Almond Theft

I have a confession to make. I steal Almonds from the Kiel's buffet (my name for the bulk food aisle) without shame. I feel like because I shop there on an almost-daily basis, it gives me the right to snack at my leisure. The guys that work the produce aisle don't even bat an eye anymore when I come calling. Immoral? Perhaps. Mortifying to my wife? Absolutely. Filling? Definitely.


I also steal almonds from any buffet at any store - I don't discriminate based on location. Years ago, I used to snatch Mike and Ike's, jawbreakers, something chocolate or something else sugary and delicious. No mas. 


Why, you ask, the change in heart in my buffet pilfering choices? It's pretty simple, actually: my switch to a career as a health pro has affected my diet in some ways more than others, and snacking is one of the most impacted. And my almond theft is really just an extension of my fondness for snacking. Also, once I tried including almonds in my diet, I found that I 1) love the taste of just about any variety 2) had no idea how nutritionally dense -- and generally awesome for you -- they are. 


Anecdotally, I have to say that I have never found a food that "fills me up," in the same way as whole almonds. I can eat just a handful or so, and truly get the sense that I've eaten more. For a person that eats more than the average two people combined, this is very beneficial.


Some specific things we should all know about our friend the almond:

• They're low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - calcium and magnesium - for strong bones; they're also high in fiber
• They're high in vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer
• They have 8 grams of protein per 1/4 cup, which is about a handful; not a fantastic source of protein, but not bad, either, considering the lack of prep time and ease of consumption
• Eating almonds helps lower LDL (the bad cholesterol), and gets the body higher amounts of antioxidants, which are awesome for many reasons

Do you have to steal them? No. Should you work some into your diet, for the reasons listed above and because they're super tasty? Probably. Dig in!

What type of almonds are your favorite? Personally, I'm a smoked kind of guy, but also enjoy the sea-salted. 

The Y-M-C-A (camp); What I've Learned in my First Month

As I pass the one-month mark leading my M/W/F 5:30 a.m. boot camp at the Mission Valley YMCA, it occurred to me that I have not really said much about it here. Which is a shame because I'm learning at an alarming clip, and loving it.

It's been such an amazing experience for me for many reasons. First and foremost, I had no idea that I would be working with such a motivated and truly kind group of people. Each day when I walk in that room to setup, I know that in about 20 minutes, my team will start filing in, ready to work, and be eternally optimistic. It makes being with them so much easier and more enjoyable.

The class has also been great in terms of pushing me to try new things and making things adaptable for different skill levels, because my camp has a wide variance when it comes to age, skill level, size, etc. The same things that make the group so fun to be around because of all the unique people also make the challenge to me more specific and educational. I am learning a LOT very fast. It's a very very great thing for a future trainer to have to break down each exercise to find ways to make it both more difficult and less difficult - it adds to the "arsenal" for when I'm working with folks one-on-one.

What has also become clear is that a leader can NEVER be too prepared. Yes, it is very important to be able to improvise in the middle of an exercise class and yes, there is something to be said for spontaneity. However, I pride myself on always having thought through the workout for the day, having things laid out for my team when they come in, and on thinking through a workout from start to finish; reverse engineering it from the goal I want them to reach and the tools I have at my disposal.

Finally, I think this last month of acting as a leader for a motivated group of people has taught me to never underestimate the power of a large group (or pair, or small group) of people working together for a common goal. It's unscientific, as I haven't really surveyed anyone, but I sense that the vibe and energy level in class is best when I have people working with others, whether it be as a pair exercise, a group of 3-4 going through circuits together, or the entire team lined up on the baseline of the basketball courts sweating through suicides together. This type of training makes me truly understand why people love Group Ex so much, and why it's a nice fit for me as a teacher.

If you haven't stopped in to check out the class yet, please do! Let me know if you're not a member and I can get you a one-time entry pass ... if you don't come down to my camp - try someone's! I think you'll find that working hard, together, makes exercise much more palatable and exciting. 

Beach Boot Camp - Saturday 9 a.m.

Hi everyone-


Boot camp is on this Saturday - 9 a.m. It will be my first as a officially certified ACE fitness instructor! Which really means nothing as far as you guys are concerned, but is pretty cool to me.


Anyway, there are quite a few new people (hopefully) coming this week, so a recap of the rules:

• IT'S FREE - but, this will be the LAST weekend that it's free. I'm still toying with how to figure out the cost, but I'll let you guys know ... and it will be the cheapest boot camp in town, I can guarantee you that. 
• BE ON TIME. We start at 9. If you're late, look around and find us, we'll be jogging and doing some warm-up exercises
• WORK HARD. This means "as hard as you can work." I know skill levels are different, and that's fine. I just want your best effort.
• HAVE FUN. This is a great group that enjoys each other's company. And I want to keep it that way.
• Bring water and a towel if you're squeamish about touching sand or grass

I am going to host it at the beach/park area located adjacent to the South Mission Beach Jetty. Basically, get yourself to the Roller Coaster in Mission Beach, then go south on Mission Blvd until you can't drive anymore. Turn right and enter that park area, drive to the bathrooms (you'll see them) and park. Then look for me in the small grassy area near the bathrooms ... if all else fails, call me at 619-757-9147


Be sure you let me know if you're planning to come so I can get a good head count. Thanks and see you all there!

Happy (Balboa Park) Trails

Took a run through Balboa Park today and was excited to see the city has posted a whole new list of running trails at the southwest corner of the park (basically where 6th meets I-5). If you haven't checked these out, or the ones that are posted on the corner of 6th and Upas, you definitely should. Balboa is a hidden gem for trail running, with all kids of degrees of difficulty, interesting loops through the parks and adjacent canyons, etc. And, for me, there is nothing that connects a person to nature better than bobbing and weaving through dry creek beds, soft dirt trails and groves of trees while pushing yourself.

Giddy up! And let me know which route is your favorite. I'm partial to the "Red" trail that starts on the corner of 6th and Upas myself.

Got a favorite running spot in San Diego? Share with us! 

Did You Know?

I'm taking the ACE Certification Test a week from today, and I figured a good way to help me study (and provide some interesting information for everyone) would be for me to share some of the things I've been studying that I found interesting about exercise, the human body, etc. I can honestly say that the last 18 months of my life have been the most educational period I have ever had, both personally and professionally. I can only hope to continue to learn and grow in the same way as I progress in my career.

I hope you learn something fun! Did you know ....

ACSM (the American College of Sports Medicine) recommends that a person get 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise each week, combined with at least 2+ days of full-body resistance training? And that the number is even HIGHER for children aged 6-17, in an effort to fight childhood obesity?

That almost everyone who does a squat lifts the majority of the load with the quadriceps instead of the hamstrings, placing (very dangerous and harmful) shearing forces on the knee? Studies have shown this is one of the most common ways people injure their knees in a gym setting. Check this out for a great tip on how to maintain proper squat technique. REMEMBER - weight in heels, hips back first, knees never past the toe, you should be able to wiggle your toes at any point in the movement.

That proximal stability = distal mobility? Think of that as "my core must be strong before my appendages can be strong/mobile." One of the most fundamental principles your trainer should instill in you is that you MUST have strong balance, core musculature, posture and understanding of movement patterns before beginning a resistance training program. A very common error made by trainers is not breaking their clients of bad lifting habits, which exacerbates current injuries and puts their clients at risk for others.

That most people will actually start feeling better (not just performing better) after only 2-4 weeks of regular exercise? This happens primarily because of an increase in neurotransmitters and hormone levels - serotonin, endorphins, etc.

I could go on and on but I won't ... just a few things I found interesting. Test is Saturday, and then I promise I won't mention it here again (except to hopefully celebrate passing it).