Make your workouts count

Your exercise assignment:
1. 3 20-60 minute cardio workouts. (Start or end your workout with 10-15 minutes on the stair master.)
2. 2-4 20-60 minute resistant training workouts. (Perform the circuit below for a fat burning workout.
3. Nutrition: Eat 5-7 small meals a day.

Body maintance: 2-3 workouts a week (2-3 hours a week)
Body Change: 3-6 workouts a week (4-6 hours a week)


In a world that is increasingly busy, and there never seems to be enough time for exercise, how do we make our workouts produce satisfying results when fitness cannot always be the priority?

1. Set realistic goals for your weight loss plan. Making fitness a lifestyle is a lifelong process, and it takes consistent focus and consistent action in order to produce results. Determine your weekly exercise frequency and duration. Be realistic and honest with yourself. Unfortunately fitness cannot be our #1 priority every day, however it still is a necessary component of living fit, healthy, and energetic. Three to five 30-70 minute workouts a week, combining both cardiovascular and resistance training, coupled with a solid nutrition program, will produce results. "Incremental changes create monumental movements." Building lean muscle mass and burning fat will take time. If you are patient and consistent with your workouts and nutrition, your body will respond and you will be satisfied with your fitness game plan.

2. Exercise with intensity and purpose. Though it seems like a great time to read a book or watch the news, your cardio workouts require your undivided attention. Remember, if time is short and your cardiovascular workouts are less than 45 minutes, moderate to high intensity is necessary to burn fat and produce results. When working out with weights or taking a strength class, set a purposeful goal for yourself for each workout. Again, if you are only doing three workouts a week, then it is vitally important that you make each one count. Circuit training is fundamentally essential to your workout plan when you are short on time. Choose weight that will fatigue your muscles at repetition 15. Rest no more than 30-60 seconds in between exercises. Stand on the edge of yourself for 65-80% of the workout. Intensity and purpose will produce results.

Sample circuit: Do each exercise for 15 repetitions and perform circuit 4xs. Choose weight that will fatigue your muscles at rep 15.
* Squat
*Jumping Jacks
* Stationary or walking lunge
*Chest Press on Stability ball
*Push ups on knees or toes
*Jumping Jacks
*Assisted Pull up or Lat Pull down on FM Machine
*Step ups with a balance hold (15 each leg)
*Shoulder press on FM machine or with dumbbells
*Plank with single knee in , 20-30 reps (with purple disc, or hands on bosu, or feet on bosu)
*Basic crunch with light dumbbell in hand, 25 reps

3. Nutrition: Eat 85% clean. Everything in moderation, right? Though this is a simplistic statement, obviously this is not easy. However, if we consume food that is 85% clean and nutritionally solid, then our small treats and cheats will not sabotage our fitness game plan completely. Remember, food is fuel. Fuel is energy. Energy will enable workouts to be productive and purposeful. Fill your tank with high octane fuel and you will achieve high standard results.

A few fundamental tips:
*Start each day with 1 8oz glass of water and a solid breakfast of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat.
*Eat 5-7 nutrient packed meals a day and drink 8 8oz glasses of water daily.
*Plan and pack your daily meals
*Do no wait to you are hungry. Low blood sugar= bad food choices.

See you in the gym.