The Top 2 Exercise and Nutrition Tips of All-time!

I want to share some tips with you today that pretty much sums up what all of us need to do to get lean and stay lean for life.

It doesn't get any simpler than this… but simple works!

TOP 2 EXERCISE TIPS


* Invest in a Whole Body Workout: This means doing a five-exercise circuit (designed to work your upper body, lower body, and core) at least three times per week with a day of rest between workouts. Alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for each a double-leg (e.g. squat), push (e.g. push-up), single-leg (e.g. lunge), pull (e.g. row), and core (e.g. plank) exercise. Perform up to 4 rounds without rest for a killer 20-minute total body workout.

* Harness the Power of Intervals: Interval training is scientifically proven to burn nine times more body fat than ordinary exercise and elevates metabolism for up to 48 hours following your workout. Perform cardio intervals on non-strength training days three times per week. Selecting your cardio exercise of choice, alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest and repeat this 30 second interval eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat for up to 20 total minutes. This routine works best on a jump rope, treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, or for body weight cardio exercise that you can do at home like running in place, mountain climbers, burpees, or jumping jacks.

TOP 2 NUTRITION TIPS



* Eat Early and Often: Eat immediately upon waking and then every two to four hours to starve fat and feed muscle. By continuously fueling your furnace, and eating some animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) at every feeding, you'll also keep your metabolism revved up throughout the day and prevent overeating.

* Think Fiber First When Consuming Carbs: Eat an unlimited amount of fibrous, cruciferous green veggies to fill your belly both during and between meals. For optimal fat-burning, try to limit fruit and other carbohydrate consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout when your body best tolerates starches and sugars.

Live by these 2 training and nutrition rules and you will have a body to be proud of... I guarantee it ;)



No Xcuses just Xtreme Xercise for Xtreme Results

A. Lamail Spain

The Summer Dress Workout Series: Tips to Burn Fat

We don't have time to waste there is only 2 months left until the summer so let's just get right into to it!

TIP #1-Did you know that exercise in the morning can burn fat faster than in the day or evening? If you work out the first thing in the morning, your metabolism is working at a faster rate throughout the day, which spells calories being burned and ultimate weight loss.

BUILDING A FIRM FOUNDATION

Just as your house is built on a firm foundation, let's establish some tips that we need to lay down before we can talk about what kinds of foods you need to consume or stay away from.

TIP #2-Burning body fat is the most effective way to lose weight. Some people tend to skip meals but this only slows down your metabolism and stores more fat once you eat. Some people try to sweat it out but unless this is done on a regular basis, the body only loses mostly water. Once you quench your thirst, the weight returns. Therefore, the best way to lose weight is to get to the source of the problem - excessive fat storage. If you want to lose weight or be more physically fit, then burning body fat is the right path to take. Body fat builds up due to excessive intake and inactivity but once it is used, the fat cells under your skin will be depleted, making you thinner. Just as a person deposits money into the bank and the account grows and gets PHAT-similarly happens when a person eats and does not workout which results in them getting FAT.

TIP #3- Women have more body fat than men. By nature, women have more body fat because they have more enzymes to store fat and fewer enzymes to burn it. Estrogen, the main female hormone, also helps multiply fat cells. All of these are due to the fact that a female body is built to nurture not only itself but another body. Try to know your body fat percentage to help you properly burn body fat. On the average, women should have around 23% body fat.

TIP #4- If you are really serious forget the bathroom scale. Most people fail to lose weight because the bathroom scale does not meet their expectation of weight loss. Instead, focus on good habits that create weight loss.


TIPS TO BURN FAT AND BUILD LEAN MUSCLE

TIP #5- Don't Skip Meals, Especially Breakfast - I can't say this one enough. Most people try desperately to lose weight by skipping meals but unfortunately this only leads to more weight gain. Your body goes into starvation mode which leads to overeating, usually late at night. Also repeatedly skipping meals will slow down your metabolism.

