tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84494148886810009362024-03-12T19:11:51.595-07:00Strength and Conditioning BlogBlog about all things S&C and what i am working on in generalPaul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-14720026598959288042011-01-21T13:27:00.001-08:002011-01-21T13:59:26.718-08:00Good Books<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Just a quick message to let you know about a couple of books I have been reading recently. I was inspired after meeting Bill Knowles from the Vermont clinic (http://isporttraining.com) who talked about the value of exercise technique being perfect every time in order to lay down myelin along our nerve pathways. Basically,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> myelin is an insulator that allows neurons (nerves) to fire more efficiently and with better timing, causing signals to be sent either faster or slower depending on what effect is needed. Myelin is grown or layed down through focused effort or i other words, deep practice. This is the feeling you get when you’re totally focused on something and trying to figure it out by problem solving and working it through.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bill said his inspiration for this practice came after reading The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle which talks about talent being created through deep practice and not simply genetics. Daniel talks about visiting all of the best talent centres around the world which create elite athletes and also truly great artists, pianists etc. What he found was that all of these people had one thing in common, they worked really really hard, even when they didn't think they were. They also had a great ability to problem solve themselves, therefore going through deep practice. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This practice is all about </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">breaking skills into pieces which are more easily done. From a musical point of view this may be by way of slowing down a piece of music to learn it. Once this is mastered we must then r</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">epeat it over and over again. Next we must learn to feel the movement or skill or tune or whatever the case may be and this is often mastered when we can recall how it feels to fail at this skill.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">More to the point for S&C coaches was the section of the book that talks about master coaching and this highlights the importance of correct cueing and also details the fact that this in itself is a skill and thus takes time to master. Coyle gives some excellent examples of coaches who do this and i found it very insightful.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I would highly recommend this book and it inspired me to then read Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin which is along the same lines and again an excellent read.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Apologies for the lack of content recently, I have been busy busy recently but more to come in the coming weeks. I have got Bill coming over to present in February also so hopefully he will give me even more insightful thoughts from his incredibly inventive brain.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, Helvetica, Georgia, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-1461144267096649352010-12-15T03:02:00.000-08:002010-12-15T03:31:33.463-08:00Himalayan Rock Salt and Sole<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsG2b79GnM9KqtshPNme1ZmVu2tRe4f_5YrpqgXeX7oHfjYZ_8o_p_x2_34khXPHoklKvPBJ2BVRAMCjTIZf-njc45ez-PKHiL5iPyJfFjMLFM-4qPM5E4NBR8YEh32XufEEQXXMaCYL4/s1600/sole.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 258px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550869507307375010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsG2b79GnM9KqtshPNme1ZmVu2tRe4f_5YrpqgXeX7oHfjYZ_8o_p_x2_34khXPHoklKvPBJ2BVRAMCjTIZf-njc45ez-PKHiL5iPyJfFjMLFM-4qPM5E4NBR8YEh32XufEEQXXMaCYL4/s320/sole.bmp" /></a>Despite what people say, without salt we would not be able to function properly and it is actually as important to us as water! I am not talking about refined table salt that most people see everywhere and can cause poor health.<br /><br />I am referring to the wonderful Himalayan Rock Salt which originates from the primal seas of years gone by, where life originally began. </div><div>Pink himalayan salt contains every trace element and mineral found in the body and is totally pure.<br /><br />As long as you are drinking enough water then salt is essential for the bodyt to maintain blood chemistry, balance water content in blood and cells, aid digestion and allow our nervous system to function properly. </div><p>The best way to take in the profound health benefits of this amazing product is through drinking sole (pronounced so-lay).<br /><br /><strong>So what is sole?<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SORw6irG6OIthBUQKO5RBu7MDsFC9kMH7V4OZnHskj3GMkqG2eQIovK66JiNmLc7bdzuftAHs6vqWUAV-v7ihmM27TdjEgdPQAyMYQFp_jjH6d0vSh7Vm7Dhet04Hq9Mcxurea-4O1-5/s1600/sole+making.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550869592667141026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SORw6irG6OIthBUQKO5RBu7MDsFC9kMH7V4OZnHskj3GMkqG2eQIovK66JiNmLc7bdzuftAHs6vqWUAV-v7ihmM27TdjEgdPQAyMYQFp_jjH6d0vSh7Vm7Dhet04Hq9Mcxurea-4O1-5/s320/sole+making.bmp" /></a>Basically when salt combines with purified water there ions become hydrolzed which creates new structures. The minerals are now sm,all enough to be able to pass into your bodies cells which if you think about it is pretty important, why take something if your body can't absorb it?!<br />Sole will also make your body more alkaline which we now know is so important to all round health and long term health in particular. The human body depends upon 84 of the known 106 elements to maintain optimum health and Himalayan pink crystal salt contains ALL 84 minerals, the 5 essential minerals all trace minerals. Add in that these minerals are then ionized in water by making sole and so are they are then readily absorbed and utilized by the cells in your body.<br /></p><p><strong>What minerals and elements does our body need?</strong></p><p>- 5 essential (major) minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. </p><div> </div><div>- Important trace minerals: chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, and zinc. </div><div> </div><div>- Other trace minerals: selenium, sulphur, nickel, cobalt, fluorine, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. </div><div><br /><br /></div><p><strong>How To Make Sole</strong></p><div>To make the sole solution just add a desert spoon of crystals into a glass jar then fill it up with filtered water(ionized through reverse osmosis if you have one). </div><div><br />Put the lid on and leave for 24hrs for the crystals to dissolve. Once they have dissolved, then add some more and leave them again, up until such time that the crystals stop dissolving and sit as sediment at the bottom. </div><div><br />At this point the solution is fully saturated at 26% rock salt and ready for consumption.<br /><br />Take 1 teaspoon in filtered water every morning in a glass before breakfast. This is enough minerals for around 24 hours unless you are training and sweating alot in which case you may wnat to drink more.</div><div><br /><strong>Try it and feel more energetic throughout the day and hey its so cheap too!!<br /></strong><br /></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-5296726764890925892010-12-14T13:57:00.000-08:002010-12-14T14:25:47.626-08:00S&C or Personal Training for Health Benefits?<div>How many coaches are training people and not really addressing why they are doing what they are doing and then not even checking to see that it works. The job of a strength and conditioning coach is not to simply make players tired and fatigued, although this may lead to increases in some elements of fitness and even in elite sport people do it.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I think what is very important though is that the only goals of a strength and conditioning coach are :</div><br /><div>1: Prevent Injury</div><br /><div>2:Improve Physical Performance</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I think that the two goals written above get mis-interpreted and sometimes athletes end up following the personal trainer route of training for general fitness.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Dont get me wrong there are some amazing PT's, I know a few myself but in many instances they are faced with clients who dont really have a goal other than drop a dress size, lose fat or look better. It is very important then that the training done by many PT's (<em>probably rightly for those goals</em>) and to be honest, normal gym goers, who get on the bike or treadmill for half hour and burn calories, is not performance enhancement training for sports. Just making people tired as is seen in circuit training and other such activities is not a basis for performance enhancement. Athletes need to be following structured training programs which are multi-faceted after being screened for movement inefficencies via something along the lines of the PCA. This will measure athletes in the basic movement efficiency that make up sports and games, such as lunge, squat, step up, brace and rotate. This then gives a basis for program writing and allows a specific plan to be created and monitored/adapted as the days/weeks pass.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This program must be adaptable and this is where good coaching comes in and many miss the trick. Vern Gambetts talks a lot about watching movement and that "<em>testing is training and training is testing</em>". We never stop assessing our athletes because we should be constantly looking at how they move and where the weaknesses lie and adapting their program to make them move better over time, giving them a better base and mechanical resilience.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 291px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550667523473840210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzMrseSXU95jFbQH4Q_fu5Kzj5yiaRUnJWXlDGtrb5Wco355PQ26RxeYZkDzbLdg6dXOKebfC1-XITYF-nGUdBzAPRjHB-_Z1IwCHc-FT2dGhwxTbYdV9TAwZYzRo-f6aO6Zq6qSNjfli/s320/physio.jpg" /></div><div>For goal #1 above I think that every S&C coach should work with a physiotherapist or sports rehabilitator for a few weeks a year and try to see and feel what they see and feel. This will give you a solid grounding in how the body breaks down through injury so that we can then try to prevent it by giving our athletes the movement efficiency to cope with their sport. Kelvin Giles says that every injury has a journey and we need to be trying to source the paths that it took so that we can not let it happen again in others. This analysis of injuries and MDT group discussion about how they occured over time builds personal experience and when coupled with a solid anatomical and bio-mechanical knowledge, allows coaches to see poor movement that could leads to injury in a gym or field setting.</div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-18349760992662140052010-12-12T13:30:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:45:24.063-08:00Specificity and S.A.I.D<div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">I like some of the cross fit/circuit training ideas and training modalities and think that they may have an excellent place within some sports conditioning programs. In my opinion this type of training or more specifically, always training to fatigue, whether it is in the gym during a strength training session or out on the field doing conditioning training has become all too common in sports such as rugby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Any monkey can make people tired but that is not the goal in physical training is it?! We are trying to create specific adaptations within the athletes to improve performance and prevent injury.