Here is a good aerobic circuit for running! Do each of these exercises continuously. Once you reach the end of the circuit start back at the beginning. This workout can range anywhere from 30-60 minutes (more of less) but keeps your moving for the entire length of the workout.
The aerobic circuit...
1 mile run
25 squat to dumbbell presses
25 chest press with hip lift on the stability ball or push ups
30 (15 each side) reverse lunges to dumbbell back rows
25 box jump
And repeat...
I perform the circuit 5 times through for an average workout time of 70 minutes. This is all individual to the person. I am a marathoner so Ilike to use this as a day of cross training to prevent injury and keep some weights in my routine. Doing an aerobic circuit provides similar adaptations for running with taking some of the wear and tear off the body. You can intermix different exercises, just keep them to full body movements with light weights.
Feel free to post comments or email me for questions!!
Happy Aerobic Circuit Running :)
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Healthy Meal Idea - Ground Beef & Brussels Sprouts Lettuce Wraps & Quinoa
Here is a healthy meal idea. When it comes to my meals, I always have a few staple ingredients. I make a lot of ground beef and brussels sprouts. This was my dinner idea for today with a few ingredients that I put together from my fridge.
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Here is the ingredient list (picture above)
-96/4 Ground Beef
-Romaine Lettuce Wraps
-Brussels Sprouts
-Quinoa
-Coconut Oil
-Garlic Sea Salt
-Cilantro
-Green Salsa
First of all, I cook the quinoa as directed on the package. I put 1 cup of quinoa in a stove top pot. I then add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once I bring it to a boil, I cover the pot and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (until thoroughly cooked).
At the same time I brown the ground beef at medium heat in a sauce pan. Once it is half way cooked I add cilantro to the meat. Add as much as you like. Don't over do it but cilantro adds great flavor to your meal!
Also, in another pan I heat on high and melt coconut oil (about 1 tbsp.) in the pan. I then cut Brussels sprouts in half and add them to the pan to heat and cook. Once they are coated in coconut oil I season with garlic sea salt and also add cilantro to add flavor.
Once everything is cooked to how I like, I wash a couple lettuce wraps and put the browned ground beef on the lettuce wraps. I then cut the Brussels sprouts in half again and add them to the lettuce wraps. I then take my favorite salsa and put on top. On the same plate a put a serving on quinoa to get a well rounded meal.
Here is the nutrition content on the meal..
1 serving of ground beef, 1 serving of brussel sprouts, 1 serving of quinoa, and all of the ingredients put together with the seasonings...
Whole Meal - 400 calories
31 grams of protein
38 grams of carbohydrates (5 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fiber)
14 grams of fat
Of course you can add additional ingredients and seasonings! This is just my idea and example of a healthy and nutritious meal to fuel my running and overall nutrition with some of my favorite ingredients!
Feel free to post recipes, additional comments or email with any questions!!
Happy Meal Ideas for Running :)
.jpg)
Here is the ingredient list (picture above)
-96/4 Ground Beef
-Romaine Lettuce Wraps
-Brussels Sprouts
-Quinoa
-Coconut Oil
-Garlic Sea Salt
-Cilantro
-Green Salsa
First of all, I cook the quinoa as directed on the package. I put 1 cup of quinoa in a stove top pot. I then add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once I bring it to a boil, I cover the pot and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (until thoroughly cooked).
At the same time I brown the ground beef at medium heat in a sauce pan. Once it is half way cooked I add cilantro to the meat. Add as much as you like. Don't over do it but cilantro adds great flavor to your meal!
Also, in another pan I heat on high and melt coconut oil (about 1 tbsp.) in the pan. I then cut Brussels sprouts in half and add them to the pan to heat and cook. Once they are coated in coconut oil I season with garlic sea salt and also add cilantro to add flavor.
Once everything is cooked to how I like, I wash a couple lettuce wraps and put the browned ground beef on the lettuce wraps. I then cut the Brussels sprouts in half again and add them to the lettuce wraps. I then take my favorite salsa and put on top. On the same plate a put a serving on quinoa to get a well rounded meal.
Here is the nutrition content on the meal..
1 serving of ground beef, 1 serving of brussel sprouts, 1 serving of quinoa, and all of the ingredients put together with the seasonings...
Whole Meal - 400 calories
31 grams of protein
38 grams of carbohydrates (5 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fiber)
14 grams of fat
Of course you can add additional ingredients and seasonings! This is just my idea and example of a healthy and nutritious meal to fuel my running and overall nutrition with some of my favorite ingredients!
Feel free to post recipes, additional comments or email with any questions!!
Happy Meal Ideas for Running :)
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Fat as an Energy Fuel Source for Runners
Using fat as a fuel source provides the body with an abundant energy source. Since the human body can store unlimited amounts of fat and only a limited amount of carbohydrate, fat provides an individual with plenty of energy when used as a fuel source! A gram of fat provides the body with two times as much energy as a gram of carbohydrate. When ingested a banana (carb source) provides enough fuel to run a mile where as a tablespoon of olive oil (fat source) provides the same amount of fuel and energy to be used by the body.
