Supplement – Jack3D/DMAA, causes DEATH.

About a month ago NBC’s Rock Center did a report on the supplement Jack3d and its deadly side effects.

What makes this pre-workout supplement different from the rest is the ingredient dimethylamylamine – or DMAA.  Users claim that DMAA found in Jack3d, is the ingredient that gives them that extra energy burst which they believe takes them to that next level. However, DMAA is also the dangerous deadly ingredient that the FDA says is illegal.  It’s side effect are rapid heartbeat, anxiety, depression, death, etc.

DMAA has been banned in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and six other countries, but not yet in the USA.  However, professional and olympic athletes are prohibited to use it. And after two military soldiers died because of using this product, the U.S. Military now prohibits the sale of DMAA on all bases.

Supplements can easily gain a cult like following, but it is important to know that they are not closely regulated. The FDA does not approve any supplements, however because of the danger that Jack3d holds, they have issued a warning about the danger deadly side effects that this product causes. Also the Council of Responsible Nutrition is working on notifying all manufactures to stop producing products with the ingredient DMAA.

I watched the NBC Rock Center News episode about Jack3d, but it wasn’t until conversations stirred up on Instagram that I decided the importance of writing this post.

It stared with a Instagram video, posted by a girl who is prepping for her first fitness bikini competition. She slurped down Jack3d before her workout. One woman commented,”Dude, heard that shit is dangerous. Scares me big time. Be careful.” I also commented, informing her that it had caused heart complications that led to the death of a perfectly young healthy guy. I gave her the link to the story that Rock Center reported, so she could read the article and see for herself. Another, person responded to my comment saying, ” ppl have died from a lot of things. Shit works and is effective. lol.”

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To me this is not a joking matter. Taking harmful supplements is not worth the risk. It is important for people to remember the point of working out is to be a healthy fit person. Taking supplements because, “that shit works,” or “it’s effective,” when your life and health is being jeopardized, because you think your results/progress will happen faster, is beyond obsessive. Do the hard work, fuel your body with healthy clean food, and in time you will see change.

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I later posted a pic on my personal Instagram with the link to the Rock Center article reporting on the deadly supplement.

One guy commented on the post, about his experience with the supplement, and how it put him in hospital. He later posted a picture of his hospital bracelet.

 

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All my information found on Jack3d is from the Rock Center News episode, and report. http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/11/17707934-deadly-workout-supplement-jack3d-outside-fdas-reach?lite

Please be healthy and fit. And although, some supplements can improve one’s health. Remember… use them with good judgement. I try to eat as clean as I can, and as balanced as I can. I try my hardest to get all my nutritional needs from the food I eat. A fitness journal app can be helpful to make sure you are eating balanced. Without it you may be getting too much of one thing, without even knowing it.

When it comes to supplements, I do take a multivitamin, Omega 3s, BCAAs, B12, Protein Powder, D3, and a probiotic. Please consult your doctor, before taking any supplements. I personally stay away from, anything unnatural, including energy drinks and fat burners.

Questions for You:

  1. What supplements do you take?
  2. Have you used Jack3d?
  3. Have you had any bad dangerous side effects to supplements.

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

 

Get your beauty sleep!

This week I really took things easy. I needed a good long week of rest. I ran on Monday. I slept in on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

Rest is very important! I can’t stress that enough.

When you lift heavy you create little tears in your muscles. For muscle growth, these tears need to repair. Repairing happens when your body is at rest.

When you run far your body creates lactic acid, which makes muscles sore. Adequate rest and hydration helps flush the body of toxins, reducing soreness and inflammation, preventing injury.

Your body is capable of repairing itself, but it needs rest and hydration in order to do so. It is designed to repair. It wants to repair. So listen to it.

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On Friday, I’m back to grind. I hit the gym hard. It was amazing how much energy I had after a couple days of rest. I worked my back and arms, by combining super sets and active rest periods into the mix.

I have come to the conclusion that I prefer circuit training, supersets, and active rest periods, oppose to heavy lifting with less reps. Simply because it gets me a lot more sweaty. However, I know there is a time and place to do each one. If your goal is to build muscle then lift heavy with less reps. If your goal is to burn fat and build endurance then circuit training, and active rest periods are necessary.

