Wellness Posts by Brian J. Johnston

Q&A: Lift Some Weight in 2008

support@wellness.com — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:16:50 Z

Wellness.com - Q&A: Lift Some Weight in 2008 by Brian J. Johnston

Here are answers to the questions submitted from my original post: Lift Some Weight in 2008

Hi KathyK,
Before I could make ANY recommendations we would need to discuss your past/present health history, including but not limited to: cardiovascular health, orthopedic limitations, past/present injuries, etc. It's ABSOLUTELY possible to achieve your desired goal over the next 4 weeks! It's really quite simple, and I'm happy to help. Feel free to contact me through my profile for further assistance.

Hi Sunshine,
Keep the fitness faith! To be clear, muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. It's more dense, which means it takes up less space. Think of it this way: Which is heavier, - a pound of feathers or a pound of gold? Answer: they are the same - a pound is a pound. BUT, how much SPACE does a pound of gold occupy? Very little, right? Now, how many feathers would I have to gather (or how much space would be occupied) to equal a pound? A lot, right? OK, so here it is: Muscle = Gold. Fat = Feathers. Got it? With that in mind, I now want you to shift your focus from losing "weight" to occupying less space! ;-)

Hi Mareesa,
It sounds like you're doing a great job with your physical activity. Here is my #1 suggestion and/or concern for everyone trying to improve their physical state. I ALWAYS recommend erring on the side of conservative for the sake of developing AND maintaining training consistency, versus going "balls-to-the-wall" and burning out! The key to remember is training = trauma to the body. The harder/longer you train, the more severe/deeper trauma you inflict. The first issue is your IMMEDIATE post-workout nutrition. You MUST provide some type of carb/protein "recovery" WITHIN 30 minutes after your workout. I explain why in some of my other posts. To answer your question: It depends on what type of activity(s) you plan on pursuing back-to-back. If you plan on two "hardcore" sessions in a row, simply have some type of quality meal replacement shake handy for in-between.

Hi Neil,
Thanks for the encouraging words. Things have been pleasingly hectic! My speaking business has really picked up with the addition of my Common Sense-inars program, and I've been asked to speak at two large industry events in April. I'm also putting the finishing touches on my new SMART START Fitness System: A Common Sense Approach to Personal Fitness Success. In addition, the new 'Wake Up & Live the Life You Love' Abundance edition (the one I co-authored with Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Gregory Scott Reid, and others) has been released/shipped, so I'll sign a copy and send it your way! I'll keep you posted about the SMART START Fitness System release as well. Let's talk over the next week to firm up the speaking events/dates we discussed for your organization, as my schedule/availability is filling up quickly. Thanks Neil.

Lift Some Weight in 2008

support@wellness.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:08:01 Z

Wellness.com - Lift Some Weight in 2008 by Brian J. Johnston

Several people had questions from the previous post where I explained the "Why" of Strength before Cardio...

Ultimate personal fitness success (yours, mine, everyone's) is directly related/affected/dependent upon the amount of quality lean tissue (muscle) you develop/maintain over the course of your life.

As you might imagine, I've had numerous New Year's Resoluters share with me various goals for improving some aspect of their personal fitness.

In an effort to expedite the conversation and the transformation process, I suggest to every one of them - and now to YOU - that the collective goal of humanity is (or should be) to BUILD MUSCLE!

Many of you are under the impression you need to "lose weight"...

The truth is... YOU NEED TO START PACKING ON THE POUNDS!

An experiment: Get on the scale and weigh yourself. Let's say it shows a reading of 120. Think about the number in front of you. You are 120 pounds of what?

Are you 50 pounds of muscle, 50 pounds of skin, bones and organs, and 20 pounds of fat? Or, are you 50 pounds of fat, 42 pounds of skin, bones and organs, and 28 pounds of muscle?

WHAT are you?

Simply stated, how much of your total bodyweight is stuff you want, such as muscle (metabolically active/living tissue) and stuff you don't, such as bodyfat (gooey/dead tissue)???

