Surviving The Holidays!

It's that time of year again! Christmas cheer is in the air, we're all out getting our shopping for family and friends finished up, and everyone is counting down the days until December 25th. It's a very exciting time, for some of us it's the one time of the year where the whole family comes together! But where there's family and holidays, get togethers and parties are there too! So for those of you who have just started or have adopted a fitness/nutrition program it can be very hard to stay on track when all that food/alcohol is put in front of you daily. The last thing you want is to gain 5, 10, or 15lbs over the course of the holidays and set your health and fitness program back after all those weeks/months of hard work!

But fear not! I am here to provide you with some helpful tips on how to avoid destroying your results over the holidays.

Bring your own snacks: If you bring your own veggie plates/fruit bowls to the party then you have no excuse to not eat well. Every holiday get together always has plenty of chips and dip or deep fried snack plates, and when you haven't eaten all day then you are just asking to cheat on your nutrition plan! Provide your own healthy options and you will never have any reason to stray.

Avoid Excess Alcohol: Alcohol, ohhhhhh boy! This one has to be the hardest one for almost everyone. During the holidays there is always wine flowing, beers in every fridge, and plenty of rum or what ever else you like. I am not saying don't enjoy a drink with the family, but you need to know that alcohol (especially when mixed with juices/soda) is exceptionally high in calories. It is the easiest way to destroy your diet and gain extra pounds. We also tend to make very poor food choices when intoxicated, making alcohol the "gateway" to poor food choices.

Keep Up Your Workout Program: Yes your holidays are a break, a break from work and daily stress. However, it is not and should never be a break from your workout! Take your workout with you, body weight exercise can be done anywhere at any time. If you can workout 3 days a week for 20 mins, that's all you need to maintain your fitness! If you are unsure of what to do then ask your trainer for a home program you can follow for a week. Push ups, lunges, squats, dips, planks, chin ups and burpees are a great base to start with and you can even get creative with them.

Don't Over Eat: I know Christmas dinner only happens once a year, but that doesn't give you a reason to eat until you feel like you'll burst! Be sensible people, eat until you are satisfied and not stuffed!

Avoid Desert: Oh desert, the meal we eat after we have already eaten! Such a gluttonous thing to do! Avoid this sugary lump of junk, or limit yourself to one small portion.

... Now, these are just a few simple tips. If you use common sense, avoid junk food, and continue to workout then you should be fine for a week or two. As soon as the holidays are over make sure to get right back into your regular fitness/nutrition routine and work hard!

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

The Workout Of The Stars

If you have kept up with action movies the past few years then you may have noticed a trend in the look of your favourite actors bodies. Many of them are getting into outstanding shape and transforming their bodies in a matter of months to prepare for a role. In case you have been living in a cave the past 5 years then let me hi-light some movies for you such as 300, Casino Royal, Blade 3, Wolverine, and the soon to be released Ninja Assassin. In each of these films the star, or in some cases the whole cast, has had nothing short of stellar physiques. What's their secret you might ask? Simple! Hard work, high intensity training, and a natural diet.

It's nothing new, it's what produces that lean athletic look in a short amount of time and there are videos to prove this point (click here for a link to a video about how the actors trained for the movie "300")(Click here for a video on how Rain trained for his role in "Ninja Assassin"). The secrets of the stars are not so secret, it's just that people are always looking for an easy way out. No one wants to hear that the people in the movies are just like you and me and that they worked hard to get that body. No one wants to hear that they eat like a saint and avoided all that deep fried junk at the local bar. Everyone wants to hear that they took some special pill or did some long lost exercise that changed them in a matter of weeks.

Well everyone it's not magic, there is no pill or long lost exercise ... just hard work and dedication. Now even though the movies mentioned above consist of mainly a male cast, the benefits for women going through the same style of training will be the same. Everyone will get stronger, leaner, more toned, and have more energy when they perform high intensity training. It's what I practice, and it's what I have been teaching for years. You'll see in the videos above that they are training with kettlebells, body weight, and compound movements ... things that we use each and every day at Jungle Fit - Personal Training. So there you have it, the "secret workout of the stars" ... not so mysterious after all! If you want to have results like you have been seeing in films then give Jungle Fit - Personal Training a try. You have nothing to lose except the weight!

You Are What You Eat

What you put into your mouth is what is going to make the biggest change, not only in how you look without clothing, but also in your energy levels, how you sleep, and how you think! I can not stress enough the importance of natural eating and a paleo style diet. If you are working out currently and have not changed your eating patterns from the regular processed foods, deep fried crap, too much grains, coffee with 2 sugars and cream, and only eating 2-3 times per day, then you are not getting half of the results you should be seeing.

Once again, the paloe diet consists of lean protein, veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts, and berries. Cut out the wheat, dairy, and processed foods and watch your body change in a matter of weeks. I am not only speaking for my clients who have transformed their own bodies, but I am also speaking from my own experience. Changing my own diet along with functional exercise allowed me to drop 40lbs in 4 months and keep it off. It took a long time to figure out and really come to terms with the fact that I could not make drastic lasting change in my body without getting my own diet on lock down. It's not always easy to change, but it is what we all need to do to not only have an outstanding bod, but to also perform at our very best at anything we choose to do in life. You need to look at food as fuel, and only put good fuel into your body.

Try a peleo diet for a week or two and you WILL see amazing results.

- Eat some sort of lean protein with each meal: Chicken, Fish, Turkey, Lean Beef, Eggs,

- Fill up on veggies with each meal any type you like and make sure to change them up!

- Use fruits as snacks and eat them between meals as well as in the morning with break fast.

- Eat healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, almond butter, olive oil, coconut/coconut milk, avocado

- Eat 5-6 times per day every 2-3 hours (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack etc.)

... remember there are tons and tons of combinations you can make with the items above. Eat lots of veggies, make sure you are getting plenty of meat with each meal, use your nuts and fruits for snacks, and eat lots ... there is no need to be hungry! Eat natural, the way are bodies are designed to eat and you will see the changes you have always wanted.

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.WEEBLY.COM

No Change ... Then Make Change.

So you started working out and at first you were seeing great results. You lost body fat, you were looking great, and when you walked around the house you would have to keep pulling your pants up to stop them from falling off! You were actually excited to go and push yourself through a tough workout or eat those veggies and lean meat. You thought you had found the workout you had been looking for all these years.

But all of a sudden the results just stopped!

Out of no where, with out changing a thing, your results just came to a stand still. It's a very, very frustrating situation ... but the problem doesn't lie in what you are doing. The problem is what you are not doing ... changing your workout.

Our bodies are smart, much smarter than we give them credit for, with in weeks your body will adapt to your program and change is what's needed to keep your body guessing and provide you with continued results. When you make changes/progressions to your workout your body will have to change and now adapt to the new stress you are putting it through.

So lets say you have been attending a group fitness class for 2 months and you had great results, but lately you have been upset with the lack of results. The majority of group fitness classes involve a whole lot of cardio and very little resistance training. Resistance training would be the change you need to continue seeing results. A little extra muscle (no worries ladies you will NOT look like a man!) will help you to burn calories 24 hours a day 7 days a week even at rest. Resistance training doesn't have to be standing in front of a mirror watching yourself curl a bar or sitting on a chest press machine.
Heck NO! Resistance training can be done with your own body weight, kettlebells, resistance bands and much, much more. Your programs and training can always change and become new and interesting regardless of your current fitness level.

Once again, after a few weeks your body will adapt to your new workout program involving resistance training. So what do we do now that you are not seeing change from that program? That's right ... change the program again and make it harder! Jump into some high intensity training, work with more advanced exercises, switch from straight sets to super sets, or work with heavier weights. The changes are endless.

Making changes to your program is something that needs to be done with a lot of thought and some knowledge of how to progress safely and effectively. A good personal trainer will not only help you achieve your goals, but they will also teach you how to continue to get results and stay healthy/fit for the rest of your life. There is no replacement for working one on one with a great trainer, make the jump and it will pay off.

After all, it's foolish to do the same thing day after day and expect a different outcome.


www.jungle-fit.weebly.com

You Have The Power To Change Your Life!

