7 Healthy Tips for Holiday Parties
By: Adam Horner CSCS, CPT
1. Workout right before hand. One of the best times to eat is right after an intense strength straining workout. Not only is your metabolism running high at this time, but it is important for post workout recovery. However, be careful because your increased metabolism could cause you to over-eat.
2. Don’t go to a party hungry. On the time crunch or don't feel like working out? Eat a low calorie, healthy snack about an hour before the party. Pick something low in calories that will still fill you up. Typical foods with high fiber content will make you feel fuller and tend to digest much slower
3. Bring a low-fat holiday dish to the party. If you are attending a party/Holiday at someone else’s home bring something healthy, not only to be nice, but to ensure there will at least one healthy choice there.
4. Make the healthy choices that are available the main part of your meal. Build everything else around that with moderation. Watch your portions. It’s not only what you eat, but how much you eat. Remember a 2000 calorie portion of non fat protein is still 2000 calories.
5. Be the DD. Not only will your friends and family love you for it, but you will be saving yourself from empty (no nutritional value) calories.
6. Give it away. If you are hosting, cook healthy; there are plenty of healthy recipes out there - make some! And be nice (to yourself) and send everyone home with the unhealthy leftovers/calories.
7. Keep it all in perspective. Have some fun; it’s what life is all about. Enjoy yourself, but just get right back on track the next day.
What's Up With Those Kettlebells?
By: Adam Horner CSCS, CPT
Where did these things come from?
It’s actually believed that they first originated in Russia hundreds of years ago and were used as counter weights in the market. They first appeared in the US in the early 1900’s in Coney Island, NY. Fitness enthusiasts have actually been using them for quite some time, and they have recently resurfaced into the “main-stream fitness world”.
Are they safe?
Yes, but just like anything, you need to know what you’re doing and use proper technique. Are they the best for everyone? No not necessarily. There are risks and benefits to everything in life.
What can you do with them?
You can do any of the lifts that you would normally do with dumbbells and barbells, plus many more. Kettle Bells are a great tool for developing strength and power, and they can teach you how to skillfully apply it. The most popular lifts are typical Olympic lifts, such as the snatch, but are done with a swinging motion.
So then what makes them so different from a regular dumbbell or barbell?
The most noticeable difference is their “U” shaped handle. This extends the weight out from your hand creating a longer force arm and makes it harder to lift. This also allows the bell to swing in the hand which constantly changes the force arm and creates rotational inertia.
So What?
How often in real life and in sports do you lift something that is symmetrical and lies evenly in the hand like a dumbbell does? It’s also typically extended out from the hand like a sledge hammer. Or better yet, compare it to a barbell where the load is placed evenly on both sides; when does that happen in real life? Kettlebells are oddly shaped just like objects in the real world.
What’s up with the swinging manor?
This swinging manor creates and uses momentum and your body has to accelerate and decelerate. Life is a stop and go sport. There is no point of being able to run for a tennis ball if you can’t stop to hit it.
Why is the snatch the most common kettlebell lift?
The snatch is a whole body movement. Whole body/multi joint is how your body is designed to move, not locked into a fixed isolated position such as the preacher curl. Your body is designed to work as a pulley system, which allows you to create more power (moving heavier weight fast). So you need to train your body and its nervous system to work together if having overall strength and power is your goal. You can have separate muscles that are big and strong, but if you don’t know how to put them together, you are not very powerful in real world situations.
In Closing
There are several advantages to training with Kettle Bells. But, keep in mind that Kettle Bell training is not the end-all-be-all. There are pluses and minuses of every type of training. I always encourage incorporating different aspects to cover your bases.
