All Protein Shakes Are Not Made Equal

Choosing a protein powder supplement can be overwhelming, especially with the amount that are in the market.   All protein powders are not the same, so choosing the appropriate protein is essential for your nutrition and fitness goals. 

For weight loss you should choose a product that contains fewer of the calories, carbohydrates and sugars that can make losing weight more difficult. If you're trying to increase muscle mass you should choose a product that contains higher levels of calories, carbohydrates and sugars to help maintain your energy levels.  That is why it is important to read labels of all the ingredients that are in the protein powder.

Protein is one of the body's main building blocks for muscle, bone, skin, and other tissues. Used often by athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts, protein shakes come in many combinations of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. They can range from 100% protein to mostly carbohydrates with a little added protein and fat.   Protein shakes are a safe way to ensure enough protein, when used as part of a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

Here are examples of the most popular protein powders and their benefits and best time of consumption:

Casein Protein

Casein is considered a "slow" protein. This is due to the fact that it is the slowest digesting protein there is (significantly slower than whey), which is why casein is not recommended for the meals around your workout.  The optimal time to take a casein protein supplement is your last meal before bedtime or as a snack between meals. 

It is beneficial to have some protein in your system while you’re sleeping and your body is doing most of its recovering/repairing.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is fast digesting and is one of the two major proteins (along with casein) contained in milk, and appears in many foods and dietary supplements.  Whey protein is found in the liquid left behind when milk curdles into cheese. Further processing, usually involving drying and filtration, extracts the whey protein from this liquid.  Whey protein is best consumed before and/or after a workout. 

When looking for the best whey protein product, look at the product's efficacy when it comes to burning fat, rather than glucose or blood sugar, for energy. The ideal protein product helps your body burn fat for energy rather than blood sugar. This can help you lose weight more easily; it also encourages your body to use the nutrients stored in fat cells to rebuild and create muscle tissue. Even if you're not trying to lose weight, an effective produce can help keep you lean.

Soy Protein

Soy protein is made using soya beans, and is very low in (or free of) fat, cholesterol and lactose. Soy protein is approved for those who are lactose intolerant, and it’s fast digestion properties with a high Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) make it ideal for athletes.

Soy protein has been used in the natural product industry for years and has only recently been isolated for use in protein drinks by athletes. Not only can you use soy protein supplements in your shakes, but you can use the same powder in cooking instead of flour to produce foods that are high in protein and low in fat!

Soy protein is the best way to increase, or supplement, your protein intake using non-animal sources. Soy Protein’s high BCAA score (the composition amino acids within the protein) make it ideal for muscle growth and high protein diets especially for those who are vegans or lactose intolerant.

Conclusion

Protein powders are an excellent source to fill nutritional gaps and compliment a healthy and balanced diet. Without adequate protein, our bodies can't put together the structures that make up every cell, tissue, and organ, nor can it generate the biochemical substances needed for cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, growth, and healing.   For your personal health and fitness goals read the labels before consuming any protein powder to ensure it is helping you reach your goals, consult a health and wellness professional if you have any questions.

Jamaal Piper

Health and Wellness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer

www.piperpersonaltraining.com

Training In One Area Can Lead To Success In Another

In business employees who are at an organization for extended period of time can feel entitled for promotion and other opportunities within the organization because of tenure, paying their dues, loyalty, and other reasons.  When someone from outside of the organization receives an opportunity that either themselves or a colleague desired it can cause resentment toward that person and those who made the decision. 

What can get lost is that the skills the person development somewhere else, even in another industry can add value and even help move the organization forward.  This situation also happen in athletic competition and took place recently with Lolo Jones being named to the United States bobsled team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Lolo Jones

Jones, a two-time Olympic hurdler tripped over a hurdle in the 2008 games when it appeared she was on her way to winning the gold medal.  It motivated her to achieve the dream of Olympic gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics, but she finished fourth in the finals just missing out on medaling.

After being named to the bobsled team there was backlash from other candidates.   Katie Eberling, the most decorated brakeman on the team and a three-year veteran with a history of superior times, was left off the Olympic squad.  Her father told Selena Robert of the New York Times, "It's a mystery to me. I wish someone would explain how Lolo is on the team."

Jones was one of five athletes competing for three pusher spots—meaning she’s responsible for pushing the bobsled at the top of the hill, and then jumping in after the driver does and ducking for the rest of the ride. The position is a great fit for Jones, as it utilizes her speed, strength and coordination from track.  Jones helped her case in January with a silver medal performance in a World Cup race in Germany.

"She surprised me every day with how dedicated she is," said United States bobsled coach Todd Hays. "The one word I keep coming back to is, she's such a competitor. She cannot accept not being good at something. She gets up earlier than everybody else, goes to bed later, constantly trying to get better.”

It is not unprecedented in sports for athletes to transition from one sport to another and have success.  The NFL has several former basketball players who had little very little if any college football experience such as Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers), Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints), and Julius Thomas (Denver Broncos).

In the 2007 World Track and Field Championships, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Stefan Holm of Sweden was in the finals of the high jump that included Donald Thomas of the Bahamas.  Holm attempted his first high jump when he was four years old, inspired by the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.  Thomas, a former basketball player had only been training for the high jumping for eight months.

 Holm clipped the bar in his last jump and Thomas cleared his at 8’2” to win the gold medal.  Holm was gracious in defeat, but his father and coach was not.  As David Epstein explained in The Sports Gene Johnny Holm said that Thomas’s “flutter kick style” was a scandal for high jump and suggested that the inelegance of his jumping was an affront to the sport and the men who had spent years training.

Holm and Jones received backlash because those who spent years training and preparing to become elite athletes at their respective sports were beat out by someone who spent a short concentrated time in the same sport.  What is lost is that they did train and prepare for years; it was just in another area. 

The strength, coordination, and stamina took hard work and dedication.  Jones and Thomas had success especially when transitioning into something that is not as technical such as the high jump and bobsledding.  Thomas would have a difficult time becoming a world champion swimmer and Jones a figure skater.

In all professions people transition to other fields and have success.  The experiences they have can add value to their new area.  Some of this has been lost in the criticism of Jones and the entitlement that other bobsledders have toward her.  Other factors such as marketing and television ratings should not be ignored.  The United States bobsled team will have attention due to Jones inclusion on the team. 

Jones put on 30 lbs of muscle to prepare for her role as a bobsledder.  Her hard work as a world-class track athlete and the time and dedication to learn a new sport and make the team should not tarnish her inclusion.  Athletics are a microcosm of society.  The backlash toward Jones is similar to what many of us have observed in our respective professions, which can cause perspective to be lost.

Toning Up Your Body And What It Takes

When people discuss wanting to be “toned” they are usually referencing a defined body.  Many women today desire to have arms like First Lady Michelle Obama.  If you are working out by yourself and or taking a group class for an extended period of time you may have outgrown the levels of those respective intensity levels.  We all have unique bodies and have areas that would like to improve.  In order for those goals to be reached muscles need volume and stress whether your goal is to “tone” or “build” muscle mass.

High Rep vs. Low Rep Debate

From my conversations with clients and observations in gyms there is a major contrast between the weights used by men and women.

Some women will curl 5lb dumbbells for 25 reps in an effort to “tone” their arms, while some men will bench a ton of weight for only a few reps in an effort to put on muscle and increase strength.

The idea is that high reps help you lose fat and make a muscle more “toned”. On the other hand, low reps can help you build muscle and increase strength.

The firming-up or toning is due to an increase in muscle tissue as well as a low enough bodyfat percentage to see the definition and shape of the muscles and get rid of the of the undesired “jiggle."  Using heavier weights than you are accustomed to will give them the necessary stress to change and grow.

According to a recent study by Men’s Fitness substantial evidence argues that training in a moderate-rep range is the best way to build muscle mass. It increases hormone response, spares protein, and provides the necessary time under tension to spark muscle damage.

This does not mean doing away with your low-rep and high-rep regimens. To make sure your body doesn't adapt to a particular regimen you need variety.  Cycle periods of low-rep training and high-rep training into your overall program, while progressively trying to increase your strength and perfect your exercise form every time you perform strength training exercises.

Circuit Training

Gerard Butler

Circuit training is short bursts of resistance exercise that can combine weights, calisthenics, plyometrics and other exercises followed quickly by another burst of exercise targeting a different muscle group.

The switching between muscle groups with little no rest between exercises gets the heart rate up, which can serve as cardiovascular endurance as well.   A circuit workout improves both strength and endurance, and jump-starts metabolism.

This style of training is beneficial for anyone especially women as they tend to lose muscle mass at the rate of 1% per year in their late 30s and 40s.

Gerard Butler and the cast of the 2007 movie 300 went through an intense training regiment in preparation for their roles.  Mark Twight, a former world class mountain climber and now personal trainer designed the 300 Spartan Workout program consisting of the following:

• Pull-ups - 25 reps
• Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. - 50 reps
• Pushups - 50 reps
• 24-inch Box Jumps - 50 reps
• Floor Wipers - 50 reps
• Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell – 50 reps
• Pull-ups - 25 reps

The program included tire flipping and gymnastic style training.  Five weeks before filming, Butler had additional training sessions with a former bodybuilder.   This training style simultaneously build muscle, increased muscular endurance, and stripped fat.  Crossfit uses similar style of training and pace to accomplish the same goal.  You get the resistance training benefits as well as the cardio benefits in one short and intense workout if designed correctly. 

The 300 Spartan Workout and Crossfit are intense styles of training and may not be what you are looking for or something you are in condition to attempt now.   What is beneficial about these workout styles and other kinds of circuit training is using large muscles with short rest periods in between.  If your fitness goals are to tone and build muscle it does not mean you want to build mass.

Intense effort needs to be given to your muscles for them to be stressed in order for them to change and grow.  And simply going through the motions will produce little if any results because the muscle is not being stressed enough and therefore will not adapt and change its current condition.

Do not be afraid to increase the weight and volume of your current exercise routine in order to shape your body in the way you desire.  Time is precious so utilize your workout time wisely and efficiently. 

Jamaal Piper 
Health and Wellness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer
www.piperpersonaltraining.com
Instagram and Twitter @jamaalpiper

What's Under The Helmet

With Richard Sherman’s post game rant last night after the Seattle Seahawks victory in the NFC Championship Game has caused him to be a trending topic in the media and social media.  It has gone from simply not caring for his comments to racial epithets being posted all over his Twitter account.  

His comments toward San Francisco 49ers Michael Crabtree have stirred up a wide range of emotions.  What is being missed is the root of his comments are a combination of raw emotion and calculated behavior that has become common place among football players especially defensive backs and wide receivers.

Apparently Crabtree and Sherman have history.  Last year at Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald’s charity event Sherman went to shake Crabtree’s hand and Crabtree attempted to start a fight.  Sherman confirmed it this morning on Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback in which he contributes to occasionally, “It goes back to something he said to me this offseason in Arizona, but you’d have to ask him about that. A lot of what I said to Andrews was adrenaline talking, and some of that was Crabtree. I just don’t like him.

I call it the helmet complex.  Besides the quarterback very few football players are recognizable without their uniform.  We identify them with a jersey number and position.  We can barely see their faces behind the large helmets and facemask they wear.  The outspokenness of football players and defensive backs can be traced to Deion Sanders.

Deion Sanders senior year at Florida State he sat in his dorm room and came up with the “Prime Time” persona that would lead him to have Nike ads and other campaigns throughout his career that no one else at his position ever had. 

During his Hall of Fame speech in 2011 he stated, “"I pre-rehearsed the saying because I knew I had the substance," said Sanders. "I knew I had the goods, I knew I had the work ethic, but I needed to secure myself enough that my mama would never have to work another day of her life."

Sanders endorsements and large contracts throughout his playing career open doors for players at his position and a generation of young players who looked to him as a template of how to play the position and capitalize on their success.  Defensive backs are away from the action and only have a handful of opportunities to make plays during the game.  A casual fan may not appreciation their contributions because of that.

What Sanders and now Richard Sherman decided to do were to behave in a manner and talk so much that it would cause the public to look at them more closely.  It has been affective for both whether we agree with their methods are not.

As Jon Wilner of the Mercury News reported this morning, without that hyper-drive and that football-sized chip on his shoulder, Sherman would not have become a straight-A student and the first player from Compton’s Dominguez High School to earn a football scholarship to Stanford.

“The chip that makes him a great player also made him a great student,” said David Shaw, who coached Sherman at Stanford and remains a close friend and mentor.

What has gotten lost in all the chatter with Sherman is the raw emotion of making the biggest play in his football life and his personal story of what put him in position to make it. 

Sherman is from Compton, CA.  His father, Kevin, rose daily at 4 a.m. to drive a garbage truck -- and still does today. His mother, Beverly, works with disabled kids in the inner city and preached the value of education. She was happy to give her children money Richard and his brother and sister came home with A’s.

Sherman Nike Ad

Sherman's play and outspokenness has led to commercials with Nike and Beats by Dre.  In our society controversy sales.  Sherman plays a position that does not get compensated like quarterbacks.  Sherman was a fifth round draft pick and is still under his rookie contract that pays him $550,00 base salary.  Endorsement deals already have more than doubled Sherman’s salary, says his Las Vegas agent, Jamie Fritz, of Fritz Martin Management.

“There are a number of successful players in the NFL who don’t have endorsement deals,” Fritz said. “At the end of the day ... people have to like you. If they don’t like you, they won’t buy the product you’re endorsing. Richard has a perception of being loud and in-your-face, but off the field, he’s very sincere, approachable and likable.”

What Sherman missed is an opportunity to introduce himself to a broader audience.  More attention was drawn to his comments after a big play than the play itself.  His story his inspiring, but acting classless and personalizing a big play can hurt him in the long run.  Football is a humbling game, for his sake I hope he can find balance.  He is another example of what being behind a helmet can do and overcompensating to get attention.

Culture Wins, Culture Loses

As sports fans we can all be guilty of taking it too seriously.  We do have a right to voice our displeasure of organizations above and beyond wins and losses.  Born and raised in the Washington, DC I was spoiled as a child growing up in the 1980’s during the Joe Gibbs era with consistent winning football teams including five NFC Championship games, four Super Bowl appearances, and three championships.  I attended two of the NFC Championship games at RFK Stadium as the team was on their way to the Super Bowl.

What has become of the Washington Redskins and possibly your favorite team is an example of ownership what it takes to run a successful sports team.  And I hate to break the news to you that many franchises that are struggling under current ownership may not change anytime soon.

What is unique about the business of sports are that team owners accumulated their wealth in other business ventures and then decided to purchase a franchise.  What distinguishes successful franchises from unsuccessful franchises is not just the talent on the field, but the culture and philosophy that is created to build a team.

In business “culture” is a word that gets tossed around in regards to the importance it has to an organization.  The values and methods of how it conducts its business impacts an organizations employees and the clients/customers they serve.  Sports have a way of allowing us as fan to witness franchises that have put an emphasis on their culture and those that do not.  Certain organizations have a reputation for a strong culture such as the Miami Heat of the NBA and Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.

Robert Sarver, owner Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns were a consistent franchise for many years, but the last few they have struggled.  Owner Robert Sarver recognized what needed to be done to move his franchise back in the right direction.

"For all successful people in business, I think that the notion of taking a step back to take a step forward is a foreign concept," Sarver told Yahoo Sports. "You simply don't say, 'We're going to go backward for a couple years,' in business. But pro sports – especially the NBA – is different, and it's set up to do just that.

Sarver realized what was needed for his franchise.   A top basketball executive, a plan, maybe most of all, someone to restore his franchise's eroding credibility. Boston Celtics Executive Ryan McDonough interviewed for the General Manager position and had a plan for the franchise– his ideas for trades and gathering draft picks, scouting and player development, coaching candidates and player nutrition. Every time Sarver asked a question, there came a crystallized and clear-minded answer. The Suns were a mess, but suddenly Sarver started to see a way out.

Sarver did what many struggling owners are not willing to do, and that is listen to a professional, with proven success lay out a plan and trusts him and the process.

It is early in the NBA season, but the returns have been good for the Phoenix Suns who are surprisingly off to a 19-11 start in a very competitive Western Conference.

The unfortunate aspect of professional sports is there is not accountability for losing.  The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are rivals on the football field.  But both have billionaire owners who franchise values are at the top of all of sports, but have a bad reputation of how they run their franchises.  Even though the win-loss record is disappointing to fans, their meeting with their accountants goes very well.

Safety Will Allen completed his second stint this past season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He was released from the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season before re-signing with Pittsburgh. 

In referring to his experience with Dallas Allen stated, "It was a very micromanaged atmosphere," Allen said to ESPN. "Everything was heightened. Everything was very tight. I didn't feel the relationship and the bonding between players and coaches. Maybe just the players or just a few coaches and a few players."

"We understand that it's a business, but football is a business. Winning is our business. But if we're not a team, if we're not together in it all, then we have nothing. That's the mindset in Pittsburgh.”

Arthur Rooney owns the Pittsburgh Steelers; they have had three head coaches since 1969.  All three have participated in multiple Super Bowls with at least one victory.

Jason Kidd and the Brooklyn Nets

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets have high priced teams going through disappointing starts to the season.  Even though both teams are decimated with injuries to key players they made a decision to go for style over substance.  The Nets have a $200 million payroll with aging players (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry).  Traded away their 2014 first round draft picks that is projected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. 

Brooklyn hired Jason Kidd as their head coach not soon after he retired as a player and he  “reassigned” his top assistant Lawrence Frank earlier this season for what appears to be his insecurity of not having any coaching experience and Frank being so vocal.   Frank was Kidd’s former head coach with the Nets when Kidd was a player. The Nets created this environment by not taking into account what is the right fit for their franchise especially without Kidd having any previous coaching experience taking over a team with high expectations.

According to James Heskett, culture “can account for 20-30% of the differential in corporate performance when compared with ‘culturally unremarkable’ competitors.”  John Coleman of the Harvard Business Review stated six components of great corporate culture.  Vision, values, practices, people, narrative and place.

Out of those six the Washington Redskins suffer most when it comes to values, practices and people.  For the amount of internal issues to become public doesn’t speak well of the type of culture Snyder has created within the organization.  As Coleman stated, a company’s values are the core of its culture. While a vision articulates a company’s purpose, values offer a set of guidelines on the behaviors and mindsets needed to achieve that vision.

There is not a company that can build a coherent culture without people who either share its core values or possess the willingness and ability to embrace those values.  Besides someone with name recognition like Mike Shanahan or even Joe Gibbs with his second tenure with the Redskins or Robert Griffin III winning the Heisman trophy.  Jason Kidd’s Hall of Fame career as a player and Garnett, Pierce, and Terry’s best days behind them, what are teams like the Washington Redskins and Brooklyn Nets looking for in people besides a name everyone knows. 

Paul Spiegelman, co-founder of the Inc. Small Giants Community, offered up some insights on culture.  There will always be people out there with the skills capable of doing the job. So Spiegelman suggests hiring people that, first and foremost, would work well in your organization. It may take a little longer, but it will pay off in the long term. 

The Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Brooklyn Nets are all dealing with issues created by their culture.  Other franchises such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Heat have been consistently relevant with minimal distractions because of their culture.

Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek is the prototype of what a successful coach is with today’s players’: no ego, but a steely confidence. He holds players accountable without humiliating them according to Adrian Wojnarnowski of Yahoo Sports.  It is more difficult in this day and age for a coach who is condescending towards his players, media, and fans to be successful.

Teams are under the microscope with the amount of television coverage and social media.  An up and coming coach with the attitude of a Bob Knight or Bill Parcells would struggle connecting with players and the public today.  Mike Shanahan appeared to have that problem in Washington.

So if you are wondering why your favorite professional sports team has been struggling for many years.  You probably do not have to look any further than their culture.  There is a fine line between winning and losing.  Even the best run franchises have their ups and downs, but they stick to their plan and adjust when needed.  Owners need to find and connect with front office and coaches who have common purpose.  My question to some owners is besides winning games do they have a purpose?  

Make It More Than A Resolution

The New Year is approaching and fitness centers and professionals will be busy as many people plan to start the New Year off improving their health.   From January to March there is a boom in the fitness business and then it begins to taper off. 

The fact that a resolution is made is a declaration to make positive changes.  "Studies show that people who resolve to change behaviors do much better than non-resolvers who have the same habits that need to be changed," says University of Scranton psychologist John Norcross.

Americans most often resolve to lose weight; quit smoking; get more exercise; and reduce their alcohol consumption, in that order, Norcross says.

Statistics show that, at the end of January, some 64% of resolvers are still hanging in there; six months later, that number drops to 44%, according to Norcross, author of Changing for Good.

Here are steps toward a New Year’s resolution for better health:

Have A Plan

The habits and behaviors that led to anyone’s displeasure with their health didn’t develop overnight.  Adopting a healthy lifestyle will require a commitment to making changes to your eating and exercise regiment.  Every meal and exercise session is part of the plan.

Meals must fuel your workouts and each meal and workout is for a purpose.  Your exercise regiment should combine cardio vascular/endurance exercises and strength training.  For example, plan which days you are performing cardio vascular exercises and strength training during the week.

There are many applications and wristbands on the market that assist with tracking food intake and calories burned that are reasonably priced.  These can assist with documenting your progress and accountability as your work toward your goals.

Stay Committed

Whatever your health and fitness goals are they will not be accomplished overnight.  Commitment and consistency throughout the process is essential to achieve your goals.  Do not resort to an extreme diet or program because you are impatient.

Quick weight loss is usually not permanent weight loss, experts say. Diets that have strict rules, eliminate or severely restrict certain foods, or otherwise take a lot of effort are usually only successful in the short term. 

Your daily meal plan should combine carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, and vegetables.  A meal plan can have variety with tasty foods and still be healthy.  Research healthy recipes if you need fresh ideas on healthy and tasty meals.

Trust The Process

I have mentioned this in previous blog posts and it is worth mentioning again.  You must trust the process.  Adjustments to your meal plan and exercise routines will be necessary, but stay true to the process of adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  What does this mean?

Experts define it as the ability to trust that your life is moving towards what you want despite outward appearances to the contrary.

It starts with making a decision that you desire something different from what you are experiencing.  If being healthier is something that you want, be mindful that it will take steps and being patient with yourself to get there and maintain.

The discipline of healthy eating and consistent exercises can be a stressful transition that takes you out of your comfort zone.  Constantly remind yourself of why you are making these changes, for yourself and no one else! 

