This makes me super excited for two reasons:
1. Other people must think what I am doing is working, or else they wouldn't ask me!
2. My career ambitions have completely changed -- my interest is 100% in the human body - personal training and physical therapy. So I love talking to others about what I have learned.
The easiest thing for me to do when it is just a quick casual question is to point people toward Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer. I really loved this program and it helped me learn so much more about the process of building muscle, burning fat and it opened my eyes to what I am capable of.
Now that I have finished my 12-weeks* (even though the last two I skipped for Christmas) I feel lost! This has made me really think about what my "workout routine" really is, and what principles I rely on day to day that I can share with others. I too ask others what they are doing because I am always looking for what it is I am going to try next.
So here goes some of my personal opinions** (I am not trained or certified to give advice, this is just what I do!)
Workout Tips:
1. Start small. Do exercises you enjoy so working out isn't something you have to motivate yourself to do-- it just is what you do.
Some things that I hated in the beginning because they were too hard are now my favorites because I worked my way up to them and conquered them!
2. Make it a habit. You have time to eat every day, right? You have time to workout. Depending on the type of workouts you are doing and your goals-- you need to workout 3-6 days per week.
We wake up Monday-Friday, eat a healthy breakfast and head straight to the gym as soon as the child care opens up. Not everyone has this option, but if you are serious about losing weight/building muscle you need to make working out a priority.
3. Strength training. Building muscle burns fat. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn AT REST! (ever wonder why guys have an easier time losing weight?) You don't want to hurt yourself but you do want to push yourself - challenging yourself with either a little more weight or a few more reps each time will help build muscle. For women, this is easily the most overlooked aspect of fitness and it is also what will make the most impact on your physique (in my opinion).
For beginners, it is good to start with basic total body workouts to familiarize yourself with each muscle group. (I started on machines) Right now, I split my workouts up based on muscle groups i.e. Back/Bicep Day, Chest/Tricep Day, Shoulders/Abs Day, Legs Day and use mostly free weights.
4. HIIT. High intensity interval training. If you haven't heard of this before... this IS the secret to burning fat. There are many different forms this can take but basically you want to do a short burst of powerful activity followed by a rest and repeat for 30 min. An hour on the elliptical is just a waste of time compared to what interval training can do for you! (I say that but, yes, I do have lazy days when I just want to walk or jog for 30 min and call it a day) Intervals also help endurance athletes increase their pace, just something to keep in mind if you are more of a distance runner.
My favorite is sprinting on the treadmill: 30 seconds on then 30 second rest (just jump off on the sides and let it run then hop back on) If I am feeling particularly crazy-- intervals on a stair climber will really make you sweat!! (I do 30 seconds as fast as I can go without being scared that I will slip and fall off then 30 seconds on level 1) Plyometrics are another option.
5. Plyometrics. Honestly, I am not a fan. These are things like squat jumps and burpees. You can do these as active rest during a strength workout or as an interval strength workout alone. It may be better to read up on them than take it from me as they are my arch enemy. None the less, these kinds of things will kick your butt, and thats what you want. Right?
6. Change it up. Strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility having one of these is great... but personally I want to strive for balance. This week I may focus more on lifting heavier weights for less reps to build more muscle and take it easier on cardio. Next week I may work on endurance by lifting lighter weight for more reps and doing some longer distance runs. I like to try to do yoga at least once a week to balance out the weight lifting. To keep making progress you need to constantly change what you are doing or else your body will adapt to that one routine and you may stop seeing progress.
7. Plan. Whatever your goal in your head is, you need to have a plan to get there. Choosing a specific workout routine online or getting help from a trainer are great starting places. Right now I don't have an actual routine but between my workout buddy and I we have pulled together a different workout for each day this week from other sources. If I don't know what to do one day but know I really need to get a good leg workout in for the week I may go to bodybuilding.com or even jump straight back to one of the leg days from LiveFit. Occasionally I will "wing it" but when doing so I keep in mind what my goal for that day is, what muscle group I want to work, and choose my favorite exercises accordingly.
