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Defining STRONG

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STRONG isn’t what a woman wants to be, it’s WHO she wants to be. -Paul Buceta, Minneapolis STRONGCAMP

When I signed up for STRONGCAMP Minneapolis, I knew 2 things:

-The camp was hosted by IFBB Figure Pro Jessie Hilgenberg and STRONG Fitness Magazine

-We would be working out at some point

And that’s it. But what I didn’t know was that those 2 days would change my life.

Being a fitness freak and a huge fan of Jessie Hilgenberg, I jumped at the change to attend STRONGCAMP when it came to my area. I was way out of my comfort zone going into the weekend. I would be rooming with someone I had never met and I didn’t know anyone who would be there. But the excitement for the workout was the only thing that stopped me from backing out. From the minute I met Jessie and all of the other women, I felt right at “home”. Aside from the nervousness that I think everyone had a little of, the room was alive with excitement.  We were all so different – different walks of life, different fitness levels, different stories – but  yet all the same. We were all there to answer a question that we should later be asked “What does STRONG mean to me?”

STRONGCAMP started with a killer workout at Allegiance Fitness led by Jessie and Nichelle Laus. Jessie took us through a bootcamp style workout and Nichelle (who is also a competitor and Professional Kickboxer) led us through Kickboxing drills. To say that the workouts were incredible is a HUGE understatement, but I was still in that familiar comfort zone of doing what I love.

strongcamp workout

Later in the day Jessie spoke to us about her philosophy on training and nutrition. Her main theme of all of it was balance. Finding balance in your training, balance in your physique and trying to balance all of this while still having time for friends, family and real life. In her words “No one wants to always be that girl who pulls chicken and broccoli out of her purse at weddings”. LOL!

Before we broke for the day, Jessie talked about her STRONG moment and what STRONG meant to her. I won’t go into detail about what she said because that is her story to tell, but it was something that made her STRONG, said from the heart and I was honored to hear her tell it. After, she asked us all to write down what STRONG meant to us. We were given the opportunity to share what we wrote and as I listened to the other women share what they wrote, I was inspired to share. And that was when everything started to change. I was stepping out of my comfort zone. As I started talking, my voice cracked and the tears came. I DON’T show emotion in public and I DO NOT cry in front of others, but at that moment I let myself FEEL what I needed to feel. I felt safe to be myself, all of myself, and I spoke. As I took my seat,  I felt lighter, like a small weight had been lifted.

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The next morning we met at for yoga at Anytime Fitness.  After yoga ended, Nichelle shared her STRONG moment. Again, her STRONG moment was one that made her the powerful and amazing woman that she is today and I was grateful that she shared it with us.  Jessie then asked if anyone would like to share their STRONG moment and after what seemed like hours of silence, one brave woman started talking. We heard stories of heartbreak, tremendous sadness, loss of life, splitting of families and unimaginable grief. But throughout all of these stories, we also heard how each one of these courageous women overcame these obstacles to become stronger.  To everyone in that room, strong wasn’t just a feeling we had in the gym, it was something we felt with our hearts.

As we closed the weekend, we joined in a circle and interlocked arms. Jessie and Nichelle acknowledged each of us with a hug and a heartfelt thank you. And let me tell you, these girls don’t give you the soft, one armed hug. They hug you and they meant it.

strongcamp everything

When I was driving home, I reflected on my weekend. Not only was I inspired by EVERY woman I met there, but I was happier than I had been in years. I knew that I was right where I was meant to be that weekend. Surrounded by STRONG, supportive women who were just like me. But I was also left with a sense of “when will be my STRONG moment”. I had been battling a few “messes” (see that post here) and it was time to be STRONG and get my life back. I made the choice to be STRONG and face my fears and start living again.

I can’t thank Jessie, Nichelle, Kirstyn (editor in chief of STRONG Fitness Magazine) and Paul Buceta for putting together STRONGCAMP. It is an incredible experience where women can come together without competition to be their fit, fun, silly, emotional, cackling (**inside joke**), amazing selves. THANK YOU!

