Water hydration very important

Water hydration in your body is necessary to prevent muscle loss and aids in weight loss.


"Anyone wanting to lose weight should attempt to hold on to their muscles. In fact attempts should be made to increase muscle mass as this helps in maintaining weight loss. A lot of diet programs result in massive muscle loss. This is one of the main reason for rebound weight gain." Click here to read this interesting article

Please keep in kind when this article says "a reduced calorie diet in combo with 500ml of water led to an increase in weight loss",  you take into account the type of physical activity you are doing before reducing your calorie intake.

Did you know that individuals who are obese tend to have more muscle than you would expect due to the fact that they have to carry their weight around every day. When you are aiming to get in shape it is important to do some sort of strength training to build muscle mass and or keep muscle mass. Muscles burn fat through out the day. In comparison when doing only "cardio" you are only burning fat during the activity but once you are done thats it your body does not continue to burn fat through out the day unless you have the muscle mass to do so. Again this is why it is important to combine strength and endurance workouts, also known as metabolic conditioning workouts.

Please feel free to leave your comments

Wednesdays workout

Well, I didn't actually end up swimming on Wednesday. Our household is still trying to fight a stomach bug. However, I did a workout at 6:30am it was 1000m row, 30 push jerks at 45lbs and 50 Double unders.

Thursday I was really suffering with a sinus infection so I took a rest day. Friday I did a crazy interval workout and then went rock climbing. That was not a smart move I didn't have much left in me for climbing.

Today is Saturday and I am taking the day off to rest and think about new eating habits to add and some to take away. Right now we are trying to buy all our groceries local. So we eat a lot of potatoes,carrots and cabbage. But I am getting tired of it and it is not helping my progress to my goal. Therefore, I am going to go grocery shopping and my list will be:
Spinach
Mushrooms
Red onions
Tomatoes
Chick peas
Cashews
Yogurt
Thats it for the first round.

My goal is to eat more greens and less meat and see how I feel. Also, during the day when I get going with the kids I hardly drink 8oz of water. I definitely need to amp up my water intake. This week due to the stomach bug I have been eating a lot of refined carbs like rice, crackers and bread. So I will have to cut these foods out this week. I will post again tomorrow!! peace

My gills are now wet!

Well, it was my first time in the pool today since August 2010. It felt great! This is what I did for my warmup:
Dolphins dives 50m
100m Free
50m IM kick
50m Pull
50m Free
Workout:
6 x 50m Free 15 sec rest in between sets
50m pull
50m pull with speedo paddles
50m sculling with buoy between legs
350m Free swim

Next swim workout I will time myself for a 700m swim.

Yesterdays workout I scaled as I am still recovering from a stomach bug I caught on the week-end.

A chipper is a workout that makes you feel like you have been through a wood chipper at the end of the workout. A.K.A Exhaustion! One round for time.

"Chipperiffic" by me (15:55) felt sick during the workout but I pushed through.

20 Med Ball Cleans 14lbs

30 box jumps 20"

20 pull ups used 1/2"band

20 Kettlebell Swings 25lbs

30 Burpees

15 knees to elbows

20 SDHP 35lbs


The weather here in New Brunswick is finally warming up. The mounds of snow are now only banks of snow. I am mentally in gear for training. Hopefully, no illnesses arise. Tomorrow morning I plan to go swimming again. I will be doing a time trial for a 700m which is 28 laps of the pool very boring to do indoors but awesome out on the lake. I was looking at an adventure race called Tough mudder it is just insane! I think I need two more years of training before I feel comfortable doing this one. However, I would love to give it a try! 


For now my goal is to beat my last Tri time. This is what I am working towards. I haven't started biking I have decided that I am not yet a tri junkie that can cycle indoors so I am leaving it until I am able to bike outdoors. I will be working on my swimming, running and strength training.


Post tomorrow..peace:)

Its been a while

Steve and I went on vacation to Bermuda. However, the internet was not accessible as I thought it would have been so I could not post. I have four months until my first Triathlon.

My goal was to swim the whole week we were in Bermuda but I popped my eardrum on the way their so I could not swim :( I did three workout while we were there not as many as I wanted but taking into consideration the condition I was in I will take it.

This week I have done Three workouts one on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.
Mondays Workout                                                           Tuesdays Workout
20 minutes on Core, Back and hip conditioning             Skipping, reptile plank for core, pull ups,
2k Run                                                                              rowing and some box squats.

Thursdays Workout                                                        Fridays Workout
50 Wall Ball 10lbs                                                                  3k Run
Three rounds                                                    Deadlifts 10reps at 5 sets at 70lbs (Current max is 180lbs)
100 skips                                                          Pull ups Negative 8 @ 6 sets
15 Toes above waist on bar
10 F-Squats at 65lbs
Time:13:58
Then 1 Max Power clean at 95lbs. Tried 100lbs failed.

Laziness= dreadful workout

Okay, I was lazy yesterday! So for lunch I made a soup that called for canned corn and salmon. I have to mention that I have not bought much at the grocery store for just over three months. My usual shopping list at the grocery store includes: milk, yogurt, carrots and local apple cider. Everything else I purchase at the farmers market on Saturdays.

After eating this soup along with insufficient hydration. I could feel my blood pressure rise really fast. My breath was heavy and during my workout my lungs felt like they were on fire. It was terrible :( Having said this I will never do this again. I will never buy anything in a can again. Lesson well learn't. I know it is from the high sodium in the salmon. I eat sardines sometimes so I didn't think I would be so sensitive to sodium. However, I think it was a combination of the canned corn, salmon and the vegetable stock cube.

Today I still don't feel 100%.

My workout yesterday was:

25lbs Barbell step ups on two 45lbs plates anda 25lbs plate

Box jumps on two boxes 19" high 

10 Deadlifts 65lbs (my lower back was not 100% due a fall I experienced on my icy driveway)

I did 11 rounds and the step ups and the jumps in 25min.

The kids are sleeping now so I will be doing an at home workout:

1000 skips in 6:54

300 skips

10 push ups with one arm twisted plank

Four Rounds

I will post time right after :)

The difference between pullups, chinups and kiping pullups

Today at 6:30am I did 100 Burpee pull ups on the rings in 16:37. I am really happy with this time :)

Taken from CrossFit Kinetics amazing pic!

 I want to talk a little bit about Pull ups. Pull ups are done with an overhand grip and Chin ups are done with a underhand grip. I would highly encourage practising both as they do work slightly different muscles.

So, the difference between a kiping pull up and a regular pull up as you can see in the picture here there is a large swing involved in the kiping pullup. THIS IS NOT CHEATING. This is a completely different exercise than a regular pull up. If you are able to do one regular pull up you can most likely do two to three kiping pullups. This exercise is done for both power and strength. It will help develop your muscles to enable you to do strict pull ups.

Congrats Anna on your first pull up!!

HOW TO GET YOUR PULL UPS

1. Start by doing pull ups with feet on the ground and holding on to a smith machine bar bring your chin up over the bar and lower slowly back to plank position. At home you can do them on a 2' wooden dowel between two chairs (the same way as described on the smith machine).

2. You can then add negative pull ups. On a bar jump hold your chin over the bar and lower slowly.

3. If you have portable gymnastic rings then doing ring rows in combination with the above two with in 3-6 months you will have your pullups (this depends how and how much you train).

This picture on the left is depicting strict pull ups this is mainly done for strength.

If you have any questions feel free to post it on a comment.

Until tomorrow. Jump high..lift heavy!

Bike or Treadmill

Since biking is the longest part of a triathlon I really need to focus on improving my bike time for my triathlon in the summer. Therefore, I would like to purchase this baby. Another option is to buy the bike monitor for my Garmin GPS watch which is $12 something and hook my bike up to the trainer that I have. This is definitely the cheaper option but not the most compact or safe option around the kids.

Today I did 57 minutes of yoga as I was extremely stiff from my run yesterday.

Tomorrows workout will be to run 2.7K and

3-3-3-3-3 Snatch Balances

Sundays Workout

I ran 2.63K in 20:00 ( just realized this time makes no sense. I checked my GPS watch and I think what happened was I started the timer before the GPS system loaded). I will do the same distance on Tuesday, then I will know what my true time is.

This is my first run in about four months. I had many obstacles during my run, wind and snowbanks. I enjoyed hurdling over the sandbanks and pushed as hard as I could on this run. My lungs found it hard to breathe in the cold as I am still adjusting to winter. Overall, I am pleased and enjoyed my run.

