Plank Challenge

So I hope I'm not the only one who fell off the workout regiment a little and is struggling to find the motivation to get back after it. I loved the squat challenge and I felt like it was a commitment that I kept up with so I decided to start that challenge again but to also do it hand-in-hand with this Plank Challenge shown below for core strength. What are you guys doing to push yourself to get back into the swing of things?! I need suggestions!

Rise & Grind with Morning Sprints

With my goal of bringing more variety to my cardio routine as I said in my last fitness post, here is a morning cardio routine that I've done a couple days a week that takes less than 30 minutes. Something easily completed before work! Xo

Instagram Fitness Craze

Fitness has always been a part of my life but as many of you know, I only started getting results in the past year when I started training with Meriah. Since I've made the commitment to living healthier, I have started following a ton of accounts of fitness pros, bikini models, health experts etc for workout plans and healthy recipes. But of course, along the way I have had a ton of "holy shit moments" where I've felt discouraged about my own journey and progressed because I'm looking at people who have already reached their goals and who do this for a living. One of the fitties that I follow is this awesome NPC Bikini Competitor, Rachel Del Vescovo. Her blog that captures her life, her fitness progress and competition prep is called Pretty and Pumped. A little background on Rachel - she was born with arthritis and her pain was so intense that she had to be home-schooled until she eventually got both of her hips replaced and look at her now! Obviously she has a different appreciate now for being able to work out when the littlest things were such a struggle before but it's a really inspirational story about overcoming adversity and not letting yourself be your own excuse.

Last week she posted about the Instagram Fitness Craze and how she felt the same way prior to being competition ready and it just made me have so much respect for her. In her post she talks about how prior to competing she would stalk fitness models on insta and start to obsess with wanting to be like them (just like every other girl) and the effects that it can have on a girl's head. I really wanted to share this post with the rest of you because it is refreshing and 100% real. Check out Rachel's post here and the rest of her blog for more amazing fitness and health tips

 

 

   

Meal Prep Mondays

Let's face it- we would all be better off if there were 36 hours in the day and most of us have a long list of things that we WISH we could get done and in a perfect world they would but instead they get put on the back burner. One of these for me is cooking and making meals everyday. In a perfect world I would wake up at 4:30am with no troubles, go to the gym, make a big breakfast, and then make and pack a healthy lunch for the day. Guess what my reality is? It's a good day if I snooze my alarm in the morning for LESS than an hour and I make it to work by 9:15 which is still LATE! I'm always on the go but getting started has always been the hardest part for me. I would love to pay someone else to go through the pain of waking up in the morning for me.

You get the point - I don't have time to cook three meals every single day which resulted in me not eating healthy enough or large enough lunches so in the last few months I have started doing Sunday or Monday Night Meal Prepping. I have seen and felt such a difference and it really doesn't take more than an hour and you're set for lunches for the whole week. I normally pick three meals and cook two portions of each which covers all of my lunches plus one dinner. My go-to's have been ground white turkey with spinach, ostrich burgers with spinach, scallops with spinach, salmon with spinach, and stirfry. If a girl who had only turned on her oven three times in the past 4 years can manage this, anyone can. Try it for two weeks and see if you feel a difference. My protein intake has probably quadrupled due to it.

 

Meriah & Steph Collaboration Post: Deadlift Continuation

Meriah is in NYC for two weeks from Denmark so we met up this week to train together :) Last week when I posted about the 2 most elementary Deadlifts, she messaged me right away saying we should take this a step further and do a collaboration post with other deadlifts, because deadlifts are number one in her book! So we did just that :)

Like I mentioned in my first post, you can use a variation of weights to do your deadlifts, but the best in my opinion for the most basic deadlifts would be to use a barbell. In this case, we were working out at the gym in my building so we used a regular bar to demo.

To review the Romanian deadlift, slightly bend your knees and sit your hips back- keeping your back flat. Keep your hands positioned on the bar in alignment with your legs, shoulder width apart and go down to your shins and repeat.

  

The next that Meriah is doing is the Wide Grip Deadlift. This is an easy modification and pretty self explanatory. Grip the bar as wide as you can and do the same Romanian Deadlift motion as the first exercise. This grip is for your upper back and it allows you to go deeper into the dead lift.

 

The third deadlift we featured is the Sumo Deadlift with High Pull. For this exercise Meriah used the kettlebell. Stand in a wide stance with your feet turned out at an angle. Have a close together grip with your arms inside of your knees. Pull the weight up so that your arms form a V underneath your chin and your elbows are pointed in the air.

 

The last exercise is the Single Leg Deadlift. This exercise is done with dumbbells. Start standing with the weights by your side. Lean forward, holding the weights in front of you and simultaneously lifting 1 leg backwards in the air. Start by doing 10 on the first leg and then switch to the other & do the same.

 

Let us know if you guys have any follow up questions! :) - Steph and Meriah

Top 10 Healthy Cooking & Eating Tips

Here are my Top 10 Foods and/or Tips that you should add to your diet to help promote weight loss. These are the easiest and most basic things you can consume that will make a world of difference:

1) Coconut oil - is free of cholesterol and trans fats. Beyond the kitchen, coconut oil has countless uses and benefits and can be used in your hair, for your skin, canker sore remedy and even shoe polish

2) Protein powder in omega 3 eggs) - omega 3 eggs are nutritionally boosted version of regular eggs and it has to do with the types of feed that they give to the chickens so that the eggs contain a lot of omega-3 fats which are the good types of fat :) I add flavorless protein powder when I make my eggs since it doesn't change the flavor or consistency and only adds to the nutritional value

3) Chia seeds - I posted about these before. They are from Chia pets hah- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds serves as a five grams of fiber and they also help to improve your blood sugar. Chia seeds aid in reducing food cravings and they also serve as a vegetarian source of protein. I add them now to almost anything I make because they a flavorless and just add a crunch - similar to poppy seeds

4) Braggs - amazing salt substitute seasoning

5) Hot water with lemon in the AM - this aids in weight loss by improving your digestion and increasing your vitamin C intake

6) Protein Powder Recipes - whenever you're craving carbs, there are a lot of substitutes that will fulfill your craving- like the zucchini crust pizza recipe I posted, or protein brownies, cookies, or pancakes

7) Salmon - an amazing omega 3 source and great for your heart health

8) Raspberries and blueberries - I grouped these together because they are both berries but they have different benefits. Raspberries are one of the foods containing the greatest amount of antioxidants and they are also really high in fiber. Blueberries is one of the number one killer's of high blood pressure.

9) Spinach - I'm not one for veggies, which is bad but I have incorporated spinach in all of my lunches for work because it contains 18 different vitamins and minerals. I also recommend cooking this in an iron pan because then you can get added iron content in your spinach

10) Apples - serve as an amazing source of dietary fiber

Sunshine Salad

I've recently added another blog to my repertoire "Hot Dog! It's a Food Blog" and the blogger, Rhea recently uploaded a salad that I am totally hooked on. I'm dying for warmer weather and this salad reminds me of sweet summertime. My favorite thing about this salad is this it is quick and easy!

Needed Ingredients:
1/2 an avocado
3 large strawberries
1/2 bunch of kale
1 cup of water
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of Chia Seeds

Heat the 1 cup of water in a medium skillet and throw in the kale - make sure you've pulled the kale apart into small pieces. Let this steam for five minutes. After 5 minutes, place the steamed kale in the fridge to cool while you make the rest of the salad.

Take half of an avocado and cut it into small chunks and also cut your 3 large strawberries into small pieces. Place them into a serving bowl and add the 1 tsp of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then bring the kale out of the fridge, mix it all together and serve cold. The one twist that I added to Rhea's recipe is that I topped the salad with a pinch of Chia Seeds for an extra crunch. I recently read on LiveStrong.com that Chia Seeds is one of the Top10 healthy foods that everyone needs to add to their meals so I have been trying to incorporate them more. Try this recipe out and check out Rhea's Blog for more recipes :)

 

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!

Zucchini Crust Pizza

I'm always looking for healthy meal alternatives and last week I came across Ellen Renee's blog on instagram. She posts a ton of recipes that serve as healthy alternatives to some of your biggest food weaknesses. I love how she posts clean-eating recipes and then also posts things that are just healthier versions of desserts and other traditionally glutinous foods. So after paging through her whole website, I decided the first recipe I'd try would be Zucchini Crust Pizza and it turned out really well!

How to make the crust:
1/4 cup GNC Pro Performance Unflavored 100% Whey Protein Powder
1/2 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal
Mrs. Dash - Onion & Herb and Italian
1/8 cup of liquid egg whites
2 Tbsp grated raw zucchini

 

Once the crust is mixed together, spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce and then add 1/4 cup of shredded fat free mozzarella cheese. Then cook the pizza in the oven at 425 for 5-8 minutes. The original recipe says 5 minutes but I left it in there a little longer and I was happy with the results. 

The best part about this meal is that it's only 155 calories with 2g of fat, 7g of carbohydrates, and 25g of protein :) Give this recipe a try and others on Renee's Website Best Fit Body

Meriah's Intro

Hey there!

