Eggs: Protein that helps build muscle

If eggs aren’t part of your current diet, they should be. Especially if you’re in the gym trying to cut fat and build muscle.

Eggs are high in quality proteins and amino acids, important for protein synthesis.They also contain leucine and essential B-vitamins that aid in muscle hypertrophy.

Eggs are a great food source for athletes because they help maintain  blood sugar levels without triggering an abrupt increase in insulin. This helps prevent hunger and can promote weight control.

Once thought to be a disaster food for cholesterol, studies now show that you can safely eat eggs almost every day without affecting blood cholesterol.  If it’s still a concern, you can remove the yolks to lower the chances even more.  

(Source: Nutrition Today)

Exercise Rx

Exercise Increases Life Span

Those who maintain 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (e.g , brisk walking) five or more days a week live longer than nonexercisers, according to researchers. In a separate study, it was discovered that regular physical activity is directly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality from coronary artery disease.

 

Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

Exercise Can Help Achy Joints

Those with chronic soreness in their joints or who suffer from arthritis often avoid exercise at all costs.

That’s a mistake.

While those with arthritis should avoid high-impact workouts, such activities as swimming, walking, and golf will actually benefit people with the painful condition.

Just make sure to warm up and cool down to better protect your heart and joints. Besides stretching, good shoes are a must for reducing your chances of injury or soreness.

5 Tips

1) Eat often and light. In order to make your body look good, you have to stick to a solid diet.  We recommend you eat 5-6 times a day, divided up into three main meals and the rest in snacks.  Protein should be consumed each meal. You should limit your carb intake, as a spike in insulin levels will tell your body to store it as fat.

2) Try High Intensity. If you’re trying to drop bodyweight, work out at a high intensity, by moving around the gym at a fast pace with little rest. This keeps your heart rate up.

3)Push the cardio for getting lean. If you need to burn body fat, then you should try to do 45-50 minutes of moderate cardio, 4-6 times a week.

4) Do it again–and again. If trying to get cut, keep weights lighter and reps from 12-18. Repetition is essential.

5) Variety is key. Change your exercises frequently. When you don’t, your body gets used to the workout and doesn’t change.

“Mauer Power”

Recipe of the Week

Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken thighs and/or legs
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
About 1 1/3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/3 carrot, coarsely chopped
1/3 onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1/3 sprig fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 1/3 tablespoons red wine
1 1/3 pints Basic Chicken Stock (see recipe)
1/3 cup quartered mushrooms, sauteed
1/3 cup pearl onions, peeled and blanched

Cooking Instructions:

1. Season the chicken with salt pepper. Dust the chicken with flour.

 2.Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide, shallow pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. The oil should be hot enough to sear in the juices but not burn. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain off the excess fat.

3. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the vegetables. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Turn up the heat and brown slightly. (This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator up to 3 days or frozen)

4. Add the bay leaf, thyme and red wine, and cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

5. Put the seared chicken back in the pot and cover with stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Do not let it boil rapidly.

6. Strain the stew and retain the chicken and liquid. Discard the vegetables. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer to reduce its volume by half.

7. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

8. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season them with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

9. Remove the skin from the chicken; discard the skin. Add the chicken, mushrooms and onions to the reduced liquid.

10. Adjust the seasoning with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

 

Serving Size: 1 1/2 Cups

Nutrition Info:

Number of Servings: 2

Per Serving

• Calories 407
• Carbohydrate 18 g
• Fat 14 g
• Fiber 2 g
• Protein 50 g
• Saturated Fat 3 g

Fitness Q & A

Q: How many calories does 1 pound of muscle burn?

A: Scientific studies have proven that for each pound of mucsle added you’ll burn roughly 50 calories. This proves that increasing your own metabolism is truly possible. Think if you were consistent with your workouts and added 10lbs of muscle to your body, you’d be burning an extra 500 calories a day. There are 3500 calories in one pound of bodyfat, so therefore you’d lose a pound of fat in 7 days.  You could burn more or less depending on diet, the intensity of your workouts, and how much muscle you have on your body compared to bodyfat. The power to change is there, you just have to be hungry enough to take a bite out of it. 

Note: Burning fat is not limited to only increasing muscle, it can also be done effectively if one properly reduces calorie intake, creating a calorie deficit in comparision to the ratio of calories consumed vs. calories burned

Exercise of the Week

Renegade Row

This exercise focuses on good balance and coordination, while working the core extremely well. 

Performing it:
Position yourself so your legs are straight out behind you while you’re balancing your upper body with your hands, by gripping dumbbells that are placed shoulder-width apart on the floor directly under the shoulders.

 Transfer your weight to one side and proceed to lift the arm up to perform a one-arm row.

Switch over to the other side and alternate between reps in that manner.

A New Year, A New You!

So 2010 is finally here; the beginning of a new decade. The beginning of many things new–like new resolutions–like a comittment to your health and taking care of yourself.

So where do you begin you may ask?
Join our club and get the ball rolling. Here at Anytime Fitness of Winchester, we make it a priority to assist our members in reaching their goals. We truly care about your results and helping you reach them in as little time as possible.

Already a member?
Come talk to Brody, our Sales Manager and Certified Personal Fitness trainer, with over two years of quality experience in the fitness industry. He’s giving away free sessions the entire month of January, to help get your new year off to a great start. You’ll experience functional training at its finest with a 30 minute session that holds the work capacity of the standard one hour workout.  Call the club  to schedule your session today!

What else could you be doing to help? 
Find a photo of someone with the body or physique you wish to obtain for yourself. Cut or print it out and post it up in several places at home, i.e the first mirror you look in upon waking up, the refrigerator, etc. These constant reminders will help you stay focused, and keep you pulling the right things out of the fridge each time you open the door.

Buy an outfit a size smaller than you actually are, something you may not be able to fit into quite yet. This is mental motivation, knowing you have to work hard to finally wear that special dress you bought, or to finally be comfortable slipping into jeans once impossible to squeeze into, will add a little fuel to your fitness fire.

Purchase a personal mp3 player. Music is a great mood booster, lifting spirits and mental concentration during grueling workouts.

Most importanly, Believe in Yourself. Only you can determine where your path will lead you, whether to success or to failure. I’ve given you some helpful tools to get where you want to be, now make the descion to get there.

Stay Motivated!

Some days  you are extremely eager and want to hit the gym, other times you really aren’t feeling it and could care less…..

Here’s Five Tips to Help You Stay On Track

1. Workout with a friend/ relative. Having a workout partner is one of the best ways to stay focused. The shared support will keep you in the gym on a more consistant basis. It also gives you a lesser chance of creating excuses, especially if someone is at the gym waiting on you to show up for a workout. You are 80% more likely to succeed with a workout buddy, than trying to do it solo.

2. Music. Creating a powerful playlist will help you get amped up and your mind ready for a serious workout. Whether its country, pop, hip hop, or heavy metal, if it gets you moving, that’s what matters most.

3. Change it up.  Mix up your workouts by trying new exercises. If you regularly use machines, switch them out for dumbbell exercises as a replacement.

4. Challenge yourself. Set smaller goals that will lead to one big, overall goal. Knock out the small ones first and you know you’re well on your way. Try a bootcamp class or hire a personal trainer for a few sessions, that extra push could make a huge difference.

5. Join a message board or a blog (like this one).  Negativity kills productivity, remember that. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is a key to your success.  In doing so, you’ll also find helpful articles, healthy recipes, free workouts, and interaction with others who may share the same interests/goals as you, and in turn will aid in your progress and help you on your journey.