Tag Archive for health

Valentine’s Day Partner Workout

Happy Valentine’s Day!! Whether you’re celebrating big or hating on the holiday, just enjoy some time with your partner, friend, relative, or pet!

Hearts-in-Unity-Logo-LG

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I put together a partner workout that you can do with any of the above people (although your dog might just make you do all the work!).

Sweat it out with someone you love today!

Valentine’s Day Partner Workout

(This is best done at a park or somewhere that you will have a little bit of room)

Warm Up: Between the two of you, complete 100 squats. You can break it up however you’d like, but you can’t both squat at the same time!

#1. Fast Jacks

Partner 1: 50 Jumping Jacks

Partner 2: Push Ups until Partner 1 finishes

Switch roles and then repeat!

#2. Burpee Challenge!!

Partner 1 does 1 burpee, Partner 2 does 1 burpee, Partner 1 does 2 burpees, Partner 2 does 2 burpees….

Keep going up the ladder until someone can’t finish a set!

Pro Tip: I highly suggest making a bet for this one…massage for the winner?! 😀

#3. Run it Out!

Find about a 15-20 yard space and mark it.

Partner 1: Sprint to the marker and do: 5 push ups, 10 squats, 10 sit ups, sprint back and tag Partner 2 to do the same thing.

Complete 5 rounds of this!!!

Happy Sweaty Valentine’s Day!!!

sweaty workout

Question of the day:

Are you a lover or hater of the holiday?

I’m indifferent. I like spending time with my man, but hanging out at home with a movie is fine by me.

It’s Hard, But Not THAT Hard

…that’s what she said?

It’s an age old saying “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”. 

They will tell you that if you don’t prep all of your food on Sunday, then you won’t succeed.

They will tell you that if you eat carbs at dinner, then you won’t succeed.

Eating after 8pm? You might as well have done nothing all day. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to dispel some of these MYTHS and give you some tried and true advice that will help.

If you picked out 10 different fitness/health professionals and asked them how to lose weight, you would likely get 10 different responses. Honestly, maybe even 11. The debate is ongoing, but I highly advise that you take the pieces that work for YOU and piece together what is in YOUR best interest. There is no “one way” and it doesn’t have to be insanely hard. (Yes, that means I’m telling you to take what I say with a grain of salt, because I’m not you and you’re not me, and Dr. Seuss would be proud of me.)

When I was preparing to compete in the NPC, I looked like this:

Oh hello there.

Oh hello there.

I sometimes ate 8-10 apples a day (not joking, fruit all hours of the day), oatmeal for dinner was quite frequent (sometimes even at 9 or 10pm!!!), and I rarely prepped all of my food on Sunday. I was lean as f*&^. I got even more shredded than the picture above.

Now I look more like this:

Ab Progress January 14, 2014

Ab Progress January 14, 2014

…but I’m fine with that and still like my body!

The point of the first picture is to prove to you that it doesn’t have to be the hardest thing in the world to lose weight or even get super lean, if that’s your goal. (Clearly my goals are different now than they were in 2009. I want to be leaner, but not as lean as the first picture. I had my fun having the chest of a 6 year old boy, but I appreciate that I’ve stopped confusing my chest size with a very popular automobile club ahemAAAahem).

It DOES take dedication, and I won’t discount that. I was a really clean eater and didn’t eat any processed foods (except for my cheat day once a week).

What I AM here to do, is to give you some helpful tips that will help you get through the parts that are made to seem so difficult. I truly believe that with a little discipline, anyone can make a good change in their life. It doesn’t have to derail your life, and you can still enjoy food. In fact, I think depriving yourself is only a quick fix and can backfire on you over time. Somehow people started getting the vibe that food should be fuel and nothing more. I disagree. While food should primarily be fuel, food is to be enjoyed! There’s a reason that you feel happy when you take a bite of that chocolate chip cookie that’s fresh out of the oven. It’s not an accident.

With that said, here are my tried and true suggestions for anyone looking to get started on the journey to a healthier body (this includes losing weight or just becoming a healthier person)

-Eat a few times per day

This will help to keep your hunger levels in a comfortable place so that you don’t get so ravenous that you start devouring food without even knowing what hit you. No, you don’t have to eat 6 times per day, but try to get at least 3 meal times in. In the end, do what’s comfortable. I don’t necessarily think you should eat 1 meal a day, but if that’s what works for YOU, then who am I to change that? It comes down to….

