So, my initial, gut-level response to the oft-repeated line of poppycock “I don’t have time for breakfast” is, simply:

Bullshit.

And I’m right.  I’m right because, as I will show you, breakfast can be very quick and simple to prepare, and I’m right because this is my blog and I say so (otherwise, why have a blog, right?).  In spite of my righteousness, however, I will defer to patience and take a moment to provide a few breakfast options that will support my position.

A little background: Last year I wrote a post called “Quick Tip: Skip Breakfast if You Want to Stay Fat” extolling the virtues of breakfast.  The science is there; people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose and/or maintain weight than those who don’t.  Yet, in spite of my earth-shattering post, read by nearly 7 people nationwide, clients are still coming into Arena trying to snow me about not having time for breakfast.  Fine.  I’m going to execute that excuse by providing the following quick and easy breakfast solutions:

Old Faithful: Oatmeal and fruit

Ingredients: 2 packets of Trader Joe’s Heart Healthy Whole Grain Instant Oatmeal and a fistful of berries.

Preparation: Mix packets of oatmeal in bowl with water, microwave 90 seconds, throw in a handful of blueberries, raspberries or any other fruit that sounds good, and pound down while standing in the kitchen and trying to urge the coffee maker to brew faster by issuing forth a constant barrage of colorful expletives.

Calories: Around 400 (Use only one packet if you want to reduce by 160 calories)

Pros: Tastes good, great source of antioxidants and fiber, filling

Cons: More sugar than is recommended, more processed than I would like

The Dine and Dash: Bagel with Peanut Butter Straight-Up, Banana Chaser

Ingredients: 1/2 Bagel, peanut butter (1 tbsp), one medium sized banana

Preparation: Toast bagel (or not), slap on the peanut butter without tearing the bagel to pieces, grab the banana and run for the car.

Calories: 345

Pros: Tastes good, can eat it in the car

Cons: Processed, not for those prone to dry mouth, somewhat high in calories

The Oh-God I’m Late; aka “The Trainer’s Breakfast”

Preparation: Fly into the kitchen, frantically rifle through the fridge and cupboard and pray that the 101 isn’t jammed so you don’t have to take the 134 to the 2 to the 210 to the 118 to the 405 to the 101

Ingredients: Trader Joe’s Organic Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, Kind Protein bar, apple

Calories: 450

Pros: Requires no preparation, can eat it on the run, in the car, while watching clients train, etc.

Cons: Fairly high in calories, all pre-packaged means more processing which means not as good for you as fresh food, except the apple which is ingeniously packaged by Mother Nature and therefore not processed.

These aren’t perfect from a nutritional perspective, but they’re decent ways to start the day.  In the real world there are times when you have to opt for convenience over optimum nutrition, and these options are nutritional enough as to not be a total disgrace.  A couple points to consider:

• Although some of these may seem high in calories, you can always modify them to lower the amount.  Studies show, though, that people who skip breakfast tend to OVERCOMPENSATE for the missed calories later in the day, so a big breakfast will likely still result in a lower overall daily calorie consumption than a skipped breakfast (Note: There is no scientific basis for the the second presumption.  I’m totally making up this point, but it makes sense from a practical perspective so I’m standing by it).
• In an Facebook post earlier this year I referred to one of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules that states that you should avoid foods that have more than 5 ingredients as they will tend to be highly processed, sugary, etc..  This is true.  However, there are times when convenience will trump this rule, and sometimes we have to remember to do our best instead of opting for attempted perfection.
• These are just concepts, ideas.  You can always substitute other cereals, fruits, etc. to create something more palatable or lower in calories.

The moral of this story: No more excuses, get some breakfast in your belly to start the day.  Coffee, as much as we all love it, does not a breakfast make.

What are your quick and easy breakfast ideas?

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Jonathan Aluzas is the owner of Arena Fitness Training Center, a fitness training center in Encino, Ca.

