The Best Time of Day To Workout

For many people, choosing what time of the day to workout isn't an option.  Busy schedules limit us to when we can make some time to get out there and exercise.  Luckily, though, the best times to do some cardio or lift weights seems to be the times that we would chose if given the choice.  Here's a guide as to what times are best for certain workouts.


Cardio

Doing cardio in the morning is the best option.  Yes, it's hard to get up 45 minutes earlier than you normally would to get in a cardio session before work.  Your bed is warm, the air outside isn't, but think of the benefits to it.  If you wait until the end of the day to do cardio, you're just burning off all of the food you ate already in the day.  It's almost like you're doing cardio to break even if it's later in the day. 


When you sleep at night you burn off a lot of the calories from the day before.  Therefore when you wake up in the morning you have an empty stomach.  Doing cardio first thing in the morning burns straight fat, as oppose to trying to burn through the food to get to the fat. 


Plan: Wake up and grab a protein shake made with water then hit the road.  Run, intervals, bike, whatever.  In order to burn the greatest amount of fat, plan your cardio sessions for first thing in the morning. 


Lifting Weights

Lifting weights works the exact opposite of cardio.  When you wake up in the morning, your muscles are tight and weak from not being used all night.  It actually takes hours to get your muscles to full strength and to higher your body temperature.  Walking around and moving your muscles all day loosens them up.  Your body is best suited to work out during the 3 pm - 5 pm window.  This afternoon period will give your body its best chance for a great workout!

Plan: When you come home from work, don't even sit down to get yourself tired.  Walk in the door, change, grab a protein shake and then be on your way to the gym.  Sometimes it's easy to sit down and get tired so you say, "I'll just go tomorrow".  Don't give yourself that option.  Get in and get out!

Use these tips to get the most out of any workout!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.fitsugar.com

30 Minute Leg Blast Workout



Working out your legs can be a pain (literally and figuratively) but you have to work them.  You don't want to look like you're about to snap the twigs your standing on at any given point in time. You want to look like you have an equal balance of muscle throughout your whole body.  Here is a quick 30 minute leg blast workout for EVERYONE that I guarantee will have your lower body looking like an Olympian.

Directions:  Perform this workout twice a week with 3-4 days of rest in between.  Exercise explanations follow at the bottom. 

3 x 20 Jumping Lunges SUPERSET 3 x 10 Bodyweight Squats
3 x 12 Bosu Ball Straight Leg Dead Lifts SUPERSET 3 x 12 Fitness Ball Leg Curls
3 x 10 Bosu Ball Squats SUPERSET 3 x 10 Lunges
4 x 15 Standing Calf Raises SUPERSET 4 x 15 Machine Calf Raises

You'll be done in a half an hour but you're legs will be screaming for mercy at the end!

Good luck!  Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Exercise Instructions

Superset: Do one exercise then immediately do the next with no rest in between.
Jumping Lunges: Go down into a lunge.  On the way up jump at the top and switch legs.  You'll stay in one spot and the exercise should be one smooth motion.
Bodyweight Squats: Squats with no weights at all.  Just squat down until your legs are at a 90 degree angle and then stand back up.
Bosu Ball Straight Leg Dead Lifts: Stand on a Bosu Ball (half ball, half plastic platform) and grab some light dumbbells.  While hardly bending your legs, bend over at your waist until your upper body is at a 90 degree angle with the ground.  Pull with the back of your legs to stand back up and squeeze at the top.
Fitness Ball Leg Curls: Lay flat on your back with your calves resting on a fitness ball (big ball people use for crunches).  Press your pelvis towards the ceiling and hold in that position for the entire exercise so that your body is in a straight line.  Curl your feet in towards your but, squeeze, and then extend back out.
Bosu Ball Squat: Check Balance Ball Squats under the 'Workouts' tab at the top.

Image Source: http://www.bodyweightworkout.com

Have a Drink This Weekend!

