As a gadget’eer, I pride myself in being able to sniff out some of the world’s coolest gizmo’s, and the IRUNNER app coupled with a heart rate monitor and pedometer have become my new new friends.

The meat and potatoes behind this app are simply amazing. Like any other HR monitoring system, the user specific HR zones are determined by entering your gender, age, height, weight, max HR, even resting HR. The app then generates your work zone chart, so that you can now enter your workout and track the effectiveness of your routine.

For example, I like to begin my workouts by warming up on a treadmill. This allows me to effectively warmup all muscle groups, raise my HR and increased circulation. In the above chart, I ran one mile at a comfortable pace of 6.0. By effectively studying the concept of stored energy consumed by increased HR, I have learned first hand how this applies. If I warm up at a pace of 6.5-7.0, my HR increases into the the next zone, where it then pulls from my bodies stored glycogen’s at nearly double the rate. If my intent is only to warm up, my body’s stored energy is significantly lowered before I even begin working out. As you begin tracking your HR, an effective measurement that will allow you to measure your hearts current ability to perform under physical exertion is your hearts recovery rate. This is also effectively tracked with this app. Note the direct fall of the HR line in the chart above. The numbers a crossed the bottom represent minutes in use.

If your goal is to increase distance ran, this app allows you to visualize your HR at a given pace, over a given time. The classic walk/run pace, increasing run times shows how the body learns to store energy as well as adapt to applied physical stress.

The chart above shows HR zone percentages. This app stores each days performance making it easy to refer back to and make comparisons of performance gains.
Thus far, we have only scratched the surface of this gizmo’s features and abilities; the IRUNNER app also tracks pedometers, cycling, spinning, even hiking. The units ability to track calories burned allows me to then couple this information with other health and performance related apps which I will blog about at a later date. If your looking for a HR performance related app, the IRUNNER ranks at the top for me. You create the desire, and these gizmo’s turn effort into productivity, ultimately fueling the passion!

CBT

With the passing of the first month in our new year, our New Years resolutions have either became a habit, or have fallen by the wayside. If leading a healthier lifestyle was on your list, then hopefully you have taken the basic steps to improve your physical wellness by enlisting better eating habits, getting more exercise, and giving your body the appropriate rest needed in this new life style. In this, we need to remember that nutrition plays a vital roll in our bodies ability to carry this new work load, and in this, diet and supplementation are often overlooked but are actually critical components to this body transforming process. Today’s market place is loaded with a variety of products that when used properly with diet and exercise will give the user increased returns on efforts expended, and pre-workout formula’s are one of them.

So by now, we are asking ourselves the question….what is a pre-workout supplement? And, this is a great question. Lets begin by understanding that the components listed in the “Supplements Facts” list on these products, are ingredients that science has proven to enhance athletes ability during a given workout regimen. Further, when key ingredients like vitamin B3, B6, B12, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and branch chain amino acids, properly dosed and then stacked with caffeine, becomes a supplement blend in a “pre-workout cocktail” giving increased endurance, fighting muscle soreness and fatigue. additionally, enhancing nitric oxide levels and increased vasodilation, improving amino acid utilization, all this leading to increased stamina and an intense ability to focus during workouts. In short, these supplements will increase strength, aerobic and anaerobic exercises and an Increased performance during a given time; also aiding in a healthier muscle recovery.

Over the past three years, I have worked with numerous brand names, intensely studying the performance enhancing effects of these products and can honestly say that they are real. While I do know that each individual may experience slightly different effects from each brand name, I have had the best results from SUPERPUMP MAX, made by Gaspari Nutrion. I have recently cycled off this product, having used it for 5months straight, then one month off. I am currently using ASSAULT, a new product to the shelf produced by Muscle Pharm. Cycling should be a standard, 5 months on, and then one month away, allowing the body a rest so that it doesn’t adjust to the effects. Properly used, these “pre-workout cocktails” have given me a noticeable difference in my ability to perform during my daily lifting routines, AND, the increases “pump” is simply amazing!

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of these supplements and cardio activities.

Related Articles:

Pre & Post Workout Cocktails

Branch Chain Amino Acids BCAA’s

L-Arginine

In early April of 2011, I was made aware of a former classmate, Cindy McDonald Contos and her conditions with breast cancer. With a little help from FaceBook, I was easily able to track down this high school friend and learn more about here story.

Cindy and her husband Tim (pictured above) and her story:

Thousands of people converge at the Gateway Center in down town Salt Lake City for this annual event.

