Category Weightlifting

News The “Smart” Bra That Will Change the Way You Work Out

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Smart Bra

Would you want a “Smart” Bra? I am reposting an article which I saw on New Beauty…the original post can be found here:

https://www.newbeauty.com/blog/dailybeauty/9118-the-smart-bra-that-will-change-the-way-you-work-out/

Brittany Burhop , Senior Editor | January 06, 2016

Tech-wellness company OMsignal is launching a new sports bra that’s sparking quite a buzz in the fitness world.

Created over the course of a year by sports bra designers, scientists and engineers (they developed 1633 prototypes before getting it exactly right), the OMbra changes the way you approach your workouts. Here’s how: Flexible sensors are built into the bra to track your body’s activity levels using real-time biometrics (including heart rate and breathing rhythm) to keep you on track during workouts. Whether you push too hard for what your body can handle or you aren’t maximizing your potential, the OMbra will signal and help you adjust.

Plus, in addition to the high-tech science behind it, it’s designed to provide ultimate comfort and flexibility—the straps are adjustable to fit different body types and the fabric is lightweight and super stretchable with antimicrobial and sweat-wicking properties. Mesh panels on the front and back help enhance breathability.

“I love the idea for this bra. Its functional and innovative, it looks like it’s comfortable, and the best part is that it holds you accountable for your actions,” says celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza. “To me, its best feature is that it allows you to monitor your breathing during workouts, as well as every day, which helps to reduce stress. That makes it a valuable health tool.”

Set to hit the market in April/May, the OMbra kit will sell for $149 and will include a charging cable (you’ll get about 10 workouts in before you have to recharge).

13 Rules For Eating Well While On The Road

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Please read my latest article for Oxygen Magazine online! Original post can be found at:

13 Rules For Eating Well While On The Road

staying-fit-on-the-go

Sticking to your diet and training schedule can be tough this time of the year. We share some tips for staying fit and eating well while on the road.

Dr. Stacey Naito | November 16, 2015

The holidays are here and for many of us that means traveling to see family and friends. It also means being tempted with less-than-healthy foods, and foraging for fitness resources like a gym to train in and places that carry clean food selections. All of these challenges can make it extremely difficult to adhere to a regular training schedule and healthy eating habits.

However, with a little determination, it is definitely possible to stay focused when you’re on the road. The guidelines listed here will give you a blueprint that you can use to manage and stay on track with your fitness goals.

On-The-Go Training

With a little creativity you can do your daily workouts while on the road. Here are some suggestions for making the most of what is available to you when you’re traveling.

1. Search for gyms in the area before you travel. Once you know your destination, you can do an online search of the area to find gyms and fitness centers. In some cases, hotels have very nice fitness centers, which are fully equipped with free weights and exercise machines.

2. Try hotel room workouts. It is always possible to create intense workouts in any location by performing body-weight exercises, exercises with resistance bandsand mat work. Resistance bands are lightweight and won’t take up much room in a suitcase.

3. Train outdoors. In most cases, you should be able to find a local park or school where you can perform body-weight exercises, plyometrics, calisthenics, stairclimbing or running. You can use park benches or ledges for your workouts as well. Get creative, and keep up the intensity to get your body moving and the blood pumping!

Fit Foods On-The-Go

Whether you’re a seasoned competitor who is accustomed to following a strict meal plan, someone who wants to adopt healthier eating habits, you may find it very difficult to pass up regular restaurant meals, fast foods and holiday treats when you’re on the road. The holidays can be especially brutal, since evil culinary temptations abound and threaten to sabotage any efforts at maintaining clean eating habits.

If you aren’t on prep, you can still indulge in small amounts of rich foods as long as your other foods are healthy and clean. This means that your abs don’t have to hibernate during the holidays. However, if you compete and are getting on stage soon, you can’t exactly throw caution to the wind and consume whatever you want. You will need to keep a tight reign on what you consume while traveling.

Here are some tips to keep you in line with clean eating while traveling.

1. Invest in a great food cooler bag. A food cooler bag will enable you to enjoy your trip without having to worry about what you will eat throughout the day.