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Is Your Fitness Waiting For Spring

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This article was recently published on Health Your Way Online

Staying active in the winter can be daunting. Depending on where you live, it can mean bundling up, getting in a cold car, driving to the gym only to get sweaty and repeat the process back out in the cold. Well, like the old saying goes…”If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Winter is a reality that we can’t escape. It comes every year & there is no way around that. So instead of fighting the cold and snow, find a way to enjoy it.

Find a winter sport. You can find countless places dedicated to snow sports like skiing, skating or snowboarding and you can always find a trail that allows cross country skiing, snowshoeing or hiking.  Not only will you get to get outside and enjoy the beautiful views, but you will be getting your heart rate up and getting a great workout. 

Join a indoor sports league. Many community ed programs or local gyms have clubs or pickup games like basketball or volleyball that you can join in for free.

Have a goal. Set a fitness or health related goal that you want to reach by spring. Sign up for a running, walking, biking or swimming event like a 5K or triathlon or enroll in a charity event like Relay For Life, Mud Run or the 3 Day. Having a long term goal that you are excited about will keep you motivated to workout, eat right and reach your goals.

Make your home your gym! If you just can’t face Old Man Winter or if you get snowed in, have a workout that you can do at home. No equipment? No problem. Here is a great “Snow Day” workout that will keep you moving even when you are homebound.

HYWO Snowed in workout

Ch-ch-ch-changes

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Like it or not, fall is upon us and winter is right around the corner. The cold, the darkness, the lack of color in nature – it may sound gloomy and daunting, but it is also a time for change. Everything around us is in a transition. In preparation for the winter, everything goes through a change in order to face the winter and come out fresh and new in the spring. The leaves, the air, the temp, the sun, the animals coats – it’s all changing. Like our surroundings, now is the perfect time for you to make a change too. Whether it’s starting a healthy diet, getting in shape or accepting a new challenge in life, you need to make a change to be successful. The change may be a bit uncomfortable or you may struggle along the way, but in time it will become second nature. Like the trees in the fall, you may want to hold on to those familiar leaves that shelter you, but if you don’t let go of them you will never be able to make way for the new buds that will form in the spring.
This month I challenge you to change with the season. Get rid of an old “habit” and make way for a new one. Make a plan, make a backup plan and when things get hard or a little scary, let go of your old ways and stick to the plan. Before you know it, spring will be here and you will come out the other side of winter as a fresh, new version of you.

“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself”  

Make GRATITUDE your ATTITUDE

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Fitness. It’s the first thing we think about every January 1st or when we have an upcoming event where we want to look amazing but it’s the last thing we check off on our giant “to do” list. We look at fitness as “a thing” we have to do to look better or to lose weight . For many of us it has a negative connotation – something we have to suffer through in order to reach a certain goal. “No pain, no gain”. Negative, negative, negative. But what if we looked at fitness with a whole different attitude – gratitude.  Something to be thankful and grateful for.

When we think of being grateful, we think of the BIG things in life – a roof over our heads, a job that pays the bills and a family that loves us. But what about the smaller things like being able to walk up a flight of stairs, play in the yard with your kids and the ability to move? Our fitness is often over looked and taken for granted. It’s something we’ll focus on when we have more. More time, more money, more incentive.  But what if your fitness abilities were taken away from you?

Fitness isn’t all about fitting into a pair of size 00 skinny jeans or getting back to your “high school weight”. It’s about how great moving makes you feel and the awesome things you can accomplish with the incredible body you have. When our ability to use our bodies is taken from us, we regret the things we didn’t do when we could have. You hurt your knees and you wish you would have taken up running. You break your arm and you wish you could toss the ball with your kids. So why not try living without regret and doing things just because you can. I’m not usually one to toot my own horn, but in the last year and a half alone, I ran the distance of the United States. My body and fitness allowed me put one foot in front of the other for 3500 miles. I didn’t do it to lose weight, win a contest or because someone was chasing me. I did it because I could. And I am extremely grateful that my body and fitness level allowed me to experience every mile of it.

