New Year's Tune Up : With FOX 5 San Diego

New Year's Tune Up!  (As appeared on San Diego's FOX 5 morning show)

So it is that time of the year again and many of you have been out of sync in terms of regular exercise, but you are anxious and roaring to get back on track.   Be careful though, as your body can get out of alignment even with the shortest of layoffs.   For those of you who have been out of fitness for quite some time you definitely need to tune things first.   Working out and pushing your body is analogous to putting your trusty old sports car back on the road.  Yet if that sports car has been under cover and hanging out in the garage for a while you would certainly give it a tune up first to achieve high performance and ultimately a safe ride.  Here are three corrective (tune up) exercises that we recommend you perform daily for at least a week before you get into a full speed exercise regimen: 

Kneeling Hip Flexor/Quadriceps Stretch:

Why:  Seated postures and time away from exercise can lead to tight or shortened hip flexors.  Shortened hip flexors can lead to joint imbalances that can result in knee, hip or back pain if left uncorrected.
How:  Put a towel or mat under one knee as you kneel to avoid too much knee pressure.  Lightly lunge forward while squeezing your glute (butt) of your back leg.   Lift the arm on the same side as your back leg and bend away to add more of a stretch.
Hold for 45 seconds for each leg.
Perform 2 to 3 times/day for at least 1 week. 


Floor Butt Lifts:

Why:  Seated postures and time away from exercise can lead to weak glute (butt) muscles.  Proper glute activation and strength is essential for balance, stability and walking and running movement patterns - all things you need if you really want to get in shape.   
How:  Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet about hip width slowly lift your butt up and off the floor.  As you lift, actively squeeze your glutes and pull your tummy in.  Hold at  the top position for 2 seconds and then lower back down.  
Repeat for 10 to 15 reps .
Perform ideally 2x/day for at least 1 week.


Standing Cobra Posture Squeeze:

 Why:  Computer use, seated postures and time away from exercise can lead to tight chest and neck muscles along with weak upper back muscles.   Spinal, shoulder, neck and head alignment is essential for efficient movement and injury free exercise.     
How:  You can perform this sitting or standing, but standing is preferred.  Stand with your feet hip width and pointing straight forward.  Squeeze glutes and pull your tummy in.   With your arms out to your side lift your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together.  Keep your chin down and tucked in.   You should feel postural and open.  This is an isometric exercise.
Hold this position and prescribed contractions for 30 seconds. (Repeat one more time)
Perform ideally 3x/day for at least 1 week. 

The Amazing Egg, and some great recipes...

The Amazing Egg

Boy I love eggs. For those of you who know me well you know I eat up to one dozen a day. Yep, that’s pretty easy for me to do. Of course only two of those eggs get to keep their yolk – the rest are egg whites. I most typically scramble them at a 1 whole egg: 5 egg white ratio. That is only 145 calories for my ½ dozen serving and 28 grams of uber quality protein. Why do I eat so many eggs? They are versatile cooking-wise, all natural, low calorie, packed with vitamins and minerals and have the highest protein efficiency ratio (PER) of any food on the planet. And even better they cost an average of just 16 cents an egg. I am also a big advocate of a mixed diet for most people. That means the diet should be 1/3 lean proteins, 1/3 healthy fats, and 1/3 unrefined grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables (carbohydrates). Eggs are one of my easiest and best staples for the protein portion of that diet type. They also have a strong filling capacity – i.e. an egg with a few whites will go a long way for making you full compared to equal calories worth of carbohydrate foods or fats – This is essential for fat loss and staying lean. Let’s review more benefits of eggs, crack the cholesterol myth and show you some of my favorite easy-to-make egg recipes.

Packed with Nutrients

Here are some other points from the Incredible Egg Website (www.incredibleegg.org)

The nutrient package of eggs aids in the following:

• Weight management: The high-quality protein in eggs helps you to feel fuller longer and stay energized, which contributes to maintaining a healthy weight.¹
• Muscle strength and muscle-loss prevention: Research indicates that high-quality protein may help active adults build muscle strength and help prevent muscle loss in middle-aged and aging adults.²
• Healthy pregnancy: Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects. Two eggs provide about 250 milligrams of choline, or roughly half of the recommended daily intake for pregnant and breastfeeding women.³
• Brain function: Choline also aids the brain function of adults by maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes, and is a key component of the neuro-transmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.⁴
• Eye health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. Though eggs contain a small amount of these two nutrients, research shows that the lutein from eggs may be more bioavailable than lutein from other food sources.⁵

The Cholesterol Myth

One of the big concerns with eggs is their cholesterol content. Although most current research links increased cholesterol and the potential for heart disease to dietary saturated fat when compared to dietary cholesterol – it is still important to be aware of. Like I said earlier I recommend doing scrambles with 1 whole egg : 3 or more egg whites (which have no cholesterol). You can go with a single egg too, but you will be only getting 7 grams of protein. Mixing the whole egg with more whites increases the protein while maintaining the rich flavor that eggs offer.

The American Heart Association says that it is absolutely safe for all individuals to consume 1 egg a day. 1 whole large egg supplies 185 mg of dietary cholesterol. Here are some more recent studies on cholesterol and egg consumption:

A 2008 study from Surrey University published in the European Journal of Nutrition provides evidence that increasing dietary cholesterol intake by eating two eggs a day does not increase total plasma cholesterol when accompanied by moderate weight loss. The study authors concluded that cholesterol-rich foods should not be excluded from dietary advice for weight loss.¹

In 2006, Nutrition Bulletin published a review of scientific studies from the past 30 years showing that eating eggs daily does not have a significant impact on blood cholesterol or heart disease risk. The authors noted several benefits of egg consumption – including the high-quality protein eggs provide – and argued that consumption of one to two eggs a day should be actively encouraged as part of a calorie-restricted weight-loss plan.⁴

A review of more than 25 studies that appeared in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2000 showed that eating an egg a day isn’t associated with increased risk of heart disease in healthy men and women, even after taking into account other aspects of their diet that may increase the risk for heart disease.⁶

A 1999 Harvard University study that collected data from more than 100,000 men and women found no significant difference in heart disease risk between healthy adults who ate less than one egg a week and those who ate more than one egg a day, and that eating up to one egg a day is unlikely to have a significant overall impact on the risk of heart disease or stroke.⁷

My Three Favorite Egg Recipes

One thing that is perplexing to me is why eggs culturally are considered a breakfast food in America. I have traveled to Japan and found that it was a part of many lunch and dinner options. And I have been told that in Australia it is a major addition to many things as well. Since I am such a radical, I often have eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My following three favorite recipes are quick and easy to make, low in calories and sugar and packed with protein and fiber.

Spinach Scramble on Sesame Toast

• 1 whole egg : 3 egg whites scrambled
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves added to scramble
• 2 slices of toasted Ezekiel Sesame bread
• 2 tsp of light butter with canola oil for toast
• Favorite spices and salt as needed

Cook/Prep Time: 5 min Calories: 320 Protein: 26 grams Carbs: 36grams Fats: 9 grams Sugars: 0 grams Fiber: 7 grams

Black Bean Scramble on Corn Tortillas

• 1 whole egg : 3 egg whites scrambled
• 1/3 cup of Trader Joes organic black beans added to scramble (at the very end)
• 3 small corn tortillas (heat on skillet, not the microwave, to keep them moist and flexible)
• 1/3 of avocado
• 3 tsp of salsa
• Favorite spices and salt as needed

Cook/Prep Time: 5 to 8 min Calories: 444 Protein: 28 grams Carbs: 54grams Fats: 14 grams Sugars: 3 grams Fiber: 13 grams

Quick Fried Rice (to be used as a good recipe for leftover brown rice)

• ½ cup of organic frozen peas and carrots
• 1 tsp of olive oil or canola oil
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 whole egg : 3 egg whites scrambled
• Favorite spices and salt as needed

Add olive oil and peas and carrots first (1 min), add leftover brown rice second (2 min), finally add egg mix.

Cook/Prep Time: 5 to 8 min Calories: 412 Protein: 24 grams Carbs: 53 grams Fats: 11 grams Sugars: 4 grams Fiber: 6 grams

2011 © DEREK HEINTZ EDGE FITNESS CONSULTING www.yourfitnessedge.com 619-920-5452

Bodybuilding.com - Quadriceps-SMR - Male

Stiff back after sitting at your computer or a long commute?
Here is a good basic foam roller video for releasing tension in your hip flexors and quads - which indirectly does a great job at releasing tension and stiffness in the lower back.

Bodybuilding.com - Quadriceps-SMR - Male

Bodybuilding.com - One-Legged Cable Kickback - Male

I am going to start a series of exercise video links from a good website www.bodybuilding.com. Don't be intimidated by the name of the site or the many products they sell. Overall this website has a good database of effective exercises.
Glutes, glutes, glutes.... some of my clients are tired of me talking about our wonderful 'backside' muscles, but they are just so important. Not to mention the nice asthetic benefit of strong, toned glutes. Even 30 minutes of desk work shuts down our glutes. When this happens, not only does the muscle look saggy, it is not able to do its job well: Support the lower back and work as a major driver in hip extension (walking, running, squatting, lunging, to name a few activities). If your glutes are shut down from a day of sitting then typical exercises like I just mentioned end up requiring help from the hamstrings and lower back muscles. This can lead to chronic pain in the hamstrings and lower back. There are many exercises that can 'fire up' and activate the glutes before your workout so that you are able to recruit them correctly. The Cable Kickback is one of my favorites. Do this corrective exercise before you move on to your cardio or other traditional leg and glutes exercises - you will feel the difference when you do, and you will see better results in training the glutes.

