Dear Fitness Conscious Friend, Ahh…the holidays, that time of year filled with family, friends, food, fun…and unfortunately for many-weight gain. One cannot argue that amidst all the shopping, socializing, traveling and entertaining, finding the time for regular exercise, and the discipline to stick to a calorie conscious “diet” can be quite challenging. However, with a little awareness, planning, and of course self-control, you can beat the battle of the holiday bulge and still enjoy quality time with family and friends. To assist you in this effort, I have called upon some of the top professionals in the fitness and weight loss industry. I assure you, that if you embrace the insights and follow the advice contained in this manual, you will experience a healthy, active, and “stress-free” holiday season . Best of “luck” and have a safe, healthy, and happy Holiday season. Shondelle Solomon-Miles Weight Loss Educator & Coach www.TheUltimateFatlossguide.com www.SynergizeWeightLoss.com
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Table of Contents
Eat & Be Merry This Holiday Season ……………………………………..3 By Holly Rigsby How to Burn Fat While Watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas”………6 By Dan Grant 10 Tips to Minimize Stress During the Holiday Season………………….10 By Shondelle Solomon-Miles How to Fit Fitness Into Your Busy Holiday Schedule……………………13 By Lyle Johnson A Diabetics Secret to Surviving The Holidays……………………………15 By Katrina McKenna Seven Ways To avoid The Sweater Season Sins………………………….19 By Sam Glauber 5 Tips to Minimize Overeating During The Holiday Season……………22 By Shondelle Solomon-Miles No More Excuses: The 4 Minute Holiday Workout……………………..24 By Gary Grant Avoid Adding Extra Pounds During The Holiday By Smiling…………26 By Kevin Gianni Top 12 Exercises To Keep You Fit During The Holidays………………28 By Arnel Ricafranca A Time Efficient Workout for the Holiday Season..................................38 By Tony Gentilcore Holiday Specials…………………………………………………………...45
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Eat and Be Merry This Holiday Season
Between parties, family dinners, late night treats and traveling, it’s no surprise that healthy habits are the first things to go once the holidays roll around. The average American’s holiday meal can easily add up to 5,000 calories. How could it not, when the main course is an easy 2,000 calories. Add on appetizers, beverages, desserts AND second helpings and you can quickly find yourself in trouble when it comes to your fat loss efforts. There is so much focus on what not to eat we forget that the holidays are about sharing time with friends and family. Yes, you deserve to enjoy the holidays! You shouldn’t punish yourself by worrying about how many calories are in each bite or how long you’ll have to run on the treadmill to work off a 5 course meal. You’ve waited all year to share in the delight of Mom’s homemade pies and Aunt Carol’s melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies. Nor should you have to worry about how detrimental these foods are to your fat loss efforts. Why? Because the trick lies in your ability to maintain, not lose. It’s all about sensible balance and moderation. Change your focus and you’ll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to survive the holidays! As our top 10 survival tips are about to reveal…..it's absolutely OK to enjoy your favorite holiday treats and maintain the progress that you’ve made. 10 HOLIDAY SURVIVAL TIPS Tip #1: Plan ahead ~ Food going to be everywhere. If you are prone to indulge, know the setting, the possible food temptations and social pressure that may arise ahead of time. Try visualizing what you will eat, how much you will eat and even practice saying “no”. Write out your menus for the day before and the day after your scheduled holiday meal. Make sure these two days you are on track and you are eating supportively. Having a plan will allow you to create a position of control and create a guilt-free dinner. Tip #2 Be Active ~ Okay, so your holiday schedule is too hectic to get to the gym for your normal routine. Not a problem. You know the key to preventing weight gain is a combination of watching your calories and increasing your daily activity level. It’s best schedule mini workouts first thing in the morning. This eliminates the excuse of having no time. You will be grateful for incorporating some type of physical activity for it will not only allow you to burn off any extra calories but will also reduce stress, elevate your mood and help you feel more energized. Look for additional opportunities to get moving throughout the day, from going on a walk, dancing to your favorite holiday tunes to helping load or unload boxes of decorations. These activities may not seem like much, but at the days end, those calories burned do add up. Tip #3: Control your portions ~ Being aware of your portions will give you a great advantage when it comes to maintaining your weight. Take time to survey the foods
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before you make your choices. Try a small serving of the foods you really want to eat and a spoon-sized portion of the foods you just want to "taste." These sample sized servings allow you the enjoyment of trying many foods without the extra calories. Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love, this will only increase your cravings and you'll be more likely to overindulge. Tip #4: Don’t skip meals ~ Don’t make the mistake of starving yourself the day of a holiday feast thinking you can fill up on tons of food that evening. Not only will you slow your metabolism down to a hearty fat storing rate, arriving ravenous will guarantee overindulgence. Instead, start each day with a supportive breakfast - particularly something with protein and a high fiber carbohydrate. Be sure to eat a healthy, highprotein snack before you go. The protein will help you feel full longer. You’ll be less likely to binge, and reduce overall calorie consumption. Once you arrive, go ahead and enjoy in the delicious array of foods. Since you have eaten regularly throughout the day, you will find that you aren't as hungry and not as tempted to eat everything in sight. Tip #5 Use a small plate ~ Grab a small salad plate for your dinner. Doing so will psychologically give you the same feeling as eating from a full dinner plate. You may go back for a second round, but this slows down the eating process and will give you a chance to feel full. Tip #6: Eat slowly ~ Once the holiday feast begins, try to pace yourself and eat slowly. You will be able to savor your food and feel satisfied with less. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain indicating that you are full. Take the time to eat, chew slowly and put your silverware down in between each bite. The slower you eat, the more aware you will become of your body’s needs and the less likely you are to overindulge and feel physically horrible afterwards. Tip #7: Front Load your meal ~ When making your way through the buffet table, make your first trip count. Pile up your plate with fresh vegetables, lean meats and other low calorie, high fiber options. Eat as much healthy food as you can! This will dramatically reduce the portion sizes of desserts you’ll later take and will result in a lower calorie meal overall. Tip #8: Limit or Avoid Alcoholic Beverages ~Not only does alcohol contain unnecessary calories, but over consumption lowers your inhibitions and self control…not a good combination when there is so much food around! Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories by delivering an average of 100 calories per ounce (about the size of a shot glass) while an 8 oz. cup of eggnog wit rum contains about 450 calories! If you do decide to drink alcohol, stick to light beer or a champagne spritzer. Be sure to drink a glass of water between each alcoholic beverage. Tip #9: Stress and Sleep ~ Reduce stress by getting a good night’s sleep (at least 6 hours) and remember not to overextend yourself. Enlist the help of friends and family members. Making exercise a regular part of your daily routine will also help to reduce stress levels at this hectic time of year.
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Tip #10: Spend time with family ~ The point of holidays are to celebrate and spend time with family and friends, not to eat. If you make your family time active, you will become healthier and have fun doing so. Make a new holiday tradition; be adventurous and try something new, but also choose something you enjoy. This will also help you avoid hovering over the buffet table. The holidays come but once a year - so relax and enjoy them. What's the point of refusing your favorite holiday treats, then feeling miserable? Incorporate these survival tips, save calories, eliminate guilt and know that you can successfully battle the holiday bulge. About the Author: Holly Rigsby is the Vice President of Fit Systems Personal Training & Weight Management and is the Fitness Consulting Group’s leading expert on developing successful Weight Management programs. You can subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.totalwomensfitness.com.