The Nutrition Bank

Written by Joe Garcia, Owner of Arena Fitness

I lost 50lbs. in 9 months!!!

If you are a client of Arena Fitness or a friend of mine you would know by now that I am NOT a purist by any means. My famous book of nutrition goes as follows, CALORIES IN VS. CALORIES OUT. The End. Yes it’s that simple. Outside of anyone that has special needs like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Thyroid issues, Menopause, or any of the other serious diseases that require attention to the details of your daily diet, nutrition requires one thing and one thing only. Ready for it…DISCIPLINE.

I know I’ve heard it a thousand times, ” I eat healthy, I swear!” Can’t tell you how many people over the years swear up and down that they eat healthy and have no idea why they are not losing weight. 9 times out of 10 those same people after writing their diet down for just 3 days, later find out one of two things. One, they probably are over or under their daily caloric intake that they need. Two they are completely off in what it actually means to eat healthy.

A couple of my favorite Dieting Myths:

Myth # 1:

High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. You may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk. You may be eating too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. Following a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak.

Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate a day can lead to the buildup of ketones (partially broken-down fats) in your blood. A buildup of ketones in your blood (called ketosis) can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints) and kidney stones. Ketosis may be especially risky for pregnant women and people with diabetes or kidney disease.

Tip: High protein/low carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss. But a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will also allow you to lose weight. By following a balanced eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables - and miss the key nutrients they contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods.

Myth # 2:

Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

Tip: The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the number of calories you eat and be more physically active.

Myth # 3:

Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact: It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime, think first about how many calories you have eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night- it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television.

Myth#4:

Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”

Fact: Lifting Weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories - even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not ” bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.

Tip: In addition to doing at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (like walking 2 miles in 30 minutes) on most days of the week, try to do strengthening activities 2 to 3 days a week. You can lift weights, use large rubber bands (resistance bands), do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or garden tasks that make you lift or dig.

Reference: http://www.medicinenet.com

For more myths and Fitness Facts go to:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21744

These are just a few of the many of the myths that have been circulating the Fitness Industry for years and years. Get them out of your head, nutrition is really not that hard once you accept it as a lifestyle change. Honestly you should be able to eat whatever you want whenever you want, of course in moderation. Am I saying that you should have an In & Out burger every week? No!!! But if your doing what your suppose to throughout the week, then you can build enough “credits” in your Nutrition Bank in order to take a loan out on the weekends and splurge with whatever you want. Now remember you must have “credit.” I know what your going to ask next, “When do I know when I have enough “credit” Joe? Answer: Well when there are a couple of distinct signs of someone with Excellent Nutrition Credit in their Bank.

Here is a list of signs of someone with Excellent Nutrition Credit:

1. Your preparing all of your daily meals.

2. Shopping frequently for fresh foods. (Costco is good for supplies not Fresh Foods) Unless your part of the John & Kate plus Eight crew this does not work for you!

3. Eating meals in order to enhance your performance in the gym vs. eating meals in order to make yourself feel better or socialize. ( i.e. “feel good meals or comfort food”)

4. If you think twice about splurging because of how terrible your favorite foods makes you feel afterward.

5. You feel good! I know but trust me it’s possible.

These are just a few of the many great signs of someone that is eating properly. Remember my book CALORIES IN VS. CALORIES OUT, The End. If this isn’t working for you, of course outside of someone with serious Health issues, then you just SUCK. You should pick up my book on Fitness titled “GO BIG or GO HOME!!!” Soon to be followed by my new book “GET THAT WEAK SHIT OUT OF MY GYM!!!”

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Encino-CA/Arena-Fitness-Training-Center/226441931275?ref=ts

So, this post is specifically for the guys out there.  A friend recently forwarded me a great post from a website called The Art of Manliness (www.artofmanliness.com) that deals with fitness and why men should take a fresh look at it.  It’s called “8 Reasons You Need to Rediscover Your Passion for Exercise” and it’s definitely worth a read.  In this day and age of manicured men and their shallow, vanity-fueled quest for 6-pack abs (a term I never need to hear again, but will) this is a deeper, more meaningful, more masculine perspective on fitness.

And, when I say “masculine” I’m not saying “macho.”  I don’t consider bullying, abuse and misogyny to be masculine.  Masculinity, in it’s original, untainted form, is honorable, principled and noble (think Knights of the Round Table….except for the whole Lancelot sleeping with King Arthur’s wife thing).

Guys, give this a read:

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/02/22/8-reasons-you-need-to-rediscover-your-passion-for-exercise/

And, while you’re at it, read some of the other articles there as well, and rediscover masculinity as it once was and hopefully will be again.

Jonathan Aluzas is the owner of Arena Fitness, a fitness training facility in Encino, California.

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An Inside Look to an Athlete’s Path

Written by Joe Garcia, Owner of Arena Fitness

Mental Rehearsing and Visualization

Hearts pounding, breathe, relax, establish the position, stay loose, be explosive, be patient, breathe, relax, slow your heart rate Joe, go for the double leg, be patient, watch the triangle, good base, posture up, breathe, relax, be patient, play your game, don’t rush, breathe, relax…

These are just a few of the many thoughts that can go through a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter’s mind during a match. Now imagine that times 20 and going at a 100 mph pace while having to fight someone that can potentially break your arm or choke you out. How does an athlete train for this high level of focus? How does one take what you learn and train on a daily basis and apply it when it needs to count? How do you manage adrenaline in a stressful situation?

While most of you may not be practitioners of BJJ there may be many other scenarios in your life to which this may apply. Many of us have stress or have to manage stressful situation on a daily/weekly basis where mental rehearsal and/or visualization can become useful.

Like:

- reacting quickly to avoid a car accident in traffic

- an argument with your General Contractor over the 4-week delay he has to put on your remodeling project.

- your wedding day; having to recite your vows in front of a crowd of your closest friends and family

- the 3-day bar exam you have been cramming for the last 4 years

- going into an interview for a prestigious job

- a sales call

- teaching

- any athletic performance

And we’re all capable of using mental rehearsal as a tool for coping and/or excelling in our lives.  It just takes practice, and, although I’m just a beginner, I’ve already experienced it’s benefits in my training.
Those of you who watched the Winter Olympics last month may recall seeing American skier Lindsey Vonn with her eyes closed before every race as if in a trance,  and her hand tracing a pattern back and forth.  I can’t be certain, but I’m guessing that she was, in her own way, visualizing the race before it happened.  And, considering she won the gold medal, maybe there’s something to this.  I remember reading recently that athletes who mentally rehearse or participate in visualization exercises prior to an athletic event actually stimulate the same neuromuscular reactions during mental preparation as they would during the race!  In short, their muscles were experiencing the event even though it was only taking place in their imagination.  This causes them to be more relaxed during the actual event, because, in effect, they’ve already competed!  Give it a shot; the mind can be the most powerful muscle in your body.

Suggested Reading:

“Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence”

Author - Gary Mack, with David Casstevens

“Mind over Muscle”

Author - Jigoro Kano

“Finding Your Zone: Ten Core Lessons for Achieving Peak Performance in Sports and Life”

Author - Michael Lardon

Michael Lardon (Author)

› Visit Amazon’s Michael Lardon Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

See search results for this author

Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

“Head Games: The Use of Mental Rehearsal to Improve Performance”

Author - Dr. Scott Williams

Joe Garcia is the owner of Arena Fitness, a fitness training facility in Encino, California.

