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Proper Nutrition during Heat at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Running, Biking, Exercising in the Heat

It is getting hot in Charlotte. 85-91° F in mid-May. It is absolutely amazing. As usual people, complain about the weather, like we always do. It is too hot, too cold, too humid, too dry, it rains, it storms. Despite of all the complaining we usually still go out and about and work out….well at least nuts like me.

Since I have claimed nuthood (opposed to knighthood), I also have firsthand experience with the drawbacks that come with that. As much as I like to say that weather is just weather, there are certain rules that should be observed to accomplish the following things:

  1. Staying safe should always be number one
  2. Having fun should always be number two, let’s be honest most of us don’t get paid for working out and even if we did, heck who does not like to have fun?

The rules you need to pay attention to in the heat

  1. Work out early mornings or late at night. If the sun is directly blazing on your head and the asphalt is reflecting it back on you…not a good thing
  2. If you absolutely have to work out outside in the middle of the day:
    1. Wear head protection, preferably with cooling effects (check running stores)
    2. Keep the workouts at lower intensities
    3. Keep the workouts shorter < 30 min
    4. Make sure to hydrate appropriately (not wine 🙂  )
  3. If the asphalt or concrete is too hot for you to be on it barefoot it is too hot for your dog to be on it. Pay attention to that. You don’t want to get your best friend hurt. .
  4. Use sunscreen. I know you like the tan but do you really like the skin cancer 20 years later just as much?
  5. Hydrate and you may have to add some electrolytes to your drink when exercising in the heat due to heavy sweating. A carbohydrate / electrolyte mix seems to help with recovery after your workout.
  6. Wear appropriate clothing: dress as if it was about 20 degrees warmer than the thermostat reading.
  7. Wear sunglasses if you are running while the sun is glaring to protect your eyes.
  8. Listen to your body. At the first sign of not feeling so good just quit your workout. A single workout is not worth it. Symptoms are:
    1. Headache
    2. Nausea
    3. Fatigue
    4. Excessive Thirst
    5. Cramps and muscle pain
    6. Drenching sweat then clammy cold feeling skin

I have had the questionable pleasure to make plenty of mistakes while working out in the heat. It usually throws you back much further than an early end to a workout would.

Be safe when working out!

Have a great day,

Michael

 

Learn How to run at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Death of Minimalist Shoes & Barefoot Running?

Are the minimalist shoes really dead? A couple of years ago the craze started to become more and more mainstream with the Vibram Fivefingers. More and more people were wearing those funky little shoes with their 5 toes. Other brands like Merrell, Adidas, Nike, etc. all brought out versions of minimalist running shoes.

Then around 2013-2014 the Vibram Fivefingers started to vanish first out of running stores and later on out of Outdoor stores like REI, etc. Some retained a small contingent but overall if you want to get them you need to order online.

So what happened? Why did the shoe suddenly disappear. I did not conduct a study although it would have been certainly interesting. But talking to the shoe stores, runners, and fitness enthusiasts a pattern emerged. People got hurt and they had expected the opposite. They had expected to have less problems and not more. They had expected to be faster not sidelined.  Considering what I have seen happening when out running it is understandable that people got hurt.

Reasons for minimalist shoes leaving the mainstream

For many years prior to the minimalist shoe craze our shoes had become more rigid, boat like, cushioned etc. Despite all that no shoe company could ever prove that any one pair of their shoe models reduced injury.

The Magic Shoe

People buying the new minimalist shoes, with no cushioning, etc. thought their shoe would fix their problems. Their problems were not necessarily their shoe but rather their running gait. Shoes don’t fix anything. They might make things, easier, more difficult or in some cases impossible, but they don’t fix anything. If someone has been running for years, switching shoes is not going to make the person a better runner.

Who Needs To Do Less? Not Me!

If you know a runner then you might be familiar with the almost obsessive behavior we can portray. We are sometimes like a dog in the morning in front of the door, tongue out, whining that we need to go out (in this case to run, not to pee). Now give this runner a new different running shoe, the idea that he or she needs to change her/his gait. Does it ever occur to that person to reduce mileage? Maybe, but the little inner obsessive compulsive runner often does not allow it and boom: perfect storm. High mileage, new shows, different running technique lead to injuries.

After that experience people often go back to their old pair of shoes, blaming the new ones instead of learning how to transition slowly and making a gradual change.

Conclusion

Minimalist shoes still exist, they are just simply a fringe element again. They have found their way into weightlifting for the better feel of the floor, they are still used by runners albeit a smaller number. The running shoe industry has come up with shoes that have more cushion but are supposed to give the same barefoot feel.

The minimalist shoe is here to stay. Not everyone should run in them, but many could use them to strengthen their feet. I have run for 4.5 years in minimalist shoes and if you wonder if I just do 5ks, then the answer is no, I have done everything up to a 50 Miler on mountain trails. No injury.

