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Here is a great read XFITNESS found from Calvin at Crossfit Invictus.

I am often asked if it is alright to train on an empty stomach. I think this is a common issue for anyone who needs to get to the gym early in the morning. Eating a breakfast of solid foods such as eggs, veggies, and maybe some fruit before a 6am workout can be difficult, if not impossible, for many people. You’ll have to be up early to prepare breakfast, eat, allow adequate time for digestion and get to the gym for your training session. Even if you prepare food ahead of time, many people don’t have much of an appetite upon waking. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to people who train early in the morning. If you are coming to one of the evening workout sessions, it’s likely the last meal you had was lunch. 4 to 6 hours without food is enough to leave you in a partially fasted state which can negatively impact your ability to perform your best in the gym. Nonetheless, skipping meals isn’t a good idea and today I’ll discuss a few reasons why you should reconsider training on an empty tank.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals who skipped breakfast had diminished insulin sensitivity as well as increased LDL cholesterol [1]. Insulin sensitivity is important for proper nutrient uptake and long-term health as severely impaired insulin sensitivity can result in insulin resistance which is a risk factor for cornary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. High LDL cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, is a risk factor for arteriosclerosis, hypertension, stroke, as well as other cardiovascular health issues.

In addition to improving your long-term health, your athletic performance and body composition can be greatly improved with proper pre- and post-workout nutrition. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers found that subjects who consumed a protein shake before and after resistance exercise experienced greater gains in lean body mass and increased 1RM strength over those who did not [2]. Another recently published study found that consumption of whey protein before heavy resistance training actually resulted in an increase in resting energy expenditure the day after training [3]. One group consumed protein only before their training sessions and the other group consumed an equivalent amount of only carbohydrates, the protein only group had significantly higher resting energy expenditures 24 hours after their training session. Furthermore, the American College of Sports Medicine has presented research that suggests pre-workout protein intake can be even more effective for recovery than a post-workout protein shake alone. In other words, consuming a proper pre-workout meal can help increase your strength, improve recovery, as well as boost the amount of calories you burn at rest for up to a day after training which can help facilitate reduced body fat and improved body composition.

Another study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that a placebo group had significantly higher levels of cortisol, myoglobin, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) after exercise compared to those who consumed a protein and carbohydrate mixture [4]. High blood levels of myoglobin and CPK are most commonly indicative of muscle damage. Once myoglobin is in the bloodstream, it needs to be filtered by the kidneys. In severe cases, this can result in a condition known as rhabdomyolysis which can lead to acute kidney failure. This suggests that consuming some protein and carbohydrate prior to your training session can reduce the amount of muscle damage caused by intense exercise. As a result, this will allow for more intense training sessions and less recovery time needed between training days.

If you find yourself heading to training sessions on an empty stomach, I recommend consuming either a solid pre-workout meal of protein and carbohydrates 30 to 60 minutes prior to your workout or a protein shake 15 to 30 minutes prior. If you prefer training in a fasted state, I still recommend consuming some quality protein as soon as possible after your workout in order to improve recovery. An easy way to get pre- and post-workout meals is to simply drink half a protein shake before you train and the remainder immediately after. Keep in mind, pre-workout supplementation can be highly variable between people so I recommend experimenting to see what works best for you. Combined with a good nutritional plan, you’ll recover faster, get stronger, and be leaner. If you aren’t sure on how to implement this approach into your current training, feel free to schedule a consultation with one of your Invictus coaches.

References: 1. Hamid R Farshchi, Moira A Taylor and Ian A Macdonald. Deleterious effects of omitting breakfast on insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy lean women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005. 2. Cribb, Paul J., Hayes, Alan. Effects of Supplement Timing and Resistance Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006. 3. Hackney KJ, Bruenger AJ, Lemmer JT. Timing protein intake increases energy expenditure 24 h after resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010. 4. Baty, J.J., H. Hwang, Z. Ding, J.R. Bernard, B.Wang, B. Kwon, and J.L. Ivy. The effect of a carbohydrate and protein supplement on resistance exercise performance, hormonal response, and muscle damage. J. Strength Cond. Res. 2007.

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.
Core training made fun! Check out this great video we found today!

A great video from Andrew at Dragon Door Australia. Check them out http://www.dragondooraustralia.com/

Assessing Your Strengths (And Weaknesses)

There are basically two ways to measure and or improve your strength: move your own bodyweight  or, as Mark Sisson likes to say, “lift heavy things.”

So with that in mind here is a great way to check where you are and how much you are improving.

Men
40 Push-ups
10 Pull-ups
50 Squats

Women
10 Push-ups
15 Australian Pull-ups
50 Squats

So give it a go and see where you are at. Then set some goals and begin your quest to better yourself and your health!

WARNING: Tabata Workouts WILL Cause Fat Loss

1. Perform as many reps as possible within 20 seconds - maintain good form
2. Rest for 10 seconds
3. Perform 7 more sets
4. Move on to the next exercise

Note:  Use a clock, stopwatch, workout buddy or a dedicated HIIT timer to keep track of your work sets and rest periods.

Remember, the goal is to go as hard as you can for 8 sets of 20 seconds.

You can use pretty much any form of exercise or workout for Tabata interval training. From the good old push ups, squats, sit ups, pull ups to all things with weights as well. The sky is the limit with this one. So go on give it a go! Mix it up and DON’T PACE YOURSELF! Go all out for all the benefits.

How Important is Arm Swing to Running Form and Speed?

Variety Adds the Spice to Weight Training

When talking about running form I think we sometimes get very caught up with what the lower part of our body is doing. Of course the feet and knees, and legs in general are very key to the act of running. But, neglecting the top half of your body means negating the other half of the formula.