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Always remember that when lifting heavy you should NEED to take at least a 1 minute rest period in between sets. You should feel so tired and out of breath that you need to take a rest before moving on. If you are able to move on to the next set then you are not lifting heavy enough.

MARATHON TRAINING

I have completed the Livefit trainer and because I love it so much and saw amazing results I am repeating phase 2 and 3 again. This time with a closer focus on clean eating, carb cycling, lowering my sugar intake, and upping the protein shake and water intake I am also going to customize the trainer according to what my body needs.

The plan for this coming week is to continue to take it easy with a couple of heavy lifting sessions mixed in. The reason why is because my Marathon training will be starting in a week, and I want to make sure I am physically refreshed and mentally ready.

Marathon training is going to be interesting this time around because I will be training with L. This will be her first full 26.2, so I am going to teach her everything I know about running this distance. I am also going to continue weight lifting and yoga during my training. I also want to cross train on my bike. It will be hard to juggle everything, but it will be important to do so.

I also wanted to mention that I was featured on Fit Blogger.
Please head over there and read my article.
I hope you enjoy it!

To all the Dad’s out there, including mine. I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day!

© 2013 sweatdaily

Planking- while hanging from the Ceiling!

Hi Lovelies,

If you’ve read my previous post, you should know that I am participating in the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Competition. If you haven’t joined yet, register NOW… you will not be disappointed!  The three participants who tell the most epic journey wins a trip to Costa Rica for surf and yoga lessons. That would be totally awesome if I won ( I mean anything is possible,) however, at this moment I am not even thinking about the winning prize. Instead, I am using the What’s Beautiful community to find inspiration and learn new things.

One of the knew things I have discovered is the TRX. And this is how…

While searching for inspiration, for something new and different. I noticed that everyone has been doing different types of planks and setting new PRs. Why? Because there has been a plank challenge going on among the What’s Beautiful community.  Because I love challenges, I had to get in on this one.

I came across the most fabulous plank done by Veronica D. This plank was by far was the most new, different, unique, creative plank I had ever seen. She was planking while hanging from a TRX.

I had seen a TRX before, but never used it. Turns out this morning at my gym, I saw one hanging from the ceiling. I immediately wanted to play on it. So here I am doing my plank using the TRX.

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I also posted a video of me doing this plank to my What’s Beautiful profile. And this plank video is my first video I uploaded to youtube. So head over there and check it out! BTW I held this plank for over a minute. My planks are getting stronger and stronger. Practice makes perfect.

In the end, I love finding new and different ways to accomplish old exercises. Shocking your body and switching things up is the best way to strengthen and get results. I can’t wait to get on the TRX again.

Questions for You…

  1. Have you used the TRX?
  2. What is your favorite most creative way to plank?
  3. What is you plank PR? How long can you hold it for?

© sweatdaily 2013

Circuit Training… The low down.

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It is rise and grind time baby! 

Lets do this!

Circuit Training

I am now on day 71 of Jamie Eason’s Livefit trainer! Today’s workout is Circuit Training.  Circuit training is something we have all heard of, but what is it exactly?? In this circuit, I completed 20 reps for every exercise back to back, without rest, for a total of 140 consecutive reps. Then I rested 3 minutes between each circuit and then repeated the full circuit 2 more times.

For these circuits, I did not lift heavy, because circuit training is not about building muscle. In these circuits I used the weight that was heaviest, while still being able to complete the full 20 reps for each exercise, 140 consecutive reps for the circuit.

 

Confession: I loved this circuit. I also love how I am really seeing results. However, honestly, I have been having a hard time fitting in my Cardio sessions.

New Goal: I am definitely going to start waking up earlier (6:30 am) and getting to the gym at least 30 mins earlier than I have been.

Questions for You…

  1. What is your favorite way to lift weights? supersets? active rest periods? circuit training
  2. Have you tried circuit training before?

Try this Circuit and let me know what you think??

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

 

Protein Shake Recipe!

