Cyndi: Reflection: Physique Challenge

Cyndi: Reflection of the Show

Now that the spray tan has worn off and the professional pictures have been taken, I have had some time to reflect on everything I have learned. I was really nervous about the tan because I didn’t want it to look bad. It didn’t. Actually. It looked great on everyone that did it. Getting the professional pictures done was a special treat and I am glad that I can use them as a comparison now. It’s definitely a rare opportunity.

I thought that everyone was very supportive during the challenge. Nothing compares to the day of the show. All of us really were in this together and were supportive of each other. Even the audience was a great support system.

I also realized that I probably should have practiced the poses more. When I got up there and was nervous I was hoping to rely on muscle memory…unfortunately my muscles and I forgot some of the poses and had to wing it.

Overall though it was an unbelievable rewarding experience and I have since seen my fellow contestants in the gym keeping it up, which keeps me motivated as well.

Photos below by Nevin Brown Photography.

Cyndi: This Last Week and a Little Spoiler Alert!

Week 12

This is the last week and I am carb depleting. All of a sudden, everything I was eating during the challenge is now suddenly bad. It took away my oatmealL. While this is very doable for a short period of time, I can’t imagine doing this for a long period of time. I don’t usually eat a lot of meat. I had just gotten used to the chicken, turkey, and fish. But…it’s just for a week and totally worth it.

I was told that I would feel weaker and a little drained. At first I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right because I didn’t really feel too tired. Then I tried to lift what I usually lift and that didn’t work so well. I ended up having to cut my weight down and my reps. Ironically I felt good about it because it meant that it was working.

My final reading was really good too. That always keeps me motivated. I lost a total of 17 lbs. of fat and gained some 7 to 8lbs of muscle. My body fat index dropped 8%. Not only did I reach my goal, I exceeded it. I’m ecstatic.

I hope everyone gets the opportunity to come out and see what everyone in the competition has accomplished. Maybe you’ll decide to do the next one. If you see me around and have any questions, please don’t hesitate to approach me. 

Spoiler alert – I’m going to say DO IT!

Cyndi: The Road to Body-in-the-Works

Week 9

One of my favorite fall comfort foods is mashed potatoes. I could do red potatoes on my cheat day, but I figured it would be a good time to try mashed cauliflower. It takes less time than potatoes and requires no peeling. The recipe I wanted to try called for almond milk and mozzarella. I was out of almond milk so I used a suggestion from another recipe, which called for Greek yogurt. Not a great idea. The flavor of the Greek yogurt was not what I expected. Now that I think about it I am not sure I like the idea of the almond milk either. It’s a work in progress I guess….

I am still struggling with cardio, but am keeping up with the weights. Some workouts last longer than others. My back work outs seem to be over faster while arms, chest, and biceps take the longest. The introduction of negatives has also had some effects. My abs hurt for days after the pull ups with negatives. No joke – I sneezed and cringed. Guess that’s why they say, “No Pain No Gain”.

Week 10

This past week and a half has been extremely stressful. I was the maid of honor for my friend’s wedding, which has left no time for work outs. On top of that, I am also in the final stretch of a class for my masters and then there’s still chores so my house doesn’t fall apart. 

The wedding came first this week and even though I didn’t make it to the gym, I got a little lifting in with the 30 pumpkins we hauled, moving stuff from car to car, decorating, and general running around. I danced at the wedding and kept my diet up for the most part. I probably could have paid more attention to my macros, but I feel like I did a fairly decent job. My only regret is not making it to the gym, but I had a blast and looked pretty good too. ;-)

I will say, when I finally returned to the gym I felt behind. It’s like my muscles had lost some of their memory. It definitely took a few days to get back on track. 

From the Training Studio, a Word from Jasmin: Two Exercises You are Not Doing but Should

Two exercises you are not doing but should

(Not all exercises are appropriate for all.  See a trainer for a specified plan that is appropriate to your needs)

Turkish Get Up is a compound exercise which works your entire body in all three planes of motion. Turkish Get Up re-introduces developmental movement patterns (rolling, bridging, kneeling, squatting, standing) which some of us have lost due to today’s lifestyle (too much sitting and spinal flexion).

It promotes:

a) Lower body stability (knee) and mobility (ankle and hip),

b) Lumbar (lower back) spine stability

c) Thoracic spine rotation and extension,

d) Shoulder closed (“unloaded” arm) and open chain (“loaded” arm) stability;

e) Shoulder stability

f) Balance and Proprioception

g) And yes it does make you Super Strong

h) And yes it does burn a lot of calories

Kettlebell Swing is a ballistic type of exercise which purpose is maximal force production. In addition to maximal force production it develops entire posterior chain musculature (hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back) and abdominal wall. Kettlebell swing can be also used as a conditioning exercise. If you perform it for high reps (20 or more) it will increase your heart rate and burn about 20 calories per minute, which is equivalent to running at a pace of 6:00 min/mile (10mph)

To learn how to do these 2 powerful exercises sign up for our KB class on Mon-Fri at 7am

#flashbackfridayvideo 

Small Group Training!

Trainer Tips: 5 Reasons You are Not Seeing Results

5 Reasons You are Not Seeing Results By Jasmin Lepir

1. Inconsistency
2. Incorrect Intensity
3. You are suffering from case of F.A.D.D. (Fitness Attention Deficit Disorder)
4. You are doing someone else’s workout
5. You are in Love with your Exercise Selection

1- People who work on achieving a goal on a more consistent basis are more likely to be successful than people who do not. It is as simple as that. Fitness is no different. Consistency is a skill. And, just like any skill, it needs to be practiced on a daily basis. Some people are better at it than others. Hiring a Personal Trainer is a great way to stay consistent with your training.

2- Does the intensity of your workout match your goals? How about your frequency? Many gym goers train at the wrong intensity level. Check with one of our fitness professionals to make sure that you are working at the right intensity and getting the most out of your workout.

3- People are made to believe (by some genius marketing firms) that, if they want to see results, they have to do different things all of the time in order to “Confuse their Muscles.” By doing that, you never give your body enough time to see any of the results. Have a professional design you a simple plan and do it for 8 weeks.

4- Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, burn fat, jump higher, run faster or all of the above, you need your own plan. If you are doing something you saw in a magazine or online that promises all of this - you are doing someone else’s plan.

5- We all do this. We tend to do things we are good at. However, they may not necessarily be the most effective or most appropriate way to achieve your goal. More often than not, things we “hate” doing in the gym are the best things for us. Have a fitness professional assess your program and make changes if necessary.  

Cyndi: Physique Challenge: The Halfway Point Already!

Week 6

Midway Point. I can’t believe that we are already half way done. In some ways I’m getting anxious to see results and nervous about showcasing them in a bikini on stage. YIKES. I have promised myself that I will get on stage no matter what though. It definitely stays in the back of my head when I have the option to have an extra cheat. Either way, time is really flying by.

I have recovered from my week 5 setback and am back on track. This week, I was challenged by another contestant on our leg work out. It really pushed me and I lifted a lot heavier than I usually do. Another boost was when I did my measurements and lost 4% body fat, lost 7lbs of body fat and gained almost 4lbs of muscle. 

WIN!!!

An interesting experience was when my husband and I went to the Deerfield Fair. Turns out that Fairs aren’t that fun when you are on a diet…lol. I had a pickle (not fried) and a lemonade. Pretty dull. On the plus side I got to see draft horses. 

Introducing Cyndi! Physique Challenge Participant's Journey Through Body-in-the-Works!

Hello,

I’m Cyndi and I struggled with the decision to start the physique fitness challenge. Mainly I was angry with myself because I felt like I shouldn’t need a program and I should be able to educate myself. Turns out - I can’t, but that’s ok. If I really think about it, the concept is ridiculous. Fitness is such a complicated concept between the food and exercise - it is a science after all. The first thing I noticed was the amazing support group. Not just the other challenge participators, but from the others in the weight room in general. I’ve only been made fun of once for my bench press weight…oh and once for my front squats…but it was all in good fun. Overall, all of them are super nice and willing to help.

My overall goal is to lose weight and tone up. Those may seem simple, but I have struggled with losing weigh for a while. I have tried for a while, but always fell off the wagon because I saw no results. I hoping that this program will turn it all around for me.

I hope that my success can be an inspiration for future challenge participants and that I can help motivate the current ones as they motivate me.

Cyndi

Jesse: Fall is in the Air!

Sniff, sniff, sniff…. is that fall in the air? It smells like pumpkin spice and everything nice. I love me some pumpkin spice coffee, don’t judge.

Fall is here but where did my summer go? Who knew that dedicating myself to creating a better life would also mean that time would fly by. Summer classes taking away most of my yearly adventure time I feel like I am just getting started and now I have to return back to the books for the fall semester.

It is a lot more quiet now that all the young kids are back in school (don’t pretend you didn’t just nod your head and say ‘Thank Goodness’) so we can all really focus on our health and physiques before the holidays get here and ruin everything.

If only it were that easy, right? I know I have several classes this semester and me being the dedicated student that I am means that most of every day is filled with blocks of study or class time. So full, in fact, that if I am not at the gym by 530 every morning this semester then I can kiss an opportunity to crush a workout goodbye.

Such is the sacrifice I have to make right now. There is no opportunity to say ‘eh, I can do it tomorrow’ and if there was I wouldn’t feel right taking it.

My goals this fall is to continue to lose body fat even in the face of upcoming holidays. My first attainable step for that goal is getting in my workouts even if I have to wake up at the crack of dawn to do it. With this step I know that I will have a good start to the day allowing my body to burn its fuel at peak efficiency thus helping me study/learn better and lower my bodyfat at the same time.

As far as strength goes I still have goals I am going to try and reach. Those still are a 500lb dead lift, 500lb squat and 350lb bench press. Although, I am slowing down the speed at which I reach those goals so I can focus more on the kind of lifting that will help me burn the most fat (that is what I am trying to get rid of after all). Devon (You all know who Devon is right? If not you may want to find her! ) and I have decided to go with a higher repetition, lower rest between sets type of routines. So I will reach these goals but at a slightly slower pace.

So I now invite you to harass, hound, poke, or ridicule me if you do not see me in the gym working out by 530 in the morning. You’re not up at 530? Well that’s ok feel free to find me on Facebook or twitter and ask me if I made it to the gym. 

I’ll be honest.

See you at the gym.

Nutrition Corner: August is "Kids Eat Right" Month!

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring a healthy future for our children. Kids eat right month focuses on the importance of healthy nutrition and active lifestyles for children and families.

Shop Smart: To encourage a healthy lifestyle, get your children involved in selected in selecting the food that will appear at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table. 

Cook Healthy: involve a  child in the cutting, mixing and preparation of all meals. Even a snack can be healthy. They will learn about food and may be even enticed to try new foods.

Eat Right: sit down together as a family to enjoy a wonderful meal and the opportunity to share the day’s experience with one another. Research shows families that eat together have a stronger bond and kids do better in school and have more self-confidence.

Healthy Habits: Set a good example to help kids have great and healthy habits. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, choose lower sodium options, and make at least half the grains your family eats whole grains. For beverages, choose water over sugary drinks, and opt for fat-free and low fat milk.

Get Moving: regular physical activity is vital for strengthening muscle and bones, promote a healthy body weight, support learning, develop social skills, and build self-esteem. Kids are encouraged to be active 60 minutes a day.  Physical activity is also a great way to spend time together.

For more healthful tips, recipes, ideas, or tips on how to reevaluate your family's eating and exercise habits, visit your Registered Dietitians at The Works Health and Family Fitness Center, or log on to www.kidseatright.org.

Penny Glanville Matel, RDN, LDN, ACSM-CPT, ACE- AHFS, ACE-CPT

Member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Sandy: Moments of Awesomeness

Moments of Awesomeness.  

We’ve all had them, those moments that stir us up and completely change our state.  They are the moments that take you by surprise, throw you off guard, or just amp you up.  I call them Moments of Awesomeness.  I had one of those moments Saturday morning.  Mind you this was the first time I have come to the gym to work out since my run in with the triathlon last Sunday.  

I didn’t plan to take the week off, however my heel was barking at me, and I was just downright mentally exhausted.  So I allowed myself the time to rest it, and with each passing day I grew more tired, more stressed and ultimately more depressed.  Here are the facts, I have to work out… let me say that again, I HAVE to work out, every day, even if that just means going for a walk or an easy bike ride.  If I don’t do something every day I quickly fall into the pit of sadness and self loathing.   SelfLoathing might be a little too strong an expression, but I think you get the idea.

So I rolled out of bed and dragged myself to the gym Saturday morning to take a yoga class which was excellent by the way. I came out feeling energized and excited for more.  So I decided to go to the fitness room to do some cardio intervals on the Concept II Rowing Machine.  I don’t know if you’ve ever tried this piece of machinery, but if done correctly you can get a superb full body workout, both muscular and cardiovascular.  

I was rowing away and hit my fifteen minute marker when my body started up the debate with my brain, trying to convince it that I was done with my workout for the day.  My heart was beating fast, and my muscles were starting to get to that point of being out of the comfort zone.  So there I sat, looking at my phone, thinking of all the chores I needed to get done that day when I made the decision to be done.  Then in walks a beautiful lady, one of my friends from the FitWorks program.  I was thrilled to see her! I couldn’t participate in the August round ofFitWorks, and I felt as though I had abandoned her. Though here she was mutually excited to see me too!  

After I made a quick phone call home to make sure the world wasn’t crumbling without me, only to find that, not surprisingly,my incredible husband had it all under control and was somehow able to manage to get by without me.  So the decision to stay and work out was made and it was “Game On” for Susan and I.  The Moment of Awesomeness began.

Let me start by saying that I was done both mentally and physically before Susan walked in.  When I saw her though, my mood and mind set completely changed.  We amped each other up! We were encouraging and challenging each other to go faster and push harder throughout our workout.  We started with speed intervals on the treadmill, and we were both “woo-hooing” our excitement after each 15 to 20 second interval.Intervals that got faster with each round, and both of us reaching sprints that were faster than either of us had ever gone before!  

We then hit the weights and did a full body workout; three sets each, hitting every major muscle group.  It wasn’t till I looked up at the clock and realized that I had been at the gym for three whole hours that I had to make the sad decision to get home to my chores.  

I haven’t lost that high yet from our Moment of Awesomenessso many hours ago.  It was spontaneous, and wonderful to have an unexpected workout partner this morning.  I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am to have the opportunity to forge new friendships so quickly at the gym, surrounded by like minded, fantastic people. I look forward to seeing your smiling faces every time I go in.  Thank you all for being a part of my journey.  

And thank you Susan, for bringing me your smile, your friendship, and your motivation.