Check out this great post on  arm swing while running

http://naturallyengineered.com/blog/how-important-is-arm-swing-to-running-form-and-speed/

http://m.active.com/running/Articles/Variety_is_the_spice_of_weight_training.htm?cmp=17-2-1688

A Fitness Plan So Easy a Caveman Did It

Another great article on exercise  from Marks Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-fitness-plan-so-easy-a-caveman-did-it/

Workouts not requiring equipment:

Here is a small selection of workouts that don’t need any equipment and can be done pretty much anywhere or any local park.

Now go get active!

1. 10 rounds of 10 second “L” sits off the floor
2. “Susan” – 5 rounds for time:  Run 200m, then 10 squats, 10 push ups
3. Run 1 mile and at every 1 minute complete 10 air squats, 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups
4. 10 Rounds for time:  10 burpees, 100 m sprint
5. 10 handstand jackknife to vertical jump, 10 handstand jackknife to tuck jump, 10 handstand jackknife to straddle jump.
6. 3 Rounds for time:  10 Handstand push ups, 200 m run
7. 6 Rounds for time:  10 push ups, 10 air squats and 10 sit ups
8. 10 rounds for time:  10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 sit ups
9. 10 rounds for time:  10 push-ups, 100m dash
10. 5 rounds for time:  10 push-ups, 10 hollow rocks, run 200 meters
11. 10 rounds:  10 push-ups, 10 squats
12. 10 rounds for time:  10 push-ups, 10 sit ups, then 10 squats
13. 10 rounds for time:  10 sit ups, 10 burpees
14. 4 Rounds for time:  10 vertical jumps, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups
15. 5 Rounds for time:  10 vertical jumps, run 400 meters
16. 10 rounds for time: 10 walking lunges, 10 push-ups
17. 10 sets of 100 m dash (rest is length of time it took you to complete the last 100 m sprint)
18. 100 air squats, rest 3 minutes, 100 air squats, rest 3 minutes, 100 air squats
19. For time complete 100 air squats
20. For time complete 100 burpees
21. For time:  100 jumping jacks, 75 air squats, 50 push ups, 25 burpies
22. For time:  100 push ups
23. 10 to 1 ladder:  Burpees and Sit ups
24. 10 to 1 ladder:  sit-ups/pushups and a 100 meter sprint between each set.
25. 10 sets of:  30 second handstand hold followed by holding for 30 seconds at bottom of squat
26. 10 x 50 meter sprint (rest is 2 minutes between sprints)
27. 3 Rounds for time:  20 jumping jacks, 20 burpies, 20 air squats
28. 4 Rounds for time:  20 ab mat sit-ups, 20 push-ups, 400 meter run
29. For time complete 200 air squats
30. For time complete 250 jumping jacks
31. 3 Rounds for time:  Run 1/2 mile, then 50 air squats
32. 5 Rounds:  3 vertical jumps, 3 squats, 3 long jumps (rest as needed)
33. 3 Rounds:  30 push ups, 30 second handstand
34. 5 Rounds:  30 second handstand against a wall, followed by a 30 second static hold at the bottom of the squat
35. 5 rounds:  30 second handstand, 60 second squat hold ( at the bottom of the squat)
36. 3 x 20 tuck jumps, followed by 3 x 30 second handstand holds
37. 3 rounds for time:  400m run/sprint followed by 30 air squats
38. 4 sets x 25 jumping squats
39. 3 rounds for form/technique:  5 handstand to jackknife to high jump, 5 handstand to jackknife to tuck jump, 5 handstand to jackknife to split jump
40. 20 rounds:  5 push ups, 5 squats, 5 sit ups
41. 10 Rounds:  5 push ups with a 30 second plebs plank (a hold at the top of the push up, arms extended and body tight like a plank!).
42. 5 Rounds:  200 m dash (rest is the length of time it took you to complete the previous 200m dash)
43. 50 air squats x 5. Rest equal amounts as it took to do each 50.
44. 50 air squats, 4 rounds. rest for 2 minutes between rounds.
45. 50 sit-ups, 400 meter run or sprint or walk. 3 rounds.
46. 5 x 400M sprints (rest is the same time it took you to complete the last 400m sprint)
47. 7 rounds for time:  7 squats, 7 burpies
48. air squat x 10 push up x 10 sit up x 10 3 rounds for time
49. Air squatsx20, Burpiesx20, Push-Upsx20 – 3 rounds…for time
50. bottom to bottom ( rest at the bottom of the squat instead of standing….without support on your hands or butt and make the bottom good, straight back, butt back)…..tabata squats.

60 Seconds on Bodyweight Training

http://www.thefitnessexplorer.com/home/2010/11/5/60-seconds-on-bodyweight-training.html

http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/2011/11/on-the-job-training/

An awesome article from the guys at training for warriors. Makes you think about things!

Drop Weight With Interval Training

Aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise are effective in promoting weight loss while improving overall physical fitness and well being. Yet, there is debate over which exercise mode is more effective. An alternative mode of exercise, which may be considered a combination of the two, is interval training.

Whether you run, cycle, swim or lift weights, you can incorporate interval training into your exercise program. Simply follow the basic time outline of two-minute bursts followed by one-minute recovery periods for 30 to 45 minutes three or four days each week

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7 Reasons You Need To Try Kettlebells | http://t.co/R8tD2cZe

The SCIENCE of High Intensity Interval Training http://t.co/M8zF1ZwP

Overtraining or Under-Recovery? The Truth about Overtraining.:http://t.co/iRzs2WGY

Improve Your Explosiveness: How http://t.co/SPxEbgNm

http://www.cathletics.com/blog/blog.php?blogID=1674

The Push-up: Why Is This So Hard? by Greg Everett – Catalyst Athletics Blog

www.cathletics.com