Love Notes by Jari Love

8 Superfoods on a Budget

by Jari Love

Healthy eating is the ultimate paradox: It’s great for your body and terrible for your bank account.

When I recently joined the “clean eating living cult” — or rather when I made it a priority to eat fresh instead of processed — I noticed two things: my weight went down and my grocery bill went up.

 I was expecting, and even hoping for, option No. 1. I figured that clean eating was the way to go if I wanted to improve energy, drop a few pounds and possibly live forever. I just didn’t think about the fact that eating au naturel would cost me — filling more than half my grocery cart with produce for salads, stir-fries, juices and fermented vegetables added at least an extra $100 at checkout.

 It was then I knew that I couldn’t go into grocery shopping blind, not if I wanted to sustain my super-awesome healthy lifestyle. I began to do some research to figure out how to get the most nutritional bang for my buck. I consulted with a few experts for guidance, and here’s what I found: These inexpensive superfoods can fit into a minimal grocery budget to provide you with healthy meal options all week long.

1.  Broccoli: 

If you’re looking for another good excuse not to eat your broccoli, this broccoli-as-a-superfood-campaign is not going to help you one bit. Broccoli may be everyone’s most hated veggie, but it’s also the “king of glucoraphanin, an antioxidant that supports your body’s unique detoxification pathway,” explains Tori Holthaus, RDN, of Yes! Nutrition. Holthaus advises, “To save money on broccoli, find it in the frozen aisle and keep it in your freezer so it never goes bad. Added bonus? Frozen foods are often picked at the peak of ripeness before frozen, thereby locking in their nutrients.”

 For those who just can’t and will not ever get on board the broccoli train, there is something behind door No. 2. Holthaus recommends mixing it up with her favorite new superfood BroccoLeaf, the leaf that grows alongside the broccoli plant. She tells SheKnows, “Just one serving contains an adult daily dose of vitamin C and as much calcium as a glass of milk. Prices vary per store, but I’ve found it for $1 a bundle — quite a deal!”

2. Chickpeas

Chickpeas make the superfood lineup, not just because of their rich nutrient profile, but because they moonlight as a delicious dip that everyone wants to eat. Amy Gorin, nutrition expert and contributing blogger for Weight Watchers, goes so far as to call chickpeas a “superfood for weight loss.” She explains, “Hummus is made of chickpeas, which are an excellent source of fiber — helping to build a healthy digestive system and keep you feeling full and satisfied. They also offer protein that fills you up.”

Of course, as holistic nutritionist and The New York Times best-selling author of The All-Day Energy Diet Yuri Elkaim points out, you can still enjoy chickpeas the good old-fashioned way and receive the same health benefits. Elkaim endorses inexpensive legumes (including chickpeas) as a low-fat, high-fiber plant food and protein source that can protect against heart disease.

3. Cucumber

Let’s just call cucumber the dark horse of the superfood world. It’s always in the produce section, just hanging around and waiting to be picked for a fresh salad — like an eighth-grade girl at a dance. It’s been right under your nose the whole time, but I bet you didn’t know this low-cal, low-cost veggie was really that good for you. Cucumber earns its superfood title because of its high phosphorus content, which Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental Clinics, calls “essential for calcium absorption.”

 Dr. Townsend suggests, “Crunch cucumbers in salads or try marinating slices overnight in a simple vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar, herbs and garlic.” 

4. Greek yogurt

As someone who has taken my clean eating so far that my husband and I now ferment kefir, I’m all about the probiotics in my belly. Gastroenterologist and co-founder of Tula skincare line Dr. Roshini Raj agrees, recommending affordable Greek yogurt for its delicious taste and as a bountiful source of friendly bacteria.

 Hey, it’s doctor’s orders: “Greek yogurt helps you maintain a healthy balance of intestinal microbes that aid digestion. Besides gut well-being, probiotics have other health-promoting benefits: They help boost the immune system, assist with the production of vitamins, including vitamins K, B12, B5 and biotin, and help prevent anti-inflammatory molecules from entering the bloodstream,” explains Dr. Raj. 

5. Leafy greens

If you’re stuck on the hamster wheel of buying ridiculously expensive superfoods at hipster supermarkets (Whole Foods, I’m looking at you), it’s time to stop the insanity. Dr. Townsend says it is a “common misconception” that health food has to be pricey. Some of the cheapest — and most nutritious — superfoods can be found in the fruit and veggie department of your local grocery store.

 It’s time to accept that your two new best friends should be spinach and kale. For spinach, Dr. Townsend recommends: “Try getting creative with this classic green — tossing it into pasta and rice dishes, stir-fry and even soups. This vegetable delivers a great source of iron, which promotes tongue and muscular health, along with a notable dose of a half-dozen other essential vitamins.” For kale, Dr. Townsend adds: “This leafy green packs a whopping amount of absorbable calcium, great for healthy teeth and bones. Try tossing kale into green salads or sautéed with a bit of pancetta and garlic.” 

6. Oatmeal

OK, this one is easy. You probably have oatmeal lurking in the back of your kitchen cabinets right now. Not only does this hot breakfast stick to your ribs and provide an excellent source of lipids, vitamins and minerals, but it clocks in at a shockingly low 13 cents per serving, according to Holthaus’ estimations.

 “Oatmeal is a superfood that’s super affordable! Purchase your oatmeal in large canisters or from the bulk bins instead of individual packets to save money. Oats contain fiber to help you feel fuller longer, to help enable better digestive health and to keep your heart healthy too,” Holthaus says. 

7. Seasonal fruit

This superfood hack is so ingenious, I wonder why I didn’t think of it myself. As you’ve probably noticed by now, seasonal produce on display at the supermarket is cheap, cheap, cheap. Billy Polson, founder of DIAKADI, the Bay Area’s elite personal training facility, explains that not only is fruit cheaper in season, but it is also better for you when you are buying it at its peak.

 Polson says, “The seasonal fruit is typically on sale, so you can get a good bang for buck. When you buy what’s in season, you are buying food that is at the peak of its supply. It costs less for farmers and distribution companies to harvest and get to your grocery store. It may seem like common sense, but it’s one of those things many of us ignore when we’re out shopping. And, it’s an added bonus that eating foods in season is great for your body.” 

8. Teff

Move over, quinoa, teff is the hip, new grain on the block. Though I had never heard of teff before, Lori Kenyon Farley, certified nutrition consultant and co-founder of Project Juice, reminded me that most “new” superfoods as we know them are hardly new at all. “[They], in fact, are items that have been in other parts of the world for centuries or longer, as part of a healthy diet, or by healers when specific nutrients were needed.”

 Farley considers teff an all-star ancient grain to add to your grocery list because of its rich iron and magnesium content. Often cheaper than trendy quinoa, teff also happens to be naturally gluten-free. Farley says, “Similar to quinoa, it is a great source of plant protein and contains eight essential amino acids needed for the body to grow and repair.”

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Foolproof Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

by Jari Love

Here's how you can turn a once-in-a-while workout into a lifelong habit.

Think tracking the numbers on the scale motivates you? Think again. “External feedback, like focusing on pounds lost or how your clothes fit, isn’t sustainable for most people,” says Michelle Segar, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of No Sweat. “You may see results one day or week, but when you don’t, you won’t want to exercise.” Segar, a University of Michigan researcher who has spent her career studying motivation and behavior change, has identified science-backed solutions that do work.

Think of exercise as your secret weapon. You have to give physical activity extra importance if you’re going to make time for it. One way to do that: “View it as an escape from your day that brings you energy and well-being,” says Segar. “In studies I’ve conducted, women who do this make exercise a regular practice, while those who don’t end up skipping it.” Finding an activity that you love and combining it with other things that make you feel good, like running through your favorite park or listening to a funny podcast while you work out, can make it even more enjoyable, which ups the odds that you’ll do it again tomorrow.

Be single-minded. It’s tempting to overhaul several areas of your life at once—starting a new workout the same week you cut sugar from your diet, for example. But that sets you up for failure. “We don’t have the cognitive capacity to change lots of things at one time and sustain what we’ve changed,” says Segar. If you’re new to exercise, give yourself a few months to stay consistent, then move forward with other goals.

Ditch the weekend-warrior mentality. It’s better to exercise for 10 minutes four times a week than to hit the gym only for an hour and only on Saturday. “Research clearly shows that the people who stick with exercise for life are the ones who make it a staple of their week,” says Segar. “Consistency is what helps you keep at it during life’s ebbs and flows. When exercise is a part of your day, just like showering or sleep, barriers such as bad weather, work issues, kids, and even a bad mood don’t stop you from getting at least a little activity,” says Segar.

Stop saying yes all the time. Life is hectic; people and events will unintentionally hijack your goals if you let them, says Segar. You don’t have to automatically say no when someone asks you to do something that interferes with your workout. But do pause before you respond and ask yourself, Is this request important enough to trump my feeling good and fueling the rest of my life? As Segar says, “You don’t want your default to be yes if it’s at the expense of your well-being.”

via realsimple.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Benefits of Walking Daily

by Jari Love

If you want to add seven years to your lifespan, set aside 20 to 25 minutes for a daily walk. This simple habit, which can also arguably be one of the most enjoyable parts of your day, has been found to trigger an anti-aging process and even help repair old DNA.

The research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress, followed 69 people between the ages of 30 and 60. Those who engaged in daily moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk or jog, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and strength training experienced anti-aging benefits that could add an additional three to seven years to your life.1

The researchers recommended a 20-minute daily walk to reap these benefits, but while I agree a daily walk is a phenomenal health tool, I don’t view it as a form of exercise.

It’s an essential movement that we all require – and you likely need more than 20 minutes of it a day in addition to a regular exercise program. As noted by Katy Bowman, a scientist and author of the book, Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement.

As mentioned, walking may help to slow down the aging process, and it works no matter what age you get started. Study author Sanjay Sharma, professor of inherited cardiac diseases in sports cardiology at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, told The Independent.

“We may never avoid becoming completely old, but we may delay the time we become old. We may look younger when we’re 70 and may live into our nineties. Exercise buys you three to seven additional years of life. It is an antidepressant, it improves cognitive function, and there is now evidence that it may retard the onset of dementia.”

Part of what makes walking so beneficial is that when you’re walking you can’t be sitting. Sitting for more than eight hours a day is associated with a 90 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes, along with increased risks of heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality.

The average American actually spends nine to 10 hours of their day sitting, and certain occupations, such as telecommunications employees, spend an average of 12 hours sitting each day.

For many years, exercise was promoted as the solution to this largely sedentary lifestyle, but research suggests it can’t counteract the effects of too much sitting. The more you move around and get up out of your chair, the better, and walking is part of this.

Research even shows getting up and walking around for two minutes out of every hour can increase your lifespan by 33 percent, compared to those who do not. According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the average person only walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day, but aiming for 10,000 steps is a better goal.

One study found that walking for two miles a day or more can cut your chances of hospitalization from a severe episode of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by about half.

Another study found that daily walking reduced the risk of stroke in men over the age of 60. Walking for at least an hour or two could cut a man’s stroke risk by as much as one-third, and it didn’t matter how brisk the pace was.

Taking a three-hour long walk each day slashed the risk by two-thirds. Walking has additional benefits as well, including to your mood. Walking triggers your body to release natural pain-killing endorphins, and the more steps people take during a day, the better their mood tends to be.

Walking is even known to improve sleep, support your joint health, improve circulation, and reduce the incidence of disability in those over 65. Research has also shown that walking 30 minutes a day may:

– Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease

– Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels

– Improve blood lipid profile

– Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity

– Enhance mental well being

– Reduce your risk of osteoporosis

– Reduce your risk of breast and colon cancer

– Reduce your risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Fitter, Stronger, and Faster with Age

Plus, tips for turning back the clock on your body

Your body—and fitness—changes a lot sooner than you thought. Read on to learn when you burn the most calories, if your muscle is already waning, and how you can become fitter, stronger, and faster with every decade.

In Your 20s…
Your Body’s Built for Exercise

The 20s are prime time for fitness, says Janet Hamilton, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and exercise physiologist at Running Strong in Atlanta. (Okay, maybe you’ve gained a few pounds since you ran high school track, but some of that weight is probably from muscle.) That’s because, during your 20s, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone, and thyroid hormone are all working together to keep you in tip-top baby-making shape. As an added bonus, they improve your body’s muscle-building power, she says. Meanwhile, during your 20s, you are at your peak cardiorespiratory capability, says board-certified internist Sue Decotiis, M.D., a medical weight-loss and bioidenticial hormone-replacement therapy expert in New York City. Bring on the endurance races.

But Your Metabolism Is Already Slowing

Womp, womp. After 20, the average basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories you’d burn if you stayed in bed all day, drops by one to two percent per decade, according to the American Council on Exercise. Most of that dip may be due to the unfortunate fact that when most women enter the “real world,” they sit at a desk more and walk around less, says ACE-certified personal trainer Kathy Kaehler, a health and wellness expert for USANA Health Sciences. At any age, increasing your activity levels and muscle mass can help keep your BMR high. Muscle makes up a large part of your body’s “engine,” so the more muscle you have, the more fuel you’ll burn, whether you are hanging out with friends or powering through a workout, says Hamilton.

