ABC Butt & Abs Treadmill Workout
Millions of people buy treadmills with high hopes of using them to get fit, only to have them collect dust – or in Brittany’s case, hang clothes (as you can see here in her picture from her blog)!
It’s understandable. Walking on a treadmill can get boring. However, there are ways to keep it fresh! It’s time to take the clothes off the treadmill and put it to good use again – and this time, you can do MORE than just walk on it it!
You can burn calories, while firming your glutes and core, on your old treadmill with some fresh new treadmill moves – all with the treadmill running at only .5 – 1.0mph. Take it slow, practice the moves first and then get ready to feel the burn!
GLUTES, CARDIO & CORE!
A - 5-minute warmup:
Light jog or power walk
B - Treadmill Circuit:
1. 1 Minute of Walking Lunges
2. 1 Minute of Skateboard Lunge on the left side
3. 1 Minute of Skateboard Lunge on the right side
4. 1 Minute of Ab Wheel Walk
5. 1 Minute of active rest (moderate walk or jog)
C – 5-Minute Cardio:
Fast Power-walk or Steady Jog
Repeat B & C 2 more times for a 35 minute workout.
More Treadmill News & Tips
Learn How to Buy a Treadmill by Andrea Metcalf
Get more treadmill exercises and fresh new workouts at FitStudio.com!
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The Healthy Salty Snack You Can Afford to Eat
If you’re like me, and crave salty snacks, then you are always happy to discover something healthy to feed your craving. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of salty healthy snacks available beside popcorn, so imagine my sheer joy the first time I tried edamame (boiled or steamed soy beans in the pod).
My first edamame experience was at a local asian restaurant, Bangkok. After they came out, I remember thinking “what do I do with that? Do I eat the whole thing or am I supposed to pop the beans out?” Yes, Steve and I were edamame tards. After gnawing on the whole thing for a bit, shell and all, it didn’t take long to discover the stiff stems were not very chewable. We quickly figured it out and they became a part of our regular diet.
They are easy to cook too. I buy the bag of frozen edamame and steam them (which can be done traditionally or in a microwave oven for 5 minutes). Then I sprinkle soy sauce, and/or salt, on them and begin snacking!! Today I cooked them and then threw them in my cooler for the beach. They were an awesome cold snack too.
The greatest part of this salty wonder is they are truly healthy. Most people are just happy to find snacks that are just “not unhealthy”, but edamame is as healthy as it is tasty. Half a bag of edamame is only 150 calories – and a very equal balance of calories I might add! 12.5gms of protein, 6gms of fat, 11gms of carbohydrates and 5gms of fiber. Look at the graph to the left. You can see that edamame gets 31-36% of the calories from each substrate.
Another thing I like about edamame in the shell, is it takes work to get the bean out. Not that it is a big job, because it’s not a bother at all. However, it slows down how fast we typically eat snacks. I enjoy the taste more and the entire snack takes longer to eat than many other similar snacks. Any snack that can slow us down from inhaling it is a good snack!
So, instead of reaching for a bag of chips, next time you are craving something salty to snack on, go steam up some beans!
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Never Easy, Always Worth It!
I don’t know why we even waste our time looking for the easy way. I mean, when has anything easy really paid off? Honestly, for me? Never.
Push!!!!!!!!
Think of it like childbirth. The birthing process, from what I understand, is not fun. However, it is very rewarding. When we are training, it’s like carrying a baby. We are growing a new physique, creating a new you. Like pregnancy, it also takes time and patience – and it can be a very long, uncomfortable journey.
There’s another similarity, and that’s how we feel the closer we get to the “due date”. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pregnant mom, in her 8th month of pregnancy, say she hoped she went full term. Moms are normally very ready to get that baby out of there.
Hang in there!
In the same way, as you get closer to your goal weight, it’s easy to get impatient. Besides, you’ve been working toward this for months now – it’s time! No matter how read you are, no matter how tired you are, or no matter how discouraged you are, it’s super important you see it through.
It may be hard, it may be scary, you may fear failing, and you may wonder if you have what it takes – but whatever you do, don’t abort your goals. Take it all the way! Why? Because great things rarely ever easy, but they are ALWAYS worth it!
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Bonnie: A Misty Moment Photography
Woman in Labor: Crazy Pregnancy
Baby in Belly: Free Picture Prompts
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Pfiester Pfridays: Join me Behind the Scenes
A typical Friday doing not-so-typical cool things
While Steve was on the road to Boca to shoot his weekly Friday shows with one of our BCx Trainers, Cristina, for LiveExercise, I was takin’ care of business at our home office all morning, meeting all my Friday deadlines: design my weekly ad, write my blog, finalize the BCx Bikini Boot Camp program for Max Fitness, write my Honestly Bonnie column for FitStudio and finalize a few tasks for Designer Whey protein as they prepared for their new site launch.
Fiji Bound
Once I checked everything off my to do list, it was event time! While Steve was wrapping up his shows yesterday afternoon, I was heading to our local high school football field to set up for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. This year’s theme Relay was countries, so our gym decided to be Fiji – because you have to have a great body if you go to Fiji right?!
Surviving Fiji
Since the CBS Survivor reality show did a season in Fiji, we decided to go WILD and play the Survivor part (perfect for the American Cancer Society too!). Frayed jeans, bikini top, worn tee, natural hair and a fun hat would be my “costume” for the event.
Our staff did an AMAZING job dressing up our tent with palm fronds, grass decor and tiki torches. I painted tribal faces and we whipped up some yummy tropical smoothies for donations, compliments of Designer Whey. Our members did a great job coming out to walk and support such a great cause – and Steve finally got back to town and joined us too!
Surviving another busy Friday!
Finally, I got to go home and crash with Steve, who had dinner waiting (thank goodness!). My final task for the day was to check my email and social media accounts, and that’s when I saw the good news – Designer Whey launched their new website! What a wonderful way to end a productive day! WOO HOO! As the resident fitness experts for Designer Whey, Steve and I celebrate the beginning of an exciting year with the #1 protein company in the nation!
Workout with Us
The first workout to launch on the site is called “Basic Training” 4-week workout program – not because it’s hard, but because it’s truly basic. This 3-day a week program is simple, effective and requires a minimal amount of time, space and tools. Perfect for any begginer, this program grows in intensity, and length, as you get stronger and more fit.
Our next program to come out (in a week or two) is Design Your Body. This program is a 4-week program with 5 workouts a week – a total of 17 fresh new set of circuits (called Blocks) – adaptable to workout beginners to athletes.
Get Ready!
Steve and I will be writing weekly blogs and doing bi-weekly workouts exclusively for Designer Whey, so be sure to follow them, like them and get E-news so you are the 1st to know what’s new at the all-new Designer Whey!
One Thing Missing
People often think all I do is workout for a living. With a day like today, you probably can see how working out is just as hard to squeeze in for a “fitness professional” as it is for any business person. It was one thing that did not make my to-do list yesterday. You see, we all have our “bad days”. The key to success is not beating yourself up for them and just picking up right where you left off. Yesterday was a productive day, and missing my workout was a small sacrifice for a great cause!
-Bon-
2 for 1 Chicken Fajita Meal
What does a girl do when she can’t eat chips and salsa? She has the next best thing – she makes a healthy Mexican meal!
I love all the flavors Mexican food offers so cook a lot of different Mexican dishes. Last night I was in the mood for fajitas. Since I had several people request recipes after posting it on Twitter and facebook, I’m sharing my meal(s) with you.
2 for 1: 1 recipe for 2 different meals
Fajita Meat:
Fresh Sliced Chicken or Tyson Pre-Cooked Fajita Chicken Strips (fast fix)
Two Bell Peppers (one green, one red)
One Onion
Badia Fajita Seasoning (to taste)
Lime juice, 3-4 limes or 1/4 cup of Lime Juice (depending on your taste)
Salt to taste if needed
Grilled Mexican Corn:
Today’s Harvest Frozen Corn (all natural, no preservatives)
Lots of Fresh Cilantro
Lime juice, 1-2 limes depending on size/taste
5 Diced small red and orange sweet peppers
One Tablespoon low-fat Hellman’s Mayo (optional)
Salt
Mix above ingredients and grill to cook in a pan or on the grill
Rice:
Vigo Yellow Rice
Start the rice first, since it takes 25 minutes to cook, then start grilling the fajita mixture and the corn. The whole meal can be prepared in about 30 minutes.
