Popping a pill for a quick fix..think again!

Americans are always looking for the quick fix. They hear all these new products that can make you lose 10lbs by eating a cookie or add 35lbs of muscle with this pill. Well, here is a news flash; It is a bunch of bull.

Although, there may be products out there that will increase your metabolism or cut a few pounds off you, it is all short term. The issue is, when people look for the quick fix, they don't make anything a habit. A lot of people KNOW how to eat right, but just don't do it.

I am telling you, the best way to see the results you want is good diet. The only way your going to get that is building a habit of consistently eating healthy things. Anyone can eat healthy for 2 weeks, but only people with discipline can eat healthy for 2 months, 2 years, and eventually make it a life-time habit.

So, I am warning you know it is not easy. However, don't go for the quick fix. It is best to build a life-time habit of healthy eating. Don't count on a pill, powder, or cookie to change your body. The only thing this will cause is the famous yo-yo effect, which over time will decrease your metabolism.

It's not easy, however, in order to get results in whatever your goal is and make them last, you need to be consistent with your diet. There is no other way, no even a cookie from Hollywood!!!

If you have any questions or topic ideas please e-mail me anytime.

Best,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Chocolate Milk...what?

First off, I want to apologize for not having a post in well over a month. As most of you know, this past month has been the craziest of my life. After, a lot of hard work and determination, I finally reached my life long goal of playing professional football.

Now onto today's topic: Chocolate milk as a post workout recovery drink.

There have been several studies published in the past few years looking at using chocolate milk as a post workout recovery drink. We all should know that after a vigorous workout, we need to replenish our muscle glycogen sources by in taking carbohydrates. We also need to refuel with some protein to help in in the repair and growth of muscle tissue. This should all be done within 30 minutes of finishing your workout for best results.

Now, many people are ingesting sports drinks to get these sources, loaded with excess sugars that are stored as fat. So, there has been a new look at using chocolate milk. The study posted below reveals that the group who ingested chocolate milk had better recovery and performance compared to the carb-protein mix drink.

So, why chocolate milk. Well, there is certain ratio of the macronutritents(Carbs, Fats, Proteins) that is recommended for post workout refueling. Chocolate milk just happens to have that exact ratio. It has also been studied that the excess sugars in chocolate milk are much easier digested in the gut compared to other drinks.

This is fairly new to me, so for the next month I will be using chocolate milk as a post workout drink. I will check back with you with updates and let you know how things are going. Until then, take a look at this study below and put your own thought on it.

Chocolate Milk Study-Click Here


Best,


Doug Spurling, NSCA-CPT

Give it a little shake and bake!

Mix it up! So many people go into the gym on a regular basis which is great. The problem is, they do the same damn thing every single workout. Don't be afraid to mix it up. Change the exercises you do, change the order you do them in, change your reps, your sets, anything to shock your body. That's all it is. In order to see results in the gym your body needs have stress placed on it. That stress being the weights in your hands. However, if you do the same thing day in and day out your body will soon no longer realize that as a stress and thus no adaptations will occur. So, to keep your body guessing and in a state of "shock" change your routine up. Whether that be doing super sets, or simply changing the order you complete your workout in. Any type of change will cause a different stress to your body and thus your body will react in a positive way!

Questions? Shoot me an e-mail.

Have great long weekend!

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu

Hey, I got a link for ya'

I running short on time, trying to get everything done before I head down to MA for a weekend so it is going to be a quick blog. I want you to check out the link below. It is by a intern the same age as me. He interns at Mike Boyle's Strength and Conditioning down in Boston, MA. He puts his insight on how important nutrition is, and how most people in the gym are not getting proper nutrition. He even throws in a nice little video at the end about cooking for the first time, preparing food for a week ahead, and a nice little breakfast smoothie. I will be back on Monday to add my own insight on just how important nutrition is in exercising.

Check out the link by clicking here

Have a good weekend!

Best,

Big D.

Raman Noodles, Pizza, and Pop-Tarts!

Yes, you guessed it. That is the typical college kid diet. They wake up two minutes before class, grab a package of Pop-Tarts and mosey on in to class. Then they go back to there dorm take a nap, wake up and make themselves a cup of Ramen Noodles. If they are feeling energetic they will head to the cafe and grab something half way decent, however, ordering from the local pizza joint is a more common choice.

However, that is not the only options you have. I have been in a college dorm for three years. With nothing more then a microwave, refrigerator, George Foremen grill, and a magic bullet in my 5ftX8ft room I have managed to maintain a very well balanced diet. Here is how I do it and some tips for you whether you are a college kid yourself or just on the road traveling or working.

For breakfast you have a few options. In my opinion the best option is eggs. The best and most convenient way is raw. Yeah, that's right, I said it, RAW. Simply pour 4-6 eggs into a shaker bottle, mix it with milk and a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder and you have a delicious shake you can take anywhere. Now if your not feeling the whole raw thing, scrambled is another option. Yes, you can scramble eggs in a microwave. Mix up the eggs in a microwave safe bowl, add some milk, and stick in the microwave for 2-5 minutes depending on how many eggs you are cooking. The third option is oatmeal. Oatmeal takes two minutes to make and is one of the best things you can have for breakfast. Add some water or milk to your oatmeal and stick it in the microwave for two minutes.

For a mid morning snack you have a few options. I usually choose a piece of fruit like a banana, and 2 scoops of your favorite protein shake. You can also add or replace, depending on your calories needs a handful of almonds.

Lunch and dinner, I find to be the toughest. Being on the go whether I am at internship, work, or getting ready to drive to football practice, I have to make sure I get in my calories at these meals. Depending on your goals, you can adjust how much carbs, protein, and fat are in each of these meals. If you are trying to cut weight I suggest you cut down your carbohydrate intake to little or none at dinner time unless you have your workout around that time. Keeping carbohydrates low will keep the weight off. As far as what to do, well here is what I do. Usually on Sunday night I plug my George Foremen in. I cook enough chicken or other lean meat that will last me the entire week. I individually wrap them in tinfoil and refrigerate. Also, I will make small wraps that are very portable. I take a leaf of romaine lettuce, some lean turkey meal and some cheese, and wrap it up all together. I put them in small sand which bags and refrigerate them until I need them. Also, to get your good fatty oils, you can do the same thing with tuna fish.

For a night time snack, you cant beat cottage cheese. Every night, like pregnant women look forward to their ice cream, I look forward to my cottage cheese. I sit at my desk, recap what I did that day, plan what I have in store for the next day, and enjoy my cottage cheese.

Obviously, that isn't a full meal plan, but that should get you started in the right direction. Other essential like fruits and vegetables are easily bought, stored, and carried around so I can count on you to figure out a way to get your other fruits and veggies in.

A big problem with college kids or people who are on the road traveling or working is the use of protein bars. Yes, there are some good protein bars out there, but most of them are crap. Also, even the best of them are loaded with sugars and carbohydrates. So, if you don't have them at the right time, they can do more harm then good to your diet and physique. So, they are better then having nothing, but try to stay away from the protein bars.

I hope this helps and is a little kick start to get your diet and check and don't make excuses whether you are a college student or traveling worker. The freshmen fifteen is no more!!