Levels of this guy, which is a precursor to both estrogen and testosterone, peak in your 20s and start tapering off once you hit the big 3-0. While it’s not clear if DHEA supplementation can have any effect on anti-aging, according to the National Institute on Aging, the loss of DHEA as you age may slow your exercise recovery time and increase your body’s muscle-to-fat ratio, says Decottis. To help combat fat gain, focus on strength training. In a new study from Harvard University, men who lifted weights each day for 20 minutes put on less belly fat as they aged compared to guys who spent the same amount of time doing cardio.

Babies Block Your Workout

With your doctor’s permission, you can keep up your workout routine with a bun in the oven. But pregnancy is not the time to start a high-intensity training program. Your body is going through enough changes as it is. During pregnancy, your hormones shift, and your body focuses the bulk of its energy on the pregnancy, not your muscles, says Kaehler. After the baby comes, breastfeeding can burn crazy calories, which helps some women lose the pregnancy weight. But still, it’s not the right time to push your workout to the max, says Hamilton. “Trying to train at a high level immediately after giving birth is risky because hormones are not balanced back to ‘normal’ as long as you’re breastfeeding,” she says. “I’ve seen an increased incidence of stress fractures in women who push to train at a high level during the postpartum period. I recommend training be moderated until after breastfeeding has ceased and normal menstruation has returned, which to me signals that the woman’s hormonal balance is back.” Once your baby has permanently detached from your nipples, though, you can crank up your workout’s intensity.

A fancy word for muscle loss, sarcopenia is a natural part of the aging process—but it still sucks. While it doesn’t hit full force until around 75, The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging suggests that it can start as early as 40. Researchers believe most muscle loss comes from your fast-twitch muscle fibers, the ones that are responsible for powering high-intensity, largely anaerobic exercise. “In order to minimize the effects of sarcopenia, it is helpful to do strength training, which recruits different muscle fibers [your fast-twitch ones], compared to endurance training activities like biking, swimming, and running,” as those train your slow-twitch, endurance-focused ones, says Hamilton. Increasing your protein intake may also help. Eating twice the current RDA of protein (1.5 grams instead of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) increases the rates of muscle growth and lessens muscle breakdown due to aging, according to research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

You Enter Perimenopause

Menopause isn’t an on-off phenomenon. It happens gradually, typically in the 40s (or sometimes even earlier) with perimenopause. Common symptoms, like irregular periods, are due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, which can also cause weight gain and a lower metabolism, says Decottis. What’s more, during perimenopause, insomnia and night sweats can make finding the energy to work out more challenging, says Hamilton. Still, continuing to exercise will not only help you feel younger—after all, exercise can ease your hot flashes and sleep troubles—it may help you look and perform even better than you did at 20. “Some women don’t even start training until later in life,” says Hamilton. “Whatever your age, you can improve your fitness.”

h/t womenshealthmag.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

A Simple Workout You Can Do While Cooking

by Jari Love

Cooking is a necessary evil if you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on takeout each year, but it can also be a time-sucking life killer.
Rather than resign yourself to 30 minutes of mindless stirring and chopping each night, ramp up the intensity on your chef sesh and turn your calorie making into calorie baking workout.
Perform stationary exercises during prep work
It’s harder to incorporate exercise into your cooking routine during active prep work, such as chopping and stirring. This is when stationary movements are effective. Do 15 repetitions of each of the following exercises in a circuit format while completing your food prep.

1. Wide leg squats: Stand facing the counter or stove and step your feet out wide laterally, angling your toes outward. Keeping your core straight and tall, bend your knees and begin lowering your hips toward the floor. When your knees form a roughly 90-degree angle, engage your glutes and thighs and push through your heels to press yourself back to standing.

2. Single leg lunge: Stand facing the counter or stove and step your left leg behind you, planting the ball of your left foot on the floor. With most of your weight in the heel of your right foot, bend both knees and begin lowering your hips toward the floor. Make sure to keep your torso straight and tall. When both knees are close to forming a 90-degree angle, reverse the movement and press yourself back to standing. Perform 15 reps on one leg before switching sides.

3. Lateral leg lift: Stand facing the counter or stove, your feet slightly narrower than hip-distance apart. Shift your weight to your left foot and use your glutes and hips to lift your right leg as high as you can out laterally to the side. Carefully lower it back to start, without using momentum to perform the movement. Perform 15 reps on one leg before switching sides.

4. Calf raise: Stand facing the counter or stove, your feet hip-distance apart. Engage your core and press through the balls of your feet to lift your heels from the ground, pressing yourself up as high as you can on your toes. Return to start.Engage in active exercises while cooking. When your food is cooking and you don’t have to actively stir or monitor its progress, it’s much easier to ramp up the intensity and incorporate bursts of cardio and upper body strength work. Again, perform 15 repetitions of each of the following exercises in a circuit format, continuing the circuit until your food is finished cooking.

5. Jumping jacks: Start standing with your arms at your sides. In a single movement, hop both legs out laterally as you swing your arms up over your head. Hop your feet back to center as you bring your arms back to your sides.

6. Counter push-ups: Place your hands on the edge of the counter, extending your arms. Step your feet out behind you so your body forms a straight line from heel to head. Tighten your core and bend your elbows, lowering your chest toward the counter. When your chest almost touches, reverse the movement and press yourself back to start.

7. March and twist: Stand tall with your hands behind your head, your elbows extending out laterally from your body. Bend your right knee and draw it high in front of your body as you simultaneously twist your torso to the right, so your left elbow reaches toward your right knee. Reverse the movement, placing your right foot back down as you twist your torso back to center. Repeat on the opposite side. This counts as one repetition.

8. Good mornings: Work your glutes and hamstrings with this movement. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your knees slightly bent and your hands behind your head, your elbows extending out laterally. Press your hips back as you hinge forward from the hips, lowering your chest toward the floor while keeping your core tight and your torso straight. When you’ve tilted forward as far as you can with good form (you’ll probably feel a stretch through your hamstrings), use your hamstrings and glutes to pull yourself back up to start.

9. Rainbow obliques: Stand tall, your feet hip-distance apart, your hands behind your head, your elbows pointing out laterally. Maintaining this position, tighten up your core and engage your obliques to tilt from the waist as far as you can to the right. Reverse the movement and use your obliques and back extensors to pull yourself back to center before you immediately tilt from the waist as far as you can to the left — as if creating a rainbow arc with your arms as you lean from side to side. One complete “rainbow” is a repetition.

10. Counter dips: Stand directly in front of a counter with your back to it. Grasp the edge of the counter, your arms fully extended, and step your feet out in front of you. Place most of your weight in your palms and engage your core. Bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Tighten your triceps and push yourself back to the starting position.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Core Exercises that Strengthen Your Posture

by Jari Love

“Correcting your posture not only makes you look better, but it powers up your metabolism which helps melt off your muffin top,” says Lisa Lynn, fitness/metabolic nutrition expert and the author of The Metabolism Solution. “It takes more effort to maintain good posture, which is why proper posture burns more calories than slouching. Proper posture also improves respiration, which improves blood flow and revs up your metabolism.”

Unfortunately the desk jobs most people have makes developing a slouching habit — and eventually back pain — near inevitable. The solution: strengthen your core. With that in mind, we asked Lynn to single out four core workout moves, which help improve posture by working the muscles that help pull our shoulders back to offset the gravitational pull that we encounter sitting at our desk and slouching.

Try these four moves — which all together take less than five minutes — for five consecutive days, and you should already start to feel an improvement.

1. Side core raise: Lying on your side on your elbows, lift your body off the floor using your core. You can use an arm or leg to help at first if this is too much of a challenge. Conversely, if this is too easy, lift your upper leg into the air. Hold this posture for 30 seconds before switching to the other side.

2. The plank: Start on all fours. Come up onto your elbows and toes using your abs to lift your body. Tighten your core and make sure your back is flat. Aim to hold this posture for at least one minute. To make this move more challenging you can opt to lift one leg in the air for 10 seconds and then alternate with the other one for 10 seconds.

3. Lying rear fly: Lying face down with your palms facing your torso raise your upper body up and your arms back and to the sides as if you were doing a reverse fly. Make sure your elbows are at shoulder height and your arms are nearly parallel to the floor. Repeat this move for at least 30 seconds. To make this exercise more challenging, you can opt to have a dumbbell in each hand.