So my typical workout routine? At least an hour of strength training followed by 30 min of cardio 5 days a week. I know, it would have been much easier if I just said that in the beginning, huh?
Diet Tips:
1. WORK OUT! I know, funny right? Honestly, your diet can be much more forgiving if you workout. On the other hand I will quote whoever "You can't out train a bad diet." I strive for balance though so a few extra calories are OK in my book as long as I am holding up my end of the deal in the gym.
2. Eat often. Smaller, more frequent meals speed metabolism and help keep blood sugar at a steady level. This prevents energy slumps and mega cravings.
3. Eat clean. I don't necessarily mean pick up the actual "Clean Eating" lifestyle. I just mean to take an extra look at what you are putting in your body. Try to make most of your food during the day whole -not processed what so ever- foods. I am not a stick to a certain diet type of person, I am a rule of thumb and habitual person so this is what works for me.
Vegetables, lean meat, eggs, and greek yogurt are what I strive to make up most of my diet. I fill up the rest of the way with fruit, brown rice, oats (not the sugary instant oatmeal), beans, occasionally whole grain bread, natural peanut butter (my sweet treat), turkey bacon (my savory treat) and protein shakes, green tea, water or almond milk to drink.
4. NO SUGAR! Sugar is bad. If there is anything I think you should cut out of your diet today in all forms it would be sugar. White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses whatever... its all a sugar and it will wreak havoc on your body. With that said... you can always choose your poison... If I am going to sweeten something I go fruit first, then pure honey, then grade A straight from the tree maple syrup. I love my sweets but I'm trying to make a conscious effort to reduce what I take in day to day.
5. Eat enough. If you are doing strength training, eating plenty of protein is important for recovery. Complex carbohydrates are important for energy- to make it through your workout and your day. Fats are also very important to overall health - vitamin absorption, brain function, hormones. Honestly, it is all a bit beyond me... but what DO I understand. You need a well balanced diet. If you want to eat low-fat, low-carb, vegetarian, whatever- you better as heck do your research to make sure you will be eating enough to make up for what you are cutting out. Sometimes the hardest part of "dieting" is eating more of the good stuff like your vegetables!
6. Enjoy a treat. No need to schedule in a "cheat day" if your habit is to eat healthy "cheating" shouldn't really be a "thing." (Did I use enough quotation marks for emphasis?) Instead, if you are going out with friends or to a dinner party an occasional indulgence shouldn't be a big deal... as long as you are following rule #1!
Of course, like I said before, this is all just what I do and the rules I try to live by when it comes to diet and exercise!!! Based completely on what I know, understand, and believe right now but I am always trying to learn and grow. My best advice is just to start trying to make little improvements in your life one step at a time and you may be surprised where you find yourself a year from now. ;)
7. Plan. Planning ahead makes all the difference. I don't know how else I can say or emphasis this. Planning meals and snacks eliminates the "hunt" like what I just did in my kitchen. Open the fridge, open the freezer, look in the pantry... nothing looks appetizing... ice cream sandwich. The difference a plan makes? "Oh, it's 3, time for my greek yogurt with frozen blueberries." Also when you have a whole week's worth of meals planned out and in the fridge you are much less likely to "just stop real quick for dinner" and consume an extra 2000 calories...
7. Plan. Planning ahead makes all the difference. I don't know how else I can say or emphasis this. Planning meals and snacks eliminates the "hunt" like what I just did in my kitchen. Open the fridge, open the freezer, look in the pantry... nothing looks appetizing... ice cream sandwich. The difference a plan makes? "Oh, it's 3, time for my greek yogurt with frozen blueberries." Also when you have a whole week's worth of meals planned out and in the fridge you are much less likely to "just stop real quick for dinner" and consume an extra 2000 calories...
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