You're A-W-E- You're S-O-M-E You're awesome, you're awesome, to-tally!

Ok, so who remembers that cheer from school?! No, I was NOT a cheerleader, but I have a freakishly strange memory and remember some random stuff like this from long ago. Maybe I'll make this my mantra for you guys. I'll try it out on you this week and see how annoying it gets...

Anyways, ya'll really are AWESOME! I am so proud of you! What great accomplishments--pounds and inches lost, strength and endurance gained. I can't wait to do final measurements and testing when we wrap these ten weeks up. Keep up the great work! If you'd like for me to give you your individual stats, please let me know. And feel free to brag to all your friends...I am! I'm so happy for your success!

Halfway There!

WOOOHOOO! We've made it to the halfway point! Nice job today with those booty exercises. You'll be thanking me tomorrow, I'm sure. And way to work hard under the warm, crowded circumstances. I appreciate ya'll's flexibility as we moved the workout inside today since we were using so many toys. But I think it's pretty much a consensus that we prefer the outside environment. Just remember you all said that come summertime when the humidity is kickin!

So let's talk about what to do after a workout. You've just had a great workout routine-warmed up, worked the entire body, got in some cardio, drank plenty of water, and stretched. Now what? You may have done the majority of the work, but how you treat your body in the minutes and hours after you exercise has a direct effect on muscle soreness, muscle strength and growth, and staying hydrated.

Why We Stretch: Stretching allows your muscles to rebuild, growing bigger and stronger, and thus allows you to get the full benefit from your efforts. Stretching after exercise also relaxes your muscles, helps speed circulation to joints and tissues, and helps removal of unwanted waste products, thereby reducing muscle soreness and stiffness.

Drink Water: It's recommended that you drink another 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished exercising. You may not feel thirsty anymore, but you still need to replenish yourself to avoid getting dehydrated.

Refuel: You need to repair your muscles and boost your energy level, and you need to do it fast. It's recommended that you eat within 90 minutes of your workout, but the sooner the better. Look for foods that are packed with complex carbohydrates and protein. A perfect example is a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread. Remember the meal ideas I sent you in a previous email with great suggestions?

Sample Meal Ideas

Sample Breakfast Options
2-4 whole eggs	1 hard boiled egg		3 slices beef bacon
Mushrooms, onions and	2 medium link chicken		1 cup sauteed spinach
peppers	sausage		1 medium banana
1-2 oz raw chedder cheese		1 cup broccoli
1 medium apple		1 cup strawberries
3-4 oz smoked salmon	2 eggs		3-4 oz ground beef
Sliced tomatoes	2 slices turkey bacon		Steamed cauliflower or
1 pear	1 cup cooked asparagus		broccoli
1/2 grapefruit		1 cup pineapple
2 whole eggs	2-3 oz ground chicken		1 leftover chicken leg
6 oz unsweetened yogurt	or turkey and 1 egg		(drumstick and thigh)
1/2 oz raw walnuts	sauteed onions and		1 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 cup blueberries	mushrooms		1 pear
1 small banana
Sample Mid morning and Mid Afternoon Snacks
2-3 oz sliced turkey breast	2-3 Tbsp raw almond butter		6 oz plain yogurt
1-2 oz avocado	1/2-1 whole banana		1 oz raw walnuts
Carrots and celery		1/2 cup blueberries
3 oz smoked salmon	3 oz sliced Roast Beef		2 oz Raw Pumpkin Seeds
Sliced tomatoes	Raw sliced peppers and		1 large apple
1 sliced pear		cucumbers
10 cherries
1 cup cottage cheese	2-3 Tbsp raw walnut butter		1 sliced apple
1 cup strawberries	Carrots and celery sticks		2 Tbsp raw macadamia nut
1 oz raw almonds	10-15 grapes		butter
1-2 hard boiled eggs	1-2 oz raw walnuts		2 oz smoked salmon
Sliced red, yellow, and	20 cherries		sliced tomatoes
Green peppers		Carrot sticks
1/2 cup strawberries

