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Improve Your Workouts in 4 Steps

Have you been working out for a few months or years? Want to make your routine more intense and get better results? Then you should reassess your diet and fitness plan. Even the smallest changes in your routine can lead to greater muscle and strength gains. What you eat affects your results too, so it’s important to determine your daily macronutrient ratios and plan your diet accordingly. Here are four steps to improve your workouts and build a better body:

Avoid Overtraining

As you progress, your strength and endurance will increase. Over time, you’ll find yourself working out harder for longer periods of time. However, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Too much exercise can lead to muscle loss, poor immunity, increased stress hormone levels, and injuries. A typical workout shouldn’t exceed 45-50 minutes. Keep your cardio sessions under 40 minutes.

Superset Strength and Cardio

Another simple way to make your workouts more challenging is to superset strength and cardio exercises. Instead of taking breaks between sets, do jumping jacks, burpees, push-ups, sprints and other moves that elevate your heart rate. This technique will boost your metabolism and shock your muscles into growth.

Fuel Your Body

Protein shakes, glutamine, amino acids, and quality food promote muscle and repair. If you’re on a tight budget, stick to the basics. Eat according to your goals and use whey protein to supplement your diet. Whey protein powder aids in digestion, promotes fat loss, and improves recovery. It may also possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Roll it Out

If you work out five or six times a week, you might not be able to recover fully between sessions. This can affect your performance and reduce your gains. To speed up recovery, use foam rolling. Also known as myofascial self release, this massage technique relieves tension in your bones and muscles, improves joint mobility, and eases stress.

Painless Ways to Cut Calories

Most dieters exceed their calorie goals each day without even being aware of it. Some eat the wrong foods or indulge in high-calorie treats, while others overestimate their nutritional needs. Smart swaps can help cut calories and lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Simple lifestyle changes, such as drinking more water and cutting back on salt, can slim you down and boost your health. Check out these painless ways to cut calories and shed those extra pounds:

Eat High-Water Foods

Cucumbers, radishes, celery, lettuce, and green leafy vegetables are high in water and dietary fiber, keeping you full longer. They also take more time to chew and suppress your appetite. Eat your veggies along with chicken breast or fish, add some flax seeds, and enjoy every bite.

Use Smaller Plates

Researchers have found that using smaller plates can lead to a 22 percent decrease in calories. Shifting from 12-inch plates to 10-inch plates is a simple yet effective way to cut calories. The same portion looks bigger when you see it on a small plate.

Lighten the Foods You Love

One of the best ways to cut calories effortlessly is to choose lower calorie versions of your favorite foods. If you love chocolate, go for dark varieties with at least 75 percent cocoa. Choose low fat yogurt instead of regular yogurt, whole grain bread instead of white bread, and cottage cheese instead of mozzarella. Dieters who love soda and fruit juices can replace them with fruit-infused water and sugar free lemonade.

Make Smart Food Swaps

If you cook your own meals, replace high-calorie ingredients with healthier alternatives. Coconut oil is a great substitute for shortening. Greek yogurt can successfully replace mayonnaise and salad dressings. Egg whites are much lower in calories than whole eggs. Air-popped popcorn can substitute potato chips and other salty snacks.

5 Helpful Tips to Score Your Best Body

Looking to improve your workouts and make the most out of your gym time? By making a few small changes to your routine, you’ll get better results in less time. Simple things, such as changing your grip and doing supersets, can take your workouts to a whole new level. Here are some tips to help you look better, move faster, and become stronger:

Alternate Cardio and Strength Days

Instead of doing cardio before or after strength training, schedule your cardio and weight lofting sessions on different days. This way, you’ll have more energy for your strength training sessions and maximize your cardio workouts. Many athletes and fitness models do cardio in the morning and lift weights in the evening, or vice versa. It all comes down to your goals and individual needs.

Skip the Machines

Gym machines can help prevent injuries and maintain proper form when working out. However, free weights recruit more muscle fibers and burn more calories. They also work your core and back muscles more effectively, leading to better gains. Skip the machines for a month or so, use dumbbells and barbells, and try new exercises.

Add Instability

Have you ever used a stability ball, a wobble board, or TRX? These accessories require stability and balance, which helps stimulate more muscles. Next time you work out, do squats and crunches on a BOSU ball.

Train Unilaterally

Split squats, one-leg squats, single-arm push-ups, lunges and other similar exercises force each arm or leg to work harder. These moves can improve your balance and coordination, strengthen your core, and promote muscle growth. They can also help you break through plateaus and build overall strength.

