Journal Archive

People often ask me what it's like being a personal trainer here in Austin, TX. It's kind of a big question to answer simply, but I can say with the utmost assurance, that it's a fantastic job not only because of the interesting people that pass thorugh my day, but because of the richness of the rewards that accompany people's success' as well. From time to time, I'll have a new person sign up that isn't mentally prepared for the workload and sacrifice needed to make the changes necessary for their health or physical goals. Although it's rare, some people can be overly negative and cynical. These clients never last more than a few sessions because they've created an insurmountable obstacle in the path of success. To be successful in your fitness endeavors, one must have a positive, yet humble attitude. Milestones are slowly but surely reached through hard work and dedication. Without a positive mindset, a person can't possibly reach down deep enough mentally or physically in order to achieve their goals. When people are ready to make changes for the better and they're properly prepared, it begins a slow, but wonderfully fulfilling journey for not just them, but for me as well. People have usually let themselves go for one reason or another and lost some amount of confidence in themselves along the way. With my training methods, that lost confidence is restored through hard work and results that weren't thought of as being possible before they began their training program with me. It's a great transformation that plays out in front of me. That is by far the most rewarding aspect of my job. It was fun when I trained the bodybuilder lady pictured on the front page and she not only won her weight class, but best in show as well. That's a different thing altogether than watching a healthier, stronger, more vibrant and confident person emerge from the person who walked into the gym unsure of themselves a few months previously. Besides the clients who are looking to make changes either for their health or for a personal goal, competitive athletes are great fun to work with because they present a completely different set of challenges. At the same time, so do the the rehabilitative clients. I currently train people with heart disease, Crohns disease, thyroid issues, digestive issues, knee problems, type 1 diabetes, and the list goes on. It's not just the "fit, beautiful people" that I see. It's those that are on their way to a healthier self and ready to put in the time and effort to do it. I can't think of a better or more satisfying job than that. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-08-2006

When I walk into a gym I'm often left scratching my head when I see people using not just incorrect form, but downright mind blowing, horrible, hope you have health insurance form. There are plenty of novices that are trying to imitate what what they see others doing and haven't been properly instructed yet. There's always the macho men heaving, swinging and jerking far more weight than they can safely or even need to handle. And worst of all, is the people that are with an expensive personal trainer that are getting wrong information. Proper form is very important for many reasons. The first and formost being injury prevention. When we use a muscle to lift an object, we're not just using the primary target muscle such as the bicep while doing an arm curl exercise. You're using your shoulder, back, triceps and core as well. What happens if there's not a sufficient amount of flexibility in the joints, tendons, and muscles is what we refer to as synergistic dominance. It simply means that the stabilizing or assisting muscles have taken over and are now working in conjunction with the targeted muscles as primary movers. If the length/tension relationship between the muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc, isn't correct, things are out of whack and can't function properly. You see this all the time in the person who has their shoulders rounded forward, tight hips and hamstrings, or has a slouched posture. Postural problems don't allow the muscles to be used in the proper way and best case scenario in the gym is the exercise only exaserbates the problem. What's more than likely to happen is an injury that won't heal properly. Through corrective flexibilty training and proper lifting techniques, the problems can not only be fixed, but avoided all together. The other main reason for using proper form in the gym is to receive the maximum benefits for your efforts. When I train my clients, I train them to isolate the targeted muscle group. For example. When we're working the pectorals on the bench press, I'll have the client lift their ribs, squeeze the shoulder blades together and tighten the back muscles before they even allow the weighted bar to descend towards their chest. If these prerequisites aren't in place first, the client will be pressing too much with their arms and shoulders. The amount of pectoral muscle fiber recruitment will be diminished to the point of it being a waste of time and likely to bind up the muscles or cause injury as I discussed in the previous paragraph. Lastly, when using the proper techniques, less weight needs to be used so your joints have an easier time dealing with the loads placed upon them. The muscles actually get far more direct benefit and growth when used correctly with one another than they would from sloppy, reckless lifting. Next time you're in the gym. Think about what you're going to do before you do it. How does this work? How can I isolate the targeted muscle group? Reduce the amount of weight you're using and get the proper form down first. Then you can build back up. Although this time, you'll have done it properly and be way stronger as a result. Still unsure about what to do? Simply ask. That's my job. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-13-2006

Most people like to go to the gym at the same time and do the same workouts week after week. Regularity keeps them motivated. The downside of this approach is the plateau that's guaranteed to follow. Muscles react to a change in stimuli. For example, if you're bench pressing 135 pounds for 3 sets of 8 every chest day, you're not going to recruit new muscle fibers and your growth and strength will stagnate. It's better to vary things a bit and use heavier weights for a few sets as well as lighter weights for a few sets. You can adjust your hand positioning as well to target different areas of the primary muscle. This is kind of common sense, but it's something that a lot of people don't incorporate into their routines. I hear it a lot that I lift this much weight so how come I'm not growing anymore? The bottom line is that if you can't keep expecting your body to be able to continually increase it's strength. It's unlikely that you'll be benching 750 pounds to stimulate growth. It's just as unlikely that you'll be running on a treadmill for 7 hours in order to continue burning fat. Keeping it fresh and new will not only make your time spent working out a lot more interesting, but changing certain parameters of your workout also ensures that you keep making progress and thereby avoid the pitfalls and plateaus that we're all susceptable to. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-19-2006

Honesty, like most anything, begins with yourself. People often times live in denial when the facts and their actions are right there in front of them. I'm specifically talking about the level of intensity one commits to the workout as well as the diet one consumes. I've heard some ridiculous things over the years like "Andy, you obviously don't know what you're talking about because I haven't been able to lose any weight. What's worse is I can't sleep at night either". After a few moments this client let slip that most every night before turning out the lights, she would eat 3 scoops of ice cream with 4 cookies and a glass of whole milk. Another client complained I was too demanding and as a result her stomach hurt. She eventually divulged that she'd drank 7 Dr. Pepper sodas since lunchtime that day. People that come to train with me have to be at a point in their lives where they're ready to admit to themselves and to me as well, what they're really doing. I can't help you very well if I'm not getting the full story or a distorted one at that. Nobody says that a model's body is required and you can't have a few treats on occasion and enjoy a nicely balanced life. That would be no fun at all! What is important to achieve, however, is health, vigor, strength, clearness and longetivity. The only way to help yourself achieve those things is to not try and rationalize your pertanant faults, shortcomings, and habits, but rather to slowly make the changes that will ensure your success. That journey begins within every one of us and the first step is be honest with yourself and see what it is that you're doing and why. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-28-2006

I've often heard people talking in the gym about how long they've been working out and often it comes up that they're a little disappointed with the lack of progress for such a time investment. I can say for sure that it's been common over the years for people to cancel a lot of sessions and then wonder why they don't look and feel like a million bucks. Those that cancel repeatedly usually aren't adequatedly motivated enough to get results. The only way positive change comes around is through consistency whether you hire a personal trainer or not. That means eating what you're supposed to when you don't feel like it. It means going in for your workout when you you'd rather be elsewhere. Even when you're lacking energy, a good trainer can harness what little reserve you've got and turn it into a great workout. Remember, it's not how much weight you lift, but rather how you lift it. There are plenty of techniques a good personal trainer should have up his/her sleeve to extract the remaining energy stores and put them to productive use. Joining a gym is a great, often times, brave first step. An equally big and important second step is to go there. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-04-2006

A frequently asked question of me as a personal trainer is whether one should lift heavy weights for low reps or lighter weights for higher reps in order to build muscle. There's the conventional wisdom saying that in order to bulk up, one must lift heavy and in order to tone up, one should use lighter weight and higher reps. This is true to some extent, however, no blanket training method is surefire. I've had plenty of men come up to me and say that they've been lifting heavy with proper techniques and they're not experiencing growth. Plenty of women have said they're bulking up and never wished to and asked me why. What do I know that they or their trainer doesn't? Often times, the solution to the problem lies in the training method. Everybody has a balance of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers in every one of their skeletal muscles. The key is to recognise which fiber type is predominant in the muscle you're training. For example. My biceps are fast twitch predominantly, therefore, I train them with heavier weights and lower repetitions. My calves on the other hand, are comprised of slow twitch fibers and respond better to higher reps with lighter loads. This is not to say that there are no fast twitch fibers in my calves. There are and they must be recruited as well, but just not to the same extent that the slow twitch fibers are. We're all different,which is why what works for one, may not work for the other. It's rather involved because of the 3 classifications of body type. Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph. On top of that, the fast/slow twitch fiber composition issue. Once these things are correctly assessed, a proper nutrition and training plan can be put together that will successfully bring the client to his or her goals, no matter what they may be. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-19-2006

There's a personal training client of mine I'd like to recognize and point to as an example of what one can achieve with determination, consistency and discipline. His name is Isaac and he came to me in late January weighing 300 out of shape pounds. In the time since then, Isaac has lost over 50 pounds of body fat and put on some muscle to boot. The guy is absolutely unstopable. He not only eats only what I've instructed him, but he's in the gym every afternoon doing his cardio. He's never missed a session and never complains that he's tired or doesn't feel like it that day. He just plain does it and stops when the job is done. Clients and other trainers in the gym smile when they see Isaac because of his work ethic and the very noticeable changes he's undergone as a result. Is he done or satisfied? Nope. We still have work to do. On my end, it's truly a joy to work with someone as motivated and dedicated as Isaac. All my clients have their victories and achievements every week and I'm equally proud of all of them. In forthcoming entries, I will recognize them as well. This time, however, the moment belongs to Isaac. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-30-2006

Isaac has certainly had some amazing progress since he began personal training with me. Another person I'd like to draw attention to is Amy. Amy is just over 5 feet tall and weighs 115 pounds. She began training with me in order to increase her strength. Since then, she has bench pressed 135 lbs on an incline for reps. Leg pressed 600 pounds on a 45 degree incline uphill 6 times. When she uses the lat pulldown machine, she routinely uses 80 pounds and sometimes more! You might assume that she's gotten bulky, bigger, lost her figure, whatever. You'd be wrong. She has transformed her physique by changing her body's composition. Her body fat when we met, though not very high, was average at @ 25%. Now it's in the range of 12-15% while her bodyweight has remained the same at 115 lbs. How does Amy manage to lift so much weight? Consistency. Just like Isaac. She works out when she's supposed to, eats the proper foods, and she has a positive approach. People like Amy and Isaac are shining examples of what can be accomplished when the desire, determination, and consistency are there. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-07-2006

I hear a lot as a personal trainer. People tell me things they normally wouldn't tell other people. I enjoy being there to listen while we work. One sentiment I often hear that saddens me though, is people saying they feel embarrassed or ashamed of their bodies in public. It lends itself to low self esteem and is a very destructive way of thinking. No matter what you look like, you're the one and only you. If your heart is good and you treat the world well, you have nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Our society teaches vanity over health and that is wrong in my opinion. As a personal trainer, I always put vanity on the back burner. Without one's health, there's nothing. You may strive only to look great in a swimsuit, but if you're not healthy and treating yourself well, does it really matter? I believe in strength, balance and health as a way of life and in all my sessions, I approach that as an overall goal. If you eat properly, exercise with me, and we correct your structural imbalances along the way, you'll likely look pretty darn good when it's time to get in the pool. Better yet, you'll be healthy and able to enjoy it not just for the moment, but for a while to come. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-12-2006

Choosing the right personal trainer is a very important thing to do correctly. Especially if you're just starting out in the world of fitness. If you make a bad choice, you're not likely to stick with it when it becomes obvious that you're not getting what you paid for or worse yet, when you get hurt. There's plenty of good trainers available. The problem is, there's also plenty of bad ones too. So how does one differentiate between the good and the bad? It's not so simple to the untrained eye (absolutely no pun intended!) A trainer doesn't need to look like what we think of as the typical personal trainer with the big muscles and tanned skin. Spiffy athletic clothing and a gold necklace... That's all nonsense. A trainer isn't a fashion plate nor a fitness model, but a trainer certainly should be in shape. After all, How can you expect them to be able to get you in shape if they can't do it themselves? As they say. Never trust a skinny chef. Secondly, I would suggest working out in the same gym as a trainer that you're interested in and simply observing them while they're with clients a few times. Do they interact and communicate their points well? Do they spend more time looking in the mirror than at the client toiling away in front of them? Are they on the phone or eating? Where's their attention being placed? On themselves or on the client? A major point to look at as well is of course experience. It's quite frankly not too difficult to become a certified personal trainer. It is, however, difficult and time consuming to acquire the knowledge needed and the ability to use it on a variety of clients with different needs. The trainers at big corporate gyms are less likely to be as experienced as those working for themselves. This doesn't always hold true, but it's generally a pretty accepted fact in the industry. When you operate your own business, you are personally liable and responsible for the clients success' and well being. A company employee is exempt from most liabilites and cannot offer guarantees concerning results, etc. Nutrition is a major factor in anybody's success regardless of their goals. In a nutshell, if the trainer doesn't have a good grasp of advanced,detailed nutrition, they're going to fail you sooner or later. Gaining muscle, losing weight or just improving one's health is greatly dependent on proper, specialized nutrition. Probably the biggest thing to look for is compatability. Do you actually like this person? There's plenty of us to go around with all types of approaches and dispositions. Take the time to find someone that you'll enjoy spending many hours with. If it's an uncomfortable or strained relationship, it's unlikely to be productive. Am I biased? Of course. I love to think I'm the best personal trainer in Austin hands down and everyone can benefit from my services. Is that true? Maybe, but then again maybe someone else is a better fit for you. If you'd like to find out for yourself, give me a call and come on down for a free consultation and you can make up your own mind! Andy Bruchey 5-17-2006

I'd like to thank all the people who read my personal trainer journal. I asked people to send me any questions they may have regarding fitness, nutrition, etc etc and I found myself flooded. One interesting thing I noticed was that many people asked the same question. "when is the best time to do my cardio?" I'm often asked "how do I get rid of this belly or little area?" I respond with nutrition and cardio which of course leads them to ask me what time of day is most beneficial. I'll keep this relatively simple without going into complex biological functions etc. In order to burn fat, your body needs to be using it as a fuel instead of some food you ate or the by product of the foods you've recently eaten. A good rule of thumb is that if you do your cardiovascular exercise first thing in the day shortly after waking, you'll be burning the most fat. The second best time is directly following a good workout. Your glycogen stores will be depleted then and your body will be relying heavily on it's fat stores for fuel. To some, that's a lot of work. I usually just suggest people get out of bed, have some coffee, etc etc then hit it for 20 minutes 3 times weekly to get some good results happening. Cardio doesn't have to mean going to the gym and getting on some equipment. It can easily be accomplished outside in the cooler morning air by going for a moderate to fast paced walk or even a jog if you're not carrying too much extra weight on your frame. If you'd rather hit the gym, then that's fine too. Cardiovascular exercise is a vital part of almost everyone's ultimate success in fitness training. It needn't be drab and boring. Get up a little earlier and go for a walk in a beautiful park or around your neighborhood. Look at all the summer greenery and pretty flowers around you. It's relaxing, stress free, and best of all, it's healthy. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-22-2006

Occasionally people will ask me if I offer personal training for kids. The answer is yes. I have, and do for children ages 10 and up. Is it a worthy investment for the parents? Truthfully, the answer varies from family to family. Some kids aren't willing to do something they're uninterested in just because their parents want them to and therefore are resistant to learning. In cases like these, I simply tell the parents the truth and we go our seperate ways. No more money wasted for them, no more time wasted for me. Some children, however, really take a liking to the new challenges I present to them weekly and do very well. Those kids, like their adult counterparts that try their best, are true joys to work with. If you're wondering if your children should or can begin personal training, give me a call and we'll sit down and discuss it with them. They'll get to meet me and see the gym. If they're interested and benefit, fantastic! If not, there's always flute lessons. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-27-2006

I'd like to start this entry off by again thanking people for taking the time to submit their questions to my personal trainer journal on complete fitness design. With all the premium placed on being youthful in our society, it can make aging a daunting proposition. It needn't be scary or make you feel like you're wasting away. Several people submitted questions concerning getting older and realizing their cholesterol levels were nowhere near the healthy mark they'd imagined they'd find them. They also found themselves with a few extra pounds around the midesction. A lot of folks assumed that if you do sit ups, they'd lose the gut. Not true. Sit ups will increase your abdominal strength as well as their development, but then you'll have some nice strong abs under your gut. Proper diet and cardiovascular/aerobic workouts will reduce the fat and leave you with whatever muscles visible you've developed. For the best times to do this type of exercise, please scroll down to Entry 11: Timing. A healthy, balanced diet is essential. We can get away with a lot more as kids than we can as adults. We tend to be more sedentary as adults sitting at desks, driving places, etc. We don't have the same caloric expedenture and metabolic rates going on as most children do. Grabbing a mig mac might taste good to you and seem like a convenience, but in actuality, you're doing yourself a tremendous disservice. You're filling your body with processed foods and fats that are hard to digest and will ultimately clog up your arteries leading to vital organ shutdowns. A fantastic film to watch is SuperSize Me in which a healthy man embarks on a month long quest to eat nothing but Mcdonalds' food. The results aren't surprising. Do you have to stop eating all bad things? No. You can still have your occasional indulgences. Beer during a football game. A dessert here and there. It's all about balance. If you've neglected exercise for too long of a period, then some more serious cutbacks are in order, but for the person who found themselves a few pounds too heavy and with slightly higher LDL cholesterol and triglyceride numbers than expected, a little here and there is perfect to get things started. Making good choices and embarking on an exercise regiment will help ensure that when you do reach the golden years, you'll be strong and healthy enough to enjoy them. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-01-2006

I had a few people e mail me this week of their interest in starting personal training with me, but they were not sure where to begin. They assumed they needed to be fit and strong in order to be ready for me. The truth is, that very few people are fit and strong when they begin. Most people also have some muscular imbalances and tightness' that I need to correct along the way while we're building the muscles, losing the fat and working on the nutrition. It's a big undertaking with results that come one step at a time. Patience, discipline and determination are required. Being in shape when we meet is not. Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-06-2006

One great thing about living in Austin, Texas is that there's so much to do. Besides all the indoor activities available, there's a plethora of outdoor activities that are fun, healthy and easily accessible. Last night my wife and I went for a moonlight paddle on Town Lake with a pair of rented kayaks. I couldn't help but overhear a middle aged lady complain about pain in the rear of her shoulder from paddling. She also complained about back pain from prolonged sitting. The problems this woman has are known as synergistic dominance. When a muscle is tight and therefore can't do what it's supposed to do, other muscles have to come in to help so to speak. This creates an imbalance. When your hip flexors are tight, it pulls the pelvis forward thereby shortening the erector spinae. Of course, the left and right sides aren't going to be equally tight so therefore, there's going to be a rotation. For example. With a tight left hip flexor, you'll see a tighter right piriformis, glutes, and hamstrings. In order for the body to perform it's best, the tightness' and imbalances need to be corrected. Part of my approach to personal training is to correct these problems while we're working on the primary goal. In fact, I keep a massage table at the gym for those that are in need of these services. Previously, I have sent people to massage therapists to get the work done, but after quality control issues with too many "therapists", I decided to do the job myself to ensure that it gets done correctly and efficiently. There are no hot stones, oils, or smell good stuff. It's just purely functional deep tissue, myofacial release that puts the tight muscles back into their proper position and length so they can function as they should. There's no extra charge for this corrective flexibility training. It's a part of my job just as nutrition counseling is. Whatever is necessary to help you achieve your goals is what I'll do. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-11-2006

A client of mine asked me the other day if it would be ok for her to go on a weeklong trip she'd been planning with her husband. I thought it a bit of an odd question until she explained that she didn't want to lose all that she had worked so hard to build. The body needs rest. In fact, several times a year, I personally stop working out for a one week period to let my joints and muscles take a break. Nothing is lost in this time if it's not done too frequently. When you do return to the gym a week later, you'll find yourself refreshed and with a renewed determination towards your goals. Just behave yourself and use common sense. If you overdo the alcohol and sweets, you'll set yourself back for sure. Just find a pleasurable balance that allows you to get away from the routine enough without sacrificing your previous efforts. It's summertime. Go have some fun. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-14-2006

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Maine to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary!! It was a nice family time but it's also good to be back in Austin Texas. I couldn't escape the job though. An old friend of my parents asked me about why her back hurt and she felt stiffer as she got older. I observed her posture and told her where she was tight, etc and suggested a few stretches. She did them for several days and low and behold she felt 100 times better! It just goes to show. You're never too old to get started! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 6-19-2006

A lady from Austin, Texas e mailed me yesterday and said that she was interesting in hiring me as her personal trainer and that she had already changed her diet to a healthy one recently to get a head start, but that she'd not been having much success losing weight. She'd been doing some cardiovascular exercises and watching her portion sizes, but the weight was clinging on and she was baffled. Where did she go wrong? With some further digging I discovered that she had a penchent for diet coke and consumed several every day. She assumed that since it was diet soda, it was ok and wouldn't interfere with weight loss as opposed to sugar filled sodas. A natural assumption, but one that is wrong. The amount of sodium in a diet coke is astounding and therefore going to make weight loss next to impossible due to the water retention which it generates when you consume many of them. When she kicked the soda out of her diet, she dropped 4 pounds in the first week. She was amazed. Next time you want a drink other than water, consider a juice, unsweet tea, or lemonade (natural). The less chemicals you put in your body, the better off your body is. Cheers! Andy Bruchey. Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-24-2006

A longtime client of mine asked me this afternoon how a personal trainer goes about getting business. I thought that might make a somewhat interesting topic for todays entry in the journal. Austin, TX has a lot of personal trainers. Some good, some not so good. (You can refer to Entry 10 for my thoughts on how to spot a good trainer) The point is, that the market here is competitive so you must find a way to stand out enough in order to generate your own clientel. I am one of the very few in my field that is willing to guarantee results. I also work in depth with peoples nutrition as well as their corrective flexibilty to ensure balance and precise isolation of the targeted muscles in an exercise. A bunch of trainers will stretch you and tell you to avoid Buger King, but I go quite a bit deeper than that. I've also developed my own techniques, theories on muscle development and nutrition that I've proven successful over the years time after time. That in itself will put you in good company. Again, there's still trainers in Austin that are at my level, so how do I go about generating business? Referals are by far the best. If my clients are happy with my services and with me, they'll be likely to recommend me to their circle of friends and colleagues. I tried advertising a long time ago and ended up just getting annoying solicitations from it. Not exactly a great success! Having a website that's up on the search engines such as google and yahoo is a great way to get exposure. Of course, simply meeting people and talking to them is another good avenue. When someone comes into the gym for the first time looking for help is when I have a chance to make a good impression on them and present my services if they're interested in hearing about them. Meeting new and interesting people is always fun for me so whether they enlist my services or not, I figure I win either way! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-29-2006

In the past I've dedicated this column to highlighting some of my client's accomplishments. This week I'd like to do that again by turning the spotlight on Nick Gabriel. Nick's been training with me 3 times weekly for about a year now. He first came to me in order to lose a few pounds of fat and put on some muscle. With persistence and dedication to his training and his diet, he has now achieved an enormous amount. He has very little body fat to speak of these days and he's very powerful as well. Last week he incline bench pressed 300 pounds. The next day he leg pressed 900 pounds for reps!!!! His cardiovascular conditioning is excellent as well. He not only looks good, but more importantly, he feels good. I'm very proud of all that he's accomplished and I look forward to accomplishing even more with him. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 7-3-2006

One thing I've noticed with a lot of my personal training clients when I meet them is their perception that they're weak. When I put a little weight on a bar, they'll often say to me that there's no way they could lift that. They're not nearly strong enough. To their surprise, they're able to lift it just fine all the while learning the proper techniques. What's funny is that some people who are naturally very strong, will have the same reaction when seeing some weight on a bar. Strength is one of those things that some have a lot of and some don't. With those that don't, I always strive to make them stronger not for the sake of lifting more weights in the gym, but for practical applications as well as their sense of well being. I have a 68 year old lady that trains with me who now when working in her garden routinely carries the 50 pound bags of dirt as if they were nothing. That's what it's all about. She's empowered, not helpless and and feeling weak so she needs someone to come help her. I can honestly say that not a one of my clients is what I would consider weak. Some are stronger than others. The last entry in the journal, I discussed Nick's strength and previous entries have included Amy's strength. How are some people naturally stronger than others? Genetics and background make up an enormous part in that. For the rest of us it's eating right, exercising regularly/properly and having a positive, strong mindset. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 7-8-2006

Yesterday I had a lady come train with me for the first time. She'd never been to a personal trainer before so naturally there were a few questions on her mind and some myths that needed to be clarified. This lady is looking to drop about 15-20 pounds of fat and add some muscle. A very common agenda. After we concluded our session, she asked me what she should do until the next time we met. I said cardio 3 times and give me a journal of what you eat so I can set up a nutrition plan for you based on your tastes. She looked at me incredulously and said, "but I thought I had to lift weights 3-5 times per week and do cardio until I literally dropped to get the results I want". The source of her misinformation was her "fit" roomate. I reitereted what she really needed to do and assured her of her upcoming success should she stick to this first plan of our attack. Her roomate, the "fit" one who doles out the advice apparantly doesn't do much at all in the way of cardio. She has great genetics on her side. My client does not. The point is, just because someone is fit, it doesn't mean they know the first thing about fitness. I know a guy that lifts weights with the most horrible of techniques. He drinks a lot of beer daily and eats whatever he wants yet still looks strong and in shape. If you or I were to do that, we'd be in the hospital with broken bones, pulled muscles and digestive disorders! The guy's got great genetics. Period. He doesn't know the first thing about proper form, anatomy or kiniseology. Eventually this will catch up to him when he gets older and his body can't take the beating anymore. For now though, he "looks great and is knowledgable". Remember that everyone's different. As a personal trainer, I've seen all kinds of body types, genetics, etc. People have to work with what they've got in order to get to their goals. The trick is knowing where you are and where to start in order to get the ball rolling. Phase 2 and above come later. One step at a time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 7-12-2006

After hearing so many crazy theories based on heresay, I've decided to clear up a few things this week. 1) To get big, you need to lift heavy weights for low reps. The fact is that you need to eat big in order to get big. Whether you target the slow or the fast twitch fibers in your muscles will depend on your bodies' makeup. 2) Stretching is a bad idea before lifting because it pre-fatigues the muscles you're going to work. The fact is that you should thoroughly stretch and warm up any muscle before working it. Not doing so will eventually lead to injuries. Myth 3)If I want to lose weight, I should cut out my carbs. The answer to this is no. You need carbs. Your brain and other organs rely on carbs as your muscles do for fuel as well. Cutting carbs cuts water. 1 gram of carbs cut will result in 2.2 grams of water shed. You'll lose weight from dehydration before anything else. Too many carbs just like too much protein, will be stored as fat. Moderation is the key and knowing how much protein, carbs and fats for your body is essential. Myth 4)If I stop eating after 6, I'll lose weight better. Maybe if you stopped eating at noon you'd be even better off... Nonsense. It's not necessarily the calories, but rather where they're coming from that matters. Obviously too many calories will result in weight gain and too few will result in loss. You should be eating 6 meals daily spread out every few hours. Your metabolism will increase and your fat retention will decrease. Your digestion will improve as will your energy. Got questions? E mail them or call them in to me and I'll do my best to set you straight. Send in your myths no matter how far out they may seem and next week I'll include a best of the best. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-17-2006

Last week I attemted to clear up some common misinformation and asked those of you that read this to send in some good ones of your own. Thanks to all those that have taken the time to do so. I got quite a bunch! Let's get right to it. 1) Vigorous exercise is needed to lose weight. Truth: You don't gain body fat because of a lack of exertion. You gain fat because your blood sugar levels exceed what you are using. In a shell, you're eating too many calories at one time. 2) When you reach 30, your metabolism will slow down. The truth is that hundreds of studies have shown that it's the loss of muscle tissue that slows down the bodies' metabolic rate. This can be easily prevented with exercise and proper muscle building diets. 3) Pasta and Bread are nothing but fattening. The truth is that anything can be fattening. Anything ingestible containing calories can be stored as body fat if it causes your blood sugar levels to exceed what the body needs at that time. Bread and pasta are fantastic sources of complex carbohydrates and shouldn't be avoided. What's important is how much you eat and when you eat it. 4) Weight lifting will make a person bulky: Not even close to true. Women are always saying they don't want to get bulky, but they have little to fear. Muscle size is primarily affected by genetics and hormone production. As a result, most all women don't have the potential to build very large muscles without the supplementation of Testosterone and other hormones found naturally in men. Men too don't have to fear unwanted bulking. In order to achieve that look, one must ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, proteins, amino acids, etc and train specifically for that goal. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-22-2006

Yesterday I had a wonderful new client train with me for the first time. She did very well, especially considering that she'd never even been in a gym before. Before we got started, she told me with a smile that she was nervous and intimidated by the thought of a gym. That seems to be a common feeling amongst novice trainees. The fact of the matter is, there's nothing to fear. This is a new adventure and we'll be undertaking it together. It's actually quite fun and rewarding. The only thing you have to do is show up and try. What some people can find intimidating is the huge steroided up guy strutting around or the nearly naked, tanned, and toned "gym bunny" flaunting it as you'll find in some places and feeling not quite in their league. As a personal trainer for a long time, let me assure you that everybody, but especially the very thin, weak, elderly, or obese coming into a gym and getting down to the business of self improvement is getting far more respect from me than someone who is seemingly starved for attention and is seeking validation from others. A gym isn't center stage. It's not where one should strut their stuff. That's what you do in the real world and hopefully in a tasteful and appropriate manner! A gym is a place for physical renewal, self discovery for some, and most importantly, a place for physical improvement which leads to better health and a better quality of life. That's why you're there and that's why I'm a personal trainer. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-26-2006