TIP #6- Eat 5 Small Meals Each Day - Studies have shown that eating smaller meals more frequently through the day will raise your metabolism. It also keeps you satisfied and you are less likely to binge later in the day.

TIP #7- Plan Your Meals – Planning your meals for the day is one of the biggest things you can do to lose excess weight. Plan on 5 healthy small meals or snacks. Most women burn about 2000 calories per day, so to lose weight, plan 5 meals for a total of 1500 calories. Below is a sample diet plan you may want to create:


Cereal or Oatmeal: 200 calories
Fruit: 100 calories
Coffee or tea (no sugar): 0 calories – use Splenda

Mid-Morning Snack
Protein Shake or fruit: 100 – 200 calories

Lunch
Chicken salad or chicken breast or sandwich on whole grain bread: 300 calories
Soup: 200 calories

Mid-Day Snack
½ sandwich with soup or Protein Shake or Lean Cuisine: 200 – 300 calories

Dinner
Meat – baked, broil or grilled (4 – 6 ounces)
chicken or beef or pork or venison or fish: 200 – 400 calories
vegetable – 2 servings: 100 calories
Sugar Free Jell-O with whip cream: 30 calories

TIP #8- Calories Count – To lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in. Contrary to popular opinion, our metabolism is very dynamic. It changes according to how often we eat, what we eat and the amount of movement we expend. A common mistake is to eat 1 or 2 big meals for the entire day which leaves your body in starvation mode for most of the day. Big time gap between meals causes your metabolism to slow down to conserve energy.

TIP #9- Schedule Exercise Time - Start right now. Write down your schedule and give yourself 25 to 30 minutes of cardio at least 3 times per week. If possible, schedule exercise 5 to 7 times per week. Exercise should not be strenuous and can include fast pace walking, cycling (stationary or real bike), elliptical or treadmill at the gym. Including an exercise routine will help increase the rate of fat loss.

TIP #10- Drink Plenty of Water – Drink a minimum of 8 cups of water but strive for 10 to 12 cups. Drink more water if you regularly exercise. A body that is fully hydrated can dump excess fat more efficiently, so take your water bottle and drink plenty of water.

TIP #11- Daily Journal Your Calorie Deficit - The focus is on healthy habits that lead to weight loss instead of actual weight loss that tends to fluctuate from day to day so by recording daily calorie deficit, you are actually journaling the fat loss process.

Remember it takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat. If you burn 2000 calories (without exercise) a day but you only eat 1500 calories, your deficit is 500 calories. It will take 7 days at that calorie deficit to burn 1 pound of fat. If you add 30 minutes of cardio a day which burns about 300 extra calories, you will increase the deficit to 800 calories per day which will decrease the time to burn a pound of fat to 4 ½ days.

By writing down your calorie deficit each day, you are aware of your progress without the pressure of getting on the scale. The nature of how your body dissipates excess weight can greatly vary so don’t weigh for several months. The focus should be on good eating habits and maintaining a healthy calorie deficit.

Journaling is easy. The average cardio exercise at a medium pace burns 600 calories per hour, so 30 minutes burns 300 calories. If you’re a woman, plan your meals at 1500 calories per day. See tip #7 for sample diet plan.

Strive for 500 to 800 calorie deficit per day. Make it a game. By daily journaling, you stay motivated because your success is not dependent on the scale but rather by focusing on good, healthy eating habits that create fat loss. Even if you lose weight at a slower rate than predicted, you will still lose weight.

Avoid calorie deficit of more than 600 calories per day by ONLY DIETING because you inadvertently slow your metabolism down when you cut calories too much. Use exercise to increase calorie deficit.

You'll find that it's actually fun to journal your calorie deficit as you stay on plan by focusing on eating properly, slightly reducing calorie consumption and increasing exercise. Weight loss (particularly fat loss) will be the by-product of your effort.

Get pen and paper out right now. You can add or subtract a few hundred calories later to compensate for your particular metabolism. Start your daily deficit journal and give yourself plenty of time to lose fat and inches. You can get rid of those pounds and slim down before the summer and get in that summer dress.

