We Like to Party! {The Birthday Workout}

We have started a birthday tradition in our workout group over this past year.  When it is someone's birthday they are given a super hard workout as their present!  It's a wonderful idea, don't you think?!  It's almost like we are sticking it to the aging process and saying that a bigger number on paper doesn't mean anything.  It could also represent the start to a strong and healthy year!
 
Well, this last week was MY birthday, so of course I couldn't let anyone down and had to make it a tough one.  I had already completed 2 hours of cardio (exactly what I wanted to do on my day.... I know, call me crazy), and was ready for a good, hard weight training circuit with my workout group.  Let's just say I didn't dissapoint!  ;) 
 
So on your big day, here is my birthday gift to you! 

{The Birthday Workout}

• Complete each exercise for 1 minute with 10-15 seconds recover in between
• Complete 3 sets of each circuit

Circuit #1
Dumbbell plank walks
Dumbbell squat to shoulder press
Medicine ball berry picker slams
Lat Pulldown
Squat pulley to upright row
 
Circuit #2
Hops to squat over the BOSU ball
Burpees with a hop on the step
Stability Ball pushup w crunch
Medicine ball high knee with foot taps
Plank with knee taps

Funday Monday

Have you ever stepped on the scale Monday morning and said to yourself, "Wow, I have a lot of work to do today!"...?  Well, that was me this morning.  Luckily, much of that Monday morning weight is usually water retention, and luckily after a hard workout, I am able to sweat a lot of it off.

As silly as it sounds, I love Monday workouts. They usually feel harder than other days after taking Sunday off, but at the same time, I usually make them harder since I took Sunday off.  After they are all over, I'm back on track and feeling good again.  (Gotta love those endorphins, right?!)  Here is a great "Funday Monday" workout to get your week started off on the right foot!

• Complete each exercise for 1 minute with a 10-15 second recovery/transition in between exercises
• Complete 3 rounds for each circuit.

Circuit #1
Dumbbell squat to press
Sideways hops over the box
Dumbbell plank walks
Sprint

Circuit #2
Walking lunges with bicep curl
Forward split jumps on the box
Medicine Ball striders
Sprint

Circuit #3
Plank on the stability ball with knee to elbow
Jump squats from seated position on box
Assisted pullups
Sprint

Don't forget your cardio!!!  We've got calories to burn!

Yasso 800s
Complete an 800 meter run (pretty much 1/2 mile)
Recover with a jog or speed walk for the same amount of time it took you to complete the 800 run
Repeat
** Try to complete at least 4, but do as many as you can.  Eventually try to complete 6-10.

The Best of Both Worlds- Lift HEAVY

I agree, trying to map out the perfect workout schedule can be challenging.  I am often asked questions like "How often should I lift versus do cardio?" "How many reps should I do with how much weight?" 

Depending on your goals and your body type, the answers to all these questions will be different and ever changing.  There is much science to back up the answers to these questions that I will save for a later day.  The focus at hand, instead, is the importance of lifting heavy no matter your goals.  Of course the volume of heavy lifting will change based on your goals, but it should be included at one point or another. 

I personally try to lift heavy about once a week, making sure to hit my major muscle groups of legs, back, chest, and core.  Lifting heavy will rev up your metabolism, strengthen connective tissue, and provide your body the opportunity for progression (just to name a few). 

I like to include a HIIT series at the end of this workout to increase my heart rate up and burn some extra calories. If you have the time and are feeling like a champ, try the BONUS HIIT too!

"Lift HEAVY" workout:

5 minute warm up

• Perform the first set as a warm up set at about 60-80% of the weight you are going to use for your heavier 3 sets. 
• Perform 12-15 reps on the first set and then increase the weight and do 8-10 reps on the remaining 3 sets. 
• Perform the 2 exercises listed back to back with little rest in between.

Barbell Squat
DB Bench press

Lat Pulldown
Barbell Deadlift

Incline DB Bench
Decline weigted situp

Bent over Barbell Row
Decline leg raises

1 leg spasov squat
DB bicep curl to shoulder press


4 minute HIIT- Burpees with a jump (no pushup)
8 rounds of: 20 seconds on, 10 second recover

BONUS
4 minute HIIT- Squat Jacks
8 rounds of: 20 seconds on, 10 second recover

Now Enjoy the Swoll!

