Cardio Curse to Cardio Challenge

Although I preach that women need to re-evaluate their workouts and do a lot more weight lifting and plyos than cardio, cardio is still a part of the equation to fitness success. After talking to my trainer this past weekend, I realized that I wasn't taking this seriously enough and just kind of going through the motions when it came to cardio. Although I was waking up in the AM to run before my first meal to get my "empty cardio" in, that's all I was doing for cardio and my body inevitably became used to it and therefore it became a waste of time because I was only maintaining instead of improving. In order to get results, I need to implement variety into my cardio routine. So I decided I would start on Sunday morning and wake up and do a Cardio Challenge that my trainer gave me. It definitely wore me out but in a great way and it was the perfect jump start into my new variety cardio goals. Try it out and let me know what you think!

TRX

As I said in my first fitness post, my fitness outlook and regimen changed March of 2012 when I met Meriah and started training with her. Even though I have changed a ton of my practices (including in the kitchen) if I had to pin point one thing in the gym that was a huge game changer for me, it would be TRX. I had never even seen one of these before and I would have never guessed that ropes with stirrups could be a complete body workout! I would attribute any definition that I have in my core, arms and back to TRX. TRX forces you to lift your own body weight and your form is essential. I could do countless posts with tons of exercises that you can do with TRX but here are 4 exercises to start you off.

So to start I think the most elementary in an Inclined Squat. Stand at an angle on your heels and drop your booty as if your sitting below chair level. Then pull yourself up with your arms and squeeze your glutes as you stand. For more of a challenge, try this but making it a squat jump.

 

 

The next one is the V, T, Y, I - The easiest way to describe this is that your body will be making each of these letters to count as 1 rep. Start with your feet flat on the ground (arms in front of you), still with your body at an diagonal angle and push your arms down towards your body outside of your thighs so that your arms form a downwards V.

 

This picture above is what I refer to as "start position" for VTYI

 

Then lean back into the starting slanted position and pull your body up by stretching your arms outwards on either side so that your body forms a T shape. 

Then lean back into starting position and raise your arms up and pull your body up so that your standing straight up and your arms form the shape of a Y

Lastly, return to starting position and then pull your body to a stand but have your arms positioned straight up in the air so that your body forms an I

 

The third and fourth exercises are for your core. The third exercise is a Reverse Crunch. Place your feet into the handles/stirrups and you raise your legs in the air so that your body is in a plank or wheelbarrow position. Then curl your knees into your chest while simultaneously tucking your chest and neck into your core and repeat 20x.

 

 

The 4th exercise is the Pike. Start with your feet in the handles again and resume the wheelbarrow position. Then keeping your legs straight, lift your butt into the air as high as possible. Once you reach as high as your body will let you, drop your legs back into wheel barrow position and repeat 20 times. A tip here for proper form is to lift your head so that your back doesn't round down too much.

If you don't see this in your gym, ask someone that works there because normally this is something that only trainers bring out for specific client training sessions. Give it a try and let me know what you think! You can't see it in these pictures but these ropes look like a hanging harness and it has to be attached to a high stabilized bar.  I will post more TRX workouts in the future because the options are ENDLESS and the results are amazing!

Meriah's #1 Cardio Recommendation

 

Ain't that the truth. 

First things first, if you're serious about getting into shape, I strongly recommend buying a Heart Rate monitor. It tells you how much you're burning, and if you're peaking in your fat-burning zone, especially important during those cardio-focused workouts. There are all different types, but the best ones come with a wrist-watch and chest strap. Most even come with a software program so you can log your results. Its almost like having a trainer. You could use it throughout the day, like pushing yourself to get your heart rate up during a mid-day walk…. But if you're just starting out, you can go with a basic version, because they can get a little pricy. I recommend the Polar brand.
Now, as far as the best cardio machines, of course they're not the easiest, but that's what makes them so powerful, and helps you make the most of your time.

My #1 Pick:

Indoor Rowing Machine (Concept II Rower)

In addition to attaining a high level of fitness, rowing is an intense calorie-burner!
Indoor rowing primarily focuses on your cardio, with a good workout consisting of a moderate, steady 20 minutes (although a great goal is 2000 m, under 10 minutes).
But once again, *interval training* will maximize your results - because rowing also works many muscle groups throughout the entire body "anaerobically", giving you more bounce per ounce.
And - Bonus: Unlike high impact exercises, like running, which can damage your knees, rowing isn't so rough on your joints :)

How to Include the Rower in Your Fitness Routine:

On weight lifting days, I like to use the rower as a warm-up if I don't feel like running. Five minutes on the clock, or 1000 m (or 1 km), and Im ready to go do some damage.
The rower can be used in your circuit training, where you jump on for a quick 200 m, or a 45 second blast, then hop off and go for a set of push ups or KB swings.
Something fun I tried yesterday was doing a mini-triathalon, because I need to get my cardio back up. So I started with: 2 km on the treadmill, then 2 km on the rower, and finished with 5 km on the bike. Followed it up with some TRX suspension training - I haven't had such a great workout in a long time!

Remember these tips when you go for your next session, and let me know how it works for you.

In my next post, Ill get into my 2nd favorite cardio machine, a killer for burning some serious calories, while sculpting sexy legs, and a tight lifted butt… can you guess what it is?


 

Meriah's New Definition of Fitness

Traditional "Cardio"  a.k.a.  "Aerobics"   ak.a.  "A Waste of Time" 

The *trick* to cardio and weight loss is not about how long you can go, or even how many calories the machine says you've burned - its all about your heart rate! Your H.R. determines whether you're burning mostly air (too easy!), fat (somewhat intense), or muscle (too high - not good!)

Hopefully you know from science class, our bodies are like machines that run on fat, carb's, and protein from our food as fuel… But, the catch is the lower the intensity of exercise, the easier it is, the higher the percentage of calories we burn are coming from stored *fat* rather than carb's or protein. This is because we are working the "aerobic" pathway, which is a long slow process metabolically, but favorable for us in terms of *fat loss*.

Once you're working at an intensity above your "anaerobic" threshold, which is around 85% of your maximum HR (when its hard for you to breathe), you start to burn protein a.k.a muscle - and thats a big no-no! We always want to work towards building muscle, because it makes your metabolism faster, makes our stronger, and also gives the look of a defined, toned shape. Doing short sprints is a great way to push yourself to the limit, but still give your body just enough time to recover, so it doesn't have to resort to stealing your hard-earned muscle to keep going.

A great example of this is comparing a marathon distance runner, and an Olympic sprinter. Which 1 tends to look frail and skinny, and which is lean and ripped?

This is because of "The Fat Burning Zone"…

You may be familiar with this term. However - if your goal is to lose weight, you need to be burning more calories than you take in through eating. So, even though you burn mostly *fat* when working at an easier intensity, the *total* amount of calories burned is going to be low - unless, you stay in that fat-burning heart rate zone (65-85% of your max) for *at least* 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This is what is runners call a long, slow, distance (LSD) session.

I recommend this type of workout only 1-2 days a week, because its time-consuming, but valuable especially on days after a tough, high-intensity session, as a way to allow your body to recover, and still get in some exercise. The most efficient way to workout and do your "cardio" is using weights and sprints, so you're still sculpting your muscles, plus keeping your heart rate up. And this type of "interval" training can take a fraction of the time of an LSD workout.

For example:

1 minute each: Squat + Shoulder (Overhead) Press

30 seconds: Burpees

1 minute each: Side Lunge (Alternating) + Push up

10 reps: Pull ups or Rows

3-4 rounds of this and you've achieved way more than the equivalent of 45 minutes on the boring elliptical. 

You could also switch things up by going for 20 minutes on the clock to see how many sets you can get through, creating a competition with yourself.

Be sure to do a warm up, and then record your weights, rep's, and time results.

In conclusion, heres my suggestion:

If you can only start out in the gym 1-2 days a week, make sure you hit a total body circuit. You can also do this at home with resistance bands or body-weight exercises.

