Inspired by Heather Kinley

"RULE #76: No Excuses, play like a champion!"

-from the movie Wedding Crashers

I want you all to be inspired by my friend Heather this week.  Heather has struggled with illness, medication and was letting that be her excuse to stay out of shape.  She recently decided to cut the crap and get down to business.  Not only am I glad she wanted to share her story with me but I'm really proud of her...WAY TO GO HEATHER!  She also did a really smart thing by asking questions about how she should approach her workouts moving forward.  I encourage everyone reading this to do the same, that's what I'm here for.  I love your updates, results, stories, hearing about your wins, AND your losses because I can help pick you back up ;)

As you read Heather's story ask yourself "what's my excuse?"...I strongly encourage you to LET IT GO and GET MOVIN'!

Heather wrote:

"Hey Liz,

I figured since you're into working out and kinda do it for a living, you might be interested to hear that I've decided to turn my life around. I am sick and tired of blaming my surgery and medications for me being overweight. Yes, they did cause it, but I haven't exactly helped with my diet and exercise (or lack there of). I watched 2 seasons of Biggest Loser and was a complete mess (bawling my eyes out) and I think that's when it all clicked and I was like "there is no excuse, and if these guys can do it, and they are twice my weight, I can do it!" 

So, I have completely changed my eating habits and am actually conscious of calories now, and I've just joined the gym! I've joined before but really didn't know what I was doing and had no motivation, and didn't change my eating habits, but now hopefully I have it all in gear!

My first day at the gym I jogged at 6.0km/hr for 3 minutes and thought it was tough...and now I'm jogging 3K at 7.5km/hr and feel like I could still bump it up slowly or go a longer distance but don't want to kill myself doing it. I think mostly I've learned to just fight through the pain and it eventually goes away. My goal is to be able to run a 5K without stopping as a mini goal, and then maybe in a few years I'll be able to do a marathon (let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet)!

I do have a question about the rower. My first day, the trainer person had me on it at a level 5/10 and I rowed 1000m in 7 minutes. I'm now able to do 1000m in 5:30 but am wondering if next I try to go further, or if I try to beat the time, and when to actually increase the resistance?? I still find 1000m quite difficult to do as I have horrible upper body strength and absolutely no back strength!

I'll stop blabbing on for now. I almost didn't go to the gym today because I was feeling crappy and bloated but I felt so good afterwards and I'm so glad I just went!!!!"

Bounce back from the holiday weekend!

I like to approach working out like a system of checks and balances.  If I know I'm going to eat badly or go out for a night of drinking, I'll work out harder the day before/after or BOTH...

Thoughts on bouncing back from the holiday weekend (which more than likely entailed eating crappy food and lots of drinking)....

1. Drink a lot of water this week.

2. Put in an extra cardio workout or two, sweating more will help get rid of the toxins in your body.

*Don't forget bursts of intensity are key, for 30-60-90 seconds increase intensity,  (speed, resistance, incline) in some way and PUSH YOURSELF throughout your workout

3. Use this week as an excuse to try something new, try a class you've never taken, push yourself past your normal workout time, find some way to TURN IT UP and WORK HARDER than you usually do this week.

4.  Try ditching bread, cheese and sweets for the week.  Eat more fruits and vegetables this instead.

In season fruits and vegetables!

5. Try to carry these habits into the next few weeks (Fourth of July is right around the corner!)

Shelley Johnson Testimonial

Shelley has been training with me for about 5 months now and she is a perfect example of why I love my job.  Two weeks ago she shows up for her session and says "I almost texted you from the mall yesterday because I bought a dress and it was a size 6!"...to which I responded that next time she definitely needed to send me that text message!  Shelley had low back pain and was seeing a chiropractor 2-4x/wk when we started training and she's since been able to discontinue the chiropractor, her posture has improved massively and the exercises she is able to perform now shock the both of us constantly versus when she first began.  Way to go Shelley and thanks for being my first video testimonial!!

ULTIMATE PLAYLIST MISSION!

COMMENT WITH YOUR FAVORITE SONG/SONGS TO WORK OUT TO...

YOU KNOW THE ONE THAT WHEN IT COMES ON YOU PICK UP YOUR PACE ON THE TREADMILL OR ELLIPTICAL, START PUSHING THOSE WEIGHTS A LITTLE BIT HARDER, AND MAYBE EVEN LET OUT AN AUDIBLE "YES!" IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GYM :P

I'LL START:

"Remember the Name " Fort Minor

"If" Janet Jackson

....YOUR TURN!

Larysa Zubach Testimonial

Larysa is a client I worked with for two months from the middle of January to the middle of March when she moved to another town in New Jersey.  She is one of the most energetic and hard working clients I've had and I miss working with her.  Below is her testimonial.  Thank you Larysa!

"It is without hesitation that I recommend Liz for a personal training. I'm in my mid 30s and was looking to tone my upper body and core area. I work out often and I'm in decent shape, but was never able to see results or feel good about my workouts. With Liz, all that changed! Liz was able to teach me new and effective ways of excercising while at the same time she took the time to explain the effectiveness of the workouts and made sure I understood which muscles I was targeting. Liz is a lot of fun because she keeps it exciting and keeps me intersted.She is very good, very energetic, she's kind, she's fun, she knows when to talk and when not to talk, she's patient, she's smart so no complaints!! She mixes it up she uses different equipment.  What I learned from Liz I will take to the gym for years to come!"

Delicious Healthy Snacks!

1. Apple of your choice with almond butter (Raw and Organic)

-Trader Joe's is my recent favorite (thank you Mike!)

Find a Trader Joe's near you

2. Guacamole

-Yea, I said it! Here's the key, make it yourself.  Avocado's are high in fat, but it's the good fat-monounsaturated.

Here is my healthy recipe (serves 4-6):

2 Avocados

1/2-1 whole (depending on the size) diced tomato

1/2 chopped onion

squeeze in lime to taste

minced garlic/garlic powder to taste

*I usually mush up (yes that's the technical term) the avocado before mixing in everything else.

*I'm not a huge fan of spices but if you are cilantro and chili peppers are an awesome accent.

*Try dipping veggies instead of chips

*If you MUST have chips, baked and/or whole wheat are better for you :)

3.  For those of you with a sweet tooth like myself here is one of my favorite discoveries...

No...not Bill Cosby, but Jell-O makes Sugar Free pudding snacks that are ONLY 60 CALORIES and come in a VARIETY OF FLAVORS including Dulce de Leche, Chocolate/Vanilla Swirl, Boston Creme, Cinnamon Swirl...and believe it or not, they taste pretty good and will satisfy those killer cravings!!

*the key = don't eat more than one in a day (if you're laughing right now it's because you've done it or can see yourself doing it)

CORE TIME!

"All life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make the better."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

For the last several months I have placed a lot of emphasis on core training with my clients.  In addition to total body exercises that address all of their muscle groups  we are constantly looking for new ways to challenge the core and incorporate that into every work out.  Today I'd like to share some thoughts with you on core exercise and encourage you to jump on my bandwagon!

What is your core? Put simply, it's not just your abs! For the purposes of visualization go ahead and consider your core everything below your neck down through your pelvis (minus your arms).

Click here if you'd like more specifics on what your core entails and it's functions.

Most importantly you should know your core has two parts...stability and movement.

The stability core muscles do just that, help to stabilize during dynamic movements.  The movement core produces the dynamic movements.

What most people get caught up in is training their movement core (doing all kinds of fancy ab exercises) but not putting enough emphasis on their stability core (by doing plank exercises, variations of plank exercises, floor bridges, a drawing-in maneuver to activate your core during other exercises and etc.).  Not addressing your stability core enough is equivalent to building a house on a sand foundation and can result in aches, pains, and injuries particularly to the lower back.

Below are three VERY BASIC stability core strengthening exercises that you can start with.  I recommend incorporating these into your program 2-3x per week.  Challenge yourself to last longer each time you try them.

1. Plank

2. Side Plank

*NOTE: beginners also have the option of keeping the one or both knees on the ground.

3. Floor Bridge

*simply lie on the ground, engage your core (suck in your stomach as if you were trying to get your belly button and spine to meet, this will create a flat back on the ground), squeeze the glutes and raise your hips towards the ceiling, slowly lower back to starting position and repeat.

More posts to come on core exercises and training!

In Fitness and in Health,

Liz

300 Workout

Here are two separate links to the 300 Workout.  My friend Chris recommended it.  It's a very challenging circuit work out.  Although it's from Men's Health ( http://www.menshealth.com/cda/homepage.do ) and I do not always recommend workouts from magazines, after watching the videos I can see why this is effective, a few pointers first though.

**The weights used are recommended, please feel them out and adjust accordingly for your own capabilities.

**If you can't finish a set that is ok, once your posture and form are compromised because the work gets too challenging its' time to stop and evaluate whether you should adjust weight/reps.

**Even though there are videos if you are unsure of proper technique and or form to perform the exercise PLEASE PLEASE ask a trainer at your gym to help you out with this, especially deadlifts, you can really hurt your back if this is not done properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ETHPvJzMQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggiYjRelWgc

Enjoy and let me know how it goes!

In Fitness and in Health,

Liz

Change!

"Change is the essence of life.  Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."

-Anonymous

Happy Easter and/or belated Passover to everyone!

I have some exciting stuff in the works for the blog...but I need more followers!!  If you read the emails regularly please become a follower of the blog, you'll be glad you did :)

One quick thought and one quick idea for you to kick off a new week...

THOUGHT:

Change is good, for many reasons but In Fitness and in Health change is something your body needs to keep the results coming...so try something this week you've a) never done before or b) haven't done in a while.

Suggestions:

*run/walk/sprint...faster than usual or up a steeper hill than usual

*a new exercise class like spin, kickboxing, or even a cardio dance class

*a new machine at the gym

*an exercise you've been afraid to do because you think you'll look silly

*jumping rope (for some of you I bet it's been since elementary school!)

*push ups until failure 

*take your plank from the ground onto a bosu ball, put medicine balls under your hands (and if your core is really tough try putting your feet on one too), or put your feet on a stability ball

IDEA:

Check with your employer/HR department and/or health insurance provider to see if your benefits offer any discounts for gym usage.  This is a new trend that could benefit you in two ways:

1.  you'll save money

2. you'll be motivated to keep your attendance to the gym up because it's helping you save money :)

Lastly, I'll be working in the coming weeks on making the blog more interactive, adding more links, pictures and other such useful tools for you all so please, comment, ask questions, offer feedback, let me know what you'd be excited to see featured on the blog...and you shall receive!

In Fitness and in Health,

Liz

Getting Results!

"There is no such thing as failure, there are only results."

-Anthony Robbins

I have two posts for you this week, the first of which is weight training.  Many people expect to get results without implementing the three major components needed to get results.  It isn't just diet and exercise-it's diet, cardiovascular exercise and weight training.  We tackled cardio last week so this week I want to address weight training.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FIRST...

There are many philosophies on weight training and they all depend on what you're trying to accomplish.  Most of my female clients are interested in "toning but not bulking up" and some males share this goal as well.  Other males are interested in building muscle mass.  The main thing to realize is that everyone's body reacts to exercise including weight lifting, differently.  There may be some trial and error involved.  It makes sense to test things out and pay close attention to how your body reacts and if you're getting the results you want-if not, discontinue that exercise and try something different.  You should also set reasonable expectations-most people are not going to see major results in 2-3 weeks however if you are on a consistent program there is no reason why you shouldn't at least begin to see results within 6-8wks (if all major factors, diet, cardio and weight training are in place).  Just don't be the person who says "I've been working out for 2 weeks and I haven't lost any weight"...get a hold of yourself, be patient and keep putting in the work, your results will come!

STRATEGIES:

1.  High reps, low weight.  Traditionally this is what I recommend to my clients, male or female who do not want to bulk up.  As long as you can do three sets of 12-20 repetitions of an exercise you should not have to worry about bulking up.  Take about 20 to 30 seconds of rest in between sets.  Once rep number 12-20 of set number three gets easy, it's ok to up your weight, that just means you're getting stronger-whoo hoo! 

2.  Circuit workouts.  This is a great way to weight train if your ultimate goal is weight loss because you will burn more calories.  Circuit style just means you minimize rest and have the option of adding in short bursts of cardio 30 seconds to 2 minutes in between sets to keep your heart rate up.  The circuit should address several different muscle groups.

Sample circuit: 

To start, jump rope 2 minutes (this could also be jumping jacks, mountain climbers...etc.)

15 body weight squats, plank for 30 seconds to 1 minute, 15 bicep curls to shoulder press, 15 push ups, 15 tricep extensions then you would go back to your 2 minute cardio burst and repeat the circuit 2-3 more times.

*According to SELF Magazine online- Ashley Borden, celebrity trainer to Natasha Bedingfield recommends planning out your circuits in advance to increase efficiency once you get into the workout-no thinking, just doing!  I strongly concur :)

3.  Low reps, high weight.  Lots of men train this way, but it can be effective for females as as well depending on your body type.  Again, some trial and error may be necessary.  This would mean only doing 6-10 reps in 3-4 sets with more weight and longer rest in between sets.

4.  Body for Life Weight Training Plan.  I like this plan because it's a hybrid between some of the strategies I've already mentioned.  

*Alternate training your upper body and your lower body on different days.

*Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of either the upper or lower body.

*For each exercise you choose you will do 5 sets, beginning with 12 reps, and working your way down to 6 reps, each time increasing the weight, then reduce weight again and go back to 12 reps.

*For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets.

For example: Shoulders

1st set: 12 front deltoid raises with 3 lb weights

2nd set: 10 front delt raises with 5lb weights

3rd set: 8 front delt raises with 7.5 lb weights

4th set: 6 front delt raises with 10 lb weights

5th set: 12 front delt raises with 5 lbs weights.

This should be a good start with weight training...I look forward to your comments, questions and feedback as always.

In Fitness and in Health,

Liz

CARDIO!

"Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness"

-Edward Stanley

Based on some of the feedback and questions I've received from readers this week's topic is CARDIO!

WHY DO CARDIO? WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

*Burn more calories.  If you remember last week's newsletter burning off more calories than you take in is a major key to weight loss.

*Make your heart stronger so it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood.  Those of you reading this message in your early 20s to late 50s may not recognize now how important this is NOW because your heart may be functioning just fine.  In January my grandpa passed in large part due to a weak heart and I'll never forget my uncle (who is a cardiologist) saying that the exercise you put in through your 30s, 40s and 50s will strongly impact your cardiovascular health into your 60s, 70s, 80s ( and 90s if you're really lucky :)! )

*Increase lung capacity.  This is especially beneficial for smokers looking to quit or people who have already quit. I have a client who has been trying to quit and once she started walking on the treadmill and going to spin class it finalized her decision and sharpened her focus because she doesn't want to jeopardize the great results she's been getting.

*Reduce your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack and diabetes.

*Boost immune system function and increase blood flow to the brain which increases alertness.

*Mental and emotional benefits.  Sleep better, reduce stress/anxiety and feel better when you're finished!  Studies show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to eat poorly and abuse drugs or alcohol.  Exercise alone cannot cure mental and emotional health issues but it does have a positive impact.

WHAT KIND OF CARDIO SHOULD YOU BE DOING? 

*Find something you like. Understand there is no "right" or "best" when it comes to cardio.  While some forms of cardio burn more calories than others-the most important advice I can give you is to pick something you enjoy doing.  There is no point in forcing yourself to do something you dislike because you will lose motivation very quickly.

IDEAS : 

1.  Walking/running (indoors, outdoors, alone, with a buddy or  with a group)

**Lots of times finding a friend to do it with you will keep you motivated, accountable and increase your likelihood to keep it up 

** check out  http://www.runningintheusa.com for races, results and running groups in your area OR  http://walkers.meetup.com to find a walking group near you

2.  If you belong to a gym or health club there are lots of options for cardio.

Try out all the machines (bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, climbers, stairs, steppers...etc), see what you like and do that!  

Check out what kind of group exercise classes are available at your gym-this helps to break the monotony of your own routine...remember VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE :)  Many clubs offer cycling, kickboxing, cardio dance, Zumba and other such classes that you may enjoy.

"Cardio hopping"-  for those of you who get bored quickly.  Do 10 mins on three different machines, this is just as effective as 30 minutes on one machine

One last tip on this point- Have a favorite show? hop on the cardio machine during your show and tune in-the time will fly by before you know it! (this also works well if you have cardio equipment at home)

3.  Lastly today, here's a workout for those of you who are "too busy"...it's ONLY 20 minutes and taken from a program called Body for Life (www.bodyforlife.com).  This can be applied to any form of cardio.

Minute Intensity Level (how hard you feel you're working on a scale of 1-10)

0-2 5 (warm up)

*increase intensity by going faster or increasing resistance/load

2-3 6

3-4 7

4-5 8

5-6 9

6-7 6

7-8 7

8-9 8

9-10 9

10-11 6

11-12 7

12-13 8

13-14 9

14-15 6

15-16 7

16-17 8

17-18 9

18-19 10 (peak)

19-20 5 (cool down)

*NOTE:  your rate of perceived exertion or intensity level will change over time as you increase your endurance and can handle more strenuous exercise-always remember to listen to your body, if you're not working hard enough-pick up the pace or crank up the resistance.  If you're extremely short of breath, dizzy or woozy, slow down, turn down resistance and grab some water.

In Fitness and in Health,

Liz

5 Helpful Tips!

"Variety is the spice of life!"

This post will not focus on one topic like "motivation" or "commitment" but rather a variety of tips.  When it comes to realizing your health and fitness goals, it's very rare that changing one behavior will make all the difference.  The Law of Thermodynamics simply states, "burn of more calories than you take in."  Here are some suggestions on how to make that a reality...

1.  Drink more water!  According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine the daily recommendation for water consumption is 96 oz.  Many of us drink a few bottles of water per day and figure that's enough-start keeping track and shot for a full 96 oz.

2.  Sleep more!  More and more studies are linking sleep to weight loss and building immunity.  This month's issue of Glamour Magazine featured an article where a group of women aimed for 7.5 hours of sleep per night for 10 weeks and the results were weight loss of four to 15 lbs across the group.  Two main reasons why this works:

*People tend to not only eat more, but junkier food when tired

*How many people have said, "I'd spend more time exercising if I only had the energy"? Well, more sleep = more energy!

3.  Portion control!  Next time you go to the grocery store take a look around and notice how many foods come in "100 calorie" packs.  It's not that the foods are much healthier (in some cases they may reduce the fat or sugar) they just come in small packages!  There's no reason to pay Nabisco or those little Keebler elves any extra to do this for us when it only takes a few extra seconds to do it at home.

While it may take a little more time to actually read food labels-you'd be surprised how many extra calories we ingest because we don't both measuring the serving size.  This is especially helpful with carbohydrates like pasta, cereal and rice.  Try it out!

4.  Pack your lunch, dinner or both!  This is a calorie saver and a money saver :) You can choose healthier options if you put a meal together yourself rather than relying on stores/restaurants/food chains to provide healthy options that are often not as healthy as we presume.  (For those of you who live or work in NYC, we learned this the hard way when they started posting calories in all our favorite food chains and some of the salads/sandwiches/wraps we all enjoyed telling ourselves "weren't so bad" were listed at 700-1000 calories each, what??!!)

and finally my personal favorite...

5.  Laugh more!  For year's I've joked that I'll never be fat because I laugh too much-but there is some truth in that statement.  Laughing burns calories and engages your core muscles...So go ahead...laugh until your tummy hurts, it's good for you :)!!

Commitment

"At the moment of commitment the universe conspires to assist you"

-not sure who said it originally, I heard it from Jon Vroman a long time ago

Commitment is the next logical step after motivation.  One you figure out what motivates you it's time to make a commitment.  Motivation is the fuel and commitment is what keeps your foot on the gas pedal.  Lack of the commitment is the reason most people fail-not just in health and fitness but in life.  When you're commited 100% nothing gets in your way because you have your eye on the prize.  When you're feeling lazy or your schedule gets busy, you remind yourself of your commitment and you drag yourself to the gym or make that healthy meal instead of ordering out.

A friend of mine recently shared her commitment with me:

"I'm going to Florida in a few weeks and want to look great. That means gym 6-7 days/wk.  I work an 8am-5pm job Monday through Friday.  Last week I had something to do EVERY NIGHT after work.  It was brutal-that means...no time for the gym at night.  So what did I do?  I woke up at 4:30 every morning and got my ass to the gym before work.  It was SO HARD getting out of bed, even getting my eyes to stay open.  My MOTIVATION was picturing myself a few hours later, sitting at my desk at work, and feeling awesome.  Feeling awesome that I got my workout out of the way for the day, feeling awesome physically, energized, etc.  Feeling awesome that I actually pushed through it and felt amazing mid-morning, I wasn't dreading the workout all day that I knew I would have to do at night."

I give Kristen a lot of credit for waking up at 4:30am for five days straight, I don't even like dragging myself out of bed at 5:15am on Weds to teach one spin class!  For sure she is 100% committed.  Commitments less than 100% won't get you over the hump once adversity in the form of distractions, unhealthy temptations, reasons not to work out at night like, "but Dancing with the Stars is on" or "It's half price Martini night at Madisons!"

You may be thinking "easier said than done Liz," so this week's CALL TO ACTION will be steps to committing:

1.  For beginners start with something you are 100% positive you can do such as "workout 3 days this week" and commit to doing it for a month straight so it will become a habit.  Depending on your schedule maybe you work your way up to 4-5 days/wk by the end of the month-as long as that 3days/wk stays consistent.  This will boost your conficence and strengthen your commitment when you are able to say, "I said I was going to do it and I did it!"

For those of you who are more advanced and have been working out for a period of time, maybe you get to the gym/exercise 4-6 days/wk challenge yourself to switch up your routine and push yourself beyond what you've been doing.  But again-still apply the principle of only committing to something you're 100% positive you can do so your commitment promotes confidence-not disappointment because you challenged yourself to do something unreasonable.

2. Start telling others (like me if you'd like to comment) what your commitment is so you are now accountable to someone other than yourself.

3.  When you get out of bed in the morning and before you to go to bed at night remind yourself what motivates you and tell yourself (out loud even!) that you are committed to that goal.

If you're unsure of where you should start, let me know-I'm happy to make suggestions!

"People often say that motivation doesn't last.  Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily" -Zig Ziglar

I'm starting this blog as a means of keeping on my toes and paying it forward.  I'll do my best to keep the posts short, powerful and most importantly USEFUL!

To get started I'd like to ask...what motivates you?!

There are 3 types of people reading this message...

1. Those who exercise in some way, shape or form 3+ times per week and consider yourself dedicated.

2. Those who dabble, sometimes you're dedicated and sometimes you're not.

3.  Those who talk about getting in shape but never actually find the time to get around to it.

Often, figuring out what motivates you, why you do what you currently do (regardless of what category you fall into) is the first step in taking it to the next level.  You may decide it's a great motivation, you may decide to find something more meaningful.

What motivates you can be broad, "to be healthy", "the Dr said I really need to start exercising" or specific, "I'm motivated to look amazing in that Victoria's Secret bikini I just ordered this summer", "I have a history of cardiac health issues in my family and use exercise as a preventive measure."

CALL TO ACTION:

Take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule this week and decide what motivates you. Write it down and put it in a place where you can see it everyday, on the fridge, tape it to your alarm clock, a post it not in your car or near your computer...etc.  And finally, feel free to comment on what motivates you!