What Is a Calorie?
By: Joe Sage, NASM-CPT, FNS, WLS, CES
How would you answer
someone If they were to ask
you, “What is a calorie?” Some
of the more common answers
are “that’s what makes you
fat” or “those aren’t good for
you”. So, what’s the correct
answer? A calorie is a unit of
measurement to calculate the
amount of energy given to our
bodies by the amount and type
of food we eat. Now, it is true
that if you continually give
your body more than it needs,
it can result in weight gain.
We get calories from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Carbohydrates and proteins both
provide 4 calories per gram,
alcohol provides 7 calories per
gram, and fat provides 9 calo-
ries per gram. So, if a food had
10 grams of carbohydrates, we
would multiply that by four to
give us 40 calories. The
amount of energy, or calories,
you need is going to vary
based on your profession, level
of activity, body composition,
gender, and lifestyle. The
higher your level of activity is,
the more calories you would
need to consume to give your
body the fuel it needs. Physical
activity is not the only way
your body uses energy. You
need energy to ensure your
body is able to perform everyday functions. Some of those
include breathing, heart rate,
brain function, and digestion of
food. Basically any bodily
In This Issue:
function that happens is fueled
by calories provided by food.
Making sure you have a balance between carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins is important
to make sure your body is getting what it needs to work optimally. Carbohydrates should
make up 45-65% of your daily
calories, protein 10-35%, and
fat 20-35%. So even if you
aren’t very active, you still
need to make sure you are supplying your body with the energy it needs to perform day to
day activities and bodily functions.
Relative Flexibility and Muscle Balance
By: Phil Gawlak, NASM-CPT, CES, GFS
Relative flexibility is the result of muscular imbalances;
without exception, for every
muscular contraction there is a
muscular relaxation or extension. When one of the pair of
muscles is stronger, shorter,
weaker or longer than its
counter muscle you get muscular imbalances.
There are proven methods for
creating balance within the
body’s muscular system, the
first step is to be evaluated by a
fitness professional who is
skilled in recognizing motion
and posture distortions, these
distortions are muscular imbalances that need to be corrected.
With the knowledge of what
distortions you have, you now
can begin targeting specific
muscles with
the appropriate
myo-fascial release techniques (foam rolling),
stretching and strengthening
exercises. The process of eliminating muscle imbalances takes
time, with patience and consistency the muscles return to a
normal state allowing for proper
range of motion. There are many
activities that actually promote
healthy muscle balance within
the body; Tai Chi and Yoga are
prime examples.
Muscle balance is defined as
the "relationship between both
the strength and the length of
muscles and groups of muscles
as they cross over joints".
This definition leads us to
the conclusion that it is
possible for muscles to
have any or a combination
of the following:
*Increased tightness leading to a
reduction in joint motion and
stiffness
*Decreased tightness leading to
a increase in joint motion and
instability
*Increased muscle strength leading to internal joint position
issues
*Decreased muscle strength
leading to poor joint control.
Continued on page 2
Page 1
“What Is a Calorie?”
“Relative Flexibility and Muscle
Balance”
Page 2
Nutrition Nugget
“Can You Eat Too Much Protein?
“Relative Flexibility and Muscle
Balance Cont.”
“Improving Your Fitness Age”
Page 3
“Meniscus Injury & Prevention”
Meet a Few of Our Experts
Ask Andrew
Page 4
“How Much Stretching is Enough?”
Did You Know?
“Staying Motivated”
To Request more issues of The
Training Elements, please call
(314) 487-1456 or subscribe to
our digital version at:
www.AchieveWellness-STL.com
Relative Flexibility and
Muscle Balance ...continued
Myth: A high protein diet will increase muscle mass and promote
greater fat loss.
Fact: While it is true that an increase in exercise will create more of a
demand for protein in the diet, the body relies on the correct amount of
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to maintain and repair itself. Resistance
training will increase the amount of repair material (proteins) the body
needs. Therefore, an individual performing resistance training will need
more protein than a sedentary individual.
Can You Eat Too Much Protein?
By: Sean Cristea, NASM-CPT, FNS, CES, PES
Myth: As far as weight is concerned, you cannot eat too much protein. Anything
beyond what your body needs will get excreted in urine
Muscle imbalances are also seen between the larger outer muscles that control major movement of a
joint and the smaller internal muscles that are more
responsible for deep stability and control. Joints in
the body have a complex inter-relationship between
these internal and external muscles that can lead to
problems if these relationships become unbalanced.
