Happy 2010....

It seems like resolutions are a thing of the past and lifestyle changes are en vogue. Whatever you want to call them, it's time to make daily choices that will improve your health. However, making the choice is only part of the equation, you have to actually IMPLEMENT a course of action. As a lifelong athlete, I realize how my choices affect the quality of my health. Yes, I'm addicted to working out but I've got it good, Luckily, I"m addicted to a time-efficient way to work out: Turbulence Training.
When it comes to my fitness, I actively choose to workout six days a week. Because I choose to sacrifice one hour each day to my health (and sweating), it makes me happy to know that I do it efficiently. The theory behind Turbulence training is high intensity. Hit the weights hard meaning heavy weights and minimal recovery periods. I supplement my resistance training with interval style cardio workouts 2-3 times a week.
I have been following Craig Ballantyne's awesome program for over 2 years and my body is amazing. Although my motivation may be lacking once in awhile, I enjoy my workouts. Like everyone, getting to the gym is half the battle. Heck, if I dragged myself to the gym in the freezing weather in Pennsylvania over Christmas, I can do anything!
I tell my clients that it takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Being that today is January 19, 2010, new habits were either formed or forgotten. If you didn't want to make the sacrifice, just remember that good habits may be difficult to form but good things don't come easy. One hour each day. Three weeks to form a habit and no one said when a lifestyle change had to start. Regardless of when, just do it.
Kelly Says Do This: You don't have to see it to believe it, you have to believe it to see it.

My love affair with the roller....

I love my foam roller. I love my foam roller so much, I invested in the high density foam roller that feels like you are lying on concrete. I can feel the knots as I lay on my IT band. If I haven't rolled in awhile and have been hitting my workouts hard, the pain is like no other.... but man oh man, do I feel awesome afterward.
Anyone who has ever used a foam roller knows the exact pain I am talking about. They also know how much better you feel after 15 or 20 minutes of pressure. The connective tissue feels smoother, there is less tension on the joints, you move smoother. I know I need to get on the roller when I feel pain in my left knee, my hip flexors feel like they are in knots or my butt is sore from running stairs. I even woke up the other night to roll b/c my hip flexors were bothering me!

So I take my 36 inch black roller into the gym the other day and started to roll my IT bands before my workout when my good friend comes up to me and asked what I was doing. This guy is fresh out of the service and works out like a 22 year old guy does: he hits the weights heavy and does minimal stretching. Heck, we all are a little guilty of that once in awhile!
I explain, I demonstrate and I invite him to roll! He laid down on that sucker and the facial expression about killed me! He shrieked in pain and looked at me like I was crazy! I told him the golden rules about rolling and the two biggest mistakes:

1. You have got to go slow. Too many people roll too fast and miss out on the benefits.
2. You have got to apply as much pressure as possible. Lying on a roller takes coordination and total body balance so position yourself so the most bodyweight is applied to pressure point.

He jumped off the roller and laughed saying I was crazy but it wasn't long before he was back on the roller for the ultimate pain threshold challenge and because it made him feel better. How? The pressure helps break up adhesions in the fascia. It's complicated but it works. And it feels great.
So that's how I roll.

24 hour fitness and Turbulence training

Ok, I've done the Gold's circuit. I do the Intel private employee gym. I tolerated the Fitness 19 smalltown buzz and now, I've entered into a whole new realm; the 24-hour Fitness craze. I am on a 24-day guest pass at the 24-hour gym located in downtown Sacramento and honestly, it's not that bad!

I love to people watch and there are some people to watch! As a trainer and fitness freak, I totally admire a hard, chisled body and understand the training hours and self-discipline it takes to get there. The Gold's in Venice Beach is the mecca of eye candy but now I don't have to drive to Venice for my sweet fix. I am so happy to say that there are some hot bodies in Sacramento!

As a single adult without any kids, I"ve stepped away from the family gym atmosphere and gone where I should have gone years ago...to 24-hour fitness.

Having dropped the final 10 pounds, I look tough for my age. "Shredded" is what my friends are saying and I love it. I've been consistent with my resistance training and getting it good on my high intensity cardio days. People at 24-hour do all types of crazy exercises. Although the machines are basic, they have rollers, BOSUs, steps, stability balls and medicine balls to play with.

Doing my intense supersets, I see other peeps around my age doing some pretty intense stuff, too, and I like it. The other day, a guy commented on how intense I worked out and then said he liked it. People constantly ask me how long I work out?