Then I did 20 push ups in 57seconds. Forearms are still sore from rock climbing ahhh!!

Brush it off and start fresh

 This week I did only two workouts. Friday I went rock climbing with some of my gym members for two hours and my forearms are shot. I Tried to turn a door knob this afternoon....ummm...lets just say I was close to being stuck in the bathroom.

We all have bad weeks. It's like riding a bike for the first time, you get back up and keep going. Don't stress about the past we only live once its not worth it just move on forward.

 The problem I am finding now that the kids are both home with me Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is fitting in my workouts on these days. I thought about it this week-end and my only option is to try get them down for their naps the same time and do my workouts then or wake up at 5:30am and workout from 5:30-6:30am. Not sure if I can do that early in the morning, my bed time is around 10:45pm. So...this week I will be trying to fit my workouts in around the kids being home during the day. I really don't want to take them both to the gym to do my workouts but if that is what I will have to do then I guess that might me my only option.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I have only one child at home for the day so those days I have no excuses I can take her to the gym with me.

This was the best feeling in the world just hanging in mid air

Today I took the day off to recover from yesterdays rock climbing marathon.

Sundays Workout:

8K Run

Snowed Out!

My go to when I have a sweet tooth

Well, I have to say I am a little appointed in myself. I did do a workout today but not the one I posted. We got a huge snow storm again!! yey Canada.
 I just did my warm up routine (2 rounds) as fast as I could:
10 Good Mornings broomstick
10 Overhead Squats with broomstick
10 Pull ups
10 Knees to elbows
10 Tricep dips
30 Sec hold Samson stretch


Tomorrow I will do the workout I posted earlier on today.


My Sweet treat in the picture above is: Plain yogurt, cashews and some honey.
I just wanted to write a little about finding nutritious snacks when you are feeling for something sweet. Sticking to treats that have dried fruit and/or nuts seems to satisfy cravings longer. Nut oil is heavy and takes a long time to break down, making it an excellent choice for snacking. Be aware....the amount you eat. You only need to eat small amount as they do carry a lot of good fat. Everything in moderation people. 


Train smart and hard :)

My Journey to lose the loose skin

 This picture was taken around five weeks ago.
I have to say that I have really big hip bones and my muffin tops have now become my target area. However, I am really pleased with my progress with the skin on stomach. It has really started to tighten.

I have not done a workout since Saturday. I am okay with that. If you train smart you don't have to workout six days a week. My goal is to do four-five CrossFit workouts a week.

 This is the end product this was taken last week. The skin has firmed up and my upper abdominals have taken a little bit more definition. A good plastic surgeon can do the rest :)

Todays Workout

WOD

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Walking Lunges

OH Squat 35lbs

Pull ups (Kiping style)

Skill: Forward Rolls

Short and Sweat

My workout today was:
2500K Row
4 ring pull ups rest 15 sec, 5 ring pullups rest 15 sec and 5 ring pullups
then..
65lbs (light) Deadlifts 10 reps 5 sets 15 sec rest in between sets.
then...
Did 15min yoga session.
Todays was relaxed, kind of just did want I felt like.

Tomorrow is a rest day for me. However, if it is a nice day tomorrow I might go for a run.

Tonight I went to go and see 127hours. It was awesome! I really liked the creative cinematography, really well done. Good eye opener!
I will not post anything tomorrow.

 Jump high lift heavy. See you guys Monday.

Seeing a difference

My Lunch Yesterday Had the same thing for dinner

Well I did the workout yesterday in 10:04
16 Ring Dips with the Hard elastic
12 Kettlebell Swings 25lbs
8 Push press 65lbs
I am pleased!!

This morning I woke up took a shower and I took a picture of my stomach and compared it to a pic I took three weeks ago. I really see a huge improvement I actually have a four pack at the top half of my stomach and the vertical line that lines out the rectus abdominus is really showing. I would post pictures however, after having kids lets just say my stomach is not the same. Maybe in a couple of days I will post after I have had time to think if I want viewers seeing my stretched out stomach. But hey its part of life so I might as well. ITS REALLL........

I have cut out eating any refine carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, bread and crackers. Also, I have limited my treats to once a week and not caving. I have to go teach a class right now so when I return home I will post some pictures.

I can't do it is yet! Not ready to show my stretchy belly. One day!

