Whenever you have one successful workout program, it’s always hard to decide what to do next. When you have three, like Turbo Jam^®, Turbo Kick^®, and ChaLEAN Extreme^® creator Chalene Johnson does, it can seem like an especially daunting task. But when Johnson’s Fat Blaster workout (part of the Turbo Jam^® Fat Burning Elite program) became a serendipitous hit, we knew it was time for Chalene to take things to the next level. That’s how the idea for TurboFire^® was born. The goal was to create a next-level fitness program that could be done by anyone and was easy to follow. Here’s how we did it.

What is HIIT?

TurboFire is based around a concept called High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. HIIT has been somewhat popular since the ’90s, when a study suggested that you could burn up to 9 times more body fat using short but very high-intensity intervals than you could using old-school steady-state aerobic training. HIIT’s popularity had been cultish, mainly because HIIT training had two perceived negatives associated with it. First, it’s hard; as in full-bore, maxed-out cross-eyed hard. (The Tabata study from ’96 forced subjects to 170% of VO2 max, or the maximum capacity for the body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise.) Second, it can only be effective when done in short cycles. But Chalene was intrigued with HIIT’s time-efficient structure, which promised great results, so we decided to see if we could create a training program based around it.

The AfterBurn Effect

Our decision to focus on HIIT wasn’t based on just one study. Additional studies have showed similar results, using variations of the HIIT protocol. A 2001 study concluded that HIIT training increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) for the 24 hours following a workout due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which explains how a short interval workout can have a longer-lasting effect on body composition change than a much longer cardio session.

We termed this phenomenon the AfterBurn Effect and began assembling a series of workouts that could maximize HIIT across many training platforms. Increases in post-exercise oxygen consumption are not unique to HIIT. No other style of training has HIIT’s peak numbers, but they can be done for longer periods of time. There is science behind the saying “For every action, there is a reaction.”   

All that intense HIIT training comes at a cost; the body breaks down quickly and it can’t be sustained for very long.

Numerous studies were on the same page in showing that fitness gains made with HIIT training begin to plateau sometime after the third week. Therefore, the key to creating a fitness program using the HIIT modality required us to figure out how to either get the body to recover for another round of HIIT training as quickly as possible, or look at other training modalities that could work in conjunction with HIIT that also yielded results.

The Periodizational Approach

In basic terms, periodizational training means finding a way to alter training over time to maximize results; sort of like basic cross-training, but with a more well-defined plan. If you’re familiar with Beachbody’s fitness programs, you’ve seen this before. All our programs have a schedule that changes over time. The two factors that control how much change occurs are time and intensity. Essentially, over time everyone should alter their approach to training, and the fitter you are, the more your approach needs to change, to continually cause something called the adaptation response. For those of you who’ve done P90X^®, the TurboFire schedule should look familiar.

But TurboFire, as Chalene says, “is not P90X for girls.” It’s a HIIT-focused training program, where all the other training is designed to prepare you to get the best results possible during your HIIT training phases. And while both P90X and TurboFire have a somewhat complex periodizational structure, their schedules are quite different. TurboFire combines both of the philosophies you’ll hear Chalene espouse in her other programs, Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme.

Muscle Burns Fat^®

The tagline from ChaLEAN Extreme, Muscle Burns Fat^®, doesn’t get chucked out the window just because we created some HIIT routines. The physiological principle that adding muscle to your frame increases your metabolism and leads to changes in body composition is valid, and you’ll find that resistance work is a major component of TurboFire.

In ChaLEAN Extreme, you’ll often hear Chalene say you should do resistance training three times per week for the rest of your life. It’s not just talk, and TurboFire holds you to it. In fact, in an homage to the P90X tagline, Muscle Confusion™, as part of the TurboFire program, you’ll receive a schedule for a hybrid program that combines ChaLEAN Extreme and TurboFire. When you combine the two programs, you get a periodizational schedule that’ll keep challenging your body’s adaptation response for nearly a year!

Advanced Cardio Conditioning

TurboFire, in fact, is not as much of a HIIT program as it is a Chalene program. Her workouts are unique, and TurboFire is very much an extension of her first Beachbody program, Turbo Jam, which was a home version of her health club training class, Turbo Kick. She termed her first vision of TurboFire “the next level of Turbo Kick,” and that’s pretty much what we’ve got here. The program has the look and feel of being in an exercise class at the gym—Chalene’s preferred environment.

