MEDICINE BALL CORE ROUTINE

5 Medicine Ball Exercises - Click on the YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXwjDG35nOE

Start with a smaller ball until the goal reps are meet, then increase the KG of the medicine ball.

1. ALTERNATING BALL TO FOOT

• GOAL - 36 REPS

2. CRUNCH HOLD WITH DUAL LEG DROP

• GOAL - 20 REPS

3. ALTERNATING OBLIQUE TWIST

• GOAL - 25 EACH WAY

4. HYPEREXTENSION WITH BALL BEHIND HEAD

• GOAL - 20 REPS

5. FULL SIT-UP WITH TALL SPINE & CURL DOWN

• GOAL 20 REPS

Dude, Where's My Egg?

Common sense tells you that when buying eggs always open the box to see if any of the eggs are cracked or broken. Many times this is the case. Obviously you don't buy those eggs because you risk the chance of a food borne illness. Those aren't cool. But have you ever opened the box to find that an egg is missing?

I want to know - who takes just one egg? Why not two or three? Plus, I would think that who ever took this egg, can't get a full stomach off just one egg, unless they needed it for a recipe. Still don't think that one egg will do. Plus, these eggs where the "high-class" Egg Lands best eggs. So these eggs probably get more on the black market than regular eggs because they are more nutritious. In my opinion they taste better.

My other theory is this - Did the grocery store think that most people don't check to see if all the eggs are there? In that case, that's unethical. You are being cheated. They took your egg and charged you for it!!! Man, that's messed up. 11 eggs does not equal a dozen. At least not where I am from. Plus, if you didn't know that egg was missing, and I bet someone purchased that box of eggs, there is nothing more annoying than coming home from the grocery store, unloading your food, and realizing that something is broken, damaged, or missing. Are you really going to go back to the store just for one item?

My other, other theory is this - The egg land best packagers, cheated the grocery store. They new one egg was missing, and figured, the stockers do not check eggs. They just check to see if the shelf is full. So, by the company cheating the grocery store, you in turn, think the grocery store cheated you, and now you are not happy because when it comes down to eating your omelet, and you normally use two or three, now you are stuck with just one egg for the omelet. And that just isn't cool either.

Nutrition Note: Adding vegetables to your eggs is an EASY way to get more nutrients and vegetables into your belly. If you think that chopping up vegetables takes to long and you are rushed to get out the door, then try chopping a bunch of veggies on a Sunday night. I'm talking like a cup full at least. Put them in a Tupperware container, and grab a handful in the morning to cut down prep time. Use olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil (or an oil of your choice high in mono and poly fats), to saute the veggies. Onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach are all easy veggies to put in. I've even used broccoli at times. Put your eggs in, and in a few minutes your belly will be filled with veggies, protein, omega's, heart healthy fats, and antioxidant vitamins like E. If you want some extra calcium and D, then add some cheese to your eggs as well.

Popeye had spinach. Athletes have beetroot juice.

Spinach made the famous cartoon character Popeye stronger. I eat spinach all the time, but I can't say that I am able to lift more weight. However, if you are looking for a stamina boost, increasing the amount of time to reach fatigue, and potentially finishing your race faster than you ever have before, then drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice could be the "Popeye boost" you have been searching for.

Here is a brief synopsis of a recent study and the truly amazing results found in August's edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology:

• 8 active, male participants (average age of 27) drank .5L (500 mL) of organic beetroot juice everyday for 6 days.
• Participants were then asked to cycle at various moderate-exercise intensities as well as a severe-intensity test to test the participants time to fatigue.
• Subjects also completed these tests again, but drank blackcurrant juice instead, which is low in nitrate concentration.
• Researchers were testing the effects of dietary nitrate ingestion and its effects on exercise tolerance and oxygen cost of exercise.
• Beetroot Juice increased plasma NO2 levels by 96%
• Systolic Blood Pressure decreased on average by 6 mmHg.
• Significantly reduced the cost of oxygen use by nearly 20% at moderate exercise intensities.
• Increased the time to fatigue (or failure) by 16% at a high intensity bout enabling the participants to exercise more than a 90 seconds longer.

Why is this important? Beetroot juice's potential athletic advantage can not be achieved through exercise. How exactly beetroot juice is able to do this remains unclear, but the results of this study are remarkable. Exercise may actually feel easier, less tiring, and potentially enhance performance (decreasing times) without putting in more training hours. Any naturally obtained advantage is a good advantage.

If you do decide to drink beetroot juice, please be aware that subjects did experience beeturia - red urine and red stools.

