I got the best workout top when I was in Utah.

I know it might sound silly, but every time my workout got really tough the other day, I would look down at my shirt, smile, and push ahead.

Pushing outside of our comfort zones (beyond the burn and pounding heart) is the only way to get stronger.

Well, I made sure that happened! Dan kicked my butt with this kettlebell workout:

There was very little rest, and at the end we were drenched… drenched in sweat.

For the squats above, we did half of the reps with the KB on one side, and the other half on the other.

Except for the final round, we did uneven squats! A heavier weight in one arm, and a lighter in the other (I had a 20lb and a 35lb). My eyes were filling with tears, so hard but so great!

I’m not the only one that is working it hard with weights.

Friendly Friday: Strong Is Sexy!

Here are some other women that are showing that it’s okay to grab a weight over 10 pounds and go into full #beast mode.

In fact, strong is sexy. Forget the saying that “strong is the new skinny”… that’s over used anyways. Strong is sexy. Strong is confident. Strong is feminine.

In true Friendly Friday tradition, if you have a blog or post that you want to share, please feel free! That’s what it’s all about!

Lindsay: Strength Is Beautiful: 

I had the pleasure of meeting Lindsay at Blend and I have to say, she is strong and beautiful! This post highlights some of the amazing women she works out with and their capabilities are inspiring.

I have got to get my deadlift up! lol.

Laura: Sprint 2 The Table

To be honest, I don’t have one particular post from Laura from the past week because I wanted to share your site in general. It has some amazing eats and workout tips.

I met Laura last weekend and found out that she is a figure competitor.

Of course I had to pick her brain and get details on her experience. I realized it was much different than mine, in fact, she felt amazing even DURING training!

Her upbeat attitude and strength pulled me in, and now, I might… MIGHT be considering doing another figure competition.

Am I crazy? Love to hear your thoughts on this one.

Neghar: Assess Accept Adapt.. A Guide To More Productive Training Sessions

Neghar is a gorgeous woman and a true inspiration. This particular post isn’t new but it’s new to me so that counts!

I love that she shares how to discover where you are now and how to safely make progress with your training. One important tip she shared:

Work out as strong as you are in the moment. Things like sleep, diet, stress, etc can affect your ability in the gym. So if you’re not where you were 2 days ago, that’s okay. Listen to your body and you’ll get much more out of the workout!

There is far too much for me to write down, so check it out and read it from start to end.

5 Strong Woman & A Microphone

Okay, before I sign off I have to share this podcast from What The Fitness. While in Utah, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a few of my favorite bloggers for a quick podcast talking fitness and the best tips for getting started.

Talk about motivating!

Are you following me on either?

@femininemuscle
Facebook page

ALSO… I need your opinion:

Thoughts on doing another figure competition?
A good idea or just keep focusing on my overall fitness? 

And GO!

*If you are loving the shirt above, you can find them here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LivingProofGear

(this is not an affiliate link, I just really love these tops)

It’s Thursday, already? Not that I am complaining, I am welcoming the weekend with open arms.

Before jumping into the Top 10 (which is a REALLY good one), I wanted to share this picture, taken of one of my amazing boot campers.

As a participant of the What’s Beautiful Campaign with Under Armour, this picture struck me as just that… beautiful.

Cindy busted her butt during an extremely tough workout and yet, still had a smile on her face and pride to flex her muscles.

If you’re interested in participating in the Whats Beautiful campaign (and winning a trip to Costa Rica), check it out my page and join my team!

Top 10 Weight Loss Questions… Finally Get Answered

I am not one to beat around the bush or give “fluff” to my readers and clients. If you have a question, I’ll do my best to give you the answer. No bull, just the facts.

Of course being a trainer I get asked questions ALL THE TIME about weight loss, and if my clients ask these questions I am sure other women are wondering about them as well.

But only read these if you really want to know the truth… it may not be what you necessarily want to hear but it’s what you need to hear to make results happen.

1. Can I lose weight with diet alone… do I have to exercise? 

No, you don’t have to exercise to lose weight, however to lose the right kind of weight (aka fat) you need to exercise. The whole idea of losing weight is to take in less energy (calories) than you burn… so if you eat less then you’ll see the number go down.

However, your body will feel starved and as a way to handle it, will burn off muscle mass to decrease your overall metabolism. You’ll end up “skinny fat”!

This isn’t the case when you add in a balanced regiment of exercise (strength training and cardio).

2. How many calories do I need to burn from exercise to lose weight? 

This is a great question, according to NASM, to have an effective workout program to help you burn the most fat, it’s best to aim for a program that has you burning 2000 calories/week from exercise.

Now of course there are exceptions because the #1 rule of thumb is that must burn more calories than you take in.

