lifestyle

Michelle Bridges Body Transformation Challenge

10.30.2013

I have some more exciting news! I feel like that’s all I’m writing about these days, but hey that’s not a bad thing! For those of you who follow my Facebook or Instagram are already filled in… but I am so excited to share that I am deep into day 2 of a 4 week preview of Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation (we will call it “12wbt“). By being a part of a fabulous group called Girls Gone Sporty I was chosen to preview this program before Michelle opens it up to US peeps. Seriously debating at first, as I knew it would be a HUGE commitment to sacrifice the food I love and my regular workout routine. But I am SO glad that I decided to take the plunge!

Michelle is the workout queen of Australia who hosts the Biggest Loser over there as Jillian’s counterpart here in the US. This plan is AWESOME in every way. And trust me, I am not paid to say that! Each meal, snack, drink is planned for my specific needs and each workout (6 days a week) is tailored to suit my goals and fitness ability. I have only gone through 2 workouts so far, and let me tell you…I have never been through a tougher session in my life! And loved every minute of it. That feeling of going to bed with a sense of accomplishment and waking up ready to do it again, is what it’s all about for me.

Some of the “pre-season” tasks included:

Setting goals- doing my personal best, dedicating and committing 100%, seeing my best personal results
Gearing up- mentally and physically
Getting rid of all the junk in the kitchen- out of site out of mind!
Organizing the plans- I have a folder of all the information I need as well as meals posted on my fridge
Measuring and taking a pre season fitness test- testing will be taken throughout the 4 weeks

Check, check and check!! Now onto the workouts, delicious meals (there are so many to choose from) and weekly challenges to get motivated.

This my friends, is going to be it for me. This is what is going to get me 150% dedicated and I cant wait to see the results! There is no way that I will get off track these next 4 weeks. No matter what fitness level, age, or weight, this plan gives you all the tools to succeed. Not to mention, Michelle is a superstar with the best attitude! Stay tuned for much more to come. Can’t wait to share my journey with you guys and keep you posted as to how things are going!

Have you every used an online personal trainer? If so, please do share in the comments!

Keep up with Michelle Bridges: Website / Facebook / Twitter

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

How to Structure Your Workout & Avoid Plateaus

10.11.2013

Hitting the gym day after day can get monotonous especially if you are going through the same routines over and over again. But I’ve noticed that I get comfortable with the same machines and exercises and keep going back for more because that’s what I know. Recently I’ve hit my plateau which has got me thinking it’s time to switch things up. My regular routine consists of the following:

Leg day
Biceps and back
Triceps and cardio
Full cardio day
And just a smidge of chest exercises here and there
And most recently a lot of glute exercises!
(no shoulders- but they are still hit with other exercises)

To be completely honest this does get a little boring, but not only that, my body has gotten used to these exercises and knows what to expect. We want to make sure to keep our bodies guessing. It is important to constantly change your routine, work new muscle groups and get your heart rate up with different forms of cardio. There are SO many different ways to switch up your routine. Here are a few to try:

Get out of your comfort zone! Try yoga, take a kick boxing class at your gym, get outside for a run or an outdoor bootcamp or circuit training, whatever is most foreign to you! Ive recently fallen in love with Nike Training Club and Burn Pilates.
Include supersets or dropsets. A superset is two exercised back to back with no rest in between. A dropset is when you perform your exercise and immediately drop the weight and continue with more repetitions.
Increase the weight and decrease repetitions. Make your workout challenging, don’t just go through the motions. Focus and increase difficulty levels! (Pre workout helps here of course. I love Optimum Platinum PRE)
Add in or swap for new exercises- there are tons out there peeps! Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Incorporate HIIT (high intensity interval training). You will burn FAR more calories and a shorter amount of time. Make use of your precious time and burn as many calories as possible!!
Reverse the structure of your workout… —->

Depending on who you ask, each will tell you a different theory behind how to structure your workouts. A routine that works for some may not work for others. We are all different, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. I have found best for me to train a focused body part first then finish with cardio because I want all my energy focused on a specific muscle group and I am most focused when I first arrive to the gym. I usually start with a couple of core exercises to get warmed up, then move on to compound exercises. A compound exercise is a multi-joint movement that works more than one muscle group. Compound exercises typically use more energy to perform and don’t isolate one muscle group. For example, I like to start with push ups, tricep dips or pull ups on arm day and lunges or squats on leg day. After compound exercises I then prefer to go into the more isolated exercises. Isolated exercise means you are focused on a specific muscle with one single joint movement. Lastly, cardio if there is any energy left to spare. 😉

My point here? Get creative! Try new things, change the structure of your routine and constantly keep that body of yours guessing. I know a lot of you here are beginners, so why not find a gym in your city that can help you achieve your goals? If you are in the Sacramento area, find a Gym in Sacramento. I can also give you some suggestions of gyms, training, different classes and boot camps here in San Francisco. Start today, so you can look back a year from now and see how far you’ve come.

