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!

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

 

 

   

Deadlifts

The 30 day squat challenge that I posted is everywhere and social media has really taken off with showing the amazing results. An update/next step to that would be a dead lift challenge. There is a debate as to whether squats or dead lifts are better but honestly they both make for amazing results and I think they should be done in tandem. There is no way I would know what a dead lift was if it wasn't for having a trainer. Deadlifts are most known for targeting and lifting your glutes/butt/ass/cheeks but this exercise actually strengthens 6 other areas: hamstrings, upper back, lower back, shoulders, quads, and abs. There are two major types of dead lifts that I do- regular Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts. If you don't already do these you should try to incorporate them in every workout you do.

For Regular dead lifts or "stiff leg deadlifts" you can use a dumbbell or separate hand weights. When women are doing high reps with weights, they're limited with how much they can increase the weight but deadlifts are definitely an exercise where you can challenge yourself and really increase the weight. In these pictures I only used 20 lb weights for higher reps but when I use a dumbbell I lift a lot more.

 

Staring in a standing position hold the weights, lean forward and have the weights follow your legs down to your shins while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Then lift back up, squeezing your glutes and repeat for the appropriate amount of reps to the weight you are lifting

Looking at this picture, my knees should honestly be less bent but my legs were so tight when I did this and I should have stretched out more before working out 

For Romanian Deadlifts, start in the same starting position but as you start to bring the weight down to your shins, bend your knees. For this type of deadlift, you should be going closer to the floor and stick your butt out more. Once again continue this for as many reps relative to the weight you are lifting

 

Both exercises are really simple but the results are unreal. For me, having bad knees - deadlifts are less painful than squats but like I said before you should really be doing both instead of one over the other

30 Day Squat Challenge

In preparation for an upcoming Miami trip, I decided to try a 30 Day Squat Challenge. Doing little challenges and setting goals helps me stay on track and hold me accountable. At first I was gliding by thinking this was going to be a cake walk. I wanted to challenge myself further so I decided I would do the squat challenge with weights. Then- I hit Day 17 with 150 squats and I hated myself. Days 17-21 were rough and then I found myself becoming stronger and today marks Day 29! My second to last day - have you guys done any similar challenges? I'd love to try them out so please share them. This challenge is great because it offers break days for your body to recover. I'm not sure my bod looks like the picture below yet HA, but it every bit helps

Ankle Weight Circuit for Home

Just like the last workout I posted, I am always looking for quick simple circuits especially ones that you can do in your tiny NYC apartment if you can't make it to the gym. So that's literally what this post is about - an ankle weight circuit done in my apartment ha. I used ten pound ankle weights- even putting on one, it's amazing what a difference it feels like carrying that extra weight around. Here are 6 ankle weight exercises that I would split into 2 circuits (3exercises in each)

Circuit 1- do 20 V-ups which essentially is a crunch but your legs and arms never touch the ground. Crunch like the top picture and then extend your legs and body out and repeat 20 times

 

30 Glute Kickbacks - (15 per leg) on all fours, take one leg and tuck your knee to your chest and then extend it  up in the air

 

 For the last part of the first circuit do 40 Side Lying Hip Abduction Raises (20 per leg) - rest on your side and open your leg up and down falling 3 inches short of the floor.

 

Repeat this whole circuit 3 times

For the second circuit, start with 40 high knees (20 per leg)

Then do 40 Crabwalks (20 per each leading leg) - get down into a mid squat position and keeping your knees bent, take a side step- continue to side step for 20 paces and then return 20 paces with with opposite foot leading.

For the last exercise of the 2nd circuit, lie on your back and do 20 leg raises so that your butt is off the floor and your legs lift up and down.

 

Repeat this circuit 3 times. Let me know what you guys think of this workout and ignore the fact that the ankle weights make it look like I'm wearing those furry muk-luks that Snooki and Jwoww wear ha

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!

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 :)

Kettle Bell Circuit

A couple months ago I decided I was going to make an effort to multitask and get a workout in while watching TV- so I ordered a 20 pound kettle bell weight since it doesn't take up much space (non NYC-ers wont relate to this storage/space issue). It's crazy to think you can get an entire workout in with just 1 weight. Here is an example of a circuit workout using a kettle bell. Try this out at the gym and if you like it, you should get one for home also.

20 Over Head Swings - stand with your legs a little wider than shoulder length apart with bent knees and take the kettle bell in between your legs and swing it above your head, so your arms are straight in the air then swing it back down and repeat 20x.

 

20 Squats - holding the kettle bell in front of you 20x.

20 lunges with bell cross over- holding the kettle bell with your right hand lunge forward with 1 leg and then pass the kettle bell under your lunging leg to your left hand. Then stand up and step forward with your other leg and pass the weight under your lunging leg from your left hand to your right.

 

20 Side Crunches - stand up straight with the kettle bell in the right hand with the weight at your side. Lean your body to the side with weight so that the weight goes from your thigh to your calf. Repeat ten times then switch to the other side.

20 One Arm Rows - use a bench and put one knee one the bench and your other foot on the ground. Pick up the kettle bell and do 10 rows and then switch to the other side.

 

40 Russian Twists - sit on the ground with your knees up. Raise your legs slightly off the ground and then hold the kettle bell with both arms and twist from side to side with the weight 40x.

 

This is the entire circuit and you should repeat the whole thing 3 times. Try not to take more than 30 second breaks in between exercises so that you can get your heart rate up. 

Just as a footnote: by no means am I a fitness model, trainer, etc - I work a lot so I am always looking for quick effective workout that I can squeeze in, not to mention that if I don't make it to the gym before it closes, I can do this in my apartment. If you have workouts that you've had a lot of success with please share them. I'd love to try them out!