exercise

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – The Pros & Cons of a Gluten-Free Diet

It appears that gluten has become public enemy number one in the world of nutrition. If it seems like more and more people are adhering to the gluten-free diet, it’s because they are. According to a 2016 Medical News Today article, around 1.6 million people in the United States follow a gluten-free diet without having been diagnosed with celiac disease. We dive into this stat and many more related to the gluten-free diet in this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast.

Before we jump into our gluten-free discussion, Shannon and I recap our training for the week. Most of my exercise related activity was focused primarily on hurricane prep.  All the lifting, drilling, digging and carrying awkward loads mirrored a lot of the functional strength training I normally do at Tampa Strength (website link). It’s almost like I’ve been training for the hurricane.

Shannon on the other hand was participating in a much more structured exercise program. We’ve been talking about it a lot in the past several episodes and it has finally come to a culmination. Shannon has completed her Bella Prana yoga teacher training program. Eight months of immersion weekends, at home projects, leading & assisting her own classes and taking numerous yoga classes finally came to an end with a final “exam.”

Her exam consisted of constructing and leading another student through a 1-on-1 yoga session. The other student happened to be pregnant, which allowed Shannon to use the prenatal techniques that she has grown so fond of throughout her program. She passed her final and is now a 200 hour certified yoga teacher and couldn’t say enough good things about the program and the relationships she developed with her fellow classmates. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about the Bella Prana teacher training program.

Upon completing our training recap, we jump right into our gluten-free diet discussion. The vast of the majority of the info we refer to in our discussion comes from that 2016 Medical News Today article I referred to earlier (link). For those that are unaware, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (a combination of wheat and rye).

Gluten-free foods are especially important to individuals who have celiac disease, which is an autoimmune response that attacks the lining of the small intestine. This can lead to celiac sufferers to be unable to effectively absorb nutrients into their bloodstream, which can lead to anemia, delayed growth, and weight loss.

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Almond meal frequently used in gluten-free recipes

It appears that individuals with celiac disease aren’t the only ones suffering due to gluten. There is an estimated 18 million people in the U.S. that have some form of gluten intolerance – referred to medically as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). The symptoms associated with NCGS include bloating or gas, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, “brain fog,” and itchy skin rash.

However, eating gluten-free isn’t without its pitfalls. Shannon and I present the benefits & disadvantages of eating gluten-free for those with NCGS. You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear the full list of pros and cons, but if you’re interested in learning more about celiac disease and gluten-free cooking, I’d suggest you listen to the past ATF with gluten-free cookbook author Anna Vocino (episode link).

We wrap up this week’s podcast describing several gluten-free grain substitutes including quinoa, flax seed and buckwheat. FYI – many foods are naturally gluten-free, including fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, fresh meats, fish and poultry (not marinated, breaded, or batter-coated), unprocessed beans, seeds & nuts, and the lots of dairy products, which conicide with Shannon and I’s proclivity to whole, unprocessed foods.

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If you follow a gluten-free diet and want to add any pros or cons to our list, feel free to send them to us via email (elementaltampa@gmail.com) or by reaching out to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We’d also really love, Love, LOVE it if you gave us a rating & review on iTunes (link) OR our brand new Facebook page (link).

We’ll be back next week with an interview episode featuring our first repeat guest. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=486bb77f8f4f0f6d4e74e0c8e1ffe155

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/the-pros-cons-of-a-gluten-free

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-pros-cons-of-a-gluten-free-diet

Weekend Workout – Stiff as a Board to Move Light as a Feather

I mentioned it in a previous weekend workout post, but I think it bears repeating: having 6-pack abs doesn’t mean you have a strong core. Your rectus abdominis muscles make up your 6-pack, but to improve overall core strength you need to perform exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, obliques, transversus abdominis, erector spinae and more.

One such exercise that strengthens all these areas is the plank. I recommend performing the plank variation workout below in interval format (30 sec work/30 sec rest) for 15-25 minutes. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

If you complete this or any weekend workout, please let us know in the comment section below OR you can send us a pic/video of you doing the workout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). ENJOY!

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Weekend Workout – Train Like A Fighter Without Getting Hit

Combat sports, particularly boxing, have been in the news A LOT lately, which is why I felt it be appropriate to share a weekend workout that features a few boxing & kickboxing techniques. I combined a couple hand combinations with a pair of lower body exercises to ensure that you stay active this weekend.

Head to the ETT YouTube channel (link) if you need further instruction on the punches and/or front kicks. I recommend performing the workout in interval format (30 sec work/30 sec rest) for 12-20 minutes. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

If you complete this or any weekend workout, please let us know in the comment section below OR you can send a us pic/video of you doing the workout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). ENJOY!

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Weekend Workout – Jump Around to a Fitter You

This weekend workout will definitely have you feeling a little froggy. Incorporating jumping exercises into your workout routine can help you build lower body strength, balance and agility. They’re also a great way to quickly elevate your heart rate, which can lead to improved cardio capacity over time.

