Whether it’s your wedding day, a 5k Run, or a fitness competition, SOLID goals are a great way to get your head in the game. They force you to hunker down and formulate a plan. The beauty of these goals is that often times, those good habits stick! You feel great, you look great, and you know how much work it took to get there..why would you go back?

Make a goal that has a real deadline. Here are a few ideas.

• Your Wedding – be your absolute best
• A Vacation – You worked hard to save for the vacation, let your photos show off YOUR hard work.
• Run a Race – 5K, 10K, or the IronMan!
• Compete in a fitness/figure/bodybuilding competition – you will see the amazing effects of nutrition and how if effects your body building.
• A Reunion – the best time to “show off” to your friends

When the event has passed, hold onto it. “Bad” food isn’t worth spoiling all your hard work…and you KNOW sticking to your fitness strategies makes you feel fantastic and permeates into everything you do, and hey, you’re just nicer to be around. So stay focused and that feeling can last forever..really.

- Heather Frey

So, your doing GREAT on your new fitness plan…getting your workouts in…eating clean…but you’re HUNGRY! And you just ate an hour ago!

Here some great ,clean and yumiful snacks:

1. 3/4 cup cottage cheese with a strawberries or blueberries and water/coffee/tea

2. An apple with a spread of Almond butter or peanut butter – or you could try cashew butter

3. 1/2 cup of oats with a tsp of chocolate protein powder, and skim milk (to the consistency you like) and a few almonds

4. Hard boiled whites (3 or 4), raw veggies and 1/2 an apple

5. A small salad with chicken and veggies

Hi! I’m Liz Rossi. I’m a 40 year-old teacher, dancer, choreographer, writer, Pilates instructor, mother and wife. And I’m fat! (This is where you say, “Welcome, Liz.”) I graduated college with the certainty that I would be on Broadway and winning Tony Awards within five years. And I was on the road to stardom…when tragedy struck. The Elmo costume that I was wearing on tour with Sesame Street Live had ginormous feet! I had stress fractures before I could say “Elmo loves you” and was out of the glamor and glitz of being a rock star to three and four year olds. (Later in my “career” I would regain some of my former glory on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood as the Small Purple Panda…but that’s a story for another time…)

At this low point, I started getting a lot of work as a director and choreographer for musical theatre shows around the country. Really classy 150 seat houses, mostly in refinished barns, trying to rehearse with college kids after their toilet cleaning shifts were over. I was in heaven! Surely I would be winning the Tony soon, even if it was only for Best Choreography.

I was 135 pounds and really fit. But after 13 shows a week doing aerobics in faux fur from head to toe…my body was a bit confused. The most exercise I got was “I’m only gonna show you this tap step once….” My body decided that it better pack on 40 extra pounds just in case the person in charge of it tried anything that crazy again. And with the fat came a huge lack of confidence, depression and…well, let me just give you the shorthand version of the next few years:

Fat, ashamed of my body, ate more, fatter, successes–celebrated with food, failures–cried and had a Twinkie, had a baby, had another, had an excuse for being so fat, then fast forward 5 years and both excuses are now out of diapers. 2006: Old and fat finally pays off!! Apparently character actors don’t have to be waifs! I am cast in West Virginia Public Theatre’s production of CATS! It nearly killed me!

Then…working out erratically…always meaning to lose weight (tipping the scales at 189 pounds,) trying every diet, reading every book, I give expert advice to anyone who asks! Meanwhile…I’m looking at myself in full length mirrors every day, demonstrating dance and Pilates moves while wearing huge tee-shirts and making fat jokes at my own expense. Good times.

In the fall of 2008, something changed. I couldn’t tell you what it was. Maybe it was that I finally had access to the Student Rec Center at West Virginia University and started working out regularly, I took a group fitness class to learn how to be an aerobics instructor, I bought an iPhone and was tracking my daily calories in it…whatever it was, I lost 20 pounds! I felt so good, so accomplished! But then, life happened (as it sometimes does) and I was in and choreographing a show and and and and and…..and bottom line…losing the weight and being in shape was no longer a priority.

SEVEN MONTHS LATER…the scale refuses to budge. Holy Crap, the director of CATS wants ME to do it again this year (she’s apparently a fan of back fat.) This means I will be wearing the unspeakable…the terrifying… every woman’s worst fear…the UNITARD!!!! (Insert scary music here.)

And here I am gaining and losing the same five pounds over and over again. 167 pounds. I am so sick of that damn number!! I don’t understand …I have every resource at my fingertips, access to a gym, supportive friends and family and the looming threat of wearing a UNITARD in front of thousands of people…WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?

Because I’m a tad crazy and possibly have a flair for the dramatic, I decided that, not only will I commit my summer to finally losing this weight…but I will make certain of that by letting all of Morgantown know!!! I will write a blog, call the newspapers, be on the radio three times a week—this time I WILL be accountable for my own choices!!

Great…now what?

OK. Well, let’s think. Last time I did CATS it nearly killed me. I hobbled home from rehearsals and soaked in a vat of Bio-Freeze every night while the 18 year old “kitty’s” were at the bars after the same rehearsals. So, not only do I need to look halfway decent in a unitard (feel free to insert scary music every time you see that word…I do,) but I need to live through this experience and even, I don’t know, dare I say it, be in shape for it??

And then it came to me. The HIT Center has that metabolism testing and sports specific training to help me accomplish ALL of these things. Who knows, maybe I’ll even do a triathlon or two….

I took the first step…picked up the phone and before I knew it I was stepping on their scale (which had the audacity to read 173 pounds!)

Kevin Sowers was really kind and not to hard on the eyes either (forget about it boys and girls, he’s straight and taken!) He was even very encouraging through the VO2 Max Test on the treadmill! I think that it’s going to be a good environment…but am I up to the challenge?

So…I’m writing this because today was my first day and I want to be accountable, I want to be fit, I want to figure out what it’s gonna take to finally get back into my Elmo suit.

I didn’t do my interval training yesterday because it was late, I was hungry and the TT weights workout left me lying on the floor in a puddle of sweat unable to stand up. Hubby had to come and help me into the shower!

Today I did the first interval session, workout A, with a high-intensity interval of 30 seconds at RPE 9 and 90 seconds recovery at RPE 3, times 6. By the way, if you’d like to know more about interval training, what it is and how it works, check out this post.

Anyway, earlier today I was checking out other people’s challenge logs, and sent a couple of them to a post I had written about working out when you’re not feeling your best, how to get the best workout and not overdo it using a heart rate monitor. In it, I wrote about doing my high intensity work at 5 kph. That post was written in October 2007, but I remember even more recently when 3 mph (4.8 kph) had me going about as hard as I could manage. More recently, I have started to do short jogging intervals, first at 7 kph, and then at 8 kph, although the longest I have run at that speed is about a minute and a half. While part of the problem is my bad knee (no cartilege), the first time I ran, my lungs were on fire after about 10 seconds, and it has always seen me gasping for breath by the end of my intervals.

Well, today I warmed up for 5 minutes then hit the 8 kph button on the treadmill for my 30 second interval. And I barely got to 70% of my max HR, hardly an RPE 9. I figured as the number of intervals increased, maybe my heart rate would gradually increase, so I kept to 8 kph for the next two intervals too. If anything, my heart rate started going down. So I did my last three intervals at 10 kph, and I still only got to around 80% of my MHR! Now that’s not to say that I could run – and I was definitely running, not jogging – at that speed for much more than 30 seconds, but damn if it didn’t feel good. Just need to make sure that my knees are OK tomorrow, but I can hardly wait till next time. I’m loving this new me!

Rainy day…….no problem!
by Josh Trent
NASM-CES
Look forward to the sun but until then here are some movements you can do indoors to get you moving. Make each exercise around 30 seconds or 15 reps with a small (maybe 30-45 second) rest interval-

Squat thrusts (burpee):
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up (add another jump if you are feeling explosive).

One-Leg Balance anterior Reach:
Stand on one leg and hold it as long as you can. If this is too easy, add a slight squat motion. Still too easy? Place an object on the floor, several feet in front of you and slowly squat down, and reach out with one arm and touch the object and slowly return to an upright position. Stay on one leg at all times. Repeat on the other leg after a minute or so.

Backward Stride-
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Stride backward with one leg, while raising the arms to shoulder level and grabbing your wrist with your other hand. Lower the arms to your side and repeat with the other leg. Pick up the pace for more cardiovascular loading.

Chair Dips-
You’ll need two chairs, (or a bed and a chair or a counter, etc.) for this great triceps exercise. Place two chairs facing each other, about 3 feet apart. Sit on one chair with your hands palm down and gripping the edge of the chair. Place your heels on the edge of the other chair and hold yourself up using your triceps. Slide forward just far enough that your buttocks clear the edge of the chair and lower yourself so your elbows are at 90 degrees.

BONUS!

Floor inch worms-
In a standing position bend at the waist (with your knees locked and quads tight during the entire movement) walk your hands all the way below your shoulders so that you are in a push up position, hold for 2 seconds then (only flexing your ankles) walk your feet all the way to your hands and repeat!

Box/step knee ups-
Place solid object in front of your waist making sure you can safely step up without harming yourself and (drawing in your core with your chest out) swing your arms up quickly and drive your toes off the floor while you jump onto the step, bending your knees when you land and holding for 2 seconds, repeat!

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions, I am here to help you get out of the gym and get into fitness that is fun but also WORKS! If you liked these exercises please INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN MY PAGE

In best health,

Josh Trent
www.fitnessSD.com (coming soon!)

I went to lunch with a very dear friend of mine yesterday. He’s great because even though he talks way to much, he’s encouraging to me and interested in how I’m doing as well as letting me know how he’s doing. When I’m down I can call him and even when he’s complaing he’s full of energy, enthusiasm, and very uplifting.

For lunch I had a chinese chicken salad with the dressing on the side, and a piece of flatbread ( the new rage). Whenever I eat with him he takes 1/2 of what ever it is he ordered home with him. This has taught me to do the same even tho I have known for a long time that particular diet trick. I just never could bring myself to actually do it.

Yesterday after lunch he tricked me. He knew I had to run by Target to get a couple of things and he said he needed to also, so could we go together. The next thing I know, we are walking to and from Target. Not what I had intended. I had told him last month I was going to be walking, etc. to train to walk the Aids walk with my oldest daughter this year. I suppose he thought he was helping my train.

He forgets that altho I’ve been more active lately, I’ve been pretty sedentary for 2 yrs. He goes to the gym every day or nite, which ever the case may be. Needless to say that although he’s fairly short in stature, I trailed behind him most of the way. Reality lesson? I’ve got a lot to do before the walk in July. LOL

Going on vacation? Business trip? No weights around? No problem Kaos has you covered. The Kaos travel program was born because half of my clients are either on business trips or vacation half of the year and don’t always have access to weights and don’t want to lose what they worked so hard for. It is a mixture of yoga, plyos, iso-metrics, core work and a little kaos, all  can be done in a small space like your hotel room or your room at your friends or parents house. It can also be called “the-economy-got-you-down” workout because you don’t need the weights, machines or expensive gym memberships.   Here’s a little breakdown  of what each exercise will do and why this workout is effective.

Plyometrics is the ability to convert power into speed, they are great for building your white fibrous (explosive) muscles. Plyos are great for improving your quick movements and jumping ability but they are not just for the professional athletes.

Isometrics are exercises performed in a static position or holding yourself in one position against an unmovable object. Iso’s are a bit boring to do and will not increase your athletic ability but mixed in with the rest of the Kaos program are a nice adaptive.

Lets get to the workouts! What you will need for these workouts is a little space and a chair.  That’s it!

circuit 1. Russian lunges 20 reps or regular lunges 20 on each leg, 20 reps on each leg standing T bends, 20 reps of side bridges into 20 reps of the front bridge, 20 reps of plyo push ups

circuit 2. Hopper squats 20 reps, 20 reps of up-dog push ups into 20 reps of U-push ups, 40 reps of mountain climbers, 20 reps of T-push ups

circuit 3. Chair lunges 15 reps on each leg, side lunges 15 reps on each leg, bench dips 20 reps, incline chair push ups 20 reps, leg cross V crunches 20 reps each leg.

One of my favorite things to do on a vacation or a business trip is to strap on the running shoes and take  a tour of the town.   I always find little nooks and crannys of a city when I either run or walk it and it’s also one of the best ways to overcome jet lag.

Here’s a sample of a Kaos in room workout, with a little imagination and space you can get a workout anywhere, so don’t let your body fall apart when you don’t have the weights.

Lunges

Standing T Bends

Side Bridges

Front Birdge

Plyo push-up

Downdog push-up

U push-up

Chair lunge

Bench dips

Incline bench push-up

Jump squat

Crossed leg V crunch

i am so giddy today. still doing the plan. still kicking my own butt and loving it. i don’t know what’s gotten into me, possibly the fast visible results, but I am on fire! I mean I just can’t get any more excited about my progress or someone might slap me.

I am wearing a super cute outfit too and that always adds to my sassy flair, or if you aren’t in the mood for it you’d refer to it as exhausting cheekiness. 

fat loss is fabulous!

We have all heard the famous Nike punch line, “Just Do It”.  I never really took the time to consider how powerful that line was until this morning.  If we all lived with this kind of outlook towards life the world would be a better place, no question.  I recently acquired a client who will remain nameless for the time being, but this gal has been a dream client for me thus far.  I asked her to complete a 3 day food diary, and what did I get?  A FIVE day food diary.  Outstanding.

The other day I was running a little late to our training session only to arrive and see her out of breath, warmed up, and working on activation exercises!  What a dream for a trainer.  I have worked with clients prior to this gal for months and this people still show up glassy eyed, just looking to cut corners where they can, never pay attention to anything that we are doing, and on and on.  It is frustrating and blatantly obvious to me why most people never reach their goals.  Everything looks good on paper, but taking the time to do the work to get there is another. 

I have no doubt that if this client of mine listens to what I have to say (assuming that I don’t overload her with info) she is going to look exactly the way that she wants and probably even better than she ever imagined.  I would love nothing more than to she her achieve her goals.  Say what you want about goals, but there is no greater satisfaction in the world then when you are standing at the top of the mountain looking down at what it took to get there.  Sometime you have to…

“Just Do It”

In health…