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand) principle is one of the most basic principles in sports science and means that when the body is placed under a stress, (i.e: possibly a strongman session) it will adapt to that specific task. This is the basis of specificity and by no means should <b>ALL</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> training be based around this principle alone but I think it is often overlooked in programming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Remember, your body will try to become better at exactly what you do in your training. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">This information impacts on areas such as metabolic adaptation, neuromuscular adaptation and also motor learning and skill development. Bill Knowles talked recently about a great book called "<i>The Talent Code</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">" which I would recommend to any exercise professional writing programs and more specifically coaching other people. The book talks about the importance of deep practice learning and about the laying down of myelin on our neural pathways. Without spoiling the book for you, the importance of practicing perfect technique cannot be over emphasized and then working as specifically to the movements in our sport then the book tells us that the more we continually practice this way the more we will improve. Bill Knowles also came out with a great saying, "if you can't slow it down then don't speed it up" and this sums up the importance of exercise technique perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">In sports such as rugby there is plenty of research in both union and league detailing energy and metabolic demands of competition and also some excellent data detailing the type of work that each position demands in the modern game. This is absolute gold for planning the training of athletes and should not be overlooked in favour of solely empirical evidence unless you are very experienced and have ridiculous mathematical skills whilst watching games and competition, giving you an ability to calculate work to rest ratios. This should be the basis of conditioning programs and so for example, Grant Duthie has done some excellent research showing us that, “<i>training should focus on repeated brief high-intensity efforts with short rest intervals to condition players to the demands of the game and that training for the forwards should emphasise their higher work rates in the game, while extended rest periods can be provided to the backs.”</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:ArialMT;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> <i><a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/adis/smd;jsessionid=25e4oah6if0om.alexandra"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:windowtext;text-underline:#B3743C;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none"><u style="text-underline:#B3743C">Sports Medicine</u></span></a></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><i>, Volume 33, Number 13, 2003, pp. 973-991(19)</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The differences between forwards and backs are stark in rugby union and they should be conditioned that way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Backs needs to be capable of skills such as sprinting after a kick or making a break and they then inevitably getting a longer break enabling them to recover before repeating.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Forwards have shorter rests but importantly shorter skills demands and so sending a forward for a 3 mile run will do little to improve his performance whereas asking him to do 10-20m sprints with short rest in between may well be more effective at mimicking working between rucks in rugby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Work to rest ratios become crucial to this part of planning and the closer these mimic game demands the better. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Anybody can make people tired without even thinking about it but making performance changes is different and requires both a detailed needs analysis and a sound physiological knowledge to be able to program effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /></div></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-27908017330207790002010-12-01T12:47:00.000-08:002010-12-01T13:27:34.513-08:00Building a Solid BaseHouses are built on foundations aren't they?!<div><br /></div><div>We wouldn't consider building a house on sand or without foundations and if we did we would be waiting every day wondering if that is the day that it will fall down or collapse in some way. This is the best analogy I can think of for athletes that I see everywhere who train without correct movement efficiency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lots of the worlds best strength and conditioning coaches or athletic trainers as they call them in America spend the majority of their time building solid movement mechanics and efficiency. In the last month i have been lucky enough to meet Vern Gambetta, Kelvin Giles and Bill Knowles, three of the greatest coaches in the world. One message that came through from all of them loud and clear is that we need to be coaching movements and not muscles!! Athletes with poor movement take longer to come back from their injuries.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDUkUzSbHHz2ziDmxVZ6h_TZhLnZZ4YTFnYWq2lsyey4COV_zzzARUzLT5a2-0aYKAXPD-c1SOAmLZOF5Sfa779o_6x_cLhCsgwcdjXg2jBkD9sQ3wKpvd3AjQ9dXhPn2zs8OYaVxx6Rm/s320/stepping.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545826138552954674" /></div><div>Look at a game of football, rugby , tennis, netball, basketball etc etc and watch it in slow motion. It is all about start, stop, change direction, start, stop, change direction, over and over again. Well how often do you stop on one leg in these sports? If you watch in in slow motion you will see that it happens all the time so athletes need resilience to this movement.</div><div><br /></div><div>The physical competence assessment (PCA) that Kelvin Giles has developed is based around assessing athletes ability to properly squat, lunge, push, pull, brace and rotate as well as jumping, landing and importantly controlling landings. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I think that as sports science and strength and conditioning moves forward in the next ten years this is the path that it must follow especially in younger, developing athletes. One example I personally have witnessed many times over is athletes being loaded in bi-lateral squats without having the stability in their legs to do a single leg pistol squat.</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxDBjIiGI0_clYcemOPxmaot_ZAMbUe_amH9-5edb8X50LTaDyESUJUj3xoWzP8T4zWPSTxROqEDKxuNh-rpzoW7S_YZIQOVB_VCxxrbyMVXfO7VnLNWUSLfuUCVHOB1EGnhjjwZnLnjP/s320/pistol.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545821286732412082" /><div>Vern Gambetta says that athletes should be competent at pistol squats before being loaded bilaterally. Some of the video evidence that the gurus produced was great and clearly showed how things such as small sided games involving rapid changes in direction put massive pressure on the body to move fluidly and as one to produce force without breaking. Single leg efficiency is so crucial to resisting injury in change of direction sports where between 5 and 8 times body weight is going through one leg and if poor movement has been allowed in training and then overloaded, your athletes are in trouble.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Kelvin put it perfectly we need to give athletes mechanical efficiency leading to movement resilience leading to injury prevention. Human beings are very adaptable and as such if we exercise with poor movement then the body will find a way to adapt (poorly) leading to overuse and wear and tear injuries.</div><div><br /></div><div>A simplified way of looking at this is as follows:</div><div><br /></div><div>Poor movement -> microtrauma<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>(but we cant see it yet</i><i>!</i></span><i>)</i> -> poor movement again and again -> compensations start occurring -> degenerate and now macrotrauma -> tissue failure and major injury.</div><div><br /></div><div>Get your athletes doing lunges, pistols squats and other movement I will cover in the next few weeks and give them the mechanical efficiency to handle the movements that their games demand for success without getting injuries that could have been prevented.</div><div><br /></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-71888978451866370952010-11-23T04:34:00.000-08:002010-11-23T04:39:18.261-08:00Why Buy Food Locally?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, fantasy; font-size: 13px; ">Recently, a fish farm that supply national supermarkets was fined and fish recalled when it was discovered that the fish were being fed recalled dog food. So what is not good enough for your dog to eat ends up becoming the building blocks that create you?! Terrific.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, fantasy; font-size: 16px; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">90% of the products in supermarkets come in some kind of container and in order to preserve the way they look for longer and so that you will buy them, they are loaded with preservatives (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>chemicals that kill bacteria</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">). The other 10% of edible foods, fish, meat and dairy can also be put through some very unnatural steps to keep them </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>looking</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> fresh! <b>For example Tesco gets to choose the colour of their ‘</b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i><b>fresh’ </b></i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b>salmon fillets before they are dyed!!</b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, fantasy; font-size: 16px; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Imported foods have to be transported and in the process of getting them from field, farm, or some far and distant ocean to your plate, your food is exposed to a chemical mix that includes fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>to</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>kill the bugs that might compete for the food</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">), hormones (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>to fatten animals faster or make them produce more milk</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">), and antibiotics (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>to prevent animals with weak immune systems from getting infected</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">). It goes through invisible processes like radiation (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>X-raying to eliminate bacteria, which also kills nutrients</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">), pasteurization (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>extreme heat to kill pathogens—along with helpful enzymes</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">), hydrogenation (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>altering fats and oils to make them shelf stable, a condition that harms your own cells when you eat them</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">), and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, fantasy; font-size: 16px; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">even cosmetic procedures like waxing (</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><i>to make the fruits look nicer in the supermarket</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">).</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, -webkit-fantasy;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">As a test that I do at home, buy two chickens, one free range and one of those cheap ready done ones from the supermarket. Now when you take the meat from them look at how easily the bones break on the ready cooked one. This is because they very rarely get to stand up, never mind walk, run or fly and so their bone density is very low. Also look at how weak the tendons are on them, the meat falls off the bone whereas with free range birds it os difficult to get the meat from the bones.