I recently had an eye opening conversation with a great friend.  This friend is active with fitness and has been around wellness for most of his life.  He discussed with me some recent medical concerns he had been working through.  These medical concerns included high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  The topic came up when he told me that he would miss our workout because he had a doctor’s appointment.  Of course, out of general concern for a friend, I asked him if it was anything serious.  He said, “Nothing too serious, but I am going to see my cardiologist for high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”  Since any appointment with a cardiologist is meaningful, I had some questions. One of the more important questions I asked was, “What course of action are you taking to bring these issues under control.”  His answer was the same answer I hear from most of my new training clients who face similar concerns, “The doctor gave me some medication and I’m eating better.”

I was glad to hear the doctor had prescribed some medication to stabilize his condition.  I did however have some questions about what he thought eating better entailed.  When I asked him what he was eating for dinner that night, I was astounded.  He was preparing to eat spaghetti and store bought meatballs.  I hate to generalize, but it’s very hard to find meatballs that are low in saturated fat.  Even homemade meatballs tend to be high in saturated fat.  Upon further investigation, I discovered that he was eating fried eggs on muffins for breakfast, tuna salad or fried chicken sandwiches for lunch, and dinners similar to the one mentioned above.

It never ceases to amaze me how confused so many people are when it comes to making healthy meal choices, especially when they are on the go.  When I expressed concern to my friend over his “better” meal choices, I was even more surprised at his reasons for why he thought they were “better.”  It was apparent that the conflicting information in the media about what you should and should not eat had made it difficult for my friend to make proper meal choices.  Unless someone is vigilant about reading between the lines or doing research, it can be an overwhelming task to make the correct choice for optimum health.  I set out to make that choice easy for my friend and I am going to make it easy for you as well.  When you are making your food selections, remember the following statement, “Think primitively.”

Primitive is often associated with the early history humankind, unaffected by civilizing influences.  Animals eat primitively.  They are not designed to eat the large amounts of the processed foods that our civilization offers.  Since human beings are the most intelligent of animals, why are we the ones who are eating the worst form of food (the most processed form)?  The leanest and most muscular animals eat completely unprocessed foods.  They eat fresh lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains in their natural form.  Their meats are never fried and their carbohydrates all come from living sources.  Our primitive ancestors ate in a similar fashion.  They too were lean and muscular.  We need to make food choices similar to our primitive ancestors and their animal counterparts.  It is not hard to make choices like these when you are armed with the proper information. The information you need is even simpler than you would think. Read below!

1) Eat lean proteins *, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains**
2) When cooking; bake, broil, steam, or grill
3) Flavor with low sodium seasonings and use olive oil sparingly for cooking
4) Eat a handful of nuts per day to supply needed unsaturated fats
5) Drink water

It is really that simple.  You have the power to make your body healthy.  The power is in your food choices.  Proper nutrition has been provided for us in nature.  We simply need to resist the urge to foul it up before we put it into our body.

I wish you good health as you PROGRESS to PRIMITIVE eating!

*Examples of lean proteins include fish, chicken, lean cuts of beef, egg whites, and beans.
**Whole grains are carbohydrates that are not refined.  Typically they are much higher in fiber content than their refined counterparts.  An example would be high fiber oatmeal.

By: Jim Bompensa

Jim Bompensa has been a health club owner and manager, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition specialist for the nearly 15 years. He is currently the owner/operator of Body Physics Fitness Center in Haddonfield, NJ. Jim has appeared and contributed on ABC and NBC in Philadelphia, PA as well as Designing Spaces on TLC.

Since protein cannot be stored in the body, it must be consumed so that it’s readily available for muscle repair and growth.  For this reason, I recommend lean protein be included with every meal.  Many protein sources are animal products and many animal products contain saturated fat.  Saturated fat has been linked to many dangerous effects on the body.  For this reason, it’s important to be aware of lean sources of protein.  I have included a list of lean sources of protein at the bottom of this article.

Generally, I recommend an intake of 15-30 grams of protein per meal.  This adheres to the national guidelines for protein intake, which is approximately 30% of calories from protein sources.  Activity level and body size are the main factors to determine how much protein should be consumed.  Since most people reading this article are actively exercising, I’ll make the assumption that your activity level is high.  As for body size, an easy way to estimate amount of protein needed is for those who weigh closer to 100 pounds to consume toward the lower end (15 grams) per meal and for those who weigh closer to 200 pounds or more to consume toward the higher end (30 grams).

At times, it’s difficult to find lean protein sources when on the run or living a busy lifestyle.  Protein supplementation has become very popular among exercise enthusiasts.  Many people utilize whey protein powders for convenient sources of lean protein.  Protein powders may be mixed with milk, water, or your favorite beverage to provide quick, high-quality protein.  Typically, whey protein powders contain around 20 grams of protein per serving, the perfect amount for a snack or post workout nutrient boost.  When selecting a whey protein powder, be sure to choose one that contains very little carbohydrate or fat and does not contain artificial sweeteners or flavors.

Stay Lean!

