Twitter Q&A

This post is from my twitter daily tips of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

It's Friday, it's that day... Q&A Friday!! Ask away with your #diet, #exercise, #nutrition, #stress mgmt, #motivation, #lifestyle questions!

Q: Which nuts are better, walnuts or almonds? A: Walnuts have more fat (good fat) but also more antioxidants & help lower cholesterol.

Q: What are the benefits of using bands? A: Resistance bands offer a convenient, mobile resistance source for doing exercises. Work good!

Q: What is a good exercise for love handles? A: Diet is what will get rid of love handles. To tone the obliques, use core & twisting exercises.

Q: What is better, crunches or situps? A: Both work well of course. Situps work more overall muscles. Crunches are good for upper abs.

Q: I love salty food, is it healthy? A: Depends on what you eat. In moderation. High sodium consumption can lead to high blood pressure.

Q: I just got a treadmill, how long should I use it to lose weight? A: Minimum of 30 min (up to 45 min), 5 - 6 days a week.

#Quote of the day: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France


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I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Very affordable & flexible plans. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com, read through the Online Training & FAQ pages and you can get started today! I'm ready to help you!

Twitter tips of the day

This post is from my twitter daily tips of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

#Diet tip of the day: Need a way to get in your fruit/vegetable servings for the day along with protein? Make protein smoothies! Delicious!

#Exercise tip of the day: You don't need fitness equipment to get your cardio work done. Dance/kickbox/aerobics/jog/sprint- lots of options!

#Quote of the day: He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed. - William James

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Want more than short tips? Want diet & workout articles? Then subscribe to my EZ Home Fitness Motivator Newsletter! http://www.ezhomefitness.com/newslettersignup.htm

I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Very affordable & flexible plans. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com, read through the Online Training & FAQ pages and you can get started today! I'm ready to help you!

Twitter topic of the day: What are you doing to try to put on some weight?

This post is from my twitter daily tips of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is for those trying to gain weight. What are you doing to try to put on some weight?

There are those that wish to gain weight and have trouble doing so. No matter what they do, they can't gain weight. This is a product of a very fast metabolism. Basically, calories are burned before they can be stored into fat or muscle building. Although it's a problem most people would want, it does present a problem for those who wish to gain weight and can't. Can it be helped? Of course and in the very same way as someone trying to lose weight - through proper exercise and diet. The person trying to lose weight has to do long bouts of cardio to burn fat and build their cardiovascular system. The person trying to gain weight should just do moderate bouts of cardio to burn non-muscle building calories and build their cardio. Too much cardio is bad for someone trying to gain weight. Also, not eating enough food to build muscle. Also, close attention must be paid to exercise with an emphasis on a lower rep range. Whether trying to lose or gain weight, proper manipulation of exercise/cardio and diet is important towards achieving your goals. All your body and fitness goals can be achieved through proper diet & exercise.

#Quote of the day: No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change. - Bill Phillips

Get my daily tips & quotes right to your Facebook page, just hit Like on my FB http://www.facebook.com/EZHomeFitness

Want more than short tips? Want diet & workout articles? Then subscribe to my EZ Home Fitness Motivator Newsletter! http://www.ezhomefitness.com/newslettersignup.htm

I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Very affordable & flexible plans. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com, read through the Online Training & FAQ pages and you can get started today! I'm ready to help you!

Twitter Q&A

This post is from my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

It's Friday so you know what that means... it's Q&A Friday!! So, ask away with your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: What's better- tuna or salmon? A: Tuna is a cleaner source of protein. Salmon is a fattier fish but that means higher Omega 3s + protein.

Q: What's the most effective way to workout without a gym? A: With my online training! ;) Use weights, bands, stationary bike, treadmill, etc. The most effective home workout is the one that you do consistently while increasing your intensity.

Q: Is it true that dark chocolate is good for you? A: Yes, there are heart healthy elements in dark chocolate however moderation is key.

Q: How long do I have to be on a treadmill to burn fat? A: Your body doesn't convert to burning fat until the 20min mark so do your cardio anywhere from 30 - 45 minutes for fat burning. Anything over 45 minutes will start burning muscle which is counter-productive.

