10 tips to Fitness Success!

How many times have you put your exercising, weight training and cardio on the back burner when you are following a strict nutrition plan? When life gets busy and you have a million things on your plate, this is the first thing that is usually forgotten! For many, an effective fitness regime is essential for losing weight the healthy way.

There are many excuses that come up such as, procrastination, lack of motivation, exhaustion and the biggest which is lack of time. Most people continually put off their training until tomorrow and of course we all know that tomorrow rarely comes - at least when it is time to indulge into your work out regimen.

Physical activity is a major piece of the weight-management puzzle! You will not achieve optimal results without this integral piece. It increases your lean muscle mass, speeds up weight management and fat loss, raises your metabolism, increases your energy level and keeps your heart healthy!

Here are 10 tips to guide you in staying on track with your fitness goals:

1. Believe in yourself now! Whatever you believe in you can and will achieve including your health and overall well-being goals! Use the “I can do it” attitude and you are on your way to success!

2. Plan ahead: It is essential to establish a work out regimen plan to keep you on track. Set mini milestones and goals to keep you focused. Commit to your fitness appointments like you would as any other and put them into your scheduler.

3. Use the S.M.A.R.T Principle: This allows you to evaluate your progress and change your program if need be. S – Specific = Is it clear and identifiable? / M - Measurable = Can results be determined? / A - Attainable = Is it Possible? / R - Realistic = Is it probable? / T - Time = When will it conclude?

4. Record your workouts, energy levels and accomplishments: This will help fine tune your program and is also therapeutic, inspirational and rewarding! Make sure to celebrate your victories! Buy yourself something nice or plan an event when you reach a goal!

5. Persistence is key: Being consistent in your work out routine is a major component of success. Do at least three cardio based activities for a minimum of a half hour as well as three resistance based activities for a minimum of a half hour per week. Ideally hour sessions will get you better results. If you have the luxury of time to commit to training then workout Mon-Fri different muscle groups each day and take your weekend off. Mon = Chest, Tues = Back, Wed = Legs, Thurs = Shoulders, Fri = Arms. Do abs to finish off each workout and rest on the weekends. Repeat. Add in your cardio right after your workout or early in the morning to burn the most calories.

6. Moderation is important: By gradually increasing your intensity, frequency and duration, you are less likely to injure yourself, get discouraged or quit.

7. Variety is the spice of life: Every workout changes something a little bit. Make it faster, slower or heavier. Do a variety of different cardio exercises each day and change your entire routine every month. Challenge your body by trying to do something it is not use to doing so it is forced to learn.

8. Find a training partner: Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are similar to yours and who will inspire you to do your best. This will help make working out more fun, inspirational and safe as well as give you added accountability which we all need sometimes.

9. Use visualization: Picture yourself engaging in exercise in total detail. How will you feel during and after your workout? How will you look and feel when you hit your goals? Focus on each muscle group as you train it. Think positively and use imagery to see yourself as fit and healthy. Many of the world’s greatest athletes rely on this powerful tool to help them succeed at their chosen activity.

10. Rest and recovery: THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! Recovery time is when your muscles actually repair themselves and become bigger and stronger as well as increases your energy level. The time in between your exercise sessions is just as important as the exercise itself. Make sure to listen to your body and if you feel fatigued or exhausted, a day of rest may be more productive than intense exercise.

Workout Nutrition

You’re eating six meals a day, getting the right balance of macronutrients everyday, and you’re making strides toward a chiseled mid-section…but you feel like you’re missing something. You’re six pack is there, but it isn’t as defined as you had hoped for. What will give you that extra push toward vein-popping abdominals? The answer may be as simple as peri nutrition.

Peri Nutrition consists of what you consume before, during and after your workout. Why is this so important? When you spike your insulin, your body becomes more anabolic right? Right. “But I thought spiking my insulin can lead to fat storage!” you say. You’re right…it can. That is why we want to spike it around the time of our workout, when we will be training and utilizing “the spike.” We also want to decipher which type or workout we will be doing. The rate of energy released during an insulin spike depends on which type of carbohydrate is consumed. For example, endurance workout (distance running), complex carbohydrates are ideal because they release energy at a slower rate. For a quick, high-intensity workout (weightlifting), simple carbohydrates are more beneficial for a spike.