One problem we all face at some point is that we have to travel and therefore, fall out of our routines. People ask me frequently what they can do about this. The answer's simple. Improvise. If you're in a hotel with a substandard gym, you can go to your room and get a great workout. Pushups, elevated feet pushups, wide stance, narrow stance pushups, squats, good mornings, lunges, pull ups, dips, etc. Use the furniture as needed for props(carefully) and turn your creativity on! I was in a remote mountain side cabin for over a week in a foreign country and still managed to have great workouts with the help of a few trees and a few blocks, etc. If you're content with the lemons, then so be it. I'd rather make lemonade. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-30-2006

This entry will be short and sweet, but I wanted to clear up a common misconception that a lot of my new personal training clients relay to me. People seem to think that the abdominals muscles are the core muscles. They are a different muscle group altogether. The abs are muscles that are actually on top of the core muscles for the most part. The core includes the pelvic floor, the diaghphram, the internal obliques, the erector spinae... These are the muscles that are first recruited in every movement a person does. Their strength is vital for good posture and overall body strength as well. Strong abs are important for many reasons including the aformentioned as well, but if your core is weak, then you need to start strengthening it before you get too worried about bigger arms or smaller hips or you won't get too far. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-2-2006

A friend of mine asked me the other day what I thought he was doing wrong. He is trying to put on some lean muscle, but it's not going so well. He's eating and lifting right, but he neglects one key element. He doesn't sleep enough. The body recovers from the workout while you rest. Therefore, it's important to have a sufficient amount if you want to see best results. Even better is to have the right amount of a slow releasing protein in your body as you lay down so your muscles stay nurished throughout the night. That's why some extreme bodybuilders go so far as to wake in order to eat a few chicken breasts in the middle of the night. That's a bit much, but you can make sure you ingest some good quality protein before slumber. Then comes the easy part. You just snooze while your body takes care of the rest! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-7-2006

A client of mine asked me yesterday if I watched the Bravo tv show Workout. I confessed that I tuned in for the first time wednesday because it followed one of my favorite shows, Project Runway. The show basically is this woman who owns a $400/hr personal training studio in Beverly Hills and employs a bunch of meathead and bimbo trainers who create more drama than results. The reason my client asked me about the show was because a client depicted had her first session with the trainer, who in this case was the gym's owner, and was complaining that her bodyweight was up 3 pounds since then even though she claims to have strictly adhered to her new diet given to her. The trainer in the show claimed that the woman had gained 3 pounds of muscle and that it wasn't fat, water or anything else. Was it possible to gain 3 pounds of muscle with 1 workout my client asked? The answer is not even with enough steroids to kill a horse. Assuming the woman is being honest about sticking to her diet for the week, what likely happened is the woman held water and also didn't manage the portion size of her daily 6 meals. A very common occurance. What's also likely is that she wasn't counting the slip ups or indulgences and therefore didn't include them as mess ups on the diet. In 12 years I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard "I've only been eating what you said to eat..." Later the truth emerges and we can make some progress. Tv is tv and drama mixed with ridiculousness makes for good ratings. Don't take it too seriously. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-11-2006

A new client asked me yesterday about gym ettiquette. She was curious what it was like in the "meathead culture". I explained that it's very much like most other cultures. You treat others how you wish to be treated and you'll coexist nicely. There are certain gym rules of etiquette that apply no matter if you're by yourself or with a personal trainer. Here's a few simple rules to get you started. Always allow others to work in on the equipment that you're using. No cellphones on the gym floor. Wipe your sweat off the equipment for the next person. Don't walk directly in front of people that are lifting. It's distracting and very aggravating. Don't talk to people that are concentrating. It's a workshop, not a happy hour. Don't be loud. Last but not least, is put away your equipment when you're done using it. That means re racking the weights, stripping the plates off bars/machines, etc. Nobody should ever have to pick up after you. Be considerate of others and have a great workout! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-13-2006

A huge misconception is that the lower abs are exercised during leg raises. It can be misleading to judge the mechanics of an exercise based upon localized muscle fatigue. The primary muscle used in hip flexion is actually the Iliopsoas, which is one of many hip flexors. The Iliopsoas, originates deep below the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominis (abs). During the leg raise, the entire abdominal musculature isometrically contracts. The combination of the local muscular fatigue, or a burning sensation from the contracted abdominal muscles, and from the working hip flexors produces fatigue in the pelvis area which we mistakenly interpret as the lower portion of the abs being exercised. Many people with weak abdominal muscles are not able to perform hip flexor or even some abdominal exercises without lower back pain or discomfort. The solution is 2 fold. Strengthen the abdominal muscles through consistent isolation exercises and stretch the hip flexors, glutes, piriformis', etc and then you're on your way to better posture, stronger abs, and a stronger lower back. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-17-2006

A prospective personal training client e mailed me this morning saying that she wanted to get more pumped from her workouts than she has been able to get on her own. The funny part was a moment later when she asked me what a pump was... Immediately following a weight training exercise, the worked muscles may seem fuller and tighter for 10 to 20 minutes. This is what's known as the pump. It is caused by an increase of blood pressure which then forces plasma from the congested capillaries into the muscle cells. For elite lifters, athletes, and bodybuilders a pump is vital for putting extra blood into the muscles and thus supplying them with oxygen and nutrients and at the same time flushing out the wastes that are created during the cellular exchanges such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. For most people, however, there is no real benefit from achieving a pump except for the boosting of one's ego as it inflates the muscles to a slightly larger size. Fluid volume in the muscle and possibly blood volume can decrease when glycogen stores are low thus resulting in the inability to achieve any pump. If this is the case, you're likely overdoing it and should back off. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-21-2006

One strange phenomenon I've experienced over the years as a personal trainer is the competitive males who know it all and can certainly outlift any other male in the gym. I urge everyone to leave their ego and/or insecurities at the door and we'll get down to the business of self improvement. These guys, luckily few and far between, will ask how much I can bench, how much I can squat, how big my arms are, etc. All nonsense that has nothing to do with anything therefore, I never answer those questions. How much I can lift is not even of the slightest interest to me. I lift whatever weights I need in order to stimulate muscle growth. No more and no less. Weightlifting and exercise is not about strutting. It's not about how much you can lift in comparison to your trainer or anyone else. It's all about you and only you. The motto of Complete Fitness Design is strength, balance, and health. If you've got that, what else could you need? Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-25-2006

How do I get toned is what a lady asked me in her e mail this morning. The answer is couple weight training with aerobic exercise and then add in healthy eating habits and you have the most effective formula for fat loss and toning. What is toning? Toning simply refers to the decrease of fat and addition of muscle. The fact is, every year after the age of 25, the average American gains one pound of body weight and loses roughly one half pound of muscle. Embarking on an exercise regime and proper diet can ensure this won't happen to you. While aerobic exercise burns fat during exercise, anaerobic exercises, like weight training or sprints utilize fat hours after exercise. Weight training also increases the metabolism a second way by increasing muscle tissue. One pound of muscle burns approximately 30-50 Calories per day while a pound of fat only burns about three Calories per day. The bottom line is that beyond superficials, the addition of lean muscle will improve your vigor, your self image, and most importantly, your health. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-29-2006

Our hard drive crashed a few days ago. Luckily my wife had stressed to me the importance of backing things up so it wasn't a total catastrophe. It was a big pain in the butt though! Firstly, I'd like to offer a public enormous thanks to her for fixing the problem. Secondly, I'd like to offer an apology to those who e mailed me with inquiries and who didn't get a prompt reply. That said, the whole computer problem got me thinking about when our bodies crash from illness' etc and how resilient some of us are and some of us aren't. The fact is, the better you take care of yourself with proper nutrition, exercise, and adequate sleep, the better your body is able to handle adversities such as virus', extended travel, colds, stress, inadequate nutrition when you're in a pinch, etc. The bottom line is that the stronger your entire body is, the better off you are. How do you tackle such a huge task? One step at a time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-3-2006

As someone who regularly exercises I can understand when a personal training client calls me and complains of being too tired to workout. There's times when we all feel like it would be a waste to get into the gym because you're likely not able to lift any meaningful amount of weight. Here's where that's wrong. I personally have had my strongest days in the gym when I felt tired enough to take a nap. I've noticed that with my clients as well. I can't explain it other than maybe we're rested mentally as well as physically and not stressed out about anything and then when we lift the weights, we're able to fully focus all of our attention to the task at hand. Who knows if that's right. There's probobly a multitude of explanations that could make sense, but whatever the reason, just go with it! I'm not suggesting that every time you're tired you'll be lifting massive poundages, but that rather I've been very surprised by my own performances as well as my client's over the years to notice that something is going on. Even if you feel the workout was a dud like you anticipated, it's still better than not working out at all. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-6-2006

I'm not talking about cleaning your carpet or shrinking your dog, but rather the long standing belief that through certain exercises one can reduce fat in a particular area. The 6 pack abs is a great place to start. I've seen plenty of people doing seemingly endless crunches in the pursuit of the fabled 6 pack. What they're really doing is building the muscle nicely so that eventually, should they ever lose the fat, the muscles will be there to display. The fact is that in order to lose a belly, flabby arms, a big butt, etc, you must reduce your overall body fat levels. I could do bicep curls all day everyday but if my arms were fat, they'd still be fat. Stronger, but fat. The way to achieve a nicer body part or area is to work it aerobically as well as anaerobically, and rest it enough. That'll get the body part stronger and more toned. The way to uncover the fat layer on top is to do consistent aerobic work such as cardio while embracing proper nutrition and a controlled, methodical intake of proteins, carbs, and fats in the proper ratio for your body. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-9-2006

Boomeritis, as defined by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, refers to sports related injuries suffered by babyboomers. As this legendary generation approaches their sixties, they have found themselves increasingly in the emergency rooms of hospitals because of sports related injuries. According to a recent New York Times article, baby boomers are tearing and pulling muscles at an alarming rate from overexertion as well as improper techniques. Youth is fleeting. There's no way around it. Growing older is a wonderful thing if you let it be. There's no reason you still can't have a great, strong, healthy body well in to your golden years. It boils down to the same equation I've spelled out all along. Proper diet, rest, cardio, and weight training. If you're just now getting back into it after a long layoff, it's a good idea to hire a trainer to insure you won't injure yourself with faulty techniques. If you're lucky and get a good personal trainer, he or she will be able to guide you through your nutritional needs as well to help get you on the path for success. Train smart, and they'll be no need for the emergency room. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-13-2006

The cliche no pain no gain in the gym has somehow persevered probably against a lot of people's better judgement. Pain is your body telling you to stop because something's wrong. In most circumstances, if you heed the warning, serious damage can be avoided. I'll often hear from other weight lifters that they have a pain in the elbow, knee or whatever but they're just working through it because that's how you get results. In reality, that's how you get sidelined with a serious injury. Anytime you feel pain, especially a sharp or piercing pain, immediately stop. Something's not right. It could be your technique is at odds with your body's structure, or worse, you could be doing some damage. If there's been continued pain that you're not seeing disappear with rest, go to the doctor and have it examined. It'd be silly to destroy your body in the quest for health and strength. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-18-2006

This sounds ridiculous, but it's been brought up by clients for years now. A lot of people ask me why I don't wear tight fitting clothes at work to show off my muscles in order to attract potential clients. The first reason is because I'm not in the slightest bit vain. The second is that trainers who are acting and dressing like fitness models usually are way more concerned about their appearance than yours and can often be found admiring themselves in the mirror while you toil away unsupervised and that's not how I do business. Thirdly, it'd be entirely too cliche. Finally, I've found that the "better" they dress, the less they know. This business is one where you have to deliver not just motivation, but real results that can last. I guarantee results. Not because I have impressive biceps, but because I know what I'm doing and I care about your success. Nuff said. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-23-2006

With the beautiful weather we're having these days in Austin, it's a great time to get out of your normal routine and exercise outside. If you haven't got a routine, this is a great time to break the cycle and start one. Since the heat and humidity has broken, it's time to take advantage of the many outdoor activities and places Austin has to offer. For example. Instead of walking on the treadmill at your gym, you could go for a walk around town lake. If you want to do even better than that, you could drive to a park and go for a hike through the woods. You can ride bicycles comfortably these days, swimming is still viable with the temps as they are, and of course, just going for an extra long stroll through the neighborhood with your favorite canine or 2. At the gym, I'll take my personal training clients outside and have them do lunges in the beautiful sunny breeze instead of the normal up and down the gym floor. No need to be stuck inside when it's so beautiful outside! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-27-2006

Finally Jay Cutler has defeated Ronnie Coleman at this years Olympia. For those of you that don't know, the Olympia is the pinnacle of body building. To win the Olympia is akin to winning the super bowl or the world series. Ronnie Coleman has won the last 8 and was poised to go down in history as the first 9 time winner, but alas he was dethroned by Cutler, his nemesis for many years who was always coming in second place until now. What does this have to do with personal training in Austin Texas? Plenty. It shows you that if you stick to your belief in yourself and continue to make improvements, even against the odds, you too can have your day in the sun. Whether it's bench pressing 100 pounds, losing the fat around your thighs that you've always been self conscious about, or winning the Olympia. Go do it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-1-2006

I've once had a personal training client that would not only ignore my nutrition advice, but balk at the idea of one extra rep, or anything that was difficult enough to put her out of her comfort zone. One time, instead of simply re racking it, she dropped a loaded bar during our bench pressing because she didn't want to continue. She simply let go. Fortunately I keep a hand close and was able to catch it before it smashed onto her neck. She was famous for complaining that she wanted to stop as soon as any muscle fatigue or burn set in, yet she was the first to complain when she didnt see what she had hoped to see in the mirror. Obviously, her lack of progress was due to her inability to stick to a diet and as well as her lack of motivation to push through the discomfort of exertion. In the end, I discontinued our sessions together so she wouldn't waste any more time or money. The contrast to this story is Quincy Despain. She's an 11 time National Champion horse rider. You'll never hear her utter anything remotely close to a protest during a session. She arrives in a positive frame of mind, works hard, and leaves whooped. Meanwhile, we've had fun the entire session. That's how progress is made in a gym. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-5-2006

As a personal trainer for over 12 years, I've come across more than 1 person taking anabolic steroids. They provide a quick, temporary edge to the user in strength and muscle hypertrophy, but in the end, they're absolutely horrible. Besides the obvious health risks, they also sway the user's moods drastically causing depression, anxiety, rage, etc. It's been documented over and over how even after 1 or 2 cycles, the user is not the same person afterwards. I've personally seen the destruction steroids carry with them, but as long as they offer a quick, albiet temporary, fix, people are going to continue to use them. It's a shame. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-9-2006

I spoke with a lady today who had just come from checking out a corperate gym. She said it was aweful because it was one cliched sales pitch after another from the rep. Unfortunately, not everybody gets it. Fitness is a lot more than about looking good. It's about inner strength as much as it is about physical strength. These aren't things that are accomplished by a one size fit's all or insert name into formula type approach. Those people are pushing a product and trainers that push anything really don't have much to offer from what I've seen. You should be comfortable and excited at the prospect of working with the trainer and at the facility. No special deals or sales pitches should be required. If it doesn't fit, don't buy it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-12-2006

This entry comes to you from Atlanta, GA. Today, my wife and I took a break from the neuroscience convention which brought us to town, and went to an Atlanta Falcons game. The energy was awesome inside the building as the hometown team battled the New York Giants. Things were going well for the Falcons until the middle of the third quarter when the offense seemed to shut down. Michael Vick was still throwing the ball beautifully and scrambling from the line of scrimmage, but it seemed as though he was out there by himself. His line wasn't protecting him and his receivers weren't catching the balls thrown their way. What does this have to do with personal training or working out? Plenty. It goes to show that without a good support crew, you're much less likely to succeed. Often times I hear from clients that they're trying to stay on the nutrition plan I outlined for them, but their partners, husbands, wives, etc are tempting them away with sweets, and junk foods. This happens all too often. The solution? Stick to your guns and watch as they inevitably join you in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. It happens almost every time. The significant other doesn't want to be left behind in the rut of unhealthy activities and tries to lure the other away from their new quest. If they fail in this, it's almost guaranteed that they'll join them in thier newfound healthy lifestyle. I call it a 2 for 1 special. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-15-2006

This morning a long standing personal training client of mine asked me if I ever get bored with her or other people in the gym. The honest answer is that I can count on 1 hand the number of times I've found myself bored on the job. The few times I've caught myself daydreaming was when the client was resisting and obviously wanted to be somewhere else doing something else. Those times are awkward and get stagnant quickly. Those people get trimmed from my roster within a session or 2 for their sake as well as mine. If they're not into it and not willing to make an effort, I'd much rather have someone else in that time slot who is. The time goes by quickly for me at the gym because I'm sincerely interested in my client's progress and well being. All of my clients are on the same page as me and it's been that way for years. That makes my job less of a job and more of a fun hang out session where I lead the client through a number of exercises in pursuit of their individual goals. Nothing boring about that. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-18-2006

Sadly, some people really seem to care about how much weight other people can lift. It's rather comical when people expose their insecurities and channel them into such a testosterone fueled, nonsensical competition. Lifting weights is a lot like yoga. It's about feel and response from the body and a total mental focus on what you're doing as well as what you're trying to achieve. What other people do and how they do it is completely irrelevant. Some people would do better to stay focused on their objectives and check their egos at the gym door. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-22-2006

An aspiring bodybuilder told me he had heard it was important to eat a meal soon after a workout but was curious as to why. I explained it's important to eat a meal high in carbs and protein after lifting for a number of reasons. They are: 1) Improves post workout recovery 2) Faster rate of muscle glycogen re-synthesis 3) 50% more glycogen can be stored thus giving improved performance in subsequent exercise sessions 4) Less muscle damage 5) Nearly 3 fold Increased protein synthesis 6) Decreases post exercise cortisol levels 7) Increase lean muscle mass Balanced meals are always important, but for those looking to really add some lean muscle to their frame, a meal packed with protein and carbohydrates is essential after a workout. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-26-2006

As a personal trainer, one thing I've heard a lot of over the years is a frustrated person wanting to have the look they see someone else with, but they're unable to achieve it seemingly no matter what they do. This is either because they're not training and eating the proper way to ensure success, or simply because the have the wrong body type for the goal and therefore, it's unrealistic. There are 3 distinct body types. They are endomorphic, ectomorphic, and mesomorphic. An endomorph is a naturally large framed, heavy set person who gains weight easily and has a harder time shedding it. An ectomorph is the polar opposite. They have a hard time gaining weight and keeping it on. A mesomorph is the middle ground. Those people can gain muscle relatively easily and are able to shed fat when they need to without too much stress. The truth is, while some people are classic examples of ecto's, meso's or endo's, most of us are a combination of 2 types. The trick to achieving your goals is firstly, to be realistic about your body and secondly to train and eat for your body type. In the past I've discussed fast and slow twitch muscle fibers and appropriate training for them. This is along those same lines and deserves equal consideration. If you've always been heavy set and big boned and you're goal is to look like Lance Armstrong, honestly, it's not going to happen. Being realistic and then working within the parameters of your individual body type will get you the most mileage from your workouts and nutrition, and the greatest chances for success. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-29-2006

Incline Situps seem to be popular with many folks in search of washboard abs, but often times, those same people aren't physically ready to do this advanced exercise. Once the abdominal muscles are developed enough, it's a safe undertaking. Prior to that, it should be avoided. Here's why. During the first portion of the sit up, the abdominal muscle flex the spine. The hip flexor muscles flex the hip to complete the movement. If the abdominal muscles are not strong enough to counter the Psoas' pull on the spine, the lumbar vertebrae can be forced into hyperextension. This can occur during other hip flexor movements as well. This is why it's important to have a strong core, strong abdominals, as well as flexible hip flexors before hand. To develop under used or weak abs, try sit up machines that enable you to isolate the abs from the hip flexors or, if you're a little more advanced, try laying on the ground flat on your back and doing upper body raises without engaging the psoas. Andy Bruchey Personal Tainer Austin Texas 11-1-2006

I had an interesting question posed to me last week from a man who thought of himself as having a large posterior and not wanting to accentuate it from building too much muscle in the gluteal area. He said that he'd heard from a trainer at another gym that doing certain leg exercises would make his butt larger. Of course some exercises target the glutes better than others. For example, leg extensions are barely going to stimulate the gluteals compared to an exercise such as lunges. The trick is balance in the muscle groups. If you have underdeveloped hamstrings, you'll give off the impression of a larger butt. If you have any spinal lordosis, your rear end will be enhanced. If your psoas is tight, your pelvis will be tilted and once again, your butt will be living large. How do you avoid this? Simply correct any tightness' and imbalances and strengthen the surrounding muscles as well as the glutes. This way the length tension relationship will remain appropriate, and the glutes will be a symetrical and proportional muscle group. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-4-2006

The glycemic index is the relative degree to which blood sugar increases after the consumption of food. A food is measured relative to the effect of pure sugar. High glycemic index foods can raise blood glucose levels very quickly, as well as insulin levels. By contrast, low glycemic index foods do not significantly raise blood glucose levels and insulin levels after eating. Pure glucose is given a value of 100 while other foods are given an index number representing its relative effect on blood glucose levels. All trainers, coaches and serious athletes should know the difference between high, mid, and low glycemic value foods and when their consumption and appropriate mix will best serve their intended purpose. I attached this chart below detailing how various foods stack up on the glycemic index for those that are curious. Glucose 100 Breads Cereal Grains Mixed grain bread 28 Oat Bran bread 48 Rice, instant, boiled 1 min 46 Pita Bread, white 57 Sweet Corn 55 Wheat bread, wholemeal 69 Rice, brown 55 White bread 71 Rice, white 55 Bagel, white 71 Couscous 65 Breakfast Cereals Rice, instant, boiled 6 min 90 Rice Bran 19 All Bran 42 Yogurt, low fat, artificially sweet 14 Oatmeal 49 Milk, skim 32 Kidney beans 29 Grapenuts 67 Butter beans 31 Cream of Wheat 70 Pinto beans 39 Cheerios 74 Baked beans, canned 48 Pasta 82 Cornflakes 83 Fettucine 27 Crispix 87 Pear 41 Apple 38 Macaroni 45 Orange 44 Linguine 46 Grapes 46 Tortellini, cheese 50 Banana 54 Potato, mashed 70 Maltodextrin 105 Potato, baked 85 Maltose 105 Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-8-2006

Yesterday I saw a so called personal trainer having the gall to laugh out loud and publicly at a "fat client" for not being in the same shape as the trainer thought he himself was in. This person showed themselves to be an insecure, self centered, idiot and has no business in this profession. A trainer is never to judge and mock people. It made me sick to see it. I guess it's true that in every bunch, there's always one... Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-11-2006

There's been a long standing debate and many myths cultured over which is better. Free weights or machines. The answer is simply both. Free weights require the lifter to stabalize with his or her own body while most machines provide that for you. That's an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time! If you want a well balanced workout, you'll incorperate both free weights and machines into your program to get the best of both worlds. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-15-2006

This morning I came across an interesting article in The New York Times about a weight lifter who's membership was revoked because he grunted. While it's true that some people are way too loud and annoying with this practice, it's also been found that the grunter will be able to push 2%-5% harder while grunting. The gray area is how offensive and loud the lifter is being. At a gym or anywhere else, a person should never be disturbing others. If they are, it'd be reasonable to ask them to quiet down first and if that didn't work, then as a last resort, they could be asked to leave. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-18-2006

What a dilemma. You've been forgoing sweets, junk foods, and alcohol while working away diligently in the gym and along comes Thanksgiving with a whole host of seasonal temptations. I view this as a great time to test one's resolve and at the same time exercise a little moderation and allow for some fun. For example. A small slice of pie is better than a large one. A small dallop of gravy instead of a bathtub full, etc etc. Have a great holiday and get back to the gym on friday! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-22-2006

When the triceps area on a woman's arm collects fat and becomes jiggly, it is sometimes refered to as bingo arms because it's associated with older women. While that term may be humorous, it isn't necessarily accurate. While it's true that women are the ones who are affected by this, it isn't just older women. Plenty of women in the 20's and 30's are yelling bingo all over the country! As a personal trainer, I'm often asked what can be done to target the area. The truth is that you can build muscle in the triceps, but as long as the person has an excess amount of body fat, the problem won't go away entirely. It's just a place where women collect fat like the breasts, hips, and belly area. Spot reduction isn't possible without an overall body fat reduction. Proper nutrition and exercise done consistently over time will alleviate the problem and before you know it, you'll be in a sleeveless t shirt proudly yelling BINGO! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-25-2006

A client asked me this morning why I don't advertise my business. I explained that for starters, I'm nearly full and have been for years, and secondly, I think it looks bad. The trainers that I see advertising and/or paying to get their web sites up high on the search engines tend to have a lot of client turnover, thus the continuous need for new clients. I've always believed that if you really know your stuff, genuinely care about the people you train, and give you best, most positive effort every day, you'll be rewarded with return business and referals. It's worked that way for over 12 years for me so I guess that means I'm doing something right! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-29-2006

A common concern, especially amongst women, is that lifting weights will reduce their flexibility. I can understand where that assumption would come from, but it simply is not the case. A very recent study with 2 groups has shown that the group that just stretched had no more flexibility than the other group which lifted weights and stretched. Stretching is very important for weight lifters as a muscle cannot grow properly without being elongated first. That simply means that if the targeted muscle is tight, it won't grow nearly as well as if there was more flexibility there. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-02-2006

I received a phone call from a prospective client this afternoon who is 7 months pregnant and wanting to work out. She was curious if I'd accept her as a client in that state. You can still work out when you're pregnant, but obviously you'll have to make concessions is what I told her. For example, abdominal work is a lousy idea as is anything else that forces you to lie on your back for fear that it may cut off the baby's blood supply. Squats and lunges are ok with light weights for a while with most people, but towards the 8th month or so, they should be curtailed as well. What can you do? Gentle toning and plenty of stretching. Once the big day is behind you, you'll be ready to get back to the gym in full force. But until that day comes, remember, the better shape you're in before giving birth, the better your chances of having an easier time of it. It should go without saying that the better your nutrition is during the pregnancy, the better off you and your baby will be. For now as well as for the long term. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-05-2006

Yesterday afternoon a young man asked me how he could get big quickly. A loaded question if ever there was one! He explained that he lifts every body part twice a week and it takes about 2-3 hours to do this each time. What he's doing is actually undermining his efforts by over training. If you over train a muscle, it simply will not grow. For growth to occur you need to work the muscle, feed it, and then rest it. All 3 are equally important components for success. I suggested to him, since he was an intermediate level trainee, to hit every muscle group 1 time weekly with 9-12 working sets per group. This way there's adequate recovery time. Another good thing about that approach is it spares him from being in the gym for 3 hours daily which too, is conterproductive. Your testesterone level plummets after the first hour as does your glycogen stores. It's best to get it done in an hour if possible for a situation like his. Work the muscles efficiently and properly, feed them and then rest them. Then do it all over again. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-08-2006

I was asked this morning by an advanced lifter who was working chest how many sets I thought he should lift per muscle group. I told him that I don't have a formula to determine such a thing. Like everything else, it's individual. It depends on your goals, your physical ability and conditioning, your recovery speed, the amount of weight and reps... the list goes on. I explained that all exercises should be felt instead of just performed for certain numbers of repetitions. Especially for experienced lifters. Put your mind into the muscle being worked and feel what's going on. If you feel that burn coming on, push out a couple more reps. Really get a good pump in there while keeping your form. You'll know when to ease off. If 2 or 3 working sets feels good, then stop. If you still have some gas in the tank and the pump isn't quite there, hit another exercise and finish it off right. Feel it. Don't just do it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-12-2006

A lot of people skip breakfast and that's a lousy practice. If you wake up from presumably an 8 hour slumber, and then continue to starve your body, you're not doing yourself any favors. Think about the word itself break fast. A popular explanation I've often heard is that heavier people think that they're reducung their caloric intake by skipping it but in actuallity, they're slowing their metabolic rate thus encouraging weight gain. So what should you eat for breakfast? It depends on your goals and your individual makeup, but it's safe to say that a balanced meal would be an ideal starting point. I personally have yogurt and oatmeal every morning thus giving me enough carbs and protein to start my day. I follow it soon after with a protein shake that includes flax oil so I have my bases covered. Carbs, proteins, and fats. If you don't care for oats, perhaps a bagel and lox or eggs and toast? There's a lot of options, you just have to pick one that sounds good to you. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-16-2006

An advanced lifter was swinging his body a bit while doing very heavy bicep curls this afternoon and a client asked me why he was doing that as opposed to just using lower weight and doing it cleanly. For advanced lifters it's ok to break a few rules now and then. In this case, it's called cheat curls. The weight used is simply too heavy to start up without assistance from other muscle groups so "bad form" is used to get it started. Once the bar is "en route", the lifter will resume good techniques thus isolating the bicep muscles with a heavier load than would be otherwise possible should they had adhered to strict form throughout the entire movement. Is this ok for everyone to do? NO! It's only for advanced lifters and even for them, it should be used sparingly because of the danger of pulling and/or straining muscles. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-20-2006

A client of mine asked if I'd be willing to talk to her brother because she's afraid he's going to seriously injure himself in the gym. He's 5'6 and of slight build, but nontheless, insists on loading entirely too much weight on the bar and struggling through a very short range of motion with no regard for form or the damage that he's doing to himself by disregarding proper techniques with heavy weights. Too often men feel that the gym is an arena for them to bow up their chests and get their machismo going, when in fact it really should be just the opposite. It's irrelevant how much weight you're using as far as public display goes. When I spoke with her brother, one of the first things he asked me was how much I can bench press. I told him I lift enough to get the job done. Never too little, but never too much. When I put my weights on the bar I could not care less about what the insecure males of the gym are thinking about how much weight I'm using. I go to the gym with a purpose and I get the job done as best I can every time. No showboating for validation necessary. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-24-2006

A lot of people who enjoy running often complain about having chronic pain in the knees. Running is not as simple as quickly putting one foot in front of the other. It's actually a very concise exercise that is rather complex and dependent on a fine balance of many things. It was common wisdom for a long time that if the quadraceps are weak, the patella can't track straight thus causing knee pain. Physical therapists would often say the vastus medialis and the vastus lateralis, both muscles of the quadraceps, should be targeted for strengthening to improve the tracking of the patella. This is an ok theory, however, the quads alone can't stabalize the knee alone. If the gluteal muscles and the iliotibial bands are at all tight, the patella will never track correctly no matter how strong the quadraceps may be. In turn, if the hamstrings are tight, which would suggest they're weak and imbalanced, the quadraceps and hip region can never be truly stabalized once again leading to poor tracking of the patella. Before you take up running, be sure that you stretch the hips, quads, hams, it bands and calves thoroughly and often to correct any tightness' and imbalances and prevent the possibilty of causing problems down the road. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-27-2006

We're just about to embark on another new year, but don't we do that every day? A lot of people make new years resolutions and don't stick with them. I've seen it in the fitness industry for over 12 years now. My point is, if you really want to make changes, do it because you're motivated and ready to stick to it. Joining a gym because of the new year is a likely recipe for failure in the long run unless you're really ready to pursue a healthier lifestyle. If you're ready to do it, make sure you have a qualified, knowledgable and experienced trainer. These are not often found in corporate gyms, but rather freelance or in personal training studios or smaller gyms. Make sure they know the specifics of proper nutrition and corrective flexibility and you'll be on your way to success. Every day is a new year, so if you're not ready now, wait until you are. Then you can pursue it with all your vigor and pretty soon you'll be able to embrace the new you. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-30-2006

A new client showed up for her session and told me she didn't eat the recomended oatmeal breakfast we had discussed, but rather took her boyfriend's advice and ate a powerbar instead. Some power bars are ok later in the day, but most should be renamed fat and sugar bars. They're candy bars with a little protein added for the most part. As I expected, her energy level crashed quickly and we had to adjust the workout accordingly. Had she eaten the oatmeal, this wouldn't have happened. People like to minimize the carbohydrate intake, but they often times fail to differentiate between good and bad carbs. Oatmeal qualifies as good carbs while a candy bar would certainly qualify as bad. Don't avoid carbs. They're your body's source of fuel. Just like when you pull up to the pump with your car, put the good stuff in instead of the junk, and your motor will run a whole lot better. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-3-2007

The other day a client of mine was asking why another trainer was talking on the phone while working with their client. I didn't know the answer to that. Since it's an obvious division of the trainers attention, that behavior suggests to me that the trainer is more interested in the phone call than the client's safety and overall workout. What else could I conclude unless it was an emergency phone call? By the sound of their laughter, I think we could safely speculate that it was a social call. Fact is, a lot of trainees are on the phone too. I can't begin to count how many times I've heard those annoying ringers going off while I'm working out. Thank goodness for my new i pod! I personally don't use the telephone while I'm in session unless it's an emergency. That's yet to happen in 12 years, so it's safe to say that I don't use my phone while training. I also ask clients, unless there's a looming possibilty of a very important call, to keep their cell phones off and stowed away so as not to interupt our session or someone else's. It's a crazy thing these days that we feel we need to multi task so frequently. I guess I can say that I'm doing my part in resisting this popular trend and I'm quite sure my clients appreciate it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-7-2007

My client and I often see this man come to a gym and act so unhappy to be there that I have she often asks the obvious question. Why is he there? He complains endlessly to his personal trainer and refuses to do a lot of the exercises, so she really can't see any great benefit to his being there. Personally, I've had quite a few people like that over the years train with me. They're usually depressed and initailly don't believe me that pushing through the comfort levels physically as well as psychologically, will yield great rewards. It happens if they stick around long enough to give it a fair chance to work. Those that are less than enthusiastic can overcome great hurdles within themselves with success in the gym. It shines a positive light on an accomplishment and leads to other success'. They needn't transform themselves into bodybuilders or swimsuit models, but rather just achieve a measureable amount of success with strength as well as body changes. Even for those of us that aren't depressed or down, success in the gym carries over to all aspects of life. We feel invigorated, strong and powerful as though we can overcome obstacles by putting our minds to it and moving forward. The best part of that is that it's true! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-10-2007

Traditional wisdom has long held that you should stretch before working out but now some people are suggesting that is detrimental to a workout. Here's the truth. It has been scientifically shown for years that a muscle can't be built unless it's elongated to it's proper length first. While some argue that stretching tires the muscle before the exercise, I would simply say that if that gets you tired, then you obviously don't have much energy to begin with and you wouldn't have much of a workout anyway. If I'm lifting legs, for example, I stretch my quads, hams, glutes, and hip flexors before I start warming up with light weight in order to better achieve not only a painless full range of motion, but also to avoid any injuries. Saying stretching fatigues and should be avoided before exercising is as ridiculous as saying that warming up fatigues and should be avoided. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-13-2007

There's been some debate lately about whether i pods and other music players are truly helping people get a better workout. I think it goes both ways. It can invigorate a person to listen to thier choice of music but it can also distract as well. What's very important and unfortunately overlooked a lot, is the mind muscle connection. In order to grow muscles, you can't just throw the weight up and down to the beat. You need to be aware of your body every inch of the repetition and focus as much concentration as possible on the muscle being targeted. That's hard enough without being at a rock concert. Another issue is that gyms often have televisions and videos playing. To me that's just more white noise. What are you in the gym for? If you came to watch tv and be entertained, then have at it. I personally would rather workout to the best of my ability and have something to show for it. People will argue that cardio etc is boring so televisions, etc help pass the time. That's like saying eating is boring. Spice it up a bit and it won't be so bland! In the end, I think whatever helps you get through the workout is fine. Just be prepared to honestly answer the question "is this the best I can do today?". If the answer is no, then you might want to focus a little more on what you're doing. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-16-2007

Firstly, I want to thank each of you that takes the time to read this and send in your questions, thoughts, and opinions. It's truly rewarding for me to share my knowledge and help others achieve their goals. This weeks stumper comes courtesy of Bill Dougherty who asked me how some in shape weight lifters don't do cardio and remain very lean. There's 3 reasons for this. Firstly genetics. We all have a metabolic rate which determines how fast we burn through what we ingest. Some people are more efficient and thus burn faster than others. The second reason would be what these people eat. They're not going to stay lean unless they eat the proper foods. By that I mean low fat, nutritious foods that support muscle growth without adding unwanted fat. Lastly is what scientists are discovering nowadays that vigorous, intense, and regular weight training sessions elevate and keep the heart rate up, thus producing the same effect as cardiovascular exercise all the while stimulating muscle growth. As we've covered previously in another journal entry, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate. This isn't to suggest that an obese person should just lift weights and will find themselves lean and muscular. This only applies to a very small segment of the population. Everyone else, get on the treadmill. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-20-2007

One phenomenon that's rather interesting to me is how when a spotter places their hands on a bar, it magically becomes lighter to the person who's lifting it. The person spotting needn't even exert any force on the bar for this to happen. Just simply place their hands on it. When someone is having trouble with their last few reps but still able to get them, in order to help them keep their form, I'll often put my hands under the bar as if I'm going to pull up on it to assist them and then presto! Instant vigor! It's of course all psychological. The lifter has a safety net under them so they can go all out now and not worry about if they blow all their energy on this 1 push, that the bar will fall on them afterwards. I'm sure another big thing is knowing that someone's there and ready to help should anything go wrong so their sense of security rises as well. I've noticed this with everybody including myself. Whenever I'm lifting heavy weights, I have my partner stay close not only for safety, but because I know that I'll have a bit of a psychological edge and I'll get an additional rep or 2 I might not have gotten without him being there. Good stuff. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-23-2007

Last week, a guy a know and I both lifted legs on the opposite side of the gym. We both did every set to failure and really pushed our limits. The following day when we met up at the gym to compare notes, he was complaining that only his quads (front of the legs) were sore. My legs, however, were equally sore through the glutes, hams and quads. Why the difference? Because I did the exercises correctly. As an example, when I squatted, I put my feet where they were supposed to be in order to recruit these different muscle groups. Anybody lifting anything can position there body in such a way as to not reap the maximum benefit from the exercise. It happens to beginners and experienced lifter alike. Before you do anything in the gym, map it out first. Know where your hands, feet, thumbs, shoulder etc etc should go and what they should do during the lift. If you don't have these basics in place before you workout, you're short changing yourself as well as your workout. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-27-2007

A friend of mine asked me the other day what I thought of those muscle magazines you see with all the huge, oiled up bodybuilders on the cover. I said I thought they can provide some interesting insight and entertainment occasionally, but for the most part, they're worthless to me. The workouts are useless for people that aren't taking steroids as are the tips from the pro's in there for the same reason. If you're on steroids, your body will recover infinitely faster than if not. Therefore, when the everyday person attempts workouts like the pros print up, they're over training and not only going to see little to no progress, but they're likely to incur injuries as well. These magazines, in my opinion, glorify steroids and those that use them. I'm not going to be judgmental, but I think it's unhealthy and gives the wrong message to people. Fitness is about health, strength, and a balance. Not about looking like a freak because of all the illegal drugs you took. The ironic thing is those people are far from healthy. All I can say is that if that lifestyle makes them happy, then more power to them. I'll let them read those magazines while I read a medical journal or the like and learn something worth knowing. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-30-2007

My wife and I just had our first child. A boy we named Luka. It's been a week now and it's a huge learning curve for us as well as him. It's a wonderful experience, but it certainly can wear on your patience. In the gym, people often lose patience with themselves or others and as a result lose the focus of their workout. A workout can't be driven by hate, anger, bitterness, etc etc. It needs to be driven by a love of yourself and what you're doing. Getting fired up for a 1400 pound leg press doesn't have to be done with negativity. It can be done with drive and focus. It's irrelevant how you feel about your boss or your dry cleaner. Keep it on the positive side and watch the magic happen. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-03-2007

I was asked this morning by a guy if he should partner up with someone in the gym to get better results since he's not with a personal trainer. Partners are fine. I've had some great training partners and some not so great ones over the years. What makes a great one? A person who's on the same page as you and on the same level as you. A person who's supportive of your efforts and who pays close attention to when you need that little bit of help that means the difference between getting another rep or not. What you want to avoid is someone who's always bringing their baggage to the workout. If you're endlessly hearing about why his girlfriend is driving him crazy, soon enough he'll be driving you crazy. Avoid the showoffs and the ego maniacs. Size doesn't matter. It's all about heart and the will to succeed. With the right partner, you can achieve a lot more. Get the wrong one, however, and you may as well just stay home. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-06-2007

I get a lot of people asking me if it's cheaper to pair up with a friend or their spouse for training with me. It is cheaper per person, but overall, it costs more for the session because obviously, I have to do twice the work. If it was cheaper overall for every person there, everyone would bring their friends and distant relatives and before you know, I'd owe them money! Seriously, it's fine to team up for sessions as long as your partner is on the same page and the same physical level as you. If they're much weaker and not taking to the exercises well, I'll need to spend more time with them naturally to avoid them injuring themselves. That'd leave the other trainee neglected. It's usually better to go solo with your personal trainer in those cases, but if it's a good fit, why not each save a little money and share the fun with a friend? Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-09-2007

A lot of people enjoy using soy milk or soy protein as an alternative to the lactose filled whey proteins. That's ok, but soy is estrogenic in nature. A man isn't going to sprout female breasts from it's use, but it is something to bear in mind. Women too should be aware of this quality and not use it too excessively. For those of you that are lactose intolerant, I'd suggest using whey isolate protein. At least occasionally as a substitute for the soy. Estrogen can be found in a lot of places. There's even estrogen replicating molecular structures found in plastics so you shouldn't drink exclusively from plastic water bottles. Is it a big deal? I doubt it. Plastic is, however, a known carcinogen and that's more relevant to our health concerns if you ask me, but it doesn't hurt to be in the know and make you own mind up. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-12-2007

I was asked by a client yesterday about whether I thought he should take supplements in order to speed up his progress. The supplement market is flooded with companies that make outrage claims. "freaky strength in minutes", "gain 50 lbs of muscle in a month", etc etc. They have pictures of famous bodybuilders posing with their products for money, but the bottom line is, that's not how the bodybuilder got their physique. Ridiculous amounts of work and in most cases, a lot of drugs. Supplements are just that. They're intended to supplement one's diet and exercise program. They aren't magic pills despite their claims at times. Are supplements ok? Sure. A lot of people have used creatine, for example, over the years and studies have shown there to be no adverse effects from it's usage, so why not occasionally go for a little boost? Do they work? From my experience, some do, but most don't. If they do have the placebo effect and they aren't harmful to your health, then I guess they work well. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-17-2007

My wife and I had a baby 3 weeks ago. It's a wonderful thing, but it'll wear you out!! The father's testosterone levels can drop up to 20% after birth. The sleep levels of both parents drop off to near zero, and of course, the mother is going through all kinds of hormonal as well as physical changes. How do you manage to work out after all this? You just do it. Simple as that. You obviously won't be able to lift as much or as intensely, but you'll still be reaping the benefits from the exercise. Once things settle down with the baby, your nutrition and your workouts can return to normal and you won't be at such a deficit when you do return. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-20-2007

Like anything repetitive, cardiovascular exercise can get pretty boring. One way to fix that is by changing things up every few weeks. Your body gets used to the same routine anyway and progress gets halted after a while, so you might as well avoid that and keep it interesting at the same time. If you normally come into the gym and get on a treadmill for half and hour, get on a bike or an eliptical machine instead. It'll be more challenging since you're unaccustomed to it and you'll see better results. If you'd rather be outside, go for a jog, a walk, ride a bike, skip rope, run stairs, roller blade, etc etc. The only thing that'll hold you back is your imagination. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-23-2007

A good many years ago I was lifting legs and was nearing the end of my workout. I was particularly ambitious that day and was squatting very heavy weights. I had the bar loaded for the last set when I asked this huge guy near me for a spot since I didn't quite trust my leg strength after all I'd been through. He asked how many I was going to do. I responded 8. He said the only way he'd spot me is if I were to do 15. I exclaimed that there was no way in hell I was going to muster enough strength for that after all I'd done, when I decided mid sentence to shut up and just do it. I went up and down 15 times and I did it like I meant it. No whining, fussing, or self doubt. Just powering through it. I couldn't believe I had done it. I realized right then and there how much we limit ourselves by fears, expectations, and apprehensions. From that workout forward, I did a set of 15 with that same weight every time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-26-2007

If you spend any amount of time in gyms, you'll notice the many groups. There's the meatheads, the aerobic crowd, the look at me people who are barely dressed, and then there's the people wasting their workout time. You can't miss them. They're standing around admiring other people, talking at great lengths with one another, chatting on the phone, etc etc. These people will say they workout for an hour a day, but in reality, they don't get a lot accomplished and as a result, they're bodies reflect their efforts. The only way to get anywhere is to plow ahead with focus, knowledge, and determination. The gym for many is a social outlet and center stage for many others. To me it's my workshop where I'm free to create whatever sculpture I can imagine. Uninterrupted and without a phone in sight. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-01-2007

One of the fastest growing sports in the world is MMA or mixed martial arts. It's a combat sport held in a ring or an octagonal cage where the 2 participants use any combination of boxing, or grappling arts, to either knock out their opponent or make them submit from a hold. It's pretty rough, even too rough for some, but it is exciting for sure. In it's early days, it was a brutal display put on by unskilled bar brawlers and uncross trained martial artists. These days the competitors are olympic wrestlers, national champions, etc etc. The sport has evolved into more than a spectacle into a bona fide sport that is sanctioned by the same bodies that oversee boxing. Why all this info about ultimate fighting? Because last night at an event, the biggest event of the year, in front of almost 20,000 fans in Ohio, Randy Couture came out of retirement at age 43 to defeat the 30 year old and much larger champion definitively. He put on a solid display of athleticism that the younger man couldn't match. How? Genetics are a big factor in everything we do, but the will to succeed was there as was his ability to shrug off the naysayers who said he's too old, he'll never win, etc. What does this have to do with training? Everything. If you have the ability to shrug off the doubts of certain defeat and failure as well as the ability to see yourself through to the finish line, you're going to succeed. The moment you give in to the negativity that lurks around seemingly every corner is when you fail. Be positive and be sincere in your convictions and win or lose, you'll be a winner. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-04-2007

A client asked me the other day when I thought he should eat in relation to his workout. For him, since he's trying to get bigger by adding muscle, the answer was 45 minutes beforehand since he's got a fast metabolism. There's no universal one size fits all answer to that question as it varies with each individual. The best bet is to play with it and figure out what feels good to you in terms of a settled stomach that's not bloated and refluxing from exercise, yet still full enough so your blood sugar doesn't drop thus sapping you of energy for a demanding workout. What's perhaps even more important is the meal following the workout. If you're trying to put in muscle, the best thing you can do is eat a meal with plenty of protein within 30 minutes following your workout. Make sure to include some carbs as the sugar is the transporter of the proteins into the muscle cells. This will allow your body maximum recovery and hence the ability to grow new muscle tissue. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-07-2007

For those looking to add some size to their legs, the age old debate of which is better, leg press' or squats will quickly surface. A lot of folks say squats because it's a traditional as well as a compound lift, while others site lower back health and prefer press'. Squatting, however, can put a lot of stress on the low back area and for some, that's a real concern. Additionally, people who have tight hip flexors (most people) will have that problem exacerbated by squats simply because they won't have the range of motion necessary required to properly execute the move. Myself, I've never seen much growth with squats but have with the press. Since we're all different, you should try both and see which works better for you. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-11-2007

One of my long time clients is a ranked bodybuilder and occasionally will be noticed in the gym during our workouts. Usually people gawk at him a little because of his monstrous physique, but occasionally people insist on making small talk while we're in the midst of our training. One lady went as far as waving her hands in his face while he was preparing to lift off a squat rack with 800 pounds! Just so she could be noticed by him. Locker rooms, parking lots, etc etc. Those are places to shake hands and say hello. The middle of a working set is a bad one. The gym is a work place for not only trainers, but for those that are serious about why they're there in the first place and it should be treated as such. We can hang out later when it's time to relax. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-14-2007

I received an e mail yesterday asking me what the term muscle memory means. Muscle memory is a reference to the bodies' ability to regain muscle it once had after having lost it. As an example. If a person was weight training and built up a good amount of muscle and then for whatever reason, stopped lifting, the muscles would naturally atrophy. When that person lifted weights again regularly, they would find it easier to regain what they once had than it was to build it in the first place. That's what muscle memory refers to. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-17-2007

One of the most important things a personal trainer can do for a client is assess their imbalances and work towards correcting them. A massage therapist is great, but can get expensive quickly when seen multiple times weekly. One trick I've done for years is to lie on a tennis ball. The important thing is to get a firm one and have the ball on a hard surface when you do this. For example. If it's your scapular region that's tight, simply place that area on the ball and wiggle around until you find the spot. Believe me, you'll know when you find it! Hold yourself there until the pain decreases and then find the next spot. The pain decreasing is a sign that the muscle has elongated to it's proper length and isn't bound up anymore. This, like anything restorative, needs to be done on a regular basis. 3-4 times weekly is ideal. There you have it. Massage therapy made cheap! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-20-2007

A lady said to me yesterday that she exercises and can't lose weight. She admitted to a diet that's far from healthy and also admitted to not drinking nearly enough water. I told her both of those 2 things will stop your weight loss efforts in it's tracks. The principal that you have to eat healthily is an obvious one to most people. The water, however, is not for some. To deprive your body of water forces it to hold on to whatever water's in your system much longer than it would otherwise. It also allows toxins such as CO2 and lactic acid, which are flushed out by water, to remain in your body longer. Another interesting thing to note is that if you keep yourself properly hydrated, your bodies' metabolic rate will burn calories 3% faster on average than if you're not hydrated properly. Besides all that, you simply feel much better when you have enough water. How much is enough? Usually 8-10 glass' daily depending on your body size and activity level. I just keep a jug filled up and sip on it throughout the day. Once it becomes a habit, you're in business. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-23-2007

A client asked me the other day what HGH was since she'd heard something about baseball player Barry Bonds' and HGH. HGH stands for Human Growth Hormone. It's a naturally occurring hormone in our bodies that is often used by athletes and others looking for a size and strength advantage. Like steroids, it's illegal and dangerous. Nobody wants to admit to using it, but it's use is becoming rather rampant in professional sports. HGH users experience growth all over their bodies. That was one of the tell tale signs that Bonds was guilty of using it. His hands, head and feet increased dramatically in size over a few years. That's normal for a kid but not for a 40 year old man! I guess as was with the steroids he used "unknowingly", he thought it was flaxseed oil as well...Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-27-2007

How much protein should I consume asked a friend of mine this morning. There's plenty of cut and dried answers, but the truth is that it varies on the individual and is based on your health, body size, fitness levels as well as goals. A general rule of thumb that is 1 gram per body pound for men trying to add muscle. Advanced lifters can go to a gram and a half but not initially as it will be hard on the kidneys. Women who are breast feeding have additional protein requirements as well depending on their health and size and health of their baby. What kind of proteins are best and from what sources? Tune in next time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-30-2007

In the last entry I wrote about the importance of proteins. That's all great, but with so many different sources available, where do you turn? Whole foods are the best source. Chicken, fish, meat, tofu, beans, sprouts, etc, etc. When you're unable to intake the necessary amounts through proper dieting, there's an enormous number of protein powders and bars available at many stores. Whey protein is the longest lasting in the body and is great. If you're lactose intolerant, however, whey isolate is the answer for you. Some people prefer soy, but I discourage it's use simply because it's too estrogenic in it's structure. You can buy jugs of powder at health food stores, on the internet, and at your local grocery store. Just make sure there's no added sugars or sweeteners such as aspartame that are unhealthy. Go for as pure a protein as possible. I frown on most bars as well for the above reasons. Too much sugar and usually too much fat. If it tastes too good to be healthy, it likely isn't. Powders are the way to go. They're simple to prepare as well. All you need to do is mix in a scoop or 2, depending on your body size, etc, in with a fruit smoothie and you're in business. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-01-2007

A fellow personal trainer said to me the other day that he admires how much I read in my seemingly never ending quest for knowledge, but that's just not him. He said he'd rather kick back, go out and party, etc etc. All I can say is I'm glad I don't pay for his "services" and I pity those that do. Personal training, like any health science, is a constantly evolving field that you must try to keep up with. The sources of knowledge are endless from journals, medical reports, to field studies, to rehabilitative findings. If you think you know enough to get by, you don't. The body is an amazing and intricate machine that isn't mastered by becoming certified as a trainer. To avoid reading the latest studies and findings is simply laziness and/or disinterest. Hopefully these people find a new career before they hurt someone. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-04-2007

A friend of mine wants to lose a few pounds so I asked her what she's typically eating in a day. She said she's cut down to just over 1000 calories daily but she's not losing much weight. There's still some body fat on her that won't go away despite the severe depletion of food. People often times think that deprivation is the key. It's not. Smart eating is the answer. What's actually more important than the number of calories is the source. For example. How much of your daily caloric intake was protein? To know what you're eating and to break it down into a reasonable split for your body is the trick. Most folks can do 60% carbs, 30% proteins, and 10% fats. Others simply can't. Their numbers have to be different in order to find success. Furthermore, if you drop to too little food, you're going to simply atrophy your muscles, starve your organs, and still manage to keep some fat. It's the same as water deprivation. If you don't have a steady supply coming in, the body will hold on to it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-07-2007

This afternoon I was at a large club working out my legs. The guy who was finishing up on the machine I was waiting for was sweating profusely and simply left his sweat all over the machine for me to sit in without even thinking of wiping it off. I pointed this out and explained how I didn't find the thought of his sweat all over me very appealing and he simply shrugged that it was a gym and people sweat. I pointed out that by his logic he better hope to not be standing at a urinal next to someone who shares his mentality otherwise he'll be even wetter. He cleaned up the machine and since the conversation was overheard by the gym's manager, was asked to leave until he learns some manners. Sweet justice. What's my point? Be considerate and treat others how you'd like to be treated and everything is more pleasant for everybody. Including yourself. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-11-2007

This being the 100th entry in the journal, I decided it would be an appropriate time to thank all of you that have contributed to my personal training business over the years. All of my clients from Debbie, to Isaac, "Evil Babs" to Mark, Angela, Jeanette, drew, Russ, Jay... the list goes on and on. I also want to thank those that took the time to send me their questions so I can share the answers on this website and hopefully help educate more people about fitness and the importance of achieving health. Thanks to all of you for giving me the opportunity to earn a living doing what I love to do. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-14-2007

Occasionally the dreaded snickering goes on in a gym when someone isn't as strong as someone else. As we all know, it happens in all settings, not just a gym. It's annoying, but avoidable. If you simply ignore these people, they tend to disappear. It's really simple actually. Anything that you find to be heavy, is heavy. Someone else may not think so, but that doesn't really matter considering you're building your muscles and not their's. Keep it positive and have a great workout! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-17-2007

I received an e mail the other day asking me what I thought of doing very slow reps as opposed to standard speed. I responded that in some cases it's ok, and in others it's pointless. What happens when you go ultra slowly is that you're trying to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible during the lift. That's a good theory, but what happens every time is that you'll reach failure quickly as the golgi organ kicks in, and the muscle doesn't have enough resistance on it for maximal growth. Since you have to use light weights, your muscles aren't as likely to reach full stimulation as if you were to use heavier weights and employ techniques such as x reps, overloads, and full stretch partials. What's that stuff? Tune in next time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-20-2007

X reps, overloads, concentric force holds, partial semi stretched overloads, rest pauses... There's a lot of theories floating around the fitness world. All of the above terms are for very advanced trainees only. They're basically ways of recruiting more muscle fibers into a lift therefore, increasing size and strength. Rest pause for example is an old school theory that is still very relevant. It's simply doing a set until failure and then waiting 10 seconds or so and then going again for a few more reps until you fail again. Often times, a third stab at it is about all you can endure because of the burning from the lactic acid. All of the previously mentioned techniques are sound and proven ways of triggering new growth and avoiding plateaus because they change up the intensity of the lifts. More on other ways to do that next time that are more friendly to the novice or intermediate lifter. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-24-2007

As we've been lifting a while, our bodies adapt to our routines and plateau. One way to circumnavigate this problem is to change your exercise selections. The other way is to change the intensities of your current exercises. One way is to slow down the repetitions. Another is to add weight and decrease the number of reps. On the flip side, you could lessen the weight and add reps. Another cool thing to try is to decrease the amount of rest period between sets. It really just depends on what your goals are and how far you're willing to push yourself. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-28-2007.

