"Charlotte Today" - KISS THOSE INNER THIGHS GOODBYE...WELL, SORT OF

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Get-strong-fit-thighs-140728993.html

Click on the link above to view my latest appearance as the fitness expert on the local morning news show, "Charlotte Today."  See below for my outline/ written breakdown of my presentation.

“KISS THOSE INNER THIGHS GOODBYE”...WELL, SORT OF

-Do your jeans feel a little bit tight in the thigh area?  Well, so do mine!  

-If “skinny” thighs are what you want, then I am most definitely NOT the trainer for you.

-If strong, toned, muscular thighs (with no wiggly bits) are what you want, then I definitely AM the trainer for you

-I firmly believe that there is nothing wrong with bigger thighs, as long as they look fit

-In fact, you DON’T want skinny thighs, because you don’t want to lose the muscle there

-BONUS of strong thighs that are put to work 3-5 days/ week = calorie burning work horses...burning calories for you all day long, every day (even when your workout is over)

How To Work Your Way to Toned Inner Thighs

-Key = Squats and Lunges 

1. Doing them w/ proper FORM - "P.H.D." 1) Posture, 2) Heels, 3) Depth
2. Doing them in all different ways: VARIATION

1. REVIEW BASIC SQUAT FORM
2. REVIEW BASIC LUNGE FORM
3. INTRODUCE VARIATIONS OF SQUAT

*Squat Jump

*Plie/ Sumo Squat (inner thigh focus)

-add weight

*Deadlift

*Front Squat

*Goblet Squat

*Thruster (multi-joint = efficient, higher intensity)

      

       IV.  INTRODUCE VARIATIONS OF LUNGE

*Lunge Jump

*Side Lunge

-add weight

*Front Lunge

*Lunge Thruster

*Lunge Swing (great w/ kettlebell)

Exercise by Exercise/ Calorie by Calorie...How to Burn Off that Thanksgiving Meal

Yesterday, I filmed my next "Charlotte Today" appearance, a special episode all about Thanksgiving and set to air the day after Thanksgiving.  Below is the outline of my presentation.

You're going to eat, eat, eat next Thursday, but why not plan ahead how you're going to work, work, work it off?!  In fact, why not come work it off WITH me with some classes at the Y or a few WODs at CROSSFIT S3?

And one last note of advice: treat your meal Thanksgiving day as ONE of the meals in your day, not the THE meal of your day.  Eat all of your favorite things, but stick to one helping of each.  And be sure to eat three meals that day...it will help you keep your holiday meal in check.

*So, it’s Thanksgiving, and we ARE going to eat...we’re going to eat BIG.  Let’s face it, it is un-American to not pig out on Thanksgiving.

*That meal can make you feel so sick, though...literally sick to your stomach...but also sick over what you just did to your diet plan.  

*You don’t have to let that giant meal derail you from your overall healthy lifestyle, though.  Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up after indulging...just work it off!

*Calorie by calorie and exercise by exercise, I’m going to lay out for you what it will take to work the average Thanksgiving meal off of those bones of yours.

*2 VERY IMPORTANT CAVEATS before I get into the details.  

1. Remember that we all have different Resting Metabolic Rates, meaning we all naturally burn calories at a different rate.  RMR is greatly determined by genetics, but is also determined by age, hormones, and lean body mass (how much muscle vs. fat do you have?). 
2. Further, everybody exercises at different intensity levels - calorie burn in exercise is greatly determined by how hard you go at it (and some people are just plain more willing and able to go to that icky super-intense zone in a workout).

TYPICAL T-GIVING MEAL (to gloss over; focus on total calories)

• 2 glasses of wine = 240 calories
• 6 oz. white and dark turkey = 340 calories
• 1/2 cup stuffing = 180 calories
• 1/2 cup gravy = 150 calories
• 1/2 cup green bean casserole = 225 calories
• 1/2 cup candied sweet potatoes = 150 calories
• 1 dinner roll = 110 calories
• 1 pat of butter = 45 calories
• salad w/ 1 tbsp. ranch dressing = 175 calories
• 1 slice of pecan pie (1/8 of pie) = 480 calories
• 1 slice of pumpkin pie (1/8 of pie) = 180 calories
• 1/2 cup whipped cream = 75 calories
• 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream topper = 145 calories
• 1 cup of coffee w/ creamer = 45 calories
• GRAND WHOPPING TOTAL = 2, 540 calories!!! - in one meal (avg. woman should eat b/w 1400 and 1800 kcal/ day; men b/w 2200 and 2600 or so kcal/ day)

-3500 calories = 1 lb. of fat!! (that’s almost a pound of fat in one meal)(eat 3500kcal => put 1 lb. of fat ON; to lose 1 lb. of fat, must burn an extra 3500kcal than you take in!)

WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT OFF:

*There are great calorie calculators online (input your weight, your specific exercise, and the duration of work; it will spit out relatively accurate kcal output # for you)

-I used the one at www.healthstatus.com; all calorie calculations here are based on my weight of 142 lb.
*Only way to TRULY know your calorie burn: wear a heart rate monitor

*2 glasses of wine (240 kcal) = 20 min. of Jumping Rope (for me, a 140 lb. person)

-may fake jump rope (do w/o a rope)

-all different ways to jump rope: regular, high-knees, butt-kicking, skiing, slalom, jacking, single-leg, double-unders, etc.

*1 serving (6 oz.) of white and dark turkey (340 kcal) = 45 min. Climbing Stairs (for 140 lb. person)

-add a Medicine Ball to your stair workout to up the intensity and to decrease the amount of time required

-hold MB @ chest, overhead, out in front, single-arm, curl it, toss it, etc.

*1 serving (1/2 c.) of green bean casserole (225 kcal) = 20 min. of touch football in the front yard or basketball in the driveway

-the key = INTENSITY...play hard!!!  (just don’t take out any of your relatives)

*1 slice of pecan pie + 1/2 c. of whipped cream (555 kcal) = 1 hour of burpees (for a 155 lb. person)(~45 min. for a 180 lb. person)(~35 min. for 200 lb. person)

-demonstrate a burpee...could you do this for 1 whole hour straight???

-break it up into bits and pieces throughout the day - 10 min. here, 10 min. there

*1 pat of butter (45 kcal) = 5 min. vigorous rowing (on rowing machine)

*the entire 2500+ calorie Thanksgiving meal = 4 Athletic Conditioning classes w/ Erin @ the Y (avg. class burns b/w 600 and 700 kcal/ hour!!!)

View Yesterday's "Charlotte Today" Appearance - Resistance Bands (Cheap, Portable, and Effective)

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Be-more-fit-with-a-10-device-130571218.html

"Charlotte Today" - Triple Benefit of Resistance Bands: Cheap, Portable and Effective

Below is my planned discussion for my appearance on "Charlotte Today" this morning (11am on NBC):

-Just for the sake of argument, let’s say you’re stuck on a deserted island (and you’re trying to stay in shape while being a castaway...sick idea, I know), which one piece of workout equipment do you want to have on hand?

-Correct Answer: a Resistance Band

-Resistance Bands are the cheapest, most portable (fit in a purse or suitcase, can even make it through airport security!), yet still effective, piece of exercise equipment on the market today

-You may not be stuck on a deserted island, but staying fit while surviving regular everyday life can still be a huge challenge: 

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom trying to squeeze a workout in on the living room carpet while the babies nap OR a traveling professional aiming to stay fit while on the road living out of hotel rooms, your best bet is a $9 handled resistance band.

-The exercise possibilities with a resistance band are endless, but I’m going to give you a simple routine to follow that will 1) TONE your muscles head-to-toe AND 2) ELEVATE your HEART RATE for a killer cardio workout

5 Rounds for Time:

• 10 x Resisted Squat
• 10 ea. x Overhead Hold + Side Leg Pulse
• 10 x Resisted Push-Up
• 10 ea. x All 4s Single Leg Rear Extension
• 1 min. x Resisted Sprint

-You can even improve your flexibility by incorporating a resistance band into your post-workout stretching routine.

• Supine Hamstring Stretch
• Supine Low Back Stretch (bend knee into chest)
• IT Band Stretch (drop leg over front of body)
• Inner Thigh and Groin Stretch (open up hips, bring toe up towards ear)
• Shoulder Pass-Through Stretch

My Latest "Charlotte Today" Appearance

Check this out.  And then take it with a grain of salt...I NEVER wear high heels!!!  Who am I to be the expert on how to wear high heels healthfully?!  This one was fun, though.

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Exercises-to-feel-better-in-high-heels-128599503.html

Below is my outline for the appearance.  As always, I didn't get to talk about all that I had planned.  So, if you're looking for extra information on the topic, see below for more:

“Happier and Healthier in High Heels”

*The phrase “the price of beauty” is never more appropriate than when describing the way your feet, lower legs, and back feel after a long day of work in high heels!!