RECOMMENDED FOODS

Here this section recommends foods that consists mainly of eating fish, lean meats, chicken and egg whites. Do this and you will increase your protein while limiting your fats and carbs.

Here are the types of fish recommended:
- Anchovies
- Catfish
- Light tuna
- Mackerel
- Codfish
- Salmon
- Whitefish

Here's the type of lean meats recommended:
- Sirloin tip
- flank steak
- Top Round Steak
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Center loin pork chops
- Tenderloin pork chops

Finally, you'll actually find that you'll be eating more food than in the past. The reason for this is because you are taking in less saturated fats and high sugar carbs.
* Consume 4 to 7 fresh fruits and vegetables every day
* Eat a whole grain carbs
* Drink 6 to 10 8 ounce glasses of water each day
* Eat only good fats, such as avocado OS, olive oils, fish and some nuts
* Don't skip meals

Remember always IT'S A PROCESS!


Charlotte Boot Camp and Personal Trainer

The Summer Dress Workout Series: The Obama Effect- Get Arms Like Michelle Obama

When talking about toned arms there are two individuals that come to my mind that have arms that I would die for(and this is a guy that is writing this article!)

At 44 years old, and with two young children, Mrs. Obama, the First Lady, has shown the world that you are never too busy to take care of yourself and look good doing it too. The Obama Effect, as it is now being referenced, shows that you can still be the First Lady and have guns too.

Likewise, Madonna, at age 50, is another person who has arms to die for! In recent photos and videos, her arms are chiseled and toned as the statue David. Its as if Michelangelo sculpted them out of stone himself.

Last week in our series we addressed one of the biggest areas that I hear many women clients complain about and want transformation-the legs and lower body. In the second installment of the Summer Dress Series we will focus in on the other area that comes in a close second-the arms and how to tone them.

The first part of this article we will establish a foundation of basics that one needs to know when starting out on the arm toning path. It is important that you take note of these basics and make sure they are etched into your mind. The basics form the core of your training path.

CAUTION:This is not a smorgasbord of advice; muck them up and the rest will be mucked up too!

#1 Diet is still Queen for toning the arms

Just like in previous posts, I talk about how individuals want abs of steel the same applies to other areas that you would want to tone and enhance. If you really want a set of toned and firm arms you need to appreciate the fact that your eating is Queen.

If you get your eating on track the rest of your arm toning progress will come so much easier. The way you eat influences how you train and more importantly affects the effectiveness of your workout. One can of soda (rather diet or regular) with lunch will take you about 30 minutes on the treadmill to burn off. Imagine if you replaced that soda with a bottle of water - it would mean your gym time would bring much faster progress.

Nutrition is also Queen because your body needs a certain type of fuel to function properly. Muscles only grow when there are good amounts of protein floating around so you should make sure you are getting enough every day. Similarly, if you aren’t eating enough quality energy foods you will find your gym workouts are slow and sluggish.

It is most important, however, to realize that it is nutrition that controls how much weight you lose. And this is an important arm toning point as you’ll now see in point number two.

#2 To tone your arms you must lose fat

Point one showed us that nutrition is queen but the reason why it is queen is because you need to burn fat if you want to have toned arms.

When one builds more muscle, that muscle needs fuel to continue to work throughout the day. As a result, this means that you will burn more calories because the needs of the muscle formed.

Many women have the misconception that toned arms are something you get by doing a certain style of weight training or exercise. They think the muscles are becoming tighter and firmer and it is this that makes them toned.

Wrong.

Toned arms come about when you burn the fat that is covering the muscle. The muscles are always toned; they are just hidden at the moment. Now I am not saying weight training and exercise are not important, they are. But it is a healthy eating that will allow you to burn fat the fastest and thus tone your arms like you want.

#3 The right exercise is crucial

When toning your arms you need to make sure you are getting a good amount of the right kind of exercise. For example, you need to have a good fat burning cardio workout and you need to have resistance training that will allow you to develop your muscles. Without a combination of both your arms will not be toned for a long time.


