5 Ways to Burn Calories at Work

TGIF Everybody,

Do you sit behind a desk most of the day? If so, you may not be getting enough of a workout to keep you active. For some people, it is easy to burn calories. They may spend their days on their feet, helping customers or even performing physical tasks. In those cases, it is easy to get through the necessary calories. For all others, there are ways to burn more just by making a few changes.

Don’t Do Lunch Just Once

Rather than eating a big meal in the afternoon, plan to consume something smaller every two to three hours. Doing this can greatly increase your overall health, too. How does it help? It gives your body time to digest food and keeps your calorie burn going. Your metabolism is increased. You can lose weight by eating smaller meals more often. All of that contributes to your health.

Park the Car and Walk

Instead of fighting with your coworker over the spot closest to the door, move back. The farther away you park, the more likely you are to get in a bit of exercise. It may not seem like much, but spending a few extra minutes walking farther can have a significant improvement on the number of steps you take in a day. Your goal is to get at least 10,000 steps in each day.

Bike to Work

Another way to get more exercise is simply to take a bike to work. On the other hand, walk to the bus stop and bus to work. It may not seem as glamorous but it does fantastic things for your heart and your overall fitness. Keep in mind that this option also helps the environment (and your pocketbook, too!).

Get Rid of Your Chair

Instead of standing, though, replace your chair with a fitness ball. It makes for an ideal seat. In fact, some of the largest companies in the world are using them. The benefit is easy to see- you have to keep on track and on balance. It also does good things to help you to improve your stability. It can help to improve your posture and keep you moving throughout the day. In addition, every hour or so, you can easily do a few ab crunches to get some added benefits.

Keep Some Dumbbells in the Office

It is a good idea to give yourself that short, ten minute workout whenever it is possible. That means stopping in the middle of the day and lifting some light weights. Doing this helps to keep your body moving and helps you to burn calories whenever you can. Are you thinking about that project? Do so with a dumbbell in your hand.

There are many simple ways that you can burn more calories while you are at work. The good news is that these things do not take more time or cost you money to do. You can plan for them by leaving items in your office to use. Talk to your boss about making fitness breaks a part of the day,

Committed to your health and fitness goals,

Kirk Huggins Rogers

Physique Transformation Specialist

PS - Have a FANTASTIC, HEALTHY and EPIC Weekend J

Epic Insights in Individual Health and Fitness

Grill Your Way Lean Grilling is the most popular pastime of summer. While outdoor cookouts are a great opportunity to relax and visit with friends and family, did you know that the average barbecue meal exceeds 1500 calories? That's almost an entire day's worth of calories in one meal. That type of eating will do some serious damage to your waist over the course of the summer. The good news is that barbecue season doesn't have to be fattening. In fact, with a few small changes to your barbecue menu, you can turn summer into the perfect opportunity for weight loss. So before you slather on the sunscreen and fire up your grill, read the following tips to grill your way lean this summer. On the Grill: Believe it or not, grilling is actually a very healthy way to cook meat. Of course the type of meat that you choose will make all of the difference. Burgers and hot dogs are traditional barbecue meats, but they aren't the healthiest. Try the following: Choose lean cuts of beef, pork or poultry Marinade with low fat dressing Make hamburgers with extra-lean ground beef Take the skin off chicken before grilling Replace beef patties with ground turkey patties Grill up salmon or cod Forego the meat and grill veggie burgers Side Dishes: This is where most people run into trouble. Barbecue side dishes are typically filled with loads of fat. Creamy coleslaw and potato salads can hold as much as 15 grams of fat per serving. Try the following instead: Make veggie kabobs and grill them Grill bok choy (see recipe below) Replace the mayo in your salads with low-fat mayo Serve fresh salad with light vinaigrette Try whole-grain macaroni for your pasta salad Grill up corn on the cob (pass on the butter) Put out a veggie tray with low fat dip Drinks: Most people don't realize that beverages play a big role in summer weight gain. Margaritas, beer, soda pop and punch all contain lots of empty calories. Try the following: Drink water, it is always your healthiest option Stick with light beer If you have to have a soda pop stick with diet Brew unsweetened ice tea and serve with lemon Dessert: Yes, there are ways to satisfy your sweet tooth while getting lean. Think outside of the box instead of turning to the typical fattening options like ice cream, pie, cake or cookies. Try the following: Grill mango, banana and pineapple on kabobs Stick with sorbet instead of ice cream Replace peach pie with grilled peach halves Choose light ice cream over regular Remember, it's ok to splurge every once in a while. Enjoy yourself. Just keep in mind that by taking a few of the above suggestions you can enjoy great food while getting back into great shape. Want to shape up even more this summer? Call or email today to get started on a fitness program specifically designed to get you into your best shape ever. Magic Pills I hate to break it to you, but there's no such thing as magic weight loss pills. Don't fall for the latest diet pill craze. Have you ever noticed that every weight loss pill specifically states that it works when combined with proper diet and exercise? Well, they are right—proper diet and exercise will cause you to lose weight—without costly bogus pills. Grilled Bok Choy Ready to grill? Throw some bok choy on the BBQ! Bok choy is packed with vitamins A, C and K, as well as beta carotene. This grilled bok choy has tender stems and crispy leaf edges. Servings: 6 Here's what you need... 2 lbs bok choy 1 Tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/8 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon seasoned salt Preheat grill and lightly oil the grate. In a small bowl combine the oil and seasonings. Mix well. Slice the bottom off the head of bok choy, and wash each stem. Lay bok choy on prepared grill. Brush with the seasoned oil mixture. Cover grill and cook until stems show grill marks, about 4 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with more seasoned oil mixture and grill the other side. Transfer to platter and serve. Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 36.5 calories, 2.6g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 2g protein. Motivate your friends, family and co-workers! Use the "refer a friend" link below to forward this newsletter and subscribe your friends. Forward This Newsletter - Refer a Friend IMAGINE, How big would You Dream, if You knew You couldn't fail???...Click Here for More Information.

Come Train With Kirk!   Heroic Fitness Hours of Operation Carillon Building Fitness Facilities Monday:  7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Thursday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Friday: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Ally Center Fitness Facilities Monday:  10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Friday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Client Testimonials From the novice exerciser to the seasoned exerciser,  Kirk Huggins Rogers of Heroic Fitness has the passion, desire, and ability to help you transcend your goals and transform your workouts into an epic experience.  He is by far the best personal trainer I have ever utilized, and is truly a physique transformation specialist.  I whole-heartedly recommend the Heroic Fitness Experience! -Sofia Mohammed    Kirk, thank you so much for sharing your physical fitness knowledge, your patience, your gentle urgings (which kept me going, even when I didn’t think I could!), and for your constant and consistent belief in my abilities- I’m so grateful you pushed this 50 “ish” year old woman to keep trying!!  You’ve provided me with a terrific foundation – now, I just need to continue to DO it! -Debi Brause

Email: heroicbod1@heroicfitness.com
Phone: 704-575-1514
Web: www.heroicfitness.com

Epic Insights in Individual Health and Fitness

5 Rewards of a 5K Have you ever considered running a 5K? The benefits may surprise you. A 5K race is 3.1 miles, the perfect distance for beginning runners. It's a realistic, attainable goal that's fun and satisfying to achieve. Here are 5 rewards you will reap: 1) Tone Your Legs: Runners have awesome legs. Muscular, toned and tan. Training for a 5K will get you on pace for your own set of lean limbs. Calves: Not the easiest muscle to tone in the gym, but these lanky muscles are quickly toned by running. A proper runner's stride has your foot landing in a rolling motion, heel to toe. As you push off with your toe, feel a firm contraction in your calves. Push your calves to the limit by running in sand or gravel. No Thumping! You know your stride is stiff when you hear a thumping sound with each step. When you lightly roll your foot from heel to toe, you take pressure off of your lower back. Remember, thumping feet lead to a sore back. Glutes: Running is a great way to firm up your glutes. To really raise your glutes take your training to the hills or do bleacher runs. Thighs: Who doesn't want slimmer thighs? Running does wonders for shaping and slimming your thighs, right where it counts. 2) Support A Cause By participating in a 5K you get in shape while supporting a cause. Most 5K races are put on by charities or non-profit organizations. Many times you have the opportunity to raise funds and community awareness through your involvement. 3) Flatten Your Abs Running burns a massive amount of calories. This means you'll find your body quickly morphing into that of a lean athlete. Don't over-compensate the extra calories burned by eating too many carbs. Manage your portions to reap the most belly shrinking benefits. While running is an amazing way to transform your body, running alone won't deliver complete results. Resistance training is an equally important part of the equation. With resistance training you get: Raised Metabolism: Resistance training raises your metabolism for an extended period of time, even after the workout is finished. This means more calories burned. Also resistance training adds muscle to your body, which raises your resting metabolism to burn even more calories when you aren't exercising. Upper Body Muscle Tone: While running is great for adding lower body muscle tone, it won't do much for your upper body. With resistance training you target the muscles of your upper body to create a symmetric physique. Muscle Confusion: With resistance training there are endless variations of movements you can do in order to keep your muscles guessing. Never allow your routine to grow stale by doing the same motions over and over again. 4) Make New Friends Athletic endeavors are a relaxed way to make new friends and form connections within your community. Join a local running group to assist your training or start your own group of 5K hopefuls in your neighborhood. Your group could run the 5K together for support. Who knows, you may make new friends for life. 5) Start A Habit Although you may find it hard to believe, especially if you haven't yet run your first 5K, racing is addicting. The satisfaction of accomplishing your goal, along with the exciting changes in your body, will likely lead you to another race. It's not farfetched that you'll build your training up to run a marathon. Running is great, but as we touched on above, resistance training is essential for achieving outstanding results. The best way to get into amazing shape is with a challenging and dynamic exercise routine. Call or email today to get started on your own exercise program that will lead to more rewards than you ever dreamed of. 5K Success Here are 3 tips to ensure that your 5K goes great. Consult your Doctor. You should always check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine, and training for a 5K is no exception. Once your doctor gives you the green light then jump in with your training. Train Smart. Gradually increase your mileage over a few weeks or months. Start by running for 10 to 15 minutes and then slowly increase to a full 5K. Stay Hydrated. It's always important to keep your body properly hydrated, especially when your activity level has increased. Drink water before and after reach run, and throughout your day. Smoked Salmon Wrap Salmon is a rich source of omega 3 as well as protein. Couple that with sprouted grain tortilla and fresh arugula and you've got yourself a healthy, balanced meal that's ready in only 5 minutes. Servings: 2 Here's what you need: 1 Sprouted grain tortilla 1 Tablespoon low fat cream cheese 4 oz Smoked salmon 1/2 cup Arugula Dash of salt and pepper Spread the cream cheese evenly over one side of tortilla. Place the salmon in the center of the tortilla. Top with arugula. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Roll the tortilla and slice in half. Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 175 calories, 6g fat, 12.5g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 16.5g protein. Spread the word. Forward this newsletter to your friends, family and co-workers by using the "refer a friend" link below. Have an Epic Day :)!!! IMAGINE, How big would You Dream, if You knew You couldn't fail???...Click Here for More Information. Refer a Friend - Click Here

Heroic Fitness Hours of Operation Carillon Building Fitness Facilities Monday:  7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Thursday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Friday: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Ally Center Fitness Facilities Monday:  10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Friday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Client Testimonials From the novice exerciser to the seasoned exerciser,  Kirk Huggins Rogers of Heroic Fitness has the passion, desire, and ability to help you transcend your goals and transform your workouts into an epic experience.  He is by far the best personal trainer I have ever utilized, and is truly a physique transformation specialist.  I whole-heartedly recommend the Heroic Fitness Experience! -Sofia Mohammed    Kirk, thank you so much for sharing your physical fitness knowledge, your patience, your gentle urgings (which kept me going, even when I didn’t think I could!), and for your constant and consistent belief in my abilities- I’m so grateful you pushed this 50 “ish” year old woman to keep trying!!  You’ve provided me with a terrific foundation – now, I just need to continue to DO it! -Debi Brause

Email: heroicbod1@heroicfitness.com
Phone: 704-575-1514
Web: www.heroicfitness.com

Epic Insights in Individual Health and Fitness

Healthy Eating Tips Your Kids Will Love Every parent wants good things for their children: a positive outlook on life, a healthy respect for authority, a strong sense of self, a disease-free body...a healthy body weight. Despite our best intentions, a recent report suggests that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. With all the advances in medicine, how could this possibly be true? The blame falls squarely on today's toxic food environment. In short, your kids are eating too much junk. And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great. The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Take these simple tips and transform your child's diet into one that is packed with good health. 1) Add Color Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child's plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health. If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you'll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat. 2) Think Whole Foods Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children. Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea. 3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. But wait, there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup: Sucanat: This pure, dried sugar can juice retains its molasses content. Use it to replace white sugar in baking. Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the "fake" syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple syrup contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids. Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes longer to digest and won't spike your blood sugar like refined sugar. Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather than adding white sugar. 4) Make Smart Substitutions Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that's not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious. Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings. Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce. Stick with red sauce, since white sauce is so high in fat. PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Try the PB&J Makeover recipe below instead for a sandwich that will provide real wholesome fuel for your child's day. 5) Ban Sugary Drinks One of the best things that you can do for your child's good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain. The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don't have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so that they grow accustom to drinking only water. While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child's diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and I guarantee you'll look and feel better. Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well? You are your child's biggest role model on how to live, for better or worse. Treat yourself right by calling or emailing today to get started on an exercise program that will change your life for the best. Pay Attention Here's a tip for kids and adults alike. When you are eating, pay attention. Sounds simple, but how often do you snack in front of the T.V. or eat your dinner while in rush hour traffic? Paying attention means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. It means never eating just to eat, but rather because your body needs it. Do this and you will quickly reach your ideal weight. PB&J Makeover Not all PB$J sandwiches were created nutritionally equal. It all depends on the quality of the ingredients that you use. If you use white bread, corn syrup-filled peanut butter and refined sugar-filled jelly, the result would be a sandwich that will skyrocket your blood sugar, promotes fat storage and leaves you feeling hungry a short time later. However, if you make this recipe, with sprouted grain bread, true peanut butter made from one ingredient: peanuts, and fruit preserves that are naturally sweetened with fruit juice rather than sugar, then the result would be a nutritionally dense food that would promote stable blood sugar levels and provide you with hours of sustained energy. Your kids will love the fun twist of having their sandwich grilled and stuffed with banana slices! Servings: 1 Here's what you need: Sprouted grain bread 1 Tablespoon pure peanut butter (no added sugar or corn syrup) 1 Tablespoon natural fruit spread (no added sugar or corn syrup) 1/2 of a banana, sliced Spread one piece of bread with peanut butter and the other with fruit spread. Line one side with the sliced bananas and sandwich it. In a grill pan over medium heat, grill each side until grill marks appear and the sandwich is warmed. Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 8.7g fat, 53g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, and 13.2g protein. Spread the word. Forward this newsletter to your friends, family and co-workers by using the "refer a friend" link below. Have an Epic Day :)!!! IMAGINE, How big would You Dream, if You knew You couldn't fail???...Click Here for More Information. Refer a Friend - Click Here

Client Testimonials From the novice exerciser to the seasoned exerciser,  Kirk Huggins Rogers of Heroic Fitness has the passion, desire, and ability to help you transcend your goals and transform your workouts into an epic experience.  He is by far the best personal trainer I have ever utilized, and is truly a physique transformation specialist.  I whole-heartedly recommend the Heroic Fitness Experience! -Sofia Mohammed    Kirk, thank you so much for sharing your physical fitness knowledge, your patience, your gentle urgings (which kept me going, even when I didn’t think I could!), and for your constant and consistent belief in my abilities- I’m so grateful you pushed this 50 “ish” year old woman to keep trying!!  You’ve provided me with a terrific foundation – now, I just need to continue to DO it! -Debi Brause

Email: heroicbod1@heroicfitness.com
Phone: 704-575-1514
Web: www.heroicfitness.com

...thank you!!!

