8 GREAT WAYS TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO WORKOUT AND EAT HEALTHIER

Last night I went to see one of the funniest movies of the summer “The Other Guys” with Will Farrell. I am so happy that I sat at the front of the theatre because every time Will spoke I was rolling in the aisles. That guy is so funny. I suggest you go see that movie this week.


I also ran into my friend and Fitness Expert, Yuri Elkaim, the creator of “Fitter Than The Pros” program, who was seeing the same movie, I guess great minds think alike.

By the way, if you have never heard of this program before, then I advise that you pay attention.

Yuri has put together success tools and motivating interviews from the world’s most sought-after-fitness experts. A few of them are actually my mentors. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

CHECK OUT FITTER THAN THE PROS HERE

You know my goal as a fitness professional is to motivate and help you follow a healthy lifestyle, so you and your family can be fit well into your future. As North Americans we have some the most Obese and out of shape people in the world. I want to help curb those stats to a healthier nation.


The reason I told you that is if you’ve ever lacked motivation to workout or eat healthier, then you’ll want pay attention to the following 8 tips I’ve got lined up for you.

Actually Vince Delmonte, another one of the world’s most sought after fitness expert and part of the FITTER THAN THE PROS program has great ways to help you get more motivated in your quest for a healthier lifestyle

It is going to happen!

Your Motivation to get up and go workout or to eat healthier will come and go.

In order to gain better control and master your motivation, it’s helpful to understand what motivates you.

To get you on the path to results, here are 8 ways to help get master your motivation to workout and eat healthier.


1. Find Your Reasons Why (and the more reasons the better)


You need to figure out a compelling purpose. For example, if your goal is to lose 25 lbs you need to identify WHY that’s important to you. Is it to feel sexier for your spouse, fit into that old pair jeans, or feel more confident? Once you identify your initial reason, keep asking “why?” to go deeper and finally come up with true reason that will motivate you!


2. Connect to Your Core Values

This is the ultimate secret. If you can connect the process (ie. working out, eating healthier) to your core values, even in small ways, you can change your game. For instance, some core values might include freedom, happiness, love, connection, family, or growth. Figure out what matters to you most and work from there.


3. Change Your Mindset

You can instantly find your more enjoyment in working out by shifting your mindset from “having to workout” to “getting to workout”. I have a good friend who always says, “I’ve got to workout, I’ve got to workout!” He feels compelled and thus less empowered. I told him to consider adopting the phrase, “I get to workout”, which would put him in a state of gratitude instead of obligation. Be difference.


4. Anchor the Feeling

Remember how good it feels when you finish you workout or eat a healthy meal. Find a way to anchor that feeling into your body so that anytime the going gets tough you can easily revert back to feeling that way. For instance, after an exhilarating workout you may want to do a fist pump to celebrate. Do this enough times in that state and you’ll anchor the good feeling. In the future, you can do a fist pump at any time of day to get that great feeling once again.


5. Use Reference Points From Past Successes

Sometimes you might feel overwhelmed or unsure about your ability to get in a good workout or prepare a healthy meal. However, if you can think back to similar situations in the past (ie. reference points) where you were successful, then realize that you can do it again. If you were once able to do 50 push in one go, then go back to that experience and reassure yourself that you can do it again – if that’s your goal.


6. Find a Meaningful Metaphor

Find a metaphor that fuels you – a tag line if you will. Maybe you’re the “Little Engine that Could.” Maybe you’re “in your element.” Maybe you are “David vs. Goliath (the workout). One of the most powerful things you can do is find a metaphor that connects to your values. Whatever you choose make sure it resonates with you.


7. Pair Up

This is one of my favorite ways to make something fun and sustainable. One person’s painful task, is another’s pleasure. Pair up with somebody who compliments you or who can mentor you and get you over the humps. This is why hiring a trainer can be a great way to get your butt into shape! At the very least, training with a friend can take your workouts to a whole new level.


8. Take Action and Reward Yourself

Here’s a secret that once you know it and apply it, can change your life. Action often comes before motivation. You simply start doing an activity and then your motivation kicks in, especially if you reward yourself for taking action. For example, you might not always look forward to your workout, but once you start, I’m sure you find your flow. And once your workout is done reward yourself with something that makes you feel good – and preferably not a piece of chocolate cake!


Need more motivation for your workouts? Need inspiration and proven strategies to make eating healthier easy?


Discover how the world’s top fitness experts do it! <——— CLICK HERE.



Funk Roberts

HOW I LOST 25 LBS, GOT RIPPED AND MAINTAINED IT!

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ARE MEN FITTER THAN WOMEN?

Have you always wanted to know which sex is fitter...Men or Women.  Davelle Morrison from Fit Firm and Fab has your answer.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey conducted by Statistics Canada released its findings in January 2010. It confirmed what most fitness professionals already know. As a nation, we are not getting any fitter. And for women, their fitness results are worse than men.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey found that “maximal aerobic power (VO2 max) is higher in males across all age groups indicating that males have better aerobic fitness levels than females at all ages.” Are women too busy with their household duties to take some time out for themselves?

Despite the fact that many women work outside of the home, they are still expected to manage the majority of household duties including child rearing, cleaning, cooking & shopping with very little help from their male counterparts. No wonder women are too exhausted to exercise after completing all of their household duties.

Aerobic fitness levels are higher in Canadian males than in females across all age groups. What is disturbing is that across all categories from Good, to Very Good, to Excellent, males were outperforming women in terms of their aerobic fitness scores.

According to the study, aerobic fitness is defined as “predicted maximal aerobic power (in millilitres per kilogram of body weight per minute, or ml/kg/min) is an estimate of the maximum volume of oxygen an individual can utilize per minute of exercise relative to their body weight.”

Aerobic fitness is critical in the prevention of many cancers, diabetes, heart disease & high blood pressure.

The Conclusion? The percentage of Canadians of normal weight declined significantly, and the percentage in the combined overweight/obese category increased significantly.

 Women must take some time out to invest in themselves so that they can remain healthy for their families. Women spend so much time looking after the health of those in their household but need to remember to look after their needs too.

Fit, Firm and Fab is hosting a Fitness Weekend Getaway for women to help them on the road toward a healthier lifestyle. The event will offer fitness bootcamp, kettlebell exercises, running clinic; core workouts to increase muscular strength and aerobic fitness levels.

The weekend also offers Yoga, Meditation; a wellness seminar to help them with relaxation and goal setting. A Registered Nutritionist will host a hands-on cooking workshop and nutrition seminar to help them reduce their obesity levels.

The weekend is engineered to arm women with the tools they need to achieve a more fit, firm and more fabulous lifestyle after they leave the weekend.

Last year’s event was very successful and won them the praise of participants with comments such as, “This was a wonderful weekend! There was so much information, advice and just the right amount of push…Thanks so much.”

The weekend takes place at the picturesque at Still Point Yoga Retreat located in Prince Edward County. To sign up & learn more visit http://www.fitfirmandfab.com/

By Davelle Morrison, Fit, Firm N Fab

SIGN UP FOR FIT FIRM N FAB TODAY

SYNERGY OF THE FIVE P'S

This week I read a great article from Fitness Coach and Trainer Nick Tumminello. He has written many articles for Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Fight Magazine, the list goes on. He also coaches Personal Trainers, Coaches and Athletes. One of his great philosophies to a successful weight loss program or any fitness program is his Four P’s. I took that information and added a 5th that I think is also very important.


Today is a rest day for you, but please read through the FIVE P’s, Print them off and put it on your fridge, the desk at work or anywhere you think would be worthwhile to remind the importance of the Synergy of the Five P’s


SYNERGY OF THE FIVE P'S
 
Many of us are motivated to train for different reasons. Some want to execute better on the field or outperform the competition in a tryout or a match. Others may want to improve their quality of life in order to better enjoy their day to day activities. Hell, perhaps some of us just want to look better naked.


Whatever the motivating factor that has pushed you to train, what drives all of us to train is often very similar. We all strive for self improvement and to feel better about ourselves. Regardless of your wish to win a game or match, function better daily or just look sexier in the mirror--all of the above are rooted in a deeper desire to feel better about ourselves.

We strive for the same fulfillment in our lives too. It could be the champion athlete, hard working professional, or stay at home parent, but we all wish to accelerate with our jobs, possessions, relationships, etc.--because they help to identify who we are. We associate them with success and success makes us feel good.

How we train is an excellent representation of how we chose to live our lives. Like life, training should be attacked with the following five traits. Purpose, Preparation, Persistence, Passion and Pride. It’s called the Synergy of the Five P's (P5) because these traits acting together create an effect greater than that predicted by knowing only the separate effects of the individual parts.

PURPOSE:
 
A goal: This puts a rock-solid rationale behind your efforts. You're more likely to follow through to the end of your journey with purpose driving you down the path. Whether it is the path of least resistance or the road less traveled, maintaining your focus on your purpose keeps you on the road.
 
 
 
 
PREPARATION:

Nothing in life gets done properly without planning and preparation. Imagine knowing you were to have a child and did no preparation for the birth or after. It just wouldn’t work. The same type of thought must apply to your everyday life. When you go to the gym, you should already know exactly what workout you are doing so it can be an intense effective workout. Prepare your meals beforehand so you do not find yourself slipping into eating the junk food that may readily be available. Being prepared keeps you focused and on the right track to success

 
 

PERSISTENCE:


Anything worth having is worth working for. Although we might be able to get by going through the motions, it is with persistence and hard work that we arrive at our destination with a sense of accomplishment. Training can often take a toll on our physical and mental toughness yet it is with persistence that we plough through the hurdles.


 
 
 
 
 

PASSION:


A word that breeds enthusiasm, positive energy and as a result--success. Love what you are doing and remember why it is important to you. Passion exceeds technique. When you play with passion you separate yourself from mediocrity. Take care of the small things passionately and the big things will most likely take care of themselves. I love this picture, it shows the type of passion you need to have for whatever you do in life. 

