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.

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?

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.

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:

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......

Guide To Surviving The Holiday(Eating) Season

1.     Relax. Enjoy.

Most Fattening Thanksgiving Foods. Top 10 Worst Christmas Foods. Every year the same headlines, right?!? I say – Who cares?!?! Results from sound nutrition come from what you practice the MAJORITY of the time, not ALL of the time. The average person will eat approximately 1200 meals in a year (365 days x 3 meals/day). Of these 1200 meals, Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners will account for a grand total of TWO of them. 1200 or 2……which one do you think carries more weight? Worry about the choices you are making on those other 1198 meals and enjoy the time and food with your loved ones they way you are meant to – seems like an easier and more enjoyable way to go about life to me.

5 Common Kettlebell Training Mistakes

The secret is out – adding kettlebells to your exercise routine produces unparalleled results in terms of improving your strength, power, flexibility, and body composition. However, when things become popular the subtle nuances are often overlooked. Here are 5 common mistakes often seen when someone has not received instruction from a qualified RKC or HKC certified professional.