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Low-Fat Clam Chowder Recipe
Photo: Low-Fat Clam Chowder Recipe
Total Time:
1 hr 45 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
1 hr 0 min
Yield:
4 servings
Level:
Easy
Ingredients
4 pounds cherrystone clams, scrubbed
2 large red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 slice lean center-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Directions
Put the clams and 2 cups water in a pot. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until the clams open, 5 to 10 minutes (discard any that do not open); transfer the clams to a bowl. Pour the liquid into a large measuring cup. (You should have 3 cups liquid; add water if needed.) Wipe out the pot.
Pour the liquid back into the pot through a paper towel-lined sieve. Add the potatoes, cover and simmeruntil tender, about 15 minutes. Remove one-third of the potatoes. Continue to cook the remaining potatoes, covered, until soft, about 10 more minutes. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves and cook, stirring, about 3 more minutes. Add the bacon mixture and reserved potatoes to the soup. Cover and cook over low heat, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the clams from their shells and roughly chop. Stir the clam meat and half-and-half into the soup; remove from the heat, cover and set aside, 20 to 30 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt and pepper and reheat. Serve topped with a slice of butter, parsley, chives and paprika.
Per serving: Calories 353; Fat 9 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 76 mg; Sodium 251 mg; Carbohydrate 36 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 29 g
Photograph by Andrew Mccaul
Asian Turkey Burger Recipe
Photo: Asian Turkey Burgers Recipe
Total Time:
1 hr 33 min
Prep
25 min
Inactive
1 hr 0 min
Cook
8 min
Yield:
6 servings
Level:
Easy
Notes
We lightened these burgers by cutting back on the meat and adding some texture with bulgur. Great Asian flavors in the burger, a quick picking of cucumbers and onions and a spicy yogurt sauce tie everything together.
Ingredients
1/4 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced 1/8-inch thick, 1 cup
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
12 ounces lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/4 cup whole leaves
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 whole wheat hamburger rolls
Put the bulgur in a medium bowl and add the boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the bulgur is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the vinegar and sugar with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper until dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion, toss well and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
In a separate small bowl combine the yogurt and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Drain the bulgur and put into a large bowl. Add the turkey, hoisin, scallions, ginger, garlic and chopped cilantro and mix until just combined. Form into 4 equal sized patties.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lightly brush both sides of each patty with oil and place in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Drain the pickled vegetables and toss with the whole cilantro. Spread some spicy yogurt sauce on the top and bottom of each bun and top with a burger patty and some pickles.
Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 186; Total Fat 4 g (Sat Fat 0.4g, Mono Fat 0.7g, Poly Fat 1.5g) ; Protein 18g; Carb 23g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 23mg; Sodium 421mg
Greek Chicken Wrap with Tzatziki Herb Yogurt Sauce
Makes 4 Servings Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 11 min
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Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
For the wrap:
1 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon light Italian dressing
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
4 kalamata or black olives, pitted and sliced
For the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until blended. Sauce may be made up to 2 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until serving. For the wrap: Place chicken breast in a plastic bag and add Italian dressing. Let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes; pound (using a meat pounder or mallet or the bottom of a skillet) and flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness; and remove chicken. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken breast about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned and cooked through. Place chicken on a cutting board and slice thinly against the grain; set aside. Warm pitas in microwave oven 30 seconds. Place one pita on a plate and spread 1/2 cup of the lettuce and 1/4 of the chicken slices on top. Sprinkle 1/4 each of the tomato, onion, Feta cheese and olives. Spoon some of the tzatziki sauce over top and fold in edges of pita. Wrap sandwich in parchment or waxed paper for plating and serving. Repeat with remaining pitas. Serve immediately with additional sauce on the side.
