People ask me all the time, “ Why am I not improving?” I hear this time and again with workouts and weight loss programs. I usually start with simple questions to see where the breakdown in either type of program lies.  Most people will say, “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, I’m not seeing results anymore.” If this is true for you, you may want to go back and examine your progress in your workouts or your diets.  Throughout this series, I will examine each of the keys to your success:

1. Set a realistic obtainable goal
2. Profess your goal to somebody other than yourself
3. Join a group with similar goals
4. Keep a journal (be honest)
5. Make it fun

Stay with us, success is right around the corner.

Phase I of the journey is over halfway done. Our athletes continue to see and feel changes in their physical appearance and condition. Carley had the opportunity to consult with our dietitian, Jennifer McDaniel, and some changes were made in her diet. The greatest change was increasing her daily caloric intake to 1700 calories a day. Carley was far below that at the start of this project. Jon continues to work diligently. The changes in his upper body are very noticeable. He has been working extra hard on his abdominals, but refuses to unveil them until reassessment.

New measurements will be taken at the end of six weeks and changes in their workout programs will be made accordingly. Both jon and Carley have been posting their experiences in their own words. Be sure to check them out. Please feel free to send us your comments or thoughts on Project Perfection 2010.

Week three finds our athletes working diligently on their weightlifting and cardio programs. Carley has had the opportunity to workout in the presence of Beth and Larry. She is noticeably leaner and showing some improvements in upper body tone. Jon has not been able to get together with any of the trainers recently. He has been checking in by e-mail and continues to report progress.

John made an appearance at our group workout this past Saturday. He has lost a lot of weight in the middle and there is a definite change in his physique throughout. Jon had his phone interview with Jennifer this past week and he said she was awesome. He said she set him right on his knowledge of protein intake and gave him a lot of valuable advice. We hope to share more of that advice in future writings. One of my observations while watching Jon participate in a group, station, exercise session, was his aerobic endurance had decreased. I don’t think this is an unusual outcome for the type of program he is on. He is training to strictly increase muscle volume without the goal of improving endurance or ability on the playing field. Jon will be getting together with one of the trainers during week IV to go through his program and make any adjustments that may be indicated.

Carley continues to get famliar with weightlifting and the basic principles of increasing weights as both techniques and strength improve. She is on track and doing well. Carley will be consulting with Jennifer by phone this week. All the pieces of the puzzle are falling in place. From here on in, execution of the plans will be the greatest priority.

Jon’s Comments

Week three of P-squared saw increased shaping of my mid-section. In fact,  I already have a pair of jeans I can’t even wear anymore unless  I want them  by my ankles. Weights in almost all of the lifting excersises increased  aswell. It seems when I am going to up in the weights, I find my self going  up 10-15 lbs and not just the usual 5-10 lbs. I’m hoping the gains continue  into week four.

- Jon

Supplements and Their Place in a Training  Regimen

We are frequently asked what supplements our athletes should take in conjunction with their training. This is not an easy question to answer.  It is true  that heavy training increases an athletes’ caloric needs, and it is true training creates stressful demands on both the musculoskeletal  system and the cardiovascular system. A good diet, balancing protein and carbohydrates, is very important to assist recovery and performance. Heavy training on a consistent basis makes it difficult for the athlete to eat enough to meet his or her needs. This is where supplementation can play a key role in an athletes’ performance.

When speaking about supplements, the first thing that pops into everyone’s head is steroids. Steroids are illegal, destructive, and have no place in sports. Supplements by definition are dietary aids taken to fill a need in one’s diet. The most common example is a daily multivitamin. When examining athletic performance, the most common and effective supplements are protein, creatine, and caffeine. Creatine and protein directly affect muscle building and muscle performance. Caffeine directly affects muscle performance in endurance athletes. All three supplements have been studied exhaustively, and all have been found to be safe and effective. The NCAA has put limitations on the amount of caffeine an athlete can consume before competition.

The question we are examining here is:  What supplements should an athlete take?  Protein and creatine are a must when it comes to building strength. Both can be found in red meat, and there are several powder forms of protein and creatine. Why take supplements? Why not? In conjunction with good training habits, results can be seen within minutes, days and weeks. Results from a good training program alone or just diet alone take weeks to months.

The best strategy is to clean up your diet first. Set your goals of training to include your diet. After you have good discipline with your diet, then slowly add supplementation to complement your goals. You may consider consulting a dietitian to guide you through a proper diet plan. When it comes to supplements, we at Kinetic Connections have found Advocare products and Pro-Grade products to be the best and most pure products to use. It is important to know if any of the products your athletes are taking have banned substances in their ingredients. Neither of these product lines do. Both offer a contact number if you have any questions regarding their products. If you are interested in purchasing either of these products, you may do so by clicking here.  If you have any questions regarding this topic feel free to e-mail your question or call us.Continue reading »