Sample Post Workout Meals
3-5 oz chicken breast	4-5 oz turkey burger		4-5 oz broiled flounder
1/2 - 1 cup brown rice	1/2-1 cup cooked quinoa		4-5 oz baked potato
sauteed chinese veggies	sauteed onions and		1 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 sliced apple with	mushrooms		and cauliflower
1 tsp raw honey	1 whole banana		1 sliced pear
1 cup cooked oatmeal	2 chicken sausage links		4-5 oz baked tilapia
(made with water)	4-5 oz baked sweet		or orange roughy
1 whole egg + 3 egg whites	potato		1 cup brown rice and lentils
1 cup blueberries or	1 cup cooked asparagus		(mixed)
strawberries	10-15 grapes		1 cup pineappe
1 whole egg + 2 egg whites	4 oz sliced turkey		2-3 leftover chicken
1-2 oz ground turkey	4 oz baked sweet potato		drumsticks
4 oz cut up potato	sauteed onions and mushrooms		1 cup cooked broccoli
Onions (make into omelette)	1 medium banana		1/2 cup brown rice
1 ripe peach		1 large apple

So make good choices after your workout and most of the time! It's okay to cheat every once in a while. See ya'll for measurements tomorrow and Saturday.

Two Wonderful People

I would like to take this moment to thank two very talented friends and individuals...Jennifer Nall and Sharee Morris. Most of you saw my snazzy new Tiff-Fit clipboard at class the other day. And I'm sure you paused long enough on whatever exercise you were doing to hear me brag about it and where I got it. Well my good friend Jenn made it for me. Thank you again, Jenn! It's so cute! I did get quite a few compliments on it. Check out her webite http://www.fancyframesboutique.com/ for more fantastic custom made items. Mother's Day and the end of the school year are right around the corner! Get a great gift for that special person.


Jenn and Tiff (I know-I really can look like a normal person, but I think this was a special occasion. Won't see it often.)

And then there's Sharee who took some time to help me get this blog looking a 100x's better. Don't ya'll think so?!?! Give it up. Thanks girl, for your time and assistance. You're expertise is amazing and the possibilities are endless! I'm on my way to having as fabulous of a blog as you! (aim high, right?!) Ya'll check out Sharee's awesome blog http://designedwithpurposetx.blogspot.com/ but don't start comparing mine to hers! Like I said, she's a pro at this. She's been doing it for quite a while now and this is her third blog!

Here's Sharee with my daughter, Hailey, sitting next to her.

Thanks, girls, for being so good to me! Ya'll rock!

Music Makes the World go 'Round...

Or atleast makes boot camp go by faster! Yay for our new mega ghetto boombox that gave us all a bit more pep in our step and helped us forget how hard we were working as time flew by. (Am I stretching it a bit? You probably still realized you were bustin you butts, huh? Look Audra, I said "butt" and not "fanny"! I told you I was hardcore.) Anyways, I digress...

But seriously, I am glad the music was suggested. I'm sorry it took so long to make it happen--thanks for your patience. However, as soon as I start gettin complaints about the playlist selection, it's gone. As my son, Mason, likes to say, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." Ok, I'm just kidding. I know none of you would gripe about the music because you're too busy griping about the workout. Heehee. However, it seems that I haven't heard as much moaning and complaining lately. Hmmmm. Am I still doing my job well? I don't know how I feel about that...may need to take a harder look at the upcoming workouts...

So, let's talk about summer bootcamps. I've heard back from quite a few of you committing to returning...suckas! Kidding. You'll love it just as much as this one if not more. And I thank you all who have decided to continue. Can we say, "addicted?" That was my master plan. The 6 am time slot seems to be most popular. Do you 10am campers really hate me that much?!?

And just when I thought I had it kinda worked out as far as days and times, I start thinking. It can get me into trouble...anyways, I've had people ask about offering additional early morning times on other days or evening times as well. So I'd like you all to know that I am considering both of those options. It will all depend on demand and whether I have enough to make a class. If you people do your job and bring in some new recruits for me, then it shouldn't be a problem. And remember another added inaugural group special--you get a free week for referring a newbie who signs up. That is a one time offer, whether you use it for next session or down the road. After that there will be some other little reward for bringing me business.
So these are some things for us to discuss. Also, I may have a beginner class and an intermediate/advanced class (which of course all of you would fall under). This might be the two different class days options.

On another note, I'd like to send a shout out to Patty for coming with me on my interval run today after the 10 am class. Girl, we rocked it! Way to go! I hope you're not cursing me tomorrow.

Also, this Saturday is the Greatwood Spring Fling from 11-4 at the Park at Rec Center I. Greatwood Training Center will be there by the rock climbing wall. We will have a tent and table. Come by and see us! Register to win some free stuff--month of free membership, free training sessions, free bootcamp classes, etc. If I do see one of you pass by, I may grab you to come give a testimonial about bootcamp to prospective newcomers. I'm sure you'll all have nothing but glowing remarks to say about the camp and its leader, right?!

Well, I guess that's all for now. It's late and I will be seeing most of you all too soon at 6 am.
Thanks to those of you who also responded about when you will come in to measure. If something changes, please let me know. And remember, even if you don't like the results, you ARE making progress! Your strength alone has improved in these short few weeks we've been together. (We'll be doing our mile run and pushups again soon.)And don't you feel great?!? Don't get hung up on the numbers. I am seeing positive physical changes in you. You are getting leaner, stronger, and fitter. You will get out what you put into all this. Don't forget that diet and nutrition are huge in fat loss. Stick to it and keep journaling what you eat (and drink).
Ya'll are awesome!!

All Better Now

Ok, so I fixed all the pics from the post last week. Now it looks better! I know you were all worried about how I could handle it not being just right (those of you who know me well). So all good. Go back and check it out now that it looks pretty. I will be posting some new stuff this week.

UGGGHH!

Okay, so I apparently suck at this blogging. I spent most of the day uploading and typing up today's post, lining up my captions with each picture, getting it just right (those of you who know me well know I am a bit anal...) And then once I posted it, the captions were all off! I didn't account for the stuff on the right side of the blog that threw everything off! So I am sorry for any pics and names that are off. If I have time this weekend I will fix it. But know that I worked really hard to get this up just right and am a bit frustrated that it didn't turn out how I expected!
Good day!

Another week down...

See how much fun we have in bootcamp!! Donna's face says it all!


Lookin good with those long jumps (Audra & Susan), chops (Kirk & Donna), and kettle bell swings (Adriana & Erin)!


Audra and Susan beginning their stability ball leg curls.


Football happy feet drill, but I cleverly renamed them "jigglers." However, by the end of bootcamp when everything is firm and tight, we will have to come up with another name!


And the one leg hip extensions...squeeze those glutes!


Go Kelle, steppin it up with one leg ball curls!


Kirk and Donna workin hard with good form on their elevated pushups.


And finally, Kirk has mastered the hamstring stretch. He is so proud of himself as am I! (You are doing great, Kirk! In all exercises, not just the stretching!)



Previous pics were honoring the 6am group. Now let's take a look at out 10am bunch...

Sasha and Stacy owning those kettle bell swings!


Sasha and Stacy keepin up the good work on their elevated pushups.


Everyone workin hard at their station-Connie & Patty at kettle bell swings, Dana & Karen at medicine ball chops.


Sasha on stability ball hip extension.


Connie and Patty with medicine ball chops. Great job, girls!



See how AWESOME you all look! You're like ol' pros after just 3 weeks! Don't you feel stronger? Because you certainly are! I'm sure you all have that bitersweet feeling on Thursdays, right? You know, you're thankful it's the last bootcamp of the week, but at the same time saddened because you won't see me or get to do another pushup variation, mountain climber, or plank until the next Monday or Tuesday. I know you are all scared to admit it, but secretly you're addicted, aren't you?! (Although, Sasha, I have it in writing that you actually said this!)You feel good, you're getting stronger, noticing some changes in your body and the way clothes fit, and you would be just miserable not seeing me weekly to put you through these challenging, full-body, high intensity workouts. Okay, am I stretching it a bit? Just let me believe that, if only for a little while...

