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! :) 

Fitness Encouragement

keywords: fitness, healthy, healthy recipe, competition, lifestyle, cardio, metabolic damage, progress

It can be really hard to stay focused and I have to remind myself that this lifestyle is worth it. This week I thought I would share a few things that I often have to tell myself, and also try to keep you all encouraged to keep going!

A healthy lifestyle is very rewarding. Sometimes, however, it can be very discouraging. Progress takes time and patience. It’s not going to be easy. Just remember as you are embracing your healthy lifestyle that progress is progress no matter how small!

It takes 21 days to develop a habit. It takes two weeks to see progress. Don’t give up on going to the gym or eating healthy after a week because you haven’t seen results. Keep up the hard work and you will start to notice!

Make small weekly goals to keep yourself focused. Once you’ve achieved one goal, set another. No matter how hard it is at first, developing a healthy lifestyle is something you will never regret!

Week 2 goals:

This week my goal is to get back into a cardio routine. I have been nervous to do daily cardio ever since I damaged my metabolism last semester. I learned a lot about cardio and metabolic damage from BioLayne. I now feel like I am ready to get back on track. This week I am going to do 20 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill every morning.

Recipe of the week:

I said it last week and I’ll say it again. Breakfast is important! Fueling your body correctly is crucial to achieving a successful healthy lifestyle. I am going to be starting cardio in the mornings. It is important for me to give my body the energy it needs. Before my cardio sessions, I will enjoy this chai green smoothie inspired by The Body Fuel System

Ingredients:

picture credit:http://essentialsurvival.org/post-holiday-detox/green-smoothie/  

• 5 large strawberries
• 1 apple
• 1/2 orange
• 1 1/2 cups kale - about 4-5 stalks
• 1 1/2 teaspoon spice blend (see below)
• 1 inch fresh ginger peeled
• 1 scoop vanilla chai protein powder (plain vanilla works too)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water

Spice Blend:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 2 teaspoons cacaco powder (specialty item found in health food section of Hy-Vee)

Directions:

1. Blend strawberries, apple, orange, water and almond milk in a blender.
2. Blend in kale.
3. Blend in spice blend, ginger and protein powder.
4. Enjoy your smoothie! :)