Muscles that workout well together!

If you’re in the stage where you are working out strong and eating right, but you still want to take full advantage of making your muscles ‘pop’, then try working out the same muscle groups together every week!

Start off the week working your Chest and Triceps together on the same day. At first you may be confused as to how those two muscles work together to give you results – but over time you will be surprised that the two are needed together to help get through your lifting  chest or tri workouts. Work them through 3 different sets of workouts with little sets in between. When I start my week, on Mondays I choose 3 different chest workouts and 3 different tri workouts. Among each ‘set’, it is best to build up ‘reps’ or counts for each movement you are performing. Start off with a rep of 10 (which means a count of 10) and then add an additional one every few weeks. I started working out doing just 10 reps but gained the strength up to 15 counts for my current workouts. In one 45 minute workout session I am able to work through 3 different sets with a total of 90 reps (that’s 45 per muscle group) with each set!

To break it down:

3 sets = the total of your lifting workout for the day

1 set = two workouts (one chest and one tricep)

1 workout = a rotation of 3 full reps of one muscle

Full rep = a count of 10-15 times on each muscle

So, if you lost count, that’s 10x3 = 30 (total counts per muscle) x2 = 60 reps per set!

Or if you were taking the maximum amount of reps it would be 15x3 = 45 (total counts per muscle) x2 = 90 reps per set!

It is important to remember to let your muscles breathe by rotating in between each full rep. After you do 10 reps on your chest, head over to the tricep pull-down and do 10 reps on that. Keep going until you have completed 3 full reps of each – and then onward to your next set!

Additional muscle groups that workout well together:

Back and Biceps – with these try to rotate workouts each week so that you are targeting your upper and lower back differently.

Legs and Shoulders – with these try to rotate workouts each week so that you are targeting your upper and lower legs differently.

TIP OF THE WEEK: if you are going for size over tone, try increasing your weights and decreasing your reps - this will help your body push through to make room for even bigger muscles :)

For further questions about muscle groups, check out this online article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/343688-what-body-parts-should-i-work-together-in-the-gym/

Cheers!

Meg

Pre & Post Workout Foods

So you’re starting at the gym, you have your workouts down…but you’re still eating the same  -_-

You need to get yourself into your own little habits of proper eating. In order to make sure your body is rewarded for all of its hard work through the workouts, make it happy :) Before even beginning the day and heading to the gym, you need to reserve some special time making yourself the biggest meal of the day – BREAKFAST!

Start off with eggs - alternate days of eating just the egg whites or the whole thing (I have two every morning). Cook them in boiling water – so they’re poached (which means no oils or butter). Set aside a single piece of dry wheat Ezekiel toast (organic and gluten-free). Finish with a large blend of your own fruit smoothie. My personal creation: 2 whole bananas, crushed ice, Greek non-fat vanilla yogurt, a little bit of milk and a touch of vanilla extract). I LOVE bananas. After every little bit is gone, get going to the gym!

After your amazing, dripping sweat off of your face workout, eat again! The key is to allow your body to properly recover from your workout. In order to do this, you need to focus on foods that help your muscles recover and your energy restore itself. Almost four times a week I make myself an awesome protein salad! I get a power blend bag that is mixed with spring garnishes like spinach and kale. I cook fresh, organic chicken tender filets and then cube them up to throw onto my salad. I like to have a little zest so red onion is a must! Blue cheese is a weakness of mine so I typically LOVE to add these little crumbles into nearly EVERY salad I eat. Then, I go CRAZY on the nuts! I use a special pre-mixed blend of all types of nuts, seeds and berries. Pistachios, almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries are all thrown into the mix! Last, I finish with a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing.  

It’s okay if you don’t have the time or money to run out and buy all of these great foods – there are plenty of other snacks that will substitute just fine for your body’s best results. Something with a proper balance of carbs, proteins, and fats will be the best option for you. Chocolate milk, rice, potatoes, cheese and crackers, or even a simple peanut butter sandwich will work just perfectly. If you are still looking for even further options, check out this great article I found of 50 awesome pre- and post- workout foods!

http://greatist.com/fitness/50-awesome-pre-and-post-workout-snacks

Cheers!

Meg

What works for YOU?!

Now that you have a gym down, what do you do? There are all of these weird machines and equipment and you don't know what to start with or how to use them properly. You may be feeling overwhelmed. You want to shave about 15 pounds off of your stomach, but you also want to lose that underarm hang, firm up your booty, slim your waist, and may as well throw in tone up your arms and show off some muscle on those upper arms! Basically, after choosing a gym you thought you were at this ==> :D when in reality, you are actually starting to feel like this ==>   :/   :[   :-O

To begin with workouts, figure out what makes YOU happiest. Maybe you actually enjoy a nice run to get lost from all of that work you have to do at home. Maybe you jump around from different machines because you cannot wait to dive into all of those in front of you! Maybe the gym you chose has a pool and you would rather swim off your cardio than run straight for an hour on a treadmill. Start the first week off trying anything and everything to find what you like best - but remember to take one day at a time.

If you ultimately started at a gym to lose weight, cardio will become your new best friend :) Try doing a series of different machines instead of sticking to one. Set yourself distance goals and try to go a little bit further each day. The treadmill is great for warming up and cooling down for the beginning and ends of your workouts. The elliptical is great for seeing how long you can move without stopping. Maybe throw in a bike ride and see how many miles you can go before you feel like you are going to pass out. Stick to the cardio first, and then worry about toning up your body later.

Now, if you are already at the point where you look in the mirror at your fabulous self every morning, thinking: Look at that body! It's perfect...except my skinny arms and chicken legs could be a little bigger - then the machines are for YOU! Start targeting the same muscle groups one day at a time. Try doing all back machines one day and then all leg machines the next. Consistency is key! Remember to rotate your groups each week, trying to touch everything in one week and then back on the same routine next week. Make your body have something to look forward to. Arrange a fun schedule for you to follow each week:

Monday Arm Madness

Tuesday Back Toning

Wild Weights Wednesday (this would be your choice each week)

Thursday Shoulder Throw-Down

Friday Fun-Runs!

Saturday: sleep in?

Whatever your new schedule may be, remember to stick with it and have fun with it!



Cheers!
Meg

Image Credit: http://shannonseeley.blogspot.com/

Start at a gym!

Many of you starting off and getting into the 'fitness fad' may be wondering what types of workouts are truly the best for your body. Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe it isn't the weight but more so about the way your arms look, your legs, or your booty :) Whatever it may be, you can start lifting that stressful weight off of your shoulders at the gym. Take some time for yourself when choosing the right gym that fits your weighted schedule.

Many gyms offer 'trial' weeks for free that allow you to use everything that comes with the package. Take dear advantage of these! See what equipment looks the most appealing to you and see what training options are included. Heck! You can even bounce around multiple gyms for an entire month using all of the 'free-week' trial periods before even having to pay anything.

Planet Fitness is a great gym for those working on a college budget (like myself). They have an offer of merely $10 a month to use all of their clean, wonderful machines. So - get yourself to a gym over the next week and see what options are out there!

Cheers!
Meg










Image Credit: http://leanitup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Free-Toronto-Gym-05.jpg