Exercise – Starting your Cardio Program

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Whether you’re new to exercising, or you’ve just never really put a plan together for your existing cardio workouts, the best way to make cardio exercise a habit is to put together a plan that you can achieve.

Creating a schedule of regular times that you’ll commit to your cardio exercise program is important – in fact, it’s just as important as what kind of cardio exercise you do. So, here’s how to put that plan together.

1. Remember that the best time to exercise is when you CAN exercise. Choose a time that works best for you, whether it’s in the morning, over lunch, or at the end of the day.

2. Write them down – treat them as an appointment! And, if you write it down, you’ll find you’ll be more committed to following through with your workouts!

3. Now, choose your exercise. If you just purchased a treadmill, maybe start with a walking program (you can always advance to jogging or running as your fitness level improves).

4. If you have any reservations so far about the plan you’ve built – now’s the time to talk to your doctor and get their final approval –BEFORE you put your plan into action!

5. Now – time to start your workouts. Make sure you start each workout with at least 5 minutes of stretching for your warm up – and at the end, at least 5 minute cool down and stretching as well.

6. Start slow. If you find that you can only start with 5 to 10 minutes, start there. And, once your workout is done, write down your results!

7. And, finally – add a couple of minutes to every workout!

What to watch out for

Now that you’ve got your plan in action, remember that your goal is to improve your health. If you feel like your resting heart rate is higher than usual, you feel tired all the time, you dread your workouts, or you can’t sleep, you might be overtraining.

If that happens, take a couple days off and ease back into a light program. Maybe try a different exercise routine. And, don’t be afraid to stop for a couple days and concentrate on something else. You’ll find yourself re-energized for your workouts – just don’t forget to start back up again!

Diet-Healthy Low-Carb Protein Pancakes

Everybody loves pancakes. But, if you’re on a low-carb diet, pancakes are definitely NOT on your diet! With our Healthy Low-Carb Protein Pancake recipe, you can stay on your low-carb diet, while also enjoying pancakes like you used to! Light and fluffy with a nice flavor. A bit of work, but I think worth the effort.

Pre-Made Mix
1 cup protein powder (french vanilla or vanilla praline are both good)
1 cup spelt flour
2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon to taste

Pancake Batter
2 eggs
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pancake mix (see pre-made mix above)
cooking spray (to grease pan)

If making mix ahead of time, combine all ingredients listed under Pre-Made Mix in an air tight container, shake or whisk until well mixed; seal and store until ready to use.. Beat eggs until fluffy; beat in all remaining ingredients, except for butter, just until smooth (if you over mix they won't turn out light and fluffy). Heat skillet thoroughly over medium heat and lightly grease. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into pan for each pancake; cook until edges are dry and pancake starts to puff (golden brown on bottom), then flip and cook until other side browns. Grease pan again before cooking each batch.
Makes about 18 pancakes.

Equipment - How To Buy Home Cardio Equipment

Since I’ve touched on the basics of purchasing Home Exercise Equipment (see my previous article called “10 Tips For Purchasing Home Exercise Equipment”, now I thought I’d go into a little bit more detail of the types of home exercise equipment you should consider for your home gym.

Treadmills – Everybody pretty much knows what a treadmill is – you’ve seen them at the gym, with people running on a machine featuring a moving belt. And, the benefits of treadmills are that they provide an easy, low to high impact cardio workout that allows you to vary the pace and incline to increase the benefit of your workout. But, not all machines are built the same. First, the length and width of the belt that you run on is very important to consider. Many cheaper treadmills have a very narrow belt, and although you might find yourself comfortable on them, belts that are too narrow can get annoying. For example, kicking your foot off the belt can cause you to fall, or on the better machines, you’ll quickly come to a halt. Also, spending a bit more money for a machine that has a wider footprint gives you a machine that is more stable, and less likely to break down due to higher quality construction. Additionally, spending a bit more for a machine can get you a higher quality belt that provides more cushioning to your stride. What to know what fits you best? Visit a specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstore, and test the treadmill at the store (and really test it out – run at a pace that you would normally run). And, make sure it is something you’d be comfortable logging several miles a day on.

