Want to loose that last pesky 5kilos?! Top tips!

Bikini Body Summer Prep: 

Simple workout and Nutrition Tips

The summer always comes around sooner than expected and its time to stop hiding in your winter woolies and get ready for the fact that its bikini seasons only a few months away!

Want to get rid of that last pesky 5 kilos? Or tone up those love handles? Then this is the simple equipment free workout for you! To achieve these goals it is important to incorporate progressive overload in training for continual gains whether it be changing repetition ranges, exercises, weights, tempo, intensity as well as diet.

When training and aiming for weight loss or toning it is all about utilizing and burning your bodies fat stores as efficiently as possible. The best way to achieve this is targeting large muscle groups with minimal rest, as the muscle is metabolically active and requires calories to activate and use the muscle, hence larger muscles group exercises will burn more calories. Resistance training is the best method for weight loss when done efficiently as it will also increase your metabolism outside of training to recover and resynthesize muscles where as cardiovascular training does not as efficiently.

Weight training is crucial as it allows you to preserve your muscle mass as your body weight decreases resulting in higher metabolic activity, leaner and more toned physique, as opposed to cardiovascular exercise alone which looses both fat tissue and muscle tissue and slows down the metabolic rate. Workouts do not need to be lengthy for success as high intensity short duration exercise utilizing large muscle groups will raise your metabolism post training more than long duration steady state cardiovascular exercise alone, if your workouts are taking longer than 45 minutes your not training hard enough! If you get bored easy mix it up! Try some beach sprints, boxing, rock climbing, anything that get the heart rate up!

And lastly and most importantly it comes down to 80% nutrition and 20% exercise and there is no way of out training a poor nutrition! People who say I exercise so I can eat more only lead to weight gain or disappointment. Often people forget how crucial nutrition is in weight loss goals, simple changes such as consuming 5-6 small meals a day including small portions of lean meat, healthy fats, lots of vegetables and reducing starchy/simple carbohydrates intake to low GI sources such as sweet potato or brown rice can increase metabolism and promote weight loss and increase your lean mass to fat ratio (body fat %) in combination with strength training. Stick by the rule that if man made it check the ingredients, the less processed and more natural the better! Read the ingredient list and aim to not consume foods with added salt, non-natural sweeteners, trans fats, preservatives and additives which may be blocking weight loss and building up toxins in the body.

Choose supplements that will support your training and nutrition but don't rely soley upon them, supplements are there to support not make up for a poor diet or lack in training. Supplements are very individual to every person and I don't believe in giving out specific advice for anyone, seek help from a professional before supplementing such as www.muscleworx.com.au. I would advise the basics: 

1. A good quality fish oil: Aids in your energy levels, brain function, mobilising fatty acids within the body for weight loss and assisting your cholesterol levels, many many benefits!

2. A lean whey protein hydrolysed: Such as isolyze or proto whey, the more hydrolysed the better post workout as it is easier and faster to be absorbed by your body for recovery and replenishment as well as metabolised better.

3. Quality multivitamin: If your missing anything from your foods or have cut out certain foods a multivitamin will make sure your getting all your essential nutrients in and keep your energy levels high and immune system and adrenals in tact.

4. Magnesium: Aids with muscle recovery, sleep and also helps control chocolate cravings!

Other supplements I believe can be highly beneficial when required are: Zinc, pro-biotic, glutamine, BCAA, electrolytes, spirilina, green tea, chromium, vitamin C (again all individual yo your own personal needs and goals)

The circuit below is a combination of large muscle group areas that target every aspect of the body meaning overall strength and muscular gains. By working from upper body to lower body and front of the body to back it allows for minimal recovery periods to keep the heart rate up without doing steady state cardio training. The circuit includes basic exercises using your own body weight but can be adapted into a gym environment to add more resistance and progressions to progressively overload the muscles.

Aim to complete the circuit in 30 minutes getting in as many sets as possible. Begin with 10-12 reps with no cardio exercise in weeks 1-2, weeks 3-4 increase to 12-15 reps and add in the cardio exercise to progressively overload. Always record you’re training at aim to beat it every time, this circuit can be completed up to 3 times a week in combination with mobility and cardiovascular training for overall body composition gains. So grab a friend and give it a go!

1.     Athletic Lunges (quads/glutes)

(Alternate sides moving down the room, lift your knee between steps and squeeze your glutes, lunge down low and slow breathing in and push up through the heel fast breathing out)

2.     Inverted Row (back/biceps)

(Wide grip overhand on the bar, keep chest up and core tight, feet flat on the ground, pull up fast breathing out and slowly lower back to plank position)

3.     Cardio: 45 seconds high intensity (sprint, skipping, high knees, rower)

4.     FB Hamstring Curl/Ham Leans (hamstrings/calves)

(lay on back, feet on the fit ball, lift hips and hold, pull the fitball in with feet while lifting hips, slowly roll back out keeping hips high)

5.     T Push Ups (triceps/chest/core)

(hands just past shoulder width, body in plank position, lower down slowly breathing in, breath out push up and rotate to one side extending that arm to a T position and back into push up)

6.     Burpees (mobility)

(start standing, jump up then squat down, jump back keeping arms strong into a plank position and quickly jump back in and repeat)

7.     Reverse Crunch (Abdominals)

(laying on your back, hands overhead or under glutes for weak lower backs, legs in the air, thrust up using your upper abdominals rather than the legs breathing out, slowly down)

And lastly don't let those weekends undo all your hard work, I believe in having a cheat meal once a week but aim to not let it blow out to a cheat weekend or whole day, think about all the hard work you have put in and how much better you will feel for sticking to it over the weekend.

For more information contact Alice Round: Anytime Fitness Innaloo and Muscle Worx

ph 0430 504 224

email directly ali_round04@hotmail.com

Accredited Exercise and Sport Scientist/Nutritionist

Intervals: Burn fat fast and stop wasting your time doing boring steady state cardio!

Interval Training for Fat Loss, Speed, Power and improved Oxygen Uptake (VO2)

(HITT: High intensity interval training)

Would you rather spend 45 minutes casually jogging or cycling along at a slow and steady pace or would you rather get it over with in twenty minutes, leave feeling exhausted, short of breath and feel you have really pushed yourself to a sweaty fatigued state! I certainly know what I would choose and recommend to my clientele. 

There has been a lot of talk out there lately about interval training in particular HITT, which is really just re-phrased interval training. Interval training typically should be done at a HIGH intensity for it to be interval training, thus the new “HITT” is really just another word out there to describe it and really no different to the term interval training. There are other forms of interval training that are of different intensities such as fartlek etc, it is all dependent on your individual goals. 

The benefits of interval training are endless if done correctly paying attention to the following variables that can be modified and some suggestions:


Key Variables:

• Method: switch exercise methods (even use bodyweight exercises for intervals)
• Duration: increase or decrease the length of the interval
• Repetitions: increase or decrease the number of intervals per session
• Recovery: increase or decrease the rest time between interval

Mix up the interval Method:

• Sprinting outdoors, hills, stairs, soft sand is brutal!
• Strongman movements (Farmer's walks, tire flips, prowler!!! my favourite)
• Bodyweight intervals (e.g upper to lower: ball slams and Box jumps)
• Stationary cycle upright
• Cross Trainer
• Rower
• Swimming 

The Major Benefits over Steady State

Interval training has many benefits over steady state cardiovascular activity as it not only takes a much shorter period of time but it also raises your metabolic rate for a longer period of time once training has ceased. This effect is called EPOC (excess post exercise oxygen consumption) which means your body will consume a great deal of oxygen recovering from the exercise thus expending energy more so than any steady state workout which you recovery from very quickly. EPOC from intervals also means your blood sugar has been depleted from the muscles and the body therefor relies on fat as its primary energy source. Interval training promotes an increased VO2 (ventilator uptake of oxygen into the muscle, lunges etc.) which means you can exercise at a higher energy capacity for longer and higher intensity = improvements in aerobic and anaerobic fitness. 


Interval training isn’t mind numbing like steady state training, you have a specific goal in mind for the session and it is easier to focus and give it 100% than trying to do a boring 45-minute jog. Intervals do not cause as high spikes in cortisol due to recovery and energy pathways and metabolites utilised. Steady state activities spike cortisol when the body begins to become stressed by the repetetive exercise and produces oxidative stress on the body, steadily raising inflammation within the body. Cortisol is a stress response hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, it results in a breakdown of muscle protein into the blood stream resulting in metabolic disturbances. Your muscles will also be trained more efficiently for speed completing interval work, as your fast twitch fibers are firing more efficiently and more rapidly leading to increased muscular gains and athletic abilities.

Rest periods allow the body to recover and decreases the output of cortisol, as it knows you are allowing recovery and is therefor not under a continual state of stress=  lower cortisol response. High cortisol levels are linked with central adiposity (weight gain in your mid section). Biomechanically high intensity burst will also allow you to hold form and keep better structural balance throughout the body and reduce the risk of injury from steady state poorly biomechanics movements. E.g. compare sprinting technique and jogging, sprinting is much more biomechanically functional and efficient.

So I don’t know about you but I know id rather workout for 20 minutes than 45 and have a much better 6 pack at the end of it!!!

How to start?

SO what intervals can you do to begin?? Some examples are below, remember they are examples and everyone can be adapted in terms of type of exercise or length etc. Always start with a good warm up including dynamic exercises to get your heart rate elevated before you begin and also work you up functionally. These are generic interval training for fat loss, improved cardiovascular and general fitness, speed and power specific interval training will differ as will endurance interval training. Intervals can be time or distance based, there is no 100% right way, its also about progressive overload on the body for results meaning if you did 5 repetitions one week, aim for 6 the next or extend the interval period or shorten the rest. MIX IT UP!! Keep your body guessing. Remember intervals can be done on any equipment, if you can’t run swim, if you cant swim ride, if you cant ride row!

Intensity

Make sure it is of an extremely high intensity in your work periods. This is the key to effective interval training. You will be aiming to reach approx. 75-90% Max HR by the end of the interval period (rough estimate 220-age for HR max). By the end of the recovery period you want to feel recovered enough to hold a conversation but still slightly more breathless as the sets persist. If you find your not recovering extend your rest periods so that you can push your intervals harder. If you’re not exhausted after 20 minutes your not working at a high enough intensity or to much recovery.

Beginners:

Sprint flat 30 seconds, active rest 90 seconds (walk) x 5 repetitions= 10 minutes

Rower 30 seconds, rest 90 seconds x 5 repetitions=10 minutes = 20 minutes total

Intermediate:

Sprint 45 seconds incline or hill, rest 90 second x 7 repetitions= 15 minutes

Rower 30 seconds, Bench Hops 30 second, rest 30 seconds x 4= 5 minutes

Advanced:

Sprint flat 100m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 20m (rest 30 seconds between all) rest 3 minutes

Sprint flat 20m, 40m, 60m, 80m, 100m (rest 30 seconds between) rest 3 minutes end

Burpees 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 (rest 15 seconds between)

Great idea to finish off your sweaty fat blasting sessions with some core work, static stretching and re-hydration of electrolytes and water J And of cause post workout nutrition!

I personally perform intervals 1-3 times a week depending on my other training and goals. 20 minutes is enough to exhaust me! My favourite is hill sprints or 200s (10x 200m rest 1.5minutes between, running then between 27-30 seconds)

email alice@shredded.com.au for further questions

Enjoy! smash it

alice xx




References: 

Happy Easter Easter Egg Treats!

Alice's Tasty Easter Egg Variations

Now I’m not saying these are the healthiest things I have ever made by any means and they are not typically a part of your diet but as an alternative to Easter egg giving this year I decided to make some healthier alternatives for friends and family! My good friday boot campers sure enjoyed them as a post-workout treat with approx: 140 calories: 15g protein, 4g fat, 8g carbohydrates per serve

These little delicious treats can be tailor made to individual taste and requirements, have fun and play around with the flavors! My favorite is the caramel coconut yummy!

There slightly addictive, so go easy on the portions! Recipes make 10 serves. ENJOY!!!

Easter Eggs

Base Ingredients:

150g protein powder (I used chocolate WPI)

1-tablespoon coconut oil

1.5-tablespoon nut butter (peanut or almond depend on taste)

2 egg whites

tsp. vanilla essence (optional)

80g dark choc organic chips

¼ cup puffed rice (optional can use oats, extra nuts, fruit)

½ cup almond meal or LSA

¼ cup quinoa flakes (can use oats/amaranth puffs)

¼ to 1/2 cup warm water to mix

Makes approx. 10:

140 calories, 4.3g fat, 15g protein, 8g carbs

(approx., varies with ingredients)

VARIATIONS

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunchy Eggs

-       Peanut butter as above plus extra tsp.

-       Added ¼ cup slithered almonds or cashews

-       Removed quinoa and doubled rice puffs for extra crunch

Banana chocolate nutty eggs

-       Use half banana and half chocolate WPI protein powder (i used WPI banana)

-       Could add in mashed banana instead off egg whites to soften or no nut butter

-       Tsp cinnamon

Caramel Coconut Chocolate Eggs

-       2 Tablespoons sugar free caramel dip (no nut butter)

-       ¼ cup desiccated coconut 

Its not just the lower fat content, lower sugar content and higher protein content that is great about these its also the ingredients! They don’t contain nasty additives found in most chocolates on the shelf these days

Top 10 Ways to get more Vegetables into your diet! No excuses!

10 Ways to Liven up your Vegetables and Get Them into your Diet Daily! 

(Good ways to hide them from the kiddies also!)

I often have clients come to me and tell me how they struggle to get vegetables into there diet or just simply don't like them. To be honest not everyone does like veggies but when you look at the major benefits of vegetables in your diet and the vast extent of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals you miss out on when you don't include them daily its easy to see how important they are!

They provide us with low GI carbohydrates, energy (micro and macro nutrients), phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, fibre and powerful anti-ageing properties. There have been vast studies on vegetables benefits in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and many other major health concerns as an aid in fighting free radicals in the body as well as other vital roles.

Studies have shown that consuming a minimum of 5 serves of vegetables a day with a balanced diet can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease by at least 50% and help keep you within a healthy weight range meaning you stay trim, toned and healthier inside and out. I could go on with the benefits of vegetables but just give it a google, read research papers/books and see for yourself! The list of benefits are endless!

1. Eat at least 1 cup of vegetables before your protein and good fats

Fill up on veggies first! Sometimes client say they are simply not hungry enough to eat veggies or feel full after there protein or wasted calories on processed carbohydrates, eat at least 1 cup of veggies before consuming the rest of your meal and the fibre and water content of the veggies will make you feel fuller and prevent snacking later on. Its not hard, keep some bags of pre washed organic veggies in your fridge and toss on your plate.

2. Sneaky veggies! 

Grate them into your favourite patties, burgers, meatloaf etc! I love grating zucchini, carrot and chopped spinach and tossing them through turkey or chicken mince then cooking off mini burgers for snacks, very simple and easy and no mess. If I'm at home and i want to make this a dinner item I could add more veggies by placing them on a "bun" of a portobello mushroom and slice of beetroot and top with lettuce and avocado for a tasty burger alternative. I will post this recipe for bun less turkey burgers :) Sneak them into these food items and the kids (or fussy partner!) won't notice the changes and will give the food added flavour without preservatives or gluten based sauces. Stuff some capsicums with chicken mince, grated veggies and quinoa or brown rice for a delicious family meal.

3. Omelettes, get your veggies in at breaky!

Breakfast is often a time where people consume high fructose, gluten containing processed cereals, drinks etc when this is the most important meal of your day! It sets up your neurotransmitter sites which relate to hormones and energy levels as well as blood glucose repines from the foods you consume at this meal. Sneak some veggies in early in the day to kick start your metabolism, fill you up and incase you forget later in the day. Think how delicious an omelette or frittata can be with added veggies such as sautéed mushroom, spinach, capsicum, kale etc added. Or simply poach a couple of eggs and serve with some yummy steamed asparagus, spinach and avocado. If your pressed for time in the morning pre cut some veggies the night before and hard boil a few eggs and combine with a handful of nuts for a real morning energy boost.

4. Powdered veggies or green supplements, fibre boosters

I am defiantly not saying replace your veggies with supplements but I am saying that if you are time poor or struggle to keep vegetables or dishes cool during the day then think about adding a supplemented green super food powder such as poliquin primal greens or red etc to your protein shake for a more complete meal or simply with water if you are lacking veggies in your day. Spirilina caps and fibre supplements are also something to be considered if you are lacking getting veggies into your diet. A protein shake with powdered greens is a great meal supplement during a meeting or on the go idea, add some nuts for a hit of good fats.

