ChaLEAN Extreme

ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX) is a weight lifting program by Beachbody. It is made by the creator of TurboFire and TurboJam, Chalene Johnson. In this program she emphasises the importance of weight training to increase muscle which burns more fat. She focuses on lifting as heavy of weights as you can until you reach failure in 10-12 reps for the Burn and Lean phases, and 8-10 reps on the Push phase. Then, after a 10 second rest, you pick your weights back up and do 3 EXTREME reps. Each workout is about 30-40 min long.

There are 3 phases that build your strength. Burn is the first phase and it focuses on building your base of muscle. Push accelerates muscle building by forcing you to increase your weights so that you fail in 8-10 reps. Lean  is the final phase and it combines upper and lower body exercises to improve your coordination and core. Throughout all 3 phases you incorporate ab workouts and cardio intervals every other day.

The program is done in a small class setting with four people doing everything with Chalene including a modifier and a person using exercise bands instead of free weights. The modifier is really good about making sure you don't feel dumb with how little weight you can handle at the beginning but still pushing you to try to get more.

I really enjoyed CLX because I felt like I was finally building muscle definition instead of just doing cardio and squats. This was the third program I did in my Beachbody journey and I have gone back to it twice. It is really easy to incorporate into other programs as a hybrid. They even have a hybrid of TurboFire and CLX already set up.

Again Chalene is amazing. She is so motivating, and not annoying like other video trainers (coughTonycough). She makes sure you are doing the lifts correctly so that you can maximise your results without getting injured. There is even a short yoga video that is just long enough to feel like you got a good stretch, but not too long to be boring. CLX is the program that finally gave me shoulder definition and allowed me to feel like I was strong instead of just skinny.

This workout is great for both men and women, and it focuses on the fundamentals of strength training without a lot of frills. Resistance training is essential to everyone, but especially women because of our high propensity for osteoporosis.

I recommend this workout to anyone who is looking for a short yet effective weight training program that will give you fast results. Check out my store to get it!

Tip of the Week: Drink Water

There is a reason that almost everywhere you look in the fitness world there is some motivational poster telling you to drink water.


 



It is essential to our life and our cells cannot function without it. It can make you look younger and will help you have more energy. It is necessary for digestion and helps maintain our body fluids better than any other liquid out there.  It is good for our kidneys and helps prevent many health issues caused by dehydration including frequent headaches or migraines.

Often our bodies confuse hunger and thirst. We think that we are hungry when really we need a drink of water. This causes us to overeat which makes you gain weight. Drinking a glass of water before you eat helps you eat less, and will make  you feel better.

To figure out how much water you should aim for take your weight and divide by 2, and that is how many ounces a day you should try to get. For me at 130ish, I should aim for 65oz of water a day.

Some people might have heard stories of becoming "water drunk" or overtaxing your kidneys by drinking too much water. This won't happen unless you are only drinking water and you are not going to the bathroom enough.

Now I know you probably have heard all of this before, and you might be thinking "That is fine and dandy, Miche, but I can't ever seem to remember to drink that much water!" or even, "I know it is good for you but water has no flavor so I can't make myself drink it." So for all you who want to be better, but just don't know how here are the tips I've acquired over my journey to more water:

1. Keep a Water Bottle with you at all times: This means ALWAYS no matter where you are going. I have a water bottle for my desk that I fill up as soon as I get to work and refill throughout the day. I keep a Britta Filter Water Bottle in my car to bring inside with me when I am shopping or just in my car and I refill it where ever I go. This also means finding the right Water Bottle for you. I am a big believer in reusable BPA free ones. I personally have to have a straw on mine. I've found I drink more from a straw.
2. Get a Water Infuser: This one is for those of you who say water is too bland. Investing in a water infuser and finding different water infusing "recipes" can keep your water exciting while still getting all of the benefits of plain water, and none of the sugary nastiness of Soda or Flavored "water" sold at the store. (Flavored Water is just koolaid basically...)
3. Order Water at every restaurant: This will not only save you money, but it will help you not drink Soda and it will keep you from filling up on bread.
4. Set a reminder: Just like with eating every 2.5-3 hours you can set a reminder on your phone to drink water. Or have a trigger that reminds you to drink a sip. Maybe every time you hang up the phone at work, or every time you see a certain color. For me I take a sip every time I see the color yellow.
5. Find what works for YOU: Everyone is different. What works for me won't necessarily work for you. Just do your best to find a system that helps you drink more water.

