E-mail from a client...

I got this e-mail today from one of my newsletter readers and thought I would share it with you. See was responding to my latest e-mail, which in part I talk about how to get yourself out of a state of insulin coma... especially after a holiday weekend of eating candy, chocolate and perhaps some drinking.


Her response (and I do have her permission to post this) was:

"Ed - Not me this year!!  It wasn't easy but I by-passed the sweets completely! 

In fact, I'll share my story from yesterday....  We had a staff appreciation ice cream social at work at 3pm.  I walked through the kitchen to look at the spread - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry ice cream... full of flavor, and fat and sugar...  M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, mini peanut butter cups, chocolate syrup...  Yum!  I was so tempted!  I started to justify it to myself - I've been so good for the past few weeks, I can afford to "cheat" once. I deserve it! 

But as I looked at the nutritional labels, counting the calories and fat in just 1/2 cup, I asked myself:  Is this few minutes of bliss worth the risk of sabotaging my week of hard work and ultimately setting me back from my goal?? 

I decided it wasn't, so I got a cup of decaf coffee, refilled my water and headed back to my desk to "enjoy" my 1/2 cup of cottage cheese instead...  I know reaching my goal won't be because of that one decision, but because of the sum of all them". 

- Jen K. "

I mean you gotta love it!! Especially that part in the end where she says "I know reaching my goal won't be because of that one decision, but because of the sum of all them"...

When I got this e-mail today, I had a huge smile cause I'm so proud of her and her accomplishments.

I know that many more just like her work hard towards being their best and achieving a great body. Physically and mentally.

Great job Jen, and thanks for sharing!

Whats better for your health: drugs or exercise?

WE ARE A NATION OF ADDICTION! Why am I saying this? For starters it's no surprise we are addicted to drugs, alcohol,sex, food, violence... you name it. But let me tell you why I'm bringing this up today.

After boot camp this morning; I'm sitting home, eating breakfast and watching the news as I get ready for an very busy afternoon training clients. On the news on CNN they had this segment conducting an interview on a report that came out on the nations addiction to prescription drugs; especially pain killers. In their article (which you can read by clicking here) they mention how "prescription drug overdose is now the fastest-growing drug problem in the country, surpassing the number of people who overdosed during both the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and the black tar heroin epidemic of the 1970s combined" -"Prescriptions for these painkillers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. In 2000 pharmacies filed 174 million opioid prescriptions. By 2009 that number was 257 million"... If you ask me that's freaking alarming!!!

"Pain killers are necessary and when used properly they help and benefit in the treatment for pain management for certain patients, though they pose serious risks when used improperly", said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg.

Some facts attributed to the abuse of pain killers was stated as; besides the drug, pain management specialists often indiscriminately prescribe painkillers. Focused on eliminating pain, physicians can overlook the long-term consequences of dependency. These are the same people that went to medical school in hopes to take care of us... Not to mention that the drug industry is a billion dollar industry.

Be a smart consumer and a smart patient, understand that sometimes drugs are prescribe based on what a sales rep does and not what the actual drug claims to do.Have you seen the side effects on many of these drugs? Most will end up killing you in the long run. I still remember when I was teen I had these chest pains (that would come anytime including while playing sports in the middle of a game) and so my mom took me to the Dr. They never figured out what I had, they said I had the heart of an athlete.. I still mentioned I had pains and wasn't making it up. He ended up prescribing me some pain killer for my next episode. I was like WTH!!! You have no idea what's wrong (they actually though I was perfectly fine) yet I was constantly prescribed with pain killers and muscle relaxers. I never took them by the way, and it ends up after years I have higher levels of CRP and a mild heart murmur. Everything under control thankfully... regular exercise and healthy nutrition helps!

But why do we seek these drugs? We've become a society of instant gratification including seeking out quick fixes through drugs to make yourselves feel better. What about your behavior and day to day actions?


On December 2009 I wrote a post about the Health Care Debate And You (click here to read the full post). In it I mention how some of the issues may be out of your hands (and into the hands of Congress) though not your health!!

What we are missing is the real debate on how to get people healthy and help them stay that way (without the use of pain killers which ultimately may end up killing you); or in others words Practice Preventive Medicine not reactive. At the end it’s your responsibility to take action for your health, your life and of those around you.

What can you do then?

Did you know that regular exercise combined with a healthy nutrition program can help you live better, improve the quality of your life, reduce the possibility of contracting a disease, strengthen your muscles and bones, fight aging, help you reduce stress and improve your sleep patterns, improve your sex life and so many other things like regulate your blood pressure, control sugar related health problems such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, lower cholesterol, etc… In a struggling economy imagine all the money you and everyone else would save by just taking care of your body. You clean your house, you maintain your cars and other possessions why not your health? As some other professionals have pointed out: FITNESS IS THE ULTIMATE MEDICINE!!

What if you:
· Stop smoking
· Eat healthier (like more chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, omega-3, 6)
· Reduce the intake of alcohol or at least drink moderately
· Exercise every day or at least in a consistent and regular basis 3 to 5 times a week
· Smile and be generous
· Have Fun
· Love others

The reality is that this is your Preventive Medicine or "personal health care reform program". Of course it won’t guarantee that you would ever get sick, be pain free, avoid aging or getting into an accident or having the perfect body; but it’s a start and ONLY YOU can control this not an insurance company, not the government not your workplace.

Sure there are great programs developed by the government to help promote fitness and even more so companies are realizing the benefits of starting a Corporate Wellness Program. But at the end it falls on you to follow through a program. You must enroll into the gym, if not decide to exercise at home, join boot camp and once you do that,  THEN YOU MUST GO. You must get started in a fitness and nutrition program.

If you lack motivation, if you are lazy, if you have no idea where to start or what to do… then you must invest in yourself, buy a book, go online, hire a reputable fitness expert at least to help you get started on the right path.

At the end your "personal health care reform program" comes down to this: you either invest your time and effort in your health today or pay the expenses and medical bills tomorrow, it’s your call.

Run Out Of Trouble

If you've been running and/or playing sports for a while, it's very likely that you may suffer (if not already) from a sprained ankle, tennis elbow, runner's knee pain, shin splints, strains, sprains and tears. Even if these are not severe one thing is for sure... being injured sucks!

So what can you do about it and how can you avoid most of them?


Keep in mind that it doesn't matters if you run, play sports or just sit at a desk all day the chances of something knocking you over or you knocking yourself out is very high. However there are many things you could do to avoid or reduce the risk of injuries.

First of all you need to stretch properly your muscles and ligaments, which in turn will alleviate the stress on the joints and connective tissues.

One Leg DeadLift - Toe Touch

Strength training is also a big plus because when you run or walk your quad muscles become the primary mover. Therefore the more stronger and powerful those muscles are it will lead to a more efficient running style. Focus on exercises that will improve strength on your quad muscles (rectus femoris, vastus medialis and vastus lateralis). Some exercises recommended are squats, step ups, lunges; also focus on exercises that improve knee stabilization such as single joint 1 leg deadlift, and hip flexion, hip extension, abduction (outer thigh/hip), adduction (inner thigh/hip), and low-back extensions.

What if you already have some sort of pain or discomfort while running?  While I won't be able to cover everything I'll address 2: anterior knee pain and shin splints. However I must clarify if you are experiencing constant pain in your knees or other muscles/joint group get yourself checked out. It could be a tear and depending on the severity of it you may need to take more time off to recover, in some cases surgery becomes the only option.

ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN: It could mean many different conditions, but its usually pain that occurs in the front and center of the knee. In your case since you are a runner it could most likely be what's considered "runners knee, jumpers knee, tendonitis, etc". Which may come from strained tendons and irritation or softening of the cartilage that lines the underside of the kneecap.

People with AKP frequently complain of dull pain, which is worse running, squatting, jumping, getting up from a chair or out of a car, or walking up or down stairs. Sometimes the knee clicks or locks. Sometimes it is swollen.

It may happen because you have flat feet, weak muscles in your quads and hamstrings or maybe they are too tight; it can also be caused by over training or a more severe condition.

Strength training will help make the surrounding muscles stronger and keep the kneecap in place. Depending on how much pain you are or have been you may need to sit out for a while. Use some of the exercises mentioned above to help you get stronger and reduce the risk of injuries.

If pain is acute, ice or anti-inflammatory medication may help. You can use the R.I.C.E. stuff too.

REST - ICE - COMPRESSION - ELEVATION

SHIN SPLINTS:  also called tibial stress syndrome is referred to as the lower leg pain (a burning sensation, swelling and/or tenderness) that occurs either on the front outside part of your leg or the inside part of your leg. It can also be a small tear in the muscle or muscle inflammation.

It may plague novice runners who especially over train (they don't gradually build up their millage READ: ARE YOU RUNNING) or more experienced runners who just over train as well and end up developing small stress fractures, or sometimes it's caused by overpronation or flat feet which may cause the connective surrounding the are to over stretch causing irritation... regardless many athletes and non-athletes complain about it.

If you are very tight you need to stretch and massage the area (your Achilles) or calves if your have either medial shin splints or anterior shin splints. Applying the R.I.C.E. treatment may also help. Performing range of motion exercises and sometimes you might need anti-inflammatory medication.

I hope this information help you improve your running game but also help you reduce the risk o injuries and/or apply proper treatment. Remember if pain is constant you better visit your Dr so you make sure you are not suffering from a more severe injury.

"Dedicated to your success" - Ed

Tuesday Rant & Random Thoughts

So today I find myself with some time in between clients, and decided to just write about a few things I’ve got on my mind.

Do understand this is by no means in any order, however sometimes in life you get to a point where you have a lot of stuff in your mind and you need to share it. I find it pertinent when I write I am able to express myself better, though not always “politically correct” or “grammatically correct either” as Michelle always points out to me…  hehe

Tuesday Rant:

1) There’s an ad on TV about how every car out there compares itself to the Camry… if that’s the case the question to the consumer is: why not actually buy the Camry and not the knock off or lower quality car? Listen I’m not judging the car… I could care less I drive my Hummer proudly (even with gas prices sky-rocketing).  The reason why I share this, it’s because the analogy fits well with your fitness trainer. If you are comparing this person to me constantly as to how they don’t do this like me, or treat you this way or that way and how they lack knowledge in many areas and how once the training session is over you find yourself lost because you have no idea as to what you are supposed to be doing..  Yet keep telling me you follow my newsletter, blog and other fitness advice, and then go hire someone else as your “personal trainer” (while in the process you follow all of my advice only during your training session you have that person next to you counting reps)… then why even bother?  I don’t get it!! You know how many “personal trainers” I’ve seen destroying their client bodies with dangerous, ineffective and stupid exercises. I know the problem; I just figured it out the other “personal trainer” charges you $5 bucks less per session… Really?  Seriously? This is your body and you only have one, hiring the wrong coach could mean you wasted your talents – hiring the wrong doctor could mean you could be misdiagnosed… maybe a little too late, hiring the wrong hair stylist means instead of blond highlights your hair turns green, hiring the wrong fitness trainer means you’ll get no results, learn nothing and find yourself in the same spot a few months down the road!!!

2) Weird last time I decided to rant on my blog it was also a Tuesday!!!

3) My TV is dying… “gulp” Last time I said I needed a new laptop (checked got my new DELL three months ago) and I also needed a flat screen TV… it’s still on my wish list.

4) WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? DO YOU CALL THAT EXERCISING? The most dangerous thing - is not knowing that you do not know (does that makes sense?). Let me explain, people waste their time in the gym, sometimes more is not better. Killing yourself is not the path to a better body.  For instance, there are many exercises I see people perform at the gym that makes me go nuts and wonder WTH are they thinking? The list of such exercises, especially those that are machine based is considerable, for the most part some of these equipments are designed to “facilitate” an exercise move, yet they force your body to move in planes your body was not designed for and in the long run will actually cause harm to you. In case you haven’t noticed your body was designed to move and be active, and to move as just one unit. The saddest part some of these exercises is that I’ve found many of them in popular magazines as a must do and I’ve even seen “trainers” recommending them to their clients. Listen educate yourself properly, if that is not an option hire fitness professional that is.

5) That being said; if you see me in the gym while training (me or my clients) and decide you want to copy some of the exercises; go ahead just pay attention to form, technique, pace and rest periods. I mean if you are going to do it – do it right. If you have a question go ahead ask, but no while I’m in a training session, out of courtesy to my clients. Thanks!

6) Training through mild injury (actually any injury) sucks! But if you are fortunate (SMART) enough you can use it as a learning experience, especially to focus on your weak areas. This in turn will not only increase your knowledge but also will make you stronger and better.

7) Albert Einstein said: “try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value”… Every organization, business and individuals has a set of values; some are poor, negative, and unproductive; while others are positive and productive. Keeping my word, being truthful and serving you over anything else is my commitment.  I’m not perfect nor do I know it all… but I care about you!!

I think this is good enough for today. If you made this far down I thank you for reading; I probably needed to do this today for myself.  I hope however I’m able to share some good tips with you!

I just came across a great article from Prograde Nutrition on the potential dangers of low fat diets.

This should shed some light on the dangers and why fat isn’t such a bad thing provided you are consuming the right kind!

Here’s that article:

Low Fat diets may increase heart disease risk!

Are You Running

Running is easy, right? If so then that means anyone can just run. That may be true to an extent, however there are many other factors that must be considered. Such as are you an experienced runner, a beginner, are you overweight or do you have any medical issues or physical limitations that may prevent or make running more difficult.

Then there's also the aspect as to if you enjoy this type of exercise. And I say this with much respect to all runners out there - I HATE RUNNING!!

My clients and friends already know this; I do not enjoy running, it doesn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong I love sprinting, playing basketball, baseball and football. But running as a sport or because of passion... hmmmm nope! Running for miles and miles is not my thing.

