Every time you enter the gym, you see it. Treadmills and ellipticals filled with people committed to steady-state cardio. Exerting 30-60+ minutes on a cardio machine, however, is the heart of the most common misconception in health and fitness. Extended periods of cardio with no strength training will not get you to your fat loss goals. Traditionally, steady state cardio was found superior for fat loss because the body uses relatively more fat as fuel during lower intensity exercises than high (ie, a steady jog versus sprints). Therefore, the “Fat Burning Zone” illustrated on cardio......
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I sat there looking around at faces just as confused as my own. We waited silently in the dark with nothing but the light from a TV illumining the newly built room we occupied. Then it began. What ensued changed my life. An excerpt from ‘Pumping Iron’ started to play. If now you are confused, it’s only one of the best bodybuilding documentaries ever created about the infamous Arnold Schwarzenegger. After another hour of safety and how-to video, the lights turned on. As I stood up, my basketball coach exclaimed, “Ladies, let’s......
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Cheat meals used to be the highlight of my week- especially during prep for a competition! The rest of the week would start to drag as thoughts of donuts danced in my head. I tortured myself to eat squeaky clean in order to earn my one meal of unadulterated pleasure. I thought if I wasn’t “good” I was letting Amanda Latona or Ashley Kaltwasser down. What made it worse was social media glamorizing cheat meals as a part of this healthy lifestyle, with #foodporn breaking the internet. Happily, I can say I no longer eat cheat......
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Let’s be real, who doesn’t love Panda Express?! Absolutely delicious, check! Healthy? Debatable. That’s why I created my own homemade, healthy version of Peppered Shrimp & Greens Bowl. The best part? It only takes 15 minutes to make, so no excuses about being too lazy! Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 cup white (or brown) rice 1/2 cup green beans 1/2 pound fresh shrimp Ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Recipe: Peel off all shells and tails from the shrimp. Set to the side for a moment. Cut off the ends of the green......
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Alarm goes off at 5:30am, time for an hour of cardio. Shower, eat, coffee of course, and get ready for the day. Off to work or school. Eat 3-4 prepped meals you packed. That afternoon/evening you return to the gym for weight training. Shower and eat again. “Me”time. Fast asleep by 11pm. Yep, that’s a typical day for a competitor 4 weeks out. Not to mention the time during a week it takes to prep your food, stay consistent with supplements, learn posing, network, etc. It may sound overwhelming, but totally manageable if you’re......
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Acknowledged as the most essential exercise for any fitness goal, the squat is also one of the most difficult exercises to perform properly. Few exercises work as many muscles simultaneously as the squat, making it a brilliant multi-purpose workout ensuring muscle growth and fat burning for your glutes, core, and legs. However, because so much of your body is engaged during a squat, it’s easy to have poor technique. Whether you are doing air squats or heavy weight, you will not reap desired benefits or worse, injure yourself. Here are the......
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Running, hiking, weight lifting, or yoga; you are expending energy. Your body needs the right nutrients to recover from this physical activity. Protein is the vital building block to repair and strengthen muscle tissue, as well as assists workout recovery, providing energy, feeling full, and weight loss. Proteins are the constituents of the body that make up a significant portion of muscles, organs, skin, and tendons. In fact, 20% of total body weight is protein. Proteins are molecules made up of 20 different types of amino acids. Many of these amino acids can be produced by the body, while the......
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Have you ever tried Bison Meat? Have you even heard of it? Bison meat is one of the most underrated proteins and a great way to start your morning. It’s actually the cleanest dark meat there is, with high protein content. Per serving, there are zero carbs and sugar, as well as low in calories and fat. A delicious, easy, and quick way to enjoy bison is in Breakfast Quiche. Ingredients (makes 12 quiche): 1 pound ground Bison Meat (Great Range) 1/3 onion 1/3 green pepper 1 cup Egg Whites (equivalent to 4 eggs)......
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Metabolism. Frequently used as justification to eat whatever we want at a younger age, but more often an excuse for why we don’t meet our weight loss goals. Every time you intake food or beverage, your metabolism converts those calories into energy. While your age, body size, gender and genetics determine much of your metabolic rate, there are scientifically proven lifestyle changes to increase your metabolism. Therefore, a faster metabolism yields more calories burned. Here are SEVEN ways to help ramp up your metabolism and maintain better body composition: 1. Get a good night’s......
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For committed weight lifters, rest days can be the worst, thought to sabotage gains. For those new to fitness, it can be a relief getting time away from the gym. Regardless of your feelings towards it, rest days are an essential part of training. Defining Rest The intensity of your workouts leading up to it will determine how inactive you are on your rest day. If you’ve been lifting hard everyday , varying targeted muscles, and challenging your body, maybe a full day off of not staining yourself is in order. If......
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