Try Sprinting Intervals

Sprint training is one of the best cardio workouts out there. It also builds strength in your lower body and helps preserve muscle while burning fat. If you don’t train your legs regularly, sprinting is a great alternative to leg exercises. It’s a full body workout that can make you faster, leaner, and more agile.

Stay Motivated to Reach Your Fitness Goals

Have you lost your motivation to work out? Do you find it hard to get to the gym and start exercising? If so, it’s time to change your approach. Simple things, such as setting fitness goals, buying a new pair of sneakers, or changing your workout plan, can boost your motivation. Even the most enthusiastic gym buffs hit plateaus and feel like giving up in some point in time. The key to overcoming boredom is to keep your workouts fun and set meaningful goals.

So, here are some useful tips on how to stay motivated to reach your fitness goals and overcome plateaus:

Set Realistic Goals

The first step is to decide why you want to work out or start a new diet in the first place. Is it because you carry a few extra pounds? Or maybe you wish to build muscle and get leaner at the same time? Do you want to improve your health and stay fit year round? Write down your fitness and weight loss goals, and then come up with a plan to achieve them.

Make sure your objectives are clear, realistic, and attainable. Losing 20 pounds in two weeks is possible, but unlikely to happen. Unless you’re on a strict low calorie diet and work out every day, you won’t lose that much weight in such a short time. It’s not healthy either, so forget about it. However, losing 20 pounds in five weeks is a realistic goal. It’s important to set goals that are attainable and time-bound. You should be able to measure your progress and break your long term goals into smaller goals. Knowing that you have a deadline will keep you motivated.

Make a Plan and Stick to It

Once you know what your goals are, make a plan to achieve them. Consider your schedule as well as your budget and your availability. Take your workouts seriously and stick to your plan. Be in it for the long run. Stop making excuses to skip your workouts. After all, everyone has problems at work or at home, but they still find time for exercise.

Change Your Eating Habits

Not even the best exercise plan can compensate for bad eating. Regardless of how hard you work out, you’ll get little or no results if your diet is based on sugars, trans fats, and processed food. Commit yourself to eating healthy 80 percent of the time. Create a diet that meets your needs and preferences. Make sure your daily meals include lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats.

If you have a sweet tooth, replace sugar with stevia and choose nutritious snacks that satisfy your cravings. Dark chocolate, peanut butter, and whey protein should be on top of your list. Make your own protein bars, high protein cookies, and peanut butter sandwiches. Mix and match ingredients to prepare healthy treats that fit into your diet.

Monitor Your Progress

As you change your diet and exercise routine, take before and after photos to document your progress. Measure your waist, hips, arms, back, and thighs, weigh yourself once a week and keep a workout diary. Write down what you eat, what exercises you do, and how often hit the gym. This will make it easier to track your results and adjust your workouts along the way.

Don’t rely too much on the scale. Even though it’s recommended to weigh yourself regularly, the results might not reflect your progress. For example, if you lose fat and build muscle, your weight may remain the same or even go up. For more accurate results, use skinfold calipers or a body scale that shows how much muscle, water, and fat you carry.

Get the Most From Your Running

One of the most traditional forms of exercises that is simple yet effective is running. In this age of information technology, you have access to the details about every possible topic in just few mouse clicks, and it’s most likely for you to have knowledge about all the benefits of running. Still, to brush up some of the facts and emphasize the benefits of running so that you can have some extra motivation to get rid all those extra pounds you’ve put on lately; here is a quick refresher –

• Running plays a vital role in improving overall health. This aerobic exercise improves blood circulation, makes your heart pump more oxygen thus increasing the efficiency of your lungs.

• Increases bone density.

• Keeps high blood pressure at bay.

• Boosts immune system.

• Burns those extra calories giving you slimmer and fitter body.

• It is said that running decreases the risk of cancer especially breast cancer.

• Helps in building the core muscle. A strong core muscle is makes it sure you lose more calories while exercising or simply doing any activity.

• Good for memory.

• Releases stress from the body. It makes you feel fresh and light.

So if you want to feel better both physically and mentally give running a shot today. The first run might suck. The second one might too. But after awhile you’ll start to notice that you look better. You’ll notice you feel better. You’ll perk up when someone tells you how good you look. And eventually you might even start to enjoy running.