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How to Get Fit While Watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
As much as I’m not a fan of television I know people watch and watch it a lot. Most people have that one show they can’t live without. And with Christmas right around the corner there will be a lot of special Christmas themed television shows on. I know my family has a tradition of watching “Scrooge,” the really old version together. But one of my all time favorites is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” so that’s why I mentioned it in the title. Whatever your favorite holiday shows are, however, it doesn’t mean you have to be lazy and let all the food you’ve been eating make you shake your head when you step on the scale after the holidays. Why not stay fit? So, instead of just lounging around eating chocolate and drinking eggnog, start by drinking water with some fruits or veggies. That would be the best start to this little workout. Now I’m just going to guess here but I’m assuming there’d be 4 or 5 commercials in a 30-minute show. Every set of commercials is probably about 2 minutes we’ll say, so that’s 8-10 minutes break from your show. So why not get a little exercise and get those muscles working. And don’t worry about dumbbells, all that is needed here is you. So the way this sitcom workout is going to work is you are going to be doing a little circuit style workout during the commercials. You’re going to work for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds each exercise. So we’ll do it in 2 minute cycles, so that means we’ll do 4 exercises per commercial. READY! COMMERCIALS 1 and 3 Exercise 1 Beginner: wall pushups Intermediate: knee or regular pushups Advanced: staggered or clap pushups Exercise 2 Beginner: crunches Intermediate: crunches or toe touches Advanced: toe touches Exercise 3 Beginner: jumping jacks Intermediate: jumping jacks or up/downs Advanced: up/downs
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Exercise 4 Beginner: reverse crunches Intermediate: leg raises Advanced: bicycles COMMERCIAL 2 and 4 Exercise 1 All levels: shadow boxing (move your feet around too) Exercise 2 Beginner: knee plank Intermediate: knee plank or regular plank Advanced: regular plank Exercise 3 Beginner: body squat Intermediate: body squat or speed squat Advanced: speed squat Exercise 4 Beginner: hip raise Intermediate: hip raises or one-legged hip raise Advanced: one-legged hip raise There you go. You just worked out for 8 minutes instead of sitting there. Feels good, doesn’t it? Remember to keep drinking that water during the actual show itself and you can keep snacking on those veggies too. For the one-legged exercise, do each leg for ten seconds each or do a different leg at each commercial. If your show is an hour, well then you can workout even longer if you want. And if you get bored there’s always more workouts being given out in my newsletters. You can sign up for that at www.dangrantfitness.com. Exercises for workout Wall Pushups – perform a pushup with your hands on a wall. Have your feet as far away from the wall as you can to make it more challenging.
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Knee Pushups- perform a pushup while your knees are on the ground. Regular Pushups- have your hands about shoulder width apart on the ground and perform a pushup with just your toes and hands touching the ground. Clap Pushups- perform a regular pushup and explode up and either have your hands leave the ground or clap your hands after pushing up. Crunches- Lie with your back on the ground and feet about 6-12 inches away from your glutes with the soles of your feet flat on the ground. Start with your hands by your ears or cross your arms across your chest. Pull your stomach in and lift up until your shoulder blades are off the ground. Hold for a second and return to starting position and repeat. Do not pull on your neck at anytime. Toe Touches- Lie with your back on the mat and your legs straight up facing the sky. With your arms straight out in front of you go up and try to touch your toes. Up/downs- start in standing position. Go down as fast as you can and do a pushup. Then return, as fast as you can, to standing position and jump up. Repeat. Reverse Crunches- lying on your with your legs straight and flat on the ground. Bend your legs and try and bring your knees to your chest. Return them to a straight position but stop your feet from touching the ground at 3 inches above the ground. Leg Raises- Lie flat on the floor with your legs extended. Raise your legs up (while keeping your back flat on the ground) as high as comfortable and return to starting position and repeat. When bringing the legs back down your feet should stop about 3 inches off the ground. Your feet should never touch the ground. Bicycles- Lying flat on your back, start with your hands at your ears and legs off the ground and slightly bent. Bring your left elbow to your right knee simultaneously. Go back to starting position and then do the other elbow to knee. Do this exercise as fast and comfortable as you can. Knee Plank- With your body aligned straight from your head to your knees, hold yourself up with your forearms. Only your knees, elbows, forearms and hands should be touching the ground. Plank- With your body aligned straight from head to toe, hold yourself up with your forearms. Only your toes, elbows, forearms and hands should be touching the ground. Body Squat- Start with your feet at shoulder’s width apart. Start the squat by going back with your hips and keeping the weight at your heels. Ideally you want to get to a knee angle of 90 degrees, but start at what’s comfortable.
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Speed Squats- With your arms straight out in front of you perform squats and quickly and comfortably as possible. Hip Raises- Lie on a mat with your back on the ground and your feet 6-12 inches away from your glutes and the soles of your feet on the ground. Extend up with your back and hips as high as what is comfortable hold for a second and return to start and repeat. One-leg Hip Raise- Lie on your back with one heel on the ground about 6-12 inches away from your glutes. Push up with your heel until your back and hips are extended. Your other leg should never touch the ground at any point. Have a great workout and Happy Holidays! About the Author: Dan Grant, NSCA-CPT. Dan is a fitness and motivational coach in Thunder Bay, ON and all over the world through his personal training and online training. You can sign up for his FREE fitness and mindset newsletter at www.dangrantfitness.com and you’ll receive his ebook, “8 Secrets to a Slim and Trim YOU!” free. He is also the author of a weight loss and fat burning program,”The ULTIMATE 6 Week Body Burn Workout”. You can check out the program at www.bodyburnworkout.com.
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10 Tips to Minimize Stress During The Holiday Season
Ah... the holidays! It's a wonderful time for family togetherness, bonding with friends and loved ones and sharing activities done only once a year, such as baking cookies and decorating the tree. Yes? Actually, the answer for many people is a resounding "no." Many people feel a great deal of stress during the holiday season, and unfortunately stress plays a huge role in holiday weight gain. Why you ask? Well, I don’t know about you, but when I’m stressed I tend not to make the smartest food choices. In addition, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is a fat-storage hormone and studies consistently show it is largely responsible for the deposition of abdominal fat. So Why Are We So Stressed at Holiday Time? There can be many reasons why we feel stressed at what should be the happiest times of year. Here are a few: First of all, there's a lot more to do around the holidays. Entertaining, shopping for gifts, attending special functions, and accommodating out of town visitors are just a few of the tasks you may be trying to add into an already busy lifestyle. Secondly, losses can revive intense feelings during the holidays. People who are separated or divorced may be angry or sad about the changes in--or absence of--family traditions. Someone who has lost a parent or spouse may mourn that death all over again at the holidays. Parents whose children have grown up and moved away may fiercely miss the joyous excitement a child brings to a holiday. When you're feeling this way, having to "put on a happy face" with the rest of the world can be truly tough. All change is stressful, even if you view it as a "good" change, such as spending more time with family and exchanging gifts. The bottom line is that you're forced to make changes in your regular routine, sometimes for a period of several weeks, and that can be stressful. These are just a few of the things that can lead to holiday stress. You will certainly think of more. So, can anything be done to prevent the holidays from becoming a time for anxiety, frustration, and "the blues" for you and your loved ones? The answer to that question is yes, definitely. Let's take a look... 10 Quick Holiday Stress-Busting Tips 1. Make time for exercise. Exercise is a great stress-buster. Studies have shown that vigorous exercise--even walking or dancing--produces endorphins in your body.
