Bikini Body Craze

Everyone who has come to me in the past few weeks for any type of health or fitness advice has said one thing:

I want to look good in my bathing suit!

Whether it be flattening your abs, toning your triceps, or slimming your inner thighs: I’ve got the plan for you.

A big misleading fitness myth is that you can lose fat in a certain area of your body by WORKING that area. Sorry ladies, this is WRONG. Just because you do bicep curls does NOT mean your biceps will lose fat. Your body picks and chooses as it likes where it will burn fat from.

Spot-Toning DOES work. So if you are already lean, and have no fat over a muscle, isolating that muscle will show through. With most people, this is not the case. You’ve got a few inches of fat over that inner thigh, a little pooch to grab on your belly, and some not-so-flattering triceps. Don’t worry – we can fix it!

The number one thing you need to understand is that you will have to change your diet. If you really want to look good and lose a few pounds and inches, you are going to have to focus on cutting out happy hours, drinks, and fatty foods. (I’m looking at you chips & salsa before dinner.)

Here is a simple breakdown to look fantastic this Summer 2013:

1) Eat a low-fat, whole-food, mostly-plant based diet, and drink plenty of water.

This means no processed white bread from the dinner basket, no extra scoops of margarine on your toast, and no olive oil or vinaigrette on your salad. For carbs, stick to whole grains like sprouted bread (Ezekial), brown or wild rice, quinoa, and fruit.

Have at least one meal as a salad: Load up a bowl of greens with your favorite fruits, veggies, and a lean choice of protein. (3oz white fish or organic chicken breast, grilled) Top with a flavored vinegar but hold the oil. I like Trader Joe’s Citrus Vinegar. It has enough flavor and a low calorie count.

2) Do your CARDIO!

Performing 3-5 sessions of 30 minutes each per week of running, swimming, biking, kettlebells, and/or HIIT will set your body into fat-burning mode. My favorite cardio is High Intensity Interval Training filled with mountain climbers, jump squats, agility ladder drills, hop lunges, ski jumps, and burpees. HIIT will give you a greater metabolic boost, so for the rest of the day your body will be processing your food a bit faster and more efficiently.

3) Do not skip the weights.

Strength training is vital when you want to tone those muscles to look sleek without covers. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you burn each day. I advise training 2-3x per week with yours truly, a personal trainer, with free weights, cable machines, medicine balls, and kettlebells. Doing weights in a circuit will also be a high intensity form of cardio, boosting your cardio session results.

Plus, for you ladies reading this, strength training is vital for strong bones as we age. Our calcium is absorbed less efficiently, so using weights actually increases the density of our bones to reduce the risk of injury and osteoporosis. Yay!

4) Consistency

Okay, so you’ve got the motivation now. The sun is out and the warm breeze is blowing. You are all hyped for the summer season…but soon the spark will start to fade. You NEED to keep up the consistency and dedicate yourself to these steps to a bangin’ bod. Wouldn’t you like to have it year round? It’s not just the 6 weeks before summer that are going to shape you into a healthier, happier human being. It is the weeks, months, and years that you continue this fit lifestyle down the road. If you can find time now to fit it in, you can find it later. Apply these simple rules above and nothing will stop you from being, feeling, and looking FANTASTIC!

Message me for a personal workout routine, free training session, or recipe ideas. Also, sign up for my newsletter to get weekly fitness moves, wellness, and food tips!

