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!