The reality of getting Fit!

Out of the shower. walk past the mirror. Suddenly, you think, " who is that person, and how did they let themselves go." Then you realize that that person is you.

So you make a decision that today is going to be the day that you start to workout. So now we are taking the stairs at work. Walking to lunch instead of driving, and throwing out the desk full of snacks that we have. This routine last about a week. And now we are back to doing and eating what we were that caused us to get out of shape.

What does it take to maintain a routine that works? How can I juggle my job, the children, my social life, and working out? The answer is easy. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!

For a fortunate number of us; Just changing our diet is enough to help us shed some pounds. But for many of us, a major transformation is required to begin to see some results.

That's why we are here Eco Fit is the place to get daily tips on:

Weight Loss
Diet
Nutrition
Strength
Fitness
Aerobic
Cardiovascular

Team Work makes the Dream Work.

Many of us have a hard time starting and maintaining our fitness routine. We start to workout and then we stop. By getting someone to workout with, you will have a feeling of obligation to meet with your workout partner on a regular basis. If you and your workout partner decide to make a schedule; you both would make sure that the other is keeping up with the schedule.
Another benefit of getting a workout partner is the fact that friendly competition is always good. Trying to best your fitness partner will give you the motivation to do that extra set on the fitness machines or to complete that extra lap around the track. If you see that your fitness partner is on the treadmill for 30 minutes you will make sure that you are doing at least that or better.
So, team up with someone that is going to help you stay motivated and focused, so that you both are able to achieve your fitness goals.

How to burn fat.

We want to exercise so that we feel and look great. Many of us have adopted a workout program to lose weight, and to become healthier. But in order to look our best, we have to burn the fat.

Fat is burned during working out, by increasing the number of reps (Reps are short for repetitions; the number of times you perform an exercise) that you may do during a certain exercise. The higher the reps that you are able to do, the better.

Say for instance you are curling dumbbells; try selecting a weight which will allow you to do reps of 20 to 25. On the last rep, you want to really have to push yourself to complete the set( sets are the number of times you have completed a certain number of reps; example 3 sets of 20 means that you will curl the dumbbell 20 times per set).

Put it in, burn it off!

When trying to lose weight, one must not consume more calories than one is burning. It is just common sense. In order to lose weight, you must make sure that you are willing to maintain a strenuous workout plan which will help you burn the calories. In other words, if you are going to eat that 800 calorie chocolate cheese cake, plan on spending a few more minutes in the gym.
Many people that are in great shape, can sometimes eat what they want, as they are consistently working out and burning calories during their workouts.
The fact that you had to change your diet should not be looked upon as being a bummer. You can eat what you want to eat just as long as you burn if off. Your workouts must be consistent and you must push yourself in order to see results.

Eat more often to lose more fat!

The old notion of three meals per day has gone the way of the dinosaur. Three meals a day is not good for metabolic functioning or energy levels.

A recent study shows that those that ate frequently, preferably 6-9 meals per day average a higher rate of thermogenesis and enjoy better overall health than those who ate less often.

Eating more turns up the energy levels and can have a positive effect on body composition. For overweight people, frequent meals can improve metabolism and regulate insulin levels.

Skipping meals is not a good idea. Skipping meals could slow your metabolism, which could lead to weight gain. Eating more frequent and regular meals also prevents you from feeling hungry and help you curb cravings for simple sugar (junk food)!

And remember, with any dieting, make sure to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Midyear Mindset

At this time of the year I like to look back at the journey that my workout has taken since setting my new goals in January. I have to ask myself if I accomplished my fitness goals. Or am I on track to do so. How are your workouts coming along? Have you stayed focused enough over the past six months to be able to see some measurable results?

June is about the time people begin to fall off if they feel as if they have not achieved anything. Fitness success is often measured by weight loss or by strength gained. But oftentimes we forget to take in consideration that our stamina has increased.

Remember in January you could only do about 5 minutes on the treadmill? Now you are up to an hour or so. Improving your stamina may not have resulted in the flat belly that you wanted, but it will give you the needed energy to step your game up, and increase your workout reps.

So don't despair if you have not loss all the weight that you wanted. Just keep on pushing it to the limit and you will be where you want to be in no time.

Don't Give Up!

For free workout routines, fitness plans, or diet tips, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Warm Up, before you Workout.

Stretching and and warming up your muscles before you workout is very important. Not only does it help prevent injuries and post workout soreness, but it also increases blood flow to the muscles and prepares them to do work. Besides, muscles perform better when they are warmed up and stretched. 

On a cold winter morning, you wouldn't just jump in your car and take off down the road, so why would you expect your body to perform at it peak if you don't warm up before you workout?

For about just about 5 or 10 minutes, you can do a number of stretches and warming up routines. Concentrate on stretching the muscles that you will be working on that day. If you do full body workouts, you can do a light,quarter-mile run on the treadmill; followed by stretching.

So make sure that you consider stretching and warming up as a regular part of your workout routine. It is a small step that will pay hugely towards preventative maintenance, and increase your longevity. Injuries are very detrimental to the achievement of our workout goals. 

Wake up your abs!!

How much muscle would you expect to build in your arms if you always did sets of 20 reps using a weight with which you could easily do 100 reps? The point is, unless you challenge your muscles through resistance that overloads them, they will not get stronger; your abs are no different. They have to be challenged and pushed to the limit to build quality muscle.

There are numerous ab exercises that you can use to and more resistance and weight training to your ab workout. Holding a dumbbell at your side, while bending side ways can strengthen the obliques(side/love handles). Reverse crunches can also help add more variety and resistance to your ab workout. 

Get creative. Put weight training into your ab workouts.

For personal training, fitness tips, diet plans, and workout plans, contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

When is the Best Time to Exercise?

Many fitness experts have debated over this for some time. But research has finally discovered that for fat burning, mornings are the best time to work out.

Of course the best workout time is anytime you do cardio, but to optimize fat burning, workout in the morning. Working out in the morning stimulates alertness throughout the day, controls your appetite, improves mood, and gives you a sense of accomplishment which will increase your metabolism for the remainder of the day.

Evening workouts are good, but they only increase your metabolism up until you go to sleep.

So if you have the opportunity to hit the gym in the morning, maybe before work, do it. 

Advanced Moves for Experienced Weight Trainers

If you're an experienced strength trainer looking for creative ways to make your workouts more challenging - and a little more interesting - try these advanced techniques occasionally: 

• SLOW-MOTION REPS. Take 15 seconds for each repetition: 10 seconds for lifting the weight up and 5 seconds for lowering it.
• DROP-SETS. After your last repetition in a set (typically the one that brings your muscle to the exhaustion point), drop the amount of weight by 20 to 25 percent. Then do three or four more repetitions at this lower weight. Drop-sets can be performed with free weights or machines. However, if you are using a bar, be sure to use a spotter to avoid injuring yourself.
If you feel uncertain about any strength-training technique, always consult a personal trainer or other expert before attempting it.