Simple Health, Happiness, and Success...3 things with Simple Solutions

I had a meeting with a web designer yesterday morning who made it very clear to me how people love simple and easy information with life, emails, directions, workouts, etc and I couldn't agree more. Most of us know exactly what we want and the results we are looking for...we just simply want someone to tell us exactly the quickest way to get to it, right?

So having said that, three areas of life we all want and simple solutions to each. We all want health and to live as long as possible with as little illnesses as possible. So how do we get that? Eat foods in their most natural form, exercise often, and get outside! Nature is one amazing way to realize how small we are compared to the world as a whole, but also to get a great workout in! So here it is exercise at least 3x a week for 30-45 minutes that includes a combination of strength training and cardio. Eat at least 3 meals a day, that include lean protein/complex carbs/ and veggies. Stay away from sugar, excess alcohol, and get your zzzzz's! If you need a specific meal plan or workout created for you then I want to help you! So e-mail or comment and let me know.

Next, Happiness. You just want to be happy! We all do! We want to be happy with ourselves, with our relationships, our job, and our finances. Well good news is that you are in control of your happiness and nothing or no one else. If you want to be happy then look to yourself first and listen to your thoughts. Happy people do not have perfect lives without any trials or obstacles...they have just learned the secret is to stop basing their joy and happiness on external circumstances or other people. Spend more time around people who you want to become like. As the saying goes, we are most like the 5 people we spend our time with on a regular basis. So look at the top 5 people in your life and ask yourself if they live a life you want to reflect as your own? If not, it's time to make some changes.

Last one, success. Who doesn't want to be successful!? First step to be successful is defining what success means TO YOU. Not your parents, friends, or society, but what for you would bring you the biggest feeling of success? Success could be just graduating college and pursuing your dreams. Success could be having two kids and being a great role model for them. Success could be living life without regrets and enjoying the present moment. It could be making 1 million dollars in a certain time frame. We all want different things in life so find out what success means for you and write it out! Look at it EVERY DAY! Having your goals and your desires in plain sight on a daily basis plays a huge influence on your subconscious and your mind automatically starts acting in a way to help you get to your goals! Our minds are already created to help us fulfill our purpose in life we just have to get in line with our goals-passions-thoughts-and then just believe that it is all possible. The good news is you are allowed to change your definition of success whenever it feels it changes in your life!

So there you have it-how to have health, happiness and success. "Be realistic. As for a miracle. Then believe it will happen." Happy Friday! 

P.s. if you liked this post, then let me know! If you want to hear about something specific or have always wanted a question about health, fitness and nutrition answered then just ask :)

Stop Waiting!...or get the "Dammit Doll"

I got to meet up with a good friend for coffee last night.... and we caught up on our lives over the past few months and the different events that had taken place and we began to talk about relationships. Relationships with friends, family, significant others, co-workers you name it and through it I realized how many of us live in such stagnant places of life waiting for someone else to take action.

For days when life isn't going exactly as you want and you just need to deal with whatever is going on...you should get one of these. I hope you guys can read it. If not, Here is what this doll says "Whenever things don't go so well, And you want to hit the wall and yell, Here's a little dammit doll, that you can't do without. Just grasp it firmly by the legs, and Find a Place to Smash it. And as you whack the stuffing out, yell 'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!' www.dammitdolls.com" It made me laugh because we have all had those days!

We wait for Mr/Mrs Right to come along so we "can start a life together...", we wait for our boss to notice all of our hard work so we can feel like we bring some value to the workplace and maybe we will get a raise or promotion, we wait for a significant other to notice the house is clean or the thoughtful gift/action we did so they will then show us extra affection or appreciation in return, we wait for our big break or a finished project to take that vacation or to relax....we wait,we wait, we wait! Then we end up being so frustrated because life isn't the way we want it to be...well no crap it's not it's because we keep expecting everyone else to live it for us!

In talking to this good friend last night, she mentioned different jobs she is pursuing and plans she is making for her life without basing them around this current significant other or waiting on him to build her life and it was so refreshing to hear! Think about how many times you have said "I can't wait to get my own place, I can't wait to have a house, I can't wait to get married, I can't wait to be financially free, I can't wait to quit this job, I can't wait to travel," well STOP WAITING and START LIVING!

