Here is a quick tip for those who live sedentary lifestyles, or if you just haven't done any type of resistance training for awhile:
**While doing your workout routine, start off with 3 sets as a starting point. However, light training days of 1 set should be incorporated into the training program to prevent overtraining and to asure adherence. Studies show that this method is effective for muscle strength and size increases, in sedentary untrained individuals. in
James M., NSCA CPTFoods to increase :
*Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables and consume many varieties.
*Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
*Increase fiber intake; at least 20 grams per day for women and 30 grams for men.
*Make at least half of your grains whole grains.
*Switch from whole to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
*Choose a variety of foods with protein such as meat, eggs, dairy, seafood, beans, nuts and soy products.
*Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed.
*Choose foods that provide more potassium, calcium, and Vitamin D, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fortified orange juice, and soy products.
Foods to reduce:
*Limit sugary drinks.
*Reduce salt intake to 2,300mg and further to 1,500mg if you are at least 51 years-old, of any age and are African American, or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Processed foods often contain high sodium levels. Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals and choose the foods with the least sodium.
*Limit the consumption of foods with refined grains, especially those that contain solid fats and added sugars. Solid fats refer to saturated and trans fats which are typically solid at room temperature (e.g., butter, lard, vegetable shortening, as well as tropical oils such as coconut oil, palm and palm kernel oil).
*Replace solid fats like butter, lard, and shortening with vegetable oils where possible.
*Consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids (e.g., butter, cheese, ice cream, beef, and pork).
*Consume less than 300mg per day of dietary cholesterol, which comes from meats such as beef and pork, high in fat dairy products and egg yolks.
James M. NSCA CPT
