RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Do you dread exercise? To change your mindset, first is, stop using the word "workout," cause "work" is negative. Next, find something you enjoy doing that's also challenging; like kickboxing or TRX classes, Wii, etc. If exercise is doing cardio & weights on machines day after day that is dreadful. Lastly, do something different EVERY time you exercise, to avoid getting bored & giving up. Exercise should be fun, challenging, and something you look forward to.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
A great way to stay motivated to lose body fat & tone up, is to hang up a new or old piece of clothing that doesn't fit anymore in our bedroom or a room we're in a lot. It'll be a constant reminder to be active & eat right. Don't give away clothes or buy bigger sizes, because that enables us to stay at an unhealthy body fat %. Instead buy a size lower than you are right now & keep it in sight.
A great way to stay motivated to lose body fat & tone up, is to hang up a new or old piece of clothing that doesn't fit anymore in our bedroom or a room we're in a lot. It'll be a constant reminder to be active & eat right. Don't give away clothes or buy bigger sizes, because that enables us to stay at an unhealthy body fat %. Instead buy a size lower than you are right now & keep it in sight.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
To help us eat healthier, the word HOMEMADE must be in our daily vocab. Eating out is going to pack on the body fat because the foods are loaded with calories/unhealthy saturated fat/sodium & cooked in bad oils. Cooking at home, we can prepare the food in healthy oils like olive oil, keep down the sodium, and know exactly what we're putting in our body with a wider variety of healthy options.
For example, instead of ordering a pizza & wings for the game = well over 1000calories, cut up some fresh fruit like apples, oranges, and bananas. Put in them in a tupperware container with some fresh lemon juice. Shake the container and serve. Another great game time snack to go with that, is some hummus and raw veggies like baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli to dip in the hummus.
To help us eat healthier, the word HOMEMADE must be in our daily vocab. Eating out is going to pack on the body fat because the foods are loaded with calories/unhealthy saturated fat/sodium & cooked in bad oils. Cooking at home, we can prepare the food in healthy oils like olive oil, keep down the sodium, and know exactly what we're putting in our body with a wider variety of healthy options.
For example, instead of ordering a pizza & wings for the game = well over 1000calories, cut up some fresh fruit like apples, oranges, and bananas. Put in them in a tupperware container with some fresh lemon juice. Shake the container and serve. Another great game time snack to go with that, is some hummus and raw veggies like baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli to dip in the hummus.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
This on was on today's Yahoo homepage. Heather Hawkins, a Yahoo fitness "expert" says group classes are just as effective as having a one-on-one trainer.
1) Those of you who go to group classes know that they almost never change up the routine. Muscles memorize movements/patterns, so if you're not constantly shocking the muscles with different exercises you'll stop seeing results.
2) Most group classes are 60min non-stop aerobic activity with no intervals = you'll burn most calories from energy (glycogen) NOT body fat calories. Doing this will make you feel drained at the end of class, tricking you into thinking you did something, but all you did was deplete your energy reserves. Our heart rate needs to go up & down for intervals to burn majority calories from fat.
3) Proper form is extremely important with any kind of exercise. You might not get injured right away, but continuous improper form is leading to unnecessary pressure to your spine, joints, and ligaments. This will cause you chronic pain in 5, 10, 15yrs. You're not going to get that individualized attention to your form in a Zumba or booty boot camp class of 60 people or more.
Are a lot of trainers worth the high cost? No. Some trainers at your Chicago gyms aren't even certified nor have any experience. There are few in Chicago with actual experience & education, and if you find one you'll get to your goal A LOT faster & safer than you would on your own. Group classes, fitness DVDS, are better than doing nothing, but nothing can replace a quality, educated, and experienced trainer who can design a specific program where you NEVER repeat a session.
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/fitnessforreallife/free-gym-classes-can-be-just-as-effective-personal-trainer
1) Those of you who go to group classes know that they almost never change up the routine. Muscles memorize movements/patterns, so if you're not constantly shocking the muscles with different exercises you'll stop seeing results.
2) Most group classes are 60min non-stop aerobic activity with no intervals = you'll burn most calories from energy (glycogen) NOT body fat calories. Doing this will make you feel drained at the end of class, tricking you into thinking you did something, but all you did was deplete your energy reserves. Our heart rate needs to go up & down for intervals to burn majority calories from fat.
