THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTED!!


and it's members are proud to contribute $400
to The American Red Cross for relief in Haiti.
Members donated $200 and J's BIG GYM
matched it with $200!

May the world never know such sorrow again.

What do we mean when we say strengthen the heart?

Your heart is a MUSCLE. It’s called the cardiac muscle. It’s the most important muscle you have. When you do any exercise, no matter how strenuous, your muscles need oxygen. This oxygen is supplied by the blood. The blood, of course, is pumped by the heart. When we increase the intensity of our exercise, our muscles become tired, and need more oxygen to keep going so that they do not cramp or burn [lactic acid]. The more oxygen we need, the more blood needs to be pumped; the faster the heart has to work, which is the increase in heart rate. Exercise, continued over time, will grow your heart in size, allowing it to pump a larger volume of blood with each stroke (or pump). This allows more oxygen to be delivered to all the cells in your body. At the same time, your heart also becomes stronger and more efficient at pumping blood. The seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong’s heart can pump nine gallons of blood per minute, compared to five for the average person. His maximum heart rate is 200 beats per minute (NO JOKE: Do NOT try and get yours that high!) A Resting Heart Rate anywhere in the range of 60 - 90 is considered in the normal range. Many athletes have pulse rates in the 40 - 60 range, depending on how fit they are. Lance Armstrong in his prime was known to have a resting heart rate as low as 32 beats per minute.1

To make your heart muscle stronger, you need to exercise vigorously enough to make your heart pump more blood. The formula for heart-lung fitness is to exercise intensely enough to raise your heart rate at least 20 beats a minute above your resting rate at least three times a week. If you can't exercise continuously for thirty minutes, work until you feel tired, rest, then repeat the cycle, and gradually build up your endurance. The longer and harder you exercise, the more blood you circulate and the stronger your heart will become.2

Jay says: 20 minutes - 3x a week.

For more see our CARDIO newsletter at

http://www.jsbiggym.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:june-06&catid=35:demo-content&Itemid=92

Future blogs we’ll talk about VO2 Max and High Intensity Training. And PLEASE, if you have your own fitness topics you would like to see discussed send us an e-mail to JsBLOG@JsBigGym.com

1. Edward F. Coyle, Ph.D.; Professor, Director, Human Performance Laboratory, Lance Armstrong's Physiological Maturation http://www.edb.utexas.edu/coyle/armstrong.php
2. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine http://www.drmirkin.com/public/Ezine112606.html

Is Exercise Work?; Is Work Exercise?

Demanding bosses and looming deadlines make it difficult for employees to stick to their exercise regimens, according to a study by researchers at Middlesex University, U.K. More than 200 employees of a computer company were surveyed about their exercise intentions and then again a week later to see how well they followed through on those intentions. Fifty-four (54) employees were classified as having a high-stress job; defined as having high demands and little control over their work. Not only did these workers express lower self-confidence in their ability to stick to an exercise program, they also exercised less frequently than did their colleagues. Furthermore, the employees who said they intended to exercise but were unsuccessful were most likely to cite work demands as the reason they didn't make it to the gym. Lead researcher Dr. Nicola Payne believes ''people in high-strain jobs may not have the time for exercise or they may be too fatigued to exercise because they need more time to recover after the working day.'' She hopes that employers will come to recognize exercise as a priority and actively encourage it. ^1.

You can follow most any type of workout routine and you will make good progress for the first few weeks (provided that you are getting adequate nutrition, rest, etc.). But generally after a few weeks of following a set workout program your progress will slow down and eventually you will no longer make progress with that routine.
Our bodies are very smart and naturally accommodate to stress. Your body will add as little muscle as necessary to get the job done. This is why construction workers get only big enough to handle the exact amount of work they do during a days work and no bigger, even though they are doing physical work all day long.
Adding muscle is a very unnatural thing to your body. You must constantly throw "curve balls" at your muscles to get them to grow. Generally, you will make the best progress for the first 3 weeks of starting a new workout routine. After 3 weeks your body starts to adapt and your progress will slow down. ^2.

Jay says: Exercise MUST be WORK! – if not, it’s not exercise.

Exercise MUST be FUN! – or you won’t do it.

BEAT THE STRESS!

1. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2002; 7, 342-353. ACE, http://www.acefitness.org/healthandfitnesstips/healthandfitnesstips_display.aspx?itemid=249
2. Lee Hayward’s Total Fitness Bodybuilding http://www.leehayward.com/workout_programs/

New Year’s Resolutions

Every year at this time, people flock to gyms across the country as a result of their New Year’s resolutions. This is great, as people rightly want to get into shape. I am thrilled to see new faces, as well as some we haven’t seen in a while, join our gym at the start of the year. However, joining a gym is obviously only the first step. Our goal is to get each of you to incorporate fitness as an integral part of your lifestyle. In other words, we still want to see you here in February, April, and even in December. A gym membership only does any good if it is used, and used frequently. To that end, I would like to make some suggestions to help you keep coming to the gym regularly:

• Enjoy your time in the gym. The best way to make any new venture enjoyable is to learn as much as you can about it.
• Make sure to take advantage of the orientation included with your membership. If you do not know what this is, ask your salesperson to explain and set up an appointment for you.
• Look for information online.
• We encourage you to browse the books in the juice bar. The books are there for you!
• Make coming to the gym a habit. Come at the same time each day so it becomes part of your routine. Lay out your gym clothes the night before. Do whatever you need to make getting to the gym as effortless as possible.
• Commit to coming to the gym three times a week for one month. Do it!! 3x a week in January; 12 times. If you get through that first month, you’ve proven to yourself that you can succeed.
• Set small, attainable goals. The idea of losing 25 pounds might be overwhelming. But losing five pounds in five weeks, 1 pound a week – that YOU CAN DO! A personal trainer could set you up with a routine and realistic goals.
• Come with a buddy. It is harder to break a commitment to someone else than to yourself. Besides, the time goes much more quickly when you workout with a friend.
• Make new friends in the gym. The “regulars” who work out at the same time each day become like a family to one another. Soon, you will be missed when you do not show up, and will feel the need to get to the gym, if only to meet your friends’ expectations.
• Results - If you hang in there for at least one month, you will begin to see results. You will look and feel better. Results that will motivate you to keep coming and pushing yourself for even more improvement.
• Finally – If you find yourself slipping, send me an e-mail. I’m here to help you. I mean it: JsBLOG@JsBigGym.com.

Wishing you, this year and every year the best of health,