By Dr. John M Berardi, CSCS

Simply put, the North American diet is very acidic. From most proteins to many dairy products (especially cheese) to most grains, we take in far more dietary acids than we do bases. And this imbalance between acid and base can cause some serious long-term health and physique problems.

You see, when a food is ingested, digested, and absorbed, each component of that food will present itself to the kidneys as either an acid-forming compound or a base-forming one. And when the sum total of all the acid producing and the base producing micro and macronutrients is tabulated (at the end of a meal or at the end of a day), we’re left with a calculated acid-base load. If the diet provides more acidic components, it will obviously manifest as a net-acid load on the body. And if it provides more basic components, it will obviously manifest as a net-base load on the body.

Since I already noted that a net acid load is bad, let’s discuss why.

Every cell of the body functions optimally within a certain pH range (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the body). In different cells, this optimal range is different, however, the net pH of the body has to remain tightly regulated. One common problem with most industrialized societies is that our diets produce what’s called a "low grade chronic metabolic acidosis." In other words, the PRAL (potential renal acid load – a measure of the amount of acid being introduced through the diet) of our diets is high and this means that we’re chronically in a state of high acidity.

While there are a number of disease states that induce severe metabolic acidosis, we’re talking a sub-clinical rise in acidity here. Therefore, your doc probably won’t notice the problem. But that doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear. Your cells will recognize the problem.

So what’s wrong with this low-grade chronic metabolic acidosis?

Well, since the body must, at all costs, operate at a stable pH, any dietary acid load has to be neutralized by one of a number of homeostatic base-producing mechanisms. So, although the pH of the body is maintained and your doctor visits turn out fine, many cells of the body will suffer. Here are some of the most severe consequences of your body’s attempt to maintain a constant pH in the face of an acidic environment:

• Hypercalciuria (high concentrations of calcium in the urine). Since calcium is a strong base and bone contains the body’s largest calcium store, metabolic acidosis causes a release in calcium from bone. As a result, osteoclastic (bone degrading) activity increases and osteoblastic (bone building) activity decreases. The net result of these changes is that bone is lost in order to neutralize the acidic environment of the body. The calcium that was stored in the bone is then lost in the urine along with the acid it was mobilized to neutralize. This creates a negative calcium balance (more calcium is lost from the body than is consumed) and bones get weak. (2,3,4,6)
• Negative nitrogen balance (high concentrations of nitrogen in urine). Glutamine is responsible for binding hydrogen ions to form ammonium. Since hydrogen ions are acidic, glutamine acts much like calcium to neutralize the body’s acidosis. Since skeletal muscle contains the body’s largest glutamine store, metabolic acidosis causes muscle breakdown to liberate glutamine from the muscle. The amino acids from this muscle breakdown are then excreted, causing a net loss of muscle protein. (2,7)

In addition to bone and muscle loss, other consequences of acidosis include:

• Decreased IGF1 activity (4)
• GH resistance (4)
• Mild hypothyroidism (4)
• Hypercortisolemia (4,5)

Interestingly, low-grade metabolic acidosis seems to worsen with age. Many have speculated that this is due to an age-related decline in kidney function (and acid excretion). Of course, osteoporosis and muscle wasting are unfortunate consequences of aging. While it’s too early to tell, perhaps some of the bone and muscle loss evident as individuals get older is a result of diet-induced acidosis. This means that employing a few simple acid-base strategies may help slow osteoporosis and sarcopoenia.

So the big question is this – who’s at risk?

Recently, Sebastian and colleagues compared the pre-agricultural diet of our ancestors to the modern North American diet. After evaluating the two diets for what they call NEAP (net endogenous acid production) — essentially the same measure as the PRAL above — a -88mEq/day acid load characterized the pre-agricultural diet while the modern diet was characterized by a +48mEq/day acid load. What this means is that our ancestors evolved eating a diet that was very alkaline/basic and therefore very low acid. However, modern people are eating a diet that is high in acid, and therefore very different from what we evolved to eat. As a result, our modern diet is responsible for what the authors have called a "life-long, low grade pathogenically significant systemic acidosis."

How have we gotten so far off track? Well, the shift from net base producing foods to net acid producing foods comes mostly as a result of displacing the high bicarbonate-yielding plants and fruits in the diet with high acid grains. In addition, most of our modern energy dense, nutrient poor selections are also acid forming. Finally, high protein animal foods tend to be acid producing as well.

