Fator carbs during cardio & workout

Am I burning carbs or fat when I workout or do cardio? well, let's see... The amount of carbs, you need is determined by the intensity of your workout or cardio of choice.  I know a lot of people who do NOT workout with ENOUGH intensity, especially when they are looking to lose weight. They think if they get on a machine and move at a slow pace for 2 hours they are going to lose weight. NOT!When determining YOUR proper intensity, you need to determine your Target heart rare DURING yoru workout or cardio session. for

With cardio, many people want to lose weight, so the first thing on their minds is to do LOTS and LOTS of cardio. REMEMBER, the HIGHER intensity, the more calories you will burn! It's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.  Let's not forget the MAIN benefit of cardio which is to optimize the health of your cardiovascular system. I know my clients and most of my friends- including myself....We DO NOT HAVE HOURS AND HOURS to do cardio. We have very busy lives. We need to burn the most amount of calories in the LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME! If you do have many hours to spend doingcardio well then , the lower intensity exercise will work. I just can't see ANYONE wanting to be in a gym on a machine for 2 hours! YUKE!  I always send out HIIT workouts to my clients and friends via email. Short spurts of HIIT will get you burning more fat quicker! Who doesn't love that!?!

At higher intensities (>75% of maximal heart rate), you will burn a combination of fat and carbohydrates and your overall calorie expenditure is much greater than at lower intensities.  At lower intensity (<65% of maximal heart rate), the overall percentage of fat burned compared to total caloric expenditure is higher but the overall calories burned are much lower.

 If you want to lose weight, you should be more concerned about the total calories burned, unless you have lots of time on your hands to exercise at a lower intensity so as I say, who has hours and hours to spend on the treadmill? Don't you have better things to do?

I have always worn a POLAR heart rate monitor. I think it's a great way to gage your fitness level, accurate amount of calories burned and where your heart rate is. This is the POLAR FT40. I just got this about a month ago. Polar FT40F Heart Rate Monitor

It is programmed to my body by my height and weight. Once the transmitter is strapped to my chest (under), it picks up my heart beats and tracks them as well. I LOVE to see how many calories I burned, how long it took and watch my heart rate go up and down.



If you look on treadmills and other cardio machines in your gyms, you will see a little chart where they use a formula which isn't the BEST formula, but it's something like this:

  220 minus your age :  220 – 42 (age) X 70% = 125.  In this example, your heart rate should be 125 beats per minute during exercise, which is too low.

The more accurate formula to determine your target heart rate uses your resting heart rate to determine your target heart rate during exercise.  The average resting heart rate for an adult is 72 beats per minute (to find your resting heart rate, take your pulse for one minute before you get out of bed)

 The more accurate formula is 220, less your age, less your resting heart rate, multiplied by your intensity percentage, plus your resting heart rate.
 – so here is what is looks like in plain English:  220 – 42 (age) – 72 (resting heart rate) X 70% + 72 (resting heart rate) = 146 beats per minute.  The above formua was underestimated by 20 beats per minute with the more commonly used formula.

So, if you are looking to lose that chunky butt, that muffin top or those jello arms, YOU BETTER GET TO WORK! INVEST in a POLAR HEART RATE MONITOR and BE your OWN COACH!!!!!!!!! NO ONE can give you the body you want- you must WORK HARD and get it yourself!
 

Weekly Health and Fitness Motivation!

What a gorgeous day, huh? yeah it's FREEZING out and yea, I LOATHE the winter, but I am learning to just go with the flow...If Mother Nature wants to make me shiver, well than I will shiver with a smile! :O)
I have been having some really great workouts and eating above and beyond healtheir than normal....Can it be because I am off to Florida to soak up some sun? ha! Maybe, but I truly have some secret goals for 2011 and I want to make sure I go into the NEW YEAR feeling my best, and looking my best! HEY! I am not getting any younger, but I can make sure I FEEL AND LOOK YOUNGER each year!

