Category: Fitness Flex

Post Exercise Calorie Burn: EPOC

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There is a thing in the fitness world, a great thing, called EPOC: Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. The beauty of this body mechanism is that following high intensity workouts, it requires that your body continues to take in more oxygen than normal, keeping your calorie burning efforts elevated.

Research has found that following a workout, your caloric expenditure can be drastically affected, based on the intensity of the workout itself. The higher the intensity, the higher the post-exercise caloric burn. With this mechanism, intensity trumps duration. So if you check your calorie burn following a 20 minute HIIT session and are disappointed that it didn’t reach the same burn of a 60 minute lower intensity session, don’t worry! Following that 20 minute HIIT your body will be working hard to reach normal oxygen consumption levels and return the body and the muscles to a resting state that you will be burning extra calories, even into the next day!

But how? EPOC is a process that restores the body back to its resting state by balancing hormones, replenishing your fuel stores, repairing cellular breakdown, and dissolving the lactic acid built up during exercise. And while all of these processes are working hard at the same time, your metabolism will stay elevated

Higher metabolism=higher caloric burn

No for real, but how? How is it burning that much more? The body burns 5 calories consuming 1 liter of oxygen. On average, a person could consume 10-25L of extra oxygen following exercise, think about that! That is 50-125 extra calories immediately following exercise.

How to make the most out of your EPOC:

Circuit training and/or heavy resistance training with short rest intervals are some of the most effective at elevated oxygen consumption. The most effective? HIIT (high intensity interval training) by adding 6-15% extra energy expenditure to the workout

 

So get out there! Try out some HIIT training, alternate these high intensity days with lower intensity to prevent over training, and always, always remember the effect of your workout on your body in the hours after!

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The Power of Protein

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“Eat protein to build muscle”

“Protein is the essential workout fuel”

“Get more protein in your diet”

“Sore? Eat more protein”

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Chances are you’ve heard one or more of these statements about protein. Okay, okay WE GET IT, protein is important. I’ll go home and eat my “protein bar” that is also packed with sugar and call it a day, deal?

Have you ever wondered why protein is so highly talked about? Or maybe how it can be so important? Better yet, what is the best way to incorporate it into your diet?

Proteins are broken down into 2 main forms: essential and non-essential

  • Essential proteins: are those that the body cannot make on its own, and therefore we must get it through food sources. Examples of foods that contain these proteins include both animal and plant sources such as eggs, meat, soybeans, and quinoa
  • Non-essential proteins: are those that our body can make itself, therefore we do not need to try to get it through our food, although we can find these in foods.

Think of it this way: it is essential for us to consume protein foods to get our essential proteins, but it is not essential and not necessary to try to get our non-essential proteins through food sources.

Now as far as how much protein  we need depends on the individual person. If a 110 lb female walked up to a 220 lb male and asked how much protein he ate in a day and then tried to match it, it just would not work. She would be trying to consume twice as much protein as needed for her body type, and would also get full much faster, use her calories for protein and miss out on her other macronutrients, and put her body into a basic protein shock. She would start storing protein as fat.

A better way to figure out how much YOU need is to follow the basic “equation”:
1.2-1.7g per kg of body weight OR .36g per 1 lb of body weight

Now for the fun stuff, how and why protein is beneficial:

  • Promotes muscle growth and maintenance
  • Supports strong bone health by enhancing strong muscles
  • Helps in weight maintenance by enhancing the feeling of fullness and/or suppressing appetite

Tips for choosing protein in a healthy diet:

  1. Be aware of portion sizes- read the labels, and portion out the recommended serving onto a separate plate to prevent over-consuming
  2. Be mindful at restaurants- fast food and sit down restaurants often will serve 2-3X the serving size for normal protein dishes (this also goes for carb and fat serving sizes as well). Order one dish to split to prevent overeating and over macronutrient consumption
  3. Remember that although a food might meet your protein needs, it might also be high in fat and calories!
  4. Pair your protein with healthy fats and whole grains for a well rounded, and delicious, meal

The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle- Even if you’re ACTIVE!