Chalene likes the class environment because “it’s fun and provides motivation.” But there’s more than fun at the root of her classes. Cardio is an umbrella term that covers a lot of different styles of training, from easy aerobic to intense HIIT. No matter where between these extremes your workout falls, you’re going to be targeting different human energy systems that have different physiological benefits. For the TurboFire system, Chalene created different cardio classes to make sure each of these energy systems were being targeted, to achieve an effect she calls Cardio Confusion, a play on words referencing P90X’s Muscle Confusion.

Cardio Confusion is more than a slogan. The cardio phases of the TurboFire program combine different styles of interval training with recovery-oriented aerobic training to create a steady growth curve in your fitness levels. This accelerates your body’s ability to get ready for your next round of HIIT, but it also takes advantage of the AfterBurn Effect by targeting different energy systems.

Recovery

Targeted recovery is not a by-product of TurboFire, but an essential part of the program. That you only get stronger at rest is a gym cliché that, as many do, holds a lot of truth. Active recovery helps your body grow strong much more quickly than does rest alone. All high-level training programs work better if they contain targeted rest and recovery phases. During these periods, you target the body’s aerobic system, stabilizer muscles, and use techniques, which stretches out overworked muscle fibers and heals connective tissue microtrauma.

A program for one. A program for all.

It’s often difficult to find one fitness program that would work for everyone, and it’s generally not best to recommend that everyone do the same program, rather than steering each person toward the program that best fits their needs. Reality, though, has taught us that people often want to do what inspires them, whether it fits their ability level or not. Beachbody’s high-level programs P90X and INSANITY^® are meant to be “graduate” programs only; each comes with a fitness test that, if you can’t complete it, recommends you do a lower-level program first instead. While our beginning-level customers should pay attention to this advice, and would usually get better results with an easier program, we’ve learned that they don’t always do what we recommend.

With TurboFire, however, we’ve done our best to allow nearly anyone to attempt the program safely. In fact, we included a 2-month preparatory schedule for anyone who thinks they may not be ready for the rigors of HIIT training. Not only that, every move in the program comes with a modified version that almost anyone should be able to follow. Furthermore, Chalene recognized that some men can be rhythm-challenged, so she purposely made the choreography a lot easier to follow than it is in Turbo Jam and her health club classes.

Diet

The final element of the program is diet, another element where TurboFire has evolved beyond other Beachbody programs. TurboFire has gone in the opposite direction from P90X, which has a phased eating plan that some of our customers have found to be complex. Instead, TurboFire’s diet has expanded on the Beachbody Step by Step Nutrition Guide and tried to give you a variety of different ways to alter your eating habits, with the same end purpose as our other plans: a balanced diet that fuels exercise recovery.

Essentially, the entire TurboFire program has a singular focus: that getting fit can be fun, and that eating healthy doesn’t need to be a complex task. And while there’s a lot of science behind what you’ll see as you follow along, our goal was to make it as simple as the original Beachbody^® tagline: Just Push Play.

The Insanity Workout includes a Fit Test DVD. There are 2  advantages of the Fit Test.  The 1st of which would be to provide you with an idea of your present level of fitness, and if Insanity is (presently) for you personally. I only say “presently” simply because everybody, EVERYONE, is capable of doing Insanity. By having determination, commitment, perseverance, and dedication. Yet that’s not all. You should be in good condition. So Insanity might not be for you personally, right this moment. If you undertake the Fit Test DVD, and are discouraged as a result of the 25 minute Fit Test, you might want to post pone Insanity. Focus on a different fitness program, Beachbody gives you a wide range of products for many levels of physical fitness. You will find our program comparison write-up right here. However please, don’t be disappointed, the Insanity Workout is Extreme. You will certainly make it in due time. Make health and fitness a life time responsibility. Begin with a different program, and then complete Insanity later. Those of you that are prepared for Insanity, we’re in for a journey together.

The 2nd reason behind the Fit Test was created so that you could track your own advances over the up coming sixty days. You will observe the astonishing results while you progress.

