Archive for July, 2007

31
Jul

EOW: Ab Wheel

By petar 1 Comment
Categories: Exercise of the Week

The Ab Wheel is one of the cheapest, yet most effective pieces of equipment that you can get for your own personal use. It’s a great exercise that works the core and the upper body. The burn that you get from it is one of a kind and it’s something that I regularly throw into my workouts. Here’s what you do:


First you take the wheel by its handles and you get on all fours. Start out by having the wheel close to your legs. Then, tighten up your core by drawing in your bellybutton.


Slowly roll the wheel forward while maintaining a tight midsection. Come out as far as you can. Hold at the end for a brief moment and then slowly come back to the starting position.


If you want to get the obliques involved (to target those love handles), then as you are coming out from your starting position start turning towards the left or the right. Again, come out as far as you can, hold, and return.

Three sets of this exercise is a great way to target your core. It definitely beats the traditional exercises because it’s a lot of fun and it makes your body work in a totally different way.

29
Jul

The Glycemic Index: Helping You Sort out Good Carbs from Bad Carbs

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: Nutrition

The glycemic index is a great tool that is at the core of a number of different diets. The reaon why it works so well is because it helps differentiate good carbohydrates from bad carbohydrates. It works by ranking the effect of different carbs on blood glucose levels. There are three categories: low, medium, and high. Carbs with low glycemic index cause a small fluctuation on blood sugar and insulin levels, whereas those with a high index produce quicker fluctations. Smaller fluctuation is the key to weight loss and reducing the risk of heart disease. Therefore, the glycemic index helps us choose the right food for our bodies.

The official site of the glycemic index has a database of the different GI for different foods and I highly recommend that you check it out. But in the meanwhile, here is a short list of the most common foods that we eat broken down into their respecting GI ranks.

High
Glucose, sucrose, honey, cane syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup, white potato, carrots, parsnips, raisin, banana, plums, white rice, cornflakes, wheaties, and whit ebreak.

Medium
Sweet potato, green peas, oranges, grapes, watermelon, fig, yogurt, milk, whole grain bread, spaghetti, oatmeal, and brown rice.

Low
Fructose, cauliflower, asparagus, string beans, kale, lettuce, lentil beans, kidney beans, broccoli, apple, peach, pear, cherries, and barley.

26
Jul

Find Running Events In Your Area

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General

The Running Network is a great resource. Their website has a plethora of resources, but the best one by far is their running calendar. You can use the calendar to find virtually any race that is going on around the country. If you are an avid runner that looks to compete or are training for a marathon and are looking for tune-up races, then this is a great tool for you! I use it all the time to know what’s going on soon and have attended several fun events that I found on there.
So if you are looking for a 5k, 10k, 10miler or whatever, check out the Running Calendar at the Running Network.

26
Jul

Obesity is Contagious!

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General

The New England Journal of Medicine has found that obesity is contageous! In an article in Time Magazine, statistics from the NEJM are cited that show that one is more likely to gain weight and become obese if those around them are also overweight.

This does not surprise me, as usually the people that we associate with have the biggest influence on us. We are well aware of the dangers of peer pressure, and though subtle, this is just another example of it. I have read that everyone in Jessica Alba’s family is overweight and so she had to start cooking for herself at the age of 12 to escape the clutches of obesity. What she did is remarkble, and unfortunately, is not the norm. Therefore, as this study shows, if our society has any chance of fighting obesity, it must fight it as a whole. It is a social problem that requires a social solution.

23
Jul

Shin Splints

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General

Shin Splints:

Ok, so that’s not a shin splint. The man picture is Gibril Cisse and that’s him breaking his tibia. Luckily, that’s not a common injury. Unfortunately, shin splints are.

I was recently reading an article by Mike Demora in which he tackled the issue. He defines shin splints as posterior tibialis tendonitis, a pain around the tibia (the bone of the lower leg). He states that there are 2 anatomic reasons for shin splints/posterior tibialis tendonitis:
1) weakness in the frontal plane stabilizers
2) lack of motion in ankle joint/muscle tightness

So what does that mean? First, it means that the glute medius”cannot control femoral internal rotation at the hip at heel strike and allows undue rotational stress on the posterior tibialis”. Second, the calves are too tight from being overworked which is causing stiffness in the ankle joint and then the tibia.

So how can we get rid of shin splints? Given what we know, it’s obvious that the both the stabilization muscles in the legs need to be strengthened and that the legs need to frequently stretched out. The problem could also stem from the use of an old pair of shoes that have lost their support which would put stress on the tibia, or a faulty running form which would also put stress on the tibia.

I actually used to suffer from shin splints over a year ago. After 20 minutes of running my legs would be in too much pain to continue. Sometimes I could not walk properly for the rest of the day. After I switched my running shoes and started stretching prior and after running, the pain in my shins went away. Therefore, I now stretch religiously before and after running and haven’t had the pain come back (knock on wood).

A good rule of thumb is to replace your running shoes every six months and to not wear them outside of running. If you overuse your shoes they will lose their support and it will case you to have problems such as shin splints. Also, check your form. If when you are setting your front foot down during running and your foot makes a lot of noise (which is very noticable when you are on the treadmill), then you are putting a lot of stress on your bones and joints. Change your form so as to get rid of that excess stress.

If any of you are suffering from shin splints, I hope that this helps.

23
Jul

I need a new Driver’s License

By petar 2 Comments
Categories: General

The picture on this license was taken in December 2002.

And this picture was taken in July 2007.

I think that I need a new driver’s license. Do you agree?

23
Jul

How Not to Finish a Marathon

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General

19
Jul

Diet and Calorie Facebook Application

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General


I have found another nifty application for you Facebook users out there. The application gives you the nutritional information for different foods that you eat. You simply have to type in the restaurant or dish that you had and select it from the results page. Then, you can add the different things to see how many total calories you put in your body. The application has some ways to go, its not perfect yet, but its pretty cool so far. It’s a good go to place to go to if you are curious about what the nutrional content of a certain food is. So, if that interests you then add the Diet and Calorie application to your facebook profile.

18
Jul

drink more water!

By petar 1 Comment
Categories: Nutrition and Weight Loss

WATER!

DRINK MORE WATER!

Did that get your attention? Good.
I’ve been told that I am obsessed with water. Well there is a reason for it. Water is very important to our bodies. It’s so important that it takes up 55-55% of our bodies. There’s a lot of it, because it does a lot. First, it carries nutrients and other chemiclas to our cells and carries wastes out of it. Second, it regulates our body temperature. Third, it prevents dehydration. Dehydration, loss of body fluid caused by an inadequate amount of water, leads to fatigue, loss in performance, sugar craving, and a strain on the heart. Fourth, it controls metabolic function. Meaning, that drinking more water will increase your metabolism. Fifth, it keeps your liver fundctioning properly.
Thats a lot of stuff! Important stuff.

Given that water is responsible for all of these things, an adequate supply of water is necessary. Are you drinking enough though? Here’s how much water you should be consuming:

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine,
-On average, 96 ounces per day. 8 ounces for every 25 pounds carried above ideal weight.
-Even more if you are exercising briskly or in a hot climate.
In addition to that also,
-16 ounces 2 hours before exercise
-20-40 ounces for every hour of exercise
-16 ounces after exercise
Basically, you should be drinking your 96 ounces outside of the water that you drink during exercise.

If you are running to the bathroom, then you are doing it right. It is hard to adjust to, but I guarantee you that if you keep a good intake of water, you will see great improvement in body composition and functioning. So drink up!

17
Jul

“no payn no gayn”

By petar 0 Comments
Categories: General

I stumbled accross this pic and found it funny.


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