 
 
 

PRIDE:


Having a sense of pride in your training is key. It is here that you are proud of your journey and your end reward. Your training is a part of your identity. Small people will try to belittle your ambitions, but the really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. Alongside of pride is respect and its imperative to respect yourself, your training, as well as your opponents. Even setbacks and losses present an opportunity to learn and self improve.

 
Use the Synergy of the Five P's in your training and in your lives as well. Discard the toxic things that interfere with your goals. A poor diet, a bad habit, a negative person. Why would you NOT deserve the very best and to give your all. After all, whether your training is a need or a want, it is important to you.
 
As with life, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for." I encourage you to practice the Five P's in your training and in your life.


STAY HUNGRY WITH PURPOSE, PREPARATION, PERSISTENCE, PASSION, AND PRIDE.

 

ODE TO EXERCISE

ODE TO EXERCISE

No matter my race, my colour, or language

You take me as I am and

Make me better

Gradually you can change me

Inside and out

You ask for a minimal investment

And return much more value than money itself

You make me care about

What I do and how I feel

I function better

I feel better

I have less chance of illness

Stronger than any drug

You are my NATURAL high

That

I miss if I do not participate in you

In life

If I were a doctor you would be included in

Every prescription

You challenge all of us

You are contagious

Pass it along….

-unknown

WHY BODYWEIGHT MOVEMENTS ARE SO EFFECTIVE?

If you go to the gym and lift traditional weights they tend to isolate muscles with the intention of bulking the muscle up. This may create "pretty" muscles, but the functional strength and lean muscle you get from bodyweight exercises is more powerful and healthy.


These exercises work your entire body and strengthen it from the core. When you workout you engage all the organs, the glands and the muscles.

Here are 5 reasons to make sure you include bodyweight workouts into your training

1. Very effective at developing a firm, lean, sexy body

2. They are the most convenient form of exercises and can be performed anywhere

3. In life, we use our body as one full body segment, like sitting down, reaching for something on a shelf, turning around, chasing your kids, or any of the hundreds of other movements

4. Your body should be trained mimicking these movements to be best cope with the demands of daily living and sport

5. Machines at gyms can make you stronger, but they are too isolating


Good Luck with today’s work out and GET IT DONE!

Funk Roberts
Sign Up for Funk Roberts Bootcamp
Starting Saturday July 10th @ 10:00AM

Why You Really Need to Get Moving

Why You Really Need to Get Moving
Davelle Morrison - Fit Firm and Fab

A few weekends ago, my cousin Davelle had the pleasure of attending a CAN-FIT PRO (that's the association of Canadian Fitness Professionals) lecture given by Dr. Len Kravitz, PHD.   He shared some really interesting insights & research on new studies completed in fitness & health.  Check it out below


There has been a new study completed on the dangers of living a sedentary lifestyle. Apparently TOO MUCH SITTING IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR  HEALTH even though you may exercise at least 30 minutes each day. Adults spend more than 70% of the each day sitting at a desk, watching TV, playing video games, driving a car, eating a meal. 8 hours of sitting can be a health risk.

In this Canadian fitness survey, it was determined that one of the  LEADING CAUSES OF MORTALITY due to cardiovascular & respiratory diseases and cancers is sitting. This applies to those who are also very physically active.

How can you incorporate more movement in your day?

AT THE OFFICE

1.Stand up and walk around the office every 30 minutes

2.Stand up and move every time you need to get some water

3.Walk to the farthest bathroom in your office

4.Always stand and/or walk around room when talking on the phone

5.Getting a standing workstation where you can stand and work on the computer and/or on a physioball. This way when you get tired your core is always engaged.

6.Consider doing a 5-minute walk break every coffee break

7.Instead of emailing a colleague, get up and walk to their desk and  speak with them

AT HOME

1.Walk during every commercial (and not to the fridge)

2.Take a 5 minute walk every 30 minutes

3.Stand up and do some easy lunges, squats & leg balances

4.After reading every 4-6 pages, get up and walk

5.Get a stationary workout machine and use it for half of the time  that you are watching TV or reading

And don’t forget, this is in ADDITION TO YOUR REGULAR WORKOUT, not  instead of. It’s clearly important to get you and your family moving  at all times. Try walking to the corner store instead of driving.

The studies were completed by: Owen, N., Bauman, A. and Brown, W. (2009) and Katzmarzyk, P.T., Church, T.S., Craig, C.L., and Bouchard, C. (2009).

Stay Fit, Firm 'n Fab,

Davelle

P.S. DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE E-BOOK "THE 7 SECRETS TO LIVING A FIT, FIRM AND FAB LIFESTYLE" CLICK HERE

P.P.S. . Join the FIT, FIRM ‘n FAB team for a weekend fitness getaway in August 2010 at http://www.fitfirmandfab.com/

8 ENERGY ZAPPERS

We all feel tired and wiped from time to time, but when you're constantly feeling drained, it might be time to look at what's bringing you down. These are 8 things that are actually sapping your energy and pulling you down during the day.