Recipe created by 3-Every-Day™ of Dairy
Nutritional Facts
Calories: 350 Total Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 40 mg Sodium: 670 mg Calcium: 25% Daily Value Protein: 24 g Carbohydrates: 51 g Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Butternut Squash Curry Soup
Total Time:
1 hr 15 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr 0 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 teaspoon good curry powder
Condiments for serving:
Scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced diagonally
Flaked sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Roasted salted cashews, toasted and chopped
Diced banana
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the butternut squash, onions, and apples into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the squash mixture between 2 sheet pans and spread in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until very tender.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. When the vegetables are done, put them through afood mill fitted with the medium blade. (Alternatively, you can place the roasted vegetables in batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add some of the chicken stock and coarsely puree.) When all of the vegetables are processed, place them in a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings to be sure there's enough salt and pepper to bring out the curry flavor. Reheat and serve hot with condiments either on the side or on top of each serving.
SNI Interviews The Nutrition Twins
Read More Here
Sports Nutrition Insider
SNI: Do you two ever disagree on dietary/fitness/supplement advice? And if so, what topic(s) have you disagreed on?
Nutrition Twins: Do we disagree? All the time! (We both are cracking up that someone would actually wonder!). Although admittedly, usually we argue when it comes to who we think does more “dirty” work (paying the bills, etc.) for our business. But when it comes to dietary/ fitness and supplement advice, we do agree most of the time, except when it comes to protein and weight loss habits of the weekend warrior. Tammy tends to think that athletes can get by with slightly less carbohydrates than Lyssie does and slightly more protein. Also, when it comes to our clients who are weight loss clients who are weekend warriors, Lyssie believes that the best way to weight loss success is eating a healthy diet every day and allowing a small daily indulgence. While Tammy believes this too, she also has seen success in her clients who are extremely disciplined with their eating on the weekdays and don’t watch it as carefully on the weekend. Lyssie believes that these are clients who are super active in general in addition to their exercise and who burn off those extra indulgences. Tammy believes that she puts them on the perfect plan for them on the weekdays so that on weekends they can splurge more. Lyssie is right. No Tammy is right. No, No. Well as long as the client wins we agree that we can both be right, or at least that’s our story here and we’re sticking to it.
SNI: What piece of advice would you give to a client who wants to ‘increase their metabolism’ or ‘burn fat off?’
Nutrition Twins: Strength train! No doubt about it, it’s the number one thing you can do to even burn more calories while you sleep. And the best part about it is that even if you’re 80 years old, it’s never too late to speed up your metabolism by strength training. We’ve had clients in their 60’s who have transformed their bodies making them better than they were in their 20’s and 30’s. Oh, and one other important part when it comes to metabolism—spend less time sitting!
SNI: What is typical day of eating for you two? Describe a typical meal/foods.
Lyssie: Morning: egg whites and fruit Lunch: Typically quinoa with tuna, an orange or grapefruit and a red bell pepper Snack: Nonfat plain yogurt and Gnu bar/ KIND bar Dinner: Some kind of stirfy with LOTS of veggies (the more, the merrier and ALL kinds of veggies), a protein ranging from low-fat cheese to tofu to chicken After dinner: Usually a frozen banana AND something sweet–always go for some kind of fudgisicle or small piece of chocolate or low fat ice cream, like Skinny Cow
Tammy: Morning: Apple and string cheese Snack: Fruit or low-fat/ non-fat yogurt Lunch: Salad of greens and veggies with tuna or turkey or eggs and a piece of fruit (typically a pear, strawberries, an orange or blueberries) Snack: Bell peppers and hummus (sometimes a handful of chocolate Teddy Grahams, (yes, I’m one of those adults who sometimes goes for my kids treats, these are delish!) Dinner: A large veggie stirfry with a mix of many vegetables and a source of protein like low-fat cheese melted on top or Shrimp, calamari, broccoli and mushrooms in a tomato saffron sauce. After dinner: Always an indulgence! Could be frozen yogurt, chocolate popsicle or a low-fat ice cream sandwich
SNI: What dietary supplements do you two take and for what reason?
Nutrition Twins: Vitamin D (we live in NYC and most of the year don’t get enough from the sun). Omega 3 fish oil—mainly for the anti-inflammatory benefits, a probiotic (for digestive health and immune boosting)) and a Prenatal vitamin for, well just in case…
SNI: What is the most common dietary blunder/mistake folks make?
Nutrition Twins: Many people have the mentality that eating a healthy diet is all or nothing. If they don’t eat what they perceive to be “perfect,” they throw in the towel, thinking they blew it. So they end up bingeing or going completely off the healthy wagon and eating a lot of less-than-nutritious foods. We always try to coach our clients that healthy eating is a lifelong process and no one is flawless–there is no such thing as a “perfect” diet so they can’t expect themselves to be. If you have a slipup or wander off track, acknowledge it and wander right back on the nutritious eating path. It’s this all or nothing thinking that really gets people into trouble because when they fall so far off the healthy eating track, they have a hard time getting back on.
Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, CDN, CFT and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT (a.k.a. The Nutrition Twins®) are registered dietitians and certified personal trainers. They share a nutrition consulting practice and are co-authors of The Secret To Skinnyand Fire Up Your Metabolism. The Twins are regularly featured as nutrition experts on Good Morning America Health, the Discovery Health Channel and the Fox News Channel as well as in print and online publications and they have been heard internationally throughout various radio outlets. They are avid exercisers who believe they must be properly fueled at all times! www.NutritionTwins.com
Facts on Cheese- From Cheese.com
Cheese Fact Sheet No matter how far archaeological finds go, there is evidence that cheese came into being in prehistoric times. Cheese can not really be said to have been "invented". This delicious food must have resulted from the simple observation that milk left in a container ends up by coagulating, even more if it is hot. People living in areas where the climate changed seasonally would also have noticed the effect of temperature on this process: in warmer weather the milk would curdle faster than in the cold. This might be considered the first technological cheesemaking discovery. There are hundreds of different types of cheese that can be differentiated both by the type of milk - raw, skimmed or pasteurised, and by the animal - cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse or camel. Serving and Storage Tips
Unpasteurised cheese with a range of flavours should not be sliced until purchase otherwise it will start to lose its subtlety and aroma.
Keep the cheese in conditions in which it matures. Hard, semi-hard and semi-soft cheeses are stored in the temperatures from around 8 - 13 C.
Keep the cheese wrapped in the waxed paper and place it in a loose-fitting food-bag not to lose humidity and maintain the circulation of air.
Wrap blue cheeses all over as mould spores spread readily not only to other cheeses but also to everything near.
Chilled cheeses should be taken out of the refrigerator one and a half or two hours before serving.
Cheeses contain living organisms that must not be cut off from air, yet it is important not to let a cheese dry out.
Do not store cheese with other strong-smelling foods. As a cheese breathes it will absorb other aromas and may spoil.
Wrap soft cheeses loosely. Use waxed or greaseproof paper rather than cling film.
Let cold cheese warm up for about half an hour before eating to allow the flavour and aroma to develop.
Effects of Weight Training and NO-Shotgun
To see the full article click here
By: Dr. Darryn Willoughby
Date Published: Summer 2009
Adaptations to resistance training that cause muscle growth (hypertrophy) occurring at the cellular level are most likely the result of cumulative effects of transient changes in the activity of specific genes in muscle after each acute bout of exercise. In response to resistance training, muscle hypertrophy occurs through increases in protein synthesis, along with the activation of satellite cells (myogenesis) (1). Satellite cells are immature muscle cells that have yet to fully develop, and can be activated by hormones (such as insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormone) and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), which are increased in response to resistance exercise (2,3). The MRFs (Myo-D, myogenin, MRF-4, myf5) are a family of proteins that play a vital role of activating various genes in muscle (4). Furthermore, the MRFs appear to play a role in myogenesis by activating satellite cells (5). MyoD and Myf5 are believed to be involved in satellite proliferation (conversion of satellite cells to preliminary muscle cells), and myogenin and MRF-4 are involved in satellite cell differentiation (conversion of preliminary muscle cells to mature muscle cells) (6). Resistance exercise has been shown to activate the MRF genes in muscle (7), which can invariably induce muscle protein synthesis and result in hypertrophy.
