Technique is Crucial in Weight Lifting

It's that time again. Training Thursdays is where I give you tips and advice on how to train correctly. This week I want to talk about form. A lot of people go to the gym and have never really been trained by a professional on how to properly weight lift, and it shows. I will cover some of my pet peeves in the gym and tell you why it's so important to keep form in mind.

LAT PULL DOWN

The first is the lat pull down machine. This is a great exercise to do to build up your back and shoulder muscles. This is also the machine that makes me mad at people the most. I see more people using bad form at this machine than any other one. Here are some pics I found on Google that show bad form.

This form is bad because arching your back like this will not get the full benefit of the workout. This is what people usually do when the weight is too heavy and they can't execute it properly. This also leaves your back in a vulnerable position to cause injury. Do not do that.

 

This is the worst one. I see guys do this ALL the time. I don't know why exactly but people think this will work out your back better than doing it correctly. Whatever lies you were told before, forget about them. This is a big no no and you are seriously setting yourself up for neck injuries.

This is the correct form to use. Upper body straight and bring the bar to your chest. There's no other way around it and no room for compromise.


SQUATS

Another exercise that many people don't execute properly is the squat. I will admit I am new to doing squats in my workout. When I first started I was doing it wrong, but I could feel I was doing it wrong so I stopped and asked my brother (ex-professional athlete) and he showed me the correct way. Now I do it with no problems and feel great about it. Here are some no no's for squatting.

This diagram shows you the wrong way to do a squat. Notice how the guy's knees overlap his feet. You never want this to happen. If you are doing this then you are not squatting correctly and probably have too much weight. You also notice that he is putting some pressure on his toes. Never do this. All your weight should be coming off your heels.

This picture shows a woman doing squats incorrectly 3 different ways, and 1 correct way. Notice how in the wrong ones, she is arching her back, lowering her head, and using her toes to pick up. These are all bad things to practice when doing squats. The top left picture is the correct form you should use. The reason it is so important to do squats correctly is because you can mess up your knees and hamstrings real bad if you practice bad form. These are injuries that can be long lasting.

So there are the 2 most frequent exercises that give me high blood pressure when I see people performing them at the gym. Do your homework and make sure that you use good form when you do any exercise. It will not only save you from injury, but will make your workout more efficient and work your muscles better.

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Paleo Diet

Today on Trendy Tuesday, I will be talking about a new diet I have heard about called the Paleo Diet. The Paleo diet is a modern day version of our ancestors’ diet from the Paleolithic era and focuses on food that can be hunted or gathered: Vegetables, fruit, seafood, grass-fed meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and poultry. While it seems like it could be a very healthy alternative to your regular diet, it does raise questions on a few things.

No one can argue that eating only vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and nuts is bad for you. Most diets actually follow the same guideline. Processed foods are a big no-no in this diet and that's a good thing. This diet is rich in soluble fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, low-glycemic carbs, and the good kind of fat. I have read stories of people losing an easy 15 lbs and feeling great while on this diet. This diet is also extremely low in sodium which is something I really like about it. So why is this diet not practiced by everyone in the world?

The one thing that I thought of when I heard about this diet is, "A caveman's life span was only 20 years or so, does that mean you will be fit but die sooner than other people in today's time?" Another thing to think about is the animal's meat from a long time ago is much different than the commercial farm animals we have nowadays, even if they are grass fed. The meat is not as lean and they are still pumped with chemicals even at the most organic farms. Also, without milk and cheese, it is almost impossible to get calcium and vitamin D in your diet. You also lose valuable nutrients by taking away grains. This diet is also very similar to a low carb diet which I am not a fan of. I actually see nothing wrong with carbs if they are the good kind. I also love bread so I might be a little biased. The last thing that made me not a fan was that your grocery bill will most likely be much larger than before.

After saying that, this does not mean this diet is bad for you. There are supplements you can take to get the missing nutrients, and as long as you stay active, like cavemen did, you should have no problem eating all the fat and protein you want. It is also recommended that you eat more fish than red meat. If all you eat is red meat from today's farm animals, you will most likely develop cardiovascular problems.

In conclusion, the Paleo Diet is a new approach to a low carb diet. I personally would never do it but that is my personal choice and I do not feel it accompanies my lifestyle. If you have the wallet, the patience, and the drive to do this diet, I say go for it. Make sure to check with your doctor or health care professional before trying this if you have medical issues. My advice is just to eat normal foods and stay away from as much processed foods as you can without driving yourself crazy.

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Workout Soundtrack

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a special shout out to all the Mom's that got to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday. This Mental Monday I want to talk about choosing the right soundtrack to go with your workouts. I won't make this too drawn out or boring because this is pretty common sense stuff. So let's get to it.

Every time I workout at home or go to the gym, I have to have my iPod with me to jam music. This is not because I get bored and need something to keep me going, but because it actually helps my mind work harder and keep a good tempo of working out. There are good songs to play when working out, and there are bad songs to play while working out. Not to say the bad songs are actually bad pieces of work, but they are not beneficial to someone exercising.

You wouldn't want to workout to slow, sad, and emotional music while working out. Why not? Let's take a song everyone might know. "Hurt" by Johny Cash or NIN. While this is a very touching and brilliant song, the tempo of about 60 BPM and the words he speaks, does not motivate anyone to move and push themselves to the limit. Songs like this are meant to listen to while you sit down and ponder your existence, not to pump you up. Can you imagine seeing someone at the gym sitting at a machine for a good 6 minutes looking like they are about to cry? Not cool. Anything that is slow, whether it be depressing or a love song, should not be put on your workout playlist.

So what music should you listen to? Some experts say that songs that are around 120-140 BPM are the best for working out. I personally love listening to The Devil Wears Prada or anything that is very uptempo and heavy. Metal is one of my favorites because not being able to understand the vocals actually helps me concentrate on my workout instead of the meaning of the song. Dance, Pop, Rock, and any other uptempo music is ideal. This tempo is also good because it gives you a good tempo to execute exercises at. Too fast of a tempo will wear you out and too slow will make you drag a long and eventually quit.

In conclusion, pick songs from any genre that get you going and have a good tempo to it. Having the right playlist to workout to can help you push through the hard parts and make working out a little more fun.

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Sweet and Spicy Chicken

TGIF! At this point, I'm going to stop apologizing for not posting everyday, my readers know I'm busy and can't post everyday, so there I said it. On to the food! Today on Foodie Fridays I am going to share a recipe I made this week called Sweet & Spicy Chicken. The family loved it and I think you will too. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (Get low sodium if you can find it)
• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 jar of chunky salsa (11 oz)
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

• Place taco seasoning in a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken and toss to coat.
• In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil until no longer pink. Combine salsa and preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve on top of cooked hot rice.

Tell me that is not the easiest recipe ever?! It is also very delicious and you can double the ingredients and feed a ton of people. So next time you feel like some Chinese take out, opt for this healthier version instead and save some money. Hope you all have a great weekend! 

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Gatorade is Old News

We all know the drink. The thirst quenching sports drink that has been around since most of us have been alive. Gatorade has been helping athletes for decades and is still a big seller in the stores. What if I told you that it is not that good for you? What if I said it can actually make you gain weight? These questions are topics I will be talking about in this post on Trendy Tuesdays. The trend that sports drinks after working out is a way to refresh yourself, is not entirely true.

Let's start with the pros of Gatorade that we all know and have been taught.

• Electrolytes - This is probably the #1 reason people support and drink Gatorade. Electrolytes are very important to you especially if you have been sweating for an hour or so. They can give an athlete energy when he feels like he has none left. Good example is a basketball game. It's 4th quarter and your team is down by 10. You are the star shooter, but are dead tired from a hard game. Drinking some Gatorade in this instance will give the player more energy right away to finish the game than water or any other beverage would.
• Taste - Gatorade has a ton of flavors to please anybody's palette. My favorite is the classic Lemon-Lime.

