13 Tips For Your Best Body
October 24, 2023 by RobZ
You know that diet and exercise are important when it comes to creating your best body, but you may be overlooking other techniques for getting into the best shape.
Turn the following 13 simple tips into habits and watch as your body transforms.
1) Eat a Smart Breakfast.
Most people load up on carbohydrates and simple sugars for breakfast. Cereal, pastries, smoothies and juice are all poor choices when it comes to starting your day off right. Center your breakfast around protein and healthy fat, and you’ll have energy for hours. Try a protein shake, eggs, lean breakfast meat, or a handful of nuts.
2) Get More Sleep.
If you’re not getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night then you could use more sleep. This is especially true if you’ve reached a plateau with weight loss. Give your body the 8 hours of sleep each night and make weight loss easier.
3) Just Do It.
If you’re really ready to achieve your best body ever, then dig down deep and commit. As Woody Allen famously said, “80% of success is showing up.” This is absolutely true when it comes to fitness. Show up to your workout. Even if you’re tired. Even if you’d rather be doing something else. Just do it.
4) Plan Ahead.
Take one day each week to plan your healthy meals for the following week. You don’t have to do all the shopping and cooking on that day, simply jot down what you plan to eat. This small act of planning ahead will keep you on track with healthy meals even when the week gets crazy busy.
5) Cut Out Gluten.
Many people don’t realize that they have a certain level of sensitivity to gluten, which causes intestinal inflammation and bloating. Also, gluten-filled foods are typically high in carbohydrates, which contribute to weight gain. When you cut gluten-filled items from your diet don’t fall into the trap of simply replacing those items with other high-carb items. Choose non-packaged, whole foods instead.
6) Believe In Yourself.
Do you believe that you have what it takes to transform your body? If you want to succeed in weight loss then you have to believe that it’s possible. Give yourself a pep talk and dig down deep for the courage and discipline to apply these healthy changes to your life.
7) Eat Less Dairy.
Dairy products like cheese or cream add extra fat and calories to your meals. Pass on the dairy and you’ll eliminate unnecessary calories, making weight loss quicker.
8) Sleep and Wake at the Same Time.
This tip sounds so simple, and yet it’s a powerful way to increase your daily energy. Get your body on a schedule and watch how much more productive and energetic you become.
9) Include Veggies at Every Meal.
Most people aren’t too crazy about vegetables, and probably eat less than they should. Make it a point to include a vegetable with each of your meals – even breakfast. The increase in fiber and other nutrients will give your body that extra boost that you’re looking for.
10) Ditch Packaged Food.
Throw out those packaged foods! This is one of the easiest things you can do to achieve quicker weight loss results. Packaged foods contain chemicals and additives that will slow your fitness results.
11) Drink More Water.
Being hydrated is key when it comes to creating your best body. Drink water throughout your day and limit caffeinated beverages to once daily.
12) Forget Artificial Sweeteners.
Sure, these sweeteners don’t contain calories, but they are known to increase your appetite and cravings for carbohydrates. In the quest for your best body, put down the diet soda and reach instead for some water.
13) Exercise With a Pro.
Are you exercising as efficiently as possible? Do you challenge your muscles enough during each workout? Are you keeping the routine new and fresh? These are all factors that will be taken care of for you when you work with a trained fitness professional. Working with a pro ensures that you make the most of your exercise time.
So there you have it, 13 tips that will take your results up a notch.
If you haven’t joined one of my programs yet, now is a great time to start. Together we will get you focused on your goals with my results-driven method.
Call me at (813) 571-3700 or email Rob@RobZFitness.com today to set up your first workout.
Michelle Castillo – New Testimonial
September 6, 2023 by RobZ
Lost 125 lbs, Body Fat 38.5% to 22.9%, Pant Size 24-14
Coming from a Hispanic and Arabic culture we are always surrounded by family and food, making it hard to keep a diet. Over the years I started depending on food more whenever I was stressed, and overeating caused me to be depressed due to gaining a significant amount of weight. I was always unhappy with my figure but felt I could never find the motivation to change my lifestyle. I would always say “I’ll start on Monday” and then Monday would come around and I would postpone my diet. I made excuses for everything and would put others needs before me and my health. Took me 14 years to realize that the gained weight was not only affecting my social life, my family, my work but most importantly my health. My wake up call came when I was invited to a water park and spent the whole day getting weighed for the slide only to be denied by my size. I’ve always been the “big girl” and I accepted it, but that day I decided to change my lifestyle for the better.
It definitely wasn’t easy but I started my journey at 330 pounds going for walks and doing workouts at home because I was too scared to go to the gym. I lost around 40 pounds on my own and due to my medical issues I had weight loss surgery. It was the hardest recovery I had ever gone through but I kept pushing myself to stay consistent, focus on myself and my journey.
In total, I lost 57 pounds before I started working out at RobZFitness. Taylor who was my main trainer was wonderful. Since working out at RobZFitness I have lost another 67.5 pounds. Taylor helped me gain confidence in the gym, pushed me to keep working hard and show up for myself. As the weeks flew by I kept loosing weight and gained muscle.
Overall, I’ve lost a total of 125 pounds. At RobZFitness I went from 273 pounds to 205.5 and my body fat dropped from 38.5% to 22.9%. I went from a 4XL to a large in shirts, and a size 24 to 14 in pants.
Choosing to further my weight loss journey at RobZFitness has been the best decision and I would recommend them to anyone starting out trying to lose weight.
Michelle Castillo
21 Rewards of Exercise
September 6, 2023 by RobZ
Don’t skim over this…because I’m writing just to you today. Sure, I may not know your name or where you live, but I understand the frustrations that you have when it comes to your body. I know all about your insecurities over the size of your thighs and how hopeless that can feel. And today I’m here to motivate you to take action.
The answer to your body frustrations is to get up off the couch and into the gym, day after day. So here’s my pep talk in bullet form—21 rewards .
Do yourself a favor and print this list and post it where you’ll see it every day. When you need motivation or encouragement, simply read over this list and take action. Remember that action alleviates anxiety. So whenever you’re feeling anxious over the current shape of your body, take that as a reminder to jump into action.
And then begin to reap these 21 rewards of exercise:
1. You’ll reset your body: Exercise has been described as a giant reset button. A good workout will block appetite swings, improve your mood and even help you sleep.
2. Your clothes will fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, causing your clothes to not only fit better but to also look nicer. Also exercise ensures that soon you’ll be trading your clothes in for smaller sizes.
3. You’ll be less stressed: You have enough stress in your life—it’s time for a break. A good workout invigorates your muscles, leaving you relaxed and less stressed.
4. You’ll have more energy: WebMD tallied research studies and concluded that 90% of them prove exercise increases energy levels in sedentary patients. Next time you feel fatigued, fight it will the most powerful tool available: exercise.
5. You’ll be stronger: Exercise improves muscle strength and endurance, two things that you use throughout each day. When you exercise consistently you’ll be pleasantly surprised when difficult tasks begin to seem easy.
[Read more]The Skinny on Burning Body Fat
July 6, 2023 by RobZ
Pop quiz:Which would you say is more effective at reducing body fat- aerobic exercise or resistance training?
If you chose aerobic exercise you would be among the 99% of the population who would fail this quiz. Let’s break down the misconception. Because aerobic exercise promotes cardiovascular health, it is a very important part of your personal fitness program; but in terms of burning fat, it lags behind progressive weight training.
At the center of this false belief is the notion that resistance weight training is an anaerobic exercise, which burns fuel sources other than fat. This statement simply isn’t true. While aerobic exercise does burn more fat than resistance training during the workout, studies show that resistance exercise raises the metabolic rate for a longer period of time after the workout is finished. Maintaining the higher metabolism for a longer period of time allows resistance training to burn more total calories than an aerobic workout. In other words, a higher intensity/shorter duration exercise will burn more calories than will a lower intensity/longer duration workout.
So how does resistance training keep your metabolism at a higher level for longer? Simply by increasing your body’s muscle mass. There is a direct relationship between muscle mass and metabolic rate. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn, even at rest. This is why men will lose body fat at a faster rate than females. The key here is muscle mass is intimately tied to burning fat. Fat on the other hand is inactive and basically just sits there, taking up more space than muscle per ounce, diminishing the functional ability of the body and inhibiting the heart to perform it’s duties proficiently. Building muscle will help to lose fat permanently while at the same time, shaping and toning your body helping you become a better you.
Americans always think that “more training is better” when actually “smarter training is better”. Take a look at a long distance runner: do you see a lean impressive muscle tone with fullness? No, what you really see is a stick figure that is physically very weak. A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reported in a 12-week study that aerobic exercises such as the treadmill, elliptical, and bike, showed to have a negative life-long effect by reducing muscle mass, which as I said before is the key to burning body fat. On the other hand, the same study showed focusing primarily on resistance training for 12 weeks led to approximately an 8% increase in resting metabolic rate in both men and women from the age of 56 to 80 years old. Not to mention the strength and lean muscle mass that was gained and the reduction of body fat obtained during that 12-week period. To sum things up, by combining both aerobic exercise with progressive weight training, you will maximize your results while avoiding the loss of muscle mass associated with prolonged “aerobic-only” focused exercising.
Bob Hendryx
November 18, 2022 by RobZ
56-year-old lost 105 pounds through diet and exercise.
HEIGHT: 6-foot-3
STARTING WEIGHT: 313 on October 12
CURRENT WEIGHT: 208
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WHY I DID IT: After a routine blood test in October, my doctor informed me that I was five points away from being diabetic. “Of course, you know that is weight related,” he said. Just two weeks earlier, I saw a good friend who is 75, still works out several times a week and is in great shape. I hadn’t seen him in a year, and he was stunned by the amount of weight I had added. He encouraged me to get fit.
I had wanted to lose weight for some time but couldn’t find the motivation to get started. I called my wife and told her the news, and she suggested I go to RobZFitness and work with a personal trainer. I called right then and scheduled an appointment. I knew I needed professional help.
I met with Rob Zulkoski that afternoon, and we got started the following week. I don’t think I could do more than one or two pushups. I felt nauseated by the end of the first workout.
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[Read more]