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Endorphins are proteins that stimulate pleasurable feelings. So, if you're already in the habit of exercising daily, keep it up! If you're not, then try to make time-even if just 15 to 30 minutes a day--to be active. 2. Get plenty of rest. Stress is hard on your body, as well as your mind. Replenish your energy resources by getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, minimum. You'll be able to face tomorrow easier if you get enough rest tonight. 3. Learn to take mini-breaks periodically during the day. When the feelings of stress start to mount--or you see them coming--STOP! Stop whatever you're doing (even if just for a minute or two), close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Breathe in to a slow count of 5 and then out to a slow count of 5. Repeat as needed. Open your eyes, and try to smile. When we smile, it often makes us feel lighter, at least for a few moments. 4. Make time at the end and beginning of each day to review your goals and make a "to-do" list. Try to pull together short lists of the 6 to 10 most important things you need to get accomplished that day. Knowing precisely what needs to be done and then being able to check each task off as accomplished can go a long way towards helping you feel in control. And that can prevent stress too. 5. Schedule "down time" into each day. This is time just for you. It doesn't have to be a lot of time. Even a half hour of time when you don't have to answer to anyone else can be invaluable. Use this time to do whatever helps you relax most. Some people like to listen to music. Others enjoy reading. Social animals may enjoy chatting with friends or family on the telephone or over the Internet. You might find that writing in your journal or diary helps relieve stress. Whatever works for you, just make sure you do it each day! 6. Build cushion time into your day. Very few of us have totally predictable schedules every day. During the holidays, this can get even worse... traffic tie ups, unexpected demands at work and home, visitors you didn't anticipate, etc. "Plan" for these unplanned events by not scheduling every minute of your day. This will allow you to be more flexible when these events pop up. 7. Learn to get comfortable with saying "no." Not one of us can keep functioning if we say "yes" to every request or demand made upon us. If you don't "say no" once in a while, then you're going to find yourself over-committed and over-stressed. 8. Ask a friend or family member for a hug. This stress buster may sound kind of silly, but the truth is, we all benefit from simple human touch. And hugs have been proven to have beneficial effects. So, don't be afraid to ask for yours! 9. Learn to accept that a certain amount of stress IS a part of everyday life. No, stress need not be overwhelming on a consistent basis. But, if you want everything in your life to go smoothly all the time, then you're setting unrealistic
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expectations. And that can only lead to disappointment and let down. So, anticipate some stress and just roll with the punches best you can. 10. Don't add financial woes to your list of stressors, if you can help it. Holidays are often connected with gifts, but that doesn't mean the gifts have to be expensive purchases. Homemade gifts are often much more highly valued for the caring and effort that goes into them. Or, consider giving away a service, such as a promise of a massage or babysitting. Get creative... you can surely find many ways of giving that don't involve cleaning out your wallet or pocketbook. So, you see, it IS possible to prevent or relieve the holiday stresses you may be facing this time of year, and consequently keep holiday weight gain under control. About the Author: Shondelle Solomon-Miles is the author of The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide (www.TheUltimateFatlossGuide.com) She is also the owner of Synergize! Weight Loss Studio in downtown Hollywood, FL. She can be contacted at shondelle@synergizeweightloss.com
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How to Fit Fitness into Your Busy Holiday Schedule
Your holiday schedule is bursting at the seams. Your work schedule is hectic with three meetings and a major presentation that you have to prepare for. When you get home you have to cook dinner, wash clothes, take your daughter to dance class, take your son to basketball practice and don’t forget all of the holiday activities like decorating, shopping and entertaining guest. So, when do you have time for yourself? You love to exercise, but how do you fit your busy holiday schedule? Everyone should make the commitment to better fitness, but so few follow through with that commitment. Why do so many overlook physical fitness and remain sadly out-ofshape? While many have different excuses, the most popular excuse for not exercising is “I’m too busy.” You know how important exercise is and you really do want to get fit, but your outlook calendar is booked for the next three weeks, and you don't think you could pencil in even one more activity especially during the holiday season. As an entrepreneur, I know how difficult it can be to fit a regular exercise routine into a full schedule. Yet, without a consistent exercise regimen, you may not have the energy to keep up with your responsibilities, and by working out now, you will have more energy later. Having a consistent time for physical fitness makes it more likely that you will continue with a routine. I like to exercise late at night. It ends a busy day on a good note, plus I have time to reflect on what happen during the day and it gives me a chance to get “pumped up” for the next day. Others like to get up early before their family awakens. Or you may find you prefer exercising during your lunch break.
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Despite good intentions, however, you may find some days you don't have the time or desire to do a full routine exercise. Does that mean that if you can't do a full routine, you don't exercise? Not at all! While nothing takes the place of a regular exercise routine, here are some tips for fitting fitness in even when you are short on time. Fitting Fitness In During the Holiday Season Instead of spending your time searching for the closest parking space, park your car further away. Not only do you save time, frustration in finding a parking spot, but you also will use more energy walking. Do not use the drive-thru. Park and get out of your car. Use stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. At work, take the long route to the water fountain, restrooms, copy machine, and cafeteria. Walk briskly. When watching television, try riding a stationary bike or using a treadmill or elliptical trainer. Buy a set of FitDeck Cards. FitDeck is a deck of cards with exercises on them. Simply functional, no equipment is required. Shuffle the cars each day a get a new workout. (fitdeck.com) Make social time a time for fitness by exercising with a friend. Spend time holiday shopping with family and friends by walking around the mall a couple times while getting caught up on the news. The hardest part of an exercise program is getting started. The easiest part is to stop. Most people who start an exercise routine quit within a few weeks. But if you make it past those first few weeks, you will probably stay with your routine, and you may even discover that you love it and can't do without it. I have! About the Author: Lyle Johnson is a certified personal trainer on the owner of MVP Fitness, located in St. Louis, MO. For more information go to www.MvpFitness.net
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A Diabetics Secret to Surviving the Holidays
Many people gain 7 – 10 pounds during the holiday season and even more if we consider Halloween as the start of the holiday season. This weight gain hits those with Diabetes exceptionally hard. Diabetics are faced with the same temptations as everyone else but the consequences of giving in are far worse. Excess sugar and weight gain are the last things a person with diabetes needs. Excess weight often makes the disease worse. A major aspect of Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, or the inability of the cells to work with insulin, and weight gain usually makes this worse. Excess sugar will wreak havoc on a person’s blood sugar level. Repeatedly high blood sugar levels are the cause of most diabetic complications such as eye disease, kidney disease and cardiovascular problems. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death (fifth leading cause of death by disease); it affects over 20 million Americans! Another 40 million Americans have pre-diabetes. Many of these people do not even know it. According to the American Diabetes Association diabetes is the leading cause of adult onset blindness, the cause of 60% of non-traumatic lower limb amputation, and a major cause of heart disease and stroke, which are responsible for approximately 65% of deaths among people with diabetes. The excess sugar and weight gain can be the cause of someone with pre-diabetes becoming a full-fledged diabetic.
Halloween – Halloween Treats are Tricks for People with Diabetes
Halloween is really the start of the holiday weight gain. You slip up and then decide the throw in the towel until the New Year. If you are reading this after Halloween, do two things, pick the towel back up you are getting back on the wagon and throw out any leftover candy! Get back on your diabetic diet and return to exercising (if you are not exercising as part of you diabetic management please go to http://www.DiabetesFatLossBook.com). If your kids still have candy, they do not need it either, throw it out! If Halloween has not passed here are some tips to reduce the treat intake: 1. If you give out candy to trick-or-treat-ers, do not buy it until the last minute. The less time it is in your house the better. 2. Buy candy you do not like. You will be less tempted to eat it.
