3 SECRET WEAPONS FOR THAT SEXY PHYSIQUE

Ok, so "Secret Weapon" might be a little misleading, because there is no quick fix weight loss! However, if you add these 3 methods into your lifestyle you will see results!

 

 

 

SECRET WEAPON #1:    FREQUENCY TRAINING

COMMON MYTH:  Workout too much causes overtraining

THE REAL TRUTH:  The more you train the faster you can redesign your body!  Bottom line is do something different everyday!

MUST ADDS TO YOUR WORKOUTS:  Strength training, cardioflow, metabolic after burn,  neuroboost session, regain, and recovery!

SECRET WEAPON #2:  CARB CONFUSION

COMMON MYTH:  Carbs make you fat and you should never eat them!

THE REAL TRUTH:  Carbs are your energy for your workouts.

CONFUSE your body by switching up your carbs on a regular basis. Eat very low carb one day. Eat a moderate amount of carbs on another. Then jack your carbs up one more time before dropping back down to low carb again. Know what a carb is and make sure you are eating the right carbs at the right times!

SECRET WEAPON #3:  CONTROL YOUR CORTISOL

COMMON MYTH:  Cortisol is making me fat!

THE REAL TRUTH:  Cortisol is known as the hormone blamed for visceral weight gain in the abdomen.  Cortisol is a good thing when all systems are running well. It gives you the energy to function and train during the day. The problem  the chronic stresses of modern life.  If you don't control your cortisol, your abs will stay flabby!

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR CORTISOL:  Stress management--eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, and making an effort to relax and enjoy relationships you have with others-- can help get cortisol under control. 

Hope you will soon see the body you are looking for!  Any questions?  Feel free to email me justin@yourfitnessedge.com. 

 

LOVE YOURSELF FIRST!

Love is in the air during this time of year, so Love Yourself First!  Ok, so it's probably not a good idea to forget the card, gift, admiration for your loved one however loving yourself will make you and your relationship a much better one.  Try focusing on your mind, body, and heart!

Mind:  Re frame you mind with positive affirmations.   For instance, set positive and realistic goals for yourself.  Write them down and leave it somewhere you can read it each day and remind you of what you are capable of accomplishing.  This will help boost your self-esteem and give you that much needed confidence.  Meditation or relaxing not only helps improve will power but has endless physiological and psychological benefits.  Try filling your time with silence, soothing music or visions of your goals; anything that nourishes your soul. 

Body:  We all know that exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better and gain many health benefits for the body.  It is important that you strengthen yourself with proper nutrition and regular strength training exercises. Your body is a temple and you should treat it that way. It has been found that the lack of self love is often the root causes of conditions like eating disorders, obesity or even terminal diseases.  Try to do some sort of exercise everyday!  

Heart:  The heart is the largest muscle in the body that is responsible for distributing blood and oxygen throughout the body.  Cardiovascular and aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body's ability to use oxygen. Over time, aerobic exercise can help decrease your heart rate and blood pressure at rest and improve your breathing.  Try adding aerobic exercise (an increased level of intensity over a longer/sustained period of time) at least 3 times a week to help strengthen your heart!   Also, eat heart-healthy foods which provide antioxidants and vitamins and minerals needed to maintain healthy heart function and keep the blood circulating. 

Now that you've taken time to love yourself, give yourself  a BIG HUG!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

So you're walking down the butter isle and it's a little overwhelming on the many different choices...butter, margaine, butter substitue, vegetable spread. In the past,  butter was a NO-NO and Vegetable-oil-based margarines surged in popularity as doctors began to understand the dangers of saturated fat. But the butter-versus-margarine debate is a slippery subject. Some margarines have unhealthy trans fats, while others have confusing health claims. Meanwhile, some say butter is an "all-natural" choice. Well, here is the bottom line on butter and its alternatives and what are the best and worst products for your heart.
What's Good For Your Heart?
According to the American Heart Association buying soft, trans-fat-free spreads instead of regular butter or stick margarine is the "Heart Healthy Choice." What to look for when doing your grocery shopping is a blend with the least amount of saturated fat and zero trans fats. Look at the ingredients: If it says partially hydrogenated oils, it still has some trans fat (less than 0.5 gram per serving), even if the label says trans fat free. Having more than one serving, which is easy to do can really add up.

Is Butter Better?
Growing up on a farm I can attest that nothing tastes better that Real Homemade butter. Regular butter is made with one ingredient: cow's milk or cream, churned or shaken until it reaches a semisolid state. By definition, it contains at least 80% milk fat by weight.  So you don't have a cow to make your own butter.  In the store, butter comes in salted and unsalted varieties, and it can be found in solid stick form or whipped and packaged in plastic tubs.

Margarine...What is it?
Margarine has had its ups and downs.  It's been called a healthier, plant-based alternative to butter, but it also faced a backlash for being artificial and having trans fats, which help keep oil-based ingredients solid at room temperature. Margarine is any vegetable-oil-based, butter-flavored spread that contains 80 percent oil; anything with a lower oil and fat content is called a "soft margarine spread." Another vegetable-oil based spread is yogurt butter.  I've never tried it but has about 1/2 the calories and about 75% less fat! 
Are There Healthier Options?
Your healthiest option may be to skip both the butter and the margarine. I recommends using monounsaturated fat instead: olive oil for dipping bread or vegetable oil for cooking. "If you must using butter when cooking, I'm not going to say you can't do it, but maybe try using a little less butter and a little more oil." Try using avocado and nut butters in place of butter on sandwiches.  This will help get you daily fat intake the healthy way. Watch the portion size,  calories from any source of fat can add up quickly.
Don't Overdo It
So bottomline, whatever product you select, limit your consumption overall. When baking, use a hard stick of trans-fat-free margarine in place of butter. Regardless of what you use, portion size is key.