For those of you that do not train in the mornings, here is a little side note: Not only is it best to spike your insulin before (pre) and during (para) the workout, it is also imperative to spike you insulin in the morning to take your body from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. While you were dreaming about supermodels, Santa Claus and gumdrops you’re body can enter a catabolic state because you are going without food for about 8 hours. Your job it is to put this to a halt! This can be done upon awakening with a meal consisting of protein, a combination of complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Break-the-fast…get it? Moving on…

There are many ways to spike your insulin properly and I will show you how. I will even take it one step further and give options for those on a budget.

Let’s get to it…

Pre-Workout

You will want to have a solid protein/carbohydrates/little fat meal about 1.5-2 hours prior to training. This will start the “spike” at a slow and steady climb. The small amount of fat and fiber in this meal can curb the spike so it’s not so high.

A perfect meal would be (depending on your needs):
rolled or steel-cut oats
mixed berries
1 tbsp of all natural peanut butter 
1 scoop of whey protein.

About 30 minutes prior to training (1-1.5 after the solid meal) begin sipping a liquid protein/BCAA/EAA drink that contains a solid array of carbohydrates. The ratio should be 1:1 or 2:1 carbohydrates to protein. 

On a budget
Whey protein mixed with Gatorade (or any sports drink)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Liquid Amino Acid Supplement (Controlled Labs Purple WrAATH) 
Waxy Maize
L-Arginine

Para Workout

Continue to sip this throughout your workout. This will insure a steady release of insulin throughout and keep your glycogen levels from rapidly depleting. The combination of amino acids/protein is necessary so that they can be shot gunned right into your muscle fibers, which will contribute to a speedy recovery and induce growth. 

On a budget
Whey protein mixed with Gatorade (or any sports drink)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Purple WrAATH (Controlled Labs)
Waxy Maize (unflavored)

Post Workout 

If all of the above was done properly a simple whey protein shake with 5 grams of creatine and BCAAs of your choice should really be all youneed within 30 minutes of completing your workout. If your goal is fat loss you can take it as a stand alone without any carbohydrates. If you are looking to pack on some mass, add in some carbohydrates, with the same 2:1 ratio. If you wish you can taper it to 1:1 ratio. 

On a budget
Whey protein (generic brand)
2 Bananas, or 2 rice cakes, etc. (or any simple carbohydrate)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Hydrolyzed Whey Protein (Optimum)
Waxy Maize (unflavored)
Creatine
L-Glutamine

The reason why the supplements mentioned above can be mixed into a liquid are to insure rapid delivery with minimal delay. Your muscles need this to perform before a workout and your muscles are screaming for this during and after a workout. As mentioned before, this will aid in faster recovery which will in turn promote muscle growth.

The fitness world is a constantly evolving industry. Peri nutrition is a fairly new concept in the bodybuilding and fitness world. The purpose of it is to keep insulin high when it is most beneficial and when your body is most anabolic, which is before and during a workout. It has been a misconception that after a workout a hefty serving of carbohydrates is necessary…it isn’t! If you spike your insulin before and during you workout, then there isn’t much of a need for it after. A protein shake should suffice until your next solid meal.

Last, but not least…be sure to consume a solid meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates about 1-1.5 hours after your post workout supplementation. A healthy serving of lean chicken and a sweet potato will do the trick. This will prevent a crash in insulin and provide your body with the protein and carbohydrates your body needs to build those rock abs! 

Now get to it and take it to the next level! Good Luck!

High Protein Food

No matter whether you want to gain muscles, reduce weight or just simply survive, you need to eat proteins. It’s a base to built every muscle so especially for body-builders it is essential to eat loads of proteins.

You probably think that this problem does not relate to you because you just want to reduce. And even if you think about reducing you do not want to lose only weight - you desire losing fat. I can tell you one thing without certain amount of proteins you’ll kill your own muscles, the cell that burn calories.

