It’s been a while since I’ve done a little bumpdate. I am officially in my final week of the 2nd trimester at 27 weeks pregnant. The longer I am pregnant the more excited I get for baby to get here- and I am relieved about that. I was nervous I was going to get more and more terrified the closer we got to our due date, but it’s actually the opposite. I feel really calm about becoming a Mother and a getting more and more excited to meet our little one.
I start training for my natural birth at the end of February. I’ve decided to go with Hypnobabies, which has come very highly recommended from friends, clients, doctors and my doula. I am so excited to get started. You attend a 3 hour class every week for 6 weeks then have independent study to do every night up until delivery. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
WORKOUTS:
I am still working out 4-6 days a week, still teaching and training my one-on-one clients. My workouts still consist of strength training and conditioning as well as labor training and high intensity intervals. I am still lifting the same weights I did pre-pregnancy (15-30 LBS DBS depending on the muscle group and format of my workout). Lifting weights is def easier for me than interval training on the treadmill at this point. Running is still fine- some days are awesome and some days the baby is a weird position and its just uncomfortable so I scale it back a little bit. When baby is in a good position though- I am able to go hard. Being able to get after it on the tread doesn’t happen every workout anymore due to the baby’s positioning, so when he is cooperating I take advantage of it!
For example this morning, he was in a good position so I was able to do sprint intervals at 12.0 MPH, no problem. Some days he is in a weird position and my sprints are more like 9.0-10.0MPH. It just depends. Long intervals on the tread (more than 2 minutes) are tough- I still do them, I just have to be a little less aggressive with my speeds. It’s just fatiguing. It’s not that my heart rate is getting too high even, it’s just a lot harder/more exhausting than I remember pre-pregnancy. If you speak Barry’s lingo, long intervals my jog pace is 5.0MPH and intervals that are 2 minutes or less I can usually hang at 6.0MPH. It also depends on the instructor and what they have planned for the day.
I have started to notice that my hips do get sore from running, so that’s also part of it. I read this is common on some runner blogs so I wasn’t too shocked when it started happening. I space my treadmill/running workouts out a little more strategically to make sure I’m not running hard back to back days, to help avoid any injuries during pregnancy. My heart rate still EASILY gets into the 170’s and up into 180’s during my high intensity treadmill intervals. That doesn’t mean I think everyone should do this- I’m simply sharing this info because I know some women are scared to raise their heart rate when pregnant, so I just like to show women that I go WAY up and beyond what some doctors recommend and baby and I are perfectly healthy. In fact, every single time we have had an ultrasound or the doctor listens to the baby’s heart beat, they ALWAYS comment on how loud and strong his heart is. Studies have now proven that working out during pregnancy makes your babies heart healthier. It’s empowering when my doctors reinforce my fitness plan and how it is already showing to positively effect my babies health. It’s a very rewarding feeling!
WEIGHT GAIN/BODY CHANGES:
So far, 27 weeks in, I have gained about 12 pounds. They say I’ll probably average 1/2 pound a week from here on out. This would put my total pregnancy weight gain around 18.5 LBS. Anywhere from 20-25 LBS for me is what my doctor said she is happy with, so I’ll end up right around there which is great. Of course, the closer to 20 the better (from my point of view), but either way it doesn’t really matter. As long as I stay within her recommended weight gain for me, I’ll be happy. I know I’ll get it all off. It’s actually my muscle mass I’m worried about. Looking back, I wish I would have measured my arms and quads before getting pregs cause I swear I’m losing muscle mass, which makes me SO SAD. LOL. If I could pick, I’d rather gain more weight during pregs and not lose any muscle mass. It just takes SO long to put muscle mass on, it’s kind of depressing thinking about having to back track and build it up again.
BABY STUFF:
Wow- so much to think about. Do I want to eat my placenta? Should we bank the baby’s cord? Should we space out vaccinations? Man. Been doing lots of reading articles and trying to figure out whats the best way for our family. I probably will eat my placenta though. It’s hard to argue with the studies on this. Yummy 🙂
If you have a strong, engaged, activated core unit (I’m talking transverse abdominus, diaphram and pelvic floor) you most likely will NOT show easily or quickly (unless you have a special condition happening like a tilted uterus for example). Your core is strong enough to hold the baby in tight and your tummy will resist being pushed out by your uterus for longer into your pregnancy and you are much less likely to get “Big Belly Syndrome” later in your pregnancy. Which is huge!! I was hell-bent on making SURE my core was super strong to avoid Big Belly Syndrome and diastasis as well.
Check this excerpt from Fit For Birth (who I became pre and post natal certified with) about belly size during pregnancy.
Activated Core VS De-activated Core:
“Quite amazingly in Fit For Birth’s experience has been the witnessing of “big belly syndrome” literally disappearing once a pregnant woman learns how to belly pump effectively. Take a look at Figure 4 below. The left shows Gabriela during her second pregnancy at 6 months before she has been taught to use her belly pump. This was taken before training with Fit For Birth. The photo on the right shows Gabriela during her third pregnancy at nearly nine months, but with a smaller tummy! She spent her third pregnancy learning how to use her belly pump effectively.
Figure 4 shows the usual big belly at 6 months (left), but then a much more manageable belly at nearly full term when strengthening the core through belly training (right).”
Big Belly Syndrome is exactly what it sounds like. Your stomach gets big, really big and stretched, and the bigger it gets the more uncomfortable you are (hello back pain) and harder it is to bounce back post baby and the easier it becomes for your abs to split (diastasis). This is motivation for me to not be caught up with wanting my belly to pop out so soon into my pregnancy. I focused very specifically on strengthening my core for the past year or so before getting pregnant because through researching and learning more and more about pre natal training I realized just how insanely important this is and how much better off you will be if you go INTO your pregnancy with a strong and activated core.
This doesn’t mean doing 1000 crunches a day either. It’s about strengthening your back, legs, core, abs, pelvic floor and diaphram. There are a few amazing ways to do this that don’t consist of laying on your back and crunching up (so little value comes out of this pregnant or not). Here are some of the BEST exercises to work on your core and getting your TVA working and engaged.
#1 LIFT LEGS!!
Lifting legs with medium to heavy weight is one of the BEST ways to work your core and get your transverse abdominis working and TVA strength is SOOOOOO important!! The TVA or transverse abdomminis is the deepest ab muscle that we have. The TVA is the innermost layer of all abdominal muscles located behind the quote, unquote ‘6 pack abs’. Think of this muscle as your body’s natural corset and support system. If your TVA is not engaged, not activated and not working on the regular basis you are at risk of injury, you are setting yourself up to potentially have big belly syndrome when pregnant and you will NEVER be able to achieve flat tight abs without having a frustrating pouch that sticks out under your belly button… so many women have come to me saying that their stomach is coming together but they just can’t get rid of the lower pouch, well this is exactly what is causing it.
This is where the legs come in! You are FORCED to engage your core and TVA while squatting and lunging for example. If you didn’t engage your core throughout these exercises you would properly fall over! Your core balances you and you MUST balance to properly perform these exercises. Building and strengthening your TVA is ESSENTIAL to do before, during and after pregnancy. This is the muscle that will prevent you from getting big belly syndrome and will help you be so much more comfortable for so much longer into your pregnancy, not to mention this muscle will help out BIG time during your labor and helping your core shrink back quickly after your deliver. This muscle is also to thank for keeping you from showing early in your pregnancy.
Your legs are the biggest and strongest muscles in your body, so don’t be afraid to pick up challenging dumbbells during your leg workout! If you are pregnant and usually use 8 pound dumbbells this doesn’t mean to go into the gym and grab 25 lbs dumbbells, but there is nothing wrong with bumping up to the next size dumbbells if you are still able to maintain proper form and feel comfortable. When I do a HIIT style leg workout, I use 25-35 LBS dumbbells. This equals half to a little more than half of my body weight, and for me that’s my normal and there is nothing wrong with maintaining your normal throughout pregnancy. Don’t be scared to pick up weights that continue to challenge you, don’t be scared to complete a workout that FEELS like a workout, not a warm up! Let’s take the FEAR out of working out during pregnancy. “Exercise does not cause miscarriages. Exercise does not cause pre-term labor.” That is a direct quote from my OBGYN doctor and of studies that are published on PUBMED. This is not my opinion, these are proven facts studied by researchers and doctors.
#2 BREATHING!
Ahhhhh seems so simple, yet most of the population, women and men, pregnant or not don’t know how to breath properly anymore. Let’s start by taking a big deep breath in. Lets do this now. Ok- take notice what just happened with your upper body when you took that breath. Did your chest expanded and your shoulder rise up? If this the case then you actually aren’t breathing correctly… and you’re not alone. Most people actually do not breathe correctly these days. The issue is that people aren’t using our diaphragms to breathe.
Lets put both hands on your belly now. While you read on about this very important muscle go ahead and practice taking big deep breaths in and out using that diaphragm to do so.When you inhale try to fill your belly into your hands as you expand your diaphragm with oxygen, we want to fill your belly, your sides and your lower back with air.When you exhale try to draw your belly button into your spine, thinking about hugging your baby with your belly as you do this… we want to rid all the stale air out of your body during your exhale.
The diaphragm is the primary respiratory muscle which attaches to the lungs and when used properly will pull the lungs open and increase the space in the chest cavity. Proper movement of the diaphragm will effect simulation of every function in the entire musculoskeletal system (which helps provide form, support, stability, and movement to the body), hormonal system, central nervous system and gastrointestinal system.
Unfortunately, any kind of mental, emotional or physical stress can inhibit the diaphragm from functioning in its fluid rhythmic ways. This is another reason to add exercise into your routine during pregnancy, to help reduce stress and increase those feel good hormones we get from working out, because remember, ANY emotion or hormone that we feel, the baby will also feel. Really!
Start implementing diaphramtic breathing into your daily routine and throughout every single exercise in your workouts. The more you practice the more your body will get back into natural routine and your body will start doing this without you even having to think about it!
#3 PELVIC FLOOR ACTIVATION & STRENGTH
This is a super important and a lot of times forgotten muscle that acts as a sling, holding and supporting your bladder, uterus or womb, and bowel.Your Pelvic floor stretches from your pubic bone to the base of your spine.It is so important to know what this muscle is and to exercise it before, during, and after pregnancy.
Lets contract your Pelvic Floor now by imagining that you are trying to hold in urine.Some women will feel this contraction more in the front and some in the back, you just want to make sure you are not just contracting your glutes but actually under your glutes,where your lady parts are.I always say if when you contract these muscles and it starts to feel kinda good, than you are doing it correctly. You want to make sure that you are continuing to breathe as you contract these muscles and you don’t hold your breathe. So as I go over some Pelvic Floor basics I want you to continue to contract your pevlic floor, hold for a count of 5 then release and repeat.
Your pelic floor goes under a lot of stress during pregnancy which is one of the reasons we need to acknowledge and strengthen it along the way. You PF can become stretched out and start losing function just 12 weeks into your pregnancy, so doing these exercises from the start is super important.
So how often should we be doing these types of exercises? To be honest, if you have a weak pevlic floor such as you have trouble holding your urine when you workout, sneeze, cough ect would say implement them more until you see an improvement. Generally speaking I would recommend these every single day, if possible twice a day. Ugh i know so annoying. But if you can just implement the exercises we went over and you are doing right now maybe in the car on the way to work and on the way home from work, or on the way to the gym, or while you’re running errands this can seriously improve your pelvic floor strength which is going to help you during pregnancy, during delivery and post pregnancy. Pelvis floor exercises are SOOOO boring! Ugh, I hate doing it! So I started implemented these exercised into my workouts. I add them into my squats (when I get to the bottom of top of range of motion I squeeze and hold my PF). I also do this with plank variations or during my walking or jogging recoveries during my HIIT cardio training.
These three things will help you have a more comfortable pregnancy, will help make your delivery faster and easier and will help your body bounce back faster post labor. It sounds like a WIN WIN to me 🙂
For those who want to work core during pregnancy, but aren’t sure how, or what is safe, check out my new Pre-natal Core Workout that is safe to do through all trimesters! The full workout can be downloaded from the FREE Pear Sports Training App, which you can find in your App Store or Google Play Store. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Oat Cake
In a small microwave safe bowl combine:
– 1 egg white
– 1/3 cup quick oats
– 1 heaping tbsp. of raw pumpkin (or canned)
– 1 tsp. of cinnamon
– a few dashes of ground nutmeg
– a few dashes of ground allspice
– dash of Pumpkin Spice
– sweetener of your choice (Stevia for me)
– Add 2 tablespoons of Water
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Microwave
on high for about 2 minutes. Flip the pumpkin oat cake and microwave 1 to 2
minutes more.
If you follow my “BIBLE DIET” this would sub as your CARB for a meal and makes just 1 serving. Add your portion size of protein along with it to make it a complete meal.
I just love Halloween candy! It’s the start of fall and the beginning of all my favorite Holidays. It also seems to be the start of everyone putting on some extra winter weight as well. We not only start indulging in eating high fat high calorie high sugar foods make you pack on the pounds, we are also consuming a lot of foods filled with unhealthy ‘ish that is putting straight junk in our bodies. The FDA has declared that these ingredients are “safe” to eat in limited amounts but either way, but to me, that isn’t saying much considering the source.
