#FitGeekFallFitChallenge

Fall is officially here! Have you declared a goal for October yet? I have:

10K Steps in the 10th month of the year!

Would you like to join me ?

This month I am hosting a Fall Fitness Challenge on Instagram! For $10 you can invest in your health and join me for cardio, consistency, community, and accountability. There will be weekly giveaways and anyone who completes all 31 days will earn 1 week of online Bootcamp!

The Challenge 

Complete 10K steps everyday for the month of October. If you are already crushing 10K steps this challenge is a great way to motivate others. If you have been struggling to meet 10K steps this is a great way to get consistent with your steps. You can use any device, even your phone to track your steps. Take a photo of your progress and share it by tagging me @certifiedfitgk and using the hashtag #FitGeekFallFitChallenge . Make sure you do both so that  your daily entry is counted.

I'll be sharing my progress daily on Instagram @certifiedfitgk . Every Sunday you will receive an email notifying you of the week's giveaway, winner, and tips to meet your step goals!

The Prize

Track your progress for 31 days and instantly earn 1 week of bootcamp! Prizes will be announced weekly! To be eligible for the grand prize be sure to start tagging your photos Oct 1st, registration for the Grand Prize is open through October 3rd. After that you can still register and be eligible for weekly prizes. If you miss a day you are still be eligible for weekly prizes.  Sign up now and start earning days towards your grand prize! 

Are you ready to join the 10K challenge?

Contact me here to join and stay moving and motivated in October!

Share with your friends and community!

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

Exercise Testing: 1 Repetition Max

We have 1 more week of baseline testing with my weight training group. We are finishing up Leg Press and Chest Press max testing this week. Then the last 3 weeks of the semester they'll learn and test Bench, Deadlift, and Squat. Some of my students are bored by the process, but baseline testing takes time and it makes programming so much more effective.

1 Repetition Max

The 1 repetition max is the test used to measure muscular strength in a muscle or muscle group. Strength is generally identified as the amount of external force that can be generated, or resistance lifted  in pounds(lbs) or kilograms(kg). Strength is usually determine between 1-5 reps. The 1RM represents 100% muscular effort through full range of motion with good posture.

5 to 8 Rep Max Tests

When I do my own testing I use a 1-5 repetition max protocol. But, when I'm dealing with new exercisers or unknown abilities I'll use the 5-10 RM. Most of my new exercisers are comfortable with a higher rep range and they are more likely to complete the reps through full ROM and with good posture. You can memorize the table below to easily convert your 5-10RM to your estimated 1-RM. The highlighted rep ranges are the ones I usually use.

Adapted from Green, D.J(ed) (2014). ACE Personal Trainer Manual: The Ultimate Resource For Fitness Professionals (5^th ed.). SanDiego, CA: American Council on Exercise.

How do I use my 1-RM

Based on my fitness goals I use a percentage of my 1-RM to design a more effective workout.

I usually work at 70% or 8-12 repetitions. Working at no less than 70% 1RM should provide enough resistance to promote increases in size and shape (hypertrophy).

Here is another handy table you can use to choose the %1RM to meet your goals

Adapted from Baechle, T.R. & Earle, R. W. (eds)(2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3^rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

That is why I love baseline testing. You could go into every session guessing how much weight you should be using and progress slowly. Or you could know your numbers at conquer your workouts with precision and get faster results.

Is strength testing part of your fitness program?

Try adding a strength test to your routine and retest every 4-8 weeks and see how you're progressing. If you need more hands on assistance with testing or programming you should work with a certified fitness professional to get you started. 

Health and Happiness,

L

What is in the Box: Bulu Box Review

I was provided a BuluBox subscritpion as part of my partnership with Fitapproach. I was not compensated but was provided a Box for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What is Bulu Box?

Bulu Box is a subscription service that share. Each month subscribers receive 4-5 vitamin, supplement, and healthy snack samples. If you love your sample you can purchase the full size product in the Bulu Box shop. BuluBox also offers a rewards program. Take a survey about the box you received and earn 10 rewards points. Every 50 points is $5 toward the purchase of any full sized products on BuluBox.com .

