We all have learned that looking at our weaknesses is essential for progress.
Equally important is letting go of the limitations you cannot change
and recognizing your strengths,
allowing you to be the
BEST YOU
possible!
I bet many of you are already thinking it…it seems to be the time of year when you move past making wish lists for your loved ones and start scratching up a wish list for yourself in the New Year. With the blur of glitter, tinsel and candle light fading fast you find the time to evaluate yourself and your life over the past year. Do you remember what you vowed to do last year? Well? Dare I ask? There is no shame in not being able to achieve all your fitness or weight loss goals all by yourself. There IS shame in knowing you need guidance and the proper tools to succeed but do nothing to seek out a solution.
Health and a great body are not as ridiculously expensive or out of reach as the media would have you believe. You do not need personal chefs, a trainer 7 days a week for two workouts per day and a closet full of ipod-ready, climate proof training apparel dangling neatly over a slew of top of the line fitness shoes and those lame booty lifter sandals in every shade available. Would it help? Probably not even. Because everyone’s results start upstairs. No, I’m not talking about the level 2 cardio deck at your local gym. You’re results start in your mind-your attitude, motivation, effort to seek out quality knowledge and strategies that will once and for all help you achieve that elusive fit body.
So step 1. Resolve to STOP crash dieting and overtraining for a month before you feel like crap and quit. If that cliche’ worked, everyone in the world would be fit and fabulous by spring. So why not try something new? Something that has potential to change your life and leave your resolutions for something more profound than losing weight.
Step 2. Write down your goals and collect your measurement tools. For example, if you want to fit into your size 5 jeans comfortably enough to not have to do squats to stretch them out before a night on the town 
then pull those jeans out of the drawer and keep them accessible to gauge your progress. You can also pull out a favorite bathing suit and take pictures-front back and side. NOBODY wants to but its motivating and you’ll be glad you have them to compare to new ones later. Lastly, notice I didn’t say lose 40 pounds. Forget the scale and go for the “look” you’ve always wanted, not some random number.
Step 3. Clean up your diet. Ditch meals in wrappers or boxes like snack bars, cereals, frozen meals and other processed foods. Opt for natural sources of food like lean proteins, veggies, fruits and nuts. Sound too simple? Well, if your hooked on junk food it can be a challenge but it’s only hard if you make it hard. What do I mean by that? Calling your boyfriend is easy, calling him when you want to dump him? Seems hard. But its still just a phone call. It’s all in how you perceive it. So when you go to grab a snickers or bagel with cream cheese and you remember you should be eating natural foods… you decide either stick to your goals and find something healthy you like, or you eat it anyway. Not a hard choice. Just a choice.
I know that this can be YOUR YEAR. Because I’ve seen many finally have “their year” and make it happen for themselves. It’s doable. But first things first, don’t do what you did last year and start on step one!
1. STARTING SMART: It can be a bit overwhelming to build all new healthy habits in order to sculpt the body you really want. Where you need to start completely depends on where you are right now and what your habits are on a regular basis. The only way to prioritize which eating and activity habits you need to change first, is to see what your doing on paper. That’s right. The simple act of journaling what you eat and what, if any, activity you did that day, will show you where you really need the most work and pronto! Some big no no’s to watch out for are:
What about your activity levels? If you weren’t active today-drop and give me 20! Well…maybe that’s a bit much. If you don’t have much experience in exercising, it would be best to get your first workout by hiking to your local trainer for some professional help. You’ll get a big return on the investment in your figure. If you’re on a very limited budget, bodyweight exercises in your own home is a great place to start.
2. EMOTIONAL EXTREMES: This is a BIG one. Food is not the solution to your problem. A sleeve of cookies won’t fix your relationship, eggplant parmesan won’t help you nail that interview and no- sucking down fancy cocktails doesn’t give you a body like Sarah Jessica Parker on Sex In The City. The real solution? Start journaling. Clear your mind. If you’re not sure what’s wrong or why your self- sabotaging your fitness goals, you need to find out ASAP. The only way to do that is by doing a bit of soul searching. So get out of the danger zone (aka back away from the fridge) and find a quiet spot to vent on paper. Instead of eating everything, you’re much more likely to find out what’s eating you.
3. FAT FAUX PAS: Gasp! The “F bomb”! If Fat is a dirty word in your diet lingo, you’ve got it all wrong. Healthy fats keep your hair shiny, eyes bright, skin smooth and waistline trim. Grandma was right when she said all things in moderation. Either way, too much junk fat like saturated fats in pizza, or too little fats like the blubber blasting omegas in salmon, and you’re slowing your results. How do you know what you’re eating? You got it. A journal. One day you might eat NO fat and another day you might eat way too much of the wrong kind. Start journaling what you put in your mouth and ask a professional. If you’re afraid of eating fat, it’s likely because you’ve been misinformed for some time now. How can you start small? Take 2 omega 3 fish oil caps at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
4. THE STRESS EFFECT: It’s not just hype. Stress can do horrible things to your body. For one, it can cause your body to pump out hormones like cortisol. Cortisol regulates blood sugar, inflammation, your immune system and your energy levels. One of the results of elevated cortisol levels is the storage of extra body fat especially around your midriff. Bummer. How can you combat the onslaught of stored belly fat with fear, worry and stress on the job? Exercise! Breaking a good sweat, whether at home or at the gym can help relieve stress by pumping out feel good chemicals called endorphins. The science of endorphins is controversial because some pros believe the positive feeling you get is from meeting a physical challenge, not the exertion itself- BUT, whatever the direct cause of the endorphin pump, exercise has been proven to enhance mood! So journal down your start mood, get in a quickie workout and head back to your journal to record some new adjectives to describe your post workout mood. You’ll not only be pleasantly surprised by the immediate results but journaling will help remind you that it’s a really beneficial habit to keep.
5. CONSITENCY=SUCCESS: On the wagon, off the wagon, back on the wagon…only to fall off again. Can someone please show me where this dreaded colony- sized wagon is so I can burn the thing! Believe me when I tell you …RUN from the proverbial wagon because apparently everyone falls off this darn thing! Your best bet is not to set unrealistic goals that set you up for failure. If you try to workout 7 days a week, you not only risk injury but you set yourself up for big disappointment in yourself. Plan to begin exercising 3 days a week and go from there. Don’t set a consistent exercise goal of 4 days a week until you’ve accomplished the first goal of 3 days a week for at least a month or two. Similarly, don’t go overboard with a super strict diet. Start by following the guidelines above and don’t make it more complicated until you have those mastered.
If you take nothing else from this blog, please remember the small ,healthy changes you make really do count in the long haul. If you make a mistake, don’t blow the day, week or month. Just get up, dust the donut powder off, and log your journey to fitness success. Staying consistent with your nutrition and exercise is key, and keeping a journal for yourself is your only feedback you have for what’s working and what’s not. So, 5 diet and exercise disasters greatly improved with 1 smart solution- keep a journal and keep at it!
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We know how hard all of you dedicated members are working during your training sessions and metabolic condition classes. We also know that when your pushing yourself that hard, occasional muscle soreness will remind you for 1 or 2 days just how hard you worked. Where muscle soreness is natural and nothing to be concerned about, the worst thing you could do that next day or two is to “take it easy” or hit the sofa to rest up. Being sedentary will contribute to, and lengthen the duration of your stiff muscles. The best thing you can do for fast relief is get up and move it! Now I am not giving you permission to over train and do strenuous exercise everyday, but I am reminding you that the best solution for relieving muscle aches is healthy blood flow to the sore spots and throughout your whole body. That blood flow will warm and ease your muscles while supplying them with the nutrients they need to feel relief.
Some key reminders for you to feel better fast:
Do not HOLD stretches while your body is stiff and you have not warmed yourself up. Holding stretches are known as Static Stretches. These are best left to the end of your training sessions or after engaging in enough movement activity to break a light sweat. You’re muscles will not be as willing to “give” and stretch if they have not received adequate blood flow.
Do not bounce (ballistic stretching) or force a movement that your body is not ready to give. A good indicator of this is if a stretch causes you pain, causes you to break the form of the movement or makes you grimace in a face of true discomfort. More importantly, stay within your current range of motion and continue the movements as you steadily increase that range of motion allowing healthy blood flow to the achy area.
Keep it moving! Don’t change your movements to cater to your soreness. Move through regular steps and reaches so that you don’t avoid using the areas that need to be loosened up.
Follow this at home solution to muscle soreness for a full body treatment after another great Training Studio Session!
- Walking Warm Ups 1 to 2 lengths each
- Stiff Kicks 15 reps each side
- Seal Jumping Jacks 15 reps
- Prisoner Goodmornings 15 reps
- Arm Circles small to big 20 forward then 20 backward
- Spiderman Hip Stretches 12 to 16 total reps
*Each rep and round increase the range of motion through each movement while taking minimal rest, creating optimal body heat to warm muscles and feel relief fast
*Repeat 2-3 total rounds through and start feeling more flexible!
Lastly, if an ache or pain persists longer than 3 days, inform your trainer! Open lines of communication are key in achieving the best results for your body. Let us help you feel your best!
It’s no secret that our children live in a different world than that of children raised even as short as 5 years ago. Internet, X Box, Game Boys, Wii, texting and super sized-super convenient meals out. Obviously no parent is responsible for the crime rate that keeps our children from riding bikes all over town or being tempted to order out all the time because both parents work crazy hours- But! There are some precautions to take immediately to ensure that your child doesn’t become a statistic in the battle of obesity now or later in life.
The secret? The smart start young! Even with all the technological distractions these days it’s imperative that you begin to instill healthy habits in your child or teen’s regular routine. You teach a child that they have to brush their teeth whether they like it or not from a young age, and sure enough, because they know its important to their health, they do it the rest of their life. Now if we only did that with exercise and balanced nutrition! Well, I would like to pose the question Why not? And why not start today?
Step One: It’s irrelevant whether your child or teen is currently at a healthy weight or not. They all need to learn about a balanced diet and the importance of physical activity (besides Guitar Hero). Most importantly, do not discriminate between your children if one is a different weight or size than the other. A healthy body image is instilled and doesn’t just magically appear. Teach health equally and foster only positive emotions towards fitness and proper nutrition.
Step Two: Breakfast is a must! No matter the age or the fuss they kick up about being picky or too busy to eat before catching the bus. Choose a breakfast with a healthy source of protein, carbohydrate and fat for a well balanced meal that will support your child or teens: brain function, mood, metabolism and focus in school. Ex. 1 whole omega egg with added whites (veggies are an added bonus) and either a piece of fruit on the go or throw those eggs over some whole grain toast. In a super rush? A scoop of dream protein blended for a minute with some frozen fruit and a small handful of almonds is fast and will have your child thinking they earned a smoothie treat.
Step Three: Prioritize your child’s busy schedule. Don’t keep health on that back burner for when social clubs, art class and other after school activities are over. Enroll your child in a fitness program where they will learn about strength, conditioning, healthy foods, discipline, team work, respect…and the list goes on and on. Check out our programs here and allow your child or teen to watch and try one for free with no obligation.
Step Four: The teeth brushing rule- It is your direct responsibility as a caretaker to help keep your child consistent. I don’t know any parent that purchases a tooth brush and doesn’t encourage and check that their child uses it regularly. Do the same with their breakfast, training and positive reinforcement for a healthy body image. They will thank you in the future with the same pearly smile.
Step Five: Start today! Not after the school year or after camp or…you catch my drift. Your child is growing NOW and learning NOW. We can’t put that on hold so let’s not wait. Take even the smallest step today by getting outside with your child or teen and going for a bike ride, walk ,or invite the neighborhood kids over for a back yard game of badminton. Learning a healthy lifestyle can be really fun if you let it!
Post your experiences of bringing your child to The Training Stud
Alright, summer is looking us right in the face and daring the brave to ditch the sweats and show some leg. So what about that left over body fat that lurks right above the knee cap we so lovingly call “knee knuckles”? When did that get there?! I know, it seems it just came out of nowhere and wants to go nowhere. So what do you do?
If you’re part of The Training Studio family then you have probably heard us say over and over that there is “no such thing as spot reduction!” BUT with clean eating and training it is possible. Besides sticking to your Studio Nutrition Plan you need a kick butt training session for those legs that challenges those muscles, revs your metabolism and helps you create a tighter look by creating a stronger, denser muscle and burning the body fat that haunts your natural shapely curves.
Check out my sample workout set below for a leg blasting exercise routine to help give those knee knuckles the ol’ one two punch for knock out legs! Keep in mind, its about quality NOT quantity. Do not train your legs the day before or two days after as your muscles need time to rest and recover for best results.
Exercise
A1 Stepmill or High Incline Treadmill 5 minutes-fast pace
B1 Lunge Jump – 3 sets – 8 reps each leg – no rest
B2 Squat Jump – 3 sets – 8 reps total - no rest
B3 Body Wt Squat – 3 sets – 20 reps – 60 seconds rest then repeat
C1 Single Leg Dead lift – 4 sets – 8 to 12 reps – 90 seconds rest
D1 Walking Lunges Medium Step – 3 sets – 20 to 25 each 60 seconds rest
Notes:
• The plyometric superset (sequence B) is bodyweight only; no added resistance.
• With the exception of the dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts, no sets should be taken to failure
Have Fun!!! Feel free to post comments about your workout experience!
One of the biggest myths and misconceptions in weight loss is telling yourself that your body is what’s holding you back from your fitness goals and your genetics are the blame. I’m sure you’ve all heard someone out of shape say “I just can’t lose weight, I have a slow metabolism!” Well, I have heard this many times and seen it proven wrong many times, so it’s my pleasure to break the good news to you…YOUR METABLOLISM IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
You might not be in the 1% of genetically gifted individuals that can eat whatever they want, but we average Joes’ just need to get over it. There will always be someone out there that genetically breaks the rules. For instance, that 98 year old neighbor that has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and eaten junk food their whole life but has no health issues. Or that girl friend of yours that eats buttered bagels and cheesy tuna melts for lunch but never gains a pound. Well get off the pity pot because there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a normal or average metabolism.
If you come from an overweight family, or have hereditary thyroid issues, this just means that you may be predisposed to having to work harder at your fitness goals. It is by no means a lifelong sentence to be fat or out of shape. People with a family history of high blood pressure, may have high-ER blood pressure but through training and nutrition can keep it within normal range. This person isn’t destined to have a coronary if they take good care of their body.
On the other hand, I must tell you it is also common to take a normal metabolism and slow it down by yo-yo dieting, crash dieting, fasting methods and/or an unfit sedentary lifestyle. But again, the good news is that you can rebuild and make a better metabolism and well, the bad news is that you don’t have that excuse anymore. So, let’s stop finger pointing at the genetically elite. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I looked at an Olympic Sprinter and complained to my friends that I couldn’t sprint to my mail box in 2.3 seconds. Catch my drift?
Please post comments and thoughts and stay tuned for tips on building a healthy, fat-burning metabolism!
So if you haven’t heard the news yet, the Big Day has come and gone and I walked away as the 2nd Place Figure Competitor at the INBF World’s 2008. There were 30 figure girl’s that came from far and wide- Costa Rica, London, Cayman Islands…the clickety clack of six inch heals could be heard from every direction. It was a very exciting and nerve wracking experience and I’m proud of myself for hanging in there through the 12 hour competition day. Though second place is an achievement, my inner competitor could easily find a way to be hard on myself for not being top spot. In this situation I imagine the kind words I would give a client in the same position… “Snap out of it already!!!”
In reality there’s a much bigger picture than the trophy shot in glittery suits. I worked a quarter-actually almost a third of a year- on trying to be better and different than I was last competition. Seeminly so simple, all of us can get caught up on what we think works best for us and our bodies when despite our own beliefs, the body needs something different. a new method, a better strategy and an open mind.
My last competition I did well, so why change anything? Because I wasn’t looking to keep doing “well”. Believe me, it’s not always easy to be open minded and give your all to diet and training strategies that you haven’t used in the past. But with with the right education, progression and support, change can be more fantastic than scary.
Even though I did not win first place, I was prepared. I was more poised, had a better stage presence and was much leaner and conditioned for the experience. So can you really count that as a loss? Placing second at the World’s isn’t the main achievement, it’s in doing whatever it took to be a “better me”. I’m proud of the changes I dared to make to be a better competitor, athlete and trainer. If you learn anything from my experience, it’s that being open minded, focused and driven will ultimately allow you to be a better you year after year because in the end your true competition is only yourself 
We all have big goals and visions of what we want our lives, bodies and fitness levels to be like; but more often than not people get stuck on the “ready, set…” and then never really get the “GO”. You can have really great pieces of information about smart eating and exercise but get no results because, well, it’s just not enough to know it. I hate to break the news but that overnight epiphany of “Today is the day I’ll follow the perfect program without fail, forever!”-will never come. There is no need to expect perfection from yourself in order to see great results from building healthy habits. You don’t need the perfect pair of sneakers to start taking walks around your neighborhood or have a personal chef to eat more lean proteins, vegetables and fruit. Need a really basic habit to start asap? Give up soda, juice, and calorie packed specialty drinks. Implement that as often as you can, every day! Need a more advanced tip? Have 3 healthy breakfast options posted” on the fridge. One for when you oversleep, one for when have some time but are kind of lazy that morning, and a third option that you can really sit down and enjoy. Breakfast sets the tone for the entire day so it’s super important to be prepared so that you start off on the right foot. Here are 3 possible breakfast options but feel free to be creative.
“The Oversleeper”: Protein shake, apple & small handful of nuts (totally portable and can even be left in your car or desk at work)
“The Lazy Day Special”: 1% cottage cheese with 1 cup fresh blueberries and raw almonds
“The Morning Person”: Omega 3 egg with added whites, 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese with all your favorite veggies, slice whole grain toast and a clememtine
Now YOU try! Try my suggestions and/or write a menu for yourself. Keep all your habit goals on a list that you can see and read often. Keep adding to it as each goal becomes more of a daily habit. If you need help prioritizing your nutrition and fitness goals, do not hesitate to consult a respected professional.
Now Ready, set….GO already!
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