Eliza's bedroom

Eliza's bedroom by annethro on polyvore.com

Ava's Bedroom

Ava's Bedroom by annethro on polyvore.com

Personal Training isn't that personal...

{random outfit from last week}


So....I'm going to meet with a personal trainer today...and I'm nervous!! At many gyms you get a "free session" with a personal trainer so that's what we're doing today. Usually this free session is a fitness assessment but the trainer said "no, it's not an assessment it's a personal training session." So I said YES!!!! I can assess my own fitness level, but having a different trainer put me through his workout is exciting!! Except, what if he asks me what my fitness goals are. I have no idea. Well, maybe an idea--I'd like to adopt the mentality that I don't have to do two-a-days. I'd like to be less competitive with myself. It would be amazing to go for a jog, feel good and not feel pressure from myself to beat my personal best. Hmm...wonder if there's a gym that offers a free therapy session?? haha!!! I will update you on how it goes..

Speaking of personal training..Erik has lost 9 pounds and he has gone down two belt notches!!! Woooo-hooo!!!!

My kitchen

Just got some gorgeous curtains at JCPenny (and I can't figure out how to clip them to polyvore!). My kitchen is goign to come together after we get the curtain rods put up!! Our curtains are sheer "aqua" with an antique-ish embroidery at the top and hem. They seem more green than blue at times. I plan on getting the chair cushions...and that coordinating chair is on my wish list. I'd like it to be our computer chair...so that would be where my bottom would be resting as I post. haha!

The dishes and most of the other decor came from Pier One...my absolute favorite home store.

My kitchen by annethro on polyvore.com

Valentine Decor

This is not a good picture of my Valentine decorations...but it's the only one I have right now! I saw Eleanor's post about her decorations and tried to copy it!








I got some valentine plates and cups at target two weeks ago, but they have been shoved aside to make room for all the homework!! Besides these cheery decorations I have another reason to be in a good mood: It got up to 65 degrees today!!!!

New Year, New House, New Client...

{this is the day we found out our move was ON! very good day!}


We are settling in to a new house, in a new town with the kiddos in their second new school this year. It's been as wonderful as it has been stressful...and guess what!!?? I can't get to the gym as much to burn off this stress. I also hate home video workouts, but I do them...and they put me in a bad mood. Oh well...this too shall pass.

So anyway...I am not doing personal training although the fitness manager at my new gym has asked me to a few times--and he told my husband "we are eager to put her to work here!!" So this pulls me into a whole new topic---isn't it so odd how you view yourself vs. how other people view you?? I honest to God would never think someone would see me at the gym and assume I'm a fitness professional...yet I get interrupted several times a workout by someone wanting to know how to use a piece of equipment, and fitness professionals solicit me to work for them. Probably means I have some sort of issues with body image, but I really don't see or get that.

But anywhoooo...I am sticking hard to my "no personal training!" guns. Not going to work, not going to spread myself too thin. I need to get my life organized and in order so I stop getting daily sticky notes from the teachers "so-and-so isn't wearing the socks that are dress code...Monday isn't gym day this week, we are on a week "B" schedule..pick up will be in the Marian Inn tomorrow (the WHAT? where's that???)...etc"


{Eliza doing her science vocab words...which were not due this week but next. She was supposed to have been doing her social studies vocab words}



So yeah...no personal training. Period. Then a man who has a face I really can't say no to asked me if I'd be his personal trainer. ERIK!!!! *squeal and giggle!!!!!!!!!*


{Erik asking me "do I look like Scuttle?" haha..get it, from The Little Mermaid?? Love a man who knows his princess movies...LOL! this was also taken day we found out the move was on}

Since I have met Erik he has been THE most arrogant I-know-more-about-the-gym-than-you-because-I'm-a-man kinda guy I've ever met. EVER! So this is good. He has let himself get in the worst shape of his life (which isn't even bad) and I am psyched to train him. So...without further ado, here is his plan!!

