Getting Started on the Right Foot

To get your body onto a path to better health it should be fed an abundance of nutrients in a manner that allows your body to absorb those nutrients. That is an incredible task to handle.

Optimum start for a healthy lifestyle

The program choose for myself and suggest to everyone is  Isagenix.

The various products from Isagenix work extremely well together and provides balanced whole food nutrition including full plant based spectrum of minerals and delivery system.

Minerals are often over looked and a full spectrum of plant based minerals are unique to Isagenix.  All the minerals you will need for the day are included in many of the products.

Even at an introductory level of using the the IsaLean shakes to replace your breakfast brings you more usable nutrition than most people will receive in a full day.

We will get into each of the products, but as a program to achieve your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals there are several options.  Depending on your current needs, health and commitment there are different ways to get you started.

Body Weight Training

I love body weight routines mixed with cardio. Developing your core, developing your balance and improving your flexibility it is the foundation for all athletes. I am not really interested in building bulk. For me it is the strength and more specifically live strength. That isn’t really a standard term - live strength - but it is the strength you use when you preform your sport. For me that is BJJ and rarely do you find that you are bench pressing someone off your chest or curling someone into your guard. Those exercises are valuable tools, but sports often use several muscle groups and correct skeletal alignment to pull it all off.

During class we often work the more specific drills for the sport, so when outside of class it is up to each of use to develop the rest of our game. Athleticism is the goal.

I have recently started with the TRX program and have been loving the workouts. They already have many routines you can plug into and I will post a couple of my favorite here as well, but you can get DVD’s from their site or just check out YouTube to find all sorts of tips and tricks.

One of the cool things about these straps is that you can hit so many different angles so quickly. They are completely mobile and easy to use. You can adjust the weight with slight variations in positions and make larger changes that will include different muscle groups.

The TRX program is used by professional athletes and fitness buffs all over the place. They are well worth the cost.

If it matters to you - another reason I love these things is that my daughter loves working out with them as well. This allows me to get a workout in while we hang out. Sometimes it is the little things that make something great;)

We will get into this type of routines as well as simple things to help accelerate weight loss and cardio conditioning to get you to your weight. TRX Metabolic Workout

There are other cools ways to use your body weight to get your strength training.  The web is full of them really, but I like the straps.

To add something different to this and really incorporate the core muscle groups I also like working with kettle bells.  Fun stuff.

8 Steps to Abundant Health and a Beach-Ready Body

One of the best ways to get yourself into the best shape and condition is to have a carrot.  Having something to set your sights on just makes the whole process seem easier.  In the past I have used tournaments to get myself motivated to get in better condition or to cut to a weight class.  Always worked, but I have you one better - $10,000.

The IsaBody Challenge is backed by Isagenix and in total, they will award $150,000.  That is a lot of carrots;)

read more

Building Muscle with Isagenix

Muscle building is not just for the bodybuilder or athletes. We should all be interested in the amount of muscle mass we have because it’s important for overall health, for our immune system and for how much fat we’ll burn on a daily basis—yes, muscle burns fat!

For muscle growth to happen (muscle hypertrophy), your body depends on protein synthesis. Not only does protein synthesis have to occur, but it has to exceed protein breakdown. Protein breakdown occurs continuously as a normal biological process—after exercise, in particular, there is an increase in this breakdown called catabolism. Unfortunately, breakdown on a daily basis accelerates as we grow older. So, to increase muscle mass—and we’re really concerned with skeletal muscle mass—there are a few hurdles we must consider.

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Nutritional Fundamentals

Food provides our bodies the nutrients needed to survive and thrive.

In the processes I hope you can also enjoy the wonderful flavors offered through nature.

I have known many people that sacrifice all flavors in their pursuit of nutrition only to find their diet unsatisfying. A bit sad really, nature has produced an abundance of flavors and textures loaded with nutrition. It is up to use to learn only the combination and source of these foods.

So it begins with the building blocks of the nutrition we need not only to survive, but to thrive.

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TRX Metabolic Workout

This is part of a program for an complete workout. Check it out. It is combined with a strength training routine on the days between this workout.

Personally I found this a fun routine to use as a warm up to training or the lite workouts on non training days.  You may also need to up the difficulty - but that is easy to do once you try it out.

Phase 1 - Weeks 1 and 2   TRX Metabolic Workout A
Wk 1 - 3 sets   Wk 2 - 4 sets
30 sec each side |  40 sec rest  |  3 minute break
Single Leg Squat (assisted)
Atomic Pushup
Low Row
Balance Lunge
Side Plank     30 sec

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John Anderson

John Anderson, “The Mineral Man”

First person to formulate liquid minerals and stabilize the liquid mineral formulation.

As a product formulator he would make the formulations for client companies and sometimes they would change the formula’s siting the cost to use the ingredients John would select.  He is a no compromise person.

In the early days of nutritional supplementation it was the big name body builders that brought the  high end - result driven products to the market.

The thing to really know  about john is that he doesn’t stamp his name put anything unless it is the best of the best of the best.

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 Isagenix and Athletes

 

 Isagenix and Athletes: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This an article based on a great call with a couple of the nations most prominent trainers.  It is almost word for word from the call so wither you listen, read or both, it is a great source of information.

The Authorities -

Loren Middag - 2.5 years with Isagenix - Physical Therapy Graduate out of Loma Linda university and the owner of 2 wellness centers in California.  A Clinical instructor for Loma Linda Physical Therapy department, providing education to the doctoral students. Also he is the appointed physical therapist for the US  National Acrobatic Gymnastics Team. Shares a passion for body building - 1st place San Diego middle weight body building championships.

Shane Freels - Professional fitness trainer - triple certified working out of the Cooper Institute in Dallas Texas.  Has a degree in exercise physiology and biology.   A Couches football  and trains professional athletes (NFL, NBA and NHL).  Featured on ESPN Sports Center on his training of high level professional athletes and has coached 22 players with the Isagenix program. read more

Ionix Supreme - Daily Nutrition Boost

 

 Ionix Supreme: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a call with John Anderson - The Nutritional Cleanse formulator.

Trainer: Master Formulator and Founder John Anderson

Our Founder and Master Formulator John Anderson created Ionix® Supreme in 2004, bringing the world one of the most powerful mineral drinks. Listen in as John shares all of the special and unique features of this incredible supplement and why everyone should incorporate their 1 ounce shot into their daily routine.

>> Alright. Well, good evening everyone and welcome to our Thursday night product training with Isagenix International. It is April 16th, 2009. It is a pleasure to have you all with us. I know that there’s a lot of you joining us, hopping in on the line, getting ready to listen to one of your favorites and that would be John Anderson, our founder of Isagenix, formulator of our amazing products, and of course, my dad. I’m always just thrilled to have you on the line, dad, every single time that you join me and I know that as everybody is listening in, tonight’s call is all about the Ionix Supreme and what an amazing, amazing supplement this product is and all of the benefits. read more

The Modern Diet

The modern diet is just plain bad. - Like that is news right…

There are lots of reasons for this, but in my book, the leading reasons are, artificial and heavily processed foods.  These foods have been designed for long shelf life, cheap production (keeps prices at the store low), and marketing gimmicks.

Like so many things in life - just because you think you are getting away with something doesn’t mean you really did. A diet loaded with trips to fast food joints, very few nutrient rich (and raw) fruits and vegetables and way to many calories will cause long term issues as well as making it difficult for you to reach peak performance levels.

Probably the biggest issue that faces any first world country is the amount of ‘food’ we eat.  Back in the 70’s marketing really came into its own and companies were able to get Americans to eat larger quantities of food.  A growing percentage of that food had its origins in industrial corn.  This was the beginning of the weight epidemic in the states.  Over the years other companies have followed the same or similar paths because it did accomplish one very good thing.  It made cheap food available.  The use of the word cheap is quit intentional.  While this food was able to keep people alive the next day - week and so on, it does not provide the nutrition for a healthy lifestyle.  Adding athletic endeavors on top of getting by - well that just hurts. read more

Eat Less, Eat Slow

- Eat Less

Keep meals small - in the 500 - 700 type range. A lot of professional trainers like the idea of eating something like 5 times a day.  This works for me as well - if I am looking to gain muscle mass.  When I am just looking at maintaining I find that i really don’t need that much food.

One of the rules that I have found very helpful is to eat 80% or Hara Hachi Bu.  It is from Okinawa, Japan and there are several sites you can read about the concept in more detail.  The idea is that you eat until you are 80% full and stop.  This is really helpful guide line in our rush through meals lifestyles. Stopping when you think you are about 80% full, turns out to be just right after just a little time.

I often use meal replacement bars as snacks.  A good bar with balanced supply of food gets a great snack but also a small meal.  I have also found that when hungry taking my greens or fruits supplement drink (primarily the greens) satisfies my appetite. read more

Americans Eat to Much

Making the proper food choices need to be a priority for anyone looking to be healthier.

Once you have found what you are going to eat - How much do you eat?

For many years I took some bit of pride in the amount of food I ate and still maintained a respectable physique.  I suppose I could find some measure of comfort in knowing that I  was doing the very same things as the overwhelming majority of Americans. Probably not limited to Americans, it is safe to say any first world country I think. read more

Caffeine: Health Benefits, Health Risks

Caffeine — it’s the world’s most popular drug. People drink it with alcohol to ramp up the effect. They drink it after alcohol to sober up. They take it to get rid of headaches, cure cancer, and prevent Parkinson’s. Then again, the state of California is looking to put warning labels on any product that contains added caffeine. So what gives — is caffeine saint or sinner, miracle drug or prenatal nightmare?

