Circuit Training

Howdy! Life has been SO busy for me lately..that I haven't touched my fit blog in a couple months...oops! :)

Circuit training has become more popular over the years for many, many reasons! It's common among everyone ranging from beginners to more advanced clients. One of circuits main benefits is that it produces quick results in a little amount of time..so that's good for those that don't have a lot of time in the gym!
There are several types of circuits you can do depending on which muscles you'd like to work.

One example of a circuit for arms would be
1.Bicep Curls (try lowering the bar or dumbbells down slower instead of just dropping them down as fast as possible. That way, your muscles are using concentric contractions, shortening and strengthening your muscles!)

2.Over head two arm dumbbell press.- Don't always use the same weights. Try progressing onto heavier weights to make it more challenging if you can. Don't hurt yourself though- if you don't feel comfortable moving up on your weights..don't!

3. Tricep Bench Dip. (Obviously here I am leaning against a wall but this is basically what a Tricep bench dip is- except you are using a flat bench and lower to the ground!) :)

I would recommend doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise. The heavier the weights are, the less reps you are expected to be able to do!


*The intervals between exercises should be about 5-10 seconds, and about 30 seconds- 1 min between sets! The whole purpose of circuits is to keep on movin' :)

Small Steps for big change!

I love love love looking at fitness magazines! My favorites are Oxygen, and Shape Magazine! They always offer good advice and inspire me with  various ways to stay in shape and  stay on top of my healthy eating.
I was looking at my oxygen magazine and it offers these small changes in your routines that can make a difference in your body! When it comes to losing weight or toning up, you sometimes don't realize the differences that the littlest decisions can make.

Here are FIVE tips to remember:

1. When Climbing stairs climb TWO steps at a time!- It provides greater muscular benefit and burns more calories.

2. Map our your plate- meaning "take a moment to mentally separate your dinner plate into sections can help you visualize how acceptable serving sizes look. “Break” your plate in half; fill one of these sides with vegetables and whole grains. Split the other half into two once again; one of these sections will hold your lean protein serving while the other is the perfect size for a serving of healthy fats".
3. Add an extra five Minutes to your work out routine. If you normally do 30 minutes on the treadmill, add and extra five minutes at the end of each workout. So, if you work out 6 days a week, with the five minutes added on that's an extra full cardio workout added on at the end of your week!
4. Try a new, exotic food each week. Trying a new food each week can help to relieve the mediocrity of dieting. The same old foods can get boring!
5. Do an exercise backwards-"Try focusing on the eccentric motion of each rep – the part where your target muscle lengthens. For example, as you are doing a biceps curl, slowly return the weight to the starting position, fighting gravity, instead of letting your arms swing to the bottom.
   Why? Your muscles are actually able to move more weight during the eccentric portion of a lift – up to 40 percent more – than during the concentric portion (when your muscle shortens to move a load, like when you flex your arm)".

Stretch it out

S  T   R   E   T   C  H  IT OUT.
 Stretching helps to increase flexibility and warm up your muscles prior to exercise. This helps reduce the risk of injury during exercise!

Mayo Clinic's reasons why stretching is beneficial:

• Already stated-Increased flexibility- Flexible muscles can improve daily performances and tasks by allowing you to perform them without becoming as tired.
• Improve Circulation- Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles, which may shorten recovery time to your muscles if you've had any injury
• Relieve Stress- Tense muscles cause ADDED stress.( Yoga is always a good way to relieve stress and relax your muscles!)
• Enhance Coordination- Maintaining a full range of motion through your joints will allow your body to maintain better balance, which also helps prevent injury!

Stretching tips:

-Hold each stretch for appx. 30 seconds. It takes time to lengthen tissues safely.

-Stretch before and after exercise

*Stretching after exercise helps balance tension on muscles that have just been exercised*

-Get with someone who knows about myofascial release form of stretching. It works miracles ;)

-Recommended to warm up with a low intensity warm-up (such as walking on a treadmill) for a few minutes before stretching

*The importance of Protein*

Time to update! :)
Before last year I never really knew how important it was to make sure you are adding enough protein to your diet. Protein is a part of TONS of cells in your body. It's in your hair, nails, bones, skin, and the list goes on. Unlike fat that stores itself in the body, protein does not! This means it's important to get enough protein to strengthen & maintain your muscles. Protein itself does not actually build muscle like many people think-only weights and exercise can do that; but it is what aids in repairing tissue that is torn during exercise. The easiest way to add some extra protein to your daily diet:



Protein Shakes!

It's best to have a protein shake right after your workout because it only takes about 30 minutes to reach the muscle for repair. Foods with protein take a lot longer to digest and start working!

How much  protein is the 'right' amount?

"The minimum amount of protein that you should take in for building muscle is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (for instance, if you weigh 200 pounds than the minimum amount of protein you should take in is 200 grams of protein for muscle growth). Any additional protein that exceeds the daily minimum for muscle gain just helps to speed up the healing process."

I use syntha-6 protein (lean muscle powder) post work out! I use one scoop (there are TONS of different flavors and they taste awesome!) and mix it with different types of fruit. I usually use blueberries, bananas, or strawberries. They all taste awesome. I just recently started using protein to help with muscle repair and I have noticed a difference in my muscles just by having one shake every day.

WAKE UP!..and work out!

I've had the habit of working out later in the evening ever since I joined my gym! I have recently started to break this habit by trying to get in the gym before my work day! For one of my jobs I have to be at work between 6:30-9:00 AM. Some days earlier than others. Not going to lie, for me it would be impossible to wake up at 4 AM to get to the gym by 4:30 and work out for an hour, get ready, and be at work on time. I for one, am not a morning person. I would much rather go later in the day when I don't feel rushed! However, I have been researching and studying about the benefits of early morning workouts, and that is why I've started to make it a point to get to the gym first thing in the morning before I begin my day!

I don't know anyone who likes to wake up before they feel ready...but there are SO many benefits to getting up and getting to the gym in those early morning hours. Here they are :

• Early workouts boost your metabolism
• They boost your energy and clear your head for a fresh start to your day!
• Studies have shown that weight loss increases the most during early hours of the day

Cons:

• Gym is likely to be crowded because a lot of people want to get in the gym before work- BUT the gym is always going to be busy..so that's not a good excuse!
• You may feel like you've hit a wall and feel exhausted half way through your workout- that's normal because it's early, & your body may not be used to working out that early for a while. Bring a sports drink with electrolytes in it to help keep you awake! (Such as a Gatorade).

PRE- work out:
It's a good idea to eat a small breakfast before working out. I usually have a small bowl of oatmeal with a little brown sugar on top. A grapefruit is a natural energy booster- so having something like that would be good too!
POST work out:
I like to have a protein shake from Gold's- but I bring my own protein! Have someone knowledgeable help you find the best protein for you. Employees at most supplement shops (nutrishop, smoothie factory, GNC, etc.) are very good at helping you out with that. They know what they are talking about!

Valentines day: Ruining your diet?

Sorry it has been a few days since I've updated! I have been working so much it's not even funny! Just because its Valentine's Day..I have to share this!

How Many Calories in that box of chocolates??

The answer: about 1400 in a box that contains 1 lb of assorted chocolates.

May want to think twice before you eat the whole box :-)

 

A Healthier alternative that's low in fat and calories: dark chocolate covered organic strawberries! Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and organic strawberries have plenty of vitamin C. :)

Now for a little health talk..

The most recent topic I've been learning about in my training book is how to properly do a fitness assessment & the importance of incorporating every piece of information neccesary to ensure it's the best assessment you can give a client! Clearly I'm not going to sit here & write about how to give you one, something you can do at home  is take your BMI (Body Mass Index) to see if your weight is appropriate to your height. There have been studies to show that if your BMI is greater than 25, obesity related health problems increase. So check yours! :)
Divide your body weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters squared).
Mild =25-30
Moderate=30-35
Severe= >35

Substitute for something better!

Something I hear often from others is "I work out all the time but don't feel like I'm getting any results or that it's doing anything for me".

My response-



What is your Diet like?


Dieting plays a major role in the results you will have if your personal goal is weight Loss. In fact roughly 80% of your results will come from what you are eating at home. Another misconception? Healthy food doesn't taste as good, or it's too expensive- WRONG! :)
There are SO many alternatives when it comes to switching from unhealthy to healthy dinners. Look up recipes; you'd be surprised. A personal example that healthy food can taste good- I told my boyfriend I was grilling burgers for us for dinner a few nights ago. I used ground turkey for the meat instead of hamburger meat. Ground turkey is a healthier alternative to hamburger meat and tastes awesome with a little seasoning! He loved the burgers! Eating healthy does not mean buying all organic foods. You can buy healthier meats such as ground turkey like I do, or substitute your cereal in the morning for a bowl of oatmeal. It's a good idea to hire to a nutritionist or fitness professional to help with this. Proof that dieting plays that major of a role in your weight loss: My sister gained weight during her pregnancies. She has been on a very strict diet and has lost 22 lbs in three weeks without working out (she couldn't because of her calorie intake). Dieting DOES work. A lot of people don't have the knowledge when it comes to proportions, or what is good from bad, so again, hiring a nutritionist or a fitness professional who can help you with this is not a bad idea! You can workout all you want- but if you aren't watching what you eat you will NOT get the results you want!!

Tips for the day

•  First and foremost- Avoid processed foods. You have no idea of knowing what goes into processed foods. Cook yourself!!! You know every single thing you are putting in there.
• Buy whole grain foods -Pastas, breads, etc.
• Avoids foods with Hydrogenated oils- These oils are not natural. They are man made. Natural is always better!