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, -webkit-fantasy;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-86026096806045446392010-11-23T04:27:00.000-08:002010-11-23T04:31:38.786-08:00Water and Hydration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhMsR8P7Vcf2CXNGsysa44jUrnc_hbEdvoHEmvPnEgFLVZabYjqF6_lxcKR9mFd012X7CJrsgpoDdCCBTgZCWwj3g3aQnz05dMB1uJZ6T03337pagiupYPJvOU8zriSSUYeQ7zDl34gG7/s1600/water.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhMsR8P7Vcf2CXNGsysa44jUrnc_hbEdvoHEmvPnEgFLVZabYjqF6_lxcKR9mFd012X7CJrsgpoDdCCBTgZCWwj3g3aQnz05dMB1uJZ6T03337pagiupYPJvOU8zriSSUYeQ7zDl34gG7/s200/water.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542721763688534242" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b>WATER<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Water constitutes about 75% of our muscle tissue, 22% of bones, 74% of your brain, 25% of fatty tissue and works within every single cell in the body to transport nutrients and remove waste products. It regulates body temperature allowing heat to evaporate from the skin in the form of sweat. Put simply, </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the body breaks down without adequate fluid!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When we are dehydrated, blood becomes thicker so the body must work harder to transport it to the brain so we lose concentration and feel fatigued.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It is also important to note that too much water is detrimental to performance.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The latest research from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the American College of Sports Medicine and USA Track & Field</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> says that thirst is an appropriate guide as to when fluid replacement should be commenced. This means drink when you feel your body needs it and stop when you feel satisfied. From this point on in your session consume water regularly.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Bottled water has nudged past milk to become the second most-consumed commercial drink in the country.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Due to this there are purified, fortified, enhanced, flavoured waters and more and so it’s worth considering which type is best.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I would say simple bottled is best wherever possible and this is due to the endless amounts of research detailing contaminants in tap water and realistically it varies region to region so much that I couldn’t hazard a guess at the quality we drink daily.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hydration after Exercise</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, fantasy;color:#333333;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white"><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Weigh yourself before and after training. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white"><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Drink 500-600ml water for every 1 lb lost. You can include your water used for mixing the recovery drinks and protein.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-75251787632883062612010-11-17T13:10:00.000-08:002010-11-17T13:13:46.097-08:00Coffee and Acidity<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><b>What are the best coffee options in Costa and Starbucks?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">As many of you are probably coffee drinkers I thought I would give you an indication of the best choices to make when you are at your barista of choice. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Obviously because of the higher milk content Latte’s will contain more calories and thus are higher in carbohydrates than a standard Americano black coffee with added milk if preferred. As many of you probably know asking for skimmed milk will decrease the calorie content. This can be significant and in a medium Latte the calories are nearly <b>halved </b></span><span style="font-family:Arial">in comparison with whole milk with a 6 gram saving in fat! With a Cappuccino the difference is a little less but still significant. A standard Americano is always the way to go as this is standard espresso with hot water and a dash of milk. Tea is also a great option for this reason.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><b>Acid and Nutrition<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">When a food is ingested, digested, and absorbed, each component of that food will present itself to the kidneys as either an acid-forming compound or a base-forming one.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When we get the totals of these loads we have what is known as an <b>acid-base load</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><b>Why is this Important?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Well every cell in your body functions at its peak within a certain pH range and this is different for different cells. In today’s world we are nearly all forcing our cells to live in a highly acidic environment. The most significant problems with this are that it is awful for bone health but also IGF-1 and growth hormone levels, both of which are essential for recovery and muscle growth!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Some examples below: (the higher the value the more acidic it is, 0 being neutral)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Chicken<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span> 8.7<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Rump Steak<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>8.8<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Cod Fillet<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>7.1<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Milk<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>1.0<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Carrots<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>-4.9<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Cauliflower<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>-4.0<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Apricots<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>-4.1<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Milk Chocolate<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>2.4<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Kiwi Fruit<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>-4.1</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">Key things to know are that although the higher protein foods have high acidic values they also produce the compounds needed to break them down effectively thus counterbalancing their values. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="font-family:Arial">What I am saying here is not to start worrying about eating acidic foods but that it is a newly researched area and that the scientific evidence shows it can significantly hinder your body’s attempts to recover when you are in a state of acidosis</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">(<i>highly acidic</i></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">).</span><span style="font-family:Arial"> My advice would be to always try to include a large amount of vegetables with highly acidic meals to counteract them and give you’re cells the best possible chance of working optimally.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span style="font-family:Verdana"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="font-family:Verdana">“</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Algerian"><i>Failure is waiting for those who dwell on the successes of yesterday. You must train harder tomorrow than ever before</i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana">”</span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-78687418352243488212010-11-17T13:00:00.000-08:002010-11-17T13:05:48.575-08:00Cheat Meals and Soy?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">This is not my favourite topic to be honest as I don’t really like telling players to eat bad food at all! But, quite a few players have asked me if you were to have a cheat meal then what would be the ideal meal or fast food outlet to enter. Well I decided I couldn’t name any fast food outlets so I have listed some golden rules when selecting cheat meals and then you can decide for yourselves with the relevant knowledge.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;font-size:12.0pt;">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;color:#2E2E2E;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Eat your protein first. Interestingly, in Greek, protein means of first importance.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="ListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;color:#2E2E2E;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Must be at a table (at home or a restaurant), not in front of the TV. Decide with what you will cheat before hand and set it on the table in preparation. You will eat more in front of the TV</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="ListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;color:#2E2E2E;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Once you leave the chair then no more cheating! This stops you cheating all day long.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="ListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;color:#2E2E2E;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As you get lower bodyfat levels/scores, the more carbohydrates you can eat. When you get to a low body fat( less than 9%),></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="ListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;color:#2E2E2E;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Try to move away from fast food chains being your cheats and make you choices a little more nutritious.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nutrition before Early Morning Cardio</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">People often ask me what they should eat before cardio in early morning at say, 8a.m and the answer is simple really. The food you eat will not be fuelling your exercise during that session (</span><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">unless you get up at 5-6a.m to eat it</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">). The meal is just to make you feel comfortable whilst training as training whilst hungry is horrendous. However it’s important to know that when training that early your glycogen (energy) stores are extremely low due to you fasting all night and so you will be running on muscle protein stores or fats. After the session you will need to refuel even more so than normal to replace your losses from night-time and also the session you just completed. It is thus important that if your a professional athlete you don't move onto the next session without refueling.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is very important otherwise you will find that you are weak in the gym afterwards and also you will, over time lose muscle bulk and potentially weaken your immune system. For me the best thing before the session is a protein shake with plenty of BCAA’s and also a small bowl of porridge to stop that feeling hungry.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Why Soy is not good for you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Many people think that soy milk and beans are great for you but in actual fact this is a myth according to the vast amount of research.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dr Kaayla Daniel’s book, “</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Whole Soy Story</span></i><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">” explains this in more detail but here is a quick list of the reasons:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Toxicity </span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">– Soy is one of the most sprayed crops and so increases your toxic load when eaten.