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Breaking Down Your Muscle Fibers

Posted on October 25, 2018 by LetlerFit

Every time I hear someone say an exercise targets fast or slow twitch fibers and have zero idea what they’re talking about, drives me crazy. While science is currently investigating I believe the last number I was told was 16 fiber types, the general teaching consensus is 3. Type 1, Type 2a, and type 2x. Fast and slow twitch in the science community btw is slowly starting to fade away because they realized thats not the best way of describing our muscle fibers. But for now, I put them into the blog explanation below:⠀
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Your type 1 fibers are known as the slow twitch muscle fibers because they have the slowest firing rate, least amount of force production, and smallest circumference. They are however most resistant to fatigue and have the greatest aerobic efficiency of the other fibers.⠀
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Your type 2a fibers are known as your fast twitch oxidative fibers because they have a fast firing rate, produce moderate force, and have a moderate circumference. As opposed to the type 1 fibers, your type 2 fibers fatigue rapidly because of the high force production and they aid in extended work at lower force output.⠀
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Lastly, your type 2x fibers are known as the fast twitch glycolytic fibers and have the fastest firing rate of the 3 muscle fibers, the greatest force production, and largest circumference. They fatigue the fastest, but have the greatest creatine phosphate efficiency.⠀
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Biagioli, Brian Dominick. Advanced Concepts of Personal Training. National Council on Strength and Fitness, 2012.⠀

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

Is there really such a thing as bad food?

Posted on March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 by LetlerFit

In a world where so many people think healthy means protein and veggies only because carbs (including fruit) are bad for you, I decided to dedicate this post for everyone who suffers from labeling foods as good or bad and those who follow restrictive diets.

Did you know that eating a diet that only consists of protein and vegetables can lead to health issues in a different, yet equally dangerous way as a diet consisting of processed foods, salt, and sugar? Crazy, right?

For this post I wanted to tackle some of the foods most labeled as bad:

Foods high in sodium always get labeled as bad because high salt intake has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. But did you know if you eat a few foods a week high in salt and the rest of your diet has adequate salt intake and you stay hydrated…those small spikes of ingested sodium WILL NOT MAKE YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK
Another food labeled as a diet “no no” for many is sugar. But did you know that processed sugar (whole fruit is not processed sugar) once a week is NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU DIABETES. Did you know that you can do “damage control” on that sugary cheat that is high in carbs and very low in fat by consuming is within 1 hour of an intense workout? Not saying to eat it first and then punish yourself with exercise after, I’m saying if you want to go out for ice cream, donuts, or cookies and not see as much short term weight fluctuations enjoy them after you’ve worked out (again, don’t abuse this).
Fried foods are oh so delicious but oh so restricted when people go on diets, but did you know that consuming 1 fried meal a week with multiple healthy whole meals, that bad food IS NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU HIGH CHOLESTEROL.
Fiber is one of those diet worshipped foods. But did you know that if you consume high fiber vegetables/foods post workout it can become a bad food? You want fiber before or during the day not after a killer workout (messes with recovery-i’ll do a whole post on that some other time).

Moral of this blog: BALANCE and food timing is key!

LetlerFit Black Friday is HERE!

Posted on November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 by LetlerFit

Our favorite holiday shopping day is HERE and we are not disappointing! Have you had your eye on any of our leggings, shorts, capris, or tanks? Today only, 50% off on all apparel! Here’s what that looks like:

Leggings: were $64.99, NOW $32.49
Capris: were $54.99, NOW $27.49
Shorts: were $44.99, NOW $22.49
Tanks: were $24.99, NOW $12.49

Have any questions about sizing? feel free to leave a comment or e-mail LetlerFit@gmail.com! Ends TONIGHT 11/24/17 at 11:59PM EST

Code: BLACKFRIDAY

Shop NOW!

Eat Pretty: A Book Review

Posted on November 17, 2017November 17, 2017 by LetlerFit

I just got done reading this book by Jolene Hart, entitled Eat Pretty. I definitely give this one an A in the category of educating those who have no formal education in nutrition.