Some Examples of Lean Protein Sources:

• Beef – Lean Ground, Round Steak, Sirloin & Jerky
• Chicken Breast
• Low-Fat Dairy – Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Cottage Cheese
• Eggs
• Fish & Seafood – Salmon, Tuna, Halibut, Scallops
• Legumes – Beans, Lentils, Peas, Peanuts
• Lean Ham
• Nuts – Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews
• Pork Tenderloin
• Whey Protein Powder
• Quinoa
• Seeds – Sesame, Sunflower
• Soy Products – Nuts, Tofu , Tempeh
• Turkey – Breast Fillets, Lean Ground
• Venison
• Whole Grains – Bulgur, Buckwheat, Barley

Jim Bompensa has been a health club owner and manager, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition specialist for the nearly 15 years. He is currently the owner/operator of Body Physics Fitness Center in Haddonfield, NJ. Jim has appeared and contributed on ABC and NBC in Philadelphia, PA as well as Designing Spaces on TLC.

My home is in the North East.  As you may already be aware, we’ve been hit with a major heat wave.  The effect of this heat on the body has been multiplied by extreme humidity.  This oppressive weather has affected anyone attempting to exercise outdoors, including my outdoor fitness boot camp classes.  The participants in my class have had a difficult time keeping up with the recommended activities due to their bodies’ inability to cool itself.  My solution to this problem was to offer an alternative to the outdoor classes.  On days where the weather makes it difficult and unsafe to exercise outdoors, I move the class inside.  As you may imagine, this creates a different exercise experience.  In some ways, this change of focus makes the workout more effective.  By challenging your body with new things, you are cross training.  Cross training utilizes different workout techniques and philosophies.  In the past, many people thought that cross training was something only associated with athletes.  Now fitness enthusiasts recognize this as the method to help everyone get the most out of their exercise routine.

I recommend that instead of using the hot weather as an excuse to skip your workout, use it as incentive to allow cross training to super-charge your workout!

Consider using the following exercise options to keep cool while giving your workout the change it needs.

1) Indoor Group Fitness Classes
There are many indoor exercise classes that are both exciting and effective.  These classes may include components of dance, martial arts, cycling, weight training, and yoga to mention a few.  I recommend that you try many different types of classes in an attempt to vary your cross training style.

2) Indoor Exercise Equipment
Indoor exercise equipment is an outstanding alternative to outdoor exercising.  There are machines that mimic almost any motion you can perform outdoors.  Cardiovascular exercise machines such as treadmills, ellipticals, and bicycles are a great way to simulate your favorite workouts.  It is also a good idea to use your indoor workouts as a chance to introduce yourself to strength training machines.  Strength training machines are designed to help you target and strengthen any muscle desired.

3) Circuit Weight Training
My personal favorite type of exercise is what I refer to as cardio resistance training.  This is a method of exercise that utilizes muscle building resistance training exercises with little to no rest between sets.  This limited rest will maintain your heart rate in its cardiovascular zone.  By maintaining an elevated heart rate while performing resistance training, you are getting two workouts in the time it takes to do one.

4) Exercise Videos
This is an excellent method if group fitness classes are not for you. If you would rather exercise at home, but prefer not to utilize exercise equipment, exercise videos may be the solution you are looking for.  There are numerous exercise videos that will provide both variety and motivation to your workouts.  These exercise videos may be purchased in DVD or downloadable form.

5) Indoor Organized Athletics
Organized athletics are a great way to have fun while staying in shape.   Some very effective and widely available indoor athletic activities include basketball, indoor soccer, racquetball, and swimming to mention a few.  These athletic activities help to provide a complete workout by utilizing various muscles and energy systems.

Don’t let the heat derail your fitness goals.  Instead take the workout indoors and try something new.  You may find it gives your workout the lift it needs.
By: Jim Bompensa

Jim Bompensa has been a health club owner and manager, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition specialist for the nearly 15 years. He is currently the owner/operator of Body Physics Fitness Center in Haddonfield, NJ. Jim has appeared and contributed on ABC and NBC in Philadelphia, PA as well as Designing Spaces on TLC.

Summer is the time for bathing suits and sleeveless shirts.  Many of the clients at my private training studio have been requesting extra workouts to help tighten their arms. Normally, I stress the importance of a continued full body approach to fitness that works every muscle and each energy system. In addition to that, I also offer the following solution to help develop more tone in the upper arms for summer months.  I recommend that while maintaining the current exercise schedule, to add my Arms in 7 target toning workout.  This workout is short but extremely effective.  I have included a similar arm toning routine below.  It is complete with pictures. What’s great about this routine is that it can be done anywhere.  It lends itself very easily to working out on the go. The only equipment necessary is a resistance band.

Follow the printable routine below for a great on the go arm blasting workout or download my Arms in 7 digital workout video for added motivation.

For an effective arm toning routine perform each exercise for 12-20 repetitions or until fatigue is felt in the arms.  Work through all exercises three times with minimal rest while transitioning from one exercise to the next.

Bicep Curl

Key Points: Keep palms facing up. Lock elbows into the side.  Pull hands up in line with the shoulders during motion.

Behind the Head Tricep Extension

Key Points: Keep palms facing forward.  Stabilize elbows at shoulder height.  Lock elbows in place and bend around them during the motion.  Focus on the back of the upper arms.

Bicep Hammer Curl

Key Points: Lock elbows into the side of the body and bend around the elbow joint.  Keep palms facing together and pull hands up in line with shoulders.  Focus on the front of the upper arms.

Overhead Tricep Extension

Key Points: Stabilize elbows and be sure to bend the arms around the elbow joint.  Focus on the back of the upper arms.

Jim Bompensa has been a health club owner and manager, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition specialist for the nearly 15 years. He is currently the owner/operator of Body Physics Fitness Center in Haddonfield, NJ. Jim has appeared and contributed on ABC and NBC in Philadelphia, PA as well as Designing Spaces on TLC.