Bringing Consistency into the New Year

As February rolls in and the new year pushes forward, many people lose sight of their resolutions, seeing them fade away into the blur of daily life. This applies to all resolutions, but particularly health and fitness.

Those of you who are consistent frequenters of your local gym are all to familiar with the herds of "resolutionists" that pack into the gym during the the first few weeks of January like cattle to the slaughter. However, about now the crowd begins to thin out and the cows go home (no pun intended). Although many of you may rejoice at the sight of smaller crowds, we at Fazoo Fitness shed a tear.

To those of you who are already giving up or have already given up, this is directed at you! Its important to remember that goals are difficult to achieve, or else they wouldn't be worth achieving. It takes CONSISTENCY. You need to set achievable, measurable and consistent goals for exercising and eating well. It should not be a one time thing, you need to incorporate this it your lifestyle and you should enjoy yourself while you are doing it. If it becomes a burden on your life, then you are most likely doing it for the wrong reasons and do not understand the true meaning of being healthy.

I can promise you that once you make the changes and start eating well and exercising on a CONSISTENT basis, you will be a much happier and more energized person. With hard work and dedication, you will love the body that you are in.

On a side note, for those aspiring bodybuilders out their who want to gain mass. Remember, it takes time to build up significant size that's why it is so imperative that you stay consistent while your dieting and training. Of course the, same goes for those you who want to lose weight, it takes time to lose weight in a healthy way.

So I hope that you are not one of those who has already given up and if you are, I hope this inspires you get back into it and continue to progress towards meeting your goal.

How are you keeping up with your goals? What techniques do you use?

- Fazoo Fitness

Mass on the Back

Here is a post for those of our readers who are interested in perusing or are already bodybuilding at any level. This is a personal interest of mine and I wanted to make sure to direct a few posts at my fellow peers. However, this is an important post for all our readers, no matter what your goals.

People often take for granted the importance of a well developed back and legs (In a previous post we discussed the importance of legs). Of course, to achieve proper symmetry and proportion everything is important, but a big set of legs and a thick back is what separates the men from the boys (Remember, you can never be too wide).

Here is a low volume but a very high intensity back workout that will help to increase strength and build mass in your back.

Back Routine:

Machine Pullover: Works the lats without activating the biceps (could be substituted with dumbbell pullovers)

• 1st set- 10-12 reps (warm-up)
• 2nd set- 10-12 reps (moderate strain)
• 3rd set- 8-10 reps (to failure)

Hammer Strength High Row: Arch the back to better contract lats. Could be substituted with close grip pulldowns

• 1st set- 10-12 reps (moderate strain)
• 2nd set- 8-10 reps (to failure) 

Bent Over Row: Adjust your body so you are a little above 90 degrees

• 1st set- 10-12 reps (warm-up) not mandatory
• 2nd set- 8-10 reps (moderate strain)
• 3rd set- 6-8 reps (to failure)

Seated Cable row: Arch you back for this as well. Could be substituted with hammer strength row

• 1st set- 10-12 reps (moderate strain)
• 2nd set- 8-10 reps (to failure)

Partial Deadlifts: Go down to about mid-chin to keep stress strictly on the back

• 1st set- 6-8 reps (moderate strain)
• 2nd set- 6-8 reps (to failure, once you break form drop the weight)
• 3rd set- 4-6 reps (if you really feel good go ahead and do this)

This might be atypical to traditional workouts comprised of 4 sets per exercise and higher reps, but trust me, if you go to true failure and keep your form honest, this workout will do the trick.

-Fazoo Fitness

Have a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Fazoo Fitness!

Thanksgiving is here and gluttony is around the corner. Now lets be honest, Thanksgiving is certainly one of the best holidays of the year, you get to spend time with your family and friends and you get feast like there's no tomorrow. Well actually there is a tomorrow, but most people don't think of that while their lathering their heaping of butter mashed potatoes in salty gravy or sampling the decadent assortment of pies brought by extended family. These aren't the healthiest foods, particularly if you feast anything like we do at Fazoo Fitness.

That being said, Thanksgiving only comes once a year. In my opinion, you can certainly use that Thanksgiving dinner as your "cheat meal." Eat all (well not all) the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie (try to keep the pie to a single piece) and anything else you typically enjoy for this wholesome holiday meal.

Don't overdue it, but remember your system can use a periodic shock to keep it running smooth. if you want to stay health conscience this holiday, stay away from the finger food early in the day as you will end up consuming more calories than you realize. This means if your helping out in the kitchen, try to resist sampling before the big meal. Also, keep the sweets to a minimum! I know its hard, but just a piece should satisfy that sweet tooth.

So let yourself live a little this Thanksgiving and don't feel guilty about it the next day. Look at it as one more reason to go even harder and be more determined next time you hit the gym.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Fazoo Fitness! We'll see you after the holidays.

-Fazoo Fitness

Thank You for Your Support!

Today marks 2 weeks since operations here at Fazoo Fitness began and we are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm we have received over our blog. We appreciate all of you following us on twitter, reading our blog, and giving us feedback on our posts. We look forward to everyone's continued support as we build our community here at Fazoo Fitness. 

With that said, here is what you can look forward to from us in the future:

• Bi-weekly Fazoo Fitness articles that will cover interesting and informative nutrition and/or exercise subjects and misconceptions.
• Daily links to helpful articles that will cover exercise programs, diets, health issues, etc.
• A Weekly summary of interesting topics from that week, just in case you missed anything!
• Once a month, we will wrap up with a list of our favorite fitness resources and let you in on some industry secrets.

Thank you for the support! Fazoo Fitness is all about building community and we are excited for the journey ahead. 


Please don't hesitate to let us know what you would like to see from future posts.


-Fazoo Fitness

Chicken Tortilla Wrap Recipe

Here is a great tasting and well balanced meal that will provide you with the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fat. Courtesy of Rob Riches, one of the leading fitness models in the industry and a personal favorite of mine. Best of all though, its quick and easy to make:

(In fact, I Just had this about 10 minutes ago)

Main Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast- 4-6 ounces
• Ezekiel tortilla wraps- 1-2 (can also use brown rice tortilla wraps or whole wheat tortilla wraps)
• Spinach Leaves, Lettuce (any combination of vegetables will work)
• Avocado

Process:

• Grill or stir-fry about 4-6 ounces of chicken. After cooking, cut the chicken into small strips or pieces so as to make it easier to wrap.
• On a tortilla wrap-- or 2, depending on your carb intake-- spread spinach leaves and lettuce; although you can add any vegetable you'd like here. (Note: if you use peppers, onions, etc. you may want to consider stir-frying them with the chicken to enhance the taste). You can also consider adding some low-fat shredded cheese to the tortilla wrap if you wish.
• After adding the ingredients, put the tortilla wrap in the microwave until it becomes soft enough to fold without breaking (approximatley 60 seconds).
• Take it out and add about 1/6 of an avocado and the chicken strips.

Its that easy! I hope you enjoy your quick and easy meal!!!



-Fazoo Fitness

Who doesn't love a leg day?

Legs are your foundation, your base if you will, and probably the single most important thing to work on. However, you probably wouldn't know that from just walking into your average gym and taking a look around. Most people have a tendency to neglect their legs, and focus almost exclusively on their "glamour" muscles (i.e. Chest and Biceps). In today's post, I'd like to share to a leg workout with you that will leave you crawling home and most importantly help round out your physique.

Leg Routine:

Leg Extensions: To warm up your muscles and joints.

• 1st set- 15 reps (warm-up)
• 2nd set- 12-15 reps
• 3rd set- 10-12 reps
• 4th set- 10-12 reps 

Note: Pause a little at the top to really feel the contraction.

Leg Press:

• 1st set- 12-15 reps
• 2nd set- 10-12 reps
• 3rd set- 10-12reps

Note: Bring your legs down to at least 90 degrees.
 
Hack Squat:

• 1st set- 12-15 reps
• 2nd set- 10-12 reps
• 3rd set- 10-12 reps

Note: Again, like squats, go down to at least parallel.

Lying leg curls:

• 1st set- 10 reps
• 2nd set- 6-8 reps
• 3rd set- 6-8 reps

Note: Control the negative and try to feel your hamstrings peak.  

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts:

• 1st set- 6-8 reps
• 2nd set- 6-8 reps
• 3rd set- 5-7 reps

Note: Keep a slight bend at your knees.

Standing Calf Raises:

• 1st set- 15-20 reps
• 2nd set- 15-20 reps
• 3rd set- 12-15 reps

Note: Pause at the top to feel the contraction.

Seated Calf Raises:

• 1st set- 15-20 reps
• 2nd set- 15-20 reps
• 3rd set- 12-15 reps

Note: Same thing here, pause at the top and stretch at the bottom to feel the full effect.


There you have it! This workout is sure to leave you feeling utterly exhausted and possibly enfeebled. Make sure to always bring your intensity to the gym, don't just go through the motions. Enjoy!

-Fazoo Fitness

Here's the Facts on Nutrition Facts

More and more people are making the decision to establish a healthy diet. This means that people are becoming more conscious of what they eat, taking the time to look at the nutrition facts before they make purchases at the grocery store. Oftentimes however,  people don't really know what they should be looking for on a nutrition label. Most people just look at how many calories there are--which is obviously very important--but you should be looking at far more than just calories.

The following is an explanation of what your actually looking at on that label, from top to bottom:

Serving Size: This is very important as this is what all the nutritional information is based on. Be sure to always note the serving size first, without this context everything else is essentially pointless. For example, if it says 100g that means a 100g of the food item will give you everything that you see on the label. Therefore you need to make sure to adjust the rest of the numbers to match your own serving size.

Servings per container: Pretty self explanatory, this tells you how many individual servings (based on serving size) are in the entire product. For example, if it says 4, that means that there are a total of 4 servings in the entire product.

Calories: Most if not all know what calories are. Just remember, it all essentially comes down to calories in and calories out. This is an important thing to keep in mind no matter what your fitness goal.

Calories from fat: Pretty pointless in my opinion, it is just the amount of grams of fat multiplied by 9 (9 kcal per gram of fat). So if something has 10g of fat, then calories from fat will simply be 90.

Total fat: This is the amount of total fat per serving. This includes saturated fat, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Like I said before, fat has 9 kcal per gram, so watch out for high fat content. Saturated fat and trans fats are know as the "bad" fats. Although, some saturated fat in your diet is necessary, about 10% of total fat. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated are also subsets of total fat, these are considered "good" fats.

Cholesterol: This is something that most healthy individuals should not really be concerned with, however, it is still wise not to overdue it.

Sodium: Sodium in moderation is necessary for your body to function properly, but too much can be costly to your health. Typically, people get enough or too much from their diet already, adding extra sodium (i.e. salt) is almost always unnecessary.

Total Carbohydrates: This is very important when analyzing a nutrition label. It tells you how many carbs are in each serving, and more importantly what the carb source is; whether it be a simple or complex carb. Carbs equate to 4 kcal per gram.

Dietary Fiber: This is one of the few things that you would prefer to be high when looking at the nutrition facts. This helps slows down the process at which the carbohydrates are digested.

Sugar: High sugar typically mean faster digestion, which is something you DO NOT want from your carbs.

Protein: Another thing you would prefer to be high. Protein plays an important role in the functioning of muscles, glands, organs, etc. Protein equates to 4 kcal per gram.

Daily Value %: In my opinion, this is another value that is completely pointless. Mainly I feel this way because it only applies to a 2000 calorie diet, but also because the FDA requirements for fat, carbs, and protein is absolutely ridiculous. They recommend a fat-carb-protein split to be 30-60-10, which will not help you burn fat or gain muscle effectively. (Read more on Macros)

I hope this will help you have a better understanding of how to read a nutrition label. Knowing what you are putting into your body is the first step to achieving your fitness goals.

In a later post, I'll help you analyze what to lookout for in the ingredients portion of a label.

-Fazoo Fitness