Well, let's talk about body changes, and no I don't mean the pubescent kind. Debbie (hope you don't mind me sharing this, girl) mentioned how she noticed her clothes were fitting differently/better but that the weight was still the same. A couple others chimed in with the same comment. Yes, you should start seeing some positive changes in your body composition--how you look, feel, and clothes fit. The number on the scale is one of the hardest things to move. It takes a bit longer, and it is so tied up into your eating. We are working on losing fat and building muscle. Your body composition is changing. You are gaining muscle. You may not see the difference on the scale, but you should see it in how your clothes are fitting and how much stronger you are feeling. I know it's frustrating, but don't get hung up on the scale number. Focus on the positive changes that are taking place from all your hard work. We will measure after week 5 (our halfway point) to check progress. Keep up your good work and stay focused on the healthy eating habits and journaling.

One last note, I just want to tell you all how much I am enjoying you and what a pleasure it is to be doing this with two fantastic groups (and I'm not just talking about getting to torture you). You guys have really made this fun. I hope that some/most of you will continue with me and bootcamp through the summer (and then some...). It just wouldn't be the same without you! And I am planning on offering you all (my awesome inaugural bootcampers) a locked in rate instead of the normal rate for newcomers starting in the summer. And don't forget the referral-one free week of camp for referring a new friend-another special for you guys. More details on all this coming at a later time. But I just wanted to let you know that I would LOVE to have you all back after this 10 weeks.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend!

It's April and we are well on our way to better fitness, my fabulous bootcampers! Can you believe we're already on our 3rd week of bootcamp!? Time sure does fly when you're having fun, right?! C'mon, you KNOW you are having fun! You're just afraid to admit it fearing I might kick up the intensity on you. You guys are doing such a great job showing up, working hard, and getting fit!

Give it up for Brenda (pictured above) workin those mountain climbers--great form! Lookin good, girl! Thanks for allowing me to take ya'll's pics and post them on here. I promise to bring out my real camera so I can get some quality stuff. And I will feature you all at some point or another if there are no objections.

I hope you are doing your part at home with your diet/nutrition. If you start making only one change per day you will start to see improvements. Make this your goal that you will start today (if you haven't already): to choose one healthier food option per day that will get you one step closer to your lean body.
Here are some guidlines to remember:
~Remove as much sugar from your diet as possible
~Try to have protein with every meal aiming for up to 1 g per pound of bodyweight
~Have atleast 3 servings of fruit per day (sticking to high-fiber fruits such as apples or grapefruit and high-antioxidant fruits such as berries) & 3 servings of green vegetables
~If you eat according to the guidlines 90% of the time, you can cheat 10% of the time and still make incredible body changes!

And how many of you have tried out a cardio interval workout? What are you waiting for?!? Me and my cool timer to get you through it? Hmmm, maybe we do that one day at bootcamp--a 20 minute interval session. But there is an open, standing invitation to come with me on the weekend for one...seriously. Let me know if you are interested. I'm sure my inbox will be overloaded with takers. Wait, my phone is ringing--who's the first to take me up on this amazing offer?!?!
But back to my point..interval training is superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss and post-exercise calorie burning. It is more effective and more efficient to use short high-intesity interval training workouts than to use slow, boring, long cardio sessions.

Here's an article on fat burning cardio from Holly Rigsby, author of Fit Yummy Mummy
******************
Fat Burning Cardio - By Holly Rigsby

The news has spread, Interval training is the most effective form
of cardio when fat loss is your goal!

The formula for Maximum Fat Loss is....

Crank Up the Intensity - Reduce the Time

It takes intensity in EVERYTHING you do to lose weight, lose inches
and burn MORE fat.

