An Easy Way to Gauge Cardio Intensity

It's late morning on a nice slow Saturday. You're at the gym doing your cardio and maybe watching some nostalgic Saturday morning cartoons. Suddenly, a thought smacks you in the face, nearly knocking you off the treadmill...

"Am I accomplishing anything by doing cardio?"

"Am I working hard enough?"

"How hard should I be working?"

Now that you've gathered yourself from nearly being knocked off your treadmill, let's go over a few ways to make sure you're working at a pace that will get you results!

Lactate Threshold

"Lactate what?!" Hang with me for a second. I'm about to drop some science! When we're training to improve how our bodies use different energy sources (fat and carbs), and/or training to improve performance for sports or general fitness and stamina, why we are really training is not only to increase how much work we can do (VO2 Max - another article), we are training to increase the threshold where our bodies turn from using a combination of fat and carbs for energy to mainly carbs. This point where our bodies switch to using carbs for energy is called our "lactate threshold." Basically, it's the point when you start breathing much faster and harder.

The lactate threshold is when our bodies switch from using aerobic metabolism (fat/carbs and oxygen) to anaerobic (mostly carbs and no oxygen). Anaerobic metabolism uses almost entirely carbs for energy. A byproduct of this is lactic acid. A by product of "getting rid" of lactic acid is CO2, hence faster and harder breathing.

Why does this matter? Well, training at or just below this threshold is intense enough to trigger the adaptations in the cells that give us more energy and stamina, make us better fat burning machines, and improve our cardiovascular health. As for sports, training at this threshold raises it. In other words, you can run faster and farther while relying less on anaerobic metabolism, producing less lactic acid and CO2, therefore not becoming out of breath.

As for those who want to lose weight, not only is your body able to do more work without tiring out (which is awesome in itself), your body relies more on fat for energy while exercising and less on carbs. Even though it ultimately comes down to calories in versus calories out, using more fat for energy may help improve our body composition (how much fat we have versus lean tissue). Also, because you are training at a higher intensity (NOT high intensity interval training), you end up burning more calories within your session.

How Do I Know If I'm Training at My Lactate Threshold?

Short of getting blood drawn during an exercise test, since we know that the lactate threshold is the point where our bodies start using mainly anaerobic metabolism and a by product is CO2 which increases how fast and hard we breathe, doesn't it make sense to exercise at an intensity that increases our breathing rate? This is known as the "ventilatory threshold"... the point when you start breathing faster and harder. Ventilatory threshold is an indicator of lactate threshold.

As you can see in the graph below, as exercise intensity increases, your rate of breathing increases. Now you may say, "well duh," but do you notice the point in the line where it sharply increases? That is your lactate threshold (red line) and respiratory threshold (blue line). You can see how the respiratory rate (how hard and fast you're breathing) can be used to indicate, roughly, your lactate threshold.

 

The Talk Test

A very simple way to see if you're training at the right intensity is to try to talk. If you're able to complete sentences without trouble, you're not near your lactate threshold. If you're able to speak in broken sentences like, "today... [deep breath] I was looking all over for my pitbull Fido... [deep breath] I found him hiding in under the porch... [deep breath] so he wouldn't have to go... [deep breath] to the vet."

The goal is to find the point just below where you would become out of breath within 4 minutes or so. Think tough but sustainable.

The Gist

The best way to gauge intensity accurately is by measuring your heart rate. Check out "What Should My Heart Rate be During Cardio?" for more info on heart rate training. But, when if you're just starting or you're out for a jog and don't have your heart rate monitor or you just want a break from measuring things, the talk test is a great tool to use!

Now back to Tom and Jerry!

God bless,

Chris 

Do Good Deeds Really Outweigh Sin?

"I'm religious and I do good deeds..."

I was watching a movie "God's Courtroom" in which an attorney goes through what God's courtroom will be like on the day of judgement. It got me thinking, many times I have heard that good deeds will outweigh our sins. As much as we may want to believe that, it isn't true. As much as I'd love to throw on a cap and fly under my own power, and I really would love to, it is not going to happen.

What Does God Say About It?

In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus says, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name and in Your Name drive out demons and in Your Name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers." It doesn't matter how religious we are or how much good we do if we don't admit our sin, accept Christ's pardon, and follow Him.

