Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier & Happier

If you’ve been running long distances, add short-distance sprints, hill repeats, and stairs at your local high school. For those only attacking cardio, weight-lifting blended with cardio will get you to your goal faster. Also, changing workout times throughout the week can be a challenge for those in a routine yet effective. By switching it up, your body is guessing and yielding faster results. A targeted program balances fat burn with muscle development. Note - as we age, our bones lose density. A well-planned, weight-based program will increase density and slow the inevitable. 

For low-intensity exercises, like yoga or hiking, aim for 50% of your max heart rate. Moderate-intensity exercise should run between 65-75%, and vigorous-intensity targets 80-85%. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, can put us at or above the max threshold. To calculate max heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, the max heart rate for a 50-year-old is 170. Anything above that for a short time is healthy, however, we do not want to stay in the red zone for too long. Spikes up and down are acceptable and can be accomplished under correct supervision. 

pullups, and more, involve more muscle groups and require more energy than single-joint exercises, like a stationary bicep curl. Multi-joint movements develop functional strength and yield a high-calorie burn. Building muscle with compound movements also spikes metabolism. Add great nutrition at the right intervals, and our goals are suddenly within reach.

Racing the clock during SuperSet Tabata is an example of a targeted workout using timed intervals to obtain great results. HIIT increases your heart rate and enables fat burning, even after you're done! Combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise into your regime also helps fight boredom.

Instead of spending countless hours on the move, condense. Your trainer can help develop the right plan for YOUR specific journey, introducing the best components at the right time. Also, don't forget to rest! When recovery is compromised, it can be difficult for the body to change. More does not always equal better. Keep it fun, and do not brutalize yourself in the name of results. 

Why sabotages the effort? Instead of a burger, fries, and a Coke, how about hitting the market to grab fresh ground turkey, veggies, and fruit for a fast meal at home. Change the game! Treat your food as fuel. Nutrition and rest should be valued higher than your workout program! For more help with nutrition, consider a customized plan carved up just for you! 

Bring them all onboard instead of banishing one or more of your plate's three macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein). Carbs, fat, and protein at every meal! Also, don’t forget a light, healthy snack midway between meals can be fantastic for the metabolism and a great complement to working out.

Training needs to be fun, and the right people base creates the best community for success. Find an encouraging professional who can connect with your individual needs and speak from experience. Keep your eye on the prize and remember why you started the journey. 

Every day new information is rolled out on what is good for us. In the '80s, fat was removed from everything, and guess what happened? We then thought it wise to replace sugar with artificial sweeteners (linked directly to cancer). And, of course, cholesterol is bad for the heart, right? Our bodies need fat, cholesterol, and low doses of natural sugar. Obesity is a modern phenomenon that occurs through a lack of inactivity and poor nutrition (in many cases).