Busting Fitness Myths 2

Screen shot 2013-03-12 at 9.09.14 PM

Myth: Lifting heavy weights will make you bulky.
1. Truth: Ladies. Please get over this myth right now! You do not have the testosterone or growth factor to create huge, hulky muscles. And if you really wanted that bodybuilder look, you would have to seriously focus on achieving THAT. You would have to eat thousands of calories, lift hundreds of pounds of weights, and dedicate every single meal and the timing of it to create that look. I lift 4x a week, attempt to eat my body weight in protein most days, and eat clean every day, and would have to triple that attempt to get anywhere CLOSE to looking “muscular” like those pins and bodybuilding women you see. It is seriously a lifestyle, from 8am-8am to get hulky. So stop worrying, lift heavy, and run hard to get a hot bod.
Myth: Ab machines, crunches, planks, and hanging leg raises will sculpt your abs and give you a flat tummy.
1. Truth: There is a layer of fat over your abs. No matter how many crunches and planks you do, no matter how hard your work your abs, you will never see them unless you lose that fat covering them. Doing those workouts will not let them show. You must change your diet and reduce your calories and lose the fat. So don’t spend more than 5 minutes on abs! Focus on lifting and HIIT cardio.
Myth: As long as you are sweating, you are losing weight.
1. Truth: Sweat has nothing to do with intensity! It is your body’s way of getting rid of heat. Fat is oxidized inside your body, and it is not going to vaporize because you’re sweating. You can walk outside on a super hot day and you will start sweating immediately; this doesn’t mean you are losing weight. You can sit in a sauna for 20 minutes, but all you are losing is water weight which you must replace. Your body is 75% water, after all. Your body is just keeping cool. Hard work and a good diet makes you lose weight, not the amount of sweat you pour.
Myth: You can spot reduce your problem areas like lower belly and love handles.
1. Truth: There is NO SUCH THING as spot-reducing. Your body chooses where to lose fat as it pleases; you can’t make it lose fat in a certain area. You can create muscle in a certain area if only working out that area. For example, if all you did was biceps curls for 6 weeks, you’d only have stronger, bigger biceps, not stronger legs or back.
Myth: Light weights with plenty of reps will give you lean muscle tone.
1. Truth: Leanness and muscle mass comes from challenging your muscles. If you are lifting a 5-lb purse daily and then hit the gym and use 5-lb dumbbells to work out, you are not challenging your muscles. There will be no tiny tears to rebuild, resulting in “tone.” Tone means building muscle. You will have to lose the fat over the muscle and gain mass to look lean and sculpted. Leanness and muscle come from low body fat and muscle mass development. Muscles do not “grow longer.” The length of your muscles depends on the length of your limbs/torso.

Busting Fitness Myths

You know what really grinds my gears? Myths. Lies. And Bullshit. I’ve been on a research hunt for the past couple weeks, reading and learning about all the latest studies on fitness, weight loss, and sports nutrition. I’ve come across a lot of claims, a bunch of idiots, and have learned a few great things about fat loss and nutrition. I’ll give you the rundown.

Bull

Some tools believe that an abstract of a small study (n<20) is going to prove their point.
People believe what marketing companies tell them, no matter what facts are shown.
Supplement companies make false claims, or claims made on small, ill-prepared studies.

Things I’ve Learned

Fasted training teaches your body to use fat as a fuel more efficiently.
- This means having an empty stomach for at least 15 hours.
Intermittent Fasting can be a very efficient way to lose fat for most people, Type 1 Diabetics excluded.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) can help a body recover faster and decrease soreness if taken before/during/after an intense workout.
A lot of BCAA supplements are sourced from human hair and feathers. (Gross!)
There is only one pure company I found, Ajipure, which makes BCAA’s with fermentation.

Not sure about something you’ve heard? Let me research the claim for you. Comment below with any diet/fitness questions!

Good Stress Vs. Bad Stress Breakdown

Thrive Stress 101

Bad Stress creates a physiological response in our bodies that makes us tired, irritable, fat, and weak. More than half of the stress we experience is bad stress. When you say that your stress is killing you, you are right. It is weakening your nervous system, organs, mind, and bones. It’s terrible, and we have to find ways to cope with daily stress accordingly.

Many people choose to eat, drink, smoke, or exercise it away. You can guess which one of those methods is the healthiest.

We know about bad stress. We wish we didn’t, but we do. If you’re like me and want to know all the science behind it click here: Scientific Slide Show. Let me know if you have any questions!

Good stress is the small amount of pressure that makes you get up off your ass in the morning and be productive. It is the mediocre amount of stress you put on yourself that makes you actually do something with your day. It is the tiny shot of cortisol that allows your body to wake up and start functioning.

A common type of good stress is the kind you put on your body during a workout. You end up stronger, faster, and thinner afterward. It’s a great type of stress! Another type is studying or learning. You are stressing your mind, but only for it to grow and become smarter.