Isaiah 64:6 says, "...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." God is compassionate and full of love, however, He is also 100% just. He has a standard and all of our good deeds are like rags compared to His standard to enter Heaven. His standard is perfection. Any sin at all is all it takes to be convicted and no longer be able to enter Heaven. Even in our American court system, we don't tell the judge about all the good things we've done. Either we committed the crime or we didn't and we know that the wages of sin is death. Sin equals eternity in Hell regardless of how religious we may be.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24)

 

So What Do We Do?

Does this mean that good deeds are worthless? Not at all! James 2:15-17 says, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Jesus, God Himself, said in John 14:6, "... I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus came to die in our place and take our penalty for our sins. We have a pardon in Jesus Christ and the only way to Heaven is to except that pardon, admit that we are sinners and have fallen short of His standard, and follow His will. In Christ taking our place, the penalty is paid, God remains just, yet still He finds a way to show us His never ending love for us.

It doesn't matter how religious we are. In fact, Jesus was battling the religious pharisees while He was with us in flesh! We must admit that we have sinned and disobeyed God and, in doing so, we have fallen short of God's standard. We must accept Christ's pardon and follow His will.

 

    The only way to Heaven is through Christ.

Love God, love people.

-Chris 

"Mock" Mashed Potatoes! Yum!

Yum!

Low Calorie 

This recipe is based on something called "volumetrics." Basically, you use less energy dense foods in place of higher energy dense foods. In other words, you get the same amount of food for less calories! 


Here's the Recipe

You can either use this recipe Food Network, or simply swap some of your potatoes for the same volume of cauliflower in your favorite recipe.


Nutrition

The nutrition looks something like this for the recipe above:

Calories 137
Fat 12g
Sat 7g
Carbs 5g
Fiber 2g
Protein 5g
Vit C 90%

*With some potato in the recipe, you'll get more potassium and good complex carbs! You can also you olive oil instead of butter for healthier fats and top with plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream for less fat and a little protein boost!

Enjoy!

Love God, love people

-Chris
 

Healthy, High Protein, High Fiber Oat Pancake/Waffle Recipe

Yum!

With the cooler weather upon us, isn't it nice to enjoy a stack of warm pancakes or even some waffles? What if you could enjoy them entirely guilt free, support your muscles, and actually help control hunger?!

A good friend of mine posted a banana pancake recipe on Facebook and tagged me. We quickly got to chatting and exchanging recipes so I gave her the recipe below. A friend of her's commented that she actually used it to make waffles too! Apparently, it's a versatile recipe.

You'll need:

1/2 cup ground oats
1/2 cup greek yogurt or pureed cottage cheese (you won't taste the cheese when cooked)
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste (about 1 tsp)
water as needed

*Makes 1 serving

What to do:

1.) Wisk all wet ingredients together (greek yogurt or pureed cottage cheese, egg, vanilla extract)
2.) Gradually add in 1 cup ground oats
3.) Add in 1/2 tsp baking soda and mix well
4.) Add cinnamon to taste
5.) Mix well and add water as needed to get a thick, pourable mix
6.) Pour onto griddle or skillet over high heat. When you see bubbles around the outside, flip and cook until the other side is browned.

Feel free to adjust anything according to taste. I'm also told that keeping the batter thick and pouring it into a waffle iron makes great waffles!

Topping:

1.) My favorite topping is cooked down fresh or frozen berries! Delish!
2.) For Fall, try diced apples browned with a tiny bit of brown sugar or xylitol.
3.) You can even top with greek yogurt

Nutrition:

The recipe above makes 1 serving. As above, with Wegmans Vanilla Greek Yogurt and no toppings, the nutrition is as follows

Calories 320
Fat 8g
Carbs 40g
Fiber 5g
Sugar 11g
Protein 21g
Cholesterol 186g
Sodium 107g
Potassium 175g

One serving is great for those eating 4 times per day in the 1400-1600 calorie range.


Have a favorite healthy recipe? Send us a message on Facebook and it may be featured in an article! If you find FitChurch helpful, please share with your friends and help lead them to a healthier life.


Love God, love people.

-Chris

Does the Number of Reps I Do Really Matter?

 A few months ago I posted an article "How Many Reps Should I Do?"

If you want to understand why you would do 6 reps verse 20 reps, check out "How Many Reps Should I Do?"


A Story of French/Italian Cuisine

 One day Mary Jane and Watson (you caught that didn't you) decide to learn to cook. Mary Jane researches so she has the best technique and has all the right utensils. She knows how to roast a duck. She even has that fancy French cooking thing with the doohickey! Mary Jane practices all the right techniques when she feels like it.