If you’re now wondering how your diet stacks up, check out the online acid-base forum here: http://www.acid-base.de/. There you’ll be able to calculate your PRAL and determine how much of an acid or base load your body is under. Further, if you’re ingesting too many dietary acids, as most North Americans are, here’s what you can do:

• Add more vegetables - regardless of the final tally. Everyone can always benefit from more vegetables in the diet. Many bone specialists are now recognizing that the most effective way to improve bone health is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables, in addition to all of their other benefits, are powerful acid-neutralizers.
• If you’re eating a big meal that’s going to be a net acid producer (such as one that contains a large amount of protein and/or grains) and don’t want to add more basic foods, consider adding a small amount of glutamine to this meal. Exogenous glutamine supplementation has been shown to neutralize acidosis.
• A cheaper alternative to glutamine supplementation is either sodium or potassium bicarbonate supplementation. You can add sodium bicarbonate (in the form of baking soda) to your beverages including your protein shakes, which probably are a bit on the acidic side (see milk above). A small 2-5g dose of baking soda would be sufficient to neutralize the shake. An alternative to baking soda is alka-seltzer.
• Adding sodium to foods can increase the base potential and reduce the acidity of the meal although a high salt diet isn’t necessarily recommended.

Although few individuals in the exercise nutrition world are discussing this issue, it remains an important one. Employing a few simple strategies to neutralize your high-acid diet may mean the difference between chronic low-grade acidosis — and the associated muscle wasting, bone loss, and altered hormonal profile — and a healthy, alkaline diet. So make sure you’re dietary acids are covered!

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles

By Tom Furman

There is an athletic saying that the legs are the first to go. Not too many sports use crawling as a method of locomotion so this is probably correct. A simple observation of society in general or a family get together specifically will give you an idea about movement and aging. The adults sit on chairs and avoid getting up to do things, they avoid squatting to pick things up, and they avoid reaching. The children climb, squat, crawl, run, and sit on the ground. Their youthful energy is hard to restrain and they don’t fear movement. The adults fear energy expenditure and avoid movements they are, "too old for". There are adults however who continue to participate in movement. Everyone knows seniors who dance, do Pilates, Martial Arts, Tennis, even Kayaking. Those individuals who age yet desire mobility seem unafraid to move or LEARN new things. That may be the key. The ability to remain childlike in mind and body can be summed up with the statement, "Always be a student". The ability to try new things keeps you mobile and young.

Some of the fundamental tools of any worthy endeavor should be inexpensive. Your own body and gravity would be a great start. The goal is to return to child like movement, so here are some ideas.

1. First, sit on the floor more often. Avoid chairs, but get comfortable sprawling on your stomach, back, cross legged or propped on an elbow. There is NO need to hold an uncomfortable position, but rather shift around and try a variety of positions while you watch TV, read, talk, or perhaps play with a child.

2. Practice sitting with your butt on your heels. Do it on a soft surface, no need to feel pain. This is a common posture in Asia and not as common in the Western world. Some of you will have difficulty doing it. Don’t worry, a certain amount of persistence is needed to feel comfortable. Individuals who do gardening often find themselves in this position. Some of you will need to put a pillow or pad between your butt and calves to reduce the stress on your quadriceps and knees. The size of this pad or pillow can be reduced as the tight muscles that inhibit mobility begin to relax and adapt. This process should never be forced but slowly cultivated.

3. Squatting on the toes would be the next habit you should adopt. Break in slowly. Knees that have not been fully flexed may be stiff and their may be some pain. Avoid the pain and be careful as you add this to your daily habits. If you have any compromised knee stability issues from injury or aging,…check with your doctor. This "habit" will begin to add some range of motion to your calves, quads, and hips. Move slowly and think of it as another posture you are re-aquainting your self with rather than an exercise. Start with slow holds, and gradually get comfortable with picking things up this way. If you are overweight, this move may not be appropriate since the added weight my contribute to knee instability rather than to aiding mobility and stability.

4. Bending is a move that we are told we should not do. This is rather odd since we are hinged at the hips and weights in excess of 1000 pounds have been lifted from this position. The fundamental concepts to adhere to would be folding at the hip crease, keeping the knees unlocked, bracing the abdominals, and keeping the back flat. With normal healthy body structure, this will come naturally. With modern adaption and the philosophy of, " I’m getting too old to do this," it is anything but natural. There is no need to hold the bottom position, but just remember the simple basics and don’t be afraid to pick something up.

5. Squatting on the heels is common in many cultures except this one. The skeleton, according to forensic anthropologists actually shows adaptation to squatting over a long term. This is one that you have to ease into. Weak hip flexors are overcome by tight hamstrings and getting to rock bottom seems impossible. There are many neurological tricks that can be used to hasten this process, but what is the point? Unless you are training specifically to be a baseball catcher or Olympic lifter use the slow and sure method of holding on to an object for temporary support, and easing into the squatting position. Focus on all of the previous posture changes listed in this article to get you ready to do this one. Let gravity and nature take it’s course with the natural adaptive responses of the muscles relaxing and accommodating the load. Don’t hurry this posture. You have nothing but time on your side. Slow and sure versus knee or back issues.

These are the beginning steps of returning to childlike movement. The next phase is Grounded Mobility. How to move on the ground to enhance your lower body strength, flexibility, and functionality. I cover this with intense detail in my DVD, "Concrete Conflict and Conditioning" available at www.physicalstrategies.com/articles For workshops I am available through at physicalstrategi@bellsouth.net

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles

Making Progress in the Environmental Challenge

© Erin Konrad

Jul 7, 2008

Here are five simple steps to reduce your carbon footprint.

