#1. Try to eat a variety of everything, especially the veggies.
#2. Turkey is good for you. Its packed with protein, just don't eat the skin and fat. If you’re going to use the meat juices to make the gravy, drain off any fat first.
#3. Make your own Egg Nog - Store bought eggnog is mostly water and sugar. Don't believe me? Read the label.
#4. When mixing alcoholic drinks aim for low calorie versions or healthy choices. eg. My favourite is Peach Schnapps and Cranberry Juice.
#5. Avoid beer and cider - they're full of calories. Aim for red wines for the anti-oxidants.
#6. Enjoy a nibble of chocolate every so often - don't eat the whole plate of cookies all at once.
#7. Try to balance the more sugary foods with healthier alternatives. Citrus fruits and melons are awesome!
#8. Watermelon baby, watermelon! Who doesn't love watermelon?
#9. On Christmas morning make whole wheat pancakes - goes great with peanut butter and raspberry jam.
#10. Avoid breads when you can, especially white bread. Aim for healthier whole grain choices.
#11. When you have leftover turkey make your sandwiches using whole grain bread. Tis healthier!
#12. Don't feel guilty about eating more during the holiday season. Your New Years Resolutions are just around the corner... Bookmark Cardio Trek and come back on January 1st to see our New Years Resolutions advice.
#1. Isometric Exercises are Frugal because you don't need to buy any equipment to do them because they use pressure resistance or bodyweight to accomplish the goal.
#2. Many trainers argue that Isometric Exercises are better than lifting weights because of the “synapse effect”, wherein one’s body just uses the minimal quantity of muscle fibers it has to at one time. When weightlifting your body only uses the minimum amount of muscle fibers to complete the task in however long it takes to do it, typically only a few seconds... but to build strength you want to use as much as you possibly can and for multiple seconds.
With Isometric Exercises you hold the position for 10 seconds or more, utilizing and maximizing every muscle fibre at the same time, which is a more effective way of building muscle.
#3. Isometric Exercises builds muscle FASTER. With weightlifting you have to do a lot of repetitions to get results. With Isometric Exercises you can get faster results because your goal is to continually challenge your muscles on a constant basis - getting more rippage for your time. The only downside to this is you need to keep challenging yourself.
#4. If you combine Isometric Exercises with freeweights you can achieve even greater results than freehand Isometric Exercises by themselves. Your goal then is to lift or pull something and then hold it for 10 seconds or more.
#5. Isometric Exercises also builds endurance, which is why it is the exercise of choice for government militaries around the world, because they don't just want strong soldiers, they also want soldiers with incredible muscular endurance. This is why a military fitness regimen typically involves 500 pushups per day, 500 situps per day, 500 jumping jacks per day, etc. If you're going to be carrying around 70 lbs of gear all day they need you to be able to do without tiring easily.
#6. Isometric Exercises strengthens bones. Technically all weightlifting and even cardio exercises do this, but basically it all helps to increase bone density.
#7. Reduces chances of Injury. Isometric Exercises are widely known to be the safest way to exercise because you're not using any weights and you don't need any special equipment.
Strength Training and Endurance Training are actually very different disciplines.
Lets take Bicep Curls as an example...
First we determine what your 1RM is. 1RM means "One Repetition Maximum", meaning the maximum amount you can lift and only do 1 rep.
So in the example of Bicep Curls lets say you can lift a maximum of 50 lbs with one arm and then you have to stop and catch your breath.
With Strength Training what you would then do is calculate what is 75% of that and do bicep curls for 5 sets with 5 repetitions each set. Do that three days per week for 3 weeks and then calculate 80% of 1RM and do the same thing for another 3 weeks. Then 85% of your 1RM for 3 weeks and eventually 90% for 1 RM for 3 weeks.
After you're done all 12 weeks then you recalculate your new 1RM, and start back again at 75%, repeating the same cycle every 12 weeks.
