Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

He’s Back

[Gina Backes at 2012-3-23 in: Fitness, Nutrition]

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If any of you have followed this blog, (there might be one or two of you) you are aware that at some point my husband Greg decided to workout with me. Unfortunately for him it happened to be when I was finishing up P90X Plus and moving on to Insanity. Greg was never an athlete, although he does remind me he played little league baseball. Because of this, I don’t think it was the best way to start out his experience in raising the heart rate and pushing himself physically. He did make it through most of the 60 days, but eventually he just “Insert excuse here.”

Over the past few months two realities have been reaffirmed when it comes to working out. For the first, Chalene Johnson, creator of Turbo Jam, ChaLEAN Extreme, and TurboFire says it best: you have to find your workout soul mate. You must find one that you are passionate about. Let’s face it. Most of us don’t approach the idea of getting in shape with complete enthusiasm. We reluctantly know we need to exercise more so we look at what’s popular and buy it. The problem is that it just might not be your soul mate. I was fortunate when I chose P90X to start. It was exactly what I needed and I enjoyed Tony’s style. If I would have started out with something like Turbo Jam, I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it. It doesn’t mean Turbo Jam is a bad choice. It’s terrific for those who are just starting out and love a more kickboxing, dance style workout. I would have felt completely out of my element. I probably could do it now, laugh at myself while getting the moves down and eventually have fun.

Greg has decided to begin working out with me and I think we may have finally found a workout that goes at his pace; Les Mills PUMP. We just started this program and he is much more willing to commit to 30 minutes of PUMP than 40 minutes of Insanity. He doesn’t feel overwhelmed like he has in the past. He even seems eager to get the workout done instead of looking like he wants to run away when it was time to dig deep. We do PUMP together, but when we’re done I throw in either an Insanity workout or one of PUMP’s deluxe dvds. It’s a perfect compromise. As a coach, it’s my job to help my clients pick the right program. I have some who approach me and say they want to try P90X, but in reality it might not be a program that fits their personality or their lifestyle. Ultimately it’s up to them to choose, but I need to assess what might be a good fit and present it to them.

The second reality is that an individual’s reason behind their desire to be healthy and fit can mean the difference between success and failure. In Beachbody, we call it the WHY! I have been amazed at some of the WHY’s people have shared. They are inspiring. And the greater the WHY, the higher the probability of them staying committed to a program. By greater I mean a life altering decision where this is one of the top priorities in their life. If it isn’t in the top 5, it’s going to be a struggle to accomplish. It’s something that Greg has finally embraced. While he may not able to prevent aging, he does have control over it’s affect on his energy, body, and quality of life. And he understands it has to come from both nutrition and exercise. You have to be committed because no amount of coaxing, persuading, or nagging from your coach can be a substitute. We can only encourage, answer questions, and make those small nudges. We don’t have that magic pill. It really doesn’t exist.

 

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A Sucker for Trying New Things

[Gina Backes at 2012-1-26 in: Beachbody, Fitness]

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Some of us like to wait and see how a product or new trend works out before buying or trying. I’m not one of them. I would be classified as an early adopter. Don’t mistake this for being careless. I usually do some research because no one who has a tight budget can go out and spend freely. And at some point you gain a sense of trustworthiness towards a company and it helps to reduce the trepidation of purchasing something new. I would say Apple has gained that with most of it’s consumers. Even with their products I will read reviews, but not nearly as long as I would with other techie goodies.

Obviously I have grown to trust Beachbody products otherwise I wouldn’t be an Independent Beachbody Coach. When a new product comes out from them I usually stand in the virtual line to give it  a try. Some products have been around for awhile that I’m not aware of, but once I find them and have a “need” for them I give them a try. Recently I purchased three products from Beachbody and wanted to give my input on each.

Chin-up Max: One of my biggest weaknesses is the pull-up. I cringe when I have to do them. I have shown great improvement since I started, but I am nowhere near where I want to be as far as reps. I saw these mentioned a few months back and finally ordered them for P90X2. I cannot recommend these enough for those who struggle with pull-ups. I love the simplicity of these. They are easy to adjust when you need varying degrees of assistance. I have not had the opportunity to use them a lot yet, but now that I am in phase two of P90X2, I should be able to evaluate the impact they have on my progress. With the limited time I have used the chin-up max, I have been able to increase my assisted reps by quite a bit. Logically this should mean I will be able to eventually double my unassisted reps. At least that’s my goal!

