Don’t Believe The Muffin Top Myth

I know that when you put your valuable time and energy into a fitness program, you deserve to see nothing less than amazing results. That's my commitment to all of my clients, and is something that I am truly passionate about. 

So what's this Muffin Top Myth? 

The belief that doing a magical ab exercise will shrink and flatten your waist, and will rid you of a muffin top.

Sorry, there's no such magical ab exercise.

In fact, all of the magical ab exercises in the world won't make a dent in your muffin top, as long as you continue with your current, unhealthy lifestyle.

The true belly-shrinking magic is found in improving your diet and exercise routine to promote fat loss from your entire body, including—but not limited to—your midsection.

Here's how to really get rid of that muffin top:

Shrink Your Belly Tip #1: Stop Eating Processed Foods

Everyone loves a good shortcut, right? Depends on where that shortcut takes you.

From now on I want you to think of processed foods as a shortcut to belly fat.

I wouldn't be surprised if future studies prove that the over-processing, chemical additives and high fructose corn syrup that are pumped into processed foods specifically adds fat around your belly.

If you want to shrink your belly then stay away from sugars, sodas, chemically altered fats, processed, packaged, fried and preserved foods.

Shrink Your Belly Tip #2: Eat Fresh, Whole Foods

Once you've cut the processed foods out of your diet, fill in the void with lots of fresh foods like:

• Green vegetables
• Whole, organic, seasonal fruits
• Lean, hormone-free, high quality meats
• Colorful organic veggies
• Nuts and seeds

I know this list of foods may seem boring at first, but if you stick with it long enough, you'll grow to love the tantalizing flavors of real food.

When your diet is filled with the foods listed above, your body will quickly shed pounds and lean out.

Shrink Your Belly Tip #3: Do Challenging Exercise 

The absolute best way to lose your muffin top forever is with a consistent, progressive exercise program.

• Consistent: You should be exercising 3-5 times each week.
• Progressive: For truly awesome results, keep your body guessing with new exercises and increasing intensity.

My exercise programs are specifically crafted to get you into the best shape of your life, and I'm fanatically passionate about seeing you meet your goal.

I'd love to hear from you! Call or email today to get started.

Killer Ab Exercises

True, crunches won't reduce your body fat, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't strengthen your abdominal muscles. Consistent ab exercises are an essential part of a well balanced exercise routine. Try these killer ab exercise:

• Plank: Lie face down on mat resting on your forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto your toes and resting on your elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, lower to the start position and repeat for 3-5 reps.
• Knee Tucks: Start on your back, bend your knees with your feet on the floor and knees touching. Extend both arms overhead on either side of your ears, palms facing up. Exhale and bring your knees up towards your chest. Slowly lower your hips back down to start position. Repeat for 12-15 reps.
• One-Armed Full Sit Ups: Start on your back with your right knee bent, foot flat on the floor, and left leg extended straight out. Extend your right arm to the ceiling and reach your left arm towards your left foot. Sit all the way up, rolling through your back, keeping your right foot on the floor, and your right arm up over your shoulder and your left arm reaching in front of you all the way up. Slowly roll back down to the floor. That's one rep. Repeat 15 times on one side, 15 times on the other. For an extra challenge hold a dumbbell in your extended arm.

Call today for your free consultation 219-405-7559

Email ianbowen25@gmail.com

Phone 219-405-7559

7 Ways To Crave Less Sugar

If I were to award a single food item with the title of‘Fastest Way To Pack On The Pounds', hands down the winner would be refined sugar.

We have been eating more and more sugar over the past 200 years, which has led to rising obesity numbers. Back in 1822 the average person ate only 6.3 lbs of sugar per year, compared to 130 lbs of sugar in 2012. That's more than 20 times as much sugar in our modern diet! No wonder we are bigger than ever…

One of the reasons that your diet is filled with so much sugar is that some form of refined sugar is included in virtually every single processed food. This is yet another reason that it's important to cut those processed and packaged convenience foods out of your diet.

Cutting sugar from your diet is easier said than done. Once it is a part of your daily diet, cravings strike, causing you to eat it even more frequently. But there is hope.

Here are 7 Ways To Crave Less of that Sugar that you're eating that's killing your results and keeping you from attaining your goal weight:

1) Eat More Protein
A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are getting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein. Plan breakfast around eggs, lunch and dinner around baked chicken breast, and make snacks hard boiled eggs or baked meatballs.

2) Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that calorie-free, artificially sweetened beverages don't impact your fat loss results. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that the diet soda you're sipping is making it harder for you to reach your goal weight. While the diet soda itself doesn't contain calories, it has been proven to cause cravings for sugary foods. Put down the diet soda and instead pick up a refreshing bottle of spring water.

3) Steer Clear Of Saboteurs
The sad truth is that people in your life will try to sabotage your low sugar diet. You'll run into that pushy person at the office who insists that you eat a donut, the well-meaning family member who dishes you up a bowl of ice cream, and the friend who comes over with a plate of her home-baked cookies. The best avoidance strategy is to sincerely thank the sugar-pusher for their gift, tell them you wish you could eat it, and then blame me – your trainer – as the bad guy who says that you need to cut back on sugar.

4) Try Dark Chocolate
For those moments when your sweet tooth is relentlessly badgering you for something sweet, ditch the super-sugary candies and stick with a small square of very dark chocolate. Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa content should be the only candy that you keep on hand. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.

5) Stick With Fruit
What's sweet, colorful and comes in hundreds of flavors? Organic, seasonal, fresh fruit, of course! As you remove refined sugar from your life, feel free to add in some natural sugar by way of fresh, local fruit. It's amazing how satisfyingly sweet fruit is – it's truly nature's candy.

6) Change Your Palate
As you begin to limit your intake of refined sugars, you'll find that your tolerance for sugar decreases. This means that something that didn't taste sweet before – say a green apple – now has uncanny depths of sweetness. What's happening is that your sweet receptors are becoming more finely tuned, now that you're not overwhelming your palate with sickly-sweet refined sugar.

7) Workout Like You Mean It
A regular, challenging exercise routine will not only get you into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods.

Make challenging, consistent exercise a part of your life.

Call today for your free consultation 219-405-7559

Email- ianbowen25@gmail.com

Phone- 219-405-7559

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

Want Faster Results? Try These 3 Food Tricks.

Working out hard is an essential part of any fat loss plan. It sculpts your muscles, raises your resting metabolism, whittles down your waist and gives you functional strength and endurance.

The only catch is that you can seriously slow, or even reverse, your results by eating poorly. There's nothing quite as frustrating as when you are working out like a champ only to face the same belly rolls each morning.

To keep you from giving up in frustration, try these 3 Easy Food Tricks to amp up your results.

Why am I calling these tricks? A trick usually implies that someone is getting fooled, and, well, in this scenario you're that someone. These tricks will fool your taste-buds and your mouth into thinking that you're eating your regular favorites, when, in fact, you'll actually be eating a meal with fewer calories, fewer carbs and more fiber.

This means quicker fat loss and smaller belly rolls.

That sounds fantastic, right? So let's dig right in...

Easy Food Trick #1: RICE
Rice is a big part of many a meal. There's white rice, brown rice, stir fried rice, sticky rice, wild rice and the list goes on. All of these kinds of rice (yes, even brown rice) are packed with carb and calories. This is great, if you are a growing child or an athlete, but not so great for someone like you with a fat loss goal.

Rather than give up rice completely, because that would make your veggies and meat look really lonely on a half-empty plate, let's turn to Easy Food Trick #1.

CAULIFLOWER RICE: Now, don't get skeptical on me until you give this food trick a try. To make rice from cauliflower first wash it and trim the leaves and stems. Chop into small pieces and then run those pieces through a food processor with the grating attachment. This will result in a rice-like consistency. Place the cauliflower rice in a large skillet with a Tablespoon of olive oil and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and you are good to go. Serve your normal vegetable and meat dishes over a bed of cauliflower rice just as you would traditional rice.

Easy Food Trick #2: NOODLES
Have you ever noticed that when you crave your favorite pasta dish, you're actually just craving the sauce? Noodles alone are bland and unspectacular. The magic, as well as the protein, is in the sauce.

Noodles, like traditional rice, are packed with calories and carbs that get in the way of your fat loss results. So, rather than just eating a bowl of sauce, try Easy Food Trick #2.

ZUCCHINI NOODLES: Again, try this trick before you knock it, I'm guessing that you'll be pleasantly surprised. Wash a zucchini, and then run a vegetable peeler down its sides, creating long, wide noodles. Stop when you reach the inner, seedy part of the zucchini. These raw, zucchini noodles do not require any cooking, simply throw them onto your plate and top with your favorite pasta sauce. (Of course, I'm assuming that you're not going to use a white, cream-based sauce, but that's another article for another day.)

Easy Food Trick #3: BREAD, BUNS, TORTILLAS
Cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles are all find and dandy for those meals that you prepare at home, but what about your meals eaten out? Many restaurant meals revolve around bread, buns or tortillas. These things are tasty, yet filled with calories and carbs that add to those annoying belly rolls.

That's when you turn to Easy Food Trick #3.

THE LETTUCE WRAP: This trick is more popular than the first two, so you may already be familiar with it. How does it work? When ordering your meal, be it a sandwich, burger or tacos, ask that it be wrapped in lettuce in place of the bread, bun or tortilla. Most places are really cool about it, and you end up getting to eat the good part of the meal – the meat and flavors—without the carb-filled extras. If for some reason the restaurant is unable to wrap it in lettuce for you, then ask for the filling to be placed on a pile of greens and eat it with a fork.

Try these 3 Easy Food Tricks out for the next 30 days, and see how quickly your fat loss results ramp up. The improved results will motivate you to workout harder and more consistently, which will then add to an even greater level of fitness.

Tricks Become Tradition

The real fat loss benefits from the 3 Easy Food Tricks above come when you make this way of eating a part of your lifestyle. It may sound strange or hard at first, but – like anything—once you grow accustomed to that style of eating it will feel comfortable, and you will be leaner!

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

The Secret To Great Abs

A toned, lean stomach is the ultimate sign of a fitness plan that's working.

It's also one of the hardest things to achieve.

Maybe you've given up on your abs after doing thousands of crunches only to see zero results.

It's time that you forget everything you've heard about how to sculpt your abs. The truth is that crunches simply won't give you a six-pack. Ever.

Doing crunches with the hope that it will turn your midsection into a washboard is to operate under the most widely held fitness myth. You know, that spot reducing myth. Here's the truth: training one area of your body will not specifically burn fat from that area.

Even those who have heard that spot reducing is a myth often still train as if it is true. So here's the hard truth that you need to face: Doing crunches will not magically make your tummy shrink, it will not cause your muffin top to melt away, and it will not give you washboard abs.

Only a reduction in body fat will do that for you.

So want the secret to great abs? The secret to great abs is a combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training, and clean eating.

Weight loss is not reserved only for the people you see on the Biggest Loser or on exercise equipment infomercials. You can do it too.

So is your current routine getting you closer to that six-pack, or have you simply been burning time? Answer the following two questions to find out...

How many times per week do you exercise? If you answered with anything less than 4 times a week then that's the first thing getting between you and streamline abs. What is a fat burning workout? A routine that incorporates intense cardiovascular training with challenging resistance training. Does this describe what you do?

Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a comfortable pace isn't a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely, not-a-drop-of-sweat 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that exercising smart allows you to dramatically increase your results while spending less time in the gym.

Cardio exercise is most beneficial when done at an effective level of intensity. This doesn't mean that you should be out gasping for air. It does mean that you need to dig down and push yourself. Every time.

Resistance training is the second vital part to a workout that burns fat. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that challenges you and stimulates your metabolism. The key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

Do you eat clean? Diet is the number one reason that most people don't have great abs. If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. To trim your waist, start by trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how hard you exercise.