The term “Beer Belly” gets thrown around quite a bit when it comes to drinking.  But fear not!  The term may not be all it’s cracked up to be.  It all depends on what you drink, how much you drink and what you eat while you’re drinking.

Think about every single time you watch a commercial with alcohol in it, every picture you see with alcohol in it, where they place the alcohol in stores and what you think about eating when you imagine yourself having a few drinks while watching the big game.  What do you think about?  Fatty foods.  Most of the reason people gain the weight is because of the food you eat while you are drinking, but not the drinking itself.  Of course it’s great to eat nachos, burgers, fries and chicken wings once in a while, but when you do don’t blame it on the alcohol (no Jamie Fox / T-Pain bun intended).   Here are a few other reasons why you should allow you to indulge yourself in a couple of drinks this weekend.

1.) Having 1-2 drinks every other day or so lowers your risk of heart disease and having a heart attack.

2.) People who drink 1 or 2 drinks every other day or so have less body fat then those who only drink every few weeks but have 5 or more drinks at a time.

3.) Wine has a ton of antioxidants in it to prevent sickness and disease.

4.) Guinness has a surprisingly low amount of carbs and is one of the better darker beers for you.  Stick to Guinness when drinking dark beers.  Other good options are pilsners, lagers, goldens and most light colored beers.  STAY AWAY from the fruity options!  They are filled with carbs and sugars!

So go ahead, have a few drinks this weekend.  Just make sure you are being responsible, only sticking to only a few drinks and not eating too much junk to go along with it.  Have fun and until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Guiltless Sweet Potato Fries!

Tired of going out to eat and feeling bad about not being able to get what you want because you’re afraid of what it’ll do to your body?  Well fear no more!  Here’s a recipe for sweet potato fries that you won’t have to feel one bit bad about!  But first a few reasons on why sweet potatoes are healthy for you.

1.) While white potatoes have slow digesting carbs that stick with you all day, sweet potatoes have fast digesting carbs (which you need) and will burn quickly.  This means your body won’t store the carbs as fat.

2.) There’s Beta-Carotene in them, along with many other vitamins, which prevents heart disease and cancer.

Here’s the recipe!

Guiltless Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

1 large sweet potato

2 tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat oven at 425

2.) Cut sweet potatoes into fry shapes or wedges, whichever you prefer

3.) In a large bowl, mix fries, olive oil, salt and pepper.

4.) Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and spread fries out evenly

5.) Cook for 25-30 minutes flipping halfway

6.) Enjoy!

These sweet potato fries are one of my favorites!  Don’t forget to check back daily for new health and fitness tips.  Don’t be afraid to comment or leave suggestions! 

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.theculinarylife.com

Take You Leg Workout to the Next Level With Balance Ball Squats!

No one likes leg workouts. But if you’re going to do them, you might as well get the most out of it.  Enough with the leg extension and leg curl machines!  Those are bad for your knees and don’t do nearly as much for your legs as Balance Ball Squats do!  Balance Ball Squats work every part of your legs, including your calves. 

When you squat, whether it’s with or without weights, you work your entire lower body and your core.  Doing squats on a balance ball exponentially amplifies the results!  This is because all of the smaller muscles around your legs, ankles, calves and core have to work that much harder to keep you balanced.  This is a great exercise you should definitely put in your leg routine.  Start with three sets of no weights for a few weeks then work your way up to holding dumbbells while you do it.  Here’s how it’s done.

1 – Stand on an upside down balance ball as shown in the picture above.

2 – For the first few times, extend your arms in front of you to keep your balance until you get used to it.

3 – Slowly squat down until your knees are at 90 degree angles. 

4 – Slowly stand back up.

Beware, your first few times you will shake like crazy at the bottom of the squat because all of your smaller supporting muscles aren’t used to being worked out.  You’ll love the way you feel the next day and you will love the results!

Good luck!  Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.fitplan.com

Get More Out Of Cardio!

When you stand on the elliptical for a half hour and barely break a sweat, doesn’t that tell you that something isn’t right?  Long cardio sessions in which you’re barely breathing hard aren’t the best way to spend your time at the gym.  In fact, they actually burn more muscle than they do fat.  In order to maximize the fat burning process in a cardio session you should be doing High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT.

HIIT is about going almost as hard as you can for a short period of time and then resting a minute.  The idea is to keep your body guessing.  When you’re speeding up then slowing down your heart and body have to work harder to keep up, which is why you burn more fat.   For example, I use the stair climber.  I turn it on as high as I can so I’m literally sprinting on the steps for 30 seconds and then turn it down to a slow speed for 60 seconds.  This can be done on the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, row machine, bike or even doing sprints outside.  Here are some more facts to persuade you.

1 – You burn more fat by doing less cardio. HIIT burns more calories in20 minutes than you would in an hour of long distance at an easier work rate. 

2 – After HIIT your body will continue to burn fat for up to 24 hours where as a slow, long distance will only continue to burn fat for 15 minutes after a workout!

3 – It makes the time FLY by!  You’re constantly just looking forward to the next 30 seconds or a minute.  By doing so you forget about the total amount of time you have to reach.  You’ll be at 20 or 30 minutes in no time!

So next time you are going to do some cardio, try 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training.  You’ll be amazed at what you were missing by doing those long elliptical sessions all the time.  Start at 20 minutes then work your way up to more.  Good luck and until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Time For a New Playlist

There’s been plenty of times where I’ve turned on my iPod at the beginning of a workout and thought, “I’m so tired of listening to this same playlist over and over again!” And it actually causes me to lose motivation. Change it up a little!  This week, your goal should be to make a new playlist to workout to.   Here’s a list below of websites that have great playlist selections for your new mix.

The Ultimate Workout Mix – All Genres

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/13/145185920/the-ultimate-npr-workout-mix?ft=3&f=114113159&sc=nl&cc=mn-20120116

Popular Songs Right Now

http://www.billboard.com

25 Best Rap Songs to Workout to of All time

http://rap.about.com/od/songs/tp/BestHipHopWorkoutSongs.htm

Rock Workout Mix

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG7kmPzh1Pg0MAohdXNyoA?p=rock%20workout%20playlist&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-372

Sometimes all it takes is tweaking the little things to get you motivated again.  Check these sites out, make a new playlist and get back in the gym more motivated then ever!  Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Thanks to James from Sharky and the Habit for the Ultimate Workout Mix site

Image Source: http://mindofmurph.blogspot.com

Get Superhero Arms!

Whether you’re looking to tighten up and tone or looking to bulk up, this plan is for everyone!  Here’s a look at how you can get your arms to look the way you want instead of looking like wet noodles.  Explanations follow at the bottom.

*For the tighten up and tone look, do sets of 20 / 15 / 12 (except for the 21’s)

*For the bulking up look, do sets of 12 / 10 / 8 (except for the 21’s)

Do this work out twice a week with 2-3 days of rest in-between

3 x 15 Overhead Medicine Ball Throws

3 x 21’s Bicep Curls

3 sets Incline Hammer Curls Drop Set

3 sets Overhead Dumbbell Press Drop Set

3 sets Skull Crushers SUPERSET Close Grip Push Ups

Make sure you go hard the whole time and you’ll have superhero arms in no time!  Good luck, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit!

Overhead Medicine Ball Throws: Hold a medicine ball like a basketball and throw it as far as you can overhead.  Switch which arm is your power arm for each throw.

21’s: Do 7 bottom half reps only going halfway up, 7 top half reps going only half way down, the 7 full reps.  That’s 1 set.

Incline Curls: Lay on a bench that’s at a 45 degree incline.

Drop Sets: Do a set with a weight that you can do 10 reps with.  Grab lighter dumbbells and immediately do another 10. Grab lighter dumbbells and immediately do another set.  That’s 1 set.

Overhead Dumbbell Press: Hold a dumbbell overhead with 2 hands.  Have your upper arms pinched against your head for the whole set.  Lower the dumbbell behind your back and press back up.

Skull Crushers: Lay on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells in a chest press position.  Have your elbows pointed towards the ceiling for the whole set.  Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head then press them back up towards the ceiling.



Image Source: http://www.extremebodyweightworkouts.com/ http://www.leylasroom.com/

Weekend Winter Run

Stay fit this weekend by signing up for a 5k race.  Yes it’s winter out and snowing, but that makes it more fun!  To sweeten the pot, find a fun race that offers something fun for signing up like a Tech Shirt.  I’ve run in races that actually serve beer when you finish.  Could you ask for a better reward at the end of a race? Running in the snow or in the cold may seem like it’s harder but it actually has its benefits. 

You burn more fat while running in the winter.  Your heart has to work harder to warm your body up, which means it’ll kick up your metabolism and burn more calories.

 You’ll get a better workout for your legs.  It’s hard to keep yourself going while running on an icy patch or in the snow, so your legs have to work harder and use all the little stabilizing muscles to keep you going.  You can bet on your legs being extra sore the day after!

If you’re still wondering whether or not you should venture out and run this weekend, just think “If Rocky Balboa does it, I should do it!”  Have fun, be safe, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit! 

Image Source: http://www.muscleprodigy.com/

Healthy Chex Onion Rings!

What’s the best thing you could ask for when you’re having a rough day in the cold of winter? Comfort food.  And what’s one of the most comforting foods you’ll ever have?  Onion rings!  Instead of sucking down those fat filled, deep fried, artery clogging fast food onion rings which drip grease through the bag, try this mouth-watering healthy version.  You won’t have to feel one bit guilty about these!  There are no bad ingredients and are baked instead of fried.  Here’s the recipe:

1 large onion                                        

¼ cup egg beaters (or regular eggs if the egg beaters aren’t available)

¼ cup crushed Chex-Mix (either brown and white chex, or both!)

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.) Peel onion and cut it into ½ inch slices

3.) Fill a small bowl with the egg beaters or eggs

4.) Put Chex-Mix into bag and crush it

5.) One at a time, dip a ring into the egg mix then toss it in the Chex-Mix bag

6.) Cook for 20-25 minutes on a non-stick cookie sheet flipping at the half way point

7.) Take out of oven, dip in ketchup and indulge in this healthy deliciousness!

Calories: 160

Sodium: 250 mg.

Carbs: 40 g.

Protein: 9 g.

After trying these you won’t want to go back to the grease rings.  You’ll feel better and won’t have to run 10 miles to burn them off!  You can always make something healthier just by baking it and using healthy ingredients!  Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/

Wednesday's Workout: The Push-Up Row

It’s easy to get stuck using machines and the same old basic, plain exercises that only work one muscle group at a time.  They’re easy, you already know how to do them and you feel satisfied from working out although you know they don’t do much for you.   You need to change it up!  The best exercises you can do work more than one muscle group at a time, or multi-muscle exercises.  Here’s a great example of an exercise that works your entire upper body!  This exercise works your chest, back, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and core. It’s called the Push-Up Row and here’s how it works:

Step 1: Grab a pair of light dumbbells

Step 2: Get down in a Push-Up position with your hands on the dumbbells and your feet spread a little further than shoulder width.

Step 3: Do a push-up.

Step 4: At the top of your push-up pull your right dumbbell in towards your right side while squeezing the middle of your back together.  Pause and return to starting position.

Step 5: Do another push-up and at the top pull in your left dumbbell in towards your left side while squeezing the middle of your back together.  Pause and return to starting position.  That’s 1.