For many people little things keeps us from achieving our dreams. Those dreams/goals could be deal with our personal lives, job, or fitness. For most people, the only thing standing in your way between your dreams and making them a reality is procrastination, fear, and excuses.
What are you waiting for? You're sitting around saying, "Some day I will get in shape!" or "One day soon I will quit smoking or get that job I want!". My question to you is ... why not right now?! You and only you have the power to change your life, you hold the key to unlocking your dreams, you can make it happen.

Most people avoid change because they are afraid. They may have a fear of failing, a fear of being hurt, or a lack of security. So we sit back and say, "Oh some day I will get this done!" but what if that "some day" never comes. You will have spent your whole life never realising your dreams, never exploring what you can achieve.

This is a massive problem for many of you looking to get back into shape. The excuses are numerous, I have no time, my family needs me at home, work is too crazy right now etc. But the fact is no matter how you slice it, those are all excuses because deep down you are afraid. Do you want to know whats really scary, health issues from not being in shape and not taking action now! Your work is busy, but how good will you be at work when you can no longer stand all day or show up due to illness or a frequent health issue, and what if you have no health benefits with your job? Sure your family needs you around, and you may miss a few moments with them, but your family really needs you to be healthy, fit , and alive! Wouldn't you rather be able to run around and play soccer with your kids rather than sit in a chair and watch them because your joints are so stiff and dry that you can't move the laundry without throwing out your back! Wouldn't it be nice to be actively involved in your children's activities without getting out of breath of hurting yourself. Children learn from example, so if they watch mom or dad working out and staying active then they will want to workout and stay active too.

I can't tell you how many people claim they have no time to workout, yet have time to sit and watch 4 hours of t.v and eat a bag of chips or 2 muffins a night. Come on be honest with yourself, if you can find 30 mins 3 times a week that's all you need to transform your body! Or how about those who claim that personal training costs too much, but they can spend tons of money on new clothes that they will wear once and throw in the closet, or eat fast food 6 times a week. Did you know 2 meals at a fast food joint costs about as much as 1 session by Jungle Fit - Personal Training, heck one meal might even cost more than 1 boot camp class!

Working out doesn't have to cost much or anything at all! You have your own body, learn some body weight exercises and put together a program for yourself, or get a trainer to put one together for you. Take small steps at first like walking instead of driving or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stop eating junk food and put real food into your mouth, remember that food is your fuel and you need to treat it that way. Veggies and Fruit really don't cost that much, and no one ever became fat from eating them along with lean meats. If the gym is boring or you're not seeing results then hire a good trainer to spice things up and get you the results you need.

The power for change in your life lies inside you, and you know deep down that you can make a change, no matter what kind of goal you have. Those fears you inside you are easily over come, and you must get to the root of them. If you are one of these people who are putting off achieving your dreams, I suggest you go take a good hard look in the mirror and ask your self,"What is stopping me?". Chances are your mind will answer with a ton of excuses, you need to see through them and decide to make a change, you need to make it now or change will never come. Fear, worry, and procrastination will kill your results, they will get you no where fast! Attack your goals and never let up until they are achieved. Remember, when you are ready to make that change Jungle Fit - Personal Training is here to help and push you to your goals.

... You can do it, just believe. www.jungle-fit.weebly.com

High Intensity Exercise, What We Need!

Why don't we run long distance in Jungle Fit? When do we workout our abs with sit ups? What muscle are we working right now? These are just a few of the questions I get asked almost daily from my clients. I am sure that I will be asked them, and many other questions thousands of times again, but lets try and clear some things up right now!

Jungle Fit - Personal Training focuses on functional exercises that work large muscle groups. We then create workouts that push your body to its limits through high intesity training involving these functional exercises. It's a unique blend of strength training, high intesity anaerobic training, and flexibility/mobility training to turn your body into a lean, functional machine.

So why don't we isolate your muscles, why don't we run for long distances, and why the heck do we push ourselves so hard? The answer is very simple, to make turn body into a well oiled machine and get you into the best shape possible!

All of our exercises work multiple muscles groups, we never isolate muscles. The more muscles you work the more calories you burn, and the better your body functions in everyday life and athletics. Isolating muscles is for body builders, and most people are not body builders and don't want to be one! Body building will leave you unbalanced and greatly reduce your mobility. Kettlebell snatch, front squats, handstand push ups, burpies etc etc etc , will produce a stronger body than any biceps curl, leg extension, or pec dec machine ever will.

We push ourselves to the limit with high intensity anaerobic training instead of long distance cardio because it burns more calories than stready state cardio. High intensity training burns more over all calories, there for it burns more calories from fat. This style of training also promotes lean muscles gains by boosting you HGH (human growth hormone). Trust me, you do not want to look like a long distance runner ... just take a look at the picture above! It's no secret! People have known about this style of high intensity training forever. It's what produces the best athletes, it's what gives that lean athletic look, and it's what provides results along with a solid nutrition program.

Jungle Fit - Personal Training and our style of training is the real deal. We don't mess around, there are no silly machines, but we get the job done! You will see the results you want that you have never had with any gym. You will be able to do things you never thought possible and move with the greatest of ease. You will feel so much stronger than before and look amazing!

If you are ready to get that body you want, if you are ready to change your life, then we are here for you! Just visit www.jungle-fit.weebly.com for prices and details.

Do You Need A Personal Trainer?

There are numerous reasons to hire a qualified personal trainer. You might even need one yourself and just not know it yet! Sounds weird I know, but if you fall into any one of the following categories you may want to look into getting yourself a qualified personal trainer.

1. Your doctor has told you that you need to lose extra body fat/weight because it is causing health problems and putting your life/health at risk. A qualified personal trainer can not only help you get down to a healthy weight, but teach you how to stay there for life.

2. You are regularly attending group fitness classes and have seen results but feel they have slowed down. Group classes are a great thing, however nothing can replace the one on one personal attention that you get with your own trainer. A good trainer will push you to places you have never thought possible, and help you get to your goals 80% faster than anything else!

3. You are taking group classes or workout at a gym and are unsure if you're doing every exercise with the right form. Having poor form on exercises can and most likely will lead to injury. Buying a few sessions with a trainer will not only help your form but also help you perform you best in the gym or during your group classes.

4. You hate going to the gym and need motivation. Lets face it, most people don't enjoy working out. It can be intimidating to go to the gym, especially when you are unsure of what you are doing. Having your own private trainer to push you through your workouts and stay on top of your attendance will really, and I mean really help you if you have no motivation. Plus, with your own private trainer there is no intimidation factor of a large gym!

5. You already workout or play sports and want to push yourself to that next level. Having a private personal trainer can do leaps and bounds for your sport performance as well as take you to new levels in your workouts.

6. You have a specific area you need to impove. Some people need to work on their flexibility, some need to get stronger, and some just need to be able to move with ease as they age. What ever your need is, a qualified trainer can create a program to suit that need.

7. You enjoy company while working out. Having a workout partner can be great to take your mind off of the hard moments, and to help push you through your sticking points. What's better than having a great training partner who can not only motivate you and keep you company, but also get you where you want to be 80% faster!

8. You started to get back into shape, but fell off the wagon and need help getting started again. It's not always easy to get back into working out, and having a trainer to help keep you on track just might be what you need to get back into the swing of things! Don't put it off for too long because you don't want to end up getting a trainer for the reasons stated in #1.

9. You are tired of trying to get into shape for summer or any other season and want to look amazing all year round! This is the goal everyone should be shooting for, and belive it or not, it is possible. Besides, most people start too late in their quest to get that beach body for summer. At the very least you want to start gearing up for summer 4-6 months before June, and a qualified trainer can make sure you get the results you want all year round and not just for summer!

10. You just want to feel better about yourself and your life. Getting into shape changes your life, not just in a physical sense but also mentally. When you look better and like what you see you feel better about yourself and it shows. Along with the fact that you will be stronger, leaner, toned, and flexible you will also have a hightend sense of confidence in how you look and your capabilities.

... A great trainer is worth his in gold. Do yourself a favour, if any of these sound like you then start thinking seriously about getting yourself a qualified personal trainer. You may consider Jungle Fit-Personal Training , a natural/functional approach to fitness, from a highly qualified trainer. You have nothing to lose but the weight and gain the body and life you want. Just head to www.jungle-fit.weebly.com and find out how to get started on your own personal training program today!