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I can’t tell you how often I hear “I don’t know what to eat!  Tell me what I should be eating!”  This plea is generally fairly desperate in tone and the person delivering it usually all but has me by my shirt front.  And the bad thing is that this scene might play out at Arena Fitness, at a family gathering or at a cocktail party.  If it’s at a social event, this missive is usually accompanied by something like “I don’t usually eat like this,” as they balance fourteen vertical inches of chips, cookies, chicken fingers and seven-layer dip in one hand and a bucket full of margarita in the other (to which my unspoken response is “yes you do and I’m off the clock so I really don’t give a xxxx!”)

Tip: Don’t do this to someone in the fitness industry outside of his work unless he/she creates the opening for you to do so.  The off-duty doctor doesn’t want to talk about the rash you have, the socializing therapist doesn’t want to talk about your mommy issues, and the vacationing trainer doesn’t want to talk about how to make your ass fit into your 12 year old son’s skinny jeans.

Here’s the thing:  I’m not buying it.  I’m not buying the story that you don’t know what to eat.  Even with all of the crap floating around the media about celebrity diets and such, there’s not a person around with two brain cells to rub together that doesn’t know that fruits, veggies and natural, unprocessed foods are the best thing for you and that processed, sugar-filled, fried, and fast foods are garbage.  So, it’s not that people need to be educated, it’s that they need discipline.  They need to alter their behavior.  And people don’t like to do that so they keep looking for answers instead of actions.

Well, in spite of my insensitivity, I’m going to point you to a great resource called Spark People, a website devoted to the daily discipline of healthy living.  It has some great information and the calendar they created this month really caught my eye.  It’s a calendar of March with a real-world, realistic and common sense nutrition suggestion for each day of the month.

If you were to actually follow these suggestions, you wouldn’t have to take me by the lapels and scream in my face anymore.  And, you’d probably fit into those skinny jeans, too.

Check it out; I’m sure you’ll appreciate it.  Especially those who like to knock back a cocktail or two (see March 17th).

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=780

Jonathan Aluzas is the owner of Arena Fitness, a fitness training facility in Encino, California.

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Written by Joe Garcia owner of Arena Fitness

First I would like to take some time to thank everyone who has helped support me during this exciting period of my life. To all of my training partners, family, and friends I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I can only strive to be the best if I am only around the very best, thank you for all the lessons and experiences that have helped me to reach this point and the ones to follow.

Over the next four weeks I will be cataloging my experiences on the road to the Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships. (http://www.ibjjf.org/) I will be taking you on one of the most difficult training regimens both physically and mentally I have yet to experience. I will share with you the 5 components of my training regimen that I will be exercise daily in order to prepare me for whats to come.

My 5 Components to Training (Listed in order of importance)

1. Visualization and Mental Rehearsal

2. Nutrition

3. Rest

4. Systems of Support

5. Strength Training and Jiu Jitsu

My first inside look to this series ironically will start with the inspiration I have had for writing this blog as well as the ones to follow. Over the years I have struggled with my own exercise regimen over a thousand times. Going from being on fire with nutrition and frequency of workouts on a weekly basis to absolutely being a complete slob. About two years ago I made a profound effort towards reflecting on my own “Fitness.” I asked myself, “why have I gone so many years struggling from one workout to the next, dreading each one but still getting through it as if I was punching into work at a Bean Factory?” “Why have my only forms of motivation been how low I can get my body fat percentage down or seeing how much my body could possibly lift before absolute failure?” By the way having goals like this came also with a price. Usually it was 6 month hiatus from the gym after achieving these goals, ultimately disrupted by summer BBQ’s and outings that I have had over the years. So after over 10 years of being in the gym and surrounded by fitness, I came to a profound question, actually two profound questions. Wanna know what that those questions were? I’ll tell you. “WHAT” AM I TRAINING FOR? Quickly followed by a much more profound question, which in my opinion takes a much longer time to answer. “WHO” AM I TRAINING FOR? Most people would say the second question is easy but when looked at under a microscope it proves to be a much more difficult question to answer. I’ll take on this question in later blogs.

