Workout Routine: Best Way to Tone the Arms

I know alot of women focus on toning their arms for their big day as that's an area that is visible during pictures and whatnot.  Here's a workout that can help you get those sculpted and toned arms and shoulders you've been dreaming of.  The key to this workout is the high repetitions, feel those muscles burn!  We'll use a few simple exercises that you can perform with a pair of weights, almost anywhere.

Alternating Bicep curls

Alternating Shoulder presses

Alternating Tricep extensions

Workout:
Alternating Bicep Curls - 1 set of 50
Alternating Shoulder Presses - 1 set of 50
Alternating Tricep Extensions - 1 set of 50
No rest in between sets

Rest for 90 seconds after you've completed the full set of 3 exercises and repeat 4 times in total

Note: anyone engaging in exercise for the first time should first consult a physician.  Also, to ensure good form please consult with an experienced professional or personal trainer. As well, please use a spotter as an additional safety factor.  Always warm up before workouts and stretch after workouts

Healthy Tips: Variety is the Spice of Life Part 2

So I've posted about introducing variety into your workouts as an important way to keep your muscles guessing and continuous results.  It's also important to have variety in your diet, which should include a balanced mix of fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. 

Here are some tips on making eating more interesting and obtaining the health benefits at the same time.

• Try different colors of fruits and vegetables each day - they are filled with vitamins and minerals and the different colors contain different benefits
• Instead of boring white rice, try wild rice or quinoa - complex carbs are much better for you then simple ones
• Eat different meats, I know there are lots of steak lovers out there but what about pork, chicken and lamb - protein comes in multiple forms
• Try fish for dinner like sea bass or salmon - fish is loaded with healthy oils
• Have a vegetarian meal for a change - I personally love my tofu

Different foods obviously provide different nutrients so try some of everything.  Besides, we all get bored of eating the same thing anyways, so this is your chance to add some spice to your life. 

What Not To Do: Fitness Tip of the Week

Rowing is a great full body exercise, just watch your form

Rowing FAIL - watch more funny videos

Jersey Shore: Fuggedaboutit

What's with all the hype about Jersey Shore?  I've never seen an episode of the show, but it seems to be all over the tube and Internet.  All I know is that it's another MTV reality show, but this time features a bunch of people from Jersey who live by the mantra:  Gym, Tan, Laundry. 

I saw poster's of them for sale at HMV right next to the holographic Justin Bieber one.  I just think it's strange how a group of reality show stars, who aren't even actors, can have their own merchandise.  These guys have no talent, but to be their goofy selves on national television, yet they've been idolized and immortalized.  The next thing you know there will be posters of all the YouTube sensations out there.

I've never been a fan of reality shows, but this show seems to have become a part of pop culture in the new millenium.  I guess every generation has their shows that they can look back and laugh at.  I grew up in the 80's and looking back we had some pretty cheesy television too. 

Kickboxing Classes

$20 for a 10 Class Pass to Kickboxing & Muay Thai at Mike Miles Muay Thai & Kickboxing ($200 Value)

Round-housing cardboard banana crates is a great way for lowly stock boys to curb managerial bullying, but it's still not the same as real Kickboxing. The latter offers a disciplined cardio workout, while the former serves as nothing more than a potential H/R complaint. Learn the ways of righteous martial arts without sending your boss to the infirmary with today's fantastic deal: $20 for a 10 Class Pass to Kickboxing & Muay Thai at Mike Miles Muay Thai & Kickboxing ($200 Value)

If you want to get in shape, learn self-defence, meet new people, or even compete, then Mike Miles Muay Thai & Kickboxing Academy is for you. They are a professional and certified facility offering classes that are safe and never too intimidating for newcomers or non-Schwarzeneggarian folks to handle; in fact, over 70% of their members are women!  Their Cardio Kickboxing class is an intensive full-body work out that is guaranteed to get you sweating and aching just the way you want, and their fun and friendly atmosphere and professional attitude is sure to keep you coming back for more.