Check out these below ingredients that can be found in our favorite Halloween treats 😦
1. Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) (found in lighter fluid)
2. Gelatin (Abstracted from animal bones or skin)
3. Castoreum (Beaver Urine) Yup. For reals.
4. Shellac (Bug secretions)
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
6. Carnauba wax (Found in Car Polish, Nail Polish)
These ingredients can be found in Butterfingers, candy corn, gummy candys, m&m’s to name a few…
We ALL know are going to indulge a little bit during the holidays. It’s part of our culture and its ok to indulge (in moderation). But why not indulge in some cleaner alternatives that will still leave your sweet tooth satisfied without leaving you feeling guilty and bloated with a side of brain fog from these crap ingredients.
You can grab a bag of “UNREAL” chocolate candy bars (these in particular taste like snickers- nom nom) at your local Target. I LOVE these!!
At 100 Calories a bar, these are a WIN in my book.
Newman’s does a great job of making a product that tastes great without all the bad ingredients. Their peanut butter cups are one of my faves. Check the all natural ingredient list:
I’m liking what I am seeing! They also have the USDA Organic Seal, which assures us that at least 95% of the ingredients are organically certified.
Newman’s offers a lot of different delicious all natch products: Peppermint cups, cookies, mints, licorice, coffee and pretzels just to name a few. Check out more at their website: http://www.newmansownorganics.com/index.php
Weight training is KEY to developing long, lean toned muscles. There is nothing new there, but we often overlook (by choice) how important it is to pair proper nutrition with all of your hard work in the gym.
In order to get those lean muscles to show, proper nutrition and portions are a MUST. I wanted to share with you all what a typical day looks like for me and how I am able to maintain my physique without gaining fat and while still maintaining my energy, my workout intensity and my lean mass. I use my “BIBLE DIET” 5-6 days a week. For those 5-6 days I “bible” just about 100%. This allows me to eat (within reason) what I want for a couple meals (or a couple drinks!) during my weekends. This eating plan is full proof. I have used it for years and it has helps me achieve the physique I wanted as well as helped me maintain it while still having energy and enjoying the foods I love in moderation.
HERE IS A SAMPLE MENU OF A TYPICAL DAY OF NUTRITION FOR ME:
5:00 AM Meal 1: 3 Egg Whites, 1 Piece of Ezekiel Bread Sprinkle Cinnamon on top!
I eat this within 30 minutes of waking up. This gets my metabolism up and running right away!
8:00 AM Meal 2: Vegan Protein Shake with Spinach and 1/2 Cup Fruit on the side. The only thing that is in the shake is ice, water, 20 grams of protein powder, 1/2 cup of fresh spinach leaves and a pinch of cinnamon. Fun Fact: Adding spinach to your shake is a great way to get in your veggies. You can not even taste it in your shake! And yes, only a 1/2 cup of fruit, total! Fruit will spike you insulin. Therefore, fruit should take place of your carb option in your meal. Or you can do half and half. 1/4 of a carb 1/4 of a fruit. Make sense?
11:00 AM Meal 3: All Natural Steak Tips (3 Ounces) with 1/2 cup or onions and Mushrooms
2:00 PM Meal 4: Quest Protein Bar (This bar will take care of your protein portion of the meal as well as your carb portion) So this bar should replace an entire meal. The great thing about Quest bars is they are all NATURAL and taste DELISH! Super filling for a bar.
5:00 PM Meal 5: 3-4 Ounces of Grilled Chix and 1/2 Cup of Fresh Salsa!
As far as how many carbs I eat or recommend eating. I cycle my carbs!
Day 1: 4 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 2: 3 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 3: 2 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 4: 1 Carb (20 Grams each)
Then Repeat! I get the BEST results using this carb cycle. Still include a protein and if possible, a veggie with each of these meals. For a full menu, recipes, directions, and portion sizes for your size and gender you can email me directly. Xo
**Keep in mind that this is a SAMPLE MENU and these portions are based on my individual size/goals/activity.**
In order to tone and tighten your core to give you the sexy lean mid section you are looking for, there are 4 muscle groups you MUST hit. Often I see ‘core’ workouts that only hit the rectus abdominis muscle AKA the front of your abs.