THE OBAMA EFFECT: TOP 10 BICEP AND TRICEPS EXERCISES

Here are my favorite exercises for working the arms and getting them nice and toned. Some are body weight exercises (meaning that the only equipment required is your body) and some you can need some light dumbbells or bar bell weights. I would start out with lighter weights and do more repetitions to be safe. Then increase the weights when you become more comfortable with the exercise and the exercise becomes easier.

1 - Bar Bell Bicep Curls
This should be the core bicep exercise in your bicep routine. It allows you to go heavy and is one of the easiest to do in terms of getting the technique correct.
How to - Stand with feet shoulder width apart and lift up the bar bell. Lift up your chest so that your shoulders are lower than your chest but your back is still straight. Curl the bar bell up to just above your pectoral muscles and slowly lower back down.

It is of paramount importance that your elbows do not move during this exercise. Make sure they stay solid next to your side.

2 - Skull Crushers
This is a tricep exercise that will pack on the progress if you do it correctly. If you don’t, it might pack on the injuries!
How to - Lie on a flat bench and take light bar bell. Lift the weight over your head with your palms facing the roof. Now shift the weight backwards so if you were to drop it it would land on the floor behind your head and so that your triceps are pointing behind you instead of straight up. In this fixed position, lift the weight up until you have a straight arm and then lower it slowly until you get a deep stretch.

3 - Alternate Dumb Bell Curl
The alternate dumb bell curl is a great biceps exercise as it allows you to focus on one arm at a time and gives the other arm a rest. For this reason you can handle more weight and perfect your technique at the same time.
How to - Take two dumb bells and stand with your back straight. Assuming the same position as in the bar bell curl, curl one dumb bell up to your shoulder as if you were trying to curl it PAST your shoulder. This gives a tighter contraction. Slowly lower the dumb bell and rotating it until it is in the resting position by your side; lift the other weight at the same time.

Tip - Make sure this exercise is down slowly and with extra control.

4 - Close Grip Bench Press
This exercise allows you to use a heavy weight in a safe way. However, it is slightly trickier to perform than it looks.
How to - Take a medium bar bell and lie on a flat bench. Push the bar bell up until you arms are locked and then lower it down slowly. Just before it hits your chest push it up quickly with a little bouncing motion for about two inches. This short stops and bounce stops your chest muscles coming into play here and keeps the weight on your triceps. It’s a great secret.

5 - Cable Curls
As you know I’m not a big fan of exercise equipment but the cables allowed me to build my biceps so fast I got stretch marks at one point! This exercise has been core in my biceps routine for a long time.
How to - It is exactly the same as the bar bell curl but there is a constant tension on your muscles because the cable is always trying to pull the weight back down. For this reason you will find it much harder to handle a lot of weight. Remember to keep your elbows still and your chest up.

6- Triceps Dips
Begin sitting on a step or chair with hands next to thighs. Balance on your arms, moving backside in front of the step with legs straight (harder) or bent (easier). Bend the elbows and lower body a few inches, keeping the shoulders down and the elbows parallel to one another and at 90 degrees. Push back up to starting position.

7- Static Arm Curl
Pick a weight that is a bit less than you would normally use for a bicep curl and hold one arm in the "halfway" position while doing 4 reps with the other arm. After 4 reps, hold that arm in the halfway position and do 4 reps on the other side. Repeat until you get to 16 reps total (8 each arm).

8-Side Tri-Rise
While lying on your side, place the bottom arm touching the shoulder and the top arm pressing against the floor. Try to push yourself all the way up until your arm is totally extended, thus giving yourself the maximum range of motion, and getting the most out of the movement. Go to muscle failure on one side, then switch to the other.

This is one of my all time favorite triceps exercises and has allowed me to make some significant growth.

9-One-arm Corkscrew Curl
One-arm Corkscrew Curl takes you through a huge range of movement on the biceps. With a dumbbell in each hand, start with your palms facing backwards, and twist your palms up as you do a bicep curl with both arms at the same time.