When I’m Stressed I tend to do one of two things: sleep or workout. I run until I can run no more. Or, I sit on the couch, lethargic, and waste away. Sometimes I combine the two. I try to run it out, physically and mentally. If you think about it, this makes the most sense: our bodies are in fight or flight mode. So the best tactic is to punch a bag or run! I admit, it’s a temporary fix. When I’m running, sprinting, or hiking up that 15.0 incline, I feel great. But when I put my coat on and drive home, I’m back in my head, stressing out about whatever the current life issue is.

So you may ask,”Did it really make you feel better?” Yes. It did. And it made my body feel better because it used up the cortisol and adrenaline that was being pumped out before I got to the gym. It’s worth it.

Cravings can be your health’s worst enemy when stressed. I crave carbs like sourdough bread, cake, and sugar. Our bodies naturally crave carbohydrates when stressed because they boost our serotonin, which calms us down. The bad part is that our body is already full of released sugar because it’s in fight or flight mode. So we eat a cake donut, and add more sugar to our bloodstream. If we don’t use it up by exercising or playing, it turns into fat.

Healthy Foods help our bodies find homeostasis more quickly. They get us back to feeling energized, happy, and relaxed. They fight adrenal fatigue. (Your adrenals release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.) When we have exhausted our bodies, eating foods that de-stress us is vital. The Thrive program has these three great videos and handouts to make it easy to deal with stress in a healthy way.

My favorite healthy de-stressing snacks are VegaOne Smoothies, Chia Seed Pudding, and apples or bananas and almond butter. They all tastes like dessert, but they’re healthy. Yay for healthy carbs!

How do you deal with stress? What are your negative and positive reactions to it? What do you crave when your stressed?

Health is a Journey, Not a Destination

Making A Lifestyle You think it’s a diet. You think it’s a cleanse. You think it’s not eating carbs. You think wrong. Health is a lifestyle. It’s a complete way of living. Health is from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed and the hours in between. It’s a 24/7 practice. It’s eating, drinking, breathing, and heart-beating. You can eat whatever you want, you can workout whenever you want, and you can socialize in any way. A healthy lifestyle means doing those things with health in mind.

I eat cookies, pizza, sushi, cake, brownies, and dark chocolate. I take days off from working out. I sit in my pajamas all day on sunday and watch tv. I eat chinese food once a week. Does this sound healthy? Not at all! Here is a health-ifying breakdown:

I eat organic cookies I either bake at home, or buy in small portions.
I eat organic vegan pizzas that are single-serving, or made from home on a pita.
I go to sushi once a month or less.
If I eat cake, it’s a mug cake that I make in the microwave. Again, single serving.
Same goes for brownies. (Why have a huge pan sitting around to devour?)
Dark chocolate is afforded to one small square a day, or in the form of Raw Cacao powder to make hot cocoa or chocolate milk.
Rest days are essential to rebuild and recover. Taking an extra one is always okay.
My chinese food is made from Gardein Mandarin Chick’n and Quinoa.
Sunday is a rest day, so I’m allowed to do what the hell I want!

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too You see? You can have all those things if you just healthify them! I have a major sweet tooth. I am a fat kid in a health nut’s body. I love my sweets, but I always keep health in mind when eating them. If I go overboard, I’ll be sure to make up for it in the gym. Aim for balance.

Your life is important. Your vitality, wellness, vigor, energy, and spirit is important. You deserve the best because you are the best.

I may indulge in all those things, but guess what? It’s OKAY. I’m healthy and you can be too.

Find time, at least an hour a day, to devote to moving. If you can’t get to a gym, do some body exercises during one of your TV shows. Squats, Push-ups, Dips, Mountain Climbers. Those four things will shape you up just fine. They will get your body, digestion, and metabolism moving more efficiently.

I know it’s hard to change your frame of mind. Change is a frightening thing. But if you don’t change how you look at losing weight and gaining health today, then you won’t ever get there. You will continue the same behavioral patterns and end up where you started, or worse, heavier and sicker.

If you need any help, just ask. My mission is to fight obesity and that starts with one person at at time.

If being overweight isn’t your healthy lifestyle issue, what is? Tell me below and inspire the next blog. Thanks for reading.

