Wednesday, April 19, 2017

7 Tips For Staying Fit This Summer…


Summer is coming and I am sure you have thought about ways you can stay fit. I am offering you some well thought out advice on how you can maximize your time invested and stay fit this summer.

Perform 3 high intensity circuits (metabolic workouts) per week: A metabolic workout consists of a circuit (4 or more moves back to back often of non-competing exercises for beginners or intermediates) for the upper body, lower body and core that work every muscle in the body and elevates metabolism anywhere from 24-72 hours post-workout. Metabolic circuits combine strength training with cardiovascular exercise.

For example, alternate the following 5 exercises for 10 reps then rest for 45 seconds-1 minute between sets: body weight squats, push-ups, forward lunges, bent-over rows and planks. Perform 4-6 total rounds for a 20-minute workout you can do anywhere and anytime (be sure and warm up first-always).

Burn to earn…

You need to spend time on a task if you wish to see results. To make exercise a habit it often takes 4-6 weeks of focused energy. There is a 61% likelihood that after missing one workout you will also skip an exercise session the following week, according to a UK study. Keep that in mind the next time you consider foregoing a trip to the gym. You are 2 times more likely to stick to an exercise program when you perform shorter workouts-30 minutes or less-compared to longer sessions, according to a YMCA study. Get to your sweat sessions and burn those calories.

Find a food form supplement: We heavily promote the Isagenix® Cleansing and Fat Burning System. This system supports 3 metabolic functions: cellular cleansing, cellular nourishment, and complete body revitalization. Food form supplement systems can provide a great nutritional foundation and fill in the gaps in your nutrition plan. Nutrition works synergistically. When you give the body optimal nutrition it supports optimal performance, improves health, and promotes optimal body composition. Yes, you still have to eat whole foods and maintain a sensible meal plan.

Remember high fiber carbohydrate foods: Every day focus on consuming nutrient-dense, high-fiber carbohydrate foods such as fruits and vegetables every 2-3 hours. If you must have the other carbohydrates, have them pre-workout (within one to two hours of intensive exercise) when your body best tolerates starches and sugars without unwanted fat gain. Remember a post workout carbohydrate/protein blend (3:1 gram ratio, as high as 5:1 depending on the focus of training).

Release stubborn body fat with high intensity interval training (HIIT): Intensity beats extensity. Intervals provide greater fat release and fitness improvements in less time than traditional aerobic exercise (HIIT works more efficiently). HIIT causes a large release of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenalin), which mobilize stubborn fat deposits.

For example, alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and up to 90 seconds of active recovery. Perform 5-7 rounds for a 15-20 minute workout; remember to include a 5 minute warm-up, stretch and cool-down. This can be fused into your circuits from above.

Be lean by going green: Consume an unlimited amount of green veggies such as broccoli, green beans, spinach, dark, leafy lettuce and peppers. Green veggies are labeled free foods and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and even water. They also help to prevent hunger and keep you full between meals (so you avoid the binging mentality). Use corn, peas, carrots, beets and potatoes wisely because they can impact your blood sugar (negatively) and have less overall nutritional value when compared with their greener alternatives (some of these are good pre-workout snacks).

Find a Burn Buddy: There is strength in numbers. Study after study supports that when it comes to achieving lasting fitness and full development of an active lifestyle; social support and accountability remain the number one factor. In fact, you are 80% more likely to stick with a workout plan (short or long term) if you have a partner to join you (Strategy One, 1000 people). Bottom line: develop support as you go on your journey.

Try Fitness Boot Camp: Fitness boot camps are popular. There is good reason. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that people who train in groups can boost their pain tolerance more than those who work out alone. The scientists are still trying to figure out why, but they think group exercise may lead to an endorphin surge. No training partner? You will make new burn buddies at RHF Burn30 Bootcamp.

Rock Hard Fitness (RHF) offers Burn30 Bootcamp; 30 minute sessions and addresses the issues in this written correspondence. Training. Coaching. Accountability. Burn. Ouch. Done.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Clear The Clutter This Spring…


Get your life organized this coming season…
There is more to de-cluttering (cleaning) than tossing out the garbage. Your mind could use clearing up, maybe your relationships, too. Try to approach them as you would approach going to exercise. You have to have goals and a clear plan to reach them. Bring that same discipline to other areas of your life and you will feel balanced, have a greater sense of well-being, become laser focused, and definitely be more grounded. Seek progress rather than perfection.
De-cluttering your body…cleanse
1. Drink some fresh lemon. In the morning, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass of water and throw in back. Lemon stimulates your gallbladder (an organ that produces bile, which breaks down fat). Try it for 14 days.
2. Cook with garlic and parsley. Mince one large clove of garlic. This brings out the most allicin, a compound that can help remove heavy metals from the body. Combine it with three sprigs of diced fresh parsley, a detoxifying herb that also help to neutralize the smell of garlic. Sprinkle the mixture over a salad or pasta dish. It is safe to do this every day.
3. Pop a milk thistle capsule. This is a very safe herb that promotes liver detoxification. This is especially helpful if you had an over-indulging weekend (alcohol and bad food). You can buy it in supplement form. Always follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. Consider the Isagenix® 30 Day Cleansing & Fat Burning System (contact RHF for details).
De-cluttering your mind…

1. Unplug (offline) for 15 minutes daily minimum; schedule time for peace of mind. You will be more grounded, and you will have a stronger sense of purpose. Try practicing meditation and mindfulness. Try turning off the radio and phone now and then when you are driving and use the time to decompress and reflect.
2. Quit multitasking. Juggling multiple tasks at once ultimately dilutes your attention. Be where you are. If you are working out, be there. If you are on the phone, be there. Avoid techno-ference. If you are at dinner with a friend, be there.
It is the single biggest tip for creating a balanced and focused life.
3. Set clear, tangible, and impacting life goals. This will ensure you are living with a purpose while being clear about it.

De-cluttering your relationships…

Get rid of toxic friends. There is one in every social circle; the person who always has negative or derogatory things to say about almost anything. Give the person a chance to work on it, but after you have asked three times, you are done.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Reclaim Your Fitness And Your Joy…



I hear it all the time "I need to get back to my fitness routine...”
We all go through major changes or even losses in life. We often deal with many residual effects of life's circumstances such as depression and grief. These circumstances most often hide as something out of our control. The common casualties are your workout regimen and your soft body. I have to tell you the truth.
There is no doubt change can be debilitating, but it can also mean great opportunity. The death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a breakup can send you deep into depression, so deep nothing else matters. Eating wrong, skipping sleep and certainly skipping your workout can also set you up for major problems. Even worse, you lose your fitness way faster than the time it took you to gain it (use it or lose it). Change can kick your butt and it can also make you soft and fat or you can take the high road and view the opportunity ahead
Fitness is a feeling; to get started again (or refocused) do just enough to feel good, and then retain that feeling. Remember how good working out makes you feel rather than how good it makes you look. Looks are secondary. Use the positive emotions you get from a good sweat session to catapult you forward, to continue the fitness journey that will take you through life’s tough times.
There is nothing wrong with working out for vanity, but we also workout because we like the way it makes us feel; confident, gratified, invigorated, strong, happy, or ready. These feelings will send you back to the gym more than once I promise. It will be far from just a routine. It will be vital to your lifestyle and vital to your joy.
Life will knock you down, probably more than once. But how long you stay down is up to you. What is your bounce-ability threshold? Crisis and opportunity mean the same thing is Asian culture. Take control of what is yours; your joy, your happiness. Never leave that up to someone else. People may often disappoint you if you let them. You have control over your life, your happiness, and your joy. Take it, it is yours and use fitness as the glue.