3 simple reasons to perform strength training first

 I am often asked, “Should I lift weights first or do my cardio first?”.

My recomendation is to do your strength training first, and here is why. First, Strength-training demands higher amounts of glycogen utilization. By strength training before cardio, you are allowing your body to burn more glycogen (carbohydrates stored in your muscles). This now allows your body to utilize higher percentages of fat earlier in your cardio workout and results in more efficient fat burning.

Secondly, Intense resistance training requires glycogen to be available to fuel your workout. If cardio is performed first, you may find yourself fatigued early into your strength workout due to depleted glycogen levels. This will compromise your performance and ultimately your results.

Finally, Strength training builds ”A 24/7  Calorie Burning Furnace” also know as muscle.  Nothing effects calorie burning more than the amount of muscle you carry. So don’t compromise your strength training by depleting your fuel sources.

So, ladies, because this normally applies to you more than men, the next time you workout please consider doing weight training before you run off to the group fitness class.  Trust me,your body will thank you.

Healthy alternatives

So, if you are like me, you love Italian food.  Well, you can still enjoy the greatness of Italian without all of the fat and guilt. 

I recently made a lasagna for my family.  Everyone, including my 2 year old ate it and loved it.  Do these simple replacements and you may find how much you love healthy eating also.

Whole wheat lasagna instead of white pasta

93% or 99% lean Ground turkey instead of beef

Fat Free Mozzarella, Ricotta and Parmesan Cheeses instead of whole fat cheeses

The rest is up to you to add the vegetables, spices and sauce that you love!  Mangia!!

 

What is a diet?

Okay, so another question that is often posed to me is, “What is the best diet?’.  Or, “what is the best diet pill/fat burner?”.  Well, let’s begin by first understanding the true definition of the word diet.  A diet means, “what a person or animal eats: the food that a person or animal usually consumes.”  Did that definition sink if with you, if not, then please reread it before continuing to read this blog.

A diet is not something that is temporary.  A diet is how we eat everyday.  Your daily food consumption is your diet.  If you wish to lose weight and change your body, then you must make  a lifestyle change.  A lifestyle change means eating 5-6 small meals per day as compared to the one to two large meals that most Americans eat.  A lifestyle change means switching from white bread to whole wheat bread, using fat-free milk instead of to whole fat milk; eating raw or steamed vegetables in place of canned or heavily sauced vegetables.  Starting to get the picture?  IF you make these changes, they are not temporary fixes that last only a month or two, they should be permanent, and allow you to eat, feel healthy and not stress about what is or isn’t on your ” diet”.

Now as for the second question…best diet pill/fat burner.  Well, reread the above and there will be no need for a diet pill.  Remember, healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week not 25  like you may see on the Biggest Loser.  Come on now, if I put any of you into a vacuum with trainers, dieticians,  and chefs, I am quite certain all of you would lose weight.  The purpose of healthy weight loss; however, is to take it off and keep it off.  Pay attention to past Biggest Loser competitors, and you will see that most have regained  a good portion of the weight they lost.

Well, there is my rant for today.  Keep it simple and make consistently healthy choices  and you too will get healthier and feel better without resorting to diet pills or temporary fixes.  Remember to contact me if you have any questions, need advice or want a pep talk!!

Vicky’s Daily Routine

So, many of you have always asked what to do I eat everyday?  How do I stay in shape?  Well, let me tell you what a typical day of eating is for me.  Breakfast:  egg white omelette with 1 slice of fat free or low fat cheese and 1 slice of turkey.  2/3 cup of cream of wheat with strawberries and blueberries.  28 oz of tea and 20 oz of water. 

I try to work out 2 hours after breakfast.   Depending upon the day, I either do a weight routine followed by 20-30 min. cardio, or I do 30-40 min of cardio only.  After I workout, I have protein shake with a whole wheat or multi-grain bagel.  I put organic peanut butter on the bagel along with a tablespoon of low sugar grape jelly.  I also have another 20 oz of water.

I am usually hungry a couple hours later, so I will have a Clif bar with 16 oz of skim milk.  Or, I will eat a Chobani Vanilla yogurt and a banana.   By now, normally both of my girls have finished their naps; so, we will go outside and play for awhile until it is time for me to  cook dinner.

Dinner always has a salad with it.  I make my own homemade dressing everytime I make a salad.  I don’t eat any red meat or pork, so I always have either chicken, ground turkey or fish for dinner.  I always accompany it with some carb, either roasted sweet potatoes, a plain baked potato or brown rice with mixed vegetables.  Again, I drink 20 oz of water.

I am always hungry at night a few hours after dinner.  So, I will typically have a bowl of cereal…Grape Nut Flakes, Cheerios, or Shredded Wheat before heading off to bed.   Oh, I also have another 20 oz of water before heading off to bed.

Occasionally, an additional meal is thrown in, but this gives you an idea of what a typcial day is for me.  Have any questions, want any advice on how to improve your daily eating habits, please feel free to contact me!

 

 

 

Pregnant and Fit

Pregnant and Fit

Vicky Tringali M.S.

So, you just got the good news from your doctor; or maybe like the majority of us, you got the good news from your home pregnancy test. However you learned you about your pregnancy; the bottom line is you have to care for two lives now. What does this mean? Does this mean you should sit around for the next 40 weeks and eat whatever you want? Because after all, you are eating for two, right? Wrong!

One of the biggest misconceptions women make with regards to their pregnancy is believing they can eat whatever they want because they are eating for two people. The truth is, the average woman only needs an additional 300 calories per day to receive adequate nutrition for her and her baby. An extra 300 calories is the equivalent of a sandwich. An extra 300 and not 3000 calories will prevent you from gaining excessive amounts of weight. Excessive weight gain is not only hard on an expectant mother, but it is also hard on a fetus.

With regards to your food intake, rather than eat three large meals per day, eat five to six small meals. If you allow yourself to eat every three to four hours, you will also find that signs and symptoms of morning sickness tend to diminish as well. Normally, feelings of nausea are a result of low glucose levels. If you eat every three to four hours, you will prevent these levels from dropping too low, and you will not have morning sickness. Trust me, I am pregnant now with our second child, and I once again do not have morning sickness or cravings.

Proper nutrition is not the only way to have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Exercise is also key to a healthy pregnancy. Studies have shown that women who exercise during pregnancy have a calmer, more focused baby post delivery. This does not mean you should decide to start training for a marathon or triathlon now that you are pregnant, but you should do some form of exercise everyday if you feel up to it. Thirty minutes of light to moderate exercise, everyday, will help relieve stress in your life, as well as, make it easier for you to sleep at night. If you are a woman who enjoys lifting weights, you can continue to strength train as well. As long as you can talk while performing your exercise, you are not over doing it. As always, you should check with your health care provider before engaging in any physical activity, but please do not feel you have to restrict yourself. As your pregnancy progresses, you will have to modify your exercise positions, but you will not have to stop them. With my first child, I taught fitness classes, lifted weights , and used the elliptical trainer everyday for 45 minutes until the week I gave birth.

If you are as blessed as I am and you are pregnant, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want suggestions on how to make your pregnancy easier, without excessive weight gain and with comfortable relaxing sleep.

The 19th Hole…The Gym

 

    By Victor Tringali B.S., C.S.C.S.

Golf skills are the most important aspect of golf, but in order to reach optimum performance you will need to include strength training.

Hours at the driving range will not develop muscular strength, power or endurance, however, a properly designed and executed strength training program will.  Golf-specific strength training has helped golfers from novice to professional lower their handicaps, increase driving distance and reduce injuries.

My golf-specific program consists of  5 key components

1. Developing core strength –Core strength will help you maintain proper body alignment throughout the swing and reduce or prevent lower back strain and overuse injuries.

2. Developing power in the legs and hips–Power in the golf swing is generated mainly from the hips and legs and is transferred to the upper body and finally to the golf club. More power results in more club head speed and greater driving distance.

3. Developing rotational power– Power is generated from the hips and legs, however, a golfer requires power through a specific plane of movement.  The focus in training is through rotational movement that simulates the golf swing.

4. Developing flexibility in the hips and hamstrings–  Flexibility of these muscle groups helps reduce strain and fatigue of the lower back , aids in prevention of overuse injury, and allows for proper rotation during the golf swing.

5. Developing upper body strength and endurance–Upper body strength will help you generate more club speed and increase driving distance.  Endurance is critical to maintaining skill level throughout the game. When fatigued, a golfer will tend to lose mental focus and and commit unwanted errors in his swing.

The days of simply playing and practicing are long gone. Today’s best golfers dedicate themselves to their strength training program to improve their game. If you want to be the best golfer YOU can be, spend some time in the gym and save a few strokes on the course.