Lets talk about clean eating…

As you all may know, I am currently doing the Livefit trainer by Jamie Eason. Besides the daily weight lifting and cardio sessions, Jamie Eason teaches us how to eat clean. Boy have I learned a lot! For those that are totally clueless, (don’t worry if you are, I was too at one point) she has a meal plan written out, along with grocery list, videos, and recipes… all on bodybuilding.com.

Here is what goes down…

  1. The meals consists of mainly a protein, complex carb, and healthy fat.
  2. Ideally, with in an hour of waking eat your first clean meal, then continue to eat 5-6 small clean meals a day in 3 hour intervals.
  3. Never workout on an empty stomach.
  4. Use measuring tools, such as a scale, to get exact portions.
  5. Use apps, such as fitness pal to record calories. It is important to get at least 1600-2000 calories in order to build muscle, (but it also depends on your size/BMR.)

When reading this reviews on this trainer, a lot of people claimed they were vegetarian and following the meal plan was impossible. But nothing is impossible. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you should be getting the same amount of protein as someone who eats meat. I am not going to label myself as a vegetarian or vegan, but I do cook most of my meals meatless. I will eat eggs and fish, but for those who don’t… Stop thinking that protein is animal flesh, because it doesn’t have to be.  You can sub, animal protein for many things example: beans, or lentils, and there are tons of vegetables that are a great protein source.

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I found these charts on google, while researching protein for you guys!

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Supplements

Along with a multivitamin, BCAA, and fish oil/flaxseed oil, Jamie Eason suggests we drink a protein shake. Research claims that if you drink a protein shake with in 30 minutes to an hour after exercise, you will see more muscle growth/recovery, and less soreness.

I have always been a very big fan of juicing. I will make a green juice a couple times of week and have been simply adding my protein powder to that. I actually started to grow my own kale in my vegetable garden because I use it so often. But right now during these cold months of winter, a lot of produce is not in season at the moment, so I have recently began playing around with different ingredients. I finally came up with this amazing protein shake.

Protein Shake Recipe

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I know it looks like a Starbucks coffee drink, but the reusable travel plastic cups work perfect for protein shakes.

Ingredients

  1. 1 banana, (really good source of potassium, which helps with muscle cramping.)
  2. Cacao powder (good source of antioxidants)
  3. Chocolate protein powder (I use Vega Sport because it is vegan, soy free, and created by an iron man athlete.)vega
  4. Wheat Germ (good source of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, very good amount of protein, 27g per 115-gram serving.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/2707-facts-health-benefits-wheat-germ/#ixzz2MtlCygsN

  5. Flax seeds (omega 3s)
  6. Coconut Water (good source of potassium, and hydrating)
  7. Spoon full of organic all natural peanut butter (make sure nothing is added. This is an additional source of protein and healthy fat.)

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This protein shake recipe is very high in protein, heathy fats, and potassium. It is also enriched with other vitamins, and omega 3s. I drink this to refuel after my workout, and use this as one of my my meals.

No need to waste calories on Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. It definitely satisfies my chocolate and peanut butter craving.

Question for You

  1. What is your favorite ingredient for a protein shake?
  2. What is your favorite protein powder?

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

 

Livefit, Days 23/24/25

The last three days I have completed Days 23, 24, and 25 of the Livefit Trainer. OMG! One more day and I will be done with Phase 1, and moving on to Phase 2, week 5. This is exciting, but things are going to get tricky.

a quick recap of my days…

Phase 1, Week 4, Day 23 

Back and Biceps

Phase 1, Week 4, Day 24

Chest and Triceps

Phase 1, Week 4, Day 25

Legs

So that is what I have been lifting for the last couple of days…

Challenges…

I have come to the conclusion that my weakness is not clean eating, but rather organization and time management. I have been eating very clean, I just need to make sure I am eating enough. So this next phase, Phase 2, I am really going to work on planning my meals on Friday. I thought about Sunday, but Friday is my day off from work, so I will have more time to get these meals planned. I’ll have time to go grocery shopping, make the meals, and divide them up into their proper portions.  I can’t wait to blog about it… so keep your eyes open for more “clean eating” posts!