Mike Miles Muay Thai & Kickboxing opened their first gym in Calgary in 1977 and have since grown to open a second facility in Calgary, plus affiliate locations in Edmonton, Cochrane and Lethbridge. They mean business, and they mean to help you achieve your goals, so don't delay. Call now to make your appointment.

Healthy Tips: Your Life Summed Up

I love this snippet.  It's YOUR life!

Borrowed from http://reflectionof.me/this-is-your-life

1 Hour Massage for $40

$40 for a 1 Hour RMT Therapeutic Massage with Why Knot ($80 Value)

• Expires at the end of day today
• 60 minute RMT (Registered Massage Therapist) massage for only $40!
• Therapeutic massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue structures of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress and to promote health and wellness.
• Relaxing atmosphere and a professionally trained staff.

Why Knot

T: 403-270-0854

201-121A 14th Suite NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6

Healthy Recipes: Marinated Vegetable Salad

For those who don't like the leafy salads, try out this heartier one

salt/pepper
1 stick of celery
1 small carrot
1 cauliflower crown
1 broccoli floret
1/2 can of baby corn
1/2 cup of light italian dressing

Cut celery and carrots into bite sized pieces
Cut the cauliflower and brocolli tops into bite size pieces, do not include the stem parts
Drain baby corn and cut into bite size pieces
Add a sprink of salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients in bowl with dressing and let it marinate for a couple of hours
Serve chilled

Healthy Tips: Breaking Down the Numbers for a Healthy Diet

I have clients ask me often what is the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats to eat throughout the day.  When I was a kid, I thought that based on their recommendations, I would be spending half my life just eating!  That was until I learned what  portion size was, and then it became easy to follow. 

I personally don't like to make it a science as I believe that as long as you have a balanced, healthy diet, you should be fine.  However, some of us are number's people, so here's a breakdown of health Canada's recommmended daily intake:

The total portions is about 20 in total throughout the day.  If you break that down over three meals, that's about seven portions each and to me that is a nice balanced meal.  If you snack throughout the day, don't forget to include these foods in your count, which will essentially decrease your servings at meal times.

Here's a sample of what you could have to meet these daily requirements:

Breakfast:  Yogurt (2 serving) with bran buds (1 serving) and a banana (2 servings)
10am Snack:   Apple (2 servings)
Lunch:  Roast Beef (2 serving) sandwich on whole grain bread (4 servings) with lettuce/peppers/tomato slice (1 serving)
Afternoon Snack:  Snap peas (1 serving)
Dinner:  Grilled chicken breast (2 servings) with wild rice (2 servings) and grilled asparagus (2 servings)

This plan isn't anything extravagant, but it's balanced and healthy.

Workout Routine: Killer Ab Workout

Here's an awesome abdominal workout that I do every couple of weeks ago.  Be forewarned that this will burn!

Hanging leg raises (if you can't hang, find a dip machine and do it from there)

Hanging knee raises

Decline situps

Perform 30 repititions of each exercise without stopping. 

Have a 60 second rest in between sets and repeat this entire set 3 times

Note: anyone engaging in exercise for the first time should first consult a physician.  Also, to ensure good form please consult with an experienced professional or personal trainer. As well, please use a spotter as an additional safety factor.  Always warm up before workouts and stretch after workouts.

Funny Training Story: Afternoon Tea

I’ve been training with friends and clients on and off since I was 18.  It’s been a wonderful journey learning about my own training as well as learning how to train and motivate others.  There are always those moments in life that sit fondly in your memories and here’s a few learnings that I’ve collected along the way

Afternoon Tea

Your chest is one of the larger muscles on your body, so it’s sensible that one would want a spot while trying to push their maximum weight on the bench press.  Now there’s a proper way to spot and an not so proper way to spot.  Apparently, I chose the latter this time.

So my buddy decides he wants to press a full plate on each side for the first time, and being a good friend, I’m there to spot him while he achieves this milestone.  So I position myself by his head while he prepares on the bench.  He grips the weight with all his might and with my help lifts it off the bar.  He pushes through three reps without a problem and then suddenly stops and puts the bar back on the rest. 

I’m confused as to why he would do this, so I ask him what happened.  These were his words, “You are teabagging me each time I do a rep, I could feel your package on my forehead”.  I burst into laughter while he scowled in disgust.  Apparently, while spotting him, I was squatting with the weight and therefore “tapping” his forehead by accident. 

Lesson learned:  Bend at the hips and not the knees when spotting

What Not To Do: Fitness Tip of the Week

Run! Run! As fast as you can!

Treadmill FAIL - watch more funny videos

Sports Betting

Now I'm not a major gambler but I do love my hockey pools.  It's a chance to test my hockey expertise against my buddies and act like an NHL GM for a year.  We have a salary cap as well as some limitations on different positions we can draft, but our ultimate goal is to construct the best team possible each month.  I'm glued to my iphone every night checking on scores to see how my players are doing and some see it as a waste of time, particularly my significant other, but I find it so much fun! 

Lately I've been cursing Kovalchuk for not carrying his weight with his massive contract and hoping that Dobberhockey was right about Pekka Rinne and Nashville doing well this season as he's my goalie and was my second round pick.  Hopefully Dustin Byfuglien get in a couple of fights because I've tagged him as my goon and he needs 16 minutes in penalties to reach his goon status. 

I'm not a big Winter sports guy, so I consider my hockey pools my sport during the chilly months.  Bonding time with his buddies, beer, hockey and a little bit of wagering.  What more could a guy ask for?

Live Long and Well by Investing in Yourself

I’ve met some people who eat like crap and refuse to do any physical activity.  Now they are educated and intelligent people that have the means for a healthy lifestyle, but they choose not to.  What I don’t understand is that they will invest money into stocks, funds or other investments, however they refuse to invest any money into their health. 

Shouldn’t health be a higher priority?  If you’re always confined to a hospital bed or a dialysis machine, how can you expect to enjoy life?  Without health, everything is inhibited; a simple task as going to the store to get milk can be difficult, let alone travelling on a plane.

Let’s not think of eating properly and exercising as a chore, instead look at it as investing in you.  You are building your portfolio through diversification and investing in the best life prolonging assets for your future.  Like your RRSPs, these investments are meant to ensure you have a healthy path well into retirement. 

After all, if you were dead, you wouldn’t be around to spend your fortunes anyways.

Healthy Tips: The Beginner's Take of Hot Yoga

I've always enjoyed yoga, it calms the brain, stretches the muscles and soothes the soul.  Being the fitness fanatic that I am, I finally had a chance to give hot yoga a try.  I mean how bad could it be?  It's just yoga in a warm room right?  Boy was I wrong.

So I am one of those people who sweat alot, it's like I have a furnace burning inside me at all times, so I don't need extra heat to stay warm, I could probably be the poster boy for hyperhydrosis.  That should have been the first indicator that this class wasn't going to be a great fit for me.  But there was this coupon going around for 20 session for 20 bucks, how could I turn that down?  I'm Asian afterall.

So here's my first impression of hot yoga:

Free facial:  If you're looking to clean your pores, this is for you.  Who needs neutrogena when you have hot yoga.  I could have filled my water bottle with my sweat and it seemed like all the water I put in was coming right back out of my pores. 

Nudists allowed:  When I first walked in I noticed a guy wearing only a pair of short shorts.  At first I thought, what a dweeb, but after the session I realized what a genius he was!  The less clothes you wear the better and try to wear the breathable material that pulls the sweat off your skin so you don't feel like a sweaty sock.  Remind yourself that it can get to 40C in the room.

Towel service:  I didn't bring a towel, so I ended up using my shirt as a towel.  It didn't help much since it was wet itself.  Bring a big one that covers your entire mat if possible, you'll be thankful for it later.  Unless you want your yoga matt to smell like blue cheese in a week.  In fact, I'm going to have to incinerate my mat now.

Club Med or Panic Room:  During the last portion of the session, we layed on our mats and were supposed to meditate and relax.  I don't know if it was my body overheating or because it was my first time, but at some points I felt like I couldn't breathe and was having panic attacks.  I had to situp before the class was actually over to catch my breath.  I even debated walking out of there because the heat was making my heart beat abnormally fast.  Perhaps I was dehydrated, sonext time I'm going to bring at least a litre of water.

Here's a shot of a dry shirt and the shirt after the class.  I was dripping like Chinese water torture

Overall, it was a great class, even though I was sweating into my socks.  I went to Sanguine Yoga, it's one of the few studios in the NE and Jade was the instructor.  It's definitely something different, it's not my forte but I'll do it again, besides I gotta get my money's worth from that voucher I bought.

Healthy Tips: Good Fat and Bad Fat

Believe it or not, we actually do require fat in our diet.  However, before you run to the nearest KFC, it's important to know the difference between the types of fat.  As not all are finger licking good for you.

There are 3 different types of fats:

• Polyunsaturated - found in oils such as sunflower, corn, sesame oil, nuts and fish.  These fats help lower cholestorol levels
• Monounsaturated - found in olive, canola and peanut oils as well as nuts and seeds.  They also lower cholesterol levels
• Saturated - found in animal products such as lard, butter, cheese, cream, palm and coconut oil.  These increase cholesterol levels.

So a good basic rule for consuming fats is having the ones that are liquid at room temperature rather then solid.  Also, a healthy diet should contain no more then 30% of your daily calories from fat.

Facts taken from CanFitPro Certification Manual Fourth Edition Mar 2007

Workout Routine: Compound Exercise Workout for Weight Loss

Compound exercises are ones that work multiple muscle groups at the same time, making the most of the time at the gym.  It's a great way to get a good workout, especially if you're short on time.

Bench Press 15 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Squats 15 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Standing Shoulder Press 15 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Chinups 15 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat this set 4 times.

Bench Press - works the chest, triceps and shoulders muscles

Squats - works the glutes, hams, quads and lower back muscles

Standing shoulder press (perform standing upright) - works the shoulders, triceps and back muscles

Chinups (use the assisted chinup machine if needed) - works the lats, shoulders and bicep muscles

Note: anyone engaging in exercise for the first time should first consult a physician.  Also, to ensure good form please consult with an experienced professional or personal trainer. As well, please use a spotter as an additional safety factor.  Always warm up before workouts and stretch after workouts.

Funny Training Story: The Art of Seduction

I’ve been training with friends and clients on and off since I was 18.  It’s been a wonderful journey learning about my own training as well as learning how to train and motivate others.  There are always those moments in life that sit fondly in your memories and here’s a few learnings that I’ve collected along the way

Simon Says

In order to ensure proper form and safety, I always spot my clients when they’re doing heavier weights.  It’s also a good way to provide motivation to help them get through that final set.  Now, I’ve learned that there’s an art to spotting and not doing it correctly can result in negative results.  Here’s how I learned what not to say.

I’ve been training this client for about six months whom I’ve developed a pretty good rapport with.  Little did I know that I was about to test this relationship during his next training session.  It’s upper back day and we are starting with chinups.  Seeing that I don’t have an assisted chinup machine at the studio, I’ll have to be the one to provide the assistance.  So he jumps up to the chinup bar and rests his feet on my quads, where he can use his legs to assist if required.  Keep in mind my face is close to his butt at this point.  He does the first three reps without any problems, it’s the fourth and he starts to struggle but manages to pull himself up.  “Good” I say.  Number five. “Gooood” I say again.  Number six.  “Goooooood” comes out once more. 

Buddy lets go of the bar and drops to the ground hysterical in laughter.  He asks if I can stop saying the word good in that tone.  I ask, “What tone?”  He responds “You sound like a creepy pedophile the way you keep saying goooooood”.  I didn’t notice it, but he was right, I did sound like I was trying to coax him like a pedophile would a child. 

Lesson learned: be supportive not seductive.

What Not To Do: Fitness Tip of the Week

His first adventure into Parkour

Parkour Over A Wall FAIL - watch more funny videos

The Apple Debate

I've always been a PC guy and I've been slowly creeping into Apple's products one at a time.  At first I bought an ipod, neat gadget, sleak, intuitive and could play lots of music.  Then I bought an ipod touch when I went travelling in Europe, the little guy saved me in restaurants and provided maps that helped me navigate through three countries. 

I recently got an iphone 4 and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread.  Especially the apps that they make available for it.  Right now I'm addicted to Catapult Mania and I love the fact that I can check my sports scores on the fly.

Now the real debate, it's time for me to get a new computer, I don't know if I should get a Macbook or a Dell laptop.  Do I make the move to the dark side or do I opt for something I'm familiar with at a lower price?  Decisions......decisions......

Workout Tips: Know Yourself For the Best Results

We are all unique in our own little ways, at least that’s what my parents have always told me.  I don’t know whether this statement was used to boost my self esteem or whether they were coming from a scientific angle, I choose the former.  But it’s true, no two bodies are identical and it’s important for you to understand how your body works to get the best results from your nutrition and training. 

Training

If you’re finding that your current training doesn’t seem to be working for you, try something else.  Sometimes we react to exercise in different ways and can have different results based on what we do.  Some get better results from lifting weights, others from cardio.  Try different training techniques to see what works best for you.  If you’re out of ideas for what to do, here are some suggestions on different workouts and check out my Variety Is The Spice of Life post

Eating

We may react to food differently, especially things like salt/sugar and metabolism plays a part in how efficient our bodies process and use energy.  Understanding how your system works with different foods is a key to taking control of your health.

Exceptions

I have met some clients who feel that they’ve tried all aspects of training and eating, but still have no luck with their fitness goals.  If this is the case, perhaps it’s time to consult a medical professional.  There could be hidden internal issues that you’re not aware which are hindering you.  They can help you understand what’s going on behind the scenes if necessary.

The better you understand yourself, the better results you can expect.  Nobody knows more about your body then you.  After all, you are the one who has to live with it. 

Healthy Recipes: Salmon with Asparagus

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
½ Salmon
Lemons
1lb of Asparagus
Vegetable oil

Salmon:
Cut up salmon into 4x4 inch squares and place on lightly oiled aluminum foil or baking sheet
Cut lemons into 1/2 inch slices
Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over each piece
Place 1 slice of lemon on each piece of fish
Place into oven and bake fish at 400 C for 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking

Asparagus:
Gently wash asparagus and pat dry
Drizzle oil into baking pan and turn stove to medium heat
Lightly toss asparagus in pan until solid green
Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Eat Healthy: Low Carb Restaurant Review - Wa's Japanese Restaurant

We decided to head out for dinner and treat ourselves for a long week of work at Wa's Sushi.  It's a quaint little sushi restaurant located on Centre Street, just outside of the downtown core.  I love coming here because I know it's Japanese owned and operated, the Chinese owned restaurants just can't compete when it comes to sushi.  Plus, they offer a bunch of authentic dishes, some of which I'm reluctant to try, like squid guts. 

The prices are reasonable as we spent just over $50 on a authentic Japanese meal for two and the food is absolutely delicious.  The fat Colin in me always escapes when I enter a restaurant, but healthy Colin prevailed and I tried my best to make this a healthy meal even though we were dining out.

Here’s how I Low-Carb'd the meal:

• Edamame beans as an appetizer
• Agadashi Tofu for a starter that is covered in veggies
• Sashimi for the main course
• Tea to drink 

The Good:

• I had quite a high protein meal here loaded with healthy protein from soy and fish and surprisingly I was quite full from only a few dishes
• The agadashi tofu is delightful!

The Bad:

• The tofu is lightly deep-fried and the sauce is slightly sweetened

The Ugly:

• This restaurant is tiny and gets extremely packed during the dinner rush, so make reservations or get there early to ensure a spot

Wa's Japanese Restaurant

1721 Centre Street NW

403-277-2077

Workout Routine: Best Arms Workout

Other then our face, the body part most visible to all is probably your arms.  Here's a good workout if you're looking at toning and tightening this trifecta of muscles.  Perform this entire set 3 times with a 60 second rest between exercises.

Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 15 reps

Preacher Curls - 3 sets of 15 reps

Tricep Extensions - 3 sets of 15 reps

Tricep Kickbacks - 3 sets of 15 reps

Shoulder Presses - 3 sets of 15 reps

Lateral Shoulder Flys - 3 sets of 15 reps

Note: anyone engaging in exercise for the first time should first consult a physician.  Also, to ensure good form please consult with an experienced professional or personal trainer. As well, please use a spotter as an additional safety factor.  Always warm up before workouts and stretch after workouts.



$25 for 1/2 hour Massage ($50 Value)

$25 for a 30 Minute RMT Massage at Why Knot Therapeutic Massage ($50 Value)

Why Knot Therapeutic Massage, 121A  14 Street NW, Suite 201

 

Pretzels are among the most pent up snack items due to their perpetually twisted demeanour and salty attitudes, but after numerous therapeutic sessions they've managed to combat their aches and pains and realize that life is ‘knot’ as rough as they thought. Release your unsalted inner kinks and twists with today's relaxing deal: $25 for a 30 Minute RMT Massage at Why Knot Therapeutic Massage ($50 Value)

Why Knot Therapeutic Massage is a locally owned and operated massage therapy studio that provides the people of Calgary with relaxing and rejuvenating full body massages. Their professional and experienced RMT's can easily undo even the most complex of nautical knots, so all cabin boys beware. Their signature Therapeutic Massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue structures of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress, while at the same time promoting health and wellness throughout the entire system.

So if you suffer from stress, headaches, chronic back pain and fatigue, or if you're just tired of feeling like a frayed knot every time you roll out of bed, then Why Knot Therapeutic Massage is just the place for you. Don't delay, call now to book your appointment.

This deal expires midnight Nov 8 2010 

Funny Training Story - Always use a Spotter

I’ve been training with friends and clients on and off since I was 18.  It’s been a wonderful journey learning about my own training as well as learning how to train and motivate others.  There are always those moments in life that sit fondly in your memories and this series is about a few learnings that I’ve collected along the way

Being Hercules:

You always see those young kids in the gym trying to impress their friends by lifting as much weight as possible, while their legs and back flail in the process.  Well, I was one of those kids at one time. 

In an attempt to not look like a weakling in university, I willingly grabbed the 50lb dumbbells and plunked myself down on the bench.  I had never pressed this much before, but my pride had taken over.  Using my knees to get the weights into position, my torso fell backward onto the bench with a crackling of my vertebrae.  “That hurt”, I thought, yet I forged ahead.  I manage to push the weights up, once….twice….three times. 

I ask myself if I should go for fourth and my machismo urges me to continue.  I get the fourth rep up and my left arm starts to shake like a leaf, next thing I know my elbow buckles and THUD!  My triceps can’t support the weight and it comes thundering down on my chest.  Not only did I look like an idiot, but I gave myself a temporary third nipple to show for it. 

Lesson learned: always use a spotter.

What Not To Do: Fitness Tip of the Week

I think he used a bit too much weight

Hockey is Back

It's been a month since the 2010-2011 NHL season has kicked off and what an exciting ride it's been so far.  At the start of the season, the Leafs and Stars started off undefeated, now they're both fighting for a playoff spot in their divisions.  Although it's still too early to speculate, it's definitely an interesting note.

Tampa is at the top of the east and LA owns the west, I never would have thought this would be the case as I had Detroit and New Jersey (they are at the bottom of the east) being the top dogs.  How quickly one summer and free agency can change the NHL landscape.

Nevertheless, it's been an exciting start and I'm looking forward to many months of hockey to come!

GO FLAMES GO!

Mental Health Training Tips

I’ve done all this talk about training and nutrition but there is an aspect of your health that is equally as important, your mental health.  Your mind needs time to rest and repair as much as the rest of your body.  So it’s important that you give it the attention it deserves.  Here are a few tips to help maintain your sanity no matter how crazy your world gets:

• Take time for yourself every day – use this break as an opportunity to collect your thoughts and unwind from your day
• Get a good night’s rest – sleeping allows your brain to relax and perform it’s daily maintenance routines
• Try meditation or yoga – this gives your mind a mental break and a quick escape from your busy life
• Manage your stress – not all stressors are equal, so choose to stress over things that are actually worth stressing over and learn to let things go
• Maintain a work/life balance – work will always be there when you get back on Monday, so take some time to enjoy life and all that it has to offer

Eating healthy, exercising and staying sane is a great way to maintain a well balanced lifestyle.

Healthy Recipes: Denver Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
¼ diced onion
¼ diced green pepper
5 diced white mushrooms
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon shredded cheese

Drizzle oil into pan and turn stove to medium\high heat
Add onion, green pepper and mushrooms
Cook vegetables until soft
Add eggs and salt/pepper
Scramble eggs to desired consistency
Top with cheese and let it sit until cheese is melted and serve

Healthy Tips: Healthy Fast Food

Healthy fast food, is this an oxymoron? Can we get a healthy meal at the McD’s? You sure can because even these outlets have been jumping on the healthy eating bandwagon.  There are options available to eat healthy when you visit the golden arches.  Note that I would never condone always eating fast food, but sometimes life gets busy and it's the easiest choice. 

Here are some things you can have instead of french fries:

Salads
• Some outlets now offer meal sized salads. These salads are great in that they are fresh and have the option adding a grilled chicken breast.
• Be wary of the dressing as well as the portion size. Try using only half or a quarter of the dressing pack.
• My personal favourite is the Mcdonald’s Mediterranean salad, here is the calorie breakdown for it:

Healthier sandwiches
• Have a whole grain bun instead of the regular white one.
• Opt for no mayo or creamy sauces as they are very high in calories and saturated fats
• Try the grilled options instead of the deep fried breaded ones

Drinks
• Have water instead of pop. Water quenches your thirst and contains zero calories. Pop is quite the opposite as it’s loaded with sugars.
• If you must have the pop, try a smaller size with a diet variety

Substitutions
• Opt out of the fries and try a health substitute, such as a side salad.

Also, most of the fast food joints have calorie fact sheets available for public viewing. If you don’t know how many calories are in an item, look it up. Arm yourself with knowledge and you can enjoy healthy eating via fast food.

Here’s a few sites for nutritional information:
Mcdonald's
Subway
Wendy's

You always have choices in life, so make the best ones to help you meet those goals

Workout Routine: Superset workout

Here's a fullbody workout that applies the technique of supersetting.  You want to perform the two exercises immediately after one another.  The idea is to hit the muscles hard with two exercises and higher repetitions. 
i.e.  You would do the bench press, then the chest flys back to back, then take a 60 second rest and repeat.
It's a great way to add a change to your daily workout.

Bench Press - 3 sets of 10 reps

Chest Flys - 3 sets of 10 reps

Lat Pulls - 3 sets of 10 reps

Seated Rows - 3 sets of 10 reps

Squats - 3 sets of 10 reps

Lunges - 3 sets of 10 reps

Deadlifts - 3 sets of 10 reps

Hyperextensions - 3 sets of 10 reps

Crunches - 3 sets of 10 reps

Decline Situps - 3 sets of 10 reps

Note: anyone engaging in exercise for the first time should first consult a physician.  Also, to ensure good form please consult with an experienced professional or personal trainer. As well, please use a spotter as an additional safety factor.  Always warm up before workouts and stretch after workouts.