Workouts

5 Quick Tips to Help You Boost Your Energy: Energy Tips for Women

Have you ever wondered what you can do to get more energy? As women we are ALWAYS running around doing something, which means we need a lot of energy to keep up with everything! Whether working, working out, caring for our families, going to school, or preparing for another day there is always something happening and no time to slow down or recover.

After talking with a few girlfriends last week I realized I wasn’t the ONLY one who was feeling run down and in need of an energy boost. We each shared a few of our favorite strategies for helping us make it through the day or through the week. Check out these 5 quick tips to help you get more energy! Have something that works for you? Make sure you leave a comment below and let us know!

Three Things Every Woman Can Learn From Gina Carano’s Workout

Gina Carano’s workout is intense. She’s driven, focused and works hard. No wonder she is one of the top competitors in Womens MMA.

While Gina Carano’s workout plan is one to be marveled at – watching her workout makes me feel like a pansy – its not a realistic workout for every woman who is trying to get a flat stomach. However, watching her train can give you some inspiration for your own workouts, while you can take away something from the way she trains.

How to Avoid Taking a ‘Gym-Cation’ During the Holidays

Are you on holiday gym-cation? (A vacation from the gym?) Its December — you’ve got too much to do, not enough time so the first thing you do is put a hold on your visits to the gym? Yes, taking a mini-vacation from the gym is the easiest way to find more time in your schedule, but it might not be the smartest or the healthiest.

I completely understand your necessity for more time — especially during the holiday season. Between parties, shopping, crowds, wrapping, traffic and work, any ‘extra’ time we can squeeze into our schedule becomes that much more valuable. Usually the easiest way to squeeze in some extra time is to cut your time spent in the gym. To justify your ‘gym-cation’ you tell yourself you’re too busy, you’ll try to eat better, and that as soon as the holidays are over you’ll be back in the gym.

Flat Stomach Workout: TRX Upper Body Workout

If your winter has been anything like mine – you’ve been stuck inside for WAY too long! Last week the weather finally reached some warmer 2-digit numbers and the sun tried to stay out for more more than 2 hours which meant I could FINALLY get outside to try my NEW TRX Straps!

What is TRX?

Spicing Up Your Flat Stomach Workout

I’m super excited to head to the gym this week because I’m going to have a training partner! Its not going to be a permanent thing, but one of my friends asked me to help her change up her workouts – she’s feeling bored, not seeing results, and frustrated with the combination. So I told her to come with me to the gym and we’ll spice things up — not only will this benefit her, but it’ll be a nice change of pace for me to have someone else to train with.

World of Melissa: Back to Work, Workouts, and Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

You ever have one of those weeks where you don’t do anything spectacular yet the weeks is ABSOLUTELY amazing and you don’t really want it to end?

That was last week for me — I had the week off from work — I didn’t go anywhere — stayed around town — went places at times I usually couldn’t go — like Starbucks at 3pm or the gym at 10 am — it was honestly AMAZING. SUPER relaxing — which was MUCH needed.

However, all that is about to change when the alarm goes off at 5 am tomorrow morning — a new week is going to begin — but this one is filled with a SUPER packed schedule – back to work, workouts and a plane ride!

Flat Stomach Workout of the Week – Upper Body Workout to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

This week’s flat stomach workout focuses on the upper body – an area of concern for many women. No woman wants to be told they have ‘flabby arms’.

Even if it is by a cute kid – that happened to me last week by one of my 4th graders – I know they have no idea – I know my arms aren’t really ‘flabby’ anymore – if anything it makes me want to work harder.

Whenever you are trying to tone an area – focusing on your flat stomach diet – will help to ensure better results then doing a workout program with out any regard to your diet.

Weighing In – The New Trainers on the Biggest Loser

So I have to admit, part of the reason I tuned in to this season of the Biggest Loser was to find out who the new trainers were.

I know I’m not alone.

And now that they have unveiled the new trainers on Season 10 of the Biggest Loser — I thought I’d let you know who they are — give you a bit of my opinion — and find out what you think!

Biggest Loser Trainer – Brett Hoebel

Brett’s been in the fitness industry for 20 years – working as trainer and studying various forms of martial arts. And he’s done his studying….

“I’ve studied, I was a pre-med, there’s a science to training,” he said. “There’s no guesswork on anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology.” He also talked about being overweight as a teen. “It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears,” he said. “That’s what I want to show the contestants.”

This type of knowledge will be extremely beneficial and helpful to the contestants Brett will work with. Understanding how the body works will be helpful when working with the contestants on the Biggest Loser – helping them to lose the most weight possible, while understanding the stress their body is currently under with all that weight.

Brett’s experience as an overweight teen will help him connect emotionally with the contestants — helping him understand what they are going through — which will in turn help him help the contestants deal with the hardest battle in the weight loss process — your mind. His Martial Arts experience will bring another mixture of workouts to the show that will make the show more interesting.

Biggest Loser Trainer – Cara Castronova

A number 2 ranked boxer + double golden gloves winner, new trainer Cara has dealt with her own life full of hardships. After losing her father when she was 14, and her mother just recently Cara will be ready to help the contestants on the show deal with their hardships that have lead to weight gain.

“I’m here to bring back the fighter in each and every one of them,” she said. Her certification as a personal trainer and boxing coach will help her create fighters out of each of the contestants.

The two new trainers on the Biggest Loser will bring a new dynamic to the gym of the Biggest Loser. You can guarantee they will help the contestants make huge drops on the scales (as was already proven in the last few weeks). I’m excited to see what this season will bring….

Do you think the new trainers are as good as Bob and Jillian? Would you have chosen to go with Bob and Jillian or the ‘Unknowns’ if you had to decide that first week?

Health Benefits of Potassium: 6 Foods to Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

When you are told to add salt to your diet – I’m sure you looked at the doctor like they were crazy. However, recent research has found that the health benefits of potassium in your diet can help you lower your blood pressure and in turn help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

Now – when I was little – I always thought that you get potassium from potatoes and if someone ate enough potatoes – well then they’d have enough potassium.

10 Ways I’m Changing My Workout this Winter

Changing up your workout is not only important to keep you mentally sane — who wants to do the same workout day in and day out?  It is imperative in order to continually see your body progress towards your fitness goals.

Its also important to change up your workouts in order to see changes and progression in your body – no matter how lean you are or how many pounds you want to lose there is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS room for improvement.

Here’s how I’m changing my workout this winter:

1. Only hitting the gym 4 days a week
2. Starting with 2 exercises for each body part — 3 sets for the first exercise — 2 sets for the second exercise — increasing the sets/reps and number of exercises each week
3. Training Back with Shoulders two times a week (this is the area I’m trying to improve)
4. Legs and Biceps at the beginning of the week — making sure one of my cardio days is after my leg workout
5. Chest and Triceps once a week — in between my two shoulder/back workouts
6. Cardio is low intensity only three times a week
7. Focusing on lifting heavier weights — making sure to see some improvement each week
8. With heavier weights my reps are only going to be between 4 at the lowest and 8 at the highest
9. Focus is on building muscle not losing weight — need to keep this in mind if I don’t always like what I see in the mirror — its going to pay off in the long run
10. Spending as little time in the gym as possible with the most effective workouts
11. Going to try and incorporate Yoga at least once a week

These are only some of the changes I’m making to my workouts this winter. These changes — while some minor — are made to help me achieve my fitness goals this winter — help me to change my physique and create a better body. Now its off to the gym to make some moves!!

What are you doing to your workout to make improvements to your physique?