Kudos!! You’re Awesome

I’ve been working on developing a recognition program for DNA clients, and have been on the prowl lately for special client accomplishments that deserve attention. On Wednesday, we asked for Client of the Month suggestions on Facebook.

You people are making this project really hard.

Why?

Too much kudos to hand out!!!

Congratulations on making it through Test Week – with flying colors. We had so many outstanding accomplishments this week, that picking just one person to highlight as Client of the Week or Client of the Month is impossible. Therefore, I am going to brag about a couple of feats from this week that really knocked my socks off, with the help of the trusty whiteboard. (I want to add more pictures of the athletes discussed here and will thus be stalking you with a camera next week!)

Let’s start with Monday. If you look closely, you’ll see that Bianca pressed 92.5 lbs, ran a sub-8:30 mile, and got 125 situps and 325 air squats. To my knowledge, 92.5 is the gym record for press for females at this time. Tawyna kicked butt in a different style with a 7:21 mile, 325 situps (how can you even do that?), and 110 squats – as Ernie says, she’s a monster! Oh yes, and the guys showed up too: Casey stunned us even more than usual with a 205 lb press, 5:26 run (!!!), 22 pullups and 325 squats, Chris ran a 5:37 mile, and look at Marcos – here’s a guy with two tiny kids at home who was just another unconditioned desk jockey last year, and now he’s running a 5:45 mile and pressing 155.

130618 Board

That’s just the start. I see little “PR” notes all over this board, and we could go on about all of your awesome accomplishments (especially all of the ladies repping out pullups), but I want to move on to neuro researchers Sara and Drew.

This dynamic duo have been working hard in the

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Huevos, Cholesterol

We get a lot of questions from clients about different foods: what to eat, how much, when, and is food X on the plan? Some of our recommendations run against USDA guidelines (which are influenced by Big Agriculture, i.e., financially engineered; pardon the political statement but it’s true) as well as everything we have been taught about food since around 1990, and we understand when people are uncomfortable and confused. In this vein, some of you are concerned when we extoll the virtues of the Mighty Egg and encourage consumption of three of the little miracles at a time in a single scrumptious serving. It really okay to eat a lot of whole eggs, especially if you have high cholesterol?

The short answer is that (a) dietary cholesterol is not a bad thing (contrary to “conventional wisdom”) and (b) once you cut sugar, grains, and other pro-inflammatory foods from your diet, both saturated fat and cholesterol are fine to eat – in fact, they are quite healthy when your body is able to use them as intended. Egg yolks have all kinds of great health benefits, and eggs work better as a system – your body can use the nutrients in the whole egg more effectively than in just the white (I think there’s a protein and enzyme involved but for the life of me have not been able to find the reference for that assertion). Therefore, as long as you’re not having toast or orange juice with your omelette / scramble / frittata, it’s fine.

A more thorough answer requires an explanation of the role of cholesterol in the body, and the reasons for the demonization of cholesterol – what can go wrong. Brace yourself – here we go on a scientific excursion…

Cholesterol is a structural component of cell membranes, essential for brain growth, cell creation and repair, and is a precursor for vitamin D and numerous hormones, including cortisol (stress), aldosterone, progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone. In other words, it’s required for human (and animal) life, and plays a key role in regulating metabolism. Some plants and all animals contain cholesterol, but plant cholesterol is poorly absorbed. The liver regulates cholesterol levels in the blood by synthesizing cholesterol when levels are low, and converting excess to bile and bile salts (which can be excreted) when levels get high. Cells throughout the body synthesize about 80% of your cholesterol, and the liver makes about 20%. Your body synthesizes about 1g of cholesterol each day, and most Americans eat 200-300mg (more if you eat a lot of meat). Since the liver balances total cholesterol from all sources, synthesized or dietary, people who eat meat may produce less cholesterol than vegetarians, but they have similar total amounts of cholesterol. That’s why cholesterol-rich eggs and meat are not the sole culprit of high cholesterol; the liver can remove excess dietary cholesterol. Turns out that there’s more to the story.

Mr. Lipoprotein

You have heard of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, also erroneously called “bad cholesterol”) and HDL (often called “good cholesterol”). Chylomicrons and VLDL are other lipoproteins, which play roles in energy delivery. The liver turns used VLDL into LDL, which delivers free cholesterol (easily absorbed) to the cells, as well as triglycerides (energy) and cholesteryl esters (not easily absorbed). LDL particles may bind to an LDL receptor on a cell and deliver some cholesterol, or it may go back to the liver. LDL also returns the majority of excess cholesterol from cells to the liver. Meanwhile, the liver and small intestine produce HDL, which picks up some of the excess cholesterol at the cells and carries it back to the liver. To oversimplify, LDL is like UPS (pickup and deliver), and HDL is the charity donation pickup van for unneeded cholesterol.

Wait a minute, you ask; so LDL and HDL aren’t cholesterol? No – they carry cholesterol. Blood panels can count the LDL and HDL particles or the cholesterol content in the particles, called LDL-C or HDL-C. The actual LDL count, or particle number, is called LDL-P.

Atherosclerosis – artery plaque – occurs when LDL particles embed in artery walls, triggering an inflammatory (immune) response, which creates more room for more LDL particles. Research and research interpretations conflict on whether particle size or particle count matters more. One theory suggests that small, dense LDL particles, which tend to occur in insulin resistant people, are the ones that embed in the artery walls. Other evidence shows that number of LDL particles is the most important number, suggesting that the chances of LDL particles embedding in the artery walls simply increases when more particles are present. HDL counts don’t seem to matter, and drugs that increase HDL have been shown to be ineffective, whereas statins that lower LDL-P can reduce heart disease risk. It’s a lot cheaper and healthier to lower LDL-P with good nutrition.

Here’s where the toast comes in. Regular consumption of simple sugars such as those found in desserts, breads, pasta, corn products, and fruit juices (pina coladas too!) can lead to insulin resistance, which tricks cells into behaving as if they are not getting fed enough and need to store more energy. Your body responds by sending more triglycerides (lipids) to the cells via the bloodstream. Your lipoprotein particles, including LDL, will be loaded up with more lipids, leaving less room in the UPS trucks for free cholesterol. Therefore, your body has to send out more trucks to deliver the same amount of cholesterol. If the trucks are bigger, each one can carry more triglyceride and more cholesterol, but you may still need more trucks. The jury is out on exactly how this works, but the result is a higher chance of getting LDL stuck in your artery walls and an increased risk of heart disease.

One more point: research has shown that saturated fat doesn’t increase heart disease risk when carbohydrate intake is low. That’s why you can eat bacon with your eggs, but we don’t recommend toast or orange juice with them.

Congratulations if you made it through our little foray into blood biochemistry. It’s an emerging area and this post just scratches the surface of a very complex set of processes. From here, you can look at the interaction between the metabolic processes that involve insulin and leptin, as well as the impact of cortisol and the nasty effects of stress and sleep deprivation, but for now let’s just say that all of these processes are interdependent and you can make things significantly better or worse by changing your training, nutrition, sleep, and stress exposure.

________________

This post was drawn from numerous studies and secondary sources based on the scientific literature. Bibliographies can be found in works by Taubes, and good old Wikipedia too. My apologies for being lazy about citing the sources.

If you really want to get into the science of cholesterol, check this blog post series by Dr. Peter Attia: http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i

Nutrition: A Word about Philosophical Differences

confused-baby

You may get slightly different recommendations from our trainers about implementing your nutrition plan. We all subscribe to the same science, but emphasize different priorities. Here’s a comparison of two approaches to help explain why we may not all tell you the same thing. You can decide whose approach works best for you, and shop accordingly – you’ll still get great results.

David is a realist when it comes to food. He’s used to feeding a lot of kids, and understands that most people are on the go, need convenience, and aren’t necessarily aces in the kitchen. He simplifies the guidelines as much as possible and prioritizes the core concepts over the details – making sure you get the right foods and that you can make the plan work regardless of your job, family situation, and lifestyle. Bottom line: simple and effective, focusing on a feasible implementation of your nutrition plan. If you have a lot on your plate and aren’t interested in becoming a gourmet chef, Dave’s your man for food advice.

We love meat.

We love meat.

