Boot Camp - Kicking It Up a Notch!!

Boot Camp -- Kicking it up a Notch

You've probably seen plenty of tips on preparing the night before for an early workout--get your clothes and water bottle ready, set the alarm, put your gear in the car, etc. But how about during boot camp?

We meet only 3 hours a week; let's work together to maximize your results. If you think you've plateaued or are wondering if you can advance the workout, here are 10 tips on how to squeeze the most out of those precious minutes:

1. Remember, you and other chicks are here to WORKOUT! This is the hour you challenge yourself and go all out. Help yourself and the chicks around you accomplish this goal. You all do a great job encouraging each other. We can do more! If you notice new chicks, encourage them to set up closer to me so they can hear/see clearly. Newbies often set up at the ends, so let's pull them in!

2. Arrive with your gear ready, ball pumped, mats, weights, water, extra layer if needed. I normally do have extras available first come first serve. Let me know if you need to borrow, but please don't skip just because you forgot your stuff :-) Bodyweight can be gear too!

3. If you arrive late, please do a moving warm up. This will give you a MUCH better workout and help prevent injury. You can do the moves we're doing, but modified, or at least 3-5 minutes of running, jumping jacks, strength motions with no weights, mini squats, walkout planks--or even dance! Just get all your limbs moving in all directions, and do up and down movements to get the heart rate going.

4. Start the move right away! We may have new combinations of movements but we don't really add completely new exercises very often. If you see me demo a move you recognize, even if you can't hear me, please go ahead and start. You can always adjust it later. I will come around to make sure everyone knows what's going on. This is a great way to squeeze in extra reps--before I yell "go!"

5.  I understand with the music and distance it can be hard to hear me so I do fully expect to repeat myself and clarify the instructions; however if you are set up near me, then you get special duties to listen and even begin the move first--this will also help chicks who are further away. If they can see you right off doing the move, that will help them get going as I make my way over to repeat the instructions. The more I instruct while you wait, the LESS time we are actually doing the exercise. If 40 moves are planned I spend a 30 seconds instructing or repeating, that's 20 minutes of NOT working out. Please help each other listen or watch.

6. Note if you are are holding a conversation during the exercise, ask yourself if you are working hard enough! :-) For steady state cardio, you could talk, but we don't do steady state at boot camp. That would be like running for 15 minutes straight (hmm, that would be pretty easy on me!). We do intervals, so the cardio portions should be at maximum effort (should feel like you are pushing to about 85%-95% effort). Don't cheat yourself! If you're chirpin', you're not workin' (I should copyright that)!

7. During any strength training:

• Brace the abs
• Keep head, neck aligned (good posture all around)
• Eliminate momentum (no swinging to get the weight up unless it's an actual swing move)
• Breath steadily (in through nose, out through mouth)
• Keep knees soft and pointed the same direction as your toes.
• Stop when your form breaks. 

8. At several camps, chicks arrive early to socialize which is a great idea. Your friendship is exactly what keeps chicks returning and bringing new ones in. If there is something urgent that you absolutely need to tell someone during boot camp, please take one walking lap with her (ask first if it's OK) to share--we totally understand that tough stuff comes up and we're all here for you emotionally as well as for the workout. A few weeks ago I tapped some of you out to chat but the decision was yours to make. You each paid to be here, so let's help each other stay focused on the workout without losing too much time. 

9. I am keeping called breaks to a minimum. I want you to know your own body well enough to know when you need one. One of the best boot camp classes I've attended is where the instructor hardly said anything--it was on an indoor basketball court with loud music and terrible acoustics. All she had to do was pick up a dumbbell or point and demonstrate the move once, including modifications, and we were off! No waiting for the clock or for her to countdown--hardly any downtime. So if I start demonstrating the next move before you're done with the prior, and you know the exercise, you are allowed to go right in! Before you know it, you'll have done 10% or 15% more during the workout just because you kept the breaks short.

10. Be consistent. If you miss a workout, please do one on your own (look at past emails from me, or go to the meal plan you were given and turn to the ending pages--there are workouts right there!). If nothing else, combinations of squats, plank/pushups, and bicycle crunches will work almost everything in your body.

#soapboxisover

Thank you, chicks, for your texts, emails, FB posts, pictures, non-scale victories, and especially for your feedback. If you have a question or suggestion, it's likely someone else has it too, so feel free to communicate with me. 

Contributed By Trainer:

Wendy Lee

ACE-certified Personal Trainer

AFAA-certified Group Instructor

Texas Fit Chicks  

Enroll: http://www.texasfitchicks.com/wendy

Facebook: East Carrollton Texas Fit Chicks

Want a great dose of Antioxidants? Top 10 Fruits to eat

Top 10 Fruits for Antioxidents

There are so many diets out there, and books on how to lose weight. While some might take the weight off for a time, others will have you just losing water weight and are a very quick fix that won't last long term. Before I was a trainer, I was on and off the diet wagon based on which book was a best seller at the time. Thanks to the South Beach diet, eating a strawberry threw me into a tailspin. Many years ago, I was in search of the perfect diet that would help me shed all the baby weight I gained while prego with baby #2. In Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, fruit is off limits completely. I did ok for the first day or two, but on day 3, had a strawberry and quickly fell into the thinking everyone has while on these things..."now I've blown it for the day - might as well eat what I want since I already screwed up". I had never cared much about the bakery at the grocery store either, until I started South Beach! 

While it is true that you will lose weight with this diet, it put my mind into that "Diet" mode that is not healthy and seems restrictive. I was probably off and on phase 1 of South Beach for 2-3 years. It wasn't until I stopped trying these types of "diets" and learned how to eat healthy foods, that I was able to start losing the weight.

Fruits are something that shouldn't be restricted in a meal plan (in my opinion). Yes, grapes and ripe bananas are higher on the sugar scale than others, and while I would probably limit the consumption of them if trying to lose weight, I wouldn't make them totally off limits. These are 10 fruits the USDA ranked for the disease-fighting antioxidants...

1. Blueberries
2. Cranberries
3. Blackberries
4. Raspberries
5. Strawberries
6. Apples
7. Cherries
8. Black Plums
9. Avocados
10. Pears

Fruit is natures dessert ~ enjoy!

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Tips for staying on track when eating out

Let's face it...eating out is really hard when you are trying to lose weight. There is a reason that calorie content and fat grams aren't printed alongside the fettucine alfredo or bowl of queso...because nobody would eat it! A dinner portion of Fettuccine Alfredo at a popular italian restaurant along with 2 of their breadsticks contain 1520 calories and 52g of saturated fat!!! (That's calories for an entire day and double the amount of sat. fat recommended for the DAY!) 

The workouts that we do at Texas Fit Chicks BootCamp will burn anywhere from 400-600 calories in one hour. Add up how many hours you'd have to workout to burn that off, then ask yourself is it really worth it??? Most of the time that answer should be a loud NO. The 90/10 rule should apply to your eating habits when you are trying to lose weight. 90% of the time be eating clean, good foods. Then you can indulge 10% of the time. This can mean that 6 days a week you are eating well and you take 1 day "off" to indulge. For faster weight loss, make that 1 meal rather than 1 day. When you realize how quickly you can derail your hard workouts - it makes the eating bad not seem so good!

If it's not time for your free meal and you have to go out to eat, here are a few tips on how to eat smart when eating out:

• Start out with a small salad. This will help to fill you up before the main dish comes, and might prevent you from overeating the higher calorie food. Order it without croutons, cheese or cream-based dressing. Oil and Vinegar is best.
• Order Veggies instead of rice
• Stick to chicken or fish as an entree - order it grilled, baked or blackened - Avoid Crusted, stuffed or fried of course 
• Ask for salsa as a side sauce instead of sour cream, butter, cheese or bacon.
• Ask for a to-go box before you start eating and divide your meal in half right away. The portion sizes are out of control in our society - and you won't feel compelled to eat more than you need if it's not in front of you
• Don't drink your calories - stick with water w/ lemon, unsweetened tea, etc.
• Order off the kids menu - many times these sized portions are "normal" and half the calories of the full sized entree

So many restaurants have their nutrition info online - so if you know ahead of time where you are going, educate yourself before you get there. You will be shocked to see the amounts of sodium, fat and calories that are in some healthy sounding entrees. The restaurants want people to come back over and over - and to make the food taste the way they make it, they load it up with butter, sugar and it's easy to get your full days worth of calories in one sitting!

