Monthly Archives: January 2012
Fitness Models: Unrealistic Heroes?
One time a guy, pointing to a poster of me, said “do your abs really look like that?” I was taken off guard, and kind of perturbed. I mean, did he think I would have just drawn them on? Did he think I looked fat now? Was that photo really so unbelievable? The truth is, my abs didn’t look like the poster that day. So much goes into photo shoots, it’s honestly unfair to anyone else who references professional shots as “normal”.
Kristia Knowles, who’s landed the cover of countless fitness magazines like Oxygen and Muscle & Fitness Hers, openly admits magazines photoshop the heck out of pictures. Although I know Kristia is absolutely beautiful and fit in person, the reality of what you may see in print is it’s not always reality at all.
When a fitness article shows off an amazing physique, with a headline to match like “5 Butt Blasting Moves”, the reader automatically thinks (even if they know better) those 5 moves are going to give you “that butt”. How unfair is it that the magazine doesn’t talk about their extreme pre-shoot diet or insane amount of cardio they do to shed fat for that day? Or how about discussing the water pills and laxatives they took to shrink their tummy and skin? Then there’s the fact they are posing on an empty stomach and can’t wait to totally pig out as soon as they’re are done. That, my friend, is the reality.
Aside from the actual physical work a fitness model does to prepare for a shoot, there’s the workout the model gets after the shoot. Abs get painted, skin is smoothed, skin folds are removed, and muscles may even get “pumped”. Although this photoshopped picture of Angelina Jolie is an extreme example of what someone can do with a photo, there are very few pictures that don’t get photoshopped in this business. Kristia says, even the best bodies still get photoshopped. So even the people who already have amazing physiques are made to look even more amazing – and we wonder why we have self-esteem issues. Read the rest of this entry
15 ABsolutely Awesome Ab Exercises
When I searched for candid photos of female celebrities who had great abs, I came up pretty empty handed. However, the one female star that really stole the google image show was Gwen Stefani, and deservingly so.
The truth is, everyone has abs – it’s just whether we see them or not. The leaner you are and the more developed they are, the more visible they are. Aside from diet, the problem is many people are limited when it comes to knowing a lot of ab exercises. If you are working on getting Gwen Stefani abs by bikini season, then maybe it’s time to freshen up your abs hit list!
If you were Steve Pfiester‘s client, here are a few of the exercises he’d likely have you doing.
AB EXERCISES:
1. Crunch
2. Sit-up
3. Bicycle Crunch
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
5. Oblique Crunch
6. Reverse Crunch
7. Side V-up
8. Hanging Knee-ups
9. Snow Angels
10. Crunch & Punch
11. Take it or Leave it
12. Plank
13. Pulse Side Plank
14. T-plank
15. Alternating Hand Foot Plank Lift Off
AB WORKOUTS:
Boot Camp Core
Plank-n-simple
Abs & Core Workout with a Fit Ball
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Fitness: Conquering Your #1 Enemy
We don’t always want to do the work,
but we always want the reward.
Have you ever flipped through a magazine, gazing at an amazing physique and thought “This is who I want to be”. But no matter how motivated you are in that moment, you skip your next workout? Or maybe you’ve been i n church and thought ” This is who I want to be”, but as soon as you leave, the fire in your heart dies leaves also?
It’s so easy to be focused one day and off the wagon the next. Why? Our flesh wants what our flesh wants – and our flesh never wants what is good.
When I looked up the definition for “flesh”, I had to laugh because the first definition described our flesh as soft. This is so incredibly true. Our flesh is easy to penetrate, it’s not firm or strong at all. It also referred to it as the surface. Again, so true. Our fleshly desires are always shallow, based on what’s on the surface of reality – not what is deep and lasting. Lastly, it describes the flesh as our body opposed to our mind and soul – the physical or carnal nature of mankind. Our flesh, literally the opposite of our soul, is our own worst enemy.
Your #1 Enemy
I hear people say “you should be able to eat what you want” or “you need to live”, as if doing what is good for you is dying. If you think of your fleshly desires, can you ever think of it wanting something good for you?
Think of the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony - they are all led by our flesh. Even if they weren’t considered a sin, there is not one of those things that are actually good for our health. And whether you like it or not, you will constantly battle your flesh for the rest of your life so you might as well learn how to battle it.