Also in phase 2, Jamie Eason talks about measuring out your food, and calorie counting. I measure out my food, from time to time, but I never use a kitchen scale. So this will be my next purchase. A kitchen scale is important and helpful to  measure all sorts of things, especially meats, in my case fish. Jamie Eason also suggests the app My Fitness Pal, for calorie counting. I have yet to use this app, but I have a client that is using it and he loves it. People can follow you, so they can see what you are eating. In his case, his personal trainer follows him.

This app will help recored calories. You are able to keep track of what you are eating – Maybe at the moment you are eating way to many carbs, but aren’t really aware of it… this app will make you aware. And because others can follow you, you will be motivated to stay on track. Sometimes people just need that little bit of support. Honestly, I am just not that picky, so I have never even thought about counting calories, but I am excited to try this app. I am really curious to see how many calories I consume on a daily basis. DownloadedFile-1

Rest in between sets is more important then you think…

Another helpful app that Jamie Eason suggest is called the GymBoss Timer. In Phase 1, we were lifting 3 sets of 10-12 reps using a minute to rest in between each set. This app has a basic timer on it that times a one minute rest period. It worked perfect. Resting in between sets is especially important in phase 2 when we will be lifting heavier and incorporating supersets into the mix.

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 “For some exercises, you’ll feel ready to continue after one minute; other exercises might require two. Regardless, the rest period should be long enough to allow you to tackle each set with as much exertion as possible.” – Jamie Eason

Supersets… What is that??

A superset is when you perform an exercise set and immediately after you do a different exercise set with no rest time in between.  You will also be “lifting to failure.” This means that on your last set, instead of lifting to your last rep number, you will continue to lift until your muscle is so tired it can not possibly perform another full rep.

Things are going to get tricky…

In the beginning of the post, I mentioned that I am excited about starting phase 2, but I also revealed that things will get tricky… In phase 2, we will start to throw cardio into the mix, which means RUNNING for me. Because I am a runner, this is super exciting for me… finally I will have my runner’s high back. Yay! However,  things are going to get tricky, because I am also going to start my half marathon training.

Jamie Eason says it is best to lift weights first and then do your cardio. So the easiest thing to do, would be to hit the gym, lift and then go on the treadmill. But I hate the treadmill. When I am on a treadmill I feel like a hamster on a wheel. So the plan is to do my weight lifting and then go for a run outside. This also means I am going to have to wake up earlier. I am going to have to be in the gym no later than 7:30, and then have L meet me outside my gym, so we can start our runs from there. Or we could even meet up in our regular spot, since my gym is up the street from the running trail.

So what will J do?? She has options… We can do our weight lifting together, and then she can stay in the gym and do her cardio, while I go running with L. Or after weight lifting she can come along with L and I on our run.

Another tricky part…  

In phase 2, Jamie Eason, claims that phase 2 is still a building phase. So she only has us doing 30 minutes of cardio… Well there are going to be days when I am just going to have to run longer then that… Sorry I am a long distance runner, training for three races in April.

Ok so that is it for now… Hopefully, I can juggle all of this. As long as I wake up earlier, and plan out everything well… I think I will be good to go.

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Also guys, you can now follow me on Daily Mile!  The above photo is my profile pic. I had to model my new lululemon running outfit and my newton shoes. But if you are a runner and you are not on Daily Mile you must get on it asap. It is an awesome community for endurance athletes, and a great way to track mileage, share it with others, and get the support you need!! I love it!!

I also joined Fitocracy!   This site does not just cater to runners. It is an awesome fitness community that is filled with a very diverse crowd. You will find all sorts of athletes here. It is very easy to track your daily workouts, whatever it may be, including weight lifting. It is also very game like… because the more workouts you track the more points you achieve. You can move up to levels. There are groups you can join, where you can discuss whatever topics your desire. You will find motivation and support here! Join asap and follow me!

I know this post was a long one but…

Things you need to do…

Check out the apps.

  1. MyFitnessPal
  2. GymBoss

Check out the sites… Join and follow me!

  1. Daily Mile
  2. Fitocracy

Other amazing free fitness apps to check out…

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Questions for You…

  1. What is your favorite fitness app?
  2. Are you on dailymile or fitocracy? If so let me know and I will follow you!

© 2013 sweatdaily