Locating your team in this sea of pink and white can be very chaotic.

A little texting and sharp eyes, we where able to locate Cindy and her following.

After a few good laughs, I dawn my new team shirt and became one with the crowd.

If you are at all sensitive to words or innuendos regarding the upper portions of the female annadomy, best stay home because these folks are very creative in there efforts to educate.

With a little meet and great, the stories become so real as visit with these lady’s and learn of their trial, each of them carrying a series of the Breast Cancer Awareness symbols to show the world of their strength and abilities to survive breast cancer: This young lady respectfully displaying 36 years…what an amazing women.

Here is another photo that speaks of a survivor, her friends and family rallying around her, celebrating life. With so many people supporting the cause, it becomes apparent just how many people’s live that breast cancer has and will effect.

Having grandmothers, a sister, relatives and close friends that have battled with breast cancer, it is amazing to see how these people have chosen to openly deal with and try to educate the public as they “race” to find a cure.

In order to prep my body for a peak performance during a demanding early AM workout regimen, I will wake up and go directly to the kitchen for my pre-workout “cocktail” (protein shake). The rule of 25 In 25 (25 g. of protein within 25 minutes of waking up) is a way of life for me. When we wake in the mornings, our bodies have been on an 8-12 hour fast and as we wake our body begins to draw on an already empty fuel tank. This is a critical time of the day in that we must give our body the much needed proteins or it will produce cortisol and slip into a catabolic state. A protein shake or meal replacement is a perfect remedy for this. Below is an example of my morning “cocktail” regimen.

Pre-Workout Shake Dosage

Whey protein Isolate 35 g.

Mixed with 10 ounces 1% milk

BCAA’s 5 g.

Glutimine 5 g.

L-Arginine 1 ½ g.

Beta-Alanine 1 g.

Flaxseed (ground) 10 g.

Blue Berries (frozen) 35g. (about ¼ cup)

30 minutes Prior to My Workout

I will drink a pre-workout nitric oxide formula. I start the timer immediately upon drinking this one, because my body feels like it is ready to kick into high gear within 5-10 of consumption. Allowing 30 minutes for the ingredients to take full effect on the body is a must, not to mention If I step on the treadmill to soon, I will get a bit of a side ache from the fluid:

SuperPump Max 48 g.

Mixed in 12 ounces of water

1-1 ½ Hour into Workout

In the later portion of my workout, I will begin to drink my creatine cocktail that was already prepared in a small shaker bottle:

VoluGro (Creatine Monohydrate) 38 g.

Mixed in 10 ounces water

Immediately after I hae finished with my workout, I will return to the kitchen for my post-workout cocktail. This is another critical window where the body is demanding a fast acting protein and carbohydrate intake. Your body is depleted of energy source and your muscles will quickly absorb the carbs you ingest. Think of your body as having an empty fuel tank and your motor is running at a high RPM, even though you have finished your workout, you metabolism is charged to run.

Post-Workout Shake

High Protein Anabolic Gainer 75 g.

Mixed in 10 ounces of 1% milk

BCAA’s 5 g.

Glutimine 5 g.

L-Arginine 1 ½ g.

Beta-Alanine 1 g.

Blue Berries (frozen) 35g. (About ¼ cup)

As a general rule, I will repeat these two cocktails one more time each through the day, generally i will drink another whey protein mid to late afternoon and the high protein with a high carbohydrate complex late evening, prior to bedtime. This I will do along with a healthy diet of 3-6 square meals. Remember, protein builds muscle, carbohydrates fuel the muscle, and that tomorrow’s performance will be based on today’s loading of adequate nutrition.

While I do not recommend that everyone run out and break the bank buying all the components for these yummy cocktails. I do however recommend that you apply the “25 grams of protein within 25 minutes” rule (25 In 25), a healthy diet, and a minimum of 2 ½ -3 hours of working out a week. This is an excellent starting point to assess your body’s condition and build upon your short and long term fitness goals.

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of these supplements and cardio activities.

Beta-Alanine is an amino acid that promotes muscular energy that your body can utilize during an intense workout.  Whether you are involved in endurance training, or resistance training, beta-alanine may improve workout performance through muscular endurance and extra energy.  This product works at the cellular energy level working to buffer the muscle from fatigue that is felt during high intensity exercise;  It works by encouraging other amino acids into the muscle tissue.  When stacked with creatine, it enhances muscle growth and fat loss more so than creatine alone.  I add 1g in a powdered form to my pre and post workout shakes.