Many people believe that making changes to be more environmentally sound is just too difficult. Most of us are too busy to make any real steps towards reducing our carbon footprint. However, there are tons of easy, minor ways everyone can help use less energy and resources. Here are five simple steps to ‘going green.’

1. Unplug cell phone chargers. This is one component that seems fairly inconsequential, but in reality can save a lot of energy. Your utilities that are left plugged in actually use more energy than when they’re turned on. So, once you’re done charging, unplug devices like cell phones and camera batteries, so that extra energy isn’t being zapped away. And it only takes a second to remove your charger from the outlet.
2. Don’t get receipts at the bank. It’s an easy thing to say yes when the ATM asks if you want a receipt. But tons of paper is wasted everyday when those receipts are printed. Not only does it use unnecessary paper, receipts from the bank are often discarded and littered. Don’t forget to deny receipts at other places like gas station pumps.
3. Pay bills online. This is not only a great move for the environment; it also gives you a better chance of organizing and keeping track of your bills. By forgoing paper statements, you’re also saving paper that is used to print your statement and be mailed in a paper envelope.
4. Canceling catalogs that get mailed to your home. This aspect often gets forgotten about, but lots of paper gets wasted by mailing catalogs to your house that you would never order products from. In order to save some more trees, cancel the catalogs that just end up in your trash. There are several websites that offer catalog cancellations or go specifically to store websites and ask to not be mailed paper catalogs. This will also help to decrease the amount of junk mail you receive.
5. Shop at farmers markets. Buying produce and other locally grown products at farmers markets helps in a number of ways. One, you’re supporting local farmers and their crops. Two, less energy is being wasted because you’re not having produce shipped from far away locations to your store. Finally, you’ll be feeding your family food that you know is safe and fresh. If you bring your own canvas bags to the farmers markets, you’ll also be cutting down on the plastic or paper bags they waste when they hand them out to customers.

There are more ways to help the environment, use less energy, and save resources. But these are just a couple of suggestions to get you started. Happy recycling!

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles

Parents Responsibility to Educate Their Children

© Stephen Richardson

Jul 8, 2008

Parenting seems to be overlooked, and finds itself sliding down the list of importance when considering national and global problems that appear to be affecting everyone.

With today’s economy becoming more and more uncertain, inflation continuingly rising, and individuals falling further into debt, people are not only uncertain about their future, but they are very much uncertain about their family’s future. However, although such pressing issues are becoming more relevant to a number of people daily, you cannot afford to forget about the fundamentals, and the general care and parenting of your children.

Parents or guardians initially shape their children’s lives from a very early age. Furthermore, prior to any other influence (media, peers and other social forms of observation) parents are the primary sources of information for their children. They determine not only what children learn, but also when they learn it.

With such a huge impact on a child’s life, parents must not forget how important their role is when faced with other national and global threats that they may be faced with. The following points look at ways in which parents can combine their relationships between themselves and their children, with considerations of their ever changing, uncertain environment.

Take a Walk

It may take a lot longer to rummage through the house to find your misplaced car keys, than to slip on your shoes and take a nice gentle stroll to your local shop. Including your children will not only give you more quality time together, but will let you assist in their learning, through the exploration of their surrounding environment. Furthermore, by leaving the car at home, you will be promoting your physical health and that of your children, by doing more walking, and protecting the environment.

In today’s economy, with petrol prices rising, you could even ride your bikes together, or take the bus. Not only will this save you money in the long run and improve your overall fitness, it will also assist you with educating your children about current and future global issues.

Food

When finding yourself further in debt, eating out may be a luxury you can no longer afford. However, this doesn’t need to be a bad thing, as you can explore alternative options with your children. Why not consider cooking with your children? Not only will doing this assist in their learning, it will also teach them essential life skills, and save you more money than it would to enjoy the convenience of eating out. When experimenting with food and recipes, keep in mind that the general rule about buying food is that the fresher it is, and the more work you have to do to it, the cheaper it will be to buy.

Recycle

This can be a fun thing to do with your children. Together you can learn about the benefits of recycling and make a fun game of it, for example which one of you can recycle the most in a week, month or even year. Not only will this provide quality parenting time, it will also educate your children about the importance of protecting the environment, and get them into a habit of doing so as they grow older, and eventually start their own families.

When considering current and future global issues, the key word to ensure a high level of parenting is "involvement". With the constant worries in today’s society, it is easy to forget the fundamentals, and what is equally, if not more important i.e. parenting. By involving your children in issues relating to the both the economy and environment, not only will this assist you in providing a higher standard of parenting, it will also assist you with educating your children about current national and global issues, relevant to their lives.