What Is In My Box

• A Healthy Snack
• Fusion All Natural Jerky, Lemon Pepper Chicken. A great on the go snack. Perfect for after the gym, or when I forget to pack a meal
• Supplements
• MovIt Energy Gummies. I have used sports beans during run training so I feel comfortable sampling the gummies. They have to taste better than sports beans and who doesn't love gummies!
• Runa Tea, Ginger-Citrus Guayusa Tea. I love ginger so I am looking forward to trying this blend.
• Simple Being Nutrition. I think this is a weightloss supplement. I don't do a whole lot of supplements anymore. So I'm not sure if I'll use this part of my box.
• Other
• Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream. This sample seemed a little random compared to everything else in the box. But, I am sure I'll be able to use it at some point. I'll keep that in my bag just in case.

Pro/Con of the BuluBox Subscription

My favorite part of my Box was the Jerky. I love Jerky, but I don't really try a big variety of brands. Bulu Box gave me a chance to try something I would not have sampled on my own. I also like tea, so I am excited to try RUNA. The Gummies will be a nice pick me up on long days too. I probably won't try the dietary supplement until I have done some thorough research and feel comfortable with my results. I am into food and fitness, but other supplements aren't part of my routine anymore. If you enjoy a low cost sampler, BuluBox might be right for you. As far as subscription boxes go I think I prefer knowing what I'll get or getting something via referral versus a grab bag style sample. 

Have you tried BuluBox or another subscription service?

Use the code SWEATPINK and get 50% off a 3,6,or 12 month subscription! 

Health and Happiness,

Larissa 

Be Well: Our Stay at Westin Hilton Head Spa and Resort

Why We Choose The Westin

My husband spent 2 weeks trying to get me to choose a resort for our anniversary trip. I had been preoccupied with preparation for the new job and new semester. We eventually came up with our list of must haves.

It needed to be:

- nearby, driving distance, preferably under 8 hours

- located on a beach, the hubs required sun, sand, and spirits 

- internet, I had just accepted a new position and I needed to be reachable

- affordable

The Westin fit all of these requirements and bonus, a fitness center, walking trail, and gear lending program. 

Beach Well: The Venue

What a beautiful resort! You walk in and the lobby smells sweet, fresh, and tropical. There was a bit of a wait at check in, we picked up all our hotel info and made our way to the room. 

The room was huge. We had a king sized bed that was so comfy it was like being wrapped in a warm hug. Their Hevenly Bed lived up to its name. We had a partial ocean/pool view and woke up to the relaxing sound of waves every morning. We also had a couch, table, and desk. A great set up for business travelers.

Eat Well: The Food

You know I loooooove a good meal. We sampled meals from every restaurant on site

The breakfast buffet from the Carolina Room included a variety of meats, breads, fruits, omelette bar and fresh juices. I am a big fan of buffet style breakfast so I can portion my plate to my needs. The buffet also included their fresh squeezed juices, I sampled:

- Celery, cucumber, line, & coconut water

- Lychee, banana, pineapple, & vanilla smoothie

I ate from the menu too, the crab cakes Benedict was light and very tasty.

For faster breakfast service eat our doors in the View 32 seating. The outdoor are serves the same menu as indoors, buffet too. If you don't mind some sunshine and a cool ocean breeze, it is the faster option.

We celebrated our anniversary with an upscale meal at 

3 spreads for out breads:

(olive tempanade, oil & herb, orange truffle butter)

Shecrab soup appetizer 

Salmon with artichoke hearts and roasted vegetables 

(Crispy Skin Atlantic Salmon with roasted lentils, artichokes, and poppadew coulis)

The hubs got fish and potatoes

(Garlic & Herb Crusted North Carolina Trout with potatoes)

Most expensive meal of the trip, but probably our healthiest meal too.

We eventually made a trip off site to "A Low Country Backyard Restaurant". A fun relaxed atmosphere with live music, delicious food, and fantastic moonshine cocktails.

This spot is very popular. When we arrived there was a 45-55 minute wait, or first available at the bar. We went with the bar and had a seat in less than 5 minutes.

My husband started with a moonshine cocktail, but I'm a purist so I went with the flight. 4 varieties of local and regional moonshine. If you have never sampled moonshine before I highly recommend trying the flight: Apple & Maple, Peach, Honeysuckle, and White Lightning

The food was really tasty too. My husband got Shrimp and grits, I ordered the flounder,grit cakes, and collard greens. Yum!

Our bartender Kim was great! If you get a chance check out A Low Country Backyard Restaurant. Sit at the bar for faster service and a great seat to enjoy live music.

Move Well & Feel Well: Fitness  & Spa Amenities 

I was really impressed with the variety of offerings at Westin. They have an online exercise library, perfect for a quick in room workout. 

They also have a small fitness center, enough for a full body workout and some cardio.

A mapped outdoor trail

And they offer a gear lending program with New Balance

If you forgot you fitness gear, or opted out to make room for other items Westin and New Balance can help you out. For $5 you can borrow a top, shorts, sports bra, socks, and shoes. They were out of shirts in my size, so they let me try the gear for free. 

We got off site again and got in my first kayak trip, on our second attempt. On our first attempt it was super windy, I have never kayaked, our tour guide recommended we come back the next day and hope for better weather. The next day was windier than the last. But, we had a larger group and there were only 2 of us that were inexperienced, so he said we could give it a try, if the water were to rough we'd stay in the calm parts. 

I'm in love with kayaking! It was on of the most beautiful and peaceful outdoor experiences I have ever had. Steering was a challenge and I would really like to learn to be more efficient with my stroke. It was so much fun and a outdoor recreation is great way to sneak in a workout. We took the 2 hour Guided Kayak Tour with Outside Hilton Head. Our tour guide was fun and knowledgeable, he did a great job keeping us safe, informed and entertained.

Our last day at the resort we treated ourselves to hot stone massage treatments at the spa. This was my 1st time with a hot stone massage. The treatment included placing and massaging hot stones over the body to relax the muscles followed by light traditional massage. It was very relaxing, but I prefer a deeper style of massage.

Our stay met all our needs:

- relaxing

- beach venue

- memorable

- variety of fitness options

- great food and drink

Have you stayed at the Westin Hilton Head? What should we checkout the next time we are in Hilton Head?

Healthy and Happy Travels,

Larissa

Best Moments From August

I know I have been a bit off the grid during by the month of August. Life has been been really exciting this past month. Here is a look at the highlights.

4 Year Anniversary Trip to Hilton Head

We celebrated our 4 year wedding  anniversary on the 13th. This year we changed it up and took a trip out to Hilton Head, South Carolina. It was our first time to Hilton Head and we loved it.

The hubs started the weekend with a beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers.

Then we made our way to the Westin Resort & Spa.

We sampled each of the restaurants and I tried out all the fitness amenities. I tried their NewBalance gear lending program, fitness center, walking trail, and spa. 

Full review on the blog Thursday.

Lecturer for APPH 1050

I can add Lecturer to my list of skills. I taught my 1st class as an instructor for APPH 1050 at Georgia Tech. I was up all night reviewing and editing slides. I was so anxious in the hours leading up to my 1st class. But, once I was in front of all 150 students, I found my groove. I felt so comfortable. I know the content, the challenging part will be finding creative ways to present the information to the students. Challenge accepted!

A first year said I made the class really comfortable and thanked me. Day made! Looking forward to this new journey. Being a fitness geek has its perks! 

Move It Monday Ambassador 

I became part of the Move it Monday family. Move it Monday is an international movement to encourage our communities to move more, beginning on Mondays. Excited to be part of this motivational group of fitness geeks.

What were your highlights for the month of August?

Looking forward to a great September. Football season is here and classes are in full swing. Ready for Fall!

Health and Happiness,

Larissa