We are always taught that choosing healthy foods leads to weight loss and overall a more “attractive” physique. Some people are lucky enough to get taught that good nutrition helps prevent or control diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Very few people are actually taught how the foods we eat affect our complexion.

This book does an excellent job at classifying the foods that give acne, skin rashes, and more as beauty betrayers, while those those that promote a healthy complexion are deemed beauty foods. The other great job the other did was classifying the foods by season, because as most of us know, not all foods are available year round.

The other also dedicated a section to non-nutritional factors that may affect our weight and complexion like stress, sleep, water, and hormone function. Factors many people tend to look.

My favorite part about this book is how the author goes into how she perceives balance, which to me is the most important. So many books stress restriction and don’t that they miss the overall point of a balanced lifestyle.

If you are interested in learning what foods and how they contribute to our radiant skin, I definitely recommend you Buy the book here, you won’t regret it!

5 Foods That Claim To Be All Natural But Aren’t

Posted on October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 by LetlerFit

We have all seen the labels that say 100% all natural, and many buy them thinking that they are because well we trust labels right? At the end of the day the food industry is a business, sometimes they do things that aren’t in our best interest and here are 5 foods they make us believe are healthy and all natural, but aren’t.

Granola Bars: We have all bought those delicious organic, all natural granola bars thinking we were doing it right. The problem is many of these granola bars contain artificial sweeteners and “natural” flavors. Natural flavors is a cop out for flavors that are derived from natural sources…in a lab.
Yogurts: They have the same problem as granola bars. TONS of artificial sweeteners, “natural” flavors, and added sugars or sugar alcohols. (sugar alcohols aren’t so great either)
Bottled Iced Tea: Natural flavors, sugar and/or high fructose corn syrups should not be listed on the back of the label. Green and black teas in there natural form are packed with antioxidants, but the benefits get smashed when they’re paired with sugar.
Salad Dressing: If it’s not home made, read the label. Those long 10+ ingredient labels are proof that those “all natural” salad dressings really aren’t that natural.
Ice Cream: We have seen so many new dairy free, gluten free, yady da, etc. Ice creams pop up on the market advertising high protein, low calories, and no sugar, but they taste sweet. Why? They are packed with sugar alcohols (usually the ingredient that ends in “ol”)…which they are NOT natural.

7 Food Myths That Stop Your Diet From Being Healthy

Posted on October 24, 2017 by LetlerFit

Sometimes I seriously wonder where some of these health coaches get their facts, do they not stay up to date with the latest research? I’ve heard some ridiculously false advice from people that actually keep them from having a healthier diet.

“Egg yolks are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol. So you should only eat the egg white.” Research now shows us that eggs have nothing to do with raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Eggs whites are a great source of protein and egg YOLKS are a great source of zinc, iron, vitamin D, and choline. Eat the WHOLE egg, unless you’re allergic, like me, then skip them.
“Everyone should eat gluten free.” Unless your gluten intolerant there is no need because your body is able to digest gluten…it’s just another type of protein that some people just happen to be intolerant to.
“Nuts are bad for you because they are high in fat.” Nuts are a great source of HEALTHY fats packed with nutrients. Like with anything, too many nuts can be bad, however research has shown that eating proper servings of nuts can actually help protect you against heart disease.
“Carbohydrates make you fat.” False. Too much carbphydrates, just like too much protein, and too much fat, make you fat….aka caloric surplus. Carbs give us energy, help our brains think, and feed our muscles.
“The label says low fat, so it has to be good for me.” Eat the whole fat. With whole fat you can simply use the fat grams as part of your daily fat consumption assuming you do not over do it. The problem with low fat is that they need to replace the fat, which is what add the good taste, with something else so that it is not bland. What they end up using as a replacer is sugar! Without knowing, you are consuming extra sugar that you may not have accounted for.
“Organic food is always healthy.” Definitely not! Especially deceiving when the organic label is placed on the packaging. Read the ingredients! Most of the time if it’s on a box you’re better off saving the money on the inorganic version because it’s the same exact thing.
“When eating out, always choose the salad.” False. Sometimes the salad can become the most calorically enriched plate because of the hidden sugars used to preserve the salad or the salad dressings.

Get LetlerFit the Personalized Way

Posted on October 10, 2017 by LetlerFit

With the launch of the NEW LetlerFit.com I now officially publicly advertise my customized online training.

If you read yesterday’s blog post you know that I touched on the major differences between my e-book guides and personal training.

If you can check off any of the following I definitely recommend my online personal training:

Have any mobility limitations from past or current injuries
Have any diagnosed medical condition
Have specific goals
Want a training program that is 100% customized for your body and fitness level (everyone is different!)
want guidance and accountability

All of my clients begin with my online Needs Analysis (i’ll be touching up on this tomorrow). What may differ between one client and the next are the different packages available:

Just the program: This is for someone who has a good idea about how to perform the exercises and wants a program to cater to them and any specific goals or needs, but also does not want the coaching or accountability
Weekly Check Ins: Your program will come with a 60 minute weekly check in to go over any questions, video critiques of you performing your exercises, etc.
Unlimited Coaching: This is for the person that wants full access to me during the month of training to ask questions, record and send videos to, while still getting a personalized program

Are you ready to get LetlerFit? Fill out my Questionnaire and I will get back to you ASAP

6 Tips For Staying Healthy Through The Winter Holidays

Posted on October 2, 2017November 30, 2017 by LetlerFit

Today is October 2nd which means WE HAVE OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!! We are 4 holidays away from 2018! Can you believe it?! The last quarter of the year is here! While that is exciting we all know the holidays typically means more food and unwanted pounds. Here are 6 tips to not totally kill your year’s worth of hard work.

Halloween: Choose between the candy or the alcohol, but definitely not both. Choose your balance, I know I’m choosing the candy because it’s really the only time of the year I bring chocolate into my household.
Thanksgiving: Personally, not my favorite holiday as a vegetarian and someone who’s not into pies. However, if you love both I recommend choosing between seconds or dessert. Have your dinner plate with a little bit of everything and if you aren’t feeling the desserts enjoy a smaller second plate, but if you want the dessert swap your seconds for the pie!
Christmas: In my opinion this one is BY FAR the most difficult holiday because you do not just only have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but you have all of the ugly sweater parties, office parties, and cookie exchange parties to worry about too! For all of the events leading up the Christmas try to eat something healthy before hands so you’re less prone to over indulging.
Christmas Day: Avoid the appetizers and enjoy dinner and dessert!
Christmas: Make sure santa only eats half the cookies and minimal milk…or if you have a cat..make santa give the milk to your cat!
No need to be a holiday scrooge and be the only one munching on kale at all of the events. Just be mindful of what you eat, do not skip the workouts, and enjoy the holidays with your family! They only come once a year!

5 Simple Ways To Cut Out Junk Food

Posted on September 27, 2017 by LetlerFit

Like I’ve said in so many of my previous posts, I never like to take extreme sides as I’m an advocate for balance. Junk food is something we need to cut down on, but don’t need to completely cut out. Here are 5 simple way to cut out junk food that work for me and many of my clients.

Do not buy junk foods at the grocery store. Keep good food in the fridge and you only eat good food.
Do not buy sodas, juices, etc. at the grocery store. We do not want to drink our calories while we are at home. Replace those beverages with water!
When you are eating out, choose between eating your calories or drinking your calories, but not both. Doing this helps you to cut back on total empty calories consumes.
Limit how many times you purchase a meal on the road or at a restaurant to 2x a week max
MEAL PREP: It doesn’t have to be complicated! Most o my meal prepping for the week takes 60 minutes to do on a Sunday. Not only does it save you money, but you are controlling what goes into your food.

7 Fruits That Make A Delicious Sweet Treat

Posted on September 25, 2017 by LetlerFit

Have you every wandered why some fruits are sweeter than others? The sweetest fruits have what we call a higher glycemic index. When we are craving the sorbets or cookies, these are the fruits that will most likely quench the sweet tooth in a healthier way. Here are my 7 favorite sweet tooth quenchers.

Dates
Watermelon
Pineapple
Banana
Kiwi
Grapes
Oranges–Freshly Squeezed is my personal favorite way

Next time you have that tutti fruity craving I challenge you to have a higher glycemic fruit instead!