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Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle! |
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Book Review: Core Performance EssentialsA book publicist sent me this book to review. It's a great plan...read excerpt below:Core Performance Essentials The Revolutionary Nutrition and Exercise Plan Adapted for Everyday Use By Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams Published by Rodale December 2005;$27.95US/$37.95CAN; 1-59486-350-4 Mark Verstegen is recognized as one of America's most innovative and respected fitness experts. His training facilities in Arizona and California are state of the art. He trains some of the world's greatest athletes, including Curt Schilling, Mia Hamm, and the German national soccer team. Now, Mark Verstegen, best-selling author of Core Performance, has developed a plan that does more than help you get in shape -- it helps you remake your life. In Core Performance Essentials, Verstegen presents a streamlined version of his exercise plan, a more efficient version of the original workout, which can be performed in just 30 minutes a day in the comfort of your own home. This program -- which focuses on Core movements to improve strength, flexibility, and overall health -- has proven effective for some of the world's most elite athletes, and it will work for you, too. And because the exercises are designed to adjust to your specific needs, they are constantly challenging and invigorating, and there isn't any costly equipment necessary . . . ever. In Core Performance Essentials, you'll also see -- revealed in detail -- the secrets of Mark Verstegen's nutrition plan, custom-designed to promote not just good looks but also good health. But Core Performance Essentials is more than just another fad diet or collection of exercises, it's a plan designed to help you excel in the Game of Life -- the game that all of us play -- no matter how you play it. Core Performance Essentials is geared to be effective for everyone: the beginner who hasn't exercised in years, the triathlete looking to improve performance and decrease the chance of injury, and most important, everyone whose responsibilities at work and obligations at home make it difficult to find the time to exercise. Core Performance Essentials is the perfect plan for anyone who wants to get healthier, look better, and get more out of their life. Author Mark Verstegen is the founder and president of Athletes' Performance. He has trained hundreds of elite athletes, both abroad and at the company's facilities in Tempe, Arizona, and Carson, California. A world-renowned performance coach, consultant, and motivational speaker, he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Pete Williams is a veteran journalist who writes about fitness, business, and sports. He is a contributing writer to Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal and is the author or coauthor of six books, including the Rodale books Core Performance and Fun is Good. He lives in Safety Harbor, Florida. For more information, please visit www.coreperformance.com. Reviews "There is no doubt that my body has undergone drastic change working with Mark, but just as important is the mental change in me and in my life. Mark has shown me that I still have no reached my full potential but it's out there and I can have it if I want it." --Curt Schilling Excerpt The following is an excerpt from the book Core Performance Essentials by Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams Published by Rodale; December 2005;$27.95US/$37.95CAN; 1-59486-350-4 Copyright © 2005 Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams Chapter 4 REVIEWING THE RULE BOOK We've become accustomed to eating a certain way because, well, that's the way it's always been. We accept certain nutrition rules as inalienable truths when many of them are misconceptions. In this chapter, we're going to review and rewrite the rule book, inserting new strategies to properly fuel our bodies. CORE NUTRITION STRATEGY #1: EAT OFTEN We've been taught to get three square meals a day, avoid between-meal snacks, and not eat after dinner. No wonder we tend to feel bloated from overeating, hungry and lethargic between meals, and starved before bedtime. To control appetite, regulate your blood sugar level (which improves concentration and helps regulate appetite), and build lean body mass, you must eat five or six small- to medium-size meals or snacks each day. That means you need to eat, on average, every 3 hours. Think of yourself as "grazing" throughout the day, instead of sitting down for three massive meals. Frequent eating is like constantly throwing wood on the fire. Digesting food cranks up your metabolism and burns more calories every time you eat. When you eat only occasionally, the fire smolders and dies. A hot fire, on the other hand, burns wood continuously. You can eat six times a day regardless of your job or lifestyle. The six "meals" are not going to be long, sit-down affairs. Three of your meals could be a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts. Take what you might have previously considered a large lunch and save part of it for mid-afternoon. On the days you work out, which might be every weekday, you'll consume pre- and/or post-workout recovery shakes. And since you're eating more often, your traditional breakfasts, lunches, and dinners should be lighter. If we don't eat often, the most readily available substance for the body to consume is muscle. Many people believe that the first thing the body eats away is fat. But that's a misconception -- in point of fact, the body is remarkably resistant to fat loss and will turn to its lean muscle mass first, keeping that stored fat in reserve as long as necessary. Many people try to get thin by not eating. They deprive their bodies of nutrients and, while they might look healthy, they may have dangerous blood profiles and a high ratio of fat to lean muscle. Their bodies are what I call "skinny fat" (others call them "skinny soft"). They look skinny, but they actually have a high percentage of body fat. The last thing we want to do is lose lean mass. After all, we're going to be working hard to build this lean mass, which produces power, stabilizes joints, promotes movement, and is critical for optimal performance. We lose a pound of lean mass per year after our mid-twenties, so it's imperative to take action to maintain this lean mass and function. To that end, we must eat often, which brings us to our next strategy . . CORE NUTRITION STRATEGY #2: CONTROL THE GAME CLOCK Everyone has a different schedule. But like a good football, basketball, or hockey team, we're going to use the clock to our advantage. Here are three ways to schedule your six meals, depending on whether you work out in the morning, during lunch, or after work. I've also included some menu suggestions and a schedule for those who compete in early evening ball games. Option A: For Those Who Work Out Before Work/School 6:15 a.m. Pre-workout shooter (See "'Shot Clock' Pre- and Post-Exercise Nutrition" on pages 36 to 37.) 6.30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Workout 7:30 a.m. Meal #1 (Breakfast: Egg-white omelet with vegetables) 10:30 a.m. Meal #2 (Shake or snack) 1:30 p.m. Meal #3 (Lunch: Tuna with fat-free mayonnaise and/or celery, lettuce, and tomato on rye bread, or as a salad) 4:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Meal #4 (Shake or snack) 7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Meal #5 (Dinner: Grilled salmon with vegetables and whole wheat couscous) 10:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Meal #6 (Shake or snack) Option B: For Those Who Work Out during Lunch Hour 7:00 a.m. Meal #1 (Breakfast: Oatmeal and a small piece of deli meat) 10:00 a.m. Meal #2 (Shake or snack) 11:45 a.m. Pre-workout shooter Noon-1:00 p.m. Workout 1:00 P.M. Meal #3 (Lunch: Chicken breast on sourdough, pumpernickel, or rye bread with vegetables) 4:00 p.m. Meal #4 (Shake or snack) 7:00 p.m. Meal #5 (Dinner: A grilled cut of lean red meat with brown or wild rice and vegetables) 10:00 P.M. Meal #6 (Shake or snack) Option C: For Those Who Work Out after Work 7:00 a.m. Meal #1 (Breakfast: A bowl of Kashi cereal with blueberries) 10:00 a.m. Meal #2 (Shake or snack) 1:00 p.m. Meal #3 (Lunch: Chicken breast on a bed of spinach or lettuce with sliced tomatoes, a small sprinkling of nuts, and olive oil for dressing) 4:00 p.m. Meal #4 (Shake or snack) 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Workout 6:30 p.m. Meal #5 (Dinner: Lean pork in Shake 'n Bake seasoning with vegetables) 9:30 p.m. Meal #6 (Shake or snack) Option D: For Those Who Work Out or Compete in the Early Evening 7:00 a.m. Meal #1 (Breakfast: Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt with flaxseed oil and/or oatmeal) 10:00 a.m. Meal #2 (Shake or snack) 1:00 P.M. Meal #3 (Lunch: Lean turkey on rye, pumpernickel, or sourdough bread with vegetables or a salad) 4:00 p.m. Meal #4 (Shake or snack) 6:00 p.m. Meal #5 (Light dinner: Seasoned grilled swordfish fillet with vegetables) 7:00 p.m. Workout/Game/Competition 9:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Meal #6 (Post-workout shake or snack) This might seem as if you're eating a lot, but you're not, if you consume smaller portions. We've become accustomed, especially in the United States, to eating super-size servings. Fast-food restaurants now refer to them as "value" sizes, to make you feel good about getting more for your money, even though you're still pigging out on junk. One of the best ways to avoid overeating and maintain a healthy metabolism is to pay attention to portion sizes. By eating smaller portions more often, you give your body a better chance to digest and get all of the nutrients from the food. A piece of fish or meat should be about the size of a deck of cards, and a serving of starches (rice or pasta, for example) should be the size of a baseball. On the other hand, it's tough to eat too many vegetables. Here's one simple way to eat the proper portions: Use a smaller plate. Who says you have to use a 12-inch plate like you're loading up at an all-you-can-eat buffet? We've grown accustomed to thinking that we're not eating a full meal unless we fill up a whole oversize plate. By using a smaller one, it's easier to eat the proper portion. Most people eat dinner around 7:00 p.m. and don't eat again until breakfast. That's as much as 12 hours without food, so your body gets through this extended fast by tapping into your lean muscle for nourishment. But, if you have that last snack at 10:00 p.m. and breakfast at 6:00 a.m., you can minimize the effects of the fast while getting a full night's sleep. That final snack or shake at 10:00 p.m. should include something high in protein, since that helps build lean muscle. You also want fiber and essential fats (such as found in fish or flaxseed oil). For many people, a protein shake or high-protein meal-replacement bar might be an easy option. Fruit with lean protein and healthy fat is a good choice as well, since it's full of antioxidants and jump-starts the regenerative process. So an ideal bedtime snack could be a protein shake with a teaspoon of flaxseed oil and a handful of blueberries. Or perhaps a glass of fat-free milk and a handful of almonds. The bottom line is that by eating every 2½ to 3 hours, you'll maintain consistent energy levels and turn your body into an efficient, fat-burning machine. CORE NUTRITION STRATEGY #3: BUILDING "REAL DEAL" MEALS When planning meals, it's vital to consider the role of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber. Contrary to popular belief, they all must be included in an effective nutrition plan. Carbs are our fuel, though the amount consumed must be proportional to your level of activity. If I fill up my car's gas tank, drive 5 miles and then fill it up again, it's going to overflow. But, unlike with a car, you might not realize you're overfilling your tank and contributing to a higher level of body fat. Generally speaking, the more active you are, the more carbs you want to consume. Since most people tend to be more active in the morning and afternoon, it makes sense to eat the majority of your carbs earlier in the day. Every meal should include fruits and vegetables because of their fiber and nutrient densities. I recommend that you "eat a rainbow often," which refers not only to the bright colors of fruits and vegetables but also to the fact that you should eat six small meals and snacks a day. Typically, your plate should consist mostly of colorful, high-fiber vegetables. There should be a piece of meat or fish the size of a deck of cards, and, if you like, a fist-size portion of rice or whole wheat pasta. There also should be some "good" fats in the form of, say, salmon or olive oil. (We'll discuss fats in more detail later in this chapter.) When in doubt, remember to "come back to Earth" -- given a choice between something processed and something organic, go with the non-processed option. Scouting Report: Carbs Strengths: Provide energy for muscle function and act as the primary fuel for the brain. Some carbs, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, are rich in fiber, helping to control appetite, slow digestion, and improve the health of your heart. Fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants, helping to protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. Weaknesses: Processed carbs, such as white breads, pastas, and baked goods, provide little nutritional value and are converted quickly to sugar and easily stored as fat. Ideal Players: * Fruits and Vegetables: Apples, asparagus, avocados, beets, bell peppers, black beans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, cherries, cucumber, eggplant, field greens, grapefruit, green apples, green beans, green peas, honeydew, kiwifruit, mangoes, mushrooms, oranges, papaya, peaches, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, raspberries, red grapes, romaine lettuce, snap peas, soybeans, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, yams * Breads, Cereals, and Grains: Brown rice, Cheerios, couscous, Kashi, oatmeal, pumpernickel bread, quinoa, rye bread, sourdough bread, whole wheat bread Bottom Line: Non-processed, fiber-rich, colorful carbs are essential to a healthy lifestyle. Eliminating carbs produces sluggishness, along with long-term negative health effects. Carbohydrates are your fuel and should be consumed in proportion to your level of activity. Remember: A portion of carbs should be about the size of a baseball. Reprinted from: Core Performance Essentials: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Exercise Plan Adapted for Everyday Use by Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams © 2005 Rodale Inc. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com. Blog entry for: 2006-01-01 09:56:30 Home Page / Diet Info | Blog Directory |
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