Get Physique-a-licious

Posts Tagged ‘Fitness’

Do you ever get tired of the same ol stuff like protein bars,  protein smoothies, and protein shakes.  Sure I like all that stuff.  I like to eat just regular hard boiled egg whites.  I like those for breakfast.

I decided to help my ladies out by home baking some muffins.  I found that the ladies don’t eat breakfast too much and that after a great workout they leave my studio hungry.  I too leave kind of hungry.  I have found that if you are hungry after you eat, that some people (not everyone) will tend to grab the first thing they can get their hands on.  It is usually a bag of chips and a soda.  Just because you workout doesn’t mean you can fill those calories burned back with junk.

So, I decided to help them make a better choice.  I started making some low-fat, protein muffins. All kinds, blueberry, apple spice, and the choices are just unlimited.  I substitute the milk with non-fat milk, and I use the egg whites instead of the whole egg, and if calls for vegetable oil I use olive oil.  (i know any kind of liquid oil is really not good). I figure this help tie them over until they get home and can get something better.  Oh, for the protein I use a powder from Arbonne (check out my go figure page).  I use the vanilla flavor.

Just have one for a snack, don’t eat them as a whole meal or eat like a dozen. 

So, if you want to try something different and look after your hard work in the gym, try a low-fat protein muffin.

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

It is week two of my journey into P90x for the umpteen time I have started.  I have me a workout partner now.  He decided to go to California (San Diego) and leave me hanging to do the workouts.

Now, I own a small women’s fitness studio where I teach quit a few body toning classes anyhow and so trying to keep the energy and motivation up for my P90x is hard.  Just wanted you to know that so you won’t think I am a weakling.  :) 

So, I managed to get up enough motivation to do the legs and back routine, which I knew was going to be a hard one, so that is why it took me a while to get it done. 

I really love this workout.  It is extremely exhausting especially if you give it all you got.  Getting low, pushing through the heels on the squats, staying on the toes on the sneaky lunges, going lower on the wall sits, pulling and squeezing every ounce in your body on the back exercises.  Whew, getting exhausted telling you about it all.

My booty is sore today.  My back is still there but I need to stretch it today.  Been working back hard this week. 

Legs and back, you have to give a try.  You will like it.

Go to beachbody.com and get your P90x workout today.

www.beachbodycoach.com/pkayfit02  Would love to be your coach.

Check out some other great products while you are there. 

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

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

I have started eating breakfast again.  I have to do something.  I am not extremely overweight, I look good, but I just have a little body fat that I would like to get rid of.  Wait, let me back up.  I have a blanket that is protecting my muscles that now the summer is approaching that I need to peel off and put in the closet until winter hits again.  Yeah!  That it!  Did that sound good or what?

Okay, so I started eating this cereal “Go Lean”  and it is full of protein, fiber, and low fat.  Check out the nutritional info.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Some people put blueberries, strawberries, bananas and other fruit to help.  But, I have learned to eat this cereal just plain.  I like it.

Since, I have starting eating this cereal, I have been regular lately and I feel so much better.  I have energy in the mornings to teach my classes. 

I would definitely recommend this cereal to start your day.

Kashi also has oatmeal cereal which I am going to try.  Even though the weather is quit warm, I can still eat the warm cereal. 

Why don’t you give it a try and do the body some good.

Well, I finally broke down and ordered the Chalean Extreme Workout set.  You get 15 DVD’s to help you get the Physique that you are looking for.

I have been working out with the P90x for awhile and I am getting stronger I can tell you that.  For the lean part though I need more.  I am so used to exercising that I have hit a bad plateau.  Really bad that it is frustrating.  I know what I have to do.  I have come across this before.  I am just not mentally there yet.  Did you know that your mind plays a big role in your daily routine?  All I have to say is, I am ready to bring it on.  Give me something to work with people. 

Over the spring break I am going to hit the cardio bad.  I have to hit the track and really do the cardio portions of Tony’s one-on-one super Cardio and the cardio on the P90x.  I have a friend who is going to do it with me.  Well, actually she is looking to do something else, so I volunteered to do it with her.  She is really excited.

I just really want to “Get Physiquealicious” for the summer.  I think the weather has been a problem too.  I get so drepessed when the winter hits.

I will definitely keep you updated on my progress with the new workout  Chalean Extreme.  I am totally pumped about it.

Did you know you can workout at home and win prizes with Team Beach Body.  Go check it out.  It is free to sign up.  Sign up under me and I will be your coach.  I am looking forward to it.  I will help you and you can help me.  That is what friends are for.  Let’s just do it.  I think we are suppose to eat right too. 

I am definitely starting with my breakfast.

I mentioned last time that I would get back with you on how it went with the Super Cardio 5-6 Plus.

Okay, so I watched the video and thought this would be great to try on my class and see how they do.  WOW!  When I was watching Tony do his exercises he seemed to get winded really fast and he wasn’t really doing anything to hard compared to say the Plyometrics on P90x.  So, I thought I would just add 15 seconds of jumping jacks in between the little 30 seconds exercises. 

He has three segments on this dvd.  The famous squat and turn, I have a kid who really loves this exercise and I told him to keep it low and not jump because he has to do this 3 times.  Well, just like a meat head he goes all out.  He is huffing and puffing by the end of section 1.  I then tell the class to do jacks, then the next exercise is a lunge and reach, well again add a little plyo jump there and you have your heart rate going crazy.  30 seconds doing jacks and the squat kicks.  No time for break.  Tony however takes a little break for some water.  No water break until all 3 segments are complete.  Yes folks, they were huffing and puffing and they still have 2 more sections to go.

Now, this Super Cardio is only 35 minutes long.  Well, I add the Killer ABs from the One on One dvd.  Had to get those abs in.  They loved it.  Well, maybe I loved hearing them moan.  HA!  280 reps of crunches total.  They should be hurting today.

Oh, by the way, I had a soccer player in the class and he ran three miles before coming to class.  He was hurting.  I tell those people not to really exert themselves before they come to class because they will not have anything left to do the class because Tony doe not call it extreme for nothing people. 

Make sure you have your water and towel when doing thise exercises.  Burn those calories. Not sure how many it burned because I was busy with the stop watch and busy keeping everyone motivated.  Next time I will do the whole thing, maybe I will leave out the jacks. HA Not a chance.  Come on you have to push it.

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

I have sort of been on a writers block, if you want to call it that.  I have been extremely busy teaching classes since the semester started.  Ever feel like things all of a sudden come out of nowhere and then you are left sprinting trying to catch up.  What the heck, I had all Christmas break to prepare, which I did a little.  Then I started the push-up challenge which now I have to start over.  I think I may drop down a column.  I have been doing well on it but not great.  I feel like the goals for the push-ups were rushing me a  little so, I backed off, then I totally stopped. 

I gain a few pounds over the holidays.  You didn’t?  The month of January I started a newsletter for my ladies at the studio in which I incorporated a healthy recipe. 

Do you really want your performance to improve?  Well, you have to eat-clean and eat the right foods.  You have to start learning and listening to your body.  Do you really know what works or are you just going through the same boring routine?  Time to really start listening to your body and feeding it with good stuff.

So, this post I decided to drop you a little Healthy Recipe that I get from a couple of places.

Here it is:

Grilled Citrus Chicken with Fresh Salsa

This Recipe Serves: 4

Preparation Time :  20 minutes

Cooking time :   20 minutes

IngredientsFor the chicken:
1 cup low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 to 6 oz. each
For the salsa:
1 avocado
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
8 warm wheat tortillas

Cooking Instructions
1. For the chicken: Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture and coat evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the grill or broiler.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. (This protects against cross-contamination.) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Place the chicken on the grill or under the broiler and cook until the juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes per side.

5. In the meantime, peel, core and chop the avocado. Place the avocado in a clean bowl and toss it with the lime juice quickly so that it doesn’t discolor. Add the tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Add the jalapeño peppers and salt to taste.

6. Serve the salsa on top of the chicken with the warm tortillas on the side.

So give it a try during the SuperBowl.  You won’t feel guilty. 

Come back and tell how you liked it.

More recipes you can go to www.teambeachbody.com/pkayfit02  Click on join the club and have access to meal plans and tips from the experts like Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Debbie Siebers etc…  Very low price, it is not like all the others.

 This recipe I got from http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/recipes.aspx