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I'm sure you've heard the saying, "a calorie is a calorie," and that when weight loss is the goal, you can probably loose weight on a 1,200 calorie/day diet whether it is 1,200 Twinkie calories or apple calories. At this point, you might be thinking, "Cool! I'll go on the Twinkie diet!"   Our bodies are smarter than that though, and I say, thank goodness. I know - I'm no fun at all :-). Last week at the grocery one of my kiddos held up a box of Twinkies and had the audacity to ask me to purchase them. I nearly burst a vessel in my forehead trying to restrain myself from smashing the box with......
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Being that it is summer, and there are vacations, kids home from school, camps, a lot of running around in circles...sometimes a workout is hard to knock out, even when intentions are high. When that happens, I have a 30-minute, total body workout that requires very little equipment, yet will leave you dripping in sweat. Wanna hear it? Here it is... You'll need:  a set of 10 or 12lb wts (lighter if you like), a resistance tube 5-10 minute warm up @ 40-50% max heart rate Set 1: 10-14 Burpees (also called pop squats) 3-way lunges w/ dumbbells: Start with weaker leg leading. Take one lunge forwa......
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Stumbled upon a few deals I'd like to pass along: 20% off planners! For all of you planners out there (you know who you are, planning each workout weeks in advance), get a head start on school year planning at MomAgenda. MomAgenda is offering 20% off small School Year books (use code: schoolyearsmom) Visit MomAgenda.com, offer expires 7.31.2011 *P.S. I LOVE MomAgenda planners. Seriously, love them - totally created by moms, for moms. Enough said. EatingWell magazine has a new book out: EatingWell 500-calorie Dinners for $22.45 (10% off the regular price). While you are planning workouts in you......
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Check out this video if you are unfamiliar with trigger point therapy... TPR Therapy, Ironman competitor Have you ever wished you could afford a personal masseuse? One who could come to your home, preferably daily, to help relieve you of the knots and muscle tightness that inevitably occur from daily workouts and, well, being a mom? In search of a solution to my IT band issues, I tried a chiropractor (not money well spent), stretching, massage therapy (therapist too gentle to release deep tissue), and my O.D. The O.D. provided the most valuable information: without proper biomechanics, the bod......
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The mysterious " fat burning zone " continues to confuse many gym-goers. The theory goes something like this: working out in a "zone" of intensity that is less intense for at least 20 minutes will burn more fat calories than calories from carbohydrate. Is this true? Yes and no, but mostly no. You actually burn more calories from fat right now, sitting still, reading this post, than you do on the treadmill. That is because in the resting state, the body burns a higher percentage of fat calories. As you crank up the exercise intensity, you burn a little less fat per calorie. However, it really c......
Mar

31

muscle girlMy  six month blogging hiatus only nudged my rankings a mere 8,000,000 – fabulous! S’ok, because I have lots of new fitness information to share and more time to dedicate to parlaying that information to you (ahhh, smile).

Since my last post (October), our family has moved to the northcoast of Ohio, where we enjoyed a very cold and snowy winter. We celebrated birthdays, made new friends, and explored new territory. I’m sorry that all of that chaos took me offline for a bit, but you’ll be glad to know that my commitment to unearthing the latest, most trustworthy health and fitness information is still as tight as ever :-) In February I had the pleasure of attending the IDEA Personal Trainer’s Conference in Alexandria, VA with a long-time friend and fellow trainer. After attending this awesome event (seriously, REALLY awesome), I believe more than ever that the very best authorities on fitness training are the ones relaying that knowledge to the trainers who attend these conferences. To summarize, I learned a ton, and I’m excited to get to it and torture clients with my updated skills, and pass along great info to my readers too! Yay!

Back in a bit…

Apr

28

This gadget you see to your left here is one of my very favorite training tools. It is a TRX suspension training system, and I love it. It is lightweight and sets up in under 2 mins. You can use it indoors (with a door attachment) and out. And, it is easy to learn (but is also deceivingly challenging, making it the ideal tool for those who like to push themselves…safely).

Spurred by questions regarding the TRX Suspension Training system, I thought I’d give you my two cents, and also point central Ohio fitness enthusiasts toward local resources, in case you’d want to give it a try…

First, know that the TRX is not a gimmick, it is a tool that truly delivers what it promises – total body fitness. Don’t believe me?  Watch this video with Drew Brees, who recently utilized the TRX to rehab a shoulder injury.  A slew of professional athletes and pro teams use the TRX to gain strength, improve flexibility, and achieve overall body conditioning.

Second, the TRX is fairly easy to learn. Even if you are comfortable using the online instruction videos and DVDs from Fitness Anywhere at home, you can take a class to learn from a certified professional. I highly recommend it.

Learn it locally – Columbus, OH

You can learn from yours truly, if you wish. Email me if you’d like to find out more about private training using the TRX (info@blueskygym.com)

Also, the Dublin Community Rec Center offers classes for beginners, as well as “express” style workouts for individuals who have some experience with the TRX. You need to be a member of the rec center to take these classes. You can register online. DCRC spring/summer fitness schedule

Urban Moves in Bexley
2354 E. Main Street, Bexley, 43209

If you really want to learn the TRX, I recommend taking a TRX workshop from Fitness Anywhere. There is one on Feb. 7th in Toledo @ the West Toledo YMCA
2110 Tremainsville Rd., Toledo, 43613
Contact: Margaret Pratt @ 415-655-4781 for more information.

Apr

07

Fans of “The Perfect Push-up” rejoice, there is a new kid in town…The Perfect Situp.”I know…it is about time (wink.)

Having never actually tried “the perfect push-up” or “perfect situp” do-hickies, I can not honestly attest to their perfectness, however, I think that any apparatus that improves form and, most of all, gets you excited about doing the exercise, is worth a shot. Also, most people do abdominal exercises incorrectly, so if “the perfect situp” helps, then there will be a lot of people standing a little taller very soon, and sporting some six-packs too.

The scoop: The Perfect Situp promises to target all four abdominal muscles (transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, and external/internal obliques); enable you to complete abdominal exercises with perfect form; and allows you to progress as you get stronger by adding resistance in the form of 10-30lb blades.

View the video to see how it works: Perfect Situp video

Cost: $99.95 + free shipping

I haven’t tried it myself, but will surely check it out at the next fitness convention I attend. It is always fun to sample new equipment!

If you have tried the Perfect Situp, I’d love to hear what you think…!

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