Justin G. Walls, Certified Personal Athletic Trainer

A common issue facing many exercisers is that, even after having committed to a regimen of nutrition and exercise, the goals of weight loss and muscle gain just aren't lining up. You'll ask "why am I not losing weight?" and the answers seem elusive. If you have a wellness coach or a trainer whom can coach you, then talk to him or her about the issue. Just remember that this process is challenging and it's not your fault if its not working immediately. Here's a few possible things to consider: Talk to your coach or trainer. Share your concerns. Adjust the meal planning - your meals may be leaving you hungry, and that's a recipe for disaster. Review your meal plan with your coach to see if there's adequate protein, fat, or hydration in your plan Exercising too often or too hard - completing a challenging routine may make you feel accomplished, but if your metabolic rate is getting too high, then your body will signal the need to consume more foo...

A review of a recent article  challenging how we think heart disease develops http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317118.php

Round One Step , light weights 1.Standing on step, reverse lunge right leg w/bicep curls 2. Standing on step, reverse lunge left leg w/bicep curls 3. Alternating step ups with opposite side reach down to leg on floor 4. Right leg on floor, left leg behind on step. Squat down and reach left hand with weight behind you 5. Left leg on floor, right leg behind on step. Squat down and reach right hand with weight behind you Rou nd Two Heavy weights, mat on step 1. Hands and knees on mat, right leg fully extended perpendicular  to right side, right big toe to ground. Short leg lift and touch to floor. 2. Repeat on left side. 3. Hands and knees on mat. Row with right arm 4. Repeat on opposite arm. 5. Kneeling on mat, weights in both hands. Lift rear from off of heels to straighten upper legs and body. Return to kneel. Repeat. 6. Hover plank on step twenty seconds Rou nd Thr ee Medium weights , mat , step 1. Bilateral Triceps extensions with sit up 2. Supine leg abductions...

Round One Medium weights , mat , step One leg on step, staggered squats with bilateral bicep curls. Switch sides Crunches on mat Forward lunge to step with overhead press Switch legs Knee raises on mat Round Two Heavy weights , mat on step Pullovers with one or two weights V-sit bicycles Bent over rows  (one side at a time, one knee on mat) Plank on mat (on step) Round Thr ee Light weights , mat paral lel next to step Left leg on step, knee on mat, bilateral shoulder raises Lunge up from floor Knees together, oblique tilt (left side then right side) Right leg on step, knee to mat, lunge up and down Right leg on step, leaning forward, triceps kickbacks 40 seconds per round. First two rounds repeated  three times. Last round repeated twice

Round One - medium weights and mat 1. Sitting upright on mat with knees slightly bent, bilateral bicep curls 2. Lying supine, knees bent, bilateral chest press with crunch up 3. Lying supine, superior rotation with straight arms, return to arms over chest 4. Kneeling back flys Round Two - light weights and step 1. Diagonal step up from right edge and down to left, with front raise (weights parallel) and return 2. Alternating Diagonal reverse step back with opposite side arm rotations 3. Step forward off step and return, alternating legs 4. Left reverse lunge off step 5. Right reverse lunge off step Round Thr ee - heavy weights, step and mat 1. Bridge position, feet on step, right arm unilateral chest press 2. Weights on stomach, bridges up and down 3. Bridge position, feet on step, left arm unilateral chest press 4. Single leg, left leg on step bridge  with extended right leg raises 5. Single leg, right leg on step bridge  with extended right leg raises

Round One -  heavy weights , mat on step Alternating Chest Press (elbows to ribs) Elbows Wide bilateral chest press Standing bent over row Suitcase squats Sit ups with weights on chest Round Two - light weights, mat, step Kneeling on mat lateral shoulder raises Alternating step up with bilateral bicep curls Kneeling deltoid back flys Alternating step up with bilateral overhead press Sit ups with weights overhead to pullover Round Three - medium weights , step Single leg hip hinge lunge Side step onto step with same side reach Prone single leg lift with hip raise, arms extended over chest 40 seconds per exercise . Repeat each round three times .

Round One - heavy weights, mat laid out over step for bench Single arm chest press Pull Over Single arm Bent over row Over head front raises 40 seconds per side , per exercise. Three rounds Round Two - medium weights , mat Kneeling over head triceps extension Lunge position single arm bicep curl Bird dog pose single arm back fly Planks to pikes 40 seconds per side , per exercise. Three rounds Round Thr ee - Ma t , light weights , step Side to side Crunches Alternating steps with shoulder presses Bicycle kicks Alternating side steps with arm reach across body Scissors Reverse lunge off step- alternating legs 30 seconds per exercise . Two Roun ds