15 Minute Calorie Killer

I know that many of us are super busy and often times we use this as an excuse to not get your workout in.  But with this workout, you can stop using that excuse and start getting results!
-Your Welcome

This workout uses a specific form of high intensity interval training (HIIT) called Tabata training.  Check out the link to the definition and background research on both of these terms.  But trust me, they are the answers to many of your fitness plateaus and weight loss frustrations.

Wikipedia definitions of HIIT and Tabata

Now on to the workout.  This includes 3 Tabata circuits- so prepare to get some work done!

1 Tabata circuit equals 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds rest periods.  This will be a total of 4 minutes

Tabata Circuit #1
8 rounds of:
20 seconds of Burpees (pushup and a jump)
10 seconds rest

After completion of 8 rounds (4 minutes) Rest 1-2 minutes

Tabata Circuit #2
8 rounds of:
20 seconds of Moutain Climbers
10 seconds rest

After completion of 8 rounds (4 minutes) Rest 1-2 minutes

Tabata Circuit #3
8 rounds of:
20 seconds of lunge jumps (I know... hate me now, love me later)
10 seconds rest

After this 15 minute workout you will be burning calories for the rest of the day... You're welcome!

4 Weight Loss Mistakes

I loved this article and felt it important to share the knowledge.  So many (especially women) make these mistakes week after week, and wonder why they are not shredding the fat. 

Here Are the Top Mistakes That Are Keeping You From Taking Your Body From Good To Head Turning

1. Long Duration, Low Intensity Cardio - It’s like working without getting paid

Would you work an 8 hour day at your job if you knew you weren't going to get paid? I think not! So why spend hours each week doing cardio without getting any better results?

Slaving away on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical day after day is a surefire way to make your body retain fat. Yes, you read that correctly!

Long, moderate, boring cardio causes you to retain more fat and eats away your muscle tone. Muscle increases your metabolism, so why risk losing your body's most efficient fat burner? Your muscles burn 3 times as many calories than fat. So, the less muscle you have, the less calories you will burn, thus retaining more fat.

That goes for you spinning addicts as well. You may not consider spinning to be "moderate" cardio, but the fact of the matter is even higher intensity cardio burns away your muscle when performed for a prolonged period of time -- ultimately reducing the amount of calories you'll burn throughout the day.

Not only is long duration cardio an ineffective way to lose fat, but it can eventually lead to overuse injuries. When you repeat the same movements over and over for long periods of time, you put too much stress on certain areas of your body, which can eventually become what we call repetitive stress injuries.

Cardio Done Right

The right way do cardio effectively is keep it short and intense. Short bursts of high intensity interval cardio triggers your anaerobic metabolism, which will skyrocket your heart rate and burn the fat -- without eating away your muscle tone. Remember, you need to keep your muscle so you can keep burning more fat and calories -- up to 48 hours after the workout is over.

How can that be?

It’s a physiological effect known as EPOC (Exercise Post-Oxygen Consumption). Put simply, EPOC is a scientific term used to measure your body's rate of oxygen intake following a high-intensity activity. The higher the intensity of the activity, more oxygen and energy are needed to restore your body. As a result, your body continues to burn calories for up to 48 hours after the workout is over.

Scientific Fact: Short, high-intensity interval training burns calories up to 48 hours AFTER your workout. That means you burn calories while you sleep!

Scientific Fact: Lower-intensity aerobic (cardio) activities only burn calories while the activity is being performed

Scientific Fact: Anaerobic (strength-training) workouts increase EPOC much more than aerobic exercise does

If there's one major point I want you learn from this article, it's this: fitness is intensity dependent, not time dependent. Before we move on to reason #2,

 

2. Going for the "Spot Treatment"

The 200 crunches and 50 side-bends you do to finish off your already lengthy workout are NOT going to get you any closer to wash-board abs or erase that little bit of "muffin-top" you have left. Unlike trying to zap a blemish on your face, there is no such thing as a spot reduction for your body.

