Interval Training

Author: Allie Y.

Yesterday, Rob from North Loop Fitness introduced interval training into our workout. Interval training is when you vary your training intensity, alternating short, fast bursts of intense exercise with slow, easy activity. The Lola Red ladies hoped on the exercise bikes at the end of our workout and cycled for 30 seconds at a fast speed and 30 seconds at a very slow speed for about 5 minutes. My legs felt like Jell-O® when we were all done! According to About.com’s section on Sport Medicine , interval training helps prevent injuries, strengthens the cardiovascular system and burns more calories than slow endurance exercises. This type of exercise can be applied to your favorite cardio workouts, some common interval training workouts include:

• Stair climbing
  
• Sprint drills
  
• Jump rope (my fav!)
  
• Cycling
  

Keep in mind, interval training is tough and you will be sore afterward, make sure to stretch to ensure muscle recovery.

Traveling? Bring Your Own Healthy Snacks

Author: Allie H.

I am traveling this weekend and I don’t want to be tempted to eat Cinnabon at the airport. My two-hour flight usually turns into six hours of waiting with layovers. I always get hungry and healthy options are usually very limited overpriced at the airport.


To save money and stay healthy I came up with some healthy snacks to stash in the carry-on.


· Water: Buy it after the security checkpoint to take onboard. Dehydration can cause or exacerbate hunger, jet lag, and fatigue.
· Cereal: Kashi or Cheerios are both portable, low-calorie choices.
· Beef jerky: Especially if you're a low-carb fan!
· Fruit: Apples, pears, and grapes are durable, and almost any other fruit can be stored in a container.
· Rice cakes: Be selective, since calorie and fat content vary widely.
· Energy bars: Although they tend to be high in calories and fat, they are generally better than a slice of pizza or a candy bar at the airport.
· Sandwiches: Pre-cut them into portion-controlled sections so you can pull them out at different times during the trip without making a mess. Chicken, turkey, cold cuts and cheese are all great options for sandwiches on the go.
· Soy chips: These are yet another portable, low-cal, high-fiber snack.


The next time you travel try bringing some of these yummy snacks! Make sure to check with the Transportation Security Administration for the latest in-flight rules on bringing food and water.

A Weightloss Haiku

Author: Allison D.

Have no time for lunch

I'm hungry and want to feast

This is no diet plan :(

Advice from the Biggest Loser's Resident Badass

Author: Becca B.

I am a big fan of the Biggest Loser. I find it very inspirational even though I used to watch it while lying on the couch and eating ice cream ( I'm sadly 100-percent serious about this fact). Part of why I enjoy the show so much is one of the trainers, Jillian Michaels, who's a real hard-ass. I even do her On Demand workouts which give me an awesome workout in only 20 minutes. I recently discovered an article that addresses the challenges and excuses I face when it comes to an overall fitness and nutrition plan. Here are some of the highlights:

Excuse: I have zero time to exercise!
Jillian says: I feel your pain- my life is crazy too, but good for you habits are the last thing that should go. If you don't take care of yourself, you'll have less energy to be that supportive person in your loved ones' lives.
Becca says: This is probably my biggest excuse because I work long hours and when I'm finally done at the office; the last thing I want to do is bust my butt at the gym. One great motivator I learned is to only allow myself to watch as many minutes of TV as I work out that day. That means watching my guilty pleasure shows like Kell on Earth and Project Runway on the treadmill.

Excuse: The cookies in my cabinet are calling me!
Jillian says: I don't keep junk in the house or let waiters bring bread to the table. I have no discipline so I protect myself from temptation.
Becca says: I have zero willpower and want to eat what I want, when I want it. It definitely helps to not have junk food in the house or only allow myself to buy one treat on every shopping trip. Lately it's been white cheddar popcorn, which isn't even that bad for you!

Excuse: I start off Monday with the best intentions, and then life takes over and I flake on my workouts.
Jillian says: Set a daily or weekly target and reward yourself every time you meet it. I get my eyebrows done or download songs from iTunes.
Becca says: This is another place I struggle, but I've found success by making it a mandatory part of my routine like kickboxing class every Monday at 5 p.m.- no exceptions. It only takes 30 days to make or break a habit.

Having a Ball!

Author: Allie Y.