So there you go! What has worked for you? I would love to know of any tips that helped you drink more water so that I can implement them to see if they work for me. Have fun!

Tip of the Month: No Soda April

This month's tip is that Soda is bad for you. I doesn't matter if it is diet or regular, soda does some weird things to our body. It is also something that a lot of people are addicted to, and being addicted to anything is bad because it takes away your free will to control how you treat your body. So this month is hereby declared "No Soda April". I will not be drinking any soda or Gatorade type drink all month. Feel free to join me. If you feel like you can't do no soda whatsoever, try one soda a week or one soda a day instead of 2 or 3. I promise you will feel better and if you are a man you will probably lose weight really fast.

Now I've done some research on why soda is bad for you so you don't have to go into this blindly.

From Prevention Magazine "Why Diet Soda is Bad for You":

• Biggest source of calories for Americans
• Research shows an increased risk of Kidney decline when consuming artificial sweeteners like those found in Diet Soda
• 34% increased risk of Metabolic Syndrome: belly fat and high cholesterol, from drinking diet soda
• The more Diet Soda you drink, the higher risk you have of being overweight because your body loses the ability to regulate calorie processing based on the sweetness of foods
• Diet Soda makes you get drunk faster when mixed with alcohol
• Diet contains mold inhibitors that attack your DNA and also prevents your body from its natural ability to fight allergic reactions
• Erodes the enamel on your teeth making you more likely to have tooth decay
• All soda cans are coated in BPA which causes heart disease, reproductive issues, and obesity

Still not enough to convince you that you shouldn't drink soda? 

These facts are from multiple sources. All you need to do is Google.

• Regular soda is full of empty calories that give you no nutritional value whatsoever
• High in Sugar which increases risk for "weight gain, tooth decay, gum disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, digestion irregularity, depression, anxiety and diabetes. Pregnant women who ingest too much sugar increase their risk of preeclampsia." Fitday.com
• High in Caffeine which is addictive and a diuretic which means it actually dehydrates you instead of quenching your thirst
• Contains phosphoric acid that depletes calcium and magnesium (think bones and immune health)
• IT CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN!! whether it is diet or not

So please Join me in this one month challenge. No Soda April starting TODAY! Leave a comment if you would like to join my No Soda April Challenge Group on Facebook. We will keep each other accountable and help each other overcome temptation. Have a wonderful April!

Baked Eggs in Ham Bowls

Today is Food Friday! I found this recipie on Pop-Sugar on pinterist! I'm writing this as I make them, so we'll see how it tastes. 

Here is the link http://www.fitsugar.com/Low-Carb-High-Protein-Breakfasts-30915254?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20fitsugar%20(FitSugar%20-%20Healthy,%20happy%20you.)#photo-5

That link will bring you to a page full of high protein breakfasts. I chose Baked Eggs in Ham cups. It is a really simple recipie with only a few steps, so for me who doesn't like to cook it is the perfect recipie that is going to be really hard to mess up. Knowing me I might still mess it up though.

Before I get going with the recipie I want to talk a little about nutriton. In the morning it is very important to eat within the first hour after waking, and it is also important that that breakfast contains protein. A lot of people things eggs are bad for you, but they are actually kind of a superfood if you get the right eggs. Farm Fresh or Vegetarian Fed Hens Egg's are amazing for you. They contain high levels of vitamin D, E and good cholesterol. The kind of cholesteral that keeps moving through the blood. They are also delicious and easy to make. 

I also love bacon! I usually have slice every morning with my eggs.  Your grocery store (we like Harmon's bacon best) has fresh sliced bacon that you can even buy by the slice. You want to get the kind without preservatives (sorry Oscar Meyer) so that you are getting the best quality you can without putting harmful chemicals in your body. As long as you don't eat bacon in excess it is a good source of protein and fat (fat you eat and fat on your body are different, but that is another post). High protein breakfasts are an excellent way to start your day and give you a lot more energy than a bagle and coffee. 

The recipie:

Ingredients:

Eggs

Bacon

Salt, Pepper, Paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375.

2. Line muffin tin with how many bacon bowls you want. 

3. Crack and egg into each bowl.

I use eggland's best eggs. They feed their hens vegetarian, and I don't have any friends around here with chickens. 

4. Sprinkle eggs with desired amount of salt, pepper and paprika.

5. Bake for 20 min

6. Take out of oven and let cool for 2-3 min

7. Remove from tin and enjoy! (don't mind me without makeup in my pjs)

Verdict: Delicious! I give it my seal of approval. It was easy and fast. You could put it in then go do your makeup or something if you  are short on time. You could also make a lot and serve it some fruit for a brunch with friends. So try it out! 

TurboFire

This week I wanted to review one of my favorite workout programs, TurboFire!

Like TurboJam, TurboFire was made by Chalene Johnson and is a cardio kickboxing workout, but Chalene kicked it up a notch in TurboFire! You still have Turbo or Fire drills in each of the steady state cardio sessions and killer music to puch and kick to. My favorite Fire workout is Fire 45 because it has this amazing song after the second fire drill with an amazing dance! "Boom I got your boyfriend, I got your man!" I love it! 

Every video has Aly who is the low impact modification, and Chalene and another friend that go crazy. If you have done Chalene's other workouts you'll see people you recognize who are doing the class with you. You compete with them just like you would in a live class setting. 

The biggest difference between Jam and Fire is the HIIT and the intensity of the Strength Training classes. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. You work at an anarobic level for about 45-70 seconds followed by about the same amount of rest. These improve your heart strength and push you into a long period of what Chalene calls the After-Burn. Your metabolism is increased for almost 48 hrs after each HIIT. Fitness experts  have been touting the benefits of HIIT and with TurboFire you can do a HIIT without having to think about what to do.

The strength training classes use a resistance band instead of free weights. Even though the band can be uncomfortable sometimes, it still is very effective and as you get stronger it is a lot cheaper to add more resistance than free weights because you can just choke up on the band. Another plus to the bands is that you can just tuck them away in your luggage with your dvds and exercise on your trip.

My favorite part of TurboFire, after the HIIT workouts and Fire 45, is the Stretch classes. I feel like a lot of programs ignore the importance of flexibility. They might have a little stretching in the cool down, but TF has 2 stretch classes. Stretch 10, which you do after almost every class, and Stretch 40. Stretch 40 is basically a Yoga class, but it doesn't feel like one. You move quickly through the poses so you don't get bored and still feel more flexible at the end. After doing TF, I am able to touch my toes which I haven't been able to do since I quit gymnastics when I was 10 years old.

I recommend TF for people who like a fast paced, intense workout with great music. It is for people that want to improve all areas of fitness in their life: agility, cardio, strength, flexibility, and speed. The workout is fun and easy to do. If you aren't comfortable jumping they have the low-impact modifier. If you don't pick up sequences easily, they have the new to class option. It is a program anyone at any fitness level can do. Chalene is a great motivator and trainer. 

Do you want to try TurboFire? Check out My Store! 

