I wanted to offer a great strength training workout that involved little equipment and time to my busy readers! Perform the exercises back to back, moving through them with as few breaks in between as possible.
20 Balance Lunges, each leg: Stand with one foot up on a chair and the other far enough ahead that when you lunge, your front knee does not pass over your toes. Balance, keep your shoulders back, chest open, stay tall in your upper body. Hold dumbbells if you'd like to add weight. Go slow and move with control, lunging up and down (not forward and back) while keeping your abs tight.
20 Push Ups: Nothing fancy, just make sure you start from your toes and stay off your knees for as long as possible. Exhale on the way up!
20 Single Leg Squat, each leg: Stand and balance on one leg, the other leg straight in front of you off the floor. Bend the knee of the supporting leg, pushing your hips back and sitting as low as you can, then pushing through the heel to stand back up. Stay on one leg for all reps, then switch.
20 Swimmers Reach: Lying on your stomach with your arms reaching out in front of you off the floor, gazing down at the floor instead of out, and with your lower body relaxed. Pull your elbows back, bending your arms as though you want to touch your elbows together behind your back, and lift your chest up off the floor, then return back to start. Exhale as you pull, inhale as you reach forward.
20 Plie Squat Jumps: Stand with your feet out wide, toes and knees pointing out. Bend your knees and lower your body straight down as low as you can, while keeping your shoulders over your hips and upper body tall with perfect posture. As you come up, jump your feet together and reach your arms up. Jump your feet back out wide, bending your knees into your squat as you land.
20 Pike Push Ups: Place your hands on the ground, keep your legs straight so you're in an upside-down "V" shape. Bend and straighten your elbows, exhaling as you push away from the floor. Keep your hips up night and high, you may want to stay on the balls of your feet if you have tight hamstrings.
20 Curtsey Lunges: Just like royalty! Step one leg back and to the side of your other leg, bend your knees, and stand back up to perform the same thing on the other side. Add a bicep curl if you have weights and want some extra upper body work!
20 Tricep Dips: Sit on a chair with your hands on either side of you. Straighten your legs and scoot your bum off the chair so you're being supported by your hands and your heels. Bend your elbows, lowering straight down (back close to the chair, not away) and then straighten them all the way back up.
20 Single Leg Bridge, each leg: Lay on your back with one leg up on a chair, knee bent, and the other leg straight up in the air. You should have a 90 degree bend in the knee of the supporting leg. Pushing through the leg on the chair, lift your hips up as high as you can, squeezing your glutes. Lower your hips back down, but before you actually reach the ground, lift back up. Perform all reps on one side before switching.
20 Sit-Ups: You know the drill! Knees bent, feet on the floor. Lower until the middle of your back touches the floor (not your shoulders) and then come all the way back up.
Once you've completed all the exercises, if you still have time (and energy) go for another round!!
Let me know how you do!
Tuesday, July 19
Friday, July 15
Who is Beautiful?
What makes someone beautiful? Or better yet, what makes you beautiful? Do you feel beautiful?
I was at the Halifax Canfit-Pro conference in May, and one of the speakers mentioned that some of our clients may never feel like they are sexy or amazing...and that made me so sad. It's stayed in my head ever since. I think about my clients clients and wonder if they know that they're amazing. Do they know that they're beautiful and do they allow themselves to feel beautiful? And this applies to men too!
The truth is, we need to widen our definition of beautiful. And we need to realize that if we don't already think we're beautiful, it's not because we aren't, but because we have a warped sense of what beauty is. In my opinion, YOU are beautiful because you are unique. Your beauty comes from what you provide to others in life, it comes from your smile and your laugh, your joy and your compassion. Your beauty comes from your ability to show others a different way to see the world. Your beauty comes from the things you accomplish, the power you have within yourself to achieve whatever you want to achieve. Beauty is in ones excitement, and happiness, and love.
I talked to a girl earlier this year, a young girl, early 20's, and she told me she wanted to lose 20lbs. I asked her, why? I looked her up and down and she wasn't heavy, and definitely didn't need to lose weight for health reasons. Her answer?
"Because then I'd be 20lbs lighter, and that's just better".