Do 3 sets of 10-20 for an upper body blast!  Have fun, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://strength-trainingworkouts.com/

5 Simple Ways to Cut Calories

Everyone could afford to cut a few calories here and there, but it’s definitely easier said than done.  Having the discipline to not grab the chips or ice cream isn’t a trait most people possess.  The best thing you can do is put yourself in a position where those temptations aren’t even an option.  Here are a few ways to help you cut calories from your diet in order to stay healthy. 

1.) Take a Lunch to Work –  We all say we’ll go buy a salad, but by the time lunch rolls around we’re so hungry and busy that all we want is something quick and cheap which means most likely we’ll be headed down fast food alley.  Take 10 minutes the night before and make yourself a lunch.  You’ll be much happier when tomorrow comes and you have a healthy lunch and you also won’t have to spend any unnecessary money at the fast food joints. 

2.) Your Grocery Cart Is Your Empty Stomach – When you go grocery shopping think of your cart as your empty stomach.  Fill it only with healthy foods to help fuel your body. 

3.) Stop Drinking Your Calories – 8 ounces of juice or pop can have up to 150 calories, 20 grams of sugar and 30 carbs!  If you have 3 cans of pop a day that can add 450 calories, 60 grams of sugar and almost 100 carbs to your diet!  Drink more water.  If you need the flavor buy the Crystal Light or something similar to poor into your water.  You’ll be amazed at how lighter and healthier you feel, not to mention how many pounds you’ll shed by doing so.

4.) Cut Out Creamy – Chances are if it says “creamy” in the description, it’s bad for you.  Opt for healthier dressings and sauces like vinaigrettes, lights, or oil and vinegar. 

5.) No Cheese, Please - Cheese can add a few hundred calories to a sandwich.  Next time you make one or order one from a restaurant go without the cheese.  Especially with sandwiches, you really can’t taste a difference.

Remember these 5 tips to help cut out hundreds of calories a day!  Sometimes such easy changes can make HUGE differences in your diet. 

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

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Bonus Workout

Here’s a sneak peak at the two week long workout that will be posted on Sunday.  This is the first workout and the first cardio session.  Do these today and tomorrow, take Saturday off then check back on Sunday for the full workout.  The explanations of the exercises are at the bottom. Enjoy!

Day 1 Workout – 45 minutes

5 minute warm-up on elliptical

3 x 15 Kettlebell Swings SUPERSET with Walking Lunges

3 x 20 of Up-Downs with the Balance Ball (half a Plyo-Ball with plastic on half that you can stand on)

·         If you don’t have a Plyo-Ball use light dumbbells

3 x 30 seconds of Runner Arms Biceps Curls SUPERSET with 15 Standing Overhead Triceps Extensions with 1 dumbbell

3 x 15 Medicine Ball Slams

5 minute cool down on elliptical

Day 2 Workout – 30 Minutes Cardio and Plank Ab Workout from Wednesday

1.) 5 minute warm up on elliptical, bike or treadmill

20 minutes of intervals on elliptical, bike, treadmill or stair climber

·         Go 90% speed for 30 seconds, then slow to 25% speed for 60 seconds

·         Repeat for 20 minutes

5 minute cool down on elliptical, bike or treadmill

2.) Ab Plank workout from Wednesday

Hope this gets you started and in shape for next week’s workout!  Good luck!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.looklikeanathlete.com 

Definitions of Exercises:

Superset – Two workouts done immediately without rest in between.

·         Kettlebell Swings then do Walking Lunges immediately.  Rest 60 seconds then repeat 2 times.

Up-Downs – Grab a Balance ball or light dumbbells.  Do a push up on them, pop up and do a shoulder press. That’s 1. Get back down, push up, pop up, shoulder press, 2. Etc.

Runners Arms – Grab some light dumbbells and stand with one foot in front of the other.  Do bicep curls and pump your arms as fast as you can as if you were running.

Medicine Ball Slams – Grab a medicine ball.  Hold it overhead and slam it into the ground as hard as you can.  Catch it when it bounces back up and repeat.