No limits!

This is me & my cat working out...well, I'm working out.

Just when you think you can't do more with your workout, you realize that you CAN do chair dips with extra weight on your lap.  If you would have tried to put a 20 pound weight on my lap (hey, that cat of mine weighs 17 pounds!!), I would have told you 'no way'.  It's amazing what you can achieve when you don't put limitations on yourself!!  :)

To eat or not to eat, before working out

Hey, have you heard - we are nearing summer (lol!).  You know what it means...BATHING SUITS!  So, it's time to get your workout on!!!  Food is your fuel, not your enemy (even though you are thinking about that bathing suit).  I found this quick article on how to get the most out of your fuel before that killer workout...

Pre-Workout Eating
By Steve Edwards
 
How much you should eat before your workout depends on the type of workout that you plan on doing: high, moderate, or low intensity. If you're going to do a low-intensity workout, don't eat before your workout because it will just make you feel sluggish. On the other hand, for moderate to high-intensity workouts, you'll want to have some reserve carbs in your system to perform the best.

Here are some caloric guidelines:
·         If it's 3 or 4 hours before your exercise, eating a large meal is OK (600 calories or more).
·         If it's 2 or 3 hours beforehand, a smaller meal is better (400 to 500 calories).
·         If it's 1 or 2 hours before, a liquid meal is a good choice (300 to 400 calories).
If it's an hour beforehand, a small snack will do (200 to 300 calories).

Try not to eat during the last hour before you begin a workout because it floods your system with too much blood sugar during those initial stages of your workout.

Holiday guilt

So, I think I'm dealing with some holiday guilt because tonight's workout was like this: Xbox Kinect sports then Black Eyed Peas Kinect game (1 hour) -we will call that the warmup, then P90X Back and Biceps, followed by Ab Ripper X, and then ~20 minutes of yoga. I hope tomorrow isn't like this...who has this kind of time all the time anyway?!!

Wishing you a super-healthy new year!!

Les Mills PUMP - comprehensive at-home DVD fitness program Les Mills PUMP

I cannot wait for this to come out.  So much fun doing BodyPump at the gym but now I can do it on my own schedule…yay!

My newest app

I'm so stupidly excited!  I just downloaded a new app for P90X and it's so cool, like for real so cool!  Since I'm starting a new program for it -tomorrow- this is going to be super-handy.  I haven't been this excited for working out in a LONG time.  I mean, I enjoy working out and everything, but I literally can't wait to workout tomorrow - LOL!

And I'm back in the game!

So, I've been "off" in my workout routine for about the last month due to a shoulder injury. I kept avoiding visiting a doctor, though I know I should have. If someone in one of my classes would have come up to me and said, "my shoulder hurts when I lift my arm", I would have said, "have you talked to your doctor?". I know, shame on me for not listening to my own advice. Anyway, I figured it was some sort of overuse injury since I had just increased my weights in my upper body routine. I scaled the weights back, did more cardio for a while, and it seems to be about 95% now. To say the least, I'm pleased :). Sadly, when these things happen, I have a tendency to think...they will want to do surgery on me!...and I'm just not up for that right now (I know, I'm dramatic).



But now I get to say, I'm back in the game!! I'm able to do my shoulder routine with my weights and I'm able to chaturanga in yoga class again - woohooo!

This leads me to the fact that I want to give some advice to those people who are new to the world of working out.  When you first start out, don't get super-crazy-extreme right off the bat. It's very likely you will be so sore the next day that you will determine that working out must be the work of the devil and therefore you should never do it again. That's not the goal! You want to stick with it. Persistence is key!! Ease into your routine and have a plan of attack. Day 1, you start at x level and you see how you feel on day 2. If you feel like you could do more, then you do more on your next workout, and then determine how you feel on day 3, and etc.


It's very important to keep a log of your exercises, so you don't have to try to remember what you did (that's just way too hard). If it's cardio, you write 'elliptical, 20 minutes, level 9 resistence' - or something to that effect. If it's weights, you write 'bicep curl, 15 pounds, 10 reps'. You get my drift. When you're done, put a date on it. I also like to write in there how I felt, like "great energy today" or "I was really tired". That always gives me some insight on why I did what I did that day. When you start progressing you can look back and you will feel so proud of how far you've come! That, in turn, is motivation to keep going!!
 
Good luck!!

Let's get some shoes!!

Every time I hear of someone working out in bare feet it makes me cringe (other than yoga/pilates, of course). In my opinion, the right shoes are so incredibly important to how well the workout goes. For me (I have rather weak ankles) so I make sure to wear a shoe with some lateral stability, especially when I am doing Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, or Turbo Fire. There is so much side-to-side motion in those classes, that it's crucial to have this type of support. I have 'rolled out' on my ankle, more than once, and it is NO FUN! Actually one time, I rolled out so badly that I sprained my ankle and couldn't do ANY cardio for 4 weeks! Yeah, that didn't make me happy, AT ALL.

I also have really flat feet, so picking shoes that do not have super-high arches are a must for me. Otherwise, about 30 minutes into the workout, I'm ready to stop altogether because the arches of my feet hurt so badly. I'm not looking for an easy-out here, it's just my sad little truth.
My shoe of choice is a Nike trail running shoe. This shoe provides lots of stability, as it should, since it is made for running on crazy terrain. It's a little bit of a heavier shoe, but I just tell myself that it is making me stronger since they weigh more. :) That said, many people can get away with regular crosstrainers when doing these classes or other typical gym workouts.

As far as shoe replacement goes, I believe that the general consensus is: crosstrainers and aerobics shoes should be replaced every 100 hours, running shoes every 400-500 miles, and walking shoes every 500 miles. However, if you feel that your shoes aren't providing you with the support you want/need...get new ones! Besides, who doesn't love shopping!!!?

Maybe you don't have the same issues as me - maybe you have different issues. Regardless, do yourselves a favor and go to a store, try on lots of different pairs of shoes, and pick what really works for YOU. You will be so happy that you did!

...burn it up!!!

I personally LOVE Turbo Fire!! I started out with Turbo Jam and then moved to Turbo Fire. Since I teach Turbo Kick at the gym, it is great to see what people can do -at home- for themselves!! If you want SUPER high intensity cardio drills, you gotta go with Turbo Fire...they are NOT playin' around! I'm currently doing the 'Advanced' portion of the program and it's for real! I actually look forward to my workouts and seeing how hard I can PUSH!

How it all started...

So, after teaching Turbo Kick for a while at the gym, I saw a commercial for Turbo Jam.  I had to know more, so I ordered it.  I finally had something to do at home without my having to "think" the whole time.  I know, you're thinking, you teach this stuff, why not just do what you do in class, at home?.  Well, sometimes it's much more fun and motivating to have someone else telling you what to do (you know how that is) - I LOVED it!