October 11, 2009October 12, 2009

Fitness Guru Turns 95, and so can You!

A man who lives life with vision, strength, and passion is inspiring.

"Godfather" of Fitness, Jack Lalanne

Fitness pioneer and long-time guru, Jack Lalanne, just turned 95 years old and seems to be still educating and motivating people to take control of their own health and fitness. For anecdotal evidence on the benefits of fitness and nutrition, look no further than Jack Lalanne’s long life — full of vitality.

“Exercise is king, nutrition is queen, put them together and you have a kingdom!”

He’s a visionary, an adept salesman, a motivator, and a man who practices what he preaches. From a lifestyle of physical fitness and healthy nutrition, he maintains vitality at 95 years of age.

As an inspiration for my own career, and for my own personal health and wellbeing, I dedicate this blog post to Jack Lalanne — the Godfather of Fitness.

You probably recognize him more like this.

Jack Lalanne, passion and a life worth living.

Jack Lalanne, passion and a life still worth living.

Thank you for your innovations in the field of fitness, and for inspiration of a legacy that continues to benefit people.

Physical Fitness by Dre

October 2, 2009October 4, 2009

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Fix Posture, and Build a Great Butt.

Have you ever noticed how some people are walking around with messed up posture all the time?

One of my customers came in to buy protein, and from the first glance, I knew from his posture that he spent way too much time bench pressing.

Since the body is a complex system, strength imbalances must be assessed and addressed. It’s the same thing for a vehicle — you wouldn’t drive your car if the wheels were turned in all different directions.

Here’s a video of two of the best exercises for strength, fat loss, mobility, and flexibility. This will help posture and support quality of life.

Overhead Squat

Shoulder flexibility
Upper back mobility
Hip mobility, strength
Promotes healthy posture
Core/Abdominal strength (help you get six-pack abs, or just just boost all your other exercises)
Glute activation
Quadricep warmup

Reverse Lunge

Due to position of bar, your are FORCED to have good form. No ifs, buts, or whatevers. You MUST have good form, or the bar will drop. This is good for teaching proper form.
Neutral spine — spine is safe from heavy compression since it is a unilateral (one leg at a time) movement.
Help you build Jessica Biel booty or the Butt of Adonis.
Nice for thighs, quadriceps
Burns fat, strengthens glutes, which prevents lower back injury as a result.

Putting it all together

On Leg day, you can do something like this…

1. Overhead Squat, 2 sets of 15 reps for warmup and mobility

2. Leg Press, 5 sets of 5 for strength

3. Reverse Lunge, 3 sets of 8 for glute strength.

4. Seated Calf Raise, 5 sets of 6

5. Standing Calf Raise, 10 sets of 10

POST WORK OUT

Protein Shake
Stretching
Myofascial release with foam roller OR massage.
Relax, reduce stress.
Eat solid meal with plenty of carbs+protein within 1 hour of exercise.

FOR FAT LOSS: Eat 2,000 calories per day (women), 2,300 calories per day (men)

FOR MUSCLE GROWTH: Eat 2,700+ calories per day.

Physical Fitness by Dre

September 24, 2009September 25, 2009

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Why Muscles Matter (for men, women, young, and old), Part 1.

This morning, somewhere in your neighborhood, a person will struggle to physically get out of bed. With age, there is a “natural” loss of muscle which is responsible for so many elderly people lacking mobility and calling to buy those scooters you see on TV.

However, study after study shows that weight training for people of all ages increases muscle efficiency, tendon stability, and disease prevention. In other words, quality of life, health, energy, and vitality.

Weakness is inefficient, and takes a toll on the body. Untrained individuals have to use MORE energy for LESS movement.

Brian came into the store the other day to buy more bottles of Topricin, a pain relief cream, and mentioned how, “All of my friends are using it to get rid of pain too, I have to come back and get more for myself!”

I am highly in support of pain relief, but even I must confront the fact that treating the SYMPTOMS will never cure the whole person.

For example, Tendons are strong, small, and responsible for keeping you from falling over or displacing a joint. By strengthening tendons through weight training, we can reinforce the joints under stress with added protection.

I see it every day. Baby boomers are aging, and they are beginning to feel the “realities” of age, which could have been prevented all along!

The "teardrop" muscle of the Quadriceps is necessary for kneecap tracking.

What does it mean to be Young, anymore?

Strong
Healthy
Less worries

Muscles are KEY to overall anti-aging strategy.

If you seek youth, you must seek strength.

If you seek strength, you must seek me.

Because I have, plenty of strength just around thy knee.

Physical Fitness by Dre

August 24, 2009October 18, 2009

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Branched-Chain Aminos as a STAPLE Fitness Supplement

Staying fit isn’t hard with the right tools.

There are tablets that are proven to…

Give you energy
Assist leanness
Promote optimal levels of balance in body

Lean with ease

And even more benefits…

Decrease muscle soreness
Improve endurance, especially in high temperature situations
Increased strength gains
and, a…strong Healthy YOU!

They ARE… Branched Chain Amino Acids

Besides being one of the most safe and dependable fitness supplement, Branced Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s for short) are three essential amino acids found in muscle. Most of us acquire these amino acids through dietary sources of protein such as chicken or tofu, yet supplementation of BCAA’s in the proper ratio leads to all of the benefits listed above.

There are 22 standard amino acids found in protein. BCAA’s are like the Three Amigos: each amino acid has a unique relationship and function to the others.

Aminos are just like Amigos, except much more elemental

Branched Chain Aminos are just like Amigos, except better dressed

The Three Aminos:

L-Leucine

L-Isoleucine

L-Valine

Essentially, BCAA’s stimulate the metabolic pathway, which results in net protein growth.

How, When, Where, and WHY?

This is how to take BCAA’s…

Anytime of the day, to give you energy and maintain strength through muscle loss prevention.
Prior to physical activities for endurance, sustainability, and performance. (Before a hike, a run, sports, or even a long night of dancing!)
Just before a meal. Your meal will become even more anabolic, which means you can burn fat easier!
DURING intense physical activity. Aside from the benefits above, weightlifters were found to have increased testosterone levels after the workout, as opposed to DECREASED testosterone levels that most people unknowingly experience.
Who am I kidding? You can take BCAAS ANYTIME ANYWHERE!

My own personal use:

BCAA’s before and after workouts
I bring along a bottle in my bag for when I’m mobile. I would use BCAAs instead of McDonalds anyday. But, usually it’s best when I’m staying in someone elses place for the night.
At work during breaks.

If you are interested in any of the above benefits that I experience on a daily basis, go try a bottle. Right now, I’m using…

For some its about looks, for me its about strength.

For some it is about looks, for me it's about strength.

and for bumping up the power of my Green Vibrance health shakes, I often use:

Three Aminos in a powdered form, value and quality.

Final points:

BCAA’s are as good for women as they are for men
Strength and muscle only comes through hard work, and nutrition is KEY.
Average serving size is 4-6 capsules, if you can’t swallow those, choose BCAA in powdered form.
BCAA’s are just one secret we have today for healthy, permanent leanness. Why would you pass it up?

Physical Fitness by Dre

August 18, 2009October 18, 2009

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Arm and Shoulder PAIN! Could it be from your posture?

Earlier today, a customer complained of an aching elbow at his triceps. Scanning the selection, he confidently chose a powdered blend of herbs, spices, and proteins for anti-inflammatory joint rujivination and remarked, “Even though I feel this way, I’m going to continue to push on.” I approve of his supplement choice, which I see as a check deposited into his personal bank of health. Yet, I often consider that it is but one piece in the puzzle.

Great supplement, but just one slice of health.

Anyone who has ever lifted a weight has probably felt what is known as “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” which occurs for up to several days after a physically demanding session. That is normal and expected anytime you try a new exercise or routine, and the soreness disapears after you increase exercise frequency. Some people actually enjoy they muscle soreness because they feel like it is a constant reminder of making new progress.

However, for THIS gentleman today, his pain increased ALONG WITH exercise frequency. Watch out! Now this is a real sign of entering “Overuse Injury” territory. Pain in the triceps muscles is usually due to overuse and should subside by laying off the muscle for a few weeks in addition to gentle stretching exercises.

But does that really solve the problem!?

AND, FOR HOW LONG?

In fact, a chronic pain in the upper arm may often be linked to either forearm weakness or shoulder girdle strength imbalances. These links must be addressed in order to promote optimal musculoskeletal performance. You wouldn’t drive a car with a flat tire would you?

I’ve found that most people’s muscle imbalances can be seen even with a t-shirt on. The main signs are excessive curvature at the spine, or assymetrical shoulders.

Many imbalances can be corrected

KEYS to Back and Shoulder Protection/ aka THE POSTURE SOLUTION

1. Improve shoulder stability at the shoulder blades by activitating and empowering connection between shoulder blade and ribcage (the serratus anterior muscle). We do a push up variation called the Scapula Push Up for two sets of 15 reps.

2. Correct imbalance between excessively weak upper back and overpowering chest muscles by strengthening the romboids, rear deltoids, and lower trapezius. Bands, dumbells, and cables are utilized to strengthen, while we stretch pectorals several times daily.

3. Encourage behavior that motivates standing and sitting with an upright posture worthy of a balanced person. Remember, chest up, and shoulder blades back and down. Oh, and tilt your head to the side if you see a friendly person that you like.

Come on, you can do it! It’s all about awareness. Being aware of your body and how it prefers to move.

As a personal trainer, I would focus on muscle activiation with ligh bands and upper back strengthening with weights.

On the other hand, many have improved their lives with other traditional methods such as tai chi, yoga, and body work. But those are topics of other blogs 😉

For now…

I’m off to do some of my own balancing.

(Technique videos coming soon!!)

Physical Fitness by Dre