What Your Pee Says About Ye

You are not going to pee your pants. But the nearest toilet is at home, 6 minutes away. In order to make it,you enter a zen-like daydream that would make the Dali Lama himself applaud the majestic, mindful indifference to the bulging in your bladder.

Serene images of meadow larks sipping water from the edge of a murky pond on a late July afternoon occupy your thoughts, whilst you tiptoe among them in an effort to leave them undisturbed.

Serenity comes to a crashing halt when, In this daydream your beloved 3 year old retriever Spanky, urinates boiling hot urine on the rear driver side tire of your 1996 Toyota Camry.

No matter what you do, your thoughts circulate back towards the inevitable:

You've got to pee.

It's one of life's most fascinating challenges -resisting the urge to let go. And lose your hard earned self respect and esteem by giving into the most carnal urge; the last outpost of dignity before crossing into the realm of unabashed shame: drenching yourself in piss.

Frantically reaching home, you pull your car to the front doorstep of your spacious ranch home. Fumbling for the door key, your enemy at this point is time - and any movement that causes you to lose tension in the very muscles holding back a lifetime of future shame.

Once inside you run for your porcelain savior. Mid-way through a 3 minute long evacuation- you notice that your urine is as clear as water.

With my help, we'll decipher the secrets of what your pee says about ye (you). We'll decipher the riddles and mysteries of urine. Specifically when it comes to a marker of your current hydration status - which is the topic of this post (believe it or not).

Clear urine indicates a euhyrated state. In other words - you are in water balance, and the excess urine must be expelled. Unlike a reservoir, the body has no other holding area besides the bladder. What must come out, must come out. Inevitably.

Why you should cancel your Gym membership

If you pay $50 - $60 a month and attend fewer than 4 times a month ( 45 - 50 times a year) - you are better off paying a daily drop in fee. Most drop in fees are $10 - $15. You will save money and avoid long-term contracts; allowing you to "pay as you go". Not to mention avoiding expensive "initiation fees" / " enrollment fees" (which are usually non-refundable) and a gyms way of guaranteeing income for the time one of their membership reps took to sign you up - even if you want to cancel 2 weeks in.

Protein and its calorie burning potential

The body doesn't have a storage area for protein. Unlike excess fat and carbohydrates, which are stored in adipose tissue or liver / muscle glycogen - when you eat large amounts of protein, the body has to expend large amounts of energy to burn it up. In fancy language we call this the thermogenic effect of food, or TEF.

This tends to have a filling effect. You feel full, because your body is busy digesting and breaking down all that protein. The full feeling is your bodies way of saying" let me do my thing. I can't handle anything more right now".

My Beef with the New York Times

The times needs to quote people who know their shit. And this person they quoted sounds like they don't know diddly poo in some regards.

From a recent New York Times article:


“If you work out at an easy intensity, you will burn a higher percentage of fat calories” than if you work out a higher intensity, Carey says, so you should draw down some of the padding you’ve accumulated on the hips or elsewhere — if you don’t replace all of the calories afterward. To help those hoping to reduce their body fat, he published formulas in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research last month that detailed the heart rates at which a person could maximize fat burning. “Heart rates of between 105 and 134” beats per minute, Carey said, represent the fat-burning zone. “It’s probably best to work out near the top of that zone,” he says, “so that you burn more calories over all” than at the extremely leisurely lower end."

Let's get something straight - yes, working out at lower intensities, you oxidize (burn) more fatty acids (fat) for fuel. But again - there is no such thing as a "fat burning zone". You are always burning fat. No matter what intensity you're training at. It's just that the contribution of fatty acids changes depending on the intensity. In a simplistic view, the higher the intensity of exercise, the less you rely on fat for fuel. But even that can get dicey - because the more trained you are, the more fat contributes (is oxidized) to fuel exercise!

The quote ends with "It's probably best to work out near the top of that zone", "So that you burn more calories over all". This is a half correct statement. Not because you're burning more fat - but because WORKING HARDER BURNS MORE CALORIES!!!

Energy use during exercise is a continuum. It's not a light switch. Fat on, fat off. Carbs on, Carbs off. It just isn't that simplistic. But the media likes to make it black and white. And since so many are looking for simple, black or white, all or none solutions - this helps perpetuate the cycle. And helps articles like this get written: Articles with some good information, but still missing on really key concepts.

In fairness, the author of the piece does mention that higher exercise intensity relies more on carbohydrate stores (they didn't say glycogen, but that's okay) to fuel high intensity exercise (>85% VO2 Max).

But blah - still got my attention for misleading info.

Gravity is a Bitch

This was created for a client of mine.

Exercise Myths: The Fat Burning Zone

Myth: I need to exercise in the "fat burning" zone on my elliptical / treadmill in order to lose weight.

Truth: You're always in the "zone" even at rest!

Verdict: The 'zone' is misleading and not telling the true story!

Exercise Intensity dictates the proportion of fuel use. Put simply, the higher the intensity, the more fuel you use from Carbohydrate (CHO). The lower the intensity, the more fuel you use from Fat.

It is a big mistake to think a certain heart rate and/ or intensity will place you in the "fat burning zone".

You obviously burn more calories exercising at higher intensity - but the contribution of different substrates (CHO, Free Fatty Acids, Intramuscular triglycerides, blood glucose) changes at different intensities.

Beware

Note to women: THIS IS NOT YOGA.

Stinky Guy in the Gym

Seriously - what's up with the fuckstick who can't wash his clothes at the new private facility I train my clients at? I know you're an asshole from the way I see you treat people there - but for the love of god man - why do you have to smell like 3 bags of rotting garbage baking in the sun on a humid August afternoon? Flies and all? You know that warm garbage aroma? THIS GUY IS WORSE.

I literally came in last Sunday to 3 floors of noxious B.O that smelled like day old cheese pizza marinated in butt sweat. I couldn't escape it. I had to FUMIGATE all three floors with lavender-daisy Lysol extra strength formula. Twice.

Come to find out (through others)- that this douche WASHES HIS CLOTHES IN THE GYM SHOWER AFTER HE WORKS OUT and... Hangs them up in his locker, where they age and marinate to a crisp revolting ass stink. Dude - what does it take to get a cap of laundry detergent, and access to a 30 minute spin cycle? God.

What the hell?! Do you know you're killing all of us dude?

Still Here

I have not forgotten about creating content, working hard to make my writing more interesting and better. It's just that sometimes, stuff comes up and you can't sit down and get your thoughts in the blogosphere.

I won't leave this post without a piece of simple advice: If you're hiring a trainer, ask he or she if they can teach you how to squat. And make sure they take their sweet time teaching it to you - it's hard as hell to learn it.

The Association of Success

Unsuccessful or unlucky by association can be inverted (positively) into the term "Success by association".

Nobody deliberately looks to catch a cold. It just happens. Reluctantly.

Misery and success can spread like a virus. Sometimes, you have to be around someone to catch a virus. Being around the infected, your odds of infection increase profoundly.

Misery loves company. Mustn't the opposite hold as well? The only problem? Catching that virus is harder. And finding those who are infected takes time.

Getting that infection could be just the thing you need to move forward.

10 Tips to Writing a Great Craigslist Ad

I've made thousands of dollars selling on craigslist for nearly 5 years. I've sold a laundry list of items: From used Macintosh Laptops to football tickets -even selling my services as a writer.

If you've never used craigslist to sell - now is a great time to start. People are looking to save money now more than ever. It's free to post ads (except adult and real estate in certain cities), and because of the enormous web traffic the site receives - it makes sense to explore craigslist as a potential platform to sell.

But before you sell, you need one thing above all else: A solid, if not very good advertisement.

Your ad is of crucial importance if you intend to sell your item. While a good ad will not guarantee a sale, a poorly constructed ad will most certainly hold you back.

Culminated from my experiences, here are 10 ways in order of importance to help you create an advertisement that will attract buyers.

1. Be Honest: This is the most important aspect of selling on craigslist (or anywhere): Do not lie. Lying will kill your craigslist karma. Most people on craigslist who are serious about buying from you will expect honest, and sincere answers to their questions.

2. Spell Correctly: Illiteracy and laziness don’t sell. Correct spelling shows you care about how your ad comes across. It shows you’re serious. And it will attract the right type of customer to buy your item(s). Remember – proofread. Then proofread again before submitting your ad live on the site.

