Most every health professionals say that all you have to do is eat right and exercise. To most people that sounds easy but with so many false statements and myths about diet and exercise it becomes complicated and frustrating trying to figure out what is correct and what is not. We want to clear from your mind all that you have heard from exercise videos, dozens of fitness magazines, and hundreds of books. We want you to realize that all you really get from them are junk heaps of false conclusions, half-baked exercises, contradictions and nutrition theories that generate so much confusion and uncertainty.

Myth: Cardiovascular training is better for losing weight than weight training.
Truth: To make over your body, you MUST train with weights.
Getting a cardio work out is better than doing nothing but to really change your physique you need to weight train. When you weight train you increase your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns fat). Also, when you gain muscle it takes more energy to maintain your muscle than it does fat; fat just sits there. Because of that, weight training is even better than aerobic exercise for people that want to lose fat. When you weight train you raise the rate at which your body uses energy.

If you start up a cardiovascular training regimen your results will not be the most beneficial if you do not add weight training into it. You may lose weight but your shape will not change. When you weight train you actually change your shape, not just becoming a skinnier version of your self in the past. If you want a body transformation, weight training adding in cardio training is the best way to go.

Myth: When you exercise it doesn’t matter what you eat.
Truth: When you exercise, it matters even more what you eat!
As stated above, when you exercise, it matters even more what you eat. If you start working out and aren’t feeding your body the correct nutrients then you are exercising a nutrient-deficient body; which makes you worse off than a sedentary person eating the same things as you. You are also making your body more nutrient deficient the longer you continue to not give your body the proper nutrition and working out. It is simple; physically active people need more nutrients than sedentary people. I didn’t realize how important this was until I realized that even though I was working out to get the body I wanted I wasn’t feeding it properly, therefore I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. So many people are victims of this myth, I was one of them for a long time and now I know better. This part is simple as well, without optimum levels of the nutrients your body needs, you are not going to get the results you are looking for. You have to accept the fact that optimal nutrition is just as important as exercise and then guess what… you will be one step closer to accomplishing your goal in a healthy manner.

Myth: If women train with weights, they will get bigger muscles like men.
Truth: Weight/resistance training helps women build long lean muscle not bulky muscle.
When women train with weights they completely change the way their bodies look. They don’t get bulky but leaner. If only women can understand that if they took the fat on their hips and thighs and replaced it with the same weight in muscle, then their thighs would be much smaller. This is because fat takes up 5 times as much space as muscle. Most of the time women don’t know that their body composition determines how they look; by building lean muscle you replace the fat on your body incredibly transforming your body into a leaner, more beautiful, healthy body. Women need to be more concerned about not having enough muscle on their bodies to maintain health. Remember strong muscles lead to strong bones; strong bones lead to NO OSTEOPOROSIS!

Myth: Weight training is only for people in sports.
Fact: All people should be weight training.
Starting at age 25, body fat levels increase and muscle mass decreases and continues to do so as you age. If you look at statistics the normal American man’s body fat increases twice over, from about 18% to 36%. In the same time frame, a woman’s body fat can go from 33% to around 45%!! If you look at it, it’s almost like a domino effect. As we get older, we get fatter; when we get fatter, we lose muscle mass; when we lose muscle mass, we lose strength. As we lose strength of course we then are weak and become susceptible to disease and disabilities. So here is my point; weight training is made for all people, with proper use you will increase your body’s strength and flexibility. It doesn’t matter what level of training you are at, from beginners to advanced, or if you’re healthy, you are ready to start pumping some iron right now! The goal is to start and make your self healthier as you learn. I am a professional and I am still learning!

Myth: When you are lifting weights your muscles grow.
Fact: When you rest your muscles grow.
Working out is just the spark to light the fire for building muscle. The real “magic” happens when you are resting. When you work out you want to slightly damage the muscle fibers by overloading them. When you lift weights properly, you cause micro-trauma to the muscle tissue. When that happens your body responds to that by sending its “muscle-rebuilding workforce” out to repair its self. The repair of your muscles involves energy which in the right situation, will be coming from your stored body fat. This also goes back to nutrition; you won’t get all of the nutrients to rebuild your muscles from body fat, you need the right amounts of amino acids, creatine, minerals, vitamins, etc. to build the muscle you want.

Giving your muscle the right amount of rest is vital to your health as well as the growth of you muscles. If you don’t rest the muscles long enough then when you go work those same muscles out again you re-damage the already damaged muscle tissue and it will take longer to rebuild it this time around. It’s like you are short circuiting the recovery process and that is not a good thing.
Bottom line is that in between your workouts, while you are resting, is when your muscles actually grown. With the proper rest, and nutrients being fed to your body your muscles will grow stronger and firmer each time around.

Myth: Eating right means 3 meals a day.
Fact: Eating right means six nutritious meals a day.
As I have harped on before you must eat to get your body the right nutrients to be healthy. If you look back in history our ancestors were frequent feeders or grazers, not bingers. Normally when you eat “3 square meals” it is on the run and you are starving! To convert your body from fat storage facility to a leaner, feel better, healthier, better looking machine you need to develop the pattern of eating frequently. You should eat every 2-3 hours to convince your body and mind that there is not a starvation period closing in. Also, eating often keeps your metabolism accelerated, so you burn more calories and fat during the day. When you get used to eating every couple of hours then your body stops those cravings that you used to have because you won’t be hungry and on top of that you will have more energy! In the end you will be setting yourself up for a good “metabolic environment” that can keep up the healthy fat loss and muscle gains that you want.

Myth: If you “eat right,” you don’t need to take supplements.
Fact: Studies show that many of us need to take supplements.
Because it is impossible to calculate the nutrient value of many foods, you can’t be certain that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Even if you had a full time chef making the best food in the world you still wouldn’t be able to get everything your body needs in a day, in the correct amount. That is where supplementation comes into play. You supplement with vitamins and minerals along with nutrition shakes and then you can be more certain you are getting the right nutrients into your body for recovery, muscle gains, or for general health.

Myth: You only need to drink water when you are thirsty.
Fact: Your body needs more water than it lets you know.
Can you believe that muscle is made up of more than 70% water and your brain is made up of 85% water? Your body is made up of a lot of water and water is a vital transport instrument for an infinite amount of nutrients including carbohydrates. And we can’t forget that it has a huge role in all cellular activity. Just think, if the water in your body is low it will affect all of these process,’ and cause a buildup of ammonia and other bad things in your body; so if you don’t want to be sluggish and dehydrated throughout the day drink water all day long.

Now if you happen to be a person who has water retention the best way to get rid of that is to NOT take a diuretic but to drink more water!

To go on about how water is so wonderful it can help control your appetite. If you drink a cup of water with your meal then it will help fill you up. Your body needs water constantly to properly function, so remember to drink a lot and throughout the day. Don’t wait till you are thirsty because then you are already dehydrated.

Myth: The longer you exercise the better.
Fact: Too much exercise prevents results.
Simply said if you work out to much you over work your muscles and it takes you further away from your goals instead of closer. Short, concise, intense workouts are the best way to reach your goals and it generates amazing results. Once you stimulate the muscles you need a resting period, this goes back to when you rest your muscles grow (read above). That is why it is good to lift weights every other day instead of everyday. If you look at people that work out all the time they usually have little to show for it, because there comes a point that if you keep pushing yourself day in and day out, it will begin to work against you. In the sense of exercise, more is not better.

Number One: You don’t know where to start in your fitness journey.
For those that don’t know where to start in their fitness journey, a personal trainer can be very beneficial.  Personal training will help to maximize your workout time while ensuring you don’t over exert or injure yourself.  Personal trainers can also help set realistic goals, coordinating a schedule that helps you to balance and manage your time successfully.

Number Two: You are not seeing results with your current workout.
If you are similar to the millions of people who exercise consistently without achieving the results you desire, hiring a personal trainer is a good idea. A trainer will scrutinize your work out regimen, diet and goals. Changes will then be implemented where needed, helping to build an effective workout and diet plan personalized specifically for you.  This will jump start your body and your motivation.

Number Three: You are in need of motivation and accountability.
Personal trainers come with a built-in motivation system; this is part of the package you receive when you hire a trainer.  Your monetary investment in a personal trainer is coupled with an investment of your time.  The hardest part of beginning a new regimen is personal accountable, but the feeling of accomplishment after a tough personal training session is a worthwhile reward.  Along with increased motivation comes accountability; even on the days you don’t workout, you are well aware of the questions your personal trainer will ask: “What did you eat today? What have you eaten since we last trained? Have you kept up with your schedule?” Knowing these tough questions are waiting will make it tougher for you to become lazy and apathetic.

Number Four: You are bored with the same training routine.
If you are experienced in the gym you probably have not considered working out with a personal trainer.  Hiring a personal trainer is a good idea if you want or need some diversity in your training. A trainer can offer new ideas to challenge your body and will introduce you to new exercises that will move you forward in achieving your goals. Even if you don’t train for three months, but opt for a “refresher” course, you will feel refreshed in your efforts and have a few new “toys” in your bag with which to play in the gym.

Number Five: You need a good Challenge.
This is closely related being bored with the same workouts.  When you get bored, the tendency is to slack off.  Hiring a personal trainer can motivate you to boost your sets and push past those mental blocks.  Personal trainers drive you to challenge yourself by lifting heavier, working out longer and doing exercises you would never do on your own. Many professional athletes hire personal trainers because they know a trainer will challenge them more than they could challenge themselves.

Number Six: You don’t know how to exercise correctly on your own.
Many individuals desire to go into the gym and perform a work out by themselves with the knowledge that they are performing the exercises correctly and effectively.  Hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions can be a good experience for learning the correct way to exercise as well learning more about the muscles used in those exercises.  The trainer will also teach you about correct form in an effort to help prevent exercise-related injuries.  You will be amazed the lessons you learn from a few personal training sessions.

Number Seven: You are an athlete and training for a specific sport.
If you are training for a specific sport such as baseball, a marathon or tennis, a personal trainer can assist you by improving your physical condition without interfering with your training. A personal trainer can create a sport-specific regimen scheduled around your event and other training. The main focus when using a trainer for this purpose is to find one that is experienced in your sport and can train you accordingly. Not all personal trainers do sports-specific training.

Number Eight: You have an illness or specific condition.
Certain illnesses and conditions such as pregnancy, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, etc. can improve when you exercise.  Hiring an experienced personal trainer who works closely with your doctor can help build a program to help heal, reverse or stop your illness or condition. It is critical, however, to ensure your personal trainer has experience with your condition.

Number Nine: You like support and supervision during your workouts.
You may be knowledgeable with workout posture but require someone to support you for those heavy or partner movements. A personal trainer can help to correct your form if you get out of alignment.  Personal trainers are also able to be that support system you require and help you to maintain your goals with a quality training program.

Number Ten: You would like in-home training.
Personal trainers don’t just work at gyms or studios; they can also come to your home. If you would like to train at your home but don’t know where to start, how to use your equipment, or just don’t like to work out in a gym, a personal trainer is a great choice. The trainer can teach you how to use your equipment and introduce new equipment for additional training options. Your personal trainer will build a goal-oriented program specifically for you that can be done in the comfort of your home.

1. Cardio in the morning.
Do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. If you don’t have the time or that’s the last thing on your mind in the morning, do it at night not having eaten for 3 hours prior. If you plan on doing cardio at 6:30 then eat no later than 3:30. Any closer to your workout time and your blood will rush to your stomach to digest your food and actually diminish your workout. Also, don’t eat anything until an hour after your cardio. Give your body time to do its magic.

2. Breathe through your nose.
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose helps stabilize your heart rate and it will help you increase your endurance. The result, you work out longer and burn more fat.

3. Don’t slouch.
If you slouch on the cardio equipment as you are exercising, you are inhibiting the amount of oxygen you body can take in. This slows your fat-burning process within your body! Posture is very important with any exercise.

4. Do Intervals.
If you are just starting out with cardio then start off with interval training. Let’s say you are on the treadmill and do 2 minutes at 6 mph followed by 2 minutes at 4 mph then back up to 6mph and so on for 20-45 minutes. This will help you build endurance and lose fat. Eventually you will be able to connect the higher intervals and go at one pace for the whole workout.

5. Add weights.
If you haven’t already heard it has been proven that the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn because it takes more energy for your body to maintain lean muscle than fat. So if you are just doing cardio to lose fat and hit a plateau then it is a good idea to add weights to your program. If you don’t exactly want to start pumping iron in the weight room then just add light weights to your arms and legs as you do your cardio.

6. Eat a clean diet.
Change your diet and eat numerous (5-6), nutrient rich, low fat meals during the day. Eating small meals often throughout the day in regular intervals (every two to three hours) will help increase your metabolism and energy levels stable. When your metabolism is up to par and when you consume small meals throughout the day, the rate at which your food is used up is very fast, therefore when all your food is consumed then your body uses the fat storage in your body for energy. You eat clean for the good of your body and to achieve optimum nutrition and health.

7. Get enough Iron in your diet.
Yeah I said pump iron but also making sure you get enough iron in your diet through foods and a good multivitamin will ensure that you get enough oxygen to your cells keeping your metabolism stable. If you don’t have enough iron in your body you become easily fatigued and you become weak, this is called anemia. Your metabolism becomes sluggish and this slows the process of burning fat.

