How Your Body Responds To Exercise

The more you know about exercise and the different intensities, the better you can apply these principles. At US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning, we design and deliver customized workouts to take advantage of the different applications of exercise and varying intensities. 

-Nate

When you lace up your exercise shoes and head out the door for your morning walk, or push off from the wall of your favorite swimming pool, you're responding to the orders of your conscious brain to move your muscles in a more vigorous way. As soon as those movements begin, however, a number of rapid, automatic changes also occur throughout your body.

Your working muscles immediately start to burn more energy to fuel their contractions. They do this by stepping up the conversion of oxygen and nutrients into ATP (the fuel that all cells run on) inside each individual muscle cell.

During sustained, aerobic activity, like a brisk walk or steady running, your working muscles might use 15 to 25 times more energy than they do at rest, burning carbohydrates and stored fat in about a 50-50 mix. During an intense, short anaerobic effort, such as running a 100-yard dash or sprinting the length of the swimming pool, your muscles may require up to 120 times more energy than at rest!

Your heart immediately begins to beat faster in order to pump more blood to your muscles and other body tissues. During vigorous exercise, your heartbeat may rise to 150 beats per minute or more (compared with 70 or 80 heartbeats per minute at rest, for the average person).

Why this happens: As soon you start a physical activity, nerve receptors in your blood vessels, muscles and joints signal your sympathetic nervous system to release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) into your bloodstream. These quickly act to speed up your heartbeat. The brain's cortex also contributes to this speeding up, in fact, scientists have found that people's heartbeats begin to beat faster even before they start to exercise, as the brain anticipates what's about to happen.

Whereas the average heart pumps about five liters of blood per minute at rest, the amount may increase to 20 liters per minute during vigorous exercise. (The hearts of trained endurance athletes have been measured to pump as much as 40 liters in a minute!)

Your blood vessels also go through rapid changes when you start exercising. Stimulated by nerve and chemical signals, the walls of the arteries leading to your working muscles relax, causing the arteries to widen. At the same time, peripheral veins constrict, forcing more blood into your central circulation. The smaller arterioles leading to your muscle fibers also widen, and millions of dormant capillaries (which feed blood directly to the fibers) open up. (At rest, only about one in every 30 capillaries is open.)

The result of all these changes is a vastly increased flow of blood (along with the all-important oxygen and nutrients it carries) to your exercising muscles, including your heart muscle, which receives several times more blood flow than it does at rest. This blood flow is maximized when each muscle relaxes, and then stops as it contracts, creating a "milking" action that helps pump blood throughout your body as you move.

Increased blood flow to the skin during light and moderate exercise provides an enhanced cooling effect (you'll start sweating more heavily, as well). Meanwhile, blood flow is temporarily shunted away from the kidneys, liver, digestive system and other organs not directly involved in exercise.

Your lungs also begin breathing faster and more deeply, supplying your body with more oxygen. This response results from a wide array of stimuli, including a rise in blood carbon dioxide (the by-product of utilizing more oxygen), increased body temperature and messages sent from chemoreceptors in your body's periphery.

At rest, about 12 pints of air pass in and out of the average person's lungs every minute. During vigorous exercise, this rate may increase to as much as 200 pints per minute.

Your metabolic rate,which depends on how many calories you're burning, goes up anywhere from four to 20 times your resting metabolic rate, depending on how hard you exercise.

Exercise, eating, and fat loss.

It's all about balance. All US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning Programs come with our state-of-the-art nutritional planning software. NOT a diet or restrictive fad program. Sensible eating to help you energize your body for your challenging workouts, 

-Nate

Most people who exercise and decrease caloric intake can expect to see decreases in body fat. However, health and fitness professionals are becoming aware that this isn't always the case.

Research has shown that the body has an internal control mechanism that drives it to maintain a particular level of body fat. The term used to describe this phenomena is "set point."

The set point mechanism acts much like a thermostat, turning energy expenditure up or down to avoid either weight gain or weight loss. So when you restrict caloric intake, the body attempts to maintain its weight and fat by lowering the metabolic rate. Conversely, the body will lose weight gained in excess of its internally regulated point by increasing metabolism. This may explain why some people have to exercise quite a bit in order not to gain weight.

