Rarely when we’re cramming down the junk food we crave do we think about how much energy is needed to burn off the food we hate to love.

Wonder what that would equate to on the treadmill?  Below is how long it would take you walking at a brisk pace burning an average of 100 calories every 15 minutes courtesy of Daily Fitness Tip

• One Oreo cookie – 40 calories, 6 minutes on the treadmill.
• Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey Crunchy granola bar – 94 calories, 14.3 minutes on the treadmill.
• Little Debbie Nutty Bar, one package – 310 calories, 46.5 minutes on the treadmill.
• McDouble from McDonald’s restaurant – 400 calories, 60 minutes on the treadmill.
• General Tso’s chicken, one serving – 844 calories, 126.6 minutes on the treadmill.
• 2 Slices Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Pizza, pan style crust – 960 calories, 144 minutes on the treadmill.
• Large sized Burger King Double Whopper Value Meal – 1,780 calories, 267 minutes on the treadmill.

The post You Versus Junk Food : How long it Takes to Burn Off Those Guilty Pleasures appeared first on FitPhreak.

1. People don’t have tails that wag

On days you’re dragging, Sparky can remind you that running should be joyful. His relaxed stride and frisky vigor are contagious. Dogs even look like they’re smiling.

2. It’s better than bonding over a bowl of kibble

You like to run. And dogs are natural runners. You might be surprised how much you get out of sharing this common interest. It’s even better if you both take a nap afterward.

3. They don’t worry about negative splits

Human partners can get caught up in how many calories they’ve burned and their GPS stats, but a dog will remind you that the best workouts are the ones where you run free.

4. They won’t accept your excuses

When that tail starts wagging, it’s hard to say no. One University of Missouri study showed that people who exercised with a dog were more likely to stick with it than those who go it alone or with a human partner.

5. A tired dog is a good dog

Get Fido sufficiently tired, and when you get home, he’s more apt to snooze at your feet than terrorize the postman—or chew up your new Nikes.

Article originally from www.runnersworld.com Visit them for more information on running with your furry friend.

The post Five Reasons to Run With Your Furry Friend appeared first on FitPhreak.

As temperatures start to tumble, and the days get shorter, finding motivation for a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge.

Snow and ice make outdoor exercise staples like running and cycling much more complicated. Chilly temperatures also call for warm comfort food instead of salads and smoothies.

But that shouldn’t mean your fitness goals go into hibernation with the bears. Here are 10 tips we suggest for staying fit through fall and winter.

Generate Body Heat

It’s 6 a.m. The skies are dark, and you’re cuddled beneath a mound of blankets.

The thought of getting up for a workout can be less than appealing. But once you’re started, it’s a different story. Give yourself 10 minutes to work up a sweat – along with the permission to stop if you’re just not feeling it. Chances are, once your blood is flowing and your muscles are warmed up, you’ll want to finish out the session.
Explore Creative Workouts

Several trendy workouts actually incorporate warm environments into their program. Warm restorative yoga is performed in a room between 80 and 90 degrees. Many gyms also offer water aerobics in heated indoor pools.

Embrace Seasonal Hobbies

We hear it all too often: “Working out just isn’t fun!” The cooler seasons are rich with opportunities to mix physical activity with enjoyable recreation. Grab your family, friends or caregiver, and looking into options such as ice skating, sledding or snowshoeing – and don’t forget about a classic snowball fight!
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

If you do expose your skin to the cool conditions, be sure to replenish lost moisture once you step back inside. Lightweight, fragrance-free lotions (or coconut oil, if you’d prefer a natural option) should be a staple in your skincare routine.

Make Friends with Wicking Fabrics

Summer’s cotton tanks have no place in your winter wardrobe; the same goes for your workout apparel. Loose, lightweight gym essentials should be replaced by wool and thicker synthetics; be sure to look for a wicking fabric, which draws moisture from the skin, to keep from chafing.

Stay Visible

Many exercisers love evening walks, especially once the holiday decorations go up around the neighborhood! If you choose to head out after sundown, bright colors and reflective wristbands are a great way to stay visible on those early winter nights.

Eliminate Excuses

Excuses are especially abundant during fall and winter: “It’s dark out by the time I’m done with work and I have family responsibilities!”, “The roads are covered in snow, and I’m afraid of slipping!”, and “It’s so cold out, I’ll catch a draft!”

