TODAY try this 30min intense RIO Fitness Chicago® routine:

•30sec pushup position rows w/ 5-10lb dumbbells
•30sec hands behind head squats
•30sec diamond pushups
•30sec jumping jacks
•30sec mountain climbers
•30sec pushup position rows w/ 5-10lb dumbbells.

Repeat for 2 rounds, rest 2mins, repeat for 2 rounds, rest 2mins, repeat for a final 2 rounds, and conclude with stretching.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Is YOUR home toxic free? Go check labels of everything in your home: makeup, shampoo, body wash, household cleaners, detergent, etc. If you see chemicals like: xylene, ketones, fromaldehyde, phthlates, fragrance, sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, etc., those are chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, respiratory problems, infertility/sterility, are highly carcinogenic/mutantagenic, etc. GET THEM OUT OF YOUR HOME IMMEDIATELY, watch this brief video on 8 ways to live toxic free, and find the natural solutions to all these products because they do exist!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Did you hit the alcohol & salty/sweet treats hard celebrating the holidays? Here's four ways to get your nutrition back on track:

1) Start eating something SMALL every 3hrs. This will speed up your metabolism = burning cal faster.

2) To best detox from the booze keep drinking water since our body is 75% water, and our brain is 90% water.

3) To slow down the digestion of all the sugar, start consuming high FIBER foods.

4) All that salty foods = looking/feeling bloated, because sodium carries excess water. To lower the sodium levels in the body, consume high POTASSIUM foods (spinach, beans, bananas, kiwi).

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Simple, eat & drink garbage = look & feel like garbage. Poor nutrition damages us internally by increasing our risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. **People who have a lot of fat around their midsection are most at risk.** Start eating/drinking better not just to look great but to improve the quality of your life.

Follow these Ten Nutrition Commandments to start looking & feeling better in a HEALTHY & LONG LASTING way:

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The increase in diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke (especially in young people) is from all the chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, steroids, and antibiotics in our foods. Unfortunately it will cost more, but buy ORGANIC fruits, veggies, and meats. Better to spend more money NOW on healthier foods, than spend them on doctor visits, prescription meds, insurance premiums later.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Doesn't matter if you're a man, woman, young, old, or what your fitness goal is, EVERYBODY who wants to see QUICK results in a NATURAL & HEALTHY way should be taking these THREE basic supplements:

1)MULTIVITAMIN. We don't get enough vitamins & minerals from our foods (processing & cooking), so we need a multivitamin. Make it a soft-gel one & ALWAYS take after breakfast.

2) WHEY ISOLATE PROTEIN. Basic biology, muscles need protein to grow, and the more LEAN muscle tissue we have the more cal we'll burn all day, which means the faster we'll be lean & tone. Perfect Isopure is the best, most natural whey isolate on the market (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/perfectisopure.html).

3) GLUTAMINE. Basic chemistry & biology again, protein is made up of amino acid chains. Glutamine is an amino acid. Glutamine helps our muscles recover & regenerate new tissue = faster results & being A LOT less sore. (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/glutamine.html)

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

See the picture to know what to start eating if you want healthier blood/lymph system/liver/intestines/gallbladder/kidneys/pancreas. Eat well & you'll live well.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you dislike exercising? Why? Too hard? Anything worth doing isn't going to be easy. Boring, not fun, unmotivated? Try anything & everything then. Try a martial art like Krav Maga, try rock climbing, try yoga, try trampoline dodgeball, whatever. Exercise is supposed to be fun & challenging, something you enjoy so keep doing it. Simply put, exercising 30mins a day is extending your life. Not exercising at all daily is rapidly shortening it. Which would you rather have, longer or shorter life?

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

NEVER put into your body ANYTHING that says "DIET" on the label. Whether its soda, or cookies, or ice cream, or anything, "diet" means they've replaced the sugar/fat with something artificial like sweeteners or other fillers. Since these are artificial/"man-made" the body cannot metabolize them properly so they're stored as body fat. You're better off having REAL sugar and just limiting how much you're consuming daily.

You're also better off following these Ten Nutrition Commandments:

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Exercising 30mins a day WILL help you live longer. Not exercising is shortening your life. Also, when was the last time you checked your blood pressure, blood sugars, cholesterol, triglycerides, thyroid?