5. Drink your veggies!

If you struggle to get in your veggies look at making a juice or smoothie. You can pack it with as many veggies and combinations to your own individual taste and is fast, efficient and packed full of nutrients. I love a green smoothie, I make mine with kale, spinach, celery, 1/2 cup blueberries, ground almonds or flaxseed, water, ice, squeeze of lime juice and often plain protein powder or natural pot set yoghurt for an energy boost.

6. Veggie sticks for snacks, prepare your veggies in advance

Chop up a large amount of raw veggies early in the week such as celery, capsicum, carrot etc and leave in containers in the fridge. This will mean less meal prep and a simple thing for you to snack on when you open the fridge and go for quick items rather than say a block of chocolate! Have them as a snack with a protein source and some good fats. Great for kids lunch boxes!

7. Make your veggies a bit more exciting

Think of how you like your veggies cooked and ways to make them more enticing and tasty. Think sexy veggies, remember we eat with our eyes so you want to make your food visually appealing. Add herbs and spices or some organic butter. Think steamed, mashed, roasted, sautéed, raw, salads, stir frys. I love making veggie mash! Simply steam broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage and then blitz in food processor or mash with some cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, salt pepper. Store in the fridge for up to a week and chuck a scoop in your meal prep! Simple and delicious, add any veggies you like!

8. Use frozen veggies if your time poor

Frozen veggies retain nutrients very well so don't stress about the nutrient value when using them unless you blanch them straight into a steaming pot of water then you will loose nutrient value. Simply steam frozen veggies an enjoy. Very fast, efficient and easy but remember to get in fresh produce also and rotate your vegetables. Try to avoid canned vegetables as they usually contain added sodium and loose nutrient value sitting in water.

9. Roasted veggies or veggie chips/dips

Make your own roasted veggies such as brussels sprouts, sweet potato, pumpkin, broccoli, kale etc with a dash of olive oil, salt/pepper and some rosemary or spices, delicious!

I love kale chips, simply toss kale with olive oil and salt and cook in oven for 10-15 minutes until crunchy, enjoy as a snack with some cottage cheese or lean protein :)

Make veggie dip! Mash up steamed veggies into a dip, you can add in extra protein and good fats from things like natural yoghurt, cottage cheese, avocado, nuts, almond meal etc. Dip and enjoy with veggie sticks for a double dose!

10. Join a vegetable delivery service so you always have stores and no excuses

There are now many online services available to order fresh produce to your door! This is fantastic for busy people who struggle to find time to get to the shops. You can get it shipped at specific times or even to your work for convenience.

Try the following:

www.thelettuceshop.com.au

www.perthorganic.com

www.freshcorp-lp.com.au

www.fruit-express.com.au

www.freshline.com.au

www.organicgreen.com.au

No excuses now to not get in at least 5 serves of veggies a day! :)

Have a great day! Train hard,

Alice x

Atlantic Ginger Salmon and Asparagus: Simple Clean Dinner Recipe

Dinner: Tasty Atlantic Crispy Coconut Ginger Rosemary Salmon on a bed of Asparagus

Currently I am in the process of competing, this means some of my delicious treats are off the menu and certain food items are limited, but its not all bad! I get to eat declines foods such as fresh and tasty seafood, yumm! Salmon is one of my favourites rich in omega-3s, high in protein and did i mention tasty! Pair it with simple steamed asparagus and you have got yourself a winner!

Ingredients:

Portion of fresh Atlantic Salmon

1 Tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp rosemary

squeeze lime juice

Asparagus

Method:

Simply heat pan, add coconut oil and put on water for steaming asparagus. When boiled put asparagus in steamer for 10 minutes

Mix together other ingredients garlic, ginger, rosemary, lime, dash salt (pink best)

Place salmon in pan when hot, paste with marinade,

Cook for 4-5 minutes per side.

Serve with steamed asparagus and possibly some spinach and avocado.

Simply clean, delicious and simple, good nutrition doesn't have to be hard.

ENJOY
Alice xx
Shredded Strength Institute, Floreat, WA
www.shredded.com.com
ali_round04@hotmail.com for more info on training or nutrition