An in home gym can be as elaborate or simple as you want. There are many factors to take into account when deciding what is best for you. Do you like to work out in the same room all the time, or move around? Do you like to vary your exercises, or keep the same routine? How much space do you have to work out? Where in your house do you want to work out? How much do you want to spend?

You can have a fully functional gym from as little as $50. Bands and balls are the cheapest pieces of equipment and very mobile without requiring a space larger than a front hall way. Whether you want to work out in your living room, backyard, bedroom, basement, or even in a hotel room on a business trip your bands can go with you. Every single exercise that you do on gym equipment can be done with bands.

Dumbbells and machines are also a great option. Some people prefer to know how much they are lifting in order to track their progress. There are multifunctional cable machines, universal machines that allow for a small variety of exercises or single use machines. It might be best to consider speaking with a personal trainer about equipment before making a large purchase as they can explain what might be best for you personally. Another thing to consider, when setting up a home gym is the flooring. If you are placing heavy machines or dumbbells on the floor, you should also purchase floor mats specifically designed to protect the floor and reduce the noise.

AS QUOTED IN TODAY'S PARENT FEB 2009 ISSUE
"Choose wisely. Avoid rooms in need of home improvements. Cluttered corners and walls that are screaming to be painted may dampen your will to exercise. And don't rule out the spot where you spend most of your time, says Andi Clark, president of Home Fit, an in-home personal-training service in the Toronto area, since hanging out there is already part of your lifestyle."

Often people purchase all sorts of equipment and never use it because they are unsure of how to. The best step to starting a home gym is to hire a trainer for a few sessions. They can bring in different equipment and show you how to use it. Then you can decide what is best for you. The investment of a few sessions may save you thousands of dollars on equipment. You will also be left with with a program that you can do on your own in your own home gym all for less than a gym membership.

1. Lay on your back with your butt near the end of the mat and your heels on the ball.
2. Lift your butt off of the ground using your abs and hands for balance.
3. Dig your heels into the ball making sure you pull your toes into your shins so as not to cramp your calves. SLOWLY pull the ball towards your butt. Imagine your heels are going to go through the ball and touch the ground.
4. When this is easy try it with one leg.

 

It takes 3500 calories to make or lose 1 lb of fat and your daily requirement of sodium is 1100 mg – 2300mg depending on your medical history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart issues and more. 

Muffins seem like a quick idea, but are not great for your waist line. Less fat is usually offset with more sugar in low fat muffins. If you have a muffin 5x/wk you can gain over 30 lbs in one year. When you consume more calories than your body needs at any point in your day it is stored as fat whether the calories come from fat or sugar.

A piece of fruit is a better option. It is just as portable, less expensive and has more vitamins and minerals than a muffin. Because it is lower in calories your body will most likely use them all so that they are not stored as fat.

*Second Cup does not use the same distributor for their baked goods, so it is tough to find out a consistent nutritional breakdowns.

 

Are You Creating An Efficient Metabolism?

No matter how much food you eat your body only stores enough as energy for 4 hours of a regular day’s activity or about 8 hours of sleep. Any extra calories that your body does not require at that point in time will be stored as fat. If you go more than four hours without food your body goes into starvation mode. This means your body will start to break down muscle and using the protein as a fuel source and keep your fat as its last supply of fuel. If you eat small quality meals every 2-4 hours on a consistent basis and at the end of the day the amount of calories you have consumed is less than you have used, then your body will take some of the extra calories it needs from your stored fat. This is because your body knows it will be getting regular fuel and doesn’t need to store any for later.

A good habit to get into is whether you are in a restaurant, eating out at lunch or bringing your own lunch is to eat half of what you are given. Then 3 hours or so later eat the other half. You will be eating the same amount of calories, but your body will be able to use all of them as fuel instead of storing them as fat leaving you with no energy later in the afternoon.

The more efficient your body is the less fat it stores!

 

Protein Pancakes

1/2 c. Low Fat cottage cheese
1/2 c. egg whites
1/2 c. oats
1 tbsp cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

Blend in blender and cook like pancakes.

Add half a banana if desired when blending and drizzle a small bit of honey on top for added taste.

Per serving(based on 2 servings) 173 calories, 2g fat, 15 g protein, 345 mg sodium, 0.1% calories from fat.