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Cleveland Fitness Boot Camp Instructor Reveals Top Vitamins for Women
Ok, so you know Vitamins and Minerals are important. Most every woman knows that.
However, not everyone understands WHY they are so important for their body. So I recently asked Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter to give us the easy rundown on the Top Women’s Vitamins. Here’s what he had to say:
Vitamin A – This vitamin contributes to the health of you eyes, skin and nails.
Vitamim B – While B Vitamins are often referred to as “energy vitamins” they don’t actually give you a surge of energy, per se. What they actually do is help facilitate metabolic reaction in the body to create energy. They’re also necessary for a healthy metabolism.
Vitamin C – This women’s vitamin is a great antioxidant and immune system booster. It also helps skin health.
Vitamin D – Helps women absorb calcium. And it may help prevent certain types of cancer.
calcium – It’s actually a mineral not a vitamin. And as most women know already, it improves bone density.
Pretty simple, right? But you can also see why it’s so important to understand vitamins for women. When we understand the reasons to make healthier choices it helps us make them.
Now, I get asked all the time by women which vitamin supplements, if any, they need to be taking. Great question.
Well, if your nutrition is 100% perfect all the time then you probbaly don’t need to take any.
But that’s not the case for most women. Most women are busy as heck and don’t always find the time for proper nutrition. So if that’s the case with you I recommend taking a Whole Foods based Multi-Vitamin. And the only one I recommend is Prograde Nutrition’s VGF 25+ for Women.
It’s actually really cool because it’s literally made from 25 veggies, greens and fruits. You should definitely check out Prograde’s Women’s Vitamins . At the very top of the page is the list of ingredients. You can see the 25 whole foods they use to make VGF 25+ for Women.
Yours in health,
Nate Miracle, BS, CSCSC, NSCA-CPT
http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamps.com
PS – Pretty cool, huh? The nutrtion of 25 whole foods in a bottle!
Cleveland Personal Trainer Reveals The 7 Worst Exercises of All Time
In the past, I’ve shared my top exercises for rapid fat loss and muscle gain, featuring a host of multi-joint, compound movements for your upper body (e.g. push-ups, pull-ups, rows, dips, etc.), lower body (squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc.), and core (pillar holds and rotational core exercises). These “many muscle” exercises provide the biggest bang for your buck during your workouts to generate maximum results in minimal time.
But, I think we’ll switch it up a bit today and focus on the WORST exercises you can add to your training routine. The following list features movements that I wouldn’t be caught dead doing- movements that deliver shoddy results and flat our hurt people- movements that have far greater risk than reward:
The 7 Worst Exercises of All Time
1.) Abs Machine
Crunches and sit-ups only promote excessive flexion of the lumbar spine and tend to cause neck and back pain. What’s worse than crunches or sit-ups? Doing a similar movement with added weight in a machine that only trains your body in an unnatural front to back motion in a seated position!
Yes, abs machines, like crunches and sit-ups, do make your feel your abdominal muscles, but there are far better ways to accomplish this without the high risk of short and long-term injury to your spine.
Remember, the true function of your core is stabilization, both static and dynamic- to be able to maintain a neutral, straight-line position from your hips to your shoulders in all 3 planes of movement (front to back, side to side, and rotational) no matter what the external stimulus may be.
21st Century Training Upgrade: For rock hard, athletic abs focus on pillar stabilization exercises like front, side, and back pillars and ground based rotational core work like chops variations and upper body twists.
2.) Back Machine
Well, if I HATE the abs machine, how do you think I’m going to feel about the back machine? I mean this is just such a stupid exercise for so many reasons.
First of all, people already use too much “back” on most movements because of tight hips and inactive/weak glutes. Thus, I prefer to focus more on hip extension movements that strengthen your butt rather than continually overloading the spinal erectors. Plus, adding in corrective stretching for the hip flexor complex, the hip rotators, and the hamstring complex that opens up your hips and alleviates excessive spinal flexion and compressions is literally exactly what the doctor ordered.
