And the Space Monkey Mafia is looking for Riders! Join us for this year's Race to Anyplace! If you've never done it before, here's the quick run down...
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Looking forward to riding with you in February!
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I openly admit, I'm the crazy on in my family that tries to keep our diet clean! I think it's important to limit GMOs, junk carbs, sugary drinks, trans-fats, etc. That said, it's not always easy to find options to please the entire families palate. On top of finding foods that everyone enjoys, if you're not careful, it can be very expensive!
Here are a few tips that I've used to keep eating at home clean and simple.
I had a friend ask me last week, "do you burn more calories when you're working out in the heat?" Like everything related to exercise physiology, that's not an easy question to answer. Our bodies are extremely complex, and work well to keep our internal temperatures regulated all the time. If that process actually does burn more calories, I'd never given it much thought. Why not you ask? Well, the simple answer is that there are other benefits outside a higher calorie burn that warrant the use of training with heat and cold! Check out these tips (taken from a recent ACE Fitness Article and other sources). Why Join a Challenge Group with Ken? If you're on Facebook, you no doubt have a friend who is a Beachbody coach. They're the ones posting pictures of themselves working out and, asking you to join their groups and drink their shakes. You might even have a few of these friends on Facebook, but hat you probably don't have, is a friends who is BOTH a Beachbody Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and Fitness Instructor. That's where I step in! If you've thought about working out with a Beachbody program, or even Personal Trainer at the gym, I can help you out. By joining my August Challenge group, you'll receive one-on-one attention, and the guidance you need, to take one of Beachbody's already excellent programs and customize it to meet your specific goals. We will review what's working, what's not working, how you should make adjustments to your plan, and more. It's like paying for a Personal Trainer at the gym, but for a fraction of the cost! Why Join a Challenge Group at All? Challenge groups are a great way to plug into a community of like minded people, with similar goals, while all working through a program. Challenge groups will help you stay motivated, while motivating others! They provide a resources such as recipes, workout tips, motivation, etc. I'm always on the look out for killer workout tunes to add to my spin class or run with. Usually I tweet out new playlists at the end of spin class, but last week was crazy. Between subbing 4 extra rides, meeting a few ChiRunning clients, and drafting some new coaching plans, I didn't even have any time to hit the "share" button in iTunes!
So here's the roll up of last weeks playlists. Hope you find some tracks in here that get you motivated. If you've found something new, or want to make a request, send it my way! We've posted once or twice before on Functional Threshold Power (FTP), and the importance of knowing both power zones (for biking) and heart rate zones (for biking and running). Today, we're going to revisit FTP, and give you a few quick tips on how to begin training with power. While the majority of FTP philosophy discussed here applies to both indoor and outdoor cycling, this guide's main focus is on the indoor rider. WTF is FTP? Simply put, FTP is your body's ability to consistently maintain, or "put-out," the highest level of power (measured in watts) over the course of 45-60 minutes (though we usually test in 20 minute increments). You can imagine power, or watts, as a number found by multiplying your speed (cadence) by your resistance. So, if you hop on the bike with very little resistance, but pedal very, very fast, your power output will be low. Conversely, if you load up the resistance but can only pedal at 30 RPM, your power output will be low. To get the most efficiency out of your pedal stroke, and make the biggest gains in your overall fitness, you will want to find the right balance between resistance and pedal stroke to maximize your power output. I ask my students all the time, “what’s the difference between a sprint and a hill?” Do you know the answer I usually get? “Resistance, right?” For new riders, that’s a good guess. It makes sense that the steeper you imagine a hill becoming, the more resistance you need to mimic moving up that hill. In fact, even Spinners who have been taking classes for years often answer the same way. And to be honest, at the end of the day, they're all half right, but resistance is only one part of the equation. Just as important as resistance is your cadence. Over the years, many indoor cyclists begin to develop the habit of using higher and higher cadences in their spin classes. Many participants do not ride outside, and therefor don’t have a full understanding of how cadence needs to shift on different terrain. Others are under the impression that a high cadence class with low resistance is the only way to prevent “getting bulky legs” (the reverse is actually true). Some even get use to speeding up to a point that the bikes fly wheel does most of the work! Round 2 on the Four Hour BodyWait, it’s spring already? If you’re like me, you’ve probably picked up a little winter weight and might now be realizing you need to get it off! I need to be ready for a marathon in May, the beach on Memorial Day, and beginning to train for the Savageman 1/2 Ironman! Sure, I’ve been keeping up with a lot of the physical stuff I do, but my diet has definitely fallen to the weigh side. For the most part, I try to eat pretty clean by avoiding too many white carbs, access sugar, and empty calories. When I’m not eating clean I feel tiered, slow, and tight in my joints. Lately, I’ve been less strict and it’s starting to take a tool! Last week I decided I had to change things up. A few years back, I really enjoyed following Tim Ferris’ 4-Hour Body program. Like most of Tim’s stuff, the core content is excellent (though some of it is a stretch). Because it’s simple, and encourages clean eating, I decided to give it another go. I’ll be posting about my progress and encourage you to either follow along, or start a new program of your own! Recently I had the good fortune of traveling to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It was an amazing place, full of awesome people and unbelievable food! In fact, I ate my way through the entire city! Friends here in Pittsburgh know how much I like the Pho at Pho Kim 88, but I can tell you it doesn't compared to eating the authentic stuff, on a small street, next to the Saigon River! While the trip itself was totally epic, the 20+ hour flight time was not! And while having no issue with any of the "different" dishes I tried in Vietnam, some nasty airplane Bibimbap left me with some...let's say stomach issues! I know what you're thinking. "Why the hell would you eat Bibimbap on an airplane?" Normally I always go with the vegetarian meal when I fly, but after 7 hours on the first plane, and another 15 to go on the second & thrid, I obviously wasn't thinking clearly (ie; Bimimbap for breakfast). |
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AuthorKen Presutti is a certified ChiRunning instructor, ACE Personal trainer, Spinning instructor, and coach. This blog is a mix of new articles and posts from his original blog, Overkill is Underrated. Archives
November 2022
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