Training While Sick

Well its cold season once again. As usual I have contracted the usual symptoms; runny nose, annoying cough, minor congestions. This brewed up a good question, should we workout while we are sick?

The common belief if that people who exercises and keep fit boost their immune system. And this is true, but even the healthiest individual can get sick, especially if you workout in a busy gym that is a breading ground for germs.

Like anything else you have to listen to your body. Most people are able to exercise with symptoms above their neck (ie cough, runny nose congestion). It is annoying to deal with, but please after your done your exercise remember to wipe down the equipment so as not to spread your cold to anyone else. And if your like me and worried about all the germs in that gym, you can even wipe down the equipment before you use it. Most gyms today have antiseptic spray bottles conveniently located through out your gym.

If you have symptoms such as extreme tiredness, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, swollen lymph glands or a hacking cough, I doubt you will even feel like going to the gym. The only exercising you should be doing is walking to the local pharmacy to buy NeoCitron. After your feeling better feel free to exercises as usual, just listen to your body as you will more than likely fatigue easily.

So far my cold has not held me back to much, aside from a slight loss in strength which will come back quickly in my case. If anyone has any suggestions to prevent colds, or to destroy those little germs when you have them I would love to read your comments.

cold, workout, nutrition, flu, sick, traing

Stress and Fitness

What an insane day yesterday, if I wasn't in meetings I was on the phone hustling and bustling all day. And let me tell you, if your not careful and you let the stress of everyday life get to you, it could dramatically effect the way you eat and your workouts.
thankfully for me I look at the gym as a heaven where I can get away and relax, even when it is rammed on Mondays. I just plug in my MP3 player and concentrate on my worked outs, while working out I think of nothing else but lifting that weight. And when it is over I am thinking of the next exercises I am doing, not my work life or my personal will come into play.

How stress affects your body

After you've fought, fled or otherwise escaped your stressful situation, the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in your bloodstream decline. As a result, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal and your digestion and metabolism resume a regular pace. But if stressful situations pile up one after another, your body has no chance to recover. This long-term activation of the stress-response system can disrupt almost all your body's processes, increasing your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive complaints, heart disease and depression.

• Digestive system. It's common to have a stomachache or diarrhea when you're stressed. This happens because stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the emptying of the stomach. The same hormones also stimulate the colon, which speeds the passage of its contents. Chronic stress can also lead to continuously high levels of cortisol. This hormone can increase appetite and cause weight gain.

• Immune system. Chronic stress tends to dampen your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds and other infections. Typically, your immune system responds to infection by releasing several substances that cause inflammation. In response, the adrenal glands produce cortisol, which switches off the immune and inflammatory responses once the infection is cleared. However, prolonged stress keeps your cortisol levels continuously elevated, so your immune system remains suppressed. In some cases, stress can have the opposite effect, making your immune system overactive. The result is an increased risk of autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own cells. Stress can also worsen the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. For example, stress is one of the triggers for the sporadic flare-ups of symptoms in lupus

• Nervous system. If your fight-or-flight response never shuts off, stress hormones produce persistent feelings of anxiety, helplessness and impending doom. Oversensitivity to stress has been linked with severe depression, possibly because depressed people have a harder time adapting to the negative effects of cortisol. The byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which contribute to the overall feeling of depression. Excessive amounts of cortisol can cause sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite.

• Cardiovascular system. High levels of cortisol can also raise your heart rate and increase your blood pressure and blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels. These are risk factors for both heart attacks and strokes. Cortisol levels also appear to play a role in the accumulation of abdominal fat, which gives some people an "apple" shape. People with apple body shapes have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than do people with "pear" body shapes, where weight is more concentrated in the hips.

• Other systems. Stress worsens many skin conditions — such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and acne — and can be a trigger for asthma attacks.

stress, workout, nutrition, fitness, lose weight, blood pressure

Strength Training Update

The Smolov Squat Program

I have just started my new strength training program. It is based around the Smolov Squat Program, but Bench Press and Deadlifts have been added. I am also currently looking for filler exercises so that I can hit my missed muscle groups through out the week.

My first day looked like this:

Squat - 4 x 9 at 225 lbs

Bench - 5 x 5 at 205 lbs

Deadlift - 4 x 10 at 175 lbs

Let me tell you my legs are killing me. The squats and bench went by quickly, I actually foudn them rather easy. But the deadlifts killed me. I was unable to make it to 10 reps everytime, this was due to my poor form as I am still learning how to do a proper squat. This is how one is done

properly, but I was having a hard time making it all one fluid motion. I tend to use my back too much.

Stay tuned for my progress through this new program, and feature articles I will be posting.

Health Food of the Month

It is with great pleasure that I bring this organic pressed cottage cheese to your attention. I found this cheese just over a week ago, and have been eating it every night before bed.
Western Creamery makes this organic cream cheese with no additives, in a variety of moisture and fat levels. The only additive I have read on the labels are the products which they clearly mark as "salt-added"
Now before you try this, you must know this is not your typical cottage cheese. It will taste like cheese, not like the additive laden sludge you are used to. And this may put some people off as the no salt added products can taste quite strong.

0.1% per 100 gram:

• Calories - 90.9 cals
• Protein - 20 grams
• Carbohydrates - 1.82 grams
• Fats - 0 grams

The texture can also through some people off this product, but it may also gain it popularity. As I have found many people do not eat cottage cheese becuase of how runny it is. But the people who are used to eating it as runny, may not appreciate the dry texture of this cream cheese.

I get around the flavor and texture by adding healthy foods to my cream cheese. For example, I will use "no sugar added" jam, or even all natural nut butter. If I do feel like having a more moiste mixture, I will add yoghurt or milk.

Uses:

I would use this in any Atkins type of diet, or to people who are sensitive to carbs and simple sugars.

I woudl also recomend this to people with diabetes as it has no added sugar.

fat loss, workout, nutrition, cottage cheese, lose weight, food, healthy, taste

Tuesday's Nutrition

Well Tuesdays eating went very well.

Calories 2468

• Protein 38% (213 grams)
• Carbohydrates 31% (238 grams)
• Fats 31% (79 grams)

Also of note:

• Fiber 64 grams
• Poly-unsaturated fats 25 grams
• Mono-unsaturated fats 31 grams

The Good Fats
Some fats are good because they can improve blood cholesterol levels.
Unsaturated Fats--Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated
Unsaturated fats are found in products derived from plant sources, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. There are two main categories: polyunsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils) and monounsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in canola, peanut, and olive oils). In studies in which polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were eaten in place of carbohydrates, these good fats decreased LDL levels and increased HDL levels.

(Article by HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH )

fat loss, workout, nutrition, deadlifts, lose weight

And so we begin.........

Well this space is for you just as much as it is for me. I will be updating my workouts, my nutrtion, my feelings, and my motivations on here. And in order for me to better myself I require positive feed back from people. So Don't be shy, if I am doing something odd or improper please feel free to tell me how to do it right.
This Wed. I have my first session with my Chiropractor for my new strength training routine. I am very very excited. He already taught me how to do squats and deadlifts properly, which I was surprised I was doing wronge, and thus this should help me be able to lift more weight. I think after I get the strength back I will hit body building again and try to get my weight back up to 220. Well if my weight drops I am droppign the strength training, I am ver happy at 200.