Energy & Endurance: Another product that was just released a few weeks ago was Energy & Endurance. This is a pre-workout supplement scientifically formulated to improve your energy, endurance, strength, and focus, helping you maximize every minute of your workout. There are NO artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives.  I’m going to get a little technical because I think it’s important to understand how this product works. There are a few ingredients I would like to highlight:

  • Advanced Nitric Oxide Boosters-Enhance blood flow, helps speed more nutrients and oxygen to your muscles for better performance.
  • Natural Energizers-Help increase energy production and focus to maximize your workout.
  • Amino Acids-Help promote muscular energy and overall workout performance.
  • Electrolytes-Help fight dehydration to support optimal muscle function.
  • Essential B Vitamins-Promote strong metabolism to provide energy so you can burn fat.
  • Natural Sweetener (Stevia)-A natural zero-calorie sweetener.

I have been using this for about two weeks and I can say emphatically that it makes a big difference in the way I workout. I notice I have more energy throughout the entire workout and I honestly feel like I could do another when I am done. Having said that, there is one important thing to note. It does have caffeine so you want to avoid taking this too close to bedtime or if you have sensitivity to caffeine or stimulants. I have a difficult time because I usually workout later in the evening. I have only noticed it being an issue once, but I also take half the recommended serving size for P90X2. I highly recommend E & E if you are fatigued or lack energy during exercise. This is a keeper for me!

P90X2: I’m always up for a new fitness challenge so when P90X2 was available to pre-order I was all over that. I’m now in week 5, phase 2 of P90X2 and I’m enjoying it. The first phase was very challenging because it targeted areas like no other program I’ve done.  I realized quickly that I didn’t have as strong of a core or the balance I thought I had. The first few weeks created a love/hate relationship with my stability ball. With every workout I’m feeling more comfortable with it. Now I can look at my stability ball and not feel the urge to stick a fork in it. I’m sure in these next two phases it will get under my skin again, but it can’t be as bad as the first.

I want to point out some of the positives with P90X2. Tony Horton and gang do a much better job focusing on modifications, especially for those who are traveling and/or don’t have all of the equipment. I used the techniques when I traveled and had no problems at all. The modifications can also be used by someone who is not quite ready to use the medicine or stability balls. The stretching is so much better in this program thanks to the most important piece of equipment I now own, the foam roller. I could foam roll all day if I had the chance! (Don’t tell my husband). One other positive to this program is the flexibility in the schedule. The phases can run from 3-6 weeks, depending on how you feel about your progress and it is five days a week instead of six. Admittedly, I don’t like taking that extra day off, but it can come in handy when my schedule gets tight. I’ve never been a fan of Yoga, but Tony has reduced the amount of time and picked up the pace a bit. It is a big improvement over P90X Yoga.

On the negative, if you are looking for a big cardio workout, this isn’t it. It is very similar to P90X when it comes to cardio. Plyocide is a great cardio workout, but it’s not enough for me once a week. I have even added an Insanity workout on a few of the rest days. I will have more to add down the road after I complete P90X2. So far so good! Once again, Beachbody didn’t disappoint me with these three!

 

Just Give Me A Pill

[Gina Backes at 2012-1-20 in: Fitness, Nutrition]

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That’s right. I’m going to chime in about the whole Paula Deen situation. I’ve had some time to think about what went down and it occurs to me there are just layers upon layers of issues with the entire story. Let’s start with the obvious and most talked about problem; show me the money. If you don’t think Paula Deen’s ultimate desire is money then you have a perspective I would love to hear. She chose to keep her Type 2 Diabetes a secret from her employer and her fans. I’m generally not one who thinks everyone should know your personal business even when you are in the spotlight, but Deen has been promoting unhealthy eating for years. It’s no secret that poor eating habits causing weight gain increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes drastically. To make matters wor$e, $he is now a pitch per$on for the drug company Novo Nordi$k, who produce$ the drug Victoza. You gue$$ed it. This drug is used to help treat Type 2 Diabetes.