Second of all, just like the abs machine, this bootleg exercise trains your body in one plane of movement in a fixed path and as a results doesn’t work your key stabilizer muscles.
Lastly, the way that most people perform this movement in such an out of control manner for speed just makes me want to vomit. It literally looks like they are trying to lie down for reps- is this the type of movement that we want to get really good at? Wait, don’t answer that 
21st Century Training Upgrade: For a strong, stable back focus on deadlift, good morning, and hip extensions variations while simultaneously focusing on the corrective stretching and self-massage of the Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip (LPH) complex. A prone cobra, or airplane as it is sometimes called, is also a great exercise to improve spinal erector endurance while simultaneously improving scapular strength and stability.
3.) Leg Extension Machine
Here’s the bottom line with this exercise- it will wreak havoc on your knees! The excessive compressions on your patella will without a doubt results in the brake down of articular cartilage which will in turn results in a bunch of arthroscopic knee surgeries to remove loose bodies and eventually full blown crippling arthritis. Avoid this machine like cancer!
21st Century Training Upgrade: For strong, stable knees, focus on both knee-dominant (lunge, step-up, and single-leg squat variations) AND hip-dominant single-leg exercises (single-leg hip extension, deadlift, and good morning variations) to prevent strength imbalances between limbs AND to prevent strength imbalances between your front and back thighs and your inner and outer thighs.
4.) Fly Machine
If your goal is tear your pecs and destroy your rotator cuff, then I highly recommend that you add this exercise to your routine. I think the chest fly machine actually gets even more play then the bench press, which is considered to be the most popular exercise for guys.
Again, the use of a machine versus doing a dumbbell fly alternative eliminates the use of the key stabilizer muscles surrounding your shoulders. Furthermore, the common male desire to use maximum weight to build a chest he can be proud of typically results in overuse injuries like shoulder impingement or biceps tendonitis.
21st Century Training Upgrade: For strong, stable shoulders focus on performing an equal amount of pushing and pulling exercises. In fact, more pulling exercises initially may be a good idea if you find yourself heavily internally rotated and hunchbacked from years of focusing on your beach muscles (chest, abs, and biceps) while neglecting your rear shoulders and upper/mid muscles. The best pushing exercise you can do is any push-up variation as it not only safely trains the entire front side of your body but also engages your upper back musculature in a way that the bench press does not. Furthermore, every year people die from bench pressing, but there has never been a reported death from performing a push-up!
5.) Elliptical Machine
Look- if you are really, really overweight and haven’t exercised in over a decade, then I think an elliptical has some use. But, other than that, I think it’s relatively useless.
Yes, it is a low-impact alternative to running on a treadmill, but there is very little range of motion during the movement and does not burn nearly as many calories as the machine claims it does.
Furthermore, the elliptical is not a good machine to do intervals on because it promotes excessive hyperextension of the knee. This can easily result in injury at high levels of speed and resistance.
Think about it- what’s the first machine people who are new to cardio exercise jump on? The elliptical! Why? Because it’s so friggin’ easy!
At the end of the day, you can read a dam magazine while on an elliptical, so how much benefit do you really think you will get from this overpriced waste of space?
21st Century Training Upgrade: For optimal results during your cardio training, you must focus on intervals. They burn 9 times more body fat than aerobics and also result in greater improvements in overall conditioning than long, slow, boring cardio. If you are overweight/de-conditioned and/or have joint issues, the best place to start an interval training program is on a spin bike, or better yet, an Airdyne Bike which has both upper and lower body attachments to make it more of a total body conditioning experience. If you need to rock your cardio equipment-free and/or at home or on the road, use body weight based exercises like jumping jacks, stationary running, split jumps, etc.
6.) The Sex Machine- Abductor/Adductor Combo
Ah, the sex machine… this one just makes me smile. It certainly takes me back to the days where my meathead buddies and I would shamelessly gawk at this outrageously good looking gal who did 1,000 reps on the adductor/abductor machine to fit into her “skinny jeans.”
But, I can assure you this machine had nothing to do with her nice bod- rather it was a combo of genetics, a clean diet, and being a tri-sport athlete that did the trick.
Women all over the world seem convinced that this “naughty” exercise can some how help them rid themselves of the thunder thigh/cellulite situation.
How many times have I heard: “What exercises can I do to get rid of this flab inside my leg?” Too many times!
Come on now, you know that spot reduction is a myth by now, right? Seriously, no amount of direct inner or other hip-thigh work will burn that ugly fat covering that sexy toned musculature everyone wants to see so let it go baby.
So the first thing you need to do is clean up all of the junk carbs in your diet and starting consuming lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and veggies every 2-4 hours while plugging water like a fish.
Then you need to get off this sexy machine and get real with a total body workout!
21st Century Training Upgrade: The best exercises for your inner and outer-hip thigh will come from band-resisted hip walk variations, side pillar variations, and any and all single-leg exercises, especially lateral lunges or cross-over lunges.
7.) Leg Press Machine
It never ceases to amaze me how we all look for the easy way out when it comes to working out. It’s clear why people prefer to leg press- they get to lay or sit on their ass depending on the exact type of leg press machine being used.
If you want both nice legs and a flat midsection then you need to squat! And yes, you can’t squat lying down, sorry!
But squats are tough because they require a whole body effort, an effort most people aren’t willing to put in explaining why they get crap results form their workouts.
The leg press could very well be a major contributing cause for the rapidly increasing number of bulging and/or herniated discs among exercise enthusiasts. People always use way too much weight and use poor form resulting in brutally compressive forces on the spine.
Seriously, if you are opting to leg press over squatting, then you don’t know squat, pun intended
21st Century Training Upgrade: The best (and safest) exercises for your lower body are a healthy combination of double-leg and single-leg exercises using free weights and body weight based exercises. Be sure to perform an equal amount of knee-dominant lower body exercises (e.g. squats and lunges) and hip-dominant lower body exercises (e.g. deadlifts and single-leg hip extensions) to make your knees, hips, and back bulletproof. In fact, most people are very knee-dominant and could benefit to start by performing a greater number of hip-dominant movements to balance out their lower body musculature.
You’ll notice once common trend among all of these crap exercises: they all involve MACHINES!
Get off those useless machines and focus on functional movements using free weights, bands, stability balls, etc. Not only will you ramp up your fat-burning and muscle-building pursuits, but more importantly you won’t end up hunchbacked in a wheel chair by the time you turn 50
Yours in health and fitness,
Nate Miracle, BS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
PS – Want to experience the best fat burning workout in Cleveland without stepping foot in an over-crowded gym or using lame, boring machines? Then try a FREE 1-week trial to Cleveland Fitness Boot Camps! Both West Side and East Side locations available! Just go to http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamps.com
PPS- What other exercises do you see people doing in the gym that make you cringe? What other exercises do you absolutely hate? What exercises have gotten you hurt in the past? Please share your personal experiences by posting a comment to this blog post, thanks!
Fitness Boot Camp Are Dangerous
Fitness Boot Camps are a growing trend in the fitness industry today for good reason. They typically are much more affordable than personal training. They also offer more camaraderie and social support, are much more exciting, and have many more convenient time slots than personal training while still providing expert supervision. Unfortunately, boot camps do have their downside. Many fitness instructors want to jump on the lucrative boot camp bandwagon without having any of the skills or experience to design custom workouts for the wide variety of fitness levels typical in large group training.
Here are 10 tips on how to select a boot camp that will get you results and keep you safe at the same time:
The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist
1.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Certified With Nationally Recognized Institutions AND Have a College Degree In a Fitness Related Field. There are many online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. This is in part why people get injured and what gives good trainers a bad name. The gold standards of fitness certifiying institutions are the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) or the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
2.) The Instructor(s) Must Look The Part And Walk The Walk. If the trainer takes physical fitness seriously and is on the cutting edge of new training methodologies, they will be fit themselves, plain and simple. It is very difficult to take advise from someone in worse shape than yourself.
3.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Experts With Exercise Progressions. Every exercise has the appropriate regression and progression based on your current fitness level. Overweight, de-conditioned beginners SHOULD NOT perform the exact same exercises as their more fit counterparts. If you ask your trainer if he/she can show an exercise modification that better suits your particular situation. This knowledge can easily prevent many injuries from occurring in the first place.
4.) The Instructor(s) Must Make Themselves Available 10-15 Minutes Before and After Every Session. Although a good trainer can effectively train the group as a whole and still give that personal touch, he/she must be willing to speak with clients before AND after every workout to address any personal issues or concerns that might arise within the scope of your training or in related to other very important topics like nutrition.
5.) The Program Must Emphasize Body Weight Before External Resistance. There should be no added weight to any movements until you have mastered the key foundational body weight exercises in full ranges of motion like push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. It is a definite red flag if you are instructed to add weight to any movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. Without this mentality it’s not a matter of if you will get hurt… it’s a matter of when!
6.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is fat loss. Furthermore, most people are seeking the lean, athletic look of a men’s health or women’s health cover model respectively, and this is easily accomplished with 2-5+ body weight resistance training movements organized in a circuit fashion with the proper pre-programmed work to rest periods between exercises. Plus a truly skilled trainer has mastered the art of intensifying movements without the need for extra loading.
7.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Information. Nutrition is 80% of the weight loss battle. Without it, you are joining an incomplete program and wasting your money since there is no amount of exercise that can compensate for poor dietary habits. People are too busy, and frankly too lazy, so the nutrition program needs to be clearly outlined and easy to follow. It should provide both Quick-Start Nutrition Guides for Males and Females respectively that will have you eating to support your fat loss goals in 5 minutes or less. Plus, a cookbook with a bunch of tasty and healthy done-for-you recipes should be provided to keep you on track!
8.) The Program Must Have A Website AND An Interactive Web 2.0 Social Network. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. Personal training is not just about “training,” it is a business and it needs to be approached that way. Furthermore, social support must extend outside of the boot camp workout. There are several web 2.0 interactive social networks (e.g. NING) that offer member profiles, blogging, and a forum where trainers and clients can interact with each other for FREE, so there is no excuse not to set this up for boot camp clients.
9.) The Program Must Have Social Proof And Raving Fans. If the program works, there should be proof in the form of client testimonials. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up (again, this should be made available on the company website). And remember, it’s NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.
10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial or Satisfaction Guarantee. If the program is confident about what they have to offer, then they will let you come in and try it for free or they will guarantee your satisfaction or your money back to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A results-based programs looks to minimize barriers of entry for prospects into their boot camps because they know that once the prospect experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely buy!
Please follow these helpful tips when selecting your next boot camp class!!! Our Cleveland Fitness Boot Camps were founded on these 10 tips. To check out Cleveland’s best boot camp workout, go to http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamps.com
Yours in health and fitness,
Nate Miracle, BS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Two Healthy Holiday Desserts For You
I know, I know, I know. The holidays are here and temptation seems to be EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon.
So that’s why I’ve got two great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won’t pack on the pounds.
First, is Grilled Banana Splits. Here’s the simple ingredients you’ll need:
4 ripe bananas
2 Tbsp chocolate chips
1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt
4 tsp chopped walnuts
Here are the easy-to-follow directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.
3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.
4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.
6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.
That’s it for a nutritious and delicious treat!
Second, if you like your life even easier, and you’re a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. I seriously cannot even begin to tell you how delicious they taste.
You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You’ll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, fitness pros that have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.
Trust me, you have to see this:
Yours in health,
Nate Miracle
PS – Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://www.GetProgradeNutrtion.com/cravers
Is Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost ever?
Oprah has been in the news again lately. So whats new, right?
Apparently she has increased her weight to 200 pounds again.
There’s a reason why some people say Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost EVER. She goes on diets, she loses 10-20-30 lbs, then gains it back. And she does it over and over again. In my opinion, its pretty bad for someone who is always promoting the latest diet craze, and then gains all the weight back and more afterwards.
If you go on 7 diets and lose 20 pounds each time, that’s 140 pounds you’ll have to lose, gain back, and lose again.
Why put yourself through all that trouble?
Wouldn’t it just be easier to lose the weight the healthy way, and only have to do it once?
The thing is, losing fat isn’t hard, in fact it’s really simple if you have a proven blueprint.
Just the other day I was talking to my pal Todd Scott, the author of “How To Get Six Packs Abs”. We were talking about all the “so called” short cuts and fat loss scams that are on the market, and how people are easily victimized by companies eager to play to the consumer’s weakness.
So, during our conversation Todd mentioned that he has a MUST READ manual for all of his clients and customers.
And what’s really cool is that he told me I could offer it to you for free.
So here I am.
You’re gonna like it because he kinda outlines in detail everything you need to do to burn fat.
umm. yeah. it’s super-detailed.
Ever wondered how many calories you burn per day?
- it’s in there
Ever wondered if the exercises in your program are effective?
- there
How about cardio. Doing enough? Doing too much…
This awesome report is whittled into 15 hard-hitting-cut-through-the-crap pages
It’s a quick read… so you’ll really like that.
But what you’ll love is it’s an action plan.
Just follow the steps, and you’ll burn fat.
It’s Pretty Nuts. It’s Pretty Simple.
And it’s FREE.
Just click the link below:
Top 10 Last Minute Holiday Fitness Gifts For 2008
Don’t know what to give friends and family for the holidays? How about giving them the gift of fitness to help give them some motivation to get back in shape for the new year (since you know that’s always one of everyone’s resolution). You could even use some of these fitness gift ideas to make your own holiday wish list this year. Here are my top 10 fitness gifts for this year:
1.) A Foam Roller
If you’re like most people, you spend a lot your day sitting down at a desk, which can cause muscle imbalances and flexibility issues. You probably don’t have a lot of time to get your daily workout in, let alone a good stretching session.
Well that’s where a foam roller comes in. It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically bolster injury prevention and improve performance. It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes post-workout to promote healing of the small micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process. Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.
If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months. I get all of my foam rollers from Perform Better. My brand of choice is The EVA Foam Roller (about $20), I have used it every day for the last several years and I swear by it! You can get it here .
2.) Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are by far the most simple, convenient, and affordable equipment option in the fitness industry. They supply total portability for killer workouts that can be done anywhere. If you are a busy professional who does a lot of traveling, bands are the perfect lightweight training tool to take your workouts with you on the road as they can fit in the smallest of bags without a problem. If you are a busy Mom looking to workout in the comfort of your own home, bands can make this happen too. Bands provide the perfect compliment to your body weight circuit training workouts for added variety, allow for multiple levels of resistance with practically zero transition and set-up time, are easy on the joints, and are fun to use!
In my years as a personal trainer, I have had the pleasure of meeting the world’s premier resistance band training expert, Dave Schmitz. This guy creates the most innovative fat loss workouts with bands that you’ll ever see. He has his own line of resistance bands that are virtually indestructible and I use them year round to get great workouts in at home or on the road. I also use Dave’s bands for all my fitness boot camps. To get the best bands in the business check here.
3.) Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book
Do you think that healthy eating can be bland and boring at times? Well that will all change if you get the Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book. This book features over 100 recipes including breakfasts, meat, poultry, seafood, side dishes, salads, soups, shakes and smoothies, and even dressings and condiments. It also covers topics such as meal planning, preparation tips, and cooking in bulk to make healthy cooking easy. You can get the book here.
4.) A Gift Card to a Sporting Goods Store For Fitness Equipment and Apparel
You can’t beat a sporting goods store like Dick’s Sporting Goods to get the best fitness equipment and apparel on the market today. I always recommend going with a gift card here because everybody has their own preferences, particularly when it comes to clothing sizes and styles.
5.) A Gift Card to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Other Premium Grocery Stores
Rather then waste money on an overpriced restaurant, why not give a week’s worth of groceries to a 100% organic grocer like Whole Foods to a friend or loved one. After all, everybody’s got to eat, but how many of us actually eat the right stuff to support our fitness goals?
Organic Grocery Stores like Whole Foods are healthiest option, particularly when buying produce to avoid foods that are typically loaded with hormones and pesticides at other regular run of the mill grocery stores. Also, since they don’t carry the normal crap food found in other grocery stores, there will be less temptation, thus making it easier to stick to your healthy plan. The key is to go in with a budget in mind (e.g. spend $50 bucks on protein, $20 on fruits and veggies, and $10 on miscellaneous items) only buying what you need.
6.) A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist
Most of us are crazy busy and super stressed out during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage. This is about as can’t miss of a gift as it gets, unless you know someone who doesn’t like to be touched. It’s nice to be pampered on occasion, and though the foam roller I mentioned above can do wonders for the majority of your body, nothing can alleviate tension in your upper back, neck, and head like a good massage therapist!
7.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin
Most supplements on the market today are waste of your time and money. In my journey, I have found only three supplements to be a mandatory part of the optimal fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil, and multi-vitamin supplements.
Protein powders provide great liquid workout nutrition and a convenient meat alternative for on-the-go snacking. For a protein powder, look for a brand low in sugar and carbohydrates and with a mix of both whey and casein (fast and slow absorbing proteins).
For post-workout, you want something with a little more carbs to help drive the protein in the muscle cells. Prograde Workout is my personal favorite.
For a good on-the-go breakfast or as a meal replacement shake I like Prograde Lean.
Fish oil, or more appropriately entitled an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Studies show that krill oil provides the most effective dosing of EFA’s and has over 300 times the amount of antioxidants.
A multi-vitamin provides keys vitamins and minerals that are tough to obtain unless your diet is near picture perfect. I don’t know about you, but I like to cover my bases when it comes to my health. Be sure to choose a multi-vitamin supplement that is made from whole foods rather than synthetic materials, in addition to being made specifically for your gender.
For myself and my clients, I only recommend VGF+25 and EFA Icon, both included in Prograde’s Health+ Package available here.
8.) Sport-Specific Gift
This one’s pretty basic: if you want to give a great gift to an athlete then get them something unique that compliments their sport, whether it be fitness equipment, apparel, or both.
9.) Fitn
ess Book or Subscription to Fitness Magazine
Everybody need bedtime or bathroom reading baby! If you have just read a good fitness book that you know a friend or family member would benefit from, hook them up with their own copy. Better yet, people love magazine subscriptions. Personally, I am a big fan of Men’s Health and Women’s Health. These magazines are filled with tons of workout, nutrition, and lifestyle tips catered to each sex and I never miss an issue. I know it sounds funny that I read Women’s Health being a dude, but I work with a lot of women so I need to keep up with the lingo like skinny jeans and muffin-tops, ha ha!
10.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp
Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that guarantee better results than one-on-one personal training for only a third of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.
Look for a local fitness boot camp with tons of social proof (client testimonials, especially in the form of pictures and video) to make sure they have a solid reputation and a bunch of raving fans of people just like you. Plus, any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials and money-back guarantees to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting you butt kicked, in a good way
So join a fitness boot camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp instructor myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.
And if you live in the local Cleveland area, come work with us for the best personal training Cleveland by visiting http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamp.com . We’ll change your life and have you looking better naked this New Year, guaranteed!
Stay healthy and fit for the holidays and have a very safe and happy New Year!
Top 13 Nutrition Tips To Prevent You From Getting A Belly Like Santa Claus This Holiday Season
Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean that you have to abandon any form of sensible eating. Use these 13 killer diet tips to best prevent that dreaded holiday weight gain.
We all know that during the holiday season it’s hard to ignore all the festive, calorie laden desserts and fun, seasonal beverages. Use the tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation and still be able to fit into your pants before the New Year:
1.) Perform High-Intensity Activity Before and/or After a Big Meal or Holiday Feast
I know, I know. I promised nutrition strategies, but I simply cannot go without recommending some activity. Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. It is less important when you do it and more important that you do it. Performing just 20 minutes of a high intensity interval training activity like circuit resistance training or cardio interval training, will give you great workout without having to spend an hour in the gym. Even a 20-30 plus minute walk a few hours afterwards can serve as a bit of damage control.
