Jane Fonda and the Afterburn!

Go for the Afterburn!

I’ll never forget Jane Fonda’s encouraging words, “go for the burn” while lying on my living room floor trying to squeeze out just one more leg lift! I exercised religiously to The Jane Fonda Workout in the early 1980’s. I ‘fondly’ remember wearing a matching striped leotard and cozy leg warmers trying to mirror the amazing woman smiling down at me as I went for the burn!

Those days are long gone, and workouts have evolved but some of her signature moves (clamshells anyone?) still remain in the muscle activation and corrective portions of our programming today!

That’s about where the similarities end though. In the power and resistance portions of our programs we progress to whole body multi-joint movements such as kettlebell swings and barbell clean & jerks to illicit a different response…. Afterburn!  After a session of high intensitiy resistance training in which all the large muscle groups are recruited, we not only burn calories at a higher rate while exercising but we continue to expend calories at increased rates after our training session is done!

Afterburn, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), as it is referred to in exercise science, is a term that refers to the increase in oxygen uptake during the recovery period following exercise.  In order for the body to recover from the disruption brought on by high intensity interval and resistance type sessions, and restore homeostasis, it must sustain elevated levels of metabolic processes for a period time. EPOC accounts for some restorative physiological processes such as restoration of muscle glycogen and muscle repair.

Some studies have found that the Afterburn component of EPOC can have elevated effects on the resting metabolism for up to 48 hours following high intensity bouts of resistance exercise. In other words, give it your all in the gym today and continue to reap the benefits while sitting at work or watching the kids’ soccer game tomorrow afternoon. And NO…this is not an excuse to skip tomorrow’s training session! Think of it this way; today’s Afterburn piled on top of yesterdays Afterburn and so on and so on….turn you into a fat burning machine! Remember, everything you do each day gets you closer to achieving that big goal!

Go for the burn today and reap the benefits of Afterburn tomorrow!

Your Coach,

Cecily

Is Happy Hour Sabotaging your Fitness Hour?

Probably not,  IF (and that's a big IF) you are keeping happy hour to once or twice a week. One or two glasses of wine per week will probably not make a difference at our waistlines, but let's get 'Real'....how many of us are holding at one glass of wine once a week? 

You know the scenario... You've just uncorked a chilled bottle of Clois DuBois;  your husband doesn't like Chardonnay, and it will go bad if not finished in a day or two, sooo... half a bottle a night for 2 nights and problem solved. I'll be the first to admit it, I love a glass of wine while cooking dinner and maybe another while eating dinner. I'm not talking about excessive amounts of alcohol here, but even low to moderate amounts (1 or 2 glasses nightly) can slow metabolism and our ability to burn fat! Add the excess empty calories dumped into our system (not to mention the toxins) and we have a good chance of sabotaging all our hard work at the gym.

Moderate amounts of alcohol can also interfere with sleep patterns , making muscle regeneration particularly challenging. We need good, sound sleep to effectively recover from our workouts.

I don't want to get preachy here, I love the "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" happy hour motto too. Instead I would like to share some of the challenge based  solutions that I use to keep my self tuned up and reaping in all the benefits of my workouts.

Consider a 30 day alcohol free challenge. 

This one is my favorite. I do this on and off throughout the year, planning the months strategically throughout the year so that I can attend weddings and celebrations and enjoy a glass of wine or two! During my challenge months I substitute my glass of wine with a glass of kombucha or sparkling water in a wine glass! I always feel fabulous after these challenges and it shows in the way my skin looks and my clothes fit. I just got done with one last week and am planning another one Sept 15th-Oct15th.

Take 6 months off from all adult beverages.

This plan takes a little more discipline but you will see big changes: after 3-4 weeks the fat begins to melt off!I did this in 2011.... No wine from Jan 1 thru July 1.  Allow one exception on this plan. On my 50th birthday my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful bottle of French wine together!

Don't cocktail at home.

This one works well if you attend a lot of social events. And it goes without saying... No driving on those special nights out!  So pick a challenge plan and give it a go! it may not seem like it now, but it can be  satisfying to challenge yourself by giving up favorites for a predetermined amount of time. It's empowering to know that YOU are in control!

And remember when you do enjoy "happy hour" moderation is the answer to long term success. 

Hope this helps..... and as always let me know how it goes! 

Your coach,

Cecily

Aloe Vera: The fountain of youth?

