Diet and Nutrition Basics

Ok so you want to eat healthier, maybe gain a little muscle and lose a little fat? Then you've come to the right place. Your nutrition starts with what you buy at the store - and the age old food pyramid still comes into play.

Starting with your breakfast cereals: aim for something that has at least 5g's of fiber, and LESS than 8g's of sugar, 3g's of fat, 250mg of sodium.

When you buy bread you should always be getting be whole wheat bread. Skip white bread and anything with more than 2g's of fat per slice, especially muffins, pastries, etc.

You should of course be buying plenty of produce such as fruits and vegetables. Organic produce may be optimal as it will have fewer pesticides, also you can buy prepackaged salad if you want to make things easier. When considering the benefits of eating fruit vs. fruit juice, know that fruit juice can often be very sugary - yet many are still good for getting your fruit quota. Also be aware that you will not be getting as much fiber than if you had eaten real fruit.

Purchasing canned food can also be an excellent, convenient and cheap way to stock up on your fruits and vegetables. Be careful though because many can come with additives of sugar, salt, cream, etc. making it fattier than you realized. Canned fruits especially are very often packed in sugary corn syrup. Canned tuna is a perfect and cheap form of protein as well.

As far as meat goes: seafood and then chicken are going to be your best options. Fish contains a great amount of protein. The only thing is be aware of what types of fish you are eating as many are being over fished, or have other negative environmental impacts like farming. Good fish to eat, with minimal environment impact include albacore tuna, catfish, halibut, mahi mahi, rainbow trout and Pacific Salmon.



In my next post I'm going to try to hit up all the various supplements and debunk the mysteries around them!

Aerobic Fitness and ATP

Whenever you exercise your body uses a molecule called adenosine triphosphate or ATP for short. Aerobic fitness is therefore defined by you getting your heart pumping. But to get the best aerobic exercise it needs to be an extended duration of medium intensity; such as jogging. If you were to up the intensity level during your activity your body would need to work to convert more oxygen into ATP. Eventually though your body won't be getting enough ATP from oxygen alone. When you've surpassed all the energy you can get from oxygen but still need more your body starts to perform anaerobic processes. Anaerobic exercise completely bypasses using oxygen to give our cells energy as we are used to. And it comes with a painful price known as lactic acid. Just how long you can go before the need for anaerobic respiration is a good overall measure of your fitness. Doctors can actually measure this, while you are simultaneously exercising to exhaustion. The number they get is called your VO2max, it gives you a good idea of how in shape you are and with months of work can be improved.
 

Fundamentals

Physical training can be divided into three categories, all related to aerobic fitness. You have frequency, intensity, and duration, all hold equal importance. The importance of consistency is extremely great, if you always follow the same workout routine then you WILL see results. If you go to the gym whenever its nice out and you don't have too much to do that day, then you will not. Make time for your workouts.

It is recommended that you get to your workout routine a minimum of three days a week, and 30 minutes each time. One should be shooting for a relatively high intensity workout, say about 70% of your maximum heart rate (determined based on age, gender, and other factors.) It is vital that you train in the correct intermediate zone. If you aren't working hard enough, or conversely are training too hard you will not see significant results and may risk injury.

Remember that consistency is key, you need to stick with your program. It can take up to two weeks for your body to start adjusting to that new routine, and two months before you've fully adapted to your routine. This means take it slow, be consistent, and push hard when you feel your body can handle it. Don't expect crazy gains in performance immediately, but work towards them. Put your goals on paper and go achieve them!


 Video for your entertainment:

Jump Around

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering how you can jump higher. If you play basketball or just want to show off to your friends then you need to increase your vertical leap. What you need to do is become a freak.

Unlike other exercise programs this will not encourage you to max out and overwork yourself, but on the other hand this is not for people who aren't willing to work.

If you are serious about your training then vertical freak will allow you to achieve the very most out of your body. The secret is in developing explosive energy to propel yourself upward. If you are an athlete you will see all around results almost immediately. And if you aren't an athlete then prepare to be. By working out the muscles you need to jump higher, you will be exercising your core body muscles, and burning through calories.

I've found this coupon floating around the internet, which activates a huge discount, and allows you to buy this product for less than $80. Act now and make change!

Do you want to be more like Tim Howard? Well then start now. Fitness is something that you need to be constantly working on. If soccer is your thing, then what is holding you back?.

This Total Soccer Fitness guide will provide you with all of the necessities you need to be the best on your team. Whether you play with buddies on the weekend, are on the high school team, or play with your college club, the program will give you results.

The program will let you reach peak performance by its separate focus on aerobic and anaerobic fitness. You won't be limited to soccer performance either, as your all around fitness level will be greatly increased. You will be able to run faster, harder, and longer than before. The guide aims to make you a faster more explosive player, but also one who can move quickly and with agility.

And if your a goalie, like our boy Howard - then fear not, because this program includes advice and conditioning specifically for goalkeepers.

Click Here and Become the BEST

Goooooooooooal

In miracle fashion, Tim Howard Scored a 100 yard soccer goal bringing the Everton team a one point lead. The wind can really trick people and make the ball travel unpredictably.

Howard actually felt pretty bad for the goalie he scored on (Adam Bogdan) although the Bolton team went on to beat Everton 2-1. And in incredible sportsmanship, Howard doesn't even let out a smile as fellow teammates jump to congratulate him. Owing it all to good (or bad) luck, Howard appreciated the randomness of his goal.

See it here; absolutely amazing!