3. Have an Attention Grabbing Headline: Writing a good headline is a skill and an art. You want it to be succinct, yet enticing to attract interest. You don’t need to know the copy writing trade, be a professional writer, nor have a degree in marketing / advertising. But a good headline will generate more clicks on your ad.

4. Communicate: Be accessible. When you sell, you must answer your phone and check your e-mail. Craigslist is about immediacy. If a buyer can't reach you, how do you expect to sell your item?

5. Advertise Local: Craigslist doesn’t like you posting the same ad in two different markets. Advertise locally and in one city at a time. Plus, It will be easier for you to meet a buyer if both of you live in the same city / area. You’ll both have an idea of where things are if you meet in a public venue to close the sale, and how to get there.

6. Be Flexible on Pricing: Be open to lowering your price if nobody shows interest. You don’t have to cut your prices drastically. Sometimes taking $5 or $10 off is the difference between no responses, and many responses.


7. Post Pictures when Possible: Taking pictures has a way of bringing authenticity to your advertisement. Authenticity makes you more trustworthy, and make someone feel better about buying from you.

8. Meet face to face: If I’m buying something from craigslist- chances are I’m going to want to look at it and ask questions: face to face. Be open to meeting your buyer in person. It will ease their anxiety of buying from you.

9. Post on high traffic days / times: You want to post when you have the best chance of people browsing your ad. Trial and error will help you here. But in general, Sundays are great days to post, as are certain weekdays.

10. Be Persistent: If your item doesn’t sell right away – don’t worry too much about it. Check this list again. Are you violating any of the items above? Also, try and give your ad at least 2 or 3 days to get attention. If nobody responds to it, consider re-posting. Change the headline, ad pictures - and see what happens.

Happy Selling!

Your Best Workout Ever: Step Squatting

How well you can Squat is a measure of your true fitness level. A great squat is deep (below 90 degrees or at least parallel with the floor) and achieves a small angle with respect to the knee joint. Deep squatting is an art requiring flexibility, core strength, upper body strength, lower body strength, balance, and stamina.

If you can't squat parallel with the floor, your squat needs work so you can squat deeper. Even if that means only using your body weight. In other words, take steps backwards, so that you can eventually move forward.

There is a useful technique to develop depth with "Step Squatting". Step Squatting involves using an aerobic step platform with adjustable increments. Most gyms have the equipment you need (See picture above).

The first step is to determine how low you can squat..

To begin, raise the step to a level that is parallel with your knee, or slightly above. Perform the squat with your butt above the step, with your body facing the opposite way. If you can touch the platform successfully one time with no problem - lower the step one level.

Continue this process until you find your "sticking point": The point where you can't squat deeper. Write down the height / number of steps where this happens. During your next workout, start at this height gradually increase the repetitions. Once you can do 3- 4 sets of 12 repetitions with great form, take the step down one more level. Gradually start introducing weight after you've mastered 3-4 sets of 12 with body weight.

Some Tips:

• Try in front of a mirror.
• Have an experienced and skilled squatter critique your form.
• Squats are hard. Be patient as you improve.
• Introduce weight slowly, and only as long as your form doesn't suffer.
• Stop if you feel pain.
  

When To Go See A Doctor

Lingering shin bruises that won't heal?

Pain in your toe(s) when you run?

Having to change your routine because of pain you're experiencing?

Time to go to the doctor.

Getting an X-Ray doesn't hurt. It could save you problems down the road.

I actually like going to the doctor (weird). It makes me feel like I'm addressing the issue, instead of avoiding it. It gives me confidence; Facing my problem instead of avoiding it.

A similar mindset will help you.

Remember: Maintenance is easier than repair. In terms of time and cost.

Top 10 Most Inefficient Exercises #6: Leg Extension

Accessible, easy to use, and in every gym / health club you go to. Because it's everywhere, you should use it right?

Nope.

I never have a client use this machine. Prolonged use may lead to permanent damage of the knee. The "burn" in your quadriceps femoris will eventually be replaced by the "burn" of bone on bone friction from the destruction of the knee joint.

Skip. Rinse. Repeat.

Top 10 Inefficient Exercises: #5 - The Hip Adductor / Abductor

Hip Abduction / Adduction: Think this machine sculps your legs?

Nope.

Instead, this machine shears your spine, and places your hip in a vulnerable position. Ask yourself - does anything in life mimic this movement? Do you start your car by squeezing your thighs together?

Avoid and substitute with squats, lunges, or leg press.

The 10 Most Inefficient Exercises (Part 2): Bench Press and Lat Pulldowns

This week, I will be looking at the 10 most inefficient exercise movements. Two per day. Here are the next two:

3. Bench Press: Ah, the bench. The marvelous mark of manhood (and womanhood for some).

It's not that I think the bench is evil. It isn't. If you do it properly, the bench can provide gains in upper body strength, size, and endurance. So why is it on this list?

The key word is using the bench PROPERLY. Most of what is written here applies to "Bench Guy" (very rarely have I seen Bench Girl):

The Bench is not an event to let out your daily frustrations. Me, along with everyone else in the gym doesn't want to hear your blood curlding grunts of triumph as you lift 300lbs. Nor, your laziness in audio form as you slam or drop the weight back to the bench rack.

You don't need to prove to anyone how tough you are, and try to impress girls. (In case you haven't noticed, you scare them away). The fact that you're trying to show how tough you are makes you weak by default.

And please, don't load up on the weight if you can't handle it by yourself. Take the ego blow and ask for someone to watch you. It's okay, I (or anyone) won't think less of you. We'll think you're smart. And we'll be willing to do it if it means avoiding the things I've mentioned above.

Lastly, doing the bench press everytime you visit the gym is inefficient. If done properly - one time a week is all you need. Balance your program.

4. Lat Pulldowns: At best, a complimentary exercise. They should not take the place of pullups.

I see this exercise overused quite a bit. And I suspect the reason: fear.

With the time you have, it is inefficient to spend energy on this exercise. Instead, work on pullups. If you can't do a pullup, use the assisted pullup device.

The pullup is the best exercise for your upper body. Do it more. Practice it, and you'll reap the benefits.

The 10 Most Inefficient Exercises (Part 1): Crunches and Biceps Brachii Curl

This week, I will be looking at the 10 most inefficient exercise movements. Two per day. Here are the first two:

1. Crunches: I am anti-crunch. Why?

The returns on this movement do not justify the cost: Poor form, overdeveloped abdominal muscles, postural instability, not to mention an enlarged belly (if body fat remains the same).

Here's my logic:

All movements that are voluntary require core stabilization in order to execute. For instance - if I ask you to pull on a door handle (voluntary movement), your postural muscles (abs, glutes, lower back) must turn on BEFORE you execute the act of opening the door. This is a reflex action that is not under voluntary control. Basically, your body has to make sure it won't fall over before you do anything else. So, you use your abdominal muscles more than you realize.

More gains will come from fixing your nutrition habits, rather than marathon ab workouts.

2. Bicep Brachii Curl: Evil, evil exercise.

Why is this exercise evil?

Let's make it clear: the biceps brachii is a small muscle. It is an elbow flexor by design (meaning, it helps bend your arm). Alone, it's not meant to do much.

Sometimes out of the corner of my eye, I will see someone curling over 100lbs of resistance with their biceps brachii muscles. Stupid. Just stupid. First of all, very few people have the strength to lift that much weight properly. Second, because of the huge weight your asking a small muscle to lift, you WILL involve other muscle groups. Namely the lower back, upper back, and hips. You can see this when someone sways, tilts, and wiggles in order to curl the weight. Injury is likely.

The best way to train the biceps brachii is to do pullups.

Push This Car

While the content here is relegated to fitness and health topics - I could not help posting the picture above.

You know you've arrived and have made it when you're able to make your own parking space - in the middle of the road, no less. Especially during the early evening, when there is ZERO chance other people are using a busy road.

Photo courtesy of Angie.

The Issue of Food and Why You're Not Getting Thinner (Part 2)

In Part 1, I discussed the nature of energy balance. How at it's core - losing body fat is a simple process. Remember, you must create an energy deficit in order to lose body fat. The number of calories out must be less than calories in.

Often times, I get questions about why the fat isn't coming off. People tell me they do everything, yet nothing is happening.

There are two possibilities: (whether you're aware of it or not)

1. You're still eating too much food

2. You're not eating ENOUGH food

Let's start with the first, as the second is a bit more complex.

