What Does Your Multi-Vitamin Do?

Like most Americans you probably take some sort of multi-vitamin each day, or you've at least been told you should. But, what do all of those vitamins in a multi-vitamin do for your body. The following is a short list of common vitamins and minerals found in multi-vitamins and their functions.

Vitamins

Vitamin A - maintenance of vision; skin; linings of the nose, mouth, digestive and urinary tracts; immune function

Vitamin D - development and maintenance of bones and teeth; promotion of calcium absorption

Vitamin E - protection and maintenance of cellular membranes

Vitamin K - production of factors essential for blood clotting and bone metabolism

Biotin - synthesis of fat, glycogen and amino acids

Folate - amino acid metabolism; synthesis of RNA and DNA; new cell synthesis

Niacin - conversion of carbohydrates, fats and protein into use able forms of energy

Panthothenic Acid - metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins

Riboflavin - energy metabolism; maintenance of skin, mucous membranes and nervous system structures

Thiamin - conversion of carbohydrates into use able forms of energy; maintenance of appetite and nervous system function

Vitamin B6 - metabolism of amino acids and glycogen

Vitamin B12 - synthesis of blood cells; other metabolic reactions

Vitamin C - maintenance and repair of connective tissue, bones, teeth and cartilage; promotion of healing; aid in iron absorption

Minerals

Calcium - formation of bones, teeth; control of nerve impulses, muscle contractions and blood clotting

Fluoride - maintenance of tooth and bone structure

Iodine - essential part of thyroid hormones; regulation of body metabolism

Iron - component of hemoglobin, myoglobin and enzymes

Magnesium - transmission of nerve impulses; energy transfer; activation of enzymes

Phosphorus - bone growth and maintenance; energy transfer in cells

Potassium - nerve function and body water balance

Selenium - defense against oxidative stress; regulation of thyroid hormone action

Sodium - body water balance; acid-base balance; nerve function

Zinc - synthesis of proteins; RNA and DNA; wound healing; immune response; ability to taste

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

P.S.

1. REFER YOUR FRIENDS FOR CASH!!! - tell your friends and family to come in and get fit with you for the chance to win $750 Cash!!

2. Next week Tammy and I will be in Chicago for a seminar. Due to us being out of town we will be opening at 10 a.m. Wednesday(Oct. 7th), Thursday(Oct. 8th), and Friday(Oct. 9th). Sorry for any inconvenience.

How Many Pounds Do You Eat In A Day?

Do you know how many pounds of food you consume in a day? Probably not.

Well according to Dr. John Berardi the average American consumes the following each day:

2 pounds of meat, dairy, eggs

1.5 pounds of fruits and vegetables

0.5 pounds of grains

0.5 pounds of added sugars, fats, and oils

Equaling a total of 4.5 pounds per day, which is about 3,700 calories per day.

Bet you didn't think it was that much huh? Check out the rest of the article here.

Interested in learning more about nutrition? Then, register for our 8-Week Naked Nutrition course starting September 28th at 7 p.m. Call 724-698-7897 for details.

Live fit,

Josh

www.defined-fitness.com

P.S. We are giving away $750 to one lucky person. All you have to do if refer your friends and the person with the most referrals who join between September 21st and November 30th will win the $750 cash!

The Results Are In?

On Saturday 4 participants completed the 10-Day Fat Loss Fast Track each losing at least 5 pounds of body weight. Congratulations to them all! It wasn't easy and they all worked very hard to earn their results.

Here are the average results:

Percent body fat decreased 2.27%

Pounds body fat decreased 7.25#

Pounds body weight decreased 6.95#

Inches lost averaged 5 1/8 "

Announcements

1. Defined Fitness Metabolic Circuit - many of you have said that the times of our classes don't always fit your schedule. So we have put together a class based workout that you can come in and do on your own anytime. The workout is on the marker boards in the back. If you need any help or shown how to do it just ask.

2. Naked Nutrition - begins Monday September 28th at 7 p.m. This course will teach you how to develop a nutrition plan for your goals and needs. If interested call 724-698-7897. Currently there are 10 spots remaining.

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

How Injury Prone Are Runners?

Running is safe right? Lifting weights is less safe right? You might be surprised.

Ok, I'm sure you all know I'm a little biased in that I don't care much for running, but let's look at the facts about running and injuries.

Am J Sports Med. 1978;6(2):40-50.

A questionnaire of 451 10k participants showed 47% had suffered an injury in the past 2 years that was contributed to running more miles per day, more days per week, faster pace, and more races per year.

Am J Sports Med. 1987;15(2):168-71.

This study followed 60 runners over the course of a year finding that 39 of the 60 participants suffered injuries. Even more interesting was that the 39 who suffered injuries suffered multiple injuries over the year. This study also looked at injury rates and injuries among sprinters, middle distance runners, and marathoners. The highest rate of injuries was among the middle distance group, who suffered hip and back problems as the most common injury. By the way this group is very similar to the average fitness runner who uses running to get into shape.