1 Set of Ingredients, 2 Different Meals
MEAL #1: The No Tortilla Fajita Meal
Serve fajita meat and top with shredded lettuce, a dollop of low-fat sour cream and La Mexican salsa (in the produce section), with sides. (shredded cheese optional)
MEAL #2: Salad Bowl:
Layer #1: Rice
Layer #2: Sour cream
Layer #3: Fajita meat
Layer #4: Salad toppings – Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, jalapenos, salsa and sliced avocado.
DIET TIPS: Save calories by keeping rice portions small. Remember, avocados are healthy but high in fat and calories so be careful on the amount you eat. 2 tablespoons of low-fat sour cream is only 40 calories and that’s a LOT of calories compared to 159 calories in a half of an avocado, which most people will use as one serving. We always skip the cheese. I don’t really taste it and it’s not worth the extra calories in our house. Finally, La Mexican fresh salsa is really low in calories (only 10 calories per 2 tablespoons) so enjoy!
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Breaking a Plateau May Take New Start
Have you ever just experienced something you almost didn’t go through with and thought “I’m so glad I did that”. This happens to me all the time. It’s not always about fitness either. It happens in all areas of our life. My laziness tempts me to stay at home, instead of doing something as silly as going bowling – and then I think “Wow! That was fun! I’m SO glad I did that”.
This not only happens when you are contemplating doing something, but it also happens when you are in the middle of something – like a diet or fitness program. We reach a physical and/or mental plateau. We begin to doubt if we are on the right path, or if it will be worth it – and we’re tempted to quit. Ironically, these times are often the valley right before an amazing mountain top experience.
Too Much Time at the Rest Area
Picture a guy on a journey, who gets tired, and decides to rest for a while. Does he rest forever? He could if he wanted to, if he’s satisfied with where he is. However, if he wants to get where he was headed, he’s going to eventually have to pick up where he left off and start moving again.
In this picture of Steve, only he knows what he’s doing. He could be putting the weight down, or he could also be picking it up. This is where many of us are in life. We are at a place where we can call it quits or we can claim a new start – the decision is all yours.
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The Success in Failing
People often fear failure so much they don’t even try. Maybe it’s the fear of wasting time. Some people are afraid of wasting hard work and energy with no results. Others simply let pride get in the way and just avoid trying so they don’t have to publicly fail or be embarrassed. However, maybe you’d think differently if you were to focus on what trying does – even if you don’t succeed like you’d hoped.
1. It gives you experience. There are very few people I’ve met who lose weight the very first attempt. Probably because they don’t go about it the correct way at first, but it’s that experience that teaches them along the way. Sure, people can tell you what you should or shouldn’t do until their blue in the face, but many people won’t listen until they experience it for themselves. With each attempt, you learn what you like and don’t like. You learn what got you results and what set you back. You also learn patience, and that is definitely something someone has to have when it comes to working on the physique. Either way, all my valuable experience and knowledge has not come from success, it’s come from failures too.
2. It exposes your flaws. I’m not talking about physical flaws, I’m talking about personality flaws. When you attempt a challenge, you learn yourself. It doesn’t take long to discover the areas that need improvement in your life. Trying something new grows you, changes you, and improves you – if you let it.
3. It shows you your strengths. I can’t tell you how many people come to me and say “I never thought I could do this”. How could they if they never tried it before. Whether it’s doing a push-up or running a 5K, there are so many people who are blown away by their own strengths simply because they never even tried.
4. It teaches you. Once you’ve failed, you know what not to do – and honestly, that is a very valuable lesson. Like a scientist experiments with trial and error, you are your own scientist working to reinvent your body. Through various trial and errors, you learn what works and what doesn’t work. Just like Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Although teachers said Thomas Edison was not bright, frustrating them so much his mom took him out of school, he ended up holding the world record of 1093 US patents for inventions such as the 1st commercial light bulb, phonogragh and the motion picture camera (Hollywood thanks you!).
