Imagination is the Key

Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create".
As I sat and listened to my group of Biggest Loser Challengers last Saturday, I heard a very common theme amongst the group. Not a theme of; I want to look good in my bikini, I want to look a certain way. Instead it was a theme of the way they imagined themselves to feel and to be once they had reached their goals. It was a common theme of "If I lost the weight, I imagine myself happy, sexy, vibrant, and fulfilled". I asked them to write down four things that they could do this week to attain the body image they imagined. The themes of the four goals were again very common. They were about moving their bodies, taking better care of themselves, taking time to do something for them. All to make them feel good on the inside, thus making them look the way they imagined themselves to look on the outside.

I want YOU to take a minuet, close your eyes, and imagine what your "ideal" body would look like. Pretend you are standing in front of a mirror. Start at the bottom and work your way up, what does every part of your body look like? Take a minute. Really imagine this. Create everything you want about your body. Imagine every little curve to be exactly what you want.

Now, how do you feel?
What's changed in your world? Or is it not what has changed in your world, but how you feel on the inside.

What if I told you that you could look like that? And, what If I told you I could help you to get that way?

Recently I've come to accept something I've known for a very long time, but have never fully acknowledged. Weight loss is 90% mental. If you think fat, you are fat. If you believe you are worth the effort, you will reach your goals. Reaching your health and fitness goals can not be as simple as writing down everything you eat, hitting the gym 5 days per week, and keeping snacks out of the house. There is an emotional healing that coincides with it. What happened in your physical or emotional life that led to the weight gain is a crucial factor in achieving and maintaining success with your goals. What made you eat that chocolate cookie at 4pm after you hung up the phone? Why did you eat the entire pizza?

"Stuffing". This is a huge one. When I first heard the term, I thought it was "hokey". What "stuffing" means is that instead of tackling the events in your life, or your feelings of anxiousness, sadness, regret, loneliness, or any other self destructing feeling, you turn to food as your comfort, and in a sense, "stuff" your feelings way down deep inside. Another way to refer to this is, "emotional eating". However, for the sake of weight gain/weight loss efforts, I think "stuffing" is a more visual way of thinking it. I feel that we place allot of blame on emotional eating. "It's okay that I ate four ding dongs....I was stressed...and I'm an emotional eater!"

Emotional eaters, or "stuffers" look to food on the subconscious level as the ultimate comfort. The reality is, food will always be there. Food will never let you down. Food will always be available. And most times, after an "emotional eating" session, you feel comforted, less stressed, euphoric, and more at ease. That is, until you step on the scale.
---I had an acquaintance, fellow trainer, once say to me "If you ever want to eat junk food. Strip down naked, walk in front of the mirror with the junk in your hand, and then see if you still want to eat it!"--- I tried it...it works....

After this brief discussion on "Stuffing", one of the challengers said, "This is something that is so hard for most of us because we NEED food to live. It's almost like we have a food addiction. But it's harder for us than someone who has a smoking, gambling, or alcohol addiction, because they can eliminate those things from their life. We need to eat to live."

EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT.

However, we want to enjoy our life, and food is a part of enjoyment/life. That's where we turned to the discussion on reading labels/all foods are not created equal. You should be shopping around the outer isles of the grocery store, picking meat that is organic and grass fed, and only eating things you can "pick, gather, or hunt". In today's world, this is doable. Food companies are competing for you, the consumer, to buy their "organic", "free range", "farm fresh", food. You have the power to make better food choices. Convenience is not the way to go if you want to be ahead of the game. It's going to take time and effort. Walking down the grocery isles, reading and comparing labels should be on your agenda. On that note, when reading food labels, when looking at the ingredients, if you can't pronounce it, you can't eat it! Food prep is in your future. Not only is it on the road to success, it will save you cash and inches.

To imagine having reached your health and fitness goals, and feeling the way your world would be changed, what the reflection in the mirror would look like, how your jeans would fit, and how you would feel on the inside, is creating a path to success to your achievements.

Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge".

You now know you shouldn't stuff your feelings. You now know you should shop the outer isles of the grocery store, identify your feelings with food, exercise, and take care of your body. Imagining your self doing them and attaining success is the hard part. The easy part is following your program. The easy part is showing up for your class/trainer/treadmill session. The easy part is following the healthy recipes. The hard part is making your mind believe that you are going to achieve success in doing so. The hard part is holding onto that mental picture you had when you first started on your path to achieving your goals. The hard part is accepting that this isn't really hard at all.

The easy part is, that it's not really that hard.

Training Log 2/10/10

815 am: Power Oatmeal Pancakes, Fresh Strawberries, coffee w/splenda (fiber)
16 oz/h20

945am: 1/4 cup raw almonds, small apple

Workout #1 Community club house gym
24 oz h20

Warm up: Walking to the club house in 4 feet of snow.

Squats: 2-15lb dumb bells, 3 sets 20-24 reps
Walking lunges 2-15lb dumb bells, down a very long hallway/back 3 times

Lateral/Front raise
10lb dumb bells
3 sets x 14-16 reps

Front raise/rear lunge
8lb dumb bells
3 sets x 16-18 reps

Chest Flys in bridge
2-15lb dumb bells
3 sets x 18-20 reps

Sumo Squats
45 lb dumb bell
4 sets 20 reps

Shoulder press
1st set: 20 lb dumb bells x 16 reps
2nd set: 15lb dumb bells x 16 reps
3rd set: 12lb dumb bells x 16 reps

Incline "High T"
2-15lb weights
3 sets 16-20 reps

Tricep extensions
1st set: 20lbs 16-18reps
2nd set: 15lbs 16-18reps
3rd set: 15 reps 16-18 reps

Leg Press (Machine)
110 lbs
4 sets 16-18 reps

Hamstring curl (Machine)---I have weak hammys
50 lbs x 16 reps
30 lbs x 14 reps
30 lbs x 12 reps

20 min rotating stair master

Abs on the ball

(Avoiding inner thigh, because of inflamed illiosoas (hip flexor--very chronic). Avoided bicep curls, strained right during workout monday)

Walk home in the snow...

11:15am PB and J on Ezekiel bread
1/2 grape fruit
Resisted a cookie....Points for me and my ass!

Current Studio-310 Member Workout 2/10/10

Dear Members,
This workout is for YOU! If you have been working out with me for sometimes, are familiar with our "favorite" exercises, and know the way I structure our class, then please follow the workout below. If you have NEVER taken a Total Body Conditioning class with me at Studio-310, I encourage you to refer to workout #1 that was posted last evening.

Enjoy!
WORKOUT

Warmup:
8-12 min
Should consist of jumping rope, jogging on your treadmil, eliptical, running up and down stairs, ect.
Mock something I would make you do in class....

1. Jabs/Jacks x16 (this means 16 times)
2. Take out the Jack x16
3. 3 jabs right, cross (as you shuffle to the right), then shuffle back. Repeat x8
Repeat other side
4. Repeat entire sequence from above.

5. Jump rope x3 min

6. Push up/Planks 3 sets of 12

7. Power Lunges x16 then do 2 sets of 8 single power lunges
Alternate this exercise with jabs/5lbs weights x 30 seconds Repeat this sequence x3

8. Jump rope x2 min

9. Foot ball run x 30 sec (EVERYTHING SHOULD BE JIGGLING!!!)

10. "Cherry Pickers" 3 sets of 8-10

11. Jumping Jacks/Power Squats
Do this like a "waterfall"....
x20
x10
x8
x4
x2
8 singles/alternating jacks/squats

12. Rear lunges/Front Raises (alternating)
Using 5lb weights
3 sets 16-20 reps

13. Hold a squat, tricep kickbacks
3 sets 16-20 reps

14. Jump rope x2 min

15. High Knees x30 sec

16. Squats/lateral raises
3 sets 16-20reps

17. Mountain Climbers
3 sets x 30 sec

18. Reverse Flys
3 sets x 16-20 reps

Abs/Planks

Remember--this is a minimal break routine. It is lengthy, and intense. It is intended for Studio-310 members who are conditioned and have been participating in classes for some time.

