More Tips, Tricks, and Info, To Keep You Making Progress!

I want you to succeed!

And my responsibility to make sure that happens, is by providing you with reliable, practical, accurate information.

Today I want to share with you a few articles that I thought were outstanding.

The first discusses a new study that just came out that supports why exercise is so important when it comes to transforming your body.  I know often times people feel all they need to do is work on their nutrition (diet).  That is the most important aspect for sure, but guess what?  Exercise actually helps you to control your food craving because of the hormones it stimulates. 

Exercise May Help Regulate Body Weight

To keep it simple and plain, the article discusses how certain hormones are released in the body just before and just after eating.  What the research is now showing is that exercise actually affects the hormones that encourage the desire to eat as well as the one's that tell you when you've had enough.  Just another reason to make sure you get your exercise in regularly.

I don't know if you knew this or not, but there is a growing movement of fitness coaches that are celebrating the effectiveness of the row machine for cardio.

Making The Cardio Scene With The Rowing Machine

For one, the row machine works the total body, unlike the traditional treadmill which just asks you to pick up your leg while it carries the other one back for you effortlessly.  The row machine, with proper instruction, is a great tool to work your entire body and be able to utilize interval training easily in your cardio routine.  So, it's low impact, works the total body, and you can utilize cardio intervals with ease, sounds like a good addition to your cardio choices.

If you're like me, you enjoy having tips or cheat sheets to help you stay on track.  Just some quick notes to keep you focused, are easy to remember, and get results.

I think you'll like this one:  Tips to Help You Lose Weight and Improve Your Fitness

So there you have even more info to help you --

Get On Track and Stay On Track!

Mid Week Motivation: I'm Not Losing Weight, Am I Still Making Progres?

I have to apologize right up front.  I realized today, after thinking a little deeper on the issue, I may have mislead and confused some people. I claim that I want to give all of you accurate, practical information that will help you achieve your goals.

So for the record, let's get this specific issue clear.

Over the past week I have received several questions asking, "If I'm not losing weight (on the scale) am I still making progress in my training?"  This is an excellent question and a great one for Mid-Week Motivation.

The short answer is Yes!

Remember, a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of fat, which both weigh the same as a pound of muscle. 

The difference is one of space.

Think of body fat as taking up the space of a grapefruit, while the same weight of muscle would only take the space of a tangerine.  So while you may not see the numbers change on the scale, you should notice a difference in how your clothes fit -- because your muscle takes up less space, you should see the progress in inches first, not weight.

What I mean by that is, you may not see your loss of body fat on your typical bathroom scale, but that does not mean you haven't gotten rid of some unwanted body fat.

When you begin a good nutrition and exercise program it is not unusual to initially see the overall body weight number on your typical bathroom scale actually go up. 

Why?

Because if you're like most of the population, chances are you've been under-eating.  Meaning, you've probably been consuming way too many carbohydrates and not near enough protein to feed your muscles properly.  So when you start eating properly, your muscles soak up all those extra calories because they have been starving all this time.  And in most cases, the muscles soak up the good nutrients a bit faster than you are able to burn off the extra body fat (stored sugar for energy).

To take it one step further and hopefully make this a bit more clear, think of it this way.  From what I've gathered from my research, we are all born with a certain number of fat cells and a certain number of muscles cells.  The amount of each of these does not change!

What does change is the size (volume, amount of space they take up) of each of those types of cells.  You can shrink your fat cells through exercise and good nutrition, thus creating a "smaller", healthier you.  While at the same time slightly increasing your muscle cells (which take up less space) which thus allow you took look smaller, feel better, and live longer, all without seeing much change on your typical bathroom scale.

So again, YES, you may still be making progress even if you don't see the number decreasing on your typical bathroom scale.

Lastly, I've been saying "typical bathroom scale" throughout this blog, because technology has now advanced to a point where you can buy a bathroom scale that will provide you with a body composition number (body fat compared to lean muscle).  They are relatively inexpensive and do a decent to good job of giving reliable information on which to base your progress.

So don't get down on yourself just because you don't see the number decreasing on your typical bathroom scale.  Instead, get a better bathroom scale, keep planning your meals in advance to stay on track, and get your exercise in consistently with no excuses.