1) BLOOD PRESSURE - Healthy number is less than 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or higher. High BP often has no symptoms and, left untreated, can lead to stroke, heart disease, kidney damage, and vision and memory problems. To lower your numbers, consume a low-fat/sodium diet, limit alcohol, don't smoke, and exercise 4-5/wk.

2) BLOOD SUGAR - Healthy number of a fasting blood-sugar level is 99mg/dL or less. A level of 126mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes. Diabetes more than doubles your risk of heart disease and increases your chances of kidney disease, vision loss, and other health issues.

3) CHOLESTEROL - Healthy number is total cholesterol (LDL & HDL) under 200mg/dL. The higher your cholesterol levels, the greater your risk of heart disease. LDL cholesterol should be under 100mg/dL. Elevated LDL levels cause the formation of plaque in the artery walls, which leads to atherosclerosis and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. HDL cholesterol should be 50mg/dL or higher.

4) TRIGLYCERIDES - Healthy number is less than 150mg/dL. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood, and elevated levels increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Elevated triglycerides are a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men, another good reason to get your level into the target zone. To do that, lose body fat, quit smoking, consume no more than one alcoholic drink a day, and exercise 4-5/wk.

5) THYROID - Healthy number is a thyroid-stimulating hormone level under 4.0mIU/L. Besides helping regulate your metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate, thyroid hormones affect skin, hair, muscle strength, mood, and mental functioning. If your level is high, above 4.5mIU/L, your thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones to help your body function efficiently.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Being sore does NOT mean what we did for exercise "worked," all it means is that lactic acid has built up in the muscle tissue. The more it builds up, the slower our muscles recover, repair, and regenerate new tissue = seeing slower results.

To prevent the build up of the acid:

1) Always stretch after exercise.

2) Always consume a whey isolate protein + a tsp of glutamine after exercise.

3) Drink 120oz of water a day.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To get or stay in-shape we need to be able to answer these questions:

How many calories have you consumed so far today?

How many calories should you consume daily if you want to lose 1-2lbs of body fat a week?

How many calories should you be burning weekly to lose 1lb of body fat?

What's the % of calories you're consuming that come from fat? From carbs? From protein?

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Holiday shopping this weekend? Here's FOUR simple steps to let the only new weight you carry home be in your shopping bags instead of your hips/thighs/butt/tummy:

1) Bundle up and park further away from the entrances and WALK.

2) ALWAYS take the stairs instead of escalators/elevators.

3) Bring SMALL, healthy snacks with you (unsalted/raw nuts/seeds, fruit like bananas or apples, almond butter with veggies like baby carrots/celery sticks, etc.) so you're not hungry and tempted to visit the high calorie/fat/sugar/carb/sodium food court.

4) After checking out, carry all your bags to the car instead of in the cart to increase the calorie burn.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

From Halloween thru the New Year celebrations people tend to gain 5-20lbs of body fat. Don't let it be you! Every week hop on the scale to catch & stop any possible significant increases from all the holiday festivities before you reach January 1st unhealthy & unhappy.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There's 1,440mins in a day, so we cal all take 30mins a day to get healthier & look/feel better. Just 30mins a day of intense heart pumping, sweat inducing exercise, just 30mins. If you can't do 30 straight minutes, do 10 as soon as you wake up, 10 at lunchtime, and 10 before bed every day.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Have you exercised yet today? If not, don't you want to look & feel better? You'll feel just like this pic if you do! Make a goal of just 30mins a day of intense heart pumping, sweat inducing exercise, just 30mins. If you can't do 30 straight minutes, do 10 as soon as you wake up, 10 at lunchtime, and 10 before bed every day.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"I exercise so I can eat/drink whatever I want" = an unhealthy relationship with food/drink. 1) Unless you're wearing a heart rate monitor, the calorie count on that machine you're using is inaccurate. Using that machine's calorie number to determine how many calories you can consume daily is a recipe for body fat gain. 2) Food/drink should NEVER be a reward for exercise. Being healthier and feeling/looking better should. 3) Unless you're an elite Olympic athlete who burns 10,000+ cal/day training, you CANNOT eat & drink whatever you like. Period.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We all would love a sexy, lean & tone body, but when was the last time you exercised your mind? The two are inseperable. Put your mind to the test & answer this equation.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The picture says it all. Fill in the blank, "TODAY, I am going to do __________ to start looking & feeling better." Now DO IT!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: Do you have LOVE CHUB? Love chub = when you're in a relationship/friendship that every activity centers around food & drink, and so you begin to gain body fat. To stop gaining that love chub here's FOUR fun activities you can do with your significant other/friends that do not involve food/alcohol:

1) Go ice-skating Downtown @ Millenium Park. Inexpensive & really romantic at night with the city skyline lights.