AJ is a foodie and likes to cook! She has sizable collections of spices and cookbooks, scads of kitchen gizmos, and feeds her family real food-based recipes from across the planet. She reads up on food production and pays a lot of attention to food quality, and the effect of different cooking methods (e.g., avoiding the microwave). Unfortunately, mass-produced food available now is very different from the real food of 100 years ago in terms of breeding and genetics, pesticide content, and often macronutrient composition, and AJ makes an effort to pick the most nutritious versions of each food, with the least added junk. She is a huge advocate of label-reading and education. Bottom line: thorough, with a holistic view for maximizing long-term health potential. If you are willing to make more time for food selection and preparation and want to nail the details as well as the main themes, direct your questions to AJ.

AJ is also a huge proponent of vegetables. They’re “free” (unlimited on Phase I) and delicious, and micronutrients matter too in the grand scheme. Organic are the best in terms of nutrient value. Dave is not a big fan; someone down the food chain at veggies and took in micronutrients, so you will get plenty from meat. If you hate broccoli, don’t eat it.

One concept that we all believe: you should enjoy eating, and food should not cause you stress. We want you to enjoy life and not let food get in the way. If it’s your birthday or a friend’s birthday and you want cake, eat it! If you love wine, enjoy a glass once or twice a week (after you finish your first 30 days)! If it’s college reunion time and you want to go back to your favorite bar and pound Schlitz until you can’t walk…well, you may have other issues, but go for it (and feel like death warmed over the next day…) If you are on vacation, have fun – eat what you like, though we guarantee that you will feel better if you can stick to clean eating 80% of the time.

Not a choice.

Not a choice.

P.S. None of us will clear you to eat at McDonald’s (even the chicken salad has a lot of sugar and other junk in it), and Little Debbie is off the list. Despite the caveat above about eating on special occasions, there is never a good reason to eat food that is closer to plastic or paste than its original ingredients. You won’t starve. Just don’t do it – your body will thank you.

Man Made vs. Real Food

At DNA, we advocate real diets made of real food. We have considered offering protein powders and other supplements, but we just don’t support the consumption of lab-made products. Many are toxic offer all kinds of health pitfalls; additives ranging from corn to artificial colors should not be in your body, and over time, they may lead to a range of issues, whether or not the FDA approves. Dyes have even been linked to ADHD in kids.

Vitamins are one controversial area; science explains why they don’t work, studies have shown no benefit, and they are usually delivered with corn starch and other nasty fillers. Vitamin D (needed for calcium absorption) requires sunlight for production. Drinking milk won’t do the job as the concentrations are low, and dairy has its own problems, especially commercial (not organic) milk. Each vitamin plays a role in the amazing system of your body, and real food generally has the best mix of the right chemicals to optimize your body’s function and composition.

Some people like the convenience of protein shakes after a workout. Many commercial varieties are packed with fillers and sugars, including corn starch, so if you decide to go this route, read the labels carefully. Even the “clean” brands have sweeteners. Here are the labels from Progenex (left) and Gold Standard Whey in Vanilla (right):

protein

Both are sweet, triggering an addictive response that makes you want more sweetness. Gold Standard has a few chemicals, but nowhere near as many as Muscle Milk. What’s your best bet after a workout? Chicken and a sweet potato? Probably. (One of our clients used to swear by chocolate ice cream, but that’s another story.)

Fish oil may be one supplement that can actually do some good. Omega-3’s have a whole slew of health benefits, and few people eat enough fish to take full advantage. We assert that there is no single dietary silver bullet, as foods are rarely consumed in isolation and activity matters, but you probably can’t go wrong by taking fish oil tablets. By the way, Atlantic salmon is often genetically modified, unsustainable, and fed pellets that make it dietary garbage – like corn-fed, hormone-injected, stockyard beef, it should be avoided. Alaskan salmon is fine, and you should always choose wild-caught fish. But I digress.

Bottom lines:

  • Eat real food, choose organic sources whenever possible, and consider adding some fish oil.
  • Get sunlight regularly – go without sunblock for half an hour; it’s tough to balance vitamin D production with skin cancer prevention in Southern Arizona, so pay attention and don’t overdo it.
  • Always read the labels! If a product has more than 4 lines of ingredients and any are unpronounceable, it’s not a real food so you probably should not eat it. This rule goes for any supplements too.

 

Just Going For It

Tricats

Back in the Day…

Once upon a time, I was a grad student and a member of the UA Tricats. My husband went to Qatar for 4 months, and I proceeded to race my ass off. I was a Cat 4 cyclist, a runner, a triathlete, and even did a bunch of splash and dash races – often more than once per week. I got pretty fast with all of those high-intensity efforts, but I was nowhere near as strong then as I am now.

In triathlon, I usually placed in my age group. Here’s my line from the Firecracker Tri in July of 2004:

  13    2 30 0212 JOHNSON      ANNE         0:13:36    0:35:05    0:23:18    1:11:59

That’s 13th of women, 2nd in age group, with a 13:36 swim (800m), 35:05 bike (12 miles), and 23:18 5k. Not bad.

I just signed up for Firecracker again, 9 years and 2 kids later with almost 5 years of CrossFit / Kettlebells and 3 years of paleo eating under my belt. I am NOT going to do any specific training for this race. None. Nada!! I will hit the water on July 7th with whatever swimming and biking I happen to do for fun between now and then, and we will see how I do against my 30-year-old self.

I bet she’s going down. My running is a small bit slower than it was 10-15 minutes ago, but I bet strength will do the job.

Have you tried racing your old self lately? I challenge you to give it a try! Pick a race you did ages ago, and just sign up. Don’t second guess. Just do it. Let’s make an unscientific group experiment out of it. Who’s in??

A Long Strange Trip

I just returned from my two-week USAF Annual Tour in San Antonio. I didn’t tell many people where I was going, or said I was off to Fiesta, which was great despite questionable weather.

San Antonio is a lot like Tucson – similar vibe, similar mix of people, great food, more water (humidity and a river), and great pace of life. Tucson’s mountains are prettier, and San Antonio has more grass. We have San Xavier del Bac, they have the Alamo. Great margaritas and salsa in both places. It’s an easy transition.

I also really like my USAF job, which I won’t explain too much except to tell you what I was doing for the last two weeks. The Air Force issued guidance last fall disallowing CrossFit and other “extreme conditioning program” group classes in their fitness centers. Never mind that the Army and Marines have fully embraced CrossFit, and that over 30 AF bases have programs, not to mention scads of people doing P90X videos in a group; the physiologists have spoken, and the service is risk-averse. I collected a bunch of data that showed minimal injury rates and loads of results. In the end, I am not sure whether my work succeeded or not, but I learned a few interesting tidbits along the way.

1. Strength and work capacity trump aerobic capacity any day.

I don’t run much anymore. I used to run 25 miles per week, more in marathon training season, and I ran 5k in about 23:30 on average. I won the Sports Day 5k (for females, anyway) in 22:46 with no special running training, against dedicated runners. I say this not to brag (yeah!) but to point out the value of strength for all-out efforts, and that run was definitely all-out.

2. Many people focus on the wrong metrics.

The Air Force exercise physiologists tend to obsess over VO2 max as the holy grail of fitness. VO2 max measures aerobic capacity. At DNA, we know that work capacity is a better measure of fitness than VO2 max, which is why our benchmarks include plenty of strength – 5RM, 3RM, 1RM, and fun times like the DNA Total and Dave’s 5-5-1 (5 min snatch test / 5 min double unders / 1 mile run. ) I also don’t buy morbidity as a metric for health outcomes, but that’s another discussion.

3. The Air Force has a long way to go to close the loop on nutrition and fitness.

People like their junk food, and food is usually tied with religion and culture. Some people are religious about their food. Therefore, the fitness people tiptoe around the idea of suggesting changes to dietary habits. They are going out of their way to put the healthy foods up front in the dining halls and make it easier for Airmen to choose the salad over the burger, but the burger is still definitely there, and I don’t get the impression that the courage is present to flat out tell people that if they eat better, they will feel and perform better, and the opposite too (if you eat like sh*t…) I’m not saying that the other services have nailed this one either, but it’s an area for improvement.

