5 days til...Flirty Girl Fitness!

The FlirtyGirl take over will begin in ...

Location: Clayton State University
Program: FlirtyGirl Fitness - Booty Beat
Premiere Date: 1/20/2011
Premiere Time: 6:35 PM
Countdown: Delayed

Location: Georgia Institute of Technology
Program: FlirtyGirlFitness - Booty Beat
Premiere Date: 1/18/2011
Premiere Time: 6:45 PM
Countdown: 5 days

To get you ready for the FLIRTYGirl invasion at your gym I will be posting little sneak peaks of the FLIRTYGirl Fitness:Booty Beat program throughout the week.

What is All About Abs?

All About Abs includes dances that incorporate movements focused on using the entire abdominal area. In this dance you will work you low back, you internal and external oblique, and the transverse abdominals.

One of my favorite Vol.1 moves is the Cork n’ Crunch, it works the muscles of the internal and external oblique, to work these muscles you have to crunch and twist the abdominals. For this move you need to tap into your Friday night club dancer. Hands at the head tussled up in your hair, bend at the hips, left, right, left, right, now that you’re in a low squatted position, squeeeeeeze the glutes and twist your hips up to a standing position.

I will be teaching at Georgia Tech and Clayton State, but you may have the opportunity to get Flirtified at a studio near you. For instructor info and other locations check out the website at flirtification.com .

Get FIT - Have FUN - Feel FABULOUS!

Next Time... Legs & Booty...

Health and Happiness

-L-

Snow Days = In Home Workouts

Wow, So Georgia was hit with the most snow it has seen in a decade.  Real, stick to the earth, cause roads to shut down, shut down the state for 3 days snow!
 
(retrieved on the date of 1/13/11 from ajc.com )

So what does one do with all that free time - 3 a day workouts of course!
 My 3 best friends this week have been Kettle bell, EA Active 2 for the PS3, and FlirtyGirl Fitness DVDs.

FlirtyGirl Fitness
I have been loving my FlirtyGirl Fitness workouts, each day a new DVD.  Mastering the moves and getting my flirt on.  I can burn from 500 to 700 calories per 60 minute workout.  I was so impressed with how sweaty I got from just dancing, but of course I don't just dance it, I work it, giving every move all I have.  So sweaty and hello hamstrings and low back, all that ab rolling and dropping low really hit those neglected area. It was really nice to be doing a workout I could have fun with, and fun checking myself out in the mirror while I do it ;-)

EA Active 2 for the PS3
So this was one of my Christmas gifts, and I have been having sooo much fun with it.  This week I worked on the 21 day Cardio Kick Start program, it includes, mountain biking, sprints, basketball defensive drills, soccer drills, cardio boxing, cardio intervals, and full body strengthening.  The medium workouts only last about 20 minutes and burn between 100 and 200 calories.  Yesterday I tried out the Core and Crunch 30 minute Cardio/Core routine, it was intense and I burned just over 200 calories.

Kettle Bell
I am staying on track with the 4 day program from "Enter the Kettle bell" - T. Pavel.  I have gotten up to 30 consecutive swings with a 25lb bell before I take my recovery.  I have progressed to a full get up, I dropped the weight down to a 15 bell.  My back and hamstrings have adpated well, I have had minimal soreness compared to week 1.

The hardest part of the snow days has been not over eating.  We should not have bought all this snack food.  Chips and cupcakes are calling my name, ick.  If it is not in the house I do not eat it.  But, suddenly the threat of snow and you grab non-perishable tasties.  I have managed to keep the weight loss going even with the temptations around.  If I can just avoid diet sabotage I can make it through my 4th snow day at home.

Time to get in my daily of Flirty Girl, then a little EA, and some Get Ups....oh fitness you keep me sane.
Bad weather is no excuse to not get in your workouts, you just have to get creative.

Health and Happines

-L-

Flirty Girl...6 days to go!!!

The FlirtyGirl take over will begin in ...

Location: Clayton State University

Program: FlirtyGirl Fitness - Booty Beat

Premiere Date: 1/20/2011

Premiere Time: 6:35 PM

Countdown: Delayed

 Location: Georgia Institute of Technology
Program: FlirtyGirlFitness - Booty Beat
Premiere Date: 1/18/2011

Premiere Time: 6:45 PM

Countdown: 6 days

To get you ready for the FLIRTYGirl invasion at your gym I will be posting little sneak peaks of the FLIRTYGirl Fitness:Booty Beat program throughout the week.

What is Ultimate Upper Body?
The Ultimate Upper Body includes dances that incorporate movements focused on using the upper body.  One of my favorite Upper Body moves is the Britney, it works the muscles of the upperback, the lateral, posterior, and anterior delts, as well as heightens the heart rate.  The move includes a hug across the chest, opening the arms, arms shoot up, arms press down, and feet hop side to side.  Tap into your inner pop diva for this move.  It is a fun sexy move and a great way to kick off the BootyBeat program. 

I will be teaching at Georgia Tech and Clayton State, but you may have the opportunity to get Flirtified at a studio near you. For instructor info and other locations check out the website at flirtification.com .

Get FIT - Have FUN - Feel FABULOUS!

Next Time... All About Abs...

Health and Happiness

-L-

FREE 12-Week Workout Program from ACE

2011 Kick Start Workout Guide

(photo retrieved from acefitness.org, from ACE article Kick Your Way to Fitness)

So it is the NEW YEAR, which for most people means – RESOLUTIONS! If one of your resolutions was to lose weight, gain muscle definition, or improve your health the fitness professionals at the American Council on Exercise have designed a FREE 12-Week Program for YOU. The best part, yeah I already covered that it was free, so the 2nd best part, the exercises come from the ACE Fitness Library so they come with pictures and videos of all the moves. I know how frustrating it is to see a still photo or anatomical description of an exercise and have noooo idea how to execute it properly. So these videos are definitely a bonus for the beginner exerciser or for any exercises that are new to you.
Below is the contents of the Health e Tips newsletter I received.

“Ready to get fit for the New Year? Looking for a workout program that's safe, effective, reliable - and one that you will stick to? This easy-to-follow 12-week fitness program developed by the experts at the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is designed for the beginner in mind, but can even be used by the more-advanced fitness enthusiast to supplement any exercise program.

Designed to be done anytime, anywhere with no equipment necessary, the first 4 weeks of the program will help you develop a stable core along with strength and mobility in the hips using a 30-minute workout and 15-minute walking program. Throughout the program you'll build total body strength, enhance cardiovascular endurance, gain muscular definition, lose weight, improve health and increase energy. What better way to start the New Year!” – ACE, Health e Tips Newsletter, 12/29/10

So does this sound like a program that could be right for you? Well the 1st for weeks are posted now! The next workout won’t be posted for another 4 weeks in February. Are you ready to make a change? Yeah you are!

Click to Join the workout!

Countdown to FlirtyGirl Fitness!!!

The FlirtyGirl take over will begin in ...

Location: Clayton State University
Program: FlirtyGirl Fitness - Booty Beat
Premiere Date: 1/13/2011
Premiere Time: 6:35 PM
Countdown: 8 days

Location: Georgia Institute of Technology
Program: FlirtyGirlFitness - Booty Beat
Premiere Date: 1/18/2011
Premiere Time: 6:45 PM
Countdown: 13 days

To get you ready for the FLIRTYGirl invasion at your gym I will be posting little sneak peaks of the FLIRTYGirl Fitness:Booty Beat program throughout the week.

What is Booty Beat?
Booty Beat is a cardio intense dance based class that works the entire body.  The routine is broken down into 4 different themes: Ultimate Upper Body, All About Abs, Legs & Booty, and Kick-Ass Cardio.  Each theme is considered a dance and includes 4 different foundations moves.  The foundation moves are learned in short easy to learn 32 count combinations.  The dances are layered to form a circuit that get the heart pumping and strengthens the entire body.  Circuit 1 you learn the moves and Circuit 2 you work it, full speed, adding your own attitude and flair.  Classes last about 51 minutes, expect to work up a sweat, and feel confident and flirty in the process!

I will be teaching at Georgia Tech and Clayton State, but you may have the opportunity to get Flirtified at a studio near you.  For instructor info and other locations check out the website at flirtification.com .

Next Time... Ultimate Upper Body ...

Health and Happiness

-L-

I Heart You Pavel

Enter the Kettle Bell

So I got it in my competitive lil brain of mine that this year I would enter my 1st bodybuilding competition, well I thought I had until February, but the workshop is in 4 weeks, January 29th, and I am not in any shape to be in a 2-piece let alone a 1-piece bathing suit for preliminary judging, nuh uh.  So I need something intense to kick my body into high gear with little time commitment.

So - enter the Kettle Bell - you lovely piece of iron that peaks my heart rate and attacks my back, legs, shoulders and abs.  Could you be my solution.  According to Pavel and recent ACE research on the caloric benefit of kettle bell training, you could be my secret weapon.  I was already planning to do this workout, but now I have an added incentive for sticking with it.

So for the next 4 weeks I will be conducting a workout from Pavel's "Enter the Kettle Bell" that combines swings (pull) and get ups (push) for hopefully a winning combination.  Pavel's philosophy is focus on form, keep it simple, keep it intense, and combine push and pull exercises to get an intense full body exercise.  The workout I'll be conquering the next 4 weeks is the 12 minute man makers and 5 minute get ups, 2 sets a week, 4 days, maximal intensity. 

So here's the workout plan:

Program: 12 minute MAN MAKERS
Frequency: 2 days a week
Intensity: complete as many swings as possible with good form, when form fails go into an active recovery exercise of jumping rope or jogging, then go back to swings
Time: 12 minutes, not including warm up stretches and cool down stretches
Type: Kettle Bell swings - a power and cardio PULL move that taxes the entire body: legs, low back, abs, shoulders, and upper back

(photos courtesy of acefitness.org pdf article on Kettle Bells, features the ACE version of 1 arm swing)

Program: 5 minute GET-UPS
Frequency: 2 days a week
Intensity: no more than 5 consecutive reps per side, take a break or move into partial get ups if form begins to suffer
Time: 5 minutes, not including warm up stretches and cool down stretches
Type: Kettle Bell Get-Ups - a strength and power PUSH move that taxes the core: low back, abdominal, upper back, and shoulders

(photo courtesy of acefitness.org pdf article on Kettle Bells, features ACE version of Half Get-Up)

Yesterday I completed my 12 minute Man Makers. It felt great during, I mean it was hard I was swinging away with a 25lb Bell but it felt good, I felt powerful, tapping into my inner amazonian woman.  Today, I felt like I worked hard, it woke up my hamstrings and inner thighs, my low back, and my upper back are all chanting Pavel's name as I strut around the office.  As long as I don't sit to long I am golden.  Tonight I try the Get-Ups, and I look forward to the challenge.

Health and Happiness

-L-

Welcome 2011!!! Year End Wrap Up

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, things got really busy after Thanksgiving.
Basically stopped running after the 1/2 Marathon. Wrapped up my finals for classes, yaaaaaay, an A in budget and finance, a B+ in Biomechanics, a B+ is a sad A- . 

I took a 2-day sports nutrition seminar and got multiple really great resources, and 2 new books: Sports Nutrition Guidebook and Food Guide for Marathoners, and I got them signed (fitness geek alert). 

Nancy Clark is one of the premiere Sports Nutritionist in the industry and has collaborated with marthon icon Jeff Galloway (you will be hearing more about him in future blog's as I begin my marathon training).

Signed up to run a marathon in November. This will be my 1st marathon ever, Savannah Rock&Roll Marathon, I did not intend to run a marathon this year but when your fiance' says let's run marathon together you say YES :-).

Got hired on to teach FlirtyGirl Fitness at Clayton State University this semester.

It was a very Happy Holiday I got lots of new toys to play with:

- DVD: Enter the Kettle Bell

- DVD: Kettle Bell for Women - From Russia with Love

- Book: Essentials of Strength Training

- Game: EA Active 2 for the PS3

Looking forward to playing with my new toys and posting about them.

Goals for the New Year

- To achieve 20%  body fat by June 1st and maintain it through December 31, 2010 through exercise and diet changes
- To participate in my 1st Body Building Competition
- To complete 1 full Pull-Up by my wedding day

- To complete my 1st Marathon in under 5 hours by adhereing to a long term training program

- To get my ACSM Health and Fitness Specialist Certification

- To post at least 1 Training Tip a month to my blog

What are your goals for the New Year? Do you have a game plan? Hiring a qualified trainer or enlisting the help of a friends is a great way to get motivated and stay on track.

Happy New Year!!!

Health and Happiness

-L-