So why is does running have such a high incidence of injury? Well let's look at how many repetitive stresses are placed on the joints in one mile of running. If you run with a 3 foot stride each step, that means you will cover six feet every time each leg hits the ground, this equals 880 impacts on the joints of the body in a mile. That's a lot of repetitive stress on the body. Now most people who run don't just run a mile though, they do 5 or 6 right? So now that 880 is 5,280 impacts in a single run. Times that by 3 days a week (being conservative) and it's 15,840 impacts a week on the same joints in the same motion. Couple that with excess body weight and you have a recipe for disaster.

This why anyone who recommends running as an activity for those looking to lose weight/get in shape because it's safer than lifting weights and less stressful to the joints just doesn't understand what's going with the body in those two activities. For example, if a person is doing squats 3x per week for 3 sets of 10 that is only 90 repetitions per week compared to the 15,840 that running would have placed on the body.

Yes, weight lifting can be done inappropriately and result in injuries. But, when done correctly is a much safer option and places less stress on the joints.

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

P.S. Naked Nutrition starts September 28th, register now to reserve your spot.

One Year Today

It's been one year today since we opened and just wanted to say thanks to all of our members for their support. Thank You!

Anouncments:

1. TRX Suspension Training - just added 4 four TRX Suspension Trainers and will be designing a class workout that you will be able to come in and do on your own, which will include the TRX.

2. Habitat For Humanity - on Saturday September 12th, we will be helping Habitat For Humanity build a house and are asking any interested members to join us. Lunch will be provided. See the front desk for more information if interested.

3. Naked Nutrition Course - starting September 28th at 7 p.m., we will be beginning our 8-Week Naked Nutrition Course. This course is designed to teach you the basics of nutrition as well as help you design a nutrition program suited for you and your goals. Each participant will be provided with a handbook and a workbook. Cost is $99 for members and $149 for nonmembers. If interested call us at 724-698-7897 and reserve your spot by September 21st.

Hope you all have a great day!

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

My Personal Opinion on TIME Magazine

A couple weeks ago TIME magazine published an article titled "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" (click here to view). The basic point this article was attempting to make was that exercise will not help you lose weight.

Here are a few things the author left out do to either ignorance or to just cause a stir and sell a few more copies. (If I had to guess it was probably the latter.)

1. The article starts out with the authors typical week of exercise. Which is the 30 minutes on a stair mill on Tuesday, personal trainer on Wednesday, Thursday is a yoga type class, and Friday a 5.5 mile run. No wonder he doesn't see any results all this guys does is cardio with the exception of his personal training on Wednesday. Cardio never has been and never will be effective for weight loss. His yoga class is intended for balance and flexibility, again not weight loss. And we don't know what he does on Monday, but if I had to guess it's probably cardio. So after one paragraph his article should be over. He's using the WRONG tool for the job! If he wants weight loss he needs resistance training and diet. But, he continues to go on for 5 more pages.

2. The article states that a survey which ran from 1980, when only 47% of respondents said they engaged in regular exercise, to 2000, when the figure had grown to 57%, but more people are overweight and obese now than they were 20 years ago when less people exercised. Yes, more people are exercising now and yes more people are overweight and obese, but people are much less active now than 20 years ago. That's why more people are overweight. If they didn't live sedentary lives they would not be overweight.

3. The author stated that some women actually gained weight in one study. First it's only one study, he never once mentioned all of the volumes of research studies that have shown resistance training and diet is the most effective way to lose weight. Instead, he focused on this one study in which the women worked out with a personal trainer, but told not to change their diet. Diet is the most important part of any program, without it you are not going to see any weight loss.

4. It also states that after exercising people are more hungry and more likely to pig out because of this and because of feeling like the earned it since they worked out. Ummm, self-control! You cannot eat crap food and expect to see results. But, god forbid we make someone hold themselves accountable and practice a little self-control.

5. And then the author does a complete 180 and states that we just need to increase our daily activity to lose weight. Is increasing our daily activity not exercise? Kinda debunks his whole article huh? And yes, I agree with him we do need to increase are daily activity, but where are people going to do this? For most people the 3-4 hours they spend each week at the gym is their only activity all week. The other 164 hours of the week are spent sitting at a desk, in the car, and/or in front on the TV. Sad, but true. What's worse is that these same people are going to read TIME magazine and come across this article stating that exercise won't help them lose weight and quit working out. Now they have 0 hours of activity. Not good!

This was just my little rant, but things like this fire me up because it is straight out lying to the reader. And is just a another sleazy attempt by the media to sell more magazines.

Live Fit,

Josh

www.Defined-Fitness.com

Click here for a 7-Day Trial Membership and get started on an exercise program that will help you lose weight.