My Experience: There comes a point when you really start to understand your body.  When I initially started working out the goal was to focus on weight loss through a proper diet.  I went to a nutritionist who put me on a Low Carb, low to no – sugar diet. The diet is designed as a lifestyle change more than a quick weight loss program.  You eat 5 times a day every 2 to 3 hours and drinking 2 liters of water per day.

I think in my life I have had this diet structure explained to me a few hundred time with my opening question being, “so how do you stay so lean” I guess I was looking for a different answer but the truth is that without the proper diet, and structure you will not get the results you are looking for.  The good news is that it’s a simple weight loss diet program that gets a little boring but yields great results.

Lets discus 5 times a day, I’m actually eating more than that but most of the time I am “grazing” on snacks.  My diet worked as such:

8:00 am – (Post workout) Bowl of Cheerios with Non-Fat milk (today I use the Whey Protein in water instead of milk)

10:00 am – An apple, a few almonds, soda crackers, oatmeal cookie (no –sugar)

12:00 pm – Turkey Sandwich, no Mayo, wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, pickles, sprouts / chicken or fish with steamed veggies / chicken or tuna salad (no olive oil) vinegar only.

2:30 pm – An apple, a few almonds, soda crackers, oatmeal cookie (no –sugar)

5:00 pm – Chicken or fish with steamed veggies / chicken or tuna salad (no olive oil) vinegar only.

7:00 pm – An apple, a few almonds, soda crackers

There are variations of snacks and meal plans like the South Beach Diet which allows you to be more creative with your meal plans but as a single guy working full time I needed an easy way to take the guess work out of the process.  You will be hungry all the time so make sure you have those snacks handy, if you’re drinking of water and I drink coffee that also helps tremendously curbing the appetite.

You are going to cheat, I cheated, the most important thing is to enjoy that moment, pick yourself up dust yourself off and get back to your program.  It took me 6 months this last time to get to the point where now I am increasing Carb intake in order to put muscle on, cut back on cardio, increased the weight training and getting plenty of rest so relax it’s not forever once you get to a certain point the diet becomes more relaxed and so long as you continue working out you will burn it all off!

by Omar Pinto

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A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fibre. It must contain these things in the correct proportions.

Index

Carbohydrates: these provide a source of energy.

Proteins: these provide a source of materials for growth and repair.

Fats: these provide a source of energy and contain fat soluble vitamins.

Vitamins: these are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy.

Mineral Salts: these are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc..

Fibre: this is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested.

Balanced Diets: we must have the above items in the correct proportions

My Experience – Initially I was very intimidated by this class because of the many different moves and the speed at which the students were moving. It is very well choreographed and everyone is in sync with the instructor.  In the gym I go to there are more woman then men in the class and I did not want look ridiculous in front of the ladies.

“Humility is the key to maturity and personal growth without it you sit on the sidelines and watch those around you accomplishing your goals.”

I swallowed my pride and started taking the classes. At first it felt awkward and intimidating but after a few classes I started to remember the steps, the kicks, the moves my level of intensity increased and before I know it I was unleashing a furry of endorphins, increasing my endurance and metabolic rate and burning 450 – 500 calories per class.

I credit my current dramatic weight loss gains to the Body Combat and Cardio Boxing classes. I take classes 2 days a week combined with my weight training…I absolutely love those classes.  For those of you who have been working out for a period of time and have plateaued in their weight loss goals I would highly recommend them to anyone. They will kick start their metabolism again and dramatically break through your plateau. It’s the most exhilarating class you will ever take.

by Omar Pinto

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About Body Combat

Body Combat is the empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed. This fiercely energetic program is inspired by martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as Karate, boxing, Taekwondo, Tai Chi and Muay Thai. This high intensity workout is driven by a great music soundtrack and powerful role model instructors who strike, punch and kick your way through calories to superior cardio fitness.

Body Combat is a non-combat, martial arts-based fitness program with moves drawn from Karate, Tae Kwan Do, Kung Fu, kickboxing, Muay Thai and Tai Chi.  Each 55-minute class is choreographed to 10 tracks of the latest music, providing an exhilarating exercise experience that delivers ultra-fast fitness results.

