It's just another Manic Monday, Badasses! I figure the best way to wake up our brains for the week ahead is by way of a pop quiz that tests your Badass Fitness IQ.
There will be no official grade entered into your GPA, but it's always worth knowing whether we really know all that we think we know about fitness and clean eating. Knowledge and accurate information is power - specifically, power to fuel you along the Badass journey.
So go ahead, test your Badass IQ! (The answers are below...and no cheating!)
Eggs should not be
eaten daily because they'll raise your cholesterol.
2. True or False:
Dairy is the only way to get the daily recommended calcium.
3. You can work your core with:
A. Mountain climbers
C. Push-ups
D. None of the above
E. All of the above
4. The ideal BMI is:
A. Anything under 20
B. Anything between 25 and 35
C. Anything between 19 and 25
5. Which of the following takes the longest to digest?
A. Carbs
B. Protein
C. Fat
6. True or False:
It's not good to do strength training/weightlifting two days in a row.
7. The best formula for losing weight and staying lean is:
A. 100 percent intense cardio
B. 100 percent weightlifting
C. A mix of cardio and weightlifting
D. None of the above
8. A deadlift works which of the following:
B. Glutes and hamstrings
C. Glutes, hamstrings and lower back
D. None of the above
9. The best breakfast choice is:
A. Starbucks blueberry scone with a grande vanilla latte
B. McDonald's Egg McMuffin
C. Large bowl of Cascadian Farm granola cereal with low-fat milk
10. For maximum calorie burn, the best method is:
A. Long endurance runs at a steady moderate pace
B. Interval training that mixes slower paces with high-intensity bursts of speed
Answers
1. False: Eggs are nutritionally second only to mother's milk, and an egg and a couple of egg whites everyday will not break your cholesterol "bank," which is largely hereditary.
2. False: Spinach and broccoli are
also excellent sources of calcium.
3. The answer is E. It doesn't have to be a crunch to work your core. When done with proper form, mountain climbers, planks and pushups all involve activating your core muscles.
4. The answer is C. The ideal is 19
to 25. Over 30 is in the clinically "obese" range, which brings a whole host of
medical concerns. And going below 20 - especially for females - can mean
being too lean (yes, there is such a thing!) and having issues with
hormone imbalances and menstrual irregularities. Calculate yours.
5. The answer is B. Protein takes longer to digest -- which is why chicken or scrambled eggs leave you feeling full longer than, say, a few sugary carb-filled cookies. Multiple studies show that those who start off their day with eggs, for example, overall take in fewer calories throughout the day than those who start off with cereal or something else. So make sure you're getting a mix of lean proteins, healthy fats and complex ("good") carbs in your daily eating.
6. False. You can lift weights two, three, even five days in a row as long as you break up which body parts you work. So think quads today, back tomorrow, biceps and triceps the next day, and hams and glutes the day after.
7. The answer is C. Muscle burns more calories even at rest than fatty tissue. Cardio like running and cycling is a great calorie burn and will make your heart stronger. But strength training will not only improve cardio performance, it will sculpt those muscles and build the lean muscle tissue that keeps your metabolism humming - while preventing conditions like osteoporosis later on.
8. The answer is C. Done properly, the deadlift works your glutes and hamstrings as you come up and squeeze the glutes. But it also engages and strengthens your lower back as you work to keep the core tight and your back from being rounded as you come up and down.
9. The answer is B. Surprised? Well, the blueberry scone (460 calories) and latte (250 calories) are calorie-dense and filled with sugar and the kind of carbs that will send your blood sugar soaring - then crashing. And the bowl of granola is dense with calories (about 400 for a big bowl) and sugar (28 grams for 1.5 cups) but low in protein (8 grams). McDonald's doesn't seem like the best choice, but that Egg McMuffin is only 300 calories and has a good balance of carbs (29 grams), protein (18 grams) and fat (12 grams) with minimal sugar.
10. The answer is B. Interval training that sends the heart rate up and down burns lots of calories and fat. By mixing bursts of high intensity with low intensity "recovery" periods, you're challenging both your aerobic and anaerobic systems, getting the benefits of both aspects of training at the same time. Indoor cycling classes, treadmill sprints and track workouts are a great choice for interval training.
Coming Wednesday: Badass Bookshelf - Women, Food and God