This month I challenge you to look at fitness in a whole new light – with gratitude. Walk into the gym with a positive attitude. Be thankful that you can ask your body to do something and it will do it. Be grateful for the pride you feel after a great workout. And most of all, appreciate the amazing moments you will experience when you are grateful for what you have.

Fun Tip: Did you know that your level of fitness is what got you here? Before you were born, you “ran” the most important race of your life. In essence, you competed in a race to the distance of the moon against the entire population of the US and Japan and you won.  In the survival of the fittest, you won the ultimate prize – life. What are you going to do with your prize?

Want to find your “gratitude”?  Visit an amazing website that I am very grateful for Grateful Now

Back To The Basics

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Many people think that in order to get in shape you need to buy the latest fitness gadget or spend all of your hard earned money on “the ONLY workout system that will get you fit”. Not true! Some of the most effective exercises are basic, require no equipment and best of all – FREE! These exercises are the basic building blocks to a great workout and having a fit body.

Pushups

Pushups are the THE perfect exercise. They can be done anywhere and there are a million ways to do them. Inside, outside, on the knees, on a bench, at an incline, at a decline – the pushup is the jack of all trades when it comes to exercises. Pushups work multiple muscle groups in one exercise: the chest, core, shoulders, glutes, back and triceps. To do the pushups with perfect form, make sure your core and glutes are tight, and the movement comes from the shoulders and elbows, not the hips and neck.

Lunges

Lunges are an amazing exercise to tone the lower body and get the heart rate soaring. There are many different types of lunges, but the one I think is the most effective is the walking lunge. Walking lunges are very similar to the way walk but include an extra element, the lunge. With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. Pause momentarily and then repeat the forward motion with your left leg.

Tricep Dips

Tricep Dips are a great anywhere exercise and tone the back of the arms in no time flat. They can be done on a chair at work, on your nightstand or on a park bench. To do the tricep dip, sit on a sturdy platform and grab the edge keeping your hands close to your hips. Walk your feet forward slightly until your hips are off of the platform and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Bending your shoulders and elbows, bring your hips straight down towards the floor. Push yourself back up.

Interval Training

Interval training can supercharge your fitness, boost your metabolism and burn off those extra calories. Interval training is an extremely effective form of cardio that mixes higher intensity bursts of exercise with moderate intensity recovery periods. A great outdoor example of this type of training would be walking for 4 city blocks then running for 2 blocks and repeat this for 20 – 30 minutes. Another fun way to interval train is to walk or run as fast as you can up a hill. When you get to the top, slowly walk or jog back down.

Park Workout To Go

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July is National Parks and Recreation month and what could be better than a spending an afternoon enjoying the weather in the park? How about soaking in the sun and getting a great workout at the park! When the weather is beautiful, the last thing we want to do is be cooped up inside any longer than we have to. Step out of the gym and head out to your local park to get in your workout. The 30 Minute Park workout is a fast paced workout that is guaranteed to torch calories, burn fat and get you results. No need to bring equipment with you – this workout uses items that can be found at any local park. And the best part about the 30 Minute Park Workout, it’s a workout that you can do while your child is at play right there beside you. No babysitter needed!

 

The How To’s

This circuit style workout consists of 6 exercises that can be done on equipment found at most parks. Each exercise should be done for 30 seconds or 15 reps each. After you complete one exercise, move right into the next exercise without rest. After you have completed all exercises, give yourself a 60 second rest. Beginners should stop the workout after one circuit and go right into the cool down. Work up to doing 3 circuits of all 6 exercises for the complete 30 Minute Park Workout. Do this workout 3 times a week for the best results.

The Warm Up

Start warming up your muscles by taking a 5 minute walk or light jog around the park.

The Workout

1. Platform Pushups

Find a platform that is about waist high, like a step on the jungle gym. Place your hands about shoulder width apart on the platform. Keeping the back flat, core tight and hips down, perform a pushup. Make sure the movement comes from the elbow and shoulders – not the hips.

2. Bench Step Ups

Using a bleacher or a bench, step up on to it with your left foot. Use and up, up, down, down cadence. After 30 seconds, switch and step up starting with your right leg.