• Don't eat too much. Do you know approximately how many calories you eat each day? The best way to find out is to record every single thing that you eat for a few days. Take those numbers and do an evaluation.
• Cut out the junk. While this may seem obvious, your definition of "junk food" may need to be updated. Start with anything that contains sugar. Refined sugar is one of the biggest ingredients in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster to avoid. As a rule of thumb, view all processed or refined items as junk food, and kick them to the curb.
• Eat when hungry. You've been told to never let your metabolism "crash" by going hours without eating, but it turns out that all-day snacking may be counter-productive. Instead of trying to schedule meals and snacks for certain times throughout your day go with how your body feels. If you are hungry then have a small, protein-based snack. If you aren't hungry then don't force a snack on yourself in the name of fueling your metabolism.

Now you know why simply doing crunches will not get you the abs of your dreams. While it is important to exercise your abs a couple of times a week, don't expect fat to fall of that area after thousands of crunches.

If you seriously want to flatten and sculpt your waist in time for the holidays then all you have to do is decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself. You deserve it.

The truth is that lifestyle changes aren't easy to make and that change won't happen overnight. There's a good chance that you'll have occasional setbacks. But don't even think of giving up!

If you never give up then you won't fail.

Each day is a new chance to start over. Begin each day with the resolve to make your new healthy lifestyle a priority. Results will soon follow.

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

Best butt toning exercises

I can still remember the time in the late ‘90s when women’s magazines announced that having a big butt was a good thing. I was in my teens and had never even thought about how my body looked because to me, as an athlete, my body was my vehicle. I had muscles upon muscles and my posterior chain was rock solid but, thanks to Jennifer Lopez, I suddenly felt that I didn’t just look like a boyish athlete! I had a quality that was associated with being feminine, sexy and, to my mind, awesome.  Through a summer media craze based on one woman’s derriere, I suddenly received a huge confidence boost.

It’s amazing how the media continues to play a huge role in the way we think about our bodies.  As a runner, a strong physique came with the job description, not to mention my genetic predisposition from my parents. I sure hope it’s a fashion statement that will last because my children are already showing signs of having sprinter-shaped bodies.

I’m not saying that a big butt makes anyone more or less attractive overall but I do think that it’s important to have strong set of muscles behind you.  Add in the confidence boosting benefits of a firm butt and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make sure a saggy bottom is never part of your life.

What’s the best way to tone up your butt? 

As a trainer I’m often asked: “How do I get a good butt?” and my answer is generally the same every time. I have to be honest and say that genetics play a huge role, however body builders are the living proof that quality exercise and nutrition can enhance any muscle group. A strong ‘gluteus maximus’ and ‘gluteus minimus’ – the training terms for your rear end – can be achieved through a combination of strength training and a good sprint program.

Butt toning tip 1 – Run your way to a great booty

Not surprisingly, I recommend running – it will help burn off excess flab while also building up your muscles.

Sprinting is essentially the weight lifting of running especially when you throw hill running into the mix because your posterior chain muscles – including your calves, hamstrings and glutes – generate a lot of the power that is required when sprinting.

Try adding one or two 30-minute sprinting sessions into your workout week. Sprinting for 20 seconds then resting for 60 seconds is my personal favorite. Remember to build up to it though. You must walk before you can run, so only up your speed as and whenyour body feels ready.

Butt toning tip 2 – Make squats work for you

Squats, squats, squats – you can never do too many squats.

Squats will work your butt muscles and putting the effort into a repetitive squat routine will get your booty in shape in no time.  I recommend variety, so try a combination of squats.  Options include a basic squat with no weights, then try adding weights, a jump, or speed variations.  You could even work your way up to split squats and one-legged squats.

There are many variations to this amazing exercise so, no matter if you are new to exercising or a seasoned professional, find the types of squat that are most comfortable for your body and add them into your fitness routine three days a week.

***

A great butt is not the be all and end all

By adding these exercises into your weekly routine you’ll be working your glutes and building a firm butt, but don’t forget that burning calories and being active are a great reward too.

When it comes to your body, health and wellness, we have to put jokes, vanity and the media aside. Remember that the visible benefits that come from working out are just an added bonus – it is the internal change and the improvement of your overall wellness that is of ultimate importance.

True beauty always comes from the inside.

By Samantha Clayton

How To Get Rid Of Upper Arm Fat.

Do you know what a ‘bingo wing’ is? What about a ‘flabby flapper’? If you have no idea, then you probably don’t have an area of loose musculature at the top of your arms. Plenty of people do however, and it can be a major confidence drain.

Both men and women can have a tendency to store fat on their upper arms and if that applies to you then, don’t worry, we can tackle the issue with some key exercises.  You may also feel that your upper arms are saggy if you’ve lost weight and have excess skin in this area but, again, don’t worry, my advice addresses this too.  Together, we will wave goodbye to arm jiggle and show off our toned and defined biceps and triceps.

Although you can’t command your body to lose fat from a specific area, a variety of weighted toning exercises can help you improve your muscle mass. I recommend combining bursts of general fat burning cardio vascular activity with upper arm focused strength exercises, and you will be showing off your newly sculpted guns and saying goodbye to unsightly bingo wings in no time at all.

It’s easy to add in some upper body exercises throughout the day at home or at work. You don’t even need to use heavy weights; a simple full water bottle or cans from the pantry can be a good starting point. In the workplace, you can try using using paperweights or a ream of photocopy paper.
You might also want to consider investing in small sand bags as these can be great tools to help you start toning up.  I can also recommend resistance bands as these stretchy ribbons are a light weight solution for adding resistance workouts to your day, they are inexpensive and light weight so you can take one almost anywhere and, although it’s a different feeling than weights, the resistance created is just as effective for toning your body.

Focus on toning up and building your strength:
Building strong biceps, triceps and shoulders will give you muscle definition and rid you of an arm that continues to move long after you stopped waving.
Try focusing on movements that mimic everyday tasks. Sculpting your arms can be as simple as placing books on a shelf! Try to do exercises that are consistent with your body’s needs. If your job requires you to lift objects throughout the day, then getting strong through stretching and exercise can make your day easier. Excessive direct overhead movements are often not necessary and can cause stress on your shoulder joints so keep your movements in front of you.

The benefits of gaining a little muscle:
There are several benefits of gaining additional muscle mass.  The most exciting being that your body will naturally burn extra calories all day long in order to sustain your new muscle.  You will also find that the additional strength you will gain from lifting weights can help you with your day-to-day tasks and weight-bearing exercise has been linked to considerable improvement in bone density. Resistance training is recommended by ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) as it is especially beneficial for an aging population.

Focusing on upper arm strength-building for just 10 minutes a day will soon pay off.

Dedicating a small amount of time each day to upper body resistance training, and avoiding the trap of spending hours a day in the gym, can help you reap the benefits without the severe muscle soreness that over exercising a specific body part can give you.

Try to dedicate 10 minutes a day to an arm exercise routine and remember to stretch both before and after you exercise to avoid injury and tight muscles. It’s amazing how quickly your body can respond to resistance training.

There are many effective exercises that focus on the upper arm. Try a combination of bicep curls, bent over rows, tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses and plank holds.

The tricep kickback is one of my favorites as it focuses on the back of your arms and the tricep can be overlooked in favor of the much more famous bicep.

How to do a tricep kickback correctly

  –  Choose some weights that are suitable for your fitness level and hold one in each hand. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend yourknees and hinge your back forward slightly so that you are looking at the floor in front of you and your back is at a 45-degree angle.

-  Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, so that your hands are in front of you and keep you arms tightly tucked into your sides.

-  Extend your arms back behind you and slowly straighten your arms; you will start to feel your triceps working as you lift the weight behind you. Hold the lift for two seconds and return to your starting position and repeat.  If you want to intensify the work turn your palms upward.

-  Try to do 10 reps per arm but stop if you feel uncomfortable.

You can do this exercise with both arms at the same time or you can do it firstwith one arm and then the other.   If you prefer to work one arm at a time, be sure to place your dumbbell free hand on your thigh and use a staggered stance to help keep your back in a neutral position.

There are so many health benefits to be gained from a balanced combination of diet and exercise.  I believe that taking a little time each day to focus on yourself is never a bad thing and with a consistent approach, you’ll soon be waving goodbye to sagging arms with an arm wave that stops when you stop.

Written by Samantha Clayton.