What is your favorite way to bust out of a plateau?

*I was financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own, based on my experience.

FIT GAL Feature: Kathia of Fit In My Red Sole Shoes

09.25.2013

Hey there! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these. For those of you who just joined us, one of my fav sections of the blog is called “Fit Gals”. This is where I feature some amazing women who demonstrate positivity and inspiration in the fitness world. It gives a chance for you to read about their fit lifestyles and show how we can all relate.

I’ve been following Kathia from Fit In My Red Sole Shoes for quite some time now, and love seeing her uplifting posts on IG and Facebook. Then I found out she has a blog, and knew we had to get her on Fitness & the City. She is extremely dedicated, loves what she does and I of course we have the “red sole shoes” part in common. 😉 So here she is:

FIT GAL: Kathia of Fit In My Red Sole Shoes

Q: Tell us about yourself and your fitness lifestyle.

A: I am a bodybuilder and I love the iron. For me lifting weights and pushing or pulling weight around, including resistance are the most valuable ways to test my strength and I have found that going to the gym and learning about bodybuilding are the coolest things that have happened to me in a long time.I also work full-time as a senior paralegal and have a young adult son at home with whom I share my passion for health and fitness.

Q: What are you fitness goals and how are you working towards them?

A: My fitness goal is to continue improving my knowledge on bodybuilding and to attain my ultimate physique. Going into competition and even modeling are also things that I am considering but mostly continue improving myself and become a certified personal trainer, obtain a degree in Sports and Health to compete at the bikini fitness level and to create an online training program for women who are seeking to improve their lifestyle by becoming healthy and fit.

Q: Do you eat clean? Can you describe your typical meal plan?

A: My meal plan is about eating whole foods and foods that assist in my growth as an athlete and my daily requirements to continue building a healthy body and mostly to nourish my body. Typically, I go for lean meats, veggies, fruits and legume. Chicken breast, half of a sweet potato, a cup of spinach or half a cup of asparagus, lots of water and some strawberries or blueberries for the kick. Bananas, almonds, avocados and beans are some of my favorites, too

Q: In what ways do you stay active and how often?

A: I go to the gym six days a week and work different muscle parts each one of these days. While lifting, I drop the weights and do quick cardio moves by dancing (like a maniac) to salsa, merengue and reggae ton beats. On colder days, I go to a school stadium and do sprints, run the bleachers and run the track with bursts of jumping jacks or knee to the chest moves.

Q:Where do you find most of your inspiration?

A: I look for inspiration daily and I do follow other athletes like me who are pursuing their dreams and becoming stronger as they push themselves harder each day. Slowly I have built some followers audience on social media and that has definitely improved my motivation and inspiration since I get constant feedback from my followers and they show me how eager they are to start making changes in their lives to get better.

Q: What lessons have you learned along the way?

A: I am glad to say that I believe in how resilient women are and how strong we can become once we get around the obstacles. That there is no better drive than a girl with a purpose and that once we find what works for us, we will not stop until we get it. I also found that I love banana pancakes and that I can live off of them forever. LOL!

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Thanks so much Kathia!! ps- loving those hot pink shorts in the photos 🙂

Be sure to check out Fit In My Red Sole Shoes on:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism / Paris Marathon!!

09.17.2013

If you’ve been following the Facebook page, you’ve probably already heard my big news…but I am more than excited to tell you guys that I will be running the 2014 Paris Marathon in April!! This has been on my bucket list ever since I can remember and I am so excited to visit Paris for the first time, AND run my 2nd full marathon!! Have any of you been to Paris? If so, your recommendations for restaurants, shopping or any place to visit would be much appreciated! Can’t wait!!

(photo sources: unknown)

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“How do you eat so much and manage to stay fit?” “How is your metabolism off the charts?!” Aside from a hearty workout regime, building your metabolism takes time, but in turn allows you to constantly eat and burn fat while at rest. Sure, a teeny percent has to do with age and genetics, but it is in your control to increase metabolism and shed the extra weight that you’ve been dying to get rid of! Here’s how to speed up your metabolism:

Build muscle. Get in the weight room and lift those weights ladies and gents! The more muscle you gain, the faster your resting metabolic rate. Burn calories while sitting? Umm, count me in!
Eat every 3 hours. If you eat more often, the faster your metabolism. Strange, but true. Make breakfast your most important meal and add protein! If you want a faster metabolism think protein. Here’s why. Your body burns twice as many calories digesting proteins than it does carbs. Think eggs or greek yogurt for breakfast and chicken or fish for lunch or dinner.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. (and no not with alcohol). Dehydration leads to a slow metabolism! Studies have shown that cold water does the trick. Cold drinks force your body to work to warm up, which builds more energy.
Use spices. Think cayenne, chillis, red pepper. Anything that makes you sweat means your metabolism has increased.
Green tea, full of antioxidants and contains a plant compound called ECGC which promotes fat burning.
Coffee. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and increases heart rate. Gotta love your cup o’ joe.

It’s important to remember that you can grab control of your future! Stop the I can’t and go with I can do this! Even when it comes to your metabolism, take control of it. Try these tips and don’t use your age, weight or genetics as an excuse. Speed up that metabolism, get moving and get healthy. MUAH!

The Juice Cleanse Diaries

09.11.2013

I did this amazing cleanse the other day and loved it so much I have to share! Juicing seems to be all the rage lately and if you don’t have time to make your own (like myself) there are so many juice shops popping up! This particular juice is from Pressed Juicery here in San Francisco. I did the 1 day cleanse and here’s what it looked like:

There are 3 types of cleanses 1,2,3 depending on experience level. I chose level 1 because it’s the most gentle on my system but eager to try level 2 next! So with this cleanse you drink a juice every two hours. You’re also supposed to chug them so they seem more filling.

#1: Greens– Some of the greens taste really good so this wasn’t too bad (other than craving my daily oatmeal for breakfast). They have 4 different greens to choose from, I went with greens 3 which has kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon and ginger. Moderately filling but feeling good at this point.

#2: Roots- definitely doesn’t taste as good as greens but not too bad. There are also 4 roots to choose from, and I chose roots 3: beet, apple, lemon and ginger. Roots is the most filling, so I was still content at this time.

#3: Greens again- this time I did greens 4: cucumber, celery, watercress, lemon, ginger and cayenne.

#4: Citrus– this is a much lighter juice and I was starting to get more hungry at this time. I drank citrus 2: pineapple, apple, lemon and mint. Looking forward to trying the grapefruit and mint next time!

#5: Roots for dinner- Spinach, parsley, cucumber and carrot. At this point I was so hungry. The hardest was definitely towards the end of the day. I ended up going to bed as early as possible so I wouldn’t have to think about it as much. During the day I was more content, but by the end all I wanted to do was chew something.

#6: For dessert: Vanilla almond juice– wish this was more filling, but very tasty!

#7: Before bed- Aloe vera H2O. This aids in elimination as a natural colon cleanser and also good for your immune system. Chugged this along with a couple more glasses of water. Oh yes, I was in the bathroom every 2 seconds. 😉

Throughout the day I also drank Chlorophyll h20 and about 10-12 glasses of water- this is very important and water helps fill me up also! (I am a water fiend!)

All in all, I LOVED this cleanse! This is also the cheapest and most cost effective one I’ve found. Some get super expensive, but this was very affordable. I can’t wait to try it again! I saw my stomach lean out FINALLY, and felt energized, refreshed and completely free of processed foods. However, I am not yet convinced I will be able to do the 3 day cleanse. My craving to actually eat something substantial was getting intense by the end of the day. I was also feeling a little loopy and out of it, so I was definitely looking forward to breakfast the next morning. I am a girl who likes to eat and I have also built up my metabolism to be extra fast, so I tend to be more hungry than most. The other thing is that it’s not recommended to workout out while you are cleansing. I can’t help but want to work out!! It is recommended that you move, go for a walk or do yoga, as you need to keep your lymphatic and circulatory systems accelerated. I also love drinking the juices on their own to help avoid cravings in between meals. Thinking of doing another 1 day cleanse this week and cant wait! Everything in moderation of course. AND Pressed is now making home deliveries, yay!

Check out Pressed Juicery: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Question: Do you juice? If not, would you consider giving it a try?

Please note: this post was NOT sponsored by Pressed Juicery and all opinions are my own.

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