Think of 1 exercise for each muscle group (legs, shoulders, core, chest, back) and give it your maximum effort for 30-60 seconds, and then switch exercises. 

Ideally, to be in the best shape your goal should be to train 5-6 days a week, alternate between a quick 20 minute, high-intensity circuit, and follow it up the next day with a moderate intensity workout, but remember that should last for about an hour… It could include weight lifting, yoga, swimming, jogging, or even an easy "aerobics" type class like step or kickboxing (only thing Im not a big advocate of is "spinning" because you're hunched over & sitting on your ass, which is the last thing anyone needs) You can also still use traditional cardio machines, but I'll give my suggestions for the best ones and how to incorporate them into your program in my next post. 

As long as you do something you enjoy, are consistent, and get your body moving, you'll be on your way to reaching your goals.

There are many other benefits to doing other weight circuits and super-sets. Mixing up your workouts not only makes it interesting, but keeps your body guessing, so you don't hit the dreaded plateau. Its a really good idea to keep notes on your progress, so you can always kick it up, push harder, lift heavier, and jump higher.

Best of luck in working toward your fitness goals. I know I gave you a lot of info. here so questions are welcome!

Always remember to keep *yourself* first in taking care of your health, its up to you to make it a priority!

Get Your Circuit On

Those that know me really well, know I've always made time for the gym and fitness. To be honest, I've always struggled with my weight and had to put a huge effort in the gym to maintain as well as watch what I eat. I saw my first nutritionist when I was a junior in high school and I have had trainers throughout my whole life. It's no secret that rent/life in New York City is anything but cheap and people are forced to pick and choose where to spend and save their money. Having a trainer is a huge financial commitment but I am a firm believer that it's a great investment. I met my last trainer a year ago at NYSC and she changed my outlook on fitness and my workout approach completely. Like many New Yorkers, I struggle to find the time while juggling work and a social life. Meriah trained me in a way that I was able to workout for a shorter amount of time with less cardio and more weights. Most girls get in the gym and immediately hop on the treadmill (this was me for yearssss) but weight-loss results happen much quicker when you're lifting or doing floor exercises. I was of the mindset that I just wanted to be skinny but after a few months in of training with Meriah, I started to get definition in my arms and back and it definitely changed my view and fitness goals.

We would do 30 minute circuit training sessions and the results happened fairly quickly (but not overnight). Circuit training is great because you take 3 different exercises ex: pull ups, push ups, and kettlebell swings - and do each exercise for 20 reps and then do the whole circuit 3 times. You should be working so fast that the cardio is included. A typical workout should have 3-5 different circuits which means you do between 9-15 different exercises. Circuit training also allows you to plan your workouts prior to going into the gym so that if you're training by yourself you can be purpose driven. When I workout by myself I always write workouts down on the notepad in my phone so I have a routine that I'm following and I don't give myself an excuse to leave.

Summary of the story is, if you're struggling the way I have with making time for working out before or after work, I seriously recommend adjusting your finances to invest in a trainer. It's a guarantee that they will push you harder than yourself and not only that but having someone else depend on you to be on time and for their finances really holds you accountable to get your @$$ to the gym and do it consistently. It's important when finding your trainer that you can find a certain synergy. Since I met Meriah last March, I have probably only missed a handful of days at the gym. She gave me exercises that I could do in a hotel room when traveling for work and taught me the power of giving your body natural energy from working out when you feel run down and exhausted (so much of it is mind over matter).

To bring the story to current day- Meriah ended up moving to Costa Rica for the last 3 months where she participated in 2 amazing Yoga training programs. She is moving to Denmark on Sunday but will occasionally be guest blogging about health and fitness on my blog :) Meriah set me up with my current trainer who I am also really lucky to have! Her name is Nadine and she is actually training to run in the Olympics for Haiti.

 

Here are some of the results I've had - cut me a break on the picture quality and my hair, it was taken at 6am!

 

Here is an awesome picture of Meriah showing off her yoga strength in Costa Rica