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles

By Mike Mahler (www.mikemahler.com)

Jon Hinds is a former NBA strength and conditioning coach and is a training consultant for the NFL and MBA. He has trained over one hundred pro athletes and has also worked with renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins (Please don’t hold this one against him In addition an incredibly successful trainer, Jon is an outstanding athlete and some of his personal accomplishments include

• Gold Medallist in the 2000 Pan American Games – Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
• Gold Medallist in the 2001 Rickson Gracie World Championships – Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
• At 6’1” and 215 lbs. could do every dunk imaginable and took his vertical from a modest 25” to 42” in a span of months, hitting his elbow easily on the rim. Still dunking at age 45!
• Did 1,000 push ups in 40 minutes at age 40
• Did 500 push ups in 12 minutes at age 43

Recently I did an interview with Jon to learn more about his incredible training system and how he has produced such incredible results with his clients.

What motivated you to become a trainer 

JH: What motivated me to become a trainer, was having a burning desire to be an athlete myself, having the desire to help others become athletes and my dad, Bobby Hinds who invented excellent products to help me achieve my athletic goals.

Can you describe briefly what the Monkey Bar Gym philosophy is all about?  

JH: or sure, we are all about getting back to the basics of movement (running, jumping, pushing, pulling, reacting, etc) and then progressing them to each persons highest ability. Today I would say 100% of the population has body mis-alignment & pain and about 75% or more of all people lack competence in basic movement skills. So we teach them how to free their body from pain with Eischens Yoga and how to do basics movement skills properly. From there we continually challenge them through the 3 progressions (stability, strength and power) we have to help them to higher and higher levels of performance. Mastering basic movement skills without pain is the goal first and foremost.

What are some of the common mistakes that trainees make with regards to working out?

JH: The main mistakes are going too fast, too furious, too soon. The ego gets in the way of learning or relearning the basic movement skills and the impatience leads to lack of control. Another common mistake is NOT listening to the body in regards to how it feels during and after workouts and before and after eating. The body tells us all the time what we need in order to feel optimal but we don’t always listen to the signs. Are your muscles sore or tight? Do you need to rest or restore? Do you have an upset stomach, or are you fatigued? Did you over eat or are you satisfied? These are all choices we make daily that the body tells us the answers to. If a person checks in to how workouts and eating make them feel they would progress faster in training.

I know that you have helped a lot of people lose a great deal of fat. What is your approach to fat loss training and nutrition?

JH: My approach is simple for both training and nutrition. For training, it’s about progressing skills in stability, endurance, strength and power movements on a continual basis. This challenges trainees to continually adapt which is great for the body and mind. Mondays might be a bodyweight strength/endurance workout; Wednesdays a power workout using Kettlebells or heavy cables and Fridays might be a full metabolic workout with a good mix of bodyweight, kettlebells or sandbags. To counter this, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays we do Functional Interval Training (FIT) in varying intensities. FIT classes/workouts train movement skills in a fashion similar to real life sports, competitions or activities like running sprints, jumping rope, crawling, rolling, again all the basics in movement. We always train to increase the speed and efficiency of movement; there’s no ‘plodding’ at the Monkey Bar Gymnasium. I would rather have a person stop and recover than ever ‘plod’ through a workoutJ The faster pace training (with control) always leads to stronger muscle contractions which leads to fat loss. You don’t see too many sprinters with bellies, but you often see long distance ‘plodders’ with them.

For nutrition, I use a simple plan called the “Hand Plan”. The “Hand Plan” follows simple portion control with a plant based diet. Most people love to eat meat, or believe that you need to eat meat to keep or gain muscle, but I am trying to do and teach what is most healthy for the body and the environment and eating animal products is not the way. So we suggest people eat 90% or more plant based foods. This has proven extremely effective for burning fat as we average 17 pounds of fat loss and 5 pounds of muscle gain in the first 60 days of Monkey Bar Gymnasium training and nutrition. The “Hand Plan” is simple: eat portion sizes that are as big as your open hand, keeping the majority of the plate or bowl green foods. Keep plenty of nuts, seeds and legumes in your intake as well.

Not too long ago you decided to adopt a vegan diet. What were your reasons and how is it working for you?

JH: I have always felt it’s wrong to kill animals to eat or wear for profit but the evidence is so strong against an animal based diet for optimal health it’s amazing. After years of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I developed intense hand pain. I went to doctors in my area who all said that I had arthritis and the only way to get rid of the pain was to have surgery. This was just not an option!! I talked with a good friend of mine, John Allen Mollenhauer about the pain. He asked me what my diet consisted of and when he found out that I ate animal products, he told me to take them out of my diet, suggested I read a book called the “China Study” and told me that my hand pain would be gone in one month! It worked!!! I was astounded to realize that my diet was the cause of my hand pain. So I stayed on the ‘no animal product’ path, but 8 months later I felt very weak. I took my body fat and found out that I actually gained fat and lost an amazing 12 pounds of muscle!! That is when another good friend of mine, youJ, Mike Mahler reminded me that I still need to eat a specific amount of protein. Somehow I had forgotten this rule that I had followed most of my life and I’m guessing that a lot of people moving to a more vegan diet might do the same. Once I began making sure I was getting enough plant protein in the form of lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and plant supplements for my smoothies like Pea, raw Hemp and Rice is when I began to feel amazing and my strength not only recovered but reached all time highs. Americans are sick because of our diets and the manner in which we kill….it is so un-healthy. I am a vegan, to show people how healthy and vibrant you can be without eating an animal based diet.

