Happy New Year ~ "A Pre-Party Prep"

Are you ready for a night of partying and celebration? You may be, but is your body? Overindulging in party sweets may not be fatal, but it can send your blood-sugar levels into the stratosphere, causing fatigue, extreme thirst, frequent urination, and blurred vision. And bingeing on sugary alcoholic drinks at the same time adds to the problem, and will almost certainly result in dehydration. 

But don’t cancel your big party plans just yet – there are a few things you can do to fortify your body’s defense mechanisms. Follow these New Year’s Eve pre-party tips to ensure a fast, healthy recovery the day after.

• Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration throughout the day. Guzzle down at least nine 10-ounce glasses of water. It may sound like a lot, but trust me, your body will need it!
  
• Avoid eating sweets throughout the day. Chances are there will be plenty of sweet treats at any New Year’s bash. Eat fruits and veggies instead.
  
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes, but don’t push yourself too hard. A moderate cardio workout is good for your heart and will boost your metabolism, helping you to burn off all those holiday calories. Do your strength-training on this day too. A night of drinking will weaken the body physically, so take caution and avoid strength training the day after any booze-filled night.
  
• Eat healthful meals. Load up on protein, such as fish or lean meat, as well as carbohydrates. These foods help absorb alcohol, thereby upping your tolerance of alcohol. Also, eat small snacks in between meals.

You don't want to feel or look like this sad duck!

"Happy Healthy New Year" ✿

Elliptical Trainer

                                                                 
Today's workout!
40-min Elliptical Trainer ~ 8.08 mi ~ 5.25 cal burned ~
Weight workout ~ Chest/Triceps 4x 8-10 reps 90-120 rest between all six exercises six-superset ~

1. Dumbbell flat bench press ~
2. Lying triceps extension (Skull crushers) ~
3. Incline dumbbell Flys ~
4. Seated dumbbell Tri ~
5. Lying cross bench pullovers ~
6. Dumbbell kickbacks

Ab work ~ 100-situps w/10lb medicine ball (throw/catch @top of each situp ~
 

Today's Workout !

                                                                      
Today's workout!
45-min Elliptical Trainer ~ 8.42mi ~ 8.17cals burned ~
30-min Kettlebell strength/cardio workout (upperbody) ~
Abs ~ 15-min 5=4lb Hula Hoop ~ Kettlebell ab crunch 50 reps ~

A Dedication ~ " Team #BiscuitBeauties" #BiscuitLove

A Dedication to my sweet BiscuitBeauties on Twitter.com ~ Lucy@UTEP27 ~ Aubrey@aubrey_Ross ~ Lauren@tropicalgirl11 ~ Laura@iFitLauraRX ~ Becca@beccasgym ~ Gabriella@futureoffigure ~ Darlene@iFitRurGirl ~ Katy@WarriorFitChick  Michelle@CORECondition ~ Alison@Fit_not_Skinny ~

A Force to be Reckoned with "Someone or something that is important and powerful and must not be ignored" That best  describes these Beautiful, Strong, Powerful Women of Fitness! ღ♥ღ♥ღ♥ Love for Team biscuitbuddies ღ♥ღ♥ღ♥

Today's Workout !

                        
Today's workout!
45min.Elliptical Trainer ~ 30min + 15min intervals = 45min. First 30min. 6.50-miles 450-cal 15min intervals 703-miles 460-calories = Total miles 13.53-miles 930-cal burned!


Weight workout!
Back/Biceps/Hamstrings  (Heavy) 8-10 reps 5x sets all the 6 exercises! Sixtuplet-sets

1. Wide grip pulldowns (Heavy)
2. Preacher curls 
3. Stiff-leg deadlifts
4. T-bar rows 
5. Incline alternating dumbbell curls
6. Dumbbell leg curls

Abs~ 100-Situps w/10lb medicine ball ~ Throw/catch @top of each situp! 
Planks~ 4x Hold 4 60 secs or more...
  Holiday Training ~ Bringing in the New Year Strong!

 

Today's diet!

   

A Dedication ~ "Champion & Warrior Princess"

A dedication to my Warrior Princess sister Lucy aka #Beasta @UTEP27

Today's Workout !

