The Fitness Gurus

Hi everyone,We hope you all are having a great week so far! Try not to catch the cold that is going around, and stay healthy.To start off this week’s article is the topic of stretching. Boyer Coe, an advocate of stretching, said the following: "It builds bigger, better-quality muscles.” Why does this World Pro Grand Prix Champion recommend incorporating stretching into your routine? There are many reasons! Stretching prevents postural problems, increases range of motion, prevents injuries (specifically overuse injuries), prevents soreness, revitalizes the circulatory, respitory, and neuromuscular system, and, like Coe said, improves and builds your muscle. Although it seems tedious to stretch the recommended 10-15 min a day, doing so will not only help you gain flexibility, but will also help you build better quality muscle faster and safer.With that in mind, try a back exercise this week! I recommend attempting the backbend bridge stretch. To get into this stretch, lie on the floor and place your hands up and behind your head. Push up from your hands and feet to elevate yourself into a backbend. Another method of getting into this stretch is to stand facing away from a wall, arch your back and walk your hands down the wall to the ground. Once in the backbend, straighten your legs, and push your shoulders over your hands to focus the stretch more on the upper part of the back. Or, walk your hands and feet together to focus on the lower part of your back. The bridge is a classic stretch that will definitely increase your flexibility.Now that you have a way to prep before your workout by stretching, we’re going to offer some diet and nutrition advice for preparing for athletic games and competitions. This is what you should eat this Friday before your competitions. First of all, carbo-loading begins 48-72 hours out. That means that for your Saturday game, you should begin intentionally carbo-loading on Thursday. The same goes for nutrient loading and hydrating; it's always better to start early. Secondly, as a rule of thumb, never try anything new or exotic within 24 hours of a competition. Lastly, try to eat often and in small portions. Try to eat something at least every three hours. This will allow you to better absorb each small meal more effectively and store important glycogen in your muscles.Here are foods that you should seek out in D-hall leading up to Saturday. Complex Carbs are vital energy sources to look for. This means that the sugars in this food are slow burning and will not produce the high and crash of simple sugars. Foods like oatmeal, raisins, whole grain breads, whole grain pasta. Fruits generally contain simpler sugars, but bananas are okay. Apples and oranges can cause the crash and fall effect similar to candies. Avoid eating apples and oranges immediately leading up to a competition.Like we discussed last time, try to eat at least one, if not two big salads each day leading up to a competition. If you get the arugula mix and load it with veggies you will provide your body with essential B vitamins and minerals which will help digest food more effectively and will leave you noticeably more energized on game-day.Hydration is a cliche topic but it cannot be overstressed. Don't drink just water. Next time you take a trip to Walmart, buy a couple of cases of Powerade. Powerade is better than Gatorade because it contains all of the same nutrients and electrolytes but it is much less dilute than Gatorade. Gatorade is pre-diluted so that it can be more easily absorbed for hydration. Go with Powerade, which is a better value and then dilute it yourself in a water bottle.Most importantly, eat to hunger, not because you feel you have to eat. You want to stay hungry for game-day. That said, never starve yourself. Find your happy median and you'll see a whole new level of performance this Saturday.Our quote of the week comes from Arnold Schwarzenegger: “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens." Lexi, Luke, and Sam