An hour. "What, that's it?" Yep. An hour... in and out, short and sweat, I mean sweet. I get it and I get it good. I'll talk, I'll laugh, I'll smile but I won't sit there forever. I'm there to workout. No problem, if you want to talk to me some more, then you have to inquire!

Today's Turbulence training-style workout:

Smith front squats/inverted bodyweight pull ups/mt. climbers
1-arm DB row/DB pullover/Bulgarian split squats/reverse bench crunches
1-arm shoulder press/triple drop set lat raise/Jumping jacks
Concentration curls/skull crushers
Back extension/Calves

In/out in an hour. Ok, an hour and a half b/c I was checking out the, um...plunch crowd :)
Kelly Says Do This: Get in and get it done so you get on with your life outside the gym! Hit it hard with short rest intervals. Sweat like you mean it and push yourself. Life is good!

Summer routine...

Ok, I've been all over the place this summer with my family reunion, the FallProof practical exam weekend, training clients at Intel, training and working out at Fitness 19, my organic cleanse and of course, moving. I have moved almost every year since I moved to California in 2002. Downsizing from 17 acres to now one bedroom, I've got moving down to a science.

Most recently, I've had to adapt to a new (much smaller) living space and I learned that we don't need half as we think we do, especially food-wise. In this "minimalist" phase of my life, I realize I don't need that much; a roof over my head, a firm mattress, a few outfits, some decent shoes (especially sneakers) and a reliable car. I also need to sweat for an hour each day. I"m not addicted per say but it makes me feel better, look great and sleep like a baby. Single with no kids, I can do what I want, when I want and that's cool with me. I don't freak out if I don't workout but I try to schedule "my time", an exercise component, into each day.

So now that I've moved, my summer schedule looks like this: I throw around weights (or my bodyweight) three (3) times a week. Whether it's a steady pace or Tabata style intervals, I get in three cardiovascular workout also, leaving one day for rest. I have been kicking into high gear on cardio days by either running stairs at Sac State or swimming laps in the pool after my bike ride.

Insane, huh? Not quite, I love it! Lean out in the summer and pack it on in the winter. I hate it but that is usually how it goes. I fight it every year and this year I will successfully maintain my new weight of 162, yes, 10 pounds lighter than the beginning of summer, all natural diet, too!
Today I rode the bike from Sac State to Discovery Park and back then ran the parking structure stairs at Sac State. I did this from noon-2 and felt great. The American River bike trail is awesome and my body loves the high intensity work. I love pushing myself to where I'm gasping for breath at the end of a sprint then feeling my body recover quicker and quicker. This is heaven to me and I'm loving it.
Kelly Says Do This: Kick your cardio up a notch. Get off the machines, get outside and do high intensity intervals. Sprint, rest, repeat. Feel your body burn the butter!

Gold's gym, Natomas workout

I worked at the Gold's Gym in Granite Bay for a little over 2 years. I used to travel to the other Gold's in the area for a change of scenery and for me, always a change in the view. I love eye candy. I love looking at men who have worked diligently and their bodies are living proof of that. There is NOTHING that beats the Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. That is hand-over-fist the best Gold's that I have ever been in. Not only do they have every piece of equipment imaginable but they have the finest looking members I have ever seen. Everyone is either a model, an actor/actress (or wanna be), a bodybuilder, or fitness competitor. These people are gorgeous and the best part: friendly.
So, I had my Venice Beach Gold's hook up last week and I'm back in good 'ol Sacramento. I no longer train at Gold's but at Intel Corporation and privately. Hungry for the good ol' Gold's days, I went to the Gold's in Natomas the other day b/c they have some sweet equipment and I've seen some luscious eye candy there on occasion. Well, to my utter dismay and disappointment, the gym was void of the buff bodies I longed to see. Instead, I had an amazing workout...one arm and one leg at a time!

My Gold's Gym (Natomas) workout looked like this:
Cable squat + 1-arm row/1-arm elevated pushup/plank
Split squat on Free-motion/1-arm cable compound row/Mt. climbers
1-arm Iso-Shoulder press/upright row
Alternating DB curl/Dips/Horsestance/bird-dog
Skull crushers/Back extension.
NO plyometrics and no HIIT, I was wiped.

Ok, so that was my workout on Wednesday (Yesterday) and today I did an intense bike ride, Tabata style, followed by 6 sets of 100 steps stair sprints. OH, and I ran the stairs barefoot, as always. Just now, Thursday evening, my chest and triceps are beginning to hurt from the Gold's workout yesterday. My calves will be screaming tomorrow and it's time for my third and final weights workout of the week. What's up with the delayed delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)?
I must be getting older. Getting older but looking younger. I love it.