Single bouts of resistance exercise are capable of activating the MRFs. Myo-D and myogenin have been shown to be significantly elevated six hours after a heavy resistance exercise (35). In addition, Myo-D, myogenin, and MRF-4 mRNA have been shown to be significantly elevated 24 hours following a heavy resistance exercise, whereas increases in Myo-D, myogenin, and MRF-4 have been shown to occur between two to 12 hours after resistance exercise (8) suggesting that MRF genes are responsive to resistance exercise and may be involved in regulating hypertrophy and/or myogenesis.
Studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of longer-term resistance training programs on MRF activity. As such, a 16-week study of resistance training resulted in an increase in the activity of the MyoD, myogenin, MRF-4, and myf5 genes, along with an increased muscle fiber size (9). In addition to resistance training, research indicates that the MRFs are also sensitive to nutritional status. A study examined 10 weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation and heavy resistance training on the gene activity and protein content of Myo-D, myogenin, MFR-4, and Myf5. After training, myogenin and MRF-4 gene activity and protein content were found to be significantly greater in the creatine group compared to a carbohydrate placebo. When combined with heavy resistance training, creatine supplementation increases the expression of myogenin and MRF-4 (10). More recently, 28 days of heavy resistance training combined with a nutritional supplement (NO-Shotgun) containing creatine monohydrate, arginine, glutamine, beta-alanine, ketoisocaproate, and BCAAs or a carbohydrate placebo resulted in increases in the protein content of Myo-D, myogenic, MRF-4, and myf5; however, the NO-Shotgun group was shown to be significantly greater than placebo for Myo-D and MRF-4. Therefore, when combined with heavy resistance training for 28 days, NO-Shotgun effectively induces myogenesis by stimulating increases in satellite cell activation and proliferation (11).
In summary, resistance exercise is effective at modulating the activity of the MRF genes and proteins involved in hypertrophy and myogenesis in skeletal muscle. Collectively, the research supports the notion that individual sessions of resistance exercise can induce activations of the MRFs. These increases in the MRFs are involved with the adaptations in skeletal muscle in response to longer-term resistance training programs, which are highly important in inducing muscle hypertrophy by way of protein synthesis and myogenesis through increases in satellite cell activation.
References
Harridge S. Plasticity of human skeletal muscle: gene expression to in vivo function. Exp Physiol. 92:783-97, 2007.
Hawke T, Garry D. Myogenic satellite cells: physiology to molecular biology. J Appl Physiol. 91:534-51, 2001.
Kim J, Cross J, Bamman M. Impact of resistance loading on myostatin expression and cell cycle regulation in young and older men and women. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 288:E1110-19, 2005.
Bergstrom D, Penn B, Strand A, Perry R, Rudnicki M, Tapscott S. Promoter-specific regulation of MyoD binding and signal transduction cooperate to pattern gene expression. Mol Cell. 9:587-600, 2002.
McCroskery S, Thomas M, Maxwell L, Sharma M, Kambadur R. Myostatin negatively regulates satellite cell activation and self-renewal. J Cell Biol. 2003; 162: 1135-47, 2003.
Dedieu S, Mazeres G, Cottin P, Brustis J. Involvement of myogenic regulator factors during fusion in the cell line C2C12. Int J Dev Biol. 46:235-41, 2002.
Willoughby D, Nelson M. Myosin heavy-chain mRNA expression after a single session of heavy-resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 34:1262-69, 2002.
Mozdziak P, Greaser M, Schultz E. Myogenin, MyoD, and myosin expression after pharmacologically and surgically induced hypertrophy. J Appl Physiol. 84:1359-64, 1998.
Kosek D, Kim J, Petrella J, Cross J, Bamman M. Efficacy of 3 days/wk resistance training on myofiber hypertrophy and myogenic mechanism in young vs older adults. J Appl Phsyiol. 101:531-44, 2006.
Willoughby D, Rosene J. Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on myogenic regulatory factor expression. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 35:923-29, 2003.
