of Suzie Trains Maui

TweetAugust 23, 2011Taken from the Maui Breakfast Club: Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui, Health & Fitness Segment every Tuesday morning at 7:38 am on KNUI 900 AM.  LISTEN HERE

Just the word visceral sounds bad and that it is. It’s not pretty and it’s deadly.  Also referred to as abdominal obesity or the “middle-age spread”.  The definition of visceral fat is basically subcutaneous fat that settles deep within the cavity walls of the abdominal area and also covers the abdominal organs. This condition can lead to many health concerns such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol,  hormone imbalances and even cancer.

An excerpt taken from the Harvard Medical School states this:

“One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with higher total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance means that your body’s muscle and liver cells don’t respond adequately to normal levels of insulin, the pancreatic hormone that carries glucose into the body’s cells. Glucose levels in the blood rise, heightening the risk for diabetes.”

How does your waist measure up? Typical guidelines for men’s waistline: if  over 40 inches in diameter and for women over 35 inches are indicators that you may be dealing with this condition. Pinching more than an inch can be a concern.

Besides the role of over eating and a poor diet and lack of exercise  that plays in the main contributing factor leading to the accumulation of visceral fat, there may also be hereditary factors that also play a hand. Knowing this may help.

The good news  is there’s so much you can do to help avoid this condition. Getting your weight under control will help. Portion control and a healthy diet is first. Avoid all sugars and alcohol. ( See my article: Suzie’s Foods to Avoid ) Strength training or resistance training will aid in the elimination of visceral fat but most of all it will take some high-intensity cardio to assist in the breakdown of the visceral fat.

Start out with 30 minutes at a moderate intensity than work your way up to a much higher intensity of exercise. ( Always check with your physician first before embarking on a heavier work out regimen.) Remember, spot reducing does not work, this is a total body approach.

I hope you enjoyed the radio segment. A special thanks to the Maui Breakfast Club and to you for spreading the word and being healthy.  It does a body good.Tweet

Aloha,

Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui and Mental Health Advocate

Previous Radio Show: August 16th: Mental Wellness: Why We Need to Have “Hope” for Our Body’s Health and Our Mind’s Health Radio Segment with Suzie Cooney

Follow Suzie on Face book for up to the minute updates: http://www.facebook.com/suzietrainsmaui

References:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.shtml

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/waist-size-linked-with-longevity/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/how-does-your-waist-measure-up/

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-visceral-fat.htm

Shock Your Body to Get the Results You Want!
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui

World Champion Greg Minnaar

 

You ask, “shock your body”?  Yes indeed, train really hard! Want to make serious changes in your body, read on. I’ve written many articles about how to avoid the dreaded plateau and burn extra body fat and now it’s time again to revisit this well-known training topic. I want to share in this article a couple different types of training methods that may just help you get through that time when your body is not responding and needs something very different to make these changes, or shed those last 5-10lbs. Let’s burn that fat baby!

I often whisper into the ears of my clients when they are grunting in the sand, covered from head to toe in sweat and I’m trying to get just one more rep out of them, as their teeth are clinched, I softly say, ” this is where your body changes”.   I get the rep and they look at me like I have three heads, but they did it and get the results!

My True Collection team mate, Greg Minnaar trains hard! To pull these tricks and to maintain this kind of speed his routine is intense. Check out these photos:

[[Show as slideshow]]

To learn more about Greg, go to: http://www.gmfanclub.com/ride/

There are many styles and types of training that offer many good results. Training needs to be fun, BUT it also  must be effective and not lead to injury.  Starting with a good base of fitness first before exploring more “hard core” training methods is highly recommended.  If you go out of the gate too hard, or mix too many different types of training together all at once, for example, plyometrics, interval training or increase the numbers of pounds you’re lifting, there’s a good chance you could get hurt and you have a set back.

Ways in which you can Shock Your Body safely:

Changing the Variables in How You Train

1. Interval Training Tabata: The first style of interval training is a superior way of burning 9x more fat!  We all like the notion of maximizing our efforts in the least amount of time and one popular method of interval training I enjoy is called ” tabata training”  developed by Dr. Tabata from a well known Fitness Institute in Tokoyo, and defined in Wikipedia as:”  A popular regimen based on a 1996 study^[2] uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise (at 170% of VO₂max) followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles).

