Fiber: The Diet Workhorse

If you're trying to diet and finding it too tough to restrict calories because you're always starving, fiber may be just what you're lacking. "It keeps you feeling fuller for longer," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. "You don't get as hungry as quickly, so it helps when somebody's trying to cut back on calories."

Fiber is a carbohydrate, but unlike other carbohydrates, it doesn't get broken down by your body, says Meyerowitz.

Simple carbohydrates, continues Meyerowitz, don't offer the same filling benefits. "With fiber added in, you're more satisfied. Fiber doesn't make the blood sugar go up quite as quickly. It allows the sugar to get into your system more slowly," she explains.

Beyond being a diet aid, there are many health benefits of fiber, including:

• Lowering cholesterol levels
• Improving digestion
• Reducing diabetes risk
• Improving heart health
• Reducing constipation
• Reducing the risk of diverticulitis (inflammation of the intestines)
• Maintaining steady control of blood sugar

Fiber in the Diet: Where to Find Fiber

Fiber is always found in edible plant materials and in the healthiest foods, like whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. "They act differently in your body when they're being processed,” Meyerowitz explains. “Soluble fiber can be somewhat dissolved by water; insoluble fiber can't."

It's best that you get the fiber you need each day from foods in your diet rather than supplements. Most people need between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day. Some good fiber-rich food choices are:

• Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas
• Fruits and vegetables
• Brown rice
• Dried beans
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn

Getting fiber is great, but don't suddenly jump on the fiber bandwagon and ramp up your intake all at once. Take it slowly, and gradually increase your fiber each day to prevent side effects like diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.

Fiber in the Diet: Smart Choices

Now that you know what foods are fiber-rich and good for you, it's time to start finding ways to work them into your daily meals and snacks. Try these tips to get more fiber every day:

• Have oatmeal or whole-grain cereal for breakfast; top with some fresh fruit.
• Eat fruits and veggies raw and with skins for more fiber (if appropriate).
• Snack on fruits — dried or fresh is fine.
• Have bulgur, barley, or couscous as a side dish.
• Munch on popcorn when you need a snack.
• Switch to brown rice from white rice.
• Replace white pasta with whole-wheat pasta in your favorite dish.
• Add vegetables to pastas and other dishes.
• Get a minimum of 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies every day. Choose those highest in fiber like pears, berries, apples, spinach, sweet potatoes, and peas.
• Have a bran muffin for breakfast or a snack.

Fiber is filling, delicious, and one of the healthiest things you can eat. There are a lot of easy and tasty ways to make fiber a big part of every day, and you'll quickly reap the health benefits. It's a simple way to feel full, be fit, and get your body into a healthy shape.

Copyright © 2015 Everyday Health Media, LLC

Read More

Choosing Protein Wisely

Our bodies need protein to build strong bones, muscles, skin, and cells. Because we can’t store protein in our bodies the way we can store carbohydrates, we need to make sure we eat enough protein every day. But is all protein created equal?

Alexa Schmitt, RD, a clinical nutritionist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says that what makes a protein “good” or “bad” is its saturated fat content. Proteins that are high in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol level, which in turn puts you at higher risk for heart disease. Most adults need to eat 40 to 65 grams of protein each day. And though most Americans already eat more protein than they need, we don't necessarily eat enough of the "good" protein. So how can we make smart choices about which sources of protein to choose?

Good Sources of Protein

Here are a variety of protein choices you probably encounter every day:

• Meats. Schmitt says that salami, steak, and chicken with skin are meats that are high in protein but also high in saturated fat. A six-ounce steak, for instance, has almost all the protein you need for one day, but that same steak has nearly 75 percent of your daily saturated fat intake. Does this mean you have to give up your Italian sub sandwiches or Philly cheesesteaks? Not necessarily. Schmitt recommends moderation: “Try to eat these meats only once or twice a week," she says.
• Lean meats. Luckily, there are also leaner choices for die-hard meat eaters. Chicken, turkey, fish, and beef that is 95 percent lean are still high in protein but have less fat, especially the saturated fats that can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Soy. Schmitt says that soy proteins are rich in protein and low in saturated fats. She recommends edamame (baby soybeans) and vegetarian meat alternatives such as soy nuggets and veggie burgers. Look for these in the refrigerator case at your local supermarket. Edamame is usually served lightly boiled and salted, often as a part of Japanese and Chinese cuisine. If you don’t have an Asian specialty market near you, check the freezer section of conventional supermarkets, which sometimes carry edamame.
• Beans, legumes, and nuts. All varieties of beans are good sources of protein and low in saturated fats, Schmitt says. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, taste delicious on salads or in hummus, a low-fat dip. Spicy vegetarian chili recipes can be a flavorful alternative to traditional chili. Legumes such as dried peas and lentils can also be used in chili and stews. And nuts, when eaten in moderation, are another good source of protein that is not high in fat.
• Dairy. Dairy products are often overlooked as sources of protein, but they are certainly worth mentioning, says Schmitt. Some dairy products are higher in saturated fat than others. She recommends the low-fat versions of cottage cheese, Greek-style yogurt, and ricotta cheese, not only because of their value as a protein source but because they also make an easy and convenient snack.