4. The power of the group dynamic is real, but you have to try it to understand it.

The service just dumped $2m on Fitness on Request, which is a kiosk system with videos and a virtual instructor, who can’t correct, coach, or cheer you on. I’m interested to see how well it works. In the hurry to spend expiring money, somehow the customer demand got lost, particularly the crescendo of voices who want the community of a hard group workout – not a machine. The truth is hard to quantify, as noted by Glassman; others have written about the motivation of CrossFit, but bottom line is that some activities are most fun in a group, and people like to be with other people, especially when sharing suffering. The intangible magic behind group training at DNA and thousands of CrossFit affiliates, as well as martial art centers, sports teams, and military training facilities, and law enforcement academies drives us beyond our perceived limits, making us stronger and more confident as we encourage our suffer-mates to their own victories. Nobody seems to have a clue how to include this powerful factor in a business case spreadsheet, but it’s the not-so-secret to creating a strong organization and should not be ignored.

5. It’s much more fun and easy to work your tail off when you’re immersed in a subject about which you are passionate.

Self-explanatory!

6. Never take good equipment for granted.

I ripped my thumb on some nasty pull up bars, swung and snatched kettlebells with polished stainless handles, and attempted to clean a non-Olympic (non-spinning) bar, before I found some decent ones to lift. We’re spoiled by having all the nice toys in one playroom.

7. Recess is awesome.

In talking with lots of AF people who use CrossFit and similar programs daily, I realized that we all love recess, and that an hour in the gym is happy time (well, mostly). I figured this out a while back and it led to a career change, but it’s amusing to recognize how many people still love to go play with their friends, even if it involves a lot of effort.

Anyway, it’s good to be back. I missed the DNA crew and was ready for a break. We’ll see what comes out of my two weeks of fun; I just hope that the “chair force” moves further down the fitness road and embraces group strength training, realizing that it’s not “extreme” – it’s “essential” for great quality of life and overall fitness.

DNA’s Video Contest Winner



This video was created by our talented client Marcos Salazar, from concept to what you see here. Meet four of our clients and hear their stories!

It’s hard to believe, but DNA’s first birthday is right around the corner!! In light of our impending anniversary, we are hosting a VIDEO CONTEST for our fabulous clients.

If you are a closet Coppola (or Kubrick, for that matter) or just have fun with a camera and a video editor, you can create a clip and enter to win a month of Accelerated Custom Training – that’s a $499 value!

Guidelines:

  • Create a short video (30 sec – 2 mins) that explains what DNA means to you, and how training with us has changed your life
  • Include before/after photos if you have them
  • Get comments from your friends – has your mom, boss/co-worker, mailman, grandson, etc. noticed your results and said something about it? Ask them to record it!
  • Titles and cool editing are allowed but not necessary
  • Keep the language and photos clean please! (Goes without saying, but ya know…)
  • Team videos are allowed. If a team of 2 or more people wins (max of 6), your A.C.T. sessions will be A.C.T.-S.P. sessions (semi-private – i.e., you’ll get to train together).

Videos will be judged by the staff on the basis of impact – a video that makes us all get excited, or teary-eyed, will get a great score. Winner may use the month of training, or may gift / donate it to someone else, or invite 1-2 other people to join in.

Most of all, have fun making your video!

Submission instructions will be posted here by the weekend (5 April). If you get going early and are really eager, you can email a link to your video to train@dnatucson.com and we will take a look. Thanks!!

Five Reasons to check out DNA Fit Club

You’ve seen the announcements on the board; you’ve heard people talking about it; are you still wondering what DNA Fit Club is? Sorry, it’s a secret, and we can’t share that information here. We must protect the innocent.

The Innocent.

On second thought, let’s expose them…

DNA Fit Club is our Extracurricular Activity. The DNA Family loves the gym, but we also like to go places and have fun together beyond our cozy little discomfort zone. Let’s explore five great reasons to check out the DNA Fit Club.

1. Moving in our BEAUTIFUL environment.

Tucson is gorgeous. Even Phoenix isn’t ugly. The Fit Club goes hiking, biking, running, camping, and exploring around our ruggedly beautiful corner of the planet. If you don’t already think that saguaro forests are incredible, join us for an attitude adjustment. Fresh air, sunshine, and plenty of hills to climb are ingredients for happiness.

2. Exploring the Tucson community.

Fit Club participates in local events, and checks out local restaurants afterward. You may well get to experience a side of Tucson that you haven’t seen yet, especially if you are new here, and you’ll meet new people.

3. Supporting causes that matter.

On Saturday, March 30, Fit Club will play in Race’n In the Sun, benefiting agencies that support local youth programs. We’ll check out the Cinco de Mayo 10k in May, which helps the Arizona Cancer Center and Cholla HS Graduates pursuing higher education. We are not a fundraising organization, but some of our events are chosen to support charities, particularly those that focus on helping children.

4. Trying new things. 

Some people have never gone for a hike…hard to believe, but it’s true. When was the last time you went backing and slept outside?  Fit Club chooses a wide variety of activities, and some will be brand new experiences for you. Have you ever tried a MUD RUN?? How about the Warrior Dash on April 13?

5. Having FUN!

FUN is a core value at DNA, and Fit Club is all about enjoying life.  Our events don’t involve pressure or competition – just camraderie and enjoyment of the moment. Doesn’t that sound like a refreshing change from the daily grind?

BONUS: Fit Club is FREE and open to all!!

Other than event costs (optional – you can enjoy Fit Club and only attend the activities without an entry fee), Fit Club is a bonus for DNA members, and a no-obligation free activity for non-members. That’s right – you can bring your dad, your buddy, your neighbor’s cute daughter…anyone can join Fit Club. If we are going mountain biking and you know your roommate has been interested in trying it, invite her to go along! Some events will have recommended age ranges and mobility restrictions (people with limitations may just be slower, or the terrain may be too challenging), but every event is open to anyone who is willing and able to try.

Ask any coach for more information, or just show up for our next event. We have several coming soon! The list below is incomplete and subject to change, so watch the board for updates.

  • March 30: Race’n in the Sun, Catalina HS, 8am
  • April 13: Warrior Dash, Florence, AZ (signup required)
  • April 20th weekend: hiking or camping, TBA
  • April 27th: Tactical Strength Challenge at Evolution Fitness (deadlift, max rep strict pullups, kettlebell snatch test – a fun, low-pressure competition, and you don’t have to be superman/woman to play)
  • May 5: Cinco de Mayo 10k

Balancing Act, Part 2: Listen Up, Buttercup! Chillax!

— Today’s post adapted from musings by Zee —

Omm.

Omm.

Are you a little OCD about training every day?

You know who you are…you feel guilty if you don’t get your butt in the gym for your workout, even though your shoulders are still sore from Monday. Your nutrition is not terrible, but you’re behind on some of your macros, and you feel draggy. You show up anyway and shove yourself through, only to wake up feeling even more beat up tomorrow.

Sound familiar? If so, you may be OVERTRAINED.

We see over training frequently in the Wide World of Sports. Elite athletes dial in their training to peak for specific races and competitions, but sometimes they miss and peak too early or late, meeting the competition in an overtrained state. Some near-pinnacle athletes train themselves into the ground trying to maintain top condition, to get to the top – and end up experiencing a performance decline instead. Even amateurs overtrain fairly regularly, especially those who drive through long workouts at 80% effort and end up injured.

Exercise triggers endorphins and positive psychological association, and we can get addicted. We may believe that a missed training day is a missed opportunity to get healthier and stronger. While consistency in following a training plan is the best route to serious gains, working out daily with no rest is rarely the best plan. Stressing the system, and then allowing it to recover, are the keys to building strength; while intensity is grand for triggering gains, recovery is required to take advantage of the effects of intensity, something like casting a line and then reeling in the fish. No reeling, no dinner…no rest, no performance gains.