I'm Meriah. I am really excited to introduce myself to you, starting off with my background experience in the world of fitness.

 

 

 I grew up in NYC, and I've been active most of my life, with dancing and sports as a child, gymnastics as a young teen, I even tried judo for 1 year. And then at 16 years old, I got a personal trainer, because I was so fascinated by the gym and all the weights, but still too young to play. At the same time, I had started doing yoga classes at my local Gold's gym with a woman named Uma, a true yogi, who inspired me to really explore what my mind and body was capable of doing and feeling, through fun and engaging classes.

So, the gym was an important hobby for me when I was in high school, on top of my other commitments, like singing in the choir, killing myself in the Science Research program… (yeah, I was a bit of a nerd… but an awesome one!) And then, I went on to college. I joined a sorority and that became my new hobby - and my life. Business meetings, socializing, and partying was the priority, so my fitness sort of went down the drain. It wasn't until after graduating did I come full circle and decide that I was going to get my personal trainer certification (I thought it would be the perfect side job to teaching high school, my supposed future profession). Little did I know, not long after stepping back out onto the gym floor in my new role, I had found my calling. I fell in love with fitness again, and the opportunity to help change peoples health and lives.

However, it wasn't that easy. I soon found that my clients weren't getting the weight loss results they had hoped for and that I knew they could attain. I realized exercise alone is simply not enough. I started doing research into nutrition and enrolled for 1 year at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in July of 2011. There I learned all about *holistic* health counseling… Providing people support to make the shift to a healthier lifestyle, by learning about foods, diets - and also about their bodies, their relationships, career, spirituality, and how it all ties together - in allowing us to reach our fitness goals.

 

 The Integrative Nutrition Holistic "Food Pyramid"

Ironically, around that same time I had started training for my first bodybuilding competition for the "figure" and "bikini" categories. I wanted to demonstrate and inspire my clients to reach big goals. With intense workouts nearly every day, a crapload of supplements, and a diet that was low in calories, high in protein, and deficient on so many levels - I was convinced, from everyone else I knew and all the fitness magazines, that was the only way I was going to win. And so I ended up with a phenomenal body, a shiny trophy… and a whole mess of problems. But I will get into that side of it in future articles. What I chose to take from the experience was an education in serious training to accomplish major change, the dedication to stay focused on achieving, and the importance of having a team of support with me through the whole way, because there is no chance I would've been able to do it on my own.

 

 Figure category. Fitness America, October 2011

 
 
 Bikini category. Fitness America, October 2011

 Yup, that was me!

But approximately 1 year after my bodybuilding experience, I've come full circle once again. This time, back to my other passion: yoga. In January, I went to the Nosara Yoga Institute, in beautiful Costa Rica, with directors Amba and Don Stapleton (the old director of Kripalu). There I gained my 200-hour Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Training. My education covered the philosophy of yoga, as it applies to self-discovery of our deep multi-dimensional being, and also learned vinyasa, self-awakening yoga, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation. I was so inspired by my experience that I decided to stay for an additional training: Pranassage. Prana is simply energy - that vital life force, which is behind the sun rising, our breathing, the ocean tides, and flowers blooming. It is in us, and everything around us, and through a combination of "massage" and yoga, I can help you harness the amazing relaxation effects and get you to a feeling of pure bliss. Sounds yummy doesn't it?

 This is what it looks like when someone is what we call "blissed out" :)

 Client being assisted in "Downward Dog" while I am in "Scorpion" pose on her shoulders

And so now here I am writing to you… all the way from Denmark.

Um, wait, Denmark, you ask?
Well, before going to Costa Rica, I met a wonderful Danish chef, who had come all the way to NYC to run the Marathon (which was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy) and thanks to Skype, we kept our romance going. I very recently made the big move to give things a shot over in Europe. Its crazy but you never know what amazing places life will take you, as long as you keep a positive outlook, and are open to all possibilities. That's the way I see it at least, and it works for me!

I look forward to sharing more with you in upcoming posts… look out for my next one, on "The New Definition of Fitness", where I'll give you some excellent workout tips on how to stop wasting time, and maximize your results - *guaranteed* - just ask Steph ;)

If you like what you read, feel free to check out my "Wonder Yogi" blog:

wonderyogi.wordpress.com or contact me, with questions, post suggestions, or just to chat:

Facebook: Meriah McCauley

Wellness Page: facebook.com/AlphaOmegaWellness

email: meriahmccauley@gmail.com

Peace,
Light & Love,
Namaste :)