Looking to Lose Weight and Increase Performance?

If your overall health and fitness goals include losing weight and/or improving performance, High Intensity Interval Training may be right for you:

What is HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training is a exercise strategy that is intended to improve performance and burn fat by performing short bouts of intense cardiovascular exercise. The original protocol calls for a 1:2 ratio for work to recovery periods. For example, a runner would alternate 30 seconds of hard sprinting with 1 minute of jogging or walking.

How can I add HIIT into my workout plan?

There are two ways for you to add HIIT into your exercise program:

- On cardio only days, warm up for 5 minutes by running or cycling at a moderate intensity. Then, give 80% of maximum effort for 60-90 seconds. Follow that with 120-180 seconds (twice your maximum effort time) at medium intensity. Repeat 6-10 times. Then, cool-down.

- On strength training days, introduce high intensity intervals of 30-60 seconds into your strength trainings circuits. An example of this could be; dumbbell chest press, weighted jump rope, body weight squats.

What are the benefits of doing HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training has been shown to increase a person's resting metabolic rate (RMR) for 24 hours after exercise due to EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Additionally, HIIT may improve maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) more effectively than traditional aerobic workouts. Therefore, a person's resting metabolic rate could be burning up to nine times more fat than had they spent more time on the treadmill working at a moderate pace. High-intensity interval training has also been shown to improve athletic performance for already well-trained athletes!

How often should I do HIIT?

I would recommend doing HIIT workouts between 1 and 3 times per week. As with most strategies, this one's most effective when used in conjunction with other programs.

**Please note note that these types of workouts are very intense, and participants should use caution when increasing overall effort.

Need To Get Fit In A Flash? Come Check Out Endurance Personal Training @ Lululemon!

Need to get fit in a flash? Come check out Endurance Personal Training's live demonstration today at Lululemon Athletica: Gold Coast. We'll be discussing the secrets behind Circuit Training and the benefits of introducing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) into your workouts!

Poultry (including ostrich and pheasant) for Protein!

While chicken, turkey, and other poultry (birds such as duck, goose, quail, pheasant, partridge, ostrich, and guinea fowl) are healthier than red meat in terms of saturated fat content, there are significant differences according to which bird is chosen, which part is eaten, and how it is prepared and cooked.

The fat content of poultry is much higher when the dark meat (wings and thighs) is eaten. You should also remove the skin prior to serving as it adds significant saturated fat content to the finished dish. Another way to minimize the saturated fat content of poultry is to grill, bake, or broil the meat!

Manufactured poultry products, such as sausages, hot dogs, and burgers, are not always healthier for you than those made from red meat. Be sure to look for lower fat, lower sodium versions!

Which Poultry Should I Choose?

Regarding fat content, it's import to keep in mind that all poultry are not created equal. For example, white meat from chicken and turkey have a similar calorie and saturated fat content, but duck and goose meat are very fatty. Ostrich, quail, and pheasant are lowest in fat, cholesterol, and calories, and they all have roughly an equivalent amount of protein per serving.

Poultry - Fat%

Turkey Breast (no skin) 18%
Chicken Breast (no skin) 24%
Chicken Dark Meat (no skin) 43%
Turkey Dark Meat (no skin) 47%
Goose (no skin) 48%


Via: Nutrition For Life

Make It "Grain"

Fuel Your Runs and Trim Your Waistline in a Whole New Way

Brown rice, oats, and other whole grains are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, and glycogen-rebuilding carbs. But a recent study from Tufts University found another reason to add them to your diet: Adults who eat three servings of whole grains daily while limiting refined versions have less abdominal fat and avoid unwanted weight gain.

Just remember, it's three servings per day (not per meal), and you need to limit the refined versions!

Quinoa - Provides 63% of your Daily Value of manganese in just one cup. Look for red quinoa for an extra boost of antioxidants.

Rice - Whole-grain brown, black, even purple rice are rich in magnesium and iron, which is needed to help keep energy levels high.

Rye - A good source of selenium, which protects cells from damage caused by exercise.

Oats - Hearty-tasting oat "groats" (the whole oat kernel with just the outermost hull removed) are rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber.

Barley - This is a high-fiber grain with a nutty taste.


Via: Runner's World

Get Creative...and Eat More Veggies!

Vegetables are an important part of maintaining proper nutrition. They can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight, and they can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and some cancers. Here are 7 creative ways to get more veggies into your diet:

- Make a "pasta" dish with spaghetti squash instead of noodles.
- Instead of cheese and meat, add onions, mushrooms, and green peppers to your omelet.
- Add chopped spinach to meat when preparing hamburgers with ground turkey.
- Puree cooked vegetables and add them to stews and soups.
- Baking? Add shredded carrots to muffins or bread.
- Try mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes.
- Use chunky salsa in place of sugary condiments (BBQ sauce, ketchup) and high-fat dips.

Injuries!

Athletes experience injuries, regardless of the level of competition they're at! Bumps, bruises, sprains and strains happen to weekend warriors and to seasoned competitive athletes, alike. So what should you do in the event that you're sidelined with pain?

Rest! It's important to give injuries ample time to heal to prevent re-injury or even worse, complicating matters. If your injury is in an isolated area, it may be possible to work around it. But be careful, and consult a professional if you have questions. And also, in the event of severe or prolonged pain , consult a medical professional for assessment.

Healthier...Fast Food

If you're paying close attention to your nutrition, I recommend staying far away from fast food. But sometimes, family commitments, work deadlines, and unforeseen circumstances make fast food unavoidable. So next time you're forced to hit the drive-thru, refer to this list for fast food top picks!

McDonald's
Healthiest Meal: Honey Mustard Grilled Snack Wrap and Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad

Wendy's
Healthiest Meal: Large Chili with side of Mandarin Oranges

KFC
Healthiest Meal: Honey BBQ Sandwich and Large Corn on the Cobb

Taco Bell
Healthiest Meal: Fresco Bean Burrito

Subway
Healthiest Meal: 6-in. Veggie Delite Sub on Italian Bread, Apple Slices, Baked Lay's

Starbucks
Healthiest Meal: Roasted Vegetable Panini


Via: Family Circle