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When the social distancing mandate is lifted and we all emerge from our homes, you’re going to notice that many people put on weight during this stressful time. And it’s hard to blame them.

Because fitness is hard.

It’s hard when life is normal, let alone when the world is on lockdown causing our stress to steadily rise and tempting us to turn to comfort food.

Every day we have choices to make, and these choices take us closer to a fit and lean body or farther from a fit and lean body.

Exercise or NO Exercise?

Lace up your shoes and take a run or do a body weight workout instead of getting extra sleep, watching TV or doing whatever else it is that you’d rather be doing. Do this 3-5 times each week for 30-60 minutes.

OR

Spend your spare time being as sedentary as possible. The less that you use your muscles, the more aches, pains and mobility limitations you’ll experience. Oh, and if you’re consuming more calories than your natural metabolism burns then you’ll steadily gain weight.

Eat for TASTE or for NUTRITION?

Choose your meals based on the nutritional makeup rather than following your taste buds. Limit your intake of simple carbohydrates and get lots of protein and fiber in each meal.

OR

Eat whatever sounds and tastes good. The human palate is naturally drawn to items that are high in sugar, salt and fat. Your eat-whatever-diet will be filled with these fattening foods and will be lacking in protein and fiber. You’ll find your weight increases, and your energy levels plummet, accordingly.

Say YES or NO to Junk Food?

Turn down your favorite junk foods –even when you really, really want it. Cut simple sugars and harmful, processed fats out of your diet completely.

OR

Solve your stress with your favorite junk food. As I mentioned above, your favorite foods are likely high in sugar, salt and fat. Or, more likely, your faves are high in all three! Your indulgent eating is going to raise the number on your scale higher, and higher, and higher.

Push HARDER or Get COMFORTABLE?

Push your body to be stronger, faster and better during each workout. Don’t simply go through the motions in your routine – consistently challenge your muscles to do more each day.

OR

Your goal is to be comfy. This means use as little muscular strength as you can on a daily basis. When you don’t use your muscles they begin to atrophy (shrink!), leaving you with less lean tissue. Since lean tissue raises your metabolism, a drop in lean tissue means you’ll be burning fewer calories at rest than ever before.

Count Calories or More is Better?

Limit your total calories to within an appropriate range for your size and goals. Remember, even healthy calories can add up to weight gain when you’re not careful.

OR

There’s no limit on how much you eat – in fact more is better. As a result you often feel sluggish from your overloaded digestive system. And your motivation to exercise get fit becomes dimmer and dimmer.

So which choices will you make? And just because you’re stuck at home right now doesn’t mean that your body won’t be seen in the near future.

Concentrate on discipline, motivation and determination. Do the right thing rather than the easy thing. Most of all, constantly strive forward.

You can do this!

You’re stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic with Netflix and comfort foods causing you a huge amount of temptation. Not to mention the stress of this uncertain time making it easy to resort to stress eating…

The fact is that after this quarantine you’re either going to be in worse shape – having gained many at-home pounds, OR you could use this extra time off to make visible progress towards your best body every.

Here are 12 Steps to Getting Lean while in Quarantine:

Step One: Do Some Burpees. Can burpees safely be performed at home? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your morning and evening routines to burn extra calories and tighten your core.

Here’s how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead.

Step Two: Reduce Sodium. Did you know that salt causes water retention? You have time now to pay attention to the sodium content of your food, while you’re stuck at home. Limit salt intake by not eating packaged foods and by putting down the salt shaker.

Step Three: Pick Up A Book. Challenging the muscles of your core with resistance is a proven way to create a tighter midsection. Since you’re stuck at home without exercise equipment, a large book is a wonderful tool to provide such resistance.

Hold the book with arms straight up in the air as you do crunches.

Step Four: Load Up On Fiber. Wonder how fiber could help you shed pounds and look great while in quarantine? It’s actually quite simple.

High fiber foods are nutrient dense and low in calories. This means that you’ll feel full from fewer calories, encouraging weight loss. Try these high fiber favorites: spinach, raspberries, pear (with skin), artichoke, peas, apples (with skin), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and carrots.

Step Five: Crank Out Some V-Sits. You can still enjoy some Netflix while doing this effective move. 1) Lie on your side with legs straight and hands behind your head. 2) Raise your arms and legs simultaneously, while exhaling and squeezing your obliques. 3) Repeat on the other side.

