goals

Gym Review: DIAKADI | New Year, New Goals!

01.07.2015

Happy New Year! I can’t believe that came around so fast. I’m pretty excited to start a fresh year, with a lot more goals on the top of my mind. It’s a great time to rejuvenate and get motivated again! In the past years, have you made a resolution to get healthy and fit, only to burn out in a month or two? It’s not uncommon at all, but this is the year you will stick to it!

Speaking of resolutions and getting a jump start on new fitness goals, I recently visited DIAKADI– San Francisco’s most comprehensive fitness, performance, and life facility. If you haven’t heard of DIAKADI (like myself before the visit) I HIGHLY suggest you check them out!

Since opening in 2004 as San Francisco’s largest personal training-only gym, owners Billy Polson and Mike Clausen have worked diligently to gather a portfolio of San Francisco’s premiere health and wellness services. The key distinction of the facility is definitely its personal training. DIAKADI has been recognized to have the BEST personal trainers in the city based on their custom-design, detailed assessments and individualized programs for all types and levels of clients.

I HAVE NOT had a better personal training experience then I did with Billy. Before my session I filled out a comprehensive client intake form and when I arrived he knew exactly what I needed to work on. Honestly, going in I felt like he would show me the basics (which I already knew) and try to sell me on the gym. This was not the case AT ALL. I have a lot of neck and shoulder pain, often causing headaches and Billy cut straight to the point, noticed my issues and showed that he cared to do anything he can to help me. He showed me new exercises which I’m almost positive will change me life (not even kidding), he gave me advice on how to de-stress, as well as nutritional goals, which I have begun to implement this new year. Since our session, he has checked in with me to see how I am progressing, given me a plan of action, as well as sent me videos he took of me during our session so I can look over at home. I could not have had a better experience at DIAKADI. They are SUPER friendly, action oriented and entirely focused on your goals. The facility is amazing, great locker rooms, juice bar and snacks. They also have a relaxation room, TRX ropes, an area for boxing and pretty much anything you need to reach your goals. You can’t go wrong. I look forward to going back!

DIAKADI is also expanding their facility to provide even more room for training and new equipment. Same location, more square footage! They are also thinking about starting group fitness classes, so stay tuned for that. 🙂

After my session at DIAKADI I was clear on what I needed to focus on this year. Here are a few on my list of resolutions for 2015:

Eliminate all of my neck and shoulder pain by continuously working on my posture and exercises
Eliminate processed foods from my diet (breads, powders, bars)
Eliminate caffeine (this is a tough one for me, yikes!!)
Start my day with eggs and green smoothie, rather than a starch
Stress LESS! Enjoy more. 🙂 (Billy mentioned I check out Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin)

What are some of your new year resolutions? Comment below!

Thanks so much for having me DIAKADI! You guys rock!

Keep up with DIAKADI: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube

*This post was sponsored by DIAKADI but all opinions are my own

My Guide to Supplements

11.06.2014

Hi loves! Let’s talk supplements. Supplements can be extremely overwhelming, there are so many companies, types, ingredients and so on. It’s confusing! On top of that, you have the myths that “girls will get bulky or manly” or “supplements are for guys”. But once you see past those silly myths, supplements can actually help you take your physique to the next level!

Here is my go-to supplement guide for the ladies!

Whey Protein: is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, a milk based protein that is naturally low in calories. Whey helps build and maintain lean muscle. More muscle=faster metabolism! Whey is fast and easy to digest and when consumed it quickly breaks down in the body and sends aminos to the muscle tissue. I usually consume 30-60 minutes before or after a workout.

My favorite from Cellucor: COR-Performance™ Whey (I am loving the mint chocolate chip flavor!)

Casein: Unlike whey, casein is a slow-digestive protein. Casein provides the body with a dose of amino over a long period of time. However, it also helps with building and maintaining lean muscle. Casein protein powder has a higher calcium intake as well as boosting your protein intake, allowing you to maximize your fat loss benefits. In my experience casein is best consumed right before bed, allowing you to digest over night.