Do you feel that rubber resistance training is superior to weight training for athletes or should a combination approach utilized?

JH: Rubber resistance training is an excellent tool, but it is a tool, just as weights are. It is all in how you use the resistance. I’ve used our Lifeline (rubber) Cables whole life have helped myself and my clients attain some amazing feats of human performance in running, jumping and pushing and pulling. Feats of which I doubt I could have attained using weights. Without question adapting to different types of training that apply all types of resistance (like horizontal, vertical, dead weight and progressive variable resistance like cables) have tremendous benefit which is why we began using kettlebells at my MBG.

What does your own workout look like right now?

JH: For my own workouts I usually follow our daily workouts for my strength training and that works great! For sure I like to mix in more handstand walking, pole climbs than we might have in class, but in general I follow them exactly which means some kettlebells 1-2 times a week, some pure power training which I am shooting for double snatch with the 44s, some metabolic training which I am always shooting for improving in my 15/15 workouts (which are an amazing strength/power and endurance workout) and lastly I make sure to do some jump training 1-2 x a week. Mix that in with my sprints on the off days and that is it. I always keep an online journal (on my www.monkeybargym.com website) of my workouts to make sure I am constantly improving in all phases of my training.

 Is your training system for serious athletes only or can the everyday person benefit as well? 

JH: That is the beauty of it, all people from all levels of training can take our classes / workouts and be properly challenged by them. I have pro athletes and grandmas follow very similar workouts, it goes back to what I said earlier, we train movements, which everyone needs, and then we progress those movements from whatever level you are at to higher levels of performance. So it makes no difference if you’re a grandma or pro athlete who follows our workouts, they both have a place to start and a higher place to shoot for.

Lets talk about your new DVD series. What inspired you to put it out and how is it different than what is already on the marketplace?

What inspired me was the fact that no one has done it, all people need movement skills to live and survive in our world today but no one has shown people in a step by step manner how to progress running (and jumping rope); jumping - basic squatting to high box jumps; pushing - crawling to handstands; pulling - climbing, rope climbs and more. The DVD’s show people how to simply progress all movement skills from very basic levels (think grandma) to highest levels you can think of (pro athlete). The alignment of each movement skill is shown first and then the 3 progressions of stability, strength and power follow. These DVDs are completely different from any others due to the fact that human performance skills have not been put in a DVD form ever for people to follow and progress to their highest levels of movement skill.

By Dr. John M Berardi, CSCS

Good nutrition, nutrition for optimal body composition (fat loss, muscle gain), optimal health, and optimal performance (sports or everyday) usually requires a move away from the typical North American dietary habits and a move toward more nutritious, physiology-friendly habits.

To shed a little bit of light on what I mean by the typical North American Diet, let’s consider for a moment how the average North American lives each nutritional day.

1. Our typical North American wakes up too close to when they’ve gotta go, leaving little time to prepare, eat, and digest a good meal before work (whether "work" is an office job or it’s training for sport). Also, our typical North American complains that they’re "not hungry" in the morning.
2. Our typical North American opts for scarfing down a quick, fast digesting breakfast that’s low in calories, missing a significant protein portion, low in micronutrients and phytochemicals, low in good fats, and rich in processed, high glycemic index carbohydrates.
3. Our typical North American heads to work relatively poorly fed.
4. Our typical North American is fairly inconsistent with his/her mid-morning snacks. Also, "snack" usually means more processed carbs and sugar without much in the way of fruits and veggies, quality protein, or good fats.
5. Our typical North American, during his/her lunch break, opts for a small amount of protein (a couple of slices of lunch meat and cheese) between a few slices of processed bread. So again, we’re stuck with low protein, low fruit and veggie intake, and very little good fats.
6. Our typical North American is fairly inconsistent with his/her mid-afternoon snacks. Also, "snack" usually means more processed carbs and sugar without much in the way of fruits and veggies, quality protein, or good fats.
7. Assuming dinner is eaten at home, after work, our typical North American has a decent, nutritionally balanced dinner with a good protein source, good carbohydrates, their first larger fruit and veggie portion of the day, and perhaps even some good fats if they’ve included olive oil or other sources of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.
8. After their evening activities, our typical North American is inconsistent with their pre-bed snacks. These snacks, if they do eat them, usually are the worst of the day, consisting of larger servings of sweets or processed foods.

So, what’s wrong with this type of intake?