Even though your body tends to deposit more fat in certain areas as opposed to others, burning it off doesn't work the same way. For example, if you tend to carry more weight in your hips and thighs, doing isolated exercises such as donkey kicks or inner and outer thigh machines won't work.

But why?

Isolated exercises simply don't burn enough fat or calories, which is why your trouble areas never seem to get any smaller or tighter. Isolation exercises aren't the answer to reaching your full fitness potential because the body works as a whole - the sum of it's parts - never in isolation.

The Most Effective Exercises Are Always Functional In Nature

There are several natural, primary movements that you perform in your daily life. They can be broken down into 6 patterns: push, pull, squat, deadlift, rotation and flexion / extension of torso. So, in order for an exercise to become "functional", it must incorporate at least one of the 6 primary movements.

Performing weight-bearing functional exercises as part of your high-intensity interval training program is essential to gaining functional strength and boosting your metabolism. You'll be training your whole body to burn more fat without even thinking about it.

 

3. Strength Training With "Pink" Dumbbells

Listen closely, because I want to finally put the most common strength training misconception to rest. Lifting heavier weights will NOT make you "get big" or look like one of those muscle-clad women on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine -- not even close!

Unlike men, your body doesn't produce enough testosterone to stimulate large muscle growth. What you WILL get by lifting heavier weights is a super lean, toned, fit body. Women who have discovered this secret have been doing this for years with phenomenal results.

One of the most overlooked factors contributing to female physical body transformations is muscle development and maintenance. For women this is the number 1 thing that will literally transform your body into a fat burning furnace.

That means you have to get off the fancy gym machines and lose the little "pink" dumbbells. Lifting light weights for countless reps will not stimulate your muscles enough to get you any results. Real weights aren’t available in pink!

Kettlebells, Dumbbells, and Barbells Aren't Just For Men Anymore

Just because you're a woman, doesn't mean your workouts should look more like physical therapy sessions. Forget about the balance boards, swiss balls, yoga, and pilates. While those things might seem entertaining, none will burn a lot of fat.

Gym machines and toys will never allow you to do functional exercises because they restrict your natural range of motion -- keeping you locked into a certain position. With kettle bells, dumbbells, and barbells you can perform full-body functional exercises, which allow you to move naturally, through full range of motion while engaging your core.

What's more, the exercises you'll perform using these tools get your heart rate up faster than you can bat an eye. You'll burn 10 times more calories than you would on any piece of fancy equipment!

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re not willing to lift heavier weights or do full body exercises at a heart-pumping pace, you’re just going to have to learn to accept your body the way it is.

 

4. Repeating the Same Workout Routines Over And Over

Let's face it, we’re creatures of habit. And when it comes to your fitness and fat-loss, staying in your comfort zone will only keep you from achieving your "wow" body.

Did you know, it only takes 3 weeks to adapt to a workout routine at which point you stop getting results? Your body needs to be constantly challenged in order to maintain your lean muscle and keep your metabolism kicked into high gear.

Make Change a Habit

Without a well-designed training program and workout schedule, chances are you're not planning your workouts before you go to the gym. You wouldn't give a presentation without preparing a slide show would you? It’s the same for your workouts. If you want to maximize your efforts, you've got to make the best use of your time -- and in order to do that you need a good plan.

That's why MAX Workouts have been professionally programmed so that you perform only functional exercises in the high intensity, interval, strength, and circuit training formats. Every training session is specifically and deliberately scheduled -- even your rest days -- and the workout variables (time, intervals, speed, and weights) are constantly changed up to ensure that your body doesn't adapt. That way you get the best results possible without having to think about a thing.

 

6 Powerful Health-Boosting Foods

As you may have heard, it’s recommended that you get your nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements. Eat a wide variety of delicious fresh foods in a rainbow of colors to get the maximum antioxidants and other disease-fighting nutrients. A few foods are true standouts, packing in exceptional amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, including plant compounds called phytochemicals that can help to lower your risk of numerous ailments, including cancer and heart disease. Here are some top nutrient-packed foods to incorporate into your meal plans.


