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Who Inspires You?

We are all here for a reason. When I mean “here,” I mean on this path and journey to achieve good health and fitness. No matter what your goals are, you are here for a reason. I’m here to give you a short post today, and ask you WHO inspires YOU to keep going on this journey. We all have someone in mind when we strive for health or look for motivation, even if we don’t know it. Someone special to us, someone we care for, someone who depends on us–it could be ANYONE! We all need motivation each and every day, and what easier place to pull it from than someone who means so much to us? 

Went to WaterWorld and had a blast

People who inspire us…

Abusing people

and more selfies

Family timez

Fit's parents...miss them already

Maybe we will do that extra rep or that extra minute or that extra mile because that person is in mind. Because you want to be healthy enough to see them get married. Because you want to look good for them and see their face light up. Because, maybe, while they inspire you, you want to inspire them. Not all of us have a person in mind when we workout, but if you dig deep, you may find it there. It could even be you. 

So as you go through your motions today, think about who you inspires you to push past that level of comfort and keep going through and beyond your routine each and every day. It’s important to draw motivation from wherever we can. This method can bring motivation that comes from a deeper place, a deeper meaning that will inspire us for days to come. When you step into the gym, into your run, or whatever you do, think about WHO inspires YOU. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Who inspires you?
 
BONUS KITTY PIC
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Shortcuts Are for LOSERS

(Note: Apologies, loyal readers, for our absence yesterday. It was supposed to be a food post day and we failed to provide so here’s an extra special and meaningful article brought to you by Hungry, King of Rants… and Motivation.)

Have you ever seen all of those get ripped quick programs? Lose 10 lbs in 10 days? Drink this magic juice that arms your blood cells with swords and shields to destroy all of your fat cells while you sit on the couch? How about machines that burn more calories in 10 minutes than an hour in the gym? You know, the ones that you stand on and they just vibrate!

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Well, I’m not here to discredit or review any of those products. Those posts are due to come at a later time. I am here for something far more important, a lesson that someone like myself has learned personally and seen others learn over time. I am here to tell you that you don’t actually care about your results in your fitness journey.

Does that sound crazy or what? Of course you care! You’ve wanted that six-pack for ten years. You’ve wanted to fit in those size 4 jeans ever since you graduated high school. Your trainer or coach told you to set a goal, so you set a goal. And now that you’ve reached the goal, how do you feel? Great, of course!

But something is missing. It’s missing because all you’re doing is looking at your new body in the mirror and telling that body you love it! Still, you know that there’s a bigger player in this game. Emerson said “life is a journey, not a destination.” You’ve probably heard some version of that phrase, right?

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Now relate it to that body in the mirror. What does having the six-pack really mean to you now that you have it? It shouldn’t be the most important thing in the room. That six-pack can come and go in a matter of months, even weeks. Slip from your training regiment and start eating poorly and it’s nothing more than a photo of what used to be, but there’s something you never lose.

You NEVER lose that journey. (Unless you actually lose your memory) You NEVER forget what you went through to get to that point. You don’t forget the sweat. There might have even been some blood and tears… some scars to remind you. And once you’ve been through that journey, it’s not so bad to go back. You’re a seasoned veteran. You know your limits and you want to crush them!

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So please, before you sign up for any get ripped quick programs or try to take any shortcuts, think about what really matters. Think about what really lasts. Think about YOU! Oh, and stay HUNGRY AND FIT!

BONUS KITTY PIC

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Home Upper Body Workout (HIIT!)

You’re not always going to have a gym to go to. In fact, you may not even be subscribed to a gym right now! It’s important to have your own personal arsenal of home workouts and exercises. This is a great workout for everybody and anybody! Some people (women especially) choose to ignore strengthening their upper body. And why? We should keep our whole body strong! For this workout, all you need is a pair of light weights and a resistance band. Let’s do it. 

  • Boxing (with 5lb weights) for 1 min
Jamie, the star of our last guest blog post!

Jamie, the star of our last guest blog post!

  • Biceps Curls (with whichever weight you can do) for 1 min
  • Triceps Extensions (with whichever weight you can do) for 1 min
  • Boxing for 1 min
  • Rear Delt Flyes for 1 min
  • Shoulder Press (with whatever weight you can do) for 1 min
  • Boxing for 1 min
  • Push-ups for 1 min

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  • Dips for 1 min
  • Boxing for 1 min
  • Face pulls for 1 min
  • Reverse Curls (with whatever weight you can do) for 1 min

Now take a break for crying out loud! Our next and final “set” is going to be faster pace, shorter time, and increased intensity. Try going with some heavier weights than before since you will be doing it for half the time.

  • Boxing (same 5lb weight) for 30s
  • Biceps Curls for 30s
  • Jumping Jacks for 1 min
  • Triceps Extensions for 30s
  • Boxing for 30s
  • Rear delt flyes for 30s

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  • High knees for 1 min
  • Shoulder Press for 30s
  • Boxing for 30s
  • Push-ups for 30s
  • Quick toes for 1 min
  • Dips for 30s

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  • Boxing for 30s
  • Face Pulls for 30s
  • Jump Rope for 1min
  • Reverse Curls for 30s

And that, my friends, is a great upper body workout for your muscles and your heart! Jamie and I were sweating and aching by the end of it. This particular upper body workout took us around 40 minutes in total, but you can trim things down or buff them up how you’d like. Make sure you have a reliable timer nearby to count each segment. Try to push yourself through each part even though your muscles are screaming at you. Fight til the end! Do this upper body home workout to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Silly Sajah

Silly Sajah

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Shoulder Defining Exercises

Happy Friday! Or should I say…Happy Fitness Friday! Today, we will focus on one of Hungry and I’s favorite muscle groups: the shoulder group. People just think of the “top” of their shoulders when they think shoulder group, but there’s so much more to it. We are just going to offer four exercises for you to squeeze into your day. These should all preferably be done in the gym, but you can modify them to fit a home workout. 

1. Shoulder press. Let’s start with a standard exercise…the shoulder press. This is what builds the “tops” or deltoids of your shoulders, as well as some other parts. Start from a right angle level with your shoulder line and simply press up until your arms are extended. Then return back to start. Try doing it seated as it prevents you from using other muscle groups to help your shoulders. You can use dumbbells, EZ bars, barbells, etc. Try for 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps. 

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2. Shrugs. This is something you do often, but without weights, in normal day-to-day life. You can do this using dumbbells, a barbell, a hex bar, and other weighted things. Stand tall straight up with weight in your hands and shrug your shoulders up to your ears and squeeze it there, then release. Shoot for 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps. It should be considerably heavy weight. This works on your trapezius or “traps.”

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3. Face pulls. For this, you will need a cable machine or resistance bands. On a cable machine, grab the horse rope (see picture below), stand a good distance away and pull the rope directly towards your face. Using resistance band/tube, you will need to hook it around something so that you can grab both sides of the band and pull towards your face. This works your rear deltoids (what makes your “upper” back look nice!). 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps. 

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4. Plate-loaded shoulder press. Just to get those sexy deltoids once more…let’s move to plate-loaded where we can really push ourselves in a set position. This can only be done at a gym on a literal machine. However, if you are planning for this to be a home workout, just do a different type of shoulder press (with a barbell, or maybe an Arnold Press instead). I like this machine/apparatus because it sits you in a set position to appropriately move the weight you want. 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 

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There you have just four shoulder-defining exercises that can improve your shoulder muscles and shape today! Try them out today or this weekend. The sets and reps are just suggested numbers, you can do as much or as little as you’d like. Let me know how these work for you or if you have any questions about how to properly execute these. Happy Fitness Friday! And as always…stay hungry and fit! 

*Question of the Day: What is your favorite shoulder exercise?

BONUS PUPPY PIC

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