Tygerlilly

stayfitnotfat:

How to tone up and build some muscle. 

#1: Weight train 3x/week minimum. Consistency is key here.  Results are yours for the taking with consistent effort, even if you have a poor workout or are too tired to give it your all on certain days, getting in the gym 3x/week to generate even a little bit of weight-training stimulus will pay off over time.

#2: Train with heavy weights. Ladies, get over your “responsive arms” and “thunder thighs”–lifting enough to coax the muscles into responsiveness and generate soreness is not only a good indication of the degree of muscle break-down a workout generates but also a necessity to build lean mass and achieve fat loss while at rest.  Let your muscles do the fat burning for you.

#3: Train to failure. While you are grabbing that heavy weight, go ahead and make sure it is one that you can lift 10 times, but not 11.  Getting to the point of breathlessness, burning in the muscles and inducing failure with heavy weight all guarantee the hormonal cascade necessary for muscle building and fat-burning: increased lactic acid, growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol, adrenaline–an optimal formula to get the body responsive (more on this here).  Since this is a very intense technique, rotate periods in your training where you don’t train to failure, like adding a light “resting” period when you train with lighter weights for 1-2 weeks and then go back to training to failure in your workouts for 6-8 weeks.  Check out Metabolic Effect’s Rest-based Training Concept for more info on how to use this technique safely and effectively.

#4: Eat protein pre-workout. Here’s where the fat-burning side of the equation comes in…eating 20-30 grams of whey protein 20-30 minutes before a workout, along with ~5g of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) encourages the body to pull from fat stores to power the workout and preserves muscle being used for energy.  Limit the carbs pre-workout since insulin’s presence in the blood effectively shuts down lipolysis (burning stored fat).

#5: Eat protein (and a little carb) post-weight training workout.  In order to capitalize on your tough weight workout, give your body the amino acids (protein) it needs to repair muscle.  You will also need some carb in order to release insulin (the muscle-building pathway depends on it), however, too much carb will also store fat.  Find your unique Carb Tipping Point to know how many grams you should be getting.  I recommend starting with 20-30g protein and 20-30 grams carbohydrates (depending on your size) post-weights–good choices include bananas, honey, grape juice and white potatoes.

#6: Eat protein (and a little healthy fat) post-cardio workout. After a cardio-only workout, the muscles don’t require the same insulin stimulus as after a weight workout.  In fact, post-cardio is one of the best opportunities to burn fat.  Eating a bunch of carbs after a cardio-only workout may blunt the fat-burning effect of the workout so stick with veggies, lean proteins and even fats.  Here is my favorite post-cardio shake:

In a blender or Vitamix, blend:
20-30 grams egg white protein powder
8 oz unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
5 grams L-glutamine
Liquid Stevia to desired sweetness (I use Chocolate flavor)
1 cup ice

#7: Eat all your starchy carbs for the day in your post-workout meal, and the very next 2 small meals. For example, if you weight-train at 6am, you eat carbs with a post-workout meal at 7am, 10am and 1pm.  If you train at 7pm, you eat starchy carbs at 8pm, 6am and 9am the next day, etc.  Your metabolism is elevated for at least the first few hours after the workout is over (maybe longer) and so the best time to capitalize on muscle building and utilize an elevated metabolism to avoid fat storage is in the hours following your workout.  Starchy carbs include foods like potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, whole grains, quinoa, etc.  Consume your designated bites of starch according to your ME Burner Type at each of the meals.  At all other meals (2-3), eat just lean protein and fibrous veggies (greens, etc).  More about Best Carb Choices.

#8: Sleep a minimum 8 hours each night. One of the hardest things for most of us to do, but without a doubt a key part of the muscle-building process.  Adequate rest and sleep are imperative in the quest for results.  Sleep is one of the key times in terms of growth hormone release, and is also one of the best times for fat burning.  However, sleeping only a few hours and/or eating a very high carb meal right before bed means that most of your sleep is spent digesting food and not even getting into the fat burning process yet.  Pair adequate rest with optimal nutrition for best results!

silkandsugar:

sweatsalty:

INSANITY WORKOUT LINKS

Fit Test

Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Cardio Power & Resistance

Cardio Recovery

Pure Cardio

Cardio Abs

Core Cardio & Balance

Max Interval Circuit

Max Interval Plyo

Max Cardio Conditioning

Max Recovery

Insane Abs

Max Interval Sports Training

Upper Body Weight Training

And here’s the schedule!

If you wanna get those abs and lower the fat do these!

withloveminusthehandles:

gettingfitforzombies:

Happy National Vegetarian Week!

In honor of National Vegetarian Week, here are some resources for those of you who are considering, beginning or learning about vegetarianism.

• How to become a vegetarian or vegan
• Health benefits of vegetarianism
• Ethical reasons for becoming a vegetarian
• How being a vegetarian helps the environment
• Vegetarian recipes
• Information about veganism
• How to get the nutrients you need whilst being vegetarian
• The Vegetarian Society

Thank you Stephie! You’re so very helpful. 

muffintop-less:

Every single day, I get asked by girls how to “tone” certain areas of their body. What most don’t realize, is that being “toned” comes from building MUSCLE tone and losing the soft body fat on top of the muscle. Fat cannot turn into muscle, just as muscle cannot turn into fat… they are two entirely different tissues within the body.

The only way to become “toned” is to put in the hard work. There is no easy way to get toned. There is no magical pill, supplement or workout that will give you “tone” on its own. If you starve yourself or exercise excessively, it will result in skinny fat. In order to lose the fat and maintain/build muscle, you have to eat clean, incorporate CHALLENGING resistance training and have PATIENCE. 

Programs that promise “toned in 30 days” or less are scams. (If you’re already in great shape, this might be possible, but for average people, it’s not). 30 days is definitely sufficient time to make noticeable progress though.. but not enough to drop a ton of bodyfat, build a ton of muscle and look lean, tight and toned. Have realistic expectations based on your current fitness level. 

My tips for getting “toned”:

• Eat CLEAN to be lean - Your diet will determine 80% of your results… this means minimal sugar and no processed foods (check out my grocery list for examples of these foods)
• Incorporate resistance training - The weights are your friends ladies. They won’t make you bulky or manly.. women do not have the hormonal profile necessary to bulk up the way men do without the help of steroids. 
• Do some cardio - Not a lot, but enough to put you into a mild caloric deficit. HIIT cardio is great for fat loss. Skip the long marathon cardio if your goal is fat loss.
• Stay hydrated - Drink plenty of water and plain green tea (again, no honey, agave or other sugar.. Stevia is an acceptable substitute.)

(Source: carbsafter10)

riiaeatsright:

1 Week 1 Goal: Daily Meditation

I have found that a short meditation and yoga session is an amazing way to start my day. It eases any stress, bad vibes, and anxiety and sets a positive mood for the rest of the day. Sometimes I’ll even do a short meditation in the middle of the day if I find myself getting caught up in the craziness of life to just slow down. And of course, meditation before bed is an amazing form of relaxation.

As you can see, there is no wrong way to incorporate meditation into your day by day routine. It can be done anywhere, anytime, and for any reason!

With this challenge, you agree that for 1 week you will meditate each day, for any amount of time, at any time of the day, and for any reason. You also will write a post about how the meditation benefited you and tag it as #1week1goal

So here’s the plan:

In my opinion, there is no right or wrong when it comes to meditation. I feel that meditation can mean different things to different people. So find what works for you and stick to it! But here’s something you could try to start you out!

1. Find time: There are 24 hours in a day, you have time if you make time.
2. Find or create a relaxing environment: Make sure to get rid of any distractions. Turn off the TV, close the computer…get off tumblr ;) Whatever you have to do to create an environment that is both quiet and relaxing. And, if you choose to listen to music, make sure to choose a song that is calm and soothing so it doesn’t break your concentration!
3. Sit in a comfortable position: If you are not comfortable while meditating, your focus will shift to finding a comfy way to sit. So before you begin make sure to figure out a comfortable and relaxed position you will reside in throughout the meditation.
4. Focus on your breathing: I find that by starting my meditation by focusing on my breathing, it really begins to relax me. So listen to your breaths and follow them…deep breaths in and out.
5. Clear your mind: This is said to be the “pinnacle” of meditation. Clearing your mind takes a ton of discipline and can be very hard to achieve. You essentially block everything out and focus on nothing. Your mind is clear.

So try it out! For just 1 week, meditate each and everyday for any reason! You’ll start to see the benefits and you’ll create a habit for yourself! And if your anything like me…you’ll be starting your days with yoga, meditation, and green smoothies! :)

So make the pact! For just 1 week! …and then make it a habit! :)

And don’t forget to tag your posts #1week1goal if you decide to participate! :)

Good luck!

♥ Riia