The Benefits of Body Combat

• Improves heart and lung function and reduces the risk of heart disease
• Tones and shapes key muscle groups
• Burns 500+ calories for a leaner body
• Improves co-ordination and agility
• Improves bone density
• Improves posture and core strength and stability
• Builds self-confidence

My Experience – I have practiced different types of Yoga including Bikram (hot yoga) and Anusara (Vinyasa-Style) also hot yoga where you are in a room with a temperature of 32 – 38 ° C.  Vinyasa-style works best for me and though it is challenging and there are many poses that I am still unable to perform I continue to take classes because the after effects are incredible.

The spirit, mind and body work together in this process and because of all of the weightlifting, sitting at a desk and working on the computer all day I have knots, tightened muscles, stiff neck, etc.  Hot Vinyasa Style Yoga really helps stretch my back, create more flexibility and relax my muscles.  After each class I feel peaceful and reinvigorated.  I do not practice as much as I would like to but I am grateful to have been introduced to Yoga from my friends and I am now benefiting by its healing element.

by Omar Pinto

About Yoga

The word yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.

Yoga teachers will often refer to “your practice,” which means your individual experience with yoga as it develops over time. The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice is always evolving and changing, so it never gets boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relationship to them will. Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don’t feel like you are very flexible or very strong. These things will develop over time. Another great thing about thinking about “your practice” is that it encourages the noncompetitive spirit of yoga. One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day.

In addition to practicing the poses, yoga classes may also include instruction on breathing, call and response chanting, meditation, or an inspirational reading by the teacher. The variety and amount of this will depend on the individual teacher and the yoga tradition in which he or she has trained. Typically, a yoga class at a gym will be more focused on the purely physical benefits of yoga, while one at a yoga center may delve more into the spiritual side. Some people find that the physical practice of yoga becomes a gateway into a spiritual exploration, while others just enjoy a wonderful low-impact workout that makes them feel great. Whatever your tendency, you will be able to find a yoga class that suits your style.

Healthy Eating 

Tips for a Healthy Diet and Better Nutrition

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.

Choose the types of foods that improve your health and avoid the types of foods that raise your risk for such illnesses as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Expand your range of healthy choices to include a wide variety of delicious foods.  Learn to use guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy Eating: Strategies for a healthy diet

Here are some tips for how to choose foods that improve your health and avoid foods that raise your risk for illnesses while creating a diet plan that works for you.

Big picture strategies for healthy eating

Eat enough calories but not too many. Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don’t eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.

Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don’t normally eat.

Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce

Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. A majority of Americans go through life dehydrated.

Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products.   Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products.   Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!

Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.

One step at a time. Establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time

 Source

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My Experience – I was fortunate enough to have a good friend of mine whose life was dedicated to body building and healthy diet.  I told him that I was going to my 20yr class reunion and I wanted to get ripped!  It was a month and a half away so I was half way joking especially since I was a good 20 lbs and sitting at 23% body fat.

However he looked at me and said if you do exactly as I tell you, we’ll get you as close as possible.  He showed me proper form, weight size selection, a variety of weight lifting routines designed to sculpt the different muscle groups and gave me a diet and supplement program to strip the fat.

I dropped 15 lbs and dropped to 18% body fat.  I looked great for my reunion.  What I discovered is that if I would have not asked for help my efforts would have not yielded the results I achieved in such a short amount of time.  He would call me in the mornings and check to see how my workout went that day and at night he would call to make sure I was not cheating on the diet.  If you can afford to hire a personal trainer than I suggest you follow the suggestions above and pick the one that is right for you.  If you have a friend who looks the way you would like ask them to help you train and ask them about their diet.

By Omar Pinto

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If you want to lose weight, get healthy and/or build muscle, hiring a personal trainer can be a step in the right direction. A good trainer can help you set up a program that meets your goals and teach you the best way to exercise. Here’s what you should know before you hand over the cash.

What is a Personal Trainer?