1. Sugar


2. Energy drinks


3. Energy pills


4. Skipping meals


5. Processed foods


6. Negative “people”


7. Stress


8. Lack of sleep

  Funk

REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS IN 2010

I always get a great feedback from this article, so I thought I would repost it.

The most effective way to learn something is through repetition. I started last year with this article and as we move into 2010, I give you the 4 elements to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Whether your goal in 2010 is Fat Loss, to become Lean, Toned and Strong, or to gain Size and Strength, there are 4 elements that play an important role to help you reach it; Weight Training & Stretching, Aerobic Exercise, Diet & Nutrition and Supplementation.

Resistance Training and Stretching

Weight training is the most important trait of weight loss and muscle gain. Did you know that one pound of muscle mass added to your body can burn up to 50 extra calories each and every day? Resistance training will burn away the fat during your workout and will continue to do so after you have stopped exercising for the day. The stronger you become the quicker those fat reserves will go away. A good daily stretching or yoga program helps to keep the body lean, the muscles limber and you off the injury shelf.

Cardio Exercise

Cardio exercise programs are the primary means of maintaining your heart health and helping you to lose unwanted fat. Whether you walk or run, swim or bicycle, do interval training, or better yet I prefer lifestyle exercise activities such as tennis, beach volleyball, hiking, dancing, etcetera…they are the type of activities that you don't think of as exercise; they create a passion in your life and will lead to a lasting victory over your weight problems.

Proper Nutrition

There is no single dietary program that works for all people. You must eat 6 - 7 meals per day and each one should contain protein and carbs. Don't allow yourself to get hungry. Keep your appetite in control with smaller meals and healthy snacks in between.


Supplementation

In the quest for your goal, diet supplementation is the last of the elements that you need to add to your regimen. Multivitamins, protein, glutamine and depending on your goal a creatine or weight gain product and a fat burning product are great starts. Supplements make it much easier to get the necessary nutrients to build muscle and can even give you an advantage and enhance your training when taken right and combined with a good diet. Keep in mind to check with you physician before you take some supplements

Make this a start to your new 2010 lifestyle and remember there is no quick and easy weight loss or muscle gain program.

Funk Roberts

DOWNLOAD YOU FREE REPORT HERE “8 TIPS TO A SUCCESSFUL FITNESS RESOLUTION”

CLICK HERE

VISUALIZE AND GET YOU IDEAL BODY

Think the power of thought isn’t powerful enough to create a great physique? Think again. Envision every day how you want to look. Never lose sight of that mental image. As you work out, imagine specific bodypart on that ideal body and picture how they might look while straining with barbell or kettlebell. The more vividly you can visualize your ideal physique, the closer you’ll come to achieving it.

Funk

5 FATTENING FOODS THAT SABOTAGE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

There are tonnes of foods out there that can sabotage your 2010 weight loss goals.  Below are 5 you need to get rid of if you want to sculpt a lean body. 

Last year I dropped 25 pounds in 6 weeks and was ripped.  There are a couple of items on the list that I took out of my diet and saw an incredible difference. 

1. RICE CAKES

Traditionally considered a health food, rice cakes contain considerable amounts of carbs that may stimulate unwanted fat storage and slow down your body's ability to lose fat. Rice cakes are just empty calories that do not fill you up. Extra Carbs!



2. FLAVOURED OATMEAL.

I used to be the king of flavoured oatmeal but realized it had too much sugar.  Now white plain oatmeal is a staple in my diet. The excess sugar in flavoured oatmeal makes them a very poor choice for anyone who wants to get in shape.

Now you must be saying, "Funk, my breakfast is going to be way too plain"  That's when you throw in a scoop of flavoured protien powder and some whole fruit.  Now that's a delicious breakfast.

3. FRUIT  JUICE

Fruit Juice is calorie-dense and high in sugar.  One cup can contain anywhere from 110 to 200 calories.  Always eat whole fruit, not just the sugary juices.  And if you juice, forget about it.  Juicing takes out all the fibre and leaves you with the sugars. However blending fills you with the whole fruit (fibre) and a lot more nutrients

4. MUFFINS

I see this all the time at work or in the coffee shop. People order muffins, thinking they are having a healthy breakfast...WRONG! 
Muffins are one of the most calorie dense foods out there. They normally pack around 450 calories.

The word muffin was invented so that people wouldn’t feel guilty about eating cake for breakfast.

5 ALCOHOL

In the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY of all foods out there, alcohol is definitely leading the UGLY.  Although alcohol itself doesn't contain fat, it's loaded with calories. 
To make matters worse, excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with the body's metabolism of nutrients, especially protien.


Funk

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HOW TO HAVE MORE ENERGY

How to Have More Energy
By Kardena Pauza
Easy Veggie Meal Plans

If you eat a larger than normal meal or a calorie dense meal, do you notice how tired you feel afterwards?

This is what I call FOOD COMA.

This is where you get extremely tired and you start to regret stuffing yourself, but it’s too late the DAMAGE is done. You can barely keep your eyes open and all you want to do is crawl up into a ball and go to sleep. You can’t focus or concentrate on work and even a simple conversation takes effort. All you want to do is lie down.

So many people have this experience on a daily basis. In fact, I was just like this during high school when I would gorge on fast food and pizza and junk.

But this is not how your body should feel after meals.

With the Vegetarian Lifestyle, you won’t be sleepy after you eat. In fact, you’ll be alert, mentally sharp, and physically ready to take on the world.

By eating high nutrient low calorie foods, you will eliminate the side effects from food comas. I guarantee you’ll have more energy with the Veggie Meal Plans diet than you have on any other diet – simply because you will NOT be restricting your calorie or nutrient intake – in fact, you’ll be able to fill yourself up with our delicious foods.

I love making smoothies because they give me so much ENERGY in the morning.

I’ll blend different fruits and vegetables with a little protein powder to make easy to digest and energizing drinks. I’ll also add a tiny bit of fresh ginger to give it a zing and anti-inflammatory properties. You won’t get the same energy or health benefits from a plate of bacon, eggs, and white-flour pancakes!

I also love to make fresh, flavorful soups. And it’s easy too.

I make soups in the blender or food processor, such as a simple tomato gazpacho soup, or Mexican green soup, or an Asian inspired coconut curry soup. These soups can be warmed on the stove or eaten at room temperature. These foods are full of life! I use everything from carrots, celery, broccoli, cilantro, basil, onions, coconut, apples, oranges, lemon, and a variety of spices.

I make these really great wraps using a low-carb tortilla, romaine lettuce leaf, or a collard green leaf as the wrap shell.

Each wrap is lovingly filled with fresh veggies like spinach, sprouts, green onions, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, and then I add hummus, salsa, or herb seasonings/salt.

I also make a pate from sunflower seeds and spices, tempeh, or seitan, which makes the wrap filling, very nutritious, and energizing!

These are just a few ways in which you can fill up on nutrient-rich foods that will leave you energized and feeling great day after day.

CLICK BELOW TO GET YOUR COPY OF KARDENA'S BOOK

THE QUICKEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT

THE QUICKEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT

By Davelle Morrison

Davelle Morrison is a certified Yoga Instructor & Personal Trainer and Co-creator of FIT, FIRM ‘N FAB Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness for Women. Join the FIT, FIRM ‘n FAB team for a weekend fitness getaway in January 2010 and ONLINE BODY TRANSFORMATION Program at www.fitfirmandfab.com


Recently I noticed a new commercial on TV that talked about a new weight loss program where you didn’t have to attend meetings or workout like you were in the military or stop eating bad foods. All you need is to reduce the portion size of everything you put in your mouth. Apparently if you buy this little gadget and put it in your mouth, you’ll eat less and all of your weight loss problems will be resolved at last!


I was so appalled watching this commercial because as anyone can tell you who has achieved serious weight loss. It’s never about the quick fix. The quick fix doesn’t last.

You must educate yourself about the right foods to put in your body and become more active to ensure a healthier and stronger body. Even Oprah says if there was a quick fix, she would have found it by now and even she, the mighty O, must work out 5 days/ week to ensure results.

Unfortunately, our society is so caught up in the quick fix that most fail to remember that it was the tortoise who won the race and not the hare. Slow and steady always wins the race in the end.

Small changes can make a huge difference one year from now. Set small goals for yourself to work out more often and eat better foods.

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THINK ABOUT THIS EQUATION THOUGHTS + EMOTION + ACTION = RESULTS

post by Davelle Morrison

So what is this equation really about?

It’s a concept introduced to me by Bob Proctor in The Expressions of Your Power CD. It can help you to achieve a healthy active lifestyle.

Notice how your positive or negative thoughts guide you throughout your day to make good or bad decisions. Remember what you put into your body mentally is just as important as what you put into your body nutritionally.

Changing your thinking to be positive around health, fitness & nutrition will lead you to have a happy emotion associated with a healthy body.

That positive emotion will lead you to start acting on your vision of a healthy lifestyle which in turn will lead you to achieving the results that you want with a life more focused on health, nutrition & fitness.

What you feed your mind is extremely important. Meditation can play a crucial role here as you learn to take at least 10 minutes of silence everyday where you simply sit and breathe. Develop positive sayings which can re-enforce the positive energy around you.

My positive thoughts & emotions around health & fitness have now lead me toward achieving my goals of a healthy body. Think of organizing (your action) your week on a calendar so that you can ensure that you have time for meditation, yoga, workouts & healthy food preparation.

A little organization will go a really long way in helping you to achieve your Fit, Firm ‘n Fab goals.

I set aside Sunday evenings to prepare fruits & vegetables in 5 containers for each day of the week to ensure that I eat healthy everyday at the office. I also prepare my lunches for the week at that time.

My results are incredible. For the 2-3 hours of time I’ve put in, I’ve not only saved myself at least $100/week ($400 a month & $3,600/year!), I’ve saved myself a ton of calories in the process which helps to keep my weight down. A great result indeed!

