So, what does lifting weights do? Sure, you’ll bulk up, but there are many other benefits of weight training—muscle mass is just the beginning. There are many benefits of lifting heavy weights and lighter ones. To learn all about the health benefits of weight lifting, read our comprehensive guide.

Weight lifting is the golden standard of a workout. Most of us have at least tried it, but how many of us actually know the benefits of lifting weights? Sure, everyone knows that lift sessions are the key to strong muscles—but there are even more health benefits of weight training than you might imagine.

Weight training is an expansive form of fitness that is suitable for a range of athletes. There are several benefits of lifting light weights and heavy ones; whether it’s rippling muscles or better bone health that you’re after, you’re in for a healthy workout. To learn just some of the many benefits of weight lifting exercises, check out our handy guide!

Say Hello to Increased Strength…

Increased muscular strength is one of the main benefits of lifting weights. As you get older, it becomes increasingly vital to maintain healthy muscle strength. Over time, physical activity is harder work for the human body—but strong muscles can help with this. Although greater strength won’t reverse time (sorry!), it will prepare your body for more wear and tear by keeping your muscles powerful and healthy.

…And Say Goodbye to Unwanted Body Fat

If you’ve begun working out as part of a weight loss journey, you’re in luck. One of the main benefits of weight training is that it can help athletes shed unwanted body fat.

Research shows that an increased whole-body metabolic rate can result in fat reduction and weight loss without any changes to the diet. However, many athletes start eating more nourishing meals when they begin lifting to burn fat. At Jack City, many athletes practice lifting with both a fitness coach and work with a nutritional counselor to enhance their weight loss transformation.

Enjoy Your Everyday

It’s important to remember that weight lifting, which requires dedication, structure, and patience, will translate into your daily life. Much of this is due to the organization needed to lift properly.

Think about your previous lift sessions—every single one was a result of your plan-making and perseverance. You can apply this mentality to your everyday life, whether it’s related to your job, your personal life, or even what you’re cooking for dinner.

Improve Your Mental Health

One of the biggest benefits of weight lifting exercises has nothing to do with physical fitness. Physical health is only one facet of overall well-being. It’s crucial to look after your mental health—and weight lifting is a great way to do so.

Weight lifting routines—and all forms of exercise—produce endorphins, a type of hormone that promotes feelings of pleasure and reduces pain. Strength training is proven to help manage mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and many athletes report that weight training allows them to effectively reduce feelings of stress.

Stick to Your Diet!

We know how tricky it can be to stick to a diet. After all, old habits die hard, and many of us have spent decades thinking very little about nutrition. However, it’s very possible! One of the lesser-known benefits of weight training is that it can help with “diet willpower.” In a University of Pittsburgh study, researchers found that those who stuck to a regular exercise schedule also maintained a daily calorie count of 1,500.

Please note that everyone is different, and your required daily calorie intake depends on your body. If you are interested in making changes to your diet, it’s best to work with a nutritional counselor.

Woman Working Out by Lifting Weights

Love Your Heartbeat

One of the major health benefits of weight training is that it’s super heart-healthy. The improved blood pressure that your body will enjoy from regular weight training will keep your ticker in top shape, helping you avoid developing heart disease and hypertension.

Set Your Own Pace

Everybody has a different workout preference. Many of us live for exercising in a group setting, while some prefer one-on-one sessions with a coach. Others may prefer to work out entirely on their own. All of these styles are possible with lifting. For people who prefer to exercise solo, weight lifting can be especially appealing.

One of the benefits of lifting weights is that you can work when you want, at the pace of your choice, for as long as you want. This is especially true when you join a gym with 24/7 access, like Jack City! Want to hit the barbells in the wee hours of the morning? It’s possible with a 24-hour gym (and if you’ve never had a late-night lift sesh, you are seriously missing out).

Reach Your Goals—All of Them.

We all have goals. Some of them are fitness-related, sure, but plenty of them are related to other parts of our lives. While muscle gain might be high on your list, it won’t be the only goal that weight lifting will help you achieve. Chances are, increasing your workout game will help your mind work more effectively.

Studies have even found that professionals are more likely to be 15% more productive at work on gym days than on skipped days. This is likely because gym days are super productive—and that makes setting goals and reaching them much easier.

Remember: every one of your successful workouts is a goal met. Every time you gain muscle mass, you’re hitting a longer-term goal. This mindset can easily translate to your everyday life and goals! Setting long-term goals for your future, like buying a house, nailing your dream job, or learning a new skill, can all be treated with the same attitude as your workout.

Sleep Well

Bad sleep = bad vibes. We all know this, but getting a good night’s sleep can be harder than it seems. This is one of our favorite health benefits of weight lifting: it can help you get better rest. Recent studies have proven that weight training can provide a more peaceful and less disruptive night’s sleep.

Maintain Bone Health

Athletes who practice weight training enjoy improved bone density and structural strength. This is a particularly important benefit to pay mind to as you get older; after you turn 30, your bone density production begins to taper off, which can eventually result in pain, breaks, or osteoporosis.

Step Up Your Game

Even elite athletes have room for improvement—and many turn to weight lifting to hone their skills. Weight training improves your athletic performance by:

Ease Pain

The less physical pain you feel daily, the more motivated you’ll feel to exercise. Regular weight training can help prevent pain in particular areas of your body. For example, weight training is a great way to strengthen your core, which in turn supports your back during long periods of sitting. Many athletes who work must sit for their jobs find that weight training helps keep their back from hurting.

Get Lifting at Jack City Fitness!

What are you waiting for? It’s time to get lifting! Call Jack City Fitness at (208) 999-1111 today to learn more about Boise’s top spot to lift with a trainer, in a class, or on your own. We can’t wait to help you meet your goals!

 

SOURCES:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-endorphins

Your post-run meal is an important part of your workout. Whether you are curious about what to eat after a run to lose weight or planning to enhance your workouts with the right recovery food, we have answers for you.

Whether you choose to run on the streets, in the woods, or on specialized workout equipment, the basics remain the same. For instance, it’s crucial for athletes to lace up some good shoes and engage in a proper warm-up before their run. It’s also essential for athletes to consider what they put in their bodies before, during, and after they run. Proper hydration, as well as both pre- and post-run food, are key elements to success.

Though many athletes have nailed their hydration and pre-run meal routines, some of our members have questions about which foods to eat after running. This is understandable. Following a big run, it’s natural to want to get in the shower, cool down, and relax—not prepare an entire meal. But missing this step of your workout is, frankly, not a great decision. Whatever the goals of an individual athlete might be, from losing weight to gaining muscle, it is incredibly important to eat healthy food after running. However, those foods might differ according to those varying goals.

So, what is the best food to eat after a run? There is not just one answer to this question. As we mentioned above, the best recovery food for runners will depend on their goals and desired results.

What to Eat After a Run to Lose Weight

Many athletes choose running as part of their larger weight loss regimen, which often includes a special nutrition plan, targeted workouts, and one-on-one personal coaching. Following a workout or run, these athletes are encouraged to consume a nourishing recovery meal. Generally, this meal should be one that helps heal muscles while not adding unnecessary or empty calories.

Need some inspo for a nutritious but low-cal meal to eat after your run? Try working with some of the following ingredients:

We are huge fans of eating beets following a workout, as they contain dietary nitrates that can help enhance your future running performances. Plus, they’re absolutely delicious. We love this recipe for beet hummus with hazelnut dukkah—yum!

