Fitness Tips

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | How To Eat Out & Lose Weight

 

TGIF

It’s Friday and you have had a long week at work and you want to meet up with some friends for dinner and drinks.  Sounds fun! But oops, you forgot you are in the middle of making some changes for the better. You are working on getting fit, healthy, and trying to lose some inches.  Hmmmm, what to do?

 

The Choice Is Yours

The way I see it, you have 2 options.

1. Go have a good time and completely blow up the amount of calories you eat that day and finish up with an 800 calorie surplus.  And lets be honest, sometimes that’s okay, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.

2. You think ahead and have a smaller breakfast, a lighter lunch, forgo any snacking, and double down on your h2o intake. So for breakfast you reach for eggs whites instead of whole eggs, for lunch you eat grilled chicken or tuna with a side of raw or grilled veggies.  Now you have seriously saved up some calories.  By the time dinner rolls around you might be hungry but you have stored enough calories to have a nice dinner with a drink.

 

The Double Win

You finish up the night not enjoying time with friends, savoring the food and drink and you leave without your pants unbuttoned being in a bloated calorie surplus. Who doesn't want that?

If you need help with your nutrition, give me a call 310.251.7420 and I can design a program just for YOU!  

Image credit: Edward Franklin on Unsplash

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | 3 Tips For Endurance Athletes

 

Having spent much of my life living, eating, sleeping, breathing, and working out with endurance athletes, there are 3 things that a majority of them do not fully commit to.  Now in their defense, I have seen the pendulum swing the other direction for some.  The 3 things that I see need improvement to increase their performance are: strength training, mobility, and nutrition. 

1. Strength Training

Get your lift on!  Many runners I know avoid the weight room like the plague.  Things have really changed since my competing days more than 15 years ago.  There are more tools available like the TRX suspension trainer and kettlebells.  You do not have to go all meathead and solely use barbells and slam protein shakes like you’re at Muscle Beach in Venice. 

What Strength Training Will Do:

·      It will make you a more balanced endurance athlete

·      It will reduce your risk of injury

·      It will make you more efficient

Some pretty stellar side effects if you ask me!

2. Mobility

 Roll and stretch!  Your body gets thrashed with the repetitive movement of running,  so you need to treat it with some tender loving care.  Foam rolling and stretching are awesome ways to reduce risk of injury and help you feel like  a spring chicken rather than an elderly person getting out of bed.  A little bit can go a long way.  5-10 minutes, 4-5 times week will do the trick.  If you are feeling especially beat up from all the mileage, get a massage. 

3. Nutrition

But I’m skinny and run 50+ miles a week so I can eat whatever you want.  You certainly are entitled to eat whatever you like, but don’t think this comes without consequences.  There are many runners I know who have the worst eating habits I’ve ever witnessed.  Nutrition matters!

Benefits of Nutrition:

·      It can help with recovery

·      It can improve your general health

·      It can improve your race performance

My suggestion is to count your macros (protein, carbs, and fat).  You can read more about this here. Your daily levels of protein and carbs should meet the demands of your training. 

If you need help with your training and nutrition, give me a shout 310.251.7420 and I can design a program just for YOU!

Image credit: Molly Taylor

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Fitness Rules

 

The Good News

There aren’t any rules!  There are things that I suggest doing, though:

  • Don’t drive around a parking lot looking for the closest spot; it’s okay to walk.
  • Push the limits while working out…get that last rep, run a second faster with your intervals, & take less rest in between sets.
  • Take your sleep seriously, even if you are 23 years old.
  • Talk and ask questions of others who have accomplished your goals.
  • Skip the elevators and escalators.
  • Find a training partner.
  • Eat veggies and fruit.
  • Drink water.
  • Make sure you eat adequate protein.
  • Get outside, walk, hike, read, or just be.
  • Use the 3-8 lb. dumbbells for a warm up.
  • Do not compare yourself to others! So what if they are skinnier, stronger, or have better abs.  There is no faster way to feel S*&tty about yourself!
  • Squat, deadlift, and shoulder press.

 

Remember This

Don’t be lazy or sedentary.  Mother nature will be very unkind to you. There is no alternative for exercise, it has to get done. 

Image credit: Break the rules! by Edward Simpson on Flickr

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