Fitness

“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones, which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” – Henry Clay Taking a short break from the Walk Through the Five Ts for the following story.  We’ll get back to the Five Ts next week, but this, in my mind, is a very important topic.  Especially in a  “dose makes the poison” kind of way. I want to say from the onset that I take absolutely nothing away from Ryan Leong, here.  What an incredible story of grit and determination.  Check it out: But the one question that seems unexplored here is just how this condition came to be.  A genetic predisposition?  Sure.  But maybe the extreme endurance nature of Ryan’s workouts, if not having outright caused the condition, at least exacerbated it?  I think it’s a worthy question, and one that at least needs to be considered.   And it’s a question that’s at the heart (pardon the pun) of the Health vs Performance spectrum. Health vs Performance: a visual representation Here’s more on the extreme endurance activity vs cardiovascular health question from cardiologist, Dr. James O’Keffe.  Interesting stuff. So what does all of this mean?  My take is that one’s ability to tolerate endurance activity is a lot like one’s ability to tolerate gluten in the diet.  Not saying that either is necessarily “good” for anyone, but it is a stressor that some people seem to have a Teflon-like protection against.  And, in other people, this is a stressor that absolutely wrecks the house. In fact, leveraging the most effective dose of exercise — and figuring out exactly what is the most effective dose — is pivotal in our Efficient Exercise program design schema.  And this continual evaluation/re-evaluation process is also my top priority from a personal, n=1 prospective.  Goals, Five Ts, Health vs Performance; it’s an unbroken chain. Look, I get the competitive drive.  And as a former football player (and current health vs performance “envelope pusher”) I’m the last one that ought to be throwing stones.  But I think that If you’re going to train seriously and compete in these activities, at least know what some of the unintended ramifications might be.  Be on the lookout for them, and be prepared to alter your training should warning signs appear.  And a caveat: I can tell you from personal experience just how easy it is to ignore those warning signs.  Because that’s what athletes do, right?  We push through pain, and get back in the game. And that drive can probably be justified if we’re getting paid to compete, or at least, having an education paid for.  But let’s be realistic — some people compete for the simple thrill of competition itself.  That competition is its own reward is enough for me, at this point in my life.  And I get all of that, too.  But still, stress hammers the body nonetheless, and we have to be ever vigilant for the impending cliff-of-no-return.  So compete if you must, and train like a demon in the process.  Be true to yourself, and really listen to what your body is telling you.  Take advantage of appropriate medical testing if you plan on pushing the limits of your body’s ability to tolerate the stresses you put upon it.  If you’re in the habit of “playing hard”, ensure you also get in the habit of recovering even harder. Note: Joel Jamieson was kind enough to send me one of his BioForce HRV (Heart Rate Variability) testing kits.  I’ll be putting that to the test over the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for my assessment of what I think is some very cool technology. And remember this: genetics are not density.  We’ve covered a lot of ground on this subject previously here, here, and here.  But the bottom line is this:  Epigenetics have plenty to say, and can either turn these genetic switches into “hair t

Slimming down for Summer takes time and dedication, but a few quick tricks can help you feel a little bit lighter in just one day. Read on to get our tips on how to feel less bloated and puffy - and have a flatter belly - by the end of today! View Slideshow ›

It is time to whip yourself into shape for bikini season. Waste no gym time with this total-body workout. It keeps the heart rate up while toning you from head to toe. Press play and get ready to get your sweat on!

Beginner yoga poses may look easy at first glance, but after holding your body still and feeling your muscles burn, you'll realize these poses are the ticket to rocking your swimsuit. Here are seven beginner yoga poses to strengthen and tone your bikini body. View Slideshow ›

This week, POPSUGARTV touched on everything that you need to get your Summer off to a great start. We counted down the best Office episodes of all time as we prepared for the series finale and found inspiration from nature to create a stylish Summer wardrobe. On the beauty front, we tested out new bronzers to get that perfect tan glow and shared our classic salsa recipe for you to use at your outdoor dinner parties. Click through to watch all these videos and visit POPSUGARTV for even more great shows! View Slideshow ›