Woman Drinking Healthy Fruits After a Run

What To Eat After a Run To Gain Muscle

For those who are running as part of their plan to bulk up or grow muscle, there are many options for post-workout food. The aforementioned foods and ingredients are great choices for bodybuilders, along with the following:

Best Recovery Food After a LONG Run

If you tend to engage in more long-distance running, your body might need a little more TLC while you enjoy your post-workout meal. Though all of the previously discussed foods are fine choices following your long run, we also recommend you add:

Where Can I Become a Better Runner?

Boise athletes, we’ve got you covered. Whether you are planning to run a marathon, want to beat your personal best, or are simply looking to learn more about your own physical fitness, your future is waiting for you at Jack City Fitness.

Here at Jack City, we cater to athletes of all kinds, including runners! Athletes can train with a number of experienced and dedicated coaches to ensure that their form is on point and their body is primed and ready to run as far and fast as their goals dictate. Our partners are invited to visit the Jack City facility whenever they want—we are open 24/7, so athletes can choose a schedule that works for them, not the other way around. Many of our runners gravitate to our famous Woodway treadmills, which are known for their supermodern engineering and exceptional results.

If you’re ready to hit the ground running at Jack City Fitness, get in touch with our team today by calling (208) 999-1111, or drop us a line. We’ll invite you over for a FREE fitness consultation, where you can chat with our team about your personal fitness goals. If you decide to become a partner, you’ll be able to join the fun right away, whether you choose to take a class, work with a trainer, or develop your own custom fitness plan. We are here to support you and help you reach your goals. We can’t wait to meet you!

 

We all know the feeling of dragging ourselves out of bed when we’d much rather sleep in. According to experts, this is usually caused by one of two things: staying up too late or poor sleep quality. In fact, it is believed that around 35% of adults and up to 85% of teens don’t get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is bad news for anyone and can have serious health consequences, both physical and mental. However, when it comes to athletic performance, the effects of poor sleep on muscle recovery are truly shocking. 

Turns out a good night’s sleep before a competition is not only advisable – it is essential. This is because rest is essential for muscle recovery and sleep is the optimal form of rest for your body. It is when you sleep that your body gains the benefits of your workout and carries out all-important maintenance that lets you come back better and stronger the next day. 

Sleep, therefore, is more than just a part of an all-around healthy lifestyle. Sleep may, in fact, be the deciding factor when it comes to smashing your training and fitness goals. Experts even suggest that the current sleep guidelines (7-9 hours per night) are not enough for athletes, who should aim for around 10. So, why is sleep so important for an athlete’s body and how can you improve your sleep schedule to boost your training performance? We delve into the evidence to find out! 

Sleep Supports Healthy Immune Response  

Sleep helps regulate the overall function of your body by supporting your immune system. A properly functioning immune system is a vital component of good health. Your immune system helps your body ward off disease and is also important for muscle recovery. 

This is because the process of muscle recovery and growth relies heavily on the immune response. When you train your muscles, with an aim to making them stronger, you perform resistance movements that damage the muscles. These movements break down the fibers and proteins that form the muscles and create inflammation. The immune response then kicks in and repairs this damaged area, rebuilding the muscle to make it larger and stronger than before. Not only does this process require a fast and effective immune response it also takes place during rest – not during your workout. Therefore, sleep is crucial for muscle recovery after workout sessions where you’ve challenged your muscles and aimed to gain strength.

Sleep Allows You to Process Information

Your body doesn’t only work on muscle recovery while sleeping, it also restores and refreshes cognitive function. During sleep, your body has the bandwidth to process new information learned throughout the day and create new neural pathways. This is not only important for memory and mental activity but aids the formation of things like muscle memory. 

Without this, athletes will not be able to progress as effectively with their training as they will find it harder to learn new skills and build upon those already learned. Poor sleep can also affect skills like physical coordination. Coordination is essential for athletes moving through routines or making quick, effective movements. 

The scariest part? It’s impossible to shortcut a lack of sleep by ‘catching up’ at the weekend or after a competition has passed. In fact, if you fail to get adequate sleep for several nights in a row, your tiredness will accumulate into what is referred to as a ‘sleep debt.’ Even if you do then oversleep, your cognitive and physical ability will likely remain impaired for some time. Doing this consistently is associated with long-term health consequences, like heart disease, cancer, and memory problems. Remember that next time you plan to stay out late and train early the next morning!

Lack of Sleep Affects Your Hormones 

Hormones play an important role in muscle recovery time and muscle growth. One of the hormonal reasons that sleep for muscle recovery is especially important is the release of HGH (human growth hormone) during REM sleep. During normal sleep (when we sleep for 7-9 hours per night), our body moves through several sleep cycles. Sleep cycles are around 90 minutes on average and alternate between the REM (rapid eye movement) phase and deep sleep. REM sleep is vital for the muscle recovery process as it is during this time that the body and mind make major repairs and parse information gathered the previous day. REM also accumulates throughout the night so the longer you sleep, the more effective this process. 

Sleep Regulates Muscle Recovery and Weight Loss 

It is not only those looking to build muscle who should aim for quality sleep, but also people who want to lose weight. Based on a study by Columbia University, researchers determined that people who were sleep-deprived showed greater interest in high-calorie foods compared to those with adequate sleep. Hunger is largely regulated by hormones and, since lack of sleep can damage hormone profiles, consistent exhaustion could lead us to overeat. 

Sleep can also impact the production of hormones, such as insulin, that regulate glucose levels. Elevated insulin levels over time can lead to insulin resistance and can cause us to feel low on energy even when we’ve technically consumed enough. Excess calorie consumption can lead to weight gain, and insulin resistance is a key factor in the development of Type 2 Diabetes. 

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep?

If you’re an athlete or someone who trains regularly, it’s important to develop a good muscle recovery routine. This should include a muscle recovery day after workout sessions, good nutrition, and (most importantly) a consistent sleep schedule. Here’s what experts suggest: 

While junk and high calories foods looked appetizing to those who had not had enough sleep, some foods are believed to be sleep supporting. High protein foods like Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and walnuts are great options for an evening snack. It’s also a good idea for muscle recovery to incorporate a protein powder or pre-workout shake into your routine. If you are interested you can try some of the best pre workout for women.

Most athletes know a thing or two about self-care. From icing your joints after a tough session to stocking up on some healthy carbs after a long run. Rest is vital for muscle recovery and should always be prioritized, even during a competitive training routine as this is where your body really does the work.

While getting a great night’s sleep is advisable, it isn’t always easy. You can make it gentler on yourself by creating and sticking to a night-time routine. Try to go to bed at the same time every now and relax before you do. Perhaps take a soothing hot bath, set a curfew on screen time, and make sure your room is at a comfortable temperature. 

Conclusion 

So, does lack of sleep affect muscle recovery? The research certainly seems to point in this direction. To get the most from your athletic training, aim to get at least 9 hours of sleep per night and take rest and recovery days during your schedule. This will help you get the most from your body while supporting your physical development and overall health.

Final Call: Do you get enough sleep? How do you help yourself stick to a positive sleep schedule? Let us know in the comments! 

Author’s Bio: Thomas Nemel is an all-around fitness fanatic. He enthusiastically builds his dream body, enjoying karate classes, loves weight training, and blogging in his own time.