Did you know that every pound of muscle is worth about 50 calories worth of metabolism to you? Think about it this way - adding 10 pounds of muscle, or being 10 pounds leaner (however you want to phrase it) means you could burn an additional 500 calories - WITHOUT exercising!

It's time for you to pack on a few "quality" pounds!

How much cardio/effort would that save you? How much more relaxed and enjoyable would/could your food intake be with a fat-incinerating metabolism like that?

The bottom line is this: the more lean tissue (muscle = metabolically active) you have, the more calories you burn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even when you are at rest!

Now, here's how to get started on a basic strength training program, to build and sculpt that wonderful, calorie-consuming, body-beautifying tissue called muscle.

Note: These suggestions are for beginners (or those who've been on a hiatus from Healthyville). There are MANY different or advanced programs/protocols, but let's begin with the "ABC's"...

Frequency: 2 to 4 times/week is suggested
Duration: Can range from 20 min to 60 min (MAX)
*Key: the INTENSITY of your workout is far more important than the time.

Variety is important, not only for balanced development, but to also keep things fresh and fun so you'll stick with it! This can be accomplished through machines, free weights or bodyweight movements (push-ups, dips, lunges, etc) and/or a combination of each.

For a beginner, start with one set of each exercise and perform the number of repetitions commensurate with your desired goals (i.e. one set of 15 to 25 reps to improve tone and definition or 8-12 reps to gain lean mass).

As your body adapts, additional sets, reps or weights should be incorporated. This is in accordance with the overload principle. To improve your performance in any situation you must challenge yourself to do more than you are normally accustomed to doing. Some helpful tips to remember:

1. Work from the largest muscles down to the smallest (ex: train your chest first, then your shoulders and finally your triceps)
2. Perform each exercise through a complete/comfortable range of motion
3. Avoid locking-out your joints. Keep a slight bend in your arms (elbows) and legs (knees)
4. Maintain a comfortable/regular breathing pattern during the workout. Do NOT hold your breath
5. Training = Trauma. Allow your body to "repair the tear". Progress comes from healing/recovery
6. Periodically review and update/change your workouts based on your progress

Again, this is by no means an exhaustive discussion about strength training. There are MANY ways to strengthen your body. As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of putting my personal and professional workout experiences to paper, creating several health/fitness resource "guides". I'll keep you posted, as it's an ongoing process.

'Til then, keep me posted as to YOUR success! Thanks for tuning in...

Workout Wisdom

support@wellness.com — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:40:58 Z

Wellness.com - Workout Wisdom by Brian J. Johnston

My goal as a "teacher" has always been to explain things in the same way I wish MY teachers would have taught me, back in the day... Do you remember what it was/is like when someone asks or tells you to do something such as a teacher, parent, coach, trainer, etc?

I remember as a kid, the first word out of my mouth was "Why?" (sound familiar?)

And nothing frustrated/irritated me more than receiving a glib reply like "Because I said so, THAT'S Why!" (it's irritating, isn't it???)

OK, so with that in mind, the information I share with people has been crafted in a way that addresses the innate "Why?" so that you KNOW the reasoning for each of my suggestions and/or recommendations.

That way, when you read a popular magazine, see an infomercial, hear someone make a suggestion, etc. you're able to discern between useful versus useless information.

Here's a common topic I cover regarding "WHY?" cardio should be done AFTER strength training.

DISCLAIMER: There are always people who instantly rebut, BUT, let me first explain a simple "Why?" then you can decide for yourself whether to implement, or not. Fair enough?

To begin, you should know each activity runs/relies on a different energy system.

Strength training is an AN-aerobic activity. The primary fuel for anaerobic activity is glycogen, derived from the food we eat.

Cardio is an aerobic activity (hence the name). When I ask a client/patient what the fuel source for aerobic activity is, they generally respond with "fat"... Well, they're not wrong - BUT, fat becomes fuel only after we have exhausted our immediate energy source (glycogen).