See what you can do to help your positive thoughts & emotions lead you to act and gain better results.

Davelle Morrison is a certified Yoga Instructor & Personal Trainer and Co-creator of FIT, FIRM ‘N FAB Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness for Women.


Find how you can change your thinking to be positive around health, fitness & nutrition by joining  the FIT, FIRM ‘N FAB TEAM FOR A WEEKEND FITNESS GETAWAY IN JANUARY 2010 OR THE 8 WEEK ONLINE BODY TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM

CLICK HERE

Davelle
davellem@yahoo.com
http://www.fitfirmandfab.com/

8 TIPS TO ALIGN YOUR BODY WHEN EXERCISING

Definition: Ideal alignment is a balanced posture in which positioning is centered and relaxed for all the joints of the body. With joints in non-awkward positions, muscles relax, and unnecessary tension can be released. Ideal alignment is the most mechanically efficient positioning for the body.
from About.com

This is so true. I have put together 8 tips to help you keep your body aligned in the gym when performing exercises, at your computer desk, driving your cars and but in your everyday life …always be conscious of your body alignment.

1. KEEP YOUR WEIGHT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED - When you are standing up on one foot; make sure that your weight is evenly distributed throughout your body. Proper weight transfer and distribution is necessary for walking, daily movements and lifting weights with power and balance. This means that you do not want your feet to be turned inward or outward. You want your foot to be straight – Be aware when doing one legged exercises such as deadlifts, squats and front kicks.

2. POINT YOUR TOES, KNEES AND HIPS IN SAME DIRECTION  - Whatever exercises that you do, ensure that you keep your toes, knees and hips are pointing in the same direction. A lot of knee, ankle and hip injuries occur when your toes and hips go one way and the knee goes the other. Keeping that straight line between the toes and hips is important, especially when performing squats, lunges, plyometrics or playing sports like tennis and golf.







3. FEEL YOUR ENTIRE FOOT ON THE FLOOR – When you are standing, don’t lean too far forward on the balls of your feet or too far back in your heels. Keep yourself grounded by feeling your entire foot on the floor, from the toes to the balls of your feet, the instep and finally the heels. Remember the POWER comes from the ground, so feel it before your lifts. This is important when squatting and lunging. Even when bench pressing, you want to use the POWER you can get when your feet are grounded to move through your feet, legs and finally arms to help BLAST the weight.

4. CONTRACT YOUR ABS – When you pull your navel towards your spine, you are contracting your abs. This will protect your back and keep you in a neutral position. I encourage you to focus on doing this ALL THE TIME. When you are at the computer, driving your car, about to lift a weight, performing core and abs exercises or just standing up chilling – CONTRACT YOUR ABS. You will be surprised how this can help you strengthen your core and help prevent lower back pain. Do this during all exercises, but be aware when doing FUNK 50 ABS and CORE workouts.

5. ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS BACK – This is my all-time favourite! When you roll your shoulders back and down it keeps you chest lifted. Try doing this before you perform and exercise and will soon find out how much more the exercise targets the muscle you are focusing on. For example, try the FUKN crazy 28’s, but Roll your shoulder back and down before you do the workout. Believe me if you are a male – 10-15lbs should be more than enough and for a female 2-10lbs will do it. You can try this with the dumbbell or barbell curl, as well.

6. KEEP YOUR NECK LONG - Keep your neck long as if you were coming out of your head. You will find in yoga and Pilates, instructions often ask you to keep your neck long and it makes sense. This is a natural way to help elongate the body and relieve the stress and pain in your neck and shoulders. Be careful not to lean your neck back or will strain the area. Be aware of keeping your neck long when are performing seated rows and standing exercises.
 
 
 
 
 

7. NEVER LOCK YOUR KNEES – This is one of the most important points to remember. Locking your knees is when you jam your knees to a fully straight position, forcing the joint to lock at its end range of movement. You want to keep your knees soft, or slightly bent whenever doing any exercises. The real reason you should never lock your knees is because you put excessive stress on your knee, meniscus, etc which in turn increases your risk for injury. When you lock the knee, the joint, not the muscle, is doing all the work, and the muscles were designed to do the work. Be extremely aware of this when doing leg exercises, like machine presses, leg extensions, leg curls as well as squats and stiffed legged deadlifts. All exercises!
 
 
 
8. KEEP YOUR WRIST STRONG – Keeping your wrists strong and straight are key when lifting weights. Putting your wrists to far forward or to far back, while lifting weights, puts stress on your wrists, forearms and even the shoulders. When you are performing curls, especially, keep your wrist straight and rigid. It allows you to control the weight better and in all instances lift heavier. Your risk of injury decreases, as well. Be aware of your wrists when you are lifting weights off the rack or performing curling exercises.
 
Funk Roberts
 
 

BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

BEFORE - 205LBS AND AFTER - 190LBS

I preach to my clients that diet and nutrition is the #1 aspect of losing weight – 1 month ago I weighed 205lbs and now I’m 190lbs ripped. The biggest part of my loss was tweaking my nutrition – not going crazy and trying to rip down – just a few things that really made a difference. Eating breakfast was the key.

Many people trying to lose weight skip breakfast so they can save some calories. NO NO NO! This is a big mistake. Blood sugar is the body’s most powerful hunger signal. During sleep, your body uses much of the carbohydrate stores in the liver that help maintain healthy levels of blood sugar.

If you skip breakfast, low blood sugar triggers the hunger centre in you brain. The hunger signals can be so powerful that you overcompensate and eat too much at lunch, or snack on bad food for the rest of the day.

The University of Colorado researchers* found that people who eat breakfast maintain weight loss better than those who don’t. In the study, breakfast eaters burned up more calories during the day – probably because they had more energy.

Eating breakfast, particularly if it contains some protein can hold off the hunger monster for hours. Your body converts the amino acids from proteins into blood sugar. Amino’s act as tiny blood sugar time release capsules that keep you from overeating.

Other benefits to eating breakfast is that it aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, helps to give you better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day.

DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST!
*(Obesity-Res. 10:78-92,2002)


7 SIMPLE BREAKFAST IDEAS (American Dietetic Association)

1. Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and a cup of yogurt
2. Whole-grain waffles topped with peanut butter, fruit or ricotta cheese
3. A whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-cooked eggs
4. Hot cereal topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves
5. Peanut butter on a bagel with fresh fruit (banana or apple wedges) and low-fat milk
6. Breakfast smoothie (milk, fruit and teaspoon of bran, whirled in a blender)
7. Vegetable omelet with a bran muffin and orange juice

Funk Roberts
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Detox to Optimize Athletic Performance

Detox to Optimize Athletic
Performance
by Estella Hom

As an athlete, it is important to be at your best and to always be able to perform optimally. To do so requires one to be both mentally and physically fit. Your body is a machine, much like a car.

It requires regular maintenance and is powered by the fuel you give it. If you cut corners and feed it inferior grade fuel, performance will suffer. If you give it the best, premium grade fuel, you will have optimized the chances of high performance.

Having said that, by cutting out all the junk, processed foods, refined sugars, and replacing it with natural foods and healthy fats, you will see a difference.

It has been said that by purging your body of toxins, you will in turn revitalize your mind, keep energy levels high, and body fat down.

In an attempt to optimize my performance and to gain an extra edge, over the last 3 days I decided to go on a Fruit Detox program. Any extra weight and toxins I have is going to hold me back so it must go!

I’m not an endorser on popping pills to achieve end results, and much prefer to do my cleansing through natural foods, which is one of the main reasons why I decided to try Jay Robb’s 3 Day Fruit Flush Detox.

It claims that one can lose as much as 9lbs while on this program, no workouts necessary. Okay, I didn’t quite lose THAT much, but I did come close and couldn’t resist fitting in a couple of kettlebell workouts in between.


After having tried it, I was really surprised that it didn’t leave me hungry all the time and I still had more than enough energy for my workouts. However, I did crave food – especially on Day 1, where I was just consuming whey protein all day.

Other than that, I like how this detox is very natural in the sense that you’re always consuming fruits/protein. The richest food I ever consumed was avocados.

The program was especially easy to follow and keep to since I was swamped with deadlines at work and pretty much tied to my computer all day. I packed all my fruits the night before to save on time.

As for results, I lost 5lbs on the first day alone! Then for the remainder of the time I lost another pound, making it a total of 6lbs by the end of the detox.

Not too shabby at all. I felt cleaner, my abs were flatter, I was revved and ready to go!
I feel great and would definitely do it again. The fact that it’s only for 3 days, I think anyone can do it.

Bottom line: Doing a detox for 3 days is a great way to lose a few quick pounds but not a quick fix solution for weight loss. For the long term, I suggest adopting healthy eating habits that include a good balance of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and fats. If you’re in, you’re in all the way!



About Estella
Hi, my name’s Estella Hom. I’m a graphic designer, athlete, and kettlebell fat loss expert and Funk Roberts Bootcamp Trainer. Design and fitness are my two passions.

After 4 years of crunching designs in front of a computer, all niters, and very poor eating habits, I earned my Bachelor of Design Degree from York University/Sheridan College and was fat. All of which changed when I began working out, training with kettlebells and embracing a healthier lifestyle.

The fat literally melted off my body and I underwent a complete transformation. I lost 45lbs, 21″ off my body, am down 7 dress sizes, and feel better than ever! I still design away on my computer but live a much more athletic and balanced lifestyle.

Here, I will share with you tips and secrets to winning the war against body fat, getting more out of your busy life, and achieving your personal best.

Failure is not an option. Do what you got to do.

AVOID THE "ALL OR NOTHING" MENTALITY

Have you had plans to exercise five times one week and the first day something happened and you didn't exercise? When this happens, many people give up on the rest of the week. This is known as the All or Nothing Mentality.

Keep away from this - it doesn't work. If you approach your exercise and nutrition program in that manner, you set yourself up for failure. Allow for flexibility in your exercise plans and know one missed day is not a setback.

Funk Roberts
www.funkrobertsfitness.com

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10 WAYS TO GREEN YOUR FITNESS

10 WAYS TO GREEN YOUR FITNESS

With the focus being to do whatever we can to help sustain the planet, you can incorporate a few green practices into your fitness plan that can increase the benefits to the environment.


The best way to make your exercise an environmental act is to shift your workout to the out-of-doors. Exercises outdoors get you in shape but bring you closer to the natural world and your community.


You can workout at the beach, on trails, playgrounds, in the yard. You can purchase fitness products that allow you to use outside like kettlebells, resistance bands, and dumbbells; almost anything.


Here are 10 tips to help you Green your Routine

1. Commute to work as much as you can by riding your bike. It’s better for the environment as well as the whole body. Biking is also nice and easy on the joints.

2. Walking outside is much better exercise than running on a treadmill or going to a Gym, which utilizes power and damages the environment in turn. Brisk walks are a great way to remain slim, trim, and healthy.





3. Eat organic energy bars, fresh fruit, and juices to fuel up before, during and after your workouts.

4. Start a garden. Planting, weeding, pruning trees and pulling weeds can have as much benefit as a dumbbell routine. This will also allow you to grow vegetables of your choice





5. Go for a hike at a fitness trail, national park, forest, countryside, or local farm instead of going to the gym.

6. DRINK WATER. Water is not your enemy! Drink lots of it and keep yourself hydrated.

7. Always use reusable water bottle for carrying drinking water. Try the Kleen Canteen



8. Avoid synthetic foods and junk foods as they perform functions, which are not suited to our bodies system and produce junk for our atmosphere. Eat an oil and fat free diet, which has rich portions of green vegetables and fruits. Fruits and organic nuts are a good option for eating at the breakfast time. This will help to provide you a day full of energy.

9. Make bodyweight exercises your friend. Bodyweight exercises are a green fitness experts’ favorite. These build muscle, strength and muscle endurance.




10. Make green fitness your life. Eat, drink and live green. Love the earth, love yourself and take care of your temple. It’s the only body you’re going to have.




The above are only a few ways by which we can reduce the burden on us and our planet earth. Yes we have to follow all the rules and guidelines of green fitness if we want our next generations to live safely on this earth. With the present crises of Global warming, environmental pollution, energy hazards etc., the only way out to save our planet is to go “GREEN”.

Funk Roberts

USE PERIODIZATION TECHNIQUES

Periodization is a concept where you use cycles to break up your training. Regardless of your ultimate goal you should have a plan, and this plan needs to be broken up into your daily, weekly, and monthly workouts.

So, you may have a week of heavy intense training, then a maintenance week of lighter training, the light week allows the muscles to recuperate, yet because they’re still being trained atrophy will not occur from disuse. In order to avoid a state of over training, and continue to grow, we need to recover.

Remember your muscles do not grow in the gym, they grow when at rest. Many factors contribute to over training, including inadequate rest, continued heavy training, and deficiencies in diet & nutrition.

By using periodization to map out your training you will avoid over training and keep your muscles in a state of continued adaption.

Principles that can be used when planning your training cycles:

Cycle Training: this is where you break up your training into bulk cycles, strength cycles and cutting cycles; which will help keep your muscles in a responsive state.

Split Training: this is breaking up your training into separate body parts each work-out which allows for shorter and more intense sessions.

Muscle Confusion: your muscles adapt to stress, and ultimately you can reach a plateau. By constantly varying the exercises, weights, sets and reps you can ensure continued adaption.

Progressive Overload: continue to increase different parameters in your training, whether it be more weight, increasing sets and reps, etc.

Eclectic Training: using a variety of methods in your training, combining numerous techniques such as compound and isolation exercises.

Paul Dillet

Principles that can assist you in arranging each workout:

Supersets: alternating two opposing muscle groups with little rest in between sets.

Giant Sets: performing several exercises for a single muscle group with little rest in between sets.

Muscle Priority: training a weaker body part first in your work out.

Pre-Exhaustion: this is where you perform an isolation exercise preceding a compound exercise, e.g. leg extensions before squats.

Pyramiding: beginning with a lighter weight, gradually increasing weight and lowering reps, then work backwards, decreasing weight and increasing reps.

Stripping: going from a heavy weight, and stripping off weight each set as fatigue sets in.

Principles that can be used with each exercise:

Forced reps: once failure has been reached on a set, your partner assists you in performing additional reps that could not be performed alone.

Continuous tension: maintaining slow continuous tension thru out the rep, which will maximize red muscle fiber recruitment.

Cheating: once failure is reached the weight is swung past your sticking point to complete the movement. (useful when you do not have a spotter)

Partial reps: as the name implies only part of the full movement is performed, e.g. only curling a barbell half way up, which can be effective due to the varying points of leverage.

Peak contraction: at the completion of a set holding the weight fully contracted for a few seconds.

Super speed: using a lighter weight, reps are performed explosively yet controlled, called “compensatory acceleration”, which can help with white fiber recruitment.

Funk Roberts

Don't Rush the Beat