This post was written by Celia Dubauskas. Celia is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University, studying Nutrition Communication. This spring, she has been an intern for Arizona Beef Council, creating written and social content for our platforms. Celia is an experienced fitness professional and is certified as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Her passion for fitness has fueled her interest in nutrition and learning more about health and diet culture.
Did you know the American Heart Association certifies eight cuts of beef as part of a heart-healthy diet? Give Celia’s HIIT for Heart workout a try and then refuel with some delicious and nutritious beef to get that strong, healthy heart you’ve always wanted (and need!).
There is no doubt that exercise is good for both our
physical health and mental well-being.
Consistent exercise routines create habit and intention, increasing our
cardiovascular health and ensuring proper dopamine levels. We set goals, and
when we achieve them, we grow in confidence and strength. Exercise makes us happy!
So why don’t we do more?
One of the biggest challenges we face today is time. Never have Americans been so busy. We all get 24 hours in a day, but how we
choose to spend that time varies person to person. To many, it seems impossible to reach their
fitness goals because there is no time to get to the gym or squeeze in a
workout. Some do not have the financial
means to have a gym membership or invest in equipment.
What if all you needed was to move your body for 20
minutes? Can you make the time? Sure you can!
Surely, it cannot be that easy. But yes, it can! Interval training is the
latest and greatest fitness trend. By
rapidly increasing your heart rate with a quick rest in between each exercise,
you can burn more calories than a traditional weight and cardio session
combined. HIIT training has been proven
to blast fat and improve heart health.
All you need is 20 minutes.
Here is a quick 20 minute HIIT workout you can do in the comfort of your own home or outside in the sun. These five exercises will be performed for 30 seconds followed by a 30 second rest. Repeat 4 times and there is your 20-minute fat-blasting workout.
Jumping Squats
Butt Kickers
Jumping Lunges
Push Ups
Mountain Climbers
30 Second Exercise
30 Second Rest
5 Exercises
Repeat 4x
Nourish your body with movement, and respect it for all
that it allows you to do! HIIT for
happiness and HIIT for heart!
Over the
past decade, there has been a nationwide focal shift towards health and
wellness. Never has there been such a
demand for fitness and nutrition services in the Phoenix valley and state of
Arizona. There are hundreds of health
and fitness professionals across the state, but today I talked to Monique
Machiz about her journey as a fitness professional and how she came to be voted
the 2019 Best Trainer by Arizona
Foothills Magazine
“Best of Our Valley” contest.
Monique is
a personal trainer for Tytin Fitness in Tempe, Arizona. She works out of the wellness center she and
her fiancé, Ty Mealey, opened in 2018: Arizona
Aesthetics & Wellness. Their personal training business was
originally planted in a small Scottsdale studio, under the name Tytin
Fitness in 2016. The business grew so fast in just two years
that the couple wanted to open a bigger second location for their personal
training and other health and fitness services to call home.
“We wanted to open a one-stop-shop for health
and fitness. AZA&W hosts Tytin
Fitness personal training, as well as various medical and athletic recovery
services. Clients can come for a
training session, followed by an adjustment with Dr. Cory Baker, our
chiropractor, or increase the intensity of their training with Wesley Kress’s
Breakthrough Performance & Rehab.
Those are just a few of our services.
In the future we would like to house physical therapists, aestheticians,
and so many more!”
With the
success that Monique has had over the last few years, I wanted to learn more
about her professional journey and what got her into the fitness industry. Monique had played sports her entire
life. She played basketball all the way
into college. After suffering an injury,
she was forced to learn different ways to work out. She began to do a lot of research about
exercise and nutrition, and she even put together women’s workout groups at her
school to teach her friends how to workout, as well.
After
graduating from Whittier College with a B.S. in Kinesiology, Monique obtained
her Personal Training Certification because, like many recent graduates, she
was not sure exactly what she wanted to do: “I just knew I wanted to help
people.” She began personal training at
a corporate gym and instantly fell in love.
She was able to teach people about health and fitness and pursue her
passion at the same time.
With seven
years of certified personal training, I was excited to hear a bit about
Monique’s training and nutrition philosophy.
“When
it comes to nutrition, people tend to under eat. There are so many preconceived notions that
carbohydrates are the enemy and that you should eat low fat. Food is 80% of the results we make in the
gym. Food is our friend. Finding that overall balanced lifestyle is so
important for my clients. I try to
stress an 80/20 approach. It is
important to be eating clean, whole foods most of the time, but food is also
meant to be enjoyed.”
For her own personal diet, Monique likes to follow a higher fat approach. “I have an endomorphic body type, so I perform well on a higher fat diet. Beef is one of the predominant meats that I eat. I have an easier time building muscle when I incorporate red meat into my diet.” Not only does Monique train for overall health, she also competes in figure competitions. She stressed to me the importance of nutrient timing and why she loves red meat for workout recovery. “When it comes to making a meal plan, I love putting red meat post-workout. Red meat is slower digesting, and because of the micronutrients and high creatine content, red meat can be awesome for recovery and for rebuilding the muscle.” While old-school bodybuilders tend to stress lean meats and fish, Monique believes red meat is a great food to incorporate in the diet without having to take a bunch of supplements.
Monique
loves the bodybuilding style of training, as it is one of her hobbies, amidst
her busy schedule. But she understands
most people are interested in fitness to lead a healthy lifestyle. For many of her clients, she incorporates bodybuilding
movements with a functional style of training. “I mix a little bit of both
styles into my training. We need to make sure the body is moving well and
functional for the client’s lifestyle.”
To wrap up
our interview, I asked Monique what she thinks the general public should know
when navigating health and fitness: “Find what works for you. It’s all about trial and error. Try something and give it a month. Don’t be afraid to mix things up, and don’t
be afraid to research what you’re putting into your body. Just because someone says something is
healthy doesn’t mean it is. Fitness is
not a one-size-its-all.”
To learn
more about Monique Machiz, you can visit her social media and the Arizona
Aesthetics & Wellness website.
This post was written by Celia Dubauskas. Celia is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University, studying Nutrition Communication. This spring, she has been an intern for Arizona Beef Council, creating written and social content for our platforms. Celia is an experienced fitness professional and is certified as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Her passion for fitness has fueled her interest in nutrition and learning more about health and diet culture. Keep on eye out for upcoming posts!