Eat balanced meals 

For your main meals of the day, I truly believe in eating balanced proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This is not only good for your body (as it needs all three of these), but also keeps you much more satisfied than you would feel if you left something out. Try to include a portion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into each meal.

For example: If you order a baked potato(carbs) and butter(fat) and call it a meal, you’re missing out on the protein. Pair that with chicken, tofu, steak, eggs, or whatever protein choice you’d like. (You can even add plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and I bet you won’t know the difference!)

-Watch your portion sizes

…but LOAD UP on fruits and veggies. For example: A medium container of strawberries like this is about 65-75 calories.

strawberries Eat the entire thing and tell me if you don’t look 6 months pregnant after that. I’ll likely tell you to eat another and report back. You’re only 150 calories into the hole at this point, so I don’t even feel bad. I’m not saying you HAVE to do this, but I’m telling you it’s one of my tricks. Giant bag of broccoli, a bunch of baby carrots, a container of strawberries, 1-2 apples. While they taste really good (and the fruit options double as a sweet-tooth queller), they also help fill you up so that you don’t feel unsatisfied after a meal and start digging into junk foods. This is definitely one of my best kept (okay, it’s not that well kept) secrets. I usually use the vegetables as my “appetizer” before a balanced meal and the fruit serves as my “dessert” when I’m feeling a hankering for something sweet.

For your main meals, you don’t have to go around measuring all of your food, but a good rule of thumb for each meal is this:

-make the protein part of your meal about the size of your fist

-the starchy carbohydrates portion of your meal should fit in the palm of your hand

-vegetables should be abundant and eat as many as you want (see above.if you start getting fat from eating too many vegetables, write me a letter and send it via pigeon. and P.S. let’s be honest with ourselves, it’s probably not the veggies’ fault…)

-fats should be around 1-2 TBSP

-fruit should be about 1-2 fist sizes, ideally

This is only a starting guide, and can vary from person to person depending on SO many things. Start with this and see how you feel.

Watch ingredients

One of the biggest and healthiest changes I’ve made over the years is watching my ingredient list. My boyfriend and I have become a bit obsessed with checking to make sure that we aren’t being fed random, awful ingredients that aren’t necessary. Thank you, but I don’t need any BUTANE in my food. Yes, they put butane (or as they like to call it BTHQ) in many packaged foods. For “freshness”. And maybe spontaneous combustion. The added high fructose corn syrup and hydrolized palm kernel oil that is put into practically EVERYTHING is also unnecessary. Find brands that choose to use REAL ingredients. Eat fresher foods. Eat local foods (that don’t require so many preservatives). I guarantee you will feel better and healthier by making these simple changes only.

Snack Well

(Not SnackWells!!!)

If you choose items like fruit, vegetables, nuts, nut butters, whole grain or sprouted grain breads, greek yogurt, minimal ingredient snack bars, chicken sausages, etc. you will be good to go! Snacking on empty calories does nothing more than keep your mouth busy. If that’s your goal, you might as well just make out with someone and save the calories! Eat a snack and make it COUNT. Some ideas: almonds and fruit, carrots and hummus, almond butter and celery, hard boiled eggs, Larabar or QuestBar, protein shakes and more!

-Eat the damn cookie

If you NEED a chocolate chip cookie (although you don’t really NEED it, but you catch my drift), eat the damn cookie. Just don’t eat 5 damn cookies.

In the end, it all comes down to having some discipline and a level head while wanting the best for yourself. You don’t have to starve yourself, you don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods, and you don’t have to stop enjoying food. You have to decide that you want to be healthier, first and foremost. While you should enjoy your foods, the majority of them need to also be fuel to you. You will start to notice the difference in how you feel during your workouts (and in life!) as you slowly make these changes. In time, you will find that the foods that fuel you will also satisfy you, and will become the foods you crave. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever want to eat a plate of nachos again, but I do believe that over time, the desire will become less and less. The constant desire for junk will become just an occurrence here and there.

