Train like an Olympian

Since the Olympics have started I thought I would share a little training tip.  I recently read a quite saying have you looked around and seen the average American boy are we getting big!!! As I'm watching the Olympics today I'm thinking why can't everyone be in this good of shape?  Now I know not everyone is as gifted athletically as those in the Olympics but that gives no reason for the average American to not move or do the best they can.  These Olympians work hard everyday.  I am going to give you a huge hint PLAN!!! These athletes plan their workouts in advance as well as their nutrition.  You need to plan, plan, plan!! If you currently are not doing that you are letting yourself down.  If you don't know how to plan invest in a trainer.  As a trainer myself I know not every trainer is good, I get that if your skeptical.  You need to set up a consult with them get their philosophy on fitness and training, check out their personality and see if they are a good match for you.  If you want to train like an Olympian but your trainer doesn't know how to do that choose someone else.  Make sure they have the knowledge to take you to where you want to go fitness-wise.  

So if you take nothing out of this besides one thing make sure you PLAN!  Set yourself up for success and hire someone to help you if your not sure how to get their yourself.  Get off the couch and start your journey today! 

A little more motivation for you!  

Be the best you can be and you just might surprise yourself!

Body Weight Exercises

After working this last week with youth athletes who are amazing to work with by the way.  I have a renewed sense of bodyweight exercises and how effective they are.  Most young kids do not need to lift a ton of weights but doing body weight exercises is a plus.  Below is a great workout you can do all with your own bodyweight.

1. Push-Ups-  The main thing you need to do is make sure your butt is not up high like a mountain and not to low like a valley- just holding straight like a board. Pretend there is a tennis ball below your chest drop all the way down and push back up.

2. Squats- Make sure your knees don't go past your toes.  Sit back like your going to sit in a chair and chest up.

3. Plank-Hold up in a basic position to advance tap your feet out side to side like shown in picture.

4. Mountain Climbers- Put yourself in a high plank position and tap your feet up towards the front of your body like you are running.  Keep repeating as fast as you can.

5. Lunges- Alternate legs as you take a regular stride length forwards and than step back.  Make sure you knee doesn't go past your toes and your abs are zipped up nice and tight.  

Meditation

Meditation is something I came across recently.  It is all about relaxing the mind.  If you have a thought you acknowledge it and than clear it from your mind.  How is one to do this one might ask? It is quite difficult and if you have never done this before start with a 5 minute meditation and work on increasing a minute every week.  You can meditate up to 30 minutes or an hour if you wish.  Who has time to meditate that long?  Well if  you think that stay in the 5-10 minute range for meditating.  Below is a list of benefits to meditating courtesy of ineedmotivation.com

Physiological benefits:
1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
2- It decreases respiratory rate.
3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
4- Increases exercise tolerance.
5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.


Psychological benefits:
36- Builds self-confidence.
37- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour.
38- Resolve phobias & fears
39- Helps control own thoughts
40- Helps with focus & concentration


Spiritual benefits:
80- Helps keep things in perspective
81- Provides peace of mind, happiness
82- Helps you discover your purpose
83- Increased self-actualization.
84- Increased compassion
85- Growing wisdom

5K Runs

Last night I ran in my first 5K run of the summer.  I really didn't train to tough to get in shape for it like I would have liked to, but still ran a decent time.  I shaved off 15 seconds from my practice times.  The picture above is with the people I ran the race with this year.  Addie another in-home personal trainer and her husband Kory. 

Last year I had the honor of instructing a running group.  I took 4 people through their first 5K.  It is such a privilege to see someone meet their goals.  All of the people in my group finished the race and felt amazing after they did such.  Even if they had to walk throughout the race that is totally fine.  Most people think they need to be able to run the entire race.  That is not the case.  Quite a few people will run it like they do intervals.  Run as much as they can take a walk break for a minute run another 2-4 minutes take another 1 minute walk break.  People will not judge you while they are running.  Everyone is so focused on themselves they don't pay any attention to what other people in the race are doing.  So if you haven't already challenge yourself to sign up for a 5K.  You just might find you are a "runner" after all. 