But for people that love numbers and goals, go with 2,000. This can happen from just 30-45 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

3. Is it true that it’s harder to lose weight as you get older? 

Unfortunately, yes it is.

As you get older, hormones shift and fluctuate and for some women, especially those that are pre-menopausal and on, will find it more difficult to drop the fat than when they were in their 20s-30s. You might find this helpful:

• Why Your Hormones Are Making It Near Impossible To Burn Fat

It doesn’t mean it’s not possible, it very much is! It just means paying a bit more attention to a balanced diet and a workout regiment.

4. Why does metabolism slow down as you get older? 

There are a few reason for this, of course as mentioned above, hormones have something to do with it. But, the most common problem is a decrease in muscle mass.

After the age of 35, women may lose 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade. Less muscle, means a slower metabolism. Why does this happen? Because at this point, it appears that women start to decrease the intensity of their workouts and muscles that don’t get used, get broken down.

Keep strength training and you can avoid this problem all together!

5. Is it true that men lose weight faster/easier than women? 

Unfortunately, yes, men do lose weight faster. Don’t get mad at your husband/boyfriend. It’s not his fault that you’re dieting the same yet he’s dropped 10 pounds and you’ve only lost 2.

Blame it on genetics, hormones, and their ability to say no to chocolate.

I’ve actually written an entire post on just this issue… get all the details here.

6. How fast can I see results when I start a weight loss diet & exercise plan? 

We all want to see results over night.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

You didn’t gain the weight overnight and it’s not going to come off that fast either. Especially, if you want to keep it off. Slow and steady wins the race.

In general, losing 1-3 pounds is what’s considered healthy and normal. With that, after about 2-3 weeks you will likely begin to see some results in the mirror.

After about 4-6 weeks, others will likely start commenting and asking “have you done something different with your hair?” or “You look fabulous, what’s going on?”

Don’t give up if you’re not down 2 dress sizes in 4 weeks.

7. Can I drink alcohol when losing weight? 

I don’t know can you? In all seriousness, alcohol is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t see faster results. We don’t want to give it up. If you drink just 1 glass of wine each night with dinner… that comes out to over 800 calories by the end of the week.

Since there is 3500 calories in 1 pound of fat, that can make quite an impact!

It’s not just the calories though, alcohol is packed with sugar, affecting blood sugar/insulin levels (promoting fat storage) and can wreck havoc on hormone regulation… again, promoting fat storage instead of breakdown.

I recommend cutting back at least 1/2 of what you’re drinking now. Or even allowing yourself just 1 night of week to enjoy 1-2 cocktails.

8. I don’t cook, is it possible to eat out and still lose weight? 

Of course! And you don’t have to eat salads all the time.

The trick to eating out while cutting back on calories, is to not be shy. Ask the waiter/waitress how the food is prepared and ask for subsitutions. Dan makes fun of me regularly because I change menu items so drastically.

But, you’re paying for the food so get it the way you want.

TIPS: 

1. Opt for grilled, baked or broiled meat.
2. Ask that vegetables be cooked without butter or oil.
3. Go ahead and half the server bag up 1/2 of your meal so you don’t over indulge (we all do if it’s on the plate).
4. Ask for no cheese (that’s just extra calories)
5. Go with a side salad in place of fries
6. To avoid the bread/chip basket, ask for it not to be placed on the table at all.
7. Research places to go before hand. Dan does this and I am so thankful!

9. I’ve heard protein shakes are good, but will they bulk me up? 

No. NO. NO!! Protein shakes are awesome when trying to lose weight for several reasons.

For one, they make great on the go snacks, and you’ll have it on hand when hunger strikes. Therefore avoiding trips to the coffee shop or snack machine.

Because of the high protein, they will keep you full for a longer time than most carb heavy snack options that surround us.

The idea that protein shakes add bulk is a wive’s tale. To bulk up, you need a serious weight training program along with a diet of increased diet. Since you’re cutting back on calories, your body won’t be able to add much muscle mass to your frame.

Protein doesn’t add bulk, it simply helps muscle recovery post workout as well as to keep you full and satisfied!

My Favorite: 

I use several protein brands right now, but my favorites are Vega & SunWarrior… both vegan and neither of them causes bloating/gas like whey used to do.

10. Once I hit my ideal weight, can I stop exercising? 

Only if you want to gain fat again.

Even when you hit your goal, keeping up with clean eating and exercise should be apart of your lifestyle. The exercise will help maintain your healthy metabolism while also keeping you toned and amazing when you look in the mirror.

Give it up and your muscle will breakdown and though you might stay thin, you’ll lose tone, increase fat storage, and feel out of shape and tired.

But who wants to stop working out? Love it and embrace the strength and figure that comes with it.

There you go! I do want to stress on VERY important thing… remember, it’s not the number on the scale the dictates your success. Look at your measurements, pictures and the way you feel in your own skin to see if your hard work is paying off.

The number on the scale is worthless at the end of the day.

- Did I answer your questions? If not, please feel free to leave them below and I promise to answer them! 

- Do you drink protein shakes? What is your favorite protein?

Other important reads: 

• Putting The Pieces Together: How To Start A Diet
• Diet & Exercise Have A Far Reaching Affect Outside Of Calories
• Why Is Losing Weight So Hard For Women… Or Is It?

Hello! After a crazy day of catch up yesterday, it seems life might be getting back on track.

I was even able to go through a few of the pictures from the amazing weekend in Utah and I can’t wait to share them below.

But first, the important stuff. I mentioned last week before leaving, that I was planning on doing a run with a few other bloggers on Saturday morning. I also mentioned that I was scared as heck because of the altitude difference: Sea level in Charleston… 8,000 feet in Park City.

I had been warned of shortness of breath, headaches, light headedness, and even nose bleeds (thanks to my boot campers). What was I thinking going on a run with marathoners?

It turned out okay, in fact, that 9 mile run with Bonnie, Bobbi, and Amanda was the best and most memorable run to date in my short little running life.

Images above from Bobbi

Yes, it was raining, cloudy and cold (in the 30s) but I was in complete awe of our surroundings and with great company that I actually didn’t let it bother me. In fact, instead of seeing the rain, I saw the steam coming off the mountain tops around us, reminding me of how little I am in this great big world. It was beautiful and very humbling.

I kept annoying the girls by saying how grateful I felt to be there with them on those gorgeous mountainous paths.

We pumped out 9 miles at a 9 minute mile pace which I was pretty thrilled about! Hello… I run flat!

Did the altitude affect me? Sure it did. And since a lot of you asked me to report back on it and how I handled it, here you go.

What Difference Does Altitude Make? 

According to a study by the Federation of Sport at Altitude, oxygen is cut by as much as 25-40% above 10,000 ft. What does that mean? Because air pressure decreases as you go up in elevation, so does oxygen. Less oxygen is able to be pumped through the lungs and to the muscles.

The heart has to work harder to try and maintain performance/pace.

Here’s an interesting thing that I learned from Amanda: at over 7,000 feet elevation you will get the same workout as on less elevation by running 30 seconds SLOWER with your pace.

For me, that means that the 9 minute mile, was actually a 8 min 30 sec mile pace. Sweet.

To be honest, there weren’t many times during the run where I felt unusually out of breath… it’s running, I’m always out of breath a little. This really surprised me. The biggest factor were the hills, my legs were burning at the end!

I think a lot of it had to do with being excited because there were other times during my trip where just walking up stairs caused me to be out of breath.

Why do athletes love training at high altitudes? Because after about 14-60 days the body begins to produce more red blood cells and hemoglobin (responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body) which can help out when they go into events not at such heights.The body also increases production of erythropoietin (EPO) which stimulates bone marrow production to make even more red cells.

If you’re going to be going up in the world, here are some tips!

How To Adjust To Altitude Changes For Exercise

1. Hydrate! Because you’re going to sweat more and lose more water through respiration (breathing) make sure to drink lots of water.

2. Get plenty of sleep. Toss in a nap or two if you’re able to allow your body time to acclimate to the area. It’s much easier to do it sleeping then when running all around.

3. Get a move on. I learned that it takes about 48-72 hours for the altitude changes to really hit you, so get a workout in within the first 24 hours if you’re able. I landed at 11am on Friday and went running at 6:30am Saturday.

4. Listen to your body! If you get light headed or short of breath, pull back a little. Stop, rest, and realize you’re not going to be performing the same as you would if you were at the beach.

 5. Enjoy yourself. The views of Utah were completely, 100% night and day from Charleston. And instead of focusing on the miles and the run itself… I enjoyed the views, the fresh air (it smelt amazing) and the company.

A now, a few highlights from the Blend Retreat in Park City Utah: 

I can not say enough wonderful things about this retreat. I was able to meet so many wonderful ladies, unplug from the computer, and I truly got wrapped up in the beauty of it all. Blend isn’t about sitting in a conference room all day, it’s about hanging out with other women with similar passions for healthy living and fitness… oh and wine!

Starting off with cocktails! Champagne for Lindsey and I! We knew we would be friends as soon as we clicked our glasses.

The hike started off a bit “rough” and muddy. Paula’s face is classic!

Our hike immediately followed my 9 mile run and was just over 4 miles… so on Saturday I am claiming that I did a half marathon. That’s fair, right?

Thanks to Christine for sharing this pict… post boot camp flex! It was fun to be on the other side of a boot camp. Instead of telling others to do burpees… I was the one being tortured told what to do. GPP Fitness was a sponsor of Blend and a local fitness facility. They did a great job, and I think I can speak for us all when I say I was feeling it on Monday!

I stayed an extra day to see more of Park City, of course this meant checking out the 2002 Olympic Park, which was beautiful and offered some amazing views of the city. Meg took advantage of it and actually did the bob sled…

I went skiing??

Then more hiking! We headed into Salt Lake City for the final leg of our trip to Red Butte Garden. It was gorgeous, despite the name.

I am in love with all the wild flowers. Black eye susies are my favorite!

Meg and Meg, my dates for our final day!

And that’s a wrap. There were so many great women I met and I wish I could mention them all, but I would be here all day. Thanks to Lindsay, Jannetha and Katie for putting on such a wonderful event.

Shoes — Speed — Scheduling

That’s what it takes to be a faster runner. Sounds too simple, right? Well, there’s a lot that goes into each of those but don’t worry, we’ve got it covered!

Recently, before jet setting over to Utah, I was able to sit down with my friend Amanda Loudin. Amanda just happens to be the one and only Miss Zippy and I was very excited when she was able to find the time to chat with me.

Amanda is a pro when it comes to all things endurance. She’s done everything from half ironman to marathons and everything in between.

I have to admit, when I have ANY questions on running, she’s the lady I turn to. That’s how we met and I haven’t stopped bothering her yet.

In today’s podcast, Miss Zippy shares: 

-Shoes: The ones that changed her training and success around. 

-Speed: Sprint work, cross training, and tempo runs… why are they ALL important?

-Scheduling: How to balance training with being a busy mom and wife

-What does “drop” mean when it comes to shoe talk

-How to recover and new goals

-How to bounce back after bonking (and what the heck is bonking??)

-Plus, more!

Miss Zippy Reveals: How All Of Us Can Be Better Runners

Thanks Amanda!

Here Is The Audio Podcast Version:

Make sure you subscribe to our podcast and rate us (5 stars hopefully)… here’s the link. Thanks so much!

Check her out at: 

MissZippy1.com

Twitter @MissZippy1

Facebook Facebook.com/misszippy1

Instagram MissZippy1

What shoes do you run in? 

What’s your favorite distance?

Hello!

It seems like so long ago since the last time I was able to sit down to my computer. To be honest, I’ve missed it terribly and am very excited to get home!

As Dan mentioned, I have been in Park City, Utah since Friday for the Blend retreat. I have had an absolutely wonderful time and I have so many pictures to go through once I get home.

I have fallen in love with the fresh air and snow capped mountains.

As a southern lady, this is all new to me and I have “Ooo’d and Awww’d” more than I ever have in my life. It’s truly breath taking. As soon as I got into town and laid eyes on the landscape, I called Dan and asked him if he would grab some of our belongings and move up here with me.

Clearly, that’s not going to happen right now. But I would love to one day have a mountain house in this part of the country. Charleston and Park City are night and day, and I LOVE it.

I was afraid that the 8000 ft altitude would affect me, but surprisingly it wasn’t too tough and I even managed to have the most memorable run of my life with Bonnie, Bobbi, and Amanda.

Followed by an amazing hike with some other gorgeous and wonderful women, but I’ll have all those images posted later when I can get home and size them up!

I’ll be back in South Carolina tomorrow (Monday) night and Tuesday will be back to normal in terms of amazing blog posts.

I had the opportunity to talk with my friend Amanda from MissZippy on all things running, shoes and balancing training with a family. You’ll love it! Even if you’re not a runner.

But just so you know it hasn’t been all fun and games…

We even had time to do a podcast with some amazing bloggers! It will be posted up later this week.

I’ll post more later this week! The pictures say it all.

It’s Dan today. Taylor is out in Utah living the good life, hiking in the mountains, hanging with other cool-as-heck fitness and health bloggers… and then there’s me…

Alone.

With the cat and the dog.

But don’t feel worry for me. I’m actually getting tons of stuff done this weekend in a quiet home.

I hope you’re weekend is going better than you hoped it would when you dreamed about it yesterday.

Today I just wanted to post a really cool podcast episode. We don’t get to post every single podcast episode on the blog… there’s just so many of them.

BTW – if you can, could you help us out and give us a 5 star rating in iTunes? Here’s the link to the page, but I think you actually have to rate it in iTunes itself.

We both appreciate it so much!

This Episode Is About Being Super Devoted To Results And Success (Plus more crazy stuff too!)

Here are a couple of highlights to listen out for:

One of our boot campers, Sherry, has launched an amazing body transformation campaign. She wants to change her body so bad and she wants to do it in the healthiest way possible.

Listen for what she does and how amazing it is. You don’t have to go to nearly this level of detail to burn fat or take your body and training to the next level… but at the same time if you really want it, a little more will always help.

You’re also going to learn about why verbal motivation from a trainer can actually hurt your exercise performance. This was a really interesting study I found this past week. However, it’s not quite what you think and Taylor and I break it down for you.

I’d love to know you’re stories of trainers and being verbally motivated.

There’s a lot more and I hope you really enjoy it.

Subscribe to the podcast because we try to put out at least 2 episodes each week. I think Taylor is going to have a Utah based podcast, which we’ll post on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Make sure you definitely come to the blog on Tuesday. Taylor will be posting the awesome interview she did with Miss Zippy. If you love to run or just enjoy it… you don’t want to miss this one. Here are some recent posts from Miss Zippy you’ll probably enjoy reading:

• Under Armour Toxic Six Review
  
• So Much for Attrition
• Psst… There Are Other Races Other Than The Marathon

Finally…

My shameless plug for our training site, Fit Women’s Weekly. A lot of cool new things are going on at the site. Besides the weekend bodyweight workouts and meal plans, we’re going to start posting our personal workouts (which many times are the weekly workouts)… but also our boot camp workouts too.

We don’t want to overload you with workouts, but they are perfect for small weekend challenges. You know, getting that little jolt of physical fitness during your relaxing weekend.

Thanks for being such amazing readers. I never get a chance to say thank you and let you know how much I appreciate you. But, I do so thanks!

Talk to you later.

Chances are good that right now I am flying across the country. This morning I left my little condo in Charleston and boarded a plane for Salt Lake City, Utah.

Considering that I can count the number of times I’ve flown on one hand, and I’ve never been out west before, to say I am excited is an understatement.

I’ll be in Park City until Monday for a fitness blogger’s retreat: Blend.

While I can’t wait to see old and new blog friends, I am a little nervous about this whole altitude thing. Especially since there is a 10-mile run on the schedule.

Should I be nervous?

Because of today’s events, today’s Friendly Friday is highlighting some of the ladies that I’ll be hanging out with. More specifically, those that will be carpooling with me from the airport to our hotel.

If you’re new, Friendly Friday is where I share great blog posts that I’ve found during the week.

Today, however, I’m highlighting entire blogs. Check them out and in the comments below share your favorite blog (or your own blog).

Lindsay @ CotterCrunch.Com

Lindsay is amazing, I’ve enjoyed reading her blog for quite a while now. She is married to a pro triathlete, how cool is that? On the blog she discusses her husband’s training, her training, and some amazing recipes that she helps to keep her superman ready for his upcoming events.

Can we say best wife ever?

Christine @ LoveLifeSurf.com

Christine and I almost a year ago at FitBloggin. Her sincerity and easy going spirit made getting to know her a must. I love her blog as she often talks about the mental side of staying healthy.

Don’t get me wrong, she talks plenty about yoga, running, and of course surfing, but what I love most is that like surfing, her words seem flawless and easy going. But always leaving you to question yourself at the end.

Check it out. And check out my post I wrote for her a few weeks back!

Paige @ YourTrainerPaige.com

As the name eludes, Paige is a fellow personal trainer! I can’t wait to talk with her in regards to her training beliefs. I love talking with other trainers, I think we have a lot to learn from one another to become stronger with our own clients.

Over at the blog, she talks all things fitness, nutrition and life. I knew from the second I visited and saw that her headed was a photo of her doing a TRX that I would like her.

Her recent post: Doubling Up Your Training W/ Combo Exercises made me smile, since this is something that I do all the time.

Combo moves = lots of muscle activation = lots of toning and calorie burn.

Lindsey @ RunStretchRepeat.com

I’m all for running, stretching and doing it all over so what’s there not to love here?

After Lindsey had her baby (who is an adorable 2 year old), she needed to get in shape. Running and yoga turned into her passion and I just realized that we ran our first 1/2 marathons right around the same time last year.

Go us!

Her writing is light hearted, and sincere. She let’s you know that she isn’t perfect, and that piece right there is why you’ll love her. Bloggers are able to share the pieces of their lives we want to share, sometimes we “paint” an image that isn’t far from the truth but is a bit more rosy than the truth.

Not Lindsey. It’s honest and great.

I can’t wait to share more of Blend with you in the coming days. I’ll be there until Monday so if you have any suggestions on places to see and eat, SHARE!

Have a great Friday!

We all have our own special ways to get ready for something. Some of us stay extremely quiet to get “in the zone”, some of us turn into Chatty Cathies on acid, and some of us practice self talk.

Everyone is different.

Personally, for me, it depends on the event.

For races or competitions, I go into quiet mode imagining my goals and getting my head and body into that moment.

When prepping a workout, I need some energy: loud music and a pep talk generally do the trick.

But, I am getting ahead of myself! I don’t want to give too many of my secrets away before even starting the Top 10 today.

We all need help getting pumped up and excited not just for workouts, but for life in general.

How many times has the alarm gone off and you try lay in bed pretending it didn’t? How can you jump out out bed with a smile on your face, ready to go to the office…

Well, here are 10 ways to verbally pump yourself up, for any and all situations!

10 Ways To Verbally Pump Yourself Up

1. Go All Yoda

Who knows more about motivation than a little green geriatric Jedi?

When you have something coming up that leads you to say, “Well, I might not succeed but I will at least try.”

Stop that thought half way through and repeat this:

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

Think about that for a second… let the truth sink in. There truly is no “try”: you either do something, or you don’t. So if you fail, either go after it again or give up.

Star Wars may not be something you’re a huge fan of, but let’s face it, it has some take aways and this is one of them. My Star Wars loving husband says this to me every time I show doubt. It’s become our personal matra. But I don’t mind sharing it.

2. Have a sing along party.

Listening to your favorite song is one thing.

Singing along with it is another.

Studies show that music can light up our brain like sex, so it only makes sense that we feel good singing to our favorite tunes.

If you’re at home, play it loud and clear for all to hear. If you’re around people, listen to it on your ipod but don’t hold back the “groove” it brings. I mean, don’t go all broadway out in public, but sing to yourself!

Visualize yourself accomplishing goals with that song playing as your theme, like a scene from a classic 80s movie.

My pump up tune? Right now its: Gone Gone Gone by Phillips Phillip.

And if you come to our house, you can expect a karaoke party, it’s what we do. It’s how we stay chipper and pumped for getting work done.

3. It is okay to give yourself the finger.

Have to give a presentation? Trying to get ready to do something outside of your comfort zone? Is there something you have to do but just can’t focus?

Get up, right now.

Go walk to a mirror, and point at your reflection. Of course a determined face comes naturally as soon as that finger starts pointing!

Okay good, now repeat:

“I’m awesome, I’m ready, I’ve got this! And when it’s over, I am going to feel like the superstar I am… Let’s go!”

Of course after such a pep talk, it’s expected that you shake out the shoulders, roll your head and finish with a powerful “I got this” clap.

It might sound silly, but I guarantee it works.

4. The Eye Of The Tiger Pump

Even if you’re not a fan of Rocky, you know that scene when Rocky is training harder than he’s ever trained before. He’s running, boxing, jump roping, and pumping iron, then he finishes by running up the stairs of the Philadelphia museum and does his victory dance.

I’m sorry but if this tune doesn’t do a thing for you… you’ve got me beat. Maybe you need to hum it louder?

5. Remind yourself that you’re prepared. 

When you’ve been prepping for a race, an interview, or a presentation we all have that moment of panic right before the big event.

Tell yourself:

“I’ve done everything I can, and I’m ready. I am prepared and have what it takes to wow myself and everyone around! Piece of cake!”

If you’ve prepared yourself like you planned, then everything is now out of your control.

Or follow this kid’s advice:

I can not stress enough how helpful it is to track your progress. This can be done a number of ways: from phone aps to old fashion pen and paper.

Keep track of your journey and then when you need a pick me up, go back and read out loud some of your older posts. Seeing how far you’ve come and the journey you’ve decided to embark on can pump you up faster than Arnold in the gym!

7. Make a verbal promise, shout out your goals.

My personal What’s Beautiful goal with Under Armour

It can be scary to share goals, it makes us feel vulnerable. But being outside of our comfort zones will push us farther than we ever thought possible.

When you tell your friends, family or co-workers of a challenge you’re going to take on, they might not be 100% supportive OR they might stand behind you, pushing you from start to finish.

Either way, use them as motivation. You’ve told them what you want now you can’t back down or give up.

There’s that need to finish what you started.

8. Reminisce.

Doubting yourself? Don’t worry we all do.

How can you toss away feelings of doubt and feel confident?

Sit down and think back to at least 5 times when you succeeded at something. Go over those events: how you felt before, during and after.

Did you doubt yourself then? Possibly.

But you came out on top and there is no reason why you can’t repeat that and experience those fabulous emotions all over again.

For me, one of those moments was competing in the Strong Woman competition. I was the under dog. I walked up to the final event with a feeling of determination, wanting to show everyone that this little girl was stronger than her frame. I grabbed those handles and won the Farmer’s Carry event. Success. Pride. Exhaustion.

9. Ask for pump up help! 

Call up your best friend, your mom, your spouse, etc, and ask for some of their “pump”. They know you better than anyone else and will likely have just the right things to say.

For me, I call my mom. She always has the ability to calm me down, put things into perspective and gets me excited.

Dan is also great. His tactics are a bit more in your face but they work for me. When I need a pump he tosses things out there like “Oh, I bet ‘so-n-so’ can do it without a problem”, or “Don’t you want to get better? Then suck it up and just do it.” 

That’s all it takes… I thrive on competition and if someone else is doing something potentially better, it gets my blood flowing and my body pumped up to take action.

10. I am beautiful. I am smart. I am kind.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves how wonderful we are. Everybody has amazing qualities, but because we’re so tough on ourselves we forget what makes us great.

Take a few minutes (right now) and answer this question:

What makes you beautiful?

Just thinking positive thoughts will trigger happiness, excitement and a feeling of achievement. Bottle those three things together and you’ve got an instant dose of: Let’s do this. 

I wrote a post just last week on what makes me feel beautiful, but here are a few things that make me beautiful:

My passion/love 

My strength

My I don’t care what you think, I’m going to do this attitude (also gets me in trouble)

My focus

So there you have it, the best 10 ways to verbally pump yourself up. Every single person needs some help being the best they can be. Lord knows I do, and to be honest just sharing these ten with you, I am extremely motivated to tackle my to-dos for the day and feel accomplished.

I. Am. Pumped. 

Do you have a matra? 

What’s your favorite song to pump you up? 

About twice a year I hold a big 8-week body transformation challenge for my boot campers. During those 8-weeks the extra motivation to win and be awarded awesome prizes like new shoes, free boot camps, gift cards and even champagne, pushes the women to sweat just a bit more and eat just a bit less.

It’s fun, but, it’s not all sunshine and roses.

I recently had one of my long term clients, we will call her Sally, excited to have her bi-weekly weigh in. For the past two weeks, she had been making it to workouts regularly, cutting out excuses of giving luck luster performances and really pouring her heart into each workout.  At home, she was making changes to her diet and following the plan I had given her.

Sally just knew that when she stepped on to my cold scale that the number blinking back would be drastically lower than it had been two weeks prior.

She took a deep breath and blew it out before placing each foot on the sensors (we all blow out before getting on thinking that the air in our chest will clearly add weight)…

The numbers bounced around for about 3 seconds, and I could tell she was growing impatient.

When it finally came to a stop and “the number” was revealed I could feel her shock and disappointment fill the room almost immediately.

She had lost a pound. A single pound. Uno.

Sally stepped off the scale, head hung low, tears filling in her eyes, and asked me a one word question: Why?

The Magic Of The Scale:
“Scale Scale On The Floor, Who’s The Thinnest Of Them All?”

Before I answer that question, I have one for you: Why does the scale have such a strong hold over us women? 

I mean, Do we really allow a 10 x 10 inch machine to dictate how we will feel for the day?

I guess that was two questions. But they’re important.

–>If it reads 2 pounds under our “normal” weight, we walk around all day with confidence and an air of sexiness. Instead of wearing the black ballet flats that were sitting out, we slip into pair of 3 inch heels and a pencil skirt.

–>If it reads 2 pounds over, we feel ugly and disgusting, and while getting dressed we convince ourselves that our pants are feeling tighter and our muffin tops are rising up higher. The pencil skirt gets thrown onto the closet floor and your outfit of choice is an oversized pair of black pants and a sweat set. Not sexy. Not confident.

Men don’t do this. They don’t let the number on a scale dictate the day they’ll have, the breakfast they’ll enjoy, or the mood they’ll walk into the office with. Oh to be a man.

I don’t often say I wish I was more like Dan, but with weight, we could learn a few things.

Image source

Dealing With A Disappointing Scale-In

Back to Sally…

It honestly broke my heart to see her so upset. After all, she had lost weight! It just wasn’t the 5 pound weight loss she wanted.

Here are a few things I told her:

1. A women’s weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs every day depending on where she is in her cycle, hydration, and even bathroom regularity (or irregularity).
2. Healthy weight loss ranges from .5 – 2 lbs/week, so in that respect she is doing great!
3. You didn’t gain 10 pounds in 2 weeks, and it’s not going to come off in 2 weeks.

There are a few more influences as to why your weight fluctuates such as sodium intake, sleep, and accountability (are you really eating as well as you think… TRACK IT)… but #3 is the most important factor to remember.

Losing weight is about discovering you have patience.

The most impatient people are the ones that fall victim to the diet fads and weight loss gimmicks. They’re the ones that aim to lose 10 pounds in a week and yet end up gaining 20 pounds in a month.

I talk a lot about staying motivated when starting a new workout and diet regiment but just as important is being patient.

A single pound can seem deflating, it can seem as if you’re never going to get to the end of your weight loss journey. But if you’re patient and keep reminding yourself of all the other benefits that come along with this journey then you’ll be one of the few women that will be telling people about how you lost 25 pounds and have kept it off for a decade.

In terms of that scale… I say screw it.

The scale tells you jack sh*t. Sorry, but it’s true.

What is weight? Well, using my bio degree (see, I do use it), weight is nothing more than mass x gravity. And since gravity is relative to where you are in space, if you need the scale to give a good number to have a good day, then move to the top of a really high mountain where you’ll weigh less.

Or to the moon?

But if you want real, tangible results then be patient and keep with the plan: 

- Exercise to burn around 2000 calories/week

- Eat clean 90% of the time (80% once you’ve hit your goal)

- Track your workouts and food choices

- Track something that really measures your results:

* Measure your body: waist, hips, thigh and arm every month to see your transformation.

* Take pictures of yourself each month! You’ll be shocked to actually see a comparison chart and your patience and motivation will continue as you see your face getting slimmer, arms more toned, thighs less thunderish and waist smaller.

Sally’s Happy Ending

After Sally and I talked, it was time for her measurements. We do these every 4 weeks in boot camp so that results are more evident.

Sally had slimmed down by over 3 inches.

And of course she immediately said, “Yea, I thought my clothes were feeling loose.”

That was the proof she needed to feel great and know that what she was working so hard for was worth it.

How often do you use a scale? 

Does it ever affect your mood or choices during the day? 

 If you would like more information dealing with a scale, here are some previous posts that can help:

• Why your weight fluctuates
• Spousal Envy: Why he loses weight faster
• Why the scale sucks (an OLDIE but goodie)

Imagine walking up towards a gorgeous European beach, toes in the sand, sun on your skin. The only thing that stands between you and your blue ocean view is one more giant sand dune. You can taste the salt in the air and you’re growing impatient to see some hot European men sunbathing.

The dune feels like Everest… You finally make it up and over the dune, and your jaw hits the ground.

Not from the beauty of the ocean or of sexiness of those around you, but because this is all you can see:

Thank my wonderful guest for sharing this image with us, now it’s forever stuck in my head.

THE Kettlebell Expert Opens Up On Staying Fit With Bells For Busy Women (and more!)

Jason C. Brown is a world renowned kettlebell expert. And now I know why.

Not only does his passion for his sport immediately become visible when simply mentioning the “K” word, but he’s also behind the leading kettlebell certification program.

The guy knows his stuff… doesn’t hurt that he was also voted one of the “Hottest Make Trainers In America” by Shape Magazine.

I was able to sit down and pick Jason’s brain last week and I am now I can say I am a stronger trainer because of it.

His knowledge on my new found fitness passion has already helped me and I know it will help you as well.

- Find out why kettlebells are not just a fad

- The history of fitness 

- Why your 80 year old grandmother might be doing them

- How to get started, and what weights you should invest in

- How to make kettlebell workouts flow smoother than a yoga class

- And more! 

Watch/listen the interview below and let me know if you got an itch to grab a kettlebell and try them out!

Listen To The Podcast Version:

Because Jason didn’t want to leave me scared from the image above, here are some others he shared with me.

Western European Soldiers Training:

Is This Your Grandma?

Thanks so much Jason!

To connect with Jason C Brown and find out more, you can check him out:

Website: www.KettlebellAthletics

Facebook: Jason C. Brown

Twitter: Jason C Brown (BJJWorkouts)

Question: What’s your #1 distraction for missing workouts? 

Happy Monday! It was really nice to sit by my parents’ pool and unwind for a bit yesterday. Plus, the cake I made was a hit. I have to say, I think it’s the best vegan dessert I’ve made yet! Now it’s back to the grind!

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to talk with the king of the kettlebell training, Jason C Brown.

He gave me some wonderful advice (the whole interview will be posted up tomorrow), and after hearing a lot of interest from you all on using these cute little weights, I decided it was a must to focus on them in today’s show.

-4 important kettlebell exercises for newbies to master

-The Ultimate Body Burning Kettlebell Workout for beginners

I couldn’t stop the awesomeness there, even though my hair decided it had had enough.

While vegetables might not be high in calories, they are filling. The fiber combined with the bulk helps you to feel fuller faster and longer.

That’s why last week, I gave my boot campers the challenge that I am giving you today:

-Add in 300 calories of vegetables per day for the entire week and see how you feel.

-What does 300 calories of vegetables look like? It’s not as scary or hard as you think.

• Romanian Deadlift
• Suitcase Squats
• Mini-Squat Toss
• Swings

Get these 4 moves down and you’ll be a kettlebell pro in no time! Just make sure to check out the interview tomorrow for even more help such as:

What kettlebells should you start off using? 

How to avoid injuries? 

What makes kettlebells more like a yoga experience than a weight lifting one? 

The Scorcher Workout

300 Calorie Vegetable Challenge

So are you in? Think of all the fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals you’ll take in each day by trying the challenge.

Plus, meat is expensive! Eat less and save more.

What made up my 300 calories? 

1 sweet potato

1 bell pepper

1 bag spinach

1 cup okra

1 cup brussels sprouts

1 cup mushrooms

What’s your favorite vegetable?