Note: To be fair you're not meant to be doing only Bicep Curls. You should be doing sets like this for Squats, Stationary Lunges, Modified Deadlifts, Calf Raises, Upright Rows, Bench Presses, Pullovers, Bent-Over Rows, Military Presses, Preacher Curls and Tricep Curls. The end result is a full body workout.
It also means you will need to determine your 1RM for each machine at the gym, write it all down in a journal and then recalculate your 1RM every 12 weeks of your Strength Training program.
Lets say however that you weren't trying to build strength so much however and you were more worried about endurance...
Here is what you would do instead.
#1. Calculate your 1RM like you would above, but when choosing the amount of weight to be using you instead calculate it to be 50% of your 1RM.
#2. Instead of doing 5 sets of 5 repetitions, you are instead doing 5 sets of 10 repetitions.
#3. You train 4 days per week instead of 3 days.
#4. After 3 weeks of training you don't change the amount of weight you are lifting, instead you increase the number of repetitions to 5 sets of 15. Three weeks later it becomes 5 sets of 20. Then 5 sets of 25.
#5. After the 12 weeks is over you recalculate your new 1RM and start over again with 5 sets of 10 repetitions.
With Endurance Training you are still building strength at the same time, but the focus is on increasing your ability to lift many multiple times without tiring so easily. Endurance training is also safer because it builds up your cardiovascular heart and lung muscles more in a similar way to Cardio training.
Its a bit like comparing Sprinters to Marathon Runners.
When Sprinters train out on the track they might only be running 100 meters at a time, and they stop and rest and when they're ready again they will sprint the 100 meters again. They might do that maybe 20 times on a training day. If they can sprint the 100 in 10 seconds their total exercise time might only be 200 seconds of actual sprinting, but they have spaced it out so they have plenty of time to rest in between sprints.
As such Sprinters typically look strong and quick. Marathon Runners have a strong tendency to look almost anorexic.
In contrast Marathon Runners will be out there running half or full marathons 3 or 4 times per week. Approx. 21.1 to 42.2 km. So for example they might be running 25 km four days per week.
With Marathon Runners they need to be careful to avoid going over 100 km per week because if they do they can often develop "Exercise Addiction", a condition runners are frequently prone to because of the batch of hormonal painkillers the brain releases during long runs which are highly addictive. The side effects of Exercise Addiction include insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, anti-social behaviour, decreased libido, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (obsessive cleaning, etc). It can even lead to loss of weight / anorexia as the person can sometimes exercise so much they end up burning away muscle and brain tissue for energy. Like any other addiction it can also ruin relationships as the person will choose running over spending time with family or friends.
Even professional marathon runners avoid going over the 100 km limit due to fear of developing an addiction to "Runner's High".
We should note that Marathon Running with an Exercise Addiction is not going to increase your endurance. If the person is running that much the hormonal imbalance in their body causes them to be unable to sleep properly and regenerate muscle tissue during their sleep. Instead they will burn away muscle tissue in order to fuel their obsessive need to keep exercising.
Some Exercise Addicts are known to run 140 km or more per week and get emotionally upset if they don't go outside and run because they're so obsessed with their "Runner's High".
Thankfully that sort of thing doesn't really happen amongst Strength Training or Endurance Training because the focus is still on building muscle, right?
Wrong! Strength is actually prone to Exercise Addiction too. According to some bodybuilders it can even be more addictive, although it is difficult to measure if that is true or not. A warning sign of someone who addicted is their insistence that they have to go to the gym 6 or 7 days per week to work out for several hours, working out for 15 hours + per week.
What is known is that Exercise Addiction is more commonly found amongst "Power Lifters" who develop a psychological dependence on weightlifting - the heavier the weights the more addicted they can become. The psychological symptoms are the same as other Exercise Addictions. It doesn't matter that it is weightlifting instead of running. It is still addictive and dangerous to their mental health.
Worse, Power Lifters are also more likely to use Steroids. Increasing their psychological addiction with a drug addiction that will damage their internal organs. There is a lot of information out there available on this topic if you want to Google the words powerlifting steroids addiction.
