Running is the Worst Exercise to Lose Weight

“Ok, I am going to get to work and lose some weight.” Millions of Americans say these same words every year, motivated to get in shape and drop a few pant sizes. In the United States, a nation with the highest obesity of any in the developed world, running is and has been the most popular ‘workout’ activity. The reality of it all is, as far as losing weight/fat, running is the least efficient way to do so.

Muscle Burns Fat

Resistance has been shown to be the best method for losing fat. Why is this you ask? Muscle needs more calories to work and nothing builds muscle like resistance training. Add to that the fact that your body is smart (big surprise, I know). Your body when faced with repetitive training like say, running, will adapt. Day after day your body will begin to burn less calories for the same amount of work.

Increased Chances of Injury

Approximately 10 millions runners clocked in at least 100 days of running, according to a recent study looking at risk factors and the mechanisms of knee injuries in runners. This is associated with a high risk of injury with up to 50% of runners reporting an injury. This could result in a quick derailing If you are just getting started with your fitness journey. If you happen to start using running to shed a few unwanted pounds, this could result in an even higher rate of injury. Those extra pounds could actually cause an even quicker lower extremity injury.

Metabolism Adapts

As mentioned above your body when confronted with the same rate of work will adapt to utilize less calories. This is a simple survival mechanism we are all born with. Calories mean life we want to hold on to as many as possible for that rainy day, bummer, I know. You must routinely not have a routine! Being able to constantly vary your workouts will go a much longer way to keeping your metabolism firing on all cylinders and burning the most efficiently.

We are all Unique

Like little snowflakes, we are all unique. What works for one may not work as well for the next. This is where getting a knowledgeable trainer and nutritionist can come into play. Furthermore, proper testing must be done in order to analyze what your body is currently doing and how to get it moving in the right direction. Without metabolic testing and analysis you are simply shooting darts in the dark and hoping you hit the target. The biggest question is, are you even shooting darts at the right target?

Moral of the Story

Test, Measure, Evaluate and Analyze. This is the only way to craft the fitness program that will best work for you and your weight loss goals. Anything less is a generic plan and will give you only generic results. Check with the Coaches at Revolt Fitness or the Nutrition Consultants at RevEssentials to get started.

Meal Timing for Optimal Weight Loss

Did you know there are optimal times to eat and exercise based on your circadian rhythm?

Most people eat based on how they feel, rather than what will optimize weight loss or athletic performance. The lack of proper meal timing can affect their energy levels, blood sugar spikes, and metabolism among other things. Eating according to your biological clock can provide a multitude of benefits.

You have probably experienced low energy levels in the early afternoons, where you feel like you are walking through life in slow motion. Your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock) is the main driver of these low and high energy points in your day. Based on this clock there are specific times for you to consume food and exercise to maximize productivity.

Just as we have times which are best for consumption, we also have times which are best for fasting and resting. Understanding your circadian rhythm can be complex without proper testing and analysis. Any attempt to hack into this rhythm without careful assessment is just an educated guess at best.

The Coaches at Revolt Fitness and Nutrition Consultants at RevEssentials are able to help you with testing and analysis to build an individualized success plan. Start your journey today!

Best Type of Workout for Weight Loss

Aside from dieting, exercising is one of the most common strategies employed by those trying to shed extra pounds. It helps burn more calories, which plays a crucial role in weight loss.

However, with so many types of exercise, one can easily feel lost on what type of workout would be the most effective for their weight loss journey. The answer might surprise you…

It depends.

We are each different with varying degrees of fitness. Our bodies are unique and respond to different stimulus in different ways. There are some foundational truths we can count on to get started.

  1. Resistance training is KEY. Resistance training is the most effective workout for boosting your metabolism. Plainly stated lean muscle  burns fat and resistance training is key to building lean muscle.
  2. More Muscle = Higher Metabolism, the higher your metabolic rate the higher your caloric burn will be throughout the day as you complete your regularly scheduled life activities.
  3. Create a Calorie Deficit. The more calories your burn through a higher metabolic rate the greater the calorie deficit will be, even if you eat the same food. This calorie deficit is the main driver of weight loss.

