Stretching and working out can be a confusing topic. There was a time when static stretching was the done thing before a workout. Now, however, we now know better. Static stretching will actually lead to a decrease in strength, power and explosiveness during the workout. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stretch at all. Before the workout, you should do dynamic stretching, with static stretching coming at the end of your session. Here are 6 must do stretches, 3 for before and 3 for after, your workout.

Burning fat is hard work. Most of us have spent a lifetime accumulating excess body fat so we shouldn’t expect to be able to get rid of it overnight. Successful fat loss is a combination of caloric restriction, cleaning up the diet by cutting out simple carbohydrates and smart exercise. In this article, we will focus on the exercise side of the equation.

There are literally hundreds of exercises you could do to lose body fat. What you need to do is identify the handful that will give you the best bang for your buck in terms of caloric burn and the degree to which the exercise boosts your metabolism after your workout. The four exercises to follow have been proven to be the most effective moves to accomplish both of those objectives.

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees,       add the potatoes, zucchini and capsicum to a tray and drizzle with oil, tossing to coat. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

2.  Meanwhile, preheat your BBQ to a medium heat, and cook the steaks for 2-3 minutes per side, or to your liking. Remove from the heat and allow to rest. 

3. Mix the wine, stock and dijon in a saucepan over a medium heat. Keep stirring until it comes to the boil and begins to thicken up. 

4. Plate the vegetables and steak before drizzling with the sauce. Garnish with rosemary. Serves 2.

Has your default energy level become stuck in first gear? Does it feel as if you get up and go got up and left long ago, never to return? If you’re feeling sluggish, the problem will largely have to do with what you are, or are not, eating. After all, food is our only energy source. In this article, we present 7 tips on how to eat to restore your lagging energy levels.

When you’re short on time, you need to focus on training your key trouble spots. For many, that means targeting the thighs, butt and abs. In this article, we present the ultimate 15 minute thigh, butt and ab workout, all you need for this workout is a resistance loop band.

Method

Combine the mirin and sake together in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 20 seconds to burn off the alcohol in the sake. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the miso paste making sure it is well combined. Once combined increase the heat to high and add the caster sugar, whisking until it dissolves - don't be lazy & not whisk it all the way through. Take off the heat & bring to room temp.

Pat dry the fish fillets and then cover them with the marinade. Cover in cling film and marinate for hours or even overnight if you really want the flavours to punch.

Blanch your baby green beans in some salted water and then drain and rinse under cold water, set aside.

Set your oven at 180 degrees. Frypan on the hob at medium high heat. Add a film of oil in the pan, grapeseed oil is good here. Wipe the excess marinade off the fillets but do so gently as you don't want to take it all off. Flesh side down for 2-3 minutes to get that caramelization then turn to skin side for another 2-3 mins. Then into the oven for 5 mins.

Warm your beans and edamame beans back up in a saucepan whilst the fish is in the oven.

Place the beans on the plate then skin side down add the fish. Garnish the chilli and serve with rice if you like. Serves 4.

Meal plans involve setting a plan for how you will eat over the course of your week. It is often used by people who are trying to lose weight. However, getting into the meal planning habit can be beneficial to all of us. Here are 8 reasons why you might want to consider taking up the meal planning habit.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

Add the potatoes, pumpkin and garlic cloves to a baking tray. 

Drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat. Arrange the vegetables into a uniform layer. 

Place the chicken on the top, drizzle with olive oil and use your hands or a cooking brush to evenly coat..

Cook for 50 minutes and add the rosemary leaves (off their sprigs) and squeeze over the lemon juice. 

Return the tray to the oven and cook for an extra 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and golden. 

Hitting your entire body in one workout is a proven way to get in a great workout. The problem for many people is that it simply takes too much time. In this article, we make use of the AMRAP rep scheme to allow you to ramp up your intensity on each and, therefore, reduce the amount of time required for the workout. In fact, we’ll get the whole thing done in just 30 minutes.This workout is designed as a circuit so that you perform your exercises one after another with no rest between them. You will be doing 7 exercises as a circuit. Your goal is to complete as many circuits as you can within 30 minutes. Set your stopwatch when you start and go for it. Be sure, however, to pace yourself to ensure that you get through the entire 30 minute workout. The amount of time you allow yourself between rounds is entirely up to you!

Going vegan is trendy these days. That’s thanks in no small part to the popularity of the Netflix documentary ‘The Gamechangers’, which featured a number of high profile athletes, including strength athletes, who had ‘gone green’, apparently with amazing results. Along with the rush to ditch the meat, however, have come some serious reservations from nutritionists and dietitians. In this article we take a look at some of those concerns and present 4 reasons why going vegan might not be a game-changer after all.

Bring a small pot of water to the boil, and add the broad beans. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, before draining.

Toast the almonds in a small dry frying pan, tossing regularly until lightly golden. Remove and set aside. 

Drain the peppers from their brine and char ever so slightly on the same pan. Remove and slice into 1cm strips. 

In a bowl toss the beans, peppers, chopped parsley, olive oil, brine and red wine vinegar. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Finely shave over your desired amount of cheese and sprinkle over the almonds. Serves 1. 

In their quest to boost their fitness, millions of people jump onto the treadmill, and then proceed to mindlessly pound away and tune out. The truth is that most of them are getting nowhere, literally. Not only are they physically staying in the same place, but their fitness isn’t progressing. The reason is simple – they aren’t working hard enough.There is a better way. You’ve probably heard of high-intensity interval training. It’s been around for over a decade, but it has become hugely popular in the last few years. HIIT started out as a method of running on the track, but is now being applied to all sorts of types of training, including bodyweight and resistance exercises. In this article, we will focus on how you can apply HIIT training to your treadmill workout.

Fat Loss Myth #1: Weight Loss Powders and Pills Can Permanently Shed Body FatThe fat loss industry is worth trillions (that’s 12 zeros!) of dollars. The corporate world is creaming it from people’s obsession with a quick fix for fat loss. One of the ways that large corporations get rich at your expense is by marketing miracle fat loss pills, powders and shakes that promise remarkable results. The truth is that no pill, powder or shake will EVER get you lean. It doesn’t matter which ‘breakthrough’ herbal fat loss has been added to a product, its effect will be negligible at best. Some herbs do have a legitimate thermogenic effect, with the potential to increase fat burning by 30-50 calories over the course of a day. But it takes 3,500 calories to burn off 0.5kgs of fat. At that rate, it would take more than 6 months just to lose a kilo of fat. And it would cost hundreds of dollars!Supplements are not a replacement for real, whole food. In addition, many of the ingredients that are packed into these miracle fat loss compounds are downright dangerous. All you have to do is to take a look at the fine print at the bottom of the glossy ads that sell these products. You’ll find a long list of disclaimers and warnings.

Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with coconut, serve immediately. Serves 1. 

Got limited time but want to get in an effective weight training workout? If you’re new to working out with weights, you probably have no idea of how to go about putting together an effective workout that will fit your time constraints. Never fear - in this article we will hone in on the 5 most effective exercises to work your entire body in only a quarter of an hour.

Saunas have been used to make people feel better and improve their health for thousands of years. Today, the use of heat for health benefits is widespread with everything from Hot Yoga to Heat Baths being used by people all over the world. Yet, the sauna remains an extremely popular option. In this article we take a look at the science based benefits of regular sauna use.

Heat Stress

Heat stress is one of the few goods types of stress that actually benefits the human body. Positive stress is known as hormesis. It’s the type of stress that comes from exercise and results in adaptations that make the body stronger and healthier. Heat stress acts in a similar way.

Method

Roast your chook at 180 degrees for 60-75 mins, pierce the leg with a skewer to see if clear liquid comes out to test if it is cook through. Remove the skin and shred. Set aside.

Combine the first six ingredients of the dressing, adjust according to taste. Some might like it sweeter rather than tart or less heat from the chillies. Add 100ml of the dressing to 500ml of water in a pot. Bring to the boil & then poach your prawns until cooked approximately 2-3 mins and set aside.

Connective body tissue is also known as fascia. It is a spider-like network of webbing that covers our muscles. When it’s healthy, it is fluid, flexible and smooth. But when it’s not, it becomes stiff and immobile. The result is that our muscles don’t function as they should and we feel stiff and uncomfortable. Stress and inactivity are key contributors to poor connective tissue health. In this article, we reveal three things you can do every day to keep your connective tissue fluid and flexible. 

Fasting is the oldest nutritional intervention for weight loss and good health that exists. Only in the last few years, however, has it gained mainstream traction. Today, fasting, in the form of intermittent fasting, is one of the most popular dieting choices on the planet. The reason is simple - it works! In this article we investigate what intermittent fasting is, why you should do it and how to implement it into your life.

15 minutes isn’t very long. In fact, for most gym goers, it’s about how long it takes to slip into their trainers and get started on their warm up. If you know what to do with that 900 seconds, however, 15 minutes is plenty long enough to produce a killer workout that will burn calories like crazy. Well, we’re about to know exactly what to do with that 15 minute workout investment to produce a massive dividend in terms of calorie burn.