I completely understand excitement and the anticipation of something great coming along because I do it too. I am taking a dream trip to Europe in September and trust me I have already said "I can't wait to go!" The problem is though we get so caught up in all these future events that it's as if the months or days leading up to them don't even matter and we just want those to go away instead of realizing we have ALL THIS TIME to still live life and make it amazing up until that amazing event! I was reading a book recently that gave an analogy of hell as "wanting to be somewhere other than where you are and trying to run from your own self". I actually agree with this analogy of being in the presence of friends, family, love and not enjoying the moment you are with them because you are too focused on wanting to be somewhere else or a different task that love is right in front of your face and you are trying to escape it. Some of us want to be loved and have love in our lives so desperately that we search everywhere other than where we are for it. God is everywhere and we can not escape God just like we can't escape ourselves. If you are frustrated in your mind and telling yourself all these self destructive thoughts so you think you need a getaway to fix it all...guess what when you finally "get away"  your mind is going to follow you there and you will still have the same person when you get back. 

When you find yourself frustrated and wanting things to be different or wanting it to be 5 o'clock instead of only a few hours into the work day, try to bring yourself back to NOW realizing that right now You are exactly where you are supposed to be doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. Stop waiting for time to pass to get to something else or something better and just enjoy where you are right now knowing God's got you taken care of and you are on the right path....you're still alive obviously if you're reading this so you must be doing something right! Relax and just enjoy now!

Post Memorial Day Workout!

There is nothing like a Memorial Day weekend with great family, friends, weather, and LOTS of AMAZINGGGG food, drinks, and parties! I spent the weekend relaxing, eating lots of delicious things, and taking a break from work and workouts because we all need to sometimes!

However, there is nothing better to kick start your week and get rid of all that excess sugar, carbs, alcohol etc that you packed on this weekend then a crazy fat burning workout!

I will warn you, I did this workout earlier this morning and it definitely had me dripping with sweat, grunting (I am not a grunter), and doing a lot of self-talk to get myself through it so when you try this don't think I just flew right this without needing a single break. **If you are a beginner, cut this workout in half and start slow!!!! Worst way to start a new workout regimen is by going in too hard and burning yourself out to where you are so exhausted and sore that you don't workout again for another two weeks. Modify this to your fitness level. 

We Shall Call this the 700 Workout! Why 700? Because it is 700 reps! Yep that's right 700, holy moly I know, but I wanted something to kick start the week and burn through all the junk I ate this weekend! Trust me even if you cut this in half, a 350 workout will still kick your butt! So here is what I did, adjust the weight according to WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!!

100 Burpies
100 High Knees On Bench (Each Leg)
100 Squats (On Squat Rack at 95lbs)
100 Side Steps on Each Band
100 Isolated Lunge (Each Leg 50lb Barbell)
100 Wood Chop On Cable (30lbs)
100 Frog Jumps

Best way to do this is to go in rounds so for example do 20 Burpies, 20 high knees, 20 squats, 20 Side Steps, 20 Lunges, 20 Wood Chops and 20 Frog Jumps....then start over again 5x through. Or If you are a beast and can some how knock out all 100 in sequential order then go ahead and do it! Follow the entire workout as fast as you can, take a break when you need a break.

Trust me after round 4 I had to turn up my ipod, do some serious self talk, chug some water and get right back into it. You can DO IT! You just have to believe you can do it and modify the reps/weight to what works for you!

The Purpose of Life is To Live It....

"The purpose of life is to live it,
to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly
and without fear for newer and richer experience." -Eleanor Roosevelt

We sometimes confuse our purpose in life as getting to the top of our career, being the perfect parent or perfect spouse, following the "right" path, or gaining ultimate success. The whole purpose of life is just to experience it and live it to its fullest with the good times and the bad for in both times we find ourselves and are given the opportunity to grow. 

Do you ever notice the people who you enjoy being around the most probably aren't the people with the most money, the perfect family, the "I just walked off a Fitness Magazine" physique, or the ones who follow strict rules for life? If you're like me it's usually the ones who enjoy food, enjoy life, are happy with the simple things of being around good family and friends, who pursue their dreams and goals without abandon, and inspire you to let your inner kid out! :)

We are taught our whole lives that God is love and to love one another...however, not very often are we taught to love ourselves. As the saying goes, you can't give away what you don't have so if you do not have unconditional love for yourself how do you expect to love anyone else?