Until recently we were told that the most efficient way of manipulating the set-point was by increasing exercise, thereby programming the body to store less fat. Now we know that after a certain amount of time this is no longer true. That internal control mechanism wants to maintain the equilibrium defined by your genes. So, although you can exercise your way to a leaner body than your parents, at a certain point it becomes counter productive.

Most people who claim to be exercising more and eating less without seeing changes in body composition feel desperate. Consequently, they exercise more and eat less. In fact, the "cure" for a damaged set point is to drop back on your exercise program and increase the nutrient density of your diet. Since this flies in the face of everything you have heard it's a difficult task that can only be managed with daily support and dealing with body image issues that normally cause problems at this stage.

Stress is another well recognized cause for the inability to decrease body fat despite a physically active lifestyle and low calorie diet. Experts now acknowledge there is a relationship between stress and weight gain. They even suggest that it has to do with the fight or flight mechanism that encourages the body to store fat under stress. However, there is no significant research to explain this phenomena.

If you are exercising more and eating less and still not able to lose weight, you should seek professional help with a credited dietitian and/or nutritionist.

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Does that hurt? Exercise injuries...

-Nate Lewis US Sports Strength and Conditioning

Can you relate to this scenario? After putting it off for too long, you commit to get fit—only to find yourself injured the minute you start working out. 

All of the sudden your fitness goals go back on the shelf and you are left to deal with the pain.

Whether your injury occurs right off the bat or after years of regular workouts the result is always the same. It is discouraging, painful and downright depressing.

And since studies suggest that up to 38% of all exercisers suffer from an injury each year, it is a subject worth exploring.

Top 3 Workout Injuries
The following three ailments occur commonly among active people. Let's explore the cause of each and then detail your very own injury prevention plan—because let's face it, you simply don't have time to spend nursing and injury (and losing all that progress you had made).

1. Strain / Pulled Muscle: occurs when a tendon (connects muscle to bone) or muscle is stretched or torn. If you suffer from a strain you will feel pain and swelling in the muscle belly, or loss of function if the strain occurred in a tendon. Many strains occur as the result of an improper warm-up and insufficient stretching.

2. Sprain: occurs when a ligament (connects bone to bone) is stretched or torn. While this can happen to any ligament in your body, the most common placements of sprains are in the ankle, wrist and knee. Often this injury will happen suddenly as the ligament is stretched beyond its normal limit, usually during a fall or other acute trauma.

3. Low Back Pain: it is said that 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives—and the list of causes is as diverse as the sufferers themselves. Here are the main reasons for workout related back pain:

• Improper form: Similar to bad posture, using improper form while performing weight bearing exercises will leave your back sore and aching. The good news is that once your form is corrected this pain should subside after a healing period.
• Weak muscles: If you have a desk job then chances are your deep back muscles are inactive and unconditioned. When you start an exercise program, but fail to properly strengthen these muscles, the result is often an aching back.
• Strained muscles: Not to pick on that desk job, but another result of sitting all day is tight back muscles. When these muscles are not properly warmed up and stretched before exercise begins, muscle strains occur.

Your 5-Step Injury Prevention Plan
Injuries don't have to slow you from meeting your fitness goals. The following 5 steps will dramatically reduce your chance of injury and if you do find yourself injured, but have been following these 5 steps, your recovery will be quick and efficient.

Step 1: Stretch
What is more boring than stretching? You want to exercise, not sit around touching your toes—right? Even though it isn't exciting, stretching is the best way to increase muscle elasticity and durability. Tight muscles are big contributors to strains—remember? Take the time to stretch everyday before and after your workout to stave off injury.

Step 2: Warm Up
Preparing for your workout should not begin and end with putting on your gym clothes. Your muscles need to be coaxed into motion by way of a 10-15 minute warm up in order to prepare them for injury-free use. Cold muscles are less elastic and are therefore more prone to tears.

Step 3: Proper Gear
For most fitness enthusiasts proper gear has everything to do with their shoes. Don't be fooled—not just any shoe will do. Find shoes that offer support and traction for your exercise of choice, and make sure that they aren't too tight or too loose. If you are prone to ankle injuries then try a pair of high-tops for extra support.

Step 4: Lifestyle
Stop for a moment and think about your car—if you don't maintain it with regular tune ups, oil changes and quality fuel then you can't expect it to perform well on the road. The same applies to your body. Getting healthy amounts of sleep, eating well balanced meals and staying hydrated will all contribute to your performance during exercise. The healthier your lifestyle is the less likely you are to suffer an injury.

Step 5: Condition
This may seem like the most obvious step to injury prevention, but unfortunately it is the most overlooked. People who keep their bodies in top condition by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are the least likely to injure themselves. When exercise programs are started and stopped sporadically your muscles are most likely to become injured.

Of course being conditioned also has another great benefit that everyone enjoys - you get to look and feel great! And who doesn't what that, right?

The ultimate injury prevention plan is to work with me, your qualified fitness expert! Together we will explore proper technique and will craft a plan for your unique fitness goals.

Wouldn't you love to see awesome results before this summer comes to an end? Simply reply to this email, call me today, or click here, to get started. It's time to take action and get the results that you deserve!

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Your Ticket to Get Fit!

Come give my fitness program a try. I have the whole fat loss equation down to a science, and I'd love nothing more than to help you achieve your fitness goal.

My workouts have been known to burn up to 500 calories at a time, so what are you waiting for?

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Spinach & Egg White Wrap

This wrap is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's ready in a flash, tastes amazing, and is filled with lean protein, veggies and whole sprouted grains. Try it today, but don't be surprised if you get hooked! Servings: 2 

Here's what you need:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato, finely chopped
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup egg whites
• dash of salt and pepper
• 2 sprouted grain tortillas
• 2 Tablespoons pesto (purchase it pre-made, or combine 1/2 cup walnuts, 2 cups basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste.)

1. Spread a tablespoon of pesto over each tortilla and set aside.
2. In medium sized skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomato and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is soft and wilted. Remove the veggies from skillet, set aside in a bowl.
3. Pour the egg whites into the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the egg is no longer runny.
4. Arrange half of the egg whites in a line down the center of each tortilla. Top with half of the veggies and then fold the ends up and wrap like a burrito.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 288 calories, 10g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 21g protein.

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Exercise guards against physical effects of stress

I teach many of my clients to use their emotions during exercise to get the most out of it. This is one of the best ways to reduce and ultimately eliminate stress. 
-Nate

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Long known to help stave off heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer, regular exercise can also help protect against the physical effects of daily stress, according to a report in the November issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

In the study of 135 college students, those who exercised on a regular basis were more likely to take life's daily stresses in stride, compared with their less physically active counterparts.

Previous studies have shown that mental stress takes a toll on physical health, causing such problems as increases in blood sugar levels among diabetics, worsening of joint pain in people with arthritis, and symptoms of psychological distress such as anxiety and depression.

Study participants filled out questionnaires assessing the daily hassles they encountered during the past week -- such as car trouble, running late for appointments, or arguments with co-workers -- as well as questionnaires on major life events, mood, physical activity, and overall health.

"Minor, everyday stress contributes to the development and exacerbation of physical and mental health problems, However, people experiencing minor stress develop different degrees of symptoms, depending on their level of physical activity," explained lead researcher Dr. Cindy L. Carmack of the University of Texas M.D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, in a written press release.

During periods of high stress, those who reported exercising less frequently had 37% more physical symptoms than their counterparts who exercised more often. In addition, highly stressed students who engage in less exercise report 21% more anxiety than students who exercise more frequently, the investigators add.

Exercise helps people get their mind off of stressors -- "providing a time-out period." This "allows for a temporary escape from the pressure of stressors and thus acts as a kind of 'rejuvenation' process," Carmack and colleagues conclude.

