Protein Power Balls!
Here's another post workout snack, ideal if you're not into nuts, or allergic!
This recipe is yummy - I sourced it from BodyRockTV - a great source of crazy workouts too.
Get fit outdoors with Attitude to Burn.
We specialise in outdoor training - either 1 on 1 personal training or in small groups. No matter what your fitness goals, we will develop a program and provide you with all guidance and motivation to help you achieve your goals.
We train from Wollongong through to Helensburgh.
Here's another post workout snack, ideal if you're not into nuts, or allergic!
This recipe is yummy - I sourced it from BodyRockTV - a great source of crazy workouts too.
We've finalised our Christmas Training Timetable, so you can download it here and keep it handy!
Coming in February - A running group for newcomers through to advanced focusing on improving your running fitness and technique. The sessions will be designed to get you fit for fun runs and other events on the running calendar each year. There are so many on the calendar to choose from! Run for fun is being developed to help beginners right through to advanced runners achieve their desired running goals. Whether you are looking to complete your first fun run, train for an improved personal best time or simply want to get into great running shape our run for fun squad will keep you focused and ensure you achieve your desired goals. Keep an eye out for our new timetable with all run squad sessions listed!
Realistically though, we often think we have to schedule an hour or so to exercise effectively, when this simply isn't necessary.
If time really is your big excuse, then don't worry - we're going to be launching a whole series of simple, effective and quick workouts that you can do at home in around 20 minutes.
Keep an eye out for our first few by the end of this week - simply visit our website and look under the Training tab, where you will find our Home workout programs.
The best time to start getting yourself into shape for the warm weather is now.
First of all, set yourself a goal - think about the body that you want, and some great incentives to help keep you on track. I've been getting clients to find an image of someone's body that they would like to realistically work towards, and put that on a 'focus board'. Add a picture (oversized) of your happy face over the top of the body - it has to be slightly comical to make you smile.
Then around that, put pictures of say, a holiday you are working towards, like pictures of a beautiful beach on an island that you would like to visit in the next 6-12 months. Or, add in other things that you are working towards. Every time you look at this board, you need to be reminded of what you want to achieve, and how good you'll feel when you do!
Then set a plan of action. If you know what things trigger your failure to adhere to a plan, then write these things down, and think about what steps you can put in place to avoid this from happening again. One of the biggest excuses that I hear, is a lack of time to exercise. Everyone is too busy with everything these days. It just seems that our health doesn't rate that highly in important things, until it's gone.
You don't need to spend an hour a day exercising to get the body you want. Quite the contrary.
All you need to do is firstly, tighten up your Nutrition. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet, so invest in a good nutrient rich program. We use and recommend Matt O'Neill's Metabolic Jumpstart Program. Easy to use, easy to follow, and.. IT WORKS!
Secondly, get moving! The best exercise is something that you will enjoy and stick to. If you've got kids, take them to the park and kick a ball around. Whatever you do, make sure that you can combine some cardio exercise - short bursts of intervals are best for burning calories, or find some hills to walk or run up, walk down. Invest in a skipping rope! Add in some resistance training - bodyweight is fine - think squats, lunges, pushups, crunches, chinups etc. If you need accountability and education in the best ways to do things, either invest in some personal training sessions, or join in some group personal training sessions. Or have a trainer guide you through a program that you can do at home, with check-ins and updates every 4-6 weeks.
Thirdly, make some relaxation time.
We have put together a great introductory group training deal to help get you in shape for summer... check it out here!
Make this winter the one you put your health and body first!
If rainy days are the undoing to all your good intentions, then how about planning some super quick indoor bodyweight sessions?
There really isn't any excuse to not exercise, even if the thought of stepping outside is not to your liking.
Some simple bodyweight exercises can be performed in circuit fashion, quickly to not only elevate your heart rate, but to burn some of that winter flubber away.
Make sure you warm up with some skipping or marching on the spot with big arm circles, and then give these a go:
Workout A.
10 squats
10 pushups
10 situps
10 star jumps
- Repeat 3-5 times through non-stop for time.
Workout B.
10 stationery lunges each leg (make sure front knee lines up with 2nd/3rd toes and back knee is bent with heel raised and weight down through back leg)
10 mountain climbers each leg (in full pushup position, pull alternate knees up to chest as if running on spot)
10 oblique crunches (each side) (lie on back with knees bent, lift upper body and reach across to opposite knee)
10 burpees (see picture)
- Repeat 3-5 times through non-stop for time. Make a note of your time, for both workouts and next time it's rainy outside, try and better it!
Make sure you stretch and cooldown for 3-5 minutes after, and you're done!
... or haven't you had a chance yet to sit down and set some?
If your goal was to lose weight, you might have set a non specific goal like, 'I will eat less and exercise more'.
You need to get more specific around how much less you will eat, and of what? Also, how you are going to exercise, how often and where.
Your 'eat less' goal, may translate to.... I will not eat any cakes or biscuits at work, and replace these with healthy snacks - particularly when it's birthday celebration time as I know this can be my downfall.
Your 'exercise more' goal may be... I will go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6am for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Recent studies show that by using this technique you will have much higher success rates.
Start implementing these strategies now into your goal setting and get off the merry-go-round!
..and not be one of the many Australians who end up around 3 kilos heavier at the beginning of the new year!
No. 1 - even though it may advertise being open on Christmas Day... avoid McDonalds - or forever enjoy your bingo wings.
2. Plan out your week's meals. In this plan, include all scheduled 'activities' that may involve poor eating or drinking choices. Make sure you plan to eat 100% clean in and around these planned indulgences. You have to plan to fail, as much as you have to plan for success. This way you avoid the old conundrum, of... oh heck, I've blown it now so I may as well chow down on another 10 packs of chips.
3. Plan out when you can exercise. If you can only fit in 10-20 minutes every couple of days, don't use this as an excuse that you haven't got time. You have - so just make the most of it. Get a skipping rope, do some skips, squats, pushups, hold plank, do lunges, burpees, more skipping. A few rounds of this will have you gasping for breath - and burning calories!
4. Enjoy yourself, but just take all the above into account and you should get through relatively unscathed.
5. Get straight back into your normal routine as soon as you can! Set more goals, mini goals and longer term goals.
6. Keep a food & exercise diary to make sure you are accountable.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy festive season and that you plan & achieve all your goals for 2011.
Quite often I hear the same thing from my clients that just can’t seem to shift the kilos… ‘but I don’t eat anything bad..no junk food, cakes, cookies or takeaways…’ and still they can’t lose weight…. Quite often it’s the portion sizes that are to blame.
Our portion and serving sizes over the last 20 years have increased significantly. Everything these days is supersized..for extra value… (and calories!).
US Professor Brian Wansink coined the term ‘Portion Distortion' to describe the upward trend in the size of snacks and meals people are consuming. It is really important to be aware of your portion sizes as obviously, larger portions mean more calories consumed. It doesn’t matter how well you are eating, if your portions are too large, they will be the thing that prevents you from getting the body you want.
How Do Your Serves Stack Up?
The following servings and serving sizes are based on a recommendation for adults wishing to lose weight. Depending on your age, gender and physical activity you may need to vary the amounts. There are many ways to determine your individual requirements, either by speaking with a nutritionist or dietician, or utilizing online nutrition programs such as www.metabolicjumpstart.com or Nutrition Complete
Meat or Alternatives - 3 Serves
Dairy - 2 Serves
Fruit - 2 Serves
Vegetables - 5 Serves
Starch - 3 Serves
How do your portions measure up to these on a daily basis?
When it comes to wanting to change your body and your health, and succeeding, you must remember the famous Bruce Lee quote :
'Knowing is not enough, we must apply, willing is not enough, we must do'