  Do you know what you could be doing better? Here's some resources on men's health: 1. Men’s Health Network –  www.menshealthnetwork.org 2. MHN YouTube –  www.youtube.com/user/MHNMedia 3. Men’s Health Resource Center –  www.menshealthresourcecenter.com 4. Show Us Your Blue –  www.twibbon.com/Support/mens-health-awareness Here's a few great outdoor ideas for June: Out and around the DMV (DC MD VA) C&O Canal Trails  http://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/park-brochures-and-site-bulletins.htm Great Falls Park VA  http://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm Georgetown Waterfront Park  http://www.georgetownwaterfrontpark.org/ WB&A Trail  http://www.pgparks.com/Your_Parks/Trails/Washington__Baltimore___Annapolis_htm.htm (note: the link to download the map is actually on the right)

Is Butter Better? Read On! AHA Guidelines May Not Be Based On The Best Research  New Book Casts Doubt On Years Of Common Methodology Investigative reporter Nina Teicholz has just released a book this week challenging our thoughts about how we structure our diet. In a WSJ article , Ms. Teicholz outlines her issues with AHA guidelines  that recommend less animal fat (or saturated fat) as part of ones diet. She contends that the reduction in saturated fat has led to the increased consumption of carbohydrates, which has cascaded into another entirely different set of health issues such as type 2 diabetes. Her book is available at http://www.thebigfatsurprise.com/ Here's a few other articles that support this contention From NPR:  The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean Why Milk Is The Ultimate Post Workout Food Butter Is Back Behind The Headlines: Saturated Fat and Heart Disease 'Uproven' Is Beef Bad For You? Or The Envir...

The Best Thing About Five Minute Workouts... ...Is That You Can Do As Many Rounds As You Want! Exercise #1 Body Saw You'll need a little bit of equipment for this, like  Glidders  or any furniture mover, or even just a towel if you are on hardwood. Start off in a solid plank position ( I discussed good form for planks in an earlier post ). Extend your forearms forward to slide backwards and tuck your hips under you so as not to squeeze your low back for balance. You abs and lats should start to become more active and you should bring your shoulder blades to the front of your body as you extend the arms to engage your lats even further. Pay particular attention to how his shoulder blades come forward to stabilize the body. Proceed through this exercise slowly for :30 seconds Exercise #2 Opposite Side Toe Touches From the plank position, raise up into a straight arm plank. Swing your left leg under your body as straight as possible until you can touch your l...

What's Trending This Week In Fitness? Because another Polar Vortex is crushing the east coast again! Testosterone Warnings Becoming A Reality Public Advocacy Group Asks FDA For Warning About Heart Attacks here  and  here Other Hormonal Factors Could Contribute To Low Energy and Low Libido  here Concern's Raised About Testosterone Replacement Therapy  here Workout Motivations In Bad Weather Simple, At-Home Workouts In Bad Weather  here Music Is a Great Workout Buddy  here Fast Five Minute Workout!  here 15 Minute Arm Crushing Workout  here Some Winter Meal Suggestions, Get Ready For Spring 10 Winter Comfort Food Meals, Fast And Easy  here Simple Quinoa Recipes  here Mix It Up With Some Great Lentil Recipes (lots of Protein!) here

Every once in a while (or for some of us, it's every weekday), we're up late and feel the need to eat something, and it's just too hard to say no. Well, fortunately, we don't always have to withhold ourselves from those late night munchies. According to a short article from  Women's Health , the expert advice is to eat something that won't spike blood sugar, make you more hungry, or be too calorie rich. Sorry Jimmy, that just won't do The best snacks are kept to about 100 calories, with no more than 15 grams of sugar, and about 3 grams of fiber. It's also good to wash it all down with a little water (flavored slightly with either lemon juice or another splash of fruit juice flavor- it helps curb the cravings). Some suggestions are: One cut up fruit in a 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream A cup of berries in that same 1/2 cup of yogurt or sour cream 1/4 cup salsa and about 10-12 corn chips (low-sodium is better)  6-8 carrot or celery sticks with h...

There are some serious studies being conducted to confirm the efficacy of tree nuts as a weight maintenance food. The Purdue University study (you can read about it  here ) is testing to see how such a calorie rich food can help control appetite and contribute to weights loss. There are the obvious suggestions that it is rich in fiber and protein which help satiate, but the study is trying to see if there's some neurological or sociological response to their consumption which can keep people coming back to them instead of going for  candy bars. Another diet trend has its roots in ancient practices.  A new trend to weight loss, blood glucose maintenance, and a possible Alzheimer's reducer, is to conduct fasts twice a week. This practice is referred to as 5:2 fasting. The Wall Street Journal recently talked about it , and you can read about it's implementation here . Basically, it's about having zero to 500 calories on fasting days twice each week and eating no...

A Calorie May Not Be Just A Calorie Recent Studies Show That Genes or Bacteria May Affect Matabolism A recent article in the Economist gives a synopsis of four very fascinating studies into how different people may metabolize glucose in different fashions. The metabolic pathways could change based on either certain genetic features of the person (or mouse in the study) or the presence of certain types of bacteria. Fat Mouse, Healthy Diet! There is another more extensive article in the New York Times looking more closely at how diets higher in fruits and vegetables but lower in saturated fat would not only result in weight loss, but also correlated in a change in the types of bacteria present in the mice that were losing weight in the study: the fat mice started to have similar bacterial compositions as the lean mice.  Eating healthy is an important part of changing the stomach flora, and we have discussed on this blog about some important dietary changes that you...

Parkour for the rest of us: a gym in Alexandria, VA challenges regular people to attempt some forms of the street gymnastics called parkour to help awaken parts of the body rarely used in daily life Is there such a thing as "the least amount of exercise"? ACSM struggles with the issue of how little exercise can people get away with if they won't meet their standards for regular exercise. "Really doc, how much exercise do I have to do?" Stay AWAY from DMAA:  The FDA has seized a large number of GNC products containing DMAA, as its side effects have caused serious illness and death in people found to have taken the dietary supplement Best tasting Fitness Shake  I have switched to this shake because it not only has great vitamin, mineral, fiber, and protein content- it also tastes FANTASTIC mixed just with water. Contact me to get the best pricing Some Very Earthy Extracts Some are claiming that certain extracts taken from rocks have some amazing positiv...

In an excellent social experiment,  TCU scientists  discovered that people were less likely to overeat when confronted with how long it would take to "walk off" the food they were eating. The study comes in the wake of the Affordable Care Act requiring calories be displayed on the food. The journal article can be found  here This image is from Scientific American's article on the subject. You can see how the calories "jump off the page" when confronted with the prospect of having to walk off everything you just ate. You can use this  exercise calorie calculator  to see how long it can take you to burn off breakfast lunch or dinner with a large variety of exercises

Simple, five minute workout when you can't get to the gym I actually use this workout as part of the warm up to my kickboxing class It hits pretty much every major muscle group, and gets your body loose for hours afterwards 5 Exercises, 5 minutes 1. 15 push-ups When  I say push-ups , I mean solid ones. Like the ones in this video. Body is straight. You go down straight. You come up straight. 2. 45 seconds Mountain Climbers Quick transition from push-ups, because it is in the same plank position Increase your speed for more intensity 3. Alternating Side Planks   Great Way to fire up your core for rotation. Engage, and then switch sides You can either time this for 30 seconds, or do ten on each side 4. 15 Squats   These need to be squats that bring your thighs parallel with the floor     5. 15 Lunges, left leg and right leg   Legs should be set at right angles, pelvis at a neutral position, moving fixed up and down in a strai...

You have to ask yourself: "Am I getting enough protein in my diet?" Here's the issue: you should feel satisfied when you eat a meal, but too many carbs can equal extra fat I'm not going to talk about going on a no or low carb diet. I am just going to help enlighten you to what you should aim to eat in terms of protein. Within the past couple of years, the USDA recommended diet reduced and balanced their meal suggestions (check out ChooseMYPlate.gov for more info) with about 35-40% of the meal containing protein and much less grains or starches. Proteins help provide the body with necessary amino acids. Meats and fish are more protein dense compared to milk, legumes, or whole grains. The recommended amount of protein for women is around 46 grams per day, and men about 56. The best way to stay healthy is to eat leaner meats and fish, and fill in the rest of the servings with beans, rice, and the like to reduce the amount of fat and sugar taken into your diet...

Normally, people think of exercisers as those who work hard, train hard, and eat like there won't be food tomorrow. Take for example, the Michael Phelps breakfast of champions: So that's what gold medal swimmers eat The NY Times Health Blog referenced a recent study from some University of Wyoming professors that demonstrates the opposite. Apparently, running would cause both men and women to reduce the calorie intake of their next meal by almost 100 more than someone who had just exercised by walking, and way more than someone who was totally sedentary. You can read the full study here . The study looked at some of the hormone and peptide production resulting after the two types of workouts. The result of running left the volunteers consuming fewer overall calories and making their calorie consumption much better regulated. The article quotes Prof. Catia Martins as saying: Exercise “improves the body’s ability to judge the amount of calories consumed and to adjust fo...

We Tried This: Strong vs. Skinny | TIME.com According a recent edition of the ACSM Health and Fitness Journal , the fitness industry has made some strides into what is considered a healthy body image. No longer is the muscular look taboo, but the 'lean' look is still the appropriate trend- and the fitness trends are changing too: Lean isn't always healthy. Body fat percentage and muscle tone, like rings on a tree, tell the true story of how well the body has been kept. Blood tests also tell the tale that lean isn't always healthy. Trendy fitness fads like Zumba and other dance classes aren't getting the job done. Neither are the spin classes. Classic, good-ole fashioned boot camp and weight lifting are getting the results. The attitude is different. People (especially women) demand to be pushed and challenged. And they aren't afraid of 'getting too big' anymore. Just of climbing the next hurdle. Check out the latest trends as we head to the end of...