Inside Fitness Magazine Premier

Hey guys

I'm excited to share with you the launch of a new fitness magazine, Inside Fitness.

My friend, fitness and nutritional expert, Joe DiAngelo is a contributing writer and part of the Inside Fitness Team. Check it out!

Great job, Joe! Way to go.

AlejandroQ.

Out There in Canyons Park City (Utah)

Hey guys

Last week, one of my favorite clients went skiing out at The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah. And she had a blast.

The Canyons is the largest single ski and snowboard resort in Utah and one of the five largest in the U.S. “So large and varied is The Canyons that every level of skier will find not just some terrain, but a bewildering amount of it.” That’s according to Tony Chamberlin of the Boston Globe.

Now we come to a common question asked by people who love skiing: If I weight train, will this improve my endurance capacity?

Unpublished observations by Swedish investigators (Ekblom and Berg) indicate that the maximal leg strength is only slightly greater than what is seen in the average person. However, when an endurance test is used in the same movement, such as 50 consecutive leg extensions, the skiers are clearly superior, even compared to most other endurance athletes (rowers may be the exception).

What this means is that there is no relationship between maximal leg strength and leg endurance. In practice, elite skiers do little or no general weight training for the lower body. For the older (50+) skier, I would still recommend a lower body weight training program only for the purpose of maintaining muscle mass.

The upper body is a different story. Performance time for a 60 meter sprint double-poling test is strongly related to peak torque produced by the triceps group during strength testing. Faster times are produced by those with greater arm strength. Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence in Norway that even in the short term, intense upper body strength training program results in increased upper body VO₂ max and endurance time in standard load testing on a special ski ergometer.

“Alejandro, I never felt more confident on the slopes! Your aero-weight training program prepared me for my trip better than I could have imagined.”
— Shannon W.

I hope this article and my aero-weight training will continue to help you now and for your next ski trip.

Thank you, Shannon

AlejandroQ.

Super DiAngelo Salad

Hey guys

I was so bored last night that I decided to make myself a salad from some leftover pesto. It tasted so good that I have decided to add it to my cookbook.

Let me share with you what my friend said.

My friend and celebrity fitness chef created this salad for me and called it the DiAngelo Salad. He combined Frisee Lettuce with traditional Italian Pesto Sauce and added his special little twist. All I can say is that the salad is FANTASIA MAMMA MIA!

For the recipe, please contact me at www.cookingforliving.com.

Thank you Joe and all the best to you guys.

AlejandroQ.

Inside the Dish at Rosa Mexicano

Hey guys

Last weekend I was at the famous gourmet Mexican food chain Rosa Mexicano.

This is the house of Culinary Director Roberto Santibañez. As their website states, “Award-winning chef Roberto Santibañez earned his stripes at Paris’ top culinary institutions before returning to his native Mexico, where he opened a series of ground-breaking restaurants that won overwhelming critical acclaim and raised the bar for contemporary Mexican cuisine.”

Again the ingenuity of the Chef surprised me. Here is the menu from the private party I attended.

Finding the Fit
For starters, you can definitely go with the Guacamole En Molcajete. Avocados provide more than 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-Vitamins, folic acid and lutein. In addition to these beneficial nutrients, one-fifth of a medium avocado or about one ounce is only 55 calories.

You can add on the onions and peppers and mix that with a good selection of spices. However, avoid the chips and go with the warm soft corn tortillas. Those will be perfect for your diet.

I’ll pass on the appetizers or, if you really want, just go for the Quesadillas de Hongos. I think it is the cleanest of the lot. Each tortilla contains just 1g of fat, 17mg of sodium, 15g of carbs and 2g of protein. So I would really go with them.

For the entrees, any of them would be fine. Alambre de Camarones was perfect. Camarones are shrimp and hard shellfish works better than processed carbs while the rice is a good carb. The Enchilada Suizas with the tomatillo sauce was simply delicious. The chicken was very tasty and makes this a very high protein dish. Finally, the Enchiladas de Jaiba was okay but a little fishy for my taste. Nevertheless, it’s high in protein too.

The dessert was good so if it is your cheat day, go ahead and enjoy.

As you can see, you can still get the best from wherever you go – even delicious Mexican.

Thank you again and God bless you.

AlejandroQ.

In the Irish Spirit, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hey guys
There's always been something magical about the Irish and their land. Cut off from the rest of the world, their island is rich in history and lore, the Celts and leprechauns.

What about Irish fuel? Everyone will no doubt be familiar with the traditional Irish Stew but Ireland does have a few other traditional foods that are not so well known. These include Champ, Ulster Fry, Wheaten Bread, Soda Bread and Potato Farls. Traditional Irish cooking is on the whole basic – good and wholesome – using prime quality local produce with few spices that are added to enhance the natural flavors of the basic ingredients with the exception of salt and pepper.

Irish Stew
Probably the "best" known Irish dish, it is traditionally made from lamb or mutton. Today, beef or other types of meat are also commonly used instead.

Happy St. Patrick's day to everybody!
(Just remember to drink in moderation)

AlejandroQ.

Ask Al: Benching without a spotter

Q. How can I bench heavier without a spotter?

We have all heard the horror stories of men being trapped under more weight than they can handle. It can be pretty scary.

One solution is to vary the rest period. With this pause principle, you end up handling more weight than you would ordinarily have used. All this by taking short breaks during the set.

Here's how it works.

1. Select a weight that normally allows you 4 or 5 reps. After those reps, pause and rack the weight for 10 sec.

2. Grab the bar and do whatever you can safely do. Usually, this would be 1 or 2 more reps. Rack the weight again for 15 to 20 sec. Now, try for a couple more reps.

3. Rack the weight one last time for 20 to 30 sec. Finally, do 1 or 2 more reps.

By the time you have finished the set, you should have anywhere from 8 to 12 reps with weight that you would usually have managed at most 5 reps with.

The result is more size and strength.

Thank you guys
AlejandroQ

INSIDE THE DISH

(This is the beginning of an upcoming segment where you will find out about the healthy side of eating out.)

Hey guys

It was a very exciting weekend for me again as I had the opportunity of feasting on one of my favorite regional American appetizers from Chef Bobby Flay at his Bar Americain.

Crab-Coconut, Shrimp-Tomatillo, Lobster-Avocado

This is an example of a well thought out dish that is very healthy even though hard shellfish is not really recommended for those on a high protein diet. However, it is better than pizza or French fries.

Going Inside the Dish, we will take a close look at the ingredients. The Shrimp-Tomatillo has a wonderful tomatillo sauce which is a really healthy sauce; low in oil content and high in fiber. The ingenuity of the Lobster-Avocado combines the exotic taste of lobster with the buttery flavor of avocado, replacing regular butter that is more commonly used. The Crab-Coconut is truly an odd combination for me. However, I’m quite a coconut milk fanatic myself using it every chance I get. I find it better than milk which I like to avoid in my diet plans because it is high in fat and makes your skin look thick. Besides, coconut milk adds an exotic flavor to any dish.

Whichever big city you travel to, be it New York, Paris, Japan or Singapore, you can be sure to find dishes like this that are high in protein and low in carbs.

In the coming months, I will feature different restaurants to show you how you can have the best out there, dishes with a higher protein content and less calories.

God bless you guys

AlejandroQ.

Broccoli Fitness Salad

Hey guys

Here's a wonderful dish that I developed with NYC Fitness Expert Joe DiAngelo.

You will need:
2 Eggs, broccoli, seasalt, peanuts or almonds, 1 small red chili pepper, 1 cup skim yogurt, splash of canola oil, 1 garlic glove, Belgian Endives, dried coconut chips and fresh coriander.

Preparation:
1. Boil the eggs in water and let it cool. Steam the broccoli and let it cool too.

2. Roast the peanuts (or almonds or both) in a non-stick pan until they start smelling good. Cut the chili pepper into small pieces then mix it in a bowl with yogurt, splash of canola oil and the nuts. Press 1 garlic glove through a garlic press and add it to that bowl as well. Add some seasalt to it.

3. Separate the endives, cut the eggs into 6-8 parts. Pour salad dressing over endives, eggs and broccoli. Roast coconut chips for a very short time. Finally, pour the roasted coconut chips and fresh coriander onto the top of the salad.

I really like this salad and hope you do too. Enjoy!

AlejandroQ

What a Guy Eats

Hey guys

As you know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating the right meal can really kick-start your day while doing it wrong may just grow your gut. But don’t worry; I’ll help you with that. Here are some tips to start your day right.

At the Diner
Instead of pancakes, Belgian waffles or French toast, try ordering this instead; 4 egg whites with whole-wheat toast. You can also order oatmeal, Irish oats or farina with a cup of fresh O.J. (orange juice). Avoid bacon and home fries as they are high in bad cholesterol. Diner’s can be real good about preparing food for you. When I was in competition, I used to eat at the diner across from my gym all the time. They were really flexible.

At the Desk
Instead of picking up a candy bar, Frappuccino or Double Chocolate Mocha, put a protein bar in your back pack and have it with a piece of fruit or granola. Getting a candy bar or Double Mocha is fine but the sugar contents in them are so high that you will crash two hours later.

In the coming months, I’ll show you my own homemade protein bar. Till then, have a healthy week and life.

Thank you guys.

AlejandroQ

Exercise Demo: Seated Shoulder Press

Hey guys

I am going to show you a series of exercises every two weeks, each time for a different body part. These exercises will include some that you probably already know and others that are developed by me.

With the knowledge I have accumulated over my years of training and being involved in the fitness industry, I have tested and proven every single exercise. I hope you will try them and if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at train@alejandroq.com.

Seated Shoulder Press on a Medicine Ball

Utility: Basic
A principal exercise that can place greater absolute intensity on muscles exercised relative to auxiliary exercises.

Mechanics: Compound
Compound exercises are those that involve two or more joint movements.

Force: Push
Movement away from center of body during the concentric contraction of the target muscle.

Preparation
Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip from the rack or clean it Olympic-style from the floor. Position the bar behind the neck.

Execution
Press the bar until arms are extended overhead. Return bar behind neck and repeat.

Okay guys, hope you enjoyed this.

God bless you

AlejandroQ