tatoos needed to get job done?

So, that arm workout killed...and I'm still a tad fatigued, so I did it again and can't wait to be sore again :)  During spin this morning we were talking about how it seems that personal trainers these days are so full of aggression, are angry and they use a hardcore attitude to motivate their clients. We see it on TV fitness shows and on workout videos (ala Shawn T on Insanity)...I, personally, blame Jillian Michaels for that attitude but that's a whole 'nother topic. One guy today said that it's like a trainer must be aggressive and have a sleeve tattoo to be taken seriously or to be perceived as a kick a$$ trainer. Well, I definitely see this portrayed in the media but I certainly want to change that attitude!  I'll never be an angry man with a sleeve tattoo but I AM an aggressive personal trainer.

Not every person that is a personal trainer wants to be the yelling, screaming, get-to-the-root-of-your-problem-crying type. Most of my current clients are older (50s+) and my goal with them (and my own personal health and fitness goal) is to "keep them upright" and moving well into their older years. It is not yelling, grunting and tattoos that is going to motivate them to keep moving, reduce their body weight and increase muscle strength, it's the healthy lifestyle and the prospect of a longer, more independent life. 

So on that note: your motivational workout for the day... 10 jumping jacks followed by 10 push-ups repeat 8-10 times.  Get it done fast, get it done right (butt down during your push ups! soft knees while jumping!) and feel great going into your weekend :)
(thanks http://reasonstobefit.tumblr.com/ for the motivation!)

FitTip of today

Hola, and good morning! I had a few clients today, one was after I taught the 5:30am spin class so it's been a long day already. I've been wearing the BodyBugg to track my calorie expenditure during workouts in order to see where/how my body works the best now that I'm nursing less and my body is regulating. I can say that during both spin (50 minutes) and the lifting I did later in the morning, I almost burned the same amount during each workout! I was doing a semi-circuit lift so it was faster paced. That was rather frustrating but at the same time, felt good to know I was burning...but I would expect spin to burn way more than I did- I must push myself harder. Moral: workout, period. Just get moving and don't forget to lift muscles...it strengthens and protects your bones from osteoporosis breakdown.
Here's the arm workout I did:

Do it...it's awesome! I would recommend doing it 2-3 rounds as one is just enough to get tired but not enough to really FEEL the Burn :)  I like it because it's supposed to help you look good in a strapless dress (that's what Alyssa from Life of bLyss posted it for and I want to give her credit...http://www.lifeofblyss.com/ ) but as a mom, these are all the same muscles to help you lift, carry and hold your little ones...especially those lucky ones with cute chunky-monkeys :)

Happy, Healthy day...

Gluten-free meals for the day


Going gluten-free has been an interesting change for us. (Please see Gluten-free living page to see why we must eat this way). I am half Italian so carbs are a MUST in my life and as a fitness professional I understand that carbs are a necessary fuel for the body. Peanut butter on whole grain toast was my go-to for a pre-workout snack, whole wheat pasta with scrambled eggs and spinach topped with balsalmic vinegar was our quick but healthy dinner. I would never advise anyone to eat gluten-free unless they are sensetive to gluten, are breastfeeding a baby that is or are living with someone who is and you are supporting them. Whole grains are integral to a healthy diet- unless it makes you unhealthy that is.
Here is what we may eat on any given day:
Breakfast:
      -oatmeal with banana or blueberries
Snack:
      -apple and peanut butter
Lunch:
      -stir fry tofu with veggies
Snack:
      -flavored rice cakes and yogurt
Dinner:
      -stuffed bell pepper (ground turkey/cheese)
      -quinoa

Our favorite after dinner snack recipe...
Greek yogurt covered blueberries!

Fresh blueberries
Honey flavored greek yogurt
toothpicks

How to:   skewer berry, roll around in yogurt, put it on wax paper and repeat for remaining berries. Place wax paper in the freezer for about an hour and enjoy

Earth Day Family Fitness

It is upon us, Earth Day! This day is to celebrate our present environmental fitness and to promote the future by preserving and creating anew the environment we live in. This is a day that signifies Spring, rebirth and the future health of our environment.  Plant a tree with the family and you've begun your active lifestyle activity for the day. Go on a walk and enjoy the weather, observe the trees, collect leaves and make leaf prints. Pretty much everything about Earth Day is active, so get out there!



Earth Day is today! and we have had a wonderful weekend. It started out with the Great Diaper Change where moms all over the world changed their baby's cloth diaper at 11:30 am in an attempt to break a world record for the most cloth diapers changed at one time. We don't know yet if we did it but we sure had fun. I changed Gia from a IcePink Grovia into a BumGenius covered mathematical equations (her Geek Chic diaper).  I held a special preview class of the Body Back Bootcamp but instead of strollers we all wore our babies in carriers...that was a fun twist! Use your baby for extra weight while lunging and squatting, do some dances for cardio and then take her off and do push ups over her, giving a kiss everytime you hit the bottom of the pushup! Bam, 1/2 hour workout with your baby in tow.

 Then we went to the local nature center and walked the trails and looked at the animals with a friend and her baby. It was a wonderfully active day and I can't wait to do it again.

That's us on the front page of the local paper...yay!




Teething releif ...FitTip of the day:

Ahhh, teething. Something all humans go though and all moms come to dread. Gia's been teething these last two weeks- molars! Four all at the same time. Today was insane as it just hit her all at once and it was just pain and runny nose and crying just all of a sudden. Sun, fresh air, a little swinging and a stroller ride is what cures her every time :) By going to the park and distracting your little one with fun and fresh air is the best remedy for almost anything, especially teething. Some like to give medicine every time but this is a fact of life, an act of nature, teething must happen for baby to thrive (how else will they chew?). Medicine is great but not all day, every day. I mean we teethe for what, 12 years right? -that's when the last set of molars come in. Do we really want to be putting acetaminophen or ibuprofen through their livers regularly? Don't get me wrong, we've given her Tylenol for pain but also distracting her and playing with her helps too and it teaches her to get through it on her own.

FitTip of the day: In those times when you can get outside with the baby do it :)  in the afternoon, after work or after dinner! Push the swing, pliee, push the swing, pliee, and repeat. You'll have 10 pliees in no time!