Ok so maybe there aren't too many pros to Gatorade besides helping athletes finish games strong. Let's take a look at why it's bad for you.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup - This alone is reason enough to know that sports drinks are bad for you. Inexpensive way to sweeten and preserve a drink. This just screams bad for you.
• Citric Acid - This is used to flavor the drinks and makes it taste pretty good and leaves your mouth feeling pretty refreshed. It also can wear at your teeth enamel and can cause tooth decay after a lot of exposure to it.
• Less Water Intake - If you find yourself drinking Gatorade every time you get thirsty, this can cause a serious problem. Your body needs pure water to live and stay healthy, and if all you are giving it is water with sugar and other chemicals, it can take a toll on your body.
• Weight Gain - A lot of people look at Gatorade like they do Coke or any other soda. High amount of sugar and empty calories is a recipe for weight gain.

So there you have some pros and cons for Gatorade or any other sports drink. I am not saying that it is horrible and needs to be banned. It works great for athletes and people who do a lot of physical work for extended periods of time. But for the rest of us who may only do an hour of physical work all day, it is the same as a soft drink.

Well Chris, what can I drink after I go to the gym if Gatorade isn't that good for you? I personally go for some chocolate milk (ones without High Fructose Corn Syrup) or protein shake. These give you the protein your body needs after a work out and gives you some good carbs to boost your energy back up the rest of the day. In conclusion, stay away from sports drink and drink more water or a shake if you are trying to repair after a workout.

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Spicy Bacon Mac & Cheese

Friday, Friday! Yep it's that time of the week again. Work doesn't seem too bad, you are planning your weekend, and I am going to share a delicious recipe with you. This week I am going to talk about a dish I am going to try over the weekend. My friend Ram told me that one of his favorite foods is mac & cheese, and because he is a picky eater, I see this as a challenge to see if I can win his palette. I didn't want to just make a side dish of it, so I went for a main dish version which calls for bacon, mmmmm bacon, and some other exciting flavors. Let's see how we are going to make this bad boy.

What You Need:

• 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 pound bacon strips, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1.5 cups 2% milk
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 2 cups process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped 

 This Is How You Do It

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or big pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a tongs, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Saute jalapeno in reserved drippings. Add milk and cheeses to pot; cook and stir until blended. Stir in the onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Add the onions, cooked bacon and reserved pasta to pan; mix well.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through. 

Pretty easy huh? It will also leave you with plenty of leftovers. I have had something similar before but a few things are new to me. I think this will be a great version of a classic favorite. I will update on how it went! Have a great weekend everyone.

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30 Day Squat Challenge

Hello! I apologize for skipping a few days, just been very busy. I am back today though to share something for Trendy Tuesdays. Recently, I saw a bunch of people on Facebook post a picture that was called the "30 Day Squat Challenege". It came with a picture of a woman's booty and instructions on how to do it. Below is a picture I found that is a little more tasteful for my female audience.

I have not personally done this, but I have asked around and gotten some feedback from some people and based my own opinion on it.

PROS

• Everyone that does it says they see results within the first week, and are happy with the results at the end of it.
• No one seems to of given up because it was too hard.
• Because you aren't using weight, the amount of squats you have to do are reasonable.
• Everyone likes a firmer booty

CONS

• Not very popular with men. Tends to be something women try. Although men appreciate the effort by the women.
• After the 30 days is up, you have to figure out a workout to keep your lower body in shape and continue to work out. 
• Doing this every 30 days is not the best idea. You will eventually plateau and get discouraged because your body stopped changing.

So really, it's not bad at all. Just need to keep in mind that this is a temporary exercise that should help your lower body get into shape for the gym or running. Also, make sure to stretch before and after doing this so you don't cramp up, especially on days where you have to do 100+ squats. I encourage women to try this if they have no gym membership but are trying to find a way to get great legs at home.

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