Inspire Me✿ "Awaken Your Courage"

This is so very true in most aspects of our lives. Our "REAL" true strength comes out of us at our weakest point. So, Conquer your weakness and awaken the Courage with in you! #Fight4it

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Get a Little Middle... Weighted Oblique Twists

Here’s a great move to work the muscles that run down each side of your body, from your lower ribs down. The weighted oblique twist will strengthen your obliques, which in turn will help fortify your core and lower back, improve your posture and help prevent injury from any bending or twisting movement. Plus, having firm obliques is the key to trimming your waistline. Not sure if this move is for you? If you can roll over to the other side of the bed, and you’re comfortable balancing on a Swiss ball, then you’re ready for the weighted oblique twist. It’s that simple! Add these in to your abdominal training workouts and start trimming your middle. Ladies will sculpt that hour class shape you are meant to have ladies. Men don't necessarily want an hour class shape, but trimming their middle is just as flattering for men as for women. So, get trimming and sculpting today!

Step 1: Sit on the ball, holding a dumbbell just under your chin. Walk your feet forward until your hips are slightly lower than your chest. Keep your abs tight and chin up. Turn to one side to begin the exercise.

Step 2: Slowly twist your torso to the other side through a count of 10.

Step 3: Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point.

Step 4: Then twist to the other side through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.

Motivational Note✿ "Monday Motivation"

Be strong, be brave and never give up on being the best you can be. Always remember you are your #1 competition in the fight to be fit and healthy. Keep focused, be dedicated and workout with passion and drive and make each workout count. Be Brave and Forever Strong!

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"Power Up With a Power Label"

Sometimes we brand ourselves with humorous yet self-destructive catch-phrases. For you to achieve your ideal body, you should create what I like to call a "power label" for yourself that gets you excited about exercising and eating well. Think about it: Too many people unconsciously label themselves in ways that make them feel bad: overeater, couch potato, sugarholic, meat-and-potatoes guy, over the hill, or big as a house. The human brain is such a powerful instrument that you will eventually become whatever you label yourself. To combat these negative associations, I want you to think of a new, positive power label for yourself. Pick a favorite fitness activity or healthful food you love, and make it part of your new identity. New monikers could include “running renegade,” “broccoliholic,” or “iron warrior” clean eating maniac" "love lifting princess" Your power label will serve as a daily self-affirmation that’ll keep you mega-motivated! 

Let's be more positive about ourselves which in turn will give you the power and strength to push through the tough phases of training hard day in and day out. It's not easy being fit and healthy and it takes dedication, determination, sacrifice, desire and wanting it bad enough to bust your butt at every workout, anywhere from 4-6x a week all year long. So, give yourself credit and be proud of what you've accomplished and how far you've come from where you started and celebrate every goal you conquer. Now, give yourself a awesome "Power Label" and stay motivated and keep conquering yourself everyday!

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Be Thankful Everyday... "Happy Thanksgiving"

Be Thankful for all the beautiful gifts that surround you and have a wonderful, joyous Thanksgiving day!

 

"Boost Muscle Health With Vitamin C"

Vitamin C plays a very important role in muscle recovery. This essential nutrient helps your body produce collagen, a major structural protein found in connective tissue that holds muscles, bones and other tissues together. But that’s not the only reason you need vitamin C to build healthy muscles.

During exercise, as your breathing increases to meet the demands of your workout, the chemical interaction of oxygen with your cell membranes, protein and other cellular components creates unstable substances called free radicals. These highly reactive substances are much like small fires that must be extinguished before they burn, or “oxidize,” neighboring molecules in other cells, creating muscle soreness and stiffness. That’s where vitamin C steps in. As a dietary antioxidant, vitamin C blocks free radical damage in and around your cells.

Citrus fruits and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin C, along with most other fruits and vegetables (even iceberg lettuce!) However, to get enough of this powerhouse nutrient I recommend you take a vitamin C supplement every day – ideally, 1,000 milligrams. 