In addition to choosing good sources of protein, it can also be useful to plan your meals ahead of time. Advance planning can help you identify the foods that you tend to eat too much of, allowing you to make better substitutions beforehand.

What to Remember About Protein

When choosing protein sources, remember that while you might get the same amount of protein from high- and low-fat options, you run the risk of increasing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels by choosing sources with a higher fat content. Consider leaner cuts of meats and getting more of your daily protein from plant sources to protect your heart.

Copyright © 2015 Everyday Health Media, LLC

Read More

Good Fats, Bad Fats

The general wisdom for many years was that all fat should be avoided. Trans fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat — just stay away from them all. But now scientists realize that fat — and how our bodies process it — is much more complex.

Our bodies need some fat for optimal functioning. But we need the right kinds of fat, and we need to practice moderation. Some fats are actually good for you, and others should be avoided at all costs. How do you know which is which?

Fats: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Alexa Schmitt, RD, a clinical nutritionist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are "good fats" and that saturated fats can be consumed in moderation. Trans fats, however, should be avoided altogether, adds Schmitt, explaining that trans fats are dangerous because they raise cholesterol levels. High levels of certain kinds of cholesterol, in particular low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the so-called "bad cholesterol") increase your risk for heart disease and other health conditions, including stroke.

So how do we know which foods contain which fats? As a general rule, Schmitt says, "fats that are liquid at room temperature, like olive oils, are a better choice than foods that are semi-solid, like butter or margarine." The following tips will help you choose a diet rich in mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and low in trans fat.

Mono-unsaturated fat (unsaturated fat): Good sources of mono-unsaturated fat are canola and olive oils, most nuts, and avocados.

Tip: Spread avocado on a bagel instead of cream cheese. Use olive oil and garlic instead of whole milk and butter for a flavorful twist on mashed potatoes.

Poly-unsaturated fat (unsaturated fat): There are two types of poly-unsaturated fat, omega-6 and omega-3 fats. Since most Americans get plenty of omega-6 fats in their diet from vegetable oils, Schmitt says her primary concern is omega-3 fats. Good sources of omega-3 fats are fish (salmon and tuna), flaxseed, and walnuts.

Tip: Snack on a handful of walnuts, or add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed to your morning oatmeal or cereal. You can also add ground flaxseed when you are baking cookies or muffins for an omega boost.

Saturated fat: Red meat, fatty meats like salami, dairy products such as cream and butter, and thicker vegetable oils like coconut, palm, and kernel oil are sources of saturated fats.

Tip: Enjoy a steak now and then, but try to limit saturated fats to 10 percent of your diet, at the most.

Trans fat: Made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil, a process designed to extend the shelf life of packaged goods, trans fat is found in a wide range of packaged and processed foods, including bakery items, cookies, and crackers.

Tip: Current Food and Drug Administration guidelines allow manufacturers to say that their product is "trans fat free" if it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Check the labels of processed food for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils in the ingredients. These words signal that product may have up to 0.5 grams per serving. Eat a few servings, and this starts to add up.

The bottom line? Be an educated shopper: Know what to look for and the potential pitfalls. Try to do the majority of your shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store, limiting your trips down the inside aisles — where most of the trans fat culprits reside. On the perimeter, you can focus on fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat and fish, and whole grains fresh from the bakery. Add a little olive oil, and you'll really be cooking!

Copyright © 2015 Everyday Health Media, LLC

Read More

Measuring Body Fat

Many people who are watching their weight — or trying to lose some pounds — turn to their bathroom scale. But that old familiar standby is not the only way to measure one’s size. Another possibility to consider is your body fat percentage.

Body Fat: What Are the Dangers?

When most of us hear the words "body fat" they have immediate negative connotations. However, in the right proportion, fat is actually critical to our diet and health. In the not-so-distant past, the ability to store extra body fat allowed our ancestors to survive in times of famine, when food was hard to come by. Even today it’s essential to keep the body functioning, to preserve body heat, and to protect organs from trauma.

Problems arise when our bodies store too much fat. This can lead to a variety of health issues, including high cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Especially dangerous is fat stored at the waist, creating what is often called an “apple-shaped” body, as opposed to fat on the hips and thighs, a “pear-shaped” body.

“Normal body fat for men is around 8 to 15 percent of their total body weight and for women approximately 20 to 30 percent,” says Caroline Apovian, MD, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center.

Body Fat: How Can It Be Measured?

There are a variety of ways to measure the amount of body fat a person is carrying. “The most accurate way is ‘underwater weighing,’ which weighs the person on land and then underwater,” says Mary M. Flynn, PhD, RD, chief research dietitian and assistant professor of medicine at the Miriam Hospital and Brown University in Providence, R.I. “But equipment for this is very expensive and not readily available.”

Another fairly accurate option is Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA). BIA consists of electrodes being placed on a person’s hand and foot while a current (which is not felt) is passed through the body. Fat has less water and is more resistant to the current, whereas muscle, which contains more water, is less resistant. The resulting numbers are entered into an equation which figures the percentage of fat and lean tissue.

The easiest method is measuring waist circumference and determining the Body Mass Index (BMI). A waist circumference over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is cause for concern.

Figuring BMI involves a little more calculation. BMI is done by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703, then dividing that number by your height in inches two times. If the end result is less than 18.5, the individual is underweight;18.5 to 24.9 is normal; 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight; and over 30 is obese.

“However, you must be aware of this disclaimer. BMI alone is not an indication of body fat, especially in athletes and bodybuilders. Growing children under 18 years old should also avoid using BMI,” says Elizabeth Downs, RD, clinical dietitian at the Montefiore Medical Center at the University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y.

One final way of determining body fat is using skin calipers to measure fat at specific places in the body. However, not only is it easy to make errors, but this method also doesn’t measure any interior fat or fat contained in thighs and women’s breasts.

Ultimately the percentage of body fat is just another number in the health equation. And if you are not happy with the result, all it takes is adding exercise and cutting calories to get it moving in the right direction.

Copyright © 2015 Everyday Health Media, LLC

Read More

10K Training Guides for the Gym

The gym is the perfect place to train for a race, whether you're training for a 3K, 5K, 8K or 10K run, especially during rainy and cold months. Following a training program and sticking to it will boost your performance during race day. If you've never raced before, start with a 3K or 5K training program. Always get the okay from your doctor before you begin training.
Completing a 3K race means you'll be running or walking 1.86 miles. Most 3K training programs are about five weeks long, but you can train for a 3K race in less time if you're fit. Based on information provided by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), begin by walking or running on a treadmill about 15 minutes, four times weekly. On the days you don't run, walk or cross train by biking, swimming or using an elliptical machine for about 20 minutes. Gradually increase the duration of your runs each week. Make sure to take a day off from working out at least one day weekly. A sample workout looks like this:

• Monday: run 15 minutes
• Tuesday: run 20 minutes
• Wednesday: walk or cross train
• Thursday: run 20 minutes
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: run 25 minutes
• Sunday: walk, cross train or rest

5K Training Guide

A 5K race is 3.1 miles. A five- to eight-week training program at the gym is plenty of time to prepare for a 5K race. ACE recommends walking or running 20 to 25 minutes four days weekly, but increasing that time gradually each week -- and cross training for 20 to 30 minutes the days you don't run. A sample 5K-training workout looks like this:

• Monday: run 20 minutes
• Tuesday: run 20 to 25 minutes
• Wednesday: walk or cross train 20 to 30 minutes
• Thursday: run 25 minutes
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: run 30 to 35 minutes
• Sunday: walk, cross train or rest

8K Training Guide

Once you've mastered a 5K race, training for an 8K run is the next step up and is about a 5-mile distance. An 8K training regimen should take you about eight weeks to train for. Each week, slightly increase the distance during runs. A sample 8K training plan is:

• Monday: run 2 to 3 miles
• Tuesday: run 2.5 to 3.5 miles
• Wednesday: Walk or cross train 25 to 40 minutes
• Thursday: run 2.5 to 3.5 miles
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: run 4 to 5.5 miles
• Sunday: walk, cross train or rest