It's common to eat more food once you're active. You tell yourself "Well, I spent 75 Minutes on the elliptical at the gym - I'm okay to eat 5 Taco Bell Taco's and wash it down with a 32 oz soda". (This raises a whole new issue of rewarding work with food - that I'll address in the future).

And often, it's not the "bad" food either. It's a lot of the healthy stuff. You don't need to eat "bad"foods to gain body fat. You can eat healthfully and still gain fat.

The idea is that sometimes you may not be aware that you've added calories. You workout to create a deficit, then immediately turn around and re-fill that deficit. The total difference is zero, you see no loss.

Now the second idea is a bit trickier. Everyone needs calories to live and function. You know that. But all of us require calories in order to lose body fat. Call it the minimum threshold for fat burning.

Without eating the proper amount - you will remain and stay stuck for a long time. This amount is not a fixed value. But in general we can make a ballpark / assumption that for women the value is around 1200 kcals, and men 1800 kcals.

There are other signs than just the scale. How do you feel? Are you groggy? Irritable? Tired? Getting plenty of sleep, but still feel "off"? If you're active you need to look at what you're eating and determine if you're getting your needs met.

Transparency and Accountability

A 21st century term.

What is transparency? In a way, it is openness. A way to understand and see the process.

I am striving for transparency with all of you. Showing you exactly how what I know can be applied to help you. There is no hiding information, or withholding knowledge. Nor deceit, or manipulation.

Choosing to follow me is a powerful thing. And I want to be accountable to each one of you.

Injuries: Muscle Sprains

A muscle sprain is an injury in which the muscle becomes torn. Also known as "pulls", they are common and occur mostly during exercise and athletic competition.

Sprains can be serious. But most of the time they're not. Still - like any injury, you have to take steps to heal it, and be aware of how hurt you are.

The basic rule with sprains: It's of the utmost importance that you start treatment within 48 hours after the injury. No matter how minor.

In the case of a pulled hamstring - there are three hamstring muscles. Semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and Biceps femoris (see above photo). Depending on the severity of the pull, one or more may experience a strain / tear.

Hamstring strains are graded by severity:

Grade 1: Reduced flexibility (tightness) in rear thigh. Some discomfort. Minor swelling. Mobility really isn't affected too much.

Grade 2: Noticeable limp or gait problem. May experience pain during exercise. Knee flexion (bending the knee) causes pain. Likewise, extending the knee (locking the joint) may cause pain too.

Grade 3: Severe pain and swelling. Especially during exercise. Assistance with movement is needed (crutches, frequent rests, etc).

Most strains are grade 1. If you've suffered a grade 1 strain you can usually take steps to heal it on your own without medical assistance:

R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compresson, Elevation. Take a cold compress and hold it against the torn muscle. 15 minutes, 3 - 5 times a day for the first few days.

Compress: Light bandaging around the area will control intramuscular bleeding, and reduce swelling.

Stretching and Strength: Light stretching and lifting light weights is a good idea. If you're currently running or training for an event, it would be wise to slow down and reduce your training for at least 2 weeks. You can still run, bike, etc - but at a lower volume and intensity. Gradually build yourself back up over time.

The same applies to strength training - take it easy, don't overdo it. Take a step back, reduce volume and intensity. Spend extra time before and after stretching.

Basically, it's ultimately dependent on the severity of the muscle pull. If you find yourself in a grade 2 or grade 3 situation - definitely see a physical therapist who specializes in sports rehabilitation. Or a athletic trainer who has experience with rehab.

Eat Steak

Steak contains a highly concentrated monounsaturated fat called oleic acid.

Why is this important?

Because Oleic acid is the same fat that makes up 60% of Olive oil. Pundits and experts regularly tout the benefits of olive oil, and including it in your daily eating.

I regularly tout the benefits of eating lean red meat. Particularly ground sirloin and top loin. For every 4 ounces of ground sirloin steak, you are only consuming 150 calories, 5 grams of fat (2 grams saturated), and 24 grams of high quality protein.

If you're not a vegetarian, strongly consider adding more lean meat to your eating. It will allow you to build strength, improve your heart and vascular health, and lose body fat.

Stuck in Neutral: How to Bust A Plateau

When it comes to losing body fat nothing is more despised than the dreaded "Plateau".

Plateaus in this sense refer to lack of progress. Plateau's can lead to frustration. And frustration can work against you - If you let it.