The more muscles you have the more calories yo burn. Even doing nothing. So now you know how important are proteins. You need to understand which sources of proteins are the best and when should be eaten.

Nowadays it is much easier. We have Internet and all nutrition information has to be put on a packaging. You simply read it and know what you eat and how much calories (energy) there is. Apart from basic information provided there are also other important factors like biological value or glycemic index.

 Biological value shows how much proteins provided witch certain food, can be used by your body to build muscles. Obviously the higher value is the better source you have. The best sources of proteins are: meat (beef and poultry), fish, eggs and dairy (especially cheese). Chicken - one of the best and commonly used by all body-builders. It’s full of high quality proteins (about 25% with biological value of 79) and does not contain much fat. Remember not to eat it with skin as skin itself is very fatty. The best choice is to eat breasts. It should be eaten about 150-300 grams a day. Beef - pretty much the same value as chicken (25% of proteins with biological value of 80).

You should always look for lean meat cuts but it is also worth trying a minced beef as this form is simply cheaper (unfortunately contains more fat). Additionally contains vitamin B12 and iron. It should be eaten at least 2-3 times a week. Fish - as a source of proteins it is actually even better than meat. Similar to beef or chicken it’s about 25% proteins but with slightly higher biological value of 82.

Apart from proteins it is also great source of fatty acids Omega-3 that has huge influence on health. It can be canned tuna, frozen or wet haddock/cod or salmon. Try eating at least twice a week. Eggs - second best protein source.

Egg proteins have phenomenal biological value of 88 up to 100 but there’s only 11% of them in white and about 16% in yolk. However yolk is full of fat and that’s why it is less recommended, especially when you want to reduce weight. Similar to fish eggs are good source of Omega-3. The best way to prepare them is to simply boil them for about 5-6 minutes (hard boiled eggs). You’ll void additional fat (e.g. frying) and it will be easier to separate white from yolk (if you do not want to eat yolk).

 Dairy - really good source of proteins. The biological value is about 80 but amount of proteins varies for different products: about 5% for milk or 22% for cheese (average). Dairy, because of casein which is assimilated longer, is especially recommended to be eaten in the evening, before you go to bed.

Unfortunately cheese has loads of fat and that’s why cottage cheese and skimmed milk are better choice. Since you need all kind of proteins it is recommended to provide all of them.

There’s no only one, magic protein that can sort out all your needs. It is also important to keep proteins at higher level whole day, so consider eating more meals during a day.

Obviously relatively smaller ones what will prevent you from gaining fat. Do not forget about providing other elements like carbohydrates and fat. These are responsible for power you need to do exercises.

What to Look for in Fish Oil Supplement

Here’s a checklist for choosing a superior quality fish oil supplement: 1. Fish oil supplement labels are important to read. The vital ingredient in fish oil supplements is omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA. Many labels simply mention the total count of omega-3 fatty acids. This kind of information is not very helpful as you do not know the actual amount of EPA and DHA inside the fish oil supplement. A fish oil supplement label should show the amount of EPA and DHA separately.

The total of both EPA and DHA should be between 1000 mg to 1500 mg. The ratio of EPA against DHA should be 2:

1. According to the FDA, you should not consume more 2000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, unless prescribed by your doctor.

 2. Look for pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This should be mentioned on the label. This type of fish oil is the highest grade because it is molecularly distilled, a process that takes place in a vacuum to avoid oxidation of fish oil. This is the only process that successfully removes impurities and contaminants from fish oil. This process also produces a more concentrated form of fish oil supplement with high potencies of EPA and DHA.

 3. Find out some information about the manufacturer. Check out some of the other products the manufacturer produces. Check forums and the Better Business Bureau to see if the manufacturer has a good reputation. Preferably, choose a fish oil supplement that has been manufactured by a company that has been in existence for a number of years. Fly-by-night companies are not typically known for high quality standards. If you cannot find any information about the manufacturer, it’s better not to purchase their product.

 4. Enteric coating is an advantage and keeps away the unpleasant after taste. The special coating on capsules allows digestion to take place lower in the digestive tract, not in the stomach. This helps to avoid the unpleasant after burps that many people experience after taking fish oil supplements.