DRINK WATER AND ENJOY!

Water Vs. Coke

WATER

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
(Likely applies to half the world population)


#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak
that it is mistaken for hunger.


#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%.


#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs
for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of
Washington study.


#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.


#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of
water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain
for up to 80% of sufferers.


#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on
the computer screen or on a printed page.


#8.. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of
colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast
cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop
bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water
you should drink every day?

COKE

#1. In many states the highway patrol carries
two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from
the highway after a car accident.


#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke
and it will be gone in two days.

#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the
toilet bowl and let the 'real thing' sit for one hour,
then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes
stains from vitreous china.


#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds
Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.


#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour
a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble
away the corrosion.


#6.. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola
to the rusted bolt for several minutes.


#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into
the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix
with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.


#8.... To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke
into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run
through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen
grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your
windshield.


FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

#1 the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid.
It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric
acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major
contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the
commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place
cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean
engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?

or Coke?

***Copied from an email sent from a friend today--Thanks Melissa!***

At Home Workout #1

At Home Workout #1
By: Studio-310

Montgomery County is snowed in, and for our physical and mental well beings, we all need to move our bodies. Think back to your last really good workout, the one that made you feel amazing. Think about when you started that workout, you may have been staring at the clock, you may have not wanted to walk through the gym door. But after you completed your workout, you felt amazing. Your stress level was down, you felt good inside and out, and you were so happy you got up and moved your body.
Below, I've put together a basic workout routine that you can do in the comfort of your home. This exercise program is based on burning fat, increasing lean mass, and making you feel amazing inside and out. It is designed to be convenient, effective, easy to follow and make you feel great.
As always, please consult with a physician before beginning any new workout program. Please modify exercises as you need to, drink plenty of water, and listen to your body. This is a modified Studio-310 Total Body Conditioning workout. If you have never worked out with a Studio-310 trainer, I encourage you to read over the workout before you start and familiarize yourself with the routine. There is also an option below to ask questions before or after the workout.

After your shoes are on, your water bottle is filled and you are ready to sweat..please turn on your favorite music AND crank it up!

WORKOUT

WARM UP: Should last 8-10 minuets. Should consist of low impact "moves" to raise the temperature of your body, warm up muscles and connective tissues.

Examples:

• Marching in place
• Jogging around the room
• Any Cardio machine you may have
• Jumping rope
• Walking up and down stairs (great for glutes!)
• Dancing
• Basic low impact aerobic moves
• Jumping jacks/jump rope

1. Squats --Feet should be hip width apart, weight of your body should be in your heels. Imagine imaginary fingers under your toes...don't squish them. Abs tight, cross your arms over your chest. (If you are more advanced, you may add weights as needed)
   

• 3 sets of 20 repetitions. Your set should look like this: 1st 10 squats=SLOW. Two counts down, two counts up. Next ten should be a little quicker.

2. Power Lunges
Plyometric exercise.
Lunge position: Start with Right leg forward, left leg back. Two lunges, and then jump and switch to the other side. (These are also called Scissor jumps) When you land, your left leg is forward, and your right leg is back. You just jumped up and switch your legs. You are now in a lunge on the opposite side. Use your arms to propel you in the air. I tell my classes to think of "shooting baskets".

• Repeat Power lunges for 2-3 sets of 16-20 repetitions

3. Push up/Planks
Begin in push up position. Jump your feet between your hands. Jump your feet back out to push up position, do a push up. Repeat.
Repeat this exercise 2-3 sets of 12-16 repetitions.