To get a tight, sculpted, balance core we need to make sure working each of these muscles during your AB workout:
1. Rectus Abdominis (front of your core)
2. Interior and Exterior Oblique’s (sides of your core)
3. Transverse Abdominis (innermost of the flat muscles of the abdomen)
4. Lower Back
It is important to have a well balanced core workout implemented in your training program. Out of all the core muscles the transverse abdominis muscle probably the most forgotten muscle during AB workouts, but really is the most important. This muscle is critical to exercise to strengthen the core and minimize back injury.
Here is a AB circuit that includes exercises that will hit all of these 4 key muscles in your CORE:
1. Toe Touches or Bicycle Crunch (Rectus Abdominis) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds off
2. Side Plank Dips (Internal and External Oblique’s) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds to switch sides
3. Low Plank Hold (Transverse Abdominis) 1 Minute Hold
4. Back Extensions (TA and Low Back) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds off
Repeat 3-4 Rounds.
During this workout, think about the muscles you are working for each exercise. Make the ‘mind/muscle’ connection. Visualize the muscles working, squeeze the muscle through the movement and through your set. Draw your belly button into your spine during each rep. Think of your Abs as a wet towel. With each rep you are trying to ‘wring out’ the towel.
Ok People, Major League Baseball Spring Training is under way. It’s staying light past 5pm and the smell of Spring is creeping its way into our noses. Yup, it’s official, Summertime is fast approaching and most of us need to start turning up our workout intensity to get slimmed down and feeling right to put that bikini on in a few months!
Here is a great workout that will burn a ton of calories that is LOW impact. For those of you who can’t run or jump or just hate to do it, this workout is for you! This working focuses on hitting all the problem areas us women have (core, glutes, and hami strings) along with focusing on shaping and toning your shoulders. Shaping your shoulders is a MUST for getting your arms to look toned and shaped. Most women think it’s biceps and triceps. Wrong. The ‘shoulder cap’ is what is going to shape the arm and give you the sexy Kelly Ripa arms we all love!
DIRECTIONS: Complete all of the circuits below. Allow yourself 1 minute (or more if needed) to recover in between circuits. This workout, including recovery between circuits, should take just 30 minutes. Since it is a short workout, keep your butt moving!
CIRCUIT 1: 4 Minutes (Get as many rounds as possible in 4 minutes) Goal: 6-8 Rounds completed.
EQUIPMENT: MEDIUM SIZED DUMBBELLS (Women 10-15 lb dbs, MEN 15-25 lb dbs)
1. DB Burpee x 4 reps
2. DB Squat and Press x 4 reps
CIRCUIT 2: 7 Minutes (Get as many rounds as possible in 6 minutes) Goal: 2-4 Rounds Completed.
1. DB RDL x 8 Reps
2. DB PLank Row x 8 Reps
3. DB Lateral Raise x 8 Reps
CIRCUIT 3: 7 Minutes (Get as many rounds in 6 Minutes as possible) Goal 2-4 Rounds Completed.
1. DB Pullover x 8 Reps
2. DB Sumo Squat to Upright Row x 8 Reps
3. 1 Db Front Raise & Twist 8 Reps
Circuit 4: 7 Minutes (Get as many rounds in 7 Minutes as possible) Goal 2-3 Rounds
1. DB Oblique Twist to Press x 8 Reps
2. DB Back Lunge to RDL x 8 (Each Side)
3. Plank Kickbacks (side to side) x 8
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE EXERCISES, YOU CAN WATCH ME DEMO THIS WORKOUT IN THIS VIDEO:
Whatever YOUR jog pace, the rest of the speeds of this workout will go off of your jog pace. So if it says “+2 mph” and your jog pace is 6.0mph, then you will increase your speed to 8.0 mph. Make sense? OK- get after this workout, then get back here and let me know how you did!
I did a interview for a locale magazine the other day and I was asked, ‘What advice could I give someone that would change their life?’ At first, I was thinking, ‘Umm none, they need to change their own life.” So I guess that was my answer. With a little better thought and explaination, I elaborated on this thought and came up with an answer that I think we all need to remind ourselves of often.
Any goal is obtainable. Life can be anything you want it to be. You can be anything you want to be. You can look any way you want and feel any way you want. You are in charge of your own body, health, and happiness. Don’t limit yourself to leading a less healthy life than you deserve. You are the only thing stopping your goals in life from becoming reality. If you don’t know where to start, reach out to someone who can give you knowledge and/or advice to helping you reach your goals; utilize your resources! Make the time, don’t make excuses, and get it done. Stay committed, if you fall, get back up, and pretty soon your goals will become reality! It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it.
The Fit Life...Knocked up! 