Instead of letting these challenges derail your fitness plan, look for creative ways to work around them. Too dark to hit the trails in the evening? Set the alarm an hour earlier in the mornings. Icy concrete is too slick to walk on? Look for a local high school track with public access hours. There’s a solution for every roadblock, if you commit to conquering excuses.

Stock Home-Fitness Essentials

Sometimes it just isn’t practical – or safe – to drive to the gym in snowstorms or similar conditions. For days like these, keep a few essentials in a spare bedroom or basement. You don’t have to splurge on a $1,000 treadmill; a jump rope, yoga mat and pair of hand weights is more than enough to piece together a half hour home workout routine.

Turn Holiday Treats into Pre-Workout Fuel

Tasty holiday temptations don’t have to undo your healthy eating efforts. Take the flavors you love, and turn them into a pre-workout snack. If you tend to splurge on eggnog, make a pre-workout smoothie with Silk brand eggnog-flavored soy milk. If you love candy canes, crumble a peppermint into a bowl of granola and sprinkle over yogurt. A small hint of the flavors you love can make a boring meal into a much more appealing one!

Set Your Sights on a Spring Fitness Goal

Sooner than you know, the frost will have thawed and the holidays will be over. Set your sights on a spring event – such as a one-mile fun run or 5K walk – and build up to it one workout at a time.

A clear goal and timeline will motivate you to make the most of your fall and winter.

Check out the full article from Asbestos.com

The post Don’t Let Fall Weather Ruin Your WOD appeared first on FitPhreak.

The world is full of new ways to change up the basics of workout routines. Take running for example. You start off as an average runner at best with your new running shoes and shiny new gadgets. From there you start buying better shoes and making sure you mark your success with the newest running app and heart monitor. With time and consistency you notice your success.

Why would you ever think about adding beer to the equation? Earlier this year two-time NCAA National Champion in the 5-K did just that. This combination is best known as the beer mile. See how he blows the record out of the books!

Want to see the YouTube video?

With the upcoming inaugural world championships, this sudsy race has officially become a thing.

It is April 27th, and James Nielsen assumes his starting position on the track at the College of Marin in Northern California. His wife, Mimi, is filming him with a Flip video camera. She raises her iPhone to the camera, and focuses on the phone’s timer. “On your mark, get set…” On “Go!” she starts the timer, and Nielsen springs into action. He cracks open a room-temperature Budweiser–because warm beer retains less carbonation than cold–tilts his head back 45 degrees–an angle he knows through studying fluid dynamics will best usher the brew down his gullet–and seals his lips onto the can. It takes him five seconds to drain the can, three seconds faster than if its contents had been simply poured onto the ground. Then–this is very important–Nielsen starts running and tosses the can in the trash.

James Nielson
Photo: youtube.com

The two-time NCAA National Champion in the 5-K runs his first lap very fast. He’s dedicated the past year to training and can now run a mile on an empty stomach in 4:10. With a belly full of beer, he figures he can run 4:20, maybe 4:25.

In the first 400 meters, he feels the triple whammy of carbonation, sloshing liquid, and a furious pace. As he reaches the wooden tray holding the remaining three cans, Mimi yells his split: 70 seconds! He grabs beer number two, jogs forward in the 10-meter drink/run transition zone, and sucks down the liquid in one big inhale. He turns the can upside down over his head to prove it’s empty, then tosses it. He completes lap two in 76 seconds. By now, his abdomen is screaming with a double-sided cramp. He downs another beer–crack, tip, chug–before lap three, which he clocks in 79 seconds, and another before his fourth. On this last lap, Nielsen is schlepping a quart and a half of liquid and a cloud of carbonation in his stomach, an “absolutely terrible” sensation that would derail most humans, but Nielsen has also dedicated the past year to stomach-expansion practice. For tips, he tapped pros like Joey Chestnut, who’s ranked first in the world in competitive eating, having eaten 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Nielsen has done things like drink a gallon of milk before running hard around the block and speed-eat a watermelon in one sitting.

After 72 seconds, Nielsen crosses the finish line and Mimi calls out his time: 4:57! In disbelief, she holds the timer before the camera. Her husband has just become the first runner in the world to break the five-minute beer mile. (The previous record was 5:02, set by an Australian named Josh Harris in 2012.)

The breathless runner crumples, hands on his thighs, breathing heavily. Does he want to say anything? Shaking his head, Nielsen says, “That is really painful.”