I hope these tips serve you well. I could probably go on for pages with all of the tips I have, so trust me, more blog posts on this subject will be coming!

I am not a doctor, I am not an expert, I am not a magical wizard (although sometimes I like to think I am), so please check with one of those before making any dietary changes or starting a new eating regimen. Listen to your body and go with your gut. 

What is the best dietary change that you’ve made?

What do you struggle most with when it comes to eating?

Rollerblading and Where I’ve Been

Whoops, sorry for the unplanned blogging break! Last week got really busy, really fast, and blogging took the back seat. But I’m here now!!! Hopefully that won’t happen again.

Fitness

This past week was a great week of fitness! I’ve been doing a 15 minute HIIT workout on the treadmill a few times a week, and I’m loving it! So quick and no boring cardio. Win/win! Along with that, I did two heavy lifting sessions, a few full body/metabolic conditioning workouts, and some climbing. I took a little break from climbing this week since my wrist was bugging me a bit, but it’s feeling pretty good now!

Today, Charlie and I did a workout that my friend John showed me last week. It is less than 3 minutes of work, but it is MURDEROUS. Here is a video from my final set today:

(10 Squats, push sled, 5 KB Swings (i used 20kg), push sled. Repeat 3x)

Afterwards, my friend picked me up and we went rollerblading by the beach. It was  GORGEOUS day and I am pretty sure every Sunday should be spent like this. 🙂

Gorgeous day in Santa Monica

Gorgeous day in Santa Monica

IMG_3104

Rollerblading Selfie!

Gearing up for a busy week, here’s what’s on the fitness agenda:

Monday: 15 Min. Treadmill HIIT + Climb

Tuesday: Heavy Lift + 1000m Row

Wednesday: 15 Min Treadmill HIIT + WOD + Climb

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 15 min. Treadmill HIIT + Heavy Lift + Climb

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Hike

What’s on your fitness agenda for the week? 

Were you a HUGE Saved By The Bell fan like me?!

We were talking about the Malibu Sands Club today while rollerblading and so I googled the film location. We happened to be rollerblading RIGHT BY it at that moment!!!

Zach Morris' Summer Job

Zach Morris’ Summer Job

And then I died…

(Apparently they redid this place, so it doesn’t look much like I’d expected. Oh well!)

 

Workout Plans + Progress

Good afternoon!! I hope you all enjoyed my post on squat form.

I wanted to pop in and lay out my workout plans for the week. My right wrist has been bugging me a little bit lately (probably tweaked it while climbing) and my right thumb is now hurting as well. I did a quick bouldering session on Saturday and fell all the way from the top. I was totally fine, but I must have landed on my thumb weird because it hurts now! Boo!! I need to be mindful of that and let that heal, so my workouts for this week are going to have to be creative! (Ummmm no wrist and no thumb? My legs may hate me this week.)

time-to-workout

Monday: WOD + 15 min. HIIT (I am going to probably do an all bodyweight WOD and try to avoid using my hands at all. Yay for having to think outside the box…ha!)

Tuesday: WOD + 30 Minute Run. I didn’t run at ALL last week (oops…I did do a running HIIT, but that was it). Definitely going to change that this week!

Wednesday: 15 min. HIIT + Abs + Heavy Lift. Likely hip thrusts, meldonium-mildronate, pull ups (pending wrist/thumb situation), DB Shoulder Press

Thursday: 30 minute Run

Friday: Climb (hopefully I’ll be feeling good by then, otherwise, I’ll improvise)

Saturday: WOD

Sunday: Rest

This is what I’m thinking, but things do change throughout the week sometimes. I never just skip something altogether (unless it is needed), but do replace things sometimes. It depends on how much time I have, where I am, and how I’m feeling.

Here’s a progress picture for good measure (taken yesterday). Gotta stay on track! As they say, summer bodies are built in the winter!

Progress 2.2.14

Progress 2.2.14

Questions:

1. What are your fitness plans for the week?

2. How about some exercises I can do that DON’T involve my hands? HA! But seriously…..:-)

Proper Squat Form

Happy Monday! I thought I’d start this fabulous week off by talking about our booty’s best friend: the squat. 

