Overtraining

Overtraining is more common than people realize. At times many people confuse overtraining symptoms with that of a plateau in their routines. This confusion leads people to work harder and longer in their sessions looking for the progress they are lacking. Consequently, they spiral deeper into overtraining and frustration grows.

In simple terms, overtraining most commonly occurs when exercise bouts are too long, too intense or too close together without adequate rest. The earliest symptom of overtraining is chronic tiredness. Symptoms vary in severity and may be different among individuals. A person's nutritional habits, psychological outlook, and type of exercise routine can influence overtraining. Some of the most commonly reported signs are :

• excessive fatigue
• decrease in performance and lack of results
• psychological staleness, depression/irritability
• changes in resting heart rate (could be increased or decreased)
• decreased immune system & susceptibility to illness
• weight loss

How can we avoid overtraining ?

1. Vary the intensity and volume of workouts. Days with long vigorous workouts need to be followed by lighter days or days off.
2. Increase the volume or intensity of your workouts gradually. Your body needs time to adapt. Limping around the gym because you really "went after it" the day before. Is NOT gradual and is nothing more than a setback, not progress.
3. Get plenty of sleep. Find the right balance in how many hours your body needs to rest. Create a routine that keeps those resting hours as consistent as possible.
4. Eat a healthy diet & have balance in your diet. Your body can not recover if you do not give it the nutrients it needs. Be CAREFUL of fad diets that deplete the body of it's needs. Losing weight to fast can be unhealthy and dangerous.
5. Hydrate..hydrate..hydrate. Water is essential to the body and is often the most overlooked. As a rule of thumb, your daily water intake should be half your body weight in ounces (not including hydration needs on workout days)
6. Listen to your body. If you are tired, there is a reason. Drinking a Red Bull or a large dose of caffeine does more harm than good. Take the time to step back and analyze what factor(s) are causing the tiredness.

References: ACSM Health & Fitness Journal, D. Thomas

The Search for the Best Cardio Routine

The commercialized portion of the fitness industry has done a masterful job of keeping the public completely confused as to what equipment and techniques are most effective for cardio and fat burning. Walk into any local gym or fitness center and you see an "alphabet soup" of equipment choices: treadmills, ellipticals, stairclimbers, arc trainers... on and on. You'll find that most members randomly decide what equipment to use on that particular day and think "what does it matter as long as I get at least 30 minutes in". There are also the members that do the same thing over and over trying to force results out of their choice which does nothing more than plateau them and yield very little, if any results. Turn on your television and the next "miracle" piece of equipment is guaranteeing you results.. and for only 3 small payments ! I've seen an advertisement for a piece of equipment that claims to give you an entire workout in just four minutes and burn all the calories you need to.

The truth is that our physiology and the proper way to manage our workouts has never changed. Understanding your heart rate and being able to manage it on a finite level is the key to getting results.

I suggest that anyone who is serious about getting results should try joining a Spinning Exercise Program & get yourself a Heart Rate Monitor to wear every time you train. This is not to be confused with just taking a random spin class which many facilities are offering. Training & monitoring your body in all the necessary Energy Zones is the key to success and a Spinning Program is perfect for just that.

So let's talk about "Training Energy Zones". When we exercise, the intensity we chose moves our heart rate up & down into different zones. First you MUST know your resting heart rate in order to manage you exercise programs regardless of which form of exercise you chose. If you can't figure it out just ask me and I'll tell you.



Fat Burning Zone (50-65% of your maximum heart rate) This is the zone in which your body can eat away & use fat for energy most effectively. If you exceed the 65% by pushing it too hard your body will start to burn sugars, carbohydrates & other sources of energy. The key is staying in this zone the longest amount of time you can & you WILL see results in getting rid of stored fats.


Endurance Zone (65-75% of your maximum heart rate) The endurance zone is where your body is learning to be more efficient at metabolizing fat & increasing your metabolic rate so that your are burning more calories over a 24 hour span of time. Weight management and fat burning does not just take place when you are working out but rather it is a based on your metabolic rate all day long.

Strength Zone (75&-85% of your maximum heart rate) This energy zone is used to challenge & improve muscle strength in the body (including the heart which is the most important muscle) This is the zone in which you push and fatigue yourself to an uncomfortable level for an extended period of time. Training in this zone is essential because a stronger heart and improved muscle strength will improve performance during Fat Burning & Endurance training sessions.

