Save 20% by Dec 19 - Happy Holidays from MyBodyBeats

Fitness professionals and professional hopefuls go to Mike Davies , founder of The Fitness Factory, to whip their bodies into peak physical condition. His clientele includes the three-time reigning Ms Olympia, Adela Garcia, Jen Hendershott, and the past 3 Fitness National Champions.

Now you have access to his training regimes and can experience one-on-one coaching with the world famous Mike Davies, trainer to the Pros! Download his LEG DAY video workout featuring one of his clients, IFBB Fitness Pro Nicole Duncan.

Download here

View a preview and download here >>


About the workout:

Want a tighter, more firm butt? What if you could build a set of lean, sculpted legs at the same time? That is exactly what this no non-sense workout by one of the most sought after personal trainers in the fitness industry can do for you.

Main Muscles Worked:
Legs, Hips, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Glutes

Exercises:
Leg Extensions and Lying Leg Curls
Walking Lunges with 45 lb Plate Push
Stationary Step Ups with Hop Ups
Leg Presses Giant Set
Inchworm Stretch

Equipment:
Leg Extension Machine
Lying Leg Curl Machine
45 lb Plate
Flat Bench
Dumbbells
Leg Press Machine

MyBodyBeats.com Introduces Downloadable Video Workouts

Atlanta, GA (October 21, 2009) – MyBodyBeats.com, a fitness website that produces and distributes the highest quality downloadable workouts for handheld portable devices from top fitness professional athletes and fitness coaches, today announced the launch of MyBodyBeats Video Workouts. It is the only portable video workout of its kind which combines video demonstration with audio coaching by the athletes themselves, giving users a unique one-one-one training experience with their favorite professional fitness athletes.

“Adding MyBodyBeats Video Workouts to your fitness program is the most convenient and affordable way to achieve better results from your workout,” said Nikki Canty, CEO of MyBodyBeats. “Where else can you watch your fitness idols sweating to perform the exercises, then coach you rep by rep for you to perform the moves?”

MyBodyBeats Video Workouts consist of the exact training regimes that have propelled these athletes to their peak fitness and can be customized so that people of all fitness levels from beginners to Pros can have a challenging workout. Each workout is infused with the Pros personality, secret exercises, tips, and motivation.

The Save Fitness Boot Camp by IFBB Professional Tanji Johnson, Legs with the Champ by IFBB Fitness Professional and Phat Camp creator Jenny Hendershott, and Leg Day by owner of The Fitness Factory, Mike Davies are available now at www.MyBodyBeats.com for only $16.99 each. MyBodyBeats Video workouts by Beth Horn, Venom on American Gladiators, IFBB Professional athlete Heidi Fletcher-Sullivan, IFBB rising star Erin Stern, and a pregnancy workout by IFBB Professional Carla Sanchez are scheduled for release.

MyBodyBeats Video Workouts are available for download to computer, or any MPEG-4 compatible device like mobile phones, the iPod, iPhone, or Zune and is always available online at www.MyBodyBeats.com.

About MyBodyBeats.com

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, MyBodyBeats, LLC was founded by Nikki Canty and Cory Canty in 2006. MyBodyBeats.com is the result of over three years of effort by the founders to create, produce, and market convenient, entertaining, affordable, and most importantly, effective workouts by the very best and most recognized names in the bodybuilding and competitive fitness segments of the active health and fitness market. For more information please visit www.MyBodyBeats.com.

Press Contact:

Nikki Canty

MyBodyBeats, LLC

+1.404.805.3813

nikki.canty@mybodybeats.com

Email contact

7 Tips to Improve Your Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals

Coaches spend their careers trying to tap into their athletes’ mental toughness. Coaches know that they have to train the mind just as they train your body. Being psychologically strong and mentally tough can be a more important characteristic than being physically strong. Personal trainers realize this, too and practice a lot of the same techniques that coaches use. Your mind can push your body to perform beyond the physical actions you ‘think’ you can do. Have you ever had a personal trainer say, “Last set.” Then you pump out fifteen reps, not sure that you’re going to complete the last three only to hear your trainer say, “Give me five more!”? Of course you have! And I’ll bet that you finished those extra five reps, even when you thought you couldn’t, right? This is mental toughness.

Mental toughness is difficult to explain, but we all know what it is. It’s a powerful combination of will, determination, focus, confidence, conviction, and passion. It’s the unwavering self belief that, “I can do it.”

Many people believe that this quality cannot be taught, that you’re either born with mental toughness or you’re not. I, on the other hand, believe that you can be taught mental toughness. All you have to do is watch one episode of The Biggest Loser and see trainer Jillian Michaels hammer “You Can Do It!” into the minds of those contestants who have lost the ability to push themselves.

So what can you do if you don’t have a personal trainer or a coach to pull this toughness out of you?

Here are some tips for ways you can improve your own mental toughness so that you can achieve your physical or athletic goals. (Although some of these can be applied to help you reach just about any goal.)

Challenge yourself with your workout
When you ‘think’ you can’t do any more or go any further, do it anyways.

• Add another set.
• Increase the reps in your last set by five, even when your last few reps were difficult.
• Run just one more mile.
• Run as far as you ‘think’ you can in one direction without thinking of the way back.
• Just when the timer on your ‘thirty minutes’ on the elliptical ends, increase your time by ten more minutes.
• Quit counting reps all together. Try doing as many reps of an exercise as possible in a given amount of time. For example; do as many bicep curls as your can in two minutes or as many crunches as possible for the length of a song.

Find What Motivates You
Motivation is at the core of mental toughness. To stay motivated, you must first find out what personally motivates you. Are you motivated by winning or being the best? Enter a competition or a race. Or get a training partner and have mini competitions for who can push out the most reps or lift the most weights. Are you motivated by the fear of failure? Tell your friends and family about your goal and ask them to hold you accountable. Find your motivation and let it drive you.

Give Yourself Pep Talks
Coaches give pep talks it before games. Trainers pep you up to complete your reps. Be your own pep rally. Remind yourself why your training so hard, tell yourself to pull it together, push through, get your fat but off the coach…whatever brings out your second wind. Repeat this in mantras to yourself. It may feel awkward at first, but talking to yourself will pay off.

Acceptance
Accepting that there will be people who won’t believe in you, that there may be set backs, there may be activities you won’t be able to perform, parties you may miss, and deserts you won’t taste. Accepting these things and move on. Don’t dwell on things that will harvest negative energy.

Focus
Focus on your goals and focus on the steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Visualize achieving your goals and don’t let anything stand in your way or distract you.

Prepare
Unexpected and uncontrollable events will occur. Anticipate problems and know the solutions ahead of time. How you handle unexpected events could break your focus. And you need to remain focused at all times. Fitness and bodybuilders could prepare by making a back up of their routine music, preparing meals ahead of time, and bringing an extra posing suit. Triathletes could prepare for blisters, a hold in the bike tire, or extreme temperatures. Team sport athletes should be prepared to play without their star player. The point is; when you know you’ve prepared for all the possibilities, your mind will be more at ease so your body can perform at it’s best.

Stay Positive & Keep Positive People Around You
A positive attitude and positive thoughts will energize you and carry you through those tough training sessions, early wake up calls, and meal plans. You can’t expect to perform your best if you’re filling your head with negative thoughts and surrounding yourself with negative people.

http://www.mybodybeats.com/blog/entry/7_tips_to_improve_your_mental_toughness_to_achieve_your_goals

BodySport Radio Interview: IFBB Pros Adela Garcia & Tanji Johnson

Listen this week to BodySport Radio’s Fitness, Figure, & Bikini Talk Radio and hear interviews from two of your favorite MyBodyBeats trainers. Second place finisher at the 2009 Ms. Fitness Olympia, Tanji Johnson and 4x Ms. Fitnes Olympia winner Adela Garcia chat with Terry and Elaine Goodlad on the everyday aspects of contest prep, injuries, motivation, training, and so much more. Very interesting interviews…

Check out BodySport.com to listen.

Visit MyBodyBeats Blog!

Tips to Heal Faster from Sport & Fitness Injuries

Some lucky people will go their entire lives without experiencing a fitness or sports related injury. But there are many more who will be struck with injuries that will put their goals and sometimes, even careers, on hold. Some athletes switch sports all together. How many bodybuilders or fighters do you know who used to be football players with pro potential?

The threat of injury is always present. Of course, there are many precautions you can take to help prevent injury, but once the injury occurs….what next? Here are some tips to a speedy recovery:

Get Your Mind Right:
* Don’t lose yourself. Remember that you are not just an athlete, you are a person who enjoys a training and participating in a particular sport.
* Stay focused on what you can do after recovery, no what you can’t do because of your injury.
* Stay positive. Studies show that people who internalize their pain and suffering, instead of complaining about it, tend to heal much faster.
* Channel your discouragement into commitment. Fight for your goal to recover as hard as you would fight for your goals to win.
* Visualize your body healing. The mind is a powerful healer.
* Stay connected with your training partners or team mates. Volunteer during their races, games or competitions and keep them motivated during their training.

Get Your Nutrition Right:
* Adjust your caloric intake to reflect the changes in your activity levels during recovery. Don’t get caught in a self-image slump.
* Eat whole, nutrient rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Avoid processed foods and refined carbohydrates. This will keep you lean and supply your body with optimal nutrition.
* Consider supplementing vital nutrients like vitamins/minerals/antioxidants/anti-inflammatories/enzymes. A balanced and healthy diet usually doesn’t provide athletes or those who train with intensity, enough of the basic nutrients for optimum recovery. Clinical studies show that the right combination and the right amount of these supplements can shorten the recovery time for sports related injuries by up to 50 percent.

Get Your Body Right:
* Make sure you fully understand your injury and your rehab. Follow doctors orders!
* Maintain your level of fitness by cross-training. Train opposite muscle groups while the injured muscles recover, develop new muscular behaviors, avoid boredom and after recovery, you may find your skills, balance, and agility have improved!

Try this Move For Amazing Abs

This move does double duty, targeting both your upper and lower abdominal muscles all at once. So it’s a great move when you’re trying to blast away at your abs in a hurry! It’s a challenging exercise, so start out with low reps to ensure proper form.

How to do a V-Up: Lie flat on the ground. Your toes should be pointed and your arms should be extended over your head. Both your arms and legs should be slightly off the ground, with your back flat against the floor. (A) Raise your legs and upper body at the same time, using your core abdominal muscles to pull your body together for form the ‘V’ shape. (B) Keep your abs tight through out the exercise, even as you lower slowly back to start position. Don’t allow your arms or legs to touch the ground. Continue the move without bouncing or using your body’s momentum to get you through the move.

V-Ups

Get Beth ‘Venom’ Horn to coach you through
this move in her Strong Core Ab Workout

Download Now >>

Drink Coffee To Reduce Pain During Exercising

I can’t make it to the gym in the morning without drinking at least one cup of coffee…although it usually ends up being two or three. But even if I train in the afternoons, I still drive through Starbucks before hitting the elliptical or lifting weights. Like me for my pre-workout boost, former competitive cyclist Robert Motl, PhD, drinks a cup ‘o Joe to fuel up and get a little more energy to push harder during cycling distance training and competitions.

This former pro athlete, currently a professor at the University of Illinois kinesiology and community health, found in his study that the relationship between caffeine and physical activity is more than just an energy boost. It actually enhanced his cycling ability by reducing the pain. “We’ve shown that caffeine reduces pain reliably, consistently during cycling, across different intensities, across different people, different characteristics. But does that reduction in pain translate into an improvement in sport performance?”, says Motl.

But for now, RELIEF is what you can get from this study . Particularly those who write off working out all together or don’t exercise with as much intensity as you’d like to due to the pain you experience during your workout.

How much caffeine do you need to drink to feel the effects? Try drinking two to three cups of coffee or caffeinated drink per day to see if helps you stick to your workout plan and not allow pain to derail you from your goals.

Sources: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, April 2009.

No Excuses: by MyBodyBeats' Trainer, Nicole Duncan

Hello everybody. It’s a beautiful morning and I thought I’d take a moment to share with you my thoughts and plans for this competition season. It’s a Tuesday and as I look down at my planner I realize that I am about 19 weeks out from the Europa Supershow in Dallas. I would really love to qualify for my 2nd Olympia appearance and prove that I can be a top contender in the IFBB. It’s going to take focus, hard work and sheer determination. I’m tired of being the girl with the great routines who gets docked for her physique. So, it’s time for me to step up and do something about it.

My placing at this year’s Arnold was a rude awakening. My goal was to place in the top 10 and I placed 14th. I got rave reviews for my routines but was then penalized for my conditioning. Now, I’ve always measured my success by my personal improvements so for me the show was still a success. However, now it’s time for me to look at the big picture. I need to be able to prove to the judges that I have what it takes to go the long haul in this competition. Originally I had wanted to compete at the Europa in Orlando but as I kept going over and over it in my head, I realized that I didn’t want to just do well for myself, I want to make a big impact and show that I can really make significant improvements with my physique. So, I’m taking a little more time to prepare for the next show and instead of just going through the motions of diet and exercise, I have a plan!

It should be the same way with diet and exercise for you. We all need focus, hard work and determination but without a plan how are we making the goal a reality. My main objective is to cut down the size in my legs by an inch and gain more ab definition. There it is, direct and precise. Your goal may be to gain muscles in your arms, loose 50 pounds or run a marathon next year. No matter what the goal, you must devise a detailed plan of the things you need to do to commit to that goal. For me, I know that running trims my legs and lucky enough I love to run. So, each month I’ve signed up for a different road race and have committed to training for a half marathon in November. I also spoke with my trainer and he has come up with a diet that will work with the new training that I’m doing. Thirdly, I got some of my fellow competitor friends involved and they will be joining me on a few races. I’ve committed financially, mentally and physically to my goal. Plus, I have accountability through my friends and now you as I’ve publically state my intentions.

Again, what’s you’re plan? Have you paid for workouts from MyBodyBeats.com but haven’t planned which days you plan to work out? Write down your goal. Research ways of getting to that goal. Then write down your plan. Schedule your workout sessions like you would a hair appointment or business meeting. Add checks and balances such as finding accountability partners, setting phone reminders and putting before pictures on the refrigerator to help you stay on track. Write your plan today! You can do this. WE can do this…. No excuses!!!!

Fit Nicole’s Blog
Train with Nicole here

Drink Green Tea to Trim Your Tummy

Green tea is natures little wonder herb. Numerous studies have indicated that regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and lower chances of developing certain types of cancer . Many people also believe that green tea can help with weight loss. Perhaps this is because the even levels of energy from the natural caffeine found in this drink can give you the extra zip you may need to get through your workout. But now there is new research that green tea actually targets the hard to get rid of belly fat when added as a supplement to an exercise-induced weight loss program.

How does it blast belly fat and help to trim your tummy?
Scientist are not exactly sure, but believe that it increases the rate that fat is broken down in they body and that tummy fat is the first to go.

What’s the skinny?
Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University as well as research centers in Florida and Japan conducted a study on 132 overweight adults for a period of 12 weeks. All participants consumed a diet consistent in daily calories and performed 180 minutes a week of moderate/intense exercise. Each participant drank a daily beverage containing caffeine, but one group was given 625 mg of catechins. Catechins sounds like something I wouldn’t want to have, but it’s actually an antioxidant found in green tea. The group who drank the green tea lost twice as much weight (4.4 lbs compared to just over 2 lbs) and more loss in abdominal fat.

Brew it to lose it! About 7 cups a day is what you need to consume to get the same benefits as the participants in the study.

Fit Women Less Likely to Die of Breast Cancer

USC researchers have just released a study indicating that physically fit women are less likely to die from breast cancer. The research was conducted on 14,000 women ages 22 to 83 for an average of 16 years and showed that women in the lowest fitness category were 3x more likely to die from breast cancer than women in the most fit category. The good news? It doesn’t take very much to be in the most fit category. The lead researcher, Dr. Steve Blair at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health says, “You can get out of that with simply 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity such as walking over the course of a week and you only have to get it in in 10 minute bouts. So, three ten minute walks a day, five days a week will produce moderate fitness.” So ladies…lower your risk, get in the most fit category and exercise!

Spring in to shape with this move!

Spring is officially here and with that comes shorter hem lines and bikinis. Try this plyometrics exercise called the jump squat and spring your lower body into shape! The jump squat is typically performed by athletes to increase explosiveness in sports like basketball and track. But it's also an excellent quad and glute toning workout that everyone can benefit from.

Here's how to Jump Squat Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, head up, abs tight. Squat down as if you're sitting in a chair with your arms by your side or on your hips. Keep your feet flat on the ground with your toes angled out slightly. [A] Then explode vertically through your heels, arms reaching up. [B] Land on your toes at first, but land fully on your heels as you lower back down to the squatting position. [C]

Jump Squat

Give this plyometrics exercise a try in Beth 'Venom' Horn's Cover Girl Thigh's Downloadable Audio Workout.

Healthy Food on a Budget

Most families are cutting costs on everything these days, including groceries. But be careful not to buy the less expensive foods which are usually pre-packaged and almost always loaded with empty calories, just because it’s on sale. Buying groceries on a budget does not mean that you can’t provide healthy, lean, and nutrient rich foods for your family.



TIPS TO EATING HEALTHY ON A BUDGET:

Plan your meals
Eating healthy, in good economic times and in bad, takes planning…preferably planning meals you prepare yourself at home. When trying to trim your waistline, you must plan so you avoid quick, calorie loaded temptations. And when you’re trimming your budget, planning is essential in order to shop during sales and ensure that there’s time and food in the pantry to cook meals at home instead of eating out.

Chicken on sale? Buy in bulk!
Chicken breasts are a clean eating staple, but can get pretty expensive. Buy your chicken breasts in bulk when it goes on sale. Put what you can’t immediately use in the freezer for later. I shop at Publix . They have weekly sales on chicken breasts, usually starting on Tuesdays and I’ll buy 4 or 5 packages of chicken breasts during these sales and grill up at least 8 breasts at a time for quick, lean meals and snacks. Check your grocery store to see when their chicken breasts go on sale and be sure to shop on that day!

Don’t snub the frozen produce.
You can almost always bet that frozen produce will be substantially less than fresh. And don’t worry about losing any nutrients. Freezing fruits and veggies protects the vitamins and nutrients they contain. In fact, studies show that often times the frozen variety contain more nutrients than the fresh because of the time the fresh produce has sat on the shelf. Frozen also allow you to have access to produce that isn’t in season. Tip: Choose the store brand to save the most!

Hydrate with water!
Limit or eliminate all together all sodas, sugary juices, and alcohol and hydrate your body with water. Save money and go green by investing in a reusable water bottle instead of buying water in disposable plastic containers.

Whole gain carbs = quick, healthy, crowd pleasing meal
I always keep my pantry stocked with several boxes of whole grain pastas of all shapes and sizes and quick brown rice such as Success Boil-n-Bag . They turn left overs into new meals and it’s less expensive to feed a crowd with. After eating grilled or baked chicken and vegetables for a couple of days…a bowl of whole grain pasta is a cheap and healthy comfort.

Print or clip coupons…duh!
Buy your local newspaper and clip or visit sites such as Coupons.com and print coupons before going to the store. It’s all in the planning…

Tanji Johnson on her Fitness International Contest Prep

MyBodyBeats trainer, Tanji Johnson, also known as 'Stealth' from American Gladiators, is more pumped than ever about this weekend's Fitness International competition. When I caught up with Tanji a couple of weeks ago, her enthusiasm and confidence was through the roof. With Kim Klein's retirement and Adela Garcia competing in Figure, she says she feels she has a really strong chance to place high at this year's Fitness International.

Her confidence is justified. In addition to her high caliber fitness routines that we can always count on Tanji to bring, she's going to be presenting a smaller, more conditioned physique in order to stand next to and be more comparable to her fellow competitors with smaller physiques like Jen Hendershott's.


Check out this video interview by BodyBuilding.com as Tanji talks about her training, nutrition, and supplements.

Highlights from the video:

Training - Tanji has been building muscles for years, so now she doesn't need to build muscle, she focuses instead on maintaining her hardness and leanness. She trains more like an athlete these days with explosiveness, muscular endurance, and functionality for her routine.

Nutrition - All diets work differently for every body type. With support from her nutritionist, Pete Grubbs of Construction Zone until she reaches 4 weeks out, when her calories drop.

Supplementation - What does Tanji take post workout? A Gaspari MyoFusion protien shake. What does Tanji take for extra energy? Gaspari Mitotropin.

Train with Tanji here.

Try Running Backwards on the Treadmill

Keep your body guessing by switching up your normal run on the treadmill by turning around! Backwards walking or running on the treadmill will boost the intensity of your workout for a more heart pumping cardiovascular workout. Running in this reverse direction targets your quad muscles and improves your balance. Start out slow, grasping the handles and walking before working up to a full backwards run. You'll feel the difference immediately!

Omega-3 Fish Oil...the Super Supplement!

What’s the one supplement you should add to your tool box? Omega-3 fish oil supplements. Omega 3 fatty acids can help you achieve optimal health and productivity. Everything from your heart to your mood can benefit. Funny how nature works, though. Our bodies don’t naturally produce this essential fatty acid, therefore we must include foods and supplements containing essential fatty acids in our diet. Yes, you can eat fish and seafood and get your essential fatty acids, but this isn’t always the most practical solution. Some people don’t like the taste of fish or are allergic. The simple alternative to ensure you’re getting the essential fatty acids you’re body thrives on is through omega-3 fish oil supplements.

Omega-3 fish oil supplements are also known as the super supplement or the miracle pill. The list of benefits grows almost daily as research on this supplement continues. Here are just a few:

Healthy Joints & Muslces
Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation which also prevents and relieves painful conditions such as arthritis.

Healthy Heart
Fish oil supplements lower triglycerides, slows the buildup of plaques in the arteries, lowers blood pressure slightly, as well as reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known heart disease.

Healthy Mind
People who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet may be at an increased risk for depression. In a clinical study of individuals with depression, those who ate a healthy diet consisting of fatty fish 2 – 3 times per week for 5 years experienced a significant reduction in feelings of depression and hostility.

Healthy Skin, Hair, & Eyes
If you’re healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside. Research has also shown that fish oil can help maintain healthy skin and aid in the prevention of wrinkles and eczema. Your skin includes your scalp and a healthy scalp means prevention of dandruff, hair loss, and shinier hair. Fish oil supplements can also help those suffering from dry eye symptoms.

MyBodyBeats trainer, Beth Horn recommends the Sockeye Salmon Oil capsules from VitalChoice.

Flex Your Style: Reward Yourself with New Workout Gear

New workout apparel really motivates me. Just like a new pair of jeans or a sexy pair of heels puts a little extra bounce in your step, a new sports tank or new sneakers gives me a little extra push at the gym. I think to myself, “Yea…I’ve earned these. I train hard. Look….see?!?”

And let’s face it. Stylish and functional workout apparel is not cheap. So I reward myself with the new gear. Did I train with all I had and follow my plan this month? Yes! I get a new workout outfit!

Here are some of my favorites:

Lululemon Athletica – Do you ever wonder what the fitness models are wearing on the covers of Oxygen and Shape? Well here you go. It’s designed to fit a variety of body types, is made with a signature performance fabric, and comes in beautiful designs.








PUMA Voltaic – I have long, narrow, flat feet. I find that a lot of shoes make my feet cramp or make my size 10s look even bigger than they are. These shoes are flattering, comfortable, and are easy on my wallet. I literally wear these every day….they rock.







VSX Sport by Victoria Secret – The same company that makes you functional and fashionable bras makes fitness apparel with those same qualities. The colors are bold and fun and the fabric is made of Body-Wick technology, which moves moisture away from your body while you workout.

Reduce Stress for Faster Results

We know the mood boosting powers and stress relieving abilities of exercising, but now there’s research to prove that the less stress you have, the more you’re able to lift, the more reps you can perform, and ultimately see results faster! The University of Texas took a group of participants, put them through 12 weeks of training, and found that those who reported feeling the least stressed improved their strength by up to 25% more than the most-stressed group. Calm your anxiety pre-workout to make sure you’re getting the most from your training.

My Tip to Ward Off Late Night Muncies

I can eat lean and mean all day long…egg whites, chicken, brown rice, veggies…the works. But since having my 2nd child, I have an insatiable craving for 3 to 4 Oreos, dunked in milk….every single night. It never fails. I’m chilling out watching Bravo or some other reality show, exhausted from work, training hard, and the kids are finally asleep in bed and BOOM! It hits me. The Oreos are literally calling my name. Now, I realize that the best answer to this dilemma is to just not buy the stinking things so that the temptation can’t be fulfilled. But when you have kids in the house, there’s going to be Oreos around.

My tip for warding off that Oreo fixation? It’s not scientific, nor has a study been performed on dozens of people to prove it works. But for me…..it does the trick. I brush my teeth! Yep, it’s that simple. I brush my teeth, floss and all, right after my last meal and after that, I don’t want to ruin that fresh, clean, minty feeling with Oreos. Maybe this will work for your craving….

What Time of Day Do You Train?

I’m a morning trainer or late morning trainer. I like to get it out of the way, feel energized for the rest of the day, and get in the gym when it’s not super busy. You won’t find me there at 6:00am…more like 10ish…which is when I’m good and awake, warmed up, and at my best. A lot of people believe that the morning is the best time to train, but is that scientifically true? Time to Google ...

What did I find? There is absolutely no reliable evidence that suggests that one time of the day is better over another to workout. I did find that there are some different benefits to training at the different times.

Morning: If you train in the mornings you can lower your triglycerides levels for the entire day, which helps decrease the risk for heart disease according to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reports. Other research suggests that people who exercise exercise first thing in the morning, tend to be the most consistent because they complete their workout before other obligations interfere.

Midday: Do you get in an after noon slump? Maybe you should workout in the middle of the day. Doing so will keep your adrenaline pumping throughout the rest of the day. Just be sure to eat your lunch after you workout, and not before. I used to workout during my lunch break, shower, then eat my prepared lunch of spinach, chicken, and brown rice at my desk. At the time, this was the best schedule for me.

Evening: There are benefits to working out in the evening, however keep in mind that if you have any trouble at all with getting to sleep at night you should probably avoid working out in the evening. Exercising raises your heart rate, body temperature, and adrenaline. All of which is not conducive to sleep. On the other hand, the higher core body temperature which occurs at this time of day may allow for better muscle performance when strength training.

The bottom line? Schedule your workout during a time of day that you’ll stick with and that’s best for you. If you’re not a morning person don’t train at 6:00am. You’ll just end up dreading it. Finding motivation is hard enough. Make it easy for yourself and do what works best for you!

Fitness Perfection: by Laura Mak

I wanted to share with you an article I grabbed from MyBodyBeats trainer, Laura Mak’s Mondays with Mak Attack Fitness newsletter. It hits home because there are many days that I beat myself up after I’ve been slack with my training or after a weekend of eating a bunch of crap. The fact is that no one is perfect, no diet is perfect, and no training regime is perfect. Strive for your personal best and for what fits your lifestyle. As a mother of two young girls, a wife, business owner, friend, daughter, etc….I have to remind myself all the time that I can only do my best. Thank you Laura for the motivation this week!

Fitness Perfection
by: Laura Mak

Last Monday I shared with you my excitement for the New Year. Today, I want to help you find passion in your fitness as an ongoing project for 2009. Learn more about what perfection is in your fitness training.

As many of you know I was an elite level gymnast for numerous years, and then earned a scholarship for collegiate gymnastics. Shortly thereafter, my athletic career followed what became a nine-year professional competitive-fitness career.

Everything (athletically), I have competed in strived for the end goal of perfection. The problem was, “perfection” was determined by someone else. It was structured for officials to judge me and compare me with others. They supposedly had the expertise to see if I was perfect in my physique, performance, and showmanship. Although I completely and loved what I was doing when I was competing, I am now happy striving for my own perfection, which is solely concluded by = ME.

Have you ever gotten caught up in your “perfect” fitness routine, then somehow fell short? What if your goal was to do 45 minutes of cardio but you only did 30 minutes. It was less time, but you worked at a higher intensity. Is this an imperfect routine or does your definition of perfect become slightly changed? Have you allowed someone else’s idea of perfection affect you?

Review your fitness training, and see if you are unnecessarily hard (or easy) on yourself. Do you allow for adaptations of “life”? Do you continue moving forward? What is your perfect routine and how can it stay perfect with changes?

My campaign 2009 is about finding passion in your fitness while keeping balance in your lifestyle. Keep the competition within yourself and not with or for others. Allow yourself to adapt to unexpected life situations. Most of all, continue to include fitness as a regular part of your daily routine.

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Trying to Lose Weight? Write Down What You Eat!

A recent study performed on 1700 participants showed that keeping a food journal and writing down what you consume can double the amount of weight you lose. DOUBLE! After 6 months the average weight lost amongst the participants was 13 lbs and almost 70% lost at least 9 lbs!

In addition to keeping the food journal, the study group was asked to eat a low-fat, high fruits and vegetables diet and exercise for 30 minutes a day. But the people who wrote the most down, lost the most weight. When you write down what you eat, you can look back and become more aware of your habits, change your diet and hold yourself accountable. Keeping a food journal doesn't have to be a formal, time consuming task. Keep it on your calendar, keep a notebook in your kitchen or purse, or just shoot yourself an email!

My tip: Ask a friend to exchange their food journal back and forth with you. This way, you can send each other an email everyday of what you've eaten and encourage each other. After all, support from friends and family is one of the top things that can motivate or derail you from your goals.