5 Benefits of TRX Training

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5 Benefits of TRX Training

 

TRX training, also called suspension training sometimes, has become incredibly popular over the last few years among small studio gyms and even large chain gyms. This kind of training is popular for a reason: it works. Here are 5 benefits to TRX training to show you why you should definitely look into this kind of training.

 

Anyone Can Do It

This kind of training, while it mean seem complicated, actually works for beginners to elite level athletes. By changing your body position slightly you can increase or decrease intensity meaning that even if you’re just getting into fitness you can take these classes.

 

It’s Versatile

This kind of training uses two bands hooked together by an anchor, which is usually on the ceiling. Why does this make it versatile? Well, it means this kind of training can be set up pretty much anywhere, in any gym for a small or large size training group. It doesn’t have a lot of equipment required so you can basically set it up anywhere you work out and have a complete, full body workout without a lot of set up.

 

Cardio and Strength Benefits

When it comes to designing a workout routine many people feel like they have to focus on just cardio, or strength – they can’t have both. Well, with TRX you can. These workouts will increase both your cardiovascular endurance and your muscle strength. When working out, by increase the speed in which you complete the exercises you can increase the effort needed by your heart and lungs which helps with endurance levels.

 

Low Impact

Whether you are recovering from a previous injury or you are just a fan of low impact workouts, TRX is definitely low impact. It’s designed to be focused on suspension which means that the impact to your joints is minimal, and therefore won’t be put under as much stress when compared to other workouts.

 

Always Something Different

For many people going to the gym can seem to be tedious, which means they won’t continue going because they don’t enjoy it. Running on a treadmill might become boring very quickly, and some beginners may feel intimidated by trying out the weight room for the first time by themselves. TRX gives the benefits of both kinds of workouts and it will feel a lot less intimidating for beginners. What’s more is that you can easily change up the workout to keep it interesting, and you’ll stay engaged when you aren’t always doing the same thing.

 

TRX, or suspension training, is a great introductory workout for anyone looking to lose weight or add some fitness into their life. Further it’s flexible and can accommodate limitations and injuries to help you get the most out of your workout. With both strength and cardio benefits this unique way of training will carry you through all levels of training: as you increase you abilities and level of fitness you can change up the routine and increase the level of difficulty. Overall, TRX training is a fantastic way to add some fitness into your life, and the benefits will combine the best of all difference kinds of workouts.

How to: Start Meal Prepping

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How to: Start Meal Prepping

 

You want to eat healthy and you know there’s many foods out there that just aren’t nutritious for your body. Convenience foods are filled with unnecessary preservatives and extra calories leaving you with little room for more food throughout the day even though you’ll be hungry in a couple hours. You know that foods made at home at the best since you can control what goes in them. You know all these things, but it takes time to prepare meals at home and with a growing family, career obligations and a busy schedule where is that time going to come from? To battle this you can easily pre-make some or all of your foods so that you have items ready to go that are easy to eat so you won’t have to endure another drive-thru any time soon. Here’s how you can easily start to meal prep.

 

Make a Plan

Well, obviously. But no, really – plan. Find or make a meal planning sheet – either digital or one you can write on – and plan your meals. Plan all of it: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. By figuring out what you’re going to eat for the week you can figure out what groceries you need to buy and exactly what you need to prepare ahead of time. You can even, if you like, cross reference this plan into your work or family planner so that on days you’re really busy you can see you need to prep for the entire day and not just a couple snacks or one meal. Knowing what is going on in the week to come can really help to ensure you’re preparing the foods you need to eat and you won’t be left hungry hours before you can get home.

 

Decide your Timeline

No meal prep is the same: some people do it on Sundays, some do it on their day off because they work shiftwork. Some people prep every meal and snack, some only do the ones where they know they won’t be home for a long time. Some people prep for a whole week, others only for a day or two at a time. Whatever works for you, do it. Figure out if you are comfortable with preparing meals and snacks for the whole week. It is common to struggle with questioning if you can know what you’ll want to eat a whole week ahead, but this is part of making the plan: to ensure you aren’t always trying to find a drive-thru you need to have foods prepared. You will also want to figure out when you want to meal prep and keep it consistent. If you plan to do it on a day where you already have a lot going on it’s likely you’ll push it back and then you’ll be without ready to go foods for a few days.