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It has been known for some time now that being sedentary, lazy, inactive, etc. has a negative effect on your health. Sure, it is no secret that everyone needs to exercise and that exercise puts you farther away from health risk, but what about what we do with the rest of our day?

In recent years, research has shown that although you might meet the exercise daily recommendations, if you are sedentary with the rest of your day, you are still at an elevated risk for many health concerns. Think about it, if you meet the recommendations of an hour workout a day, maybe 5 days a week you are only working out 5 hours a week, that is hardly 3% of your week. If you have a desk job, chill on the couch while at home, spend a lot of time traveling in a car, don’t actively think of being well, active, you are spending 97% of your week being inactive. So what to do?

Let’s start with a sedentary definition: 

sed·en·tar·y

adjective

(of a person) tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive.

synonyms: inactive, sitting, desk-bound.

What are your risks?

  • Increased risk of cardiovascular death
  • Quicker rate of bone loss- leading to osteoporosis
  • Increased rate of all cause premature death
  • More likely to experience cognitive and mental decline
  • Increased risk of high blood pressure and triglycerides
  • Increased risk of stroke
  • Lower ability to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

What you can do about it:

  • Be mindful of getting up to go to the bathroom every hour, half hour is better!
    In between bathroom breaks, get up and go get a drink of water
  • After you complete a task, get up and stretch
  • Find some personal space to do a few bodyweight exercise during your work day
  • Stretch upon waking AND before bed
  • Spend more time on your feet- cook, watch TV standing, stand while working
  • Clean your house more- it keeps you on your feet!
  • Instead of crashing on the couch after work- go for a walk!
  • Park farther away from stores
  • Use the stairs!!!!

 

What are your favorite ways to stay active daily?

I'd love to hear them!

Find me on Instagram @lifeofcarlyb_ 

Or email me at lifeofcarlyb@gmail.com

Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996155/
http://www.nchpad.org/403/2216/Sedentary~Lifestyle~is~Dangerous~to~Your~Health

All About Squats

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MOVE OF THE MONTH: SQUAT

Why squats are important:

  • They work more muscles at one time than most other moves
    • There’s the obvious lower body muscles such as the hamstrings, the quads, and the glutes, but squats also can work your arms, your abs, and your low back.
  • Although deemed as a lower body exercise, they actually build and enhance muscles throughout the whole body
    • Think about it, if you are doing any kind of weighted squat you are using your arms to hold onto that weight, therefore enhancing the muscle tone in your upper body. Adding to a full body workout, your abs are your support system in the movement. As you squat and come back up, your abs are contracting to stabilize the movement.
  • You burn more calories per rep
    • Working multiple muscles at once is going to burn more calories than working a singular muscle group. Think about it as each muscle will burn X amount of calories per rep, and if multiple muscles are being used, you will be burning that many more calories
  • Squats help make your everyday movements and tasks easier
    • There is a thing called functional movement, which mimic movements that are done in real life situations. These movements usually involve multiple muscle groups that move in multiple planes. By incorporating functional movements into your workouts, you are readying your muscles to ease through daily movements better.
  • Help with your balance
    • A strong lower body equals a better center of balance. By improving your lower body strength you are also improving your muscles stability. You will find that your balance is better in not only other exercises, but as you get older as well.

How to perform the perfect squat

  • Step 1: tilt your hips back
  • Step 2: feel the weight of your body in your heels
  • Step 3: with your hips titled back and your weight in your heels, start squatting down
  • Step 4: make sure your knees stay behind your toes on the way down
  • Step 5: once you hit a 90 degree angle with your knees, start standing by pushing up through your heels and lifting through your butt
  • Step 6: finish the movement by fully extending the hips

 

 

source: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/05/25/darin-steen-demonstrates-the-perfect-squat.aspx

21 Day Lower Body Challenge

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[[ IT TAKES 21 DAYS TO CHANGE A HABIT ]] – Scientifically proven!

I’m sure you’ve seen hundreds of different “squat challenges” before targeted at helping you get stronger, leaner, sexier legs. Well I’m here to kick those to the curb. Yes, I think they are great! Squats are great! But when it comes to overall muscle tone you need to do more than one exercise in order to target all of the various muscles in your lower body. Hence, the lower body challenge. Sticking to the traditional squats and building reps upon that, we will also be adding various other bodyweight lower body moves to have you feeling sore in places you didn’t know had muscles. Ready? Here we go!

**All are to be done 3X through unless otherwise stated**

DAY 1: 

  • 10 front lunges- each leg
  • 10 squats
  • 10 side lunges- each leg

DAY 2:

  • 5 clock lunges- each leg
  • 15 squat jumps
  • 15 standing leg abduction

DAY 3:

  • 10 squat to calf raise
  • 30 rapid calf raise
  • 50 standing leg extension- each leg

DAY 4:

  • 10 side lunges- each leg
  • 10 curtsey lunges- each leg
  • 30 wide stance squat

DAY 5:

  • 20 lunge to leg abduction- alternating legs
  • 20 squat to leg swing- across body
  • 20 lunge to leg kickback

DAY 6: REST

DAY 7:

  • 25 donkey kicks- each leg
  • 25 straight leg pulse- each leg
  • 25 butt bridges
  • 25 single leg butt bridge- each leg
  • 25 prone lying leg lifts- each leg

DAY 8:

  • 30 second wide stance squat hold
  • 50 jumprope
  • 30 curtsey lunge- alternating

DAY 9:

  • 50 squats
  • 50 walking lunges
  • 100 calf raises

DAY 10:

  • 20 straight leg deadlift (no weight needed)- each leg
  • 30 standing leg extension- each leg
  • 40 standing leg abduction- each leg
  • 50 air jumprope

DAY 11: (if fitting, hold something to add weight and make it harder)

  • 10 squat to burpee
  • 20 walking lunges
  • 30 wide stance squat
  • 40 calf raises
  • 50 second wall sit

DAY 12: REST

DAY 13:

  • 25 butt bridges
  • 25 lying straight leg lifts- each leg
  • 25 side lying leg abduction- each leg
  • 25 donkey kicks- each leg

DAY 14:

  • 50 squats
  • 50 lunges- total
  • 50 jumping jacks
    • Repeat 4 more times

DAY 15:

  • 20 squat to side kick
  • 20 front kicks
  • 20 back kicks
  • 20 donkey kicks
  • 20 hydrants

DAY 16:

  • 15 jump lunges- each leg
  • 30 narrow squat pulse
  • 45 jumping wall taps
  • 30 narrow squat pulse
  • 15 curtsy lunge- each leg

DAY 17:

  • 45 second wall sit
  • 45 butt bridges
  • 30 squat to calf raise
  • 30 single leg butt bridge- each leg

DAY 18: REST

DAY 19:

  • 12 frog hops- forward and back
  • 12 squat to side kick
  • 12 single leg deadlift- each leg
  • 12 plank straight leg lift- each leg

DAY 20: 

  • 20 leg abduction to leg swing- each leg
  • 20 back lunge to front kick

DAY 21: FINAL!!