8570235_orig

Strenuous workouts damage tissue. Through proper nutrition and rest, our body repairs the micro tears caused by exercise, and we adapt and grow stronger. Unfortunately, life in the 21st century often gets in the way of proper nutrition and rest. Ironically, our abundant food supply makes nutrition challenging; planning is necessary to navigate the variety of foods available (often out of season), and convenient processed foods are packed with hidden toxins that erode health. Meanwhile, work, school, parenting responsibilities, housework, activities, etc. pack our schedules, leaving us stressed out, rushing around, and not sleeping enough. Aggravations include workplace stress (which is known to deplete your nutrients), skipping meals, alcohol, and even travel. All of these factors can lead to over training, which in turn can lead to injury. That’s why many pro athletes sleep a lot, especially after vigorous workouts. (Must be nice to get paid to sleep!)

Breaking strength barriers and reaching performance peaks requires adequate caloric and nutritional intake, and REST. At DNA, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are our major strength days, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are designated for active recovery through conditioning.  Some weeks are more intense than the others, and even the active recovery workouts may be too much work in between strength days. If you experience any of these symptoms, you probably need a DAY OFF, or more.

1. Loss of appetite
2. Not being able to sleep soundly
3. Feeling fatigued all day, on a regular basis
4. Illness (your immune system is generally weakened when overtrained)
5. Soreness, or persistent pain at a specific part/s of your body for more than a few days

After extra rest, if you are consistently following your nutrition plan as directed by our nutrition counselor (David) and are getting adequate sleep without experiencing any of the signs listed above, you may resume working out four or five days each week.

Your health and well-being are our top priority.  Your trainers at DNA are always here to help, and if we recommend extra recovery time, please take it! We promise that you will be glad that you did.

Also, please tell us if you feel injury starting. We do a lot of useful foam rolling and pain ball work, which helps to release tight muscles and ligaments. Joint pain is usually the result of a muscle imbalance – for example shoulders get pulled by tight pectoral muscles and/or lats, which may need extra stretching and/or development to balance them.

Listen to your body…it knows!

Champion...if you don't recognize him, you should. (Ask AJ about it)

Champion…if you don’t recognize him, you should. (Ask AJ about it)

Amazing Collie Flower

Amazing Collie Flower
Author: Anne
Ingredients
  • See below
Instructions
  1. See below
Serving size: 1 whole medium sized head raw Calories: 146 Fat: 1.6 Carbohydrates: 29 Protein: 11

Our Food of the Month is cauliflower, which is a little unlikely given that it has to share March with Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, but so it goes.

Cauliflower is most fabulous because of its chameleon-like qualities, but let’s start with its nutritional profile. An entire head of cauliflower has about 210 calories, so in the unlikely event that you eat the whole thing, it won’t trash your nutrition for the day and you’ll get trace fat, about 45g of carbs (about half each of fiber and sugar), and 16g of complete protein in the deal. It delivers some vitamin C and traces of other macronutrients, and contains mostly water. Not everyone loves the flavor, but it’s mild and makes a good vehicle for dominant tastes like baba ghanouj (eggplant-based version of hummus, with garlic, tahini / sesame paste, salt, and lemon).

Like most “solid” veggies (others: broccoli, peppers, okra – the ones that aren’t leafy and floppy), cauliflower is awesome when roasted. Chop it up or buy florets, toss with olive oil and some garlic or garlic salt, and roast at 350′ for about 20 minutes to make a delicious side dish. You can notch it up a little like this with pine nuts (pricey!) if you’re feeling gourmet or if your mom is visiting.

Roasted Cauli

 

Now for the “chameleon” part of the story: cauliflower can stand in for mashed potatoes, rice, and even the flour in pizza crust, all of which come in handy if you are avoiding carbs or not having a training day. Really! In order of increasing complexity, here’s what I mean.

1. Cauli puree: steam cauliflower – chop it up, put it in a pot in or over a little water, and boil the water for about 20 minutes until the cauli gets tender (don’t let the water dry up). Carefully slide the tender cauli into the blender or food processor, and puree. You can add a little almond or coconut milk, oil, butter, garlic, chives or sliced green onions, or anything else you would normally put in mashed potatoes (did I mention garlic?). Cauli puree is great on its own, as a side dish, under grilled meats and fish as itself or with the faux-tato alias (faux-tato?? yep, it’s mine and you can’t have it), or as a topping for meat pies or stew.

Caramelized Diver Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, Capers, Almonds, Golden Raisins. Ommmmmm.

Caramelized Diver Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, Capers, Almonds, Golden Raisins. Ommmmmm.

2. Cauli rice: it’s pretty easy to turn cauli into rice if you have a food processor; it’s harder with a knife, but can be done. I use this blade:

calui blade

After chopping a head of cauli, shoving it through the food processor, and steaming it, I have this:

cauli rice raw

This riced cauli is ready for makeup. Let’s head east…it works great with Cajun food, in place of rice in jambalaya – especially under ample Tabasco sauce. The resulting dish is not as heavy as Mama’s jambalaya or gumbo. Much further east, you can sauté it with an egg and some soy sauce to make faux-ried rice. (Get it? foh-ryed? fried? Okay, I’ll stop.)

Tonight, we made slow cooker soy ginger chicken (thighs, soy sauce, ginger, carrots, and chopped onion in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low), and enjoyed it with stir-fried veggies on top of cauli rice. Bok choy – chopped and stir fried – works well with this too.

Blurry but delicious

Blurry but delicious

 

cauli rice

Saucy…after the chicken was gone.

 Of course, I hit it with Sriracha chili garlic sauce, but I put that stuff on everything these days.

 3. Cauli pizza crust: you can make wheat-free crusts with just egg, but cauli works a lot better. I’m a fan of both white pizzas and pizzas with loads of sauce. The recipe shown HERE gives you a set of instructions, and you can choose how you top it. Other DNA chefs have shared their cauli pizzas, which you can top with fresh chopped tomato (or sauce, but check for added sugar), grated parmesan and/or mozzarella (dairy splurge!), GARLIC, oregano / basil / Italian seasoning, and whatever else you like – mushrooms, sausage, pepper…BACON. If in doubt, bake at 350′ for 20 minutes. I find that baking the crust on its own first prepares it to take the toppings and crisp up a bit – less soggy.

Cauli Porn

Cauli Porn

Feel free to share your favorite cauliflower recipes here. If you’ve never tried it, you should!

Balancing Act, Part 1: BUT IT’S ONE LOUDER…

Welcome to the first of two articles about balancing your training. Achieving the right balance can be a challenge, because of psychology – motivation on one end, and guilt on the other. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

  1. “Wow, that workout is going to suck, so I am going to stick with the 18lb kettlebell so that it doesn’t hurt so much.”
  2. “Holy cow, my Fran time is getting really fast! Beating my old PR is going to be hard!”
  3. “If I don’t work out six times this week, I will feel crummy and might backslide, so I must train today even though my shoulders are sore and I didn’t sleep all that well last night.”

Just showing up to the gym is an accomplishment for many people. Pushing out of your comfort zone may be another matter. If you find yourself taking it a little easy on a day when you don’t have a good reason to throttle back (such as having a cold, poor sleep, etc.), you may be cheating yourself out of valuable training. DNA training is effective because it’s efficient – short and challenging; if you take the challenge away, you can lose effectiveness.

How can you get over the motivation speed bump?

Ask yourself this question: what’s the worst thing that can happen if you go with a heavier weight or run a little faster?

The answer is probably that you might get more out of breath and have to slow down. That’s not exactly a terrible consequence; you still control the situation, and can always drop down a weight if you are really having trouble. Also, if you don’t know the difference between “good hurt” and “bad hurt” yet, it’s best to ask your trainer for guidance, to ensure that you are being challenged enough but not too much. (Good and bad are hard to describe and must be experienced, but in a nutshell, “good hurt” includes muscle fatigue and feels like “wow, this is hard,” whereas “bad hurt” involves lightheadedness and stabbing pain and is a clear sign to STOP.)

Next time you find yourself wanting to take it easy when you know you don’t need the break, just ask yourself what the worst thing that can happen will be, and then cowboy/cowgirl up.

Suppose you are at the other end of the spectrum: your training is going great, and you are feeling strong. You’re facing a benchmark workout and want to beat your PR, but you know it hurt last time. How can you improve?

“You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?”

You have two options: do the workout as prescribed and push harder, or turn it UP with Rx+. Turn that amp up to ELEVEN.

