New projects in the works....moved over to Sculpting Lifestyles ! Click on over there, join in, share with friends and stay tuned for more!

Rendezvous with my Gymboss

 Struggling lately getting up and going before 5 am, been doing it for years but it really gets old sometimes. I usually train at the gym on Thursday morning before heading to work but just didn't wanna rush around this morning so I saved myself the commute to the gym and headed to the back yard with my Gymboss (and my husband, greeted as soon as he came down with 'we're doing legs and HIIT today'). Would have been easy to skip the workout all together but as I always tell myself...the only workout you ever regret is the one you didn't do. This certainly held true today....
Started with walking lunges 2 sets 50 each, alternating with superset of TRX leg curls and bridging hip abduction. Then squats and side shuffles in a squat position 2 sets 50 each. And then the hard work....

Pick up a GymBoss interval timer

Gymboss set for 20 sec/10 sec for 8 rounds
Here's some ideas for some cardio intervals. Pick a few and shuffle 'em up...
Jump squats
Plyo jacks
Jump forward to lunge
Skater lunges
Mountain climbers
Burpees
Be creative and keep it interesting! The best way to get a good workout is to create one that inspires you!

Gymboss GB2010 BLACK SOFTCOAT

Check out my latest article in the July issue of FitnessX Magazine...

Open publication - Free publishing - More abs

Special Dark Cocoa Peanut Butter Balls

Sweet protein packed treat. Be aware...they are yummy and pop easily into your mouth, you have been warned.

Mix together...
1/8 cup honey
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 scoop whey protein
Add a 1/2 tablespoon special dark cocoa powder (Hersheys), stir a bit to create a chocolate swirl.
Roll into 15- 3/4 inch balls and keep in the fridge.

The stats for each 3/4 inch treat:
                                          67 calories, 3 g protein, 7.4 g carbs, 3 g fat

Backyard Bootcamp!

Sun's up early, weather is beautiful! Get outside for an early morning workout!
Backyard bootcamp at my house left more than a little DOMS!

Walking lunges
Skater lunges
TRX leg curls
TRX Hip abduction holding bridge position
Squats

Mix up with some supersets. Have fun and enjoy the burn!

Familiar faces in the July issue of Oxygen Magazine! My shoulder workout was also featured as the Reader Workout of the Month!

Eat clean to train hard...don't train hard to justify just eating more!

Celebrate your little victories!

Fresh start today, today we look at the world with a new perspective! In the crazy world we live in it becomes easy to get overwhelmed by all the objectives you have yet to meet, leaving us uninspired and lost. Here's a better idea, starting today we celebrate the little victories of the everyday as it is those little victories that push us forward towards reaching the mountaintops. Every success driving us closer to achieving  bigger goals. Allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by all that is not done, not accomplished, only stagnates progress leading to further frustration and often finding you are stuck...frozen...Start today, pick a few little things, get started and celebrate the little victories as you go, I promise you will find inspiration in progress. The harder you work the more sense of pride you will earn as you strive to be the best you!

How many little victories will you celebrate today?
Made a clean food swap? Tried a new healthy recipe?
Walking through the kitchen without popping an unplanned snack in your mouth?
Powering through an extra 2 minutes of cardio?
Added 5 lbs to your squat at the gym?
Completing all your scheduled workouts for the week? Sneaking in an extra workout this week?
Remembering to take all your vitamins and staying properly hydrated?

All these may seem like small, just plain daily routine decisions but little victories in seemingly little decisions all add up to moving forward, accomplishing greater goals. Celebrating (with a enthusiatic woo-hoo or a jump for joy   :) ...not a batch of cookies! ) little victories can give you just the little boost you need to push yourself and believe you can accomplish a little more, feeding your inspiration, motivation and sense of pride. Believe you can reach those mountaintops and accomplish those goals you have set for yourself!

"Pro-Active" Nutrition

Ok, so the blog has been quiet...but I have been busy.... Check out my latest article on "Pro-Active" Nutrition! Page 49 of the May issue of FitnessX!

Open publication - Free publishing - More abs

Nutrition Planning 101

Creating a healthy nutrition plan can be daunting but nothing changes without change. But invest a little time and you can create a plan to insure success. Let’s start with some basic ideas about creating a nutrition plan you can LIVE with, not a diet that implies short term adherence. Stick with the basics and slowly transition to more detailed analysis as you need or enjoy. The key is to start at a place that is not so overwhelming that you don’t get started.

 Know your caloric intake. Here’s the hard part…being honest (with yourself) and accountable….You have to know at least ballpark figures of your calorie consumption to find a starting place. If it’s not working to move you towards your goals then work to change it. The most common pitfalls in caloric intake estimation include “portion distortion” and “mindless snacking/snacking amnesia.” It is worth the time spent reading labels, measuring foods and keeping a log for at least a few days until you have a better handle on the truth of how much you are consuming.

 Know your caloric needs. The intention is not to become calorie obsessed but you need to have a basic idea of how much your body needs for basic function. Losing fat is not about severe calorie restriction but about finding calorie balance to allow you to increase activity and energy levels while creating just enough calorie deficit for healthy fat loss.

 

       Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):  Easy BMR Calculator

   Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight (lbs)) + (4.7 x height (in)) – (4.7 x age (years))

   Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight (lbs)) + (12.7 x height (in)) – (6.8 x age (years))

         Then add in any calories burned by exercise or multiple by activity multiplier. 

                    1.2 sedentary

                    1.375 lightly active (exercise 1-3 days/week)
                    1.55 moderately active (exercise 3-5 days/week)
                    1.725 very active (exercise 6-7 days/week)

 

 Aim to eat 5 smaller meals per day. You will find a million opinions on this regarding its effect on metabolism but the keeping the fire burning with small meals makes sense to me. Eating more frequent meals is also a lot easier mentally when trying to manage a new nutrition plan. Smaller more frequent meals allow for more variety and the next meal is never far away….

 Include a lean protein, complex or fibrous carb and healthy fat with every meal. The body needs protein, carbs and healthy fats. Do not eliminate any of these macronutrients; just make healthier choices in each group. By including a combination of healthy choices or each macronutrient digestion rates are slowed down providing a steady supply of energy rather than creating a cycle of energy spikes and crashes.

 

                Some ideas to start with:

• Protein: tuna, skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, chickpeas, eggs/egg whites.
• Complex carbs: potatoes, yams, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, whole wheat products.
• Fibrous carbs: lots of veggies, leafy greens!
• Healthy fats (watch portions…calories add up quickly): nuts, nut butters, olive oil, flaxseed/oil.

 Avoid processed foods. Consider food choices that have the fewest steps to get the food from the plant, ground or tree to your hands. Choose those that have the least number of ingredients on the label. And remember….you can eat a lot more food within your daily calorie budget if you stick with clean foods!

Be an educated label reader.

•  Look at the ingredient list. Can you pronounce everything on the list? Order does matter here, early in the list means more in it. Products advertising whole wheat should say 100% whole wheat and whole grains should be the 1st ingredient on the list.
• Be aware of portion size and calories. It may be a healthy choice but not gonna work with the plan if you eat a whole multi serving package.
• Avoid saturated fats. These are most prevalent in processed foods. Check for hydrogenated in the ingredient list.
•  Watch for added sugars.
•  Check out the Nutrition Facts Label Program on the FDA website to become a more educated label reader.

 Labels provide a lot of enlightening information! Might change your mind about some eats after seeing what you are really eating!

 

 Taking the time to create a healthy nutrition plan and being an educated food consumer is an investment in your life. Are you ready to get started?

 

Sure, the day to day can get tough, especially when 1st getting started, the key is to create new habits. Think about your long term goals when considering a less than stellar food choice. The taste only lasts as long as the food is in your mouth…Is that choice going to get you closer to your goals? Don’t deprive yourself completely but don’t fall off the wagon, be more conscious of the choices you make. Stick with it, you will feel better and stronger!

 

Is the lack of time or lack of focus?

The biggest excuse I hear about people not getting regular exercise is that they don't have time.....Excuse me...I live in the real world right along with you...work a full time job with a long commute, have 2 kids and I find the time...I make the time. Take a minute and really assess your productivity, how many hours are you wasting stalking people on FB or watching TV. Don't get me wrong I watch TV but never sitting on the couch. Tape it, DVR it do what you have to to watch it while you gets some cardio in . I don't remember the last time I grabbed the remote and sat down to watch anything unless the seat had peddles. Too tired? Hit the off switch, sign off the Internet and turn off the light, get to sleep earlier, drag your butt out of bed earlier and start the day with a sweat session, then no excuses as the day goes on, already got it done.
Short rant over....