Last Saturday the Lola ladies got the opportunity to learn the basics of ballroom dancing at Dancer’s Studio in St. Paul. It was like our own little version of Dancing with the Stars featuring Gordon Bratt, dance instructor extraordinaire, and three local ballroom pros as our partners. To mix it up a bit, Alexis brought Chris Reuvers from myTalk 107.1 to twirl and tango along with us. We learned four styles of dance: fox trot, tango, samba and swing. Being new to the ballroom dance world I decided to look up some fun facts about each of the ballroom styles we learned. Did you know that…

Fox trot: The original name of the fox trot was the "bunny hug" and the most popular fox trot song is "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets.

Tango: There are more than 10 different styles of the tango

Samba: Samba music features Brazilian musical instruments with names like the Tamborim, Chocalho, Reco-reco and Cabaca.

Swing: Swing dancers are often referred to as "Jitterbugs".


Despite the fact that I towered over everyone in my heels (I’m 5’11 without them), Chris is rhythmically challenged and none of us had any ballroom experience, we all made a pretty good first showing on the dance floor. My favorite style was swing because Gordon took the lead I felt like a real ballroom star!

"You are the picture, and I am the frame," said Nic, Allison’s extremely dapper partner. "Let me show you off."

I don’t think I was a very graceful picture, but I tried! The Lola Red ladies had an amazing time at Dancer’s Studio, we will definitely be back!

CONFIDENTIAL: The SECRET Fat Loss Formula

by Rob Duggan, North Loop Fitness

Notice that I didn’t say, "weight loss formula"? That’s exactly right. The reason, well, it’s really very simple… When an individual focuses his/her efforts on the sole purpose of weight loss, many negative things can happen. The trainee inevitably ends up losing a lot more muscle than fat and consequently halting the metabolism to a snail’s pace, preventing the body from burning its fat reserves. This is also really bad for your body, especially if your goal is to build a lean, tight and toned body. Not to mention you’ll be weaker than ex-Senator John Edwards’ chances of ever occupying public office again. Talk about the most ineffective strategy ever on trying to improve your body composition! But wait! I do have some good news for you…here it is, my friends - the big secret is, well, there really is no secret at all! Yeah, yeah, I know, you probably started to get all excited about the next gadget that promises instant gratification in this fitness industry full of gadgets and quick fixes. Seriously, I have something better; something that will actually work IF YOU PUT IN THE WORK.

Build MUSCLE. Yes, that is my big secret. Well, just one of them anyway. So etch this mantra into your mind, please and repeat after me: "muscle tissue is AWESOME." Say it under your breath. Ok, now louder. No, Seriously, do it. Perfect, thank you. Now, let me explain.You need to understand that muscle burns calories 24-7, 365…that’s powerful. This means that the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn and the leaner you will become. Oh, and when I talk about building muscle, I’m not talking about becoming the steroidal hulk of a moman (man or woman..sometimes you can’t tell!) you see on fitness magazine covers – I’m talking about healthy, lean muscle that will make you feel great about how you look. (It goes without saying that being responsible with your food choices and getting some form of cardio (more on cardio next time!) is important too.)

Another great thing about building muscle in your fat loss efforts is that as you start to lean out, your body will have more shape and tone to it. After all, that is what most everyone wants, right!? This is a very basic version of all the physiology involved in this whole process, but do you really want me to ramble on about the science involved? Only Stephen Hawking would listen..and that’s only because I would disable his wheelchair. Don’t worry, building muscle works to help you lose fat. Here are some points to remember:

1) Train with FREE-weights and bodyweight exercises 3 times per week. Mix them together.

2) Do two high-intensity cardio days and two longer, lower intensity days of cardio per week.

3) Learn how to position your body and lift correctly. Form and technique!

4) Eat clean, natural food and increase your protein, fiber and fish oil intake.

5) Cut out all processed (dead) food. It causes inflammation in the body.

If this makes sense to you and you want to give it a legitimate shot, do this first: Take a tape measurement right around your belly button and love handles. Write down the measurement in your workout/nutrition journal. You have one, right? Next, weigh yourself and write that number down next to your tape measurement and date it. In 30 days from that date, take the exact same two measurements and compare. If you are extremely diligent in following a solid plan, you should see some results. The real nice results will start to happen in your second and third 30-day blocks. Do three in a row. Take the same measurements and make any necessary adjustments.

There are no gimmicks or short cuts friends - just plain ol’ hard ass work in the gym!

Make it happen,

Rob Duggan

The Competition is On

Author: Allie Y.

