Q & A #1: Abs, Whey Protein, Equiptment.

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Q&A session on Sound Body Fitness!

Last week I covered a lot of really good information on diet & nutrition. So if you missed it, you can check it out here: Nutrition and Diet: Do's and Don'ts

While I covered a very broad range of information on last weeks blog, I got a couple of questions from people on various topics so I figured I would share their questions and my responses with you all in case you have similar questions. 

So, let's get started!
Q: What do you do for your ab exercises?

A: Well, first off, I do a lot of core exercises in my workouts. Working your entire core is the best way to help shed fat around your abs which will ultimately lead to better looking abs. Ultimately, good looking abs comes down to being under the threshold of body fat so that your abs are both visible and defined.
Along with standard workouts, I do ab ripper 2-3 times a week. I highly suggest adding Ab Ripper X or X2 Ab Ripper to your weekly workout. The exercises in these workouts really help build a strong core and there are a few really good oblique exercises incorporated too.

Remember, when doing exercises that involve your core, make sure to engage your abdominal to maximize your results

Oh, and if you would like to know a little bit more about how long it takes to get defined abs, watch this video. It's pretty informative. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnM823ldBjA&list=UUHMHowKsEJI9N2ulejB71jg&index=0&feature=plcp

Q: What kind of protein powder do you use?

A: Whey protein powder. You can get it from any grocery store. Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle, whey protein is an excellent way to increase your daily protein intake. Unlike some proteins, whey is a slow release protein. This means that you can take it whenever you'd like and it will work great. I usually make a protein shake in the morning and then again at night on workout days.

Q: What workout equipment should I get to start off?

A: Well, this is completely dependent on your workout agenda, your fitness level, and what your fitness goals are. While having a complete set of dumbbells is nice, it's unnecessary for getting an excellent workout. When I first started working out, I invested in a pull up bar and a 30 lb set of dumbbells. Many workouts require nothing more than your own body strength. But if you are trying to gain muscle, you may want to invest a set of exchangeable dumbbells or hit up your local gym to use their equipment.



Well that just about raps it up. Next time I will be going over a few different workout routines and discussing which ones may be right for you. If you have any questions about fitness or would like me to cover any particular topics, let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions! :)
Hope you all are having a great week and I'll see you next time :)

Nutrition and Diet: Do's and Don'ts

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Sound Body Lifestyle :)
Last week I went over the basics of fitness. This week I am going to go into a little more depth on nutrition and diet and how they affect Sound Body. Whether you are looking to lose weight or to build muscle, proper nutrition paired with a healthy diet is key.

So, what exactly is nutrition?
Nutrition is defined as the science of food and its relationship to health. Food is composed of a wide distribution of nutrients, which have very specific metabolic effects on the human body. Some of these nutrients are considered to be essential while others are considered to be non-essential.

Essential nutrients are nutrients that cannot be synthesized by the human body and therefore must be derived from food sources. Essential nutrients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and some carbohydrates as a source of energy. Non-essential nutrients are nutrients which the body has the ability to synthesis from other compounds, as well as, from food sources. Nutrients are generally divided into 2 categories, macronutrients, and micronutrients.

Macronutrients constitute the majority of an individual’s diet, “thereby supplying energy, and the essential nutrients that are needed for growth, maintenance, and activity”. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, macro minerals, and water. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are interchangeable as sources of energy, with fats yielding 9 calories per gram, and protein and carbohydrates each yielding 4 calories per gram.

Micronutrients are vitamins and trace minerals. Vitamins and trace minerals are labeled as micronutrients because the body only requires them in very small amounts. Vitamins are organic substances that we ingest with our foods, and that “act as catalysts, substances that help to trigger other reactions in the body”. Trace minerals are inorganic substances that once ingested play a role in a “variety of metabolic processes, and contribute to the synthesis of such elements as glycogen, protein, and fats”. (1)

So it goes to show that eating the right types of foods will escalate your workout performance and your results!

Not the "diet" you're thinking of.
Let's clear up a few things real quick. Often times, the word diet is associated with various trends that you see on late night tv for magic weight loss programs that will make you lose 5 pounds in a week (ie; no carbs diet, juice only diet, and any other crazy trendy diet you may have heard of). To put it bluntly, these so called "diets" are BULLSHIT. On and off diets simply DO NOT work. If you do see any results, that is only because you have changed your caloric intake to be in a deficit. Most dietitians agree that almost all of those so called "diets", while being for the most part inneffective, can also be detrimental to your health due to lack of proper nutrition.
Penn and Teller did an episode of their show "Bullshit" on diets. It is very informative and I recommend it to anyone thinking about doing one of these fad diets.

So then, what is a Nutritional Diet really?
Simple. A healthy diet is a combination of eating healthy foods and eating the right amount of calories. Eating healthy, lean foods with the right kinds of nutrients: lean proteins, fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, complex carbs, healthy fats.

I know this isn't something that anyone really wants to hear, but diet isn't just some month long thing you do to lose 5 pounds for the summer. A healthy diet is a lifestyle.
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person. 
It often implies the use of a specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons In other words; one's daily caloric intake calculated on their ultimate fitness goals. (2)

• If you are trying to lose weight, you MUST eat in a caloric deficit. 

• If you are trying to gain muscle/weight, you MUST eat in caloric excess.

But where do we begin?
Well, there are a few basic steps you can do to jump start your dietary needs

• Determine what your fitness goal is (To lose weight or gain muscle)
• Calculate what your daily caloric intake should be using a caloric tracker based on your fitness goals
• Plan your meals around your calculated caloric intake (this will help keep you on track)
• Don't cheat on your diet! (eating a cheeseburger and a bag of fries once a week isn't going to ruin you, but try your best to stay on track and in range of your daily caloric intake)

Note: If you are craving junk foods, most likely you are not eating enough calories for your diet. Increasing your healthy meals will decrease the junk food.

• Keep healthy food options on hand and trash the junk food

The Good: lean proteins, fresh fruits (be warry of fruits as many of them are very high in sugars) green vegetables, complex carbs, healthy fats (high in omega 3)
The Bad/The Ugly: refined sugar, saturated and trans fats, simple carbs, all processed foods

Counting Macros
So, with all that being said, if you are serious about maintaining a regimented diet with proper nutrition, do yourself a favor and download a free calorie tracker app for your phone/ipod. These will help track your macros so that you know exactly what nutrients is going into your body. I personally use one on my ipod touch called myfitnesspal. Using this tool will help you determine what your caloric daily intake should be biased on your weight, height, age, your ultimate fitness goal, and several other factors.

• If you are trying to lose weight, you MUST eat in a caloric deficit. This means that you are eating slightly under your daily caloric intake. Stick to very lean proteins with lots of green vegetables. Don't oust the carbs, just try to minimize them and only eat the good ones (I have a few listed below)
• If you are trying to gain muscle/weight, you MUST eat in caloric excess. This means that you will be eating more than what is suggested as your average daily intake. Eat very high protein meals with complex carbs and plenty of dark, leafy vegetables.You might want incorporate whey protein into your diet to help meet your caloric goals and to increase your results.

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Go to grocery list:
Be willing to spend a little extra money on foods that are healthy for you and be willing to take the time to prepair them so you aren't left having to eat out at fast food or restaurants.

If you are hungry and are trying to decide between a double stuffed oreo and a carrot, who do you think will win? Do yourself a favor and keep healthy foods in stock around the house and trash the junk food. That way you will be more likely to make healthy food choices when you are hungery.

Proteins:
boneless, skinless chicken breast
lean ground chicken/turkey
lean ground beef
egg whites
fish (salmon, tuna, and cod are some of my favorites)

Carbs:
whole grain bread
whole oats
brown rice
quinoa
whole wheat tortillas
black beans
sweet potatoes

Fruits + Vegetables:
bananas
green apples
blueberries
broccoli
Spinach
frozen edomame
Asparagus
Kale

Other:
low fat/fat free shredded chedder cheese
Low fat Milk
whey protein powder

Fats:
natural peanut butter (if it doesn't say natural on the jar, it will most likely have added sugar and oils)
eggs
olive oil
raw almonds

Seasonings:
mrs. dash salt free seasonings
salsa
siracha sauce (or other hot sauce of choice)
cinnamon (for the sweet potatoes)
mio (adds flavor to your water which means you will be more likely to drink more)


Other healthy food options:
Greek yogurt (Very high in protein and healthy, but not everyone may like the sour and tart taste)
Cottage cheese
Soy beans
Beans (a.k.a. - legumes)
Salmon (avoid farm raised and get fresh if possible)
Tuna (flake tuna has less murcury and is fairly inexpensive)
Oatmeal

Here is a great list of super foods to add to any diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/superfoods-everyone-needs
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Muscle Building Meal Set:

I have gotten a few questions on what my diet looks like, so I have made up an example of a typical meal set for my heavy workout days where I try to increase my caloric intake to make up for the calories lost during exercise.
This meal set consits of 3 main meals with various small meals throughout the day.
(Note: this is example meal set for bulking and mass gain; however, it can easily be modified for weight loss. Cut meals as necessary to obtain correct caloric intake for your diet. Instead of adding the protein shake, either cut it or use it as a meal replacement.)

Breakfast -

• 3-4 eggs, scrambled, with small amount of lowfat chedder cheese
• **Protein shake 

Snack -

• 1/2 cup of almonds

Lunch -

• 3/4 cup of seasoned quinoa
• 1 baked chicken breast
• 3/4 cup of steamed broccoli

Snack -

• green apple

Post Workout -

• Protein Shake

Dinner -

• Turkey Burgers on whole wheat buns
• Baked Sweet Potatoe
• Spinach salad with 1 tbs olive oil & vineger dressing

Snack -

• steamed edomame (soy beans in shell)

**Blender Protein Shake (Easy): 1 1/2 - 2 cups Milk (dependending on how thick you want it), 2 scoops of chocolate whey protein, 1/2 cup oats, 1 Tbs natural peanut butter, 1tbs unsweetened cocoa powder. Blended.

**Shake Cup Protein Shake example (Easier): 1 1/2 - 2 cups Milk (dependending on how thick you want it), 2 scoops protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder. Shake!

(cocoa powder isn't necessary, but I enjoy adding it. Cocoa is good for you, and makes the shake taste much, much better)


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Informative Videos to Watch

Hungry for Change - A documentary film about creating lasting
weight loss, abundant energy, and vibrant health.
http://youtu.be/3MvAM97VDE8

Jamie Oliver on Ted Talks - Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of eating healthy food.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_QOzc79Uc&feature=share&list=PLACCD819D5CFA989D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next time - I will be going over several workout plans and discuss suitability for each one.
In the future I will be trying to post various meal options and recipes that I like to make at home. So keep on the look out for the new article and also for some great healthy meal ideas! :)

And for anyone looking for more healthy recipes right now, I recommend leanbodyfitness's youtube channel. He shares a lot of healthy meal options for any meal of the day as well as fitness tips. http://www.youtube.com/user/leanbodylifestyle/videos?flow=grid&view=1
Some of the recipies are hit or miss as far as taste goes, but all are very healthy :)

Additional reading: http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/fitness-modeling-part-2.html

If you have any questions about fitness or would like me to cover any particular topics, let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions! :)
Hope you all are having a great week, and don't forget; diet/nutrition is just 1 of the 4 parts of fitness. Without a proper workout, a diet is nothing and vice a versa.




Sources:(1) = http://www.questformuscle.com/articles/nutrition01.asp 

           (2) = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_(nutrition)#Weight_management

The Basics: What you need to know to get fit.

Hey all! Welcome to Sound Body. Last week I introduced myself and the blog and discussed a little bit about what this blog is going to be about. This week I am going to be going over The Basics of Physical Fitness. This will hopefully give you a basic understanding on what it takes to get the body that you are looking for.

There are many variables that go into one's fitness levels, but I am going to concentrate on the main ones. These determine your ultimate overall fitness.

That being said...
A Sound Body is achieved through the combination of 4 main things: Nutrition, Exercise, Genetics, and Time.

So, time now for a quick crash course in physical fitness :)

1) Nutrition: Nutrition is the fuel that runs our bodies. So it's obvious that whatever we put into our bodies is going to affect how it performs quite a bit. Eating healthy is the basis to achieving sound body. No matter how much you exercise, if you are eating nothing but sugars and fats, you will never see the results that you wish to achieve. Not to mention that you would probably have some pretty terrible health problems from that. lol.
A simple and easy way to eat healthy is to simply cook at home. This way you can control what goes into your food and what you are getting out of it. Stick to high protein content through lean meats, complex carbs,  and dark leafy greens. If you work, prepare your meals ahead of time for the week and store them. This will keep you from eating fast food, which we all know is terrible for us.

If you are serious about nutrition, do yourself a favor and download yourself a free calorie tracker. These will help track your macros so that you know exactly what is going into your body. I personally use one on my ipod touch called myfitness pal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools. Using this tool will help you determine what your caloric daily intake should be biased on your weight, height, age, your ultimate fitness goal, and several other factors.

