Christa Doran

I wrote this blog in my head during mile 1 of the New Haven Road Race today. I was plugging along and up ahead I saw 3 of my Tuff Girls running. The Tuff Girl star on the back of the t-shirt they wore with pride was in plan sight as I jogged behind them.

I turned off my iPod, felt the breeze from this perfect summer day on my face, smiled at the band jamming on their instruments, as if to encourage us along, and soaked it all in. “I love this!” I thought to myself as my feet moved through the streets of New Haven. I love running. I love this perfect day. I love knowing that although I am running alone at the moment, there are over 60 amazing strong Tuff Girls on this very same path to the very same finish line. I love that I can look to my left and see a 7 year old child running next to a 70 year old man. I love that all 7,000 of these people are here to do something great today. I love that some ran their first race today, and as soon as they finished asked “when is the next one?” I loved reading all the facebook posts, boasting of how “I DID IT!” Yes, you did. And you should be so proud.

For those of you who have ever run a road race, you know that amazing feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line. And today I got to see that on the faces of the amazing women I am blessed to train day after day. Some of them ran their first 5K, a feat that months ago, seemed impossible and overwhelming. Some of them ran the 20K, an amazing feat of physical and mental tuffness. They all conquered yet another fitness feat, and I loved it.

Today our sneakers all covered the same terrain. And we all crossed the same finish line, regardless of how long it took us. Today you proved your awesomeness yet again. Today you did something great. And I loved it.

I hate it when women shy away from lifting weights over five pounds. It really makes me angry. There are a lot of misinformation out there that has led women to believe that diet food, light weights, and brisk walks will get them the body of their dreams. Not true. While this blog is not a fact vs. fiction blog, it is the story of one very strong woman many of us know, love and admire, and her battle with the bulk, her struggles with clean eating, and her ability to “let go” …just a little.

Thank you Karin for rocking the house at 6AM, for being such an encouragement, and for being so very honest! I think you have awesome energy, are “strong like bull” and have amazing legs.

Enjoy, Christa

Written by Tuff Girl Trainer & Hip Hop Dancer Extraordinaire Karin Christley

Women and bulkiness: a subject that I think about ALL the time.  My body is definitely bulky and it always has been, even when I’m eating completely clean.  I love that my effort and strength show on my body, but I have to admit there are times when I wish I looked a little leaner and sexier. Most of the time I am happy with my ridiculously huge calves and my v-back. One feeling that never waivers for me is the fact that I LOVE being physically strong.

I’ve been a trainer and fitness coach for about 15 years.  When women look at me, I usually get one of two reactions:

1.)   “I don’t want to workout as hard as you do because I don’t want to get bulky”

or

2.)   “How can I get my legs to look like yours, where you can really see the muscle” This is the reaction that I get from a lot of Tuff Girls.  I tell them that I do the same workouts that they are doing. Granted, I always use at least a 10lb weight and I always do the highest level of the exercise (i.e., a jumping lunge, rather than a reverse lunge), but the only thing that I do at home that we don’t do at boot camp are pull ups and a little bit of Hip Hop dancing.

Here is what I want to say in either case, but I always feel like it’s the wrong thing to say because it’s my job to help people achieve the body they want.

“My body is a product of some really strong genetics and years of hard core training.  I started gymnastics when I was two and a half, so I have pretty much been doing pushups, planks, squat jumps, etc. etc. etc. my ENTIRE LIFE!!  This is why it doesn’t take me long to put on muscle. Muscles have memory and my muscles remember when they needed to be big enough and strong enough to perform elite gymnastics.  Also, my grandmother has these calves and she barely walks anymore….genetics!!!”

Another trait/affliction that was passed down my family tree is anxiety. This is not easy for me to admit.  I’m proud of the muscles, but definitely could do without the anxiety. It is a constant struggle for me.  What if I’m not I’m not good enough?  What if I fail?  What if I don’t get there on time?  What if I put on weight?  What if someone thinks I’m bulky? What if I say the wrong thing?  What if I hurt someone’s feelings? What if I don’t finish what I set out to do?

Can some of you relate?  For the record, I just deleted and retyped that previous paragraph three times (What if I’m being too vulnerable?)

Lately, I’ve been really embracing the idea of truly accepting and appreciating the body that you have.  My goal lately is to not set goals.  I really need to relax and not be soooooo busy trying to do more and have more and achieve more that I don’t enjoy ALL that I do, ALL that I have and ALL that I have achieved. I’ve been eating a little bit less clean, but I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.  The stress of my schedule, and trying to eat clean was probably causing a lot more health problems than it’s worth. In fact I know it was.  When I get stressed, I literally can’t breathe and I was probably releasing ridiculous amounts of cortisol into my gut.  So I still have a little bit of fat on my stomach….so what?!?!  I’m insanely strong and my body looks fit and healthy and I’ll take on anyone who says otherwise!!!!

