Fitness Tip of the Day: Saturday's Stretch and Flexibility -- Restorative Yoga

Today's post comes from Namaste Yoga and Melissa West.  It is a restorative yoga class meant to help release and let go of muscular stress.  The poses are held much longer.  You may not feel like you're doing much, but you are, not only for the muscles, but for inside your internal body and organs as well.

She uses a bolster, blocks and a yoga strap.  If you don't have these, you can use pillows or rolled up blankets and a belt.  You need to be a wall, so that you can put your legs up it.

At the beginning when she says she's going to start in Savasana (or Corpse pose), that means laying on your back--you can put a pillow or rolled up blanket behind your knees and a pillow under your head for comfort.  Close your eyes and stay in this position while she is reading--she will let you know when it's time to get up.

I've added her website to my helpful links on the right side bar.  You can also like her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Namaste-Yoga/125188310845397

Fitness Tip of the Day: Friday's Facts and Findings -- VO2max and EPOC

Going along with yesterday's Metabolic Conditioning workout, I decided to talk about VO2max, EPOC and afterburn.  If you're not an athlete, or in the fitness industry, you probably have no clue as to what your VO2max is.  Yes, it's something we all possess.

VO2max is also known as maximal oxygen uptake or maximal oxygen consumption.  It refers to the maximum amount of oxygen consumed and utilized by the body during an all-out effort to exhaustion.  It is another important indicator of aerobic fitness.  The more aerobically fit an individual is the higher his/her VO2max or ability to to consume and process oxygen.  VO2max is measured in either liters of O2 consumed per minute (an absolute value), or in milliliters of O2 consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute (a relative value).

Measuring one's VO2max accurately requires an all out effort (usually on a treadmill or bike) performed under strict protocol in a performance lab.  It can be estimated in a variety of ways, but none are as accurate as this.

If you're not an athlete, knowing this exact number isn't that important.  It's knowing how to train to increase this number that's important.

To read more about VO2max, I found on article on About.com:  What is VO2 Max?

EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, refers to the additional oxygen consumed immediately after an exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising.  For instance, imagine standing still after an all out run--you are breathing heavily for a few minutes.  The extra oxygen consumed is now termed EPOC, and was formerly known as oxygen debt.  This is also referred to as afterburn, because if your body is consuming more oxygen, it is burning more calories.

More on EPOC from About.com:  What is EPOC?

So how do you increase your VO2max and your EPOC?  Metabolic or interval training.  The short bursts of high intensity exercises will help increase both of these.

Should you only do this type of training?  No.  Your fitness regime needs to be balanced.  These are intense workouts that should only be done a couple of times a week.  You can do interval training for time constraints, but at a lesser intensity.

For example, on Monday I'd suggest doing a cardio/strength interval workout of some sort--the cardio segments could be on a treadmill, bike or even on the floor jogging in place, but these segments are not done at all out effort to exhaustion--maybe 80-85%.  The strength segments could be upper body, lower body or total body or could be front of the body and back of the body.

On Tuesday, you could focus on your core (doing one of my Tuesday posts).

On Wednesday, you could do your high intensity workout (doing one of my wild workout posts).

On Thursday, your workout could be similar to Monday's.

On Friday, you could rest or do a flexibility workout (like those I've been posting on Saturday).

On Saturday, this could be your rest or flexibility day, or you could do another high intensity workout.

On Sunday, you could do another core workout, do your flexibility or another high intensity workout or make this a rest day.

Bottom line, you do NOT want to do high intensity workouts 2 days in a row.  Your body needs time to recover.  It's during the recovery stage that your body gets stronger.  And, don't forget to do a sufficient warm up and cool down/stretch after each workout.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Thursday's Total Body -- Metabolic Conditioning Workout

Metabolic Conditioning has been the latest craze in the fitness world.  But what exactly is it?

What is Metabolic Conditioning?

I found the simplest explanation on About.com:

"Metabolic conditioning, also known as MetCon, is a method of training that involves a very high work rate, using exercises designed to burn more calories during your workout and maximize calories burned after your workout, or your afterburn. In other words, these are vigorous, high intensity circuit-type workouts that often involve challenging total body, compound exercises and very short recovery intervals."

Metabolic Conditioning doesn't describe one certain workout--HIIT (high intensity interval training), circuit training, and tabata training are all forms of this type of conditioning.  You may know these better as Insanity, P90X, TurboFire and Cross Fit.  These workouts challenge both energy systems (aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen)).

The purpose of this is that your anaerobic system provides energy quickly, but can't be sustained for too long (eg. all out sprint), while your aerobic system kicks in for endurance training (steady jog).  This kind of training taps into both systems--the short rests gives you anaerobic system time to restart and the aerobic system allows you to continue for the 20-60 minutes needed for the entire workout.  Because you can give it your all for the short 30 second or so burst, you will burn more calories in the long run than if you stayed steady for the same amount of time.  This also amps up your afterburn--you'll burn more calories for a longer period of time after you're done.

These are challenging workouts because the little rest that you get isn't enough to completely recover.

Today's workout is from JessicaSmithTV on YouTube.  This is not as intense as some of the wild Wednesday HIIT workouts I've posted, since there is less plyometric type training. I want you to see that you can do this type of training without jumping and without feeling like you're absolutely dying.  Don't get me wrong, this is NOT an easy workout, you will feel like you are working hard.

She uses 2 sets of weights--1 heavier, 1 lighter.  If you only have one set of weights do as much as you can with that set.  If the lighter weights get too heavy you can modify doing one side at a time, or take them out of the exercise and just move your arms through the range of motion.

She gives lots of form cues which is great.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Wednesday's Wild/Warrior Workout -- HIIT Quick and HIIT Hard

This is a tabata style (20 seconds work/10 seconds rest) workout from FitnessBlender.  The routine consists of 7 exercises each performed twice for a total of 14 rounds.

Depending on your weight--the calorie counter at the right of the screen (in the video) shows that during this 8 minute workout you can burn between 70 and 130 calories--not bad for 8 minutes!!!

The push up jacks are ridiculous!!!  To modify, keep arms still and jump the legs out and in while in plank position.  To modify further, you can step your legs out one at a time (while in plank position).

As always, if the jumping is too hard on your knees, modify.  If you are not jumping, then you are performing the exercise with bigger and more exaggerated movement to get your heart rate up high.

You want to feel your heart pounding in this workout--just listen to the instructor--he's huffin' and puffin'

Fitness Tip of the Day: Tuesday's Trunk and Core -- Pilates More Flat Abs

Today's core workout comes from efit30.  It is an intermediate level Pilates class that works the front and back of your core.

This workout can be done alone, or in conjunction with an aerobic, strength training or interval workout.

Please listen carefully to her alignment cues.  Proper form is essential to get the full benefit of each of the exercises.

If any move causes you neck or back pain, refrain from doing it.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Monday's Muscle Work -- Bob Harper's Butt Burn Challenge

In addition to whatever other muscle work or cardio you choose to do today,  I found a video from Bob Harper entitled the "Butt Burn Challenge" that I encourage you to do.

All you need for this challenge is a step or sturdy box 6-12 inches high.  You can also do this standing on the floor; your glutes will still be challenged.

I would do this challenge first, after your warm up while your muscles are fresh.  The challenge is about 3 minutes long (50 reps each side).

Fitness Tip of the Day: Sunday's Recipe Share -- 5 Ingredient Summer Recipes

I promise you, Cooking Light is not paying me!!!  I just love the way they bunch some recipes together into a theme.

I love to cook, but sometimes I won't make a recipe if it has a million ingredients in it.  I like to keep it simple, but delicious.  One of my favorite cookbooks on my shelf is called "The Four Ingredient Cookbooks" (it has three within the one book).

When I saw the 5 Ingredient Summer Recipes listed on Cooking Light's website, I had to share!!!  I'm even sharing some (most) of them to my Pinterest boards so that I'll have the recipes handy.

Here's a sampling of a couple of recipes:

Sherried Pineapple Pork Tenderloin

Fresh Mozzarella, Heirloom Tomato and Basil Pizza

Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Butter

There were also links to other 5 Ingredient recipes, maybe I'll post some of those another time.