superadmin

Find your Work-Life Balance

Published by superadmin on April 26, 2020 | Leave a response

If you constantly stress out at home about situations at work, you probably don’t have a good work-life balance. There is a critical balance for people between the demands of a working life and those of a personal life. Too little work can lead to inadequate income, lack of sense of purpose and lack of job security. However, in America, the pendulum tends to swing the other way, favoring work over other aspects of living.

Do you find you’re constantly answering work emails at home?

That could be a sign that your work has invaded your personal life. It can also mean you’re apt to burnout and not perform as well as you should. People need a respite from work to clear their minds and regain their sense of self that doesn’t have to do with a paycheck or their employer. When you allow your work to infiltrate your life, you’re out of balance. If you’re working long hours or having work related incidences interrupt your time off, you need to find a way to correct the situation. Talk to your employer if the situation isn’t temporary and potentially getting worse. Adopt a team approach where supervisors share responsibility and all after hours emergencies go to the supervisor of the night.

Your family will appreciate the change and so will your employer.

If you leave your work at the office and don’t carry the problems with you, it does two things. It provides you with an opportunity to give your family and/or friends the full time they deserve, while giving your brain a much-needed rest. Your employer will appreciate your new-found focus when you’re in the office and children, spouse or friends will enjoy the person that cares about them and is present in the moment.

Your health can suffer from focusing too much on work.

Your immune system doesn’t function nearly as well when you’re under stress. Stress causes a wide variety of symptoms and can leave you more vulnerable to conditions such as the flu, cold or even life threatening conditions. If you have a poor work-life balance, you’re more prone to illness, which means more missed days at work or working less efficiently when you’re there.

When you’re at your busiest at work, it’s the most important time to ensure you’re eating healthy and working out regularly. Unfortunately, it’s also when time is most important. Planning meals ahead and getting into the routine of working out, before the rush occurs, helps.
If you’re having problems letting go of the stresses of the day, a tough workout can help. It burns off the hormones of stress and can revitalize you and help you clear your mind.
There’s been a lot of research into the imbalance of work and life. Four day work weeks, working from home a day or two a week or job sharing have been some methods of that have proven helpful.
To avoid working yourself to illness, you can prioritize tasks by urgency and ensure that your family/social times, workout and healthy diet are top priorities.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Lifting Techniques, Proper Weight Placement And Posture

Published by superadmin on April 13, 2020 | Leave a response

The first things we focus on at Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, are lifting techniques, proper weight placement and posture. Those factors are important whether you’re lifting a box, a child, barbells or kettlebells. In other words, they’re always important. You’ll help prevent injuries when you use proper form. Proper form allows you to work on those muscle groups you intended, workout longer, prevent muscle imbalance and injuries. It helps you stay safe so you can workout longer and progressively get stronger.

Warm up first before you start.

Start by making sure your muscles are ready for the workout. The warmup can get your cardiovascular system going and increase the flow of blood to your muscles. It helps loosen tendons, ligaments and joints. Warming up can be as simple as jogging lightly or any other aerobic exercise. Don’t try to lift too much too soon and focus more on quality, rather than weight and quantity. You should start with a weight you can lift approximately 12 to 15 times comfortably. It’s better to go too light when you’re learning proper technique, than to make the mistake of going too heavy.

Proper form is top priority.

When you’re lifting weights, you need to ensure you’re moving through your full range of motion for your joints. Rather than pushing through lifting heavier weights, with a potential for injury. You need to focus on form when you’re just beginning. Good form doesn’t guarantee you’ll never have an injury, but it reduces the chances significantly. Don’t forget, proper form is important outside of the gym, too. It’s also important when you’re taking or replacing weights from the rack.

Good posture is important both in and outside the gym.

When you focus on good posture, you’ll prevent abnormal wearing of joints, ensure your joints and bones are correctly aligned so muscles are properly used and relieve stress to the ligaments in the back that maintain the joints in the spinal column. Good posture also helps prevent early fatigue due to more efficient use of the muscles, which means less energy is used. Not only does proper posture help prevent the spine moving to abnormal positions, it helps reduce the potential for backache.