I see it all the time. People using their shoulders when bench pressing. People using their traps when doing triceps, etc, etc. To build a muscle you have to engage it properly. That means not using a stabilizer to do the work that the target muscle was intended to do. All you have to do is make a few simple adjustments. As an example, to get more pectoral involvement in the bench press, keep your elbows under the bar, your shoulder blades pinned together, and your ribs up high. As soon as the shoulder blades relax, you're exercising your shoulders. You'll not only get more out of the exercises by doing them properly, but you'll avoid injury as well. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-01-2007

People assume a personal trainer's job is to motivate the client. Often times trainers advertise that they are supreme motivators. I'm not so sure that I buy that. It just depends on how you look at it I suppose. The client supplies the motivation by taking the initiative to sign up with the trainer and show up at the gym. That in itself is a wonderful display of motivation. Trainers worth their salt will provide accountability and some motivation through encouragement but the true motivation must lie within the client. Otherwise it's not a relationship that's destined to prosper or to last. Nobody can quit smoking for you. Nobody but you can convince you sufficiently that you're strong enough to lift the weights in front of you. We can encourage you and cheer you on with kind words of assurance and reassurance, but ultimately, it comes right back to the client and their level of motivation. Those that are motivated to succeed, do. Those that aren't as motivated usually don't. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-04-2007

The following day after a workout, you may feel sore in the muscles that you worked. This is very normal, although science to this day hasn't pinpointed what exactly causes the soreness. Whether it's lactic acid, slight tears in the muscle tissues, or the negative portions of the reps, the jury's still out. Regardless, I'd like to quickly dispel a few myths surrounding soreness. First is that if you're not sore, you didn't have a good enough workout. Nonsense. Soreness is not a barometer. Considering we can't even pinpoint it's cause, don't use it to gauge anything. Another myth is that there's nothing you can do to alleviate the soreness once it's set in. Again, nonsense. The consumption of plenty of water, gentle stretching, and then using the muscle gently such as walking on sore legs will help. It's not advisable to lift weights with sore muscles. They're too tight and overly prone to injury. If you're sore following a workout, enjoy it. Soreness is fine in that at least it lets you know you did something! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-7-2007

As I've done in the past, I'd like to use this entry to recognize a client's success. Jackie has been training with me twice weekly for roughly 6 months. In that time she's managed to lose over 30 pounds of fat and gain lean muscle simultaneously. Her strength as well as her cardiovascular conditioning have improved dramatically as well. How does she do it? Simple. She brings a positive attitude to her workouts and consistently follows the nutrition I prescribed for her. She treats herself well, tries hard, and hardly ever misses a session. Now she's reaping the rewards of her efforts. I'm very proud of her and look forward to continuing our training together for a long time to come. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-10-2007

A client was on the leg press the other day and I noticed her leg was bending in as she was pressing the weight. She's been a long standing client so I knew it wasn't lack of technique that was the problem. I watched her as we did lunges and a similar thing happened. It was here that I was able to see that she was pressing every step on the side of her foot thus causing an imbalance in her leg muscles. Was she underdeveloped in certain areas and that was the cause? No, her shoes were worn out. Lack of proper support from a shoe will cause all kinds of problems from the knees to the hips if not addressed quickly. Once you replace the worn out shoes, the problem will usually correct itself. In her case, it did. If it doesn't, simple stretches and correcting the newly formed bad foot posture will solve it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-13-2007

Gyms are dirty places. There's no two ways about this. I don't care if you're in a basement set up or in the most prestigious facility known to man. Gyms are dirty. How dirty? A manager of a large corporate gym here in Austin was picking at a zit on his chin and ended up with a staph infection. That's pretty dirty. I personally wash my hands at least twice hourly and since having begun that practice a long time ago, I've yet to even catch a cold. If you keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth while working out and then thoroughly wash up when you're done, you'll have no problem. That also includes not touching the lip of your water bottle with your hands. If you have to open it, use a tissue or the inside of your shirt. A few preventive measures will go a long ways towards keeping you healthy. Now if we can only convince sick people to stay home to avoid spreading the germs... Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-16-2007

People often ask when a gym is most crowded so they can plan a workout around it. The gym I train my clients at is most crowded on Fridays at 10 am. That bucks the standard m-f at 5pm. Where I work is much more of a personal training studio than a gym so that likely is the explanation. If you find that you can't work out any other time and you fear getting lost in a crowd, don't fret. Simply remember your gym manners. Simple things such as wiping your sweat off machines when you're finished, allowing others to work in on a machine with you, etc. Crowded gyms aren't the end of the world. They just require a little cooperation from everybody. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-19-2007

I received an e mail question from a guy who's recently begun working out and has discovered that his stomach is protruding. His abdominal muscles are showing so it's not a question of him carrying body fat and he states that he's not on growth hormone or steroids which are notorious for causing distended stomachs. It's impossible to know for sure without seeing him, but I'd be willing to bet that it's a case of a tilted pelvis from tight hip flexors. It's very common in new clients who don't have a lot of workout experience since they're not usually well versed in stretching. They build legs through squats, lunges, deadlifts and leg press' and do so incorrectly thus exacerbating tightness' and imbalances. The best thing to do is some simple psoas stretches, some hamstring and gluteal stretches. When the hips are tight and the pelvis tilts, it promotes core weakness in the transverse abdominus as well as the erector spinae. Stretching the aforementioned muscles will elongate them thus allowing them to be built stronger for your overall stabilization and proper alignment which should solve the problem. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-22-2007

A small independent study has just published their results and concluded that seniors who partake in resistance training actually reverse the aging of their muscles. Tissue samples taken from the participants demonstrated how the muscles of a senior citizen can be closer in structure and function to a younger person than ever previously imagined. Naturally, a senior won't be looking like a young person nor will they be setting open age group power lifting records. They can, however, lead more productive, comfortable, and independent lives. Like I've always said, you're never too old to start. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-26-2007

I received an e mail from a basketball coach asking if it's possible to determine an individual's muscle fiber type in order to better train them for their position. The only way to directly determine the fiber-type composition in an athlete is to perform an invasive muscle biopsy test in which a needle is stuck into the muscle and a few fibers are plucked out to be examined under a microscope. Some studies have tried to indirectly estimate the fiber-type composition within muscle groups of an individual by testing for a relationship between the different properties of fiber type and muscle fiber composition. This type of research has yielded promising results, with significant relationships being found between the proportion of fast twitch fibers and muscular strength or power. An indirect method that can be used in the weight room to determine the fiber composition of a muscle group is to initially establish the 1 rep maximum (the greatest weight that they can lift just once) of your athletes. Then have them perform as many repetitions at 80% of 1RM as they can. If they do fewer than seven repetitions, then the muscle group is likely composed of more than 50% FT fibers. If they can perform 12 or more repetitions, then the muscle group has more than 50% ST fibers. If the athlete can do between 7 and 12 repetitions, then the muscle group probably has an equal proportion of fibers. Because lifting weights requires the use of many muscles at once, this method does not work for individual muscles, just muscle groups. In order to determine the fiber-type composition of an individual muscle, a needle biopsy of the muscle of interest must be performed. Another indirect method that the coach can use, especially when the athletes are young or new to the sport, is to have the athletes try a number of different events. Their dominant fiber type will soon become evident based on their success in certain events, and this discovery can lead to more directed future training for each athlete. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-31-2007

People ask me all the time if I'd make them a routine to follow while in the gym. They're almost always shocked when I say no. I don't believe in routines. They get done for the sake of doing them. Guidance and structure is great, but listening to your body and working out with the knowledge of your strengths and weakness' that particular day is far superior. As an example. On leg day, to insist on squats over leg press' because it is written, when your hips are tight and your glutes hurt is simply foolish. You'll get way more benefit from listening to your body and structuring your workout around that instead of following what's written on a piece of paper. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-02-2007

I received an e mail from a lady who was advised to squat by a trainer at a gym but she is hesitant for fear of getting a big butt. So does squatting generate a bigger butt? Assuming it's done with proper form, it depends on the lifter's muscular imbalances. Those with tight hips are going to use mostly their quads instead of the hams and glutes as well. You can spot those folks a mile off with their large thighs and flat behinds. People with tight glutes have weak piriformis' and usually weak core's as well. They'll often times feel it much more in their gluteals, especially the next day. In a perfect scenario, with the lifter having no imbalances and picture perfect form, the glutes will not over develop but rather develop proportionally with the quads and the hamstrings. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-5-2007

A young man asked me in the gym yesterday how many sets to do for his biceps and triceps in order to make them bigger. I told him these are relatively small muscle groups that don't need the same amount of work as a larger group such as back, legs, or chest. I told him 9 sets over 3 exercises for bis and 9 sets over 3 exercises for tris. Stay in the 8-12 rep range and go to or near failure on every set. More than this will result in what's known as over training and that's as bad as not training them at all. What's over training? Tune in next time. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-08-2007

In the previous entry I mentioned the concept of over training. What is over training and how do we avoid it? Over training is simply what the name implies. Over working a muscle group. Logic would dictate you get what you put into something, but the human body is different. If we overuse a muscle it fails to respond in strength as well as growth. It's important to use it without overdoing it. Sticking with 3 sets for smaller muscle groups and 4-5 sets for the bigger ones will keep you out of trouble. In addition, you only should train a specific muscle once every 5-7 days. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-11-2007

I was asked today why a man's chest isn't much bigger than last year when he's been lifting heavy weights with proper form, etc etc. I'm sure I could make a few corrections to his form if this is the case, but one thing people fail to do often times, is feel the muscle as they're working it. They are obsessed with numbers instead. How much can I lift and how many times? How much do I weigh...If you instead focus your attention on the range of motion you're employing and how your targeted muscles are reacting, you'll get more out of the exercise. I recommend using a full range of motion that incorporates a stretch at the start position as well as a hold on the top position. This way you're maximizing the amount of muscle fibers recruited by the target muscles and thus stimulating growth. Don't worry about how much what you're lifting weighs. Only your ego is concerned with that. Your muscles don't know the difference. They're either being stimulated into growing or they're not. That's all that really matters if you're interested in seeing results. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-14-2007

I got an e mail from a young man who was asking me about whether I thought a certain supplement was worth the money seeing how most are not. This product in question was one of those that has a name similiar to an illegal anabolic steroid and the language on the bottle uses steroidal terms such as stack, cycle, etc etc. Once again, most of these are junk and likely not overly safe for your health as well. The products like this that do work are basically steroids but have slipped under the radar temporarily because they have changed the molecular structure ever so slightly from a steroid and the FDA hasn't caught up yet. Eventually they do and the company is forced to remove the product from the shelf. Don't waste your money or your liver. Eat right and lift right, and you'll see the results you're looking for. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-17-2007

People often assume the greatest reward for being in shape is just that. Being in shape. I'd disagree. My favorite part, at least from an observers perspective, is watching people's energy levels go through the roof and with that, their self confidence, their body awareness, and lest we forget: Their posture. A very overlooked thing these days, but when we have good posture and energy, we're conveying confidence as well as competence. In doing so you not only give a great impression, but you feel good about yourself as well. Sounds good to me. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-20-2007

A woman in the gym whom I'd never met before was asking me what religion I was and wouldn't let up even though I refused to answer the invasive question. She spent another 10 minutes telling me how people need Jesus in their lives and that we're all going to hell without him. I showed her the door and will never see that person again. She was disrespectful of my right to make my own choices and just plain foolish in her quest. Religion is fine whether you subscribe to it or not and is 100% your business as it is a private issue. Let's keep it that way. The gym is not an appropriate place for such a discussion. Other people within earshot could easily be offended by your views no matter how right you feel you are. That simply is not fair to other people who simply came in to workout or in the case of trainers/employees, do their jobs. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-23-2007

Whoever said "no pain no gain" was a moron. Plain and simple. If you feel a sharp pain while exercising, stop whatever it is that you're doing and either figure out what the problem is if you have the know how, or pay someone who does. Burning, fatigue, etc. Those sensations are normal and are fine. Sharp pains are not. They're telling you something is amiss and if you don't fix it quickly, you're in for a world of trouble. Pay attention when your body's talking to you and you'll have it around a whole lot longer to enjoy. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-26-2007

Everyone seems to be asking me if steroids where the reason the wrestler Chris Benoit killed his family and ultimately himself last weekend. I don't know and really nobody will know other than to speculate. Here's what I do know. There's nobody that I've ever known who has takes them is mentally 100% stable. Nobody. That stuff not only goes through your muscles, but through your brain as well. There's the case of my brother's high school classmate who was on steroids for many years and then he brutally killed his mother, fled to NYC, and lived in the subway tunnels before getting arrested for kidnapping and assaulting law enforcement. Did steroids cause his behavior? I don't know. I'm sure they contributed though. If taken as intended, steroids will not hurt you. Our government even has published that finding repeatedly. If taken as intended, you also won't see the massive muscle and strength gains either. When abused you can build a massive physique and have other worldly physical power. The problem is that you're rotting from the inside out so those benefits are relatively short lived and then you're in for some problems. When you stop taking them, it leads to depression, anxiety, etc etc. You also shrink back to near where you started in most cases. When coming off a cycle your bodies ability to produce testosterone naturally is shut down because the receptors are saturated from all the synthetic testosterone. As a result, your balls shrink, etc. Sounds great. Whether steroids had a major role in the murder suicide in the news, I'll never know for sure. I have my opinion of the drugs and my experiences watching other people go through crazy things while using them. It's definitely a case where the risk outweighs the reward. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 6-29-2007

I want to stray from the usual format of me answering fitness or nutrition related questions for this entry and shine the spotlight on a very worthwhile organization. The Locks of Love. I recently cut off my hair and donated it to them after viewing pictures of bald kids who'd gone through chemotherapy, fires, etc etc. Those poor kids deserve all we can do for them. Giving them my hair was the least I could do as a fellow human being. The minimum donation is 10" but the longer the better. If you don't have long hair, they accept financial donations as well. Go to their website at http://www.locksoflove.org/ It's a great cause and you'll be cooler this summer because of it! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-2-2007

When I tell new clients that they're going to be eating 6 meals daily, almost every response is one of shock and resistance. It sounds like a lot, but it isn't. It's a matter of controlling the portion sizes and eating balanced meals. The reasoning behind this approach is because eating many times over the day in smaller quantities helps to raise one's metabolism. Secondly, it's far easier on your digestive system. Thirdly, you're body functions better with smaller meals than with 2-3 large ones. It requires some pre planning for sure, but once you're in the habit, there's nothing to it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 7-05-2007

I was asked yesterday by a client how I felt about the use of wrist wraps for heavy pulls. I understand why people use them. It keeps a better grip on the bar and also saves your skin. I'd suggest using gloves instead to save your skin and developing a stronger grip by not attaching the bar to your hand, but by actually gripping it. The forearm muscles on most guys are underdeveloped and as a result, grip strength suffers. If those muscles are strengthened and then utilized during other lifts, you've eliminated the need for the wrap as well as developed weak muscles into strong ones. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-08-2007

This morning a man was working out in the gym for 2 hours. When he finished he asked me if this was ok. I explained that if you're looking to build muscle, then keep it to 1 hour. After an hour of strenuous exercise, your testosterone levels drop as do your glycogen stores. In laymans terms, that means your workout is going to be far less effective. My rule of them is to wait a minute or 2 between sets, depending upon how heavy I'm lifting, and get all my sets done in 45 - 60 minutes. If I don't get distracted and remain focused, this is an entirely reasonable goal. Not only is my workout more intense this way, but the other benefit is I get more time to spend on my lunch break outside of a gym!!!! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-11-2007

I was asked this afternoon about tricep exercises and which ones I thought were the best. I responded that if you're looking to really hit the muscle directly, skull crushers are a great choice. To perform them you lay on a flat bench and lower the bar to your eyebrows with bent arms. It's crucial to not use your shoulders and to keep your wrists flat in order to maximize the impact on the tris. It's also vital to not use too much weight or not only can you do damage to your elbows, but the actual name of the exercise might be a reality for you. Take it slowly and get the feel for it and then increase your weights as you build confidence with it. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-14-2007

When is comes to cardiovascular exercise, people usually think of running, treadmill work, skipping rope, etc etc. Swimming is one of the most overlooked yet healthy forms of cardio out there. It's easy on your joints and gives a fantastic workout. Make sure to alternate your strokes every few laps to keep it balanced and keep a swift pace. Treadmills and the like are fine but if you want a change of pace and something that truly works, jump in! The water's great! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-18-2007

I came a across a young man this morning in he gym who said to me that he was so excited to begin a new chest training program that he'd seen outlined in a magazine. He said 8x Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman does it and it's the surefire way to a big chest. What this young man doesn't see is the massive amount of drugs the pro bodybuilder is and has used. He's also not considering the fact that Coleman has been training for 20+ years and has a ridiculous amount of muscle already on his frame. Take these routines with a grain of salt. They may be based on reality or not. Who knows. One thing you can know for sure is that your body is your own. It's not Ronnie Coleman's and what he does is rather irrelevant to your body and it's needs. We're all different and basing something off someone else's routine because they look good to you is not going to get you anything but frustration. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-21-2007

Here's the question I received from a man this morning. "Ive been lifting on and off for the past 8 years and I've never been happy with my chest. Especially now that I'm cutting some fat and what chest I did have is almost gone. Ive always been a shoulder presser and I need some ideas on how to isolate more of my chest. Especially the inner and upper area. I normally do Flat bench barbell, incline DB, weighted dips and flys for my routine. I will mix it up from time to time and have varied my reps from high to low but in the end my shoulders look great and my triceps look good but my chest is left lacking. I'm done worrying about what I bench and would rather have a better build. Thanks for any advice". The answer is simple. Learn the techniques. You shouldn't be a "shoulder presser" if you want to work on your pecs. Save shoulder pressing for your shoulder workouts. Pinning the shoulder blades together as much as possible while bench pressing will keep you shoulders own which in turn will keep you from using the shoulders through the range of motion as anything other than as stabilizers. The same posture holds true for virtually any chest movement. To isolate the inner pectorals is physically impossible. It's like the lower abdominals. You can't physically isolate them. You can do single arm pec decks or any number of other exercises to hit it though. Adjust your form so as to hit the intended muscle group and keep the weights very light until you're confident in your techniques. If it's unattainable, enlist a qualified, preferably non corporate gym trainer and learn from a pro. Just make sure you hire a pro instead of a con. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-24-2007

Here's a question sent in by a reader this morning. "I know to really work a muscle you have to use a full range of motion. I've seen a lot more videos of pros training. Almost all of them use a limited range of motion. Is going a limited range of motion the best way to work the muscle to grow? Thanks for your time." John Hamblin Nashville, TN The videos John's referring to are pro bodybuilders' workout videos. I watched a few and it looks to the layman that they're only using a partial rep range but there's something crucial to remember about training. There's the textbook right and wrong, but there's also my body being different from yours. What do I mean? Simply that with these overly developed muscles the pro bodybuilders have, the range of motion is naturally shorter because a full contraction is easier done simply because of it's enormous size. Another thing advanced trainees do is to keep the range of motion appropriate with the targeted muscle group. An example of this would be on bench press' to not lock out at the top. Instead of going from the chest all the way to a full extension, you might only push the bar 2/3 of the way up. After the 2/3 mark, the anterior delts and triceps take a much larger role in the remaining ascention of the bar and therefore the pecs play a diminished role. Keeping the bar in the 2/3 range keeps the pressure on the pectorals which are the intended target and overloads them more effectively than tiring out the stabilizers and supporting muscles thus making it impossible to fully exhaust the larger, more powerful muscle group. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-26-2007

Here we are up in beautiful Orono, Maine on vacation. I was visiting with a friend of mine who lives in the area and he asked me about organic foods. he was wondering just how much better it is for you to eat organic produce. I explained to him, as I have to countless others, organic is costlier but in the end you're paying for your health. Instead of eating pesticides and other chemicals, you're consuming natural fruits and vegetables. I don't know about you, but that sounds a whole lot more appetizing!! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-01-2007

I received an e mail from a prospective client this afternoon who was very specific in her list of goals and equally specific in what she's willing and not willing to do to achieve them. She said the trainer will not stretch her or warm her up. The trainer will only teach her how to lift weights correctly, etc etc. That's not an out of this world request, but the reason I stretch some clients is because they simply won't do it otherwise and then we risk an injury while exercising. In this lawsuit happy age we live in, it's best to have your bases covered. As far as cardio with clients, no trainer should be paid while you're doing cardio. Unless of course, it's an aerobic workout that utilizes some cardio moves. The word cardio itself refers to cardiovascular exercise which is a way of accelerating the heart rate in order to raise the metabolic rate of a trainee. You can lift weights on a circuit and have it be considered cardio if you think about it! Some people are very cautious when entering a training program and rightfully so. There's a lot of "trainers" that have little idea of what they're doing but they can sell a great deal. My advice is to research your trainer of choice before you sign up. That way you'll be rest assured that you're getting the best value for your dollar and not wasting your time or money. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-04-2007

I was asked a very common question this afternoon by a friend of mine. What difference does it make when I do my cardio so long as I do it? The answer is that it doesn't matter if you're only looking to increase your cardiovascular health, but if you're interested in losing fat, you want to do it first thing in the morning. The second best choice would be after a workout. Why? Because your glycogen stores are depleted at those times and you'll be burning fat instead of whatever you put in your stomach. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-06-2007

I met this woman yesterday for a consultation and in the course of our conversation, I pointed out that she carries her stress in her shoulders and as a result has created a structural imbalance with the right side being higher than the left. Was it unsightly and prominent? No. It was simply something she should correct since that imbalance means that certain muscles assigned certain jobs can't do them now because they are the improper length and are too tight therefore, other muscles have to pitch in to help and as a result can't do what they're supposed to do. Muscle chaos at it's finest. It's extremely common with all but the most conditioned in our society afflicted to some degree. It requires a little bit of diligence and corrective flexibility training. Once you fix the problem, you really see and feel the difference. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-09-2007

As you may have read in entry 136, cardio is best performed when one's glycogen levels are depleted so as to burn more fat. What is glycogen? The General Characteristics * polysaccharide, (C-6, H-10, O-5)n * stored primarily in the liver and muscle tissue * readily converted to glucose as needed by the body to satisfy its energy needs * supplies energy during heavy work. * stored with water (1 gram of carbohydrates stored with 3 grams of water) * central nevous system is dependent on hepatic glycogen for energy Glycogen vs Fat * Glycogen can be rapidly mobilized in skeletal muscle * Glycogen can be utilized a fuel substrate in the absence of oxygen * Fat oxidation requires energy input * Glucogen can maintain blood glucose levels to be used by certain tissues such as the brain o Carbon atoms of fat can not be used by any pathway of the body * Glycogen stores significantly more limited than adipose tissue Glycogen and Performance * Increased storage can double duration of exhaustive work * Low or depleted glycogen stores o limits exercise intensity o decreases time to exhaustion o increases rating of perceived exhaustion during physical activity (Nieman 1987) * The average person stores enough glycogen to last them 12 to 14 hours or over 2 hours with sustained moderate intensity. o Mean ingested daily is 400 grams o To maintain an adequate supply a minimum of 100 grams of carbohydrates should be ingested daily (Sources) * Glycogen synthesis after exercise o Approximately 50% more glycogen can be stored if carbohydrates are consumed immediately following strenuous exercise as opposed to waiting 2 hours after exercise + Suggested amount # 100 g of carbohydrates (400 Kcal) for the average 175 lb man (Friedman 1991). # 10 – 20% of total daily caloric intake of carbohydrates and quality proteins in approximately a 4:1 ratio o Muscle glycogen synthesis is greater within 2 hours proceeding exercise (Friedman 1991) and greatest 45 minute post workout (Ivy JL 1988, Leven hagen DK 2001) + Exercise increases the muscle's sensitivity to insulin, predominately, during the 4 to 6 hours after exercise + During this time, muscle glycogen synthesis has been shown to be greater with ingestion of simple as compared with complex carbohydrates + After which, muscle glycogen can be resynthesized near pre-exercise levels within 24 hours, equivalently with either carbohydrates form o After 24 hours, muscle glycogen can increase very gradually, succeeding normal levels over the next few days (Ivy 1991). * Super glycogen saturation technique can increase amount of work by 19% o Old method involved glycogen depletion through an initial low carbohydrate diet followed by a high carbohydrate diet o Newer method suggests glycogen depletion can be obtained by repeated prolonged intense exercise with similar results o Repeated muscle glycogen supercompensation is not possible, however performance enhancement is maintained (McInerney 2004) o Carbo-loading should not be done more than 3x/year o Preadolescent and adolescent individuals should not carbo-load + instead just taper training volume and intensity days before an important event. There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about glycogen! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-12-2007

I was asked by a client today what kind of exercise regimen an action movie star might employ. Naturally, it depends on who the celebrity is as I doubt all action hero actors follow the same workout. I did a little research and was able to come upon a workout routine for the actor Dwayne Johnson aka: The Rock of wrestling fame. Here it is. Day One - Shoulders -Seated Military Press Machine-Sets(3)-Reps(21)-Weight(130,140,150) -Dumbbell Lateral Raise-Sets(3)-Reps(8 )-Weight(30) compound-set with- -Dumbbell Front Raise-Sets(3)-Reps(8 )-Weight(30) -Rear-Dealt Cable Raise-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(40-80) -Hammer Strength Machine Shrug-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(90-450) -Four Way Neck Machine-Sets(4)-Reps(12)-Weight(45) He finishes with neck isolation moves on a flat bench. Day Two - Back -Wide-Grip Cable Pull Down-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(120-240) -Close-Grip Cable Pull Down-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(120-240) -One-Arm seated Row Machine-Sets(4)-Reps(12)-Weight(270) -Back Extension-Sets(4)-Reps(15,15,12,12)-Weight(25-45) Day Three - Legs -Leg Press*-Sets(4)-Reps(25,20,18,16/25)-Weight(270-450) -Machine-Smith Lunge**-Sets(4)-Reps(8 reps per leg)-Weight(135) -Lying Leg Curl***-Sets(4)-Reps(12,10,8,6/12)-Weight(80-110) -Standing Calf Raise-Sets(6)-Reps(16)-Weight(220) *Last Set is a drop from 450 to 270 **Non-Counterbalanced Machine ***Last set is a drop set from 110-80 pounds Day Four - Arms -Alternating dumbbell curl-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(30-70) -Preacher-Machine Curl*-Sets(6)-Reps(12,10,8,6,21,21)-Weight(50-100,50) -Cable Pressdown**-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,20)-Weight(60-120) -Overhead Cable Extension-Sets(4)-Reps(12,10,8,20)-Weight(50-90) -One-Arm Reverse-Grip Pressdown-Sets(2)-Reps(15,15)-Weight(40) *Last two sets are 21's- 7 upper-half partial reps- 7 lower-half partial reps and 7 full range reps **Straight bar or rope- last set a drop set Day Four - Chest -Incline Dumbbell Press-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(75-120) -Flat Bench Dumbbell Press-Sets(5)-Reps(12,10,8,6,4)-Weight(75-120) -Cable Crossover-Sets(2)-Reps(12)-Weight(60 per side) compound-set with -Push-Up-Sets(4)-Reps(15) Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-14-2007

Anything done repetitiously can grow stagnant in a hurry. When we lift weights, it can get monotonous doing the same exercises over and over, week after week. So change them up! You needn't do the same exercises for the same body part endlessly. Instead of a barbell bench press, do dumbell press' instead for example. Instead of squats, do leg press'. Your body will respond favorably as well since it too can plateau quickly. Once you start changing things up, you'll be stimulating new muscle growth or fat loss, depending on what you're doing.You're only limited by your imagination. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 8-18-2007

I met yet another person today who was worried about his back. This man trained with a personal trainer at a big box gym for a few months and then started having back problems. His problems were actually caused by hip flexors being tight and core muscles being weakened, so I thought I'd shed some light on the back in this entry. The spinal column consist of 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral (fused), and 4 cocygeal (fused) Injury occurs when the spine and its supporting structures can not withstand acute or chronic forces (ie compression, distraction, shear) The curvature of the spine is preserved in part by the ligamentum flavum, which runs between the posterior aspects of the verebral bodies. The paraspinous musculature, which runs anterior to the spine, works to counter balance the bodies center of gravity. Normally, the anterior aspects of the spine bears most to the body's load in an upright position. 75% of elite athletes have complained of back pain at some point in their careers. Relatively few low back injuries occur from a single event. It's thought that a back injury most often occurs after a series of excessive loads gradually and progressively reduced tolerance to tissue failure. It's further thought that the injury process may not always be associate with loads of heavy weight but rather an incorrect loading of the weight relative to the structural integrity of the back. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-21-2007

Yesterday afternoon, I received and e mail from a young football player interested in building bigger, stronger thighs. He did squats, lunges, etc but didn;t have a grasp of what he was doing. I imagine that he doesn't fully understand the anatomy of the quadraceps, so I wanted to shed some light on that this entry. Once you understand how the quad works, you will find it easier to visualize your quad workouts. The quads are made up of 4 muscles: 1. Vastus Medialis 2. Vastus Intermedius 3. Vastus Lateralis 4. Rectus Femoris These 4 muscles are found on the front of the thigh. They originate at the top of the femur (largest bone in the leg) and attach down on the tibia. The purpose of the quads is to straighten and extend the knee. Different Parts Of The Quad The term "quad" means four. Therefore the quadriceps is made up of 4 distinct muscles. The front of the quad is made up of the rectus femoris. The rectus femoris, goes across the hip joint and originates on the pelvis itself. Directly underneath the rectus femoris is the vastus intermedius. Then on either side of both you will find muscles that run parallel. These are the vastus medialis (on the inside of the leg) and the vastus lateralis (on the outside of the leg). Simply type in quadraceps in any search engine to see a picture of the muscle group for a visual. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 8-24-2007

Is a massage a good thing? Yes it is. A massage can alleviate tightly bound up muscles by releasing fascia, it can make you feel relaxed, and it can work out the stress that you accumulate in certain areas. Athletes as well as those training as such, often need to work out imbalances in the muscles when they get too tight and the other muscles around it suffer. This is called a myofascial massage or deep tissue. It isn't the most pleasant thing since it involves a lot of pressure on a sore area, but it certainly does the job. For those of you not all bound up, a simple Swedish massage would be a welcome addition to any afternoon in that it's very relaxing and helps de stress the body. Upcoming: How to choose a massage therapist. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-27-2007

I was asked this morning what I thought of milk in a ladies diet who's trying to lose a few pounds. First, milk today is not the milk of yesterday. There are plenty of reasons for concern that pasteurization and homogenization are both detrimental to the quality of milk, and that's not even throwing bovine growth hormone into the equation - here's some good information about that: http://www.realmilk.com/ The other thing is that most people are allergic to milk. The assumption is that unless you have stomach pain or breakout in hives, you are not allergic. However, many of the medical journals I've read agree that allergies are a continuum - i.e. some people are more allergic than others. Allergies to lactose (milk sugar) or casein (milk protein) are very prevalent with many people assuming they are fine because the only manifestation is water retention or a puffy nose. The following eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions. 1. Milk 2. Egg 3. Peanut 4. Tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.) 5. Fish 6. Shellfish 7. Soy 8. Wheat The concern is that if you are even mildly allergic, your immune system is being continuously stressed when you continue to consume dairy products, which may create more complications later on. At the suggestion of a few medical doctors who were knowledgeable on the subject, I started recommending my clients learn their reaction to dairy simply by cutting it out completely for 4 weeks. I don't ask that they cut it out forever, simply take a test and cut it out for a month. Then at least you'll know where you stand and can make the necessary dietary changes for your body to optimize your success. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-30-2007

