HIIT New Year's Workout video

SQUAT, AND SQUAT SOME MORE

Let me tell you something about squat. There are so many myths going around about this great exercise. These stupid non-reality-based myths seems to be never dying. I truly think squat should be celebrated, not dreaded. It does wonders to your butt and legs, works your core and your back and strengthens your will. Squat is surely one of the most difficult but results producing moves there is. So what about all the myths that scare you away from squatting? Let’s put the record straight and get you back in the squat rack. 

Are squats bad for your knees? 

The opposite! Squats improve your knee stability and actually reduce the risk of knee injury in the future by strengthening it. But you have to do them right! Never bounce or relax your muscles in the bottom position. You pause at the bottom but always keep your muscles under tension. If you relax them when you are down your knee joint opens up slightly and your connective tissue is exposed to stress slightly higher than its tensile strength. That’s not good and you could injure your knees. Always maintain your muscle contraction. 

Are squats bad for your back? 

Again – as long as you do them right – no, they are not bad for your back. Make sure the centre of mass of the bar is not far from your centre of gravity. This means – try not to lean forward too much when squatting. This itself protects your lower back. When you squat, imagine there is a chair behind you and you are going to sit on that chair. Keep your lower back slightly arched as if trying to sit. Your hands should be tucked in, with the elbows behind the bar – this will help you to keep your torso in upright position during the lift. Also don’t forget that squat is big muscle group exercise. You don’t only work your legs and butt; you train your back and torso too. That is why your core muscles should be activated as well. That means, unless you lift really heavy weights, its better to squat without the belt. Use your sense. If you are already doing heavy sets, then use the belt, but always include couple of sets in your warm up, that you will do without the belt. This is important for strengthening your core muscles and being able to squat and lift in real life, when you don’t really have the belt as an option. I know, the belt looks cool, but don’t forget why you are in the gym. You did not come there to look cool, you came to get strong. And using the belt when squatting 50 kg won’t really help you to make it happen. 

Can squats damage your heart? 

When you are squatting your blood pressure will temporarily raise, but as with anything else, the body will adapt to this stress by simply growing your heart stronger. So no, squat will not damage your heart. Obviously, if you suffer from any heart or blood pressure problems, you must consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. 

Will squats widen your hips? 

No. One of the prime movers when squatting is gluteus maximus. When gluteus maximus develops, it grows back, not to the sides. So no, you wont end up looking like a mailbox. But you will get strong and rounded butt for sure. 

Remember! 

Your squat should be nice and deep. You should at least get parallel with the floor. Squatting bellow the parallel has additional benefit of significantly increased activation of the gluteal muscles. The deeper you squat, the greater the glute activation. If you only do partial squats, then you can only achieve partial results. 

There is always a chance you can get hurt when you squat, or exercise in general. But the benefits of exercising are much greater than the disadvantages. You can be sure, however, that when you squat correctly, your chance of injury will be very, very slim. There are many variations of squats. Whichever you choose, make sure you squat within your limits, progress conservatively, adding weight slowly and with sense. This will allow your body to adapt and recover. This unfortunately is the most ignored fact of all. It is important to understand that your body will adapt to the demands placed upon it, as long as you don’t exceed its current ability or its capacity for recovery. Only this way you can get stronger without risking unnecessary injury. Think of each squatting session as an opportunity to practice the squat, rather than a chance to show off how much weight you can lift. Leave your ego behind the gym’s door. 

Enjoy squatting! 

FRESH BEETROOT SALAD

All you need is:
fresh beetroot
white onion
cucumber
tomato
green bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
feta cheese
olive oil
salt
white vinegar
fresh mint leaves

And all you need to do is:
Cook the beetroot in water with just a little bit of salt until is soft but still crunchy. Peel it and cut into cubes. Slice the onion in nice thick chunks, cut the rest of the vegetables into bigger cubes and chop the mint leaves. Mix it all together, add little olive oil, drop of vinegar, little salt and cubes of feta cheese. Enjoy!

MY THURSDAY WORKOUT

BEEF BURRITO

This burrito is easy to make great post-workout meal. Girls make it for your man, he will love you for that. 

You need: 

400g of lean ground beef 

½ of chopped onion 

2 gloves of minced garlic 

1 can of refried beans 

1 small can of green enchilada sauce (use only 3/4 of it) 

chili powder – the amount depends on you, I like to put a lot cos I like my burritos spicy 

½ teaspoon of dried crumbled oregano 

½ teaspoon of ground cumin 

little bit of olive oil 

salt and black pepper to taste 

flour tortillas (make sure you buy tortillas that does not contain hydrogenated fat) 

shredded lettuce 

tomato cut into small pieces 

sour cream 

shredded cheddar cheese 

Carefully heat the oil and fry the onion and the garlic. Add the beef and fry until browned, stirring often to break the meat. Add chili, oregano and cumin, toss, and then mix in the enchilada sauce and refried beans. Heat thoroughly. 

Warm the tortillas (you can use the oven or microwave), be careful not to heat them for too long or they get hard and dry. Place the tortilla on plate, spoon some of the beef mixture over the center, add the lettuce, tomato, cheddar and sour cream and roll up tightly. Serve as it is or you with guacamole and Mexican rice. 

IS MORE ALWAYS BETTER?........or, 10 SINGNS THAT YOU’RE OVERTRAINING

Exercise is good, we all can agree on that. It makes you stronger, leaner and healthier. But too much exercise without enough recovery time can lead to overtraining and that can not only diminish your strength and increase your body fat, but it can lead to some more serious conditions like insomnia and decreased immunity. And remember – being sick means no workout so you should never underestimate the sings of overtraining your body is giving you. Many times people who are starting new regiment have the tendency to overdo it. I can see why. They are excited and motivated and they want results fast. But whether your goal is bodybuilding, weigtloss, strength or overall fitness, keep in mind that this is process that includes more than one component. Training, nutrition, recovery and time – you need all of those. If you try to skip one, the results will never be as good as they could. Being a good bodybuilder or fitness girl also means be able to listen to your body and be able to sense when it is begging you for rest. More is not always better. Balance is what you are looking for. Here are the main signs that you are overtraining: 

• - Decreased performance
• - Decrease in motivation and enjoyment 
• - Mood changes 
• - Fatigue 
• - Persistent muscle soreness 
• - Insomnia 
• - Decreased appetite 
• - Fat gain 
• - Increased resting heart rate 
• - Weakened immune system 

If you are over trained you have difficulty to fall asleep, you feel irritated, you don’t have appetite and you are not as eager to go to gym, as you normally would be. You are also risking an injury and that can stop you from your training for weeks or months. And you sure don’t want that, so learn to listen to your body and give it what it needs. The best way to recover from particularly tough workout is to have day or two of rest followed by day with lighter training. Good nutrition is also very important. Eat plenty of lean protein, whole grains and fruits and veggies. Don’t underestimate the recovery. Your body will thank you with great results and happy mind. Remember – balance is the key.