Interval Zone (65-92% of your maximum heart rate) Training in this zone improves your heart's recovery time. How quickly you can recover is a direct indicator of your fitness level. Training in this zone should occur no more than 1-2 times a week. Excessive interval training will have a negative affect on your body's ability to train in the other zones that your body needs in order to function and maintain the right metabolic rate. You will plateau very quickly if you abuse this training zone. More than likely you will start to eat away at your lean muscle and still not be attacking your stored fats the way you need to.


A properly organized and managed Spinning program gives you the science and structure you need to get the results you want. There is nothing random about it. It is not just the newest fad. If you would like to know about it just email me and I'll be glad to tell you more. I am not suggesting that other programs and forms of exercise are not effective. It's just my belief that Spinning Pragrams can have the greatest impact. Variety in training is always best. Just be sure to know what your heart rate is doing while training in any form or you will be wasting your time & not getting the results you are looking for.

Mark Travers
Taurean Training & Wellness

The Importance of Hydration

Water carries nutrients to cells and carries waste and toxins away. Lean tissue & organs are more than 70% water and about 60% of total body weight is water. That being said, it is easy to see how hydration plays such an important roll in our training performance and health.


Avoiding dehydration is key to optimal training and fat buring. This is not as easy as it sounds because most people rely on "thirst" as their alarm clock to drinking fluids. Thirst, however is a delayed feeling that does not happen until a person has already lost 1 to 2 liters of fluid.


Try using these specific intervals for taking in fluids to be sure you are properly hydrated.

• drink at least 16 ounces of fluid 2-3 hours before exercise & weigh yourself before any intense training sessions for post workout assessment.


• drink 7-10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise


• after training reweigh yourself and drink 24 ounces for every pound of weight loss during exercise.

Always remember that losing weight during exercise is just temporary water loss and will inhibit fat burning for hours if not replenished immediately.

Water versus other hydration options

Sweetened fruit juices, energy drinks and sports drinks that exceed 6% sugar do not adequetly contribute to hydration during exercise. They hinder water absorption and the emptying of fluids from the stomach to the rest of the body. In addition, energy drinks high in caffeine deplete natural energy levels and the body's ability to deal with stress and fatigue. In addition, the diuretic effect of caffeine contributes to dehydration, and the alkaloids also can inhibit proper digestion.

So what's best ?

Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink. Use time intervals to keep you hydrated poperly. Chose drinks that are less than 7% sugar content and don't get caught in the hype of energy drinks. They do more harm than good.

References: ACSM's Certification in Review 2nd Edition, ACSM Resource for Trainer's 2nd Edition, Spinner's Instructor's Guide, Mad Dog Athletics

The "Skinny" on Whey Protein

The on-going question of ..."does protein really help me & which protein is best? " There are more articles & information on this topic then anyone would ever want or have the time to read. However, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has released information regarding target groups and the effect of whey protein in their diets.



First off, what is Whey protein ? Whey is the compound that remains after milk coagulates during cheese production. It has been defined as a 5% solution of the milk sugar, lactose, in water, combined with some minerals and lactalbumin (which is the protein found in the milk of mammals).

So "what's the skinny" ? Here is a summary of what some studies have found:

Whey Protein & Lean Muscle in Healthy Individuals
A study of 13 bodybuilders was conducted in which they were given whey protein over a 10 week time period. The results were compared to the same use with casein protein. It was found that the use of whey yielded significantly improved lean muscle mass, decreased fat mass and increased strength compared with casein.

Whey Protein in Obese Individuals
In another randomized study of 158 obese individuals it was found that those taking whey protein lost significantly more body fat and preserved more lean mass than those who did not intake any whey. A contributing factor was that whey curves the appetite and "carb craves" that can cause normal dieting to be ineffective. In addition, whey protein contributes to speeding up metabolism allowing the body to burn more calories throughout the normal day. Whey protein also has a high biologic value, meaning it can be incorporated into the body to make more proteins. This results in higher energy levels in the body. Improved energy levels keeps people from thinking that they need to continue to eat & snack to increase energy & reduce fatigue.

Whey Protein in Older Individuals
Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle associated with aging. Studies have shown that 15g/day of whey protein will decrease muscle mass loss in older individuals. More research over time is necessary to verify these results, but initial studies are positive.

In summary, whey protein seems to be a good supplement for preserving muscle mass, weight management and yields a number of other benefits. However, it is important to note that not "all" studies show positive results. Anyone thinking of adding whey to their diet needs to consider their own circumstances & conditions. In addition, individuals need to also consult their physician when making significant changes to their diet . This blog serves as information only.

References: ACSM "A Nutritionist's View" by Stella Lucia Volpe, PhD.,RD.,LDN.,FACSM