A blog by Candace M. Foxx Retired WNBF Pro Fit Body and Pro Figure Competitor, Female Personal Trainer, NASM FNS and MMA Specialst, Competition Prep Coach, IFBB USA Certified Bodybuilding Judge and Promoter, and Creator of the Clash at the Border Bodybuilding Show.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Need to workout, only have 30 minutes and have no access to equipment, no worries! This total bodyweight workout will help you build muscle and burn calories! 💪
Do exercises 1 - 5 one after the other with 12 - 15 repetitions. Last exercise is for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat for 3 or 4 complete sets or "circuits".
The year 2020 has not been kind to all of us and if you did not have the luxury of having your own home gym, you probably lost your gains of muscle and gained fat instead. I have seen posts of people talking about that they have gained 25 lbs in 2 months of being quarantined. I have to break the BAD NEWS for all of you, it might take LONGER than 2 months to lose that weight all over again. Unfortunately, it is very easy for our bodies to gain fat, but it takes 10 times as much effort to lose the weight. One of the things you have to remember is you have to make a deficit in your caloric intake plus burn calories in order to burn fat. You also have to burn at least 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat. Your intake is 80% of the equation and you have to get back on track while you have access to a gym now. No telling if it will be shut down again in the near future.
Take it easy when getting back to the weight and cardiovascular training. If you have not lifted since they shut the gyms down, do not expect to lift the same amount of weight you were used to before. You will not be able to push the weight and can easily injure yourself. Why do that and then end up not working out for a longer period of time. Start out with light weight and do enough repetitions were you feel a burn sensation in your muscles. Your gonna get sore all over again like it was the first time training. It will not be a pleasant feeling, but you did it one time before you can do it again. As you get used to the light weight training and you do not feeling a burning sensation while training, then it is time to move up in weight. Moving up slowly will ensure that you do not get injured. Train smart and with your brain, not your EGO!
The same for the weights is the same for the cardiovascular training. Long time ago, I had to take some time off of running because I was not gaining the weight I need for off season. I was used to running 7 miles or more. I took off 9 weeks from running and other types of cardio. When it was time to start with my competition prep, I decided to go for a run and told myself that I would only do 3 miles. Well once I got to 3 miles, I felt like I could go to 5 miles. I ended up running 7 miles, went home took a hot shower and made sure I stretched real good. Well, once I settled in that is when the soreness started to kick in. It went from SORENESS and STIFFNESS to PAIN. I could not stand it after 3 days and had to go get Cryo Therapy. After being flash freezed alive, I came out 70% better than I did walking in. I looked like the Tim Man from Alice in Wonderland! I also had to have several sessions with my massage therapist to help with the stiffness. I learned my lesson and will never do that again!
So if you are getting ready to get back into your old gym routine, just remember to take it easy! You will get back to your old PRs and distance in no time as long as you do it the smart way!
1. Pre-heat the oven by turning on the broiler. Set at Medium-High
2. Gather all the dry ingredients in a medium size serving bowl. Mix well and place to the side.
3. In a smaller bowl, crack the 2 eggs and mix well. This will be used to dip the chicken tenders.
4. Cut up the chicken breast into tenders and place them in another medium size bowl.
5. Grab a roasting pan and spray the bottom with Pam olive oil spray.
6. Set all 3 bowls together next to the roasting pan. You will start by dipping the chicken tender in the egg mixture. Place the chicken strip on the dry ingredients and make sure it is completely covered. Place that strip in the roasting pan. Repeat until the whole pan is full of chicken tenders that are ready to roast. Once you finish, wash your hands and spray the top of the tenders with the Pam Olive oil spray.
7. Place the roasting pan directly under the broiler and cook one side from 5 - 7 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the tenders to cook the other side.
Now more than ever we need to be careful around places we go to and people that we see. In order to have a further protection from the inside we have to eat to boost our immune system. Here is a list of foods that will strengthen your immune system during this crazy time period!
This berry is loaded with anthocyanin which may
provide protection from DNA cleavage, estrogenic activity, enzyme inhibition, boosting production
of cytokines, anti-inflammatory activity,
lipid peroxidation, decreasing capillary permeability and fragility, and
membrane strengthening.
This fruit may help fight inflammation because all of the antioxidants it contains. Research shows, an
extract from the berries appears to block flu viruses.
Vitamin C may increase the production
of white blood cells and they are key to fighting infections.
Dried Tart Cherries
The high
antioxidant content in dried tart cherries may bolster the immune
system, including reducing the risk of upper respiratory tract symptoms. They also have a natural melatonin that aids in getting a restful sleep.
Kiwi
Kiwi contains folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Vitamin C
boosts white blood cells to fight infection, while kiwi’s other nutrients keeps the
rest of your body functioning properly.
Over 200% percent of the daily recommended amount of
vitamin C in one single papaya. They also contain a digestive enzyme called
papain that has anti-inflammatory effects. Papayas have great amounts of B vitamins, folate and potassium in which all of which are beneficial to your overall
health.
Watermelon has plenty of an antioxidant called glutathione. It powers up the immune system so it can fight infection. The most
glutathione in your watermelon is near the rind and the red pulpy flesh.
Are You Ready 30 Minute or Less; Fast-Paced Workout Programs?
I'm sure there are plenty people out there that FINALLY started their NEW YEAR NEW ME for 2020, barely got themselves used to doing some fitness activity and NOW quarantined at home for an undisclosed amount of time. Now what do you do? There are a lot of advertisements for at home workouts that require time and some equipment and then there are other programs that are fast paced and only take 30 minutes or less to do. Before you jump on the band wagon to these types of quick workouts, ask yourself, are you ready for high impact workouts?
A lot of these exercises do not seem like much, do not use much equipment and being done fast with a workout sounds very appealing, but how long has it been since you were active like the instructors are the program? If it has been more than 6 months since you were training consistently, you need to start from the beginning with regular slow paced workouts with adequate amounts of rest. This might sound boring and asking for too much time, but this will greatly reduce you chances of getting injured which will lead you to stopping your fitness goals for an undetermined amount of time.
If you lack flexibility, core strength, joint stability and muscular development then you are deconditioned and need to start with a low intensity exercise program. A type of program that starts the focus on core strengthening, joint stability, flexibility and muscular endurance. Starting off with exercises that use a Swiss ball, Bosu ball and one legged exercise are key in strengthening stability and muscle coordination. In addition, the increased difficulty of using unstable exericses helps burn more calories which burns more fat. These types of exercises are done with moderate amounts of weight with high repetitions. Once you have mastered exercising with untable enviroments then you are ready to move on to more strenous type of training
In order to see results, I would recommend engaging in this type of training for at least 4 - 6 weeks. Log your workouts in a journal along with sets, reps and weight amounts. When an exercise becomes too easy is when you move up in weight. On this blog you can find many examples of exercises that include a Swiss ball (stability ball), a Bosu ball and are one legged. You can also find other examples on my Youtube Channel
I have spent almost 10 years building my gym from a mixture of new and used equipment. I'm really glad at this time during the quarantine, that I did this because I don't have monthly payments for equipment. Most people do not have a set up like this, but there are some reasonably priced equipment you can buy to keep up with your fitness goals!
TRX Suspension Strap
Price ranges from: $150 - $180
Perfect Resistance Bands
Price ranges from: $14.99 - $19.99
Perfect Handles: $11.99
SKLZ Sliders
Price range: $20 - $30
Swiss (Stability) Ball
Price ranges from: $10 - $30
Adjustable Bench with Dumbbell Set
Bench price ranges: $100 - $300
Dumbbell Set (3 pairs) price ranges: $45 - $150
Bosu Ball
Price ranges: $110 - $140
Pull-Up Door Way Bar
Price ranges: $12 - $35
Adjustable Weights
Price ranges: $199 - $400
Squat Rack/Chest Press Stand
Price ranges $50 - $75
Adjustable Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar & Olympic Weight Set
