Defined Fitness Tip For Results #9: New Year, New You - 2011 Metabolism Makeover

It’s that time of the year again when millions of Americans make their New Year’s Resolutions and flock to their local gym with the hopes of making this the year they achieve their goal of getting the body they desire. Unfortunately for the majority of these people they will put in hours of work for a month, maybe two, and then give up after not seeing the results they had hoped for.

However, this does not have to happen to you!

What if their was a way to see results and only have to dedicate 3-4 hours per week to exercise and never have to step onto a treadmill?

Incorporate the following tips and give your body a Metabolism Makeover for 2011.

1. Multi-Joint Exercises. Leg extensions and bicep curls my help a bodybuilder define their muscles, but single joint exercises and machines will do little to help get you the body you desire. Instead, focus on exercises like the squat, deadlift, and overhead press that use multiple muscle groups and are performed standing.

2. Turn off the treadmill and kick up your cardio with Kettle Bell Tabata Intervals. A 2008 research study has shown that people who did 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week for 15 weeks gained fat. The reason this happens is because your body is always trying to store energy (fat). So as a result your body becomes more efficient by adapting to the exercise and burning less calories with each session. Aerobic exercise is very easy to adapt to. However, interval training is much harder for your body to adapt to. A 1994 study showed that participants in a interval training program burned nine times more fat in less time than the participants in the aerobic training group. Another study has also shown that by using a 4-minute interval of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest (Tabata Protocol) 3 times per week resulted in the same cardiovascular benefits as doing aerobic exercise for 60 minutes three times per week. When it’s time for your next cardio workout try the following Kettle Bell Tabata Interval Instead.

- Kettle Bell Swings

- Burpees

- Kettle Bell Front Squat

- Push Ups

*Perform each for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest after each exercise, repeat 2 times.

3. Incorporate total body hybrid exercises. Hybrid exercises save time and burn more calories giving your metabolism a boost. So what is a hybrid exercise? A hybrid exercise is combining two or more exercises together using the same weight. Try the following: barbell rows, barbell RDL, barbell front squat, barbell OH Press. Perform 5-8 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next, after completing all exercises rest 2 minutes and repeat for 2-3 sets.

4. Eat Breakfast. If you haven’t been eating breakfast one of the fast ways to boost your metabolism and weight loss is to starting eating breakfast. By skipping breakfast you put your body in a state that promotes fat gain.

5. Eat every 3 hours. There is an old saying “Eat like a horse, not like a bear.” Horses graze all day and have a lean muscular body, while bears binge on fish and then go sleep for 3 months. The bear while muscular isn’t particularly lean. Eating every 3 hours will keep your metabolism running high and prevent your body from dropping into fat storage mode.

6. Opt for low carb, not low fat. Numerous research studies have shown that a low carb diet will result in greater fat loss than a low fat diet. However, you still need to watch where your fats come from. You want to get your fats from lean meats, fish, nuts, and olive oils, rather than from fried greasy and processed foods.

Josh

2011 Weight Loss Challenge - "Get In The Game"- Are you ready to start the new year off by losing a few pounds? What if you could lose weight and win $1000? Well, that's exactly what we are doing. We have teamed up Grieb Chiropratic Clinic and are challenging the community to lose weight. The challenge starts January 10th and will run for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks the participant who has lost the highest percentage of weight will win $1000!! All you have to do is register at either Defined Fitness or Grieb Chiropratic Clinic and pay the $100 entrance fee! The entrance fee will get you entered into the challenge, give you a 14-day pass to Defined Fitness with personal training included, and a spinal analysis by Dr. Eric Grieb.

* $1000 subject to change based on number of entries.

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #8: 12 Days of Fitness Challenge

Over the next 12 days will be having our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge. Each day there is a different challenge designed to help keep you on track and motivated as the holiday season approaches. Let us know how your doing and have fun!

Starts 12/12/10
Ends 12/23/10

Day 1 = Take a 3 mile walk
Day 2 = Eat 2 new healthy foods
Day 3 = Do 1 extra round on your finisher
Day 4 = Do 15 push ups at the end of your workout
Day 5 = Take a Metabolic Fat Loss Class
Day 6 = Come in for a FREE Protein Shake on us!
Day 7 = Push Up/Squat Circuit (10 minutes, 10 reps)
Day 8 = Take 30 minutes to relax
Day 9 = Do the Squat Matrix as your finisher 3x
Day 10 = Do 50 KB Swings at the end of your workout.
Day 11 = Take Stretch Fit Class
Day 12 = Enjoy a Gingerbread Cookie after your workout!

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #7: Is a Lack of Sleep Making You Fat?

Is it possible that a lack of sleep could be negatively affecting your weight loss goals? Or even making you fat? According recent research this seems to be exactly the case.

At the University of Chicago’s General Clinical Resource Center researchers followed 10 overweight, but healthy participants aged 35 to 49 who according to body mass index were considered overweight. The participants where given an individualized, balanced diet that reduced their calories by 10% of what was needed to maintain their weight without exercise (roughly 1,450 calories per day).

Each participant was studied twice: the first time studied participants sleep on average 7.5 hours over a fourteen day period, the second time for only 5.5 hours over a fourteen day period.

The researchers found that when sleeping less it reduced the participants fat loss by 55%. When participants got adequate sleep they also found that their ghrelin levels were lower. High ghrelin levels reduce energy expenditure, increase hunger and promote fat retention.

In conjunction with Stanford University the University of Chicago took this a step farther by then looking at the leptin (leptin sends a signal to your brain telling it you are full) and ghrelin levels in 12 healthy men after being subjected to two days of adequate sleep and two days of sleep deprivation. They found that when sleep was restricted leptin levels went down and ghrelin levels went up. Thus, resulting in increased appetites and an inability to get full. They also found that the participants had an increased craving for high carbohydrate, calorie dense food.

Standard and the University of Wisconsin then took this even a step farther. They had 1,000 volunteers report the number of hours they slept each night. Then measured their leptin and ghrelin levels and charted their weight. Not surprisingly they found that those who slept less had lower leptin levels, higher ghrelin levels, weighted more, and had a higher level of body fat.

If you’ve been dieting and exercising, but having trouble losing weight or not happy with your progress check you sleep. We each need between 7-8 hours a night. Even if you sleep less and don’t think you need it you probably do, so many of us are used to functioning with a lack of sleep that we no longer remember what it feels like to be fully rested and recharged. Sometimes we just don’t know how bad we felt until we feel good again.

Josh

visit us online at www.definedfitnesswexford.com

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Give the Gift of Fitness with a Defined Fitness Gift Box only $89 each gift wrapped box contains a gift certificate for a 30-Day membership (fitness program design, 8 coaching sessions, unlimited access to group fitness class, and unlimited facility use) and a Defined Fitness T-Shirt. Pick yours up today at the club!

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12 Days of Fitness - starting this Sunday December 12th we will be kicking off our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge. Each day their is a fitness goal your are to achieve to help keep the weight of leading up to the holidays and best of all it's free. Pick up your sheet at the front desk the next time your in the club.