Fatty acids aka triglycerides are the primary type of fat used by muscle cells to create the energy needed for running. Fatty acids are stored in the muscles, fat cells, and other tissues of the body. Since fat is basically an unlimited fuel source for runners, and based off of my last article on training in a low glycogen state (carb depleted) - http://www.runwithmemeghan.blogspot.com/2014/05/training-with-low-glycogen-levels-is.html - runners should adjust there nutrition and training to produce less reliance on carbohydrates for energy and promote greater fat usage during running. This is true, but how does it affect your training?
Carbohydrates and fats are made up of the same 3 elements: carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, but the ratio to carbon and oxygen is much greater in fats. Since fat has a higher ration of carbon to oxygen compared to carbohydrates, the use of fat instead of carbohydrate as a primary fuel source during running raises the oxygen consumption rate associated with particular intensities. With this said, the chosen velocity and intensity is carried out at a higher percentage of VO2max. Since perceived effort and VO2max are fairly tightly linked, the intensity of the training will feel much more difficult to sustain when fat is a primary fuel source of energy even though total fuel availability with fat is greater than carbohydrate.
Using fats vs carbohydrates as a fuel source is influenced by a number of factors, including nutrition, running intensity, and the duration of the work out. Balancing your nutrition with your training intensity and duration is important to fuel your body for your work outs. This will vary from person to person based of those factors so it is important to incorporate nutrition along with your training program.
Feel free to post any comments or email me with additional questions!
Happy Fat Fueled Running :)
Fatty acids aka triglycerides are the primary type of fat used by muscle cells to create the energy needed for running. Fatty acids are stored in the muscles, fat cells, and other tissues of the body. Since fat is basically an unlimited fuel source for runners, and based off of my last article on training in a low glycogen state (carb depleted) - http://www.runwithmemeghan.blogspot.com/2014/05/training-with-low-glycogen-levels-is.html - runners should adjust there nutrition and training to produce less reliance on carbohydrates for energy and promote greater fat usage during running. This is true, but how does it affect your training?
Carbohydrates and fats are made up of the same 3 elements: carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, but the ratio to carbon and oxygen is much greater in fats. Since fat has a higher ration of carbon to oxygen compared to carbohydrates, the use of fat instead of carbohydrate as a primary fuel source during running raises the oxygen consumption rate associated with particular intensities. With this said, the chosen velocity and intensity is carried out at a higher percentage of VO2max. Since perceived effort and VO2max are fairly tightly linked, the intensity of the training will feel much more difficult to sustain when fat is a primary fuel source of energy even though total fuel availability with fat is greater than carbohydrate.
Using fats vs carbohydrates as a fuel source is influenced by a number of factors, including nutrition, running intensity, and the duration of the work out. Balancing your nutrition with your training intensity and duration is important to fuel your body for your work outs. This will vary from person to person based of those factors so it is important to incorporate nutrition along with your training program.
Feel free to post any comments or email me with additional questions!
Happy Fat Fueled Running :)
Run With Me : Training With Low Glycogen Levels - Is This Perfor...
Run With Me : Training With Low Glycogen Levels - Is This Perfor...: When it comes to performance enhancement for a runner, does training with low glycogen levels actually make a difference? Training with very...
Training With Low Glycogen Levels - Is This Performance Enhancing for Runners?
When it comes to performance enhancement for a runner, does training with low glycogen levels actually make a difference? Training with very little carbohydrate fuel in your legs can be a very hard thing do. Especially if you are a person that is use to having carbohydrates as a fuel source for running. If you are carb depleted it may lead to constant fatigue and consistently training at slower speeds along with the possibility of injury. So why do it? Training on a low carb diet and the depletion of glycogen in the muscle actually leads to major physiological adjustments within the body and leads to improvements with performance.
When we look at the molecular adaptations that are made, anytime there is a deficiency in the body, the body will adapt and compensate to decrease the risk of future deficiencies. Just as the human body adapts to any new stimulus in the body. It protects itself to make sure the next time a deficiency arises, that it can adjust and compensate for it.
For example, an experience runner that is trying to increase there VO2max must train at an intensity above what there body can currently handle. A level of intensity where the body struggles to meet the requirements of the work out will produce a much stronger stimulus than training the body at an intensity it can easily handle and adapt to. Training at an intensity that forces the body to adapt so next time the work out is performed the body can handle it. Since the body is training at an intensity above its current VO2max, the circulatory, nervous, and muscular systems think they are deficient and create adaptations that increase VO2max.
Same holds true for training with low glycogen levels. If the body is not use to training in a glycogen depleted state, adaptions need to be made so the body can handle the work out intensity and is forced to adapt to the new stimulus.
What adaptations are made training with low glycogen levels? There was a study done by a group of Danish researchers to test the glycogen deficiency theory. They recruited 7 healthy young men that averaged the age of 26, and performed a 10 week study that involved doing exercise in a glycogen depleted state and a high glycogen state. They discovered the following after the 10 weeks of training...
-When the glycogen depleted legs was restocked with glycogen and performed against the legs in a high glycogen state in a work out, the previously glycogen depleted legs performed much better than the legs that were always trained in a high glycogen state. In fact the time to exhaustion was twice as long for the previously glycogen depleted legs compared with the high glycogen legs and the total work performed was much greater. This is due to hormonal changes that take place in the body in a glycogen depleted state.
What are the hormonal and molecular change that take place?
-When training in a glycogen depleted state, plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels are significantly higher. These hormones are potent boosters of nervous system activity and can also increase the force which muscle produce when they contract.
-On the molecular level, differences in very important aerobic enzymes (hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase HAD and citrate synthase CS) increased significantly in the glycogen depleted training state. As a result of the increased aerobic enzymes in the body, oxygen can be processed at a higher rate, fuel can be provided to the muscle cells at a greater speed, and endurance at quality intensities may improve significantly.
-Along with the molecular changes, the number and percent area of type II-X (fast twitch) fibers decreased significantly in the high glycogen state legs but not in the glycogen depleted legs. The body had to rely on the fast twitch fibers to complete the work out when glycogen depleted. In return this preserved the fast twitch fibers in the glycogen depleted training legs.
How can you supplement this into your own training? What I would recommend is starting to supplement a couple workouts each week in a glycogen depleted state. Depending on your current carb intake (nutrition) and current training plan, this can vary from person to person.
For example, if you are a person that has a high carb meal or uses carb supplements prior to training, try a run with out the added carb. This may come down to reducing carbs in your overall nutrition to enhance your performance and overall body composition too.
Feel free to email me with any questions and post any additional comments!!
Happy Performance Enhanced Running :)
When we look at the molecular adaptations that are made, anytime there is a deficiency in the body, the body will adapt and compensate to decrease the risk of future deficiencies. Just as the human body adapts to any new stimulus in the body. It protects itself to make sure the next time a deficiency arises, that it can adjust and compensate for it.
For example, an experience runner that is trying to increase there VO2max must train at an intensity above what there body can currently handle. A level of intensity where the body struggles to meet the requirements of the work out will produce a much stronger stimulus than training the body at an intensity it can easily handle and adapt to. Training at an intensity that forces the body to adapt so next time the work out is performed the body can handle it. Since the body is training at an intensity above its current VO2max, the circulatory, nervous, and muscular systems think they are deficient and create adaptations that increase VO2max.
Same holds true for training with low glycogen levels. If the body is not use to training in a glycogen depleted state, adaptions need to be made so the body can handle the work out intensity and is forced to adapt to the new stimulus.
What adaptations are made training with low glycogen levels? There was a study done by a group of Danish researchers to test the glycogen deficiency theory. They recruited 7 healthy young men that averaged the age of 26, and performed a 10 week study that involved doing exercise in a glycogen depleted state and a high glycogen state. They discovered the following after the 10 weeks of training...
-When the glycogen depleted legs was restocked with glycogen and performed against the legs in a high glycogen state in a work out, the previously glycogen depleted legs performed much better than the legs that were always trained in a high glycogen state. In fact the time to exhaustion was twice as long for the previously glycogen depleted legs compared with the high glycogen legs and the total work performed was much greater. This is due to hormonal changes that take place in the body in a glycogen depleted state.
What are the hormonal and molecular change that take place?
-When training in a glycogen depleted state, plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels are significantly higher. These hormones are potent boosters of nervous system activity and can also increase the force which muscle produce when they contract.
-On the molecular level, differences in very important aerobic enzymes (hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase HAD and citrate synthase CS) increased significantly in the glycogen depleted training state. As a result of the increased aerobic enzymes in the body, oxygen can be processed at a higher rate, fuel can be provided to the muscle cells at a greater speed, and endurance at quality intensities may improve significantly.
-Along with the molecular changes, the number and percent area of type II-X (fast twitch) fibers decreased significantly in the high glycogen state legs but not in the glycogen depleted legs. The body had to rely on the fast twitch fibers to complete the work out when glycogen depleted. In return this preserved the fast twitch fibers in the glycogen depleted training legs.
How can you supplement this into your own training? What I would recommend is starting to supplement a couple workouts each week in a glycogen depleted state. Depending on your current carb intake (nutrition) and current training plan, this can vary from person to person.
For example, if you are a person that has a high carb meal or uses carb supplements prior to training, try a run with out the added carb. This may come down to reducing carbs in your overall nutrition to enhance your performance and overall body composition too.
Feel free to email me with any questions and post any additional comments!!
Happy Performance Enhanced Running :)
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