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Motivational Note✿ "Victorious"

Monday Motivation .. Conquer yourself this week and make each workout Victorious. Be VICTORIOUS  within side yourself each and every day. Nothing gets easier so you always need to keep fighting to keep ahead of the game and on track towards your goals. Habit of Persistence, dedication, determination is habit of Victory.. So, "BE VICTORIOUS"

"Reward Yourself"

You’ve marked your ultimate fitness goal on the calendar. Maybe it’s to run a 5K by the end of next month. Or perhaps your goals are loftier, such as losing 20 pounds in two months. Patience is a virtue, but it’s often the hardest part of reaching a goal. If you’re having a difficult time keeping your eye on the prize, you need to reward yourself for mini goals along the way.

These goals can include completing two to three weekly strength-training sessions, walking every day, losing two pounds this week, or even just writing in a fitness journal. Remember, your reward can be anything, and it should be something you love that supports your new healthy lifestyle.

There are lots of great options to choose from: any type of pampering, such as a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure; a day at the beach; a healthy new cookbook; aromatherapy candles or bubble bath; a new outfit or pair of shoes; a new CD; or anything else that you can think of and afford. Remember, rewards were meant to be reaped, so keep up the good work.

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Is Spot Toning Possible?

By now you should know that spot reducing (losing weight in a targeted area of your body) isn’t possible – unless you’re willing to go under the knife. But what about spot toning? You may have heard that you can’t spot tone and must learn to accept the shape of your body just the way it is. Well, I’m happy to tell you that the spot-toning caution is only half-true. Here’s the whole truth: Moving one area of your body over and over doesn’t burn fat in that one spot, but it will firm up the area.

For example, if you focus only on your thighs by doing hundreds of leg lifts, you probably won’t slim down even though you will strengthen your leg muscles. However, if you target your entire body – upper, middle and lower – with certain resistance-training moves, you can boost your metabolism high enough that your body burns fat all day long. This will help burn fat all over your body, including your thighs. Resistance-training is an important part of your fitness program. It helps strengthen your weak areas, balancing your entire body. Combine resistance training with a healthy eating plan, and you will shed the fat. So, get moving that entire body and not only get your cardio training in on your workout days, get your resistance training in as well. 

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Your Weight-Loss Meals:"Limit Your Menu"

Many people think that they can make weight loss fun by introducing variety into their diets. There are thousands of recipes available for healthy meals, and it would seem that trying a lot of them would help you lose weight and keep food interesting at the same time. It works that way with exercise. Adding variety to your workout regimen through interval training, cross-training and combining resistance training with aerobic workouts not only keeps exercise interesting, but it also introduces “muscle confusion” and improves long-term results. Unfortunately, the data suggests the opposite is true with your diet. A study published in the Psychological Bulletin in 2001 found that more food variety is associated with higher body weight. And more limited menus predict a greater reduction in fat and calorie intake as well as more weight loss. It makes sense if you think about it. A high-variety diet stimulates your senses, and therefore, your appetite. The fewer choices you have, the less you will ultimately eat. Spend a few minutes watching the customers at a Las Vegas buffet or any all you can eat buffet style meal (from a safe distance!) and you’ll see what I mean. 

Limiting your menu is a fairly novel concept in dieting, and it might seem to go against the idea that we should eat for pleasure. But don’t worry, you can still enjoy your meals. By picking a few staples that you can live with, you’ll eat more consistently. Less choice means fewer opportunities to make mistakes. Less choice means less spontaneity – which is the last thing a dieter needs. Less choice means planning your meals in advance. Finally, less choice usually means limited portions. Lunch is one of the easier meals in which to limit variety, because you tend to have a routine during the day at work or home. For the next month pick 3-5 lunches you like to bring from home or to eat out and rotate them throughout the week.

I have always eaten only a few set items and have always stuck to them and especially when I diet down for competition or photo shoot. I  didn't always know that my boring, limited way of eating was actually helping me in leaning my body down for competition and for photo shoots. I do it because it's the way I have always eaten and I find a few items I enjoy that are healthy for me and I stick to them day in and day out. Like, skinless, boneless chicken, lots egg whites and few yolks for some fat. salmon, tuna, fresh fish and spinach lettuce, celery with my tuna and lots of watermelon and strawberries. I would just stick to these items every day without really getting bored of them. The only item I may add once in a while is a nice lean filet Mignon which I love, other than that I would and do stick to basic set of  healthy foods I know work for me in leaning out my body. Even when not crunching down on my diet I tend to stick to these basic foods as a staple in my diet. 
 
If you are eating a wide variety of foods and you feel this is something you could try you should give it a try. Pick a handful of items that you enjoy and know you won't get sick of eating them everyday and stick to them and see how you feel and how it effects your body. You may find you like it and it may also help your body lean down if that is what you're after. You will never know until you give it a try and see how your body reacts to limiting the amount of food choices you eat on a regular basis. If you do try this, then keep a food diary of what foods you choose and how you eat them, how much you eat and when. This way you can log down how your body reacts to eating these limited healthy foods and how your energy level is for your training and just your overall reactions to eating a limited set amount of foods everyday. If you get bored try to remember it's about eating to live and be healthy, not just living to eat. You can be perfectly happy eating a smaller, limited amount of healthy foods without being bored. Give it a try!

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Maximize the Benefits of Drinking Water

You know about some of the benefits of drinking water and should already be having six glasses a day. What you may not know is how to drink water to get the maximum weight-loss benefit.

When you’re planning to go out for lunch or dinner, it’s a good idea to drink 1-2 glasses of water before you leave the house or office. Interestingly, the fluids we consume during meals do not tend to affect our appetite or ultimate calorie intake significantly. During the time it takes for our stomachs to signal to our brains that we’re full, we have consumed more calories and done the damage. This is why eating a bowl of soup before a meal helps to reduce calories overall – the soup fills you up, and by the time the entrée arrives you have less of an appetite.

Water works the same way. If you drink it before you set out, you will start to feel fuller by the time you sit down to the table. You may even order less food as a result of feeling less hungry. Drinking water at the table is also great, but to increase the benefits, let the water appease your hunger before you even place your order. So, Drink up!

Your Fit Plan for November & December "Keep Your Body Fit"

It's November, a brand new month and a fresh start to make your goals come true before we say goodbye to 2012 in about 61 days from today. The two biggest holidays are upon us and with these holidays comes a lot of indulgent eating and a lot of skipped workouts due to fun events, and parties that always happen during this time time of year. Don't let these holiday months derail you off your fit and healthy path to obtaining your fit body that you've been working hard all year towards. It's good to have fun and let yourself enjoy the festive fun of the holiday season coming upon us, just don't let yourself be a glutton and indulge to the point of reversing everything that you've worked so hard to obtain this year and in the past few months. Pick your indulgent times and chose your cheat days wisely and try the best your can to have set plan. You can do this and still stay right on top of your game all the way through to the start of the new year. The last thing you want is to start the new year behind your game and have to spend the first few months making up and fixing the destruction of what holiday indulging can do and how it can reek havoc on your health and your body faster than you can even imagine. We all are smart enough to know what takes you 6 months to accomplish and build can be easily damaged and torn down pretty quickly in these last two months of festive spirits. Set your goals now and have a set plan and stick to it as best as you can. Keep yourself  fit and healthy during the holidays season and enter in to the new year happy, healthy and fit. Bring in the new year loving yourself and loving your body.

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Workout #3 S#5 "Chest/Triceps"

Workout #3             
(sequence #5)

Chest/Triceps

 

*SuperSets* *4x ea. ~ 10-12 reps ~ 60-90 sec.rest periods* 

Moderate-Heavy 

1) Incline dumbbell press ~

2) Incline barbell tricep extension (skull crushers) ~

3) Flat dumbbell flye's ~

4) Close-grip bench press (use Ez-bar) ~   

5) Bent-arm dumbbell pullover ~

6) Bench Dips ( if you want,weight can be added to lap ~35-45lb plate) ~

7) Tricep pushdowns ~ *Single Set*

  

  Let the BEAST Out! "TRAIN HARD"

 

#1 Incline Dumbbell Press

#2 Incline Barbell Tricep Extension

#3 Flat Dumbbell Flyes

#4 Close-Grip Barbell Bench (USE Ez-Bar)

 

#5 Bent-Arm Pullovers

#6 Bench Body Dips

#7 Tricep Pushdowns