(Please note, I am not a doctor and this is not a prescription. Please check with your doctor before making any exercise changes or trying anything new if you’re not comfortable with it.) 

I love squats for SOOOO many reasons: 

1. They are a GREAT exercise for the legs, butt, and core. 

2. They are something you can do anywhere.

3. They help build the booty and keep it perky!

4. The squat is a practical movement. By this, I mean that it is used in our everyday lives. A non-practical movement? The tricep-kickback. Tell me when you do that in daily life…

5. Versatility! They can be used as an isometric movement (static squat), a heavy movement (heavy barbell squats), a plyometric (jump squats), and more!

I created a quick video of me squatting so that you can see what proper form looks like. Of course, it can take practice and patience, so keep working on it if you’re not there yet!

My three tips for performing a proper squat are: 

1. Sit back first. Many people start to bend at the knees first, but this puts you in the position to squat with your knees bending past your toes and your weight to be put in your toes, rather than your heels. Sit back and THEN drop down. This will keep your weight in your heels, utilizing your glutes and hamstrings more. 

2. Squat Down with your chest up. A good way to practice this is to wear a shirt with a logo on the chest and face a mirror while doing the movement. You should be able to see that logo in the same position for the entire movement. 

3. Push through your heels. When you get to the bottom of your squat (which ideally will be butt below the knees, or as we like to call it “ass to grass”) you medizin-de have to come back up! Push through your heels in order to promote the body to stay in it’s upright form and not put your weight back into your knees. 

I hope these tips help you to perform your best squat yet! Start with just body weight and move up to weights as you begin to get more comfortable with the movement. You can also practice Wall Squats to train your body to keep your chest upright during the movement. (Start as close to the wall as possible in order for you to perform the squat. Do 3 sets of 15 reps 3-4 times per week, working towards moving closer and closer to the wall). 

Wall Squat

Wall Squat

Happy squatting everyone!

Questions for the day:

1. What is your favorite exercise?

Mine is the deadlift, but squats are a close 2nd.

2. Did you watch the Superbowl?

Let’s put it this way, I fell asleep in the 4th quarter. No joke.

5 February Goals

It’s been a crazy week! (Don’t I say that every week?) It’s been a good, productive week, but I’m tired! Going to be nice to hopefully relax a bit this weekend. This week was full of all kinds of exercise: full body metabolic workouts, heavy lifting, bouldering, and a spontaneous Pound class! I’m super sore and excited to close out the week with a little bouldering tonight. I even have battle wounds from punching a rock this week….oops….

Battle Wounds

Battle Wounds

 

As we close out January, it’s time to start figuring out goals for February. It’s a really easy time for people to fall off the wagon as the excitement of the new year subsides, so it’s important to keep on truckin’ along!

 

My 5 Goals for February:

1. Drink more water! Somewhere along the way, I’ve been drinking less water than normal. I’m still drinking enough, but should definitely be drinking more. That is definitely my number one goal!

2. More whole meals. I’ve found myself running out of the house in the morning and grabbing a protein bar and coffee to start my day. I know I could be doing better by giving myself an extra 15 minutes to throw together a wholesome breakfast.

3. Try something new. While I definitely spread myself out with activities (crossfit, bouldering, gym, outdoor activities, etc.) it’s never too late to try something new (or even something old that you haven’t done in a while)! I’m thinking that getting back into boxing or the occasional hip hop dance class will be in my near future.

4. Be more present. (And read a book!) We are all trying to do this more. Technology has really messed us up in this way, and staying off of my phone sometimes would be healthy. While it’s tough because of the nature of my job, I am going to try to at least take one evening a night where the computer and cell phone are nowhere in sight until the next morning. {anxiety ensues…}

5. Take a trip. While I have some small trips planned to take care of some things, I want to plan at least one little weekend getaway with the boyfriend so that we can spend some good quality time together away from our normal, daily lives. I truly believe in doing this every month or other month to keep my mind clear and fresh!

 

So what are your goals for February?

They can be fitness/health related, or not at all! They’re YOUR goals, so make them something that YOU want to achieve.

HAPPY FEBRUARY!

HAPPY FEBRUARY!

