First Published Nov. 15, 2016.

When Hurricane Matthew veered its path towards South FL, many of us found ourselves caught with the urgent task of preparing for the massive storm. This preparation included demanding physical tasks, like lifting heavy and large objects (storm shutters, furniture, boxes, etc.) and climbing ladders. It’s also no surprise that many of us found our necks, shoulders, arms, backs, and legs sore on the days after.

I put together the below exercise routine to help get those muscles stronger and ready for whatever demanding tasks that come your way (hopefully not preparation for hurricanes).
 
Please ALWAYS consult your doctor before starting this or any other exercise program.
 
Level:                             Beginner / Intermediate
Equipment needed:    Dumbbells
Sets:                              1-3 sets
Reps:                             10-15 reps
 

I hope you find the above exercises helpful and easy to follow. For your convenience, there is an attached downloadable, printer-friendly copy of this email. Feel free to print and share with anyone who can find this helpful. Please email me or give me a shout out on facebook If you have any questions about the above exercises.
 
Stay safe and strong!
Your Trainer,
Rami

Ingredients:
Salmon Filets

• 1 1/2 lb. salmon filet
• 3/4-1 tsp dried tarragon
• 3/4-1 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cream Sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Season Salmon with tarragon, dill weed, and salt and pepper. Set aside
• Heat olive oil in a pan, over medium heat, and cook salmon for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the salmon is fully cooked
• Remove salmon from the pan and set aside
• Add butter, spices and heavy cream to the pan and cook until sauce is  browned
• Pour sauce over salmon and serve with broccoli or asparagus

Here are four reasons why updating your wardrobe after weight loss is a great idea:

1. Boost Your Confidence: After losing weight, your body shape and size may have changed. Updating your wardrobe with clothes that fit you well and flatter your new figure can instantly boost your confidence. You'll feel more comfortable and confident in your clothes, which will radiate in your overall demeanor.
2. Reflect Your New Lifestyle: Your weight loss journey is not just about physical changes, but also about adopting a healthier lifestyle. Your wardrobe can now reflect your new habits and choices. You can invest in clothes that align with your fitness routine, such as workout gear or activewear, and incorporate more styles that you love and feel confident in.
3. Celebrate Your Progress: Updating your wardrobe after weight loss is a tangible way to celebrate your progress and acknowledge the hard work you've put into your health and well-being. It's a way to reward yourself for achieving your goals and showcase your transformation to the world.
4. Embrace Your New Identity: Weight loss can be a transformative journey that impacts not just your physical appearance, but also your mindset and self-perception. Updating your wardrobe can be a way to embrace your new identity as a healthier, more confident version of yourself. It's a chance to express your style and personality in a way that aligns with your current mindset and goals.

As you update your wardrobe, you may find yourself with a pile of clothes that no longer fit. Here are three recommendations on what to do with your discarded bigger clothes:

1. Donate: Consider donating your gently used clothes to a local charity or thrift store. Your bigger clothes could be a blessing to someone else on their own weight loss journey, and it's a great way to pay it forward.
2. Sell or Swap: If your bigger clothes are in good condition, you could sell them online or at a consignment store to make some extra money or trade them for new clothes that fit your current size. It's a sustainable way to reduce waste and also upgrade your wardrobe.
3. Repurpose: Get creative and repurpose your bigger clothes into something new and useful. You could turn them into workout towels, reusable bags, or even DIY fashion projects. Let your imagination run wild!

Congratulations on your weight loss journey, and here's to a fabulous new wardrobe that reflects the healthier, happier you!

Summer is here and it's time to soak up some sunshine and get moving! But before you lace up those sneakers and head outside, let's have a quick chat about the dangers of exercising in scorching hot weather. When the heat index skyrockets, your body faces some serious challenges. Excessive heat can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even heatstroke.

Here are few recommendations to keep you cool and still get your sweat on during the summer months:

• Take regular breaks and change clothes: Rest for at least 10 minutes every hour and swap out your wet clothing frequently. This will help prevent overheating and keep you feeling fresh.

• Beat the midday heat: Whenever possible, schedule your workouts before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to avoid the blazing sun. This way, you can exercise in cooler temperatures and reduce the risk of heat-related issues.

• Choose the right sunscreen: Opt for a sunscreen with a rating of SPF-15 or lower, depending on your skin type. Higher SPF ratings can interfere with your skin's ability to regulate temperature. So, strike a balance between sun protection and allowing your body to cool naturally.

• Dress for success: Wear lightweight and breathable clothing that allows air to flow freely. This will help your body stay cool and prevent excessive sweating.