Devastating. How cruel we are to ourselves for believing the way we look can decide how we feel about ourselves. Let me ask you this: Do you think you'd be a happier person if you were 20lbs lighter? Really? If nothing else in your life changed, but you simply weighed less, you'd be a happier person? Why?
I use to think I was in the business of helping people lose weight. I'm happy that I no longer see my job as a trainer as being that insignificant. Instead my job is much more rewarding. I'm in the business of helping people become healthier, both physically and mentally. I'm in the business of helping people learn that happiness doesn't have to wait for a number on the scale. I'm in the business of helping people amaze themselves by accomplishing things they never thought they could!
My body is far from the image of perfection we've been sold by the media....and I'm fine with that. I am healthy, my body is strong, my body is flexible, I have great balance, coordination, and can run without feeling like I'm going to pass out, therefore my body is amazing. It does all that I ask it to, and then some. I keep focused on what my body is capable of instead of what it isn't, or what it looks like, and I am happy. No one can tell me that I shouldn't be happy because I don't weigh less. Can someone tell you that? Do you tell yourself that?
I honestly believe that happiness comes from having the right attitude about life, not about having a specific dress size. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and all our unique and therefore beautiful in their own way. Our attitude is what helps our beauty shine through. How do you get the right attitude? Well...exercise, ironically enough, can help. It helps us feel good about ourselves because we're looking after our bodies (not with the intent to lose weight, but to be healthy and strong). Also, keeping a positive inner dialogue toward ourselves and our life goes a long way to being mentally healthy, and therefore happy. Refuse to focus and obsess on what you consider faults. Don't compare yourself to others. Look at yourself with love and care like you would for anyone you are close to.
Losing weight can make you feel like you're happier temporarily, but it won't last if you don't change other behaviors in your life. And why wait to be happy? It's hard to do anything when you're depressed and negative! So start right now! Look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment! Do it daily. Talk nicely to yourself and focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. And impress yourself as often as you can. Try something new every 90 days, at least. Challenge yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Go for what you want in life! Follow your heart, speak up when you have something to say, and be true to who you are.
Live life beautifully. Live it happily, and fully.
I was at the Halifax Canfit-Pro conference in May, and one of the speakers mentioned that some of our clients may never feel like they are sexy or amazing...and that made me so sad. It's stayed in my head ever since. I think about my clients clients and wonder if they know that they're amazing. Do they know that they're beautiful and do they allow themselves to feel beautiful? And this applies to men too!
The truth is, we need to widen our definition of beautiful. And we need to realize that if we don't already think we're beautiful, it's not because we aren't, but because we have a warped sense of what beauty is. In my opinion, YOU are beautiful because you are unique. Your beauty comes from what you provide to others in life, it comes from your smile and your laugh, your joy and your compassion. Your beauty comes from your ability to show others a different way to see the world. Your beauty comes from the things you accomplish, the power you have within yourself to achieve whatever you want to achieve. Beauty is in ones excitement, and happiness, and love.
I talked to a girl earlier this year, a young girl, early 20's, and she told me she wanted to lose 20lbs. I asked her, why? I looked her up and down and she wasn't heavy, and definitely didn't need to lose weight for health reasons. Her answer?
"Because then I'd be 20lbs lighter, and that's just better".
Devastating. How cruel we are to ourselves for believing the way we look can decide how we feel about ourselves. Let me ask you this: Do you think you'd be a happier person if you were 20lbs lighter? Really? If nothing else in your life changed, but you simply weighed less, you'd be a happier person? Why?
I use to think I was in the business of helping people lose weight. I'm happy that I no longer see my job as a trainer as being that insignificant. Instead my job is much more rewarding. I'm in the business of helping people become healthier, both physically and mentally. I'm in the business of helping people learn that happiness doesn't have to wait for a number on the scale. I'm in the business of helping people amaze themselves by accomplishing things they never thought they could!
My body is far from the image of perfection we've been sold by the media....and I'm fine with that. I am healthy, my body is strong, my body is flexible, I have great balance, coordination, and can run without feeling like I'm going to pass out, therefore my body is amazing. It does all that I ask it to, and then some. I keep focused on what my body is capable of instead of what it isn't, or what it looks like, and I am happy. No one can tell me that I shouldn't be happy because I don't weigh less. Can someone tell you that? Do you tell yourself that?
I honestly believe that happiness comes from having the right attitude about life, not about having a specific dress size. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and all our unique and therefore beautiful in their own way. Our attitude is what helps our beauty shine through. How do you get the right attitude? Well...exercise, ironically enough, can help. It helps us feel good about ourselves because we're looking after our bodies (not with the intent to lose weight, but to be healthy and strong). Also, keeping a positive inner dialogue toward ourselves and our life goes a long way to being mentally healthy, and therefore happy. Refuse to focus and obsess on what you consider faults. Don't compare yourself to others. Look at yourself with love and care like you would for anyone you are close to.
Losing weight can make you feel like you're happier temporarily, but it won't last if you don't change other behaviors in your life. And why wait to be happy? It's hard to do anything when you're depressed and negative! So start right now! Look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment! Do it daily. Talk nicely to yourself and focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. And impress yourself as often as you can. Try something new every 90 days, at least. Challenge yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Go for what you want in life! Follow your heart, speak up when you have something to say, and be true to who you are.
Live life beautifully. Live it happily, and fully.
Wednesday, June 29
Changes to the Fit Camp!
Ok, so moments after my last post I heard back from the City of Charlottetown, only to find out that I'm not able to do ANY of the classes on Monday, July 4th, due to the visit from Will and Kate! Darn! But it's okay, we'll start on Wednesday instead and all of the classes will be held at Confederation Landing Park as per the schedule listed in my last post. It will be well worth the wait, everyone! Don't worry :) Enjoy your extra days off and get yourselves pumped and ready to go for Wednesday!
Email me if you have any questions!
Email me if you have any questions!
Summer Session Fit Camp!
My new summer Fit Camp session is starting in just a few days! Monday, July 4th, marks the beginning of a new and powerful 8 week program that's designed to teach you how to live a balanced, active, healthy, and maintainable lifestyle!
The classes for this session will be held at Confederation Landing Park on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:15am, noon, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm. I'm also going to offer a cardio-based class on Saturdays at 10:15am that will be open to the public for $5 and can be used by all Fit Campers as a make-up class for any missed during the week.
This session will include the regular 24 Fit Camp classes, newsletters, a free hot yoga class to try out at Pure Spa, a schedule to take home that will include workouts to do on your off days, as well as a discount on the next camp. The schedule will show progressions from week one to eight so that you're increasing your intensity in a gradual and consistent method to achieve optimal results.
The Fit Camp costs $240 and is more than worth it! You can pay up front by cash or cheque, or in two installments (second installment by post-dated cheque). I also allow for two day registration if you can't attend three times a week.
The Fit Camp program is open to anyone over the age of 16 who would like to improve their overall quality of life! Whatever your goal is, this program can help you achieve it. If you sign-up you can also sign-up your spouse for half price! We use various types of equipment and no two classes are ever the same. Each class focuses on the body as a whole, which is the most effective type of training and delivers the best results.
So, what are you waiting for? To register, email me at embodyfitt@gmail.com, call 367-4929, or just show up on July 4th ready to go! Your first class will be reserved for completing registration, getting your measurements taken (if you want to), and our fit test. Due to the Royal couple visiting Peake's on July 4th, there will be no class at noon, instead that class will run on Tuesday, July 5th at noon. All you need to bring is a mat and a water bottle!
Hope to see you!
The classes for this session will be held at Confederation Landing Park on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:15am, noon, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm. I'm also going to offer a cardio-based class on Saturdays at 10:15am that will be open to the public for $5 and can be used by all Fit Campers as a make-up class for any missed during the week.
This session will include the regular 24 Fit Camp classes, newsletters, a free hot yoga class to try out at Pure Spa, a schedule to take home that will include workouts to do on your off days, as well as a discount on the next camp. The schedule will show progressions from week one to eight so that you're increasing your intensity in a gradual and consistent method to achieve optimal results.
The Fit Camp costs $240 and is more than worth it! You can pay up front by cash or cheque, or in two installments (second installment by post-dated cheque). I also allow for two day registration if you can't attend three times a week.
The Fit Camp program is open to anyone over the age of 16 who would like to improve their overall quality of life! Whatever your goal is, this program can help you achieve it. If you sign-up you can also sign-up your spouse for half price! We use various types of equipment and no two classes are ever the same. Each class focuses on the body as a whole, which is the most effective type of training and delivers the best results.
So, what are you waiting for? To register, email me at embodyfitt@gmail.com, call 367-4929, or just show up on July 4th ready to go! Your first class will be reserved for completing registration, getting your measurements taken (if you want to), and our fit test. Due to the Royal couple visiting Peake's on July 4th, there will be no class at noon, instead that class will run on Tuesday, July 5th at noon. All you need to bring is a mat and a water bottle!
Hope to see you!
Tuesday, June 14
Free Classes!
I'm going to be starting a brand-new session of my popular Fit Camp program on July 4th and I am offering 2 FREE classes on Monday, June 27th, so you can come try it out! The free classes will run at Confederation Landing Park at noon and 5:30pm.
This is a great opportunity for you to come and meet me if you haven't already, learn about the upcoming Fit Camp program (and register if you want to join), and also get in an awesome, fun, and dynamic workout! All you need is a mat and a water bottle, I'll take care of the rest!
I welcome and encourage people of all fitness abilities to attend. Come, bring a friend, your spouse, parent, coworker; everyone will benefit from some fresh air, good music, and a great sweat!
Ask yourself, "what do I have to lose?!"
This is a great opportunity for you to come and meet me if you haven't already, learn about the upcoming Fit Camp program (and register if you want to join), and also get in an awesome, fun, and dynamic workout! All you need is a mat and a water bottle, I'll take care of the rest!
I welcome and encourage people of all fitness abilities to attend. Come, bring a friend, your spouse, parent, coworker; everyone will benefit from some fresh air, good music, and a great sweat!
Ask yourself, "what do I have to lose?!"
Wednesday, June 1
Becoming Your Best!
I attended the Can-Fit-Pro 2011 Halifax Conference last weekend and one of the lectures was about how to become your personal best. Everyone has a different definition of success, but despite all of the different definitions, this holds true: success is balance in all areas. Below are some steps to discovering what is your best, and achieving it.
1. Create a map for your life. If you don't know what you want, how can you achieve it? If you don't know where to go, how can you get there? Sit down and decide what your perfect life looks like. Write down where you want to be, what you want to be, and how you want to feel. Then, start taking steps right away to achieve the end goal. Don't wait! Do something, even something small, everyday to work towards your ideal life.
2. Exercise. Of course, this is an important one! It's hard to be great if you don't feel great. Exercise daily to feel strong, confident, motivated, and like you can take on the world! Energy creates energy!
3. Eat like a champion! This doesn't mean eat everything in sight. This means eat well- get proper nutrition to fuel your brain and your body!
4. Try something new every 90 days. Surprise yourself regularly by learning something new about yourself. Experience new things regularly to grow as a person, and you will become a better person! Go dancing, try rock climbing, go see a play, audition for a part in a play! Whatever you can think of! Just go for it!!
5. Surround yourself with amazing people. Keep people around you that build you up, inspire you, and motivate you to achieve your goals. Try not to surround yourself with people who bring you down.
6. Stay positive! Don't be one of those people that others don't want to surround themselves with! Positivity can be challenging on hard days, but put your struggles into perspective. Often times we find it easier to think "poor me" and blame others for our challenges, but really, challenges are what help us become more capable! I'm not saying you have to be fake, but you may have to fake it until you make it! Positivity is contagious. Smile as often as you can and people around you will smile too, and that just feels good :)
7. Have fun. Life is short, way too short to live too seriously. Be silly, laugh at yourself, and don't sweat the small stuff! Play, dance, sing, and enjoy yourself.
8. Don't let set backs set you back. Set backs are a part of life. It's very rare that anything worth doing comes easily to us. We have to work on obtaining our goals, and that's what makes achieving them so satisfying. If we let set backs stop us from moving forward, we will never get anywhere!
