Facts About Female Training

Benefits of Resistance Training for Women:

- Increase in bone mineral density
- Increase in Fat-Free mass
- Increase in muscular strength and muscular indurance
- Increase in insulin sensitivity
- Increase in HDL (good cholesterol), decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Increase in psychological well-being


Facts:

-Women have a greater lumber spinal curvature due to the "true pelvis" (larger for babies), which often leads to more chronic lower back pain. - Due to this, Core Training needs to be a staple

-Injury Prevention - use multi-mode training (work the same muscles different ways) to avoid overuse.

-Women have 8%-10% more body fat

-Women have much greater "fatigue resistance"

-Women have wider hips and knees than men

10 Interesting Health Books

1. What to Eat - Marion Nestle


2. The Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan


3. The Culprit and The Cure - Steven G. Aldana Ph.D.


4. The China Study - T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell II


5. Superfoods Healthstyle - Steven G. Pratt M.D.


6. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy - Walter C. Willet M.D.


7. The Flavor Point Diet - David L. Katz M.D. MPH


8. Food Politics - Marion Nestle


9. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan


10. 50 Secrets of the World's Longest Living People - Sally Beare


*Not in any particular order

Nutrient Timing: The Window of Opportunity

Many of us have heard about the "window of opportunity" in regards to nutrient intake and exercise. I recently attended the Northwest Personal Training Forum in Vancouver, WA, where Dr. Len Kravitz Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico helped to demystify this topic. This is what I learned:

Nutrient Timing: Delivering the right nutrient mixture at the right time to enhance recovery from exercise and improve muscle growth, strength, and power.

Nutrient Activation: The proportion and type of nutrients (fat, CHO, protein) effects the goals you wish to attain. For example, high-glycemic CHO (carbohydrate) following exercise stimulates insulin which stimulates protein synthesis. The effectiveness of any protein is largely dependent on WHEN you take it.

I am going to try and briefly explain this without getting into all the "nitty-gritty" scientific jargon...

Insulin (the anabolic regulator of muscle) has many different functions in the human body. When pertaining to fat synthesis and muscle development it is essential to understand how insulin works, in order to manipulate its functions in your favor.

Insulin is the "fat storing" hormone, and is more active in this function in people who are sedentary, but muscle cells are very sensitive to insulin after exercise. Following exercise, insulin will help increase the synthesis of muscle proteins, and increase blood flow to exercising muscle.


How does this effect you and your goals?

Goal: Exercise to Lose Fat

-Insulin is the strongest inhibitor to lipolysis ("fat burning"). When exercising to lose fat, one needs to participate in aerobic activity at a moderate intensity for a prolonged period of time. During this type of exercise, the need for fat is high, so insulin levels will be low. If you consume high-glycemic index foods prior to this exercise, this will spike your insulin levels, and inhibit "fat burning." Consume low-glycemic index foods prior to exercise and avoid high-glycemic index foods 2 hours prior to cardiovascular training.

Goal: Exercise to Gain Muscle

-Insulin promotes protein synthesis, this means you need insulin to build muscle. So when exercising to build muscle, consume high-glycemic index food 30minutes prior to weight lifting to increase your insulin levels.

- The "window of opportunity" is the 45 minute window following your weight lifting, which is the most important nutrient opportunity for muscle. Consume a CHO, protein, electrolyte, antioxidant "cocktail" following your exercise to replenish lost glycogen stores, and promote protein synthesis.


Glycemic Index - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

References: http://www.drlenkravitz.com/Articles/nutrientDLK.html

http://www.drlenkravitz.com/Articles/glycemicDLK.html

In-Home vs In-Gym Personal Trainers

Benefits of Personal Trainers
-Goal Setting
-Specialized exercise plan for your goals
-Accountability
-Motivation
-Means of measurement to show improvement
-Faster results
-Safety
-Regain your self-confidence
-Increase your strength
-Reduce your chances of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes

Types of Personal Trainers
-In-gyms/clubs
-In-home
-Certified (NSCA, ACSM)-nationally accredited-insures they have a solid base of knowledge
-Uncertified
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In-Home Personal Trainers

Pros
-In the privacy of your home or office
-No babysitter needed
-No travel time to and from the gym
-Avoid the "gym scene"
-Learn how to exercise at home
-Trainers usually certified

Cons
-Generally slightly more expensive
-No cardio equipment- usually it is done outside instead
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In-Gym Personal Trainers

Pros
-Generally slightly cheaper
-Cardio equipment is available
-Trainers are usually certified

Cons
-Have to exercise in front of people
-Travel time to and from the gym
-Babysitter or gym daycare for the kids
-Have to deal with the "gym scene"
-Hard sale for supplements
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