HIIT Cardio: Maximize Your Fat Burn

Let's explore a little further...what is HIIT?  How long?  What intensity?  Why should I do it?

What is HIIT:
I have answered before what HIIT is but to refresh:  High Intensity Interval Training.  Before you scoff and say "I can't do HIGH INTENSITY I am just a beginner," hear me out.  This type of cardio can be done by anyone because it is based on your individual tolerance.  I recommend that you get yourself an inexpensive heart rate monitor and use that to track your progress unless you are one of those freaks like me who judges based on feeling like throwing up!

Duration:
You only need 20-30 minutes to perform you intervals.  They will be short in duration, with each interval lasting approximately 60-90 seconds.  You can alternate work intervals and rest periods until you reach your total time.  The rest period should be long enough for your heart rate to return to 60-75% of your max heart rate or in simple terms, you become "conversational" again.  If you still feel like you can't talk then your heart hasn't recovered enough.  TIP:  Make sure you have some motivational music on for those work intervals to get you really moving!

Mode:
Many have asked what is the best machine for me to use for cardio?  Well the answer is there is no answer.  You can perform HIIT cardio machines such as the elliptical, treadmill, spinning bike, stair mill, or stair stepper, or you can also swim or do sprints outside.  No matter your preference of mode of exercise, you should be able to perform HIIT cardio.  As long as you are taking your heart rate up for a period of time and then letting it recover, you are doing it.  Many bootcamps are run as a HIIT cardio type of routine (and you could argue P90X and Insanity are variations of HIIT).

I like to do HIIT on the elliptical that has the arm movement incorporated so I use my total body.  In the following picture you can see my calorie burn in only 25 minutes.  I set the resistance to 10 (out of 20) and used the intervals on a program to keep track of time.  I alternated 1 minute of work with 1 minute of rest for 20 minutes with a 2.5 minute warmup and cooldown.  On the work minutes I kept the RPM around 85-90 (bustin it!) and on the rest I just tried to keep moving.

25 minute HIIT on elliptical calorie burn

Finally, I wanted to show you all my breakfast today.  I am switching things up a bit and trying organic wheat bran in the morning instead of oats.  It will take some getting used to (I love oats!) but let me give you some reasoning.

Organic Wheat Bran (1/2 cup):  20 g carb (14 g fiber), 0 g fat, 4 g protein, 60 kcal

Whole Grain Oats (1/2 cup):  27 g carb (4 g fiber), 2.5 g fat, 5 g protein, 150 kcal

You could also sub an oat bran as well.  Consider switching to an organic bran over the "whole grain." Basically you are getting the part of the grain that contains the best source of insoluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber is good for keeping the digestive system working properly and giving you the extra "roughage" you need.  I would say that most out there are not taking in enough fiber, so this is a great way to up your intake.

Here is my breakfast:

1/2 cup Organic Wheat Bran (cooked with water)

1 packet Truvia

1/2 Tbs. 100% natural cacao

1 scoop whey protein (peanut butter flavor)

Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla roast with 1 packet Truvia...delish!

Gets my day started right and kills the chocolate craving!

Keep the comments coming because they fuel the content!  I love to hear what you guys think.  One simple YES could change your life forever..

A peek inside my kitchen..

I did just get back from the pool so lookin' rough..





Hope this answered some questions!  As always remember, one simple YES could change your life forever!

Real Life RESULTS

Finally convinced my client Markita to give me some before photos.  She was even blown away by her transformation!  Just to give you a little background, when I first met her she was very reluctant about trusting me.  I mean what do I know I just have a couple degrees, a couple certs, and years of experience..pshhh..  Ok enough kidding around.  She followed my advice for nutrition and this is the result of working with me on NUTRITION ALONE.  I repeat, we have not trained a session together. We are going to start very soon, I just had to get some pounds off her to get her to trust me :)

But we are getting there...

Hard work pays off.  Remember one simple YES could change your life forever..

Breakfast and P90X..

I felt the need to address this little number due to increased feedback. Let me say this right up front..IF YOU EMAIL ME YOUR QUESTIONS YOU WILL SEE THESE TOPICS IN THE BLOG. I may not be able to follow up with everyone instantly on an individual basis but I do take into account your feedback and most importantly I AM LISTENING. Take note that is all a girl wants..to be listened to right?!

 Let's start with breakfast. It's in the name and it needs to happen fast, I get it. But please, don't skip it. It is true what they say about breakfast and you NEED to be eating it. I can't emphasize enough. For those of you wondering what my breakfast often consists of I will share it with you now. I have this with my green tea every morning. Don't cringe..

 All Mixed Together:
1/4 cup oats (not instant)
1 scoop isolated whey protein (peanut butter flavor)
1/4 cup blueberries

This is the chocolate version of some great-tasting whey protein

It is the perfect blend of carbs and protein. Best part is that it tastes GREAT. My favorite is the peanut butter flavor, but you could also use chocolate (duh!) or vanilla for some great tasting oats.  With the protein there is no need for artificial sweetener or sugar. One important note to consider is that you microwave the oats with water (how much depends on the consistency you desire) and then add the protein AFTER YOU HAVE MICROWAVED THE OATS. Do not microwave protein, just don't.

AKA Glorified Cardio

Moving on to P90X/P90X2/Insanity/Whatever they are calling it these days.  Many, many, many people ask me which of these programs they should be doing and which one is the best bang for the buck, etc.  I have to be honest, all these programs look exactly the same to me.  Do they work?  Of course they work, it is glorified cardio!  The truth is this:  I would seek out a local trainer running a bootcamp and sign up immediately.  Find a reputable trainer with good reviews and a solid base.  Most bootcamps run anywhere from $10-$30 per class and could be less expensive in the long run than continuously buying the newest, latest "fad workout trend."  If you could spend $150 for absolutely no results but add a DVD that is no fun to watch to your collection or $300 for results that last a lifetime what would you do?  Duh, no brainer.  I may be a little biased be it that I am a trainer but here is why you should take my advice:

ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!!!!

I can't emphasize enough.  If I go into your home and see P90X, P90X2, and Insanity in your DVD collection I have to wonder, why do you keep buying these workout programs if they don't work?  And why don't they work for you?  Simple. BECAUSE YOU DON'T DO IT.  Or you don't do it right, often enough, or you don't fuel right.  Come on admit it, you may think you do it...but really? REALLY?  Those working with a trainer are 200% more likely to reach their goals do to accountability and consistency.  Commit to a few months of a bootcamp over a few months of "maybe you will pop in the DVD after a long day at work but probably not."  Guarantee you that if you pay for that trainer then you are going to those bootcamps and you are getting results.

Be sure when you look for a trainer you type in a google or bing search for "personal fitness trainer" or "bootcamp" in your local area and DO YOUR RESEARCH.  Make sure the professional you choose is certified and reputable.

Put it this way, I would rather have my clients who do not live close to me anymore working with a trainer over buying a workout program from me or using P90X.  Why?  Because I know that client will continue to get results.  That is what it is all about people.  As always remember, one simple YES could change your life forever..

All About Cardioooooooo

I have some time to kill at the airport so I thought I would answer a question I often get from clients..

Liz, what should i do for cardio?

?????

There a couple different options for you.  First let me reiterate that you SHOULD BE LIFTING WEIGHTS.  Any questions about what is the best exercise for fat loss should see earlier post "Cardio or Weight Training???" but just I will save you some reading and say WEIGHT TRAINING.  But yes cardiovascular training otherwise known as moving, cardioooooo, or taking the stairs is important for cardiovascular health, endurance, and maintaining stamina as you age (hint, hint).

He needs to work on those chicken legs!

There are three main points I want to make about cardio, an emphasis on intensity, duration, and frequency.  Mode of exercise is much, much less important than many so called "fitness gurus" make it out to be.  You should perform the type of exercise that you enjoy doing, otherwise the odds of you doing it are pretty slim.  If you enjoy walking, you should walk not run.  If you enjoy a spin bike, you should spin not run.  Not that have anything against running, just that most people absolutely destroy their body by overtraining.  If you are interested in a more specific running program, message me directly.  That's all the time I will spend on that.

There are two paths you can take.  You can go low intensity or high.  If you choose low, that is fine but it will impact your duration.  I define low intensity as exercise during which you break a sweat but you are still able to have a conversation.  For most people, this will be about 50-65% of your heart rate max (220-age).  My low intensity exercise consists of walking on the treadmill at full incline and speed 2.5-3 mph for 45-60 minutes.  I do the incline to emphasize the glutes but for many beginners this incline might kick you into a moderate intensity so find a good baseline and work your way up.

