Travel Workout with Resistance Bands by Carmen

Thanks to Haute Girl & guest-blogger, Carmen P., for sharing this on-the-go workout:

We're all busy women - sometimes work, sometimes family, and hopefully vacations take us away from our routine of hitting the gym or getting our workout in at home . This is a quick workout for when you're in these situations and stuck in a hotel room. It's easy to pack a resistance band to get in a great full-body workout---they even fit in your carry-on!

To warm-up:

Jog in place for 30 seconds

5 Push-ups

High Knees for 30 seconds

5 Jumps Squats

Quick steps 30 seconds - fast as you can move your feet while staying in one place.

Repeat x 2

Full - Body Exercises:

• 12 Bicep Curls - Stand with hip-width stance on top of RB. Holding bands or handles, staring with arms down and palms facing forward, keep arms close to the sides of your body, curling band up to shoulders, then lowering back to the starting point. This is one repetition.

• 12 Lateral Raise - In the same stance used for bicep curls, hold ends of the RB, arms relaxed and with palms facing toward your body. Raise the RB as high as shoulder level keeping good form - arms straight, back straight, chest up and out and neck tall - slowly and controlled lower arms back down.

• 12 Front Raise - Keeping the same stance as used before - hold the ends of the RB in front of you resting on your thighs, palms facing toward the body. Raise bands to shoulder level, then slowly lower to starting position. Remember to keep good form!

• 12 Chest Flye - Wrap the ends of your RB around your hands a couple times so that when you stretch the band out it becomes tight - hold arms straight out in front of you, palms facing downward. Push hands outward in a flye motion, keeping arms at shoulder level throughout movement. Return hand to the center in front of you, this is one rep.

• 12 Triceps Extension - Step on one end of the RB with your right foot and hold the other with your right hand behind your head, arm up and elbow bent. The resistance band should be behind you. Wrap any excess of the band around your hand. You want the band to be tight from the start of the exercise. With upper arm staying in one place, bend at the elbow so that your palm stays facing inward and lower arm is extended straight up. Slowly lower back down, as this is one rep. When finished with set, switch sides.

• 12 Squats with RB winged - row - Take a wider than hip- width stance, feet on top of RB. Hold ends of RB at your sides with palms facing back. Squat down so that knees stay behind your toes and your rear looks as though you're sitting on a chair. Knees should be bent at 90°, and back should be straight with chest up and out. While in the squat, bring hand up so that they reach the arm pits, lower arms back to starting position and stand up straight. This is one rep.

• 12 Leg abductions with RB - Stand on RB with feet close together. Hang on to each end of the RB with arms at your sides, palms facing back. Find balance so that you are able to stand on only the left foot. Flex your foot so that your toes points a little bit upward, contracting for strong muscles in your right left. Push right leg straight out to the side, and slowly bring back to the center without letting the foot touch the ground. Repeat for duration of reps, and switch to other foot.

• 30 sec. Scissors - While laying on your back, put handles of RB around the feet. Hold the slack of the RB tight, against your chest. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground, and flex your feet so that your toes are pointed towards you. Alternately, but with a quick pace, move your feet up and down - keeping your feet flexed and abs tight the entire time.

• Repeat 3 times!

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Meet Haute Woman Karen M.

From Amy...

I have known Karen almost my entire life. When she and I started working together on her nutrition and training, I really thought we had a tough road ahead. Karen had been naturally thin for most of her life and was admittedly not an exerciser. These two factors made for what most people would find a very intimidating learning curve toward health and fitness. I feared that we had many speed bumps ahead.

Well, Karen proved me wrong almost immediately. She dove right in head first and didn't look back. She willingly did everything that I asked of her both with her diet and with her training (not to say that I didn't get the occasional skeptical look when I asked her to climb on a few machines at the gym or jump like a frog across the studio floor). She asked questions with the intent to learn, but never challenged or questioned her plan. She had faith in the process and ultimately changed her body, her lifestyle, and her self-confidence!

My proudest moment came not when she reached her initial goal of 20-pound weight loss (nor when she decided to go for more and got even closer to 30-pound loss), but it was a day that we'd spend weeks in the gym working toward--the day she cranked out 3 sets of 10 regular pushups! I know women 1/3 her age (which is 61 years young, by the way) that can't come close to that. I couldn't believe how far she'd progressed in such a short time, all because of dedication, hard work, and perserverance. 

Karen (before)

I am happy to introduce you to Karen and to let you read what she has to say:

1.) What events in your life lead you to seek out personal training with Amy?

