Is there an app for that? Fitness Style

Stacie Tovar pictured above 2nd place winner in last weeks Crossfit games 

There are so many apps out there how do you know what is best to do and what can help and what can hurt your fitness goals.  Below are some of the best fitness apps that I have found that help myself and my clients achieve the goals they are looking for.  All apps below are free! 

1. My Fitness Pal- This is a great site for people who want to log their food.  You can download it to your phone and ipad.  It already has thousands of foods listed all you have to do is scan the label of the food or save your favorite meals.  My only complaint on the phone it is hard to see specifics of how many grams of carbs, sugars, proteins, etc that you have had that day. 
2. Om Finder- If you enjoy yoga the om finder helps you find a yoga class in your area no matter where your located. 
3. 101 Ways- If your looking for a fitness tip or motivation of the day this is a great app for you.  Each day it posts a new fact, or motivational piece to help you achieve your goals. 
4. Daily ab workout- If your looking for a new workout each day to challenge those abs this app does just that.  It will tell you how many exercises you have left, and how long each exercise should be done for.  You also get a video showing a person doing the routine you should be doing.  You also can pick how long of a workout you would like to do.  
5. 7 Minute workout (high intensity)- This app not only counts down and makes dings every time your doing your routine it tells you exactly what to do.  It builds in 10 second rest periods as well.  You also have the choice to stop or pause the routine if you need to. The downfall you don't have a lot of variety with this app. 
6. Fitness Buddy- This is a great app if your looking for a workout in either beginner, intermediate or advanced.  You can share your workouts with others or read others workouts.  You also can log your workouts in the calendar that is available with the app. 
7. Pinterest- Pinterest has some workout and fitness boards that have good ideas on how to get a great workout in or some motivational and inspirational activities.  

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness tips and trends.

Yoga for beginners

Are you new to yoga and don't know the difference from a down-dog and a child's pose? Are you to intimidated to try a new yoga class or even step foot into your first class? Below are some tips on how to find the right yoga class for you and your basic yoga tips.  

Different types of yoga

Hatha 

• Slow paced, gentle and more in tune with your breathe 
• This is a great class if your a beginner as it slowly introduces you to new poses 
• Benefits: Helps you relieve stress, increase flexibility, gives you more range of motion 
• This class can be found at most health clubs 

Ashtanga 

• Fast paced, intense focus on muscle building 
• Improve ones spiritual self 
• This class is recommended for a more experienced yogi as this class can intimidate a newcomer 

Bikram 

• This is a hotter yoga class in which temperatures can reach 95-100 degrees
• It typically involves going through 26 postures 
• Purpose is to flush out toxins & relive muscle tension 
• This class is for both new and experienced yogis it will push and challenge you though.

PiYo

• This class is taught by a handful of teachers (myself included) so is a hard one to find at a yoga studio
• Involves strength, cardio, flexibility
• This is not your typical yoga class it is great for those who get "bored" at regular yoga classes
• You can also find this class online if you google PiYo and can do this class in your living room

Yoga Sculpt

• This class involves hand weights and yoga poses
• The typical class makes you sweat quite a bit as the room is warm and your moving more than you do in other regular classes
• The class can be for beginners just lift lighter weights and take your time with the class don't push yourself if your not used to the heat 

Restorative Yoga

• This class involves holding postures for 1-5 minutes
• This class involves a lot of personal motivation to help you mentally push through the postures 
• It is a great class for everyone.  It involves opening up hips, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, relieves back tension. 
• I personally think everyone should try and get to 1 of these classes a week 

Basic Yoga Tips

1. Arrive early so you can relax in a meditation pose of your choosing.  Sitting up straight with legs crossed or laying down on your back are the two most common starting poses while you wait for the instructor to arrive. 
2. You don't have to bring your own mat to places but if you go to a speciality yoga location you will need to pay $2-5 to rent a mat for the class.
3. Don't bring your cell phone into class.
4. Don't talk to others around you while your waiting for class to start.  The yogis who are frequent class attenders are usually trying to meditate and will frown at you if your chatting to your neighbor so loudly the whole room knows your weekend plans. 
5. If your going to judge yourself against others sit in the front of the room by the mirror.  You will be forced to focus only on yourself and what your doing in class.
6. If your new to yoga you might want to be towards the back so you can watch what other participants are doing if your not familiar with all the poses yet. 
7. Don't be afraid to sit in child's pose if class gets to hard.  If you feel light headed, can't do a move or just need a break sit down in child's pose.  No one is judging you but you this is your practice and you do what your body tells you it needs. 
8. It is your practice no one else's do what you need to do! 

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more information and fitness tips! 

How to appreciate your body

There are so many women and men for that matter that do not appreciate their body and what it can do for you.  I hear it quite a bit from people that they do not think they are the right shape, they want their old body back, they wish they didn't have a lack of energy, and an overall disdain for their body.  I am going to reference a line from the Sunscreen Song by Sun Tan for those of you who train with me or have done a bootcamp with me you might know this song.  The song is talking to seniors who just graduated high school in 1999 and they are giving life advice to these seniors.  A few of the lines talk about their body and beauty of your youth saying appreciate the beauty and body that you have at this age you will look back at those years and realize how good you actually looked.  I feel this is true for everyone no matter their age.  Every year we all get older and we look back at pictures of ourselves saying I wish I still looked like that.  But when that picture was taken you really wanted to look skinner, you wanted to change the shape of your arms or legs.  We have a terrible time appreciating yourselves just as we are in this moment.  So I want everyone to look over the tips below and truly try to incorporate them into your lives.

1. Admire your body for what it can do!  Think about all the things you can do, hold a plank, go for a run, walk, play tennis, perform a push-up no matter if it is on your toes, knees or even the wall.  Honor those things and be proud of them.  
2. See yourself right now as having the perfect body for where you are in your life.  Your body is the way it is because of what you have or haven't done for it the past few years.  Honor that and see your body as perfect for what it is.  If you don't like something about it map out a plan to start changing it.  When I say this I am talking to people who might be overweight and need to lose weight for health reasons.  
3. Be proud of what your body has done for you over the years.  Have you ever played a sport, run a 5k, 10k or even a marathon, rode a bike, gone to a yoga class, had surgery to recover from an injury?  Be proud that your body has done those things and recovered from such things.  Your body has a tremendous amount of healing power on its own. 
4. Treat your body like the most important thing in your life.  Without your body your just thoughts and emotions inside a head.  Appreciate your body by treating it right.  Eat clean, exercise 4-5 times a week, move daily.  You will regret the choices you have made when your in your 20's & 30's when you reach your 60's & 70's.  Start your habits young (by young I mean however old you are right now) they are easier to keep over the years.  
5. Your body truly is a temple.  This goes out to all the females.  Think about what your body does for you each month (you get a reminder).  We can carry a child in us for 9 months, than beat ourselves up about not losing the baby-weight fast enough.  Don't get to hard on yourself.  You had another person growing inside of you.  Work back slowly and praise yourself for every milestone you achieved along the way!

As always check back with www.safiretraining.com every Tuesday for a new blog post!  Check out our 21 day challenge, join today to jump start your fitness goals!  http://safiretraining.com/21-day-challenge/

Have a healthy & happy day!

Andrea 

Working out while on vacation

 

I just got back from  a 10 day vacation and I feel so relaxed and rejuvenated.  While on vacation I still need to get my personal workouts scheduled.  Anyone who knows me knows if I go over 2 days without working I get really crabby.  I planned out my workouts with equipment that is highly portable did a little research on the area we were vacationing at and got to work.  Below are some tips for training while on vacation.  

Vacation Tips

• Know the area your vacationing at:  are there local gyms that will allow you to workout there for a week, does your hotel have a gym you can use, are there any gyms you can pay a $10 drop-in rate for attending the day.
• Bring portable equipment: Dumbbells are not the most portable equipment especially if you need more than one size.  Bands, TRX's (shown in the above picture)  and using your own body weight are your best bet when your on vacation. 
• Research if there any walking/running trails nearby.
• Research if you can rent a bike for an afternoon or two.
• Record what days you plan on working out while on vacation. 
• Bring your swimsuit.  If there is a nearby pool, ocean or lake go for a swim. 