Getting a great massage is not an easy task. Just like finding a great personal trainer isn't easy. The massage marketplace is flooded with wannabe's and creeps. The first thing I would look for is to be sure the masseuse is a registered massage therapist. I would also check for a school certificate and ask for written references with phone numbers. Once you're able to discern the junk from the good ones, you'll find massage to be a fantastic way of keeping your body aligned and functioning at it's highest capacity. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-01-2007

A lot of people think the core muscles are the same as their abs. They're not. They're actually located underneath the abs for the most part and act to stabilize the body. How can you train core muscles? Lots of ways. Exercise or stability balls work wonders, but so do non conventional exercises. One of my favorites is to lay on my back and fully exhale the air in my lungs. I then draw my belly button towards my spine and squeeze my abdominal muscles as well as the core muscles. Obviously, without air, you can only hold it so long, but it gets into the transverse abdominus deeply and effectively. The transverse abdominus is often referred to as the body's natural lifting belt. In essence, it stabilizes the spine. A weak TA can lead to serious back problems down the road for those who can't engage it properly. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-04-2007

As a personal trainer for almost 14 years, I've seen a lot of people throw around more weight than they can safely handle. The reason for this is because we're all taught that to get bigger, stronger muscles, we need to lift heavy weights. That's true, but you also have to lift them correctly to get any benefit from the exercise. I always aim to squeeze the muscle at the top of the contraction. In other words, flex the muscle you're working while it's under the maximum load of whatever it is you're lifting. Your ego might suffer from a reduction of your poundages, but your body will thank you. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-10-2007

My client asked me this morning what the best part of my job was. I told her the best part of personal training is watching people succeed. I love learning so I'm always reading up on new stuff and inventing my own techniques, but the best by far has to be watching people blossom and feel good about themselves. Very often people arrive at a gym for the first time and feel lousy about themselves. This whole process gives them a great sense of accomplishment in an arena they've likely never been in before. It's a great feeling. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-13-2007

Maintain Muscular Balance When designing a program, select similar number of exercises and sets for opposing muscle groups. Some joints may become more susceptible to injury or altered posture when significantly greater training volume is performed on one movement and not the opposite movement. See common muscular weaknesses and postural deficiencies. Symmetry Tip When performing a unilateral exercise, begin with the weaker side first. Then complete only as many repetitions on the stronger side as performed on the weaker side. ROM Criteria Consider setting a range of motion (ROM) criteria on those exercises which have a peak tension curve (e.g. shrug, hip abduction, calf exercises, etc.). During a warm-up set with a light weight, take note of the angle or height the moving body segment or the position of the apparatus at full range. All subsequent workout repetitions should reach this benchmark without accelerating the weight through this harder portion of the exercise. Starting Back After a Layoff When starting back after a long layoff, it may be advisable to perform only one light set during the first workout(s). A warm-up and moderately intense workout set can be performed during subsequent workout(s). It will take longer to recuperate between workouts if you become too sore by performing too many sets and exercises. The body may adapt more efficiently with less chance of injury if the initial workout is brief and volume and intensity is increased systematically. Monitor Muscle Gains With an accurate body weight, a body composition test can measure both muscle mass and fat weight. Objectively monitor muscle mass gains every month. If muscle gains are not observed over time, exercise and dietary changes can be made in a timely manner. Active Recovery Light activity between sets can improve recovery. In a study conducted at University of Kansas, subjects completed six sets of squats (85% 10RM) with 4 minute rest periods between sets. Rest periods consisted of either sitting quietly (passive recovery) or cycling at 25% or 50% of VO2max (active recovery). Blood lactate was significantly lower when cycling at 25% of VO2max compared to the other two types of rest periods. Following the initial workout, the 25% VO2 recovery group continued to perform more repetitions to exhaustion (65% if 10RM) compared to the other two recovery groups. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-16-2007

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time for sending in their questions. I'm very happy that I'm able to help demystify the fitness world for some of you and show you that it's really no that scary. Moving on to entry # 150... When a lady asked me yesterday point blank "how do I know that you know anything?", I thought it was rather amusing as well as troubling both at the same time. Diplomas and certificates are one way of demonstrating at least some formal education on a particular subject, but the only real gauge as to whether someone is a reputable personal trainer is to ask for references. People can buy clothes to look the part as I could buy a suit and claim to be an attorney. What's really important in this field is experience, knowledge, and a passion for helping others achieve their goals. Unless I'm overlooking something, references speak volumes. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-19-2007

People say to me often times that they are only eating a certain # of calories but they can't lose weight so why is that. The answer is the source of the calories is wrong. As an example, my body requires roughly 4700 calories to maintain my muscle mass and support my very fast metabolism. If I achieved the 4700 through beer pizza and ice cream, the results would be dramatically different. I'd likely still weigh 215 but I'd have a much different body composition. As a general rule we should be eating carbs for 60 % of our calories, proteins for 30 %, and finally good fats should comprise the remaining 10 % of our caloric intake. Since we're all different, this is just a general rule of thumb and should be tweaked to match the individual. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-22-2007

I was asked by a personal training client of mine this afternoon about the benefits of having a home gym. I explained that home gyms are fantastic. They usually end up being clothing racks and eventually disassembled and relegated to the basement/garage, but they're great. One of the great things about belonging to a gym is that it makes you show up. Once you've driven however far it is you need to go to get there, you're less likely to say forget this, I'll grab a beer and see what's on tv. If you're one of the very few who'd actually use the home gym for it's designed purpose, knock yourself out. The rest of us are better off saving our money and simply joining a gym. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-25-2007

I have got a flood of e mails recently regarding the usage and safety of prohormones. For those unaware, prohormones and derived from the same compounds as steroids but then altered so as to not be the same illegal substance. Some of them are steroids in a different suit and others are merely sugar pills. If you're considering taking these supplements, you need to understand what they are and the possible side effects they may have on your body. As an example, it's very necessary to protect one's liver while using them. How do you protect your liver adequately? That's a whole other lecture. These products aren't safe to fool with. If you've decided to take them, you need to be educated as to how to do it properly and safely as well as how to keep all the gains when the cycle is over so it wasn't a big waste of time in the first place. If there's any doubt or you're under 25 years old, stay away from them. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-29-2007

Many times a personal training client will come into the gym and be bogged down with whatever stress is in their life at the moment. It's only human to be stressed occasionally, but to let it interfere with everything else is where we need to draw the line. I'm always happy to lend an ear if someone's interested in talking, but I'd prefer to do it on mutual time as opposed to training time so as we can still get in a great workout and bring you that much closer to your goals. Most times, that release of energy from a workout is plenty to make things look a whole lot better and more positive. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-01-2007

I received this question via e mail today... "I notice that the more Whole Foods I eat and the less Shakes I drink the more harder my Muscles are throughout the day ... although this may just be in my Head ... I've also seemed to notice that the more Shakes I drink and less Whole Foods I eat throughout the day the less Harder my Muscle are ... I've tried this time and time again and have gotten these results. Can you explain why this is so?" Thanks Paul White. Bangor, Maine The answer is simply that processed foods like shakes and protein bars are harder to digest and therefor, aren't as easily absorbed by your body compared to real foods. When you have the chance, eating a real meal as opposed to a meal replacement, regardless of it's nutritional content, will benefit your body better since you'll be able to absorb more nutrients. More nutrients equals more efficient bodily functions as well as better muscle growth. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 10-04-2007

A friend of mine recently had partial shoulder replacement surgery and I've agreed to do the rehab for him. His prognosis for a full recovery is excellent but the one hangup is his impatience to get back into using the shoulder. When we have an injury, we need to give the body adequate time to heal before we engage in any activities which may cause further harm. Prematurely jumping back into action can cause a lot more damage than good. Be patient and soon enough you'll be back to doing whatever it is you love to do. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-07-2007

I was asked this afternoon about meal replacement products such as high protein sports drinks. I have no problems with those products so long as they aren't loaded with unhealthy chemicals such as aspartame for example. You also need to be realistic about how much protein you need and can actually handle. Too much protein is a bad thing in that it leads to excess body fat and worse yet, a punishing of the kidneys. Some of those drinks have too much for the average person so if you're inclined to use this kind of product, it'd be a smart thing to be very choosy about which one you settle on. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-10-2007

Injuries can cause you to lose the gains you have made, cause you to miss workouts, lead to poor sleeping habits, and even end a promising athletic career. TYPES OF INJURIES 1. Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendon connecting muscle to bone. 2. Strain: Over-stretch/over-use of a muscle. 3. Sprain: Over-stretching a ligament connecting two bones. 4. Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa sack which serves as padding between a muscle and a bony prominence. 5. Avulsion: Complete tearing of a muscle. Typically along the junction between the muscle and its tendon. 6. Contusion: Bruising caused by impact. 7. Fracture: Breakage of a bone. Can be complete, partial, or from compression. COMMON INJURIES 1. Neck Strain: Injury resulting from undo stress placed on the muscles of the neck. Common during shoulder shrugs, squats, etc. 2. Pectoral Tear: Injury resulting from avulsion/tearing of the tendon connecting the Pectoralis Major to the humerous. Most often seen in people who overuse anabolic steroids (discussed later). A minor tear will be painful and may demonstrate minimal bruising. A major tear will result in a balling of the muscle towards the sternum with a significant amount of bruising. 3. Elbow Tendonitis: * Triceps Tendonitis: Pain along the tendon of the triceps connecting into the pointed part of the elbow. Resulting from overuse. * Lateral Epicondylitis / Tennis Elbow: Pain along the lateral epicondyle (outer bone on the upper portion of the forearm). Results from strain placed along the origin of the extensor muscles of the forearm. Can ultimately result in tearing of these muscles. * Medial Epicondylitis/ Golfer's Elbow: Pain at the medial epicondyle (inner bone on the upper portion of the forearm). Due to overuse of the flexor muscles of the wrist usually indicated by pain with gripping weights. 1. Back Strain/Sprain: Indicated by pain at center of lower back, along top of gluteal muscles, or along paraspinal muscles. Usually resulting from lifting too much weight or using poor form during squats or deadlifts. 2. Knee Strain/Sprain: Various injuries include meniscal tears, patellar tendonitis, ACL tears, bursitis. Will be indicated by pain along the joint line of the knee, behind the knee joint, or just below the knee cap along the patellar tendon. 3. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Soreness in a muscle that has been worked. Typically occurs within 24-48 hours and should be gone within 72 hours. Resulting from build up of cortisol, lactic acid, or micro tears in the muscle. How do you prevent injuries from occurring? # Warm Up: Perform 15-20 repetitions of the exercise you are preparing to do using very light weight. You can also aid the warm-up process by walking on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes before your workout. # Stretch: After warming up, stretch the muscles you are preparing to work. Take the joint to the end of its range of motion and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute. It is important to hold the stretch and not bounce. Bouncing a non-warm, non-stretched muscle can result in injury. # Focus: Keep your mind on what you are doing. The easiest way to hurt yourself or someone else in the gym is to no pay attention to what you are doing. It can be very easy to drop a plate or dumb bell on your foot if you are watching the girls in the aerobics room or chatting with your buddy. Maintaining focus will also help to keep your form proper and to give a safe spot to your partner. # Diet: A diet high in protein will help to maintain muscle fiber strength and help to promote a quicker recovery. Supplements such as Glutamine will also help to speed recovery. # Shoes: DO NOT WEAR SANDALS TO THE GYM!!!! Open-toed shoes offer no protection whatsoever against falling plates, other people stepping on your foot, or catching a toenail on the edge of a machine. Wear stiff-soled comfortable shoes. If you do much running or walking you should replace your shoes every 3-4 months. # Wrapping: Using knee wraps during heavy squats help to protect your knee joints. They do this by helping to increase external pressure and distribute strain across a larger area. Wrist wraps are useful during heavy lifts such as dead lifts or shrugs. They not only prevent you from dropping the weight but will allow you to lift heavier due to the fact that you don't have to worry about your grip. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-13-2007

Since we spent a little time discussing injuries, I'd like to focus a bit on a very common weightlifting injury, the muscle tear. When you tear a muscle it's because you have overloaded it and the fibers can't deal with the stress of the load and it literally tears the muscle. Of the 3 types of tears, the worst type is when you detach he tendons which hold the muscle to the bone. When this occurs, the muscle falls from gravity and lumps up wherever down is. Surgery is necessary to reattach it and approximately 8 months of rehabilitation is required for a full recovery. The other type of tear, one which is far less serious, is a muscle belly tear. That happens for the same reasons but is less serious because it will repair itself usually within a month or so depending on how badly it was injured. In this situation, heavy bruising and swelling will be present at and near the point of injury and the muscle will tighten. As soon as it happens, you want to ice it for a couple of days and then heat is necessary as well as stretching in order to assure proper lengthening of the new tissue. The simplest type of tear is usually so slight that it isn't usually noticed by whoever has one. You might see a little bruising of the area but generally not. It's painless and usually heals in a few days nicely. Your best bet? Get plenty of rest, warm up thoroughly, and stick with weights you know you can handle. That's no guarantee of injury prevention, but it certainly will reduce the likelyhood. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-16-2007

Protein: Protein is the key ingredient to dieting because it acts as a stabilizer for sugars. Protein slows down the process that glucose, sugar, travels into the bloodstream. It rebuilds muscle tissue, supports fat loss for energy, provides calcium, vitamin A, B2, B12, supports the immune system, appetite suppressant, and maintains growth of hair, nails, and skin. 35% of your calories should come from protein. Recommended Sources: o Egg whites o White chicken meat o Turkey o Any fish o Low-fat or fat-free cheese o Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese o Protein bars o Protein shakes As a guide for meats, use the palm of your hand or a deck of cards to determine the serving size. Whenever eating a carbohydrate, always eat a protein with it. -> Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are sugars that provide energy, better concentration, and good source of fiber. 45% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. Fibrous Carbohydrates are fruits and vegetables which are a natural source that is full of nutritional value and should always be included in your daily diet. -> Fats: Fats provide essential fatty acids, energy, appetite suppressant; good fats help our bodies release the bad fats. If your daily fat intake is cut back too much, your body will preserve fat for survival rather than release it for energy. Calories * Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories * Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories * Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories * Ratio: 45-35-20% * 3500 calories make up 1 pound of fat If you cut out 500 calories from your diet, you could save/lose 1 pound a week. If you cut out 1000 calories from your diet, you could save/lose 2 pounds a week. It is not a good idea to be losing more than 2 pounds each week. (If you have a fast metabolism add 500 calories/ slow metabolism deduct 500 calories) Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-19-2007

I went to Subway for a sandwich the other day and saw the kids menu and was pretty surprised. Either parents have no idea of what they're putting into their kids' mouths, or Subway plays people for stupid. Either way, it wasn't pretty. 2 of the items were fruit juice which contained 30+ grams of sugar and the other was a "healthy yogurt" that had almost 30 grams of sugar in it. Add a cookie to that and you wonder why more and more kids are obese? Skip the cookie and stick with the "healthy" choices. You've got 60 grams of sugar there. To put it in perspective, a can of coke has 43 grams and doesn't pretend to be a healthy alternative to anything. Kids need balanced meals just like adults. Just because it's packaged and marketed towards them doesn't mean it's a good idea. The daycare where we send our 8 month old showed me the menu for the older kids and it consisted of deep fried fatty foods and hot dogs. Why would you feed a kid that? Occasionally, sure. It's fun food, but on a regular basis? It's not exactly setting up the kids for success if you ask me. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-22-2007

Well, I finally did it. I am opening my own gym! It's called Austin Fitness Center and it will be a ultra equipped yet down to earth, comfortable gym for all. Why did I do this? Simple. Austin doesn't have this kind of facility yet. Austin has a variety of expensive big box gym and a variety of really expensive smaller/ mid size gyms, but this is a neighborhood gym/training studio that will have it all. Including low rates! We'll open @ Nov 10th. I can't wait! http://www.austinfitnesscenter.com 512 282 0300 Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 10-26-2007

One thing as a personal trainer that I hear all the time is "I'm eating right, I'm lifting well, but gains aren't happening". When I inquire about their sleep habits, more often than not, they'll report 4 hours, 6 hours per night. Of course you're not going to build muscle or give your body adequate time to recover from a workout of you're only sleeping 4-6 hours. When we sleep is when our bodies repair themselves and build the muscles that we're working on so hard. Depriving oneself of sleep is like depriving oneself of food and wondering why you aren't making progress. You should sleep anywhere from 7-9 hours in a 24 hour cycle. Less than that simply negates all the effort you put in elsewhere. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-30-2007

I can't tell you how many times I hear things like "I eat everything my friend does and workout twice as hard, but still, she looks better than me". The harsh truth is, maybe she always will and the reason can be summed up in 1 word: Genetics. Some people simply don't have to work as hard. It's akin to having a natural ability at something like playing music. It comes more naturally to some than it does to others. No reason to fret. Everyone has strengths and weakness'. You should focus on your strengths to keep a positive outlook and attack your weakness'. I always say, don't worry about other people. Just do your absolute best and you'll be fine. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-3-2007

I figured I'd address the "burning" question of the week here! Everyone seemingly is asking me about when my new gym Austin Fitness Center will be open. The answer is hopefully Nov 12. I'm expecting the last shipments this week and am going to be bolting it all together over the weekend. Then... we're open! My wife has been working tirelessly along side of me to get this all together and to do it right. I promise, it'll be worth the wait (or should I say weight?)... ok that was bad... sorry. See you at the Austin Fitness Center next week! 3100 Slaughter Lane Austin, TX 78748. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 11-06-2007

Lately, there's been a revelation of sorts thrown at the medical community regarding pregnancy and exercise. A lady who was 7 months pregnant completed a marathon and in very good time. A lady who was pregnant swam the English channel in just over 9 hours, which too, is very good time. Doctors in the past had worried about the strain on the abdominal muscles during the movements of the activities, as well as the increased body heat damaging the unborn fetus. Interestingly, the latest findings show that raising the body temperature of a pregnant woman to reasonable levels, is not going to have adverse effects on the fetus. As far as abdominal strains are concerned, as long as the woman works there way up and is acclimated to exercise, then it doesn't seem to be an issue either. There are definite limitations for pregnant women in the gym. There's no question and as a personal trainer for 14 years, I've worked with many pregnant clients. There are many safeguards in place such as no targeting the abdominals, no laying flat on the back, no heavy lifting, etc. These aren't likely to change anytime soon. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-09-2007

A personal training client of mine asked me this morning about her protein powder. I recognized the product as a good one but cautioned her about following the directions. She shouldn't. They say to take 2 scoops in a shake and that would equal 60 grams of protein. That's entirely too much in a serving for a woman who weighs 140 lbs. Overloading your body with protein like that can severely hurt your kidneys for one thing, and for another, your body can only process so much protein at a time and what doesn't get excreted, will convert to glucose and be stored as fat. 2 undesirable scenarios. The most protein you should consume unless you're an athlete, is 1 gram per pound of body weight in a day and your meals should be split up and balanced so that there's protein, carbs and good fats in all of them whenever possible so there's no overload. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-12-2007

Before I get to the question, I'd like to sincerely thank all my family, friends, and clients who have encouraged me and helped me along the way in creating my gym Austin Fitness Center and made all this possible. We've been open for less than a week now and the response is amazing so far! Again, thank you all. The question posed to me this morning by long time client and friend extraordinaire, Debbie Conner is what do you do when your body's cold from being outside and you want to start your workout? What's the best way to warm up? My answer is simply walking on the treadmill will get things going for you, but start slowly at a easy pace. I'd suggest wearing layers of clothing and slowly shedding them as you warm until you feel you're at a good temperature to begin your workout. Once you begin, it's very important to employ a proper warm up with the weights in order to avoid injury. It takes a little longer, but the injuries avoided make it very worthwhile. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 11-16-2007

I was asked by a gym member today if perfect form is necessary. I replied that perfect form varies with the individual. For example, if your hips are tight but not too tight to squat, you're not going to have the same form as one with non tight hips. Is it bad? No it's not. It's just different. A lot of trainers subscribe to the belief that you have to fix every tightness and imbalance there is to train. I strongly disagree. Your body is a machine and not all parts are equal. You have to bring up the weak to get it close to the strong parts, but expecting things to be equal is ridiculous. We need to pick on the parts that lag so you'll be less prone to injury but as far as putting off goals so some guy can measure your spinal curve with a stick and stretch your quads is downright foolishness and not what you're likely wanting to pay for. Aside from that, the "elite" people who do these things overlook a lot of the basic principals of exercise. A fine example is watching those trainers have people perform squats and allowing the knees to cross over the plane of the toes. That does nothing but stress the heck out of your knees. Personally, if I was paying for a trainer, I'd rather they put the stick down and focused on what's important. Namely my goals! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-20-2007

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. People often overeat during Thanksgiving because it's a tradition or it's been served in front of them. I think it's silly to do this and pay the price later. The turkey, potatoes, veggies, salads, etc are all fine but the endless pie and ice cream should be re thought. It's not hard to get through the holidays without putting on weight. It just requires some thought and some resolution to make good choices. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-23-2007

As a personal trainer, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people take a little break from the gym only never to return. It's like anything else. You need to stick with it to build some results and momentum. Once you do it for a couple of weeks, you'll feel a difference. You may even see a difference depending on how seriously you pursue it. It's ok when a holiday or an event supersedes a workout or 2, but it's very important to jump right back into it immediately so as to not lose your head of steam. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-26-2007

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color. A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain-a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely bereft of its original nutrients. Brown rice is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. By law in the United States, fully milled and polished white rice must be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3, and iron. But the form of these nutrients when added back into the processed rice is not the same as in the original unprocessed version, and at least 11 lost nutrients are not replaced in any form even with rice "enrichment." Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 11-29-2007

I was asked via e mail this afternoon what is meant by the term whole food. Whole foods contain nothing more than the naturally occurring nutrients and phytonutrients intrinsic to the original plant or animal from which the food was derived. Whole foods rely on the natural components for their delicious flavors, vibrant colors, and rich textures. Whole foods retain all their vital constituents in the original form in which Nature provided to them; no nutrients have been removed or remodeled, and no synthetic, artificial chemicals have been added. The word "whole" is derived from the Greek root "holon," which means both a single organism and the entire universe, and signifies that these are single entities but are entwined, synergistic lives woven together to form the whole. The word "food" traces back to the Olde English word "fode," and means to foster, to nourish, and to encourage growth. So, philosophically, the concept of "whole foods" is rooted in an integrated universe in which foods contain the spectrum of essential, synergistic nutrients that, when consumed, foster in us a balanced vitality and wholeness. Health-promoting foods such as plant foods contain thousands of molecules, some of which have been defined as essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and others are called phytonutrients but are not designated as "essential". Still, many of these non-essential phytonutrients have been shown to support health and well-being and are associated with a decrease in risk of a variety of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and chronic conditions like arthritis. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-02-2007

Just what does it mean when a food is labeled organic? The U.S. Department of Agriculture finally issued a new national seal designed to bring clarity and assurance to consumers that foods bearing the seal are certified organic following USDA standards which were 10 years in the making. Organic LabelBeginning Oct. 21, only foods certified as at least 95 percent organic - that is, produced without most pesticides, toxic fertilizers, growth hormones and antibiotics - will be allowed to carry the official "USDA organic" seal. One caveat: The new rules apply only to food produced on or after Oct. 21, so it may be several months before the seal becomes commonplace in grocery aisles, particularly on packaged foods where the turnover is slower. The new USDA national standards replace what had been a mishmash of certification systems run by individual states and private groups. The USDA seal will ensure consumers are actually purchasing a product that is truly organic rather than a creatively worded package that advertises itself as organic when only a few ingredients actually are. Under the new rules, foods will be labeled as belonging to one of four categories: 1. Food that is 100 percent organic may carry the new "USDA organic" label and say "100% organic." 2. Food that is at least 95 percent organic may carry the new seal. 3. Food that is at least 70 percent organic will list the organic ingredients on the front of the package. 4. If a product is less than 70 percent organic, the organic ingredients may be listed on the side of the package but cannot say "organic" on the front. The national organic program rules prohibit the use of conventional pesticides, petroleum- or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation and synthetic substances. Foods certified as organic must be produced using growing methods that minimize soil erosion and that maintain or enhance the fertility of the soil. Organic farms need to prove that these materials have not been used for at least three years. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones, must be fed organic feed and have access to the outdoors. Before a product can be labeled "organic," an inspector visits the farm where the food is produced to make sure the farm meets USDA standards. Look for the word "organic" and a small sticker version of the USDA organic seal on vegetables or pieces of fruit or on the sign above the organic produce display. The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. Use of the seal is voluntary. The federal government's stamp of approval is an important step toward mainstream acceptance for the rapidly growing industry. Organic food sales in the U.S. are increasing by about 20 percent a year and are expected to surpass $11 billion in 2002 and $20 billion in 2005. The new USDA's national criteria for labeling are aimed at enabling consumers to make an educated choice among the foods they purchase and also include the safeguard of fines for misrepresentation. New federal laws for organic certification assess penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of selling or labeling products "organic" when they are not or when organic food is contaminated with non-organic compounds. This means that the organic grapes can.t be contaminated by the non-organic apples. Separate tubs and wash water are used to trim and clean produce and if there is an organic display in a place where non-organics have been, it is required that the nonskid mats be replaced and the area cleaned with a mild, bleach solution. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 12-06-2007

Carbohydrates may be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides by the number of sugar units they contain. Monosaccharides contain 1 sugar unit, disaccharides contain 2, and polysaccharides contain 3 or more. Polysaccharides are often referred to as complex carbohydrates because they are long chains of sugar units, whereas monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple carbohydrates. The difference is important to nutritionists because complex carbohydrates take longer to metabolize since their sugar units are processed one-by-one off the ends of the chains. Simple carbohydrates are metabolized quickly and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly resulting in rapid increases in blood insulin levels. Several lines of evidence indicate lifestyle-induced hyperinsulinemia and reduced insulin function (i.e. insulin resistance) as a decisive factor in many disease states. For example, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are strongly linked to chronic inflammation, which in turn is strongly linked to a variety of adverse developments such as arterial microinjuries and clot formation (i.e. heart disease) and exaggerated cell division (i.e. cancer). Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (the so-called metabolic syndrome) are characterized by a combination of abdominal obesity, elevated blood sugar, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood triglycerides, and reduced HDL cholesterol. The negative impact of hyperinsulinemia on prostaglandin PGE1/PGE2 balance may be significant. The state of obesity clearly contributes to insulin resistance, which in turn can cause type 2 diabetes. Virtually all obese and most type 2 diabetic individuals have marked insulin resistance. Although the association between overweight and insulin resistance is clear, the exact (likely multifarious) causes of insulin resistance remain less clear. Importantly, it has been demonstrated that appropriate exercise, more regular food intake and reducing glycemic load (see below) all can reverse insulin resistance in overweight individuals (and thereby lower blood sugar levels in those who have type 2 diabetes). Obesity can unfavourably alter hormonal and metabolic status via resistance to the hormone leptin, and a vicious cycle may occur in which insulin/leptin resistance and obesity aggravate one another. The vicious cycle is putatively fuelled by continuously high insulin/leptin stimulation and fat storage, as a result of high intake of strongly insulin/leptin stimulating foods and energy. Both insulin and leptin normally function as satiety signals to the hypothalamus in the brain; however, insulin/leptin resistance may reduce this signal and therefore allow continued overfeeding despite large body fat stores. In addition, reduced leptin signalling to the brain may reduce leptin's normal effect to maintain an appropriately high metabolic rate. There is a debate about how and to what extent different dietary factors -- e.g. intake of processed carbohydrates, total protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake, intake of saturated and trans fatty acids, and low intake of vitamins/minerals -- contribute to the development of insulin- and leptin resistance. In any case, analogous to the way modern man-made pollution may potentially overwhelm the environment's ability to maintain 'homeostasis', the recent explosive introduction of high Glycemic Index- and processed foods into the human diet may potentially overwhelm the body's ability to maintain homeostasis and health. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-09-2007

What is protein? Protein is composed of amino acids that are the body's structural(muscles, skin, hair etc.) materials. The body requires amino acids to produce new body protein (protein retention) and to replace damaged proteins (maintenance) that are lost in the urine. In animals amino acid requirements are classified in terms of essential (an animal cannot produce them) and non-essential (the animal can produce them from other nitrogen containing compounds) amino acids. Consuming a diet that contains adequate amounts of essential (but also non-essential) amino acids is particularly important for growing animals, who have a particularly high requirement. Dietary sources of protein include meats, eggs, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Proteins can be converted into carbohydrates through a process called gluconeogenesis. Andy bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-12-2007

Heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes are commonly called "Western" diseases because these maladies were once rarely seen in developing countries. One study in China found some regions had essentially no cancer or heart disease, while in other areas they reflected “up to a 100-fold increase” coincident with diets that were found to be entirely plant-based to heavily animal-based, respectively. In contrast, diseases of affluence like cancer and heart disease are common throughout the United States. Adjusted for age and exercise, large regional clusters of people in China rarely suffered from these “Western” diseases possibly because their diets are rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. The United Healthcare/Pacificare nutrition guideline recommends a whole plant food diet, and recommends using protein only as a condiment with meals. A National Geographic (November 2005) cover article, titled The Secrets of LIVING LONGER also recommends a whole plant food diet. The article is a lifestyle survey of three populations, Sardinians, Okinawans, and Adventists, who generally display longevity and "suffer a fraction of the diseases that commonly kill people in other parts of the developed world, and enjoy more healthy years of life. In sum, they offer three sets of 'best practices' to emulate. The rest is up to you." In common with all three groups is to "Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains." The National Geographic article noted that a NIH funded study of 34,000 Seventh-Day Adventists between 1976 and 1988 "...found that the Adventists' habit of consuming beans, soy milk, tomatoes, and other fruits lowered their risk of developing certain cancers. It also suggested that eating whole grain bread, drinking five glasses of water a day, and, most surprisingly, consuming four servings of nuts a week reduced their risk of heart disease." Note that cancer is now common in developing countries. According a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer: “In the developing world, cancers of the liver, stomach and esophagus were more common, often linked to consumption of carcinogenic preserved foods, such as smoked or salted food, and parasitic infections that attack organs.” Lung cancer rates are rising rapidly in poorer nations because of increased use of tobacco. Developed countries “tended to have cancers linked to affluence or a "Western lifestyle" -- cancers of the colon, rectum, breast and prostate -- that can be caused by obesity, lack of exercise, diet and age. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 12-16-2007

Maintaining hydration during periods of physical exertion is key to good performance. While drinking too much water during activities can lead to physical discomfort, dehydration in excess of 2% of body mass (by weight) markedly hinders athletic performance. It is recommended that an athlete drink about 400-600 mL 2-3 hours before activity, during exercise he or she should drink 150-350mL every 15 to 20 minutes and after exercise that he or she replace sweat loss by drinking 450-675 mL for every 0.5 kg body weight loss during activity.[citation needed] Some studies have shown that an athlete that drinks before they feel thirsty stays cooler and performs better than one who drinks on thirst cues, although recent studies of such races as the Boston Marathon have indicated that this recommendation can lead to the problem of overhydration.[citation needed] Additional carbohydrates and protein before, during, and after exercise increase time to exhaustion as well as speed recovery. Dosage is based on work performed, lean body mass, and environmental factors, especially ambient temperature and humidity. Excess water intake, without replenishment of sodium and potassium salts, leads to hyponatremia, which can further lead to water intoxication at more dangerous levels. A well-publicized case occurred in 2007, when Jennifer Strange died while participating in a water-drinking contest.[20] More usually, the condition occurs in long-distance endurance events (such as marathon or triathlon competition and training) and causes gradual mental dulling, headache, drowsiness, weakness, and confusion; extreme cases may result in coma, convulsions, and death. The primary damage comes from swelling of the brain, caused by increased osmosis as blood salinity decreases. Effective fluid replacement techniques include Water aid stations during running/cycling races, trainers providing water during team games such as Soccer and devices such as Camel Backs which can provide water for a person without making it too hard to drink the water. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 12-19-2007

I'm often asked why some people have a tougher time than most with reflux, heartburn, and stomach pains. There are many causes and contributing factors for the above listed ailments, but the first thing to do would be to get the diet and the digestive system in order and then see if the problem persists. The human digestion system contains a population of a range of bacteria and yeast such as Bacteroides, L. acidophilus and E. coli which are essential to digestion, and which are also affected by the food we eat. Bacteria in the gut fulfill a host of important functions for humans, including breaking down and aiding in the absorption of otherwise indigestible food; stimulating cell growth; repressing the growth of harmful bacteria, training the immune system to respond only to pathogens; and defending against some diseases. Our bodies regulate the amount of bacteria in the gut but when the "supply" becomes low, it's a good idea to supplement with acidophilus and or digestive enzymes which are readily available at any health food store. Things such as a poor diety, reflux medication, as well as stress can contribute to a decline in the production of digestive enzymes and these need to be replenished in order to maintain digestive health and function. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-23-2007

As cellular metabolism/energy production requires oxygen, potentially damaging (e.g. mutation causing) compounds known as radical oxygen species or free radicals form as a result. For normal cellular maintenance, growth, and division, these free radicals must be sufficiently neutralized by antioxidant compounds, some produced by the body with adequate precursors (glutathione, Vitamin C in most animals) and those that the body cannot produce may only be obtained through the diet through direct sources (Vitamin C in humans, Vitamin A, Vitamin K) or produced by the body from other compounds (Beta-carotene converted to Vitamin A by the body, Vitamin D synthesized from cholesterol by sunlight). Different antioxidants are now known to function in a cooperative network, e.g. vitamin C can reactivate free radical-containing glutathione or vitamin E by accepting the free radical itself, and so on. Some antioxidants are more effective than others at neutralizing different free radicals. Some cannot neutralize certain free radicals. Some cannot be present in certain areas of free radical development (Vitamin A is fat-soluble and protects fat areas, Vitamin C is water soluble and protects those areas). When interacting with a free radical, some antioxidants produce a different free radical compound that is less dangerous or more dangerous than the previous compound. Having a variety of antioxidants allows any byproducts to be safely dealt with by more efficient antioxidants in neutralizing a free radical's butterfly effect. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 12-27-2007

Happy New Year!!!!!!!! A lot of people are going to start going to gyms this month but unfortunately, a lot of them will quit soon thereafter. What can you do to ensure you'll stick with it? Take it slowly! Don't dive in because you used to lift weights years ago. Pace yourself. Your intensity will increase as will your success' as long as you're consistent with your workouts and your nutrition. If you're going to get in shape, go all the way. Get your nutrition set up and you'll maximize your results. Just think, it's way better to find yourself in August 08 marveling at the new you than seeing yourself in Feb 08 disgruntled and feeling like a quitter! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-04-2008

About 70% of the non-fat mass of the human body is made of water. To function properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water per day to avoid dehydration; the precise amount depends on the level of activity, temperature, humidity, and other factors. With physical exertion and heat exposure, water loss will increase and daily fluid needs may increase as well. It is not clear how much water intake is needed by healthy people, although some experts assert that 8–10 glasses of water (approximately 2 liters) daily is the minimum to maintain proper hydration. The "fact" that a person should consume eight glasses of water per day cannot be traced back to a scientific source. There are other myths such as the effect of water on weight loss and constipation that have been dispelled. Original recommendation for water intake in 1945 by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council read: "An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods." The latest dietary reference intake report by the United States National Research Council in general recommended (including food sources): 2.7 liters of water total for women and 3.7 liters for men. Specifically, pregnant and breastfeeding women need additional fluids to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine—who recommend that, on average, women consume 2.2 litres and men 3.0 litres—this is recommended to be 2.4 litres (approx. 9 cups) for pregnant women and 3 litres (approx. 12.5 cups) for breastfeeding women since an especially large amount of fluid is lost during nursing.[11] For those who have healthy kidneys, it is rather difficult to drink too much water, but (especially in warm humid weather and while exercising) it is dangerous to drink too little. People can drink far more water than necessary while exercising, however, putting them at risk of water intoxication, which can be fatal. Normally, about 20 percent of water intake comes from food, while the rest comes from drinking water and beverages (caffeinated included). Water is excreted from the body in multiple forms; through urine and feces, through sweating, and by exhalation of water vapor in the breath. Drink up! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 1-07-2007

I was asked about the importance of fiber in the diet yesterday. Fiber is very necessary for health. Dietary fiber consists mainly of cellulose that is indigestible because we do not have enzymes to digest it. Fruits and vegetables are rich in dietary fiber. Importance of dietary fiber: * provides bulk to the intestinal contents * stimulates peristalsis (rhytmic muscular contractions passing along the digestive tract)thus a lack of fiber in the diet leads to constipation (failure to pass motions. Fiber is something most people don't get enough of and it often leads to digestion or elimination issues. If you eat a daily salad and a serving of veggies you can avoid problems and help your body in it's efficiency. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 1-11-2008

Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen which are present in common organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to describe ions, not chemical compounds or actual minerals. Some dietitians recommend that these heavier elements should be supplied by ingesting specific foods (that are enriched in the element(s) of interest), compounds, and sometimes including even minerals, such as calcium carbonate. Sometimes these "minerals" come from natural sources such as ground oyster shells. Sometimes minerals are added to the diet separately from food, such as mineral supplements, the most famous being iodine in "iodized salt." Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-14-2008

Mineral and/or vitamin deficiency or excess may yield symptoms of diminishing health such as scurvy, osteoporosis, a weak immune system, disorders of cell metabolism, certain forms of cancer, symptoms of premature aging, and poor psychological health (including eating disorders), among many others. As of 2005, twelve vitamins and about the same number of minerals are recognized as "essential nutrients", meaning that they must be consumed and absorbed or in the case of vitamin D, alternatively synthesized via UVB radiation - to prevent deficiency symptoms and death. Certain vitamin-like substances found in foods, such as carnitine, have also been found essential to survival and health, but these are not strictly "essential" to eat because the body can produce them from other compounds. Moreover, thousands of different phytochemicals have recently been discovered in food. Particularly in fresh vegetables which have many known and yet to be explored properties including antioxidant activity. Other essential nutrients include essential amino acids, choline and the essential fatty acids. There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about vitamins! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 1-17-2008

Per request, I'll continue with the "nutrition series" of entries in my journal. This time, I'll address fats. Fats are composed of fatty acids, long carbon/hydrogen chains bonded to a glycerol. Fat may be classified as saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats have all of their carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms, whereas unsaturated fats have some of their carbon atoms double-bonded in place of a hydrogen atom. Generally, saturated fat is solid at room temperature while unsaturated fat is a liquid. Unsaturated fats may be further classified as mono-unsaturated (one double-bond) or poly-unsaturated (many double-bonds). Trans fats are saturated fats which are typically created from unsaturated fat by adding the extra hydrogen atoms in a process called hydrogenation (also called hydrogenated fat). Most fatty acids are non-essential, meaning the body can produce them as needed, however, at least two fatty acids are essential and must be consumed in the diet. An appropriate balance of essential fatty acids - omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids - has been discovered to be crucial for maintaining health. Both of these unique "omega" long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are substrates for a class of eicosanoids known as prostaglandins which function as hormones. The omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (which can be made in the body from the omega-3 essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), or taken in through marine food sources), serves as building block for series 3 prostaglandins (e.g. weakly-inflammation PGE3). The omega-6 dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) serves as building block for series 1 prostaglandins (e.g. anti-inflammatory PGE1), whereas arachidonic acid (AA) serves as building block for series 2 prostaglandins (e.g. pro-inflammatory PGE 2). Both DGLA and AA are made from the omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) in the body, or can be taken in directly through food. An appropriately balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 partly determines the relative production of different prostaglandins, which partly explains the importance of omega-3/omega-6 balance for cardiovascular health. In industrialised societies, people generally consume large amounts of processed vegetable oils that have reduced amounts of essential fatty acids along with an excessive amount of omega-6 relative to omega-3. The rate of conversions of omega-6 DGLA to AA largely determines the production of the respective prostaglandins PGE1 and PGE2. Omega-3 EPA prevents AA from being released from membranes, thereby skewing prostaglandin balance away from pro-inflammatory PGE2 made from AA toward anti-inflammatory PGE1 made from DGLA. Moreover, the conversion (desaturation) of DGLA to AA is controlled by the enzyme delta-5-desaturase, which in turn is controlled by hormones such as insulin (up-regulation) and glucagon (down-regulation). Because different types and amounts of food eaten/absorbed affect insulin, glucagon and other hormones to varying degrees, not only the amount of omega-3 versus omega-6 eaten but also the general composition of the diet therefore determine health implications in relation to essential fatty acids, inflammation (e.g. immune function) and mitosis (i.e. cell division). Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-20-2008

A friend of mine tore her supraspinatus a long time ago and never bothered to do anything about it. Unfortunately for her, it now is a much bigger problem. Now we're trying to undo months of neglect that have caused serious imbalances and tightness' elsewhere in her body that are severely limiting her ability to do functional tasks. Her tightness' are so great at this point that she can't lift the affected arm over her head. Not even close. What should she have done? As soon as you realize you have a problem, you can't ignore it in hopes of it's disappearance. You have to attack it. In this case, she should have applied ice for the first 48 hours and then immediately began a stretching regimen with heat applied to the affected area. When a muscle is torn, it rebuilds itself but much tighter. When a muscle is tight, it pulls on other muscles thus reducing their ability to perform their own functions. A bad chain of tightness is what results from ignoring the problem. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-23-2008

It's been almost 3 months since my wife and I opened the Austin Fitness Center. We have over 100 members now and it's going very well. I set out to open a friendly neighborhood gym void of pretense and stereotypical gym annoyances such as exorbitant rates and initiation fees. We also have been striving to keep the atmosphere positive and local so to speak. By that I mean a place where people know your name and are glad to see you stop by. I think we've achieved that. The members here represent all different backgrounds and work out side by side in harmony. That's exactly what I was hoping to achieve. A gym where everybody is made to feel comfortable and welcome. Thanks for making it happen. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 1-26-2008

It was a baffling medical mystery. A 21-year-old woman showed up at her doctor's office after having suffered abdominal pains and severe diarrhea for eight months — and losing 25 pounds. Another patient, a 46-year-old man, arrived at the hospital with similar complaints. He had lost nearly 50 pounds. In both cases, which occurred in Germany, the symptoms could have pointed to a severe food intolerance, serious bowel problems or worse. But after a battery of medical tests and a complete medical history, doctors in Berlin finally unlocked the secret behind the massive weight loss in these patients. Sugarless gum. And lots of it. Specifically, an ingredient in sugar-free gum called sorbitol — used instead of sugar to make the gum sweet — turned out to be the key culprit in both cases. In a report published Thursday in the British Medical Journal, the German doctors said the female patient had chewed up to 16 sticks of sugarless gum per day, while the male patient consumed about 20 sticks daily. But in addition to being used as a sweetener, the ingredient has other uses in the medical arena. "Both our patients consumed large amounts of sorbitol, which belongs to the family of polyalcohol sugars, like mannitol and xylitol, some of which are regularly used as laxatives," the study authors write. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 1-30-2008

A growing area of interest is the effect upon human health of trace chemicals, collectively called phytochemicals, antioxidant nutrients typically found in edible plants, especially colorful fruits and vegetables (see Whole Foods Diet, below). The effects of phytochemicals increasingly survive rigorous testing by prominent health organizations. One of the principal classes of phytochemicals are polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which are known to provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system. These chemicals are known to down-regulate the formation of reactive oxygen species, key chemicals in cardiovascular disease. Perhaps the most rigorously tested phytochemical is zeaxanthin, a yellow-pigmented carotenoid present in many yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. Repeated studies have shown a strong correlation between ingestion of zeaxanthin and the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Less rigorous studies have proposed a correlation between zeaxanthin intake and cataracts. A second carotenoid, lutein, has also been shown to lower the risk of contracting AMD. Both compounds have been observed to collect in the retina when ingested orally, and they serve to protect the rods and cones against the destructive effects of light. Another caretenoid, beta-cryptoxanthin, appears to protect against chronic joint inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis. While the association between serum blood levels of beta-cryptoxanthin and substantially decreased joint disease has been established, neither a convincing mechanism for such protection nor a cause-and-effect have been rigorously studied. Similarly, a red phytochemical, lycopene, has substantial credible evidence of negative association with development of prostate cancer. The correlations between the ingestion of some phytochemicals and the prevention of disease are, in some cases, enormous in magnitude. Even when the evidence is obtained, translating it to practical dietary advice can be difficult and counter-intuitive. Lutein, for example, occurs in many yellow and orange fruits and vegetables and protects the eyes against various diseases. However, it does not protect the eye nearly as well as zeaxanthin, and the presence of lutein in the retina will prevent zeaxanthin uptake. Additionally, evidence has shown that the lutein present in egg yolk is more readily absorbed than the lutein from vegetable sources, possibly because of fat solubility. At the most basic level, the question "should you eat eggs?" is complex to the point of dismay, including misperceptions about the health effects of cholesterol in egg yolk, and its saturated fat content. As another example, lycopene is prevalent in tomatoes (and actually is the chemical that gives tomatoes their red color). It is more highly concentrated, however, in processed tomato products such as commercial pasta sauce, or tomato soup, than in fresh "healthy" tomatoes. Yet, such sauces tend to have high amounts of salt, sugar, other substances a person may wish or even need to avoid. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-03-2008

As people come in and out of the gym throughout the day I'm exposed to a lot. I see a lot of good positive energy, but I also see a lot of self defeating negativity going on as well. This is something that should be addressed by these people because you can't achieve anywhere near the same results with a negative mindset. Stress is a part of everyone's life and there's not much you can do about it. You're going to have some. Deal with it accordingly. Self doubting thoughts are what I'm talking about. In order to achieve something, you need to be able to envision it first. Try it for yourself and see how much more you'll accomplish. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-06-2008

It's unusual for a personal trainer to discuss viral conditions I guess, but I've always prided myself on being atypical. There's a nasty little bug going around Austin, Texas these days that is responsible for Diarrhea lasting roughly 72 hours. I should know. I had the pleasure of catching it. Gym's are hotbeds for contracting virus' and all bacterias in general simply because even the cleanest of gyms (like mine) is still going to harbor germs. There's simply too many people coming and going everyday for it to be avoided. How do you prevent catching the bug? Do what I didn't. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. I suspect that since last week had such bad allergy readings, that I rubbed the virus right into my eyes many times. Ooops. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-09-2008

One question I'm frequently asked is about the hoopla concerning post workout nutrition. Is it really important to get food in and what kind? The answer is undoubtedly yes. You need to replenish immediately and be sure that you're putting protein in your body immediately following a workout. The "anabolic window" is usually 30 minutes following the workout. This of course leads us to the big question. What do I eat then? I recommend a protein shake with some good fats thrown in for energy. If you're thinking real food is better, think again. A steak takes 17 hours to fully digest. Chicken 5 hours, etc etc. A protein shake is absorbed within 20 minutes of consuming it meaning that all the nutrients are finding their way to your muscles and aiding recovery and growth. What kind of protein should you use? Tune in next time! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 2-12-2008

A lady asked me last week about getting more of her lower abs involved and how to do it. I showed her a few exercises such as the hanging ab crunch but explained that it's absolutely impossible to isolate them. Same goes for the inner chest. You can use them, but not exclusively. The best way to get overall ab development is to incorporate a variety of exercises and be consistent with them. Abs are a muscle group which need to be worked more than once weekly so don't be afraid to hit them 2 or 3 times per week. Calves are the same way. You can train these often activated muscles far more often without fear of over training. Just remember, you can't get a sleek waistline without the diet and cardio in place. The muscles get built with the exercise and diet but the cardio needs to be there to get rid of the fat on top of the muscles if you want them to show. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-16-2008

1 question I get all the time as the gym owner is how come I don't charge initiation fees and every other gym does? That's an easy one! They're banking on you not returning so they want to collect your money up front so they get paid regardless if you stick around or not. That's also why it's seemingly impossible to break their contracts. It really sucks for the consumer because you end up losing a lot of money if you don't use the amenities. My gym on the other hand, is banking on you returning. I've created a positive atmosphere with no sales pitches or pressures and made it so that you hopefully will want to come back instead of simply feeling obligated to return. If you're successful, my gym will be successful! Thank you to all of the members (over 140 now and we've only been open since mid November) and as always I'm grateful for the referrals! Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 2-19-2008

As a personal trainer, I'm often asked about body fat percentages. These are useful numbers because they put things in perspective unlike the body mass index. Body fat percentage simply refers to the amount of fat on the body and there are many different ways to measure it. The most common ones being electronic scales that shoot electronic pulses through your bare feet as you're standing on them, and the pinching calipers. Neither of these are exceptionally accurate, especially the scale. The amount of water retention in the body at the moment of measurement will adversely affect the reading. I made an experiment one day and climbed on the scale and was measured at 11%. I drank my protein shake and a bunch of water and then hopped back on. My body fat then measured 17%. Obviously I didn't gain any fat but it goes to show that you need to take these readings with a grain of salt. A lot of personal trainers like to use the pinching calipers but these too are subject to errors. The only proven reliable way to accurately measure your body fat is with a very expensive submersion tank. You'll pay a lot for the use of one, but if you're really wanting to know... Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 2-22-2008

Journals are a great way to monitor your progress in the gym as well as in the dining room. One thing I'll tell personal training clients is to write down everything they're eating, as they're doing it so we both can see what's going on. You'd be surprised at what you're overlooking. When you have a detailed nutrition plan in place, it's good to look at what you're truly ingesting and compare the 2 to see if you're realistically on track or not. Journals are great in the weight room as well because you can monitor your progress. As an example, you may have lifted 100 lbs on the 3rd of the month and then on the 10th of the same month, you were able to lift 105 or maybe do it a few more times. That's progress and it's very useful information. Afterall, if you're not making progress, then what are you here for? Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 2-25-2008

Very frequently I hear of people either starving themselves and then binging in the wrong foods or simply thinking that since they're exercising, they can get away with eating whatever they choose and still lose weight. Both of these approaches are flawed and destined for failure. What a person looking to loose body fat should focus on is a few things. First, exercising on a regular basis. Second, proper nutrition which means 6 well balanced and timed meals throughout the day. Third, raising their metabolism. By doing that, your body becomes much more efficient and you'll burn calories at a much higher rate. How can you raise the metabolism? There's a few ways. The consumption of Flax oil will elevate it as well as provide HDL cholesterol which is a positive benefit. Adding muscle to your frame will raise it as well. Lastly, eating more often and in smaller quantities will raise your metabolism. Combining all 3 approaches would be the quickest way possible to achieve a faster metabolism and a more efficient body. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 2-28-2008

A client asked me an interesting question this morning. How many times per week is ideal to work out? The answer, of course, varies depending on the individual, the goals, and the resources available. A ballpark answer is 3-4 days of vigorous weight lifting and 3 days of cardiovascular exercise as well. The weight lifting will depend on all of the variables listed previously but should be done intensely enough that the heart rate is accelerated enough over the hour to stimulate fat loss. The session should be intense enough too stimulate muscle growth as well. Depending on if you're advanced rather than a novice, if you're training for a sports specific goal, etc these guidelines would need to be altered appropriately but for overall general fitness, this is the basic blueprint. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 3-03-2008

A client of mine e mailed me and asked what do quarterbacks specifically train in order to throw the football so far. The answer surprises a lot of people because they're assume arms and shoulders are the primary muscles involved, but they're not. If you want to increase your throwing distance you work on 2 things. Legs and core. The legs are very powerful muscles. The most powerful in the human body and when you generate massive amounts of torque from there, you have infinitely more power on your throw. The core is what stabilizes the body. Everything you do from opening a can of tuna to throwing a football is done with a lot of core. Babies have a tough time balancing in the early years since their cores haven't developed sufficiently to give them the necessary stability. The brains have a lot to do with that as well, but that's another subject for another entry. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-06-2008

We all have times when we don't feel like going to the gym. It could be the weather, maybe you didn't sleep well last night, maybe you're stressed, etc. It's important that you don't cave to the temptation of skipping a workout. Results are a byproduct of consistency with nutrition as well as exercise. Without both in place on a regular basis, your results will be less than ideal. One trick I often use with myself is to simply remind myself that it's just 1 hour of my day and I'll just do the best that I can. If you're tired, you may not lift as much weight as usual, but you can certainly have as good a workout by cutting down your rest periods or altering any number of parameters. Once you've completed the workout, you'll be glad you did it and you can take satisfaction in the knowledge that your progress is staying on track. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 3-09-2008

An interesting question e mailed to me this afternoon was how many sets per body part in order to gain mass. The answer, like most of my answers, varies depending on the individual. A general rule of thumb to follow is 3 or 4. Small muscle groups such as the biceps or triceps can be worked adequately with 3 sets but larger muscle groups like the back, chest, legs etc develop quicker and more efficiently with 4 sets per exercise. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 3-12-2008

A common question posed to me is how to get rid of fat in a certain area. The answer is always the same. Diet and cardio. You can't spot reduce fat. You can workout the area with weights or resistance of some kind but that will only build muscle under the fat. To see the muscle you must lose the fat and in order to accomplish that, you'll need to increase cardio and alter your nutrition. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-15-2008

Cramping is a common occurence which most people know very little about. Muscular cramping may occur after one to two hours of exercise. Cramping may also be induced in as little as 10 minutes after high intensity exercise targeting a specific muscle group. The most commonly proposed cause is exercise coupled with dehydration plus decreases in body mass, blood and plasma volume. Abnormal serum electrolyte concentrations plus decreased concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and/or calcium. Exercising in heat which may result in electrolyte imbalances and dehydration. Dehydration and electrolyte loss are not the sole causes of cramping because many individuals can experience cramping when they are hydrated and supplemented with electrolytes. A more recent theory suggests that EAMC is related to sustained neural activity that results in fatigue. This idea is supported by athletes who are more likely to experience cramps toward the end of an event. A distinction has been made between EAMC that result from fatigue and that resulting from heat (in which electrolyte and fluid losses result in a contraction of extra cellular fluid space). In one study, participants who experienced cramps had a higher average sweat rate than those that did not experience cramps. Subjects who experienced EAMC who consumed a carbohydrate - electrolyte beverage were able to exercise 150% longer before the onset of cramps. Other common treatments include: o Stretching o Fluids o Salt tablets o Pickle juice and mustard (anecdotal remedies) and of course, Saline solution. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-18-2008

News about stretching seems to come in waves. Stretch as part of your warm-up. No, stretch after your workout. No, don’t even bother stretching. Or the doozy: Even if you think you like it, it’s been oversold as a way to prevent injury or improve performance. The truth is that after dozens of studies and years of debate, no one really knows whether stretching helps, harms, or does anything in particular for performance or injury rates. Yet most athletes remain convinced that stretching helps, and recently more and more have felt a sort of social pressure to show that they are limber, in part due to the popularity of yoga. Flexibility has become another area where many athletes strive to excel. Should you stretch? I believe in the benefits of staying limber. Too a point, of course. You needn't be able to bend up like a pretzel necessarily, but having some flexibility in your muscles is never going to hurt you. In fact, it's through simple stretches and massages that we are able to relieve a lot of pains and discomforts. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-22-2008

A while back, I saw a muscular guy in a large corporate gym look over at an obese woman and snicker some disparaging remark. People like that exist everywhere we go. Luckily, they're few and far between. They're self centered and enormously insecure. Their comments and attitudes are to be disregarded. It takes courage for someone who's obese to come into the gym and tackle the problem. They should be offered respect instead of the opposite. At the end of the day, we're all people and that behavior is ridiculous and unacceptable. In fact it's against the rules at the Austin Fitness Center. If I ever caught wind of something like that happening, that person would find themselves out of a gym membership really quickly. We have a membership rules paper that must be signed by prospective members and the disrespecting or intimidating of other people is high up on the list of no no's here. This is not the kind of gym where that would be likely to occur anyway. The energy here is very positive and the people add to that. That's the only way to have it. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 3-25-2008

Unfortunately, in any industry you'll come across sub standard services. In the personal training field, it's no exception. The last gym I worked at was awful in that trainers were on their cell phones, eating full course meals, checking e mails, all while in the middle of a training session. People like that have no idea of what it means to be a personal trainer. They are far more consumed with their own needs than anyone else's despite the fact that they are being paid a lot of money to be professional. I'm very relieved to be out of that environment so my clients can not have to endure smelling some guys fish with garlic cream sauce while they're training and also because they are quite simply an embarrassment to the occupation. A real personal trainer will be extremely knowledgeable in not just exercise, but in nutrition, as well as be able to recognize tightness' and imbalances and correct them. Most trainers have a 1 size fits all approach and perfect form is blah blah blah. That's ridiculous. Everyone is different and perfect form for everyone is different. To say we all must exercise the same is to say we should all eat the same and stretch the same. That's completely absurd. There's plenty of good personal trainers on the market and plenty of poor ones as well. Do your homework before you recruit one, and you'll be rewarded. Otherwise, you're taking your chances. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 3-28-2008

When I opened the Austin Fitness Center, I implemented a no cell phone policy. The reason for this is simple. It's annoying to other people to hear someone talking on their phone when they're trying to focus on their exercise. What's even worse is when they ring. I understand some people are expecting calls that are important to them, but what they consider important cannot overshadow the comfort of others. If you're expecting a call, keep it on vibrate and in your pocket. If it vibrates, step outside to answer it. A little consideration of other people goes a long way and that's what this gym is all about. Good positive energy and consideration of others. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 3-31-2008

Yesterday a new client was working out hard in heavy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. There's no way she wasn't overheated. I asked her why she was dressed like that and she replied that she's embarrassed about her body because she used to be much slimmer. I felt sad to hear this. My gym is a place where nobody should ever feel embarrassment or shame. Here, we're all equals working towards our individual goals at our own pace. Some people are more advanced or stronger. Some people are more flexible, etc. It's of no consequence. The Austin Fitness Center is not a gym where people look down at you for any reason. We check our politics, religion, cell phones, and libidos at the door. This is a friendly neighborhood gym with positive energy. Not a meat market where weekly specials and sales pitches abound. We're not corporate. We are caring. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-03-2008