I recommend performing four to six sets of these jumping exercises. It’s especially important that you warmup and modify this workout to match your fitness level. Also, if you have a significant lower body injury (e.g. ligament strains or tears) you should click here for one of our past core centric weekend workouts.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Fight Breakdown of Mayweather-McGregor & Polichemi-Gramatica

I go solo on this week’s Addicted to Fitness, but don’t worry. Shannon’s cohost position is not in jeopardy.

For those of you that don’t know, Shannon is well into her 3rd trimester with our first child. In addition to that, she’s still working full time and is only a few weeks away from completing her yoga teacher training. If you’ve ever been pregnant, or the significant other of someone who is pregnant, you know that R & R is paramount. That’s why I decided to take the podcasting responsibilities upon myself this week.

I love Shannon being my cohost and I know you listeners do too, but a part of me was glad I was able to roll solo on this week’s podcast. Mainly because I commented on a pair of recent boxing events that I was looking forward to for some time. But before we get into my thoughts on those events, I dive into our training recap for the week.

As previously mentioned, Shannon is only a few weeks away from completing her Bella Prana yoga teacher training. If I haven’t said it before I’ll say it now, I’m super proud of her dedication to this program. I’m sure we’ll discuss her final exam a little more next week so make sure you tune in!

My training recap consists primarily of training with Elemental Training Tampa (ETT) clients. This past week was my busiest since I took ETT full time in March. I couldn’t be happier and I’m really appreciative of how committed all of my clients have been. One client in particular has been extremely devoted to his training program and he got to use that training in a recent celebrity boxing event.

Anthony “Spanish” Polichemi has been training with ETT for the past 5 weeks in preparation for a celebrity boxing match with former NFL pro Martin Gramatica. The match was the main event of the annual Mike Calta Punchout, which ETT has been fortunate enough to be involved in for the past 3 years. Even though Anthony was giving up approximately 5 inches and 20 lbs. to Martin, I was confident that after his training with ETT at Tampa Strength and Master Amir Ardebily (click here to listen to his ATF interview) at Amir Acadmey of Martial Arts, he’d be able to get his hand raised.

I sadly had to miss the event, but I listened to a round by round broadcast on the 102.5 the Bone mobile app. It sounded like Anthony was able to use his footwork and head movement to score early and often, but he ran into several power punches from his larger opponent. In the end, Anthony lost a decision, but I couldn’t be happier with the way he performed. I’m even more excited that he’s decided to continue his training with both ETT and Master Amir.

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Photo courtesy of bloodyelbow.com

I wasn’t nearly as emotionally invested in the other fight discussed on this week’s episode. Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor has been the number one topic in the world of sports for the past 10 weeks. All the hype finally came to fruition on August 26th and to many people’s surprise, Conor McGregor performed rather well, given the circumstances.

Floyd has been touted as one of the best technical boxers of all time, and his 49-0 professional record would support that claim. Conor has recently taken the MMA and combat sports world by storm with his ability to talk a big game and back it up when he gets in the ring. Even though this match was considered by some to be somewhat of a sideshow, mainly due to Conor’s lack of ANY professional boxing experience, I was still looking forward to seeing how both fighters would handle the uncertainty their opponent would present.

Much to the surprise of most people, Conor started the fight very well. He used his size and reach to keep Mayweather at bay and land scoring punches. It look to me that Conor had done enough to win the first 3 rounds, but I had a feeling that Mayweather was simply analyzing Conor’s technique and would soon begin to capitalize on his opponent’s lack of boxing experience.

The fight seem to turn in Mayweather’s favor starting in round 4. He was able to avoid Conor’s punches and started landing power shots of his own. By round 8, Conor’s cardio was spent and Floyd turned up the intensity of his attack. Halfway through round 10, Floyd got Conor against the ropes, landed numerous unanswered shots which forced the ref to stop the fight. Mayweather won by TKO and improved his professional boxing record to 50-0.

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The Mayweather-McGregor fight wasn’t a great example of superb technical boxing, but it was entertaining none the less. Not NEARLY as entertaining as the Polichemi-Gramatica fight, especially for yours truly. Click here if you like to see a video of the entire match between Anthony and Martin. Follow Anthony on social media (@spanishep) and watch as he continues his fitness journey with ETT.

You should also follow us on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). Please reach out to us on social or send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com, and let us know who you think of ATF. We love hearing from our listeners and I promise all you Shannon fans that she will be back next week. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=bad843c8f61aa163342caa25cc7bb458

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/fight-breakdown-of-mayweather

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/fight-breakdown-of-mayweather-mcgregor-polichemi-gramatica 

Weekend Workout – A Stronger Core Means A Stronger You

Have you tried incorporating supersets into your workouts yet? For those that need a refresher on supersets, they require you to perform a desired number of repetitions for 3 separate exercises in succession. These workout sets allow you to up the intensity of your workout in a shorter period of time.