Years ago I started doing archery as a way to get exercise and have fun doing so. Now I am an archery instructor and a personal trainer here in Toronto. Go figure.
Since then however I have noticed something unusual... My skills in visual observation have improved dramatically.
Now I admit its not super-human or anything like that.
But it is definitely more than it used to be. Now you might chalk it up to the Zen benefits of archery, which gradually hones your mind and increases your ability to concentrate on a singular target while still remaining aware of your surroundings.
Which got me thinking... If it is possible to train your eyes to be more observant using archery and similar tasks, is it possible to train the other senses as well?
Well one example is that people who have lived through a fire become hypersensitive to the smell of smoke. That sense has become attuned so that whenever they smell smoke the memories of the fire they lived through comes flooding back to them at just the whiff of smoke. For me I have lived through my parents' barn burning down when I was 5 years old and my neighbours' house burning down when I was 8. I am perfectly aware that people can become more sensitive to smells due to strong memories.
Legends about Blind Samurais is another example of why I think it is possible.
Now I admit this is a concept from Japanese folklore, but the concept is simple: The warrior trains their other senses over time and develops above average ability to hear and sense movement around them...
And as proof that learning such martial arts is not impossible for a blind person, check out this video from the CBC of a Richmond Hill resident who is blind and is learning the Israeli Martial Art of Krav Maga.
Another reason why I think it is possible is because of documented cases of men who went through the Vietnam War and similar conflict zones who, due to their circumstances and extreme need for survival, developed unusually high skills of observation.
In pop culture there are a variety of references to military groups attempting to deliberately train soldiers or agents to have above average senses and observation skills. One such film that I am fond of is the 1997 film "The Assignment".
The beauty of "The Assignment" is that it is also based on the real life true story of how Carlos the Jackal was captured.
But if you're looking for the cream of all pop culture references to developing "super senses" the top of the list would be the TV show "The Sentinel" which ran from 1996 to 1999... However in the TV show they make out that the main character has a combination of genetic advantage and hypersensitivity training that was developed during his years in the military.
However that TV show isn't really a good example because the writers of the show went overboard and gave him the ability to communicate with ghosts, spirit animals and visions of the future... Which is just plain ridiculous and the show was eventually cancelled at the end of 3rd season so they created an extra half season just so the storyline could be wrapped up.
My last example of why I think it is possible to do Sensory Training isn't from pop culture.
Its from Ashtanga Yoga, the 8-fold path of purification.
Yama Moral codes
Niyama Self-purification and study
Asana Posture
Pranayama Breath control
Pratyahara Withdrawing of the mind from the senses
Dharana Concentration
Dhyana Deep meditation
Samadhi Union with the object of meditation
Of these topics there are several that deal with sensory awareness, but the most obvious of these is Pratyahara (withdrawing of the mind from the senses). The practice involves deliberately weaning oneself from the senses one at a time so that eventually you simply fail to notice things.
As human beings we regularly do this without even noticing it. We can narrow our focus visually when watching a TV screen (the kitchen could be on fire and we wouldn't notice). We tune out noises that we don't want to hear. We ignore tastes, smells and pains in our body, especially when distracted.
Now imagine doing the opposite. Sit in a coffee shop or some other public place and listen to other people breathing. If you close your eyes you can concentrate on this task even more. Listen for minute sounds and what you discover is that you can hear many different things around you, but your mind typically doesn't listen to these things because it is so busy tuning such things out.
Another thing you can do is play observational memory games with friends. This will be mostly your eyes being tested and trained.
The thing is that isn't your eyes, ears, nose, tongue or skin that is hypersensitive. Unless we have a disability like blindness or deafness can all do these things naturally anyway. What is different is our brain pathways...
To understand brain pathways and how it interprets the senses imagine a map with a network of highways in the shape of your brain. When you are a teenager these neural pathways are still growing and expanding, and depending on which neural pathways you use more of those pathways will become thicker and stronger as your brain reinforces those pathways.
So for example if you do a lot of math your brain will reinforce the mental pathways that control your ability to do math functions. Over time your brain will increasingly be attuned to solving math problems because that is part of the brain that is being used and exercised most often.
Memory, creativity, your ability to make decisions all stem from various mental pathways which are used, not used, depending on how often you do various mental activities.
Now by the time you reach adulthood many of these 'highways' have become super highways and they're dug in there pretty deep so that they are pretty difficult to change. However they're not impossible to change.
Lets say for example you were really good at math during your teens but at the age of 20 you stopped worrying about math and went to university to become a French teacher. By the time you finish university your brain will have re-wired itself so that it is now more focused on social skills involving interactions and also on language and communication skills. You will still continue to use the math parts of your brain, but they will fall into disrepair like an old highway that few people drive on anymore.
Now lets apply this concept to your observational skills.
If you practice and hone your ability to observe things every day, either with your eyes, ears or other senses, then with time your brain will reinforce various mental pathways which affect your abilities to observe your surroundings.
Which is what archery has apparently done for me. It has increased my visual observation skills without me even realizing it, re-wiring my brain pathways so I am now more observant.
Conceptually it is different from the various physical exercises I usually discuss, but the idea remains the same: If you practice a particular skill you will with time become good at it.
A commonly asked question by people trying build muscle is how fast can it actually be done.
The short answer is approx. 1 to 2 lbs of muscle per month if you are weightlifting daily, but there are a number of factors that affect how fast you build muscle, listed below, which will make you gain muscle faster or slower.
Training Age
Don't confuse this with your actual age. That is a different factor.
Your training age is how long you’ve been lifting weights and engaging in weight training, either as the result of working out or as part of your daily routine (eg. If you're a construction worker you are probably more used to it). If you’re new to weightlifting you will be able to gain more muscle faster than if you’ve been lifting for many years. I know that seems backwards, but that is the way it works.
Hormone Levels
Depending on the person the amount of testosterone and other muscle building hormones in your body can vary wildly because your lifting regimen does not help elicit a testosterone response (you might not be lifting with your legs, or not lifting heavy enough), or your body simply doesn’t produce as much testosterone (due to genetics / personality). Alpha male personalities tend to make more testosterone (in theory you can even become an alpha male with time if you make active efforts to become more confident and your brain will increase your testosterone levels as the result of rewiring of your system - this is harder to do as you get older as such things become hardwired in your brain while you are a teenager).
For women muscle is still governed by testosterone levels, but since women produce less testosterone other muscle building hormones play a greater role in the female body. Cortisol thus plays a bigger role for women, but too high levels of cortisol hurts bone density. Thus for women its better to use short but intense bursts of weightlifting to get the benefits.
Genetics
Everyone has basically the same genetic coding, but there are minor differences in the coding. Don't read too much into genetics because sometimes people can defy the odds through conditioning. Most people (roughly 68%) by definition are genetically average so the chances are likely you're pretty average.
There is a concept of a genetic bell curve. To summarize what this means, some people are naturally inclined to build a lot of muscle because of genetic factors which effect hormonal balance, or the thickness of their frames (big boned) allows them to add muscle easier. A person with a small frame will have trouble building muscle.
Muscle Memory
If you used to have lots of muscle when you were younger or before an injury, then you can regain that muscle faster when you start training again. So if you are an athlete and get injured and lose 30 lbs of muscle you can regain that muscle at a much faster rate than a normal person because your body remembers the muscle being there and will build it at an accelerated rate. Its possible to gain 20 lbs of muscle back in only a single month if you have the muscle memory, because your body has a mechanism for restoring the previous homeostasis.
Protein Supplements / Steroids
Consuming protein supplements and Creatine (a chemical found in red meat) will help you build muscle faster.
Heavy duty supplements like steroids are harmful and will damage your internal organs. So called performance enhancing substances can help you build muscle much faster, but will cause your internal organs like liver, kidneys, etc to shrink and become more prone to diseases/cancer. It also shrinks your testicles and damages brain matter.
The safest route is to stick to natural supplements like whey protein and Creatine.
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!
