March 19, 2024

Beat Boredom with Circuit Training by Angelena Riggs

When it comes to lifting weights, doing the same old thing every day can get boring and make you tempted to skip workouts. If this is the case, give circuit training a try. Circuit training consists of taking 3-5 exercises and doing them consecutively with no rest in between. An example of this would be to perform push-ups, biceps curls, triceps dips and mountain climbers all in row, then rest for up to a minute before performing the same circuit 2-3 more times. Circuit training allows you to get more done in a shorter amount of time while keeping your heart rate up. Keeping your heart rate up for most of your workout means burning more fat the entire time spent working out. Add that to building muscle, and your body will be a fat burning machine.

There are endless ways to create circuits, even adding in plyometric moves or treadmill sprints to your circuits to log cardio while lifting weights. Choose the cardio machine you like the best and after each circuit do 1-2 minutes at a high intensity to get your heart rate up. Working out this way also makes the time fly by and keeps workouts interesting. If you don’t have hours to burn at the gym, circuit training is going to be the best thing for your goals and your schedule.

Here is a sample circuit training workout:

Squat with dumbbell shoulder presses- 15 reps

Seated on stability ball biceps curls- 15 reps

Plank holds- 45 seconds

1-2 Minutes treadmill sprints

*Repeat 2-3 times

Create the circuits that fit your weekly workout schedule. Stick with the same schedule for 4 weeks, and then change it up to keep from getting bored and to keep your body challenged!

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and on Twitter.

Weight Training: Why You Should Start NOW! By Angelena Riggs

If you’ve never ventured to the weights section of your gym, then you are missing out! Weight training is the fastest way to speed up your metabolism and give you a tight tone look. Weight training isn’t only good for your appearance either it is so great for your overall health.

Here are the top 5 benefits when it comes to weight training:

1. Lose or maintain your weight. Wherever you are in your fitness journey, strength training can help you lose body fat or maintain the weight you worked hard to reach. When you add lean muscle your metabolism is revved up and helps to burn more body fat even when you are not working out.

2. You will look lean even if the scale doesn’t change. Muscle weights more than fat, but takes up less space. For example a woman who works out with weights may weight 150, and her friend who doesn’t also weighs 150, the woman who strength trains will look leaner and fit.

3. It maintains or improves your bone density and muscle mass. Studies have shown that weight bearing exercise is the best way to increase or maintain your bone density and muscle mass as you age. Both of these tend to decrease with age, the best way to slow this loss, you guessed it lifting weights! This will improve your quality of life as you age.

4. It is important for your mental and emotional well being. When you work out you are releasing endorphins which improve your mood. The more consistent you are with your workouts the more benefits you will see. Exercise is also a great anti-depressant and helps to improve your quality of sleep. Have you ever finished a workout and felt like you can take on the world?

5. It reduces your risk of injury and illness. Strength training helps to increase the strength of your connective tissue, muscle and tendons which improves your range of motion in every day life, thus leading to less injury. Regular strength training also helps to strengthen your immune system. Who doesn’t want fewer sick days?

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and on Twitter.

HELLO Spring! By Angelena Riggs

Spring is here, time to take your fitness outside!

Are you feeling bored with your current indoor workouts?  Now that Spring is finally here, it’s time to take your workouts outside for a change.  You can get some sun, have some fun and get a great workout in too.  Ready to head out and burn some calories?

 

Here are a few ways to get outside:

Take a trail hike:  Find a local State Park that has trails marked for with walking paths.  Trails are a great alternative to treadmill inclines and work your entire lower body!

Do some track sprint intervals: The local high school is a great location to work on your sprints.  Try walking, running, then sprinting in intervals to burn major calories.

Play sports: Grab a friend, your spouse or even your kids for a fun game of tennis or basketball.  Playing sports is a fun way to take your fitness outside while spending time with your loved ones.

Fitness Trail Loop:  There are many parks and trails that offer fitness activities. Some activities include pull up bars, sit-up benches, and monkey bars.  Not sure where to find one, do a quick internet search for one in your area.  This is a fun way to challenge your fitness and try something new.

Get on your Bike: Spring is the perfect time to get your bike out from the rack in your garage and hit the trails. Biking is a great workout and you can ride the sidewalks in your neighborhood or find a local bike trail.  Grab a friend or two and get pedaling.

Whatever activity you choose to do, just get moving.  Spring is the perfect time to take your workouts outside and get your friends and family involved and off the couch.

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and on Twitter.

Natural Metabolism Boosters by Angelena Riggs

Whether you are looking to burn fat or gain lean muscle follow these tips to naturally boost your metabolism.  Stay consistent and you will start to see the results in as little as 2 weeks.

Eat enough of the right foods- Focus on eating whole, nutrient dense food.  Make sure you are eating lean protein, plenty of veggies and fruits.  Steer clear of processed foods that offer no nutrients, they are bad for your waistline and metabolism.

Eat your breakfast- Start off your day right and eat a well rounded breakfast: eggs scrambled with your favorite veggies on a piece of sprouted grain toast and some fresh berries.  This sets you up for a successful day.  Also, down one glass of ice cold water before your first bite.

Eat throughout the day- Make sure you have 3 meals and at least two snacks planned for the day.  Eating at regular intervals, every 3-4 hours, keeps your metabolism burning and will ensure that your body doesn’t break down that hard earned muscle for energy.

Lift weights- Lifting weights helps to build lean muscle.  Lean muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat, and for every pound of lean muscle you build your body will rev up your metabolism to maintain that muscle.  Challenge yourself beyond those 3 and 5 pounds and watch your body change!

Add HIIT to your workouts- High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is adding short bursts of high intensity moves, like sprints or jump squats to your low intensity steady state workouts, like weight lifting.  This gets your heart rate up and then forces your body to recover many times during your workout.  The benefits continue even after your workout is over, you burn more fat and calories for up to 24 hours.

Stay hydrated- At a minimum you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces.  For example a 150 pound woman should at least drink 75 ounces daily.  Add don’t forget to drink extra during your workouts!

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), an NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and Twitter.

Get Your Fitness Back on Track by Angelena Riggs

Finding the Motivation to Start Again

The hardest part of starting up your fitness and healthy eating again after a setback is finding the motivation to get back on track. We have all struggled with this at some point or another. We are working out consistently and eating right, and then something happens that takes us out of that routine and we have a hard time getting started again.

Here are a few tips to get your fitness motivation back on track:

Determine your “why”- If you know exactly why you are working toward a goal it is much easier to get back into your healthy routine. It must be personal to you in order for it to increase motivation.

Create a motivation board- One thing I find motivating is to have my goals posted where I can see them daily. I also like motivational quotes or mantras that help to keep me on track. You can even use a virtual motivation board on Pinterest where you can pin different workouts, recipes, and motivation quotes to keep you inspired.

Find a fitness buddy- Working out and eating healthy can be fun and easy if you have someone to share it with. Find a like-minded friend or even co-worker who is also working on getting back in the swing of things and help to motivate one another. Even if you don’t do all of your workouts together you will have someone to share your successes and struggles.

Set small goals- Whether you are trying to run faster, lose weight, or gain muscle, set small goals. Breaking down your goals into smaller goals allows you to see progress, and the task won’t seem so overwhelming. For example, if you have 40 pounds you want to lose, start in 10 pound increments. Every time you reach a 10 pound goal reward yourself with something to keep you motivated, like new workout clothing or gear.

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), an NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and Twitter.

Healthy Weight Loss Tips by Angelena Riggs

One of the questions I get most frequently is…

“Why am I not losing weight?  I am doing everything right!”  There are many factors that go into the process of losing weight, in addition to exercising regularly. There are some things that you may be or not be doing that is affecting your weight loss progress. Remember that every person is different and will react to nutrition and exercise differently.

Here are the top reasons that you may not be losing weight:
1) Sleep.  Sleep is so important and you should aim to get at least 7 hours each night.  Try to wind down about an hour before your head hits the pillow, turn off all your electronic devices and do some reading or light yoga.

2) Stress.  When you are constantly stressed out your body produces the hormone cortisol which leads to belly fat gains, not exactly what you what.  Take some time each day to relax and recharge.  Try to free up your schedule and ask for help from family and friends.

3) You’re not eating enough or you’re eating too much.  It is important to know how many calories you should be consuming when you are trying to lose weight. Consult a nutrition Professional to help determine how many calories you need to reach your goals.

4) You’re eating too many processed “foods.” All calories are not created equal.  Ditch the processed foods for whole, real nutrient dense foods.  Make it a habit to eat these kinds of foods and you will love the way you look and feel!

All good things take time and hard work.  Remember that your weight loss is a journey and you are learning how to live healthy for the rest of your life.  Stay positive and you will get there!

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living  (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist.  Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on her blog, and via Facebook (www.facebook.com/Angelenasonfirefitness) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/OnFireFitnesspt)