Is it all just made for T.V.? This question hit me when I was watching the end of “The Hills,” a popular MTV reality show. For years people believed they were watching the real life of highly privileged kids. In the end, there were questions about whether the whole thing was staged by producers.  But did it matter? Millions of people watched, talked and tweeted about the goings-on of The Hills. Most people bought it as “reality” and now the show is off the air.

The Hills model for success was broadcasting to the world the extraordinary lives of privileged California kids. Those watching coveted the lifestyle these kids lived and wanted to know what it would be like.

Is the same model being used to sell you a supplement, exercise program or weight loss fad that promises you the body of a male or female supermodel? The “real” testimonials allow you for a moment to feel what it would be like to achieve the body of a supermodel, e.g. Brazilian Butt Lift, Shake Weight, Cortislim. Their reality is sold to you as your potential reality. You buy because you covet the body, energy, and lifestyle that is being portrayed.

Then the product is delivered, unveiled and used a few times, only for you to find out that what was pictured as reality on T.V. wasn’t reality at all.

There are hundreds of thousands of weight loss and diet companies broadcasting these messages.  They know consumers will covet the lives and appearance of their clients/models.

To answer the initial question: the weight loss and diet industry isn’t all made for T.V. — but a huge chunk of it is.

Tune in for future posts about how to sift through the marketing and find a weight loss program that will work with you to get you to your ideal shape.

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Image courtesy of freeimages.co.uk

Q: I regularly do weights for my upper body, but I recently had surgery for a cyst removal in my shoulder. Now I have lost all strength on that side—arm, shoulder, etc. What can I do to help this recovery to get back to doing light weights? I am 50 and find it harder as I get older. – Greg

A: Please note: I’m not a physical therapist, so I’m not prescribing exercises for specific injuries. Rather, the following are great tips for anyone starting, or restarting, a new weight training routine. When lifting, you should always be conscious of what your body can handle—that applies to everyone whether injured or not.

When injury, illness or other life events force us to shelve our fitness routine, it’s tough to get back on track. And doesn’t this setback always seem to strike right after we’ve hit a huge fitness milestone?

Ryan Sullivan, founder of the No More Bacon blog, was about 135 days into a revolutionary new weight loss regimen and he was achieving incredible successes. Then, it was discovered that he had four hernias and needed an emergency operation. He was unable to exercise for several weeks. When he recovered, he said it felt like he was back at Day One. Yet in the aftermath of this major setback, Ryan regained strength and focus, and today has lost over 100 pounds. I commend you, too, for getting back to your fitness routine after your surgery!

Ryan offers some great tips for “committing to recommit.”

Regain Muscle After Injury or Illness

It’s vital for individuals over 30 to keep up with their strength training, because aging diminishes muscle mass at a rate of 0.5-1% of loss per year. Muscle loss, or atrophy, occurs even more rapidly when illness and injury prevent you from using certain muscles.

When working to repair your health and regain muscle, take a two-pronged approach: focus on both exercise and nutrition.

Resistance Training

(These lifting exercises are for targeting the upper body. For lower body workouts, read this post.)

Compound movements are a great way to strengthen your upper body. Rather than doing a simple bicep curl, for example, choose an exercise that targets your shoulders, arms and back. Here are a few compound exercises to cover your whole upper body:

• Flys and Rows: work triceps, shoulders and core.
  • Dumbbell Bent Over Fly
  • Bent Over Barbell Row
• Overhead Presses: work shoulders, back, arms and core.
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Pullovers: work shoulders, arms and core. (When you’re stronger, advance to this.)
  • Dumbbell Pullover to Crunch

Remember: Start light and stay in tune with your body; you’ll know when you’re ready to lift heavier. I’d suggest starting with free weights instead of loading up a bar, so you can go lighter on your recovering side—or focus only on your recovering side for now.

Nutrition

Before you start lifting, you need to send ample energy to your muscles. Pre-exercise nutrition—using the right carb-to-protein mix at the right time—is key.

You should also use a protein supplement after your workout to help your muscles recover. That can be a protein shake, protein bar or combination of other healthy sources (milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats). According to Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training, you really don’t need more than 20 grams of protein to get that repair ball rolling.

You should also be taking dietary supplements to fortify your health and facilitate your body’s ability to recover. By supplements, I mean crucial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Be Patient with Your Body

Certified Personal Trainer Skyler Meine instructs his clients to track results. But use the results to monitor your progress and tailor your program, not to get caught up in the numbers. Don’t compare your ability to anyone else’s, or to what it used to be. It will take time to get your strength back.

Be patient and kind to your body, especially when recovering from an injury. You don’t want to aggravate the injury and thus push you further away from your goals. The same goes for anyone starting a new regimen: start slow and build up your strength.

Just like a watched pot never boils… if you can learn to enjoy the journey to strength rather than obsessing over the end result, you’ll reach your goals much faster.

Keep us posted Greg!

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Q: What does it mean if I am getting charley horses all the time in my legs and feet… especially at night when I am in bed? What can I do to help not get them as much? Or as bad? – Samantha

A: There’s a lot of debate about what causes “charley horses,” or muscle cramps. According to an ABC News report, the medical world can’t pinpoint exactly why they strike out of the blue, why some people get them more than others, and why these sudden spasms usually occur in the legs and feet.

Though muscle cramping isn’t believed to be a serious condition, it is painful and inconvenient, especially when it wakes you up mid-slumber!

Most experts have chalked muscle cramping up to these factors:

• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
• Muscle overexertion
• Cramp-inducing blood pressure and diabetes medications
• Sitting in one position too long

There’s no instant cure for charley horses, but stretching and massaging the muscle usually helps to relieve the pain. When massaging, it’s best to rub in the direction of the muscle fibers. So, if you get a charley horse in your calf, rub from your knee down to your heel, not sideways across the calf. Moving around and soaking in a warm bath are other ways to increase circulation and help relax the contracted muscle. You may want to warm the muscle up this way before attempting to stretch it out.

Can Muscle Cramps Be Prevented?

Based on the suspected charley horse culprits, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of muscle cramping.

STAY HYDRATED—You should be drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, and staying hydrated through your workouts. Having a glass of water before bed may help, too. Here are some good hydration rules.

TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN—Incorporating supplements into your diet will help with certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which are a suspected factor in muscle cramping. Some experts have pointed to a lack of potassium specifically, and bananas can take care of that.

EXERCISE SMARTLY—It’s important to be patient and sensible with your body: if you over-exercise, skip your warm-ups or overload your muscles, you could be at greater risk for muscle cramping. More on muscle care below!

Show Your Muscles Some Love

Working out at a level of fitness that is too advanced, or progressing in your regimen too quickly, could be one cause of your muscle contractions. In addition to overexertion in exercise, not properly warming up and cooling down could be contributors. If you’re getting muscle cramping, it may be a sign that you’re not overloading your muscles.

People often neglect to think about their muscle health, but it’s really important. We tend to get bored/impatient/short on time, and skimp on our warm up and cool down times. This leads to decreased muscle quality, pain, and a high risk of injury. So make sure you’re warming up your muscles before a workout, especially if you’ll be doing strength training, sports or rigorous exercise. Light cardio or active stretching should do the trick.

Post-workout stretching will help release your muscles so they don’t stay tight. Try holding each stretch for at least a minute: breathe deeply, relax and, after 30 seconds, go deeper into the stretch for another 30 seconds. Think of proper muscle care as an integral part of your workout and allow plenty of time for it. The more time you spend, the more you’ll increase flexibility and range of motion, improving your overall fitness results.

Foam Rolling is a wonderful way to release muscles before and after a workout (it’s kind of like a mini massage). The foam roller is especially good for your glutes, quads and calves—common charley horse spots. Watch a demonstration of how to use a foam roller for each muscle area here.

Most gyms have foam rollers that you can use, and you can also purchase an inexpensive, high-quality Myofascial Release Roller from IdealShape. Spend 5-10 minutes massaging your muscles with a foam roller and you will be able to recover more quickly from your workouts, as well as prevent soreness and injuries.

Has anyone else found a way to deal with charley horses, or identified what causes them for you?

