HIIT ME!!! Part 1

HIIT? EPOC? Heart Rate Zones? You have heard these terms over and over again. Everyone in fitness is now talking about getting their HIIT on? Or getting excited about achieving their EPOC? Well what the heck do all these abbreviations even mean? How do they pertain to you our Fitastic community? Have no fear; Wild Will is here to break it down for you. I will explain what HIIT, EPOC and Heart Rate Zones mean.  So you will be able to fully understand the concept of this great style of cardio training. You will also able to put it into practice on your own. Get excited!

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become a popular way to burn more fat. It’s a training method that has been effective for many people

What is HIIT Training?

HIIT is a training idea in which low to moderate intensity intervals are alternated with high intensity intervals.

 HIIT can be applied to running or to exercises such as squatting. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher and you are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more fat than ever before.

“In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise – up to 50% more efficiently.” It has also been shown to speed up your metabolism which helps you burn more calories throughout the day

What is EPOC?

The science of interval training is the fundamental component supporting the goal of achieving excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), sometimes referred to as after-burn. When a cardio regimen consists of 12-20+ minutes of anaerobic activity, the estimated caloric expenditure within an hour typically falls between 500-1000 calories burned. When EPOC comes into play, calories continue to be burned at higher rate 24-36 hours after the workout is completed. EPOC occurs when 12-20+ minutes is spent in Heart Rate Zones 4 and 5 combined, and in simple terms, represents the increased calories burned while at rest after physical training at high intensity. Maintaining a heart rate of 84% or above for 12-20 minutes in a workout causes your body to (more…)

Having a prep coach for a bodybuilding show is not a necessity. However, many people benefit from them greatly, and I highly suggest having one. I found my coach a year and a half ago, and honestly have no idea where I would be if I did not have the right guidance from the start. Even MY coach has a coach to prepare for her upcoming shows! Straight from my coach herself, “I know there’s a lot of talk about people not needing a team…I’m not afraid to admit I do. Perhaps it’s my 12 years in the military and the loyalty & comradery that I experienced there that has me feeling this way. If that makes me weak…so be it. However…I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.” Now, can I just say…What is with all these girls doing the “one and done” with prep coaches lately?! They start lifting, decide they want to do a show, hire a coach, do a 12-16 week prep, don’t get top 5, blame their coach, and end up with a new one. Or you have the competitors that are somewhat “seasoned” athletes and jump from coach to coach because another’s way of doing things seems more appealing. Let me tell you, you are doing nothing but making yourself look bad.

First and foremost you should start by choosing the right coach for you. Interview them. Ask lots of questions. What is their track record like? Do they themselves have credentials or hold a special status such as a pro athlete or produce pro athletes? Are they educated in not only fitness but nutrition as well? Do they want to know your goals or help you set realistic ones? Are they curious as to what your diet and training regimen were like previously? Too many people do a few shows then decide they want to be “prep coaches” when in reality it takes years of experience to help you do well in this industry. Just because one thing works for one person does (more…)

Follow Your Arrow

Oh how this journey has taken me on so many different turns and spins. I’ve had some great ups and quite a few downs.  It was never the actual training part that put me in a tailspin but the mental aspect.  It was the weight gain and then the weight loss. Not knowing what I truly wanted; the always present thought of what other people are thinking. All of that combined caused to me second guess everything. I’d be in a great place following a plan and then BAM negative comment and I’m all over the place, starting to start over once again. I have given way too many people power over my mind and thoughts. Well enough of that crap. I’ve finally come to the realization of reality. That reality being that I need to do this for me; to do what I want to do with my life; and not give a damn what others think.

When I started this journey it was all about the stage. All about getting up there in board shorts with awesome hair, a dark tan and shredded muscle waiting to hear
my name called. That was my focus; that was my goal. Fun fact, that goal wasn’t true to me. Not to say I am against competing, I still have desire to get up on stage to showcase what hard work looks like. However, what happens when I step off stage? Winner or loser; what happens when the next day comes? The show is over; the pictures went up on Face Book and Instagram. People said nice things and now what? Coming to that realization has had a tremendous impact on my attitude. I was training for a day, for a few moments on stage. I was not training for physical and mental health. That kind of thinking causes one to think drastically and short term. Nothing good comes from that kind of thinking. The honest to god truth that I have told very few people is that I am more concerned with fitness modeling then I am competing. If I don’t compete I will not regret my life. However, if I don’t go for that modeling contract I will have let myself down. I have not told many people this out of fear of (more…)

In the Kitchen with Wild Will

No Bake Almond Butter Balls

IT’S SNACK TIME KIDS!!