Source: Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Personal Trainers: Train More Clients, Make More, Have More Freedom
VIDEO Reveals SECRETS to Transform Your Body Faster

If your looking to put in 110% then this is the place to go!! you push until you meet your limit and that bar is only set higher and higher for you! me personally had a great time workout out with nate great man and a amazing trainer!! he gave me all the tips i need to get better at football and covered eating right, stretching and obviously strength and conditioning. Nate is a great trainer if your looking to get stronger faster and simply put, fit he take his workouts serious and if you do too and wanna get better at any sport Nate can help so much he honestly did for me!!!

Richard P.

Serious? Click Here To Train with Nate and Our Team of top notch coaches and Pro Athletes Today!

Does Blood Type Affect Diet Choices?

Interesting short article on a topic that has been debated for almost two decades now.

Does Blood Type Affect Diet Choices?

The Medical Tribune

Q: Does a person's blood type indicate the type of diet he or she should follow?

A: No. You may have heard of a diet based on the idea that blood type indicates whether your genetic ancestors were hunters, farmers or nomads. This in turn tells you whether you should eat meat, chicken, dairy foods, etc. Supposedly, eating appropriately for your blood type helps control weight while preventing cancer and other health problems. Although reports of such a diet may include vague references to someone's "research," no research supporting such claims has appeared in a scientific journal where it could be reviewed by experts.

Any weight loss that results from such a diet is probably due to the menus prescribed by the diet. These menus often contain calorie levels that are quite low, and many foods are restricted. Most experts agree that long-term weight control is best achieved by unrestricted access to a variety of foods, with emphasis on portion control, nutritional balance and regular exercise.

As for cancer prevention, a landmark report from the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans is the best approach.

Copyright Medical PressCorps News Service. All rights reserved.

Personal Trainers: Train More Clients, Make More, Have More Freedom
VIDEO Reveals SECRETS to Transform Your Body Faster

Exercise- It's Never Too Late: The Strong-For-Life Program

                           

By I.S.S.A.

OBJECTIVES: This investigation determined whether an in-home resistance training program achieved health benefits in older adults with disabilities.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial compared the effects of assigning 215 older persons to either a home-based resistance exercise training group or a waiting list control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 3 and 6 months following randomization. The program consisted of videotaped exercise routines performed with elastic bands of varying thickness.

RESULTS: High rates of exercise adherence were achieved, with 89% of the recommended exercise sessions performed over 6 months. Relative to controls, subjects who participated in the program achieved statistically significant lower extremity strength improvements of 6% to 12%, a 20% improvement in tandem gait, and a 15% to 18% reduction in physical and overall disability at the 6-month follow-up. No adverse health effects were encountered.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide important evidence that home-based resistance exercise programs designed for older persons with disabilities hold promise as an effective public health strategy.

At US Sports Strength and Conditioning we have an excellent menu of home-based workouts to help you get leaner and stronger year round:

Home Based Workouts

The Home Workout Programs are great for those who wish to train in the privacy of their own home with little or no required equipment! There are 2 categories of workouts - "Dumbbell Oriented" and "No Equipment". All of these workouts can be done at home, and they are designed for overall health and the achievement of a leaner, stronger body.

Select a Program

Dumbbell Oriented Workouts The Dumbbell Oriented Programs are great for those who wish to train at home with minimal equipment! ...

No Equipment Workouts The No Equipment Home Workout Programs are great for those who wish to train at home with no requi...

Today's feature exercise: Close Grip Incline Bench Press (30 degree)

Here is another great move for the triceps. You will get some shoulders and chest in this move as well when done correctly.

Close Grip Incline Bench Press (30 degree)	View Video
Exercise Description:
Use a 30 degree incline bench for this exercise. Sit on the incline bench and lie back. Place your feet flat on the floor and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Extend your arms upward and grasp the barbell with both hands. Your hands should be 8-12 inches apart. Lift the barbell off of the stands, and hold the bar (with your arms extended) directly over the upper part of your chest. In a controlled fashion, lower the barbell down toward your chest by bending your arms and lowering your elbows down and out to the sides. Breath in during this phase of the exercise. Lower the barbell until it touches the upper part of your chest. Now, press the barbell up toward the ceiling, extending your arms until they have returned to the starting position. Breath out during this phase of the exercise. *Don't forcefully lock your elbows out during this exercise.

