Johann's Fitness Studio

10/01/2024

I got hacked!!!!

04/18/2023

02/20/2019

It’s a good day At Johann’s fitness studio.

Johannsfitnessstudio.com

07/10/2013

Why Cardio Exercise Alone Does Not Work To Burn Fat & Lose Weight
Cardio certainly has its place in every fitness program but it should be a part of a balanced program including cardio, strength training, and a healthy diet.
The key to losing body fat and keeping it off is STRENGTH TRAINING. Lean muscle is the driving force behind your metabolism and the only way to increase your metabolism or burn more calories at rest, is to increase lean muscle through strength training. For the women that are afraid to get "too bulky" from strength training that is simply a myth.
So in order to truly rev up your metabolism and get rid of body fat once and for all, there's really no substitute for resistance training. This type of training tends to be overlooked by newbies because it is believed that building muscle won't help you lose weight. Nothing could be further from the truth.
MUSCLE BURNS FAT.
The more lean muscle mass you have, the less fat you will have. The reason for this is that muscle actually burns fat. Muscle helps the body burn calories for hours after a workout. Studies have shown people who lift weights have an even lower fat mass percentage than those who do aerobic exercise alone.
MUSCLE BUILDS STRENGTH.. If you are an avid runner, cyclist or swimmer it might make sense to lift some weights so your body is stronger and can perform longer and more efficiently without getting injured.
MUSCLE RESHAPES THE BODY..
What if you just dropped fifty pounds through diet and a nightly jog through your neighborhood but when you look in the mirror, things still jiggle and you still carry weight in the same spots you always did? The best way to change this is to shape your body through building muscle. This will tighten, firm, tone, and target those trouble spots that you just can't seem to get rid of.
MUSCLE FIGHTS DISEASE..
The highest numbers of women who get osteoporosis in later years are ones of slim build. Doctors always say that one of the best ways to fight this debilitating bone loss is to do weight-bearing activities, which increase bone density. Muscle has also been shown in major studies to fight the onset of type two diabetes, build the heart muscle to fight heart disease, and even help those who suffer from arthritis to be more symptom free.
Muscle also supports overall immunity. This is because muscle supplies the immune system with the disease-fighting amino acid glutamine. So, the more muscle you have the more glutamine is supplied to the immune system.
The reason is both shocking and completely true: cardiovascular exercise alone won't help you lose the weight and keep it off. I know you've been told thousands of times that cardiovascular exercise is the key to weight loss! That's what we were all told. But that was simply the wrong advice.
I ask my patients all the time, "How are you exercising to lose weight?" Most answer, "Cardio." I ask them, "Is it working?" They say, "Well, no, but I just need to do it more often and for a longer period of time." If something isn't working, you are going to do more of it? You keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result? Albert Einstein had a name for this type of logic: insanity.
First and foremost to be perfectly clear, exercise is essential to weight loss. Without it, you are doomed to fail. Don't think you are getting off the hook by going cardio-free. You must exercise, but you must do the right kind of exercise to see and feel the results you are looking for. By committing to a mere eight weeks of the right exercises, in the right order, consistently, you'll be amazed at what you can achieve and maintain.
During this time, choose anaerobic endurance training. Choose any activity - body weight resistance-training, weight training, skipping, swimming, cycling or running and exert for short periods followed by short periods of rest. By increasing the intensity and varying the duration of each interval according to your own program, you can lead your heart and lungs to transform and stay fit and strong.
While long-distance and long-duration cardio causes your heart and lungs to shrink, short bursts of activity (it can be as simple as climbing a flight of stairs at your best speed) builds up reserve capacity in your heart (a great way to avoid a heart attack) and triggers the expansion of your lungs. Not to forget stripping your body of all fat.
This kind of activity will promote "after burn". As soon as you finish exercising, your body starts burning fat to replace the carbs that you used up during your workout. After a while, your body will slow down making fat altogether. It simply will not need fat as a fuel for your exercise anymore!
Calories In - Calories = Your Present Body Weight
We all know what food and activity are but what few are even aware of resting metabolism? Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories that your body requires on a daily basis if you stay in bed all day, doing nothing. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of your daily caloric expenditure goes toward your resting metabolic rate. It includes the functioning of vital organs in your body (such as the heart, lungs, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin), temperature regulation, and -- most important to our discussion -- your muscles.
Now I've heard people tell me I can't lose weight because I have a bad metabolism. But the heavier you are, the more your heart, lungs, liver, etc., have to work because of the additional size. So if you are overweight, realize you have a higher metabolism than you would have if you were lighter.
Research shows that building and maintaining muscle can speed up metabolism. This research goes on to say that "muscle burns ten to twelve times the calories per pound each day that fat does. You're boosting your metabolism not just during exercise but all day."
If muscle burns ten to twelve times the calories per pound that fat does, and most research shows that fat burns 2 to 3 calories per pound per day, then muscle must burn between 20 and 36 calories per pound per day. Tufts University states that strength training has the potential to increase your metabolism by as much as 15 percent.
Strength training is the key to weight loss because it is the only way to maintain and build lean muscle, which boosts your metabolism. Muscle is natural and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and it is the key to weight loss. In order to lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit, which means you have to take in fewer calories than your body requires for metabolism and daily activity.
There are four ways to achieve a caloric deficit:
1. Eat less.
2. Increase your activity.
3. Elevate your basal metabolic rate.
4. All of the above - also known as "Cardio Alone Won't Work".
By Dr. Richard A. DiCenso

