One article to cover the best books in the fitness and nutrition industry just isn’t enough!    Having a game plan for your weight loss and fitness goals is essential to your long term success.  These books will not only help you plan your workouts and meals but they will also teach you the science behind everything you will do.

Here are five more of some of the best books written specifically for the fitness and nutrition industry by more of the most well respected trainers and nutritionists in the business.
  

1.  Maximum Strength - Eric Cressey CSCS

Eric Cressey is one of the most authoritative experts in the fitness industry.  He is a powerlifter, author, speaker and certified strength and conditioning coach.   Maximum Strength takes you through an intense 16-week program that will leave you stronger, bigger, and leaner than you ever thought possible.  All workouts in this book are built on solid research, science, and, most importantly, a track record of results!

2.  Body for Life - Bill Phillips

Body for Life by Bill Phillips could almost be considered a classic.  It has been around for 10 years and is still going strong.  This book, and the numerous support books including one specifically for women, give you a complete fitness and nutrition plan that can certainly put you on track for successful long-term weight loss.  The Body for Life website is a great accompaniment to the series with a ton of resources at your fingertips.

3.  Huge in a Hurry- Chad Waterbury

Chad Waterbury has established himself as one of the preeminate weight lifting gurus in the business.  He is a regular author for T-Nation.com and has published numerous results-backed routines.  Huge in a Hurry, published with Rodale (Men’s Health), gives you five new muscle building rules and the workouts built around them that will make you leaner, bigger, and stronger.

4.  The Abs Diet - David Zinczenko and Ted Spiker

The Abs Diet, from Men’s Health, suggests that “diet” is a new four-letter word.  It teaches you how to eat without being overly restrictive and gives you great workouts that complement your new eating plan.   The Abs Diet also has a number of supplemental books that will help you in your weight loss journey.  Quite simply, it is a sensible and sustainable plan for a new lifestyle.

5.  Eat This Not That- David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding 

Eat This Not That is a very comprehensive guide for what good foods to swap for those bad foods.   This isn’t a diet book that will give you meal plans and workouts but a guide to help you make the right choices.  Learn how the smallest choices you make at the grocery store or restaurant can make a big difference in your waistline!

These are just a  few more of the great books on the market today in the fitness and nutrition industry.  All of these books are well reviewed, well tested, and written by industry leading experts.  They are a great place to start and are great resources for even the most seasons fitness enthusiast.

Do you have any reading suggestions?  Just leave them in the comments below!

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed that weight loss can help cure sleep apnea.  According to the study, patients that lost an average of 24 pounds, or 10 percent of their body weight, were three times more likely to stop their apnea.

Sleep apnea is condition where you stop breathing during the night for short periods of time.  “Apnea” is a Greek word that literally means “without breath.” There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. According to the ASAA (American Sleep Apnea Association):

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Sleep and weight issues

Not only is sleep apnea a very dangerous condition but it can also be one of the contributing factors to your weight issues.  Studies have shown that those that don’t get enough sleep have higher levels of cortisol in their system than those that do get enough sleep.  Excessive levels of Cortisol, as you may or may not know, can lead to weight gain, lowered immune system, and much more.  Cortisol secretion is caused by stress and it has been proven that sleep deprivation elevates stress. The result is prolonged periods of high cortisol levels in your system.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

The most common symptoms of OSA that you may notice are (source):

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, which is falling asleep when you normally should not, such as while you are eating, talking, or driving.
• Waking with an unrefreshed feeling after sleep, having problems with memory and concentration, feeling tired, and experiencing personality changes.
• Morning or night headaches. About half of all people with sleep apnea report headaches.
• Heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth at night.
• Swelling of the legs if you are obese.
• Getting up during the night to urinate (nocturia).
• Sweating and chest pain while you are sleeping.  
   

There are also symptoms someone else may notice while you are sleeping:

• Episodes of not breathing (apnea), which may occur as few as 5 times an hour (mild apnea) to more than 50 times an hour (severe apnea). How many episodes you have determines how severe your sleep apnea is.
• Loud snoring. Almost all people who have sleep apnea snore, but not all people who snore have sleep apnea.
• Restless tossing and turning during sleep.
• Nighttime choking or gasping spells

If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, please contact your doctor immediately.  Sleep apnea treatments range from simple home treatments such as losing weight to the use of a device called a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure ) machine to surgery.