I was putting on more and more weight and I didn’t feel healthy nor did I have a lot of energy. As I am getting older and having watched my mother put on a lot of weight as she got older I knew I had to do something but I wasn’t sure how to go about it and be successful. I heard from Amy’s mother that she was doing nutrition and weight training and I knew that was a sign-CALL AMY. I have known Amy since she was a “youngster” and I felt if anyone could get me going she could.


2.) What were your biggest fears when you got started with your training and nutrition?

The biggest fear I had when I started my new “lifestyle” was of course failure. At my age (61) I had never been one that watched what I ate nor was I an exercise person so I was afraid I just couldn’t do it! What if I didn’t like the food?!!!!! What if I couldn’t change?!!!!! But I was determined not to disappoint not only myself but Amy knowing she wanted me to succeed and she was willing to work with me from my concerns and sharing my joyful successes!

3.) What were the biggest challenges that you overcame in the process of meeting your goals?

The biggest challenges that I overcame was going out with friends and still staying true to my nutrition goals. For me I knew that if I didn’t give it my all I would probably fail. It had to be all or nothing for me and so I went for it all. I still went out but made choices that fit my program. I bought all the food (no matter the cost) that I needed and stuck to it. My best friend is so awesome that when we go out she will share a lunch/dinner with me so it is no big deal to go out! I did drink a lot of coke-regular before but since I started drinking water I really miss the water if I am not drinking enough. As I said for me it had to be all or nothing so I don’t drink any kind of soft drink just waters. It has been almost six months and I took a sip of a coke and it was DISGUSTING so I think I can say I cured the desire for coke!!!!

(before)

4.) How has proper nutrition and exercise changed your life (please include the goals you achieved in this paragraph)?

                                                                                                                            (And after....)

I no longer have times when I am STARVING just by following my nutrition program. At first it seemed like all I did was eat and when you have people in and out of your office it can sometimes be tricky but I quickly fell into the routine and if anyone made a joke about me eating I just told them I am in the process of making a new lifestyle change. People really laughed when they would come into my office and see a gallon jug of water on my desk and found out I drank right from the gallon jug!! As I was not a water drinker I needed to know if I was drinking enough and until I got used to that much water it was the easiest way for me to monitor it. Now of course I usually bring a couple of bottles and then fill them up; your body tells you if you are short on fluids! The exercise portion was a little difficult at first because the only exercise I had done was walking about half an hour every couple of months or may years!!! I am still working on my exercises; Amy always if very encouraging and keeps me motivated. She is ALWAYS telling me I can do one more or two more just push push push and I have to say she is right!!                        

5.) Was there anything that you achieved or gained along the way that you didn't expect?

I believe that by setting my mind and LISTENING to Amy with total belief that I have been successful at the weight loss and the strength that I have gained. I was looking for an angel to help me and I found one in Amy!!!!


7.) What is the best compliment you've received since you've started training?

How great I look and much YOUNGER I look since I have lost the weight and toned up and at my age I soak it all up!!!!

8.) What is your plan to maintain your results?

My plan is that I will continue to follow my new lifestyle eating program from now on. My husband decided that after watching me this would be a good time for him to change too. He has a lot of physical issues going on but he is changing his eating lifestyle too and so together we are on our way to a healthier way of life. Of course I know that no matter what Amy is always there for me to offer help and support and that means the world to me knowing that she really cares and wants me to continue to be successful!

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Vitatops....yummy

Hey All~
Just wanted to make you aware of these great little snacks! I had heard quite a bit of buzz about VitaTops, but just assumed they were too good to be true (honestly, when have muffin tops ever been a good thing?). But when they appeared in the URockGirl Blog (www.urockgirl.com) earlier this week (which is a source I trust as it's written by one of the dietitians for my competition team), I decided to give them a try.

I found them in the freezer section at Target near the frozen waffles. They are 100 calories and the first two ingredients are water and whole wheat flour. They have 9 grams of fiber and don't ask me how--but they qualify as a "whole grain". Oh, and the best part--they are delicious!:)


If you are dieting, you could use these as an every now and then "cheat" to satisfy a craving. If you are maintaining, you could throw one of these in during the week and count it as a starch. They do have some sugar and chocolate drops in them, so I wouldn't make them a staple in your nutrition, but having one every now and then isn't anything to feel a bit guilty about! Some of you have really like items from the Protein Bakery and this would be right up the same alley! Try them out and let me know what you think!

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In Sickness and in Health?

Cold and flu season is fast approaching and additionally, some of us are already suffering from the runny nose, "burning" chest and generalized fatigue that accompanies seasonal allergies as well as upper respiratory infections. I used to be someone who trained without any regard to how I was feeling physically. My goal was only to check my workout off my list for the day, rather than giving my body what it needed at that particular time.  "No pain, no gain" was the thought process that prevailed. It took some education and maturity to understand that sometimes, "less is more" can be a more appropriate model when it comes to training, particularly in times of illness.