  • 25 walking lunges- each leg
  • 50 squats
  • 25 inner thigh hops
  • 50 second wall sit
  • 25 calf raise each way- toes forward, inward, outward
  • 50 jumping wall taps
    • Repeat 5 more times

PHEW and after 21 days, tell me how ya feel! Make sure that you are eating quality meals that include protein and carbs and water to fuel yourself for this extra muscle work each day- especially if you are also going to the gym, workout class, runs, etc. still! And remember just because 21 days is over doesn’t mean you have to stop! Keep going, keep finding new challenges, and keep checking back here for other various challenges 🙂

OH- and any exercise you might not recognize the name of- just google! Happy exercising 🙂

 

Rainy Day Core Workout

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AbsWorkout

You’re taking a look out your window right now and what do you see? Dark, dreary skies and a glistening road filled with rain. You’re thinking hmmm how nice it would be to just cuddle here on my couch. You either do that, or contemplate it long enough that you just wasted to much time to make it to the gym. Well, don’t feel guilty about it! Put on your favorite play list , find a spot on the floor and devote 20 minutes to this do anywhere core workout. Ready to break a sweat? Okay, ready, go!

Set 1: 

  • High knees X 15 each knee
  • Regular sit ups X 15
  • Mountain climbers X 15 each knee
  • Russian twist X 15 each side
    • Repeat 3-4 more times

Set 2:

  • Jumping jacks X 25
  • Right side running man X 25
  • Butt bridge X 25
  • Left side running man X 25
    • Repeat 3-4 more times

Set 3:

  • Jumprope X 50 (no jumprope? Use an invisible one 🙂 )
  • Toe taps X 40
  • Bicycle X 30
  • Hip lifts X 20
  • V- ups X 10
    • Repeat 3-4 more times

Set 4:

  • Rapid front kicks X 10 each leg
  • Butterfly sit ups X 10
  • Hollow rocks X 10
  • Superman with 3 second hold at the top X 10
    • Repeat 3-4 more times

Set 5:

  • 30 second plank (hold longer to challenge yourself!)
  • 15 plank hip dips on each side
  • 5 burpees
  • 15 side plank on each side
  • 30 plank jacks
    • Repeat 3-4 more times

**Don’t forget a warm up and cool down and to foam roll for extra mobility with your cool down!**

Overtraining Syndrome

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How overtraining happens

  • Just like anything else in life, your body has limits. Pushing your limits and going beyond your comfort level is good in order to grow your muscles and improve your fitness, but it is important to know when enough is enough. The people who you see in the gym for 2 hours at a time are one of two people. 1: the person concerned with quantity over quality who think that if they are working out for hours on end, they will see results faster. or 2: A knowledgeable person training very specifically for a specific goals- these people usually defined as “body builders” take 3-5 minutes of rest in between sets which naturally extends their workout.
  • My point here is do not be the quantity over quality person. The quality of your workout will always be more important than the quantity. If you are consistently working your body for 2 hours there will come a point about halfway through that workout where your body will reach its limit, your performance will start to decline, your muscles will begin to starve and beg for fuel, and you could potentially be entering a damaging state for your muscles. Same goes for 2-a-days. If you choose to do these make sure you work different muscle groups/ type of exercise in each workout such as morning cardio and afternoon lift, and make sure to do them for less than half of your workout days, your body does not need to be worked that much. Go into the gym with a purpose, a plan, and go at it! If you are dead after a 30 minute workout then that means you did quality right!

Signs of overtraining

  • Consistent or extreme fatigue during your workouts that normally is not an issue
    • Why? your muscles are starved and yelling at you, your fuel is completely exhausted, as is the rest of your body
  • You are not seeing a change in your body composition- despite your hard work
    • Why? Overtraining will put your hormones out of whack which messes with your metabolism
    • Why? You are working out twice as much and twice as hard, but you are still consuming as much food as a baby rabbit- throwing your metabolism out of whack again
  • You can’t remember the last time you had a rest day, or a “light day”
    • Why? I cannot stress enough the importance of REST! When you workout you are literally tearing your muscles into unusual states and the only way to recover and go back to normal is to rest. Light days are equally important for the same reason, as well as throwing in some muscle confusion, it is good to switch it up!
  • You are having issues sleeping- either troubles going to bed, or falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow
    • Why? You are exhausted and it is showing in one of two ways. Science shows for a normal person who is not exhausted, it should take about 10 minutes to fall asleep, if you fall asleep faster than that consistently, it is time to take it easy.
  • You are getting sick more often despite your good hygiene
    • Why? When your body is tired, overworked, and fatigued, your immune system is compromised
  • You are noticing odd aches in pains in your joints and various parts of your body
    • Why? Your muscles are not the only thing that is being worked in a workout, your joints are going through too much range of motion too often, leaving no time to recover