The Bone Breaking Relationship - Article Comments, Opinions, Questions from Sept/Oct edition from Sports Kids Play

To view this article please go to www.sportskidsplay.com & click on the Sept/Oct 09' Edition.

Fueling for Friday Night Lights: Nutrition Recommendations for High School Football Two-A-Days

"You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts...and then you will run a mile." - Coach Boone (Remember the Titans)

If you’re a high school football player, just the thought of the upcoming season should make you want to watch Friday Night Lights or Remember the Titans. I don’t even play anymore and I am getting fired up. Even the equipment guy is getting fired up. There is something special about putting on your pads, strapping up your helmet, the silent bus ride to the stadium, coach’s pregame- talk, your school’s fight song, and the opening kickoff adrenaline rush.

But there is another feeling that you may be experiencing – two-a-days in 90-degree weather. Two-a-days metabolically, physically, and mentally challenges athletes. Coaches expect you to meet every demand they give you. Think about what your body really goes through. Every year high school football players experience dehydration, vomiting, heat illnesses, cramping, muscle pulls and tears, broken bones, dislocations, bruises, lacerations, concussions, and in rare unfortunate cases, death. Some occurrences can be prevented by proper hydration and performance nutrition.

Every athlete has individual nutrition needs. Every position demands different fuel levels. For instance, lineman typically run less than 10 yards per play, while receivers and backs may run 10 to 25 yards per play. However, line positions require more physical play. During a preseason-practice, players typically lose 7-to-11 lbs of body weight. This is not fat weight, but water weight. A recent study published in the Journal of Athletic Training (2008), found that during two-a-day practices, NFL lineman had higher sweat rates, lost greater volumes of sweat, and drank more fluids compared to backs. A two-a-day practice study of collegiate players published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (2005), indicated that players were unable to adequately replace fluid losses between practices, started a majority of practices dehydrated, and were estimated to lose on average 9 liters of sweat per day. That’s over 300 ounces or 38 cups of fluid!!! One player lost 14 liters.

The Institute of Medicine recommends male teenagers should consume 3000 to 6000 calories per day. Male maturing athletes may need to consume more calories to meet the physical demands of sport practice and training. The estimated daily caloric need for football players is about 4000 to 5300 calories per day. During two-a-days caloric demand may surpass 10000 calories per day according to a NFL nutrition consultant. The increase in calorie needs becomes a potential problem for athletes. Poor performance nutrition in this case can lead to continued weight loss, muscle loss, fatigue, lack luster practices, and injury. Meaning potentially, you are not going to be ready to play or another player may take your position. What can you do to remain on the field and out of the training room?

Simple Recommendations:

· Weigh yourself in the morning after excreting with minimal clothing,

· Weigh yourself before and after each practice,

· Aim for pale yellow (lemonade-like) colored urine,

· Replace all lost fluid (Pre practice weight – post practice weight) with water and sports drinks,

· Eat breakfast. Skipping is not an option. Complex carbohydrates, protein, and fruit should be your focus,

· Hydrate at every meal with water and sports drinks,

· Avoid foods high in fat (at least before all practices),

· Avoid foods with empty calories such as donuts or pop tarts,

· Drink a minimum of 1 cup (8 oz) of cold water every 15 minutes during practice,

· Do not rely on your thirst mechanism to decide when to drink,

· Eat meals should be easy to digest and contain nutrient dense food,

· Continue to hydrate using water and sports drinks,

· Consume foods higher in sodium (salt may be added to foods),

· Get at least 8 hours of sleep.

“Perfection is being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down.” - Coach Gaines (Friday Night Lights). By not hydrating and eating properly, you are not doing everything. Eat to perform. Eat to defeat. Never go empty.

For more information about Fuel Factor’s services please visit www.nevergoempty.com.

Jump Start Your New Year's Resolution

Everybody has one.  Mine? Do more yoga or at least improve my range of motion (ROM) in areas where I am tight.  What's yours? Lose weight?  Exercise more?  Eat more fruits and vegetables?  Stop smoking? Spend more time with friends and family?  Make more money?  

The New Year is exciting for many because it allows for a "fresh start."  It gives us an opportunity to leave all that happened in the past year and look forward to the New Year.  If your resolution is to improve your health and wellness, then you are not alone.  The Washington Post reported in 2007 that gym memberships increase by nearly 40% in January.  Gyms are straight packed in early January.  The wait to use a treadmill or elliptical is longer than an urgent care during flu season.  You got to love these new "gymers."  And you can totally tell who they are.  They stair at the treadmill trying to figure out how it works; they are rocking new outfits, fresh kicks, and sometimes headbands; or they are asking you what the heck to do.  The Post reported that only about 40 percent of the originally surge remains active.  This is good news for "regulars" because now there are no more waits to use your favorite pieces of equipment.  