3) Proper form is extremely important with any kind of exercise. You might not get injured right away, but continuous improper form is leading to unnecessary pressure to your spine, joints, and ligaments. This will cause you chronic pain in 5, 10, 15yrs. You're not going to get that individualized attention to your form in a Zumba or booty boot camp class of 60 people or more.
Are a lot of trainers worth the high cost? No. Some trainers at your Chicago gyms aren't even certified nor have any experience. There are few in Chicago with actual experience & education, and if you find one you'll get to your goal A LOT faster & safer than you would on your own. Group classes, fitness DVDS, are better than doing nothing, but nothing can replace a quality, educated, and experienced trainer who can design a specific program where you NEVER repeat a session.
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/fitnessforreallife/free-gym-classes-can-be-just-as-effective-personal-trainer
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
The calories we burn with exercise are not all the same, there's cal from fat & cal from energy. How we exercise determines which one is going to burn more. High intensity intervals, raising heart rate up then bringing it down then repeating burns more body fat cal. Cal counters/heart rate sensors on machines are inaccurate. Having a HEART RATE MONITOR helps you know exact number of cal burned & what % is fat/energy cal. Polar is a quality brand, but there's also inexpensive ones ($20-40) at Walmart.
www.PolarUSA.com
The calories we burn with exercise are not all the same, there's cal from fat & cal from energy. How we exercise determines which one is going to burn more. High intensity intervals, raising heart rate up then bringing it down then repeating burns more body fat cal. Cal counters/heart rate sensors on machines are inaccurate. Having a HEART RATE MONITOR helps you know exact number of cal burned & what % is fat/energy cal. Polar is a quality brand, but there's also inexpensive ones ($20-40) at Walmart.
www.PolarUSA.com
Monday, January 24, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
BEST way to start eating healthier is to track what we're eating/drinking daily. This keeps us accountable, helps identify poor habits & high temptation times/days. MyPlate on http://www.livestrong.com/ is an awesome FREE tool that can help do that. Their calorie tracker database has a million food/drink items; and if we create a FREE profile it's more specific to what we're having too much/not enough of. USE IT, IT'S FREE!
http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/
BEST way to start eating healthier is to track what we're eating/drinking daily. This keeps us accountable, helps identify poor habits & high temptation times/days. MyPlate on http://www.livestrong.com/ is an awesome FREE tool that can help do that. Their calorie tracker database has a million food/drink items; and if we create a FREE profile it's more specific to what we're having too much/not enough of. USE IT, IT'S FREE!
http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/
Friday, January 21, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Getting fit/staying fit is having the right mindset. Do NOT get obsessed/stressed about how fast the body fat pounds are dropping. Weighing yourself every day & panicking over a pound here & there is not healthy. Stay consistent EVERY DAY with healthy eating/challenging exercises and you WILL see results. Getting out of shape doesn't happen overnight, so getting back into it won't either. Be patient.
Getting fit/staying fit is having the right mindset. Do NOT get obsessed/stressed about how fast the body fat pounds are dropping. Weighing yourself every day & panicking over a pound here & there is not healthy. Stay consistent EVERY DAY with healthy eating/challenging exercises and you WILL see results. Getting out of shape doesn't happen overnight, so getting back into it won't either. Be patient.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
One of the three quickest ways to gain body fat is drinking alcohol. Alcohol not only has calories that we need to watch, but it raises levels of the body fat hormone cortisol, and it lowers testosterone hormone which helps us gain muscle/lose body fat faster. Next time, have clear liquor (less toxins), have it on the rocks with no soda/juice fillers, and space out your drinks by having water.
One of the three quickest ways to gain body fat is drinking alcohol. Alcohol not only has calories that we need to watch, but it raises levels of the body fat hormone cortisol, and it lowers testosterone hormone which helps us gain muscle/lose body fat faster. Next time, have clear liquor (less toxins), have it on the rocks with no soda/juice fillers, and space out your drinks by having water.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
BEST body fat burner is not Hydroxycut or a celebrity endorsed diet pill, it's a WHEY ISOLATE PROTEIN. Taking a whey isolate protein after exercise (weights & cardio) creates more lean muscle tissue. The more lean muscle we have the more calories we'll burn all day long (1lb of muscle burns 50cal). Since body fat loss = calories consumed vs calories burned, that'll help us lose quicker & keep it off.
Perfect ISOPURE Whey Isolate Protein is the best one to take if you're looking to get lean & tone. It's only 110cal, 0 fat/carb/sugar, and 26g of protein. The only ingredient is protein, no sweeteners, no food coloring, just protein. Mix 1 scoop with 8oz of cold water and drink after you do weights and cardio. You can find it anywhere, and it should only cost $34-39. Don't pay more than that.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/perfectisopure.html
BEST body fat burner is not Hydroxycut or a celebrity endorsed diet pill, it's a WHEY ISOLATE PROTEIN. Taking a whey isolate protein after exercise (weights & cardio) creates more lean muscle tissue. The more lean muscle we have the more calories we'll burn all day long (1lb of muscle burns 50cal). Since body fat loss = calories consumed vs calories burned, that'll help us lose quicker & keep it off.
Perfect ISOPURE Whey Isolate Protein is the best one to take if you're looking to get lean & tone. It's only 110cal, 0 fat/carb/sugar, and 26g of protein. The only ingredient is protein, no sweeteners, no food coloring, just protein. Mix 1 scoop with 8oz of cold water and drink after you do weights and cardio. You can find it anywhere, and it should only cost $34-39. Don't pay more than that.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/perfectisopure.html
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Do you know what your body fat % is? Men 18-35yrs old should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old 14-16%, 50+yrs 16-18%.. Women 18-35yrs old should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old 20-22%, 50+yrs 22-24%. If our body fat % is higher than these amounts for our age range, the more at risk we are for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Have a qualified health & fitness professional calculate your body fat % today.
Do you know what your body fat % is? Men 18-35yrs old should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old 14-16%, 50+yrs 16-18%.. Women 18-35yrs old should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old 20-22%, 50+yrs 22-24%. If our body fat % is higher than these amounts for our age range, the more at risk we are for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Have a qualified health & fitness professional calculate your body fat % today.
Monday, January 17, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
If you're an expecting Mommy or know someone who is, the best way to get back into shape after delivery is to exercise during the pregnancy. It is safe to do up to the third trimester. There's just some precautions like, heart rate should not remain over 140 for prolonged period, no laying flat on back, no prolonged standing exercises, and no jumping exercises.
If you're an expecting Mommy or know someone who is, the best way to get back into shape after delivery is to exercise during the pregnancy. It is safe to do up to the third trimester. There's just some precautions like, heart rate should not remain over 140 for prolonged period, no laying flat on back, no prolonged standing exercises, and no jumping exercises.
Friday, January 14, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
We must have the right mindset. Getting back into shape & staying in shape is not a 6-12wk exercise/nutrition program. It's a daily lifestyle. Being active & eating healthy is not something we stop, it's every day. As long as we stay consistent every day, it'll become a part of our routine; and we won't even have to think about it, we'll just do it.
We must have the right mindset. Getting back into shape & staying in shape is not a 6-12wk exercise/nutrition program. It's a daily lifestyle. Being active & eating healthy is not something we stop, it's every day. As long as we stay consistent every day, it'll become a part of our routine; and we won't even have to think about it, we'll just do it.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Want to have nice abs for Summer 2011? Follow our RIO Fitness "AB COMMANDMENTS" to help get you there:
1) Strength train your ENTIRE midsection (obliques, lower & upper abdominals), finishing with a lower back exercise to fully complete your core.
2) Do NOT work your abs every day. They're a muscle like any other so they need time to recover & regenerate. Give 48hrs in between, so if you did them on a Wed, next time would be Sat.
3) Do cardio properly so you're burning calories from fat & not energy (glycogen). This means no more than 30mins, and the cardio must be done in intervals (Ex: 60sec run then 60sec walk for 25mins).
4) Track how many calories you consume daily. Consuming more calories than you burn daily will increase body fat production.