• Monitor hydration levels: Weigh yourself before and after exercise. If you experience less than a 2 percent weight loss, it indicates mild dehydration. A weight loss of 2 percent or more indicates more severe dehydration. Stay hydrated by drinking regularly throughout your workout, even if you don't feel particularly thirsty.

• Be mindful of fluid replacement: Dehydration is more common and serious during hot weather training. Drink fluids at regular intervals, based on the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Thirst alone is not a reliable indicator of dehydration. To prevent dehydration, monitor your weight loss and consume chilled fluids during exercise to match your sweating rate.

• Pace your fluid replacement: Avoid rapid fluid replacement, as it can lead to increased urine production and reduce water retention in the body. Instead, hydrate gradually and consistently throughout your workout.

• Choose the right drinks: For shorter workouts, water is generally sufficient. However, for exercises lasting longer than an hour, such as marathons, consider a sports drink with added salt and potassium. Aim to consume around 16 to 24 ounces per hour, adjusting based on your sweat rate and the heat index.

• Replenish after exercise: After long bouts of exercise (over an hour), aim to replace 16 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during the workout. This will help restore hydration levels and support recovery.

• Avoid certain drinks: Steer clear of caffeinated, protein, and alcoholic beverages like colored soda, coffee, and tea. These can have a diuretic effect and contribute to dehydration.

• Allow for acclimation: Give yourself time to adjust to exercising outdoors, higher altitudes, and varying physical conditions. Adults generally need 10-14 days to acclimate, while children and older adults (>60 years) may require 14-21 days. Children and older adults are less heat tolerant, so gradual adaptation is important.

Summer heat shouldn't be a buzzkill for our outdoors workout. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and enjoy the sunshine with confidence!

Your Trainer,
Rami

Sources:
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness
Understanding Heat Index
The efficacy and safety of sunscreen use for the prevention of skin cancer

Rest and recovery not only can help your body rebuild and get stronger, but it also can insure that your body continues reaping the benefits of active lifestyle (like losing weight, feeling more energized, getting stronger, etc.) for long time to come.

So, what is Rest and Recovery and how can you maximize the benefits from them?

Rest and Recover are actually two different terms.

Rest is the most commonly implemented one. It is when you stop a work out, sleep, relax, or perform an exercise at a much slower rate. Rest can be short term like taking a day off in between lifting days or long-term as in taking multiple days, or even weeks off. The type of Rest can further be divided into two categories:

Active Rest: is when you perform an exercise at a much lower intensity. For example: cycling at higher speed of 25 mph then lowering the intensity to 12 mph, or if you exercise at a maximum heart rate (MHR) intensity of 85% then lowering it down to 60% MHR.

Passive Rest: is when you stop the activity all together. This could be stretching, focusing on deeper breathing techniques (like meditation), or simply just stopping the activity. Sleeping is also considered passive rest.

Recovery is the process where the body starts to work on rebuilding the muscles and repairing itself. There are several components to the recovery process. Recovery is an extensive topic and differs greatly based on the type, length, and intensity of the training program. Recovery for an average gym user can be significantly different from that of Professional athletes.
The recovery in this article focuses on most gym users and highlights important areas that can be applied easily. These areas are sleep, hydration, stretching and nutrition.

Sleep is essential for the recovery of your body. The body starts to work on rebuilding muscles, reduces inflammation, lowers stress, boosts energy, sharpens memory, improves mood and helps keep weight at a healthy level. Studies have shown that dieters who were well rested lost more fat than those who were sleep deprived.(1)

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the following techniques can help improve your sleep quality:

• Stick to a regular schedule (go to bed and get up at the same time)
• Aim for 6-8 hours of restful sleep (keep in mind that individual needs may differ based on lifestyle, genetic makeup, etc.)
• Avoid naps in the afternoon if it affects your ability to sleep at night
• Avoid caffeine and exercise too close to bedtime as this may make it harder to fall asleep.

Check out their website for more recommendations to improve your sleep.

Hydration: drinking an adequate amount of water is essential to replenishing fluids lost during exercise and afterwards. The popular “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day” recommendation is an easy one to remember. However, a simplified approach that may not fit everyone’s unique hydration needs. I prefer to use the body’s own hydration indicator: pee color. If it is clear to a light yellow then you are hydrating well. The darker urine color the more dehydrated you probably are and the more you need to replenish water. Finally, you can also get sufficient hydration by drinking water and other fluids, just be aware of sugary drinks (like soda) as they may pack unnecessary extra calories and provide no significant nutritional value.
 