 

Find Recipes you Like

Some people are ok to eat the exact same thing for breakfast every day of the week, while others don’t even want to look at the same foods twice in one week. You know yourself best, so figure out what you like to eat. Do you like leftovers? Will you always have access to a microwave during the day? Figure out what you want to eat and make it. It is important, though, if you are prepping for the whole week that you find recipes that will stay for the week. If there are ones you love but it’s only good for a couple days, perhaps you can prep the ingredients and make it for a day or two at a time so that you will still be able to enjoy it fully. If you don’t like it, you won’t eat it.

Combine Foods

Not actually, but if you normally make three difference recipes for the week try to find ones that use similar ingredients. For example, they all use chicken, or beef, as the meat in the recipe. If you have to buy three different kinds of meat then your grocery bill will go through the roof. By combing ingredients you can also save on space needed in your fridge and cabinets, if that’s an issue for you.

 

Get the Stuff

You’ll need reusable containers – lots of them. Meal prep requires that you make a lot of foods ahead of time so you’ll need something to store it all in. Make sure you have a variety of sizes and that they are all microwavable in case you want to heat up the food you make.

Eating on the Go: how to blend your nutritional needs with your busy life

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Eating on the Go: how to blend your nutritional needs with your busy life

 

Life is busy. Sometimes incredibly busy. In theory it’s easy to say you know what you should be eating, you know that take out is pretty unhealthy and you know that you need to be taking care of your body. In reality, though, life gets in the way of what you know you should be doing and instead you do what’s easy. But, what if the easiest thing to eat was also the thing you know you should be putting in your body? Here’s some really easy ways to incorporating healthy eating into your busy life.

 

Buy a Refillable Water Bottle

Seriously, it’s that simple. By ensuring you have a water bottle you can use over and over you’ll always have a way to bring water on the go with you – no matter what you are. Staying hydrated is so important to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. You can also keep some packages of crystal light or similar in your bag so that, if you really don’t like “just water”, you can mix it up and you aren’t drinking high sugar drinks like pop.

 

Make Some Snacks to Take with You

This fits in with the idea of meal prepping but by making snacks ahead of time and always having them in your work or school bag then you won’t find yourself headed through the drive through again because you have something to eat with you. What’s more is that snacks you make ahead of time are likely to be more nutritionally sound and lower calorie than their fast food equivalents. They are also likely to keep you feeling full longer which means you can focus on important tasks – like work or school.

 

Find Low Maintenance Foods

Foods that need preparation to eat them – like warming up or mixing together – are going to deter you from eating on the go, in a hurry. Find some foods that are easy to eat and take very little effort. By doing this you will likely be more inclined to eat them and therefore won’t find yourself looking around for a convenient drive thru.

 

Make a Plan

You likely know your schedule for the day, if not the week ahead, so plan for what’s going to happen. If you know that certain nights of the week you just won’t be home until late then plan to take snacks with you during the day. Planning when and what you’re going to eat might sound really tedious but if you want to really stop eating out all the time because your life is so busy then you need to make a plan, and stick to it. Make up a lot of snack bags and fill with fruit, veggies, home made trail mix, whatever it is that you like to eat. Don’t make snacks because it’s what you think you should eat; if you don’t like it then you won’t eat it. Find what you like and incorporate it into your daily or weekly plan.

5 Popular Fitness Myths Debunked

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5 Popular Fitness Myths Debunked

 

There are a lot of fitness “truths” out there, and it seems like what is true today won’t be tomorrow. Well, there’s a few things out there that have always been true, even if fads having you believing otherwise. Here’s 5 popular fitness myths that just simply aren’t true.

 

Myth #1: No pain, no gain

Ultimately pain is a signal your body sends when something just isn’t quite right – perhaps your workout is too intense or your form is incorrect, either way what your body doesn’t like what you’re doing if you’re in actual pain. The muscle soreness caused from a heavy workout, such as your quads after squats, is very normal but that shouldn’t be confused for pain. If you are having troubles walking or with regular mobility the day after a workout you might have pushed too hard and you should give yourself sufficient recovery. Soreness is to be expected, but you should not be in pain.

 

Myth #2: Women who lift weights will become bulky

This myth has been circulating with the aerobics and step class goers for years, but it is ultimately not true. Gaining huge amounts of muscle takes an incredibly regimented diet and workout schedule, plus that much extra muscle – order to look “bulky” – would require a large elevation in testosterone levels which women just naturally don’t have. Having a low body fat percentage will show the definition that your muscles naturally have, but without doing it on purpose women who lift weights will not become bulky. If anything, they will come to have a much more defined shape to their body.

 

Myth #3: I burned the calories, so I can eat whatever I want

What? Why? If you are on the path to losing those extra 10, 20 or more pounds then why would you sabotage your success? Seriously. In order to lose weight you need to consume less calories than you burn in a day, a way of thinking known as CICO or Calories In Calories Out. If you burned off 500 calories during your workout, that’s a pretty intense workout. But you can completely ruin that extra deficit with just one small snack. Due to the amount of processed foods consumed, calorie intakes are pretty high for those of us in a busy lifestyle. Don’t ruin your fantastic workout. Eat your regularly planned meals, ensure you have enough protein, fiber, carbs and fat in your diet and you will see those results. Don’t waste your efforts with just one snack; it’s so easy to over eat and you need high intensity workouts to burn a large number of calories.

 

Myth #4: If you’re trying to lose weight you should start with cardio, and then move to weight training when you’ve lost some weight

No. A million times, no. Cardio and weight training are both valid workouts but they will give you drastically different benefits. Cardio training helps your lung capacity and works your heart – it is an aerobic workout. Weight training is anaerobic. Aerobic workouts burn fat stores, which requires much more oxygen to complete. Weight training, on the other hand, uses your glycogen stores to complete the workout. What might be more relevant is this: weight lifting keeps burning calories even after you finish working out as it increases your metabolism over time. Cardio, on the other hand, doesn’t have quite the afterburn affect but it will burn more calories during the workout than weightlifting. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, but you do not have to choose one over the other if you’re just starting out.

 

Myth #5: Working out should be hard, and it isn’t meant to be fun

This myth goes all the way back to fundamentals. Working out – in any form – is great for your body: it can relieve stress, help you sleep better, help you with focus and memory and just add quality to your every day life. So why would you choose a workout that you don’t enjoy? If you hate running don’t do it. Don’t want to squat your own body weight? Then don’t do it. It’s really that simple. You don’t have to hate it and it doesn’t have to be hard. Notice how kids do things they really enjoy doing? They don’t put themselves through stuff they don’t like so why are you? Choose a form of exercise that you look forward to doing and it will become a whole lot less work.

 

 

3 Reasons it’s Better to Work out in a Group

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3 Reasons it’s Better to Work out in a Group

 

Small group training has becoming much more popular than training alone (or taking large classes at a chain gym where you don’t know anyone) and it’s not by accident: small group training has incredible benefits on your fitness levels but also on your mental health. Here’s why you should consider small group training if you haven’t already.

 

Stay Motivated

This might seem obvious, but most of us are, at least, a little competitive by nature. When others around us push us to better ourselves it will keep us motivated to do it. This healthy bit of competition isn’t necessarily about being better than the others in the group, but rather if you are really struggling and you feel like you can’t continue your friends will show you that you can. They will pick you up and help you move along when you’re ready to quit. This is known as a “keep up” mentality – you see someone else in the group pushing harder than you are, and suddenly you want to keep up with them.

 

Be Accountable

Small group training almost always requires a commitment from you. Lots of people, potentially, sign up for these classes so if you’re going to sign up and don’t show up you’re taking the spot of someone else who might really want to be there. If you say you’re going to be at a class, you must be accountable to them and explain why it is that you didn’t show up last time. If you just go to the gym to do your own thing you don’t have to answer to anyone as to why you skipped out, but in class settings you absolutely must be accountable if you don’t show up. Working out this way will make sure you show up when you say you’re going to, and since showing up is more than half the battle usually once you’re there the workout will rock!

 

Get Social

It’s human nature to want to be in groups, be with people and be social so why not use fitness as an excuse to also extend your social life? Think about it: what will bring you closer together than mutual pain and suffering at the hands of a crazy bootcamp class? Those friendships are born out of suffering and you’ll always have that connection with your new friends. Who else will know exactly what you’re going through when it’s hard to get out of bed the next morning? Who else will be able to talk to you about your life and push you through those last few reps at the same time? Group classes help to forge friendships and you already have something in common with all of them: the desire to get fit and meet new people.

Overall health is not just about fitness – but fitness is key 

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Overall health is not just about fitness – but fitness is key 

 

When talking about becoming healthier and feeling better most people automatically assume that you’re just going to start working out, but that isn’t the only thing you need to think about when looking at a healthier lifestyle. There are a few other factors to living a well-balanced, healthy life and it isn’t just about hitting the gym. Here’s the other key factors to maintaining balance in your life, without feeling like you’ll completely lose who you are.

 

Sleep

This cannot, cannot be stressed enough. Sleep is likely the biggest thing you’re missing out on. Most adults need about 7-8 hours per night; now there are a select few who can actually function on less than that and not be affected, but most of us can’t. Getting a good, restful sleep every night is crucial for living a balanced life, and for ensuring you are completely present in every aspect of your life. Skipping out on sleep in favour of catching up on TV shows will catch up with you, whether you like it or not. Get some rest!

 

Nutrition

Well, obviously. But in all seriousness that foods you choose can also have an affect on your ability to concentrate and your motivation. When you feel better, you start to want to feel better all the time. This means that you’ll want to consistently eat better when you realize how good it feels. Make sure you get the nutrition your body needs, and not just the latest fad diet. It will be a consistent effort to choose the right foods in the beginning, but once you know how your body reacts to certain foods it will motivate you to continue to eat that way.

 

Mental Vacations

Most people will talk about how they go on vacation just to get away from it all – every day life, the stress, the responsibilities, the never ending To Do lists – all of it. What this means is they need a mental vacation, and some time to just do nothing while they can recharge. This doesn’t have to be sitting on a beach or backpacking through Europe – it can really be just a week away from everything you don’t want to do. Taking the time to mentally prepare for upcoming work, projects or family events is crucial to your overall health and should be considered important time with yourself. Take the time – you won’t regret it.

 

Physical Fitness

Incorporating physical fitness routine into your schedule is great for all parts of your health – not just the physical. While it will show the most benefit to you physically it can also have fantastic benefits to your mental health. Working out regularly can help you to focus on tasks on work and can also help you have restful sleep at night, and a good night’s sleep is very important to overall health too. When you have physical fitness as a priority in your life, everything else just seems to line up – ever wonder why? In order to excel in your chosen area of working out you need to ensure you are sleeping an appropriate amount, eating the foods that align with your body’s needs and you are mentally prepared for the workout to come. Fitness needs all of those things in order for it to work: if you are eating foods that aren’t nutritionally sound your performance will suffer. If you aren’t sleeping enough, you won’t want to work out. By ensuring all the other aspects of your health align then your workout will fall right into place and your overall health will be maintained.

5 Reasons to Take Care of Yourself (without feeling guilty)

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5 Reasons to Take Care of Yourself (without feeling guilty)

 

Sometimes carving time out of your schedule for yourself is a really difficult thing to do – you feel like everything else you have to do in a day is a priority over getting yourself to the gym, reading before bed or even ten minutes of mediation to clear your mind. It’s not exactly easy – especially for those with full time careers and other obligations – to make sure you take the time you need to stay focused, on track and true to yourself. Here are five reasons you need to take time for yourself, and why you should never feel guilty for doing it.

 

Cope with Stress and Rejuvenate

Taking some much needed me-time actually allows you to better cope with the stresses your life brings you, whether it’s from children, your career, or any other form. Time is precious and it’s crucial you show up to everything as the best you possible. If you aren’t getting the time you need to appropriately deal with stress then you won’t be the best version of you.

 

Curb Emotional and Mindless Eating

When you aren’t able to take the time you need to take care of yourself – however you spend that time – the amount of emotional or stress eating will skyrocket. Many women feel they deserve a treat or a way to give themselves something special, but because they don’t have the extra time they believe that food is the way to achieve this need. Over-eating is a classic sign of not enough me-time.

 

Ensure Others Respect your Time

The way you treat yourself opens the door for how you allow others to treat you. When we don’t treat ourselves as a priority, it means you’re going to allow others to not make you a priority either. If necessary, actually block of time in your calendar for yourself to ensure you get time every single day for yourself. When you don’t move your calendar for anyone on the drop of a hat anymore people will learn to value your time and ensure they respect the schedule you set up for yourself.

 

Increase your Effectiveness

Sufficient rest time, which is personal me-time too, will actually make you a much more effective person. Rest is crucial both for focus and relaxation – even when it seems like you have too much to do, take some time to recharge yourself. If you are absolutely exhausted all the time you’ll be less mentally ready for the tasks at hand and will likely do everything in your life to a lesser standard than you normally would.

 

Create a Regular Fitness Schedule

Fitness – even if you don’t go to the gym – is still incredibly important to maintain a balanced life. With that in mind you need to carve out the time to get fitness into your life, and make it a priority for yourself. When you actually put it into your schedule, it’s like a meeting with yourself so you know you have to go. Don’t be afraid to put regular workouts into your schedule – if it’s in front of your eyes you’re less likely to forget about it or ignore it.

 

The Best Way to Get Back into Fitness After Having a Baby

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The Best Way to Get Back into Fitness After Having a Baby

 

Having a baby is tough – both physically and emotionally. If you had a regular workout routine before baby came along you might find yourself pinched for time now. If you didn’t frequent the gym before having your little one, you might find yourself in a position now where you’d like to lose that extra baby weight you just can’t seem to get rid of. Here’s some of the best ways to get your pre-baby body, and routine, back if you’re struggling to make it happen.

 

Make Some Friends

This might sound weird, and you’re thinking “I already have friends, thanks” but make friends who are also new moms. You’ll likely go through the same struggles and issues, so you can vent to them but what’s more is you can form meeting groups and do activities like going for long walks where you can bring baby along. This means you’re getting out, getting active and maintaining a social life.

 

Find the Right Workout

New moms aren’t likely cleared for working out until about 6 or 8 weeks postpartum, potentially longer if you delivered via cesarean. Even if you have been cleared to work out that doesn’t mean that every option out there will be right for you. Be realistic about what you can do and your limitations. Find something you enjoy doing, form a workout group or find a gym that encourages new moms to join. If you don’t enjoy doing it, you won’t do it – so find what you enjoy.

 

Be Mindful of Food

This seems like common sense but it’s much easier to be mindful of food when you don’t have a little one to be worried about. Check what your diet looks like – and be honest about it! Figure out where you can adjust and ensure you’re eating proper, nutritional food. You’re taking such great care of your new addition, make sure you take care of you too!

 

Get Enough Sleep

As a new mom you’re probably thinking this is crazy, but try. Getting enough sleep is crucial for a well-balanced life. It’s not selfish to try to get some sleep in – the dishes can wait, laundry can wait, take a nap, go to bed early. Do what you can to make sure you’re getting enough sleep.

 

Make a Routine

Be realistic about this – figure out what works best for your schedule and your partner’s, if possible. Find days and times where it’s in the calendar that you’re working out and it’s your time to reset. Let your partner know you need them on that day to be home so you can have some you time. Stick to your days and you’ll be back into it in no time.

 

No matter how you get back into fitness after having your baby it’s important that you do. Fitness is essential for a balanced life and can really help you to reset your mind. It’s also time for you to spend by yourself – or with a group – and get some much needed you-time. Being able to reset and relax is important as a new mom, so take the time to focus on you sometimes and that way you can be the best possible mom when you get home.

 

7 Best Pre-Workout Foods!

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The Seven Best Pre-Workout Foods

 

Here are my favourite pre-workout foods. These will help you train harder, run faster, lift heavier. Givbananae it a try!

 

  1. BANANAS — they are full of carbs and potassium, which supports muscle and nerve function. They are known as nature’s power bar!
  2. GRILLED CHICKEN, BROCCOLI & SWEET POTATOES — this is more than a snack but is the perfect combo if you’re doing circuit training or looking to build muscle mass.
  3. WHOLE GRAIN BREAD– One slice is a great source of carbs. Add some low-fat turkey or hard boiled eggs for some added protein
  4. OATS — this is a great option, they are full of fibre and carbs. But they release the energy slowly so it’ll stay consistent throughout your workout.flavor-free
  5. FRUIT & GREEK YOGURT — the perfect combo of carbs and protein. The carbs in the fruit breakdown quickly and work as fuel during your workout, while the protein helps your recovery. 
  6. TRAIL MIX — even though they have a high fat content, the protein and calories will help you through your workout.
  7. DRIED FRUIT — this is a quick and easy on the go option. The carbs will be the perfect source of energy for your workout.

** You don’t want to feel bloated during your workout so make sure you eat 30-90 minutes before your workout **

A little more about our business

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We offer a variety of classes from Bootcamps and TRX in the evenings and on weekends to Mom & Baby TRX and Bootcamps during the day and some evenings. We also have one on one training and semi private training. We love to help not only new moms, but everyone on their journey to become healthier. I really love and am impressed with the amount of people who make the time to do something for themselves and even include their little ones. When you include your baby in your workout, it is a whole new bonding experience. When you register for a fitness class, you don’t always know what to expect but I can tell you that you will not only come out at the end being much more healthy and more fit, but also with some friends and a great support system.

Sometimes joining an exercise program isn’t about losing weight, its about getting out with people in the same situation as you, other moms that need a little me time, other women that are looking to boost their self confidence or people looking to burn off some stress after a long day.

Our programs are designed with the social aspect included, on purpose. This is a safe environment where you can come and talk about how you were up all night with your baby while your husband was snoring in bed, or how your boss was a big jerk, or you were dealing with a difficult customer or your mother in law is driving you insane.

We all need a break, this is nothing to feel guilty about. If we aren’t taking care of ourselves how can we honestly expect to be able to take care of anyone else? For our own sanity, health and wellbeing we need to make time for ourselves.