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Blocks Mineral Absorption</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> – Soy contains high levels of phytates which inhibit the absorbtion of macro nutrients (calcium etc) and trace minerals (e.g: zinc). The good news is that meat is known to block phytates.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Linked to Attention Deficit Disorder</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> – Soy based infant formulas are linked highly to ADD. They cointain 80 times more manganese than breast milk.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Increases in CV Load</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> – Soybeans contain hemaglutinin which is known to make red blood cells aggregate and thus increases your cardiac load.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Too many people want to carry the stool when the piano needs moving” </span></i></b></span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-30677621750174206692010-11-02T13:03:00.000-07:002010-11-02T13:11:39.854-07:00Simple Alkalizing Drink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xgZ1AlEKvQkwHJ4dtG1tomGS77Er76Yodhgnlmwt8NUpbHg74rtFHM0VNfNVtDRmd3_2kyIzJvkfIWcgf2vB6cVGzFDjWxpA5TJ-G10Q-b7zvjJSQBHNYDDE5Eshc7oO6qYrdZvDnEGJ/s1600/lemonwater.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xgZ1AlEKvQkwHJ4dtG1tomGS77Er76Yodhgnlmwt8NUpbHg74rtFHM0VNfNVtDRmd3_2kyIzJvkfIWcgf2vB6cVGzFDjWxpA5TJ-G10Q-b7zvjJSQBHNYDDE5Eshc7oO6qYrdZvDnEGJ/s200/lemonwater.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535047032822060466" /></a><br />A simple way to alkalize regularly is to add lemon juice to your filtered water. Not many people now this simple cheap way of improving themselves.<div><br /></div><div>ll you have to do is squeeze say the juice of half a lemon into a glass and add filtered water to it. If you want to improve it further then add some Himylayan Crystal Salts to it also. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though lemons are acidic in their purest form, they have an alkalizing effect on the body and also use water at room temperature or you are asking your body to expend more energy to heat it or cool it depending on its temperature on drinking.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is taken from the energise for life website which is an excellent resource and shop:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.467em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Apart from being an amazing body alkalizer/alkaliser, lemon water also gives the following health benefits:</span></p><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: square; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.467em; margin-left: 1.467em; "><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemons are antiseptic</span></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon water has excellent digestive properties and can ease heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems</span></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon water cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys</span></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium</span></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon water (hot) offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C<br /></span></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser</span></li></ul><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.467em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">So if you do not do anything else – start every single day with a glass of lovely lemon water!!</span></p></span></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-28473186792375024512010-11-01T06:46:00.000-07:002010-11-01T07:19:55.088-07:00Why Agility Ladders are Useless for Foot SpedThis may be quite a surprise to some people given that SAQ and the use of ladders in many premiership rugby and even premiership football clubs. Michael Boyle, the esteemed strength coach puts it better than i ever could when he says, "using ladders is like putting flashy alloy wheels onto a car". Yes it makes your car look faster but does it actually go any faster? NO!!<div><br /></div><div>What you really need to be doing is to put all that wasted money into improving the acceleration, brakes and horsepower. It is the same with athletes and the best example of where ladders may help is for michael Flatley, but could he dance through opposition like Jason Robinson?</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfWyMD8Cg_ZM2tXvWB3fQUzwH7aSDFY2sgLtJPxblyOX8hz4AhgSCWOLBzQMVn63dGZAeC-7AWU6zajKXobLKWGk7psxwraOLM41xl6qYowWrCFliqvIDQNyr9x8nVWIMlwR1TBNx0n4F/s200/michael_flatley.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534580757355822338" /><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsREayxMH-9ajA86Sn9joZqauVJ7wQrrmxZquwMWKBFi_gn7nh9qEq2q1E1LU-kC0dwyYkC8J0DhKxEc_Ehg3HmbhqauEWtIhzABKs8UJLYmZGJrClwkksMUp52DRiEFxmx2_WLdJiX7PI/s200/jason-robinson.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534581035493184370" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Who do you think changes direction fastest?</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Agility is the ability to change direction and to do that we need to be able to stop as fast as possible and also accelerate as fast as po</div><div>ssible. With ladders we are asking athletes to put there feet into holes and not to project maximal force into the ground in order to get maximum response from the ground which as we know from Newton's third law makes us move fastest.</div><div>When doing lateral movements through ladders athletes are often seen tapping the ground whilst the centre of mass (COM) stays in the centre and the legs simply move out to the side. This is not how athletes change direction.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWozbK6Kacu0Lz3WFd_wn6t0nh62tqRv6sjrVjk-V0-kdzbUS52HA9mcemlQauHsdHU6DHrJXo7OfCeJvG26K96FntHiOyP7tYnVMMFBMJ9CnFTfAvIOqdMjNvq_3BkNab_fE9XFrkJfFF/s200/RugbyRobinsonstep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534583452734912466" /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXdQH5NBBDT4FLQTtsItgKTV9Absv66ihvIlJJlx8C0Gqiz2Lj6Ry1CwkNriuKt2gG_vN_L4VNrpujVcq-7QxqifHoHG1UxfjY2izCRY4mBiIK_yB9xnnpW164kUl-WvriYBAXvH-hMXx/s200/SPEED+AGILITY+LADDERS.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534583035265081122" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Jason's centre of mass is over his outside leg as he steps unlike in ladder drills</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than messing around with ladders athletes would be better served investing their time into building massive strength and power bases progressing onto plyometric drills which give them the ability to accelerate quickly and importantly stop on a sixpence!</div><div><br /></div><div>To summarize, if you want to develop fast feet and change of direction then you need strong legs which produce huge amounts of force against the ground. Patting the ground for hours during ladder drills looks pretty but it will not help achieve this goal. For me ladder drills being done by professional athletes (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">unless its hopping maybe?!</span>) is a waste of time.</div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-76811132944533493892010-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:002010-10-31T14:38:32.741-07:00Fibre and Vegetables<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fibre </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dietary fibre is solely derived from foods of plant origin. There are two types of fibre, soluble, which can dissolve in water and insoluble, which cannot dissolve in water. This is important because </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">insoluble</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> fibre is not digested or absorbed by the body but will help to keep your gastrointestinal tract clean and promotes regular bowel movements. It does this by drawing water into the stools to make them larger </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">but </span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">softer to pass.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Soluble fibre slows the breakdown of complex carbohydrates such as starches into simple sugars such as glucose. The benefit of this is that it slows the absorption of sugars and reduces the sugar level in the blood. During digestion soluble fibre forms a gel like mass that binds cholesterol to the stool and so may help lower cholesterol in your blood.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Benefits of Fibre?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Foods high in fibre often take longer to eat and they also increase the feeling of fullness as they slow down the passage of food through the intestine. They slow the release of glucose from food and this improves the blood-sugar response to food giving us steady flows of energy and avoiding energy lulls during the day and especially during training sessions.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cooking Vegetables</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Zvp9D6U3JwggYMjsVaJgobjiOML41JKZ90V83iDYhm7m_R6N20luRdeZQ_fWuFOsB0V23B1rRqY1xD9YYXBV6tUS9veXIIvSlUbrAOHOGnoI1UWHHUoc3dRkdlirUVSNOoDsHeXvGSVm/s200/vegetables.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534327483524896642" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Vegetables are freshest immediately after being picked and so at this point their vitamin density is at its highest. To get the best from vegetables we need to eat them as soon as possible from when they are picked. For this reason frozen vegetables are a good option to use for your evening meal. When you have fresh vegetables always remember to store them in a cool dark place as it is the light and heat that increases degradation. Also boiling vegetables spoils water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin B</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">so keep this to a minimum or even better steam your vegetables.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Phytonutrients </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes known as Phytochemicals, these are naturally occurring and are found in foods of plant origin. (</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">phyto is derived from the greek word for plant</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-USfont-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) Recent studies have shown that a portion of vegetables can contain as many as 100 different phytonutrients and that people consuming diets rich in these chemicals have a lower incidence of many disorders such as CV disease and cancer. Phytonutrients also have a high antioxidant effect and this will help to protect the immune system </span></span><!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-43589026876659917032010-10-31T14:23:00.000-07:002010-10-31T14:31:56.740-07:00How bad is a beer after competition?<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alcohol Post Exercise</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You have all most probably been told throughout your careers that drinking after heavy training and certainly games is not good. Well I thought this week I would provide you with the proven evidence of </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">exactly</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> what it does and how that affects your recovery.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Positives</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A recent study </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(Shirreffs & Maughan 1997)</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">looked at beer as a post exercise</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">rehydrater!</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Lots of athletes and we</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ekend warriors especially like to have a drink after good performances and so the study looked for the best way for them to do that. The study concluded that if players are drinking alcohol post exercise then it must be less than 4% alcohol and at best 2% alcohol. This is best achieved by having lager diluted with lemonade </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(shandies)</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to lower alcohol concentration and this is </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">not detrimental to rehydration</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Of course this is within reason and doesn’t mean you can drink 10 pints of it!</span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUnF5xOIWvLV8kQCGojP4ePEDyouUMwSmxRFwkUu-iWy6Cfq9EZ29GIrz2iv5g3VF1n5oiBsl7GzuxdWmIM65ZA0XL_ICBGex7zGcPDOy-BkEF5b7YZ3xYPWIDf9AIaC0FRuvzhnOXymm/s200/beer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534325589168959538" /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Negatives</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Even with weakened down beer/lager, studies show alcohol slows down your replenishment of glycogen </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(energy in your muscles), </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">due to having poor nutrition whilst ‘</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">bingeing</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">’ and also the next day when sleeping off hangovers causes poor nutrition choices. This is one area people don't appreciate in professional sportsmen and women. It is critical to replenish the bodies energy sources and hydration status after consuming high levels of alcohol.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">During contact sports such as rugby your muscles get damaged, that’s why you get so sore after matches but not as much after training. Best practice is to use </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">vasoconstrictive techniques </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(ice, compression etc)</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">with these soft tissue ‘</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">injuries</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">’ to reduce swelling. Alcohol though is a strong </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">vasodilator </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(blood vessels expand)</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and this brings with it undesirable swelling and slows your recovery from these injuries.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Facts:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Alcohol is not essential in any way to the athletic diet. It is a personal choice or sacrifice</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Moderate alcohol use has not been shown to impair health or performance when used sensibly.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Alcohol is a high calorie and low nutrient fluid and so anyone with high bodyfat is kidding themselves by drinking a lot.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Alcohol will definitely slow down recovery post exercise if consumed in large amounts and in high concentrations </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(greater than 2%).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If you are going to drink then you can significantly reduce alcohol’s negative effects by rehydrating first.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-30548108296511638342010-10-26T07:16:00.000-07:002010-10-26T07:33:18.555-07:00How Diet Drinks Make You Fat<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Modern day nutrition has become very acidic or acid producing and this is becoming a huge problem in the western world populations. Most animal meats, fizzy beverages, fried and processed foods are acid producing and so eating this causes your body’s blood to become too acidic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If our blood pH drops below around 7.2 we become very ill and can die so to avoid this when it reaches around 7.3 the body must extract vital minerals from within to neutralise the blood. Those minerals are Iodine, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Sodium and they help bring the pH back to around 7.4.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">These days lots of people use acid reflux medication and all this does is counteract acidity in the body.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Many people can avoid this medication simply by addressing the alkaline imbalance in their diet.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Also we consume lots of calcium in milk and other dairy products yet still have high incidence of bone related problems and poor bone health and this is mainly because of acid producing diets we consume force the body to use minerals such as calcium to neutralise the blood’s pH.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Diet drinks contain phosphoric acid, which is right next to battery acid on the pH scale. Would you drink that? Don’t think so…..</p><p class="MsoNormal">Well drinking this acidic drink not only causes leaching of minerals such as calcium, as previously discussed, but also Iodine. Iodine is crucial for a functional thyroid gland and as one of the main functions of your thyroid is to regulate metabolism, suppressing it will cause a slow metabolism and inevitable weight gain. Yes diet drinks make you FAT!!</p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBzOtiHzBoyBfY985pLQIamdkjlkvCXG9DGwGBU3a02tVKeh1otw6LqAhFN23sQlUgUUvLU03C5bfRXbv9-2onEbkIyAom7DWPDUaeIlYfrY80kiaEdW77JUyT8pcvh1mugRmU4xePIys/s200/diet-coke-makes-you-fat.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532360677320908818" /> <p class="MsoNormal">Diet drinks with zero calories make you fat and also take away any good minerals that you may be eating so why bother?!</p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); line-height: 20px; font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"><table width="552" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="style6" style=" color: rgb(0, 51, 0); line-height: 15px; font-size:10px;"><p align="center" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(92, 116, 61); font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Healthy Alkaline Foods<br />- Eat lots of them!</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Vegetables</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Alfalfa Grass +29.3<br />Asparagus +1.3<br />Barley Grass +28.1<br />Brussels Sprouts +0.5<br />Cabbage Lettuce, Fresh +14.1<br />Cauliflower +3.1<br />Cayenne Pepper +18.8<br />Celery +13.3<br />Chives +8.3<br />Comfrey +1.5<br />Cucumber, Fresh +31.5<br />Dandelion +22.7<br />Dog Grass +22.6<br />Endive, Fresh +14.5<br />French Cut Green Beans +11.2<br />Garlic +13.2<br />Green Cabbage December Harvest +4.0<br />Green Cabbage, March Harvest +2.0<br />Kamut Grass +27.6<br />Lamb's Lettuce +4.8<br />Leeks (Bulbs) +7.2<br />Lettuce +2.2<br />Onion +3.0<br />Peas, Fresh +5.1<br />Peas, Ripe +0.5<br />Red Cabbage +6.3<br />Rhubarb Stalks +6.3<br />Savoy Cabbage +4.5<br />Shave Grass +21.7<br />Sorrel +11.5<br />Soy Sprouts +29.5<br />Spinach (Other Than March) +13.1<br />Spinach, March Harvest +8.0<br />Sprouted Chia Seeds +28.5<br />Sprouted Radish Seeds +28.4<br />Straw Grass +21.4<br />Watercress +7.7<br />Wheat Grass +33.8<br />White Cabbage +3.3<br />Zucchini +5.7</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Root Vegetables</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Beet +11.3<br />Carrot +9.5<br />Horseradish +6.8<br />Kohlrabi +5.1<br />Potatoes +2.0<br />Red Radish +16.7<br />Rutabaga +3.1<br />Summer Black Radish +39.4<br />Turnip +8.0<br />White Radish (Spring) +3.1</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fruits</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Avocado (Protein) +15.6<br />Fresh Lemon +9.9<br />Limes +8.2<br />Tomato +13.6</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Non-Stored Organic Grains And Legumes</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Buckwheat Groats +0.5 <br />Granulated Soy (Cooked Ground Soy Beans) +12.8<br />Lentils +0.6<br />Lima Beans +12.0<br />Soy Flour +2.5<br />Soy Lecithin (Pure) +38.0<br />Soy Nuts (soaked Soy Beans, Then Air Dried) +26.5<br />Soybeans, Fresh +12.0<br />Spelt +0.5<br />Tofu +3.2<br />White Beans (Navy Beans) +12.1</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nuts</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Almonds +3.6<br />Brazil Nuts +0.5</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Seeds</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Caraway Seeds +2.3<br />Cumin Seeds +1.1<br />Fennel Seeds +1.3<br />Flax Seeds +1.3<br />Pumpkin Seeds +5.6<br />Sesame Seeds +0.5<br />Sunflower Seeds +5.4<br />Wheat Kernel +11.4</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fats (Fresh, Cold-Pressed Oils)</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Borage Oil +3.2<br />Evening Primrose Oil +4.1<br />Flax Seed Oil +3.5<br />Marine Lipids +4.7<br />Olive Oil +1.0</span></span></p></td><td valign="top" class="style6" style=" color: rgb(0, 51, 0); line-height: 15px; font-size:10px;"><p align="center" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Foods you should only<br />consume moderately</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fruits</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />(In Season, For Cleansing Only Or With Moderation)<br />Apricot -9.5<br />Bananna, Ripe -10.1<br />Bananna, Unripe +4.8<br />Black Currant -6.1<br />Blueberry -5.3<br />Cantaloupe -2.5<br />Cherry, Sour +3.5<br />Cherry, Sweet -3.6<br />Coconut, Fresh +0.5<br />Cranberry -7.0<br />Currant -8.2<br />Date -4.7<br />Fig Juice Powder -2.4<br />Gooseberry, Ripe -7.7<br />Grape, Ripe -7.6<br />Grapefruit -1.7<br />Italian Plum -4.9<br />Mandarin Orange -11.5<br />Mango -8.7<br />Orange -9.2<br />Papaya -9.4<br />Peach -9.7<br />Pear -9.9<br />Pineapple -12.6<br />Rasberry -5.1<br />Red Currant -2.4<br />Rose Hips -15.5<br />Strawberry -5.4<br />Tangerine -8.5<br />Watermelon -1.0<br />Yellow Plum -4.9</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Non-Stored Grains</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Brown Rice -12.5<br />Wheat -10.1</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nuts</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Hazelnuts -2.0<br />Macadamia Nuts -3.2<br />Walnuts -8.0</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fish</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Fresh Water Fish -11.8</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fats</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Coconut Milk -1.5<br />Sunflower Oil -6.7</span></span></p></td><td valign="top" class="style6" style=" color: rgb(0, 51, 0); line-height: 15px; font-size:10px;"><p align="center" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 51, 0); font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Unhealthy Acidic Foods<br />- Try to avoid them or counterbalance them!