Across town Watson only researches the essentials of cooking like don't leave food out for days and make stuff that should be browned brown. He knows how to use his crusted-over-so-much-that-you-can't-tell-what-color-it-is oven that came with his house and his one chef's knife from WalMart. But he practices hours every day. He pours his heart and soul into his food. He has guests over to try his new creations and he gets feedback. He tracks what is delicious and what should never have been drempt about.

Who do you think will be the better chef in a few years?

Answer: Watson gets so proficient with his culinary skills that he earns an internship at that fancy Italian/French hybrid restaurant, learns from the best of the best, opens his own restaurant and gets the fancy French cooking thing with the doohickey! And he makes a mean pb and j!


Reps vs. Effort

This is going to be short, bitter-sweet, and to the point.


The number of reps you do doesn't matter if you don't push to fatigue!


Done. Good bye. We could really stop there but let me explain to make this more concrete.

Simply put, doing 20 reps with 100 pounds and challenging the muscle is going to make you stronger than doing only 5 or 6 reps with 100 pounds when you are capable of 20 or more!

Just like Mary Jane and Watson, you can have all the right equipment and techniques but if you don't improve on the the basics and put in some effort, you get little, if any, results.

Scientifically, the mechanisms that actually make your muscles stronger, more toned, and shaped are only triggered when you push your muscles to fatigue. Ya know that moment when the weight starts feeling heavy and you just want to stop, that's when you see what you're made of and what you can do with God! Of course, never compromise good form - videos to come!

Unfortunately, we don't have a fitness savior who we can be justified and perfected through.

  

The Gist
 
The number of reps you do DOES matter and there are factors to take into consideration such as how long you've been training and what your goals are. However, all too often I see people get caught up in the relatively minor details and forget the big picture. There is cross-over between each rep range and you can improve muscle strength, tone, and shape in all ranges. Lastly, the number of reps doesn't matter as much as the level of effort and fatigue. So, here's what you do:

1. Push yourself
2. Track your progress and try to improve each workout (i.e. 1 more rep or 2.5 - 5 more pounds)
3. Ask for help from a qualified professional (we got into this industry to help you)

 

 

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)

Love God, love people.

-Chris
  

How Long Will It Take For Me To Get Fit?

That is a GREAT question and one that I get asked often!

With all the "6 week transformations" and "30 Day Challenges" out there, it's tough to know what to expect.

Is A Fast Transformation Possible?

In short, yes. It does depend on your definition of "transformation." If you mean lose 18 pounds in 6 weeks, then yes. Is it all from fat? Probably not. Is it realistic for you? That depends on how much time and effort you have to invest.

 

What Can I Actually Expect? (What's typical)

In my experience as a trainer and from what I hear consistently from more experienced trainers, here's what you can expect for "realz" :

Time	What to expect
First 3-4 weeks	Sore and maybe slightly tired. Sense of accomplishment
After 3 months	Noticeable change (10-30 pounds down), increased strength and stamina
After 6 months	Very noticeable change (25 pounds lost or more)
After 1 year	Transformation (30-100 pounds), substantial increase in strength and stamina
After many years	A new life!

As you can see, the first month is really just investing in your health. Investments take time to see the benefits.

Why Does it Take so Long?

 

The reason it takes time to see results is, your body is actually changing. Your cells are physically changing. Entire systems are being transformed as soon as you start exercising. We just don't see the results because it takes a few weeks for the thousands and thousands of processes that are changing to start taking effect.

You don't start to truly gain energy from aerobic training until your first month has come and gone because that's how long it takes to actually build new structures and change your chemistry so your body can actually start producing more energy. The AWESOME fact of the matter is though, that once you have made these changes, your body literally starts producing MORE ENERGY! You become a better fat burning machine so you can BURN FAT 24/7!

Strength also takes time. When we lift weight or do any resistance training (i.e. band tension, weights, bodyweight, swimming pool exercises), we are actually causing minor damage to our muscles and putting stress on them so they build back stronger, more toned, and more efficient so we can DO MORE and NOT FATIGUE!

The Gist

Regardless of what the rate of progress may seem, in your body it's like New York City on steroids! There's a lot of hustle and bustle, but at a microscopic level. It takes time to see results from what has been going on the moment you started exercising.

Your results and the speed at which you achieve those results is directly linked to the amount of effort you put in and WHERE you put that effort. If you're trying to drop some pounds, nutrition will give you the biggest bang for your buck!

Whatever road you decide to take and whatever speed you decide to take it, ENJOY THE RIDE! You what YOU can do and don't worry about what other people are doing or what is "in vogue." Most things in fitness are just dust in the wind. What we teach at FitChurch is real, solid, scientific, and Biblical. It works time and time again. So stay connected, learn, stay encouraged, and get fit spiritually, mentally, and physically.

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4 NIV)

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5 NIV) 

Love God, love people.

-Chris 

How Much Protein Should I Eat Daily?

Preface

*Warning* There may be some science and math in these articles. I don't apologize for that. I will do my best to make information palletable. You are intelligent and I will treat you as such. With that said, send me a message of Facebook and let me know if these articles make sense and provide value or if I helped you get to sleep.




For most people, just starting to eat whole foods like vegetables/fruits and whole grains, less junk, and eating until content will suffice for a start in nutrition. But for those of you who are numbers people, who want to go more in depth, or who just like to know, let's dig a little deeper!

First, what is protein? You may have heard it said that proteins are the building blocks for cells. The analogy I like to use is that the proteins are the lumber and materials used to build the house. Proteins are also used to make hormones and many other structures and substances in your body.

So How Much?

There are some things to consider when figuring out how much protein you need. Are you involved in a sport? Are you exercising regularly? Do you do mostly cardio or do you have some resistance training in there? How much? How heavy? Do you want to get buff? Do you want to get toned? Or do you just want to be healthy?

Since graphics are awesome and easy to organize, here's a table:

Who?	How Much Daily (grams per kilogram)?
Sedentary (walking to car, around office, etc.)	0.8
Aerobic Athlete (marathon runner, cyclist, etc.)	1.2 – 1.4
Strength Athlete (Strongman, bodybuilder, etc.)	1.4 – 1.8

As you can see, the more you do with muscles, the more protein you need. Anytime you are growing or recovering, more protein is needed to rebuild. Adolescents need about 0.9 grams per kilogram of body weight because they are growing. Anyone trying to build muscle would require more protein than sedentary or even an aerobic athlete.

"You can't build a house without materials. You can't build a muscle without protein."

Now, this doesn't mean someone trying to get tight and toned doesn't need protein. They may not want to build big muscles but they are still damaging the muscle during a workout which means they need protein to rebuild... they just don't need tons of calorie to gain lots of muscle.

Lemon Swai with Peppers! Yum!

Mary Fitness

Let's say Mary Fitness wants to tighten and tone. She weighs 154 pounds (70 kilograms).

Body weight in kilograms * 1.2 

Body weight in kilograms * 1.8

70kg * 1.2 = 84 grams

70kg * 1.8 = 126 grams

With this range, Mary would do well eating between 84 and 126 grams of protein per day.

How Much Per Meal?

Using the example above, let's say Mary eats 4 times per day.

84 grams per day / 4 meals = 21 grams per meal

126 grams per day / 4 meals = 31.5 grams per meal

If she eats 4 times per day, Mary would do well aiming for 20 - 30 grams of protein at each meal. Personally, I think his is a better way of thinking about protein intake since part of our goal is to maintain hunger (protein at regular intervals = happy tummy, a sane mind, and better decisions). Not only can protein help control hunger but since protein is NOT stored in the body like carbs and fat, we need a steady stream so our body has what it needs to do well.

The Gist

For most people who want to be healthy, fit, and toned, anywhere from 1.2 - 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight will be plenty. Personally, I like to be on the higher end. I have found with myself and clients that a little extra protein also helps control hunger.

For the average 155 pound person (about 70 kilos) here's a simple rule of thumb that's easy to remember:

30 every 3

Eat 30 grams of quality protein every 3 hours or so and you'll be covered.  

30 grams equals about 4 ounces of lean meat (1 palm worth or a deck of cards).

My favorite bread and tortillas!

Awesome Sources of Protein

Now we know how much protein, but where do we get it? To keep it simple, any lean meat like fish, poultry, and occasionally lean red meats (>90% lean) is a great source of protein. Also, the occasional protein bar or shake works well in a pinch. For a vegetarian option, any combination of legume and grain, such as beans and an Ezekiel tortilla or beans and brown rice, works well. There is also tempeh and other soy products.

I pray this helps you in your fitness ventures! Send me your fitness and Christianity related questions and I will do my best to answer them so we can honor God and witness to others by leading a healthy lifestyle!

Love God, love people!

-Chris

1 - Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle, eds. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.

2 -  McArdle, William D., and Frank I. Katch. Essentials of Exercise Physiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000. Print.