Another 100 Challenge!

I've gotten some great responses from my 100 challenges, so I wanted to extend one more to you this week.

Over the next week, can you spend 100 minutes of it running?

You can break it up however you need to. It's under 15 minutes a day if you decide to complete a part of the challenge each day.

You can even run 7.5 minutes in the morning and 7.5 minutes when you get home from work. If you watch one hour of television at night, you can jog in place during the commercials.

Be creative, and challenge yourself! You may find a new twist to add to your workout routine.

As always, keep me posted on your progress. On your mark, get set, GO!

Exercise of the Week: Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are hands down one of the greatest leg exercises you can do.

The reason they are so high up on the list is because you not only get a fantastic leg workout, but you are also working on flexibility at the same time. Each lunge forces your body to stretch into a lowered position that really allows the hip flexors of the back leg to elongate and open. That means you get strength, conditioning, toning, and flexibility benefits from just this one exercise.

Here's how to complete it:

1. Hold dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing towards your body

2. Lunge forward with one leg and allow both knees to bend

3. Lunge as deep as you can comfortably4. Push back up and forward through the front leg's heel

5. Repeat with the opposite leg walking forward for 12-16 total repetitions

Tips to Remember:

1. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and your chin parallel to the floor the entire set

2. Do not let your front knee go over the front foot when lunging

3. Breathe in on the way down and out on the way up

4. Start out with no weight if need be

5. Keep your arms by your sides throughout each repetition

If you are new to these, try them without weight for your first few times and concentrate on form. If you are a pro at these, add some weight.

If you are doing these at the gym, the track is great place to do these, but don't try to lunge around the corners. You don't want to take a chance of getting out of alignment.

One additional tip for the all the fitness divas (and divos) out there - Take these outside for an additional challenge - but not just anywhere. Find a hill! Walking lunges uphill is an INSANE great workout!

Healthy Side Dish: Mashed Cauliflower

Here's a great side dish to add to your Easter menu this weekend. It will have all of the taste that your guests will enjoy - without adding to their waistline. Traditional Easter menus generally consist of ham, mashed potatoes, green beans.... and Cadbury eggs (Sorry, I don't have a substitute for those!) :)

However, I can help you on the mashed potatoes issue. Introducing: mashed cauliflower.

Ingredients:

6 cups of chopped cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 oz. - Brummel & Brown spread (a great substitute for butter)
1 1/2 oz. fat free half and half
Salt, pepper, garlic, and chives

Serves 4

Directions:

1. Heat cauliflower with an inch of water in a microwave safe bowl until tender.

2. Mash cauliflower with spread and half and half until at the desired consistency.

3. Add seassonings to taste.

Exercise of the Week: Dumbbell Step Up

You already know that I love compound exercises. The more muscles you work, the more calories you burn. Makes sense. So what could be better than an exercise that works multiple muscles (strength benefits) and gets your heart rate up (cardiovascular benefits)?

That's why the exercise of the week is: the Dumbbell Step Up.

Tips: The first time you attempt this, try it without weight at a slower pace with a small bench/platform. As you get stronger, add weight and/or raise the bench and/or increase your speed. There's always a way to challenge yourself with this exercise - no matter how strong you get.

Instructions:

Hold one dumbbell by your sides. Step up onto a flat bench with your left leg. Then, step up with your right leg to stand on the bench. Step down with your left leg, then your right leg. Repeat 12 to 15 times, then step up with your right leg first for 12-15 reps on that side.

If you are an elite athlete, you can add a glute lift by stepping on the bench with your left leg and kicking the right leg back instead of stepping on the step with your right leg. Do the same amount of reps as described above.

Remember to Recover!

We are always being told to exercise more in order to lose weight. After all, the more regular we workout, the more calories we burn. However, it is also important to understand why muscles need quality rest you'll be able to plan an exercise regime that will be more effective for you and your individual needs. You can't just attempt to follow a workout plan found from a magazine. That may cause more harm than good!

Here is how it works:

When we exercise, our muscles break down. Tiny fragments of protein within the muscles cells shatter. The more we exercise during a workout, the greater the muscle catabolism (degradation). It's one of the reasons why we actually become weaker as we progress through a particular routine. How quickly muscles degrade also depends on the strength of the individual and the intensity of the exercise. Obviously, the stronger and fitter the person the slower the rate of breakdown. Also, the more effort we put into an exercise, the faster the rate of muscle catabolism. It's why you can walk longer than you can run.

After any workout, your muscles need to replace all elements lost. Both proteins and energy stores need replacing for muscles to make a full recovery. Here's where the problem comes in - If muscles are not given enough time to recover fully before another workout is repeated, then the muscles progressively become smaller. What this could mean for weight loss is a gradual decline in lean tissue, thus lowering the metabolism over the course of a few weeks. A lowered metabolism could be disastrous for a dieter because less calories are burned overall, meaning they must either lower calorie intake even further (not always recommended) or burn more energy through more exercise... which will only exasperate the problem. This can be another cause for the common weight loss plateau for those who do exercise regularly.

Our muscles calorie burning potential can only help us lose weight if they are allowed to reach their fat burning potential. This is the reason why recovery between workout routines is so important.

To help your muscles recover, here are a few tricks you can use –

Do not lower calorie intake below 1500 per day
Eat a little high quality protein at most meals
Get plenty of sleep
Try to rest a day between hard workouts.
If new to exercising, try to train every other day rather than two consecutive days in a row.

As fitness levels grow its possible to increase the number of training days in a week and still be able to recover within a day. But remember to start slow and build up gradually!

So take a day off. You deserve it. :)

Michelle's Mailbox

I love a good April Fool's Day joke. That's why when Jerky.com asked me to help out with their one-day promotion of "Sasquatch Jerky," I couldn't resist. But in order to thank you for going along with their little prank, they want to give you with 10% savings on your order. (You can check out my review of their pineapple jerky here.) Just head to Jerky.com, select the products you want to try, then use the coupon code ABSOLUTIONBIGFOOT when you check out. Plus, your shipping is free!

You readers have been keeping me busy (which I love, by the way!) You have so many questions! (Send your question to me at coach.chelle@gmail.com if you have one!) I decided to use today's post to answer some of the most common questions I get. Hope this helps!

Are free weights better than machine/cable weights?

Free weights generally challenge an overall muscle group more intensely. They assist in the development of core trunk strength, stabilizing muscle strength and balance. However; for the purpose of weight loss, muscle toning and overall fitness, both groups will serve an adequate purpose.

How many calories are burned while walking/jogging/running a mile?

On average, the caloric expenditure per 100 pounds of body weight, per mile is 62 calories. So if you weight 200 pounds, walking or jogging a mile will burn about 124 calories.

How do I know how much weight I should be lifting?

For those of you who are weight lifting for overall fitness and health, the general rule is to maintain a rep count of 10 – 12 repetitions. While lifting, the final rep (10, 11 or 12) should be relatively difficult to complete. If completing 10 reps is too difficult, reduce the weight. If completing 12 reps is too easy (i.e. You can complete even one more rep) increase the weight.

Are crunches, sit-ups and other abdominal exercises ideal for losing weight around the abdomen?

No. The human body is not capable of spot reducing fatty deposits. A well rounded fitness program and a well rounded diet are the ideal, and only, ways to reduce overall body fat.

How many calories do I have to burn to lose a pound of fat?

A pound of fat is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories. If you’re goal is to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to increase you activity levels by 500 calories per day, reduce you caloric intake by 500 calories per day or settle on a combination of the two.

How important is it for women to strength train?

It is monumentally important for women to weight train. Among dozens of other benefits, weight bearing exercise reduces the rate at which bone density is depleted, leading to healthier bones for a longer period of time.

Is it dangerous for children to weight train?

Yes and No. Children of any age should be active. And contrary to popular belief, weight training will not stunt growth if it is done properly. At a young age (8 – 13) weight training should be kept to body weight exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups and the like. No matter what exercise a child is performing, proper supervision is essential!

Will strength training decrease overall flexibility?

The short answer is No. However, if one gains too much muscle mass, they may become “muscle bound”. This is unlikely though. Very few people have to worry about the possibility of becoming muscle bound.

How often should I exercise?

It is my personal belief that the human body is designed to be active often. I feel most people should participate in some physical activity for at least 30 minutes 6 days a week. I do understand how busy our lives get. That said, I typically recommend an absolute minimum of one hour, three days per week.

How will exercise and physical fitness help me?

This question was posed several times and its answer could go on for pages. I’ll narrow it down some of the most important:

1. Decreased risk of diseases/conditions related to excessive weight or obesity.
2. Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. Lower cholesterol levels.
4. Lower blood pressure.
5. Decreased levels of stress/anxiety.
6. Better self image.
7. Ability to sleep better.
8. Decreased risk of injury while performing routine activity.
9. Decreased risk of depression.
10. Delays the onset of physical signs of aging.

That's all for now - I'll keep posting answers if you keep emailing me questions to coach.chelle@gmail.com. Now, go order some jerky with your discount!

Let's recap:

Part 1 - Do 100 push-ups everyday for a week.

Part 2 - Burn 100 more calories than you normally do everyday for a week.

So what's Part 3? Every day for this week, I want you to switch out 100 calories per day for a healthier choice. I am assuming that most of you are trying to limit your caloric intake, and especially when you are exercising, I want to make sure that you are taking in enough calories. But we can always make a better choice.

How?

Order your drink at Starbucks sugar free and have it made with non-fat milk. (Do I even need to say no whip?) Even better? Switch your coffee for hot tea.

Instead of having a turkey sandwich for lunch, replace the bread and serve the meat over greens for a healthy salad.

Instead of crackers with soup, crunch on carrots or celery.

Those are just a few suggestions - there are tons more. Small changes can add up if you just take the time to think about it.

Are you in??

SIDE NOTE - I always like to be the first to tell you about *NEW* products. Check out the latest creation from our friends at Jerky.com called Sasquatch Jerky. You won't find it anywhere else - promise!! Made from 100% of the highest quality Sasquatch meat. It's the perfect high-protein and low-calorie snack! You could use it in your challenge this week. Try it today!