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We’ve all heard that you need to be either eating fish or taking fish oils for the omega-3 fatty acids. Tom Venuto recently wrote a blog on his Burn The Fat Blog that gave some really good tips on why and how to get your omega-3’s. Here’s the quote:

1) eat fatty fish at least twice per week and even daily if practical and economical for you. If not, you could supplement with fish oil (1.5-3 grams of combined DHA/EPA daily)

2) Omega 6 fatty acids are also essential, but most people have an unbalanced omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. This can be remedied by increasing the omega 3 consumption and or reducing the omega 6 consumption (by decreasing intake of processed foods, refined grains, and supermarket cooking oils, with the exception of extra virgin olive oil)

3) grind up flaxseeds and sprinkle them on salads or add them to oatmeal, protein shakes or morning cereals. Alternately, supplement with flaxseed oil; 1 tbsp is equivalent to 3 tbsp flaxseeds (use as a supplement; Not for cooking)

4) snack on walnuts, which contain modest amounts of omega 3 fats (other types of nuts and seeds can also contain significant amounts of omega 3 fats)

5) increase your consumption of leafy greens which contain small amounts of omega 3 fats.

6) if you eat red meat, try game meats or grass fed beef or bison. they dont have nearly the quantity of omega-3 as marine sources, but they are higher in omega-3 and have a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than conventionally raised and fed beef.

7) Try omega-3 fortified eggs instead of regular eggs.

See how easy it is to get more omega-3?

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Alwyn Cosgrove made a really good point on his blog about what he calls Training Schizophrenia. It’s a very interesting thing that I think a lot of us have been guilty of in the past (or you might even be guilty of it right now!)

Here’s the basic idea: you start a new training program. Then you read an article by another ‘guru’ and change your plan 2 weeks later. Then your friend gives you some advice and you change your plan again the next week. Do you see where I’m going with this?

So what is Alwyn’s advice if you suffer from Training Schizophrenia? Stick to any plan for 8-16 weeks before you even think of making a huge change. If you’re doing any less than that you are missing out on pretty much any of the benefits of whatever plan you are following.

Here is his blog post if you want to read more: Training Schizophrenia. Personally, I think this is great advice!

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Most of us that have been lifting weight for any length of time have probably suffered from muscle aches and pains (if you haven’t you might be going too light ). I know that personally, I will get a dull ache in my shoulders if I’ve done a lot of chest or shoulder work. But there are some people that really do suffer from chronic joint pain. This could be either from lifting incorrectly, or maybe from some type of an injury that you have sustained in the past.

For example, in the case of my shoulder I think its a combination of the two. I think that when I first started lifting I was not using good form and probably damaged my shoulder a little. Now, every now and then my shoulder will just not feel right for a day or two at a time. I should probably get it checked out, but one way to reduce the pain on those days would be to use Freeze It Gel.

Freeze It can help with the following aches and pains:

• Sore Muscles & Muscle Sprains
• Back, Shoulder, and Neck Pain
• Muscular Strains

If I was somehow able to win a supply a Freeze It, it would really help me to push through those days where the ache is strongest. Luckily, my pains are not so strong that they keep me from going to work, but they may be enough that I decide not to exercise. I really should get this shoulder checked out, but why ache if you don’t have to?

Here is a commercial about Freeze It Gel in case you haven’t heard about it:

The way I look at it is if using a product like this can reduce the ache and make me feel my best, why not?

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Today’s tip is really common sense.  But as we all know, common sense isn’t necessarily all that common.  The trick of this tip is be careful that if you use “cheat meals” that you don’t let them take the place of what you should really be eating.  Here’s the tip from John Berardi:

Don’t Displace, Dummy!
by Dr. John Berardi

There’s a big difference between a healthy diet to which treats are occasionally added and an ‘all-treat diet.’ In the former, unhealthy foods are consumed rarely and in addition to healthy foods. In the latter, unhealthy foods are consumed often and instead of healthy foods. This is called ‘food displacement’ and must be avoided if optimal body composition and health are your goals. Don’t displace nutrient dense food with empty calories!

This tip is provided by Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition.

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Here’s an exercise that honestly I had never heard of before, but they look like a killer! What you do is you load up the weights on the squat rack, but rather than putting the weight on your shoulders (regular squat) or doing front squats, you hold the weight with your elbows! That’s right, you hold the weight in front of you with the bar resting in the crook of your elbows.

I’ve never done these, and I can imagine that they must be somewhat uncomfortable. Tom Venuto talked about these squats recently on his Body Building Secrets Blog. He also included some pretty cool videos of some guys lifting some pretty serious weights in this style. So if you’re looking for a way to add a little variety to the way you do squats, check out Zercher Squats!

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I wanted to take a minute and share a few ideas that can make your Thanksgiving a great one. Now that we are in the Holiday Season, there will be all sorts of opportunities to eat lots of extra food. Just remember what your main goals are and try not to overdo it!

I know this may sound weird, but one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner is the mashed potatoes. One of my favorite recipes is to use real potatoes (not the flake stuff, yuck!), boil them until they are really soft, and then throw them in a Hamilton Beach® Mixer. Add some milk, butter, and garlic powder and start mixing them until they are nice and creamy. You just have to eyeball it a little until they have the right consistency for you, but I could honestly eat nothing but these potatoes (and at least a little turkey ) on Thanksgiving and be totally happy! And they’re so easy to make, just a good Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer, potatoes, butter, milk, and you’re good to go! (The Hamilton Beach® Eclectrics® Mixer is a good option because of its features and also lower price point than other brands.)

So I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and feel free to share with all of us some of your favorite recipes and past-times. Also, don’t let this be the season where you put on the most weight. Be reasonable in your extra eating this Holiday Season, but also have a good time!

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It always surprises me that a lot of people don’t know that all fats are not created equal. The other belief that a lot of people have is that all fats are bad, hence the whole “No-Fat” or “Fat-Free” fad. The truth is that you need to have some fat in your diet. Below, you’ll get a more specific recommendation from John Berardi:

Good Fats
by Dr. John Berardi

On average, most people should ensure that 25-35% of their energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (animal fat), monounsaturates (olive oil, avocados, etc), and polyunsaturates (flax oil, salmon oil, etc.). Your total fat in the diet may vary but make sure you’re getting about 1/3 of each type for the best fat balance.

This tip is provided by Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition.

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