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3. Give out healthy alternatives, apples, oranges, raisins, yogurt, money or little toys. With the epidemic of childhood obesity, everyone should be considering ways of reversing it. 4. Get rid of all leftovers, give them to a local homeless shelter, skinny friends or just throw them out. 5. Allow yourself to have a couple pieces (depending on size, 1 – 2 “fun” size candy bars) of candy, but only after having a healthy meal of lean protein, and lots of green vegetables, the fiber and protein will slow down the absorption of the sugar into the bloodstream, psychologically it is easier to be healthy most of the time if we do allow treats occasionally (1 time per week). 6. Exercise regularly and especially exercise the day you have treats, you body will handle the sugar and fat better because of the exercise. Even if it is not very long.
Thanksgiving – Pass the mashed potatoes and hyperglycemia, please!
Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar is one of two main short term complications for diabetics. Hyperglycemia ultimately leads to dangerous diabetic complications. Excessive carbohydrates, sugars and starches, could lead to hyperglycemia. Here are some tips to help prevent Thanksgiving dinner from increasing your blood sugar dangerously high: 1. Make Thanksgiving your cheat day for the week. Allow yourself to have a small piece of pie (after you eat). 2. Do not skip meals, eating frequently increases the number of calories that you burn each day. 3. Do not go to Thanksgiving dinner hungry; eat healthy beforehand. If you are starving when dinner starts, you are more likely to gorge yourself. 4. Focus on lean meats and vegetables. Eat the white meat of the turkey, skip the skin and skip the gravy, sauces, condiments, bread, potatoes and stuffing. If you really love something that is unhealthy, eat a small amount only after you eat the lean meat and vegetables. 5. And while this is redundant: Exercise regularly and especially exercise the day you have treats, you body will handle the sugar and fat better because of the exercise. Even if it is not very long; a short workout is better than no workout. Schedule your workouts just like any other appointment; it is just as important if not more so. 6. Take a walk with your family after you eat. 7. If you are cooking, modify the recipes to reduce excess sugar and fat. Simply add less sugar, replace with ‘sweet’ spices such as vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon, and replace with a sugar substitute. Use lower fat or non-fat options and use lower sugar and non-sugar options. Eat lean protein and vegetables before you start cooking. If you are hungry you will be less inclined to taste. 8. If you are going to dinner at someone else’s house bring a healthy dish.
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9. Drink plenty of water. 10. Be sure to bring healthy portable options to eat while traveling and be sure to bring any medications and copies of your prescriptions (just in case). Plan ways to stay active, bring resistance bands, bring an exercise video, use stairs and use bodyweight exercises. Get your friends or family active too. 11. Don’t take leftovers home and do give away your leftovers of high carbohydrate and high fat dishes. 12. Limit alcohol. Even though alcohol can actually lower your blood sugar, it is empty calories and usually mixed with excess carbohydrates. Alcohol is simply excess calories that go straight to fat. Always have a glass of water in your hand.
Christmas / Hanukah / Kwanzaa – Hyperglycemia, the gift that keeps on taking!
Regardless of what you celebrate there are numerous holiday parties at work, and at your family and friends’ houses. All of these celebrations include food that will raise your blood sugar. Remember, high blood sugar is what causes serious diabetic complications. So when you want to forget paying attention to eating well and exercising remember what the potential consequences are. While not eating cookies may feel restrictive, going blind will be much more so. Most of the tips for Thanksgiving apply here. Here are additional tips to deal with shopping and stress. 1. Consider limiting the number of parties you attend. Limiting your exposure to temptations makes it easier to resist. 2. Eat before you shop. You’ll spend less and are less likely to succumb to the unhealthy options at the mall or on the road. 3. Be careful when out in the cold. Extreme temperatures can cause high or low blood sugar. 4. Find a way to decompress. The holidays can be stressful and stress can increase your blood sugar level by itself and most people tend to eat unhealthy foods when they are stressed. So learn to meditate, take a warm bubble bath, try some aromatherapy, get a massage, pray or listen to your favorite music. Do this regularly before you are stressed and you will be better prepared to release the stress quickly when it occurs. 5. Be careful with appetizers, cut vegetables are great but the dips often have a lot of fat and sugar that add up. 6. Fat-free does not mean healthy. Many fat-free items are full of sugar. 7. Give and request gifts that support a healthy lifestyle. Great gifts include: resistances bands, adjustable dumbbells, stability balls, exercise videos, jump ropes, fitness books, fitness magazines subscriptions, athletic sneakers, workout clothes, gym memberships, bicycle, skates and personal training. 8. Enjoy yourself!
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Follow these tips and you can start your New Year off healthier than last year. Katrina McKenna, BA, CES, CSCS is the leading Diabetes Fitness Expert. She owns a personal training business in New York, New York and is the author of “Yes! You CAN Be Fit, Feel Fantastic and Look Better Naked Even With Type 2 Diabetes” which can be purchased at: http://www.DiabetesFatLossBook.com You can subscribe to Katrina’s FREE Health and Fitness Journal at http://www.MetamorFitness.com you will get two free bonus reports as my gift to you.
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Seven Ways to Avoid the Sweater Season Sins.
Winter is fast approaching. The birds have flown south. The leaves have all fallen. Soon in will be time for sitting by the fire with a nice cup of hot coco and a warm blanket and staying up late and drinking glass after glass of grandma’s world famous eggnog. Just around the corner there will be frantic shopping days that seem to last for eternity. Relatives popping in and out of your house like chipmunks gathering nuts for the winter. No wonder people tend to pack on a few extra pounds during this time of year. It’s an environment filled with stress, overeating and lack of exercise. Fortunately it’s also sweater season. Even if those few extra pounds of fat seem to have caught up with you during the holiday season. It won’t really be noticeable for the next few months since you can get away with wearing sweaters. All you have to do is pull on one of your lovely wool v-necks and viola no one will notice. You know in the back of you mind that you can get away with wearing a sweater, you give your self a little lee way when it comes to your diet and exercise program. Let’s face it if you don’t have to take off your shirt for the next few month or wear a swim suit at the beach that extra body fat doesn’t really even seem to be noticeable. Until of course spring hits and it’s time for your fleece shell to go on the top shelf. Then most of us wonder why we let ourselves get away with all that holiday eating. This is phenomena is known as the ‘sweater season sins.’ It’s the little extra things that we do during the holiday season that are not necessarily the best for or training and nutritional plan. For example, not being too concerned with eating handfuls of your aunt Bev’s cookies or piling on a little extra gravy on your turkey and mashed potatoes. You don’t really care that you missed a few workout sessions since you’re going to be wearing sweaters all winter anyway. They say a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well is this case a if you cut back on the extra ounces you will help prevent the extra pound from showing up in the first place. So I have devised a plan. Seven ways to a avoid theses ‘sweater season sins.’ 1.The eat and run. Forgetting to plan your next meal and being in a hurry is just setting yourself up for disaster. Either your going to pull in to Mcdonald’s and order something really toxic. Or just not eat at all which will probably lead to overeating later on. Try to plan your meals as best you can even if it’s difficult. Hide a box of protein bars in your glove box. Put a protein shake under your seat and always have a bottle of water in you car. 2. Perform the ‘push away’. It’s simple. Put down your knife and fork. Place both hands firmly on the table and ‘push’. This keeps you from eating all that food you wish you hadn’t. I lot of time’s you overeat because you spend too much time at the table. The food is in front of you and you eat it just because it’s there. If you can’t take the heat get away form the fire. If you don’t want to overeat get away from the table.
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3. Think about want your eating. No, really think about it. This is a practice called mindful eating. Basically it involves really enjoying the food your eating and only eating the foods you really enjoy. Sometimes when you veer off the path of your preplanned diet it’s simply because you don’t want to turn down food. If grandma offers you one of her delectable home-baked cookies you can’t bring yourself to say no even though you should. You don’t really even like your grandmother’s cookies you just eat them to be nice. If your going to put something filled with fat and sugar in your body you might as well enjoy it. What’s the point of cheating on your diet if you don’t even like the food that caused you to cheat. So if you don’t really like it. Don’t eat it. 4. Make it a pre-workout meal. If you just ate a carb rich high calorie meal you might as well put it to good use. Instead of sitting around the house watching football ,drag everyone outside and pass around the pigskin. Try taking a long walk or playing a friendly game of freeze tag. Doing so will give you a great opportunity to show off you new winter collection of red belly hiding garments. You could even put together a arm wrestling tournament. This will allow your uncle Larry to prove that the extra fifteen pound he put on this year was ‘mostly muscle’ just as he claims. 5. Go lite. This year when the drinks are being passed out like step counters at a weight watcher meeting, go with a drink that’s on the lighter side. Instead of eggnog or wine, choose something like diet ginger ale or spritzer with lemon. Better yet volunteer to make the drinks for everyone. This way you can pour yourself a double shot of lemon water and no one will be the wiser. Remember alcohol is double bad. Not only does it have 9 calories pre gram it also slows down you metabolism and lowers your testosterone levels. 6. Put some junk in your trunk. Seriously, put some junk in your trunk. Grab a bunch sleds, pieces of cardboard, old trash can lids pretty much anything that will slide down a snow covered hill and throw them into you trunk. Load everyone into your car and head for hills. The sledding hills that is. You will get plenty of exercise hauling your bratty nephew up and down the hill. The fun of sledding will help you break your spell of cabin fever. It’s doesn’t have to be sledding either. You can gather up the whole clan and go snow shoeing, cross country skiing or just take a winter trek in the woods. 7. Stop and smell the roses. Make sure that during this busy holiday season you make some time for yourself. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep eat night. Drink plenty of water and set aside some time each day you can relax and enjoy the season. Practice some relaxation techniques or give yourself a long hot soak in the tub. This will keep you from getting stressed out. This is a big reason people overeat and make bad food choices because they are rushed and stressed. By keeping your stress at bay it will help you fight off those sweater season pounds. Remind yourself of your goals. If you are going to be a healthy person you must commit full-time; not just when it’s easy or convenient, and not just when it’s summer time and you have to walk around without your favorite turtle neck fleece on. Don’t be a
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victim of the resolution put off. “I’ll just wait until next year to start my new diet plan.” “When January 1st hits I’m going to be a new person no more bad eating for me.” By doing this your giving yourself permission to cheat. Your tell yourself “it’s OK to cheat since next year I’m going to start fresh and eat clean.” In some cases you feel obligated to eat bad. You think, “since this is the last time I’m going to be able to cheat I might as well make the most of it.” You feel since you have already cheated on your diet it’s ruined and you might as well keep cheating. This is a bad mind set to have. Here’s why. If one of the rooms in your house was damaged by a fire would you burn the rest of your house down? No, of course not. So why do the same thing with your diet and exercise plan? Don’t throw your diet and exercise plan out the window just because you had a bad meal or even a bad week. Just chalk it up as a loss and get right back on track. No one is going to eat perfectly this holiday season. A little cheating is to be expected. You have to try some fruit cake, drink some of grandma’s homemade eggnog and have some turkey dinner. It’s impossible to ‘stay on track’ during the holiday’s all we can do is keep the overeating, lack of exercise and stress to a minimum. It will keep those few extra pounds at bay. This way, when spring hits next year, you will be ready to put your turtle necks on the top self and go ‘sweaterless.’ About The Author: Sam Glauber, NSCA-CPT, is a health and fitness professional who truly cares about the results his clients get. Sam's vast knowledge comes from real world experience and proper application of everything that he's learned over the years. He's helped many of his clients improve their bodies while improving their lives at the same time. This, simply, is Sam's mission. Sam can be reached www.SamGlauber.com.
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5 Tips to Minimize Overeating During the Holidays Season
Tis the season to be jolly…and to pack on a few extra pounds for many of us. Eat, drink and be merry right? What’s the point of sticking to health and fitness regimen with the holidays approaching? Perhaps you’re thinking “There’s no point in trying to lose weight now. I’ll wait until the New Year and start again.” If you ask me, this holiday “victim” mentality makes absolutely no sense at all. Think about it. Doesn’t it make much more sense to be more disciplined and consistent with your exercise and nutrition program before and during the holidays so that you DON’T have an extra 5 pounds to lose come January? Of course it does. Here are five tips to minimize overeating during the holiday season and keep you on track towards your fitness goals. 1. FILL UP ON VEGETABLES & HIGH FIBER FOOD Foods that are high in fiber or water fill you up quickly and help keep you from overindulging on the "bad" stuff. Take an extra scoop of vegetables and fruit when filling your plate, and by the time you finish, you won't have room for the other foods which are higher in calories and more likely to cause you to gain weight. 2. WAIT 10 MINUTES BETWEEN SERVINGS No doubt, everything at the table looks good, and it's a challenge not to fill your plate 2-3 times so that you can sample everything. An easy way to combat this urge is to wait at least 10 minutes between servings. Your stomach is approximately the size of a clenched fist, so multiple servings are usually a result of habit or emotional hunger, rather than physical hunger. By allowing yourself 10 minutes between servings you allow your brain adequate time to process satiety and you are able to assess whether you are eating to satisfy feelings or need. 3. GRAZE RATHER THAN GORGE Have you ever observed the eating habits of most animals? Animals typically do not eat excessive amounts of food in one sitting, rather they eat “small” amounts of food continuously throughout the day. This habit, known as grazing, prevents you from eating more food at one time than your body can process, and consequently you will be less likely to store excess calories as body fat; aim to be satisfied rather than “stuffed”. 4. DRINK BEFORE AND BETWEEN MEALS Drink a fair amount of water or other unsweetened beverage before each meal, and in between meals. The liquid in your stomach will help trick your mind into not feeling as hungry, which reduces the tendency to gorge yourself on potentially fattening foods. 5. POSITION YOURSELF AWAY FROM THE “SNACK” TABLE If you take a seat within an arm's reach of the snack table, you're going to have a tough time keeping yourself from unconsciously grabbing handfuls of party mix, candies, and the like and picking at them all day. By sitting on the other side of the room, getting to the snacks involves a conscious effort into getting up and walking over to get at the
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snacks. About the Author: Shondelle Solomon-Miles is the author of The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide (www.TheUltimateFatlossGuide.com) She is also the owner of Synergize! Weight Loss Studio in downtown Hollywood, FL. She can be contacted at shondelle@synergizeweightloss.com
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NO MORE EXCUSES!
All You Need Is Just 4 Short Minutes and You Can Stay Fit, and Feel Great This Holiday Season. If you want to lose weight, relieve stress and enjoy the Holiday season guilt free then you must keep reading…. What’s your excuse? • “I just don’t have time to exercise.” • “I ate so much that I can’t even move”. • “I will loose weight after the New Year.” • “ I know I need to exercise but…..” • “I’m just to busy during the holidays to worry about my health.” I bet you have heard these excuses, in fact you probably have even made them yourself. Lets face it the holidays can be a disaster waiting to happen especially if you’re trying to stay fit and healthy. The ugly fact is many people will gain 5-10 pounds during the holidays, and then try to loose that weight after the New Year, the sad truth is statistically most people won’t even stick to their New Years resolution for more than a few weeks. The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours working out in a gym it is possible to get a very productive workout in as little as 4 minutes. (WHAT?) I know this goes against everything you have been taught about fitness, but stick with me and I will do my best to convince you that it is possible and I might just change how you workout forever. Have you heard this one? “You must exercise in the Fat Burning Zone for at least 45 minutes to loose weight”. Really did you know that you primarily utilize fat for calories while sleeping, so maybe we should recommend that everyone sleep more and exercise less? Lets get real it’s about total calories burned period! It is simply about how hard you work not necessarily how long you work, take a look at sprinters they are probably the fittest and healthiest looking athletes on the planet, they don’t train long distance they work hard for a short period of time, rest and repeat and sprint again. Does their heart rate go up during exercise? You bet, but I guarantee that they don’t worry about if their training in the fat burning zone. A sprint type workout is referred to as “Interval Training” A hard exercise period followed by a short rest period. “Interval Training” will give you the most “Bang” for your fitness Buck it will skyrocket your metabolism and turn you into a fat burning machine and will require much less time to get the job done, in fact you just can’t work out this hard for a long period of time so you must keep it short. Okay, so how does it work? All right I’ll tell you, first get off your couch and stand up, now squat down to your couch and stand back up and repeat for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat that entire process again 7 more times. Did you do it? Was it hard? Were you even able to finish all 24
7 rounds? That was a 4-minute workout that should definitely have you huffing and puffing if you did not cheat yourself and you did it right. If you are still not sure what to do let me explain it to you again. Perform 20 seconds of work, rest for 10 seconds this is one round, repeat the entire process again 7 more times for a total of 8 rounds. All right that is tough but I can do more, what else can I do? Here is the simple answer just add an exercise for example an 8 minutes workout might look like this. 1. Squats (4 minutes) 2. Crunches (perform just like the squats 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 8 rounds.) 12-Minute Workout. 1. Squats 2. Crunches 3. Push-ups (can’t do them, then modify the movement start by doing push-ups off your kitchen counter, then to a lower position say a coffee table or chair, then to the floor with your knees on the ground until you can do real good push-ups.) 16-Minute Workout. 1. 2. 3. 4. Squats Crunches Push-ups Jumping jacks, or skip rope
If your working hard you will find it very challenging to perform 16-minute workouts, start with the 4-minute workouts first until you can add more time. No more holiday excuses, you do have time to exercise just give yourself 4 extra minute before you go shopping this week. Written by: Gary Grant www.4minutecircuits.com
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Avoid Adding Extra Pounds During the Holidays by Smiling!
It’s incredible to believe, but smiling often during the holiday season can actually help you stay away from eating too many cookies, cakes, and pies. Between Thanksgiving and New Years millions of Americans will put on five to seven pounds of extra weight due to more than just large portions. People eat more during the holidays due to stress, anxiety, shyness and boredom. General anxiety is a major cause of binging behavior and a smile can relieve a ton of stress starting at a very basic physiological level. Many people will snack at a party or gathering because they are uncomfortable, feel like they don’t have anything to say or feel like they have to eat because everyone else is. Have you felt this way before? I know I have! So how does a smile help? Smiles relax your entire body, they slow you down and they eliminate undue anxiety. When you’re feeling good, you don’t have to go to the pantry or the buffet table to find something sugary to relieve your feelings of stress, being out of place or uncomfortable. As an added benefit, smiling also makes you more approachable at parties and gatherings. When you’re having a great conversation there’s little time to stuff food in your mouth! I want you to take a minute and do a quick exercise for me to show you the power of this simple, but effective way to keep the holiday pounds at bay. A Simple 15 Second, 8-Step Exercise You Can Do Anywhere That Will Make You Beam Like a Kid on Christmas… Anytime of the Year! (Yes, stand up and do this exercise right now!) Follow along step by step for this to work… I want you to stand up from wherever you are sitting now. When you stand up, don’t stand up straight. I want you to slouch. And when you’re slouching, I want you to put a frown on your face. While you are doing this for a couple of seconds, I want you to try to think about something that is really happy. Pretty difficult, right? Now I want you to stand up straight. Put a smile on your face. I mean a really, really big smile! Now try to think about something that is sad or upsetting.
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It’s almost impossible! I know every time I do it, I can’t even begin to think about something sad… and even if I do think about something sad, I don’t see it as that sad when I’m smiling. This really is too easy. Think about how this can change your life! If you start changing your physiology now and use that tool when things get rough even after the holidays, you’ll be able to breeze through hard times with a smile and great posture! When you are in line at the post office and the counter person is chatting with a customer for what seems like hours and you’re in a big rush… smile, breathe deeply and fully and stand up straight. Notice how different you feel. It doesn’t bug you as much. Apply this to your fitness and health goals and you’re already off to a fantastic start! When you don’t want to exercise because you’re sitting on the couch and watching TV because Thanksgiving dinner put you in a food coma… sit up, smile and breathe naturally. I guarantee you’ll begin to feel like getting up and moving around. When I write, I have to be careful, because if I get into too much of a happy state, I have to get up every 5 minutes because I have so much energy! Let me tell you just how powerful this is. If you’ve heard of Norman Cousins (Anatomy of an Illness), then you know the true value of changing your physiology. Cousins made a remarkable recovery from an illness by using laughter. He would spend a good deal of his day watching funny movies and reading funny books that immediately changed his state. Once his state was changed, remarkably, his body used his new energy to heal itself! So keep smiling in mind this holiday season. If you are sitting up straight, smiling, and enjoying yourself then you will be setting yourself up for a fantastic couple of months. If you are not, then you are compromising the time you get to spend with your family, your friends and most of all you’ll be compromising your health. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin Gianni is the co-author of “The Busy Person’s Fitness Solution” and founder of www.LiveAwesome.com, the ultimate, no-BS weight loss, optimal health and motivation resource for busy people. For a free report, “How to Pulverize Mental Blocks and Achieve Laser-Like Focus to Get the Killer Body You’ve Always Wanted!” visit www.LiveAwesome.com today!
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Top 12 Exercises to Keep You Fit During Your Busy Holiday Season
A 25-minute holiday workout that will help you burn fat and gain lean muscle without any fitness equipment. Here comes the holidays again. This is the time of year when we celebrate by partying, eating, drinking, and indulging. Even the people that exercise regularly can easily slip away from their current exercise routine. For the rest of us, if we can make time for exercise it’s most likely the last thing in our “to do list.” You have two choices to make right now. You can either follow the exercises that I have laid out for you and avoid the holiday weight gain and actually be in better shape, or you can ignore my advice and gain extra weight and regret it after New Years Day. I know what you are thinking. You just do not have time for it because you still have to shop for gifts, attend parties, travel to see your friends and family, set up your Christmas tree, write holiday cards, and more. Fortunately, exercising does not have to take over an hour to accomplish to reap from the health benefits. If you just give yourself 25 minutes, 3 times per week, you might be able to avoid the holiday weight gain and end New Year’s day with a better body. I hope by now that you have made a conscious decision to follow the exercise program that I have laid out for you. You will be happy to know that this exercise program does not require any fitness equipment, but if you want to make it more challenging, you can use a back pack and books for weights. This exercise can be done by someone in any fitness level. Below is a picture of my backpack that I used to demonstrate the exercise. It weighs about 20 lbs total but I can also add more books to add more weight or remove books to reduce the weight.
