Baby Bumpdate 27 Weeks!

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 🙂

Xo

Workout Wednesday! Anywhere, anytime!

NO excuses! Everyone has at least 15 Minutes!

The Diet that WORKS!

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.**

Workout Of The Day! WOD

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Here is a quick and efficient workout of the day. This cardio workout includes a healthy dose of hills, sprints and jogging/walking recoveries. This workout will torch fat and calories in no time at all. To get more workouts like this, check out the Pear Sports APP for FREE!

Talking HIIT!

Talking HIIT: The basics

HIIT is all the rage right now. I mean,  like everyone is doing it 😉

But seriously, HIIT training is definitely the best bang for your buck if you are looking to promote lean mass while torching as much fat and calories as possible for long after your workout. 

WHAT IT IS EXACTLY: HIIT protocol is pretty basic. Plain and simple, you spike your HR up and drop it back down, then repeat. Over and over.  These intervals can be cardio or weight focused. 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR WORKOUT HIIT: My personal opinion and what I have seen get the best results with myself and my clients is spiking their heart rate into the bottom of Zone 5 and then doing an active recovery or complete rest until they drop into the bottom of Zone 3 and then repeat.

I always practice Zone 5 to Zone 3 method with active recovery in between.  By no means am I saying this is the only way, but this is what I have seen to work the best with my experience. I don’t recommend resting for time in between (30,60,90 seconds) because everyone will be different and have different recovery times.  To make it authentic, once your heart rate gets back to the bottom of Zone 3 (however long it takes) then you know it’s time to do your next interval!  Make sense?

I  do recommend using a HR monitor (preferably PEARsports where you can also get tons of HIIT workouts for free on their APP along with the heart rate strap (www.pearsports.com)).  If you are not using a HR monitor then yes, you will need to work and rest for timed intervals.  I would say rest or do an active recovery for 30 seconds – 2 Minutes in between intervals depending on your fitness level.

 HIIT INTERVAL EXAMPLE:

A) Dumbbell Burpee Row to Pushup        (Until you hit Zone 5)

B) Bicycle Crunch                                          (Until you hit Zone 3)

 

THE AFTERBURN EFFECT: By spiking and dropping your heart rate in this manner your body will be demanding energy and oxygen from your body.  It will be demanding oxygen so fast that your body will not be able to keep up, and this is what we want!  This will cause our bodies to go in to what we call “oxygen debt”.  You know you are in oxygen debt when you are feeling the lactic burn and fatigue and you are breathing heavy!  This is going to keep your body working hard long after you have completed your workout so it can ‘repay’ this oxygen debt.  Sometimes more than 24 hours after your workout. 

My Workout of the Day 2/27/13

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:

BE THE INFLUENCE!

Tread the Holiday Calories Away!

Tis the Season of over-eating! Get a head start on burning those Christmas party calories with this treading workout.

Directions: Choose your jog pace!

5.0 MPH = Beginner 6.0 MPH = Intermediate 7.0 MPH = Advanced

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!

Jog 3 Min

+1 30 seconds

+2 30 seconds

+3 30 seconds

Jog Pace 1 minute

2% Incline, +1.5 mph 30 seconds

4% Incline, +1 mph 30 seconds

6% Incline, +.5 mph 30 seconds

Jog Pace 1 minute

3% Incline, +1.5 mph 30 seconds

6% Incline, +1 mph 30 seconds

9% Incline, +.5 mph 30 seconds

Jog Pace 2 minutes

+2.5 mph 1 minute

5% Incline Jog Pace 1 minute

+3 mph 1 minute

5% Incline Jog pace 1 minute

+3.5 mph 1 minute

5% Incline Jog Pace 1 minute

+4 mph 1 minute

5% Jog Pace 1 minute

+4.5 mph 1 minute

Jog Pace 2 minutes

Walk 2 minutes

Done!

Total Time: 24.5 Minutes

Be the Influence!

Nancy

Make it Happen!

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.

Be the Influence!
Nancy

Chocloate Milk a Recovery Drink? Not so fast…

There has been a lot of hype around the media lately about chocolate milk as a great recovery drink.  Clients have asked me about this and have been hearing people in the gym talking about how “GREAT” it is.  Ok. No. Marketing is a powerful thing, especially in this country, but you guys have to be more responsible for LEARNING and EDUCATING yourself on your own and stop believing what ads say, what commercials tell you, and what products have splashed across their labels. 

Study’s can “show” any point that they want to argue.  From my perspective, as a trainer, there isn’t one specific place that I go to educate myself.  What I do, and recommend doing, is reading a bunch of articles, reading a bunch of studies, and taking away something from each one.  Moderation is always best and I will never say “never” eat this or “never do that” but I will say that generally “this” is bad for you and “that” is good for you.

The chocolate milk hype is one of them.  I’m not saying never indulge in a glass of chocolate milk.  What I will say, is that chocolate milk (regardless of what the milk company campaign claims) is NOT a solid recovery drink and is NOT the best choice to replenish post workout.  What you NEED for recovery is mainly protein and electrolytes. There is protein in milk, but not the best type of protein for recovery and not enough of it. The type of protein you WANT in a recovery drink is called whey protein.  This is the best protein for muscle recovery.  The type of protein in milk is called casein protein.  Casein protein is 50% LESS effective in rebuilding and repairing muscle fibers than whey.  Why? Whey is absorbed much more quickly by the body than casein.  Whey contains more amino acids than casein and is essential for assisting in muscle protein synthesis.  

So although the media has made it tempting, leave the choc milk on the shelf and grab a whey protein shake instead.   If you’re looking to also replenish electrolytes coconut water is a good choice.

Motivation with Maxwell!

Total Weight Lost: 53 Pounds

Ok you guys!  I love all of my clients, but I love this one the most!  Let me explain!  Maxwell is the love of my life.  The most amazing person I have ever met and my bestest friend.  I have Under Armour to thank for bringing Max and I together.  I trained Max in my morning class for over a year before magic happened at our company Christmas Party last year.  The rest has been history.  I have never been happier!  Just another amazing perk that fitness has contributed to my life!

Ok back to business! I am so proud of Max.  He was coming from the WVU football team of heavy weights, sprints, and a totally different mentality of eating and nutrition. My classes are nothing like what he did in college, so this was a huge transition for him.  It took some time, but finally, he gave in to my programs, and gave it a real shot.  Boy, did it pay off!  Here is what he had to say:

“Before I started working out with Nancy I was your stereotypical former college athlete. I participated at a sport in a very high level, therefore I knew everything there was to know about eating right and working out. I thought structure was the only thing I needed to get the same results.  Needless to say I got a little more than I bargained for and the results, knowledge, and inspiration will motivate me for a lifetime.

At the end of 2010 with just six months of the “real world” under my belt, I was an all-time high 258 pounds. All the alcohol, food, and lack of exercise finally caught up to me. Upon seeing a few errant pictures of myself at a party with my shirt off, I knew it was time for a change. I enrolled in Nancy’s boot camp on January 3rd 2011 to see if I could shed a few pounds before our annual spring time mancation.

At first I struggled more mentally than physically with the format. Mentally, I came from an environment where rest and recovery were commonplace and you were measured by the amount of weight you could move not the number of repetitions. If you had an hour and a half workout you were probably only actually working out for 45 min. Nancy’s class was 45 minutes of straight high intensity work. If you asked me to do 10 reps of a weight I could do it, but if you asked me to do reps of the same weight for 45 seconds I would struggle to get 8.

Throughout the Spring and Summer of 2011, I attended her class an average of 3 times a week and tried to stick to a low carb, high protein diet. Once I got my weight down to around 230 I worked out mostly as a means to maintaining my current life style and not an attempt at making any gains. As the Summer ended and the Fall set in I fell off the bandwagon again. I went to around 2 classes and week and started eating poorly again. I decided that Thanksgiving meal was going to be my last hurrah and this time I was going to try to get serious about dieting and working out. Little did I know that a trip to the grocery store would change my life.

When I got back from Thanksgiving at around 240 pounds, I asked Nancy to put me on her diet plan and we decided to meet at the local grocery store. It turns out that I was mostly ill-informed or too stubborn about my old eating habits and that I do not know everything there is to know about eating healthy (imagine that!). The combination of working out in her class and participating in her diet plan has taken my body and mind to shapes and places that I never thought they would go.

I believe dieting and working out are directly correlated. If you are discipline in your diet, you’ll be discipline in working out, and vice versa. I had dieted numerous times in the past for many different reasons, but Nancy’s food plan never once and still hasn’t felt like a diet. I was still eating a lot of the things I normally eat except more often and in smaller portions. I am confident to say that I will never be overweight again and I have developed enough knowledge and discipline through the whole experience to last me the rest of my life.  The best part is, I get to keep the girl too. ” -Max

BE the Influence,

N