Anita Moorjani has one of my favorite books and in it she says "Being love means being aware of the importance of nurturing my own soul, taking care of my own needs, and not putting myself last all the time. This allows me to be true to myself at all times and to treat myself with total respect and kindness. It also lets me view what may be interpreted as imperfections and mistakes with no judgment, seeing only opportunities to experience and to learn with unconditional love".

When we our less judgmental and hard on ourselves, we are less judgment and more accepting of others. When you are experiencing conflict and frustration in your life, the first place to look is to the relationship you have with yourself and how much time you allow yourself to have with God.

If you are a mom or dad, it would be as if you were constantly around your kids with ZERO time to just take a shower or go to the bathroom without having them need you or want something from you...you end up being irritable at everyone and everything because you haven't had time to take care of yourself and just think.

This was me at center stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennesse..one of my dreams to visit because I am a huge country music fan! One of the few places on my bucket list in life to see! Where have you always wanted to go? Now go! :)

When we stop living our own lives, we unconsciously give our lives away for someone else to tell us how to live or who to be and that results in us feeling lost and without a sense of direction because we always end up waiting for someone else to tell us what to do next or what decision to make. We were all created by the same God with unique talents and abilities so nobody can tell you what is best for you better than YOU! 

Take time to yourself today and live life the way you were meant to live! Happy Memorial Day!

You Are Free To Pursue Your Dreams!

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -Earl Nightingale

 I can honestly say there have been plenty of times where I have turned down opportunities or chosen not to pursue a certain goal just because of the time I knew it would take to reach those goals. When I first started college, I originally wanted to pursue a degree in Physical Therapy helping people gain strength and movement back from injuries and other limitations. However, as I began pursuing the education requirements and realized the program had turned into a PhD program I quickly changed my mind because I knew I didn't want to go to school for that long! Looking back, I would already be finished with that PhD or nearingThink about how many times you haven't done something or said no to an opportunity because of how long you thought it would take. 
completion and headed to a career in Physical Therapy.

I do not regret not going to school nor do I live life looking back saying "I wish I would have gone through the program" because I truly believe everything in life happens for a reason to direct you towards your ultimate purpose. Right now, I absolutely love the field that I am in and I love being an entrepreneur. The sky is the limit with what I choose to pursue and through it all I am finding new passions and dreams that still allow me to help people.

Time will inevitably pass, but it seems it passes faster as we go through life. Ultimately, time is really something we have created to keep track of our days and plays no role in pursuing our goals. What are your dreams? What are your goals? Have you convinced yourself it is too late or you are too old to still pursue those dreams? If so, why? 

We hear stories all the time of people going back to school in their middle age or starting their dream business after kids are grown so why does their have to be a set age or a set time frame that you are allowed to follow your passions and go after what you want in life?

If you still have something in your heart that you have been putting off or convince yourself you are not capable of doing you need to stop and ask yourself why you are not capable of doing that and are those excuses you have told yourself out of fear that you might not reach your dream or simply out of being lazy and not wanting to try. 

I have a dream to help people with their fitness, nutrition and health, and I also have a dream to help people pursue their own goals! I am on the road to mine and it is a daily adventure...are you on the road to yours?

Sometimes the best, first step to pursuing your goals and becoming more confident about them is just to get it out there and tell someone. By doing this it is almost like you are verbally letting life and everyone in it know your passions and then opening the door of opportunity for people helping you pursue them. On the contrary, if you never tell anyone and never take the courage to even let it out there then how does anyone know or how do you know there isn't someone in your daily life who would be perfect to help you with them? We are all here to help each other and we all have something to offer. Don't let your own fears and your own thoughts about yourself hold you back from living the life you want! 

 Here is the way I see it, if you had the chance to create a movie about your life and you were living in the city you wanted, you had your dream career, you traveled to all the places you wanted, you had the friends you always wanted, and you were helping people with your unique skills and abilities would you take it? How is that not exactly what life is right now? Nobody is saying you can't do all those things and more, but you. Maybe we just need to find the kid inside us who felt free to "be whatever they wanted to be when they grow up" and start living life again!

The funny thing is when we start doing the things that come natural to us we feel more fulfilled in life and the right people and things naturally start showing up in our life. It's almost like God smiles at us and says "Finally! Keep doing what I created you to do with your unique skills and abilities and the right doors will open". That doesn't necessarily mean the road to our dreams is easy and full of puppies and ice cream, BUT it does mean you can trust that God has you taken care of and even if you make a few wrong turns...you will be directed right back to where you are supposed to be so don't worry about it!

Take Your Workout Outdoors!

Sometimes for a mental and emotional break you just need to get out of the office, out of the gym and outside in the sunshine!!! ABS Wellness is about your physical, mental and spiritual life so hit all 3 by pushing your physical limits, getting some sun, and clearing your head! How can you really be in a bad mood when you're doing all these things?

I won't lie and tell you this workout is easy, but I will say that when you finish it you will have worked up a great sweat, got a little tan, and feel less stressed! Go release some endorphins and the best part is you can get it done in 30 minutes! 

If you like the workout then check out some of the others on the blog, share with a friend or subscribe to stay up to date with the free nutrition and fit tips!

Here it is:

Squat Jumps
Military (Diamond) Push-Ups
Running In Place (knees to chest)
Split Jumps
Frog Jumps
Elbows to Hands
Suicides or Sprint (length of a basketball court)

Perform 60 seconds of each exercise or 20 repetitions if you do not have a stop watch ending each round in the sprint/suicides. Rest for 1:00 after each round.  Repeat 5 times...yes that's right 5 times!  Go push yourself, work hard and be proud that you are doing something positive and healthy for YOU and nobody else!

Improve your Golf Game with this Workout!

You are looking to hit the ball further, improve your mobility and flexibility, and gain more power in your game, but you have no idea how to workout without increasing bulk and injuring yourself...well believe it or not this is a problem a lot of golfer's experience! So to make it simple, I put a workout together to help strengthen your core, improve your functional movement patterns, and increase your endurance that does not require a ton of equipment!

Mountain Climber Bringing Alternating Knee to Opposite Shoulder
Wood Chop (Use medicine ball or Dumbbell) 10 on each side
Windshield Wipes
Side Lateral Raises with Resistance Band or Dumbbells
Hamstring Curls on Stability Ball
Bent Over Rear Deltoids Fly (using 10lb Dumbbells)
Supermans

Complete 20 repetitions of each exercise back to back for a total of 3 rounds. Minimize rest as much as possible.

This workout is great for golfers, but also for anyone looking to strengthen their core and functional movements!

Health & Fitness isn't all about exercise and nutrition....

When I started pursuing a career in personal training, it wasn't because I wanted to get in awesome shape or because I wanted to help every client look like a fitness model. Shoot, I didn't even start my own exercise regimen for those reasons. I did it because I got tired of feeling down on myself and seeing everyone else feeling down on themselves.

SO I started from scratch by researching different articles and workouts (like this one you're reading) and found people who had creative, fun workouts tha tpushed me. I also looked for people who had a sense of confidence and happiness that I wanted to also have towards myself.

And so the journey began...I started working out 2-3x per week then started fixing my nutrition. Of course I immediately started feeling stronger and more confident, but I had only part of the formula to happiness.

What was it I was missing other then just working out and eating right? The problem was, I had changed my exercise and nutrition, but my mental and spiritual health was still in an old pattern of identifying myself with a negative self-image. My thoughts were still thoughts of defeat, fear, scarcity, doubt and a mediocre lifestyle. My spiritual life was pretty non-existent spending so much of my time in the gym and reading about workouts and new trends while spending zero time nourishing the things that give me inner strength and peace.

I am not talking about a spiritual life as going to church every time the doors open, reading your Bible every single day or following certain religious codes. For me, my spiritual life is just spending time in my passions, things that inspire me, writing, just being in nature and taking in life trusting that God is in complete control of everything and the peace that comes from that.

When your life and your thoughts are focused on your goals, passions, your good qualities, and how creative and amazing you are-your health and fitness will be so much more rewarding because you will understand the purpose of why you are working out and eating healthy. Not to just look a certain way or follow a certain trend, but because ultimately we all want to feel better about who we are inside and out! 