*8+ hours of high-heel hoofing around the office and around town can absolutely be hazardous to your health and fitness

*Heels force us into a very unnatural stance by:

• placing extreme pressure on the balls of the feet
• shortening the Achilles tendon
• tightening the calf muscles
• and encouraging slumped posture

*Result is: 

• Risk of Injury: Achiles tendon is super strong (connects calf muscles to heel bone), but is also very prone to injury; lack of heel contact with the floor (which normally aids in stretching tendon and calf muscles) results in tightening and shortening of calf muscles and Achiles tendon => greater risk of injury to Achiles during exercise and daily living (rupture is AWFUL!)
• Prevention: Stretch calves and Achilles tendon 
• Straight Leg Wall Stretch (upper calf - soleus)
• Bent Knee Wall Stretch (lower calf - gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon)
• Sitting Toe Pull Stretch (increase intensity by straightening knee)
• Challenge: increase stretch by dropping heel off of a step - straight and bent knee
• Risk of Injury: Low back pain; heels careen us onto our toes and encourage a slouched posture (to counteract the forward lean, we hunch our upper back for some backward lean); also lessens the natural curve of our lumbar spine (very unnatural postural all in all); too much weight being supported by lower back alone
• Prevention: Postural exercises to strengthen upper back muscles surrounding the scapulae; train yourself to counteract the forward lean from wearing high heels by pulling your scapulae together and your upper back back
• Wall Angels
• Prone Snow Angels
• Bent-Over Fly and Rear Row
• Renegade Row - on all 4s
• Prevention: Strengthening of transverse abdominals for constant core engagement to stabilize and support spine and back muscles
• Sahrmann Basic Breath exercise (can be done ANYWHERE!!, best supine)

"Charlotte Today" - Turn Household Objects Into a Home Gym

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Work-out-at-home-125818318.html

11:00 - "Charlotte Today"

For those of you interested and able to watch or record it, I am appearing on the local morning news show, "Charlotte Today" at 11am this morning on the local NBC affiliate, WCNC.  Today's topic is turning a few ordinary household objects into a decently-equipped home gym.  For those of you who won't be tuning in, see below for the outline of my presentation.  Everybody CAN have an in-home gym on a budget.

Just about every workout I post on my blog can be done using these household objects for your equipment.

INTRO:

Teaching people how to train themselves on their own at the gym and at home is my passion; it is why I work in the fitness industry.  

Getting results at home is totally doable and is easier than you think.  The key is working out a high level of intensity, as well as maintaining a high level of variety in the types of workouts you are performing.  

Variety in exercise requires variety in equipment.  

That being said, not everyone is able to afford a fully-equipped home gym.  Weights, mats, bands, bars, medicine balls, plyo boxes...those things are expensive.  

You don’t need to buy them, though!  Make them at home, instead.  Turn 6 ordinary household objects into a fully functional, well-equipped home gym.

1) Soup Cans

-Use them as dumbbells

-Use them to protect wrists in plank position

-Exercise Demonstration: Push-Up to Rear Row

2) Towel

-Use as a mat

-Use as a glider (in place of gliding discs)

-Use as a stretching aid

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Supine Hamstring Stretch 2) Shoulder Pass Through Stretch

3) Paper Plate

-Use as gliding discs

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Mountain Climb Glide 2) Hamstring Runners

4) Broomstick

-Use as a barbell or body bar in overhead exercises

-For practicing/ learning olympic lifts

-Use as a balancing aid during squats and single-leg squats

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) OH Squat 2) OH Lunge 3) Single-Leg Squat (using stick for balance)

5) Gallon Jug of Water

-Use as a kettlebell or medicine ball

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Single-Arm Squat Swing 2) Med Ball Run

6) Staircase

-Use as a plyo box for Step-Ups, Plyos, etc.

-Use as a cardio machine: your very own Step Mill (discuss Stair Workout from blog)

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Repeater Step-Ups 2) Depth Jumps 3) Squat to Box

The "Brown-Thumbed" Trainer Giving Gardening Fit Tips

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Avoid-back-and-knee-pains-from-gardening-122450784.html

Click the link above to check out my latest fitness segment on the local morning show, "Charlotte Today."  A portion of the show's viewership is comprised of senior citizens, so my producer, Allison, suggested this topic (Garden Fit) to appeal to that audience.  This is definitely not my forte, as I absolutely CANNOT garden and am not used to toning my workouts down to this extent.  However, I had a ball researching the topic, making light of my lack of a green thumb on air, and challenging myself to work outside of my comfort zone.

I even managed to finagle an on-air shout-out to my four year old, Ellie.  Thanks for the accessory, dear Elle-Belle!