6 TIPS TO VICTORY
1. Keep your head in the game. You may not be playing for a national championship or a gold medal, but you have your own goals and they are just as important. The same way a coach would warn you to keep your head in the game, you need to do the same. Do everything you can to avoid distractions, and keep your mind and heart focused on the things that are important to you.
2. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Unfortunately, we all have friends that aren’t “good for us”. They are the first ones to talk us into going out for Pizza or the first ones to invite you to a party. Life is so much easier when your closest friends are also actively battling the flesh too.
3. Keep yourself in check. Ask yourself “will I feel good about this decision tomorrow?” If you feel like skipping your workout, verbally ask yourself how it will make you feel tomorrow. Or how will you feel tomorrow after having that bowl of ice cream? We all know the guilt that comes when you follow the flesh, it’s important you remind yourself of that. Living by our flesh will always lead to disappointment.
4. Invite others to keep you in check. This could be a spouse, a friend, a workout partner, a trainer or even an online friend. Everyone needs the added accountability.
5. Constantly and purposefully refocus. Our flesh constantly reminds us of what we want, so we have to constantly remind our body what WE want. What are you doing every day, and possibly several times a day, to help you stay focused? We need visual cues and text to remind us what is truly good for us.
6. Just do it. Everyone wants to be a winner but few people want to do what it takes to become one. Whether you are just wanting to lose weight or you are a professional athlete, it takes discipline and dedication. If an athlete woke up everyday just thinking about the training, it wouldn’t take them far. They aren’t focusing on the training, they are focusing on the triumph. Train with a purpose. Eat with a purpose, Live with a purpose. And even when you don’t feel like doing the work, remember you will always feel like getting the reward.
As Nike Says: “Make It Count“
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You May Need More Than Fitness
“Weights don’t call you when you don’t show up. The treadmill won’t facebook you when you neglect your cardio.”
Today’s Fitness Expo at the mall made me realize how fitness can be such a special part of your life. You don’t have to go to a gym, put on your headphones & log boring miles, without talking to anyone. The gym can, and should, be like a home away from home – a safe place for one big fitness family. Today, we weren’t at the gym, but our “family” came with us. They do class together, they run 5Ks together, they do mudruns, they meet up for lunch, and they come to fitness events like they did today.
Sure, you can still put your headphones on (I do) and train hard, but sometimes we need a thumbs up, pat on the back, or just a big fat smile when you walk in the door. Shute, if it were up to me, I’d have our staff give everyone a round of applause every time someone walked through the door, just for showing up. And if you don’t go to a gym, you an have twitter and facebook friends rooting you on. No one should go it alone.
That’s what I saw today. People of all ages coming out to the mall to participate in fitness activities. Young, old. Black, white, Man, woman, Adults, Kids, English speaking, Spanish speaking. Husbands, wives. Seniors, toddlers – and they were all having fun! If fitness is not fun, if it’s not special, and if it isn’t radically changing your life – something’s wrong. Sure, your first “family” maybe church or flesh and blood – but a fitness is also close to the top. Think about it, you see your fitness peeps, whether in person or online, more than you do your favorite restaurant.
If you are investing time and energy to get fit, don’t miss out on the big picture. Working out is important, but weights don’t call you when you don’t show up. The treadmill won’t facebook you when you neglect your cardio. Be sure to invest in the people around you as much as the weights. You never know what lives you’ll impact – and you never know what lives will impact YOU! – But doing fitness quietly, lonely and secretly often ends in failure (and no fun).
Here’s a pic of two of our BCxers…
If you are in Vero, come see us at Max Fitness Club! And if you aren’t, then be sure to subscribe to this blog, connect with me on facebook & twitter and workout with us at FitStudio. As Nike says, “Make It Count”
FITNESS MOTIVATION: Just Keep Showing Up
After reflecting on people’s excuses and their misconceptions, I came up with this:
EXCUSES are words we use to fill the gap between wanting something and achieving something.
EXCEPTIONS are the excuses we make to explain why other people succeed.
EXCELLENCE is what is achieved, no matter the result – just because you tried.
If you think succeeding is just losing weight, winning a medal, being the fastest, becoming the strongest, looking the best or anything else even similar – you’re wrong. Succeeding is just showing up. Showing up, even if you fail. Showing up, even if you don’t feel like it. Showing up, even if you don’t know it will pay off. Showing up, without excuse.
Anyone can “show up” when they are strong, fit and successful – but showing up when you are weak, out of shape and doubtful is what will make you truly victorious.
Showing up grows you. Showing up molds you. Showing up IS success. Quit making excuses. Quit thinking that fitness is about the end result: Success or Failure. It’s not. It’s about the journey.
MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION: Super short injection of “Just Do It”
EXCUSES are words we use to fill the gap between wanting something and achieving something.
EXCEPTIONS are the excuses we make to explain why other people succeed.
EXCELLENCE is what is achieved, no matter the result – just because you tried.
I just made this for anyone who wants to use it. this is Steve, leading boot camp…giving it all his heart.
I’m going to keep up at Max Fitness Club.
I’m going to keep showing up running the streets of Vero Beach.
I’m going to keep showing up doing BCx Boot Camp at FitStudio.
Where are YOU going to keep showing up?
A Simple Fix for Knee Pain
There’s nothing like a little knee pain to make you feel old and out of shape. Ironically, it is normally when you are trying to get in shape that you discover these little annoyances.
When I started jogging a few years ago, it was a shock to my system. I quickly discovered my body much preferred a brisk walk over running. I had never felt that out of shape before. Although I was lifting weights and occasionally doing the stepper or elliptical, my body wasn’t used to jogging and it let me know it quick! My hip ached, my knees throbbed, and my muscles were incredibly sore.
Even though most of my body adapted to the new routine eventually, my knees took a little longer to improve. Believe it or not, it was a simple fix – all I needed to do was stretch.
I am sure this may sound odd to some people. I mean, what in the world could stretching a muscle do for a joint? Well, plenty! You see, my leg muscles were really tight, especially my quadriceps (thigh muscles). Since these tight muscles attach to the patella (the knee cap), tight muscles were most likely the cause of my discomfort.
If you gently stretch the leg muscles, you relieve the tension on the kneecap, allowing for proper knee tracking. The only drawback is you have to be patient and consistent with your stretching routine. You can’t expect your muscles to loosen up after just a few stretches. With increased activity comes increase tightness, so it’s something you have to do often.
I had to stretch several times a day. I would even stop and stretch in the middle of my run to help get me through my routine. Eventually, my knee pain completely went away. My two miles of limping turned into a four and half mile pain-free jog thanks to a few simple stretches.
While there are many reasons for knee pain, tight leg muscles are often the culprit, especially if you just started noticing it after increasing activity. Unfortunately, many people quit an exercise program due these new aches and pains, thinking their body just can’t handle it. My knee pain could have easily, and literally, stopped me in my tracks. Instead, I didn’t give up and I’ve been running pain free for 9 years.
When it comes to knee pain, the solution maybe easier than you think.
(photo from http://www.mediahelp.org)
HOT BUNS: Butt Workout for Home or Gym
Many of you have asked for more butt workouts so here you go!! We designed this workout for FitStudio, powered by Sears - complete with instructional video. This killer combination of lunges, deadlifts, bridges and knee repeaters can totally reshape your booty just in time for bikini weather!
If you try it, be sure to comment on FitStudio’s workout page, rate it, like it and share it with friends. We’d love your feedback!!
CLICK HERE to get your HOT BUNS and view the entire workout on FitStudio.
Get Fit Now: Why Procrastination Stinks
“We all have garbage to deal with. You can chose to handle it now or later – the choice is yours.”
Desperate paparazzi catches poor Jessica Biel in her robe taking out the trash. Wow. Are we really shocked that stars have garbage too? We seem just as surprised when they have other life problems as well. Ironically, garbage and our physical, as well as mental, problems have a lot in common.
My dad once gave me some great advice about life, and not handling the “garbage” we carry. He said, “It’s like trash. You can just let it pile up and packing stuff on top of it, but eventually it’s gonna start to stink and you’ll have to deal with it.”
Life is truly like that – especially with our health. We can ignore the trash in our lives – our weight, health, weakness, tight muscles, poor diet and inactivity. No matter how we cover it up with nice clothes, fancy cars, money, pretty make-up and a fake smile, eventually you won’t be able to hide it, and life will start to really stink.
It is so easy to procrastinate. It’s so easy to push it back and let something else take priority. But, our bodies talk, and believe me, it will start screaming at you eventually. We can fool ourselves into thinking our back pain will go away, our weight will come off, and “we’ll kick this”, but what exactly are you really doing about it today? Are you just covering up the stench or are you really dealing with it? So often we do things to mask the problem, or to help us live with the problem, but we aren’t handling the problem.
4 Steps to Dealing with the Garbage Affecting Our Health:
1. What stinks? As you read this, what things come to mind that you know you need to get a grip on? Make a list. Is it your weight? Is it pain? Is it confidence? Is it your overall health? Is it a lack of discipline to maintain a consistent fitness regimen? You can’t fix it until you know what needs to be fixed.
2. How do you handle it? Some trash isn’t stinky, but it sill has to be taken out. On the other hand, some trash stinks so bad, you need to get it as far away from your house as possible. How bad is the “garbage” you have to deal with? Can you deal with it yourself or do you need a hazmat team to contain the situation? Some things can be handled on your own, but other issues require a pro. Beware of trying to handle heavy stuff alone.
3. How long will you commit to maintaining it? We all know that taking the garbage out once is not enough. We get NEW garbage that will have to be delt with too. It’s really unrealistic to think this will be a simple fix and not require maintenance. As you work on one problem, don’t be surprised if another problem pops up. Just add it to the list and work on it too, knowing in the end result will be a clean bill of health.
4. What are things that need to be tossed out? A lot of us have extra garbage we deal with because we are not letting go of crap that clutters our lives. Not only will you need to work on stuff that stinks, but sometimes things need to go that are either getting in the way, are useless, or are hindering you. The first step is to “clean house” of food, people, bad habits, excuses, etc. that will interfere with your plan. Just like cleaning house, it’s constant. Success will require a continual cleaning and straightening of priorities.
Don’t Procrastinate:
Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, the perfect situation, more money, more time, less pain, more energy, more motivation, friends, kids to grow up, workload to get lighter, or anything else to start working on your health.
“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.
If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Note on Pain: Many aches and pains are due to weak and tight muscles. Unfortunately, many people avoid exercise in fear of making it worse. Pain rarely goes away on its own, and often gets much worse. Even many skeletal issues are due to muscles pulling you out of whack. As you strengthen weak muscles and loosen tight muscles, your skeletal system won’t have all these tweaked muscles yanking on them. There are SO many pains that would go away just from stretching alone, but the combination of strengthening and stretching literally can be a miracle worker.
Are Overcomplicating Fitness?
“I see too many people putting too much energy looking under the microscope, when they just need to look at their plate.” Steve Pfiester.
Many people overcomplicate their diet so much they miss what matters most – and they can do the same thing with their workouts. If anyone can get all fancy with diet and workouts, it’s my husband Steve – and even with his extensive knowledge of human anatomy that’s required to graduate Magna Cum Laude in Physical Therapy, Steve keeps it simple.
Quote from Steve’s recent blog, “I can’t tell you the countless times I’ve been at the gym and have seen the meticulous biomechanical strategies that some people come up with to make their lifting routine more effective, or the countless times I’ve listened to people who are extremely overweight, discuss food on a totally microbiological level. Instead of looking at calories, they’re “buggn” about if it is free range or not. I am not arguing that biomechanics and microbiology doesn’t have a place in training and nutrition, but by god-man, look at the bigger picture. I call this “majoring in the minors”. As a trainer, blogger, or just exercise enthusiast, it is so vital that we realize the importance of fundamentals.“
If you have been worried about nutrition or working hard on the technicalities of training, read Steve’s newest blog: Majoring in the Minors.
2-N-1: My Butt & Shoulder Workout
I combined legs and shoulders today just in case I couldn’t get shoulders in tomorrow since we are preparing for a 5K & Mini-Mudder Saturday and have been crazy busy. This ended up being a great workout – quick, a bit painful and plenty effective. Since 2 of the best body parts on a woman, in my opinion, are the shoulders and legs/glutes I thought I’d pass it along. :)
Below are the exercises I threw together and the weight I did. Of course you can modify to fit your needs.
15 Thrusters (Squat Press) – 55-65lbs (barbell)
3 X
15 Squats – 135lb (barbell)
3 X
40 Overhead Walking Lunges (25lb plate)
40 Walking Lunges with Arms out straight in front (5lbs dumbbells)
Super Set – Alternating exercises, 40 steps 3 X
15 Leg Extension (110lbs)
12 Standing Military Press (Shoulder Press) (15lbs)
Super Set – Alternating exercises, 3 X
