With the holidays in full swing, I'm always looking for ways to stay on track with my workouts and nutrition. This article shares some great ways to have a healthy holiday season. Number 1 is my favorite. Tell me your favorite!

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Five Rules of Holiday Fitness

NOVEMBER 4, 2015 BY CONTRIBUTOR 16 COMMENTS

Don’t be that person who puts fitness goals on the back burner this holiday season. You can enjoy the holidays and crush your goals by following the Five Rules of Holiday Fitness!

Everyone always seems to have the same concerns when the holidays come around. We all want to attend as many events, dinners, and ugly-sweater parties as possible, but we don’t want our health and fitness to suffer as a result.

You would think that through the years people would have figured out how to have their cake and health and fitness, too. The reality is that some of us have, but too many of us have not. The answer should not be about desperately doing everything you can do from January to November for your health and fitness and then just see what happens in November and December. You need a new approach.

The Five Rules of Holiday Fitness could single-handedly be your turning point and finally teach you to learn to love the holidays and maintain your health and fitness levels throughout!

So, let’s take a look at the old way most people do things and the new rules that will help.

FIVE RULES OF HOLIDAY FITNESS

OLD WAY: Try (AND FAIL) to stick to a split program through the holidays 

NEW RULE #1: Do Full-Body Workouts during the holiday season. 

Things come up during the holiday season all of the time.  If you are doing split workouts, you will be so scattered that you will be missing some body parts and over-working others.

A few missed workouts does not mean you should throw in the towel until next week or next month. Instead, consider following a program of full-body workouts that use resistance, cardio, and yoga or stretching will keep you moving forward even if you miss a day or two. 

Since time is valued this time of year, it’s a great time to look at At-Home Workouts. Working out at home saves time and money because you won’t have to drive to the gym. At-Home Workouts doesn’t mean your workouts will be easy. If anything, they may feel harder! Many At-Home Workout Programs incorporate supersets, cardio bursts, or other compound movements to elevate your heart rate and maximize your time. Trust me: you won’t lose any ground. Honestly you will more likely gain ground and see results, and the gym may be something you do once in a while after the holidays.

OLD WAY: Allowing Events and Workouts to Compete for Your Time

NEW RULE #2: Good Morning Workout!

The holiday season typically makes everyone’s schedules more jam-packed with events after work. This can also be a time that many plan to workout. So which do you do? During the holiday season the holiday events typically win.  There’s no reason to waste time figuring this out. The decision is “Good Morning Workout”.  

Doing your workout first thing in the morning keeps you on track and never missing a beat. Plus it lowers your stress because you are not thinking about having a workout when the unexpected event comes up, because yours is already done.  If you are gym person, then load up your gym bag the night before to save time and give yourself enough time to eat, get to the gym, clean up, and off to work. This again is where At-Home Programs can ease the stress of time. It can save you 45-60 minutes of time in the morning which could be used for extra sleep. 

OLD WAY: Don’t consume all the decadent treats and sweets

NEW RULE #3: Try to eat only the treats and sweets new and appealing, don’t just gobble all the old favorites. Have a small portion of your favorite seasonal treats, and skip the things you can get anytime of the year. 

FIVE RULES OF HOLIDAY FITNESS 

Most people fail miserably at this one, so set yourself up with an incentive. Maybe it’s money in a jar for every time you skip something you can have anytime or have already had this season. Whatever incentive works for you, try it and do it.

Keep in mind that sugary treats can be found everywhere you look, so be mindful. Mindful means if you want the pumpkin pie or egg nog, scrap the Oreo cookies in the breakroom or a cafe mocha on the way home. You don’t want to ride the blood-sugar high all New Year’s and have to make resolutions that you would have never needed to make.

OLD WAY: Try to resist the urge even if you are starving.

NEW RULE #4: Plain and simple… Don’t let yourself get to the point you are starving! 

Planning ahead becomes crucial and staying hydrated is important. Being prepared for the unexpected during the holiday season (or anytime) is important. Pack protein bars, raw almonds, apples or other fruit, or packets of total nutrition Shakeology. 

Having these extra healthy snack options will help get through the day and are necessary before going to an unexpected holiday event. A healthy snack prior to your event will help you stick to the plan of not eating whatever throughout the night. 