Shelmadine B, Buford T, Hudson G, Cooke M, Willoughby D. Effects of 28 days of NO-Shotgun supplementation on body composition, muscle strength and mass, markers of satellite cell activation, and clinical safety markers in males. J Int Soc Sport Nutr. In Review.
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Squares
Makes 9 Servings Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 180 min
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Ingredients
1 cup crunchy wheat and barley cereal
3 cups fat-free strawberry yogurt
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen unsweetened strawberries (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light or fat-free whipped topping (optional)
Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil. Sprinkle cereal evenly on the bottom of the pan; set aside. Place yogurt, strawberries and condensed milk in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over top of cereal, gently smoothing yogurt mixture to edges of pan. Cover with foil (or plastic wrap) and freeze for 8 hours or until firm. Use edges of foil to loosen and remove from pan; let recipe thaw for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares, top with whipped topping, if desired, and serve. Storage tip: Squares may be individually wrapped and frozen for single servings. Note: Create your own variations by using other flavor combinations of yogurt and fruit.
Recipe created by 3-Every-Day™ of Dairy
Nutritional Facts
Calories: 200 Total Fat: 0 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Sodium: 150 mg Calcium: 20% Daily Value Protein: 7 g Carbohydrates: 42 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g
You can talk all you want about what you’ll write Tomorrow, next week, and next year.
It matters very little.
Tomorrow and next week and next year are not yours to spend.
You can talk all you want about what you’ll build Tomorrow, next week, and next year.
You’d be an arrogant liar.
Tomorrow and next week and next year are not yours to plan.
You do not see your life as the vapor that it is — how your hours curl up and away from that hot, black coffee on the table, dissipating faster than they appeared.
If you intend to write something, write it.
If you intend to build something, build it.
Each time you file that blank page away — to finish it Tomorrow — Tomorrow reaches deep into your wallet and takes exactly what it wants.
Tomorrow is a master thief, patiently waiting for you to lay down the pen. To walk away from the page.
Today is not always sexy.
Today does not always feel comfortable.
Today has many demands, but …
Today is all you’ve been given. And you can build everything you want and need with it.
So what are you going to do today? (Let us know in the comments.)
About the Author: Robert Bruce is an American writer and amateur recluse.
Secrets to Running Faster By Barry Ross
This article was written by Barry Ross from athletesacceleration.com
To visit click here
Since publishing Underground Secrets To Faster Running, I’m frequently asked why there seems to be minimal information regarding on-track sprint training workouts in a book about running faster. This is often followed by questions about standard sprint training protocols, such as: What about volume? What about density? Intensity, CNS fatigue, distance, recovery days?
And so on ad infinitum.
They are fairly common questions, but are they fair questions?
Let’s examine them from a different viewpoint.
If we recognize them as standard questions, then they are not really about 'secrets'. Rather, they encompass the common vernacular of the sprint culture. What the questioners really want to know is how the answers to their questions might differ within the parameters of the protocols they already use and whether any difference might give them an edge, as trainers or athletes, over the competition.
Therein lies the problem with the questions. The focus of sprint coaches and athletes is on changing the numbers within the framework they know. It’s about finding magic or secret numbers - what number of repeats of a distance, how many plyo jumps on the track, how many rest days, what number of hard days, how many recovery days, etc. There is never a challenge to the framework, only to the numbers that are provided.
Underground Secrets To Faster Running would be about the weight room if it was written to show how its particular strength training protocol fits within the broader and more well established category of strength training. But Underground Secrets To Faster Running is not about the weight room. It’s about addressing a paradigm change in training to run faster that is long overdue. Its about the science of sprinting and the elimination of the rampant guessing as to what actually happens during high speed sprinting.
Far from being a book about how much weight one can lift, it fully addresses one of the most (if not the most) important aspects of sprinting: The effect of mass-specific force on running speed. It goes on to describe a very simple yet powerful training method that will result in faster running, even if most of the standard on track training protocols were significantly reduced or eliminated.