Bodybuilding.com - One-Legged Cable Kickback - Male

Breakfast 101, by EDGE trainer Justin Allen

This is a great topic on my partnering trainer's blog regarding breakfast.

Justin's E.D.G.E Fitness Blog: Breakfast 101: "What's For Breakfast? Over the last couple weeks one of the questions I have gotten is 'So, what do you eat for breakfast?' Breakfas..."

Exercise and Your Mood

When I view the world I often view things in terms of fitness and wellness. Go figure. So when I hear in the news that people are becoming more stressed or when I see reports on depression I often think of how that relates to exercise and good nutrition - or America's lack of it. There is no doubt that stress plays a legitimate role in our life these days, its just part of life. Researchers have found that life without stress can be just as harmful as life with too much stress. A happy medium is the key - but just as important is how we handle that stress mentally, physically and emotionally. Going back to the way that I see things I feel that part of the problem for so many people is that we are not training the 'fight or flight' system. Exercising at the adequate intensity, between 65 and 85% of your maximum heart rate, is a great way to train the 'fight or flight' system. My clients who have made some big changes in their fitness by exercising correctly and consistently often mention that they feel more 'stable', handle work and life stresses better, they feel quicker and sharper mentally, and they simply feel great for hours after a great workout. All of these can be validated in study after study. Often the release of neurotransmitters (specifically endorphins, dopamine and acetylcholine) are cited as one of the main reasons for this. I find that one of the best motivators for getting your daily workout in is the mental aspect. If you put too much focus on goals like fat loss you might be disappointed. Obvious physique changes like losing weight take time - whereas the mental and emotional changes from exercise are immediate. I can tell you that there have been many workouts throughout the years where I was not in the best of spots mentally when I started - but as I left the gym I was reminded how powerful exercise is on my mood and mind... and even though I know this, each and every time I am reminded how powerful the effects are. My wife humorously and intelligently knows me well... if I ever seem to be a bit crabby she kicks me in the butt (figuratively most the time) and tells me, "go workout!"
The key thing is that the workout has to be challenging. It does not have be long in duration though. To get all the mental benefits you should stay within your recommended training zone. With our EDGE programs we set an exact and personalized training zone, but you can use a basic formula to get an idea of whether you are training adequately:

Subtract your age from 220 (220 - age)
Multiply that result by 70 and 85%
Example: 40 years old
220 - 40 = 180 beats/per minute
180 x 70% = 126 beats/per minute
180 x 85% = 153 beats/per minute
Training Zone = (126 to 153 beats/per minute)
And just as I have recommended in the past with interval training (for accelerated fat loss) you would use intervals: bouts of exercise that gets your heart rate to it's upper range followed by bouts of exercise that allows it to recover back down to its lower range.

Remember this when you are feeling too tired to hit the gym. Just think 30 minutes and get in your training zone. Think about how it will wake you up and 'lift' you up. Remember this whenever you are feeling out of sorts or when you feel the world seems to be coming down on you. In 30 minutes, with the right training intensity you will feel focused, directed and successful. Powerful stuff I know - and it works.

Sprints : An Efficient Way to Lose Fat

Here is a summary by Ryan Halverson (IDEA Fitness Association which I am a member of) of a recent published study. The first thing I will say is you need to make sure your body is ready to sprint and that you your muscles are properly activated and balanced (email me derek@yourfitnessedge.com if you have questions). But beyond that these findings and the following summary of them are pretty amazing. Six 30 second sprints produced more fat loss than roughly 35 min of jogging?... I'm in! read on:

Time-crunched individuals interested in fat loss may want to cut running workouts short. Results from a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2011; 43 [1], 115–22) suggest that repeated maximal-intensity sprints yield greater fat loss than longer-duration, moderate-intensity running. The 20 study participants were split into two groups: sprinters and runners. Each group ran three times per week for 6 weeks. The first group performed all-out sprints, 30 seconds in duration, six times per session. They were given a 4-minute rest between sprints. The second group ran for 30–60 minutes per session at 65% VO₂max. By the end of the 6-week study, fat mass had decreased by 5.8% in the moderate-intensity group and by 12.4% in the sprint group. Both groups experienced improvements in 2,000-meter run time and VO₂max.