One Legged Burpee

Have you tried these things? Geez they are hard! I did a one legged burpee tabata today as a finisher to my workout and they were a killer. Hard on the arms AND the legs. One of my new favorites!

Take a look here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp4I0L_dxTk

My weekend workout

I will be spending all weekend with my kiddos as my hubby has to work, so I'll be doing some yoga with them. I roll out a couple of mats and we all do it together.

I will however spend tomorrow working on some strength:

5 rounds:

5 full dead hang, unassisted pull ups
5 1 legged dive bombers
5 1 legged elevated glute bridges

5 rounds:

5 1 arm inverted rows
5 full, unassisted handstand push ups
5 1 legged squats / pistols

cash out:
5 rounds:

5 dips
5 KB snatches right, 5 KB snatches left
10 jump squats

Anyone else want to join me?

Bodyweight Exercises

I've always been a fan of BW exercises as they can be done anywhere, no equipment, no expense -  - -  and it is easier for your body to recover, less prone to injury, and besides, some of the exercises look so cool to learn!

I found a cool web-site that is offering a free (yes it is actually free) ebook all about BW exercises.
Check it out. http://ashotofadrenaline.net/free-gift/

Sacrifice

I read something the other day - and you probably have seen it before, but it really hit home for me.

Due the diligence of sacrifice or pay the price of regret. It's so true!

Sacrifice part of your day for your workouts. Your body and health are worth it. Make time for yourself. You need to take care of yourself because nobody is gonna do it for you, and you cannot take care of others if you're in bad health!
There are plenty of web-sites and youtube videos out there with 10-20 min workouts.You don't even have to leave your own living room. There are no excuses in this day and age with all the media we have available at our finger tips. There are On Demand workout videos, and there are workouts apps.
No excuses!!!

Sacrifice the junk food and eat the healthy stuff or suffer the regret of feeling bloated, guilty, lethargic, and over weight. I'm not going to sugar coat it (pun intended) but you need to suck it up and say NO - I'm not going to eat the pizza, the brownie, the latte, the Lucky Charms, the McDonald's or what ever it is.
This has always been harder for me as I am a big eater. Thankfully I LOVE the workout, but nutrition is 80% of the battle when it comes to the body of your dreams. The holidays are over and I need a good kick in the arse to stop eating all the goodies. Sigh......

I've never heard anyone say that sacrificing brownies was easy, but then again I've never ever heard anyone say it wasn't worth it! I've heard plenty of times the regrets of eating too much.
So put your mind in the right spot and you'll be unstoppable. :)

The myths about cardio

Why is it that when doing cardio we may seem more wiped out after our workouts and sweat more.

Well, I've got news for you - just because you sweat more, does NOT mean a superior workout.
Even if you are sore the next day or are totally wiped out after your workouts, it does NOT mean it was a better workout.

Why?

Let me see if I can explain this once and for all. I am so tired of people saying - well I need to get my cardio in.
What do you think will change your body more - 3 spinning classes a week or 3 strength training sessions a week consisting of push ups, pull ups and squats? If you could do 10 full push ups, 5 dead hang pull ups, and could squat your body weight - don'tcha think you'd look a lot better than spinning your wheels day after day?

Here's the scoop. Yes, its true, during a cardio session you can burn a ton of calories. But your metabolic rate returns to normal within 30 minutes of ending your workout.
HIIT workouts and/or strength training workouts CHANGE your metabolic rate permanently over time to be more efficient.
These types of workouts can keep your metabolism elevated for up to 48 hrs after your done.

You need to hormonally change your metabolic rate in order to lose fat and look better. Steady state cardio does not do that.
Muscle burns fat even at rest. More muscle means a higher metabolism. Muscle takes up less space than fat.

Strength training has a hormonal response on the body unlike cardio. It helps the body to produce enough testosterone to tone or build muscle. This is what changes your body.

Whether you want to tone your glutes, or build huge biceps, it is testosterone that does this. Testosterone is not affected (enough) by spinning, or step class or running outside. There has to be enough stress on your nervous system for changes to occur hormonally. This is why strength training is necessary to produce results.

I hope this makes sense. Send questions my way if it does not!

Revisiting a workout

There is a workout that I like to revisit each week because it is a workout from hell! Why I choose to torture myself this way - I'm not sure. LOL. Just kidding. I am trying to get stronger, but I'm having a hell of a time getting better at it.
Anyways, here we go:

5 rounds of the following:

Pull-Ups (4-8 reps, as many as I can do)
Heavy double KB swings, either 2 30 lb bells, or 2 35 lb bells, 10 reps
Goblet or Double KB Front Squat, 60-70 lbs, 3-6 reps - again whatever I can do
Dips, 6-8 reps
Pistols - I can only do partial, but I am finally getting better at these! 8 reps each leg
Dive Bombers, 8 reps

Phew!

A terrific full body workout. :)

Yoga for 2013

As most of you know, I am in love with Power Yoga. I like to take classes all over instead of at one place so I get to experience various teachers.
Here are my favorites. I highly recommend you get out there and try one of these. They are terrific - and all very different.

Not in any order -

Roman Szpond of Inner Strength yoga - in Watertown or West Roxbury
Renata Loree of Yoga Spot - Wellesley
Mimi Lourerio of O2 Yoga - Somerville
Adena Muncey of Yogapower - Waltham
David Magone of Exhale Spa - Boston

I plan on visiting some new studios soon so I'll keep you posted on what I find out.

Feel free to come join me at TenX in Canton Friday mornings at 9:30am!

Happy Holidays!

I hope you enjoyed Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year) - I know I sure did. The kids are 5 and 2 - perfect ages for Santa. It was so much fun! And it was A LOT of food.

So here's a great post holiday workout to burn off some of the holiday goodies.

5 rounds of the following exercises. 35 seconds on, 15 off, no other rest until the workout is done. Takes about 30 minutes with a warm up and post stretch. Enjoy the BURN!

Burpees (with a push up)
Inverted Rows
Double Thrusters
Strict Mountain Climbers (jump foot to outside of hand)

Even my kids like to workout

My little ones are so used to seeing me workout, they try to get in on it with me. It is so adorable! Check it out for yourself. My 5 yr old can do pull ups!

Here is a workout I did today that I just loved.

4 rounds -

inverted body rows, 10 reps
elevated wide push ups, 10 reps
8 pistols each leg

4 rounds - (I used two 16kg KB's)

3 double cleans
4 double front squats
5 double cleans
handstand hold 30-60 seconds

Took about 30 minutes, and then I did 30 minutes of yoga. :)

Chad Waterbury

Google him - I mean it! I have found him to be one of the most interesting fitness guru's out there today. I ordered his High Frequency Training program and I freaking love it! I LOVE, LOVE the workouts designed by him. I think they are great.

Here is a link for you to look at as well:

http://chadwaterbury.com/category/how-to-get-ripped/

So interesting - and full of info I have not actually heard of or read about before.

Wanna pig out this Turkey Day and not feel guilty about it?

Then try this metabolic burner workout!

10 burpee pull ups
20 kettlebell swings
25 air squats

5 rounds

End with tabata sprints.

Enjoy the workout and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Strength Workout

I love feeling strong - getting stronger - working with heavy weights!

Here is a great workout that I did today.

Forearm plank - 30 seconds

Weighted Glute Bridge - 10 reps

Elevated/Inverted Push ups - 8 reps

Heavy Deadlifts - 5 reps

I did 6 rounds of the above 5 exercises, then finished off with 10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups, with 5 snatches at the top of each get up.

Have fun!

An interesting web-site

I found this site that I thought I would share:

www.hitchfit.com

It is a web-site dedicated to body transformations. For a fee (anywhere from $250-$1200) you get an online trainer with a customized diet plan and workout program.

You fill out a questionnaire, submit photos, your height, weight and body measurements as well as body fat percentage.

They have several programs to choose from including fitness model, get ripped, post natal, lose weight/feel great, vegan programs and more.

You must take before pics, and are responsible to follow up with your trainer on a weekly basis via email. The workouts and dieting are a bit extreme, but as they say - it is 3-4 mos of transformation, then you go into maintenance phase which is more forgiving and lenient.

It's certainly intriguing!

Yoga Practice at Home

I practice yoga a lot from home as I find it hard to get to a class that fits my schedule with the kids. I get bored doing it myself, and have tried various DVD's but find most of them fall short.
Bryan Kest, Mark Blanchard and Shiva Rea aren't bad, but I like variety, and using the same DVD's over and over again isn't working for me.

I found a fantastic web-site that has various yoga audio/videos to download and use:

www.yogadownload.com

Yes, there is a cost associated with it, but still cheaper than going to a class. And there is a lot of variety. They offer all different kinds of yoga - Hatha, Power, Prenatal, Forrest, Baptiste, even yoga with weights, and various lengths of classes.
There's even an app for your iPhone or iPad.

I'll be practicing at home later today. Not sure which one I'm going to pick yet. Decisions, decisions!

Workout Finishers

I've been into Workout Finishers lately - meaning a short, but intense routine at the end of your workout to burn off some extra fat and put your metabolic rate into overdrive!

Here is are a couple I've done lately that I loved:

The 99 -

33 Jump Squats
33 Tricep Pushups
33 KB Swings

The Burner -

3 minutes of non-stop Burpees

Tabata -

KB Snatches

Tabata #2 -

Spiderman Push ups
Jumping Lunges

Give 'em a go!

Supplements? Protein Powder? Workouts?

I get asked these kinds of questions all the time.

Do I recommend supplements? Vitamins? Well, yes and no.

I think most supplements are a complete WASTE of money, including vitamins. We pee out most of the vitamins we take, so they are a WASTE of your money. The only one I recommend is Juice Plus as it is actual food - 17 different fruits and veggies, and your body ABSORBS it ALL. Seriously - a no-brainer. You can take 17 different fruits and veggies in a pill and you're not taking it yet? WHAT? We ALL need more fruits and veggies in our diets. All of us! No, it doesn't replace eating real food, but it certainly helps bridge the gap of what we're not getting.
Go to www.ginamartinjuiceplus.com for more details, or contact me directly at ginatrim.martin@gmail.com
I do recommend pre-natal vitamins for pregnant or nursing moms (though you don't need it if you take Juice Plus)!
And I recommend fish oil. Make sure you get one that is easy to swallow and  that has NO mercury in it!
Whole Foods can be a good source for this as well as: http://drbillsformulas.com/
Dr. Bill is one of my favorites - be sure to get on his email list. I love his emails - funny, informative, and politically INcorrect. :)

What about Protein Powder? I think we're better off eating real whole foods as opposed to protein powders, but I know we can be short on time, or perhaps going to be someplace for several hours with no place to cook, so sure, protein powders/shakes can come in real handy. Now, with that being said, many of them are loaded with crap and chemicals, so be sure to read your labels.
A good one I recommend is Jay Robb's: whey protein isolate is used as the protein source and this material comes from farm-raised, pasture-grazed, grass-fed cows not treated with the synthetic bovine growth hormone rBGH. Also made with Stevia and no sugars. http://www.jayrobb.com/default.asp

I also get asked what are the best workouts? There is no real good answer to this because we are all so different and it depends on what your goals are.
If you're pregnant, elderly, rehabbing from an injury, your workouts are going to be different for sure.
Someone like my mom will walk for exercise as she does not care if she gets a six pack or has bulging biceps or toned shoulders.
But for the general gym rat, I recommend lifting heavy - meaning reps of 5-10, so that reps 8,9,10 are VERY hard to complete.
I recommend short intense bursts of cardio, NOT steady state cardio.
And I recommend including mobility in your workouts - whether that be stretching, yoga, Pilates,  foam rolling, etc. Take your time to perform mobility movements to protect your joints. Most people neglect this all the time. You'll be sorry as you'll miss your joints when they're gone!!!

Last thing I recommend? Stop digging your grave with your fork, and focus on whole, REAL foods, and not processed ones. I too need to focus on this one more. Halloween candy be damned! :)

Rid your life of fitness and nutrition insanity -

- by Nia Shanks.

She is consistenly writing awesome articles and quickly becoming one of my favorite role models and favorite bloggers.

She is dead on in this article (in my opinion) as I see so many people waste their time in the gym.

Check it out for yourself:
http://www.niashanks.com/2012/10/rid-your-life-of-fitness-nutrition-insanity/

Why short intense cardio workouts are superior to long ones

Are you still using the elliptical? Spinning for an hour? Taking a step class? Walking on the treadmill for an hour at a time?

Well here is why you should change those hour long workouts to FOUR minutes. That's right! 4 minutes. I'd rather for 4 than 60 minutes, wouldn't you?

Here is some research that I found quite interesting:

Researchers at Queen's University tested a Turbulence 
Training style workout against long cardio.
(Reference: Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012 Sep 20.)

22 college-aged women did 4 workouts per week for 4 weeks in
one of three groups.

Group A did 30 minutes of treadmill running at 85% max heart rate

Group B did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of a single exercise (burpees,
jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or squat thrusts) with 10
seconds of rest between rounds.

Group C did nothing (they were the non-training control group).

Results:
Both training groups increased their aerobic fitness levels
by the SAME amount (about 7-8%). That's right, the short
bodyweight workouts (of 4 minutes) worked just as well
as 30 minutes of cardio. Shocking.

BUT...only Group B, the TT style training, also increased
muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses,
leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups.

And finally, the TT style training used by Group B also
resulted in greater overall workout enjoyment.

The scientists concluded that "extremely low volume bodyweight
interval-style training" will boost cardiovascular fitness
just as well as cardio while giving you BETTER improvements
in muscle endurance.

All in just 4 minutes.

So, don't waste your time trying to get rid of that belly
fat with long, boring cardio. 

I've got plenty of older workouts posted that are short and intense, but here is another one for you:

Jump squats (or Speed squats if you are not a jumper)
Burpees

Repeat 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 4 minutes! 

OR try this one:

Mountain climbers
Speed Squats
V ups
Alternating (jump) lunges

Repeat 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 4 minutes!.......

One of my favorite new workouts

I did this workout the other day and loved it! It was very challenging for me - my muscles were on fire.

I started with Tabata Sprints.

4 rounds of the following:

Pull ups - as many as I could manage
* Dive bombers - 10 reps
1 Legged Squats - 5-8 each leg

Cash out - I ended with Tabata Burpees.

* I had a fellow trainer show me how to do these correctly and what a difference. They are great for your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back, and quads.

Those 3 exercises are some of the hardest on the planet - for me at least. The sprints and the burpees were no piece of cake either. I liked the simplicity of it - no equipment required. I loved the challenge, and how it worked every muscle in the body. It focused on strength, metabolic conditioning, as well as flexibility

Workout Challenge

Here's one for you to try out. And do it again in 8 weeks to see if you have improved.

Perform each of the following exercises for 3 minutes and do as many as you can. Rest one minute in between exercises. No cheating!

Push ups
Squats
Burpees (Chest to Floor)
Pull ups (or reclining rows)

I recommend doing your weakest one first, and moving on from there.

Have fun. :)