Contact one of our coaches to get the help you need and start your journey!

 

Healthy Weight Loss

The internet is full of weight loss advice, however, most of it is unproven. You deserve the absolute best when it comes to your health, so we’ll be debunking these myths one by one!

We’ll tackle the myths around nutrition and help you get on track! See the real reasons that can affect your weight loss journey and the best way to overcome them!

Why am I not losing weight even though I am adhering 100% to my diet?

“You must have a calorie deficit! The calories you burn through daily activity need to be MORE than the calories you are consuming.”

1. Eating less is NOT the answer! If creating a calorie deficit stops producing the desired weight loss, then it is most likely that your metabolism has slowed down.

2. How can you identify a slowing metabolism? A ‘slow’ metabolism means you are burning fewer calories than previously. Many factors can contribute to a slowing metabolism like, ‘chronic dieting’, poor sleep , overtraining, or even hormonal imbalances.

3. Your Baseline is everything! Being able to identify where your metabolism is MUST be your first step in properly finding the best way to lose weight in a healthy manner.

4. And the proper matching. Once we have established what eating and training protocols works best for you we can create an individualized program designed to help you on your weight loss journey based on science not speculation.

Contact the coaches at Revolt Fitness to help you get started!

Get Motivated

Sometimes you need someone to help find the motivation to keep working hard towards your goals. If you feel like you’re stuck or you’re ready to take your training to the next level, an experienced coach at Revolt Fitness can help you find ways to challenge yourself by!

  • Helping you find and train for competitive events: Our coaches help you be fit for life. If you are thinking about doing your first competition we can also help you find one or train for it. Other non-crossfit events are also a fun way to challenge yourself. Whether training for your first 5k, marathon or triathlon our coaches can help.
  • Pushing your limits: If you want to blast past a plateau, go heavy with your weights and hit a new PR. Our coaches can help you choose the right weights as well as spot you as you do more challenging exercises so that you can stay safe.
  • Being a workout partner: A coach can also engage in the workout with you, adding a competitive element to your workouts or helping you with partner exercises.

You’ll find it’s very hard to slack off with one of our coaches cheering you on and pushing you to do just one more rep. You may even find you have hidden strengths to tap, which can motivate you even more.

Contact us to get started now!

Where to Start?

If you have ever walked into a Globo Gym and stared around the place without any idea as to what to do next, then you are not alone. We’re not born knowing how to exercise, or how to design a complete program that includes cardio, resistance training, intervals and mobility which specific exercises to do for each of those, and how to fit it into a busy life schedule. Facing this first task can be so overwhelming that many don’t ever take the first step.

The coaches at Revolt Fitness can help you with the basics. We help you every step of the way be designing workouts based on frequency, intensity time, and type of workout and manipulate these elements over time. We can help you navigate the process every step of the way, which includes:

  • Suggesting activities that work for your body, schedule, and available equipment
  • Helping you figure out how hard to work during exercise and how to monitor your exercise intensity
  • Showing you how to choose exercises, weights, reps, and sets
  • Using different tools (such as a heart rate monitor or activity tracker) to enhance your workouts
  • Teaching you how to get the most out of your workout, while also making sure you don’t overdo it

You have made the decision to get fit and improve your health. Let us help you get started by teaching you the right way to exercise to avoid injury and maximize results.

Is Personal Training for You?

There are many great reasons to think about personal training with one of the coaches at Revolt. If you’ve been exercising consistently for several weeks or months and aren’t reaching your goals (whether you are seeking to lose weight, improve your performance at crossfit, or build strength), there are a few ways personal training might be able to help.

