~Using Nitric Oxide~

         Today I decided to write a bit about a supplement that everybody is asking me about at work. So i did some research and have become pretty familiar with the supplement Nitric Oxide. This supplement can be very helpful to those looking to get fit and improve their health. As many of you know Nitric Oxide is  gas and has many useful roles. The main reason athletes or fitness enthusiast use the substance is because of the vascular benefits as it helps carry nutrients to the muscle. This will also help with you old farts out there:)  Nitric Oxide plays a big role in recovery time because of the fact that it can get the nutrients to the muscle quicker the muscles can recover quicker. Faster recovery helps with soreness because during the process of protein synthesis the acids are broken down and absorbed, instead of making you sore while this acid is waiting to be broken down.  Another advantage to Nitric Oxide is heart health. It will lower blood pressure and relieve the heart of over exertion during an exercise routine.There are a lot of different supplements that offer Nitric Oxide, most being pre-workout supplements. I highly suggest this supplement, my favorite at the time being is Myonox. It is a vitamin loaded preworkout that stimulates Nitric Oxide in your system. I usually get mine from supplementing.com. So there you have it, give it a try and lemme know about your results!

The link to where you can learn more is at http://www.supplementing.com/xpi-myonox
You can also order through the site or let me know and I can bring you some!

MOVE!!

Todays food for thought.

Decide today which ways you are going to

adjust your daily activities in a way that makes you move more! 

We as people are getting closer and closer to the slobs we

see in the movie Wall-E. 

We need to move more throughout the day. 

It will make all the difference!

YEAH BUDDY!!!

Simple Smoothie

Todays smoothie was super simple. I had Jiu Jitsu within the next couple hours so I didn't want anything too heavy. It was perfect to power me through until dinner. On a side note any of you who are really looking to get fit, a few rounds of Jiu Jitsu will really zap you! Do that a few times a week and you're set:) I know that isn't practical for some of you but, you'd be surprised how many places offer classes now!  I really enjoy the training and exercise. Okay back to the recipe. This recipe included:

• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup whole oats
• 1 pear
• 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter
• 2 cups of spinach
• & a cup of water

Hope you enjoy- I sure did! 

~5 mistakes women make when trying to lose weight~

            I thought many of the readers would like to read this article. It was written by one of the journalists for the company I work for at supplementing.com. Check it out and check yourself to see if you can change things up a bit to make losing weight more successful.
A link to the article is at:

http://www.supplementing.com/supplement-article/5-mistakes-women-make-while-trying-lose-weight

***Oh, and just a side note: The step number 5 is definitely referring to Diet Coke- That stuff is poison!

Snacking Tips

This is just a great reminder of what you should eat before and after each workout. There are however a few of my personal biased opinions but then again this whole blog has those so nothing new:)
Its important that you get something to fuel you during your workout but make sure they are low glycemic foods such as most fruits and vegetables, legumes, some whole grains, nuts, kidney beans, or beets. Also depending on the time remaining until you workout its good to have some protein in your diet while you workout. I'll put it on a time scale just so you can have an idea as to when to eat what-
So.... depending on when you can eat here are some ideas!

• 2-3 hours before you workout you'll want to make sure your snack is a combination of protein and low glycemic carbs. These include; your favorite fruit and low-fat string cheese. 
• 1 hour before take it a bit lighter. Eat something that your stomach can digest easily and also provide some nutrition. Applesauce or grapefruit would both be great choices. 
• 30 minutes before I would stick with liquids. I usually take a pre-workout supplement to help me kill it in the gym, Stay away from most sports drinks, They will spike you sugar levels and your energy will crash long before your workout is over. 
• After the workout get some protein in your system, unless you are going to go straight home and eat a big dinner, in that case have a healthy meal and save your protein for the next morning. (personally I take it regardless because I am not worried about gaining weight) 

Welp, there you have it. Lemme know if you have any food ideas or suggestions. 

Go get em, Yeah Buddy! 

~Beginners Leg Day~

          This summer I am going to get certified and become a personal trainer. So my first official victim is going to be my mother-in-law. We had our first workout this last Saturday. I saved my Friday leg day for Saturday so I could show her the ropes. Our workout was fairly basic and we were in a new gym so I wasn't familiar with their equipment. We managed to get in a decent workout and I am feeling the effects today. I am going to be documenting her progress on the blog so we can see how this stuff really works in a real life (with her permission of course). So I am just going to include the workout that we did this last week and later we will post pictures and progression stats, etc.

• Warm up with 15-20 good, quick, deep lunges.  
• Smith Machine squats: 3 sets of 5 (heavy) then 3 sets of 15-20 (light)

*The smith machine is very helpful for those who aren't used to using the squat rack and the motion. However, this should just be a stepping stool to advance on to using the REAL squat rack. Don't get to comfortable with the smith machine, just use it to help you get the motion/form down then move on.

