Tag Archives: HIIT

6 Creative Ways to Switch up Your Workout

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Are you in a rut with workouts? Have you hit a plateau with results or enthusiasm? Or maybe you’re looking for ways to keep exercise fresh and exciting? Look no further! I’ve come up with this list of creative ways to switch up your workout and shock your body (in a good way) because of these common conundrums. If you’re looking for specific advice or a personalized workout plan for one of these exercise formats then please don’t hesitate to drop a note in the comments, contact me, or sign up for either my 30-minute mini consultation or jump-start program.

Now, for the details…

Increase Time Under Tension

When you increase your “time under tension,” you’re increasing the overall workload of the exercise. It’s a no-brainer that this results in a harder workout and paves the way for greater results. While not always easy, eccentric loading is a surefire way to increase time under tension. Eccentric loading involves moving slowly and carefully through the elongating phase of the primary muscle in a given exercise. This is typically during the lowering phase of an exercise (ex: deadlift, bench press, shoulder press, sit up). “Lower slower” is a good way to remember how to do this. Eccentric loading is similar to super slow training, if you’re familiar with that, but allows you to move at a normal pace through the upward movement/shortening phase.

How To: Do a few normal reps of your go-to exercises and see how many seconds it takes you to complete each rep. Next, “lower slower” by adding anywhere between 2-10 seconds to the lengthening phase of each movement. Complete a normal number of reps. You will notice that it takes much longer to finish each set but that’s okay! You’re getting way more out of your workout!

Caution: Recovery is a critical element to eccentric loading. You will be more sore (okay, maybe WAY more sore) than usual so an active recovery involving light movement like walking or jogging, gentle yoga, or low-intensity lifting will be important. I do not encourage people to do two workouts like this back to back unless one day is upper body and the next is lower.

SMIT Instead of HIIT

I’m sure you’ve heard of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) training over the past decade, but do you know about HIIT’s beastly cousin; supra-maximal interval training (SMIT)? Similar to HIIT, SMIT is marked by periods of intense exercise followed by periods of rest. In HIIT, the rest periods tend to be active recovery. In other words, you’re continuing with light movement to help lower your heart rate. By contrast, SMIT incorporates full rest intervals – and for good reason. SMIT workouts take you above your VO2max. This means that you’re basically working as hard as possible for intervals of 30 seconds to 2 minutes and then reaping the benefits of a long recovery interval before repeating maximal exertion again.

SMIT hasn’t been as widely studied as HIIT; however, research demonstrates that SMIT workouts can improve speed performance better than HIIT and with less overall training volume. To sum: You’re getting more done in less time. It just might feel a little brutal. But hey, neither HIIT nor SMIT is for the faint of heart. These workouts are for the gym rats who love to profusely sweat.

How To: Choose the same or similar exercises as you would select for a HIIT workout (ex: mountain climbers, burpees, squat jumps, sled pushes, box jumps, etc) but perform them with as much energy and speed as possible. During your recovery interval simply walk around while slowing your breathing. This keeps your blood flowing but allows for a more complete recovery than doing a low-intensity exercise during this interval. Try work to rest ratios of 1:3 or greater (versus 1:1 or 1:2, which are commonplace with HIIT).

Caution: If you start to feel really dizzy then lie down on the ground and get your feet above your heart. Try propping them up on a stability ball or bench. If this doesn’t help then get someone to grab you an easy-to-digest carb snack like a granola bar, orange juice, sports drink or banana.

Exercise Pyramids

If you’ve ever been on Pinterest then you’re no stranger to these workouts. They are abound in social media primarily because they’re so darn easy to design that anyone – professional or not – can slap them up and look like they’re coming up with a quality workout. Despite my eyerolls over all the fitness professionals who rely too heavily on these basic programs (usually due to lack of experience), they are still worth incorporating from time to time. Perhaps the best thing about exercise pyramids is that YOU can come up with them all by yourself for a fun, energizing workout!

How To: The most basic way to do a pyramid is to pick five of your favorite exercises (or least favorite, if you want to be tough on yourself) and write them down in a list. Assign rep counts to each exercise; 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 reps, and then complete the workout in order of ascending rep count and/or descending rep count. Voila! Complete. There are more complex ways to vary weighted exercises for pyramid training too. If you’re interested, you can check out this post I wrote 5 years ago on the subject (fair warning: infographics were the new blogosphere rage at the time, haha).

Caution: The focus on high rep counts (20+) puts most people at risk of losing form and technique. Be sure you can truly handle the load without putting your body in jeopardy.

Concentric-Only Training

Eccentric loading (mentioned above) doesn’t sound like your jam? Good thing concentric-only training (COT) is an option too! It’s the complete opposite from eccentric loading. You work through the shortening phase of the exercise and avoid completing the lengthening phase. Dr. John Rusin is a distinguished fitness professional who has studied and implemented concentric-only training with athletes. Dr. Rusin explains that COT involves a “high amount of central nervous system (CNS) yield with very low amounts of mechanical fatigue.” In other words, you’re working hard but you won’t feel as sore and tired afterwards. It’s also not as mentally grueling as eccentric focused workouts.

How To: Have you ever seen a heavy lifter start a deadlift, stand with the barbell, and then drop it straight to the ground (with a loud bang)? That’s COT, friends! Each exercise will look a little different and it takes some creativity and planning to implement this type of training effectively. Again, Dr. Rusin is an expert on this unique style of training so check out his videos here.

Caution: Make sure you know how to stay safe if you’re dropping weights or doing new maneuvers with COT. It’s simple once you’ve got it down but it might be worth working with a coach or friend the first time around.

Body Weight Freestyle Flow

This is my favorite way to workout, especially on days when I’m not feeling very focused or motivated. I ditch the weights and exercise props, at least to start, and just begin moving my body through whatever moves feel good. I might do a lunge matrix followed by some walking planks or rotating side planks. A sun salutation or two might make an appearance and suddenly, I’m feeling energized enough to do two sets of squat jumps followed by some russian twists and push-ups AMRAP style. No rules apply for sets, reps or order apply to this style of exercising. It’s a freestyle flow following whatever creative and physical energy is available. The workout ends when motivation drops off or heavy fatigue sets in. I typically make it about 34-40 minutes on days like these. I’m almost always amazed at how my “blah” energy turns into one of the best workouts of the week!

How To: No rules apply – hooray! Pick any body weight exercises, in any order, for however many sets, reps or minutes you’d like and just enjoy! This is a great way to hit lots of planes of movement, limber your body, and connect with your energy.

Caution: Be sure to properly warm up before you start doing hard body weight exercises like push-ups or high-impact jumps. Also, if you have any shoulder or wrist issues then exercises that bear weight on your hands might need to be substituted for exercises with props like a kettlebell or band.

Lose Stability

One of the most neglected aspects of exercise in the general population is stability training, even though it has been well researched for decades. It feels slow and boring to folks who love speed, sweat and busy workouts, but there’s a lot to be gleaned from incorporating just a few stability exercises into some of your weekly workouts. Stability exercises are great for strengthening the ankles, knees, hips and core. They are also a wonderful way to keep your nervous system sharp. This can help with sports performance and injury prevention, one of many reasons that athletic programs incorporate this kind of training.

How To: Stability training can be as simple as standing on one leg for 30 seconds or as complex as doing a single leg deadlift reach and performing a dumbbell reverse fly at the bottom of the exercise. What matters is that you’re keeping your weight evenly balanced in the heel and ball of your feet and that you’re engaging your core. Get creative using bosu balls, wobble boards, suspension training and other props at your gym. If you’re working out from home then all you need to do is lift one leg! You can do balancing side leg lifts, single leg jumps, and more!

Caution: Build up your balance gradually. Getting “fancy” too quickly can put you at risk for injury. The last thing you need is to fall and hurt yourself so be humble about what you can and can’t manage on unstable surfaces or standing on one leg.

Best of luck!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

Who Should Do HIIT? (and who should NOT)

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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been extremely popular in the exercise realm for the last five or so years. High-intensity interval training consists of exerting maximal physical effort for an exercise set or period of time (typically less than two minutes) followed by a period of active recovery. The back-and-forth cycling between tough exertion and lighter movements has been proven to be a time-efficient way to exercise. HIIT can be done for anywhere between 15-45 minutes, meaning you “get it done” in a short period of time. Most notably, HIIT workouts produce excellent results because they target lots of muscles and burn calories both during and after the actual exercise bout. Not too shabby, I must say. 

While HIIT workouts seem like a sure-fire answer for quick weight loss and time efficiency, they’re not for everyone. Let’s review who should do HIIT workouts and who should approach them with caution (or avoid them entirely).

 

 

Who Should Participate in HIIT?

HIIT is an excellent workout option for people of all ages who are in good physical health. Generally speaking, as long as someone doesn’t have an injury or medical reason to abstain from exercise, they can do HIIT.

Most of the time when people hear the word “HIIT,” it conjures up thoughts of doing box jumps, wind sprints, burpees and squat jumps. Ahhh, the glory days of every athlete. But HIIT encompasses a scope much broader than this. A”HIIT workout” may look very different for a 50-year old woman who is working with a trainer to get her heart rate up and down. She may power walk on a treadmill incline for her high-intensity portion and then do slow hip bridges lying on a mat as her active recovery. A 20-something group exercise participant may comfortably do lunge jumps with dumbbells for the high-intensity portion followed by sit-ups for the active recovery. Everything about HIIT, and exercise at large, is subjective.

What feels tough for one person is not the same for the next person. Just because HIIT can be modified for an individual’s personal level of fitness doesn’t mean it’s the best idea for certain people. I’ve seen too many folks walk into HIIT-style workouts and overexert themselves to the point where they risk injury. No bueno. I’ve also seen plenty of people come out of HIIT workouts hating life. Well…hating exercise, at least. Sometimes that’s just what people need to get jump-started in fitness and, at other times, that’s exactly why people walk out of the gym and never return. The point remains: HIIT is great, but isn’t ideal for everyone.