                           
Today's workout!
5~mile X~Country hill run ~ Burning the Okole biscuit on those hills today! My dogs even felt the burn!!!  ")
120~ walking lunges ~ 60 each leg ~
20~min Ab work w/4lb hula hoop ~

Motivational Note ~ "Dear Fat"

I love this! I think we all men and women both can relate to this.. Fat covers our beautiful muscles that we work hard for. If you live a fit lifestyle year round you will be able to control this nasty "FAT" from creeping in and destroying your beautiful body inside and out! Make the positive effort this coming New Year 2012 and live fit 4 life! Say..."Dear Fat stay the Fuck out of my body for good" !!!

Exercise of the Week! "Preacher Curls"

The preacher remains one of the best biceps builders of all time. It's orgins go back 30 years with the great Larry Scott using this exercise to build his 20 inch guns.

The trick to this exercise to make sure you squeeze your biceps all the way through the motion and especially at the top part. I suggest you pause at the top for a moment and really squeeze, especially on your last couple of reps.

Make sure your back is straight and your head is level during the entire movement. Remember, you don't want to heave the weight up, if you find yourself doing this, the weight is too heavy so you might want to lighten the load.

An important note. Do not bounce at the bottom of the movement - This can lead to injury. 

Position for the preacher curl

1. While seated on a preacher bench, hold your arms over the pad, keeping your back straight and head level.

2. Grasp a barbell in an underhand grip and extend your arms.

Execution of the preacher curl

1. Curl your arms up to your chin and then slowly extend your arms back down. Do not bounce the weight at the bottom portion of the movement. Raise and repeat till your set is complete!

The primary muscle group used is...Biceps, front shoulders and forearms. I absolutely love preacher curls! They are one of my all time favorite exercise for my biceps. I feel that the "Preacher Curl" gets the full belly of your bicep muscle and makes for a longer bicep which is so much more appealing on the body when the muscle is longer "Full Muscle Belly"  If you do bicep exercises incorrectly you can develop a shorter muscle belly and that can make your muscles look more blocky and not so appealing to the eye.

Other variations of the preacher curls...You can do preacher curls w/dumbbells single like a concentration curl or double dumbbell. Reverse grip preacher curl is also a great one for both biceps and your forearms. So add these great bicep exercises to your workouts and create a more beautiful "full belly" bicep muscle ~

Inspire me ~

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. 
William Shakespeare

Merry Christmas! "Mele Kalikikmaka"

Merry Fitmas To All !

Can Wine Make You Fat ?

  A glass of wine here and there isn’t bad. In fact, it may protect against heart disease. But it’s the two, three or more glasses that may be doing a number on your waistline and your health. A typical drink — 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of light beer or a shot of 80-proof liquor — contains about 110 calories. Two to three drinks a day adds up to nearly 2,000 extra calories per week. But more important than calorie content is alcohol’s effect on the body’s hormones.

Alcohol consumption triggers the release of cortisol, a stress-related hormone that heavily contributes to abdominal fat storage and muscle loss. It decreases insulin sensitivity, leading to increased fat storage and decreased fat burning. It’s also associated with lower leptin levels, a hormone fundamental to metabolism, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. And lastly, even moderate alcohol consumption raises estrogen levels, which may increase your breast cancer risk.

Bottom line: If you regularly enjoy alcoholic beverages, you may want to consider its effects on your waistline and your health.

It being the holiday season it can be hard to just have one glass of wine or curtail your drinking while enjoying all the parties and festive family gatherings. If you indulge more than usual during this time don't beat yourself up about it. Just keep on track with your training/workouts and eating clean and healthy during the times you are not at a party or a festive family gathering. It is possible for you to keep all your hard work that you have endured and worked hard for all year safe from complete sabotage. 

Be safe if you indulge in more than on glass of alcohol and have a wonderful Happy Holiday season! Merry Fitness 2 all =)

" Be Your Biggest Fan"

Staying motivated is the key to any weight-loss plan. And let’s face it: It’s hard to stick to a diet, especially when the weather starts to cool. To aid you in your diet plan, I have a trick for battling those moments of weakness when you’re faced with a diet-busting temptation, such as a gargantuan slice of cheesecake or a second serving of your mom's fat-laden stuffing with thick gravy.