4. Tricep dips: Place your hands at the edge of your seat and lower your body till it nearly touches the floor, using your arms to raise yourself back up. Be sure to keep your body close to the seat/chair and squeeze your arms at the top of the move. To make this move more challenging you can reach your hand to touch your opposite toe each time you lower down. Aim to do this exercise for at least 30 seconds.

via cheatsheet.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Quick Ways to Burn More Calories

by Jari Love

Are you all about saving time, getting more bang for your buck, and blasting calories? Go for sweat-dripping, fast-paced cardio sessions. If you’ve only got 20 minutes, then opt for one of these intense strategies instead of your normal workout.

Instead of: zoning out on the treadmill
Go for: intervals
Not only do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts help you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, but also, mixing up your pace helps you become a better, faster runner. If it’s calorie burn you’re after, then take note: going at your max for even just a little bit can help you burn a substantial amount of calories in the same amount of time, no matter what your running level. Alternating a steady 10-minute mile (6 mph) pace on the treadmill with five 60-second intervals at 7.5 minutes per mile (8 mph), for example, will burn 16 more calories in 20 minutes for a 130-pound person than just running at a steady 10-minute-mile pace — 196 vs. 180 calories. Mix up your pace and timing as much as you want; just make sure you are pushing it for those intervals.

Instead of: your regular circuit workout
Go for: Tabata
Tabata is a form of HIIT you can do with almost any circuit workout. It consists of four-minute blocks of intense exercises (eight rounds at 20-second intervals followed by 10 seconds of rest), and while it can make you feel ready to quit, the payoff is worth it. At 13.5 calories burned per minute, you’ll blast through 270 calories in just 20 minutes.

Instead of: heading for the dumbbell rack
Go for: kettlebells
Need even more of a burn? A recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that the average person burns a whopping 400 calories in just 20 minutes when using the kettlebell. While it takes a little time to learn how to use kettlebells safely, swinging the weights around can save you a lot of time in the gym.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Plank Variations for a Stronger Core

by Jari Love 

First there were sit-ups, then crunches, and now we have the plank. The ab exercise du jour is widely recommended by fitness professionals as the best way to strengthen the muscles around your midsection without the same risk of straining your neck you get with the other two exercises. Let’s take a closer look.

Planks belong to a category of exercises called isometric moves. These exercises require holding a steady position rather than the two-part contraction, lengthening and shortening the muscles, that occurs with isotonic moves. A few other examples of isometric exercises include wall sits and holding your arms out to the sides while grasping dumbbells. These holds are great for building strength in a particular area, but they have limitations. Wayne Westcott, an exercise science instructor at Quincy College, told ACE Fitness isometric moves aren’t the most beneficial for overall strength since you don’t get much benefit after holding a position for longer than 90 seconds, and also because you’re not going through the entire range of motion.

We’re not saying anyone should stop doing planks, just suggesting you mix things up. A few variations will help you more effectively strengthen your abs and also target other core muscles you may be neglecting, so give these five alternatives a shot.

1. Uneven plank

Even though moves that isolate one muscle group have their place, it’s always smart to include some exercises that target multiple areas at the same time. It presents a new challenge to your body and will help you speed out of the gym a bit faster. The uneven plank is one of the simplest, and most effective, moves using this approach. Instead of resting on both forearms, you’ll contract one arm to rest your hand on the floor. BJ Gaddour, CSCS, told Men’s Health, this combines the downward phase of a push-up with a plank to target your core and triceps at the same time. The uneven position also forces your core to work harder to stabilize.

To do this move, get into the plank position with your weight resting on your forearms and your legs fully extended. Keeping your elbow as close to your body as possible, pull one arm towards you until it’s in the push-up position and your weight is resting on that hand and your other forearm. Hold the move as long as you can with good form. If your back starts to sag, it’s time to cut the hold short.

2. Two-point plank

Most have heard of the three-point plank, and the idea is very similar here. Changing to just two points of contact makes the standard plank significantly more challenging because you’ll be fighting rotational forces from two sides. But remember, only progress to this variation if you can hold a three-point plank effectively. You should be able to hold one limb off the ground while maintaining correct form for about 90 seconds before taking the next step.

Start in the standard plank position, your weight resting on your forearms and your legs fully extended. Simultaneously raise one arm and the opposite leg off the ground, extending your arm straight in front of you. Resist the urge to twist and keep your back and shoulders as flat as possible. Check out Competitor.com to get a look at the correct position.

3. Side plank with leg raise

In an effort to carve the perfect six-pack, many guys don’t spend enough time strengthening the sides of their core, the obliques. These muscles help with rotational force and keeping you stable in daily life as well as athletics. Another reason to target this area? According to Livestrong, obliques are responsible for the “V” shape in the lower abs most guys are after. Basic planks don’t do a great job of targeting your obliques, though, so you have to turn the move sideways to strengthen these muscles.

For guys who are used to strength training, a standard side plank may not provide enough of a challenge. Adding a leg raise makes the move more difficult and also engages your abductor and adductor muscles. Working on this area around your hip will go a long way towards reducing your risk of a groin injury.

To get into a side plank, lie on one side with your forearm resting on the ground, elbow below your shoulder. Stack your feet one on top of the other with your legs fully extended, then raise your hips off the ground, resting your weight on the side of your foot and your forearm. From here, lift your top leg until your foot is even with your hip. Hold the pose for several seconds before lowering your leg. Active.com recommended two to four sets of five to 15 repetitions on each side.

4. Plate transfer plank

Boredom is toxic for any exercise routine because a wandering mind nearly guarantees you won’t perform the activity as effectively as possible. This is especially true for isometric moves. A plank with great form will do a lot to help strengthen your midsection while one performed improperly will compromise your results and potentially strain your back. Adding a basic movement is one of the simplest ways to keep your mind occupied, so grab a few weights when you hit the mat.

Gather three to five weight plates or dumbbells, each around 5 pounds. Get into the plank position and stack the weights just to the side of you. Keeping your back flat and your core tight, lift the arm nearest the weights off the ground, pick one up, and transfer it to the other side of your body by crossing your arm in front of you. Repeat until you’ve moved all the weights, then switch arms. Men’s Journal shared a great video demonstrating this technique.

5. Stability ball plank circles

A decent fitness routine doesn’t require a ton of equipment, but a stability ball is one of the smartest investments you can make. They’re inexpensive, easy to store, and incredibly versatile. Using one for planks forces your stabilizing muscles to work harder, and you can intensify the effort even more by adding a stirring motion. Men’s Fitness likes this exercise because it strengthens all of your core muscles while building endurance and balance.

Set yourself up with a stability ball sandwiched between your forearms and the ground, keeping your legs extended as usual. Once you’re balanced, slowly move the ball in a circle using your arms. Keep your legs stable and your back flat as you perform the motion. After about 30 seconds or so, switch directions.

via cheatsheet.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Diet Essentials After a Workout

by Jari Love

Eating nutritious foods to support a healthy body might be important for everyone, but it’s even more critical for active folks. Running a race, spinning on a stationary bike, and rowing are all great activities to get your heart pumping and offer numerous health benefits. The harder you work, the more energy your body needs. It can be tempting to stock up on sweets and other empty-calorie foods to fill you up, but doing so could jeopardize your workouts and your health.

With so much conflicting information, though, it can be hard to determine what the “right” foods are. There’s a difference between carbohydrates from sweet potatoes and those from white bread, and it really can make a difference. Fortunately, we’ve put together a guide to some of the most important nutrients to fuel your gym routine and keep you feeling fine.

1. Complex carbohydrates

Athletes around the world gathered in a collective eye-roll with the sudden boom of the Atkins Diet, a meal plan based around consuming only low-carbohydrate foods. While some might successfully lose a few pounds with this method, it isn’t an ideal choice for those with high physical demands. Livestrong explains that carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel, and that inadequate carb consumption can leave you feeling fatigued and lead to a number of deficiencies.

Instead of eliminating this group of important nutrients, focus on getting the best quality carbohydrates. That means whole grains and vegetables. Runner’s World explains these types of complex carbohydrates provide fiber and digest more slowly to provide a steady energy supply. That doesn’t mean simple carbs are out, though. The story went on to note foods like white rice and pastas offer up an energy boost that’s ideal immediately before exercise.

2. Healthy fats

If there’s one thing we learned from the low-fat diet craze, it’s that eating less fat doesn’t make anyone healthier. WebMD explains that many low-fat or fat-free products rely on fillers like sugar and flour to sub for the missing ingredients, which could bring the number of calories right back up to where they were in the first place. What’s more, fat is essential to good health. Fitness says the nutrient helps to keep your body functioning and aids in absorbing key vitamins. The article stresses the importance of consuming unsaturated fats, while limiting saturated and trans fats.

And it’s even more important for athletes. Colorado State University states that frequent exercisers should consume at least 15% of their calories from fats, or risk suffering poor performance. So don’t shy away from the avocados and nuts, but maybe cut back on the bacon a little bit.

