Just for Fun

Are you getting short changed in spin class?

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Me getting ready for ride #2 during cycle instructor training
Happy Sunday – I hope this posting finds you joyous and well! Today was a personal accomplishment because I officially became a certified indoor cycling instructor – woop woop!  That said, I learned a lot of useful info about spin classes and calorie burn in general, so I just wanted to share some of these nuggets of wisdom with you guys.  Hopefully, these facts will help you get the MOST out of your spin classes in the future 🙂
  1. Turn up the resistance – speed DOES NOT equal calorie burn!  In an effective cycle class, your legs should spin between 60-90 rotations per minute.  If you are cycling way above this, turn your resistance up!  When your legs are flying and your booty is bouncing around in the saddle, the bike  is just propelling you and you are getting short changed on calorie burn…not a good look!
  2. Don’t always trust the heart rate monitor.  Several factors affect our heart rate including hydration, stress, diet, room temperature, etc.  Therefore, just because your heart rate is in a certain zone, doesn’t necessarily mean you are working that hard.  In many cases, heart rate monitors over count calories burned and you are deceived : (
  3. Use a breath test.  The bottom line is this, the harder you work, the more calories you burn.  Therefore, use the breath test to quickly and effectively measure your exertion. Below are the 4 levels you should think about.  If you are trying to burn as many calories as possible, strive to spend at least 20-30 minutes of your class in zones 3 and/or 4.  You should never be back at Level 1 (breathing regularly)  after the warm up.  
  • L1 – Breathing regularly
  • L2 – Breathing fast, but comfortable
  • L3 – Breathing heavy, uncomfortable
  • L4 – Breathing very heavy, very uncomfortable – sucking air!
Whole class with our instructor after we got certified (that's me in the back with the shiny forehead, hehe)
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Arms, Home Workouts, Workout Reviews & Ratings

Les Mills Body Pump Review: Pump ON = Fat OFF

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  • Workout: Body Pump, Les Mills
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Calories Burned: 350-550
  • Focus: Total body muscle strengthening and toning
  • What is Body Pump?: A total body weight lifting class using a bar with weighted plates on each side.  There are about 8-10 music tracks and each one has a choreographed weight lifting routine to work a specific muscle group (i.e. legs, chest, back, biceps, triceps, etc.).  You can also buy the DVDs and equipment to do the class at home.
Brit gettin’ her “PUMP” on April 9, 2012

Commentary:  I try to go to Body Pump at least once a week and when I do, I always feel tight and toned.  The music is okay, def not amazing, but the workout is sick –  it’ll get you right.  I like this class because it’s an efficient TOTAL body strength workout. I appreciate that I don’t have go searching for a weight lifting routine for each body part, I can get it all at once – 1 hour and done.  Also, you do a ton of reps for each muscle group so bulking up is not an issue.  Instead, your muscles gain endurance and you even get a good sweat!

The Facts: Building lean muscle mass is not only great for your overall health and  fitness, it’s also a great way to speed up your metabolism aka BURN FAT!  Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the rate that your body burns calories while at rest.  RMR is directly related to your ratio of lean body mass.  This means, the more lean body mass you build, the more calories and fat you burn while at rest.  So get your PUMP ON and get the FAT OFF 🙂

Resistance training has been perhaps the most under emphasized component of the comprehensive weight loss program.  – Paula Besson MEd

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Just for Fun

Drinks “weighing” you down?

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Brit’s beverage epiphany: About this time last year, I had just finished working out and as I was leaving the gym, as usual, I bought a Gatorade.  For some reason, this day I read the nutrition facts: 200 CALORIES IN 1 BOTTLE?!?!  Geez, I just rode the elliptical for 45 minutes and I burned 450 calories. So drinking this Gatorade basically means I’m going to wipe out almost half of my work out!  From that moment on I decided – “I’m OFF Gatorade, yall can keep those.”  As a matter of fact, I’m done “drinking” calories.  If I have to budget my calories, I’d much rather spend them on eating some good food – AMEN?

The facts: You have to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to legitimately lose 1 pound.  The drinks on my “BAD LIST” carry anywhere from 90-220 calories, so if you consume about 3 a day, you could pack on an extra 600 calories!  That equals about 1 whole hour of moderate/high intensity cardio at the gym!  Or potentially an extra pound every week,  assuming you don’t burn it off.  Is it really worth it?

Commentary: Below is a list that I put together for myself to help me weed out “bad drinks.”  I kept it realistic and included some alcohol and juice options on the “GOOD LIST” even though they aren’t calorie free.  At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, “What do I want more, this Dr. Pepper or my long term fitness goals?”  Just making simple adjustments to your daily habits, like committing to only “GOOD LIST” drinks, can help you drop quick pounds.  Try it out and see for yourself  because  you work too hard to let your drinks weigh you down 🙂

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Workout Reviews & Ratings

Every Damn Day…JUST DO IT!

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  • Name: Nike Training Club (NTC)
  • Duration: 1 hour (if done in a group fitness class)
  • Calories Burned: 400-600
  • Focus: Total body conditioning + intensity intervals + athletic drills
  • What is NTC?: A total body athletic circuit set to music.  If you take NTC in a class, the instructors usually have pretty decent play lists going on in the background.  OR you can download NTC to your SmartPhone and sync your customized workout to your own playlist – sweet!  DOWNLOAD HERE NOW! The exercises and drills are very intense – Burpees, Mountain Climbers, Plank Rows, Split Jumps, Clap Pushups, Froggers, etc.
  • Commentary: I love this workout because it’s HARD and FUN.  As you guys know by now, any workout that makes me feel like a “real athlete” is def  “GRIT – worthy.”  To be honest, some of the drills I’d never do on my own because, let’s face it, they BURN!  But boy do they work!  When I’m on the road for work, I the use NTC iPhone app for a sick workout right in my hotel room.  It’s like having my own ePersonal Trainer.  With NTC there are NO EXCUSES – you can get high quality, free, fun workouts anytime, any day.  JUST DO IT!
  • The Facts: To truly change your body, you have to PUSH!  NTC is great for this.  Did you know that most young adults only begin receiving cardiovascular training and benefits after reaching 70% of our maximium heart rate?  To find your max heart rate take 220 – age = Max Heart Rate.  Now, multiply your max heart rate by 0.7 and that’s how many times your heart should beat in 1 minute during an effective workout!
Me and Alex (Co-founder of Sporty Afros) relaxing in the sauna after NTC on Friday, April 6, 2012
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Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

Track Workout: Shout out to my former athletes – still got it?

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  • Name: Former Athlete Fix by Brit
  • Duration: 45 min – 1 hour
  • Calories Burned: 500-700
  • Focus: Cardiovascular endurance, athletic conditioning, speed, plyometrics
  • Commentary: It’s Spring!  So you know what that means, let’s get outside and hit that track – what what!  I’ve been hanging and chatting with a lot of my old college bball teammates this week in NYC, which inspired me to put a workout together for all of the former athletes out there.  Sometimes, it’s fun to prove that we’ve “still got it.” Even if you’ve never played sports, this workout is a great way to SHOCK your body.  So grab a buddy, head to the track and go get it in!  Make sure to do the full warm up before you start – don’t want you pulling a hammy.  Enjoy 🙂

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Weight Loss

Top 5 reasons you AREN’T losing weight

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I know most of you are already hard working, disciplined people who make sure to get your workouts in and stick with a pretty healthy diet.  But when it comes to knocking off that last 5-20 pounds, it’s like nothing gives.

Well, I hear your pain.  Despite being active in sports and dance since I was 3 years old, I was def a fat kid growing up.  I weighed 106 pounds in 3rd grade…yeah it’s true.  I also struggled with my weight throughout middle school.  In high school I discovered Slim Fast and dropped about 15 pounds, but then after college I “fluffed up” again after I quit playing basketball.  Now, I’ve finally gotten to a place where I’ve figured out my body enough to really be able to drop weight and keep it off.

Even though I worked out a lot and ate relatively healthy, I identified 5 key reasons why I wasn’t losing weight.  See if any of these habits apply to you…

  1. I tried to be perfect – I have a super Type A (slightly neurotic) personality and would get really pumped up about a new diet plan or workout regimen.  However, if I slipped up even once, I’d beat myself up and end up quitting the plan altogether.  Now, I’ve learned to be nicer to myself.  Look, there will always be good days and bad days, but weight management is all about balance.  If I smash a burger and fries at lunch, that’s cool.  It just means I’ll have a small side salad for dinner followed by an extra 30 minutes of cardio.  Don’t take everything so seriously!  Just keep a mental note of what you are consuming and make sure that you always match your intake with calorie burn.
  2. I needed a reality check – They ONLY way I’m truly able to manage my weight is by weighing myself on a DAILY basis – yes daily!  Sometimes, you just need to see the numbers on the scale to give you a reality check.  If you actually see that you have gained 5 pounds, you will be more mindful of what you eat.  I challenge you to go to Wal-Mart, by a digital scale and weigh yourself every morning.  You will thank me later 🙂
  3. I ate too much – Even though I ate healthy food, I ate too much of it.  Therefore, it was really hard to burn more calories than I consumed, which is the ONLY way to legitimately lose weight.  You’ve heard it before, “eat until you’re satisfied, not until you’re full.”  Well it’s true – portion control is just as, if not more, important than food choice.
  4. I ate too late – Unless you are doing a hardcore cardio workout at 8:00pm, your body really doesn’t need that much fuel late at night.  Try to eat most of your calories early in the day so that you have all day to burn them off!  Think about it this way, everything you eat in the evening just kind of sits on you…not cute.  One of my favorite quotes is, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.”
  5. I didn’t drink enough water – So check this, most of the time you think you are “hungry” you are really “thirsty” due to dehydration.  Many of us get tricked into eating when our bodies really want WATER!  Your metabolism slows down when you are dehydrated.  Also dehydration makes you feel lethargic so you crave sugar and other simple carbs that make you fat.  Drink up, water is your weight loss friend!
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Arms, Home Workouts

Sexy Arms Circuit (without bulk)

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  • Name: Sexy Arms Circuit by Brit
  • Focus: Upper body muscle endurance and toning
  • Duration: 15-20 minutes
  • Calories burned: 50 – 150
  • Commentary:  Given my extensive experience evaluating celebrities walk the red carpet in sleeveless dresses, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are 3 keys to sexy toned arms:
  1. Reduce Body FAT – The reality is, the only way to look lean and sculpted is to get rid of excess body fat.  You know what that means – eat LESS and move MORE!  You can’t show off your sexy arms if excess fat is covering them.
  2. Sculpt Shoulders – The shoulders are the first part of the arms that people usually notice so it’s key to do several exercises that target the front, side and rear shoulder muscles.
  3. Tighten  Triceps – The back of your arms are the areas that tend to look the flabbiest.  So, always make sure that your arm workouts make your triceps feel strong and tight!

Below is my complete “Sexy Arms Circuit.”  I made this workout to tone my arms WITHOUT bulking them up.  You need to use light weights during the workout  (1-2 pounds in each hand) – soup cans are great for this 😉

Make sure to stand up with your back straight, feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent.  Do each exercise in the order below WITHOUT resting between exercises.  Repeat the entire circuit 3X, take a about 1-2 minutes of rest in between each circuit.  ENJOY and get ready to rock your sleeveless sundress!

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Just for Fun

2-week plan to nix 10 pounds

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I put this plan together to help me get ready for a wedding, during which I wore a very curve hugging bridesmaid dress.  I had great results, so I thought I’d share with you guys.  If you need to lean up really quickly, below is  my official 14 day plan to get it right and tight.  I like it because each element is actually a healthy habit as opposed to starving myself or taking diet pills.  It worked for me, see if it works for you!

EACH DAY DO THE FOLLOWING 5 THINGS:

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Dallas, TX

Studio Review: American Power Yoga (APY) – Power Yoga for “Spiritual Gangstas”

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Brit sneaking a pic before class 🙂
  • Name: American Power Yoga (APY)
  • Duration: 1 class = 1 hour
  • Calories Burned: 150-350
  • Focus: Flexibility, mind/body connectivity
  • Location:  Local power yoga studio in your community; Dallas APY Studio – 5400 E Mockingbird Lane
    Dallas, Texas 75206; APY DVDs for sale online here!
  • What is power yoga? This yoga method includes Kung Fu, Tai Chi and athletic movements to really challenge your body and mind.  The studio is warm (about 85 degrees) so that your muscles have the heat necessary to quickly get deep into the poses.  Throughout the class you flow continuously through various yoga poses and exercises.
  • Commentary: If you are like me and have an attention span of about 30 seconds, the thought getting through a Bikram yoga class is as appealing as watching paint dry.  Late last year I got a Groupon for APY, so I checked it out and have been going at least 2X per week ever since.  I like power yoga because it’s like “yoga for athletes” – the warm room and challenging moves give me a good sweat.  APY is definitely a “GRIT Worthy” workout!
  • The Facts: A person’s level of physical fitness is determined by 3 key factors: 1) Muscular Strength 2) Cardiovascular Endurance 3) Flexibility.  You need to have an adequate level of each in order to be “fit.”  Yoga is great way to ensure that you spend time focusing your flexibility.  However, according to my standards, yoga DOES NOT count as one of your cardio or strength workouts – you still need to get these in separately!
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Cardio, Home Workouts

Basic Body Burn

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  • Name: Basic Body Burn by Brit
  • Duration: 1 – 1.25 hours
  • Calories Burned: 300 – 500
  • Focus: Moderate cardio + total body light resistance training
  • Location: Hotel gym (any gym you want)
  • Commentary: Last week was crazy with work travel, leaving me pretty burnt out and lacking motivation to go to the gym and hit it hard.  So, I made this workout to do in my little hotel gym.  It gave me a low/moderate intensity total body workout that kept me active but didn’t wear me out.   At the end of the day, I felt really proud for not skipping my workout altogether 🙂  Now, this isn’t a workout you should stick with if you’re really trying to “get it in.”  BUT, it’s a good option for those days when you aren’t really feeling it or maybe traveling …enjoy!

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