1 Bodybuilderinfo: February 2011

Monday 28 February 2011

Tuesday 1 March 2011: CONDITIONING CIRCUITS

CONDITIONING CIRCUITS

Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.

Advanced:
  • 30 seconds - Walking Lunges
  • A set of Burpees
  • Bear Crawl back to start
    (Or 30 sec. crawl)

Intermediate - Basic:

  • 20-30 seconds - Walking Lunges
  • A set of Squat Thrusts
  • Bear Crawl back to start
    (Or 20-30 sec. crawl)

Sunday 27 February 2011

Monday 28 February 2011: SPARTAN RUN #2

SPARTAN RUN #2

30/30 = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest

Advanced:
  • Run 5 minutes
  • Repeat twice:
    30/30 Pull-ups
    30/30 Sit-ups
    30/30 Burpees
    30/30 Squats
    30/30 Bear Crawls (substitute Crab Crawls on second circuit)
  • Run 5 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Run-walk 5 minutes
  • Repeat twice:
    30/30 Partial, Assisted or Jumping Pull-ups
    30/30 Sit-ups or Crunches
    30/30 Squat Thrusts
    30/30 Squats
    30/30 Bear Crawl (substitute Crab Crawls on second circuit)
  • Run-walk 5 minutes

Basic:

  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
  • Repeat twice:
    30/30 Body Rows
    30/30 Crunches
    30/30 Jumping Jacks
    30/30 Half-Squats
    30/30 Bear Crawl (substitute Crab Crawls on second circuit)
  • Powerwalk 5 minutes

Saturday 26 February 2011

Thursday 24 February 2011

Friday 25 February 2011: 30/90 CALS + CONDITIONING

30/90 PUSH-UPS / PULL-UPS + CARDIO


Perform five of the following circuits in twenty minutes.
  • 30 seconds - A set of Push-ups
  • 90 seconds - Cardio
  • 30 seconds - A set of Pull-ups
  • 90 seconds - Cardio

The sets of push-ups and pull-ups do not have to last the entire thirty seconds allotted for them. Simply perform a set based on your current ability, allowing adequate time to transition back to the cardio movement of your choice.

Cardio Suggestions:

  • Jump Rope or Jumping Jacks or Squats
  • Burpees or Squat Thrusts
  • Running or Powerwalking
  • Dumbbell/Kettlebell/Sand-jug Swings
  • Heavy Bag Punching or Shadowboxing

Substitutions for Intermediate and Basic:

  • Push-ups - Knee Push-ups
  • Pull-ups - Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups or BodyRows

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Thursday 24 February 2011: SPRINT 8

SPRINT 8

Today's workout is based on a sprint protocol designed by Phil Campbell, author of Ready, Set GO! Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults.

The sprints are progressive. The first sprint begins at a jog and climaxes at 50% of maximum effort; the second sprint goes from 40% at the beginning to 60% at the climax; the third sprint goes from 50-70%; the fourth sprint from 60-80%; the fifth sprint from 70-90%; the sixth sprint reaches 95% of maximum effort; the seventh and eighth sprints are run at 95-100% effort.

If you are not accustomed to the type of sprint training we do around here, do not max out on the final three sprints - climax between 80-90% of maximum effort.

Advanced:

  • Run 5 minutes
  • Repeat eight times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 1 minute
  • Run 5 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Run-walk 5 minutes
  • Repeat six-eight times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 60-85 seconds
  • Run-walk 5 minutes

Basic:

  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
  • Repeat four-six times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 85-120 seconds
  • Powerwalk 5 minutes

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Wednesday 23 February 2011: PU DROP SETS

PUSH-UP DROP SETS


Today we'll be applying a popular weightlifting technique to a bodyweight exercise. The concept is simple: perform a set of hard push-ups, then immediately perform a set of an easier push-up variation, then immediately perform a third set of an even easier version. This workout is tough; do not underestimate it. Keep the reps low, especially early in the session, to avoid burnout.

Complete as many drop sets as possible in twenty minutes.

Advanced:
  • Feet Elevated PU
  • Regular PU
  • Knee PU

Intermediate:

  • Regular PU
  • Knee PU
  • Countertop PU

Basic:

  • Knee PU
  • Countertop PU
  • Countertop PU (move feet closer to the countertop)

Post results to Comments.

Monday 21 February 2011

Tuesday 22 February 2011: J-SQ + BW-SQ #2

JUMP SQUATS + BODYWEIGHT SQUATS #2

Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.

Advanced - Intermediate:

  • A set of Squat Jumps
    (e.g. Box Jumps, Hurdle Jumps, Star Jumps, Half-Squat Jumps, etc.)
  • A set of Bodyweight Squats
    (e.g. Deep Knee Bends, Half Squats, Hindu Squats, Sumo Squats, Pistols, etc.)

If you are unaccustomed to plyometric training, perform the Basic WOD.

Basic:

  • A set of Half Squats
  • A set of Lunges
  • A set of Calf Raises
  • A set of Jumping Jacks

Post results to Comments.

Sunday 20 February 2011

Monday 21 February 2011: SPARTAN RUN #3

Get ready. This one is tough.

SPARTAN RUN #3

Complete the following circuit in twenty minutes.

  • Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Pull-ups in 30 seconds
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Sit-ups in 30 seconds
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Push-ups in 30 seconds
  • Run 2 minutes
  • Max Pull-ups in 30 seconds
  • Max Sit-ups in 30 seconds
  • Max Push-ups in 30 seconds
  • Run 2 minutes

Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute as necessary:

  • Partial/Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows for Pull-ups
  • Crunches for Sit-ups
  • Knee Push-ups for Push-ups
  • Powerwalking for Running
  • 30/30 or 15/15 Calisthenic Intervals for 1 minute or 30 second assigned Intervals
    (E.g. 30/30 Bodyrows instead of 1 minute Pull-ups; 15/15 Knee PU instead of 30 seconds Push-ups)

There are no assigned rest intervals in this WOD except as modified above. Your body will learn to recover "on the run" (literally). Pace yourself as necessary.

Post results to Comments.

Friday 18 February 2011

Saturday 19 February 2011: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Friday 18 February 2011: MAX SETS PULLS

MAX SETS: PULL-UPS

Complete five max sets of pull-ups at five minute intervals. Perform sets at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes.

These are max sets but not to muscle failure. Perform the maximum number of repetitions possible while maintaining good form, but stop short of actual muscle failure (you may go to failure on the last set if you prefer).

Advanced: Pull-ups and/or Chin-ups

Intermediate: Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows

Basic: Body Rows

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Thursday 17 February 2011: SPRIN PYRAMID

SPRINT PYRAMID

Today's workout may look complicated, but it really isn't. Run sprints of 10, 15, 20, 30, 20, 15, and 10 seconds with 1 minutes recovery in between (90 seconds on each side of the 30 second sprint).

  • 5 minutes - Run or Run-walk
  • 10 seconds – Sprint
  • 1 minute – Recovery
  • 15 seconds – Sprint
  • 1 minute – Recovery
  • 20 seconds – Sprint
  • 90 seconds – Recovery
  • 30 seconds – Sprint
  • 90 seconds – Recovery
  • 20 seconds – Sprint
  • 1 minute – Recovery
  • 15 seconds – Sprint
  • 1 minute – Recovery
  • 10 seconds – Sprint
  • 1 minute – Recovery
  • 5 minutes - Run or Run-walk

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Wednesday 16 February 2011: PULL/PU O2M

PULL-UPS / PUSH-UPS EVERY SECOND MINUTE
 
Alternate sets of pull-ups and push-ups, performing one set at the beginning of every second minute. These sets should be close to muscle failure, stopping one or two reps short.

You will perform five sets of each exercise. Do a set of pull-ups on the 20th, 16th, 12th, 8th, and 4th minutes. Perform a set of push-ups on the 18th, 14th, 10th, 6th, and 2nd minutes.

Options

  • Advanced Trainees:
    Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Rope Pull-ups, etc.Push-ups, Feet Elevated Push-ups, Dips, etc.
  • Intermediate and Basic Trainees:
    Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups or BodyRowsPush-ups, Knee Push-ups, Countertop Push-ups
Post results to Comments.

Monday 14 February 2011

Tuesday 15 February 2011: ANIMAL CONDITIONING

ANIMAL CONDITIONING

Today's workout mimics various animal movements to facilitate cardio-strength conditioning.

