Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all of my family & friends a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the time with family & friends as we give thanks to the many blessings in our lives.

Also, Happy Birthday to my little brother!

Lastly, don't forget to get your workouts in! Crank it on Thanksgiving Day with this Turkey Day Bootcamp workout by clicking here.

-AR

Thursday, November 18, 2010

TRX Tornado

What do you get when you combine a TRX Suspension Trainer and a Tornado Ball? The TRX Tornado! Check out Fraser Quelch, Director of Training & Development for Fitness Anywhere, in action as he demonstrates this killer circuit workout.

TRX - 3 letters that will change your life for the better! Get yours today by clicking here.



Check out more about the TRX Tornado Ball Sequence here.

-AR

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Top 10 Fat Burning Foods

Here is the list of top 10 fat burning foods that can help you shed body fat and build lean muscle. Many of these may come as a surprise to you, but they're great at helping you get the proper nutrients you need, in addition to burning tons of stored fat. I've broken these down into different categories, so you're really getting the top 40 fat burning foods. Check it out:

The Top Carb and Whole Grain Fat Burning Foods
  1. Oatmeal (old fashioned, not the instant sugar filled kind)
  2. Yams
  3. Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, long grain aromatic rice)
  4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
  5. Multi-grain hot cereal
  6. White potatoes
  7. 100% whole wheat bread -or- flourless sprouted grain bread (i.e., Ezekiel, Men's bread)
  8. 100% whole wheat pasta
  9. Beans/legumes (great for healthy chili recipes)
  10. Cream of rice hot cereal
The Top Fat Burning Vegetables
  1. Broccoli (great for balancing hormones too!)
  2. Asparagus
  3. Spinach
  4. Salad greens
  5. Tomatoes
  6. Peppers (green, red or yellow)
  7. Onions
  8. Mushrooms
  9. Cucumbers
  10. Zucchini
The Top Fat Burning Lean Proteins
  1. Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)
  2. Whey & Casein protein (protein powder supplements)
  3. Chicken breast (free range)
  4. Salmon (Wild Alaskan)
  5. Turkey Breast (free range)
  6. Top round & flank steak (grass fed beef)
  7. Lean Ground Turkey (free range)
  8. Bison/Buffalo/Elk/Ostrich
  9. Trout, dover sole, orange roughy, tilapia (wild caught; avoid farm-raised)
  10. Nuts & seeds
The Top Fat Burning Fruits
  1. Grapefruit
  2. Apples
  3. Berries (all varieties)
  4. Cantaloupe
  5. Oranges
  6. Bananas
  7. Peaches
  8. Grapes
  9. Pomegranates
  10. Pineapple
Let's not forget the addition of healthy fats to help burn fat - olive, canola, coconut, sesame seed, flax seed, fish oil (omega fats), and avocadoes.
Eating these foods will certainly give you a big leap towards achieving your fat loss goals but you need to understand that this will not take away the importance of exercise. The most effective formula for a well-toned lean body while increasing lean muscle mass & burning fat is exercise & a clean diet.
Eat well and be well!

-AR

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Just Say No to 'Cookie Cutter' Exercises

Last weekend I was flipping through the TV channels of all the NCAA football games that were going on. As I flipped back forth between games, I came across a news segment/infommerical on how to get Heidi Klum’s 'Butt' with trainer David Kirsh. I found myself saying "Just what the American people want to know. Not how to start an effective, functional exercise plan, but how can I get butt like Heidi!"

Really?! You're kidding me, right? Heidi Klum gets paid millions to shake her 'butt' down the runway. In the real world....most women don't.

The segment begins and the anchor men and women (all suits and heels by the way) are getting ready for the 'butt workout'. I just sit there shaking my head thinking, "Are you guys for real?!" Out comes trainer to the stars, David Kirsh, with his book and 2 exercises that "everybody should add to their program to get a butt like Heidi." As he's talking the news people are joking around with him and by the time he gets to the exercises, 10 minutes have gone by, which is wasted time! He demonstrates the 2 'must do' exercises - the Platypus squat and the Platypus squat with side kicks. 'What the ....?' I asked myself. These are some of the most ridiculous, impractical exercises I've ever seen! Why not just do squats, lunges or deadlifts?

Although the exercise is somewhat creative, it doesn't help the majority of the people exercising or those wanting to start. I deal with clients everyday that have orthopedic issues, some physical limitations due to past and/or current injuries and I'd never have them do those 2 'must do' exercises. The entire segment was a joke!

We should be spending more time in the media discussing REAL exercise and wellness. Instead, we show squats in our suits and heels and call it "quality air time." I call it BS! Maybe that's why there's an obesity epidemic and why we're totally unfit as a nation. We make fitness out to be a joke and sell a workout that doesn't work for everybody.

You want to get fit and get results? Put your time in the gym or outdoors in your personal 'fitness playground', amp up your intensity, use HIIT protocols, put forth every ounce of intestinal fortitude to maximize the end result of max calorie output!

I don't know about you but cookie cutter workouts aren't 'cutting it' for me!

-AR