A personal trainer should be, at the least, educated and certified through a reputable fitness organization. This person’s job is to assess your fitness level, set up a program for you and keep you motivated.  He or she will push you past your comfort level, something difficult to do on your own.

A trainer also provides:

• guidance on reaching your goals
• education about strength training, cardio and basic nutrition
• a reason to show up at the gym each week
• accountability
• ways to help track your progress

What is a Session Like?

Each session lasts about an hour. The first meeting is devoted to assessing fitness level, body measurements, exercise and health history and goals. Be prepared to step on the scale, have your body fat tested and answer specific questions about your goals. After that, you’ll spend most of your time on strength training and cardio.

What to Look for In a Personal Trainer

• Education: A personal trainer should be certified through a reputable personal training organization. An exercise science or other related college degree isn’t necessary, but the more education your trainer has, the better your workouts will be.
  
• Experience: Make sure your trainer has several years of experience, especially in relation to your goals. For example, if you’re a bodybuilder, you want someone knowledgeable in that area.
  
• Specifics: If you have a specific medical problem, injury or condition (such as being pregnant, heart problems, diabetes, etc.) make sure your trainer has education in these areas and will work with your doctor.
  
• A good listener: A good trainer will listen closely to what you say and make sure he understands your goals.
  
• Attention: A good trainer will be focused only on you during your sessions.
  
• Tracking progress: A good trainer will regularly assess your progress and change things if necessary.

Personality is important too since you’ll be working very closely with this person. Make sure you get along with your trainer and feel comfortable asking questions.

How to Find a Personal Trainer

One place to look is your local gym. Most gyms have personal trainers on staff and offer attractive packages for personal training. You can also look in your yellow pages, use a Personal Trainer Finder or search for personal training studios in your area to find a trainer. The cost will vary depending on where you live and your trainer’s experience and education. Typically, the cost will be anywhere from $30 to $70 a session.

At some clubs, you may get assigned a trainer. However, one of my readers sent me these tips for doing a bit of investigation before you take the plunge:

• Get a referral from a friend who’s had success in reaching their goals with a personal trainer
  
• When you’re at the gym, watch trainers with their clients and see how they interact. Make a note of trainers who get along with their clients and seem fully involved in their workouts…that may be a good one to choose.
  
• If you do get assigned to a trainer, make sure you tell the manager if you’d prefer a male trainer over a female trainer or vice versa, or if there’s anything special you’d like to work on (getting in shape before pregnancy, getting ready for a marathon, etc.) so you’ll get a trainer with experience in that area.Read on to learn more about warning flags you’ve chosen the wrong trainer.

Like all professions, personal training has its share of losers. But, just because you’re assigned to one trainer doesn’t mean you can’t work with someone else. It may be a personality conflict or you may wonder if you’re getting the best advice. Either way, here are some warning flags that it’s time to switch.

Warning Flags

Beware if your trainer does any of the following

• Ignores or dismisses your questions
  
• Works you so hard you’re in pain for days. Soreness is normal, but you should still be able to get out of bed
  
• Neglects any part of a complete program or recommends a level of training that’s too hard for you
  
• Recommends questionable supplements or herbs. Always talk to your doctor before taking anything!
  
• Diagnoses injuries or illnesses instead of referring you to a doctor
  
• Interrupts your session to talk to friends or take phone calls (unless it’s an emergency or can’t be avoided)
  
• Doesn’t return phone calls or emails

A personal trainer should watch you, correct your alignment, and explain what you’re doing and why. If you’re having problems, talk to them–they may not be aware there’s a problem. Another option is to talk to the manager or terminate your sessions and look for a different trainer. It’s your money and your body…you have a right to get what you want and a good trainer will understand that.

How to Help Your Trainer

You can help your trainer do a better job by being a good client.

• Save the chit-chat for after your session.
• Be prepared by bringing your own towel and a full water bottle.
• Give at LEAST 24 hour notice if you need to cancel or reschedule
• If you have questions, write them down and bring them to your session–you’ll spend less time talking and more time working out.
• If you have a problem with your trainer, address it immediately.
• Don’t interrupt your trainer when she’s with a client. Wait until she’s finished before approaching her.
• Recognize that your trainer is there to guide you–but YOU still have to do the work!