Erik's goals:
#1. lose his gut (this equals sprint style workouts and less beer)
#2. get stronger so his back doesn't ache (this means he will be doing Pilates)
#3. get his cholesterol and blood pressure down (improve his cardio fitness)



{Erik in direct violation of goal #1, 2, and 3! haha! this was last spring...this spring he'll be packing water bottles in his back pocket as he grills up some chicken or fish!}




Ok, so here is the plan to attack those goals:

Monday- shoulders: lifting tabata style (40seconds as many reps as possible, 20second break, repeat for total of 5sets) I told him to write out what he likes to do for shoulders and it looked good so I said go ahead and do your shoulder workout in that tabata style. Tabata will work as a "sprint style" exercise so that will train his lactic acid system, which in turn will help with the gut (goal #1)! Also, he loves doing shoulders so I figured day 1 is best being a body part he loves to train. I also played to his macho ego letting him decide what shoulder exercises he does. He hasn't even noticed I change it with "well, now that you are getting stronger do you think you want to add military press with dumbbells instead of the hammer strength?" "yeah, of course..." ;) And using dumbbells (standing) indirectly gets the core (goal #2!).

Tuesday-back and biceps tabata style

Wednesday- I had him make a 5 song playlist. First song is for getting the dog on the leash and his butt out the door. Next three songs are for a low key relaxing jog pace. Last song is to walk/cool down. Then I take him through 45minutes of stretching/ab work (shh, it's Pilates he just doesn't know that) This is building his base for a good cardio session (goal #3!). After two weeks he is going to increase the jog to 4songs...increasing every two weeks until he is at an 11 song jog)

Thursday-Chest and Triceps tabata style

Friday- LEGS! Erik hates doing legs which is why I put it on Friday. Get it?? Friday people are stoked for the weekend, so least fave muscle group is more bearable. He needs to build up strength in his legs so he isn't doing tabata style at all. Here is what his leg day looks like:
squat heavy as he can handle for 10reps, rest one minute, repeat for total of three sets.
lunges with 20lbs barbell, 20 on each leg no rest.
stretch good.

Saturday I take him through a plyometric HIIT workout. This is what we did this past Saturday:
1minute of straddle squat hops (you straddle a step, squat as low as possible, jump up onto step and do another squat as low as possible) go hard for the entire minute.
rest 30seconds
1minute of mountain climbers
rest 20seconds
1 minute of jumping lunges
rest 30seconds
1minute plank push ups with twist to lateral plank
rest 20seconds
1 minute foot fires
rest 20seconds
1 minute squat with alternating side kick
rest 20seconds
1 minute plank push up with knee to elbow ab drill (same knee to same elbow, then opposite, then you go outside elbows)
rest 30seconds
1 minute lunge back and kick front on left side
rest 20 seconds
1 minute lunge back and kick front on right side
rest 20 seconds
1 minute toe taps (keep heels off floor and tap toe on step alternating feet)
rest 20seconds
1 minute one legged lateral hops (stand on left side of step on left foot, hop across step, land on right foot only and keep going back and forth)
rest 20seconds
1 minute tricep push ups with knee drives (put sweatshirt/towel/whatevs under ur feet in a tricep push up position. After you push up, drive your knees in using ur core)
rest 20 seconds
1 minute lunge step ups with a kick (put right leg on step, lunge down, drive up and kick with left foot)
rest 30seconds
1 minute lunge step ups with kick other side
rest 30seconds
1 minute of burpees!!!! Done.

This is an intense workout, especially when you have me right next to you pushing you to go harder. Our first week of HIIT training he did vomit. Ooops. This is week two and he thought he was going to be sick again, but he held it all down!!! Woo-hoo!!!

I will keep you posted on his progress :)

"I’m running with this plan"

{photo belongs to women's health: college edition


Every single morning, every day of the week I see the same woman jogging the same route. Now, I honestly don't like saying "you are doing it wrong" because who knows what her reason for jogging or what her goals are. She could just be getting the frikk out of her house for an hour so she doesn't rip her hair out and beat her kids with it.

But if she is trying to tone up and lose some extra adipose baggage, she is going about it the wrong way. Running is tough, way tougher than most people know and it needs to be respected.

I cringe when I hear "I need to get in shape. I'm going to start running." That sounds a lot like "I need to teach my pre-schooler his numbers. I'm going to sign him up for a calculus class."

