PREMIER TRAINING

4 New Studies That Will Help You Live Healthier

2012-01-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

I recently looked through the latest addition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and it seemed like one study after the next was extremely relevant for my clients and the readers on this blog. These studies aren't really related at all, but I figured I would just post the findings up to give you 4 EASY tips and behaviors that you can immediately start implementing to help you live longer, healthy, and lose weight easier.

Tip #1- Eat Foods High In Flavonoids.

A cohort study found that individuals who consumed diets high in flavonoids were significantly less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are antioxidants that are found mainly in plants like fruits and veggies. Good sources are apples, apricots, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, black beans, cabbage, oinions, parsley, pinto beans, and tomatoes.

Tip #2- Don't sit down or watch too much TV.

Researchers found that time spent in sedentary behavior was positively associated with mortality and even those that participated in moderate to vigorous activity did not fully avoid the health risks associated with prolonged time watching television. It has been well documented that those who sit more have a much higher risk of health issues and even exercising may not completely reduce that risk.

Tip# 3- Eat More Often.

Another study found that they were able to predict a greater gain in stomach and waist fat in adolescent females who skipped meals. Those that ate more frequently were able to keep lower BMI and waist circumferences.

Tip# 4- Take a Fish Oil Supplement.

Here they found that in women aged around 65, saw better adaptations to strength training while taking a fish oil supplement when compared to a group not taking it. They saw improvements in both groups but the Fish Oil group saw better progress in developing strength and better functional capacity.

There you go. Four simple things you can start doing immediately to help make 2012 the healthiest year yet.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Keys To A Successful New Year's Resolution

2011-12-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well believe it or not it is that time of year again. 2012 is just around the corner, which means it is time to set your resolutions. This is such a cool time of year. Everyone is super motivated, has a goal, and works hard to get there.

The problem is, how often does someone stick to their resolutions? I have been guilty of this many times in the past. You have great intentions, but you just can't stick to something for 12 months. In 2011 I set a goal for myself in January and I am proud to say that I have stuck with it 100%. In fact I accomplished more than I originally set.

My objective for my goal was to be a better trainer and a better business person. Now this goal is easy to say but tougher to go out and do. Instead of making that my actual goal I picked one thing that would help me improve in each. If I did this one thing I would have to get better. My goal was to read 1 book every month for a year. And not just read the book but apply what I learned. I picked books that were about fitness/nutrition or books about business(marketing, sales....). Here are the books that I made it through. You will see there are more then 12 too. It became such an obsession of mine that I didn't want to stop at just one a month.

1. Ultimate Back Fitness And Performance- Discusses the proper exercises to perform when dealing with low back issues and common reason for back pain.
2. Functional Training For Sport- Explains how to program workouts for athletes with functional exercises and how to progress and assess.
3. Advances in Functional Training- Similar to the previous book with a few new techniques thrown in there.
4. Athletic Body In Balance- Great book that showed how to assess movement patterns and create corrective exercises to improve performance.
5. Born To Run- Highly recommend this book even if you are not into running. Tells the story of the Greatest Race No One has ever heard of and why the human body was literally designed to run.
6. Think and Grow Rich- This book was written in the 30's but still holds true today. Discuss the proper way to goal set and follow through with your goals.
7. How To Win Friends and Influence People- Another book from the 30's that explains how to deal with people to persuade them to see your side and how to get others to want to be around you.
8. Anatomy Trains- An anatomy type book that shows how the body is made up of interconnected highways not isolated muscles like most people train them.
9. The New Rules Of Lifting- another recommended book for those into working out. Show the basic movements that should be trained and how you can eliminate unnecessary exercises.
10. Delivery Happiness- Recommended for anyone who works in customer service. This is the story of the CEO of Zappos.com and how he developed their company to be famous for amazing customer service and great corporate culture.
11. Total Body Breakthroughs- A compilation of a number of different fitness professionals explaining various issues in the fitness world.
12. In Defense of Food- Another high recommendation. A simple premise. Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much.
13. Sway- A great book that looks into why people make irrational decisions.
14. Predictably Irrationally- Similar to Sway, but more in depth into the psychology of decision making and how you can use it to influence decisions.
15. Baby Wise- Had to through one baby book in there.
16. Ultimate Fat Loss Programming and Coaching System- The name here pretty much says it all.
17. Bigger, Faster, Stronger- A guide to designing a systematic program for young athletes.

So I ended up reading 5 more books then originally intended. I honestly really impressed my self with this goal. It may seem like I have a ton a free time to just sit and read, but if you know me at all you know this is not the case. I had to really figure out a way to commit this much time to reading, and by the end I really started to enjoy it. (Plus flying around the country all year helps).

So I thought about why was I so successful with this goal. I came up with a few tips that will help you create a good goal and stick with it for the whole year.

1. Pick an ACTION goal not a results goal.

For example, I mentioned I could have made my goal to be a better trainer. This is such an abstract goal that I would have never really known where to start. This is the same as saying I'm going to lose 15lbs. While it is ok if there is a certain amount of weight you want to lose, you need to make your goal and action to hit that number. Instead commit to following a cleaner diet program or perform strength training 3 days per week.

2. Tell EVERYONE what your goal is.

It is amazing how much more motivated you will be come when others know you are working towards a goal. You would be surprised how much people will check on you. We love seeing others be successful because it is contagious. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers what you intend to do. They may even join you.
3. Invest in your goal or have something to lose.

When there is nothing to lose if you do not success it really isn't a big deal if you don't make it. Make yourself commit to something. You might have to invest some money to stick with it. Paying a trainer is great motivation to show up for a workout. If you don't want to invest money then make some consequence for not completing it.

4. Reward yourself for completing the goal.

On the opposite end of having something to lose, you might be even more motivated by a reward. Promise your self something you really want if you hit your goal. This could be a vacation to show of the new bod or maybe a new toy like an iPad to play with if you make it.

5. Give yourself timelines.

A year is a very long time to stick with even a small goal like flossing your teeth. Instead of going for a whole year, try and break it down to smaller timelines. Instead of me saying I will read 12 books this year I said 1 book a month. This was a very reasonable goal and I new exactly when it ended.

6. One goal at a time.

Ambition can be a great trait, but be careful when setting new goals. It is hard enough to stick with one. You can have multiple goals for the year but it is best to work on them at different times. You could break the year up into quarters and pick a new goal for each quarter instead of 4 goals for the year. Once you make it the entire year, it has become a new habit. I plan on continuing my reading of one book a month, but plan on adding a new goal for 2012. I'm actually still working on it now, so I will get back to you on what my new goal will be.

Well that is it. Follow this 6 simple steps and you will be well on your way to reach your new goal. Feel free to comment below or write to me on Facebook to share your goal with me and others to see.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Foods You Thought Were Bad

2011-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Foods You Thought Were Bad

Written by Christine Burke with Light Hearted Fitness

I just got this article from fellow trainer Christine Burke and I thought you might find in interesting. Enjoy...

In case you didn't get the good news, these foods are not as bad for you as previously believed:

(1) Eggs & Shrimp
(2) Dark Meat & Red Meat
(3) Whole Dairy
(4) Coconut Oil
(5) Coffee

All of these foods have been linked to heart disease in the past, but here are the happy updates:

1, 2 and 3 are animal products containing cholesterol. It was once thought that eating cholesterol would rai se cholesterol, which might then cause heart disease. Research has since shown that eating cholesterol does not affect blood levels as much as we had feared.
1, 2, 3 and 4 contain saturated fats. Studies have shown that saturated fats are linked to heart disease, but key research has fallen under criticism, some saturated fats seem to have benefits, and new research came up with no clear link.
Apparently, Harvard says you can drink 6 cups of coffee per day without increasing risk for mortality. When p eople tell me about their health habits, "6 cups of coffee a day" typically indicates... oh... issues... but the point is, as long as you don't have sleep or anxiety problems, go ahead and enjoy a cup or two.

I'm still going to discourage you from eating a 6-egg steak and cheese omlette at one sitting (even if it's local, grassfed, organic, and cooked with coconut oil), but I hope you are as happy I am to learn that many people can enjoy these foods in moderation.

Mike again here. Unfortunately this article is very typical in the fitness and nutrition world. We are convinced certain exercises and foods are terrible for us and then we find out that they probably aren't that bad and may be important to include.

I think the best advice is to stay up on GOOD research, the best you can, or at least follow someone who does, and when things work stick with them. If you were eating whole eggs for breakfast everyday, losing weight and feeling great, then you should probably continue doing it. Especially now with the new research out there. If you aren't sure you can always go to your doctor and have a blood panel done regularly. If you see things are getting better keep doing what you are doing, if they are getting worse stop it.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

More Great News About Vitamin D

2011-12-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I put up a short post on a few benefits of Vitamin D and a study involving obese postmenopausal women. You can check it out here. It seems like everyday I am hearing more great news about this powerful vitamin. In fact recently we are finding that Vitamin D is actually a hormone. So to be deficient in Vitamin D you actually have a hormone deficiency. We are beginning to learn some very valuable information about Vitamin D.

Here are two more studies that just came out from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing some more great benefits.

1. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is associated with decreased abdominal visceral adipose tissue in overweight and obese adults.

The title really says it all here. In this study they took two groups. Both groups were trying to lose weight. One group was giving orange juice with calcium and vitamin D added while the other group was given a placebo. The found that both groups ended up losing equal weight on their diet, but the interesting part is that the group that took the calcium and vitamin D saw a greater reduction in abdominal fat!

2. Vitamin D deficiency and mortality risk in the general population: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Again the title really says it all. A meta-analysis basically means this group of researchers looked at already published studies containing information they were testing to look for trends. They looked at studies involving mortality rates and Vitamin D deficiency. They found a direct linear relationship with high rates of mortality and Vitamin D deficiency.

I think both of these studies were pretty self explanatory, but the results were really amazing. So according to these studies if you are getting enough Vitamin D in your diet, or just getting enough sunlight, you will have less belly fat and live longer. Sounds like a good plan to me. If you have never done it I highly recommend having your Vitamin D levels tested. Consult your doctor to do this.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Sample Fat Burning Workout

2011-12-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

I recently just finished my latest 8 Week Transformation Challenge. I usually conduct 3-4 of these per year. Each time we do it I am blown away by some of the results that we get. I have made it my personal goal to continue to tweak the program so that it gets better and better.

This last challenge we had someone break our weight loss record of 20lbs. Our winner ended up losing a total of 28.5lbs, 4.2% body fat, and 14.5 inches. Our runners up also saw amazing results. The top 7 participants all lost over 10lbs not to mention a big decrease in body fat and loss of inches.

The great thing about this program is anyone can do it. We had individuals who had been working out for year and some of having been doing anything for years.

Now the program involved more than just strength training. We also followed a cardio program and nutrition guidelines that were crucial for the results. I thought I would give you a sneak peak into what a workout looked like for this program. Below is an actual workout we did in the program. Give it a try and see how it feels. If you are interested in learning more about the 8 Week Program and are interested in joining the waiting list just click on the link below:

http://www.sandiegopremiertraining.com/fitness-programs/challenge

Just note that we did not start with this workout. We did progress to get to this point. Some exercise may have been modified for certain people but this was the premise of the workout.

8 Week Fat Loss Challenge Sample Workout

Phase II Workout A

Triset A

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. KB Squat With Upright Row
2. SB Push Ups
3. DB Lateral Lunges

Triset B

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. KB Swings
2. Kneeling Shoulder Press
3. Cable Cobras

Superset C

Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

1. DB Deck Squats
2. Cable Rotations

Core Circuit

Perform each exercise for 2 rounds with 30 seconds rest between exercises and sets.

1. Side Plank Rotations
2. In and Outs
3. Deadbugs

Metabolic Acceleration Training

Perform 2 round of the following circuit. Do each exercise for 20 seconds and rest 10-20 seconds between each.

1. Mountain Climbers
2. Squat Jumps
3. MB Slams
4. Jumping Jacks

Stretch and Your Done!

Let me know if you have any questions.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Should You Eat More Frequently?

2011-11-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

If you have been following some of the more recent trends in nutrition, you have probably heard that you should try and eat smaller meals more often. If not, this is probably something you want to consider doing. I know sometimes our schedule doesn't always permit us to eat on a regular routine, but it is something that you strongly should consider.

Often what I hear from people I talk to about nutrition is they usually don't eat breakfast, have some coffee to get going, grab a fast food lunch on the go, and then have a huge dinner with a few glasses of wine. They just don't have time to eat more often. If this sounds anything like your diet you probably are struggling with losing weight. You do have time you just need to figure out how to make it work for you. Just saying you don't have time is an excuse that you aren't willing to try it.

We are often told calories in and calories out are all that matter for weight loss. While these two numbers are extremely important we have to look at the timing of your calories as well. I just found these two interesting studies that support why you should eat 6-8 meals per day.

Effects of meal frequency on body composition during weight control in boxers.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1996 Oct;6(5):265-72.

This study wanted to investigate the effects on meal frequency on changes in body composition by food restriction. They used boxers that were trying to cut their weight so they knew the athletes would stick to the diet program. The boxers were dividing into two groups. One group at 2 meals per day while the other group at 6 meals per day. Both consumed the same exact diet just changed how frequently they would eat.

We would think that both groups should see the same exact results. However the study resulted in two things. First, both groups did lose weight and there were no significant difference between each group there. So it sounds like it doesn't matter how often you eat. BUT, they did find that the decrease in lean body mass in the 2 meal group was significantly greater and they resulted in greater myoprotein catabolism. So basically, while they both lost about the same amount of weight the 2 meal group lost more muscle and was breaking down muscle for energy.

Decreased thermic effect of food after an irregular compared with a regular meal pattern in healthy lean women
International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 653–660. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802616 Published online 16 March 2004

This study took a group of women and had them eat a regular meal pattern, meaning they would eat things they normally would eat but consume meals 6-9 times per day, for 2 weeks. After this phase they were required to follow irregular meal patterns meaning they alternated between 3 meal, 6 meals, and 9 meals per day. After each phase they tested metabolic rate after eating. This was measuring the thermic effect of food. Part of our metabolic rate is made up of the thermic effect of food since it takes energy to breakdown and digest food.

This study found that irregular meal frequency led to a lower energy expenditure compared with regular meal frequency. This reduced TEF with irregular meal frequency may lead to weight gain in the long term.

So by eating a more often we know you will preserve more muscle mass and you will burn more calories. If you do not follow a regular schedule eating routine I highly recommend you try and work it into your schedule.

Fat Loss Program

2011-11-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

So last week I posted a pretty interesting article on why you should NOT focus on aerobic training (cardio) if you are trying to lose weight. Since then I have received a ton of emails and comments from people about it. If you missed the article you can check it out here:

http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/#!/2011/10/cardio-myth.html

Now I need to make it clear that I am not saying you should not do cardio workouts if you are trying to lose weight. They will burn extra calories which is always important if you are trying to lose fat. If you are going to perform cardio for weight loss, use it in addition to your metabolic strength training and perform high intensity interval training. Here is a post I did a while back on why you MUST perform interval training if your goal is weight loss:

http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/#!/2010/06/burn-5-times-more-fat.html

So I thought I would just make it easy for you and lay out a sample fat loss program for you. You need these three components to be successful. Do not try and lose weight without all three or you will see limited success. Here is what you need to do:

1. Nutritional Program

This has to be number 1. You absolutely will never lose weight unless you are consuming less than you are burning. You must be consistent with this. Just eating well one or two days is not going to cut it. Use websites to help track your food. One of my favorites is www.dailyburn.com. Make sure you are sticking with the appropriate calories.

What you eat is obviously important as well. You diet should be high in whole foods like lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Always eat breakfast and save your carbohydrates for breakfast and on workout days.

2. Strength Program

Once you get your diet plugged in it is time to get you moving. Here is a sample fat loss strength program that I posted a while ago on MyWorkoutCreator.com. Below is the workout. Click here though to see videos of each exercise. You will have to sign up for a free account to view the workout though.

Strength Supersets 3x12 reps
A1- DB Squat Press
A2- DB Renegade Rows
B1- Overhead DB Lunge Walk
B2- DB Floor Press
C1- 1 Leg DB Deadlift
C2- DB Turkish Get Ups
Core Supersets
D1- 60sec Plank Hold
D2- 30 Oblique Reaches
Metabolic Finisher
Perform as intervals for 2 rounds of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off
E1- Squats
E2- DB Runners
E3- Burpees
E4- Close Grip Push Ups

This workout will train essential every muscle in the body, at a high intensity, burning a lot of calories. Best part it only takes about 30-45 minutes to get through this whole workout.

3. Cardio Program

Then finally we can add in our cardio workout. A typical start could be one interval workout per week and one traditional cardio workout.

Workout A- Perform 45 minutes of moderate continuous exercise. Can be any form you like. Keep your heart rate around 65-70% of your Max HR.

Workout B- Perform 20 minutes of alternating 2 minutes high intensity with 2 minutes of low intensity work. Any form is ok. High intensity effort should be around 80-90% of Max HR.

Well that is it. This would be a great start to your fat loss program. Perfect each factor in this order as well. Make sure you nutrition is great, then work your metabolic strength training in, and finally your cardio. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

The Cardio Myth

2011-10-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have met with hundreds of clients over the past few years, and there is one common theme I see. When someone is trying to lose weight we see the same thing over and over. Most people will start with some type of diet program, which is definitely a great start. The diet you go on is not the focus of this posting however. The mistake people make when trying to lose weight is, they immediately start performing cardio exercises.

Now initially this might be enough to lose SOME weight. They will probably will stick with their Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, or whatever diet program they have started, for a few weeks or months. The drop in calories along with some additional exercise is probably enough to get the first 5-10lbs off.

But then what happens? They probably started to slack on their diet, but figured they will just increase their cardio to make up for it. I guarantee this is a plan that will not work for very long. The biggest weight loss myth is that cardio is the BEST to lose weight. The reasoning behind this is completely faulty and now there is more and more research that is proving it is just not a good way to lose weight.

Here are a few studies demonstrating this:

Adiposity changes after a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention among postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

International Journal of Obesity (2011) 35, 427–435; doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.147

This study followed a group of 325 women aged 50-74 who performed on average 3.6 days a week of aerobic exercise for 1 year. After 12 months of training 3 days a week for 50 minutes at a time the average weight loss was 2.3kg or 5lbs. 1 year of training, 3 days per week, and the loss was ONLY 5lbs!

Acute EPOC response in women to circuit training and treadmill exercise of matched oxygen consumption.

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005 Aug;94(5-6):500-4. Epub 2005 Jun 8.

This study looked at which form of exercise would increase EPOC or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption more. This is the afterburn affect of exercise. So they wanted to see if after a session running on the treadmill and after a session of circuit training, who would see the greatest increase in metabolic rate and burn more calories. They matched the intensity of the work so the effect of each exercise was the same. The group that performed the circuit training saw a high increase in EPOC for 1 hour after the workout.

Effects of Resistance vs. Aerobic Training Combined With an 800 Calorie Liquid Diet on Lean Body Mass and Resting Metabolic Rate

J Am Coll Nutr April 1999 vol. 18 no. 2 115-121

This study compared resistance training with cardio to see what would have the better effect when combined with a low calorie diet. Obviously with an 800 calorie diet, both groups lost weight. But only the resistance training group lost weight without losing lean body mass and they were able to prevent their resting metabolic rate from dropping. So while both will lead to weight loss, down the road the cardio group will continue to slow down their metabolism and their weight loss.

I could keep listing more and more studies but I think I have proven my point. If you are trying to lose weight remember these three things:

1. Cardio exercise can lower your resting metabolic rate, making it harder to lose weight in the future.
2. Strength training prevents your metabolic rate from lowering with a decrease in calories, by maintaining lean body mass.
3. Strength training burns more calories after you have finished your workout.

I am not saying that you don't ever need to perform traditional cardio exercise. Cardio does burn calories and when you are trying to lose weight this is very important. Instead I think we need to take the approach of making strength training the foundation of our program and use cardio (mainly HIIT) as a secondary tool.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

3 Simple Nutrition Rules To Follow

2011-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

I few months ago one of my clients suggested I read the book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. It was my goal this year to read 1 new book each month to make sure I was keeping up with learning as much information as possible. So I was eager to get started on it.

It is a great nutrition book and I highly recommend checking it out if you are interested in learning more. The main premise of the book is examining the Western Diet and why Americans are experiencing so many health problems. While I can't say that all of our health problems stem from the food we eat, it is hard denying that it plays a HUGE roll in it. There is a lot of great insight into why we eat the way we do, and how misinformed we are about proper nutrition. For example, remember how we were told to avoid fat in our diet. How did that work out? We got fatter.