Personal Trainers: Train More Clients, Make More, Have More Freedom

Today's feature exercise: Push Jerk Rear

I have found this exercise great for increasing power and speed for throwing sports.

To begin this exercise you will need to position a bar across the back of your shoulders, in the same manner as a Squat. To do so, lift a bar from a squat rack. Now you are ready to Push Jerk Rear. Begin the movement by slightly flexing your knees and hips, your hips should move back slightly as you do so. Quickly and explosively extend your knees and hips thrusting the bar upward off of your shoulders. Once the bar comes off of your shoulders immediately bend your knees and flex your hips as you push up on the bar. The bar is moving up as your torso is moving down, allowing your arms to come to full extension. At this point you will be holding the bar overhead arms extended but knees and hips flexed. Extend your knees and hips to stand erect. This entire sequence is one fast continuous motion. To lower the bar either drop it to the floor or flex the elbows, knees, and hips. Lower the bar somewhat quickly but under control to the back of your shoulders. Return to the beginning position and absorbing the impact with your flexed knees and hips. This is another great Olympic movement for power development.

View a video of this exercise This exercise is incorporated into many of the Strength and Conditioning Programs of US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning Nathan Lewis CSCSUS Sports Online Strength and Conditioning If it's time to get serious about your fitness program, you need a structured program tailored to your goals and abilities. Using the world's most powerful online training tool, I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness program fully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and time constraints. Features include:  Fully customized exercises, sets, reps and weights. Videos demonstrating proper technique for every exercise. Routines utilizing equipment available to you — home or gym! Personal contact with me anytime via built-in email system. Integrated feedback loop for precise program monitoring. For more information about my background fee structure and how to get started, go to US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning Personal Trainers: Train More Clients, Make More, Have More Freedom

Today's feature exercise Med Ball Chest Pass (standing) SR

Ply - Med Ball Chest Pass (standing) SR	View Video
Exercise Description:
For this exercise you will need a partner and a medicine ball of a weight you can handle. Stand facing your partner with a slight bend in your knees and hips. Hold your arms up in front of your chest. Your partner will pass the medicine ball to you. Catch the ball and forcefully push it back to your partner.

Nathan Lewis CSCS www.fitnessgenerator.com/ussportsradio

If it's time to get serious about your fitness program, you need a structured program tailored to your goals and abilities. Using the world's most powerful online training tool, I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness program fully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and time constraints. Features include:

Fully customized exercises, sets, reps and weights. Videos demonstrating proper technique for every exercise. Routines utilizing equipment available to you — home or gym! Personal contact with me anytime via built-in email system. Integrated feedback loop for precise program monitoring.

For more information about my background fee structure and how to get started, go to www.fitnessgenerator.com/ussportsradio

Does Blood Type Affect Diet Choices?

The Medical Tribune

Q: Does a person's blood type indicate the type of diet he or she should follow?

A: No. You may have heard of a diet based on the idea that blood type indicates whether your genetic ancestors were hunters, farmers or nomads. This in turn tells you whether you should eat meat, chicken, dairy foods, etc. Supposedly, eating appropriately for your blood type helps control weight while preventing cancer and other health problems. Although reports of such a diet may include vague references to someone's "research," no research supporting such claims has appeared in a scientific journal where it could be reviewed by experts.

Any weight loss that results from such a diet is probably due to the menus prescribed by the diet. These menus often contain calorie levels that are quite low, and many foods are restricted. Most experts agree that long-term weight control is best achieved by unrestricted access to a variety of foods, with emphasis on portion control, nutritional balance and regular exercise.

As for cancer prevention, a landmark report from the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans is the best approach.

Get your very own customized nutrition, workout, and lifestyle plan for your blood type with the US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning System Powered by WorkoutEngine.