Spring/Summer Workout Ideas

As Spring is here and hopefully the weather cooperates and it soon becomes nice enough to take your workouts outside.  We need to start finding our passion for fitness again.  Have you found yourself stuck inside going stir crazy to get outside and go for a run, bike road, water ski, swim, hike, outdoor tennis, sand volleyball?  Well those are some of the amazing outdoor activities that start occurring around this time of the year.  If you have not yet discovered your passion now is the perfect time to start finding your new found passion.  Below are ways for you to start researching and finding a passion to do for the Spring/Summer months and take it outdoors.

1. Ask a friend what they like to do outdoors in the Spring/Summer time
2. What have you always wanted to try but were to afraid you would look silly doing it?
3. Join a local sports league.  Check with your community center, various local bars, your workplace and ask if they know of any softball, sand volleyball, or tennis leagues that are going on during the summer.
4. Make it a family affair.  If you have young kids what can you do as a family to be active, biking, head to the playground (playground workout coming in a later post), go for hikes, go boating.
5. If you have a trainer ask them if you can take the sessions outdoors from time to time to mix up the routine.
6. Go to your local pool most have aerobic classes or lap swim available for just adults if you are without kids, or bring your kids and chase after them to make it a family affair.  Make sure you wear your sunscreen though!

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more video workout ideas. 

How to uncover those abs

I have abs I just know it, they are just covered by a layer of fat.  While how can I get those abdominals to be revealed?  Below are some great tips to help you shed that layer of fat.  Remember to accomplish getting those abs you have to think is this cookie, glass of wine, piece of candy worth not meeting my fitness goal or having good health?  If it is than go for it if not put down the thing that will keep your abs covered and go for that goal.  

8 tips for uncovering those abs

1. Drink 4-6 cups of green tea (I personally do this and it has boosted my metabolism by a few hundred calories!)

2. Perform Planks & Side Planks- These are my favorite exercise to do.  I enjoy doing these 5-6 times a week.  Challenge yourself to complete them in the morning so your abs stay tight all throughout the day. 

3. Add some intervals to your life- A good dose of cardio will help burn some unwanted belly fat.  Perform 1 minute at a fast pace than 30 seconds-1 minute at a slower pace.  Repeat for 20-30 minutes.

4. Tabata Training anyone- Check out this video for more tabata information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhkgcUlxKx0

5. Log your food- Make sure you log your food for at least a few weeks so you can get an idea of how many calories you are eating, how much sugar, carbs, fats & protein you are consuming as well.

6. Get some sleep- Make sure you get around 8 hours of sleep a night.  If your under that most likely your going to be storing some extra fat around your middle. 

7. Find a stress reliever- If you have a lot of extra stress in your life try and find a method to relieve some pressure off of yourself.  I personally enjoy yoga & meditation a few times a week to center myself.

8. Eat good fat- Make sure your enjoying a good sprinkling of healthy fat throughout your day.  Almonds, avocados, olive oil, salmon to name a few. 

If you want a great abdominal workout check out this video 6 Pack Abs

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more information. 

Try a little tabata in your life!

I have a great tabata workout for you to try!  Check out this youtube video about tabata training. Remember tabata training is 20 seconds as fast and hard as possible and 10 seconds rest.  Repeat for a total of 4 minutes. Tabata Workout

Check out SaFire Training for more workout videos! 

Heart Healthy February Challenge

Since February is a heart healthy month SaFire Training is doing something special for you!  We are posting daily challenges on our facebook page to try everyday.  Each challenge is geared to help you either physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Most of the challenges are pretty simple and will bring a smile to your day.  Hint, hint smiling is a challenge for one of the days in February.  So if you want to give yourself a jump start on your health or to give yourself a boost throughout your day this challenge is for you! Like us today, so you won't miss a day in February!  www.facebook.com/safiretraining

Creative Exercises

There are a lot of different exercises that one can do.  How do you keep the creativeness into your workout routine?  Below are some great workout ideas for you to do to keep your lifting routine fresh!  Perform 2-3 sets and between 10-15 reps.

1. Plie squat into calf raise, with one arm raised over head and the other holding onto a body bar or a couch or chair.  Like above picture.

2. Russian Twists w/pass throughs- Leaning back into a russian twists as you are moving the ball from side to side lift your leg up and go underneath your leg to the other hand and repeat going back in the other direction.

3. Plank with leg lift- In low or high plank lift 1 leg straight up to the sky do all reps on 1 leg than switch to the other side.

4. Side Plank with hip dip and crunch- In side plank dip hip towards ground as soon as your back into plank position perform crunch across the body bringing elbow towards ground.  Repeat for allotted reps on 1 side than repeat other side.

5. Pullover with leg ext.- On bench or on the ground, with 1 heavy weight lift the weight straight back overhead and pull back up above your head.  When weight is above your head lower legs out as straight as you can go.  When legs are back to center slowly lower weight above head again.

Those are just a few creative exercises to incorporate into your workout routine.  Check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness videos.

Fit Gadgets are they worth it?

After coming across a video by Anderson Cooper in which they had wonderful fitness gadgets throughout Americas history I was encouraged to write a blog about some of those products and there benefits (or lack there of).  

Below is the video from Anderson Cooper:

Anderson Cooper-Fitness Gadgets

Some of the products in the video was the lovely face yoga.  I recently saw this being done on a Rosie Pope show well does it work?  I have my doubts, I do remember my mother doing these moves from the lady in Anderson's video.  I would say it is more for sure than actually working it might add a few wrinkles when you have to stretch your tongue out so far, but no data supporting the benefits.  

Riding a horse back and forth side to side well you truly are not doing much of the work you just need to stay on the saddle.  Well you will get a little burn in the inner thighs and core work not enough to benefit you at all.  

Shake weight- Well what does this actually do for you besides make your arm fat jiggle, not much.  Your muscles are not contracting enough or at all to give you muscle growth or even to tone your arms with this weight.  Plus you are burning minimal calories since your heart rate is not going up and you can do this sitting down and you will burn even fewer calories that way.  

So if these quick fixes don't work what does?  Well good old fashion diet and exercise does.  If you need a place to start try hiring a trainer who can set you up with a good plan.  Unfortunately there are no quick fixes and you do need to put in a little effort and sweat to make your goals a reality.  Nothing replaces hard work.