no-iron-fitness

Sugar Ray's Revelation

A while back Sugar Ray Leonard  (hall of fame boxer) revealed in his new autobiography The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring that in his early teens he had beed sexually abused by one of his coaches and then later by a fan.

I've always loved boxing and respected Sugar Ray Leonard's skills in the ring. Now I respect him as a man because of the fact that he came out about his abuse. By definition, being a fighter you put yourself through physical pain but for the most part that heals over time, but it's the mental anguish that sometimes takes longer to heal, if at all.

The damage you sustain from sexual abuse creeps into every relationship and pretty much every facet of your life. It's not a coincidence that many people who have been abused become addicts of one kind or another, and Sugar Ray was no exception with his addiction to alcohol.

He eventually got help and took responsibility for his  addictive behavior. I have  great respect those that overcome sexual abuse, and addiction. For a person like Sugar Ray Leonard to go through something like that and speak out about  it, might encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to do the same and get help.

 

George St.Pierre vs Jake Sheilds UFC129

George St.Pierre versus Jake Shields this Saturday at UFC129 is one of the rare sporting events that I'll plan my day around. I've even got the menu planned. Home-made ribs, chicken wings and my wife's home maid coleslaw. The reason I'm so excited about this event is because we get to see both St.Pierre and Jose Aldo on the same card defending their titles.

One of the most impressive things about St.Pierre is his open-mindedness when it comes to his conditioning. He's always willing to try something unexpected and actually seeks out new ways to condition his body. For example, he realized that gymnasts are, pound for pound, some of best and the strongest athletes you can find. So what does he do? He starts doing gymnastics to build more strength of course.

 

Jose Aldo is a little more traditional when compared to St.Pierre, at least when it comes to strength and conditioning. I don't think he's doing gymnastics and his way of fighting is a different in the sense that he's much more recognizably aggressive than St.Pierre is.

As for UFC129 I think George St.Pierre is probably going to have a tougher time at retaining his belt than Aldo is. I think Jake Sheilds' skill set in wrestling and his ground game could pose some problems. As for Aldo his opponent is primarily a striker and Aldo loves to stand, so look for some serious fireworks there.

 

 

 

Can Exercise Make You Smarter?

Can physical fitness make you smarter?  Research has shown that the proper kind exercise can stimulate your brain.  

What's the right kind of training?  A recent study published in The Journals of The American College of Sports Medicine took 21 students from the University of Illinois.  They then asked the students to memorize a string of letters and pick them out as the list flashed by them.

The 21 students were divided into 3 groups.  One group sat quietly, the other lifted weights and the last did the treadmill.  All three groups had 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes the letter flash test was performed again; the study was conducted for several days and the groups were rotated.

The results:  The group on the treadmill scored noticeably higher than the weightlifters and the sitters. The treadmill group continued to score higher even 30 minutes after the workout so it would appear that longer cardio-based training had a real effect on cognitive thinking.

Why did cardio training have so much more impact than weightlifting in terms of the brain activity?

Henriette van Praag from the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute of Aging believes that "growth factors must be carried from the periphery of the body into the brain to start a molecular cascade there and ÿou need a fairly dramatic change in blood flow", she said.

So there you have it--our stupidity can't be blamed completely on genetics and lack of education, in part in be blamed on your physical fitness so get out and exercise and maybe then you won't have to live in a van down by the river.    

Lactic Acid, My Friend

If you've spent any amount of time training, or reading literature on training, I'm sure you've heard about the evils of lactic acid, that it's responsible for muscle fatigue and soreness. Over the years lactic acid has been framed for many crimes it did not commit. We'll now try to clear lactic acid of all pending charges. 

Researchers from Denmark have uncovered evidence that shows that lactic acid may not only be helpful, but a crucial source of energy that may even help reduce fatigue. 

As you exercise your body produces something called pyruvic acid, which undergoes a process called the Krebs cycle in order to produce energy. The unused pyruvic acid that remains is converted into lactic acid. The more intense your training is the more pyruvic acid is produced, the more that is produced the more pyruvic acid goes unused, and the more that builds up, the more it increases the amount of lactic acid produced as well.

The general consensus was that this build up of lactic acid was a waste product that was responsible for muscle fatigue and soreness and could only be cleared through rest and recovery. This conclusion was reached when chemists in the 19^th century discovered that acid was produced when juice was fermented without sufficient oxygen. The same scientists also discovered some years later that when muscles were worked to failure they produced lactic acid as well. They then deduced that the acid must be responsible for making the muscles weak and tired.

Later research concerning lactic acid and its effects on muscle performance revealed a process called the ''lactic shuttle''; the research showed that lactic acid is able to move uninhibited through muscle cells, thus providing energy and producing glycogen.

During the lactate shuttle, lactate leaving muscle cells can provide energy a couple of different ways. The lactate can either be picked up by muscle cells that are close by, or can be transported through the bloodstream to other muscle cells or tissue. Cells that need lactate can convert the lactate back to pyruvic acid and will then enter the Krebs cycle to produce energy or be be converted into glucose or glycogen.

We can now use what we know about lactic acid to improve our training and fitness--we can enhance our bodies response to, and use of, lactic acid by training at an intensity that floods the body with lactate.

Choosing proper exercise routines that take lactate into consideration, or choosing a trainer that understands the importance of lactic acid, will increase your fitness level and help you to lose weight. 

Your Date With a Personal Trainer Shouldn't Be a Blind One

When hiring a personal trainer the quantity of degrees and plaques that he or she has on the wall isn't always a clear indication of the quality of service you're going to get. Of course you want someone who is qualified and knows what they are talking about, but at the same time you want to find a trainer that is passionate in their approach to fitness. I've heard horror stories of a well-educated trainer who would abandon clients to the treadmill for an hour while he answered phone calls or did paperwork.

The duty of a private trainer is to help you navigate through various exercise routines, help you achieve specific goals that you have set for yourself, and give you guidance with diet and nutrition. A trainer also has to be a great motivator, knowing when to push you and when to ease off.

If you're going to pay for a private training you need to have a good rapport with your trainer. Ask for a meet and great before you break a sweat for the first time--the last thing you want to do is spend good time and money only to realize you don't even like this person.

When a potential client contacts me I like to have them come to my training center and basically have a chat. Not only does this ensure that the potential client likes what I have to offer, but also ensures that I like them and can help them as well. It's a two way street; I don't want to waste their time and I don't have a lot of time to waste.

Make sure you feel comfortable with your potential trainer, make sure they're listening to what you want and need, make sure they ask about previous training experience and any health problems you may have. Be sure to inform them of any health problems you may have.

You should never be charged for the initial meet and greet.