Don’t risk injury: it’s crucial to warm up before you exercise. Unsure of the best warm up exercises for your routine? Your friends at Jack City Fitness are here to teach you how to warm up properly and avoid injury.

 

Ready for a successful workout or even an eventual body transformation? Begin with the proper foundation! Without engaging in some warm up exercises, you could risk getting injured. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prepare your body for a workout. No matter what your fitness style may be, there’s an enjoyable and effective way for you to warm up before you exercise. 

 

We checked in with our crew at Jack City about their favorite lower, upper, and full body warm up exercises. They had plenty to say. We’re here to share their insights with you now.

 

How Does Warming Up Prevent Injury?

The concept of a warm-up spans many activities and concepts, from singing to playing sports. The end goal remains the same: by giving your body the chance to warm up, you are preparing it for the activity ahead. 

 

A great analogy for the benefit of warm up exercises can be explained using a protein bar. If you put a bar into the freezer, take it out and try to bend it, what will happen? One of two things: it’ll either remain solid, or your protein bar will snap in half. However, if you let it warm up on your counter for a while, it will bend with ease. Your body functions the same way. Attempting to exercise with stiff muscles can result in injury that, believe us, you’d rather avoid. 

 

What Are Some Ways to Warm Up Before Exercise?

Some athletes prefer to prep specific body parts per their daily routine, while others go for a full body warm up. Here are a few of each for you to try:

 

Our Favorite Upper Body Warm Up Exercises

 

Arm Circles

This simple warm up will prep your body for arm day. Plus, arm circles and will even provide a gentle workout.

 

To try it yourself, plant your feet on the ground, right beneath your shoulders. Lift your arms and extend them outwards so that they run parallel to the ground.

Beginning with small movements, circle both your arms forward. Be sure to keep your arms straight the whole time. Gradually, make the circles bigger and bigger. 

 

After ten seconds, switch directions. 

 

Face Pulls

This warm up routine will ensure that your shoulders can withstand any workout. 

 

For performing a face pull, you will need a resistance band. Secure your band to a stationary surface. When it’s attached, and you’re ready to begin, hold on to each side of the band with your palms facing in. Bring your shoulder blades towards another with a big squeeze, and begin to pull the resistance band backwards towards you. Hold and then return to your beginning position. Repeat for three sets of ten reps.

 

Back to Wall Shoulder Flexion

This warm-up works your shoulders, particularly your scapulae. Back to Wall Shoulder Flexion is very simple to perform and requires no equipment other than a wall. 

 

Give this warm-up a try by standing with your back to a wall. Be sure to keep your back nice and straight. Your feet should be about 6 inches away from the wall.

Bring your chin towards your chest in a ‘tucking’ pose. You want your palms facing outwards, with your thumbs touching the wall. Bring your arms up and over your head so that you’re in a Y-shape. Your back should remain against the wall. Bring your arms down to rest, and then repeat for three sets of ten reps.

 

Our Favorite Lower Body Warm Up Exercises

 

FAST Hip Rocks

This warm-up prepares your— you guessed it— hips for a larger workout. The name also implies speed, but FAST stands for ‘Forward, Angle, Side, Traverse.’ 

To perform FAST hip rocks, begin by kneeling on your mat: one foot will be in front of you, kneeling, while the other will be flat on the ground behind you.

 

Start by rocking your body back and forth, leaning deeply into your front knee. After five reps of this, shift your front foot so that your leg is now diagonal to your torso. Do five more reps of your rocking movements at this new angle. Then, bring your front foot over to the side of your body and again, do five reps of rocking. Finally, bring your foot to a transverse angle (that’s diagonal and backwards,) for a final set of five reps.

Switch your legs and repeat the entire sequence at least ten times.

 

Jump Squats

Though jump squats are a proper workout in their own right, they also make for an incredibly effective lower body warm up.

 

Performing a jump squat means that you start by planting your feet on your mat, about shoulder width apart. Then, put your hands on your hips and lower yourself into a squat— you want your hips to be parallel to your mat. Next, jump up! Land as softly as possible, and repeat the whole thing. We recommend 2-3 sets of 5 reps.

Our Favorite Full Body Warm Up Exercises

 

Lunges

Lunges are a classic warm up move and can be used to begin any workout. Runners and joggers particularly love them. There are several lunge varieties: front, side, back, or even side with a twist all make for great pre-workout routines.

 

Today, we’ll focus on a basic front lunge. To perform, begin in a standing position, with an engaged core and your feet hip-width apart. Start by bringing your right foot forward in a big step. You want to do this while bringing your weight forward— your heel should be the first to land. Lower your body, bringing your right shin vertical, and your thigh parallel to the mat. If you can manage, tap your left knee to the floor— but don’t shift the weight from your right heel. To come back into your starting pose, push into your right heel, and move back up. Switch sides and repeat for 15 reps. We usually do about 3 sets of reps here.

 

Walkout Plank

Most athletes have warmed up with a walkout plank at some point in their careers— it’s a popular choice for sure! It can be done anywhere, any time, so it’s a great way to begin a home workout. 

 

To perform a walkout plank, begin at the back of your yoga mat, with an open chest, and your arms extended towards the sky. Look upwards. With a straight back, bend yourself forward at the hips and lower your hands to your mat. Then, physically ‘walk’ your hands down your mat so that you’re eventually in a plank position. With each step, you can hold to give your calfs a little extra stretch, too. Hold the pose before walking your hands back over to your feet. Slowly come back up, vertebrae by vertebrae, keeping your head lowered the entire time— it should be the last thing to straighten. Repeat 6-10 times.

 

Whatever you’re warming up for, we’re here to see you through. At Jack City Fitness, athletes of every level have a supportive and engaging space to work out, hone their game, and connect to likeminded people. With a passionate team of fitness and nutrition coaches, a dynamic selection of in-house classes, 24/7 gym access to all partners, and options for custom online or team sessions, there’s no better spot in Boise to get fit and feel great.

 

Are you ready to get started? Get in touch with our crew today by dropping us a line here or calling (208) 999-1111. We can’t wait to see what you’re made of!

 

Does this scenario sound familiar?

 

It’s pouring rain. Your cat woke you up before sunrise to go outside. You had back-to-back meetings all day. After work, you hit the gym. Now, you’re heading home and you’re starving. Your favorite show is on and you want to eat dinner while you watch. The problem? You have no idea what you want to eat. Cooking sounds tiring after a long day, and doing dishes afterward sounds pretty bad too. You head to the grocery store anyway. There are too many options and you panic, grab a mediocre frozen pizza, and head home. 

 

Later, as you’re browsing Instagram, you see photo after photo of food. Lush salads. Vibrant smoothie bowls. Creatively plated meals of all types. Suddenly, you’re feeling sad about your dinner— why didn’t you make a kimchi stew as well? Everything looks packed with flavor and healthy, too. Your soggy pizza seems weak in comparison. You feel cheated. How on earth do these people manage to cook things like this on a weeknight?!

 

When you have a busy life, maintaining a nourishing diet can feel like a challenge. This feeling leads to making quick but not very nutritious meal decisions. However, there is a way to eat home-cooked meals midweek without spending every night in the kitchen… Welcome to the marvelous world of meal prep. Likely, you’ve heard of the concept. It’s a hugely popular way for busy people to ensure they eat well every day. Lots of people even dedicate an entire day to it — #mealprepsunday has over seven thousand posts just on Instagram. We love the concept of reserving a day just for meal prep, as it removes a lot of stress and decision-making from the rest of your week. 