1. Breakfast has been shown to be a critical daily meal. After a catabolic overnight fast, a balanced breakfast helps to regulate blood sugar, helps to regulate energy balance, and helps to control late-day cravings that lead to overfeeding on processed, high fat, and high sugar foods. In both cases above, breakfast is either a very small feeding or is completely non-existent. This needs to change.
2. The bulk of total dietary energy is distributed later in the day. What this means is that hourly energy balance is hugely negative in the morning, and positive in the evening. Studies at Georgia State University demonstrate that hourly energy balance is at least as important as total daily energy balance and should remain as close to neutral as possible throughout each of the 24 hours. This means a better distribution of calories throughout the entire day – not just loading up on a big dinner.
3. In the case of our example above, by lunch our individual is likely underfed in total and often underfed in protein. As discussed above, energy intake needs to be better distributed through the day.
4. Fruit and veggie intake, as well as protein intake, is very low until dinnertime. Just as total calorie distribution should be spread evenly throughout the day, so should macronutrient (protein, carb, fat) and micronutrient intake.
5. With blood amino acid concentrations low from the overnight fast and continually low throughout the early day (especially if the morning has two training sessions), catabolic conditions will predominate in the body, making recovery from and adaptation to exercise difficult without a higher morning and early afternoon protein intake.
6. Throughout the morning and afternoon, vitamin and mineral intake as well as dietary antioxidant intake is quite low, creating a deficit that’ll be hard to make up later in the day. A fair number of athletes and recreational exercisers have been shown to be deficient in a host of vitamins and minerals, leading to impairments in nervous system function, metabolic processing, and oxygen delivery/consumption. It’s hard to get the requisite amount of vitamins and minerals in only one or two meals. Now, this doesn’t mean that folks should start popping multi-vitamins. It means they need to get more fruits and vegetables as well as other micronutrient dense foods with every feeding, not just with one or two feedings per day.
7. Many individuals who don’t actively pay attention to their protein intake tend to get too little protein for optimal recovery, preservation of lean body mass, and for the metabolic advantages associated with higher protein intake. Even many of the athletes I regularly work with would benefit from a higher protein intake. Now, this doesn’t mean at the expense of good carbs and good fats. It’s in addition to those things. Most folks are getting a good, high protein dinner, but it’s difficult to take in enough total protein in only one or two protein rich meals. (Nor is it advisable.)
8. For both the physically active and even the sedentary individuals discussed above, dietary fat intake is usually out of balance in favor of saturated fat. Without actively choosing foods and supplements that contain mono and polyunsaturated fatty acid, fat balance is unfavorable. In our example above, our typical North American isn’t getting enough good fats.
9. With most of the meals above being rich in simple, processed carbs, the hormone insulin isn’t well-controlled. This means that individuals predisposed to fat gain will have a more difficult time controlling and/or losing body fat, even with higher training volumes.
10. With most of the meals above being rich in simple, low-fiber carbs, not enough dietary fiber is being ingested. This may mean constipation, poor blood sugar regulation, and poor GI health.
11. Our individual above isn’t actively taking advantage of the post-exercise improvement in insulin sensitivity and boost in post-exercise protein synthesis by eating carb and amino acid-rich foods right after exercise (assuming they have exercised).

With all of these dietary limitations, it should be clear that although these individuals aren’t dying of malnutrition, they’re certainly not laying the groundwork for great body composition, health and performance. So let’s talk about how to transition from the average diet to a nutritious one.

• Step 1: Improve Workout and Post-Workout Nutrition
• Step 2: Improving and Scheduling Breakfast Meals
• Step 3: Adding good fats
• Step 4: Improving lunch meals
• Step 5: Improving dinner meals
• Step 6: Increasing veggie (and fruit) intake
• Step 7: Improve snacks.

Hopefully the message of this article has become clear. Whether you’re a high level competitive athlete or just a recreational exerciser, eating like the typical North American is bad, bad news. And despite your exercise habits, eating this way might have you ending up looking more like the typical North American than you want.

To avoid making the same mistakes other North Americans make, it’s important that you view each meal or snack as an opportunity to get a good balance of nutrition. This means making sure each meal has a good protein source, a good fat source, and a good amount of fruits and veggies.

We all want some adventure in our lives and I am no different. Looking for something that was less intensive than training and competing in a BJJ competition but more intensive than a weekend of camping if you know what i mean. Something challenging, something far away, unique, something that not too many others have done…and then i found it:) While reading an adventure magazine recently i came upon a great article that talked about trekking through the Himalayan Mountains of Bhutan, the Snowman Trek! It is 24 days of hiking over 11 peaks of 16,000 feet or more for over 210 miles…this is what i have been looking for, in my eyes it is just amazing!! Getting away from it all, a challenge few have done, something that has history in it as well as this very trek was the trail used by warriors from days long ago to travel through the Himalayan mountains. Not only is this a great adventure but I will be traveling to a place that is still pristine, simple and clean. A place that few westerners have ever seen. I do my best to live a simple life and am really excited to go to a place where the people live simply. This I have looked forward to for a long time and so I signed up right away and have begun my training for it. But living here in Wisconsin how do i prepare for the high altitude training i need as the highest area in Madison might be 100 feet above sea level:) I have a couple ideas and will share them with you over the next two months as i prepare and train.