Step Six: Eat Lots Of Lean Protein. Don’t be afraid to eat when you are on the get-lean-in-quarantine plan. It is really important that you are nourishing your body with quality, lean protein in order to shed fat.

Lean protein helps support muscle growth while controlling blood sugar – all important factors when it come to washboard abs. Good sources of protein include: chicken breast, ground turkey, egg whites, and grilled fish.

Step Seven: Do Some Hanging Leg Raises. Now it’s time to target your lower abs, which are also a problem area for most. Traditional crunches and sit-ups neglect to strengthen and tighten the lower part of your abs, so a focused effort is required.

Hanging Leg Raises are one of the most effective ways to strengthen your abdominals. 1) Hang from pull-up bar with legs fully extended. 2) Exhale and drive your knees up toward your chest. 3) Inhale as you slowly lower your legs back down. If you don’t have a pull up bar at home then do flutter kicks to activate your lower abs.

Step Eight: Stop Eating Sugar. If you only did this step, and skipped all the rest, you would lose weight and look better by the time quarantine is over. I can’t emphasize enough how quickly sugar converts into a soft layer of fat.

Yes, sugar tastes good, but indulging in it causes your body to store layers of fat. Enjoy fresh fruit, rather than refined sugar. Once you stop eating sugar your body will no longer crave it, so don’t give in to the initial cravings.

Step Nine: Do Some Mountain Climbers. Here’s an exercise that is intensely cardiovascular while also working your core, and is easily performed at home. Add these to your routine to really whittle down your waistline while practicing social distancing.

Here’s how to do a Mountain Climber: 1) Get into push-up position. 2) Exhale as you alternately drive your knees in toward your chest, keeping your back flat.

Step Ten: Pass On The Grains. Sure, whole grains are being touted as essential to a healthy diet, but the truth is that you’ll do just fine without them for a while. Even the heartiest wholegrain bread will encourage fat storage, so put down the breadbasket as you prepare for beach season.

Grains are full of insulin-spiking carbohydrates—the perfect combination for fattening you up. Learn to love grain-free meals that center around lean meats and vegetables.

Step Eleven: Do Some Sprints. High intensity bursts of cardio are a proven way to burn away layers of fat, so incorporate sprints into your exercise routine. If you haven’t run for a while, take it easy as you start, and gradually increase the intensity of your sprints.

Run 60-90 second sprints in between resistance training sets to really kick your fat burning mechanism into high gear. This is also a great opportunity to get some fresh air and to get out of the house.

Step Twelve: Start A Professional Fitness Program. You wouldn’t try to file corporate tax returns without the assistance of your CPA, so why would you attempt to transform your body without the help of a professional? I’m here to get you into your ideal, fit body in the shortest amount of time possible. It’s what I do, and I’m good at it. EVEN while you are stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Contact me about my at-home programs that will get you looking better than ever before. Call or email today to get started.

Hey everyone, I hope you and your loved ones are all doing well. I want to let you all know that at RR we view you all as a family and are doing everything we can to keep you healthy! I sent out an email explaining all of the cleaning protocol we have in place to keep you healthy. Equally important is exercise! Our clients see results because of our training and coaching but a huge part of it comes from accountability. I want to commend all of you for your commitment to exercise and a healthy lifestyle. As we make it through this health scare I am confident you will all stay healthy because of the actions you have taken leading up to this. With that being said, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO QUIT!!!

I understand some of you have health concerns and I want you to know we are here to help you maintain your health. We will be moving all classes to an online virtual training platform. This will be very interactive and your trainers that know your fitness level and abilities, injuries, and goals will be pushing you through the workout from home.

I know some of you feel fine and want to still come in and train but this situation has become a real double-edged sword. If we cancel everything people will be at home sedentary with their health declining. If we keep everything open we might be putting people at risk. We feel this is the best option right now to keep you all healthy and strong! We are going to implement the virtual training for this week and see where things go.

All the training times and sign up process will be the same. When you sign up for a class we will be sending an email invite to a video call to everyone signed up. You will need to download the free Zoom app on your phone or tablet or sign up on your computer through the link below

Zoom Sign Up​

We hope to see our usual number of clients signing up and continuing to train. This way we can do what we do best, keep our clients healthy by offering a great workout and holding clients accountable!

