8-Week Challenge

Embody's 8-week Challenge starts on January 9th and is designed to help you get in the best shape of your life! This program is a complete and well-rounded program that includes nutrition counseling, newsletters to keep you on track and motivated, at-home workout routines so you know what to do between classes, weekly challenges, regular cycling classes, and the opportunity to win some great prizes! The classes are always different and focus on challenging all components of fitness. We do circuit training, high intensity interval training (HIIT), equipment routines, cardio/athletic drills, and bodyweight workouts to give you a total body burn and ultimate sweat!

These classes are tough. It has to be tough to work. I do offer modifications for every exercise so you can feel comfortable working at your own pace and fitness level (whatever it may be), however, I do expect you to challenge yourself! You need to decide how badly you want a change, and I will give you all the tools to achieve it!

Classes schedule is as followed:

St. Paul's Church Hall Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays- 6:15am, noon, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm.
Uptown at the Spa Total Fitness Centre Tuesday, Thursday- 5:15pm.
*classes will be added or removed, or times changed, depending on registration

Saturday mornings will be our cardio-based workout class at 8:15am or 9:15am, depending on the weekend, and are at the Spa as well. Ideally you attend 3x a week for the first 3-4 weeks, and then can add a fourth class at no extra charge. You have the flexibility to switch between the different days, times, and locations as much as you need to. You are never locked into a class.

This program costs $240 for the full 8-weeks if you decide to attend 3-4 classes/week. This is a small-group training program so that you can be treated like a person, not just a participant! For this reason, space is limited and you will need to reserve a spot quickly.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like to register now, message me at embodyfitt.com!

As Bill Cosby says "Decide you want it, more than you're afraid of it"

Change is good. Take on the Challenge to change :) 

Workout Challenge

I have a time challenge for you all to try out! Complete the routine below as fast as you can (after a proper warm-up) and record your time! Post your results on my FB group 'Embody Fitness Training' and I'll enter you into a draw to win a prize at the end of the week! Remember to Focus on having good form. It's about going fast, but you can't be sloppy with it or your time won't be accurate. Do the cardio circuit twice and then record your results. You can go from there to stretches, or you can try out part 2, the ab routine.

Cardio Routine- complete all the reps/exercises and then repeat for a second round!
50 jumping jacks
50 mountain climber
50 plyo-jacks
50 high knees (total)
25 squat jumps
25 half burpees
25 russian kicks (total)
25 speed skaters (total)
Now start all over again!

Ab Routine- Just one round this time- get through it quick!
25 banana/boat- lay on your back with your head, arms, and legs off the floor, then sit right up so you're in a V-Sit position with your feet off the floor, then go back down to the starting position. Your arms, legs, and head should never touch the floor
25 twisting reptile- get into plank on your hands. Pull your knee in towards your opposite elbow. Alternate sides. Keep your neck long, shoulders over your hands.
25 russian twists (25 each side- 50 total)- Sit in VSit and twist your upper body side to side while keeping your feet off the floor.
25 leg lifts- lay on your back with your legs straight up the air. Lower your legs straight down toward the floor and then straight back up again. Hands under your glutes for back support if you need it
25 knee tucks- sit in VSit with your feet off the floor. Bring your knees into your chest and then extend your legs straight away from you.
25 oblique rolls- this one is a killer after all the rest! Lay on your side with your legs slightly in front your your body, rest back on the fleshy part of your butt, and do a side crunch- bringing your upper and lower body off the floor. Rest your upper body back down but hold your legs off as you roll to the other side to repeat. Keep alternating sides.

Okay, that's it! Remember to find my group on FB, Embody Fitness Training, and post your results!