As a trainer I want to have a perfectly lean body so that I can set the bar for clients, but taking into consideration all that I have to work with (the good and the bad) I just don’t think that it’s realistic for me. If some of you can relate to what I’m saying, please cut yourself some slack, work with ALL that you’ve achieved and been given, and ENJOY your life.  If you’re not happy, what’s the point?

You may not see my abs, but you will see my smile.  I may not be eating PERFECTLY clean, but I will be eating healthy and enjoying my food and my life.  I will always push my muscles to their max and anyone who grimaces at my bulkiness……..I’ll see YOU at 3 O’clock!

Every so often I get an amazing story of success from one of the many women I am blessed to train. This one hit on so many levels of what we do every week at bootcamp. I just had to share Stephanie’s story with you in hopes that her story could inspire your story.

The changes that take place inside the four walls of my studio are far beyond physical, although that is why so many women sign up for bootcamp.

As Stephanie mentions, these changes don’t happen overnight, and they may not happen as quickly as you desire, but if put in the work, they DO happen. Thank you Stephaine for being so awesome. Thank you for working so hard to discover your worth and your awesomeness, so that now you can inspire other women to do the same.

You make me so proud. Thank for your allowing me to be part of your journey.

Big Love & Respect,

Christa

The beginning:

Happy Anniversary, Christa!!!

I recently realized that I have been working with you for just over a year, and I wanted to thank you for the changes you’ve inspired in me. I never knew how much my life could transform in a year.

A year ago, I was 35lbs heavier than I am today, but I carried far more than the weight. I was allowing personal and family issues, low self-confidence, and a general feeling that I was “past my peak” in life drag me down.

A year ago, I might have said something like “By this time next year, I plan to have lost 80lbs or more! I will be fit and hot, and back to my wedding weight!”

A year ago, I was bringing 3lb weights to class.

Let’s face it: a year ago, I was sort of deluded. I had seriously unrealistic goals, and the wrong priorities.

Today, I am not nearly as close to my “goal weight” as I expected to be. For awhile, I let that disappoint me, but today I know the value of the progress I’ve made, because progress isn’t always about the numbers on the scale.

So what have I done this year? OK, I did lose 35lbs, which is not too bad. That could be a far larger number if I had been making consistently better food choices in the last 6 months, but I own those choices and accept them as my responsibility. THAT is a huge change for me…but more on the food piece later.

12 months later

This year, I trained for and completed a sprint triathlon. My time stunk, but I crossed that finish line running hard and cried my eyes out after I did it. Because I DID IT. I never would have thought I could do something like that, and I did.

The triathlon was a great accomplishment, but there is something so much more important that I did this year: I reclaimed the best parts of myself. The things you pushed me to accomplish during class made me realize that I am amazing! I started looking at all the parts of my life and saw how much the “past my peak” mentality was affecting every other aspect of it.

Before, I didn’t value myself, didn’t think I was worth the effort, didn’t think I could do anything meaningful or important anymore…for my health, for my family, for my career, for anything or anyone. Now I’ve started carrying myself differently, with confidence, like a fit person inside and out. People notice a change, and they treat me differently.

Sometimes, when I meet a new person, I wonder how I must come across to them. I am still a heavy girl, and with my new found confidence I often forget that. When I tell them about doing a triathlon, or what kind of training I do in class and out, they regard me first with surprise and then serious respect. It’s a great feeling, especially when I know how hard I’ve worked to earn that look of respect.

It does still frustrate me that the way I look doesn’t match my fitness level. I am working so hard, and that is just not obvious to someone when they meet me. Because of this, I find I suddenly have no patience for people who say, “Oh, I could NEVER do that!” when I say I completed a triathlon. I try to maintain my “nice voice” when I respond, “Of course you could, you just haven’t decided you want to.”

I get even more aggravated when someone who looks very thin tells me that they never work out and they “wish they could do a boot camp class, but it’s so hard/they don’t have time/excuse, excuse/etc. etc!” After fighting the urge to slap them, I remind myself that I look the way I do as a result of my own bad choices in the past, and that I am on the right path to the fitness level and body of my dreams. I know I can do it, I AM doing it, I just have to be patient and keep working.

