Tips and Tidbits > August 2009

Training Tip of the month:

Squats: On any squat movement, to keep from straining your lower back, you must push your hips forward and straighten your back as soon as you begin your ascent from the bottom of the movement. The moment your rear end goes up and back, stress is placed on your lower back.

No matter what area you work, frontal thigh or outer sweep, you must stay tight and practice slow, strict form throughout the exercise. Many bodybuilders make the mistake of relaxing at the bottom of the movement and then bouncing off the bottom of their calves. Such action can injure the ligaments in your knees.

If you’re training for bodybuilding competition, eliminate heavy squatting one to two weeks before the contest. This is so your legs will reduce slightly in size, giving more area under the fascia tissue for separations and actually making your legs look bigger.

nutrition Tip of the month:

It’s not who diets the hardest, it’s who diets the smartest! Pre-contest dieting is not time for starvation. You should eat enough and do plenty of aerobics to build your metabolism. Lose bodyfat gradually by dieting in stages. Monitor your body composition every week so you know if you are losing bodyfat or lean body mass. Finally, keep precise records of everything you do the week before your contest. Analyze the results so you can look even better the next time. As we continue to work with top bodybuilders, we realize more and more that the human body is truly the ultimate anabolic.  Train it properly, give it the nutrients it needs, and it will do amazing things.

Breaking News Fitness & Nutrition

Vitamin D-Rich Mushrooms: A Research Success!

Now there’s an even better reason to add fresh mushrooms to your breakfast omelet, noontime burger, or dinner salad. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Albany, Calif., have teamed with Monterey Mushrooms, Inc., of Watsonville, Calif., to boost the vitamin D content of white, brown and portabella mushrooms.Thanks to UV-B light—like that in sunshine—the company’s new Sun Bella line of fresh mushrooms offers at least 100 percent of the recommended intake of vitamin D in each 3-ounce serving.

An estimated 40 percent of Americans don’t get enough vitamin D. The nutrient is essential for strong bones, properly functioning liver and kidneys, and a robust immune system. Some research suggests that vitamin D may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease. The idea of using UV-B light to enhance mushrooms’ vitamin D levels isn’t new. But Tara H. McHugh, a research leader and food technologist at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, and colleagues at Monterey Mushrooms are likely the first to determine exactly how to best use UV-B rays for commercial-scale production of vitamin D-rich mushrooms.

McHugh did much of the work under terms of a research and development agreement with the company. Monterey Mushrooms recently introduced Sun Bella mushrooms in supermarkets nationwide.

– Marcia Wood, Nov. 2008, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Question of the month:

Question: I want to tweak my training routine, do you have any advice for a more effective workout?

Answer: Training routines come in many forms and many variations. There’s no single routine that always works better than another. If your routine is working, keep doing it. When you fail to get results, then change your routine. Regardless of what routine you follow, your success ultimately depends on your state of nutrition. When planning a routine, apply my suggested rep/set scheme, starting with low reps and heavy weight and finishing up with high reps and lighter weight. Be sure to do one intensity set per body part. The order of exercises in your routine should vary from workout to workout. Every third or fourth workout, start by training a minor muscle group, such as biceps, triceps, calves or abs. Small muscle groups often get shortchanged on intensity when continually worked last in a training session. Giving them priority every several workouts leads to fuller, more proportional development.

Quick Tip of the month:

Bored with eating plain steamed veggies everyday? Try adding some salt-free seasoning mixes, like Mrs. Dash^® Lemon Pepper, Fiesta Lime, or Carribean Citrus, to your steamed vegetables for a little taste variety. It’s great for quick meals!

Dominique’s Time Cruncher

ÚOrganize your spices in alphabetical order to save time when cooking. I have all my spices organized on a Lazy Susan, so if I need to find the dill or cumin jars, I know right where to look! This way, you don’t waste time hunting in the back of your cabinets for herbs or spices.