When your body is at its' ideal composition (you have just the right amount of muscle and fat for your body) then I would say go right ahead and run but make sure you are not running too hard, too long, too often, and don't JUST run. You need to do cross training, core training, and some light weight lifting to prevent injuries. Runners get injured, always have and always will. There is nothing harder on the body then running. Ok, so having said all that can you see why I would tell someone who has an extra 15+ lbs of dead weight pounding on his/her joints and unconditioned muscles to put down the running shoes. Step away from the track. You want to get stronger, fitter, healthier--and nothing throws a road block into your path to those goals like an injury. If you run when you are very fit you will still probably get some type of injury (plantar fascitis, stress fracture, horrificly tight IT band, hip popping syndrome, knee aches, etc). If you are not in shape and you suffer a running injury it will probably be to a worse degree and the saddest part--it increases the chance that you will get frustrated and give up. So don't send your little 4 year old to a calculus class that he is NOT ready for and will only make him feel like a failure!!!! Here's what I think those "I need to get in shape, I'm going to start running" people should do:

Get a notebook. Write down every single food you eat (taking tastes of the batter for the cake/cookies you make count...everything that goes in your mouth goes in the notebook!) At the end of one week take a good look at your food diary and make positive changes. Examples/ideas for positive changes: have one full glass of water before every single thing I eat so I eat a little less. Add some protein to every snack/meal I eat to help keep me full longer (nuts, seeds, cheese, peanut butter, egg) Allow yourself a sweet treat after first eating a generous portion of fruit (easy to grab a cookie, but first peel an orange and eat that...or a banana, or some berries--and don't forget to add some protein to your sugary snack to avoid the carb crash that will cause you to feel hungry 20minutes later!!)

Once you start to implement the positive changes to your diet (and do it gracefully, be easy on yourself, don't beat yourself up if you slip up, just keep forging forward) start to formulate an exercise regimen that works for you. If you can join a gym that is obviously the best way to go. If you can't, don't think that's any excuse to use--you can still get really fit. Look at your gym's aerobic schedule, or the exercise video section of your local best buy (or even at used DVDs on ebay). You will need three days of total body strength training (light weight, higher repetitions). Either take the same class three times a week, or the same video three times a week. Mon/Wed/Fri is ideal, but any non-consecutive days will work. You will also need cardio and there is a lot of flexibility here. Cardio is any exercise that stresses your heart/lung systems so that they improve. Everyone has different starting points for cardio--if you can do cardio for 35minutes that is awesome, do it for 45! haha...if 35minutes is too much for you just do what you can and keep at it. Your cardio fitness improves quickly (2weeks and you will see a difference). Walking your dog, taking your kids for a stroll, swimming, bike riding, zumba dance, kickboxing, spin class, step aerobics, etc. are all good forms of cardio. Be careful if any instructors add in some weights--don't lift biceps after kickboxing if you did biceps yesterday in a different class! I also have heard many people say classes intimidate them. "Everyone knows what they're doing, they have a special spot in the room..." Ok, yes that may be true in some cases but every single person in there had a first time they took the class and didn't know what they were doing. Trust me, as an instructor I can assure you most of them STILL don't really know what the hell they are doign!!! haha...but seriously, I have found people who take group exercise classes to be very helpful and supportive of each other, and especially to new members. It's like when there is a first time expectant Mom--all the Moms can't wait to congratulate and tell her birthing story??? "...my first class there was no time for an epidural and I tore horribly and couldn't walk for..." umm, please stop. haha ANYWHO...

You will also need to add in a good core session at least 2 times a week. I highly recommend Pilates (you will hate me for this and think "it is not humanly possible to DO these exercises like the instructor" at first but stick with it--the instructor IS human and she may actually have not been that strong or fit her whole life). In two months you will be able to do all those things! You could also take an abs/core class but be careful because often times instructors teach to the higher level for this class and injuries occur. Just remind yourself: your rectus abdominus (6pack muscle) works to round your spine--so if your lower back is starting to flex you are NOT DOING IT RIGHT!!! And you will get injured so absolutely always sacrifice quantity and intensity for form. FORM, FORM, FORM!!!! Always keep good form, ALWAYS!

You will also need to pick a day for rest from exercise completely and add in a yoga or stretch class day. Here's a sample weekly schedule:
Monday-bodysculpt class/video and take dog for 35 minutes walk
Tuesday-bike ride 35min and yoga class/video
Wednesday-bodysculpt and swim 35 minutes
Thursday-walk dog 35minutes and pilates (or 30min core class)
Friday-bodysculpt and zumba class/video
Saturday-kickbox class and pilates/core class
Sunday-REST!

Now I am off to teach an insanely intense circuit class that has left me with a severe scapular strain and a prescription for muscle relaxers. I should practice what I preach, right...haha