H.I.I.T. What?

Let me let you in on a little secret on how to burn fat a little bit faster in your workouts...

After reading this blog you will:

1) Know what a H.I.I.T. Workout is

2) What kind of results you can obtain from a H.I.I.T. Workout

3) Who would benefit the most from a H.I.I.T. workout

4)  Know 2 Simple H.I.I.T. workouts - and how to put your workouts together

WHAT IS H.I.I.T.? 

H.I.I.T. is the acronym for High Intensity Interval Workout. It's a workout designed for short burst of high intensity intervals followed directly by low to moderate intensity levels and or rest.

It can be applied to the treadmill, bike, elliptical, outside running or basic strength training and/or strength training mixed with bouts of high cardio exercises. It's considered to be far more effective then normal cardio because of the intensity, and your able to increase both your aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (with out oxygen) endurance while burning more fat then ever before. It can also increase the RMR (resting metabolic rate) for the following 24 hours after the workout due to the excess post oxygen consumption and may improve your Vo2 Max more effectively then longer cardio workouts.  Just to put it plain and simple = More calories burned effectively. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS YOU CAN OBTAIN FROM A H.I.I.T. WORKOUT?

Without going through a long spiel and bore you, H.I.I.T. can accomplish two goals: It can accelerate fat loss and again improve aerobic and anaerobic endurance. WHO needs any more clarification then that! Boom!

More then likely H.I.I.T will produce faster results in a shorter period of time. Being consistent and sticking with a H.I.I.T program for at least an 8 week cycle, you better believe other people, including yourself will notice a significant change to your body. 

WHO WOULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM A H.I.I.T. WORKOUT?

DUH? Anyone that's looking to burn as much fat as possible -especially during a cutting phase. Athletes will benefit just as much when simulating specific speed and agility drills into their workouts. 

OKAY OKAY, Here are your sample workouts:

*TREADMILL H.I.I.T:

Minutes 1-4 (warm-up)

Jog at a nice easy pace (about 50% effort)

Minute 5 -8 Intervals 1-8

BEGINNER: Sprint 30 seconds at maximum effort- jog/walk 30 seconds ADVANCED: Sprint 20 seconds at maximum effort-Hop off and Recover 10 sec

Minutes 9-12 (Cool Down)

Jog at a nice easy pace end it with a nice easy walk.

*STRENGTH/CARDIO  H.I.I.T.:

• Round 1: 10 pushups from knees or toes
• Round 2: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats
• Round 3: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats, 10 bench dips
• Round 4: 10 push ups, 10 jump squats, 10 bench dips, 30 sec  log jumps
• Round 5: 10 push ups, 10 jump squats, 10 bench dips, 30 SEC log jumps , 10 shoulder lateral raises
• Round 6: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats 10 bench dips, 30 sec log jumps , 10 shoulder lateral raises, 30 sec Star Jacks
• Round 7: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats, 10 bench dips, 30 Sec log jumps , 10 shoulder lateral raises, 30 sec Star Jacks, 10 Lunges Each
• Round 8: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats,10 bench dips , 30 Sec log jumps , 10 shoulder lateral raises, 30 sec Star Jacks, 10 Lunges Each, 10 Jump Tucks,
•  Round 9: 10 pushups, 30 sec Star Jacks, 10 Lunges Each 10 bench dips, 1 Sec log jumps 10 shoulder lateral raises, 30sec Star Jacks, 10 Lunges Each, 10 Jump Tucks, 20 hammer curl,
• Round 10: 10 pushups, 10 jump squats, 10 bench dips, 30 Sec log jumps , 10 shoulder lateral raises, 30 sec Star Jacks, 10 Lunges Each, 10 Jump Tucks, 20 hammer curl, 1 minute lunges, 30 Sec High Knees

Good Luck and Remember to drink your H20! 

Hugz

Ang

P.S. YES YES!!! I am putting in a disclaimer ;) 

*DISCLAIMER: Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise or weight-loss program. The general information displayed here is not intended to substitute for or replace your healthcare professional. If you think you may have a medical emergency or experience any pain, call your doctor or 911 immediately. I make no representations or warranties concerning any usage of the information offered here and will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other losses or damages that may result. Reliance on any information appearing on this site or from me is strictly at your own risk.

McDonald's after a workout?

I am sure you've been there and one point in your life. I just did a 90 min workout and I am starving! I am going to McDonald's and eating myself a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder w/cheese and some yum yum fries. Let me add a diet coke to that too!

STOP!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The most popular question to me as an instructor/trainer is the above question! What should you eat? What if you are not going home right away? What if its like 9pm? Whats the time frame to eat something after a workout? Or better yet should I eat a big meal or eat waffles with gobs of syrup before coming to your class?? HAHA! If you want to puke it all up, sure!

Okay so lets get down to the nitty gritty...The size, timing and content of you pre- and post- workout meals are very essential in determining your energy levels during a workout and muscle recovery/rebuilding after a workout. Also keep in mind that the food you eat (pre AND post) will also be a factor on if it is stored as fat or used as fuel.

First off WATER!!! 
Most exercisers will lose about 4 cups of fluid during a workout. So after your workout you should try to get in 16-20 oz of water in to aid in the recovery process.

 POST EXERCISE MEAL Or SNACK??
Don't give yourself the excuse of: "Well I just burned 900 calories, I am going to McDonald's so I can eat what I want" Of course you are hungry. Most people are after a workout, making it easy to eat more than you really need, or choosing the foods that don't really help your body! Eating too much of the wrong thing can actually hurt your body -being stored as fat is one thing, and not helping the repair of muscle tissue would be another. Providing high quality protein after exercise gives your muscles the fuel and the building blocks needed for both repair and for growth. And yes carbohydrates are needed too unless its 9pm at night then you want to watch the amount of carbs you load on.

-Aim to eat at least 30 min to an hour after your workout.
-10 to 20 grams of lean protein Cottage Cheese, Lean grilled Chicken/Turkey breast (2-3oz), protein smoothie/shake, Eggs, Lean Fish and for a dinner option- Vegetable Stir Fry with Chicken or Shrimp for dinner is good!
-Early morning / Mid afternoon workout? - You will need at least 60% carbs 25% protein (Unless otherwise told by your trainer and/or nutritionist) Cottage Cheese w/fruit, Greek Yogurt w/fruit,  Eggs and toast(no high fructose corn syrup), Apple or Banana with Almond Butter, Protein Pankcakes, and try Salmon with a baked sweet potato and roasted asparagus for lunch...mmm mmm good fuel!

Remember you want to help your body not hurt it! Be very cautious of what you put into your body especially after a great workout, you worked too hard to crush it!!

Drink you h20 and smile!

Next blog--- What is H.I.I.T. training? 

Ang

Portion Control when eating out....

Sitting down at Applebees the other night, I look around at all the happy families, couples, and friends, enjoying their meals and / or drinks together and I notice one thing... HUGE portion sizing. I know, I know you heard this all before, but lets take a refresher course on "Portion Control" and reset your minds to think smaller and more often is better. 

But its a cheat meal? I don't care. Do you really want to have your kid, friend or even a stranger see you finish off a 2,000 calorie meal? Read below at how to show you have portion control powers when eating out. 

Open your Eyes America... With out portion control, a night out at Applebees looks something like this:

Spinach and Artichoke Dip- MMMMM so tasty and so good but here are you facts Ladies and Gentlemen...1565 Calories, 104 grams of fat, 127 grams of carbs. Now of course you wont eat the WHOLE thing by yourself. Lets say you share it with one other friend. Cut those calories in 1/2. Errrr still no bueno. 

House Salad with Ranch Dressing...Yes, it can be healthy but with that favorite dressing if you finish this salad it can cost you 310 calories, 22 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs.

Steak and Grilled Shrimp with Loaded Bake Potato..Sounds do delish...and it can't be that bad right? I mean its grilled shrimp y'all. Well sorry to break the bad news but with the loaded potato this meal is a heaping 940 Calories, 59 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs.  Yikes. 

TOTAL: (half of spinach dip) - 2,020 calories, 133 grams of fat, 119 grams of carbs. 

Now this doesn't include any drinks you might of ordered....Do you think that cheat meal is worth it???? Hmmmmm not to me!! I am not going to let my hard work for the week get ruined with ONE meal. 

PORTION CONTROL...How to use it:

Okay first off grab a few of those chips place it on that tiny little appetizer plate you got, and take a couple spoonfuls of that awesome dip. No more then one plate. There you go! You probably saved 300-500 calories right there.

When your salad arrives don't put the dressing on use it sparingly to dip you salad in. Try every other bite. And knock off some of those croutons and cheese. Save your calories so you can enjoy your steak and shrimp. You could save 100-200 calories there.

When your meal arrives ask for a "to go" box immediately. Put half of your food inside this box and put it aside. You just saved yourself around 400-500 calories.  

So instead of consuming 2,020 calories your consumed anywhere from 800-900 calories. WOW!!! What a difference eh?   Doing this will show your date, your kids, your husband, wife, or friends that you have portion control powers even out of the house. 

Remember eating more often(6x a day) and in smaller portions can keep you satisfied, and keep your metabolism going, and going! Also remember that your body can usually only metabolize 500-600 calories per meal at once. So try and keep your meals around 400-500 calories! 

Drink your h20!

HUGZ!!!!

AnG

My best of the best this week...

Opps! My bad! 

Yes it's been a full week since I have posted. Lord I apologize! 

This week was a grrrrrrrrrreat week. Between taking Zumba and feeling like a big baloofa, and being consistent on my own workouts, I feel I have crushed this week.  I thought I would share 2 things today with you in my blog. My best workout  of the week and my best Meal day of the week!