But it's one louder

“BUT IT’S ONE LOUDER”

My Helen PR is 9:32 Rx (that’s 3 rounds of 400m, 21 swings at 16kg, and 12 pullups). When Helen cropped up on the board this week, I decided to notch up the suck factor and do it with the 20kg bell. The result: 10:55, and wow, was it tough! I got a more intense workout and generated a lot more power in a slightly longer amount of time than I had before. I will probably stick with the higher weight in future, but it will be interesting to drop back down and see what happens.

If you’re a firebreather, feeling strong and looking for a challenge, give Rx+ a try. You may surprise yourself and will get great benefits.

HOWEVER…

Overdoing it

No, this guy is NOT our Rick.

Remember scenario #3 above? While pushing yourself at the right times is a great idea, overdoing it is entirely possible. We are seeing some injuries when people are pushing too much, and getting insufficient recovery, which may include insufficient nutrition to fuel the recovery. Next time, Zee will address the other side of the scale in balancing your training: recovery. Yes, you CAN overdo it, and no, you are not wimping out.

If in doubt, listen to your trainer!

 

Comfort Food for Cold Weather: Chili

We’ve had quite the cold snap lately, and cold weather means comfort food: soups, stews, and CHILI. The latter of these comes in all varieties, as seen at cook-offs everywhere. Maybe you prefer your grandma’s recipe. I can’t get past Cinci chili. I was stuck in Ohio for almost 2 years, and Cincinnati chili was my favorite part – the finely ground meat and touch of cinnamon and chocolate are irresistible. I also love Southwest heat, and fortunately, blending the two works!

Without further ado, here’s AJ’s “clean” Cinci-Mex Chili recipe.  You can spice this up with chili powder or finely diced peppers if desired. The recipe combines the Mexican mole flavor with Cincinnati style chili – go 5 ways if you like! (look it up if you don’t know what I mean by “5 ways”)

If you’re early in your nutrition plan, skip the spaghetti squash, and be aware that tomatoes have a lot of carbohydrate. Kidney beans are also not ideal – legumes, antinutrients….

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces chorizo sausage (nitrite-free, preferably; Mexican, not Spanish, which is hard sausage)
  • 1 yellow onion , diced
  • 1 1/4 cup tomato sauce, or pureed/strained tomato
  • 1 1/4 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, optional (LEGUME!! not ideal)
  1. Preheat oven to 400′.
  2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Roast halved spaghetti squash at 400′ for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat stock pot on medium 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add chorizo and 1/2 c onions (and optional diced hot peppers to taste); cook 2-3 mins, stirring to crumble meat, or until onions soften.
  5. Combine chili powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cumin, then add to meat. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes.
  6. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, vanilla, and cider vinegar.
  7. Cook 8-10 mins or until chili thickens.
  8. OPTIONAL – Heat kidney beans (rinsed and drained) in a small pan.
  9. Scoop spaghetti squash into individual bowls with a fork.
  10. Top with heap of chili. Top with onions, kidney beans, and/or cheese, to taste. Add hot sauce if desired.
  11. Enjoy!!

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Mardi Gras!

One of my favorite holidays is Mardi Gras. I met my husband at a Mardi Gras party (in my squadron, surrounded by fighter pilots, including my boss who was making hurricanes), and I just love the idea of an all-out city-wide no-rules party. In addition to beads (um, the beads are great but the associated activities aren’t really my thing) and the parades, the FOOD from the Big Easy is great – spicy comfort food…what’s not to love?

Well, the grains involved! Unfortunately, beignets are not in the nutrition plan, though the chicory coffee is still good to go. If you are eating rice, gumbo and jambalaya are still a go, without corn. If you aren’t eating rice, you can approximate with cauliflower rice. PaleOMG has a good recipe here for pork, shrimp, and chicken sausage gumbo. Note: they forgot the okra!

YUMbo!!

What about the legendary beverages of New Orleans, particularly Hurricanes? Alcohol is a toxin and it gets in front of the other macros in the digestion line, so if you’re going to drink, it’s a cheat day and don’t whine if your performance is off afterwards. Enjoy and don’t feel guilty (assuming you are not swilling passion fruit juice with rum on a regular basis!)

Another Mardi Gras favorite is the King Cake. You can read about King Cakes here – they are essentially huge cinnamon rolls, or other stuffed bread/cakes, with a plastic baby (or marble) hidden inside, iced with purple, green, and yellow frosting and sugar. King Cakes are also not in your macros! The story is that whoever finds the baby in their slice of King Cake gets good luck, or gets to buy the next King Cake, or gets to wash the dishes, depending who you ask.

Traditional King Cake, accessorized

While I do not pretend that “paleo” baked goods are anything that a caveman would have found or eaten – the concentrations of sugars, nuts, etc. are too high – most of the almond flour and coconut flour recipes on the web are at least made with real food. These “paleo” baked treats, including this one, are once-in-a-while indulgences for holidays and special occasions, not something you want to keep on hand all the time. Their advantage is that the absence of refined sugars and wheat flours makes them less offensive to your system, so you shouldn’t experience the same stomachache, headache, sugar rush, etc. that you might get from a conventional baked good, and your body should be able to process them more efficiently.

In this spirit, I present the following King Cake approximation recipe. It’s a vanilla cake, rather than a cinnamon roll (my cinnamon roll recipe has a lot of palm sugar in the filling),  and I baked in a marble instead of the plastic baby. Incidentally, I still have the baby from the 1999 Mardi Gras party where I met Rick. I guess it works! — AJ

 

“PALEO” KING CAKE

Part 1: THE CAKE

Option A: Adapted from Perfect Vanilla Cake

Preheat oven to 350º

  • 8 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (canned) or cream
  • 1 ½ T vanilla extract
  • 1 cup palm sugar (or other natural sweetener; 3/4 c agave or maple syrup will work, but are sugary) – I buy my palm sugar from Amazon
  • 1 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
  • Scant 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 T cinnamon (or more if you like)
  • Stevia if more sweetness is desired

Note on sweetener amount: you can further reduce the sugar and use more stevia, but it’s better with at least a little of some type of real sugar, since sugar contributes to a good crumb texture. Stevia is a dried plant; Splenda and Sweet ‘n’ Low come from a lab, so we don’t recommend those.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, vanilla extract and palm sugar.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda.

3. Mix dry ingredients into wet with a handheld mixer. Add stevia to taste.

4. Grease a bundt pan or angel food pan (or other cake pan if you don’t have a round one with a hole in the middle) with melted coconut oil or butter, and pour in batter.

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

6. Cool for 1 hour.

You can bake a non-melting item like a glass marble into the cake, or push a plastic baby or other small trinket into the cake before turning it out of the pan, AFTER baking. No melted plastic babies, please…that’s a buzzkill.

Option B: make a cinnamon roll and connect the ends. Cinnamon roll recipe:

Dough: mix the first three ingredients, then mix in the rest. Roll into a long rectangle, about 1/4-1/2″ thick.

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil (melted)
  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Filling: mix 2 T melted ghee, butter, or coconut oil, 2 T cinnamon, and 3 T palm sugar. Spread all over the dough rectangle, and then carefully roll up the rectangle to make a long cinnamon roll snake. Connect the ends to make a donut shape, and bake for 25 mins in a 350′ oven.

Option A produces a more spongy, soft cake; option B is more authentic, but a little denser and less soft. Hey, I told you this recipe is an approximation!

Part 2: The Icing, adapted from Elana Amsterdam’s recipes – marshmallow frosting; you could also use her coconut cream frosting recipe (probably half of it, not the whole thing), but it’s a bit more work and requires a lot of some expensive ingredients.

  • 1/2 c agave nectar (high in fructose and not the best choice, but honey makes it too sickly sweet and the flavor is off – I tried it)
  • 2 egg whites
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the agave nectar to a boil, stirring frequently. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 4 to 8 minutes, watching constantly and stirring occasionally, until the agave darkens slightly from its original color.
  2. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Drizzle the agave slowly into the egg whites, whisking continuously until blended. Divide into 3 bowls, color one purple, one yellow, and one green, and ice the cooled cake.
  3. Surround with beads, masks, etc. and call your friends over to share!
AJ's King Cake, minus the beads and feathers

AJ’s King Cake, minus the beads and feathers

 

New You 2015: The DNA Body Composition Contest

Bikini season is just around the corner (guys too, if you like Speedos), and it’s time for SPRING LEANING!

