Don’t Hold Yourself Back by Using the Wrong Equipment

     If you are starting a new exercise program or just changing your existing workout routine, an important decision is what equipment you will use to reach your health and fitness goals. Depending on your fitness level, you may be able to do a number of exercises with just your bodyweight, but chances are you will want at least some equipment to increase the variety and challenge of your workouts.

Make a Plan, Not a New Year’s Resolution

     Well, we are at the beginning of another year, so it is time of year to reflect on the past and think about our future. This is also the time to make your New Year’s resolutions, many of which will likely have to do with health and fitness. Making resolutions is a traditional thing to do, but really, how effective are they? Some people do have success, but for most of us, they just end in frustration and disappointment. I believe your best bet is to stop making resolutions and make a plan instead.

How to get your Nutrition Back on Track when your Diet Falls Apart: My Personal Holiday Experience

     I was originally going to write about a different topic today, but my personal experiences during the holidays caused me to change my mind and write this instead.  Last week I wrote about the hidden causes of holiday weight gain and discussed how having holiday treats and other foods around the house can result is significant fat and weight gain. Well, last week I drove home and stayed with my family for a few days at Christmas and had the intention of eating as healthy as possible. I knew there would be some serious temptations and I expected my eating habits to be worse than normal, but I was still not adequately prepared for what I encountered.

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone, I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know I am taking a week or so off from writing new posts. I am just talking a little time to relax during the holidays but don’t worry, I will be back with a new post before the end of the year. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Sincerely,

     Ross

The Hidden Causes of Holiday Weight Gain

     If you are like most people, it can be challenging to avoid weight gain during the holidays. One of the big problems is family gatherings, which often revolve around eating large meals. I am sure you realize that eating excessively large meals will make you gain weight, but these meals may not actually be your biggest problem during the holiday season. A more significant threat will likely come from what I consider to be hidden sources of calories.

Fact or Fiction: Muscle Turns to Fat when You Stop Exercising

     The issue of whether or not muscle can turn to fat is one of those topics that has caused more than its fair share of confusion over the years. I am not sure how the confusion started or where all the misinformation came from, but my best guess is that it had something to do with people making incorrect assumptions about their personal experiences. Interestingly, the science behind this issue is fairly basic and straightforward, so any confusion you have will hopefully be cleared up by the end of this post.

The Biggest Roadblock to Proper Exercise Technique

     You probably already know this, but if not, I will simply say that performing exercises with proper technique is difficult. Any qualified fitness professional can walk into almost any gym in the country and point out form flaws in the vast majority of exercisers, regardless if they are beginners or have been training for years. The simple truth is exercising correctly is much tougher than people realize or want to admit and much of the time the biggest roadblock to proper technique is your own body.

How to Calculate your Target Heart Rate

     It has become common knowledge that measuring your heart rate is a good way to measure the demand and intensity of cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, biking, and swimming. You can buy heart rate monitors in a wide range of prices and features to accomplish this task, but there is still the question of how to determine your target heart rate, which represents how hard you will exercise.

How to Improve Your Body with Recovery Workouts

     I previously introduced the concept of recovery workouts and explained how they can improve your long-term health and fitness success (click here to read post). Now that you know why they are important, I want to discuss how to design recovery workouts and incorporate them into your overall training program.

Fact or Fiction: Drinking Colder Water Burns More Calories

     When it comes to health and fitness there are not very many absolute truths. Topics that seem fairly straightforward often result in confusion or cause people to have opposing viewpoints. In some cases, differing opinions can all be correct, but each one may only true under certain circumstances. However, when it comes to the question of whether drinking cold water burns more calories than drinking warm water, there is one absolute truth.