At this point, many will think that what I’m writing here is merely a way to increase sales of my book (while that is not the case, I would certainly welcome that outcome!). Others will shake their heads while muttering to themselves, .Just another weight guy trying to make himself important. He doesn’t get it that you have to run to be fast. Just get on the track and run..
Well, I do get it. You do have to run to be fast…and faster. But you must do more than that to run your fastest.
There is purposeless running and there is focused running. There is purposeless strength training and purposeful strength training. Can you distinguish between them?
Since this article is in response to the track training portion that appears to be missing, let’s look at that aspect first.
Did you know that 95.89% of the track coaches throughout the world use purposeless running to train their sprinters?
How did I arrive at that precise number? By strict scientific research? By analysis of local coaches and interpolation of raw data? By regression analysis?
By guessing?
You caught me! I guessed.
Which is precisely how coaches arrive at the ‘right’ number of repeats at the ‘right’ distance. It’s what they do because they’ve always done it, or darn close to it. Is this the best way to build a sprint training program? I don’t think so!
Are you part of that large, guessed-at number of coaches? You are if you give your sprint group a single set of instructions: Today I want you to run 5 200.s , then 8 100.s, 10 50.s then do some block work and call it a day. Or, maybe you’re the up and down ladder type instead. Same guess, same result.
Are you thinking to yourself, “That’s not me! I don’t guess, I got my workout from John S.. or Charlie F... or Clyde H.. or Dan P. or the guy at the clinic I went to.”
And those coaches and clinic guys got their workouts from where? From the coach that coached them? Years of trial and error? By keeping up with the latest in research?
Perhaps the fundamental question should be: What is the purpose of training on the track?
There are really only 2 purposes for on-track training: neuromuscular adaptation and plyometric training.
In its simplest form, Neuromuscular adaptation is teaching your body to adapt to high speed movements without loss of energy. You can only do that by running at your high speed as often as possible, but this is no secret.
What is plyometric training? It is defined as causing a rapid change from eccentric contraction (lengthening a muscle) to concentric contraction (shortening a muscle), in which elastic energy is stored and released. The act of running fast is a plyometric exercise, so it trains for the storage and release of elastic energy. Elastic energy is a necessary part of increasing your speed. How much running should you do?
As much as is effective in increasing your speed, but this is no secret.
The number and length of repeats should be different for each runner, and they must have a specific length and measurable goal if they are to be effective. Either specific time/distance or distance/time goals work best. If someone is telling you to run x number of repeats at x distance, ask them why that number and that distance. Ask them how it would specifically benefit your particular needs and demand an answer with specific number goals, such as maximum completion time per rep. If you’re a coach, ask the same question on behalf of your athlete before you give them a workout or shame on you! When running speed decreases to a point below the goal over a set distance, or distance covered decreases to a point below the goal over a set time, your workout should end. Immediately. But stopping when goals can no longer be met is no secret.
(Psst. I’ll have to keep my voice down so no one can hear this secret except you: muscles don’t care about what the are being used for! They don’t ask if they’re lifting a weight or walking up stairs, or moving down a track. They only want to know about the load placed on them so they can gauge how to respond. This is the same basis of the strength training protocol in Underground Secrets To Faster Running!)
If you’re thinking that a track workout could be very short, you’re right. If you’re thinking that it could be very long, you’re right. The preceding statements reveal this important ‘secret’: There is no magic number of sets or reps in a running protocol. The correct number of set or reps is based upon the portion of the race you need to work on. That differs for every sprinter.
What about rest times between repeats?
(Hey tiger, here’s a little used underground secret, just between me and you: Inside the weight room or on the track, it’s all about the phosphagen pool. It’s a secret revealed in Underground Secrets To Faster Running.)
What about form problems, what about sleds, hill running or weight vests to increase strength?
All of those questions relate to how your muscles work. All of those issues are addressed by and through the strength training protocol in Underground Secrets. None of them should be used or addressed on the track.
What about speed endurance, speed strength, strength speed?