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about aloe vera in its drinkable form. As a Mom of four I have relied on aloe vera in its topical form for sunburns, cuts, blisters, and bug bites, but had never heard of drinking aloe vera juice and the many benefits of its internal application. So I decided to do some research.

Aloe Vera, also called the elixir of youth, is an herb which contains 20 minerals, including calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium and selenium, vitamins A,B,C,E and folic acid and 20 of the 22 essential amino acids, and over 200 active ingredients including polysaccharides and enzymes

Tummy trouble? Aloe vera to the rescue! Aloe vera can soothe the digestive tract as well. Just make sure to follow the dosing direction on the back of the container as it can have a laxative effect if too much is ingested.

Taken orally aloe is very helpful in reducing internal problems such as heartburn, arthritis and rheumatism pain and asthma. Studies have also shown that it has an effect on lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics. Aloe also helps fight congestion, intestinal worms, indigestion, stomach ulcers, colitis, hemorrhoids, liver problems such as cirrhosis and hepatitis, kidney infections, urinary tract infections and prostate problems.

Some of the Anti-Aging benefits of Aloe when used as a dietary supplement:

       1) It boosts the immune system

       2) It accelerates metabolism

       3) It purifies the human body from toxins

       4) It has an antiseptic effect (by destroying bacteria, viruses and fungi)

       5) It stimulates the cell-renewing process

Sounds to good to be true! I might have to start drinking this stuff by the gallon…serious anti-aging cocktail here! Just be sure to purchase a high quality brand that carries the certified whole leaf aloe seal. Pregnant women should not take aloe internally as it may bring on uterine contractions.

Have you had your aloe vera juice today?

Have your aloe and drink it too!

Click here to get started on your daily does of Ultimate Aloe vera juice! Ultimate Aloe is certified whole leaf. 

Going for gold every day!

Wow! Watching the Olympics over the last week and a half has been nothing short of amazing!  We have all lost precious hours of sleep, staying up much too late watching the exciting events and it has been well worth it!

 

I think of the endless hours of dedication these Olympians put into their training and it inspires me to be more passionate about my own training. So today I vow to put forth an Olympic size effort every time I enter the gym. I realize I will not be breaking world records and not every workout will be as solid as the one before, but I will give my training all I have on that given day. I promise to be strong in my mind, and not talk my self out of what I know I need to do to feel, look and perform better. I will go for gold every day. I will finish strong, knowing that I gave my best

Are you putting forth an Olympic size effort in reaching your fitness goals? Take the vow along with me today and go for gold every time you train!

CH-CH-CH-Changes...turn and face the strange. (Or is it strain?)

CH-CH-CH-Changes…turn and face the strange. (Or is it strain?)

We can easily sing along to the beloved Bowie hit, but why are making changes so difficult for many of us? Most likely because changes take us out of the familiar and send us down a new path. They stretch our boundaries and force us to explore unchartered and sometimes uncomfortable territory.

Many of us like to wake up each day knowing exactly what we are facing and we don’t want strange (or strain for that matter) to be any part of it.  

But what if we approach change in a manageable way. I like to refer to it as the “baby steps” principle. Decide to change one simple (or not so simple) thing each week in order to better your life!  

First, pick one thing or habit that you have been considering changing for a while. For example, this week forgo the soda pop, and drink fresh ice-cold water with a squeeze of lemon or lime instead.

Next, write down the pros and cons of each change; putting ideas and thoughts in writing helps to make them real and more attainable.

Lastly, hold yourself accountable, but don’t beat yourself up if you are not able to change or groove the new pattern the first time around! That’s why I call it “baby steps”; we may start slowly heading in the right direction but stumble a few times before we make it. It took me 3 solid attempts to quit smoking before I was able to succeed. Three times is a charm! Don’t give up, your next attempt may be the one that sticks.

The key is to start today!

Your Coach,

Cecily

A funny side note I discovered about the song: "...we were singing 'Changes' for the purposes of a sound-check. When we reached the chorus David stopped the band, walked over to Gui and me, and asked us to sing our part. We duly obliged. David doubled up with laughter. For two-and-a-half months we had been singing 'turn and face the strain' instead of 'turn and face the strange'. From then on, every time we performed that song David would stick his arse out towards us and make like he was trying to squeeze one out, which would make us both laugh and fluff the line even worse."  -Geoff MacCormack