This weekend workout includes a core centric superset workout. Performing five 10 rep supersets of this workout will help improve strength in your ENTIRE core, not just your 6-pack (rectus abdominis). Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview & Workout from the Seminole Heights Athletic Center

We’ve got another first on this week’s Addicted to Fitness. This on-location episode features my first workout at the Seminole Heights Athletic Center (website link) and a discussion about the history of the facility with the founders Karen & Marlo Tamayo.

Karen and Marlo grew up playing individual and team sports, but once they reached early adulthood, their approaches to fitness varied. Karen joined the coast guard which required her to maintain a certain level of fitness. Upon completing her military enlistment, she enrolled in grad school and later began competing in triathlons. She soon realized that the time investment involved in the triathlon training was substantial and made the decision to transition to crossfit training.

Marlo on the other hand continued her sport specific training while playing on the Florida Atlantic University varsity softball team. Her dedication to a regular fitness routine took somewhat of a backseat once she began her PhD program in the early 2000s. After 13 years of focusing a tremendous amount of her time and effort on her degree and career, she decided to make fitness a top priority once again. Much like Karen, this change in priorities led Marlo to discovering an affinity for crossfit workouts.

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Snapped this gem during my visit to the Seminole Heights Athletic Center

Marlo & Karen were acquitances before they began training at the same crossfit “box” and even though they have a love for it, they knew that they wanted to take a different approach to fitness than crossfit offers. This led them to leading free workout sessions for friends, coworkers and neighbors at a workout space they created in their garage. Their fitness community quickly grew and required a larger space, which lead them to opening their current location in early 2017.

Seminole Heights Athletic Center (SHAC) offers a variety of exercise modalities including yoga and cardio boxing, but their primary workout tracks are SHAC FIT and BARBELL. Both options include high intensity interval training (HIIT) style workouts that are designed to boost endurance and/or increase strength & power output. The primary difference is that SHAC FIT uses more bodyweight exercises while BARBELL incorporates olympic lifting movements. Karen creates all the workouts and makes sure that they can be modified to match any fitness level.

Karen and Marlo operate SHAC in a manner that promotes a sense of community & acceptance. This is evident in the wide range of clientele that frequent the facility as well as their community involvement. They recently registered SHAC in the Tampa Police Department’s Safe Place Initiative (click here to learn more). This program allows anyone that is feeling threatened, or a possible victim of harassment/prejudice, to use the SHAC as a safe haven until authorities arrive. As a same sex married couple, Karen and Marlo have personal experience dealing with prejudice, which is why registering the SHAC in this program was a no brainer.

I was so stoked to have gotten the opportunity to speak with Karen & Marlo about their fitness journeys, but this wasn’t just an interview episode. We still had a workout to do!

Before I jumped into the workout, Karen put me through a standard 10 minute warmup that included several bodyweight & resistance band mobility exercises. After I was all warmed up and ready to go, I decided to tackle the SHAC FIT workout of the day which was 5 dumbbell squat clean thrusters (click here to see video demo), 5 hand release push-ups and 5 strict pull-ups.

I only had 10 minutes to complete as many rounds of the 15 rep sets as possible. It didn’t seem like much of a challenge at first but after the first couple sets, I was very happy that it was only a 10 minute workout. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out how many rounds I was able to complete.

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I can’t thank Marlo & Karen enough for allowing me to bring Addicted to Fitness into their awesome facility. One of the main functions of the podcast is to highlight fitness and health professionals that many people may not be aware of. Being able to do this in my own community is a huge honor and I hope you all enjoy these episodes as much as I enjoy creating them.

If you know a fitness professional(s) or facility that we should feature on the ATF podcast, please let us know by emailing us at elementaltampa@gmail.com or connecting with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). While you’re checking us out on social media, you should also check out the SHAC Facebook page (link). If you live in the Tampa Bay Area and want to get a workout in at SHAC, head to their website to see their class schedule.

Thanks again for all the love you guys constantly give us. Please leave us a rating & review in iTunes if you haven’t done so already. You know that we love hearing your feedback. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-workout-from-seminole-heights-athletic-center/id1121420986?i=1000391533616&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/an-interview-workout-from-the

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-workout-from-the-seminole-heights-athletic-center

 

Weekend Workout – These Exercises We’ll Have You Looking Dynamite!

Dynamic exercises, also known as plyometrics, can really jump-start any workout. Plyometric exercises can get your heart rate up & increase your maximum force production, but did you know there are also dynamic mobility exercises.

Dynamic stretching movements can help promote blood flow and enhance joint and muscle range of motion. Which is why I incorporated two dynamic mobility exercises with two dynamic plyometric exercises for an explosive weekend workout.

Make sure you warmup and modify the exercises & intervals to match your fitness level. Let us know in the comment section if you completed this or any workout. Enjoy!

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