Any questions feel free to contact me justin@yourfitnessedge.com

Super Calorie Burning Workout for Super Bowl!

It's another Super Bowl Sunday and we are looking forward to the Super Bowl Party just as much as the football game.  However, did you know that the super bowl is the second most calorie consuming days just behind Thanksgiving?  The average American will consume about 1,200 calories just during the game!  That's a lot of snacks and food.  Well don't worry!  Here is a Super Calorie Burning Workout to help work off that Super Bowl Party! 

The workout is simple but intense and will be sure to burn plenty of calories!  Unlike traditional treadmill or cardio training this workout will incorporate strength and cardio training all at once.

There are only 5 exercises to complete.  Doing 2 rounds of each exercises.  Round 1:  The number of repetitions for each exercise will be based on the number of points the winning team scores in the Super Bowl.  Round 2:  Based on the number of points the losing team scores.  If the total points added together are less than 20 complete a 3rd Round exactly the same as Round 1.


 

Punt Squats:  Stand with feet together and hands behind the head, locking fingers together. Bring the right knee up and extend the leg in a front kick, fully extending the knee. Lower leg and bend knees into a low squat (knees behind toes) and then stand and kick with the left leg. Repeat (right kick, squat, left kick).  Each squat counts as one repetition. 

Fumble Recovery Pushups:  This exercise is similar to the basic push up except it engages many more muscles due to the single arm load and the uneven surfaces. Begin by placing the ball in front of you. Get into plank position, similar to the basic push up, with right hand on the ball and your feet out behind you. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down towards the top of the ball. Push back up to the starting position and now roll the ball over to your right arm. Shift your weight to your left arm and lower again. That is one repetition.

Touchdown Burpee:  Stand up straight with your arms by your sides and your feet at shoulder width. Squat down and place your palms face down on the floor in front of you. Kick your legs behind you so you are in a push-up plank position.  Pause then pull your legs back under you into the squat position, keeping your palms face down on the floor. Stand and then jump in the air, bringing your arms over your head to reach for the ceiling mimicking a football referee touchdown. When you land, you will finish the first touchdown burpee.

Football Reach Situps:  Using the the floor, a mat preferably, and a ball or weight which you can comfortably grip in your hands. When you have all of these the next thing that you need to do is to get into the sit up position. lying flat on the floor with your knees bent keeping your feet flat on the floor.  Grip the ball or weight in your hands resting on your chest.  Lift your upper body up in a sit up curl, bringing yourself towards your knees and raising the ball or weight directly over your head.  The trick lies in the going-down part of the sit up. Instead of just falling back down as fast as you can, control your descent so that you are contracting your ab muscles in order to exert that control bring the ball back to your chest. 

Heisman Reverse Lunge:  Stand in a comfortable stance and step backward with your right leg so your left leg is at 90 degrees and your right toes are on the floor; this is a reverse lunge. With the ball in your left arm bring your right leg forward raising your knee without touching your foot.  Now do a Heisman pose twisting your the left elbow (the arm holding the ball) towards your right knee,  reaching back with your right arm. Hold the pose for a moment, then repeat.  Do have the required repetitions on one side then switch and finish on the other leg. 

Enjoy the game (or party) and we will see you back in the gym Monday.  Good Luck!

Questions about this or other workouts?  Feel free to email me at justin@yourfitnessedge.com. 

Calorie Saving Tips For your Super Bowl Party!

Many will be consuming plenty of calories while attending that Super Bowl Party so here are a few ideas to help save some calories as you prepare for that party!

1.  No Nachos!  Skip the high calorie nacho cheese and fried chips!  Never a good idea!  Instead opt for the baked chips and salsa.

2.  Don't skip the Shrimp!  Shrimp cocktail is minimal prep work and one of the lowest calorie snacks you can choose.  5 large shrimp with cocktail sauce are only about 150 calories.

3.  Think before you Drink!  Always a good idea no matter, but when you decide to indulge choose a light beer instead of regular.  You can save almost 100 calories per beer!  By limiting those empty calories you will save time at the gym.  Also add H2O in between drinks.  This will not only keep you from drinking as much but also help you feel full and hydrated!

4.  Veggies The Old Fashion Way!  Raw vegetables are high in fiber and saves you many calories compared to other snacks.  The kicker is the dip.  Instead of using the regular ranch dressing with sour cream, try adding a pack of dry ranch mix to a container of plain non fat Greek yogurt.  It's high in protein, low in fat and taste like the regular dip!

5.  Eat Wings!  It wouldn't be a Super Bowl party without the chicken wings!  So go ahead and eat those wings.   Instead of using the deep fat fryer try baking the wings.  They will take a little longer so be prepared but the wait will be worth the saved calories and fat!

Enjoy the your Super Bowl Party and hope your team wins!