One of the ways I’m keeping myself motivated is through setting goals, and I felt like I needed another challenge to stay focused. I really love running–well, I used to love running and am growing to love it again–so I am training for a half marathon for next January or February. Because I can, so I will. And now that I am working toward that goal, I have to smile and bite my tongue when people say things like “13 miles?!? I could NEVER run that far!”

Being that I am this amazing person who knows that she can do anything she decides she wants to do, I have really started to examine other parts of my life. My career is a biggie right now–I just don’t feel that my job is one that recognizes and utilizes all of my awesomeness. So I’m in the process of working through all of that to decide on what career path WILL let me reach my potential. A year ago, I thought, “Well, at least I am getting a paycheck every other week!” Not any more. Not good enough. I’ve come to understand that I deserve more, and I will only accept the best for me and my family and our life choices. Sometimes, that means trying harder or making tough decisions, and that’s okay.

And now, to the food. My biggest challenge, always. I’ve been up and down all year with clean eating, sometimes perfect, sometimes awful, sometimes moderate throughout. I could beat myself up about it (and believe me, I have) but, when I really think about the last year, I know I have to let that guilt go. What’s past is past, and maybe I haven’t gotten the food piece right yet, but I am not giving up.

I choose instead to focus on all I have gotten right this year. I used to be just as “up and down” in my exercise efforts as my food choices and look what I’ve accomplished: I’ve regularly attended boot camp 2-3 times a week for a year now, plus outside training sometimes as well. It is 100% a non-negotiable part of my life now, and my whole family knows it. My husband, my kids, my dad, even my out of state relatives know that, with very few exceptions, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Steph has boot camp, and she rocks 10lb weights. It took me a year to achieve a no-excuses commitment to sweating profusely and often, and it was worth it. I am worth it.

This year, now that I’ve made hard, regular exercise a permanent and ingrained part of my existence, I have to go after the food, 100%. It will probably take all year, and I’ll have to try harder, but that’s not going to stop me. I guess I should recognize that I have made some good progress on my food choices this year…I don’t drink soda EVER anymore, having given up a 3+ can a day Diet Coke habit, and I’ve cut waaaaay back on sugar. I went from 4+ Splendas in my coffee daily to drinking it with just a splash of half and half. I probably eat dessert or other sweet treats about half as often as I used to. Not where I want to be yet, but better than where I was a year ago, and I can only keep moving forward.

I can only imagine what amazing things I will accomplish in my second year training with you! Because, even though I did the work, you inspired EVERY ONE of these changes in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for believing in me and challenging me to push harder and give 100%, both in class and out. Thanks for helping me see that there is no such thing as being “past my peak;” I just have to decide to create a newer, higher, MORE AWESOME peak to reach, and then work my ass off until I get there. I’m well on my way.

Lots of love and gratitude,

Stephanie

I love reading all the weight/diet/food/exercise posts on facebook. They are just a blog waiting to be written! The reason I only train women is because I feel so many women just simply have no clue when is comes to HOW to lose body fat and build the body of their dreams. It is no fault of their just don’t know what information to trust.

So why is what I am telling you right? Well, I guess results speak for themselves and I have about 300 women who finally “get it” and would be willing to tell you they did it wrong for so many years. Here are the big ones. The big NOOOOO’s!!! that I see women do all the time.

Gimmicks- Have you seen the new Kim Kardashian Sketchers commercial? Apparently she has ditched her trainer and now gets the body of her dreams by walking around in stupid looking shoes. Sounds amazing right? Wrong. She gets paid millions to tell you that Quicktrim and Shape-Ups work. They don’t. You know what works? REGULAR, HARD work and a clean portioned diet. That is it. The stomach flu is a great way to lose weight too, that doesn’t mean it will produce long-term sustainable results.

Eating diet food- Lean Cuisines, 100 calorie snack packs, Light and Fit,  and sugar free jello are all diet missteps that are making you fatter. Nutritionally empty, but filled with crap and artificial ingredients, these foods are a waste of your calories and your money.

Instead, eat small portions every 3-5 hours of real,whole, foods. And don’t get me started on the sugar! That Gatorade you are guzzling during your Zumba class? Loaded with sugar.

What is real food? Food that rots. Food that has one ingredient. Food that was grown, or harvested by farmers, not made in a lab with scientists. Whole eggs, whole grains, vegetables, whole fruit (not dried or juiced), lean meat, plain greek yogurt, almonds, beans, grains like couscous, Bulgar wheat, quinoa, and whole grain pasta are foods that fill you, fuel you, and make your body look, feel and perform better.

Good food has calories too so you need to watch your portions!

