Thursday, November 5, 2009

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(Editor’s Note: This is another guest blog from the chancellor’s personal trainer, Terry Telschow, also known as Mr. T)

I have been working with Dr. Richardson for a little over three weeks now and am pleased to report his progress. We were careful of a couple of past knee injuries to start with, but otherwise there were no major concerns. We started with two sets of 8-12 reps on 10-12 exercises working three times weekly. It was not long before I realized that his aerobic capacity, from all those walks around the lakes, would enable him to move to three sets of each exercises. This is a transition that can normally take months for an individual to achieve. A higher aerobic conditioning level allows the body to recover faster between each exercise. I also have implemented supersets in Bill's workout. A superset is a mode of training that involves performing a set of an exercise and immediately moving to another exercise of an antagonistic or unrelated muscle group and alternating back and forth until the desired number of sets is performed. This keeps the individual moving constantly and increases the intensity versus a work-and-rest routine. Therefore, Bill's workouts have increased in intensity significantly as well as his ability to get more work with increasing weight and repetitions. To give an idea of increases in strength, the total amount of work performed (weight x reps) has increased 26 percent on the bench press and 63 percent on the leg press (started light for knees) from day one to today. This is an impressive improvement in such a short time. Results in the first month of training are primarily contributed by the increase of neural coordination of muscle movements and after that by actual strength and increase of muscle size. It usually takes four to eight weeks of training to see muscle beginning to build in most individuals, so small amounts of muscle should start to accumulate in the next month or so. Bill's knees have responded well to the training. He has done leg exercises that I'm not sure he thought he could do (looked at me like I was crazy to have him try) with no major problems.

Overall, I am pleased with Bill's progress in a short period of time and look forward to further progress. He is definitely ahead of the curve regarding response to training and acute adaptation, especially for his age (a strapping young lad).

Mr. T

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

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The obesity problem continues, even as we hear some reports that progress is being made. Other than recognized medical conditions, the vast majority of obesity issues are a simple equation of consuming more calories than our bodies need to function. Excess calories are stored as fat. As I look to the calendar, we are heading into the season when calorie consumption peaks. The end-of-the-year holidays stare at us, starting with Thanksgiving and ending with New Year’s Eve. But, while we all know of the culinary perils of these holidays, we need not lose sight that it’s a 12-month-a-year problem. In my case, while my eating habits have changed dramatically and my exercise routines have markedly improved, I have to fight the overconsumption of calories every day.

For most of us there is no magic pill, diet fad or trick play. We need to consume a variety of foods, within and among the basic food groups while staying within energy needs, be physically active, and watch total calorie consumption. It is actually quite simple. But, if we all followed that advice, then we might attack the obesity problem.

Thursday, Mr. T will give you a progress report on my resistance training. I finally figured out his training approach. At first, I thought he had me do exercises until I got tired or exhausted. It is apparent to me now that he has me work out until he gets tired.

Bill Richardson

Many people gain weight during the holidays because of the abundance of food at parties and get-togethers. The amount of weight gained varies from 0.5 pounds to 5 pounds depending on the individual. How can you avoid weight gain and overeating during the holidays with so much good food available? Try some of these tips when you attend holiday events:

When the food is buffet style:

• Avoid going to parties when you are too hungry. When we skip meals or get too hungry, our biological system overrides our logical mind, and we overeat.
• Choose a plate of vegetables and fruits before you head for casseroles or other rich food items.
• Take a break before refilling your plate to let the satiety cues reach your brain.
• Engage in conversation with several people so that you won’t have time to eat.
• When tasting the rich food items, keep the portions small.

When it is a sit-down meal:

• Choose a meat serving that is the size of a deck of cards. Avoid gravy or use it sparsely.
• If there are several dressings to choose from, pick one and take a tablespoon of it and enjoy it.
• Choose whole berry cranberry jelly, if available, and take only a tablespoonful. Enjoy it fully.
• Fill half the plate with vegetables.
• Choose whole grain rolls or bread, if possible. Pass on the butter.
• If the dessert is a rich chocolate or cheesecake, take one or two bites and enjoy them, but leave the rest.
• Before heading for a re-fill, wait. It takes about 20 minutes for the signals from your stomach to reach your brain. You might be full already.

Remember that portion sizes are the key. No food is bad. It’s just a matter of how much. Balance food intake with increased exercise. Make sure to build more time for physical activity during the holidays to burn off the extra calories. Take more frequent walks or head to the gym more often to balance the excess calories with increased physical activity.

Read this LSU AgCenter press release:

Don’t Be Afraid; Take Action To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain