Sync Fitness

Fun Tips

Time to brag…

I LOVE to brag about my clients. You fine folks inspire me EVERY day. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone running after Sync Fitness Boot Camp or a 1:1 client and spent my entire run thinking about how amazing you are.

So today I want to brag about Erika. Head over to Fit Healthy Moms to read her story. I am so proud of her. I hope she inspires you to step out of your comfort zone. I know she did me.

Click here to read Erika’s story.

2011 Predictions

Wow. 2011. Really???

I have been studying a lot of my colleagues in the fitness industry over the past few weeks. We’re all big nerds and in our free time we like to make predictions on the “next big thing” or the “next big flop”. I wanted to share some of our predictions with you. I hope you’ll read carefully and decide what your best means of fitness will be this year. Read the rest of this entry…

My New Acupuncturist: Misty Nault, NW Pain Relief

Some of you know that I have used acupuncture in the past to deal with injuries, pain, insomnia and digestion issues. I LOVE getting needled and cupped. Acupuncture is PAINLESS if you are working with a good practitioner. My practitioner of two years left the area awhile back and I have gone without treatments for some time now. But last week I went in to try someone new. I went to Misty Nault at NW Pain Relief. I am so glad I finally got around to scheduling this. Misty was so great. Her treatment was comfortable and painless and so relaxing, as it should be. But, most importantly, I got OUTSTANDING results. She worked primarily on my back. She relieved sooooo much of my upper back muscle tension. This has been a problem area for me for some time now. I swear, I left Misty’s office with a brand new back! My upper back felt the best it’s felt in months. THANK YOU MISTY!! If you’ve never tried acupuncture, you should check Misty out. She is fabulous. If you’ve had acupuncture treatments before and would like more, call Misty asap to get on her schedule.

Travel Snacks: Sync Fitness Travel Mix


Let’s be honest, traveling is the perfect, easiest way to talk yourself out of healthy eating. Airport food is not the greatest and when we’re heading out of town for business or pleasure, it’s easy to just throw in the towel, promising, “I’ll just start fresh with healthy eating when I get home.” TRAVEL DOES NOT HAVE TO DERAIL YOUR DIET! The few pounds you gain over a few days of travel can take weeks to take back off. If you travel frequently these pounds REALLY ADD UP!! So here are some suggestions on what to take with you to the airport. Yes, all these items are legal to take through security!

Additionally, I’ve had a few of my 6 Week Total Body Transformation participants ask me for help with their commuting diet. People who are on the road for work, driving between appointments all day, really struggle to make healthy food choices. So, use the suggestions below to pack a little cooler or soft sided cooler bag in the morning.

Check out the video above to see how I make my “Travel Mix”. This stuff has lasted me through trips to Asia, South America, the Caribbean and all over the US. I make a big bag and munch on it my entire trip. This way I never have to resort to french fries. Let me tell you, EVERYWHERE I have traveled internationally has french fries as one of their staples. I think other countries think Americans live on them. It’s a little disheartening.

SNACKS THAT WILL LAST YOUR ENTIRE TRIP:
Sync Travel Mix
Snack Bars (Zing Bars, LaraBars, Pure Organic Bars)
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pepitas)
Dries Fruits (apricots, prunes, dates, cranberries, raisins, cherries)
Protein Powder (Especially ones you can mix with water. Pack a shaker cup too!)

SNACKS FOR FIRST DAY OF TRAVEL:
Sandwiches (place a leaf of lettuce between soggy materials and bread)
String Cheese
Yogurt
Hard Boiled Eggs
Veggies (carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, snap peas)
Fruits (apples, oranges, cherries, grapes)

Do you have favorite travel snacks?? Leave your comments below!

Living Room Workout!

The streets of Seattle were particularly nasty this morning, so I didn’t want to run.  Instead I thought I would offer my personal training services to myself in my very own living room.  Decided I should share the fun with you all.  Here is my early morning workout.  Got the blood flowing and sweat pooling.  I dare you to try it over the weekend.

**Do three rounds.  Rest 1:00 between rounds.  NO REST DURING ROUNDS.**

**Time each round, trying to go faster each time.**

Overhead Squats (5-15 lb DBs in each hand) x 12

Mountain Climbers x 50

1 Leg Row (5-20 lb DBs in each hand) x 12 per side

Reverse Flyes (5-10 lb DBs in each hand) x 12

Skaters with Floor Touch (5-10 lb DB) x 20

Burpees x 10

Stationary Lunges (aka split squat) with Overhead Press (5-15 lb DBs in each hand) x 12 per side

Jump Squats x 20

V Sit & Twist (10 lb DB)

Happy sweating my friends!

Divine Spinal Health

I’m a big fan of Chiropractic!  I’ve been treated for the past few years and I love everything about it.  The popping, the release of stress and tension in my body and the rush I feel right after each appointment (I’m told this is my nervous system being stimulated.)

If you’ve ever considered trying chiropractic, let me recommend Divine Spine Chiropractic in Ballard; they are located in the Old Ballard Firehouse.  Dr. Derek Strachen does a wonderful job caring for his patients.  From your first appointment he lets you know everything he’s doing and why he’s doing it.  He takes each patient through a comprehensive exam where you get to see everywhere you’re holding stress, tension and misalignment.  It is incredible to learn about this and the impact it has on your overall health and well being.  As a wellness practitioner, Dr. Derek does an exceptional job explaining what is going on with your spinal health and how it can effect the rest of your life.  This extends so much further than achy backs.  Spinal health is related to your nervous system health which is the master controlling system of the body.  If your nervous system doesn’t work properly then you become susceptible to illness and disease.

Dr. Derek can use chiropractic to facilitate healing problems in your skeletal system, relieve muscle tension, aid your digestion, eiminate headaches/migraines, decrease allergies/sinus problems, relieve depression/anxiety. . .  The list goes on and on.  Nervous system/spinal health is important to everyone for optimum health and functioning.  Chiropractic is not just for the injured.  You can learn more about Divine Spine and Dr. Derek at www.DivineSpine.net.  I hope you go visit him soon.  He will take great care of you!

Crunches vs. Sit Ups: Finding Your Six Pack Abs

A Facebook friend recently asked Sync Fitness:

“Does it REALLY matter if someone does crunches instead of sit-ups? Are 50 crunches better than 100 sit-ups? What’s the real deal from the resident fitness guru?”

Here is my reply:

In terms of strengthening your abs without compromising your back, crunches are better. Sit ups are good as long as you they don’t bother your back. BUT – if you’re looking to flatten your abs it’s more a matter of losing body fat. You can crunch till the cows come home and still carry belly weight. Flat abs are generally attributed to excellent nutrition, low body fat and lots of lean muscle mass. I know that’s not a fun answer.

Also, know that a lot of those people you know who have awesome abs also have awesome genetics. Some people are lucky enough to inherit bodies that don’t carry as much around the middle.  That doesn’t mean flat abs can’t be had if you weren’t born with them. But you may have to work a little harder if your belly is the place where you tend to carry your body fat.

Being very diligent about what you put in your mouth and how much you sweat it out can hugely impact your six pack.  I have to brag for just a moment here . . . I have a client who is preparing for her wedding in Seattle in a month.  She has done an amazing job of watching her diet and exercising very consistently over the past few months.  She came into The Fitness Lab for her personal training session last week and asked me, “Can I show you my six pack?”  She has worked really hard and as a result you can see these beautiful lines carving out the abdominal muscles on her belly.

Food that will help you lose belly weight: lean protein, veggies and water – TONS of this and little to nothing of anything else.  Like I said, it ain’t easy!  But nothing tastes as good as a six pack feels!

Sync Fitness 30/80 Workout

What does a Seattle personal trainer do for a workout first thing Monday morning??