How you breathe while lifting makes a difference. Don’t hold your breath. As you lift, breathe out and as you lower the weight, breathe in.
Workout slower, especially at first. An unhurried, controlled way and taking it slowly helps you isolate the muscle groups you want to work, rather than depending on momentum.
Make sure you work all groups of muscles in your program. If you’re working with a personal trainer, the trainer does that for you. If you’re working out on your own, balance your workout for opposing muscles and include muscles in the hips, legs, chest, back, abdomen, shoulders and arms.
Make sure you take at least a day break after strength training to ensure your muscles have time to repair and recover. Never work the same muscle groups two days in a row.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Confidence In A Gym Environment

Published by superadmin on April 3, 2020 | Leave a response

If you find that you’re putting off getting started with your workout program because you lack confidence in a gym environment, it’s time to change your thinking. Too often people use the excuse that they aren’t comfortable in a gym because they don’t know how to workout, feel out of place because they’re overweight or they don’t have the toned body they want. Some feel that others will stare or laugh at them due to their lack of knowledge or physical condition. While those may be your excuses, they’re also the reasons you need to workout.

If you’re afraid you can’t do the workout or embarrassed by being too out of shape, start at home.

Some people worry they won’t even be able to do a complete workout at the gym. For those people, starting slowly at home could be the best route to take to give them confidence. You can start slowly by simply ensuring you’re walking at least a half hour a day. As you get stronger, walk faster or longer. You can even break the walking to three sessions that last 10 minutes or more. Try a few bodyweight exercises at home, such as planks or squats.

Just don’t worry about what others think.

I am in the gym continuously and feel that everyone at Iron Fit is non-judgemental. Each person is focused on their own workout and they don’t have time or the inclination of watching anyone else. In fact, if anything, people normally have empathy for the newbie, remembering their days of confusion and discomfort.

If you’re concerned that you don’t know what to do, get help from an expert.

Most people aren’t experts when it comes to exercise. It’s why there are personal trainers. Our personal trainers work with people in smaller groups and help them not only know what exercises to do, but also teach each person proper form, so they get the most from the workout and have the least potential for injury. That’s one reason you get fast results. We never push you past what you can safely do, but do help you reach your goals faster.

When you workout with a trainer, the trainer assesses your level of fitness and creates a workout that’s directed at your weaknesses, while building on your strengths.
Workout with a friend. A workout buddy can make all the difference. Not only do you feel more comfortable when you know someone, the workout buddy will keep you accountable for going.
Dress for the part. You don’t have to go out and buy the latest workout outfit, but make sure you have comfortable clothes that breathe and wick sweat. Having the proper shoes is important. When you look good, you feel more confident.
When you sign up to workout, check with the employees for the time that will have the least number of people. Working out when the gym is less crowded can help relieve some of the discomfort that comes from lack of confidence.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Protein Powder Vs Protein Water

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2020 | Leave a response

I’m always glad to help clients in San Antonio, Texas, when it comes to fielding questions on the latest fitness craze or health food or drink. Recently, some of my clients have asked about the benefits of protein water and whether it’s as good as simply using the protein powder and making a shake. There’s a lot of reasons to use both. Most protein water is whey protein isolate that’s taken from cow’s milk and then it’s added to water. The protein water doesn’t always have to start with whey protein. It can be made of other types of animal-based proteins or plant-based, which is good for people with lactose intolerance or dietary needs.

Protein powder is often versatile.

What’s the difference between protein powder and protein water? The water! Protein powder is solid and can be scooped out, added to your favorite food or drink, whether it’s almond milk, yogurt or even fruit juice. You know exactly the amount you add, so tracking calories and amount of protein consumed is easy to measure. You can use it in snacks, desserts, baked items and smoothies. Protein water is ready to drink and premixed, which makes it easier.

Not all protein powder or protein water is alike.

Just like anything, there are quality, taste and content issues with both types of protein. Some protein water is actually high in calories because of sugar added and artificial flavoring. Avoid brands of protein water that have a lot of artificial additives if you’re consuming it frequently. Whether you’re buying protein powder or using protein water, read the label first. Make sure it’s pure and the right choice for your needs.

Using protein water could be a good alternative if you’re trying to shed a few pounds.

If you’re reading labels, you’ll find that some protein water is far higher in calories than others are. People trying to drop a few pounds, while building muscle tissue, need to monitor each calorie carefully. If you’re using protein powder in a shake, it might be far better to switch to protein water and choose a low calorie option. You’ll get the protein intake you need after a tough workout without the extra calories.

While you could make your own protein water by simply adding protein powder to water, it often doesn’t have a desirable taste. Many types of protein water have addressed that issue, but in the process, added calories, too.
With added protein in so many products, drinking protein water may be overdoing it. Be careful about the number of protein consumed regularly, particularly if you have kidney or difficulty metabolizing protein.
If you want an easy to use recovery drink or food, protein water could be your go-to choice. However, whole food like Greek yogurt or even a chicken breast would provide even more nutrients and just as much protein and a side of plain water would be healthier.
While protein powder is more versatile, protein water is easy to use. Like all types of proteins, used occasionally, rather than replacing whole food protein intake, is the key to success.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Malfunctioning Digestive System?

Published by superadmin on March 15, 2020 | Leave a response

If you have a malfunctioning digestive system, you probably hate the way you feel after you eat and even limit your diet because of it. There are a lot of different degrees of dysfunction, so I’m just going to address things like bloating, heartburn, gas, diarrhea and constipation that are uncomfortable, but not serious. While all reoccurring problems should be discussed with your health care professional, if the issue is determined to be minor, but ongoing, making lifestyle changes may be what you need.

Exercise may be a top priority for your digestion.

If you’re bloated or gassy, nothing sounds less desirable than doing jumping jacks or sprinting down the road. However, exercise could be extremely helpful with the condition. Walking can be extremely helpful after a meal. There are studies that show that walking helps move the food through your system after a meal and lowers blood sugar levels. It also helps pass gas through the system, to eliminate that bloated feeling. Intense exercise isn’t recommended, however, since it can create more digestive problems.

Regular exercise helps digestion in the long range, too.

A program of regular exercise can help strengthen your digestive system. It can help with constipation and strengthen the muscles in the system. It can increase the beneficial microbiota—digestive bacteria and etc.—that aids with digestion and help lower the risk of colon cancer. That improvement in the microbiome can make digestion better, eliminating much of the gas and distress you may have had months earlier. Regular exercise has proven to help relieve gas, stomach cramps, constipation and heartburn.

Your belly bugs will be happy when you eat healthier.

Your gut contains microbiome that is responsible for a vast array of functions from boosting your metabolism to digestions. You couldn’t survive without them. Not only does exercise help boost the friendly ones, so does what you eat. Increasing your fiber intake helps. Be careful when you do that. Increasing it too much at one time can have a negative effect. Fermented food can help improve your gut microbiome. Choose food like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Increasing fresh fruit and vegetables that are high fiber also helps.

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, which help the digestive tract. Soluble fiber turns to a gel when mixed with water and insoluble fiber provides bulk. Both help prevent constipation.
Drinking plenty of water can help digestion. Your body needs water to help food break down after a meal so it can absorb the nutrients. It also helps keep stool soft to help relieve constipation. Drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day.
Cut out sugar. Sugar decreases the number of healthy bacteria and feeds the harmful microbes that interfere with digestion.
Take a short break from eating. Studies show that intermittent fasting can help all of the body, including digestion.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Eating Fruit In The Morning

Published by superadmin on March 3, 2020 | Leave a response

Everywhere you look on the internet, there’s another article on miracle cures, super foods and what or when you should eat. One of those myths is about the consumption of breakfast and even whether eating fruit in the morning is healthy. The truth is, fruit is a healthy option no matter when you eat it. One of the reasons this myth was started is the sugar content of fruit. Whether you eat it in the morning or afternoon, it temporarily increases your blood sugar as the glucose is absorbed. Unlike some of the myths that promote it, it doesn’t “wake up” the digestive system or jump starts it. It’s a carb and as a carb, provides energy.