Nutrition is not an easy topic to discuss, but I do like the 3 rules that are found in this book. Below are the rules and a quick explanation to help you build a better foundation for your diet program.

1. Eat Food.

Sounds simple to start right? Just eat food. Think about what you eat throughout the day though. Is it really food? There are things that we consume that really shouldn't be called food. They are inventions or creations from the food industry. For example Doritos. This is not food. It is processed ingredients that give you something that is edible. So here are some things to look out for:

Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
Avoid products that list ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than 5 in number, or have high fructose corn syrup (or corn sugar now).
Avoid food products that make health claims.

2. Not Too Much.

This one really need no explanation. If you are trying to lose or maintain weight you simply can't eat too much. If you follow rules 1 and 3 you do not have to worry about this too much, but it is possible to gain weight eating real food.

3. Mostly Plants.

While I am by no means a vegetarian, it is important to increase the amount of plants we eat. There is nothing else that can replace the vitamins and nutrients you receive from eating plants. More and more research is showing the dangers of consuming too much animal protein. Remember that we are what what you eat eats. Sounds confusing but eating beef from an animal pumped with hormones and fed corn will lead to problems for the animal as well as you. Stick with fruits and vegetables that are in season and vary your food selection.

This may be an over simplification of a diet program but if you follow this philosophy you will have less weight struggles and lead a much healthier life.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

It's A Baby

2011-08-31T13:19:00.001-07:00

Recently my wife and I have been informing our friends and coworkers that we are expecting. This is obviously a very exciting time for us and we are really looking forward to parenthood.

Babies, however, are not my specialty. I have never really been around kids much and have no clue what I am doing, but I'm sure I will learn fast. Being the nerd that I am I always like to do research to see what types of things we should be doing. I have discovered, with pregnancy, there are some people that say some things are ok to do and others say to avoid certain things completely.

Just like in the fitness world, I have a hard time taking someone's word. I always hear claims that this supplement will melt fat away in days and that this exercise will give you a ripped stomach. I have grown to be a very skeptical person and need to do my own research before buying into something.

To help clear up my head with the whole pregnancy, I thought I should do some real research and see what peer reviewed journals have to say. Here are just some random results I found interesting. Pass this on to anyone you know who is pregnant or planning on it. Whether it is their first or fifth pregnancy this info will be helpful.

1. How many extra calories should you eat during pregnancy?

It depends on the mother's weight before conception. For those who fall in a normal body mass index (BMI) which is around 20-24 you can use this guide. The first trimester you can continue eating pretty much the same amount as before. Second Trimester increase to an extra 350 cal/day and Third Trimester you can increase to an extra 500 cal/day.

2. How much weight should you gain during a pregnancy?

Studies again are finding that it depends on your weight beforehand. Here are some more guidelines you can follow. If you underweight (BMI is <19.8) then you should gain around 12.5-18kgs (27.5-39.6lbs). If you are normal weight (BMI 19.9-24.9) you should gain around 11.5-16kg (25.3-35.2lbs). If you are overweight then you weight gain should be even less. This may seem backwards but the smaller you are the more weight you should be gaining.

3. Increasing vegetable intake during pregnancy is beneficial to fetal growth.

They are finding that women who consume more veggies during pregnancy will decrease the risk of small for gestation age (SGA) birth weight and size. Increasing vegetable intake will help the fetus growth better.

4. Increasing milk consumption is associated with increased birth weight.

Drinking 3 glasses of milk a day lead to increased birth weight and size. There was a decreased risk of SGA birth, but an increase in LGA birth. This can be a good or bad thing depending on your situation.

5. Prenatal Fish Oil supplementation is just a good idea.

Women have to be careful with how much fish they eat and what type but they NEED to make sure they are getting their Omega 3's somehow. I can't believe how much positive information I found with fish oil and pregnancy. Some of the main things were helping the development of the nervous system and improve cognitive development into childhood.

6. Siblings born at closer intervals have an increased risk of developing autism.

This one has nothing to do with nutrition but I found one study that should siblings who were born <1 year apart had a higher risk of autism.

Well that is it for now. I'm sure I will find some more pregnancy tips and facts to share in the future. Hopefully in a few weeks we will find out what we are having and then we can start the baby pool.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Free Protein Recipe Book

2011-08-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

I just came across this awesome recipe book. And great news. It is healthier recipes and it is absolutely free!! These recipes come from Prograde Nutrition. Inside you will find delicious recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, sweet treats, breakfast recipes like peanut butter pancakes, and homemade protein bars.

That's right, you heard me correct. I am giving you book with 51 recipes for deserts and breakfast ideas. To check out these recipes plus much more just click on the picture below or right click the link and save it to your computer.

Right Click and Save File Here

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Four Keys To Live Longer

2011-08-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

I think there are two reasons why people decide to start an exercise program and eating healthier. I have a hard time saying which one is perceived as more important surprisingly though. These two reasons are we want to look better and we want to live longer. You would think that living longer would be the most popular choice, but I definitely hear the goal of looking better naked more than living longer.

Let's focus on what should be the more important goal of living longer. Although living longer should not be the only thing we worry about. We want to live a longer, but High Quality of life. Obviously the earlier you start in life with an exercise program the easier it is and the more beneficial it can be. Sometimes when the effects of aging arise, it may be too late to get rid of them and the best you can do is manage them.

Before we go any further, I want to make the point that the keys we are going to discuss here may not make you look younger necessarily. I won't tell you I have a magic cream that will remove wrinkles or tighten your skin. Instead I am going to give you 4 things that if you do you will be more likely to live a longer life and be able to take care of yourself on your own.

These 4 keys came from a Danish study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They followed 120,852 men and women aged 55–69 who provided information on dietary and other lifestyle habits. Researchers found that those who stuck to these 4 habits lived longer:

1. Adhered to the Mediterranean Diet.
2. Did not smoke.
3. Stayed at a normal weight (BMI of 18-24).
4. Participated in regular physical activity.

It is as simple as that. These four easy habits resulted in years added to their life. In fact they found the mortality rate advancement period was 15 years for women and 8 years for men.

The last 3 habits are pretty self explanatory. Don't smoke, keep your body weight normal, and exercise. The first point may need to further explanation.

The Mediterranean Diet is essential a high fat diet. I know we were told for years that fat is the enemy. Then food products came out that were low fat and we became fatter. Now we are told carbs are the enemy and what happened? We are still getting fatter. (It is time we worry less about what macro nutrients we are getting, and focus on what foods we are eating.)

So I am not saying go out and eat fatty foods all day. In fact this diet is very low in saturated and trans fats. The Mediterranean Diet basically emphasizes eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, and herbs and spices.

Here are some keys to following this diet:

Eat primarily plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, and nuts)
Replace butter with healthy fats such as olive oil
Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
Limit red meat to no more than a few times per month
Eat fish and poultry at least twice a week

So that is it. Follow these steps for a longer and healthy life.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

3 Steps To Weight Loss

2011-07-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there. I hope you have having a great day so far. I wanted to share some insight with you that I have had during my latest 8 week body transformation challenge. We are currently in the 6th week and I am really excited with the progress everyone has made. We are really seeing some great transformations!

I am definitely beginning to see a trend with people who are the most successful with their weight loss, whether it be from these challenges, or just in general from other clients I work with. Here are the 3 MOST important things you must do before you will lose 1lb. None of these involve exercising or nutrition. Obviously those are huge aspects of the program, but before you even think about working out or dieting, you must do these 3 things:

1. Have a plan.

The good thing with diet and exercise is there are plenty of choices out there. We just need to figure out exactly what you are going to need to do to lose weight. This will be different for everyone. What is the same though, is that everyone must do something different to see a change in their body. If you are trying to lose weight we need a game plan to follow. Think about anything else you want to accomplish in life. How much easier is it if you follow instructions, instead of just figuring it out as you go? Yes I am guilty of throwing out directions and trying to put something together on my own. Ask my wife how that usually goes...

It always helps to have a professional put together a program for you but many of these things you can plan yourself. You must know exactly what type of nutrition program you want to follow and how you are going to increase your activity level. Once you have your plan, you need to schedule it out. Make note of what days you will workout, what day you will start, and what day it will end. Having an end date is critical. You may not reach your goal by the end date, but that is the time you can evaluate how your plan has worked. If it is going great you might continue on with it and create a new end date.

2. Surround Yourself With Good Influences:

There are many studies that have proven, we are very similar to our circle of influences. We tend to be just like the people we associate with. If they are overweight then you will most likely be overweight. There are many, many negative people out there that will try and drag you down. If they can't accomplish something, then they may not want you to be successful either. Make sure the people you are hanging out with are going to support you 100%. If someone is just draining your energy, it is time to decrease the time you spend with them.

3. Believe You Can Do It!

I know this might sound cheesy, but it is true. A few years ago I wouldn't even think about something like this. You just exercise and eat right and you lose weight. I never really realized how powerful the mind and your subconscious can be. When I think back to my high jumping days in college though, this was exactly what I did. I would go to a competition knowing that I would be successful and knowing that I was going to win. And because of this (and my training) I was very successful.

If you do not believe you can lose weight, you will not. If you feel like you are cursed and will just be overweight forever, then you will. We tend to look at others and say how lucky some people are. Ask the most successful people in the world if they got there by luck. Hard work and truly believing you will achieve your goal is what will bring success. Don't look for the easy way out. There is none. Instead of thinking how nice it would be if you lost weight or hit your goal, think how good it is GOING to be when you get there.

Well that is my motivational talk for the week. Now stop reading and get started on your plan.

You stay healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Newest ACSM Position Statement

2011-07-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

The American College of Sport Medicine is one of the leading authorities in the health and fitness industry. The ACSM promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life. The ACSM sets the standard for minimum exercise for increasing healthy lifestyle.

When new research arises they update their position on what type and amount of exercise should be performed. Below is their recommendation for quality and quantity of exercise. This list is not for athletes. This is what is recommended for the average person who is able to exercise. Check this list and see how you compare. If you are performing less than this and are not happy with your weight or fitness level then it is time to step it up.

Cardiorespiratory Training:

Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.
Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.
People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise:

Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.
Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.
Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise:

Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.
Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.
Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.
Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

Neuromotor Exercise:

Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.
Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.
20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

I know this seems like a lot of exercise to be a minimum, but all of these can be combined to create more efficient workouts. It is not necessary to workout every single day to achieve these goals.

The workouts that we create at San Diego Premier Training keep this in mind. We know that most people are just too busy to be working out all the time. Instead we create workouts that involve Cardiorespiratory training, resistance training, flexibility, and functional training all in one. You time is precious so the less time you spend exercising the more time you have for other things.

Try one of our workouts out for free. Just visit www.sandiegopremiertraining.com and click on the free workout button to get started.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Brand New Weight Loss Studies

2011-07-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hi there. I hope you are having a great week and are starting to recover from the holiday weekend.

Chances are you put on a few pounds this weekend and are ready to get them off as fast as possible, along with maybe a few more unwanted pounds. I just came across a few great studies in the latest American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that may help you get rid of some unwanted fat or just help you get on a healthy path.

Study 1: Short sleep duration increases energy intakes but does not change energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals

This title pretty much sums up the entire study. Here researchers took a group of individuals and compared their diet and energy expenditure after habitual 4hr of sleep per night and 9hr per night. What they found that participants were eating about 300 calories more per day on less sleep and especially increased their fat intake. The real problem is they did not increase their energy expenditure at all on days they ate more. So this group would gain about a 1lb every 10 days or 30lbs in a year if they were to continue this habit.

This can be an easy fix. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep every night to avoid increased calorie consumption.

Study 2: Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials

Again the title says it all here. In this study researchers wanted to look at green tea's effect on cholesterol levels. Green tea has already shown many great health benefits including possible increased fat burning. This study reviewed 14 eligible randomized controlled trials using green tea. They found that through all of these studies, 1136 subjects, there was a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL levels. There was no effect on HDL levels, however.

Study 3: Cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality

And our final study involves vegetable consumption, which I know most people tend to struggle with. Asian populations tend to consume large amounts of cruciferous vegetables and other plant based foods. This study wanted to determine the effects of a diet high in these cruciferous vegetables. This is just a family name for certain vegetables. Some of the more popular ones are kale, collard greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli.

This study observed women for 10 years and evaluated diet program. They found that those who consumed higher cruciferous vegetables and fruits lived longer and were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.

I know these three studies are a little random but I thought they are very useful tips for anyone trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Key points:

1. Sleep more
2. Drink Green Tea
3. Eat more vegetables

You stay healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Vitamin D Levels And Postmenopausal Women

2011-06-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D has gotten more and more attention in the health industry and for good reason. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is responsible for regulating calcium amounts in the blood, plays a role in growth and remodeling of bone, reduces cardiovascular disease, improve your immune system, reduces your risk of certain cancer, improve skin complexion, prevents muscle tension, and aid with weight loss just to name of few benefits.

More people are realizing that they actually have a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can be found in foods such as milk, fish, mushrooms, and eggs or taken as a supplement. Vitamin D is also produced in the skin when you are exposed to UV rays from the sun or from an artificial source. You may become deficient if you:

1. Don't consume the recommended levels through food or supplementation.
2. Do not have enough exposure to sunlight.
3. Do not have dark skin complexion.
4. Have kidney problems and cannot convert Vitamin D to its active form.
5. Cannot adequately absorb Vitamin D through your digestive tract.
6. Are Obese.

Even if you do not fit in any of these categories it is still a good idea to regularly have your blood tested to determine your Vitamin D levels. I actually had mine tested and found that my levels were on the low side.

A recent study looking at overweight postmenopausal women found so very exciting news on the vitamin. The study took a group of women and divided them into 4 groups. A diet only group, an exercise only group, a diet and exercise group, and a control group. The study found that no matter how you did it (exercise, diet, or both) those that lost weight saw an increase in Vitamin D levels. In fact, women who lost <5%, 5–9.9%, 10–14.9%, or ≥15% of baseline weight had mean increases in Vitamin D levels of 2.1, 2.7, 3.3, and 7.7 ng/mL, respectively.

So if you have never check your levels I highly recommend looking into it. If they are low there are plenty of things you can do to increase them. Start with a diet high in Vitamin D and exercising in the sunshine. Catch this problem before you experience any of the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Change Your Metabolism

2011-06-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

When talking fat loss, we hear the word metabolism get thrown around. You might hear that certain foods or supplements boost your metabolism or that as you age your metabolism will slow down. There are a lot of claims out there that probably can't be back up very well, but one thing is for sure. Your metabolism play a vital role with weight loss.

I read a great article by Dr. Len Kavitz (no not the singer) that really did a great job summing up metabolism. Here are some pieces from that article.

First we need to look at what is your metabolism. Your metabolism is basically the sum of all the chemical reactions in your body. It requires energy for these reactions to take place. This energy comes from calories. So if you have a higher metabolism you burn more calories. This is why it is so important for weight loss. When we look at how many calories you burn during the day, about 60% comes from you Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). The rest comes from the thermic effect of exercise and spontaneous activity (30%), and the thermic effect of food metabolism (10%). So you can see your metabolic rate plays the biggest role in burning calories. So it is simple... To lose more weight keep your RMR high. Below are some things to consider to keep that metabolism burning:

Diets will slow down your metabolism. By decrease what you eat you are actually slowing down your metabolism. This is very hard for people to understand. If you diet without exercising your can reduce your metabolic rate by 20%. Yes you lose weight initially, but you will not continue to lose weight at the same rate. Exercise has been shown to preserve muscle which will prevent your metabolism from slowing. This is why you SHOULD NOT diet without exercise.

If you are performing cardio and strength training exercise you can see your metabolism increase by about 250-300 calories per day. This will add up quickly if you are trying to lose weight. So again DO NOT diet without exercise. I promise you will not hit your weight goal.

There are certain foods that may help increase metabolism but the increase is slight. The most common ingredients that may assist with fat burning include green tea, caffeine, and capsaicins (found in hot peppers). Research shows that these may increase metabolism up to about 4-5%. This is about 50-100 calories per day, depending on where you RMR is. So yes they can help but these are not huge numbers that will just melt fat away. Most research is really needed to show the effectiveness of these aids but they are generally safe.

So here is the bottom line with your metabolism. Severe diets without exercise will slow down your metabolism, cardio and strength exercise and increase it, and some supplements may help a little bit.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

It's All Greek To Me

2011-05-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well I made it back in one piece from Greece. This will probably be my most non fitness related post ever, but I figured most people just wanted to see some pics from my vacation. I figured I have to throw some fitness topics in there as well though. Here are some of the things I learned/observed on my trip, with scattered pics and videos for your viewing pleasure.

1. I love Greek food.

I didn't realize how much I like Greek food, but I am definitely hooked now. You can see me stuff my face below. Despite all of the food I ate I only gained 1 lb on the trip. I guess there might be something to the Mediterranean Diet. Bottom line, fat can be very good for you. I felt like I was sweating olive oil and feta cheese by the end of the trip. I'm sure I smelled delicious.

2. Greece is full of hills.

Probably the real reason I didn't gain any weight was due to all of the walking and hiking. From climbing to the Acropolis, to the cliffs of Santorini we did a ton of climbing. Check out the videos below. Yes that is me breathing extremely heavy. This was my cardio workout:

Island of Delos Climbing to see the Temple of Zeus:

Santorini Climbing to Ancient Thira:

3. We can learn a lot of history.

I heard a very interesting fact from our tour guide at the Acropolis. Every city actually, back then, had an acropolis. The one in Athens is just one of the most famous one's still around today. She said that in each city at the acropolis you would find three things always. These three were a gym, a stadium, and a theater. The gym was used to train young men physically and intellectually and the stadium was used for competition to display strength and athleticism. I found it extremely interesting that in all cities in ancient Greece you would find gyms! Even back then they understood the importance of training your body as well as your mind and made it mandatory, not something just for recreation. Even the word calisthenics is derived from the Greek words kallos meaning beauty and sthenos meaning strength.

4. Greece is gorgeous.

Here are just some random pics for you. Enjoy!

5. They Don't Do Everything Right.
As great as there diets may be over there, they aren't perfect. There were very few gyms that I saw. Maybe that is a sign for me to move out there and open a few up. Here is a pic of one I did see in Crete. Check out the bar right below it:

If you would like to see any more pics just send me an email or comment below.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Working Out On An Empty Stomach

2011-05-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well it is time to put another training myth to bed. This is a very popular myth and I know plenty of people who still practice this method. The myth is you should workout on an empty stomach and you will burn more fat.

The theory makes sense. If you have no food in your system and you start to workout the energy has to come from somewhere so why not fat. You have a limited supply of energy stores in the muscle, but since you haven't eaten in a while they will be depleted. So we can assume that the energy will come from our fat stores.

Unfortunately you know what assuming does. And things never work out this simple, especially in the fitness world. A recent study in the February 2011 issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism looked to answer this question.

The study was simple. They took a group of individuals and had them perform the same workout twice. One day they did it in the morning without consuming any food. Then they performed it a few days later after eating a light breakfast.

The Results? They found that exercising on an empty stomach did not enhance fat burning anymore than when consuming breakfast. They also found, and more importantly, that resting energy expenditures where significantly higher in the 24 hours after the workout when participants consumed breakfast. So, eating breakfast before a workout can actually help you lose more weight.

If you don't believe the science, simply try it. If you can perform a workout on an empty stomach, then I know why you are having trouble losing weight. You just aren't working out hard enough. If you have ever tried working out without eating anything before, you just will not have the energy to get through the workout. You will feel nauseous, light headed, and weak. Not a very good combination for a weight loss workout.

So start your day with a healthy breakfast before you hit the gym.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

The Truth Behind Organic Foods

2011-04-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

I recently saw a facebook post from a friend saying they bought organic and locally grown food for her family and spent $250. This is obviously one of the biggest problems with eating organic foods. But is it necessary to only eat organically grown food?

I think this topic is under much debate currently. Let's look at the science behind organic food first. The truth is, to my knowledge, and what I was able to find there is not much research supporting that organic foods are much better than non organic. I found a few studies that showed some benefit, but not many. And they weren't very solid findings. For example, one study found a correlation between urine pesticides in children and ADHD. This was just a correlation though, not a cause and effect, so this does not mean if you don't eat organic foods as a kid you will develop ADHD. Who knows after more research is done but the study just showed that those who had higher traces of pesticides in there urine were more likely to develop ADHD.

Another study that compared 50 years of research, looked at which was more nutritious. They found that both organic and non organic foods are comparable. So in terms of what nutrients you are getting out of the food they are pretty much the same.

Just like many other issues in the fitness industry, more research is still probably needed to determine a winner here. If cost is an issue for you it is not completely necessary to buy only organic foods, but if you can afford it then you might want to. The body has a harder time dealing with things such as pesticides, hormones, and additives. Many of these items are man made and the body just doesn't know what to do with them. Organic foods will certainly not hurt you.