The key in anything is…when in doubt go slowly: Transition. 1 mile in a minimalist shoe is like 3-4 miles in your regular shoe. If you have to change gait as well, then you might want to start out with walking in them, maybe run a 100 yards and call it a day.

If you need help with your running, check us out at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Have an inspiring day,

Michael

Get ready for the summer w/ Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Beginner’s Summer Fitness Challenge 2015

Summer is approaching quickly and with it the sought after goal to look great in a bathing suit or bikini. Maybe you just want to be healthier than you are now. This Summer’s Fitness Challenge is designed to gradually increase your workout regimen and improve on your eating habits. It is a gradual approach and not a quick fix. By the end of summer you should see huge improvements in your overall fitness levels.

Beginner to Fitness

Each week we will add a a little bit to your routine. Keep doing what you have been doing and substitute or replace as required by the weekly suggestion. The video demonstrates all the exercises of this Summer Fitness Challenge:

Week 1

  • Every day: Walk 10 min a day at a brisk pace
  • Every day: Include veggies with lunch & dinner
  • Every two days: 2×10 bodyweight squats, 2×10 (modified) push ups, 2×15 band rows (attach to stair rail, etc. )

Week 2 

  • Increase your daily walk to 15 min a day
  • Start including proteins into your three major meals: pork, fish, beef, poultry, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc.
  • Add 2×20 jumping jacks (or modified jumping jacks) +2x30s plank on knees or balls of feet

Week 3

  • Download a HIIT timer (high intensity intervals) to your phone. Set it to 30s on and 60s rest. Increase your speed for the 30s and walk as before during the rest phase. Stay with 15 min total. Do this every 2nd day while walking your regular 15 min every other day.
  • Decrease one of your vices (soda, diet soda, alcoholic beverages) by adding 16-20 oz of water in between drinks
  • Increase all of your sets by one (doing 3 instead of 2) for two of your strength training routines during the week

Week 4

  • Increase your pace during the intervals. If you cannot do that because of joint issues, take some hand weights with your or use nordic walking sticks.
  • Eat only until you are 80% full. Good gauge: after 1 hour of eating = not hungry, after 2 hours of eating = could eat some, after 3 hours of eating = hungry, after 4 hours of eating = starving.
  • Add 3x30s of dead bug (ab exercise) to your strength regimen

Week 5 

  • Increase your walking duration on non interval days by 5 min
  • If you sleep less than 6.5 hours, schedule a nap or go to bed 15-30 min earlier
  • Add one more set to all of your strength exercises.

This is a 5 week program. within 5 weeks you will make huge changes in your lifestyle without thinking that it is not accomplishable. You will notice an increased energy level, decreased body fat and you will definitely be overall fitter.

If you prefer a customized fitness transformation please contact us at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Have a fit & healthy day,

Michael

Fitness Success with the personal trainers at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Why Behavior Goals Are Better Than….To Accomplish Fitness & Health

Outcome Based Goals

Behavior goals are typically better than outcome based goals. The reasons for that are simple. You can develop new habits and you are mostly in charge of your actions. Outcome based goals especially when it comes to big goals like losing 30 lbs  or gaining 20 lbs of muscle are difficult to time exactly. Behavior goals are much easier to set.

Our fickle bodies mess with our head

Our client’s goals range from losing xx lbs of fat, to gaining xx lbs of muscle mass, to running xx min/mile faster, hit the golf ball xx yards further. We like to use numbers and they are a great goal to accomplish but not optimal goals to strive for.

The reason is that we have minimal control of our body’s reaction to training, hormone levels, stress, etc. Our bodies are individually different and what might work well for one person, will not work well for someone else. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for your body to adjust while someone else takes to it right away.

That does not make outcome based goals a complete disaster. It is just difficult to put a hard timeline to it. Yes, most people can lose 8 lbs of fat per month and do great, if….everything aligns. They do not have excessive stress levels, they sleep, their hormone levels are within the normal range, etc. You see a lot of things have to fall into place that we cannot directly influence.

Use outcome based goals in a loose fashion and give yourself room to improve. Be a little bit more conservative.

We are not powerless

That does not mean that you are hopelessly victimized by circumstance. Quite the opposite, behavior goals are geared to aligning “the stars” in your favor. I usually recommend not taking up more than one, maximum two habits at a time, unless you truly are a go-getter. You can always add to each new habit after a 1-4 weeks depending on how much time you need to adjust.

Behavior Goals To Ultimate Fat Loss / Fitness Success

  1. Eat until your 80% full (fat loss)
  2. Eat plenty of veggies with every meal
  3. Eat sufficient protein with each meal
  4. Time your starchy carbohydrate intake to after your training session (fat loss)
  5. Sleep > 7 hours/night
  6. Have “me time”.
  7. Work less than 55 hours/week
  8. Accomplish your goals 80-90% of the days during the month

Go set your behavior goals and see an amazing transformation happen. If you would like us to help you, go check us out at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting. 

Have an awesome day,

Michael

 

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