Fruit provides a lot of nutrients like vitamin C.

While you might get all the vitamins and minerals in a glass of fruit juice, eating the whole fruit is a better choice for breakfast. Whole fruit has fiber, which makes it a better choice than drinking a glass of fruit juice. Fiber comes with its own benefits, such as making you feel fuller longer and slowing the absorption of sugar, keeping blood sugar more level. It provides bulk, which aids in digestion issues and helps lower the risk of diabetes.

Eating just fruit in the morning may not provide the satisfaction a more well rounded breakfast does.

In order to feel satisfied longer and not face that mid morning hunger or slump, you need a combination of food. Lean protein and healthy fat will keep you feeling full, while a complex carbohydrate gives energy and fills you up. Fruit satisfied the need for a complex carb, while adding bulk in the form of fiber to help your digestion. If you don’t include healthy fat or protein, like nuts, you’ll probably face an urgent hunger long before lunchtime occurs.

Pair your fruit with healthy options for a quick, filling breakfast.

If that piece of fruit you ate isn’t making it as a complete meal, which is most probable, pair it with other food. Whether you opt for blueberries, strawberries or raspberries in a cup of Greek yogurt and topped with your favorite nut or simply have a half grapefruit with toast and nut butter or an egg, you’ll feel fuller longer and get a ton of nutrition.

If you enjoy having a bit of fruit at breakfast, watch your calorie intake. Try options like papaya and cantaloupe that are lower in calories for weight loss. Fruit that’s higher in calories, which includes bananas, cherries and grapes are far higher in calories, so choose wisely.
While eating fruit is healthy, you can get too much of a good thing. While whole fruit is healthy, you also need healthy protein and fat, as well as a higher amount of vegetables in your diet.
Avoid canned fruit with extra sugar added. However, frozen and canned options that have no additional sugar are just as healthy of options as fresh fruit, unless you pick it off the plant. They’re processed fresher than you’d buy in the grocery.
At Iron Fit, we can help you with a program of exercise and when combined with healthy eating, will help you live healthier and shed unwanted pounds.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

This Is Your Year To Shine

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2020 | Leave a response

If you’re already a member of Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, you probably already have your goals set and are ready to start your program to accomplish them. For those who are considering a fitness program, this could be your year to shine. It takes determination, persistence, hard work and keeping your eye on the prize, but it can be done. In fact, we actually have a 28 day challenge to help you get a jump start on your goals.

It all starts with knowing where you are right now.

One of the biggest benefits of working with a personal trainer is getting the help of assessing your present fitness level. The journey to fitness is like any other trip you take. In order to create a map to get you to your destination, you have to know where you’re starting. Using that information, the trainer then designs a program that’s tough, but still within your capabilities.

Creating weekly goals is also important if you want to shine.

Breaking down a big goal to smaller ones help you stay on track better. It’s far easier to check your progress each week and make adjustments along the way. What are the types of things you monitor with these goals? They can include your diet, sleeping habits, hydration and workout program. We find that circuit training gets results fast, so when you workout at Iron Fit, you may even exceed your goals.

Working out with others, a workout buddy or personal trainer helps you stay on track.

Whether you use the services of a personal trainer, have a workout buddy or simply workout in a group, you’ll do better than if you workout alone. Both a personal trainer and a workout buddy keep you accountable, encouraging you to workout when you might not feel like it. That encouragement isn’t verbal, but just knowing you’re meeting with someone. Working out with a buddy, in a group or with a trainer can push you to workout harder and longer, rather than quitting early.