Rag Workout

I love this workout and hate it at the same time.  It is intense but the rewards are wonderful!  You want to do this for timed intervals.  Repeat 2-3 times pending fitness level.  Try and preform the exercise for 30 consecutive seconds or 45 seconds if your more advanced.  If you have lower back issues be very careful if you attempt this workout.

1. Plank- Knee Pull-Ins

A. Put rags on feet and hands on floor in high plank position (as pictured above).  B. Pull knees into chest and than push straight back out behind you.  C. Keep repeating as many times as you can until your time is up.

2. Plank- Mountain Climbers 

A. Put rags on feet again. (Notice this picture does not show the rags) B. Drive knees towards chest alternating legs.  C. Repeat rapidly and as many times as you can in the allotted time. 

3. Plank- In/out leg exercises

A. In high plank position with rags on feet.  B. Take legs straight out to sides and than back into middle.  C. Repeat this motion for the allotted time.

4.  Plank- Obliques 

A. In high plank position with rags on feet.  B. Draw knees into chest and kick back out. C. Kick out legs diagonally to one side. D. Draw legs back into chest and kick out diagonally to opposite side. E. Repeat as many times as you can in the allotted time. 

Have you made your goal pyramid?

I have discovered the power of writing down your goals.  Statistics show that you are 80% more likely to meet your goal if you write it down.  Personally I just started doing this.  I came across a book, Jillian Michaels, Unlimited (I highly recommend this book as well) that talked about writing your goal pyramid.  So I have since recorded my goals and have my goal pyramids hanging in my apartment.  I have a personal as well as professional goal pyramid.  I broke it down into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals.  Some of my goals might seem a bit lofty but if you don't aim high for yourself who will?  I have challenged myself to stay on top of these goals and it has made a difference in the way I live.  I am more adventurous about what I want and go for it.  I'm more willing to put myself out there and express my opinions on things.  My personal yearly goal was to weigh 145lbs.  I am very close to hitting that and I'm only 1 month into that yearly goal.  I than can reassess and add to that.  I'm now thinking I want to do a fitness show of sorts.  This is something I have thought about doing for a long time but never felt confident enough to go after it.  I now feel I could do it and be proud of my body.  

So I challenge you to write down your goals.  If you don't want to do a pyramid that is fine but pick one goal that you are really striving to achieve.  Once you reach that goal, and you will choose another.  Life is all about bettering oneself and I believe goals are a great way to hold yourself accountable.  You can also tell a trusted friend, spouse or colleague your goals and have them help hold you accountable.  The sky is the limit and put yourself out of your comfort zone to achieve your goal! 

My weight loss secret!

I have discovered my new favorite way to tone up belly fat and it is not from doing crunches at the gym, Isagenix.  Isagenix is a meal replacement system that gives your body the nutrients you need and the energy you want all while toning up the body, essentially.

  I will tell you where I started out on my fitness journey.  A little over 3 years ago I weighed 200 pounds, I'm 5'10'' by the way.  I would have definitely considered myself "active."  Well I was wrong on so many levels.  I went out to much, made awful food choices when I would stay out to late and boy did it show.  I than decided I needed to change when my boyfriend and I were lying in a hammock together it tipped more towards my direction.  I realized I weighed more than him!! No woman ever wants that!  So I started working out and stopped going out as much and you know what it worked.  I shed 30 pounds and was feeling great.  Now comes the next half of my journey.

I hit a plateau and man I was stuck.  I couldn't get out of the 165/170 range.  I ate well, worked out 5 days a week and nothing was working.  I than went to a nutrition event at my gym.  At the time I thought well if this product can work for a fitness model and take the last 10 pounds off her and she is tiny it just might work for me.  I talked with Lori Harder and she told me she was just like me skeptical of supplements and does it "really" work?  So I waited another 6 months and my weight was staying the same nothing was happening.  At this point I thought I need to make a change.  I than saw a posting from Jenn N. on facebook about Isagenix, now was the time for me!  

My first week of taking Isagenix I lost 4 pounds and 11 inches in a week!  I couldn't lose that in 6 months and I just did it in a week!  I than continued to use it for the next 30 days and felt amazing.  I had more energy than I have ever had and continued to lose weight without even trying at this point.  I stopped taking it for a couple of days just to see how I felt and to see if I noticed a difference.  I kid you not I did notice a difference I was tired coming home from school again no energy to work out and felt bloated again.  

So now I 'm hooked on these amazing products.  I drink 1-2 shakes a day, one as breakfast another as a snack or dinner.  My abs have never looked this good and my energy is through the roof!  My weight is at an all time low of 152lbs!  In high school I was a muscular 165.  The confidence this product has given me is wonderful and I just wanted to share it with everyone.  So if your reading this and think not yet now is not my time.  Maybe revisit your fitness goals in 6 months like I did, have you made progress?  Do you have the body you wanted?  If not I invite you to give Isagenix a shot, you never know it just may change your life. 

Stability Ball Workout

If you have a stability ball but don't know what to do with it besides crunches this is the workout for you. Most exercises below do 12-15 reps if your working on toning up.  Do 2-3 sets pending fitness level.

1. Push-ups

Rest your knees on the ball for beginners and more advanced put toes on the ball.

2. Wall sit or wall squat 

You can either sit and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Or you can do squats against the wall put the ball on your lower back.  This is easier to do if you have bad knees.

3. Plank into high pike

Only do this if you have a strong level of fitness.  If you have lower back issues do NOT do.

-Put feet on ball and body in a high plank position.  Than pull body upwards to a pike position and your booty should go up in the air. Than release back down and repeat. 

4. Chest Press on Stability Ball

Lying on ball hips raised to sky drop down arms to form a field goal and push straight back up over your chest.  Repeat.

5. Triceps Extension sitting on Stability Ball

Sitting on ball drop arms down and up.  Keep elbows facing forwards and drop down pull up using the back of the arms.

6. Plank on stability ball

There are two options for planks.  Put feet on stability if you want more advanced option. 2nd picture is also challenging you put forearms on stability ball.  Hold 30 seconds-1 minute.

Log Your Food!!

I will share with you my personal story on logging food.  I kept a food journal by hand for 1 year and ended up losing 30 pounds.  I had so much more accountability when logging my food than when just eating a handful of crackers here and there.  You will be shocked at how many calories you are truly eating in a day or maybe not eating.  If your not eating enough calories your not doing yourself a favor either.  You need at least 1200 calories if your a female and around 1800-2000 if your a male depending on your height and activity level.  During that year I also logged all of my workouts and held myself accountable that way as well.  But most of you probably have heard by now nutrition is 80% of the battle.  You are what you eat.  If your not wanting to log your food by hand than check out myfitnesspal.com.  My personal favorite free site to log food.  It offers multiple food selections as well as different restaurants.  So start that food journal and watch your fitness aspirations become a reality. 

Does your fitness routine need a little more fireworks to get you going again?

Since it is so close to the 4th of July I figured I would see how everyone is doing with their fitness routines.  It is about half way through summer now and some people might be noticing their fitness goals are not where they want them to be.  What is missing is it motivation, lack of time, commitment, accountability, knowing what to do?  All these things can cause people to panic and throw out their entire fitness routines.  I have included some great motivational quotes to help you push through and try to get those fireworks back into your health and fitness goals!!!

1. Fear is what stops you... courages is what keeps you going.- Unknown 
2. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryan
3. The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. ~ Steve Jobs
4. Often we don’t try because then we can’t fail.
5. Start small when trying to make big changes. Going to big to start will only leave you discouraged.

 Let those fireworks begin!!!

Are you getting enough zzz's?

Notice when one gets a full night of sleep how much better you feel the next day.  With today's go, go, go society sleep is a necessity but often gets overlooked.  An adult needs to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night, children more up to 10-11 hours.  If your noticing your fitness goals are slipping away because lack of sleep your not alone.  Millions of Americans are sleep deprived.  It's time for us to take a look at why we are not getting enough sleep.  Is it because you are watching tv?  Are you up late night eating?  Are you working out to close to your bedtime?  Do you have a set routine every night before bed?  Personally I like to read before I go to bed.  It's my way of unwinding and it stays the same every night so I mentally know I need to start winding down and get a good nights rest.  So try to go to bed an hour earlier if you don't usually get enough sleep.  You might toss and turn but eventually your body will give in after you quite your mind and you will get a good nights rest.