I got an e mail from a lady in England saying that she was very sore after her workouts and was there anything I could recommend to relieve it. Soreness comes with the territory. If you get a good workout, you're going to be sore. Sometimes more and sometimes not as much. The effectiveness of a workout cannot be measured by ones soreness since there are many factors that can make a person sore following a workout. I always tell my clients that plenty of water, potassium, and stretching will alleviate the pain to quite an extent. The rest is something that you're going to live with for a couple of days. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, Texas 4-06-2008

Certain foods, when eaten, require more energy from your body to digest than the calories that they contain. Negative calorie foods offer great nutrition, as well as the possibility of helping you lose weight simply by eating. A negative calorie food diet is based on the idea that certain foods, mostly plants, are difficult to digest because of their cellular composition, i.e., cellulose. Everything that you do – sleeping, breathing, blinking your eyes – requires a certain amount of energy, and eating is no exception. This energy is created by burning calories. Your body requires on average 150-250 calories to digest your food, depending on your weight, gender and activity level. If you eat a negative calorie food that has a caloric content of 100 calories, you will actually burn more calories than you ingest. Because negative calorie food is harder to digest, your body will require more than the average 150-250 calories to digest the food. Some of the most common negative calorie foods are apples, celery, blueberries, beets, asparagus, green cabbage, spinach, oranges, strawberries, grapefruit and garlic. The theory that negative calorie food helps you to lose weight simply by eating has fallen under harsh criticism, as have most diets. Some contest that people who practice this diet will overeat negative calorie food according to the notion that you can eat however much you want without gaining weight. The diet is also criticized because it is often not accompanied by exercise. There is no conclusive proof that negative calorie food works the way it is believed to. However, research has been conducted that supports the claim that eating these foods assists in weight loss. Regardless of whether this diet helps the user to effortlessly lose weight, negative calorie foods are packed full of vitamins and minerals. Many of them contain antioxidants, and some are believed to prevent disease. Even if negative calorie food is not the wonder diet it is thought to be, it is still a very healthy way to eat. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-09-2008

How high should your heart rate be while exercising? This has been a long standing debate amongst athletes, trainers, as well as medical professionals. The latest studies contend that the classic formula for determining your maximum rate, 220 minus your age, is notoriously inaccurate and glancing at your heart-rate monitor all the time can hinder your training. Everyone’s maximum heart rate declines, slowly and steadily, with the passing years. So if your heart rate is higher than expected, doesn’t that mean you are exercising like a younger person? It depends. On the one hand are athletes like Lance Armstrong, known for having an unusually high maximum heart rate. And that, was to his advantage while competing because his heart also was extremely efficient. A high maximum heart rate, helps all other things being equal. The problem is that there are so many other factors in performance that rarely are all other things equal. So if Joe Athlete could get his heart rate to 150, wouldn’t he be faster? Not necessarily. And the story of Rebecca Soni, a swimmer at the University of Southern California, helps explain why. Ms. Soni, who has the second fastest time for an American woman in the 200-meter breast stroke, had an irregular heart beat. At times when she exercised her heart would beat up to an astonishing 400 times a minute. Instead of making her swim faster, her fast-beating heart made her go limp. In 2006, in order to continue competing, she underwent a procedure to destroy heart tissue that was causing her heart to beat so fast. This suggests two things. First, a faster heart isn’t necessarily better. And, second, hearts can beat much faster than they ever actually beat when most of us exercise. Something slows our hearts down, probably for the good of our performance or survival. A heart beating at its maximum possible rate may be inefficient. As the heart beats more quickly, there comes a point when there is too little time between beats for it to fill with blood. For exercise capacity, heart rate is not the issue. The heart has got to be an efficient pump. It turns out that the heart rate is controlled by three factors. First is the heart’s own intrinsic rate, how fast it would beat if you cut all its nerves and removed it from the body. The heart’s own internal pacemaker would make it beat roughly 40 to 60 beats per second more slowly than its maximum rate. The heart’s intrinsic rate declines with age parallel to the maximum heart rate’s decline with age. No one knows why. The other factors controlling heart rate are the sympathetic nerves, which speed it up, and those that slow it down, the parasympathetic nerves. When you start to exercise, the first thing that happens is that the parasympathetic nerves become less active. That makes your heart beat faster. As the intensity of your effort increases, the sympathetic nerves come into play, speeding the heart still more. My experiences have shown me that maximum heart rate is not the be all end all measure of intensity or effort put out. As I mentioned in this entry, there are so many factors in performance, that simply singling out the heart rate as a monitor is not as telling as we would need it to be. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-13-2008

I was asked today if glutamine is a worthwhile supplement since it's categorized as a non essential amino acid. You shouldn't confuse unessential with unimportant. Essential amino acids got that name as our body's can't produce them and therefore we have to intake them through food or supplements. Glutamine is one of the most popular supplements amongst bodybuilders and competitive athletes. There are many benefits to taking it such as anabolic activity (increase synthesis of muscle protein), anticatabolic activity (decrease muscle protein breakdown), lipolytic activity (as it increases secretion of "fat burning" growth hormone), increases synthesis of glycogen and ATP, decreases buildup of fatigue substances -lactate and ammonia, boost immune system and free testosterone levels. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in our body and our muscle tissue. High intensity weight training and any other highly stressful condition depletes glutamine stores and increases the need for the glutamine production. Unfortunately even though our body can synthesize this amino acid from the other amino acids (glutamic acid, isoleucin and valine) it appears that body's ability to produce Glutamine doesn't replenishes what was lost during intense training or stress. Many athletes have used it and most commonly they have noticed increased ability to recover from their workouts. Bodybuilders especially can attest for many of glutamine's powerful muscle building and cell volumazing effects. How much should you use? I would suggest taking 5grams a day immediately after your workout. After the first week start increasing the dosage by 2-3grams until you reach at least 20 grams per day (I have athletes that take up to 40 grams a day with great results). Some bodybuilders on their low carbohydrate diets also take excess amount of Glutamine preferring to get glucose from non-carbohydrate source (Glutamine can be converted into glucose by glyconeogenesis process). This is a common practice among the competitive bodybuilders and even though it make some sense I believe that Glutamine is too valuable (and expensive) to be wasted and converted into highly available (and extremely inexpensive) simple sugar -glucose. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-15-2008

This morning I was asked by a lady why she couldn't seem to lose weight even though she had a pretty good nutrition plan. The answer can lie in many places but from her body talk and posture, I suspected she may be a pretty stressed out person. I asked her about that and true enough, she was. What happens when we live stressful existences is that chronically elevated cortisol levels contribute to the accumulation of abdominal fat and make it very difficult to get rid of it. The immune system is suppressed and the individual becomes more susceptible to infections, both minor and major. Stress reduction is an essential part of all efforts to normalize cortisol. Stress is the stimuli that caused the cortisol levels to get out of hand to begin with. Each individual should explore and find the stress reduction techniques that work best for themselves. Without stress reduction, all therapeutic and support measures will eventually fail. Another thing to do to reduce levels is to rest. This may sound obvious, but it must be managed and scheduled as a deliberate strategy, choice, and course of action. Otherwise it gets forgotten in the busyness of life. A low glycemic diet is also important. Sugar handling stress increases cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol, in turn, aggravates the sugar handling situation contributing to the development of high insulin levels and ultimately diabetes. Nutritional supplementation is very valuable in restoring normal cortisol levels. It is important, however, to recognize if your cortisol levels are high or low. Low cortisol levels are the consequence of adrenal exhaustion or the exhaustion phase of the stress response. High cortisol levels are the result of the response to chronic stress and represent the adaptation phase of the stress response. Both Cortisol and DHEA can be determined by a simple saliva test. See Your doctor to have this test if you suspect your levels are off. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-18-2008

Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder. More importantly, it is also a psychological disorder. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond out-of-control dieting. A person with anorexia initially begins dieting to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. The drive to become thinner is actually secondary to concerns about control and/or fears relating to one's body. The individual continues the endless cycle of restrictive eating often to a point close to starvation in order to feel a sense of control over the body. This cycle becomes an obsession and is similar to any type of drug or substance addiction. Who is at risk for anorexia? Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female, but males can develop the disorder as well. While anorexia typically begins to manifest itself during early adolescence, it is also seen in young children and adults. In the U.S. and other countries with high economic status, it is estimated that about one out of every 100 adolescent girls has the disorder. Caucasians are more often affected than people of other racial backgrounds, and anorexia is more common in middle and upper socioeconomic groups. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 0.5% to 3.7% of women will suffer from this disorder at some point in their lives. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-21-2008

Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective nutrients. It may not be the cure for the common cold (though it's thought to help prevent more serious complications),but the benefits of vitamin C may include protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling. Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health. The more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health and immunity to living longer. How much should you take? Most of the studies examined used 500 daily milligrams of vitamin C to achieve health results. That's much higher than the RDA of 75-90 milligrams a day for adults. So unless you can eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you may need to take a dietary supplement of vitamin C to gain all the benefits. It's suggested taking 500 milligrams a day, in addition to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables. Everybody is different obviously, so dosages will vary accordingly. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-23-2008

I was asked by a frustrated lifter the other day why his gains were minimal considering he eats and exercises correctly. I asked him about his sleep habits and thus uncovered the cause. Sleep is a vital part of any training regimen. While most of us focus on our workouts and our nutrition, our sleep and it's quality, are often overlooked. These days, it's reported that more and more people suffer from sleep apnea. Apnea is a collapsing of the airway so deep breathing is difficult and sometimes impossible. Snoring was prevalent in the "Sleep in America" poll from the National Sleep Foundation. Pollsters surveyed 1,032 adults by telephone and they concluded that... * 67% of respondents said that their significant other snores. * More than half said their snoring disturbs the partner's sleep. * 31% of those surveyed said that the snorer forces the other partner to sleep in a separate bedroom, or to use earplugs. Excessive snoring is one of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, which affects millions of Americans. What's the big deal? Sleep apnea has been linked to hypertension, depression, stroke, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, and heart disease. If you or your partner suffer from apnea or suspect that you do, go to your doctor and he/she can refer you to a sleep clinic where they can set you up with a fix to the problem thereby restoring a nice night's sleep. For the both of you. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 4-25-2008

At the risk of being repetitive, I'd like to write again about the importance of positive energy. It makes no difference what you're doing or pursuing. You're going to have better results and more fun doing it with positive energy. I've noticed many times over the many years of being a personal trainer how those with a positive outlook succeed much more than than those without. Another thing to consider is the payback. Those who surround you will treat you much differently when you give off positive energy. Negative, self absorbed people are rarely interesting or fun to be around. They usually fail at what they do as well. My gym, the Austin Fitness Center, is all about results. Getting them involves far more than just going through the motions. It all starts with an attitude. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 4-28-2008

New research is pointing to how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep, may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite. One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight. While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full. So what's the connection to sleep? When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food. The two combined, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-01-2008

I've seen it dozens of times. People work hard, eat right, and spend a bunch of money on a personal trainer to achieve the goals only to lose their gains a short time later. A lot of people want to "coast" once they get fit but the reality of it is that you need to continue what you did to get there if you want to keep it. It's happened too many times when someone makes great progress and then they say "I've done so well that now I can do whatever I want so long as I hit the gym now and then". Don't fool yourself. Being strong and healthy isn't a fad or a quick deprivation. It's a lifelong commitment to yourself that allows you to reap the rewards for many many years. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-04-2008

Previously I wrote about creatine, explaining what it is, how it works etc. Who uses it and why? Creatine supplements are athletic aids used to increase high-intensity athletic performance. Though researchers have known of the use of creatine as an energy source by skeletal muscles since the beginning of the 20th century, they were popularized as a performance-enhancing supplement in 1992. Creatine is often taken by athletes as a supplement for those wishing to gain muscle mass. There are a number of forms but the most common are creatine monohydrate - creatine complexed with a molecule of water, and Creatine ethyl ester. A number of methods for ingestion exist - as a powder mixed into a drink, or as a capsule or caplet. Once ingested, creatine is highly bioavailable, whether it is ingested as the crystalline monohydrate form, the free form in solution, or even in meat. Creatine salts will become the free form when dissolved in aqueous solution. Conventional wisdom recommends the consumption of creatine with high glycemic index carbohydrates, though research indicates that the use of high GI carbs in combination with protein is also beneficial. There is scientific evidence that taking creatine supplements can marginally increase athletic performance in high-intensity anaerobic repetitive cycling sprints, but studies in swimmers and runners have been less than promising, possibly due to the weight gain. Ingesting creatine can increase the level of phosphocreatine in the muscles up to 20%. It must be noted creatine has no significant effect on aerobic endurance, though it will increase power during aerobic exercise. Also, research has shown that creatine increases the activity of satellite cells, which make muscle hypertrophy possible. Creatine supplementation appears to increase the number of myonuclei that satellite cells will 'donate' to damaged muscle fibers, which increases the potential for growth of those fibers. CEE is a form of commercially available creatine touted to have higher absorption rates and a longer serum half-life than regular creatine monohydrate by several supplement companies. No peer-reviewed studies have emerged on Creatine ethyl ester to conclusively prove these claims. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-07-2008

Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits which are not associated with any abnormalities seen on routine clinical testing. It is fairly common and makes up 20–50% of visits to gastroenterologists. Lower abdominal pain, and bloating associated with alteration of bowel habits and abdominal discomfort relieved with defecation are the most frequent symptoms. In some individuals, IBS may have an acute onset and develop after an infectious illness characterised by two or more of the following: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or positive stool culture. This post-infective syndrome has consequently been termed "post-infectious IBS" (IBS-PI) and is acute onset Rome II criteria positive. There are a number of dietary changes a person with IBS can make to prevent the overreaction of the gastrocolic reflex and lessen pain, discomfort, and bowel dysfunction. Having soluble fiber foods and supplements, substituting milk products with soy or rice products, being careful with fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in insoluble fiber, and eating frequent meals of small amounts of food, can all help to lessen the symptoms of IBS. Foods and beverages to be avoided or minimized include red meat, oily or fatty and fried products, milk products, solid chocolate, coffee (regular and decaffeinated), alcohol, carbonated beverages, especially those containing sorbitol or other artificial sweeteners. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-09-2008

I was asked by a client this afternoon what the SI joint refers to. The sacroiliac joint is the joint between the sacrum, at the base of the spine, and the ilium of the pelvis, which are joined by ligaments. It is a strong, weightbearing synovial joint with irregular elevations and depressions that produce interlocking of the bones. Inflammation of this joint may be caused by sacroiliitis, one cause of disabling low back pain. With sacroiliitis, the individual may experience pain in the low back, buttocks and thighs, and may also have other symptoms of a rheumatic condition such as inflammation in the eyes or psoriasis. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas: 5-12-2008

A client of mine who is a long distance runner asked me the other day about shin splints. Shin splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition in the shins. It is often caused by running or jumping, and may be very slow to heal. Formal medical terms include medial tibial syndrome medial tibial stress syndrome and stress-related anterior lower leg pain. Some object to the classification of "shin splints" as a diagnosis, and instead consider it to be a symptom of other underlying conditions. One cause is overused muscle either an acute injury or DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) Shin pain may also be the result of inflammation of connective tissue such as periosteum (periostitis). The pain may be caused by a stress fracture in the bone or some other problem like osteosarcoma. The immediate treatment for shin splints is rest. Running and other strenuous lower limb activities, like football and other sports which include flexing the muscle, should be avoided until the pain subsides and is no longer elicited by activity. In conjunction with rest, anti-inflammatory treatments such as icing and drugs such as NSAIDs may be suggested by a doctor or athletic trainer. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be taken, though there is some controversy over their effectiveness. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-15-2008

Iliotibial Band Syndrome is a common thigh injury generally associated with running. Additionally it can also be caused by biking, hiking or weight-lifting, especially squats. Iliotibial Band Syndrome is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front during the gait cycle. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed, or the band itself may suffer irritation. For a runner with acute ITBS, reduce weekly distance training to 50% for 2 weeks, and only run on flat ground. After, in the absence of ITBS pain, slowly begin to build distance again. If ITBS pain remains or is chronic, one should stop running immediately for two weeks (minimum). If the pain and inflammation are still present, another month of rest may be needed. Once the injury begins to improve, resuming activity can be possible, doing low distance, low speed jogging on flat terrain. Also, changing one's route may help counteract re-injury, as running a common route may put increased stress on the iliotibial band of one leg. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer: Austin TX 5-19-2008

What's a cramp asked a young man today at the gym. Cramps are unpleasant, sensations caused by contraction or over shortening of muscles. Cramps can be caused by cold, overexertion or low calcium level in blood (especially for adolescents where they need calcium for both blood and bone maturing). Illness or poisoning can also cause cramps, particularly in the stomach, which is referred to as colic if it fits particular characteristics. There are six basic causes of cramping: hyperflexion; inadequate oxygenation; exposure to large changes in temperature; dehydration; low blood salt; or low blood calcium. Muscle cramps may also be a symptom/complication of pregnancy, kidney disease, thyroid disease, hypokalemia or hypocalcemia (as conditions), restless legs syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. Electrolyte disturbance may cause cramping and tetany of muscles, particularly hypokalaemia (a low level of potassium) and hypocalcaemia (a low level of calcium). Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 5-22-2008

What is tennis elbow a lady asked me this morning. Tennis elbow is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender. The condition is also know as lateral epicondylitis, or simply lateral elbow pain. According to the best available scientific evidence, tennis elbow is an idiopathic, self-limiting, enthesopathy, of middle age. As with many other hand and arm conditions, speculative etiologies such as overuse, tennis, etc. have very limited scientific support and are likely overstated. It typically occurs between the ages of 35 and 60, resolves in about 1 year, and never returns. Whereas arthritis becomes universal with advancing age, lateral epicondylitis is rarely seen over age 70. As you can conclude, it has very little to do with actually playing tennis. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 5-25-2008

A client of mine was recently diagnosed with a semi arthritic hip thus limiting her range of motion and causing some immediate discomfort. What is arthritis? Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. Arthritis is also the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years. There are different forms of arthritis; each has a different cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. New evidence suggests that abnormal anatomy might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Other arthritis forms are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also an uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This gout is known as pseudogout. You can't get rid of arthritis once you have it, but you can make your life much more pleasant and painless if you treat yourself and your condition properly. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin Texas 5-28-2008

Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle (or muscle group) is deliberately elongated to its fullest length in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility, and range of motion. Stretching is also used therapeutically to to alleviate cramps. Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity; it is performed by both animals and humans. It can be accompanied by yawning. Stretching often occurs instinctively after waking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity, or after exiting confined spaces. Many athletes stretch deliberately before or after exercise in order to increase performance and reduce injury. Whether this is helpful, has no effect, or even has detrimental effects is in dispute. While common, it may not be beneficial for all athletic activities as most people tend to believe. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 5-31-2008

I can't tell you how many people go to the gym and simply lift biceps in an effort to get big arms. It's almost always young men who are new or relatively new to weights. They almost always neglect to lift forearms. The forearms are very important not just to stay proportionate, but for stability throughout the upper arm region. The forearm contains many muscles, including the flexors and extensors of the digits, a flexor of the elbow, and pronators and supinators that turn the hand to face down or upwards, respectively. Since they are a relatively small muscle group, not a lot of time needs to be spent lifting them if done correctly. Just a few exercises thrown in on arm day should suffice. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-3-2008

Tendonitis used to be thought of as a painful inflammation of a tendon, however, there is rarely much inflammation associated with the condition, thus 'tendonitis' is a redundant term, 'tendinopathy' is being currently used. More recent research indicates that tendinopathy is an overuse injury resulting in microtears in the muscle fibres, leading to an increase in tendon repair cells, yet an absence of inflammatory cells. This may lead to reduced tensile strength, thus increasing the chance of tendon rupture. Generally tendinitis is referred to by the body part involved, such as Achilles tendinitis (affecting the Achilles tendon), or patellar tendinitis (jumper's knee, affecting the patellar tendon). Chronic overuse of tendons leads to microscopic tears within the collagen matrix, which gradually weakens the tissue. The best way to avoid it is to not overload the joints as well as rest after workouts as opposed to hitting the same muscle group again too soon. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-6-2008

Over the many years I've been a personal trainer, I've seen many people try to lift too much weight on the leg press machine in hopes of attaining strong legs. They heave the weight all the while pushing on their knees with their hands "just in case". The pushing of the knees whether the person realizes it or not, is to compensate for weak adductor muscles which are located in the inner thigh. A bridge is only as stable as it's support beams and so are your legs. By working the adductors directly you'll increase the overall power and stability of your legs as well as the ability to add on muscle. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-09-2008

People who wear flip flops are often subjected to leg and lower back pain. The reason not only because they off little to no support, but because when people walk in them, they tend to take shorter, more shuffling strides. That causes an imbalance in the muscles of the legs and hips as a result of the different gate. People often don't raise their toes as high off the ground as they did when wearing athletic shoes, probably because of the toe-gripping action needed to keep the flip flops on. If you love wearing them and won't trade them in for a pair of sneakers, at least consider wearing them part time instead of full time and compensate with stretches. Andy Bruchey Personal Training Austin TX 6-12-2008

As Americans allow their waistlines to expand, health problems will continue to rise. One worrisome consequence of obesity is diabetes. Diabetes is a syndrome characterized by disordered metabolism and abnormally high blood sugar resulting from insufficient levels of the hormone insulin. The characteristic symptoms are excessive urine production due to high blood glucose levels, excessive thirst and increased fluid intake attempting to compensate for increased urination, blurred vision due to high blood glucose effects on the eye's optics, unexplained weight loss, and lethargy. These symptoms are likely to be less apparent if the blood sugar is only mildly elevated. The World Health Organization recognizes three main forms of diabetes mellitus: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (occurring during pregnancy), which have different causes and population distributions. While, ultimately, all forms are due to the beta cells of the pancreas being unable to produce sufficient insulin to prevent hyperglycemia, the causes are different. Type 1 diabetes is usually due to autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance in target tissues. This causes a need for abnormally high amounts of insulin and diabetes develops when the beta cells cannot meet this demand. Gestational diabetes is similar to type 2 diabetes in that it involves insulin resistance; the hormones of pregnancy can cause insulin resistance in women genetically predisposed to developing this condition and usually resolves upon delivery of the child. By being mindful of what we ingest, we can not only look and feel better, but we can successfully avoid many of the health problems that potentially affect us. Andy Bruchey: Personal Training Austin TX 6-15-2008

Here in Austin, TX it's been unbelievably hot for the past few weeks. The humidity has been high as well. It's made it very hard on people who like to exercise outside and can't quite justify waking up at 3am to go for a jog. How should you deal with it? You should wear sunscreen, a hat, cover your exposed skin, and have a consistently high water intake. Loading up before during or after exercise isn't going to help you. It'll have the opposite effect actually. If I was a runner, I'd opt for a gym's treadmill instead of 107 degrees in heavy sunshine and humidity, but that's just me. For you outdoor purists, be smart and protect yourself and you'll be ok. Andy Bruchey Personal Training Austin Texas 6-18-2008

Last week a lady signed up at my gym and was lamenting that she didn't feel she had anything nice to wear to the gym. I asked if she had a pair of shorts and a t shirt... People often times use gyms for social scenes rather than workout centers. This lady assumed that people have to dress up and look trendy and cool in order to frequent a gym as she's seen on tv. My gym is nothing like that. People should wear basically whatever they're comfortable in and what allows them a good range of motion in order to complete their exercises. My gym is not a typical meet market which happens to have exercise equipment in it. This is a laid back atmosphere for the everyone and yet is a serious environment for the serious lifter such as the pro athletes who frequent my place. Regardless of your fitness level and experience, you should be comfortable and dress for success instead of to impress. Andy Bruchey: Personal Training Austin Texas

So often, we overlook simple little things like herbs and spices and don't realize the positive effects they may offer. Cinnamon was recently studied by German scientists for its effects on people with type 2 diabetes.Amazingly, they found that diabetics could decrease their blood sugar by up to 10% just by taking a cinnamon extract daily.Another study found that cinnamon may help to lower cholesterol as well. Since cinnamon can be toxic when taken in very large quantities (much more than you would probably be able to eat at once), experts recommend that you use a cinnamon extract rather than actual cinnamon. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 6-24-2008

Last entry I wrote a bit about cinnamon and how it's one of many overlooked little things that can benefit us in not just how we feel at the moment, but our overall health as well. This time, let's have a look at another often overlooked goody. Ginger has been well-known as a calmer of upset stomachs for many generations. This "old wives' tale" has actually been proven to be true following several research studies on the effects of ginger ingestion of cruise ship passengers. Many people around the world also use ginger as a mild pain reliever. For everyday aches or for arthritis pain, fresh or powdered ginger added to food can actually help to reduce your symptoms. Ginger may also be an effective means of controlling ovarian cancer cells, according to a 2006 study by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. More research is needed, but the preliminary findings are very promising. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 6-27-2008

Turmeric is one of the best healing herbs available to us today. It contains the anti-inflammatory curcumin, which may function in the same way as some pharmaceutical arthritis drugs. The next time your joints are aching, just have a healthy serving of curry and see if your symptoms respond to the exotic spice. I'd recommend a daily serving of no more than 400 mg per day. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-02-2008

What's involved with losing weight? A lot more than people realize. The thermic effect of food (TEF) measures the amount of energy that is required to support the processes of digesting, absorbing, and assimilating food nutrients as well as the energy expended as a result of the central nervous system's stimulatory effect on metabolism when food is ingested [9]. Of the three macronutrients, protein carries the highest thermic effect. * The fiber content of the food ingested. Due to its chemical makeup, fiber is classified as a carbohydrate; however, it is unlike other carbohydrates in that it is an indigestible nutrient [9]. Even though each gram of fiber contains four calories, these calories will remain undigested and will not be absorbed. Therefore, if one were to consume 300 calories of red beans (a food in which nearly 1/3 of the caloric content is from fiber), approximately 100 of these calories would pass through the intestinal tract undigested. * The glycemic and insulin indices of the food ingested. The glycemic and insulin indices are scaled numbers that refer to how quickly a particular carbohydrate source enters the bloodstream as sugar and how much insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream, respectively. Generally speaking, there is a positive relationship between the two; that is, the quicker sugar enters the bloodstream, the more insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream. When high levels of insulin are present within the blood, fat burning is brought to a screeching halt, which is anything but desirable for those whose goal is to obtain a lean, muscular physique. * The macronutrients present in the food ingested. Although insulin's primary function is to shuttle glucose (sugar) into skeletal muscle, it also carries many other nutrients to their respective storage sites; this includes lipids (fat). Since carbohydrate ingestion stimulates a large insulin response and fat ingestion gives rise to blood lipid levels, the two, when consumed together, promote the greatest fat storage. * The size, frequency, and time of ingested meals. Large, infrequent meals tend to promote storage of the ingested nutrients as the body is unsure as to when the next feeding will take place. Conversely, consuming smaller, frequent meals will result in an increase in metabolism and utilization of the ingested nutrients. Also, ingesting a large amount of carbohydrates before bed spikes insulin, deters nocturnal thermogenesis, and increases fat storage during sleep. On the contrary, consuming a great deal of calories early in the day does not bring about this problem; rather, these calories are likely to be used as energy to support daily activities. As you can see, someone could be eating a relatively small amount of calories daily, but at the same time promoting a great deal of fat storage by 1) making poor food choices, 2) combining macro nutrients in a nonproductive fashion, and 3) consuming food infrequently and at inopportune times. As you can see, Fat loss isn't just a simple matter of calories in, calories out. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-04-2008

Sweet, fruity alcoholic drinks (the kind often served with an umbrella) may go down easy, but the calories add up really fast. Pina coladas can range from 245-490 calories, a daiquiri can contain from 300-800 calories, a Long Island iced tea can set you back 520 calories or more -- and much of it is from sugar. Cocktails need to be counted and controlled because they are extra calories, they don't fill you up like food. Think of these calorie-laden beverages as dessert and try to limit your portion size. Instead of a sugary drink, try a beer or a wine spritzer, or a small serving of wine or sangria. Or mix one ounce of alcohol (like rum or vodka) with a splash of 100% fruit juice, a wedge of lime, and club soda for a refreshing and lower-calorie cocktail. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-07-2008

With the temporary availability of legal designer steroids these days, it's no surprise a lot of high school age kids are taking them. The problem is that it's very unwise to take any steroid weak or strong with a not yet fully developed endocrine system or you're running a very high risk of hormonal imbalance for the rest of your life. What am I talking about exactly? The endocrine system is an integrated system of small organs that involve the release of extracellular signaling molecules known as hormones. The endocrine system is instrumental in regulating metabolism, growth, development and puberty, tissue function, and also plays a part in determining mood. The Endocrine system is an information signal system much like the nervous system. However, the nervous system uses nerves to conduct information, whereas the endocrine system mainly uses blood vessels as information channels. Glands located in many regions of the body release into the bloodstream specific chemical messengers called hormones. Hormones regulate the many and varied functions of an organism, e.g., mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism, as well as sending messages and acting on them. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-10-2008

Supplements that reportedly increase nitric oxide levels within the body are currently being marketed as powerful muscle builders. The marketers of these supplements claim they increase nitric oxide levels within muscle tissue and a dramatic increase in muscle size and strength is experienced. Other claims also include an increase in fast-twitch muscle fiber strength, endurance, power output, and load capacity from taking these supplements. These reported benefits are quite specific, so I decided to scan the literature for the scientific evidence that supports these claims. Nitric Oxide – what is it? Nitric oxide is a colorless, free radical gas commonly found in tissues of all mammals (it’s also prepared commercially by passing air through an electric arc). Biologically, nitric oxide has been shown to be an important neuro-messenger in a number of vertebrate signal transduction processes. Nitric oxide is also used in medical treatment. For example, nitroglycerin ameliorates the pain of angina by supplying nitric oxide to the blood vessels that supply the heart. The popular drug Viagra controls erection by regulating nitric oxide in the penile cartilage chamber. The Research and the Claims I don’t know where the marketers obtained their literature on nitric oxide. It looks like they are using the same journals as the companies selling Myostatin inhibitors – Contrived garbage that is unsubstantiated. Although nitric oxide acts as a cell-to-cell communicator for certain metabolic functions, muscle growth is not one of them. After a review of the available literature I cannot find any research that remotely indicates increasing nitric oxide levels plays a part in increasing protein synthesis, contractile strength or any other biochemical pathway that may lead to increases in muscle mass. For a company to claim their supplement increases “fast-twitch” muscle strength, the promoters must have instigated or funded some kind of research that involved biopsy procedures and histochemical analyses to extract, assesses and identify these particular muscle fibers from animals or humans, before and after supplementation. However, I could find no documentation (either on their web sites or via a literature scan) that details these findings, only the marketing claims. As far as I’m aware, there is zero scientific evidence supporting the notion that nitric oxide supplements increase “fast-twitch” muscle strength. There also appears to be no evidence whatsoever that shows increasing nitric oxide levels enhances endurance, power output, and load capacity. Arginine alpha-ketogluterate is the “active” ingredient reported by one company that sells this type of supplement. It is claimed that this compound increases and maintains a constantly high level of nitric oxide in muscle. Nitric oxide is synthesized within the body using the amino acid arginine, the energy cyclic substrate NADPH, and oxygen. Nitric oxide diffuses freely across membranes but it is a transient signaling molecule. Nitric oxide is by nature, a highly reactive gas that has an extremely short life – less than a few seconds. While there is a lot of research on the effects of nitric oxide, there is no research that shows supplementation with arginine alpha-ketogluterate increases or sustains nitric oxide levels in any human or animal organs. The supplement industry is unregulated and notoriously full of crap. Be careful what you ingest. As you can see, the labels may be deceiving. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-13-2008

The amount of cholesterol that you consume has a negligible impact on serum cholesterol levels, and for good reason. The cholesterol in our blood is made up of both the cholesterol that we ingest and the cholesterol that is synthesized by the liver and other tissues within the body. When cholesterol intake is decreased, the liver will compensate by producing more cholesterol, leaving total cholesterol levels relatively unchanged. In the same way, if cholesterol consumption is increased, the liver will produce less cholesterol, and again, total cholesterol values will not be substantially altered. In reality, changes made in dietary intake of cholesterol will alter total cholesterol levels by a few percent at best. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-17-2008

Who'd have thought? Watermelon may be a natural viagra according to some recent studies. That's because the popular summer fruit is richer than experts believed in an amino acid called citrulline, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels much like Viagra and other drugs meant to treat erectile dysfunction. How could watermelon be a natural Viagra? The amino acid citrulline is converted into the amino acid arginine. This is a precursor for nitric oxide, and the nitric oxide will help in blood vessel dilation. So, the burning question: How much watermelon does it take? Nobody knows for sure but we do know, however, that a typical 4-ounce serving of watermelon (about 10 watermelon balls) has about 150 milligrams of citrulline. We just can't say how much citrulline is needed to have Viagra-like effects. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-20-2008

I'm asked all the time which diet will help people lose weight. The answer is none of them work very well. They may show an improvement, but the results, especially longterm are negligible at best. A study published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, was supposed to determine which of three types of diets works best. Instead, the results highlighted the difficulty of weight loss and the fact that most diets do not work well. The researchers followed 322 dieters, 277 men and 45 women. The dieters were assigned to follow one of three types of diets — a diet with about 30 percent fat, based on American Heart Association guidelines; a Mediterranean diet; and a low-carbohydrate diet based on the Atkins diet plan. By the end of two years, all the dieters had regained most of the weight they'd lost, but not all. The low-fat dieters showed a net loss of six pounds, and the Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate dieters both lost about 10 pounds. If you're serious about losing weight, you need to get a proper nutrition structure in place which consists of a balance of carbs, fat, and proteins. Not an equal balance, but a healthy balance. The formula will vary with the individual as well so unfortunately, there's no 1 size fits all approach that is effective. In addition to the diet, cardiovascular exercise must be a staple of the persons regiment as well. Consistent cardio coupled with consistent nutrition is the key to fat loss. On top of that, consistent weight training is necessary to build muscles under the fat stores. That not only gives a person a toned, muscular look, but it also strengthens tendons, ligaments, bones, as well as the muscles themselves. Like most things worth having in life, weight loss is a little more complicated and requires more effort than the sales brochure is going to tell you. Sorry Atkins, South Beach, etc. No sale. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin, TX 7-23-2008

Anything worth having is worth working for. That's a given. To that end, anything you have to work for requires consistency in order to see results. Losing weight or gaining muscle is no exception. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people lose weight only to start coasting and gain it all back in a short period of time. When you accomplish weight loss or muscle gain, you can't slack off and maintain your state. You have to work just as hard to keep your gains. Unscheduled days off aren't going to cut it. Keep coming in to the gym! Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 7-25-2008

A cup of soft-serve ice cream can have 380 calories and 22 grams of fat. Make it a Dairy Queen chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard and the calories soar to 720, with 28 grams of fat! Baskin Robbins' two-scoop French vanilla and peanut butter 'n' chocolate on a sugar cone has 660 calories and 39 grams of fat. And Ben and Jerry's two-scoop Chunky Monkey in a waffle cone has 659 calories and 34 grams of fat. Read the labels on frozen desserts and choose sorbet, sherbet, light ice cream, fudge bars, fruit bars, or other treats under 150 calories per serving instead. Another great option is fruit desserts like strawberry shortcake. 1 cup strawberries, a slice of angel food cake, and 1 oz. low-fat whipped topping is nutritious and only 184 calories. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-28-2008

You hear a lot of folks talking about moderate exercise being necessary for a bodily transformation but while moderate exercise is fine for some, it won't benefit most people. Especially if they're overweight. Many new studies have shown that people need more than just a few hours a week in order to shed fat. Naturally, the amount of time needed will depend upon the individual, but suffice it to say that daily exercise of at least 30 minutes is a minimum standard coupled with proper nutrition, and a weight training program. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 7-31-2008

Since Tiger Woods' knee problem became household fodder, people have been asking me left and right what an acl is. The ACL is a key ligament inside the knee that helps keep it stable. Located in the center of the knee joint, it runs from the thigh bone to the shin bone through the center of the knee. Typically, tearing the ACL occurs with a sudden direction change. To repair a torn ACL, a surgeon replaces the damaged ligament with a new one, either from a cadaver or the patient's own body. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a replacement ligament from a cadaver has a high failure rate in young, active adults, according to a study reported Thursday at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine conference in Orlando, Florida. Among 64 patients younger than age 40 with high activity levels who had ACL reconstruction with a cadaver replacement ligament and were followed for a minimum of 2 years, the grafted ligament failed in 15. Graft failure was defined as need for repeat ACL reconstruction due to injury or graft failure or poor scores on a combination of Orthopedic outcome measures. Last year in America there were a reported 80,000 acl surgeries performed. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-3-2008

I got an e mail from a member of my gym yesterday asking me which was better: Increasing the pace on the treadmill, putting an incline on the treadmill, or going for a longer duration on the treadmill. The answer is all of the above. Your body gets used to doing virtually anything and will plateau when it comes to weight loss even with a good diet. You can change up your cardio everytime or change it up every so often . Experiment and see how your body responds. Just make sure you're changting it up. How many times have you seen overweight people out running? Ity's because they've been running for forever and they need to change up what they're doing. It's like if you were to lift a weight. Maybe initially it would be challenging and build some muscle, but if you stick to the same exercise with the same weight, eventually, nothing will be gained. Spice it up! Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 8-05-2008

A great deal of attention has been paid to a recent discovery in fat cell metabolism- a hormone known as leptin. Leptin is produced by the fat cells in abundance when fat content is high, and leptin levels drop as body fat is lost. Leptin, when administered as a drug, causes normal humans and rats to eat less and burn more calories. However, attempts to turn leptin into a fat loss drug have failed because most obese people do not respond to leptin treatment. This is called leptin resistance. Leptin research has continued and scientists have discovered that leptin acts upon certain areas of the brain, stimulating the production of- yup- melanocortins. These melanocortins, the same hormones produced by the skin, suppress the appetite centers in the brain, decreasing the amount of food eaten and causing weight loss. Animal experiments injecting melanocortins directly into the brain have proven the actions and effectiveness of these hormones. However, there are always checks and balances in the body, and the leptin-melanocortin system is no exception. A separate hormone, called agouti, is also present in the same areas of the brain and competes with the melanocortins. When the balance is tipped towards agouti, the subject becomes hungry, increasing food intake and gaining weight. Leptin increases when the body gets fatter, causing the brain to produce melanocortins, which suppress the appetite. To avoid losing weight too rapidly, a counter-hormone called agouti competes with the melanocortins when body fat drops, restoring the appetite. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-08-2008

I received an interesting question the other day from a gym member. Does a high sodium intake causes high blood pressure? The answer is no. A high sodium intake does not cause hypertension (high blood pressure). The hormone aldosterone acts on the kidneys to conserve sodium for bodily functions; however, when sodium is consumed in high amounts, aldosterone release is blunted and any excess sodium will simply be excreted. As a result, sodium balance remains normal. This is the case with all healthy people who do not already have a blood pressure condition. The only circumstance in which individuals may benefit by monitoring their sodium intake is if they have already been clinically diagnosed as suffering from hypertension and are also salt sensitive . I stress "and" because only 20% of the population is salt sensitive; so for 4 out of every 5 people suffering from hypertension, lowering sodium intake isn't going to do much, if anything at all. And even for those that are salt sensitive, the actual magnitude of the decrease in blood pressure as a result of the lowered intake may not even be substantial enough to warrant decreasing sodium consumption as a method to treat high blood pressure. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer: Austin Texas 8-11-2008

Everyone has tightness' and imbalances. It's not a big deal. It just requires a little effort to fix them. When we have a tight hip flexor, for example, a lot of people will have no idea how to go about fixing the problem. Massage therapists can cost a lot of money. Some near $100/hr. Why not do it yourself? A little creativity goes a long way here. I recommend that people with tight glutes or back muscles lay on a tennis ball on the floor. You can't use a surface too soft for this so aim for a tiled or wooden surface if possible. Plush carpet will not yield many results. Once you've started to get somewhere with the problem you can move on to the next step. That usually involves a tool called a theracane. It's a strange looking device that has a million uses. It's a great tool to get to any tightness you could possibly have. They run approximately $35. If you invest 15-20 minutes every day or at least every other day, you'll see results in spades. You'll also still have money left in the bank. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-14-2008

It's happened so many times, I can't even begin to count them. People work out with a personal trainer or alone, and they think that since they're putting a good effort out, it's ok to ignore the dietary guidelines, and indulge in sweets, alcohol, junk, etc. It's not ok. You're accomplishing next to nothing by doing that. You can have a middle of the road existence so to speak in that you can enjoy your occasional indulgences, but to overdo it makes the workouts pointless. If you have a few drinks nightly, switch to weekends only. If you have ice cream every day, go to every 3rd day... If you're going to put in the time and effort, get some results out of it instead of spinning your wheels. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-17-2008

From time to time, we all get tired of doing something. As with anything, we reach a point where we just don't want to do it for a while. Sometimes we need to push through this in order to meet a goal but other times it's better to take a break and simply walk away for a week or 2. If you find yourself simply going through the motions with no heart and soul being put into the workout, step away for a little bit. You don't want to take more than 2 weeks off since your gains will be much harder to reclaim, but sometimes a break is not just welcome, but necessary mentally as well as physically. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 8-20-2008

Scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation as a major cause of a rare side effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. They hope the discovery could lead to a simple test to identify patients at increased risk of myopathy - severe muscle pain and weakness. This would also enable higher doses of statins to be safely prescribed to patients not at risk of the condition. The University of Oxford study appears in the New England Journal of Medicine. This approach will help us to optimize treatments to prevent heart attacks and strokes in individuals at high risk Statins are now widely prescribed in the US and are credited with saving almost thousands of lives a year in the US alone. The researchers, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found a variation in the DNA code of a gene called SLC01B1 was responsible for 60% of the myopathy cases in people taking high dose statin therapy. SLC01B1 regulates the uptake of statins into the liver, and the genetic variant seems to affect its function, causing higher levels of the statin to be present in the blood. Only about one in 10,000 patients taking a standard dose of statins develops myopathy, and the risk remains very low even if they carry the rogue gene. However, the risk of myopathy for patients taking higher doses of statins - because they are at greater risk of heart attack or stroke - jumps to around one in 1,000. If they are taking other medications which can react with statins the risk can be as high as one in 100. The researchers found that patients on the higher dose who carry one copy of the rogue gene were more than four times more likely to develop myopathy than those without a copy. And for patients who carried two copies of the rogue gene - one from each parent - the risk was increased 16 times. Around one in four people carries either one or two copies of the key genetic variant. Myopathy is usually completely reversible by a change of prescription. However, very occasionally the muscle begins to break down, which can cause kidney failure and sometimes death. The downside of statins as well is their tendency to cause muscular atrophy especially in elderly users. As with anything, if you can accomplish a lowering of cholesterol to a safe level through nutrition and exercise, you're way better off. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-24-2008

I got an e mail from a member of my gym asking a few questions about protein consumption such as how much, when, etc etc. Here's the answers. Whey has it's limits as any other protein as to how much you can absorb and how much will be pissed out and something people don't realize, how much gets stored as fat. People think carbs are the enemy. That's not anywhere near true. Too much of any macro nutrient (carbs, fats, proteins) will be stored as fat after the body has excreted all it can after using what it needs. The problem with too much protein, besides storing it as fat is that it can put a strain on your kidneys as well. Bodybuilding requires 1-2 grams per body pound daily in intervals. The size of the interval depends on your size as well as your goals, activity level, med history, etc etc. For most women, 20-30 grams is sufficient per serving and 1- 1.5 grams per lb is good. For most men, 25-50 grams is fine, but remember that this all depends on your bodyweight, your health, etc. Protein like anything else that helps us grow muscles, needs to be put in the body every few hours so we maintain a certain level of it in our blood. Therefore, our muscles get replenished as we rest. The easiest way to do that is to eat balanced meals meaning all 3 macro nutrients are present. If supplementing whey, you should do it after a workout and again an hour or so before bed. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-27-2008

What would a bbq be without the coleslaw, or potato, or pasta salad? Probably a lot less fattening. A small half-cup portion of your typical potato salad has 180 calories and 12 grams of fat; the same amount of coleslaw has about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat. To cut calories, make your salads using light mayonnaise; a mixture of mayo and plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream; or dilute your mayo with chicken stock. Or, try a German-style potato salad, using more vinegar than oils. Toss lots of veggies into any salad to increase the fiber and nutrients and you're in business. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 8-31-2008

I often hear from new gym members the question "how long does it take to see results?". The answer is multi fold of course, because a lot of factors have to be considered. What is your goal and how far away from it are you? How much time and effort will you devote? Can you stick to the nutrition plan? What's your medical history? How old are you? The list goes on. Generally speaking, if a person is consistent and gives a good effort, a few weeks is all it takes to feel a difference. To really see results usually takes a few months. There's no real set formula naturally, but consistency and a superb effort are required to achieve anything worth having in life. Fitness and health is no different. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-03-2008

I was asked a very common question this morning from a member of the gym. He asked me why he wasn't gaining any new muscle mass even though he's been working out very diligently and hard. I explained that since he's been sticking to the same routine for so long, he's not going to get the same gains as you would if you were to change things up a little. Your body adapts and then plateaus. We can avoid this if we throw it a curve ball by switching out the routines. This applies to cardiovascular exercise as well. If it's the same old thing, you're not moving forward. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-06-2008

A couple people have told me recently they are tempted to cancel their memberships because their schedules have tightened up making it harder to come in. I say don't take the easy way out. You're going to have some free time no matter what your situation in life is. Use it for something productive and healthy like working out instead of watching mindless tv. Think about the amount of time spent doing things like watching tv, playing games, etc etc. You may feel like they're relaxing activities, but nothing is better at relieving stress than a good workout and few things are more satisfying than seeing the results of hard work and feeling great to boot. Andy Bruchey Personal Trainer Austin TX 9-09-2008

As men age, their levels of testosterone plummet. With that loss comes a lot of problems. Erectile problems are only the tip of the iceberg. Mental clarity, strength, endurance, energy, etc etc. These are all things associated with normal testosterone levels. What should you do if your levels are low? See your doctor for a prescription. Supplements that are available over the counter so to speak, are ok for some but not guaranteed to work for all. A steroid cream at low doses is not harmful to your health when taken in the moderate dosage that will be prescribed and you'll find the benefits to be very enjoyable. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 9-12-2008

Getting enough sleep is imperative to your success in the gym. This is the time when your body is recovering and mending from the workouts. A lot of people don't prioritize sleep and some people simply have trouble getting to sleep. Here's a few suggestions for getting a better nights sleep. * Do not take sleeping pills. This includes over-the-counter pills and melatonin. * Don't go to bed until you're sleepy. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed later or getting up earlier. * Get up at the same time every morning, even after a bad night's sleep. The next night, you'll be sleepy at bedtime. * If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, get out of bed and return only when you are sleepy. * Avoid worrying, watching TV, reading scary books, and doing other things in bed besides sleeping and sex. If you worry, read thrillers or watch TV, do that in a chair that's not in the bedroom. * Do not drink or eat anything caffeinated within six hours of bedtime. * Avoid alcohol. It's relaxing at first but can lead to insomnia when it clears your system. * Spend time outdoors. People exposed to daylight or bright light therapy sleep better. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 9-15-2008

Blocking production of a hormone called ghrelin, which creates the sensation of hunger, could be the answer to obesity, a problem that has become a major reason of concern in the US , where two-thirds of the populations are either overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s true that it’s only a lab experiment on pigs for now, but researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are confident that if a similar procedure could be done safely in humans, it may help people fight obesity. Pigs were weighed and blood samples were taken to determine their baseline ghrelin levels. Then the researchers injected a chemical called sodiaum morrhuate (a chemical that destroys blood vessels) into blood vessels supplying a very specific part of the stomach called fundus in order to cut off production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. After the procedure, pigs given the chemical stopped gaining weight, while the others continued to fatten, increasing their body weight as much as 8.6 percent. The procedure reduced ghrelin production by as much as 80 percent. The procedure appears to have no major side effects like in the case of bariatric surgery, which involves cutting off part of the stomach and sometimes small intestine so that people eat less and so their bodies have less time to digest food. About 205,000 Americans had bariatric surgery last year, their number increasing more than fivefold in five years, according to a report in a journal published last year. Whether the procedure is going to be successful in humans too remains to be seen, as many studies have shown that treating obesity in animals is far easier than treating obesity in humans. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 9-18-2008

I was asked the best way to lose fat in order to look very lean in a weeks time. The reality is that you can't lose more than 5 lbs of real fat in a week unless you are using beta-agonists so forget about that. The best way to look shredded in a week is by Sodium and water restriction, which makes subcutaneous water to decrease thus improving muscular definition. Remember that your muscular definition is impaired not only by the layer of fat under the skin, but also by the layer of water that is also there. While losing lots of fat in a week is impossible, losing a lot of water is not. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin, TX 9-21-2008

This isn't news to anyone, but Americans are getting fatter. While genetics are a factor in obesity, researchers say, regular exercise and physical activity can trump the effects of a genetic predisposition to being overweight. Researchers have found that variations of the FTO gene, significantly increases the chances of a person becoming obese. The puzzling relationship between our genes and lifestyles, which can mean obesity for some and not for others, is yet to be fully understood despite several trials. Researchers found that Amish people with the genetic variation were no more likely to be overweight than those who had the regular version of the gene – so long as they got three to four hours of moderate activity daily. While health experts advocate physical activity for just about everyone, people with the FTO gene variation need to be especially mindful of getting adequate daily exercise. That can include simple activities such as gardening, brisk walking and housecleaning. Researchers studied 704 Amish men and women, chosen because of the community’s relative genetic purities. Participants were fitted with accelerometers to measure activity levels at 15-second intervals. Of the men in the study, 54 percent were overweight, with 10 percent being obese. And approximately 64 percent of the women were overweight, with 31 percent obese. Participants were split into two groups – high and low activity levels. The high group burned 900 more calories a day then the lower group, which is equal to about three to four hours of moderate to intense physical activity. Several past studies have linked genetic variants to obesity, but none has been found to be the sole cause for the disease. Researchers found that being genetically predisposed to obesity has no effect on those with average activity levels. The findings suggest physical activity can conquer a genetic predisposition for obesity and may help to fuel the debate over whether changes in diet and physical activity can make the biggest difference. Understanding all aspects of the FTO gene is vitally important to fighting the war on obesity, say researchers. The study appears in the September 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-25-2008

Restaurants have one major purpose: to stuff you with as much food as they possibly can. If they do that, they achieve their primary business goal, which is to lighten your wallet. While they’re doing that, they’re also using their best marketing tricks, craftiest numerical switches, and most dastardly dietary stratagems to swap unhealthy, cheap ingredients for more expensive, wholesome ones. The result: bloated bottom lines — for their budgets, and for their customers. Below you’ll find some of the new secrets the restaurant-chain gang doesn’t want you to know. They’re only a few of the many ways restaurants fatten up their customers for the sales slaughter. Heed the warnings and you (and your family) can make it through the drive-thru alive. 1. Baskin-Robbins doesn't want you to know that..... Sometimes a drink can have fruit in the title, but not in the cup. For instance, the top four ingredients in its Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast were Sierra Mist soda, water, sugar, and corn syrup. Since we first called the company out on this fruitless horror, Baskin-Robbins discontinued the Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast. The company also began listing all nutrition and ingredient information online. We call that progress. If you’re looking for a real fruit smoothie, visit Jamba Juice. Just remember to check those calorie counts, so you don’t over-indulge. 2. Papa John's doesn't want you to know that... Unlike rival chains such as Domino's, it has made little effort to introduce healthier options. After we goaded them on their slow pace of innovation, Papa John's did introduce whole grain wheat crust pizzas last May. Now, if only Papa would toss a thin-crust version into the mix and alter the recipe for sides like cheesesticks, which are loaded down with more than 2,900 milligrams of sodium! 3. Fuddruckers doesn't want you to know... The fat content of its 1-pound burgers. We contacted our local Fuddruckers restaurant and were told that the nutritional information was available on the chain's Web site (it's not). The corporate office later responded that providing such information would be "very extensive and timely." We're pretty sure he meant "very expensive and time-consuming." How's that for a Freudian slip? 4. Panera Bread doesn't want you to know that... The synthetic food colorings in its pastries have been linked to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbances in children. And British researchers found that artificial food colorings and preservatives in the diets of 3-year-olds caused an increase in hyperactive behavior. The same ingredients appear in fast-food items like mayonnaise, M&M Blizzards, and McDonald's shakes. On Panera's Web site, you can track down calories, fat, sugar, and other nutritional numbers. If you look hard enough you'll find ingredient lists, too — and note that a few items still contain artificial coloring. Disappointing. If you want to cut out the artificial stuff entirely, head over to Chipotle: The restaurant uses no artificial colorings or flavorings. Just make sure you saw their burritos, which can have more than 1,000 calories, in half. 5. Chevy's Fresh Mex doesn't want you to know ... How its tortillas stack up nutritionally. The chain says it provides "nutritional information regarding calories, fat, protein & carbohydrates for some of our most popular items" — the chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas, for example — on its Web site. But the numbers provided don't include the tortilla: an essential component typically bloated with fat and carbs. 6. Applebee’s, IHOP, Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, and T.G.I. Friday’s don’t want you to know ... The nutritional impact of their dishes. Despite the fact that we continued to pester each company, they all were mum about their nutritional information. So we had it nutritionally analyzed on our own. We may not be in this fix for long, however. New York City regulations that went into effect in July require all restaurants with 15 or more branches nationally to post calorie counts on their menus. After tracking down every last dish, we can see what they were hiding: At Friday’s, no fewer than nine sandwiches and 10 appetizers topple the 1,000-calorie barrier; at IHOP, the “healthiest” entrée-size salad has a staggering 1,050 calories; and at Outback, even a simple order of salmon will wipe out 75% of your day’s caloric allotment. For more restaurant industry secrets that will freak the weight right off of you, check out these other dubious restaurant secrets that are being hidden from you! And lose weight in record time by staying away from the unhealthiest drinks in America! They can be responsible for causing you to gain a few pounds of fat — a month! Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 9-29-2008

To help decrease your cholesterol without a statin reduce your saturated fat intake to no more than 7 percent of total calories, and cholesterol to no more than 200 milligrams per day Saturated fat is likely to raise blood cholesterol more than any other food in your diet (except for, perhaps, trans fats, which are slowly being phased out of many foods). A goal of just 7 percent of total calories is no more than 16 grams per day for most people. To stay within these boundaries, eat more of a plant-based diet with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limit red meat, full-fat dairy products, baked goods, and fried foods. Read labels and try to track your daily saturated fat grams until you get an idea of how much your typical food choices contain; don't rely solely on the Percent Daily Values listed, since they're based on the diet of someone who doesn't have high cholesterol and thus can eat slightly more saturated fat. An added bonus: Lowering your saturated fat intake means you'll help lower cholesterol intake as well, since saturated fat and cholesterol tend to be found together. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-02-2008

The sun is a source of ultraviolet (UV) rays, which cause oxidative stress (molecular injury) on the skin cell membrane and can lead to skin damage or cancer.1,2 The body has a mechanism for protecting against UV-caused skin damage by increasing the amount of a protective pigment called eumelanin.3,4 Eumelanin pigment builds up in the skin following UV exposure; this process is easily recognized by every sunbather as "tanning." Sunshine and tanning seems like a simple cause-and-effect relationship, but there are a number of steps involved before the appearance of the first freckle. Even more incredible is the far-reaching impact of the UV-tanning cascade on other tissues, including fat cells and the brain. When UV rays strike the skin cell surface, they turn on certain genes within the cell's DNA.4,5 These genes produce a pre-prohormone called proopiomelancortin (POMC).4,5 POMC is broken down to smaller fragments, including a class of hormones called melanocortins.4-8 Specific melanocortins, including ∝-MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone) stimulates the actual eumelanin production, resulting in a tan.4,9 Not surprisingly, eumelanin is an antioxidant, protecting against further UV-related damage, which explains why the body responds with a tan when assaulted by UV rays.3 Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin Texas 10-06-2008

I received a call from a member of my gym the other day saying she wanted to cancel her membership. She went on to explain the reason was because she didn't seem to have time to workout anymore because her lunch hour was just that. 1 hour and if you factor in the commute time to the gym, or any gym for that matter, it would be a 1/2 hour workout instead of a full hour. What I told her was to use that 1/2 hour wisely and she'll get great benefits from it. Think about what you do in 1 hour. You warm up, you rest extensively between sets sometimes, you use the restroom, you talk to people, etc etc. Trim all that off, and ramp up the intensity for a killer workout in 30 minutes. Less time between sets, no gabbing, and a moderate warm up is all that's necessary since you won't be lifting as heavily. Get busy. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-09-2008

I received an e mail the other day asking about thyroid dysfunction. Particularly, can you achieve you previous level of fitness without resorting to a lifetime of medicines. The answer is yes. Here's a list of things to keep in mind. 1) Exercise. You need to get at least 30-60 minutes of activity a day, 5 times a week. 2)Stress can be a factor in hypothyroid disorders. Learning to trigger a relaxation response can help you better deal with stress, therefore help your thyroid. 3) Sun. Make sure you get enough sun exposure. Adequate Vitamin D levels support a healthy immune function and calcium metabolism. 15-20 minutes 2x daily supplement during winter months with light therapy 4) Vitamins. Other essential vitamins for proper thyroid health include: Zinc Iodine -a Kelp supplement is a good source of Copper. 5) Amino Acids. The amino acid L-tyrosine is associated with normal hormone production. Look for an L-tyrosine supplement at your local health store. 6) Avoid Fluoride. Chlorine and Fluoride BLOCK iodine receptors in the thyroid gland. Less Iodine = Less hormone production. 7) Avoid Stimulants. Coffee and alcohol can upset the glandular system, resulting in imbalance. 8) Supplement. Try a natural thyroid supplement for comprehensive thyroid nutrition. 9) Yoga. Poses like downward dog improve blood flow to your neck, where your thyroid is located. Yoga also counts as an activity and stress reducer. We offer a yoga class that's included in your $28 membership here at the Austin Fitness Center every Saturday morning at 9:30. Medicines are fine sometimes, but to be relegated to a life of pill popping when there are so many natural ways to improve your health doesn't seem like a good deal to me. Andy Bruchey: Personal Trainer Austin TX 10-13-2008

I received an e mail the other day from a young man interested in putting on 8-10 lbs of muscle. He had been taking a compound known as tri bolic and wanted to know if that was a good way of achieving the goal. If not, what was the way to go? Tri bolic is a triple compound anabolic. In other words, it's 3 steroids in 1 pill that's legal (for now) because it's a molecule diffe