3. Plank

To get into the plank position, start on elbows and knees, locking hands together. Straighten legs and raise your body so that you’re supported by the balls of your feet, with feet hip-distance apart. Face the ground, being careful not to arch your back or stick your hips in the air.

4. Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are very similar to the way walk but include an extra element, the lunge. With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. Pause momentarily and then repeat the forward motion with your left leg. Lunge forward for 30 seconds and turn around and lunge back the way you came. To make this exercise harder, try doing the walking lunges up a hill. Your butt will thank you for it!

5. Bench Dips

Say goodbye to the “Batwing” and hello to the bench dip! Bench dips are an awesome exercise that will tone the back of the arms in no time flat. To do the bench dip, go back to your bleacher or park bench and have a seat. Grab the edge of the bench keeping your hands close to your hips. Walk your feet forward slightly until your hips are off of the platform and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Bending your shoulders and elbows, bring your hips straight down towards the floor. Push yourself back up.

6. Hanging Abs

This one is tough! Hang from the high monkey bars. (Your feet should not be able to touch the ground.) Pull your knees up towards your chest and then lower them back to your starting position. Be sure to keep the movement slow and controlled. Remember – this is an ab exercise, so your abs should be doing the work, not the legs. Try not to use the momentum and swing the legs.

The Cool Down

Walk around the park for 5 minutes at a slow pace. Finish off the workout by stretching the muscles you just worked. Reflect on the AWESOME thing you just did for yourself, your body and your health. This is a challenging but very effective workout. Whether you did one circuit or all 3, you deserve a high five! WAY TO GO!

No Excuses For Parents

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I think I have heard every excuse in the world on why a person can’t workout. Seriously, I could write a book on the subject – 101 Excuses to Not Workout and Other Fun Ways to Tick off Your Trainer. I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I have to cancel our appointment because my son flushed my car keys down the toilet. True story – that one made me giggle for a week. What I’ve noticed in my years of “excuse hearing” is that most excuses come from parents. Now, it’s true,  I don’t have kids, but  I can only imagine what a world filled with diapers, play dates, midnight trips to the ER because someone stuck a toy car up their nose AGAIN, school functions and all the other “perks” of a being a parent would be like. Being a parent, from what I’ve witnessed only, is a tough job. You are constantly running somewhere to pick up someone/something or racing to drop something off for someone who forgot said something and at the end of the day you are exhausted. (I’m exhausted after writing that sentence). It seems like there is never enough hours in a day to do the things that you really have NO energy to do anyways. Well parents, that is the one reason right there why you should make time to workout. Imagine a world where you can take time out of every day to destress, get energized and maybe even have a little peace and quiet to yourself. What if that could be a reality? Well, maybe not the peace and quiet part, but you know where I’m going with this. Taking as little as 30 minutes a day to workout will do wonders for your energy level and mental health. Exercising releases these amazing endorphins that make life’s little stressors easier to handle and gives you more energy to do all the things you want to do in a day. How great would it be if at the end of a long work day you actually had the energy to go outside and play with your kids? Combine the exercising with a healthy diet and you and your kids will both be living a healthier lifestyle that will benefit the whole family. And don’t be selfish and keep the fun of exercising to yourself – get the entire family involved. Take walks or bike rides together, sign up to do a Family Fun Run/Walk or do something as simple as play tag. Starting a fitness routine now will not only benefit you, but it will teach your children the importance of their health as well as yours. Be proactive in your health to ensure that you can have a long, active and healthy life with your children.

Dude – This month’s for you!

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June is National Men’s Health Month and most of us wish our man was a little more active and a little less of a couch potato. It can be tough on a relationship when one person is “pro fitness” and the other person isn’t. Not only do you worry about the other person’s weight, you also worry about their health, mortality and stress levels. It’s unfortunate we can’t make people do what we want, but there are some ways you can nudge your partner in the right direction. And if gentle nudging doesn’t work using your womanly mental manipulation skills always does the trick.