  • Evaluate your current program: By looking at what you’re already doing at Revolt, we can suggest ways to change or tweak your workouts to make them more efficient and effective. The more personalized your fitness routine is, the better results will be.
  • Examine your goals: We recently sent an email for progress meetings with your coach at Revolt. If you took advantage of this, awesome! If you want t schedule your progress meeting you still can and we want you to, it’s free! We can help you set some goals that are realistic and how to achieve them.
  • Help you stay motivated: Knowing you have an appointment with your personal coach can help you stay disciplined maintain motivation to exercise.
  • Push you a little harder: People often don’t see results because they’re not working as hard as they could. Having someone to challenge you (and cheer you on) can make a difference.
  • Hold you accountable: Your personal coach can help you set weekly goals, then check in on a regular basis to see how you’re doing.
  • Teach you: Whether you want to learn how to do certain movements better, gain a new skill or how to do a new exercise, your coach can help by giving you 1 on 1 coaching for an entire session.

It may be that you are getting results—just not in the way you expected. You might be gaining muscle and losing fat, changing your body composition while your weight stays constant, for instance. Our coaches strive to see your situation more clearly from the outside and offer you a new perspective.

If you are interested in personal training and want to learn more chat with one of the coaches at Revolt.

Your Fitness Tracker Can Help You Lose Weight

With so many fitness trackers on the market it may seem daunting to finding which one will work best for you. They each have their own pros and cons with varying degrees of effectiveness. They can help you set goals, track sleep and heart rate. Some go even further and track mood, to which extent of accuracy is to be determined. While the features of these devices continues to grow there is one specific feature that can truly help you in losing weight, tracking your calories consumed and calories burnt.

Losing weight can be a challenging task with many winding roads that lead to dead ends. So much information on the internet and fad diets can lead to frustration and weight gain rather than the intended result. Without getting into the benefits of certain ‘diets’ over others we will focus on the math of losing 1 pound.

Using a broad stroke of 500 calorie daily deficit to equal a 3500 calorie deficit for the week. 3500 calories happens to be the equivalent of 1 lb of body fat. Now I say here that this is a broad brush stroke simply because we are not taking into account, gender, size, fitness levels and so on. All of these details do matter and when taken into account will help in the task of losing weight.

So where does my fitness tracker come into play?

Well simply put, if we can track the calories being consumed on a daily basis and subtract the calories being burnt then we hopefully create a healthy deficit that will result in natural weight loss. While the calories that need to be consumed will be different for each of us and how many calories our bodies burn will also vary, a deficit will result in body fat being lost. Couple the right nutrition plan with a fitness program that allows you to maximize the calories your are burning and you will be on the your way.

Well how many calories should I be burning?

It depends on many variables and a nutrition consultant would best be able to assist in specializing a plan for you to properly lose weight in a natural and healthy manner. So get your fitness trackers ready for the next challenge at Revolt Fitness.

The Carnivore Diet: What it is and Benefits

The carnivore diet has been gaining traction in recent years. It consists of an all-meat diet, where the only food consumed is animal products such as meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. While this may seem extreme to some, the carnivore diet can offer a multitude of health benefits for those who choose to follow it. Let’s take a closer look at what the carnivore diet entails and how it can benefit your health.

What Is The Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is an all-meat diet that consists solely of animal foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Proponents of the carnivore diet believe that eating only animal products offers numerous health benefits, including improved energy levels and mental clarity. Despite its extreme nature, the carnivore diet has been gaining traction in recent years due to its purported health benefits.

Benefits Of The Carnivore Diet

The most touted benefit of the carnivore diet is that it eliminates grains and other plant-based foods from one’s diet, which can be beneficial for people with food sensitivities or allergies to grains or legumes. Additionally, since animal proteins are nutrient-dense and contain essential vitamins and minerals such as B12 and iron that are not found in plant sources of food, they can provide more nutritional value than plant-based sources alone. Because animal proteins are satiating and have a high thermic effect (meaning they take longer to digest), following a carnivorous lifestyle may also help with weight loss or maintenance goals. Finally, advocates of this type of lifestyle often report feeling more energetic after eliminating grains from their diets due to fewer digestive issues associated with grain consumption.

