Category: Just for Fun

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5 Tips to Spice Up Your Workout Routine: Variety is the SPICE of life and the FUEL for fitness

NOT this kind of variety 😉

Hopefully you’ve found a workout that you absolutely LOVE , which is GREAT!  I’m a firm believer that you’ll never consistently exercise until you find a workout that you TRULY enjoy and that makes you FEEL GOOD about your body!  However, it’s critical that we constantly change up our workout routines.  This doesn’t mean we have to give up the exercises we love, but we DO have to SPICE things up.  So you are probably wondering…

WHY SHOULD I VARY MY WORKOUTS? 
  • Avoid the plateau – Our bodies are super efficient –  WE ARE STRONGER THAN WE THINK WE ARE!  Once our bodies  get use to a certain workout, they don’t require the same amount of energy (calories or strength) to get it done.
  • Prevent injury – If we do the same workouts all of the time, we run a significantly greater risk of chronic injuries (shin splints, etc.)  Changing it up makes us work a variety of muscles and develop balanced strength and endurance.
  • Stay interested – New workouts keep us engaged in exercise.  High mental and emotional engagement makes us more energized meaning we work harder and reach greater fitness levels.

BRIT’S 5 TIPS TO SPICE UP YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE

Burn up to 1,000 calories in 1 hour of Title Boxing!
  1. Do 3 DIFFERENT types of cardio exercises every week – At a minimum, its most important to ensure that you get 3-30 minute cardio workouts in each week.  However, you can maximize results by doing a variety of cardio workouts.  For example: Monday – Treadmill, Wednesday –  Elliptical, Friday – Boxing class.  
  2. Add Intervals – Intervals in terms of speed and incline/resistance are a great way to keep your body in the “cardio zone” and make sure you don’t get complacent.  For example: when on the elliptical, ride at level 5 resistance for 3 min then level 10 resistance for 1 min, continue alternating for 30 min to 1 hr.
  3. Power walk instead of running/jogging – Power walking is not as natural of a movement as jogging/running which means you have to engage more muscles.  This is a great way to shock your body and even burn more calories – add light hand weights for an extra burn!

    TRX Suspension Resistance Training
  4. Switch up your resistance regimen – Instead of your usual back/biceps and chest/triceps workouts that you have been doing for years, change it up!  Try the new TRX suspension training or an endurance body weight routine (like several posted on this site).  Remember, if you do what you always done, you’ll get what you always got!
  5. Get moving with a group – Working out with a group makes you push harder and leverage the energy of those around you.  I encourage you to try some of my favorite group exercise classes: Title Boxing Club, Boot Camps (any one), Bar Method, Cycle classes and TurboKick.
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Drink Coffee to Control Weight and Make Better Love ;-)

G’ Morning, GritBrit fans! As my still sleepy eyes gaze around my room this morning and squint away the bright NYC sunshine seeping through my blinds, my half-awake brain remembers that I need to get working on a guest nutrition post I promised Brit. I have been brainstorming ideas all week, but at the moment, all I can do is think about one thing: coffeeeeeee!

And that’s when it hit me. I’ll post about COFFEE! Just give me a moment to finish this cup….

Yum. Okay. Now, let’s chat about java 🙂

A cup of joe can serve you well

First, you may be thinking, what is this nutritionist pumping up coffee for? It’s true, coffee has historically been a controversial topic in the nutrition field. Stunted growth, jitters, and even heart disease are just a few of the ills that were said to be linked with too much joe drinkin’.

But times are a changing, folks, and that’s old news. The latest research about coffee proves otherwise. Keep reading to learn more about why coffee is, in fact, GOOD for you (*in moderation*), and how to drink it to get the maximum benefit for your bod!

What are the benefits associated with drinking coffee?

  1. Increased energy levels
  2. Improved athletic performance
  3. Improved brain function
  4. Improved mood
  5. Alleviation of constipation (ewww)
  6. Improved sex drive (yay!)
  7. Reduced post-workout muscle pain
  8. Protection from certain cancers, Parkinson’s Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes
  9. Coffee contains very few calories and high levels of antioxidants

What IS moderation?

2-4 (8 oz) cups.

How do you recommend drinking coffee?

Time? Morning is best to avoid any interference with sleep. It is also fine to spread your intake throughout the day if you prefer — just make sure it’s not creeping past 3-4pm, and isn’t totaling a quantity greater than the above recommendation. Coffee-ing (okay, I this isn’t an actual verb) about 30mins before exercising can also provide an awesome boost to your workout.