First, imagine a group of loving and compassionate people, the ones you know in real life that love and care about you. Or famous people you admire – Imagine these loving supportive people in your life that continually inspire you and are your biggest fans. Imagine these images of famous people you admire and visualize what you admire about them. Then visualize what you want for yourself and how happy you will be by continuing to stay true to your dreams and what you are aspiring to be. A fit healthy, happy person.

Allow this positive energy to transcend the confines of your mind and heart and fill up your entire body. Now visualize your team of loving people cheering you on, discouraging you from making that diet-busting mistake. Cheering you on and motivating you each step of the way. Inspiring you to get to that awesome place you have been daily striving for, and to be the best you can be.  

If you have to, carry a inspiring photo or pic with you, or post a pic somewhere that you are able see everyday. A inspiring pic or photo that you can turn to when you’re in desperate times. I promise you this method works in those desperate times. It reminds you of what it is you are striving for and what you have committed fully to do for yourself. To be fit, healthy, happy and the best "YOU" can be!
 

Today's Workout !

                                      
Today's workout!
5-mile Kealakehe Parkway X-country hill run!  5 miles "NO STOP" 45min...=)
100 body squats ~
100 side tibeo kicks (50 ea.leg) ~
100 walking lunges w/12lb dumbbells ~
                  

Motivational Note ~ {Woman}

A Dedication ~ " NO EXCUSES"

This motivational post is dedicated to my girl and #biscuitbuddy Laura @iFitLauraRX  Checkout her fitness journey on her blog... http://ifitlaurarx.tumblr.com/  Laura makes NO EXCUSES and trains w/dedication and commitment everyday! Mahalo for inspiring me Laura ❤  Good Luck in your fitness quest to compete on stage in the fitness/figure world ~    "Rock your body"

A Dedication ~ Lift Like a Girl? Or My Gurl Lucy #Beasta?

 

Lift like a girl? or like my sweet friend Lucy.. Biscuitbuddy Beasta @UTEP27 She is ALWAYS on #Beastmode! Dedicated and Rocking her body hard every chance she gets! Love my girl cause she inspires me everyday and loves the "Iron" as much as me ")  

Keep Rock'n & Shining Bright Girl ☀

Today's Workout ! "Saturday Dec 17"

                                                   
Today's workout!
2 mile all uphill interval sprint run ~ Omg "Killa"
100 walking lunges ~

Weights ~
Kettlebell upperbody workout ~ 30 min.
15 min. 4-lb hula hoop (abs) ~

Daily Fit Tip! " You're Not a Super Hero"

We all have those days when it feels like we could conquer the world. Chores – check! Errands – check! Workout – check! World peace – check! In reality, the daily demands of a hectic lifestyle pile up, leaving you feeling worn out and a lot less like Wonder Woman. Don’t attempt to do too much at once. You may feel like a super hero, but you’re not. No one is. 

Too often, we get caught up in the “I can do everything” trap and take on too many responsibilities. From evening classes to social obligations to taking kids to sporting events and practices – there’s not always enough hours in the day to accomplish it all. The danger of the Wonder Woman syndrome is that you’ll spread yourself too thin and not give all of your responsibilities the attention they deserve. You’ll also become exhausted and risk becoming lazy in your healthful eating habits. So quit trying to be a super hero! Just be the super person – productive, unproductive or somewhere in between – that you are.

 

 I think most women in today's world lead such a busy lifestyle and think or try to do it all.. I am one of those women and sometimes I don't listen to my body when it's time to rest and recharge my batteries (Muscles). This past week my body was telling me to rest and I kept going.. I got some great motivation from friends and ended up forcing myself to stop and rest from training for two days. When I went back to training two days later my body felt re-charged and ready to ROCK IT !!!

 

When it comes to our loved ones... spouse, children and friends we will give them such great advice,but when it comes to our own self we seem to forget that great advice. We think and feel it doesn't apply to us because so many depend on us to keep going and we just cannot let anyone down. In doing this we let ourselves down by not taking care of ourselves. We need to listening to our mind and body when it's telling and showing us we are worn down, tired and need to take a break and rest. If we learn to put a priority on our health and take better care of ourselves first... we will be there at our best to enjoy life's special gifts and have the strength to be there for our family and friends. Then our loved ones will have the gift of enjoying us as well..

