Hi Everyone,
As this is the March Madness edition of the ‘bag, I’ll start by talking about basketball. I generally make my picks on my blog but it didn’t really seem appropriate this year and I just haven’t been following the season as closely as usual. As someone who has spent more than half their life involved in the sport, however, it’s hard not to get excited as the games roll around. And given that I’m also an alum of UCLA it’s hard not to like the fact that our team is thought of as being the toughest team in the Dance. Not the best, necessarily, but the toughest. The one team that no one looks forward to playing because they’re gritty and hard-nosed.
And what does this have to do with the mailbag? Well, nothing, really. Except that toughness is an admirable quality. It has nothing to do with talent, tools, money, time, or advantage. If you’re tough, you’ll always do okay because no one will out work you. So I guess I’m saying that you should root for UCLA because they’re tough. Because toughness is a quality that you should admire. Because if you’re tougher, you’ll do better in your fitness program. So in the end you’ll get fitter, become healthier, probably live longer, be more fun to be around, have more friends, be more successful, and have a happier life. And all this can be had by just tuning in and getting inspired by some basketball this weekend.
Oooookay then, or maybe someone is just suffering for some jet lag this week. How about we get to some questions?
First off, I forgot the link to the article last week, so here it is. This week’s bag isn’t on one particular article.
http://www.beachbody.com/product/newsletters/295.do========================================
Hello. I am on my first week on PX90. It's awesome. I was surprised to find 36g of sugar and fructose as the first ingredient on the label. Is there a reason why it contains such a large amount of sugar?
Thanks. Nicole Norris
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Great question. There are two times when sugar is good for you: during and immediately after exercise when you’re blood sugar supply has been exhausted. Recovery Formula is designed to be consumed immediately after a workout (and you could also use it during a long workout as well). During this period, post workout, your body is broken down. Quickly recharging glycogen levels (or blood sugar) greatly speeds up the recovery process. Sugar instead of, say, fat or protein or slower to digest carbs post exercise can increase recovery up to 400%. Here’s an article with a more in-depth explaination.
http://www.beachbody.com/product/newsletters/262.do=====================================
I have a question in reference to stretching. I'm somewhat confused in terms as to whether or not your suppose to stretch before you exercise . On doing some research on-line , some experts say you should , while others say you shouldn't and should only warm up for a few minutes for example on a treadmill. Could you be so kind as to clarify this for me? Thank you so much for your time in regards to this.
June Hogan
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Another confusing subject with a simple answer. You should always warm up your muscles before stretching. Where this get fuzzy is what is actually a stretch. Raising your arms overhead is a stretch but it’s also a warm-up movement. Maybe common stretches do little more than get blood flowing and warm-up your muscles, so they are stretches that should probably just be called warm-up movements.
What you want to avoid is doing deep stretches while you are cold. This elongates muscle fiber—literally pulling them apart—and can cause injury. The best time to do deep slow stretching is after a workout when your body temperature is high.
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Is wine/beer totally off limits during the 90 day boot camp, or can you use in moderation according to your calorie intake??
Price Mullineux
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Most of our diets allow beer and/or wine in moderation. It’s not the worst thing you can consume, by a long shot, especially in small quantities. We don’t allow it in our express diets because calorie restriction is very tight and, while it’s not too bad, it’s also not an efficient source of calories at all.
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The more I excercise the more I eat. How do I level out exercising and eating less. I realize that the more calories I burn, my body is trying to make up for the calories I am burning so to do this my body is telling me to eat more. So how can I achieve my goals?
ZC
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This questions doesn’t have an easy answer but I can provide a little help by sorting out what you’re body is feeling/craving. When you exercise you need more nutrients. If you are trying to lose weight than you need to eat less calories than you use. The best combination, by far, is combining exercise with a good diet and some caloric restriction. This process will make you very hungry, especially when you first begin. Over time your body gets used to it (not necessarily a long time). As soon as you’re used to eating less you body adjusts and begins to crave nutrients it needs in a manner that is far easier to deal with. Once you get used to it the process is not particularly hard any longer.
My advice would be to find some workout buddies on the Message Boards. You can then help each other stay on track. This is the most effective tool that I’ve seen because nothing beats accountability when it comes to your diet.
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Most of the breakfast suggestions (at least 3 of 5) contain milk products. I am lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk or eat yogurt.
And I just don't like eggs that much. Your programs have never been a hit with me because they contain so many milk products. More and more adults are finding that they are lactose intolerant. Can you please work on some diets for us? I see the peanut butter option, but peanut butter is fattening if eaten ever day.
Thank you
Janice
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I’m not sure which diets you are referring to but we do have a lot of dairy options, especially if you are a vegetarian. But there are many options other than peanut butter too(this is why I’m confused—we don’t have a peanut butter diet). Still, you could eat peanut butter every day. It’s the amount that matters. As any food goes, it’s only fattening if you eat too much of it. Yes, it’s dense, but this means that you don’t want to eat a lot of it.
Anyway, there are loads of options. There are assorted cereals and muesulis and granolas that, along with rice or soy mike and some fruit make ultra healthy breakfasts. You can also make vegan smoothies, eat some fruit and nuts, or whole grain pancakes and/or crepes with fruit. These are just a few examples.
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I am thinking about getting the P90X. I have limited $ to spend on all the accessories. I see them using several sizes of weights. What is the span that is needed for a female? Also, once you finish the 90 days, what is it that you continue to do to maintain?
Kelly Clark
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If you are on a limited budget bands are the ticket. It’s impossible to give you a number because everyone varies so much in how strong they are but you’ll need at least three different resistances to begin with because you’ll use a lot more resistance during back exercises than, say, triceps exercises. Bands are pretty easy because they are someone variable within themselves by stepping on them in different spots. So picking a random set of bands will most likely be okay, though I’d still get as much info out of the customer service rep as you can.
If you want a closer approximation, go to the boards and ask around. Someone can probably get you set up with about the perfect band combo.
That’s it for this week. I’ve got a fit test to do before the game. Actually, I should probably wait until half time to do it. That way I’ll benefit vicariously from some Bruin determination.
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Until next time, train hard, train smart, and have fun!
Steve
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