So i will begin with ‘Snowman Training blog 1:

I’ll call this the Snowman Run, it starts out easy…sort of:) and progressively gets harder and harder. Thought this would be a good match for hiking higher and higher. After a solid warm up i begin with Sprinting (at about 70%)

500 meters - 145 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery
500 meters - 147 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery

500 meters with a 15 pound vest on - 157 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery
500 meters with a 15 pound vest on - 159 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery

500 meters with a 25 pound vest on - 175 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery
500 meters with a 25 pound vest on - 178 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery

500 meters with a 40 pound vest on - 188 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery
500 meters with a 40 pound vest on - 189 strides
then walking about 200 meters recovery

Then running 1 x 500 meters one more time without any load on, this felt great, but still hit me at 300 meters big time:) - 149 strides! While i was running i did my best to keep a specific pace throughout, so i counted my stride count as i did not have a timer set up, and this worked great!  What I really like about counting my strides is that I can tell by the markers on the running lane if I am on target pace or not by my stride count.

In all it took under 30 minutes, kicked my butt and really challenged my conditioning alot. I felt this is definitely a great workout to put in my arsenal for the ‘Snowman Trek’ training.

This workout takes alot of training just to get your body, legs use to the extra load while running which i have done. So unless you have been training with added resistance, I highly recommend not jumping into this workout.

I’ll keep you updated in my "Snowman Trek" training and hope you like the workout and that this might inspire you to also do something amazing yourself:)

Your friend,

Jon Hinds Founder / Owner of Monkey Bar Gymnasium

What’s the Power Wheel Challenge?
Do the Power Wheel crawl 100 yards on a football field without dropping!  Pass the Challenge and Win over $300 in MBG Training DVDs and get listed on our Power Wheel 100 Yards Club!  (*video proof required)

130 yards, Brian Bailey - Strength Coach, Univ. Southern California

100 yards, Jon Hinds - done in 1:37

100 yards, Steve Maxwell - done in 1:45

100 yards, Hadley Hodges - MBG trainer - done in 1:47

80 yards, Jessica Rucker - MBG trainer - would have easily made 100 yards, but turf burned her hands forcing her to stop at 80, she was crusing too! 

100 Yards, Kevin Buckley - Owner of Dynamic Strength and Conditioning- done in 1:19

100 METERS, Pete Brooks- MBG Student - done in 1:00

100 Yards, Lisa Clines - 50 year old, Grandma of 9! -done in 2:34

20 Yards (pulling a 2,600 lb car) Johnny Grube - 155lb Grandfather- done in 25 seconds!

100 Yards, Rob Hudson- Owner of Fitness by Design - done in 1:34

Here is a video of Steve Maxwell doing all 100 yards!  Nice Job Steve!

Kevin Buckley doing 100 yards forward and backward

Lisa Clines - 50 year old, Grandma of 9!

Johnny Grube - 155lb Grandfather

Rob Hudson - Owner of Fitness by Design.  Way to go Rob!

By John Grube

Time and time again you all hear about a new diet or a new piece of exercise equipment that’s going to change the world and it doesn’t happen.

You have been tricked into thinking that you will become healthy and fit by taking the many super supplements on the market today only to be disappointed time and time again.

The reason you have been disappointed time and time again is you won’t and can’t get fit and healthy from any bottle.

You need to stop reading all the research and start using your common sense and eat and train as natural as possible.

If you train and eat as natural as possible your body will repay you in benefits and the benefits are a lean muscular healthy body.

If you feed your body as many natural foods as much as you can you will greatly enhance your lifestyle with a ton of energy, energy that you can use all day long.

The natural way of eating is eating as many raw foods as possible. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and drink as much water as possible.

If you want you can cook your vegetables but eat as raw as possible and eat as much as you want.

If you eat this way through the day you will have the energy that will keep you going for the whole day, for dinner eat some lean protein with more vegetables and drink more
water.

Train as natural as possible using your own bodyweight sprints, swimming, jumping rope, pushups, pullups, squats isometrics etc.

Training and eating as natural as possible way reap huge benefits your body will start to feel better look better and the fat will fall off your body.

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles

What Makes Something Organic?

By Courtney Curtis, About.com

It’s no secret that some of the things we think are good for us actually harbor some very dangerous additives and chemicals. It’s also common knowledge that when something is ‘organic’ its supposed to be better for us, but why exactly? Is there some kind of miracle method out there for farming fruits, vegetables, livestock, and grain?

The answer: yes and no.

Organic Production

Organic production is a very specialized process: so specialized that products must pass specific requirements to earn the ‘organic’ title. In fact, according to USDA standards, which went into effect Oct. 22, 2002, every step of the organic production process is analyzed individually: from how the product is grown, to how it is processed and distributed, making ‘organic’ a select label.