2. Prep your meals in advance. That way you’ll have total control over ingredients, cooking method and portion sizes. Once you have prepared your food, store single-serving sizes in individual containers or bags, which are easy to pack. Freeze the food you will eat during your trip, and refrigerate the food you will eat on the day you travel to your destination.

3. Ask the hotel for a refrigerator in your room. In most cases, hotels can supply a refrigerator upon request.

4. Consider a meal prep service. Meal prep services can be a blessing because they take the hassle of having to prep food out of the equation, and they can deliver directly to your destination.

5. Pack emergency fit foods. Non-perishable foods like protein powder, protein bars and nuts can be easily packed into your luggage and will ensure that you have backup food.

6. Consider staying in a room with a kitchenette. You can visit a local market, purchase fresh food, and prepare it in your hotel room.

7. Consume a small amount of lean protein right before you have a carb cheat. This will slow down digestion so that the carbs aren’t stored as readily.

8. Drink at least eight ounces of water before you indulge in a decadent treat. This will help to fill you up so you consume less food afterward.

9. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. If you have a holiday feast to attend, make sure to eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours beforehand to ensure that you won’t be ravenous come party time.

10. Don’t cave in to peer pressure. Sometimes family and friends can sabotage clean meal plans by convincing others to eat forbidden foods. If you find yourself in such a situation, you need to ask yourself if it is worth unraveling your healthy eating habits in order to appease a relative or buddy.

Competing And Self-Worth

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Team U 35+ top 5

I had an amazing time competing as an NPC Bikini competitor, and also had fun competing as an IFBB Bikini Pro, despite the fact that I didn’t place well as a Pro. However, I don’t miss the maddening prep which precedes each competition, nor the constant self-scrutiny which always surfaces during prep. Though I always want to win, I am not going to have a nervous breakdown over the fact that my placings as a Pro have been underwhelming. I don’t feel pressured to step onstage, and I honestly wouldn’t have a problem with retiring completely from competing if that is what I decide to do. Yet I still get that question, “When’s your next show?”

A number of people have mentioned that the stakes have been raised lately, due to the more muscle-bound, newer Bikini Pros. They have told me this as if I wasn’t already aware of that fact! I am well aware of who is competing in the Pro ranks, and what the ladies are bringing onstage these days. Here’s the truth: I am tired of trying to balance a very busy schedule with two-a-day cardio sessions and double training in order to prep for a contest. My attitude is that I already won. My singular goal with competing was to attain IFBB Pro status, which I did. So should I feel that my value has somehow diminished because I am not one of the handful of IFBB Bikini Pros who have decided to continue competing in the Pro ranks? If you think about it, the majority of Pros do NOT compete. There are over 400 Bikini Pros now, but only a small percentage of them choose to keep hitting the stage.

What happens when a Pro chooses to continue with competing? The stakes are raised in the Pro ranks, with stiff competition from other Pros, and a more stringent judging panel which is necessary when assessing the best physiques in the world. It can be quite intimidating, which I think is a major factor for Pros who avoid the stage the minute they go Pro. It can be rather disappointing to achieve the crowning victory of Pro status, then get slapped down because you aren’t one of the best Pros. Basically, you go from being at the top of one heap, to being at the bottom of another one.

Since life is about balance, many Pros shift their focus to career, family, and other interests. The idea of returning to the stage can be downright repellent to some Pros who finally realize what they were missing when they were in the throes of competing during their amateur days. I have heard people in the industry talk smack about Pros who “let themselves go”, which in many cases is code speak for situations in which a Pro began to finally live like a normal person. In the world of bodybuilding, being “normal” is often regarded in a negative light.

For those of you who are IFBB Pros and are feeling some remorse over not stepping on stage as a Pro, you need to stop beating yourself up about it! As long as you represent the IFBB in a classy manner, and continue to inspire and motivate through your fitness lifestyle and whatever other respectable endeavors you are involved in, you don’t have to compete. You are still a Pro, always amazing, and one of the top athletes in the bodybuilding world!