8. Avoid alcohol.
Simply said, alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. Wash you meals down with a glass of water instead of your favorite alcoholic beverage and you will keep the food that you are eating from going straight to your hips (stomach, thighs, etc).

9. Get just the right amount of protein in your diet.
Not the extreme Atkins diet approach but keep protein levels between 20-35% of your diet. Eating too much can cause your kidneys to strain and will also cause your body to store fat. With just the right amount your metabolism fires up to burn fat because your body uses more energy to break down the protein that you have ingested.

10. Get enough sleep.
Your body has a harder time processing carbs when you don’t get enough sleep. Why is that? On little sleep your body produces higher levels of insulin and the stress hormone cortisol. When you are tired your body doesn’t have the energy to do normal everyday things such as…BURN CALORIES efficiently and properly. So be good to your body and get some sleep!

Time is the only thing that we can’t get back from the fast-paced world in which we live. From school, work, family, and trying to stay healthy, there never seems to be enough time in a day. As a full-time, full-load college student with a lot of other activities on my plate, how is it possible to find time to prep and compete?

It all boils down to a delicate balance routine between sleeping, training, eating, working, studying and playing, but not necessarily in that order. My time management has to be precise and calculated or I am not able to complete each daily task. I literally live out of my day planner on season, but during off-season I am a little more lenient. In this article I will give you tools and advice on how to manage your time as a student so that you can be more efficient and organized in order to accomplish your competition goals with ease.

Day Planners: The Key for Prioritizing and Organizing
You have picked the date for your competition and it is in the middle of the semester…now what?  Take a deep breath and relax because going to school, working and prepping for competition is possible! The first thing to do, though, is get a day planner. You’ll need to write each task down and at what times they need to be started and completed. This will alleviate the stress of trying to remember everything, and will also help you to prioritize your daily responsibilities.

The next thing to define and outline are the top priority elements that must be scheduled consistently every week. The first, and a definite must, is food preparation.

Healthy Meals and Supplements Made Easy
Pick one day out of the week (mine is Sunday) to prepare all of your protein and carbohydrates so that you can “pack and go” without having to cook every single day. Also, place your daily food diary on your refrigerator as a quick reference for food preparation. Non-food items you will need for your prepped meals include Tupperware, an oversized lunch box, ice packs to keep meals cold and medicine droppers!

Medicine droppers? Absolutely! They are an ingenious way to store your flax and fish oil while on the go. In doing so, you remove the need to transport the entire bottle; your daily dosage can quickly and efficiently be measured.

I also suggest locating a microwave on campus that is in the proximity of your classes. This will allow you to quickly heat your meals and still make your classes on time. When eating, try to schedule your meals between classes – approximately every 2.5 to 3 hours. However, if you absolutely must eat in class and your professors give you a hard time, explain to them the importance of regular, balanced meals as a fitness competitor in training. They will likely understand and appreciate your dedication and discipline. If you are a trainer, sometimes this can actually lead to their interest in training with you!

Making Time for Cardiovascular Training
Now that you no longer have an excuse for eating poorly, let’s discuss cardiovascular training. Plan to do your cardio in the morning and/or between classes if you have a time slot open. If you have a break in between classes, I have found it easiest to take care of training at these times – especially since most campuses have a wellness center or gym. By using your time between classes wisely, you free up time at the end of the day to do homework or study. Clearly, this is why time management is key.

If you are like me and don’t have class at the same time each day, it might be a wise investment to purchase cardio equipment for your home. I have an old, inexpensive Schwinn stationary bike. I often set my laptop on the handlebars and complete homework while doing my cardio – multi-tasking at its finest! For me, consistency is key, and I try to complete my cardio at roughly the same time daily in order to ensure I stay with my routine and am not rushed.

Consistent Rest Leads to Endurance
It’s always best to go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on the weekends. This will keep you on track both mentally and physically.

Things won’t always be easy though, and life catches up with you. During testing time and high stress days, if you miss a work out, cardio session, or cheat on your meals, don’t give up or be too hard on yourself. Remember, tomorrow is another day and all the gains you make toward your fitness goals are cumulative. If you remain consistent and say focused, you will be very successful in your preparation.

Find what works best for you and stick to that routine. It will all pay off in the end!

Suggestions that help with time management:

• MINUTE Ready to Serve Brown Rice (Easy Recipe: Combine the brown rice and Star-Kist Herb and Garlic tuna, heat and eat!)
• KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki marinade! Marinade thirty minutes or over night and bar-b-que or broil.
• If you can’t seem to get all your vegetables in, substitute with a super food such as Green Vibrance.