Category: Blog

As a student athlete and volleyball player for 8 years throughout school, I was always active and in shape, but never had to create my own workouts. So when college rolled around, so did the freshman 15. My first tactic for tackling this problem was to join an intramural volleyball team in college. While I loved volleyball and I got good workouts at practice, it wasn’t competitive enough for me, which meant it was back to figuring it out solo. Now obviously I didn’t workout just like I would at volleyball practice but I did my best to maintain the same plyometric and cardio base.

                                                      What are Plyometrics?

Plyometric workouts are basically jump training, this type of workout it similar to HIIT or Tabata. Plyometrics are certain exercises where you exert the max amount of effort in a short amount of time. I personally love to sweat and to feel like I gave it my all and that’s exactly what plyometrics are for.

Volleyball drills were very similar, we would have a drill or an exercise to do exerting max effort and then a short rest period and repeat. Volleyball practice would last a couple hours and by the end of it I probably burned 2000+ calories a day. And honestly, if you wanted to do plyometrics for 2 hours a day you would look amazing and could probably eat whatever you wanted. But plyometric workouts don’t have to be long to see results, another reason why I love them!

Plyos are done usually with just body weight, making them home workout friendly. Many common plyometrics exercises are: jump squats, jump lunges, burpees, box jumps (lots of jumping) etc. So keep in mind if you have issues with high impact workouts this most likely won’t be for you.

Below is an example of a plyometric workout that I use often.

Plyometric Circuit

20 reps each move, 3 rounds total

Box Jumps

Jump Squat

Jump Junge

Mountain Climbers

Jump rope

Tuck Jumps

High Knees

Rest 30 sec – 1min & Repeat

Plyometric Benefits

Plyometrics burn a lot of calories quickly because you exert maximum effort when completing each exercise. Therefore with plyometrics, your workouts can be shorter. As much as I love running, I can burn the same amount of calories doing 10-30 minutes of plyometrics as I can running for an hour. And with plyos you can work specific muscle groups, targeting your specific problem areas, similar to traditional weight lifting.

Plyometrics are also great for strengthening both muscles and tendons in the areas that you target, which can help avoid injury. Because a lot of the movements are explosive and quick you also improve your muscles’ ability to contract and produce force more quickly.

You also greatly improve your endurance, similar to conditioning for sports, the more speed and power you have the less likely you are to feel fatigued. And like most other cardio exercises, you are improving your cardiovascular health as well.

You don’t have to start by doing the most difficult plyometric moves either, you can start with a jump rope to get your body used to moving in a vertical direction and go from there. But be sure to always listen to your body, if certain exercises cause you any pain or discomfort modify them. Remember that longevity and practicality are still the goals long term. So give the workout above a try and if it isn’t for you, that’s okay, the beautiful thing is there is a workout out there for everyone!

Paige Peterson

 

At this point we have discussed diet and supplement changes for a “new and sustainable you” many times, and again I think this should be the first lifestyle change you make. The next change to make is in your fitness routine, but without the proper diet you’ll be constantly trying to out-train a bad diet, which never ends well.

And similar to diet changes, don’t make fitness changes drastic and overnight. Don’t go spending a ton of money or all of your time at the gym. Make these changes slowly and really find what you enjoy doing.

So Many Options

This time of year is perfect to start a fitness journey because most people are doing the same. This can work in your favor because a lot of gyms will offer discounts and coupons. If the gym is calling your name, then now is the time to join. You still don’t have to go every single day for hours on end, but take advantage of classes offered and learn from others around you. Just getting started is the hardest part.

If a gym is not in your budget, or you’re like me and prefer working out alone, then it’s time to do some research online. There are tons of websites that offer free at home workout plans—and not to mention videos, free and otherwise, that you can follow at home. You can find weighted and non-weighted workouts such as plyometrics, yoga, jump rope, etc. that you can explore in the comfort of your own home.

And some people find having a goal, besides just being healthier, such as preparing for a 5k, Tough Mudder, or Spartan race to be a very good motivator as well. So see if any race types spark your interest and go from there.

Life Happens

Finding the right combo of diet and exercise can be difficult and honestly will take time. It has taken me years of trial and error since high school sports ended. I’ve tried everything from 5am workouts and very strict meal plans to only running and no meal plan at all and a lot in-between.

As weird as it sounds, even though I’ve started and stopped many different lifestyle changes through the years, the effort was constant and I still saw results.

Whatever changes you decide to make, even if you go bigger than advised in the beginning, be sure to keep track of the changes that happen to your body. Throughout the many years of my health and fitness journey, I kept pictures, measurements and even downloaded apps to help me track and see progress. Because even when I felt I wasn’t seeing any results, I could look back years later and see that over all I’m moving in the right direction.

My journey changes constantly as my life changes and there are inevitably going to be hiccups. You don’t have to have one plan and stick to it forever and you don’t have to feel bad if you get bored or run down. You still need to push yourself to make better choices but take your journey day by day as it fits in your life.

Paige Peterson

As the new year approaches, I don’t know about you, but my winter body is in full swing. So I’ve taken a step back to assess my health choices a bit and make some needed adjustments.

I think everyone’s biggest mistake when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle is often making changes too drastic to maintain long term. It’s not realistic to think that come January 1 you’re going to workout 1-2 hours a day and eat nothing but healthy food. While that is a good goal to strive for, those drastic changes are going to be hard to stick to and frankly hard to enjoy.

Getting healthier does not happen overnight and does not have to be a huge inconvenience, simple choices over time can end up being big changes in the long run.

DIET CHANGES

Your dietary changes are probably the most important to consider, and should be your starting point.

It goes without saying that the holidays bring all the best carbs to the table, and after having 3 Thanksgivings myself this year, carbs are where I’m going to start. I don’t go cold turkey and cut them out completely, but I monitor them. This can be as easy as planning your meals out and only having one meal with carbs such as rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes or bread. While trying to keep your other meals carb free, and eating less of things such as cereals and other refined carbs and sugars.

With carbs being a smaller part of your diet now, its time to add more protein and fat in order to feel full and get the nutrients you need. I find adding more meat, eggs, avocados, and nuts to my diet help me from feeling hungry.

And the last tip is to keep fruit on hand. Sweets are almost always my downfall especially at the end of the night. The more you eat fruit when you’re craving something sweet the more it will feel like you’re satisfying that craving, keeping you from searching for chocolate chips in the pantry.

SUPPLEMENTS

After you’ve made dietary changes you believe you can maintain, it’s time to tackle the next step, supplements.

If you’ve perfected the diet part of this you may not even need to add any supplements, but spiffing up your daily vitamin/supplement routine never hurts. Whether you’re looking to add more protein, more Vitamin C for cold season or even Vitamin A to improve hair health, KBA has a supplement for you. All of our supplements are powdered and can be added to most meals, beverages etc.

Don’t go buy tubs and tubs of protein powder or diet pills. Spend your money on only what your body needs based on your goals. Slow and steady lifestyle changes will still lead you to your goals, having crazy strict rules on your self won’t make for a fun new year or new you.

 

Paige Peterson

The holidays are in full swing and with them comes time with family, gifts and of course tons of calories. And I hate to say it, but like most people, I wait until the New Year to start focusing on new fitness and health goals. Usually at that point you have all the indulgence out of your system and are ready to start fresh.

I love the holidays and all the wonderful food and memories they bring, but it definitely takes a toll on your body. There are some things you can do to keep the calories lower and hopefully not have too much catching up to do come January 1.

Most of the time it’s as simple as only having grilled or baked goods and leaving the fried foods behind. Or you could try having more fruit and veggie trays than cookies. And lastly focus on making desserts that don’t have to contain a ton of flour and sugar.

KBA’s FREE supplement recipe e-book has a few great dessert ideas that will keep the calories lower than traditional options and will make it easy to add nutritional value with just a teaspoon of our supplements.

And as far as your guests are concerned, they don’t need to know you’ve brought a healthy dish! Let them think they are still indulging like we all enjoy doing this time of year.

Then after the holidays are over you can still use our FREE e-book to create nutritious snacks, smoothies, drinks, soups and more. Our KBA supplements can be added to most meals and beverages year round!

 

 

Chocolate Moose

SERVES: 2

Prep time       Cook time       Total time

     10 min             1 hour         1 hour 10 min

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon raw cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 2 teaspoons KBA Nopal Cactus Powder supplement

 

 

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Put sweet potato in the oven and cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until it’s soft (test with fork).
2. Allow the sweet potato to cool and peel the skin off.
3. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 

Paige Peterson

As we get closer and closer to the new year the word ‘diet’ comes up a lot. After we all eat our selves silly with holiday foods and dessert its time to get back on track and nothing says diet like… salad!

Salads are a great way to eat tons of vegetables, leafy greens and even protein. But most of us end up covering our healthy salad with a not so healthy dressing to make eating it a little easier and more enjoyable even if that dressing can add tons of unwanted calories and sugar.

KBA believes that dressings can be a nutritious addition to your salad without sacrificing flavor. Adding our supplements to everyday recipes, such as salad dressings, is another great way to get a little more fuel from your food.

You can add any of our supplement powders to our salad dressing recipes in our FREE recipe e-book. Just pick a recipe from the book and pick the supplement that best suits your needs that day!

-Use KBA Cactus powder for added fiber, improved digestion, joint pain relief and skin health.

-Use KBA Pine Pollen powder to boost energy, cognitive function, muscle recovery and hormone balance.

-Use KBA Pine Needle powder, which is rich in antioxidants, for an immunity boost, skin and eye health.

 

Ginger and Mango Dressing

SERVES: 2

Prep time       Mix time      Total time

 5 min              2 min          7 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon curry, ground
• 2 tablespoons ginger root, grated
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons KBA Nopal Cactus Powder supplement

 

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until fully combined.
2. Place in a serving container and set aside until ready to eat.

 

Tip

◊ For more flavor, you can add cinnamon (1 teaspoon), nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon), garlic (1clove), and/or red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon).

 

Paige Peterson