Yes, this week I’m going back to snack food. My original recipe for cookie dough balls was a hit. (Glad ya’ll liked those) This week I bring you a similar no bake ball, only this time they are made with Casein powder and almond butter. These are easy to make with only 10 minutes of prep time. Please let me know what you think. Got a food you love that’s “unhealthy” for you, let me know and I’ll see what I can whip up!

Ingredients

2 scoops Casein protein powder

2 TBSP Almond Butter

4 oz water

4 TBSP Coconut Flour

¼ cup Vanilla coconut milk

Directions

(Like I said super easy)

Mix all ingredients into a mixing bowl

Mix until all milk and water is gone

Pull dough apart and roll into small balls

You should be able to get 16 balls out of one batch.

Place each ball on a plate, put plate in freezer for 30 minutes

Remove and ENJOY!!!

The Macros per 16 balls

Calories 34 per ball

Fat 1.5 g per ball

Carb 2 g per ball

Protein 3 g per ball

Remember to send me what you foods, snacks or desserts you would like me to turn healthy for you. Just because its “bulking” season doesn’t mean you need to eat like a fool! Have a great week everyone!

Wild Will Wilson (W3)

When developing anterior deltoids, isolating the contraction to a unilateral movement proves beneficial.  Allowing stabilization and core control will provide focus and full range of motion for this lift.  The constant tension of the cable places emphasis to a restless range of motion.  Provided are all the written and video details you’ll need to execute properly.

Every BODY deserves to feel Fitastic!

View details HERE

Just because the weather calls for more and more fitness goers wearing long pants, it doesn’t mean we at all neglect our Leg Training!  Build, Tone, and Sculpt your Legs during your workout while Making a Statement in your own OH MY QUAD!  Tee, V-neck, or Tank.

In November we celebrate one of the quintessential attributes known on the physique, THE QUADS!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 25% OFF the already popular OH MY QUAD! style ALL MONTH LONG!    NO CODE NECESSARY 

WOMEN’S LINE

Tank Tops

Pink (black letters)

Neon Pink (white letters)

Turquoise (white letters)

Neon Green (white letters)

V-Necks

Pink (black letters)

Plum (white letters)

MEN’S LINE

V-necks

Turquoise (black letters)

Neon Green (black letters)

Soft style Crew necks

Black (white letters)

Military Green (black letters)

To Fitastic gains in the month of November- Cheers

November Transformation of the Month-Mary Sandberg

When we say fitness is a journey not a destination we mean it. Our November transformation Mary Sandberg began her journey 25 years ago. As you will ready Mary’s journey started out on a rough patch. Her journey started not because she wanted to be healthy; instead she wanted to look a certain way. A way that was neither sustainable nor healthy. Mary choose a dangerous path that started with an eating disorder at a young age which lead to yo-yo dieting and dangerous “lose fat fast” tactics as an adult. After 25 years on a dangerous journey she changed her bad habits, discovered herself, the love of her life, the true purpose of health and fitness along with the discovery of Fitastic. Mary is another success story from our Fitastic family. I will be honest and tell you that when I read Mary’s story it hit me right in the gut. I read her pain along with her eventual triumph. Mary has written her brave story in her own words accompanied with a set of interview questions to dive deeper into Mary’s fitness journey. Without further delay here is our Transformation of the Month, Mary Sandberg.

“My 25 year battle with my eating disorder, and finally at 37 I finally see me, a beautiful woman.

I’m a product of a “broken Home” raised by an ill single mom, in low income housing on the border of an Upper-class town. There was no father in my life, and I’ve been picked on, sexually assaulted, molested and raped all before the age of 16, most before the age of 10.  All of these things compiled on a child that was broken from a missing dad and being picked on for not having all of the good things so many of the kids I went to school with had made for a warped sense of myself and not wanting to give the kids anything else to pick on me for. 

It started in 6^th grade, I started skipping meals. I didn’t eat breakfast, and then skipped lunch. This was easy to do because let’s face it at that age no one pays attention to what or if anyone is eating.  At dinner time I would talk about not feeling well or eat very little.  I would go days with taking in no more than a couple hundred calories if even that.  I slid through Junior high always hungry but skinny, barely passing my classes. The first day of my freshman I met a junior who was smoking. She was new to the school and area and had no clue how not accepted I had become by everyone and decided to talk to me.  She was what one would call a “burnout”.  I remember asking her why she smoked and her stating it “helped curb her hunger and keep her thin”.  After spending three years always being hungry but not wanting to eat because I wanted to be thin, I figured this was the perfect solution. At the end of my freshman year my grandmother passed away, this destroyed me and sent me into a downward spiral more then I already was.  My total disregard for myself, my lack of any self-worth combined with all of the things I had been keeping buried for so many years that had been done to me caused me to try multiple times at killing myself and caused blackout periods. (more…)