Elite Fitness Solutions

It seems that everywhere you turn nowadays, there’s a “gloom and doom” feeling about these times.

A downturn in the economy, stocks plummeting, 401k’s and retirement funds disappearing, jobs being lost, the list goes on and on.

There also seems to be a plethora of money saving tips and advice of where to invest if you do, and what not to do right now to secure your future, or what may be left of it.

Well, I say none of it matters if you aren’t protecting your biggest asset, your health. This may sound cliché but isn’t it true? And don’t we all need to be reminded of it from time to time? We can have all the money and wealth in the world, but if we’re not physically fit and healthy, we won’t be happy. Also on the opposite side of the spectrum, we can be struggling financially, wondering how to make ends meet, and if we’re also struggling physically, the battle can seem impossible!

So, why not make your health your top priority right now? There are many ways to improve your greatest asset without spending a dime! Here’s 3 suggestions.

1. Visit your local playground (yes, even if you don’t have kids). There’s bars for chin ups push ups and dips, steps for jumping, lots of open room to run interval sprints, and if your inner child is stirred, the swings are fun and will get your heart rate going!

2. Go to your local high school track and run interval sprints there. Public schools are generally open to the public during non school hours. Some even offer indoor facilities so that you can utilize them no matter what the weather.

3. Do intervals in your garage or living room (wherever you have more open room). A great combo of bodyweight intervals are Burpees, Jumping Jacks and Jumping squats. Alternate between the three exercises for 30 seconds of work, and 60-90 seconds of rest anywhere from 3-5 times. Remember, for an interval to be effective, you have to lay it all on the line so to speak during the work period. In other words, a 30 second interval should be plenty of work no matter your fitness level. It’s not the duration, but the intensity that matters. I guess that can be a whole other blog post in and of itself.

Squat Jumps

Anyways, there you have it, 3 free, easy ways to start improving your greatest asset, your health.

If you have great health, you’ll feel better about yourself, be more alert, perform your job better, and will have more optimism whatever your situation be in this time of change.

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Sorry for the wrong link! Here is the intended video. don’t know how that happened?

Here’s a quick video talking about workout nutrition.

I would love to hear if you have any workout nutrition that works well for you!

You can find the Prograde Workout here:

http://www.dominateyoursport.getprograde.com/workout

The Surge can be found here:

https://www.t-nation.com/free_online_store

Remember, if you’re just “going through the motions” during your workout, your results will be less than desirable.

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Our daughter just turned four on Sunday. We had a great time with friends and family celebrating the occasion.

This is an amazing time in life, as she learns about words, letters, numbers, and many other things. I often wonder if I’ll be able to keep up with her, and help her with her homework down the road.

One thing that I have learned being the mother of a four year old is to approach life’s obstacles with enthusiasm. It seems as we get older, we become a little more cynical towards life and things. One too many tries at something, one too many failures and we’re more likely to call it quits.

Have you ever watched a child try to tie a shoelace, cut out a picture, write letters? Man, if they didn’t have enthusiasm to learn, and an inextinguishable desire to do it right, we’d have a rough go of things!

No matter how many times that shoelace falls apart untied, Shilo will pick up the pieces again, and give it another go.

Shouldn’t we all have this enthusiasm in our lives? How many times have you tried to reach a goal? There’s a saying and I’m not sure who it’s by, but it says “How long should you try? Until.”

The only guaranteed way to not reach your goal is if you stop trying!

Get pointed in the right direction, find the right tools, surround yourself with a support team, and don’t stop until you’ve achieved success!

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Who doesn’t want to have a body like some of Hollywood’s leading ladies? I know, you may say…”Nah, it doesn’t matter”…but really, are you kidding me?!?!

What if you could, and enjoy it too? Don’t tell me you wouldn’t give it a go!

Well, what if I let you in on a little secret…the kettlebell!

This amazing fitness tool is revolutionalizing the way people train, and by the way, taking Hollywood by storm!

Figures belonging to Katherine Heigl, Cameron Diaz, Kim Cattral, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, and others are being sculpted by kettlebell training!

Gone are the days of sitting at machines, of running on the treadmill, and spinning your life away.

C’mon, did you really enjoy that anyways?

Today, to lose fat and sculpt an amazingly sexy figure, you are actually given a tool to use that’s much more time effective, and fun at the same time!

Katherine Heigl says “I was probably in the best shape of my life for Knocked Up but I hated going to the gym…   I’ve now found a woman who teaches kettlebell classes. It’s a mix of cardio and weight training but I only do it for 20 minutes twice a week and it’s changed my body shape.”

Twice a week, now doesn’t that sound more appealing than six days a week, filled with dread and frustration?

If you’re happy with your current routine and the results you’ve been seeing, than that’s awesome! On the other hand, if you find going to the gym just above having a root canal on the pleasure scale, I’d urge you to give kettlebell training a go. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it and start to see changes faster than many of the other methods out there!

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Oprah past and present on the cover of "O" magazine

I have to admit that I’m an Oprah fan, much to James’ dismay… I find that a lot of the topics discussed on her show are relevant to my life and circumstances. I was especially looking forward to seeing what was in store for her “Best Life” week.

I must say that what was discussed regarding her current size was more than dissapointing.

You are never going to reach your goal and keep it if you expect someone else to get you there, and you hold them solely responsible for your outcome.

Bob Greene, Oprah's trainer

However, it was stated that Bob Greene has been Oprah’s trainer for 15 years. Call me crazy, but in that time, some serious gains should be made…and KEPT. This isn’t the truly frustrating part. On the surface, those were my thoughts, but I really gave Oprah the majority of the blame for needing to be responsible and stick to what she was being asked to do by Mr. Greene.

Then, I read what Bob Greene suggests as a fitness plan to get Oprah “back on the wagon”. That’s the part that completely floored me. Not only do you have to spend six days a week at the gym, but once you’re fully into the routine, 40 minutes of that is spent on a treadmill or eliptical. He doesn’t have you touch any weights until week six!

Bob Greene has been a fitness professional for 25 years now, and I am assuming by the program prescribed that he learned much of what he now uses back then. There is so much new evidence about the efficiency of intervals and how they are superior, especially in the long run to aerobics.

I have to say that after looking over his program, I really don’t blame Oprah for “falling off the wagon” and gaing all the weight she lost back.

Who in their right mind wants to dedicate 6-12 hours a week to the gym?

I know there are some die-hards out there that have no problem, and in fact look forward to that, and for them, this plan may get them right where they want to be. But, if you’re a mom, business person, have any type of life, this is unrealistic, and you will inevitably find yourself unable to keep it up, and will probably blame yourself. You weren’t able to stick to Bob Greene’s plan…you fell off the wagon…I’d fall off too!!!

One last thing…this information is being given to millions of women! Millions of women now think they have to spend six days a week at the gym, 40 minutes of it on the treadmill, and another 40 minutes or so of it doing strength training (that aspect of his program is a whole other post). Two hours, six days a week, with one day rest! Millions of women will not reach their goal because of this, and if they do stick to it, and eventually cut back, they will see the weight come back…as Oprah has!

If you want to make a big impact on your metabolism and burn fat, utilize intervals instead of long, boring rounds on the cardio equipment. Do things like jumping rope, burpees, sprinting, trust me, they will burn more calories, and continue to burn more calories for up to 48 hours after you’re done!

I hope that Oprah does reach her goals and is able to maintain it once there, and if she once again does a wieght “yo-yo”, I hope she will be open to exploring other trainers’ methods that apply 21st century methods, not those we’ve read about in the 80’s!

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An amazing lower body exercise, the Bulgarian Split Squat can be done with bodyweight at first, and as you get stronger, added weight for even more of a challenge!

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I have a great feeling about this year! Every new year is exciting, but I know this year holds great things!

We celebrated last night with some great friends and family, and actually didn’t make it till midnight. We celebrated with New York, and headed to bed.

It was nice however, to wake up this morning clear headed

And now, here we are on the first day of this New Year!

If you haven’t already, now is the time to sit down and map out how you will succeed. What are your resolutions, and not only that, but how will you achieve them? Have you set your goals out? Monthly…Weekly…Daily?

The more precise you can get with it, the more likely you are to succeed!

Especially if you break it down to the daily tasks, you are less likely to sabotage yourself with unpreparedness.

You also need to be firm with yourself about NOT making excuses for yourself! They can be the biggest roadblock to your success!

The number one excuse I know of when it comes particularly to fitness is “I don’t have time”…Yes, we all lead crazy, hectic, where did the day go busy lives, but listen to this! In a recent issue of Men’s Health, it stated that president elect Barack Obama dedicates 45 minutes a day to exercise…did you get that…a day? Now, call me crazy, but I figure the day of a man in that position might be a little full. Yet he manages to make his health and fitness a priority. You need to make time for it too! DO NOT use this as an excuse! Nope, I said don’t!

