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Showing posts from October, 2013

Using the Building On Strategy for Exercise Variety

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There are two laws in exercise physiology.  One is the Law of Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands ( SAID ): "When the body is placed under some form of stress, it starts to make adaptations that will allow the body to better withstand that form of stress in the future." In other words, in order to get stronger on an exercise, you have to practice that exercise and practice it frequently. However, there is also another law called the Law of Accommodation: "The response of an organism to a physical stimulus decreases over time." In other words, the longer you repeat an exercise, the less of an effect (i.e. strength increase, hypertrophy) you will get.  So we have a catch-22 here.  In order to build strength and muscle, you have to work on specific exercises, but if you do those exercises for too long, then your size and strength gains come to a screeching halt.  How do we get around this? One thing that I have always stressed in my training programs is v

Frequent Meals or Three Square Meals

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  I'm currently working as a Surveillance Officer. In Arizona, Surveillance Officers are a blend of Probation Officers and Police Officers; we have peace officer authority but we do not respond to emergency calls. I spend the majority of my shifts working in the field checking on probationers.  Previous to this, I was a Jail Officer for two years. I'm not sure if you abide by the frequent meals theory, but I seem to be struggling eating meals at work, in the field. I do get the chance to take a break at least once at work.  I guess what I'm trying to ask is, as a Police Officer, how do you get all your meals in? Do you have any tips? Do you have any favorite meals for the shift? Is there anything that might be okay in taste to eat cold? Any tips for snacks?  Thanks in advance,  RP My Answer:  I used to eat frequently, but I found that it was far too expensive and time consuming to eat all the time.  It helps to gain and maintain muscle by eating frequently,