Don't Believe These 5 Myths

Don't Believe These 5 Myths

Nothing irks me more than when good people are misled by fitness myths. These myths sabotage results and keep people miles from their goal weight.

So I’ve got to warn you about the bogus rumors going around about strength training. I don’t want to see you held captive by a faulty belief.

The truth is that strength training is the number one thing you can do for your health, fitness and appearance.

Don’t fall for one of these 5 myths and miss out on tremendous potential results.

Strength Training Myth #1: Muscle Can Turn Into Fat

Why would anyone want to build muscle if they think it could morph into fat over time? Don’t worry; this myth is seriously bogus.

Muscle tissue is muscle tissue. Fat tissue is fat tissue. One will never become the other.

Strength Training Myth #2: Strength Training Makes Women Bulk Up

Sure, strength training increases the amount of muscle on your body, so many women take this to mean that their body will become body-builder-esque. Not quite the look you’re going for…

The truth is that the female body simply doesn’t naturally contain large enough levels of testosterone to put on bulk muscle without a very focused and dedicated effort. Rest assured, ladies, the effort you spend on strength training will get you closer to that lean, toned look you want.

Strength Training Myth #3: Strength Train Enough and You Can Eat Anything

This one makes me cringe, as I’ve seen so many people throw away their hard-earned fitness results by eating too much of the wrong stuff. Even if you strength train daily at an intense rate, your total calories still matter. To top it off, most people overestimate how many calories they burn as well as underestimate how many calories they eat. Talk about a fattening combo.

For best results, maintain a calorie-controlled diet filled with fresh, wholesome ingredients in addition to a regular, challenging strength training routine.

Strength Training Myth #4: Strength Training Does Not Burn Fat

This one couldn’t be more false. Muscle is actually your number one ally against fat gains.

One pound of muscle burns 10-20 calories each day, just living and breathing. Regular strength training helps you increase your muscle mass as well as preserve existing muscle mass, turning you into a fat burning machine.

Strength Training Myth #5: High Reps And Light Weights For Toning

This myth, made popular in the 90’s, says that very high repetitions of very light weights would result in a toned physique. Sorry, not true. These high repetitions will increase your muscular endurance but will not add strength or tone.

In order to truly challenge your muscles, heavier weights with lower repetitions are a must. Start with an 8-10 repetition range and push your muscles with each set.

Include strength training as a part of your fitness routine and finally achieve a fit and toned body. My custom-made fitness programs remove all of the guesswork for you. I know what works, and I make it my mission to see you reach your goals.

Call or email today and we’ll get you started on the program that’s best for you.

19 Awesome Reasons to Exercise Today

I know it's summer and you have exciting places to go and things to do. But wait! Did you forget about your workout? Again?

Lots of people fall off the exercise wagon during summer months due to vacations, taking care of kids home for the summer months, and other warm weather distractions. I get it, I really do, but what about all the amazing perks that you're missing out on?

Just in case you needed a little reminder that will motivate you to lace those shoes back up and get your workout back on, here are 19 Awesome Reasons to Exercise Today!