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Now….. You really do not have any excuses to not exercise. I am giving you an exercise program that takes you 25 minutes a day, 3 times a week, with using only a backpack and few books. Here are some tips to get the most out of this program. Exercise Tips • Perform each exercise in order for 8-15 reps, rest for no longer than 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Once you’ve completed all the exercises, it is considered one circuit. The total number of circuits you complete is up to you, but aim for a total of 3 circuits as your fitness level improves. Find a weight that will allow you to do 8-15 reps by adjusting the amount of books that you have in your backpack. Obviously, the more books that you have in your bag, the heavier it gets. Just use your own bodyweight (no backpack) if you consider yourself a beginner. Keep your rest to a minimal. Since we are also working on cardio at the same time, try to rest anywhere from 0 to 30 seconds. If you are in great shape, try to avoid taking a break between the exercises. A way to progress is to shorten your rest between exercises and circuits. Always warm up first by doing some light jogging, jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc. Warm up for at least 5 minutes to avoid any possible injuries. If you want to maximize your weight loss results, add 15 minutes of cardio at the end of your workout. Choose interval training by combining low intensity aerobics with high intensity aerobics. By doing so, it will help boost your metabolism and allow you to burn more calories in a shorter period of time. For example, jog for 2 minutes and sprint for 20 seconds, repeat for 15 minutes.
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Nutrition Tips • Portion Control: Eat a small meal at least every 3 to 3.5 hours throughout the day to boost your metabolism. Each meal should compose of lean protein (ex.. chicken), starchy carbohydrates (ex. red potato), and fibrous carbohydrates (ex.. broccoli) Drink plenty of water through the day. You should try to drink at least 8 glasses per day. To be more accurate, take your bodyweight and multiply it by .55 to get the minimum recommended ounces of water that you need per day. Avoid simple sugar (or limit your sugar intake) such as cookies and pastries. Consuming too much sugar can cripple your metabolism and prevent you from burning body fat. 29
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Avoid or limit your saturated fat (the bad fat). This type of fat is solid in room temperature. Think about what you're drinking with your meal. By not consuming sodas, alcohol, and fruit juice, you've saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a non-caloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon.
Holiday Tips • Alcohol is like drinking liquid fat. Limit yourself to only one alcohol serving. You'll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings and not having to worry about driving home. When you are at a party, focus on your family and friends to keep your mind away from eating food. Limit yourself to one plate. But if you must go for second, choose a meal that is low in fat and low in calories such as a healthy salad. Limit yourself to one dessert or none at all. Avoid attending a party when hungry. Try to eat a smaller, healthier meal before going to a party to prevent over indulging in unhealthy snacks and food. Avoid eating an appetizer. It's a little known fact that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course. Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as transfats and calories. It's not a healthy way to start your meal.
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------------------------------------------DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. -------------------------------------------
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Here are the 12 exercises to keep you fit during your busy holiday season. Perform each exercise in order. Burpees (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1. Start in a standing position and bend your knees and place your hands on the ground. 2. Extend your legs back into a push up position. 3. Bring your knees back in towards chest and stand back up. 4. This should be a continuous motion and be fluid. Backpack Push up (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1. Lie face down on the floor with hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned at the nipple line. 2. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and feet should be at hip width with toes on floor. 3. Start position: Extend the elbows and raise the body off the floor. 4. Lower your entire body (legs, hips, trunk, and head) 4-8 inches from the floor. 5. Return to the start position by extending at the elbows and pushing the body up. 6. Remember to keep the head and trunk stabilized in a neutral position by isometrically contracting the abdominal and back muscles. Never fully lock out the elbows at the start position and avoid hyperextension of the low back.
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Backpack Bent Over Row (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1. Start by holding the backpack with both hands in front of you and the backpack across the front of your body. 2. Bend forward until your upper back is almost perpendicular to the floor. 3. Keeping your low back flat row the backpack up to your stomach. 4. Return to the bentover starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions. Backpack Upright Row (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart 2) Start position: Grasp bag with an overhand grip (palms down). Arms should hang down to front with elbows slightly bent. 3) Raise bag by pulling elbows towards the ceiling and pull bag to chest level. 4) Return to start position. 5) Remember to keep back and head straight in a neutral position - hyperextension or
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flexion may cause injury. Keep shoulders stabilized by squeezing shoulder blades together throughout movement. Backpack Shoulder Press (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1. Start by holding the bag at shoulder level in front of you. 2. Proceed to press the bag over your head until your arms are extended. 3. Return to the starting position and repeat for the suggested repetitions. Backpack Triceps Dip (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1) Sit upright on bench and place hands hip width apart with fingers pointing forward. Place feet flat on opposite bench with legs straight. 2) Start position: Slide glutes off bench with elbows slightly bent.
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3) Lower body by bending at elbows until elbows are at 90 degree angle. 4) Return to start position.
Body Weight Squat Jump (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, trunk flexed forward slightly with back straight in a neutral position. 2) Arms should be in the “ready” position with elbows flexed at approximately 90°. 3) Lower body where thighs are parallel to ground. 4) Explode vertically and drive arms up. 5) Land on both feet and repeat. Prior to takeoff extend the ankles to their maximum range (full plantar flexion) to ensure proper mechanics. Backpack Squat (8-15 reps)
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Instructions: 1. Start by placing feet shoulder width apart and holding your arms out in front of you. 2. Proceed to squat down like you are going to sit in a chair. Your upper body will lean forward slightly and your hips will shift backwards while going down. 3. Remember to keep your knees from going out in front of your toes while squatting. 4. Repeat according to your required repetitions. If you want to make the exercise more challenging hold your arms at your sides or behind your head. Backpack Walking Lunges (8-15 reps)
Instructions: 1. Start position: Stand with feet hip width apart.. 2. Step forward 2-3 feet forming a 90° bend at the front hip and knee. DO NOT allow front knee to extend past the big toe - may cause injury. 3. Push body up and move the back foot beside the front foot. Alternate feet and repeat. 4. Remember to keep head and back upright in a neutral position. Shoulders and hips should remain squared at all times. 5. Watch for proper knee alignment - do not let front knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Back knee should not come in contact with floor. Backpack Calve Raise (8-15 reps)
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Instructions: 1. Start by placing your heels off the edge of a step or ledge. 2. Hold onto something if you need balance. 3. Relax and let your heels drop towards the floor until a stretch is felt in your calves. 4. Hold this position for the suggested number of seconds. Backpack Plank (for 30-90 seconds)
Instructions: 1. Start by placing your forearms on the ground and forming a plank with your forearms and feet. 2. Hold this position keeping your body parallel to the ground for the required time. Mountain Climber (for 30 seconds)
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Instructions: 1. Start by getting on your hands and feet in a prone position. 2. Keeping your body parallel to ground drive your knees up towards your chest alternating back and forth. 3. Repeat this movement for the required number of seconds. About the Author: Arnel Ricafranca is the owner of Fitness Boot Camp. He is the author of The Ultimate Weight Loss Success Strategies For Busy Men and Women Over 40 and Discover 175+ Easy Ways to Maximize Fat Loss and has been featured as a fitness expert on numerous websites such as NBC WALB 10 News, NBC, KPLC, 7 News, and KTRE ABC 9 news. For more information, please visit http://www.fitbootcamp.com Join your Holiday Weight Gain Rehab Boot Camp Center in NJ at www.fitbootcamp.com to not only prevent the holiday weight gain but to also be in better shape by the New Year's holiday. You can also purchase The Ultimate Weight Loss Success Strategies For Busy Men and Women Over 40 at http://www.elitefitnessexperts.com to discover how thirteen of America's leading fitness experts reveal their jealously guarded top weight loss secrets.
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The Time Efficient Workout
In today’s society, time is a precious commodity for most people. Or so they tell me. Between working 40-60 hours per week and/or carting the kids to and from their extracurricular activities, the last thing on the “to do list” is going to the gym. Yet, as much as people proclaim how busy they are and how they just don’t have time to go train, I am often amazed how they still have “time” to watch all their favorite television shows every night. They make more time for “Dr. McDreamy” than they do for their own bodies. For shame! With the Holiday season finally upon us, time is even MORE rare, and people seem to have even less of it to train. Instead of Grey’s Anatomy, the main culprits tend to be company parties (tis the season for gluttony!) and trips to the mall to fend off all the other parents in search of the latest overpriced gaming system that is making our kids lazier AND fatter then ever. What ever happened to GI Joes or a bike for Christmas? Needless to say, no matter which way we look at it, the Holiday season is where time is literally “of the essence.” If getting to the gym three to four times per week was nearly impossible before; it’s downright out of the question now. And given the fact that the average person will add five to ten pounds during this time; what is one to do? Just Give Me Two Days Ideally, one needs at least 4-5 hours per week of solid training to make any significant progress with his or her physique. However, since the majority of you are going to be too busy watching football, shopping, indulging on cookies and Rice Krispie treats at work, and trying to kiss random people under the mistletoe (you can blame the Vodka), you should plan on just going into “damage control.” Training twice per week should suffice and in doing so, you need to make it a point to be more efficient with your training sessions and get the most bang for your training buck. Certainly, training more often than that would be fantastic, but I am assuming if you’re reading this manual, that is highly unlikely. What I DON’T Want You Doing Copious amounts of cardio. It’s just not a very efficient way to burn fat (or calories). Sure, you may burn more calories in 45 minutes of steady state cardio compared to the same 45 minutes of resistance training; BUT…it’s the calories you burn AFTER training that count. More specifically, it’s the calories you burn in a 24 hour period that really matter. In one study, a group of people did a sample full-body workout consisting of four sets of ten repetitions, and another group did nothing but steady-state cardio. Both group’s energy expenditure was monitored during the workout and over the next 48 hours.
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The steady-state group did expend slightly more calories in the 45 minute span compared to the resistance training group. However, over the next 48 hours, the resistance training group burned an ADDITIONAL 700 calories above baseline in addition to what they burned in the workout (compared to roughly 50 calories for the steady-state group). How you like dem apples? The amount of metabolic stimulation from the resistance training workout sped the metabolism up to such a degree that the body burned an amount of calories equivalent to 1/5th of a pound of fat. When you train with weights, you break muscle tissue down, which takes energy (calories) to repair. Compare this to steady-state cardio, where there is little to no “spark” as far as metabolism is concerned (truthfully, long duration cardio slows down metabolism), and you can see which is more effective. Body-Part Splits: Remember, this is called the TIME EFFICIENT WORKOUT. Why spend half an hour training your biceps, when you can spend the same amount of time training your entire body? Why spend an inordinate amount of time doing a separate exercise each for your triceps, chest, and shoulders, when you can do a few sets of dips and work all of those muscle groups at once? From a hormonal standpoint, utilizing full-body training splits focused around compound movements are going to be the most efficient. Movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, pull-ups, etc will allow you to train multiple muscle groups and once and force your body to release a cascade of muscle building and fat burning hormones (such as testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF-1). [Writer’s Note: IMO, I really think body-part splits are a waste of time in general. So please, unless you’re planning on competing in a bodybuilding show anytime soon and/or you’re on steroids, don’t waste your time.] That Being Said What I propose is a standard undulated approach to your training. You will use two FULL-BODY training sessions per week. One day is strength based and one day will be more metabolic based. Additionally, instead of spending the last 5-10 minutes performing endless crunches (which is a pointless endeavor anyways), I suggest that you implement a few “rounds” of interval work afterward to get a “after-burn” effect. When it comes to fat loss, EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) is key. You can do crunches till you’re blue in the face, yet it won’t do a bit of good if you have a layer of fat covering them. Besides, if your programming is built around compound movements, your “core” will be getting plenty of work anyways. Training Session #1 (Strength Based) A1. Back Squat 5x5 (back squat, front squat, Anderson squat, etc)
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Back Squat A2. Row Variation 5x5 (seated row, DB row, BB row, chest supported row, etc)
Seated Row B1. Lower Body One-Legged Movement 3-4 sets x 8-10 reps (various lunges, step-ups)
Reverse Lunge B2. Horizontal Push 3-4 sets x 8-10 reps (Bench press, DB press)
Incline DB Press C1. Miscellaneous (tricep movement) 3-4 sets x 8-10 reps
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Tricep Pressdown C2. Reverse Crunch 3-4 sets x 15 reps
Reverse Crunch 10-15 Minutes “After Burn.” *2 minute warm-up *1 minute high(er) intensity (sprint), 2-3 minutes low(er) intensity (recovery) *perform 3-5 rounds and then cool-down *this can essentially be done on any cardio machine (I like the elliptical). Training Session #2 (Metabolic Based) Week #1 Week #2 Week #3 Week #4 A1. Deadlift Variation 4x10 3x10 5x10 3x10 (rack pulls from various heights, conventional deadlifts, SUMO deadlifts, etc) A2. Vertical Pull (pull-ups, lat pulldown) 4x10 3x10 5x10 3x10 A3. Vertical Push (overhead press) 4x10 3x10 5x10 3x10 A4. Lower Body Unilateral Movement 4x10 3x10 5x10 3x10 ***Perform in a circuit fashion. Do all 4 sets back-to-back, then rest 90 seconds. Repeat for allotted number of sets. B1. Rotator Cuff (External Rotation) 3x10 B2. Core Movement (Roll-Outs) 3x10 C. 15-20 Minutes LIGHT Aerobic Activity (I doubt you will want to do any interval work after this training session). 41
A1. Deadlift
A2. Lat Pulldown
A3. DB Overhead Press
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A4. DB Step-up
Band External Rotation
Bar Roll-Outs Essentially, you can alternate training sessions and swap movement patterns every other week. For training session #1, you can start with a deadlift variation/pull-ups for 5x5 and just plug in different movement patterns as you go. The idea is to BALANCE everything. The possibilities are literally endless. This is just a sample template, but one that I feel is very effective. Obviously it can be “tweaked” to cater to your personal weaknesses/imbalances. But trust me guys/girls, you don’t need more benching (wink).
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About the Author: Tony Gentilcore is a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA, located in the Boston area. He can be contacted at tgentilcore18@yahoo.com.
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