Drinking a 12-16-ounce glass of water prior to going to the event will also help you feel full when you arrive. Keep drinking water throughout the event. 

OLD WAY: Training all year with hopes that people notice during the holidays

NEW RULE #5:  Invite friends and family to join you for your workouts, whether at home or the gym.

The holidays are often times when you see people you haven’t seen for a while.

It’s normal to secretly want to shock those people, and have them give you the “Wow” compliment! Or the “What have you been doing?” “You look great!” So instead of being secret and looking for your compliment, why not help inspire them to embrace the fit life. It is always better to give and inspire. 

Make a workout date with a friend, family member, or coworker this holiday season. It will help hold both of you accountable for getting your workouts completed and provide a more natural platform for fitness questions and conversation, should any arise. Give the gift of health by inviting them and giving them an At-Home Fitness Challenge Pack to keep them going after the holidays.

Also remember to go for walks after big dinners and do things as a family like skiing, snowshoeing, hitting the beach, or going for a hike, depending on your climate. 

Whatever you do, do it with friends and family. Inspire versus go for the compliment. Give the gift of health and fitness. 

The bottom line is the holidays come once a year, but they still occur every year. So lower your stress and stay healthy and fit through the holidays by dumping the old ways and implementing these Five Rules for Holiday Fitness.

Finish the year strong!

Building muscle is much more than just "bulking up". Periodization, Progressive Overload and Recovery are keys to creating muscle strength. Check out this overview of how to train your muscles.  I've been using P90X3 and Body Beast lately.  What are your favorite ways to strength train?

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/put-on-muscle-with-p90x-p90x2-or-p90x3/#!288

Put on Muscle with P90X, P90X2, or P90X3

OCTOBER 15, 2015 BY CONTRIBUTOR 28 COMMENTS

We know that guys have a thing for large muscles. When many guys are young they dream of fast cars, playing football, and wanting to look like muscle bound superheroes. Most men think that this can only happen by spending countless hours at the gym, and that is just not true. You can Put on the Muscle with P90X, P90X2, or P90X3. No more countless hours spent driving to and from the gym, or hours in the weight room. Customize one of these programs and you will be on your way to your muscle bound body.

To know how to Put on Muscle with P90X, P90X2, or P90X3you need to understand exactly what mass is. Mass means size. Mass doesn’t necessarily have to mean “massive”. If a program is designed to target mass this really only means one thing: muscle growth. So you can have a lot of it, or some of it. Your choice!

The P90X series when used with its classic original design is not meant for mass. The series is designed for overall fitness. This means that all areas of fitness are targeted, including speed, strength, flexibility, and muscle growth. Ultimately this is the preferred method for overall superior health and fitness, but we all know that sometimes size matters and you can do it with these programs. With that said, it is still in a person’s best interest to look at creating an overall fitness foundation prior to going with just bulk.

Fitness foundations can easily be created with all three of the P90X programs. Before embarking on a mass-specific program you want to train all of your body’s energy systems to get them efficient, which will increase your body’s ability to do well, and help create greater results for mass.  It’s best to complete a round of P90X, P90X2, or P90X3 with the original design prior to starting your mass-building program.

PUT MUSCLE ON WITH P90X, P90X2, OR P90X3

Time to Build and Put Muscle on with P90X, P90X2 or P90X3. With mass as your goal, you need to have the right resistance equipment, right program periodization, appropriate progressive overload, and proper recovery. 

Equipment: A set of dumbbells, 5-50 pounds’ minimum, and a bench will be key. To make mass gains on body weight exercises you will need to make your body fail after given number of repetitions. To make this happen more effectively add weights, bands, or devices like ankle and wrist weights, or a weighted vest to add resistance to the movements.

Periodization:  Part one of Periodization is starting with your foundation of doing whichever P90X program you choose as its classic version to have a stable Foundation. The program is written in a way that periodization is built into the calendar. Part two will be stepping into the program using the guidelines provided in the schedule for mass. Part three would be going back to the classic or moving onto another P90X program from the series and starting with the classic and moving back into mass.

Progressive Overload: Mass happens with progressive overload. To create muscle growth, you must keep stimulating the muscles during each workout. This requires that you add weight as necessary to create failure at the desired number of reps. Make sure you have enough resistance that you don’t exceed your targeted number of reps. Even better if you can do enough weight to cut the amount of reps into three sets because you are lifting heavier, then you are creating more opportunity for mass. If you have to push the pause button to make it three sets, then do so.

Complete your repetitions slow and controlled with proper form. Speed is for power, not size. Focus on perfect form and only add weight when you can do each rep with great form and when it becomes easier to hit the overall rep count.

PUT MUSCLE ON WITH P90X, P90X2, OR P90X3

Recovery: P90X series mass schedules have a lot of active recovery and flexibility work and very little intense cardio. Therefore, you will spend more time recovering during each training block and taking fewer periods focused solely on recovery. This allows for overall muscle growth and proper recovery.

Nutrition is also important for you to Put on Muscle with P90X, P90X2, or P90X3, just as it is with any program. You won’t be burning as many calories as you would during the classic schedules. If you eat the same amount, you may gain more mass, but you’ll also gain more body fat. If you want mass, then you need to eat enough for your body to put on weight, but the right weight. Clean eating balanced with carbs, proteins, and fats will be key. You will want to be at the higher level of the nutrition plan, but will also have to listen to your body and see how it is responding.

If you use the mass calendars, with the other suggestions on mass you will Put on Muscle with P90X, P90X2, and P90X3. Results will come if you pay attention to your nutrition, cycle with periodization of the mass, and classic calendars, and use the proper resistance.

Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss?

The age old debate: which is better- Diet or Exercise? Can you effectively lose weight doing just one? Sure you can, however, do you know what's most effective? Here's an article to highlight how to succeed to your best results! Check it out and share!

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Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss?

OCTOBER 5, 2015 BY CONTRIBUTOR 

Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss? The truth is you need both!

Only using exercise will definitely make it harder to lose inches and pounds. Can it be done? Sure, but it will happen very slowly and most likely won’t last. Only about 1% of people will keep weight off when they just use exercise.

If you only lose weight through diet you will end up skinny, but most likely still carry excess fat. Yep, without exercise your body retains fat. This is called being skinny fat and it’s often retained in the belly. In addition, people who only use nutrition for weight loss have about a 10% possibility of keeping the weight off.

So, if you’re wondering, Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss? The answer is truly both. Together they turbocharge your body. When you combine the two you also increase your chances up to 60% for keeping weight off. 

DIET OR EXERCISE: WHICH IS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

We can’t stress enough the importance of combining diet and exercise versus worrying about Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss. A Healthy Diet really means healthy, balanced, portioned, and clean nutrition and proper hydration.  When you are truly eating healthy your body will shed fat, gain muscle, and maintain a healthy weight. What you put in your body is your diet. Your healthy diet should include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and lots of water. A diet that includes all food groups is healthy nutrition!

Important Aspects of a Healthy Diet:

• You’ll be Happier and More Productive

Your diet has a huge impact on how you feel. Eating the right foods including complex carbohydrates, and foods rich in iron and high in omega-3 can increase serotonin and energy levels. This is why Shakeology can have such a huge impact on energy levels, because it contains that exact combination of foods. Research has also revealed nutrition that has low omega-3 levels, too little iron, and high amounts of sugar and simple carbohydrates may be correlated with depression.

• Your Digestive System Will Run Better

When you provide your body with fruits and vegetables you’ll have the proper fiber intake which will aid the digestive tract. Couple that with proper hydration and your digestion will be happy.  When you are eat a healthy diet, your digestive tract runs like clockwork and when it runs like clockwork this will aid in weight loss and muscle gain. For those who are not big on fruits and vegetables, then you need to look at Shakeology. 

• You’ll Get to a Healthy Weight

No matter how much you work out, you cannot work out enough to beat poor nutrition. When you see people who workout every day and their bodies are still the same, the cause is poor nutrition. Poor meals or too many drinks can undo the positive effects of exercise. 

DIET OR EXERCISE: WHICH IS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Important Aspects of Regular Exercise:

• You need to exercise. 

Whether you are at your goal weight or not, you need to exercise 5-6 days per week. The best programs include both cardiovascular (aerobic and anaerobic exercise) as well as resistance training (weight lifting). The best and most efficient way to make sure that you are getting the proper amounts of each exercise is to use Beachbody Programs like 21 Day Fix, P90X, and others. Check out Beachbody On-Demand for free to see all the different programs that you can use to get the right exercise. As humans we are made to move. If we don’t move we fall apart. I am sure you have heard “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. This is true when applied to exercise!

• Less Stress and Greater Happiness.

Exercise has been shown to reduce the amount of the stress hormones in the body and boost serotonin levels. When this happens we are happier. 

• Improved Sleep

Better Sleep equals better recovery. When at rest the body recovers, muscles heal, and performance-enhancing hormones are released. The body’s leptin levels recover. When this hormone is at proper levels it makes it easier to make better food choices. 

• Helps with Weight Loss and Muscle Gains (Toning and Bulking) 

Exercise burns calories. When you are creating a greater deficit in calories you will lose weight. Exercise can also helps you gain muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn during and after exercise. 

Diet or Exercise: Which is Better for Weight Loss? By now you should see the greatest benefit comes when you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Combining the two is a must. Numerous studies show the synergistic effects of combining exercise and with a healthy. When this is done, 1 + 1 = 10!

If you are not sure how to put this all together, you can obtain a FREE Coach to help you get started.

Looking for an edge with your training? Nutritious food is a great way to supplement, boost your performance or assist in post-workout recovery. Check out these simple additions!

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Foods to Improve Athletic Performance

OCTOBER 6, 2015 BY CONTRIBUTOR

Clean and smart supplementation can really boost performance and recovery. You can also find Foods to Improve Athletic Performance. Clean and smart food intake can also boost performance and recovery and aid in the supplements positive effects. Stock your pantry with these Foods to Improve Athletic Performance and you have additional secret weapons. 

FOODS TO IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

Coffee: Drinking 16-24 ounces of coffee daily has shown to improve an athlete’s performance. Coffee is also a rich source of antioxidants.

Caffeine (whether you get it from coffee or tea) is an accepted component of the training and competition throughout the world. 

When it comes to caffeine, research has shown that you don’t need a lot. Low doses of caffeine (up to 2 per pound of lean body mass, or up to 200 mg) shows the most improvement on athletic performance. More than this can have the opposite effect on performance. This science is why Beachbody developed Energize as a part of their Performance Nutrition Line. 

Low doses of caffeine are not associated with the side effects of higher doses, such as jitters, nervousness, the inability to sleep, or gastrointestinal distress. Low doses of caffeine do not dehydrate users during exercise under normal conditions, and should be consumed 30 minutes prior to exercise for optimal performance enhancements.

Beets: Beets are a natural rich source of inorganic nitrate. Dietary nitrate is converted to nitrite, stored and circulated in the blood which is believed to enhance endurance performance by improving exercise efficiency. Recent studies have indicated that nitrates show promising effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems and functions. 

Turmeric: The greatest healthful component of turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is a phytonutrient that is responsible for the yellow color. The effects of curcumin have been well investigated over recent years, but its efficacy as an anti-inflammatory has been known in Asia for centuries.

FOODS TO IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

The Phytonutrients of curcumin possess anti-inflammatory properties. These anti-inflammatory properties include changes in cell signaling, particularly inhibition of certain pro-inflammatory pathways, which often impair performance. It has also been seen to reduce evidence of muscle damage, and be beneficial toward preventing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Pomegranates: Besides the fact that pomegranates are delicious, they are packed with phytonutrients, such as ellagitannins. Ellagitannins have been aided in reducing inflammation, recovery of muscle damage, reduced muscle weakness and soreness, and improvements in strength performance recovery following heavy resistance training. The benefits of pomegranates are documented in a study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Apples: Apples are rich in phytochemicals and are a good source of quercetin, a flavanol that may benefit endurance performance and counter exercise-induced inflammation. Quercetin is an ergogenic aid that has shown to increase VO2 max, increase mitochondrial production in muscle tissue, and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. So eat those apples but also look at Energize and Hydrate from the Beachbody Performance Line to capitalize on the benefits of quercetin.

We spend so much time focusing on foods for weight loss and general health, it sometimes slips our mind that food serves a third important purpose: fuel! There is no guarantee that your performance will be improved, but why not add Food to Improve Athletic Performance to your nutrition regimen, regardless of performance improvement they are simply beneficial from a nutritional standpoint.

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