Incline Interval Training – Just One Approach

Many people today are leaning more towards interval training to augment their conditioning programs – and for good reason. Interval training allows for many positive aspects when done safely, efficiently and with a high level of effort or intensity. When done properly, there’s a high output of energy which can enhance the cardiovascular system, help reduce body fat, improve athletic and recreational performance and improve anaerobic/muscular strength. Interval training is generally short in duration (lengthy sessions are impossible, actually) and does not need to be done more than one to two times per week. Interval training can be done in many ways using an assortment of modalities and as much as it is a solid means of training, it can have its pitfalls as well. Too often people abuse interval training – not realizing that such high levels of out put done for too many repetitions or too frequently can lead to overtraining or injury. Obviously, then, a person needs to approach interval training judiciously. For the sake of being somewhat concise, today I will only discuss one running approach that I have found to be beneficial in a number of ways.

This recommendation is nothing new under the sun (like most things aren’t) but a lot of individuals don’t place enough value on the benefits of the activity of incline or hill running. One of THE major advantages that I have found in performing incline/hill sprints is the reduction in compressive forces of the joints and soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) as opposed to running flat surfaces. There also is a less likely risk of becoming injured (even with a high output of energy) because stride rates (speeds) are reduced. Incline/hill sprints will give the lower extremities (legs/hips/hamstrings/calves/shins) a very good strength workout and will also stimulate the cardiovascular/cardio respiratory systems – and don’t be surprised how much the torso, abdominals and low back come into play as well.

Here’s a little “down and dirty”, quick interval workout that can be done on a treadmill, a hill (or an elliptical if it allows for an incline). Please keep in mind that this is just one of hundreds of ways to utilize incline/hill work. First, do an easy warm-up such as a light, ½ to a mile jog to get the blood flowing. Once you are ready to start your incline/hill work, set the speed and incline so that you can perform a 30 second hard run with a 30 second recovery that allows you to complete 10 solid reps with the last few reps being a good, solid challenge (your running form should not be compromised). For example, if you run a comfortable warm-up for ½ mile at a 10 minute mile pace (MMP) with a zero incline, bump the incline to 7 or 8 and push the speed so that you are running between 8:30 and 8:45 MMP. Once you complete the 10 reps, rest for 60 seconds. Now, using the same incline and speed, perform a 20 second sprint with a 10 second recovery for 3-5 reps. Depending on your speeds, this workout can be completed in around 15-20 minutes.

Should you choose to take this workout to the great outdoors, walk/jog to your destination – which should be a hill or sizeable hill - and perform a 30 second sprint then up the incline and walk brisk back to the start position, turn and do another rep until all 10 are complete. In this manner, you will get more rest due to the walk back but that will simply enable you to go at the hill harder so when it’s all said and done, the difference in the benefits will be nominal. After this segment is done go back to the bottom of the hill and do a 20 second blast up the hill walk for 10 seconds, sprint for 20, walk for 10 seconds etc. until 3-5 reps are completed. Don’t worry about walking back down the hill – just keep moving forward.

Interval training should leave you taxed, but not completely exhausted. Working yourself to a point where you can’t finish the repetitions in good form or you are flat on your back is not, I repeat, not a productive approach to improving your health and fitness. Consider taking one or both of these workouts for a ride as a change of pace to your lower body and conditioning training and remember to use interval training as just another tool in your overall fitness program.

Modified Mediterranean Diet

Clinical Nutritionist, Tom Mantos is a good friend of mine and has been for quite some time. There are few people that I know - wait - correction, there is NO ONE that I know that knows more than he does when it comes to nutrition. One of the best things about Tom is he isn't just a text-book kind of guy (although he is very well versed in his knowledge base) - he's a hands on, experienced nutritionist that found his life's work in helping people to get healthy. Suffice it to say that Tom has taught me pretty much all I know about the field of nutrition, so when Tom recommends something, I tend to listen.

For years Tom has been touting what he refers to as the "Modified Mediterranean Diet" (MMD). The Mediterranean Diet is one that is high in legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy and essential fats, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables while keeping items such as dairy, fish, poultry and eggs towards the middle of the pyramid and fats and sugars and red meat way at the peak. The MMD not only bases it's food selection on the above mentioned but also takes the Glycemic Index (GI) into account. The glycemic index takes the impact foods (carbohydrates) have on blood glucose (sugar) levels. A number of 100 is assigned to glucose (a simple sugar) and all other foods are rated accordingly on how they impact blood sugar levels. By combining these two methods (MMD and the GI), an individual has a greater opportunity to fight diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, while reducing body fat levels and improving overall well-being. The Modified Mediterranean Diet is something well worth the time to investigate in greater depth for an overall healthier approach to eating.

Fred Fornicola
Fitness Professional
908.433.4542

Holiday Excuses

Don't use the holiday's as an excuse for eating poorly and not exercising. To help ward-off the downside to the "holiday physical funk" most of you experience, try and set some short term goals for the coming weeks like losing a few pounds, not missing any of your workouts, improving your pushup number or anything that may motivate you to stay on track. Am I suggesting you don't engage in some festive cheer - of course not, I'm merely suggesting that you don't abandon your health by using the holiday's as an excuse for your weakness to take better care of yourself.

What Are You Waiting For?

Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who does nothing because he could only do a little. - Edmund Burke (1729-1797, British Political Writer, Statesman)

At some point in time, our society was convinced that being healthy and fit needed to be a complicated and lengthy undertaking. Unfortunately, this has paralyzed many people in their attempt to embark on a proper exercise and nutritional program and for some, it has just given them another reason - or better stated - excuse, for not doing some form of physical fitness and eating right. Here’s an example: I once had a brief (thank God) conversation with a doctor who was no longer exercising because his schedule did not allow him to continue with his normal 5 days a week, 2 hour per training session program. I posed the idea of reducing his 10 hours a week in the gym to doing some type of exercise 2 -3 times a week for 20 - 30 minutes and explained that this is an extremely efficient and effective way of becoming stronger and better conditioned (assuming particular parameters were met). His response was "that's not enough time; I need more than that to get any benefits." To which I responded "A little of something beats a whole lot of nothing."

It’s very simple folks; my recommendation of infrequent, short duration workouts is not a compromise but a productive approach to becoming stronger, healthier, leaner and more functional. - Fred Fornicola

Top 50 Healthy Living Blogs of 2009

Masters in Healthcare voted Premiere Personal Fitness one of the "Top 50 Healthy Living Blogs of 2009"

Endura to Re-Charge Your Battery

Endura is a "State of The Art" fluid and electrolyte replacement drink that was developed from the medical literature and studied at the Tour De France (world marathon bicycle championships). There are so many electrolyte drinks on the market, so what makes this one special? The first thing to take into consideration is that the sports drink contains all of the electrolytes: which include magnesium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and sodium. All of these electrolytes are lost during endurance training which greatly effects muscle contraction and performance. Magnesium, for instance, is involved in nearly 200 enzymatic reactions, many of which
involve muscle contraction and relaxation. Magnesium and potassium replacement is therefore critical for performance. The second fact to consider is the osmality of the sports drink. Osmality refers to how fast the fluid, electrolytes, and cabohydrates get into the bloodstream and working muscles. Endura has a low osmality and gets into the blood stream as fast as water. So Endura contains all of the electrolytes including high amounts of magnesium and potassium, has low osmality, and glucose polymers for sustained energy.

When comparing Endura to other sports drinks, the majority of them only have potassium and sodium with a high osmality (they sit in the stomach longer). A classic example of this type of sports drink is the highly advertised Gatorade (one the worst sport drinks on the market by the way). Now the best way to take a sports drink like Endura is to mix 2 scoops in 16oz of water only (this keeps the osmality low). Drink some before and during training. You need to replace 1-2 drinks per hour of intense endurance trainng, especially associated with heavy sweating. You can get Endura in some health food stored that carry it or you can go to my website and
order.

Tom Mantos - Clinical Nutritionist
732.219.9636

Training With Dumbbells - Fred Fornicola Interview

Hindu Pushups

Hindu Pushups are a great exercise because they create flexibility and strength throughout the whole body, they stimulate tremendous circulation from head to toe and can greatly improve cardiovascular fitness when done for high repetitions. the best part though, is they can be done anywhere, any time. Give Hindu Pushups a try and you'll see a tremendous change in your fitness and strength.



Fred Fornicola

The FoodBank

The FoodBank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties are looking for donations for Thanksgiving. Aside from the normal day-to-day items that you can give, they have given you an easy way to help by going to www.foodbankmoc.org and donating $10.00 online. Your $10.00 donation will enable the FoodBank to purchase a 12 pound turkey to feed a family in need.

Fred Fornicola
908.433.4542
www.PremierePersonalFitness.com

Using Your Body

I love to exercise outdoors at autumn time here in the North East - especially early Sunday mornings. The air is crisp and clean, no one's up and about yet in town and well, it's just invigorating as hell to me. And why not, I'm outside using my body to better my health and fitness.

I'm a HUGE believer in frequent, if not daily activity and also a BIG proponent of using your own bodyweight for exercise. Many "poo-poo" bodyweight activities unfortunately feeling that one cannot build strength and that one "must lift weights" to get stronger - nothing could be further from the truth. Strength is relative to the individual and should reflect their goals.

