A Word on Supplements

Health supplements are both a blessing as well as a burden on the health/fitness industry. There are millions upon millions of dollars that are made off of supplements.

There are no Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regulations regarding supplements. This means that any company can put pretty much whatever they want into a pill and claim that it can build muscle, make you stronger, help you lose weight, or increase your sexual drive.

Some supplements are a great addition to a workout regiment. The problem lies when people take multiple supplements together that have no research when taken together. This is where many health problems may occur. My advice to the average Joe + Jane is to consult a doctor when taking any sort of supplement, whether it be a multivitamin or a testosterone booster.

I will go into more detail in over supplements in later posts.

The Basics of Diet

There is an abundance of bad information in regards to diet out there on the internet. This post is going to outline the basics of diet.

The first part about diet that we will cover is the caloric values of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and alcohols. They are as follows:


Protein - 4 Calories/Gram
Carbohydrate - 4 Calories/Gram
Alcohol - 7 Calories/Gram
Fat - 9 Calories/Gram



There is one basic concept in diet that needs to be introduced. If you burn more calories than you consume you will LOSE weight. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will GAIN weight. The trick of losing and gaining weight is finding out the RATE in which you burn calories. This is known as you base metabolic rate. The rate is the rate that your body burns calories to keep it functioning. It is the amount of calories you would need to basically be a couch potato. All conscious people burn more than their base metabolic rate.

There are many BMR calculators on the internet that can help you figure out what your BMR is. Once you figure this out you can adjust the amount of calories you eat to gain or lose weight.

It is recommended that people neither gain or lose more than two pounds a week. There are exceptions for severely obese or severely skinny people.

This is a very basic look at the diet. If you would like to know more feel free to e-mail and I will be more than happy to explain much more and hopefully answer any questions you have.

Good Workout Habits

Good habits provide the basis for great success. If you don't start off with good habits chances are that you are not going to be successful at what you do. This is especially important while trying to follow some sort of workout plan, whether it be to slim down or to bulk up and get stronger.

The first workout habit that I find the most important is..... Record,Record, Record! Write down what you have done for the day. Whether it is pedaling on a bike for 30 minutes or Bench Pressing 225 pounds 12 times. Creating a workout log provides you with a detailed history of what you have done. You can compare what you have done to what you were supposed to do. You can track how much improvement you have shown throughout your long hard weeks in the gym.

The next workout habit that is important is consistency. You must be consistent while working out. Everyone has their "off" days. That really isn't a problem unless your "off" days become a regular occurrence. This can easily be seen if you keep a workout log.

Another good habit to have while working out is a POSITIVE ATTITUDE! If you work out grumpy or sad EVERYDAY, you are going to make very little progress while working out. There are many other good habits to have while working out but these are the easiest and involve little to no effort.

Jake's Big Three

1)Create a Workout Log
2)Consistency
3)Positive Attitude

Myths, Lies, and Scams

I was searching the net and was sickened by the amount of bad information that it out on the internet. There are so many websites promising miracle pills, exercises, and advice that will give the reader instant gratification. The truth is that there are no quick fixes. If there is a pill that causes you to lose 10 pounds in two weeks its extremely unhealthy.

I came across a website http://www.fireyourfat.com/?gclid=CKLhxqfN85UCFQOuFQodeWlwjQ I was very surprised that apparently Opera and many other celebrities endorse such a product. There are many, many others available on the internet that promise quick and easy results. The only Drug that has been FDA approved is ALLI.


I want the subscribers to my blog to understand that most of the information on the internet is not academically based and often is there to make some sort of profit. I have visited too many "fitness" websites that look good when they first are looked at, but when closely examined the website ultimately was there to sell a product. The only websites that I have found as of right now are those created and maintained by the federal government.

So, I would like to forewarn my readers to be careful and closely examine all of the information that you receive from the internet.



Here are some good websites that give you a good guideline on how to do that!
http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/checklist_print.html
http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/
http://www.rbs0.com/credible.pdf

Fast Food Nation

Look around, in almost every single township in the United States of America there is some sort of local fast food joint. In cities they are everywhere. You can get almost anything from burgers, tacos, to ice cream. Its quick, cheap, and very convenient for people to make a stop at a fast food restaurant. Really there is no problem with the occasional stop at the local fast food joint as long as it remains fairly infrequent. The occasional stop becomes a problem when it no longer becomes an "occasional" stop but rather a repetitive action.

Okay, I know what you are thinking, what does an occasional stop actually mean? When does this become a frequent and repetitive action? Well, what it essentially comes down to is this, how healthy do you actually want to be? It is common sense but needs to be said-If you want to be a healthy individual, you need to stray away from "convenient foods" such as candy bars, chips, fries, fast food burgers, chicken, etc.

There has been a period of my life where I believe I had a psychological addiction to fast food. I used to go at least 4-5 times a week to get all sorts of foods. Whether it was burgers, roast beef, chicken, fries, onion rings, tacos etc. In a period of 3-4 months I went from weighing 190 pounds to 220 pounds. I had no concept of nutrition, exercise, or even just being an active individual. I craved the food when I wasn't eating it, and was absolutely in heaven when I was consuming it. It really didn't hit me until I looked in the mirror one day and realized that the hard work that I had done in getting my body in good shape was in vain.

I realized that the blame was solely on my shoulders. I sat down and reflected on how I got to that particular point. I was overweight and out of shape. I still lifted weights on a regular basis and was still physically strong but, I lost all of my definition due to the extra fat that was deposited around my muscles. I had gained very little strength and actually noticed a drop in energy when I was eating fast food frequently. I promised myself that I would change my ways and begin eating a healthier variety of foods.

My words of wisdom in regards to fast food are as follows: Use fast food only as a rare substitute to a meal. Remember that most fast food restaurants offer almost no nutritional value besides calories. I'm not saying that fast food restaurants are to bad or evil. I think that they are a nice way to go out and have a social meal with someone, or even to grab a bite to eat when you are in a pinch. The problem is when people become frequent visitors. So, stop and think, How often do I frequent fast food restaurants. Then ask yourself what are my health goals? If you realize there is a contradiction between those two questions, there needs to be change...

Any questions or comments please e-mail me at JakeSternBower@yahoo.com

Workout Programs Catered to YOU!

I have voluntarily began to start making workout programs for patrons at my local gym. After a couple of months, many people have come up to me and thanked me. For the most part, they have seen positive results. I can research and draw up the best workout program in the universe, but if you don't follow it correctly, it will ultimately fail. In saying that, If you would like to request a workout program please copy and paste the form below, fill out the information and send it to my e-mail address: jakesternbower@yahoo.com


Name:

Gender:

Height:

Weight:

Fitness Goal:

Approx. Body Fat %

Access to a fitness center/gym: y/n

Days a week you can workout:

What This Website Is All About

This website was created to help individuals become healthier, stronger, and more active. There are so many myths in the world of exercise/health that it is truly disgusting. Look at the amount of "Fad diets" that are out on the market compared to ones twenty years ago? Yet, the USA is still one of the fattest nations in the world and there really is no end in sight.

I have studied health and wellness along with anatomy, physiology, and have read countless books on nutrition, weight lifting, as well as exercise science.

I hope after reading each entry you will have learned something new about becoming a healthier individual.

Also, if you have any questions regarding anything I post, please feel free to e-mail me at JakeSternBower@yahoo.com. I will respond by posting the question and answer on the website. (changing the name)

Thanks,
Jake Sternbower