Another thing to avoid is rationalization. I’ve been a victim of this one time and time again! The “well, I deserve it”, or “just a little won’t hurt” internal dialogue. The bottom line is if you have to talk yourself into something…or out of it for that matter, are you really doing yourself a favor?

I look forward to the success of everyone this year! May you reach and surpass your goals!

Have a wonderful year!

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I just made this last night. It’s easy to do, delicious to eat, and great for you! What could be better? Plus it’s a great warm you up dish for when it looks like you live inside of a snow globe!

Ingredients:

• 1lb. ground beef
• 1lb. ground turkey (or you can use 2 lbs turkey if you don’t want beef)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can kidney beans, with liquid
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can kidney beans, with liquid
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, with liquid
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chili (or pinto beans), with liquid
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with liquid
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can corn, with liquid
• 5 celery, diced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (or to desired heat)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to desired heat)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

Directions:

In a large frying pan, brown meat with onion.

Transfer meat mixture to a large stock pot. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, celery and spices to large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 hour.

To cook in a crock pot, combine cooked meat mixture, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, celery and spices in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Some topping suggestions are: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, crushed tortilla chips, hot sauce, or snipped chives.

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How many of us step on the scale every morning to determine our progress? I know some of us are even in “scale denial”…ok, I made that up, but there’s something of an addiction out there!

I don’t even own a scale, and am recovering from years of torment of that metal beast. It’s somewhat liberating to not be bound by those numbers.

In my humble opinion, if you’re using your scale as your number one way to determine your progress, then you may be sabotaging yourself and not even knowing it!

Why is the scale such a deceptor? Because it measures (or weighs) your overall body composition, and takes into no account how much of your weight is fat, muscle, fluid, or tissue. here’s a few examples of how this can be misleading.

Take two ladies, both 5′4″. One has worked out and weight lifted for years, looks great and wears a size 5. She steps on the scale and weighs 135 lbs.

The other leads a sedentary lifestyle, wears a size 7 and is unhappy with how her body looks. She gets on the scale and weighs 130 lbs.

It’s true! This has happened!

In fact, I have just recently had a client that has been working really hard and has come in on more than one ocassion completely frustrated because the numbers have not budged on the scale! Well, we took her measurements on Tuesday, and in less than two weeks, she has lost a total of almost five inches! Her clothes are fitting better, and she feels better, yet she’s allowed that to be overshadowed by the scale!

I’ll tell you what, if I had a “magic” machine, and you could step in it and weigh 15 lbs less, but look the same, would you be happy? What if you stepped in it, weighed the exact same, but looked amazing, how ’bout that?

Using the scale can be a complete mind game, and something I encourage you to stop doing! Have your body fat % measured, take your circumference measurements, try on a pair of tight fitting jeans and use them as measurement, take before and after pictures!

All of these can be much better judges of progress. You may even save your sanity too

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I absolutely love this time of year! The holidays just bring a sense of family and cherishing those close to you.

I also am well aware of the additional stress that this time of year can bring as well.

I went shopping yesterday afternoon, and could not imagine doing that more than once! There were people everywhere! Right off the bat, parking was difficult to find, there were lines in almost every store, it was difficult finding the right item in the right size, there were extra specials all over, it was the vision of holiday chaos.

I couldn’t help but think of James and Shilo at home, playing in the snow, hanging out, and how I wanted to be there with them!

Just being surrounded by that business raises stress levels. Throw in the extra large schedule, parties to attend, gatherings, colds going around, and it’s enough to make most people reach their breaking point.

Stress not only makes us feel like someone we’re not, it also causes the release of hormones into our system that sabotage our fat loss efforts. Blood sugar levels remain high, cortisol is released, and our ability to make the “right” choices lessens.

Here are some strategies I use to try to ease the stress and get back to the point that I enjoy the season!

I sit down and choose which events are most important, and respectfully decline others. Freeing up your schedule can do wonders for your outlook on the holiday season, as well as your waistline!

Do things that allow you to truly enjoy the holidays. Take some detours on the way home to admire some of the lights and decorations, turn off the TV and have a special dinner with your family and remember to take in the memories and enjoy one another.

Also, remember to take 10-20 minutes to yourself to de-stress. Take a bath, or close your eyes and allow yourself to enjoy a few moments alone in the shower. Indulge in a sugar scrub, or go and get a pedicure. Or wake up a little earlier than everyone else and spend a few quiet moments journaling, or meditating, or reading.

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