Elliptical Machines – Also known as cross-trainers, they are very stable, effective pieces of workout equipment that can also work your upper body as well as your lower body. Plus, they provide a great cardio workout without the impact you would get on a treadmill. Elliptical machines are good for people that have issues with their knees or ankles. Lower quality machines may actually force you to assemble them, which can be quite difficult. Your better choice is to look at a specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstore, and take advantage of delivery and installation services they provide.

Exercise Bicycles – There are two types of exercise bicycles you can consider. One is your standard “freestanding” bike, which puts your body into a position similar to a regular bicycle. For some people, this position can become very strenuous if they have back problems. Fortunately, there are also recumbent stationary bicycles available as well. Not only are they quite comfortable, they also allow you to read while you exercise, as a seat with a back to it is much for comfortable for this. Exercise bicycles also help you build lower body strength & balance, as well as also being much lower impact than other types of equipment.

Rowing Machines - These are great for building upper body strength, cardio fitness, all without the impact you may get on other machines. Again, you get what you pay for. Higher quality machines like you’ll find at Fitness 4 Home Superstore, provide a smooth stroke. You want to avoid machines that have a jerky motion that is all too common in low-priced, budget machines you’ll find at the “big-box” stores. Also, make sure that when you’re shopping for a rowing machine, that the length of the stroke provides full motion to stretch your legs completely. Without a full motion stroke, your workouts won’t be as effective (as you’ll over compensate with your quads, rather than getting a full body workout).

Finally, when you look at the cost of ownership, for what you’d pay annually on a nice club membership, you could invest that money in a new piece of equipment each year, building your own circuit training room. Remember, to stay healthy, you need to work out on a consistent bases, and that doesn’t’ happen if you don’t enjoy using your machine. So, pick machines that you’ll enjoy using, and pick a number of machines so that if you find yourself getting bored with one, you can switch to another.

Diet - Roasted Cod

Looking for a quick, easy recipe that's healthy too? Try our recipe for Roasted Cod!


-2 oz cod, halibut, or snapper filets
-1 pint cherry tomatos
-2 tbsp prepared olive tapenade
-1 tbsp prepared pesto
-1/2 bulb fennel or yellow onion, sliced thin
-1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-1 cup prepared couscous or quinoa
-2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
-Chopped fresh basil

Preheat ovin to 400 degrees F. Lay the tomatos and fennel on a baking dish, and toss with olive oil, salt & peper, Slather 1 tbsp of the tapenade on each fish filet, and lay the fillets in the baking dish with the veggies. Place dish in the oven. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and the fish flakes with gentle pressure from your finger. Serve fillet with 1/2 cup of couscous mixed with toasted pine nuts & basil. Makes 2 servings

Nutritional Information
370 calories
12 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
44 g protein
5 g fiber
830 milligrams sodium

Healthy Living - Why Is Drinking Water So Important?

by Bob Lachniet

President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Simply put – because you’re made up of water! Actually, between half and two thirds of the average person’s weight is made up of water. In a 150-pound person, that’s about 10 gallons of water. There are many reasons to drink water. Drinking water helps you burn fat. You can beat a fever with water. Your complexion improves when you drink water. Bet you didn’t know – without water…you can’t build muscle! It even improves your mood!

Additionally, in the Arizona heat, your body dehydrates far faster than it does in cooler weather, and for your body to operate at full efficiency during exercise, you need to be well hydrated. And, when it comes to exercise, remember the rule “Drink Before Your Thirsty”!

In Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj argues that the body can “misinterpret thirst signals as pain,” and that drinking more water can be helpful in curing everything from headaches and depression to asthma and arthritis. And, if you’re trying to loose weight, extra water with your meal is a great way to keep from over eating! Plus, when you drink water, you don’t consume other food or drink that might keep those pounds on – that extra couple ounces of water helps quench your hunger pains!

Here are a few tips to help incorporate more water in to your daily routine:

1. Carry water with you everywhere. You'll drink it if it is there.
2. Add lemons, limes, and even cucumbers to change it up.
3. Keep it cool/cold. You'll burn more calories as you body tries to warm it up.
4. Alternate every other glass of what you typically drink with a glass of water.
5. Try cutting your fruit juices with water. You won't even notice the change.
6. Drink an entire glass of water before every meal.

Happy training!

(Note - Iron Belle Fitness contributed to this article)

Equipment - The Fitness 4 Home Superstore Advantage

When it comes to finding home exercise equipment, you have a multitude of choices. You can purchase new equipment from the big box stores, purchase it online sight-unseen from a wide variety of internet retailers – or, you can visit a specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstores. Of these choices, being able to not only sample the equipment, but also have it professionally delivered & installed, is the best way to ensure that you are purchasing the best equipment for your fitness needs.

But, let’s take that one step further. Of all of the specialty dealers out there, you gain some additional advantages by putting Fitness 4 Home Superstore at the top of your list!

First, with Fitness 4 Home Superstore, you gain the advantage of having an in-house staff of fitness consultants. When you’re asking about what type of equipment is going to be best for your fitness needs, our veteran fitness consultants – all with fitness backgrounds – are uniquely qualified to help match the right equipment to you. As our fitness consultants have an average of 15+ years experience, you can rest-assured that we can match the right equipment to both your fitness and budgetary requirements.

With Fitness 4 Home Superstores, it’s not just about helping you find fitness equipment that fits your body, but also fits your home as well. With our custom design services, we can help you design your home fitness area so that it truly complements your home. And, once you’ve made your purchases, we also provide in-home delivery and service!

Finally, with Fitness 4 Home Superstore, you can trust that you’re working with people who are truly committed to providing you with the best home fitness equipment you can buy. We are a nationally recognized, award winning dealer with all of our vendors, and we sit on the Dealer Advisory Council with True Fitness Equipment. With our experience, and the trust our vendors have, we are able to play a role in helping with design ideas and improvements for all our vendors. So, when you choose Fitness 4 Home Superstores, you’re dealing with the dealer that not only provides you with the best home fitness equipment you can buy, but also with equipment that has been truly designed to help you fulfill your fitness goals.

Specialty fitness dealers are always your best and safest way to shop for home exercise equipment – and Fitness 4 Home Superstore is your best choice among specialty fitness dealers! Want to know more? Come visit one of our three Phoenix-area stores today!

Nutrition - Loose That Sugar In Your Diet!

Over the last 25 years, our population has seen a significant increase in obesity. And, part of the reason for this was, amazingly enough…the “low-fat” obsession we’ve seen over the last few years. Food manufacturers, in their quest to squeeze as much oil out of processed foods as possible – replace that fat with sugar in order to make reduced-fat foods tastier. Unfortunately, the net result has been an increase in sugar consumption from an average of 123 pounds per year, to an astronomical 160 pounds of sugar annually!

And…it’s not stopping. Our consumption of sugar keeps growing at nearly 2 percent per year. The problem is, on the spectrum of dietary dangers, processed sugars are right up there with unhealthy fats. One of the primary causes of obesity in our culture is High-Frutcose Corn Syrup (HFCS), according to Elson Haas, MD, the author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 2006, New Edition). And the problem is, our bodies are built to process all the sugar we take in.

Most dietary sugars are simple carbohydrates, which means they are made of one or two sugar molecules stuck together. Your body can easily take those molecules, pull them apart and digest them. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, are made up of long chains of molecules which takes your body longer to process. This is why your energy levels can spike, then crash, when you ingest simple carbs, and why that doesn t happen when you have a plate full of veggies. The presence of naturally occurring fiber in complex carbs slows that sugar-release process even further.

So, replacing those “fast burning” sugars with “slow burning” ones…allows your body to deal with the sugar you ingest in a much more effective way. But, how can you avoid the craving for “sweets”, and avoid those refined carbs?

First, it’s OK to have a little sugar in your diet. The FDA recommends no more than 10 grams per day (which is what you find in one soft drink) – about 2 teaspoons worth. So, if you have a little sugar through the day, that’s OK. But if you feel the urge to eat something sweet, reach for some fruit. Fruits contain fructose – natural sugar, but also contain fiber and other nutrients that slow digestion.

Also, stay away from refined- carb breakfast cereals (even unsweetened cereals. Instead, start your morning with healthy proteins & fats, which leave you feeling full longer. Try peanut butter on whole grain English muffins. Maybe a fruit smoothie with protein powder.

Stay away from processed foods – especially fast foods. According to Jack Challen, a nutrition researcher and author of “The Inflammation Syndrome (John Wiley & Sons, 2003). “The only difference between a doughnut and a McDonald’s Cheesburger is a smattering of protein – both are a mixture of the worst things you can eat”.

Remember not to eat when your stressed. When you feel stressed, your natural “flight or fight” response causes your body to speed up the breakdown of sugars in your body, because your body is packing glucose into your muscles as fast as it can to help you flee the situation.
And, if you’re looking for an easy way to cut back – stop drinking soft drinks, the biggest source of sugar in the American diet today. Instead, try drinking tea – and if you want to sweeten it, try other, non-sugar sources such as Spendia or Stevia. (Stevia is a natural, calorie-free sweetener that comes from a South American shrub – you can find it at Trader Joe’s, or supplement stores in both powder and liquid forms).

By moving away from a sugar-rich diet, you are taking a major step in not only feeling healthier, but you’ll also reduce your body fat and loose weight. The sooner we break the addiction to sugar, the better off our bodies will be!

Exercise – The Benefits of Cardio Workouts

Cardio workouts are an important, if not indispensable piece, of any effective exercise regime. High-intensity cardio training is a wonderful way to speed up your metabolism – as your metabolism stays revved up for some time after your workout. Cardio workouts can be just about any exercise, such as jogging, running, swimming, biking, elliptical machines, even jumping rope. Your goal is to raise and maintain your heart rate for a set amount of time.

Cardio workouts help strengthen your heart and lungs, and they also help lower your resting heart rate, which means over time, the same effort that would have produced a 10 minute-mile, now might result in a 9 minute-mile.

By doing cardio workouts, you burn fat. But, just as important, you strengthen your heart. As you work out, your muscles require more blood to remove waste byproducts as well as carbon dioxide, as well as additional oxygen for fuel. Sustained cardio workouts over time train your heart, like any other muscle, to produce the same effect with less effort.

Other benefits of cardio are an increased metabolic rate (which leads to your body burning excess fat that much better), and increased growth hormone secretion (which helps fuel additional muscle growth which helps speed up your metabolism). And, you also will feel more alert (since cardio workouts increase blood flow to the brain). Not to mention that you’ll reduce stress!

Finally – a consistent cardio training program helps you build endurance – which helps you persist in not just sports, but in life as well!

Diet - Apple-Pear Salad with Spinach and Gorgonzola

Looking for recipes that can help you eat heart-healthy? Try this one! It's low sodium, low fat, with heart healthy oils!

Apple-Pear Salad with Spinach and Gorgonzola

2 medium Granny Smith or Gala apples, thinly sliced
2 meduim Bosc or Bartlett pears, thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
2 tbs. light brown sugar or preferred sweetner
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tbs. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3 tbs. walnut halves, dry-roasted
3 tbs. raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 tbs. pepper.

In a medium saucepan, bring the apples, pears, cranberry juice and brown sugar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covere for five to six minutes, or until the fruit is tender. Transfer the fruit with juices to a medium bowl, and let cool for five to 10 minutes.

To assemble the salad, put the spinach in a large bowl or on a platter. Spoon the fruit mixture with juices over the spinach. Sprinkle with the cheese, walnuts, vinegar and pepper.

Makes six servings.

(Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition: Clarkson Potter, 2004)

Fitness - The Best Way To Buy Exercise Equipment

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

So, whether your purchasing home exercise equipment for the first time, or your looking to add to the equipment you already have for your home gym, there’s always that problem of trying to figure out where to start. The best way to ensure you make the right purchase, is to have a plan for finding the equipment that best suits your needs – and we have some suggestions on how best to do that.

1. Determine your fitness goals. Like to run? Want to build muscle? Determine if you are looking to build strength and muscle mass, or just loose weight and firm up, as this will help you to narrow down the types of equipment you should consider.

2. Assess your experience. If you’ve been a regular exerciser in the past, that helps. If you’re not that experienced, you might be a bit confused as to what type of equipment you’re most comfortable with. This is where a specialty dealer has a significant advantage over the “big box” stores. Specialty dealers like Fitness 4 Home Superstore can help you assess your goals and experience, and recommend the types of home fitness equipment that will best fit your fitness needs.

3. Determine where you would put your equipment, and how much room you have for it. Make sure that what your planning on purchasing will fit the space you have - and for help determining if the equipment your looking at will fit, Fitness 4 Home Superstore can help!