Going on a diet at all- If you want to change, then you  have to change. And a diet it a short term fix for a long term problem. Change the way you eat and change how much you eat, and your body will change. It will take time, but if you stick with it, 3 months from now you could be leaner, lighter, and feel amazing!

Using the calorie counter on the elliptical as a guide of how “good” your workout was- This is one of those that I just laugh out loud on. “Man do I feel great! Burned 500 calories walking on the treadmill!” Calories burned depends on how much you weigh, how much muscle you have, and how hard you are working. And the treadmill can only tell you one of those things. So you might THINK you burned 500 calories, but you probably burned about 20-40% less than that.

I actually hate when my clients asked me how many they burned. Who cares? Are you a sweaty beast? Can you barely lift your arms? Are you struggling to get up off the ground? Good! Then you earned the right to leave.

Using the elliptical at all- If you want to change your body, you have to challenge it.  And unless you are warming up on the elliptical (and even then I don’t like it) before you throw around some heavy metal, than you are making a HUGE mistake.

One of the reasons men lose weight quicker than women is because they have more muscle, and muscle is your furnace. It is what burns the calories. So a 140 pound woman with 15% body fat is burning a LOT more calories throughout her day than a 140 pound woman with 30% body fat. Build muscle, burn more.

The only way to build muscle is through strength and resistance training. So pick up some weights and get lifting. And those weights better weigh more than your handbag. In fact, if they are pink, and you can do 20 reps, they are too light. Take that Tracey Anderson.

It has to be HARD. You should be struggling. You should be breathing heavy. It should be very challenging. If not, trade up for something heavier.

Expecting overnight results-One week of hitting the gym hard and eating salads for lunch and you lost a pound. So you skip the gym and eat ice cream. Big mistake.

It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of body fat. And fat is what matters. Who cares about water weight. Yea, you are lighter after a night of boozing, but that doesn’t mean your jeans fit any better. Keep doing the right things, week after week, month after month, and if in a few months you are STILL not seeing changes, re-evaluate.

Quitting quickly- This goes hand in hand with seeing overnight results. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will a chiseled, lean, strong physique.

Weighing yourself every day- Hormones, water retention, time of the month, a big meal, all play a part in our weight. Once a week weigh yourself- NO MORE. If you have fat to lose, and the scale is not budging, you are doing something wrong. Stop making excuses, and change something.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

-Albert Einstein

Focusing on a “goal weight”- Muscle weights more than fat. So if you are working out with weights for the first time you might actually gain weight. So what? Your body will look better, feel better, take up less space, and perform better. I would rather be a 130 pound size 4/6 with a shredded middle and cut arms than a 130 pounds flabby size 8/10 with no muscle. Wouldn’t you?

NOT lifting weights- Get off the elliptical, cut back on Zumba (gag) and start picking up things that make your muscles burn, your arms shake, and your sweat flow.

But be sure and work with a qualified trainer to teach you proper form or you could hurt yourself. What is qualified? NOT an accountant turned Crossfit trainer, or a substitute teacher turned globo gym training god after one weekend course.

Training with the wrong people- I recently had a very thin client show up to bootcamp with 2 pound weights telling me she wanted to lose ten pounds. I had to fight back my laughter as I told her we don’t use 2 pound weights here (her large handbag weighed more than her weights). I also fought back a disturbed look thinking she needs to GAIN ten pounds of muscle, not lose ten pounds of fat. She told me she works with a trainer at a globo gym that I cannot stand. After watching her struggle during class it was clear to me her trainer was, just as I expected, terrible, and obviously feeding her weight loss neurosis. My guess is this client had never lifted a weight over 5 pounds. Shame on that trainer.

You get what you pay for. Work with a qualified, experienced, reputable trainer who will NOT stick you on any machine.

So in summary. Work hard, really hard, really regularly. Eat real food, in small amounts, real often. Don’t eat crap, steer clear of sugar. Get off the treadmill and lift heavy things. Push and pull your body-weight. Stop stressing about each and every pound and try to ENJOY the journey to your best body. It will take time, dedication, discipline, and sweat. But if you really want it, it can be yours.

I had the pleasure of being featured again on WTNH’s CT Style on Monday. If you missed it click here to see myself, and four other amazing TUFF Mommies in action.

Since I am six months pregnant with my second child, pregnancy is on my brain. Recently, I have been forced to modify my workouts. The day I could no longer perform a spiderman pushup with ease, and jumping lunges made my round ligament so sore I was limping for a day, was a sad, sad day for this trainer.