My first challenge to all of you is to take a good hard look at these two questions and write the answers down. This exercise is only for those of you who truly want to reach a goal. Whether that goal is big or small it doesn’t matter, everyone will have to take the same path. If you feel comfortable please post your answers on this blog. In the blogs to follow I will be going over my own new found perspective on what it is to be “Fit” and how it has changed my life forever. Over the next four weeks I will be sharing with you all of my struggles and achievements with my own training and how I will manage exercising My 5 Components to Training on a daily/weekly basis all the way up to the fight. Good training and remember to have fun!

Look for the continuation of Part 1 of my blog series soon…

The most important part of a player's body is above his shoulders. - TY Cobb

“Invest in knowing thyself. A champion manages to understand his limitations and pursue the means to overcome them. Don’t wait around for someone to show you the way.” - Carlos Gracie Jr.

Have you ever wondered what the difference between “working out” and “training” is? Why people who say that they are going to go “work out” absolutely hate going to the gym and people who say they are going to go “train” can’t wait to get to the gym? How many people do you know love how they look and feel great about themselves? What do you do if you actually get to your desired weight goal? What motivates you to stay committed for a lifetime of lifting the same weights over and over again? Is having an aesthetic goal really enough for you?

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging on my personal experiences over the years with weight loss and weight gain. The ups and downs of training vs. working out. What does it really take for someone to reach any weight-loss goal, whether it’s as little as 10lbs or as large as 100lbs? Whether the goal is to make fitness part of your lifestyle or just a seasonal routine. Is feeling “good” really enough in a world where so many things can accomplish that? Why is nutrition such a hard thing for so many people to really understand? Why the right mindset has to and always will be a part of fitness no matter how many times we choose to ignore it.

Email or comment reasons why you go to the gym. I want to hear from you! Let’s help each other understand through our own personal experiences in fitness why we go to the gym day in and day out. Leave a comment today!

Joe Garcia is the owner of Arena Fitness, a fitness training center in Encino California.

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]]> http://www.arenafitness.com/?feed=rss2&p=1192 http://www.arenafitness.com/?p=1082 http://www.arenafitness.com/?p=1082#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:30:30 +0000 arenafit http://www.arenafitness.com/?p=1082 For a long time now we’ve been wanting to move into a better and bigger facility and that time has finally come.  We have relocated into another space in our current shopping center which is larger, more functional and will allow us to offer a full complement of Group Exercise Classes (Kickboxing, Core Training and More) in addition to our personal training program.  We will also begin to offer seminars and workshops on a regular basis.

If you have been contemplating a change or searching for a fitness training program for the first time, please feel free to request a Free Week of Personal Training and Group Exercise classes to see if we offer what you’re looking for.

We are conveniently located in the heart of Encino, in the Encino Town Center, which is easy to get to and has plenty of parking.  Come join us for a truly unique fitness experience.

Come Join Timothy Carter at Arena Fitness for a series of seminars to be given on Oct 24, 2009. The Day will consist of three different classes offered to the public. The Junior’s seminar (ages 10 thru 17) will begin at 9:30 am and go for an hour and a half. Women’s self defense class will begin at 11:30 pm and proceed until 1:30. Finally, Men’s combat theory will begin at 2pm and last until 4. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a great work out and gain knowledge at the same time. Techniques will be broken down and adapted to format any individual obstacles. Mr. Carter believes in safety and a safe environment. No martial arts experience is necessary. Come in have fun and feel leaving confident and aware.

Arena Fitness
17200 VENTURA BLVD SUITE# 210 ENCINO, CA 91316 (818) 906-3030

Property characteristics

• Juniors Class: $10, wear loose fitting clothes, preferably workout pants.
• Women’s Class: $20, Wear loose fitting clothes. Workout pants are a must (as we’ll be participating in some ground technique). Women also receive a free Kubaton for participation.
• Men’s Combat Theory: $20, Loose fitting clothes.
*Pick up class outlines at Arena fitness or call and reserve you spot today.