Fitness & Wellness

Is It Better To Workout In The Morning Or Evening?

Published by superadmin on April 15, 2025 | Leave a response

Everyone in San Antonio, TX, wants to maximize the benefits of their workout. They often ask about the best time of day to exercise. Is it in the morning, afternoon, or evening? There’s no correct answer to this question. Each time of day offers benefits. If you struggle to get up at your present rising time, would you be able to get up even earlier to exercise, even if you want the benefits from an early morning workout? It’s all about you and your needs.

What does your internal clock say?

Some people never know when their day ends at the office. Others have a predictable schedule. If your mornings are rushed and you’re busy getting the family out the door, it is harder to work out. If your goal is to burn the most fat, you’ll benefit most from working out in the morning after a night of fasting. If your goal is endurance, you need to build your glycogen stores in the muscles, so noon or later works best for that situation.

What’s your goal and schedule?

Some people never know when their day ends at the office. Others have a predictable schedule. If your mornings are rushed getting the family out the door, it is harder to work out. If your goal is to burn the most fat, you’ll benefit most from working out in the morning after a night of fasting. If your goal is endurance, you need to build your glycogen stores in the muscles, so noon or later works best for that situation.

What if you want to build muscle tissue?

Strength training requires your muscles to be warmed for the best results. When you first arise, your body temperature is lower and rises the longer you’re up. It increases faster for some people than for others. Building muscle tissue requires testosterone and human growth hormones— HGH to repair damaged muscle tissue and build new muscle mass. Both testosterone and HGH are lowest in the morning and rise throughout the day. That means the later you do strength training, the better.

If you need a jumpstart for energy, a morning workout might be your go-to time. It increases your circulation and helps you get more done during the day. Doing endurance exercises at night may keep you awake.
If you exercise in the morning, you’ll increase the hormones that make you feel good and can improve your day. Exercising later in the day can burn off the day’s stress and leave you feeling better.
Warming your muscles in the morning with exercise keeps your muscles and joints 20% more flexible. You’ll function better and be less likely to pull a muscle doing normal tasks.
No matter what time you exercise, it’s the right time for you if it helps you be consistent. It’s the key to maximizing your workout.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is Cardio Or Strength Training Better For You?

Published by superadmin on April 5, 2025 | Leave a response

There are four types of training: flexibility, balance, cardio, and strength training. You need all of these to have a complete fitness program. Each one plays a different role in keeping you fit. All of them work in synergy. If you don’t have the endurance from cardio training, you may lift weights, but not for long. If your muscles are tight and you ignore flexibility training, you’ll pull muscles doing cardio and strength training. Strength training also gives you the strength to keep going in endurance workouts. Which should be your primary focus? That all depends on your goals.

If you’re trying to lose weight, cardio and strength training help.

There is a drawback with cardio training. Even though it burns hundreds of calories, it gets the calories from muscle and fat tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue, so the more you have, the higher your metabolism is. Strength training burns loads of calories, builds muscle tissue, and continues to burn calories for hours.

You’ll shape your body with weight training.

You build some lower body muscles and increase your endurance when doing cardio, but it doesn’t give you a six-pack, a narrower waist, or a toned body. Strength training can help you lose inches, even if you don’t lose weight. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue, so you can stay the same weight and still shed inches. Most people who want to lose weight want to look better and be healthier. Strength training achieves that.

The way you exercise may affect your results more than the type of workout you do.

The intensity of the workout makes a difference. It shortens your workout time and boosts results. High-intensity interval training is one example. You push toward your peak performance until your heart rate is 80 to 90% of its maximum. Then, you lower it to a recovery pace. Throughout the session, you alternate between the two. Alternating the two allows you to work at maximum intensity longer, burn more calories, and get more benefits. You should only do HIIT workouts one or two days a week.

Cardio workouts are necessary to build heart and lung health. If you don’t like running or strict cardio, combine it with strength training in circuits. Rest less time between sets.
Full-body workouts can include all types of training. One example is doing kettlebells. You work the entire body as you build endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance.
Afterburn is part of both cardio and strength training. Cardio might burn an extra 10 calories an hour for a few hours. Strength training burns more extra calories per hour for longer. Your afterburn for cardio might end up being 100 calories, but 400 calories for strength training.
The key to success for any exercise program is consistency. Schedule your workout at the same time every day to develop a habit. Know what exercises you’ll do so you don’t waste time and track your progress.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Reasons You Should Start Working Out

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2025 | Leave a response

A lot of attention now focuses on natural ways to stay healthy. Staying healthy and strong are just two reasons you should start working out. Your body needs physical activity. You’ll rust out quicker than you wear out. Exercising builds your energy, even if it tires you initially. There are four types of fitness that exercise provides. These include strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Exercise improves your mood and boosts your self-image.

You’ll look and feel younger when you exercise regularly.

Regular exercise protects your body at the cellular level. It lengthens telomeres that prevent the chromosomes from unraveling. It boosts the creation of stem cells that replace dead or damaged cells. You’ll look younger and feel better when you exercise because it increases circulation and sends more oxygen and nutrient-laden blood to all body parts. That means more nourishment for the muscles, joints, and skin. That glow you have after working out is an indication it’s feeding your skin.

Your cardiovascular health improves when you exercise.

Your heart becomes more efficient after you work out. It causes the creation of nitric oxide in the muscles, which acts as a vasodilator. Vasodilators relax the blood vessels so they widen. That lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. It boosts circulation by 25% and helps maintain the flexibility of blood vessels. Exercise lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. It helps maintain a healthy body weight.

You’ll reduce the risk of diabetes.

Excess weight, lack of exercise, and a poor diet can lead to insulin resistance. When you have high amounts of sugar in your blood, it triggers the release of insulin. Insulin opens the cells of the body so they uptake the glucose in the blood. The more sensitive the cells are to insulin, the less insulin is produced. If you have insulin resistance, the cells don’t respond properly. The glucose remains in the bloodstream, so the cells don’t receive the energy they need. Insulin resistance can lead to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

You’ll have more energy and look thinner when you workout regularly. You may not lose a single pound even though your measurements get smaller. That’s because a cubic inch of muscle tissue weighs more than a cubic inch of fat tissue does.
Besides helping relieve anxiety and depression, exercise also boosts cognitive functioning. It releases BDNF— brain-derived neurotrophic factor that improves brain functioning so you think clearer.
Prevent muscle wasting and bone thinning with exercise. As you age, you lose muscle. You need the muscle to tug on the bone so it uptakes calcium to stay strong. Weight-bearing exercise does that.
Exercise slows aging, improves balance, and helps relieve painful conditions like arthritis. It keeps the joints lubricated, promotes circulation, and boosts healing. It improves your posture and gives you a look of confidence.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How To Perform A Perfect Squat

Published by superadmin on March 15, 2025 | Leave a response

Why should you focus on performing the perfect squat? It can make the difference between improving your fitness or succumbing to injury. Squats are exceptional for improving functional fitness. They work large muscle groups and boost the body’s nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to widen, lowering blood pressure. They improve stability and functional fitness. That’s vital for seniors. All these benefits are possible only if you execute them correctly. Squats build the same muscles that help you get up out of a chair, so they’re vital for seniors.

Starting in the correct position makes a difference.

Your starting position determines the quality of everything that follows. If it’s not correct, every other movement will be wrong. Your trunk should be in the neutral position with a slight curve in the lower back, your shoulders should be back and relaxed, and your head should be up. Keep your head held straight. Bending it backward or forward diminishes benefits. Only bend at the hip and keep your back straight the entire exercise.

Your foot position determines which muscles you work.

How you place your feet will make a difference. The basic squat starts with your feet at hip-width. Your toes pointed out slightly. There are many variations of the squat. Some variations begin by spreading the feet wider or pointing the toes more outward. Once you master the basic squat, you can transition to other foot positions. As you lower your body in the basic squat, keep your core muscles tight, pulling in your stomach as if trying to press your belly against the spine. When you lower your body, your weight should be on your heels, keeping your knees in line with your toes and not pushing them further out. Lower yourself slowly, hinging at the hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Be aware of common mistakes.

One of the most common errors that block progress is bending the back forward or backward. You must maintain the natural curve while keeping your core perpendicular to the floor. If your core muscles are weak, there’s a tendency to compensate by overarching the back or leaning forward too far. Keep your weight on your heels. If it’s on the balls of the feet, it causes increased stress on the back.

Basic squats work hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and adductors in the lower body. It strengthens the core muscles that help you maintain balance.
If your knees move inward as you squat, it may be due to weak thigh muscles. That stresses joints and ligaments and creates the problem. Once you master the basic form, try modifications or add weights.
If you can’t lower yourself far enough so your hips are parallel to the floor, don’t break form to accomplish it. Go down as far as you can. If you can’t do a regular squat, do a modified squat holding onto a countertop or a wall squat.
Keep your core muscles tight as you do squats. They act much like a weight belt and hold everything in place. Perfect your form and strengthen your core muscles before adding weights.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Fitness Gadgets For A Healthy Life

Published by superadmin on March 5, 2025 | Leave a response

You’ll find many new fitness gadgets in popular stores in San Antonio, TX. They are high-tech ways to help you live a healthy life by encouraging exercise, boosting your weight loss efforts, monitoring your vitals, or soothing sore, painful muscles. Unlike other tech innovations where you sit watching a screen, many of these innovations help you maximize your workout or relieve the pain following it.

Smart gym equipment can help you track your progress and improve your workout.

While nobody can replace the attention and help of a personal trainer, many innovations in exercise equipment come close. The training programs of the smart equipment provide programs to follow, realistic sensory feedback, and tracking capabilities. Whether you’re on a smart rowing machine that provides the feeling of rowing in water or experiencing the various vibrations of different road surfaces on a stationary bike, the smart equipment gives you the sensory imagery of the great outdoors. Some track your vitals and progress while you exercise in real-time.

Track your vitals with rings, watches, or a smart scale.

Whether you’re tracking your progress when you run or your body vitals, the new wearable trackers are easy to use. They monitor everything from your blood oxygen level to your sleep. Some have an EKG or ECG app, while others track your body temperature or offer calorie tracking. Smart scales are an alternative to their old-fashioned counterpart that tells you how much you weigh and nothing more. They measure body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolism rate, and more. Some even evaluate vascular age and nerve health.

Massage guns have evolved.

Today’s new massage guns far outshine yesteryear’s muscle vibrators of the past. Newer models are even better. They have evolved from the original percussive massaging. Higher-end massage guns have added a massage mode for joints, like wrists and ankles, and hot and cold treatments to improve circulation and reduce inflammation. Some even include breathwork and heart rate exercises. Other fitness gadgets in the recovery area include muscle stimulators and loungers with full-body sounds and vibrations that synchronize with your nervous system.

Smart dumbbells are compact because two dumbbells provide a weight selection of up to twelve. The AI-driven lock-in system adjusts them automatically or allows you to determine it yourself.
Do you want to check your metabolism? There’s a breathalyzer that does it. Breathe into it. It provides information on your metabolism and what to do to improve it.
Water bottles are more than just ways to hold fluid. New water bottles do everything from reminding you to drink more to hydrogenating your water to reduce oxidative stress and slow aging.
Make your clothing the boss. If you’re slouching, a wearable can detect it and remind you to improve your posture. Your socks can also track your step count, pace, foot landings, and more.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How Necessary Are Supplements?

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2025 | Leave a response

Asking whether supplements are necessary for athletes is like asking if antibiotics are. If an athlete needs an antibiotic due to an infection, it is. The same is true of supplementation. Randomly taking nutrients won’t necessarily improve athletic performance. It might even diminish it. Determining what the athlete requires comes from identifying the needs and goals. The needs are determined by looking at health history, blood work, and training data. It also includes looking at the nutrients that improve performance for a specific sport.

Taking a supplement without knowing if you need it is useless and can be dangerous.

How do you know whether you need supplementation? You shouldn’t take any supplement just because a friend recommends it. That friend may have totally different needs than you do, even if he or she is in the same sport. Identifying whether an athlete needs specific nutrients requires a health history and bloodwork. It takes more information than knowing others benefitted from the supplement to ensure it’s right for you.

What do scientific studies say about the need for a specific supplement?

New scientific discoveries occur continuously. As science progresses, they can identify the effects a nutrient has on the body more clearly through research and studies. While the bloodwork and health history may indicate an athlete may have adequate nutrition for the average person, it may not be enough to enhance their energy, accelerate their recovery, and boost endurance. Personalizing the supplementation based on the amount necessary for the activity and the athlete’s health profile can determine if it’s a waste of money or a true benefit.

Start with nutrients from dietary sources.

It starts with a well-balanced diet created specifically for the athlete’s needs. The diet is personalized to ensure it contains all the nutrients necessary for superior performance. That decision is determined by more than just the type of sport played. The position played also makes a difference. Each position on a team does something different, creating varying demands on the body and specific needs.

Some athletes require a weight loss plan that takes a special balance of diet and supplementation. The diet needs to reduce excess weight and still provide all the necessary nutrients. Supplementation can help.
It’s possible to take excess amounts of certain supplements, such as fat-soluble vitamins. It can be dangerous for the athlete. Protein is necessary, but too much protein can cause a strain on the kidneys, dehydration, or digestive issues.
Supplementation and anti-inflammatory foods can reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery. It can help athletes function at peak performance more quickly.
A complete plan may include supplementation but should be designed specifically for each athlete. A customized plan prevents the potential for over supplementation and ensures the necessary nutrients are available.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness, Nutrition, Supplements

Can Certain Foods Help Me Sleep Better?

Published by superadmin on February 15, 2025 | Leave a response

The food you eat and when you eat it can make a difference in the quality of your sleep and how quickly you fall asleep. There’s a lot of controversy about whether you should eat before bedtime or stop eating hours before you lay down. There are different points of view on this topic. Some people can’t sleep without eating something, while others get digestive issues and interrupted sleep if it’s too close to bedtime.

Who should have a late-night snack, and who shouldn’t?

If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. When you lay down, it encourages reflux action. Eating a heavy meal right before bed is discouraged no matter what the situation. It interferes with your circadian rhythm. If the meal is too much or too fatty, it can leave you feeling full and miserable and make it hard to get or stay asleep, which interrupts or prevents sleep. Some people need a small snack before bedtime to get to sleep. It’s instinctive from a time when early man would starve if he didn’t keep hunting for food.

The Thanksgiving turkey is known to put people to sleep.

Turkey contains tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that promotes sleepiness. It’s in more than turkey. Seafood, beef, other poultry, and pork contain it too. Tryptophan converts to serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin helps you sleep by triggering your internal signals that tell your body that you’re tired. Serotonin can help with insomnia. Almonds and walnuts are high in melatonin. They’re also high in magnesium. Magnesium improves sleep quality.

Fatty fish is a good source of omega-3.

Fatty fish like salmon or tuna are also sources of vitamin D. Both vitamin D and omega-3 are important for fighting inflammation and increasing the body’s production of serotonin. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before bedtime since they’re all stimulants. Eating a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts can help you fall asleep more quickly.

There are hundreds of things that can keep you up at night and almost as many ways to conquer it. Poor sleep hygiene is one of the causes. You can counteract it by creating a sleep schedule and sticking with it.
Drinking a cup of chamomile tea can help you relax if you’re having problems sleeping. A cup of warm milk can also help. The calcium and tryptophan in milk can help lower your stress levels. A cup of cherry juice can also help.
Increasing your potassium level can help you sleep sounder. Eating a banana will do that. Eating a kiwi an hour before bedtime can also help you get better sleep. It contains serotonin.
Try turning off all electrical appliances with a screen or that give off light. The room should be dark when you sleep. While you might fall asleep watching Netflix, you won’t get quality sleep. Keep the room cooler for the best sleep.

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

Posted in Exercise, Fitness & Wellness, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Why Nutrition Is So Important For Athletes

Published by superadmin on February 5, 2025 | Leave a response

No two people are exactly alike, especially when it comes to nutrition. Athletes’ requirements differ from those of people who live a more sedentary lifestyle. Because of the energy expended, their body may need more calories. They may require more protein, healthy fat, and carbs to recover from demanding training. There is no one-size-fits-all dietary plan for any group of people, especially athletes. Their sport, body, and goals are a few factors that make a difference.

Sports nutrition plays a vital role in athletic success.

Athletes need more than just physical training to do their best. They need extra energy for training and competition. Training pushes the body and makes micro tears in the muscle. Recovery heals those tears to make muscles stronger and larger. Inadequate recovery time can diminish strength and muscle development. The right nutrition can speed recovery to enhance performance, reduce the potential of injury, and improve stamina and endurance.

The right balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates plays a big role.

The average person requires approximately 45 to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 35% from protein, and 20 to 35% from healthy fats. The specific balance for each person considers many factors. Age, activity level, gender, and weight are a few. With athletes, even more factors are part of the equation. For instance, endurance athletes need more calories from carbohydrates than other athletes. The athlete must adjust the macronutrient balance based on the ultimate goal.

It takes more than just protein to achieve peak performance.

Most athletes believe that simply boosting their protein intake is the only thing necessary to build more muscle or improve their performance. While it may be true for athletes involved in sports requiring strength, it doesn’t determine the exact amount or identify the micronutrients necessary for improved performance. It doesn’t account for the carb or fat requirements either. Healthy fat is essential for many bodily functions. The amount varies based on the type of training and weight loss goals.

Adequate hydration plays an essential role in an athlete’s performance. When athletes sweat, they lose both fluid and electrolytes. Hydration requires fluids that meet their electrolyte and hydration needs.
Achieving the correct blend of nutrition can help the athlete attain peak performance and allow them to push their bodies to the limit for longer periods.
Some athletes need to boost performance, build muscle, and lose weight. Achieving the perfect body composition to compete in their sport requires a careful balance.
Timing meals and snacks is vital for the best performance. Eating a meal or snack too early can diminish the benefit. Eating it too late can cause digestive issues.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Staying Positive Matters

Published by superadmin on January 25, 2025 | Leave a response

You see it frequently: people who sabotage their success with negative thoughts. If you want to achieve anything, staying positive is necessary for success. As a child, you may have heard the story of the little engine that could. It kept repeating, “I think I can.” when it attempted the goal of pulling the stranded train over the mountain after larger engines refused. It’s usually the first book on positive thinking that people read. If you’re facing a challenging goal, believing in yourself enough to start is the first step.

Often procrastinators don’t have that belief, so they put off starting.

When you believe you can achieve something, you don’t put off doing it. It’s the tough things people say they’ll do tomorrow. You can change your attitude and push yourself to start. If it’s hard to do, you’ve taken the first step. Schedule an appointment with the gym and treat it like any other appointment. Use a personal trainer or an exercise buddy to increase the potential you’ll be there. When you know you’re meeting someone, you’re more apt to go.

Some people never even consider trying because of negative vibes.

Everyone knows somebody who feels sorry for themselves but won’t do anything to change their situation. Maybe that someone is you. If you don’t think you can accomplish something because you’ve failed previously, use that failure to your advantage. Identify why it didn’t work and find a way to avoid that problem. You’re only a failure if you don’t try.

Listen to your self-talk.

When you listen to that voice in your head, ask yourself, “Would I want to be friends with another person if they said those things to me?” Most of the time, the answer is no. If you’re constantly telling yourself you’re a failure, you’re not providing friendly support. Every time you hear yourself mentally say something negative, replace that thought with three positive things. Be like the Engine that Could and keep repeating those positive phrases until they become internalized.

As noted before, having a workout buddy can bring benefits, but be careful who you choose. Don’t work out with anyone negative or not supportive. Identify people or things that make you feel discouraged and avoid them.
If you have a setback, like eating four desserts, don’t get mad or give up. Know you can do better and get back to work on your goals.
There’s a mind-body connection. Your thoughts can affect your health. Your health affects your attitude. Positivity helps break down any roadblocks that stand between you and your goals.
Focus on your “why.” Write down the reason you want to achieve your goal. Elaborate on it and put emotion into it. Reread your reasons several times a day. When you firmly state your desires, it improves motivation.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How To Set Reasonable Weekly Fitness Goals

Published by superadmin on January 5, 2025 | Leave a response

The start of a new year is always when people in San Antonio, TX, work on resolutions. They can be anything. Often, they are about improving fitness. Some are impressively challenging. Others seem easy to obtain. It doesn’t matter the goal or its immensity it is. It’s all about achieving it. One way to make it easier, regardless of difficulty, is to break the goal into smaller weekly goals. Weekly goals allow you to experience success quickly. That builds motivation and ensures future wins.

Big goals are inspiring, at least for a while.

If you have a big goal, it’s exciting, but those goals take a long time to come to fruition. It doesn’t mean you don’t set them. Do it in smaller bites. If you want to lose 30 pounds, decide how much you can lose each week. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound. Reducing your calorie intake and increasing your calorie output could create a deficit of 500 calories daily. That would cause you to lose a pound a week. A weekly goal of losing a pound weekly for 30 weeks would be an achievable plan.

Don’t overdo it, or you could fail.

Trying to reach your goal too quickly can put the goal and your health in jeopardy. If you’ve never exercised in your life or at least for several years, don’t overdo it. You need to learn proper exercise form and start slowly. If lifting the remote is the hardest task you’ve done recently, don’t try to lift barbells that weigh as much as you do. The chances of getting injured are great. That can set you back for months.

Weekly goals give you a deadline.

If you’re only focused on big goals and have a deadline but don’t have any monitoring in between, you may not start in time to achieve your goal healthily. Everyone’s had something to do that they knew about for months but failed to start until the last minute. Sometimes, it works out, but most of the time, it doesn’t, especially for fitness. Weekly goals keep you constantly focused. They motivate you to take action.

If you’re creating weekly goals, you need a method to measure your achievement. Your measurement tool should match your reason for the goal, like a scale and blood pressure readings when your goal is weight loss to lower your blood pressure.
Tracking your goals is also important. If you want to get fit to look better, take a selfie of yourself in something that clings to your body. Take them once a month. It’s easier to see the changes when you look at your starting photo.
If you have a workout buddy whose fitness level differs from yours, don’t compare yourself to your friend. Everyone needs to exercise at their own pace. Just focus on yourself and achieving your goals.
Before you start any exercise program or diet, check with your healthcare professional. Don’t give up if you have a setback. Fitness doesn’t improve in a straight line upward. Our trainers can help you get back on track.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness