HIIT The Gym!

Keywords: lean, cardio, HIIT training, HIIT, body fat, fitness, healthy, nutrition, meal plan, workout

We have all had troubles with stubborn stomach fat.

My stomach has always been my problem area. My arms are leaning out, and my legs are becoming well-defined. I want to continue to lean-out my whole body, especially my stomach.

A lot of people think endless hours of cardio will get rid of unwanted belly fat. This is not true. High-intensity cardio for a long duration of time would maximize fat loss. Well, the only problem with that is, nobody can maintain high-intensity cardio for a long duration. So then, how do we maximize fat burn?

The answer is High Intensity Interval Training. This is known as “HIIT” in the fitness world. HIIT training is where you alternate between intervals of high-intensity cardio and low-intensity cardio.

Nobody can sprint for 10 minutes without stopping, but when you mix high-intensity and low-intensity cardio, you can still maximize fat burn without becoming fatigued.

Workout of the week:

A routine cardio session for me is 10-15 minutes of HIIT followed by 10-15 minutes of low-intensity cardio.

I start on the Stairmaster for 5-10 minutes. This gets my heart rate up and a good sweat going. I follow this by interval sprints on the treadmill. I do a one minute on, one minute off routine. I sprint for one minute at speed eight and incline two. I then walk for one minute at speed four and incline two. I repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

Following my HIIT session, I walk at speed four and incline 15 for 10 minutes. This makes my total cardio routine about 30 minutes long. After cardio, I spend about 10 minutes working on abs.

This week’s goal:

This week’s goal is fat loss and leaning out. By the end of the week I would like to be able to step up my HIIT training. I want to be doing sprints at an incline of seven and speed of 8.5. I would alternate my sprints with walking at a speed of four and incline of seven.  

Another important part of leaning out is diet! Eating clean IS the difference between success and failure. I will talk more about diet in next week’s blog. For now, here is this week’s grocery list:

• Chicken breast
• Turkey breast
• Egg whites (lots of egg whites!)
• Spinach
• Baby tomatoes
• Feta cheese
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Quinoa
• Organic pesto sauce

Lift with a Buddy!

Keywords: workout, partner, workout buddy, fitness, healthy, lifestyle, motivation, encouragement

I used to love working out alone. I thought it was easier to work out alone. I could go to the gym at my convenience. I could stay there as long or short as I wanted. I thought I pushed myself enough.

I was wrong.

My best friend Carly is an aspiring fitness competitor as well. We both used to work out on our own. We were each

seeing results, but not the best results. Finally we figured out that working out with a partner can be the difference in success or failure.

For the last two weeks we have been working out together. We do cardio at 6:30 a.m. and lift at night. Both of us have seen amazing results!

5 benefits to working out with a buddy:

1. Fewer skipped workouts. It’s one thing to bail on your workout, but to bail on a buddy? That’s unacceptable. Neither of you is going to want to let the other down. When your alarm goes off at 6 a.m., you get up, take your pre-workout and meet your partner at the gym.
2. Push yourself further. Working out with someone pushes you to work out at the best of your ability. It’s in our nature to be competitive. A little friendly competition is always good! Having your workout partner there will make you lift a little heavier and go a little longer.
3. Keep each other focused. You are both putting time and sweat into your workouts. It would be a shame to ruin that with a poor diet or skipped workouts. Take time to talk about your goals for the week. You can help each other to stay focused with your lifts and diet.
4. Encouragement. Seeing progress is exciting. It’s even more exciting when someone else sees your progress. Having a workout buddy who encourages and supports you will boost your commitment to your fitness journey. Celebrate your successes together, and keep encouraging each other to reach the next goal!
5. Workout variety. Your workout partner has different knowledge than you do. They are able to introduce new workouts to you. This helps you to mix things up in your workout routine. You are more likely to stick to your workouts when you have fun with them. Variety is a key component to having fun, so mix it up! :)

Carly is my secret weapon when it comes to my fitness journey. We make each other accountable. We push each other. We keep each other focused. Most importantly, we have fun. I have seen faster results in the last two weeks than I have my entire journey.

Carly and I have similar goals. We are both busting our butts to be able to compete on stage as a fitness bikini competitor. I lift a little heavier thanks to Carly. I work out a little longer thanks to Carly. I work out every day thanks to Carly. I think she would say the same about me. Together we are going to achieve our goals!