Yesterday, for my birthday, I got up at 4am, worked out from 5-6am with my trainer, Jeff Jimmo, and went to work, which started a typical day for me. A few of my clients asked me why was I working, or was I going to do anything special for my birthday. When I had a mid morning break, I sat back at my desk and pondered these questions for a few minutes. While at my desk, I heard a loud noise. I looked out of the window, and saw two men repelling down the side of the high-rise office building that I was in. They stopped repelling when they were level with the set of windows on my floor. Each of them had a large suction cup, tied to their waist, that they threw against the windows. The suction cup anchored them to the window, so the wind didn't blow them to far side to side. They were washing the building windows one window at a time. They had started at the top, and they were working their way down the building. It took them between 5-7 minutes to clean one window, depending on the wind gusts. At that moment, I realized two things. The first...I'm soooo grateful that their are people who love washing windows, and anyone that thinks these two men didn't love their job, didn't see them working. The second...I was working on my birthday because it's who I am and what I love being...a person who helps people help themselves. I'm so thankful and grateful that I get to be who I love to be and do what I love to do on my birthday! Thank you to everybody reading this for this...took off early to go out for a small birthday celebration with some friends!

My birthday celebration even turned into an opportunity for me to do what I love to do. The sports bar we ate at had some great tasting, not so great for you, food/beverages and a punching bag machine. My buddies coaxed me into hitting it a few times. While hitting the bag, the lovely young lady, in the video below, approached me. "Will you please teach me how to do it?", she said. "Of course"... was my reply...

enjoy the video...thank you for tuning in...have an Epic Day :)!!!

29 Simple Ways To Be Fit

Far too often fitness is presented as complicated and confusing.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Remember, to reach your ultimate destiny it's not what you do;  it's who you become!

Being fit comes from living the following simple everyday practices:

1. Throw out your big dinner plates. Using small plates at home effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
2. Make exercise a regular part of your life. Create a network of accountability with workout partners or by working with me, your local fitness expert.
3. Know what you want to accomplish. Visualize the end result of your hard work.  To get what you want, you must first know what you want.
4. Believe in You!  I know that You CAN Arrive at your Destination!  You must know it too!  
5. Don't be a wimp. Keep the intensity high during your workouts. Remember that you don't want to kill time; you want to burn calories and strengthen your body through intense exercise.
6. Drink water all day long.
7. Know when to ask for help.  
8. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your routine by doing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
9. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
10. Forget will-power; it's all about WHY-power!  Will-power has failed you before!  Ever said to yourself I will lose 5, 10, 15, or 20lbs.  A couple of days or weeks into the process, when the going got tough, what's the first question you asked yourself before you quit...WHY am I doing this???  Know your WHY, and Success will come!
11. Never eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount of it that you eat. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from leafy plants and whole grains.
13. It's OK to be a skeptic. Watch out for products that are labeled as ‘health food'. Always read the nutrition labels and make your own informed opinion.
14. Don't talk about it...BE about it!  Talk is cheap. Act now and get the job done.
15. Exercise with people that are in better shape than you. This will encourage you to push your limits.
16. Use positive self-talk!  Build yourself up!  What you constantly think about...you will become!
17. Don't drink calories.
18. Pay attention to and track everything that you eat.
19. Stay consistent. Exercise at least three or four times each week.  If you fall off the wagon, brush yourself off, and get back on!
20. Expect more from yourself than anyone else.
21. Never eat High Fructose Corn Syrup. It spikes your blood sugar levels and encourages your body to store fat.
22. Eat plenty of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, great for good health and weight loss.
23. Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to encourage more fat burn. Your stored sugars(glycogen levels) will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.
24. Breakfast should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.
25. If you know that you deserve better...then go get it.  Be Better!
26. Challenge yourself during each workout. Try something new and exciting.
27. Set specific, measurable goals and track your progress.
28. Even if it says whole grain, a cracker box is still a cracker box. Processed Carbohydrates are quickly stored as fat. Stick with natural goodies like fruits and vegetables!
29. Put an end to your struggle to get and stay fit. Call or email me today to get started on a proven fitness program that will change your life and transform your physique forever.

Print this list and place it somewhere that you'll see every day.  BE FIT!!!