Seriously, this is your life, your health and the health of your children we are talking about. Make exercise and healthy eating a priority, schedule an appointment with yourself before you overbook your days!   Take a look at how effectively you use your time. The effectiveness of multitasking is debatable....but try organizing your day making a 'priority list' and just get started! Look at the ultimate time eater...running errands...plan ahead and complete these geographically, save time and gas and maybe hit the gym if the days paths travel by... :)  

Don't know about you but the to-list haunts me...never completed and often overwhelming. Stop worrying about finishing it just get started, amazing how much better I feel after just checking off a few things, fueling the fire to continue on with a productive day. On the topic of to-do lists,  the daily workings of life and a household can often clog up the to-do list as they are a rolling daily requirement...laundry, meals planning and preparation, dishes, cleaning etc. Try leaving them off the list, stay with me....make them part of routine....laundry basket full? Toss the load in, don't wait for laundry day and waste a Saturday in the basement. Same with dishes, wash them or get them directly to the dishwasher after every meal, no one wants to look at a  sinkful of dishes when they get home from work.  Meals and dishes...spend a little extra time once to save time overall by preparing meals ahead. Pots dirty once, lunches prepacked and... ready for this one? You've already made healthier choices for the week, no more running out to buy something quick and greasy because you didn't have time to make lunch. Sounds like  a win, win, win to me.

Clutter....another clog to the household to-do list, always something where it doesn't belong, in the way of something else and before you know it...sloped corners in all the rooms and slanted horizontal surfaces everywhere you look. Overwhelming and stress inducing! Create a system....again a  little time investment initially but saves in the long run. Junk mail...recycle immediately! Do not start a pile, anywhere at anytime...they multiply! Stuff....everywhere...try this:everytime you make a pass across the room, take something with you, return it to it's proper place, the little bits along the way make for fewer overwhelming tasks eating up your weekends!

My lesson here.....KEEP UP, STOP WASTING TIME TRYING TO CATCH UP! Allowing things to get out of control lands you with overwhelming tasks that lead to stress and avoidance and tasks that are even more overwhelming. Same is true for starting tomorrow on your plans to be eat healthier and start exercising, the longer you wait, the more overwhelming it can be, slowly the pounds continue to creep up, the poor diet just feeds upon itself. Stop the cycle now! Dig in your heels, get started, make the time to get organized and get healthy and in the long run in more than one way you will have given yourself the gift of time!

We all have the same 24 hours to work with, this difference lies in how you use it!

Sculpting Shoulders

A lot of opinions about how to train...movements, muscles, function, fat loss...Bottom line, consider your goals. I, personally enjoy "training like a bodybuilder," sculpting a inspiring physique while still considering a lifestyle that encourages fat loss so as to chisel off the layer that insulates.
My current mission is focused on shoulders, spending 2-3 days a week with workouts including the delts as either the primary or secondary focus.

My current shoulder workouts include:
Upright rows
Alternating lateral raise
Dumbbell Overhead press (or Arnold press)
Bent over lateral raise (single arm, I find it easier to put more mind-to-muscle that way)
Front raise with plate
Also may throw in an incline and leaning lateral raise and some rotations

I mix up the program by using supersets: compound/compound, compound/isolation; cranking out drop sets with the last exercise of the superset for a finish!
I still need to increase weight but find this slow with regards to shoulder training....
Please share any other ideas for good shoulder sculpting plans...I would love to try them!
A work in progress....

How's your training going? Is it time to mix up the program? Change your focus area? Update your goals?

FitnessX Magazine article

One of my goals is to write articles for a fitness magazine...
Check it out....page 32...

Open publication - Free publishing - More billybow

Thank you to FitnessX Magazine for the opportunity!

Busy working on the next article, next goal to be a regular contributor and providing my own photos! Stay tuned....

Setting goals is key for continued progress and achieving one of those goals is certainly a motivational boost!
What goals have you set for yourself?   What did you do today to make progress towards achieving them?

Carrot Banana Bread Recipe

1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup finely grated carrots

Mix oil, agave and eggs first then mix in dry ingredients and banana half at a time. Finally mix in grated carrots.

Pour entire mixture into greased and floured loaf pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes.

Even the kids will love it!

Muscle Building Muffins

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 scoop vanilla whey
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/2 cup egg whites
Chopped spinach (experiment with other veggies!)
Makes 6 muffins.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Nutritional profile: (per muffin)
Calories: 65.6
Protein: 8.2
Carbs: 6.6
Fat: 0.6

Are you the trailblazer or are you happy trailing?

We all have our roles in life and they may vary from time to time. For the most part though we tend be leaders or followers. It is becoming more and more clear that I am the trailblazer in the small circle in which I currently travel. Flattering that others find my trail worthy of following, yes, but I have to admit that somedays even I would  enjoy someone taking over with reading the trail map so I can enjoy the scenery.

I blaze my own trail as I have so much passion for some of the things I have I in the works right now, I continue to train hard at the gym, reading tons and continually seeking new knowledge to enable me to strengthen my results in continuing to transform my physique. This physical transformation has definately transformed my life as well as this is what has lead me to becoming a trailblazer again. The journey of physical transformation is so much more than that....as you tranform your body you realize how strong you really are, and it has nothingto do with how much weight you can push, pull or lift. Completely transforming yourrself is empowering, giving you a boost to start blazing new trails.
These new trails are sometimes scary and intimidating yet exhilarating at the same time. Some areas of the trail can provide a challenge I, momentarily, feel I am not ready for...but I continue on. When I need a boost I look next to me and behind me and find inspiration in those that follow in my path, working to better themselves and blaze their own trails in their own worlds.
So, are you a trailblazer or are you content following the lead of others? As a trailblazer be sure to stay close to those that are following your lead. Both the trailblazers and the "followers" only benefit. I encourage the "followers" to grab the compass sometime and blaze a trail of their own, draw your own map! I assure you it will be an adventure! So, are you going to blaze your own trail? What is your next adventure and who are you sharing it with?

98 Day Summer Transformation Challenge complete!

Wrapped up the Summer Challenge and the judges are hard at work! Some impressive and very inspiring entries! 98 days/the summer went by far too quickly! But I am proud to say I am stronger, leaner and more focused on my goals than I was 98 days ago! Again, learned a tremendous amount about life and myself during this challenge. I made steady progress towards the goals I set at the start of the Challenge but did not quite reach those goals. I allowed life to get in the way rather than compliment the compliance level I needed for reaching the goals in the 98 days. The good news, I have realized that slow and steady progress is maintainable..."challenge mode" is fleeting.  I love the motivation, inspiration, accountability and support during the Challenges but ultimately I am making lifestyle changes to support long term improvements in me. THIS is my goal, steady improvements, not the roller coaster!

My Results/The Numbers: Scale weight only dropped 2 pounds but we all know the scale doesn't tell the whole tale. After photos revealed a leaner physique, the BF% dropped almost 3%  and LBM was up more than 2 pounds. End of this challenge, yes, but I continue to challenge myself to sculpt a leaner physique.

Lessons Learned:
Quite a few! I entered with Challenge with a partner in crime, (along with all the online "Burners" ) while support is incredibly important, my experience during the Challenge reinforced my belief that true motivation and dedication must come from deep within yourself, you have to want it bad enough to hold yourself accountable, outside support is your source for reinforcement, it does not hold a candle to the power of your own desires.
Next lesson: As BF% decreases so does the room for error in nutrition if you expect to make steady improvements. The calorie deficit for continued fat loss gets steadily smaller...smaller deficit is much easier to close in on and limit progress. Everything is more "fine tuned", what used to be subtle changes in the nutrition plan suddenly result in noticeable changes in physique.
Life lesson regarding balance: Honestly, I could have been more strict with my nutrition plan during the Challenge, I had the spreadsheets, the macros and calories all planned out...and for the most part I stuck with the plan but sometimes you just need to sit on the front steps and eat an ice cream sandwich with the kids. And you can... but with body transformation challenges you know the one who will win probably didn't have that ice cream sandwich. But, in my opinion, I win, I have enjoyed and created memories with my kids this summer. I have realized that while the Challenges I enter are great for motivation, inspiration and surrounding myself with 'like-minded' people, what I really want is to continue to sculpt a health lifestyle that I can and desire to live long term. Balance! Difficult to live in Challenge mode!
The Plan: I continue to train hard and consistent. Looking to mixing up the program again to shock the system for more gains as well as stimulate the brain and renew inspiration. I am moving forward outside the gym as well. I have submitted an article for consideration for publication in a fitness magazine and just yesterday sent a submission to another magazine for a section highlighting fit moms!
The journey continues.....gotta keep challenging myself and pushing outside the comfort zone...
How are you challenging yourself to be a better you?

Climbing mountains....

First day of my mini vacation and I'm up before the sun...getting in a workout and then headed up to the Adirondacks for a long weekend! Looking forward to getting away and enjoying the fresh mountain air, spend some time slowing down a bit, as we all know, living a fit and healthy lifestyle requires a lot of go, go, go! Hope to enjoy sleeping a bit later....'til 6 am?  :) As much as I miss my gym workouts, the body could probably use a break and honestly spending a long weekend in the mountains is the only way I will miss a workout...I've looked for a gym nearby, no real gym for miles. Certainly don't plan on getting lazy, sure I can find some heavy rock and logs to lift, mountains to climb and lakes to swim! We'll call it active rest. Lots of time with my boys, raiding the beloved 'game closet' full of the classic board games from my childhood, fishing, hiking, water skiing and splashing in the lake!
Some challenge presents with sticking tight to the clean eating meal plan, making good progress this week and certainly don't want to undo the hard work, blowing it by eating too many s'mores (luckily not my favorite but have been guilty of sneaking a few chocolate squares from the supplies, only dark chocolate of course) Packing up a lot of my regular menu items, extras to share, hoping to show others how good some of "my food" can be. Just have to be strong in resisting the 'vacation' snacks. Vacation is a required component of a healthy lifestyle (mental health!) but the nutrition and activity plan need not be treated as a vacation.  Re-entry to the real world mid week and then it's time to submit final pictures and stats for the completion of the Summer Transformation Challenge!

The Critical importance of Training the Weakest Link

Human nature leads us to travel the path of least resistance. This holds true in so many aspects of life. Consider how you tackle your day, your training, your job...always looking for the easy way, the short cut, avoiding those things less enjoyable. Face it, eventually things end up out of balance! Time to work on strengthening the weakest link.

Consider your training program... bragging rights as well as the intense desire to continue to break PRs encourages us to continue to add load to lifts. But we should not forget the importance of training the weakest link. Unless we pay attention to the detail in the mechanics of the movement the body will rely on the strongest muscles, and sometimes not the intended, if you continue to load the movement pattern. The result: further strengthening the stronger muscular structures and reinforcing compensated movement patterns only encouraging the weaker to become weaker and increasing risk for injury. Those mirrors on the gym wall? Not just for flexing and posing but for watching form and technique to assist you in assuring proper movement patterns!

Imbalances/weak links can occur/exist in any joint or movement pattern but several come to the front of my mind based on both personal experiences with training tendencies as well as experiences with treating patients...

Core stability plays a huge roll in all training programs or should.... while everyone attacks core training for the highly enviable six-pack (which, by the way, is revealed when you clean up the diet), they tend to go about training the core with weights before really grasping the concept of proper abdominal activation. Weakness in the core or simply lack of core activation can result in injury. All too many training to get big and strong forget about the the fact that the core is the central base that all the extremities work from, lose function and stability here all can suffer. Let's look as legs training... pushing heavier and heavier weights on machines such as the leg press certainly will strengthen your legs but be sure to balance this strength and protect your back but doing an equal amount to train the core and also consider/include training in a more functional position and do squats. Is it really greater functional strength you gain by pushing heavier weights on the leg press or just bragging rights? Consider if this is worth the potential for injury or consider changing/expanding your training program.

Scapular and back strengthening is also often forgotten or more often not performed correctly leading to imbalance in the upper back and shoulder girdle. So many benefits to training the weaker link here, scapular stability will protect you from shoulder injury as well as improved posture and improved aesthetics. Look around the gym ,those big guys flexing their pecs in the mirror most likely are lacking strength/size in the scapular musculature as they can't impress themselves by flexing those :)  Enter, poor posture, shoulder injury and general meatheadedness!

Training programs should not be about how much we can lift, push or pull but how well we do it.

There is also critical importance to strengthening the weak links in other areas of life as well. Consider how you tackle everyday life, your relationships, your nutrition, your to-do list. Take a look at your day...how about overall use of time, be efficient and tackle those things you have been avoiding that ultimately just continue to wear away at you. Have those uncomfortable conversations and get the air cleared, strengthen relationships. Be honest about why your body composition/physique goals aren't being met...put down the cookie! Take an honest look at what your day requires to get things done and get started!
Are you living life to the fullest? How can you better yourself, create a better balance? Stop ignoring or avoiding your weak links, face them head on and strengthen them!
So...what did you figure out? What are your weak links? How are you going to strengthen them?