"Charlotte Today:" Bikini-Ready Glutes and Gams

Today, I had my monthly appearance as the fitness expert on our local morning show, "Charlotte Today."  I always feel like such a star (slight exaggeration) when I walk onto the set there...I've been doing it for over a year now, and everybody knows me by name, and they always put me on as the last segment (save the best for last and all, right?).  Hah!  Today I was totally one-upped by the Charlotte Bobcats' dance team, the Lady Cats!  How in the world do I compete with that?!...a gaggle of twenty-something beauties shaking their groove thing.  I loved every minute of being their dud of a follow-up act=)

Back to the serious stuff: my topic today? - How to Get Bikini-Ready Legs and Buns.  I don't know about you, but when I think bikini, I think tummy.  A flat midriff is a tricky thing to come by, though; fat loss has to come first...and there is no such thing as targeted fat loss (without surgical help).  Check out my video to find out how squats, lunges, and other functional exercises that target your thighs and buns can get you closer to a bikini-ready flat tummy.

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Bikini-ready-legs--butt-120619409.html

And a photo of the gals you really wanted to see: Behold, the Lady Cats!!

My Latest "Charlotte Today" Spot

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Power-of-Plyometrics-118373089.html

I just appeared again on our local morning news show, "Charlotte Today," to discuss the Power of Plyometrics as a supplement to your weekly workout routine.

What are plyometric exercises?...explosive movements, like leaps, hops, bounds, jumps, clapping push-ups, etcetera.  Anything that makes your body bounce can pretty much qualify as a "plyo."  These exercises force the muscles to work like a rubber band.  The muscle first stretches (an eccentric, elongating contraction), then quickly turns around and recoils (ammortization phase) into a contraction (a concentric shortening of the muscle).

What are the benefits of training with plyometrics?
1) Power: Training plyos makes you more powerful.  Power is the exertion of force with speed.  If you want to run faster or jump higher, plyos are where it's at.
2) Muscle Efficiency: When you ask your muscles to exert force quickly, you are asking your neuromuscular system to work more efficiently.  Unlike strength training, plyo training does not add muscle mass to your frame; rather, it makes the most of the muscle tissue you already have.  Consequently, you get stronger, more powerful, and more toned while staying lean.

Be careful!  Plyometrics can easily be overtrained.  These exercises are tough on bones and joints.  Plyos should be added to your weekly workout routine as a supplement here and there.  I would advise training plyos no more than 2 to 3 times per week, 10 to 15 minutes per session.

Here is a simple sample plyometric workout routine (8 minutes long, minimal equipment required):
*2 min. Jump Rope (regular, high knees, butt kicks, side to side, jack legs, etc)
*1 min. Squat Jumps
*1 min. Lunge Jumps
*1 min. Box Jump to Depth Jump (jump up to a step, then step off and absorb your weight upon landing)
*1 min. Clapping Push-Ups (or alternating shoulder tapping push-ups)
*2 min. Agility Hop (ankles glued together, jump side-to-side, like a slalom in place)

"Charlotte Today" - Back on TV I go!!

I appeared this morning on "Charlotte Today" once again as their fitness expert.  I had a goofy time chatting about how to exercise your way to better cleavage.  I'm not sure how much helpful information I really got out there...lots of silliness and joking around predominated.  Below is the online link to my clip.

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/How-to-get-a-sexy-cleavage-103292539.html

"Charlotte Today" Live Stage Show at Southern Women's Show

I spent this past Saturday morning at the Southern Women's Show, a convention full of beauty and shopping booths, freebies, auctions, beauty pageants, food, etc.  The television show that hosts me monthly for a fitness segment had me join its live stage show held on the main stage at the big event.  Colleen, the host of the show, and I (in my Britney Spears-like headset microphone) got to lead a gaggle of ladies in a series of exercises. The theme of my gig was exercises you can do at home or in a hotel room, without any real equipment or skill, in order to fry up a whopping number of calories in a matter of minutes.  It was a long day full of lots of waiting around, but I had a ball, and it was totally worth the wait.

Enjoy the below photos of the event taken by professional photographer/ videographer, Julio Barriga, of JBvideoandphotography.com.

My Latest TV Appearance...How to Get Flat Abs (post-baby, too)

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Flatten-your-abs-99240279.html

Second TV Appearance

I had my second appearance this past Monday as a fitness expert on "Charlotte Today," the morning news/variety show on Charlotte's NBC affiliate, WCNC.  I had a ball doing it, and I can't wait to do it again soon I hope.

Here is the link for the online clip: http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/How-to-get-Michelle-Obama-arms-90638084.html

Enjoy!

As Seen on WCNC's "Charlotte Today" This Morning...

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Ditch-the-cardio-machine-85829947.html

Oh, my!...was I ever nervous?!