Cueing 101

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For all the fitness instructors out there, cueing may be one of the hardest things to keep up with. Sure, the moves can change all the time to keep your class guessing, but unless you are changing how you approach each move and what you are saying to go along with it, your class might not ever notice a difference and therefore get bored. Here are some things to keep in mind and try for your next class! Keep it fun, and keep each day a mystery!

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Understanding your class:

  • Some people like to know what muscle they are working and for what reason
  • Some people need positive reinforcement
  • Some people like getting called out in class, some people don’t
  • Some people are stuck in their ways- no matter what you say their energy, form, etc. might just not change
  • Some people like the more “cutthroat” approach
  • Some people are just there to workout for health, without goals in mind

Cues in our “comfort zone”:

  • Keep it up!
  • Squeeze your abs
  • Don’t forget to breathe
  • Only __ more seconds
  • Halfway

Cues to use more of:

  • Remember your goals!
  • Dip deep!
  • If you want to get stronger, you have to push through!
  • Stay with me, you will get through this!
  • You can either cheat yourself, or make yourself better!
  • Find your limits- push past them!
  • When you feel like you can’t do anymore- do one more, then two, then three!
  • Leave it all on the bag!
  • We will keep going until everyone is giving 100%

Get specific!

  • After you show a move- keep explaining how to make it harder, use more force during it, keep good form, etc.
    • “Pulling your hips through on a roundhouse kick will make it more powerful”
    • TRX- “Remember to make it harder, take a step in towards the anchor point”
  • Make the cues fun to understand and remember
    • “Think of sitting on a port-a-potty when doing a squat! You have to sit back and sit low if it’s going to work right”
    • When doing a cross curl- “Think of flexing in the mirror as you bring the weight up to your other shoulder”
  • Let them know what muscles they are supposed to be working!
    • Not only by naming the muscles but also by pointing to the part on your body- some people just don’t know what a hamstring is

The Importance of Your Workout Shoe

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shoe

In my years of working in the fitness injury I’ve had a lot of questions pertaining to plateaus, specific exercises, diet, and questions of the sort. But there is one thing that I have surprisingly been confronted with more times than anything else: proper shoes. No, I haven’t been directly asked shoe questions as much as I have had clients come to me talking about foot, knee, shin, leg, or back pain. Whenever anyone, client or not, talks about some lower body pain they have while working out the first thing I will always ask is “How old are your shoes?”

It’s important to not only have proper shoes tailored to the activity you participate in most, but to also have fresh shoes that aren’t breaking at the seams.

Let’s start with running shoes:

You may or may not have heard before that running shoes should be replaced after so many miles put on them. But how many is up for debate. I’m going to throw out a pretty large range of 300-600 miles here. Yes, it is a big range but it still goes to show that running shoes need to be replaced often. You may be the person that has been running in the same shoes for nearly 3 years and have thought nothing of it, but once you put on a new pair, break them in, and take them for a joy run, you will understand just how worn out the old ones were.

You see, running is hard on the shoes, it breaks apart the different parts of the shoe with every mile you put on. The midsole will start to wear, as will the outsole, your running might start to feel flat, and your shoelaces will be needing tighter and tighter knots due to the stretched out fabric.

Personally? I go about 4-6 months before replacing my shoes but let me be perfectly clear here, that is usually far too long for an avid runner that runs 30+ miles a week. I can only last that long because only about 25% of my weekly training schedule consists of some light running, the rest is lifting or something of the sort.