5) Limit HIGH GLYCEMIC CARBS (breads/pasta/rice/oats) to ONLY after exercise. These are carbs which digest quickly, so if they are consumed throughout the day and not burned they'll be turned into body fat. LOW GLYCEMIC CARBS (fruits/veggies) are the carbs to be eaten the rest of the day.
6) Limit your sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium increases water levels in the body, making you look & feel bloated. Consume foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas/spinach/apricots/beans) daily to lower sodium levels in the body naturally.
7) Limit/avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol triggers the body fat production hormone cortisol to begin production.
8) Limit your stress. Increased stress levels also increases levels of cortisol.
9) Get your rest. Lack of adequate rest each night increases levels of cortisol.
10) Remember, just focusing on your abs won't give you a nice midsection, you need to strength train from head to toe. Especially do not neglect large muscle groups (back/lower body), because developing those will help you burn more cal/day & increase testosterone production which is the hormone that helps us burn body fat quickly.
Want to have nice abs for Summer 2011? Follow our RIO Fitness "AB COMMANDMENTS" to help get you there:
1) Strength train your ENTIRE midsection (obliques, lower & upper abdominals), finishing with a lower back exercise to fully complete your core.
2) Do NOT work your abs every day. They're a muscle like any other so they need time to recover & regenerate. Give 48hrs in between, so if you did them on a Wed, next time would be Sat.
3) Do cardio properly so you're burning calories from fat & not energy (glycogen). This means no more than 30mins, and the cardio must be done in intervals (Ex: 60sec run then 60sec walk for 25mins).
4) Track how many calories you consume daily. Consuming more calories than you burn daily will increase body fat production.
5) Limit HIGH GLYCEMIC CARBS (breads/pasta/rice/oats) to ONLY after exercise. These are carbs which digest quickly, so if they are consumed throughout the day and not burned they'll be turned into body fat. LOW GLYCEMIC CARBS (fruits/veggies) are the carbs to be eaten the rest of the day.
6) Limit your sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium increases water levels in the body, making you look & feel bloated. Consume foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas/spinach/apricots/beans) daily to lower sodium levels in the body naturally.
7) Limit/avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol triggers the body fat production hormone cortisol to begin production.
8) Limit your stress. Increased stress levels also increases levels of cortisol.
9) Get your rest. Lack of adequate rest each night increases levels of cortisol.
10) Remember, just focusing on your abs won't give you a nice midsection, you need to strength train from head to toe. Especially do not neglect large muscle groups (back/lower body), because developing those will help you burn more cal/day & increase testosterone production which is the hormone that helps us burn body fat quickly.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Avoid high sugar drinks/foods at night. The later we have sugar, the more our blood sugar (insulin) levels spike; which then causes the body to raise levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol. Since our metabolism (how fast we burn cal) slows down at bedtime, this can cause us to gain body fat twice as fast. Avoid desserts, soda, juices, bread, pasta, rice, oats at night.
Avoid high sugar drinks/foods at night. The later we have sugar, the more our blood sugar (insulin) levels spike; which then causes the body to raise levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol. Since our metabolism (how fast we burn cal) slows down at bedtime, this can cause us to gain body fat twice as fast. Avoid desserts, soda, juices, bread, pasta, rice, oats at night.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Soda, juices, sports drinks are loaded with calories & sugars. Coke has 40g of sugar, OJ 33g, apple juice 39g, Gatorade 34g. All that sugar if not burned immediately is converted into fat. Also, the nutrition facts usually list 8oz of a drink (approx 140cal), NOT the entire 16-32oz bottle (400+cal). Add that to the cal we're eating & we're consuming more cal than we're burning = body fat gain.
Soda, juices, sports drinks are loaded with calories & sugars. Coke has 40g of sugar, OJ 33g, apple juice 39g, Gatorade 34g. All that sugar if not burned immediately is converted into fat. Also, the nutrition facts usually list 8oz of a drink (approx 140cal), NOT the entire 16-32oz bottle (400+cal). Add that to the cal we're eating & we're consuming more cal than we're burning = body fat gain.
Monday, January 10, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Want to burn more fat in less time? Try this treadmill ex:
Warmup 60sec at Speed 3.0.
Minute 1 (5.0),
Min 3 (6.0),
Min 5 (7.0),
Min 7 (7.0),
Min 9 (6.0),
Min 11 (5.0),
Min 13 (5.0),
Min 15 (6.0),
Min 17 (7.0),
Min 19 (8.0),
Min 21 (9.0),
Min 23 (9.0), then cooldown 60sec at 3.0.
Just 25mins! Even numbered mins do 3.0. This is INTERVAL TRAINING aka how to get leaner faster in 2011!
*This interval training of going up & down with the intensity every 60sec can be used for all types of cardio.
*Doing this regularly for just 25mins will burn the same if not more calories than the 45mins/hour or more of cardio you're doing now.
*This was just an example, adjust the speeds to your fitness level.See More
Want to burn more fat in less time? Try this treadmill ex:
Warmup 60sec at Speed 3.0.
Minute 1 (5.0),
Min 3 (6.0),
Min 5 (7.0),
Min 7 (7.0),
Min 9 (6.0),
Min 11 (5.0),
Min 13 (5.0),
Min 15 (6.0),
Min 17 (7.0),
Min 19 (8.0),
Min 21 (9.0),
Min 23 (9.0), then cooldown 60sec at 3.0.
Just 25mins! Even numbered mins do 3.0. This is INTERVAL TRAINING aka how to get leaner faster in 2011!
*This interval training of going up & down with the intensity every 60sec can be used for all types of cardio.
*Doing this regularly for just 25mins will burn the same if not more calories than the 45mins/hour or more of cardio you're doing now.
*This was just an example, adjust the speeds to your fitness level.See More
Friday, January 7, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Exercise should be challenging, fun, and something you enjoy doing. If exercise is nothing but cardio/weight machines day after day, then that is boring and sounds more like a chore. Whether it's kickboxing, a dodgeball league, rock climbing, pole dancing classes, Wii, whatever. As long as you like it, and it challenges you to get that heart rate up & sweat, DO IT!
Exercise should be challenging, fun, and something you enjoy doing. If exercise is nothing but cardio/weight machines day after day, then that is boring and sounds more like a chore. Whether it's kickboxing, a dodgeball league, rock climbing, pole dancing classes, Wii, whatever. As long as you like it, and it challenges you to get that heart rate up & sweat, DO IT!
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
Cardio is essential for body fat loss. Doing strength training too will accelerate that loss. Strength training burns 4x more calories than cardio, and keeps your metabolism (how fast you burn cal) high for 24-36hrs (cardio only 2hrs). Most effective strength exercising for a man or woman looking to lose body fat and/or tone up is HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
Cardio is essential for body fat loss. Doing strength training too will accelerate that loss. Strength training burns 4x more calories than cardio, and keeps your metabolism (how fast you burn cal) high for 24-36hrs (cardio only 2hrs). Most effective strength exercising for a man or woman looking to lose body fat and/or tone up is HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
So many people fail with their resolution to get into shape, because they try to do too much too soon. Be realistic, by setting short term goals; such as doing 25mins of cardio as soon as you wake up 3x/week. Once you have that routine down, set another goal of adding two days of strength training. To remain consistent, exercise needs to be a progression.
So many people fail with their resolution to get into shape, because they try to do too much too soon. Be realistic, by setting short term goals; such as doing 25mins of cardio as soon as you wake up 3x/week. Once you have that routine down, set another goal of adding two days of strength training. To remain consistent, exercise needs to be a progression.
Monday, January 3, 2011
RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:
We've just had 6wks of holiday eating/drinking, now lets step on that scale. No matter the outcome, it's ok. Let's start getting back in shape TODAY. If you have a gym membership, GO TODAY! If you don't have one, bundle up, get outside and do jogging/walking intervals every 60sec for just 25mins. Or grab some friends/family & go ice skating/sledding for at least 30mins. Being more active starts NOW!
We've just had 6wks of holiday eating/drinking, now lets step on that scale. No matter the outcome, it's ok. Let's start getting back in shape TODAY. If you have a gym membership, GO TODAY! If you don't have one, bundle up, get outside and do jogging/walking intervals every 60sec for just 25mins. Or grab some friends/family & go ice skating/sledding for at least 30mins. Being more active starts NOW!
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