I suddenly had an image flash before me…The Marlboro man. You know the one.   He was the image in some of the print advertising for the cigarette company in the 1970s. He succumbed to lung cancer (there were actually two!) in his early 50s. I realize it’s a different situation and I’m willing to defend The Marlboro man since it probably wasn’t common PUBLIC  knowledge at the time that cigarettes cause cancer. I have no doubt that Deen was fully aware of the consequences and risks of eating high fat foods.

I think there are much deeper issues here than just Paula Deen. Most can be appalled by her decisions, but is her attitude towards health really that much different than a large percentage of Americans?  Why do so many people ignore what they are doing to their bodies? Is it our short term thinking?  Have we become so reliant on some medical intervention to make it all better? Is it that we don’t want to “work” for our health? Is it the marketing ploys that give an inaccurate picture of what is healthy? We just seem to want a magic wand. We want a pill!

We wonder why our healthcare costs are drastically rising in this country. We have a drug company paying a seven figure check to a celebrity who encourages her fans to eat an unhealthy diet. I’m sure that has no influence on the cost of that specific drug! We have a country who won’t look seriously at preventative measures to help reduce those healthcare costs. I completely understand we have no way of preventing all diseases through proper health, but we can definitely make a huge impact by:

  • proper education.
  • creating and enforcing accurate (marketing) labeling on products.
  • encouraging the purchase of fruit and vegetables. Currently our government provides a measly 1% of subsidies towards fruits and vegetables.
  • Not allowing big food companies to dictate food policy.
  • Properly feed our youth while in school.
  • And most importantly, we have to take personal responsibility as individuals.

Are we, as a country, too far over to the dark side to go back?

Reflections and Rants

[Gina Backes at 2011-12-14 in: Beachbody, Fitness, Nutrition]

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It’s that time of year where we take a moment or two to look back on where we were and how far we’ve come. About a year ago I decided to take something I am passionate about and make it a business as an Independent Beachbody Coach. It has been a terrific ride and my passion hasn’t diminished. In fact, it has increased with the knowledge I have gained. Although my fitness journey began almost two years ago, this past year my eyes have been opened to the mind-boggling contradictions of the food industry and government. There have been some positive steps taken by the government to curb the trend of obesity. At least it would seem that way. We have the new My Plate. We have the Farm To School program, which in my day job, I am heavily involved in the creation of these local food connections. We appear to be headed in the right direction, right?

Not so fast my all trusting friend! While it appears there is change in the air, there are quite a few behind the scenes activities that contradict  Government’s concern over obesity. Don’t get me wrong. I know there are many people who strongly believe in reversing the problem caused by high fat, high sugar, and highly processed food consumption. I have witnessed this first hand with my other job.  However, I also get to see first hand how  big companies throw around their money, which obviously makes them very  influential. You start to become ultra-sensitive to these things when you read articles like Corporations Openly Rip of National Food Programs. Just a few quotes from the article:

Komisar explains one way the corporate fleecing of schools works: “The Agriculture Department pays about $1 billion a year for commodities like fresh apples and sweet potatoes, chickens and turkeys. Schools get the food free; some cook it on site, but more and more pay processors to turn these healthy ingredients into fried chicken nuggets, fruit pastries, pizza and the like. Some $445 million worth of commodities are sent for processing each year, a nearly 50 percent increase since 2006.”

Roland Zullo, a researcher at the University of Michigan, found that privately managed school cafeterias offered meals higher in sugar and fats, as well as junk food snack items like soda, cookies, and potato chips.

And last but not least:

The USDA proposed new rules this year that would set maximum calories for school meals, require more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limit trans fats.

But the corporations that profit from supplying high-fat and high-sugar JUNK steadfastly opposed the rules. Aramark, Sodexo and Chartwells, as well as food processing companies like ConAgra, wrote letters arguing, among other things, that children may not want to eat healthier food.

Because of the lobbying by big corporations you have congress blocking USDA’s proposal for healthier school lunches.