With a special focus on the larger muscle groups in exercise selection, this kind of training, I’d recommend sliding into your current routine once a week at first. I will do about 3 a week. Also when using weights,  go much lighter on the weight selection than you ever imagined.

THIS IS INTENSE! LET ME REPEAT, VERY INTENSE TRAINING!

To break it down, here’s the timing:

20 seconds all out                 Rest for 10 seconds (recovery)     x 8 sets   DOWNLOAD FREE TIMER HERE or click  : http://www.tabatatimer.com/

Great music matters! If you have the right music, you will feel more positive, have more energy and make it more of challenge than hard work. Trick your brain. The right music will have a strong affect to psyche you up. Your pace will automatically sync with the music.  Simply Google music for tabata or music for interval training. This will keep you on que so you don’t get distracted.

Exercise Selection for Tabata Interval Training:

First and foremost is sprinting is proven to get the fastest results. Focus only on the big muscles to equal big results. I like the front squat ( bar in the front of you on your shoulders, grip on the bar slightly wider than shoulders, keep elbows up ) vs. a back squat, which has a much higher carry over affect.

You can also work into the mix 10-15lb kettle bell for kettle bell swings. Also I’d suggest getting some sort of timer like a watch where you can see exactly where you are in the workout, you don’t want to have to think too much, all of your concentration will be on the exercise. They also have special tabata timers.

Now, if you’re just starting out on the “concept” of interval training, my personal recommendation for you is to take it slow and gradually work your way up to higher intensity and longer bouts of sprints or choice in cardio training exercise.  For example, if treadmill training for 30 minutes, you’ll want to include 5 or more instances where you’re running so hard for 15-30 seconds  you can barely talk! Bring it down, but not to full recovery, say at 75-80% of your max for a rest of 90 seconds and pump it up again and repeat until you’re done.

As your lung capacity increases, so will the seconds increase on that 30 seconds. In a week’s time, try 45 seconds and so on. Keep in mind however, the longer the intensity, the longer the recovery. One can’t maintain above the full lactate threshold, so just be mindful of this. You don’t want to bonk.

Interval training is just one way to shock your body.

2. Fast Paced Circuit Training: The quality and intensity matters for this type of training. Thirty minutes will do just fine. I suggest a total body approach; using light active stretching to include a few core exercises to warm up for about 5 minutes.  

In my studio or the beach I can accomplish the same burn rate affect with little to no equipment. I literally will set up stations starting at the top with shoulders, back, chest, legs, biceps and triceps. Abs are ultimately saved for last. Remember your abs support you all throughout the entire circuit for as long as you can handle.

The pace is very fast, a little lighter on the weight side, with minimal to no rest in-between each .  We always set a goal before we begin and try to hit those numbers. The number of reps are roughly 12-15 and we don’t stop.  This is designed to burn and allow your body to adapt to a higher level of total body endurance.

Another way to approach this style of training, is to “time” each station and do as many reps as possible in 3o seconds, then move on to the next station.

Shocking your body sometimes is necessary. Keep your training fresh and mix it up. I also encourage my clients to have a 3 sport training day if you have the luxury of time.  If I could, I’d surf for 30 minutes, SUP for 30 then windsurf or dirtbike.  If I was totally feeling studly, I then come home to the studio and do intense cardio for 30 and light weights for recovery. Now that would be fun for me!

Hope you enjoyed the article and I encourage you to share what you do to make training interesting and how you’ve maybe tried this style of training.

Aloha,

Suzie Cooney, CPT  Suzie Trains Maui

For inquiries about my training on and off the water go to http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com

For more athletic inspriation, check out our talented crew at The True Collection Website: http://true-collection.com/index.php

Interval training is a great to boost your current training program, lean out and get off any plateaus that may be occurring.  It’s also a great way to save time and be extra efficient with your training. Intense bursts of all out for about 30-45 seconds without letting your body fully recover is the basic principal. 