 

Just a Few Reasons We Love Meal Prep

Quite a few members of our crew at Jack City Fitness swear by the benefits of  #mealpreplife. Some of those reasons?

 

 

 

Sure, putting a day aside to cook a bunch of food doesn’t exactly sound like a time-saver, but hear us out. A day of cooking, if done in an organized manner, will rack up far fewer hours than you’d imagine.

Rather than spend every day hemming and hawing over what you’re in the mood for, searching for a recipe, fighting crowds at the supermarket, cooking dinner, and then cleaning, you instead have one job after work: reheating something you’ve already made. 

 

 

 

Decision-making can really wear some people down. Sometimes, the responsibility of choosing what to eat and cook can be very overwhelming. Meal prep erases this stress, allowing you to make a few big decisions on your own time. 

 

 

 

Sticking to a routine can be great for your mental health. Dedicating one day a week to meal prep is a fantastic way to give yourself a healthy schedule. The same goes for searching for recipes, grocery shopping, and even cleaning dishes. Structure is good. 

 

 

 

When you have the time to plan your meals in advance, you’re less likely to impulsively choose something like fried macaroni and cheese balls. This is also a great way to stick to a specific nutrition plan, like if you’re trying to build muscle. 

 

 

 

Meal prep is a great way to utilize bulk-buying and will create less waste. We highly recommend investing in sustainable containers for storing your meals, as well as your own bags and/or containers for shopping. Some bulk stores will even give you a discount if you bring your own containers! 

 

 

 

Cooking in bulk will naturally enhance your skills in the kitchen. With each passing week, you’ll find that you can cut faster, work in a more organized manner, and have an increasingly better sense of timing and flavor. Soon enough, you might even find that you don’t need recipes at all — though some of us will always prefer to use one.

 

 

 

Meal prep is straight-up awesome. It gives you the chance to be creative, try new things, and it gives you more time during the week to do what you enjoy. 

 

Some of Our Favorite Meal Prep Ideas

Ready to get started? Here are some of our favorite meal prep ideas. 

 

 

 

Burritos are one of THE most popular choices for meal prep, and we can see why. They’re one of the most versatile foods around; they can be made to suit practically any diet. Even those who can’t do gluten can skip the tortillas and create burrito bowls instead.

One of the main reasons that meal preppers love burritos? They are super easy to make and store in bulk. They also freeze well, so you don’t need to eat a week straight of burritos — you can stow them away for when you want one. 

We love the bulk burrito recipes from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. Otherwise, you can experiment with your own! Whether you choose to make tofu rajas, carne asada, or your own invention? That’s up to you. 

 

 

 

Like burritos, grain bowls or “nourish bowls” are a really versatile option. You can make an enormous batch of your preferred grain — rice, quinoa, faro, millet are all popular choices — and then prep any topping that you like. This is a great way to bring some variety to your week while still having a streamlined meal prep process: store all of your special veggies and toppings separately, and mix and match as you go. 

We love them because they can follow any theme. Craving middle eastern food? Top your bowl with hummus, za’atar-spiced chickpeas, chopped veggies, and the shawarma-spiced protein of your choice. Would rather something Japanese inspired? Some shelled edamame beans, nori strips, miso tossed cucumbers, and marinated tofu will be delicious. The sky’s the limit. 

 

For some grain bowl inspo, we recommend heading over to Fine Cooking — they break down the “anatomy of the grain bowl” for beginners. After long, we reckon you’ll be coming up with your own.

 

 

 

Chili is fantastic for meal prep for a few reasons. First of all, it’s a cheap and easy meal to make enormous batches of. Secondly, there are a million ways to make it. Depending on your taste, you can make vegetarian versions, versions with no beans, versions with tons of beans, a “green” variety… the list goes on. Third, chili is one of those special dishes that tastes way better after it’s had time to settle in the fridge. Finally, chili is a crockpot champion, and crockpots are a meal-preppers secret weapon.

If you decide to make chili the star of a week’s prep, you can make your life much easier by cooking it in the crockpot. It’s safe to leave cooking while you sleep or leave the house, so you can make a meal while you’re out getting things done.

Another plus? Cooking in the crockpot leaves you more kitchen space to prepare other things. That means you can pair your chili with different things every night, like mashed potatoes, rice, homemade bread, or even spaghetti. 

If you have a tried-and-true chili recipe, it’s easy to convert that method to the crockpot. Cook and sear everything as you would normally, but transfer it to the crockpot when it’s time to start simmering. Otherwise, the AllRecipes version of slow-cooker chili never disappoints. 

 

 

Lentils are a meal-prep staple. Most people we know love to work with them for a few reasons. Firstly, they’re incredibly filling and nutritious. Second, they are cheap to buy in bulk. Third, there are a million ways to prepare them. 

 

If you love hot meals like stews or curries, you can make dal or lentil soup. Like chili, they tend to taste even better after a couple of days, making them meal prep legends. We also love that they work with any protein, as a stand-alone vegetarian meal, or even as a ground meat replacement. 

 

If cold dishes are more your style, there are loads of lentil-based salads to make and try. Just be sure to store any herbs or veg separately to avoid anything getting soggy. 

 

As die-hard Yotam Ottolenghi fans, we have to recommend his crushed lentils with tahini and cumin… yum! 

 

 

 

When we say pie, we’re not talking strawberry-rhubarb or pumpkin. We’re thinking more along the lines of pot pies, quiche, spanakopita, or empanadas. These are a great choice for meal prep as they are super easy to make in batches, freeze well, and reheat like a charm. They also are clean and portable, making them a great option for work lunches and meals on the go. 

There are a few ways you can go about batch-baking pies. 

 

 

 

If you like working with your hands, these are a great choice. You can cook up a few fillings (or even utilize some leftovers), and fold away to your heart’s content. Whether you choose to make a traditional hand-pie, like empanadas or patties, or create your own version is up to you. 

We recently tried a sweet potato, coconut, and spinach hand pie that rocked our world. (If you make something like that, we’re not opposed to you bringing a spare pie over to Jack City…)

 

 

 

These are really simple to make — simply press your preferred base into muffin tins and top with whatever fillings you’ve made for the week. These will freeze well and reheat quickly. 

 

 

 

Salads have been unfairly maligned as boring. Ridiculous claim. That’s like calling music boring. Sure, some flaccid lettuce, soggy shredded carrots, and slushy orange tomatoes drowned in ranch dressing may not be the most appealing idea to you. But that’s not what defines a salad. Salads can include all sorts of tasty ingredients, from nuts and seeds to dried fruits to roasted veg to your favorite grain or meat. 

Our main tip for salad-based meal prep is never to dress or mix things in advance. Cut, grate, roast, marinate, and prepare everything in advance, but don’t mix everything together until mealtime. Trust us on that one.

Some of our all-time favorite salads come from an Australian cookbook called Community. Many of their salad recipes are available online — definitely give it a look. 

 

 

 

Soups and stews are meal prep staples, especially during the chillier months. They tend to be slow-cooker friendly and often only use one or two pots — score!

 

Speaking of soups, a note on stock: it’s helpful to always have some in your freezer. Every time you cook or have a meal prep day, you can save the scraps of all of your vegetables (minus anything cruciferous), as well as bones and meat leftovers. Keep everything in a sturdy, freezer-safe container until it’s full. Then, throw it all in your slow cooker or stock pot, cover it with water, throw some peppercorns and salt in there, and you’ve got the makings of an awesome (and eco-friendly!) stock. Strain it after a few hours, and freeze it in stackable containers. We even like to fill a few ice trays with it, so it can be easily popped into a recipe. 