I encourage you to find a workout partner that will:

• Will keep you focused.
• Push you to be better.
• Encourage you.
• Motivate you.
• Make working out fun!

Get after it this week Fit Fam! :) 

Why Whey? My Supplements

Keywords: supplements, whey protein, glutamine, pre-workout, healthy, fitness, lifestyle, vitamins, minerals

This is kind of a long post but I promise you there is a lot of valuable information!

I want to start this post off by reminding you that each body reacts to things differently. Your body is not going to respond to a specific lift the same way my body does. Your body is not going to respond to a specific diet the same way my body does. Your body is not going to respond to supplements the same way my body does.

This is one of the most important points I can make. I found this out the hard way, and I want to save you the trouble. Experiment with your body. Try new things. Mix it up. See how your body responds to different things and go from there.

Just because one technique works for somebody, doesn't mean it is going to work the same for you. The basics of diet, exercise and supplements are the same for everyone: eat healthy; workout for 30 minutes a day at least three times a week; fuel your body with life’s essential nutrients. If you want to achieve your highest level of performance, however, you need to experiment with and push your body.

For me, I stick to a very clean diet. I work out six days a week. This includes cardio and intense lifting. I take supplements that directly benefit my body’s performance.

I am still experimenting though! I mix up my workouts very frequently. Some things work, some things don’t. I love to see how my body reacts to different techniques.

I want to talk about supplements this week. There are an ample amount of supplements available. I’m sure they all have awesome benefits for the body. I like to stick to a few basic supplements which I know benefit MY body. Here is a list of what I take and when I take them.

Pills:

Supplements don’t directly affect muscle growth, necessarily, but they do affect your overall health. Overall health, in turn, will allow the body to achieve at its highest level.

1. Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc – two pills at night

   
• Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc are most effective when they are taken together. It is easiest to take a Cal-Mag-Zinc supplement because it’s an all-in-one pill.

o Calcium is essential in bone strength and muscular contraction.

o Magnesium plays a critical role in protein synthesis, creates energy for the body, helps with muscular contraction and helps the body relax.

o Zinc is required for protein synthesis and helps strengthen the immune

  system. It also helps remove carbon dioxide from energy-producing cells.

2. B-Complex – one in the morning

• B-Complex helps with normal functioning in the nervous system, improves carb metabolism and converts food to energy.

3. Fish Oil – one in the morning (1000mg)

• Fish oils improve heart health, create a healthier blood cholesterol profile, improve bone health, provide cancer protection, increases lean muscle mass and help with mood disorders.

4. Biotin – one in the morning, one at night

• Biotin plays a critical role in amino acid metabolism and the production of energy.
• Biotin also helps with hair, skin and nail health. Being a girl, these are very important to me. J

Powders:

These next three are my favorite supplements! I love them because I can feel them working almost instantly.

5. Glutamine – at night and during workouts

• Glutamine is the most common amino acid in your muscles. Glutamine levels deplete immensely during workouts which decreases strength, stamina and recovery. Get this stuff back in your body!
• Mix glutamine with 6-8 ounces of water and drink it during your workout. Drink the same amount with dinner or right before bed.
• Glutamine improves protein metabolism (growth of muscles), allows your body to reach its optimal performance level and helps sooth sore muscles by speeding up recovery.

6. Pre-Workout – 30 minutes before a workout

• Mix one scoop of pre-workout with 6-8 ounces of water 30 minutes before a workout.
• Pre-workout gives your body a boost of energy that allows you to perform at your highest level. It provides longer sustained energy and decreased muscle breakdown.
• Pre-workout delivers nutrients to your body during workouts and increases metabolism.

7. 100% Whey Protein – directly following a workout

• Mix 1 scoop of whey protein with 6-8 ounces of water and drink directly following a workout.
• Whey protein helps build and maintain muscle mass, boosts metabolism and fat loss, and enhances the immune system.
• Whey protein is soluble and goes directly to the muscles. It is a complete protein source, which means it contains all nine amino acids.

I use:

• Intek Evolution Glutamine Powder (no flavor)
• Cellucor C4 Extreme Pre-Workout – Watermelon
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein – Mocha Cappuccino

Remember, this is what works for MY body. Use this information, research for yourself and experiment! Find out what works best for your body. Start performing at your highest level. Start seeing the best results of your life. Start feeling healthier than you have ever felt before! :)