YouTube Top 5 – Male Fitness Personalities

A little background… I get asked every day by males (14 to 40 years old) about reliable sources of fitness information on the internet. Most of the questions pertain to males on YouTube that discuss exercise, nutrition, and similar topics. Since there are so many channels, it’s extremely time-consuming to keep up with all of them and often, their opinions aren’t the same. This confuses a lot of beginners (and even intermediates) so this list will make your life easier. If you’re going to look to YouTube for some advice, subscribe to these.

Jan142015

How to Get Your Fitness Motivation Back

People who can identify in some way to the title know that going through this is tough. Being a normally active person or simply having a goal to becoming a health nut and not having that drive inside of you hurts. It almost wounds you, if you’re someone who is usually top-notch. Whether it’s due to lack of time, lack of energy, or just plain lack of motivation, it’s depressing to not have that hunger to work the body hard. Since I’m no longer training people full-time, I have found that my fitness motivation isn’t as high as it used to be. When I was training full-time, I was an example, and my clients were my motivation. I appreciated all the hard work they were doing and that, in turn, inspired me to keep fighting hard for my health. Now that I’m not training as much, my motivation dips to what I can do to “stay in shape” or “get by.” This is the worst because just getting by is average and I loathe average.

It’s not all bad news. There’s light behind those dark clouds. It is possible to get out of that slump and the key is within your own mind. I’ve thought about this a lot recently–how I want to beat average and become my truly fit self again. I’ve thought about what has motivated me in the past or what has really fired me up. Being fit is a very personal thing. Everything is in your head–your goals, your inspiration, your drive, and so forth. Motivation is not universal. I can tell you right now that Dani California Cooks does not get motivation to workout hard while listening to a video game soundtrack like I do (she’s nerdy in other ways). We are all different–and that’s what makes humans so interesting. However, there are some tips on how to tap into your inner drive and motivators and how to get your fitness motivation back.

Jan132015

2015 Fitness Test with Gold’s Gym

We’re nearly two weeks into 2015 and you may or may not be on the right track. Your diet isn’t as clean as you wanted. You still haven’t signed up for that new gym membership. You’re so busy getting back to work from the holidays that you barely have time to sleep. No worries, take this fitness test as a wake up call.

Your health can’t wait because a healthy lifestyle is the key to success at home, with family, in school, at work, or wherever you go. Increased energy levels, decreased stress levels, a more functional immune system… don’t those all sound nice. Throw some well-built shoulders and a defined midsection and you’d be feeling pretty well.

As a member of Gold’s Venice, a staff member shot this my way and I must say, I think it’s great. We’ll see what you think about it after you put yourself through these ten grueling minutes of all out exercise targeting every muscle in your body. WAIT… remember, this isn’t made to be a workout, it’s made to see what kind of shape you’re in and what you need to start doing more (or less) of in your life!

The test itself is simple and self-explanatory. It’s an awesome system but I can’t say the push ups, squats, bench step ups, pull ups, and crunches will be quite as much fun.

Click here to take the Gold’s Gym Fit Test

Post your thoughts, or results, in the comment section below. AND if you’re a real go-getter who wants to make the most of 2015, post a video of your test on YouTube and tag our YouTube channel, HungryandFit!

Jan052015

Our Last Week (ish) in Pics

I (Fit) have had the luck and the good fortune to have a workplace that lets us have two weeks off for the holidays! This allowed me much relaxation and re-boot time–plus, tons of time with my favorite animals. Have a wonderful week!

Lots of animal naps

Caught them cuddling!

Look at that tongue!!

A book I am SO excited to read

Lots of family time

Delicious meals with good friends

Shopped at Adidas and this made me smile

A Hungry and Fit Facebook giveaway!

Had fun baking and drinking champagne with good friends for New Years

Had fun baking cookies and drinking champagne with good friends for New Years

Enjoying a gourmet breakfast before we saw Into the Woods

Chris having too much fun at work

New Year’s Eve meal (Indian food)…with a hungry Noke nearby

Lots of home workouts

And gym workouts

Dec242014

Fit Over 40

As you can probably tell from previous posts and our Pinterest, we really love infographics. Not just any infographic, of course, but solid ones with good information and great visual content. Fitness and health are great subjects to put into infographics. It breaks down fitness techniques or health studies into relatable and understandable content that the reader can digest. We can totally get behind that. And they are just so fun to look at! We recently found Fit Over 40–an awesome infographic explaining what happens when you age and how you combat those aging effects.