9. Become a lover of knowledge. We have access to unlimited amounts of information on just about every subject! The internet has given us the ability to learn about any topic with the click of a button. Start learning, your brain needs stimulation in order to keep working properly.
10. Lastly, live your dream. Live right now! Don't put it on hold anymore.
Dream Lofty dreams
and as you dream,
so you will become
So, what are you going to do today?! What it is, make sure you smile while you do it
:)
Have a happy Wednesday!
1. Create a map for your life. If you don't know what you want, how can you achieve it? If you don't know where to go, how can you get there? Sit down and decide what your perfect life looks like. Write down where you want to be, what you want to be, and how you want to feel. Then, start taking steps right away to achieve the end goal. Don't wait! Do something, even something small, everyday to work towards your ideal life.
2. Exercise. Of course, this is an important one! It's hard to be great if you don't feel great. Exercise daily to feel strong, confident, motivated, and like you can take on the world! Energy creates energy!
3. Eat like a champion! This doesn't mean eat everything in sight. This means eat well- get proper nutrition to fuel your brain and your body!
4. Try something new every 90 days. Surprise yourself regularly by learning something new about yourself. Experience new things regularly to grow as a person, and you will become a better person! Go dancing, try rock climbing, go see a play, audition for a part in a play! Whatever you can think of! Just go for it!!
5. Surround yourself with amazing people. Keep people around you that build you up, inspire you, and motivate you to achieve your goals. Try not to surround yourself with people who bring you down.
6. Stay positive! Don't be one of those people that others don't want to surround themselves with! Positivity can be challenging on hard days, but put your struggles into perspective. Often times we find it easier to think "poor me" and blame others for our challenges, but really, challenges are what help us become more capable! I'm not saying you have to be fake, but you may have to fake it until you make it! Positivity is contagious. Smile as often as you can and people around you will smile too, and that just feels good :)
7. Have fun. Life is short, way too short to live too seriously. Be silly, laugh at yourself, and don't sweat the small stuff! Play, dance, sing, and enjoy yourself.
8. Don't let set backs set you back. Set backs are a part of life. It's very rare that anything worth doing comes easily to us. We have to work on obtaining our goals, and that's what makes achieving them so satisfying. If we let set backs stop us from moving forward, we will never get anywhere!
9. Become a lover of knowledge. We have access to unlimited amounts of information on just about every subject! The internet has given us the ability to learn about any topic with the click of a button. Start learning, your brain needs stimulation in order to keep working properly.
10. Lastly, live your dream. Live right now! Don't put it on hold anymore.
Dream Lofty dreams
and as you dream,
so you will become
So, what are you going to do today?! What it is, make sure you smile while you do it
:)
Have a happy Wednesday!
Thursday, May 26
30 Minute SWEAT!
Looking for an intense cardio workout but a little short on time? Try out this routine:
After a 3-5 minute dynamic warm-up, perform each exercise for 1 minute, back-to-back. Rest for 1 minute after completing the last exercise and then perform it 2 more times.
Stutter steps: get your heels off the floor, stay on the balls of your feet! Keep your abs tight and go low to make it extra hard. Speed, baby! Go fast!!
Jumping Jacks: I'm just starting you off easy ;) But you get what you put into it! Get height, go fast, and make your range of motion BIG!
Jump Knee Tucks: Alright, here we go! Jump high and tuck both knees up toward your chest! Go as fast as you can! Land soft!
Plyo-Jacks: Start with your feet together, and hands at your sides. Jump up, opening your arms and legs as wide as you can, and then close them before you land! Land soft!
Burpees: Oh yes, the dreaded burpee! Jump up and reach your arms as high as you can, bending your knees as you land into a squat, hands to the floor, jump your legs back so you're in a push up position, then jump your legs back to your hands, stand and jump again. Burn, baby!!
Ski jumps: Keep your feet together, knees bent, lean over and jump side to side, using your arms for a big range of motion! Don't round your spine, keep your chest open, head up.
Side jumping high knees: Stand with your feet wide and alternate bringing your knees up at an ankle toward your chest. It's almost like jumping side to side, but lift your knees and go FAST!! Let your arms move too.
Cross punches: Ok, the roughest part is over! Get your heart-rate down just a bit so that you don't throw up when you go to the floor on the next 2! Punch corner to corner, twisting through your core. Keep your abs tight! Punch fast, punch hard!
Reptile: Get into plank on your hands. Pull your knee out wide toward your elbow on the same side. Keep your upper body still. Alternate legs and move as fast as you can. Ignore the sweat dripping off your nose!
Sit up/knee tuck: Perform a regular sit-up, but when you lean back, extend your legs straight out, heels on the floor, and when you come up, pull your knees into your chest, tapping your heels on the floor close to your glutes. You can have your hands at your sides for support if you need to, and you don't need to have your back actually touch the floor to feel it! If you can't do a full sit-up, just lean back as far as you can and it'll still work great! You can also do one leg at a time.
Ok, so there's my Sunday routine when it's too yucky to go for a run or when I'm short on time! If you're really short on time, you don't have to do all 3 rounds! Anything is better than nothing, so do what you have time for. Each round only takes 10 minutes if you don't break between exercises. This is also a great workout to commit to if you don't feel like working out. Just tell yourself you only have to do 1 round, 10 minutes of work, and then you can go back to the couch! Once you start, you may find you want to do the other 2 rounds! But if you don't, at least you did something :)
Hope you like it! Let me know how you do on my Facebook group page- 'embodybia'
Thanks!
After a 3-5 minute dynamic warm-up, perform each exercise for 1 minute, back-to-back. Rest for 1 minute after completing the last exercise and then perform it 2 more times.
Stutter steps: get your heels off the floor, stay on the balls of your feet! Keep your abs tight and go low to make it extra hard. Speed, baby! Go fast!!
Jumping Jacks: I'm just starting you off easy ;) But you get what you put into it! Get height, go fast, and make your range of motion BIG!
Jump Knee Tucks: Alright, here we go! Jump high and tuck both knees up toward your chest! Go as fast as you can! Land soft!
Plyo-Jacks: Start with your feet together, and hands at your sides. Jump up, opening your arms and legs as wide as you can, and then close them before you land! Land soft!
Burpees: Oh yes, the dreaded burpee! Jump up and reach your arms as high as you can, bending your knees as you land into a squat, hands to the floor, jump your legs back so you're in a push up position, then jump your legs back to your hands, stand and jump again. Burn, baby!!
Ski jumps: Keep your feet together, knees bent, lean over and jump side to side, using your arms for a big range of motion! Don't round your spine, keep your chest open, head up.
Side jumping high knees: Stand with your feet wide and alternate bringing your knees up at an ankle toward your chest. It's almost like jumping side to side, but lift your knees and go FAST!! Let your arms move too.
Cross punches: Ok, the roughest part is over! Get your heart-rate down just a bit so that you don't throw up when you go to the floor on the next 2! Punch corner to corner, twisting through your core. Keep your abs tight! Punch fast, punch hard!
Reptile: Get into plank on your hands. Pull your knee out wide toward your elbow on the same side. Keep your upper body still. Alternate legs and move as fast as you can. Ignore the sweat dripping off your nose!
Sit up/knee tuck: Perform a regular sit-up, but when you lean back, extend your legs straight out, heels on the floor, and when you come up, pull your knees into your chest, tapping your heels on the floor close to your glutes. You can have your hands at your sides for support if you need to, and you don't need to have your back actually touch the floor to feel it! If you can't do a full sit-up, just lean back as far as you can and it'll still work great! You can also do one leg at a time.
Ok, so there's my Sunday routine when it's too yucky to go for a run or when I'm short on time! If you're really short on time, you don't have to do all 3 rounds! Anything is better than nothing, so do what you have time for. Each round only takes 10 minutes if you don't break between exercises. This is also a great workout to commit to if you don't feel like working out. Just tell yourself you only have to do 1 round, 10 minutes of work, and then you can go back to the couch! Once you start, you may find you want to do the other 2 rounds! But if you don't, at least you did something :)
Hope you like it! Let me know how you do on my Facebook group page- 'embodybia'
Thanks!
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