Nate Dixon

Workouts: Twenty Ten Tabata Timing

        Developed in the 1990s by Japanese Researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata, Tabata maximizes anaerobic(weights) and aerobic(cardio) capacity in a workout that takes just a few minutes. Although the Tabata Timing system is often modified for longer rest or longer work, the original protocol is 20 seconds of hard work, 10 seconds of rest, this was repeated eight times for a total of four minutes.

     If you don’t think you could get a good workout in just four minutes you are not working hard enough! Tabata has been proven to benefit anaerobic and aerobic systems without the loss in muscle mass. Compared to steady state cardio, Tabata is the way to go! This style of timing can be done for warm up, workout, and cool down taking up 16 minutes. Although this is a short workout, if done properly, you will feel much better than spending an hour in the gym.

Example of a Tabata Protocol:
Warm Up:
20sec. Jumping Jacks
10sec. rest
8 Times

Work out:
20sec. Squats
10sec. Rest
20sec Pushups
10sec. Rest
20sec Plank
10sec. Rest
20sec. Lunges
10sec. Rest
4 Times

Cool Down:
20sec. Any Type of biking
10sec Rest
8 Times.

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/10/15/workouts-twenty-ten-tabata-timing

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Nate Dixon

Workouts: Is CrossFit just HIIT?

“That looks like CrossFit, I’m not interested.”

We have tendency to compare everything, prices, people, cars, houses, etc. If you are looking to build muscle aka “get toned” while burning fat, you have probably done all the research there is to know, except seeing what works for you! People walk into the gym and see our members doing High Intensity Interval Training and cut us off before we can explain that H.I.I.T is short bursts of high intensity exercises with low intensity/rest in between. Often times confused with CrossFit, which is constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity.

Both CrossFit and H.I.I.T have been around since about the 1930s and it would be wrong to state they both do not stem from the same exact concept, hard workouts, with little rest time. So what is the difference you ask? Unlike Crossfit, H.I.I.T. promotes body weight exercise, use of anything heavy enough for your heart rate to go up, bars are unnecessary and overhead movements are not a necessity. But, in the simplest stated form, CrossFit is a trademarked brand with 1700 affiliates that pay for the name, thanks to Reebok. H.I.I.T. on the other hand has stayed a type of workout that everyone can use for free without paying for the name and is being utilized by many gyms and personal trainers across the country.

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/10/15/workouts-is-crossfit-just-hiit

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Nate Dixon

Workouts: Are You Determined To Be A CrossFitter?

Coaches are CrossFitters who do WODs in their box. This is CrossFit lingo for trainers are workout gurus who do a workout of the day in their gym. A CrossFit program is built as multiple functional movements that are constantly varied at high intensity. CrossFit strives to hit every move across the board:
   - Cardio
   - Stamina
   - Strength
   - Flexibility
   - Power
   - Speed
   - Coordination
   - Agility
   - Balance
   - Accuracy
As you can see, CrossFit was developed to create movement through all physical tasks. These type of fitness movements are needed in areas such as: Military, Police, Firefighters, and Sports of course. CrossFit is based on a team environment with everyone starting and ending the workouts together. CrossFit is always a trainer-led program and is essentially thoughtless which is perfect for some, but what if the trainer is not paying attention? What if the trainer is not passionate about their job and they are not looking at you for that one fast tired overhead lift? Although CrossFit as an organization tries to weed those people out, sometimes there are situations in which you should not be dependent on a Coach teaching more than 5 people at a time with over-head lifts. We have listed some things to look for when finding your gym (box).
   - Make sure the trainer (coach) knows how to teach perfect form
   - Ask about their certifications and experience
   - Ask to watch or try a workout before committing
   - Aim for balance in all things, do not consume yourself within a WOD everyday
   - Always compete against yourself, never anyone else. Competition breeds injury
   - Going fast every single day is not necessary. REST is necessary.

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/29/workouts-are-you-determined-to-be-a-crossfitter

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Nate Dixon

Workouts: Doing H.I.I.T. at the age of "I'm too old for that"

Some people are doing H.I.I.T. and they don’t even know it. Others don’t even know that they should be doing H.I.I.T., so what is it? High Intensity Interval Training is an interval training routine that people use as a workout to burn fat faster. This type of workout is not only for athletes because High Intensity does not mean under the age of “I’m too old for that”. High Intensity is relative to the person. High intensity to one person may be extremely different to another, but they will get the same effect because of how different their bodies are. This workout usually lasts no longer than twenty minutes. Work hard, rest better, is the motto in a H.I.I.T. workout. A simple H.I.I.T. workout may be laid out like the following:
20 seconds - Jumping Jacks
10 seconds - Rest
20 seconds - Squats
10 seconds - Rest
20 seconds - Push ups
10 seconds - Rest
Repeated as many rounds as you deem necessary. (About four)
As you see there are labeled rest times. Using these rest times to the fullest lets your body catch up for 50% of the work time so that you are able to work even harder when your work time comes around again. To prove to you even more of how a H.I.I.T. workout is different for everyone but very beneficial you do not have to do the exercises if you are not comfortable, you can just do a simple run/walk. Run a block and then walk about, this is the same concept of workout hard and resting better.
Do H.I.I.T every other day with good nutrition in between. A great workout like this burns energy from your muscles and they need adequate time to repair, so that you are able to put forth effort again in two days. The top goal of H.I.I.T is to prevent any type of plateau so always make sure to switch it up! After you have done 8 weeks of a specific program, give yourself a week of rest and then switch it up!

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/28/workouts-doing-hiit-at-the-age-of-im-too-old-for-that

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Nate Dixon

Weight Loss: Fat Weight vs. Muscle Weight

Scale Weight, numbers, and pound goals, none of them matter! When it comes to weight loss, there is a huge difference between a pound of muscle and a pound of fat. Yes, they have to weigh the same, that is an obvious statement, but do they look the same? Muscle is denser than fat, therefore even though two people may be the same height and weight, the person with a higher fat percentage will wear bigger size in clothing. Now does this mean you have to be a muscle man in order to look and feel good? Absolutely not, anyone can gain muscle while still having the figure they have dreamed of. Women need to stop worrying about “getting bulky” it is not going to happen unless there are many supplements added.

Benefits of Increasing Muscle Mass:
1. Boosts Metabolism (Burning calories at a faster pace and throughout the day)
2. Increases blood flow throughout the body
3. Gaining muscle = Losing fat (It happens at the same time)
4. Decreases the symptoms of sarcopenia (Muscle loss with aging)

We recommend a personal trainer to design a balanced routine and a full body workout daily. Building muscle mass is a good thing, so stop saying you want to get “toned” and start saying you are going to get “strong”!

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/28/weight-loss-fat-weight-vs-muscle-weight

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Nate Dixon

Weight Loss: The Clock and Fork Relationship

       Knowing when to eat is just as important as knowing what to eat when it comes to weight loss. The time in which you eat could make the difference of fat burned or fat stored. You should never let yourself get too hungry, this is the point where the cravings kick in. Follow the formula below to eat at the right times for the ultimate weight loss.
   7am Breakfast: 8oz. water - Protein based, carbs, healthy fat (Egg whites, spinach, fruit)
       9am Snack: 8oz. water - Protein, fiber, healthy fat (Hummus, nuts, banana)
   12pm Lunch: 8 oz. water - Protein, Veggies (Beans, guacamole, chickpeas, spinach) Desert - Fruit
       3pm (Workout) Snack: 8 oz. water - Healthy fats and Protein (Almonds and yogurt)
     6pm Dinner: 8oz. water - High Protein, High Carb, Low Fat(Grilled Chicken, Sweet Potatoe, Spinach)
   8pm Snack: 8oz. water - Non Fat Greek Yogurt
Putting proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in the correct order could be just the boost you need for the weight loss you have been looking for. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. Protein is an important building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Complex carbs give your body energy. Eating good fats at the right times is an important way to improve health and reduce disease and of course, never forget the water!

