Pinnacle Fitness Bootcamp Blog

1.  Know What Program You Are Joining

I am always impressed when a person is knowledgeable about our company.  Many times we have clients who have read our articles, went to our website, and spoken with a few of our clients before trying out a class.  This is great because they already have an understanding of how our program operates and what they will achieve from the program. By doing research and visiting various fitness facilities, you will have the knowledge needed to make educated decisions concerning your health.

2.  Know That You Most Likely Have Imbalances

Over the years, I have learned that many “fitness instructors” do not test their clients for imbalances before placing them in a training program. Well, what do you think happens next?  Yes, you guessed it: injury.

A good training program should address, core strength, range of motion, joint stabilization, myofascial tissue integrity, and structural integrity. These “key areas” must be reviewed before moving forward in any type of resistance training.  I have heard of many fitness companies injuring people because they do not assess imbalances. We have actually integrated exercises for imbalances as well as a variety of other modalities of resistance training in our program.  Addressing these areas of imbalance has not only helped us prevent injuries, but allows us to build upon a stronger foundation.

3.  Know What Goals You Want To Reach

This is a big key in attaining success in your program.  I often see people in the wrong programs because they have not thought about the specific criteria needed to reach their fitness goals. Usually these individuals end up wasting time and money on programs that do not fit their fitness goals.

If your goal is fitness maintenance, then you should be able to reach your goal by joining a local gym.  More complicated goals will require more steps and a more advanced program to completing your goal.  For example, if you need help with fitness training, nutritional guidance, goal setting, and accountability you will need a well qualified fitness instructor to help you reach those goals. Goal setting is essential to long term success in your program.

To reach your fitness goals follow these 5 simple steps: 1.Write down your goals.  2. Outline the steps to achieving your goals.  3. Take action.  4. Track your progress.  5. Make new goals.

If you are looking to start a new fitness program and want more information on how we can help you please contact David Nash: 770-367-2539 or visit www.PinnacleFitnessBootcamp.com

When we ingest food it breaks down into smaller molecules to be introduced into our cells as fuel.   This fuel mixture is determined by the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats we have during our meals.  Our fuel mixture is the most important factor to the functionality of the cells. We all have different metabolic requirements and therefore need different fuel mixtures to support our metabolism.  If our cells do not get the proper fuel mixture there are a number of negative symptoms that will occur.

These symptoms take place mainly because our blood sugar levels are not balanced.  Clinical Nutritionist, Radhia Gleis says, “The human body only carries 1 teaspoon (or 4 grams) of sugar (glucose) in the blood at one time. “  This teaspoon of sugar is used for ATP or energy production for our muscles and organs to perform.  The remaining sugar is converted into glycogen by the liver and when the glycogen reserves are full the excess sugar is stored as fat.  This whole process is controlled by our endocrine or hormonal system.

Our endocrine system is very sensitive and will respond to how we treat our body.  There is a specific hormone called insulin that is secreted by the pancreas when blood sugar is too high in the bloodstream.   The way insulin works is it acts as a chemical key when binding to the receptor site on blood cells.  Once insulin attaches to the blood cell it will open up to accept the sugar molecule.  Insulin not only helps the sugar into the cells, but will signal the body to take the excess sugar left in the bloodstream and store it as fat.

The pancreas also produces another hormone called glucagon.  Glucagon is released when blood sugar gets to be too low.  Normally our body calls on glucagon when we are in a fasting state in between meals.  Glucagon’s role is to turn the stored glycogen into glucose to be used as energy.   Glucagon can also get the liver to start converting fat into glucose for energy production.  Both insulin and glucagon are extremely important in our digestive process and work together to keep our blood sugar in balance.

The problem that we have today is we eat too many carbohydrates in our diets which create high blood glucose levels.   When we have excess glucose in the bloodstream our body sends a message to our endocrine system telling the pancreas to make more insulin.  The insulin does not have any cells to bind to because body’s cellular levels are easily filled with the max quantity of a teaspoon of sugar.  So the insulin remains in the blood for hours and starts a downward spiral to the way your metabolism functions.

What happens when we have too much insulin in the bloodstream?

For starters we will have immediate physical symptoms of feeling sluggish, moody, mentally drained, and feelings of hunger.   That’s right; we will feel hungry even after having a meal because the insulin now wants to bind to sugar and leave the bloodstream.  This leads to excess calories and weight gain.  Eating an unbalanced diet over time will lead to a more acidic PH and chronic diseases.   High sugar levels in the body can cause the cells to become resistant to insulin which is a disease that we call type 2 diabetes.  High sugar levels in the blood can also lead to problems with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and heart disease.

The key to balancing metabolism is to eat meals that are tailored to your system’s fuel requirements. You need to have essential proteins, essential fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates.  Complex carbs take longer to break down because of their long molecular chains and fiber content.   Eating a diet rich in complex carbs and healthy proteins will reduce your insulin levels and stimulate glucagon raising your metabolism and burning more fat.  So choose the fish and asparagus over the chips and sodas to be one step closer to balancing your blood sugar and balancing your metabolism.

For more information about our this topic or fitness and nutrition program visit www.PinnacleFitnessBootcamp.com

As a leader in the fitness community it is my duty to bring the latest health information to my clients. I have spent many years researching the effects of nutrition on the human body. My work in the fitness industry started over 10 years ago. Despite earning a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education, I learned little about the subject of nutrition.  I thought that was odd since I was to teach my students and clients the fundamentals of living a healthy lifestyle.  We learned how to eat by looking at the “foundational principles” of the Food Guide Pyramid.  Well, those “foundational principles” did not seem to work for my professors nor my clients.

Personal training was great; however, many of my clients were not seeing the results they wanted. I knew there were underlying issues, but I couldn’t place what they were.  By doing some research on nutrition individuality, I ran across a nutritional system that typed people according to their genetic nutritional requirements. The system is called “Metabolic Typing”

The roots of “Metabolic Typing” stem from the clinical studies of historical dentist Dr. Weston A Price. In the 1930’s, Price traveled across the world studying native diets of 14 different cultures. He noticed these cultures were very different in their approach to nutrition, yet all were healthy and had well maintained dental structures. He also noticed any native cultures that were inundated with a conventional diet had serious side effects, diseases, and even birth defects.

The questioned that arose was, “why shouldn’t cultures eat outside their nutritional requirements?”  Everyone knows that an Eskimo can’t eat the same diet as a South Pacific Islander, and we also know individuals from the Scottish decent couldn’t survive on Indian cuisine, yet many of us still do not understand the nature of our own genetic nutritional requirements. With all the intermixing of genes in America, “Would it be possible to find out our pre-determined nutritional requirements?”

Years later there were discoveries showing that everyone’s metabolism is governed by the oxidative and autonomic nervous systems. These systems turned out to be the key to determining the right quantity of proteins, carbohydrates and fats a person would need in his or her diet. From this discovery, William Kelly & William Wolcott developed a system called Metabolic Typing. The system is not a test to see what portions of food you should eat, but an assessment system to give a perfect picture of what you should consume according to your genetic requirements.

With the Metabolic Typing program you will uncover the foods that will keep your body balanced, healthy, and strong.  A balanced body can fight disease and give the sustained energy you need to complete your daily tasks. In the 1st step, you will take the Metabolic Typing Test to determine your nutritional type. After your type is determined we spend time fine tuning your nutrition by evaluating your blood type, insulin-glucagon balance (blood sugar), and circadian rhythm (hormonal release).  You will even be given the exact vitamins and minerals your body requires.

The best part about this program is it’s affordable and only takes about 6-8 weeks to complete. If you have had questions about nutrition in the past or you are looking to improve your health, Metabolic Typing will give you a step in the right direction. Don’t let disease set in your body; get the help you need today. For more information about Metabolic Typing or to learn about our fitness program call 770-367-2539 or visit us online at www.PinnacleFitnessBootcamp.com

Headaches can trigger pain in different areas of your skull and last for varied lengths of time.  Some of the more common types of headaches include sinus headaches, migraine headaches, cluster headaches and tension headaches.  Regardless of what type of headache a person is dealing with; a headache is an indicator that something is not balanced in the body’s system.  It is important to find the cause of the headache so that you can deal with the root problem.

Springtime is the perfect season to kick off a healthy lifestyle.  With this new lifestyle must come new changes.   The best way to make a true change is to get rid of the items that will cause you to lose focus of your goals. I can’t think of a better place to start making changes than your kitchen.  So here are some tips to help you clean out your kitchen during this year’s “spring cleaning” season.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that pizza is counterintuitive to a healthy “fat-loss” plan.  I’m also sure that you know pizza can cause two different outcomes when ingested by individuals with dissimilar metabolisms.  So why is it that your friend can eat all sorts of carbohydrates and be okay; while every calorie that goes into your month seems to end up on your hips?

Entering into a New Year brings the joy of a fresh start. With this new start comes a new focus on life. As I was thinking about the word focus, I recalled the old acronym: follow one course until successful. I really like this phrase because it embodies the word focus very well, but I feel there is a deeper level we must explore as we begin 2012. To really get a grip on your goals this year, I suggest you use the F.O.C.U.S. principles of Foundation, Organization, Commitment, Unwavering Determination, and Specific Objectives.

If you are like most Americans you are tired of dealing with weight issues, lack of energy and mood swings.  This can be a challenge because you may not understand what exactly is happening within your body’s chemistry.  Your body has over 100,000 chemical reactions that take place on a daily basis which affects metabolism.  Your metabolism (rate at which chemical processes occur) is primarily controlled by the thyroid.  So if you have low thyroid function then you will also have low metabolic function.

If you’re like most people your schedule is packed in the month of May and June with birthdays, weddings, cookouts and pool parties. As time gets closer to these events, the question of what to wear screams at us even more. Summer is the time that we get to dress less and feel comfortable in our skin; however, dressing less is not a comforting feeling for everyone. Sometimes, it can be scary or intimidating which leads individuals to fall into the “quick weight loss” diet fads. Even though some diets may have immediate weight loss results, they’re not lasting results and the individuals end up either back at their original weight or more. Although appearance is important it is not the true nature of the individual, but as the saying goes you have one chance to make the 1^st impression. Below I have provided 5 tips to help you shape your beach body this summer.

Working out can be fun, rewarding and cause you to feel great. I love to hear when our clients give testimonials of reaching new levels of fitness, and getting stronger. There is a certain high or euphoric feeling that comes with completing a good workout session. What’s not fun is when you have an injury.Injuries can make your workout extra challenging and grueling. I have provided a few tips below to help you get a productive workout and reduce injuries.

Did you know you can change your sleep rhythm, but your hormonal rhythm will try to remain constant? Yes, it’s true. Many of us stay up late at night changing our body’s natural sleep rhythm. The human body is designed to physically repair itself from 10pm to 2am and psychologically repair itself from 2am to 6am. The body naturally runs on a day-night cycle called the circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm also is called your hormonal rhythm. It controls your sleep, hunger and energy levels. We are designed to wake up when the sun comes up and go to sleep when the sun goes down. It is your sleep that starts the regulation of your hormones for the next day. If your sleep cycle is thrown off then your hormones will be thrown off throughout the day.