Keep Rollin’ (and Stretching!) By Carole Anne Elliot

If you’re not using a foam roller, we have one question for you: Why Not? Maybe you don’t know how to use it, or what it’s for. Maybe you’ve watched someone roll on top of it while cringing and biting their lip and wondered “Why would someone do that?!”

Fear Not – because Myofasical Release (or Foam Rolling) is one of the BEST things you have probably never done!

Simply put, it is one of the most effective tools at your disposal for physique-building, recovery and injury prevention. Self-myofascial release – is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. Basically, by applying pressure to specific points on your body you are able to aid in the recovery of your muscles. Of course, getting a deep tissue massage is a nice way to go too, but it takes a lot of time and gets very expensive. For as little as $25 (and we sell them at Body Fit), you can find a basic foam roller and in 10 minutes begin that well-needed release your muscles need to stay pain-free.

Why Should You Foam Roll? 1) Increased Range of Motion – Moving well is key at any age. Tight muscles don’t allow this, but by being proactive, you can reduce muscle soreness and recover faster from activities. 2) Increased Flexibility – Tights muscles impede movement – regular foam rolling before, during and after your workout / activity can help you move better. 3) Prevent Injury – by doing regular foam rolling – you are “paying it forward” in terms of injury prevention. 4) De-Stress – we all have stress in our lives, a little foam rolling at the end of your day can be a great way to relax and de-stress. 5) Repair – when we work our muscles, we cause micro-tears in them. Repair and rest must go hand in hand. Foam rolling helps “smooth” out scar tissue and assists with muscle repair and removes toxins from the muscles. You should always consult with a Trainer or knowledgeable professional prior to Foam Rolling.

Give it a try!

My Top 10 Lessons for Fat Loss that will work for anyone! by C.A. Elliott

Believe it or not, it’s pretty simple. What lacks usually is motivation. But like most things in life all you really need is a plan! With a solid plan, you are more accountable and more inclined to stick to your goals. But one of the most important keys is Planning! Setting your goal and setting up the steps on how to get there is the key to long term success not just in Fitness but in life ! Hope you will find this article useful.

Below are my 10 Lessons for Success !

Lesson 1. Set a Deadline

There is power in setting a deadline. Have you ever said you are going to do something and never get around to it? You’re not alone. Have you been given a deadline to do something, say by your boss? Of course you hit the deadline because there is a time restraint. Set a date on the calendar for you to be your absolute best by.

Goals:

• need to be put in writing

• have to be specific and measurable

• have to have a specific timeline

• need to be realistic

Lesson 2. What Gets Measured, Gets Managed

If you follow any motivational speakers, you have heard this many times and it is extremely true. You cannot know what direction you are heading towards if you don’t measure and track your results. This is the only sure way you can tweak your program to work for you. Whenever a client asks me what could be going wrong, I simply ask them to take out their tracker journal so we can look. 99% of times, they haven’t been measuring and the other 1% is often nutrition related. Keep a Journal and be accountable!

Workout 6 – 7 Days per week and this includes Cardio !

You can’t ONLY do Cardio and expect success. Mix up your workouts with both Cardio and Strength Training and you will see better and faster results!

Lesson 3. Replace One Habit at a Time

Habits cannot be broken, only replaced. If you start by replacing one habit per month, that will be 12 new habits you will have replaced in a year! Think of one you want to replace for January. It generally takes 22 days for a new habit to become a way of life.

Lesson 4. Tell Someone Your Weight Loss Goals

Having an accountability partner works in EVERY area of your life. You are more likely not to fail if you tell someone what you are going to achieve. You will not only be letting yourself down if you quit but also your friend. I always tell someone if I am entered into an event, race, or have a lofty goal. That way, they can help me get to my goal by being supportive !

Lesson 5. Eating Too Little Will Make You Fat

You start to waste away in your upper body and start packing on the weight in your tummy whenever you choose to skip meals and don’t eat enough.

When nutrient intake is low your metabolic rate will become low for three reasons:

• decreased thyroid function

• reduced thermic effect of eating

• reduction in muscle mass

Anyone that knows me well – knows I carry around my 6 Pack Fitness Bag every day !! http://www.sixpackbags.com/bags.html

I am always prepared for what I will eat that day. And by doing this, it avoids temptation. Too many people I see on a daily basis snack on sodas, chips, bad granola bars and what they think are healthy snacks.

