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Prowler Push for Cardio Training

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Many of you are bored with traditional cardio methods and are seeking a new alternative. If you have never tried the Prowler for your cardio you are really missing out on a great workout. It gives you the unique ability to vary your load and change how you approach the exercise as a whole. I am going to discuss the benefits of the Prowler as well as give you some example workouts.

Cardio Training With the Prowler

The idea of cardio training is to raise your heart rate to increase the fat burning potential of your body. It is also aimed at conditioning you for whatever activities you participate in. Most people get their cardio training via running, biking or rowing. While these are awesome ways to get your cardio done, there are alternatives that can help you really change up your cardio routines. This, to me, is where the Prowler comes in!

The Prowler enables you to load up weight plates on it so you can vary the amount of resistance you are dealing with. A lighter weight gives you less of a cardio workout than a heavier weight. The good Prowlers (like the one pictured above) have the ability for you to push from the side where the weights are or from a lower point. Varying between those will give you a different kind of workout. This, in turn, gives you more flexibility in your cardio training and that’s a good thing.

The Prowler can be a real beast to attack. It depends upon how much weight you load up and how rough the surface is that you are using it on. Even just walking with the Prowler can be a major struggle!

Training Ideas With the Prowler

I generally do my cardio training at the end of my weight training session because it saves me from having to return to the gym to get my cardio done later. With that said, here are several ways to integrate the Prowler into your cardio training.

  • Running Prowler Push. Load up the Prowler with weight you can handle and then run 50 feet, turn the Prowler and run back 50 feet. Without resting, do this for 5 sets (a total of 500 feet). Rest for a minute and repeat this activity for 20 minutes.
  • Prowler Push/Air Squats. Load up the Prowler with a lighter weight. Push the Prowler for 50 feet using large steps (much like a walking lunge), turn the Prowler around and continue in the same manner for 50 feet. Upon returning to your starting point, turn the Prowler around, step back and do 20 air squats (bodyweight squats). Repeat this process for 20 minutes.
  • Prowler Ladders. Load up the Prowler with a moderate amount of weight. Make sure that the vertical bars where the weight goes are right in front of you. Push the Prowler for 10 feet. Now switch directions by going to the other side of the Prowler and pushing it from the low bars back the 10 feet. Now reverse direction again by pushing the Prowler from the vertical bars, this time going 20 feet. Reverse direction one more time by going to the other side of the Prowler and pushing it from the low bars back the 20 feet. Repeat this cycle until you reach 50 feet each way. Take a 1 minute rest and then repeat the process 5 times. You WILL feel this!

As you can see from the above 3 examples, the number of variables you can change when using the Prowler is high. You are limited only by your own creativity. If you have not included the Prowler in your existing cardio regimen, then now is the time to consider it. If you have, please leave a comment and let us know your favorite Prowler workout.

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6 Simple Steps to Clean Eating

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Eat Clean

Everyone and their grannies seem to be talking about Clean Eating, Eating Clean, Clean Foods, a Clean Diet, etc.

What is all this about?  I can wash my veggies, is that clean enough?  I shower before I cook dinner, does that count?

When I refer to Clean Eating or Eating Clean or following a Clean diet, I am referring specifically to Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet.    Tosca created this “diet” (it’s not really a diet, it’s more like a way of life) as she was once overweight and unhappy, as a way to change her eating habits to get in shape and be the healthiest she can be.

Eating Clean has to many benefits.  I mean, for one, it is NOT a diet, so you aren’t counting calories or restricting your body from anything, but instead you are fueling it with healthy nutrients it needs!

Once you begin Eating Clean you may notice:

  • Your clothes fit you better or you lose weight
  • Your skin clears up
  • Your digestive system begins to work correctly
  • You are sick less frequently
  • You have a ton more energy

Honestly, there’s so many benefits, these are just a few.  But what I REALLY want to talk about are the FIRST SIX baby steps you can take to begin Eating Clean!

