As many people in the northeast should know, unless you are stuck inside a building with no windows, it is absolutely beautiful out today! It is sixty-five degrees outside and the sun is shining brightly. What a great day to grab an all natural, homemade energy bar and get outside–run, walk, play catch with a friend, etc. There are plenty of outdoor activities you can do once it gets warm–but it needs to stay warm too 
. I have already crossed going to the gym off my list for today. I woke up at 6:30 this morning to go to the gym with my friend Lauren. She used to live in Essex, VT, so we have an instant connection being fellow Vermonters! Anyway, when we go to the gym, we make sure to do a thorough and complete workout.
What does a thorough and complete workout consist of, you may ask?
Cardio
Cardio is very important in maintaining a healthy heart, and it should be done for at least thirty minutes a day, with variance so you don’t get bored. There are many ways to get your heart rate up: basketball, treadmill, bike, hiking, etc. It is essential that you get your heart rate up to what is called your target heart rate. This helps you burn calories while not tiring out too quickly. Exercise at your target heart rate and you will start to see an improvement in just about every heart-related aspect of your daily life. Also, something that has benefited me from doing a lot of cardio is that my exercise-induced asthma is practically gone–I never thought that was going to happen!
Weight Training
Weight training is an integral part of your workout routine. Are you someone who looks at the weight machines with a confused look on your face? I was too, but I figured them out by asking people how to use the machine (people are really nice at Bryant University) or watching how others used the machines and followed suit with an appropriate weight for my beginner status. Before starting to lift, please, for the sake of your body, stretch out every muscle in your body for 15-20 seconds. This is important because you don’t want to be pulling any muscles when you are lifting. Don’t know what to do first? Start with larger muscle groups, and then progress to isolated muscles like biceps and triceps. To tone muscles (make them more defined) you should be looking to lift a lighter weight with higher repetitions. To build muscles (make them bigger) you would lift a heavier weight with less repetitions. The most important points when you start your weight training are BREATHE NORMALLY and lift only the weight you know you can lift.
It is very important to incorporate both cardio and weight training in your workout routine. If all you do is lift weights every day, sure, your muscles will get big and ripped, but once you start to run, you’re going to most likely be short of breath. The same with doing just cardio. You want to build muscle, which “replaces” the fat that you have lost in a way.
Let me know how you have been doing in your workout routine! Come back soon to look for tips on nutrition before, during, and after your workouts.
Michael, Owner
Eddie’s Energy Bars
PS: Eddie’s Energy Bars one-year anniversary is coming up next week! You are going to want to check back for off-the-wall promotions for next week! I’m thinking free stuff…this week I will post the promotion for next week’s week-long celebration.
