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Do Cardio Workouts Burn Fat?

Do Cardio Workouts Burn Fat?

Cardio workouts are part of the program at One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA, because you need cardiovascular exercise to be truly healthy. They burn lots of calories, but do they burn fat? Of course, they do, but that’s not all they burn, they burn lean muscle tissue, too. That’s not good. Muscle tissue is beneficial for weight loss. It takes more calories to maintain than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the more calories you’ll burn, even when resting.

What other exercises are better for burning fat?

One of the best options is strength training. Not only does strength training, like lifting weights, burn tons of calories from fat, it builds muscle tissue. Strength training also can trigger EPOC—Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, which can boost your metabolism for up to 48 hours after a workout. When you stop cardio, you cease burning extra calories and your metabolism remains the same.

Studies show that weight training burns more fat.

A study at Penn State helped identify the benefits of weight training, compared to dieting without exercise, just doing cardio or doing both cardio and weight training. The people that used cardio combined with weight training lost an average of six more pounds, for an average of 27 pounds, than the group that just dieted or did cardio alone. The diet and cardio only group lost the weight with 75% coming from fat loss and 25% from muscle tissue. Those doing cardio and weight training almost all their weight loss was from fat.

HIIT—high intensity interval training—workouts also burn tons of calories.

There is no specific type of HIIT exercise, since it’s a way of doing any type of exercise, from lifting weights to running. You simply alternate the intensity from high intensity to moderate or recovery and back again, doing it repeatedly throughout the workout. It burns a huge amount of calories and when used with a strength training program, gives the benefits of both worlds.

  • Kick boxing is similar to HIIT workouts, since the speed and intensity varies throughout the session. You’ll have heart pounding high intensity moments and times you pull back and review the situation.
  • Varying your workout is important for calorie burning and to help prevent plateauing. Plateauing occurs when you do the same movements repeatedly. The body becomes efficient and burns fewer calories. Since you do a variety of moves during kickboxing, plateauing normally doesn’t occur.
  • For the biggest calorie burners, no matter what type of exercise you use, do compound exercises. Compound exercises work several muscle groups and joints at once.
  • Whether you choose personal training or kickboxing, you’ll burn tons of fat. You’ll get the benefit of the latest scientific knowledge, plus have fun, especially when kickboxing.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


What To Eat Before Bed For Better Sleep

What To Eat Before Bed For Better Sleep

If you’ve heard that eating before bed can cause weight gain or trigger acid reflux, what you’ve heard is both right and wrong. Let’s first take the assumption it causes weight gain. While studies may link eating at bedtime with weight gain, there’s no reason why it should. A calorie is a calorie, no matter when you eat it. What may be the problem is that people who eat at bedtime are adding extra calories they wouldn’t eat otherwise. Acid reflux can be a problem and if you’re prone to it, eating before bed isn’t advised. What to eat for better sleep is the next question.

Some people can’t sleep if they’re hungry.

There are reasons built into you that keep you awake if you’re hungry at bedtime. It’s a survival instinct. The hunger triggers the mind to stay awake and search for food. If you don’t have any medical issues or issues with reflux, finding the perfect food at bedtime to help you sleep is important. Try food that contains tryptophan—an amino acid and protein. Turkey is about the best known source of tryptophan, Both the tryptophan and the protein promote sleepiness. Other poultry, beef, pork and seafood also contains both protein and tryptophan.

Go nuts with almonds.

Melatonin tells your internal when it’s time to sleep and triggers signals to the body to go to sleep. Almonds and other types of nuts are a source of melatonin. They’re also a source of riboflavin, phosphorus, and magnesium. Magnesium may also help you get better quality sleep. It can reduce stress hormones, while being a good antioxidant. Eat one ounce before bedtime, which is about a handful. Walnuts are also beneficial.

Have a bit of tuna, salmon or other fatty fish.

Mix up a little tuna with mayo, celery and onions and spread it on a cracker. That tuna is high in vitamin D, just as most fatty fish are. Tuna, like other fatty fish is high in omega-3 that fights inflammation and when combined with vitamin D, can help you go to slumberland. That’s because both increase the body’s production of serotonin, which plays a huge role in the body’s sleep cycle, sleep quality and how quickly you fall asleep.

  • If you don’t want to eat but find you’re having trouble sleeping, try drinking warm milk or opt for chamomile tea. Both will help sleep faster. Milk contains calcium that helps with stress and chamomile has natural relaxing compounds.
  • Try some chopped frozen cherries, chopped walnuts and Greek yogurt. While that sounds like the perfect desert, it also has all the foods that boosts sleep, cherries, walnuts and yogurt all help sleep. Take a shortcut and just drink some cherry juice to nod off faster.
  • Kiwi is a unique healthy fruit that’s also good at bedtime. Not only does it help the body with antioxidants, it can help you get a better night’s sleep, since it’s rich in serotonin.
  • Eating food high in carbs can also help you sleep better, according to one study. This may relate back to early man and that a full belly helped man relax, since the hunt for food was successful.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


How To Avoid Sweet Temptations Around The House

How To Avoid Sweet Temptations Around The House

We focus on you and your good health at One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA. While working out is our specialty, helping you avoid sweet temptations and eating healthy is also important. Exercise isn’t the total answer. We know that if you leave the gym and slug down burgers, fries and a shake, you won’t lose weight as fast, if at all. Temptation foods often contain highly processed flour and sugar, which means it’s filled with empty calories. It’s tough to avoid those treats if you have others that aren’t trying to lose weight living with you.

Help your family eat healthier and get the benefits of that decision.

Everyone has their own special treat that they love and you might be shopping to make sure that your family gets those treats or your spouse is doing that. You can help everyone eat healthier by changing what you buy or asking your spouse to do that. There are great snacks that add to a healthy lifestyle, such as nuts, fruit and veggies.

Have easy to serve portion size snacks ready.

If you’ve ever bought a family size bag of nuts and ate until you were full and maybe even a little sick, you know you ate tons of calories. In order to avoid that with higher calorie healthy treats, make individual serving sizes. You can buy the little plastic containers with lids and dole out individual serving sizes of healthy dip. Just grab a few veggies that are already washed and cut and you have a snack that’s delicious, filling and low in calories.

It’s not all about the food you snack on, but also about what you drink.

Do you have soft drinks in your refrigerator? It’s one of the worst things you can drink if you’re trying to lose weight. Studies show that even sugar-free soft drinks are unhealthy. One study showed that people who drank more diet cola had bigger waistlines. The sugar substitute used tricks the body and causes fat to collect around the mid-section. Belly fat is the hardest to eliminate. Choose water or infused water.

  • Make healthy dip from Greek yogurt or chickpeas—hummus, chop veggies and have them ready for snacks. Section citrus fruit and have it ready in a bowl to snack or opt for apple slices and peanut butter.
  • If snack food is important, have popcorn kernels and brown paper lunch sacks available. Simply put ¼ to 1/3 cup of kernels in the bag and microwave until the popping slows. It’s the perfect crunchy snack.
  • People who don’t like regular water often love infused water and make it at home. While it’s not a substitute for healthy eating, it does have some nutrients and few, if any calories.
  • You don’t have to give up your favorite snack completely, just don’t eat it as often and keep the serving size in mind. Once you start eating healthy and eliminating added sugar, you may find your favorite snack isn’t as good as you remembered.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


Foods That Are Good For Your Gut

Foods That Are Good For Your Gut

It’s important to make sure you have good gut health. It affects all parts of your body. Eating the right foods can be good for your gut. While gut health is important, it’s often overlooked and one of the most ignored areas of health. What does it take to improve your gut health? It starts with a healthy diet that contains foods with both soluble and insoluble fiber, low or no added sugar and even some probiotic foods, such as yogurt or kim chi. Exercise also promotes gut health.

It’s all about having the right balance of healthy bacteria.