1. Read Labels.   Honestly, most clean foods are found on the outskirts of the grocery stores – your meats and produce.  But for the items you will need to purchase in the aisles like oils, oats, etc, you need to know what you are buying.  So a quick rule of thumb – if you don’t know how to pronounce a word on the label, chances are it is man-made and thus not clean!

2. Prepare.  If you are like me you don’t enjoy eating salads day in and day out.  When you go out for lunch or dinner chances are you are getting who knows what in your foods.  So I prepare and cook all 6 meals I eat each day.  Sure, it is time consuming at first, but that is how I stay lean.  Once you get the hang of it, you will know what foods you will need for the week and you will be able to prepare them in no time.  But you have to plan ahead by getting everything you need at the store each week.

3. Pack a cooler.  Yep – bring your own clean foods!!  Clean food items that I find easy to put into tupperware are: batch-cooked chicken, frozen veggies, oatmeal with peanut butter and flax, pre-made smoothies, batch-cooked sweet potato, fruit, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey burgers, protein pancakes, etc.

4. Batch cook.  It’s a life saver!  Every Sunday I batch cook enough chicken for the week.  I cut off the fat, bake it with seasoning, and measure 3.5 ounces of it and put that much into a container with some mustard and frozen veggies, so I can grab one a day to bring to work.  I also batch cook sweet potato chips too.  Then I take the time to divvy up 1/4 cup of oats, 1 T natural peanut butter, 1 T ground flax, a pinch of protein powder and cinnamon to sweeten, so that way when I’m a zombie in the morning, all I need to do is add water and microwave.

5.  Pair a carbohydrate with a lean protein.  A protein is pretty self-explanatory – a food that’s calories primarily come from protein (fish, meat, dairy.)  A carbohydrate may be a starchy carb (wheat, grains, legumes, beans, potatoes), a fruit or a vegetable.  If you pair a protein with a carb you are less likely to have a spike in your insulin levels and the protein based food will also keep you full longer because your body takes longer to digest it.

6. Eat 5 – 6 times a day.  Eating Clean is meant to keep your metabolism roaring all day long.  If you go longer than 3 hours, most likely you have digested all of your food and your metabolism has slowed down.  Now do you get why you need to have a lean protein at each meal?  Tosca talks in great detail about serving sizes in her books, but generally your meals are much smaller now.  So you should not feel stuffed at the end of a meal, so trust me, you will want to eat again in a few hours!

I hope this helps make this lifestyle change to Clean Eating far less intimidating.  Honestly, Eating Clean changed my life and I hope it changes yours!  If you need help with this or putting together a meal plan, please email me!  kyra@thegetinshapeworkoutplan.com – I’d love to hear from you!

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5 Reasons to Use a Personal Trainer

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Personal Trainer

I used to be one of those guys who said he could do it all himself in the gym. I resisted any suggestion that I use a personal trainer. After having used a personal trainer for the past 4 months I am disappointed in myself for not having done so earlier. Here are my 5 reasons why you should use a personal trainer.

  1. They will teach you how to lift correctly. A personal trainer doesn't care about your ego. All they care about is getting the best results. That requires working the muscle and working it hard. Yes, there are times when you should use heavy weight, but even then you need to have correct form in order to lift correctly and get the results you are looking for. Sometimes doing an exercise just slightly wrong winds up working the wrong muscle group. The personal trainer knows this and will point it out to you.
  2. They will push you further than you can push yourself. Again, the personal trainer is after the maximum results for their client. As a result, they will tell you to do 5 sets of 15 reps and they expect you to get 15 reps on every single set. They won't let you quit short of the goal. If necessary they will assist your reps, but you will be getting the prescribed number whether you like it or not.
  3. They will attack your body to achieve your goals. Too many people use cookie-cutter workout routines that just don't work in the long run. A personal trainer will attack your body in a way that will help you achieve your goals. They will mix up exercises in a way that will keep your muscles guessing at all times.
  4. They will coordinate your nutrition with your training. A good personal trainer will take a big interest in your nutrition because they know that's where the results truly come from. They will adjust your nutrition to match your training. One way would be to include high carb days on the days you train large muscle groups and low carb days when you train smaller muscle groups. 
  5. They will hold you accountable. Much like the fact that they will push you harder than you can push yourself, a personal trainer will also hold you accountable. They will make sure you work your abs after each training session. They will make sure you do the lifts at the proper tempo without cheating. They will insure that you follow your nutrition plan correctly.

As you can see, these 5 reasons to use a personal trainer are pretty powerful. I suggest that you give a personal trainer a try. If you do not currently use a personal trainer, please comment on your reasons why you don't. If you currently use a personal trainer, tell us your reasons.

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Cheat Your Way Thin

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Cheat

Cheat your way thin is something most people only wish they could do. Most people believe the only way to true and lasting weight loss is to eat a very strict diet. While this is true to an extent, there are important factors that will eventually stall you out when sticking to a strict diet. Even when being extremely strict about what you eat progress will eventually stall out. This is due in large part to a hormone secreted by your fat cells called leptin. Unfortunately, leptin will hit you whether you are eating too much or not enough.

Leptin Issues When Overeating

When you eat too much your fat cells fill with triglycerides. This increases the release of leptin into your blood. This causes the leptin receptors to signal the brain that the body is all fueled up.

Leptin Issues When Undereating

When eating below maintenance levels your fat cells will shrink. This causes them to release less leptin. This decrease causes your brain to think the body is hungry. This will then cause the brain to signal an increase in the appetite.

Leptin Resistance

Yes, you can become resistant to leptin. This is a condition where the brain can’t determine when body fat is at an acceptable level. The fat cells send the leptin into the blood and the leptin receptors bind to it, but there is no signal to stop eating. The worst part is that you are still very hungry and will continue to eat more food.

What’s the Trick to Cheat Your Way Thin?

Just as the picture above depicts, have a high calorie cheat meal. It will help you to lean out in the long run by balancing the leptin levels. It would seem that 1 to 2 cheat meals a week is optimal for this purpose.

Conclusion on Cheat Your Way Thin

The conclusion is obvious. Don’t be so strict with your diet. Make sure to eat right and to eat enough. At the same time, include 1 to 2 cheat meals every week. This will take care of the problems leptin can cause you.

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Water for Fat Loss and Performance

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Drink Water for Fat Loss and Performance

Does water really assist with fat loss? The research on this seems to be mixed at the current time. This is a problem when it comes to you and I and our quest for losing fat—or is it?

The original research said that drinking cold water could raise your metabolism by as much as 100 calories. This is a significant increase and could definite assist with fat loss. However, the latest research says that the original research was wrong. It is now believed that water has very little effect on the metabolism. Does this mean you don’t need to drink water?

Personally I place more emphasis on the things I see and experience myself. This is why I drink 2 gallons of water every single day. I have seen that being hydrated increases my performance and helps me to lose fat. This is something I can directly point to in my fat loss efforts. When I didn’t concentrate on drinking enough water my fat loss was very slow. As soon as I focused on drinking enough water, fat loss gained momentum. It all makes a lot of sense.

Science has already proven that dehydration can effect mental performance (Archives of Environmental Health, Volume 43, Issue 1, 1988, pp. 15-17) and physical performance (Journal of Applied Physiology, September 3, 1957). Thus, as someone who wants to be in great shape, I understand that I need to drink water to optimize my training performance.

Yes, I drink 2 gallons of water every day (and some days it is even more). This took a lot of getting used to. However, it isn’t as difficult as it sounds. In fact, drinking 2 gallons of water probably isn’t necessary for most people. Most people are so dehydrated when they start that any amount of water intake is better than they were doing previously. Thus, my own recommendation is to pick up a 1/2 gallon jug and fill it every morning. Insure that it is empty by the end of every day. This will go a long way towards rehydrating your body and improving your performance.

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