Exercises that you can do just using your body include various deep knee bends, countless versions of pushups, handstands, pull/chin-ups, plank holds, table makers, bridging, jumping rope, hill sprinting, crab walking, lunging, crunches, wall walks, etc., etc., etc. can seriously give you one helluva workout in a short amount of time that will build strength and cardiovascular endurance. - Fred Fornicola

Is It Time to Change Your Oil?

One of the most important aspects of optimal health and prevention of disease involves the kinds of oils you use in your engine (body). The types of oils or fats your eat plays a major role in your health. The actual chemistry of the fats is complex but I am going to make it simple for you by just saying there are essential fats and ugly fats. In the U.S. we are consuming major amounts of the ugly fats which can contribute to chronic disease. The essential fats are critical to our health and supply the following well documented functions:

*Used in brain cells, nerve endings, neurological development in children, and all cells of the body
*Maintains proper immune function
*Lowers triglycerides and increases beneficial HDL cholesterol
*Helps insulin work more efficiently and maintain proper blood glucose levels
*Makes a class of hormones known as prostaglandins which have an anti-inflammatory effect, lowers blood pressure, relaxes arteries, and prevents abnormal blood clots
*Produces energy form our food and helps transport oxygen through cell membranes where energy for the muscles, heart, and brain are produced
*They are growth enhancing and helps to improve the recovery of muscle fatigue
*Helps to carry toxins and other waste materials out of the body through the skin, intestines, lungs, and kidneys
*Promotes the proper cell division of cells called chromosomes
*In fact essential fats in the form of fish oil supplements are used widely in Europe by Doctors after a heart attack or stroke instead of the blood thinning medications we use in this country (aspirin, plavax, coumadin)

The best sources of these essential fats include wild salmon, mackeral, sardines, trout, herring, and flax oil. Other sources include hemp oil, ground flax seeds, olive oil, soybean oil, canola, soybean, walnuts, dark green veggies, and pumpkin oil. Taking fish oil capsules is one of the best ways to ensure the delivery of large therapeutic amounts of the good essential fats.

The ugly oils have the opposite effects of the above and include the saturated fats such as beef, red meat, organ meats, whole fat dairy products, butter, margerine, cocoa butter, palm kernel oil, fried foods, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid these ugly fats at all costs and change your oil today!

Tom Mantos
(732) 219-9636
www.MetabolicNutrition.Meta-ehealth.com

NEW - Conditioning & Flexibility Classes

Now that I have more open space available (due to my 31st time rearranging this place), I will be offering some additional features here, the first being a conditioning and flexibility class. This class will be specific to improving your cardiovascular conditioning, improving your flexibility and focusing on helping you to reduce body fat levels through our approach. These sessions will be 30 minutes long and will be customized to each persons current fitness level. Your options are as follows:

One-on-One class - $40
2 People - $20/ea
3 People - $15/ea

I will only be taking a max of 3 people per session. If you (or have friends/co-workers that would be interested in doing these classes), please contact me via email or when you are in here and let me know the times/days that would work for you and whether you want to do a one-on-one session or would like to be involved in a group and then I will coordinate the rest.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Fred Fornicola908.433.4542
www.PremierePersonalFitness.com
"Train With A Purpose"

What's Your Resting Heart Rate?

An important aspect of health and fitness (and a good indicator of how the old ticker is doing) is to measure your resting heart rate. The best time to check your resting heart rate is when you first wake up and before you even get out of bed. Using your index and middle fingers, find your pulse via your wrist (radial pulse) or neck (carotid pulse). Have a clock or watch available that has a second hand so you can count your pulses and watch the clock. Take your pulse for 20 seconds and multiply that number it by 3 (3x20 seconds = 1 minute). For instance, if you have 22 beats in 20 seconds multiply that by 3 and your resting hear rate would be 66. Take this test for 2 or 3 consecutive days for an accurate reading.

A good pulse rate for Men ages 35-55 are as follows:

Average - 71-76
Above Average 67-71
Good 63-66
Excellent 57-63
Athlete 50-57

A good pulse rate for Women ages 35-55 are as follows:

Average - 73-78
Above Average 69-73
Good 65-69
Excellent 60-65
Athlete 54-60

Note: Keep in mind that beta blockers and other medications may alter your true reading.

Additional considerations are if your resting heart rate is really low, that could be an indication you may have issues with your adrenal system so if you have a low resting HR but feel fatigued, unrested or get lightheaded at times it may be a good idea to see a doctor or qualified nutritionist. For the most part, however, this little test will give a good indication of your current fitness.

Fred Fornicola - Fitness Professional

A New Layout to the Studio

A new layout for Premiere to expand services and new techniques.

Premiere Personal Fitness Webpage Updates

Updates to the Testimonials, Resources and Services pages of the Premiere Personal Fitness website with new pictorial shots of the studio.