Milk? Skim milk, low-fat milk, soymilk, or none = all good options.

Sugar? Skip it, and avoid the excess calories. If you need some sweetness, opt for a sugar substitute (these do not cause cancer – that is a myth!). I personally like Splenda.

Disclaimers:

*Coffee is not a sleep replacement. If you find that you need coffee to stay awake throughout the day, you may need to re-work your sleep regimen.

*Many of the claims and suggestions contained in this post are not applicable to those with caffeine sensitivities and certain medical conditions such as heart irregularities, GERD, etc.

Questions? Comments? Leave ’em, and let’s chat. I’m am happy to clarify any/all of your coffee concerns!

ENJOY 🙂

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Are you getting short changed in spin class?

Me getting ready for ride #2 during cycle instructor training
Happy Sunday – I hope this posting finds you joyous and well! Today was a personal accomplishment because I officially became a certified indoor cycling instructor – woop woop!  That said, I learned a lot of useful info about spin classes and calorie burn in general, so I just wanted to share some of these nuggets of wisdom with you guys.  Hopefully, these facts will help you get the MOST out of your spin classes in the future 🙂
  1. Turn up the resistance – speed DOES NOT equal calorie burn!  In an effective cycle class, your legs should spin between 60-90 rotations per minute.  If you are cycling way above this, turn your resistance up!  When your legs are flying and your booty is bouncing around in the saddle, the bike  is just propelling you and you are getting short changed on calorie burn…not a good look!
  2. Don’t always trust the heart rate monitor.  Several factors affect our heart rate including hydration, stress, diet, room temperature, etc.  Therefore, just because your heart rate is in a certain zone, doesn’t necessarily mean you are working that hard.  In many cases, heart rate monitors over count calories burned and you are deceived : (
  3. Use a breath test.  The bottom line is this, the harder you work, the more calories you burn.  Therefore, use the breath test to quickly and effectively measure your exertion. Below are the 4 levels you should think about.  If you are trying to burn as many calories as possible, strive to spend at least 20-30 minutes of your class in zones 3 and/or 4.  You should never be back at Level 1 (breathing regularly)  after the warm up.  
  • L1 – Breathing regularly
  • L2 – Breathing fast, but comfortable
  • L3 – Breathing heavy, uncomfortable
  • L4 – Breathing very heavy, very uncomfortable – sucking air!
Whole class with our instructor after we got certified (that's me in the back with the shiny forehead, hehe)
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Drinks “weighing” you down?

Brit’s beverage epiphany: About this time last year, I had just finished working out and as I was leaving the gym, as usual, I bought a Gatorade.  For some reason, this day I read the nutrition facts: 200 CALORIES IN 1 BOTTLE?!?!  Geez, I just rode the elliptical for 45 minutes and I burned 450 calories. So drinking this Gatorade basically means I’m going to wipe out almost half of my work out!  From that moment on I decided – “I’m OFF Gatorade, yall can keep those.”  As a matter of fact, I’m done “drinking” calories.  If I have to budget my calories, I’d much rather spend them on eating some good food – AMEN?

The facts: You have to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to legitimately lose 1 pound.  The drinks on my “BAD LIST” carry anywhere from 90-220 calories, so if you consume about 3 a day, you could pack on an extra 600 calories!  That equals about 1 whole hour of moderate/high intensity cardio at the gym!  Or potentially an extra pound every week,  assuming you don’t burn it off.  Is it really worth it?

Commentary: Below is a list that I put together for myself to help me weed out “bad drinks.”  I kept it realistic and included some alcohol and juice options on the “GOOD LIST” even though they aren’t calorie free.  At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, “What do I want more, this Dr. Pepper or my long term fitness goals?”  Just making simple adjustments to your daily habits, like committing to only “GOOD LIST” drinks, can help you drop quick pounds.  Try it out and see for yourself  because  you work too hard to let your drinks weigh you down 🙂

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2-week plan to nix 10 pounds

I put this plan together to help me get ready for a wedding, during which I wore a very curve hugging bridesmaid dress.  I had great results, so I thought I’d share with you guys.  If you need to lean up really quickly, below is  my official 14 day plan to get it right and tight.  I like it because each element is actually a healthy habit as opposed to starving myself or taking diet pills.  It worked for me, see if it works for you!

EACH DAY DO THE FOLLOWING 5 THINGS: