DAVID KIRSCH IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

Energy is essential for everything you do. Performance at work, a good workout, healthy relationships, emotional balance and even looking youthful. Makes you wonder… “If I had more energy, who would I be?”

Let’s get started today and identify “What’s Taking Your Energy?” A daily journal will help you to uncover your energy-drainers. Track everything from your daily meals, exercise and energy level throughout the day. (Remember, you must be honest with yourself, and know your pitfalls. It’s the only way to make positive changes in your life.)

You can begin by answering the following questions…

1.   Are you allowing negative, destructive habits to drain you of your energy?

2.   Are you relying on coffee or junk food for bursts of energy?

3.   Is tiredness an excuse you use to skip workouts?

4.   Are you experiencing mid-afternoon burnout? If so, what are you eating?

5.   Are you sabotaging personal relationships because you don't have the “energy” to nurture  them?

These answers, along with your individual insights from the journal, will give you a deeper self knowledge. Now the next step is making small changes in your day-to-day routine… Tomorrow’s focus: 5 energy boosting tips!

Ever wonder where your energy comes from, better yet where it goes to? Energy is dependent upon a combination of food, exercise and sleep- which for those of you leading busy lives, the optimal balance may seem more of a fantasy than a reality.

Trust me, I know from experience. A hefty schedule can take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being. When “eating on the run” counts for your food and your exercise, it’s time to take a step back and Energize Your Day.

On the road to becoming the best you can be, my job is to lead you in the right direction, push you through obstacles, and help you find the key to unlocking boundless energy. But you must first learn to prioritize your daily wellness. A more focused, positive and passion-filled life is really possible (it really is!).

This week I want to help you to identify your energy-drainers and give you energy-boosting tips to help you feel energized during the most demanding of days! So stay tuned for tomorrow’s “What’s Taking Your Energy?” questionnaire.

Do you judge your progress by the number on the scale? Put any frustration to rest. My tip of the day: throw out your scale!

When it comes to getting the body you were born to have, BMI may not be the best indicator of your progress. Nor may it be the best motivator. Many factors affect your weight on a particular day, including the food in your belly, the time of the month, and the time of day. Sometimes the number on the scale won’t match up to your hard work, and here’s why:

Muscle Weighs More Than Fat! (and takes up much less space). Calculated by dividing one’s weight in kg by the square of one’s height in meters, your BMI fails to account for fat tissue versus lean tissue. Simply put, it shows no preference to sexy, sinewy muscles over jiggly parts. So as you shape up, your weight may not change that dramatically on the scale- even though you are looking much leaner!

So what’s the best way to judge your progress? The easiest and most reliable assessment tool is your clothing. You’ve been working hard to reshape your body in remarkable ways- redistributing weight, building lean muscle, and burning fat. But as your body’s changed for the better, it’s no surprise that your clothing has stayed the same.

Think about what’s hanging in your closet. What fits and what doesn’t? Maybe it’s time to give your wardrobe an ultimate transformation too!

Here’s a delicious recipe for you to try: “The Creamsicle”

Ingredients:
1 Packet of vanilla DK Protein Plus
1 Packet of orange Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice

Instructions:
Combine one serving of DK Protein Plus  and one serving of Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice in a blender with 8 oz of water. Mix on high until smooth and creamy. Gradually add ice to thicken the consistency.

See how easy it is to make my One of a Kind® shakes!

Check out the Protein Shake Video! Check out other delicious shake recipes, and share your own with me!

On your quest to sculpt Sexy, Sinewy Muscles, post-workout nutrition is an important piece of the puzzle. An hour of intensive training is a lot of fiber wear-and-tear. The only logical next step: feed those muscles with protein!

Amino acids are the building blocks for muscle growth. Post-workout protein helps speed your recovery, allowing you to sculpt muscle faster while reducing soreness after your sessions. Drink your protein within a 30-minute window after you workout. Your body will absorb the amino acids your muscles need to recover and regenerate faster than it would from solid foods, says a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

So what’s in a good protein shake?

