Author Archives: Charlie Smith

The Unexpected Ways Yoga Can Build Muscle

yoga stretch

I am a bodybuilder. I cannot even count the number of times that I have walked around in a tank top and people have asked me, “wow, do you do a lot of yoga or something?”

I used to get so offended by this question. I would think to myself, “How in God’s name does anyone think that yoga could have built this hard earned muscle? Stretching doesn’t build muscle!”

Little did I know, yoga is way more than just trying to touch your toes, and I was humbled by discovering this first hand when I decided to give it a try. I thought that a nice little stretch session would be good for my flexibility and recovery after demolishing some weights, but yoga offers a lot more than just that.

I ended up doing two workouts that day. I had no idea that yoga could be such an intensive practice and provide much more for my body than an increase in flexibility. Yoga has made its way into my weekly exercise routine, and it has not only helped my flexibility, but also my muscle building as well.

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Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charlie Smith

Why it’s Crucial to Eat Right Before You Conceive

By Emily Wade Adams, CNC at PrimingTheBump.com and Natal-Nutrition.com

Eat Right Before You ConceiveWhy It’s Crucial to Eat Right Before You Conceive

Some people get pregnant without any preparation, it’s true. So what’s the point of undertaking a fertility preparation program? Why can’t you just sit down with a tub of ice cream and watch Jersey Shore instead?

Well, aside from the obvious explanation that in most cases, watching Snooki isn’t going to get you pregnant, there are two crucial reasons to eat right before you conceive:

EASE OF CONCEPTION. Speaking of ‘reality,’ not everyone is as fecund as TV shows may have you believe (see: 16 and Pregnant; 19 Kids and Counting). In fact, about 10-15% of couples now experience some form of infertility, and that percentage is steadily rising.

To conceive with ease, your reproductive system must be in good working order. Which means that your body must have all the necessary nutrients on hand – and in sufficient quantities – to feed the cells, hormones & processes of the reproductive system. In addition, any compounds that interfere with fertility must be avoided.

A nutritional preparation period helps stock your body full of healthy, fertility-boosting nutrients while eliminating anything that could block reproduction. Not only does this improve reproductive health, but it also puts you in control of your journey toward conception. (more…)

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Charlie Smith

A Spooky Tunes Halloween Workout Playlist

By Tish Merritt for FitBottomedGirls.com

I love me some Halloween! There’s nothing more fun than a night of mischief. But there’s also nothing like a Halloween workout! So I say grab a jump rope and a treadmill or a short trail and try the following: Jump rope for an entire song, then run/walk for the next song. Keep switching between the two different cardio workouts until you reach the end of this 45-minute playlist. It’ll be scary how much your cardio endurance improves…Terrifying how strong your calves and legs will become.

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Posted on October 27, 2024 by Charlie Smith

5 Reasons Why Hiking Is a Good Workout

By Jenn Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com

I’m not your typical vacation goer. I don’t really do beaches or tropical destinations, as I need enough Aveeno 45 to cover a small army. And I’m not one to be content laying around for seven days in a row. Two or three maybe, but longer than that and I go a bit mad. So every year, we load up the car, and drive to Colorado for some wicked fun hiking and camping. A break from my usual fitness routine and one heck of a leg workout, here are five reasons to get hiking!

5 Reasons to Take a Hike
1. It burns tons of calories. Depending on how steep and how fast your pace is, hiking can easily burn more than 500 calories in an hour. And on many hikes, an hour is considered a short one. Pack water and high-density foods (we like trail mix and Clif Bars) to power you through. This isn’t the time to skimp on calories, as your body needs the fuel.

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Posted on September 14, 2024 by Charlie Smith

5 Tips to Keep Up With Your Fitness After Baby

By Erin Whitehead for FitBottomedMamas.com

Committing to a proactive postnatal fitness routine is easy pre-baby, but with parenthood comes a variety of challenges that can land even the best-laid exercise plans on the back burner. So how do you stay committed? Postnatal fitness expert and Stroller Strides founder Lisa Druxman weighs in with some tips to keep mom motivated to stick with her postnatal workout—with the help of her BOB stroller, the official stroller of Stroller Strides.

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Posted on September 7, 2024 by Charlie Smith

Turn Any ‘Impossible’ Fitness Goal into Reality

By Jenn Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com

Goal-setting has incredible rewards. In fact, there’s really no better way to get to where you want to be (and get rewarded for it)! We chatted with Tara Zimliki, certified personal trainer and boot camp instructor, for her top tips on how to turn your fitness goals into reality.

marathonZimliki would know. She’s a crazy-awesome runner who has completed 15 marathons and hundreds of races worldwide. In fact, she completed the New York Marathon eight months pregnant and even ran 1 mile the day she gave birth to her first daughter and 3 miles the day she gave birth to her second daughter. Zimliki believes that taking on a personal fitness milestone is just as much a physical feat as it is a mental one. (Agreed!)

By setting mini-goals, she says you can make an overwhelming cliff seem a lot easier to climb. We couldn’t agree more! Read on for Zimliki’s tips to turning impossible fitness goals into possible fitness feats!

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Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charlie Smith

How to Have a Weight-Loss Spa Experience at Home

By Jennipher Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com

We’ve all heard about those beautiful spa and fitness resorts where you travel to a beautiful part of the country and spend a week eating only delicious, low-calorie food, working out with fun and unique activities, and spending a lot of time just relaxing with a massage or some meditation. Ah, it just sounds glorious. But what if a fitness spa retreat isn’t in your summer vacation budget or you just don’t have a full week to dedicate? You create a weight-loss spa at home, that’s what!

The people over at Shane Diet Resorts, a weight-loss spa located 90 minutes from New York City in the Catskill mountains, recently released a guide to re-creating a day at their resort at home. Read on for an hour-by-hour plan for having the best and healthiest staycation ever, no matter your budget or timeline!

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Posted on July 27, 2024 by Charlie Smith

Celebrate the Relaunch With Our Biggest Giveaway and Donation Ever!

It’s a new day at DietsInReview.com and we want to celebrate with you! In honor of our relaunch, we’re offering our biggest giveaway and biggest donation ever!

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign-up for any of the DietsInReview.com newsletters.

2. We’ll donate $1 to further breast cancer research for every new newsletter sign-up in October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

3. New subscribers will automatically be entered to win some amazing prizes!! Current subscribers, please email your entry.

4. On Nov. 1, we’ll draw 3 names for our Grand Prizes and 5 names for our Runner-Up Prizes.

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Posted on October 4, 2024 by Charlie Smith

We need your vote!

Thanks to all of our loyal readers, DietsInReview.com has been nominated for a Divine Caroline award! We’ve been nominated for their Web awards in the Body & Soul category.

Please visit Divine Caroline and vote DietsInReview.com as the best site in this category. We’re glad you’ve chosen us to be your resource for dieting, weight loss and healthy living.

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Charlie Smith