Fitness and Diet

Art of Fitness: The importance of working on the back

Dennis Mason, C.P.T - The BottomLine
August 31st, 2010

When you look at a professional athlete, whether a bodybuilder or not, one of the first body parts that grabs your attention is his or her back.

Good back development, as with leg development, tells a great deal about a person.

First of all, training the back is hard work! It takes a good amount of mental attitude, strength and focus to train the back properly.

TRU Health: The nutrition approach less traveled

David Zappasodi, SDGLN Heath & Wellness contributor
August 20th, 2010

In our society, it is easy to become attached to certain foods or diets, and to believe that they are always good for us. We are bombarded by advertisements that reinforce this mindset on a regular basis.

Almost all companies, whether health related or not, want to show why their product or service is the best one out there – all the time. If they don’t advertise in this way, it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because they’re regulated.

Art of Fitness: Pride in yourself

Dennis Mason, C.P.T - BottomLine
August 12th, 2010

Summer is a good time to shed some pounds of body fat and add some lean muscle mass to look your best.

After all, it’s the muscle that gives you the shapely physique you desire. If you’re not getting the results you want, are a "hard gainer," or an all natural lifter … here are six basic time proven ground rules to help you grow muscle.

Keep your workout sessions short and intense.

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Q Nutrition: Probiotics to the rescue

Linda Bergersen - BottomLine
July 21st, 2010

Consumers lately are getting a bit of a nutrition lesson on probiotics via the television ads promoting various yogurts.

Some never had a clue what a probiotic was until hearing about them on the commercials, and may still not truly understand what they are and what they do, but will certainly buy yogurt for its purported healthful side effects, not to mention because of how good they taste; they are like dessert these days, and even promoted as such on TV.

But their main advertised benefit is as a remedy for irregularity of the bowels.

Q Nutrition: Is calcium deficiency really the problem?

Linda Bergersen - BottomLine
July 9th, 2010

Drink your milk…take your calcium supplement…we don’t get enough… we need more…get your calcium anyway you can, but get it! Everywhere you look calcium is being recommended, glorified or added to something.

Calcium has been the hot supplement being pushed recently because, yes, Americans are deficient in calcium.

There is more calcium in the body than any other mineral, and we are constantly in need to replenish the store we have in our bones, teeth, etc. If the body doesn’t get it or not enough, calcium will be drawn out of the bone supply, creating weakened bones and osteoporosis.

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Art of Fitness: The objective is to put your body into a daily calorie deficit

Dennis Mason - BottomLine
July 8th, 2010

The top story in almost every newspaper these days revolves around the BP oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.

This is not the first time we have been face to face with a disaster of huge proportions. However, with a little luck, we may actually see some progressive changes beginning to appear.

Changes like those that come once we are reminded that our role as a citizen of this great country is, as Thomas Jefferson once pointed out, “eternal vigilance.”

We can no longer let only our elected officials; government bureaucrats and corporate big businesses "look out" for us.

Q Nutrition: Sugar and spice, and everything nice

Linda Bergersen Holistic Nutritionist M.S., HN - BottomLine
July 1st, 2010

Restaurants are out to please your palette, and gain our returning business by filling meals with flavors that tantalize our tastebuds.

For this reason, it is almost impossible to find a healthful meal while eating out. Sugar, salt and MSG (monosodium glutamate) will get our attention all the time, and chefs will certainly include these ingredients to make their creations memorable.

Art of Fitness: Work your genetics

Dennis Mason, C.P.T
June 25th, 2010

If you have been training for any length of time, you have noticed that certain muscles seem stronger or weaker than others. You may also have noticed that some muscles seem to respond very well to exercise, while others don’t. But, don’t get discouraged because the results are not visible right away.

Remember, that we are all different and your genetic make up is tuned just for you. Training for YOUR body type will give you the best results over time.

The three basic body types are as follows:

Ectomorph: Generally short upper body, long arms and legs, narrow shoulders and chest.

Art of Fitness: Exercise is a challenge, not a chore

Dennis Mason, C.P.T - BottomLine
June 21st, 2010

"You don’t get something for nothing." "If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well." "Nothing worth having ever comes easily."

These three phrases have been around for years. They apply to many facets of our lives, but none more pronounced than working on you own personal health and fitness.

Q Nutrition: How far can you go on a tank of gas?

Linda Bergersen - BottomLine
June 8th, 2010

You can trade in your car whenever you see fit, but you can’t trade in the most important and unique vehicle you own…your body. We travel on this planet in a highly complex mechanism that none of us can fully explain how it came to be, and we are forever trying to figure out what it takes to maintain it.

Traveling in it requires that we keep it fueled, keep it tuned, and keep good treads on the tires. It is so appropriate to relate how we take care of our body to how we take care of our automobiles as they both require sophisticated maintenance.