Multi-Vitamin: Pretty straight forward! Multi vitamins are the most popular supplement among men and women of all ages. They supply all of the vitamins and minerals we need that our diet may or may not be providing. Being deficient can effect you in ways that decrease energy, or can keep us from loosing fat and gaining muscle, so this one little vitamin can prevent all of those things! I take daily with food.

Fish Oil: Fish oil supplements provide a wide variety of health benefits. Fish oil contains two essential omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are termed “essential” because we need them for proper function, but our bodies cannot produce them. Thus, we must obtain them through food or supplements. Among the many benefits, fish oil can stimulate fat loss, as well as prevent a wide variety of illness.

Pre-workout: simply provides more energy for your workout, which can in turn improve strength and endurance. NO3 is Nitrate, an advanced compound found in pre-workouts that promotes energy and muscle pumps.

My favorite from Cellucor: C4 Extreme (I love the pink lemonade flavor)

BCAA: stands for branched chain amino acid. BCAA’s make up approximately 1/3 of muscle protein. The benefits include reduced muscle fatigue, speedy recovery, decrease the loss of other amino acids from muscle during exercise and help the body absorb protein. A deficiency in any one of these aminos will cause muscle loss. I love taking my BCAA’s in a post workout shake.

My favorite from Cellucor: Alpha Amino Sports Drink OR B-BCAA

CLA: (stands for conjugated linoleic acid) is a naturally occurring fatty acid (a good fat found in meat, cheese and dairy) which promotes fat loss. A number of studies have demonstrated that CLA reduces fat mass, while increasing lean body mass.

My favorite from Cellucor: CLK or Super HD

My routine: I take whey, a multi-vitamin and fish oil daily and the others just depend on my goals at the moment! I am usually on and off with pre-workouts, same with BCAA’s. Casein is also a great way to fill you up after dinner if you’re still hungry or need something to cure that sweet tooth.

Overwhelmed yet? Don’t worry, if your just starting out we all start somewhere! There’s a ton to know about supplements, but my biggest piece of advice is to do your research! My most useful reference is bodybuilding.com, but there is so much out there on the internet, or talk to a trainer or nutritionist for advice. (I am not a trainer or nutritionist, just someone who has done my research and sharing from my experience.) Hopefully this helps you with a general understanding of a few supplements. And let me know if I can help in any other way!!

Cellucor is offering all Fitness & the City readers 25% off with the code CELLUCORFIT. The code is good for supplements on http://cellucor.com.

Enjoy!

This post was brought to you by Cellucor.

Nike Women’s Half Marathon Recap

10.28.2014

Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share some pics from the Nike Women’s half marathon a few weekends ago. I’ve also posted some of these on my Facebook and Instagram, so apologies for the repeats! This was a PHENOMENAL race. Nike always does such an amazing job, and this is by far my favorite race to date (well, maybe right after Paris).

We started by going to the expo in Union Square. The energy is unreal. To have so many runners in the same place, just as excited as I am makes for such an exciting atmosphere.

Jeff and I goofing around at the expo. Always making an excuse to flex. They had a ton of great photo ops, high energy music and plenty of swag. 😉

While we were downtown I couldn’t help but stop by Nike Town to pick up a few things for the race. 🙂

Sports bra: here / shorts: here

Selfie at the starting line!

Hat: here

I loved the colors in this shot! There were literally hundreds of people swarming the streets at the starting line. Such an amazing feeling!

After training and completing this race, this is the strongest I’ve felt both mentally and physically. I’ve dedicated myself to every single run and to this very goal. I’ve made a decision to PR each race that comes my way, each making me even stronger, even more determined and even more passionate about my goals. Half marathons are where my heart is, and I look forward to getting faster and faster each race. I couldnt have been more excited to PR at 1:58…my goal was under 2 and there was no way that I would not let that happen. I abosolutely loved the course, and when mile 10 (the dreadful uphill) came around there was nothing that would stop me. Running is just one of those things that makes me happiest! Can’t wait until next year. 🙂

Have any of you run the Nike Marathon? If so, please do share your thoughts about the race!

Importance of H20 + Win a Thermos Filtration Bottle (Giveaway)

04.24.2014

I know a lot of us forget, or maybe don’t know exactly how important it is to drink water to achieve our fitness goals. I’ve heard a few dehydration stories during marathons recently, but running is not the only time we need to guzzle that H2O. Water also aids in weight-loss, increases energy and helps build muscle. For those who know me personally, know that I drink more water than anyone on this planet! I feel lost and totally depleted without it. Some people need more water in their bodies than others, myself on the high end of the scale.

So to get a little more scientific…the human brain is composed of 95% water. Blood is about 82% water and lungs are 90% water. So without a doubt water is the most critical nutrient for health, grow and development. It’s the most important and also the most abundant.

Healthy Benefits of H2O:

* Healthy skin
* Healthy teeth and bones
* Healthy joints
* Increase energy
* Helps build muscle
* Increases muscle tone

Who doesn’t want all of that?!

How much should we drink? They say the average person requires a minimum of 8-12 cups of water a day. But, this is far too low for active people who exercise on a regular basis. All depending on your size and perspiration rate, you lose 4 cups of water per hour of exercise. Or if in a hot climate you can easily loose a gallon or more by the end of a workout. So active adults, athletes and bodybuilders should drink 1.5-3 gallons at minimum of water/day. Before, during and after exercise water is most important, so drink up!

If you want to read some interesting key points I found on bodybuilding.com click here.

I want to give a huge shout-out to Thermos Brand for hooking me up with this pretty cool 22-ounce Filtration bottle (Target, $25). This water bottle filters water from nasty chemicals while reducing bad odor and taste from your average tap water.

Good news: Thermos Brand is giving away a filtration bottle to one lucky Fitness & the City reader- woohoo!

To enter:

Leave a comment letting us know how many cups or gallons of water you try to drink a day.

Extra (optional) entries:

1. Like Thermos Brand on Facebook
2. Follow Thermos Brand on Twitter: @Thermos
3. Follow Thermos Brand on Pinterest
4. Like Fitness & the City on Facebook
5. Follow Fitness & the City on Twitter: @jennapardini
6. Follow Fitness & the City on Pinterest

Winner will be chosen and announced on May 2nd. Good Luck!

Ab & Push Up Challenge

01.03.2014

How’s everyone doing with your ~~resolutions~~ goals? First, I wanted to congratulate you for taking the first step, Its HUGE! But the real work lies ahead. Have you ever made a new years resolution that only lasts about a month or so and doesn’t make it through the year? It’s not uncommon. But I want to help it stick this time around! I put together this ab and push-up challenge to give you a little boost. A challenge can really push you to stay committed. BUT, after this challenge is over I don’t want you to burn out. I want you to KEEP GOING! This will only make you stronger.

KEY: side plank = seconds on each side / russian tws = russian twist

I will be doing this challenge along with you, so here are some guidelines:

Do this day to day, in addition to your regular workout routine.
If you aren’t sure what each exercise looks like, be sure to look them up on bodybuilding.com. It’s important to have correct form.
Do as many reps as possible of each exercise without stopping. Hold yourself accountable. Push yourself!
I know many women find it difficult to do push ups on their toes (me a year ago), which is why I chose a push- up challenge! If you need to start from your knees, please do, but work your way up to your toes. You will get stronger each day, so it should get easier!
Take a before and after picture to track your results. Even if you’re the only person to see them, photos are the best way to see how far you’ve come.
Take a screen shot of the challenge on your phone to have handy and ready to go. Set reminders on your phone, or even write yourself little notes around the house to remind you and hold yourself accountable.
And for the most important tip: If you want to see ab results, you MUST eat clean. You can do a million abdominal exercises but if you don’t eat clean, you will never see your hard work. Abs are made in the kitchen, but these exercises will help you get there!

So are you in?! Have fun and good luck! xo

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