If you have been resisting exercise, diet or a fitness challenge, like doing a race, have no more fear. Instead, go for it – knowing no matter what, you will end up a better person with a lot of really cool lessons learned along the way.
Photo Credits:
Fear Pic: swimupstreamlife.com
Plank photo: AmmaTherapy
Girl Flexing: historicalstockphotos.com
Thomas Edison: CNN
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More BANG for your PAIN!
This is what I think of when I think of powerlifters. I think of fat guys who like to lift big weights and eat whatever they want. But we can’t let a few fat guys turn us off from powerlifting because powerlifting exercises have some serious perks.
Think about it. Why do 3, 4 or 5 different exercises when you can do ONE exercise that works 3, 4 or 5 muscle groups all at once?
Although exercises that concentrate only on one muscle group has its place, people are missing out if that’s all they’re doing. Not only does it take more time to isolate different muscles out, there are other benefits you miss out on if you’re only working one muscle at a time.
Get More Bang for your Pain
I’d be lying if I said working out doesn’t hurt. I used to always say “It hurts so good” and that really is true. Once you experience the burn, you start to associate that burn to feeling fit. However, if I can combine exercises so I “can kill a few burns with one stone”, then I’m all over that!
Strengthen Your Whole Body
Isolation exercises mean you are basically shutting down all other muscle movement to work that one specific muscle. When you work several muscles, it requires core strength and stabilization. This means each multi-joint exercise not only strengthens each muscle targeted, but it is also working supporting muscles too.
Burn More Calories
In addition, it takes a lot of work to exercise multiple muscle groups so you burn more calories. So, instead of doing 45 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes on weight machines, you can incorporate more multi-joint exercises and boost calorie burn calorie burn while lifting weights.
This is why we do so many mutli-joint exercises in our BCx boot camp programs, like the one Cristina McDaniel is doing here. This type of training has been proven to deliver the best results for fat loss, while also sculpting muscle, in the least amount of time.
Still not convinced?
If that power lifter pic is frightening you remember what Steve says, “You can train like a powerlifter and eat like a ballerina, and you’ll look like a ballerina”. You simply look like you eat more than how you train. So unless you eat copious amounts of food and protein, don’t expect to blow up and develop huge bulky muscles. Eat lean – and look lean.
6 Multi-Joint Exercises to Add to Your Routine:
See how many isolated exercises it would take to work all the muscles in one multi-joint exercise.
1. Push-up - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps & Core
OR do chest press, tricep extension, front shoulder raises and plank.
2. Pull-up - Back, Biceps and Core (Click HERE to learn modifications)
OR do Lat Pull Downs, Bicep Curls and Plank
3. Clean And Press - Shoulders, Traps, Quadricpes, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves & Core
OR do Traps, Shoulder Press, Squats, Straight Leg Deadlifts and Plank
4. Thruster (Squat Press) – Shoulders, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves & Core
OR do Shoulder Press, Leg Extention, Ham Curls, Glute Machine, Calf Raises and Plank
5. Overhead Walking Lunges - Shoulders, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core & Calves.
OR do Leg Extensions, Ham Curls, Glute Machine, Shoulder Press, Calf raises and Plank
6. Barbell Deadlift - Hamstrings, Core
OR do Hamstring Curls, Back Extension and Plank
Powerlifting photo from Project Goliath
More Bang for the Pain photo by Misty Lundeen
Photo of Cristina McDaniel by BCx Boot Camp
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Quitting? "NO!"
Some guys get knocked down and that’s all she wrote. Other guys, like UFC fighter Chris Leben, need to get knocked down a few times to just get them started. When others are contemplating quitting, this is your time to take it up a notch. Me Quitting? Never. I’d rather start over a million times before I quit once.
DIET: 7 Ways to Cheat Smart
Back in the day, when Steve used to go off his diet he would say he was “taking the gloves off” – meaning, no more rules. In sports like boxing and hockey, taking the gloves off means they are about to throw down. No rules, no ref, anything goes.
Well, that’s how Steve and I used to cheat – we’d take the gloves off. However, over the years our eating has changed drastically. Although we totally still cheat on our diet here and there, even cheating is done in moderation.
Vacation or Diet Vacation?
I think too many people “take the gloves off” like we used to – especially when on vacation. They go on vacation and they don’t even try to eat healthy. On the contrary, people often cram as much crappy stuff in their body while on vacation “just because they are on vacation” – as if they’d never get the chance to cheat again.
Sure, you should be able to have some yummy meals and treats on vacation – I’m not suggesting you have to “diet”. What I’m saying is you should still practice self-control and balance. Whether it’s trying to still maintain healthy portions or mixing in healthy meals with cheat meals, eating just to eat shouldn’t be an option.
Our Dumb Rules (AKA: Lame Excuses)
We humans make some of the dumbest diet rules. We have certain occasions we “allow” ourselves to “take the gloves off”. We cheat when we celebrate. We cheat when we go out of town. We cheat when it’s a Holiday. We cheat on the weekends. We cheat when we’ve had a hard day. Honestly, sometimes we cheat our way through a whole week because of circumstances. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we continue to cheat after several days of cheating, because we’ve been so bad. Really? Is that an excuse? I’ll be bad today just because I was so bad yesterday? Yep, that’s how some of us think and act. How stupid is that?!
Going Over the Limit
We do the very same thing when with spending, especially on vacation. We buy things just to buy things. After blowing it one day, we often blow even more money (and debt) the next day – and many times it’s on stupid stuff. I mean, do you really think you’ll hang that ridiculous Mexican sombrero in your house? Probably not, but you sure will be paying for it, along with all the other junk “that you had to have”, for a lot longer than it took to buy ut. The same goes with diet. You may not be playing by they rules, but the rules still apply – and, believe me, you WILL pay.
7 Ways to Cheat Smart & Win the Fat Fight
You can splurge, taste, play and feel good to – IF you learn to cheat smart. Here are a few ways to enjoy great cuisine without losing your fight with fat.
1.) Only eat what you love. How many times have you eaten something just because it’s in front of you? How many times have you cleaned your plate and the meal wasn’t even that good? Save your cheat calories for only foods you absolutely love.
2.) Make good choices and healthy tradeoffs. Think about what you like the most. Do you want the appetizer more, or the dessert more? Instead of having every course offered, narrow down the choices to what’s most important to you.
3.) Divide your cheat meal up by cutting high-calorie foods in half. If you want to totally splurge on your favorite high calorie dish, don’t overeat too. You can enjoy that deep fried dish, or pasta swimming in alfredo, but save calories by not eating it all in one siting to avoid more calories stored as fat. The good news is you get to have your favorite meal twice!
4.) Choose one: over-eating or over-calorieing. I know, it’s not a word! What I mean is, if your idea of splurging is overeating, then eat healthy. If your idea is eating a high calorie cheat meal, then eat less of unhealthy meals.
5. Plan to cheat. One of the best things you can do is plan your cheat meals out. If you are jonesing for your favorite cheat meal for dinner, eat healthy during the day or do an extra cardio. Save calories on other snacks and meals to allow more room to cheat.
6. Eat for fuel. Remember, what you eat today is how you will feel tomorrow. So, if you’re planning to hit the beach and you want to look good in your bikini, or you want a ton of energy on vacation, you may want to eat how you want to feel – and plan your cheat meals around that. My sister learned this the hard way when we went to Busch Gardens after eating pancakes. Steve and I had a ton energy and she crashed after only 2 hours of being at the park. If you want to feel good, you may want to choose your biggest cheat day for the last day of your trip.
7. Cheating can be depressing. I don’t know about you, but I want to be happy on vacation. Cheating can really mess with your head. You can mentally feel fat and ugly, causing bad mood swings and emotions. If you want to feel confident and comfortable, limiting crappy meals can make you a much happier camper.
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Photo of Bonnie Pfiester by Misty Lundeen