It is vital that all health enthusiasts appreciate that
fitness is not all about training the larger muscles and
having a great set of "pecs and delts" – as effective
training is about balancing your body with a variety
of exercises and movements that focus equal attention to the smaller muscles tasked with maintaining
stable joint posture as is placed on the larger and
more obvious muscle groups.
Remember - if you are at all concerned about muscle imbalance issues see your Physiotherapist or Corrective Exercise Specialist BEFORE symptoms of
pain and injury appear.
Logic: Because the body has little capacity to store proteins, it makes sense that
anything consumed beyond what the body immediately needs will be excreted
in the urine (similar to water – soluble vitamins)
The Science: It is true that the body has limited ability to store protein. It is
also true that a portion of the protein does get excreted in the urine
(the nitrogen group that shows up in urine as urea). However, the
other portion of the protein (the carbon group) is readily
converted to glucose or fat, depending on the body’s
current needs. Ultimately, protein consumed beyond what the body needs has the same fate as
excess carbohydrate or fat – conversion into
stored fat.
Improving Your Fitness Age
By: Sue Harrison, NASM-CPT
Exercise makes you feel younger. Okay,
okay, all you “exercisers” out there know that
this isn’t really a news flash. But recent studies have shown it’s actually true.
“Fitness age” is an idea that was developed
by the Norwegian University of Science and
Technology in its studies of thousands of Norwegians of all ages. Generally speaking, the
concept of “fitness age” is that people with
above-average cardiovascular fitness generally have longer life spans than people with
lower aerobic fitness, and vice-versa.
The Norwegian research was the basis for
the development of fitness calculators, which
Page 2
are easy to use and readily available online at
no cost.
This year the idea of fitness calculation was
put to the test on a special population of older
adults: 4,200 participants at the Senior Olympic Games. Dr. Pamela Peeke an assistant
professor of medicine at the University of
Maryland and Ulrik Wisloff, the scientist who
led the development of the fitness age calculator, got together to study the fitness age of the
Senior Olympians.
The results were impressive. “While the
athletes’ average chronological age was 68,
their average fitness age was 43.” Yes, you
read that right: the average Senior Olympian’s
fitness age was 25 years younger than his/her
chronological age!
The substantial difference in the chronological age vs. the fitness age of the Senior Olympic study should serve as inspiration for all as
to the substantial benefits of fitness at any
age!
Meniscus Injury & Prevention
By: Caleb Koster, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, SFS
A torn meniscus is one of the most
common knee injuries, with more
than 3 million reported cases annually
in the US. The Meniscus is a Cshaped disc of cartilage that cushions
the femur and tibia at the knee joint.
An injury can occur when there is a
tear in the cartilage due to incorrect
movement or improper weight distribution. When this injury happens the
cartilage cannot support the weight
between femur and tibia. An example
of this would be twisting or rotating
the knee while keeping your foot
planted. Elderly and those who play
sports are at an increased risk for injury. Symptoms
can include
pain or
swelling
around the knee joint,
a clicking noise, and/
or inability to bear
weight on the affected side.
There are training
and strengthening
techniques that can be
used to help prevent
and also heal a menis-
cus tear. Assessments can be performed to see if there is pain when
certain movements are performed
involving the knee joint. If a tear has
happened, you need to strengthen and
recondition the muscles around it in
order to prevent the injury from worsening and to help it heal. Stability,
core, and balance training would help
assist in preventing a tear from happening. When performing exercises,
keeping the feet straight and the knees
in line with the feet will help ensure
the knee is moving correctly. Focusing on good form and posture will
help maintain proper movement patterns which will decrease the risk of
injury.
MEET A FEW OF OUR EXPERTS
Sue Harrison, NASM-CPT
After 14 years as a prosecutor, followed by 15 years as a fulltime mom and volunteer, I decided to become a personal trainer
to help others enjoy the benefits and joys of healthy living.
Joe Sage, NASM-CPT, FNS, WLS, CES
I live to inspire and help people reach there wellness goals and
enjoy running, lifting weights, and taking on new challenges.
Living a healthy and active life has always been something I
believe anyone can do.
Caleb Koster, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, SFS
I began to assist others in achieving their fitness goals when I
joined the Army, in 2011. Having been overweight and injured
in the past, I understand what is necessary to lose fat and properly rehab injuries.
Andrew Mills,
NASM-CPT, FNS,
CES, PES, and Master Trainer
Q: I would like to workout, but I am so busy with
work and kids. What can I do to workout and lose
weight with no time to spare? -Tina K.
A: Great question, Tina! This is a complex issue that
plagues most Americans. Traditionally we have been
taught to manage time. Unfortunately, time is not
within our ability to control. I recommend we focus
on managing priorities instead. When we take the time
to list what we find most valuable—like career, family, and health for example—most of us will find ourselves spending valuable time on tasks that seem urgent, but are not relative to what is important. This is
one way to create extra time in your day.
