinny. An ectomorph can seem to eat all sorts of crap and still stay thin. The downside is they have trouble gaining muscular strength and size. The ectomorph has a very fast metabolism, have lots of energy and tend to be overactive. An ectomorph can still get fat and fat loss for a them tends to need light cardiovascular training and calorie restriction. It is difficult if this occurs because an ectomorph has to be careful not to burn muscle instead of the glycogen and fat.
Is it possible to change our body type/s?
As we get older our metabolism and hormones change so it is possible to become and endomorph. We tend to start storing fat around our waists and find it harder to lose weight. So exercise and a healthy diet are very important as we age to stay away from this scenario.
Like I said before we are not always one of these but tend to fall into more then one category. I fall into the mesomorph/endomoph categories as I have the strength and muscle but have always struggled with weight gain.
I hope this gives you an idea of where you are and what you need to do to get started with your diet and exercise.
Body types play an important role in weight loss and weight gain when it comes to working out and dieting. For anyone starting a workout program or diet program it is important to figure out which body type you are. We are all unique based on our own genetics so it is possible to fall into more then one category. Our metabolism and hormones play a big role in our genetic make up.
There are three categories that body types fall into:
Ectomorph
Endomorph
Mesomorph
The Mesomorph
Here is the person everyone loves to hate but wants to be. The mesomorph is naturally muscular, has a lower then average body fat %, can lose fat easily, has broad shoulders, can gain muscle and strength easily and has a fast, efficient metabolism.
A Mesomorph is usually naturally gifted in sports and has a great frame and make up for bodybuilding.
The Endomorph
Endomorphs store fat very easily and finds it difficult to lose excess fat. The endomorph typically has a pear shaped frame with a slow metabolism. Endomorphs are the calorie counters who have to pay close attention to their diet as to not gain excess weight and increase their risk of health related problems like diabetes. Endomorphs tend to be overweight, are larger around the waist, may be sensitive to carbohydrate intake, and have reasonable strength and fitness levels.
Endomorphs will find that diet only is not good enough to decrease weight so the must incorporate weight training and cardiovascular training to boost metabolism. We are the ones who have to work the hardest.
The Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are naturally lean and skinny. An ectomorph can seem to eat all sorts of crap and still stay thin. The downside is they have trouble gaining muscular strength and size. The ectomorph has a very fast metabolism, have lots of energy and tend to be overactive. An ectomorph can still get fat and fat loss for a them tends to need light cardiovascular training and calorie restriction. It is difficult if this occurs because an ectomorph has to be careful not to burn muscle instead of the glycogen and fat.
Is it possible to change our body type/s?
As we get older our metabolism and hormones change so it is possible to become and endomorph. We tend to start storing fat around our waists and find it harder to lose weight. So exercise and a healthy diet are very important as we age to stay away from this scenario.
Like I said before we are not always one of these but tend to fall into more then one category. I fall into the mesomorph/endomoph categories as I have the strength and muscle but have always struggled with weight gain.
I hope this gives you an idea of where you are and what you need to do to get started with your diet and exercise.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Welcome
Welcome, my name is JJ Confalone
I have been personal training and in the health and fitness industry for 11 years.
I am starting this blog to hopefully help, motivate and give the tips that you can use to reach your fitness goals. I will try to cover a wide range of health and wellness topics including workout tips, demonstrations and nutritional information.
If you have any questions feel free to email jjconfalone@gmail.com
I have been personal training and in the health and fitness industry for 11 years.
I am starting this blog to hopefully help, motivate and give the tips that you can use to reach your fitness goals. I will try to cover a wide range of health and wellness topics including workout tips, demonstrations and nutritional information.
If you have any questions feel free to email jjconfalone@gmail.com
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