What is it?

DNA’s Body Composition Contest! Buy in for $25, and the winning male and female will split the pot!

How can I win?

Lose the greatest amount of body fat or increase your lean muscle mass more than anyone else, and be chosen in a before-and-after photo vote. We know that some people are already pretty darn fit and don’t have a lot to lose, and will take this into consideration in the judging. Coaches get the final say!

What do I need to do during the six weeks of the challenge, 18 Feb – 1 April?

Follow the plan! Train at DNA and dive into your nutrition program! We will provide all the coaching you need to transform,

How do I sign up?

Sign up and buy in at the gym, and head over to our Facebook Group too.

Can my co-worker / friend / mom join in?

Sure! They also need to stop by DNA to sign up and buy in. Of course we recommend that they also train with us, so as not to be at too big a disadvantage.

Are there other rules?

Photos must be taken in shorts (guys) or shorts and a sports bra (women…no guys, not you). Measurements and “before” photos must be taken on or before 18 Feb, and final measurements and photos must be taken between March 27 and April 4. Trainers reserve the right to extend the competition up to 2 weeks if deemed beneficial to the participants. Winners will be announced by 8 April 13.

Superbowl Superfood

We can all agree that mindless eating is a bad idea, and nothing encourages mindless eating and drinking like watching sports. The granddaddy of sports parties is coming up on Sunday with Super Bowl XLVII (that’s 47 for you non-Romans).

GO RAVENS!!

GO RAVENS!! (AJ grew up in Maryland)

If you plan to attend a Super Bowl party, you will be confronted with many food decisions, starting with this one:

“Do I stick with my plan, or make this a designated Food Holiday and eat what I want without guilt?” If you choose to just eat, please do it without guilt – ENJOY IT and then be back on your program on Monday! You may not feel great after indulging, but if you are going to eat the Nacho Bomb, taste and savor.

nachos

Mmmm, heartburn. I love jalapenos!

To set yourself up for nutritional success, we offer some alternatives to the usual nutritional nightmares that you find at Superbowl parties.  Your friends may find these a little weird, but they aren’t the ones who will face the Monday workout after chowing down on big bowls of corn and fat. Without further ado, I present AJ’s Approved Football Foods.

1. Kale chips

Yeah, I know…it doesn’t sound manly, but it’s good! Thanks to Costco’s jumbo bag of kale, these tasty snacks require very little cooking talent. Grab the bag that looks like this one from the fridge room (where they usually sell berries). Preheat oven to 350′. Fill a bowl with kale, drizzle with olive oil, shake it up, dump on a big cookie sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, until the kale is crispy but not burned. Season to taste (i.e., add a little salt or Old Bay, in celebration of the Ravens of course), dump in a bowl, and enjoy! Natalie (7) loves these. Warning: they’re messy!

kale2. Baba ghanouj 

You’ve heard of hummus, which is made primarily of chickpeas and sesame…baba ghanouj is the eggplant version. Get it at Trader Joe’s or make your own. Belgian endives are good for dipping, and you can load them with bruschetta or even cheese (not as approved but tasty). Remember, if you buy dips of any sort at the store, READ THE LABEL – dips from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s are pretty safe, but even they still hide a lot of nasty ingredients in there, including sugar, soybean oil, canola or corn oil, and various chemical preservatives.

Nom nom...

Nom nom…endives are a good chip replacement.

3. Turkey legs

Ask David what his favorite Renaissance Festival food is and he will tell you that the turkey leg is king! They’re tasty, loaded with protein, and gnawing on a huge animal bone is extremely manly.

You can grill them, roast them, season them, wrap them in foil…your call, but get extras for your jealous friends.

Grill 'em up! Yum.

Grill ’em up! Yum.

One last tip: if you choose to enjoy beers, alternate a big old cup of water with each beer. You will feel much better on Monday, and will drink a lot fewer mindless carbs/calories. If you’re at a bar, tell the bartender what you are doing, and tip them for helping you stay with the plan. Your liver will thank you, too.

Very European.

Very European.

Most of all – enjoy the game!!

The Game Changers: DNA Personal Training is transforming people in less time than a school semester.

DNA Personal Training is transforming people in less time than a school semester.

Change your life completely with a $1,500 investment and 3 months.

DNA Personal Training is the leader for a reason. Quality. Years of experience, late night study, schooling and education, investments, certification/re-certification, trial and error, experimentation (with our training staff as the guinea pigs) and much more hard work went into producing the best program available.

What makes DNA different? While we don’t expect you to train with us forever, we expect you to learn everything you need to know to live healthy and be fit for the rest of your life.

We are:

  1. A training company
  2. A nutritional counseling center
  3. An education facility
  4. A research and development lab

More and more people are leaving their regular gym memberships and moving towards personal training. One key driver is the need to stop the continually “spinning wheels” in an attempt to reach goals.

Does this process look familiar?

  • Ask Google “how to get into shape” and you’ll have the opportunity to sift through 321 million results.
  • Pick a plan off the web
  • Step into a cheap DIY gym after paying the very low monthly fee
  • End up on the treadmill or elliptical after moving the parts of some awkward machine that isolates your muscles (When do you isolate muscles in real life?)
  • Drink a protein shake
  • No results after a week or two; start over.

Similarly: buy a video, try it and lose interest after a few weeks, or get injured after a session or two because nobody is there to tell you that your squat is killing your knees or you are swinging the kettlebell incorrectly.

The fitness industry made $21.4 billion in 2011, and most of that money came from offering people a fast, easy, and/or cheap solution with a small likelihood of success, which leads to failure and more purchases.

People will gladly spend $2500 on a new TV/surround system or $10,000 on a bathroom remodel, but want a new body on the cheap and without any investment of time. You only get one body and you HAVE to live there.

Wouldn’t you rather invest a little more time and effort and get REAL results?

Stop looking for the magic pill and wasting time and money.

One investment in our training will change your life. Just read our Testimonials. Our clients wonder why they didn’t start sooner.

It’s time to change your life, and we’re here to help you do it the right way. Call or message 1-888-255-2978.

DNA Holiday Tip #4: Little Plates

Ah, the buffet, and especially the holiday buffet. Truckloads of delicious special once-a-year dishes, and you want to try ALL of them. Inevitably several of them are not exactly on your plan, and it’s easy to load a big plate and eat much more than you need.

Humans are hardwired to clean our plates, to avoid starvation, but few Americans are actually in danger of starving. Instead, our survival instincts cause us to pig out, and resistance is very challenging, especially in the face of mashed potatoes soaked in butter.

Here’s a simple, easy-to-follow tip to help with buffets:

Use a salad (or dessert) plate, not a dinner plate. 

Uncle Earl may look at you funny, but if you load a 7″ plate with food and avoid going back for seconds (go play football or do some burpees or something), you’re likely to eat something resembling a reasonable meal, rather than a Roman feast.

You can easily use this trick year-round at home. World Market sells a set of twelve 8″ plates with a storage rack, which can be used as dinner plates instead of the usual cymbal-sized plates. Give it a try!

DNA Holiday Tip #3: Squeeze Workouts

For many of us, the holidays mean travel, parties, and schedule disruption. It’s cold and dark in the mornings and at least dark in the evenings, chasing away motivation in favor of extra snooze time. January is coming, and some people will declare an exercise break until the gingerbread men disappear and resolution time rolls around.

Fortunately, short workouts can rescue you from holiday lethargy. If you have 4 minutes, you have time to get a shot of exercise that will keep you from sliding completely into end-of-year sloth. You have probably met Dr. Tabata‘s workout by now, but just in case, here’s a reminder:

8 rounds, for a total of 4 minutes, of 20 seconds work (HARD!!!) and 10 seconds rest

You can do Tabatas with just about any exercise. The idea is to go for speed and intensity, so I don’t recommend anything with a lot of impact, such as jumping squats, unless you are very comfortable catching yourself in the bottom position on your heels. You can also use weight, but not too much – speed over weight.