Also, it is important to remember exercise is cumulative. This means you can elevate your heart through
physical activity here and there throughout your day
and it still counts!
Lastly, the most important aspect of weight management is a proper nutrition plan that supports your
current lifestyle, even if it is not currently an active
one. Designing a custom nutrition plan designed to
support your lifestyle can be a mind boggling journey
full of misinformation. I recommend seeking professional advise in developing a well balanced plan fit to
your needs.
If you have a question that you would like
answered in the next issue of The Training
Elements, e-mail your question to:
Andrew@AchieveWellness-STL.com
Page 3
How Much Stretching is Enough?
By: Kerry Steach, NASM-CPT, CES
Flexibility is defined as the ability to move
joints at their full range of motion, and is important for several reasons. Without enough
flexibility, daily routines become difficult and,
over time, the body begins to compensate
leading to improper joint mechanics. Maintaining a flexible body decreases physical pain
and prevents injury.
Research suggests that the risk of injury is
reduced when people follow a proper flexibility-training routine. Regular flexibility training can also help reduce stress in active muscles and relieve tension in overused areas.
Flexibility is also a form of active recovery
that improves mental states and helps soothe
unstable emotions.
If you find yourself experiencing any of the
following, it may be a good indication for the
need to begin implementing more flexibility
training into your fitness program.
Joint stiffness, poor posture muscle or joint
pain, chronic stress, back, shoulder and neck
pain
For guidance, I have adopted the concept of
FITT for flexibility training, as follows –
Time
The length of a stretch depends on both the
type of stretch and activity. In general, a flexibility routine should last a minimum of 5 minutes and should target the major muscles
groups. At a minimum, static stretches and
poses should be held for 30 seconds.
Frequency
Generally an 5-10min flexibility routine four
to seven days a week is recommended. It is
also ideal to conduct flexibility training pre
and post workouts.
Type
The best flexibility training programs incorporate multiple forms of stretching based on the
goals and needs of the person. The timing and
the types of stretches utilized should be based
on the findings of an evaluation, the goals of
the program and when the stretches will be
Intensity
Stretching should never be painful – stretches used. The four types of stretching used at
should be held to a point of slight tension.
Achieve Wellness to accompany selfProper breathing is highly important to optimyofascial release (foam rolling) are static
mize the stretch – practice a big deep inhale
stretching, neural-muscular stretching, activewith a 1 second pause followed by a slow long isolated stretching and dynamic stretching.
exhale with another 1 second pause between
breaths.
DID
YOU KNOW?
FACT: According to the CDC, 80% of American adults do not get the recommended daily amount of physical activity. It’s recommended
that adults get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intense aerobic activity each week, and also perform resistance training exercises.
Staying Motivated!
By: Sue Harrison, NASM-CPT
Do you have a desire to lose weight? Improve your figure? Keep heart disease, cancer
or diabetes at bay? Lower your blood pressure
or cholesterol? Protect your bones? Or are you
just trying to live to a healthy old age?
This might sound like an uninspired script
for an infomercial, but of course you know
these are all reasons people turn to exercise.
And while these are all great reasons to exercise, recent research has shown that if you’re
looking for the best motivation for exercising,
it’s none of the above!
It turns out your biggest motivator is: exercise makes you feel great! Yep, it’s as simple
as that: you should exercise because it feels
good—now. The health benefits that you will
eventually reap on top of that are just the icing
on the cake.
A recent study at the University of Wales
found that while many people begin to exercise
as way to lose weight and improve their appearance, these motivations did not keep them
exercising in the long term. For that reason, the
suggestion is that experts take a different approach when talking to the public about exercise. “The well-being and enjoyment benefits
of exercise should be emphasized,” the
researchers concluded.
Dr. Michelle Segar, a research investigator at the Institute for Research on Women
and Gender at the University of Michigan,
recommends that we need to change the
way exercise is marketed. “Physical activity is an elixir of life, but we’re not teaching people that. We’re telling them it’s a
pill to take or a punishment for bad numbers on the scale. Sustaining physical activity is a motivational and
emotional issue, not a
medical one.”
If you’re already an
“exerciser”, you know
this too well. If you’re
not already an
“exerciser”, maybe the
simple promise of feeling great—
South County Location:
immediately—is enough
4282 Telegraph Rd
to get you started—
immediately!
Saint Louis, MO 63129
(314) 487-1456
University City Location:
7700 Olive Blvd
University City, MO 63130
(314) 449-6465