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Category: Fitness

5 Elements Your Fitness Program Needs to Incorporate


We all know that including exercise into our lifestyle is extremely important! It keeps us healthy, in shape, agile, improves quality of life, helps prevent certain illnesses and diseases, among many other things.

Something we may not consider when exercising or designing a fitness program are all the elements we need to include in it.

Here are 5 elements you need to incorporate into your fitness program:
  1. Cardio
  2. Strength
  3. Balance
  4. Flexibility
  5. Posture

The important thing to know about each one of these is that not one of them improves on their own. Over time and as we age our ability to gain and maintain them decrease as well. We loose both our cardio and physical strength, balance, flexibility and posture. Without including exercises to improve or maintain them it is inevitable that over time these things will continue to decline.

So what can we do to prevent this?

Let’s discuss each one of these elements to see why it is important and how we can add them into our fitness program.


Cardio is important for cardiovascular strength and conditioning. We need to keep our heart strong because it is what keeps everything else in the body functioning. Without the heart life is not present. That is what makes it super important to keep this part of the body as strong as possible. Building cardiovascular strength will improve your overall endurance and stamina.

How do you incorporate cardio into your fitness program?

Cardio should be incorporated into your fitness routine at least 3x a week for at least 30 minutes per workout. It can be as simple as taking a walk, jog, run or jumping on some cardio equipment such as a treadmill, bike, or elliptical. Keep it moving for at least 30 minutes elevating the heart to something above normal daily activity.

Other ways you can get your cardio in are by playing sports such as tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc.

Group fitness classes are another great way to get your cardio in. They should be classes with some intensity to get the heart rate up such as zumba, kickboxing, HIIT, boot camp, step, etc. What is great about some of the group fitness classes such as HIIT or boot camp is that they incorporate both cardio and strength in one workout and may even include balance, flexibility and posture. That makes those types of classes great overall workouts because it can include all 5 elements in one.


Strength is important because we do not increase muscle size or strength if we do not train them to do so. Having weak muscles can cause imbalances and injuries along with many other issues that can make it hard to endure everyday tasks.

As we age our muscle development naturally decreases, making it harder not only to gain muscle, but maintain the muscle we already have.

Strength is needed in many aspects of our daily living such as carrying groceries, lifting laundry baskets, getting up and down from our seats or out of our bed, yard work, house work and so much more. In order to maintain your quality of life now and as you age incorporating strength training into your fitness routine is crucial.

How do you incorporate strength into your fitness program?

When it comes to improving muscle development and strength gains there are several methods and ways to approach it.

Some of the most common approaches are with weight machines, free weights, or using your own bodyweight. Strength exercises should be incorporated at least 3x a week and should hit all the major muscle groups of the body.

The problem is that many people don’t know what to do or where to start. Here are a few suggestions:

All gyms will have what is called a circuit of machines in a specific area for upper body, lower body and core. Typically, there will be at least one machine per major muscle group of the body. If you move around the circuit you will hit all those major muscle groups and build a fairly strong foundation. This is a great method to do on your own. There are usually pictures on each machine to show you how to use it and will get you into the proper position for the exercise, isolating the muscle that you are working on.

Taking group fitness classes for strength is another great method to building muscle. What is great about classes are that you don’t have to plan or know what to do. Just show up and the instructor will lead you through a sequence of exercises. You have a visual representation to follow and an experienced professional to guide you. Look for classes that use things like dumbbells, kettlebells, weighted bars or balls.

Another way to build muscle and strength is with a personal trainer. It is always a good idea to work with a trainer to learn exercises, proper form, technique and execution. This will help to prevent injury and muscle imbalances. A trainer will work with your specific needs and goals and educate you along the way. With a trainer you will also get exercise variation and modifications or progressions for your specific fitness level.


Balance, flexibility and posture are all things that just don’t improve on their own and decrease very rapidly as we age.

How do you incorporate balance, flexibility and posture into your fitness program?

All of these can be incorporated into your fitness routine either on your own, through classes or with a personal trainer.

If you are working to do these on your own it will take a little research and execution. There are many things you can do for each of these to make improvements and they need to be done several times a week. This can be done through different cardio and strength exercises, stretches and poses.

Once again group fitness classes are a great approach. Most or all classes will include some form of these. Any class you take should work towards improvements in these areas. If you are looking for classes that specifically focus on balance, flexibility and posture look for yoga and pilates.