Someone once told me that fitness and nutrition is one thing in your life you actually have control over. I would also add your thoughts to that statement. Think about that-you have no control over the economy, your spouse, your friends, traffic, the weather, natural disasters, life and death, but you do have complete control over the foods you eat, how much you exercise, and how you think of yourself....NOBODY ELSE! 

What inspires you?
What motivates you?
What gives you that sense of peace from the inside?
What makes you feel like you are in your element and things just start to happen naturally? 

Spend more time doing those things! Right now, I am focusing on what each person individually needs that is missing for them in the health and fitness field. If you have a second please take this survey to tell me more about what you need and I will work on helping you the best I can!

http://obsurvey.com/S2.aspx?id=c7891570-78bb-40b9-97a0-cac17a8017fe




The first step to a healthy and whole life starts from the inside....not on the outside! I talk about this a lot towards women in my ebook (coming soon). We are all each responsible for our own happiness...no one else. So when you are struggling to stick to your exercise and nutrition, take a look at what's going on in your mental and spiritual life...start there first! Happy Monday! :) 

When You Have No Idea What You Are Doing With Life...

Do you ever get to that point where you once felt like a confident independent person and you now find yourself wondering why you can't even figure out where to go to dinner without questioning what the right place to go is?Or you just feel like your life is one big mess? 

 I could be completely on my own on this one, but I definitely feel this way sometimes...I take that back I feel that way pretty often. I am goal oriented and I pursue my dreams to talk to all of you guys and teach people about real health and fitness, but I am learning just like you are learning every day how to do things.

I consider myself very much a take charge type person and I pride myself in taking the lead in my life, but recently I have found myself making decisions while feeling like I have no idea what I am doing! For example, I am writing my first e-book and getting all kinds of tips and advice from my business coach and mastermind group, yet when it comes to start the book all I can think is "I have no idea what I am doing, I have never written a book but here it goes". I promise once it's finished you guys will be the first to preview it and let me know what you think! I had a conversation with a good friend recently which put ease to my mind when through talking with her and several other people I realized none of us have any idea what we are doing. We have goals, we have ambitions and passions, but ultimately we are all learning as we go. Some days or weeks, life feels 100% together and you feel like you have finally figured it out. Then other weeks it feels like life is a mess and the only thing we can be sure of is the fact that things always change.

The funny thing about life is the people who usually seem to have it all "figured out" are usually the ones who are even more confused and lost then we are! Part of Authentic Beauty and Strength is learning to go through life realizing that most of our frustrations come from wanting and needing things to be different then they are in this moment when the reality is that things are going exactly as they are supposed to! Once we surrender and let go of we think are screw ups and just accept that this is life and we are learning every day then we aren't so devastated or pressured to make such "life altering" decisions like what job to take, where to go to school, where to live, who to marry, etc because we know that we will always be directed to where we are supposed to be. This is the WHOLE idea behind ABS Wellness. Personal stories of people from all over who are all in this life just wanting to be their best, pursue their dreams and passions, and make the most of their health and fitness!  One of the best things I read was in a book by one of my favorite authors, Wayne Dyer, who basically stated that once we realize what our purpose is and we stop looking to everyone and everything else to tell us who we are we stop needing certainty in everything in life and by not needing to always "know" we open the door to so many opportunities and adventures. The more things we are open to the more we allow ourselves to grow. The same is true in any relationship or friendship-the more space you allow, the more room you make for growth. 

A lesson I learned recently for myself was to always be true to who I am and always love myself in everything I experience. Even if I am experiencing conflict, setbacks, or disappointments to still love myself just as much as if everything were going perfect because the reality is that everything is going PERFECT! For so long I allowed the love I received from others determine how much I loved myself so if people loved me because I looked a certain way or acted a certain way then I loved and accepted myself when I acted those ways. What I ended up realizing was that when I did that I was happy while I was around those people because they sent me love and acceptance, but the second I spent time by myself I felt lost and confused at who I really wanted to be because I stopped looking to myself for happiness. Of course we all have different faiths and things we believe in so ultimately if you were raised in a Christian home you are taught to be made whole through God and a relationship with Him or maybe you were raised to look to Buddha or any other being to gain that through. Regardless of what it is your approach to yourself, to others should always be love. However, in order to love and accept others unconditionally you must first love and accept yourself unconditionally. If you never resemble a fitness model, if you never accomplish that one goal, if you stay the same exact person you are today it doesn't matter. You don't want other people loving and caring for you based on where you are in life so don't do it to yourself. Love who you are and life will seem much less complicated. Life then becomes more of an adventure of you writing a story then a stressful place where we all try to fit the mold of what others have set before us. So go live your life exactly the WAY you love and want it to be. At the end of the day, you are the only person responsible for your happiness and your dreams! 

Happy Living! Dream big :)

How to Become A Personal Trainer?

I am sitting at a park waiting on my last client while I write this blog to you and sometimes I can't believe I really get to do this every day for a living... Every day I get to write, teach, and talk to people about their nutrition, their goals, workouts, inspiration, stories and then help them on their path to accomplish all those things! I am no doctor or surgeon, but I get to make a huge, positive impact on somebody's quality of life every day! What could be more rewarding?

One of my favorite clients had his last session this past Friday (we will call him, John) and after training with me for five days a week over a 3 year period. When I went to leave his last session, he hugged me and said "I just wanted to say thank you. You truly saved my life". John was severely over weight and a few pounds away from possibly never seeing his 8 year old daughter make it to high school. Long story short, through hard work and discipline John is now in the best shape of his life and no longer has fears about his health and the future of his family.

Personal Training is a very rewarding career with so many endless benefits. If you are someone who is passionate about helping people, nutrition, exercise, self-discipline, and a positive lifestyle then personal training may be the right career for you! I started my personal training career in 2009 after graduating with my Bachelor's in Business Management. I have always been active and always loved learning new workouts and healthy recipes so immediately after I graduated I researched how to become a personal trainer. Found out very quickly, there are A LOT of ways to become a trainer but the key is finding the right ways!

With so many different certifications out there, the first thing you want to do is check accreditation. A lot of newer certification companies do not hold proper accreditation so if you do your education through them you risk not having your certification accepted through some employers. Every personal training certification will require you to receive your CPR & AED certification first for safety reasons. There are numerous places in every state that offer short one-two day classes on this that can be found through the Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Once you have received that, you will want to research the top 3 certifications that hold accreditation and that interest you. I chose to go with NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) since they are the most highly accepted and the certification that is taught at colleges for students receiving degrees in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Athletic Training. NASM offers self-taught courses that give you several tests date (usually 3-4 months out from receiving your materials) and they also offer live workshops to guide you through your course work to prepare you for your Personal Training test.

With the NASM certifications you have several choices with training to choose from with the basic CPT course along with various specialists certifications such as nutrition, rehab, sports performance, etc. Education can never go wasted, but if you are just planning on starting your career as a personal trainer at a local gym you will want to get your basic personal training certification then gain experience to decide what your niche or specialty will be. 

Once you have received all of your certifications, the world is limitless to the options you have as a personal trainer. You can pursue a career at a well-known fitness facility and work your way to the top, travel on cruise ships as a fitness specialist and see the world, work with kids or adults who struggle with exercise and nutrition, become an entrepreneur in the fitness industry, a writer, whatever you want to be you can do it! You are wanting to become a personal trainer so I know you are self motivated. Follow these steps to gain your certification that see what the world has to offer! :) 

 

Weight Lifting For Women!

 Just earlier this week I will admit I was having kind of a down day where I just wasn't feel like the greatest person out there or like I could conquer the world. In fact, I felt more like just being lazy and doing absolutely nothing for the first half of the day. I hadn't slept well, a lot had been going on in my personal life, I was behind on work that honestly the last thing I really REALLY felt like doing was going to the gym and putting in a good workout. Yes, I am admitting that I have days where I just really do not feel like working out and would rather go sulk in my self-pity!

However, 1:00 was starting to roll around which is the time I normally head to the gym and I forced myself to go telling myself that "I'll just go stretch and do some sprints for 20 minutes and call it a day". Once I got there, I knew that I would get much more out of lifting weights then just sprinting on the treadmill (not that there is anything wrong with that). So I put in my headphones, grabbed a set of dumbbells and just started slowly. The more I started to lift, the stronger I felt and I wanted to just keep going! Then it turned into lifting more than I usually do which resulted in pushing myself harder than I normally do. I say all of this because lifting weights is my absolute favorite way to workout, but there are plenty of days where I just don't feel like doing it! Every time I finish though, I am soooo glad I did!