1.     Tomatoes: Studies show that eating tomato products may reduce prostate cancer risk, and the
US Food and Drug Administration now allows tomatoes and tomato-based products, like tomato sauce, to carry that health claim. The key ingredient: a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, also found in pink and red grapefruit and guava.

2.     Spinach and other dark leafy greens: Research shows that eating dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale and Swiss chard (which are technically cruciferous vegetables), may help maintain good health by reducing one’s risk of heart disease and stroke, some cancers and several other illnesses. Dark leafy greens are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells). Regularly eating dark leafy greens may help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and promote normal eyesight.

3.     Walnuts: Like all nuts, walnuts are a great source of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Unlike other nuts, however, walnuts are high in heart-healthy omega-3 oils, which have been shown to have antioxidant properties. Enjoy up to 15 walnuts a day as part of your nut/seed allotment. Other sources of omega-3s include flaxseed and, of course, oily fish, like salmon and sardines.

4.     Blueberries: Studies show that a number of compounds in blueberries, including pigment-producing anthocyanins, are powerful in helping prevent cancer. Anthocyanins may also protect against hypertension (high blood pressure). In addition, blueberries may help prevent cataracts and the short-term memory loss associated with aging. Other berries have antioxidants in smaller quantities.

5.     Pomegranates: These fruits are high in flavonoids, which are antioxidants also found in red wine and cocoa. Recent studies show that pomegranate juice may help protect against heart disease.

6.     Sweet potatoes: An outstanding source of carotenoids (including beta-carotene), as well as vitamin C, calcium and potassium, sweet potatoes can help reduce LDL cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, fight cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, and boost your resistance to colds and infections. Other good sources of beta-carotene are carrots and apricots.

Source:
http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/six-superfoods.aspx?xid=nl_TheSouthBeachDietTMNewsletter_20110324

Diets vs. Exercise: Which Is More Effective?

The mechanics of weight loss seem pretty simple: Burn more calories than you consume. So why are there so many contradicting theories and opinions on how to achieve weight loss? One specific area of confusion is which is more important for weight loss—diet or exercise.  Certainly using both leads to the greatest success, but does either diet or exercise have a greater impact than the other?

To help answer this question we can look to members of the National Weight Control Registry. This group consists of people who have lost significant weight and kept it off successfully for a minimum of one year. Of these successful individuals, 89% use a combination of diet and exercise, 10% have had success using diet alone, and 1% use exercise alone.  These numbers definitely demonstrate the importance of using both diet and exercise for weight-loss success.

Another statistic that helps shed some light on the question is that only about 5% of dieters are successful maintaining long-term weight loss. Most people experience “weight cycling,” regaining about one-third of the weight being within 1 year and the rest of the weight within 3–5 years.

Photo Credit: Lululemon Athletica

So diet alone may not be a long term solution. But what about exercise? Well, exercise might not be the end-all either. Consider how much easier it is to consume a meal at a restaurant (which averages 1,000–1,500 calories) than to run 10–15 miles (an average-size person burns 100 calories/mile). It is much less demanding, time-consuming, and tiresome to pay attention to what you are eating. However, exercise improves your fitness, increases your metabolism, increases energy, improves mood and helps to fight diabetes. So there are many benefits to exercise that definitely help in the weight-loss battle.

Also, it is important to remember when trying to fight the battle of the bulge that most people overestimate the amount of calories they are burning by about 30% and underestimates the amount of calories they are consuming by about 30%. So keeping track of your activity and your food intake is important and very helpful for weight-loss success.

The method for achieving weight loss is simple. The method is known as “energy balance.” Simply stated, you will lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. The best way to do this is by combining a diet and exercise. In other words, to improve your health and lose weight, eat less and exercise more.
Do you have a personal experience with diet and exercise? Sound off below!
Sources:

• WebMd: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-and-weight-loss-five-truths?page=3
• The National Weight Control Registry: www.nwcr.ws
• About.com: www.exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/shortcuts.htm
• Women’s Health Magazine: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/exercise-and-diet