Working with a personal trainer on these specific areas is another way that you can improve them. A personal trainer will either give you specific exercises for these elements or work them into your cardio and strength workouts.


Understanding why we need to incorporate these elements into our fitness program is the first step. Now it is up to you to ensure that each one of these elements makes it into your program.

As a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer I value what they have to offer and highly recommend working with either or both. This will ensure your fitness program includes all 5 of these elements with proper form, technique and execution.

My programs include all 5 of these elements.

Learn more about my services

How Do You Set Goals You Can Achieve?


Goal setting is a huge part of the health and fitness industry.

We set goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. But, how often do we achieve the goals we set?

More often then not goals are set and not achieved. Why is that?

One of the biggest reasons goals are set and not achieved are because we think too big, too quick.

When it comes to the health and fitness industry small goals and steps create the biggest results. Therefore, we need to set goals we know and are confident we can achieve.

For instance:

Let’s say you haven’t been exercising and your goal is to start. Set a goal of 1 exercise day a week for 2-4 weeks. This goal is very doable, whatever method of exercise you choose whether it be to take a walk, go to the gym, take a fitness class, hire a personal trainer, play a sport. One day a week is not going to overwhelm your mind or your body and you may even find you enjoy it. Your next goal can be to exercise 2x a week for the next 2-4 weeks after.

Had you set a goal to start to exercise and tried to fit in 3-4 days a week right away you may have found it hard to go from not exercising at all to trying to fit several days of it in a week. Feeling sore, overwhelmed, tired and not enjoying it, eventually quitting.

Which approach do you think will give you more success in achieving your goal?

A slower, gradual approach really can make all the difference in achieving the goals you set. You do not need an all or nothing approach. Breaking bad habits and forming good ones takes time for the mind and body to process.

Next time you set a goal, think of setting smaller goals that lead to that one larger goal you want to achieve. Get rid of the all or nothing approach and enjoy the process of reaching the goals you set little by little.

Cardio or Strength?

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One of the most frequent questions I get asked is… Should I be doing cardio or strength workouts?

My answer is always both.

Not only is it important to get both cardio and strength in your workouts but also getting variation is important. There are several approaches to both cardio and strength workouts and each approach has its benefits.

Let’s discuss:

Whatever method of cardio you use treadmill, bike, elliptical, etc. there are several approaches you can take:

  1. Steady state cardio –  the goal for steady state is to get the heart rate and intensity up and keep it up at that level for your entire workout. Use resistance or speed to get the heart rate up to an intensity level you can maintain for your entire cardio session.
  2. Interval cardio – change your intensity level throughout your cardio session. Add resistance or speed for short bursts at a time – at least 30 seconds – to a level where you feel your heart rate and intensity increasing. Bring the resistance or speed back down for recovery time and repeat short bursts of increased intensity throughout your workout.
  3. Combo of both – incorporate both steady state cardio and interval cardio into this cardio session. Hold a steady state for several minutes and then add some cardio intervals for several minutes. Allowing both a steady state as well as an increase and decrease in your intensity levels throughout your workout.

Same goes for strength, there are several approaches for different goals and results.

  1. Lift heavy –  Lift heavy to encourage muscle mass and growth. Reps should be under 10 per set at a slow and controlled pace. Choose a weight that fatigues the muscle by the last rep in each set.
  2. Lift light–moderate – lift light to moderate with more speed while still maintaining control and form throughout the movement. This will add a cardio element to your strength session. Reps should be between 10 and 20 per set. Or, you can use timed intervals instead of reps. Choose a weight that fatigues the muscle by the end of your reps or timed interval.
  3. Combo of both– incorporate both heavy and light lifting to this workout. Heavy lifting will encourage muscle growth and adjustments while light to moderate lifting will add some cardio to help burn fat surrounding muscles. This approach will help build muscles while keeping  the body lean. Alternate sets between heavy lifting and light to moderate lifting. For your heavy sets you are going for under 10 reps at a slower more controlled pace per set with a weight that fatigues the muscle by the last rep. For the lighter set you are going for 10-20 reps with a faster pace per set with a weight that fatigues the muscle by the last rep. Or, you can use timed intervals instead of reps switching between heavy and light sets.

Besides separate strength and cardio workouts be sure to include combo workouts that include both strength and cardio in the same workout for that day. With your combo workouts create drills, intervals or circuits that mix in light-moderate and/or heavy lifting with bursts of cardio. Use designated reps or time per exercise for these workouts.

Why is it important to try and hit all of these approaches?

The biggest reason is for – variation. Having workouts with different approaches offer different benefits to your body both physically and emotionally.

Variation also offers change which prevents boredom. I think that it is important to keep yourself interested and by mixing up your workouts each week with different approaches prevents or minimizes the boredom that comes along with keeping the same routine more then once per week. If you always do the same cardio workout 2-3 times per week and the same strength circuit workout 2-3 time per week how can you be excited about it doing it.

The question now is… How do you put it all together to form your workout regimen?

First thing you need to do is decide how many days per week you can workout. The minimum days should be 3 but, 4-5 are better, especially with this approach. You want to hit as many variations of these workouts as you can per week.

Once you have decided on frequency of days you also need to decide on what your goal is: weight loss, getting lean, building muscle mass or strength. If you are going for weight loss or getting lean, choose more cardio driven workouts with strength such as lifting light and combo of heavy and light. If you are looking for building muscle mass or strength, lift heavy and combo of heavy and light. Same idea for cardio, if you are going for weight loss or lean, you want a cardio workout that burns the most calories and fat such as interval or combo of steady state and interval. For building muscle mass and strength go for steady state and combo of steady state and interval.

With both of these in mind you can then build your workout.

For instance:

Let’s say you have 5 days to workout and you want to get lean. Here is what a plan could look like:

  • Day 1 – Strength day – lift light to moderate
  • Day 2 – Cardio day – interval cardio
  • Day 3 – Strength day – combo strength
  • Day 4 – Cardio day – combo cardio
  • Day 5 – Combo day – include strength and cardio in one workout

Let’s say you have 5 days to workout and you want to build muscle mass. Here is what a plan could look like:

  • Day 1 – Strength day – lift heavy
  • Day 2 – Cardio day – steady state cardio
  • Day 3 – Strength day – combo strength
  • Day 4 – Cardio day – combo cardio
  • Day 5 – Combo day – include strength and cardio in one workout

If you have only 3 days a week to workout choose at least 3 different approaches. Mix in one of the strength approaches, one of the cardio approaches and a combo day of including both strength and cardio. You can always change up the approach each week to keep it challenging and interesting.

No matter what approach you take or how you workout the most important thing is that you mix in both cardio and strength each week for all the benefits both have to offer. It is the best way to build and improve muscle, strength, flexibility, range of motion and cardio endurance.

There’s No Quick-Fix, Don’t Believe the Hype!

When it comes to loosing weight or getting fit, there is no quick fix program, there is no miracle supplement. Even, if you find success in a 12 day plan or a recommended supplement it is not a sustainable lifestyle and therefore will not work to maintain your goals.

There are so many programs and so many promises offered out there, how do we know what will work and what will not?

Well, that is a loaded question and could be different for each individual. Finding the right program for you depends on many factors including personality, goals, fitness level, lifestyle, etc. No one specific program is the right fit for everyone.

Let’s first look at why many quick-fix programs do not work, then we can discuss which programs will work and how to choose a program that is right for you.

Why do many quick-fix programs not work?

Quick fix promises – No program should promise you success! It is not a fact that you will have success on any program. Many factors go into whether or not you will have success on that program or not, starting with your commitment. If you do not commit and go through the process you will certainly fail in your goals and that is on you!

Whether you are committed or not a quick fix program is very difficult to have sustainable success and ultimately that is what you should be looking for. In order to loose a significant amount of weight or gain a significant amount of muscle in a quick fix program you would have to put your body through a rigorous amount of training or very low calorie deficit. Both of which is not something you can manage to do long term.

Safety concerns – another problem with a quick fix programs is that safety can be a factor. These programs may contain exercises your body is not prepared to do, calorie restrictions that do not provide the proper nutrients, and supplements that could be dangerous for your body.

If your body does not have the proper foundation for the exercises in the program you could be doing damage to your body and become injured.

If your body is not getting the proper nutrients and calories it will have a negative effect on your body. Without proper nutrients and calories your body’s metabolism will slow down and fat will be stored for reserves. Which is the complete opposite of what you want to achieve. You want to speed up your metabolism and burn fat from your reserves.

As far as supplements go I have a real concern for that. You probably have no idea what you are putting in your body when you take a supplement, you just want it to work!

However, these supplements usually come with a meal plan and without that you will most likely not have much success. If you follow the meal plan, any success you have is probably due from eating better.