The fitness and nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar per year juggernaut.  With a seemingly unending supply of information in print and on the internet, it has become increasingly difficult to determine who is trustworthy and who is out to just make a quick buck.

There are books and internet sites out there that pump out information from very confident sources with a litany of credentials after their name like MA, IFAA, CSCS, ATC, AFAA, NCSF, and a ton more.  If you’re new to fitness and nutrition, and are looking for a place to start, who do you trust to give you good, solid information that will help you in your weight loss efforts?

Here are five of some of the best books written specifically for the fitness and nutrition industry by a few of the most well respected trainers and nutritionists in the business.

1.  New Rules of Lifting - Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

Lou Schuler mixes just the right amount of humor, real-life stories, nutritional information, fat loss and muscle building theories into the meat of the book and Alwyn Cosgrove creates some fantastic workouts.  There are enough workouts in this book alone to keep you busy for a year and put you in the best shape of your life.  Alwyn breaks the workouts down to three sections: Fat Loss, Hypertrophy, and Strength.  Each workout is meticulously designed to produce these results.  This book is great for both beginners and the experienced.  Oh, and it comes in a version for women as well!

2.  Power Training - Robert dos Remedios

Coach Robert dos Remedios is one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in the country.  In Power Training, Coach Dos doesn’t just give you the workouts but he explains, in detail, what you are doing every step of the way.  This book is geared a little more to the exprienced fitness enthusiast but the science of his workouts are a great foundation for anyone interested in getting stronger and leaner.

3.  Metabolism Advantage - Dr. John Berardi

Dr. Berardi is one of, if not the leading authority on sports and fitness nutrition.  Metabolism advantage doesn’t just tell you what you should eat.  It gives you all of the science behind it as well as some great workouts to complement the meal plans.  This book focuses on speeding up your metabolism through proper nutrition and exercise.  If you are just starting out, this is a great book to add to your collection.

4.  Starting Strength - Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore

This book has been called “the best and most useful of fitness books”. Mark Rippetoe is a certified strength and conditioning coach, powerlifter, and one of the foremost fitness authorities in the industry.  Starting strength covers the “5 big lifts” in unbelievable detail and is a great starting point for those looking to start training as well as a great resource for the advanced lifter.

5.  The Zone - Dr. Barry Sears

Looking for a book that will give you a dietary roadmap for long-term weight loss success?  Check out The Zone.  If you’re looking for a fad diet, don’t buy this book.  Dr. Sears teaches you how to eat right by eating an insulin-resistant diet with the right protein/carbohydrate/fat balance.

These are but a few of the great books on the market today in the fitness and nutrition industry.  All of these books are well reviewed, well tested, and written by industry leading experts.  They are a great place to start and are great resources for even the most seasons fitness enthusiast.

Do you have any reading suggestions?  Just leave them in the comments below!

If you happened to catch the season premier of the Biggest Loser last night on NBC, you witnessed a prime (time) example of what could happen if you don’t exercise safety and common sense as well as your body. 

If you didn’t see it, the contestants were dropped off one mile from the finish line of the previous season’s season-ending marathon.  The first to complete the mile won immunity.  The contestant, Tracy, took off at the start and tried to run the mile.  The rest of the contestants had to carry her across the finish line where she passed out.  She ended up having to be flown out by helicopter to a local hospital.  The end result was her missing the entire first week of the competition.

Here are a few tips that may help you avoid injury when first beginning an exercise program.  If you don’t stay safe, you’ll find yourself staying home and not able to further your weight loss efforts by exercising.

Get a thorough physical

It may sound cliche, but do yourself a favor and get a physical before starting ANY exercise program.  This is especially true if you haven’t recently checked your blood pressure, had a cholesterol test, or a blood sugar test.  Other high risk factors include smoking, age Age (men > 45, women > 55), and a family history of heart issues.

If you have recently had a thorough physical and have been diagnosed with any of the above or fall into the other high risk categories, talk to your doctor and see what he or she recommends.  If you have received a clean bill of health, you’re ready to go!

Start slow

This one should be obvious.  If you are 5′-2″ and weigh 250-300 pounds, you are probably not going to be able to run a mile.  Just ask Tracey. There are some great programs out there to take you from sedentary to active in a smart way.  One such program is “Couch to 5K“. 

The same goes for any exercise program that includes resistance training (weight lifting).  If you don’t start slow and try that ‘program you used to use back in high school’, you may not injure yourself but you’ll probably be so sore that it will keep you sidelined just like an injury.

Stay hydrated

When you exercise, your body temperature will rise.  Your body will attempt to regulate the temperature so you will sweat.  When you sweat, you lose water.  You must replace the water you are losing or risk dehydration.  As we get older, our bodies have a harder time regulating its own temperature which makes proper hydration even more crucial.

A key to successful workouts is keeping well hydrated before, during and after exercise. The length of your workouts, heat, humidity and the amount you sweat are all major considerations for keeping your body in proper fluid balance. (source)

Maintain good form

This one is mainly for those choosing to lift weights.  Don’t assume you know how to perform any exercise.  Tiger Woods didn’t step up to a golf ball and drive it 300 yards on his first swing!  Do your research, observe and ask others in the gym…be confident you can perform the lift correctly before you attempt it.

If you have the means, a trainer is always an excellent option.  However, before hiring a trainer make sure you do you homework on them as well.  Trainers should be able to provide you a list of references.  Do yourself a favor and check the references as well as their trainer certification.

Know your limits

Finally, know your limits.   Push your limits but don’t exceed them.  This goes for any type of exercise.  If you’re barely able to jog a 10 minute mile, chances are that you aren’t ready for a 5 minute mile.  If you can barely bench press 135 lbs, don’t try anything more without a spotter.  While this may seem like common sense, many find themselves with an injury for trying to do more than they can handle.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share?  Please leave them in the comments below.

Recent headlines from Britain show yet another attempt to tackle that country’s obesity epidemic.  Faced with ever rising health care costs associated with obesity related health issues, they are giving parents of obese children the opportunity of sending their kids to “fat camp“. 

They are doing this because they have faced the harsh reality of the obesity related costs to having a public option for the populous. Should the public option become a reality for the US, we can expect the same issues that the UK is now facing. 

In part 1 of this series, the current impact obesity related heath issues have on our medical industry was detailed as well as what issues are considered ‘obesity related’.  As it stands now, the majority of the US population is under private health insurance.  What impact have these obesity related issues had on the costs we currently pay?

First, let’s take a look at the rate that health insurance has increase for employers over the last decade.  Over this time, health insurance premiums have jumped over 119%. 

The cumulative increase in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have raised at four times the rate of inflation and wage increases during last decade.  (source)

In 1991, no state had an obesity rate over 20%.  Now, there are 31 states that exceed 25% obesity rates and 49 states (and D.C.) exceed the 20% mark.  As stated in part 1 of this series, the average medical expenditure for an obese person is $1429 per year more than a non-obese person.  Given that obesity rates grew at a rate of 37% over the past decade coupled with the extra expenditure incurred by obesity related issues, it becomes painfully obvious that the obesity epidemic is a major player in the rising health care costs overall.

So what does that mean?  While the government currently faces these challenges on a smaller scale with Medicare and Medicaid, the playing field gets expanded exponentially should a public option be put into play.  Currently, most employer based health care programs offer flat rates regardless of the employees’ weight even though this could be a deciding factor for insurance premium levels.  Most employers generally cover about 71% of the premiums (family) which means the cost for this employee benefit is quickly rising out of control.

Should this trend continue, how long will it be before it becomes non-cost effective to continue to offer the same level of insurance coverage?  Obviously, that is impossible to gage but logic tells us there must be a breaking point.  The employer coverage of the health insurance premium will, in all likelihood, decrease which, in turn, cause the employee portion to increase putting the additional burden on the employee to cover the costs.  Or, in a worst case scenario, health benefits my cease to be offered by some.  Either way, there is no reduction in costs, to the employer or the employee, for the foreseeable future.

Enter the public option.  This option would, in all probability, be subsidized by taxpayer dollars and the fight against obesity shifts from your house to Washington.  We have already heard of new ’sin tax’ proposals to try to offset some of the costs we, the tax payers, are going to incur should this become a reality.  Will we also be asked to send our kids to government sponsored fat camp?  Is gastric bypass surgery, or lap bands, covered under the public option?  Should they be?

Given that this epidemic is growing by leaps and bounds, year after year, is it enough for the government to just refer to a “sin tax” or should we be demanding answers to questions concerning how they plan combat this problem?  This epidemic is caused by so many factors, how intrusive into our private lives would they have to be to truly control it?

If you have any comments, please feel free to post below!