3 Simple Steps to a Healthier Diet

Switching to a healthier diet can add years to life and make you happier. Good nutrition promotes mental and physical well-being, boosts your immune system, and keeps you fit. By eating healthy, you’ll have more energy and feel better overall. Simple things, such as adding a tablespoon of flaxseed to your favorite salads, replacing sugar with stevia, and cutting back on salt, can improve your quality of life.

So, are you ready to change your eating habits? Here are three simple steps to a healthier diet:

Eliminate Processed Foods

Stock up on healthy foods and get rid of soda, deli meats, potato chips, refined oils, hot dogs, and ready-made meals. These products are loaded with preservatives, trans fats, and refined sugar, causing serious health problems in the long run. A well-balanced diet should include whole, natural foods, such as oats, fresh fruit and vegetables, grass-fed meat, fish, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, and seeds.

Cook Your Own Meals

Cooking at home is one of the best ways to make sure you eat healthy. This allows you to calculate your macros, track your daily calorie intake, and choose nutritious foods that support your goals. When you eat out, you can never know what goes into your food. Even the healthiest dishes can contain artificial flavors and chemicals as well as added sugar.

Make Smart Food Swaps

Contrary to the popular belief, it is possible to eat healthy without giving up your favorite foods. The key is to make smart food swaps, such as using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, and nuts instead of croutons.

For example, if you love pancakes, replace white flour with flax meal, almond flour, or whey protein powder. You can also make pancakes using egg whites, bananas, oats, and cinnamon. The same goes for oils and fats. Replace margarine and refined oils with coconut oil, avocado oil, or real butter to cut calories and get more nutrients in your diet.

Run Your Way to Better Health

Want to stay fit and healthy all year round? Looking to boost your immune system, shed pounds, and have more energy? If so, start running! This fun yet challenging activity is one of the best calorie-blasting workouts around. Running a few times a week will make you stronger overall, boost your aerobic endurance, and melt fat away. The best part is that it requires no special equipment or fancy tools – all you need is a pair of sports shoes.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Running

The health benefits of running go beyond fat loss. This form of exercise can strengthen your bones, preserve lean muscle, and relieve stress. Studies indicate that people who run regularly have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. Running may also reduce your risk of breast cancer, stroke, and coronary artery disease.

Have you heard about the famous “runner’s high?” This activity has psychological benefits too. When you run, your brain releases endorphins that can cause euphoria and make you happier. Researchers have also found that running helps ward off depression, prevents fatigue, and boosts mental alertness. It’s actually one of the best antidepressants around!

Exercise Your Body and Brain

Numerous studies suggest that running increases brain power and improves memory. It also reduces the damaging effects of stress on your body. A regular running routine can delay aging, keep your heart healthy, and lower bad cholesterol. Compared to other forms of exercise, running is ideal for people of all ages and fitness levels. Whether you’re a newbie or a pro athlete, you can reap its benefits.

The risk of dying from any cause is three times lower in people who run at least 51 minutes a week compared to those who don’t exercise at all. Runners also live an average of three years longer and tend to be happier. This activity is incredibly beneficial to your mind, body, and spirit, and can add years to your life.

The Many Benefits of Walking, Running, and Cycling

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and exercising, there are many ways that we can go about getting active and burning some calories to help us lose fat and keep a good looking physique. Running is without a doubt one of the most popular ways that people choose to either maintain their healthy lifestyle or to try and lose weight and progress in terms of their fitness goals.

But when you are running, the beneficial aspects that most of us are thinking about include our cardiac ability improving as well as losing weight. Of course these things are very important and some of the main benefits you get from running, however, you may not be aware of what some of the other benefits of running include. It is not only good for physical health but it is also great for mental health. Regularly running helps you to be in a better mood and has even been associated with relieving some forms of depression. Various other studies have also shown that people who run find it easier to fall asleep as well as having better quality sleep.

Cycling also has many benefits that can vastly improve your overall wellbeing and keep you on track to your fitness goals. It is actually one of the most effective ways that you can build your stamina due to the fact that it is such a fun way of burning calories. When you are cycling for a long time, you do not really notice how much time has passed as you have fun cycling. Another one of the fantastic things about cycling is that in addition to building strength in your legs, it also strengthens your body holistically as most parts of your body are involved.

The next type of exercise is one that more people tend to start off with before moving onto the things like running and cycling is walking. Apart from the obvious benefits such as helping to keep your weight in check and strengthening your heart, it can also help to prevent dementia. Studies have shown regular exercise has been found to reduce the risk of dementia by as much as 40%. Walking generally isn’t as daunting to get started with as running can sometimes be making it a great activity for beginners.