Stretching: is the motion where a specific muscle group is extended or stretched in order to improve the muscle’s flexibility and range of motion. There are different kinds of stretching; static, dynamic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). Static and Dynamic stretching are most widely used. Static stretching means holding the muscle stretch in a challenging but safe position. Once static stretching is applied, motion is limited. Dynamic stretching involves controlled motions of the arms and legs through the range of motions. Finally, PNF is an advanced rehabilitation technique that involves stretching and isometric contractions. The recommendations below are for the most popular form: Static Stretching:

• Warm up slightly before stretching.
• Stretch each muscle for 15-30 seconds.
• Take a deep breath while stretching.
• Respect your limits. If it hurts, stop.

 
Nutrition: is as important during rest days as it is important during training days. My advice is to stay on track with your healthy nutrition plan even if you take a break from the gym. If you just finished the 12-week Total Transformation Challenge, then continue following all the steps outlined in your TTC Nutrition Guide. Although taking a break from the gym might give the wrong impression of taking a break from your healthy eating habits. That mistake can quickly reduce the benefits and results you worked so hard to achieve. Just remember “Rest Days” do not mean “Cheat Days”. Feel free to indulge in moderation. Keep in mind that junk food is often loaded with calories from saturated fat and sugar. Too much of those calories and your body will start storing them again as fat.
 
If you work hard, then a break is a healthy reward that your body and mind will come to appreciate and enjoy. Use the above recommendations and now you can come back to the gym refreshed, stronger, and ready to take on your next challenge!

Happy Healthy Transformation!
Your Trainer
Rami
​
(1) 2010 University of Chicago General Clinical Resource Center

8-Week Training Plan
Click the below file to get a printer-friendly version of the above illustration PLUS an 8-Week Training Plan!​

Do you know Squat?

If not, then you are missing out on great benefits like building stronger and leaner legs, boosting your metabolism, increasing your walking- or running- pace, and enjoying longer stamina! Plus this exercise can be completed anywhere and did I mention FREE?

​The below illustration will help you start with simple, easy-to-follow squats, then progress into more challenging forms.

There is a printer-friendly version attached for your convenience.

Warning: This information contained herein is not intended as a substitute for a medical advice. Always consult your physician before starting this or any exercise program. Especially if you have prior injuries in the low back, hips, knees or ankles.

8-Week Sample Plan

BONUS! Try the below 8-week plan to build your squat forte (and a great-looking legs too!)
Important: Adjust the below suggested schedule according to your own fitness level. Take at least 2 days break in between the below training days.  

Happy & Healthy Training!

Your Trainer,
Rami

Before we dive in, let me just say—I’m not a sushi chef, nor do I claim to be a sushi expert. But after years of making my own sushi at home, I’ve found some easy, foolproof techniques that anyone can follow.
The goal here? To share my passion for this simple, healthy dish and help YOU discover the joy of making your own sushi right in your kitchen. It’s fun, it’s delicious, and trust me—once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you ever paid restaurant prices for it!
And if you love making healthy, tasty meals, be sure to check out my nutrition books in my store! You’ll find tons of easy, nutritious recipes to keep your meals exciting and your body fueled.
Now, let’s roll!

How to Make Sushi Rice
The rice is the foundation of great sushi, so let’s do this right!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sushi rice (makes about 6 rolls)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

• Rinse the sushi rice in a bowl with fresh water. Stir and repeat until the water runs clear (fig. 2, 3).
• Add rice and water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes until all water is absorbed (fig. 4).
• While the rice cooks, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds to dissolve.
• Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl, let it cool for 3–5 minutes, then stir in the vinegar mixture (fig. 5).
• Cover with a damp towel (fig. 6) and let it cool to room temperature (about an hour).

Preparing the Bamboo Rolling Mat:
For easier handling and less mess, wrap your bamboo mat in plastic wrap! It helps keep things neat and makes rolling smoother (Fig. 7, 8, 9)

Veggie Prep
Slice your vegetables thin for the perfect balance of texture and taste in every bite (Fig. 10).

So here's my simple recipe for making this healthy dish. If you are one of my Challenge participants then please keep in mind that sushi is recommended for lunch and not for dinner (higher ratio of starchy carbs).

​Also remember that calories will vary significantly based upon the ingredients you use inside the roll and how much rice you lay on your Nori.

​Below is a sample of popular rolls and their corresponding calories (remember the calorie estimate is per ENTIRE roll and not per piece):

So there you have it—your very own homemade sushi guide! Whether you’re making it for lunch, dinner, or a fun weekend activity, sushi is a great way to enjoy fresh, healthy ingredients with a creative twist.

Don’t forget to check out my nutrition books in my store for more amazing healthy recipes, meal ideas, and tips to keep your kitchen adventures exciting!

Happy rolling!
​Rami