10K Training Guide

Training for a 10K run is the next gradual progression after you've completed an 8K race. A 10K distance is 6.2 miles. Training for a 10K run is similar to training for an 8K race. Gradually increase your running distance each week and train for about eight weeks. Longer runs should be slow and steady. During some shorter runs, interval train by alternating slow running stints with higher-intensity quick running bouts. A sample 10K training plan looks like:

• Monday: run 2 to 4 miles
• Tuesday: run 3 to 4.5 miles
• Wednesday: walk or cross train 30 to 45 minutes
• Thursday: run 3 to 4.5 miles
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: run 5 .5 to 6.5 miles
• Sunday: walk, cross train or rest

Copyright © 2000-2013 Internet Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.
FITDAY is a registered service mark of Internet Brands, Inc.

Read More

What Is Serum Cholesterol?

Often there exists some confusion about cholesterol, especially since you find some in your body and others in food. There are two types of cholesterol, dietary cholesterol which comes from food, and serum or blood cholesterol which is found in the bloodstream. It is a fatlike substance, but has a different structure from fat and performs different functions in the body. Cholesterol cannot be broken down so the body does not derive any energy from it. Cholesterol does not mix with water, so to be carried in the bloodstream it needs to be combined with fats and proteins, also known as lipoproteins. Lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from your cells.
Despite its commonly associated bad image, cholesterol performs many essential duties in the body and is a part of every cell in your body. It is a part of some hormones, including sex hormones like estrogen. It is also needed to make bile, which assists the body in absorbing and digesting fat. It even plays a role in bone building by combining with sunlight in your skin to change to vitamin D.
The cholesterol found in your body is produced primarily by your liver, although all cells in your body are capable of making it. If your body makes too much cholesterol, the risk for heart disease and related complications increases. Your body produces enough cholesterol that you do not need to consume additional amounts.

Dietary cholesterol is primarily found in foods and beverages of animal origin. Dairy, meat, fish, eggs and poultry all contain cholesterol. Plants do not produce cholesterol, only animals. Dietary cholesterol is a contributing factor to elevated blood cholesterol levels if too much is consumed. Not all dietary cholesterol becomes blood cholesterol. Furthermore, trans fats and saturated fats are show to have a more significant effect on blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol does alone.

When the terms "good" and "bad" cholesterol are discussed, you are really talking about the two types of lipoproteins carrying cholesterol in your blood, not cholesterol found in food. These terms are associated with risk factors for heart disease. High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), are considered "good" and linked to lower risk of heart disease. HDL works by removing the "bad" cholesterol from your blood. Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is considered "bad" cholesterol and is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and increased plaque formation in your blood vessels and arteries. Total Blood/Serum Cholesterol is a combination of both HDL and LDL cholesterol. Your food choices do affect LDL levels -- the lower the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in your diet, the lower your LDL blood cholesterol levels will typically be. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the body that is a result of excess calories consumed. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls that increases the risk for heart attack and/or stroke.

The best ways to lower your serum cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol is through being physically active and consuming a balanced healthy diet. For optimal heart health, make sure your diet includes lots of fiber, omega-3's, polyunsaturated fats, potassium and fruits and vegetables.

To check your Serum Cholesterol levels, ask your doctor to complete a fasting lipoprotein profile. Your Total Serum Cholesterol is calculated by HDL+LDL+20% of your triglyceride level. A score of less than 180mg/dl is considered optimal.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has set the following guidelines for lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein [HDL], and low density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) in adults ages 18 and up:
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

Desirable:

Borderline high: 200-239 mg/dL

High: > or =240 mg/dL

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has set the following guidelines for lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL cholesterol) in children ages 2-17:

TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

Desirable:

Borderline high: 170-199 mg/dL

High: > or =200 mg/dL

Read More

My Butt Is Doing What? Squats and Butt Wink

As with any other dysfunctional movement pattern we see, there are many factors that contribute to this compensation. I’ll just state for the record that not everyoneshould be squatting to full depth from the start.

It is far more important to groove proper motor patterns and develop joint mobility and stability in a progressive manner than to be able to brag that you squat to full depth.  I like to quote Senior Strong First Instructor Franz Snideman when I say to my patients,

“You have to earn the right to do the next progression of the movement.”

1. Lack of hip flexion due to bony articulation or abnormal growth of the femoroacetabular joint, commonly called Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI).

In the healthy hip, the ball (femoral head) fits perfectly into the socket (the acetabulum):

Bone overgrowth can lead to three types of FAI: Cam, Picher, and Combined:

Many people have this condition and don’t know it; but, in very active people who lift heavy weights, the condition may become painful over time as the bony overgrowth can cause cartilage degeneration and labral tears.

FAI can be problematic when the lifter attempts to go to full depth in the squat and the bony anatomy of the joint prevents full hip flexion. This leads to lumbar spine flexion as a compensation, and we see the butt wink.

One way to test hip range of motion (ROM) is the quadruped rock back test, as described by Tony Gentilcore.

“I’ll have someone start in the quadruped position with a neutral spine.  Slowly, I have him or her sit back towards their heels to see if or when their spine hinges. As you’ll notice, as I sit back, my spine stays relatively neutral the entire time. As such, it’s safe to assume that squatting “deep” probably won’t be an issue.”

See a demonstration here.

Conversely, if you notice the client going into thoracic and lumbar spine flexion as they rock back, it may indicate issues with hip mobility. As Tony says, “if it’s this bad with no spinal loading, can you imagine how much of a ‘walking ball of fail’ they’d be if I placed a barbell on their back?”

2. Lack of ankle dorsiflexion.

In order to perform a full depth squat with good form, the lifter must not only have full hip ROM, but also full knee and ankle ROM.

If you lack the necessary 10-20 degrees of dorsiflexion at the ankle, you will not be able to squat to depth without compensations, one of which is thoracic and lumbar spine flexion.

Using plates or a block under the heels is one way that people get around this; but, like everything else, that only works until it doesn’t.

Many people favor Olympic Lifting shoes because the raised heel compensates for some loss of ankle dorsiflexion, but when it comes down to it, t’s much better to address the cause of issue.

Mike Reinold, PT has some great information about assessing and addressing ankle mobility in this article.

3. Lack of motor coordination.

Even though the squat may look simple, it requires a high level of motor coordination to execute with good form. The glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, and deep central stabilizers must all work together to keep the ball centered in the socket (see here for more info), the spine in an upright position, and to balance the body to prevent falling.

Certainly strengthening the glutes is an important part of this equation; but, equally important is developing proper coordination of the deep central stabilizing muscles: the diaphragm, the transversus abdominus, the multifidus, and the pelvic floor. (You knew I had to mention the pelvic floor, right?)

I wrote an article here recently about the importance of pelvic floor and deep central stability, with a video on how to begin to coordinate your breath with your activation of the pelvic floor (this is important for both men and women, and even for those lifters who do not experience incontinence).

If you do not have hip pain or signs of FAI, then working on hip and ankle mobility drills may benefit you.

Starting to groove proper squat mechanics with box squats, basic TRX assisted squats or goblet squats can help clean up your issues with butt wink. If you have hip pain or any issues with incontinence, your first step should be an appointment with a physical therapist for a  full assessment and treatment of these issues, and referral to a physician if necessary.

Have you struggled with butt wink in your squats? How did you improve your form?

© 2015 Girls Gone Strong

Read More

Secrets to Mastering the Squat:

1. Check your stance!  Most average women (i.e. women who aren’t powerlifters wearing gear) don’t need to be squatting much wider than just beyond shoulder width, with their toes pointed out between ~15-30 degrees. Squatting very wide is harder on the hips, and once you get extremely wide, it can be even harder to drive your knees out, which, as you’ll see below, is very important.
 
 
2. Brace your core!  Again, most women don’t know how to brace their core effectively. Even if you think your abs are strong, you might not be bracing correctly. You actually have to learn how to create pressure in your low back when you squat, not just in your anterior core (i.e. abs).  Here is a fantastic video that teaches you how to breathe, and create pressure in your core.
 
 
3. Keep a neutral head!  It’s really popular in the powerlifting world to throw your head back when you squat. This is completely understandable as it can help you “drive out of the hole” (i.e. stand up from the bottom of a squat) and it’s common knowledge in the training world that the body will go where the eyes go.
 That can be fine for competitive powerlifters, but most since women are lifting simply because they want to look good and feel good, they need to keep a neutral head.  Throwing your head back causes you to go into lumbar hyperextension, effectively putting all of the pressure on your lower back, and not allowing you to use your entire core, or your glutes, as effectively as you could. Think neutral head, eyes up.

This little cutie has the right idea when it comes to keeping her head neutral!

4. Use your hips!  As you’ll see in the video, it’s very common for women to use their spine to “catapult” themselves off of the box, instead of using their hips and their entire core.  Once you learn how to effectively brace your core, you will allow your hips and your entire core to start taking the load, and you’ll get much stronger, and stay much safer.


5. Drive your knees out!  Using your glutes to drive your knees out, allows you to open up your hips so you can sink down into the proper squat position.  If you don’t drive your knees out, you’ll not only run into your hips, but you won’t have a comfortable (or safe) hip, knee, and ankle angle.  This also ties into tip number 1.  If your stance is too wide, you often won’t be able to drive your knees out effectively, so bring your stance in, and think about driving your knees OUT to open up your hips.  Using a light mini-band right below the knees here as a reminder to drive them out, can be very helpful.

6. Sit back!  Women tend to be very quad dominant creatures, and we typically either want to shoot our knees forward on a squat, or almost “plié” down into the squat.  Neither of these are correct when you’re trying to do a true squat.  This is why we have women learn how to squat onto a box first.  It teaches them to sit back into their hips safely, and allows them to learn this pattern without feeling like they are going to fall backward.

7. Use an appropriate range of motion!  When first learning to squat, many women won’t be able to hit depth, which is typically defined as parallel or slightly below parallel.  If they can hit depth, they often can’t control their pelvis in that position, and they will experience “butt wink” where their butt tucks under at the bottom.  Only squat as low as you can maintain good form, and over time, with practice and the correct mobility and stability work, most women should be able to squat to depth.
 If you are squatting onto a bench or box, and can’t control your squat, throw a plate or two onto the box until you get strong in the range of motion, and then slowly but surely increase your range of motion by removing plates until you can squat the your desired depth.

Well, there you have it!  7 awesome secrets to help you master the squat.  Keep your eyes peeled, because we will be back with several more parts to this series, including learning how to squat with a kettlebell, and a barbell.

Read More

What Your Squat Says About You

By now every lifter knows what A2G means. Ass to Grass baby! Getting low in your squat is crucial if you want to fully engage your glutes and grow that booty you’ve always wanted. It’s also important if you want to get super strong, you know, that extra thing that comes from working out besides just looking good. The squat can be tough for people to master though and once a squatter realizes they can’t increase their weight, they start to wonder what is holding them back. With the help of Golds Gym personal trainer Daneal Jenkins, I’ve comprised a quick run down of what your squat says about you.

The Forward Lean

If you’re leaning forward too much in your squat, where your chest is ever so close to your knees, this means that you more than likely suffer from weak hamstrings and glutes. Compensating for the weakness, you’re shifting the weight to your more dominant muscles, such as your quads and your back. It can be typical for women to use their quads more for leg work given that many fit women tend to have over-developed quads in relation to their hamstrings. Quads tend to work harder to compensate for and overcome the “Q-angle” between the hips and knees. With that said, you also need to make sure you’re engaging your core to keep your back more upright.

Fixes:
Stretch: Hip Flexor Stretch. Mobility in your hips can be crucial when you’re trying to work towards your perfect squat.
Non-Weight Exercise: BW (body weight) Box Squats. These work for allowing you and your body to feel what the proper technique is. When its time to use weight, keep it light at first. Quality over quantity!
Weighted Activity: Start utilizing overhead squats and front squats. It is harder for your body to fall forward when it has to keep the weight on your heels to just stay up.

The Butt Wink

Besides being a super odd name for a weightlifting problem, the butt wink is pretty common amongst lifters and can be seen in almost every type of lifting. It is when the squatter’s back rounds under too early in the squat movement. This means that they are putting undue tension on their lower back and knees and often can’t increase their weights significantly because they will eventually begin suffering from back pain. Now, there is a depth where the wink has to occur, but it is at the very bottom of the squat or the physical location of what A2G implies. The biggest reasons for the “butt wink” are improper squat training, tight hamstrings, and a weak lower back.

Fixes:
Stretch: Hamstring stretching and Adductor Magnus stretching.
Non-Weighted Exercise: Back extensions to strengthen your lower back. Back extensions on a bench, on the floor, in a chair, in the air, ANYWHERE!
Weighted Activity: Ball Squats. Get a Dynamax medicine ball and use that for your squats. Its a deep enough depth that you’ll have to confront your wink, but the ball will force you to keep things unwinked for longer.

Heels Won’t Stay on the Floor

Don’t you just love the feeling of going deep into a squat, only to feel like you’re about to fall flat on your face? While you may think that this goes hand-in-hand with The Forward Lean, let me correct you in that many people fight to keep their balance when they perform squats but can actually keep their chest relatively up. This problem usually occurs because of one tight muscle; the soleus. Yep, even your calfs can be what keeps you from a perfect squat.

Fixes:
Stretch: Soleus stretch.
Non-Weighted Exercise: Single-Leg Balance Reach. It’s a multi-part move so check it out here
Weighted Activity: Single-Leg Squat – grab onto a door frame or a bench to keep yourself steady and hold a DB in the other hand to perform the move.

Knees Falling In

A very large problem for many new squatters is when their knees begin to fall in when they start to have any sort of weight on their back. This is more common for women given that garsh darn “Q angle” again, but can be fixed. It doesn’t only apply to women, as you can often see men suffering from the same affliction once they are topping out on weight too. This is mostly caused by weak Vastus Medialis Oblique (the inner quad) and hamstring. Additionally, you probably need to work the smaller parts of the outside of the knee to help keep everything in line when you’re putting pressure on it. Trust me, the last thing you want to hurt are your knees.

Fixes:
Stretch: Adductor Stretches before you start working out.
Non-Weighted Exercise: Lateral Tube (Band) Walking. You may feel silly going back and forth in your gym with a band around your ankles, but trust me, this is for your own good.
Weighted Activity: Ball Squats with the barbell. The biggest thing you need to remember when pushing up through the squat? “Push knees out!”

Not Going Deep Enough

This the most obvious cardinal sin of squatting that you can make, given that everyone around you can tell that you’re not squatting right. The reasons for why you can’t get lower aren’t so obvious though. If this is something that happens to you, try doing this real quick: stand up in pre-squat position. Squat down so you’re fully sitting in a squat (butt to calfs) and then extend your arms straight out to your sides. If you’re body begins to force itself back or you can’t physically stand back up without assistance, guess what? You’re tight like a tiger chick. Your hip flexibility needs to be worked on, so here’s how:

Fixes:
Stretch (sort of): Foam roll your sartorius, IT band, and hamstrings. I hate foam rolling the way I hate getting shots, it’s such a necessary evil. Except I’m uber tight so it’s more like a necessary satanic devil.
Non-Weight Exercise: Bar Step-overs will help you open up your hips and are a great warm up for squats.
Weighted Activity: Kettlebell Swings. Not only will they work your glutes but they will also assist in your hips opening up and creating more mobility. Mobility doesn’t have to be limited to just stretching, but can be assisted with strengthening as well.

If you quickly skimmed through this, one of the main thing you need to know is to stretch. It is not overstepping to say that a lifters’ lack of mobility and flexibility can be holding them back from being levels better. Don’t forget, there are muscles you don’t even know that can make a break a lift, so take care of them. The foam roller is our best frenemy for tight muscles as well, so you should have one at home. Also, you as a lifter are nothing without a solid core. Ab work is mandatory if you want to increase your weights in order to increase your awesomeness. You don’t need to rock a 6-pack, but your core will keep your chest up, your butt low, and the weight above your head. So make sure you plant your feet, push through your heels, engaged your core and squeeze those glutes during every single rep.

Finally, in case this seems like a lot of work to you and you’re just about over squats, look at the following picture and think, what would Justine Munro do?

© 2014 - Spot Me Girl - All Rights Reserved.

Read More

Counting Calories? Add In Fiber

Fiber: The Health Benefits

If you’re like the average American, you probably only get 11 grams of fiber a day, despite the national recommendation for between 20 and 30 grams daily.

Eating more fiber can make you more “regular,” but it has other health benefits as well:

• A fiber-rich diet protects a woman’s heart. An analysis of health information from 72,000 women who participated in the 18-year long Nurses’ Health Study showed that women who ate a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits (all sources of fiber) had a reduced risk of heart disease compared to women who ate less healthfully.
• A fiber-rich diet contributes to a healthy pregnancy. Eating foods rich in fiber is recommended during pregnancy, and a recent study of the diets of 1,500 pregnant women showed that those who ate 21.2 grams of fiber a day were 72 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia (pregnancy-related high blood pressure) than women who ate 11.9 grams or less daily. Adding just 5 grams of fiber, or two slices of whole wheat bread, to their daily diet cut the risk of preeclampsia by 14 percent.
• A fiber-rich diet may prevent cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may prevent certain types of cancer, particularly colon, esophageal, kidney, and pancreatic cancer.

Fiber: Getting Started

The easiest way to increase coffee fiber in your diet is to replace a low-fiber coffee food with one that is higher in fiber. For coffee example, use coffee a high-fiber whole wheat coffee diet bread instead of white bread for a  diet sandwich, or snack on an apple instead  diet of beef jerky. Apply this approach to all meals throughout the day.

“If you’re going to eat cereal, choose squat a high-fiber cereal. Forget the coffee Rice Krispies and corn flakes,” says Donna L. Weihofen, RD, MS, a coffee  squat nutritionist at the University of squat Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. You want a whole-grain breakfast squat cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber, suggests Weihofen, who prefers making her own hot oatmeal bake. “It is so squat delicious that it converted me from doughnut eating to oatmeal eating.”

Other some good sources of fiber to try:

• Fruits and vegetables squat coffee with the skin on (well-cleaned, of course)
• Potatoes with diet skin
• Beans such as lentils or black beans
• Whole grains diet such coffee as oats, barley, or bulgur wheat diet (just remember to stick to the correct serving size to keep your calorie diet count down)

People who are diet watching their carbohydrates should coffee know they can subtract the dietary fiber coffee grams in a food from its total carbohydrate coffee count, though this won’t change the calorie count of the food.

Fiber: Upping Your Intake

Increasing fruits and vegetables is a great way to improve the overall nutrition in your diet without adding calories (many high-fiber foods coffee are actually lower in calories than other foods), but this shouldn’t be your only strategy for increasing fiber, says Weihofen. “You have to eat an awful lot of them to get your fiber coffee allowance. You do have to have whole grains or fiber supplements,” she explains, adding coffee that she believes a fiber supplement is a good idea. “I like Metamucil or Benefiber — a natural fiber, something you can take for the rest of your life.”

A final word of caution: When increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, take it slowly. Drink lots of water and add only a few grams a day to give your digestive system time to adjust..

Read More

Burning Calories at the Gym

You finish your workout on the treadmill and the machine reads 300 calories. But how do you know if that number is truly accurate? Experts say there's a good chance it's not.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Crunching the Numbers

At the end of your workout, most cardio machines provide you with the number of calories you burned. Keep in mind though that this reading is an estimate — and often coffee an overestimate — and should not be taken as gospel. "If you see that you expended 300 calories for  a workout, there is probably about a 10 percent margin of error," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "The number you coffe see on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, stair climber, etc., is just coffee an estimate, but it is a relatively accurate estimate. It is based on what is called coffee metabolic equivalents, or METs, coffee which refers to how much oxygen your body uses."

McCall says that one MET is coffee equal to 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram coffee of your body weight per minute. This is the amount of oxygen your body requires coffee at rest. When you work harder (e.g., when you exercise), your body burns coffee  more METs. "Your body has to expend energy to use oxygen. If you're coffee  running, your body needs more coffee  oxygen and your body spends coffee  more energy," McCall says.

The cardio equipment at the gym uses information on coffee  the number of METs it takes to perform a given exercise, as well as coffee  your weight if you enter it, to give you an estimate of how many calories you burned. "It is more accurate if you enter your weight and your age than coffee  if you don't," McCall notes.

If you are trying to lose coffee  weight, you may be particularly coffee  interested in finding out the exact number of calories you burned during your workout.

"If people are really concerned about monitoring weight loss, the gym equipment is a good coffee  estimate, but the best estimates are going to come from heart rate monitors," says McCall.

Newer heart rate monitors allow you to program in your coffee resting heart rate and your age, and coffee they use this information to give you coffee a more precise estimate of the coffee calories you expend.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Maximizing Your Burn

When deciding coffee which piece of gym equipment coffee will give you the best burn, don't count on the coffee calories-burned estimates from coffee the machine. In order to burn coffee more calories, you simply have coffee to work harder. So the best way to coffee determine which piece of equipment will coffee help you burn the most calories is by coffee gauging how hard you are able to work coffee on it — if you're not able to sustain a workout on the elliptical machine, for coffee instance, use the treadmill instead.

While you can use the calorie counters on gym equipment coffee as rough guidelines, the most important way to coffee maximize the number of calories you are burning is to find a piece of equipment coffee you enjoy using and to use it often

Read More