Supplementation for Adolescents
Supplementation for Adolescents
As a personal trainer who works with teen athletes I often get questions from both teens and their parents about adding supplements to their diet to increase performance and strength. Parents are often apprehensive about including supplements in their teen’s regimen and this is understandable since some supplements should not be taken by adolescents. The best approach to supplementation in a teen athlete’s diet is making sure that both parents and their teenage child are educated on which supplements are beneficial and safe for adolescents to use as well as correct dosage amounts. I recommend the following supplements for adolescents who participate in rigorous sports starting at around ages 14 to 16.
Do You Eat Clean?
Do You Eat Clean?
The majority the personal training clients that come to see me want to lose weight and change their physique so one of the first things I have them do is write down their current eating habits for me. Most of my new clientele believe they have been following a healthy, clean diet and this is not surprising with the enormous amounts of options in the grocery stores and restaurants that market themselves as low calorie, low fat choices. But most of these selections are deceptive and often lead to weight gain. So what does it really mean to eat clean? Here are some simple rules to follow that will help you meet your weight loss goals.
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
Many of my personal training clients start working out with me with the intentions of losing weight to improve their physical health. But another benefit of engaging in a strength training and fitness program is the improvement of their mental well-being by increasing feelings of overall happiness.
IFBB Wings of Strength Competition 2014
Training Innovations would like to congratulate Jojo Ntiforo for his 2nd place finish at the IFBB Wings of Strength competition held July 4th & 5th in Chicago, IL. IFBB Pro veteran Roelly Winklaar was given 1st place, but it was the opinion of many in attendance that Jojo should have won the show. The great news is that with his 2nd place finish, Jojo is now qualified for Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia competition to be held in Las Vegas on September 19th and 20th. This will be the 50th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia competition and will be televised on NBC sports. Congratulations to Jojo on a spectacular 2014 competitive year! We will all be out in Vegas to support you and hopefully watch you take a top 10 placing in the Super Bowl of bodybuilding! Click HERE to see pictures!
2014 Team Universe Competition
Body Fortress recently flew me out to the 2014 Team Universe bodybuilding, fitness, figure, physique, and bikini competition held July 4th & 5th at the Teaneck Marriott in Teaneck, NJ. There were several highlights of the weekend including: My team mate Kyle Amick and I had the amazing opportunity to do a photo shoot at Bev Frances’s Powerhouse Gym in Syosset, NY(also known as the East Coast Mecca of Gyms), meeting several new friends and fans, and Training Innovations’s own Martha Tierney competed and placed 4th in the Masters 35 and over figure A class. A big congratulations to her for representing New Mexico and Training Innovations so well. Click HERE to see pictures!
Sodium – The Essential Mineral We All Avoid
Sodium – The Essential Mineral We All Avoid
Many of my personal training clients often wonder if they should reduce or eliminate sodium from their diet. Over the years sodium has gotten a bad reputation being linked to the risk of heart attack and stroke. As a result, several health organizations have urged people to reduce the amount of sodium consumed daily. But before a person drastically cuts or eliminates sodium from their diet it is important to understand the role sodium plays in the body for active people.
Casein: The Bedtime Protein
Casein: The Bedtime Protein
I highly recommend protein supplementation to my personal training clients in order to help develop their physiques. However, there are various types of protein supplements that work differently in the body and it can become very confusing as to what type of protein to take and when to take it. Most people are familiar with whey protein. It is a good choice as a protein supplementation before or after a weight training workout due to its quick and easy absorption rate which the muscles can immediately utilize for building and repairing muscle tissue. However, instead of whey protein, a casein protein supplement would be the optimal choice when consuming protein in the evening before bed.
Staying Young Through Weight Training
Staying Young Through Weight Training
The fountain of youth has been sought after since the beginning of time and as a result plastic surgery has become a multi-billion dollar industry. People spend ridiculous amounts of money on elective surgeries and procedures, and countless creams and cosmetics that all promise to restore youth and well-being. But the secret to the fountain of youth and a fit, strong body can be found in the gym, strength training.
Muscle Fiber: What Type Are You?
Muscle Fiber: What Type Are You?
Have you ever wondered why you see some people that look like they’ve been working out for a lifetime, when in fact they’ve never even lifted a weight? Genetics plays a big part in this and the type of muscle fiber you’re born with will often determine the type of sports you will excel in and even the type of physique you will eventually be able to build. Muscle is made up of bundles of fibers called slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fiber. Genetically, some people contain more of one type of fiber over the other. Slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fiber work in different ways.
Gluten Free Diets
Gluten Free Diets
One of the most common questions I get from my personal training clients lately is, “Should I eliminate gluten from my diet?” It has become the latest trend to go gluten free. At the grocery store entire sections market gluten free foods and restaurants offer gluten free dishes on their menus. More and more people are choosing to eliminate gluten from their diets in an effort to lose weight. But recognizing what gluten is and why a person would exclude it is important to understand before eliminating gluten from the diet.
