We’re going to feature BodyPump all week long (10/24–10/28) with prizes, info and giveaways. We’ll kickoff the week with a MEMBERS ONLY launch party on Monday, October 24th at 6:00pm. Then, on Wednesday, October 26th we’ll host our GUEST launch party — Members get a special goody if they bring a friend.

So join us for BodyPump Launch Week at Studio Z and join the revolution for a stronger, fitter you!

When Les Mills releases their quarterly BodyPump program (#78) it is an opportunity to reset, look ahead and focus your sights on a new goal. Quarter three’s new mantra, “this could be day one” meets each one of us in the here and now as a springboard into the next phase of our fitness plan.

The evening of August 29th was well attended by Studio Z’s most committed BodyPump fanatics led by a gang of top-notch instructors. As the evening unfolded we journeyed together into what has been touted as one of Les Mills’ most well rounded BodyPump releases to date.

Over the last couple weeks we tore open the hood and ripped out all the old wires and sprockets and upgraded our engine. Wow, what a difference! While we loved the old site, this new design allows you to touch a little bit of everything right on the homepage, and then blast off to wherever you want to go with ease.  In this new design we’ve taken strides to facilitate growth and communication within the community at Studio Z.  Start a discussion by commenting on one of the articles, click on one of the social media links, or share an article with a friend.

We’ve added Twitter to our online presence and integrated our new Facebook page.  If you’re friends with us on Facebook, please be sure to “Like” us from our website too! We’ll be publishing different content on our “page” so you’ll want to be in on both.

There are more improvements coming soon too! We always want to know what you think, what’s important to you and how we can make things better.  Please leave us your comments and questions below, or give us a call.  We’d love to hear from you!

This is my story: 10 years off, 2 months on…

I was very active in my high school days with track & field, hiking, roller-blading, swimming, dancing, etc. Some of those activities stuck with me through college, some were replaced by other activities a bit less physically demanding. As the years ticked away I dropped virtually all forms of exercise. Despite a few attempts over the past 10 years, I’d been unable to stick with a disciplined exercise routine. I told myself that I wasn’t too out of shape. After all, I still weighed within 5 lbs. of what I did in high school. But it’s not all about the weight. I had almost no physical endurance and I’d gained a set of handles and bit of a gut. That six-pack I used to have… um, nowhere to be found.

Then my wife (Julie) introduced me to Studio Z.

The group fitness family has been amazing. The positive peer pressure from the great instructors has motivated me to stick with the exercise, even when my body is screaming at me to stop. The success I’ve seen achieved by others is also a great motivator.

For the past couple months, I’ve been trying to get in at least 3 classes a week (5 if I’m lucky). I try to get in at least 2 sessions of BodyPump and balance the rest with either Step or Zumba.

Though my six-pack hasn’t fully returned, it’s on the way. I feel more energized all the time and BodyPump has given me more upper-body strength and muscle toning than I’ve ever had. I look forward to seeing continued improvements in myself and watching all of you take the journey with me! Let’s keep it up!

Greg Holmes

Submit your own success story.

Just as important as what you eat is when you eat

For instance, a protein-rich mini-meal before a strength training session will provide the building blocks for protein synthesis, while carbohydrate consumed at this time can provide fuel for the session.

After training, the intake of protein and carbohydrates will enhance the recovery processes of refueling, repair and adaptation. However, you do need to train yourself into effectively timing your nutrient intake and plan ahead for when good food is hard to find.

Why is Timing Food Intake so Important?

Resistance exercise leads to overall muscle tissue breakdown. Just after a strength session, the body is actively seeking protein to re-build muscles. A pre-exercise protein snack will mean that protein will already be digested and available to the body’s cells at the end of the session. Post-exercise, consume some more protein, plus carbohydrates to continue the repair and rebuild process.

Endurance training depletes the body’s stores of glycogen (stored carbohydrate). In the first 30 min after exercise the body is starving for carbohydrates and is biochemically more active in storing available carbohydrate. During this post-exercise window, it’s important to give the body the carbohydrates it craves.

Pre-Exercise Nutrition

Allow 1-2 hours between finishing a meal and a beginning a training session. Personally, I like a 2 hour window, but you can get away with shorter periods if the food is more easily digestible (eg, a low-fat & liquid). The aim is to have the stomach empty of food when you start training or competing. Having food in the stomach draws in blood to aid digestion. During exercise that means less blood for the muscles and lower potential performance.

Some athletes may be wary of eating carbohydrates in the hour before exercise for fear of this leading to a rapid drop in blood sugar at the start of exercise, which could impair performance. While this was once a prevalent theory, more recent research and reviews have shown no negatives for performance. However, every athlete should experiment with the timing of carbohydrate intake pre-exercise to determine how it affects them.

Choose a quick and easy snack before early morning workouts. A liquid meal supplement, such as PowerBar ProteinPlus Powder Drink, is a convenient and readily digested source of protein and carbohydrate. Where there is no time, or you are unable to tolerate a meal or snack before a hard morning session, fuel the workout by drinking a sports drink during the session.

Post-Exercise Nutrition

The body starts to replace its depleted energy stores and repair microscopic damage to muscle fiber straight away after exercise. Therefore, provision of depleted nutrients post-exercise will accelerate recovery.

Scientists studying the role of carbohydrate in exercise say that eating carbohydrates starting from 15 to 30 minutes after exercise, followed by additional carbohydrate feedings, will optimize muscle glycogen replacement.

A delay of a few hours in the ingestion of carbohydrates post-exercise will slow the rate at which the body stores glycogen. For the casual athlete, pack some fruit, fruit juice, or a fluid replacement beverage for a post-workout snack. Then, consume a mixed high carbohydrate and protein meal (such as rice with grilled chicken and vegetables) shortly thereafter.

For the heavily training endurance athlete, consume a post-exercise meal with a good source of protein and 100 grams of carbohydrate, followed by an additional carbohydrate feeding about two hours later.

I’d always have a packet of lollies/candies in the glove box of my car to eat on the way home after training. The high Glyemic Index of these sugary sweets gets the energy in fast.

Effective eating after a strength training session has slightly different needs – kick-start the recovery processes by consuming 10–20g of protein and 1gm of carbohydrate per kilogram body mass. If it is not convenient to have a meal soon after the session, start with a snack that can provide these nutrients, and resume normal meal patterns later.

After a gym session, I’d buy a little packet of beef jerky and a flavoured milk drink and consume them on the way home. The jerky is very high in protein while the milk provides fluid, carbohydrates and protein.

For more on this topic you might be interested in the book Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition. I haven’t read it yet, but am keen to as it rates 4.5 stars on Amazon.

Never have I had such a good time exercising!!! I love the music, instructors and sense of belonging that I never felt while working out in a gym setting. In this past year, I have lost inches in areas that surely needed it but more importantly, I have gained more self confidence in what my body can do. The instructors’ enthusiasm for what they do (and attempt to make us do) has really helped me to want to continue with Zumba and the ever wonderful BodyPump.

I’m not the person who has those great before and after weight loss pictures, but I do enjoy the results I have attained so far and am eager to continue the journey.

Kim Beard

Submit your own success story.

Certificates are good for all classes including Zumba, BodyPump, hardCORE, Punch-N-Crunch, Step Aerobics, Zumba Gold and Zumba Toning. Not redeemable for special events.  Purchase your monthly unlimited membership, or redeem your certificate [HERE].

Health Information

• Low fat
• Wheat free
• High protein

Ingredients

2 cups orange juice
2 8-ounce containers strawberry yogurt
1 medium frozen banana, cut into chunks 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ice cubes

Preparation

In a blender combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth, about 30 — 60 seconds. Pour into glasses and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and strawberries, if desired. Serve immediately. Recipe makes two servings.

Don’t eat too much before you exercise. Large quantities of foods take longer to digest than smaller quantities.

The two hours after exercise are crucial for optimum recovery and repair. Miss this window and our bodies cannot replenish the carbohydrate energy stores in time for tomorrow’s workout. It’s best to have a meal containing both protein and carbohydrates – the protein for muscle building and repair and the carbohydrate to replenish glycogen stores for the next workout. Glycogen is an energy reserve that the body easily converts to glucose when we need it. Recent research confirms that low-GI carbohydrates are the best choice. While the storage of glycogen may be less than high-GI carbs, the body is better at sparing glycogen in the next exercise session and will instead burn more fat. So that’s easy, we should go for low-GI carbs every time.

The longer we wait to have something to eat after exercising, the longer it takes us to recover!

And remember, always drink plenty of fluids to maintain hydration.

eStore Design - 1 of 10 Available Options (Click for Preview)

Zumba instructors, business proprietors, and anyone looking to step out into the web, now’s your chance to do it right! Launch your organization on the web with help from the professional team at LinkedIQ. We’re fast, fun and we love to enable people to achieve more online.

What’s included in this special offer:

• URL/Domain management
• Premium Cloud hosting – First year FREE*)
• Google Apps for Business integration - Custom Email, Calendar, Sites & Docs, Mobile Sync, Chat
• Award-winning website design – 10 options available / Basic installation only
  • Option 1 – Magnificent
  • Option 2 – SimplePress
  • Option 3 – eStore
  • Option 4 – Bon Apetit
  • Contact us for more options
• Email marketing - FREE list-builder tool
• Discounted admission to our popular “Do-It-Yourself” class, Seven Steps To Building A World-Class Web Presence — Saturdays, from January 8 to February 26, 2011 in Arlington — hosted by the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce

We look forward to partnering with you to grow your business across the web. Whether you need to make your impact in the local community, nationally or across the globe, we’ve got the knowledge, experience and relationships to make magic happen — at a price you can afford.

Yes — sign me up!

*Savings of $179 first year. You will be billed $179/yr each year thereafter. 
**LinkedIQ will install and configure the design on your domain; you are responsible for creation and placement of all content (text, images, video, custom graphics etc.)

Check out our special promotion – exclusive for Studio Z fans!