Diet

For years, the word DIET has been misused. Diet comes from the Latin word dietus which means eat nothing good or yummy (just kidding).

Diet is a noun, not a verb!! What you eat on a regular basis, and what your meals consist of is your diet.

There are many forms that diets take. Some have strict diets with no sugar and fat. Some are on high protein diets. and some are on no carb diets. Whatever your diet, just make sure that it is consistent with your fitness goals. Your diet should be in alignment with what you are trying to accomplish through your vigorous workout plan.

If you are trying to lose fat, your diet should consist of low fat, high protein meals. If your fitness goal is to ad muscle and get tones, you may want a diet that consist of more protein and zero to no carbs.

Whatever your fitness goals, you have to eat. Eating is very important to your health. You have to eat whether you you want to gain or lose weight. The good thing about food is that it helps you lose weight. If you deprive your body of food, it has a miraculous ability to store food to protect itself from starvation. The same with water; stay hydrated. 

So eat and maintain your diet so that you can accomplish your goals and get in the greatest shape of your life.

Jumping Rope!

Boxers live by it!

Increasing endurance, stamina, strength, and coordination are all benefits of jumping rope.

You can get a major burn from including jumping rope into your workout. 

Jumping rope uses many, if not all of the major muscle groups. Calves, thighs, back, shoulders, abs, and arms (yeah, that's about all of them) all receive a workout when you jump rope. It is hard not to sweat while you are vigorously doing it. 

Now, I am not expecting you to be Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson on the rope, but after practice and repetition, you will become very accustomed to the rope. You may even be able to mix in a trick or two. Tricks are not important. What is important is that you do your very best when you work out, and especially with the jump rope.

My jump rope routine consist of me jumping rope for 5 minutes. I will stand somewhere in sight of a clock. I will then jump rope for 60 seconds straight, and rest for 30 seconds. I will repeat this 5 times until I have jumped rope for a total of 5 minutes. Try It!!!

Did you know that jumping rope for 7 minutes straight equals a mile!? 

Reminder: The deadline for entries into the contest is near. Don't miss out! Get rewarded for that hard work by entering the contest. For details on the contest scroll down to earlier post.

And Good Luck!

March Madness!!!

The NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament is here. In my opinion, it is the best post season tournament in all of Sports!

Have you ever noticed how fit and lean basketball players are? The constant movement and motion of the game of basketball. Running up and down the court really does wonders for the players bodies. It improves strength and stamina. 

While playing basketball, you use nearly every muscle in your body. Running and jumping definitely does wonders to your legs.

But you don't have to be in the NBA, WNBA, or on a top level collegiate team to take advantage of the benefits of playing basketball with regards to your fitness goals. 

Find a park or rec center to get your RUN ON! Many recreation centers have open gym, where anyone can come and play. The park is always a great place to find a basketball game. Just walk up and Say "I GOT NEXT!" 

If you can't find anyone at the rec or park to play with. Play by yourself. Go to the basketball court, and if you have a ball, shoot around! Shooting baskets helps tone and strengthen your shoulders also. If you use good form, shooting jumps shots helps strengthen and tone your thighs and calves.

A wonderful workout that can be done on the basketball court is running SUICIDES(If you have never done them, you will soon find out how they received that name). This workout has to be done when the court is clear, and no one is playing on it. 

SUICIDES:

• Start by standing underneath the basket at either end of the court and stand on the baseline(1)(the out of bounds line).
  
• Sprint to the foul line/free throw line(2), bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the baseline(1) and bend down and touch the baseline.
  
• Without stopping, sprint to the half court line(3), bend down and touch it, and then sprint back to the baseline(1) and reach down and touch it.
• Then without stopping, sprint to the other foul line/free throw line(4) on the other end of the court. Bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the baseline(1), and bend down and touch it.
• Finally, sprint to the baseline(5) on the far end, bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the other end as fast as you can! You want to go all out and push yourself.

Here is something to simplify this routine:

-baseline(out of bounds line)/ starting point(1)

-free throw line/foul line(2)

-half-court line(3)

-far free throw line/foul line(4)

-far baseline(5)

Sprint

1 to 2 back to  1

1 to 3 back 1

1 to 4 back to 1

1 to 5 to 1

Remember to bend down and touch each line, and sprint through the baseline when you finish.
If you are able to time yourself, challenge yourself to run the best time.

If you have any questions contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Enter to win a cool iPOD!

How hard are you working to get in shape? Do you think you are working hard enough to receive a free iPod?