There is a common misconception among women that weight lifting will make females look bulky and big. Ladies, that could not be further from the truth! A Big Mac will make you look bulky and big, but weight lifting will do the exact opposite.

Do you want to lose inches? D you want your body to burn more calories while at rest then it does now? Do you want to feel strong, confident and sexy with a toned body? Then it is time to get going and start lifting! Every time I walk away from a lifting session I ALWAYS feel stronger, tighter and light I just accomplished a goal! Why wouldn't I feel that way knowing I am doing something to increase my metabolism, help with bone density loss, makes my clothes fit better, burns fat, & empowers me!?

The fun part is there are so many different ways to train on weights. To decide which format is best for you, you first need to determine how many days per week you will be strength training (I recommend at least 3x for the best results).

For those who train 3x a week the best options might look something like this:

Day 1: Arms/Shoulders/Abs
Day 2: Back/Chest/Abs
Day 3: Legs/Butt

OR

Day 1: Total Body with emphasize on legs
Day 2: Total Body with emphasize on shoulders
Day 3: Total Body with emphasize on Back

For those who are interested in training 5x a week, you would benefit more from a Split Routine which simply means you split up the muscle groups into different training days of the week. I use this style of training for my own workouts. Your days might look something like this:

Day 1: Legs (Quads & Butt)
Day 2: Shoulders and Triceps (Heavy)
Day 3: Back and Biceps + Abs
Day 4: Shoulders (Light)
Day 5: Legs (Hamstrings & Calves)

I prefer legs broken up and a heavy day on shoulders then a light day since those tend to be the areas on females that kind of define your shape. Another way to break up a split routine looks like this:

Day 1: Back and Abs
Day 2: Legs (heavy)
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Arms and Plyo-metrics for Legs
Day 5 Chest and Abs

You know the sense of pride and accomplishment you feel when you graduated high school or college, finished that big project, landed that first job,got your first place, won an award, etc.? Why not do something every week that gives you that same feeling?! Give it a try and I promise it will be worth it! Happy Lifting :)  

The No equipment, No Time, No Excuses Workout!

I am stopping in starbucks after a busy morning needing to head to the gym, but wanted to get this post done for you guys first. We all have days that we don't even have time to remember to eat and well for me today is one of the days where I do not have time to put in a 30-45 minute lifting workout. Since time is always an issue for everyone and finding out how to balance exercise with the other daily tasks we have to MAKE time for our health! Don't worry though I promise this workout will not require you to get a babysitter, to go join a gym, to purchase expensive equipment. However, I will promise that you will get one intense and fat burning workout that you can do in under 30 minutes! 

As my good friend Amy named this workout, here is an awesome 300 workout to get your heart rate up and to burn some serious calories! 5 exercises, 60 repetitions of each....yes that's right 60. How else would it be a 300 workout :)

Burpies
Alternating Lunge Twist 
Squat Jumps (knees to chest)
Side Leg Lift Crunch Combo (30 each side)
Spiderman Push-ups

That's it! Do 60 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next. Your entire body will be a fat burning machine! If you are a beginner try making it a 200 or a 100 workout to start out. Everyone has to start somewhere so do the best you can. 

I will be honest and admit that this was a butt kicker workout even for myself so trust me it is worth giving it a try. If you make the time then you will never know how you ever went without giving yourself this personal time to better yourself!

Weight Loss Meal Plan- Lose Weight with Proper Nutrition

Everyone knows that the key to weight loss is proper nutrition, but maybe not everyone knows what exactly they should be eating! There are a lot of different "diets", suggested meal plans, and infomercials claiming to provide weight loss, but I am going to give you the format that had proven to be successful with my weight clients. (Check out some testimonies abswellness.com)

It has been scientifically proven that eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day boosts your metabolism, energy and weight loss results plus helps keep your blood sugar levels stable. The key is to find foods you enjoy that you can eat on a regular basis...food is supposed to be enjoyed-not dreaded! So look at this as making a change for a healthier lifestyle to a better, happier you....not a diet!

So here is an example of what I usually eat on a daily basis along with the format that I encourage my clients to follow:

• Breakfast (6:00am)- 1 Whole Wheat English Muffin + 2 egg whites + 1 slice turkey bacon +1 slice reduced fat cheese...breakfast sandwich. 
• Mid-Morning (8:30/9)- Protein Shake (LIKE THIS ONE) and 1oz powdered dark chocolate almonds
• Lunch (12ish)- Big Spring Mix Salad- Greens, Grilled Chicken Breast, Onion, Tomato, Mushrooms & Light Balsamic Dressing)
• Mid-Afternoon (3ish)- Small Banana with 1tbsp Natural Peanut Butter OR a Lean Protein Bar (Like this one...)
• Dinner (5:30ish)- Sauteed veggies in 1tbsp Coconut Oil (Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Asparagus) with 6oz. Grilled Salmon (seasoned with lemon juice and salt/pepper) 

Now sometimes, my eating isn't so perfect and I do not have that much time. For example, yesterday I was full of morning clients and skipped over my mid-morning meal and just ate a bigger breakfast to hold me over till lunch so my eating looked more like this

• Breakfast (6:00am)- 1/2cup whole oats with 1/2 cup almond milk+sprinkled with sliced almonds and 3-4 scrambled egg whites
• Lunch(11ish)- Usually the same Salad or Wrap (90 Calorie Flat our Wrap+onions, mushrooms, tomato, lettuce+ 1tbsp fat free plain greek yogurt+4-6oz lean ground turkey) Yum!
• Mid-Afternoon (2:30ish)- Protein Shake +Small Apple OR Protein Bar (Try out this one...they are delicious!)
• Dinner (5ish): Spinach Salad+veggies, chicken breast, boiled egg and light or fat free dressing

Again, these are foods that I enjoy and that work for my lifestyle, but try the format and find what foods you like. Keep your meats and proteins lean (chicken breast, top sirloin, white fish, lean ground turkey/chicken, filet), eat healthy fats in proper portions (almonds, natural peanut butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.), eat lots of veggies, and eat healthy carbs that are whole wheat and in the naturalist form possible (doesn't go through a lot of processing). 

If you would like a 30 day specific meal plan for your weight loss check out the different options available at abswellness.com

How to get a Fat Burning Workout in Just a Few Minutes!

I just finished my sessions with my morning weight loss clients (whose workouts usually take no more than 30 minutes) and realized that my clients are seeing faster results with these short workouts just 3x a week than most of the individuals I see in the gym who are spending 1-2 hours in there every day!

Seeing how frustrated these gym members are with not losing weight from spending so much time on the cardio equipment and just guessing on which exercise to do next and from my own desire to want to tell everyone to STOP spending hours on useless exercises....here is your answer:

To get FAST weight loss results you have to participate in FAST & EFFECTIVE workouts not long slow workouts. So the goal here is to work hard and work fast to burn the most amount of calories in the least amount of time. If you are a beginner, than keep the weight light or don't use any weight the first couple times through and just focus on body weight.  I will call this workout the Butt Kicker!

The goal is to do each exercise back to back with no rest in between. Complete 1 set of an exercise (20 reps except burpies) before moving on to the next. Once you have gone through the sequence of exercises, rest for 1:00 then get moving again for a total of 5 rounds. Yes, that's right....5 rounds! :) Use a weight that YOU are able to complete all 20 reps of without stopping. The amounts I included in this workout are simply suggestions and would work for an intermediate to advanced fitness level, but make sure to go by what weight is best for you!

Here we go!

Deep Squats- 30lbs for 20 reps
Push-Ups- Body Weight for 20 reps
Split Jumps- 20lbs for 20 reps
Bench Dips- Body Weight for 20 Reps
Burpies- Body Weight for 10 reps
Russian Twists- 20lbs for 20 reps
Leg Lifts- Body Weight for 20 Reps

This workout should take under 30 minutes (keep rest time at a minimum)! However, you are guaranteed to burn fat in a fast & effective workout! I promise you will not get bored! :) As always, DO YOUR BEST! If you are just starting out and can only do 3 rounds, 2 rounds or even 1 round then I am proud of you! Fitness is about doing YOUR personal best...no one else! So give it a go.

For a customized workout program to a new you in 12 weeks let us know and we will create one for you! Check out some of our packages at www.abswellness.com