When trying to lose weight, ignorance is not bliss. Once you realize how much work goes into burning calories, then you learn how many calories are in restaurant food, you will most likely decide that it's just not worth it. Our society is so food-driven these days, and if you look at what a portion size was 50 yrs ago, and what it is today, it's no wonder we have the obesity crisis that we do in America. Health experts predict that by the year 2020, 1/2 of American adults will have Diabetes. This is a shocking statistic, but true.

The best way to stay on track is to prepare as many meals at home as you can, but if you need to go out, make a plan before you go...and think this thought: "Is what I'm about to eat going to get me closer to my goal?" Might make you re-think that Alfredo :)

- Melody Chandler, CPT
Owner, Texas Fit Chicks 

Fitness Boot Camp Program for Women Only. Re-Shape your Future
Locations in Dallas.Houston.College Station


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20 Minute Bikini Blast Workout

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Here's a Bikini Blast Workout you can do at home!

Be sure and consult with your doctor before doing this or any other exercise program.

If you are a beginner, do the circuit one or two times with the modifications suggested. If you're a FIT chick, do as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes!

Prisoner Squats - Fingertips behind ears, core engaged, squat down until thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping chest lifted and making sure knees don't go over toes. Sink low into the squat and watch yourself in a mirror to check your form. 1 Minute

Spider Jumps - Start on floor in full push-up position. Maintain position, lunge rt foot fwd to outside of rt hand. Balancing on hands, jump feet off floor and switch them in midair, bringing left ft to outside  of left hand and extend rt leg behind you. Repeat for 20 reps total (1 rep = both sides)

For beginners, Lunge right foot fwd, and then instead of jumping, step it back to start poition. Repeat with the other leg. 10-15 reps if beginner

Roll Pop Ups - Stand with feet shoulder width apart, & arms by sides. Lower into a squat then sit down on floor, roll onto middle of back and then upper back, while maintaining a tuck position, chin towards chest (Don't roll onto neck). Using momentum, engage abs and roll forward to return to squat position, (adding a jump at the top for advanced levels). If you have to help yourself up with your hands, use both so you're not lopsided. 15 total (5-7 if beginner)

T-Pushups - In pushup position, hands under shoulders (try to do on your toes for advanced chicks) perform 1 pushup, then rotate to the rt side (pivot with your feet) bringing right arm up into the sky. Return to start, 1 pushup then repeat with left arm. You can pause at the top of the rotation and look towards your hand, then return to start. Go slowly - can also be done on knees. 20 total reps

Low Squat Jacks - Same position as the prisoner squat from above, this time, stay low and do low squat jacks, in and out. 30 total Reps (15 if you're a beginner)

Mountain Climber/Prone Jacks Combo - Starting in the push up position, bring rt knee into chest quickly, then left leg, alternating. Do 15 of those (1=both legs) then legs together, and take both feet out as if you were doing a jumpin jack on the floor (hands stay where they are) then feet back together, for 10 reps. Repeat circuit 5 times If you're a beginner, do 1/2 the number of each and repeat 2-3 times.

Wide Squats Around the Room - Facing one direction, hands on hips, chest lifted and abs engaged, take a large step out into a wide squat, then bring other leg to meet (staying low in the squat entire time). Continue facing one direction for 20 reps. Turn around, facing other direction and do the same for 20 reps. Beginners do 8-10 reps on each side.

V-Crunch - Legs are lifted straight up in the air, arms together and overhead. Doing a crunch, bring your arms towards your legs and take legs out into a V pressing hands through, then repeat. 20 reps

Bicycle Crunch - On back, elbows behind ears, knees bent, feet lifted. Bring right elbow across to meet left knee, as if you're bicycling your legs - then switch sides, bringing left elbow across to meet right knee. Don't let momentum carry you through this. Slow and controlled is key if you want these to work. 25 reps for advanced, 10-12 if beginner.

Ready....Set...GO!!!

Want to share how many rounds you finished? Comment below to share!

Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp

We train REAL Housewives in Dallas, Frisco, Prosper, Plano, Wylie, Anna, McKinney, Richardson, Wylie, Garland and College Station, Texas

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