How this product benefits me.

• Increases aerobic endurance
• Increases exercise capacity, allowing to train harder and longer
• Boosts muscular anaerobic endurance
• Boosts explosive strength and power output
• Increases muscle mass

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of this supplement.

Branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) include the amino acids luecine, isoleucine and valine.  These three aminos are essential for muscle growth, and they are an important energy source for muscle during exercise.  Leucine is particularly critical, as it has been found to be the key that turns on the process of growth in muscle cells.  These BCAAs are used directly by the muscle for fuel during workouts, sparing muscle BCAAs from being broken down as fuel.  Additionally, BCAAs inhibit cortisol, which interferes with testosterone’s levels and its anabolic functions in the body.

BCAAs are considered to be the building blocks for muscle growth.  They will be found in most all protein formulas, ranging from 2-5g.  Dosing ranges from 10-20g.  There are a variety of ways that you may supplement with BCAAs such as fruit flavored powder form, flavorless powder, capsules, even in the matrix of many vitamins.   I supplement my protein shakes with an additional 5g that comes in a flavorless powdered form manufactured by Optimum Nutrition (ON).  I have found ON to offer the best pricing for this supplement.

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of this supplement.

Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in the body and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle, by increasing the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).  Our bodies naturally produce creatine from amino acids primarily in the liver, pancreas and kidneys.  It is then transported in the blood for use my muscles.    Most people only store about 60-80 percent of their potential creatine leels.  Studies have shown that supplimenting with creatine enables individuals to elevate their creatine stores an average of 30 percent.  This additional creatine gives the body the necessary ingredients to produce more adensine triphosphate (ATP) during the creatine kinase process and to ultimately generate more work.  In short-More work equals more muscle stimulation and more muscle stimulation equals greater muscle size.  Creatine does for the body builder what carbohydrate loading does for the long-distance runner:  It provides more energy-producing materials, which provides more work to be generated.

Creatine can be found in various forms:  Creatine Monohydrate, Creatine Ethyl Ester and Creatine Magnesium Chelate.

Creatine can be found in the supplement list of some proteins blends ranging from 2-5 g.  It will however be found in the matrix of most all nitric oxide pre-workout boosters, again ranging from 2-5g.  Some charts will suggest a dosage as high as 20g per day.  I would start out in the range of 2-5 g to see what your body’s tolerance level is.  Many manufactures have you loading with double doses.  It is my experience that the timing of loading was more important than their recommendations of doubling up.

A quick Google search on this supplement 9creatine) will give you scores of reading material on which product renders best results, their studies and suggested applications.  Having worked with multiple brands, I have found the claims of increased performance to not only be true, but very beneficial in building more muscle.

I am currently using Nutrix Research’s Volu Gro, a creatine monohydrate blended with a waxy maze starch which acts as an accelerant in the transport of creatine.  Since using the Volu Gro, I noticed a huge difference in my body’s ability to process and utilize creatine.

If you choose to supplement with creatine, make sure to hydrate well.

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of this supplement.

Arginine is an amino acid, L form being one of the most common.  In fitness, arginine is taken mainly for its ability to boost nitric oxide (NO) production.  This is what gives you the feeling of an enhanced pump, the engorged muscle tissue and veiny look that most hard training guys work for.  This effect is due to the increased blood flow that NO provides.  The greater blood flow not only enhances your muscle pump, but it also delivers more oxygen, nutrients and anabolic hormones to your muscles.  In addition, arginine boosts growth hormone (GH).  GH is important for muscle growth and strength, as well as fat loss.

Function

Arginine plays an important role in cell division, the healing of wounds, removing ammonia from the body, immune function, and the release of hormones.  Arginine is the immediate precursor of nitric oxide (NO); is necessary for the synthesis of creatine, and promotes vasodilation.

• Precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO)
• Reduces healing time of injuries (particularly bone)
• Quickens repair time of damaged tissue
• Helps decrease blood pressure

Most quality proteins have arginine in them, generally 2-3g.  Additionally I supplement my protein shakes with 1-1.5 g of powder form, for a total of 10-12g combine.  Arginine brings a noticeable difference to my workout regimen and felt recovery time.  I cycle arginine at 6 months intervals (taken for 5 months followed by one month off).

Consult with your Doctor about the application and usage of this supplement.

L-Arginine>>>CLICK HERE

BCAAs>>>  CLICK HERE

Beta-Alanine>>>  CLICK HERE

Creatine>>> CLICK HERE