Working Out So You Can Pig Out (?)

We certainly do it....try to make sure we get a good workout in beforehand if we know we'll be having a meal that is out of the ordinary/not exactly healthy.

Our mindset for doing so is this: One, we try to get a good workout in every day, pending cheat meal or no cheat meal. And two, it couldn't hurt to burn some serious calories and deplete your glycogen levels beforehand! Overall, that's a pretty well-supported thought process (here and here, just as examples). But, it can lead to dangerous territory....

Nice try.

That dangerous territory is where every workout becomes solely for the purpose of following it up with a bad diet....you know, working out so you can pig out.

The gist is this: working out before a cheat meal is probably a GOOD idea; HOWEVER, most of your week's meals should be food that is going to fuel your workouts (lean proteins, complex carbs, veggies).

Trust we are guilty of the too many cheat meals too....but when you lead an overall fit lifestyle and have done so for a couple years, your body is a little more forgiving (shouldn't be an excuse to pig out, though...note to selves). So also keep that in mind: if you're in the beginning of your journey, you're going to need to be really strategic about your cheat meals.

Eating is a science and it's easy to get overwhelmed with it. The best thing to do is keep is simple and keep it moving!

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Pick Up Heavy Stuff, Put It Back Down, Repeat

It's hard to believe, but even in the age of Crossfit obsession and with ALL the research and knowledge out there on the benefits and overall necessity of weightlifting, women STILL avoid lifting, especially lifting heavy.

Based on what we hear, see, and read, it seems like there are a couple of factors at play here. One is that women, more so than men, are obsessed with burning calories. It's all about how high I can get the "Calories Burned" number on the treadmill or elliptical. What they don't realize is that while cardio can give you a high calorie burn, when you build muscle, you burn 24/7 instead of just during your workout. Also, people who do chronic cardio (what we fondly call cardio whores) end up not just burning calories, but burning already limited muscle mass as well. Bad News Bears.

More "reasoning" we get from women is that they don't want to lift too often or too heavy because they don't want to bulk up, they just want the lean, toned look. We debunk your reasoning here with simple genetics. Men have lots of testosterone, thus when they lift heavy things, they get big, beautiful muscles. Women, however, have very little testosterone, thus when they lift heavy things, their figures get leaner, and tighter. Trust that the only way you'll "bulk up" or get huge from weightlifting is from eating too much simultaneously....or taking hormones. Plus, your purse probably weighs at least 10 pounds, and that toddler you're toting around is a good 25 - so please, stop with the 2 to 5 pound weights.

Look - you like to run? No problem. Love Zumba or TurboFire? Fantastic. We aren't saying don't do these things. What we are saying is that cardio should not be your only means of working out, ladies. You have got to weight-train. It keeps your body fat percentage in check, supports a healthy metabolism, helps you fight injury and illness, helps support good bone density, and damn it, you just look better with muscle!!

Still not convinced?? Here's how being intentional with weightlifting and building muscle changed Lindsay's physique:

Too much cardio

After 1 year of regular, heavy lifting

After 2 years of weightlifting!

As always, we'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below, on our Facebook page, tweet us, or message us on YouTube!

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay

Training with Kettlebells

The popularity of training with kettlebells has really picked up in the last 5 years...

In reality, it has been around since practically the beginning of strength training (16th century Russia to be specific), but the recent resurgence of popularity is GREAT NEWS because it is one of the most effective ways to train.We live in a world where we are pressed for time and need something that is both quick AND effective. Enter kettlebells...

Standard strength training, ESPECIALLY in the traditional gym setting, locks the body in a linear plane and can place stress on joints. Kettlebell exercises are natural to the body's range of motion AND have the capability to serve double-duty as strength training and cardio, simultaneously! This is what we mean by quick and effective!


Kettlebells come in a variety of weight, but unless you are very much a beginner, anything less than 10 pounds is likely too light!

The exercise combinations are virtually endless: you can do more static moves like windmills:

Source

Or you can up the cardio factor with moves like the kettlebell swing:

Source

Kettlebells can be purchased at any sporting goods store, and we've even seen them in places like Target! Craigslist is also a good place to get used equipment that is often a little cheaper.

If you want to play around with kettlebell exercises before you invest in an actual kettlebell, you can try these moves out with a traditional dumbbell!

Question for you: Do you use kettlebells? What's been your experience?

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay
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Reader's Request: Fitness & Pregnancy

Pregnancy - don't think anyone would argue that it is anything other than the most amazing thing. EVER. Think about it...growing a human inside your body and then bringing it into the world - WOW! If you are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant, or recently gave birth, we hope you find this little bit of insight helpful.

With exercising while trying to conceive, the jury's still out, kinda. There was a recent study that suggested regular moderate exercise is excellent for women trying to conceive, but that those who do higher intensity workouts/are really lean bodyfat-wise had a lesser chance of conceiving. On the flip-side, there are those from the mindset that whatever your body is accustomed to workout-wise is just fine to continue while trying to get preggers (Lindsay's OB included, for what it's worth).

During the first trimester, staying active is important. It will help alleviate some of the negative side-effects of pregnancy hormones you might be experiencing (nausea, fatigue, etc.). But no one says you have to keep up with your 6-day-a-week workouts seshs.....if you need to bump it down a notch, DO SO! You're growing a baby, for goodness sake! :)

Once you get into the second and third trimesters, you might have slowed down (especially if you were super active girl before getting pregnant), but don't stop completely! Remaining active isn't just good for you, it's good for that little critter in your belly too! Avoid high-risk/contact exercise, working out in extreme temperatures, and also avoid exercises that have you on your back (like Pilates), because when lying on your back, your expanding uterus presses against your spinal cord, which in turn limits blood flow.

In general, stop exercising and call your OB immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Increased shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Headache
• Uterine contractions
• Decreased fetal movement
• Fluid leaking from the vagina

Once you get through the greatest workout of your life (BIRTH!!), ease back into your fitness routine. Once you get the all-clear from the Doc, start slow - like going for a walk every day. Work your way up - don't get discouraged, if you were fit before, you'll get right back there, it just takes some time!!

Some things to keep in mind throughout the process:

• The importance of nutrition, not only for you but for your little nugget!!
• A lot will depend on your starting point: were you working out regularly before getting pregnant? 
• Don't just zero-in on one type of fitness: have your cardio, but also do strength training and lots of stretching!

Let's Chat: What role do you think fitness has during pregnancy? Any first-hand experience to share??Post below!!


In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy
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DISCLAIMER: Neither Timothy nor Lindsay are experts in pre-natal or post-natal exercise. This post is just based on the research we've done ourselves and information we've accumulated from consulting with professionals. Please consult with YOUR physician before engaging in an exercise program.

Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Healthy Lifestyle

I think the two of us can sometimes get caught up in how normal and routine our healthy and fit lifestyle is. We’ve been doing this consistently for years now, so it truly is just a part of who we are! However, as we try to reach out and help others, we’re realizing just how daunting the task of revamping your lifestyle is for some people!

So – in hopes of making things seem less daunting (and to appeal to those of you who prefer lists, LINDSAY) here are the very basic steps you need to do to get started on a healthy lifestyle…..not a “diet”, not a “health kick”…..a LIFESTYLE, so that eventually, you don’t even think about it….clean eating and working out just becomes a part of you and your life. 

1. A good starting place would be to get a full physical from your doctor….weight, blood pressure, body mass index, body fat percentage, complete bloodwork…..get the works!  If you haven’t had this done in a while….you might look at your numbers with this face….

Fear not! You can make a change!

2.  Once you know where you stand with your current physical condition (and have informed your doc that change is a’comin), time to tackle your diet. We DO NOT mean diet like you probably think….we mean diet as in the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group. Starting out, aim to change at least one unhealthy habit every 1-2 weeks. First week, you replace 1 soda a day with water until you aren’t drinking soda anymore. Or you could replace a fried chicken sandwich with a grilled one. Or change the focus away from “taking” and put it toward “adding” (for example, add 1 serving of vegetable to your lunch and dinner, and even breakfast for you over-achievers!!) Remember, SLOW AND STEADY wins this race. PERIOD. 

******Special note – if you’re fighting a drug use/dependency (smoking, alcohol, etc.), the same concept can apply.  Cut back to ½ pack a day or 1 alcoholic beverage every other day….keep using less and less until you eventually aren’t using at all! YOU CAN DO IT!

3. Once your body starts ridding itself of the bad and taking in more good, you’ll have this spunk and energy like never before – so put it to good use! Get your workout on! If you didn’t work out at all prior to this lifestyle change, feel free to ease into it, working out 3-4 times per week. If/When you’re feeling good, shoot for 6 days a week. We have a holistic view of exercise/fitness – don’t get stuck doing one thing or one type of work. You need to do a mixture of cardio, strength training, stretching, etc.

******Special notes – your cardio should be heart-pounding, sweat pouring, and lasting at least 30-45 minutes. Nerp, sorry – that leisurely stroll after dinner is not gonna count. And unless you have a particular need (disability, injury, etc.), you should not be doing bicep curls with a 5-pound weight LADIES. Your purse weighs more than that, jeezus. 

Nutrition and exercise are clearly two big chunks of this puzzle called a healthy lifestyle – but they aren’t the only crayons in the box! Here are some other important areas:

·         Sleep – as an adult, 7-8 hours is a MUST. If you chronically/regularly get less than this, your healthy eating and exercising may not be completely in vain, but you are doing a great disservice to your body. So turn off Jay Leno and GO TO BED!

·         Support – doing this alone can really be difficult. Having a strong and grounded support system can mean the difference between success and failure. If you can’t enlist the right people, or people are too slack-ass to hold you accountable and keep you going, we’d be happy to provide those services. Muahhahahaha :-)

It will get difficult. You will be pressed for time. Life will get complicated. Those are the unavoidable facts. Now – what is completely avoidable is you using them as excuses. So what’s it gonna be, huh? Are you gonna commit and succeed or are you gonna bitch and moan about how it’s toooo harrrddd and you’re tooooo busssyyy. We know where we stand and we want you on our side! Our side has tight, toned, strong bodies, yummy food, energy, motivation, great sex lives, happiness, all the good stuff! JOIN US!


As always, we are here to answer any questions or help you in whatever way possible! Facebook us or send us an email: fitwithfarrar@gmail.com

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy

The Epic Battle that is BodyBugg vs. HRM

BodyBugg versus Heart Rate Monitor

We have owned and utilized both of these nifty contraptions and felt it would be helpful to share a “compare & contrast” of the two.

First up, the BodyBugg. 

Lindsay got one a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Couple things about it:

•  Made to be worn for up to 23 hours a day, not just during workouts.
•   In reference to #1, this is helpful in determining how many calories you burn all day (and night) long.
• It does not measure heart rate…rather it measures movement!

Some “negatives” about the BodyBugg –

• You have to pay a monthly fee to be able to “download” and see your calorie burn (albeit a pretty small fee).
• We found out the hard way that accuracy is not its strongest suit – for example, during weightlifting (which, if done right, should increase your heart rate, thus burning calories) and during cardio involving a lot of arm movement (e.g., kickboxing like Turbo) it doesn’t give an accurate burn…for weightlifting it isn’t high enough and we think all the punches in kickboxing throw the band (which is around your arm) off and it reads as too high of a burn.
•  The Bodybugg also can’t measure anything you do that doesn’t involve your feet touching the ground….like biking, swimming, or flying (that last one is a joke, people!)

All in all, we think the BodyBugg is a good tool for determining total daily burn, but other than that…it kinda functions like a pedometer. 

Okay….next up is the good ol’ fashioned heart rate monitor. There are a bagillion types, but Lindsay uses the Polar FT7 and Timothy uses a Timex. Couple things about these:

   
 
 
 
 
 

 

• Typically made to wear only during physical activity (either during a workout, or while you’re doing some yard work, cleaning house, etc.). You *could* wear it all day if you wanted, but it isn’t really made for that.
• This piece of equipment determines calories burned based solely on your heart rate.
• There is only a one-time cost (no monthly fees).

A *potential* negative about a heart rate monitor:

• You wear the watch (which gives you your output, including current heart rate, calories burned, time, etc.) on your wrist and then the actual heart-rate monitor is a band that you wrap around your chest…..for the ladies, just under your wobbly bits….for the fellas, about a inch or so below your nipple line. The band can be a bit cumbersome, mostly during activity that involves a lot of twisting and turning (Lindsay finds it can wiggle down some during her TurboFire workouts).

Currently, we are both using a heart rate monitor instead of a BodyBugg….and it will probably stay this way. We both appreciate the accuracy of the heart rate monitor….it goes on the individual’s heart rate, not on the steps taken. We also appreciate the immediacy of knowing how much effort we’re putting in: all we do is look at the watches on our wrists and see current heart rate, calories burned so far, etc. 

If you are going back and forth between the two, we hope this gives you some insight as to which would better suit your needs!

In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy

No Such Thing as One-Size-Fits-All

Hi y'all!! 


One thing that we like to do for accountability, and to ensure constant change, and mostly due to sheer interest is stay up-to-date on the latest fitness info, "follow" health and fitness professionals (blogs, magazines, etc.), and the like. We love learning about these things and enjoying applying various pieces into our healthy, fit lifestyle.


BUT.....one thing that irks us is when these professionals act like their way to train and/or eat is the ONLY way to train and/or eat to get any results. That's just outright B.S.  


There are SO many ways to eat to be healthier (paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)....and we don't think that one is necessarily superior to the other! Our bodies are all so different, you have to play around to find what works for yours!! Of course, general guidelines like eating more vegetables and fruits and less processed foods is a pretty good standard across the board....but as for specific diets, that's individual. For example, Timothy responds fairly well to a lower-carb, paleo-esque kind of diet. Lindsay, on the other hand, gets low energy and doesn't respond to a diet without a decent amount of (healthy) carbs. 


This same principle goes for exercising. Neither of us believe that one workout, one program is going to be "it" for you, forever, period, end of discussion. Our bodies change over time....our bodies' needs change too! Lindsay is a huge fan of Beachbody and has utilized nearly all their workout programs and currently does at least one kind of them pretty much every day - BUT she doesn't think that they are the only way to go for home workouts! On that same note, home workouts aren't for everybody. Some people need the act of "going to the gym" for motivation/accountability...and even others, like Timothy for example, prefer functional fitness (outdoor running, drills, crossfit stuff). 


Take home point, kiddos - take some time to 1. lay out your goals and 2. play around with different workouts and diet tendencies to find what works best for your body. Invest your time, invest your energy, invest your money.....it will ALWAYS be worth it. You only get one body in this lifetime....how long do you want it to last you?


As always, we are here to help in any way we can! 


In Health, 


Lindsay & Timothy