The next day, Nielsen posts the video on YouTube, and within days it gets more than a million views and a steady stream of online comments: “This guy can chug beers like an animal.” And: “Great job, Beast!!” Nielsen ran and drank with such ease.

Check out more details on beer mile at runnersworld.com or www.beermile.com

The post A New Record Set In The World Of Beer Mile Runners appeared first on FitPhreak.

Just because the expense-account lunch is largely a thing of the past doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy the meal, even celebrate it. Instead of depending on the kindness of menus, use a little homespun imagination.

Thinking outside the lunch box is probably the best way of getting anything good inside it.

In the comfort of your own kitchen, you can compose a lunch that’s tasty, well-constructed, a bit off the beaten PB&J track — and, most important, portable. Imagine that you’re packing a picnic.

Lunch is more fun if you think pragmatically. You don’t have to have seen Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life” to know not to pack items that might pose a health risk. Avoid fragile things like delicate cookies and, yes, potato chips. Don’t dress salads in advance — carry a container of dressing separately — and don’t pre-cut fruits or vegetables that will brown or dry out — pack them whole and include a paring knife.

Even if you use a Thermos, don’t include items that need to be served very hot or very cold. And think about how the components of the meal work together over time: Very few dishes taste better when they’re soggy.

One that does is a pan bagnat, a pressed baguette sandwich that actually gets better the longer it sits. Take a tip from bakers and South American street vendors and make a batch of empanadas, a tasty one-dish meal enclosed within whole-wheat pastry. Or use a Thermos and have hot soup for lunch.

For dessert, pack a piece of ripe fruit or a handful of grapes; add a bar of 70% chocolate or some biscotti. And to drink, instead of grabbing soda from a vending machine, decant some fizzy water into a reusable bottle and add a few slices of lime, blend a quick smoothie or even pack a small bottle of wine (when appropriate). A carton of milk, anyone?

A few tips to think about: Pack smart so that the contents of your lunch don’t get squashed or leak. Use recyclable containers, or better, containers that you take home and reuse. Pick food that can withstand a few hours without refrigeration (or include an ice pack). And remember that aesthetics count: Both school kids and adults are more likely to eat and enjoy their lunch when it looks appealing, so packaging things well is worth a little extra time.

Finding a cool-looking lunchbox is worth it too. Score a retro lunchbox at a vintage shop, find an outdoorsy pack at a store like REI or L.L. Bean (they’re often insulated and double as great camping gear), or surf the Web for something fun on EBay or www.lunchboxes.com. Although paper bags have an old-fashioned panache, they tend to tear easily and can break under the weight of heavy contents.

Here are some ideas for what to pack for lunch (sorry, no bologna or PB&J):

For the rest of the story and 40 lunch ideas click here

The post What’s in Your Lunch Box? appeared first on FitPhreak.

According to professional surfer Sam Hammer, whether one is cruising in an inner bay or blasting through waves, it’s the wobbly board surface, inherently unstable nature of water, and the occasional extra challenge of gusting wind that adds to the difficulty of balancing on a SUP board. This offers a complete full body workout that activates the core as you have to depend on these muscles all the time to stabilize yourself and secure yourself into the deck of the board.

It’s almost as if your core and abdominal muscles are “gripping” the board. In turn, you work on conditioning your back, arms, legs and even your toes and feet while paddling. A good half hour on a paddle board will make your quads and calves sore for sure. Once you get acquainted to SUPing, it’s like any other rigorous exercise – an excellent cardiovascular activity – however it is also uplifting and relaxing in a way few other sports can match.

Core Training Makes Paddle Boarding A Good Workout

The core of your body includes the stomach, lower back and upper thigh region. In other words it is your mid-section that essentially bridges the gap between your upper and lower body while providing foundational strength for the whole body. Unbalanced surfaces are highly effective for training or building up core muscles and so any sport that is dynamic and calls for a lot of stabilization automatically becomes an excellent core training activity. The core muscles are what stabilize you and help grip the deck of the paddle board through your feet. Because that large and complex muscle group is being engaged the entire time one is on the board, paddle boarding gives immense core training benefits.

While traditional resistance training will target each muscle group separately, when you paddle board all the core muscles come into play working together just to keep you standing and dry on your board. As you balance yourself, you are actually moving around your body weight shuffling it between your feet and at the same time using the paddle to exert balancing/propelling force on the uneven water surface. Additionally, to propel and drive the SUP forward, you have to rely on a controlled and coordinated rhythm of paddle strokes.

