It's Bikram Baby!

We are talking H.O.T. house baby. The thermostat reads 105 degrees with a side dish of 40% humidity. Just warm enough to get all your muscles loose and stretchy like a piece of Laffy Taffy that has been left on your car's dash mid summer. But, what do I know? I'm just a yoga red shirt following the lead of my yogi-pal. She's the master bender/twister/stretcher/downward dogger (downward dog, huh?). I'm slippin' and slidin' trying to lasso then hoist my sweaty foot behind my back and the Nickster is all zen-like in the, "happy husband," position. Well, fine-so the, "happy husband," is not really the name of that pose but I gotta believe it makes for some... never mind. Anyway the bottom line is it's a good change up from the regular fitness regimen. So dress light, bring lots of water and we'll see any takers THIS Saturday morning in Plymouth for a free session. PS Its a good way to sweat out all those Bud Lights you plan on consuming Friday night-I'm just sayin'.

I like big butts...

..and I can not lie, I am totally jazzed to report a little good news to all the pear-like shaped silhouettes out there. Bout time us curvy gals with "little in the middle, but-cha got much back" catch a break. A word to all the skinny chicks out there... eat yer heart out (and a couple greasy burgers w/ fries would ya?)

Associated Amy B. Press reports: A type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may actually offer some protection against diabetes.

Subcutaneous fat, or fat that collects under the skin, helps to improve
sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Mice that
got transplants of this type of fat lost weight and their fat cells shrank.

Researchers have known for some time that fat that collects in your abdomen-- known as visceral fat -- can raise your risk of diabetes and heart disease. People with pear-shaped bodies are less prone to these disorders. It seems that their fat may be actively protecting them from metabolic disease.

Sorry "apples," maybe it's actually "a pear a day-that will keep the doctor away!"

Personal train-ah takin' weight gain-ah...

Seriously, I don't even know who raps that song I used in the title. What I DO know is that if you want a big ole slice of humble pie (or maybe I should say a slice of low fat, whole grain, apple crisp) then have a body fat assessment done. Holy Crimany! Way to jerk my big ole bummer back into reality! I met with a personal trainer on Saturday morning (8am I know-I don't want to talk about it) to set up proper program to firm up and learn how to "train smarter, not harder". I mean just hear me out on this. I'm not looking to drop 20 lbs or fit into a size 2 (or 4 for that matter) jeans. Just lookin' to make sure that when I do my Miss America wave the underside of my arm doesn't jiggle like my mother-in-laws holiday fruit infused JELLO. Just asking for a little extra assistance in figuring out how to get rid of that "extra texture" I am sporting on my rump-o-la. I am determined after many scrupling hours of flexing in the bathroom mirror that I want more G.I. Jane-like shoulders and triceps before the boating season really begins. So anyway this trainer... he is S-M-A-R-T and is my brave and fearless leader as I begin this fat burning journey. PLUS he promised me he will be able to bounce a quarter off my buttocks when he is done with me (ok ,so not really but a girl can dream can't she?)! I'll keep you posted on the progress, but if you are waiting to see a swim suit photo shoot you are coming to the wrong place-you'll just have to take my word for it! On a serious note: if you are looking for a GREAT personal trainer that will make your body hurt, (in places you didn't even know you could hurt) go see Justin W. at the LTF in the "grove."

Well you calorie consuming/calorie burning bloggers (which ever shoe fits just wear it) come on back again tomorrow for an update on the Belmont Stakes!

V-Ohhhhh2! Part 2

Ok, so do you get the whole deal about training "smarter" not "harder?" If you had a chance to look a the link yesterday to the heart rate chart you can figure out your approximate Anaerobic Threshold (A.T.) by subtracting your age from 180. Deduct another 10 if you have not been exercising OR add 10 if you have been exercising 4x a week for the past few years. In theory, this gives you a loose guideline as to what "zone" or heart rate you should be working out at to burn F.A.T. not just burn time. Of course this doesn't take into account your weight, gender, overall physical health, etc. If you really wanna nail this thang down you gotta sign up for the Metabolic Testing I was talking about yesterday. The doesn't hurt (too much) and you'll feel just a little prick, a pinch really, right at your pocket book. The first test (remember no passing or failing with this kind-a test) I took is the exercise portion of the test first. Here are the rules: No exercise 24 hours prior (permission to skip a day!!!), no alcohol 24 hours before testing (relax is it gonna kill you sit one night out?), rest well the night prior, eat a healthy snack a few hours before testing AND take the test a the approximate time of day you typically work out. Easy right? Next step... Show up at the club with your heart rate monitor secured snuggly around your chest and hop on the treadmill for a little get up and go. You wear this totally sweet looking mask (ugh, hope that cute boy isn't around) on and for 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll walk or jog on a treadmill at increasing levels of intensity (you basically perform to failure). For those who love a hardcore challenge this will be the one of the coolest things you've done (if not whats a few minutes of hell anyway?!?). The payoff is worth it (I stole this part from the New Leaf site): This is where you’ll learn how many calories your body burns while exercising; whether those calories come mainly from fat, carbs, or a combination of both; and at what intensity level you burn calories most efficiently (I couldn't have said it better myself). The second portion is a resting metabolic test. Same guidelines and rules except you show up in the morning, put your feet up, get comfy and relax. All this testing and semi public humiliation gives you the following data:

The amount of calories your body needs to function, including everything from regulating your body’s hormones to thinking the thoughts (some of them dirty-if I know ya) that run through your mind.
The amount of calories you need to consume each day to achieve your fitness goal, whether that’s weight loss goal or greater athletic performance.
The point, known as your aerobic base heart rate, is the highest intensity at which your body still uses fat as it's dominant fuel (burn baby burn).
The highest sustainable intensity of exercise, known as your threshold, that your body can sustain and still burn fat efficiently (si-a-nar-a thunder thighs).
The rate at which your body absorbs oxygen, which your body requires to burn fat.

Are you as exhausted by all this info as I am? Last little ditty VO2 levels (the higher the number the more amazing the performance). Some fun facts for all you geeks out there:

Lance Armstrong: 85 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute
Siberian Huskie Sledding Dogs: 240 ml "
34B Cup: 53 ml "
Himalayan Sherpas: 66 ml "
Click here to see how your VO2 number ranks amongst others your same age and gender.

Enough of the serious stuff-just in time for Fashion Friday! See ya tomorrow!

V-Ohhhhh-2! Part 1

I'm a freak. I'll step up and admit it. I do stupid things like head out for a run in the pouring rain and lighting, like running 2 marathons (one of which almost, I mean almost, killed me), like volunteering for a skin fold test (who really wants to know how much of your body is fat), or like sitting on a big, Dyna ball instead of an office chair at work. No surprise I was willing to pay too much money ($220.00 in case you too are a freak and wanna give it a try) to have a series of two VO2 test performed on my 147lb frame. And yes, I just openly admitted my weight, on my blog, for everyone to read, and I didn't even flinch when I typed it (I rarely step on a scale, rather I judge based on the fit of my Seven for all Mankind jeans as my litmus test). Ok, here's the ditty about training "smarter" not "harder." AND if you are like me and a complete cardio junky, who loves the endorphins, this is gonna be tough to swallow. Ok, so I'm going to boil this down to the basics and the best news of all is there will be no test at the end. It all boils down to A.T. or Anaerobic Threshold. This my friends is the point at which your bod STOPS burning calories from fat and STARTS burning calories from sugar (carbs). You may be saying burning any calorie in my book is fine, but consider this... your body has way more hours of fuel from fat than hours of fuel from sugar (carbs). So when you are spending your time working out why not target burning calories where they really count? Burn all sugar (carbs) and when you head home to eat (refuel) you'll be right back where you started. This people is why you gotta get a heart rate monitor (I recommend Polar brand-it syncs with most quality cardio equipment) (mine is the model in the photo...pink of course) and you have to know your workout zones and your A.T. I spend about 2/3 of my time (this will depend on your fitness goals) working out in zones 2 or 3 and 1/3 of my time working out at my A.T. (165 beats per minute for me) or above to increase my fitness level and condition the old ticker. Here's where I start sounding like a commercial for Lifetime Fitness. Sure, you can guess your A.T. by looking at your heart rate monitor when your jaw drops and you can only speak 1-2 words without taking a breath. Or by using a heart rate chart as your guide if you aren't up for the testing I am talking about. Follow this link and then download/open the PDF to find your approximate heart rate zones and begin training smarter.

Ok, this is the tip of the iceberg, do you wanna know more? Check out this site for New Leaf (the testing process used by Lifetime). They do a good job of explaining more... I hope I've peaked your interest, cuz tomorrow we talk about the first step in metabolic testing. It's gonna be fun and way less painful than a morning after 3 sets/15 reps of lunges.

24 years young, again?!?

I've been opening my checking account for direct withdrawl to Lifetime Fitness since the year 2000. I don't even want to know what that has adds up to over the course of 8 years (on a serious note it has been worth it). I'm a pretty "steady eddie" when it comes to exercise. I have been been dedicated (and yes during some life stages admittedly obsessed) since I joined the YMCA in 8th grade. I'm 5' 6 (and a half) and have weighed in at 140-145 lbs (gasp, a reveal most hate to admit) for at least the last 6 or 7 years in part due to the hitting the club on a regular basis. So last weekend I decided to take advantage of an added perk included with my membership. I signed up for the FREE BODY AGE ASSESSMENT TEST (highly recommended)!!! I'll start this tale by telling you I overindulged with friends the night before and awoke with a crippling hangover. I persevered and pulled my campfire-infused smelling hair into a grimy pony tail, downed 6 cups of coffee, and brushed/listerined, brushed/listerined, brushed/listerined and got my behind in gear. Once I arrived at the club the unpredictable waves of nausea subsided and I met up with Justin, a great personal trainer, and warned him "I'm tellin' ya I feel like I'm 94." The test began a little Q & A: what is your current regimen like, how are your current eating habits, what are your fitness goals, (and the big one) what is going to keep you from reaching your goals (interestingly enough, a difficult question). Next, the official weigh in, followed by the dreaded skin fold test. Up next we got physical with a strength test. I was armed with a bar connected to this gadget and on the count of three I bicep curled that thang until my arms shook (67 lbs-I shoulda done better). Sit and reach (no prob) and a 5 minute treadmill session to measure overall fitness. All this data is punched into the computer and it in turn spits out all this great data that Justin (if you are up for the test-see this guy-he is really good at what he does) helped me understand:

Body Mass Index-normal (even though 23.7 doesn't sound real great)

Cardiovascular (estimated) Max VO2 (heart rate mumbo-jumbo)-moderate

Bicep Strength-good

Sit and Reach-excellent

Body Composition-optimal/good

Overall Fitness-Excellent (not bad for a hang over as my bff)

Anywayz, in summary we concluded my goals are to reduce my BMI by -3.5 points to 18% and to reduce my body weight by 7 lbs. He warned that it is possible for my BMI to be reduced, but my weight to remain stable or increase (the whole muscle weighs more that fat thing). He said by sound nutrition, strength and cardiovascular programs I could reach my fitness/wellness goals in 7 weeks. He was even able to tell me I need to consume a total of 2120 calories each day for normal daily activities (maintennance) more if excerise is part of the daily regimin. This incredible amount of information indicates that I am NOT 30 but 24. I sure wish my face looked like it (bye, bye crows feet).

Itsy, Bitsy, Teeney, Weenie...

and when I say "weenie" I mean as in yellow polka dot you dirt balls. Well anyway, if you had a chance to snoop around the sidebar of my blog you will see a new feature. I know, no one wants to do it and fur-shur no one wants to utter a word about it. But my vitamin D deficient blogging pals we can no longer avoid the countdown to summer and the dreaded preparation of bikini season. I know. The sun maybe hasn't seen those hard to reach parts since last summer and maybe longer. Before you freak out and decide to sit this one out and just hang in the A/C all summer chill a sec. There's time kids we just need to get our fannies in gear and hit the trails ASAP. We have exactly 73 days from this point forth to do what we have to do to stand a chance against the battle of the winter bulge. I am going to face the battle head on and target the areas on my body that have suffered the most "winter kill." See for me it's the extra in the saddle bag area & the additional junk in the trunk I have been carrying around. I mean I'm no idiot-I'm not gonna hang with Kate Moss by the summer solstice, but getting a bit more lean is totally do-able. So anyway I did a little math (not really my bro-in-law did) and figured working out 5 times a week between today and Summer 1 mean 50 work outs (at which point he said "that sounds terrible"). Whatever, I am always up for a good challenge and I thought if I put it on the blog you might (and I might) hold me to it. Listen, we're not talking lb's here we are talking about the feel good factor which I think is what matters most. So here is my pact to you... I'm gonna work on tightening up my cheeks and ironing out my dimples (not on my face you nerd-farther south) and when I do I'm gonna find some cute lifeguard-type and perform this "chest stand" like in the photo instead of my typical keg stand (another blog post). (PS I have no idea who the goof balls are in this keg stand photo, but I think this chick's form is a perfect 10)

See all you toned and tanned bloggers tomorrow (and you pale and ones too).