 5. Ideally, fish oil supplements should contain Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps to prevent oxidation during storage. But it is also necessary because a regular intake of fish oil tends to deplete levels of Vitamin E in the body. Health experts agree that there is immense value in regularly taking a quality fish oil supplement. Fish oil helps to support heart health, boost the immune system, and it promotes healthy brain functions. There are numerous other health benefits to taking a fish oil supplement which makes it the number one choice for supplementation. Triple Strength Omega 3 contains pharmaceutical grade fish oil. It is high-quality fish oil that can boast a purity level of over 90 percent. With a DHA-EPA count of 1200 mg, this high potency fish oil supplement is safe to consume and maximizes the beneficial impact omega 3s can have on your health. By choosing the right fish oil supplement, there is absolutely no reason to stop taking fish oil supplements for fear of harmful contaminants. If you’re searching for the right fish oil supplement or want to switch to a safer brand, make sure it fits the above guidelines.

Healthy Foods That Help Burn Fat

Have you woken up one morning realizing you are overweight and as hard as you try, you can't recall how you came to this state? You can't seem to track it back to any particular event or series of events, because its something that over years from eating poorly and leading sedentary lives. Because this is something that has built up over many years, its also something that won't go away over night. Fortunately the reverse is true if you were to start eating healthy and getting some regular exercise. The situation is not out of your hands yet. Anyone who wants to lose weight needs to watch their intake of food. It's important to eat healthy, because you are what you eat. If you are going to watch what you eat, you need to focus on the key foods that will not only promote fat loss but are also helpful for your good health. When you make the decision to start eating healthier, its better not to quit cold turkey as this can be a very stressful change, and stress isn't good for us. So start by making a few changes at a time, replacing some of the junk foods with the foods below slowly.

 Soy Protein As omnivores, we eat both plant and animal, and from these food sources we get protein. Protein is vital in building and repairing our bodily tissues (Muscles and Organs). Because many of the animal based proteins carry some unnecessary fats (some fats are good, and some are bad), and through the growing, feeding and slaughtering process may come in contact with chemicals or biologicals that we do not want, there is a growing push for the tiny but powerful soy bean. The soy bean is a complete protein which is not that common for plants or vegetables, and its protein is not as high quality as the whey or animal proteins, it comes about as close to a magic weight loss pill as we can get. Proteins require a great deal of calories just to digest so by eating a clean light source of protein such as soy we are gaining a double benefit.

 Whole Grains You have a whole grain when you have bran, germ and endosperm present. Whole grains are a great source of key nutrients. They are one of the top sources of vitamin B, E, iron, magnesium and fibre. Here is a list of some good whole grain foods... Whole Wheat Wild Rice Oatmeal Brown Rice Whole Oats Whole Rye Barley Popcorn (no salt or butter) Not only do whole grains provide the benefit of decreasing the chance for heart disease, and the potential for blood clots, they are also good for fat loss. 

The Grapefruit You may remember the grapefruit diet, its remarkable fat loss properties being attributed to crazy and mythological qualities of the grapefruit, well crazy as all that sounds...the grapefruit is a great fat loss food, but for more realistic reasons. The grapefruit has been shown to reduce insulin levels in the body by a very small amount, and this means that you will store less sugar as fat, not to mention lower insulin levels lower your appetite. The grapefruit is also a highly fibrous food and low in calories and it actually takes more calories to digest it than there exist in the fruit itself. As a result the grapefruit is a great food to add to your morning breakfast or any meal.

 Apples Water rich fruits like apples contain pectin and this can limit how much fat your cells will absorb. There are other benefits to apples and small berries as they contain considerable antioxidants and are just plain good for you. The age old saying. “An apple a day...” Be careful not to go overboard with fruits, however as they contain a high amount of high-glycemic index sugars or simple sugars, and this can cause some undesirable spikes in insulin levels.

 Green Tea Green tea has been shown to increase your metabolism on a daily basis as high as 4%, and having this as part of your regular diet can only help with your fat loss goals. If you do not have the decaffeinated version of the tea you have the added benefit of caffeine in your tea (though its levels are less than coffee).