</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Meat, Poultry, And Fish</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Beef -34.5<br />Chicken (to -22) -18.0<br />Eggs (to -22)<br />Liver -3.0<br />Ocean Fish -20.0<br />Organ Meats -3.0<br />Oysters -5.0<br />Pork -38.0<br />Veal -35.0</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Milk And Milk Products</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Buttermilk +1.3<br />Cream -3.9<br />Hard Cheese -18.1<br />Homogenized Milk -1.0<br />Quark -17.3</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bread, Biscuits (Stored Grains/Risen Dough)</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Rye Bread -2.5<br />White Biscuit -6.5<br />White Bread -10.0<br />Whole-Grain Bread -4.5<br />Whole-Meal Bread -6.5</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nuts</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Cashews -9.3<br />Peanuts -12.8<br />Pistachios -16.6</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fats</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Butter -3.9<br />Corn Oil -6.5<br />Margarine -7.5</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sweets</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Artificial Sweetners -26.5<br />Barley Malt Syrup -9.3<br />Beet Sugar -15.1<br />Brown Rice Syrup -8.7<br />Chocolate -24.6<br />Dr. Bronner's Barley<br />Dried Sugar Cane Juice -18.0<br />Fructose -9.5<br />Honey -7.6<br />Malt Sweetner -9.8<br />Milk Sugar -9.4<br />Molasses -14.6<br />Turbinado Sugar -9.5<br />White Sugar -17.6</span></span></p><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Condiments</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Ketchup -12.4<br />Mayonaise -12.5<br />Mustard -19.2<br />Soy Sauce -36.2<br />Vinegar -39.4</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Beverages</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Beer -26.8<br />Coffee -25.1<br />Fruit Juice Sweetened<br />Fruit Juice, Packaged, Natural -8.7<br />Liquor -38.7<br />Tea (Black) -27.1 <br />Wine -16.4</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Miscellaneous</span></span></em></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Canned Foods<br />Microwaved Foods<br />Processed Foods</span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="style12" align="center" style=" ;font-size:10px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Table: pH scale of alkaline and acid forming foods</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(Source: "Back To The House Of Health" by Shelley Redford Young)</span></span></em></p><p class="style12" align="center" style="text-align: left;font-size:10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">What can I do about it? <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></p><p class="style12" align="center" style="text-align: left;font-size:10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; font-family:georgia;">The table above shows examples of foods in each category and their effect on blood pH per ounce. You should be looking to consume as many of the high alkaline as possible. Other options for monitoring foods and their effect on your body's pH are litmus strips to measure your saliva or urinary pH levels, which should be between 6.8 and 7.2.</span></span></span></p><!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--> <p class="style12" align="center" style="text-align: left;font-size:10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p></span><p></p></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-69114110196732397782010-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:002010-10-25T05:38:54.943-07:00The strongest man I have ever seenI felt like I had to post this video link from youtube! It was on the facebook page of my first strength and conditioning coach, Marty Hulme, who is now Japan's national S+C coach. He is absolutely brilliant and it doesn't surprise me he found this great clip.<div>The guy i this video is an absolute machine and have a look at how good his spinal stability is.<div><br /></div><div> </div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dygTnTw__gi2rxoPxCSJCjegGmaxX5G3wbS2sXzsPyhhghAHyXaH6AyP2T5VCNuNw0no_S9WWz4iSG8Hhq-9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div>What a beast this guy is!!</div></div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-61207595575349228312010-10-24T13:36:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:42:34.644-07:00Lets not forget Tea!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBL3c4rtSEtQIEEVmNJe4_haBFdfNSPOQls-qYHgJbxxOPpYajtjYAGwQzZL9w8RQHyGOi_zE9-wCQeO2xc2Z0QRwhyphenhyphenpkuFVdPBOkfbqSKgViDR0-PYlLZMjO7CuSGUTR55_gNZytjfH9/s1600/brew.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBL3c4rtSEtQIEEVmNJe4_haBFdfNSPOQls-qYHgJbxxOPpYajtjYAGwQzZL9w8RQHyGOi_zE9-wCQeO2xc2Z0QRwhyphenhyphenpkuFVdPBOkfbqSKgViDR0-PYlLZMjO7CuSGUTR55_gNZytjfH9/s200/brew.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531715652378569250" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">After preaching about how great coffee is, I suppose I better chat about the great british brew!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Many of you probably have your morning ‘brew’ and often wonder if it is bad for you or not. Well in my opinion it is not bad for you, if it is tea! Firstly a clarification on tea, all four kinds of non-herbal tea, green, black, white and red come from the same plant known as <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">'</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">camellia sinesis'.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The only difference between green tea and black tea is the degree of processing that the leaves got through post harvesting. Black tea is fully fermented and green tea is not fermented at all. This processing does not change the chemical component of the tea though and both tea’s are still cancer fighting due to the high levels of something called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">'</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">catechins'</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Numerous studies have shown that men who drink more than 4 cups of black tea a day </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tetley, PG Tips etc</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span> had significantly lower risk of stroke and the tea reduced their bad cholesterol.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-18993223243453587932010-10-24T13:16:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:32:39.088-07:00Is Coffee Bad?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqG2aizhKrxujCSXEKHKu5Wk80WBOsIxcjniLUxf-JGg9JHAp4Pq14YnU8d0yZZOSh2j1o_8m_gNo8xA0AKOVd7MmAONBpeyTAEO7tOTmz0bzSzpzzMkV9KcXe48lGdqgVHfsVhTHTkEwv/s1600/coffee+beans.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqG2aizhKrxujCSXEKHKu5Wk80WBOsIxcjniLUxf-JGg9JHAp4Pq14YnU8d0yZZOSh2j1o_8m_gNo8xA0AKOVd7MmAONBpeyTAEO7tOTmz0bzSzpzzMkV9KcXe48lGdqgVHfsVhTHTkEwv/s200/coffee+beans.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531712671226974306" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Caffeine use in elite sport is a well researched area and so I can evaluate many studies and detail some evidence based tips for you on its use to maximise performance. Firstly, t</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">he increase in nerve activit<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">y brought about by consuming caffeine stimulates the release of the hormone epinephrine (</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">adrenaline</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) which in turn, leads to such effects as increased blood flow to muscles and the release of glucose by the liver. Caffeine also increases brain levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved in cognitive (</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">thinking</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) processes, alertness and memory.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For this reason alone there are numerous studies which show that caffeine significantly improves mental focus. Also in a recent study from the </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">University of Scranton, Pennsylvania</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, researchers showed that coffee is the </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">number one</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> source of antioxidants in the average American's diet.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If stimulatory effects are your goal then </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">freshly brewed</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">black coffee</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is the way to go and not a large latte which is full of milk! </span></span><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">An average cup of black freshly brewed coffee contains about 130 milligrams of caffeine (</span></span><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">compare that to the 80 milligrams in a regular Red Bull</span></i></span><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">), plenty to give you the mental focus you are after. But remember, everything in moderation because athletes who rely on caffeine to get "up" for games or training are often creating a mental "barrier" that is hard to escape. And as your body develops a tolerance to caffeine it will take more and more caffeine to get the same feeling of "focus" you've come to expect. Also a</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">void putting a lot of sugar or sweeteners in your coffee or you will ruin the effect you are looking for by increasing sugar content just like r</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">egular Red Bull. So if you want to use coffee as a pre training/match stimulant then you must not over use it during the week! A maximum of one cup per day would be advised and then 1-2 cup freshly brewed coffee 1-1.5 hrs before competition (</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">game time</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbJ0-ebQmy6uI5Bv0KPWNs0EN9zcJhG4BEctLUAv6b7DGCGTQLV9RXf8AG_TRwYmalIstkZZPc1PHnt0iDHHMU_m4RaZl_LfeMDuzLKiejQ5Kg4D0dR94jUemolu0fubHUw7vXE-RqihI/s200/fresh-coffee.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531712857987997794" /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Will it dehydrate me?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A study on the effects of high dose pre-exercise caffeine ingestion found no significant impact on hydration</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Can J Physiol Pharmacol, 68(7): 889-92, 1990</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">). Other studies have showed a mild diuretic effect in </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">extremely high doses</span></b></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">8 cups filter coffee per day!</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">). However, this diuretic effect is also governed by the concentration of caffeine in any given drink. For example, an espresso coffee provides around 100mg of caffeine in just 50ml of water, but you’d have to drink around 1 </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">litre</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> of tea to obtain the same amount of caffeine, significantly </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hydrating</span></b></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> your body in the process! A medium Americano contains around 100mg caffeine (</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 espresso shot</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) but 350 ml water.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My advice is clear on caffeine, if you want to gain a stimulatory benefit from it then abstain from using it a lot until competition/training time. The message from years gone by of cutting out tea and coffee is </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">WRONG</span></b></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> because there is no evidence of a diuretic effect when used this way and you will also then lose the </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hydrating effect</span></b></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language:EN;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> of drinking the water you made it with!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-41987006613610076692010-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:002010-10-18T12:22:29.919-07:00Late Night Motivation<div align="left">Just a quick little message that helps drive away lazy thoughts sometimes.