Plans For the New Year?

What is weighing on your mind for 2011? Are there any resolution makers out there or plans for big things in the year ahead?

Start January 1st, I usually have an idea of what things I would like to accomplish in the year ahead. This is what's on my mind for 2011..

** Take more pictures

** Go to the beach more this summer- seems silly since we live in Southern Ca, but we really didn't go enough last year

** Take a cooking class (learn a new style of cooking)

** Find these abs again or something that resembles them (June, 2008)


Or these (May, 2010)



And lastly, in 2011 I hope to help more women achieve a new level of fitness they never dreamed they would obtain.

What are your plans? I would love to hear them!

Time Under Tension

Ever have those workouts where you feel like your rushing through the whole thing? You throw your weights without any fluid movement simply because you want it over with? You may be missing out on a great workout by doing this. Tempo is the speed at which you perform a repetition. It is an important component to a training program that is manipulated to achieve different goals.

Tempo plays with the various time spent under tension. As an individual progresses from a less physically fit state to a fine tuned athlete the movements performed also progress from a slower steadier movement to explosive.

For example take a chest progression:

Beginner Movement (goal-stabilization): Stability Ball Chest Press


Intermediate Movement (goal-strength): Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press


Advanced Movement (goal-power): Two-Arm Med Ball Chest Pass




The tempo for these movements:

Stability Ball Chest Press: 4-2-1
Arms extended above chest, upper back on ball, hips up, lower weights to chest height count 4-3-2-1, pause at chest height for 1-2, press weights back to start with a quick solid controlled movement 1.

Flat Dumbbell Chest Press: 2-0-2
Lying flat on bench with weights extended above chest, lower weights to chest height count 2-1, no pause at chest height, straight into pressing weights back to start count 1-2.

Two-Arm Med Ball Chest Pass: x-x-x
Facing a solid wall, holding Med Ball in hands, chest pass the ball against wall with explosive movement, retrieve ball as it bounces back and again quickly pass ball against wall.


Next time you are haphazardly plowing through your program consider what your goal is. You want your movements to have a controlled and meaningful mind body connection. Make it worth your effort and time. You don't want to miss out on a key piece to your training program.

Fitness Tip #12: Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

Well, 20 tips became 12 and 2 days late but that's the holidays for you. The Skahan's had a great one too! I am very much looking forward to 2011 and everything that comes with it. On to the fitness tip...

I sometimes believe people don't know what it feels like to really kick their own butt and get outside their comfort zone. Really who wants to feel like they just can't handle one more second of something?? No one. I can recall workouts where I didn't think I would make it through one more rep or one more interval. I believe this is when big changes take place, mentally and physically. You learn that you will not die and you CAN actually do it. Physically, your body is challenged to endure something it may never have been asked to do before. If you stick it out, get through it and believe it is supposed to feel hard then the rewards are exponential in so many ways.

Have you ever challenged your comfort zone? Did you learn that you were greater than the feeling of quitting at any moment? If not, then it's about time to kick it up a notch. If you want to see a change in your appearance or performance then that requires your full commitment to that goal. Get after it!

On a different note, I have a few new personal training clients that I am really excited for! They are new to the whole process of weight training with a proper program and guidance. I look forward to sharing their progress and hopefully get some of their feedback along the way. Fun things to come!

20 Week Baby Boy Bump and a Workout

My half way point! I am feeling great and loving the energy still. We had an ultra sound yesterday and it's a boy! It was such a fun day for our family. Will was able to announce "It's a boy!" to Sean and I. The look on his little face when the ultrasound technician whispered the gender in his ear was priceless. He is already a very excited big brother. I am so out numbered now... eek! We love little boy #1 so much and can only imagine twice the love and fun in the future.

At 20 weeks I have gained 12 lbs, still have great blood pressure 110 over 70 and zero complications. I am measuring right on target for 20 weeks. I am still teaching 2 to 3 boot camp classes a week. I lift weights 3 days a week and 1 day of cardio for 45-60 minutes depending upon my energy level for that day.