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/25/weight-loss-the-clock-and-fork-relationship

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Nate Dixon

Weight Loss: 6 Ways to Add The Good Before Subtracting The Bad

Weight loss is not about stopping all the bad habits at the same time, but adding the good habits in order to eventually realize we are satisfied with a healthy lifestyle. Healthy habits are difficult; in our last blog we talked about doing good habits one week at a time, but what are we supposed to do with the bad habits we have already created? Here are six bad habits that are easily added to and their possible substitutions:

       1. Soda: For every soda you drink, add one glass of water
   2. Chips: For every chip you eat, add a blueberry
       3. TV: During every commercial, read a page from a book.
       4. Fast Food: When you stop at a restaurant, add a side of fruit
       5. Chocolate: Eat Dark Chocolate Instead
       6. Smoking: Chew a piece of bubble gum
Adding the healthy before eating the bad will stop the crave a bit and you will not want to do the bad habit as often. Weight loss comes from understanding how to live a healthy life, not going on a diet for a short amount of time, it is extremely unhealthy to go on and off diets constantly. As a reminder, add before you take out and go one week at a time.

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/25/weight-loss-6-ways-to-add-the-good-before-subtracting-the-bad

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Nate Dixon

Weight Loss: 5 Steps To A Healthy Life

“I am going on a diet and I’m going to lose 20lb in two weeks….” How many times have we heard or even said this? Weight loss is not just a temporary option, our goal should not be dieting, but living a healthy lifestyle. Do not starve yourself just to lose those ten pounds in one week. Weight loss is a process and should be added to every week. Here are five steps to boost your weight loss:
    1. Drink Water
    2. Bring a buddy
    3. Add Greens
    4. Make Realistic Goals
    5. Write it down one at a time
First, add water to your day by drinking 8oz multiple times a day; when you wake up, before you go to bed, and six to eight times in between. Second, bringing a buddy kicks off your weight loss because it holds you accountable! You will not skip the gym when your friend is on their way to pick you up. Third, adding greens to every meal should be an absolute priority! Greens do not need to be counted as calories, therefore make a challenge to see how many you can eat in a day. All your goals should be reachable and attainable, there is no reason to make a goal that is never going to happen and you are not buying into your own thoughts. These goals do not all have to happen at once, add them one at a time so you are prepared to add a goal only when you have made the last one a habit. Finally, write everything down! Apps are great but pencils are better. Writing your workout and nutrition on paper will stick in your mild and you can easily write how you feel and when you felt it.
“It’s not that some people have will power and some don’t, it is that some people are ready to change and others are not.” - Carl Sandburg

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/24/weight-loss-5-steps-to-a-healthy-life

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Nate Dixon

Weight Loss: Replace Counting by Adding Fiber

Weight loss gets tricky when we count calories. The real question is how many calories are we eating in a day compared to how many we need? We are so obsessed with counting every piece of food throughout our day, we do not have time to focus on the actual weight loss itself. Take a step back and focus on the simple aspects of life; when are you hungry and when are you full? You may have 500 calories left but if you are not hungry, then those calories are just stacking on top of each other to build unnecessary fat cells and make you actually gain weight.

Calorie counting is a scapegoat to what we are scared of accepting: we as humans are eating too much fat, sugar, and non digestible foods that quite frankly do nothing but constipate and bloat our bodies. If we spend more time eating quality foods with high fiber:

- Fruit

- Vegetables

- Legumes

rather than spending our time on counting the number of calories on our plate, our days would be enjoyed by who we are eating with rather than what we are eating with them.

We’ve got built in calorie counters called fiber! We just have to tune into our natural way of eating and things will right themselves. We need to fix the problem of counting every chew, not pretend that it is normal to be hungry. Fiber is the key! Everything we eat should have some type of fiber.

PermaLink: http://lava24.com/blog/2015/09/21/simplify-calorie-counting-by-adding-fiber2

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