There is a list of foods called the dirty dozen. If you are really concerned with pesticides these have been shown the to be the worst. Try and buy organic of these. You will probably be ok with consuming non organic of everything else.

The Dirty Dozen:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training

Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain

2011-04-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

There are many factors that might lead to gaining weight. Mainly we think of overeating the wrong types of foods and being inactive. Sometimes things in the fitness world don't work the way you think they will. When you strength train you actually are weakening and damaging muscle or if you don't drink water your body may retain it.

Sleep is another. You would think that when you sleep your are not active so your metabolism will slow down. Using this thinking it would seem that if you slept less you would burn more calories throughout the day. Unfortunately, things rarely work this simple.

A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared energy expenditure over a 24 hour period with normal 8 hours of sleep and sleep deprivation. Researchers found that when participants didn't sleep they reduced their resting energy expenditures by 5% and by 20% after eating food. This means their metabolisms slowed down and there was more food being stored as fat since they didn't need as much for energy.

So it wasn't a huge decrease in energy expenditure, but when you are trying to lose weight this can add up fast. However, this study also looked at hormonal levels after sleeping and not sleeping. After sleep deprivation there was a significant increase in grehlin and cortisol. Here is what each of these hormones is responsible for:

Grehlin- This hormone is found in the stomach and pancreas that stimulates the feeling of hunger.

Cortisol- This hormone is produced by the adrenal gland and released in response to stress and low levels of blood sugar. This hormone is released to increase blood sugar by generating glucose from non carbohydrate sources like lactate, glycerol, and amino acids. Cortisol is also known to suppress the immune system, decrease bone formation, and store fat in the abdominal area.

So we already know that lack of sleep can decrease your energy expenditure during the next day. Now we see these hormones increase meaning you are going to feel hungry so you will likely eat more than normal. Then you will be stressed so your cortisol will make it more likely you get sick, break down muscle tissue for energy, and store those extra calories you just had in your stomach.

Not a great situation to be in. Luckily though it is something you can fix. Make sure you are getting enough sleep each night. General recommendations are for 6-8 hours of sleep but this can be highly individual. If you are noticing your are hungrier than normal, increasing your weight, and getting sick more often maybe try and increase how much you are sleeping.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

How Are Your Cholesterol Levels?

2011-04-14T13:21:00.001-07:00

So I recently went to the doctor for the first time in probably 8 years or so. I have been relatively healthy for most of my life and never had the need to make the trip to see one. Since I turned 30 I figured I should be seeing a doctor on a regular basis. It made sense to be proactive. Why wait until I'm sick to go to the doctor? If I see him when I am healthy I am more likely to stay healthy. The same goes for fitness. Why wait until you are overweight to start working out? Do it when you are healthy so you stay that way.

My main reason for going was to receive blood work. I don't know how many times I've heard the story from someone that a friend or relatively died unexpectedly from a heart conditioning that they didn't know about. They were healthy and exercised everyday but still died of a heart attack. We may look healthy on the outside but that is not always the case inside.

I always assume I'm in good shape, but just wanted the assurance. To my delight my doctor basically told me I'm superhuman. Not really but he and I were both extremely impressed with the results. I received a great review of cholesterol and triglycerides so I thought I would share them with you.

The first thing we can look at is cholesterol or our levels of certain lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are characterized by there size. We have Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL), Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), and High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). There are others but these are the most well known and discussed. Lipoproteins responsibility is to carry cholesterol through the blood stream. The problem with VLDL and LDL is they tend to get stuck against arterial walls and narrow the passageway for blood. It is our goal to keep these lipoproteins low through diet and exercise while keeping our HDL up. HDL will gobble up cholesterol and carry it to the liver to be broken down. HDL can even help get rid of LDL.

In the past total cholesterol was used to determine your health risk for heart disease. They are finding that this number is not as reliable as once thought. Instead they are using patterns. What is more important is what is the main characteristic or pattern of cholesterol seen in your blood. If you have primarily small dense LDL you would be a Pattern B and if you have more large buoyant LDL you would be a Pattern A. If you are somewhere in between you would be a Pattern A/B.

So how am I superhuman? I am actually at a negative risk for heart disease. This means that I could actually pick up a nasty habit like smoking and would still only be at a normal risk for heart disease. Here were my numbers:

LDL = 96 Normal is <130
HDL = 54 Normal is >40
VLDL = 18 Normal is <30
Pattern A

I'm not telling you all of this to impress you (well maybe just a little). The main reason I am sharing this is because you don't have to be perfect to get these numbers. Yes genetics have a roll and some people may not be able to get as low as this without medication. But, if you just eat well most of the time and cheat in moderation, you will be fine.

I have these great number but yes I drink beer in moderation, yes I eat hamburgers and red meat in moderation, yes I eat ice cream in moderation, and any other "bad" food you think of I probably eat. People think that I eat perfectly and only have fruits, vegetables, and chicken/fish. I eat very well 80-90% of the time, but I am human. When I go out to eat I'm not going to be perfect. It is nice to see with my blood tests that you can still drink beer, eat red meat and still have good cholesterol.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

5 Quick And Easy Lunches

2011-04-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

This weeks blog post is courtesy of Brian St. Pierre, CSCS, CISSN and Prograde Nutrition. Check out these 5 very quick and very healthy lunch ideas.

1. Chicken, Pesto & Guacamole Wrap: This is a quick and delicious wrap that is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, vegetables, protein, and quality carbs. You can make this in less than 5 minutes!

Ingredients:
• 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped and seasoned to taste
• 1 sprouted-grain or whole-grain wrap
• 1-2 large handfuls baby spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers
• 2 tbsp basil evoo pesto
• 2 tbsp guacamole
• 1 plum or other small piece of fruit

Directions: Evenly spread pesto onto wrap. Lay spinach on top in an even layer. Then lay down chicken breast on top of spinach. Spread guacamole on top of chicken breast and toss in diced cucumbers.

Enjoy with carrots and hummus or other produce of choice. Makes 1 serving for men, and 2 for women.

2. Spinach, Chicken & Feta Salad: This is a quick and delicious salad that is loaded with protein, vegetables, monounsaturated fats, and blood sugar-controlling vinegar.

Ingredients
• 1 chicken breast, chopped and seasoned to taste
• 2 cups baby spinach
• ½ cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• 4 large kalamata olives (optional)
• ¼ cup black beans (optional)

Directions: Mix all ingredients together to make this delicious salad!

For some people, salads don’t seem to hold them over as long as other meals, so adding ¼ cup of black beans can add a small amount of starchy carbs and fiber to keep you fuller, longer. Makes 1 serving.

3. Tuna Salad Sandwich: Tuna salad is usually made from regular mayonnaise (which is made with low-quality vegetable oils) and higher-mercury tuna. Making it yourself allows you to use a mayonnaise made from healthier oils and wild-caught tuna that is lower in mercury. This meal can also be made into a wrap if preferred.

Ingredients:
• 1 can wild-caught tuna
• 1 tbsp expeller pressed canola oil mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers
• 1/4 mashed avocado (or 2 tbsp guacamole)
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 2 slices sprouted-grain or whole-grain bread, toasted
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Toast bread. In a large bowl mix tuna, expeller pressed canola oil mayonnaise, onions, cucumbers, and avocado (or guacamole). Set aside. Lay spinach on top of toasted bread. Spoon tuna salad onto bed of spinach. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with sliced peppers or other produce of choice. Makes 1 serving for men, and 2 for women.

4. Vanilla, Fruit & Yogurt Parfait: While most people think of yogurt as a simple snack food or addition to your lunch, in a pinch it can make a delicious and nutritious lunch by itself. Do be aware that fruit flavored yogurts are either loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and you want no part of either one.

This recipe provides plenty of high quality protein, probiotics, healthy fats, fiber, and berries to keep you full until dinner!

Ingredients:
• 6-8oz 2% plain Greek yogurt or whole-fat regular yogurt
• ½ to 1 scoop Vanilla Prograde Protein
• ½ to 1 tbsp milled flax or chia seeds
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• ½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen berries of choice

Directions: Mix the protein powder and seeds in with the yogurt until evenly distributed. Add in fruit and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top. For women use the smaller portion sizes, for men the larger. Makes 1 serving.

5. Lunch Portion of Dinner Leftovers or Large Batch of Chili, Stew, etc.: A simple way to have a healthy lunch is to make an extra large dinner the night before. Purposefully make your dinner with an extra serving that you simply refrigerate. Come the next morning, you have a healthy lunch already made and packed!

Another option is to make a large batch of chili or beef stew, which can provide you with several lunch servings throughout the week. This is a perfect meal to make on Sunday, providing you lunch for most of the work week!
Here is a delicious chili recipe that fits the bill nicely.

Ingredients:
• ~1.5 lbs of lean ground beef, grass-fed if possible
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes, 14oz each
• 1 can tomato sauce, 16oz
• 1 can light red kidney beans
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 small can of corn
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Cook the beef, onion, and green pepper in a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. In a large pot combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, corn, and chili powder and cook over medium heat. Do not drain canned goods. Once the beef, onion, and green pepper mixture is thoroughly cooked, add to the large pot. Stir and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Makes 5 servings for men, and up to 10 servings for women.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Low Carb Diets And Cancer

2011-03-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

If you have followed this blog at all you will know that I am not a big fan of low card diets. Despite my beliefs, almost everyone that I talk with who is trying to lose weight is scared of eating carbohydrates. Because of many of the fad diets, people feel that the only way to lose weight is by not eating foods like bread, pasta, rice, and other grains.

If you look at the food pyramid that we learn in elementary school you will notice that the bottom piece of the pyramid is made up of these carbs. This means that it really should be the foundation of a balanced diet. Instead people try to eliminate these foods from their diets.

I like to share the story I often hear from many clients. They will tell me that they went out to eat and got some sort of burger or sandwich, but to justify it they tell me they didn't eat the bun or bread. I think this is funny when the bread was probably the most nutritious part of the meal. The burger is full of saturated fat and most likely covered with bacon, cheese, and mayo. Next time they should just eat the bun and throw away the rest.

I've argued my case over and over but have a hard time winning. I explain my diet with clients saying I eat whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta most days of the week and still can see all my abs. Is it the carbs that cause obesity or everything else in the diet that does it?

Either way if logic won't work with you maybe fear will. I found an extremely interesting research article on this topic. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition there was a study that compared High Protein Low Carb Diets (which you find in most weight loss programs) vs a Moderate Protein and Moderate Carb Diet.

The results were amazing. What they found was after four weeks on the low carb high protein diets there was a significant decrease in fecal cancer protective metabolites and an increased concentrations of hazardous metabolites. What this means is that those that followed this diet program saw bacteria that helps fight against cancer decrease with an increase in bacteria that may cause cancer.

Now I'm not saying that if you follow a low carb diet you will get colon cancer, but it seems that by decreasing your carbs you may be increasing your chances of running into problems in the future. I do think that following a proper diet program will prevent many diseases and issues from occurring. If there is a history of issues in your family you might want to re-evaluate your program.

Instead of stressing about eating carbs just focus on a well balanced diet. If you need assistance with any part of your diet program I am offering a 30 day nutrition counseling program. Please just email me at mike@sandiegopremiertraining.com for more information.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

6 Weeks Of Free Meal Plans

2011-03-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hey there. I hope you are doing great this week and are getting ready for the weekend. I am getting ready to head off to Detroit for a fitness conference this weekend. This will be the first of 4 weeks in a row of travel, so it is going to be crazy for the next few weeks around here.

Because of that I will keep this post short and simple. One of the top nutritionist in the country, Isabel De Los Rios, is giving away her Fat Loss Jump Start Program. This is an absolutely awesome resource to help you get your nutrition program under control and jumpstart your metabolism. You can download it for free below. No strings attached.

Download the 6 Week Metabolism Kickstart Meal Plan Program
(just right click and save target as)

Enjoy this free gift and get started on your healthy nutrition program right away.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Two Weird Recipes

2011-02-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hey there.

So my last post spoke about how hidding veggies in your meals is a great way to increase your vegetable intake and a tricky way to lose weight. Today I have a great way you can sneak more beans into desert. I know this sounds weird and even gross but give it a shot. Swap out the fat for fiber in your favorite brownie mix by substituting a 15.5oz can of liquified black beans for the eggs and oil. Just add water to get the right batter consistency before baking. Give it a try and post below what you think. (Source January 2011 IDEA Fitness Journal)

Here is another black bean desert for fudge:

1 15-ounce can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (or about 13/4 cups cooked beans)

3/4 cup carob powder

6 tablespoons (tbs) melted coconut oil

4–6 tbs maple syrup or agave nectar

1 teaspoon (tsp) vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/2 tsp sea salt

Place all ingredients in food processor fitted with “S” blade, and blend until totally smooth. Mixture will be thick.

Line 8- by 4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, and transfer fudge mixture to pan, spreading mixture to edges. Refrigerate until totally firm. Use plastic wrap to lift fudge from pan. Cut into squares and serve. Store in refrigerator. Makes 24 pieces or 12 servings.

Per Serving: 146 calories; 6.9 grams (g) fat; 2.5 g protein; 18.4 g carbs; 4.9 g fiber; 0 milligrams (mg) cholesterol; 101 mg sodium.

Source: This is an original recipe by certified natural chef Sarah Kruse.

A Tricky Way To Get More Veggies

2011-02-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

I was watching the show Tosh.O the other day. If you haven't seen the show it is on Comedy Central and it is comic who finds crazy videos online and shows them on TV. If you are easily offended this is not the show for you.

Anyway, one clip he was showing was of a young kid each green beans. You could tell by the look on his face that this was not his favorite thing to eat. You hear the dad's voice on camera counting as he pops them into his mouth. After a few the young boy starts to gag trying to hold them down. He then has to try and wash them down with his chocolate milk. Well unfortunately everything comes back up and onto the plate. If you want to see it just click here.

Why am I sharing this lovely scene with you? Well I think it is pretty common. Most people, and not just kids, hate vegetables. I think this is a serious problem, knowing how bad the obesity epidemic has gotten. We seem to either force people (usually kids) to eat veggies or they are just ignored altogether.

One of the main reasons we are so overweight is because we choice energy dense food. When we over consume energy dense foods it will lead to excessive energy intake. It simple terms we eat too many high calorie foods. Energy dense just means there are a lot of calories in a small amount of food. Look at a Snickers. There are 271 calories in a candy bar. And most of these calories are not things the body wants. Compare that to carrot which is similar is size but only 35 calories and will give you your entire daily requirement for Vitamin A. Yes I would also rather have a Snickers than a carrot stick but is it worth it?

A new study just came out in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on this very topic. We know that most people do not like the taste of vegetables. So what these researchers did was puree veggies to hide them into meals and see what it would do. They made participants eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the laboratory and in each meal hid vegetables in the entree.

What they found was that those who consumed the pureed veggies ate more veggies than those who were just served them in the dish, consumed less calories (almost 400 calories less), claimed that they felt full after meals, and enjoyed their meals.

So just by using this little trick you can significantly reduce the number of calories you consume and increase your vegetable intake. Try this out. One thing I always recommend is to make a smoothie and throw some leafy green vegetables in it with fruit. You will never know there is a vegetable in it. Or you can make your own sauces for entrees and puree it with veggies.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS

Healthy Superbowl Recipes

2011-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I hope you are having a great week so far. Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away. This day is full of overeating and drinking. Remember that even healthy foods and snacks can lead to an increase in stomach size, but choosing the right snacks is a great start. Here is a guest blog post from Nutritionist Dr. Chris Mohr from www.MohrResults.com. He has some VERY simple and healthy snacks you can have this Sunday. Just watch how much you are consuming.

Healthy Superbowl Snacks:

80 million. That’s the amount of pounds of avocados estimated to be eaten on Superbowl Sunday.

30 million. That’s approximately the number of pounds of five popular snack foods (potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, and nuts) Americans will eat on Superbowl Sunday.

2.5 million. That’s how many nuts will be eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

1,200. That’s the approximate amount of calories people will eat on Superbowl Sunday in snacks alone. Not counting the meals (or drinks)!

20%. That’s the increase in sales of antacids on Superbowl Sunday alone.

Startling facts, huh? Think we overdo the high fat, high calorie foods and alcohol a bit too much?

Is it possible to still be “heart healthy” and enjoy the Superbowl?

OF COURSE!

Here are a few ideas…

We talked about avocado earlier in the week – well with 80 million pounds eaten on Superbowl Sunday, it’s one food we do pretty well with. Here’s a recipe for homemade guac – a favorite Superbowl snack at the Mohr House (even Ella loves mashed avocado)!

Guacamole

We won’t revisit the nutrient benefits of avocados – check out our article on the health benefits of avocado here if you missed it earlier in the week.

Instead, here’s a super simple guacamole recipe you can try for the game tonight:

Ingredients

2 fully ripened Avocados, halved, pitted and diced
1 tsp salt
1 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS, chopped cilantro
Dash cayenne pepper (optional if you want some added kick)

Directions:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve (NOTE: the avocado might get slightly brown in the fridge. No problem, just stir it up.
Prep time: 5 minutes. Yields 1 ½ cups

Nuts

Nuts can be fantastic for you, but at the same time they can be way too easy to overeat.

That’s where in shell pistachios come into play – take off the shell, enjoy the pistachio, but then don’t discard the shells. Leave them visible in a bowl – research published in the Journal of Consumer Research showed that when people saw the “residue” of foods they’d eaten, they ate 27% less overall!

That’s an incredibly simple way to eat less fat and calories.

Pizza

It’s estimated that at least 58% of Americans order pizza on Game Day.

Save some money. Save the hassle. And save a ton of fat and calories by making your own – with a tortilla base rather than a thick, doughy, fiber free crust.

Try this super simple recipe – or watch our video on how to lose fat eating pizza!

Ingredients
Sprouted grain tortillas
Favorite tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Favorite toppings (ideally choose veggies over meats)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees
Top each tortilla with sauce, cheese, and your favorite topping
Place in oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy!

Moral of the story – enjoy the game, eat foods you love, and may YOUR team win!

Practical, yet still healthy.

Dr. Chis Mohr

Well enjoy the game and the great recipes. I hope you all have a great weekend.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS

My Top 3 Breakfasts

2011-01-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Next to lunch and dinner, breakfast is one of my favorite meals. Seriously though, I love eating which might surprise some people. It actually runs in my family I think. In fact, at my brothers wedding last year during my best man speech I mentioned how the easiest way to get my father, brother, or myself to agree with you, just feed us. I think the video of that speech is on Youtube somewhere if you really want to see it.

Anyway, breakfast is extremely important. Just look at the word itself, Break Fast. We are breaking a long fast after a night of sleeping. Let's say you eat dinner at 7pm then wake up at 7am. That is 12hrs of no food or energy. If you aren't filling your tank up you will be running on fumes for the rest of the day. Our metabolisms are still kicking while we sleep. We are just sleeping, we are not dead. We are using energy the entire time. Over 12hrs you use up most of your energy stores so they need to be replaced immediately.

Some people believe though, if they workout in a fasted state they will burn more fat. There may be some scientific evidence that they will burn more fat while fasting but I have one problem with that. How intensely can you workout on an empty stomach? I have tried it before. I could barely finish the workout, I used lighter weights, and I skipped harder exercises and sets because I just didn't have the energy. On the other hand when I just have a small snack I have enough energy to get through the workout and push it hard. While there might have been a higher fat oxidation percentage on the empty stomach I guarantee I burned more overall calories when I ate something. There is more scientific evidence that exercising more intensely will burn more calories.

I know many people struggle to get breakfast in. Even if you aren't hungry I highly recommend getting something in before you start your day. Here are my top three breakfast choices. I really eat these every week.

1. Veggie Omelet:

I personally use egg substitute but it fine to use whole eggs as well. In my omelet I will have peppers, mushrooms, spinach, turkey, and low fat cheese. (careful with the cheese).

2. Smoothie:

I love smoothies on days I get up at 4:30am and the last thing I want to do is cook something. Check out my older post on how to build the perfect smoothie. Currently I make my smoothie with frozen mango, protein powder, 1/2 banana, ice, almond milk, and cinnamon.

3. Greek Yogurt:

This is just one of my favorite things. I am really hooked on greek yogurt and for good reason. In one serving of non fat greek yogurt there is 24g of protein and only 8g of sugar. I usually add some blueberries and granola to mine, but it is great plain too.