Tone Your Muscles without Bulking Up

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Speed Up Muscle Recovery with a Protein Shake

Q: OK so I have been running 4-6 miles on the stair-master, cross-trainer or treadmill 4-5 times a week. And taking one hour classes (weight training, cycling,  kickboxing, or machines) about 4 times a week. I eat my normal diet, that hasn’t changed much, but I am a vegetarian and it is semi healthy…  with a little oil, sufficient carbs and lots of greens.

I have been doing this for the last 5 months. Initially, I lost some weight, but lately the scale says that I gained weight. I assume that could be muscle, however, my inches are no longer going down, nor does it seem like my body is losing anything anywhere anymore…

I just finished medical school (I know, I should be able to answer my own question then =) ). So my life outside of the gym consists of stress and sitting in front of the books for 14 hours studying for the boards… Obviously I was initially doing something right so my diet cannot be the sole reason. So what am I doing wrong and what should I do differently? – Megha

A: Kudos for finding the time to work out so diligently and for being determined in your goals. Don’t get discouraged! There are many factors involved in fitness. That means we’re required to try lots of things as we get to know our bodies and discover what will create optimal results for us.

Weight loss plateaus are common, too: the body is so smart that it adapts quickly in order to conserve energy. But to lose excess fat, we want it to burn energy. The key is to keep the body off balance. So while you may not be doing anything wrong, it’s probably time to switch up your routine.

Let’s first look at what you’re eating, and then we’ll point you to some great resources on this site for maximizing fitness results.

WHAT TO EAT (AND WHAT NOT TO!)

Essentially, you should be eating plentiful fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich low-fat dairy, whole grains, and—in your case, as a vegetarian—ample non-meat sources of protein. Make sure to incorporate a variety of foods in your diet. Here are some basic guidelines for the three major dietary nutrients:

Protein

Protein is fundamental for keeping—and building—lean muscle mass. It will increase your metabolism as well as make your workouts more effective, so you’ll burn more fat. (By the way, you are right to ask whether your increased weight could be muscle gain. Don’t put too much emphasis on what the scale says.) While trying to gain muscle, you should eat more than the average RDI. Whey protein and soy protein (which can be found in powder form) are great sources of protein, as are nuts and eggs. You can also time your protein and carb intake to maximize workout results.

Carbohydrates

By reducing your carbohydrate intake, your body will turn to fat for fuel and start burning it up. But don’t cut carbs completely; it’s still needed for extra energy, and you don’t want your body to go after your muscle instead. So, on the days that you do high-intensity workouts, include more carbohydrates in your diet. On your steady state cardio days, have a low carb intake. And on your days off—those all-important recovery days—skip carbs completely.

Many of your non-meat (plant) protein sources also have extra carbohydrate content (lentils, beans), which is something to be aware of. Still, these are a better source of carbs than starchy carbohydrates without any protein, such as pasta, bread and rice.

Fats

Believe it or not, you won’t want to cut fat completely out of your diet. It, too, supplies your body with needed energy. You will of course want to stick to the healthy, fat-containing foods: low-fat milk products, legumes, and oils (canola, corn, soy bean and olive). Some good sources of unsaturated fat: avocados, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) and seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin).

Weight Loss Villains

Avoid these ingredients in your diet:

• Sodium
• Caloric sweeteners (added sugar and artificial sweeteners)
• Saturated fat (whole milk, cheese, ice cream)
• Trans fat (cookies, crackers, chips and other commercial baked goods)

WHEN TO EAT

This is almost as important as what you eat! We recommend eating 5-6 small nutritious meals throughout the day, as opposed to 2-3 large meals. This will do three things:

1. Speed up your metabolism
2. Supply your body with ample energy throughout the day
3. Keep you from overeating. Many people only have one big meal, often at the end of the day. Starving, they overeat, and then plop down on the couch or head for bed. This is a recipe for sluggish metabolism and fat gain!

HOW MUCH TO EAT

In order to lose excess body fat, you also need to lower your caloric intake (while still meeting your body’s nutrient needs). Find a calculator that can tell you what your caloric needs are, and then subtract 300-500. Your body will turn to fat stores for energy, allowing you to burn up that excess fat throughout your body.

Remember that it’s going to be about more than eating, say, 1700 calories, if this is your target. It’s even more important to focus on eating a lower-carb diet than on lowering your caloric intake. After all, more calories in a healthier diet will always be better for you than having fewer calories, but less healthy foods. The most effective approach to losing weight would be a low calorie, low carb diet.

WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?

Poring over the books for extended periods of time can cause lead us to caffeinated beverages and not enough water. If you’re propping your eyelids open with soda, red bull, and vanilla lattes, don’t! Caffeine is fine in moderation, and can even give your metabolism a little boost while suppressing your appetite (that’s why many weight loss supplements include a small amount). But skip the sugar, creamer and flavoring. And after your first cup or two, switch to green tea, which has caffeine plus incredible weight loss and health benefits. Or, have an apple or a protein shake for energy. And we’ll say it again: drink more water!

ARE YOU SUPPLEMENTING?

Taking a supplement is important for everyone, but critical for those trying to lose weight. Dietary supplements are an easy way to give your body the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs that you can’t get from food alone. Go for a multivitamin for overall health. A metabolism booster like Green Tea Extract is good, too. Weight loss support supplements like ResveraShape can be a boon when you’re trying to lose excess fat. The right ones will combine essential nutrients with metabolism-boosting (green tea, kelp, grapefruit extract) and appetite-suppressing ingredients (resveratrol, caffeine).

KEEP A HEALTH LOG

We bet we don’t need to tell a medical school graduate this, but just in case: it’s really important to keep a daily exercise and nutrition log. Not only will this give you a clear picture of your habits and patterns, so you can see what works and what doesn’t; but it will also keep your goals in focus. Without a visible record, it’s easy to miscount how many “just this once” indulgences we give in to!

Keep a note, too, of your weight and measurements. Don’t compare them from day to day, or you won’t notice much difference, and you may get discouraged. Compare every other week, or at the end of the month, however, and you’ll see the difference.

Getting others involved in your journal is even more effective, and fun, too. Don’t believe us? Just ask weight loss bloggers Cara and Ryan, who have tracked their way to incredible results.

MASTERING THE MIND

Finally, don’t discount the role your mental state plays in weight loss. Are you getting enough sleep? Not only is adequate rest necessary for overall health and performance, but it’s also necessary if you want to get anything out of your exercise routine. It’s during sleep that your body recovers from your workouts and builds muscle. It’s also important to keep stress and depression at bay, as they can make weight management hard. Many people find that achieving balance and focus is ultimately the most important step in their weight loss journey.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR GYM TIME

Your weight training and resistance exercises (like stair-climbing), along with high intensity cardio (kick boxing), are great! Just make sure to progressively add resistance and repetitions, and switch up the activity type every so often. You can skip the machines, which only deliver isolated exercises, unless you are honing in on one specific area. Otherwise, compound movements that work multiple muscle groups are best. Make sure you aren’t working the same muscle group every day, or your body won’t have time to recover and progress. Steady state cardio on the bike or treadmill will allow your muscles a rest between intense training days.

For the full scoop, check out these posts:

Interval Training vs. Steady State Cardio

Which first: cardio or strength training?

So you want to build muscle, but not bulk up?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Q: Do I really need to take supplements? – Jake L.

A: Yes.

According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2004, approximately two-thirds of adults in the United States were overweight and almost one-third were obese. And today, those who are obese nearly outnumber the overweight—not because the number of overweight people has decreased, but because the weight of the average American is steadily increasing. The body mass index (BMI) determines who falls in the categories of overweight and obese. BMI is a standardized measurement of height to weight that is supposed to have a relationship to body fat and health risks. In other words, if you are in the overweight range, you have more health risks than someone in the average range.

Along with the obesity rate, the number of people diagnosed with cancer has steadily increased over the past decade, according to USA Today. And the number of people with heart disease—America’s number-one killer—is startling. The American Heart Association predicted that, in 2009, an American would have a coronary event every 25 seconds, and about every minute someone would die from one.

Why is our health slipping?

America is becoming progressively less healthy. But why are the American people getting so unhealthy? With modern medicine at our fingertips, we should be healthier than we were a century ago. But the benefits of advances in modern medicine and an industrialized world can’t counter the demise of nutritious content in the food we’re eating. Another danger is the belief that a miracle pill or a single food will heal everything. These two issues are contributing to a downward health spiral.

Should we simply sit back and watch these adverse effects make America—and ourselves—sicker? The answer is no. There is a means to an end when it comes to solving the health crisis in America. One part of the solution is dietary supplementation.

