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The 10-Count: Holly Mosier Talks Stress and Boxing in Lake Forest
Friday, January 21st, 2011
1. So.. who is Holly Mosier?
(With ease) I’m an Author, Healthy Lifestyle Expert, Boxing Gym Owner, Lawyer, Wife and Mother.
Holly Mosier is an owner of LA Boxing Lake Forest and author of the upcoming book, Stress Less, Weigh Less
2. How did you come to own your own LA Boxing gym?
It started when I hit my 40s. I had been a lifetime fitness enthusiast, but all of a sudden nothing I was doing was keeping me from gaining an additional two pounds every year. I was determined to find a more effective means. As a medical malpractice attorney, I was well equipped to research the countless fitness methodologies available. In doing so, all signs pointed to interval training as the king. It consistently provided better results. Furthermore, boxing emerged as the premier form of interval training. My husband and I then put that research to the test at a local gym near our house. We were convinced after a noticeable difference in definition after just six weeks. Sadly, that gym ended its boxing program after three months, and we needed a new place to train. We explored a number of programs and found LA Boxing to be the best by far. We immediately signed ourselves up, along with our 19 year-old son and 22 year-old daughter. Boxing class quickly became a fitness lifestyle for the whole family. We saw such great results and wanted to be able to share our experience with our local community. That’s how we came to purchase our own LA Boxing franchise in Lake Forest. I was 48 at the time.
3. Do you want us to publish that?
(Laughing) Of course. It’s important to me that middle-age women feel comfortable training like I do. I’ll be 50 in March.
4. Is it hard to get women in the gym?
For women especially, boxing gyms can seem scary. I don’t think there is any way to avoid that trepidation. We just aren’t programmed to punch. It isn’t in our DNA as it seems to be for guys. What surprises people about LA Boxing are how amenable it is for a woman of any age. The environment is welcoming, comfortable and inviting. We have a strong membership of women at our club in Lake Forest because we make it clear that we want you here, we’re ready for you and there are plenty of others in the exact same position.
5. What if you don’t know how to box?
Well, man or woman, LA Boxing knows you probably don’t have a clue when you first walk through the door. Our trainers are all professional and amateur fighters who know how to work with inexperience. They are expecting to have to train you on correct punching form and combinations. As a new member, they do a remarkable job of giving you the personal attention you need without making you feel like you’re being singled out.
6. How does boxing fit into your weekly regimen?
I box two to three days every week, cardio on the other days and practice yoga twice a week. I always wear my heart rate monitor during workouts so I know that I burn an average of 320 calories during a boxing workout. I burn only 130 calories during a pretty intense exercise class at a traditional gym. That’s a big difference. The boxing provides an unparalleled workout but it is important to engage in a variety of activities, especially in your 30s, 40s, and beyond to prevent repetitive stress injuries.
7. That’s less than 200 calories a day.
Between my boxing workouts, yoga and days I just do cardio; I burn about 300 calories during exercise each day. That may sound like a small number, but you have to take into account my small size. Plus, if you eat 100 calories a day more than you burn, you’ll gain 10 pounds over the course of a year. So the increase in the number of calories I burn in the LA Boxing classes has made a big impact. It keeps my weight down and fitness level high.
8. In my face. Well let’s get into your new book before we run out of questions. What is Stress Less, Weigh Less all about?
Stress Less, Weigh Less is about the forgotten, and possibly the most important factor in healthy living – how stress impacts the body and what can we do to ameliorate it. We generally speak of fitness as a function of exercise and nutrition, but for either to be truly effective, we need to control stress. Excess stress hormones trigger a physiological need for high-sugar, high-fat and high-sodium foods. Submitting to these cravings offers a quick dump of “feel good” hormones that spike blood sugar. This pattern repeats itself until it perpetually reoccurs. My book walks you through 12 tools for reducing stress and reaching your goals.
9. What kind of tools?
It all starts with this foundational step: Opt out as a lifestyle. You can’t do everything so make conscious decisions to focus on the things that bring you to your goals. Ask yourself: What is most meaningful to me? Then, pick and choose accordingly. Build time buffers into your day. Your life becomes so much more joyful when you eliminate over-scheduling and you have more energy. Now it’s easy to show up for a boxing class. Address the stress first. We have crazy, busy lives, and that’s okay, but we need a calm foundation to function effectively.
10. Will you share your personal favorite?
Focused breathing. It is the most effective tool I’ve found.
Here’s how it works: Breathe in through the nose to a count of four. Draw the breath all the way down to the belly. Exhale through the nose to a count of four. Just observe the breath. Within six or seven breaths you’ll begin to calm. Remember, the quality of your thoughts match the quality of your breaths. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “it took my breath away” and it is absolutely true.