According to the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board, ‘organic’ is a legal, defining term that denotes products manufactured under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are that farmers “use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.”

Whether a product is intended for consumption or not, it must pass the exact same inspection requirements in order to be deemed ‘organic.’ For a product to have organic integrity it must be farmed in a way that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic pesticides and/or fertilizers, and it must also be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, irradiation, sewage sludge, or other excluded practices. More specifically, organic foods should be processed with minimal amounts of artificial ingredients and preservatives so they reach the consumer as naturally as possible.

The big question is, though, how does a consumer recognize an organic product?

USDA Standards

Since the term has so many legal implications, the USDA has designed the “USDA Organic” seal to symbolize organic production as well as very specific guidelines for using the seal. Though manufacturers do not have to specify whether a product is organic or not, they usually choose to do so, in which case the following requirements must be followed:

• Products that are completely organic, containing only organically produced ingredients, may specify “100% Organic” on the label and can carry the “USDA Organic” seal.
• Products that are made from at least 95% organic ingredients and have remaining ingredients allowed for use in organic products may also carry the “USDA Organic” seal.
• Products that contain between 70% and 95% organically produced ingredients may NOT bear the “USDA Organic” seal, but they can list which ingredients are organic on the ingredients listing.

Other Labels

Though guidelines concerning organic production and labeling are very strict, there are some other terms manufacturers apply to products to make them seem healthier or more environmentally-friendly. For example, a product can be considered ‘natural,’ ‘hormone-free,’ ‘free-range,’ or ‘green,’ but none of these terms has anything to do with organic validity. And while all of these qualities are good to look for when comparing similar food or non-food items, they cannot be used interchangeably and shouldn’t be confused.

According to the Organic Trade Association, ‘natural’ typically refers to products that originally came from the earth. For example, cotton comes from plants, and wool comes from sheep; while both can safely be considered ‘natural’ they may or may not be ‘organic’ depending on how they were produced. ‘Green’ apparel or linens, on the other hand, usually refers to fiber that has not been treated with chemical dyes, sizing agents, or other strong chemicals. Labeling a product ‘green,’ however, does not guarantee the crop was grown or produced organically.

Jon’s Workout Blog:

On this last Wednesday we were to do a lot of kettlebell exercises (floor press, renegade rows, front squats and deadlifts). But on this day as on a lot of days I just replaced them with some great bodyweight exercises (heavy push ups, pole vaulters, some d-ball throws, plyo box jumps and cable full extensions). It was a simple 5×5 workout and here is what I did: always like to do the most powerful exercise first, so here it was plyo jumps.

1) Plyo box jumps (with approach steps) Adding in approach jumps is a great alternate exercise for basketball players as we so often do just that when jumping…do an approach jump. So here I added in my Power Jumper (if you don’t know check it out in our store, it is still my favorite invention for improving vertical jump).
1 x 5 x 36" x PJ60 (power jumper with one 60 lb band)
1 x 5 x 36" x PJ60 + 15lb weight vest (like to mix this in sometimes too for fun and variety)
1 x 5 x 42" x PJ60 + 25lb vest
1 x 5 x 42" (no steps)
1 x 5 x 48" (w/approach, landing 2 of 6 clean)

2) Cable Full Extensions: this is a great exercise and done using yoga blocks between your feet and knees makes you really make a clean pulling actions. For this exercise I used a R7 Yellow cable (R7 is a 70 lb cable) and measured my distance from where the cable was attached to the wall onto the train station.
1 x 10 x 10′
1 x 10 x 11′ + 15lb vest
1 x 10 x 12′ + 25lb vest
1 x 10 x 13′ + 25lb vest
1 x 10 x 14′ + 40lb vest
Loved how my whole body felt after this exercise!! Really works the backside of your body great but also opens up the hips properly too!

3) D-ball beam throws: This is an old favorite I use to do when the heaviest thing I had in my gym was the very same 30lb d-ball. Anyways here is what I did, 50 throws to hitting a beam that is 12′ high, doing both 50 pressing throws and 50 underhanded throws. For each of the two exercises if it don’t touch the beam, it doesn’t count:)
So I did 50 push throws and 50 pull throws as fast as possible…very good workout:)
Total time = 6:26

4) Prison Up workout (meaning do 1 rest for 5 count, do 2 rest for 5 count, keep doing this til you cant go any higher. I did this with the 25lb vest on too and it was awesome!!!
A) Kip ups (+25lb vest): 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 = 45 total reps
B) Push ups (+ power push up 80 lbs AND 25lb vest): 1,2,3,4,5,6 = 21

Loved this workout!! It was a lot of fun and mixed in some old school exercises and methods of training. Try them out and tell us how you like them too. And feel free to mix things up yourself with our workouts, after all, this is all about having fun and enjoying life right!!
Stay strong my friends:)

Jon Hinds Founder / Owner of Monkey Bar Gymnasium
NBA Strength Coach, Trainer to 100s of Pro Athletes

Send Page To a Friend   |

Go here to check out more articles