Cardio- Are you working hard enough?

Two things poeple do- either they are working too hard or not hard enough. If you work too hard, your body will use protein as a fuel. This means you are using muscle as energy. Not good. If you are not working hard enough, you are not burning enough calories to do anything. Everybody has a target heart rate or training heart rate (THR). Your THR will be tracked in heart beats per minute. Most cardio equipment have heart monitors on the handles or you can purchase a heart rate monitor. Here's the simple formula to figure your THR:

220- your age= Max heart rate

Max heart rate x .65= low THR

Max heart rate x .85= high THR

For example, if you are 37 years old your THR will be 119- 156 beats per minute. This gives you a goal to shoot for while you are working on the elliptical, bike, etc.

Shoot for those 5 Meals a day

I can't stress the importance of nutrition enough. You are busting your butt at your workout sessions and during your cardio (or at least you better be), but if you are not eating right- it's all for nothing. The five meals/snacks are going to provide your body with energy throughout the day, which means you are burning calories doing nothing. They are going to repair the lean muscle you are breaking down during workouts and give you a feeling of fullness throughout the day so you are not starving when you get home.
If you still haven't bought into the "5 a day theory," you are only making it more difficult to reach your goal. Do yourself a favor and eat breakfast, add a mid-morning snack, and a late-afternoon snack. Plan your meals, and have a game plan for the day.
Eating healthy is not rocket science. But...it does take preparation, accountability, and motivation. So do yourself a favor and eat 5 a day- it will only improve your life!

Exercise of the Week

Stability Ball Hamstring Curls

This is a moderately challenging exercise targeting your hamstrings. The benefits of using the stability ball are endless. You have to activate your core muscles (deep-abdominal, oblique, and lower back muscles) to help stabilize your spine.

Proper Technique: Place feet on the middle of ball, lift hips to balance. Bend knee to curl hamstring and bring the ball under. Exhale when you pull the ball under. Inhale as your legs extend out.

Target muscles- Hamstrings, glutes, claves

Thanksgiving Week

This is the time of the year I hear every excuse in the book- "I have family in town," I am travelling," I have to try every dessert on the table."
This is the time of the year you need to work hard! Push yourself! Go for a walk, make an extra appointment with your trainer, don't skip cardio, and control your portions at the Turkeyday dinner table.
So, please...move around, stay active, and make good decisions at the dinner table this week. Remember, it will take you any where from 30-50 minutes on the elliptical to burn off 300 calories, and the average Thanksgiving day meal is 3000 calories and 229 grams of fat(http://www.acefitness.org/media/media_display.aspx?NewsID=205)!!! Good Luck!

Nick Clark