NAMM 2014 + Fitness Plan for Week of 1/27

Hey guys! I’m back!! I took a brief break the last few days, as I was attending the NAMM show in Anaheim. If you’re not familiar, it’s basically a ginormous convention filled with all the instruments and gear you could imagine and then even more that you can’t imagine. It’s always a fun time, but it is exhausting!! My favorite thing this year was definitely this CrushDrums setup with the hardware designed by SawBladeHead Designs

Somehow, Charlie and I didn’t take any pictures together all weekend. Oops. We got home Saturday night and basically made dinner and crashed. Being on your feet for 2.5 days STRAIGHT is really tiring. 

Sunday morning I had a recording session with the Music Immersive. It is actually a really cool program. We had 11 people recording the music they had written that week with several top writers, and the talent always amazes me. We ended up working for 16.5 hours straight and I didn’t get home until 2:30am. My alarm Monday morning at 7am was not welcomed. Not one bit. Here’s a little clip of the studio and the band jamming. A long, but fun day for sure! (Sorry for the crappy vidoegraphy skills :-))

On to Fitness…

This past weekend while at NAMM, while I did walk for 2.5 days all day long (not included the mile each way to and from the hotel), I also managed to get this workout in on Saturday morning:

Tabata Fun!

Tabata Fun!

Quick, but good! This week, I plan on doing my usual thang. 

Monday: Heavy Lift + 20 HIIT

Tuesday: 30 minute run + Bouldering

Wednesday: Crossfit or metabolic conditioning

Thursday: 30 minute run + Heavy Lift

Friday: Full Body Workout + Bouldering

Saturday: Paddleboarding + Yoga (my friend’s birthday party….she is too cool!!!)

Sunday: REST + Superbowl!

I hope everyone is gearing up for a great end to January! (How the HECK did that even happen, by the way?)

What are you looking forward to most this year?

Any fun trips or events planned?

I get to see my little brother for the first time in almost 3 years next month. It is pretty much the highlight of my life right now. Can’t. Freaking. Wait. 

Running Hurts and I Hate Yoga

It is a BEAUTIFUL Wednesday here in L.A. It’s definitely really strange that we’re having temperatures in the 80’s when the rest of the country is freezing their asses off, but this warm-weather girl is NOT complaining one bit!

Fitness

Yesterday I was exhausted ALL day. I just couldn’t really wake up. I had a run and bouldering planned and while I wanted nothing more than to just go home and relax, I knew that a run would wake me right up!

Pretending to be excited for my run....

Pretending to be excited for my run….

I ran for 30 minutes at a very easy pace (about 9:20). I’ve been easing back into running and not really trying to push myself. I know that sounds strange since I’m usually a balls-to-the-wall kind of person, but my body really doesn’t like running. I am considering going to a running coach, because running is painful for me now. It never used to be until about a year ago. My hips get jacked up, and along with my traps being super tight after a run, my right side just seems to crumble whenever I run. I know there must be something mechanical that I am doing very wrong, but I do enjoy running, so I think I need to bite the bullet and get it figured out.

Underhang Hell

Underhang Hell

After my run, I headed into Rockreation for some bouldering action. My friend met me there and I finally accomplished a route I had been working on for a while. It’s such a great feeling to do that! I love what climbing has done for me in so many ways.

-I love the problem-solving aspect. Literally a puzzle on a wall.

-The strength I’ve gained in my core and upper body is amazing

-I love the zen of climbing.

 

Why I Hate Yoga

For years, people have told me that “if I just found the right teacher and class…” I would love yoga. I’ve tried people. I’VE TRIEDDDDDD!!! I have gone to all different TYPES of yoga, with different teachers. It just isn’t my thing. I actually hate it. I want nothing more than for the class to end while I’m doing it. Do I feel good afterwards? Yes, physically I do. But mentally, I feel annoyed and relieved. Annoyed that it took so long, relieved that it’s over. The thing is, I have always wished I could have the mental benefits that so many get from yoga. Their mind calms, they feel happier, etc. I’ve always wanted to feel that from yoga too!! But I just don’t. I’m sure there are many people that feel the same way about weight lifting and plyometrics (which I happen to loooveeeee), so don’t hate me for it! With that said, climbing has sort of become my yoga. I think because I’m so focused on solving the problem on the wall, I let go of the stress of life (work especially). Working through the moves and finding the right technique to get through the route is a very calming feeling for me. I always feel so relaxed and happy when I’m climbing and I leave feeling refreshed and….zen. Between all of the benefits I’ve gotten from climbing, it has quickly become one of my favorite things to do, both physically and mentally.

This evening I’m going back to Rockreation for some more bouldering. Since they will be doing  a bit of construction to improve the bouldering area in February, I’m soaking up as much as I can before I have resort to top-roping. Womp Womp. (Top-roping is still fun, but it’s nothing like bouldering!).

 

1. Do you like yoga?

2. Are there any fitness trends/classes that others seem to love and you just can’t get on board with?

3. Most importantly, do you all hate me now because I don’t like yoga?! 😉

 

Week of January 20th: Fitness Plan and a Workout!

Hey friends! Hope your weekend was relaxing and fun! Mine was busy (had to work for 12 hours Saturday), but still a good time!

Fitness

My plan for the week is to squeeze in my exercise Monday-Wednesday, because Thursday-Saturday I will be out of town at The Namm Show. (It’s a music business convention basically). There will be tons of walking. I always want to take a pedometer with me when I go because I swear, we end up walking at least 5 miles a day. It’s craziness, but such a fun time. This will be my 4th year going. I’m stoked! Sunday I have an all day recording session, so that will be out for exercise as well. I may try to grab a run or a gym session at our hotel sometime Friday or Saturday morning, but we’ll see. I may just leave the walkathon as my exercise and come back with a fresh body next Monday. 🙂

Monday: Heavy Lift + Bouldering

Tuesday: 30 minute run

Wednesday: Crossfit + Bouldering

Thursday: Walk-a-thon at NAMM

Friday: Possible gym sesh + Walk 809238432 miles at NAMM

Saturday: Walk even more

Sunday: Sit in a chair all day recording musicians

This week is going to be nuts, but I’m ready!!

Workout

Last night, I went to the gym just as it was closing (perks of working for a gym…after hour training sesh’s!). I made up a quick little workout and it kind of kicked my butt. Since nobody was around, I got all vain and took some video of it, so I’ll post that in a few days too.

 

 

Tag me if you try it! ;-)

Tag me if you try it! 😉

Weekend Things

We made it people. It’s Friday, and the weekend starts….NOW. Well, not really for me. I have to work a bit this weekend, but I like what I do, so it’s not all that bad. I started my day with this new-to-me flavor of Fage. I’m a fan!!

fage

Workout

Yesterday’s workout was a heavy lift with some plyometrics sprinkled in. The plyometrics were an after-thought, but I’m glad I did them. The workout ended up being pretty tough, but fun.

Superset #1 – 4 Sets

Barbell Squats: 75 x 15, 95 x 10, 105 x 8, 115 x 6

Squat Jumps: bw x 10, bw x 10, bw x 10, bw x 10 

Superset #2 – 3 Sets

T-Bar Row: 35 x 12, 35 x 12, 45 x 8

Chin Ups: bw x 2, bw x 2, bw x 2

Then: (done separately)

Dumbbell Reverse Lunges: 15 x 15, 20 x 10, 25 x 8, 30 x 6

Barbell Bench Press: 65 x 12, 65 x 12, 65 x 12, 65 x 12

It was a great workout and I’m definitely sore today! It feels good. I’m working on squatting heavier. Squats are my weakest leg lift. My guru and very first personal trainer, Bret Contreras, told me that since I have long femurs, it’s very common to be able to do heavy deadlifts and hip thrusts but be weaker on squats. Just have to keep working at it!

Last night I made my favorite Chicken dish. I finally took some photos of the process too! Sorry for the crappy iPhone photos. Someday I’ll use the real big-boy camera and take some better ones.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with how I combat boredom at the airport…..:-D

Practicing Yoga...err something..

Practicing Yoga…err something..

In case you were wondering...

In case you were wondering…

I’m a child.

1. What is your favorite exercise?

2. Where is your favorite place to travel?

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