lifestyle

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.

Leg Day + Lunges vs Squats

07.16.2014

Leg workout of the day:

-Front & reverse lunge (one movement, one leg at a time)
superset with jumping lunges 3×15

-Leg press 3×15

-Sprint on treadmill- 10 mins

-Glute kickbacks on cables 3×10

-Standing hip adduction on cables 3×10

-Box step ups- 3×20

-Sprint on treadmill (incline) 10 mins

-Cool down (walking)

REST & STRETCH!

(If you are unsure of what an exercise looks like, search bodybuilding.com for images and how-to’s)

Do you prefer squats or lunges?

Personally, I love lunges. You will rarely find me doing squats. Here’s my thought process:

I feel like my muscles are more engaged and I’m getting more effective movement in my glutes.
Lunges are more fun (in my opinion). There’s much more variety with lunges. Where a squats a squat.
Less strain on my back.
It’s easier to get the movement right! Form can’t be sacrificed as easily. It’s not easy getting correct form for a squat.
Unilateral movements (movement on one side of the body) is much easier for me to focus on and feel that mind/body connection.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments! xo

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

Guest Post: How to Maintain Your Weight During the Holidays

11.19.2013

Happy Tuesday! In case you missed my last post from a totally amazing woman and founder of Burn pilates, I wanted to bring her back for another guest post! This time Lisa Corsello talks about how to get through this holiday season to prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here she is:

Maintain Your Weight During the Holidays

Fitness Expert Gives Tips to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

The Holiday season has jump-started, which means fun with family and friends are in the near future! Gathering around a table for a feast with our loved ones can be fun, but can also put quite a dent in our efforts to keep a healthy lifestyle.

This season, keep your diet on track! Personal trainer and fitness expert, Lisa Corsello, wants to share these five tips to keep your weight in check during the holidays, while still being able to enjoy the assortment of foods on the dinner table.

1. Weigh Yourself Regularly– Studies show that those who weigh themselves regularly are able to maintain their weight more easily. By being aware of when we start to gain weight, we can make small, manageable adjustments to diet and exercise to maintain weight.

2. Exercise Portion Control– Don’t skip meals or deprive yourself of the foods you love this holiday season. Instead, practice eating only half of what you would normally eat when it comes to dessert and rich side dishes. Load up on the healthier side dishes (high fiber veggies) and leaner cuts of meat (breast) so you’ll stay fuller longer.

3. Stay Active– Try to carve out a bit of time for exercise each day. Not only will regular exercise help maintain your weight, but it’s also a great way to relieve stress and sleep better.

4. Plan Ahead– Go online and research just how many calories are in the foods you normally eat during the holiday season. Being aware of what you’re putting in your body can help you find healthier alternatives. Also, try to stock up on healthy snacks that help ease cravings and satisfy your appetite, such as nuts or plain popcorn.

5. Change it Up– Try a new exercise class, walking/running route, or sport. Trying something different will challenge your body in a new and healthy way, and it will help keep your routine fresh and your mind more engaged.

Tip: Rate your current exercise routine on a scale of 1-10, 1 being something extremely easy and 10 the most challenging. During your next workout, try to increase that number by 1. After a week, if you’re feeling good, increase it again. Being mindful of the quality of your workout will help lead to better, healthier routines with great results.

About Lisa Corsello
Lisa is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, nutrition consultant and group fitness instructor who works with clients to create customized, goal-oriented exercise and nutrition plans. Using her extensive training and fitness background, Lisa has developed a popular new fitness technique called Burn. The 55-minute workout brings the benefits of dynamic individualized workouts to groups using a method that draws upon the best of Pilates, strength and core training for optimal results. Her programs emphasize constant movement using circuits to challenge and improve endurance, agility, balance and strength, with appropriate focus on stressing proper form and method. Each workout incorporates dynamic strength and cardiovascular training with active recovery techniques targeting all major muscle groups. Sessions are intended to be learning experiences that constantly evolve, keeping each one challenging and fresh.

She has successfully adapted and applied her methods to clients with a wide range of abilities and capabilities; absolute beginners needing basic knowledge, enthusiasts who want to increase lean body mass and reduce body fat, people recovering from sports injuries or _serious illness, and professional athletes in training. Lisa, a Lululemon Athletica Ambassador, has been a featured fitness expert onWebMDas well as inMy Family Doctor Magazine, LowCarb Magazine, Current Health Magazine, and Cornell University’s Food & Fitness Advisor newsletter. In fact, Lisa is a regularly featured fitness expert on the KPIX Weekend Morning Show. Lisa is currently a contributing fitness expert on SingleMindedWomen.com.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for the great tips Lisa! 🙂

#12wbt…Making Progress!

11.07.2013

I am 2 weeks deep into the Michelle Bridges #12wbt program! Pretty dang happy with myself that I made it this far! This program has taken 120% commitment and has lead me to do nothing other than focus on my goals. Work/#12wbt/life balance has definitely been an ongoing issue the past two weeks and to be honest, I’m still learning how to handle it all. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that planning is key when squeezing in a workout, meal prep, boyfriend and family time. Let’s just say, I have been a busy little bee!

This being my first time sticking to an actual “plan” and going by what someone else has provided me, I have learned too much not to share!

1.) You must want it enough! This is a lifestyle change. I am constantly focusing on my meals and after work plans to either work out and/or grocery shop, then meal prep. Then do it all over again. My head is spinning but it gets easier with time. If you don’t want it enough, the work simply won’t be worth it to you. You gotta want to work your butt off to see results!

2.) I have never cooked so much in my life and I’m starting to really enjoy it! I love all of the recipes this plan consists of, and there are so many to choose from! Eating something other than the staple chicken, veggies and complex carbs is nice too. 🙂

3.) After my first grocery shopping trip for the program on Sunday, my reaction: holy sh*t I just spent how much money…!?! However, that was because I chose a different recipe for every single meal that week. Learned my lesson! Sticking to the same breakfast or lunch (which I don’t mind) totally cuts down the grand total by a lot! Now, I am eating more efficiently and spending much less money. Also, without eating out as much, I have saved a lot of money here also. This is one thing that I wish this program would mention- grocery shopping on a budget.

4.) Don’t be afraid of carbs. I was shocked to see how many whole wheats are incorporated in each recipe. I actually had to ask one of the nutritionists to make sure I wasn’t consuming too much. I have cut down a few more than what the plan calls for, but no longer afraid to eat whole wheat tortillas, pita bread or whole grains. You need these grains to give you energy and stamina to make it through the rigorous workouts. Overall, I love the variety that this plan offers and how it has opened up my eyes to new meal assortments and portion sizes.

5.) There is not a lot of cardio in this plan, but you don’t need it!! Can you believe it, very little cardio? I know, I questioned at first myself, but truth is, cardio is not an important factor is losing weight or training to gain muscle. Lifting is key! Especially when incorporating so many supersets, pyramid sets and circuits, your heart rate is up even more than it would on the treadmill or elliptical. LOVE this because cardio inside a gym is b.o.r.i.n.g. for me.

All in all, I am making progress! I feel stronger, leaner, and most of all more confident. With time, I am hoping to focus more on balance, because there’s no way I want to give up this lifestyle! Fingers crossed I can show you guys the before an after picture I have envisioned for myself. 🙂

Do you guys have trouble with work/life/fitness life balance? If so, what’s your trick?

Disclaimer: I am getting financially compensated for this campaign, however all opinions are my own.

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