Girls, women, ladies, there is NOTHING wrong with looking amazing all year, NOT just in the summer! Besides who wants to bust their HUMP in the SPRING just for the summer? I Love looking lean and slim all year knowing that I can put something on and not have to worry about busting out at the seams!

As you know (most of you), I read a lot! I mean A LOT! Here are some sites I read for motivation, science and information about what's going on in the health and fitness world. I stumbled upon some great reads lately! You have to check them out! 

One thing is for sure...If you are training with me or I am your wellness coach, then these articles will just be reminders to you...Besides it's always nice to know you are AHEAD of the game, right?

• Boot Camp Style workouts -Fit Sugar
• Staying Fit Through Perimenopause - That's Fit
• Healthy Holiday Appetizers - The NY Times
• afraid your food can kill you? - Huffington Post

 Now I want to touch on a subject I deal with a lot as a personal trainer. When potential clients come to me for training, the first thing they usually say is, "Tina, I don't want to BULK UP." When I hear that comment, I want to cringe, but I just clentch my jaw and smile instead....So then calmy and comforting I respond by saying lifting weights will not make womens muscles big and bulky! YOU WILL develop a sculpted, lean, and sexy body. You can look like a professional dancer, gymnast, or competitive swimmer. Your body will be noticed...and let's be honest, who doesn't like their hard work to be noticed!?!?

In the gym, I am sure you notice women who seem to just do certain exercises with such ease and grace, it's as if they were BORN to do that certain thing, or you watch them walk and you cen FEEL the confidence they exude. Guess what these women all have in common...THEY GET IT! They get the importance of incorporating weights with their cardio sessions! They realize that cardio will make them skinny but weights will bring them curves, lean muscles and YES a HIGHER and FASTER metabolism!

There are some things you have to nderstand BEFORE you start working with myself or any other trainer or yourself.  As far as nutrition goes, that is your first and most important change! You have to start thinking of food as your fuel. Anyone who works with me KNOWS this first hand. Look at your food and think to yourself, "Is this food serving a GOOD purpose to my body?" If you have doubts or KNOW that food is not doing you any good, then put it down! Some say you have to increase your protein intake, and I say FROM EXPERIENCE, You just need to eat LOTS of greens and fruits, some grains, some proteins, and some good sources of fat. Remember Protein is to repair and build your muscles and carbs are to FUEL your workouts and everyday living.

Understand and also remember this very valuable statement. Fat can NOT turn into muscle! You can replace your fat with muscle. Your diet needs to be a huge focus in order for this to happen. Once the fat starts to come off your body, those lean muscles you have been working on building will start to show more and more. You will then achieve that sculpted lean and FIT look you desired!

Weights will help you lose the fat, but weight training for women is not specifically targeted to cause fat loss. you will notice within a few months  with the increase in lean muscle you metabolism becomes faster and you burn more calories. Assuming you are consuming the same amount of calories you will lose weight.

Caution! You can NOT spot reduce! Don't think for a second if you do abs 7 days a week and aim to do 500 crunches each time, that your 6-pack will show...Not Going to happen! I think all women should be doing total body workouts that keep your heart rate up! You should aim to do these total body workouts 3-4 days a week and just cardio on the other days, leaving one day completely off so your body and muscles can rest repair and rebuild.

Weight training for women is VERY huge part of making your body  lean, strong, beautiful and yes, sexy! It doesn't matter how old you are!

Healthy tips for my fabs!

It all starts at Thanksgiving......the feast of all feasts, but it doesn't end there.....becaus e you have days of leftovers, desserts and snacks! That is JUST THE BEGINNING of teh HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN NIGHTMARE! Most people gain anywhere from 5-7 pounds during the holiday season.,

Sometimes, that vicious cycle of weight gaining last throughout the New Years Celebrations and you end up gaining 5-10 more pounds! YIKES! I don't know about you but when I envision 10 extra pounds on my body I get SCARED!