1. Exercise makes your clothes fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, and this means that your clothes will not only fit better they will also look nicer. But don't get too attached to your current clothes. Exercise ensures that soon you'll be trading those current clothes in for smaller sizes.
2. Exercise reduces your stress: Let's face it, you have enough stress in your life—so take a break. A challenging workout invigorates your muscles and leaves you relaxed and less stressed.
3. Exercise boosts your energy: Research routinely concludes that exercise increases energy levels in sedentary people. So when you're feeling fatigued, fight it with the most powerful tool available: exercise.
4. Exercise makes you stronger: Who doesn't want to be stronger? You rely on your body's muscle strength and endurance throughout each day. With consistent, challenging exercise, your body will naturally become stronger.
5. Exercise burns calories: Extra calories end up stored on your body as fat. Fight back by eliminating loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
6. Exercise gives you confidence: Healthy confidence is a wonderful thing to have. By exercising consistently you're able to increase your natural confidence.
7. Exercise can be fun: Don't laugh, I'm serious on this one. Whether you believe it or not, exercise can be really enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run and jump as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find enjoyment in moving your body through exercise.
8. Exercise reduces your blood pressure: Exercise is so powerful that it has been proven more effective than medication in reducing high blood pressure. A single workout has even been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day, and consistent exercise reduces overall blood pressure.
9. Exercise tightens your problem areas: With exercise you can reduce flab on your arms, legs and waistline. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a consistent, challenging exercise program.
10. Exercise increases your insulin sensitivity: Research continues to prove that exercise dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. Peak after-meal insulin levels have been shown to drop by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.
11. Exercise improves your sleep: Exercise is your most powerful sleep aid. Tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep in order to get overnight repair work done.
12. Exercise lowers your risk of heart disease: Exercise strengthens your heart and protects it against disease. A non-active lifestyle is a huge risk factor for heart disease, so use consistent exercise as your ally against disease.
13. Exercise makes you feel amazing: Challenging exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your bloodstream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You've probably heard of the ‘runner's high', this can be achieved by any great workout.
14. Exercise lowers your risk of diabetes: Research has shown that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, use regular exercise as treatment for reversing the disease.
15. Exercise is an opportunity to meet new people: Gyms, bootcamps, workout centers and even jogging trails are all great places to connect with fun new friends. So lace up and put your self out there!
16. Exercise improves your BMI: Maintaining a healthy BMI is key in disease prevention, and exercise is the best way to keep your BMI under control.
17. Exercise increases your endurance: Don't ever get out of breath from walking up stairs or through the mall again. Your regular exercise builds up endurance for everyday activities.
18. Exercise improves your overall health: Does your doctor give you the lecture about losing weight and exercising more? Once you start exercising regularly you and your MD will see an overall improvement in your health.
19. Exercise makes you look amazing: Are you excited about the current shape and size of your body? If not, no worries. Regular, challenging exercise will work wonders on your physique. Within just a few weeks you'll start to see shape and tone in all the right places.

I hope it goes without saying that I am your go-to point for all things exercise. It's my passion to see each and every one of my clients reach their fitness goals and improve the quality of their lives.

Please call or email today to come in for your free consultation. Together let's turn this summer into your time of transformation. Just think of how amazing you could be looking after working with me!

No more excuses this summer. You have 19 great reasons for getting back to your workouts. I'd like nothing more than to see you attain all of the above 19 benefits of exercise!

Call or email today – let's get started!

7 Foods to NEVER Eat

7 Foods to NEVER Eat

Are you eating the wrong foods?

I see it happen all the time...fitness results that are thrown away by eating the wrong foods. Don't let this be you. You workout hard, so keep your results by avoiding the following 7 foods:

1) Don't Eat White Pasta
White pasta will never be OK to eat when your goal is to look fit. Sorry, it's filled with way too many simple carbs. These plentiful carbs have one singular goal: to become stored on your body as fat.

Eat This: Spaghetti Squash
On those nights when you really crave a big bowl of noodles, try this instead. Poke a spaghetti squash all over then bake at 400 degrees F for 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, scoop out the seeds and then scrape out the long, noodle-like strands of squash. Serve these healthy noodles with spaghetti sauce and meatballs.

2) Don't Eat Store Bought Salad Dressing
The nutritional benefit of your salad is all but undone by the questionable ingredients in store bought salad dressing. From trans fats to preservatives, store bought salad dressing is a landfill of unnatural ingredients that are best avoided.

Eat This: Simple Homemade Dressing
Making you own salad dressing is so simple, it literally takes less than five minutes, and it tastes so much better freshly made. Here's the equation to use when making your own dressing:

• 3 parts high quality oil - extra virgin olive oil, hemp seed oil, flax seed oil, or sesame seed oil.
• 1 part something acidic - vinegar, lemon, lime
• A dash of salt and fresh ground pepper
• Some fresh or dried herbs

3) Don't Eat Packaged Granola Bars
Packaged bars have one thing going for them - the convenience factor. This convenience comes at a price, as each packaged bar contains more preservatives, carbs, calories and sugars than you should be eating.

Eat This: Raw Nuts
When you need a quick, energizing snack look no further than a handful of raw nuts. This is a great way to cut down on the sugar and other harmful additives in granola bars while still enjoying a convenient energy boost.

4) Don't Drink Blended Coffee Drinks
Coffee chains have made it socially acceptable to sip on a large blended coffee drink topped with whipped cream, anytime and anyplace. Unfortunately your body is going to respond to all that sugar in the only way that it knows how...by storing it as fat. These blended drinks are extremely addictive, so it's best to avoid them completely.

Drink This: Unsweetened Iced Tea
The whole idea behind blended coffee drinks is to quench your thirst, but there are more fitness-friendly ways to do so. Double brew 4 cups of your favorite tea - try Chai Rooibos - then chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Serve over ice and sweeten with a sprinkle of Stevia if needed. Guilt-free refreshment.

5) Don't Eat Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches
The drive thru may be calling you, especially when you've left for work in such a hurry that you forgot to eat breakfast, but don't give in. Fast food breakfast sandwiches are filled with loads of preservatives, trans fats and questionable ingredients. Not to mention these little breakfast bombs contain more calories and fat than you need in the morning.

Eat This: Healthy Mini Muffins
The recipe below for Healthy Mini Muffins make the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack to keep you out of the drive thru line. Make a batch on the weekend to stock the fridge and then grab as needed throughout your busy week.

6) Don't Eat Sweetened Yogurt
Little cups of fruit-flavored yogurts are often marketed as the next best weight loss secret, but you know better. These ultra-sweet concoctions are filled with sugars, corn syrup and preservatives, which will derail your fitness results and send you on a sugar high.

Eat This: Plain Greek Yogurt with Fruit
Plain Greek yogurt has more protein and far less sugar than the cute little fruit-flavored yogurt cups. Dress it up by adding your own, chopped fresh fruit.

7) Don't Eat Potato Chips
Around three o'clock in the afternoon, when that vending machine is calling out your name, remember this fact: Studies suggest that a potato chip habit caused subjects to gain weight even faster than an ice cream habit. This is likely due to all the preservatives, trans fats, empty calories and salt, and how hard it is to each just a few.

Eat This: Bake Kale Chips Kale chips are crunchy and satisfying, just like potato chips, yet you're able to crunch away guilt-free. Filled with fiber, protein and real food nutrients, this is one crunchy snack that won't expand your waistline. Here's how to make them at home: Wash and tear one bunch of kale into chip-sized pieces. Toss with a Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.

The quickest and most permanent way to lose weight and feel amazing is through a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

I'm here to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

You deserve that fit and attractive body - I can help you get it.

Call or email today and together we will get you on the path to your best body ever.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! Check out our iLoveKickboxing.com Mother's Day Special. Save 25% off for Mother's Day....just enter the coupon code. Offer good at all iLoveKickboxing.com locations nationwide. You don't have to be a Mother to take advantage of this special.

 
To take advantage of our awesome Colorado Springs Kickboxing classes, click on the image above.  Don't forget to check our fantastic Kids Karate classes at the United States Karate Academy.  For more information visit our website: www.unitedstateskarateacademy.com

Beat Your Plateau in 5 Steps

It happens to all of us at some point.

Your workouts are dialed in, and your body is rapidly becoming leaner and more attractive. Friends and family notice and you feel fantastic.

And then it stops.

You are doing everything exactly the same as before except your body no longer responds.

You, my friend, have hit a plateau. It's a frustrating place to be parked, so read the following 5 steps to get your body back into results mode.

Step #1: Reduce Sugar. A very effective way to restart your results is to reel in your sugar intake. Inspect all of your food for added sugars and eliminate items that contain high calorie sweeteners. This means no sugar, corn syrup, honey or maple syrup.

If you've already eliminated processed sugars from your diet, and have still hit a plateau, then it's time to dig a little deeper by eliminating some of the natural sugars from your diet. Limit your intake of sweet fruits and eliminate dried fruits.

Step #2: Get More Sleep. We are supposed to get an average of eight hours of sleep each night. If you're not getting adequate amounts of rest, you're more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.

When you're tired, you don't feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you're more likely to opt for fast (fattening) food. Then your lack of energy causes you to skip your workouts. And to make matter worse, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, slowing or reversing your results. To beat your plateau, make sleep a priority.

Step #3: Drink Only Water. To restart your results you'll need to make some changes. Sorry, but some of the changes aren't going to be fun. If you're one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages, then your plateau will stay locked in place until you replace these drinks with water.

Keep in mind that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger. So at the first sign of hunger, don't grab a snack or calorie-filled drinks. Instead, grab a glass of water.

Step #4: Eat Healthy Breakfast. But not just any breakfast. Your plateau-breaking breakfast should be low in carbs and high in protein. Try eggs, lean breakfast meats, a protein shake, or a mini-muffin made with almond flour.

Fitting breakfast into your busy morning may take some work, but research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast

Step #5: Increase Exercise Intensity. It's time to start taking your workouts more seriously. No more going through the motions, it's all-out for you. If you want to get back on track with your body transformation, and to keep the fat melting away, then increase the amount and intensity of your exercise routine.

For most people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are enormous. Try to get 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, you're more likely to stick with it, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.

The quickest and most permanent way to beat that plateau is through a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

I'm here to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

You deserve that fit and attractive body—I can help you get it.

Call or email today and together we will overcome your fitness plateau.