Newsletter
HotBod July 02
Welcome to all the new subscribers to the HotBod newsletter as well as those who have been with us from the beginning. Each month we'll explore issues relating to the three major areas of fitness: exercise, nutrition and supplementation. As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are always appreciated.
TRAINING CORNER: Hand Placement and Ab Training
With respect to ab training, one of the most frequent questions I'm asked is, "Where do I put my hands when I perform a crunch?" Most fitness professionals seem to teach people to place there hands behind their head. Unfortunately, this strategy can have bad consequences...
When the hands are placed behind the head during spinal flexion (a crunch), there is a reflexive tendency to pull on the neck. This significantly increases the potential for a neck strain. It is much better to keep your hands folded across your chest. Alternatively, you can make a fist and keep them at your ears. Either way, placing your hands behind your head is a no-no.
If you have weak neck muscles, it's best to use a device like an ab roller, which provides a cushioned support for your head. Supporting your neck with your hands will only serve to exacerbate neck problems and possibly cause injury.
NUTRITION CORNER: Water Intake
Consuming adequate water is essential to body function. Regrettably, most people give little thought to how much water they drink.
A good rule for determining water intake is to multiply your body weight by .75 and consume that number in ounces of water. Thus, a 120 pound woman should consume about 90 ounces of water a day. Because of their diuretic effect, caffeinated beverages such as coffee count only half the amount of actual amount. So an 8 ounce cup of java is only worth 4 ounces of fluid. Conversely, most fresh fruits and vegetables contain large quantities of water and therefore reduce overall liquid requirements.
During exercise, water consumption should increase. Consume 8 ounces of water for every 15 minutes of exercise. This will help to prevent dehydration and keep your performance high.
If possible, try to avoid regular tap water. It is filled with toxins that can have an adverse effect on your body. Instead, drink natural spring water. It is virtually devoid of the pollutants that taint our reservoirs and therefore keeps your body free of contaminants. Preferably, the water should be chilled or served on ice. Cold water is absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water, ensuring a continued state of hydration.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Hollywood Diet
What it is: A combination of products claiming to burn off ten pounds in two days.
What it does: Supposedly, by drinking a "special" blend of fruit juices, you magically accelerate weight loss.
The verdict: The Hollywood diet is, pure and simple, one of the biggest scams going. Essentially, the product causes extensive water loss - not fat loss. It is physiologically impossible to lose ten pounds of fat in two days. Realize this: to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn about 3500 calories. Thus, to accomplish its stated objective, The Hollywood Diet would have to create a 35,000 calorie caloric deficit in 48 hours; obviously an impossible task. Worse, at about $50, the product is very expensive. All in all, you'd be well advised to save your money and develop proper eating habits - there are no shortcuts to losing body fat.
Supplement Grade: F
