**If you would like a chance to win a Made Fit towel, check out the video above to see how you can!!**

A health and fitness program involves the basic cardiovascular exercise, strength and resistance training, and balanced nutrition.  But in the middle of it all, one important part can easily be skipped over, which could potentially effect program results for the worse.  It’s flexibility!

I get many emails and comments regarding the topics of injuries, recovery, and stretching.  Flexibility training is very important in tackling these issues.  In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I show you stretching movements that target the entire body using a towel so you can get in a good stretch at the gym or at home!

I have a new love… of a protein shake, of course!  Thanks to Kasey from South Bend, Indiana, I have been introduced to a new protein brand and flavor of shake that is a great mix-up from the usual vanilla or chocolate protein shake.

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, we demonstrate how to make the winning protein shake recipe from our giveaway contest in Episode 84, “Delicious Protein Shake Recipes.” If you have not checked it out, take a look at all of the creative recipes in the comments section of Episode 84 here.  In addition to making Kasey’s recipe, we also put our own spin on it!

Kasey’s Fuzzy Navel Protein Shake

Ingredients: 1 scoop Syntrax brand Nectar Fuzzy Navel whey protein isolate, 1 packet sugar-free orange drink mix, water

1. Mix the protein powder and drink mix

2. Add in 8 - 20 oz water

3. Mix to desired consistency and enjoy!

Nutrition Info: 100 calories, 0g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, 23g protein

Made Fit Fuzzy Navel Protein Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 scoop Syntrax brand Nectar Fuzzy Navel whey protein isolate, 1/2 packet sugar-free orange drink mix, 2 tbsp fat-free orange sherbet, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 4 oz skim milk, water, ice cubes

1. Combine 5 ice cubes, milk, 4oz water, vanilla, sherbet

2. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds until ice is somewhat crushed

3. Add in protein powder and and half a packet of the drink mix and blend for another minute or two, or until desired consistency and enjoy!

Nutrition Info: 170 calories, 0g fat, 15g carbohydrates, 13g sugar, 27g protein

Creativity is a huge part of making your health and fitness plan a success - same goes with your nutrition.  If you avoid healthier options for fear they will taste bland, your overall results will suffer.  You must understand that there is a way around it, and it doesn’t have to be complicated at all.  You just have to know how to modify your foods and what to replace to make your options healthier, yet still taste good.

It’s in times like these I am extra thankful for the Made Fit TV fans out there!  Your participation in my show inspires the recipes I provide on my podcasts.  This episode is no exception.  Diane from Texas has been joining me and Chris during our live podcasts every Saturday for over a year now and she has given us the basic idea for this week’s recipe: Healthy Deviled Eggs (or, “Angel”) Eggs!

Check out the video to learn how you can make this very simple, healthy, and yummy recipe!  It’s great for parties or for an everyday snack.  Plus, the comparison I provide in the video of the nutrition facts of the deviled eggs to the angel eggs is staggering!

Also, congratulations to our winner, Kasey from Indiana, of our protein shake recipe contest from Episode 84! It was a hard decision with all of the creative and delicious recipes you all provided us with.  You can see them all in the comments section of the episode “Delicious Protein Shake Recipes.” Chris and I appreciate all of your support and feedback and hope to get around to making all of the recipes eventually!

Lifting weights is important for everyone, no matter what the goal is. Whether is be for weight-loss, strength, “tone” (I hate that word because it’s actually the product of dense muscle through weight training and lowered body fat, but, I digress…), performance, posture, the list goes on.  Whatever the goal, I guarantee weight-training is part of the equation.

When weight-lifting and resistance training, it can be easy for one to focus on how much they are lifting as opposed to the more important factor of how they are lifting.  When I say “how,” I’m talking about tempo.  Over time, training at the same tempo - or at an incorrect tempo - could lead to injury, plateau, or just boredom of your weight training program.

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I show you the basic tempo you should practice when lifting weights. This goes for beginners all the way up to seasoned lifters.  And to mix up your program, I show you a challenging tempo technique that can increase your muscle endurance, performance, and even size for you guys out there!

Time management is probably one of your biggest enemies when it comes to your fitness plan.  You may think you don’t have the time to work up a good sweat, but I guarantee you have 20 minutes to spare each day. Come one!  The key is to get creative, stop making excuses, and try something different.  The technique of supersetting your workout may be the answer.

Superset is not a method that will give you super powers, but it will make you stronger!  The basis of the technique is to perform two of more movements back-to-back with minimal rest in between sets.  This method forces your body to push beyond your comfort threshold, improving your endurance in cardio and muscle performance.

Like I said, it can take as little as 20 minutes a day to implement into your healthy eating plan and fitness program to see better results than you’re already seeing.  It can also be a great way to push your body over that dreaded plateau.  I show you a great combination of total body movements in superset form in this week’s Made Fit TV episode.  Check it out, follow along, and print out the workout guide below to take with you to your sessions!

Superset #1- Legs & Back

• Squat to Back Row
• Deadlift to Underhand Row

Superset #2 - Chest & Abs

• Push up to Plank Pelvic Raise
• Chest Press to Reverse Crunch

Superset #3 - Arms

• Bicep Curl to Inverted Press
• Front Shoulder Raise to Front Press

One of the most popular questions I receive in my emails and comments is “What is a good protein shake to drink?”  After directing people to Episode 53 “What Protein Supplement is Good For Me?”, I continue by saying that you can add whatever you want to a protein shake that makes it nutritious.

However, sometimes leaving room for too many options leaves many to feel lost and undecided still on what to add to them.  In addition, there is also a direct relation to the ingredients in your shake to what time of day you are training and when to drink them. So much to think about!

Well, not to worry!  In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I provide you with two delicious and healthy protein shakes straight from my own nutrition plan!  It features one shake recipe that Chris loves, and one that I love!  Check out the video and print off the recipe and nutrition information below so you can make these shakes part of your meal plan, also!

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Protein Shake

Ingredients: 1 scoop vanilla or cookie-flavored protein powder of your choice, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup water, 4 or 5 thawed frozen or fresh strawberries, 1/2 large banana, 1 tsp dry sugar-free strawberry jello mix, 1 tsp dry sugar-free cheesecake jello pudding mix, 3 ice cubes

1. In a blender, combine the water, ice cubes, and milk, followed by the protein powder, and strawberries

2. Mix for 30 seconds to allow the strawberries and ice cubes to break up

3. Stop the mixer and add in the banana and dry jello mixes

4. Blend for about another minute or two to desired consistency

5. Enjoy!  (Add more water if you want it less thick)

* This shake is best enjoyed as a morning meal replacement or one hour before an intense cardio or weight-lifting session because of the higher blend of carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and protein. You can also split it in half for two meal replacements or snacks on a recovery training day.

Nutrition Info:

320 calories, 3g fat, 35g carbs, 7g fiber, 25g sugar, 27g protein

Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Shake

Ingredients: I scoop of vanilla or cookie-flavored protein powder of your choice (if using chocolate flavor, cut the cocoa powder serving in half), 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup chilled brewed coffee, 1 packet of sugar substitute of your choice (splenda, stevia, etc.)

1. In a blender, combine the coffee and milk, followed by the protein powder, cocoa, peanut butter, and packet of sugar substitute

2. Mix for one to two minutes, or until desired consistency

3. Add 2 ice cubes if you want it thicker

4. Pour it in a glass over ice and enjoy!

*This protein shake is best enjoyed as a meal replacement or snack 30 minutes before a cardio or weight-lifting session, especially in the morning for an extra boost of energy.  The higher fat and amounts and lower carb amounts are great for figure athletes in their training season.

Nutrition Info:

250 calories, 10g fat, 10g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 25g protein

Nothing bothers me more than to know that most people take better care of their cars than their bodies!  People tend to use the excuse the “being healthy is expensive.”  Well, same with going to college, but most of us do it anyway and go into debt in the process! But, why do we do it?  Because it is an investment in our future.  Same thing with your health.

Health is only as expensive as you make it. It is not something that you can go into debt with because the healthier you are, the longer and better quality life you will live.  In other words, health is an investment that will pay you with priceless gains.  The key is to be smart about what you invest your time and money into.  In this week’s episode of Made Fit TV, I show you Six Ways to Spend Smart on your Health that can save you money and get you healthier at the same time.

While some people call it “the male soap opera”, professional wrestling has become a worldwide phenomena in sports entertainment. With that, all the bumps and bruises that come with the territory only allude to one fact…wrestling is a tough, intense sport.

So, even though we know the drama is scripted and the punches are not full contact - the athletic ability of these modern day gladiators is certainly not in question.

On this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I go inside the ring with former TNA Wrestling star Petey Williams for a behind-the-scenes look at the intense conditioning needed to become a pro.  And, believe me, we just barely skim the surface of the physical training, technique, work, and long hours that goes into it!  But, I think you’ll get the picture and find some interesting similarities between your conditioning techniques to that of a wrestler.

We want to give a very special thanks to House of Truth Pro Wrestling School for hosting us, its owner/pro wrestling coach Truth Martini, and for his talented group of aspiring wrestlers who demonstrated their moves for our camera!

Follow Petey Williams on his myspace page by clicking here!

Video Footage is property of TNA Entertainment, LLC.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CYCLE WORKOUT SHEET (PDF)

Cardiovascular exercise is only as good as you make it.  If you’re not having fun - okay, or at least a little fun - then maybe it’s time you switched up your methods.  There is not “cookie cutter” way to increase your endurance, so find one that works for you.

Cycling, or “spinning”, is a good alternative to the typical cardio methods that involve you being on your feet.  Over-use is one of the most common causes of injury, and cycling can help decrease those odds by working your heart, legs, and core in a lower impact way.  But, you have to do it correctly and have a goal in order to get the greatest benefits from this overlooked type of exercise.

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I show you how to set up your bike to get the maximum results from your ride.  I also show you some creative workouts to do on the bike to keep you from getting bored.  And, because I want you to give this a good chance, I also have a workout for you that you can upload from this post, print off, and take with you to follow along!  Happy cycling!

If you live in Metro Detroit, Gourmet Everyday is offering a *SPECIAL TWO-WEEK OFFER* for Made Fit TV viewers!  But here’s the catch: YOU MUST MENTION MY NAME IN ORDER TO GET IT.  Gourmet Everyday is also offering special discount pricing if you sign up for an additional FOUR WEEKS!

Call (248) 398-5559 & visit www.GourmetEverydayDelivery.com

As cliche as it may sound, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  But why?  When you sleep, even though your body is maintaining a lower heart rate, your body is fasting.  If we’re lucky, we typically get 8 hours of sleep.  So, that’s ten hours or more your body goes without eating food!  And, I say ten hours because we don’t eat right before bed, I would hope!

So, breakfast is crucial in kick-starting your metabolism for the rest of the day.  And you don’t want to just eat anything. Sorry, no sticky buns!  You must eat protein, some healthy carbs and fat.  The perfect meal that I always recommend involves eggs, every time.  In this week’s episode of Made Fit TV, we join a Detroit-based professional meal service, Gourmet Everyday, in showing you a great breakfast omelet recipe.  The company’s owner, Michelle Kobernick, shares with us her “Rule of Three’s”, key to making your meal the best tasting and the healthiest!