Q: How long do I have to train for? A: For what? How about making exercise a lifetime habit? Train for health. Train for life.

Q: If you don't want to burn fat, you should do < 30min of cardio? A: Good question! 20min would suffice or lessening the days you do it.

#Quote of the day: Patience and fortitude conquer all things. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Affordable. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com and use the email link there. I hope to hear from you!

Twitter Q&A

I'm here to help inspire you, motivate you and help you reach your fitness goals whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or train for a sport.

I can help you reach your goals & train you in the comfort of your home with my online training system. Affordable. If you are interested in being trained by me with my online training program or want more info, visit my site at www.ezhomefitness.com and use the email link there. I hope to hear from you!

This post is from my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

I wasn't on Friday so I didn't do my weekly Q&A so you'll get 2 this week! {cue the applause} Ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: Is it better to jog outside or on a treadmill? A: It depends on you. Either works. Some like the outdoors. Indoors you have a constancy.

Q: Is cleaning the house good for calorie burning? A: While u do burn some calories, unless you're moving things you won't burn much. But any activity is preferable to sitting on a couch doing nothing! So get active and clean away! ;)

Q: What is the best vegetable to eat? A: Rule of thumb- the darker the greens or color-rich the vegetable is, the more nutritious it is!

Q: Will I burn calories while studying? A: Only if you are extremely stressed & pace the whole time you are studying! Mental calories! ;)

Q: I play basketball, what can I do to increase my jump? A: Plyometric training and leg training.

Q: How do I get rid of the tummy pudge? A: Tighten your diet, especially carbs. Be consistent with diet & cardio. Belly fat is stubborn fat.

Q: What is the worst thing to eat? A: Hi saturated fat foods. Foods with any -"ose" in the label (fructose, etc.).

Q: What exercise is best for my love handles? A: Love handles are better attacked through diet as they are a fat storage area.

#Quote of the day: To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have. - Ken S. Keyes, Jr.

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday! So ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: Jogging hurts my knees, what other cardio can I do? A: Do low impact cardio such as stationary bicycle, swimming, elliptical, etc.

Q: How can I get rid of my post-pregnancy fat? A: The usual way - strict diet, cardio & weights. Work hard and be consistent.

Q: I get winded just going up stairs, how can I do cardio? A: By starting slow, start with 15 minutes/slow pace & slowly add time/intensity

Q: Do I need to do weights to exercise? A: If you want to firm & tone your muscles then you need to add resistance to your exercises. It doesn't have to be dumbbells & barbells. You can also use bands, ankle weights, hand weights, pilates balls, kettlebells, medicine balls.

Q: How long should I exercise each day? A: At least 30 min 4-5 days a week will give you benefits. Adjust your training to your goals.

Q: Is dancing cardio? A: If depends - if you do it for at least 30 minutes, it makes you sweat and breathe hard, then yes! ;)

Q: How much carbs should be taken on 1700cal diet if trying to lose weight? A: Depends on the diet & what stage of it you are on. For this 1700 cal example I will use a starting diet of 50%Carbs/30%protein/20%fat so carb calories would be 850 which = 212.5gms of carbs

Q: My diet worked at first but then I stopped having results, what happened? A: A diet needs constant adjustment as your weight changes.

#Quote of the day: Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent. - unknown

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday! So ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: What is the best breakfast food? A: Oatmeal. It has slow burning carbs & fiber. Low fat. Steel cut oats are even better than regular oats.

Q: Is swimming good for cardio? A: Yes! It's also good for the upper body especially the shoulders. Try intervals with different strsokes!

Q: Do you train people at a gym? A: No, I actually train people in their homes in person and via my online training. No gym required! ;)

Q: I want to gain weight, can you help? A: Yes. The concepts for losing/gaining weight are the same. Just the numbers used are different.

Q: I get bored easily, how do I stay motivated? A: If you are bored then u are not challenging yourself enough. Add variety to your routine.

