What's in Your Gym Bag?

With a busy schedule packed full of family and work responsibilities, just getting to the gym can seem like a workout.  Use this checklist to organize your gym bag, and take the hassle out of the workout. 

  

1. Develop a Routine:  Packing your gym bag should become part of your daily routine. When you pick out your clothes for the following day, take a moment to grab your workout gear too!  If pack your gym bag before you go to bed, you have to worry about it in the morning. 

2. The Essentials:  Be sure to include the basics: shorts or pants, a comfortable top (synthetics are best, as cotton absorbs the sweat), socks, undergarments, and athletic shoes. 

3. Toiletries:  Consider purchasing a travel bag to organize your personal hygiene products in your gym bag.  Travel size shampoo, body wash, face wash, deodorant and other toiletries should all be present in your gym bag.  Add a towel, shower sandals, and a change of clothes and you are can hit the showers before the ride home.  

4.  Water Bottle: This item could easily be number one.  Hydrating while working out is essential to your health and performance. Consider purchasing a BPA free plastic or stainless steel water bottle to cut down on the number of plastic bottles that get tossed into the trash each day. 

5.  Workout Journal: You should be keeping track of your workouts as you advance towards your fitness and health goals.  Record the exercise you perform, the sets, reps, and weights used so you can evaluate your progress and change your workouts up to avoid reaching a plateau.  

6. Mp3 Player: Studies have shown that listening to upbeat music can boost your performance when exercising.  If you need a little motivation or are just looking to zone, a playlist of your favorite songs is just what the trainer ordered. 

6a. Headphones: If you do not have an Mp3 player or prefer not to download music, come ready with your headphones.  Nowadays, most gyms feature cardiovascular equipment with televisions and audio input.  You can plug your headphones in and watch your favorite show while you workout.  

7. Healthy Snack (or two):  Don’t let low energy levels keep you from getting a workout in.  Stocking your gym bag with healthy snacks like fruit or trail mix can provide you with the nourishment you need before or after a workout.  

By: Joe Vennare 

Aero Tech Designs Sponsored Triathlete

Co-founder: www.thehybridathlete.com

Co-creator: www.kettlebellcardio.org

Bio:

Joe Vennare is a successful entrepreneur and accomplished fitness professional. As the co-founder of www.thehybridathlete.com, Joe spends each day doing what he loves; working with highly ambitious, goal oriented individuals as they define and achieve their fitness goals. As co-creator of Kettlebell Cardio, www.kettlebellcardio.org, Joe presents instructional workshops for this nationally recognized fitness program and instructor certification.

 

In addition to his professional pursuits, Joe is also a sponsored endurance athlete competing in triathlon, ultra-marathon, and adventure racing. Joe's motivation to train and compete in endurance sports is fueled by a desire to test his physical abilities and mental toughness.

Healthy Eating for Everyone

The first step towards improving your nutrition is to start eating real food.  By real food I mean food that is fresh, local when possible, comes out of the ground, off of a tree, or from an animal.  Real food is perishable; it does not come out of a box or bag. The fewer ingredients listed on the label, the better. 

What should I eat?

Simply put, your diet should be based on lean animal protein, fresh vegetables, (green/leafy and colorful) some fruit, nuts and seeds, limited starch, and no added sugar.  

When and how much?

You have probably heard that you have to eat 6 meals spread throughout the day.  While smaller meals and snacks are best, there is no scientific evidence that shows eating more than 3 meals per day has an impact on the metabolism or fat burning.  With that said, there are studies that show a negative impact on the metabolism if you are not eating at least 3 meals per day. 

I suggest 3 meals during the day, with 1-2 snacks depending on hunger and activity level.  Try not to go more than 4 hours without eating to keep your insulin from spiking and crashing.  Your meals should feature a protein source, healthy fat, and vegetable or fruit.  Snacks can be vegetables, fruit, nut/seeds, or a combination of your choosing.  

What to avoid?

Stay away from added sugars, artificial flavors and sweetener, and processed carbohydrates.  The most obvious examples include candy, soda, chips, rice, bread, and pasta.  These high glycemic carbohydrates cause the blood sugar to rise rapidly during digestion resulting in the storage of fat and insulin sensitivity.  

Do not drink your calories.  Drink water, brewed tea, and black coffee.  Hold the mayo, be weary of the salad dressing, and don’t add salt. 