30/30's - 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat
15/45's - 15 seconds work, 45 seconds rest, repeat

Advanced:

  • 5 x 30/30 Tiger Prowl (3x forward, 2x backward)
    (Bend forward to walk on your hands and feet as in a Bear Crawl. Bend your arms to ninety degrees and lower your body so that it hovers 3-6 inches above the ground. Walk in this position keeping your body low.)
  • 5 x 30/30 Crab Crawl (3x forward, 2x backward)
    (Sit on the ground with your feet on the ground, knees bent, and your palms on the ground resting slightly behind your hips. Lift your pelvis so that your bodyweight is supported on your hands and feet. Walk on your hands and feet with your stomach pointed toward the sky.)
  • 5 x 30/30 Kangaroo Jumps
    (Perform a Half-Squat. From the crounched position, swing your arms and leap forward with both feet. Continue for reps.)
  • 5 x 15/45 Sprints
    (Okay, so this isn't exactly an animal movement. Pretend like you're sprinting for your life away from the Tigers, Bears, Crabs, and Kangaroos you have been imitating.)

Intermediate and Basic:

  • 5 x 30/30 Bear Crawl (3x forward, 2x backward)
    (Bend forward and walk on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 x 30/30 Crab Crawl (3x forward, 2x backward)
    (Sit on the ground with your feet on the ground, knees bent, and your palms on the ground resting slightly behind your hips. Lift your pelvis so that your bodyweight is supported on your hands and feet. Walk on your hands and feet with your stomach pointed toward the sky.)
  • 5 x 30/30 Kangaroo Jumps
    (Perform a Half-Squat. From the crounched position, swing your arms and leap forward with both feet. Continue for reps.)
  • 5 x 15/45 Sprints
    (Okay, so this isn't exactly an animal movement. Pretend like you're sprinting for your life away from the Tigers, Bears, Crabs, and Kangaroos you have been imitating.)

Post results to Comments.

Sunday 13 February 2011

Monday 14 February 2011: HT-SM PULL/PU

HIGH TENSION, SLOW-MO:
PUSH-UPS & PULL-UPS

Today's workout uses high tension techniques and slow reps to increase the difficulty of two of our favorite bodyweight exercises: the push-up and the pull-up. High tension involves a conscious, greater than necessary contraction of the muscles involved in each exercise. Imagine that you are pressing or pulling a tremendous weight as you perform each exercise. Slow motion will also be utilized on each rep to enhance the difficulty. Slow motion reps help increase the strength building value of the exercise while protecting the joints from injury.

Do not hold your breath during these exercises. If you find the reps too difficult to complete: Reduce the amount of tension you are generating, and/or Move to an easier version of the exercise.

The sets and reps listed below are suggestions. The idea is to perform five sets of each exercise with each set lasting approximately 0.5-1 minute and with 1-1.5 minutes of rest between sets. You may find it necessary to decrease the number of reps, increase the speed of the reps, or decrease the amount of tension being generated. Feel free to adjust the sets/reps as necessary.

  • Perform one set of HT-SM Pushups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th minutes)
  • Perform one set of HT-SM Pull-ups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th minutes)

Advanced:

  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pushups
    (5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)
  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pull-ups
    (5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)

Intermediate:

  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Knee Pushups
    (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)
  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Lying Body Rows
    (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)

Basic:

  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Countertop Pushups
    (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)
  • 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Standing Body Rows
    (3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
    (Rest at least one minute between sets)

Post results to Comments.

Friday 11 February 2011

Saturday 12 February 2011: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.
 

Thursday 10 February 2011

Friday 11 February 2011: 3 POWER CALS

Physical Culture Classics

THREE POWERFUL CALISTHENICS

Repeat the following circuit for twenty minutes.

Advanced - Intermediate:

  • Dive Bomber or Hindu Push-ups
  • Reverse or Hindu Squats
  • Atlas Push-ups
    Atlas Push-ups: Place your hands in the seats of two chairs. With your body held straight, dip yourself between the chairs. This exercise is similar to a countertop push-up, but it stretches and utilizes more of the chest muscles.

Basic:

  • Yoga Push-ups
    Yoga Push-ups: Transition between Upward Facing Dog and Downward Facing Dog continously while keeping your arms straight (but not locked).
  • Countertop or Atlas Push-ups

Post results to Comments.

Today's exercises can be found in many manuals on physical training. The above arrangement, however, was adapted from Pushing Yourself to Power by John E. Peterson. PYTP is a comprehensive collection of Dynamic Visualized Resistance and Dynamic Self Resistance exercises and includes many Isometric and Power Calisthenic exercises.

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Thursday 10 February 2011: 30/90 SPRINTS

30/90 SPRINTS

Advanced:

  • Run 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 30 seconds
    Recover 90 seconds
  • Run 5 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Run-walk 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 20-30 seconds
    Recover 90-100 seconds
  • Run-walk 5 minutes

Basic:

  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 15-20 seconds
    Recover 100-105 seconds
  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Wednesday 9 February 2011: DIPS + CHINS

DIPS + CHIN-UPS SUPERSETS

Perform sets of Dips and Chin-ups back to back for twenty minutes. Rest between supersets as necessary (e.g. set of dips, set of chins, rest, repeat).

Options for performing dips include parallel bars, positioning the hands on the backs of two chairs, or using the corner of a countertop.

Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute chair dips, push-ups, or knee push-ups as necessary.

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 8 February 2011: B-CIRCUITS

Today's workout was developed by Bryce Lane.


B-CIRCUITS


Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.


If you are not accustomed to plyometric training or are obese, perform the Basic WOD.

Advanced:
  • 12 Short Range Squat Jumps
    (Half-Squat Jumps: Squat until your elbows touch your knees and thighs are parallel to ground and then jump for height or distance)
  • 12 Full Range Squat Jumps
    (Deep Squat Jumps: Squat deep until your hands touch the ground and then jump for height or distance)
  • 20 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
    (Squat while maintaining conscious tension of the leg mucles)
Intermediate:
  • 6 Short Range Squat Jumps
  • 6 Full Range Squat Jumps
  • 10 High Tension Bodyweight Squats

Basic:

  • 5 Half-Squat Jumps
  • 10 Lunges (Each leg)
  • 10 Calf Raise and Flex

Are you tempted to cheat on the jump as your legs become tired? Try Traveling B-Circuits by jumping for distance instead of height. Try to cover the same total distance on each circuit as the workout progresses to ensure that you are pushing yourself adequately.

Post results to Comments.

Sunday 6 February 2011

Monday 7 February 2011: PFT

PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST


Advanced:
  • Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run 12 minutes for distance

Intermediate:

  • Max Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups or Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run-walk 12 minutes for distance

Basic:

  • Max Body Rows in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Knee Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Powerwalk 12 minutes for distance

Post results to Comments.

Friday 4 February 2011

Saturday 5 February 2011: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Friday 4 February 2011: JR + PU/SU

JUMP ROPE + PUSH-UPS/SIT-UPS


Jump/Skip rope in 30/30 intervals for twenty minutes performing quick sets of calisthenics during the rest intervals.

This is a challenging workout, but it is effective and very satisfying to complete. During the thirty seconds between sets of rope skipping you will complete a brief set of an additional exercise. Alternate sets of push-ups and sit-ups so that you perform ten sets of each during the twenty minutes.

You do not have long to perform each set. You also will need extra time to transition from skipping to pushing or crunching and back again. Plan to keep the sets small (e.g. 5-20 reps) and allow ~5 seconds for the first transition and 5-10 seconds for the transition back to the rope.

Start with sets of push-ups and sit-ups smaller than you think you can handle. This is a conditioning drill, not a strength workout.

This does not have to be done at an all-out sprint. Find a rhythm and work from one exercise to the other.

Advanced
Complete ten sets of:
  • 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
  • A set of Push-ups
  • 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
  • A set of Sit-ups

Intermediate - Basic
Complete ten sets of:

  • 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
  • A set of Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
  • 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
  • A set of Crunches

30/30 Interval = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Thursday 3 February 2011: SPEEDPLAY

SPEEDPLAY (Fartlek)

Perform intermittent sprints of varying lengths and intensities during brisk walking and easy running (or jogging) for twenty minutes.

Today's workout involves random combinations of fast walking, easy running, and sprinting. After several minutes (~5 minutes) of powerwalking and/or easy running, begin performing intermittent sprints. Vary the length and intensity of each sprint (E.g. Sprint for twenty seconds, jog for 90 seconds, sprint hard for ten seconds, walk/jog for two minutes, etc.).

If you are unable to recover sufficiently by jogging, reduce your pace to a walk. Go slower at first than you think is necessary. It is easy to overdo it on this workout. Vary your pace every one to three minutes throughout the twenty minutes training session.

Ideas to incorporate in your workout:

  • High intensity sprints of 8-15 seconds
  • Medium intensity sprints of 15-30 seconds
  • High/medium intensity running for 1-3 minutes
  • Sets of Jumping Jacks, Burpees, Mountain Climbers, or Jump Squats
  • Sets of Squats, Lunges, or Pushups
  • Bear Crawling or Crab Crawling

Post results to Comments.

What's In the Box?


"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!  Stupid!  You're so stupid!" says the game show host of Weird Al's classic cult film UHF.  And that couldn't be more right about what's in most processed foods--nothing nutritious at least. 

The Zone Diet taught me to look at Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate content for anything with a label, but it was through the Paleo Diet that I first started looking below those numbers to the sea of ingredients. And boy were my eyes opened!

Now, I cannot buy any product without looking at its label.  And by the recent media storm on fast food, convenience food, and organic food, it looks like I am completely justified.  In case you missed it, here are some jewels: 
  • Does Taco Bell's beef meet the minimum requirements set by the USDA to be labeled as "beef"? 
Attorney Dee Miles said the meat mixture contained just 35 percent beef, with the remaining 65 percent containing water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.
Read more at Fox News

Their company statement doesn't really do a great job at convincing me all is honky-dory:
Our recipe for seasoned beef includes ingredients you'd find in your home or in the supermarket aisle today:
  • 88% USDA-inspected quality beef
  • 3-5% water for moisture
  • 3-5% spices (including salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, sugar, garlic powder, cocoa powder and a proprietary blend of Mexican spices and natural flavors).
  • 3-5% oats, starch, sugar, yeast, citric acid, and other ingredients that contribute to the quality of our product.
Do YOU have to use grain-derived additives and sugar to enhance the quality of the taco beef you serve at home? 
  • Has your beef been treated with ammonia?
With the U.S.D.A.’s stamp of approval, the company’s processed beef has become a mainstay in America’s hamburgers. McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food giants use it as a component in ground beef, as do grocery chains. The federal school lunch program used an estimated 5.5 million pounds of the processed beef last year alone.
But government and industry records obtained by The New York Times show that in testing for the school lunch program, E. coli and salmonella pathogens have been found dozens of times in Beef Products meat, challenging claims by the company and the U.S.D.A. about the effectiveness of the treatment.
And:
Federal officials agreed to the company’s request that the ammonia be classified as a “processing agent” and not an ingredient that would be listed on labels.
Read more at The New York Times.

  • Is a Happy Meal a Crime?
WASHINGTON—A mother of two from Sacramento, Calif., says that McDonald’s uses toys as bait to induce her kids to clamor to go to McDonald’s and to develop a preference for nutritionally poor Happy Meals. With the help of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, today the mom, Monet Parham, is filing a class action lawsuit aimed at stopping McDonald’s use of toys to market directly to young children.
And:
“Go after kids,” is how Roy Bergold, who headed McDonald’s advertising for 29 years as chief creative officer, described the company’s strategy in an article in QSR magazine. “Ray Kroc said that if you had $1 to spend on marketing, spend it on kids. Why? Because they can’t get to your restaurant by themselves and they eat a lot.” Bergold also acknowledged in a separate QSR column that “companies have found that kids are a lot more tempted by the toys than the food.” McDonald’s “gets into the parents’ wallets via the kids’ minds,” according to an online presentation by Martin Lindstrom, who advises McDonald’s on branding and “neuromarketing.”
Read more on this class action lawsuit at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

  • Has your town outlawed marketing that uses toys to lure children toward unhealthy food choices?  San Francisco has!
Under the law, McDonald's and other restaurants will have until December 2011 to improve their meals' nutrition by adding fruits and vegetables -- if the chains want to keep offering toys, including those promoting the latest films.
Read more at CNN.
  • When is a blueberry not a blueberry?  
Apparently when it's advertised in Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix, Kellogg's Blueberry Muffin Frosted Mini-Wheats, General Mills' Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal, and Target's blueberry muffins. According to a video report from the Consumer Wellness Center, the pictures and names of these products don't tell us the truth about their ingredients. Even when there might be a trace of real fruit, there are sugar, dyes, and soybean oil (sometimes as partially hydrogenated--i.e. transfat) as its bosom buddies. Check out this label for the "blueberries" (i.e. "blueberry flavored crunchlets") it includes:


And the icing on the cake:
  • Can you trust your food isn't genetically modified?
Genetically modified alfalfa was created to be resistant to the herbicide Roundup.  As such, it's fields could be saturated with the herbicide without destroying the crop.  What perhaps sounds useful at first glance, is a bit more complicated.  According to the Organic Consumers Association, this genetically modified or genetically engineered crop is
  • chemical and energy intensive to farm (i.e. it is NOT sustainable where we grow it in bulk and takes a vast quantity of fossil fuels to produce it)
  • a perennial crop whose seeds disperse by wind, making it impossible to contain its genetic pool and not run the risk of contaminating organic alfalfa and crossing with other grasses to create superweeds
  • feed for animals, including dairy cows, which makes question the quality of dairy products in the US even more than I already did 
  • harmful to life. If it isn't enough that it harms other plants and animals, it also harms us.  Roundup is toxic to farm workers too and those whose homes are rooted downwind of the sprayed fields.  
So, this crop is pretty scary, right? Scarier still is the fact that it was just deregulated by the Agriculture Secretary--meaning it has the green light, which opens the floodgates for genetically engineered superplants to become commonplace.  And unfortunately our loudest, strongest voice against this onslaught turned tail and gave in.  Big Organic including Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm would rather "coexist" with Big Agro instead of fight them anymore.  Here's one news article from Bloomberg BusinessWeek on the decision.

Concerned?  Do something about it and contact President Obama.  Read more at The Cornucopia Institute.

YOUR NEXT STEP


What can you do to protect yourself from eating non-foods you might be deceived into thinking are actually foods?  Here's what:
  • READ LABELS!
  • If you can't pronounce an ingredient and it has no "otherwise known as" modifier to something you actually recognize, DITCH IT!
  • Find foods with FEW ingredients!  If even a label at all!
  • Shop the PERIMETER of your supermarket for the freshest and least ingredient-laden foods.  Notice there aren't any ingredient labels on your fruits and vegetables and there shouldn't be anything except meat and fish on meat and fish labels.  
  • Buy ORGANIC whenever possible. You don't want or need the chemical load of non-organic food.  Heck, even organic might be in question soon.  Worried about the expense?  Worry more about the health risks you are taking by saving a buck.
  • Shop LOCAL. Shop at your farmer's market to find local, seasonal produce.  Support local ranchers raising their animals on pasture.  You can find great sources for these at Eat Wild.
  • Buy LOCAL FARM eggs whenever possible and free-range, cage-free, pasture-raised, certified humane, organic, omega-enriched when store-bought. 
  • Buy WILD-CAUGHT, SUSTAINABLE fish.  Use the the Seafood Watch guide to guide your choices.
  • Buy GRASS-FED, pastured, and organic meat and dairy products.  What's healthiest and happiest for the animals is for you too. 
  • Make eating clean your LIFESTYLE and don't beat yourself up over minor faults and slip-ups. If you do want to cheat and splurge and not care what you are eating for a meal or vacation, do it!  You'll probably reap the rewards of feeling crappy for putting in low octane fuel, but your brain might have needed it.  Next time you leave the plantation, you can go forth with knowledge of what makes you feel the "least bad."  For me, I know that is a sugar cheat or the lesser grains of corn and rice because wheat just makes me sleepy, puffy, and irritable in the belly and mind.  Living most of your life on the plan gives you the positive feedback of healthiness, happiness, and improved performance-ness :)
For a laugh, check out this flowchart from Summer Tomato to decipher whether your food is Real Food. 

Food can be a tremendously stressful situation for us at every single meal.  But it doesn't HAVE to be!  Choose REAL FOOD choices as much as possible to do your body and the world some good.  Starting to be more mindful of what you are eating and what your food is made of starts you on the road to taking control of your diet.  Try to nourish yourself, not harm.

Find me and many other paleo bloggers on our weekly Paleo Rodeo hosted by Modern Paleo!

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Wednesday 2 February 2011: 5BX

FIVE BASIC EXERCISES

This circuit can be performed virtually anywhere. It requires very little room to complete. When time crunched, try performing a single circuit (10 minutes) for a quick physical and mental boost.

Complete two of the following circuits in twenty minutes.

  • 2 minutes - Sun Salutations
  • 1 minute - Squats
  • 1 minute - Push-ups
  • 1 minute - Sit-ups or Leg Raises
  • 5 minutes - Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Run in Place

Modifications for Intermediate and Basic trainees

  • Perform Half-Squats instead of Squats
  • Perform Knee Push-ups instead of Push-ups
  • Perform Crunches instead of Sit-ups
  • Perform Cardio Exercise 30/30 style (30 sec. work, 30 sec. rest)

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