10-Overhead Triceps Extension
Hold both dumbbells overhead with your arms completely straight, then unhinge your elbows, bringing both dumbbells down behind your head. Lift them both back up to full overhead extension and repeat. If you have dumbbells that have flat surfaces, you can keep the dumbbells touching during the entire exercise.

Next week we will continue our series for the summer dress by addressing the shoulders. Do these exercises and you will have shoulder's like Halle Berry.

Until then It's A Process!

Charlotte Personal Trainer and Boot Camp

The Summer Dress Workout Series: Toning up the Butt, Legs and Thighs For the Summer

Forget complex weight machines and endless leg lifts. This workout will have your legs looking like Tina Turner and your butt like Beyonce'. Explosive, multidimensional exercises target your inner and outer thighs, quads, and hamstrings in one dynamic shot. This workout is a fusion of martial arts, yoga, dance, and strength training that can be done anywhere — no equipment required! These moves demand focus and balance, engaging your core as well as your thighs.

Do this routine three or four times a week (12 to 15 reps and two or three sets per exercise, except where indicated)

1. Roundhouse Kick/Squat
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft.

Hold fists under chin, palms in and elbows near rib cage, shoulders relaxed.

Pivot 45 degrees to the right.

Extend left leg out to side, pointing toes to the floor.

Do a roundhouse kick: Lift left knee as high as you comfortably can, turning outer thigh to face ceiling.

Extend leg, then retract it, keeping toes pointed.

Lower leg and pivot back to start, so toes point forward.

Squat down, keeping knees aligned with ankles.

Switch legs and repeat

2. Hip Extension with Circles
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, shoulder blades squeezed together, hands on hips.

Keeping right leg straight, knee soft, lift left leg behind body, pointing toes, until you feel a contraction in your glutes (don’t arch your back).

Draw a four-point clockwise circle with your left toes, then repeat the circle counterclockwise.

Do all reps on left leg, then switch sides and repeat

3. Chair Pose/Back Lunge
Stand with legs and feet together.

Push hips back and squat as if you were sitting into a chair.

Keep knees over ankles, legs pressed together; extend both arms next to ears, keeping head in line with spine.

Hold for 5 counts.

Place hands on hips and step back with right leg into a lunge, keeping front knee aligned over ankle.

Hold for 5 counts.

Return to start and repeat from chair pose, switching legs as you lunge.

Do 5 reps per side.

4. Plie Squat with Lifted Heels
Stand with feet twice as wide as shoulder-width apart, toes and knees turned out, heels slightly lifted.

Extend arms out to sides at shoulder height, palms down.

Squat down, pushing hips back slightly and keeping knees over ankles.

Straighten legs, keeping knees soft and heels lifted; repeat.

5. Crescent Kick Over Chair
Stand an arm’s length behind the back of a chair, fists under chin, shoulders relaxed, knees soft.

Raise your left knee and draw an arc with your left foot, kicking it over the chair from right to left.

Switch legs and repeat

6. Warrior Pose/Tree Pose
Stand with feet together.

Lunge right leg behind you, turning right foot out 45 degrees.

Bend left knee 90 degrees.

Lift arms out to the sides to shoulder height, palms down.

Hold for 5 counts, gazing over front hand.

Raise arms overhead and bring palms together, then lower to chest.

Bring feet together and lift right knee to hip height, resting right heel on inside of left thigh; place hands on hips.

Hold for 10 slow counts.

Switch legs and repeat from start.

Do 5 reps per side.

7. Curtsy Squat/Lateral Lift
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips.

Cross right leg behind body and to the left so that inner thighs touch.

Bend left knee 90 degrees, toes pointing forward, then return to starting position.

Raise right leg out to the side as high as you can without shifting your hips; keep left leg straight and knee soft.

Return to starting position; switch sides and repeat.

Charlotte Boot Camp and Personal Trainer