Now Go Out and Get It Done!

Need Some Cardio Options?

We made it to the end of another productive week.

Since it's Friday I wanted to make sure to share with you another exercise to add to your locker of exercises to keep your routines fun, fresh, and challenging.

I've received a few questions asking for alternatives to jumping rope during circuit training.  Not everyone likes, nor can handle the impact of rope jumping.  You're in luck.  I have just the movement to help keep your hips flexible, your core working and your heart rate moving.

When I was a kid the movement was called squat thrusts and part of the Presidents Fitness Council protocol that we all had to do as part of Physical Education class.  Well times are a changing for sure, but this exercise is still one of the most challenging cardio movements I know.  The beauty of the movement is that no matter what your fitness level almost anyone can do it in modified form. 

It's a great movement to use between 3-5 resistance (weight lifting) movements to keep your heart rate elevated and give that "sprint" feeling (think interval training) between the lower heart rate of weight lifting.  In addition, because we tend to sit so much as a society, it allows you an opportunity to keep your hips flexible and functional so you can decrease your chances of back pain from stiff, inflexible hips.

In the video below I share with you 4 different versions that should meet just about any fitness level. 

So now you have no more excuses for not including a cardio component in your circuits.

And as a side note, always remember to engage your core as your perform this movement.

Foods That Make You GAIN Weight and Other Tips

In this day and age of information overload, sometimes it's easy to miss the important information that matters.  We are so overwhelmed with hype, commentary that's called 'reporting', and marketing hype disguised as research, it's difficult to decide what information is worth your attention.

That's where I come in --

As part of my effort of keeping you in the know, and properly informed, this article came across my desk and I just had to share it with you.  It contains many of the things you probably already know, but don't practice as strictly as you should.  In addition, it also shares some habits (you know how big I am on habits), that also lead to weight gain.

Check it out:  Worst Foods For Weight Gain

Are you a person that spends more than 6 hours a day at your desk?  Then this article is especially for you.  I had previously posted something along the lines of how sitting can effect life expectancy, but this one goes a bit further.  I cannot stress enough the importance of getting up and moving.  Your body was not made to sit or stand idle for long periods of time.  Whether it's to get a six pack or live a long, active life, movement has got to be a regular part of your weekly, if not daily, schedule.

Here's some motivation to get moving:  Inactivity is Harmful

Time and time again you've heard me mention the importance of interval cardio training as a way to shed body fat quickly and effectively.  Well here's a bit of a spin on the interval method, but using weights.  A good article to cut down on your cardio even more and still get outstanding results.

Transform your body in even less time:  Getting Serious Results

Now you have some excellent information that you can actually use to get results quickly and effectively.  And guess what, you didn't have to buy anything!

So --

Get On Track and Stay On Track!

How Do YOU Define Fitness?

It's a funny thing, depending on who you ask, fitness can be defined in so many different ways.

Ask your everyday weight lifter and they'll tell you fitness is about big muscles and how much you can bench or bicep curl.

Ask a distance runner and they'll tell you fitness is about shaving time off of their distance; getting faster

Ask a yoga enthusiast and they'll talk about being able to hold a certain pose for a period of time.

Ask a mixed martial arts fighter and they'll tell you fitness is a combination of things, ranging from cardio conditioning, to flexibility, to a certain level of physical strength.

You know who is right?

They all are!

That's why it's so important that you be clear about what fitness means to you.  Because if your idea of fitness matches the mixed martial artist, running long distances and being concerned about shaving time off your best is probably not going to give you the results you want.

If you're serious about wanting to achieve your goals, it's hugely important that you pick workouts and eating programs that support your efforts.

I suspect if you're reading this blog then your goal is not the same as a distance runner, nor a yoga enthusiast.  You want to get out of pain, or transform your body now!

For those of you looking to get lean in as short a time as possible, check out this link: The End to Ordinary Cardio.

Need more motivation and an alternative cardio routine?  Check out this link: The Ultimate 8 Week, HITT, For Fat Burning Program.

And since I like to over deliver quality information, here's one more for the record:  Jump Start Your Metabolism

The above 3 links should get you in shape quickly, still in time to show off your transformed body.

So --

Get On Track and Stay On Track!