• If you are trying to lose weight, you MUST eat in a caloric deficit. This means that you are eating slightly under your daily caloric intake.Stick to very lean proteins with lots of green vegetables. Don't oust the carbs, just try to minimize them and only eat the good ones (I have a few listed below)
• If you are trying to gain muscle/weight, you MUST eat in caloric excess. This means that you will be eating more than what is suggested as your average daily intake. Eat very heavy protein meals, with complex carbs and plenty of dark, leafy vegetables.You might want incorporate whey protein into your diet to help meet your caloric goals.

Protein: chicken breast, ground turkey [make sure to read the nutrition information that it is a lean ground], salmon (especially good because of the amino acids and omega-3), almonds, eggs, etc...

Carbs: sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheats, oatmeal

Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, kale, etc... (all are very high in vitamins and fiber and will help your body function the way it needs to

NOTE: I will be doing a much more in depth article on Nutrition and Diet and will hopefully have that out as soon as next week!! So be sure to keep your eyes peeled :)

2) Exercise: This one is a no brainer. Regardless whether your fitness goal is to lose weight or to gain muscle, a good quality workout routine is mandatory for creating a sound body. There are many different workout routines to chose from and it can be hard to know where to start, but to achieve a sound body, you should find a workout that is consistently challenging. (I will go into several workout options in a future post, including ones that I have personally done.) But if you are looking to create a sound body, you will need to incorporate at least 2-3 days of 30 minutes or more of exercise per week. If you are looking to lose weight, you may want to do more since your exercise will mainly consist of cardio. If you are looking to gain muscle, you may want to just stick to 2-3 days of intense workouts. This will allow for maximum repair time on your muscle tissue.  But whatever workout you decide on, make to keep track of what you do and how much you do. That way when you start getting more fit and can work harder, you can compare your results monthly and see your progress.

3) Genetics: Our genetic makeup provides the basis of what we look like. One thing you should know by now is that we are all born different. People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and just because you want to look like a fitness model does not mean that you are necessarily cut out genetically to achieve that goal. That's just how things are. But with the right diet, workout, and some time, you can be the best you  possible.

In the near future I will delve into the 3 main body types: ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph and will discuss how this affects our roads to achieving a sound body.  But for now, if you would like to read up on the various body types, check this article out.

4) Time: As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Like most things in life, a bit of patients goes a long way. We are constantly berarded with advertisements for weight loss pill, for shitty diets that don't work, for magic exercise equipment that will  give you the body you want in only 2 weeks, tons more useless shortcuts that DON"T WORK.
You can't expect to pick-up a diet/workout and see a six pack and rippling muscles in just a few weeks, and maybe not even in a few months.... Depending on your diet, workout program, genetics, your current fitness level, and your ultimate fitness goal, you have to appreciate the fact that it will take time to reach that goal. But as long as you are consistent and focused, you will start seeing results. To help you feel you are accomplishing your goals, try taking weekly pictures of yourself to measure your progression.

And remember, your body is an investment. What you put into it is what you will get out of it. If you are willing to dedicate yourself to achieving your fitness goals, eat right, exercise, and give it time, you will see results. Be willing to spend a little money on workout equiptment/gym membership and workout clothes. Healthier foods are always a bit more expensive, but your body will thank you with the results the nutrients help bring.

Next week I will begin to go into more depth on Nutrition and Diet.
If you missed it, last weeks blog can be found here: soundbodylifestyle.blogspot.com (opens in a new window)
where I introduce myself and the blog and discuss what this blog will be about.

If you have any questions about fitness that you would like me to answer or would like me to cover a particular topic in a future post, let me know and I will do my best to help answer them.



Hope you all have a wonderful week and are working hard to be one step closer to achieving a sound body! :)

Hello all! Welcome to my new blog, Sound Body!!

The 3 Key Principles: Sound Mind, Sound Body, Sound Spirit

Sound mind, sound body, and sound spirit: These are the 3 keys to living a balanced life. We are only as strong as our weakest component, therefore we should all strive to improve ourselves in these three areas every day. As long as you strive to improve, you will be able to look upon yourself with pride. 

But enough about my life philosophy. We'll save that for a blog post some other time :)  I'm here today to talk about one aspect of the 3 key principles, Sound Body.

I am very passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and wish to share as much information as possible to whomever may share my passion. That being said, I will use this blog to talk about what it takes to create and maintain a sound body. I will go over basics, workout routines, nutrition and meals, genetics and their role in sound body, and anything else that I feel will help people on their journey to create a sound body.

Well, that's it for the introduction to Sound Body. Hope you all look forward to hearing more from me in the near future and I will attempt to post at least once a week as I get started with this blog.

If you have any questions or there are any topics you would like to see me cover in future posts let me know and I'll try my best to help you answer them.