If so, then you need to Enter for your chance to win 

The ECO FIT Challenge! 

"What is the ECO FIT Challenge?"

Beginning April 1, 2009, we will begin a 90 Day Challenge to see who can get in the best shape, and has made the most improvements over a 90 day period.

The winner will receive a Brand New iPod!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Enter:

Submit a picture, along with your name and city. Pictures must be date validated. Which means that the picture that you submit must include something within the picture to validate the date that the picture was taken. Pictures must be submitted by March 31, 2009!!!!!!!

Submit your picture, name and city to:

nivram1ohio@aol.com 

Contest entrants will decide who the winner will be by voting on who they think has made the most improvements.

The Contest ends June 30, 2009.

On July 1, 2009, contestants will submit another date validated picture, and a brief story of their workout routine over the past 90 days. 

The winner will be announced July 4, 2009!!!!!!

And remember: In a contest like this, there really are no Losers! The only thing we are losing is the FAT!

Everyone who enters will receive a free ECO FIT T-Shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember to continue to check back to this site for tips on how to improve your workout and achieve your fitness goals.

Good Luck!

This is why I don't eat pork!

Click on the link below:

http://media2.foxnews.com/112008/worm_tumor_700.wmv

I want to hear from you after you see this to get your reaction.

The Importance of Good Health.

If you have good health, you have everything. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet is very important. Many of make special efforts to do things that are not as important when compared to the importance of having good health. We run from here to there, to and fro, to get our business off the ground or to keep it running. I understand the importance of income and getting that paper. But if you are not healthy, you cant do any of the other things that you may want to do for long. 

This is why prioritizing is so important. Putting things in there place and recognizing what is important and what is not, is a skill that comes with repetition and experience. Put First Things First! Somewhere near the top of your To Do List should include taking care of your body. Exercising, strength   training, and running are good ways to make sure that you get and stay fit. 

Now is the best time ever. There is no better time than right now. Right now you have the opportunity to take charge of your life with regards to your physical health. 

Turn it up!

Tomorrow I am starting a Zero Carb, High Intensity workout. The plan is to workout five days a week for the next two weeks. I will work a different body part for each day of the week:

Chest on Monday

Back on Tuesday

Shoulders on Wednesday, 

Arms on Thursday 

Legs on Friday.

I continue to designate Sunday as my running day. My recent visit back home had me thinking I should cut back on the running. Everyone thought that I had lost weight. But actually I am heavier than I have ever been. Lean muscle is heavier than Fat. 

By breaking down my workouts by body parts, I concentrate more and I am able to get in a more efficient workout for that day. It allows me to be very focused. 

As I mentioned, I am planning to do this for a short period of time. I am completely eliminating carbs from my diet for 14 days. My diet will consist of meat, veggies, and fruit. No pork, and nothing fried (fried chicken is my Kryptonite).

Get it in early.

Starting your day by working out will increase the likelihood of you having a great day. If at all possible, get your daily workout in as early as possible, or as soon as you get out of bed.  Just jump out of bed, grab a snack, and hit the road. This allows for you to concentrate on your fitness goals, by getting started before there is any "drama" or other issues that seem to keep you away from making it to the gym.

To fully take advantage of this time, it does require that you hit the sack early enough to wake up in time. Hitting the gym on three hours of sleep after having been at the club all night is a bad idea (personal experience)!

Starting your day with a great workout will give you the rest of the day to tackle all of your daily tasks. Or the rest of the day can be used to relax.

If you smoke, Stop!

Disgusting, smelly, damaging, hazardous, repelling, deadly= Cigarettes. 

Cigarettes are the most poisonous things sold in stores, yet the Government allows you to buy and consume as many as you would like. Cigarrettes are known to cause many sorts of cancers and other health issues. To that I ask "why bother smoking , if you know it is unhealthy?"

I have spoken with many people that smoke cigarettes and they all say that it "relieves stress and helps calm them." I have been repeatedly telling people that there are millions of things on this planet that can be used for stress relief and to relieve anxiety, all of which are healthy and natural. 

One of the best stress relievers is working out. While involved in a vigorous workout, you have no time for stres, anxiety, and any other problmes that you may face. Your only concern will be the exercise that you are performing right at that moment. It is very hard to worry about anything else when you are lying on a weight bench with 315 lbs. over your head.

Or, the next time you feel the need to smoke, take off running. Running helps clear your mind and improves your physical health.

Cigarettes are highly addictive. How are cigarettes legal I will never understand. 

If you are trying to improve your health, giving up cigarettes will be the best thing you could do.  

An Ab Wonder Workout!

The guy is demonstrating the P90x ab workout. It is AWESOME for your abs. He sped the recording up just to give you a demonstration. Some of these moves are even new to me.

Hard Times? Whatever!

In this day of supposed economic turmoil, many of us are devoting too much time worrying about whether or not we are going to lose our homes, or whether or not we are going to lose our jobs. These difficult times that we are facing has placed an unbelievable amount of stress on people. But what has worrying ever gotten you? I live by this creed: if you have no control over a situation, why worry about it? Worrying takes years of of your like and it ages you. 

Many of us use drugs and alcohol to escape their perceived realities. When you really thing about it, the things that we have been worried about are not as serious as we think. If you leave it up to the news media and those in "control", they will have you believe that the world is coming to and end. Turn off that television. Don't listen to what anyone has to say about anything unless they are offering solutions to the problem.  Many of us base our opinions on what we have heard from the news or read in newspapers. When someone controls what you think, they control you. For example, many of use never even heard of AIG or gave a damn what the stock market was doing until they blew it up in the news.

Stop stressing about the economy and the live your life. take control by becoming the best YOU that YOU can be. It is times like these that we need to get in the gym and bang it out as hard as possible to take our minds off of stressful things. You will find that it is very hard to think about anything else when you are under 300 lbs of steel on the bench press. It is hard to worry about a recession when you are on the last leg of a 4 mile run.

Free Personal Trainer

Here at Eco Fit we offer you tips to get you started with a workout plan that will help you accomplish your fitness goals. Eco Fit provides fitness tips, workout plans, diet information, and what ever you need to get in the best shape of your life. We know that getting started is the hard part. That is why we offer free online personal training to get you on your way to a healthier you. If you follow the plan that is given to you, we guarantee that you will get in shape. So what is the risk?

If you are already hitting the gym hard and have hit a plateau, where your workouts have become stale and you are not seeing any new gains. We can personalize a workout for you to help you get over the hump and stay motivated.

Before we start to workout. We have to ask ourselves, " why do I want to work out and exercise?" The answers we give can come from a wide range of reasons. Some vain, some health related. But whatever the reason. You only have to worry about what you think and feel about yourself. If you want a bangin' body, and you want to turn heads when you walk by, that's your prerogative. Do what makes you feel good. Workout to achieve those results. 

If your doctor told you that you are going to die in 3 months if you don't workout or start exercising, you may find yourself in a dilemma: 

A. Go to the gym and get all funky and sweaty? 

B. Or start writing out my will? 

The choice is yours!

So take charge of your life. It makes no difference why you want to get in shape. Just do it. 

Take advantage of this offer to receive fitness advice from an expert. It costs you nothing. For your very own free and I.F.L (Individualized Fitness Plan) leave a comment or contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com. I will return your email within 24 hours. 

Also, coming in June we are offering a contest for the best weight loss story. If you have before & after pictures, submit them with a brief story. The entries will be posted to this site with the visitors voting on who has the Most Improved Body. The winner will receive a free iPod. All entrants will receive an ECO FIT T-shirt. So get ready and get tight! More details coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a hike

Any activity is good activity. Doing something is 100 times better than doing nothing. With that being said: take the time to increase your activity. Finding time to do so appears to be the hard part. 

It should not hard to find time to do something that is beneficial to your body. If you work 40+ hours per week and have t take care of the kids after work, try walking during your lunch break. If you have to run errands during your lunch break, try to get them done by walking to your destination instead of driving (is possible). As I mentioned before, any activity is better than no activity. So you don't have to worry about going back to work all sweaty, unless you live here in South Florida, you don not have to walk at a marathon pace.  A light, leisurely walk is good for your heart and also burns calories. It will also benefit you by giving you a break from the job and reduce stress. If you are fortunate enough to have an employer that provides a locker room with a shower, by all means mix in a run during your lunch break. 

When you get back to the office, try a protein bar or shake to give you the energy you'll need to make it through til quitin' time.

Get lean

A huge part of your fitness plan must incorporate modifications to your diet. In order to lose pounds and tone up, we must improve our eating habits. Remember when you were younger and you used to hear people say " you are what you eat"? Well that is very true. 

Take some time and think about what you are putting into your body. What kind of animal does that meat come from? How does that animal look? How does that animal live? I personally prefer chicken and fish as they are very lean and provide the needed protein and vitamins that are good for you without the fat. 

How you prepare your meals is also important. It does us no good to have a lean chicken breast and fry it in grease. It taste delicious but it defeats our purpose. Try baking and grilling your food to decrease your fat intake. If you have to have fried food, try olive oil.  

So don't undermine the hard work that you have been putting in at the gym with a poor diet. Think about what you are putting into your body. 

See It and Be It!

Visualizing and believing that you can have the body that you want is very important. 

For the ladies: You have to be able to actually see yourself fitting into that dress that you have always wanted. Fellas: you have to really see those arms and abs looking as if someone had drawn them on you.  Unless you really believe, u will not be able to get what you want. 

So when you are standing there in the mirror, you have to see the new you and go out and create it.

For free workout plans and fitness tips, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com   

Slim Fast

To achieve your fitness goals and obtain immediate results from your workouts, go carb-less for a week or two, while increasing the intensity of your workout. Include more protein and vegetables in your diet to be able to sustain the necessary energy to complete your workout. 

By totally eliminating carbs from your diet, your body will burn the carbs and fat that it has stored. The result: A visually firmer and more fit you.

To make this carb-less diet work, try it for one week and then go for two weeks, and so on and....until you have obtained the results that you desire.

So no bread, rice, cakes, cookies, potatoes, pasta, and or anything white. If it is white(and/or wheat) don't eat it. That may sound like everything that is delicious. But there are many ways to combat the cravings that you will experience. Be creative!!!!!!!

Free Sex!

Now that I have your attention. I would like to talk about Abs today. Well defined abs and a flat stomach is what we all strive for. Being able to walk with dignity with your shirt off, for men, or to wear that short shirt, for women. But how are abs achieved and maintained?

There are many misconceptions regarding obtaining ab definition and ab workouts. many people are frustrated at the fact that they do crunch after crunch and still no results. WTF! Right?

Well, in order to see those perfectly tight belly muscles, you have to first get rid of the fat that is surrounding your midsection. You can do crunches from here to forever, but if you don't burn the fat that's hiding your abdominal muscles, you will not be able to notice your accomplishments in the mirror.

We have learned that we can not burn fat from one specific part of our bodies. That fat is burned proportionately. Therefore, we have to burn all of the fat in and on our bodies in order to obtain the definition that we desire. 

Outside of getting a costly and very dangerous tummy tuck, running is the best way to burn fat. It is known to be the quickest and effective way to burn fat and increase our metabolism. 

Also, maintaining the definition that we have obtained will have to include diet modification. Carb elimination is necessary. We don't have to completely cut out carbs, but limit them to days where you plan to perform your toughest workout. This will allow the carbs to do what they are supposed to do which is provide energy. Carbs not burned stay on you like. 

So get those abs together. It;s the middle of march already. If you have been following my tips since January, you would be right on target to achieve your goals for a semi-nude summer. 

If you need more information on weight-loss, diet tips, or workout plans, feel free to contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com.

PEACE!

Working out on an empty stomach

If you exercise first thing in the morning, it may a good idea to eat both before and after your workout. Some experts believe that exercising on an empty stomach can compromise the quality of your workout. To boost your early-morning activity, eat a "mini-meal" providing 25 grams or more of carbs: a banana, a bagel, or a bowl of oatmeal, for instance. The carbs will provide the quick burst of energy that you need. It is best to eat 20 to 30 minutes before exercising vigorously. Then, within an hour after working out, eat a breakfast that combines both protein and carbs-such as eggs and toast, yogurt and fresh fruit, or soy milk and cereal-to sustain your energy level throughout the morning.

When I have the luxury of a morning workout, I prepare a light breakfast of  a bowl of cereal, or eggs and toast with orange juice. I typically wait an hour before I begin my workout. After my morning workout I prepare a protein shake with real fruit added. You can purchase protein mix from any health, fitness, or vitamin shop.

Motivation: What ever drives you!

Does Any Woman Have to Lose Weight to Get Lucky?

• Sex
• Dating & Love

Mar 3rd 2009
By Emerald Catron

Is being overweight really that big a deal when it comes to matters of the libido? The story of Charlotte Royal, a "desperate" 300-lb. 21-year-old who shed over half her weight in order to lost her virginity, would certainly suggest so. 

According to the article, Charlotte developed an unhealthy obsession with food after she graduated from school. Being shy, she would stay home and have dinner for one while her friends went on dates. "I was 21 and desperate to be loved and to enjoy the affection my friends were getting from men," she said.