If you're obsessed with reading labels, then you've probably come across the ingredient maltodextrin. Sounds like some type of sugar, but is it safe to eat? It'll settle your mind to know that this common additive is an easily digestible carbohydrate made from rice, corn, or potato starch (celiacs beware - it can also be derived from barley or wheat). It's made by cooking down the starch, and then acid and/or enzymes break the starch down even further. Maltodextrin is a white powder often used in processed foods as a thickener or a filler since it's fairly inexpensive, as well as in pharmaceuticals as a binding agent. You'll find it in canned fruits, snacks, cereal, desserts, instant pudding, sauces, and salad dressings. Since it contains fewer calories than sugar, it's also found in sugar substitutes, such as Splenda or Equal. Maltodextrin is usually used in such small amounts that it doesn't have a significant impact in terms of the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, or fiber it adds to foods. Although maltodextrin is processed and it's not the healthiest thing to put in our bodies, at least we know it's made from real food, not some nasty chemicals.

The pattern remains the same for a lot of us - we hibernate during the Winter months and get ready to shed our cold-weather selves as the weather heats up. By the time Memorial Day comes around, we're looking for a few smart ways to shed a few pounds before it's time to don that bikini. For other's, it's not as frantic: your cold-weather workout routine differs little from your bikini-ready one, and you're careful to balance comfort foods with fresh, low-calorie options all the time. We want to know: where do you stand on your Summer weight-loss goals? Are you looking to shape up for Summer, or does your diet and exercise plan remain the same throughout the year? popsugar pollAre You Shaping Up For Summer? Yes - I'd like to lose weight for Summer. No - I'm not changing any diet and exercise habits for Summer!

Anyone who runs a 10.5-minute mile needs to listen to this new 5K playlist on her next run. There's a little something for every runner's needs in this perfect blend of rock, pop, and soul. Subscribe to the Spotify playlist, then keep reading for the full list of songs.

Some things of lately: ( A bright and early Friday morning Sabino Canyon hike: (did about 4 miles) and then after breakfast, Livi and I met up with friends to play at the Children’s Museum for the morning. It’s so cute to watch Livi crawl up the foam rainbow with no probs, when not too long ago, she would perch on it apprehensively. She’s got the rainforest room conquered Home for naptime, chores for me, (I do little bits of cleaning throughout the week, but Friday is my cleanstravaganza day. A random tip: I mop the floors with dish soap and water. It works extremely well, and smells crisp and clean without overpowering. I do a second round with water to rinse, and then dry by “ice skating” with towels under my feet — nice bonus leg workout) When Liv woke up, I assembled lasagna with her on my back in the Ergo: She really wants to see what’s going on in the kitchen, but is still a little too small for one of these things. I made the meat, spinach and sauce mixture while she was napping, and when she woke up, she watched me put the layers together. No-boil pasta noodles, meat mixture (chicken sausage, spinach, garlic, marinara sauce, chopped fresh basil, oregano, splash of balsamic), ricotta mixture (with salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg), sauce and goat cheese. I baked everything for 45 minutes, and then let it cool before wrapping and placing it in the fridge for us to quickly heat and eat Friday night. Saturday, I taught all day, and it was rough after being off for a week — I was out of breath after the World Beat warm up Dinner was Mongolian BBQ, (we need to switch it up more often!) and the evening was spent chilling at home. The Pilot had late nights last week, so I feel like I haven’t seen him very much lately. This week, I’m excited to use from produce from the market to make our dinners, in addition to our fresh herbs growing in abundance out back. Bella is shocked that everything is still alive…. Me too, Bell, me too. Here’s what’s on the tentative schedule this week: Prep ahead: Protein fudge (I’m officially obsessed) Baked chicken Smoothie packs Protein pancakes for the week Pancakes for Liv  Lunches/dinners: Curry chicken salad in romaine Smoothies (Smoothie a Day challenge is still going strong, even though I’ve been slacking with posting my smoothies and juices) Slow cooker chicken tacos Asparagus Caesar Salad Sweet potato pasta with grilled chicken and pesto Kale, avocado and strawberry salad Sunday: Teach Zumba Monday: Yoga Tuesday: OFF Wednesday: Teach Zumba, teach Barre Thursday: Teach DJ Dance Friday: OFF Saturday: Teach Zumba + weights What’s on the menu for you this week? Are you taking any new fitness classes or trying new recipes? Feel free to link away in the comment’s section! See ya later with some pics from the day xoxo Gina