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7 Major Fitness Misconceptions

It’s important to debunk certain fitness myths that can interfere with your health and fitness goals at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym. To ensure a safe workout and meaningful results, get the facts straight.

  • Myth 1: You can target fat burn. This is not the case. Sure, you will most definitely burn fat by working out, but you cannot pick and choose where the fat comes from. Sorry.
  • Myth 2: You can’t work out on an empty stomach. Your body actually burns more fat when you hit the gym pre-breakfast or on an empty stomach. Be sure to hydrate, however. Just leave the snacks for after your Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic club workout.
  • Myth 3: No pain, no gain. This long-standing saying isn’t necessarily a healthy perspective. Sure, slight discomfort and “feeling the burn” is a part of the game. Sharp pains, however, should not be pushed through. Listen to your body. Challenge yourself, but be mindful.
  • Myth 4: Lifting weights will make you look like the Hulk. Surprisingly, it’s the opposite. Lifting will actually help you slim down and it will promote sustained fat loss.
  • Myth 5: Treadmill running produces the same results as outdoor running. Nope. Running outside adds additional elements that you aren’t up against when you’re treadmill running. Wind. Inclines. Terrain obstacles. All of these outdoor features require that you use extra energy. That being said, treadmill running is still effective, calorie-torching cardio.
  • Myth 6: You can’t workout when you’re under the weather. Sure, if you have a fever or you can’t breathe, you should definitely stay home and rest. However, if you are just experiencing mild symptoms you can still hit the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym for a light workout. In fact, you might even feel better afterwards. Just check in with your body and consult your doctor if you’re unsure.
  • Myth 7: Crunches will really boost your core strength. Hardly. Crunches don’t target the deep core muscles or the obliques. If you really want to sculpt and strengthen your core, hit up a Greenville yoga class.
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Two Reasons to Rotate Your Greens

Lean, mean Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym machines eat lots of leafy greens. And while you can never have too many greens, you can have too much of one green. Heavy, repeated consumption of a specific green can have unintended, negative effects. Plus, it is nutritionally limiting.

So, why should you rotate your greens?

  1. Nutritional Diversity. Rotate your greens to expand your consumption and absorption of health-supporting vitamins and minerals. Balance out your diet by selecting a variety of leafy goodness.
  2. Prevent Heavy Intake of Toxins. This is the biggest reason leafy green rotation is important. All leafy greens contain trace amounts of certain toxins because plants have an internal defense mechanism designed to prevent predation. These trace amounts of toxins can pile up in your own system if you consume lots and lots of a particular green. These toxins become especially damaging if you are already susceptible to certain medical conditions. For example, kale and brassicas contain goitrogens, which have the potential to interfere with or exacerbate thyroid conditions and thyroid functioning in susceptible individuals. Spinach contains high amounts of oxalic acid, which can also present problems.

The solution? Do not eat heavy amounts of the same green every day. Heavy equates to two or more cups of a particular green. Switch it up. Make sure, however, that the greens you are rotating are in different plant families.

The same phenomenon happens, though less often, with fruit. Certain fruits also contain trace amounts of toxins that, if consumed heavily, may present problems. The main reason to rotate your fruits, however, is to establish a balanced diet. The more you spice it up, the greater range of nutrients – vitamins and minerals – you receive.

A balanced, diverse diet supports your health so you can better meet your fitness goals at Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic club.

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The 30/30 Rule

According to health and fitness guru, Tim Ferriss, one of the most effective ways you can promote weight loss is via the consumption of a protein-rich breakfast. Within 30 minutes of rising, it is highly advised that you consume at least 30g of protein (such as 3 eggs or a protein shake). This amount of protein has been proven to boost the metabolism and ward off potential cravings during the day. This breakfast, as opposed to a high-fat or high-carb breakfast, has proven way more successful in promoting fat loss and keeping the fat off.

It’s so simple. Just rise and within 30 minutes consume a breakfast fortified with 30g of protein. Hence, 30/30. Then, go work it at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym.

If you don’t have the time to prepare a complicated protein-rich breakfast, bring out the blender. Here’s a simple protein shake recipe of sustenance (inspired by Tim Ferriss) to support your activities throughout the day at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym.

  • 24 oz (3 cups) 2% or whole organic milk. Note: Use almond or soy milk if dairy free.
  • 30 g whey protein isolate (chocolate tends to work best). Note: Use rice protein if you’re lactose intolerant.
  • 1 banana
  • 3 heaping tbsp almond butter with no added sugar, maltodextrin, or syrups (preferably organic).
  • 5 ice cubes

Caloric and protein profile with 2% milk (approximate): 970 cal, 75 g protein.

Protein shakes are an acceptable meal replacement, especially for breakfast. Don’t, however, make a habit of replacing a lot of your meals with protein shakes, as you will miss out on the benefits of whole foods. Also, remember that protein has dehydrating properties. So, be sure to drink plenty of water when you are playing with protein shakes. Lastly, be careful with these protein dense shakes. If you aren’t a bodybuilder or elite athlete, you could very well overdo it, exceeding the amount of daily protein you actually need and thus, the amount of calories you actually need, resulting in unintentional weight gain.

Remember: All things in moderation. If you want my advice, just stick to these protein dynamos as occasional breakfast alternatives.

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A Resource to Assess & Improve Your Health

Most people know that I’m a huge advocate and fan of almost all things Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, 4-Hour Body and 4-Hour Chef (his most recent). So, whenever Tim endorses something, I’m all over it. Recently, he introduced me to WellnessFX, a blood marker testing company.

Here’s what this is all about:

“WellnessFX reveals your true health with insightful visualizations and gives you actionable recommendations for improvement. Take control today.”

“Only WellnessFX combines extensive biomarker diagnostics with a personalized phone consult with the healthcare professional of your choice.”

So, why should you care about your blood results?

70% of data needed for accurate health diagnosis and management is in your blood. To really get an idea of your overall health, blood work needs to be done. What’s more, you need to actually understand your results and what to do with them. Most people either ignore their results or succumb to side-affect ridden medications before exploring alternative, more natural approaches.

This service is super user-friendly, fast, and informative. It’s cool because your blood data gets stored online for your future viewing, analysis, and comparison. Plus, the information that is gathered and the consultation call with the physician that follows (in the comfort of your home!) regarding your results will shed light on dietary and lifestyle changes that you may want to implement to optimize your health.

This is just a great tool to assess if what you’re eating and doing at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym is putting you on the right track. It’s a tool to keep you in check in order to remain on the path of progress.

As of now, you can purchase the Checkup blood work option for FREE. There is also a Baseline, Performance and Thyroid option if you want more comprehensive work done. All of it is relatively inexpensive.

Get on it to support your health and your performance at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym. Take control of your health.

Resource: WellnessFX Website

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