I LOVE to train hard. I really don’t know how to train any other way. I like to lift heavy things, and really push myself during every workout. I don’t believe in walking on a treadmill, or those stupid “thigh-master” machines. Both are a waste of time in my opinion and experience. So the fact that I need to slow down, lighten up, and modify is just a hard pill to swallow. Some women are excited that they can “FINALLY take it easy and eat ice cream every night.” Flash forward 9 months and those are the women I get crying in my studio as they can’t seem to “lose the 50 pounds of baby weight they put on. And my body is jut not ‘bouncing back’ like everyone said it would.”

Exercising during your pregnancy has SO many proven benefits for you and your baby. To name a few: lower risk of surgical birth, less complications and interventions during birth, shorter active phase of labor, less time pushing, faster heart rate recovery for baby during contractions, less recovery time for you, less time getting muscle strength and tone back after baby. And long term studies show that babies born to fit mommies have lower body fat at birth and throughout their life.

I have compiled a brief list of things I believe make for a fit and healthy pregnancy.

1. Don’t stop training if you have been training. Now is not the time to “put your feet up.” You and your baby benefit from regular exercise, and that includes weight lifting.

2. Don’t start something new if you have not been training. Pregnancy is not the time to take up a new form of exercise. If you muscles are not conditioned to (run, bootcamp, kettlebell train, Pilates) then now is not the time to start. If you were not exercising prior to getting pregnant you can always walk and take a pre-natal yoga class.

3. Listen to your body. Before we had heart rate monitors, fancy equipment, and doctors that measure and calculate baby’s every movement what did we have? We had our bodies signals. Listen to them, tune into them, and heed their advice! Feel something abnormal, a strange pain, a bit woozy? Stop. Wait. Rest. Modify your activity if needed.

4. Don’t eat for two. To grow a baby, you only need about 300 more calories per day. That equates to about one slice of bread with a banana and 1 TBSP of peanut butter. Shocking right? Are you eating a double dinner? Expect a double chin as a result.

5. Control your sugar. Is it surprising that so many women are failing their glucose tests? Not in my opinion. Almost everything that fills the grocery store has added sugar. The bread you are eating probably has added sugar. The “Light and Fit” yogurt you think is so good for you probably has as much sugar as a candy bar. All this sugar is bad for you and bad for baby. Try and eat foods naturally low in sugar, foods that don’t contain any added sugar, and steer clear of juices, sodas, and diet foods containing artificial sweeteners.

6. Stay strong. When you are pregnant your posture changes and you are adding pounds to your frame. These two things can lead to body aches and injury if your muscles are not strong, conditioned, and balanced. Most women are so afraid to continue to lift weights during pregnancy, but they won’t think twice about picking up their 25-35 pound toddler. Strange right? If your muscles are strong, you will be less susceptible to injury and will be able to handle postural and weight changes much better. Not to mention carrying that heavy car seat and diaper bag once baby arrives.

7. Stretch and breathe. Staying relaxed and flexible will not only help you during labor, but will also help reduce the aches and pains during your pregnancy. Prenatal yoga is an amazing experience, and something you can do if you are fit or not.

8. Modify as needed. As your body changes, your joints loosen, your abdominals stretch and spread, and the weight load in front changes, you will need to modify your exercises to accommodate those changes.

As you lose abdominal strength things like pull-ups, push-ups and planks will become more difficult. Planks and push-ups can be done on your knees in the later months, and pull-ups can be done on an assisted machine. Because you use your core for pretty much all standing weight lifting exercises, as your core strength decreases you may need to go down in weight, or do some of the exercises sitting down to compensate for a change is posture and balance.

9. Fuel up with whole, nutritionally dense foods. You are forming, growing and carrying a human. Amazing right! If there was ever a time to give up fast food, processed food and sugar, pregnancy is that time. You are feeding your baby during a crucial time, and it is important you are getting plenty of vitamins, minerals, protein and nutrients. These 9 months are not the time to throw your healthy diet out the window and treat your body like a garbage disposal.

Keeping your body fit and strong and eating healthy, whole, nutritious foods will help you maintain a healthy body weight, and be able to handle the body changes that come along with growing and carrying a human life.

Our bodies don’t “bounce” back after having a baby. Even the fittest women have to work HARD to re-condition and re-strengthen their bodies (especially abdominals and pelvic floor) after giving birth. Don’t expect your body to look the same as it did unless you are willing to put in the work. You are worth it, and so is your family. Behind every fit and healthy family is usually a fit and healthy mommy!

Stay strong Mommies & Happy Birthing! We are amazing!

Christa (Mom to Livia, age 2, and growing another baby due 5/22)

*Always check with your doctor before exercising, and make sure you are listening to your doctors advice, especially when pregnant.

**In addition to having trained hard through (almost) 2 fit pregnancies, Christa is a pre-natal and post-partum certified personal trainer.

Greetings Fit Fierce Females!

It has been faaaarrr too long since I have blogged. My blog has been put on the back burner, second to my 2 year old, the new studio! and an occasional hour on the couch (pregnancy has a way of letting you know when you should just BE!).

Bodyology Fitness Studio- New home to Tuff Girl Fitness!

My lifelong dream of owning and operating a fitness studio became a reality in November when the doors opened to Bodyolgy Fitness Studio. It has been awesome having a place to call “home” and run the 11 bootcamps a week that currently fill the Tuff Girl Fitness schedule.

The girls are enjoying the expanded schedule, shock absorbing floor, 2600 square feet of space to sweat in, and NOT having to lug their weights across a park.

New Year, New Stupid Resolutions

I really despise “New Years Resolutions.” You finally come out of the drunken stupor you have been in for all of December, and decide NOW is the time to change! And you just HAD to wait until January 1 to do it. Chances are, if you are waiting for the “new year” and that shiny ball to drop to change your body, mind, spirit, life, blah blah blah, you will fail. Yes, the truth hurts.

With my feeling about resolutions out in the open, let me add that I LOVE, L-O-V-E goal setting. It is an important part to any and every fitness program and if you want to change, you should set some measurable, realistic goals for yourself. No “new year” needed. Do it now. Today. Yes, right NOW. Go ahead, pull out your computer, or your pen and paper, or your smart device and log it in.

So what do you want to change? What do you want to accomplish? By when will you accomplish those things? Write it down. For example, “I will complete 20 pushups on my toes by March of 2011.”

Be specific, set a deadline, and then come up with a plan to get you there. Goals are useless if you don’t have a realistic plan on how you are going to achieve them. Right? “Step 1: I will do 10 pushups on my knees by January of 2011. Step 2: I will do 20 pushups on my knees by January 17, 2011. Step 3: I will do 10 pushups on my toes by February 15, 2011. I will do 20 pushups on my toes by March 1, 2011. Get the picture?

Put your feet up! You are eating for two! And other pregnancy myths…

So, I am a baby growing machine these days. Baby #2 is coming…sometime around May 22, which puts me around 19 weeks along. I “love” (said in a sarcastic tone) the advice opinionated women and arrogant men give to pregnant women. Specifically me, when they don’t know what I do for an occupation. “Are you supposed to be lifting weights?… Eat whatever you want! This is the time! You are going to get fat anyway!… There is no sense in working your abs while your are pregnant, so don’t bother!… There is no way you can have a baby without medication. And if you try, you are nuts!… Enjoy your abs now, they will never look the same after you have a baby!”

Enter abs shot post-baby. Just because.

I am here to tell you NONE of the things those very “useful” (again with the sarcasm) and annoying women told me were/are NOT true for this woman.

You may have a different story, but I am not you. And my body lifted weights (heavy weights) up until the day I have birth. It also gained 26 pounds thanks to a (relatively) healthy diet and exercise, held the plank just fine through 10 months, and was  back to a whittled middle in under 6 months. I also had an unmedicated 15 hour labor with zero issues, a quick recovery, and was back at pre-pregnancy weight in under 11 weeks.

I am not telling you this to brag. I am telling you this so you are fully aware that (within reason) YOU can control how you look, feel and perform during your pregnancy and labor and after.

Feeling large and in charge the night I went into labor 40 weeks, 4 days.

You don’t have to treat your body like a garbage disposal, consuming more food that the Patriot’s linebackers.

You can choose to continue on with your USUAL exercise routine (now is not the time to try yogalates, spinning, or kettlebells ladies!), paying close attention to your bodies signals. You can choose to get back in motion as soon as your doctor gives you that A-OK, not using “I just had a baby” as an excuse to be overweight and out of shape. Now, your doctors orders trump those of your trainer, but unless you are high-risk, or have complications, it should be business as usual!

Your body and your baby will thank you! More on this to come in another blog later this week so check back soon. Just too much to write about in one place!

I encourage you to something different today!

Live Well,

Christa

There is no real “theme” behind this post. Just a few things on my mind, and I though I would share.

Terrible Trainers Strike Again

I was viewing photos from another bootcamp site (yes, I like to check out what else it out there! ) and there was a album where you could view pics of the trainer who ran this bootcamp. Love this idea. I do it myself. People are visual, and like to put a face and a body to the person who will be pushing them along.

There were various pictures of this woman (perfectly scrunched hair with about a bottle of gel, matching outfit with bootcamp t-shirt) doing a number of exercises. Ordinary, basic exercises. One of them was a pushup, on her toes, and knuckles. The “GASP!” part came in when I flipped to the shot of her in the down position. Back dipping, scapulas winging, knees dropping. Just terrible form. A terrible picture of ANYONE doing a pushup, never mind a trainer, who is supposed to teach this move, and correct form when it is done improperly. I wouldn’t even post a picture of my clients doing a pushup like this (wait, scratch that, my clients would NEVER be doing a pushup like this!). Never mind MYSELF. The trainer. The expert. If you are going to teach it, know how to do it and demonstrate it- perfectly.  Enough said. End rant.

Begin rant. Onto my next terrible trainer story about the despicable media whore (and in my opinion bad trainer) Jillian Michaels.

Said trainer would put her name on fried dog poop, and tell you to eat it (and sadly, some would), if they paid her enough. During the twenty minutes I endured of the “Biggest Loser” I saw her KNEELING on a 300 pound client’s back while they held a plank. The next scene showed her screaming at another client while he did burpees with dangerously bad form. Hello back problems! Maybe Jillian should focus more on client’s form and getting them do do exercises correctly before spewing spit and sitting on clients.

You see, when you have obese clients, like those on the BL, they are even MORE prone to injury. But I guess being nice, and doing it right would be bad TV right? Guess I will never have my own reality show. And I am fine with that. End rant.

Doing It Better

One of the gentlemen working on the studio was there one Saturday morning during both my classes. He told my husband how impressed he was at how many clients I already had… especially during “the recession.” So how does a “luxury” business like fitness and personal training grow during a time when people are cutting corners? What is the secret to success?

There is no secret. Do what you love, and do it better that the other people who do that same thing around you. Work harder than them. Offer more than them. Know more than them. BE BETTER THAN THEM.

One of my clients said it perfectly. People don’t mind paying for something when they see the value in it. If it is worth it to them, they will pay.

I run a better bootcamp than my local competitors (or so I’ve been told). I charge less. I offer more. In a better location. I offer more support. More education. More motivation. More encouragement. And every day, I try and make myself a better trainer. Oh, and the big one here. I LOVE what I do. L-O-V-E. I put my clients before profits. Put people first, and the money will follow.

Alice In Wonderland

I was watching Alice in Wonderland last night. In addition to being a great movie (well, I loved it anyway) there was a great scene at the end. Young, pretty Alice is getting ready to fight the Jabberwocky (a big, dragon-like creature). She is standing next the the Mad Hatter (brilliantly played by Johnny Depp) and she whispers, “This is impossible!” Mad Hatter then replies, “Only if you believe it is.” The scene then goes on to armor wearing, sword fighting Alice, chopping the Jabberwocky’s head off to save the day, world, Wonderland.

What a great message! Yes, if you think it is impossible, then it is. Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right (Henry Ford). Believe you can. Believe you have the power to change. And THEN, make the changes that make the changes.

Until Next Time,

Christa

A kick butt Tuff Girl wanted to try a workout with her husband. So, after I reminder her of WHY I don’t train men, (they wine, and sometimes cry, and usually get mad at me for telling them what to do) I sent her a 5 round TABATA workout for her to do with her athlete hubby.

The next day one of the funniest e-mails (photos included) arrived in my inbox. Now, just so this poor man (who is very nice, humble, and fit to boot) is not ridiculed by co-workers and family, I am leaving names and photos out.

The reason for my sharing is yes, to give all you Tuff Girls a boost on this chilly Tuesday, but also to remind of of how truly fit you are. When you train ALL your muscles, and push your cardio to the MAX like we do in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), that translates to being able to do pretty much ANYTHING else. Running, biking, lifting, yoga, whatever! That is why I get so many of you telling me how much better your yoga is, how much faster you are running, how many minutes FASTER you did this years triathlon in, how you are going up in weight at the gym, etc….

Before I share her quick recap of her hubby’s near-death experience I want to add how much I cannot STAND when big meat-heads mock this type of training. Just yesterday one of the “fine” (sense my sarcasm) globo- gym idiots, I mean trainers, called me “all-star” and asked me what I did today for a workout. When I told him a High-Intensity Interval workout Tabata style I received a look that made me think I was speaking in german. Nope, this meathead looked the part, but had no clue what HIIT was. Unless you are training clients under a rock, with no access to the outside world, you should be up on the current research, and that research points to HIIT.

I read an article on HIIT yesterday by amazing trainer Mike Boyle that listed some increcible statistics that just reinforced how I have been training my clients for years.

I took the wording directly from Mike’s article. Prepare to be astounded!

“A recent study, done in Canada at McMaster University and often referenced as the Gibala Study after lead researcher Martin Gibala, compared 20 minutes of high intensity interval training, consisting of a 30 second sprint followed by a four minute rest, with 90 to 120 minutes in the target heart rate zone. The result was amazing. Subjects got the same improvement in oxygen utilization from both programs. What is more amazing is that the 20 minute program only requires about two minutes and 30 seconds of actual work.

Trainer note- CAN YOU BELIVE THIS?? 2 mins 30 seconds vs. 90-120 mins!!!!!! OMG! OMG! Um, yes please!

“A second study that has become known as the Tabata study again shows the extreme benefits of interval training. Tabata compared moderate intensity endurance training at about 70 percent of VO2 max to high intensity intervals done at 170 percent of VO2 max. Tabata used a unique protocol of 20 seconds work to 10 seconds rest done in seven to eight bouts. This was basically a series of 20 second intervals performed during a four minute span. Again, the results were nothing short of amazing. The 20/10 protocol improved the VO2 max and the anaerobic capabilities more than the steady state program.”

Trainer note- I heart Tabata! I Tabata train with myself and my clients a MINIMUM of once per week.

He also shares in the article how after reading some research he started to train his female athletes this way to improve their strength and power. Here is what happened.

“My policy became “intervals only” if you wanted to do extra work. I did not do this as a fat loss strategy but rather as a “slowness prevention” strategy. However, a funny thing happened. The female athletes that we prevented from doing steady state cardiovascular work also began to get remarkably leaner. I was not bright enough to put two and two together until I read the above-mentioned manuals and realized that I was doing exactly what the fat loss experts recommended. We were on a vigorous strength program and we were doing lots of intervals. ”

Hence why my clients lose SO many inches after just 1-2 months of training with me! At Tuff Girl Fitness, we mostly work in 20-30 second bouts, working at your maximum capacity.

So anyway, I know I digress, but here is the e-mail:

“Well, he tried the workout, and it wasn’t pretty!  Now, to husband’s credit, (name omitted to protect manhood) he has never implied that he thinks what we do is easy or that our workouts are girly.  Still, I think he believed he would at least be able to finish it. On the first round he was whimpering. By the third round he was doing all the modified versions, and on the 4th he had to stop for a while because he, quote, “couldn’t breathe.”  I was doing them with him and he was NOT going particularly fast. He was such a good sport about the picture taking. His plank (attached) was more like a pike and when I told him to lower his butt he about cried. The one of him running shows exactly how high he was able to get his knees on the “High Knees.” Low knees more like it?

Anyway, he says to tell you he was not in pain; he had quickly passed through pain and into death. If you ever open classes to guys, he is IN! (He says thanks for a great workout.)”

I hope you got a laugh, I sure did!

It is called Tuff GIRL fitness for a reason! Enjoy your day strong, fit, fearless women!

With a pushup and a pike jump,

Tuff Girl Trainer Christa

It has been far too long since I have posted a recipe. But I think this delicious and quick Mexican dinner will make up for my absence.

Mostly Beans… & Some Rice

In a large sauce pan put about 2 TBSP of olive oil

Chop by hand or in food processor 3-4 cloves of garlic, 1 large onion, and 1/2 bunch of cilantro and add to heated oil.

Saute until soft.

Add 1 large can of red kidney beans, and 1 large can of black beans, with most of the juice drained.

Add 1 cup of whole grain rice and 1 1/2 cups of water. (If you feel more comfortable you can follow rice to water ratio on the bag- every type of rice cooks differently).

Stir well and add about (I never measure so these are guesstimates) 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of  black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder and 1 heaping teaspoon of cumin.

Stir again and taste water. Now you can add more of any ingredients. If you like it spicier, add more chili powder and pepper, if it needs more salt, add it.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all water is absorbed and rice is soft. Whole grain rice usually takes well over an hour to cook – sometimes more.

I like to eat my one-cup rice and bean bowl with 1/2 of a chopped avocado, a pinch of cheese and a teaspoon of sour cream. YUM!

If you want another idea for your rice and beans (or just beans) try a quesadilla.

Brush a fry pan with olive oil.

Put a whole grain tortilla down in the pan and let it brown up. I like the flax tortillas with fiber. They have lots of protein and not a lot of carbs.

Add 1/2-3/4 cup of rice and beans and a sprinkle of cheese to one side of the tortilla and fold the other side over to melt it all together.

Put on a plate and top with 1/2 avocado, chopped tomatoes, cilantro and 1 teaspoon of sour cream.

Enjoy! Until next time Adios Amigas