The last thing you want is to be frustrated when you're trying to lose body fat. Being emotional may make you try things that work against you. And as we all know things that work against you (if you can help it) should be avoided. Some of those are:

1. Really restricting your calories: I have a rough estimate I give my clients. For women: Don't drop below 1200 calories a day; Men: 1800.

I can not stress enough: Don't starve yourself. I repeat: It will not help you. It will work against you. Don’t diet. Make small changes. Tweak, don’t fix.

2. Trying unsafe supplements, over the counter drugs: It's hard work to make change. And you may be tempted (if you're frustrated) to do anything to lose fat. Those options being dietary aids aimed at helping you lose fat quickly.

3. Shortcuts: Don’t take them.

So how do you break through a plateau and continue?

Change your DNA: Everything has a structure. Your daily routine, plans, ideas. I’m talking of changing your ‘workout DNA’. Change the way you exercise; the way you think and approach what you do.

Here are some of the ways you can change your DNA:

1. Reverse: If you have a plan – don’t have a plan. If you don’t eat out for dinner – eat out for dinner. If you drive you car all day, drive in reverse all day (on second thought don’t do this).

But you get the idea. If your program is not working for you – work to change the program. Don’t make poor choices. But experiment a bit.

2. Tweak: As I alluded to earlier. Don’t fix things – tweak things. There is a difference. You fix things that are broken. You tweak things that are good, but could be better.

How to tweak?

If you’re reading a novel while you workout on the elliptical – stop. That’s a sign you’re not working as well as you could. All your focus should be on your workout. Not inside a magazine or a book.

If you’re walking 3 miles a day, 4 times a week – walk 3.5 miles each day.

If you’re drinking 13 cans of Mountain Dew a day – drink 12.

Things like this.

3. Don't think like everyone else; everyone else is wrong: Self explanatory. But - when it comes to this subject everyone thinks they know what to do. They don't. Learn to think for yourself. Listen to those who do know for ideas - but come to your own conclusions.

Why You're Not Getting Thinner: Part 1

Losing body fat is simpler than you think.

At it's core, losing body fat is about disrupting balance. We refer to losing body fat as a "negative energy balance".

When you step on a scale and it shows you lost weight (Fat) - you are in a negative balance (loss). If you gain weight (fat), you are in a positive balance (gain). If you remain the same, we refer to it as a "neutral balance" - You're not going anywhere; Bringing us to the subject of today's post.

Look at the picture above. The image shows you a teeter -totter. Just like the one you find on a playground. We'll use this picture to discuss "Neutral Balance".

Neutral balance is established when your calories 'in' equal calories 'out'. Thus, the teeter totter remains balanced. This often is a culprit for 'plateauing'. You aren't creating a deficit of calories to lose body fat.

Being stuck in neutral can be frustrating. Because you're not going anywhere. There are strategies to overcome this, and my next post will discuss remedies for this situation and keep those pounds coming off.

The Top 5 Free Weight Exercises

In order:

1. Squat
2. Pull-up
3. Dead-lift
4. Bench Press
5. Standing Shoulder Press

Chocolate Milk is Perfect

The best thing to have post workout is a big, chilled glass of chocolate milk. A poor imitation is squeezing Hershey's chocolate syrup into skim, 1%, or whatever milk you drink. Go for the real, already made stuff.

Vitamin Poisoning

One of the most common misnomers among those trying to improve their overall wellness and health is that vitamin supplementation is necessary-It is not.

Hypervitaminosis or vitamin poisoning is very common. Supplementing your eating with tablets of various vitamins is not necessary. The media and fitness industry tout the overwhelming benefits of vitamin supplementation- beware. Although the abundance of vitamin shops and stores is widespread- it is wise to avoid them. I've seen hypervitaminosis and it's effects up close, and it is not pretty once it reaches a certain level of toxicity.

Of course, this is all valid assuming you that you intake SOME form of normal food on a daily basis. Even those who don't eat in an "ideal" way obtain more than enough adequate vitamins and minerals.

Walking vs. Running: Part 3

Now onto running.

Let's begin by looking at the graph above. Remember the walk curve? (Blue dotted line from part 2). Now we're going to look at the red line labeled "running" floating above it.