Don’t Nag! Telling the man in your life over and over and over again that he should workout with you will only discourage him. Beating him over the head with the fitness stick won’t crack that thick skull of his. Plant the seed and let it grow. Tell him when you are heading off to the gym. If he doesn’t speak up and say he wants to join you, leave for your workout. When you get back mention how good the workout felt and then drop the subject.

Make a game out of it. Exercising doesn’t mean jumping on a treadmill and running until your legs fall off. Exercise is just the simple task of moving. Want your man to work up a sweat, challenge him to his favorite game. My hubby usually picks the one sport that I hate – basketball. He only picks it because he knows he can beat me at it every time. I always go along with it because the winning makes him feel oh so manly, but secretly I WIN because I got him exercising. Tera – 1 , Hubby 0.

Brag. Tell your hubby about all the amazing gains (and losses) that you’ve made in the gym. Model  your “pre workout jeans” and let him see how fit you have become or challenge him with a pushup contest and show him how strong you’ve gotten. BTW – getting beat by a girl in a pushup contest will definitely get him to the gym more often, so if you really want him to workout – start working on your pushups.

Make it interesting. Just because you love doing Body Pump and Zumba doesn’t mean he will too. If he is an absolute newbie to the gym, help him find activities that he would like and want to stick with. Are you unfamiliar with all that a gym has to offer? Hire a trainer for your guy. A trainer knows all of the ins and outs of a gym and they can help steer him in the right direction to find what workouts would fit him best.

Be Honest. Tell your partner why you want them to get more active. Is it because heart disease runs in his family? Is it because you’ve noticed a few health problems? Or do you notice that he’s having a harder time doing things that he used to do with ease? Honesty is always the best policy, but also remember their feelings. Even though our men seem to be made out of steel, they still have feelings too. Imagine how you would feel if the love of your life told you that you were getting a little soft around the middle? Harsh criticism hurts, so be gentle.

Motivation – Is it in you?

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MOTIVATION  [moh-tuh-vey-shuhn]  Noun.  Definition: that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

We can motivate ourselves to rush through a project so we can get out of work early. We can motivate ourselves to give up our daily trip to the coffee shop for a month to pay for that impulse purchase we just made at the mall. We can even find the motivation to sprint through a slippery parking lot to get to our warm car.  But when it comes to motivating ourselves to exercise and eat right, why is it we just can’t seem to find the motivation to do it? We know all the facts: it will make us feel better, we’ll live longer lives and it will give us more energy. It’s something that has positive results and we know we should be doing it, so why do most people find any excuse in the book to not do it? Well, the answer to that question is simple – being fit and healthy takes work and the results are not IMMEDIATE. Humans are all about instant gratification. We know what we want and we want it NOW! The “average Joe” is used to getting things instantaneously – Instant Messenger, Fast Foods, Buy It Now. No waiting with minimal effort! So what happens when the “average Joe” decides to get healthy? The “average Joe” gets on the treadmill for 15 minutes, pops a few magic diet pills, eats a salad for lunch and expects to lose 15 pounds in 2 days. And when those expectations are not met, the “average Joe” gives up. And that, my friend, is why the “average Joe” in America is overweight and unhealthy. It doesn’t take a person 1 week to get unhealthy, so it’s insane to think that it’s possible to get healthy overnight and without some sort of effort. Just because you are not “seeing” immediate results does not mean that small changes aren’t happening. Each small change contributes to the big changes. When it comes to your health, think ahead and see the big picture. If you take care of yourself now, in less than 2 weeks you can be feeling much better. In a few months you can have a “new” body. In a few years you can be achieving goals that you never thought were possible. And, in a few decades you can be a healthy, medicine free “senior” running laps around your walker bound friends.  Your health is not something that you should disregard just because you don’t feel motivated to do something about it. Just knowing that your quality of life will GREATLY improve should be motivation enough. The next time you feel your motivation to workout and eat right waning, think about how much that one workout or one healthy meal can help your health in the long run.

“The way you talk to yourself can make you or break you. Tell yourself you can’t and you won’t. Tell yourself you can and YOU WILL. Your motivation always starts with you!”

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