4 Fitness Moves you need to try

Fitness is full of trends and new must try workouts & gadgets that will make you in excellent shape.  So what am I going to tell you about that is so radically new or improved, well nothing.  I'm just going to shed light on some moves you might have forgotten about or didn't realize would benefit you as much as they could.

Don't let the number on the scale get you down

1. Body Weight Workouts- People think that the only way you are going to get results is by going to a gym with a ton of equipment.  That is really not the case.  I have trained various women from the comforts of their own home and have seen amazing results.  So don't use the lack of money for a gym as an excuse.  Below is a great living room workout you can do from the comfort of your own home.

2. Plank- This is one of my favorite moves that you can do anywhere.  It is great for those who are in         excellent shape or those just starting out.  You can hold it anywhere from 20 seconds- 1 minute.  This move is wonderful to do right away in the morning to keep your abs in nice and tight if that is not in your morning routine it will work anytime throughout the day.

3. Tabata Training- Tabata training is all about burning those calories after the fact.  Tabata was found to be effective at increasing ones cardio respiratory system just as much as running 6 miles daily.  The great part about tabata is it is only 4 minutes long.  The work part is 20 seconds and the rest part is 10  seconds.  You will repeat either 1-4 moves depending on how difficult you would like the workout to be.  Below are some great tabata workouts you can give a try this week!

1. Jumping Jacks

2. Pushups

3. Squat Jumps

4. Mountain Climbers

4. Interval Workouts- When working out you need to change up your pace.  You will start slow & then go fast, or slowly build speed up from a slower pace, then medium, to a full out sprint.  When doing an interval workout you can do this via cardio, or weight lifting.  As far as intervals go you can range them from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.  Depending on how hard you want to push yourself you can vary how long you run for or do the lifting routine for.  Just make sure you get your rest into your routine.  Rest is typically 30 sec.-1 minute.   Below are interval times you can choose to use in your workout routine.

Work   /  Rest

3 Minutes /  1 Minute

2 Minute/ 30 Seconds

1 Minute / 20-30 Seconds

30 Seconds / 10-15 Seconds

Try these workouts out today and let me know how you enjoyed them.  If you want even more free content sign-up for our newsletter below.

First Name * Email *   In good health,  Andrea

Banging Body Part 4

Now that you have went through the first 3 weeks of the year by hopefully getting clear on what your goals are and mapping out your year and what you want to achieve now is the fun part actually doing it!  So easier said then done.  You want to make sure that you have your workouts programmed into your calendar and don't break those appointments with yourself.  Each month you want to reassess what your workout plan is for that month.  Don't just think in terms of cardio plan out your flexibility (yoga for example) and strength training.  Now get ready to learn the last installment of banging body part 4.

 

The best chance that you have to make a lasting impression on your lifestyle is to figure out how fitness fits into your life.  There is not a one size fits all approach to fitness in terms of what you should do more cardio, more strength training, more yoga.  The one that works best is the one that you enjoy doing.  For example if you absolutely hate running but you  hear all the time that running is good for you doesn't mean you should start running.  Most likely you will do it for the first week maybe two of your plan but you dread doing it so much you stop with the plan all together.  So when looking at a sustainable lifelong fitness plan make sure you include activities that you enjoy doing and actually will do.

My last piece of advice on attaining that banging body is find someone that can help hold you accountable.  Whether that is a friend, co-worker or you may need to hire a trainer to help you with your goals.  Make sure this person will motivate you and help push you to your goals and not hinder them.  So don't choose the friend who always wants to go to happy hour as a gym partner or accountability partner.  You most likely will be talked out of your fitness endeavors that day.  The main thing is to stay consistent and stay focused on those goals!

As always head to SaFire Training for more fitness tips & inspiration.  If you haven't already sign-up for our newsletter below so you won't miss any insider information that only our subscribers learn.

First Name * Email *   In good health,  Andrea

Banging Body Part 3

Now that we have went over our yearly goals, monthly goals & scheduling our workouts into our weeks.  How do we actually achieve those goals?  The first of the year it seems is the easiest time for people to keep their motivation high and motivate themselves to head to the gym daily.  As February approaches you start to see the numbers drop off and as March is here the numbers are drastically lower.  So now that you made your fancy year goals click here to refresh your mind on part 1.  Plus have your monthly plan set into place click here if you need a refresher on part 2.  Now read on for banging body part 3 and how to keep that motivation rolling.    

Now onto the motivation aspect what sets apart the occasional fitness fans from the diehard its a lifestyle fans, that is the million dollar question.  One of the key things you need to do to stay motivated to achieve your goals is to focus on the journey and not just the destination.  A lot of people quit their fitness habits in the first month or two because they don't see the scale budge.  How frustrating they are busting their butts and nothing is happening!!  That is the number one deal breaker for people.  Most people just give up and throw the towel in, what?? I'm here to tell you not to throw that towel in.  Life is full of ups & downs we don't throw the towel in on ourselves every time something doesn't go our way.  Fitness should be no different.  You need to focus not just on that pesky scale but how your feeling as well.  Remember those goals you wrote from part 1 not just that you wanted to do a certain activity you wrote how you would feel.  I know not seeing the results instantly can be a deal breaker in this instant gratification world we live in but slow and steady truly does win the healthy race.  

Above is an example of my personal January promise and what I want to accomplish this month.  I plan to create one each month this year on what I want to do not what someone tells me I should want.  I think that is our first mistake on not reaching our goals.  So you have a goal weight in mind did you pick that weight or you were told by a friend, magazine, tv show that you should be that weight.  Really start to look at your goals and what you want to accomplish.  So your task this week is to create your January promise.  Since we are a few weeks into the year you have an idea of what has worked for you and what has not thus far and plan accordingly.  Resist the urge to work on February lets take this one month/day at a time.   As always check out SaFire  Training for more fitness & nutrition information. 

In good health,

 Andrea 

5 fitness tips you can learn from Downton Abbey

For those of you who know me you know that Downton Abbey is my new favorite show.  Yes, I'm just getting on the bandwagon now.  It really happened by accident, I had a free trial of amazon prime and it recommended that I watch Downton Abbey.  I thought sure lets give it a shot.  Well after the first few episodes I was hooked.  For those of you who are thinking how does this relate to fitness well below are the 5 tips that I have learned from watching Downton Abbey that we can apply to our own lives.

Downton Abbey Fitness Tips:

1. Go outside:  You will see various characters going outside taking a walk with a friend, or walking their dog, or even walking with their spouse while hunting.  The characters enjoy getting a bit of fresh air.  Notice you never see them going for a run or on a strict routine they just move everyday.  
2. Hire someone:   The "upstairs" folks have the "downstairs" folks at their disposal.  They help make their life easier, just like a personal trainer does for someone.  A good trainer will not only give you a great workout but plan out what your week or month will look like in advance.  Unless you are a movie star you probably do not have the disposable income to have a trainer with you 24/7 such as the Downton Abbey characters would.  That doesn't mean you can't utilize their expertise and motivation to help you reach your fitness goals.
3. Plan your meals in advance:  At Downton Abbey the "upstairs" folks never have to think about what to eat each day.  They are served by Mrs. Pattimore & her kitchen staff.  The only one doing the meal planning is Mrs. Pattimore.  Now unless you can afford a full time cook you are probably the one creating the menu and cooking everyday.  While, take a page from Downton Abbeys book and plan ahead for your weekly meals.  Not only will that save you time on a day to day basis but it will also help you eat healthier.
4. Socialize with friends: It seems that Lord Grantham is always having friends over for dinner or visiting his friends in their castles.  One of the key things about becoming & staying healthy is having a good network and supportive friends & family around you.  Not only does Robert & Cora open their home to friends & family they stick by each during the tough times, for instance the end of season 3.  Socializing with friends also makes working out more enjoyable knowing you have an accountability partner waiting for you at the gym each day.
5. Don't over indulge: It is never lady like to overindulge in Downton Abbey.  The females are to know their limit when it comes to alcohol consumption and never want to appear intoxicated.  This is a good rule of thumb when your having a glass of wine to wind down from your week.  Remember one glass of wine for females & two for males have health benefits over that amount do more harm than good to the body.  We all saw Mr. Molesley dancing up a storm at the end of season 3 in Scotland you don't want to be that guy or gal.

As you can see there are many great health tips we can learn from watching Downton Abbey.  The characters have the right idea of what it means to be healthy and act accordingly.  We just have to look a little outside of the box to catch all of the health benefits they are offering to us.  Can you think of another health tip you that Downton Abbey teaches us?  If so comment below. As always check out new fitness tips & inspirations that I only share with my readers each Wednesday.

Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

Gratitude

Above picture from www.safiretraining.com 

Gratitude what does it mean exactly?  Well after looking it up the definition given was the quality of being thankful.  I would hope that people are grateful at all times of the year but over Thanksgiving it seems this is a topic we like to discuss.  I personally started a gratitude journal in September and every evening before I go to bed I write down 5 things I'm grateful for during that day.  It really helps you stay positive.  That even on a "bad" day you look back and realize it really wasn't as "bad" as you thought it was.   

So my goal for you write down the 10 things you are grateful for this past year.  I will include my top 10 list below as well so far in the year 2012.

1. My faith and finding a church that helps me grow as a person

1. Starting my own in-home personal training business

2. My family

3. My supportive boyfriend

4. Coaching basketball and being a role model to the next generation

5. Starting to become more involved in stopping the childhood obesity epidemic

6. Realizing everything does happen for a reason 

7. My friend asking me to be her maid of honor at her wedding

8. Going to Arizona this year

9. Outside church services in the summer

10. The privilege to be a teacher even if I chose to only do it for a short time before my real calling emerged. 

Staying in shape on the road

Summertime often means vacations and getting out of your routine.  Summertime often means you are loosening up on your diet as well when on vacation.  So what can you do when you are on your vacation or traveling for work to stay in shape? Well most people do not want to bring equipment with them which is understandable.  If you do have a band-go head and pack that in your suitcase if not no worries.  If you do have a band exercises you can do are-bicep curls, triceps ext, squats, shoulder exercises, rows, chest press.

If you are going without equipment here are the exercises for you:
20 Dips (see picture above)
40 Mountain Climbers
15 Push-ups
15 Burpees
20 Squats
30 Crunches
12 Jumping Jacks
15 Oblique Cruches
10 Triceps Push-ups
10 Lunges
End with 1 minute Plank Hold
30 Second- Side Plank Hold
*Have a wonderful and healthy vacation- That workout can be completed once or 2-3 times if you want to really vamp it up or burn some calories.  If you only have time to do it once it is better than doing nothing at all remember.

Running without the gadgets

Today I  went for a run in the country without any gizmos or gadgets.  Meaning no I-pods or heart rate monitors.  I ran on the gravel roads without any distractions just my thoughts.  I enjoyed thinking about my upcoming day, planned a to do list.  Than my inner yoga kicked in and I stayed present with what I was doing.  I noticed my hip started hurting and my breath.  I pushed through those pains and thought what great stretches I could be doing for my hip when I was done with my run.  I noticed the smell of the farms around me as well as the wind picking up in certain spots on the run.  I was overall very connected to myself on the run.  I ran until I thought I was done. I didn't do it for a certain amount of time or calorie burn.  How freeing to not do that!  Once every couple weeks I can see myself running like this and would recommend it to try even if its just once.