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"><strong></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong>The Man in the Glass<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">by: Dale Wimbrow<br /></span></strong><br />When you get what you want in your struggle for self<br />And the world makes you king for a day<br />Just go to the mirror and look at yourself<br />And see what that man has to say.<br /><br />For it isn't your Father or Mother or wife<br />Whose judgement upon you must pass.<br />The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life<br />Is the one staring back from the glass.<br /><br />Some people may call you a straight shooting chum<br />And call you a wonderful guy,<br />but the man in the glass says you're only a bum<br />If you can't look him straight in the eye.<br /><br />He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest<br />For he's with you clear to the end,<br />And you have passed your most dangerous test<br />If the man in the glass is your friend.<br /><br />You may face the whole world down the pathway of life<br />And get pats on the back when you pass,<br />But your final reward will be heartache and strife<br />If you've cheated the man in the glass. </div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-32946005500536392332010-10-18T05:33:00.000-07:002010-10-18T06:30:45.853-07:00The Problems with Anterior Pelvic Tilt<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">So What is Anterior Pelvic Tilt?</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Well if you imagine your pelvis is a bucket of water and if your pouring water onto your toes, you are anteriorly tilted and if your pouring water onto your heels you are posteriorly tilted. Often people with lower back pain will have an anterior pelvic tilt and this can be because as your pelvis tilts forwards you are also increasing your lumbar extension (lordosis) putting lots of pressure through your spine. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Oae7j2a_NvUfXW-eNyAIwzFqmnAc_y9ffO7wxQ9-hKsqdFosR41gh86gxCGlT6aGeV01m7CpThNvFMtgSD9oUw424mlyrc6tzUklwOOnsXunve47DZNBi8D6zGh34TGIasziSpA4bCse/s200/pelvi+tilt+example.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529365262482890338" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Vladimir Janda categorized this form of dysfunction as 'lower crossed sydnrome' and said it was often coupled with 'swayback', weak abdominals and increased lumbar lordosis. The muscular weaknesses observed in this condition are detailed in the table below:</span></span></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tight </span></span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Iliacus and Psoas </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rectus Femoris </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">TFL </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Adductor Group </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Errector Spinae </span></span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Gastrocnemius,Soleus </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12px; white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; ">Weak/Inhibited</span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "> </span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; ">Rectus Abdominis</span><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Oblique<br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; ">Gluteus medius</span><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Gluteus maximus <br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Hamstrings<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtIq5qCMCBAOveY0G_YbkZBXtOAf67tHEzjwAO_MpLKlLTFUjfGfW6xtkGVjrqy3ZzgjiSPzVoPxJ2iNLPd12Jjouhn5u4Sdeo4jWCevnyEK7nJyjIbnCTgBJpSKt2rmjbVjY6w0sDQxh/s200/anterior_pelvic_tilt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529374468731526594" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Also the stress at L5/S1 due to this syndrome can also cause problems with the sacroiliac joint and knee. Piriformis syndrome can also be implicated which occurs when the piriformis muscle gets tight and/or spasms, which causes the sciatic nerve to become irritated, literally causing a '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">pain in the bum</span>' and or down the back of the leg and into the back.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So how do we fix this common problem in athletes?</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well firstly we need to address the soft tissue problems associated with lower crossed syndrome and these may include muscular adhesions, trigger points and active release at glute medius, TFL, iliopsoas and sacro-tuberous ligament. Once we have done this we can progress into a stretching and strengthening routine addressing the problems listed in the table above. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">However when we have identified a condition like this it is important to realise that we cant just have all our soft tissue work done, then stretch and think that we have addressed the problem. It is important that posture is looked at and athletes actively try to change their posture by retraining and in this case strengthening the rectus abdominis is crucial. A favourite exercise of mine for this is Gray Cook's curl up which when done correctly is excellent.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; min-height: 13.0px"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times; min-height: 13.0px"> </p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-74379346041992231712010-10-18T01:57:00.000-07:002010-10-18T02:25:17.539-07:00Bad Exercises and Bad Technique<div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Some exercises are just not worth the risk but some exercises have fundamental elements for safety and prevention of injury.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">1: Benching Too Wi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">de</span> – Common error is not pushing through the the long axis of the radius and this causes shearing shearing<span> </span>forces through the elbow joint. Solution to this is to not have a really wide grip. The shoulder is most at risk at 90 degree abduction and wide grip bench press causes above 75 degrees abduction at the shoulder.</p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MeTKTqqSIKKDiY-nhL23kmW-pOCp_JAKUqbw8omKnoLf_ixOctwWlXfHkzZOgywAFQTvahtwCHEo7694UjgnUI3U4SQ8qxI5rt2TopUHd8AeYjc-N-KjVaVDSc4E6EMTNyzS56aLbxPj/s200/widegripbenchpress.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529314156338714498" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">2: Benching Too High</span> - Some people bench and at the end of the eccentric component, the bar is above the neck or a/c joint which puts massive pressure on the shoulder complex and takes it away from the pectorals.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">3: Upright Row</span> – One of my most hated exercises in S&C. Massively overused in athletic populations who are already upper trap dominant further creating shoulder dysfunction.</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXJTkTMSlrvj4kpZxk9PYrHHb-lYuqPIpnp5NQLUixYd8wkylxa7hWZeLr0CXEdesgBOVvhyL8euHzGa2MZoaimJx1pRw9BCMjVXGdaTRc0zSZWp151ZMc1g-MkeY44FcwYmZLbFKcCcT/s1600/upright-rows-finish.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXJTkTMSlrvj4kpZxk9PYrHHb-lYuqPIpnp5NQLUixYd8wkylxa7hWZeLr0CXEdesgBOVvhyL8euHzGa2MZoaimJx1pRw9BCMjVXGdaTRc0zSZWp151ZMc1g-MkeY44FcwYmZLbFKcCcT/s200/upright-rows-finish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529310091043221874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Look at the end position of this exercise, which is basically shoulder abduction coupled with internal rotation, closing up the sub-acromial space. This position is actually used by physios to test impingement (hawkins kennedy test) and so that alone should tell you its ridiculous.</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyHUbNqyOpW4XLpxyJ1NFEJvABVuRo4m_WiHxHkaV2kRGmWX2-g6O9YHniheNOlIIHL9E6mzxyQpLrem9rCXeZL2Yjb_3rYYvFFO9L2Gews8SMzE2wGpah0KA5fOGurLZrGkSmfczREua/s1600/subacromial-space.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyHUbNqyOpW4XLpxyJ1NFEJvABVuRo4m_WiHxHkaV2kRGmWX2-g6O9YHniheNOlIIHL9E6mzxyQpLrem9rCXeZL2Yjb_3rYYvFFO9L2Gews8SMzE2wGpah0KA5fOGurLZrGkSmfczREua/s200/subacromial-space.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529311495491260978" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 200px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">This position will jam up the rotator cuff against acromium and in time create impingement, especially if you have inflammation of any of your tendons in there. To fix this go shoulder width grip and pull to the sternum instead of the neck or to 90 degrees elbow flexion.</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGNKzukn8CspBEXd-vML-iEVv8iUQWfMmfOnaPBhbDigplqOfTjlzQBVMtpaPbjbF85vD9aBtcxeCu9U6hbAHljH66f_1bKW1KFhNLniuWLRymtwcytXqxBl68Rb8lzqqdwbrf8CzVL06/s1600/widegrip+upright+row.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGNKzukn8CspBEXd-vML-iEVv8iUQWfMmfOnaPBhbDigplqOfTjlzQBVMtpaPbjbF85vD9aBtcxeCu9U6hbAHljH66f_1bKW1KFhNLniuWLRymtwcytXqxBl68Rb8lzqqdwbrf8CzVL06/s200/widegrip+upright+row.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529313078056235074" /></a><br /><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div></div> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-85582843885518769062010-10-13T13:24:00.000-07:002010-10-13T13:33:58.166-07:00Omega 3 Oil for Athletic Enhancement<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><b>Omega 3 Supplementation?</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><br /><i>Question from an interview with Charles Poliquin</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">(Nutrition Guru)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><b><i>Q:</i></b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><i> What's one supplement that every athlete and basically any active person should be taking daily?<br /><b>A:</b></i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><i> <b>Fish oil</b></i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><i> I was first introduced to fish oil twelve years ago by my friend Mauro DiPasquale. I was over at his house and he had fish oil on the counter. I asked him what he used it for and he said, "Charles, this is the most important supplement ever."<br />He told me to go to Medline online and punch in any disease known to man and the words "fish oil" beside it. He challenged me to find a study that didn't show how fish oil could benefit in the treatment of any disease. I gave up after 86 studies!<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><b><i>Why is it so beneficial? <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><i>It's in our genes. Humans used to consume 300-400 grams of omega-3s per week. If we consume more than two grams a day now it's considered a lot.</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Firstly a study published four years ago that showed that if the US government issued three grams of fish oil per day to every American citizen, then the amount of cancer and heart disease would go down by 50% within one year. Even if you don't really care about cancer and heart disease at the minute you may care about this: <b>the biggest limiting factor in hard training athletes to getting leaner and adding muscle is the consumption (or lack thereof) of omega-3s</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When we were cavemen we often ate what predators left, for example a lion would eat from the gut onwards and leave the skull and long bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Primitive man would break the skull open and eat the brains. Brains are 60% fat and 60% of that is DHA, the omega-3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Primitive man would also break the bones of the prey and suck the marrow, also rich in omega-3, DHA particularly. DHA is the omega-3 most responsible for brain development while EPA is most associated with reducing inflammation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">I am not suggesting you start doing this though.