The protein shake

To fight the growing epidemic of obesity, we recommend a meal replacement shake or protein shake for individuals who are starting a healthy eating program to lose weight. The protein shake will allow you to get the energy you need to rebuild muscle after your workouts; it can also be a convenient meal when you’re on the run. Many of these meal replacement shakes have vitamins and minerals included. A supplement not often looked at to help people lose weight, but that is very effective and proven to help build lean muscle mass, is Creatine. Remember, when trying to lose or maintain weight, the more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be.

Antioxidants

Proper dietary supplementation also provides the body with key nutrients to help cells counteract harmful toxins, pollutants and free-radicals. For example, antioxidants help counteract free radicals by “absorbing the damage of the free radicals upon themselves, so that our bodies and our cellular membranes are not affected,” says holistic expert Victoria Anisman-Reiner. Antioxidants can be found in hundreds of foods and supplements.

Multi-vitamins

Whole food multi-vitamins also help counteract the vitamin deficiencies that result from a lack of nutrient content in our food. An important thing to be aware of, though: our bodies need to be able to break down and digest the supplements we take, vitamins especially. Antibiotics can be a roadblock to the digestive process because they don’t only kill bad bacteria they can kill good bacteria that is used in the digestive process.

According to Kathryn Senior, PhD, the bacteria in the large intestine are responsible for synthesizing vitamin K and some of the B vitamins. Vitamin K is necessary for normal blood clotting and synthesis of proteins found in plasma, bone and kidneys, while the B vitamins are vital for cell growth, energy metabolism and digestion. Deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to heart palpitations, chronic fatigue, indigestion, heavy bleeding, osteoporosis and liver cancer. Proper dietary supplementation supplies the body with the vitamins it needs to function properly and avoid these health risks.

If I eat healthy, do I still need supplements?

Many believe that if they eat a healthy diet, they don’t need a dietary supplement. But it is nearly physically impossible to get the amount of nutrients we need through food alone, says Doctor Nicholas Perricone (as seen on the Oprah Winfrey show). Dr. Perricone said:

You may be wondering if we can control oxidative stress by simply improving our diet and eating more fruits and vegetables. This is definitely a good start. By simply eating 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day you can decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia, and cancer, two to three fold. We certainly want to supplement a good diet—not a bad diet. However, even if you eat a great diet you can barely obtain the RDA level of all essential nutrients. Medical studies have shown that less than 1% of the American population accomplishes this on a consistent basis.

So, to achieve optimal health and wellness, we believe that supplements are essential. It’s a great weapon to have in our arsenal as we fight the war against obesity. Here’s a great article about choosing a supplement that meets your needs.

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A:  Almost every where you turn on the Internet you will find supplements promising amazing muscle gains if you take them.  Every product declaring it has the precise formula for muscle gain and increasing your performance in the weight room.  Some of the supplements have science behind them, some of the supplements don’t have any.  We recommend being conservative with what you put into your body and the dosage you put into your body.  We don’t recommend specific brands, but we do have some basic guidelines for those working out with us.

Supplements that are essential for a muscle building program: Protein, Creatine, and Branch Chain Amino Acids.  Remember any good workout program is going to require good nutrition to build lean muscle mass or maintain muscle mass.  Often times there is very little difference in the recommendations we give our clients whether they are trying to lose body body fat or gain muscle mass. It may be just a few calories difference.

Protein provides the nutrients your body needs to repair torn down muscle during and after a workout.  Protein can be taken before a workout in a 1:4 protein to carb mix.  The carbs will provide you the energy you need for the workout and the protein will be available to start repairing the muscle.  After the workout you should be doing 1:1 protein to carb mix.  After the workout the easily accessible energy from carbs is no longer needed and storing the protein will help in the recovery process.  Protein supplements should be included in your daily totals and it is recommended that you eat between .8 and 1 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

Creatine is a great supplement for maximizing the performance in your workout.  Creatine is the building block to an anaerobic energy process that you use while lifting weights.  Maximizing storage of creatine should help improve your ability to do more during your workout and allow you to be more powerful.

BCAA are the building blocks to protein and some of them have been proven to be effective in building lean muscle mass.