Q: I'm a 60 year old woman, can I start working out at my age? A: Of course! U will just have to start & take it slower than someone younger.

Q: How do I tone my flappy arms? A: Tighten diet to lose fat. Arms must be worked out with weights and high reps. It's an overall process.

#Quote of the day: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Twitter topic of the day: What is your favorite form of exercise?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is what is your favorite form of exercise to do? What is your favorite type of exercise to do? Weights? Cardio? Pilates? Spinning? Kickboxing? Yoga? Jogging? Swimming?

So many choices! The best form of exercise to do is... any exercise you choose to do that keeps you motivated to keep coming back for more! What's the worst form of exercise? Inactivity. Doing nothing is exactly that. NOTHING. No results, no progress, instead things get worse. There are so many different forms of exercise that there is NO excuse not to exercise. In all that variety there is something you must like. Some people like the treadmill, some people hate it and think it's boring so do no cardio at all. Wrong! Simple solution-find an alternative. Replace the treadmill with a bicycle, stairclimber, elliptical, aerobics... hey, dancing works too! No excuses not to do cardio! But of course, cardio is only one part of the equation. You also have to do some sort of resistance exercise, lots of variety there too! Barbells, dumbbells, machines, bands, medicine balls, kettlebells, pilates balls, stability balls, your own bodyweight -No equipment needed! What's holding you back from finding that favorite form of exercise? Y-O-U. It's certainly not the lack of variety in exercises & options! I have made workouts for people with various disabilities & limitations, with those who have zero equipment, etc. There are always options. My own favorite forms of exercise are stationary cycling, kickboxing, weights, yoga and P90X. Although I'm not the get bored type & usually stick with a routine for a while but I do mix it up every once in a while to change things up. Find what works for you and find what form of exercise appeals to you best and then go get it! Exercise will work for you in so many ways but you have to DO IT. Exercise can't help you if you don't do it. Nothing can if you opt out.

#Quote of the day: Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. - Earl of Derby

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday!! {cue the applause} so ask me your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: Do I need weights to workout? A: No. Weights help but there are other forms of resistance u can use-bands, yoga/pilates balls, your body.

Q: What's the best cardio I can do? A: Any cardio is good cardio. Find what best fits you & wll keep you coming back then do it consistently.

Q: Best way to overcome plateau? A: Be consistent & push harder to force your body past its current comfort level. Up the intensity.

Q: How do you train someone online? A: Innovative online training system lets me train you & get your feedback to keep progress coming.

Q: What do you train with? A: I train with different methods at different times with P90X, weights, cardio & martial arts.

Q: How do I stay motivated? A: You have to stay focused on your goals and you have to WANT it. Keep your eye on the prize. Tunnel vision!

Q: I lost 10 pounds and gained most of it back. What did I do wrong? A: You did the actions but didn't adopt them as habits, so reverted.

Q: What is your top tip? A: Be consistent! You have to show up & work! Even if u think u aren't making progress, you are... on the inside.

Week 1 of P90X down! 83 days to go!

So, my first week of P90X is done! Whew!! As I mentioned in my last blog post, I workout all the time with weights and cardio and I was doing P90X to challenge myself. Challenge myself I did! It was a week of some new things, some not so new and lots of soreness! It was and is a good soreness (as opposed to pain that isn't a good sign to have from a workout)! I love feeling sore from a workout, it tells me I pushed my body. I know that the result of the soreness will be a stronger body the next time I workout.

So day 1 was back & chest which I love to train. This workout consists mostly of pushups and chinups of all kinds. It's tough and tiring but fun. There are P90X workout sheets to keep track of your reps in each exercise so that gives you a good visual to try to beat each time you do the workout. I've always used a workout journal to keep track of my workouts and I highly suggest you do the same with your workouts. While a lot of you may say, pushups and chinups... Oh My! There are ways to do the exercises to make them a bit easier to do until your body gets stronger though. It's all about pushing yourself and bringing it. There's no getting around it, your body will get stronger but you will have to push it. After the workout I did the P90X version of Ab work called Ab Ripper X and whooboy, that title is accurate! 16 minutes of non-stop ab and core work! Mind you, I have strong abs but that was hard! Honestly, I was not able to do all the exercises all the way through but that's ok. I know I will get stronger and better with it in time and that's how you should approach any exercise. Give it your all and do what you can. As you stick to it, you will get better and stronger with it. Same goes for the pushups and chinups. As they say in P90X, do your best and forget the rest.