We may not have been competing for America’s Next Top Model and there was no threat that we’d be voted off the island, but there was a heated competition going on at Lola Red HQ today. Heated as in, we had our end-of-the-month fitness challenge, and man did we work up a sweat! The lovely Lola ladies invited fitness guru Andrea Austin of TweakMyWorkout.com to create a challenge for us in order to judge our fitness levels.

Andrea calls this game "The Deck of Doom" and here’s how it breaks down:

1. Get a deck of cards
2. Assign an exercise to each suit (e.g. diamonds are sit-ups, hearts are push-ups)
3. Start a timer and go through the deck of cards, one at a time. The suit of the card you draw corresponds with the exercise and the number on the card tells you the numbers of reps. Face cards are 12, and aces are 1.
4. Stop the timer once you’ve gone through the whole deck.
5. Run through "The Deck of Doom" again in the future and try to beat your previous time.

The best thing about this game is the way you feel afterward; tired but satisfied that you made it through the entire deck. The game is quick, we all made it though in less than 20 minutes, and it doesn’t require a lot of space, we did it in the office!

I Hate Running

Author Becca B.

I have NEVER been a fan of running; it's hard and I hate it. Our trainer Rob completely made my night during our training session when he said that there are other ways of getting a cardio workout that don't have to do with running. Rob showed me the perfect alternative to hitting the pavement (or tread): jump rope!

Top 3 reasons jumping rope is awesome:

1. Efficient: 10 minutes of sold jumping rope is equivalent to 30 minutes of running
2. Cost: a jump rope is a heck-of-a-lot cheaper than treadmill
3. No equipment necessary: treadmills take up a lot of room and can be very noisy. You can jump rope practically anywhere and it's almost completely silent.

Bonus: I happen to be unusually good at jumping rope- odd skill to have, I know

I Heart the Boss

Author: Alexis

My new year, new me campaign got a jolt of inspiration from an unexpected source last week as I found out the my dad, "the boss," is in need of open heart surgery. His surgery is scheduled for this Friday, feb.5, and I am doing a bit more freaking-out than usual. Heart disease runs rampant in my dad’s family and this will actually be his third procedure in the past 10 years. ish. This is not fun but I admit that news of this sort has inspired me to keep moving with our campaign. In addition, I took some time to do a heart assessment on the Heart Association’s website. Let’s just say, I need to make some lifestyle changes and lose at least 40 pounds.

Learn more about your heart and get a general assesement here

While my dad’s ticker is getting better I plan on putting 8 miles on my new sneaks and eating at least 4 servings of veggies per day.

Pizza Party.

Author: Allie H.

I have been focusing on my diet and trying to keep it healthy. Giving up soda has been a huge struggle, but I have managed to substitute for water and tea 90% of the time. One thing I just can’t fathom giving up is pizza, so here is my healthy alternative:
Try it! It’s DELICIOUS, and healthy!

Spinach-Mushroom Pizza
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 12-ounce whole wheat pizza crust, such as Boboli
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
6 medium mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spread the crust out on a heavy baking sheet. Cover the crust with the pizza sauce, followed by the spinach and onion. Then add the Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella and mushrooms on top. To finish, drizzle the olive oil over the entire pizza.
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is puffed, beginning to color at the edges and the cheese is melted.
4. Let the pizza cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar, slice into wedges, and serve.

Nutrition facts per serving: 252 calories, 15g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 5g fiber

Good-bye My Love

Author: Allie Y.

It is a sad, sad day at Lola Red World Headquarters this morning as we bid a tearful farewell to our faithful coffee machine. The waterline in our office has been redirected to the remolded restaurant next door and without it our coffee machine sits dormant on the counter, a cruel reminder of more joyful and energetic days. The tragic loss of my beloved machine has got me thinking about my diet and what role different drinks, like coffee, play in it. To my dismay I have found some alarming facts about drinks and diets, namely that they do not mix. Here are a few of my favorites that according to the diet Eat This, Not That I should think about replacing:

• Minute Maid Lemonade- 250 calories, 67g sugar
  Alternative: Crystal Light Pink Lemonade- 10 calories, 0g sugar
  
• Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino- 290 calories, 46g sugar
  Alternative: Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte- 130 calories, 17g sugar
  
• Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake -2,010 calories, 153g sugar
  Alternative: Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop- 260 calories, 26g sugar

These frightening figures make a cold glass of water sound pretty good right now. I also found that although I will have to brave the bitter cold for a cup of coffee, it might be worth it. Coffee only has about 2 calories and 0g of sugar per 8oz. cup. On that note, I am off to Corner Coffee where a hot cup o’ Joe awaits.