4-week Challenge: Jenny’s Week 2 Update – “Keep Calm and Carry On”

Happy Friday!  Jenny has just wrapped up week 2 of her 4-Week Challenge.  Try the challenge for yourself and stay motivated by keeping up with Jenny’s progress!

       

Jenny’s Week 2 Progress Report:

Week Two: Øv! (as we say in Danish – think: “Ugh” in English :)) Do I feel good about this week? Eh. I pushed myself hard – but not as hard as I felt like I could. I was busy and stressed and spent most of the week trying to catch up with everything and everyone. Should I cut myself some slack? Probably so. For me, working out is just as much mental as it is physical; Maybe it is my history in the fitness industry and/or maybe it is my need to push myself in some way (the feeling of progress), but I know that my mood, happiness, overall ability to handle stress and focus, all rely heavily on my ability to workout in one way or another.

At the same time, I also have to realize that I’m not 21 anymore, and cannot push myself to the same limits as I used to – and some days, that is hard for me to accept. My body responds and changes much more slowly than it used to, and this can be hard for someone like me who is so impatient. So even though I feel stronger and ‘tighter’, the way I feel about the week is not as positive as I’d hoped for. I’m trying to remember that results take time, and patience is key. I know that many people might give up when they feel like this, but that isn’t really my style 🙂

On a positive note, I did take Brit’s advice and started adding protein to my breakfast.  Usually its egg whites or a whey protein shake (see pics above).  I can tell that the protein helps me feel fuller and keeps me from overeating later in the day.

I did Brit’s killer legs workout on Monday and could barely walk on Tuesday. I think maybe its better for me to do legs when I have a day off the next day, because Spinning the next day was hard (and then cardio and Pilates the day after that!), and they probably could have used a recovery day. Seriously, four days later my legs are still sore – and they haven’t been this sore since I can even remember!

Now I’m off to a weekend in Malaga.  Do I feel 100% beach ready? Not exactly. But I am going to go have a good time, and keep focused on my goals. This will be an interesting week, as maintaining diet and exercise can be challenging on vacation – and it is important to strike a good balance. I tend to have an “all or nothing” personality, so this should be good personal challenge 🙂

-Jenny

Brit’s Advice for Jenny:

  • Do your best to stay on the plan during vacation.  There are several alternative workouts on Grit by Brit, like my Keepin’ Trim While Travelin’ hotel gym workout.  Also hiking, walking and being active in general we keep you in good shape.
  • Don’t be so hard on yourself.  Focus on the positive.  You are kickin’ butt by doing your workouts and incorporating healthy habits (like protein at breakfast)!  Just take things one day at a time try to make each day healthier and more active than the day before.
  • The half-way point is always the make or break.  Don’t be like most people and give up if the numbers on the scale aren’t budging.  All things take time, so keep calm and carry on 🙂

If you missed Jenny’s Week 1 Progress Report CLICK HERE to catch up!

 

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How bad do you want it?

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, THEN you’ll be successful.”

Happy Friday – the weekend is almost here!  As you end one week and start another, I challenge you to think about what you “REALLY” want out of life.  Everyone says they want to be fit, healthy, happy, successful…but think about the SPECIFIC things you want  and HOW BAD you really want them.

As a fitness instructor, I hear people tell me over and over again, “I really want to lose weight” or “I really want to get in shape.”  They want these things for several reasons:

  • Health benefits
  • Longer life
  • More energy
  • Wear cute clothes
  • Increase self-confidence
  • Better dating life
  • and the list goes on and on…

But the question isn’t, “How bad do you want these things?”  The REAL question is, “What are you willing to SACRIFICE to get these things?”

A friend of mine sent me this video which pretty much sums up the essence of the 2nd question and the essence of GRIT.  Watch, listen closely to the man speaking in the background (especially at the end) and think about how hard you are willing to work to get what you REALLY want.  Because whatever you desire, YOU CAN HAVE IT!




[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ&w=560&h=315]

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Les Mills Body Pump Review: Pump ON = Fat OFF

  • 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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Every Damn Day…JUST DO IT!

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

  • 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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