Thankful Thursdays

I'm thankful for the day today :) I was able to sleep in a bit this morning, which was lovely! I got up and had a healthy breakfast (Greek and regular yogurt mixed with grapes and All-Bran Buds) then headed in town for a massage! It was a lot less painful than my massage last week, which I was thankful for! Now I get to chill out, make a yummy and nutritious lunch for myself and for my hubby-to-be, and then I'm off to work! Only one class today, and then Craig and I have dance class :)

I think reflecting on the good things in life are important, so I'm going to try to adopt a "gratitude journal" type idea by making Thursdays, "Thankful Thursdays" and list the things I'm happy about on this day. So, here we go:

Today I'm thankful for:

My incredible good fortune to be marrying a man whom I've fallen in love with more than once, and who gives me reasons to continue to fall in love with him more and more. A man who loves me so much, and is even willing to take a dance class with me despite it not really being "his thing" :-P

My amazing and quirky family that sometimes drive me crazy, but who I would be utterly lost without! They've helped make me who I am, and I adore them to no end!

My friends. I don't get to talk to some of them as often as I'd like, but man, they rock. Nothing beats lunch dates and chats over tea :)

My clients. These people are incredible. They inspire me, motivate me, and surprise me, always. I LOVE to teach them. I love to watch them grow and become strong and confident people!

My job! I can't say enough about how much I love what I do. Becoming a trainer has affected every aspect of my life. It has made me a better person, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else.


Green tea. LOL! I know, after all that big stuff, being thankful for green tea seems silly. But I love it. It's warm, it's soothing and comforting, and delicious. I suppose I should be thankful for my girl Jordan for introducing it to me back in high school too ;)

Lululemon Clothing, hehehe! I know a lot of guys are thankful for this company as well *wink* but I really do think it's important to feel like you look good when you workout! Getting dressed in frumpy and unattractive clothing just doesn't make me feel good enough about myself to want to take care of myself. When I feel good, I want to workout!

Well...I could go on and on and on, but then I'd be lost next week when it's time to do this all again. So that'll be it for now!

What are you thankful for today??

:)

December 1st!

Wow! It's so hard to believe it's already December 1st and 2011 is almost over. How are you going to say goodbye to this incredible year we've had? Are you going to be 5lbs heavier at the end of the month and uncomfortable in your otherwise slammin' outfit come New Year's Eve? Or are you going to work hard this month, stay on track, and feel fantastic?!

Temptations to skip the gym and pretend calories don't exist are at an all time high this month. With parties and get-togethers, shopping for presents, and all the delicious treats everywhere you look, it is easy to understand why this month really takes a toll on the average person's waistline! But using the holidays as an excuse to binge on treats and ignore our exercise regime is not only bad for our health, but will make our New Year's Resolutions to "get into shape" that much harder to stick to!

So, I say start now! Set pre-resolutions to keep up with exercise, or start exercise now if you haven't already, and get ready to feel sexy and confident when the clock strikes midnight at the end of the month! Plan and cook meals in advance so you're not tempted to eat out while doing your shopping, move as often as possible, and keep your treats to a minimum! If you know you have a Christmas party on the weekend, eat like a saint all week and try to get in an extra few minutes of exercise each workout to allot for the extra calories you'll likely be consuming at your party.

If you're at a loss when it comes to exercise, let me know! I have a few drop-in classes available each week that would help fire up your metabolism and give you a head start on staying, or becoming, fit for the new year :)

Women Kick Ass!

I'm snuggled up on the couch with a hot cup of green tea (decaf, otherwise I'll be up ALL night!) and found Mulan is on TV! I love this movie :) Movies about women taking charge, getting in shape, and kicking butt are so inspiring! I've always enjoyed watching movies like GI Jane, Enough, and Mulan, and I especially love when it's an unassuming type of character that kicks butt. Transforming from a shy, insecure woman to a strong, independent and confident hottie! Strength is so sexy, isn't it?!

Have you undergone a transformation before? I have changed a lot in the past 10 years, and 5 years! It is important that we always stay challenged and strive to become better versions ourselves. We can always improve, and grow to be better. And we can always get better at kicking ass in our own (non-violent) way ;)

How can one become better? How can you grow and learn and change as an adult? First of all, try something new and get out of your comfort zone at least every 90 days. Join a new type of class or club. Take up painting. Take up photography. Try out a dance class, or take go back to school just for one class a week to become more educated! Learn for the fun of it :) Become your own personal gourmet chef. Keep a gratitude journal. Meditate. Get in touch with old friends or go out once a week and try to meet new ones! Get into shape and move your body every single day.

Decide you want to kick ass, and do something about it! You have all the power to change within you already- you just need to find your motivation and let nothing stand in your way!

HOORAH!

Have You Made Your Body Sweat Today?

It's Wednesday!! I love Wednesdays (truthfully I love every day of the week- but we'll just talk about Wednesday today) and one of the reasons is because I teach a class called "Cardio Burst" at 9:30am to an awesome group of dedicated exercisers! It really helps to get motivated and push hard during a routine when you're in front of an eager and enthusiastic bunch :) I always leave the class wanting to do it all over again. I usually end up doing another routine with one of my Fit Camp classes in the evening because I'm on such a high from the morning workout!

What do you love about exercise? During your workout routine, what is it that really pumps you up? Good music? Hard exercises? Equipment? Having a friend with you? We're all very different and everyone gets psyched up in various ways!

To me it depends on what type of workout I'm doing. When I'm teaching, the participants are my motivation. If I get a group that seem lazy and are working half-assed, I don't get quite the same high. If I'm working out on my own at home, it's a hard workout with lots of new exercises, and if I'm running, it's damn-good music!

Finding out what gets your adrenaline going and gets you really into your workout and focused is great! For many of us, we are in complete control over these factors! Choose to attend classes or to workout with a friend that you know is going to drive you and make you work harder, while having fun! Pick your music, choose a hot outfit, build your own workout routine, whatever it takes!

When your scheduled for a tough workout (you should have routines of moderate intensity and difficult intensity for optimal results), make sure you start with a strong attitude and push yourself to your max. Challenge yourself! For every workout, you get what you put into it.

Have you challenged yourself lately? ;)

Quick Sweat!

I did this workout with my fiance after doing an hour-long workout class with my Fit Campers, so I was exhausted and wasn't able to put 100% into it, but it was still a great sweat-inducing 16-minute routine :)

Speed Skaters- Jump side to side, with the opposite arm to leg forward, knee bent, and try to keep your back leg off the floor to challenge your balance. Stay low, keep your spine from rounding ;)

High Knees- This is an easy one to get the heart-rate up quickly! Jog on spot, but really drive your knees up and pump your arms fast! Keep your core engaged (belly button in!)

Plyo-Jacks- One of my all-time favorite exercises. It's like making a snow angel in the sky :P Jump your legs and arms out wide in the air, and quickly back down, feet together, before you land. Land softly.

Knee Tucks- I'm not great at these, but I'm working on it! Jump up and tuck both knees straight up towards your chest as high as you can, and land softly back down.

Ski Jumps- Legs together, knees bent, chest lifted. Jump to the side without losing the bend in your knees. Use your arms in a swinging motion fwd and back as you hop side to side. Keep low!

Side Ski Hops- Legs together, jump and turn your toes left, centre, and then right, centre, and back to the left, all while keeping your upper body facing centre. Move from the hips! Keep those abs tight and move FAST.

Run Lunges- Stand with one leg forward and the opposite arm. Hop and switch so your other arm and leg are fwd. Keeping switching as fast as you can. Make your range of motion big with your arms (move from your shoulder, not your elbow) and keep weight in both feet.

Plank Heel Taps- Get into plank on your hands. Bring your right knee into your chest (you can place the foot on the floor or not) and touch your heel with the hand on the same side. Switch. You pace is your own on this one, just make sure the movements are controlled and not sloppy! Keep you shoulders over your hands, your neck long, and you belly button in.

Do each exercise for a minute, back-to-back, and then have a one minute break at the end before you do it all over again :) Let me know how you do!