Yet running is part of our Strength & Conditioning Boot Camp program, and many of my clients and friends are runners. So let me take this moment to say how proud I am of them, because many have overcome difficulties  and taken on the challenge to become runners. Some of my clients like Jen Kellman, could barely run enough around a parking lot about 2 years ago. Now she can run easily a 5K (barely any sweat) a 10K and is getting ready for a half marathon.

And just like her many more are becoming runners, some because it's their passion and others because they see it as their only way of getting in shape.

So let me clarify something; I hope you do not see running as the only way to get in shape and I hope you are not the type of person who's never ran or jogged before and suddenly gets off the couch and decides to run for miles and miles. Doing so will most surely lead to over-training, which leads to shin splints, knee pain, inflammation and other injuries; some which could be serious.

Just like any other goal you need a plan. For example, one of my clients Kathy bought a podrunner and followed the program several weeks into her first 5K! She was ready and she did great!

TIPS FOR RUNNERS:
So if you are  beginner, start out easy and build your runs slowly. Take into consideration the terrain, flat surfaces are always better when you start. Value your rest/recovery days cause you might have soreness in your calf and thigh muscles. As you get better gradually increase the intensity of your training (these tips are recommended by runner's guide, runner's world and other experienced sources - plus its also based on my the advice of some colleagues, and running clients, as well as my professional fitness experience when it comes to proper conditioning).

Sprinting, plyometrics and strength training also helps to condition your body. By strengthening your hamstrings, glutes and low back; you balance out your body ability to move forward, such as when you run.

Stretching is very important, essentially because the more you train the more your muscles get tight. In order to run better and be free of injuries make sure your hamstrings and calf muscles are elastic enough.

Those are just a few suggestions and I hope you enjoy your running. This will be the first of a series of post that I'll be making to answer a few questions I get regarding running,conditioning and fat loss.

As far as running goes for me, I made the commitment to two of my clients that I will run with them in the near future a 5K. I do not know how I got myself into this, but I did. However I won't be running more than that, personally I think its insane to run more distance if I'm not being chased by a dog or my life actually depends on me running and escaping... it is what it is. But I tip my hat off to you!!

I do hope the advice is of value to you and I look forward to hearing how well you do. Keep me posted!

Dedicated to your success!

ed

WHY YOU NEED A PLAN

Many folks ask, why do I need a plan? My answer: for several important reasons. Simply put: a structure program will help you train more effectively and allow you to reach your goals faster.

If you haven't noticed, let me lay it out for ya'; few people just "exercise" because it's just "exercise". In the end most have some sort of expectation from exercising - it may improve health and overall fitness level, it may improve their performance in any given sport, it can improve their performance in the bedroom, it will allow them to have a body they can show off, it can make them feel confident and sexy. 

However a plan is only good if its in line with your goals. The more specific your goals, the more you can tailor a great training program to go with it; the better the chances you'll reach your goals faster. 

Your training program must be based on the following principles:

• Your goals
• Your limitations (face it we all have them)
• Specific exercise program break down
• Effective cardio program based on your goals, not something you just wing it
• Solid nutrition - again it must be specific to you, not everyone wants to lose weight, some need to gain more muscle, burn fat, be athletic, some play spots; plus everyone vary in size, age, gender, etc...
• Recovery time - Noticeable changes won't happen if you don't allow your body to properly recover
• Proper mindset - if you are not clear of your goals or want them bad enough, chances are you already started with a defeated attitude.

By combining  these principles your training will be more effective. Such structure in your program will allow you to set a real timetable as to when you can reach your goals. It will also make it easier to monitor your progress and keep you focused every time you go to the gym, workout at home or exercise outdoors.  

Those are the principles that guide FITLORENZO training programs. I want to help you get in the best shape possible and to challenge you to your best!!!

GET FITNESS RESULTS!!!

WHAT YOU GET:

• Better, Fit & Sexy Body
• Increased Energy
• Accountability & Motivation to take you to the next level
• Tailor workouts to your specific goals (whether it's fat loss or a more sculpted, muscular tone body). 
• Experience and proven fitness coach with a successful track record that will coach you through a proper exercise, nutrition and cardio program.
• 10% Discount!!!

If you want to change your body or improve your performance. You just have to do one thing. Call NOW: 941-301-9352 or E-mail. It’s that simple!!!

I n order to help you reach your goals, today I will offer a fitness training special during tax season (I've got your back!!!).But Hurry cause this will only be available till April 15,2011.

I'm extending a 10% discount on my Online Training Programs and 1-on-1 Personal Training Coaching Programs. 

After all beach season is just a few weeks awat and I want to help you look and feel your best. 

Remember: CALL TODAY cause this will only be available till April 15,2011.