Carbohydrate (meaning “carbon plus water”) is the most widely eaten food in the world. Along with fat and protein, carbohydrate is an essential nutrient, but what makes carbs different is that they are easily converted to energy by the body. Also, glucose, the simplest carbohydrate, is essential fuel for the brain. Any healthy diet must include carbohydrates.

Choose Good Carb Foods

1. Fruit & Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are generally low in calories and packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. This means they are a healthy addition to any diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Studies show that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk for heart disease and some cancers. For optimum nutrition, eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day – fresh, canned, frozen or cooked.

2. Whole Grains

This group includes pasta, rice and noodles – the starchy carbohydrates – your body’s main source of energy. All these foods begin life as a grain, such as wheat, rye, corn, rice or barley. Potatoes and grains are very healthy and filling, but for optimum health and glycemic benefits choose unrefined whole grain versions of these foods over refined versions.

Unrefined carbohydrates are medium-calorie and because they contain the whole grain, including the bran and the germ, they’re higher in fiber and keep you feeling fuller for longer – great if you’re trying to reduce weight. Examples include basmati or brown rice, Uncle Ben’s Converted long grain rice, wholegrain bread, porridge oats, and whole-wheat pasta.

Curiously, the leanest and longest living people in the industrialized world are the Japanese whose diet contains regular amounts of these healthy wholegrain carbohydrates.

Source

My Experience – When I was 40 lbs over weight and starting from square one of my diet and exercise program I needed to strip a lot of the carbs out of my diet.  It absolutely worked for me, I would eat oatmeal or a high fiber cereal with non fat, lactose free milk for breakfast and a turkey sandwich with alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, tomatoe and mustard on whole wheat square bread and snacked on apples and whole wheat soda crackers when the hunger kicked in.  After 4 pm I was done with carbs dinner was protein and veggies.

I would work out early in the morning on an empty stomach and drank lots of water through out the day.  This stage depending on your weight could last 2 – 4 months.  Once your metabolism kicks in and you begin to excel in your weight training you will feel the loss of energy in the gym and that is when you need to re-introduce carbs more heavily into your diet you will need for fuel throughout your day.  If you are falling asleep at work or need to take naps your blood sugar is low and needs a boost.

You will start to get to know your body inside and out within the first 6 months of working out.  Today I have to be eating carbs all day until 6pm or 7pm pastas, whole grain rice, whole grain breads, lots of fruits and veggies all day long because my body consumes so much of it.

By Omar Pinto

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Body Pump is the original barbell class that strengthens your entire body.  It is a 60-minute workout class that challenges all your major muscle groups by using the best weight-room exercises like squats, presses, lifts and curls. It is fast paced and set to music, the instructor’s workout with you and show you the proper form in order to prevent injury.  You choose your weight to properly acclimate to the class.

Body Pump is a fast way to shape up and lose body fat. It’s a toning and conditioning class with weights and is for just about everybody who wants to add strength training into their aerobic workout. The simplicity of the class makes it a great starting point to develop strength and confidence for beginners to weight training. In class you will use a step platform, a bar bell and a set of weights. 

If you’re new to weights-resistance exercise or you’re out of shape, you should start with light weights.  After a few classes you will be able to choose the right weight for you increasing and decreasing as necessary.

Benefits of Body Pump Class

• Burn up to 600 calories per class for fat loss
• Improve your strength
• Shape and tone your muscles
• Improve your bone density

My Experience – I started taking Body Pump when I was first getting back into the gym and I was doing more cardio than weights.  I was doing more cardio because I was a little intimidated about weight training and had lost my way around the weight room.  After a few classes I quickly picked my form back up and began remembering my old weight lifting routines. 

The best part is the intensity of the class and the circuit training element to the class.  I was burning a lot of calories and coming out of each class with a great all over body pump in my muscles.  I would highly recommend this class for everyone, it really is a total body work out and for woman who are intimidated by the weight room this will cure your fears and give confidence to workout with the big boys.

by Omar Pinto

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