Steady gettin' it thru the lazy days of summer...

Summer is my favorite time of the year. I love being outside in nature enjoying the warm weather, wearing the short shorts, and indulging in freshly grown fruits and vegetables. Living in California, there is no humidity which makes being outside even better. However, when the thermometer hits 100+ degrees, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get outside or get to the gym. However, once I begin a workout and get 2 rounds into my dynamic warm-up, I am always glad to be committing myself to one hour of total body therapy.

Being consistent with your fitness routine is the key to weight loss success and building the body you want. I have been consistently lifting weights 3 times a week, every week, for the past 4 years. I have been following the Turbulence training technique for the past 2 years and boy oh boy is it paying off. I look better than ever and the consensus at the gym is that I look like I"m 31 years old when I am in fact 41! Not bad, I'll take it.

Discipline pays off. As a personal fitness trainer, I know that it takes both exercise and diet discipline in order to look and feel good. You cannot work off a bad diet and the best meal plan in the world is useless if you don't challenge your muscles regularly. Sure, there are days when I would rather sit by the pool and sip margaritas. And yes, there are days when I want nothing more than to eat ice cream but if I want to look and feel the top of my game, I know that I have to sweat for one hour each day and I have to be aware of what I'm putting into my mouth.

While at the gym on Monday, it seemed like everyone was in slow motion. I struck up a conversation with a guy and we could not figure out why Monday workouts are always so much more difficult than any other day. My heart rate goes through the roof as I do my Turbulence training supersets and it amazes me since "I"m just lifting weights" but I'm doing it without rest between sets and I'm always using a challenging weight.

I've been riding the American River bike trail, tabata style, and that does wonders for my metabolism. Sprint as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Repeat. Some sitting, some standing to burn those legs. High intensity cardiovascular exercise. Today I ran the stairs at Sac State. 100 steps up, I ran it 6 times, a personal best. I love what exercise has done for my body and for my confidence. The best part is that people are really noticing my discipline and that reinforces the sacrifices I make. The sacrifices I chose to make to look like I do. Sure, I slip every once in awhile (alcohol or chocolate) but I remember that fitness is a lifestyle. A lifestyle I have been living and one I intend on living the rest of my life.

Kelly Says Do This: Keep at it. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a hard body. It takes consistent exercise and diet discipline to reach your weight loss and fitness goals. The longer you remain consistent, the less your body fluctuates due to lazy days and overindulgences.

Vegan eating while traveling

Living in California, I find that the vegetarian lifestyle is more widely accepted than in other states. I remember after a year at Cal Poly, my half sister in Pennsylvania jokingly referred to Californians as "granola girls and earth muffins" and laughing as she asked if I ate my sunflower, sprout and avacado sandwich. That was years ago but the stereotype remains.

I recently travelled from my home of 7 years, Sacramento, to Southern California for a FallProof practical exam weekend and noticed that the vegetarian lifestyle is flourishing down there compared to Northern California. For the road trip down, I packed lots of fresh veggies and stopped at several produce stands to get some local treats along the way.

After my 28-day Arise and Shine cleanse, I am enjoying making fruits and vegetables the main staple of my meals and have learned that being prepared is the key to success. This time of year is great for access to reasonably priced, local produce so I took full advantage during my trip.

I enjoyed Newport Beach for the first time and after long days at CSUFullerton for business, my friends and I dined at Bandera's, a local sushi joint, and ate in two nights. When dining out, I ordered fresh vegetables. I do not use dressing or sauces so ordering wasn't a problem. My taste buds have become super sensitive to herbs and fortunately, restaurants can easily accommodate that order.

After the practical exam weekend was over (yay, I'm now a certified FallProof Balance and Mobility instructor), I went to my favorite place ever; Venice Beach/Santa Monica area. There, I indulged in raw, vegan, organic dining at the best place ever: Euphoria with Raw-volution. We don't have those types of restaurants here in Sac yet but there were several to chose from in Santa Monica. I absolutely loved it. No dressings, no sauces, fresh ingredients, I was in heaven.

After an amazing Turbulence training style workout at Gold's gym in Venice Beach, I ate a supergreens salad and hummus platter with cocoanut juice. The next morning after running 13 fifty-yard sprints on the beach, I had a almond butter and apple sandwich on some type of fruit-based bread. It was amazing. Loved it and hope that more of this type of Raw, vegan, organic restaurant is offered in the Sacramento region soon. I will be there!

KellySaysDoThis: Plan to succeed by preparing your meals. Do not be left with an empty stomach and nothing healthy to eat.