My best workout being my leg day which was Thursday Feb 14th. I ended up burning over 650 calories in 58 min. It  went something like this:

*All sets this day were in pyramid style- starting with LIGHT weights -12-15 reps, MEDIUM weights - 10-12 Reps, HEAVY - 6-8reps. Then back to Med, then Light. Goal was to hardly be able to finish last rep of light weights. I rested only about 15-20 Sec after each set to make it more "cardio like" I did a set of of weights (A) then the cardio (B)

A) 5 Sets- Leg Extensions

B) 10 Box Jumps (between each set of Leg Extensions)

A) 5 Sets of Squats

B) 10 (each leg--on to box) step ups with hip extension and/or Leg Abductions holding heavy med ball!

A) 5 Sets Leg Curls

B) 10 Run Ups Right lead 10 Run ups Left Lead on Box 

A) 5 Set of Dead Lifts

B) 10 Swing Kicks Each Leg (For Stretch) 

A) 5 Sets of Calf Raises

B) 20 Loaded Butt Blasters 

15 Min Core: 

5 Sets of Standing Lateral Crunches

3 Sets of 15  Reverse Crunches

3 Sets of 15 Leg Reaches

1 set of 30 Hip Bridges to release Hip Flexors

STRETCH!!! 

Best Meal Day- Every day is a great meal day but I would have to say the best fulfilling meal I had was Wednesdays breakfast. Here is how Wednesday went:

BREAKFAST-  5 Scrambled egg whites, 1/2 cup of pico de Gallo -mixed in. one pack of 100 calorie wholly guacamole and 2 pieces of Orowheat Bread! A VERY VERY satisfying breakfast that was ONLY 350 Calories. 

 SNACKS-  throughout the day- I had a Protein shake with Almond milk, KiKu apple (a very sweet and delicious apple) with almond butter, Fresh Cantaloupe, and Chobani Greek Yogurt

LUNCH- HUGE Fresh Salad top with Smoked chicken, tomatoes, broccoli and Egg Whites- around 350 with dressing (HINT: I had more GREENS then anything, making it look bigger and it filling my up more)

DINNER- I came home pretty late from teaching, so I did a repeat of what I had for breakfast. 

Totaling around - 1900 calories!!! 

I hope you had a grrrrrrrrrrrrreat week as well! Remember to drink drink drink your h20 and Smile its contagious! 

HUGZ!

AnG

Should I weight train??????????

DUH!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of women fear away from weight training on a daily basis. Today this blog will give you enough knowledge and support to allow you to LOVE it!

First off, weight training is a term that describes all exercises that increases your physical strength. Dumbbells, resistance bands, weight machines at the gym.

What are the benefits of weight training?
1) Increase muscle, tendon and ligament strength
2) Increase bone density (especially good for women)
3) Increase Flexibility, tone, metabolic rate and postural support
4) RAISES metabolism
5) Its essential for loosing weight, to loose fat or change
6) Stronger- increase in muscular endurance
7) Helps avoid injuries
8) Increase in self esteem and confidence
9) Improves balance and coordination
10) After weight training up to 24 -48 hours later-You burn calories while recovering when you are not even working out! ;) = Faster weight loss

Why wouldn't you want to weight train???

IMPORTANT: OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE- and I say this all the time- "if it is challenged it will change". But it needs to be challenged sufficiently enough, then, that the muscle will gain strength and change form. So, increase your weight, stop babying yourself ladies! You wont get big and bulky unless you start taking some testosterone supplements. If you can't finish a set, this is a good thing, rest, regroup, unload if needed and repeat!

IMPORTANT: PLATEAUS- Avoid plateaus by changing weight (increasing), changing sets of reps, or by changing the exercise weekly or monthly.

GOAL? What is your goal from strength training?
To Lose Weight you want to choose a variety of rep ranges to target different muscle fibers.
For Fat Loss you want to complete 1-3 sets of 10-12 reps using enough weight that you can only complete the desired amount of reps.
To Gain Muscle you want to complete 3+ sets of 6-8 reps
For Health and Endurance you want to complete 1-3 sets of 12-16 using enough weight that you can only complete the desired reps.

Muscle needs rest?
YES! Of course. I had a client ask me just the other day..."How long do I need to rest between sets?" The answer is plain and simple. If you are lifting heavy, you need to rest a little longer so your muscles can rest and recoup about 2-5min. What I do might be a little different. I might lift heavy on Back for 6-8 reps and then immediately work the opposite muscle-or the antagonist muscle- Chest. I feel this will allow the other muscle to relax . Then I do a quick stretch and begin again so I don't feel like I am wasting my precious time in the gym. If you are lifting a little lighter you will only need 30 sec to 1 minute for your muscles to rest before working it again.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends training each muscle group 2-3x per week- Giving your body at least 24-48 hours of rest for muscle repair and growth. If you are training at a higher intensity or "heavier", you should take longer rests.

I hope this is an eye opener for a lot of you women and men.  STRENGTH Training is GOOD! You want it, and you need it! So get it done- You are at the gym for a reason, so no excuse and get it done! Your answer?  Yes. YES!!!

Drink your h20!

Ang