 

Feeling inspired to start meal prep but want to learn more about nutrition? We’ve got you. At Jack City Fitness, our team includes dedicated nutrition counselors who work with our partners on developing healthy and delicious eating habits for life. Drop us a line or call 1-208-999-1111, and we’ll invite you to our Boise facility to meet our team. While you’re here, you can try a free fitness consultation, pop into one of our classes, and see our cutting-edge equipment. If you choose to sign up, you’ll have 24-7 access to our gym, and plenty of resources to stay as healthy as possible. 

 

We can’t wait to see what you’re made of!

 

During the festive season, we tend to live by a different set of rules and our normal standards can fly out the window. And that’s okay — celebrating holidays with loved ones is one of the great joys of life. It’s okay if you had a few more glasses of prosecco or cookies off Santa’s plate than you’d planned. It’s also okay if a busy calendar of parties and events left you less active than you normally tend to be. It’s all a part of enjoying the holiday spirit — but now, your winter clothes aren’t fitting the way they did last year. 

 

Don’t panic. Plenty of people gain a little weight over the holidays. However, if you’d like to drop those extra pounds, we’re here to help make that happen. Our team at Jack City Fitness is passionate about nutrition, exercise, and healthy living. We love working with partners to reach goals that make them feel great. 

 

If you’re eating a nutritious diet and keeping physically active, you’re already off to a great start. Hoping for some tips to optimize your already-healthy habits? We’ve got you. Here are our top ten ways to burn some of those extra holiday calories during your daily life.

 

 

 

It’s said that the average human being makes a mind-blowing 35,000 decisions over the course of one day. Some feel bigger than others, but every choice you make plays a larger role in your life. Every time you swipe away on a dating app or order a smoothie, you’re making a decision. While these choices seem inconsequential, the truth is that they hold weight. After all, enough tiny drops of water will eventually become a flood.

It’s with this philosophy in mind that we bring you our first calorie-burning trick. Though it’s impossible to consider every daily decision you make, you can focus on a few choices to help improve your life. 

In your daily life, you often need to decide how you’ll get from place to place. This can mean anything from your work commute to how you’ll get upstairs to your apartment. Our advice is to always choose the most active option that you are capable of doing. This can mean walking or biking home from work instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or using a yoga ball rather than a chair at your work desk. 

 

 

 

Okay, okay. We know. As we’re writing this, the current temperature in Boise is 30 degrees. But hear us out. 

Riding a bike is a fantastic way to stay healthy both mentally and physically. It’s low-impact, so it’s an appropriate way for people of varying ages and skill levels to stay active. It’s fantastic for one’s cardiovascular system, stress levels, and overall bodily health. It’s also a way to lose weight (cardio is great that way) and remains a favorite of both our staff and partners.

During the snowless months, riding your bike to work, school, or on errands is a great way to get fresh air into your lungs and burn extra calories. However, there’s no reason that you can’t start with cycling right now. The cycling machines at your favorite fitness center are a great way to bike no matter what the weather — and you can even watch your favorite show while you do it. 

 

 

 

How lucky are we that music exists? A good tune can change your mood, inspire you, and speak to you in a way that’s unlike anything else. 

When it comes to getting fit and losing a few extra pounds, music can make a big difference. Whether you’re working away on the treadmill, walking to work, or even having a mini dance party while cleaning your house, your favorite song is likely to put some pep in your step.

Head over to your favorite music-streaming service and start putting some tracks together. Some apps, like Spotify, even have pre-made workout playlists so you can just click and go. 

 

 

 

Over the holiday seasons, we don’t just stop paying attention to the ingredients in our meals. We also tend to have larger servings than we normally do. However, now that you’re dodging curbside Christmas trees and already seeing Easter cards at the supermarket, you know that the holiday season is officially finished for the year. 

You love eating healthy, but you don’t want to abandon your favorite treats entirely. That’s completely okay — everybody deserves food that they love. The key is to manage your portion sizes: start small and remind yourself that you can always have a second helping if you’re starving when your plate is clear. We also recommend eating slowly, and using a smaller plate to make your portion look larger — the human brain is easier to trick than you’d think.

 

 

 

How much do you cook? Whether you’re a budding restauranteur or have never even scrambled an egg, there’s plenty of cooking skills for you to learn. 

Take this as an opportunity to pick up some new cooking skills. There are countless cookbooks, websites, and blogs that specialize in nourishing recipes. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you’ll probably begin creating your own healthy dishes without even needing someone else’s recipes. 

If you’re unsure where to start, we love British cookbook author and celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver — his entire mission revolves making delicious food both healthy and easy to prepare at home. 

For some gorgeous (albeit less newbie-oriented) inspo, look for recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi. He has both a Guardian column as well as quite a few cookbooks. Believe us — this man takes vegetables to another level entirely.

 

 

 

Speaking of vegetables: are you getting enough of them in your daily diet? How about fruit? Water?

Perhaps you’re familiar with the concept of “Five a Day.” This international campaign urges people to consume at five servings of fruit and vegetables every day — and that’s the minimum. Ideally, you should be consuming more — some experts even suggest 10 servings of fruits and veggies per day. Consuming this amount of produce daily isn’t only for weight loss, but it will certainly prove helpful. We recommend heaping your plate high with veggies and eating them before moving onto the other parts of your meal. You won’t be as tempted to instantly slam two pieces of lasagne if you’ve just eaten a huge salad. 

 

While we’re on the subject of daily doses, let’s talk hydration. How much water do you drink per day? The general rule is 8 glasses, which comes out to about half a gallon, or 2 liters. 

Staying properly hydrated will make you feel great, keep your energy levels high for exercise, and makes your skin look fantastic. It also fills you up, which is important because we often mistake thirst for hunger.

 

 

 

Sometimes, it’s possible to sneak little workouts into your errands. For example, when we head to the grocery store, we’ve started ditching the shopping cart in favor of a basket. We recommend you give it a shot. By making the tiny choice of basket vs cart, you are actually giving yourself an impromptu lifting session right in the supermarket. You can even do a few curls with your basket! We also like this technique because it gives you a chance to truly consider every food purchase you make — after all, you don’t want to carry more than you need. 

Of course, errands likely aren’t the only thing on your to-do list. Been putting off a call? Throw on a set of Airpods and walk while you talk. Need to get a haircut? Find one within walking distance. Have a dog? Bring her to the woods instead of around your block. There are always ways to sneak activity into your routine. 

 

 

 

It’s so tempting to order delivery or buy a frozen pizza instead of cook a nourishing dinner. It’s equally enticing to call an Uber instead of walking to that party, to have your shopping delivered rather than strolling around a store, or to make your dinner from “just add water” packets rather than whole ingredients. We get it. Your life is busy, and responsibilities often hit a fever pitch following the holiday season. Catching up on post-vacation work as well as social and family responsibilities are valid reasons for wanting to take advantage of technology and the ease it presents. 

Though these convenient inventions are always a handy way to get things done, they aren’t very helpful when it comes to losing weight. If you’re looking to shed those extra holiday pounds, we recommend activity over app-tivity. Not only will it beget healthier eating habits, the extra movements will burn some calories.