Best Health,

Nicole

Pump

Get pumped. Get huge. Look vascular. Bulk up. Bulge out. Get ripped. Gain libido. Unmatched muscle fullness. Get swollen. Jack3d. Explode. C4. Cellucor. Detonate. Supplement. Depth. Massive.

Being the best personal trainer means knowing all the factors that influence someone’s health decisions. I need to be on top of the new packaged foods, commercials, studies, popular supplements, workout DVDS, diet trends, energy drinks, and everything else that hits the market claiming to increase your health. I will test it myself, read others’ reviews, or research the science of the claim. As I traverse my journey to building muscle, I became curious about the supplements that claim to give you pump. I wondered, “What is this pump? Is it real or false? Will it help me get bigger, faster? Does it work on women? Why are only men on the packaging and marketing?”

What’s the Deal? Recently made pre-workout supplements that claim to give you pump contain a form of nitric oxide called Arginine Nitrate, or NO3. This lab-made chemical dilates your veins and blood vessels, allows more blood flow, and gives your veins a visible inflated appearance. This is known as pump. This is what they are selling. But what got me interested was the claim to increase strength by simply downing a watermelon or cherry flavored kool-aid as seen here:

Screen shot 2013-02-13 at 5.38.53 PM — Notice the claim for strength.

I wondered, “If a supplement gives you access to pumped veins before even working out, will it improve your workout? Will it really improve your strength?”

Is it Legit? Turns out, no. Pump is solely an appearance thing. The actual vascularity has no direct relation to strength.

Everyone who takes them will tell you they get a boost of energy and feel stronger. This is due to the amount of caffeine and sugar in them, which will let you run faster and work harder, so that later you are stronger. Having fresh oxygen and hydration in your blood will let you work harder without fatigue. This is true. The false part is that the “pumped up veins” gives you strength.

Fact: The only way to get faster and stronger is to run more and lift heavier.

Supplements themselves do not give you strength, speed, or agility. It is the energy they provide, in carbs, caffeine, and available ATP, that will help you workout longer, push harder, and recover faster. But you know what? Really good organic nutrition that is timed correctly can do the same thing.

Personally, I use things like yerba mate, kombucha, ginseng, ginger, matcha, and other organically found nutrients. I’m not a fan of the synthetic lab-made materials in these supplements, but that’s my individual stance. Plus, the one time I tried a sample of Jack3d, I practically had a panic attack. Below are the nutrients in the pre-workout fuel I take sometimes. It can be found here.

How do I get strong without these powders?
You need to push your muscles past the limit they are used to being pushed. If you normally use 10lb dumbbells, you will need to work up to 12’s and then 15’s. This is your strength increasing.

Personally, it has taken me a while to get up to 20lb dumbbells. But once you realize you can do 3 reps, 4, 5, and then 8, you did it! You used a heavier weight and your muscles will respond to that challenge. They will recover by building more muscle fibers so that next time the weight won’t feel so heavy. If you can do more than 12 reps with the weight you are currently using, increase the pounds.

Bottom Line: Those who take supplements but make no changes in the way they train and eat will not see any improvements. Lifting weights 5-6 times a week will increase muscle and strength, not a supplement. Supplements can help give you energy and reduce fatigue, and so can food.

A triathlete who got this way on organic nutrition:

Perk Up: Chest + Back Routine

Don't be Intimidated By These Machines. — Don’t be Intimidated By These Machines

Smith Bench

Chest Press, Flat
1. Reps 8, Sets 5
Chest Press, Incline
1. Reps 8, Sets 5

Move bench to front of system. Grab 20lb weight, or heavy as you can curl.
Remove weights. Place smith bar as low as you can do push-ups. For Pull-ups, place bar about belly button height. Get underneath bar. Do a reverse plank, holding abs up tight, and pull yourself up.

Perform all exercises back to back, quickly as possible.

Sets: 5
Push-ups, Wide
- 12
Pull-ups, Wide
- 12
One-Arm DB Chest Press
- 8, ES
Goblet Squats
- 12
Bench or Bar Triceps Dips
- 8

Cable Machine

Sets 3
Squat + Neutral Grip Row
- 12
Lat Pull Down
- 12
Triceps Pull Down
- 12

Sets 5
Lunge + Row, right
- 8
Lunge + Row, left
- 8
Lat Pull Down, + 5lbs
- 8
Triceps Pull Down
- 8
Oblique Turns+HoldReps
- 8 Each side, Hold last one straight out as long as possible

Fat Burning Finishers*

1-2 Miles, sprints + jogs
Dead lift + Belly Button Row
- 8 reps, 2 sets
Barbell Cleans
Reverse Crunch + Hold (Standing Ab/Dips Tower)
Straight Leg Hold

*These are high intensity exercises to burn through that last bit of energy you have at the end of a planned workout. You have already emptied your glycogen (sugar) stores, and so these last bit of exercises are using pure fat for energy. They are important if you are looking to get cut, ripped, or lose that extra 5 lbs. And if you have more than 5lbs to lose, you sure will get that fat burning faster and more efficiently with these finishers. FINISH STRONG!

Kettle Bell Cardio

I love getting new fitness toys. My most recent addition to my gym bag has been a 25lb Bob Harper Countoured Kettle Bell. I love it! It’s so much fun to use, gives an amazing strength-cardio workout, and can be shared with my boyfriend (who is like 10x stronger and still gets a good workout with this thing!).

I’ve been scouring the net for fun moves, watching the Bob Harper DVD that came with it, and doing my own combinations to get use out of this gorgeous piece of equipment. I’ve designed a simple workout for you that will blast calories, build muscle, and make you smile.

Here you go!

Warm Up
2 Minutes Dynamic Stretches:
Knee Pulls, Arm Circles Both Ways, Huggers, Reachers, Twists, Kicks. (Do your faves to warm your muscles.)

Work Out

20 Kettle Bell Swings
12 High Pulls
12 Decline Push-ups
12 Triceps Dips

5 Halos Left
5 Halos Right

20 Kettle Bell Swings
15 Squat + High Pulls
10 Decline Push-Ups
15 Front Squats (holding KB)

8 Dead lifts
8 High Pulls
8 Dead lift–>High Pulls

10 Oblique Reach Left Hand
10 Oblique Reach Right Hand
10 Sumo Squats–>Calf Raise

Plank until you Fall
Side Plank until Failure, left
Side Plank until Failure, right

10 KettleBell Swings

Hydrate!

Note: This workout took me 20 minutes to complete. If you still have energy, do a second round!

Thrive Forward With Fitness: Total Body Workout

Free Workouts

At Home or At The Gym

Do you want to work out but don’t have a clue where to start? So many people want to be healthy but don’t know how. Here is a free hint. I’ve made up a home workout session and gym session, to fit all levels and needs. If this is too boring, contact me and I’ll make up a personalized workout for you. What do you love to do? Try this beginners workout and let me know how it goes! It will challenge your balance, make your mind work, and keep you laughing as you crank out that sweat. Have fun!

Home (30 minutes)

Equipment: Jump Rope (optional)

Warm Up

1 Min Straight Kick + Reach w/Opposite Hand
3 Min Jump Rope or Jumping Jacks
1 Min Mountain Climbers

Workout
3 min Squats
3 min One-Leg Triceps-Dips
30 Sec One-Leg Jump Rope or Cross Jacks
Stacked-Feet Pushups

30 Sec Rest
Repeat.

12 Front Lunges, holding a weight on one side.
Do 6 on right leg, 6 on left leg.
1 Min Jump Rope or Cross Jacks
2 Min Cross Body Punches
Repeat 2x.

x.X.x Bonus Round x.X.x

!KEEP ABS TIGHT!
45 secs Disc Mountain Climbers, Wide
45 secs Disc In n Out’s
1 Minute 1-Leg Jump Rope
10 One-Leg Pushups
2 Minute Squat Jumps
30 Sec High Plank 2 Low Plank
Wall Sit until failure

Gym (30-45 minutes)

Equipment: Treadmill or Elliptical, Free Weights, Bench

Warm Up
2 Minutes: Jog: 4.0 speed, 3.0^ <–That symbol means incline!
5 Minutes: Jog Faster: 5.5 Speed, 5.0 ^
2 Minutes: Sprint as fast as possible, 5.5^
1 Minute: Walk, 8.0 Incline

If the treadmill is too hard or you are too heavy, do the same workout on the elliptical. Keep your hands OFF the treadmill, and ON the elliptical hand pulls!

Workout
12 Reps One-Leg Hammer Curl to Press
30 Sec Bench Triceps-Dips
12 Reps One-Leg Hammer Curl to Press
30 Sec Bench Triceps-Dips

8 Reps One-Side One-Leg Lateral Raise
30 Seconds Sumo Squats
8 Reps One-Side One-Leg Lateral Raise
30 Seconds Sumo Squats

12 Reps One-Leg Upright Row
30 Sec Bench Push-ups, Wide Grip
12 Reps One-Leg Upright Row
30 Sec Bench Push-ups

x.X.x Bonus x.X.x
Hop Back on the Treadmill or Elliptical!
5 Minutes Jog
2 Minutes Run
5 Minutes Jog Uphill (5-8 incline)
2 Minutes Walk Uphill (8.0^)

When you’re doing one-side or one-leg, make sure you switch the next time you have to do it! Don’t only work one side of your body. X.x

If you have any questions about form or how to do something, feel free to comment or email me. You can always youtube a move, but there are thousands of variations of things, so I highly suggest just asking!

How often do you workout? At Home or At the Gym?

How To Have A Good-Health Day

Start with alkaline.

First things first. Drink some water. Not just plain water, but a water that will alkalize your body, readying it for nutrients. Add the juice of half a lemon to a glass of water, warmed if possible. Add an herbal tea bag or some dried Goji berries to go the extra flavor mile.
Why? Alkalinity is related to Ph balance. Your digestive system is the main center of your immune system. When your body is alkaline, bacteria, viruses, indigestion, and pain have a hard time surviving. The more alkaline you are, the healthier you are. Lemon may seem acidic, but it actually turns alkaline in your body. Anything that is fresh and plant-based is alkalizing to your body. Processed foods, junk foods, and sugar are acidic. Avoid at all costs!

Hit the road with protein.

The best way to get your hunger under control is to start the day with some plant-based protein. Protein takes longer to digest, and increases your satiety (fullness factor). I suggest a VegaOne shake or smoothie. VegaOne has 50% of your vitamins and minerals, 15g of protein, 6grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of Omega 3’s, Antioxidants, Probiotics, and greens. Plus, it has the super foods chlorella and maca! You won’t only feel full until lunch, but energized and happy. Blend half a frozen banana, one scoop VegaOne, and 12oz unsweetened almond milk or water. If you’re in a rush, you can simply mix a scoop of VegaOne and 8oz water in a to-go BlenderBottle. (Do this at night for a grab-n-go.) The berry flavor of VegaOne is best mixed with water -and nothing else. Vanilla Chai and Chocolate are great with water, or the banana and non-dairy milk.

Why? A mid-morning munchie attack before lunch time can sabotage your calorie count and weight loss efforts. It can also mean snacking on vending machine junk or the cake in the back office. Sound familiar? Candy-dish diving is just going to make you hungrier and grumpier. Be sure to get a smoothie.
Why plant-based? Whey protein digests very quickly and can bloat you. Many people have dairy-sensitivities, which is where whey comes from. VegaOne doesn’t only provide you with protein and satiety- you get most of the greens, vitamins, probiotics, and minerals you need for the rest of the day. Now that’s a good start!

Pack security.

You may have forgot to pack a lunch. You may be invited to go out to a staff lunch. And you will be tempted with that staff pizza party. If you want to be free from guilt, and health-insured, pack some security. I suggest a home-made trail mix, piece of fruit+raw almonds, or non-dairy greek yogurt. Bananas, oranges, and apples are year round fruits that are very purse-friendly. Raw almonds are full of fiber and protein; only a handful will sustain your hunger until you get home. When fruit and almonds are paired together, you will get a healthy dose of carbs, good fats, and protein. Non-dairy greek yogurt, made from coconut milk (Delicious!) is also full of protein and fibers. Plus, it tastes sinful but is actually very good for you.

For more information:

Alkalinity: http://thriveforward.com/lesson/assessing-your-ph/
Plant Protein: http://thriveforward.com/lesson/clean-eating-101-lesson-3/
Snack Security: http://thriveforward.com/lesson/clean-eating-101-lesson-4/