 

 

Who Should NOT Participate in HIIT?

The following groups of people should probably avoid HIIT workouts, at least until their health changes:

  • People who are injured
  • Women who are pregnant
  • Women who are in the first 3-6 months postpartum
  • People who are immune suppressed and/or sick
  • People who have a heart condition or have recently undergone cardiac surgery
  • People suffering from osteopenia or osteoporosis
  • People with any form of incontinence, prolapse or pelvic floor weakness
  • *People who are brand new to exercise
  • *People who have no foundation of knowledge for how to perform exercise basics in proper form (ex: squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, etc.)

Most of these groups are relatively self-explanatory. The last two groups of individuals, marked by the asterisk (*) are up for a bit more debate…

People who are very out of shape or brand new to exercise can greatly benefit from HIIT programs. In fact, throngs of women line up to participate in Instagram-famous personal trainer Kayla Itsines’ Beach Body Guide (which focuses on HIIT workouts) and see fabulous results. More power to ’em! The challenge is that a lot of people will embark on HIIT workout programs that are overly grueling and unsustainable for the long-term. HIIT workouts must be done responsibly to avoid burnout and over-training. Trust me, I’m a professional AND I’ve overtrained! Unfortunately, too many people do too much HIIT, suffer the negative consequences, and subsequently get turned off from exercise.

The last group of individuals; “people who have no foundation of knowledge for how to perform exercise basics in proper form,” must approach HIIT workouts with caution. If the instructor isn’t giving cues for how to keep the body aligned and safe during each exercise and doesn’t offer any modifications to make exercises easier or harder, then it may be best to find a new instructor or workout. While it may seem like you’re getting a great workout if you sweat a lot, there can be long-term, significant repercussions from inappropriately stressing your knees, neck, wrists and back. Sweat is not the only indicator of an excellent workout. Can you tell that I’m the exercise world’s policewoman about proper form?! 

Just remember: Exercises done the wrong way break down your body. Exercises done the right way build it up.  

Stay strong, friends! Sweat hard. And treat your body with respect.

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

PS – If you have more HIIT questions, please don’t be afraid to ask! 

 

The Truth About CrossFit

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I get this question a lot: “What do you think about CrossFit?” Here’s the thing…I could give you my opinions but they are just that; opinions. The real, objective truth about this controversial fitness company can be summarized when you understand the one thing that most people don’t realize about CrossFit and which applies to all of its locations. So, here it is…the truth about CrossFit.

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Drumroll please….

THE TRUTH:

CrossFit is NOT a franchise. It’s a licensed brand. Knowing this simple fact explains the entire controversy surrounding the CrossFit brand. Allow me to explain…

In most franchises, there are standards that franchisees must abide by. A gym franchise will have the same look, experience and employee standards from one location to the next. In licensing, all that is the same from one location to the next is the brand, the name. Everything else is basically left up to the affiliate who purchased the rights to license the brand.

On CrossFit’s website, the easy steps to affiliate with the brand are explained: “Write us an essay (application), license a name, set up a website, send us photos and you become part of the growing community of CrossFit affiliates.” Rights to this powerhouse fitness name are a matter of writing an essay, attending a weekend-long seminar, finding a location and insurance for a box, and paying an inexpensive, annual licensing fee. This will result in two types of box owners: 1) Professionals who go above and beyond to equip their facilities with best practices and seasoned professionals, and 2) People who are not professional in the way they recruit their employees and run their gym.

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This is what causes some boxes to have the best personal trainers in the industry and others to have professionals who lack appropriate credentials and experience. The discrepancy in professionalism leads to wide gaps in safety standards and exercise programming. Such significant differences cause some CrossFitters to be fiercely loyal to the brand and leaves other box members disillusioned as their safety is risked by instructors who can’t properly support participants during workouts.

So, there you have it. The good and bad rumors about CrossFit are all accurate. It depends on who you ask and where (and with whom) they have worked out. In truth, this isn’t very different from gym franchises. Every participant in any fitness program will have a unique experience contingent on a number of factors. It’s up to YOU to decide who you can trust, not just at CrossFit boxes but everywhere. The good, the bad and the ugly can exist in just about every fitness brand. Advocate for your health with informed decisions, a little trial-and-error, and knowing when to step away from a haphazard or dangerous exercise environment. There’s a better place waiting for you around the block.

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Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

wellnesswinz-blue-sea

The Fitness Industry Landscape and How It Impacts Your Health and Body

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Fitness trends are always fun to talk about…like is the bosu ball dead and is HIIT still hot? But, these are easy, high-level topics to explore. Today, I’d like to take you deeper. I’m using my inside knowledge of the industry to explain how the overall landscape impacts you, the fitness enthusiast. These are not trends, they are industry truths, and they have stronger implications for your health and body than the latest craze or funky piece of exercise equipment.

Fitness Landscape 3

Market Competition is High but Barrier to Entry is Low

Opening up a fitness business isn’t the most complicated thing in the world. Personal trainers and “fitpreneurs” open their own studios all the time. In urban hubs it may even feel like new gyms pop up every season…and just as quickly shut down. Startup costs for a gym or studio space don’t have to be astronomical, especially for exercise formats like yoga and dance which don’t require costly equipment. This makes it easy to enter the fitness industry market.

Although, just because it’s easy to play the game, doesn’t mean it’s easy to win it. Most studios and gyms have to make a solid return on investment within the first two to three years to stay fiscally fit. Marketing dollars must be spent wisely and word-of-mouth reputation counts a lot towards success in this industry. A lot of fitness professionals turned small-business owners lack marketing and IT support, and spread themselves too thin trying to learn new skills to grow their businesses. In short, if a gym isn’t growing, it’s probably going…down the drain, that is.

What does this mean to YOU, the consumer?

If you’re in love with a gym or studio, invite friends to work out with guest passes and/or invest in a special training promotion from time to time. Even the most impressive establishments can go belly-up in this competitive industry. Success almost entirely rides on how well an establishment is supported by the community it serves (and vice versa). Unfortunately, the less financial flexibility a gym has, the longer it will take to refurbish worn out equipment and the less likely it is to offer fun membership perks and add-ons which can enhance your experience and encourage you to attend more regularly. And regular attendance is key to your fitness goals’ success! 

Industry Concentration is Low

As much as the household names of Anytime Fitness, Gold’s Gym, Planet Fitness, Equinox and CrossFit are top-of-the-mind in the fitness community, these companies don’t entirely run the show. The top 50 fitness companies have less than 30% market share. This means that there are a LOT of individually operated businesses or “one-offs” and small chains. It’s hard to project what direction the industry is headed, but it’s interesting to know that right now even the top dogs are battling to get ahead.

What does this mean to YOU, the gym member? 

There are going to be more fitness establishments with less brand recognition than there are well-known chains to choose from. This means that you need to do your due diligence and research them wisely. Your fitness decisions should be made based on convenience, cost, time, enjoyment, motivation, efficiency, community and/or professionalism and knowledge of instructors/trainers. I know, that’s a LOT of information to process. 

Your body and health will benefit most when the majority of the aforementioned factors are satisfactory or excellent in your eyes. You won’t reach your goals very quickly if you hate the workout program you’ve committed to. You will quickly lose out on a fitness community if you invest in a gym outside of your budget and quit it within six months. You won’t be intrinsically motivated to participate in group classes if you lack respect for the instructors who are teaching them. You get the idea. Do your homework on both the well-known chains and lesser-known “mom and pop” studios so that you find one that will harmonize with all (or at least most) of your needs. That’s the first step to ensuring you stick to your fitness aspirations.

Fitness Landscape 4

Boutique Studios Rival Big-Box Gyms

Over the last five years, the fitness industry landscape has undergone a major overhaul. Big-box gyms with all-inclusive monthly memberships were rivaled for the first time by boutique fitness studios specializing in exercise-specific formats. Boutique studios opened doors for fitness fans eager to participate in everything from barre class to pole-dancing and Zumba to trampoline workouts! The studio offerings grew more diverse and expansive by the season (or so it seemed).

Studios offer fitness enthusiasts low-commitment participation. In other words, people can usually pay for a single class pass (instead of a monthly membership) or a discounted bundle of classes, without any other fees or obligations. This is highly desirable to the growing crop of millennials who seek diversity in their workout regimens. This trend has given rise to ClassPass and has forced big-box operators to carefully consider investments in technology and marketing campaigns to remain competitive. Small studios, with their lower overhead costs and pay-as-you-use plans, have certainly stirred the pot.

What does this mean to YOU, the exerciser?

For starters, you definitely have a LOT of options these days when it comes to fitness. No longer are you relegated to the treadmill. With so many choices, some individuals enter “decision paralysis.” They have a hard time deciding which environment and type of exercise is best for their fitness goals. While it’s definitely worth checking out a couple of studios and comparing pros/cons and overall costs to their big-box competitors, it’s also a good idea to make a firm commitment. Choose carefully and wisely, but at the end of the day, choose!!!

In order to see results from your sweat, you need to be in a consistent routine. Oftentimes, a consistent routine is best established when you have a “home base” or at least a written plan of how you will juggle time split between the private yoga studio down the block and the 24/7 all-access gym at your office. Don’t be dismayed by the options at your disposal – be empowered by them! Give any routine at least three months of solid effort to see if it works or if you need to scrap it and capitalize on some more free trials at other gyms (always fun).

Fitness Landscape 2

Loose Industry Regulations

Some industries are tightly regulated…the fitness industry is not one of them. While this affords professionals and businesses some degree of flexibility, it carries implications for quality assurances. For example, CrossFit, a gym with over 10,000 affiliates that boast unique high-intensity workouts, is a licensed operation, not a franchise. What this means is that at one location you may have outstanding fitness professionals who know how to design excellent exercise programs and who are capable of coaching proper form for Olympic lifts (frequently used by CrossFits) and at another location you may have inexperienced or underqualified professionals. There are many governing bodies, doctors and exercise physiologists who are concerned by these discrepancies in professionalism and, in Washington, DC, these concerns have spawned discussions to enact regulatory measures on fitness operations. But, it’s not just a “CrossFit problem,” it’s the whole industry…

A lot of boutique brands train their professionals in-house, harvesting new instructors from their most loyal members. By training and converting devoted members and exercise participants into the leaders of the workouts, the fitness businesses are keeping pace with one of the most challenging aspects of operations; staffing. Unfortunately, this means that the instructor coaching you through a superset may only have a month’s worth of training under his or her belt, and the level of sophistication of that training is questionable too. As a professional who has held eight different widely recognized certifications in the industry, I can tell you firsthand that it’s too easy to get certified….way too easy. I’m ashamed to say it, but it’s true.

What does this mean to you, the gym rat?

I’m not sure that widespread regulations are the perfect answer to tighten up who operates in the fitness industry. I believe there are a lot of professionals out there who share this sentiment too. So, in the near term, it’s likely going to be left up to individual business owners to properly vet and monitor their instructors and trainers. While some will do a good job of this, others won’t. This puts the responsibility on you.

Gym rats and group exercise participants have every right to demand excellent instruction. If you don’t feel like you’re getting a safe and high-quality experience in your exercise setting, let a manager hear your complaint or concern. Don’t be afraid to speak to the instructor about their choices during or after class too. They will probably be happy to explain things and educate you! If they flounder in the face of a tough question, they probably aren’t very experienced or qualified and it becomes your responsibility to decide whether or not you can live with that. Personally, the second that I can tell an instructor is underqualified, I’m out the door. My hard-earned cash can go into someone else’s hands!

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Personal Trainers Lack Stability 

Personal trainers are rarely salaried employees. The vast majority of these professionals are compensated by the hour, based on commission. While some experienced professionals can pull six-figures in less than 30 hours of work a week, most professionals have challenges keeping a steady income. For example, a trainer can project that he is going to train 25 hours one week. Let’s say he only has a couple of years’ experience and is compensated $30/hour for his clients (his gym is skimming a lot more off the top from what the client pays). Based on these figures, he seeks to earn $750 for the week. This equates to a salary of $39,000 for the year, not including bonuses or performance incentives. Let’s pretend that he puts in a full 40-hour work week (not very commonplace in the industry). At full-time, he seeks to earn $1,200/week or $62,400.

To put it simply, the vast majority of trainers struggle to maintain schedules of 20+ hours of clients a week…and what happens when two or three clients who train twice a week each go on vacation? What about the fact that training under 30 hours a week leaves these professionals without time-off and health benefits? As you can see, while trainers are often envied for their “cool” jobs, they lack a lot of stability. For this reason, the turnover of professionals at any given establishment is pretty darn high.

What does this mean to YOU, the client?

To be honest, there isn’t a whole lot you can do except express a little bit on empathy and understanding. If you’re a paying client, try to show respect for your trainer’s time just as they show respect for yours. If you’re leaving town for a few weeks, give them as much advance notice as possible so that they can try to fill your training time slot with another person.

Moreover, as someone who pays for personal training, you have to decide whether or not you’re comfortable placing your investment into the hands of a newbie. As mentioned, the turnover of trainers is outstanding (in a crazy, not-so-wonderful way). Ask yourself if you want to give a worthy, aspiring professional a leg up or if you feel more comfortable with a professional who has been working in the industry for at least a few years. The choice is yours. Ultimately, if you find someone you jive with and respect, the decision should be seamless, in spite of how long they’ve been a fitness pro. For the record, I will always appreciate the people who were willing to take a chance on me when I entered the industry. 

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

wellnesswinz blue sea

 

Different Types of Exercise: Pros and Cons

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Exercise variety can maximize your health returns and reduce your risk of injury. On the flip side, focusing on one modality at a time can enhance your sport or exercise-specific performance. So, the decision is yours. Without further ado, let’s look at the pros and cons of focusing your physical efforts on endurance training, high-intensity interval training, Pilates, yoga, light weightlifting, and heavy strength training.

Pros & Cons Endurance

Endurance Training

Pros – Endurance training is when you exercise in an aerobic zone. This includes a wide range of movements and sports, from walking to riding a bike, and more. Generally speaking, when you’re exercising in this zone, you can sustain your effort for longer periods of time, possibly even while carrying on a light conversation. The ability to sustain energy in this zone means that you can oftentimes handle both longer workouts and more frequent endurance workouts. Either of these scenarios can help you stick to a training plan, burn calories and improve cardiovascular health. Endurance training is great for fat burning and individuals of all fitness levels.

Cons – Although endurance training usually yields fat-metabolism for fuel, too much of this exercise can also deplete muscle stores. This can happen when individuals overtrain, do not supplement their exercise with proper nutrition, and/or do not balance their regimens with strength training. Also, in recent history, there has been some evidence that extreme endurance exercise training may cause abnormalities in the heart. Hey! What do ya know? You don’t have to make yourself feel guilty for not being an ultra-marathoner! 

 

Pros & Cons HIIT

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Pros – HIIT is an awesome, time-efficient way to get in your workout. It involves high-intensity bouts of exercise interspersed with moderate to light-intensity exercises for recovery. Not only is this exercise format a time-saver, but it also causes Excess Post-Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). EPOC is a term used to describe the extra oxygen that your body demands and consumes following rigorous exercises. While consuming this extra oxygen, your body’s metabolism is elevated. This means that you’re continuing to burn calories for as much as 36 hours following a HIIT workout! Not bad, I must say!

Cons – There is no standard formula for a HIIT workout, even though there are some commonly used routines (for example, a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio). This means that you could walk into an exercise class and be asked to perform any number of different exercise regimens. While this keeps things fresh and full of variety, it also means that unqualified fitness professionals could lead you – and your body –  astray. This is especially true if you’re a beginner or have a low level of fitness since HIIT is very intense, putting individuals at a higher risk for injury if left unsupervised or asked to perform exercises to the point of fatigue (which causes many people to lose form). My advice: trust your gut. Always recognize your right to step out of class or choose an exercise modification that better suits your needs, if you’re not comfortable. 

 

Pros & Cons Yoga

Yoga

Pros – Yoga is one of the oldest exercise practicies, dating back at least 5,000 years ago! Something with staying power like that is bound to be worthy of our attention, right?! Various yoga disciplines and formats can be great for different goals. You can attend a class that focuses on breathing and find that it helps you with stress management and mental clarity. You can also attend a power yoga class to exert some energy, challenge muscles and improve flexibility. Specific poses can improve your balance, core strength, hip flexibility, shoulder stability, and more.

Cons – The trickiest thing about yoga is finding a class that suits all of your physical, mental and spiritual needs. Certain westernized yoga practices focus more exclusively on the physical, while branches of Ashtanga yoga and Hatha yoga may take you a bit deeper. Some people love repeating mantras, learning sanskrit and being encouraged to do service yoga, while others just want to zone out during some sun salutations. Whatever your yogi-cup-of-tea, keep at it until you find one you love! A little research on the formats never hurts. One last thing worth noting though; you won’t have the same muscle and cardiovascular gains doing yoga as you will in other exercise formats. In fact, some people increase their risk of injury by doing prolonged stretches too often. So, since yoga is all about union and harmony, try to find some balance between your yoga sessions and other exercises each week.

 

Pros & Cons Pilates

Pilates

Pros – Pilates traditionally focuses on the core muscles, so anything between your hips and neck. This means that you will be extra vigilent in your awareness about proper posture and core control during one of these workouts. Pilates can be done on a mat, with or without props, and on specialized machinery (most commonly the reformer, cadillac and barrel). If you’re looking to achieve spinal alignment, Pilates is for you! If you’re eager to reduce back pain or increase your core strength, give it a try!

Cons – Several traditional Pilates disciplines focus on the same exercise series for every workout. While these exercises can be scaled for your fitness level, you may reach a plateau after regularly performing them. Some people feel that they don’t get great weight-loss or strength gains from Pilates. Thus, it’s important to get individual advice from your instructor on how to get the most out of each movement and/or how to find a new, more challenging (or less challenging) class. Another drawback worth noting is that it can be difficult to find affordable options for exercising on Pilates-specific equipment. Group classes on reformers are becoming more common and help reduce the costs of participation when compared with paying for one-on-one instruction, but they can be hard to find depending on the diversity of options in your neighborhood.

 

Pros & Cons Light Weightlifting

Light Weightlifting

Pros – Light weightlifting is a great way to workout on days when you don’t have a lot of energy or if you’re new to exercise. Lifting light weights will pump blood to your muscles and stabilize your body. It may also give you a little cardiovascular training effect. Lighter weights are also great if you’re recovering from an injury, tapering down your training regimen, or in need of practicing exercise form/technique before graduating to higher weight classes. These weights may be little, but they can lead to strength! Plus, little dumbbells are kinda cute, right?! Or is that really weird of me to say?…

Cons – While lighter weights are certainly the way to go when you’re learning a new exercise, they aren’t what you need forever. Unfortunately, a lot of women get into a comfort zone with 2.5-15 lb weights and fear that grabbing heavier weights will cause them to bulk up (which is not true…just read the next section below!). This can hold women back from gaining more muscle and reaping greater metabolic and strength benefits. Interestingly, only 10 reps or less is considered strength training – and that’s 10 hard reps, not casual ones. So, if you’re looking for more gains, you can’t pump out 15+ easy-to-moderate reps with five pounders forever. I know, I know, they’ll miss you too!

 

Pros & Cons Heavy Weightlifting

Heavy Strength Training

Pros – Strength training with weights that feel subjectively heavy to you is an excellent way to stimulate your body to adapt. It can lead to muscle gains, bone mass gains, increased metabolism, decreased risk of injury, improvements in joint health, and more! Strength training is an anaerobic activity. In other words, your body uses different energy for this exercise when compared with endurance training, which is aerobic (see explanation above). Perhaps the biggest bonus to strength training is the impact on your physique. That’s right, this exercise format more than any other can help you feel amazing in a strapless gown or bikini. Time to make friends with the barbell! 