Stuck in A Workout Rut? Try Pyramid Training – REPOST

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

heavy_weight_liffting_image_title_rpy1c

I figured that this article which I wrote a while back deserved a repost. I hope you enjoy!

If you have hit a training plateau or are just bored with your current training regimen, you might want to mix it up by incorporating pyramid training into your routine. Pyramid training is an extremely effective way of increasing strength and muscle mass and is easy to incorporate. There are different types of pyramid training designs which exist, but the ascending type is the best for individuals who are relatively new to weight training, as it provides a warm-up for the body before the weight used increases.

Types of Pyramid Training:
ASCENDING: You will start out with a light weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight

DESCENDING: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 6 to 8 repetitions in the first set, then decrease the weight used while increasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight
2nd set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
5th set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight

DOUBLE PYRAMID: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets. On your fifth set, you will decrease the weight used while increasing the rep range. When you are on the descending portion of this pyramid, you will not be able to perform as many repetitions due to the muscle fibers being closer to failure.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
6th set – 12 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
7th set – 15 repetitions with a light weight

Yes, I Really DO Eat Clean Year-Round

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

A couple of my fitness friends have recently noticed that I continue to eat clean, almost as if I was in prep for a contest. One of those friends IS in prep, so I guess she expected a stark contrast between what she has been consuming and what I eat on a regular basis. Basically, I continue to eat seven meals each day, and my protein intake these days is around 150-170 grams per day. I don’t pig out on forbidden foods, but I am not fanatical about eliminating all fat and carbs. On low carb days, I allow myself a bit of healthy fat, usually in the form of avocado, olive oil, or nuts. I have two high carb days, and I make sure that my weekly cheat meal falls on one of those days. Every once in a while (perhaps every three weeks) I may indulge in something like a nonfat mocha from Starbucks, a slice of gluten free zucchini bread, or a bowl of chicken pho.

Out of the 49 meals I eat each week, only ONE meal is a dirty cheat meal. Because I follow clean eating the majority of the time, I have been able to maintain a reasonable off-season weight. I compete at 117-119 pounds, and my weight has hovered between 119 and 122 pounds for quite a while now without even trying. I know I could always pack on more muscle, and my body fat is up a bit (around 15-16% right now), but I am happy with where I am at. My abs come out to play every now and then too, which is something I always welcome. They aren’t super chiseled and ripped, but I don’t need to walk around like that.

IMAG0366

STACEY NAITO – IFBB Bikini Superstar (Interview)

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Please check out the great interview which Christian Duque from Strength Addicts hosted, and in which I am the featured guest! We talked about a lot of topics, and I covered a lot of ground on my background, my contest journey, and my philosophy on training, diet and competing. Check it out and please LIKE and SHARE! Thank you so much!

This 94-Year-Old Grandmother Is A Champion Powerlifter

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

I am utterly shocked and completely impressed by this lady! Read on to find out how she got started at the age of 91. This totally proves that you are NEVER too old to lift weights!

Original post can be found at:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22172/this-94-year-old-grandmother-is-a-champion-powerlifter.html

by Emi Boscamp, MBG Editorial – October 16, 2015 5:25 PM

A 94-year-old woman can dead lift 135 pounds. What did you do today? (Yeah, I didn’t do much of anything either.)

Floridian Edith Traina is a grandmother — and that’s an accomplishment in itself — but she’s also a champion powerlifter. She started doing it at the tender age of 91 and has since become addicted to the competition, reports FOX13 Tampa.
“(My friend) dragged me kicking and screaming to the gym, and I figured I’d keep her happy for a while and get her off my back, but I got hooked,” Traina (which, by the way, is the most fitting last name possible) told FOX13 Tampa.

Since then, the self-described “champion” has competed in more than a dozen competitions, is the only person in her age group, and hopes to be able to lift 200 pounds by the time she hits 100. Though it may be good for her health, she does it because of how it makes her feel emotionally.

“With this, I just walk up, lift it, put it down. I get all these applause — great for the ego,” she said.

Watch her do her thing below (and prepare to feel like a bum). Keep on trainin’, Traina — we’re rooting for you!