My advice to those beginning the style of training, is to ease in gradually. To avoid injuries, like tears or muscle pulls, be sure that your warm up is long enough to get your body loose before you hit it. You want to be  uncomfortable for most of your workout, but not bonk too soon. Increase your bouts of intensity slowly and monitor your body.

Here’s a sample of what a treadmill interval training session would look like. From LiveStrong:

Treadmill Intervals

Overview

Once you have a base of regular walking or running for at least six months, you should be ready to increase the intensity level with interval training. Interval training can be done on a treadmill by repeating a pattern of a high-speed period followed by a short recovery period throughout your workout. The key is to not allow your body to get comfortable during the workout so it has to work harder. This will become a valuable part of your treadmill regimen and ultimately increase your fitness.

Speed

Interval training can be done on a treadmill by varying the speed. Start with a warm-up period of easy walking or jogging. Before beginning an interval workout, your body must be completely warm with all muscles loose and flexible. Otherwise, you risk injury.

Start with a speed setting that is slower than normal for the warm-up period. Then find a base mph setting that is slightly above the warm-up speed. This will be the speed you come back to for recovery periods. Once you have your base, build on that speed every two minutes.

For example, if your warm-up speed is 3.0 mph, your base or recovery speed could be 4.0 mph. Speed periods would start at 4.5 mph for one minute, then 4.0 for one minute of recovery. The next minute would be at 5.0, then 4.0 again for another minute. Continue to increase the speed period every other minute to 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and so on while keeping your recovery at 4.0. This pattern should be continued throughout the middle portion of your workout, lasting for 10 to 20 minutes. Always follow with a complete cool-down period.

Incline

The other option for interval training on a treadmill is to vary the incline setting. Start with a warm-up period on a relatively flat elevation at 1.0. When you are ready for the interval portion of your workout, increase the elevation for one minute, then recover at 1.0 for one minute. Keep the mph setting the same throughout. Your workout will get harder by changing the elevation, not the speed.

For example, run for one minute at 1.5 incline, then recover for one minute at 1.0, run for the next minute at 2.0, recover at 1.0. Continue to increase the incline every other minute to 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and so on while keeping your recovery period at 1.0.

Interval Periods

The length of the intervals can vary. One minute is a good starting point, but if you are a beginner, you can start at 30 seconds. If you are more advanced, you can make it two minutes. The goal is to keep the recovery period as short as possible, while still allowing your body enough time to recover. The more fit you get, the quicker your body will recover and the shorter your recovery period can be.

Examples

Here is a sample treadmill interval workout:

Warm-up, 5-10 minutes at 3.0 mph
Gradually increase the setting to 4.5 mph and allow your body to adjust to this speed. Then:
Run for one minute at 4.5 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph
Run for one minute at 5.0 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph
Run for one minute at 5.5 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph

Continue to increase the speed at each interval and repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.

Cool down for 8 minutes at 3.0 mph.

Work this program into your training week at least once or twice a week. I think you’ll find your body resonding nicely and your endurance will soar!  Feel free to contact me if I can help you with your training needs.

Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT

http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com

808-283-2121  e:Suzie@SuzieTrainsMaui.com

When this happens, they can’t do as much physically, so their performance declines when surfing, playing golf, hitting a tennis ball or even carrying a bag of groceries.

Muscle holds a lot of your body water and is essential for regulating body temperature. Muscles are big spenders and burn lots of calories 24/7. When people are on restrictive diets ( bad ) the body is tricked into believing it’s on a deserted island with minimal or no food – therefore as a natural defense mechanism, the body attacks it’s most active tissue, muscle in order to SLOW down the body’s metabolic rate.

There are wonderful health benefits of building muscle:

     Increases endurance and flexibility
     Protects your joints (reducing risk for injury)
     Increases your energy level and boosts metabolism

The math: If you gain 1 pound of additional muscle tissue which can burn 35-50 calories per day…over the course of a year you can burn 91,250 calories a year! Fat burns 2 calories per day.  On average, the amount of muscle gain when performing a resistance program, a person can gain 3-5 pounds ever 3-4 months. Keep in mind that this will vary greatly depending upon age, genetics, and type of training program you are performing.