All of these are improved in the weight room, and speed endurance is enhanced by targeted on track training in addition to the weight room.
What about CNS fatigue?
Interestingly, coaches seem to believe something different then experts in this area. Certain well known sprint coaches are brazen enough to base their entire workout around CNS fatigue. What do the real experts say? Here’s some examples:
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“Hence, during exercise, only 5HT neurons that are firing should increase 5HT production/release when brain TRP rises. It is not known which 5HT neurons fire during exercise; the 5HT neurons that respond to exercise-induced increases in brain TRP are therefore not known. Hence, it is not possible to conclude which 5HT neurons contribute to the generation of central fatigue. Because some 5HT neurons control specific functions important to physical performance (e.g., respiration), the current understanding of 5HT neuronal function in central fatigue might benefit from the study of specific 5HT pathways during exercise.
-- Exercise, Serum Free Tryptophan, and Central Fatigue; John D. Fernstrom and Madelyn H. Fernstrom Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, Epidemiology, and Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh PA, 2006
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“Several factors have been identified to cause peripheral fatigue during exercise, whereas the mechanisms behind central fatigue are less well known.”
-- Eva Blomstrand, Astrand Laboratory, University College of Physical Education and Sports and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 2006
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While researchers in the field believe 5HT and TRP are responsible for CNS fatigue, they simply don’t know what causes these fiends to generate CNS fatigue. To base a training protocol on a factor that no one is sure about seems ludicrous. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to keep on-track and weight room training to no more than what is essential.
The bottom line of all the foregoing? You’ve probably wasted enormous amounts of your valuable time spending useless hours on the track. More than likely, your workouts focused on effects rather than causes. In other words, the entire framework from which your speed training has been derived could be seriously flawed. If your on-track or weight room workout is based on a model other than the spring-mass model, you can be sure it has serious flaws.
By now you are probably wondering if there really are any unrevealed 'secrets' to faster running? The answer is simple: yes and no.
No, there are no ‘secrets’ as to how we run faster. The spring-mass model of running locomotion introduced in the late 1970.s, followed by extensive testing of many of its facets from the 1980’s through the early 2000.s revealed that .secret.. The results of the rigorous research over nearly 30 years has shown the validity and merit of the model to virtually all locomotion experts throughout the world: Those who understand the causes and effects of bipedal and quadrupedal running. Unfortunately, sprint coaches rarely fall into the category of experts in locomotion.
The spring-mass model takes into consideration the effects of gravity, as well as the physics of motion and energy. From that model, and the testing of it, has come some surprising conclusions that should alter the entire sprint workout, both in the weight room and on the track.
Those conclusions have been kept .secret. from us for more than 20 years. Not by the real experts, but by the self-proclaimed experts. The .guru’s. of the sprint community simply don’t want to accept the studies. Instead, they put up straw man arguments with no basis in fact, show little or no understanding of physics, and ignore the effect of gravity.
Are there ‘secrets’ to faster running revealed in Underground Secrets To Faster Running? You can bet on it.
The most important of the factors affecting running is mass-specific force. The greater the force applied to the ground relative to mass and in opposition to gravity, the longer the stride length and the faster the stride rate. Stride rate increases because ground contact time decreases, not because the limbs are moving faster.
Longer stride rates are effects of strength training. Faster stride rates are effects of strength training. Simply running on the track will never maximize stride length and stride rate. Increased mass-specific force comes only from strength training.
Mass-specific force may not seem much like a revealed ‘secret’ at first glance. In fact, many would say they already knew that being stronger then your bodyweight would make you run faster. What they are referring to is the ability to apply force from a muscle contraction. They will often use squat max vs. bodyweight as their example.
However, that is not what mass-specific force in opposition to gravity means. Mass-specific force in opposition to gravity does not come from muscle contraction. It is isometric (by definition - strength production without change in muscle length). An accelerating mass (the sprinters body as it returns to the ground) increases force. Gravity acting on the falling human body will cause ground contact force to reach or exceed 3 times bodyweight. The ability to withstand hitting the ground that hard without collapsing (thereby dissipating energy) requires tremendous isometric strength. Where is the most efficient place to increase that strength?
