It's that time of year again. You know... the time of year when almost everyone pigs out at holiday gatherings and hides their extra weight under layers of clothing.
As a fitness professional, it amazes me how most people think that holidays and colder weather are good excuses to let themselves go and gain a bunch of weight (mostly body fat). Well, I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way.
In fact, wouldn't it be great if you actually broke this unhealthy cycle and did the total opposite and got through the holiday season without gaining a pound. Better yet... what if you were to make it through the holidays and the winter months and actually be in the best shape of your life.
With a little planning and these 5 quick tips, you will not only be beach body ready by summer, you will also be the envy of all your family and friends.
1. Get Self Motivated - This is very important! Everyone needs to first become self motivated before they can accomplish any quest. In other words, no matter how much outside support you may have, if you don't believe in yourself, every feat will be a unwanted task instead of a driven goal. Only you can make it happen.
2. Set Goals And Write Them Down - It has been proven over and over again that people who write down their goals (long term and short term) and read them every day are 80% more likely to achieve their goals. Enough said...
3. A Great Fitness Program Will Never Make Up For A Poor Diet - That's so true! I don't care if you work out 2 hours a day/7 days a week. If your diet is filled with high sugar, saturated fat filled foods then you will never reach your fitness goals. It's as simple as that.
4. Set A Specific Time To Work Out Every Day - I know how busy everyone is. Between work, family, and all the other hectic things that life throws at us, who can find time to work out everyday. You... that's who. Just make sure to designate a specific time to workout so that it becomes an everyday priority instead of something that will get done " if I have time". Regular exercise has hundreds of life long benefits.
5. Do Full Body High Intensity Circuits - If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, then you know how much this type of training can benefit you. It will not only save you hundreds of hours in the gym, it will also burn fat and grow lean muscle at the same time. More importantly, this type of training has been proven to keep your metabolic rate elevated for up to 38 hours after you workout. What exactly does this mean? It means your body will continue to burn fat for up to 38 hours after working out. Wow! Good Stuff!
Follow these five simple steps and you too can be fit and healthy all year long.
As Always,
Stay Motivated, Stay Fit
Best Regards,
Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
(203)317-9733
www.ultimatephysiquept.com
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Covering All Your Nutritional Bases On The Run
One of the most difficult diet related tasks and one of the top reasons people give for not sticking to their diets is trying to eat healthy while on the run. Between work, family time, working out and all the other errands that come with everyday life, we seem to be spending alot more time away from home. This extra time spent "on the run" tends to lead us down the wrong road when it comes to eating healthy. Fast foods, high calorie coffees/drinks, and convenience store snacks seem to have become most of the populations 3 main food groups. However, there are some ways to overcome this "fatty" dilemma. Here are 5 things you can do to get you on a new healthy track when you are away from home.
1. Purchase a portable lunch cooler/tote- This is an absolute no brainer. These are a must for anyone who spends a descent amount of time on the run. Not only do these "diet savers" come in many different sizes, most of them can be purchased for under $20.00. One of the great things about these "lunch boxes" is that you can get ones that keep your food (or beverages) cold or hot. In other words, this enables you to bring hot or cold food/beverages with you on the road. There is absolutely no excuse for you not to be able to eat your favorite "healthy" meals away from home.
*Favorite lunch cooler-Little Playmate Ultra by Igloo
2. Prepare meals ahead of time- If you are a picky eater or someone who never has enough time in the morning, this one is definitely for you. Preparing meals ahead of time not only saves you time in the morning, but more importantly, it will ensure that you stay consistent with your healthy eating habits away from home. I personally prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday which enables me to just "grab and go" in the morning. And don't worry... most cooked foods will stay good for at least 5 days if they are refrigerated properly. Just remember, consistency with your diet is definitely the key to reaching your goals and staying healthy.
*Favorite "on the run" prepared meal-Whole wheat pasta salad with tuna
3. Protein supplements- If you want to stay energized and keep your metabolism humming, you should be consuming 5-6 small meals, approximately 2-2 1/2 hours apart, every day. One of the most easiest and convenient ways to accomplish this is by supplementing in between meals with protein shakes or bars. They have come along way in the last few years and are super convenient, good tasting (most of then anyways), and real easy on the bank account. They come in a ton of different flavors and most are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Just beware of the shakes and bars that are high in sugars and saturated fats and have more than 250 calories in them. These so called "supplements" are actually just junk food disguised as a healthy protein supplement. Also, make sure if you pre-mix your protein shakes you keep them in your lunch cooler until you drink them or else they can spoil. The easiest and safest way is to throw your 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder in your shaker and mix with water right before you drink it. This will not only take away the chance of your shake spoiling, it will also free up some much needed room in your cooler. If you would rather not do shakes or bars or if you haven't found any that you like, a serving of low sugar/low fat yogurt (Greek is the best), low fat cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts/seeds will surely do the trick.
*Favorite protein shake-Next Nutrition Designer Whey
*Favorite protein bar-Pure Protein (high protein/low carb) Bars-Blueberry Cheesecake
4. Drink plenty of water- If you are not doing this, then you are doing your body a huge disservice. Water makes up approximately 60% of the adult human body by weight. Consuming adequate amounts of water will benefit your body in many ways including: alleviating fluid retention, increasing the percentage of fat used for energy by improving liver functions, decreasing appetite, improving metabolic functions, and easier distribution of nutrients throughout the body. On the other side, the body cannot adapt to dehydration (excessive loss of body water), which impairs every physiologic function. Past studies have shown that a fluid loss of even 2% will affect bodily functions and decrease performance levels. In other words, drink plenty of water!
5. Keep it Simple- I cannot stress this enough! Keeping your nutritional program as simple as possible will definitely contribute to its over all success. If you are spending many hours planning, preparing, or meticulously weighing every portion of your meals, you will probably burn out quickly by making your diet a time consuming, burdensome task instead of the easy healthy life style it should be. Keep everything simple and don't let it consume your whole life.
As Always,
Stay Motivated, Stay Fit
Best Regards,
Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
http://ultimatephysiquept.com/
http://ctfitnesscoach.com/
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com
1. Purchase a portable lunch cooler/tote- This is an absolute no brainer. These are a must for anyone who spends a descent amount of time on the run. Not only do these "diet savers" come in many different sizes, most of them can be purchased for under $20.00. One of the great things about these "lunch boxes" is that you can get ones that keep your food (or beverages) cold or hot. In other words, this enables you to bring hot or cold food/beverages with you on the road. There is absolutely no excuse for you not to be able to eat your favorite "healthy" meals away from home.
*Favorite lunch cooler-Little Playmate Ultra by Igloo
2. Prepare meals ahead of time- If you are a picky eater or someone who never has enough time in the morning, this one is definitely for you. Preparing meals ahead of time not only saves you time in the morning, but more importantly, it will ensure that you stay consistent with your healthy eating habits away from home. I personally prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday which enables me to just "grab and go" in the morning. And don't worry... most cooked foods will stay good for at least 5 days if they are refrigerated properly. Just remember, consistency with your diet is definitely the key to reaching your goals and staying healthy.
*Favorite "on the run" prepared meal-Whole wheat pasta salad with tuna
3. Protein supplements- If you want to stay energized and keep your metabolism humming, you should be consuming 5-6 small meals, approximately 2-2 1/2 hours apart, every day. One of the most easiest and convenient ways to accomplish this is by supplementing in between meals with protein shakes or bars. They have come along way in the last few years and are super convenient, good tasting (most of then anyways), and real easy on the bank account. They come in a ton of different flavors and most are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Just beware of the shakes and bars that are high in sugars and saturated fats and have more than 250 calories in them. These so called "supplements" are actually just junk food disguised as a healthy protein supplement. Also, make sure if you pre-mix your protein shakes you keep them in your lunch cooler until you drink them or else they can spoil. The easiest and safest way is to throw your 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder in your shaker and mix with water right before you drink it. This will not only take away the chance of your shake spoiling, it will also free up some much needed room in your cooler. If you would rather not do shakes or bars or if you haven't found any that you like, a serving of low sugar/low fat yogurt (Greek is the best), low fat cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts/seeds will surely do the trick.
*Favorite protein shake-Next Nutrition Designer Whey
*Favorite protein bar-Pure Protein (high protein/low carb) Bars-Blueberry Cheesecake
4. Drink plenty of water- If you are not doing this, then you are doing your body a huge disservice. Water makes up approximately 60% of the adult human body by weight. Consuming adequate amounts of water will benefit your body in many ways including: alleviating fluid retention, increasing the percentage of fat used for energy by improving liver functions, decreasing appetite, improving metabolic functions, and easier distribution of nutrients throughout the body. On the other side, the body cannot adapt to dehydration (excessive loss of body water), which impairs every physiologic function. Past studies have shown that a fluid loss of even 2% will affect bodily functions and decrease performance levels. In other words, drink plenty of water!
5. Keep it Simple- I cannot stress this enough! Keeping your nutritional program as simple as possible will definitely contribute to its over all success. If you are spending many hours planning, preparing, or meticulously weighing every portion of your meals, you will probably burn out quickly by making your diet a time consuming, burdensome task instead of the easy healthy life style it should be. Keep everything simple and don't let it consume your whole life.
As Always,
Stay Motivated, Stay Fit
Best Regards,
Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
http://ultimatephysiquept.com/
http://ctfitnesscoach.com/
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Turn Down The Volume And Increase The Intensity
I'm sure you've heard this debate many times at your local gym. Me personally, I can't believe that it's actually a debate at all. I know...I know... Everyone has a right to their own opinion. Right?... Well, I guess so. But just because someone has an opinion, doesn't necessarily mean that they are right. In fact, if I was to give my professional opinion as a fitness trainer, I would
have to say that most peoples approach to training is quite wrong. I mean lets face it, practically all of the exercising public is looking to shed body fat and tone up. To do this quickly and effectively your fitness program must include some type of high intensity training.
High intensity training is simply giving an all out effort on any given exercise (or exercises) with little to no rest in between. By doing this type of training you are taxing the body and exerting the muscles to a point where the body has no choice but to try to adapt to these extra stresses. This in turn will give you the lean muscle and burn the extra fat needed for the added strength, endurance, and energy to make it through these workouts. Also, because the intensity is so high during these workouts you will need fewer exercises, sets and reps to accomplish your goal.
Volume training, on the other hand, usually incorporates more exercises, lighter weights, more reps and sets, and less all out effort to complete the task in hand. Most volume trainers also take longer breaks between sets which really just breaks down to a much less all out effort on the next set. Since there is less effort needed, the body is able to adapt much quicker and therefore limiting your lean muscle gains and fat loss. The quicker your body is able to adapt to a certain form of training the less body composition alterations it needs to accomplish this task.
The other down side to volume training is that you are more apt to hit a plateau which could make reaching your fitness goals near to impossible. Don't misunderstand me, I do believe there is a time and place for volume training. If you have been performing high intensity workouts for a while and need a little break, lower the weights, add some sets and reps, and take longer rests between sets to give your body a much needed break. Do this for two weeks and then go back to the high intensity training for another 8 to 10 week cycle.
The best and fastest way to acclimate your body to high intensity training is to start with high intensity circuits. To do this just pick a resistance exercise for each body part and perform them one after the other with little to no rest in between. In other words do a dumbbell chest press, barbell row, dumbbell over head press, dumbbell curl, dumbbell tricep kickback and barbell lunge right in a row with no rest in between exercises. These types of high intensity resistance training circuits will get all your muscle fibers firing and will also keep your heart rate elevated to keep the fat burning furnace on high. Just be sure to use a weight that will enable you to do 8 to 12 reps with a moderate amount of effort without sacrificing good form.
Another way to utilize high intensity training is with cardio exercises. HIIT or high intensity interval training is a great way to accelerate fat loss and spend a whole lot less time on the treadmill. This form of training incorporates the use of short all out bursts of energy coupled with short periods of rest. (For example – Running/sprinting on a treadmill for 1 minute followed by a slow walk or complete rest for 1 minute).
Incorporate high intensity training into your fitness program and watch your physique change faster than you ever imagined. And just remember, I am not only a huge proponent - I am also a client.
As Always,
Stay Motivated, Stay Fit
Best Regards,
Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
http://www.ultimatephysiquept.com/
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com
have to say that most peoples approach to training is quite wrong. I mean lets face it, practically all of the exercising public is looking to shed body fat and tone up. To do this quickly and effectively your fitness program must include some type of high intensity training.
High intensity training is simply giving an all out effort on any given exercise (or exercises) with little to no rest in between. By doing this type of training you are taxing the body and exerting the muscles to a point where the body has no choice but to try to adapt to these extra stresses. This in turn will give you the lean muscle and burn the extra fat needed for the added strength, endurance, and energy to make it through these workouts. Also, because the intensity is so high during these workouts you will need fewer exercises, sets and reps to accomplish your goal.
Volume training, on the other hand, usually incorporates more exercises, lighter weights, more reps and sets, and less all out effort to complete the task in hand. Most volume trainers also take longer breaks between sets which really just breaks down to a much less all out effort on the next set. Since there is less effort needed, the body is able to adapt much quicker and therefore limiting your lean muscle gains and fat loss. The quicker your body is able to adapt to a certain form of training the less body composition alterations it needs to accomplish this task.
The other down side to volume training is that you are more apt to hit a plateau which could make reaching your fitness goals near to impossible. Don't misunderstand me, I do believe there is a time and place for volume training. If you have been performing high intensity workouts for a while and need a little break, lower the weights, add some sets and reps, and take longer rests between sets to give your body a much needed break. Do this for two weeks and then go back to the high intensity training for another 8 to 10 week cycle.
The best and fastest way to acclimate your body to high intensity training is to start with high intensity circuits. To do this just pick a resistance exercise for each body part and perform them one after the other with little to no rest in between. In other words do a dumbbell chest press, barbell row, dumbbell over head press, dumbbell curl, dumbbell tricep kickback and barbell lunge right in a row with no rest in between exercises. These types of high intensity resistance training circuits will get all your muscle fibers firing and will also keep your heart rate elevated to keep the fat burning furnace on high. Just be sure to use a weight that will enable you to do 8 to 12 reps with a moderate amount of effort without sacrificing good form.
Another way to utilize high intensity training is with cardio exercises. HIIT or high intensity interval training is a great way to accelerate fat loss and spend a whole lot less time on the treadmill. This form of training incorporates the use of short all out bursts of energy coupled with short periods of rest. (For example – Running/sprinting on a treadmill for 1 minute followed by a slow walk or complete rest for 1 minute).
Incorporate high intensity training into your fitness program and watch your physique change faster than you ever imagined. And just remember, I am not only a huge proponent - I am also a client.
As Always,
Stay Motivated, Stay Fit
Best Regards,
Andy Moses
Ultimate Physique PT
http://www.ultimatephysiquept.com/
andy@ultimatephysiquept.com
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