Today was a cardio session. I can not go out for long runs anymore. A 3-5 mile run is just plain uncomfortable. Instead this is what a typical session looks like:

Warm Up 5 Minutes

Circuit:

1. 60 second Jump Rope

2. 60 second DB Burpee with Upright Row

3. 60 second Battling Ropes

4. 60 second AMRAP (as many reps as possible) Band Assisted Chin Ups

5. 60 second Bench Step Overs

2 minute bike ride

REPEAT for 5 cycles

My rest periods were not timed but I found I never had to rest more than 45 seconds. I waited until my heart rate came back down into the 130s and then went on to the next exercise. It was a great total body workout, fun, and challenging!

Ready for the next 20 weeks!

Fitness Tip #11: Hire a Trainer

Start the new year off with a well designed program, solid commitment and goal for a more fit YOU. Funny thing about human motivation, when financial investment and accountability to another person come into play we find ourselves more committed and successful in the end.

I have hired a trainer in the past to prepare for two of my Figure competitions. I knew I had a lot to learn about the whole process and wanted someone to guide me. It was the best money ever spent! It was my first experience with a hired personal trainer. I have nothing but positive things to say from it. I was 100% committed. I believe this was partly due to the fact that I wanted it bad enough and I didn't want to let her down or anyone else for that matter. When times were tough, I relied on her to hear me out and get me through it.

It is very common for fitness professionals, trainers, physique competitors, coaches and of course athletes to hire personal trainers. Why does the general public, the average gym goer feel they know enough about program design to never consider hiring a trainer for themselves? Yet well known fitness professionals frequently have another professional write them a training program?

Find a good trainer, hire them and then achieve things you never felt possible. It is money well spent.

Fitness Tip #10: Form Checklist

I sound like a broken record sometimes. It's a good record repeating tips to keep in mind while performing certain exercises. Most of these are pretty common phrases you will hear personal trainers and coaches repeating over and over:

"Chest Up or Proud Chest"- while performing squats, lunges, deadlifts

"Weight on Heels"- also while performing squats, steps ups

"Push the Ground Away"- during deadlifts

"Chin Off Chest"- during abdominal exercises

"Pull Through Your Heel of Front Foot"- while performing Val Slide/Frisbee reverse lunges

"Full Extension to Chin Over Bar"- during chin ups and pull ups

"Don't Spill the Cup of Water"- during stability ball knee ins

"Hips Up"- during stability ball leg curls

"Tight, Head to Toe"- during planks

Keep these phrases going through your mind while working out. They will help you keep your body in proper alignment and firing the right muscles.

Fitness Tip #'s 8 & 9: Eat More Fruits and Veggies & Get Creative

The first tip, more of a reminder, is to eat more fruits and veggies. Seems pretty boring but if you focused on cutting out processed foods and replacing them with fruits and vegetables your fat loss goals would be exponentially greater. Craving something sweet? Eat some fruit. Craving something crunchy and salty? Eat some veggies. Eat them everyday and as often as you like.

This is where the second tip, get creative, comes into play. Now your probably wondering how in the world does veggies sound more satisfying than a bowl of chips? Take a bowl of steamed cauliflower and dipped them in pesto, yum! Steam some spinach or broccoli and drizzle some sun dried tomato and balsamic bruschetta on top, my current favorite! Cut up peppers (red, yellow & green) and dip them in peanut satay sauce, yum! Dice up cucumbers and dip in hummus, YUM! Think creatively and satisfy those cravings with healthy choices.

Craving ice cream at night? A bowl of nonfat plain yogurt with blueberries and strawberries is a great alternative. The 3 o'clock hour rolls around and you find yourself hungry and reaching for something sweet and a big no no. Try some cottage cheese with mandarin orange and grapefruit slices. Another great snack is an apple with some almond butter. If you haven't had pineapple, mangoes, pears or plums in awhile then throw them in your diet. They may satisfy that craving.

Get creative and make it a rule that all of your meals have a vegetable included and you eat as much fruit as you desire. Cut out the junk and enjoy real wholesome foods instead.

Fitness Tip #7: Pick a Goal

It seems so basic but really how many people have a fitness goal? Most people have an appearance goal. They want to lose a few inches, drop a few pounds or "tone up". But really, how many have an actual fitness goal? If you participated in sports growing up, you were constantly motivated by a goal. You wanted to win games, set records, break times and excel in every way. Then you grow up and slowly fitness becomes more of a "have to" rather than a "get to". I always smile when I hear my son say, "I get to go to hockey today" or "I get to have soccer practice today." I love hearing him say that. It is so pure and comes straight from the heart. It reflects a love to practice, compete and challenge yourself. When do we lose that?

