Definition Fitness is pleased to add Sports Massage Therapy to our array of performance training services.
Regular sports massage provides many benefits to athletes, including:
•Reducing the chance of injury both through education on stretching and event preparation, as well as deep tissue massage.
•Improving range of motion, strength, performance times.
•Shortening recovery time between workouts.
•Maximizing the supply of nutrition and oxygen through increased blood flow.
•Enhancing elimination of metabolic wastes (i.e., lactic acid) that are a by-product of exercise.
Athletes that work with sports massage therapists improve performance, lengthen their careers and experience fewer injuries. When injured, sports massage can speed recovery and help an athlete come back after surgery more quickly.
We welcome Thom Moody, LMT, to the staff. Thom brings 16 years of clinical and sports massage results to Definition Fitness. He has been the lead instructor at Heritage Institute and is a sports massage therapist for Jacksonville University and the Jacksonville Jaguars. His private clients have included NCAA, professional and Olympic athletes from several countries. Massage appointments are available (DAYS) mornings and by special appointment.
Thom Moody, Sports Massage Therapist
Thom is a licensed massage therapist who trained at Southeastern School of Massage Therapy in Jacksonville and is certified in Neuromuscular Massage Therapy. His continuing education in sports massage has included workshops with Benny Vaughn and Mike McGillicuddy, both nationally recognized as leaders in sports massage techniques. He is also certified as a Level One USAA Track and Field Coach.
Since 2000, Thom has been working with athletic teams at Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida, performing over 10,000 sessions of massage in the training room and on the field in coordination with a team of medical doctors, sports trainers and coaches. He has worked on male and female student athletes on football, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, swimming, crew, and track and field teams. He’s also worked with world class athletes such as NCAA All American track stars Monique Tubbs, Andrea Pressley and Natasha Harvey, and members of the Irish Olympic track and field team.
Thom has achieved results with former NFL athletes in private practice, good training for his current work as part of the sports medicine team of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Thom has worked with injured athletes pre- and post-surgery, and worked on performance enhancement with healthy athletes. The diversity of his experience, both in nature of the therapy and variety of teams, helps him understand and get results with athletes from almost every sport. He works with elite runners, triathletes, cyclists, and weekend golfers trying to better their game.
As a past athlete and retired Navy rescue swimmer, Thom has an understanding of the unique needs, both mental and physical, of an athlete preparing for competition or recovering from an injury.
Thom Moody, LMT, will provide onsite massage therapy beginning September 3. Inquire about appointments and rates at the front desk.
License #MA 0024478
When most people think of cardio, they think of long, boring jogs, or endless hours on the elliptical. I’ve got good news for you: there’s a method of cardio that takes much less time and is far superior to jogging to help you burn fat. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)! High Intensity Interval Training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise/recovery. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and/or aerobically with cardio.
The “Fat Burning Zone” shown on most cardio equipment is usually only 60%-65% of max heart rate, this is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, even though the fat/glycogen ratio is lower. In addition, interval training allows you to exercise at very high intensities for a much longer period of time than steady state, so you burn more fat.
There are a number of great benefits to High Intensity Interval Training besides serious fat burn that include:
• Increased Aerobic Capacity – The amount of oxygen your body can use (oxygen uptake) is increased, so your overall aerobic capacity can increase faster than with low intensity endurance exercise.
• Increased Lactate Threshold – Your ability to handle increased lactic acid buildup in your muscles increases.
• Improved Insulin Sensitivity – Over time, your muscles more readily hold onto glucose, instead of the glucose going to your fat stores.
• Anabolic Effect – Some studies show that interval training combined with consuming slightly more calories than you burn creates an anabolic effect, which helps you put on muscle. The opposite occurs with steady state cardio, which for long durations is catabolic.
As an added bonus, there’s also an afterburn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.
INTENSITY30!
So it’s time to burn calories faster and more efficiently, improve endurance, and build strength with Definition Fitness Personal Trainer Scott Winters and the heart-pumping INTENSITY30 workout program!
Utilizing the principles of high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.), INTENSITY30 is a fast paced 30-minute, one-on-one workout session which incorporates 30-second drill combinations that include weighted squats, full-body resistance combinations, BOSU-based drills, heavy plyometrics, among other techniques, with 30-second recovery periods between each drill.
“HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher and you are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more calories and shedding the fat.”
To be cleared for this special program, your max, resting, and target heart rate will be assessed prior to beginning the program; your heart rate will then be monitored throughout the 30-minute workout with your target heart rate always in check. A heart rate monitor is strongly recommended (for the most accurate workout), but not required.
IT’S A HEART-PUMPING TIME THAT WILL PUSH YOU TO YOUR LIMITS!
-Scott Winters
Here is a quick and easy recipe for chicken stir-fry peanut sauce that I found and its so good, if you can have peanuts and you like your veggies! You can put this over a little rice pasta, spaghetti squash, brown rice, or with veggies by themselves. Try it out and let us know what you think or share some of your favorite recipes with us!
First make peanut sauce set aside.
Peanut Sauce
6 TBS Soy Sauce (low sodium *I like Braggs Liquid Amino Acids)
6 TBS Almond Butter
3 TBS Honey
3 Cloves of Garlic
Pinch of Ginger
Cut chicken up in chunks and stir fry in olive oil or coconut oil until no longer pink. Set aside.
Cut up your favorite veggies…squash, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms etc. and stir fry in remaining oil if you have any. Once veggies are cooked to a crispy liking add in Chicken and Peanut Sauce. And for extra crunch throw in a pinch of sunflower seeds!
And Enjoy!!
