6 Ways To Build Lean Muscles

You want a body shaped with lean muscle and backed by a nutritious diet. You want to stay fit and healthy in the midst of all the fatty foods and unhealthy diets. Building lean muscle isn’t impossible with the right exercise and dieting program in place. Here are some great ways women can build lean muscle.

1. Eat Nutritious Foods

Stock up on foods that help keep your muscles lean and firm. Beef is a good source of protein, zinc, and B vitamins while brown rice, eggs, spinach increase muscle strength, endurance, good digestion, and longer-lasting energy. Just remember to select only fresh and wholesome foods when creating your diet.

2. Reduce Carbs In Your Diet

Women have the upper hand when it comes to burning fat to carbs, so stick to a low-carb or no-carb diet in order to burn the fat and gain toned muscles.

3. Strengthen Muscles With Exercise

Exercise regularly in order to stretch and strengthen your muscles, but make sure to focus on exercises that promote lean muscle throughout your body. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are just some of the many exercises that target your legs, back, abs, and obliques.

4. Remember To Drink Your Water

Always have plenty of water to drink as you work through the program. An intake of at least 8 glasses of water not only keeps you hydrated, but it curbs mistaken hunger pains and prevents overeating. And with every intake, your body is able to flush out toxins inside your body, making you feel lighter and healthier.

5. Control Your Calorie Intake

Calorie control is essential in building lean muscle. By taking in too many calories, you gain excessive weight. This makes it difficult to tell if it is lean muscle or just a layer of body fat. But a lack of calories lessens your chances of gaining and building lean muscles. Set a target calorie count that is just right and that produces results.

6. Rest

Make sure to give your body enough rest. More than to cool down from the workouts, rest allows the body to repair the muscles. What’s more, because the muscle is metabolically active, it burns calories even while the body is resting. Consider a day off for every week.

It takes a lot of effort and self-discipline to build lean, mean muscle, but the results are worthwhile. To be sure, consult a health professional before implementing any diet or exercise program.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all women boot camp or fitness boxing classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Why Drinking Water Is Important

You hear it all the time and yet so few of us actually practice it on a daily basis. Drinking water is fundamentally important to your body and to your health. Though we may recognize this in theory for some reason many of us don’t practice it. Sure you need to get used to drinking a great deal of water in a day, but it truly does a body good.

Drinking water is fundamentally important but becomes even more critical during the hot summer months and around the time of day that you workout. You have a lot taken out of the body and so you must replace it, and truthfully water is the very best way to do so. If you aren’t in the habit of drinking water throughout the day then it’s time to get focused. This may be one of the best things that you do for your health and therefore is a lifesaver in many different ways.

It Helps You to Avoid Dehydration

The single most important reason to drink water is to avoid dehydration. Most of us don’t realize just how devastating dehydration can be to a body and therefore we perhaps underestimate this problem overall. Water can help to keep the organs functioning properly and ensure that dehydration never happens to you. This becomes even more important when it’s hot outside as the heat can take away from your body and its ability to function normally.

When you drink water you can very easily replace what you may lose due to sweating in the hot summer months. This is also key during the times of a workout when you are sweating and losing a lot during the times when you challenge your body. When you get dehydrated it can be mild at first but left untreated may land you in the hospital. Therefore the more water you drink the less likely you are to get dehydrated.

It Keeps You Replenished and Ensures The Body Doesn’t React Unfavorably

In cases of extreme dehydration you may find that the organs shut down. The body can’t operate properly if it is not kept hydrated and healthy. Therefore you need to turn to water to ensure that this is not a healthy problem that can have more dire long term consequences. Though these may be extreme cases dehydration in any form is not something that you want to experience.

The body can overcompensate if you don’t drink enough water. This shows up when you get bloated and swollen from the heat. If you are drinking enough water then this will not likely happen. If however you are not giving your body the amount of water that it needs it will respond unfavorably and swelling is only the start of the real problem. If you want to ensure that your body continues to operate properly and that you don’t have any unsavory consequences then water is your best friend.

It Cleanses and Contributes to Energy and Weight Loss

What many people don’t realize about water is that it helps the body to get rid of the toxins and other substances that it doesn’t need. It helps to transport out the items that are bad for your body and therefore helps to contribute to a great natural cleanse. This may not be felt readily but over time you can see some very positive results when you turn to water for natural cleansing.

You will also find that drinking water before and after meals helps you to feel full faster. This in turn lends way to more effective and longer term weight loss. It also helps to give you more energy as water is helping you to avoid dehydration. You can power through a day and just have more clarity as you move about your daily activities. So while you may not be prepared for how powerful water can be in your life, it’s time to get focused and start making this a regular fixture in your day.

How are you feeling about your fitness level? Do you have any goals that you want to reach for summer? Please contact me, Stacy Papakostas for a FREE consultation.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all woman’s boot camp or Fitness Boxing Classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Eating Right No Matter What The Occasion

There is sure to be some occasion within your life for which you use some level of justification. Some justify why they don’t have time to exercise in a given week. Others justify why they don’t get enough sleep every night. Most of us at some point or another justify what we eat and what little treats we allow ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself a little treat now and then, but it should be an exception to the rule and portioned properly. Many times we run into problems when it comes to special occasions. We see some of our favorite foods before us and wonder how we can possibly resist the temptation. There are a few key strategies to eating right no matter what the food or how special the occasion.

Always Be Prepared

The key to success in eating well is to always be prepared. If you want to ensure that you eat right at all times then you must be prepared for the worst. What this means is that you eat a small snack before you leave for the party or event. That way you are not tempted to overindulge or give into every single food that is offered to you.

It also helps to do your research in advance. If you are traveling or going to a specific restaurant then look online before you go to see what the menu or healthy options are available to you. You can also take time to think about what the occasion is and what sort of foods might be associated with that. Birthday cake is almost always going to be offered at a birthday party for example.

 If you go in with a certain level of preparation then you know what you are up against and you can allot your calories accordingly. If you know that you’re going to an event that will offer alcohol for example then you may want to allow yourself a glass of wine, but you need to keep it at just one. Anything you can do to prepare yourself in advance will really help you when you’re at the event.

Create Healthy Choices and Work With What You’ve Got

You may not always have an overabundance of choices available to you, but you have to work with what you’ve got. If you’re going to a restaurant then don’t be afraid to special order your food. Asking for something broiled or baked, with sauce on the side, or with an extra helping of vegetables instead of rice is something that you have control over.

If you are at an event with a limited or pre-selected menu, then just do your best to make healthy choices. Stick close to raw vegetables for appetizers whenever possible. Try to scrape off any fattening sauces and go easy on the salad dressing. If you have the choice then fill up on fruit, vegetables, and whole grains so that you don’t give into the tempting foods. A small bite of a favorite treat is fine, but you have to be able to keep it just at that.

Use Your Willpower and Shift Your Mindset

When in doubt rely on your willpower to help you through even the most tempting of situations. You always have the ability to say no to a favorite food and you may have to exhibit that ability. This means a shift in mindset altogether as so many of us let ourselves go at special occasions and now it’s time to keep that desire in check.

Don’t let food rule your special occasions—simply let it be a part of them! If you can rely on a new mindset where food is fuel and it doesn’t rule your life, then you are going to be in a much better place. It takes practice, perseverance, and dedication but you can eat healthy and stay on track at any occasion. Just remember how much you enjoy the results of all your hard work!

 How are you feeling about your fitness level? Do you have any goals that you want to reach for summer? Please contact me, Stacy Papakostas for a FREE consultation.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all woman’s boot camp orFitness Boxing Classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Working Out With An Injury

You may think that getting an injury immediately puts you out for the count. Though there are some injuries that can be debilitating and cause you to warm the bench. The reality is that some injuries are serious and others work conveniently as excuses for people not to work out. When you get injured, no matter what the circumstance, the most important thing to ask is what you can do in terms of physical activity.

Yes you do want to seek out medical attention and ask the right questions. Beyond that though there is almost always a sufficient alternative for the type of exercise that you were doing before. Where there’s a will there’s a way and you must find the inner strength to push on and find something that keeps you strong. There’s always a way to revise your workout regimen and to focus on what sorts of activities you can partake in to keep up your fitness. Let’s take a look at what you can do to work out even with an injury.

Always Seek Medical Attention First

No matter what the nature of the injury, how you got it, or how extensive it may or may not be, it’s always smart to seek out medical attention first and foremost. You want to be absolutely certain that the damage is nothing further and that you have no set limitations put on you. Though you may not always like what they have to say, you do want to talk to a doctor first.

Get an x-ray if necessary or at the very least get it examined. Be sure that you tell the doctor what happened and explain what your current workout regimen is. They need to know what level of activity that you were working at and therefore help you to decide what is best for you moving forward. There is almost always some sort of activity that you can take on with an injury, but you just need to get cleared for it and get a bit of consultation first.

Find a Good Alternative to Stay Active

If you have a lower body injury then you may find stretching exercises that work well. If you hurt your shoulder then you may want to concentrate on exercises for the lower body. No matter what type of injury that you sustained, there is sure to be some sort of alternative. You may need to get creative and you may need to push yourself a bit, but that’s what dedication is all about.

You want to try to participate in some sort of activity that continues to challenge you. It’s quite common to gain weight and lose muscle when you suffer from an injury. Though you do have to be careful, you don’t have to give up altogether! It’s crucial to find the right type of exercise but to focus on staying safe to not further your injury. This is when you have to really keep yourself motivated and ensure that you stay on track.

At NYC Adventure Boot Camp we encourage that you focus on stretching as the major way of staying physical. This is not the time to try to run a marathon, though we do want you to stay active we do not want you to push yourself to the point of sustaining another injury or making the current one worse.

Use Common Sense But Don’t Give Up

You don’t want to risk reinjuring yourself or even injuring something else in the process. Yes you do need to use common sense and avoid putting too much pressure on the problem area. However there is a big difference between using common sense and giving up on your fitness regimen altogether. Don’t let this be an excuse or a crutch for you!

If you are dedicated and want to continue to see results then you just need to shift your focus in the short term. This isn’t always easy but it can ensure that you stay with the program and don’t skip a beat. This is easier said than done but nearly every athlete or dedicated fitness individual has had to work through an injury. Be smart, use common sense, but never let the injury rule you or force you to lose your momentum. This too shall pass and your workout regimen can therefore stay intact!

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all woman’s boot camp or fitness boxing classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Stacy will also customize a meal plan for you to get you at your healthiest. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Delicious and Nutritious Soups for Fall

With fall upon us we are gravitating towards the comforts of this season. We are enjoying more time at home, bundling up in sweaters, and getting ready to enjoy a bit of comfort food. If you define this season with comfort food then you are not alone. Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of soup on a cool fall day? If you love your soup then you’ll be thrilled to know that there are some healthy options in this category.

Veggie Love

The best part of a good veggie soup is that it’s fat free and loaded with tons of fiber and very little calories. There are many vegetable soup recipes out there, but this one is fat free:

Start with 2 cans of tomato sauce and 1 larger can of whole tomatoes, throw into pan and turn to medium heat.

Chop up and throw in as many vegetables that you like including:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Green
• Beans
• Zucchini
• Onions
• Cabbage
• Celery

Throw in two packages of fat free chicken or vegetable bouillon powder and seasonings including dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Simmer until all veggies are cooked and soft, usually about 45 minutes or longer on a low heat. Enjoy!

Add A Little Meat

You can also go for a low fat meat based soup. This is so filling that even the men in your life will enjoy it and yet it’s low fat. This is loaded with protein, fiber, and has the right blend of vegetables. We call this Turkey Tuscan Soup and you will love it!

In a separate pan brown a package of ground turkey and some onions. Drain and set aside.

Start with a box of low sodium and fat free chicken broth, put in pot with some water and start on a medium heat. Add in cooked ground turkey and onion mixture and get ready to throw in other ingredients.

As the soup starts to simmer on a medium heat throw in spinach, cooked acorn squash, and a can of drained cannellini beans. Throw in your favorite seasonings, ones that work well with this include basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Let the soup cook on a medium heat until blended well, about 1 hour on a lower heat.

This is so substantial that it doesn’t feel low fat and everyone will gobble it on up!

Soup to Warm Your Days

Many of us enjoy soup but the versions that are out there are full of fat. You can cut back on the fat for almost any soup recipe. You can also bump up the nutritional quotient if you add in plenty of chopped vegetables, beans for fiber, and a low fat and lean protein. Think about what will help to make it substantial and add to making it a healthy option. Cut out the fat very simply by getting rid of high sodium or high fat bases or broths, opt for low fat and low sodium versions or use a tomato sauce base.

If you put some thought into it you are bound to enjoy the soup more as you will know that it’s good for you too! This is the perfect time of year for soup so enjoy it and just be smart about how you prepare it. Soup is good for you and can help to warm you up on those brisk fall days!

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all woman’s boot camp or fitness boxing classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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