The good news is that if you are in tune with your body, you can get those holiday fat pounds off by Spring.....but who likes to yo-yo up and down all year! Who wants to work so hard to get fit only to gain weight only to lose it again!?!?!? Are you THAT out of control with food?

I hope I am helping to motivate you to stay healthy and get more active!

Did you know that without changing your lifestyle, and without working outr and moving more, the 1-2 pounds you gain per year can lead to obesity, which leads to other nightmares regarding health problems!

Here are some tips to stay active and healthy!
1) Walk More
If it's too cold outside, get on a treadmill and walk, or walk around the mall! Skip the escalator though! Burning a few more calories by walking is one of the easiest ways to take off that extra weight. You can burn 150-250 calories just from walking fast! Add some 2lb dumb bells in your hands!

2) Get a Jump on Training-
If you need help with a plan, email me, I can send you a beginner, advanced or intermediate plan to get you in shape! Hire a trainer, take a class 2-3 times a week, just do SOMETHING!

3) Continue to Drink Water
Try this: drink an 8 oz glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon 20 minutes before a meal, and watch what happens! You eat less! Water will keep you hydrated, helps with retention in the body. The more water you drink the less bloated you are.  Some people confuse hunger with dehydration. I would aim for 1/2 gallon per day...

4) Eat Slowly
Not sure about you, but I inhale my food! I am always eating on the go, and rushing which is soooo bad for your digestion! Take it from me, ands eat slowly and savor the flavors. It works and will allow the "hungry- full" response from your brain to tell you are satisfied. It takes the brain about 20 minutes to let you know you are full. Stay away from buffet tables at parties and use smaller plates when selecting foods.

5) Brush Your Teeth after Meals
Right after eating a meal, especially dinner, go straight to the bathroom to brush, floss, and mouthwash so that your mouth is feeling nice and clean - this makes it less appealing to eat more (especially before bedtime). Ever try to eat or drink something after brushing your teeth? yuk!

6) Cardio Ideas
You can do cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, rowing any day and it only takes 20-30 minutes to receive a good cardio-vascular benefit. Keep the heart rate at about 50-65% of your maximum heart rate. A good way to determine maximum heart rate is the theoretical formula - 220 - age = max heart rate
The best thing about this part of your workout is that you can do your cardio exercise around your neighborhood, on a treadmill at home, or at the gym if you choose. So on days when time is critical, get your cardio done or make those days one of your rest days (1-2 per week).

Here is a Full-Body Weight Circuit Routine that can be used to get you back in the gym again: (Use machines or dumbbell / free weights)
I found this workout from: Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Do this weight routine 2-3 times a week:

- Bench press - 15,10* reps or pushups
- Pulldowns - 15,10* reps
- Squats or leg press - 10-15 reps
- Leg Curls - 10-15 reps
- Rest with abs - do 25-50 reps of any crunch exercise
- Military press (shoulder press) - 15,10*
- Bicep Curls - 15,10*
- Triceps Extensions - 10-15 reps
- Plus exercise of choice - pick a machine and do two sets of 15 reps on it

Repeat above if you have time/energy
(*Complete this set with lighter weight for 15 reps on each exercise listed with* and immediately drop the weight a few pounds and perform 10 reps without rest)

On days you cannot get to the gym to lift weights, give this superset a shot. Add dumbbell investment of $20-30 to fully supplement your home workout:
- Pushups - 10-20
- Crunches - 20
- Wide Pushups - 10-20
- Rev crunches - 20
- Bench dips - 10-20
- Double Crunches - 20
- Squats - 20
- Lunges - 10-20 / leg
- Bicep curls - 20
- Triceps Extension - 20
- Military Press - 20       

If you do some of these suggestions 4-5 days a week, you will burn enough calories to lose weight and inches as long as you are not getting too carried away with your eating habits.

Enjoy the holidays! Remeber, the holidays aren't about food, they are about spending time with the ones you love the most! Stay healthy so you can enjoy many more holidays together!