I suggest–even if you’re not 40 or beyond–to take a gander at this infographic and article. We wouldn’t share things with you that didn’t have good grounding or that we didn’t think had good information. This one does and everyone can learn a thing or two from it. I really like the above picture, explaining what changes in our bone mass depending on what age we are. When we think of fitness, we often think of outside appearances. This is a huge “inside” health issue that can completely change your life. Pay attention to these types of things! It also talks about a range of different effects of aging like what happens to your hormones and more. Let us know what you think of the full infographic. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Dec222014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Hilarious freezings of kongs

Christmas shopping

Getting funny Christmas cards

Great soccer matches

Chris following his December goals and bringing home-cooked meals to every work day

Core workouts

Cute kitties

Cute puppies

A beautiful view

Dec192014

The Truth About Supplements

Every day we hear something new in the media about different supplements. This one can stop Alzheimer’s and this one can prevent you from getting fat! It’s hard to know what to trust or what to believe in. You become hesitant with everything OR you simply start trying everything. Recently, my coworker showed me this incredible infographic on supplements and correlating studies. I got really excited about it because I am a firm discourager of fads. Most often, many supplements (I’m talking health supplements so things like coconut oil and garlic extract are included here), are popular fads without real grounding. Take a look at the Interactive: Snake Oil Supplements (no it’s not about snake oil, it’s just the title).

Screenshot

So how does this infographic work? It’s hard to understand at first. If you’re starting from the top, you’re looking at supplements with the most studies behind them which make them “Strong.” And if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll find “Slight” or “None” meaning there are very few studies behind it. This provides a wonderful foundation for the infographic–it’s all based on research. In addition, to keep this infographic fresh, the bubbles are all tied to a google doc. So when more studies come in, the infographic gets immediately adjusted. Pretty freaking cool, I think!

There’s also the size of the bubble which–at first–could be misinterpreted. We usually think big is better, but not necessarily. You’ll notice garlic high at the top in the “Strong” field yet its bubble is smaller than, say, copper, which is at the lower end of the spectrum. The bubble simply represents the popularity of the supplement. So even though egg shell membrane is a tiny bubble, it is backed by many strong studies.

I love infographics. I love health and fitness. And I love when they come together to provide free information to the masses. What do you think of this infographic? Are you going to start taking garlic extract now? Don’t forget your probiotics or B3! It’s always fun to learn more about supplements and I believe this infographic is a great way of doing so. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS ANIMAL PIC

Nymeria keeping an eye on Noke

Dec182014

A Few Things You May Not Know About Us…

We got tagged by Dani California Cooks to do this fun post…you should go over and read her post about it, you are sure to laugh. We love these kinds of posts, so we were glad to jump on it! We loooove lists. You’re gonna get trouble from Hungry AND Fit!

Hungry

Worth the wait: A big bowl of ramen No patience for: Bad driving
Better than I expected: College graduation Worse than I expected: Moving again
Would Always: Finish everyone’s food at the table Would Never: Finish everyone’s dessert
Picky About: Eggplant Not So Much About: Milk or cheese
I feel for: People who think they have to stop eating to lose weight No sympathy: Bad fitness coaches
Glad it’s ahead of me: Being financially stable Glad it’s behind me: Undergraduate degree
Early for: Everything Late for: Places I don’t want to be or don’t have to be at
Would pay good money for: A nice romantic dinner Wouldn’t take even if free: Crappy processed food snacks
Fear conquered: Pennywise the Clown Not quite there yet: Stationary heights
Getting better at: Being an adult Getting worse at: Cooking and playing video games
Moment of triumph: Getting referred by clients Epic fail: Losing Valedictorian based on a technicality
Skills mastered: You never master anything Can’t quite get the hang of: Bowling, ever.
Risky when it comes to: Playing with animals Play it safe when it comes to: Dealing with strangers
Always up for: A trip to the movies Never up for: A trip to the club
Lie about: My career as a bouncer Honest about: That would spoil all the fun.
Too much in my life: Signing up for but not finishing the… Not enough of: Taking things one step at a time
True believer: Superpowers Major skeptic: Important people.

Fit

Worth the wait: Getting a new computer No patience for: Pigheadedness (harmful ignorance)
Better than I expected: Being engaged Worse than I expected: Wheatgrass shot
Would Always: Jump in the ocean Would Never: Do gross things for a dare or money
Picky About: Tea Not So Much About: Chocolate
I feel for: Helpless suffering No sympathy: Selfish greedy people
Glad it’s ahead of me: Paying for a wedding Glad it’s behind me: Roadtrip with 4 animals
Early for: Dessert Late for: Parties
Would pay good money for: Food Wouldn’t take even if free: Straight tequila or vodka
Fear conquered: Public speaking Not quite there yet: Spiders and squished-face cats
Getting better at: Science Getting worse at: Exercising
Moment of triumph: Becoming a Certified Personal Trainer with NASM Epic fail: Ability to touch my toes
Skills mastered: Not getting bothered on the street Can’t quite get the hang of: Not making a mess in the kitchen
Risky when it comes to: Food expiration dates Play it safe when it comes to: Letting Noke out to pee
Always up for: A good laugh Never up for: Horror movies
Lie about: How much crap I eat Honest about: What I believe in
Too much in my life: Stress and not slowing down Not enough of: Meditation and writing
True believer: The heart of humanity Major skeptic: Big corporations

These lists were a lot of fun to make. Now you make YOURS and post in the comments below! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Dec172014

Hungry Meets TRX

It might seem weird that after all these years in competitive sports and then the fitness industry, I haven’t really come across TRX before. None of my coaches, trainers, or sports medicine staff ever had me use it for my sports performance and I never felt the need to take a class or take a course to be an instructor. Well, that changed when we moved to LA and I found myself working at a new fitness facility where all three of the personal training staff were also TRX instructors. After some pressure was applied by my boss, I said… what the heck, why not?