Day 2 was Plyometrics and they call this workout THE BEAST for a reason. Athletes utilize Plyo a lot to prepare for their sports. It consists of a lot of leg work and jumping exercises. Your legs and feet will take a beating and your heartrate will soar with this workout but its a great cardio workout and you'll find yourself feeling very accomplished when its done! It has a lot of variety with the exercises so you won't get bored with it. In fact I don't think you'll be bored with any the days since they are all very varied and you're too busy getting through the exercises to be bored! Lol. You have to keep track of your heart rate in this workout to make sure you stay in the zone but it will no doubt improve your cardio capacity fast.

Day 3 was Shoulder and Arms which I also love to train. I don't really have a bodypart I don't like to train though. There is more use of the resistance bands & weights in this workout and if you use a heavy enough weight, you'll definitely feel it the next day. To get the most of any exercise, you should always use enough weight to make it hard by the last 3 reps of the exercise.

Day 4 was Yoga X. This is a long 90 minute workout but once you are done you feel great! Most of the other workouts average about 55 minutes long, including warmups and cool downs. The Yoga workout is broken into 3 parts consisting of overall body exercises while your body is fresh and strong, then balance exercises and then core exercises. I like the way its setup and the whole flow of the exercises. Its definitely challenging but you will feel the difference in flexibility by the end.

Day 5 was legs & back. Lots of leg work with back exercises (mainly chinups, yes more chinups!) as breathers. A really good workout! I loved it and my legs definitely felt it the next day. They were already sore from the plyo on day 2 and this workout actually helped lessen the soreness and speed up the healing as the exercises forced blood into the muscles. That's the way to do it. If you just have normal post-workout soreness, the best way to get rid of it is to get the blood flowing in your body through more exercise. The blood helps to flush the toxins and soreness out. It helps with the recuperation process.

Day 6 was Kenpo X. As a lifelong martial artist, this was a workout I was looking forward to. I also found this workout the easiest to do but then again its something I'm used to doing (punches and kicks). This workout works out everything so its a good overall workout and great way to end the week with this last workout! Martial Arts are a great way to work out - the punches work the upper body, kicks work out the lower body and the pace of the workout works your cardio. This workout helps bring all the P90X workout days together. I had a blast!

Day 7 is either a rest day or a day to stretch. The P90X system comes with a stretching DVD and that's what I chose to do after a hard first week of working out. In fact, I plan to do the stretching instead of resting for the entire 90 day duration. Stretching helps not with your flexibilty but helps flush out some of the toxins and post-workout soreness that you may feel. Although stretching should be part of your warmups and cool downs, taking your rest day to stretch is a really good idea. As with all things P90X, the stretching program incorporates various types of stretching (ballistic, static and yoga) and spans about 55 minutes. After a hard week of working out though, its a most welcome and glorious 55 minutes of stretching! :)

I can't wait for week 2!

Time to step it up with some P90X!

New year, new you is one of the mottos I tell my clients but this time I am taking a bit of my own advice. Don't get me wrong, I workout all year round but this time I want to try something different from my weightlifting and cardio regimen so I've decided to do P90X! What is P90X? It's an extreme hybrid of workouts based on muscle confusion designed to get you ripped and in the shape of your life in 90 days. Sounds fun! I know I'm a bit crazy when it comes to workouts so I'm up for the challenge. The workouts consist of different days of many different types of exercises to work out all your major bodyparts and also days of Plyometrics, Yoga and Kenpo (kickboxing). All the workouts are at a fast pace designed to tax you and push you while getting you and your cardio into their best shape ever. It's an intense workout system but the results speak for themselves as its one of the hottest and most effective exercise systems out there. Many celebrities use it to get themselves in quick shape for movies, tours, etc.

As a trainer and now a trainee of the P90X system, I even took the time to become an Independent Team Beachbody Coach because I believe in the effectiveness of the Beachbody home programs so much. They have great programs to workout and get in shape from home (many of which you may have seen in TV commercials) such as P90X, Insanity, Hip Hop Abs, Brazilian Butt Lift and many more. They even have a Shakeology program that lets you get nutritious shakes conveniently sent right to your home to help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol and more. It's all really cool and I felt it was the right fit for me as a Trainer. Not only will it bring my own fitness level to new highs but it will also allow me to make this available to my clients as well.

Today will be my first P90X workout and I will keep you all updated on my P90X journey throughout the next 90 days in this blog. I hope you keep coming back to check on my progress. ;)

If any of you are interested in any of the BeachBody programs such as Brazilian Butt Lift, Hip Hop Abs, P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire and more then please feel free to ask me. As a coach, I'd be more than happy to be your coach and help you figure out which program would be best for you and your needs and also to answer any questions you may have. Ask me how you can save 25% on any program! I can even help you become a Coach yourself and help you inspire others.

Cardio or Weights? That is the question...

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow."
~Doug Firebaugh

To do cardio or not? To do weights or not? 2 simple questions that cause so much confusion to the new exerciser. Well, simple questions usually have simple answers. The answer to both questions is YES!!

Now to give you the longer answer. ;)

No doubt that some form of cardio is necessary. It helps your fitness levels, helps lower stress, strengthens the heart and lungs, boosts your metabolism and helps burn calories. All things that say that doing cardio is very important.

What type of cardio is best? Any that you do! Again, simple answer! ;)
Get your body moving - calisthenics, power walking, jogging, sprinting, circuit training, martial arts, stair climbing, rowing, bicycle riding, ellipticals, treadmills - all ways to work up a sweat and get you huffing and puffing in a good way. To lose weight, my suggestions would range from 3 - 5 times a week of 20 - 45 min. per day of moderate to high intensity cardio. The frequency of doing your cardio would of course be based on your individual goals, fitness level and what equipment you have or don't ahve at your disposal. As with any form of exercise, start slowly with 20 minutes of low to moderate cardio and build up slowly.

Now onto the weights. Some people love weights (like me!) and some hate it but it's a necessary part of working out. For some people who are more out of shape or are older, weight training can come after a few weeks of cardio. Using the cardio period as an adjustment period for the body to get used to exercise as weights work out the body in a totally different way. Typically though you want some sort of resistance training (weights, machines, bands, toning bars, stability balls, pilates balls) along with your cardio. Weight training has the same health benefits as cardio with the added benefits of toning muscles, strenthening bones, making you stronger, preventing or decreasing lower back pain and many more benefits to your overall health and fitness.

What type of weight training is best? Machines are easily accesible in gyms and are a good choice for that reason. Bands, stability balls, toning bars and pilates balls are all good for home use and for beginners to intermediates looking to tone. For building muscle, machines are good but nothing beats free weights. While machines follow a fixed path, they only activate certain muscles while you exercise. Free weights on the other hand activate the main muscle and many more smaller supporting muscles so they build the muscles in a more complete way.

I would recommend doing some light weight training along with your cardio at first and gradually increase the resistance/weight as you get stronger and the exercises get easier to do. For building muscle, you want heavier weights and lower reps in the 6-10 rep range. For toning, you want lighter weights and higher reps in the 12-15 (or even higher with light weights) rep range. Always exercise good form and lift correctly to avoid injury. There are many good sources to learn the proper way to do an exercise. A good personal trainer will analyze and correct your form to make sure it being done in a way that is safe but will maximize your gains from the exercise. Weight lifting puts a different stress on the body than cardio so I would start with weights every other day for a total of 3x a week (for example - Monday, Wednesday and Friday). So cardio every day Monday to Friday and weights on the days above. Weekends free. It will give you a good weekly workout and give your body some time to recover.

So, remember cardio and weights is the simple answer to what you should be doing. So, what are you waiting for? ;)