2) If you're going to go to a club, put on your dancing shoes and try a Latin club for some salsa dancing. Can burn 200Cal in just 30mins! Check metromix.com to find one.

3) Looking to stay in? Invest in a Nintendo Wii. They have numerous games which will get you up & having fun. Michael Jackson Dance game is amazing!

4) Make some love! Just 30mins of love making can burn up to 170Cal!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

1lb of body fat = 3500cal. Every day our goal should be to burn 400cal with intense exercise (7 days x 400cal = 2800cal); then burn the remaining 700cal daily by walking everywhere, always taking the stairs instead of elevators/escalators, carrying groceries/laundry, etc.

Also, for every 1lb of fat we lose we take 4lbs of pressure off of our knees. Lastly, never say, "I want to lose weight." Our goal should never be to lose weight (muscle or water) which is easy to do & a short term solution. It should always be to lose body fat which is the long term, healthier solution.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

From Halloween thru New Years people tend to gain 5-20 body fat lbs. Don't let Turkey Day tomorrow do that to you. Here's FIVE simple things you can do tomorrow to not wreck your waistline but still enjoy yourself.

1) If you must try everything, use SMALL plates.

2) To reduce the bloat from all the high sodium foods, every three hours after the meal have a high potassium snack (bananas, unsalted beans, dried/unsweetened apricots, unsweetened raisins, spinach, squash)..

3) Every three hours before the meal and every three hours after eat something SMALL to keep your metabolism fast. Especially after, most people stop eating, which slows down how fast burn calories = more fat gain.

4) To prevent overeating in the first place, have a huge drink of water (20oz) before the meal.

5) Limit the consumption of any drink that is not water, especially alcohol, because all those calories + food calories = major body fat gain.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

RIGHT NOW is the time to start getting in-shape for Summer 2013! Start by doing simple things like parking further from your destinations & walking, ALWAYS taking the stairs instead of elevators/escalators, drinking ONLY water daily, do an activity that makes you sweat & raises heart rate for 25mins daily (doesn't have to a continuos 25, can be 5min in morning, 5min at lunch, etc.), and cook healthy food at home/bring healthy food from home to work instead of eating out (saves your waistline & $ too). Do something TODAY to spark the change that come Summer '13 will be the healthiest & sexiest you!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Getting/staying in-shape is all science. You have to know your body & how it functions. First step is identifying what body type you are. See the pic attached to see what you are & how you should be exercising.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do you drink 5-hour energy? The U.S. FDA has just announced a link to it causing thirteen deaths over the last four years. If you want to NATURALLY improve your energy levels: 

1) Get enough sleep every night. 

2) Take a soft-gel multi-vitamin after breakfast daily. 

3) Eat something SMALL every 3hrs to keep your metabolism going. 

4) Take a B12 & Iron supplement daily. 

Eliminate energy drinks & caffeine from your life, if you want to prolong it!

US regulators report possible link between caffeine shot, deaths | Yahoo! Health

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Unfortunately, eating healthier can SOMETIMES be more expensive than junk food. To combat the cost, buying fruits/veggies when they're in season or buying them frozen is less expensive. See the picture for a chart of when certain fruits/veggies are in season.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Diets DO NOT work! They're short term solutions to long term problems. Know what works if you do it every day? These TEN tips! 

1) Calculate your own specific daily calorie limit & start staying within it daily. 

2) 

Eat something SMALL every three hours. 

3) Avoid bad saturated/trans fats and start eating more poly & mono unsaturated fats/Omega-3 good fats. 

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise. No exercise = you don't have them. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly. 

5) Every time you eat have a lean protein food & consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). 

6) Don't drink alcohol. 

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. 

8) Drink 80-120oz of water daily. 

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat & so do "sugar free" foods/drinks.

10) Get enough sleep every night.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Looking & feeling your best is NOT doing a 4-12wk exercise routine and/or "weight loss diet" and then stopping. IT'S AN EVERY DAY LIFESTYLE CHANGE. To be in the best shape of your life & be the healthiest you've ever been, you need to change the way you live DAILY (eating, drinking, sleeping, physical activity, stress management, etc.).

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you want something bad enough you'll make time for it. THERE IS NO EXCUSE to not exercise at least 30mins a day, especially since the BEST way to exercise HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING only takes 30mins. If you really evaluate your day you'll see you spend a lot of time wasted (TV, Facebook/Twitter, Internet, eating & drinking bad out). Ask yourself, how bad do you want to look and feel your best and what are you willing to sacrifice to get there?

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"Some exercise is better than doing nothing." Yes & no. If we want to see faster lean & tone results, we have to be doing HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING for BOTH cardio & strength training. HIIT is taking your heart rate towards your max HR for 30-60sec, then dropping it for 30-60sec. This makes your resting HR between 120-140, and in this zone is where we burn the most calories from fat. Best news of all, when we do HIIT, exercise should only last a max of 30mins. Everybody can take 30mins out of their day for their health! Google/YouTube HIIT for more info.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you always feel tired, moody, low energy, achy, weak hair/nails, or always getting sick? All are symptoms of poor daily nutritional habits. If we treat our body's like a trash can, we can't expect to feel like anything but garbage.

Instead eat a SMALL meal/snack (2-300cal) every 3hrs, eat healthy fats loaded with omega-3s and essential fatty acids, eat more low glycemic carbs like fruits/veggies instead of high glycemic (bread/pasta/rice/oat), every time you eat have a LEAN protein (white meat, fish, eggs, unsalted/raw nuts, unsalted beans, organic Greek yogurt, almond butter, quinoa), and drink water ALL DAY.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

People are always asking, "what should I eat?" Here's a simple answer, eat more FOOD & eat less CRAP.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

LADIES, do you know about the SIX essential nutrients you should have daily as a woman, why they're beneficial for you as a woman and what foods contain them?

1) B6. This helps improve mood, appetite, sleep, and helps the nervous system function properly. It can be found in bananas, sweet potatoes, and chicken.

2) B12. Helps improve alertness, fights fatigue, and helps produce more hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells). It can be found in Greek yogurt, sirloin, and eggs. *Vegans should be a taking a B12 supplement daily.

3) Folate. This crucial during the first few weeks of pregnancy to prevent spinal and brain defects. Has also been shown to reduce risk of breast and colon cancer. It can be found in spinach, lentils, and asparagus.

4) D3. Helps strengthen bones, teeth, and muscles. Has also been shown to reduce risk of autoimmune diseases, breast and ovarian cancer. It can be found in cod liver oil, eggs, and sardines.

5) Calcium. Helps PMS symptoms, strengthens bones which may be weak from osteoporosis/caffeine consumption, and helps maintain blood pressure. It can be found in almond milk, almonds, salmon, and tofu.

6) Iron. Crucial for proper brain function, boosts energy levels, and prevents anemia. It can be found in lean steak, chickpeas, shrimp. *Vegetarians should be taking an iron supplement daily.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Five times per week start doing cardio properly to be burning majority calories from fat, not energy. Doing more than 30 minutes of cardio is going to be majority energy calories; more than an hour is going to burn muscle. To do cardio properly to burn majority fat calories do just 25 minutes of 60 second high then low intensity intervals of cardio. 

Cardio example (treadmill): 

Warm-up 60sec @ 3.0 speed 
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0 
Min 3 - Speed 5.0 
Min 5 - Speed 5.0 
Min 7 - Speed 5.0 
Min 9 - Speed 5.0 
Min 11 - Speed 7.0 
Min 13 - Speed 7.0 
Min 15 - Speed 7.0 
Min 17 - Speed 7.0 
Min 19 - Speed 7.0 
Min 21 - Speed 9.0 
Min 23 - Speed 9.0 
Cool-down 60sec @ Speed 3.0 

That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0. This is just an example, adjust it to your fitness level. 

There's no wrong time to do cardio, but the two best times are: as soon as you wake up before consuming calories, and after strength training.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: Laughing 10-15mins/day burns up to 50cal. Laughter has also been shown to reduce stress hormones cortisol & epinephrine, release endorphins that can relieve some physical pain, and boost the number of antibody-producing cells & effectiveness of T-cells which strengthens the immune system. Here's three minutes of HILARIOUS!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Isolating muscle groups like Day 1 (chest/biceps), Day 2 (legs/triceps), etc, is a body building schedule and NOT to be lean & toned which is what most women want.

To be lean & tone quickly your weekly exercise schedule should look like this:

Day 1: Lower body (quads/glutes/hamstrings/calves)
Day 2: 30mins of Upper Body (shoulders/triceps/chest/biceps/back) then 30mins of cardio
Day 3: 30mins core (side/lower/upper abdominals & lower back) then 30mins cardio
Day 4 Lower body (quads/glutes/hamstrings/calves)
Day 5 30mins of Upper Body (shoulders/triceps/chest/biceps/back) then 30mins of cardio
Day 6 30mins core (side/lower/upper abdominals & lower back) then 30mins cardio
Day 7: Rest

There should be 48hrs rest in between each muscle group. Also, in case you're not doing it already, weight training for lean & toned is not doing one set then resting. For your goal, you need to weight training using High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT means doing one set of an exercise then following it up with a completely different exercise no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. For example, doing one set of 15 lunges, followed by pushups for 30sec no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. Or one set of 15 bicep curls followed by 30sec of jumping jacks no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. YouTube HIIT to see more.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Want to make exercising easier? Here's a couple tips.

Pushing through the heels: Whether walking, running, going up stairs, doing lunges/squats pushing through the heels activates the glutes & hamstrings and prevents overloading the quadriceps.

Tightening the abodominals: Keeping your abs by your spine (while continuously breathing) during exercises, especially strength exercises, prevents unnecessary pressure to the lower back/lumbar spine.

Breathing: Proper breathing helps prevent the heart rate from getting up too quickly. Try breathing in thru the mouth and out thru the nose so your mouth doesn't get too dry.

Tightening the glutes & abodominals: Tightening these two on every exercise makes every exercise a core exercise. Having a strong core protects your neck, back, spine, and knees.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We all know that consuming too many calories is bad & causes body fat gain; but did you know eating too few cal does the same? Doesn't matter young or old, male or female, if we consistently consume under 1200cal/day we send our body into STARVATION MODE= 1) The body holds onto the body fat (stored energy) we already have for future energy. 2) When we finally do eat it's auto-stored as body fat because the body doesn't know when it's getting another meal. 3) The body will begin catabolizing our muscle tissue to use as fuel to keep us going. Less muscle tissue we have = the less cal we burn all day long = the faster we gain body fat. Avoid this by, eating something SMALL every 3hrs to keep your metabolism fast & by having a qualified health professional calculate your specific daily calorie limit and start staying within it.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you're a woman, there's some serious long term effects more than one drink a day/more than seven drinks a week can cause other than the immediate body fat gain. Remember, being healthy is not an 8-12wk program that we stop, it's a daily lifestyle of being active & eating right.

The real problem with drinking, even just two drinks a day for women, is the toll it takes on the inside of your body, not the outside. If you have more than seven drinks per week, it actually reduces bone mass. Since women are already at a higher risk of osteoporosis than men, reducing bone mass even more makes a woman more prone to falls and at higher risk for fracture/injury.

Studies clearly show, too, that more than one drink a day makes you more prone to breast cancer. The European Cancer Conference recently reported that the risk rises 10 percent for women who have between one and two drinks a day, compared with women who have less than one, and the risk increases by 30 percent at more than three drinks per day. And don't think you lower the risk by drinking wine instead of beer or something harder. The same research says any kind of alcohol ups the risk. Uterine-cancer risks go up at two or more drinks per day, as well.

Alcohol lowers testosterone levels in the body. When testosterone is lowered, estrogen levels increase, which in some cases cranks up cancer risks.

Alcohol does have some health benefits, such as wine lowering risk for dementia, heart disease, and certain cancers. Moderate drinking also seems to raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, while decreasing blood pressure. It may even cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving the body's sensitivity to insulin.

BUT, if you're worried about the risk of diabetes and you're eating right, for example, adding alcohol won't do much more for you. The same goes for cancer: Ditching cigarettes, eating more fruits and veggies, avoiding too much sun exposure, keeping your weight under control, and getting regular exercise pack a lot more prevention than a bottle of wine.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Not getting enough sleep each night not only leaves you exhausted the next day, but is a factor in preventing you from losing body fat and seeing any results. When we don't get at least the recommended eight hours a night, the body raises the levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol, it does not send out growth hormones that help us recover from our day/exercise, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

Tips to get better sleep:

1) Exercise daily. Even just 30mins/day.

2) No caffeine after 700pm.

3) Avoid using the computer/watching TV directly before bed. This will keep your brain stimulated and not allow your body to drift off.

4) Take a shower just before bed. This will raise your internal core temperature, so that as you lay there your body will naturally bring it down; thus allowing you to relax and fall asleep.

5) Keep your bedroom dark. Even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: Nature's Best Perfect Isopure is the BEST body fat burner out right now. Taking a whey isolate protein AFTER every time you exercise, helps to build LEAN muscle tissue. 1lb of lean muscle burns 50cal/day at rest, s

o the more lean muscle we have the more calories we'll burn all day along + what we burn during exercise = seeing quicker results. Mix ONE scoop with 8oz of cold water or unsweetened almond milk and consume after any type of exercise. One scoop = 110cal, ZERO fat/sugar/carbs, and 26g of the highest quality of protein that exists. Nothing artificial, the only ingredient should be protein.

(http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/perfectisopure.html)

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Watch this video to see how to make healthy ice cream. Yes, HEALTHY ice cream. *Do NOT use the protein shown in the video. Instead use this one (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/naturalcas.html) because it's all natural, only 130cal, 1g of fat, 7g of carbs, and 24g of highest quality casein protein.*

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do you have an Instagram (www.Instagram.com/) account? Did you know you can get tons of FREE exercise routines using it? Just search keywords like "workout, "exercise," "abs," "legs," etc.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Are you stressed out? Not only does stress prevent us from being as fit as we want to be because of the increase in cortisol hormone levels, but it also has serious effects on our short & long term health. Read this brief article on the American Institute of Stress' website to see how stress may be affecting every part of your body and how to deal with it in a positive way.

www.stress.org/stress-effects/

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

As it gets closer to bedtime the body knows it won't be consuming calories during sleep so it slows down our metabolism (how fast we burn cal). If we skip breakfast, it stays slow. Then we get to lunch starving, and that's when we make bad choices & overeat. ALWAYS eat a breakfast that includes a protein (eggs, turkey/chicken sausage, Greek yogurt, unsalted/raw nuts), because not only will that boost your metabolism, but protein keeps us feeling fuller longer. *The picture is not a recommended breakfast, it's just a cute pic.*

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you dread exercise/going to the gym or view exercise as a chore/punishment? That's a sign of an unhealthy relationship with it. Exercise is supposed to be fun & challenging, something you enjoy doing. Try new things like a Krav Maga or Zumba class. Try yoga, rock climbing, skateboarding, anything! Be adventurous with your exercise, and you'll see it doesn't suck.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We can either pay now for foods that contain organic/natural ingredients, pesticide/gmo free fruits/veggies, are preservative & nitrate free, etc., or we can pay later with insurance premiums, doctor visit co-pays, prescriptions, etc., with problems stemming from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Choice is ours.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

When are you going to start looking & feeling your best ever? Nobody can put in the effort but YOU. When are going to stop making excuses daily, and start being active DAILY? When are you going to cut out all the garbage junk food, eating out frequently, and going out for high calorie/fat/sugar loaded/body fat producing alcoholic drinks? When are you going to make the commitment to yourself, to live a healthier lifestyle so you can prolong your life? #WAKEUPCALL

RIO Fitness Chicago Tip:

Successfully becoming healthier requires taking small steps. Nobody gets out-of-shape overnight, and nobody gets in-shape overnight either. Follow the doctor's simple prescription in the photo for overall physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you exercise your mind? Mental health is just as important as physical fitness. Take 10-15mins/day to do trivia, crosswords or puzzles like this picture. How many squares can you find? We found 40!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Don't let an injury be the reason you don't exercise. You can ALWAYS train around it. A lower body injury? You can still do core/upper body. Upper body injury? You can still do core/lower body/cardio. Staying active helps you recover faster, and being inactive does the opposite. After just two weeks off from exercise, cardio & strength levels in the body begin to plummet, with cardio going faster.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do NOT exercise the same muscles every day. Every muscle group needs at least 48hrs of rest to fully recover, rebuild, and regenerate new muscle tissue that will help us see faster results. So for example if you do lower body today (Friday), next day to train them would be Monday. An exercise schedule to be lean & tone quickly should look like this:

Monday: Upper & Lower Body

Tuesday: Core (Abs, Lower Back) & Cardio

Wednesday: Cardio in the AM & again in the PM

Thursday: Repeat Monday

Friday: Repeat Tuesday

Saturday: Repeat Wednesday

Sunday: Rest

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Remember, the way you eat & drink this month will be next month's body. So, one question, do you want to build more muffin tops or a healthy, lean, tone, and sexy body?

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Stressed? Stress increases the body fat producing hormone cortisol. Stress also triggers the brain to crave sugars, which starts a vicious cycle of: stress-overeating-fat gain-depression-overeating. Stop the cycle! This weekend do something relaxing/fun (nap, massage, walk through botanic gardens, baseball game). Every day too take 10-15mins to be quiet, clear your mind, breathe, and decompress.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Being stressed is causing you to gain body fat & preventing you from losing any, because stress increases levels of the body fat production hormone cortisol. Here's TWENTY simple tips to reduce stress & make your day run smoother:

EXERCISE <--- BEST stress reliever.

Get a massage.

Take a walk.

Write a daily journal of thoughts/emotions.

Go to bed 30mins earlier.

Get up 20mins earlier.

Before bed prepare for the morning.

Don't wear tight clothes/uncomfortable shoes.

Listen to your favorite music.

Keep extra cash around.

Be polite to others.

Laugh out loud every day.

Read a good book.

Keep an extra set of keys.

Smile more.

Always keep things in the same place.

Don't gossip about others.

Keep at least half a tank of gas always.

Pay attention to someone else.

Make your bed.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Being stressed out is preventing you from losing body fat & helping you gain body fat by raising the levels of the body fat production hormone cortisol. These foods can help counteract the effects of stress/cortisol:

1) DARK CHOCOLATE are high in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (chamomile tea is another great source). DARK chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. Look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or higher.

2) SKIM MILK can help women experience less stress-related PMS symptoms if they have four or more servings every day.

3) OATMEAL helps you produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety's negative effects; which is why many of us crave carbs when we're stressed.

4) SALMON is abundant with omega-3 fatty acids that help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels & suppressing the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

5) WALNUTS help to lower blood pressure. Have 1 1/2 oz per day of UNSALTED/NATURAL nuts.

6) SUNFLOWER SEEDS is a good source of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine. Just like nuts have UNSALTED/NATURAL seeds.

7) SPINACH is rich in magnesium which improves your body's response to stress.

8) BLUEBERRIES are high in antioxidants which counterbalance cortisol.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Doing 1000s of ab exercises each day is NOT the answer to having a nice abs. The abdominals more than any other muscle group are dependant on many factors. There is also no such thing as losing fat from just one area, other than liposuction surgery. Here are the TEN AB COMMANDMENTS to a slim, tone tummy.

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) 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.

*Remember, bottomline, if your body fat % is not low, you won't see defined muscles.*

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you injury yourself, remember RICER (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Referral). Rest the injured area by not using or bearing weight on it. To reduce swelling: Apply an ice pack to the area for 20mins at a time, 4-8 times/day. Compress it by wrapping it with an elastic bandage (for only an hour at a time), but not too tightly that blood flow is cut off. Elevation means raising the injured area 12inches above the level of the heart. Referral means if the pain doesn't subside after one week, see a physician.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you want to look & feel better, make sure you get the proper amount of sleep every night. Lack of sleep causes: the body fat producing hormone cortisol to increase, decreases growth hormones that help us recover from exercise & our day, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have issues with overeating and/or emotional eating? If so, here's FIVE ways to stop the cycle and get into the best shape of your life.

1) Eat something SMALL every 2.5-3hrs. This will keep your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) high & keep your blood sugars levels stable which prevents body fat gain.

2) Get some sleep! Lack of sleep causes: the body fat producing hormone cortisol to increase, decreases growth hormones that help us recover from exercise & our day, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

3) Drink a BIG glass of water every time you feel hungry! That hungry feeling isn't always the body needing food, it means it's dehydrated. You should be eating every few hours anyway, but if that hungry feeling persists after drinking water, eat something SMALL.

4) When you get a craving, a nice little trick is to brush your teeth. Nothing tastes good after brushing your teeth.

5) Instead of eating/drinking, when you get emotional, go for a walk, get a massage, do some yoga to relax. Do anything instead of turning to food & drink when you're feeling emotional.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have a healthy relationship with food & drink? Do you turn to food/drink when you're emotional? Do you use food/drink as rewards for exercise (Example: "I just did an hour on a cardio machine at the gym, so I can indulge tonight on alcohol and/or pizza/burgers/dessert.")? If the answer is yes to either of the last two questions, then the answer to the first question is no. Emotional eating/drinking is a vicious cycle that leads to negative feelings which lead to more emotional eating/drinking. Food & drink should NEVER be used as rewards for exercise. New outfits, a spa day, or a mini weekend vacation, should be the rewards for reaching significant fitness goals.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Did you know your brain is two-thirds fat? Therefore, to get better brain function we need to feed it healthy fat. Healthy fat in the form of foods (oily-skinned fish like salmon, tuna & mackerel, etc. Leafy green veggies, olive oil, flax seeds, avocados, chia seeds, and other unsalted/raw seeds & nuts). Supplements of omega 3, 6, 9 essential fatty acids are another great way in addition to food, to replenish your neurons and brain cells. Not to mention, healthy fat helps to attack the bad fat in our body.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There's no wrong time to do cardio, but the TWO best times to do it to burn the most body fat are: 1) As soon as you wake up before consuming any calories. 2) AFTER strength/weight training. The reason for both are the same: the main calorie source of the body will use is body fat (stored calories/energy).

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We all have areas on our body that we like more than others, and so sometimes we focus on those more with exercise. Here's three reasons to train the entire body, head to toe.

1) Training the entire body helps to burn more calories, because the larger the muscle (Ex: back & legs) the more calories it will burn all day long = faster results.

2) Training certain areas but not others distributes our body weight unevenly which puts unnecessary pressure to our spine, joints, and ligaments; leaving us more open to injuries.

3) Training certain areas but not others also makes us look disproportionate, like the guy in the picture.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you know what your body fat % is? The higher the body fat % the more we are at risk for cancer, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

WOMEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old should be 20-22%, 50yrs old + should be 22-26%

For MEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old should be 14-16%, 50yrs old + should be 16-20%

Have a qualified health & fitness professional calculate your body fat % TODAY, so you can begin tracking REAL (getting healthier) progress!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To get in-shape two terms should be abolished from our vocab forever: "weight loss" & "workout."

We should never be trying to lose "weight." We should ALWAYS be trying to lose body fat. Losing weight (muscle/water) is easy, and is the reason a lot of people are yo-yo weight losers then gainers. Remember, the scale is irrelevant if we're not losing body fat %.

As far as "workout," the battle to get into shape is more psychological than it is physical. Therefore we have to always be in a positive mindset. "Work" is a negative term. Exercise should be fun & challenging, something we enjoy doing.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We've all heard a friend or relative say, "I just lost 10-20lbs doing ______." After the obligatory "wow" & "congrats" the next thing out of our mouth should be, "how much body fat % did you lose?" Nine times out of ten the answer will be "I don't know. Didn't measure that." The scale & BMI are irrelevant if the body fat % is not coming down. It IS possible to lose on the scale, but not lose body fat = loss of water/muscle or fluid fluctuation. Body fat % should be our main measure of progress, because that's where our disease risks come from. After body fat %, look at inches lost and how you feel internally.

WOMEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old should be 20-22%, 50yrs old + should be 22-26%

For MEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old should be 14-16%, 50yrs old + should be 16-20%

Have a qualified health & fitness professional calculate your body fat % TODAY, so you can begin tracking REAL (getting healthier) progress!