Potential Risks Of The Carnivore Diet

While there are potential benefits associated with following a carnivorous lifestyle, there are also certain risks involved with consuming an exclusively animal-based diet as well. For example, because animals contain higher amounts of saturated fat than plants do (which has been linked to heart disease), those on a strictly carnivorous lifestyle need to be mindful about their fat intake; too much saturated fat can lead to increased risk for cardiovascular disease if consumed in excess over time. Additionally, since plant sources contain fiber which helps regulate digestion and reduce constipation risk while animal sources do not contain any fiber at all, following a strict carnivorous lifestyle could potentially lead to digestive issues if one does not consume enough dietary fiber through supplementation or other means such as bone broth consumption or vegetable juicing/blending post mealtime (which is what many proponents of this type of lifestyle recommend). Finally—and perhaps most importantly—consuming only animal products on a regular basis could lead to deficiencies in certain essential vitamins & minerals like Vitamin C (found in citrus fruits) or magnesium (found in leafy greens) unless these are supplemented through other means as well.

All in all, while there may be certain potential benefits associated with following a strict carnivorous lifestyle such as improved digestive function & nutrient absorption due to elimination of grains from one’s diet along with increased satiety when consuming nutrient dense proteins & fats from animals sources—there are also potential risks associated with consuming an exclusively animal based die such as increased risk for cardiovascular disease due to higher saturated fat content found in meats & dairy along with potential deficiencies in certain essential vitamins & minerals like vitamin c & magnesium unless these are supplemented through other means such as bone broth consumption or vegetable juicing/blending post mealtime which many proponents of this type of lifestyle recommend doing regularly.. For those who wish to try out this type of lifestyle however – it is important to ensure proper nutrition by being aware of possible deficiencies & supplementing accordingly alongside consulting with a healthcare professional before beginning any new dietary regimen. Doing so can ensure you get the most out of your new way of eating while minimizing any potential risks associated with it!

Just Breathe

Take a Nice Deep Breath

As mentioned in our previous blog post the respiratory system is mostly taken for granted. Very little training is done to help you with your capacity, capability or stability. While being able to elicit elite athletic performance by maximizing each breath is important, the impact of our respiratory system goes deeper.

Deep Impact

Our survival depends on our body being able to supply oxygen to our cells. Breathing is easily the most vital recurring function in our body. Being unable to breathe for a few seconds can lead to you passing out and being unable to breathe for more than a minute could cause brain damage and even death. As such we need to understand that our respiratory system is closely interconnected with our brain. Our ability to oxygenate our cells has fascinating effects on our mood and how we experience pain.

The Connection between the Brain and Lungs

The brain is the central computer of our body and sends signals to the entire body for regulation. To relay these signals, the brain uses our nervous system, which constitutes the wiring through which information is sent from the brain to organs and other parts that respond by performing necessary functions.

This connection between the brain and the rest of the body is bi-directional. This means that the brain isn’t just sending signals to organs. It is also receiving. The receipt of these signals influences brain functions and thus the way we experience feelings and sensations.

How breathing Impacts your Emotions

One of the main substances in your brain is norepinephrine and it is responsible for mobilizing the brain and body for action. During sleep the release of this substance is at its lowest and peaks when you are confronted with highly stressful situations.

Fight or Flight

When secreted in the brain, norepinephrine instigates arousal, initiates alertness, promotes vigilance, enhances the formation and retrieval of memory, and focuses attention. Moreover, it brings about restlessness and causes anxiety. Lastly, to prepare the body for action, norepinephrine causes a series of physical effects. These include an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, the release of glucose that provides immediate energy for muscles, elevates blood flow to skeletal muscle, and suppresses blood supply to our digestive system.

What can You do?

It is now widely known that specific breathing exercises such as deep diaphragmatic breathing can bring about positive effects to combat high stress. Leveraging the connection between focused breathing and the brain, one can create positive changes in the brain that can help combat neuropsychological disorders and chronic pain. This is because breathing can send signals to various parts of the brain that are interconnected and responsible for regulating emotions, stress levels, autonomic functions, and pain sensations.

So, take a deep breath or twenty and relax.