Rest-Based Training: Metabolic Effect

Do you have 5, 10 or 30 minutes to get in a great workout? Yes, of course you do!

Rest-based training is where it's at! I have been blessed to work with some of the best leaders in the fitness and health industry, and my dear friends, Drs. Jade & Keoni Teta are two of them. About 8 years ago Jade & Keoni introduced me to Metabolic Effect and the concept of rest-based training. From then on, my perspective and way of training has been effective and efficient in regards to time and progress. This past weekend I attended the IDEA Personal Training Institute in Alexandria, Virgina and had the chance to catch up with Jade. Check out Jade below for a quick introduction to Metabolic Effect and rest-based training.

            The Journal of the American College of Nutrition published a study comparing the same caloric expenditure but done at two different intensities: one group at 75% VO2 max vs. 50% Vo2 max.  The same amount of calories were burned, but they high intensity group was done in less time and had an elevated metabolic rate three hours after the workout. Regardless of your stance on EPOC, my take home point is a quality workout can be done in a short period of time (1).
             To get a feel for rest-based training jump in on a Metabolic Effect class near you.  Not sure if you have one near by? Get on the website and find out. No luck there? No worries! Grab a copy of The New Metabolic Effect Diet, an easy to read book for practical workouts.  Their book is founded on research assessing the body's hormonal response to food and exercise.  Studies have indicated that moderate intensity workouts, like swimming or continuous running,  can stimulate hunger hormones (2,3). My father, Dr. Ronald Vargo, a family physician in a rural town outside of Columbus, Ohio refers his patients to the book for advice on food and fitness. If I can get my dad to believe in something, it holds value ;)! He's a stickler for the valid and practical information!
            I am currently teaching Metabolic Effect classes at The George Washington University and the following has been amazing! From students to faculty, they are all maximizing their time and energy in this 30-minute high intensity workout. One of my most dedicated followers is world-renowned obesity and physical activity researcher and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Dr. Loretta DiPietro. “It [Metabolic Effect] compliments my style of training.  My type two (glycolytic) fibers are very responsive to it. I have never felt better in my life” Dr. DiPietro. 

             And for the nerd in me, this type of workout makes sense. Metabolic Effect and rest-based training is backed by exercise science, sports psychology, and endocrinology. For more information on the science of Metabolic Effect and the body’s hormonal response to this type of exercise, click here. In closing, check out the video of class. (Let me know if you can find me!)

 

Until next week, push until you can’t, rest until you can!

1. Helain, et. al. Postexercise energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in young women resulting from exercise bouts of different intensity. Jrnl Am Coll Nutr 1997;16(2)140-146
2. Karamouzis, et. al. The effects of marathon swimming on serum leptin and plasma neuropeptide Y levels. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2002;40(2):132-6.
3. Broom et. al, Influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin, and peptide YY in healthy males. 2009;296(1):R29-35.
 

Break Your Fast!

Let’s face it, most of us have hectic mornings, and the thought of taking a few minutes to make a healthy breakfast may seem daunting.  However, we know we should! A 2011 Study from Food Insight stated that 93% of Americans say breakfast is the most important meal of the day but less than 44% of us are eating breakfast!1 Sparing a few minutes in the morning for breakfast can save you more than a few pounds in the long run!  A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Nutrition found people who do not eat breakfast are likely to have larger waists, exercise less, have poor eating behaviors and elevated insulin levels.1
 Make it easy on yourself and give my favorite on-the-go breakfast a try!

Mighty Muffins:  

Ingredients:

6 Egg Whites

1/2 cup oat bran

Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon

Truvia

Pam

1/2 cup blueberries

Water

  Part 1: Egg White Muffins:  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray muffin tin with Pam
3. Pour 2 egg whites in a muffin tin.
4. Pour 2 other egg whites in a muffin tin
5.  Makes 2 egg white muffins

Part  2: Oat Bran Muffins:  
1. In a small mixing bowl, crack and separate 2 egg whites

2. Add in 1/4 cup oat bran
3. Mix in 1/2 cup blueberries
4. Mix in 2 tablespoons water
5. Add in a dash of cinnamon, vanilla extract, and Truvia to taste
6. Pour mixture into muffin tins

 Part 3: Baking & Eating:

1. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm (I usually jump in the shower while they are baking - yeah for multitasking!)

2. Let cool for a few minutes

3. Enjoy!

The final product :)!  Delicious - even better with coffee!

Don’t have time for the oven or access?  No problem.  Substitute a tupparware container for muffin pan.  Simply microwave your egg whites and oat bran muffin mixture for 3-5 minutes!  Better yet, make them the night before to save yourself a few minutes in the morning!

Want to boost your muffins a bit?  Throw in some nut butter for some healthy fat and more protein!

Enjoy your breakfast!

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 276
Fat: 4.41 g
Protein: 37.48 g
Carbs: 47.78 g

1. These and other interesting statistics were found at Mr. Breakfast!

Five Quick & Easy Ways: Get Fitness In Your Day!

Following up with last week's post, I thought I would elaborate more on how to make fitness happen throughout your day.  As a full-time student and working professional, I have become more aware that life is extremely busy, super urgent, and always chaos.  I mean life is so busy that we barely have time to exercise, eat, and if it wasn’t innate, to breath.  Clearly, life is too busy!  Or is it?  If you didn’t pick up on my sarcasm, I was kidding about all of that. Like many of my peers, I get caught up in autopilot freight train mindset.  So along with myself, I am asking you to SLOOOWWW down and make time for your self and your health today.

In between meetings, classes, taking care of the family, or getting to work, I challenge you to try out these 5 ways to add fitness into your day.  I’m sure we’ve all heard the “do some dips at your desk” or “stand up and perform squats.”  But I’ll be honest, even as a figure athlete and with my education; you probably won’t catch me doing dips on a regular basis behind my desk.  However, you will catch me doing the following…..

Dr. DiPietro doing her daily work :) Why sit for 8 hours?

• Working From a Stand-Up Desk:  Dr.Loretta DiPietro, PhD, the Department Chair of Exercise Science at The George Washington University and Director of the Master’s of Public Health Focus on Physical Activity and Obesity practices what she preaches.  Instead of condemning yourself to your desk for 8 or more hours a day, why not stand?   

•  Taking The Stairs: Living on the sixth floor of my city apartment building, the six flights up and down add up over the day.  The same rule goes for work and campus buildings; the elevator is not an option. So whether you are shopping at the mall, coming out of the metro, or at work, take the time to take the stairs!

•  Walking for Transportation (as much as possible): The added perk of city living has allowed me to ditch the car and use my legs.  However, growing up in the suburbs, this wasn’t practical. My advice is, if you live in a city, walk as much as you can.  And if you are in the ‘burbs or rural towns, park in spot far from your destination, that way you can get in some extra steps!

•  One-minute Workout: These are the best!  This past weekend I was watching the super bowl with Dr. DiPietro, and she was getting in her core workouts on commercial breaks! 60 second that’s it.  Now, you can catch me doing those squats I didn’t do in the office in my kitchen while making dinner.  Lunges, squats, planks, you get the picture.  Throw in a few one-minute workouts today.

• Multitasking Cardio and TV Time:  Not having cable this past year has made my life much more productive!  Time I would spend watching TV, is now used for writing, reading, and catching up on sleep.  However, when I get the urge to watch my addiction, The Real Housewives, I compromise by going to the gym and getting in a cardio session. Don’t worry you don’t have to watch The Real Housewives to make this work!  It can be the morning news, the evening shoes, or anything else – just remember the cardio part too!

My sister, Krissy, and I getting in our incline walking while catching up on life.
Getting  it done and having fun...always!

And there you have it, five quick and easy way to get fitness into your day!

We Have 1,440 Minutes...

If you are reading this you have it. You can waste it or use it. But once it is gone you can't get it back.  What is it?

One of the excuses I hear consistently from clients and loved ones is “I don’t have time.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether it’s not having time to eat breakfast, not having time workout, not having time to pack meals, or not having time to sleep, I have heard them all.  But the reality is we do have time, and what we choose to do with our time is our choice. There maybe the occasional crisis that comes up that challenges they way we use our time, but all in all, we have time.

The average American, as of 2007, spends over four hours a day watching TV!  That is just TV¹, not even counting the time spent surfing the Internet!

That is 240 minutes that can be used for exercise, meditating, preparing healthy meals, and spending time with loved ones.

The reality of it is, we chose what we do with our time deliberately based on our priorities and values. So what are your values? Priorities? Now, take a minute, and think about your time. What have you chosen to do today with it?  Have you used any of it for your health?  Whether it is 30 minutes for a workout, 30 minutes to prepare healthy meals, or 30 minutes restoring balance, time is your best friend when it comes to your health.   

Although my schedule gets a little crazy from day to day between clients, teaching classes, writing my thesis, going to class, and getting in office hours, I still choose to spend time everyday for myself and my health.  It isn't always easy, but for me, it's a value and priority I hold high.  I have learned that ultimately, I choose how to spend my time, and you have the same awesome ability!

There are 24 hours or 1,440 minutes today.  I am willing to say you can spare at least 30 out of 1,440 for your health.  What will you choose?

Let me know what you will do TODAY! ^{(By the way, that's the answer.)}

Nothing is worth more than this day.  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

¹Herr, Norman, PhD. The Sourcebook For TeachingScience. Television & Health.