nutrition project - Isagenix (week 1)

As a trainer, I often get clients who follow the guidelines with exercise and nutrition to a tee and still are unable to lower weight or body fat. It totally stumps me. For some, I think they may have other health issues that need to be diagnosed by a doctor (e.g. thyroid); but for others that are otherwise in great health, it can be frustrating.

I discovered Isagenix that is first and foremost a cleanse but helps people with weight loss and improves a person's health & performance. I am always the first skeptic when these claims are announced, but it came from a respectable source and the results couldn't be discounted. It really changed how people felt and people lost weight.

so, to get to the point, I purchased the product and will use it on myself for the next 30-days. I never have my clients try anything I haven't (or wouldn't) do myself or trust. I am keeping a log of my body composition as well as sleep, moods, energy, cravings, and mental clarity. My goal: is to see how I feel and how it affects my energy, recovery, and performance. My concern: i don't want to lose weight so I will need to keep my caloric intake higher than is recommended.

I am currently in my third day and I truly can't believe how energetic i feel. My mood is calm and happy. yesterday i woke up at 4:30 am, hiked 15 miles (4000 feet), changed and went to my friends house in idyllwild to acclimatize. woke up sunday and did a 15 miles cross-country race (at 5000 feet elevation) and kicked my own ass but had a blast. When I came home and I did chores for 4 hours. I'm not wiped out, not cranky. it is crazy!!!

keep cranking forward!

chi

Enjoy your hard work

We can be hard on ourselves with intense training and strict diets not allowing ourselves to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Everyone once and and while, you need to sit back and say "good job".

Recently I was on a ride alone, enjoy a quick ride at mission trails - a spot i know well from the high school days. My music was set just right with an energetic vibe. My muscles were sore from a tough hike the day before, but I had recovered quickly and I was looking forward to this time alone. With a bit of sassy attitude, i hit all the tough descents with easy - dropping my ass wwwaaaayyyy back and keeping my core strong. The climbs were a bit tough and my foot came down twice. note to self - more lunges with heavier resistance. All in all...it felt good that my training was kicking in and i was improving. I even let go of my crutch - my 'bad' eye. into the ride, the contact was folding itself in my eye -- i quickly stopped and took it out. i rode without any eye correction and it was fine.

i rode most of the ride with this one tune in my head and it set the mood just right - Time Along by Josh Martinez.

enjoy your hard work!

Proprioception - sharper turns, improve your tricks

Proprioception is a fancy way of knowing where your body is in time and space. I am amazed that our bodies have this super power to be able know (without looking) where each part of the body is relative to itself and to the earth. I recently finished a book about Marla Streb, a pro female racer and my new idol, who after winning a gold medal in the X-games in downhill mountain biking, continued to improve her performance with strength training and specifically proprioception. Racing downhill at 40 mph and then hitting a jump, her body's proprioception has to be completely on - to say the least.

A few simple ways to start improving your own proprioception.

level A - get started

stand tall on your feet (separated hip distance and be sure your feet are parallel) and lift one leg up in front of you/then switch. Now try the same exercise with your eyes closed. do you see how your ankle moves this way and that?!!! isn't that cool?!!! try again and engage your core. practice a few times and your balance will improve.

level B - warmed up

one-legged squats are a fun way to improve your balance while improving your strength. this exercise requires a lot of body awareness not just in your legs, but your hips and core. use a chair to get the right alignment - place it about two feet behind you. then place your hands on your waist so you can feel your core. lift your leg (as in level A) and then sit onto the chair. Repeat 10 times but just hover over the chair.

caution: don't do if you have knee problems. this can put too much pressure on the knee joint.

Add these tips to your current training program. Do bicep curls with one leg, add weights to your 1-leg squats, or do the 1-legged squats on a Bosu.