Start by implementing three sets of six focused breaths in your daily life. Build them into your normal habits like brushing your teeth or waiting at a stoplight. Let the phone ring until you’ve completed at least one four-count breath and then answer it. I’ve even done a couple during this interview.
Well that’s it for this week’s 10-Count. Make sure to check out Holly Mosier’s upcoming release of Stress Less, Weigh Less, out in bookstores June 1st, 2011.
The new HollyMosier.com will be launching mid-February with more tips from the book. In the meantime, hit up Holly in the comments section below, she’ll be checking in regularly to answer your questions.
SHOULD YOU BE EATING ORGANIC?
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
How can I tell whether something is organic?
Organic is a legal definition when applied to food, so for a food to be labeled or sold as organic it must have been produced according to national organic farming and processing standards, and this is true worldwide. In the case of processed foods, such as cookies, US standards state that at least 95% of all ingredients must be certified organic. The other 5% can be non-organic only if approved by the certifying body – this occurs only if there is difficulty finding an organic version of the ingredient and may be only a temporary measure.
What stops producers calling their produce organic anyway?
Certification in every country involves regular inspections to ensure that organic standards are being met and will give products that meet these standards a mark, or number, as a guarantee of authenticity. If you want to be sure that the food you are buying is organic then look out for either of these on a label. If buying unpackaged products, ask the retailer for proof.
Are all organic foods healthy?
Yes and no. Organic foods are less likely to contain chemical and antibiotic residues, and they are not allowed to contain hydrogenated fats, artificial additives, flavorings or preservatives, so in this respect they are healthier. However, they are not necessarily ‘health foods’. You can buy organic ice cream, biscuits and chocolate, for example, none of which should be eaten in excess if you are concerned about your health. Organic foods are definitely better for the environment.
With so much organic food coming from overseas, how green can it be?
Organic imports feature heavily in many countries around the world, and there are clearly environmental costs to transporting food in this way. However, the environmental benefits of organic farming are said to be so great that anyone serious about green living should feel comfortable buying organic. In addition, the more people that buy organic the more likely it is that farmers will convert their farms to organic production and that governments will help by subsidizing these farmers during the conversion process (up to three years).
If you want to make the biggest impact, buy your produce locally and eat seasonally. The organic community encourages both.
So if you are thinking about green living, organic foods are a good start. More about going green on agreenliving.net
WEEKLY MOTIVATION: JANUARY 17
Monday, January 17th, 2011
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
- Walt Disney
KNOWING YOUR MASSAGES
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
A massage is one of the requisite services offered in a typical vacation or day spa. It’s relaxing, relieves your body of stress and muscle pain, and will definitely put you on a sound, uninterrupted sleep. A spa’s menu of services usually contains a wide selection of massages, from simple ones to those with fancy and foreign-sounding names. If you’re not really spa-savvy, it’s easy to get lost in the cacophony of terms and massage jargons. Of course, your therapist will usually explain these things to you and will help you determine the appropriate massage that will suit your needs. It still doesn’t hurt though to know the basics of massages.
The various types of massages can be classified into two categories: those designed for relaxation and those intended for pain management or for medical purposes. These are not mutually exclusive classifications however and an overlap sometimes occurs.
One of the most popular relaxation therapies is the Swedish massage. It was named after, you guessed it, a Swedish doctor named Per Henrik Ling who developed the technique during the 18th century. The massage employs firm, gentle pressure to improve blood circulation and relieve muscle pain and tension. Muscles are rubbed in the direction of blood flow returning to the heart. The massage is usually performed using the following techniques: long gliding strokes, kneading of muscles, circular movements to create friction, oscillatory movements to create vibration, staccato tapping, and finally, bending and stretching.
Another common massage technique is the shiatsu which means finger pressure. Traditionally based on the Chinese meridian system, the massage works within the theory of energy circulation in the body and on the concept that there are particular pressure points that can be pressed to reverse the imbalances in the natural energy flow. Fingers and palms are used to apply localized pressure on these points. This is then followed by stretching exercises. During the session, the clients are taught to coordinate their breathing with the massage in order to maximize the benefits of the treatment.
A more physically engaging technique is the Thai massage. It is believed to have been developed 2500 years ago by an Indian physician. It later reached Thailand and was gradually influenced by Chinese medicine. It then became a traditional part of Thai medicine and was usually performed by monks. Thai massage involves a combination of yoga and acupressure. Therapists use their hands, knees, legs, and feet to apply pressure and move your body into various yoga-like stretching movements.
For a more eclectic massage experience, you may want to try the polarity massage. A curious amalgamation of modern science and ancient methods, polarity therapy combines various therapies and treatments to achieve holistic wellness. The treatment is typically divided into four parts: bodywork, diet, exercise, and meditation.