Quality stroke mechanics involve torso rotation and a unique forward “scooping” motion that engages the core muscles further. This entire process of just propelling the paddle board forward without falling into the water is what strengthens the cores continuously. As we have noted, even standing on the board without momentum is engaging your core, but this is taken to the next level when we begin to propel the board forward.

Stand up Paddling is probably the only sport that appears difficult at first and yet manages to quickly develop amazing and rewarding abilities in beginners in under 10 minutes. Be it children or adults, everyone finds SUPing tricky to start with but will quickly learn to co-ordinate and utilize core muscles to have fun in the water while staying dry and feeling in complete control over the board.

Is Paddle Boarding A Good Workout?

Stand up Paddle boarding is a cultural and athletic phenomenon that kick started in Hawaii but today has exploded into mainstream consciousness as a result of its popularity as a fitness tool with a huge range of celebrities. Is paddle boarding a good workout? To begin answering that question we need to look no further than Jennifer Aniston, Rihanna, and Owen Wilson, as well as numerous other Hollywood celebrities, all of whom need to stay tan, fit, and healthy and use paddle boards regularly for this purpose. These celebrities and a number of others have all acknowledged SUPing’s immense fitness potential.

Fit from paddle boarding

According to professional surfer Sam Hammer, whether one is cruising in an inner bay or blasting through waves, it’s the wobbly board surface, inherently unstable nature of water, and the occasional extra challenge of gusting wind that adds to the difficulty of balancing on a SUP board. This offers a complete full body workout that activates the core as you have to depend on these muscles all the time to stabilize yourself and secure yourself into the deck of the board.

It’s almost as if your core and abdominal muscles are “gripping” the board. In turn, you work on conditioning your back, arms, legs and even your toes and feet while paddling. A good half hour on a paddle board will make your quads and calves sore for sure. Once you get acquainted to SUPing, it’s like any other rigorous exercise – an excellent cardiovascular activity – however it is also uplifting and relaxing in a way few other sports can match.
Core Training Makes Paddle Boarding A Good Workout

The core of your body includes the stomach, lower back and upper thigh region. In other words it is your mid-section that essentially bridges the gap between your upper and lower body while providing foundational strength for the whole body. Unbalanced surfaces are highly effective for training or building up core muscles and so any sport that is dynamic and calls for a lot of stabilization automatically becomes an excellent core training activity. The core muscles are what stabilize you and help grip the deck of the paddle board through your feet. Because that large and complex muscle group is being engaged the entire time one is on the board, paddle boarding gives immense core training benefits.

While traditional resistance training will target each muscle group separately, when you paddle board all the core muscles come into play working together just to keep you standing and dry on your board. As you balance yourself, you are actually moving around your body weight shuffling it between your feet and at the same time using the paddle to exert balancing/propelling force on the uneven water surface. Additionally, to propel and drive the SUP forward, you have to rely on a controlled and coordinated rhythm of paddle strokes.

Paddle Board for Exercise

Quality stroke mechanics involve torso rotation and a unique forward “scooping” motion that engages the core muscles further. This entire process of just propelling the paddle board forward without falling into the water is what strengthens the cores continuously. As we have noted, even standing on the board without momentum is engaging your core, but this is taken to the next level when we begin to propel the board forward.

Stand up Paddling is probably the only sport that appears difficult at first and yet manages to quickly develop amazing and rewarding abilities in beginners in under 10 minutes. Be it children or adults, everyone finds SUPing tricky to start with but will quickly learn to co-ordinate and utilize core muscles to have fun in the water while staying dry and feeling in complete control over the board.

Strength Training With Paddle Boarding

Other than core muscles, paddle boarding is excellent in developing specific muscle groups in the shoulder, upper back and chest region.

Consider the basic paddle stroke: when you raise your arms up in the air with one arm perfectly extended and the other bent, it engages the Deltoid muscles (upper shoulder joint and chest area) into action. Every time you change your guiding hand, a different side of the deltoid muscles gets worked out. This is why it’s important to switch the paddling side from time to time to avoid muscle asymmetries from developing. While underway, as you push and pull at the paddle at the same time to move the paddle board forward, the triceps and upper back are engaged. And finally while bringing back the arms closer to the body to restart a stroke, the Latisimus Dorsi (mid back muscles responsible for the V shape of the back) get exercised. And while our arms and shoulders could certainly do all the work for us in paddling, they are much less efficient than engaging our backs and core muscle groups into the paddle stroke.

By making the “engine” of the stroke our core and our backs, we essentially deliver the power these muscles generated through our arms and shoulders instead of trying to make our more fragile joints do all the work. This helps to avoid overuse injuries that can develop in most other sports that offer anywhere near the same degree of workout intensity and value.

SUP fitness experts and SUP Yoga trainers actually encourage beginners to incorporate these muscle groups into their strokes immediately in order to improve balance and agility. Moreover, for those who really wish to push it, the pectorals (chest muscles) and Biceps can both be engaged in each stroke to add more power and to elongate the power delivery section of the stroke. However, this added zing to your stroke should still ultimately come from your core even though we use the biceps and pectorals to translate that power into the stroke. Placing one foot behind the other further increases the force you exert on your biceps and chest muscles and is a more advanced stance option regularly used by experienced paddlers to up the intensity of their workouts.

Other than the above mentioned paddle board workouts, every specific genre of SUPing has its own set of health benefits. Surfing challenges and engages the leg muscles a lot as they cushion the landings, take the brunt of turbulence from crashing waves, and keep you on the board at all times.

Adventure touring improves cardiovascular fitness with long drawn out cruises on rivers and lakes while race SUPing competitively improves muscle coordination and helps improve muscle response time (fast twitch muscle groups as well as other anaerobic benefits). In the end it really does not matter what kind of SUPing you engage in or wish to try because you will still manage to work out your entire body while having plenty of fun doing it. In the end it’s all about fun, but if we can have fun while getting a great workout, in turn clearing our mind and improving our health, than that makes this amazing sport all the better.

The article is originally from Surfinok.com check out their site for more information on paddleboarding.

The post Paddleboarding. This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Workout! appeared first on FitPhreak.

The best swimming workouts depend on your fitness level and goals. Since swimming is an all-body workout experience, you’ll gain benefits from being in the water and trying a few strokes. If you’re just starting out, a good beginner incorporates all strokes while relying on the basics. If you’re an advanced swimmer, technical drills that break down your stroke help keep your form and maintain an efficient stroke. And if you’re using the water for an overall fitness regimen without focusing on cardiovascular fitness, then drills with a beach ball can help you get beach ready.

Basic Workout

Start with a warm-up of four laps of freestyle followed by two laps of freestyle and kick. Follow with a single lap of each of the strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. Focus less on your technique and more on getting to the end of the lap. Rest for 30 seconds at the end of each lap. Finish with a cool down of four laps of freestyle and two laps of your preferred kick. Try this for three weeks, three times a week. Once you feel comfortable, increase the distance of each individual stroke to two laps, and then three.

Advanced Workout

Advanced swimmers look for a cardiovascular workout and good technique drills. Break your sets by incorporating drill workouts. Start with 12 laps of freestyle followed by eight laps of freestyle kick. Then do a stroke drill on breaststroke, focusing on your glide — see how far you can glide with each stroke — and breathing every other stroke for eight laps. Next, swim 15 laps of freestyle pull, using a pull buoy and pull paddles to work your back and arm muscles. Then focus on your butterfly kick, using a kickboard for eight laps. Next, swim two laps, 10 separate times, using a stroke count and time drill. — Swim two laps, counting each lap and adding the time. Work toward counting the same for each set, or reduce it. Cool down with 10 laps of freestyle.

Core Training

Core training uses your back, abs and many other muscles in your body to keep your body healthy and fit. Water provides resistance for a constant workout and allows for a full range of motion. Start with a roll. Grab your beach ball and lie on your back with the ball clasped in front of your body. Try to roll over, driving your shoulder down and your hip up. Complete 10 rolls. If you find this too difficult, try rocking from side to side.

Next, head to the deep water and scull with your hands. Extend your legs straight down. Bring one leg to your waist, toes pointed. Hold for 10 seconds, then scissor kick and switch legs, again holding for 10 seconds. Complete 10 repetitions before resting. This can provide a challenging core workout.

This artical originally found at www.livestrong.com. Visit to find more details on your next workout.

The post Key Point to Improve Your Swimming Workout appeared first on FitPhreak.

Want to lose weight? Boost your endurance? Get the download on the best fitness apps. From fitness games and competitions to workouts and meditation tactics, these iPhone apps will offer the support, motivation and challenges you need to stay on top of your health and achieve your fitness goals.

Here are the Most Recommended 15 Fitness Apps for the IPhone.

1. Virtual Runner

Want to see what it’s like to run the Boston marathon? The Virtual Runner app takes you virtually to some of the most iconic race courses while you run on the treadmill. It’s simple. Once you download the app, select which course you’d like to run. Download the video to your iPad or iPhone, hop on the treadmill, press play, and start running. Check out the TD Beach to Beacon 10K trailer.

Note: Because the videos require lots of storage, it’s best to download the videos on your computer and then manually select which ones you’d like on your iPhone/iPad.

2. Zombie Run Game

Photo:(Obamapacman.com)

This app is definitely a different way to get motivated to run. Put your headphones on, press start, and start running. And that’s when you’ll hear them…ZOMBIES! This app is a running game and audio adventure, co-created by award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman. As you run, you’ll dodge zombies and follow orders from the voice recordings. Before you know it, you will have just completed a successful run.

3. Charity Miles

Charity Miles is a free iPhone/Android app that enables you to earn corporate sponsorships for charity whenever you walk, run or bike.

Participating charities include:
Feeding America
Girl Up
Habitat for Humanity
Ironman Foundation
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Stand Up to Cancer
Wounded Warrior Project

4. Couch-To-5k

Get the support and inspiration you need to start and finish your 5K journey. Train for 30 minutes a day, three days a week for nine weeks. Utilize various training tools, music-sync programs and virtual coaching to run 3.1 miles.

5. Ghost Race Pro

Training for a marathon? Need a little extra push? Ghost Race Pro lets you train against a competitor. Set the distance and pace that you’d like to beat, and the app will let you know if you’re ahead or below your goal. It will tell you to pick it up when you need to. Monitor your progress and other fitness activities with the built-in storage log.

6. Strava Run and Cycling

Pinterest.com
Track all of your runs and rides as you reach your personal best. It’s easy to use. Grab your GPS device, head out for a run or ride, and view your activity on Strava. You can earn badges for completing certain challenges or compete with other Strava users through social media.

7. Fitbit

If you have a Fitbit product, then this is a must-have app. The Fitbit app uses Bluetooth technology to automatically sync your tracker’s data to your phone so you can see your latest stats. Track your daily goals, steps, calories burned and sleep to help you reach your goal. It’s simple to set up, use, and read, which makes staying on top of your health easy and stress-free.

8. Yoga Studio

Whether you’re a newbie or veteran, this yoga app is perfect to take your practice anywhere. There are over 16 hours of ready-made classes for any level. Classes range from 15 to 60 minutes and offer modifications if you need them. It’s one of the best ways to keep practicing when you can’t make it to a yoga studio.

9. Zumba Dance

Break out of your normal fitness routine and join the dance party. Zumba Dance is a fun and energizing dance class with Latin beats. There are three pre-programmed classes: Party, Exhilarating and Pulse-Pounding. You can purchase 20- to 60-minute routines. Learn basic steps with the tutorial mode, and stay motivated with the progress tracker, which helps you create your fitness goals and tracks calories burned.

10. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

Numrush.ml

A good fitness plan always requires an adequate amount of sleep. This app collects data to analyze your sleep and wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase so you feel rested and re-energized. Notice how you sleep when you exercise versus when you don’t. You’ll be able to see how your daily activities impact your sleep.

To See Full Article Visit Link Below:

Active.com

The post Top 10 Fitness Apps for the iPhone appeared first on FitPhreak.

Picking the right CrossFit Affiliate to become part of is as important as picking your spouse. OK, maybe not really quite that important, but it is definitely more important than picking what kind of dressing to have on your salad at lunch. It falls somewhere in between that spectrum of important stuff. But, you will be spending several hours a week at your most vulnerable state of being while working out and sweating and maybe even occasionally puking with these people. Blood, sweat and tears for sure. Be sure to pick the right one for you.

All CrossFit gyms should welcome you to try a free trial class. Go to a few in your area to get a feel for what each of them is like. Each affiliate is different and will certainly have a different vibe, hopefully one that works for you.

Class Schedule

If you work 9-5 you need an affiliate that offers early morning, evening and weekend classes. If you are a stay at home parent, or work from home, you may prefer daytime or lunch time classes. Be sure the schedule works for when you are able and most motivated to be working out. Also keep in mind that most affiliates will try and accommodate you if you have a request for a certain class time, just be sure you are able to attend class on a regular basis if they set up a class time at your request.

Class Offerings

CrossFit WODs are certainly the mainstay of why you are going to a CrossFit box, but other ancillary classes may be of interest to you as well. And many can even improve your CF workouts. Many places offer a Strength program, Olympic Lifting Classes, Mobility, Yoga and the like. If these are things of interest to you, be sure they are offered at the box. Also check out how those classes are paid for. Do you pay for them even if you have no interest in going? Is there a special price for those classes? Also consider if the affiliate offers Open Gym time and Personal Training, those are 2 things that may be of great interest and very useful for you going forward. This is your time (and money) make sure you are getting the best value for both.

Programming

CrossFit programming is designed to be constantly varied, that is NOT the same thing as random. Ask the Coaches/Owners how they do their programming, ask them the purpose of each workout they do, they should be able to tell you. They should have daily, weekly, monthly and longer term goals for their athletes. An affiliate and a Coach that can tell you the goal time and weight of each workout every day to best help you modify and to reach your goals is invaluable. Workouts don’t have to be fancy, complicated or long to be effective. Find an affiliate that really understands that.

Child Care

If you have children, this can be a big deal. Does the box have a safe place for kids to play while you work out? Do they offer kids programs? If you have kids, your life is busy already, you don’t need another excuse to not get that WOD in today. If child care can be an excuse for you to not work out, look for a place that offers some sort of child care while you work out. The kids can have fun meeting new friends at the same time you are.

Free Trial Class

Every affiliate should offer a free trial class so you can check out their facilities, meet their Coaching staff, get a feel of their community and answer any other questions you may have.

On-Ramp/Elements/Foundations Class

If you are new to CrossFit, be sure they offer some time of program to get you acclimated to all the movements and standards and CF terms. CF is such a great workout program because it takes the best of endurance and gymnastics and Olympic lifting and body movements and kettlebells and power lifting and then rolls it all into one. These movements are technical and should be taught to be done with care to avoid injury, to make sure you get the most of each movement and to keep everyone in the gym safe. A good starter program will be the basis for the rest of your CF experiences.

Coaching Staff

Are they qualified, do they seem to care about your goals and needs, do they take the time to get to know you and learn how to best work with you, are they knowledgeable? An alphabet soup of letters after their name doesn’t necessarily make them qualified and knowledgeable. And it certainly doesn’t give someone people skills. You need someone that is at the very least CrossFit Level 1 Certified, of course, but you are going to be taking a lot of direction from your Coaches, you need to make sure they jive with your own personality and are taking the time to get to know you and help you in the best way possible. Look for a box that sits down with you when you start, gets to know you, asks about your goals, asks about where you are now and where you want to be. CF athletes are not made from cookie cutters, make sure you are getting what you need.

Location

While it may not be everything, it is certainly something to consider. Is it near your home or work? Is it easy for you to get to on your daily route?

The Way They Make You Feel/Community

This is a huge part of CF, people very quickly become a community. When you step in the door, are you greeted? Do people come up and introduce themselves? Were you made aware ahead of time what to wear and bring and what to expect when you got there? Are the other athletes having fun? Do you feel like part of the group? Are these the type of people you want to be around each day?

Very lastly, Price.

Yes, A CF gym is going to cost more than a Globo-Gym. You get what you pay for and what you pay for with CF is small group classes, individualized attention and knowledgeable coaching. You get to know the people you work out with on a regular basis. No one in a CF gym puts in their ear buds and reads a magazine while walking on the treadmill. You get an instructor lead warm-up, mobility, skill and strength work and then the workout of the day, followed by some stretching. You get advice on recovery, nutrition, and supplements. You get people that notice when you don’t show up to the gym that day. You get people that cheer you on during the workout. You get people that cheer the loudest for the last one finished that day. You get to be with people that don’t care that you were the last one done, but do care that you were better than yesterday. You get people that don’t care how slow you were, but that you did every rep and finished even when you thought you couldn’t. You get community. And that, my friends, is priceless.

CF is certainly growing at a rapid rate. There should be a few options in your area to choose the CrossFit community that is best for you.

This article originally posted at Crossfithard.com. For more information check out their site.

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