Also, if you look carefully, a lot of these supplements for weight loss have caffeine in them, speeding up the heart rate, which may help the body burn more calories, yes! Is it safe to load the body with extra caffeine? I don’t think so! Especially, if you have medical concerns. There is no telling how your body chemistry or other medications you are taking will react to what is in these supplements and I have real concerns taking something without a doctors prescription. So, please do not go this direction without professional guidance, and, multiple opinions.

Which programs will work?

We now know why quick-fix programs will most likely not work. What programs will work? Again, this is a loaded question, but, with these so-called rules to follow you will have more success in your program long term.

  1. Whatever program you choose there should be exercise levels, phases or progressions. This means that whether your program is a workout that everyone gets or a customized program you receive, the instructor, trainer or coach should be either showing different levels, options or modifications for each exercise, guiding you through different phases of fitness levels or progressing the workouts in some way in order to build a strong foundation first and then proceeding on to more difficult exercises, workouts or challenges. Make sure the program you choose has at least one of these elements. Look for and ask questions about this before proceeding with any program.
  2. Education, education, education – your program should be educating you, both in fitness and making the proper nutritional choices. Fitness and nutrition work hand in hand and the program you choose should be educating you on both. You should be learning about exercise basics including names, proper form, posture, muscles you are working and how to modify or advance each movement for your level and so on. Nutritionally, you should be getting tips, things to focus on or changes to make and how. You should be getting suggested meals and snacks, meal prep ideas, shopping lists, or other such helpful information.
  3. Your program should be designed for real behavior and lifestyle changes to be implemented over time. You shouldn’t be overloaded with exercises you do not know and expected to change every bad eating habit right away. There should be some process or steps to implement exercises and nutritional changes little at a time so that you can absorb the information, learn, focus and make real changes that last. Remember, there is no quick-fix, slow and steady is where you will find the best results that will last a lifetime, rather than a few weeks, months or years.
  4. Lastly, choose a program that is right for you based on your personality, lifestyle and goals.

If you are someone who will not do workouts on your own, than, do not choose a program that has no accountability. Instead, choose a program where you have to either meet personally with your trainer for your workouts, or a program that provides a coach who touches base with you to keep you accountable through the process.

If you have time constraints you need to find a program that is flexible. Maybe one you can schedule and do on your own, but, is accessible and easy to manage with some coaching to keep you accountable and answer any questions.

You also need to choose a program that fits your goals. If you are looking for help with nutrition only, look for a professional that provides that, such as a Registered Nutritionist or Dietician, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. If you are looking to get physically fitter through exercise look for a program that provides workouts through a coaching program or with a certified personal trainer. If you want a program that can provide both, make sure you find a knowledgeable trainer or coach that can guide you through both. Most trainers will only be able to help you with basic fitness nutrition for weight loss, and healthy lifestyle, they will not be able to provide you with any medical nutrition advice. If you have medical nutrition needs you must see a professional in that area of expertise.

What you need to do is research. Answer all of these questions and than research several programs that fit your answers, goals and needs you are seeking. One program does not fit all, you need find your perfect match.

I have several programs available that provide many options. I offer training and coaching services onsite, in-home and online that can help you manage and reach your goals. Most importantly I provide the education you need to make smarter healthier choices.

My online coaching options provide you with an education you can do on your own with as little or as much coaching as you need from me. Here is what my online coaching program gives you:

  1. My 4 step, 4 phase program
  2. Your own personal workout app –  includes workouts I design providing levels, options and modifications you can do from your computer or mobile device anywhere.
  3. Nutritional focus and/or assessment – no matter what online program you choose you get a nutritional focus of the month with shopping list, recipes, meal and snack samples for each focus. You can also upgrade to a program that includes nutritional assessment in which I provide a more personal nutrition approach based on your particular needs and assess through myfitnesspal app.
  4. Access to my online community login which is a special site for online program members only. This is your portal to your program outline, monthly subscriber workout plans, nutritional focus of the month, challenge exercises, and any other member only information I provide.
  5. I provide several online coaching options to meet your budget. From my low monthly subscription price to my more customized two week and one month programs. You can choose a program that meets your budget needs.

Right now I am beginning to introduce my monthly subscription at a low introductory rate of $19 a month. This rate will go up so act now to get in at a lower rate. This is less than the price you would pay for 1 half hour personal training session. Here is what you get:

  1. 1 workout per month
  2. 1 nutritional focus per month
  3. Access to online community login website
  4. Trainerize mobile app which holds all of your workouts complete with instructional videos of each exercise
  5. Monthly coaching check in with me for accountability
  6. All your fitness and nutrition Q&A’s answered via email

If you are interested in a monthly subscription visit my trainerize website for more information or to subscribe.

Image courtesy of nenetus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How Strength Training Promotes Weight Loss and Definition

dumbbell-940375_1920_duoMost people are either struggling to loose weight or want to define and tighten up their bodies. Both of these need a strength training regimen in order be successful by loosing extra body fat.

When I meet with new clients I always go over their current weight loss strategies and exercise programs. Often I find that they are either not exercising at all, enough, or, they’re doing cardio only workouts.

Once I see this, I immediately put them on a strength training program to incorporate into their routine.

Why?

Because strength training will help you gain muscle and loose fat.

How?

More muscle, more calories burned

The number one reason your body will begin to loose weight at a faster, more efficient rate with a strength training regimen is because the more muscle you gain, the more calories your body burns.

This results in burning more calories during your workouts, and even at rest, while you are sleeping, sitting at your desk, or watching TV. Overall, your body will burn more calories each day than it did prior to a strength training regimen.

More calories burned, more fat loss

Once your body begins burning more calories throughout the day, there is a greater chance of the body tapping into those fat reserves to metabolize.

More fat loss, more definition

Once your body looses fat, the muscles underneath will be revealed. The leaner the body gets the more defined you will appear. If there is a thick layer of fat surrounding the muscle you will not be able to see it.  Fat loss is very important in both weight loss and body definition.

Weight and fat loss alone are important reasons to incorporate a strength training regimen into your workout program, but, there are other reasons why it is important including increased physical strength, endurance, flexibility, range of motion, coordination, balance, bone health and overall quality of life.

Quality vs. Quantity? YES, it matters!

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Yes, Yes, Yes, it matters!

The quality of your exercises in fitness is so important. You could be working out 7 days a week at 2 hours a day, but, if you are not putting out quality work, then you are not reaping the benefits of your program.

1st and foremost…
Please put the book down when you are working out. There should be a time and a place for reading and it is not during your workout. If you were walking or bike riding outside, would you be reading your book? No! Then why bring it to the gym?

If your goal is to read your book and not have a workout, then go for it! But, if your goal is to actually workout, then ditch that book and focus on your time at the gym.

Try, instead of 1 hour on your cardio equipment of choice at a steady state pace, go for 1/2 hour with cardio intervals. Start at your steady state pace and every few minutes do at least 30 seconds or more of a faster pace to get your heart rate up a bit higher and then go back down to your steady state and repeat.

This will give your body a challenge! Make you work harder, burn more calories in less time and force your body to make adjustments to the new workload which has all kinds of internal benefits for your body.

Now, for those strength exercises!

I don’t even know where to start here. All kinds of crazy happens.

I see poor form, fast uncontrolled movements, too light of weight, too heavy of weight, made up movements that I have no idea what they are trying do, except maybe injure themselves.

What you really, really need with strength is focus!

Cut out all of the distractions. Leave your friends at home with your phone, your music, your books and your ego! Yes, your ego, I cannot tell you how many times I see someone taking on a weight they have no business taking on. Why? Purely for their ego. Trying to prove something to their friends, other members and I guess to themselves. What I see, is form that is suffering, undue stress on the joints of the body and injury that can occur. The gym is not a place for your ego, so please leave it at home and on your next workout really focus on your movement patterns.

Let’s discuss a few things to work on:

Form
Form is so important with each exercise you do. Before you begin any exercise you need to do a check list of your body and set your form before beginning any movement.

  • Stand or sit tall
  • Bring your shoulders back and down, open up your chest
  • Pull your navel into your spine to support lower back and stabilize body

Those are just some basic checks when starting any exercise in the seated or standing upright position. But, each and every exercise has it’s set point and check list of how your body should be positioned at the start, execution, and end of the movement.

Control
Control is another important thing to focus on. You need to control each movement for each exercise with muscle strength, not momentum, gravity, or any other factor.

So, in order to control the movement you need to stay within your strength limits. The weight should be challenging enough to lift, but at the same time, you must be able to maintain control of it through the entire range of motion. That means you should not have to swing it into position or allow it to fall out of position. Slow the movement down to ensure you are guiding the movement with your own strength and control.

Range of Motion
Lets first define range of motion, what does this mean? Range of motion is the full movement of a joint, usually its range of flexion and extension. 

Our joints will have a natural range at which they can bend and extend. When doing strength exercises you should be working through your personal full range of motion. Why? Would you like to keep that range of motion? Do you want to be able to reach up and grab things? Do you want to be able to reach down to pick something up? Do you want to hinge forward and be able to tie your shoes? Well, I do! The good news is, we have the ability to improve that range.

What I see a lot of is half range and pulsing movements. And, that is okay to mix in with your exercises, but, only if you are also bringing that joint through its full range of motion. Use your workout time to improve or maintain your range of motion so that you do not lose it. It will help you to become more flexible and agile.

With all that said, how can you improve your form, control and range of motion?

Educate and focus!

Educate by researching the exercises you often do, study the form and range of motion. Then, take that knowledge to the gym and focus on implementing that knowledge into your workout.

Better yet, educate yourself hands on by hiring a personal trainer to work specifically with you on form, control and range of motion. Allow them to watch you and give you adjustments on these points. Sometimes, a trainer can see things that you do not even notice you are doing and one simple adjustment can make all the difference.

Next time you walk into the gym, think quality over quantity and make every movement count!

Image courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Three C’s to Success

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What does it take to be successful when it comes to fitness, nutrition and weight loss?

The most important elements you can apply to your program are:

  1. Commitment
  2. Confidence
  3. Consistency

Let’s break these elements down and see why they are so important:

Commitment

What is commitment?

Enthusiasm for something and determination to work hard at it.

What does this mean in fitness, nutrition and weight loss success?

You must be 100% ready to take on the dedication, time and hard work it will take to follow and implement whatever program you begin. Without this commitment to your program, you will be unsuccessful in the goals you set.

It’s your commitment to your goals that will push you through the elements, time constraints and other obstacles that get in the way. With commitment you will make it work!

Confidence

What does confidence mean ?

The belief that you are able to do things well.

What does this mean in fitness, nutrition and weight loss success?

You absolutely must believe in yourself and your ability to be successful at your goals. If you believe you can do it, you will do it!

Consistency 

What is consistency?

The ability to remain the same in behavior, attitudes or quality.

What does this mean in fitness, nutrition and weight loss success?

You must remain working toward the goals you set. Your actions in behavior, attitude and quality of implementing your program must continue for it to be successful. If your consistency suffers so will the success of your program. With consistency success will eventually come. I feel this is the most important element of the three C’s, you must remain consistent to reach your goals!

In order to find success you must apply the three C’s in this order:

  1. Commit to whatever program or goals you set
  2. Have confidence that you can implement and reach your goals
  3. Remain consistent in your program and the goals you set

For help in coaching you through these elements to success click below to view my service options:

personal fitness training coach

How to Push Passed a Plateau and See Progress Again

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How frustrating is it when your progress has just stopped? You haven’t seen any weight or fat loss in weeks or months. What do you do to charge it up again? Well, there are a few ways you can do that I am going to share with you.

  • Increase the intensity of your workouts
  • Increase the duration of your workouts
  • Reevaluate your eating plan

So, how exactly do you do this? Let’s break it down:

Increase the intensity of your workouts you can increase the intensity of your workouts in a few ways. You can do this by either increasing your speed, the amount of weight, or your range of motion.

  • Increasing speed – Increase speed throughout your entire workout or in intervals throughout your workout.If you are increasing your speed for the entire duration of your workout, then just pick up the pace from what you normally do. For example, If you use the treadmill and normally walk or jog at a pace of 3.5, then increase that pace to a 4.0 allowing your body to work a bit harder than its used to.If you are increasing the speed of your workout in intervals, pick up the pace for a certain amount of designated time or reps and then go back to your normal pace. For example, if you use the treadmill and normally do a pace of 3.5, then start at your normal pace for about 1 or 2 minutes and than pick up the pace to 4.0 or more for 30 seconds or more and then go back down to your normal pace and keep repeating those timed intervals throughout your workout. This will once again force your body to work at a harder pace than it is used to.
  • Increasing the amount of weight – during your strength training workouts increase your weight by at least 1 lb for each exercise to encourage muscle growth. The more muscle in your body the more calories your body will burn at rest. If you can encourage your muscles to grow in size your body will start to burn more calories naturally throughout your day.
  • Increasing your range of motion – another way that you can increase intensity is by range of motion in your exercises. Take big strides when you walk or run, try to get down lower when you squat or lunge, reach higher up on a shoulder press, etc. By increasing your range of motion you will make the body work just that little bit harder and therefore burn more calories throughout your workout.

Increase the duration of your workouts – to do this you can either increase the amount of times you workout throughout the week or you can increase the amount of time you exercise per workout.

If you are increasing the amount of times you workout per week add at least one more day to your workout plan. If you normally exercise 3 times a week, increase your days to 4 or more. This will give you at least 30 more minutes of active workout time a week.

If you are increasing the amount of time per workout then add at least 10 more minutes each time you workout during the week. If you normally workout 3 times a week at 60 minutes per workout, increase each of your 60 minute workouts to 70 or more minutes. This will give you at least 30 more minutes of active workout time a week.

Reevaluate your eating plan – to do this you need to look at the amount of calories you are taking in daily versus the amount of calories you are burning, look at your portion sizes per meals and snacks, make sure you are eating balanced, and look at the types of foods you are eating.

If you are looking at the amount of calories in versus calories out you are going to need to keep a log of the amount of food calories you eat per day or use an app that does this for you (I use and love the app – myfitnesspal). You will also need to know how much you burn throughout the day. If you have a fitbit or other calorie tracker it is easy because it does it for you. Or, you can use something like choosemyplate.gov. This website has a supertracker feature that will analyze your calorie intake and let you know approx. how many calories you should be eating a day. You can also use there online food log to keep track of the calories you eat throughout the day.

If you are looking at your portion sizes start by reading labels and measure out your portion sizes per meal. Try to keep whole grains to 1 or 2 servings, fruits to 1 or 2 servings, vegetables to 2 or more servings, fat to 1 serving, and lean proteins to between 3-5 oz per meal or snack. Doesn’t mean you eat each one of these in each meal or snack, but, when you do, keep to a maximum of these serving sizes and no more. Low-calorie vegetables would be the only thing you could eat more of.

If you are looking to see if your eating plan is balanced here is what you need to know: you should be eating all 3 macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fat, and you should be eating from all major food groups – fruit, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, lean meats/proteins and healthy fats. Your carbohydrates are made up from 4 of the food groups – fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains – make sure you eat from all of those food groups and not to heavy on only one.

If you are looking at the types of foods you are eating start by going through your fridge and pantry by food group.

  • Fruits – should be mostly fresh or frozen because they contain the most nutrients. If you must buy canned fruit or juice make sure it contains no added sugars.
  • vegetables – should be mostly fresh or frozen because they contain the most nutrients. If you must buy canned vegetables opt for low-sodium versions. This group should also be your non-starchy vegetables. Your starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas will be considered in your whole grain group. This is because they are high in carbohydrates and therefore higher in calories.
  • dairy – should be low-fat varieties of milk, cheese, plain yogurt, cottage cheese etc. Do not consider ice cream your dairy as it does not contain enough calcium and has a lot of added sugar. Dairy items can also be included in your protein category as they contain a high amount of protein per serving.
  • Whole Grains – This is the toughest category to get right and the one that causes the most weight gain. Whole grains should be whole wheat or other whole flour or grain (the ingredient must include the word whole), brown or wild rice, quinoa, and starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and peas. Beans, lentils and lima beans will also fall into this category along with your proteins because they are high in both carbohydrates and proteins. Baked goods such as cakes, cookies, chips, sugary cereals and other highly processed snacks are not a smart option here. This group should contain at least 2 or more grams of fiber per serving. Check your ingredient labels on breads, pasta, crackers and such and look for that word whole as well as the fiber amount.
  • Meats/Proteins – should be lean meats such as chicken, turkey, lean red meat, and lean fish. Included in your proteins are also, eggs, beans, lentils, soybeans, tofu, nuts and dairy products. Watch serving sizes on nuts as they are high in fat.
  • fats – This is another tough category and you really need to watch portion control here. This group should be used sparingly in cooking, as toppings, dressings, sauces etc. to add flavor to your other groups. Best options for fats are avocados, nuts. coconut and unsaturated oils such as extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed, avocado, coconut, peanut and sesame. Again use these sparingly in your meals and snacks because they are high in fat and calories.

As you can see there are many things that you can do to work on pushing passed your plateau and start seeing progress again. The more of these things you do the greater your chances are in seeing a drop in weight, fat and inches. These things are all ways you can burn more calories and increase your metabolism to charge up your body and help you in getting closer to reaching your goals.

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