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Anyone who wants to put on a lot of muscle and lose fat should be on 30-40 grams of fish oil per day. That's just <b>three</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> tablespoons of Udo’s Choice oil. It is a pain in the arse with capsules though because that's around 45 capsules per day, but it's easy with simple oil. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">best one available</span><i> is <b>Udo’s Choice, </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">created by Dr Udo Erasmus after years and years of research</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Finally, for those of you interested in positively and optimally altering your body composition and maximizing your training efforts, fish oils offer thirteen possible advantages:<br /><br />1. Cell membrane health: EPA and DHA insure that cell membranes remain healthy. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 2. Fish oils switch on the lipolytic genes (<b>fat burning genes</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 3. Fish oils switch off the lipogenic genes (<b>fat storage genes</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 4. Increase utilisation of fat stores from the adipocytes. (Brown fat also known as “<i>baby fat</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">”) for energy supply.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 5. Reduced inflammation from training.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 6. Pain management from reduced inflammation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> 7. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory, and cognitive function.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">8. Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack, and <b>reduce carbohydrate cravings.</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">9. Fish oils will improve your cardiovascular risk profile by lowering VLDL<i> (bad cholesterol)</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">, triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and increasing HDL<i> (good cholesterol)</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> levels.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">10. Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">11. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. For the same amount of stress, a person will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">regularbasis.<span> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">12. </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">Research has shown that supplementation with fish oils can markedly reduce interlukin-1beta production and results in a significant reduction in morning stiffness<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">13. Fish oil regulates insulin and its response and so you <b>WILL</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"> get a body fat reduction<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-85660254993670347332010-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:002010-10-13T13:24:22.735-07:00Which is the best bread?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b>Burgen Soy and Linseed Bread<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">WHAT MAKES BURGEN DIFFERENT?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Burgen's Soya and Linseed loaf is no ordinary wholemeal bread. It is packed with natural <a href="http://www.ciao.co.uk/Grains_5095377_3"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">grains</span></a>, such as wheat and linseed, and is rich in calcium and high in fibre. However, that, in itself, does not make it too much different from any other bread. What makes it really different is that it is a <b>low-GI</b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> bread. GI or Glycaemic Index is a measure of how quickly our bodies absorb different carbohydrates. A low-GI bread is therefore one which sustains steady blood sugar levels to help you feel fuller for longer and provides a sustained supply of energy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">NUTRITION INFORMATION <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Per slice:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Energy - 110 kcal (calories)<br />Protein - <span style="color:red">6.4g</span><br />Carbohydrate - <span style="color:red">11.9g</span><br />Fat - <span style="color:red">4.0g</span> “<i>this is healthy fats from the seeds”<br /></i></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Fibre - 2.7g<br />Sodium - 0.12g<br />Salt - 0.31g<br />Calcium - 106mg (13% of Recommended Daily Allowance)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b>White Bread for comparison per slice:</b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="225" style="width:225.0pt; border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .75pt"> <tbody><tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Calories<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;border-left:none; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">84<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;border-top:none; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Protein<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black .75pt;border-right:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">2.6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;border-top:none; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Carbohydrate<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black .75pt;border-right:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;border-top:none; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Fat<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black .75pt;border-right:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">0.6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border-top:none;border-left:solid black .75pt; border-bottom:none;border-right:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Fibre<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:none;border-right:solid black .75pt; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">1<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border:solid black .75pt;border-top:none; padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"> <span style="font-size: 9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="50%" style="width:50.0%;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black .75pt;border-right:solid black .75pt;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"> <span style="font-size: 9.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:red;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana-Bold;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana-Bold;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana-Bold;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-40192004003493576562010-10-12T13:38:00.000-07:002010-10-12T13:38:17.603-07:00Sports & Fitness Science: Monitoring training load: quo vadis? #2<a href="http://marcocardinale.blogspot.com/2010/10/monitoring-training-load-quo-vadis-2.html?spref=bl">Sports & Fitness Science: Monitoring training load: quo vadis? #2</a>: "After having presented a simple method to monitor training load without the need of expensive equipment, it is now the time to discuss other..."Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-25111196241874525392010-10-12T12:58:00.001-07:002010-10-12T13:09:41.643-07:00The Turkish Get-upThe turkish get up is a great exercise that falls into the category of getting lots of bang for you buck!<br />It was used by strongmen back in the iron days and for very good reason. For PT's in posh gyms maybe this will make gather a few strange glances from moustached businessmen or over tanned woman but so whgat, its a great exercise for strength, power and endurance development.<br />So how do you do it?<br />1.Lie on your back with your KB or Db in your hand, elbow locked.<br />2.The idea is that you stand up without flexing the elbow and keeping the weight directly above you<br />3.Firstly, flex the trunk and get one hand down as a stable base<br />4.Get onto one knee and keep weight above you with elbow locked<br />5.with the other leg now behind you ina semi split squat position, stand upright<br />6.Now return to starting position by simply reversing these steps<br /><br />Here is a perfect example of the turkish get-up:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQUlshxO_8&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQUlshxO_8&feature=related</a><br /><br />Tips:<br />Keep your eyes on the weight at all times<br />Start out with a light weight until you get a feel for the movementPaul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8449414888681000936.post-77347063086024188522010-10-11T14:11:00.000-07:002010-10-11T14:12:54.790-07:00The Worlds Best Oil<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Coconut Oil<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><b>Compo<strong><span style="color:black">sition:</span></strong></b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"> Coconut oil consists of more than 90% of saturated fats (<i>Don’t panic! Your opinion may change</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">During World War II, coconut oil was essentially cut off from the United States and the United Kingdom. As the war continued, alternative types of cooking oils were developed. By the time the war was over, there was a lot of money at stake — promoting the polyunsaturated vegetable oils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To top that off, by the end of the 1950's, the public opinion had turned against saturated fats altogether. The majority of the general population believed them to be the culprit behind heart disease and no one wanted to put any money into funding studies to disprove this theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry (i.e. the Philippines and Indonesia) couldn't afford to combat the negative propaganda spread by the multi-million dollar American conglomerates, so coconut oil was bound to remain unpopular until decades later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">Contrary to what the mainstream media has taught us, vegetable oils such as soy, safflower, sunflower, and canola are actually the <b>WORST</b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"> types of fat for cooking. They're highly subject to heat damage due to their bond make up, which basically means that they become TOXIC to the body when heated! Coconut oil doesn't have the same bond make up. It remains stable and is completely non-toxic no matter how hot it gets. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">The benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even <b><a href="http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-aids.html" title="Health Benefits of AIDS"><span style="font-weight:normal">HIV</span></a></b></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It also helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">Coconut oil is fantastic for cooking but also for hair conditioner, moisturiser and is beautiful when mixed with warm porridge.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Although 90% saturated fat, many people don’t realise that the saturated fat is a particularly healthy class of fatty acids called medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s). These are what Lauric Acid is in coconut oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Coconut oil also has a very strong antioxidant power and populations such as the Polynesian islands, where they consume coconuts as a major part of their diets, are rarely troubled by conditions such as osteoporosis. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black">Please remember that the saturated fats in McDonalds and KFC are very different to the saturated fats in coconut oils. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid the first like the plague and eat the second to your heart’s content.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Paul Devlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900602590949745854noreply@blogger.com0