When a blind date (whom she'd apparently deceived with a misleading picture) told her he preferred "slender" girls, Charlotte says she decided to start living like a "normal" girl. 

Learn to Swim

A great full body workout is gained while swimming. Swimming uses all of the major muscle groups all at the same time. Swimming also increase and improves your stamina. Thus making swimming a great exercise. If you do not know how to swim, I suggest going to your local recreation center or YMCA and takes some lessons. You will be glad you did. 

Swimming laps is a routine that you can mix into your workout plan. I am fortunate enough to live near the ocean, so I swim at the beach once a week. 

Swimming is also very important in tightening your core. That is, getting your abs, thighs, and lower back strong and toned. If you have ever seen swimmers, particular Michael Phelps ( 8 time Gold Medalist in 2008 Olympics), you will notice how toned their bodies are. Almost no fat. I am not suggesting that you put in the hours in the pool as an Olympic swimmer, but the more you swim, the better.

The pool and or ocean, whichever you swim in, can also be used to improve stamina, but it also increases strength. Many professional athletes have workout routines in which they run while in the pool.  Early in his career, Michael Jordan rehabbed a broken leg by running in a swimming pool. The resistenace that you get from the water helps streghthen your muscles, and burns fat. When you start to include swimming into your workout, you will quickly notice how exhausting it is. A good swimm will help you relax once you are out of the pool.

So get swimming. It has great benefits which include strengthening muscles, burning fat, and toning your body, as it is the ulitmate full body workout.

If this is real, this guy has to have some of the strongest legs on the Planet:

Try this the next time you are at the pool!

Live your life!

Part of being a physical trainer involves me providing you physical guidance to help you achieve your physical fitness goals. But I personally feel that as a personal trainer, I should be able to provide you with mental and emotional guidance to achieve your life's goals.  

Many times we find ourselves worrying about tomorrow and not even paying attention to what is happening today. That is why I emphasize focusing on the here and now.

Currently, there are some NFL players that are missing as there boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. They planned on enjoying a day of fishing. Instead, as of 4:00pm 03/02/2009, they are still missing.  NFL players, in tip top shape, are presumably dead as they have missing for nearly two days. There strong muscles and there physical prowess was not enough to keep their boat from capsizing in the rough waters of the Gulf.

I bring this up to say that yes it is great to be be in shape. It is healthy to be in shape. It is wonderful to obtain the physique that you want. But if you are struggling to achieve those goals; So What! There are some among us that are waiting until they achieve that perfect body to make the beach reservations, or to schedule a vacation. I am here to say that that is good that you have goals, but do not live your life for tomorrow and forget about today. Tomorrow may never come. 

So in conclusion, make your goals, visualize what you want from life, and go out and get it. But do not put your life on hold. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Today is here; whether its 70 degrees( where I am ) or snowing like crazy where you are; be thankful that you have the ability to be able to enjoy what ever comes your way. You wont appreciate a sunshine unless you experience a few rainy ones.

As always, I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com .  

To comment on this blog just hit the comment button and the end of the blog. Comments are welcomed.

Oh,one last thing , and this is it: is Chris Brown the new Ike Turner? 

Tough times don't last;Tough People Do!

Most of us have been mentally and physically exhausted from the state of the economy here in America and around the globe. The stress  from the dismal outlook has caused many people to lose there livelihoods, as well as their minds. Exercising and working out is a great way to get away from it all. While you are working out, if you are truly giving it your all, it is hard to think about anything other than what you are doing at that moment. 

Get from in front of the television. The news is designed to scare the hell out of you anyway. Always painting a Doomsday Portrait and creating a false reality. The time that you devoted to watching the 5 o'clock and the 6 o'clock news could be used working out. 

Exercising is one of the most relaxing activities that you can participate in. It's fun, it's free, and it will help you stay in shape and become more healthy, so that you can be around when the economy improves.

The economy is what it is. Some of us have been effected by it, and some of us have not. Do not let that diminish your focus on improving your body through physical fitness. If you want to achieve the results that you visualized for yourself, maintain your workout plan and do not deviate from it.

If your workout is becoming stagnant or boring. Try picking up the pace. One simple way to pick up the pace of your workout is to shorten the time that rest in between reps and sets.

I am offering free workout plans, exercise tips, and answers to any questions that you may have regarding your workout. Contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Recently, I signed up to a site which will allow me to right reviews for products that are sold by various advertisers. If you have a website or blog, and are looking to make a few extra bucks from advertisers, I suggest you visit Blogvertise. For more information click on the link below:

http://www.blogsvertise.com/