Truthfully, it is that simple.  Follow these basic guidelines and you will see a change in your body composition, energy levels, and overall well-being. 

Burst Training. What you need to know

Make a Breakthrough with Burst Training

If your current fitness routine is not producing results, it may be time to change up your workout.  Your slow, long distance runs and hour long weight training program may be a waste of your time.   

The Problem:

If your typical workout takes you from machine to machine performing 8-15 repetitions of any given exercise, you might be working up a sweat, but you are not challenging your body enough to burn fat and build lean muscle. 

The Fix:

Apply burst training to any weight training and cardiovascular workout.  You can even combine weight training and cardiovascular exercises together into one burst training circuit. 

What is Burst Training?

Burst training uses short duration, high intensity efforts, followed by brief periods of recovery to maximize fat burning potential and significantly shorten the length of your workout.  Similar to interval training, burst training involves exercising at 90-100% of your maximum effort for 30-60 seconds, then briefly allowing your body to recover.   

To design your own burst training workout, pair basic movements together with minimal rest for a high intensity burst followed by a brief recovery period (typically 30-90 seconds), then repeat. 

Cardiovascular exercises can include fast jogging or sprinting on a treadmill, stepper, or recumbent bike.  You can also perform jumping jacks, jump rope, or execute squat thrusts. 

Weight training movements might include chest press, shoulder press, kettlebell swings, dumbbell curl and press, push-ups, weighted or un-weighted squats, pull-downs, or leg press.

Try this basic burst training workout, and then use it as a template for future workouts.

Jumping Jacks 60 seconds  

Rest 30 seconds

Dumbbell Biceps Curl and Press 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Treadmill Run 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Jump Squats 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Lateral Pull Downs 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Pushups 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Weighted Squats 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Mountain Climbers 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat 3-5 times

8 Quick Tips for a Better Workout, TODAY!

Let’s be honest.  Sometimes carving out the time to make it to the gym can seem like a workout in itself.  After a long day at the office, you might be lacking the energy and motivation required to make it through your workout.  You don’t have hours to spend at the gym, but you want keep progressing towards your fitness goals. Consider using these easy to implement tips to ensure you are able to get the most out of every workout.  

1. Bring your MP3 player.  Customizing a playlist for your workout has been shown to improve performance.   Researchers have found that people who listen to up-beat music get significantly more out of their stationary bike workouts. They pedaled faster, produced more power and their heart rate was elevated high than that of individuals who listened to slower music or those who did not list to music at all.

2. Find a workout buddy. Working out with a partner can help you stay motivated and make the entire gym experience more enjoyable.  Having a partner will make you accountable to someone other than yourself, helping to keep you committed to your fitness goals.  

3. Mix up your routine. Keep your muscles guessing by changing up your routine every 3 or 4 weeks.  This way you will not become bored with and you will have new challenges to tackle.  You can change the amount of weight you are lifting, the machines you are using, or mix up the exercises you perform. 

4. Turn the television off!  It’s tempting to lose yourself in your favorite show during your cardio workout. However, one study found that women worked out about 5 percent harder when they weren’t watching TV than when they were. Because you are thinking about your show and not your workout, it is easy to lose touch with how much effort you are putting into your workout. 

5. Create competition.  There is nothing like a little friendly competition to increase motivation.  Instead of spending 30 minutes the treadmill, opt for a game of pick-up basketball.  Or, consider competing in your own “mini” triathlon.  Lift weights for 15 minutes, bike for 15 minutes, and then finish your workout with a 15 minute run. 

6. Chart Your Progress.  Use a fitness report card to keep track of these categories: Cardio, Muscle Conditioning, Flexibility and Attitude. Set goals for each workout and grade yourself A through F at least once a month.  This report card will show what you have accomplished and where you need to make improvements. 

7. Hydrate!  Drink plenty of water throughout the day and on your way to the gym.  If you’re dehydrated going into a workout, you will not be able to work as hard while training.  When you’re dehydrated, you lack mental clarity, motivation and energy.  Stay hydrated so you do not sabotage your workout. 

8. If you think you can, you will. Often times, optimism and positive thinking can carry you through a tough workout.  In one study, exercisers who thought positively were more likely to stay active than those whose minds often uttered those two words, “I can’t.”
   
   
   

 By: Joe Vennare

 Co-Owner: Hybrid Athlete