Perhaps you've heard it phrased this way: "Anything ABOVE & BEYOND 20 minutes in your target heart rate zone is when fat is burned for fuel", right?

Fat is an intermediate/long-term energy source. Stored glycogen is an immediate energy source.

Remember this:

Strength = Anaerobic = glycogen (glycogen is to your muscles what gas is to your car)

Cardio = Aerobic = glycogen/fat

Now, let's look at a common workout routine:

Let's say your goal is to burn stored bodyfat/tone and sculpt lean muscle. You begin by doing 30 minutes of cardio, followed by your strength training. Well, the first 15-20 minutes are essentially a waste of time (Remember, anything above/beyond 20 minutes in your THR = fat burning).

So, out of 30 minutes worth of effort you only got 10 minutes of what you REALLY wanted (fat burning).

NOW, it's time to do your strength training routine - BUT - what are you going to use for fuel? You just burned up your available "gas" during the first 15-20 minutes of cardio!

Perhaps you've noticed a couple sets into your workout after doing cardio you feel "flat", "lost the pump", or "out of gas"... Quite literally, you are!

I'm not saying "don't do cardio", or "it's wrong", etc. etc. What I am suggesting is to look at the basic physiology (Why), coupled with real-life experiences (myself/others) of reversing the order of activity.

Here's an additional thought: By doing strength training first, you effectively burn the stored glycogen. That way, whatever time you allot to your cardio routine following your strength training is strictly dedicated to fat-burning!

*Note: Remember, if you begin your workout with 30 minutes of cardio, you're only getting a 10-minute fat-burning ROI. If you did cardio AFTER strength training, you could cut your time in HALF (15 minutes) and get 5 additional minutes of pure fat-burning!

Hmmm... "You mean I can get more/better results by working smarter/less?"

Yep.

Giving Thanks

support@wellness.com — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:02:39 Z

Wellness.com - Giving Thanks by Brian J. Johnston

Hope all is going well for everyone. I'm currently in New York visiting in-laws, giving "Thanks" to my sister-in-law and her husband for coming home from 2 tours of military service oversees.

We're getting ready for the traditional feast with family and friends tomorrow - and my belly anxiously awaits my ALL-TIME favorite: Sweet potato casserole!

For those of you who've asked about the protein snacks, here's a suggestion, based on my own personal experience and preference. For those of you who get tired of hard-boiled eggs, simply alternate snack choices such as a turkey or chicken roll-up (I recommend Boar's Head lunch meats, as they aren't loaded with a myriad of harmful preservatives as other brands).

Personally, I alternate getting the 'Golden turkey/chicken breast', sliced "sandwich style" thickness... Also, remember evening "snacks" are designed for the most famished of times. Another option would be a grilled chicken breast, or a spoonful of "natural" (just the ground nuts without added sugar/hydrogentated oils) peanut or almond butter (my favorite). Again, the serving size should be just enough to take the edge off your hunger - not fill your belly!

Another trick I've found useful is to brew a double serving (2 tea bags) of organic chamomile tea - commonly known to soothe the digestive system and overall relaxation. I'm usually off to la-la land within 15 minutes. Hope this helps.

For tomorrow, think about contacting/telling someone you haven't communicated with in a while (for some, it may even be your immediate family!) and let them know how thankful you are for them being a part of your life.

You never know how deeply/positively your words can penetrate the lonely/forgotten heart of someone else!

"Thanks" to all of you who have become a part of my life experience through Wellness.com.

Beat the Bulge Before, During & After the Holidays

support@wellness.com — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:44:47 Z

Wellness.com - Beat the Bulge Before, During & After the Holidays by Brian J. Johnston

The holidays are nearly upon us, and the New England Journal of Medicine reports:

- The average American gains at least five (5) pounds during the 6-week holiday period

- The weight gained during this 6-week holiday period accounts for most of the weight gained over the year

- The more overweight a person is at the beginning of the holidays, the more likely they are to gain five (5) or more pounds during the holiday season

So, what's the good news?

Well, for starters, if you're reading this right now, it means you're still alive and kickin'! How high or strong you continue to kick is predominantly up to you.

What I'm offering are 4 Simple Strategies to Beat the Holiday Bulge - Before, During & After the Holidays - without spoiling any of the festivities.

This discussion is to PREpare you for the upcoming holiday season with fun, easy, and immediately applicable ways to enjoy yourself, your family and friends.

I've outlined the 3 holiday phases (Before, During, & After) with 4 simple suggestions to follow during each phase. Enjoy.

BEFORE:

1. Give it Up!
Holidays are no time to diet. Why spoil the festivities by feeling guilty about indulging in special foods during special times? You will likely feel frustrated and deprived when you force yourself to say "no", or guilty when you decide to indulge.

Rather than trying to lose weight, try to prevent weight gain!

2. Focus on the Positive:
Remind yourself how good it will be to visit with family and friends, along with the traditional goodies associated with each person/event.

Be Selective & Sensible! Develop a holiday eating plan that includes the foods you rarely have, or are only available during the holidays.

3. Be Reasonable:
Avoid drastic measures such as fasting or severely restricting calorie intake prior to the holidays.

This only slows your metabolism down, which means tougher weight loss afterwards.

Also, by depriving yourself of meals or completely avoiding sweets only sets you up to OVEReat later!

4. Be Upfront with Family & Friends:
Share your holiday plan, lifestyle goals, etc.

If YOU are serious and committed you may be surprised how much they respect your dedication and provide the extra support you need to stay on course.

They may even want to join you!

====================================

DURING:

1. Spoil Your Dinner:
Just like you should never go shopping on an empty stomach, having a light, healthy snack prior to the event will help eliminate the urge to eat everything in sight!

Also, drinking a glass of water 15-20 minutes before a meal can also "fill your tank" and reduce the urge to overeat.

2. Alcohol Awareness:
Drinking tends to increase during the holidays. Drink in moderation. Choose wine over beer, and/or distilled liquors such as vodka or scotch.

Beer has a high sugar index and literally goes straight to your middle. Also, red wine is lower in sugar than white wine.

It SHOULD go without saying, but be an adult when it comes to sensible alcohol consumption. Enjoy yourself, RESPONSIBLY!

3. Become a Palm Reader:
To avoid portion distortion, simply use the palm of your hand or clenched fist to determine appropriate food servings.

Also, avoid piling/drowning foods in rich gravies or cream sauces!

4. Stay Vertical:
One of the most common holiday post-meal sights is a string of unconscious bodies, attempting/hoping to recover from the holiday gluttony.

Resist the temptation to slouch into the nearest Lay-Z-Boy, or get horizontal on the couch, floor - especially by the fireplace!

Instead, get out and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air on a leisurely walk and catch up with a family member or friend while burning a few calories

=====================================

AFTER:

1. Don't Be a Bully!
Give yourself a few days to let everything settle down before you assess the damage. After all, you didn't gain 100 pounds, did you?

Give yourself a break and reflect back on all the people/things for which you're grateful!

Feeling bloated? No problem, just drink more water - it'll be gone in a day or two.

2. Back to Reality:
It's time to get back to a sensible, healthy, balanced eating plan. Develop a realistic nutritional plan to offset the "damage".

If you're trying to shed some unwanted weight, aim for a daily reduction of 500 calories through a combination of decreased calories and increased activity. (200 diet/300activity or 300diet/200activity)

3. Consistent Cardio:
The quickest way to reduce body SIZE.
Do intervals and cross-training:
30 minutes / 4-5 times per week

4. Regular Resistance:
The only way to change your SHAPE.
Perform total-body, upper/lower combo workouts and circuit training. 2-4 times per week: 30-60 minutes/max

What & When - Part II

support@wellness.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:59:57 Z

Wellness.com - What & When - Part II by Brian J. Johnston

OK, so now you "get it", in terms of basic food functions and proper timing, right?

Now, I'll adress one of the questions from the first post:

"I get the whole carb deal better now, but can I really digest a lot of protein while I'm sleeping? How about a steak about 2 hours before bed? I know it is not ideal, but is that better than eating pasta 2 hours before bed fat-wise?"

What I want everyone to understand here is that I mentioned eating some type of protein - IF - you were absolutely famished in the evening.

Now, I don't condone/endorse eating "a lot" of ANY type of food, because too much of even a "good thing" still has a component called calories. And, it's no secret what happens if the amount we consume is greater than the amount we burn.

In terms of what TYPE of protein works best in the evening, choose the leanest AND "lightest" option possible.

What I'd like to suggest is choosing a lighter option such as fish, chicken, turkey, or tofu.

Think about this: Have you or anyone you know ever suffered with "sour stomach" after eating a heavy meal - more specifically, after eating red meat for dinner?

Why? Imagine placing a steak and a piece of fish on your kitchen counter. Now, take your fist and begin to grind them both in a circular motion.

Which one of those do you think will turn to mush (digest) the quickest/easiest?

So, which one do you think your stomach and digestive system will thank you for by not keeping you up for the next several hours staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, and/or reaching for Pepto Bismol or TUMS???

Got it? Sweet Dreamzzzzzzzzz

WOW! My Humble Thanks...

support@wellness.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:24:47 Z

Wellness.com - WOW! My Humble Thanks... by Brian J. Johnston

First, let me say a huge "THANK YOU" for the response to my previous post. I'm very honored and grateful to those of you who take the time to read (and hopefully APPLY) the information I'm going to be sharing with you.

Working in the health/fitness industry for 18 years now, I realize by your responses that much of what I know and have learned through years of experience I take for granted. And, I assume other people know these things as well.

However, a quick glance at our society's health/fitness report card proves otherwise.

I'm also fully aware of the impact the media has in successfully keeping everyone guessing and buying - primarily because nobody has taken the initiative to cut through the ever-increasing mountain of sales and marketing crap to deliver REAL information!

Well, consider this my official acceptance speech, as someone who solemnly swears to deliver the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - as I've learned and lived it.

Again, THANKS for your trust and feedback.

Stay Tuned for: What & When - Part II

To Eat or Not to Eat? What & When is the Answer!

support@wellness.com — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:32:12 Z

Wellness.com - To Eat or Not to Eat? What & When is the Answer! by Brian J. Johnston

With sooo much information available today on what to eat (or not ), when to eat it (or not ), it's become increasingly difficult for many people to make a simple decision about personal meal planning.

For simplicity, let's discuss basic food functions:
Carbs = Energy
Protein = Growth & Repair

Simple carbs (fruit and candy) and complex carbs (vegetables and whole grains) are both broken down in the digestive system into single-sugar molecules.

Simple carbohydrates consist of one to two linked sugar molecules, and are very easily converted to sugar (energy) by the body.

Complex carbohydrates consist of three or more linked sugar molecules, and therefore require more time/effort by the body to convert these foods into energy.

Protein sources include chicken, turkey, fish, meat, eggs, tofu, etc. Choose the leanest, drug-free (hormones, antibiotics, steroids, etc) sources whenever possible. These foods contain essential amino acids, the "building blocks" of lean tissue (muscle).

Now that you know the basic function of foods, let's look at time frames.

What are you doing over the next 2-3 hours?

If you're getting ready to take a nap or go to bed, how much energy does that require?

Answer: Very little to none, right?

OK, so do not consume a bunch of energy-producing food (ie: carbs), because any unused energy is stored for later use in the form of fat!

Conversely, when does the body repair itself the most? When it's at rest, right?

So, if you're absolutely famished at resting or bedtime, then choosing a hard-boiled egg, or turkey roll-up, or protein shake would be a better option. That way you assist the body by providing the amino acids necessary for the repair and growth process. Got it?

I hope and trust this "Food 101" discussion has been helpful.

Stay tuned for more fitness and nutrition educational nuggets, as I strive to provide easy to understand, immediately-applicable information to help you achieve the level of health and wellness you desire.