In truth, it’s all of the above. The devil, as usual when it comes to natural substances, lies in the details. And that’s what we’re going to explore in this newsletter, the truth behind caffeine. read more

Body Fat Percentage

There are several ways to go about getting you Body Fat tested.The best is the water tank. I think I paid about $45 for my last check. Various companies provide such things but around here it is handled through my gym in a mobile truck. Clean and professional and ran by a fat guy - go figure.With the service I has there was a full repot that came with the test. Useful tool in itself.
From there you would go with the caliper. The accuracy is a little less even with people that know what they are doing From what I hear, it takes lots of practice to get this down, so ask if the person measuring has the experience. Also you want it done 3 times to average the results.
After that I guess you could get one of those electrostatic devices. Doubt they are worth the time, much less money - but what the heck, options are options.

The Body Mass Index (BMI)

The BMI is used around the world to give people a base line of an individuals wealth. This is not a very accurate measuring system rather just a quick look. For people with a lot of muscle mass, elderly and children the scale can be very misleading.

As an example, a couple of years ago there were articles about Shaq being obese. How knows his true health, but if he had anything wrong with him at all - it wasn’t about being fat.

The BMI was designed by a Belgium mathematician turned social scientist - Adolphe Quetelet in the mid 1800’s. In the states the BMI didn’t really get used a lot until the 1950 - 1960’s when there was more attention on the physical condition of the population.

Is it a coincidence that it was in the 1950’s when they came out with pesticides and chemical fertilizers for al of the country’s food supplies? - Doubt it.

At any rate - the chart is one way to get an idea of a target weight for your body.

Severely underweight (anorexia) <16.5
Underweight 16.5 - 18.49
Healthy Weight - 18.5 - 25
Overweight 25 - 30
Obese 30 +
Obese Class 1 - 30 - 34.99
Obese Class 2 - 35 - 39.99
Obese Class 3 >   40

Personally I found that when I cut from 190 down to 180 I felt better, faster and recovered from workouts faster. According to the BMI this also put my in the middle of the Healthy Weight category although I didn’t know it at the time.

To find you BMI use this simple formula:
(pounds / (height x height) ) x 703 =   Your BMI

BJJ & MMA Weight Classes

There are no standardized weight classes for all BJJ (Gi or No-Gi) or MMA tournaments. When you are looking to cut for the class that best fits your body be sure to go to the organizers web site, or call them to get the details.

Another issue you will run into is that unless you are attending a very large event, there is a chance that different divisions will be combined. This is usually done when they don’t have enough participants to make it a good experience. it bites to cut to make weight only to be grouped with the same division you cut from.

For a general idea of the different classes I suggest using the Mundials. There are 10 weight divisions ranging from 126.5 lbs (57 kg) to over 221 lbs (100,5 kg). All weights are with the Gi (average 5-7lbs).

Divisions are as follows:

• Absolute (Open Weight): This Division is open to all competitors regardless of weight class.
• Super Super Heavyweight: over 221.0 lbs (+100,5 kg)
• Super Heavyweight: under 221.0 lbs (-100,5 kg)
• Heavyweight: under 207.5 lbs (-94,3 kg)
• Medium Heavyweight: under 194.5 lbs (-88,3 kg)
• Middleweight: under 181.0 lbs (-82,3 kg)
• Lightweight: under 167.5 lbs (-76 kg)
• Featherweight: under 154.0 lbs (-70 kg)
• Super Featherweight: under 141.0 lbs (-64 kg)
• Roosterweight: under 126.5 lbs (-57 kg)

For a smaller event 7 divisions are a little more common so something like the following will be used;

• 139.9 and Below
• 140-154.9
• 155-169.9
• 170-184.9
• 185-204.9
• 205-224.9
• 225 and above

The small events that I have been to that combine Gi and No-Gi usually use one weigh-in so the weight of the Gi is not included.

When you talk MMA weight classes you find similar issues between different organizations. As the UFC is the largest of them, they also are a good default to the divisions (shown are the light weight WEC and the Heavier UFC divisions);

WEC -

• Flyweight         125 lb (57 kg)
• Bantamweight     135 lb (61 kg)
• Featherweight     145 lb (66 kg)
• Lightweight         155 lb (70 kg)

UFC

• Lightweight - over 145 lbs. to 155 lbs.
• Welterweight - over 155 lbs. to 170 lbs.
• Middleweight - over 170 lbs. to 185 lbs.
• Light Heavyweight - over 185 lbs. to 205 lbs.
• Heavyweight - over 205 lbs. to 265 lbs.

Different tournaments will handle the weigh in times differently as well. Keep this part in mind when you are looking to see how far you can cut. You still need to fight. It is always easier to recover if you can weigh in the night before- for obvious reasons. That is also on of the reasons some folks don’t allow early weigh-ins.