SUNDAY THOUGHTS!

These are random sunday thoughts about training and nutrition:

• Muscle is the only thing that burns fat in the body. Increase muscle mass = Decrease body fat.
• If you want to loss weight you need to do 2 things: decrease your calorie intake by 20% ( about 300- 500 calories), and resistance train combined with with aerobic workouts.
• If you are doing the same aerobic workout for more than 2 weeks, your body get used to it and yes you are not losing the same calories as before. If you keep performing only aerobic workout, your muscle mass is gone....baby gone.
• If you want to find out if you are healthy, just measure your % body fat and not your weight.
• Make sure you change your resistance training program after 4 weeks.
• If you are training for a long period of time, a period of deloading is a save bet...your body will thank you and your muscle/ligaments/tendons will be ready for the next training face. for example..2 months ON and then 1 week OFF (perform recreational activities).
• If you are an athlete you need to strength train if you want to take your performance to the next level...of course technique and talent are important but if your weak..you lose.
• Perform heavy lifting..it will boost your strength and metabolism.
• Try also speed training for a change...for example perform squats as fast as you can for 3 sets of 20-30 seconds...you do recruite more muscle fibers
• Be specific with your lifts...calculate your 1 Repetition Maximum and train accordingly.
  
• Take a 'power nap' for 20 -30 minutes a day of if you need to...believe it or not it restarts your nervous system.
• Men and women that never train before in their lives and they seem thin....believe it or not their muscle mass = 0 and their body fat is really high, which means that these people are very unhealthy.
  

I'm out......

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU !!!

Check out this website if you are a true BJJ athlete or what to learn more about this great sport out there http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/

Hey Daki my man this is for you.....and do pass it to the other guys aaayyt. I'm out....

PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM FITNESS!

This is a small educational article that I recently wrote for Dessange Magazine...enjoy!

It is commonly accepted and scientifically proven that a well- designed prenatal/ postpartum exercise program can have positive outcomes towards the mother and her baby. The old myth depicting that exercise can harm the baby does not exist any more, yet qualified advice is highly recommended.

Some exercise benefits for the pregnant woman through a well-design training plan are: Feeling stronger and more able to handle the demands of pregnancy and birth, potentially shorter active labors and fewer cesarean births, improved sense of well-being and faster recovery. As for the baby some benefits are: possible benefit of less distress in labor and birth, probable advantage of better nourishment in utero resulting from bigger placenta. In addition, some benefits for the postpartum women are: quicker return to normal weight and more energy/ stamina.

At all times if any of the contraindications mentioned below should excluded any pregnant woman from exercise. These are: pregnancy- induced hyperextension, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor in current or prior pregnancy, cervix early contractions, persistent bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester, and intrauterine growth restriction. Furthermore, consolidation from a doctor is needed if any danger warning signs are present: pain, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, increase shortness of breath, or rapid heartbeat.

It should be noted that the exercise regime is broken down for the pregnant woman to first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, yet for the postpartum woman to 6 weeks recovery period and 6 weeks to 6 months after period. The exercise program targets the main components of fitness such as cardiovascular capacity, strength, flexibility, core development and relaxation. The woman fitness state is another factor that an exercise professional should take into consideration.

Reference: The quick series guide to prenatal and postpartum fitness by the Cooper Institute, Dallas Texas.