The Fit Test is just over 25 minutes long. During the Fit Test you will perform a warm-up, stretch out, 8 Fit Test exercises, after that a cool-down as well as a stretch. Throughout the Fit Test exercises, you want to accomplish as many reps as possible within the amount of time given, along with very good form.

The actual Warm-up is approximately 1 minute 50 seconds. You begin with a Jog, accompanied by Jumping Jacks, Heisman, 123 Heisman, Butt Kicks, High Knees, and also Mummy Kicks.

The actual Warm-up gives you the very first taste of your level of fitness. The actual Warm-up within the normal Insanity Workouts is usually 3 rounds of about 3 minutes each. While in the Fit Test, you are doing 1 round of just about 2 minutes. Pretty significant difference. Once again, if you are discouraged during this Fit Test, consider a different work out. My job will be to motivate you, as well as be straightforward with you. You can always depend on an honest review with me, and all of my personal work out reviews.

The actual Warm-up is accompanied by a fast stretch, which will last about 1 minute 20 seconds. Following the stretch, you get to the actual reason behind this specific DVD. The Fit Test. I want to setup the actual stage here. Two different people are taking the Fit Test within this DVD. Tonya as well as Chris. These two  have finished the actual 60 day Insanity Workout. And so following every exercise, Shaun T asks each one, the number of repetitions that they had. He then asks them for his or her beginning repetitions, before Insanity. I thought  this was incredibly brilliant. It permitted me to do a comparison of my personal results with their own starting repetitions as well as his or her 60 day repetitions. And so with this information, beneath every exercise, I will document 3 results. The results coming from Tonya and Chris, then my own. Every time I perform the Fit Test, I will return, and submit my new results. Right after every exercise, you receive a 1 minute rest. Let’s begin!

1. Switch Kicks. Perform as much as you are able to within 1 minute.
The Fit Test guide states count every set of kicks, left AND right, count as 1. However, the video shows each kick as one. The numbers below are based on 1 kick equals 1 rep.

2. Power Jacks. You may stop anytime. Take a break, and begin once again. However the time is the same, 1 minute for every exercise.

3. Power Knees

4. Power Jumps

5. Globe Jumps

6. Suicide Jumps

7. Push-Up Jacks

8. Last Exercise, Low Plank Oblique

Congrats!! You actually completed the Insanity Fit Test. You get about a 4 minute cool off as well as a stretch, and you’re finished. Now this was called a Fit Test, however I really feel like I just completed a good work out!

I’m thrilled regarding my final results. I felt like I retained an effective stride with Tonya and Chris. On the flip side, I think  I set my bar quite high for the following test. However it’s about constantly pushing your self, which is almost all I know how to do, and so the next test will just have to get better. Which means that it doesn’t matter what your current results are, higher or lower, than mine. Always push yourself and do your best. We’re in this together, regardless of what program you’re using. E-mail me personally or contact me at any time, Comment below, subscribe to the blog, tell your family and friends by using the Share Link. We have to pass the word about physical fitness, as well as make ourselves accountable to other people, we are in this together. Until the up and coming Insanity Review. Thank you for reading!

Body Fat Calipers are easy to use, and you can use them in the privacy and comfort of your home, with amazing accuracy and reliability. Since the vast majority of fat on the body is located directly under the skin, a very effective way, and also practical way, to measure your body fat percentage is skinfold measurement.  Skinfold measurement is the scientific approach to the time-honored quote “pinch an inch” method. A body fat tester is a precise instrument which has been shown in clinical studies to be closer in accuracy to the “gold standard” underwater weighing than any of the more expensive and/or elaborate methods of measuring body fat (without the inconvenience, expense, trained personnel, and lack of privacy these methods entail). So whether you choose to use bodyfat calipers privately or with the help of someone else, just follow the simple steps below – it’s as easy as ONE, TWO, THREE.

	Step 1 The site you will use for skinfold measurement is the suprailliac (approximately one inch above the right hipbone, see figure 1).
_	Step 2 While standing, firmly pinch the suprailliac skinfold between your left thumb and forefinger, see figures 2 and 3. Place the jaws of the Personal Body Fat Tester over the skinfold, while continuing to hold the skinfold with the left hand, see figure 4.
_	Step 3 Press with the thumb where indicated on the Personal Body Fat Tester until you feel a slight click. The slide member will automatically stop at the correct measurement, see figure 5. After reading your measurement, return the slide member to the far right starting position. Repeat three times and use the average as your measurement. Refer to the body fat interpretation chart to determine your body fat percentage and what it means.
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Body Fat Interpretation Chart. Download chart here.

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Information provided by Accu Measure.

• Interval training is better than longer steady cardio sessions.
• Print a calendar, and mark a red X at every workout, shoot for 20-25 red X’s per month.
• Be Realistic, exercise within your means, but exercise to your fullest potential.
• Have fun exercising, find a friend to work out with you and keep you accountable.
• Pack your own snacks on the road. Save $ and calories.
• Before you eat something, ask yourself, will this help or hurt my fitness goals?
• Keep a food journal, you’d be surprised at what you consume in a day.
• If pressed for time to workout, split it up throughout the day, it all helps.
• Don’t skip meals. When you do, you eat more at your next meal and usually eat the wrong foods.

100-Calorie Chocolate Treats, Chocolately goodies that won’t do in your diet.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

What do you do when you need a chocolate fix (gotta have it!) but only want to invest 100 calories or so? It’s not an impossible dream. Take it from a veteran chocoholic: You’ve got quite a few tasty options for 100-calorie chocolate treats. When you’re trying to cure your chocolate craving, the key questions to ask yourself are:

• Do you absolutely need creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate — or will just the flavor of chocolate do? If it’s gotta be the real thing, take a look at the “real chocolate” options below.
• Do you want something that’s cold and refreshing as well as chocolatey? Then check out the frozen chocolate treats and chocolate dairy choices below.
• Are you in a hurry butstill need a shot of chocolate? Look through my grab-and-go suggestions below.
• Will only chocolate cake or cookies calm your craving?Take a look at the 100-calorie chocolate recipes at the end of this article.

100-Calorie Real Chocolate Options

When only real chocolate will suffice, try:

• Nestle “Dark” Raisinets:1/8 cup has 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 4 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates.
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses:4 kisses have 89 calories, 0.5 g fiber, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 11 g carbohydrates.
• Hershey’s Sticks (they come in several flavors, including milk chocolate): 1 stick (11 g) has 60 calories, 0 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 6 g carbohydrates.

100-Calorie Chocolate Dairy Options

These chocolate options are cool and comforting:

• Chocolate milk made with 2/3 cup 1% milk, 4 teaspoons Lite Hershey’s Syrup, and lots of ice: 100 calories, <1 g fiber, 1.7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 17.5 g carbohydrates.
• Sugar-free instant chocolate pudding made with fat-free milk: 1/2 cup has 80 calories, 1 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, and 13 g carbohydrates.
• Yoplait Whips Yogurt comes in several chocolate flavors: Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cherry, and Chocolate Raspberry. Two-thirds of a container has 100 calories, 0 g fiber, 2.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates.

100-Calorie Frozen Chocolate Treats

There are some really tasty lower-cal frozen dessert choices out there these days, including:

• Slim a Bear 100-Calorie Fudge Bars:100 calories, 4 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 20 g carbohydrates.
• Slim a Bear 100 Calorie Chocolate Sandwiches:100 calories, 3 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 21 g carbohydrates.
• Slim a Bear 100 Calorie French Vanilla Bars:100 calories, 2 g fiber, 6 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, and 12 g carbohydrates.
• Weight Watchers Giant Fudge Bar:110 calories, 5 g fiber, 1 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 25 g carbohydrates.
• Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars(includes 3 g sugar alcohol): 80 calories, 4 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 13 g carbohydrates.
• Skinny Cow Low-Fat Fudge Bar:100 calories, 4 g fiber, 1 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 22 g carbohydrates.

Grab-and-Go 100-Calorie Chocolate Fixes

When I think about grab-and-go chocolate treats, I think of two things: individually wrapped bags or bars that feature chocolate. Of course, just about the easiest things to grab are those “100-calorie packs” of treats. But keep in mind that most of what you’re paying for when you buy 100-calorie packs is portion control, pure and simple. So make sure you just grab one pouch.

Here are some of the quickie chocolate fixes I found in my supermarket that tally up to about 100 calories (some are a little more or less):

• Quaker Mini Delights (Chocolatey Drizzle Multigrain Cakes): 1 pouch has 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, and 14 g carbohydrates.
• Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps (100-calorie pack): 100 calories, <1 g fiber, 3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 18 g carbohydrates.
• Chocolate Teddy Grahams (23 g worth): 100 calories, 1.5 g fiber, 3.4 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, and 16.5 g carbohydrates.
• Honey Made Chocolate Graham Crackers (24 g worth): 100 calories, 0.8 g fiber, 2.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, and 18 g carbohydrates.
• Kellogg’s Special K Bar (Chocolately Drizzle): 90 calories, <1 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 17 g carbohydrates.
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (Chocolate Chunk): 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 2 g fat, 0.5 gram saturated fat, and 19 g carbohydrates.
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (Chocolate Chip 25% Less Sugar): 100 calories, 1 gram fiber, 3 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 17 g carbohydrates.
• Chocolate Honey Maid Delight Bars (100-calorie pack): 100 calories, 3 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fast, and 19 g carbohydrates.
• Kashi TLC Chewy (Cherry Dark Chocolate): 120 calories, 4 g fiber, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, and 24 g carbohydrates.
• Fiber One Chewy Bar (Oats & Chocolate): 140 calories, 9 g fiber, 4 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 29 g carbohydrates.
• Slim Fast Protein Snack Bars (Whipped Chocolate Nougat): 110 calories, 0 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates (8 g sugar alcohols).
• South Beach Living Snack Bars (Chocolate Raspberry): 100 calories, 5 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar alcohols).

Recipes for 100-Calorie Baked Chocolate Treats

If you’ve got an urge for chocolate cake or cookies, try this easy cake-mix fix, or whip up one of the recipes below:

• Devil’s Food Cupcakes: Make it with a standard cake mix, but use fat-free sour cream instead of vegetable oil, plus egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. One cupcake made this way (the mix makes 24 cupcakes) has 93 calories, 0.5 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 17 g carbohydrates.

The 100-Calorie Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:

• 1 8.25-ounce box Devil’s Food cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 5 large egg whites (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper baking cups.
2. Beat cake mix, water, fat-free sour cream, and egg whites or egg substitute in large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium speed and continue beating for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter between 24 cupcake cups.
3. Bake for about 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. Dust the tops of the cupcakes with powdered sugar using a sifter, sugar shaker, or wire mesh strainer.

Yield: Makes 24 cupcakes

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members: Journal as 1 portion light dessert

Nutrition Information per serving: 98 calories, 2 g protein, 18.5 g carbohydrate, 1.8 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0.5 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber, 200 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 16%.

Low-Cal Cocoa Meringue Cookies

If you don’t want to use Splenda or don’t have any, just leave it out. It works well either way!

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 tablespoons Splenda (optional)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a large, clean, grease-free mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form.
3. Slowly add sugar and Splenda, beating until stiff peaks form and mixture becomes glossy. Beat in vanilla extract and fold in cocoa powder until blended well.
4. Drop mixture by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until meringues are firm and dry. Slide parchment onto wire racks to cool cookies completely. They will firm up a bit as they cool. If you aren’t serving right away, store in an air-tight container or sealed plastic bag.

Yield: Makes 32 cookies (8 servings of 4 cookies each)

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members Journal as 1 portion light dessert

Nutrition Information per serving (4 cookies): 58 calories, 2 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber, 21 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 0%.

Recipes provided by Elaine Magee; © 2008 Elaine Magee

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the “Recipe Doctor” for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

Most people have heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” However, few people know just how nutritionally valuable apples are. To understand the real importance of eating an apple, it is important to look at which nutritional components make up this popular fruit.

First of all, apples are great for hydration. They are made up of roughly 83% water. The average small apple has only 60 calories. However, larger fruits can have up to 100 calories per piece. An apple is also fat free and has no sodium. Apples have virtually no protein, but they do contain a lot of carbohydrates. In fact, roughly 15 percent of an apple consists of carbohydrates from sugar and fiber. An apple can have 13 to 15 grams of sugar, which may seem like a lot. However, it is important to remember that this is natural, unprocessed sugar that will not cause the same blood sugar spikes as refined white sugar can.

Fiber is perhaps the most important nutrient that apples provide. In a small apple alone, there are usually 3 to 5 grams of fiber. However, most of the fiber is located in the fruit’s skin. So, peeling an apple will remove most of this very important nutrient. Remember, fiber fills you up. This, plus an apple’s high water content makes it a filling snack and great for anyone on a diet. An apple’s skin also has plenty of quercetin. Quercetin is a type of antioxidant that has been shown to have brain boosting benefits by protecting cells from damage.

In addition to fiber, apples are loaded with antioxidants that are associated with lowering bad cholesterol levels. Apples also contain flavonoids and phytochemicals that can help protect organs like the lungs and colon. They are also a good source of boron, which is associated with improved bone density and a stronger heart. Apples also protect the heart by their high folic acid content.

While the saying goes that doctors prescribe apples for good health, dentists also promote eating apples as a method of preventing tooth decay. For one thing, apples have nutrients known as tannins that can protect against plaque and gum disease. Also, the act of eating a water-rich, solid fruit can help clean away bacteria from teeth. This is because chewing an apple helps stimulate the production of saliva. Saliva kills bacteria and helps prevent tooth decay.

Ultimately, apples are one of the best foods a person can eat. They are sweet, crunchy, delicious, and, of course, very healthy. Their nutrition facts are quite impressive, and apples should be a part of any healthy diet.

You may think getting in good shape means working out two or three days a week. However, to really get in great shape quickly, you need to make a complete change in you lifestyle. This means adding proper nutrition to your exercise and workout plan. This does not mean you have to go on a restrictive diet. Instead, it means making better choices and revamping your food choices to meet your fitness goals. A major mistake many people face when they begin working out is not following a proper nutrition plan. Some people think their regular diet is just fine and make no changes at all. While others cut out whole food groups and greatly reduce their calories. This may lead to weight loss, but it can also stop you from building muscle. Plus, a low-calorie diet can make you tired and prevent you from doing your best during workouts.

The best way to fuel your body with optimum nutrition is to follow a plan specifically designed to compliment your workout program. How can you do this? Ideally, you should choose a workout plan that comes with a nutrition guide. Two of the best programs on the market are P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme. Both of which offer a complete nutritional program. The nutritional stages of these two programs, correspond to changes in your exercise routine, which yields to faster muscle growth and increases your overall level of fitness.

What you eat all day long is important (5 to 6 small meals), but how you replenish your body after a hard workout is especially important. Actually, you need to quickly consume a combination of carbohydrates and protein. For most people, this means having a protein shake or energy bar. However, not all of these supplements are the same. The ingredients they use and the ratio of carbohydrates to protein make a huge difference in how well your body responds. The best combination features a 4 to 1 ratio, carbohydrates to protein. My personal favorite is the P90X Recovery drink.

In addition to refueling after a workout, you want to ensure your body is getting the nutrients and minerals it needs to build new muscle. Nutrients keep your metabolism revved up, and gives you energy to work out hard. The best way to do this is to add a quality multivitamin to your daily routine. A vitamin should contain antioxidants, minerals, and essential nutrients combined in a way that works quickly and effectively. Also, you should take a multivitamin during the same time each day with a meal. Consuming a vitamin with food helps your body absorb more of its beneficial ingredients. One such option is the P90X Health Formula, but I also like the Activit Multivitamin.

Taking an “extreme” dieting approach, combined with hard workouts are not a great combination. It takes good quality food to get fit. However, not just any meals will do. By following a proper nutrition plan that fits your exercise program, you can boost your results exponentially. With a few changes, you will soon be looking and feeling better than ever before.

Many people dream about getting into great shape and showing off a lean, sexy body. Unfortunately, for most, these thoughts remain as dream. And why is that? The number one reason people fail to get in shape, is being short on time. After all, in today’s busy world it can seem impossible to devote hours and hours to training sessions. The number two reason is the amount of time it takes to see results. Some basic programs can take months and months to get you toned. By the time you see a change in your body, you may already be extremely bored with your fitness program.

Thankfully, there are ways to get in shape quickly and without boredom. How? By using several different exercise methods to keep your body challenged and your mind interested. Neither cardio or weight training alone will do the trick. Rather, you need to implement a combination of both. Additionally, you need to do the right exercises and perform them properly. For amateurs, this can be a challenge. However, many fitness trainers have produced their expert routines in formats that are easy for even beginners to use!

For example, Tony Horton’s P90X system features a fully explained fitness regimen complete with videos so you can see each exercise expertly performed. His routine challenges your body with everything from yoga to plyometrics (which uses explosive moves like jumping to enhance your fitness performance). Workouts like this one are fantastic because they target specific muscles while contributing to total body fitness!

Of course, exercise does not work alone. If you want to get fit fast, you will also need to practice proper nutrition. Keep in mind, this is not the same thing as going on a diet. A diet means simply cutting calories. However, a full nutrition plan works with your body giving it the fuel it needs to build muscle and burn fat. The best plans are not static. Instead, they work in phases to get your body used to a new routine and ultimately boost your metabolism. For example, the P90X nutrition system includes three phases that work in harmony to help you get the body of your dreams. It also emphasizes necessary supplements that can boost your performance, build more muscle, and get results faster than you can imagine.

By taking the right steps, you can get fit fast. All you need to do is find an all-inclusive system; one specifically designed to get your body in top condition quickly. In fact, most people get full results from routines like the P90X regimen in just 90 days. Think about it, you could get in the best shape of your life in just three months. So, what are you waiting for? The sooner you get off the couch, the sooner you can get fit. Start now, and you can be bathing suit ready by summer!

For those who want a healthy body, eating right and exercising regularly seems to be the only two things required. However, many people just don’t realize that complete fitness must also involve the body and mind. There is a deep mind-body connection that most exercise enthusiasts fail to recognize as they pump iron and run laps. To correct this common oversight, more and more people are acknowledging the varied benefits of incorporating yoga into their healthy lifestyle.

One of the greatest fitness benefits of yoga is improved flexibility. In fact, one study showed that just eight weeks of yoga can improve flexibility by 35%. As you move through yoga’s many poses, you stretch your muscles in new, interesting ways. Stretching allows muscles to release lactic acid, which builds up during exercise and can cause stiffness and pain. Lactic acid is also the leading cause of muscle fatigue, so stretching can actually help you work out longer and harder. Plus, increased flexibility improves your range of motion. This means you can participate more fully in other exercises and reduce your risk of injuries, especially those caused by hyper extension.

Yoga is also a great way to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles. As your body works to hold itself in various positions, your lower back, upper leg muscles, and abdominal muscles work hard to keep you stable. This is especially true for yoga poses requiring balance, such as those where the participant stands on one leg. Over time, this can lead to improved muscle tone, which means a more impressive physique. Plus, a strong core leads to improved posture and decreased back pain over time.

Yoga’s emphasis on deep, controlled, and centered breathing is also beneficial as it can improve your overall lung capacity and expand your chest wall. This is an excellent way to boost endurance in other physical activities. Steady, controlled breathing is actually a vital component of weight training and cardiovascular exercise, but many people fail to learn proper technique. Thus, the deep, controlled breathing you learn doing yoga can be applied during other physical activities to improve performance. Yoga’s emphasis on breathing can also provide some relief for those suffering from a respiratory condition, like asthma.

Of course, what yoga is best known for is perhaps relieving stress. Through yoga, the body enters a relaxed state of controlled breathing and mental relaxation. This naturally diminishes the body’s stress response and aids the release of beneficial hormones. As such, yoga has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It can slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and even improve cholesterol levels. Diminished stress levels are also important preventing injuries during other physical activities. The more stress your body is under, the less likely it is to recover from a workout, which increases your odds of being hurt. Furthermore, stress can prevent proper sleep, and rest is essential for a full recovery after an intense workout.

Ultimately, yoga has much to offer those who practice it. You can do yoga every day, or start small with only 1 to 2 days per week routine. Plus, yoga can be done virtually anywhere. It requires no equipment and limited space, which makes it ideal for a home exercise routine. The benefits of yoga are too great to ignore, and which is also why a yoga routine is built into the P90X program. Another great routine is from Tony Horton’s One on One program called the Fountain of Youth. If you have yet to take up a yoga routine in your workout program, I encourage you to get started today. The rewards will be worth the time spent away from lifting weights and cardio.