Committed to your success, Jeff

 

Since you’re reading my emails, I know that you’re a health-conscious, fitness-minded person in quest of your best body ever.

You likely exercise regularly. You watch what you eat. You keep up-to-date on the latest health concerns. You don’t binge on sugar. You never eat fast food. Well, almost never.

But you do have a few unhealthy skeletons in your closet – ones that you probably aren’t even aware of.

Here are 5 easy habits to cranking up your fitness results..

1. Get More Sleep

• In Gallup Poll surveys, 56% of the adult population reported that drowsiness is a problem in the daytime. That means that more than half of the population doesn’t get adequate sleep.
• Healthy adults require 7-8 hours of sleep each night. When you fail to meet this need your body goes into sleep debt, which continues to accumulate indefinitely until you catch up.
• A lack of sleep negatively affects your immune system, your nervous system, and interferes with healthy hormone release and cellular repairs.

The best way to combat sleep deprivation is to set a scheduled bedtime. Your body will benefit from a consistent sleeping and waking routine, and you’re sure to get all the rest you need.

If you have trouble falling asleep once you’re in bed, then try these two tips. First, make sure that you don’t drink any caffeinated beverages after lunchtime. Second, don’t eat for three hours before you go to bed. This helps eliminate sleeplessness due to indigestion, and will also turbo-charge your weight loss.

2. Drink More Water

• It has been said that 75 percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. Would you disagree? When was the last time that you actually drank 8 glasses of water in a day?
• Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves your body than is taken in. Symptoms include: fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, and, in extreme cases, even death.
• Dehydration also slows your metabolism, which hinders weight loss.

You shouldn’t wait until the feeling of thirst or dry mouth hits you, at that point damage has already been done. Instead, constantly rehydrate throughout your day to avoid dehydration.

The best way to do this is to incorporate water into your daily schedule. Have a water bottle at your desk and train yourself to sip on it often and get into the habit of drinking a full glass of water with each meal and snack.

3. Reduce Your Stress

• I don’t have to tell you that we are living in a fast-paced world and that most of us have stress levels that are through the roof. But what you might not realize is that your stress levels are making you fat.
• Stress creates an increase in the hormone cortisol, and chronic stress creates a chronic increase in cortisol. This is a problem because is slows your metabolism, leads to cravings and is linked to greater levels of abdominal fat storage.
• The vicious cycle of stress and weight gain goes around and around. Stress causes you to eat emotionally, and your raised cortisol levels cause that food to be stored as fat.

One of the most effective ways to instantly eliminate stress is to sit down and write out a list of all the things that are bothering you. This should include things that you need to get done, issues that weigh on your mind and anything you believe contributes to your stress level.

Once it’s all down on paper, organize it like a to-do list and start resolving each item. Doing so will get the stress off of your mind and will put your body into the motion of resolving each issue.

4. Eat Out Less Often

• Research suggests that most people eat out one out of every 4 meals and snacks. That’s an average of once a day.
• Restaurant food is designed to do one thing: to taste good. In order to increase eating pleasure, each item is loaded with fat, salt and sugar. This causes you to eat way more calories than you actually need.
• Even when you order ‘healthy’ items, you’re still taking in more calories and fat grams than you would if you had prepared the item at home. Imagine the last salad you ordered out. Didn’t it come with cream dressing, croutons, cheese sprinkles and a piece of butter-laden bread on the side?

The main reason people eat out is for convenience, so with a little organization you’ll find that preparing your own meals takes less time than you thought it would. On the weekend sit down and plan out your meals for the week. Then go to the grocery store and stock up on everything you’ll need for those meals.

Pack your lunch and snacks each night before bed, then grab it on your way out the door in the morning. When you prepare dinner at home, make enough for at least the next day as well. Your efforts will pay off both in terms of weight loss and in money saved.

5. Exercise Smarter

• You do the same thing each and every time you exercise. Same machines, same pace, same duration. While your routine sure feels comfortable, your results have long since halted.
• A plateau occurs when your body adapts to your routine and weight loss stops. It is incredibly frustrating, and totally avoidable.
• You don’t have to increase the amount of time that you spend exercising in order to see quicker, faster results. It’s all about challenging your body.