Big corporations’ influence on our diet is not only done through lobbying, it’s done through marketing. I must say they are very savvy in how they ‘listen to consumers’ and give them what they want. Let’s take high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for example. A few years ago HFCS created a lot of buzz due to the contradicting evidence that suggests HFCS is an unhealthy form of sweetener. Because of the concern for backlash, big corporations have now switched to other forms of sweetener and heavily marketed this as a positive. In reality, a diet high in any form of sweetener will lead to health problems.

How can we be more proactive in dealing with the mixed messages being sent? Read your labels! I have a few rules of thumb when looking at labels:

  • Sugar is the first thing I look for on a label. Can I find a product with less sugar? Check out your cereal and instant oatmeal and tell me those have a healthy dose of sugar.
  • Sodium is another way companies add flavor that helps their bottom line. Anything labeled low-fat instantly screams to me that there will be a greater amount of sodium and/or sugar.
  • Hydrogenated Trans Fat is a big issue when you look at fast food restaurants and many processed foods.
  • The list of ingredients can help you identify healthy choices. You don’t need to read them all. You just need to see how long that list is and what are the first few items in the list. Whole wheat=good. Enriched wheat flour=bad. If the list is almost as long as the package, it’s probably not the best for you. If sugar is listed within the first 4 items? Same conclusion!
  • Lastly, like everything in life, moderation is the key. Check out the serving size and take time to imagine visually what it will look like in your hand or on a plate. Be realistic in how much you will actually eat!

Knowledge is powerful only when you use it. Don’t let the front of the package dictate what you eat. Don’t let big companies determine how you fuel your family’s body. Keeping your head in the sand isn’t an acceptable defense either. Put some effort into learning about a very important factor in your health, eating. There are plenty of resources available thanks to Al Gore and the creation of the internet.

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A Day With ShaunT

[Gina Backes at 2011-11-21 in: Beachbody, Fitness, Insanity, Nutrition]

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I had been waiting for this day for almost four months. I was invited through Facebook to an event at the Peoria Civic Center to workout with ShaunT from Insanity and Asylum back in early August and without hesitation, clicked on Attend! A few days prior to the date I thought I should take a look at the agenda to prepare myself. Lo and behold there were two one hour workouts scheduled. What? Two? I thought, “Okay, I can handle that. I cannot imagine ShaunT would make us work extremely hard in both, right?” Those of you who have attended his live workouts know the answer to that already. If this picture doesn’t tell you all you need to know, then I don’t know what to tell you. I wish I would have had my HRM because I’m sure I burned over 1400 calories.

I was fortunate to bring three changes of clothing to the event because I needed them all. I saved a lot of people from dealing with my sweaty body in between workouts. Most of his workout was from his Asylum DVD. It will now be my next workout after I complete P90X2. There were some great moves and those that have done Asylum said it was even better than Insanity. How can that be? I love Insanity. In between the two workouts we had lunch, listened to the magnificent MJ Durkin, and ShuanT held a sessiontaking questions about nutrition. Here are the main points:

  1. Everyone is a little different. What works for you may not work for others. It’s a matter of tweaking your intake that gives you maximum energy and satisfies your hunger throughout the day. Those tweaks need to be healthy ones, by the way.
  2. This brings me to the next point. Don’t deprive yourself of  the one thing you love but isn’t good for you. It’s okay to have in moderation. If you completely eliminate it, you are likely going to relapse at some point big time!
  3. ShaunT recommends loading up on breakfast with your carbs and tapering off during the rest of the day. I think many of us don’t allow enough calories for our morning meal.
  4. If you want to build muscle, you must increase your protein.
  5. Finally, the most noticeable issue with those of us who workout hard is…drum roll….Not enough calories. This is usually the number one cause of hitting a plateau or constantly being hungry all day. Take the time to calculate your calories on a consistent basis and log your intake. You want to make sure you are meeting those needs. Remember, you NEVER want to be below 500 calories of your calculation. Your body will hoard the ones you intake and decrease your metabolism.
 I enjoyed the second workout ShuanT put together because it involved group work. Sometimes you need variety to break up the intensity. The torture was at the end when ShaunT put us through 5 minutes of abdominal hell. If you ever have the opportunity to go to a Beachbody event, I strongly recommend it. I haven’t worked out with Chalene Johnson or Tony Horton, but I am sure it would be just as exciting.

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