Here is an example of my own vacation workout:

Monday &  Friday

TRX workout

1. Chest Press
2. Rows
3. Jump Squats
4. IYT's 
5. Reverse lunges with a jump
6. Bicep Curls
7. Triceps Extension 
8. Hamstring curls
9. Abduction/adduction
10. TRX crunches
11. TRX obliques 
12. Lunge w/rotation 

Tuesday & Thursday

*Interval running 3 miles 

Wednesday 

*Local kettlebell class taught by my cousin! 

I took the weekends off.  All my workouts were done in 40 minutes.  I got up early to workout so it didn't interfere with our vacation plans wouldn't get replaced with another vacation activity at the end of the day.  

The main objective when your working out on vacation is to plan the workouts into your day.  You might not workout as intensely as you do when your not on vacation but the main thing is your moving and being active.  People tend to let the clean eating slide well on vacation so getting in an extra workout will help avoid excess pounds while on your trip.  If you only squeeze in 2-3 workouts while on vacation congratulate yourself for a job well done.  I know people start getting their vacation mode on a few days into the trip.  If you workout even once it will at least give you a boost of energy to help get you through the rest of your vacation.

Don't be afraid of gaining weight on vacation if you balance your eating out with a few good workouts you the weight you do gain should come off fairly quick when back from vacation.  Just remember when your back from vacation to not skip that Monday morning gym session even though your tired.  The faster you can get back into your routine the better off you will be! 

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more information and sign-up for our newsletter from the link below. http://eepurl.com/zMTrT

Walking workouts

Walking is the new running or so it seems.  Quite a few people do not like to run for various reasons ranging from it is hard on their knees, they don't feel they are in good enough shape, they prefer other ways to work on their cardio capacity, it is boring, and they just flat out hate it.  Well this post today is all about a walking workout.  You can get a great workout by walking if you incorporate some intervals into your routine.  Below are a few great walking workout options based on your current cardiovascular capacity or how in shape you feel you are. 

  

Workout option #1- Beginners 

1. Walk at a slower pace to warm-up the body- 5 Minutes
2. Increase the pace to a brisk walk- 2 Minutes
3. Walk at starting pace- 2 Minutes
4. Brisk pace walking- 1 Minute
5. Walk at starting pace- 1 Minute

*Repeat this cycle for a total of 20-30 minutes based on your time allotted. 

Workout option #2- Intermediate 

1. Walk at a slower pace to warm-up the body- 5 Minutes
2. Walk at a power walking pace- 3 Minutes
3. Walk at starting pace- 1 Minute

*Repeat this cycle for a total of 30-60 minutes based on your time allotted. 

The above interval minutes are just guidelines or suggestions.  You can range your  time spent performing your intervals anywhere from 20 seconds to 5 minutes.  Make sure the pace you choose is sustainable for the time you pick.  For example if you try and do 5 minutes at a power walking pace but start slowing down at minute 3 you might want to change it to 3 minute intervals instead of 5 minutes.  The main thing is to just get moving, don't use your hate of running against you.  Walking is an acceptable way to get a great workout in if you utilize it correctly. 

As always if you want more information check out www.safiretraining.com. 

I'm on vacation next week so will get back to you on July 9th!  Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Take your workouts outdoors

Take your workouts outdoors

Now that it is finally getting warming up and the sun is starting to occasionally shine it’s time to mix up your fitness routine.  I know I’m not the only one who gets tired of being indoors for their workout 8 months out of the year.  A lot of people get stuck in the what to do outside workout regime.  Most people resort to steady state cardio when outdoors.  There are many other possibilities for yourself to try to give your workout a good boost.  I recently have been taking my workouts outdoors and am loving the variety and change of atmosphere.  My personal favorite outside workouts are interval training, playing tennis, using the TRX and getting in a total body workout.  Below are some great ideas for you to mix up your workouts this summer season to give a little spice back into your workout routine.

Outdoor Workout Ideas

1. Head to the trails and give intervals a try.  Mix up your pace by going fast for 1 minute than walking 1 minute.  As you get in better shape change your time to 1-5 minutes of a fast pace run and a 1 minute rest. 
2. Sign up for a 5K and start training.
3. TRX workouts- see the picture at right.  There are great TRX exercises and workouts check out youtube for great ideas.
4. Try out an outdoor bootcamp class.  Check your local gyms and papers for classes near you.  You can also check out Hustle & Muscle bootcamp class if your in the Twin Cities area.
5. Bring your weights outside.  Mix it up and bring a set of dumbbells outside to have the outdoor scenery as your backdrop.
6. Go for a bike ride.
7. Break out the rollerblades.
8. Go for a swim at your local watering hole.
9. Try a playground workout.  Check out http://safiretraining.com/playground-workout/ for a workout routine.
10. Take your dog for a walk.  Keep your pooch happy and get an extra workout in for the day by taking your dog for a walk around your neighborhood.
11. Outdoor yoga.  Head to your local beach, or yoga studio and ask when there next outdoor yoga class is.  Most yoga studios will have connections to point you in the right direction.

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more information on fitness and nutrition.

Clean Eating Summer Foods

Everyone loves a good summer treat with the warmer weather, kids out of school, running from one event to another.  Most people need quick and easy recipes and foods to eat on the go.  I advice all my clients to eat clean.  In case you have never heard of that or need a refresher on what clean eating is below are some guidelines to follow.

• Whole grain foods
• Fruits & Vegetables are staples in this way of life 
• Avoid processed foods as much as possible
• Eat 5-6 small meals a day
• Avoid sugar loaded drinks and foods
• Limit alcohol
• Stick to proper portion sizes 

So where can you find healthy clean eating recipes for all your summer eats & treats?  Below are two great websites with tons of fabulous recipes.  I have posted 2 recipes below one from each website.  I encourage you to try them! 

The first recipe is a tried and true breakfast treat.  I have many of my clients say they can eat this as dessert it tastes so sweet and is delicious!  The website you want to check out for this recipe is at www.cleaneatingmag.com 

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 medium bananas
• 2 cups 1% cottage cheese
• 6 tbsp all-fruit strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Peel and cut each banana in half lengthwise. Place 2 banana halves in a shallow dish or bowl (or a deep traveling container if you’re off to work). Using an ice cream scooper, place 1/2 cup cottage cheese over center of banana and top with 1 1/2 tbsp jam, 1 tbsp peanuts and pinch of salt. Repeat with remaining ingredients to assemble 3 more Breakfast Banana Splits. Serve immediately.

Nutrients per banana split: Calories: 255, Total Fat: 6 g, Sat. Fat: 1.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g, Carbs: 44 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 25 g, Protein: 17 g, Sodium: 460 mg, Cholesterol: 4.5 mg

The second recipe is from another favorite website of mine http://busygirlhealthylife.com/ Lori Harder publishes her personal recipes she creates right on her website they taste great and are clean eats as well! 

Summer Kale Salad 

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups kale leaves, chopped without spine
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup Asiago cheese
• Dash hot pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp mint, chopped
• 1/4 cup strawberries, chopped
• 2 4-6 oz. chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup shredded cabbage - purple or yellow
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

1. In a lightly sprayed frying pan, add garlic and salt. Then sauté chicken, pine nuts and green onion until cooked through or lightly browned.
2. In a separate bowl, combine kale, water chestnuts, hot pepper flakes, mint, strawberries, cabbage and carrots.
3. For the dressing, in a blender or Magic Bullet, combine olive oil, lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, Asiago cheese and a dash of pepper and salt. Blend until smooth and pour over kale mixture. Let set at least 5 minutes before serving.
4. Combine all ingredients including chicken, and mix well.
5. Tip: Feel free to do this with shrimp, tofu or just serve plain. It’s delicious!

As always check out www.safiretraining.com  for more fitness and nutrition tips!