Cons – Strength training is very technique-intensive. Without proper form you can easily go wrong in this exercise category. Also, various weight-lifting methods can be complicated to understand for the non-professional. Split training, progressive overload, periodization, and other approaches can feel confusing. This can discourage people who are looking for something effective and straightforward. Thus, if you’re interested in strength training and you’ve never worked with a professional, I suggest that you invest in a few training sessions and make your goals clear to the trainer you’re working with. He or she will respect your desire to get a “crash course” in weight lifting basics so that you can practice them on your own. The trainer can also help decipher what kind of regimen will be best for your body, goals, time commitment, and schedule.

 

Pick your exercise poison and enjoy! Just keep in mind that even if you’re an awesome marathon runner or a heavy-weight champ in the gym, you will need to build in what’s called taper or recovery weeks where you exert less effort and allow your body to restore. Generally, if we don’t balance out our training a little bit, the pendulum is liable to swing in a direction away from optimal performance (often into injury or fatigue).

Have another exercise format (or sport) you’re wondering about?! Fire away in the comments section or email me directly via the Contact form! I’m happy to answer questions about kickboxing, tai chi, skiing, cycling, contact sports, and more!

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

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How to Design an Awesome Workout; Exercise Pyramids

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Designing a fun and challenging workout doesn’t have to be complicated. You can pack power into your workout by playing around with three simple variables; reps, weight and time. To shake things up and to challenge your body, try an “exercise pyramid;” increasing or decreasing one of these variables throughout the workout. It may sound confusing at first, but I’ve designed four easy-to-scan infographics for today’s post to show you just how simple it is. I hope they help inspire you to get creative, have some fun, and SWEAT!

How to Exercise Pyramid

 

Pyramid 3

 

Pyramid 2

 

Pyramid 1

 

These kinds of workouts are my favorite! I just love them. They can help pull you out of a training plateau, boredom or lack of inspiration.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

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MasterChef and WellnessWinz Unite

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MasterChef, a reality TV show on Fox, features three famous culinary icons as judges; Gordon Ramsey, Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi. In its latest season, DC area resident, Ailsa von Dobeneck, joined the esteemed group of home cooks, ready to compete before the judges for the title “MasterChef.”  This past week, I was honored to join forces with Ailsa to offer a fun and healthy event for women. The workout was sweaty and the food was to die for! Here are some details on how to replicate both.

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The workout that I coached is SO easy to replicate at home or in a local park with friends (as we did – see our beautiful park below!) since it doesn’t require any equipment. Also, it’s fun and fast-moving so you don’t get bored or hit a wall. Plus, if you do the workout in a park then you get the added benefit of sunshine and fresh air. What better way to spend a Saturday morning?!

Pssst – I converted Ailsa, a professed foodie who has little history with exercise. If she enjoyed it, I bet you will too!  

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The Workout:

1) Pick 12 exercises that involve the entire body and boost your heart rate. Write them down on a piece of paper.

2) Exercises 1-3 should be performed in sequence (including rest intervals) and should be repeated 2-3x.  This breaks up the workout’s sets and gives you mini goals to accomplish.

3) Each individual exercise should be performed with maximum effort for 30-60 seconds. After each exercise you rest for half the amount of time that you were working hard for. For example, if you do mountain climbers or burpees for 60 seconds, you rest for 30 seconds. This keeps you working at full capacity each exercise as you progress through them.

To sum:

  • Choose 12 exercises
  • Perform exercises 1-3 in sequence for 30-60 seconds, each with 15-30 seconds rest in between
  • Perform exercises 4-6 ”     “
  • Perform exercises 7-9 ”     “
  • Perform exercises 10-12 ”  “
  • …Sweaty and DONE!

The whole workout will take you less than 30-35 minutes but you will have exercised your entire body, burning tons of energy and maximizing toning potential.

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Here are some of the exercises that we did (videos will be uploaded for demonstration purposes to Instagram: @maggie_wellnesswinz):

Set 1:

  • High Knees while holding the arms straight over head
  • Lateral Squat Hops
  • Diagonal Mountain Climbers

Set 2:

  • Double Leg Lift + Sit-up (alternating)
  • Burpees
  • Speed Skaters

Set 3:

  • Down Dog to Upward Dog (with tricep burner transition)
  • Plank Jumping Jacks
  • Alternating Lunge Jumps

Set 4:

  • Core V-tucks
  • Balancing Plank Hand-to-Toe Taps
  • Quick Feet

Don’t stop, get it get it!!! 

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A few of the girls who participated…happy after a hard workout. That’s the spirit!

Recovery Snack:

Now, for the FOOD! I know, I know, it’s probably the best part of the experience. It’s a bit of a love/hate relationship that forms when I coach people through a tough routine, but Ailsa…well, she just gets the love part of the equation as a chef.

chia pudding

Let me tell you, we were lucky ladies to be fed this easy-to-replicate recipe that Ailsa brought us as a recovery snack. Ailsa has all sorts of delicious recipes up her sleeve and many are featured on her blog, The Curious Tastebud, but I have to say, this one recipe felt like perfection after a summer morning sweat.

She made us a delicious fruit pudding that was perfect for restoring our energy and supplying us with key nutrients. The pudding’s exact recipe will be posted to her blog early this week, so check it out! The recipe consisted of mango, chia seeds, strawberries, shredded coconut and agave. Another helping, please?

In case you don’t know much about chia seeds, they are what many health professionals call a “superfood.” It’s pretty close to the truth too. Chia seeds pack in tons of fiber, protein, omega-3s, calcium, magnesium and more! Magnesium is especially important after a workout since it helps repair muscle tissues. Here is a typical nutrient breakdown for just a single ounce of chia seeds:

  • Fiber: 11 grams
  • Protein: 4 grams
  • Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s)
  • Calcium: 18% of the RDA
  • Manganese: 30% of the RDA
  • Magnesium: 30% of the RDA
  • Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA

IMG_2226  yummmmm – enjoying our post-workout revival snack!

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So now you can see that it’s straightforward and fun to create your own healthy girls’ gathering. In fact, it may be even more enjoyable than bonding over cocktails! Or is that too much of a stretch?!? Oh, life’s great questions…

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

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References:

http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds/

Getting Out of a Rut; High-Intensity Interval Training

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If you’ve fallen out of the super-determined-and-hitting-the-gym-hard routine, it’s okay! If you’re feeling lackluster about exercise, I get that too. If you’ve decided to become submissive to the powers of winter and are posting pictures online from last summer’s vacation, well…you’re not alone.

There are tons of readymade exercise plans abound so I will spare you a cookie cutter formula. Instead, I would love to direct your attention to a way of approaching exercise: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This kind of training will boost your energy and allow you to minimize gym time during seasons when you’re just not “feeling it.” Ahem, like the end of February when it’s easiest to pretend you’re a bear in a cave. So cozy. So warm.

HIIT exercise sessions can range from 4-30 minutes and consist of a tough movement followed by moderate activity as a rest. Depending on your fitness, you can do anywhere from 3-10 reps of the tough move before taking your rest. Not bad, right?! There are oodles of benefits that you will reap after some focused effort.

I have written a guest post for my alma mater on this subject. It’s short and contains roughly 60 seconds of video footage, divided between three clips, demonstrating some high-intensity moves that may spark your imagination and/or motivation. (Just pretend you’re a fellow alum and yell “WAHOO-WA!” five times fast. Gets MY blood pumping.) 

Feel free to check out the videos: http://bit.ly/1AHH666. Also, if you have time, these short clips are followed by an interview on why I started this blog and where we’re all headed. Great places, of course. Grin.

Lastly, if you’re curious about the benefits of HIIT, glance over the list below…

HIIT Training (2)

  • Burns fat
  • Increases resting metabolic rate (RMR)
  • Improves athletic performance
  • Lowers insulin
  • Improves glucose tolerance
  • Causes skeletal muscle adaptations
  • Reduces trunk and lower extremity subcutaneous fat
  • Maximizes a workout when limited on time

In plain words – HIIT may help you get out of a rut that is physical and/or mental. I hope trying it out gives you a boost this winter so that you may exit your bear cave…even if you decide to do so fashionably late.

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

 

 

Saving Time in Your Workout

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LESS CAN BE MORE

Although a study conducted by John Jakicic encouraged a lot of discussion in 2008 about the exact amount of exercise one needs to maintain weight (150 minutes/week) and lose weight (275 minutes/week), there is much to be said for reaping benefits from less exercise.  Shorter, more efficient workouts (i.e., high intensity) are now being acknowledged by many experts as an effective means of weight control when combined with monitoring diet. Exercising for excessive hours may not actually pay off (or be worth it)!

HIIT Training

There is some evidence that exercising for over an hour a day may actually result in “diminished returns.” In other words, your body adapts to the stress and will figure out a way to conserve energy, expending less energy as a workout progresses compared to when it begins (again, typically for workouts over an hour).

Ultimately, if you are time pressed and looking to seriously burn calories then you have two options:

1) Lift heavy. This will increase the calories your body continues to burn after the workout.

Calorie burning analogy: After a red hot fire the embers burn for hours.

2) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This kind of training will increase the number of calories you are burning in a short period of time because you are pushing yourself to exercise near your max heart rate. With quick recovery intervals between explosive/intense/energized bouts of effort, you will burn calories faster and be able to leave the gym sooner.

Calorie burning analogy: Think of a bonfire that roars ferociously for a short time before getting extinguished.

NOTE: If you are not conditioned for cardio or weight lifting exercises, or have never been taught proper form and recovery techniques, it’s best to set an exercise foundation before getting acquainted with these more advanced techniques. Check out Before You Hit the Gym to learn how to get yourself there. And don’t forget, I’m here if you have questions or need help!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

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