Good tabata exercises:

  • Squats (weight on heels and go fast!), with or without a light to moderate weight
  • Situps
  • Pushups (go to knees if needed)
  • Burpees
  • Just about any kettlebell exercise, if you have access to a bell – swings, squats, cleans, snatches, sumo deadlift high pulls…
  • Sprints – a special kind of “fun”

Tabatas are stackable too: pick 2-4 exercises for a great 8-16 minute workout. I don’t recommend more than 20 minutes of Tabatas at once – it’s hard to keep the intensity up high enough to get the best benefit. If you have more energy to burn, go for a run or do some burpees.

As with any workout, if you are new to high intensity exercise, modulate the intensity to meet your level. The effort should feel challenging, but don’t overdo it!

Other good workouts for travel and/or space, time, or weather constraints:

  • 50 burpees (keep going to 75 or 100 if you like)
  • 100 double unders, if you have a jump rope handy
  • More fun than 100 double unders: Annie – 50-40-30-20-10 of double unders and situps. If short on time, just do 30-20-10, or do single jumps x2 instead of double unders.
  • 5 rounds of 10 each: situps, pushups, squats.
  • Sprints: pick a flat spot 40m long or so, and sprint it 10 times with 30 seconds of recovery after each sprint. Go ALL OUT!!
  • If you’re near a hill, sprint UP and jog down 10 times.
  • Max Planck. It’s not just a constant… (no apologies to the non-science-geeks) Hold a plank position, on your elbows if possible and on your hands (pushup start position) if you’re just starting out. SQUEEZE EVERYTHING and go for max time – at least 30 seconds, and aim for 3 minutes!

Enjoy!

 

DNA Holiday Tip #2: Veg!

One simple tip for navigating holiday parties is to hit the veggies hard, BEFORE you go for the pumpkin pecan fudge cheesecake. Veggies aren’t always ubiquitous this time of year, and sorry but artichoke dip does not count. However, if you encounter a stray dish of broccoli florets, pepper slices, or a spinach salad, dig in. Chances are that you may end up eating mindlessly while talking; better to social-nosh on something green than on gingerbread.

Though gingerbread can be mighty tasty…and wouldn’t you know it, Elana has a slew of Christmas cookie recipes that don’t involve flour. Not that I want to encourage a binge. Just sayin’.

DNA’s Holiday Tip #1!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to December! You burpeed off Thanksgiving, and now every weekend presents another tantalizing smorgasbord of off-the-reservation treats: cookies, cheesecake bites, those yummy little quiches with bacon, and plenty of tasty beverages that definitely don’t fit your macros. Once we break the sugar barrier – “it’s just a little taste…” – we find it very hard to stop, as our brains are hardwired to seek sweet things and consume as much as possible in the interest of survival.

Since sustaining modern life doesn’t depend on our ability to horde sufficient quantities of triple death by chocolate, this ancient survival mechanism can quickly get between us and those new skinny jeans that fit perfectly in the dressing room two weeks ago. However, it’s awfully hard to pass up those one-time-per-year special treats.

What’s a kid to do?

Introducing DNA’s Holiday Tips! Watch this space for helpful little nuggets that you can apply to help you stay on track during the holidays.

TIP #1: One for One Beverages

Whether you imbibe in the fruits of Dionysus or just really like spiced apple cider, it’s easy to guzzle a lot of worthless calories in December. The result can range from no impact to bloating and weight gain, and in the worst cases, and unplanned encounter with Tucson’s Finest.

Stay out of trouble with the One for One Rule:

After every caloric drink that you consume, drink a FULL glass of water - at least 12 ounces.

You can drink plain old tap water, bottled water, or even club soda (plain carbonated water with or without a slice of lemon or lime). Just be sure to drink ALL of it. Beware the trap of having both water and a festive drink in front of you at the same time, as you will probably drink less water – no double fisting, either; set yourself up with water only and drink it.

Even better is to stick to variations on the water theme – ice water, lemon water, fizzy lime water, etc.

If you’re at dinner, tell the waitstaff what you’re doing and ask for their help. At parties, you can tell your friends – they may well join you, and you will all feel better the next day!

Thanksgiving Menu – What to Eat?

We at DNA do not always agree on nutrition for special occasions. While we all subscribe to the same science-based approach to nutrition, holidays present unique challenges. December is a minefield of sugary treats and beverages, and is best approached in moderation – choose your exceptions, and make them infrequent and worthwhile (skip the corn-based eggnog but drink the real homemade stuff). Thanksgiving, however, is just one big day of eating…plus leftovers!

David believes that you train and eat well all year, and that eating whatever foods that your family traditionally enjoys on Thanksgiving is a healthy and appropriate. He says that you should enjoy yourself, eat what you like, and not feel guilty!

AJ makes exceptions at times (birthday cake, wine…) but doesn’t like to feel crummy after a big meal, and really enjoys cooking whole foods. She prefers some alternatives to the traditional starch-fest, and won’t touch a white roll with a 10-foot pole.

We encourage you to post Thanksgiving recipes here or on the Phase I & IV Nutrition Group Page. Meanwhile, you can download AJ’s Thanksgiving Menu, complete with recipes and a shopping list. Pick one to try and take to a friend’s house. Alternatively, go to Mom’s and ENJOY the candied yams – it’s a special occasion!

AJ’S THANKSGIVING MENU & RECIPES  – click to download

FIZZ OUT!!

Kicking soda is one of the best actions you can take to drop fat and feel better, but it’s also one of the hardest actions for many people. Americans are often addicted to the caffeine or sweet pick-me-up of an afternoon soda. In Texas, they even drink warm Dr. Pepper instead of coffee.

Mmm, yeah?

 

Regular soda is an obvious culprit of weight gain. Whether the soda is sweetened with sugar, as in Europe, or high fructose corn syrup, as is common in most American sodas, it contains unnaturally high concentrations of liquid calories and throws the body’s hormone system out of balance. Research is inconclusive about whether high fructose corn syrup makes people fatter than sugar does – numerous studies exist that support both hypotheses – but no one can argue that drinking sugar is bad for your health.

Sugarstacks.com illustrates just what you are drinking from that can, as well as the sugar content of many other foods.

One can of 12 oz Coke contains 39g of sugar, and a 20 oz bottle has 65g of sugar. (Unfortunately, apple juice and orange juice have similar amounts of sugar, and while you may argue that fruit sugars are natural, they never exist in nature in such high concentrations. If you want something sweet, it’s best to eat the fruit!)  Add the fact that the corn syrup is probably made of genetically modified corn, which has never been proven to be safe, and who knows what that soda is doing to you?

Diet soda is bad for you in different ways. Humans are hardwired to enjoy sweetness, and sweet cravings can only be quelled by staying away from sweet tastes for a long enough period of time to reset your perception of sweetness. Eating sweets makes you want more sweets, so a diet soda makes it harder for you to resist that chocolate chip cookie that your officemate baked and brought in. Nutritionally, studies exist that link diet soda to obesity, but the body of research is again inconclusive. In any case, artificial sweeteners are chemicals made in a lab, and while the FDA has certified them as safe for human consumption, the long-term effects could be much worse than thought at the time of the approval. Need evidence? Rising cancer rates can be attributed to many things, but the presence of unnatural ingredients  in our food supply is certainly correlated with decreases in the nation’s health.

If you are still drinking soda, do yourself a favor and join our FIZZ OUT! challenge. Starting on November 12, your challenge is to go for 21 days without drinking soda, juice, or any artificially sweetened beverage. You may see a big improvement in how you feel, and what do you have to lose?

Sign up in the gym to commit, and join the Facebook Group for mutual support.

Q&A

Q: If I’m not supposed to drink soda or juice, what can I drink?

A: Water, water with lemon or lime, water with cucumber…it’s not very exciting but you will get used to it, and your body will thank you. Technically seltzer water is okay if you make it yourself and don’t add salt, but for the purposes of the Fizz Out, you’re best off omitting it entirely.

Q: What about tea and coffee?

A: Only unsweetened. Be careful with cream as well – most “creamers” are corn syrup or corn solids, so if you usually put cream in your coffee, your best bet is a splash of whipping cream (not skim, which has proportionally more sugar and none of the fats that help with satiety).

Q: Can I drink protein shakes?

A: Protein shakes: most of these contain sweeteners, so no, except for the plain unflavored whey variety (which is not terribly appetizing).