Transformation Tuesday

I decided it was finally time to reveal my tansformation. I have worked hard for the body I have today and I am very proud of it. It has been almost 2 years since I started my fitness journey, and I haven't aways been perfect. I started with Brazil Butt Lift followed by TurboJam, CheLEAN Extreme, and TurboFire while training for my first half marathon. Then I did Hip Hop Abs, and Brazil Butt Lift Master Series and i did a mixture while training for another half. Then TurboFire/CheLEAN Extreme hybrid and then BBL/BBLMS hybrid. Now I am doing a mixture of them all while training for the ABQ half marathon and Utah Valley Marathon which is 2 days after my 26th birthday. 

Here are the stats:

3-26-2012

Weight: 130

Waist 28.5 in

Hips 39 in

R Thigh 22 in

L Thigh 21.5 in

23.1% Body Fat

3-17-2014

Weight 124.4

Waist 24.5 in

Hips 36 in

R thigh 19.5 in

L thigh 19.5 in

20.1% Body Fat

And here is the picture:

What you don't see is how much better I feel. How much more energy I have. How much happier I am. How comfortable I feel in my body. How I can run half marathons and marathons this year with those tired little legs. How much stronger I am. How much I want other people to feel the same way I do.

Please, no matter where you are starting you can be healthier! Just because you are naturally skinny does not make you healthier than the bigger person sitting next to you. In fact, you are probably just as much at risk as they are, and if that person exercises and eats healthier foods than you do, they probably are at less of a risk.

If you are bigger, you can be healthy. Being healthy and being skinny are two different things. That is my message to the world. Number 1: Skinny people don't like their skinnyness pointed out to them. Fit people enjoy their fitness being pointed out to them though. Number 2: Just because you weigh a certain number on the scale does not mean you are fit or healthy or not fit or healthy. Everyone has a different body and what is healthy for me may not be healthy for you. 

Any questions? Leave a comment below and remember to like my page on facebook and follow me on twitter by cllicking the links on the side of the page. 

Be Healthy everyone!

Tip of the Week: Eat Every 2.5-3 Hrs

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I didn't have internet at home (I know, how can anyone survive without nternet!) and now I do! So here we are with this week's Tip. In order to manage your hunger, you need to eat every 2.5-3 hrs.

It sounds like a lot, but that means you end up eating about 5-6 times a day depending on when you wake up. Your first meal/snack should be within the first hour after waking and your last meal/snack should be about 3 hrs before you go to bed. Your body might even tell you that you are hungry right before bed because you are used to eating so often. Don't give in. With time this craving will subside. Eating this often will increase your metabolism and also help you curb cravings for less healthy things. If you're in to counting calories (which I am not) each meal should be about 200 cal and each snack should be at least 100. 

The most important part of eating this often is to make sure you are eating protein with every meal/snack. Protein is an important part of blood sugar stabalization. It makes it so your body doesn't metabolize whatever carb you are eating as quickly. This helps keep your blood sugar stable which prevents you from craving snacks like a candy bar or soda. It also helps to keep your mood and energy more stable throughout the day. Try to include a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in your day as well. 

A good way to start implementing this habit is to set a reminder or alarm on your phone. This way you don't go too long without eating. When I started doing this, I set an alarm on my google calendar then shared it with my husband. He would often forget to eat throughout the day and get headaches and started to gain a lot of weight. Once we had the reminders on his phone he now remembers to eat and eats a lot more healthy foods. He's also lost a lot of weight!

It is important to plan your snacks for the day if you are going to be at work and school so that you don't end up going to the vending machine when that alarm goes off. Keep your pre-prepped foods at the ready so that you can grab the appropriate amount of food to take with you. 

Here is an example of what I eat each day:

Breakfast 8:00- 1 egg over easy, 2 slices of bacon, half a grapefruit

Snack 1 11:00- String cheese and 1 cup of cucumbers

Lunch 2:00- Spaghetti squash with meatballs and red sauce (leftovers)

Snack 2 5:00- 1/4 c raw almonds

Dinner 7:30- Grilled chicken with steamed asparagus

Start using this tip this week and you'll find you have more energy and might even find yourself losing weight!