4. Determine your equipment needs. Once you know what you want to accomplish, your comfort level and dedication for an exercise program, and where you’d put it – now you can think about the equipment you’d want. Remember one thing, though. Whether it’s a treadmill, cross trainer / elliptical, exercise bicycle, or home gym – keep your choices focused on what you really need to make exercise a healthy, permanent habit!

Once you have an idea of what you want before you go shopping, you’re less likely to make a premature decision. Plus, when you’re ready to shop, you’re best served by considering a specialty dealer rather than a big-box store. For more information on why, click here.

With a solid purchasing plan, you’ll be better prepared to find those sales & bargains that can help you find the equipment you need – at the price you can afford!!

Nutrition – Start Your Day Out Right

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

What do you have for breakfast? We’ve all had those days where breakfast might be a cup of coffee and a bagel or donut. Many of us have grown up with the standard bowl of cereal & milk. Yet, this is not the way to eat healthy, to loose weight, or keep the weight off.

So, when you’re planning your breakfast menu, ask yourself, “Where’s the protein & healthy fats?”. The typical breakfast fare of cereal, fruit, toast, pastries, and juice – provide you with a large load of carbohydrates, often in the form of sugar. And the result of this is, you get a blast of morning energy (thanks to the carbohydrates / sugars), which spikes your insulin level. Your body processes this quickly, resulting in a quick energy drop and feeling of hunger – plus, if your body can’t burn this sugar quickly enough, it stores it as…fat.

Yet, by adding high-quality protein, such as the protein found in meat, eggs, and dairy – and combining it with a little healthy fat, helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream. Now, you have a more energy, you avoid the “after breakfast sugar crash”, and you also get one other important benefit.

That’s right – FAT LOSS!!! By keeping you full longer, the protein / fat combination means your body has time to process your meal and burn it for immediate energy, rather than storing it. In a recent study, Louisiana State University found that those people that ate eggs for breakfast, ate 250 fewer calories during the day than if they had just had bagels for breakfast.

So, add that egg to your breakfast, a scoop of cottage cheese, or some Canadian Bacon. (Sausage has a bit too much saturated fat, so avoid it). Or, add a scoop of protein powder to your morning yogurt. Even try a can of tuna mixed with a little (low-fat) mayo & balsamic vinegar on some whole-grain toast! And, you can even add some protein to your pancakes! Try this recipe for Protein Pancakes – nice and fluffy!

Protein Pancakes
¾ cup Quaker Oatmeal or Spelt Flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup milk
In a blender, mix the dry ingredients together, and run on High until not only well blended, but if using oatmeal, that the final mix has a dry, powder-like finish. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, butter and milk together, and add the dry ingredients – blending until just mixed. Grease griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put a large scoop of batter on the griddle, and use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly. When you see small bubbles form, in about 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Makes about 12 4 inch pancakes

Nutritional Info (estimated)
Per Pancake: 97 Calories, 5g Protein, 8g Carbohydrates, (1g fiber, 2g sugar), 5g fat (3g saturated)

Diet – Quinoa, The “Supergrain”

Quinoa. Pronounced KEEN-wah. Maybe you’ve heard of it, but more than likely you haven’t. Yet, this grain, unlike so many other nutritionally inferior grains we eat, has twice the protein of other cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and a bit of healthy fats as well. Plus, it’s considered a “complete” protein, which means like meat, eggs and dairy, it packs all the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle growth.

For those that prefer a vegetarian diet, one of the pitfalls is how difficult it is to get complete proteins into your diet. Quinoa is a wonderful source of protein for your diet. To give you an comparison against other foods, Quinoa provides almost twice the fiber of pasta and brown rice. It contains as much high quality protein as milk. It offers high amounts of the amino acid lysine (needed for muscle growth), and it delivers a supply of magnesium, which is necessary for a healthy heart.

Best of all, Quinoa has an delicious, nutty flavor, and it cooks up quicker than rice. It works great for pilafs, risottos, salads, and soups. Preparation is simple. Fill a pot with 2 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. Add 1 cup of Quinoa, turn the heat to low, and let cook for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit, and you’re done! And, you can toss it into a refrigerator container, and have it ready-to-eat later by just microwaving it for 30-60 seconds.

Where do you find Quinoa? In the Phoenix area, try the health-food section of Fry’s Marketplace (in the bulk bins), or in the bulk bin areas of Sprouts.