 

Motivational Note ~ " I Can't " ?

In a true athletes life this word " I Can't" doesn't exist!!! This should be for all not just athletes. You" Can" if you truly want too and FIGHT HARD for it !!!

Motivational Note ~ "Keep Going"

I love this motivational note...Except for me if your "puke" u should still keep going!!! Fainting is questionable? Depending on how long u faint for and why? Most cases dehydration and a little water can help that and keep you going =) Dieing is the only event that should stop you from continuing your workout!!!

Today's Workout !

                            
Today's workout!
Elliptical Trainer ~ 40 min..  7.51 miles ~ 610 cal.burned!
100 ~walking lunges 2/10lb weight ~
20 min. 4-lb hula hoop ~

Motivational Note ~ "NO SHORTCUTS"

Motivational Note ~ "My December Promise"

December is half over and it will soon be the New Year! If you haven't been keeping to your December promise that you made to yourself? It's not too late!!! There are 15 more days for keeping your December 2011 promise to yourself.. Bring in the New Year feeling "Amazing" and Rock your body through the rest of December and keep that promise you made to "YOU"

 I had the pleasure of meeting Mandi Blank and doing a photo shoot with her in Las Vegas for Muscle Magazine. She super sweet & looks just as great and in shape in person..This is a great picture of her in this December promise poster!

Workout #2 "Dumbbell Modified" Back/Biceps/Delts

 

Workout #2 ~ 

Dumbbell sequence #4 dumbbell modified ~

Back/Bicep/Delts

*3-4x sets ea.exercise ~ 10-12 reps ~ 60-90 sec.rest*  

(Check pics below 4 correct execution newer exercises)

1. Bent over two-dumbbell row(middle back/lats/biceps/delts) ~
2. Standing double dumbbell bicep curls ~
3. Seated bent-over rear delt raise ~
4. Seated double hammer curl ~
5. One-arm dumbbell row ~
6. Seated concentration bicep curls ~
7. Stiff-legged dumbbell deadlift (lowerback)
8. Double Dumbbell Raise (delts/biceps)

*Modified ~ 8-options if too much just drop one/two exercises*

#1 Bent Over 2-Dumbbell Row

#3 Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raise

#7 Stiff-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift

#8 Double Dumbbell Raise

Inspire me ~ "Can't is NOT a Option"

Today's Workout !

                                           

Today's workout!
Weight workout ~   Biceps/Triceps/Hamstrings 

Today's Workout !

Today's workout!
Elliptical Trainer 50 min. 10.8 miles 6.05 cal. ~
15 min. 4-lb hula hoop ~
Weights ~ upperbody 30 min 20lb kettlebell workout ~ "Good One"

"Most important weight loss Muscle? Your Brain"

Daily Diet Tip! "Ditch The Diet Obessions"

There comes a point in every hard-core dieter's life when she must ask herself, "Have I become so obsessed with weight loss that I'm actually compromising my health? Dieting serves two purposes – looking better and feeling better. But when dieters become more concerned with being skinny than with being healthy, they hand over control of their life to food. This paves the way for eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating.

Surprisingly, an obsession with calories, the scale and fad diets can backfire, causing you to gain weight. Here are some classic symptoms of an obsessed dieter:

• You ignore your body’s hunger pains
  
• You no longer enjoy eating food
  
• You constantly deprive yourself of indulgent food
  
• You rely too heavily on designating “bad” foods from “good” foods, ignoring the concept of portion control
  
• You avoid social situations where food is a centerpiece out of fear of temptation or feeling self-conscious for eating
  
• You fixate on achieving a nearly impossible standard of beauty 

 

I suffered from anorexia nervosa for many years. In the mid-late 80's no one really knew what it was yet. So when I was in the middle of starving myself to death, I had no idea there was a disease called anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Not until I met my love for the iron and started lifting weights did I find out what I had was a serious disease. I was down to 78 pounds when I graduated high school.

It was an obsession to be skinny first and being fit was second or even third. When I began bodybuilding I got better because I had to eat to feed my muscles. I trained so hard everyday and dammed if I was going to let this ugly disease take what I had worked hard for. My body became my temple! Being healthy came first, not being skinny!