Stay Fit Tip: Muscle Means Metabolism!

Did you know that statistically our basal metabolic rate decreases by approximately 5% for every decade of life after 20? People who have a sedentary life have a significant loss of muscle mass as they age.

Weight training and other resistance exercise will increase your muscle mass, which raises your metabolic rate and burns fat.

Diet alone won't cut it. If you are only using a diet plan to get lean, you are more likely to regain your bodyfat when you "go off" the diet. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 90% of successful dieters use exercise to maintain weight loss.

I'll be posting a quick bodyweight circuit training workout video on here in the near future.

Training Log

Today's high intensity workout is going to be a 25 minute super-set session of 2 compound exercises: Hex Bar Deadlifts and Weighted Dips.

First, I'll start with a brief dynamic warmup, some plank work for core activation, then I'll do a lighter warmup set of the hex deadlift and bodyweight parallel bar dips. After that I will choose a weight I can handle for 6-8 reps and continually super-set between each exercise until the remainder of the 25 minutes is up. That's it... simple, effective, and efficient!

I'll log the weights used after. Next workout is on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine!

JH

Stay Fit Minute #4: Trainer Interview

This is an excerpt of an interview I had with a local Toronto networking company. I briefly discuss why I got into this business, and the importance of challenging yourself when it comes to exercise.

I should also give props to the beautiful female "client" volunteer in this video (who is actually my wife, Olga). (o;

My Stay Fit Newsletter is Ready

The Stay Fit Newsletter is now set up! I've already sent out the first 2 weekly editions and the feedback is positive. I will be keeping it brief, with quick health and fitness tips, motivational quotes, monthly Stay Fit videos, and links to new fitness articles I'm writing. There will also be information in there for the athletes I train.

If you're interested please sign up using the Newsletter form on the left margin. As always, keep in touch and let me know what information you want me to get out to you!

Stay Fit,

Josh

Stay Fit Tip - Digestion

Take time to eat and enjoy your meals. Chew your food 20 to 30 times each bite. Rushing through meals causes suppression of hydrochloric acid, making digestion difficult and leading to antacid use, bloating, gas and constipation or diarrhea.

Also, the best time to drink water is 15-30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after a meal. Too much liquid with meals will wash out the hydrochloric acid, digestive juices and enzymes in your stomach and intestines and delay digestion.

Stay Fit Tip

A study conducted at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, found that mild exercise like walking after meals, moved food through the stomach faster and helped relieve minor indigestion.