2.) Do NOT Fast in Preparation for a Big Meal or Holiday Feast
Fasting in preparation for a free meal will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Your body is a survival mechanism. After 3-4 hours of not eating, your body switches into fat storing mode, and will actually begin to burn off its own muscle for energy. This means that the next time that you eat your body will use as much of the incoming food as possible to store as body fat (survival energy) in anticipation that it won’t see food again for another long period of time. Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to four hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season!
3.) Do NOT Gorge Yourself
Eat until the point of satisfaction, not discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. Just because it’s a holiday meal it doesn’t give you the right to eat as much as you can in as little time as possible. However, listen to your body and make sure to enjoy the foods you are craving in moderation and only eat when you are hungry. A good way to prevent over-eating is to eat a smaller portion and then wait 20 minutes before you reach for seconds. It takes a while for your digestive system to send the signal to your brain telling it that you are full. By doing this, you should find that you really don’t need that second pile of mashed potatoes.
4.) Eat a High-Fiber, Protein-Rich Meal An Hour Before a Holiday Event
A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help prevent overeating by making you feel more full which in turn means less calories consumed during the ensuing feast. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 16 oz. of water before such a meal to help keep me nice and full upon arrival. This way you won’t lose any friends by eating their entire dinner platter and you’ll save your midsection from a fluffier existence!
5.) Eat Lean Proteins and Fruits and Vegetables FIRST
Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. Try to eat a small side salad before you dive into the main course. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.
6.) Drink, Drink, Drink Water!
Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps decrease appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!
7.) Do NOT Eat Again Until Hungry Following a Large Meal
Now I know I already told you to eat every 2-4 hours, but there is one exception to this. If you eat a huge meal, it is important not to eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer full. If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.
8.) Immediately Resume Your Normal Eating Schedule at the Next Meal
One day of indulgence won’t kill your weight loss plan, as long as you quickly get back on track the next meal. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake. For example, let’s say that you need 3,000 calories per day to maintain your current body weight. Well, all that you need to do is make sure the average daily caloric intake each week is 3,000 calories per day. This means that you can fluctuate your daily caloric intake and yield the same results as if you ate that same amount each day. So if you have one day of big eating where you eat 9,000 calories (just an example, not a recommendation), but you only eat 2,000 calories per day the rest of the week, you will still end up at the same caloric balance. Just make sure that you break your total calories into 5-6 smaller meals. Again, I am not recommending that you eat in such an extreme manner, rather I am suggesting that you do not have to obsess about being perfect. Enjoy some indulging in moderation at your various holiday festivities knowing that the week in review trumps a day in review, even when you are particularly naughty on any given day.
9.) Never Eat Junk Food for Breakfast or Before Bed
Start your morning on the right track. Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach! I recommend a high protein, high fiber meal replacement shake such as Prograde Lean to all my clients.
10.) Control your Portions
Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!
11.) Avoid Empty Liquid Calories and Alcohol
One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body in addition to the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels thus defeating one of the main purposes of this flexible eating (decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel). Thus over-consumption of alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain and thus set you back as little as a few days to as long as a full week!
12.) Use Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible
Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!
13.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates
The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. This is the equivalent of becoming the next Goodyear blimp, so it is imperative to use caution at your holiday meals when it comes to combining fat (particularly saturated and trans fats) and carbs (particularly starches and refined sugars). In general, it is best to choose one over the other. But since most people crave carbs at their free meals, it is essential to keep the fat low at this meal. Want pasta? Instead of alfredo sauce, opt for marinara sauce with whole grain pasta. Want pizza? Make your own pizza with whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Want mashed potatoes? Well then be sure to skip the gravy and go easy on the butter. Always try to eat a carb or a fat with a source of protein, which will help slow the absorption of carbs and fat into the bloodstream. These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.