Other massages are focused on specific parts of the body such as the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and back. The cranial sacral massage, for instance, is a gentle technique concentrated on the head and neck. The scalp massage also focuses on the head and is said to prevent hair loss as well as help facilitate the growth of healthy hair.
There is also a specially designed massage for pregnant women. This helps relieve cramps, tension, fatigue, and stiffness as well as reduce depression and anxiety attacks. Pre-natal techniques will have mothers in a semi-reclining position with several turns from side to side. There are body and wedge pillows as well as extra padding to ensure that the mom is comfortable and the baby is safe.
For pain management massages, the more common techniques are the neuromuscular therapy (NMT) and the sports massage or deep tissue massage. The NMT, performed by a trained specialist, deals with the soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and connective tissues to restore balance in the central nervous system. The sports massage, on the other hand, can be availed of in a spa. As the name implies, it concentrates on the muscle groups most used in sports activities. The massage is a good warm-up before a workout and a suitable relaxation therapy afterwards.
Diet Dilemma – How To Win The Battle Between Protein And Carbs
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
If you’re eating a “well-balanced diet” but are nevertheless still piling on the pounds, you have a right to be annoyed. Your diet’s making you fat. Could carbohydrates be to blame?
Exponents of high protein/ low carbohydrate diets like Atkins, the Zone and the South Beach diet think they are. What’s more, high protein dieters have proven that you can lose weight fast with their way of eating.
However, nutritionists and researchers say that not only are high protein diets hard to maintain long term, they’re not healthy.
So there’s the dilemma – should you eat a well-balanced diet and stay fat and perhaps get even fatter, or minimize your carbs, eat a high protein unhealthy diet (according to the experts) and lose weight to become slim and healthy?
The Benefits of Protein
There’s no doubt that since protein is the building block of your body, you need protein. Every cell in your body needs protein, and you body makes many components from protein, including enzymes and hormones.
While we all need protein, at certain times in your life you need more. Children, teenagers and pregnant women need more protein, and athletes may need more too.
One of the major benefits of protein in the form of muscle tissue is that it speeds up your metabolism. The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories your body burns. So the skinny get even skinner, which seems a little unfair, but that’s why you should exercise, to build muscle.
The Dangers of Protein
High protein diets can be dangerous for people with heart and kidney disease. So as with any diet, before you go on a high protein diet, you need to have a comprehensive health check.
Starting a diet that’s high in protein probably won’t trigger a disease, but it may reveal a health concerns you already have.
The Benefits of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide the energy your body needs for all bodily processes. The glucose from carbohydrates is required by cells, and by your brain. In addition to glucose, carbs provide vitamins and other chemicals which are needed by your body.
To be active you need carbs, and if your body doesn’t get them, it will crave them. This is one of the reasons it’s hard to maintain a low carb diet for the long term.
If you’re losing weight, you should eat carbs with a low Glycemic Index (GI). Low GO cards help you to control your appetite and fight cravings by releasing glucose slowly, so that the glucose doesn’t trigger a high release of insulin.
The Dangers of Carbohydrates
Eating too many carbs will make you fat, because your body stores the glucose you don’t need as fat.
Resolve the Dilemma – Eat a Well-Balanced Diet, and Focus on Low Gi Carbs
One of way of resolving the protein or carbs dilemma is by maintaining a well-balanced, normal diet, but switching your carbs to low GI carbs as much as possible.
Low GI carbs, such as those found in oatmeal, not only provide fast energy boosts, but they extend that boost in glucose over several hours.
So add low GI carbs to your diet. You’ll find that with minimal changes, you can win the battle between protein and carbs.
Weekly Motivation: January 10
Monday, January 10th, 2011
“Other people and things can stop you temporarily. You’re the only one who can do it permanently.”
~Zig Ziglar
You Know You’re A Fighter if…
Monday, January 10th, 2011
…this is in your gym bag.
How much of this stuff is in your gym bag?
Female MMA Fighter Ashely Weakley Training Video Highlights
Friday, January 7th, 2011
CHANTILLY, VA – Ashley Weakley is the first female pro MMA fighter out of Team LEo Dalla and LA Boxing in northern Virginia. Her goal is to reach the elite level of women’s MMA and fight in Strikeforce. Check out this short video as she works out in  a training session with her coach David ‘Fluffy’ Reeves.  This MMA workout includes shadow boxing, pad & bag work, ground and pound, and strength and conditioning.
What Are The 3 Critical Exercise Routine Success Factors?
Thursday, December 30th, 2010
Via ClubReady
The ‘Rule Of 3′ Meets Pareto’s ’80/20′ And You Get Fit Faster As A Result!
Everybody likes simple lists.
Everybody likes Rules Of Thumb.
And as far as I can tell, everyone wants tighter abs and more energy.
So, naturally, we all look for the “best” diets and the “best” training routines to bring us closer to that six-pack…ideally, in the least amount of time possible.
…Oh yeah–and we don’t want to think too hard either!
The Old Way:
Counting calories? Fuh-ged-a-bow-dit!
Getting a bodyfat measurement each week? No way!
Calculating our new “estimated 1-rep max” for 27 different exercises? Puh-leeze.
So what’s the solution?
Well, if you don’t mind limiting our example to exercise for the moment, I think I have a few things that can help you in your endless search for the most efficient use of your fitness time.
(which is like, what? about 45 minutes a day 3-4 times a week if you’re lucky?) …It’s OK–you’re human! I do this stuff for a living, and I don’t spend much more time than that myself.
Introducing: “The Rule Of 3-80/20 (Principle)”
Any activity of importance (like exercise) can be broken down into three, and only three Critical Success Factors. Furthermore, one of these critical success factors should account for 80% of your efforts. And the other two, on average, just 10% of your time, energy, and effort (that is, of course, if you actually want to get anything done).
Thus sayeth The Fitness Sage (that’s me).
And you should listen to me when it comes to getting things done, because I have a Masters Degree *and* ADD (attention deficit disorder). Without principles like the above, I would be hocking blackmarket Pi-Tae-Boga-Lates tapes to out-of-work actors in LA.
Yeah, so I’m ripping off the Pareto Principle and the Rule Of 3, but you’ll forgive me real quick when you see how this applies to your exercise routine.
Now that I’ve circumnavigated my point a few times, here it is real simple, in 3 (surprise, surprise) easy steps:
The Three Critical Exercise Routine Success Factors
1. Consistent Progression: Needs 80% of your time and attention.
2. Sufficient Intensity: Needs 15% of your time and attention.
3. Intelligent Evolution: Needs 5% of your time and attention.
Simple huh?
But maybe you need some clarification, so here goes.
Consistent Progression Explained:
There are really just 3-4 workout parameters that even matter to the average Jane or Joe who wants a good body and excellent health: Rest Period, Load, Reps-Per-Set, and Total Number Of Sets.
So your job is to simply pick one of these, hold all the rest constant, and improve your chosen workout parameter from week-to-week, workout-to-workout until you can no longer do so (just remember to hold everything else constant! especially total workout duration).
When you can’t improve on your chosen parameter, pick a different one and repeat.
That’s it. It really is that simple. Tools needed: 1 pocket-sized notebook and a stopwatch.
Of course, you might want some proven, superior methods to “improve on your chosen parameter.” At the bottom of this article, you’ll get your wish! But first…
Sufficient Intensity Explained:
Make sure you’re doing resistance training folks. Not aerobics. Not LSD (long slow distance cardio). Or any other fitness fad that makes your lungs burn more than your muscles. If you’re consistently getting 20+ reps on all your exercises, then you need to choose more difficult exercises. Period.
Cardio and aerobics have health benefits no doubt, but if you’re really looking for “bang-for-your-fitness-buck”, and you’re short on time, then stick with resistance training. It’s the only kind of exercise that builds muscle and boosts your metabolism permanently–not just during your workout.
Shoot for exercises that are so difficult, you can only perform between 1 and 15 reps. This could be weightlifting (if you lack the creativity and sophistication of a “Tao Of Functional Fitness” devotee who relies solely on portable exercise equipment–like Fitness Bands–and their own bodyweight), but it doesn’t have to be. If you know how to manipulate leverage, even bodyweight only exercises can be made difficult enough.
Why just 15% of your time worrying about this? Because all you have to do is make sure most of your exercise (excluding a proper warmup of course) falls within this rep range. Not exactly rocket-science. Nuff said.
Intelligent Evolution:
This is just another term for “periodization” or “cyclic training.” Basically it means that you need a strategy for changing your exercise routine over the long haul as you get stronger and closer to realizing your goals. Most of the time the Consistent Progression rule takes care of this, hence the paltry 5% of your noggin that’s required to intelligently evolve.
But over the long haul, you sometimes need to dramatically change your workout protocol. There’s not space here to explore all the ins-and-outs of doing this, but a simplified recommendation would be to cycle between phases where you focus on increasing the Average Load you handle during your workouts, and phases where you’re more concerned with the Amount Of Work Per Unit Time you perform (i.e. “Strength” vs. “Density”).
Conclusion
Consistent Progression (80%) + Sufficient Intensity (15%) + Intelligent Evolution (5%).
Find an exercise routine that gives you that, and you’re on to something!