Speaking of lifting, les go there next:

Lifting shoes, are they for you?

Okay, so there are shoes out there that are advertised to be for the “lifters”, lets take Reebok’s crossfit style shoes for example. A basic answer for the purpose of these shoes have been- to lift more weight. These weightlifting shoes (and Reebok isn’t the only brand) were created with the idea of olympic lifting in mind. Whereas running shoes have cushioned support to absorb every step you take, these lifting shoes have a lifted heel and no cushion to help you maximize your power with your lift.

Now I think these are great for those who are actually doing olympic lifts on a regular basis- you know the snatch, clean, deadlift, squat. But for the rest of “us” who lift weights regularly but stick for towards the dumbbells, kettlebells, lower weight higher reps, or just plain circuit training- we might not benefit as much from olympic shoes- simply because they aren’t designed for what “we” do.

So for the rest of you who might not be runners, or olympic weightlifters but stay active in a variety of ways maybe- what shoe do you need?

I’m not expert in shoes, but when it comes to needing a shoe that will suite you in your multiple daily activities I would say 1 of 2 options- a cross training shoe, or simply a shoe that makes you feel the most supported and comfortable.

Cross training shoes are basically a mix of all other types of shoe. Providing equal heel cushion support, lateral stability, and lighterweight feel- they are designed for the people who might add running, lifting, and kickboxing into one workout.

But when it all comes down to it, just get a shoe that works for you. Get your foot professionally examined for a shoe if that’s what you feel you need to do. Whatever shoe you choose is up to you, the important thing to remember is to replace them often and get a pair that is good. When it comes to workout shoes for the active population, it usually isn’t the place to go cheap on, it is just one of those things that you have to splurge on because it will benefit you, your performance, and your joints in the long run

The Foam Roller- Combating Stiffness

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foam-roll

Exercising is something that many of you may hate to do when you’re doing it but love the feeling afterwards. Or maybe you are one of those people that loves feeling the burn and pushing your body to its physical limits. Either way- there is a reward from working those muscles- but what about the- punishment as we can call it- those muscles feel in the following days?
Let’s face it, sore muscles are sometimes something to strive for. Something that reminds you days even after your workout just how hard you worked. But sometimes that soreness is almost debilitating during your next workout- so what can you do?

Foam Rolling is the key! If you want to walk around with your muscles all tight and bundled and in an abnormal state after your workout, then you should stop reading now. But if you want healthy, ready to go muscles- let’s keep going!

First things first- I LOVE my foam roller! Yes, it might hurt when its doing its job of loosening my muscles but the difference I feel in my muscles and limbs after it is amazing.

Foam rolling is a form of myofascial release that massage therapists and those of that sort have been using for years (for more info on this see the link: https://www.myofascialrelease.com/about/definition.aspx ) Think of why you iron a shirt. You want it to look fresh, even feel fresh, because it is smooth and wrinkle free. Now think of your muscles the same way. If you know you are going to be using your muscles again (which unless you are a vegetable, you will be whether you realize it or not) you want your muscles to be just as fresh, smooth, and wrinkle free as that ironed shirt.

Muscles are like ironed shirts? WHAT?!

Yes- that is what foam rolling does! When you exercise you are working your muscles into a tight, bundled up state. You are physically ripping your muscles apart, causing swelling in the tissue and not allowing them to recover completely. Not exactly what you want right? Well foam rolling is an excellent mechanism to relieve this bundled state of being that those muscles are in after a workout. Some experts even swear by foam rolling every day just to keep your muscles as fresh as that ironed shirt. If you’re not sold- let me lay out some benefits of foam rolling

  • Allows blood to flow properly back into the muscles/tissues
  • Relieves soreness- it does not eliminate soreness but it can reduce the severity
  • Improves range of motion of the joints
  • Decreases the chance of injury
  • Allows more comfort in daily living
  • Overall relaxed, loose, ready to go feeling!