Heart Healthy Seminar Feb 28th

Heart Healthy Seminar Feb 28th

Open to members and non-members:

When: 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 28
Where:FITLORENZO Training Center
What: Learn how to maximize your workouts and cardiovascular goals with the use of a heart rate monitor. Also, learn about Healthy Secrets for Weight Loss through proper exercise and nutrition.

Please RSVP at 729-5217 or info@fitlorenzo.com if you're planning to attend.

What Is The Equation For Fitness Success?

If there is a question I get every single day from gym members, family, friends, different folks at the grocery store, it almost always comes down to one thing; and I’m telling you even from the newbie trainees to those who’ve been in the gym for some time: what is the secret to rapid results? Is there any magic trick or quick fixes to get there fast?

Truth be told, we all want a that beach body overnight. Women want to wear their bikinis; men want to bench press 300 pounds or so, deadlift 3 times their bodyweight in two weeks of beginning their training program. Let’s face it everyone wants a six pack abs without having to counting calories, right?

The problem is that most are lost in this sea of information and the hype that is floating around about this diet or that one; do I eat carbs, more protein, is fat bad for me, etc, etc; that most just go from one to the other with little to no knowledge. Some say, “I’ll eat what I want but, how about interval training, or 1 or 2 hours of cardio… is a mile or two long enough? Why aren’t I loosing more weight?

Although there are many supplements and treatments out there that claim will get you there, most of them will just “supplement” whatever you are currently doing. If you are not doing good on your own or nothing at all then forget it they won’t even work. The fact is that there is no secret to getting that sexy physique or building muscle and losing fat. It takes commitment, consistency, hard and smart work, plus common sense to not over do it.

Building an incredible physique takes time and determination. It's actually quite simple, and for the regular fitness enthusiast, 3-4 training sessions per week is going to be all they really need to achieve their physique and or fitness goals. Combine a good training routine of basic compound movements with a healthy dietary approach, and I can just about guarantee your success. Usually 6 to 12 weeks is plenty of time to start noticing some real results. Of course everyone has a different body composition, health and needs of your own. Regardless you should manage and see some good results. If you don’t see results chances are you are missing on something or probably just need a little help to push over that plateau.

If you need advice on your exercise, cardiovascular and nutrition programs you can visit me at Electra Health Club and Spa or e-mail me with questions/comments. I would love to hear from you!

Eduardo Lorenzo – NASM-CPT; specializes in sports performance, injury prevention, corrective exercises, physique enhancement and weight loss programs

Artificial Sweeteners, are they safe?

When we think about artificial sweetners we think of products Splenda, NutraSweet, Equal and others. These are perceived as "natural" because even the FDA claims that "it is made from sugar" — an assertion disputed by the Sugar Association, which is suing Splenda's manufacturer, (McNeil Nutritionals). So when we read "it's made from sugar", then it should be safe because it seems to be from a natural source...right?

The question is what is defined as natural? I guess it depends on perception; for example: Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar, so it seems to be natural)— except that three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms.

I could get more in depth with all this biochemistry and science behind it, but for the purpose of this article I think it clearly sends the message. You could however Google it and see more for your self.

Now the question, is it safe? The truth is we just don't know yet. (Obviously the Equal and NutraSweet thing we won't even talk about it here, we already know what it does to your body). On the other hand there are no long-term studies of the side effects of Splenda in humans. The manufacturer's own short-term studies showed that sucralose caused shrunken thymus glands and enlarged livers and kidneys in rodents. But in this case, the FDA decided that because these studies weren't based on human test animals, they were not conclusive. Of course, there are countless examples of foods and drugs that have proved dangerous to humans that were first found to be dangerous to laboratory rats, and then again, countless others that have not. So the reality is that we are the guinea pigs for Splenda.

Observational evidence shows that there are side effects of Splenda, including skin rashes/flushing, panic-like agitation, dizziness and numbness, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain. These show up at one end of the spectrum — in the people who have an allergy or sensitivity to the sucralose molecule. But no one can say to what degree consuming Splenda affects the rest of us.

Why does it affect some people more than others? It is made with some chemicals that are known to be hazards - but the degree to which you experience side effects just depends on your individual biochemistry.

Personally I experienced lots of side effects when I started using it a few years ago, when I was trying to switch from regular sugar. Turns out I didn't need to switch and once I stopped using Splenda I felt great. Yeah it could be me who's messed up in my inside or have a poor tolerance to certain ingredients and chemical compounds. Or maybe long term will show it is dangerous to humans.

Just be careful when you embark on your journey to health and fitness. Get to know your own body and how you react to everything you eat and your endurance. Treat it right and feed it with the proper foods and you should surely see some great results.

Artificial Sweeteners Can Make You Gain Weight...

Some recent studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can link a person to weight gain and/or obesity. Below you will find a part of the article. For the full article and more information or the full press release go to: http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/bne-feb08-swithers.pdf

It states in part:
“The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar,” the authors wrote... However, they noted that their findings match emerging evidence that people who drink more diet drinks are at higher risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome, a collection of medical problems such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance that put people at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Why would a sugar substitute backfire? Swithers and Davidson wrote that sweet foods provide a “salient orosensory stimulus” that strongly predicts someone is about to take in a lot of calories. Ingestive and digestive reflexes gear up for that intake but when false sweetness isn’t followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused. Thus, people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would.

The good news, Swithers says, is that people can still count calories to regulate intake and body weight. However, she sympathizes with the dieter’s lament that counting calories requires more conscious effort than consuming low-calorie foods. Swithers adds that based on the lab’s hypothesis, other artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which also taste sweet but do not predict the delivery of calories, could have similar effects.

So when you think of weight loss - not everything that states calorie free, fat free or sugar free is necessary true or even worst safe.

Hence the next logical question is, are artificial sweeteners they safe? In my next post I'll address some of these concerns.

Partner Training can improve your Performance!

Every time we do something in the company of good people we feel better and more motivated. So it makes sense that when you are training in the gym with a friend, your performance can greatly improve. You will see better results, get more motivation, work harder than if you where there alone. Your gym partner however needs to be hard working because if he/she is lazy you will also become lazy and find yourself spending 2 hours at the gym just talking. You should also ensure that your gym partner at least shares some of the goals as you do when it comes to fitness and health.

This way you can establish some positive competition between you and your friend. This is because positive competition usually acts as a motivator; you will be able to push each other to more and more.

If you get the right partner or buddy to train you will be able to accomplish the following:

1. Boost your level of motivation
2. Create accountability of yourself; if you know they will be there and you have an appointment you won’t let them down and therefore won’t skip on your workouts or be late. This in turn keeps your consistency in high gear!
3. Keep an eye on nutrition, including how much liquor we might have when at social gatherings. Your partner will always keep you on track of your goals.
4. You will train safe!!! If done properly a good spotter will help you push a few more reps and sets on your workouts, but also make sure you keep proper form, technique and avoid injuries.

What if you can’t seem to find that right partner to train? Well don’t give up on your fitness quest just because of that. Training alone allows you to focus more on your own training, your strengths and weaknesses. Hence, choosing the right training program will be key to your success.

You can always explore the option of hiring a Fitness Specialist who in turn will be able to assess those strength and weaknesses, tweak your training, nutrition and cardio programs. Investing in you is the best way to stay healthy, especially in tough economic times. The better our health is, the less we need to spend in healthcare and other related issues.

A Fitness Specialist will definitely keep you motivated and accountable of your fitness goals; but most importantly will help you maximize your efforts and time while at the gym, delivering faster results that everyone will notice.

Like the old saying says: two are better than one!

A-Rod or A-Roid...

I am a die-hard Yankee fan so no surprise I ask myself, A-Rod what have you done? Truthfully I think we all knew that him along with so many others who will eventually come out to public did some PED (Performance Enhancing Drugs). But what I can't seem to understand is that of all people, he didn't needed and edge, he arguably has the best talent in baseball, definitely the most money and was surely in the Hall of Fame.

However there is a lesson to be learned, insecurity and ignorance can lead to disaster. Look at his career as so as Barry Bonds, Clemens, and so many others that are now tainted, probably for life. Yet some of these have accomplish what probably no one has ever done. I mean I wish I could break a HR record or dunk from the 3 point line... it ain't gonna happen. Maybe Lebron might try it one day... although I don't like him.

The point is, was it worth it? If I ask Canseco, he'll say hell ya! But he's an idiot. On the other hand the bodybuilding industry is based on idea of breaking your anabolic state in order to create this beastly body. They pay and live for this, and we all know, just by looking at their bodies something is in it.

Does this mean supplements are bad for you? Are there alternatives or can I actually get an edge and build a great body and increase my performance if I play sports?

I'll follow up this post with the proper answer and some guidelines.