There are two simple ways to instantly increase the effectiveness of your exercise routine. First, increase your pace. Secondly, increase your intensity. Constantly vary your speed and intensity in order to keep your muscles guessing and adapting.

Another way to break through the exercise plateau is to do something totally new. If you regularly use weight machines then start using free weights. If you normally jog on the treadmill then start using the bike.

Are you ready to break the plateau as you take your routine to the next level?

Would you like to know without a shadow of a doubt that you are going to lose weight in the coming months?

It’s my goal to see you achieve greatness. I believe that you’ve got what it takes.

Call or email today to get started on the fitness program that will improve your health and well being and will get you amazing results.

Let’s do this!

Ready to get started building a more flexible you? Here’s how…

1) Use a Foam Roller

For many years, it was common practice to stretch before working out. In recent years, folks have ditched that advice for something better: lightly performing whatever you plan to do. Going to run? Walk and then jog before getting into a run. For those who want to take their routines to the stretchy limit, it’s time to use a foam roller.

With a foam roller, you work to gently stretch your muscles before working them out, and better yet, you stretch them out safely. Essentially a massage for your muscles, foam rolling helps your muscles relax and stretch. This, in turn, allows your entire muscle to be worked out in the gym afterward and prevents an already tight muscle from growing tighter through your exercise routine. Once you knock out a little foam rolling, the time is right for a round of body-weight exercises or light activity before going full force.

2) Go All the Way

As you exercise, you can help your flexibility by working throughout your entire range of motion. Initially, you may have a harder time squatting your full range of motion, but sticking with it will allow your muscles to work all the way and will lead to their being more flexible.

To get to where you can squat or perform other exercises as deep as your body allows, you will probably want to reduce the amount of weight you use. As your body grows accustomed to going through a fuller range of motion, you can increase the weight and enjoy improved flexibility.

3) Stretch Afterwards

Your routine winds down, and your muscles feel tight and want to stay that way. Folks who are new to working out often enjoy the feeling. It lets them know their body has worked hard, and so they allow the tightness to remain as they leave the gym and return to their daily routines.

However, this is when your stretches become most important. By taking 10 minutes to slowly stretch, you can take a huge step toward your overall flexibility. A good post-workout stretch will focus on the areas worked during your routine, but will provide a little stretching for the entire body. You can also finish your stretching with more foam rolling if you have time, as this will help further your flexibility goals.

4) Take It Slow

When stretching for increased flexibility, you may be tempted to push it as far as you can. But don’t give in. Instead, you should relax and take the slow and easy-going path to flexibility. Going too far too fast will actually have the opposite result that you want, as your body will have to repair itself from small injuries that occur from stretching and won’t want to stretch further in the future. Instead, take your time and allow your body to ease into stretches.

Feel an uncomfortable burning sensation that actually hurts? That is not your body’s way of thanking you. Back off and stretch to the point of slight discomfort. Accept that you can’t increase your flexibility overnight, and you will make better headway than beating your muscles into flexible submission.

Call or email me today to get started on a challenging and consistent exercise plan to increase flexibility as well as reduce your body fat and increase your energy levels. Let’s do this!

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Your diet has a huge impact on your weight loss results. There’s no way around it!

And if you’re eating many of your meals out at restaurants, or ordering takeout, then you’re going to want to keep reading because the average restaurant meal contains more than 1,200 calories.

The truth is that most people have no idea just how many calories are in restaurant entrées, and this contributes to frustrating weight gain. In fact, the following information may shock you.

Here are 5 fattening restaurant dishes to watch out for, along with tips to make lighter, healthier versions of these dishes at home.

Don’t Order This #1: Cobb Salad

Cobb salads are loaded with cheese, bacon, egg, and topped with a creamy dressing. Sure, you’re eating a salad, but that salad is likely to contain more calories than a burger.

At-Home Version: Making a lighter Cobb Salad at home is easy and quick. Start with a dark lettuce, like spinach or arugula, to get the most nutritional value. Top it with hard-boiled egg whites, baked turkey bacon, light cheese, avocado and drizzle lemon juice and vinegar for dressing. This at-home version has dramatically lower calories while still providing you with a satisfying, tasty dish.

Don’t Order This #2: Spinach Artichoke Dip

When it comes to appetizers, spinach dip is filled with veggies so its calorie content is often underestimated. Don’t be fooled: just half a cup of this creamy dip will set you back about 350 calories. And if you finish the bowl yourself then you’ve just taken in 1,000 calories in dip alone, not to mention the chips or pita bread you scooped it with.

At-Home Version: That delicious creamy spinach flavor can be recreated at home by using low-fat milk, spinach, some olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. A quick Google search for ‘light creamed spinach recipe’ will give you plenty of recipe options that are much lower in fat and calories than the restaurant version.

Don’t Order This #3: Chicken Tenders

Fried chicken of any kind from a restaurant is going to be loaded with more fat and calories than you’d believe. Even a serving on the kid’s menu will tip the scales at over 800 calories.

At-Home Version: Making faux fried chicken at home is easy and surprisingly delicious. Whip up a few eggs with some Dijon mustard, garlic powder and onion powder. Dip your skinless, boneless chicken tenders in the mixture and then coat with almond flour, thyme, paprika and salt. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until no longer pink, flipping once halfway through. Turn on the broiler for the last couple of minutes to make it nice and crispy.

This at-home version will save you hundreds of calories that would have ended up around your waist.

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Meal prep is a fantastic way to keep on track with healthy eating in order to lose fat faster.

Can you imagine opening your fridge to find a full week of healthy, delicious food prepped and ready to be eaten? That sure would make sticking with your diet and achieving fat loss a whole lot easier, wouldn’t it?

The idea is to plan out all of your meals on the weekend, most often on Sunday, then do the shopping and the prep at one time for the entire week. This day is labor intensive, but then your food is ready-to-eat for the next 6 full days.

Here’s my 5 Step Meal Prep Guide to make your next food prep week really simple:

Step One: Planning

Get out your notebook and pen or pull up a blank note page on your iPad, it’s time to start planning for the week. Here are the questions that you’ll need to answer:

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There used to be a time when very few adults included strength training in their fitness routine. It was thought of as extreme, unnecessary and even dangerous.

Strength training is when resistance is used to challenge your muscles in order to gain strength and endurance. It can be performed with traditional weights, exercise bands, medicine balls, cable machines, sandbags, kettle bells or even just using your own body weight.

Times have certainly changed as a multitude of strength training benefits were proven by experts, including:

• Strength and muscle tone
• Cardiovascular capacity
• Speed, Agility and Flexibility
• Resistance to injury and disease

If that’s not enough to convince you to include regular strength training in your fitness routine, then read on for 9 Benefits of Strength Training…

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If you have weight to lose, then this message is meant specifically for you. Through my work with clients over the years, I’ve come to learn the fastest track to fat loss, and I’d like to share it with you today.

First, I’d like to ask you a few questions. At this stage in your life, have you noticed the following?

• It’s easier to gain weight these days.
• Your body is changing as you age, and not in a good way.
• You have less muscle and more unattractive bodyfat.
• It takes more and more effort to reduce your body fat.
• The dieting tricks that once worked aren’t helping anymore.

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You are at the starting line of a brand new decade. The air is charged with possibility. Opportunity is all around you…

This decade will inevitably pass quickly. In a flash, it will be gone, and you will be 10 years older than you are today. Other than 10 more trips around the sun, what do you want to claim at the end of this decade?

It’s time for you to stick your neck out and to go to the next level. You know exactly what that means, you’ve thought about it. You feel the uncomfortable pinch of your status quo. You ready for the next level.

Follow these 4 steps right up to the next level…

#1 Paint the Picture. First, figure out what the next level looks like.

What is the ONE THING that you are the most uncomfortable within your life right now? What MUST improve? If you achieved WHAT then 2020 would be a success?

It popped up in your mind just a moment ago, and you brushed it aside. Not THAT dream, that’s too unrealistic. Right? That’s TOO BIG to achieve.

Now you’re on to something. This idea that’s floating around in your mind, that’s the one. You know it’s the one, that’s why you’re so afraid of it. Instead of brushing it aside, go with it.

Dedicate a full hour focusing on what the next level looks like for you. Make sure that you are free of distractions so that you give this brainstorm your full attention. Get very detailed. Imagine that you are a painter creating the image of your next level in your mind. The more details that you can put on the canvas, the better.

Don’t hold yourself back during this step. No dream is too big. Go with your thoughts.

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