To help my clients increase their strength, the goal is to do strength-building activities a least two to three times per week. Sometimes the challenge is getting clients t use enough resistance to overload the muscle. Some people, especially my older female clients, tend to under estimate their abilities.

You can accomplish the weight exercises with a number of different tools. For beginners, I recommend resistance bands and free weights. Machines are okay, but don’t allow one to learn how to stabilize the body on their own. Also, using your own body weight is great. Performing simple squats or push-ups are an example. Or pull ups are good too.

The more advanced person, one can change the angle variable to change the intensity of the particular muscle group. Or of course, depending upon your fitness goals, increase the amount of weight.  Remember, if increasing load you may need a spotter.

If you hop on the scale and you see a little weight gain, don’t panic. Muscle weighs more than fat. The proof it’s working: Your clothes fit looser because of the overall toning strength training provides.

Joining the muscle mass is a good thing! Remember to keep good form when performing any resistance training, and manage a weight that won’t lead to injury. Progress slowly and then begin to increase the load or intensity.  Go ahead, show me those muscles!

I hope you enjoyed this article. Feel free to leave a comment!

Warm Aloha,

Suzie Cooney, CPT   www.suzietrainsmaui.com/blog

It’s so fun to see their big smiles and looks of focus and determination. I often will time people to the point of fatigue or failure. Then we hop on again for more endurance drills.  Putting a couple of dumbbells in your hands or kettle bells definitely add to the burn and fatigue AND challenge. I’m using a 10lb kettle bell in these photos.
[[Show as slideshow]]

You can easily modify in many different ways, the ways in which you progress yourself to more advanced moves.  Always take caution as to the type of surface you perform on. For beginners, I’ll throw a yoga mat underneath the drum to slow it down a bit. Or, simply put the board on a disc for my more elderly clients, and then have them hold onto me or a very stable object. 

It really makes a difference when you carve and as you push the rails or even on a windsurfer, or stand up paddle board. I can notice a huge transfer of control in strong or light winds and strength when I jibe into a turn, and when stand up paddling while trying to catch waves. I love it!

For fun, here’s Indo Boards September 2009  Newsletter to read more.  Thanks Indo Board, that was fun! Suzie  

My custom bathing suit by, Julie Stone of Posh Pua    

Come train with me and let’s ride!Follow Suzie on Face Book:  http://www.facebook.com/suzietrainsmaui

Race Results August 23, 2009 Cycle to the Sun Maui’s 36 Mile Race to the top of Haleakala Volcano

It was a great day with many great finishes, as the bright-eyed and some still sleepy-eyed, cycling enthusiasts prepared at the starting line of Maui’s, special annual, Cycle to the Sun.  A light drizzle came upon the sleepy town of Maui’s famous N. Shore surf town, Paia, but soon faded before the start. A Hawaiian priest gathered at the starting line to offer his prayers of a great race day for all. ( see lots of photos below ) For race results, click here.

The event was very well organized and went off very smoothly.

Check In

 The organizer and sponsor, Donnie Arnoult, of Go Cycling Maui and wife Michele, greeted the competitors as they signed in, and assured a smooth finish at the top!

People attended from all over the globe as far as Tokyo and Toronto.  This for sure was a backyard event, as many locals proved their strength and stamina. 

I was co-supporting along with Randy, and Michelle Wagner, for number 128, Gary Tuttle, who by the way rode up on a late model Bontrager, mountain bike! This was Gary’s first race up and with a fantastic time of 4:38, hopefully he’ll be back again next year! Stayed tuned for Gary’s story.

The support stations were fantastic. Station # 2 had a little Lenny Kravtiz and more fresh packs of gel.  I had fun working with Richard and young Will Spork, while mixing bottles and bottles of Heed and fresh water. Klaus was mixing the tunes and chasing cyclists with smooth hand offs too!

Local Pukalani hero Bart Zawacki of BartBuilds.com did great too for his fourth year. Check out the cool bicycle design he shaved on his head! Only Bart would do this!  He got awesome support too from girlfriend, Kiegan!

Checking in with them both today, legs are a bit tired, but they feel great!

Leave a comment for your support for all of these great athletes!

Here are some more fun photos of the day’s event:

Photos by Neal Wagner, of Neal Wagner Productions and Suzie Cooney.

Thanks Donnie and Michele for your tireless efforts!

Suzie Cooney, CPT  Suzie Trains Maui

Work Out Traps: A Few Tips So you Don’t Fall In One!

Break out of the fitness trap, and don’t be like the others stuck in the same routine, and the same body. You see the same person, at the same time on the same treadmill or weight machine, doing the same routine.  But, do they look any different?  You say to yourself, “is that me?” Here are a few tips to avoid falling into the same work out trap and get the results you desire.

1. More is Not Always Better

Lifting too much weight can compromise the alignment of your spine and may cause muscle and ligament injuries. Heavier is not necessarily better. Watch your form and avoid swinging weigths or overloading the cables. For example, although very popular the lat pulldown machine can be very dangerous if one loads up with too much weight.  Maintain a controlled movement and pace, and avoid the rocking back and forth movement that tends to come with too much momentum.  Keep your spine properly aligned and stay in control on the way down.

2. Where’s the Beach? There’s more to train than just the bicep!

Most people love to train the bicep muscles, because it tends to respond to training rather quickly.  I think of the muscle man at the beach who, says, “ladies, the beach is that way,” while he flexes his bicep muscle and the girls swoon.  Have you noticed that when you’re at the gym, everyone’s doing a bicep curl. People love to look in the mirror and flex their guns. Yeah, it looks great, but it’s the smallest upper body muscle, so don’t forget your legs, your back, shoulders and abs too! Balance your workout for total body conditioning.

 3. Where’s my six pack? I always tell my clients, if you want to lose in the middle you must ,you must, do cardio a little..okay way more cardio. Your six pack is waiting for you, but until you get that heart rate up to boost your metabolism, good luck. It’s not to say if you did 500 crunches a day you may start to see some defintion, but all fitness specialists agree that even if you include some resistance training too, you won’t see much until you lose the fat first.  So don’t groan and moan about cardio, find something you enjoy. Punching a boxing bag is fun, jumping rope is awesome too. Be careful again not get stuck in the same cardio routine as well.  Call me and I’ll help you develop a cardio plan to help you burn.

 4. Machine Monkeys  These are the ones all hunched over hanging over a treadmill, or stationery bike with a death grip on the handlebars. First, make sure your posture is straight up, and shoulders back. If the speed is to high, or elevation too challenging, bring it down as not compromise good form. You know you are going to fast on the treadmill if you must hold onto the rails. I like Elliptical machines because you can’t really just hang there.  Don’t cheat yourself from a great effective workout.

 5. Stay Out of the Trap for Good

We all enjoy doing what is easy, and that’s how bad habits take shape.  If it wasn’t a little challenging, then everyone would be in tip top shape.  Working out should be fun and different. Some people do like routine, but I promise your body doesn’t. It’s important to mix it up so you get the results you want. Go to the beach and have an outdoor workout. If you like the gym, go for a run down the street instead of the treadmill. Grab your board, get some paddling in and a few waves, then finish with a weight workout. This is my favorite thing to do, for I feel pumped and warmed up!

I like to really mix it up for my clients. I always make the workouts fun, safe and challenging, while getting the results they desire.  I hope this article was helpful and informative.

Make changes today so your body makes changes tomorrow. Please call me if I can help you develop a program so you and your body doesn’t fall into the workout trap! It’s time to maybe try something new and have some fun!

Aloha and in good health, Suzie Cooney, CPT

Deep Tricep Dips

This is a very advanced exercise that targets the triceps, shoulders and chest! Don’t burn out before you get to the waves!

Difficulty Level: Advanced Strength
Muscle Group(s): Triceps, shoulder and chest
Equipment: 2 stools, push up bar
Progression: None