Generally speaking, as we age exercise becomes a part of the day that so many people dread. I feel bad for people who truly do not like to exercise. I can't imagine not having that drive. I have learned that I am someone still very driven by goals when it comes to fitness. I need a "finish line". For years I was driven to break a time while running or to be able to maintain a certain pace for so many miles. My goals are constantly changing and reflect my current interests. They fuel my desire to exercise daily.

So what is your goal? When is the last time you even had one? How often do you think about it and what do you do daily to take one step closer to achieving it? Is your program formated to achieve it? Is your diet spot on? Are you resting and recovering enough? And lastly, does your social network (family, friends and coworkers) know what your goal is?

If you have a goal in mind you must share it with those who live with you daily. You will rely upon them when times are tough. You'll need them when the bed is much warmer than the air outside and the dessert menu is calling your name. Be proud of your goal and let the world know what you want to achieve.

My goal for 2011 is to compete again. I want to enjoy being a mom to a young one again but I also plan to step back on stage and compete come late fall. I love the dedication and commitment it takes to prepare for a competition. So there you have it, my goal, to compete in October. That is only 5 months after giving birth. I know that is a lofty goal and will have many obstacles ahead but if I want it bad enough I do believe I can accomplish it.

Set your sites high and strive for something that you have always desired to achieve!

Fitness Tip #6: Challenge Yourself & My Challenge For You

I always think of my workouts as a personal challenge. What is my challenge for that given workout? Is it to beat a time on a sprint, get one more rep with a certain weight, hit a new personal record with a body weight exercise (one more chin up for 1 more squat jump in a given time) or simply perfect my form with a difficult movement? Every workout should have a goal or focus.

Spend a few moments before each cardio or weight training session and think about what you want to accomplish for that given workout. You will find your motivation revs up and your focus is a bit more clear. This is especially important when you feel like your dragging yourself to class or the gym. When motivation is down, challenge it up!

Now, my challenge for you. Join my boot camp participants and myself (well not really ;) I will guide you) on a kick off to the new year with a diet challenge! A 6 week challenge to start the year off on the right path. If you are interested in participating, send me an email. I will email you the details of the challenge and what I expect from you.

Every challenge has a reward. The reward: a smaller and healthier you, better habits, food addictions banished, and the participant with the most inches lost will receive a free boot camp series with me or a free personal training session and a month's worth of workouts!

The challenge starts January 3rd but please let me know by December 26th if you accept the challenge!

Fitness Tip #5: Find Your Diet

There seems to be a new book promoting a new diet almost monthly. It is easy to be persuaded to try different diets or meal planning systems with such a flood of persuasive information in the media. I think it's important to become informed as to what proper nutrition actually does for your body function rather than how a diet will make you look at the end.

I am not one to push a certain way of eating on anyone. I know what has worked for clients and myself but what's that saying, "... sell a man a fish and he eats for a day but teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.." I think people need to learn how their bodies respond to certain foods and then make the changes they need to fit their desired goals whether it be fat loss, lean mass gains or simply maintenance.

The go to nutrition bible in our house is Precision Nutrition http://www.precisionnutrition.com/

I am going to keep this blog post short. Head over to the website and read all about it if your struggling with your nutrition. I had the opportunity to hear Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition speak at a seminar I attended in Rhode Island last June. He has an incredible knowledge on nutrition and has created such a reasonable way of eating and living. I guarantee it will be a diet that easily becomes your lifestyle.

Fitness Tip #4: Believe In Success

With the end of a year and the beginning of a new one around the corner, the usual fitness resolution is to stick to an exercise plan or adhere to a new way of eating. So why do these best laid plans fail leaving similar resolutions every year? Hopefully health and financial woes are far from the reason. Then what is it? Why can't that burning desire to achieve it this year fall into a true commitment and life changing habit?

There can be many factors that lead people off their path to success: family life, job demands, boredom from current program, lack of results, etc... Some of these factors can come up and if you are not prepared, your permanently derailed and your thrown off completely. However, there is one tool to keep you going forward towards your goal from the get go, day 1, January 1st if it be: Believe In Success.

A great outlook and the belief you will achieve it this year can divert most road blocks. We have all heard about the power of positive thinking for healing and goal attainment. So why don't more people think this way? How can you change your attitude and actually believe in yourself?

Your Road Map For Success by John C. Maxwell teaches the reader how to prepare yourself to obtain the goals you desire. He describes the seven characteristics that positive thinking people share:

1: Believe in Self

2. Willingness To See The Best In Others

3. Ability To See Opportunity Everywhere

4. Focus On Solutions

5. Desire To Give

6. Persistence

7. Responsibility For Their Lives

If you think of the positive people in your life, they lead lives with nearly all these traits. I find this the most commendable attribute a person can have. Do you have these seven characteristics? If not, how can you change to be more positive and in return more successful?

Believe this is your year. Believe in your potential and visualize success. Start out on the right path with a positive attitude and belief you are meant to obtain your goal, your dream!

Fitness Tip #3: Push & Pull For Balance

If you attend my morning boot camp, you have probably figured out I have a pattern to our workouts. Typically, we do a pushing movement followed by a pulling movement and then an intense cardiovascular activity. What does that mean?
Here is an example:

Circuit #1:
1. Body Weight Squats or DB Squats depending on level (Pushing Movement)
2. DB Plank Rows (Pulling Movement)
3. Sprints (Cardiovascular)

REST

Circuit #2:
1. Stability Ball Hip Extension or Leg Curl depending on level (Pulling Movement)
2. Push Ups (Pushing Movement)
3. Burpees

Rest

I set up the workouts so we do both a pushing and pulling movement for lower body as well as upper body. Working both planes of motion encourages a total body workout. I provide a good template for the workout but I expect my ladies to stay on top of the weights they bring to class. They are accountable for their weight selection. If the workout was a bit easy, then it's time to invest in a few more dumbbells. No one should be still bringing the same weights they started with 8 weeks ago.


Lower and Upper Pushing Movements we incorporate:
Squats
Sumo Squats
Jump Squats
Single Leg Squats
Split Squats
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats
Lunges
Reverse Lunges
Transverse Lunges
Lateral Lunges
Step Ups
Ball Hip Extension

Push Ups
DB Push Press
DB Shoulder Press
Dips
DB Bench Press



Lower and Upper Pulling Movements we incorporate:
Stability Ball Leg Curl/Single Leg Curl
DB RDL
Single Leg RDL

Chin Ups
DB Plank Rows
DB Rows
Band Rows


Cardiovascular Exercises to name a few:
Sprints, Line Touches
Hill Sprints
Burpees
DB Thrusters
Mountain Climbers
High Knees
Butt Kicks
Prone Toe Touch
Bench Toe Taps
Sled Push
Ropes
Kettlebell Swings
Med Ball Slams


I know I have missed a few exercises but this gives you an idea of all the movements we perform. With the right program, a great workout can be achieved outside!

Fitness Tip #2: Achieve EPOC

You have probably heard it before but have never really understood what it was or why you would want to endure such strenuous physical activity to achieve such a thing. Well, here you go, a link to Wikipedia and the full description of what Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption actually is and how it results in fat loss:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Book&bookcmd=download&collection_id=1674ad4272525b81&writer=rl&return_to=Excess+post-exercise+oxygen+consumption



I have heard two visuals described before and believe they help someone understand the difference between steady state cardio, such as distance running, and interval training, short intense burst of activity followed by rest. Visual steady state cardio as a small campfire with limited wood to keep it burning. While it is lite and burning, calories are being burned and used. However, when the firewood runs out, the run is over, the caloric expenditure ceases.



Interval training on the other hand is like a gas furnace. You turn that furnace on with quick intense activity, it gets warm fast, so it shuts off when it has achieved a desired temp. It fires up again when the house has has cooled down and then shuts off again when it reaches a temperature. This furnace doesn't burn a ton of calories at a given time but the resounding warmth and aftermath keeps the house warm for a long period of time after it's shut off. Interval training is very similar. You don't burn a ton of calories immediately but you continue to long after the activity is over.

I hope this helps clear up what EPOC is and why you are working your butt off to get there!

20 Fitness Tips til Christmas

Tip # 1: Females should NOT be afraid to lift heavy weights. It won't make you 'manly' or bigger!

This fact resounds throughout the fitness community. Any trainer, coach or fitness professional will tell you this exact fact. If you want to make any sort of significant changes with a stubborn body part you need to challenge it, and I mean crush it. If you are someone who dreams of wearing shorts this upcoming summer but dislike the appearance of your legs then it's time to put the demand on them to shrink, sculpt and form into a perfect pair of stems!

Check out this article on Figure Athlete. It was written in 2008 by Rachel Cosgrove, whom I hired to prepare me for my first figure competition as well as a subsequent one that year. She is an owner of a well known gym, author, trainer and female motivator who has really taught me a lot about weight training and fitness.

Don't let the first image scare you away... I know the majority of women, myself included, don't desire to have legs quite like her. The site moderator fills the majority of the images for articles. However, the image of the woman with the purple stoned suit is yours truly!

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/training/lift_heavy_for_lean_legs

A great read that should help you to think differently about your weight selections. 2011 can be the year for sculpted, athletic and sexy legs!

Disciplined December

This is a month that all can spiral out of control if you let it. You hear everyone talking about needing to get their shopping done early, packages in the mail on time, Christmas cards out before the last week before Christmas and on and on and on... Sounds overwhelming and that doesn't even include holiday parties, work and family commitments. It can be a crazy month.

December has rolled in and all thoughts of exercise and diet can be thrown out the window, completely. I believe this is a month where self discipline is so important. When your hectic holiday lifestyle sets in you need a good plan in place. You need to know exactly when your going to workout and exactly what your doing for those workouts then there is no reason to not follow through.

LIFESTYLES

Lifestyle A: I have lived a very disciplined life in the past. I knew exactly every meal I was eating and at what times, as well as what my workouts were for an entire month. I lived a lifestyle where there was no questioning ANYTHING therefore as long as I put the work in and stuck to my plan I was going to be successful.

Lifestyle B: I have also lived a very fly by the seat of my pants lifestyle as well. Not quite sure when I was going to eat next or what that meal would look like. My workouts were varied each week and I never followed a plan. I worked out when I felt like it. Whatever sounded good for that day whether it was weights, intervals, a run or mix of everything for crazy cardio, I did it.

So which lifestyle was the most successful for fat loss- A, hands down. Which one was easier to follow- A, hands down. Which one could I maintain for a long period of time- neither!

Lifestyle C: This is the current lifestyle I lead. I have a month's worth of workouts planned in a monthly calendar. I also write down all my weekly workouts in a small notebook so I can keep track of my successes. Unless I am sick or feeling awful, I stick to my plan. Now, having every meal planned out is a bit much and really tough to maintain for long periods of time. I will follow lifestyle A again after baby 2 comes around and I want to compete again but for now, I am enjoying not following such a strict diet plan. I do however follow a very predictable weekly meal plan.

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs with 2 egg whites, steamed broccoli or green vegetable and occasional piece of Ezekiel bread
or
1/2 cup oatmeal, 4 egg whites blended and grilled to make a pancake topped with Almond Butter

Snack: apple with Almond Butter
or lean ground turkey with veggies

Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
or leftovers from the night before usually veggies and lean protein and piece of fruit

Snack: 1 scoop protein powder and piece of fruit
or hummus and veggies

Dinner: varies but always healthy.... last night, grilled chicken with brushetta, beets (this was a family first, not a hit at all!), sweet potato fries

I pretty much stick to this type of clean eating with some treats thrown in here and there. Lifestyle C allows for cheats 20% of the time and 80% of the time clean eating. It also sticks to solid training program where there is no questioning what workout will come next.


So, what lifestyle are you leading over the holidays? Are you getting out of bed for those 5:30 workouts or staying where it is nice and warm? Are you still doing the same program for over 6 weeks and no longer seeing your body change? Are you still wishing you could drop a pants size or fit in a cute dress for New Years Eve? Or, has your diet gone completely out the window and all you consume is holiday treats, comfort foods, Starbucks yummy drinks and have no where near enough protein in your diet??


Time to get disciplined then. Clean it up. If you don't have a plan make one now. Gain control in your life and set yourself up for success. There is no reason you can't start working on your 2011 resolutions now if they include fitness and nutrition goals!

If you need help with any of this, send me an email! I can help get you on the right path towards a more disciplined December and still be able to enjoy the great things about the holidays!