No more excuses, at home workout!

Being a mom and getting a workout in can be tough at times.  I am the first to admit that I can come up with every excuse in the book, but at the end of the day if I really want it I will make it happen.  The best thing you can do is to schedule your workout and make it routine.  It will then become second nature to get that workout in.  Say for example you work a 9-5 and find it hard to get your workout in.   Instead of making the usual excuses (I'm tired, I don't have time, etc) find a way to work it in.  You can find a gym that is close to your work and go right after work, have your pre-workout snack around 4 then head right to the gym.  If you go right to the gym, instead of going home then trying to get back out to the gym, you are more likely to get your workout in.  Before I had my daughter I made sure to schedule my workouts in, either before work when I worked a late day or after work for my early shifts.  Now that I am a stay at home mom, and I don't have a set schedule per se, I can find every excuse in the book to not workout.  However, I know that I am a better mom, wife and me when I am working out consistently.  My new routine is to get up early before my daughter is up and get my workout in.  That way I make sure to get it done first thing and there are no excuses later in the day that keep me from working out.  If there is a day that I have to workout when my daughter is up I still get my workout in, I try to make it fun for her too.  If I am doing crunches I will let her sit on my lap, it makes for some added resistance and she thinks its hysterical!  If she sees mommy having fun while working out, it will create a positive view for her about exercising to have fun and be healthy.  I know that one day (when she is old enough) she will ask, "Mom can you teach me that?", that day will be such a proud day for me.  I want her to feel strong secure and happy in her own skin.  The same way I feel when I am working out and doing good for me!  

My daughter 10 months old, watching mommy workout!

Whatever your situation, working mom, stay at home mom, career woman you can workout at home with no equipment and still get a killer workout in. 
 Here is my no excuses at home total body
workout:
Warm up- Jog in place 20 seconds, 15 jumping jacks, 20 arm windmills
Do this circuit 4 times through-
Push ups (modified on knees if beginner)- 20 reps
Crunches- 30 reps
Squats- 30 reps
Reverse lunge- 10 each leg
mountain climbers- 30 reps
jumping jacks- 30 reps
wall sits (knees at 90 degrees and back flat against wall)- hold for 20-30 seconds
*rest and repeat!
If you have time left (or energy) after this workout go for a walk in your neighborhood.  Shoot for a good 30 minute walk at a brisk pace.  As you get stronger and if you are ready for it you can add intervals of running and walking.  Remember it is all about the effort that you put it, if you work for results you will see them!

How do you make sure you get your workout in?  Please feel free to share your tips with me here!

Clean Eating for faster results...and a sample meal plan

In my last post I discussed an exercise plan to help you reach your goals.  However, if you just focus on exercise and do not have the correct nutrition plan you will not see the results that you want.  Exercise will get you the lean sculpted figure that you desire, but you have to eat right to shed off the fat so all your hard work at the gym can show.  When I first embarked on my fitness and nutrition journey I knew that my eating had to change.  I started to do some reading and came across "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno, this was before talk of clean eating was everywhere and people were still doing fad diets that were messing with their metabolisms.  Trust me, I have tried fad diets and they don't work.  The only thing that works, and I know because I have lived it, is hard work in the gym, eating the right foods at the right times and consistency!  Last week I covered exercise, so today lets talk about eating right for results and what clean eating really means.
Here is my take on what Clean Eating is: eating real whole foods and staying away from processed foods to help you rev up your metabolism.  When you put real whole food into your body it knows exactly what to do with it, it uses it to repair muscles (from those killer workouts) and it uses the rest for energy.  It burns "clean" in your body so there is nothing extra to be stored as fat.  When you eat highly processed food your body does not recognize it and will most likely store most of it as unsightly belly fat.  This is the opposite of what you want, especially since you are working your butt off at the gym! 

While eating clean you should also be eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism fired up.  I explain it to my clients like this- Your metabolism is like a fire, and you have to keep it fueled properly to keep that fire burning all day long, the best way to do this is to add the right fuel at the right time throughout the day.  If you go to long without the proper fuel your fire is going to burn out!        

So exactly what should you be eating and when?  The right mix of Complex Carbs (slow burning), lean protein, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables every 3-4 hours during the day.  Your last meal or snack should be 2-3 hours before your bed time.

Here is a sample of a clean eating day:
Breakfast (within 1 hour of rising):
Steel cut oats, cooked with water, top with blueberries and walnuts
scrambled eggs 
water

Morning snack:
mozzarella cheese stick
apple

Lunch: 
Mixed green salad topped with your favorite veggies
Grilled chicken breast
quinoa

Afternoon snack (pre-workout):
Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast
organic no sugar added peanut butter
banana

Dinner:
Mixed veggie stir-fry
Baked salmon

*Depending on what time you workout make sure to add a protein shake in also.  If you workout at night, it is okay to have a serving of complex carbohydrates otherwise no carbs after lunch if your goal is weight loss. 

This is a general guideline for clean eating, serving sizes will be different based on your specific needs and goals.  You can contact me if you are interested in a specific meal plan for your specific goals.  I am an NASM fitness nutrition specialist and can help you with your nutrition plan. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Post Workout Shake- Quick and Delicious!

It is important to refuel your muscles with protein within 45 minutes of your workout.  Adding a banana will help your body speed the process of getting the protein to your muscles and start the recovery process.
Thought I would share my quick post workout shake recipe:
2 scoops Sun Warrior Vegan Protein blend (note I am not vegan, but I can't process whey protein)
1 tbsp. organic coconut oil (the jar pictured was $15 at Costco!)
1/2 frozen banana
1 1/2 cups water
Ice
Blend till smooth and enjoy!
Nutrition information: 338 calories, 21g carbs, 17g fat, 33g protein

Feel free to share your favorite post workout recipe!

Thanks for stopping by!

Planning for Success! 4 Week Exercise Plan

When you are working toward a goal the first step is to make a plan.  If you are working toward weight loss then you need to set an exercise and nutrition plan.  One of my goals for myself is to lose some weight before I get pregnant with my second baby.  As you know, I gained more than I wanted to with my first (most of us do), and I want to be more conscious the next time around.  So I will share with you the first 4 weeks of my exercise plan.  I have a 12 week goal, but it is best to break it down into smaller time frames.  You can take this plan and customize it for yourself to meet your needs and your goals.  I do wear a heart rate monitor to track how many calories I am burning.  I usually burn about 400 on weights day in about an hour and 300 on cardio days!  *Disclaimer-My program is based on my more advanced level of fitness.  If you have not worked out in a while, or ever, please know that you will need to start slow.  Please feel free to contact or comment with questions! 

4 Week Exercise Plan

 * Always make sure to do a 5 minute treadmill warm up and cool down at 3.5 mph, also add some stretching after cardio. 

Day 1- Weights and Cardio

Chest and Arms

Circuit #1- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Incline Chest press - 15 lbs 15 reps

standing hammer dumbbell curl- 15lbs 15 reps

dumbbell kickbacks (use bench or ball)- 10lbs- 20

30 second toe tappers

Circuit #2- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

modified pushups- 20 or until failure

preacher curl- 20 lbs 15 reps (3 count on the eccentric contraction, the lowering back down)

bar tricep pressdown- 35lbs- 15 reps

30 second mountain climbers

Circuit #3- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Resistance band chest press- blue/grey- 20 reps

Resistance band cable curl- red- 20 reps

stability ball skull crushers- 5-8lbs- 15 reps

stability ball crunches- 30 reps

30 second kettle bell swings- 15 lbs

*Cardio- treadmill intervals- 2 mins at med pace, 1 min at fast pace (push your self)- repeat for 30 minutes.

Day 2- 45 minute treadmill intervals

Day 3- Back, shoulder and abs and cardio

Circuit #1- Repeat 3x though before moving to next circuit

Lat pull down - 70lbs- 15 reps

standing dumbbell shoulder presses- 8-10 lbs- 15 reps

dumbbell cross punches- 3-5lbs- 10 reps each side

bicycle crunches- 30 or until failure

Circuit #2- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Single arm dumbbell row (bench or ball)- 10-15 lbs- 15 reps each side

front to lateral raise- 5lbs- 15 reps

side plank holds- 30 sec hold each side

30 sec jumping jacks

Circuit #3- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Upright Kettle bell row- 15 lbs- 15 reps

Y-raises 3-5lbs- 20 reps

Resistance band rear fly- red band- 20 reps

plank hold with alt leg raises- 10 each side

*Cardio- Incline walk treadmill- 8-10 incline for 2 mins at mod slow pace, 1 min at mod fast pace, 30 sec at fast pace, repeat for 30 minutes

Day 4- Kickboxing & 1 mile treadmill run

Day 5- Legs and cardio

Circuit #1- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

walking dumbbell lunges- 10-15 lbs- 20 reps total

straight legged dead lift- 15 lbs 20 reps

standing calf raises- 20 reps

“air jump ropes”- 30 secs

Circuit #2- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Stability ball squats- 20-25 reps until failure

hamstring curl on Stability ball- 15 reps (try for 5 single leg reps at the end)

alternating side lunges- 10 each side

extended plank with knee drive and kicks- 10 each leg

Circuit #3- Repeat 3x though before moving on to next circuit

Seated leg extensions- 20-25 lbs- 15 reps

tube walks- red band- 10 reps each side

bridges- 20 or until failure

plank with alt leg taps- 30 seconds

*Cardio- treadmill or elliptical- 3 mins normal pace, 1 min med fast pace, 30 secs all out, repeat for 30 mins

Day 6- REST

Day 7- Yoga or REST

Stay tuned for my next post which will be my nutrition plan!
Thanks for stopping by!