Next, are the "dieters."  You may hear your co-worker say, "Nope, can't eat that.  I am on a diet." or "Sorry man, I am trying to cut back.  I'm on a diet."  Foods that were eaten with frequency now become forbidden, and what makes it worse is "dieters" make you feel guilty or give your grief if you are eating one of their forbidden foods. "Dude, c'mon, I can't believe you are eating that!! Do you know how much fat is in that thing?"  Guess what, "dieters" fail worse than "gymers."  

So why do "gymers" and "dieters" fail?  Well, there are a number of reasons why people fail to reach their diet and exercise New Year's Resolutions.  Here's my list:

1) A lack luster plan - If you haven't been to the gym before or it has been awhile, then what the heck are you going to do?  Without a plan, working out can be frustrating, boring, and at the end of it all, you give up because you feel it was too difficult or you feel no one would help you!!  I am telling you, you need a plan of attack.  How, When, Where, and Why.

2) Lack of Short Term Goals - Often, people have this HUGE weight loss goal or to exercise 6 days a week, but in reality, what helps reach that ultimate goal is creating small, reachable short term goals and setting up checklists on how you are going to reach these goals.  Be realistic with yourself.

3) Track or log what you do - If you go to the gym or go on a diet, how can you improve or see what has resulted in your weight loss.  Bring a pencil, a pen, and a notebook and write down what you do.  Are you really going to remember how many sit-ups you did a month ago?  If you only did 2 you will, but seriously, think about it.    Now, the hardest thing in my mind is tracking calories, but Fuel Factor has a simple, effective, easy-to-use method for doing this.  Keep reading and you will find out how.

4) Lack of support - Unless you are very self-motivated, then it will be difficult for you to achieve your goals.  Find a co-worker or friend who has the same goals as you do and become each others support group.  You are more likely to succeed if you have someone pushing you or motivating you from the outside.  Express to those closest to you that you have these goals.  Ask them for their help.  Most of the time, they will be willing to help you. 

5) Excuses - plain and simple, if something is important to you, you will find time to do it.  Many people know they have to do something, but they never do it.  You have to be ready to change.  My old baseball coach used to say, "Fellas do you know what discipline is?  It's knowing what to do and doing it."  You will miss a day; you will at times not follow your diet plan.  Know that the rest of the world does not have your weight loss goals or exercise goals in mind.  People will try to pull you away from meeting your goals, especially if they see that you are actually doing it.

6) Do Not Restrict Foods - Main reason why diets do not work is because they drastically change the way you eat.   Would I take a shower in ice-cold water?  No, because how enjoyable is that?  You must learn to make lifestyle changes.

7) Have FUN - if you dread going to the gym, if you dread eating tofu, then find something you like to do or eat.  

I want people to become healthier and to feel better.  I do not want you to fail!!!  

Ok so, how can Fuel Factor help?  

1) Check out our website - www.nevergoempty.com

2) Click on Nutrition

3) View the Fueled to Perform Online Nutrition Services

4) Watch the demo's

5) Sign up for your Free Trial Until Jan 5th

6) Email customerservice@nevergoempty.com to set up your free tutoring session

7) Work with a registered dietitian and an exercise specialist

8) Learn how to make lifestyle changes, not restrictions

9) Join our support group - it's coming soon

My Coach Told Me, "The More Protein the Better."

"If you want to get bigger, eat more protein."  This is an all too common statement instructed to anyone trying to pack on lean muscle mass and gain weight.   If you think I am wrong, ask any parent, young athlete, coach, or "gym rat" the best way to put on muscle and weight, and I guarantee a majority of people will simply say, "Dude, eat more protein & cut the carbohydrates."  This message is blasted everywhere.  It's is obviously a successful marketing tool, since liquid protein drinks and whey protein are top sellers to athletes and those trying to gain more muscle.  I will not deny that I have a 3-lb tub of GNC whey protein in my cupboard, and have used whey protein since high school. But honestly, I'm not using 4 scoops of whey protein daily anymore.  My pre & post drink of choice is either 8- 16 oz of 1% Horizon Organic chocolate milk, Ensure Plus, or Full Circle Chocolate Soy Milk.  (If anyone reading this knows anything about soy based products, then they are saying, "Dude, soy milk is an incomplete protein, so you are not maximizing potential muscle protein synthesis!!"). 

Ok, let's get to the point of all of this, which is helping athletes stimulate muscle protein synthesis, or simply, packing on muscle.  Shortly, Fuel Factor will be posting a brief online education presentation on the Fuel Factor Protein.  So, most of the information presented here, will be reiterated in more detail in the presentation.  

There are two "natural" ways to stimulate muscle growth (hypertrophy): 1) Resistance Exercise/Strength Training and 2) Eating, specifically protein from solid or liquid sources.  In combination, they provide a superior muscle building response than just eating or strength training alone

Briefly, here are the key points to using protein and strength training to gain muscle. 

In a young, healthy individual (free of disease), muscle mass levels remain constant.  It remains constant because eating  (fed-state) stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS), an anabolic (growth) response, that is equal to the muscle protein degradation (MPD), a catabolic (breakdown) response, caused by the body's response to a fasted state (when you do not eat).  That is why it is important to not skip meals because if you are skipping meals your body is "losing" muscle. Perhaps this isn't the best image, but this is all I could think of at the moment - Picture a roller-coaster as it goes up and down hills.  When you eat, your body builds (the roller coaster is building up potential energy for the downhill drop).  When you go a few hours without eating, your body stops MPS, and  breaks down (MPD) muscle and other reserves or stores to provide fuel to keep your body going (the roller coaster goes down the hill fast).  As long as an person continues to eat meals on a regular basis, then the body remains in an equilibrium or a steady state.  In scientific terms this is called homeostasis.  Regarding muscle, the scientific term often used is net protein balance.  

Eating or drinking protein is the main stimulator responsible for MPS (growth).  This is why  many have adapted the "eat more protein rule."  What has yet to be determined is the exact amount of protein needed to optimize, and that's the key word, optimize MPS.  And believe it or not, nutrition scientists have discovered that 15 grams of protein stimulates MPS to optimal levels.  Meaning, if you are consuming 40 grams of protein at one time, then the other 25 grams of protein are not being used by your muscles to stimulate.  And that is the main point for athletes to recognize.  And eating high amounts of protein forces your kidney's to work overtime (harder), which may cause unwanted minor and major medical complications.  In general, the contribution of protein to the diet is recommended to be about 15%.  You will see diets for certain types of athletes have higher percent contributions of protein, but that is because they ("power") athletes, have different needs than an endurance athlete.  Plus, if you are trying to gain more weight, then you do need to eat more calories, and as a result you often eat more grams of protein.  Did that make sense?

Other main points to recognize is the type of protein you eat or drink, and when you eat or drink it, matters.  For instance, there is burning question still under debate whether or not eating protein before, eating protein after, or eating protein before and after, stimulates muscle growth.  I have read more articles that have suggested eating protein within an hour after strength training will produce the best response.  There is also recent evidence suggesting that different types of protein have different responses.  For instance, whey protein produces a faster digestion response than casein protein.  Also, it is well known that different amino acids, which make up protein, have different roles in the body.  There are essential amino acids, which you need form your diet, and there are non-essential amino acids, which the body can produce.  Essential amino acids are need to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.  What makes this more confusing, is within the essential amino acids, there are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).  Recently, the BCAA Leucine has been shown to be the initiator of MPS and the debate is whether or not supplementing or eating foods high in Leucine stimulates MPS better than anything else.  So, what is this guy trying to say?

Remember, early, you read that protein in combination with strength training, stimulates MPS (growth) more than just eating or strength training alone.  So, what many young athletes and coaches fail to recognize is the absolute necessity for protein ingestion immediately following a strength training session is needed to maximize MPS.  40 grams of protein is not needed to do this.  A glass of milk (8 oz of milk has 8 grams of protein) contains both whey, casein, and all of the essential amino acids needed to build muscle.  And a glass of milk is cheaper than a $3.69 bottle of muscle milk  (26 or 27 g of protein) and also contains carbohydrates, which may stimulate a small amount of muscle growth through an insulin-mediated response (completely different topic).   

So, what you should do immediately after every strength training workout to maximize your body's muscle building capabilities is consume an easily digestible source of protein such as 1 -2 servings of yogurt or milk,  a small scoop of whey protein with water or milk, or a premade recovery shake with about 10-20 grams of protein. 

For More information on this topic:

1) Watch the Fuel Factor Protein Presentation (coming shortly at www.nevergoempty.com)

2) Visit Gatorade Sport Science Institute @ http://www.gssiweb.com/Podcast2.aspx to listen to their experts on science of protein and exercise podcasts to learn more