3. Protein

You may have heard bodybuilders talk about the importance of eating enough protein, but it’s not just those seeking to get ripped who need to focus on the nutrient. Researchers have found diets rich in protein can help prevent obesity, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. Protein is also important for those who frequently exercise, as it ensures you lose the flab and not muscle mass.

In addition to obvious sources like eggs, meat, and dairy, protein can come from vegan-friendly sources as well. Foods like nuts, quinoa, and legumes provide plenty of the good stuff without relying on meat or animal products. Health offers some great options for vegetarians and vegans.

Don’t go protein crazy, though. Fitness explains that consuming too many calories, even from these types of healthy foods, can still lead to weight gain. Just because you’re burning calories on the treadmill doesn’t give you an excuse to go on an all-you-can-eat red meat binge.

4. Electrolytes

There’s noting worse than competing in a game or race and suffering from a dreaded cramp. The culprit is usually an electrolyte imbalance. Prevention explains this can happen when we don’t have enough of these minerals, but also when we have too many. So what exactly are electrolytes? According to MedlinePlus, electrolytes are minerals in our blood that impact the amount of water in the body as well as muscle function.

While many have traditionally turned to sports drinks to replenish these minerals after a serious sweat session, NPR reports that many athletes are choosing whole foods over the neon beverages. One thing everyone seems to agree on? The need to get enough of them. Leslie Bonci, a dietary adviser for several baseball teams, told NPR, “Electrolytes are minerals essential in helping the body retain water — and it’s true: We can’t live without them.”

So do you really need that sports drink? It all depends on your effort. Runner’s World reports most people don’t need the sweetened beverages for their workouts, but those who exert themselves for over an hour could benefit from the electrolytes. Just keep an eye on portion size.

5. Water

We’ve all heard that drinking enough water is important, but it becomes even more crucial for those sweating on a regular basis. Many health professionals suggest letting thirst be your guide, but that can be problematic. Dan Trink, director of personal training operations at Peak Performance NYC, told Men’s Fitness that “by the time this warning sign kicks in, you are likely already dehydrated.” He also added that even a 2% loss in body weight due to dehydration can negatively impact performance.

If you need more reason to guzzle a couple of more glasses, consider what it can do for your waistline. Prevention reported findings from research that indicated drinking water over sugary drinks can slow the rate of weight gain.

Be aware that it’s possible, though rare, to drink too much of this vital beverage. Scientific American reported overdoing hydration can be fatal. The story explained this condition, hyponatremia, occurs when sodium concentration in the blood drops too low. Again, it’s rare, so just be aware of how much you are actually sweating.

6. Vitamins and minerals

Vitamin or mineral deficiencies can lead to health problems for anyone, but it can be catastrophic for athletes. A study in the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy discussed how an inadequate supply of iron can negatively impact athletic performance by preventing the efficient transportation of oxygen throughout the body.

The study concluded the condition can “severely affect an athlete’s ability to perform at an optimal level.” And that’s just iron. Everything ranging from calcium to vitamin C plays an important role. WebMD offers a whole list of different vitamins and minerals, explaining what they do and how to get more of them. Hint: many sources are fruits and veggies.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Vegan Spicy Kung Pao Recipe

by Jari Love

Do you love Asian food but also have a vegan in the family? This recipe is the best of both worlds, giving you the Asian food fix you’re craving while keeping things vegan friendly.

Cauliflower florets make an excellent replacement for meat in this kung pao recipe. The florets get a quick dip in a light batter and are then oven-roasted just until tender. Once they’re roasted, I toss them in a spicy sweet sauce, then pop them back into the oven for a few more minutes to brown and get crispy. Trust me, this version is so amazingly good you may not even miss the meat.

Spicy Vegan Kung Pao Cauliflower Recipe

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 20 minutes | Bake time: 20 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup water, plus extra if needed
• 1 large head cauliflower, florets removed
• 1-1/2 cups vegan-friendly kung pao sauce
• Fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combined the garbanzo flour, garlic and onion powders, Sriracha sauce, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water, and mix until a thick batter forms, adding more water if necessary to thin out the batter as desired.
3. Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter, remove any excess, and then lay them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the florets are battered.
4. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the batter turns a golden brown color.
5. Remove from the oven, and carefully, using tongs, dip the cauliflower into the kung pao sauce. (Be careful, as the cauliflower is fragile, and the batter can fall off.)
6. Once all the cauliflower is coated, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a serving platter.
8. Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions. Best served warm.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.