Staffed hours for Christmas

Merry Christmas, Snap Fitness family!

We will be taking some time off for Christmas this year. As always, our facility will be available 24/7 to those with a valid electronic scan card (members). But, our staffed hours will be limited.

We will not be staffed:

Friday, December 23rd

Saturday, December 24th

And

Monday, December 26th

Have a Merry Christmas! 

Please excuse our mess!

We have shared with everyone that we are expanding into the old Red Hill Store location next door...and it is happening NOW!

It's a bit dusty and loud in here, but all for a great cause.

Please bare with us as we expand to double our current space! We will be offering group fitness classes, small group personal training options, obstacle race training and more!

Thank you to all of our members for your patience and support through this process.

If you know someone who would like to become part of our Snap Fitness family, please refer them to us and make sure they tell us you sent them over! You will get a free months membership for anyone you send that signs up for a membership AND we will offer them a special discount just because you sent them!

7 Ways Not To Get Sick This Season

Photo taken from MSN

MSN shares so many great articles about health and wellness. 7 Ways Not To Get Sick This Season is definitely one of those great articles.

1. Load up on vitamin C

2. Strengthen your gut

3. Be boring (stay away from sugar)

4. Say no

5. Exercise outside

6. Give back

7. Hydrate

To learn more specifics, simply click HERE. 

Snap Fitness: Thanksgiving hours, t-shirts and progress competition

Thanksgiving is coming up...here are our staffed hours: 

• Snap Fitness North Raleigh will not be staffed on Thursday, November, 25 or on Friday, November 25.
• We will be staffed on Saturday, November 26 from 9am until 12pm.

• As always, your 24 hour access is still valid...365 days a year!

Remember:

Sign up for our progress competition next time you stop in. Sign up sheets are located at the front desk.

Snap Fitness t-shirts for sale:

Just $10 each! Ask an employee to purchase one next time you are here! Colors and sizes are limited to what we have in stock. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving 2016! 

Thanksgiving hours and Holiday recipes

Happy Turkey Day! 

Snap Fitness North Raleigh will not be staffed on Thursday, November, 25 or on Friday, November 25.

We will be staffed on Saturday, November 26 from 9am until 12pm.


Looking for some healthy Thanksgiving recipes? Here you go...

Herb roasted turkey breast

Gluten free stuffing

Roasted sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon

Vegan gravy

Parmesan whole roasted cauliflower 

Pear and blue cheese salad

Deviled eggs

Butternut squash soup

Vegan pumpkin pie

End of year progress competition

We are currently hosting an end of year progress competition for our members. It is FREE to sign up and the winner will receive 2 months of their membership for FREE! Sign up sheets are located at the front desk.
After you sign up, you will meet with one of our amazing trainers to be tested on how many push ups and pull ups you can complete and how long you can comfortably hold a plank. We will keep track of your progress between now and the end of the year, by meeting with you bi-weekly to track your progress. The winner will be determined by the best % of increase between now and then. It is that simple!

Sign up for the challenge the next time you come in to workout!

Clothing for outdoor workouts

Now that the pollen is getting lighter and we continue to have cooler mornings and evenings, you may be spending more time outside getting your cardio in. If you are walking, running or exercising outdoors, here are some tips about what types of clothing you can wear to keep you comfortable:

Shirts:

Fabric that helps wick sweat away from the body (not cotton)

Jackets:

Fabric that repels water with a front zipper for easy removal and vents to help body from getting overheated.

Pants:

Fabric to help wick sweat away from the body, vents to help keep the body cool. Capri pants for warmer weather and long pants for cooler weather with zippers around the ankles for easy removal.

Shorts:

You can wear long or short shorts. Keep in mind, the longer they are, the more they will restrict your movement.

Socks:

Synthetic blends are best. No cotton socks! They keep the feet moist. Wool socks are good for cold weather. You can double up to help protect your feet from blisters if running.

Target stores often have sales on their moisture wicking clothing items. You can also find coupons for Dick's Sporting Goods online for $10 off $50 or $15 off $75.

Benefits to a morning workout

Should we work out in the morning, afternoon or evening? Well, it really depends on your daily schedule. However, there are some good reasons to get it done in the AM:

• Take one shower: Yes, this is obvious, but it is true. If you work out in the morning, you won't have to smell funny after working out during your lunch hour.
• It will not interfere with your plans: Most get-togethers are in the evening.
• Energy: You will start your day filled with energy!
• Beat the heat: During the summer, outdoor morning workouts will be less hot and humid.
• Sunrise: Watch the sunrise...it is a great way to start your day.

Contact us today to get started! 984.202.5326

Men's physique competition results: Snap Fitness Trainers

Randy Fobbs placed in the top 10 at the men's physique competition! He came in 8th place and has informed us that he is planning to take part in another competition in November of this year. I watched him train and he trained hard for this. Watch out world, Randy is at it again!

Snap Fitness is proud of you, Randy! Keep up all of the hard work.


The NPC has two different divisions for each competition. They have a novice division for those who have never competed with them before and they have the actual competition (physique open) that everyone is part of.


Stedman Greggs placed 2nd place in the novice division! He also placed 2nd place in the physique open! Because he placed 2nd in the open, he is now qualified for the Nationals! Stedman is planning to compete in the Charlotte Cup on April 23rd of this year! Let's go Stedman!

Bring in another win for us, Stedman! Snap Fitness is proud of you!

The health benefits of garlic (recipe included)

Studies have been conducted and the results show that garlic can lower cholesterol. It can also lower high blood pressure. When digested, garlic breaks down and releases hydrogen sulfide. This process helps the blood vessels relax and widen and this is what helps keep blood pressure low.

Roasted Garlic and Broccoli

• 2 heads of garlic
• 
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and pepper
• 
  
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

Preheat oven to 400*.

Cut the tips off the garlic heads.

Drizzle with oil.

Place into small glass baking dish.

Sprinkle with spices.

Roast for 20 to 40 minutes.

When cooked, the garlic will feel soft when you squeeze it. Caution...it will be hot to the touch!

When garlic is cool to the touch, remove the skins by squeezing the garlic from them.

Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired.

Falls River Town: Spring Fling: This Saturday, April 9

Come to the Falls River Town Center this Saturday for our neighborhood Spring Fling! It's from 10am - 6pm and here's the schedule of fun activities:

~ To Start Your Morning ~

** Stop by Snap Fitness to pick up your:
“Falls River swag bag”: full of coupons and goodies! [Only 50 bags. Come early!]

Raffle ticket: No purchase necessary. Amazing prizes include: FREE store gift certificates, birthday party packages, spa treatments, yoga classes, music lessons and a 40-inch flat screen TV!

**Have breakfast at Big Apple Bagel: Buy 6 bagels, get 6 FREE (BAB choice not included.) Only $0.49 for a regular coffee. Cash and carry for muffins/cookies.

~ Family-Fun Activities ~

10-12pm: Kona Ice Truck in the First Tennessee parking lot

10am-1pm: “Design a Muffin” at Big Apple Bagels: $1 for a plain muffin that you can decorate to your perfection, with icing, sprinkles, and all sorts of goodies.

11-11:30am: Storytime at the Raleigh Bookbar: Stories, songs, cookies and juice boxes

11-1pm: Balloon art, stilt walking and juggling at First Tennessee

11-2pm: Caricature drawings at Gamesturz

2-4pm: Kid’s tattoos at Raleigh Bookbar

3:30-5pm: Falls River Music Kid’s Band: live performance!

~ Enjoy Lunch and Dinner ~

** Marco’s: Pizza by the slice for only $2.00. Large, 2-topping pizza for only $7.99

** Chubby’s Taco’s: Free samples. Only $2.00 for fried ice-cream.

** Uncorcked: Your choice of flatbread, plus a glass of beer or wine for only $15

** Falls River Pub: Choice of sandwich, side and soda or sweet tea for only $9.85 [11am to 5pm]

** Nantucket: Free slice of cake with a $13 entrée

** Taza Grill: Gyro special, with fries and a drink, for $7.99

** Highway 55: $1 off milkshakes

~ Sidewalk Sales ~

Check out the extra savings and sale items at the tables in front of Klaystation, the Raleigh Bookbar and Gamesturz.

Stedman Greggs: Interview and photos: Snap Fitness Personal Trainer

Stedman Greggs is another one of our amazing personal trainers who will be competing in the Mens Physique Show on Saturday, April 9th!

Speaking with Stedman is always fun, so I enjoyed our interviews as he worked out at our Snap Fitness facility!

How long have you been competing in physique competitions?

