The Winner of the Name My Bootcamp Contest is…

Marianna Lvovskaja, with Progressive Groves Bootcamp. Congratulations Marianna, you have one four free boot camp sessions!

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Bootcamp date and time

I'm thinking of holding my Bootcamp on Saturday September the 11th at 11am. It will be a one hour session. I'll be holding it at Linus Park on Seneca Hill Drive. The main intersection is Don Mills and Finch. Please email me for more details!

P.S., my "Name My Bootcamp" contest closes on the 18th of September, so you all still have a chance to enter and win!!!

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Name my Bootcamp, win 4 free sessions

Here's a little contest for everyone in the GTA. As most of you may already know, I am re-naming my boot camp (Gregory Groves' Bootcamp just doesn't cut it!). So here's the deal: I need a new name for my bootcamp, and I want you to name it! All you have to do is comment on this post, or email your entries to me through my facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=180563548298 Remember to join my group first.

You can enter as many entries as you want, and the winner will get 4 free sessions.

GOOD LUCK!!!

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BOOTCAMP

I will be running a bootcamp sometime this summer, and would like some ideas on where/when to hold it. I've narrowed it down to somewhere in central Toronto (Bayview/Leslie maybe), and on a Saturday. The first one will be free. If you have any ideas on specific places and times, please let me know ASAP.

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The Risks of Over-training

Over-training is a serious issue amongst bodybuilders and weight lifters. Too much training can destroy your weight gain process.  Unfortunately this issue is becoming more commonplace amongst a lot of people in the gym.

I read an article lately that summed it up: “Almost anyone that’s picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.”

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains. This doesn’t mean that you’re not at the same risk! The general rule of thumb is resistance training for ONE HOUR OR LESS, or you run the risk of MUSCLE LOSS! Training too much, or at too high of an intensity level will lead to over-training.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put a lot of effort in to see results. Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that’s a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse: a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between intensity and workout volume, with rest and recovery. .

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

• Higher resting heart rate
• Weak appetite
• High blood pressure
• Weight loss (especially in muscle)
• Trouble sleeping
• Increased metabolic rate
• Irritability
• Early onset of fatigue

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you’re probably  in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been show to:

• Decrease testosterone levels
• Decrease thyroxine levels
• Increase cortisol levels

The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

Perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is its negative impact on the immune system, which is your bodies’ first defense against harmful bacteria and viruses.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system.

• Micro tears in the muscle
• Chronically depleted glycogen levels
• Slow, weak muscle contractions
• Depleted creatine phosphate stores
• Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
• Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
• Tendon and connective tissue damage

Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.

Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why:

• In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!

• Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.

• It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.

Determining if you’re currently over-training is simple. If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:

• Do not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
• Never let yourself get hungry. If you’re trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.
• Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.
• Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!
• Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.
• Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
• Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.

Rest & Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

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Smoking kills! (this may very well be the number one most important Fitness and Health Blog I ever write!)

Smokers will die from their habit! I can't stress this point enough! Approximately 5.4 million (that's right, I said MILLION!) deaths a year are caused by tobacco and diseases caused by smoking, which means approximately ONE IN TWO smokers will die from their habit! Half of these deaths will occur when they're middle aged! The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels. This can cause heart attacks and stroke. Smoking slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs amputated. Smoking causes disease and is a slow and painful way to die. The strain of smoking effects on the body often causes years of suffering. Emphysema and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are illnesses that slowly rot your lungs. People with emphysema and COPD are prone to get bronchitis again and again, and suffer heart and lung failure! Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in the tobacco smoke. Changing to low-tar cigarettes doesn't help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in their lungs longer, forcing the tar deeper into their lungs. Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue (which includes muscles) of oxygen, making your whole body; especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and less air will get into your lungs. If you are a smoker and do not quit by the time you're in your early thirties, you greatly shorten your life span by up to TWENTY YEARS!

"Ok, but I only smoke marijuana. Marijuana is completely natural, so it's harmless. Not as bad as a cigarette anyways." Some of you were thinking just that, weren't you? Well, guess what, YOU'RE WRONG! The ADA (Alcohol and Drug Abuse) published an article recently which states that scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs because users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact with lung tissues for extended periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the way they work. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in tobacco smoke that cause emphysema and cancer! In other words: Smoking marijuana puts you at the same risk for lung diseases as cigarettes do! In addition, many marijuana users also smoke cigarettes, and the combined effects of smoking these two substances creates an increased health risk. Marijuana use also increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent!  This puts you at a high risk of heart disease. It can cause chest pain in people who have a poor blood supply to the heart, and it produces these effects more rapidly than tobacco smoke does.

Please also keep in mind that second hand smoke puts your non-smoking loved ones at the same risks. Second hand smoke is a major cause of children's illness, yet approximately 85% of adults who smoke and live with a child do not ensure that the child is not exposed to the smoke or effects from their cigarettes. Smoking in a different room, even outside of your home, does not protect your child from second hand smoke. Is that cigarette really worth your child's health?

I apologize for such a long "blog", but this topic is a very important and sensitive one to me.

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Avoid those fatty foods!

Try to avoid the "obvious" such as hot dogs, hamburgers, fried foods, and other fatty meats like sausage, ribs, bacon, ham, pork (you get the idea!) When consuming dairy products like cheese (cottage cheese, goat cheese, etc), try a low fat version. Limit how much sauces, butter, nuts, sandwich meats, margarine and mayonnaise you're consuming. If you just have to resort to them, why not try a fat free version? Most grocery stores sell the fat free versions these days. Remember: 3500 calories consumed equals one pound of fat gained! The other extreme is if you do don't consume enough calories, your metabolism will go haywire! Don't kill your metabolism by eating like a rabbit! You'll experience short term weight loss, sure, but almost definitely gain some, if not all of it back. The trick is to find that balance.

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Do something active everyday!

Whether it be a simple walk around the block, to working in the garden, walking the dog, playing with your children, or using the stairs at work instead of the elevator, keep yourself active. Did you know that anything that keeps your body parts moving and your heart pumping won't just keep your stress levels down, but help you burn more calories?  You don't have to spend hours at the gym every day to keep up a healthy lifestyle!

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