As President Abraham Lincoln profoundly stated, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” 

Losing weight and exercising more are common New Year’s resolutions.  Document your activity and progress.  Encourage friends and family to take the journey with you.  Reward yourself when you reach certain milestones.   Do not go into the process blind.  Seek help if needed so your desire to be healthier will be planned and with purpose.  Your program should be individualized for your specific needs.  Have a plan, stay committed, and trust the process and your changes for a healthier lifestyle will be more than a resolution.

Jamaal Piper is  Health and Wellness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, www.piperpersonaltraining.com, piperpersonaltraining@gmail.com.

Deal With The Pain

Getting started with an exercise program or introducing new exercises or intensity to your current regiment can lead to pain and soreness.  For those who have not exercised for an extended period of time or just beginning the pain and soreness can be enough for them to give up.

"Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise," says Rick Sharp, professor of exercise physiology at Iowa State University in Ames.

"Mild soreness just a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity," he says. "And they're most prevalent in beginning stages of a program."

Muscle soreness takes place for a variety of reasons.  You did an activity you're not used to like doing sprints instead of distance running.  You did eccentric exercises, in which you lengthened instead of shortened your muscle (like walking downhill or extending your arm during a bicep curl).  These changes to your exercise routine can lead to tiny injuries called micro damage in the muscle fibers and connective tissue. About a day or two later, you'll start to feel sore.

No one is immune to muscle soreness. Exercise neophytes and body builders experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

It peaks within about 48 hours, and then it will gradually get better.  I have had new clients slightly sore after 24 hours then it will increase 48 hours after their first workout then be gone the next day.

Many of us who have set and accomplished goals have been through pain, suffering, and disappointment.  In those instances the pain was emotional and psychological.  When it comes to achieving a healthier lifestyle the pain is also physical. 

It is easy to exercise just enough to reach a comfort level with minimal pain.  That is when fitness coaches and personal trainers are a great asset.  Working in a controlled environment individually or in a group will push you past your comfort level.  In my experiences clients can do more than they realize because on their own they did not want to push themselves too hard.

I recently saw an episode of “Shark Tank” on ABC.  The show has venture capitalists that hears pitches from entrepreneurs to invest in their respective businesses.  Robert Herjavec, one of the “Sharks” on the show told a business owner that she hasn’t suffered enough to take her business to the next level.  She had a steady job that paid her well and was not willing to put the time in and make the sacrifice that he would be willing to invest in her company.

He shared his story of how he lost his job and had to take care of his family that motivated him to start his business.  He articulated to her that when she was willing to put herself in a position to suffer then her business could be successful.

His painful experience gave him more appreciation for the success he currently has.  Herjavez explained how in order for the contestant to achieve the dreams of her business she had to be willing to deal with pain.   Achieving fitness goals is a painful experience as well. 

Our painful experiences in life make us stronger and wiser if we respond to them appropriately.  Dealing with the physical pain of an intense workout will make you stronger physically.  You just have to be willing to put yourself through the process.

Think about a recent setback you experienced. How did you respond? It probably did not feel good to go through it, but you knew in order overcome it you had to get passed it.  It is not that the pain can be avoided what must change is how you respond to it.

The muscle discomfort is simply a symptom of using your muscles and placing stresses on them that are leading to adaptations to make them stronger and better able to perform the task the next time.

Planning your workouts to give body parts appropriate rest will help you deal with the pain and soreness.  For example, if you primarily worked on your upper body one day, the next day work on your legs or do cardio.  Several remedies can assist with addressing the pain in between workouts such as ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, massage, heat, and stretching.

Do not get discouraged or delay your exercise routine because you do not want to deal with the pain.  The soreness and pain should not prevent you from performing daily activities associated with living and work.  That is overtraining.  Also, it can psychologically deter you from continuing to workout.

Push yourself pass your comfort level, but not to the point where you are not able to function.  This can be trial and error.  View the pain as progress as it is a reminder that you are on the right path.

Jamaal Piper is  Health and Wellness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, www.piperpersonaltraining.com, piperpersonaltraining@gmail.com.