 

 

 

If you have a sugar addiction, you’re not alone: it’s one of the hardest habits to kick. It’s also one of the most dangerous vices we can think of: excessive sugar consumption can lead to all sorts of scary problems, from tooth decay to heart disease. It’s also a known contributor to obesity.

Cutting sugar out of your diet is a fantastic way to look after your health, but we know it’s not always easy. Finding more nourishing alternatives as sweet treats can feel daunting, but there are loads of options. Here are some of our favorites:

Blending a frozen banana with some unsweetened peanut butter and raw cacao powder will create a soft and creamy dessert that tastes exactly like a milkshake.

Try swapping your sugar and butter for some mashed sweet potato — it’ll give the same fudgy and decadent texture and flavor that you’re after.

 

 

Instead of chugging loads of sugar, make your own version of a soft drink by infusing some plain seltzer water with your favorite fruit. 

 

 

 

When you were a kid, physical activity likely played a huge role in your daily life. As an adult, you may not have the time or inclination to spend hours jumping rope or chasing your friends around the neighborhood, but there’s still plenty for you to learn from your inner child. Whether you now have your own little ones to play with or not, these fun activities are a great way to get moving and have fun in a way you haven’t for years.

A few ideas:

 

 

Instead of using snowy days as a reason to throw on Netflix, try bundling up and heading outside. Channel your inner Frozen characters and build a snowman, or finally erect the grand fort that you never made as a little kid. Throw some snowballs at your house. It’ll get your blood pumping, and you’ll head back inside later with a smile on your face. 

 

 

If you enjoyed a certain sport as a kid, it’s not too late to get back into the game. Joining an intramural team is a fantastic way to build friendships and stay active. 

 

 

As a kid, jumping on a trampoline was akin to flying. As an adult, it’s tougher work — and it burns a ton of calories. If your kids (or your friends’ kids) have a trampoline, shake off your shoes, climb aboard, and have a jump. It’s fun and it’ll get your heart pounding. 

 

Bonus Tip: You won’t need to shed any extra pounds next year if you go into the holidays with a new attitude towards your personal health and nutritional needs. Here at Jack City Fitness, our coaches are ready to help you build healthy eating and workout habits that will carry you through your life — including the tempting holiday season. Give us a call today, and we’ll invite you to come visit our Boise facility. You can peek into a class, chat with some of our coaches, and even undergo a free fitness consultation. From there, you’ll have 24/7 access to our fitness center, and loads of classes and special services to help you meet your goals. Let’s get started today!

 

A new year isn’t the only thing approaching this January—we’re entering a new decade. And what a whirlwind the past one has been! When we rang in the new year in 2010, smartphones and tablets were still a brand new concept, and something that most people didn’t own or know how to use. Even the term “app” was more closely associated with a plate of nachos than it was with a downloadable program!

 

Ten years ago, it was hard for many to imagine that a telephone could help you optimize your workout. These days, there are lots of ways to do this—most smartphones even have a step-counting app built into their system, so you can see how many miles logged in your daily routine. (We know some people who take their phones EVERYWHERE just to beat their own scores.) 

 

We are huge advocates of fitness apps, as they allow athletes to create and reach their goals in a way that gives them total control, yet still holds them accountable. These apps provide all sorts of useful tools, from tracking and logging to rest-timers, step calculators, routine management resources, and more. Whether you want a way to communicate with other athletes, track your progress, or learn new ways to get fit, these apps keep you in your highest form—and make it easy and fun to do so. 

 

The truth is that we don’t know what the next decade holds. Eventually apps might be replaced by a new fitness innovation that we can’t yet dream of. Until then, however, we’re big fans of using them to make our lives easier across the board. After all, most of us can no longer imagine consuming music and movies, navigating public transport, or hitting the gym without our devices and the apps that live in them. We’re grateful to have all of this at our disposal—and we want to make the most of it. 

 

So, Boise, if you’re ready to ring in the new year with your fitness resolutions made simple, there is indeed “an app for that.”  Here are some of our favorite workout apps from the last part of the decade, which will help usher you into 2020 at the top of your game. 

 

 

 

For many athletes, this is THE fitness tracking app, so we would be amiss to exclude it. 

 

FitBit has been around for a long time—in fact, the company existed for three years when we entered the 2010s. However, its products improved and expanded greatly over the decade, and it wasn’t until the last few years that it became a household name. The FitBit watches and trackers that we know today have inspired countless athletes to push themselves to the limits and feel complete control over their workout and physical health. 

 

Any FitBit owner knows that in order to make the most of their devices, they need the app. However, people who don’t own the branded watches or devices can still use and benefit from the app—it’s great for weight, activity, and nutrition management.

App Cost: Free!

 

 

 

There are a few things we love about this nutrition and diet-focused fitness app. First of all, it has tons of ways to make sure that you are making all the right moves towards your weight loss and fitness goals, from an enormous cache of nutritional information to modern logging tools like barcode scanners, ensuring that you are informed about everything you eat or cook. Secondly, it provides an excellent structure for keeping a food diary. Best of all, it comes with its own fitness community, so you can make friends, connect about similar goals, and help motivate others—and yourself. 

App Cost: There is a free app, and an expanded membership version with a fee.

 

 

 

If weightlifting is your activity of choice, you may already have this app. If you don’t, get ready—this is about to change everything for you. Our weight training coaches and partners cannot stop talking about the Strong app, which allows lifters to create routines and track their progress, all while offering helpful tools like timers and a plate calculator. 

App Cost: Free to download, but there are varying membership costs if you want to use it more than a few times. 

 

 

 

Though we appreciate the services of the paid membership apps, we’re always excited by one that’s entirely free—and actually really useful as well. FitNotes ticks both those boxes. This nifty app is akin to a digital notebook which you can use to save your workouts, and comes with a great database of routines and an easy-to-use calendar. It also shows you all kinds of helpful stats about your activity so you can understand your progress better. Pretty cool, if you ask us. 

App Cost: Free! 

 

 

 

This super user-friendly app is a favorite amongst Jack City partners and staff alike. It’s a great all-rounder tool for both gym and self-led workouts, and includes innovative features like a rest-timer and live workout tracking. It also syncs up with your Google account, which definitely comes in handy for most of us. This app also shows users helpful data and stats. 

App Cost: Free!

 

 

 

Here’s another one for the lifters in the house. RepCount is a name we were hearing again and again from our partners, so we decided to check it out—and did it ever deliver. This modern and well-designed tracker app doesn’t require a subscription—a perk to many—though there are paid versions with extra tools, like statistics. The free version allows for plenty of great features, from a rest-timer to unlimited routines and workout entries. 

App Cost: Free, though there is also a paid version

 

 

 

Daily Strength is one of the most impressive fitness apps out there, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it was already your favorite one to use. The company offers an extensive selection of tools and services for athletes to use, and the (fantastic) premium version only relies on a one-time fee of $10 rather than a monthly rate.  

 

The Daily Strength app is favorite because it includes a large collection of exercises to choose from, rest-timer tools, and even an option for super sets. They’ve also made it easy to add any exercises that you don’t find in their own library, so it suits any athlete with any routine. It even comes pre-loaded with tried and true routines, so you can hit the ground running whenever you’re ready.

App Cost: Free to download. The premium version is $10. 

 

 

 

As if seeing the Northern Lights and experiencing a Midsommar festival weren’t enough enticement to visit Sweden, we now have another reason—it’s the birthplace of one of our all-time favorite fitness apps.  Originally founded as Styrkelabbet and renamed in English once it made international waves, StrengthLog is beloved by athletes across the world for its sleek and easy-to-use design, and extensive tracking and educational tools. 

 

Athletes who download StrengthLog will be bowled over by the sheer magnitude of instructionals—the app includes hundreds of moves and exercises, as well as useful videos to help you execute them properly. It also features a fair amount of pre-planned routines and workouts for you to follow—a great tool whether you’re hoping to change things up in the new year, or if you’re just getting started at the gym altogether.

 

The tracking technology on this app is especially impressive—we love that it can log your reps, how much weight you’re lifting, and even your rest times. It also offers advanced stats, so you can analyze your performance in order to optimize your future workouts. 

 

A plus? We dig the built-in workout timer, which works even when you close the app. (See, YouTube? It’s not that hard.) 

App Cost: Free, with options for in-app purchases

 

 

 

There are lots of reasons to love JEFIT, but there’s one we particularly feel strongly about. This app, which provides workout tracking and planning tools, goes above and beyond in a way that we really respect. In order to motivate their users into sticking to their routines and resolutions, staying on track, and holding themselves accountable, they offer a unique points and rewards system. With JEFIT, the more diligent you are with exercise and filling out your rep and set “sheets,” the more points you get. Once you hit 1,000 points, the Elite version of the app is yours—for free. 

 

Aside from the points system, the app itself is also well-designed, helpful, and easy to use. In fact, they tout themselves as being the “#1 workout app” out there—and with over 7 million users worldwide, we can see why they would. We imagine this is partially because athletes of every ability find this app useful: aside from the tracking feature, JEFIT provides stats and analytics, a timer, body progress logging options, a hefty library of exercises, and even the option to record your physical progress through photos. It also has a built-in social network so you can connect to other athletes, learn from each other, and keep one another in the zone. 

 

All in all, it’s one of the most motivating fitness-related services that we know—and the fact that it’s all available on your device is pretty great. 

App Cost: The app is free to download—and that version has plenty to offer! There are also yearly and monthly-based subscription based “Elite” options.

 

 

 

Sure, just seeing the name will have you humming that Hercules song for days. However, there’s much more to the Zero to Hero app than a clever moniker. It’s designed for weight trainers and lifters, and prides itself in that it’s not only for pros or long-time athletes—with Zero to Hero, anybody in any shape can learn to perform in a way that makes them proud. It includes excellent exercise demos, easy-to-understand stats and analytics, plus a great timer and calculator designed to predict how long your sets will take. One of our favorite features is that it gives live notifications, even if your device is locked, so you don’t need to scramble with your phone mid-rep.

App Cost: Free, with in-app purchases available.

 

Don’t see your favorite app on here? Let us know! At Jack City Fitness, we always have our ear to the ground of the fitness world, and we love to know about the best and most innovative tricks and tools for staying fit, strong, and healthy. 

 

Not a partner yet? Give us a call or drop us a line. We’ll invite you to come and meet us at our Boise fitness center, where you can peek into a class, tour our sparkling facility, try our FREE fitness consultation, and get to know a few of our coaches and staff members. If you decide to partner up with us, we can get you started as soon as you want!

 

When you join the Jack City Fitness family, you unlock access to 24/7 gym use, a great selection of classes; personal, group, and team coaching; nutrition and dietary courses; and even custom-training options. We want you to meet all of your goals, and feel great about doing so—that’s the Jack City way. 

Get ready to ring in 2020 with your fitness future to the forefront. G ive us a call at +1 208-999-1111 or shoot us a message online and one of our team members will get in touch with you soon. We can’t wait to meet you and bring all of your potential to the forefront this new year.

The heart sure gets a lot of press. It’s the frequent subject of many a film, song, fairy tale, and poem. Its name is written in love letters and uttered in wedding vows, cartoonish renderings are scribbled through notebooks and valentines in schools across the world. The emoji keyboard is rife with them, in an array of colors and sizes. It’s a pervasive concept— and image— throughout society. It conveys the presence of special, indescribable emotions— and it has for a long time. For so long, in fact, that nobody really knows how a muscular organ came to represent romance and love. It is widely assumed that this belief came from the fact that when a person is around someone they love, their heart rate increases. 

Today, we know that the brain is the organ responsible for thought, and therefore romantic ponderings. However, the heart has plenty of other important jobs— namely, pumping blood through your body, hence keeping you alive. It’s also a crucial aspect of making the most out of a workout— after all, what is “cardio” short for?  

If you’ve never considered the vital link between your heart rate and your fitness routine, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled some of the best advice we’ve picked up over the years and are proud to share it with our Jack City Fitness family. 

Matters of the Heart (Rate) 

To understand and utilize the relationship between your heartbeat and your workout, you need to become better acquainted with your cardiac organ itself. This can be accomplished by learning a bit more about your heart rates, and why they’re important. This also means finding your own unique resting, target, and maximum heartbeats. 

When you put extra demand on your cardiovascular system, your heart responds by pumping blood as quickly as it can. By doing this, it’s working much harder than usual— and you’ll likely notice because your heartbeat will quicken. As a general rule of thumb, the more intense the workout, the higher your heart rate will become. 

Understanding Your Resting Heart Rate 

Your heart is beating all the time, not just during a workout. Right now, as you’re reading this, you’re probably sitting down. That means you’re likely at your resting heart rate at this very moment. (Though, the optimal time to check your heart for its resting rate is right when you wake up in the morning.)

Everybody’s resting heart rate is different. Some people’s hearts beat more times in a minute than others; those people have higher resting heart rates. Those with lower resting heart rates are generally in better cardiovascular health than those with higher ones— and unfortunately, having a higher rate can lead to things like a stroke or a heart attack. It’s a scary thought, but it’s something you can actively track and even control, to an extent. 

Generally, the average resting heart rate is around 60-100 beats per minute, but doctors recommend to try to keep it on the lower end of that scale—ideally below 80.[1]However, athletes and super fitness buffs can have a resting heart weight as low as 40 beats per minute.[2]If you aren’t a serious athlete, and your heart rate comes out to below 40 beats per minute, it might be a sign of an underlying issue. The same goes for a heart that’s resting at over 100 beats per minute. If either of these is the case for you, it’s not a bad idea to check in with a doctor and make sure everything is running smoothly.[3]

If you’ve calculated your resting heart rate, and it’s higher than the suggested amount, there’s no need to panic. You can bring your resting heart rate down significantly by engaging in a healthy workout routine with a fitness expert or coach. 

As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to count your resting heart rate when you first get up, and ideally before you drink your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Getting to Know Your Maximum Heart Rate

On the other end of the scale, we have your maximum heart rate. As the name implies, this represents the absolute most beats that your heart can handle in a minute. 

Your maximum heart rate, though crucial to your overall fitness knowledge and routine, is not something you’re supposed to be achieving all the time. Instead, it’s reserved for the most demanding of workouts— and even then, is impossible to keep up for more than a few minutes at a time. However, knowing your maximum heart rate will enable you to unlock your target heart rate, which is detailed below. 

Your maximum heart rate, unlike your resting one, is not changeable. Working out more or less will not affect it. This also means that at a certain point, your heart rate can and will plateau— the maximum truly is your ultimate heart rate. [4]However, your fitness levels do impact your maximum heart rate in other ways. In fact, the better cardiovascular shape you’re in, the longer you’ll be able to maintain a workout at your maximum heart rate. 