(Shhhhh, don’t let anyone see or hear this underground secret: It’s in the weightroom. Not on the track.)
So what, you say, big deal. That’s why I’m in the weightroom doing my squats, power cleans, deadlifts, and all my ballistic stuff. So I get strong enough to push of the ground to..
To do what? Propel yourself into the next stride with a massive push off? Sorry, that doesn’t happen because IT CAN’T HAPPEN.
What???
Think about it. If you’re a weight room stud, you know how much force is required to push up a big weight when squatting. If you believe you push off the ground during a sprint by using a concentric contraction of the leg muscles then consider this: Ground reaction force plate measurements show maximum forces of 3 times bodyweight at midstance during high speed running. Research shows that ground contact times can range from .09 to .10 seconds. Half way through that time frame is midstance. So maximum force is fully developed in .05 seconds or less.
If you weigh 150 lbs, and you can push your bodyweight plus an additional 300 lbs (a total of 450 lbs or 3 times bodyweight) 3 meters down the track from a voluntary muscle contraction of one leg (with a minimal angle of flexion) lasting 5 hundredths of a second or less, then you’ve got bigger secrets to reveal than I do.
Where are these massive forces coming from if we cannot apply them by volitional muscle contraction? Force measurements are correct, so what force is being measured?
Ground reaction force plates measure the opposite side of the force applied to them. This relates to the 3rd law of physics. Because of the reasons stated earlier, you’re not pushing off the ground with a force equal to 3 times bodyweight. Instead, you’re hitting the ground as a falling body with that amount of force. That’s why the force, and your response, can occur in such a short time frame. If you collapse, or partially collapse (increase knee flexion) under the force being thrust against you from the ground, then you can’t use that force to your advantage.
Increasing the ability to withstand that force, by opposing it with isometric strength, increases your ability to use it to your advantage. In fact, being able to withstand forces of multiple times your bodyweight (mass-specific force) increases running speed dramatically. How? Partly because of what ground reaction force does to you. You hit the ground with 3 times bodyweight, but the ground is hitting your real bodyweight, 150 lbs in our example. Think of it this way, if you hit a cue ball into another billiard ball, without any added spin of the cue ball, then the both of them will react equally upon contact with each other, i.e. the cue ball will move back to you and the struck ball will move away from you. The reactions are equal and opposite. If you hit a bowling ball with the cue ball, the bowling ball will barely move and the cue ball will move toward you for about twice the distance of the earlier example. What happens when your little 150 pounds of rock hard mass hits the earth’s mass?
If your answer to the last question is that your going to fly, you may or may not be right. In the cue ball analysis, the surfaces of all the objects are about the same hardness. Not so with you and the earth. If you are rock hard in your ability to withstand the blow, you will fly and your stride length will increase.
(Hey, you! Yeah you, the one reading this article! Stay tight with me on this, k? -- You don’t need to spend all that time working on paw-back or push-off drills, ya know? They don’t do nuthin to help! Just a an underground secret between me an you, k?)
What about ‘form’ defects? How does one fix overstriding?
(Listen up! Don’t tell anybody this underground secret: Overstriding is a strength issue for almost all who suffer from it, but it can be fixed. in the weight room.)
What about upper body strength? How about arm swings?
Each of these issues falls under the parameters mentioned at the beginning of this article. The spring-mass model renders most of these as moot. They are not training issues at all. The reason this is so hard to believe for so many coaches and sprinters is because the purveyors of the old, false parameters are so heavily engrained in the sprint culture world wide.
Strength training and on-track training are simple. The protocol of Underground Secrets To Faster Running treats them as that. Instead of inventing new lifts or using lifts based upon false information, its focus is solely on what is really needed to run faster. It takes many of the training aspects of on-track training inside the weight room, thus shortening and laser focusing that protocol as well.
Abandoning the familiar is always difficult. In this case, abandoning the old is imperative – if you want to run faster!