When we train, we intentionally breakdown muscle tissue which causes inflammation in the body. The healing process (and subsequently building and toning) then occurs during our rest periods, where our body relies on nutrients to repair itself. So, you can see why clean nutrition, rest, and sleep play such a role in getting in shape. The same is true when we are ill. Sickness causes inflammation in the body by way of our immune system. Again, this process requires rest and nutrients in order to recover. So, if you are already ill or even injured and fighting inflammation in your body, you are only stressing it more when you add the demands that training creates.

How long before you start to lose the gains you've worked so hard for? According to one study in Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise, "strength performance in general is readily maintained for up to 4 weeks of inactivity" in elite athletes; that time frame will be shorter for beginning exercisers (Mujika & Padilla, 2001). Unless you are planning on taking weeks off from working out, you're not going to lose any significant ground. Even if you need to go at a lower intensity for a while, this will still help to maintain your previous gains.

So, do not fret about taking a few days off from training to let yourself bounce back from the common cold---it's likely just what the doctor (and your trainer) would order for a speedy recovery!

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Get out There and Do Some Good!!!

This weekend I took advantage of some local opportunities to raise awareness and money for two very worthy causes. On Saturday morning, I joined my mom and sister in the Memory Walk, which involved a 2-mile walk and monetary donation that will be used to increase advocacy and fund research for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimers Disease. Not only did this event motivate me to get out of bed and get some exercise on a Saturday morning, but it also fed my spirit to be able to participate in an event of such importance. My grandpa suffers from Alzheimers and with a record setting turnout at the Memory Walk, it became even more apparent how devastating this disease is to so many individuals and their families.

The Tour de Forks was on Sunday. On a last-minute whim, the Haute Physique girls rallied to get a team together (as seen in the picture above) to participate in the event which consisted of a choice between a walk/run or bike ride. Like the Memory Walk, the participants in Tour de Forks were of all ages and fitness levels who came together to raise money for the Breast Cancer Coalition. Not only did we enjoy a beautiful day outdoors, we also got a great workout and again contributed dollars to an organization geared toward helping those in need.

These events were a great example of parents teaching their children lessons in being charitable and helping others. These activities also served as opportunites for families to be active together through participation in the races [notice haute baby, Thomas (going incognito above,  with mommy Sarah), gearing up for his first 5k]. From the very young to the very old, there were people of all ages out there making an effort. With President Obama recently proclaiming September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness month, these types of activities are a great way to get your kids involved and to get them moving, while learning to give back at the same time!

Tell us about a similar experience you've recently participated in!

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Time-Saving Workout #1

There is hardly a human being that I know who isn't busy. Busy is a state of mind and is a relative term that means something different to everyone. It is one of the most common reasons that I hear from my training clients as to why they've missed a workout or even not been able to plan ahead for their daily nutrition.

Well, today is one of those days for me. Ideally, I like to lift in the morning and do cardio in the evening so that I get two excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) states (i.e. the calorie burn that you get even after your workout is over). Unfortunately, it's not gonna happen today, so I needed something to really rev up my metabolism and get a good sweat on because I'm only getting one shot at it! So, here was my workout for the morning (today was a lower-body focus):

3 mins. as fast as I could go on the elliptical, alternating with 3 minutes of walking lunges, repeated for a total of 30 minutes.

I was dripping in sweat and my legs were sure burning by the end, but I got both resistance training and cardio done in one session! Try it at home on a day you are too "busy" to split your lifting and cardio. Any cardio machine could be used, or you could even just run in place, jump rope, or do jumping jacks if you don't have access to equipment. If there's no room to do walking lunges, you could do jump squats, stationary forward lunges and backward lunges, barbell squat, etc. The sky is the limit!

Please comment with your favorite time-saving workout ideas!

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Haute Babies Can Eat Clean, Too!

Our resident Haute Mommy-to-Be, Sarah K., gave birth to a healthy baby boy this weekend (Thomas Adam). I have watched her in awe at our workouts all summer, often leaving me in the dust! Between her new little bundle of joy and my own nephew who was born in March (not to mention all the expectant mommies and new babies at work), I've taken an interest in the nutrition recommendations for little ones. Below is a link to a segment on the Today Show from this morning which addresses this very topic as well as a newspaper write-up on the same author. I'd love to hear from all of you mothers as to what you think of this and if you feel it's practical?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35133959

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norah-o-donnell/baby-love_b_697375.html#s132092


Congrats to Sarah and her hubby, and welcome to our first Haute Baby, Thomas!

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