I had a huge dilemma this morning. I wanted to run outside, as it is a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle. But I also wanted to go to boxing class, where I always get such an awesome arm workout. So I made a compromise: a 30/80 workout. You’re dying of curiosity aren’t you?? It’s such a simple workout and simple is necessary on a Monday morning. Here it is:

30 minutes of running
80 push ups (ON YOUR TOES!)

Sounds like fun, right?! (hee hee). But really it was great. You have to give it try. You can break it up any way you want to. I chose to do 4 sets of 20 push ups. 4 times during my run I dropped down for 20 push ups and then popped right back up into my run. It really did feel good. If 20 consecutive push ups make you want to hurl, break it down. You could do 8 sets of 10. Time it to your music, so you do a set at the end of every song or every other song. Or drop into push ups ever 5 minutes. The possibilities are endless.

Also, if you’re a knee push upper – start every set on your toes and get as many as you can, then drop to your knees. Don’t be afraid of those toes!

Have fun – your arms and legs will LOVE you!

Show Off Your Sassy, Sexy Self!

I’m always talking about how empowering working out can be.  So, here’s the next step in self empowerment: a boudoir photo shoot.  YOU WILL LOVE IT!  My friend Phil Holden is a boudoir photographer who works with a team of lovely ladies to make boudoir photography an experience you’ll cherish.  Phil and his team are utterly professional and will make you feel completely at ease as you get glamorous for your shoot.  Let him showcase your best ass-ets (pun intended) and turn your muscles into art.  Phil does an amazing job of showcasing what you like and hiding what you don’t.  This is such a great way to take your hard earned body out of the gym and show off your accomplishments.  Phil’s photography is exceptional.  Additionally, he enlists the help of hair and make up artist Jen Mobley of PinUp Salon to get you camera ready.  Jen’s work is as fantastic as Phil’s.  They are quite a dynamic duo!

Check out Phil’s boudoir website at:  http://seattleboudoirphotography.com/ .   On the home page is video of what you can expect during your shoot.  You can see this is bound to be a super fun experience! 

 You’ll see that Phil works with women of all shapes and sizes.  So don’t be shy!  Let Phil work his magic.  Many of his clients do a boudoir photo shoot as a gift to their significant other or before their wedding.  But, there are also women who do a boudoir photo shoot for themselves – as they should!  So, get on it girlfriend, if you’ve been working with me, you’ve earned it.   Take it off and show it off!

Early morning workouts – GOTTA LOVE THEM!

This is my most recent kick – working out in the wee hours of the morning.  I LOVE IT!  I did this often in college.  I would run in the dark at 6am with one of my roommates.  It something I loved then and I love now.  When I have 6 am clients it’s a little harder, unless I want to run at 4:30 am, which is sort of creepy.  My imagination runs wild and I see monsters coming out of shrubs. It’s no good.  But, when I don’t have clients until 7 or 8 am I can get in a 5:30 run or a 6:15 boxing class.  I’m telling you there is NOTHING like breaking a good sweat before the sun rises!  It feels like you’re opening a can of whoop**s on the world before the day begins. 

The best part about a predawn workout is that once the sun comes up your workout is OVER for the day.  You don’t have to sit at work thinking about whether or not you have the time or energy to exercise because it’s ALL DONE!  This takes away the opportunity to negotiate with yourself.  It works like no other workout plan!  Beware, it can be painful to get out of a warm bed while your family and/or pets are curled up in balls lightly snoring.  If you find this to be problematic, find a partner.  This can be someone you actually workout with or it can just be someone you connect with before or after your workout.  Call each other to make sure you’re out of bed.  Email each other when your workout is done. 

While I eat a half of a banana prior to my early morning workouts, I hop on facebook.  This seems to help my eyes open.  A friend of mine, Taryn, frequently updates her status prior to her early morning workouts.  I LOVE to see that she’s up and sweating at the same time I am.  It makes all the difference as I gear up for my workout. 

So, here’s your homework: get up two mornings this week and get your workout OVER and DONE WITH before you go to work.  I promise you won’t regret it!  Let me know how it goes!

 

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