Fundamentally, running is very different from walking. Not only from an energy consumption standpoint, but running produces an entirely different movement with your legs.

In part 2, I talked about your legs acting like pendulums during walking. The big difference in running is that your legs act like springs.

If you examine the red line on the graph you'll see the line hovers just above where the walk curve ends. Two reasons:

Running does burn more calories than walking. Second, to show fast walking and slow running are very close to each other. And that closeness produces the biggest calorie burn.

To explain,

Try an experiment next time you're in the gym. Walk slow on a treadmill. Then slowly increase your speed.

When you reach 4.6 - 5.3 mph (a fast walk) try not to run. You'll feel uncomfortable. You'll want to run. Notice now the difference between walking and running is so small, that you COULD do either.

But, at this threshold, it's more efficient for your body to run than walk. Due to the relationship between stride length, speed of your limbs, along with the center of mass in your body. And the fact your body is shifting from a pendulum like movement to the recoil movement of a spring.

But notice how the line starts to creep down as you increase your run speed? That's because you actually become more efficient as you run faster. In other words - you burn just a little less calories as run speed increases.

To summarize: The current research shows running does burn more calories than walking. We can see this by looking at the graph. The slowest running speeds use more transport cost than slow, regular, or fast walking.

In the end, the choice to run or walk is dependent on your goals, medical condition, and other factors. Both movements are excellent, with running having the slight edge in terms of using more calories / energy.

Beware the Quick Fix

Anyone trying to sell you a product, idea, or solution to your problem that seems to good to be true - should generally be dismissed and ignored.

You'll find this a lot in the fitness / wellness industry. A lot of companies know people have no compass to navigate through the products being offered. So they prey upon your lack of knowledge by offering quick fixes and overly ambitious results that resonate with your emotions.

Try this supplement! It will do wonders. Buy a year membership - you'll be sure to come in every day if you pay for the full year! Pay lots of money for an 'experienced' personal trainer: they know what they're doing! (Answers in order: mostly false, mostly false, experience doesn't correlate with quality).

Look for those that offer realistic, yet optimistic assessments.

Walking vs. Running: Part 2

Take a look at the walking curve.

You'll notice that the line resembles the letter "U". If you look closer, you'll see the left side of the "U" is a little skewed. Higher than the right side.

Let's begin by taking your finger and putting it on the far left side of the blue dotted line labeled "Slow". Take your finger and trace down. The speed is right around .5 m/s.

Now, move your finger back up to the label "slow " and move left towards the Transport Cost" side. The number corresponds to a 3, reflecting the calories or energy used.

This will begin to make sense once we look at the other labels on the walk curve.

Let's continue our examination by moving towards the right. Look for the label "normal". See it? When you do, start by tracing your finger from the small circle where the label is, and move down again.

The speed corresponds to 1.5 m/s. This makes sense intuitively; this is how you walk most of the time. The speed at which you are consciously using the least effort.

What's interesting is, although you're moving faster, there is something revealing about the energy used.

Repeat the same process we did with the slow walking. Move your finger back up to the circle dubbed "normal" and trace towards the left. Notice the number corresponds to a 2. Compare this to the number for slow walking (3).

Finally, lets continue to slide right towards the label "fast". Here, walking speed is the fastest, at about 2 m/s. But look at the transport cost- The number corresponds to a 2.5.

What does it all mean?

To understand what it means, we have to visualize the movement of walking. We'll rely on biomechanics to help us.

Think of your legs as inverted pendulums. Pendulums that are upside down.

Walking is the most efficient when the energy exchange between swings of the inverted pendulum is maximized. That is, when more energy is transferred than lost.

In slow walking, swings of the pendulum (your legs) are such that more energy is lost, making it less efficient. Thus, requiring more calories /energy to sustain.

Normal walking produces a smoother swing of the inverted pendulum. Making it more efficient for energy to transfer. Therefore requiring less calories / energy.

Fast walking isn't as efficient as normal walking, but more efficient that slow walking.

Make sense?

All of this comes together to tell us: Fast walking burns more calories than normal walking, but slow walking burns more than either of them.

When the speed of walking reaches a certain speed - The body no longer uses an inverted pendulum for movement; but shifts gradually towards something else. That something else is running. This will be covered in my next post.

Walking Vs. Running: Part 1

Here is a graph showing running vs. walking. The red line represents running, while the dotted blue line is walking.

The Y-Axis - 'Transport Cost' is the amount of calories (or energy expressed in joules per kilogram per meter) you use during these activities. Speed is expressed in meters per second.


Look at the graph... What can you tell by the way the lines are shaped? Does running burn more calories? Walking? Why is running a straight line? More to come.

Exercising While You're Sick

Working out when you're sick isn't a good idea.

Even if one nostril is slightly runny, and only one arm is falling off (well, maybe).

Gyms are crowded right now. Cold weather and new resolutions combine to make more people working out indoors. Coughing, sneezing, on you - me, everything. Making it more likely you'll contract an unwanted bug.

My message:

I have an Emergency Physician as a client. Recently, he poured over data from nearly 2000 patients who all died due to exercising while sick. (Working on getting the primary article linked). A possibility why this happens?

Your heart works harder if you have a fever. There is scientific evidence that placing your heart under a higher cardiac output (stroke volume x heart rate) during exercise (while sick) may increase your chances of sepsis, and infection. It's unlikely, but why take the risk?

Also, you feel crappy. You're low on energy, cleaning your runny nose every 5 minutes. Hit the weights / treadmill / meet with your trainer when you're close to 100% - No sooner.

So, If you're sick, stay home.

Your $200 Challenge

I will be holding a contest for my current, new, and returning female clients.

Whoever can Squat the most, complete the most pull-ups, and Bench Press (flat bench) by April 31st, 2009 will win $200. Criteria are stated below:

1) Squat: Defined as successfully descending to a parallel position with the floor (minimum), pausing one second, then returning (pushing) to the starting position without help.

2) Pull-ups: Defined as gripping the bar with hands facing away from you. Keeping your torso straight and gently pulling yourself upwards, chin clearing the bar.

3) Bench Press: Defined as being able to lower the weight within 5.5" parallel to mid-line of the chest. Then returning (pushing) the bar back to starting position / rest.

Awarding is absolute, or by category. Squats and pull-ups are more fiscally rewarding - because they are more challenging (plus they are better for you) than the bench.

The prize breakdown:

Squat: $95
Pull-up: $65
Bench: $40

This means- you can take it all, or be the best at a certain movement and win the money for that category.

For instance: If you're a good squatter,ho-hum bench presser, and mediocre pull-upper, you can possibly win the squat portion.

However, if somebody comes along - out squats, pulls, and presses you (and everyone else) they win the entire amount.

It pays to be well rounded. Are you up for it?

Interval Training: The Panacea?

Welcome! My first blog post will address what kind of cardiovascular / aerobic exercise should I do on my own to lose body fat?

First things first - any movement is good movement. But one way of training is more effective to lose body fat than others.

An acronym that is simple and easy to remember:

F.I.T.T

Translated:

Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type

Can you guess which one of these 4 is the most important? The temptation is to say time. After all, we are conditioned (magazines, peers, gyms, trainers) to spend as much time as possible exercising. For most of us, that option isn't realistic. Especially gyms - buy a year membership, spend more time there - spend more money.

But in the end, time doesn't matter too much.

Now you may be quick to guess type. Am I rowing? running? pushing cars? (yes, it's great exercise ask me about it). True, the body conditions itself to a repeated stimulus. And to a degree, type is a little more important than time. But not by much.

Frequency: How often are you doing what you're doing. Are you training 1, 2, 7 times a week? Again, you may be tempted to think the more the better, but that is conventional wisdom. And conventional wisdom will often surprise you with it's lack of wisdom.

The wise choice?

Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type

Intensity defeats extensity, frequency, and type. Each time.

You can accomplish more through 3 x 20-minute sessions of intense training than any other training method. Pick a movement: Biking, running, steps, jump rope - they all can be used to further your training via this method.

A typical high intensity program uses intervals at its core. After a thorough warm-up, you exercise at a relatively easy pace for a few minutes. Then engage in high intensity for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Cycling rest with intensity for the elapsed time.

But how do you know if you're training hard enough? Perceived exertion is one way. Assigning a numerical rating to how hard it is for you. 1 being the easiest, 10 being borderline impossible. Most assign good interval training a high 7 or low 8.

There is another way, a little more scientific - which I will cover in my next post. But in the meantime, questions, comments, discuss.