In order to shine and achieve, you have to create a goal that’s truly yours and something you really want to achieve. If you’re starting a program because a friend or partner said you should, you won’t be as invested in success.
Workout smart and get the quickest results. Circuit training can help you do that. Results are super motivating and give you a chance to shine early on, to help you reach your ultimate goal later.
You can achieve anything you set your mind to do. It’s all about believing in yourself and providing that mental can-do attitude.
Enjoying your workout helps keep you on track. At Iron Fit, we have a program that’s varied that’s challenging and fun. If you’ve never tried kettlebells before, it’s an experience most people really enjoy.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Wake Up – Kick Butt – Repeat

Published by superadmin on February 16, 2020 | Leave a response

There are no mysteries about getting fit. It’s just a matter of doing it. You simply wake up, kick A@#, repeat. That’s the real secret behind fitness, but there are also many other things that can help you reach your goals faster. Consider combining a healthy diet with your workout. Not only will you lose weight faster, you’ll feel better and get more from the workout and every waking moment. A healthy diet devoid of processed food can put pep in your step so you have the energy to maximize your workout.

Add strength training to your workout.

Strength training not only provides a great deal of benefits for your health, it also helps melt fat away faster. While endurance training burns huge amounts of calories, too, it also burns lean muscle mass. When you do strength training it burns calories while also building muscle mass. The more muscle tissue you have, the easier it is to shed weight. That’s because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does. Strength training also stimulates after burn, which raises the number of calories you burn for up to 48 hours.

Circuit training gets you to your goal quicker.

You can target multiple muscle groups at once with circuit training. Each routine is a mix of exercises to help you reach your goal quicker. Circuit training is a time saver. As you swiftly move from one exercise to another, you’ll boost your cardio health and burn calories, which helps you reach your weight loss goal quicker.

Vary your workout.

One of the reasons Iron Fit offers so many different types of exercise options is that each one has something to offer. It’s also to help motivate clients. While you might not love calisthenics, you might love doing kettlebells or kicking and punching your way to fitness. It’s one reason Iron Fit has so many different options available and introduce them to each client. You might not think you’ll love a specific method of exercise, but once you try it, end up loving it. Not only does varying your workout avoid boredom and plateauing, it ensures every muscle is worked on every plane.

Don’t make the gym the only place to get exercise. Whenever you get the chance to walk a little further, do it. Park further from the grocery door. Take breaks from sitting and move around every 50 minutes.
Vary your speed. Whether you’re walking, working out or cleaning house, varying your speed from top speed to recovery speed every few minutes acts like a high intensity interval training session.
Get adequate sleep. You can’t do your best if you’re not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can cause you to eat more by disrupting the balance of leptin and ghrelin hormones.
Use a workout that’s created specifically for your fitness level and needs. We create it for you at Iron Fit.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Make Excuses Or Make It Happen

Published by superadmin on February 3, 2020 | Leave a response

If you want to achieve anything in life, you simply do it. It can start by creating a goal, followed by a plan of action. Once that’s done, you have to stick to that plan. In other words, you either make excuses or make it happen. The problem with weight loss and fitness goals is that they don’t happen overnight. They take time to achieve. Enthusiasm wanes as time goes on, so each day without results makes it harder to stay the course.

You need to find ways to make it easier to stick to your plan.

There are many different tricks to help you keep focused on your goal. You can put sticky notes with messages to yourself around the house. You can visualize yourself achieving your goal. If you feel like skipping your workout, weigh the benefit of skipping it to the negative effects of skipping. In most cases, people decide that the positives of exercise far outweighs the negatives of not exercising. Some people simply get dressed for working out, without making that decision to go. Once they’re dressed, it’s easier to convince yourself to stick with the program.

Do you really have a slow metabolism that you can’t do anything about?

While you might have a slow metabolism, there’s no reason you can’t boost it. Exercise helps do that. When you do strength training, it can increase your metabolism for up to 48 hours after you finish. Strength training also builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the more calories you burn 24/7. That means you’ve boosted your metabolism. Rather than sitting and feeling sorry for yourself, do something about it. Kick start your metabolism with exercise.

You could say you’re too busy to workout or boost your energy by working out get things done faster.

There’s no doubt about it, these are busy times for everyone. Having enough time to workout is often one of the excuses people give as reasons they can’t get into shape. What they don’t realize is that the more they workout, the more energy they have and the quicker they get things done. In fact, studies show that people who exercise regularly improve their cognitive functions, so their concentration and focus improve, making mental work go quicker, too.

You can’t use the fact that you’re too tired to workout as an excuse, since exercise boosts your energy and chases away that tired feeling. You actually need to workout if you’re constantly tired.
At Iron Fit, we help you stay more focused on your fitness goal by providing quicker results. There’s nothing more motivating than seeing results.
Do you hate traditional exercise, so you dread every trip to your gym? You’ll probably love some of the tools we use to help you get into shape. You can also vary your workout to include active things you love to do.
It’s time to get started and you can do it today. Try our free 3-day pass to get a feel of how different our Iron Fit program is. You’ll like what you find and how you feel.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Low Carb Dieting 101

Published by superadmin on January 28, 2020 | Leave a response

Trying to find the best diet to help you lose weight can be confusing. We don’t recommend dieting and believe the best option is healthy eating. However, it’s interesting to note that eating healthy can be low carb dieting. Low carb diets don’t contain processed foods or sugary products, which is part of a program of healthy eating. The information provided on a low carb diet shows the types of foods to eat on this diet and includes the positives and negatives.

Identifying foods to avoid on a low carb diet is easier than noting the ones to eat.

You normally associate dieting with a limited list of foods, but just like eating healthy, low carb diets provide lots of options. As noted before, sugar products and highly processed foods aren’t allowed on this type of diet, neither are soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, most vegetable oils and ice cream. That means it eliminates most of the low fat and diet food you find on the market. These are processed foods and often contain sugar to enhance the flavor that was lost when fat was removed. One thing that healthy eating includes that isn’t part of a low carb diet or is limited is pasta and bread.

You’ll find a lot of food that’s high in protein and/or may have fat.

How you get your calories changes when you go with a diet that’s lower in carbohydrates. Instead of getting most of your energy from carbohydrates, you get it from foods higher in fat and protein. When you eat carbohydrates, like traditional diets, your body changes those carbohydrates’ glucose to glycogen and then stores the glycogen in the liver. When the liver is at maximum storage capacity, the body converts it to fat. Cutting back on carbohydrates makes your body get fuel elsewhere and that’s body fat.

There are health benefits that come with low carbohydrate diets.

Low carbohydrate diets lower the insulin levels and reduces the risk for insulin resistance, which is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. This type of diet also helps lower the LDL levels, the bad cholesterol, and increase the HDL or good cholesterol levels. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and triglyceride levels. They type of food consumed in a low carb diet have many health benefits. For instance, grass fed beef and butter from grass fed cows is high in Omega fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid—CLA—that makes it heart healthy.

You can tip your toe into a low carb diet by first giving up sugary products, processed food, bread and pasta. While it’s a healthy change, if you’re going to adopt a complete low carb diet, talk to your health care professional first.
While vegetables and fruit contain carbs, you can have them on low carb diets. Vegetables do contain carbohydrates, the carbs are more complex, so they don’t spike sugar levels and take longer to get into your bloodstream.
You do have to be more careful with the type of fruit you eat on a low carb diet, making choices that are low in sugar. You also need to avoid starchy vegetables.
There are temporary side effects of low carb diets that include fatigue, muscle cramps, rash, digestive upsets, bad breath, weakness and headache. Extremely restricted carbs for long periods can create a host of nutritional and long term problems.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness