Archive for May, 2010

TACFIT Commando Review

May 26th, 2010

Our bodies are amazing machines designed to make movement easier whether running a marathon or sitting at a desk.  We train to become more efficient at certain movements or to counteract certain movements (or lack of movement).   In college, I lived an active life which led me to yoga to counteract the abuse my body was taking from this lifestyle.  Then after college I have been working from behind a desk, so my yoga practice became more a means to compensate for my days spent at a desk.  Blending yoga and traditional weightlifting philosophies was certainly counter the current thought ten years ago.  This led me to creating my own home gym with kettlebells, sandbags, odd objects, etc…and allowing me to use yoga for cool down  ( and avoid the funny stares from other folks at the gym).  My eclectic training style led me to the programs created by Scott Sonnon.  I have recently been following one of his newest programs TACFIT Commando.  This program is a bodyweight only workout that includes joint mobility warm-up and Prasara yoga for active recovery.

Although TACFIT Commando is marketed for first responders and military (think EMS, firefighters, law enforcement officers etc.) don’t let that scare you away.  This program gives you three levels of difficulty through movement sophistication which translates into a challenge for every level of fitness.  The beauty of this program is that it is a highlight reel of Coach Sonnon’s creations and is put in a user-friendly follow along plan.

The plan is built on Coach Sonnon’s 4×7 programming which includes recovery and rest in the program.   The warm-up and cool-down included in TACFIT Commando are based on Intu-Flow and Prasara yoga, worth the cost of the program on their own.

Each program has six movements with three levels of sophistication performed in Tabata Intervals (Click here for more info on Tabata training).  If you can work through the program at the highest level of sophistication than you can consider yourself among the elite, but the program is still accessible to the average person.

I knew how challenging bodyweight exercises can be, but I was not sold until I tried the Israeli TACFIT Commando challenge demonstrated by Bellingham Fire Captian Christian Carson:

If you are looking for an entry product into Circular Strength Training than TACFIT Commando is for you!

My top three reasons for recommending TACFIT Commando:

  1. It is a bodyweight only program which means it can be done anywhere, anytime!
  2. The road map is provided. A calendar lays out the program and gives you clear direction for each days activity (or rest).  Guess work gone! The workouts are designed using the 4×7 wave, and include Intu-Flow warm up and Prasara yoga cool down.
  3. Short exercise sessions via Tabata Intervals which means you can forget spending hours on the cardio equipment.  Exercise days only take 29 minutes plus 12 minutes for warm-up and cool down.

Give it a try and let me know how you like the program or if you have any questions put them in the comments!

Good luck, now go kill it!

Richard

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Score 1 for Yoga!

May 18th, 2010

Yoga works for BP lowering in cardiac rehab . . . just don’t call it “yoga”

May 12, 2010 | Shelley Wood

Prague, Czech Republic – An ambitious randomized trial testing two somewhat unconventional add-on components as part of an integrated cardiac-rehabilitation program in Germany has found that an individualized yoga program can produce large reductions in blood pressure on top of optimal medical therapy, even among patients who might never set foot in a yoga studio. The comparator therapy, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), which is a more common component of cardiac-rehab programs in Germany, did not produce nearly the same degree of blood-pressure improvement, lead investigator for the study, Dr Wolfgang Mayer-Berger (Klinik Roderbirken der Deutschen Rentenversicherung, Germany), told heartwire.

The secret to yoga’s success in the male, “blue-collar” group studied, however, may lie in the fact that the word “yoga” was never used, Mayer-Berger acknowledged. 
Click here for the rest of the story!
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Spirulina: Sun Energy in a Green Pill

May 13th, 2010

Recently, I have been contemplating going completely vegetarian.  I am already probably 70% there, but one of my concerns is making sure I get all the necessary building blocks to maintain my body’s health.  This keeps me looking for nutrition powerhouses and one of those is spirulina (rhymes with ballerina), a bright green algae. 

What it is:

A microscopic, spiral shaped blue-green algae found in the sea and warm, alkaline bodies of freshwater.  Spirulina is loaded with essential fatty acids; B vitamins; vitamins C, D, and E; and minerals, including potassium, iron, calcium, and zinc.  Spirulina is one of the most complete food sources found in the world.  It has 100-plus health promoting nutrients and has all 9 essential amino acids, and chlorophyll.

Why take it?

In human studies, spirulina has been shown to be effective against allergies, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, enhance immunity, protect against cancer, and benefit anemia.  Additionally, it enhances energy from the chlorophyll and the vitamin B-12.  Spirulina is natures’s richest whole-food source of vitamin B-12.  It’s two to six times richer than it’s nearest rival, raw beef liver. B-12 is practically a synonym for high energy.  Also, a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that it increases energy and endurance during exercise by reducing the amount of oxidative stress and inflammation generated. 

Where can you get it?

You can find spirulina at your local health food store.  I personally like Pure Planet’s Hawaiian spirulina, but Earthrise also has a great spirulina that is grown in a highly controlled environment.  Both companies make a tablet and powder version. 

Further reading…

1. Delpeuch, F. et. Al. Consumption as food and nutritional composition of blue-green algae among populations in the Kanem region of Chad. Ann. Nutr. Alinment. 29, 497-516. 1976
2. Institut Francais du Petrol. Rapport ou Comite Consultatif des Proteines OAA/OMS/FISE-Etat d’Avancement du Procede IFP de Production d’algues Dec 1970, p.11.
3. Fadoul, L. Les algues bleues du Kanem. Rapport de mission par L. Fadoul, A. Avrem et G. Le Guedes ( experts de la division de la nutrition, FAO) Juin 1971.
4. Takemoto, K. Subacute toxicity study with rats. Saitama Medical College, Japan, 1982.
5. Atatsuka, K. Acute toxicity and general pharmaclolgical studies. Meiji College of Pharmacy, Japan, 1979.
6. Chamorro-Cevallos, G. Toxicological research on the alga spirulina. UNIDO, 24 Oct. 1980, UF/ MEX/78/048. (French)
7. Becker, W.E., Vanattaraman, L.V. et al. Production and utilization of the blue-green algae spirulina in India. Biomass, 4, 105-125, 1984.
8. Chamorro, G. et al. Subchronic toxicity study in rats fed spirulina. J. de Pharmacie de Belgique 43,29-36,1988.
9. Slazar, M., Chamorro, G. et al. Effect of spirulina consumption on reproduction and peri- and postanl development in rats. Food and chemical Toxicity 34, 353-359. 1996.
10. Waslein, C. et al. Uric acid levels in men fed algae and yeast as protein sources. J. Food. Sci. 1970, 35, 294-8.
11. Jassby, Alan. Spirulina: a model for microalgae as human food. Algae and Human Affairs, Cambridge Univ Press, 1988, P.159
12. Boudene, C. et al. Evaluation of long term toxicity on rats with spirulina. Ann Nutr. Alinment., 1976, 30: 577-588.
13. Til, H.p, and Williams, M. Sub-chronic toxicity study with dried algae in rats. Cent. Inst. For Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, Ned., 1971.
14. Fevrier, C. and Seve, B. Incorporation of spirlina into pig diets. Ann Nur. Aliment., 1976,29: 625-30 (French)
15. Earthrise Farms. Five year testing of heavy metals in spirulina, 1983-1987. 1988.
16. Carmichael, W.W. The toxins of Cyanobacteria. Sci. American, Jan. 1994, P. 78-86
17. An, J., and Carmichael, W.W Technical Booklet for the Microalgae Biomass Industry: Detection of microcystims and nodularins usining an enzyme linked immunosobant assay (ELISA) and a protein phosphate inhibition assay (PPIA). Dept. Bio. Sci. Wayne State Univ, Dayton OH. July 1996.

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