Fish There is a hormone in our body known as leptin that has the function of choosing whether or not your body will store the calories you consumed as fat or whether is uses them for fuel, and studies show that lowering the level of this hormone in your body aid in fat loss, or at least in the prevention of fat gain. Eating fish lowers your leptin levels. Research has shown that groups that frequently eat fish in their daily diet have leptin levels nearly 5 times lower than those that mostly live off of veggies. Conclusion Remember you are what you eat, so eat healthy!

Best Time for Cardio

Most wonder when the best time is to do cardiovascular training. But is there really an exact time to put cardio into your workout that will benefit your body?

 Many researchers have looked at this in a number of ways, but there has been no significant proof of when the best time of day is to do your cardio work out. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding on when to do your cardiovascular training.

By following a few simple steps, you can make your cardio workout most effective. First off, most people would agree that the best time to do a cardio workout is the time when you feel most energetic throughout the day. This allows you to use all your energy, and to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. A lot of people say that they feel best doing their cardiovascular workouts in the mornings because this is the time they have the most energy. However, if you are not a morning person, this is probably not the best time for you.

Remember, there is no specific time of day that is proven to help benefit your cardio workout. In the end, you have to choose what time works well for you. To get the best results of cardio training, it is ideal to separate your cardio days from your weight training days.

So, if you lift weights 3 times a week, try to do your cardio sessions on the days you are not weight training. This is especially important for men who are trying to gain mass. If you do your cardio workout before lifting weights this can deplete your glycogen stores, and defeat the purpose of your entire weight lifting session. Glycogen stores are your muscles main source of energy, and if you have very few of them you will not be able to push yourself through those last few reps that mean the most from your workout. For women and those who's priorities are not to gain mass, it is alright to do a cardio workout before a low-intensity weight training session. If your ultimate goal is to try and get both your cardiovascular training and resistance workout done in one session, you are better off doing your cardio session after your weight training.

The main reason for this is because weight lifting does not deplete your glycogen stores as much as it would during a session of cardio. Therefore, if you do your cardio session after your weight training, you will still have some left over glycogen stores to get in a decent cardio session. If you want a more effective cardio session in the same day as weight training, it is best to wait a few hours before jumping right into it after lifting weights. The reason for this is that it is important to restore your glycogen stores to stop the breakdown of protein. But, if you are trying to get both weight lifting and cardio done in one day, it is best to do your cardio session last. People often ask if they should do their cardio training on an empty stomach.

The answer to this is no. The reality of it is that if your body has no food in it, it has no easy source of energy. Therefore your body will start to look elsewhere for a source of energy. But where does it get the energy from? It will actually start to take energy from your muscles. So unless your goal is to lose muscle and become scrawny, I wouldn't recommend doing cardio on an empty stomach. Although I would never recommend eating a meal before working out, I would try to plan a light snack about 30 minutes prior to your cardio training. This would be most beneficial to your entire work out.

 Cardio equipment choice is also something that is often questioned. However, the choice of the equipment you use simply does not matter. They are all effective for cardio training, so whether you use a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, or a bike, all will lead to an effective cardio workout. Finally, taking these simple things into consideration should help you decide what the best time is for you to do cardio.

Only you can decide when and where, however knowing these simple facts may make your decision a lot easier. In order to make a cardiovascular workout effective, you must be consistent in your routine. The benefits from cardio will only be revealed if you stick to a set schedule.

Also, it is important to note that every single person has a certain time of day when they feel most energetic. Try to figure out when that time of day is for you and fit your cardio workout into that time slot. You will most likely be able to push yourself the most during this time, and have an overall better workout. In the end the only person who can decide when the best time for cardio is, is you. But, if you stick to these simple rules, your cardio workout should be most beneficial.

Dieting and Metabolism

When we're bombarded with images of gorgeous celebrities who seem to lose weight in the time it takes us to eat a Danish pastry, it's no wonder we're often tempted to cut our already low calorie intakes in an effort to shift an extra pound or two each week. But surprisingly, rather than helping us to reach our target weight more quickly, severely restricting calories actually prevents our bodies from burning unwanted fat stores effectively - and unfortunately, this means that weight loss slows down.

Why does a very low calorie intake slow down weight loss?

 Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defense against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds. So how many calories should I have to prevent starvation mode? Unfortunately, there's no single answer to this question.

As everyone's metabolism varies in the first place, so too will the point when the body starts to use muscle to provide it with calories in a 'famine-type' situation. That's why WLR works out suitable calorie intakes for each member on an individual basis and never lets you opt to lose more than 2lb a week, which would require a severely restricted calorie intake. In other words, if you stick to the calorie intake recommended by WLR, you can be sure your body won't go into starvation mode.

 As a general rule though, most nutrition experts recommend never going below 1,000-1,200 calories a day if you're dieting on your own. It's also worth bearing in mind that the body doesn't suddenly 'enter' and 'leave' starvation mode, like crossing the border from Devon into Cornwall. It's a gradual process - so you don't need to panic if you do go below your calorie intake very occasionally.

What's the link between muscle and metabolism?

 The metabolic rate - the rate at which the body burns calories - is partly determined by the amount of muscle we have. In general, the more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate; the less muscle we have, the lower our metabolic rate. This explains why men, who have a high proportion of muscle, have a faster metabolism than women, and why a 20-year-old has a higher metabolism than a 70-year-old - again, they have more muscle. Ultimately, muscle burns a lot more calories than fat so when we lose muscle, our metabolic rate drops and we burn fewer calories. In fact, research shows that the body loses a proportionately high amount of muscle with a very low calorie intake and this may considerably suppress metabolism by up to 45 percent. This explains why it's crucial to do as much as you can to protect your metabolic rate, especially when you're dieting. And this means dieting sensibly with a suitable, rather than a very low calorie intake so that you lose fat rather than muscle.

Is there anything else I can do to stop losing muscle when I'm dieting?

 As well as making sure you have sufficient calories to burn fat rather than muscle, it's also possible to build muscle, which in turn boosts metabolism. And the way to do this is, of course, to increase the amount of exercise you do. While aerobic activities such as jogging, swimming, fast walking and aerobic classes help to tone muscle and burn fat, strength or resistance training in particular will increase the amount of muscle you have in your body. And this is good news because for every extra 1lb of muscle you have, your body uses around an extra 50 calories a day! This means an extra 10lb of muscle will burn roughly an extra 500 calories a day without you doing anything - and that's a sufficient amount to lose 1lb in a week.

But doesn't your metabolism drop when you lose weight anyway?

 Yes, your metabolic rate naturally slows down a little when you lose weight, but this isn't automatically because you've lost muscle. It's because when your body has less weight to carry around, it needs fewer calories. This means if you weighed 13st to start with and now weigh 9st, you need fewer calories to maintain your new weight than you did when you were heavier. Simply put, there's 4st less of you to carry up and down the stairs, into the bath, around the supermarket and to the bus stop - and because your body doesn't have to work as hard as it did in the past, it can survive on fewer calories! This is why you should regularly update your Goals and Results - as your weight drops, Weight Loss Resources will recalculate how many calories you need to keep losing weight at your chosen rate.

Will yo-yo dieting have damaged my metabolism permanently?

 Fortunately not! The idea that yo-yo dieting permanently lowers your metabolism has been relegated to the archives. However, if you've frequently crash dieted and severely restricted your calorie intake without exercising, it's likely you'll have a lot less muscle now compared with the very first time you dieted. As a consequence, it's likely your metabolism will also be lower so that you need fewer calories to maintain your current weight. This is because when you follow a very low calorie diet, you lose muscle as well as fat (see above). But when the weight goes back on, you usually only regain fat. This means, your metabolic rate is likely to have dropped a little every time you've dieted, making it slightly harder each time for you to lose weight. The good news is you can increase the amount of muscle you have by increasing the amount of exercise you do. This in turn will rev up your metabolism so that you can lose weight one final time on a slightly higher calorie intake than you've perhaps been used to.