In TRX, you don’t get certified; instead, you obtain qualifications for every course you take. With one TRX qualification, you are considered an Equipped TRX Instructor. (That’s me.) With three or more, you are Advanced and so forth. The system is based on the number of qualifications you have and the points that each is worth (Level 1s are worth 8000, Level 2s are worth 16000). The tiers also are color coded, like belts in Martial Arts.

All of this information is on the TRX database on their website, www.trxtraining.com. It’s a great system and free as a resource. If you want to pay a little bit every month, you can be a member of TRX Core, which gives you access to every TRX resource online, including a library of workouts, live chats with Master level trainers and Gurus, etc.

Fitness training courses

As for the qualifications, I took the Group Suspension Training Course, an introductory course to teach group exercise classes. Now, I’m signed up for their RIP trainer course and their level 2 TRX TEAM. It’s something different and it’s effective. It’s more challenging than elite athletes think and less challenging than health-seekers feel it might be. They find the straps intimidating but it can be scaled to hit any fitness level.

I would recommend beginners and people recovering from injuries do a few TRX personal training sessions before jumping into a group class, but since you’re on your own straps, you can go on your own pace. If your instructor is pushy and tries to make you go at the class pace when you shouldn’t, get a new instructor. Once you grasp the fundamentals and trust the straps, it’s fun. And while you should still be doing strength training to get stronger or practicing your sport to increase your skill, this is a great addition to any exercise regiment. It keeps you humble, builds balance, increases stability, and eventually mobility.

It has a lot of benefits, just be mindful of your knees and shoulders. Make sure you warm up properly, even before your instructor starts class. And make sure you change your grips so that you aren’t constantly squeezing the handles like you’re going to fall off a cliff. You don’t want to stress those forearm muscles.

Image source

Stay in touch, I’ll keep you updated as I teach more classes and get a few more qualifications under my belt. Still, feel free to ask any questions about TRX and I’ll let you know if you should give it a shot! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Little wet face

Dec122014

Grounding Yoga Poses

Recently, I’ve been trying to get more into Yoga. My body feels stiff and I can’t even touch my toes anymore. I knew it was time to get back into the practice that has given me so many benefits in the past. So, with GaiamTV, I’ve been getting back into it. I try to practice at least once a week. I can feel the monumental difference when I do it. Not just body-wise (though my hips are so very happy), but mentally as well. Yoga and meditation are wonderful tools for getting through life and learning to roll with the punches. It’s good to just breathe. After stressful work days or crazy weekends, I find it incredibly helpful and soothing to practice grounding yoga poses. These are yoga poses that will help ground you into the earth and away from your stress and chaotic energy. Though the entire list would take many posts to explain, I chose three that I find fundamentally grounding.

1. Pigeon pose. This is an incredible hip opener. It’s a very slow pose and it should be taken gentle, though it may feel intense. Start on all fours. Bend one knee and drape the leg in front of your body and stretch the other leg behind you. Slowly move down towards the mat, eventually resting your forehead on the mat when you can. Remember to take this slow and gently, as it can be very intense in your hips. Angle your leg as needed to compensate for flexibility or sore areas. Hold for as long as comfortable and switch sides.

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2. Dragon pose. This one is newer to me, but as soon as I started practicing it, I fell in love with it. It is such a wonderful opener for the hips, legs, glutes, and more. It’s like the body drinks up the benefits its reaping from this pose. For this one, start in a lunge position with one leg next to your hands on the mat, and the other leg back, knee down. If you’re able, go down to your forearms. If that’s too much for now, stay on your hands. Hold for as long as comfortable and switch sides.

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3. Reclining hero pose. This one is a wonderful stretch deep in your quads. Everyone will be at a different level here. Start by kneeling. If this is hard on your knees, try putting a blanket under them, or it simply may not be right for you. Drape your arms behind you and slowly start laying backwards, with your knees folded below you. Go as low as you’d like, whether that’s a few inches or all the way to the floor. Stay as long as is comfortable. This is another slow, gentle pose.

Image source

Those are some of our favorite grounding yoga poses. Do this when you feel the need for grounding and calm. Remember to breathe deeply through each of these poses. Don’t rush them, take your time. Try to feel every part of your body as you ease into these poses. Treat your body and let it flourish! Remember to be sensitive to any ailments your body may be under at the time–sore knees, hips, and so forth. You never want to hurt yourself by pushing too far or doing something poorly for your body. Use these poses to help ground yourself and give your hips what they deserve! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC