Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVIV: Sugar & Starch Simplified

This weeks' tip tackles question #3 from the meal-time quiz - "Are you eating too many sugars and starches." In short - probably so. So how much is enough?



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVIII: Practical Protein

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVIII: Practical Protein

This weeks' tip deals with question #2 from your meal-time quiz - "Are you eating enough protein?" So, how much is enough?

For women, shoot for 3 fist-sized portions per day. For men, 3-5 fist-sized portions per day. As a general rule of thumb a drug-free strength training individual would need anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of their body weight in grams... of protein. So a 200 pound individual for example, would require anywhere from 100-150g in protein per day. In our experience any more than that doesn't add anything except excess fat gain.

Trained professionals use factors such as current weight & body-fat percentage, lifestyle, goals, and intensity and duration of exercise to determine a more precise amount on an individual basis.

Each first-sized portion correlates to approximately 3-6 oz. of food - equaling anywhere from 20-40g of protein per serving. Good choices include: chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, and other leaner game meats.

Protein supplements may be used as a last resort if you have difficulty obtaining enough protein through real food, or for situtations where you are rushed and don't have time to prepare a meal.

Many would have you believe that you need as much as 1-2g of protein per pound of bodyweight. It is our opinion that this is nothing more than marketing hype in order to convince the public to buy un-necessary and pricey protein supplements.



Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVII: Do You Eat Too Much?

If you'll recall, the first question from last weeks' meal time quiz was "Are you eating too much food?" Considering the staggering number of people worldwide now considered obese, diagnosed with diabetes, or in the midsts of yet another resolution - the answer is most likely yes. So, how to remedy this particular problem?



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVI: Meal-time Quiz

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume XXVI: Meal-time Quiz

As mentioned before, research shows relying solely on exercise for fat loss results in a measely 1/2-1 pound of fat lost PER MONTH! Therefore, making better nutritional choices is where the difference is made. Courtesy of Dr. John Berardi, here are 5 questions to ask yourself the next time you sit down:

1. Are you eating too much food?
2. Are you eating enough protein?
3. Are you eating too man sugars or starches?
4. Are you eating enough vegetables?
5. Are you eating enough healthy fats?

Stay tuned over the next few weeks to find out what the answers should be, some of them might surprise you.



Friday, January 4, 2013

Common Kettlebell Swing Errors


The kettlebell swing trains one of the 4 major human movement patterns everyone should be proficient in – the hip-hinge. A soundly performed swing is a prerequisite for learning and performing more advanced kettlebell exercises such as cleans and snatches. It is an extremely versatile exercise which can be programmed for unparalleled fat-loss, developing explosive power of the hips and glutes(butt) for enhanced athletic performance, or in the words of world renowned kettlebell pioneer and former Russian Special Forces instructor Pavel Tsatsouline - “cardio without the dishonor of aerobics”. Feel free to add running on a treadmills and using an elliptical to the previous statement. Here are a few common mistakes seen when performing the kettlebell swing:






Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Free-Tip Tuesday Archive (Vol. I-XXV)

I've archived the first 25 volumes of Free-Tip Tuesday from the Pittsburgh Kettlebells Facebook page found here for reference purposes. Enjoy.

Free-Tip Tuesday Volume I: Get Some Shut Eye(7/17/12)

Get at least 7 hours of 'good' sleep each night. NO, you don't function better on less sleep, it just hasn't caught up to you yet. Sleep deprivation is linked to increased appetite and fat storage, compromised immune system function, as well as increased risk of diabetes and heart disease - which both make the top 5 leading causes of death list. Stay tuned throughout the week for strategies to help make sure you are getting enough shut eye......