To calculate your likely maximum heart rate, the formula is very simple. Simply subtract your age from 220, and you have it. According to this theory, the average maximum heart rate of a 25-year-old would be 195 beats per minute.[5]

All About Your Target Heart Rate

As we outlined earlier, it’s possible to change your own resting heart rate by exercising and engaging in cardiovascularly healthy behavior. The reason for doing this is to achieve a target heart rate; essentially, a resting heart rate that is ideal and appropriate for your body.  

Before we delve into the stats for finding your individual target heart rate, we just want to remind our readers that everybody is different. And thank goodness for that! Wouldn’t the world be boring if we were all the same?  That’s not the case— but it does leave room for some errors when it comes to setting strict targets for entire demographics of people. Though the figures on charts and websites make sense for many people, they might miss the mark for some. After all, everybody has their own physical history. For example, many medications (pretty much any beta blockers) will lower both your maximum and your resting heart rates.[6]For this reason, if you have any questions or concerns about your heart rate, you should always see a doctor. And while we’re on that note, we’d also like to remind you that your step counter and fitness counter may work wonderfully, but its word still isn’t gospel. A doctor is a real person who can comprehend your actual body and medical history. 

With that said, let’s get down to the business of calculating your target heart rate. In most cases, your target heart rate should lay around 50%-70% of your maximum during a period of moderate physical activity. More intense activity should have the heart going at about 70%-85% of its maximum capacity.[7]  

Can Your Heart Rate Affect Your Weight and Burn Fat?

Yes! It most certainly can.

If your exercise goals include shedding pounds and burning fat, your heart rate can be a great tool for achieving your plans. As it turns out, during cardiovascular exercise, your body can enter a “fat burning zone.” During this time, your workout is more likely to target body fat, rather than build muscle. Generally, this happens when your heart rate is at 70% of your maximum heart rate.[8]  

Certain exercises are better than others for hitting this exact heart rate. Cycling, jogging, dancing, tennis, water aerobics, and power walking are all great ways to kick your body into the fat burning zone. Be sure to keep track of your heart rate to ensure that you’re not dipping below or over the 70% rate too often during these sessions. 

If weight loss is your main fitness goal, you might also find it helpful to meet with a nutritionist. They will be able to help you chart out an appropriate diet to maintain your fat burning exercising. 

Finding the Beat

Now that we’ve gone over the importance of keeping up to date with your heart rate, it’s time to make sure you actually know how to properly check your pulse. After all, this information is meaningless if you can’t find your heart rate. 

Are you figuring your resting heart rate? Calculating whether you’re hitting your target? Tracking which exercises get you into the fat burning zone? If it’s the former, remember to calculate your resting heart rate when you are in a truly physical neutral state, with no caffeine in your system and ideally following some sleep. If it’s the latter two, it’s ideal to calculate your heart rate immediately following a rep or session. 

You can find your pulse either on your wrist, or the side of your throat. For your wrist, place two fingers on the thumb-side of your wrist, right between the tendon and the bone. If you’re checking your pulse on your neck, put your middle and index fingers next to your windpipe. 

Make sure you can feel your pulse. When you’re ready, set a timer for 15 seconds. Count the heartbeats that you feel during that time. 

Don’t worry, this isn’t a complicated equation. Simply multiply your heartbeat count by four, and you’ve got your average heart rate. 

Don’t Lose Track!

Though physically counting your pulse and heartbeat is an important skill to learn, the modern world has also gifted us with some pretty nifty ways of tracking our health. These days, everything from smartphones to wristwatches can count your steps, track your miles, and keep you in the loop about your heart activity. Though these devices aren’t always 100% accurate—if anything feels off, you should always go to a doctor—they are helpful tools for keeping up with your heart rates.  

Apart from its fitness and long-term health purposes, being in touch with your heart rate is helpful for detecting more everyday ailments, like dehydration, an impending feverish bout of the flu, or mental stress.[9]

Where Can I Get My Heart Pumping in Boise?

Your search is over—Jack City Fitness is your number one destination in Boise (and Idaho at large!) for all your fitness and nutrition needs. We have everything you need to get your heart rate into your target zone— and we have the staff to help you achieve this safely and at your ideal pace. 

At Jack City, we don’t believe in the exclusive concept of memberships. Instead, we invite you to become a partner at our modern fitness center. This begins with a free fitness consultation, right here at our North Allumbaugh street gym. From there, you’ll have a clearer idea of all the options open to you at Jack City, as well as which programs our team thinks might benefit you the best. We are always working to ensure that our partners are getting the most out of our time together. 

Indeed, a partnership with us allows you to immediately become a part of a family; here, you can work one-on-one with members of our staff, customize your experience around your own unique life, and meet new friends who share your passions and goals. We opened our fitness center with the goal of giving our locals the chance to reach their fitness goals on their own terms— whether that means making their own schedule at our 24-hour gym facilities, working out while traveling via our digital training sessions, or learning a new skill through one of our many movement classes. No matter how you choose to spend your time at Jack City Fitness, a partnership with us allows you to seamlessly merge your health and fitness with your daily routine. It can (and will!) even enhance it. 

Let’s get your heart pounding!  Call our team at Jack City Fitness today and find out how you can have the healthiest and happiest heart possible.


[1]https://www.self.com/story/what-resting-heart-rate-can-tell-about-fitness

[2]https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

[3]https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979

[4]https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/understanding-your-heart-rates-and-exercise

[5]https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

[6]https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/understanding-your-heart-rates-and-exercise

[7]https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

[8]https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/fat-burning-heart-rate

[9]https://www.self.com/story/what-resting-heart-rate-can-tell-about-fitness

You’re sitting at your work desk, feeling sluggish, wishing you wouldn’t have skipped your gym workout yesterday. You’re planning to hit the weights after work today, but you’re in the slumps. You took too much time off so how can you return? What if there’s more to do throughout the day to get you prepared for the gym? What if working out at the gym will help you remember to fit more activity into your day? What if the two work together, improving your fitness efforts?!

Ways to Get more Fitness and Activity into your Day

An info-graphic detailing ways to get more physical fitness and activity into your day.

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Ways to Get More Fitness & Activity Into Your Day

Everyone struggles to find the time to be active, and fit fun, healthy exercises into their schedule.  While it may seem like a burden to exercise, we assure you that there are small routine changes you can make to be more active throughout the day. Take the first step by following some these tips, and you are well on your way to a better tomorrow!

 

Minor Adjustments

Olympic weightlifting may not be in your immediate future, and that’s perfectly fine, but breaking out of a sedentary lifestyle should be. Here are some tips to escape your desk or couch and get a better grip on your nutrition during a typical day:

 

 

Finding the Time to Workout

It’s important to fit in weightlifting time at the gym. The benefits of lifting weights are two-fold: you get to be more active and you’re less likely to get injured. Weights help you maximize your time at the gym. When you’re efficient with your gym time, you have more time to enjoy life. Outside of the gym you can improve your health in the followings ways:

 

 

 

Make the Most Efficient Use of Your Workout

By recognizing and making an effort to utilize your time wisely during workouts, positive results will follow.  Dedicating enough focus to crush a short 30 minutes of exercise per work day, a total of 150 minutes per week, could revolutionize your health.

 

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