• After we went on to Kettle Ball Squats, do 3 sets of 20 for these. (holding a kettle ball with both hands, and lower it to the ground keeping your back straight and bending at the knees. Point your toes outwards to use correct form. Straighten your legs and repeat 20 times, you'll feel the burn.
• Next we did Leg Press. 3 sets of 8-10. These should be fairly heavy. Your last set push yourself and increase the weight. You may only be able to get 5-6 reps in, that's when you know you are pushing it good enough. If you can still do more add more weight!
• We finished off the day doing weighted lunges and calf raises. With the lunges I like them best walking and you can either carry a plate or dumbbells with lunges. We did about 40-50 steps
•  With the calf raises just get the blood in there good and focus more on stretching the calf out really good after doing all of the leg lifts (which has already stimulated the calf muscle considerably)
• I suggest you finish off with a brisk walk and get those muscles cooled down.

Motivation and Inspiration

      Todays post has to do with a very important aspect of fitness, it may even be the single most important part of fitness and health overall. Today I hope to give a bit of motivation and inspiration to all those who need it (which is everyone). A few months ago I had the opportunity to meet Kyle Maynard and have never been more motivated in my entire life. He faced his struggles and took them head-on. His upbeat and positive attitude is the best environment to be in, and its SO contagious.
      We all have our own personal reasons we set goals. I talk to people everyday about their reasons that they pursue their fitness goals. Many have family in mind, others the desire to simply dominate life and push themselves to the limit. My personal reasons branch from many of these same trunks. I have a passion for seeing people excel and overcome challenges and personal hurdles. This young man has done, and continues to do what others have told him is impossible. With this new video documentary that ESPN has put together we can have a glimpse of one of the obstacles Kyle chose to take on.
       I hope you will all take a good hard look at your own personal limits, ones you have set and ones that others have set for you, and give them a shove! Prove others wrong, the next time they see you they will be amazed and bewildered. Freeze the moment and enjoy the look on their faces. Anytime you lack the motivation to keep pushing those limits check out the blog and watch a few minutes of how Kyle gets it done! NO EXCUSES!!!!

~yeah buddy~

~Juiced Lunch~

Todays juice meal was really refreshing and was a great filler. I was full until after my Jui Jitsu class. And I had energy to get it done! So this post will be short and sweet, the ingredients are as follows:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 1/2 carrots (my baby boy wanted the other half)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup of raspberries
• 1/4 cup of blueberries
• 3 cups of spinach
• 6 strawberries 
• 5 ice cubes w/ 1/2 cup of water

Give it a try and lemme know how you like it! 

Yeah Buddy! 

Leg Day

        Leg day is a dreaded day for many of those seeking their full fitness potential, BUT... There are so many reasons why we should all look forward to leg days! The body is the most amazing machine ever created! The body has survived through the worst of times and has done so at the top of the food chain in every way. The natural way our body works uses leg muscles in activity. So to spend all that time in the gym without ever working legs, not only makes you look like a pansy, but it throws your body off big time!  When you lift your legs your body naturally releases testosterone throughout your body. This happens when any large muscle group is strained, none of which is bigger or better than on leg day! You will notice gains and improvements through out your entire body if you make sure to workout your legs every week! (Not just running or walking, I mean WORK your legs) Your gains will shoot through the roof. I guarantee it! So our Friday leg day consists of the following:

• Squats: 1 warm up set of 15 or so then,  3 sets of 5 (heavy), and then 2 sets of 15-20 (light)
• Hack Squats: Lighter 3 sets of 10-15
• Lunges: 4 sets of 12
• Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10-12
• Leg extension: 3 sets of 10 (heavy)

*If you would like to wrap it all up with jump ropes and calves it makes for the perfect icing on the cake! 

Go get em, yeah buddy! 

**Girls, legs are the sexiest thing you could ever work. Do squats, lots of squats! My wifey kills it on leg days and does this same workout.. She looks amazing! 

New Chest & Tri Workout

        This weeks chest and tri workout was killer. I would recommend it over the previous one posted. It has been 4 days and I am still sore. I very rarely feel the effects of a workout after 4 days, I am usually ready to go again just a after a few days.  So for this workout you will perform the following lifts in the following order:

• Incline barbell bench: 4 sets of 8
• Tricep overhead press: 4 sets of 10-12 (heavy)
• Flat dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 5-8 (heavy)
• Tricep cable pulldown: 3 sets of 15-20 (focus on reps and motion, not weight)

Finish up the workout with a superset (superset is alternating the two) of:

• Pushups: 4 sets to failure &
• Dips: 4 sets to failure

 *to failure means do them until you can't complete another rep using correct form.