There you go. Three super easy breakfast choices for you. Believe I am super lazy when it comes to cooking and need things to be very basic. These take just a few minutes to prepare and then you are ready to start your day.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

What's The Best Protein

2011-01-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

I think it is safe to say, most people understand the importance of protein. Whether you are trying to lose fat or gain muscle you MUST consume adequate protein. The body uses protein to repair muscle, for energy, build hormones and enzymes, and build bone and skin. What some people may not realize is that there are different kinds of protein. There is whey, egg, casein, hemp, soy...We can get protein from a variety of sources depending on our diet patterns.

The questions is though, are all proteins the same? Does it matter if I have whey protein or should I have soy? A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tried to answer this question. One thing that protein in general is good at is thermogensis. When we eat food we have to break it down to convert it to energy and to extract the nutrients our bodies need to function. The cool thing is, we burn energy doing this. While it isn't a ton of calories you will burn from eating and digesting food, it is important to consider. Protein requires much more energy to break down than fats or carbs.

So we know there is more thermogensis and a higher feeling of satiety after consuming protein, then in fats and carbs. What isn't as clear is the different affects from different sources of protein. This study compared whey, casein, and soy which are 3 of the more popular protein choices. Here is what they found when each protein source was taken with carbs and fat in a meal.

The whey protein had a higher thermogenic effect than both casein and soy, meaning there is higher calorie burn from eating whey protein. Over a 5 hour period after consuming whey there was a higher fat oxidation effect, so more calories were burned and more were burned from fat. All three protein sources slowed the spike in blood sugar when consumed with carbs. And finally participants claimed to feel more full after consuming soy and casein, but reported they liked whey better.

This is another new study that is showing whey protein has many benefits over some other sources of protein. Whey is found in most dairy products which may be a problem for some people, however.

The bottom line is there are difference between different protein sources, but in general make sure you are consuming enough protein in your diet from any source. For muscle gain and fat burning, it seems like whey protein would be your best option, but if you cannot consume whey you will still have many benefits from other types of proteins.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

The Best Workout of 2010

2011-01-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

Over the past year I have put myself and my client through 1000's of workouts. I thought I would post my top workout of 2010 for you to try. Feel free to leave comments on what you think of it.

Perform the follow warm up exercise 1 time for 60 seconds each.

Jumping Jacks	Jumping Jacks	60 seconds
Toe Touch	Toe Touch	60 seconds
SB Bird Dogs	SB Bird Dogs	60 seconds
T Raise	T Raise	60 seconds

Perform the follow strength exercises as a circuit.
Go through the circuit 5 times.
Each time you go through the circuit do 2 less reps per execise.
Try to complete all 5 sets with little to no rest.

DB Snatch	DB Snatch	12, 10, 8, 6, 4 Each Arm
Renegade Rows	Renegade Rows	22, 20, 16, 12, 8 Total
Reverse Lunges	Reverse Lunges	12, 10, 8, 6, 4 Each Leg
SB Knee Tuck Push Up	SB Knee Tuck Push Up	12, 10, 8, 6, 4
S.L. Deadlift	S.L. Deadlift With Shrug	12, 10, 8, 6, 4
Burpees	Burpees	12, 10, 8, 6, 4

Perform the following core exercises in a circuit.
Perform the entire circuit TWICE.
Rest up to 30 seconds between exercises and up to 60 seconds between circuits.

Decline Reverse Crunch	Decline Reverse Crunch	15
Oblique V Ups	Oblique V Ups	10 Each Side
SB Mountain Climbers	SB Mountain Climbers	20

Finisher.
Perform the entire circuit 2 times.
Do each exercise for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest in between.

DB Swing	DB Swing	20 seconds
Mt Climbers	Mt Climbers	20 seconds
Squat Jumps	Squat Jumps	10
MB Slams	MB Slams	20 seconds

How To Set A Real Goal

2011-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I hope you had a great New Year and you are ready to start 2011 with a bang. I had an interesting vacation. It was literally something right out of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but no where near as funny. Every Christmas my wife and I try to see as much family as possible since we live so far away. We traveled to NY to visit my family where we got stuck in a blizzard. After a nightmare with the airports we had to drive down to Washington DC to catch a flight to Mississippi to visit my in laws. And finally my wife surprised me with a trip to New Orleans for my 30th birthday and New Years.

As great as it is to see everyone it is nice to be back home and in a routine again. So over our 10 day trip I managed to gain around 5lbs. And honestly I thought it would have been more. One of the great things about working out all year and eating healthy 90% of the time is I can afford to enjoy the holidays with no regrets. So I definitely enjoyed myself by taking a week off from workouts and eating whatever I wanted. In NY it was tons of Italian food, cookies, cheese cake, and ice cream. If that wasn't enough in Mississippi and New Orleans it was Hamburgers with peanut butter, fried catfish po boys, fried oysters, grilled oysters, jumbalaya omelet, gumbo, and beignets. Oh and I can't forget the beer, champagne, hurricanes, and hand grenades.

What's done is done. It is time to move on and figure out my goals that I need to start working on. Regardless of what your goals involve; health, business, spirituality, friendship.... you need to set good goals. The problem with New Year Resolutions is no one actually sticks to them. Instead of thinking about a goal for the whole year just pick a small goal for the month of January. After one month of sticking with that goal you can decide if you want to continue that goal or try working on something new. When ever creating a goal make sure you have a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

Specific- The more specific the better. "I want to lose weight" is not a very specific goal. Instead think of a number of pounds or a dress/pant size you want to get into.

Measurable- If you can't measure it, there is no way to know when you have reached your goal. You can want to be healthier or richer, but what does that mean. You need to find something you can measure like cholesterol or number of sales.

Attainable- Once you set a goal you need to shift your attitude and belief system. You must know that you can obtain this goal. No matter how big the goal might be you have the steps in place to reach that goal.

Realistic- This one is pretty self explanatory. Do not just pick easy goals though. You need to challenge yourself. But it must be possible to reach that goal. You might say you are going to lose 50lbs by February, but this is not realistic.

Timely- Give yourself a deadline. Think about in school when an assignment was due or at work when a big project was due. What happened as you got closer to the goal? You started to really focus and make it a priority. If there is no end date you will just keep putting it off until you just give up on it. Challenge yourself here don't wait all year to reach your goal. Pick a time that is realistic but will make you work.

Using these simple step you will start to develop goals that you will accomplish in no time. Here are a few of my SMART goals that I will be working on.

Fitness:

One of my weakest areas in fitness is flexibility. For the month of January I will be performing at least 1 stretch before bed every night. When time permits I will do more but I will at least do one stretch. It might be a simple goal but for someone who hates stretching it will be a challenge.

Education:

As you know, I'm sure, things are always changing in the fitness/business industry. For 2011 I will read 1 fitness or business related book. It is my goal to be the best trainer and business person I can by educating myself from experts.

Financially:

It is always my goal to make more money than I did the year before but this is not a very specific goal. Instead I will build up my name and brand by giving one free lecture with different organizations and companies to help promote myself and my business this year.

So there are my goals. I would love to hear some of yours as well. One reason I am telling all of you some of my goals is to keep me accountable. If you ever see me feel free to ask me how I am doing on each. It is a great idea for you to do the same. Write it down in the comment section below so I can keep you accountable.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Holiday Cheesecake Recipe

2010-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Provided by EatingWell.com

Serves
16
Prep Time
90 min.
Total Time
330 min.

A spectacular, graceful ending for a holiday feast or any elegant fall or winter meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)

1 tablespoon canola oil

20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoon cornstarch, divided

1 large egg

2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions

8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree

3 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.

Step 2
To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.

Step 3
To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.

Step 4
Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the center of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the center of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.

Step 5
Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.

Step 6
Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.

MAKE AHEAD TIP

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Fat Building Muscle

2010-12-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking, I have finally lost it. There is no way there is any truth to the heading of this post. Can Fat really build muscle? Traditional thinking would tell us to increase protein if you are trying to build muscle mass. While protein is absolutely necessary to help build muscle mass, it is not the only nutrient we need.

A brand new study coming out in the next issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is showing promise with Essential Fatty Acids and protein synthesis. Essential Fatty Acids, such as Omega 3's, have been shown to be very helpful improving brain function, nerve tissue development, mood regulation, metabolism, and hormone production. This study however wanted to see the effects of Omega 3's on protein synthesis in older adults.

The researches compared Omega 3 with Corn Oil supplementation. They found that after 8 weeks of supplementation Omega 3 fatty acids stimulated muscle protein synthesis and may be useful for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass that occurs with aging. This usually leads to weakness, fatigue, increase falls, and increase risk of bone fractures.

EFA's are essential for building anabolic hormones such as testosterone which build muscle mass. It seems that supplementation may help increase muscle synthesis or at least help in the prevention of muscle loss.

So yes it is true. Fat can actually build more muscle. But I hesitate to say this. Remember this study used EFA's, not saturated fat, which is found in most food in a Western Diet. Stick to foods high in EFA's such as salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, sardines, and halibut. You can also take a EFA supplement if you are not a fan of fish.

Start getting some fat in your diet and build more muscle. And yes even if you are trying to lose weight building more muscle is a good thing, so don't avoid EFA's if you are trying to lose fat. You need it to function properly. Get rid of the other fat in your diet.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Best Fitness Gifts

2010-12-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well it is that time of year already. As it always seems to do, the year has just flown by. I love shopping for the holidays when I know what I am getting. I can just run into a store and run right out and not have to deal with the crowds too much. When I don't know what I am getting it is a nightmare. Luckily I can do most of my shopping online now. I thought I would do you a huge favor and give you some great holiday gift ideas for the fitness enthusiast in your family. These are my top 5 favorite exercise tools that anyone can use. To return the favor please send me some other holiday gift ideas. I am really stumped this year.

If you click on the links you can actually take advantage of Perform Better's Annual Free Shipping sale, which is great for ordering kettlebells. Click on the pictures to learn more about each tool.

1. The TRX Suspension Trainer

Suspension Training is one of the hottest body weight training techniques in the fitness industry today. Personally I love using the TRX and use it with all of my clients. It is simple to set up and can be used anywhere. There are literally hundreds of exercises that can be performed with this piece of equipment, including some of my favorite and toughest ab exercises. It is no wonder that this product is being endorsed by some of the best athletes in the world, including Superbowl MVP Drew Brees.

2. Kettlebells

Again another personal favorite of mine. Kettlebells, like the TRX, can be used in a variety of ways and train multiple muscles and goals at the same time. Kettlebells are showing to be a very effective tool for fat burning workouts due to the ballistic nature of the exercises. If you are looking for fast paced, challenging workouts that will build strength and endurance at the same time, then this is your answer.

3. The Valslide

The Valslide is a lesser known piece of equipment. This unique tool can turn your flooring into an unstable surface. This piece of equipment uses friction training to improve muscular stability and strength. Use them to target multiple body parts such as your legs, inner thighs, and butt all at the same time. Or use them to stretch and tone your shoulders, chest and back. Some of the toughest core exercises I know use the Valslide.

4. The Power Wheel

No I don't mean Power Wheels that kids can ride around in. Although they should make those for adults. You can actually use the Power Wheel just like the Valslide but on surfaces that are not good for sliding. This is another very simple tool that can train all different parts of the body. The Power Wheel was designed to challenge the entire body to stabilize while moving. Because of its unique patented design, you can put your feet into the PW or your hands so you can perform unlimited core exercises. And because of the top level instructional booklet included, you will learn the best way to to get your core (abs, back and surrounding muscles) to its most powerful level ever!

5. The Gym Boss

If you have been reading this blog in the past I don't have to tell you how important interval training is for fat loss. The Gymboss Interval timer is the perfect tool to keep track of intervals. It is about the size of a beeper and can clip onto your waist band. Just set the work and rest time and hit start. You work as hard as you can until you hear the beep, then rest and repeat. Below you can actually see a video I made a while back using the Gymboss and Kettlebells.

There you have it. My 5 top holiday gift ideas. I highly recommend using the holiday free shipping deal going on, especially if you are purchasing Kettlebells.

Enjoy the holidays!

You Stay Healthy San Diego.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Find Skinny Friends

2010-11-10T09:56:00.001-08:00

Whether you want to believe it or not your circle of friends have a lot of influence over you. Think about who you hang out with the most. Chances are they are very similar to you in age, values, financial status, education... Many times our friends are really just a reflection of ourselves.

Can this phenomenon include your health as well? A study in the New England Journal of Medicine is claiming this is so. In fact it looks like obesity is almost contagious and can spread like a virus. It is no wonder that we are facing an obesity epidemic. Obesity can pass from one person to the next.

This study followed a very large social network of people. They observed relationships between friends, family members, and neighbors. They followed obesity trends between different social networks. For example if one person gained weight would it have an impact on any of their networks. What the researchers found was that friends were the most influential. When one person would gain weight, they would see a common trend. The friends of that person would start to gain weight. Even when friends didn't live in close proximity to each other they would still witness this occurrence. They concluded that when a friend becomes obese it increases your chance of becoming obese by 57%. Whether your friend live down the street or across the country it will still have the same effect on you. If it is a very close friend that is obese you increase your chance to 71%.

This study just reinforces how influenced we are by our friends. The study found some similar effects with family members, but nothing like the obesity link between friends. This really isn't too surprising though. When I think about some of my clients I see this exact thing. I have had many clients come to me saying they needed to lose weight for a school reunion or other social gathering of friends, but I have not seen many who say they need to lose weight for Thanksgiving or other holiday when they get together with their family. I'm sure there are some out there who want to but I just don't see it as much.

The bottom line is this though. You have the power to help fight obesity and help your friends get in shape. If we know friends are the most influential it should work both ways. If you have a friend lose 20lbs or you lose weight, you will probably start to see your friends follow you. If obesity is contagious then maybe being fit and healthy can be too. There is only one way to find out. If you need to lose a few pounds try and get that weight off. Then see if some of your friends start to follow along. You can help America get back into shape.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Drink Water, Lose Weight

2010-11-10T09:55:00.001-08:00

I don't think I need to tell you how important water is. Water is the most abundant substance found in your body. You can only survive a few days without water, while you can go almost a month without food. It is quite simply one of the most important things you need to consider in your nutrition program.

Can drinking water though help you lose weight? This is something that is always stated, but actually has not been studied very much. There are a few newer studies that wanted to find out if water could help with weight lose.

The main research findings out there are showing how important it is to drink water before your meals, not just throughout the day. One study found that middle-aged and older people, consumed 75-90 calories less per meal, when they drank 2 cups of water before a meal. I know these aren't huge numbers but still that 1575-1890 less calories per week or an extra 2-3lbs of weight loss each month.

And an newer study found very similar results. This study compared two groups. One drank 2 cups of water before meals while the other group didn't. Over a 12 week span the water drinkers lost 4 more pounds than the non water drinkers.

I know you might not be impressed with losing an extra 4lbs over 12 weeks but in actuality both groups lost weight. The water drinkers just lost 15lbs compared to 11lbs. 15lbs in 12 weeks is a pretty substantial amount. And even better is the fact that these studies did not involve exercise. These number could have been even better with the incorporation of strength and cardio training.

Now we have research to back up what many of us have probably assumed for awhile. Water is very important for weight loss. It is not just important to drink it though. Drink 2 cups of water before every meal to see even fast weight lose. Try replacing your calorie containing beverage with a glass of water.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Eat More And Burn More

2010-10-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Well its the end of the week already and I hope you are getting ready for a fun filled weekend.

In the past I have often written about how important it is to eat after your workout. Whether you are trying to gain or lose weight, what you eat after a workout can help you reach your goals dramatically.

What you intake before your workout can also dramatically help you out. More studies are now showing the importance of Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. Our bodies can make some amino acids, while others must be ingested (essential). BCAA's are 3 essential amino acids. These three amino acids make up 1/3 of skeletal muscle in the body. These 3 are leucine, isoleucine and valine. These BCAA's are necessary in order to build muscle. They can also be used for energy. The body can break down protein (muscle) and use these BCAA's for energy when needed. This is not a good thing. If you are not getting enough BCAA's in your diet you will lose muscle mass. This is one of the biggest problems with extreme low calorie diets.

By ingesting these amino acids before a workout you will do a number of important things, like prevent muscle degradation and building more lean body mass. There are three main reasons why you want to include BCAA's prior to your workouts.

1. BCAA's can reduce cortisol levels that are elevated during exercise.
2. Taking in new BCAA's can prevent your body from using muscle for fuel, even when you are on a restricted diet.
3. They can help burn fat and build muscle at the same time. BCAA's actually will use stored fat for energy to build muscle.

There may also be one other huge benefit of combine BCAA's with carbohydrate before your workout. A newer study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that when 6g amino acids were ingested with 35g of sugar prior to resistance training energy expenditure was higher during and after the workout. This means that those that had protein with carbohydrates before their workout burn more calories.

So for a little extra boost to your workout you can try and snack on some protein and carbohydrates before your workout or you can try a BCAA supplement with a sports drink.

Click here to try out a great BCAA Supplement.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Eat Bread And Reduce Stomach Fat

2010-10-06T15:23:00.001-07:00

Hi there. I hope you are doing great this week. I am still recovering from a friend's bachelor party this past weekend. It feels good to be back on my workout routine and regular eating habits. One fact I am definitely sure of, is that bachelor parties are not good for reducing stomach fat. I am hoping I didn't do too much damage this weekend. But can breads actually help us reduce stomach fat?

If you have ever tried to lose weight or know someone who has, the title of this post may seem completely wrong. We have been told that you need to stay away from carbs or grains if you want to lose weight. While there may be some truth to that a new study actually found the opposite.

The key is what kind of carbs you are eating.

In the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition there was a study released that looked at eating whole grains vs. refined grains and how fat was stored in the abdomen. This study involved 2,834 participants (men & women) of ages 32-84.

The study found that there was in fact a correlation with eating grains and abdominal fat. What they observed was that by increasing whole-grains into a diet there was lower visceral fat in the abdomen and those that ate more refined-grains saw an increase in visceral abdominal fat.

Visceral Abdominal fat, is the fat tissue that is found in the abdominal cavity surrounding organs. This is the fat that is seen as a high risk for heart disease. Basically it is very bad to have a lot of this type of fat.

It is important to understand the difference between refined and whole grains. A whole grain consists of 3 parts. The Bran, which is the protective outer hard shell, the endosperm, which provides energy for the seed, and the inner germ which provides the growing seed nutrients. The Bran contains fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals and the germ contains oils, antioxidants, and additional vitamins. The endosperm consist mainly of carbs (sugar). During the refining process the bran and the germ are stripped away leaving only the endosperm so all you are left with is the carbohydrates without the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

When you eat refined grains you are essentially eating simple sugars. Some simple sugars are not the worse thing to be eating, but in our society, these refined grains make up the majority of our diets. When possible stick with whole grains which are rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.

Examples of Whole Grains:

Whole Wheat (Ezekiel Bread)
Barley
Brown Rice
Bulgur
Oat Grouts
Quinoa
Rye
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Spelt

Examples of Refined Grains:

White Flour
Degermed Cornmeal
White Bread
White Rice
Corn Tortillas
Crackers
Pasta
Pretzels
Chips
Cereal (Although you will find some that contain whole grains)

Remember to check the labels. Some of the examples listed above can be found as whole grain products but not all. If you see the words whole grain you are probably ok although some products will mix whole and refined grains.

So it is possible to eat bread and have a smaller stomach, as long as you are sticking with whole grains, which most people will not do.

You Stay Healthy San Diego.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

2010-09-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

The year is flying by and we are already in fall. Although the past few days in San Diego have been some of the warmest all year. If you are looking for a great fall recipe, here is one I came across in the September issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs lime juice
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (or substitute parsley or another herb if you like)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook until just tender (7–10 minutes). Drain and transfer to large bowl. While potatoes are cooking, make dressing: in small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and cilantro. Add red bell pepper and scallions to drained potatoes, and toss with dressing. Add salt and pepper. Serve warm, or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving. Makes six servings.

Per Serving: 260 calories; 10 grams (g) total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 4 g fiber; 420 milligrams (mg) sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbs; 3 g protein.

Studio Remodel Pictures

2010-09-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

I had a few people who wanted to see what the studio looks like after we expanded. I took a few quick ones you can check out below. Let me know what you think. It is still a work in progress until I am completely satisfied with the layout.

Thanks,

Mike

Does Less Sleep Make You Fat?

2010-09-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey. I hope you are having a great week. I'm hanging in there, but I have to admit that I have been dragging this week. With all of the traveling I have been doing, it is catching up with me. I am ready to get some solid sleep and recovery.

One common issue I hear from clients is their lack of sleep. Most people will just ignore this by having extra coffee or some other energy drink. These methods will most likely cause more harm than good. If you are tired there is really only one cure. You need to get rest. Caffeine and energy drinks will just hide this and make you even more tired when they wear off.

In fact, there is evidence that lack of sleep with lead to weight gain. We need sleep for a variety of reasons including recharging energy, our muscles recover and rebuild during sleep, and it allows the brain time to store experiences as memories. There are three major reasons why lack of sleep will lead to weight gain.

First, our hormones can be effected by our sleep patterns. Specifically, when we get less sleep there may be an increase in Cortisol levels, which has been shown to increase food intake and increase abdominal fat storage. Sleep deprivation is also associated with a decrease in Leptin from fat cells. As Leptin decreases the hypothalamus interprets this as the fat cells need more food for energy, which makes you feel hungry. When Leptin levels decrease there will be an increase in Ghrelin, which stimulates hunger. So in summary you feel more hungry even though you don't need to food and the extra calories will be stored in your abdominal area.

Secondly, there can be a disruption in glucose metabolism. Researchers are finding a high link between sleep deprivation and diabetes. It is hypothesized that less sleep will lower levels of insulin secretion and impair glucose utilization.

The final reason may be very simple, but it is very true. Less hours spent sleeping means there are more hours awake for snacking or being sedentary. When people don't sleep well they are going to feel very tired during the day. This means they will most likely not want to workout and more likely to choose higher calorie and caffeinated snacks and beverages.

There are a number of reasons why people may be sleep deprived. Some can be simple fixes while others will be more complex and take time. Here are 10 tips to help get a better nights sleep taken from the University of California's Wellness Newsletter:

1. Cut down on caffeine consumption in the late afternoon and evenings.
2. Do not smoke or use any other products with nicotine before bed. (More importantly just quit smoking)
3. Create a noise free sleeping environment.
4. Create a sleep-friendly bedroom by using comfortable linens and pillows, put up darker shades, replace worn out mattresses, and keep the bed cool during sleep hours.
5. Drink fewer fluids after dinner.
6. Attempt to deal with stressful issues during the day and put them away at night. (seek professional consultation if necessary)
7. Set a regular time to go to bed and a consistent time to wake up. Stick to this every day.
8. Avoid bringing work projects and personal paperwork to bed.
9. Avoid bringing food to bed.
10. Limit naps to a maximum of 30 minutes and try to take the naps earlier in the day.

To summarize, I remember something my old boss said in grad school about sleep. "The only thing you should be doing in bed is sleeping." I strongly recommend not watching tv, reading, or eating in your bed. When you lay down to go to sleep it should be a signal to your brain to shut off and go to sleep. We tend to be very habitual. Once you start a pattern it will be much easier to stick to.

You stay healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

5 Unhealthy Health Foods

2010-09-01T14:42:00.001-07:00

I always find it amazing that even though grocery stores are getting more and more packed with "health" foods, we are becoming increasingly unhealthy each year. With obesity becoming an epidemic in adults and children and more people dying from preventable illness it is amazing we aren't doing anything about it.

The hard part is the education. You hear conflicting information and it is hard to know what to follow. The food industry is making matters worse. By coming up with terms low fat, diet, low sugar.... it sounds like everything we eat now is healthy. Obviously if this was the case I wouldn't be able to find much work. Luckily for me though most people do eat so called healthy food, and it is making them feel worse.

I found a great article in the latest PFP magazine that talked about the 5 unhealthiest health foods that people eat. Below are those 5:

1. Agave Syrup:

Check the labels. Despite health claims agave syrups can be very high in fructose content then commercial sweeteners. Some also may even be watered down with corn syrup. High fructose levels has been linked with insulin resistance and elevated triglycerides. Don't worry you can still have your fruit. Fructose levels won't be nearly high enough to cause problems.

2. Gluten:

While whole grains are an essential to your nutrition plan, some people have a problem with gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten may impair proper digestion and trigger other food intolerances. There are some grains that do not contain gluten including rice, millet, quinoa, corn, and buckwheat.

3. Soy:

Many of the soy products found in the US have been genetically altered and processed with chemicals. Soy may also be harmful for proper hormone function. Soy may be responsible for lowering testosterone levels and lower thyroid function. These are two major problems, especially if you are concerned about losing weight.

4. Fruit Smoothies:

Watch out for so called healthy fruit smoothies. Many of these will contain sweetened yogurt, juice, and corn syrup. With all of that sugar it might as well be called a milkshake. Most of the smoothies found on the Jamba Juice menu contain over 50 grams of sugar per serving. If you are going to use a shake for a meal replacement or snack make sure it contains healthy ingredients. Read my previous post How To Make A Smoothie to learn more.

5. Flavored Water:

All these drinks are is sugar added to water. If you are drinking your sugar or eating it your body will crave more sugar. Vitamin water may sounds healthy but unfortunately it is not. In fact Vitamin water is being sued over claims that it is a health food product. Their defense is that a reasonable person would not consider Vitamin Water to be a health food product. Sounds funny but it is true. Vitamin Water have 33 grams of sugar per serving. Stick to water. If you need extra vitamins take a multivitamin.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

Should you stretch before you run?

2010-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hi there. I hope you are having a great day. Well we have actually had a few days of sun in San Diego and it has been perfect weather for running. With the Oceanside Turkey Trot coming up I thought it would be appropriate to give you some tips on what you should and should not do before a run.

Stretching surprisingly is a major controversy in the fitness world. Some people will tell you to stretch before you go on a run while others say you never should. Who is right?

Technically, both are correct, but it is very important to know how to incorporate your stretching routine into your program.

First lets look at why you SHOULD NOT stretch before you workout. Very simply, think about why you stretch in the first place. Most people will say to prevent injury, but this isn't really the case. Essentially, when you stretch you are relaxing your muscle. As the muscle is stretched out, it will send an impulse to the brain and tell it become inhibited and relax so you can pull it into a further range of motion. Once you hold a static stretch for around 20-30 seconds this neurological impulse occurs. You have probably felt this before. Try holding a static stretch for 30 seconds. After that time you will notice your muscle will relax and you will be able to reach further into the stretch. For roughly an hour after a stretch you have deadened this muscle. This is not the ideal situtation for exercise and performance. Research is showing that static stretching before exercise, like running, does not decrease the risk of injury and may actually increase the risk.

There is also much evidence that by stretching before a run you will decrease power and running economy. If you look at elite runners, it looks like they bounce from stride to stride. They are actually using the elastic property of muscles and tendons to save energy. This will allow them to run faster without using as much energy. If we stretch you loose this bounce from the muscles and tendons.

If you are going to perform static stretching before a run you only need to stretch overactive muscles that you do not want to become even tighter during the run. I think one easy example to see with running are the upper trapezius. This is the muscle that will allow you to shrug. As people get tired during a run you will often see their shoulders start to creep up towards their ears. This is not good running form and is a waste of energy. If we static stretch the traps before the run, however, we may be able to prevent this. Below is an example of a trap stretch.

So if you shouldn't static stretch before a run, what should you do? We obviously do not want to just hit the run without warming up at all. So instead we perform a series of dynamic stretches. These are move movements that will prepare the joints and muscles for the exercise. This has been shown to be a much more beneficial warm up that static stretches. Below are a few sample dynamic flexibility exercises you can incorporate before a run.

Hip Flexor/Hamstring Stretch

Thoracic Spine Rotation

Lateral Leg Swings

Leg Swings

Active Hip Flexor Stretch

Balance To Reach

The World's Greatest Stretch

It is however always a good idea to static stretch after a run or a workout. We want to make sure we return our muscles to a lengthened position after a workout that might have tightened them. It is not necessary to stretch every muscle. Focus on the ones that cause the greatest problem. If you have a guitar that is out of tune do you need to adjust every string? Most likely you only have a few strings that need to be adjusted. Our bodies are the same way. If you don't have a tightness problem you don't need to work on flexibility as much there.

While this is a very quick summary of flexibility and stretching I think it at least will give you an idea of a few concepts and what you should and should not be doing. Flexibility is actually a very complicated concept and we are still learning more and more about the best ways to utilize it. With time we will gain a better understanding of everything.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

The Showdown: Treadmill Vs. Elliptical

2010-08-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

Hi there. I hope you are having a great week. I have been super busy lately. 2 weeks ago I was celebrating my 1st Anniversary in Las Vegas. I know what happens in Vegas is suppose to stay in Vegas but check out this pic of the desert that was sent out for us for dinner one night.

Not that it makes it much better but this wasn't all just for us. As some of you know my parents, wife's parents, and us all share the same anniversary day. It's weird but true.

After Vegas we had a wedding to go to and needless to say, I have some extra calories that I need to burn off.

As you probably have heard me say, I do not like doing traditional cardio for burning fat. I find other modes of exercise to be much more excited to me. None the less, I understand that not everyone hates cardio. If you perform cardio are you performing exercises that burn the most calories?

A few weeks ago I posted an article discussing what burns more calories, running or cycling. If you missed it you can click on the link below to read more:

http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/2010/05/does-running-burn-more-fat.html

I came across another study that looked at the treadmill vs. the elliptical and which would burn more calories at the same exertion level. They found that, when intensity levels are the same there is no significant difference in energy expenditure between the treadmill and the elliptical. They did find however that there was a higher heart rate recorded on the elliptical. The researchers were not sure why this was but it could be attributed to the upper body motion combines with the lower body work on the machine.

So what does this mean for your workout? Well it shows that both treadmills and elliptical seem to both be effective ways to burn calories. If you have a preference for one over the other then you should stick to the one that you prefer. If you experience knee pain you might want to stick with the elliptical. Also, if you need to keep your heart rate monitored and below a certain number you might want to stick with the treadmill.

Enjoy the rest of your week and get your cardio done in some form.

You stay healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

The Playing Card Workout

2010-08-08T18:02:00.001-07:00

Here is a short video I shot while I was in Minneapolis, MN last weekend. Sometimes when I am on the road or just in the mood for a different kind of workout I use playing cards to create my workout. Check out the video below to see exactly how you can do it.

Here is one you can try at home:

Hearts = Push Ups
Diamonds = Lunges
Spades = Squat Jumps
Clubs = Burpees

Shuffle the deck and deal out 12 cards at random face down. Flip over the first card. What ever the number is that is how many of the matching exercise you peform. Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, Kings are 13, and Aces are 14. The next time you try it you can either assign new exercises or you can deal out more cards.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

My New Toy

2010-08-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

Hi there. I hope your workouts are going great. There are hundreds of pieces of equipment out there. If you have stayed up late I'm sure you have been sucked into one of those infomercials that tell you how hooking your abs up to electronic stimulation or sitting on a moving saddle will get you the stomach you have been dreaming of. Hopefully you can see right through these marketing scams.

There are however a few pieces of equipment our there that I think are awesome. If you aren't sure what pieces of equipment are worth it or not here is a test you can use. Just ask yourself can this piece of equipment work multiple areas of the body. If the answer is yes then it is probably a useful tool. If the answer is no then keep moving. There is no such thing as spot reducing so don't listen to any ads that claim they can shape an area of your body doing one exercise.

For example, one of my favorite pieces of equipment to use is the TRX Suspension Trainer. This single tool can be used for hundreds of exercises for your entire body. They can be used in your home or outside. They can incredible convenient for exercise. You can click on the pic below to pick one up.

Another piece of equipment that I love are Battling Ropes. I have two of these at my studio. I just got one of few weeks ago and love using it for myself and well as with my clients. I love it because it is challenging, fun, and different. You don't see things like this at most gyms. It is a great tool to break up your traditional workout program. Here is a video I made of a few exercises.

These are tough to use in your home but if you want to pick one up you can click on the pick below:

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

The Truth For Lean Legs

2010-08-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have been in the fitness industry for almost ten years now. Over that time a great deal has changed in research, training methods, and philosophies. Although much has changed, many things have remained the same. The basics are always going to stick. For one if you are trying to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. That will always be the foundation of any program. If you are gaining or not losing weight it will always come back to this formula.

Another thing that always seems to stick are the objections to high intensity strength training. Most people are just too scared to push themselves. Surprisingly though, they are not scared of getting hurt usually. They are scared that if they lift harder they will bulk up or gain weight. I am starting to realize though that many people just are hearing what they want to hear, or just making things up as they go possibly.

Here is a clear example. Most women are scared to bulk up as I mentioned and will not push themselves hard for certain exercises or they will not even strength train altogether. They will, however, kill themselves on the adductor/abductor machines (inner/outer thigh machine). So if you are too scared to do squats and push ups because they will bulk you up, why would you do inner/outer thigh machines? Would that just give you bigger inner and outer thighs?

Obviously no. You will not get bigger legs using the adductor/abductor machines, just like you will not get big doing most strength training exercises. Unless, of course, you train to get big and follow a proper nutrition plan. Most people do not eat enough or train hard enough to put on significant muscle mass.

And while I am ranting I have another problem with the inner/outer thigh machines. No matter how many times people hear it they just don't believe that you cannot spot reduce. Yes those machines will strengthen those muscles but they will not necessarily burn fat from that area. The body will burn calories from other places as well. In fact there was a study in Med Sci Sports Exercise 39 no7 Jl 2007 that looked at this exact concept. They used arm exercises instead. They had subjects perform bicep exercises and measure the amount of fat in the arm. While body fat was lost it did not come from the arm but all over the body.

If you are trying to get leaner legs then you want to just burn fat in general. You will burn fat from all over and it will get to your thighs at some point. This is determined by genetics unfortunately. This is the same reason it is a waste of time to perform hundreds of ab exercises to try and get a six pack. It just won't work. The inner and outer thigh muscles are relatively small muscles as well. This means you won't burn as many calories working on them as you will bigger muscles, such as the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Spend your time on the bigger muscles to burn more calories.

Well that is my rant for the day. I hope this information will help you with your workout.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Training
My Workout Creator

You Are What You Eat

2010-07-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have probably heard that phrase before. "You are what you eat." There definitely is some truth to this. If you eat unhealthy food like saturated fats and simple sugars you will most likely be unhealthy. If you eat healthy nutritious food, then you are probably healthy. Not only are you what you eat but it looks like you are what your mom eats as well.

I feel like everyday I hear of a new friend that is having a baby. I guess I am just at that age. I do not have children and do not claim to be an expert in parenting what so ever. However, one thing that truly makes me upset is to see overweight children. Most people just blame it on genetics. This is far from the truth. If your parents were overweight it probably means they did not eat very healthy. Chances are if they didn't make smart nutrition choices then neither did you. Not really by choice. That is just what you were fed.

I work with a large percentage of moms. One complaint that I hear over and over again is that they have trouble eating healthy because they eat what they are giving theie kids. I am always shocked by this, even though I have heard this more times than I would like to admit. If you know you shouldn't be eating something then why are you letting your kids have it. Now I know this can be easier said than done. I grew up only liking pizza and mac n cheese. Luckily I grew out of it and enjoy a variety of foods. We just need to educate our kids on why they need to eat healthier. Or we can just trick them. I remember as a kid, one of the few vegetables I would eat was spinach. Take a wild guess why. I liked Popeye and he eats his spinach. I thought if I ate spinach I would get big and strong too.

Back to the topic at hand though. Obviously childhood obesity is a huge problem and teaching kids smarter choices will just set them up to live longer and healthier lives. New research is showing we can even help them out before childhood. There was recently a study presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network Science Meeting about the development of fat cells in the development stages of cells. This study used stem cells from mice so it can't be directly translated into humans yet, but it is shedding the light on body fat distributions in humans. This study found that during the developmental stage of stem cells, the nutrition available will determine the distribution of visceral versus subcutaneous fat cells. Visceral fat has been shown to indicate a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

What this study may be showing makes perfect sense. By making poor choices with your nutrition during pregnancy and in the early stages after birth will play a huge role in determining how many fat cells a child will develop. So eating healthy during pregnancy is not only great for the mom but will be helping the child out for the rest of their lives. Obviously they can still make poor choices as they get older, but at least there will be a higher chance of success.

The take home message is simple really. Make sure you are eating healthy and make sure you are educating your kids on proper nutrition. Even if you have to lie a little. We lie about Santa Claus so I think it is ok to trick kids into liking vegetables.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Training
My Workout Creator

10 Ways To Get In Shape This Summer

2010-07-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well the 4th of July has come and gone and summer is upon us. Hopefully you have been training hard the past few month and you are ready to show off your summer body this year. If not, all is not lost. You can still make tremendous gains this summer. And remember, we are already half way through 2010. Crazy I know, but true. If you didn't get as far as you wanted with your fitness goals so far this year it is time to crank it up a notch before 2010 is over.

If you are frustrated that you aren't where you want to be right now then here are 10 tips you can implement to get your focus back on track for the summer.

1. Plan Out Your Program.

Don't make the mistake of just going to the gym without a plan. You will be much less likely to stick with random workouts. Plan out how many days you can workout and what you want to work on while you are there. Do this for both your strength and cardio program.

2. Each Month Focus On A New Goal.

Our bodies need change to continue to adapt. If you are always doing the same routine over and over again you will see diminishing returns. The goals you can focus on each month of endless. You can pick new exercises to improve on, getting stronger, building endurance, getting faster, burning calories.....Just keep changing your goals as needed. Look at your program and see how long you have been using the rep range and sets that you are doing.

3. Get Outside And Workout.

You mind needs a break too. I work in a gym setting all day everyday. Sometimes I just need a break and I will workout outside. The weather is perfect for working out outdoors and you get health benefits from being in the sun (don't forget your sunblock though). That doesn't mean I have to go for a run. You can do a boot camp workout, a playground workout, or anything other workout outdoors. You can make your local park a gym. Click on this link to see a workout I did using only a swing set.

http://www.myworkoutcreator.com/premade-workouts/swing-set-workout-1/

You can also take advantage of the many boot camp classes that are springing up all over the place. Below is a video preview of my class that I hold every Saturday.

4. Bring Healthy Dishes To Summer BBQ's.

I love BBQ's just as much as anyone. And I know how easy it is to eat and drink too much at these parties. Try bringing healthy entrees to these events or recommending that others try bringing a healthy dish. Below is a recipe for a healthy burger that tastes great. This was a recipe from Tom Venuto and Burn the Fat Feed The Muscle:

* 1 lb (454 g) 99% nonfat ground turkey
* 4 egg whites
* 1 cup (40 g crumbled shredded wheat or whole wt bread crumbs)
* 1/2 cup finely diced celery
* 1/2 cup finely diced onion
* 1 tbsp horseradish mustard (jack daniels brand - the SECRET ingredient!)
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tsbp garlic powder
* 1 tbsp parsley flakes
* dash of pepper
* dash of sea salt (optional)

Makes 4 burgers

per burger: (not including bun):

189 calories
37.5 grams protein
12.5 grams carbs
1.6 grams fat

5. Sign Up For An End Of The Summer Run.

Signing up for a 5 or 10K can be a great motivator. You can find a race literally every weekend in San Diego. Find a local one at the end of the summer so you are more likely to commit to a training program. Don't think about signing up. Just sign up and make yourself train.

6. Find A Workout Buddy.

Having a workout buddy is a great way to keep yourself accountable. It is harder to miss a workout when you know someone else is counting on your to be there. Find someone this summer with similar goals as you and start a program together. Everything is easier when you have someone going through it with you.

7. Weight Yourself Frequently.

Many people can be too obsessed with their weight, but frequent weigh ins have been shown to lead to more weight loss. Don't expect to see the pounds fly off every day, but you should see a change over time. Avoiding the scale is an easy way to slip off your program and you really don't even know it.

8. Eat More Fruits and Veggies.

For some reason many people are scared now to eat fruits and vegetables. Yes there is sugar in fruit, but chances are you will not eat enough fruit to worry about it. We need to get multiple servings of each EVERYDAY from a variety of sources. The summer is a great time to try new fruits and veggies while they are in season.

9. Find A Support System.

Losing weight can be a very difficult thing to do. Especially if you have been struggling with your weight for a long time. Let others help you out. Friends, family, and coworkers can be very supportive and motivating. But they need to know you are trying to lose weight. Include them and let them help you out. Use things like blogging and facebook to let others know what you are up to.

10. Try This Ab Workout.

It is always fun to try new workouts. Here is a free workout that I posted on my website www.MyWorkoutCreator.com.

Free Ab Workout

If you need extra help with what types of workouts to do this is a great resource for you. Try it for only $1 here. You must at least sign up for a free account if you want to see the free ab workout.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

Exercises You NEED To Do

2010-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there. I hope you are having a great week. This week is my first week on my new program. I took last week as a recovery week to prevent overtraining and to allow my muscles the rest they needed. My Workout Creator Members can check out my recovery week routine here.

Whenever I am designing a new program for myself or for any of my clients, there are certain exercises that I have to make sure I do or my clients will do. It is my goal for every program that I write to make sure there is at least one exercise that the person performing the routine HATES to do. Most people say that exercise should be fun or you won't stick with it. While this may be true there is one major flaw.

If I write a workout for someone and only give them exercises that they enjoy and that they are good at they are really selling themselves short. There is a reason you do certain exercises more often or first in your routine. You like it because you are really good at it. We don't like doing things we suck at. This is a huge mistake that most people make when creating an exercise program. For a truly successful program you need at least one exercise that you really hate doing. I know it is hard, but there is a reason you hate doing it. You are not good at it. And there is only one way that you will get better at it. That's right, you need to do it more often.

As much as I like to workout there are still many exercises I hate doing. Currently my two least favorite exercises to do that I try to incorporate into almost all of my workouts are KB Turkish Get Ups and Overhead Squats. I have a very tough time with both of these exercises. If I don't force myself to do these exercises I will not be training my weakest area, which really is the most important aspect of my program. Eventually you will get better at these exercises. Then they are no longer your least favorite exercise anymore. When this happens it is time to pick new exercises you hate. Sometimes these exercises will turn into your favorite. This happened for me with pull ups. Most people hate pull ups, including myself, because they are so difficult to do. I started doing pull ups every workout and now they are one of my favorites. I can't guarantee this will happen all the time but it is nice when it does.

Take the challenge when you write your next workout program. For the next 6-8 weeks focus on one exercise that you truly hate to do. You should know at least one. Some common exercises that people hate are push ups, lunges, plank holds, and bulgarian squats. Pick one that is good for you and stick with it. Also, perform it at the beginning of your workout so you have the most energy and concentration to get through it. And it is nice to get it over with first.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Training
My Workout Creator

Burn 5 Times More Fat

2010-06-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official. The summer is finally here. Living in San Diego we get summer weather pretty much all year round, but it just seems to be better during the summer months. With summer here, the beaches are going to be filled with people enjoying the sun. If you aren't quite ready for the summer or would like to see a little less bulge coming out of the bathing suit than it is time to take some serious action.

If you have been following my posts you no that I am not a big fan of cardio. I would always recommend focusing on strength training for your workouts. I also know that not everyone enjoys strength training as much as I do. If this is the case you can still perform cardio workouts and burn a lot of calories. The trick is performing the right type of cardio exercise.

If your primary goal is to lose weight you first need to ask yourself, "what have I been doing for cardio?" If the answer is nothing, then it is easy. Do something. Start any continuous activity that you can do for at least 30 minutes. If you answer was that you perform 30-60 minutes of cardio 3-5 days per week then it is time to introduce intervals. If you are already doing intervals then you might need to look at the work to rest ratio and change it up a bit or the length of time you are working out.

If you are not doing intervals currently then you are really selling yourself short. More studies are clearly demonstrating how many more calories you will burn using high intensity intervals compared to steady state aerobics, which 95% of the people I see at the gym are doing. High intensity intervals may not be for everyone. Like I previously mentioned if you are not doing anything right now you must start with some basic conditioning. After a few weeks of that you can try implementing intervals.

To demonstrate my point just look at these numbers you could see with intervals. These are numbers are estimated using a few different studies, but they are going to be typical results. Actual calories burned will depend on the person's weight, age, sex, and lean muscle mass. Here are some estimates though:
All workouts were for 30 minutes.

-Walk at 3.5mph will burn approximate 126 calories with no significant increase in metabolism for the next 24 hours.
-Jog at 5mph will burn approx. 228 calories with no significant increase in metabolism for the next 24 hours.
-Run at 6mph will burn approx. 273 calories with an additional 160 calories burned over the next 24 hours.
-Intervals of 20 seconds at 9mph and 40 seconds at 5mph burned approx 298 with an additional 200+ in the next 24 hours.

With the amount of time working out being the same, interval training burned almost 5 times the amount of calories as walking. This means the interval people will lose 1 pound every week just from exercise (assuming their caloric intake is at the right amount) while the walking group would lose 1/4 of a pound. To me this is a no brainer. Workout harder and burn much more fat. Now something is better than nothing so if all you can do it walk then walk but if you can involve intervals than there is no reason not to. You can start to see why it baffles me that still so many people are sticking to walking or jogging for their cardio and why they are surprised when they just don't see that great of results.

So with summer time upon us you don't have much time to get into that bathing suit. If you are looking for the absolute fastest way to burn fat and lose weight, you NEED to perform interval workouts. To give it a try you can start simple. Try performing 30 minutes of intervals using a 1:1 work to rest ratio. Try going hard for 1 minute than easy for one minute and repeat for 30 minutes.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

My NY Trip And How Fat Can Be Good

2010-06-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend many of you know that I was in NY for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. This was a fundraiser for the Lynn I. Morris Memorial Scholarship. One of my best friends from high school and college tragically lost his sister, Lynn Morris, in the 9/11 terrorist acts. The Lynn I. Morris Memorial Scholarship was created by the Morris family to award a deserving student each year that represents the amazing qualities that Lynn Morris had. Each year there is a fundraiser to help raise money for this great cause. This was the first year I was able to make it back to NY to participate and I am incredibly grateful that I was able to make it. Lynn was an amazing person and her memory will live on forever through this great scholarship program. If you would like to help contribute you can send a check to:

Lynne I. Morris Memorial Scholarship Fund
16 McGarrah Road
Monroe, NY 10950

Tax ID: 16-1527073.

The tournament was a huge success and it was great to see old friends and get to play basketball again. I will have to be honest though, I have not played in a while and I was hurting pretty much from the start. It is amazing how hard playing 10 minutes of basketball can be. Here are a few pics from the tourney:

While I was home I also got to spend some time with my parents which is always great. I even got to give my mom a workout. In return she had me try coconut milk. I have had cow milk, soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk, but never coconut milk. I have to say that I really did enjoy it. It is not very high in protein like cow milk but it is a great source of medium chained fatty acids. Fatty acids are typically broken down into long chained and medium changed. Most of the foods in a typical American Diet are composed of long chained. Coconut oil is a great source of MCT as well as palm kernel oil. Below are a few benefits of incorporating more medium chained fatty acids into your diet.

1. They have an accelerated metabolic conversion.
MTC's are more rapidly absorbed by the body and quickly metabolized as fuel. They are less likely to be stored as fat compared to long chained fatty acids.

2. They can help increase athlete performance.
Athletes will consume MCT's who are seeking an increase in energy levels. MTC's are used as a great source of energy for those that may be on a low carbohydrate and high protein diet. MCT's are metabolized very similar to carbohydrates and can be used as fuel.

3. MCT's may suppress appetite.
If you are having trouble controlling your appetite you may benefit from increasing your MCT consumption. A study showed that calorie consumption is lower in diets higher in MCT's compared to diets lower in MCT's.

While just by increasing your Medium Chain Fatty Acids doesn't mean you will magically drop weight, it may be a great way to assist you. Make sure the foundation of your program is still exercising most days of the week and eating a balanced diet. If you aren't currently consuming MCT's you might want to try adding them in with a glass of coconut milk.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

Don't Make This Mistake At The Gym

2010-05-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I hope you are having a great week. We have been super busy at the studio. Since summer is sneaking up and the weather is getting nicer we are getting a flood of calls from people trying to get in shape for the summer. This is always a great time of year for us. However, I don't get the place to myself to workout like I use to. This is a problem I am happy to deal with though. Since it has been so busy I decided to join a gym. I won't mention the name on here, but it is just like any other typical corporate gym.

It has been a very long time since I have worked out at a gym and unfortunately not much has changed. I am hoping I can hang in there awhile, but I have a feeling it will be tough. The gym is filled with the latest and greatest new machines, but there is very little area for body weight or free weight training. Luckily I know a variety of exercises and can improvise when needed. I have been trying to stick with a program the last few weeks though and I want to stick with the same exercises from week to week. When I walked in a noticed a couple working out together on one piece of equipment that I was planning on using. I wasn't going to start with it so I wasn't worried. I got through my warm up (about 10 minutes) and my first superset of 4 sets of 8 reps (about 10 minutes. When I finished all of that (about 25 minutes) I saw the couple was still on the same piece of equipment. It didn't look like they were ending anytime soon so I had to move onto something else. I finished my next superset (about another 10 minutes) and they finally were leaving.

They were on the same exercise for 35 minutes! When they left they went to another exercise that was essentially the same thing they were doing. I hate picking on people, but to spend that much time on one exercise is just a waste of time. Regardless of what their goal was they were not being efficient at all with their workout. I didn't see them for the rest of my workout, but I probably got through everything and they were on two exercises.

If you are trying to burn fat with your strength training I highly recommend switching from straight sets and moving to supersets. Superset means you perform one exercise then move immediately to an opposing exercise and repeating. Depending on your goal you will rest for different periods of time. For example the first superset I performed was Barbell Squats and Pull Ups with a 60 second rest.

A study in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that compared to straight set training, superset training burned more calories during the workout and after the workout in a shorter period of time. There was also a high blood lactate level which can lead to a higher release in growth hormone.

The next time you are at the gym, take a look around. You can make it a game. See how many exercises you can get through before some people finish one.

Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

My 5 Vegetable Musts

2010-05-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I hope you are doing well and having a great week of workouts. Recently I was having a discussion with a client about adding vegetables into their diet. They never really enjoyed eating vegetables so they were basically getting none in. A few weeks ago I posted how you can add vegetables to your smoothies to get a serving in there without having to eat them. It will be tough to get all of your necessary servings of vegetables in smoothie form however. It is crucial to get your 3-5 servings of vegetables in each DAY. This may seem like a lot, but without them you are not getting all of the nutrients that your body needs to function. You can take a multivitamin or supplement if you are desperate, but I always recommend getting these vitamins and minerals from whole foods first.

When selecting what vegetables you should be getting it is important to pick dark colored vegetables. When vegetables are darker in color you can be sure they are filled with nutrients. Also, try and pick a variety of colors. It should look like a rainbow. Find green ones, purple ones, red ones, yellow ones... The more variety the better. Each with provide unique qualities that you will not get from eating the same thing over and over.

Here are my 5 Favorite Veggies that I will get each week:

1. Spinach

Spinach is very high in antioxidants when fresh or steamed. Spinach is also a great source of folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. My favorite uses are to have it with an omelet or just in a salad.

2. Mushrooms

There are 100's of different types of mushrooms that have a variety of tastes and benefits. Even mushrooms that will make you hallucinate, but that is a discussion for another time. Mushrooms are a great source of selenium, riboflavin, potassium, and copper. Mushrooms have even been used in research for the possible ability to fight the development of breast cancer.

3. Zucchini

Zucchinis are a great source for manganese, vitamin C, and magnesium. Research is showing the possible benefits of zucchini and reducing the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH. This occurs in men where the prostate gland becomes enlarged. When picking zucchini look for ones that are heavy for their size and have shiny rinds.

4. Cauliflower

Cauliflower contain a very high quantity of vitamin C as well as vitamin K and folate. They also contain sulfur containing phytonutrients which promote liver detoxification. These vegetables can help the liver's ability to neutralize potentially toxic substances in the body. One of my favorite dishes is mashed cauliflower. It's not quite the same as mashed potatoes, but a healthier alternative.
5. Sweet Potato

Sweet Potatoes are another great antioxidant due to there high doses of vitamin A and C. Sweet potatoes are almost like eating a healthy desert. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your potato to receive the amazing blood sugar regulating abilities of cinnamon for the ultimate side dish.

Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

Does Running Burn More Fat?

2010-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

VS.

I often get asked what is the best type of exercise for fat burning. Obviously there are many great fat burning workouts that you can do. If you have been reading this blog for awhile you know that I am a big proponent of strength training for fat loss. Even though I feel that strength training is far superior at fat burning than traditional cardio, that doesn't mean that traditional cardio exercise is a waste.

In fact if you can combine your strength training and your cardio programs you will see even better results with fat loss. So what is the best type of traditional cardio? I really believe that any type of exercise you enjoy is going to be the most beneficial. If you hate doing something you probably won't stick with it. But if you can handle it, running may be one of the better forms of exercise.

In a study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in the February 2010 issue, researchers compared fat and carbohydrate oxidation between running and cycling. This study showed that at the same intensity running actually burned more fat than cycling did. I know spinning classes have become extremely popular, but they may not be the best way to burn fat. However, if you can train harder on a bike then you could running you can make up that difference. The drawback is you have to train more intensely on a bike than you do running.

The bottom line still remains the same. If you hate running you don't have to start running now. It is a great way to burn fat, but if you hate doing it you probably won't be able to stick with it. If you enjoy running or at least don't mind it then you are performing a great fat burning exercise. Remember whatever type of traditional cardio exercise you choose, interval training is still the most efficient way to burn fat.

For the most effective fat loss combine your running workout (or other cardio program) with high intensity strength training workouts. For great workout ideas sign up for a free account with My Workout Creator. Here is a great example of one Fat Burning Strength Routine.

The DB Fat Loss Workout (you must sign up for a free account to view this page)

Have a good workout.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Trainer
My Workout Creator

How To Make a Smoothie

2010-05-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ways to start the day off is with a smoothie. I am like most people. It is not always easy to eat breakfast in the morning. Especially when you have to wake up at 4:30am to meet your first client. I want to sleep as late as possible and get out the door. If I don't eat breakfast though I am screwed for the rest of the day. I know I will be starving in a few hours and I will have no energy.

To make sure this doesn't happen I often have a smoothie for breakfast. I can make it in minutes and I can have it on the go. I was searching for the perfect formula to making a great smoothie. After searching everywhere I finally found it. John Berardi with Precision Nutrition has done it again. He has laid it out step by step how you can make the perfect nutritious smoothie. Here is what you need:

1. Add a liquid
This can be a variety of different things. Pick what you would prefer. Some examples include water, green tea, cow milk, goat milk, almond milk, rice milk, soy milk....

2. Add Frozen Fruit
Again you really can't go wrong with what fruit you choose. Some of my favorites include blueberries, raspberries, mango, and banana.

3. Add a Veggie
I know you are thinking this is a gross thing to add to a smoothie, but you really won't even notice the taste of it. Just a small amount of veggies can add nutrients that you really need. Pick green leafy veggies like spinach. Pumpkin is also a great choice.

4. Add Protein
Any meal or snack we have should include adequate amounts of protein. If you use water, almond milk, or rice milk you will not have a lot of protein in your smoothie so you should add some protein powder. Again there are many varieties including whey, soy, egg, and casein. I generally recommend finding a protein powder that is a blend of a few sources.

5. Add Nuts or Seeds
With the fruit, veggies, and protein power we have plenty of carbs and protein in the smoothie. Adding nuts and seeds will give a great serving of essential fatty acids to our smoothie. A few examples are almonds, walnuts, and flax seed.

6. Add a Topper
A topper will add flavor to your smoothie as well as some other powerful benefits. For example sprinkle cinnamon onto your smoothie. Cinnamon has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels and even increase your metabolism. Coconut is also a tasteful topper.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Personal Training
San Diego Boot Camp Classes
My Workout Creator

San Diego Boot Camp Class

2010-05-06T22:15:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a great workout without even stepping foot in a gym you must check this out. Boot camps are growing in popularity for a reason. They are fun, challenging, and they get results. If you are interested in trying out our boot camp class for free you can email me at info@sandiegopremiertraining.com. Enjoy the video.

Sincerely,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator
858-752-4561

The Best Butt Exercise

2010-04-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

The majority of my clients are women and one of the most common requests is to have a nicer butt. Here is one of my favorite butt exercises that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a stronger and more firm backside. Give it a try and let me know what you think. If your butt isn't screaming the next day you did something wrong!

Sincerely,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Bootcamps
San Diego Personal Training
Online Workouts
858-752-4561

Nutrient Timing Part II

2010-04-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we spoke about how important it is to get the right food in after your workout. If you missed it here is Nutrient Timing Part I. This week we are going to look at what you should be eating before you workout (I know I am working backwards but bare with me). Without the right fuel before you workout you will see a dramatic decrease in performance.

What you eat before your workout is going to fuel your performance. If you don't get enough or too much food you will not get a great workout in. I have seen too many people try and workout on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I know it is hard to eat breakfast, but it will be so much more beneficial. People think that if they do not eat and workout they will burn more fat. There is little evidence to support this. You will burn more calories the more intense the workout is. If you haven't eaten since dinner the night before you will be very low energy and will have bad concentration. This will not lead to a very productive workout.

How long to eat before your workout depends, person to person. My roommate in grad school could eat 60 buffalo wings and a pint of ice cream 30 minutes before a basketball game and play the best game of his life. No, this is not typical and I would not recommend trying it. Everyone will have a different digestion rate and will be able to tolerate different amounts of food. Generally speaking it is recommended to eat about 1-2 hours prior to exercise.

Depending on when you workout you might have a whole meal before you workout or just a snack. Your pre-exercise meal/snack should be composed of an equal ratio of carbohydrates and protein. Instead of high glycemic carbs though we want to switch to low glycemic. These types of carbohydrates will cause a slower raise in insulin and provide more long last energy for the workout. Try to keep meals lower in fat and fiber for easier digestion and quicker gastric emptying. Fluids will be digested more rapidly as well, so if you still feel full eating 2 hours before a workout you might want to switch to a protein shake.

Sorry I don't have any delicious recipes for you this week but here are a few examples of some great pre-workout snacks/meals.

*1 Cup Steal Cut Oatmeal and 1 Hard Boiled Egg
*1 Banana with 6oz low fat yogurt
*1 String Cheese and Whole Wheat Pita
*Smoothie with 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup strawberries, flaxseed, protein powder, and ice.

Just remember to eat, workout, and eat.

Sincerely,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator
858-752-4561

Busting Through Plateaus

2010-04-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was in Seattle observing the Exercise Etc. Fitness Conference. I have had the opportunity to join their team and I am thrilled to be a part of it. One thing that always happens when I attend conferences is I seem to get super motivated again. Being surrounded by other motivated personal trainers and fitness experts always seems to rejuvenate me with fresh ideas and I am excited to workout with my clients as well as for myself.

Sometimes that is all we need to break through a plateau. If you are new to exercise and have never hit a plateau you are most likely going to hit one eventually. It is had to keep up the same progress as you become more trained. This is why that last 10lbs or so can be so difficult to get rid of. We just get stale with the same routine and less motivated to stick to our programs as well. We new to be rejuvenated so we can see better and faster results. This is true whether you are looking for fat loss or for muscle growth.

I picked up one tip for breaking through, or potential avoiding plateaus all together, in Lou Schuler's book the New Rules of Lifting. I can't remember exactly what number rule, but it is one of the first ones. Each workout you should be breaking a record. I may be para phasing a bit, but the idea is that you are trying to get better in every single workout. This doesn't have to mean you have to increase the weight every workout. You can set the goals up. You might try and get more reps, add an extra set, finish in a faster time, or try a harder progression of an exercise. There are a number of different ways to break records but you should be improving from week to week. Usually after a few weeks of training you will see your progress start to level off and we start to just go through the motions. Granted this is better than not working out at all but we are starting to cheat ourselves.

By just picking one goal each workout and accomplishing it you will see amazing progress in your performance from week to week. A lot of our training will be psychological. It is amazing how when you set deadlines for work or school everything seems to get done exactly by the deadline. Having that little extra motivation can be all you need to continue to push yourself each week.

Sincerely,

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Nutrient Timing

2010-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Not only what you eat is important, but more recently we are discovering how important when you eat is. Timing your nutrition appropriately is an easy way to accelerate your fitness results. Our muscles need the right amount of fuel for proper function and recovery. When they receive this you will see huge progress in muscle growth and fat burning capability.

For this post we are going to focus on your post workout nutrient timing. When you exercise there are two main things that happen. First the stress hormone (yes exercise is a form of stress), cortisol is released into the blood stream. This causes a muscle breakdown and it suppresses your immune system. The other main thing to occur during exercise occurs in the muscle. You burn muscle glycogen, which is energy that is stored in the muscle, and muscle fibers are damaged causing them to be irritated and inflamed. After your workout you have two goals then. You want to limit the damaging effect of cortisol and you want to replace muscle glycogen so your muscles can rebuild as quickly as possible.

After exercise muscles become very sensitive to insulin, a hormone that will lower cortisol and drive nutrients into the muscle cells to help with protein synthesis. By consuming carbohydrates you will see an increase in insulin levels in the blood which will minimize the effects of cortisol and help inhibit muscle breakdown. Not only that, but insulin will help shuttle more amino acids to the muscles to increase protein synthesis and increase blood flow to the muscle to help remove waste products faster.

So what do you have to eat and when to see these amazing benefits? First off you have about a 30-45 minute window of time where you muscles will remain sensitive to insulin. So you should plan a post workout meal or snack within that time. You need to consume carbohydrates and proteins in the meal. Most make the mistake to only have large amounts of protein after a workout to try and build more muscle. You really want to have about a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of protein to carbs. That's right. You want to have more carbs after your workout than protein. It is the carbs that cause the increase in insulin levels and that will help bring the amino acids to the muscles. More specifically you want high glycemic carbohydrates post workout. These are the carbs that increase insulin levels very quickly after ingestion. Try and get approximately 50g of high GI carbs with about 15g of protein. If you can whey protein or a protein blend with whey in it has been shown to be most beneficial. The easiest way to achieve this would be through a protein powder mixed with some time of carb such as milk or Gatorade.

Below is a recipe I received from Alex Cardarelli with Love Your Assets. This is a recipe for a protein bar that has just about a 1:4 ratio of protein to carbs. I can personally attest that they are delicious.

High Protein Peanut/Almond Butter Apricot Energy Bars
Ingredients:
1 cup Natural Peanut Butter (creamy or smooth) (you can also use almond butter!)
1 cup Honey
1 cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal
1 cup Diced Apricots, cut into small pieces
1 cup Sliced Almonds
3 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder (organic)
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

Directions:
1) In medium size pot, heat Honey & Peanut Butter on stove
on medium heat until texture is runny.
2) Mix in Apricots, Nuts, Oatmeal, & Protein Powder
3) Stir until all ingredients are well coated
4) Grease a 9×9 pan with fat free non-stick spray.
5) Press in ingredients evenly
6) Cool in fridge for at least 45 minutes
7) Slice & wrap individual bars in foil or plastic wrap.
8) Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:
Servings: Makes 16 bars, Calories: 275, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 90mg, Carbohydrates: 39g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 25g, Iron: 1mg, Protein: 11.5g.
Substitutions: Try dried cranberries, chocolate chips, or your favorite dried fruit, in place of the apricots. Also try drizzling Agave or Honey on top of the bars before refrigerating.

Personal Training Studio Vs. Corporate Gyms

2010-04-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was recently having an interesting conversation with a new client I just began working with. Before he walked into my studio, he never even thought of working out at a private studio. He thought about it, and never realized what private studios were all about. It is always a good idea to know all of your options before choosing your workout location. I always wonder why you would hire a personal trainer at a corporate gym. I have worked at these type of gyms such as 24hr fitness and have worked out at many others such as Pure Fitness and LA Fitness. These are all great facilities, at least the ones that I have been to in San Diego. The amenities these gyms will have are usually great and worth the gym memberships, but if you are interested in hiring a personal trainer I would highly recommend researching the alternative and trying a private studio. Here are a few benefits that a private studio, such as San Diego Premier Training can offer over personal training at gyms.

1. Quality of Trainers:

I don't mean to knock on trainers that work on gyms. I personally know some great trainers that work at gyms. But I have also seen gyms hire individuals simply because they workout a lot and look like a trainer. The level of training just usually isn't there. If you hire a trainer at a studio chances are they have been screened by the owner and are top quality. Most of the time, these trainers are pursuing a career in the fitness field and are not just training as a part time job. With the price of personal training you want to make sure you hire the absolute best for your money.

2. It's Private:

This is one of my favorite aspects of owning a studio. At most there will be 3 people working out at the same time. You never will feel intimidating from others working out. It is like you are working out in your own private gym with the same equipment you would find in a gym plus some unusually tools such as heavy ropes, tires, sand bags, and kettlebells. This also means you never have to wait for equipment and your trainer doesn't have to worry about finding a piece of equipment that is open. As a trainer at a studio you can plan your workout and not worry about having to adjust it because something is being used.

3. No additional fees:

Working out at a studio you only pay for your training sessions. There is no membership fees or activation charges when you sign up. You are only paying for your workouts. In fact at San Diego Premier Training you also get access to our cardio equipment whenever we are open free of charge. On top of this you will find that rates at studios are the same if not lower than sessions at corporate gyms.

4. It's Cleaner:

I once worked with girl in college that had to do a science experiment. I don't remember exactly what she was testing, but she got a sample from a handle on a piece of exercise equipment. I won't share all the results but the amount of bacteria that can be found on some of the equipment is scary. With so many people sharing equipment and it not being cleaned regularly you never know what you are going to get. With our studio we clean up everything that is used after every session and periodically clean the entire studio to keep it sanitary. Plus it doesn't small like a sweaty locker room all the time.

These are just a few reason why I would highly recommend checking out a studio if you are planning on hiring a trainer. I am not suggesting that you cancel your gym membership. The extra amenities you will find at a gym are usually great, such as swimming pools, saunas, basketball courts, racquetball courts... This make it well worth it to have a gym membership. But if you need extra help with your weight loss program why wouldn't you hire an expert to help you.

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

My TRX 40/40 Challenge

2010-03-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

If you have never heard of the TRX Suspension Trainer than you need to check them out immediately. These are really the only piece of equipment you need for a total body workout without going to the gym. Below is my first attempt at the 40/40 challenge. This is an awesome upper body and core challenge. Give it a try.

Let me know how you do!

Sincerely,

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

60 minutes of exercise a day to maintain weight?

2010-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Whenever a news report on exercise comes out I seem to get a flood of questions and comments about it. And yesterday was no exception. I try to avoid watching the news because they always seem to exaggerate stories and constantly focus on negative topics. This posting is proof that you cannot always believe what you hear on the news.

Apparently this week on ABC News there was a story on a new study that came out in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This study was titled Physical Activity and Weight Gain Prevention. I received so many questions about the report that I had to read the article for myself. These researchers followed over 34,000 women from 1992-2007. They looked at how many hours per week they were exercising. They did not alter their diets at all for this study. Here is what they found. The participants gained on average 2.6kgs (5.72lbs). They found that lose the exercised for about an hour everyday did the best job maintaining their weight. They also observed that those individuals who had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of under 25 (healthy category) did the best job at maintaining their current weight over the study. Here is the actual conclusion from the study:

Among women consuming a usual diet, physical activity was associated with less weight gain only among women whose BMI was lower than 25. Women successful in maintaining normal weight and gaining fewer than 2.3 kg over 13 years averaged approximately 60 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity throughout the study.

Someone just looking at the study would assume that even if you workout everyday for an hour you won't lose weight. There was an article in Time Magazine last year that had a similar subject and if I remember correctly the author got ripped pretty bad for his article. Another study from the North American Association on the Study of Obesity perform a similar test and found that individuals exercising 6 hours per week on average only lost 4lbs for the entire year. You can see my comments on this study here. So does this mean you should just give up on your exercise program? I mean why workout everyday if you will only maintain your current weight?

Obviously this is not the case. You NEED an exercise program for long term successful weight loss. So here is my take on the study:

1. This study really is showing us common sense. What it says to me is that those who are at a healthy weight (BMI under 25) had more success maintaining weight. This means in you are in better shape you are more likely to stay in better shape. If you are overweight then you have been doing something wrong in the past and will most likely continue to do so. It also tells us that just adding an exercise program does not guarantee weight loss.

2. This study did not alter the participants diet plan or educate them on proper nutritional habits. These were American subjects and they stuck with a usual American diet. I think by now most people realize the American diet is probably the worse diet program in the world. The fact that these women only gained on average 5lbs over 13 years is pretty amazing. I think the exercising saved them from gaining much, much more.

3. I think it is ridiculous to make the claim that you have to exercise 60 minutes a day to just maintain weight. I have never recommended that much exercise to any of my clients. In fact some only have time to workout 3 days a week. They all have lost weight only working out when they can. The key is the intensity level. Study after study will show that higher intensity exercise burns more fat and overall calories than moderate and low levels do. You can literally workout half the time and lose more weight with a proper program. A moderate exercise program will probably burn around 300 calories per hour. If you can increase the intensity such as in strength training programs you can burn more than that in 30 minutes and will continue to burn more as your body recovers from the workout.

4. They mention on the story that exercise will not help with weight loss. Diet is the only this necessary for weight loss. I think this is a ridiculous claim. Yes you can lose weight without exercise but the weight you are losing is not just fat. You are also losing bone mass and muscle. Plus it will take much longer to see the scale go down with out exercise.

The take home message is simple. If you want to eat crap like fast food and processed sugars you probably will need to exercise a lot to maintain your weight. If you want to see real weight loss you have to clean up your diet program and start an effective complete exercise program like we do at San Diego Premier Training.

If you have any other questions or concerns about this study or your own exercise program please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

Strength Training vs. Aerobic Training

2010-03-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have made this argument many times but it is that important that I need to bring it up again. If you are on a weight loss program you need to focus on strength training not your cardio. I know this sounds backwards, but strength training will win in just about every argument with weight loss.

Here is one study that will back up exactly what I am saying. In the March 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there was a study looking at a 12 week moderate aerobic program and its effect on 24hr energy expenditure in lean and obese individuals. What they found was the cardio exercise had no effect on energy expenditure after the workout was completed. This means that the participants metabolism was not increased. There was no change in Basal metabolic rate, sleep energy expenditure, or awake sedentary expenditure. While cardio exercise will burn calories during the workout there will not be a significant change in your metabolism once the workout is completed.

Here is another study to further illustrate my point. In the March 2001 issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, researchers investigated the role of Resistance Training vs. Aerobic Training on metabolic rate over a 20 week period. They found that those that participated in resistance training saw a significant increase in resting metabolic rate do to an increase in fat free mass. The aerobic group actually saw a decrease in RMR.

These are just two studies that demonstrate this. Believe me there are many more out there. So if you are trying to lose weight you MUST absolutely focus your efforts towards a strength training program. This doesn't mean you should not do cardio. It just means to focus more on your strength training and less on the aerobic workouts.

Feel free to contact me for more info on how you can speed up your metabolism.

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
858-752-4561
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

197 Healthy And Delicious Phat Burning Recipes

2010-03-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is EXACTLY why I love partnering with Prograde Nutrition. They want what's best for you. Unlike supplement companies that feed you blatant lies and exaggerations, these guys just tell you the truth.

They know that supplements have their place in health and fitness. But they also know - and preach - that eating whole foods is the center piece of your nutrition plan.

And to prove it they just came out with this awesome little ebook called "197 Healthy And Delicious Phat Burning Recipes" that will make your life a whole lot easier.

The best part? It's only $4.95 because they think - and so do I - that it's just too important for you not to get your hands on.

Look, I know most people think eating healthy means bland and boring meals. That is absolutely, positively FALSE.

Get a copy of Prograde's "197 Healthy And Delicious Phat Burning Recipes" and taste for yourself.

Click here to pick up your copy now!

Here is a sample recipe:

Have you ever avoided making a homemade pizza because you thought it would take hours to make? Well, I have a pizza recipe for you that fits perfectly with your healthy diet plans and the prep time for this delicious homemade pizza is only 20 minutes and then cook time is 15 minutes. This homemade pizza should be a part of your healthy eating plans. It tastes delicious and only takes about 35 minutes to make and serve.

Ingredients:

1 12 ounce whole-wheat or whole-grain pizza crust, such as Boboli
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
6 medium white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup part skim ricotta
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
2 tsps Balsamic Vinegar
6 oz of chopped chicken, cooked

1. Cook 6oz of chicken and then cut into small chunks.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a large pizza pan or baking sheet on the bottom of the oven to preheat.

3. Spread the pizza sauce on the pizza crust followed by the spinach and onion. Then sprinkle with the mozzarella and mushrooms. Dollop the ricotta over the pizza and sprinkle wiht the parmesan. Spread the chopped chicken over the pizza and finish by drizzling the olive oil all over.

4. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza pan or baking sheet that is in the oven. Bake until the crust is puffed and beginning to color at the edges and the cheese is melted. This should take about 10 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven and then preheat the broiler.

5. Put the pizza back into the oven once the broiler is up to temperature and broil the pizza until the cheese is browned and bubbling. This will only take about 2-3 minutes. Pull the pizza out and let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar and slice and serve.

Makes about 6 servings:

Nutrition facts per serving:

Calories: 287
Protein: 22 grams
Carbohydrates: 30 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Fiber: 5 grams

Enjoy this delicious pizza and make sure it is a part of your healthy eating guidelines.

Sincerely,

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

PS - You're literally just moments away from discovering some of the most delicious...easy-to-make...

phat burning recipes you can imagine. And it's less than 5 bucks. Grab your copy RIGHT NOW at:

Prograde Recipe Book

March Madness Contest

2010-03-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

March Madness Contest

Have all your workouts designed by a professional

2010-03-05T10:15:00.001-08:00

Well it is time that I reveal a year long project that I have been working on. I have been in the fitness industry for many years. Over this time I have had to great success stories and some not so great stories. As I got more efficient with my training I developed a training system that would continue to get great results. In the beginning I would try it out on a few clients and see how they would do. I started getting such great results that I made all of my clients complete this systemic training style and saw awesome progress. Over the past year I have perfected this training program and turned it into a website.

I figured there is no reason for me not to help everyone out with their program. It helps when I can walk a person through the workout but if you are motivated enough to get to the gym and follow a plan you can do this. This brought about My Workout Creator. I have turned my system into an easy to use website that will get you faster results. Nothing will ever replace the motivation of having a personal training push you each week, but let's face it. Not everyone can afford to have a trainer year round. This website will design all of your workouts in seconds. You simply just input your goal, fitness level, and available equipment. In a few seconds you will have a new workout to perform with video description of each exercise.

Not only will you never have to think about what you are going to do at the gym, you are guaranteed to have a great workout every time. All workouts that are on this site fit with my program design system. Whether you want to lose fat, gain muscle, or tone up you can use this website. We have programs for each of these goals. I have also posted workouts from some of the best fitness experts in the world. Not only do you get access to all of my program, but you can sample some of the best trainers workout styles. You will never get bored with another fitness routine.

For a limited time you can receive your first month for only $1. If you like the site you can continue your membership for only $9.79 a month after. Click here to give it a try. Or you can even sign up for a free account and get a featured workout each week. Just sign up here.

To see the site in action just watch the video below:

Let me know how you like it!

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
www.myworkoutcreator.com
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

The Absolute Best Nutrition Advice I Can Give.

2010-02-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

I think by now most people understand the importance of proper nutrition. Regardless of what you goal is you need to be conscious of you eat habits. As important and nutrition is, this is where most people will fail in their fitness program. There are literally hundreds of diet programs our there that you can follow. Most diet programs will work to some extent. Whether they keep the weight off is a true test of how good the program is.

If I could only give one piece of advice for nutrition it is simple. You MUST have a proactive food log. I could show you numerous studies that demonstrate how effective just keeping a food log will be on weight loss or weight gain. If you combine this with a proactive food log you will dramatically increase your results.

By a proactive food log I mean you write down your food first before you eat it. When most people start using a food log they think about what they had that day and start writing it down. Some with guess while some will measure everything they had. This can be good but what happens when you write in your food for the day and you overshot your calories? When you write down your food after you eat it you are very likely to make mistakes. Instead if you are proactive you can plan your food ahead of time.

Here is all you need to do. Every Sunday you write down what you are going to eat for the week. Add up the all calories/protein/fat...(whatever you want to track) and make sure you hit the right numbers. That way when the day goes by you just follow the plan. Obviously things will happen where you have to deviate. When this occurs you just have to make the smart choices and get back on track when you can. If you follow the plan that you have written out then you have no reason to fail. I promise you will get to your goal faster than ever.

One tool I like to use for this is http://www.dailyburn.com/. This is a free site that can track your food. There are many other programs like this out there but I am a big fan of this one. You can even add Motivators who can look at the food logs you enter to keep you accountable. After you enter in your log you can see the breakdown of carbs/fats/proteins. Looking at this chart will help you determine if the meal plan you designed is the right proportions of food or not.

Give this a try next week and I promise you will see better results faster.

Good Luck,

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

Kettlebell Training: The Best Fat Burning Workout Ever?

2010-02-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

Many people are now becoming more familiar with kettlebell training. If you have followed my blog in the past you have seen that I have posted different kb exercises and workouts before. I am a big believer in this type of training. I noticed an article in the latest issue of Fitness Matters put out by the American Council on Exercise. The article was called Kettlebells: Twice the Results in Half of the Time?

The article was about a study that involved 10 volunteers who were experienced with kb's. The researched put these volunteers through a 20 minutes kb workout and monitored each participant. They found that after the 20 minute workout that they were burning, on average 20.2 calories per minute (404 calories per 20 mins), which is very high. They compared this to running at a 6 minute mile pace. The average heart rate of the 20 minute workout was 93% of their HR Max. So these were very intense 20 minute workouts.

All of the results look amazing but then you look at the workout they did. It consisted of one exercise. It is a short workout but this would be one of the most boring workouts every. What they did was the KB Snatch. This is one of the foundation kb exercises. They did 15 seconds of snatches on one arm then rested 15 seconds and did the other arm. They continued this for 20 minutes. This would be a very tough workout but very boring. This most likely wouldn't be a typically kb workout so it is hard to say how realistic this study is.

The bottom line though is these people did burn a ton of calories using kb's. The main reasons are because kb's exercise are aerobic and anaerobic and they involve large total body movements. Combine these and you will have an awesome fat burning workout. I do think you would get similar results do this type of workout with just about any type of exercise that involve total body movements though. Despite this kb training is a great fat burning tool and should be added to your routine. Below is a 4 minute workout I recently posted using kb's.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

10 Interesting Facts About Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Sports

2010-02-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed by the little facts you will find in the health industry. I wish I could say I knew everything about health and nutrition, but unfortunately there is just too much information to know. I do my best to keep up with the biggest issues. It is fun though to find out some interesting lesser known facts. Here is a list from Autumn 2009 Issue of the Sports Nutrition Insider:

Butternet Squash, despite its name, contains no butter or nuts; however, this Winter squash variety does have a rich, sweet and nutty-type flavor and is high in antioxidant Vitamins A and C.
A filbert is actually a nut closely related to the hazelnut that is high in protein and Vitamin E.
Paprika is a popular spice that is manufactured by finely grinding dried red peppers and is often used to not only add 'heat' to dishes, but also for colour.
Ostrich meat contains less fat than beef and chicken per 100 gram serving and almost as much protein.
Canada is the #1 producer of wild blueberries in the world.
Approximately 21 pounds of milk is required to produce just 1 pound of churned better.
High in Magnesium and a great source of zinc, pumpkin seeds have been associated with prostate protective properties.
Alcohol has seven calories per gram, which equates to approximately 200 empty calories per ounce.
Canada has not one, but two official sports; ice hockey is the official winter sport and lacrosse is the official summer sport.
A 180-pound male will burn roughly 252 calories bowling for the better part of one hour. (too bad for #9 though)

Sports Nutrition Insider Volume 2, Issue 4 Autumn 2009.

Mike

www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

Cardio or Strength First?

2010-01-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

I've been working very hard with my newest group for my 6 week Accelerated Fat Loss Challenge. This group seems to be extremely motivated and I cannot wait to see the final results. Unfortunately we have only made it through the first week so I have to be patient. With most people I struggle to get them to workout most days of the week. Surprisingly, I have had a few individuals in this group as about multiple workouts in one day. I was blown away by this but thrilled to see the ambition.

One of the biggest questions with multiple workouts is whether to strength training first or do cardio first. I came across this article that gives great insight. In 2009 a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that fat metabolism and energy expenditure during aerobic training was increased when it was preceded by high intensity resistance training. If this isn't a reason to do strength training first I do not know what is.

I have always felt that those who focus there weight loss effort on resistance training see better results than lose who focus on cardio. For this reason I would start my day with the most important training and then move onto secondary training.

If you don't have enough time to do multiple workouts in one day you are not at a lose. Performing strength and aerobic exercise on alternating days is still a very effective fat burning method.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

4 Minute Kettlebell Workout

2010-01-21T13:46:00.001-08:00

Interval training has become a huge topic in the fitness industry and for good reason. Studies are showing that intervals are burning much more fat that steady state cardio will in less time. It is for this reason I will use a lot of interval training methods combined with my strength training. I love finishing workouts with quick interval circuits. These circuits only take a few minutes but they are performed at maximum effort.

I will often use the tabata protocol for this. This mean we perform an exercise for 20 seconds at a high intensity followed by 10 seconds of recovery. You can perform just one exercise or a few. This video is an example of this type of workout I did recently using the Gymboss interval timer. If you ever workout using intervals you need to get one of these.

Set your Gymboss timer to 20sec and 10sec.

You can even do this as your entire workout if you are short on time. Just perform it as shown or you can increase the number of rounds you perform. This workout done for 20 minutes would be a killer workout and would target your entire body.

If you would like to order a Gymboss timer click on the link below.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

The Bosu Get Up

2010-01-21T13:39:00.001-08:00

Check out this video of my latest exercise of the month. This total body core exercise is a great addition to your workout plan.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

10 Ways To Get Kids To Eat Healthier

2010-01-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

This is a list taken from the January 2010 edition of ACE's Fitness Matters. My mom would have loved to know about some of these tips. I hated to eat just about everything good for your when I was growing up. Thankfully I grew out of it and love just about everything. Here are some tips that may help you and your children. #1 of course would be my favorite option.

1. Model healthy eating.
If you are eating healthy there is a good chance your children will copy you. If you are eating McDonald's then that is what they are going to want.

2. Eat together.
Family meals are usually more nutritious. It is a great way to teach about healthier eating plus it is always good to have family activities on a regular basis.

3. Increase exposure to healthy foods.
Children like what they know and they know what they like. If you give them something they have never seen or heard of before they will be less likely to experiment.

4. Let them choose the portion size.
How often do we hear adults say that they were required to "clean their plates" every meal. Let the kids have a say in how much food they want. We are implementing habits when they think they have to eat everything in front of them.

5. Share the control.
In line with the previous tips let your children have a say in what and how much they eat. We can regulate their choices but allowing them a say in what they want to have and how much will let them participate in their nutritional habits.

6. Refuse to be a short order cook.
It will be hard but refuse to accommodate special requests (this goes for spouses as well). Parents can be responsible for the types of food that are offered and the children can decide what they want to have and how much. If the child refuses to eat they will have access to there meal later if they become hungry. This may seem tough but you will be teaching your children a valuable lesson in nutrition.

7. Limit television time.
Too much television has been associated with a number of problems for kids. The more TV they watch the more exposure to unhealthy food ads directed at kids.

8. Exploit similarities.
If a child has accepted one type of food that they will eat then you can start to bridge off with similar foods. For example if they will eat pumpkin pie, then try mashed sweet potatoes, and then mashed carrots.

9. Make eating healthy fun.
Try and teach healthy nutrition in fun ways. You can help your kids grow their own small garden or plants. Or you can take them to local farmers markets and pick out there own fruits and vegetables to try at home.

10. Skip the food fights.
Research shows that when children are forced to eat certain foods they will not like them. They will not try them and will continue to not eat these foods into adulthood. Use the other tips to help your kids discover healthy foods they like on their own and support their decisions.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

The Easiest Changes You Can Make To Your Diet

2010-01-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

One this is for sure about nutrition is it can be extremely complicated. Everywhere you look there is a new diet out or someone telling you something different. Should you eat low carb, high carb, low fat, high fat, high protein... and the list goes on and on. There are so many things about nutrition it is ridiculous. This is why so many people fail with a weight loss plan. They get started but then they hear so many conflicting ideas they don't know which to follow.

Everyone will respond differently to different diet plans. We have different body types and metabolism so unfortunately there is no easy answer for you. There are few changes anyone can make to their eat routine that will work for just about everyone.

1. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours.

This is such a simple thing you can do. Instead of gorging yourself at dinner or lunch, you can break your meals up into 5-6 smaller ones. This will prevent you from getting extremely hungry and it will help maintain hormone levels and blood sugar levels throughout the day.

2. Get protein with every meal.

Most Americans are not getting enough protein in their diets. Protein is such a crucial part to our weight loss program. If you have a serving of protein at each meal you will be more likely to get your daily requirement. The more active you are the more protein you will likely need. This is true for vegetarians too. You will probably have to worry about your protein intake even more. There are a variety of foods that are high in protein and not a meat source.

Take these two items and incorporate them everyday. I guarantee you will have better success with your diet plan and losing weight.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

Top 10 Tips for Moms in 2010

2010-01-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. It's where we are can start over because this year is going to be different. Of course this is always easier said than done. It is important, though, that we do set some type of resolution or goal. If not you will never truly experience success. I am no different. Especially after the holidays at home. I don't get to see my mom much since I move to San Diego, so when I get a chance to have her home cooked meals and cookies and don't hold back. Here is my payback for all the amazing food you made this holiday.

10 Tips For Moms in 2010:

1. Keep an accurate food log. Don't guess at serving sizes. Measure your food out with a scale or measuring cups.

2. Start a strength training routine 3 times per week. Personal trainers will usually offer a free session or consultation to help you get started.

3. Stick with interval training instead of traditional cardio. More and more research is showing that interval training will burn more fat in less time.

4. Find a workout buddy to keep yourself accountable. You are more likely to stick with an appointment if you know someone is expecting you to be there.

5. Drink 16oz of water before each meal. This will dramatically reduce your hunger levels plus most people do not drink enough water throughout the day.

6. Keep your kids active. Not all exercise has to be structured. Running around playing with your children is a great way to have fun and burn calories.

7. Incorporate healthy eating habit with your children early on. The early they learn and practice good eating habits the better support they will be for your. Plus if you can prevent them from having to worry about weight issues it is an added bonus.

8. Treat going to fast food restaurants as surprises or rewards. When your kids expect you to take them to McDonald's whenever they want they will get use to it and want it more. Take them as a reward or a special occasion only.

9. Workout with your kids. Regardless of their age they should be able to do something with you. Even if it just means pushing them in a stroller. They will enjoy the extra time with mom.

10. Incorporate one habit at a time. New Years resolutions are difficult because it can be overwhelming to pick a goal for the entire year. Take it one step at a time and you will get to your goal.

Thanks Mom,

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com
www.myworkoutcreator.com

Does your weight loss plan look like this?

2009-12-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

A study by the North American Association for the study of Obesity looked at cardio exercise and weight loss with a group of untrained individuals. Their workout plans consisted of 60 minutes of aerobic exercise for 6 days a week. They followed this group for 12 months and reported on their weight loss. With this program they were working out for roughly 360 minutes per week for an entire year (if they completed every workout).

The researchers found that the women in the group lost a total of 3lbs on averages while the men lost about 4lbs for the year. This compared to a control group who did not exercise and gain an average of 1.5lbs. Diets were not restricted in these programs.

It is obviously better to be 3-4lbs less than 2lbs heavier by the end of the year, but look at the work this group had to put in. Working out 6 days per week for 60 minutes is not easy to do. And with such a small weight loss result, it just doesn't seem worth it.

So how can this be if they worked out so much and didn't lose much weight? The two main reasons are the diet wasn't modified and they did not focus on strength training. When will everyone learn that the best way to lose weight is to focus on strength training.

If you want to lose 3 times as much as the subjects in this study in just 6 weeks you can check out my Accelerated Fat Loss Program. This is a 6 week challenge that will be starting this January. You can sign up for more information here.

Mike Deibler M.S., C.S.C.S.
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

How Often Should You Workout?

2009-12-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

We are always trying to find the secret ingredient to losing weight. Unfortunately there is no one thing that you can do. Instead we need a combination of a healthy diet plan and an exercise routine.

A new fat loss study however is showing one thing that has proven to work very well. The number of days you exercise per week has a huge impact with weight loss. This study took individuals and broke them up into groups. One group did no exercise, one group exercised 2 times/week, one group exercised 3-4 times/week, and one group did 4 or more time/week for 8 weeks. Each person had to do 30 minutes of exercise per workout session.

The study found that the group that exercised 4 or more times per week saw the only significant weight change over 8 weeks. In fact they lost on average 13.3lbs. The other two exercise groups lost an average of 4lbs while the control group who did not exercise gained an average of 1.2lbs.

What we can take from this study is that the number of days that exercise is performed will have an astounding effect on overall fat loss. When you start an exercise program you need to make sure you are performing a routine for at least 4 days per week. This can be a combination of strength training and cardio training. There is no excuse not to be able to fit 4 days of 30 minutes of exercise into your schedule. Remember though, just adding an exercise program will not guarantee weight loss. You must also implement a healthy eating plan.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

Holiday Hangover Workout

2009-12-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Well it is the time of the year where I feel like every weekend is some kind of holiday party so I am surrounded by food and drinks. It is times like this that I am thankful that I take care of myself the earlier part of the year and can splurge alittle now. Even when I do splurge though I usually feel pretty bad the next day and want to make up for it with a good workout. Being in San Diego we are lucky since we can workout outside pretty much all year round. I did this workout at a park near my house, but you can modify it for an indoor gym workout too.

Warm Up:
1/2 mile run to the park followed by a dynamic warm up:
20 Yd Skips w/ arm swings
20 Yd "A" Skips
20 Yd "B" Skips
20 Yd Side Shuffles
20 Yd Lunge with reach
20 Yd Bear Crawls

Workout:
(I made each station at different parts of the park so I had to run about 50 yds to each)

10 Pull Ups (used a swing set)
10 Box Jumps (used a table)
25 Push Ups
10 1 Legged Squats (on a bench)
20 Sit Ups
20 Yd Sprint back to the beginning

I went through this circuit 3 times taking breaks when I needed them. I didn't time it but it probably took about 30 minutes to get through. It was a great cure for the holiday party hangover.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

How Many Calories Should I Be Eating?

2009-11-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

This video clip will show you exactly how to find out how many calories you shoud be eating depending on your goal using a free online tool.

Capture your screen in seconds

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe

2009-11-19T13:30:00.001-08:00

Looking for something alittle better to cook this holiday season? Try this recipe out from www.acefitness.org

Cornbread & Sausage StuffingProvided by EatingWell.com

Serves12
Prep Time25 min.
Total Time50 min.
Nutrition Profile: Healthy Weight Low Calorie Low Cholesterol
Cornbread stuffing, a Southern favorite, is a nice change from more traditional white-bread stuffing. Our delectable recipe uses Italian turkey sausage, rather than pork, and omits all the butter and cream to cut the fat by two-thirds. The stuffing is lower in sodium as well and so easy to make that it’s sure to become a favorite side year-round.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

COOKING DIRECTIONS
Step 1 Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Step 2 Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage.
Step 3 Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.
Step 4 Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD TIP
Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake at 350°F until hot, about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO
Per serving
Calories: 242
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fat: 8g
Protein: 10g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 29mg
Potassium: 79mg
Sodium: 692mg
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat
Carbohydrate Servings: 2

What Are You Having For Thanksgiving?

2009-11-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

I always like to remind my clients how fast calories can add up over the holidays. If you been training hard all year and eating right the majority of the time dig in. If not be careful. There are moderate portions. Most people probably have more than this?

1 Glass of wine………………………….120 calories
1 oz of potato chips……………………..150 calories
1 tablespoon of dip……………………...75 calories
3 cups of salad with diet dressing………100 calories
6 oz of cured ham……………………….300 calories
6 oz of turkey……………………………340 calories
½ cup of cranberry sauce………………..190 calories
½ cup of stuffing………………………...180 calories
½ cup of mashed potatoes……………….150 calories
½ cup of gravy…………………………...150 calories
½ cup of green bean casserole…………...225 calories
½ cup of candied sweet potatoes………...150 calories
1 dinner roll with butter………………….155 calories
1 piece of apple pie………………………410 calories
½ cup of ice cream………………………145 calories
1 cup of coffee with cream and sugar…...50 calories

For a Grand Total of 2,890 calories
Fun to eat but would take walking approx. 28.9 miles to burn off.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

Get A Head Start On Your New Years Resolution

2009-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I always try and preach to my clients to get a head start on their New Years Resolution. This is the time of year when most people are stressed at work to get everything done before the holidays and their exercise program usually suffers. This means they gain a few extra pounds. Be honest, how many people do you know that do not gain any weight over the holidays.

Why do we have to wait until January 1st to start? Will things really be that better then? You will actually be worse off. You probably will be 5-10lbs heavier and have more work to do. The bottom line is there is never a perfect time to get started on an exercise program. You will always be able to think of some reason why you should put it off. Once you realize this you can finally accept the fact that it is going to be hard but you will start immediately.

This doesn't mean you have to start everything all at once. If you feel like you will get overwhelmed just take it one thing at a time. First you can start a strength training program 2-3 days per week. Once you developed that routine you can add a cardio program a few days a week. Then finally you can start to control your eating habits. While this is very effective and will work, just remember if you are not doing all the pieces at once your results will be much slower so do not expect miracles right away. If you do start now though you will prevent yourself from added those extra holiday pounds. Think about how much better you will feel about splurging for the holidays because you exercised as much as possible before them.

If you need a little extra help you can check out this program to get you started. It is a great program that will explain how to burn fat and build muscle with proper nutrition and exercise. Just click on the link below to learn more.

Click Here!

Thanks,

Mike
http://www.sandiegopremiertraining.com/
http://www.myworkoutcreator.com/

Workout Finisher

2009-11-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite ways to end my workouts each day is with a finisher. Finishers are high intense mini workouts to finish you off. There are a number of different types of finishers you can do. These can include intervals, circuits, sprints, plyometrics... They will almost feel like short cardio sessions because they will elevate your heart rate very high in a short period of time. If you are interested in a fat loss program they can be a great addition to your workout routine. I put together a short circuit as an example below. This is a 150 workout meaning you will perform 150 reps of a few different exercises as fast as you can. Try and time how long it takes to finish. Periodically do it and see how your time will improve.

Feel free to post your time in the comment section.

Good Luck,

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

3 Steps To Improve Your Posture And Flexibility

2009-10-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Flexibility is one major component of fitness that is often overlooked. It is because of this I see so many injuries. A proper flexibility program should be the foundation of an exercise program to help improve posture and reduce injuries. When you have a posture deviation there is usually tightness in one area and weakness in another. For example we often see individuals come in with rounded shoulders. This comes from certain muscle tightness and weakness. You need to address both to see maximal improvements. Here is a 3 step process to help improve posture.

1. Myofascial Release:

The Wikipedia definition of Myofascial Release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia. What this means is when we are tight it is usually caused by injury or inactivity of a muscle. This can develop into adhesions that form in the muscle, or knots, that may limit range of motion. In order to bread up these adhesions we can use myofascial release. This involves applying pressure to adhesions to relax them and break them up.

This can be done by massage or foam rolling. There are many pieces of equipment you can use to help break of these knots. Two popular methods are foam rolling and a massage stick seen below:

Using our example again with rounded shoulders, a great place to foam roll would be the lats. These muscles are often tight with this posture distortion.

2. Static Stretching:

Once you have started to workout out any scar tissue or adhesions that have built up you can begin stretching them out with static stretching. This is your typical stretching protocol. You hold a static stretch usually for around 30 seconds. You need to hold it for at least this long so that your muscle has a chance to relax and lengthen longer than normal. It should never hurt to stretch. Only take the muscle to a point of minor distortion. If you stretch too far you are likely to injure yourself.

When you see rounded shoulders a great static stretch would be the pectoral muscles. An easy way to stretch here is standing in a door way holding on to the sides with your arms and extending your chest and shoulders through.
3. Strengthening Exercises:

Finally once we have done the necessary stretching you need to incorporate a strengthen exercise. Even if you gain flexibility in tight muscles, the weak ones may not be functioning properly. When you have a tight muscle, the antagonist or opposite muscle will most likely be weak and inhibited. This muscle needs to be strengthened to see maximal benefit for range of motion.

Going back to our example of rounded shoulders we need to strengthen the rhomboids and middle/lower trapezius. These are important posture muscles that become weakened with long periods of sitting at a desk. A great exercise here is the SB Cobra seen below.

Mike
www.sandiegopremiertraining.com

Why am I always getter hurt?

2009-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

I recently received an email from someone asking why they keep getting hurt in their exercise program. Injuries can occur sometimes and there is little you can do to prevent them. There are many proactive approaches you can take, however, to significantly limit injuries during a workout. The two biggest reasons I usually see for injuries either from exercise or daily activities are poor postural alignment and/or weaker stabilizer muscles.

1. Poor Postural Alignment:

Most people suffer from some postural distortion. Common distortions include rounded shoulders and an anterior pelvic tilt. Imbalances such as these can cause serious injury if they are not corrected. When you suffer from a posture issue there are two things that are occurring. First you have one muscle that is overactive, or too tight, and is pulling a joint in one direction. On top of this you also have the opposing muscle that is too inhibited or weak and it cannot support the pull of the tight muscle.

For example if you look at someone who has and anterior pelvic tilt. This means the have a forward tilt of the hips which you can see with an increased lower back curve. One common explanation is they have hip flexor muscles that are overactive and too tight, which will pull the pelvic bone down in the front. On the opposing side the will most likely have weak abdominal muscles that cannot support the extra pull and allow the hip to be pulled forward. This posture problem can result in lower back pain because of the pressure placed on the spine. This is a classic example of how the site of the pain is usually not the site of the problem. This correct this issue you would need to incorporate an intense stretching routine for the hip flexor and a strengthening routine for the abdominal muscles.

2. Weak Stabilizers:

When most people start an exercise program they are very motivated and want to get the most out of their workouts. This means they will lift very heavy weight and push themselves as hard as they can. While it is great they are motivated this again can lead to serious injury. Most people only want to work the muscle that they can see. These are the bigger, "sexier" muscles like your pectorals, latissimus dorsi, biceps, triceps.... When you only focus on these muscles you probably will not strength the smaller muscle that support the joint.

For example if you want to get a bigger/more defined chest you will probably start performing the bench press exercise. This is a great exercise to work the pectoral muscles but this is not a great place to start. If you only train these larger muscles they will get stronger and you will need to increase weight to continue to improve strength. This type of exercise will not work your rotator cuff muscle very effectively however and these muscles help support shoulder stability. If you keep increasing weight without training these stabilizer muscles it is a matter of time before you will put too much strain on the shoulder and have an injury.

You need to start an exercise program with exercises that improve joint stability so you can eventually improve overall strength.
Here is a great exercise that will help improve shoulder stability.

Mike
San Diego Boot Camp

PREMIER TRAINING

4 New Studies That Will Help You Live Healthier

Keys To A Successful New Year's Resolution

Foods You Thought Were Bad

Foods You Thought Were Bad

More Great News About Vitamin D

Sample Fat Burning Workout

Phase II Workout A

Triset A

Triset B

Superset C

Core Circuit

Metabolic Acceleration Training

Should You Eat More Frequently?

Effects of meal frequency on body composition during weight control in boxers.Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1996 Oct;6(5):265-72.

Decreased thermic effect of food after an irregular compared with a regular meal pattern in healthy lean womenInternational Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 653–660. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802616 Published online 16 March 2004

Fat Loss Program

The Cardio Myth

Adiposity changes after a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention among postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

Acute EPOC response in women to circuit training and treadmill exercise of matched oxygen consumption.

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005 Aug;94(5-6):500-4. Epub 2005 Jun 8.

Effects of Resistance vs. Aerobic Training Combined With an 800 Calorie Liquid Diet on Lean Body Mass and Resting Metabolic Rate

J Am Coll Nutr April 1999 vol. 18 no. 2 115-121

3 Simple Nutrition Rules To Follow

It's A Baby

Free Protein Recipe Book

Four Keys To Live Longer

3 Steps To Weight Loss

Newest ACSM Position Statement

Brand New Weight Loss Studies

Vitamin D Levels And Postmenopausal Women

Change Your Metabolism

It's All Greek To Me

Working Out On An Empty Stomach

The Truth Behind Organic Foods

Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain

How Are Your Cholesterol Levels?

5 Quick And Easy Lunches

Low Carb Diets And Cancer

6 Weeks Of Free Meal Plans

Two Weird Recipes

A Tricky Way To Get More Veggies

Healthy Superbowl Recipes

My Top 3 Breakfasts

What's The Best Protein

The Best Workout of 2010

How To Set A Real Goal

Holiday Cheesecake Recipe

Fat Building Muscle

Best Fitness Gifts

Find Skinny Friends

Drink Water, Lose Weight

Eat More And Burn More

Eat Bread And Reduce Stomach Fat

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

Studio Remodel Pictures

Does Less Sleep Make You Fat?

5 Unhealthy Health Foods

Should you stretch before you run?

The Showdown: Treadmill Vs. Elliptical

The Playing Card Workout

My New Toy

The Truth For Lean Legs

You Are What You Eat

10 Ways To Get In Shape This Summer

Exercises You NEED To Do

Burn 5 Times More Fat

My NY Trip And How Fat Can Be Good

Don't Make This Mistake At The Gym

My 5 Vegetable Musts

Does Running Burn More Fat?

How To Make a Smoothie

San Diego Boot Camp Class

The Best Butt Exercise

Nutrient Timing Part II

Busting Through Plateaus

Nutrient Timing

Personal Training Studio Vs. Corporate Gyms

My TRX 40/40 Challenge

60 minutes of exercise a day to maintain weight?

Effects of meal frequency on body composition during weight control in boxers.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1996 Oct;6(5):265-72.

Decreased thermic effect of food after an irregular compared with a regular meal pattern in healthy lean women
International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 653–660. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802616 Published online 16 March 2004