Private Training Gets Results

Gimmicks Don't

December 14th 2009

Brookfield 262-780-6350 | Delafield 262-646-5444 | Wauwatosa 414-453-9800| Woodbury, MN 651-436-8137

Join our Facebook
Fan pages!

Brookfield

Delafield

Wauwatosa

Woodbury

Getting Ready To Hit The Slopes

You don’t have to wait for the snow to start falling to get ready for ski season. Start your training now and you’ll be sailing past those other ski bums on your way down the mountain.

Dusting the competition or showing off to friends are not the only reasons to get in shape before ski season. Skiing is an activity that involves a variety of elements: strength, endurance, balance and coordination. Hit the slopes without developing these components and you may be in for more than a little embarrassment—you might even hurt yourself.

Sport-specific Training
This is where sport-specific training comes in. Generally speaking, sport-specific training programs involve focusing on the various skills associated with a particular activity.

Depending on the sport, this may include health-related fitness components such as cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.

A sport-specific program may also take into account skill-related measures of fitness such as agility, balance, coordination, power, speed and reaction time. Most sports require a mixture of these components.

Skiing is a sport that relies heavily on skill-related fitness. A traditional fitness program, which includes a combination of weight training and cardiovascular exercise, will only take you so far.

A training program to develop specific skills for skiing will take you from the peaks to the valleys in record time.

Get Ready to Ski
There are several ways to begin a sport-specific training program. The simplest way is to add several new exercises to your regular workout schedule.

For example, performing wall sits that require you to “sit” against a wall will help build up the isometric strength need for the tuck position in skiing. Squats and lunges will build lower-body strength for skiing tough terrain like moguls.

Exercises such as crunches to work your abdominals are essential in creating a solid “core” for balance and agility.

It is important to train your body to withstand and absorb the impact associated with skiing. Polymeric movements, such as hopping from side to side, develop muscle power and strength as well as improve agility.

Set Up Your Own Ski Circuit
A great way to integrate these elements into your existing routine is to create a circuit-training program, which involves rapidly moving from one exercise to the next. You can set up a circuit in any large room, or as part of a group at your club’s aerobic studio.

Be sure and place all of your stations before beginning your workout so you don’t have to stop in the middle. Set a specific time limit for each exercise, as well as a set break period between each station. Thirty seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest is a common interval period.

Then, simply turn up the music and make your way around the circuit. You might even want to create your own music tape with timed intervals of music for exercise and silence for rest periods.

Try these stations to help you gear up for the slopes. Use the slide for lateral training, perform one-legged squats to develop balance and strength and use a step-bench platform to improve power. Try catching a bean bag as it drops off your forearm to improve reaction times or bounce two balls to improve coordination.

To improve agility, create your own slalom by running between cones. In sport-specific training, you are limited only by your imagination.

Additional Resources
American Council on Exercise: ACE (Sep/Oct 2006). 3 moves to get you ready for ski and snowboard season. ACE FitnessMatters, 12, 5, 6.
American Council on Exercise: Nottingham, S. (Oct/Nov 2004). Conditioning and injury prevention for snowboarding. ACE Certified News, 10, 6, 8–11.
About.com: www.skiing.about.com/od/skifitness/Ski_Fitness.htm

Recipe of the Week

Herbed Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or dill or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (3 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place broth, zucchini and tarragon (or dill) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the zucchini is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Puree in a blender (see Tip), in batches if necessary, until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and heat over medium-high, slowly stirring in cheese until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled.

Quotes of The Week!
	“If you create the right attitude, you can win anywhere.” Lou Holtz

Better Together: Training + Nutrition:
Introducing Nutrition Together. Now, in addition to one-on-one personal training, your Fitness Together program inculdes personalized nutritional counseling to help you eat right and support your fitness goals.

Alist

Milwaukee's Best Personal Trainers 2009

Passport to Health and Fitness
Don't Let A Friend Fly Solo

Collect Your Gifts: When we receive your referrals, we'll send you a thank you gift to let you know how much we sincerely appreciate the trust you have placed in us by referring a friend, associate or family member. With every referral you will also be entered into a drawing for our Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly travel get away prizes.

Simply click here or log on to www.ftpassport.com to enter your friends and family members to receive a complimentary introductory session and free gift when they com in for their session. Passports are also available in the studio, for you convenience.

Fantastic Fiber

Most of us hear the word fiber and automatically think of bland, chalky and all-around unappetizing foods. Fortunately, with the advancements in food science and technology, this is no longer the case. Our generation has been freed from health foods that taste like cardboard and have the visual appeal of hamster food!

What is fiber?

Fiber is a string of sugar molecules that are bonded together in such a way that they cannot be digested. So why bother eating something you can’t digest? Well, that is actually the point. Fiber makes its way through the digestive tract and cleans it out. And since fiber can’t be digested, it is calorie free. Some bacteria in your colon is able to break fiber down into smaller useable units that may have other health benefits.
There are two types of fiber. For optimal benefits, you should get enough of both in your diet.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and has been linked with lowering levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Insoluble fiber cleans out your gut and is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Benefits

A diet high in fiber has many health benefits. Besides being important for digestive health, fiber is most famous for reducing cholesterol and preventing diseases related to high cholesterol. Not a bad deal for a calorie-free nutrient. There are also indications that a high-fiber diet improves glucose tolerance.
Fiber is also beneficial for weight loss. The large, bulky molecule structure increases your sense of being full without adding any calories. It also slows the emptying of your stomach, further prolonging that sense of satisfaction so that you won’t eat as frequently.

Recommendations

The current daily recommendations for fiber are as follows:

Ages 9–13: 31 grams for boys and
26 grams for girls
Boys and men ages 14–50: 38 grams
Girls ages 14–18: 26 grams
Women ages 19–50: 25 grams
Ages 50 and older: 30 grams for men and 21 grams for women

Incorporating Fiber-rich Foods

When increasing your fiber intake, it is important to start slowly. Surprising your digestive tract with more fiber than it’s used to can lead to constipation, nausea and other gastrointestinal discomfort. So start increasing your fiber intake by a few grams per day until you work up to the recommended levels. Fiber also absorbs water, so when you increase your fiber intake, it is important to increase your water intake as well.
There are many fiber-fortified cereals, crackers, yogurts and other products from which to choose. Foods naturally rich in fiber include whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Here are some simple things you can do to incorporate more fiber into your diet.
Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal, which is one of the best sources of soluble fiber. Add dried fruit and nuts for some texture and additional fiber.
Switch from refined grain products to whole-grain products. Make sure your groceries say 100% whole wheat and have at least
3 grams of fiber per serving. Many whole-wheat pastas and breads are being engineered to resemble the taste and texture of their white counterparts, which may make your transition easier.

Mix half brown rice with half white rice to ease the transition from white rice to brown rice.
Snack on fruits and vegetables.
Trail mixes that have nuts and dried fruit are packed with fiber.

Additional Resources

American Heart Association—Fiber:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4574
Institute of Medicine—Dietary Reference
Intakes: http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/21/372/0.pdf

Brookfield 262.780.6350 | Delafield 262.646.5444 | Wauwatosa 414.453.9800 | Woodbury, MN 651.436.8137