My favorite image that describes why moderate training is NOT a good way to exercise:

Moderate intensity vs. HIIT

If you choose high intensity, you best bet will be high intensity interval training (otherwise known as HIIT).  HIIT consists of short, high intensity bursts of activity followed by rest periods.  You can achieve this in a number of modes of exercise.  Often people get caught up in thinking sprints are the only way you can achieve HIIT, but this is not the case.  You can perform interval training while swimming, cycling, or even performing short circuit exercises such as burpees (AKA updowns or get in push up position then stand up and jump).  For beginners, start out with a 20 second interval followed by a 1 minute rest.  You should aim for 20 minutes of interval training when you first start out and you may build up to 30 minutes.  The best part about interval training?  You can do it in your living room.  If you need a burpee tutorial call me and we will set that up!

For duration, you should perform low intensity for a minimum of 30 minutes.  The reason is that you want to get into fat-burning mode and it takes longer.  Your best bet is to build up to 45-60 minutes of low intensity cardio.  For HIIT, you can get great workouts in only 20 minutes.  HIIT should be performed no more than twice per week unless you are an athlete training for a specific event.  I know the Olympics are coming up, but don't get any crazy ideas and get hurt because that will only kill your fitness goals.

One more point I want to make about timing.  If it is possible, perform your low intensity cardio in the morning upon waking BEFORE BREAKFAST.  The reason is this:  get your body burning fat and activate the metabolism right when you wake up.  Do NOT do HIIT before breakfast.  Your body cannot handle high intensity exercise without being properly fueled but you should be able to handle low intensity on the stores you have.  If you don't have time to go to the gym then power walk the dog for 30 minutes.  You both will benefit.  And if you don't want to wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal you should analyze how important your goals are.  Try to wait 30 minutes after you exercise to eat breakfast.  Walk the dog, get ready for work/school, then eat your healthy breakfast and you will be ready to tackle the day and be well on your way to hitting your goal.

In summary, your weekly cardio might look something like this:

Monday: Incline Treadmill 30 minutes AM
Tuesday: HIIT on the bike 20 minutes PM
Wednesday: Walking outside 30 minutes AM
Thursday: HIIT (burpees, jumping jacks, squats) PM - in the your living room
Friday: Walking stairs 30 minutes PM
Saturday: staying active
Sunday: staying active


It may not seem like a lot of cardio to some of you that have been told you need to kill it every day for hours upon hours.  If you follow a clean, healthy diet and lift weights you will not need to do obscene amounts of cardio to lose weight.


One simple YES could change your life forever..

FOR WOMEN ONLY! Men Have Been Warned...

Annnnnnnnnnndddddd I'm BACK!  Whew thanks again Apple for being the absolute best company in the world and saving my laptop :)

Men have been warned, this post pertains to women!  Although if you are smart, you might continue reading and gain some very useful insight that might save your life one day...

In light of some recent requests and speaking with women in my life, I have come to the conclusion that many sources of information regarding health and fitness ignore a topic that should be covered.  Maybe it is due to more men writing fitness articles than women, but I am going to go out on that limb and talk about all kinds of controversial topics so here we go.  Periods, menstrual cycles, mother nature, that "time of the month," or whatever you want to call it.  Let's just get it out in the open.  We (women) all have them, at least most of us do.  The reason I bring it up is that often it affects workouts with female clients and I know there are those of you out there who just can't workout for 3-5 days every month.

First, make every effort you can to continue to get moving and get your workouts in.  The key here is increasing BLOODFLOW.  Which, now that I type it, may seem counterproductive but let me explain. When you lay on the couch in the fetal position because you feel like your insides are being ripped out of your body, all you can feel is the pain.  If you can bring yourself to take the dog for a walk, your internal bloodflow will begin to redirect to working muscles, and also your uterus.  This sets off a cascade of effects resulting in released "good feeling" endorphins, reduced cramps, and elevated mood. If your mood and fatigue improve, then so will everyone else's in your life..

I do realize that some of you girls reading this may think there is no way you can exercise.  The pain is just too intense.  For this, I am going to suggest a different remedy.  There does exist a solution to the inconvenience of a heavy menstrual flow and/or cramping.  This remedy is not coming from a doctor and I recommend anyone to consult their physician before trying any new vitamins or supplements.  In other words, I am just sharing what works for me!

As most of you know, I do take a number of vitamins daily to improve my health and workouts, and supplement my diet.  However, on the first day of the month that I feel symptoms start, I start a specific vitamin cocktail that saves my butt and allows me to keep rocking my workouts.  I take this one time a day for the duration of the cycle (usually 4-6 days).

-------******** I AM NOT A DOCTOR! ******** ---------

WOMEN'S MONTHLY COCKTAIL:
200 IU Vitamin E
8000 IU Vitamin A
50 mg Zinc
18 mg Iron (note: I always take 18 mg of iron daily but I take an additional one with the cocktail)

-------******** THIS IS NOT A PRESCRIPTION! *******-----------
-------******** INSERT OTHER DISCLAIMER HERE!******------

Now, I am going to give credit where credit is due.  My client Angel gave me the tip of taking these vitamins TOGETHER.  I was taking zinc, iron, and E but not together and vitamin A only occasionally.  Please, please, please be careful with vitamin A as it is very toxic when taken for a long duration.  Vitamin E and A are both fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the are not excreted through water-soluble means such as urine and can build up in the body quickly.  So as soon as you are done with your monthly cycle, I recommend you go back to your regularly scheduled vitamins.  I also take other vitamins and I continue with those like normal.

All things considered, I encourage you to give a shot and see if it helps you out.  The more excuses you can eliminate for getting your workouts in the better!  Remember, one simple YES could change your life forever..

For more info on VITAMINS:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html

Cardio or Weight training???

I have to address this as many people often ask me which type of exercise is best for them based on condition x, y, z, etc.

Excuses (as I so gently label them):
"I only have 30 minutes.."
"I only have a treadmill in my basement.."
"Lifting heavy weights is hard..."
"I don't really want to gain muscle.."
"I just want to lose weight.."
And my personal favorite:  "I don't want to get bulky."

Okaaaaaayyyyy.  Brace yourself.  If you only have time for one type of exercise choose WEIGHT LIFTING (resistance training).  It works 100% of the time every time.  Get it?  Now for the ladies, don't worry.  Resistance training encompasses everything from dumbbells and barbells to resistance bands and plyometric training.  Any situation in which the body is placed under a load, be it from gravity or a weighted object, you are participating in weight training.  And NO you will not get bulky, unless of course you are injecting something I don't know about.  If you are not taking anything synthetic and you get bulky I will be making you rich anyways because you are a freak of nature and you will be the next bodybuilding champion with endorsements from every meathead supplement company this side of the Atlantic ocean.  Just sayin.

This lady lifts weights!!!!

And so does she!!

I don't see much wrong with the way they look and I am sure you don't either.  But that isn't what most women do.  Instead when I go to the gym, this is mostly what I see:

And usually she is more out of shape than this lady!

This usually goes on for rows and rows... and I have to wonder what juice these people are drinking.  Next time you go in the gym, look in the free weight section of the gym.  Then look at the cardio section.  What do you notice about the people?  I guarantee you more tone, in shape people are LIFTING WEIGHTS.  "But I am not in good enough shape yet to lift weights.."  Well do you use the toilet?  Oh you do?!  Guess what: you squat.  Do you ever pick something up that is dead weight off the ground?  Guess what: you deadlift.  Do you ever lay on the ground and then have to get up?  Guess what: you do a version of a Turkish get-up.  Look at you all rocking advanced moves and stuff.

I am a little hard on cardio aren't I?  Ok yes it is good for your "cardiovascular health" to move around. And if you need a machine to make you move then go ahead and hop on the treadmill.  Like this guy...

I swear I didn't make this up.

Yes that's right.  A treadmill with wheels...not to be confused with...THE GROUND.  If someone actually made money off this invention there may be no hope for humanity.  To me, when I go in gyms and see people on cardio I see this:

Makes sense when you think about it.  We made boxes for us to go inside to move.  There's a whole world out there and we need to get back to using it!

Ok I'm off my soap box.  Moral is this: do some resistance training and get off your butt and move!  Do whatever is fun for you as long as you move, but if you only have room, time, energy, money for one, make it resistance training.  You will increase your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and burn more calories throughout the day as well as increasing strength, flexibility, and stamina.  You will increase blood flow to your muscles, increase insulin sensitivity, increase lean body mass, increase bone density, increase HDL, and increase your basal metabolic rate.  Your blood pressure, LDL, cholesterol, and body fat will all decrease.  Not to get too scientific on you but in summary, it will help you REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS faster than any other mode of exercise.

In other news, tonight I made a fantastic Mexican frittata and because I am awesome I will share.  The prep and cook time takes about 15-30 minutes depending on if you use a food processor.  My ingredients included eggs, almond milk, lean ground beef, spinach, peppers, onions, mushrooms, bok choy, and cilantro.  I threw it all over some eggs and almond milk (to give it some consistency) and cooked on medium.  Great thing about this recipe is it is packed with lots of colorful veggies and low-carb so good for the evening.  Time to take this puppy for a walk...remember as always, one simple YES could change your life forever..

Ingredients prepped and ready to go..

Everything in the pan...

Ready to enjoy!

Obviously it was a hit...no I did not eat half by myself!