Try to eat 6 – 7 meals daily – every 2-3 hours. It helps to regluate your blood sugar and keeps your energy levels high. Spend your Sunday evening prepping meals and be ready for the week ahead to avoid temptation!

Lesson 6. HIIT Is The Fastest Way To Lose Fat

High-intensity training burns calories for hours after the workout, improves endurance and improves aerobic capacity. I always add in some HIIT to my week and this is the one and usually the ONLY area (in the gym) that I tweak when I want to lose fat fast. All you need is a few 20 minutes sessions and your pants size will shrink in no-time.

Lesson 7. Keep Your Heart Rate High

Learn how to use a Heart Rate Monitor and how it helps you achieve your goals! There is no sense in taking your time during your workout. There is no sense in training one muscle at one time unless you are thinking of becoming a light-weight bodybuilder. This is the key that COMPLETELY shaped my body this year. For women, this is EXTREMELY important. Your body will respond better to this type of training when you are aware of when you are ‘In your maximum training zone” !

Lesson 8. Have A Plan of Attack

Plan out your workouts BEFORE you workout. Don’t be stuck there trying to think of what exercise combos to do and then draw a blank because you think everyone is looking at you and wondering what you are doing. WALK INTO THE GYM KNOWING what body part you are going to train that day! And keep a journal. I have lots of completed books that I can go back and look at over the years to see how far I have advanced and what / how I trained & ate for a specific event.

Lesson 9. Eat Protein and Fats for Breakfast

To Avoid the crash mid-afternoon, a solid breakfast with protein is a must ! Try ground beef / chicken and eggs for breakfast. I know that sounds gross but it works and it’s actually tasty. It has been called “The Meat and Nut Breakfast”. This is all about controlling your hormones. As well as keeping your blood sugar levels regulated. Give your kids “the meat and nut breakfast” and see their marks increase.

Lesson 10. Eat Carbohydrates After Your Workout ONLY!

Carbohydrates should be used only to refuel and repair after a workout. This is the biggest contributor to staying lean all year-long. “What portion of your body is made up of carbohydrates? NONE – therefore we can only use a small amount of them before the body will store them”. Keep the carb intake low during the day if you can. Protein at every meal !

Expand your knowledge! Read exciting books like “The Eat Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno or “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, MD – it will change your life and make you think twice about what you put into your mouth, also don’t  forget that if you have trouble losing weight you can get read the dr roxy reviews and get plastic surgery.

No More Muffin Top!

Apply those 10 lessons and you are on your way to your best body yet!

You can apply some of these strategies to other areas of your life as well!

“Peace, Love and Fitness” **

Also read this fat burner review by Shape Bloom.

5 Strength Training Mistakes that Kill Progress..By Dale Andrew

I thought I’d share 5 training mistakes that you should avoid if you want to reach your strength training goals. Hopefully, you’re not making too many of them. 1. Inadequate warm-up. A warm-up is much more than jogging on a treadmill or raising core temperature. You should be mobilizing the joints you are about to use, and activating the core. Here is one example of a medicine ball warm-up that we use with our clients at Body Fit: http://uxbridgefitness.com/medicine-ball-warm-up.html

2. Poor Breathing. Learning how to breathe correctly goes beyond just breathing out on exertion. Nasal, diaphragmatic breathing will increase your stamina; reduce stress, and your body’s reliance on the parasympathetic recovery system. You will be able to work harder at the end of your sets, which is where you achieve the most benefit.

3. Testing Strength instead of Building it. Strength athletes train to peak once, maybe twice per year. Don’t go into the gym and try a one rep max every Monday. It just doesn’t work like that, you meathead, and you’re asking for injury.

4. Failure to train Eccentrics and Isometrics. Most people only focus on the concentric contraction, achieved with the lifting of the weight. They are only getting half the benefit, and are a greater risk for injury. Training the lowering of the weight, and static contractions allow you to strengthen your weakest points. Where do you think an injury is most likely to occur?

5. Program “hopping.” There are many different ways to achieve a single goal, but too often people jump from one program to another, never really sticking to one long enough to get results. Pick a program, put the effort in, and stick with it! How do you cross a minefield? Behind your COACH. For help with your training program, please contact dale@bodyfit.ca