04/11/2013

Diet
If you were told that there was an entity that quadrupled the amount of cardiovascular disease in men over 40, caused a skin disease in adolescents that never existed before, and caused a cancer in women that was previously unknown; you would be shocked and would want to know what the FDA was doing about it. This entity actually exists-it is the American Diet.
As diets contain more refined and processed foods, disease increases and we begin to see more obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer. Eating a nutrient deficient diet causes other problems like fatigue, allergies, depression, chronic pain, skin problems and many other problems that affect the quality of our lives.
But the simple truth is to avoid problems in the future as it is easier to stay well than to get well. You can help the process by paying attention to your diet. The goal of any dietary approach is to balance the body's chemistry.
Basic Diet
Invest some time and effort to improve your diet and reap the reward of good health and excellent energy. Following these eight tips is a great place to start!

1. Drink plenty of water each day: Water to keep your cells hydrated and protected, to eliminate waste and ensure the health of your mucus membranes. Adequate hydration will improve a number of health problems including sinusitis, constipation, inflammation, allergies, fatigue, joint pain, headaches and many other afflictions. Drink more water and less soda, coffee, tea or juice.
Your body cannot adequately eliminate waste products without enough water. If toxic chemicals or heavy metal poisoning is at the root of your health problems you will have a much easier time getting better when you are properly hydrated.

2. Eat plenty of vegetables: Plenty means that at least ½ to ¾ of the food you eat (by volume). Vegetables are very high in fiber, vitamin C, folic acid and minerals. They provide you with many health benefits, such as the following:
• Fiber in vegetables slows the absorption of fat and toxins. One of the best ways to lose weight is to eat plenty of fiber. Eating adequate fiber can help normalize cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
• Vegetables nourish normal flora, which in turn nourish the lining of the GI tract, produce vitamins and inhibit yeast and other undesirable organisms.
• Vegetables speed up bowel transit time, which reduces bowel toxicity and prevents irritation of the GI lining.
• Vegetables contain folic acid, which is necessary to produce serotonin (preventing depression and overeating), increases energy and helps reduce the chances for a heart attack.
• The minerals in vegetables help prevent osteoporosis. (Other nutrients besides calcium are important for healthy bone.) Minerals are also important enzyme co-factors, so most major functions of the body are dependent on minerals.
• Eating vegetables can reduce the instance of cancer and heart disease, increase your energy and mental clarity, reduce the problems caused by bowel and liver toxicity, and help reduce the symptoms of allergies, asthma, arthritis, skin problems, digestive problems, sinusitis, chronic pain and many other health problems.
• Eating vegetables helps to alkalize the diet.

Corn and potatoes don't count as vegetables.
Fruit is also good for you; it is a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Eating vegetables is stressed here because when people are told to eat more fruits and vegetables, they tend to increase fruit intake but not vegetable intake.

3. Avoid deep fried food, Trans fats, partially hydrogenated oil and hydrogenated oil: As time passes, we keep finding more bad things about hydrogenated oil and fried foods. Hydrogenation is the food industry's way of turning liquid oils into solid fats. This gives packaged foods a longer shelf life than if they were made with natural oils. Hydrogenation produces trans fats, which have been linked to a number of health problems such as the following:
• Cancer: Women with higher levels of Trans fats in their cells are much more likely to develop breast cancer than women with low levels of Trans fats.
• Pain and inflammation become much worse for patients who consume hydrogenated oils. They chemically prevent the formation of natural anti-inflammatory substances that are normally produced by the body. If you suffer from chronic pain or have recently been injured, strictly avoid hydrogenated oil.
• Heart disease: High levels of Trans fats create platelet aggregation, which is the beginning of the plaque associated with coronary heart disease. Lately a lot has been written linking inflammation with heart disease.
• Trans fats are incorporated into the cells and make them less resistant to chemicals, bacteria and viruses. This could be a source of immune system problems.
• There may be a link between Trans fats and ADD, depression and fatigue. Brain and nerve tissue have a high content of fat. Some researchers believe that when Trans fats are incorporated into the nerve cells they affect function, creating problems like ADD and depression.
Muscle fatigue and skin problems are also linked to hydrogenated oils. Most chips and fried snacks contain hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils are found in a lot of packaged foods like crackers, cereals and even bread. They are often found in margarine mayonnaise; and a lot of bottled salad dressings. Read labels.
Not all fats are bad for you. Permissible fats include raw nuts (not roasted), virgin or extra virgin olive oil and avocados.

4. Avoid refined sugar: The average American eats 150 pounds of refined sugar per year. Compare that to seven pounds per year consumed in England in 1750. Refined sugar increases insulin and adrenal hormone production and can cause the following health problems.
• Increased production of adrenal hormones causes the body to excrete essential minerals.
• Sugar consumption increases the body's need for vitamins B and C.
• Eating a lot of sugar aggravates many of the problems we associate with emotional stress.
• Sugar stresses the adrenal glands.
• Sugar feeds yeast and other one-celled organisms found in the bowel, causing them to multiply. These organisms produce toxins, irritate the lining of the GI tract and take the place of normal, more beneficial flora, thus removing the benefits of helpful bacteria.
• Eating sugar causes blood sugar swings. Blood sugar increases immediately after consuming sugar, prompting the body to produce insulin. Excess insulin creates more sugar cravings.
• Eating sugar creates insulin insensitivity. More sugar is eaten, more insulin produced, etc. This stresses the pancreas and sets the stage for adult-onset diabetes.
• There is a connection between sugar consumption and high cholesterol. Patients with Syndrome X (high cholesterol, high LDL, low HDL and high triglycerides) often have the problem because of consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
• Sugar consumption can make pain and inflammation worse.
• Sugar can cause or aggravate allergies, sinusitis, asthma, irritable bowel, Candidacies, migraine headaches, fatigue, depression and even heart disease.

5. Avoid refined carbohydrates: The average American gets 50% of his or her calories from refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are grains that have had the fiber, vitamin E, B vitamins, bran and germ removed. In other words, the nutrients have been removed and you are left with the starch. They create all of the same health problems created by refined sugar.
Refined carbohydrates fill you up-but not with vitamins and minerals. This stresses your digestive system and your endocrine system. Eating refined carbohydrates uses up precious vitamins and minerals.
Often people eat refined carbohydrates because they are low in fat and mistakenly think that because they are "complex carbohydrates" that they are actually good for you.
Refined carbohydrates include white bread, white rice, and pasta that are not labeled whole grain. Read the labels on bread. Brown-colored bread labeled wheat bread isn't usually whole wheat. If the label says enriched, white flour on it you're not getting a whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice.

6. Avoid chemical additives: Avoid processed foods and chemicals. The average American consumes 10 pounds of chemical additives every year. This has had a devastating effect on our health. The FDA tests single additives, but no one has any idea what combinations of additives do to us. Stay away from packaged foods with chemical additives.

7. Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly: Ideally, chew your food until it is liquid. You will be satisfied with less food and you will have better digestion. Your saliva has enzymes that facilitate digestion. Also, it is easier to digest small particles than large ones. Not chewing well stresses your digestive system and can lead to poor absorption of nutrients, digestive problems like gas and bloating and promote the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract.

8. Never skip meals: Skipping meals stresses your adrenal glands. If you are trying to lose weight, not eating is a poor strategy because your metabolism will slow down to accommodate the reduction in calories. As a result you become fatigued and will ultimately gain weight.
By Dr. Richard A. DiCenso

03/11/2013

02/09/2012

Running is one of the best training exercises that can help you shed the extra pounds and keep them off for good. Running burns an enormous amount of calories without burning much of your valuable time. In addition, running is very convenient. All you need is couple of good sneakers and off you go. Therefore, here are 3 tips to help you lose maximum pounds with running, while steering clear of injury and burnout.
Healthy Eating is the First Step
Though running can help you burn colossal amount of calories, you won't trim down much if you fail to properly address your eating habits. Remember that if you want to lose weight by running or any other type of exercise, you need to burn off more calories than you consume. This is what is known as creating a calorie deficit. That's it. Therefore, it's why you need to back up your weight loss running program with the proper diet.
One of the most common mistakes among beginner runners is that they try to overcompensate for calories burned on the track and reward themselves for that by indulging in unhealthy eating and junk food. There is no reward in excessive and unhealthy eating. It will only help you in piling on more pounds.
As a result, make sure to cover your basic nutritional needs without going overboard. The principles of healthy eating are universal and not a secret. Aim for smaller potions of high quality calories and eating more organic and whole vegetable and grains. Limit your fruit intake and stay away from those processed and junk foods.
Keep it Challenging
Staying with the same running pace and distance, week after week, is a sure way to encounter a plateau with both your performance and weight loss results. Therefore, make sure to incorporate speed work or interval running into your training program so you can speed up your weight loss results. Speed work sheds a great amount of calories in a short time span. In addition, this type of training will help you increase your muscle mass and enhance your resting metabolism, and thus you'll be burning off more calories even when being sedentary.
If speed training is no option, aim instead to increase your weekly mileage. Start increasing your running mileage by no more than 10% each week. And always remember to take one or two days of complete rest to provide your body with the needed time to rejuvenate and recover from the training load. Otherwise, injuries and burnouts are just around the corner.
Be Consistent
Going for one run around the block and expecting to lose weight overnight is futile and a waste of time and energy. Instead, you need to be consistent, training and diet wise, if you want to lose the extra weight and keep it off for good. Therefore, making sure that you are consistent with your training program is the surest way to achieving your goals without suffering from setbacks and disappointments. The best way to be consistent is to turn your training routine into a daily habit, the way to cultivate a habit is by sticking to the activity for 4 nonstop, consecutive weeks. As a result, make sure to stick with your running for the first 4 weeks until it becomes a habit. After that, running will become a regular part of your daily tasks. Nevertheless, don't feel the need to make a radical change overnight. There is no rush here. Think big but act small. Otherwise you won't make it far down the road. Hence, make sure to take action on what you've just learned and remember to stay within your fitness level.