4. Squats with an overhead press
Using five pound weights. Arms are at shoulder level. Squat, and as you stand up, raise your arms over head.
**Note--when looking forward, you should see the weights in your peripheral vision**
Repeat 2-3 sets 16-20 reps

5. Tricep dips
Grab a sturdy chair and sit on it. Hand are at the edge. Shoulders over your wrists, knees are bend or legs straight, depending on your fitness level. You should feel your back "brush" the chair as you execute the exercise.
Repeat 2-3 sets 14-20 reps.

6. Step ups
Using that sturdy chair.
Right leg first: Step on to chair using right leg only, step down. Repeat 20x
Left leg repeat.
Right leg: Step up onto chair 10 times
Left leg repeat
Right leg: 8 times
Left leg repeat
Right leg: 4 times
Left leg repeat
Right leg: 2 times
Left leg repeat

7. Bicep Curls/Squats
Should be used with weights according to your fitness level. If you do not have weights use soup cans (don't laugh).
Squat down, bicep curl as you stand up
2-3 sets 16-20 reps

8. Jumping Jacks with Power Squats
2 jumping jacks/one power squat
2-3 sets of 20 jacks/10 squats
**A Power Squat is when you are standing with your feet together and you jump up and out to a squat. Then you jump back together. Can be modified with a basic squat**

9. CARDIO INTERVAL
I want you to rev up your heart rate again--as if jacks and power squats didn't do it--I want a 3 min interval here.
Examples: (pick a few)

• Mountain climbers (in push up position, alternate "jumping" knees to belly button
• Jumping rope
• Using any cardio machine you may have
• Running up the stairs
• Running in place
• Dancing
• Jumping Jacks
• "Football runs"...running in place as hard as you can. EVERYTHING should jiggle!!

***If your heart rate is very high, please walk around and bring it down before next exercise***

10. Reverse Flys
To be executed with five pound weights
Hinging over from the hips (or--bending over with your belly button tight), looking down at the floor, raise arms out to side. Back should be flat, should see weights in peripheral vision when looking at floor.
2-3 sets 16-20 repetitions

11. Modified Plank
Forearms on the ground (arms bend, palms and forearm on floor), legs straight, hips in line with your shoulders, belly button tight, looking at the floor.
Lets make a goal! Hold this for as long as you can, BREATH, hold it for five more seconds (One--MISSISSIPPI--TWO) Rest. Then repeat 2 more times!

12. Ab set

Start on floor, knees bent, hand behind head, looking at the ceiling. REMEMBER TO EXHALE AS YOU LIFT.

20 crunches center
20 Right
20 Left

15 Center, R,L

10 Center, R,L

8 Center, R,L

6 Center, R, L

4 Center, R, L

2 Center, R, L

Bicycles (SLOW)
30 seconds. Nice and controlled. DO NOT pull on your head, DO NOT move as fast as you can. YOU control the movement, YOU will get more out of it.

STRETCH, DRINK WATER! YOU'RE DONE!

I hope you feel amazing!

For questions on exercises, modifications, or any inquiries you may have, you can post a comment below and I will be happy to respond as promptly as possible.

www.Studio-310.com

"The Cookie Diet: An expensive way to starve" -FitnessRX mag

According to the New York Times, October 22, 2009--The cookie diet is the latest diet fad that promotes rapid weight loss. The plan involves eating six high-protein cookies per day, and consuming one low-cal meal per day, containing approximately 1,000 calories. Cookies cost about $60 per week and are supposed to curb appetite. This plan is nothing more than an expensive starvation diet. Extremely low-calorie diets can lead to disturbed heart rhythms, muscle loss, weakness, dizziness, potassium deficiency, gallstones, and kydney dysfunction. Also,they do not lead to healthy diet and exercise patterns that sustain weight loss.

Mommy Muscle

Kid Friendly Workout

Its snowing outside, and the forecast is calling for a weekend blizzard, the worst in years. The pantry is stocked and you have successfully contributed to emptying the shelves at the local grocery store. Errands are done, lose ends are tied up, and all is finished for the day just as the storm begins.
Family is settling down in the warm, cozy home. And you are content that you've prepared your home, family, car, dog, vehicle, and whatever else for the snowy days ahead.
There is just one thing missing.
Taking care of your physical and mental well being. You skipped your morning workout. In a desperate attempt to fit everything into your hectic schedule before the first flurry of a seemingly terrible blizzard started to fall, you took care of everyone and everything but yourself. It's too late now! The kids are home, the snow flakes have began to fall, and you've already finished Suzy's afternoon snack left behind on the kitchen table.

This was exactly my Friday afternoon. I had many an opportunity to fit a workout in. I was even at the gym, but chose to take care of the world first.
It was time for a kid friendly workout.

I started my afternoon workout when D.J Lance from "Yo Gaba Gaba" said "GET UP! It's time to dance!!" I stood up with my kids and began to bounce around the living room with the strange man in the bright colored furry hat.
"Go-GO-Go-Go...We like to Dance!...DO IT! It's time to dance! Go-Go-Go-Go...WE LIKE TO DANCE!"
I danced with D.J Lance for 5-8 minuets, and moved on to my next workout before I could have "It's time to dance" stuck in my head for the entire weekend (didn't work--still singing it...along with "Try it...you might like it!")

Motivating myself to go into the basement and finish what I started took great strength, motivation (which I have...but not at home), and INCENTIVE....
Incentive:
If I go downstairs and sweat for 45 min I can:
1. Have Santa Margarita (Favorite Pinot Grigio)
2. Feel good about drinking Santa Margarita
3.Feel good period

The rest of the "workout" is as follows:

• Dancing to "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" with Seven year old
• Dancing to "B.I.N.G.O" with Seven year old
• Dancing to "Chicken Noodle Soup" with Seven Year old
  

(My 7yr old has just taken an interest in dance...I must embrace whenever I can!!...dream come true!!)

• Jumping rope in the basement while entertained by kids dancing again with D.J Lance AND listening to Justin Beiber (my fav 12yr old) on the radio....turned out to be a good workout....
• Began cardio session #2. This lasted 10 minuets, which I must say...was pretty good with three kids. I pulled out my bench with three risers on each side, running up and down, jumping over the top, jumping jacks...you name it, I did it. I also held very lengthy, thigh burning, strategic lunges as my one year old climbed over the bench numerous times. This is in addition to not moving while he stood on the other side of the bench like a proud little man, and staring at his accomplishment. His face read, "I am a man, and I've climbed over that mountain....now get me a bottle!"
• Squats with 12lbs dumbbells in each hand were fantastic. I found out how high my Pre Schooler could count. I'm so happy Pre-K (and my paycheck) have paid off...
• Push ups on the floor, ended up in a game of "Push up Peek-a-boo" with my 11 month old "man of the mountain" (bench).
• Crunches turned into Crunches/High Fives
• Jumping Jacks turned into..."LOOK AT MOMMY'S TUSHY!!!"
• Biceps/Triceps were great, as the kids were occupied with numerous distractions. Which included: Moon sand commercials, In Styler commercials, screaming contests, and brief cirque de sole demos.
• We all did Reverse flys together....a definite sight to see...
• Stretching was where it was really time for Mommy to entertain...."Downward facing Dog" and "Dead Bug" were their favorites....they've practiced on their own since.

45 minuets later, four thousand squats, lunges, and many cardio "intervals" I successfully completed my at home "kid friendly" workout.

My 24hour Fitness Body Bugg said I successfully burned 400 calories....lets what it says after I go out tonight and shovel the snow.

Stay motivated, focused, and you'll find a way to fit in your daily "body therapy".

www.Studio-310.com