Training and Nutrition Tip – Plateau’s

Sometimes a plateau is reached in your training program after initial progress. This is due to your body being lighter and burning less energy with every activity you do. To get over this plateau either increase your activity, consume a little bit less food with each meal, or a combination of both. If you are trying to gain lean muscle mass then you need to consume more calories during each meal. Measure your progress often so you can adjust your plan and minimize the occurrence of these plateau’s!

Nutrition Tip – Protein Intake

To reduce body fat, improve muscle mass and recovery, and boost your metabolism, ensure that you are consuming an adequate amount of protein by eating protein dense foods with each meal. A portion size is about the size of the palm of your hand. Women should have one portion per meal (20 – 30 g) and men should have two (40 – 60 g).

Exercise Nutrition Tip – Recovery Drink

What you eat before and after exercising is very important in your recovery and progress. 20150316_143902-1[1]If nutrition at these times is neglected then consequences such as extended muscle soreness, fatigue, overtraining symptoms, decreased performance, loss or minimal gain of muscle mass, and impaired metabolism may occur. To avoid this make sure you are consuming an appropriate amount of protein and carbs during this time. A good baseline recovery drink recommendation after your workout is for each hour of exercise cosume 600mL of water mixed with a quality protein powder that gives you approximately 30g of carbs and 15g of protein.

Quick Tabata Workout

Hey everyone, I have a new Home Workout of the Week for you to try!

This Quick Tabata Workout will get your heart pumping, calories burned, and muscles pumped.  As always make sure that you pay special attention to your form in order to get the best and safest results.

Tabata workouts are quick but intense.  With the warm-up, you should be able to complete this workout in about 30 minutes but if you need to take longer breaks between each Tabata then that is perfectly ok.  In time with consistent workouts you will build up your endurance and intensity.

Have fun and get sweating!

Quick Tabata Workout

Tabata Protocol – 20 seconds of as many reps as you can do followed by 10 seconds of rest; 4 rounds of each pair of exercises followed by a 1 minute rest before moving on to the next pair of exercises

Warm-Up

  • 10 Spinal Rotations for each side
  • 10 Shoulder Circles for each arm
  • 12 Body weight Squats
  • 10 Pushups
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks

Tabata 1

Tabata 2

Tabata 3

Tabata 4

 

Lateral Lunge Helicopter

Hey everyone!  It’s time for another Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have combined two exercises in one to really burn your legs out and get your heart rate up.

The exercise is called the Lateral Lunge Helicopter and it’s going to target all the muscles of the lower body.  It’s a plyometric move as well so get ready to sweat as your heart rate increases to pump all the oxygenated blood to the working muscles!  You’ll not only be working your lower body but you will be working on your cardiovascular conditioning as well.

Also, if you hold a dumbbell with both hands in a half curled position while doing the movement you can get a good isometric bicep workout during the set!

Let’s take a look at how to do the Lateral Lunge Helicopter properly.

  • stand tall with your shoulders back and your feet shoulder width apart
  • lunge to your right and keep your body weight on your right heel
  • keep your left leg straight while squatting down on your right leg
  • push up through your right leg back to the starting position
  • squat down on both legs and then jump as hard as you can and turn 180 degrees in the air
  • you’ll now be facing the opposite direction
  • lunge to your left side to work your left leg and repeat the movement

So there you have the Lateral Lunge Helicopter!  It is quite challenging but once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to add this in to your lower body or full body workout routine.  Nothing gets you results more quickly than plyometric and dynamic movements!

Happy jumping and I’ll see you next week with another new exercise!