Q: Why 21 days?

A: One week is not enough time to get the effects, and quitting cold turkey forever is hard to do. Three weeks is more manageable and will give your system time to become more sensitive to sweetness (assuming you’re not eating a lot of other sweets…toss the rest of the Halloween candy!)

Q: Beer? Mixers?

A: Not during Fizz Out. The NorCal Margarita is an option after your 21 days.

Q: Are you seriously telling me not to drink wine on Thanksgiving?

A: No, that’s taking it too far. However, you should stick to red wine – a medium-bodied pinot noir or beaujolais go well with turkey – and avoid riesling or other sweet wines. No port or cream sherry, sorry.

Q. Tell me again why I should do this…

A: If you are drinking sugared sodas, you should see some weight loss. By retraining your body to be sensitive to sweet tastes, you will be able to appreciate your food more, and you will feel better without the extra chemicals!

Hey Pumpkin!

Pumpkin season is here! Pumpkin is a GREAT way to get your carbs, plenty of micronutrients, and a heap of cinnamon, which is a great replacement for sweetener and thus can help with weight loss. You can buy it in a can – make sure you’re getting PUMPKIN, and not PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. Making your own puree is easy too:

  • Get a small pumpkin – jack ‘o’ lanterns are not great for eating
  • Cut it in half, place seed-side down, and roast at 375′ for 35 minutes
  • Let it cool, scrape out the seeds, scoop the meat from the shell, and puree it in a blender or food processor – add water to make it smooth
Alternatively, don’t puree it, but scoop the meat out and slice it into cubes for use in savory recipes, such as pumpkin and chicken curry.
Pumpkin soup is delicious and easy to make:
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 2 cloves garlic , chopped fine
  • 1 14-oz can coconut milk (low fat or full fat)
  • 14oz pumpkin puree
  • 1.5c broth – vegetable or chicken
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh cilantro leaves and sliced green onions for garnish
Saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, and then mix in the rest of the ingredients (except the garnish) and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle the garnish on top. You can also puree this soup to make it smoother.

I like pumpkin pie just as well without a crust. You can make it as a custard with this recipe:

  • 2 cups pureed pumpkin
  • 2 cups (1 can) coconut milk
  • 1t cinnamon
  • 1/2t ginger
  • 1/4t cloves
  • 1/4t salt
  • 1/2t vanilla
  • sweetener: stevia to taste, or 1/2c of any of these: honey, applesauce, palm sugar (low glycemic). Use as little as possible, and you can combine them too.
  • 2 eggs

Mix all ingredients, and pour into a pie pan or into ramekins. Place the containers in a water bath – use a bigger pan and set the containers into it, and then fill with hot water, being careful not to slosh it into the pumpkin mix. Bake at 350′ for 40 minutes and test with a knife for doneness.

Another easy treat is Pumpkin Ice Cream – recipes here and here.

This link has a mess of great pumpkin recipes, and you can find a lot online.

Bonus: butternut squash works in most pumpkin recipes, which is smoother and delicious but also more starchy, with a different carb composition.

Vacation & Travel Workouts: The Big Fat List

Room service please!

Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s a great list of travel workout

Pick one that suits your mood or mix and match, but aim for BALANCE. If you have access to weights, this means push and pull in all three directions:

  • Up: press, push press, pull up, handstand pushup (shoulder to overhead)
  • Lateral: pushup, row
  • Down: Deadlift, sumo deadlift high pull
  • Squats are mandatory – you can do them nearly anywhere (elevators, in line for the boat, etc.), and core work can also be crammed into a busy day in a small space – plank while you watch the news. Tabatas make a terrific high-speed workout for hotel rooms (20 sec fast / 10 sec rest for 8 rounds: pushups, situps, squats).

    ENJOY!!

     

    1. run 400 meters

    50 air squats

    4 rounds

    ———————————

    2.  30 lunges

    20 push-ups

    10 burpee

    4 rounds

    Please, PLEASE do NOT do lunges like this guy! Make sure your weight is on your heel, and your knee is over your foot, not in front.


    ———————————

    3. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

    squat jumps and push-ups

    ———————————-

    4.  air squat (max reps in 1 min)

    rest :30 sec

    push-ups(max reps in 1 min)

    rest :30 sec

    sit-ups(max reps in one min)

    rest 1 min

    3 rounds

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    The Sweetener Spectrum

     

    Oh baby.

    Our clients often ask about how to sweeten foods in the absence of sugar, and which sweeteners are the best ones to use. We all understand that processed white sugar and corn products (such as high fructose corn syrup) cause insulin spikes and leptin disruption that can trigger inflammation, and over time, systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation, in turn, stresses your system, pumps up your cortisol level (the stress hormone), and causes your immune system to work extra hard all the time, thus opening the door to all sorts of minor and major diseases. Sweetness is also an addictive taste – your brain is hardwired to seek it, as it generally means easy-burning fuel, so your inability to resist a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie is not entirely your fault. Further, your brain is also hardwired to eat all of the food available,

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    Coco Loco: Fabulous Coconut

    Coconut is enjoying significant attention as the new hot thing in kitchens across America, for good reason. It’s not a grain and therefore does not lead to inflammation as grains do; its sugar content is relatively low, and while high in satisfying healthy saturated fat (YES! I said “healthy saturated fat”), it has less fat than tree nuts. Technically, it’s a drupe, which is a fruit, a nut. (For the record, peanuts are not nuts either – they’re legumes and they contain antinutrients.)

    Coconut can be found in many forms, most of which are minimally processed. You can find most of these at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s, except for coconut flour, which you can buy online.

    Coconut water has

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    Deadlift: I bet you can lift more than you think

    Going through old photos, I found a video from my 285 Deadlift, taken in May 2011. Since then I have only improved upon this once (in August 2012).

    People are sometimes afraid to load up the deadlift. I can understand the reservation because heavy a deadlift can make your lower back sore, and if your technique is not good, you can hurt yourself. We don’t want you to lift more than

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    Substitute Teaching, Part 3: Breakfast “..Wait, I can eat that?!”

    Ah, the standard American breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, coffee. Perhaps you prefer the Belgian waffles with sugary strawberries and whipped cream, with coffee. As a kid, I was a HUGE fan of IHOP’s chocolate chip pancakes, which I probably enjoyed with milk. And whipped cream. And more chocolate. Yum!

    Cleaning up your nutrition means saying goodbye to some of your old breakfast favorites, but honestly, you won’t miss toast after a while. Fortunately, eggs and bacon are still on the menu! Juice is a no-go because of the unnaturally high sugar concentrations, but coffee is okay.

    Oatmeal, French toast, and pancakes are right out.

    Or are they?

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    Substitute Teaching, Part 2: The Wonders of Cauliflower

    More than meets the eye…

    Who knew that cauliflower had such potential?

    An entire medium-sized head of cauliflower has 11g of protein, 30g of carbohydrates (15g of sugar), and 1g of fat, for a total of 144 calories. Cauli comes in many colors and varieties; recipes here have been tested with the standard white variety that you will find at the store.

    Apart from being a great raw vehicle for guac (avocado, lime, salt garlic, cilantro mashed together, all to taste) and other dips, cauli is a great stand-in for mashed potatoes and can work as a crust too. Here are a few favorites.

    1. Pureed cauli: steam it (or microwave for 4 minutes in a bowl with a bit of water), and then puree in a food processor or blender. Oil is optional. Spread on a plate and put something else delicious on top. Makes a great “polenta” sub, or just call it what it is…cauli puree.

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    Swing, Baby, Swing

    Proper kettlebell swing technique is not hard to master, but takes some practice. Below are a few tips that will make your swing stronger and more effective, while protecting your back.

    1. Keep your eyes and shoulders up! Look at a spot directly in front of you, NOT the floor. Keep your shoulders tall – don’t hunch over as this can round your back and expose you to injury.

    2. The hip snap starts at the BOTTOM of the swing, not halfway up. Same goes for clean, snatch, and high pull. These movements are known as BALLISTICS because they involve an explosive acceleration and a trajectory, like a rocket – the booster ignites on the ground and propels the rocket into the sky. An aggressive, powerful hip snap will make that bell fly.

    To practice, try this drill:

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