Get Physique-a-licious

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Got your attention.  :)  Well, I’ve  talked about different exercises  and that a variety is good for the body. Now I am going to do the same for the blog. I have decided to write about getting the body to work for you.

How do I get rid of this darn body fat that keeps sticking around like a bad wart.

The theory is that do more activity like exercise to increase output of energy while decreasing food intake.  Okay, I can see how that would work in the beginning for someone just getting started on a reasonable program.  There are some programs that are totally out there.  Listen to your body definitely.  Know what you are able to do.  Just remember that if you are starting out on a weight loss program to take baby steps.  You did not put the weight on all in one day and you are definitely NOT going to take it off in one day.

Now, for those of us who exercise like crazy almost  into an obsession mode (not good either), what can we do to help us a little more.  Well, diet is the key.  Okay, so you started eating salads and maybe not so much at dinner and you  cut down the amount that you eat.  Well, okay so the next question is, what kind of foods are you eating?

Awwwww, that is the question.  Are you eating foods that are going to help increase the metabolic rate to work for you instead of maintaining.  Well, let’s just look at this for a moment.

In order for you body to burn effectively it has to work hard, just like you have to work hard to pump those weights to build muscle. 

You have to work hard, you have to maximize your output.  Well, your metabolic rate also has to work hard to rev up the burning effect.  This is known as the “thermic effect” is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use. 

Great, now what kind of foods allows for this kind of affect?  How about proteins?  Okay proteins like wild caught fish, (sockeye salmon, herring, mackerel, claims and halibut. Meat (beef) from range or animals that eat grass from the land.

How about those eggs whites?  Great as a snack and filler.  Free-range of organic chicken.  Again, ones that eat grass.

Eat good fats and good carbohydrates.  Another words, stay away from the simple sugars.  Your body makes sugar anyhow, don’t add more to it.  It knows what it needs to survive the rest is put into storage for later use.  But if we never use it guess what?  Body starts to change in ways we don’t want it to.   

So, you don’t have to eat like a rabbit so to speak.  You just have to eat foods that work for you.  Find the right combination.  Everyone is different so listen and pay close attention to how your body reacts to certain foods that you eat.  If  your plan is not working change it up so that it does, just like your exercise routine.

I get lazy sure.  I will tend to graze on foods that I shouldn’t and guess what, I pay the price for it.  I have to work extra hard and now I really have to eat good clean foods.  My health is worth more to me and can’t not afford to go see a doctor.  I work hard so that I stay healthy and not end up at the doctors.   You should to.

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today”

When I was a little girl, I loved to jump rope.  I never really thought about the impact it had on my cardiovascular system.  I was wanted to be able to jump rope.  I also did not know at the time and did not really care about the benefits it would have on my bones either.  Wow, jump roping is really a great over all exercise.

Now that I am over 40 I still can jump rope, but I can not however jump rope in long increments.  HA!  I find that some people can not jump rope, but used to be able to when they were little.  Funny how we seem to loose alot of coordination the older we get and not continue to do the activities.  People we have to keep moving in order for our muslces to keep working and our bones don’t deteriate.

Jumping rope is unlikely to lead to knee damage since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and shoulders. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for athletes, especially boxers and wrestlers. Individuals or groups can participate in the exercise, and learning proper jump rope technique is simple compared to many other athletic activities. The exercise is also appropriate for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. Jumping rope is particularly effective in an aerobic routine combined with other activities, such as walking, biking, or running. 

Here are some other benefits to Jump Roping:

EFFECTIVE
Jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour, making it one of the most efficient workouts possible. It tones muscles in the entire body, developing long, lean muscles in all major muscle groups, both upper and lower. Jumping rope optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and maximizes athletic skills combining agility, coordination, timing, endurance.

EASY TO LEARN
RopeSport’s innovative training techniques and constant emphasis on “go at your own pace” allows people of different fitness levels and athletic abilities to enjoy the learning process and achieve their own level of success in an environment where they are relaxed and comfortable. Whether people want to simply swing the jump rope from side to side or they want to do double jumps on one leg, they are free to learn.

FUN
Due to the variety of jumps and movements that are taught, even at the beginning level, FreeStyle Jump Roping is fun. It encourages creativity and spontaneity, and gives people flexibility in their workouts.

INEXPENSIVE
Compared to many other popular fitness products flooding the market, Jumping rope is very inexpensive, making it accessible to everyone. (See Products for prices and product descriptions.)

PORTABLE
All you need is a 3’ x 4’ area to jump rope. A living room, backyard, office, or gym are all ideal places to jump rope. Just throw a jump rope in a suitcase, briefcase, backpack, or purse, and you have the “greatest portable workout in existence.” Jumping rope is the perfect exercise for travelers.

GREAT FOR KIDS
There has never been a generic exercise that has gained widespread acceptance among children, but FreeStyle Jump Roping is changing that. FreeStyle Jump Roping is “MTV with a jump rope” and children absolutely love it! With recent studies concluding that children in the United States are far too sedentary, FreeStyle Jump Roping is making a major contribution toward fixing this problem. Not just for the gifted or athletic child, FreeStyle Jump Roping can be learned by all, helping them to increase self-esteem and fitness levels. It’s a great activity that the whole family can do together and get fit!

Take a look at this, I did not know the different techniques to jump roping:

Some of the techniques that can be used when jumping rope are:

Basic jump

This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.

Alternate foot jump (speed step)

This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.

Criss-cross

This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.

Double under

To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples (”quads”), and quintuples (”quins”) are not uncommon.

Combination jumps

There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, and Long Rope.

Toad

The toad is a complicated trick where the jumper performs the “Cross” manoeuvre with their leg intersecting the arms.

 Finally, there is competition for jump roping.  Now I have seen some of this competition and it is truly amazing what these kids can do with a jump rope.  Check out these websitesfor more information http://www.usajumprope.org/

http://www.kangarookids.org/competition.html

Do you remember doing the Double Dutch Jump Rope?  So much fun, especially learning how to jump in and jump out without getting whipped by the jump ropes.  HA.

There is also Jump Rope for Heart Organization that the kids do for the school to raise money to help support lifesaving heart and stroke research.  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2360

I would encourage your kids to get involved with this.  It is a fun way to get them moving and involved in their health.  They will thank you later in life.

Try something different.  Pick up that jump rope and see if you can still do this exercise, it is fun.

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”

refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_rope

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2360

http://www.usajumprope.org/

I mentioned back in a previous posts that a variety workout helps with plateau.

I have been doing Turbo Kick for awhile as a matter of fact I like the workout so much that I got certified as an instructor.  I think I mentioned that I get bored really easy.  It is time for a change.

Yesterday, I decided to go take an “Indoor Cycling” class.  Now, I used to teach this class also, but since I do not have any bikes at my studio and there are not any bikes at the colleges, I had to go take the class on base.

It is so hard to get out to the base.

I worked harder in the class than I wanted to because she kept pushing me to work harder.  So, I did.  yep.  Did you ever get to working out by yourself and just easily give up?  I know I do anymore.  I need that extra motivation and someone telling me I can do it.  Never give up.  So glad I went.

Let me tell you a little something about indoor cycling.  It is a great exercise of people who have bad knees, don’t like to run but need a kick in the butt cardio exercise.  Great for training for events (cross trainer) and just for people who like to ride bikes for fun and can’t go outside due to weather.

If you don’t know what indoor cycling is, it is an organized activity, is a form of high-intensity exercise that involves using a stationary exercise bicycle in a classroom setting.

Not only does this type of activity builds strength and endurance, it can burn mega calories.  Anywhere from 400 to 600 depending how intense you are working maybe even up to 1000.

The intensity lies with the fly wheel in this class. Turning the knob for more resistance to simulate climbing a hill, and letting off just a tad to simulate going down hill.  Changing up the resistance and doing a variety of exercises to simulate the outdoors with some awesome keeps this rider going.

If you do not want to take a class you can buy what is known as a trainer to get the training or workout that you like.

Which ever you decide make sure you have a towel and some water to hydrate.  Drink the H20 is key.

Be sure to properly set the bike up right and have fun riding.

Remember “A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”  -Karen Lamb  I love this quote.

What?  Getting all wet, what the heck is this crazy women talking about?

People, lets talk about swimming.  Changing the variety of you exercises or your workout.  Are you finding that your workout needs a little somethin, somethin?

I have always enjoyed swimming ever since my mom made me take lessons because we lived by the lake and a river.  Lots of lives have been lost in the Kern Valley River.

Did you know that swimming is dated by 7,000 years ago in the Stone Ages.  The front crawl or also known as the freestyle was originated from the Native American.  Yeah!   Swimming first became part of the Olympics in 1896.

Let’s talk about swimming as a way to exercise.  Swimming uses the whole body to execute each stroke.  Using swimming as a form of exercise can burn mega calories.  Swimming or using water as an aerobic exercise is very gentle on the joints and bones.  Swimming can improve posture and develop a strong lean physique, often called a “swimmer’s build.”

There are several different types of strokes that you can use for your swimming workouts.  The first of course is the freestyle stroke or also known as the “Front Crawl.”  It is the fastest of the other strokes.  I was told that I have a beautiful stroke.  That made me feel good.  I could have really been a competitive swimmer.  I have the build for it.  Our little high school did not have a pool or a swim team, so I lost out.  I did not even know you could swim competitive.  Instead, I feel in love with basketball. 

The second is ” The butterfly, (fly for short) is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the “dolphin kick“.

Next is the

The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn either the breaststroke or the front crawl first. But in competitive swimming, the breaststroke is regarded as one of the most difficult strokes, requiring comparable endurance and leg strength to other strokes.

“The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn either the breaststroke or the front crawl first. But in competitive swimming, the breaststroke is regarded as one of the most difficult strokes, requiring comparable endurance and leg strength to other strokes.”

Let’s not forget the backstroke.  I love doing the backstroke.  I am actually really good at this.  “Backstroke is an ancient style of swimming. It was the second stroke to be swum in competitions other than the front crawl. Backstroke was first inducted into the Olympics at 1900 Paris Olympics. Those Olympics included a 200 m backstroke race. The backstroke is also usually swum with bent arms underwater.”

And finally, the doggy paddle, which kids learn to do before they actually learn how to swim.  The dog paddle or doggy paddle is a simple swimming style. It is characterized by the swimmer lying on his chest and moving his hands and legs alternately in a manner reminiscent of how dogs and other animals swim.^[1]. It is effectively a “trot” in water, instead of land

As I was researching the strokes of swimming, I found like more strokes that are used but way too many for this article.  If you would like to know more about swimming strokes, please go to wikipedia.org

With all of that being said, let’s go swimming and get all wet. OH and of course let’s go burn some calories and get a lean Physique. Yes, let’s get our Physique-a-licious body on.  LOL

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.” - Karen Lamb

You have worked so hard and you are feeling kind of weak.

First you should drink water to keep from being hydrated. 

What about the other parts of your body?  Have you really thought about why you eat?  Most people eat to stay alive, some people eat with a purpose.  Are you one of these people?  What are you eating exactly?  Is it helping you or hindering you.

If you are a workout enthusiast then you really need to think about feeding your muscles. 

“What are you talking about you ask?”  Feed what?

You worked so hard to get your muslces toned and looking “Physique-a-licious” that you want to treat them right.  If you are working out hard you are constantly breaking and tearing your tissues so you need to help them repair and grow.

You need to feed your muscles with some really good healthy food.  What kind of food?

Well, let’s start with protein. 

“Proteins are broken down in the stomach during digestion by enzymes known as proteases into smaller polypeptides to provide amino acids for the organism, including the essential amino acids that the organism cannot biosynthesize itself. Aside from their role in protein synthesis, amino acids are also important nutritional sources of nitrogen.”

“Amino acids are critical to life, and have a variety of roles in metabolism. One particularly important function is as the building blocks of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids.”

With that being said, we need to get help from our foods in order for our tissues and muscles at the cellular to stay alive and build for us.  We have to feed them with good protein.

Here is a link to some great high protein foods.  One rule of thumb to remember for protein is start with “no leg animals, then two legged animals and then if you have to four-legged animals”  to get the most out of your protein.

You can get your protein from some shakes if you are on the run, but I personally like to get my protein from the natural way. 

Do not go without feeding your muslces, because they will like a “gang” start turning on themselves and eating off of your own body to get the energy it needs to perform your exercises.  Gross! 

Feed your muscles for ultimate performance and get that “Physique-a-licious” body you desire.

Have you heard this before? I am following my nutrition tips and eating like I am suppose to but keep gaining weight. Right! I have heard this story before only to realize that the client is cheating big time.

I have a dear friend who has been so committed to exercise. She has joined my “Summerlicious 6-week fit camp” and is continually coming to class. So, we measured at the beginning of the fit camp and she has made some amazing results before this. All of the sudden she starts gaining weight like crazy. I asked her several questions. She really hadn’t changed anything from before. I thought for the first two weeks she was gaining muscle. She would say she felt bloated and told me that she hadn’t had her monthly gift in two months. Well, okay, I thought maybe because the intensity of the exercise might have thrown her off.

Well, into week four she had gain back her 8 pounds. I thought “WHAT” there is something wrong. I had her check with her doctor and tell him everything going on and he thought it would be a good idea to do some blood work. Well, everything checked out good. What the heck. So, now I am puzzled.

My other friend mentioned that a friend of hers had the same symptoms and it turned out to be “Coeliac Disease” she was allergic to wheat. I thought that was crazy. She did tell me that she was feeling fatigue and yes she was still bloated.

She actually had made a doctor’s appointment with a “Gastrointestinal” doctor. All the symptoms point to this. She quit eating wheat stuff and immediately felt so much better. She went to Olive Garden this past weekend and had some bread, and bam, tore her stomach up.

So, here is what the Wikipedia had to say what this was.. I was intrigued.

“Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat (and similar proteins of the tribe Triticeae, which includes other cultivars such as barley and rye). Upon exposure to gliadin, the enzyme tissue transglutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to flattening of the lining of the small intestine (called villous atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients, because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption. The only known effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. While the disease is caused by a reaction to wheat proteins, it is not the same as wheat allergy.”

When you know that something should not be right.  Please go have yourself checked out and get a second opinion.  Please listen to your body.  You know it best.

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today”

Okay, have you reached a plateau?  You have worked so hard and have seen results.  Now, you are at the point that nothing is working.  Do I have a great workout for you.

This program is intense, but it can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be.

It starts off with Upper Body workout which has 3 phrases.  Once you finish the first block you start over from the top and continue on this way until you finish the 3 phrase.

You are welcome to take a 1 minute break and then proceed on to the Abdominal Section.  Again, this has 3 phrases and do all 3 phrases until the third one and take a 1 minute water break.

Then comes the Lower Body section.  This section is grueling.  It is going to take everything you got to keep going.   Once you finish the 3 phrases take a 1 minute break (water)

Finally, the last section is a combo of everything put together.  Hope you are still breathing after this.  If you need to add some seconds to each exercise then you can do that when you feel it is too easy.  You can also cut down the time of break if you think you can.

Now, you can break these phrases up if you like and build up.  Then put them all together.  Try it first and then figure out what you would like to do.  Very flexible.  I would say do this for one week Mon, Wed, and Friday.  You should see a major difference and then you can go do your normal workout. 

I suggest that maybe you do your weight lifting and stick one of these phrases in between for a spice in the workout.

You should change you workout about every third week.

Sign up for my “Plateau Buster”