"Fitness Boasters" Reported to be Disrupting the Use of Social Media

A fitness website from the United Kingdom put together a survey to find out what drives social media users crazy -- crazy enough to even go as far as to quit Facebook or Twitter. 

Sweatband.com put together survey responses from more than 1,700 social media users to find out the most annoying social media behaviors. Coming in at number 1 are the infamous "fitness boasters", or people who constantly post their workout successes or about how healthy they are eating. 

Although it may be a self-esteem booster and motivator to be able to post workout success, this survey finds that continued boasting may cause your friends to use social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter less or quit completely. 52% of users reported using social media less, and 38% of users reported that they have stopped using social media all together to escape the seemingly endless posts of their connection's fitness endeavors. 

To find out what else is irking social media users, click here. 

Resolutions

Check out this funny little video I put together about my fitness goals for 2013. I've got my work cut out for me!

Women >40: Backside or Beauty, Choose One!

A story in the Times of London claims that every woman eventually has to choose between maintaining a youthful face or a great body. Fashion editor Lisa Armstrong quotes actress Catherine Deneuve: "A 30-year-old woman must choose between her bottom and her face." Basically, the "theory" assumes that as a woman gets older, she can either maintain her face or her body, but not both.

Why Real Athletes Don't Do Crossfit.....

I came across this review of Crossfit written by Nate Hemphill, a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of California-Davis.

I have not experienced CrossFit first-hand and plan on giving it a try next week; Nate's review has me a little concerned though. Will keep you posted.

Long Runs VS Sprints

I'm sure you've heard of interval training, but what makes running harder at shorter lengths better than running for miles? The New York Times ASK WELL sections explains it here. 

Mediterranean Diet Officially Proven to Decrease Risk of Heart Disease

Could there be a more perfect ending to American Heart Month 2013?

Research coming from Spain released on February 25, 2013 is one of the first studies in history to provide gold-standard evidence of the effectiveness of a dietary change on heart disease.

5 Absurd (UnHealthy) Tax Deductions

Get your W-2s, 1099s and 1040s ready. April 15th is right around the corner!

Unfortuntely Health Club Memberships are not tax-deductible (in most cases); however, Congress has found plenty of ways to reward those that engage in unhealthy activitives.

Here are the Top 5 Absurd (UnHealthy) Tax Deductions

Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation!

Arthur Boorman, a disabled war veteran was disabled for 15 years until he discovered yoga.

When the American paratrooper returned home injured from the Gulf War, doctors told him he'd never walk unassisted again. For 15 years, Boorman believed them, and his weight ballooned to 297 lbs.
But, at 47 years old, Arthur discovered yoga in a newspaper article about DDP yoga, created by former wrestler Dimond Dallas Page. DDP is a hybrid workout that incorporates some traditional yoga movements and adds dynamic resistance, active breathing techniques and power movements.
Check out this incredible YouTube video. The non-impact yoga workout helped Boorman shed 140 lbs in 10 months, to walk, and to eventually run, unassisted.

The Hangover Workout

Did you have a little too much fun last night?

Perhaps you should have skipped that fifth shot of Patron, as well as the two slices of pizza you ate before passing out on your living room floor.

Your body is most likely dehydrated (which is why you probably look ripped, even though you feel like crap) so refuel with lots of H2O and electrolytes, like Gatorade or electrolyte packets in your water.

Then you'll be ready for Amanda Russell's Hangover Workout (Video), a great 15-20 minute circuit, designed specifically for the "Morning After."

There are six exercises in this workout and you are going to do 20 reps of each exercise and repeat the cycle a total of five times!

1.Burpees (20 reps)

2.Jumping Jacks (20 reps)

3.Skaters (20 reps)

4.High Knees (20 reps)

5.Plank Ups (20 reps)

6.Standing Cat-Cows (20 reps)

Stacked!

(Left to Right) Lisa Firooznia, Kerry Elsasser, Sebastian Sosnowski, George Weisgerber

I tried "Stacked", one of Equinox's newest classes, for the first time yesterday. All I can say is, getting beat down to a pulp never felt so good.

Stacked consists of six, targeted compound-movements, using sandbells, executed for 30 seconds each. We started out doing one exercise then "stacked" on an another exercise after each round. The first set seemed easy enough; however, eventually we worked our way up to a 3:00 minute super-set which included all six excercises. By then all of us were red-faced and dripping with sweat.

My friend, Kerry, a group fitness instructor herself, was laying on the floor completely fatigued at the end of class.

Our instructor, Caitlin McGowan, did a great job offering modifications based on each of our fitness levels. Caitlin also has a special talent for "tricking" her students. Just when you think the class is over, she adds another "stack."

Getting less than 5-6 hours of sleep a night can lead to weight gain

Looking for another reason to motivate yourself to try and get more sleep? 

The New York Times released an article today about a study from sleep researchers at the University of Colorado. These researchers have made a connection between the total amount of sleep (or lack of sleep) per night and involuntarily packing on pounds. Although it was shown through another study that individuals getting less than 5 hours of sleep a night burn 111 more calories on average, those sleeping less were found to be consuming more calories (especially from carbohydrates). 

Think you can will yourself to stay away from those calories and reap the benefits of an increased metabolism? Previous studies have shown that sleeping around 4.5 hours a night  can actually metabolically age fat cells, making them less sensitive to hormones in the body. 

This study may not be the sole key to weight loss, but it is definitely an achievable goal that those looking for weight loss advice can pay attention to and set for themselves.

A Zagat Guide for "Fit" Foodies

Equinox and Zagat have created the first-ever health-conscious Zagat Dining Out Guide, featuring Q (Equinox's Propietary Blog) editor-approved restaurants across the country that upholds the Equinox Nutrition Philosophy as well as Equinox's standard of good taste

Top 99 Fitness Movies

Need a little inspiration to get back to the gym. Check out Rotten Tomatoes, "Top 99 Sports & Fitness Movies"

Great list; however, I'm a little perplexed as to why "Dodge Ball" didn't make the cut haha.

1 Racing Dreams (2009)

2 Murderball (2005)

3 Hoop Dreams (1994)

4 Surfwise (2007)

5 When We Were Kings (1996)

6 The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

7 Undefeated (2011)

8 The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999)

9 Pumping Iron (1976)

"Too Many Cooks will Spoil the Stew"

As a Registered Dietitian and nutrition professional, I come across a lot of individuals who think that their opinions about nutrition are the "be all end all". Because they have read a book about a fad diet or read an article on the internet, they feel that they are a nutrition expert and a credible source of nutrition information. 

David Katz, M.D. and Director of the Yale Preventative Research Center, sums it up perfectly in his Huffington Post article- "When it comes to building airplanes or suspension bridges, we want to hear from the right kinds of highly-trained engineers, not some character who happened to ride in a plane once, or drive across a bridge. When it comes to flying those planes, we want things in the hands of trained pilots -- not some guy with a lot of frequent-flyer miles and strong convictions."

Should society begin disregarding the information coming from non-experts and begin treating nutrition like any other medical profession where people are only interested in speaking with credentialed experts? 

Katz ends his article by saying: 

"We have created a seething stew of opinion about everything to do with nutrition... that leaves us with far too many cooks, many lacking credentials to be in the kitchen in the first place."

Read more >> 

Two Bodies Are Better Than One

Nothing says "I Love You" like a serious DUET training session.

Check out this great article in Q today about LA-based Equinox Group Fitness Manger Angela Leigh and her boyfriend Shaun Jenkins, an Equinox Tier 3+ trainer in New York City. They live nearly 3,000 miles apart, so when they can get together for a workout, things get pretty heated.

Valentines Day is only a few days away. Check out their customized workouts for TWO.

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Girls Can't Do Pullups

I've always wondered why, even the most fit, girls can't do pull-ups. Here's a funny little video that resulted from a debate I had on the subject.

Exercise's Effect on Appetite Regulating Hormones

 Research has previously proven that exercise can cause an increase in an appetite-stimulating hormone. Research is beginning to aim towards finding the connections between specific types of activity and the appetite regulating hormones they effect to optimize weight loss routines.

Myths About Women and Heart Disease

I had the pleasure of meeting with Roxana Mehran, M.D., FSCAI yesterday, and she shared an alarming fact with me, "Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States."

Nearly twice as many women in the US die of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases as from all other forms of cancer combined, including breast cancer.

Since 1984 more women have died of heart disease each year than men.

There's a lack of awareness of what ideal cardiovascular health really is," says Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association. While 35% of people surveyed say they're in good health, when quizzed about seven major health factors — diet, activity level, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar and smoking status — only about half of 1% hit all the targets for good health, he says. "People think they're healthier than they are," he says, making it less likely that they'll take steps to reduce their heart risks.

February is Heart Health Month. Visit the CDC to learn what both men and women can do to prevent heart disease.

How many pull-ups is a female Marine required to do?

The answer, starting next January: a minimum of three, the same number required of male Marines.

If anyone thought the military’s decision to allow women into combat units would lead to exceptions for women when it came to fitness and physical strength they were mistaken...

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Rev Up Your Workout with Interval Training

For an excercise program to be successful it needs to be efficent and sustainable. According to a study in the Journal of Physiology, 20 minutes of interval training (30 second bursts followed by 4 minutes of recovery) produced the same physiological adaptations in the body and improvements in performance as 90 minutes of continuous cardio at a moderate pace.

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Digifit

I had a great session this morning with Equinox Personal Trainer, Tashin Choudhury. He uses  Digifit to record his clients' workouts. We trained for less than 30-minutes and I burned 310 calories! The session consisted of several high-intensity interval-training (HIIT) circiuts.

I've always loved the expression, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." Digifit allows you to measure and manage your workouts using various metrics (heart rate, speed, cadence, distance, pace, power).

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Remembering Fitness Forefather, Jack LaLanne

Long before Dr. Oz, the P-90X, Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons, Billy Blanks, and 8-minute Abs, Jack LaLanne was a national celebrity, preaching regular exercise and proper diet. He invented the forerunners of modern exercise machines like leg-extension and pulley devices. He marketed a Power Juicer to blend raw vegetables and fruits and a Glamour Stretcher cord, and he sold exercise videos and fitness books. He invited women to join his health clubs and told the elderly and the disabled that they could exercise despite their limitations.

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Cycle for Survival

More than half of people diagnosed with cancer have a rare form of the disease. Cycle for Survival is the indoor team cycling event that raises funds for rare cancer research.

100% of the funds go directly to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and are allocated within six months of each event. The donations help fund the most promising research and clinical trials, and have led to better treatments for cancer patients worldwide. If you want to actively fight cancer, you should join the battle with us.

Register Today!

Stairway to Hell...

Stair Races such as February’s Empire State Building 86-story Run-Up are increasing in popularity and enough to make an Ironman whimper and cough.

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From the Caveman Diet to the Caveman Workout....

Old school: Paleo-fitness is the latest workout trend that is based on the 13 basic skills a caveman would use to survive including sprinting, carrying and climbing.

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83 Healthy Recipe Substitutions

Whenever I order breakfast at my local diner the waiter rolls his eyes as I ask to substitute "egg whites for whole eggs, sliced tomato instead of home fries, dry whole wheat as opposed to white buttered toast and turkey bacon instead of pork."

Here's 83 other healthy recipe substitutions courtesy of Greatist...

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Why Some Employers are Paying Employees to Lose Weight

The obesity epidemic adds billions of dollars in costs to the nation's health care system, and weighs down employee productivity. In an effort to save money in the long-run, lower the costs spent on healthcare for obese employees, and improve employee productivity, more and more companies are finding room in their budgets to give cash rewards to employees who can lose weight.

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Clubbing Together

Private clubs are shaping up! Check out this article about the new trend for private clubs to add gyms, pools, and sports facilities. Another way the social realm meets the fitness world.

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8 Ways to Get More Out of Your Weekend Workouts

Follow these simple rules to get the most out of your weekend and help achieve your fitness goals!


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Video: Tour de Force

Check out this video of NFL player-turned Equinox Trainer, Kyle Hunt.

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