HyperStrike

Healthy Dining Out Restaurant Meal Options

Mike — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:19:47 -0800

We've partnered with Healthy Dining Finder to offer our members great options while eating out. Stay healthy, stay on track with your diet and eat out. We'll be offering new meals each quarter that you can put on your meal planning calendar or food tracker. Check them out here:

http://www.hyperstrike.com/Healthy-Dining-Restaurant-Meals-MealPlan-55.aspx

About Healthy Dining Finder:

Hyperstrike is pleased to offer members a Healthy Dining meal plan, perfect for those who enjoy eating out. This meal plan identifies dietitian-approved menu items from many of the nation's most popular restaurants -- fast food to upscale dining -- all of which participate in the Healthy Dining Program and are featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com. Healthy Dining menu items focus on lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. For more choices, please visit www.HealthyDiningFinder.com

Get A Full Body Workout in 20 Minutes

Mike — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:23:27 -0800

Body builders are generally quite a cause for spectacle when they train alongside average Joes in the neighborhood gym. It is not uncommon for them to reach for weights so heavy that they have been slowly gathering dust since the last time one of their miraculously defined colleagues worked out in that gym. It can be easy to be intimidated by body builders, but it should not discourage anyone from trying to participate in a weight training program. After all, body builders are professionals. Comparing your progress with them would be akin to measuring your hoops game against the Boston Celtics.

Professional body builders are able to commit a great amount of time and concentration to their sport. It is more than likely that they have been practicing and training for years and have worked with the best trainers and physicians. However, those who do not have a lot of time to commit can still enjoy the benefits of weight training workouts. In fact, an average person can see great results from committing just 20 minutes a few times a week to a weight training workout.

A 20 minute workout combines the benefits of aerobic exercising with the muscle defining results typically gained through anaerobic weight training. The combination of these exercise methods is known as circuit training. With circuit training, the participant selects several exercises aimed at improving specific areas, or muscle groups, of the body. The participant then moves quickly from one exercise to the next without taking more than a few seconds to rest in between.

Most people find the 20 minute workout to be immensely satisfying. Aside from the obvious benefits which are allowed due to the brevity of the workout, the 20 minute workout produces a number of positive results. Circuit training allows the typical participant to enjoy the benefits of an aerobic exercise, such as running on a treadmill. Heart rate increases, which causes blood to circulate more quickly throughout the body. These health benefits are not typically achieved through other weight training programs.

One of the most enjoyable facets of a 20 minute circuit training workout is that exercises can easily be substituted in and out of the workout. This ensures that the participant will not become bored with his or her workout routine and will more than likely keep up with it after the first month or so. This makes the 20 minute workout a great solution to the people who try to remain committed to fitness, but have trouble getting past the “3 month wall”.

About Hyperstrike

Online Training Center’s mission is to be the premier training and nutrition resource on the web for fitness professionals. The company offers custom online fitness and nutrition services for gyms and personal trainers that generate new revenue opportunities and improve member/client satisfaction and retention. Online Training Center provides fully managed and hosted solutions with Private Label options available. Learn more today at http://www.hyperstrike.com.

How To Get Started With Your Fitness Program

Mike — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:44:49 -0800

Weight and body image. These are two topics you constantly hear people resolve to change around the New Year. “I want to lose 10 pounds.” “I want to fit in a pair of size 4 jeans.” So why wait till next year to make the resolution to get fit? Getting started can be easy as long as you follow through on what you set your mind to doing.

Beginner Training for Fitness

You’ve made a goal for yourself. Now it’s time to find the right workout plan to help you reach that goal. When getting started, find a workout plan that is suitable for your current activity level as well as your target goal. For example, if you currently can run a ten minute mile but you want to be able to run a marathon in four and a half hours or less, start at with beginner training for fitness focused specifically on that goal. Use the workout plan to help you get into a regular routine of exercising. By following a workout plan you will ensure that you’re not starting at an Olympic athlete’s level, so you don’t become completely discouraged when you can’t bench press 500 pounds the first day of training. In addition to getting into a routine, find a workout buddy that can keep you motivated and working toward your goal.

Customized Workout Plan

A customized workout plan created by a personal trainer or other trained professional can be a great way to begin. By having an expert show you the proper way to weight train or use certain equipment you can get the most out of your workout without hurting yourself from improper technique. Also, customized workouts can help you reach your goal more effectively than a workout plan that has been created for the general public because the trainer can identify your strengths and weaknesses. By consulting a professional, you will learn new exercises to keep you and your muscles from getting too bored at the gym and you’ll also have someone there to push you every step of the way.

Get Out There and Do It

Now that you have found the perfect workout plan to meet your needs (and your wallet) go out there and do it! Half the battle is over. Now it’s time to get moving.

About Hyperstrike

Thanksgiving Survival Guide - Health & Fitness

Mike — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:40:01 -0700

Top 5 Survival Tips for Thanksgiving

As the holidays get closer, stress levels elevate. We ALL experience it. The key to survival is to recognize that the stress is going to be there and try to combat it before it works itself into a full blown holiday meltdown! Here are some tips that will help keep you sane for the holidays.

1. Plan your time wisely. There is only so much of your time to go around. Take a look at your schedule from now until the end of the year. Focus on the things that are really important, the “have to do” things. Next focus on the “would like to do” items and then on the obligations that you committed to that you really don’t have time for and you really don’t want to do. Eliminate those things from your calendar...immediately if not sooner. Not only will it give you more time for the things you want to do but it will eliminate the stress of going to events where you really don’t want to be and trying to impress, or at least tolerate, people you aren’t interested in spending time with.

2. Stick with your workouts. I cannot emphasis this enough. Your workouts are important all year long but especially at this time of the year. And for good reason. First of all, most of us will be indulging more than we do throughout the rest of the year. And secondly, stress levels are higher than normal. Sticking with your workouts will balance out those extra calories and keep stress at bay.

3. Eat healthy. When you are in control of what you are eating and you aren’t being subjected to a party buffet, make the best choices you can. Getting lots of nutrients in your body will help keep you healthy and will also work to balance out the times that you have that special occasion and want to indulge.

4. Get enough sleep. This is another one that can’t be over stated. Sleep is so important, it is free and yet it is the one thing that most of us don’t get enough of. Unlike costly anti-aging treatments, multi vitamins or trips to the spa, sleep costs nothing and is a miracle “drug” when it comes to looking better, feeling great and being more productive. We often think that if we stay up just another hour or two we’ll get more accomplished when the truth is, depriving ourselves of sleep takes away from our productivity during waking hours.

5. Don’t take on more than you can handle. This time of year it is so easy to get caught up in saying yes. Your Mom just needs you to make one extra dish for Thanksgiving, your husband wants to attend three co-workers parties and your sister just needs you to “be a dear and pick up one thing for her”. Saying yes to all of these things helps everyone else out but puts you in a bind, makes you cranky a stressed and you’ll probably end up giving up sleep to get it all done. Politely say “I would love to help you out but I have about all I can handle on my own plate”. You’ll be glad you did!

To keep tabs on your Nutrition and log your workout programs, visit www.hyperstrike.com. Also, for more holiday survival information, read our article, Holidays and Workouts at HyperStrike.com

How To Spot Weight Loss Scams

Mike — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:20:48 -0700

This is a great article -

By Jane Harrison, R.D., Staff Nutritionist, myOptumHealth

Content provided by

Lose 10 pounds in ten days!

Melt away fat as you sleep!

Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!

Sound too good to be true? It's a safe bet that anything promising quick results without the work means that your wallet - not your body - will be lighter. All the same, phony weight loss products that claim to burn, melt and flush fat from your system have flooded the multi-billion dollar weight loss market.

The FDA warns consumers

The federal government, in an ongoing battle to clamp down on bogus weight loss products, has successfully brought claims against many marketers. Common weight loss scams include these:

Weight loss patches. Manufacturers claim they help the thyroid work harder, revving up the rate at which your body burns calories. Worn on the skin, these patches have not been proven to be safe or effective.
Fat blockers. Makers of these pills claim that fat blockers can interfere with how your body processes the fat you eat. But they may cause bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. They can also keep some fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E and K, from being absorbed.
Starch blockers. These promise to block or interfere with starch in your diet. Many users report nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains.
"Magnet" diet pills. Makers claim these bind to fat, effectively flushing fat out of the body while you eat. However, these can block how your body absorbs important fat-soluble vitamins.
Bulk producers or fillers, such as fiber-based products. These absorb liquid and swell in the stomach, which may reduce hunger. But some fillers, such as guar gum, can cause blockages in the intestines, stomach or esophagus. Guar gum was declared unsafe and ineffective for use as a nonprescription diet aid, but it is still used in small amounts as a food thickener and binder.
Electrical muscle stimulators are used in physical therapy, but the FDA has taken several of these devices off the market because they were promoted for weight loss and body toning. When used incorrectly, muscle stimulators can cause electrical shocks and burns.
Appetite-suppressing eyeglasses are common eyeglasses with colored lenses that claim to project an image to the retina that is said to dampen the desire to eat. There is no evidence that these work.
"Magic" weight-loss earrings. These and other similar devices are custom-fitted to the consumer's ear, near acupuncture points that are supposed to help control hunger. They have not been proven to work.

Too good to be true?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, any of the following claims are a red flag. Avoid products or diets that promise to:

Cause weight loss of two pounds or more a week for a month or more without dieting or exercise
Cause substantial weight loss no matter what or how much you eat
Cause permanent weight loss (even when you stop using the product)
Block the absorption of fat or calories so you lose substantial weight
Safely enable you to lose more than three pounds per week for more than four weeks
Cause substantial weight loss for all users
Cause substantial weight loss by wearing it on the body or rubbing it into your skin

So what's the bottom line? Though quick-fix claims can be tempting, the best way to lose weight (and keep it off) is to exercise regularly and take in fewer calories than you burn. That's your magic bullet.

View the original Weight-loss scams: learn how to spot them article on myOptumHealth.com

SOURCES:

Federal Trade Commission. FTC releases guidance to media on false weight-loss claims. Accessed: 05/28/2008

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The facts about weight loss products and programs. Accessed: 05/28/2008

Top Tips on Maintaining A Weight Loss Goal

Mike — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:32:00 -0700

Most people think that the hardest part of weight loss is losing the weight. That is definitely a half the battle, but the other half comes after you’ve lost all the weight—keeping it off. Statistics show that 1 out of 20 people keep their weight off after they’ve lost it. This is not an encouraging statistic; however, following the guidelines below will help you keep the weight off and help improve that statistic!

Make a long-term commitment
One of the biggest mistakes people make is making a short-term commitment, like losing weight for a wedding, or losing weight for a high-school reunion. These people will probably lose weight, but right after the event it will creep back on, because their commitment was short-term. Focus on your health instead of your appearance—this will lead to a healthy lifestyle and ensure that you keep that weight off!

Eat right
This seems like a pretty obvious statement, but a lot of people start eating badly after they’ve lost all the weight. They use rationalizations like “I lost all of that weight, so I deserve a large piece of chocolate cake.” After a few large pieces of chocolate cake, the weight will come back faster than you know it. Eat breakfast in the morning to help kick start your metabolism. Continue eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are good sources of fiber, which will make you feel more full for a longer period of time.

Know your food traps
Knowing when you eat and why can help you keep your weight off. If you know that every day you come home from work, you go straight to the refrigerator for something to munch on, plan something at that time so that you aren’t raiding the refrigerator. Keeping a journal of what you eat and when can help you identify these food traps. If you munch on snacks in front of the television at night, start doing exercises like push-ups, crunches, or squats in front of the television instead.

Monitor your weight
Studies show that people who monitor their weight once a week are more likely to keep the weight off. Knowing from week to week whether you gained, lost, or maintained helps keep the weight loss fresh in your mind. You know that if you gained a little, you can make adjustments that next week to make up for it.

Be consistent
Make sure you are being consistent all through the year. Don’t give yourself a break just because you’re on vacation, or just because it’s Thanksgiving, or just because it’s your birthday. These exceptions will lead to weight gain. It is ok to indulge once and a while, but make sure that you are walking an extra mile or doing an extra 10 minutes of cardio to make up for it.

Continue your exercise program
When people reach their target weight loss, many stop their exercise program because they think they don’t need it anymore. Wrong. You do—your exercise program will help you maintain that lean muscle needed to maintain your metabolism and burn fat.

Get support
Get support from your family and friends and encourage them to encourage you to keep that weight off! You might even talk one of them into joining you at the gym every day, or take an aerobics class at night!

With these seven guidelines, keeping the weight that you lost off forever will not be a problem! If you avoid the mistakes that many other people make, you’ll have no trouble keeping your new body just the way it is!

Increasing Metabolism

Mike — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:47:47 -0700

Metabolism is one of those words that we hear often—usually in the context of “I can’t lose weight because I have slow metabolism.” It is definitely true that you cannot lose weight if you have slow metabolism. What people do not know is that you are completely in charge of your metabolism. Sure, metabolism depends on genetics, but there are ways to increase your metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning machine!

Changing your diet and changing your workout are the two best ways to increase your metabolism. There are many prescription drugs on the market that boast a result of higher metabolism, but changing or modifying your diet and workout plan can increase your metabolism without any side effects.

Your body works like a machine; food is fuel, and anything left over is stored in case it is needed later. Your body has a basal metabolic rate, or BMR, that covers body functions like heartbeat, breathing, and maintaining body temperature. The BMR is basically your metabolism at “rest.” Food is needed to maintain your body functions, and anything consumed after that is stored, usually as fat. By changing your diet and modifying your workout, you can increase your metabolism to burn more at rest, or raise your BMR. Here are some ways to increase your metabolism:

Diet
-Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to increase your metabolism. The food you consume at breakfast kick starts your metabolism so your body starts burning calories first thing in the morning. If you choose to skip breakfast or skip any meals, for that matter, your metabolism will slow down and all the food you eat will be stored as fat instead of burned off.

-Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your body uses more energy to digest these foods than others, keeping your metabolism up throughout the day. For a morning snack, eat some grapes—for an afternoon snack, eat some carrots. These foods will keep your body working long after you are done eating!

-Increase your water intake. Your bodily functions depend on water—with no water in your system, your bodily functions slow down, thus slowing down your metabolism.
-Eat more spicy foods. Spicy foods can increase your metabolism; adding a few peppers to a pizza or salad will make a big difference.

Modifying Your Workout
-Aerobic exercise is very important. A high-intensity workout is even better, because that will allow for calories to be burned after your workout. Any workout will increase your metabolism for a set amount of time, but a high-intensity workout will create a longer burn after your workout.

-Perhaps the most important thing to remember when talking about metabolism is that lean muscle is the key to increasing it. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so increasing the amount of muscle on your body will increase your BMR. Adding strength training or weight training to your workout will help you develop that lean muscle in no time.

By changing your diet and modifying or adding to your workout, you can increase your metabolism so your body becomes more of a fat-burning machine than it ever was. HyperStrike has an article about eating more often to stabilize metabolism. If you would like to add strength training to your workout, but do not have any equipment, check out the no equipment workout! Increasing your metabolism is as easy as tweaking diets and workouts—an added bonus is that you will have more energy to do the other things you love!

Not Too Early to Think About Stress Free Holidays

Mike — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:20:35 -0700

- We have all most likely heard of the book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson. In re-reading some of that recently, it became apparent that most of the drama and stress surrounding the holidays is really “small stuff”. Some of it is even stress and drama that we create ourselves or we allow ourselves to be sucked in to. As the holidays approach, here is some advice on not sweating the small stuff and truly allowing this to be the most wonderful time of the year!

1. Be patient with yourself and others.

2. Be kind to everyone.

3. Have fun!

4. Remember what the season is all about.

5. You have a choice!

This time of year it seems that every where we turn it is busy! The roads, gas station, store (of course!), restaurants and even the gym! It is easy to get impatient waiting in line or in traffic. Take a moment to literally take a few deep breaths and be patient. Plan ahead and know that errands, grocery trips and your visit to the gym may take longer than at any other time of the year. Going into these things with the right mind set will make a big difference in your stress level.

Remember to have fun! Watch the children in your life. They don’t care about what others think or say, they just have fun. You don’t have to be a child in order to have fun. Have a childlike spirit and remember what the season is all about. Kindness, sharing, love, joy…those are things that come naturally to children. Let them come naturally to you as well.

It is up to you. You have a choice in EVERYTHING that you do this holiday season. Choose to be happy. Choose to offer forgiveness. Choose to be kind, to others and yourself. That means making the commitment to stick with your workouts. You will have more energy, release stress and be in a better state of mind to handle the challenges that may come your way.

If you are a member of HyperStrike.com, you know that you have the best available means of tracking your workouts, utilizing custom workouts and holding yourself accountable to your goals. If you are not a member, becoming a member would be a great gift to give yourself this holiday season. You can take advantage of all the features including FitScore. FitScore is a fun, easy to use fitness assessment tool that allows each member to determine their total fitness by measuring the 5 components of fitness: strength, power, agility, endurance, and flexibility. The Nutrition component is a great resource for any time of the year, but especially now! This feature offers a nutrition and meal planning service that is completely integrated with your fitness plan. The choice is up to you!

Fat Burning Workout

Mike — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:53:37 -0700

The Fat Burning Workout is based on a simple fact; if you build more muscle you will burn more calories. This workout is designed to build lean muscle. When you train with weights you burn calories while you exercise and for 24 hours after. Weight training revs up your metabolism and is increases your lean body mass. A smart best approach to burning fat involves both weight training and aerobic workouts. When combined with a healthy diet this workout produces fast results.

http://www.hyperstrike.com/Fat-Burning-Workout-19.aspx

Lifting On Short Time: 3 Fast Workouts

Mike — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:28:29 -0700

Lifting On Short Time: 3 Fast Workouts Shared via AddThis