I created my own form of Protein Plus shakes to serve as a post-workout snack or complete meal replacement. A good protein formula will contain the following ingredients:

• Whey Protein- ideally, 25 grams… Whey protein is essentially milk protein without the casein and sugar. I prefer it to other types because your body absorbs it most efficiently. Whey is the easiest protein to digest, helping your muscles to recover the fastest. 
• Healthy Carbs- DK Protein Plus contains only 2 grams of sugar carbs- none of these derived from cheap complex carbs derived from corn, like maltodextrin. 
• Flaxseed- Flax contains essential fatty acids, important fats that our bodies can’t make on their own and must be obtained through our diet. These fats are extremely important in literally hundreds of biological processes.
• Fiber- Getting a drink that contains a lot of fiber, and flaxseed in particular, will help keep you on the regular.
• Water Based- Stay away from shakes the recommend mixing with a juice or yogurt. You don’t need the sugars or the calories. 
• All-Natural Ingredients. Avoid anything with artificial sweeteners or flavors. The only all-natural sweetening agent on the market is Stevia.

Myth #3: Women don’t need protein.

You, me, he or she.  We all need protein. In a 4 month study of 48 women completed at the University of Illinois, women who ate more protein while trying to lose weight preserved muscle mass compared to those who followed a high-carb diet. Women in the protein plus exercise group preserved the most muscle mass.

The reality is this: protein is essential to a healthy metabolism. Increasing the amount of protein in your diet helps to preserve muscle mass, keeping the weight off long-term.

Have you heard any myths you want debunked? I’m here as always to answer all your questions…

Myth #2: Muscle turns to fat.




If you stop weight training, your muscles DO NOT turn into fat. And neither does weight training turn fat to muscle.

Muscles and fat are two different types of tissue. In the same way you can’t turn metal into gold, one tissue does not transform into another by weight training.

The reality is this: Exercise will promote muscle growth while burning fat simultaneously. For every pound of muscle you build you burn 35 to 50 extra calories a day doing nothing! The more muscle you have, the leaner you are! 

All week long, I am here to debunk the muscle myths that are preventing you from being the best you can be. Knowledge is power, so listen and learn!

Myth #1: My muscles are going to get bulky!
This is something I hear from my female clients, worried they’ll come out bulky and unfeminine. The simple truth is the female body is not made to bulk. Unless you’re genetically unique, you don’t have the testosterone for Rocky Balboa biceps.

The reality is this: Muscles are feminine too! The only way to get those Sexy, Sinewy Muscles is through a well-rounded fitness program of cardio and resistance training.

Following my cardio sculpting exercises - doing a high number of reps (15 to 20 per exercise) using light weights (no higher than 5 lbs)- you’ll get sleeker and leaner.

One of the keys to building Sexy, Sinewy Muscles is proper nutrition. Even a slight nutritional deficiency can sabotage your ability to build lean muscle mass and burn fat effectively. And what good are those muscles you have if they are hidden under a layer of fat?

Enter, BCAA’s. Short for Branched-Chain Amino Acids, BCAA’s make up a whopping 33% of the skeletal muscles- the ones we use to lift, pull, jump, run and voluntarily move in all ways.

Recently, I created a drinkable form of BCAA’s- David Kirsch’s Muscle Restore drink - to provide you with advanced levels of the three BCAA’s: L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine amino acids. It supplies you with these essential nutrients without bulking you up, making it a good pre or post-workout drink for men and women.

I have my clients drink Muscle Restore up to 30 minutes before and after my workout to promote muscle synthesis and fight muscle protein breakdown. Muscle Restore also contains L-Glutamine to help reduce soreness and enhance muscle growth. When combined with cardio-sculpting exercises, it is the ultimate drink for improving your lean muscle mass, speeding recovery and energizing your day.

You can also find BCAA's in my Protein Plus Meal Replacement shakes. More on that tomorrow.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much weight you have to lose, with the right cardio-sculpting routine and proper nutrition, you'll get the Sexy, Sinewy Muscles you were born to have!

You may have heard me use the term “Sexy, Sinewy Muscles.” It’s one of many Kirschian principles, and one that I use when working with my clients here at the Madison Square Club. 



Sexy, Sinewy Muscles come from exercises that shape and tone rather than bulk you up or neglect your jiggly parts. My exercise philosophy is simple: Do those specific moves that focus on the smaller muscle fibers of each muscle group, using a light pair of weights, and complete a high number of reps — 15 or more. 



This makes all the difference between forming the bulky muscles of a football player and the long, firm muscles of a dancer.

All of my cardio-sculpting exercises couple low-weight, high-repetition resistance with cardiovascular training . To get the Sexy, Sinewy Muscles you were born to have, I recommend doing a 60-minute session, or 45 minutes at the least. Do this 3-4 times a week. You’ll simultaneously increase your heart and metabolic rate, burn calories and fat, and strengthen your muscles without the bulk!