Push through Plateaus and Beat Workout Boredom!

Do you feel stuck in a rut with your workouts ? Are you bored to tears with your current routine? Do you feel like you’ve hit a plateau….that you’ve stopped seeing results from your training???
If any of those questions hit home, then you, your body, and your workouts are in desperate need of some variety and a change of pace!!! One of the best ways to push through plateaus and to keep your workouts fresh is to simply switch things up.
What I mean by that is - start manipulating a couple of different variables in your program – such as the number of sets, repetitions, and the tempo (the speed of your repetitions) and you will not only revive your routine, but you will also revitalize your muscles by giving them much needed, new challenges which they will have to grow and adapt to.
For example: to keep your biceps “guessing” when performing a traditional set of biceps curls with free weights - try changing your typical 2 to 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions to 2 sets with 12 to 15 repetitions using a lighter weight one day a week and curling the weight on a count of 2 seconds and releasing the weight a count of 4 seconds. On your next workout, try completing 3 sets of biceps curls, but this time with 6 to 8 reps each set and with heavier weight. To further “trick your muscles” play with the tempo again by curling on a count of 1 and releasing the contraction for a count of 4 seconds this time. That is just one example, and by using your own creativity with sets, repetitions and tempo your workout options are endless!!!
To further “shock your system” and stir up your workouts so to speak, try switching the exercises you typically do for a particular muscle group. For instance, if you are used to doing a bench press to work your chest, switch to flat pushups on one strength training session during the week, then on your next session try doing chest flys with free weights or a military press while sitting on a stability ball.
By introducing new exercises, different sets, repetitions and tempos into your routine you will break workout boredom, and conquer plateaus in no time!!!

Power to the Protein!!!

Protein does many great things for our bodies – from keeping us feeling full and satiated for longer periods of time to acting as the building block of our muscle tissue.
As for the question - how much protein do we need to eat? The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein according to U.S. government standards is 0.8 gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of ideal body weight for the adult. This protein RDA is said to meet 97.5% of the population's needs.
So, protein is definitely your friend and should be a part of your daily meals and snacks. As you know, there are many “designer” protein products out there from shakes -to powders -to bars etc… But, just as we pick and choose our friends, we also want to be selective with the sources of protein we allow into our lives. I prefer to stick to quality sources that are found naturally in the foods I eat as opposed to being “manufactured” and "packaged" into protein bars, supplements etc...
Here’s a list of my favorite protein picks that you may want to include in your meals too:

• Skinless poultry
• Fish
• Lean meats
• Shellfish (shrimp, scallops, crab etc…)
• Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, chick peas etc…)
• Egg whites and egg substitutes
• Eggs (According to the American Heart Association - one egg a day is acceptable for normal, healthy adults)
• Nuts (be mindful of your portions as they still are calorie dense)
• Low and nonfat dairy products
• Soy milk and tofu
  

Fasting - Friend or Foe?

One of the biggest health fads I hear buzzing around is the use of “fasting” or “cleansing” as a means to jump start weight loss, as a form of dieting, and as a way to “rid the body of toxins.” With high profile celebrities engaging in such trends, it is easy to get confused and misinformed on how to approach healthy weight loss and diet. And while the decision of your health is ultimately up to you, I would like to share how the concepts of “fasting” and “cleansing” may do more harm than good to your waistline and your health.

• While fasting/cleansing may help you lose weight initially- as your body is forced to use stored energy (body fat) to get the fuel it needs for you to live and function – in the long term, you are really setting yourself up for only temporary weight loss and failure.
• When we drastically restrict the amount of food we take in, by either fasting or engaging in a very low calorie diet like a “juice cleanse,” we actually slow our own metabolism down as the body fights to conserve and hold onto energy (body fat and calories) in order to help fuel us. Since our metabolism is what helps us burn energy (calories), we definitely don’t want to slow it down!!!
• So, after you fast or cleanse you are more likely to gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast because you will have slowed your metabolism down during this highly restrictive process.
• Additionally, you are really setting yourself up to binge after you’ve stopped fasting or cleansing as such intense caloric restriction often leaves you and your appetite feeling extremely deprived. The sight and cravings for all those off limits foods may be too hard to resist after such restraint.
• As if the above reasons are not enough to caution you from avoiding this type of diet trap, the notion that fasting can detoxify the body is nothing more than a myth!!! While some fasting diets claim they can cleanse the body of “toxins and impurities,” there is no evidence that fasting detoxifies your body, or that your body even needs to be detoxified. Our bodies are naturally designed to remove toxins through the skin (sweating), liver, colon, and kidneys sans cleanse/fast.
• Lastly, this type of diet is just not realistic and it flat out fails to teach you the key to long term weight loss success and maintenance, which is learning how to make and implement permanent lifestyle changes.

Therefore, I believe that you have so much more to lose than weight by engaging in a diet fast or cleanse. So, before you jump onto the next cleanse or fasting fad, please keep in mind the only thing that you will lose for sure is - a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from food you need to stay healthy, along with some power and speed that your metabolism really needs for healthy weight loss.
And, after all of this information, if you still decide to go on any type of new diet, particularly one that involves fasting or cleansing, please talk to your physician to find out whether it's safe and appropriate for you.

Crunched for time? Give Circuit Training a try!

Both cardio and strength training are key components for your health, fitness, and wellness. Cardio helps keep your heart healthy and burns lots of calories, while strength training protects your bones and helps you build lean muscle tissue, which in turn increases your metabolism. However, fitting both into your schedule can be quite a challenge. Circuit training comes in handy for those crunched for time, combining both cardio and strength exercises into one great calorie blasting, muscle building workout.
To create a circuit training workout, select different strength training exercises that work your major muscle groups - think chest, back, legs, abdominals, shoulders, biceps, triceps inserting various cardio i.e...jumping rope, jumping jacks, running in place in between each strength exercise. Try starting off with 30 seconds of each cardio and strength exercise or "station," completing 1 circuit. If that feels easy, try completing your circuit 2 to 3 more times working up to 30 minutes. Check this sample circuit workout below or create your own:

Warm up: Jump rope (with our with out a rope) 3 to 5 minutes

1. Body Weight Squats
2. Jumping Jacks
3. Alternating Lunges
4. Run/Jog in place
5. Push ups
6. Jump rope
7. Triceps Dips
8. Jump side to side
9. Plank
10. Mountain Climbers