However, our amazing body quickly adapts to any exercise routine we
out it through, and each time we repeat a particular workout, our
body has changed to meet the demands, becomes more EFFICIENT at
performing the workout and thus ends up burning LESS fat and
calories.

You MUST find a way to Challenge your body each and every workout.

Time to Break out of your Comfort Zone!

You know you need to break free when...

~ You can hold a conversation
~ You enjoy the show that is on TV
~ You are reading a book or magazine
~ 20 minutes has passed and you could go for 20 more

Challenge Yourself!

It can be as simple as the next time you perform your interval
routine, check your previous session and stretch yourself just a
tad to beat it. Either go a little longer, a little further, a
little faster, etc.

So give it a shot! Start slow and work your way up. Here are some of the things you can do:
Walk/Run treadmill or outside
Stationary bike or road bike
Eliptical
Sprints
Jump Rope
Burpees
Jumping Jacks
Body Weight Squats
Squat Press (Ask me for demonstration/instruction.)

And once again, here is an interval workout to try:

Interval Workout A
• Warm-up for 5 minutes getting progressively more intense with time.
• Perform an interval by exercising for 30 seconds at a very hard pace (at a subjective 9/10 level of effort).
• Follow that with “active rest” for 90 seconds by exercising at a slow pace (at a subjective 3/10 level of effort).
• Repeat for a total of 6 intervals.
• Finish with 5 minutes of very low intensity (3/10) exercise for a cool-down.

Minute by Minute Type Intensity Level
1 Warm up 3 out of 10
2 Warm up 4 out of 10
3 Warm up 4 out of 10
4 Warm up 5 out of 10
5 Warm up 5 out of 10
6 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
7 (90 seconds) Easy 3 out of 10
8 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
9 (90 seconds) Easy 3 out of 10
10 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
11 (90 seconds) Easy 3 out of 10
12 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
13 (90 seconds) Easy 3 out of 10
14 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
15 (90 seconds) Easy 3 out of 10
16 (30 seconds) Hard 9 out of 10
17 Cool Down 3 out of 10
18 Cool Down 3 out of 10
19 Cool Down 3 out of 10
20 Cool Down 3 out of 10
20 minutes total

One Last Hoorah

Hey guys,
Once again, a successful week of boot camp! YAAAAY! You've made it through 2 weeks and are doing great! Are you hating me a little less each day or still undecided on that?! As you get stronger and train your muscles, the soreness will subside (ok, maybe not all of it, but it will get better!). I can already tell an improvement in your strength. You guys look great on your pushups and planks! Keep up the hard work, and don't forget the nutrition aspect.
See you Monday and Tuesday.

Yummy stuff and TABATA workout

Okay, so I have to say that the deli thin round sandwich bread topped with hummus was wonderful! Think I'll be eating those regularly now. I added a salad with it and had a nice light, yet fulfilling dinner. (Alex was out of town so I got out of making a big meal.)I bought the big tub of Sabra hummus at Sam's. It was only $5.86 for the BIG tub. Way better price than HEB.
I also had me an Dana Egg McMuffin this morning. Loved it! Added some fresh pico de gallo to it, and it really started my day off right.

So how did everyone like the Tabata workout today? Adding the Tabata protocol is a great way to increase your calorie burn, boost fatloss, and get better results from our cardio and total body fatloss workouts. It includes cardio and strength training and is great for those who like to mix it up or those who love quick and effective combination workouts. It's very challenging and a great way to burn tons of calories in very little time. It's also a great way to keep our workout fun and interesting. (Would fun be a word you would use?! Donna?)Pretty intense, huh? You guys did a great job with it. I'm going to try and have one of those types of workouts a week, and occasionally we may have a smaller set of them mixed in with our circuits(like 2 exercises instead of 5 or 6).

WOOHOOO! Two weeks down! Do you feel stronger? Fitter? And are you having fun?!!? There's that word again :)
I hope everyone has a happy Easter! Don't eat too many chocolate bunnies this weekend! Get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather--you know you want to do some lunges down your street, squats in your driveway, and pushups of every variety! See you all next week!