Peace out!!

Feeling the Burn

My Lunch yesterday. Ground beef and homemade coleslaw!

Well, I woke up this morning in a rush. I didn't hear my alarm go off and I had a client at 7:30am. I got up at 7:28am ran downstairs, scrapped the wind shield of the car and zoomed away.

Last night was terrible as I was exhausted from yesterdays workout. My son went to bed at 10pm and my daughter at 12 at night. I was awaken to take the 12 shift to put my daughter to bed. I woke up at 1am with a massive migraine and stayed awake until 4:30am. So basically I am running on an hour and half of SLEEP!!! AHHHH!!!

THE SNOW DAY YESTERDAY 

Brrrrrrr.....

Started to shovel after workout and gave up

Crazy snow storm

My Workout today is going to the workout that I was going to do yesterday at the gym:
Three Rounds for time of:
Ring Dips 16
Kettlebell Swings 12
Push Press 8

After my workout I plan to work on my ring pull ups as I have been neglecting pull ups for a while.

I will post my time and the weight that I used later today with hopefully a video of me going through some pain. Until later! Be positive and workout hard!

BUTT BURNER!!

Well I had to cancel my classes at the gym due to the snow storm. So this is the workout I did today

5 Rounds 30sec on 10sec off
Skipping regular: 100,75,36 (I did a 20 min skipping workout yesterday so my calves are shot),85,50
5 Rounds 30 sec on and 10 sec off
skipping with legs jumping wide and together: 57,55,37,60,40
5 Rounds 30 seconds on and 10sec off
Skipping with high knees: 60,37 (calves gave out),.....stopped decided that burn means my muscles telling not to push them and harder. Didn't want to experience an Achilles injury.
Then...
I did the workout I posted on my gym site for my members to do at home:

Jumping switching Lunges 20
Push ups 15

Going Down into my push up

Extended up

And Rest!!

V-Ups (I did the full version on my sit bones) 10 reps
Three Rounds for time

These were tuff

Three Rounds 6:44. I was impressed with my time considering I am jacked up on some serious meds for a really bad flu.

Even Trainers need to do something to keep motivation at a High

The inside of my gym

The pull up rig

Squat Stands

Video will not post! I will try again later. I have to run kids just woke up! I will post this link for the video and upload it later.The fittest I have felt

I decided to post this video of me for self motivation that I can push myself beyond my limit. This video was in July 2010. Here I felt at my fittest. I am originally from a small sunny island in the Caribbean and I am having a hard time currently to keep my motivation high during the really cold winter here in New Brunswick. It has been -30 for about three days now. You literally can not go outside without any form on protection on your hands. Okay enough bitching about the winter!


For my workout today I plan to do the workout I designed for my gym members:

Three Rounds for time

Ring dips 16

K.B Swings 12

Push Press 8

I will post my results this afternoon. 

My first Page

I really don't have time to be doing a blog. However, I am lacking in the motivation department after being sick with the flu for three weeks unable to do any intense exercise. So I decided even if one person checks my blog I would still feel accountable to do some exercise. Apparently you can't edit your profile for each individual blog. Which sucks!! I currently run a kids playgroup from my gym so I have to leave my profile as is.
My name is Cristina
I have two kids a 19month old and a 3 year old. I am Certified CrossFit Trainer, Certified Personal Trainer, Sports Conditioning Specialist and I have a College Diploma in Fitness and Health promotion. In other words I live and breath Fitness lol.

Today I just got some heavy duty medication for my flu due to the fact that I can't do some form of intense exercise and need this to be gone. I am "training" for  two  triathlons in the summer. I did one last year summer my time was 1:42:06 for a sprint triathlon. I am glad I finished as I am not a strong biker. This year I would like to beat that time.

It is Winter here in Sackville, NB Canada so I am doing CrossFit workouts for now. I do plan to bike indoors I just haven't set the bike on the track is yet! One more thing to do. The house is currently a disaster and my desire to clean is let just say it doesn't exist today. My workouts today is light:

20 rounds of skipping 1 min on 30 sec rest
My results I did 18 rounds:156,180,125,200,135,185,181,162,145,176,187,192,165,183,175,182, 28 (double unders), 42(double unders)


I would like to say thank you to Anna for inspiring to do a blog:http://fitasaflea.blogspot.com/