Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Thanks Sun Bank for Featuring Body Physics and HUMAA as a Brilliant Business Idea.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Thanks Sun Bank for Featuring Body Physics and HUMAA as a Brilliant Business Idea. Check out the featured video below! Body Physics Brilliant Business Idea Visit our web site for more information www.bodyphysicsfitness.com www.haddonfieldmartialarts.com www.facebook.com/bodyphysicsfitness

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa: Think Primitively for Improved Nutrition and Improved Health.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa: Think Primitively for Improved Nutrition and Improved Health.

I recently had an eye opening conversation with a great friend. This friend is in fact active with fitness and has been around wellness for most of his life. He was discussing with me some recent medical concerns he has been working through. These medical concerns include high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The topic came up when he told me that he would miss our workout because he had a doctor's appointment. Of course, out of general concern for a friend, I asked him if it was anything serious. He said, "Nothing too serious, but I am going to see my cardiologist for high cholesterol and high blood pressure." Since any appointment with a cardiologist is meaningful, I had some questions. One of the more important questions I asked was, "What course of action are you taking to bring these issues under control." His answer was the same answer I hear from most of my new training clients who face similar concerns, "The doctor gave me some medication and I am eating better."

I was glad to hear that the doctor had prescribed some medication to stabilize his condition. I did however have some questions about what he thought eating better entailed. When I asked him what he was eating for dinner that night, I was astounded. He was preparing to eat spaghetti and store bought meatballs. I hate to generalize, but it is very hard to find meatballs that are low in saturated fat. Even home made meatballs tend to be high in saturated fat. Upon further investigation, I discovered that he was eating fried eggs on muffins for breakfast, tuna salad or fried chicken sandwiches for lunch, and dinners similar to the one mentioned above.

It never ceases to amaze me how confused so many people are when it comes to making healthy meal choices, especially when they are on the go. When I expressed concern to my friend over his "better" meal choices, I was even more surprised at his reasons for why he thought they were "better." It was apparent that the conflicting information in the media about what you should and should not eat had made it difficult for my friend to make proper meal choices. Unless someone is vigilant about reading between the lines or doing research, it can be an overwhelming task to make the correct choice for optimum health. I set out to make that choice easy for my friend and I am going to make it easy for you as well. When you are making your food selections, remember the following statement, "Think primitively."

Primitive is associated with early history of the world or humankind and unaffected by civilizing influences. Animals eat primitively. They are not designed to eat the large amounts of the processed foods that our civilization offers. Since human beings are the most intelligent of animals, why are we the ones who are eating the worst form of food (the most processed form)? The leanest and most muscular animals eat completely unprocessed foods. They eat fresh lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains in there natural form. Their meats are never fried and their carbohydrates all come from living sources. Our primative ancestors ate in a similar fashion. They too were lean and muscular. We need to make food choices similar to our primitive ancestors and their animal counterparts. It is not hard to make choices like these when you are armed with the proper information. The information you need is even more simple than you would think. Read below!

1) Eat lean proteins*, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains**.

2) When cooking; bake, broil, steam, or grill.

3) Flavor with low sodium seasonings and use olive oil sparingly for cooking.

4) Eat a handful of nuts per day to supply needed unsaturated fats.

5) Drink water.

It is really that simple. You have the power to make your body healthy. The power is in your food choices. Proper nutrition has been provided for us in nature. We simply need to resist the urge to foul it up before we put it into our body.

I wish you good health as you PROGRESS to PRIMITIVE eating!

*Examples of lean proteins include fish, chicken, lean cuts of beef, egg whites, and beans.

**Whole grains are carbohydrates that are not refined. Typically they are much higher in fiber content than their refined counterparts. An example would be high fiber oatmeal.

www.bodyphysicsfitness.com

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Explains Importance of Choosing The Correct Carbohydrates.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Explains Importance of Choosing The Correct Carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are an important part of any healthy diet. They serve as the body’s main energy source. When they are broken down by the body, they provide the power necessary for all bodily functions. It is important to eat enough carbohydrates to fuel your body’s energy needs, yet not so much that your body will begin storing them as fat. When your body stores carbohydrates as fat, weight gain will undoubtedly follow. It is also important to understand how carbohydrates affect the body and what carbohydrate sources are better choices.
Refined carbohydrates are those carbohydrates that have been stripped of their nutrients and their natural ability to regulate energy release into the body. This type of carbohydrate can be dangerous because it can cause drastic fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels. Drastic fluctuations in blood chemistry have been linked to obesity and diabetes.
Whole grain carbohydrates should be included in every healthy eating plan. They have not been stripped of their nutrients and retain their natural ability to regulate energy release. They can be thought of as a time released energy source. Because they are consumed in a form which is closer to their natural state, they provide sustained energy and are not readily stored as fat.
In order to be able to make healthier carbohydrate choices, it is important to know what carbohydrate sources are refined and which sources are whole grain.
Refined carbohydrate sources are those that contain high amounts of sugar or white flour. They include white rice, white bread, candy, soda, and even many juices.
Whole grain carbohydrate sources are those that contain unprocessed grains. They include fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole wheat bread products.
Making proper choices when it comes to selecting your carbohydrate sources is an important step in "Reaching your Physical Potential!"

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Give Versatile Fitness Gift Ideas For the Holiday Season.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa Give Versatile Fitness Gift Ideas For the Holiday Season.

The holiday season is here.  As many shoppers search their minds for unique gifts, very often the gift of fitness is on the list.  When I give gifts related to fitness, I focus on gifts that are versatile and will be utilized.  Refer to the list below for some great fitness ideas that will be useful to any recipient.  The list groups the gifts according to price and includes an explanation of their benefit and versatility. 

Gifts under $20

Dumb Bell

An exercise dumb bell is one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment.  It can benefit any person who is looking to tone problem areas or can be used to increase the intensity of aerobic routines.

Resistance band

Resistance bands can be used to add intensity to any strength exercise.  They make fitness accessible anywhere because they are easy to transport.  These useful fitness tools can also be used to increase the intensity of aerobic routines.

Gifts under $50

Beginner Weight Set

Beginner weight sets generally consist of adjustable dumb bells.  They offer varying resistance levels so they are an effective tool for any fitness enthusiast. 

Exercise Stability Ball

Exercise stability balls are a very popular exercise tool.  They can be used for many purposes.  Some uses include increasing the difficulty level of abdominal workouts and providing an unstable surface to incorporate more core muscles when performing dumb bell exercises.  They also add to the selection of lower body exercises for any fitness routine.

Gifts under $100

Bosu Balance Trainer

Bosu balance trainers provide all of the benefits of exercise stability balls and more.  Because they are flat on one side, they offer the benefit of allowing the user to stand on the rounded side and create an unbalanced surface.  This added feature makes for more effective balance training and offers many more exercise variations.

Barbell set

Barbell sets generally consist of a long bar and a set of various weight plates.  This bar can be combined with the weight plates to create numerous resistance levels.  This exercise tool is extremely versatile and can be utilized to work any muscle group desired.

Gifts over $100

Weight Bench and Barbells

This gift will provide all of the benefits associated with purchasing a barbell set alone, but will also provide more exercise variations.

Elliptical Machine

Elliptical training machines are some of the most popular pieces of fitness equipment.  They provide the benefit of aerobic exercise coupled with exercise motions that tone all major muscle groups.  The low impact motion allows for intense exercise without joint impact. 

Treadmill

Treadmills have always been an extremely popular gift idea for fitness lovers.  Treadmills are very effective for aerobic fitness training as well as weight bearing exercise.

For tips on selecting the right elliptical training machine or treadmill, please visit smoothfitness.com 

Good luck with your holiday shopping and I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa outlines the importance of functional training.

Haddonfield Personal Trainer Jim Bompensa outlines the importance of functional training.

Functional Training: Practice for the Game of Life.
By: Jim Bompensa

I value my time and I am sure you feel the same way. If you are going to take the time out of your busy schedule to exercise, I am certain you want to get the most out of it. If your purpose for exercising is to increase your physical abilities, useable strength, and endurance, then your workout routine must center on functional exercises. Functional exercises are those movements that translate into real world purpose.

Exercise is specific. If you want to be more efficient walking up the stairs or increase your ability to lift your grand children, then you need to perform exercises that replicate the functionality of those activities. You must perform functional exercises. Think about it. If an individual desires to be a world class swimmer, they may perform traditional exercises to increase the strength of individual muscles, but they also must practice in the pool. While it is true that performing traditional exercises may help strengthen some of the muscles involved your functional movements, the most efficient way to improve your functional capabilities is through activity specific functional exercise. Think of it as practice for the real world.

Some examples of functional exercises that can help in the real world are.

1) Step Ups
Real world use: Stair climbing.
-Begin with both feet flat on the floor with an elevated surface immediately in front of you. Be sure this surface is sturdy enough to support your weight.
-Place your left foot on elevated surface.
-While maintaining an upright posture, push from the left foot and lift your entire body up onto the elevated surface.
-Both feet are now on the elevated surface and upright posture is maintained.
-Return the right foot to the ground and repeat up to 15 times.
-Repeat on the opposite foot.
-Intensity may be increased by adding weighted objects to your hands.

2) Squat with forward raise
Real world use: Lifting objects.
-While holding a weighted object in each hand, begin with arms extended directly in front of the thighs with the palms toward each other. Your feet should be just a little wider than shoulder width.
-Arms should not be touching the body.
-The body should be lowered to a position where the thighs are parallel to the ground.
-Arms are straight while lowering the body and should fall between the knees.
-With both feet firmly planted on the floor, lift the body back to the starting position.
-While keeping both arms straight, they should be lifted to shoulder height in front of the body as the body is lifted up to the starting position.
-In contrast to the original starting position, at this point the arms should be in a position parallel to the ground with the hands at shoulder height.
-Return to position where thighs are parallel with the ground and the arms are straight and hanging between the knees and repeat the motion up to 15 times.
-The intensity of this exercise may be increased by increasing the weight in the hands.

Yours in health,

Jim Bompensa