"This is my first show!"
How long have you been training for it?
"I have been in training since January, 1st of this year."
Can you tell me what you are doing to train?
"I have been doing compound lifts and extension sets. Compound lifts are exercises using more than one muscle at a time. Extension sets are back to back exercises that work the same body parts. As far as nutrition, I count carbs, proteins and fats. I also do a carb cycle which means that I adjust my carbohydrate intake each day to assure that it matches up with the particular training I do that day."
What is your competition goal?
"To win! (laughs) Really, to make friends, co-workers and family proud and making sure God gets glorification!"


At the end of the interview, I asked Stedman if he had anything he would like to add...
"Thank you to my Snap Fitness family for support, encouragement and prayers. Thank you to Deanna, my myofascial release specialist!"

Interview (and photos) with Randy Fobbs: Personal trainer at Snap Fitness North Raleigh

Randy has been competing physique competitions for three years. This is his second competition and after his first, he placed second out of twenty contestants.

I interviewed Randy to see what motivates him to compete in the physique competitions and here is what I found out:

Why do you take part in physique competitions?

“It is a great way to stay in shape”
How long does it take to train for a competition?
“12 to 16 weeks. More towards 16 weeks.”
What and how do you eat while you are training?
“I eat 6 small meals per day which equals to about 2200 calories a day.”
How do you train?
“I lift using high reps and moderate weight.”
What is your goal when you are training for a competition?
“Low body fat. I started at 16% and now I am down to between 3% and 5% for the show.”
Who will be there to support you and cheer you on at the show?
“My wife, mom and sister.”
Do you have anything you would like to say?
“Just ready for it!”

I conducted this interview as Randy was speed walking on the treadmill. At this point, he is maintaining his weight and muscle mass as he awaits the show.

Spotlight on 2 of our personal trainers: Randy Fobbs and Stedman Greggs

We have the best personal trainers in Raleigh here at Snap Fitness, North Raleigh. Two of our trainers are gearing up to showcase themselves at the NCP (National Physic Competition) mens physic show. 

For Randy Fobbs, this will be the second physique competition that he has trained for and participated in. At his first show, he took second place! 








For Stedman Greggs, this will be his first physique competition.  He is nervous and excited about participating in this event. 







The competition, NC State Show, will take place in Greensboro, NC on Saturday, April 9, 2016. 
Pre-judging is at 8:30am and the show is scheduled to begin at 6pm. 

Stay tuned as we post specific interviews with each of the guys. They will share with us their motivation and training techniques. 

Falls River Town Center: Spring Fling event

Come out to Falls River Town Center on Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 10am until 6pm to take part in our Spring Fling event!

Many of the businesses, including Snap Fitness will be having activities for the whole family. From raffle tickets to games and food trucks, we are planning to have a fun time.

The first 50 guests will receive a "Falls River Swag bag" filled with goodies and coupons from the businesses in our shopping center.

Check back to our blog soon for more information and details about this event.

Is it possible to burn more calories weight lifting than doing cardio?

You'll burn more calories weight training (resistance training).

The physical act of lifting weights burns calories. If you opt for adding in calisthenics or circuit training, you will also get cardio benefits.

Truth be told, strength training can help you to burn more calories even when you're not working out!  

By lifting weights to add muscle mass, you're boosting your metabolism. Boosting metabolism will help your body burn even more calories!

Blood Drive! Friday, April 8, 2016!

Where: Snap Fitness, Falls River Ave.

When: Friday, April 8, 2016

Time: 2:00pm until 6:30pm

How: Go to: Snap Fitness: American Red Cross (enter in 27614) to sign up to give blood for our blood drive! 

How to have a successful cardio workout

Cardio (Cardiovascular) exercises strengthen the heart.  

Here are some examples of cardio exercises:

• Walking briskly
• Running
• Swimming
• Biking
• Aerobic classes 
• Cardio equipment (stepper, treadmill, elliptical, bike)

If you are just starting a cardio exercise routine, or have been on one for some time, something important to remember is: When you can have a full conversation while doing your routine, it means it is time to bump up your intensity. If we continue to do the same thing day after day without making it harder, it will not have the effect we desire it to have on our bodies. 

Cardio vs. resistance training

Welcome to our new series: Cardio vs. Resistance training! We have successfully covered eating a healthy diet in the previous series…right down to the recipes we can make. Let’s dive into the benefits of cardio and resistance training…

Both are important for each of us! Fitness can be largely influenced by time (or lack of) and convenience. One of the most common thoughts for those with time constraints is usually: I have 30 minutes to work out today. Let me knock out some cardio. This isn’t a BAD thing, but we can actually get more benefits by doing resistance training if it is done correctly. The purpose of cardio is to sustain an elevated heart rate. We can also elevate our heart rate by performing resistance training, doing calisthenics in between each exercise. Calisthenics are: jumping jacks, running or walking quickly in place, etc. Doing this as opposed to doing an exercise and resting will incorporate out “cardio” into our weight/resistance training routine.

It is important to incorporate cardio and strength/resistance training into our daily workout routines.

Cardio

• Elevates heart rate
• Increases the flow of oxygen, therefore increasing our energy levels
• Burns calories at the time of the workout

Resistance Training

• Elevates heart rate
• Improves joint stability, strength and bone density
• Burns calories throughout the day 

Clean eating dessert recipes

Most of us crave sweets ever now and again. right? Maybe more "now" than "again"? Here are some sweet and healthy treats for those of us with a sweet tooth:

Black Forest Banana Split

• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 2 bananas, split lengthwise
• 16 walnut halves
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cherry concentrate (available at health-food stores)

Spoon ricotta into a dessert dish and place a banana half on each side of the cheese. Put the walnut halves on top and dust with the cocoa powder. Drizzle the cherry concentrate on top.

Makes: 2 servings

Black forest banana split

Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops

• 2 ounces roughly chopped unsweetened baking chocolate
• 3 ounces roughly chopped milk chocolate
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts (or toasted coconut or cacao nibs if desired)

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Slice bananas into thirds crosswise; insert a wooden freezer-pop stick or skewer in one end of each. Dip pieces in melted chocolate, spooning on additional chocolate to cover. Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts. Freeze until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours. (If frozen for more than 2 hours, let soften for 20 minutes before serving.)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

PER SERVING: 206 cal., 13 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 69 mg sodium, 22 g carb. (4 g fiber), 5 g pro.

Chocolate dipped banana pops

Baked Apples

Makes 1

• 1 Fuji apple
• Raisins, as desired
• Cinnamon, as desired
• Honey, as desired

Core a Fuji apple, stuff with raisins, cinnamon, and honey, as desired. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Baked apples

RECIPES for clean eating!

Picture taken from forkandbeans.com 

Here is a list of some recipe ideas to help you on your clean eating lifestyle:

Breakfast:

Remember eggs in a hole? Fried egg in toast? Check out this revised version: Reinvented egg in a hole recipe

Oatmeal! Do you love oatmeal? I hope so because it is good for you! 5 minute power oatmeal recipe

Lunch:

These shrimp and avocado summer rolls look amazing! Shrimp and avocado summer roll recipe

Salmon is good for us! Check out this tasty recipe for salmon cakes...and yes, it is good for you: Oven fried salmon cake recipe

Dinner:

Crispy chicken? Yes please... Crispiest spring chicken recipe

Risotto anyone? How about: White bean cauliflower risotto 

Planning your meals…is it worth the extra effort?

If you want to continue to eat healthy and stay away from processed, boxed and packaged foods, I would say YES!

A simple way to meal plan is to find recipes you want to try via the Internet or cookbooks and put all the ingredients needed onto your grocery list…to make sure you have everything you need for the week. This may take you about 15 to 30 minutes.

You can do all the prep work for the meals over the weekend to make weekdays easier!

Your body will thank you!

Portion size…What is that?

Figuring out what the correct portion size for each serving is pretty simple…although many make it difficult. The proper portion size must be no larger than the palm of our hand! Yes! It is that simple.

What does this mean if I am eating out?
The average restaurant serves portions that are several times larger than what we are supposed to be eating. However, there is an easy fix for this too! Separate the food you are served into the correct portion size and take the rest home to have for another meal…or two!

Another portion control tip:
Use a smaller plate. When our plate appears full it gives us the illusion that we are eating more food! You can even do this when you go out to eat...just ask for a salad plate along with your meal and separate your food onto it!

How do I eat more vegetables?

Sneak vegetables into your every day foods! Vegetables contain fiber and vitamins our bodies need to live. By all means, eat them raw as a snack, in salads and in smoothies. But we can cook with them too! Check out the article below entitled:How to get your children to eat more vegetables for ideas on sneaking them into the foods you prepare! 

In addition, take a peek at this meatball vegetable soup recipe. It is super easy and cooks in the crockpot!

Meatball and Vegetable Soup Recipe

Add olive oil to a pan.
Add 3 pealed and thickly sliced garlic cloves (which I later removed before adding the meatballs to the oil and placed them directly into my soup pot)

Turkey meatballs

• 1 pound of organic ground turkey, defrosted
• and
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

Combine ingredients together and form into small, 2-bite sized meatballs.
Place them in the pan with olive oil on medium heat.
Cook until browned and cooked through...about 3 minutes per side (depending how big the meatballs are).

Soup

• 1 large can (24 ounces) of stewed tomatoes (and crushed them up with my hands)
• 4 cups of organic vegetable stock
• 2 zucchini, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 large onion, cut into pieces
• 1 cup mini carrots, cut into pieces
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• Garlic from pan
• Salt, pepper and onion powder, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, optional to sprinkle over top

Add all ingredients into a large pot.
When the meatballs are done cooking, add them into the pot.
Allow soup to cook over medium heat for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft.
This recipe serves 4 people.
If you are going to opt for the crockpot version, simply add everything into the crockpot and set on low. Allow it to cook for 4 to 5 hours.

Need to get more veggies into your children? Check out this article: How to get children to eat more vegetables

Eat your snacks!

By preparing snacks for your day before leaving the house, you will be less likely to snack on foods that do not fall within the clean eating guidelines.
Preparation is key to a clean eating lifestyle.

Here are is a list of healthy snacks to get you through the day:

• Organic mini carrots and hummus
• Organic applesauce cups, with or without cinnamon
• Nuts, mixed or your favorite variety
• Organic string cheese
• Organic fruit, ex: apples, bananas, grapes, oranges
• Hard boiled eggs (organic)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Homemade trail mix: nuts, seeds and dried fruits
• Homemade granola with nuts
• Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola

Drinking clean…

Did the title of this post grab your attention? Drinking clean is super simple: DRINK water and plenty of it: approximately 2 liters (9 cups) for women and 3 liters (13 cups) for men.. Not only will this keep our bodies well hydrated, it will also cut back on the urge to eat. Water keeps the stomach full and if our bellies are full we are less likely to snack on junk. 

Don’t like water? Try this recipe for cucumber water! 

In addition, purchase in inexpensive cup that will hold the amount of liquid you need to drink each day. Add some ice cubes and water…now, you can sip all day long! 

Easy clean eating tips: How many times a day do I eat?

When you are eating clean, it is a good idea to eat 4 to 6 meals a day, leaning on the smaller size.  By doing this, you will keep your blood sugar regulated and your metabolism will increase…making it easier to lose weight if that is one of your goals! 

Don’t forget: NO SKIPPING BREAKFAST! We have the obvious: if we skip breakfast we are starving by lunchtime. When we are feeling super hungry, we tend to eat anything in site! Nooooo! Eat breakfast to prevent that from happening. See our post for: Overnight banana bread oatmeal for a healthy breakfast idea...this post also includes a simple how to video! 

Cooking clean...how do I do it?

One of the key parts to clean eating is to eat your fruits and veggies raw whenever possible. They do have many vitamins and nutrients in them and eating them raw will not alter anything that they have to offer.

Cooking your veggies is not a bad thing, as long as we stay away from deep frying and soaking them in animal fats. It is good to keep our food interesting by adding different spices, eating them raw at times and cooking them at times. It is hard to stick to any type of healthy lifestyle if we get bored with it!

Steaming veggies is the healthiest way to cook them. It maintains most of the vitamins and nutrients. We can also, stir fry them, but remember not to add lots of unhealthy oils and salts!

How to Shop Clean

A great tip to remember is: If we shop the perimeter of the grocery store, we will find more foods geared towards clean eating than if we shopped the center isles. The center isles tend to sell items that are processed and in most cases highly processed.

Tips to buying foods geared towards clean eating:

• Ingredient lists should be short
• Ingredients should be easy to pronounce and easily recognized 
• Check for additives such as flavors, colors, corn starch and imitation sugars
• Where do the ingredients come from…how much is it processed?

Remember:

Shop Organic as often as possible

Choose foods labeled "NON-GMO"

Eat as fresh as possible