Food with soluble fiber is ultimately important for gut health. Soluble fiber mixes with water to create a gel-like substance. This substance leaves the small intestine, where it goes to the large intestines. It becomes short-chain fatty acids through fermentation, which feeds the healthy bacteria. Good bacteria boosts your immune system, helps your brain, aids in digestion, helps weight loss and provides many other benefits. Some people believe that good health starts in the gut.

Some foods benefit gut health and others make it worse.

When you think of gut health, always consider the health of the microbes. There are as many as 1000 different types of microbes, with 30 to 40 being the most prominent. You have trillions of microbes throughout your body and eating to encourage ones that make you healthier is the goal. Fiber is one of the things you can eat to do that. Foods high in soluble fiber that feed the microbes include oats, nuts, seed, beans, apples and berries. Eating food high in sugar encourages unhealthy bacteria to grow, killing the healthy ones.

Other food that boosts gut health include fermented food.

Eating fermented food, like kimchi, sauerkraut, live culture yogurt and kifir can help improve your gut health. They provide healthy bacteria to boost your digestion and healthy microbes. These are probiotics and soluble fiber that feeds the healthy bacteria is a prebiotic. Some foods that are prebiotic are asparagus, bananas, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke and dandelion greens.

  • While antibiotics may be important for your body if you have an infection, they can also kill friendly bacteria in your gut and cause digestive problems. Always eat probiotic food if you’re taking an antibiotic.
  • Whole foods are better for gut health than processed food. Whole foods tend to have more fiber. Organic food is also healthier because it doesn’t have chemicals that can prove toxic to your body and gut health.
  • Good gut health can help you lose weight. Studies show that the good bacteria influence how foods are digested, can reduce inflammation that contributes to weight gain and trigger the production of chemicals that increase the satiety hormone so you eat less.
  • While sugar isn’t good for gut health, neither are artificial sweeteners. They reduce the beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which can cause diarrhea. Trans fats and unhealthy fats also are bad for gut health.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


Is Dairy Good For You?

Is Dairy Good For You?

Some of my personal training clients at One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA, ask many questions about a healthy diet, which is important for good health. One reoccurring question is whether dairy is good for you and a healthy option. There’s a lot of controversy, which leads to one “expert” touting the benefits of dairy, while another demonizes it.

There’s many different types of dairy.

Not all dairy products are the same. Some dairy from grass-fed cows is better for you than the dairy from the factory farms. Some people tout the benefits of raw milk over pasteurized milk, while history shows that it has more potential for diseases, such as listeria, a disease that has a 30% mortality rate and found more often in raw milk. You also have low-fat, no fat and full fat options. You certainly wouldn’t class ice cream as being as healthy as plain milk, either. There’s also dairy, such as yogurt, that has added benefits.

Do you feel bloated and gassy after eating dairy?

If you bloat up like a balloon and have gas that could be weaponized, you may be lactose intolerant. Lactose is a milk sugar and it’s digested in the small intestine with an enzyme called lactase. If you don’t have enough enzymes to digest it, it goes to the large colon where it ferments and causes bloating, diarrhea, gas, cramping, nausea and in some cases frequent colds and skin rashes. According to some theories, the frequent colds come from acid reflux caused by the lactose intolerance.

Milk is a good source of nutrition.

There are also benefits of milk, particularly nutritional content. It offers 18 of the 22 essential nutrients and is high in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, selenium and zinc. It’s high in protein and contains vitamins A, B-12, B-6, E, K, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and folate. It can improve blood sugar levels and may be good for teeth and bones.

  • Lactose intolerance tends to occur as people age and is more prevalent in some races and nationalities. East Asians are between 90-100% lactose intolerant, which native Americans 80-100%, Central Asians 80%, African Americans 75%, Africans, 70-90%, Indian 70%, Southern French 65% and etc.
  • Full fat milk and milk products, such as yogurt, help make you feel full and stay full longer. That makes full fat Greek yogurt a good option for weight loss. Avoid low fat types, since they often add sugar to improve flavor.
  • One study, called the Nurses Health Study, shows it might actually increase the potential for fracture by 50% and that all countries with low rates of osteoporosis also have low milk consumption. Other studies show it helped improve bone and dental health.
  • Milk from cows that are grass fed has benefits that make it heart healthy. There’s also more healthy fat and nutrients in the milk.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

At One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA, we focus on eating healthy and working out. When you’re eating health, especially when you’re trying to build muscle tissue, you need extra protein, but how much protein do you need? Before going into that, let’s look at what protein actually does for the body. Protein is made of amino acids and when digested, breaks down to the original amino acids. These amino acids are necessary for various biological reactions in the form of enzymes. They’re also part of the hormonal system, provide energy, build connective tissue, maintain the body’s pH, are part of the immune system, help balance fluid, store nutrients and help build body tissue.

There are various diets that modify the amount of protein you consume.

Diets are often divided into the macronutrients, with the most common suggesting 45 to 65 percent of calories eaten should be from carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent of those calories from protein and the rest, 20 to 35 percent from fat. Increasing the protein in your diet can actually help you lose weight, since it keeps you full longer, so you don’t eat as much. The Dietary Reference Intake—DRI—suggest that 0.36 grams per pound of body weight is necessary.

The amount you need is also determined by sex and activity level.

Besides using body weight, your sex and how active you are makes a difference in the amount of protein you need. Men need more protein than women, since they have more muscle mass. Sedentary people need less protein than active people and far less protein than athletes or extremely active non-athletes. While the required daily allowance of protein comes to approximately 10% of the total daily calories and the American public consumes about 16%, most professionals are now leaning toward a higher amount, especially in seniors, to help preserve muscle strength and keep the body leaner.

Some diets, like the keto diet, include more protein than the average American diet.

Low carb, high protein diets like the keto diet has most the calories—75%—derived from fat, with 20% of the calories from protein and only 5% from carbs may help the body in a number of ways. It can be heart healthy and help you lose weight, but not because of the protein per se, but because of fewer carbs. You can get too much protein, which can affect your kidneys, increased risk of cancer, problems with liver functioning, bone disorders and artery disease.

  • It’s considered unhealthy to eat too much protein over a long period. Too much protein would be about 0.9 grams per pound of body weight for the average person. That’s quite a bit when you consider a 16-oz rib eye has 7 grams of protein.
  • If you’re going on a high protein diet, always consult your doctor first to make sure it’s a healthy option for you. Most studies show that eating as much as 3 grams of kilogram of body weight are dangerous for healthy individuals.
  • The quality of the protein you eat is also important. Salmon, beans and yogurt are better for you than getting all your protein from red meat.
  • Eating protein not only makes you feel fuller longer, it also makes your metabolism higher. Consuming a form of protein with a sugary treat can also help stabilize your blood sugar and keep it stable longer.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


How Often Should I Do Cardio A Week?

How Often Should I Do Cardio A Week?

If you’re just starting to workout and have heard that cardio burns tons of calories, you’ve heard right. It does. However, cardio is also good for your heart and it is recommended you do it five days a week. The amount of time you spend doing varies by the intensity of your activity. If you’re doing moderate cardio you need at least 150 minutes a week and intense cardio requires only 75 minutes. How do you tell the difference? If you can comfortably talk, but not sing while you’re working out, you’re doing moderate-intensity. If you can only say a few words without gasping for breath, it’s high intensity.

How often should you do cardio?

Most people recommend at lest three times a week if you’re doing high intensity cardio. You also need strength training and flexibility training, too. One way to include all three is to use kettlebells or opt for classes in kickboxing or other sports. Kickboxing builds strength, while also giving you a good flexibility and cardio workout.

One way to make your cardio more effective and interesting is to make it a HIIT workout.

What’s HIIT? It stands for high intensity interval training. It’s a way of exercising that gives the most cardio benefit. You can use it with any type of exercise, even walking. HIIT involves doing an exercise at top intensity for a short time, then switching to a moderate recovery intensity for as long or longer, then back to high intensity. It’s versatile enough to use with your weightlifting workout or just keep it strictly for cardio.

Our workouts before kickboxing will build your cardio endurance.

Jumping rope, jumping jacks, knee-ups and squats into front kicks or jump front kicks work your cardiovascular system. Just running up and down the stairs can be a grueling cardio workout. That’s why coaches often have players do it. Riding a stationary bike or real bike at top speed will definitely give you a cardio workout that burns calories. When you vary the speed, as in a HIIT workout, you’ll burn even more than you do at a steady state pace.

  • While cardio burns tons of calories, it burns calories from both lean muscle tissue and fat. You’re better off incorporating cardio with strength training to maintain muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism.
  • If you have joint problems, do cardio in water. It’s easy on the joints and still improves your endurance. Kettlebell swings, mountain climbers and battle ropes are also easy on the joints.
  • There’s no rule that says you can’t do more cardio than 150 minutes a week. In fact, that’s a minimum. Increase your daily activity by walking more, taking the stairs and participating in activities like dancing that are fun, while boosting your endurance.
  • You’ll love the workout you get with kickboxing. While you’re doing strength-building, flexibility training and cardio, you don’t even realize it because it’s so much fun. Come in and try it. You’ll love it and that means you’ll be more apt to stick with it.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club


Are Pre-Workouts Worth It?

Are Pre-Workouts Worth It?

Everything you do makes a difference when you’re trying to get into shape. What you eat, how often you workout and the type of workout you do all affect your progress, just as how much sleep you get does. Whether you’re considering your main meals, your snacks or what you consume before a workout and after is important. The latest craze has been the use of pre-workouts. Are they really beneficial or are you wasting your money? Are there any negative effects? These are all good questions to ask.

What is a pre-workout?

Pre-workouts are a relatively new product that’s promoted as the best combination of carbs and protein to consume before you workout. It contains both the micro and the macro nutrients, plus calories, to provide the energy you need to have the best possible workout to build muscle tissue faster and speed the process to reach your goals. You can get the same benefits from using a combination of food, like a peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread at a far less expensive price.

You’re paying for convenience and ease.

For years, trainers have encouraged clients to eat a combination of carbs and protein about a half hour to an hour before working out. It helps improve your workout. Some foods are easy to use, like plain yogurt and berries. While most of the benefit of a pre-workout that’s pre-made is that it’s simply easier. However, some do contain vitamins and other ingredients, such as caffeine.

If you have a physical condition, watch the ingredients.

For those who are lactose intolerant, don’t get a pre-workout whose source of protein is a milk solid or other dairy. You don’t want to face a tough workout with a belly full of gas or explosive diarrhea. That definitely won’t improve your performance. People with IBS need to avoid supplements that have carnitine, creatine, artificial sweeteners and inulin.

  • If you choose to use a commercial pre-workout, read the label. While some contain beneficial additives like B-vitamins, others contain sugar to improve the flavor and/or chemicals as preservatives. Choose wisely.
  • If you’re set on buying or trying a pre-workout, consider getting ones that offer something extra, such as nitric oxide that boosts the production of nitric acid or creatine to help build muscle tissue.
  • Be careful when you buy pre-workouts. They’re not regulated by the FDA. Check the label for a certification that says it’s approved by the NSF or Informed-Choice third party group to ensure it contains what the label says.
  • People with high blood pressure or a rapid heart rate need to be careful to avoid products with caffeine or creatine. They both increase your heart rate and blood pressure, plus they also can cause dehydration and an upset stomach.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club!


Can You Use Kettlebells With A Bad Back?

Can You Use Kettlebells With A Bad Back?

I always get a lot of questions at One Love Fit Club in Chino, CA, about the benefits and drawbacks of specific exercises for a variety of physical limitations. One specific question recently was what types of exercises were good for a bad back, and whether kettlebells could be used if you have back problems. Just like any type of exercise, it depends on how you use the kettlebells and the training you have. When I work clients in personal training, I modify all workouts to ensure they address specific needs, whether it’s building up back muscles without exacerbating pain. The same is true with kettlebells. Some workouts can’t be done if you have a back injury, while others, when done correctly can help build the muscles to relieve pain.

Learn the right technique for a start.

No matter what exercise you do, form counts. The same is true for kettlebells. Exercise, no matter what type it is, increases circulation and that helps heal muscle tissue and builds strength to prevent future pain. It’s the reason you do active recovery after working out too hard at the gym, where every muscle in your body burns. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself and exercise can help.

No matter what type of move you use with kettlebells, it’s all about form.

You’ll exacerbate pain if your technique is poor. For instance, if you have lower back pain, it will get worse if let the kettlebell pull you forward and feel your weight mostly on your toes, then adjust that move by yanking it out of that position. You need to use a relaxed position and let the kettlebell flow naturally with your body.

When you do functional training with kettlebells, you’ll strengthen your spine.

You’ll build all types of function strength, power and endurance, while increasing flexibility with the right kettlebell workout. Kettlebell workouts also strengthen your core, which is good for the back. As it builds strength, it also builds flexibility, which you need for a healthier back. The exercises work the larger muscle groups to build strength, so smaller muscles don’t have to take over, which make them more prone to injury.

  • Kettlebell training help your muscles work in synergy. Your muscles work together as one during a kettlebell workout, which transfers to daily life to provide functional fitness and prevent further injury.
  • Just like any type of exercise, when you workout with kettlebells, if you have a bad back, start out light and don’t push yourself. Trying to do too much before you strengthen the back muscles or learn the proper technique, can make things worse.
  • Before you start kettlebell workouts, I’d recommend some personal training to first strengthen the back. For instance, something as simple as wall push-ups can help relieve pain and build the muscles of the back.
  • If you’re suffering from back pain, first check with your health care provider before starting any exercise program. If you have the okay, then personal training can help you build the strength to eliminate most back pain.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club!


Which Workouts Go Together?

Which Workouts Go Together?

Are you confused about which workouts go together? If you join us at One Love Fit Club in kickboxing classes, you wouldn’t have to be. Kickboxing gives a total body workout that’s different every session. For those who prefer more traditional training or want to supplement their kickboxing, identifying the types of workouts that go together is important. You’ll get maximum benefit when you plan the workout right.

You can pair your cardio with your strength training by using HIIT workouts.

What is HIIT? It stands for high intensity interval training. It’s a way you do exercises that varies the intensity from high, driving your heart rate up, for a short time, from ten seconds to a few minutes, then gear down to a recovery intensity that allows your heart rate to slow a bit. You can combine this type of exercise with weight lifting or strength building exercises, to get both cardio and strength exercises at the same time.

Exercise the right muscle groups together to build strength.

Pairing complementary muscle groups will help you build more muscles by activating more muscle fibers. Eventually that will lead to more muscles and more strength. You shouldn’t exercise two major muscle groups in the same workout. As an example, if you work out your legs, chest or the back at the same time, you’ll drain your energy. You may get a good workout on the first muscle group, but be too exhausted to work the other group. Remember, you aren’t just working the major muscle group, you’re also working other muscles, too. If you do a chest press, you’ll work the chest, but also the triceps and shoulders.

Divide strength training into three days.

If you want to maximize your strength training, divide up your strength building workout into three days. Consider doing one day of back exercises that also focus on your biceps and abs. Skip a day, then do the chest, combined with shoulders and triceps. Skip another day and then work on legs doing hamstring, quads and calves. You’ll get the maximum strength-building benefit from your workout by doing it that way.

  • Do compound moves when you workout. Compound moves work several muscle groups at once. Squat, bench press and deadlifts are all compound exercises. Compound exercises that also compound two moves into one, such as a lunge with a bicep curl.
  • No matter how you do your workout, aim to do strength training on all muscle groups at least once a week. If you’re doing exercises that work your full body, you’ll know all the groups have been worked.
  • No matter what your strength building workout, don’t forget to warm up first. Warm up exercises can include anything from jumping jacks or jumping rope to arm swings. Cool down at the end of each exercise session. It can be as simple as walking around for five minutes.
  • Rather than trying to put together the perfect exercise program for you, why not use the expertise of our personal trainers at One Love Fitness Club, who create individual programs based on your goals and needs.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club