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The weather has been so wonderful lately, it is finally cooling down here in Northern California.  I’ve switched over to hot coffee instead of iced & have been baking up a storm which makes it official in my book, it’s finally fall! I’ve been making quite a few different things but my favorite creation so far was a cake that I made to celebrate game two of the World Series.

Behold the Giants cake aka a giant orange edible baseball:

(This picture was taken with Derek’s crappy camera phone so it’s kinda blurry but you get the idea.) When I made this cake the Giants won.  Today I didn’t bake at all & sadly they lost so I may have to bake some sort of Giants themed creation for the rest of the series!

Yesterday morning I got a surprise in the mail from my twin sister.

She works at a Natural Foods Co-op about 40 miles from where I live & I’m always telling her how much I wish we had a place as awesome as her work to shop at around her so she sent me a box of her favorite goodies.

In the mix

• A 4 pack of Pacific Foods Vanilla Almond Milk
• Two Lara Bars
• Two individual packs of Justin’s Nut Butter
• Oatmeal flavored animal crackers for Bella
• Crofters Super Fruit Spread
• Dagoba Chai flavored chocolate bar
• Once Again Peanut Butter
• Late July Vanilla Bean & Green Tea Cookies
• Sunspire Almond Butter Cups
• Ground coffee
• Energy bites from the bulk bin

…and probably what I was most eager to try

Cheezy Kale!!

I’ve always wanted to try kale chips sprinkled with nutritional yeast but could never stomach paying for nutritional yeast before trying it. That stuff is expensive & I have been forcing myself to be a bit more thrifty lately. They were awesome & I can’t wait to make them myself.

I’m trying to think of what I should bake for her now, I really wasn’t expecting a package with this much stuff in it. So far on my list is almond butter cookies & macaroons! Derek’s dad saw the package & was kinda teasing me for it. He thought I called her & said I was going hungry or something!

My sister and are twins & are super close but are complete opposites. One of the biggest things that we have in common  has to be our love for “different” foods as some people would call it (I don’t think the things we eat are that different from other people but whatever.) Anyways, I guess this is just one of the ways we can bond while still living an hour away from each other!!

Great Article From Fit Sugar!

Hey everyone! How’s your day going? My day was interesting or not so great whatever you want to call it. I got a phone call from my work about a new client that made me VERY happy! I’m going to be training her very frequently each week which is what I aim for so my mood has turned around a bit.

I was also happy to hear that all of the Chilean minors have been rescued. I’m so happy for them and their families & I’m hoping they can get back to a normal life!

So… the main purpose of this post is to share an article I just read on Fit Sugar about the 4 most common mistakes women make when it comes to exercise & they are mistakes that I try to make sure my clients don’t make. There is so much conflicting information out there that makes it hard to understand what is true or false but I think this article  hits all the right points. So here ya go ladies, read up!

Four Common Fitness Mistakes from Fit Sugar

My Five Favorite Ab Moves

 

Hey everyone! A question I get asked a lot at work is what to do to loss fat in the mid section of your body & if it is a good or bad idea to do endless crunches. Well the first thing that I’ll say is something that many people are sad to hear,  it is IMPOSSIBLE to target one area of your body and lose fat in just that area.  You lose fat by burning calories (the best way to do that is through cardio) and where you lose that fat is somewhat based on genetics. Doing crunches are highly ineffective if that is the only thing that you are doing.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way… The good news is that you can target the areas that you want to define your muscles, this is done through resistance training!  So the magic formula for getting a flat stomach is cardio  (to burn fat)+ abdominal resistance training (to define your muscles).

Here are my 5 favorite core exercises!

1. The Plank

 

In my opinion this is by far the best move that you can do for your core & it is very challenging! Even holding this position for 30 seconds will make your abs BURN!

2. The Jack Knife

Takes a little getting used to but it is not as scary as it looks. You can start with the ball resting on your thighs for more stability.

3. Bicycle Crunch

This is a fun move that is also really challenging and effective.

4.  Mountain Climbers

I love this because it combines my favorite move, the plank, with some cardio when done at a fast pace.

5. Side Planks

Same idea as the regular plank but it targets your obliques!

Those are my 5 favorite moves! Try them out along with a regular cardio routine and you’re on your way to a flat stomach!

Also, it’s not a good idea to only focus on your stomach while in the gym. You want to build lean muscle all over to turn your body into a healthy calorie burning machine! Focusing on just one part of your body isn’t effective and leads to frustration. You will get the best results from training all of your major muscle groups, not just your abs.  Women should not be afraid that they are going to “bulk up” from resistance training. We simply do not have the hormone levels to do so, unless of course steroids are involved. 

Good eating habits are also very important & I can’t stress that enough. The saying goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen” & it is 100% true. You can workout all day but if you aren’t eating right you will be running in circles trying to reach your goals.

Good luck! Anyone can reach their fitness goals with a willpower and determination. It takes a lot of hard work but it will payoff in the end if you stick to it I promise! Thank you for reading my little blog, I’m having a lot of fun putting it together & I hope that someone out there is having fun reading it!

Something to talk about:

What are your favorite core exercises? What are your least favorite? Leave your answer in the comments!

Something to read:

An article & short video form two of my favorite fitness trainers about spot reducing fat and why it doesn't work.

Technorati Tags: abs,core,cardio,resistance training,spot reducing,toneitup

New Information About Online Personal Training

Have you ever wanted a customized exercise program from a personal trainer but couldn't afford one? Or maybe going to the gym to meet a trainer in person just doesn't fit in your busy schedule. My online training programs are affordable and you can do them all on your own time and choose to do them in the gym or in your own home.
When you sign up you get an account with the Health and Fitness Provider Network where I personally prescribe you a workout program that fits your goals. A new series of workouts will be sent to you at the start of each week!
Nutrition programs can also be integrated into this program very easily!


Distance Training

A new customized program sent to you at the start of each week with detailed instructions about how & when to perform each workout. Workouts are customized to fit your goals and where you will be performing them (in a gym, at home, or outdoors).

$30 for a month to month program

$70 for a 3 month program

Combination Training

Distance Training with one in person session per month. I recommend this if you are new to exercise and would like to do distance training so that I can demonstrate proper form. Its also the best deal!

$50 for one month program + one in person session

$120 for 3 month program + 3 in person sessions


If you would like to set up a consultation or if you have anymore questions about my online personal training program please email me at Sarahrob208@hotmail.com and I will be happy to help.

To purchase your online training package click here.
Choose one month or three month distance.

Full Body Circuit

This is actually two circuits, there is a seperate sequence just for your core. Complete the first sequence 3 times and then the second circuit three times as well for a great full body workout.
CIRCUIT #1


Do 12-15 reps of each exercise back to back at the end of the circuit rest for 2-3 minutes and then repeat the circuit two more times. (Do the plank once each circuit for 30 seconds)

Forearm Plank (30 seconds)
Works: Full body, mostly core
Hold your body similar to a pushup position (but on your forearms) with your body in a straight line. Try to hold still for 30 seconds or more.




Medicine Ball Oblique Twist
Works: Rectus Abdominis & Obliques
Start with your knees bent, feet slightly off the ground, and with the medicine ball (or dumbell) in front of you just below chest level. Slowly twist your torso to the right, looking back at your right elbow, then to the left. If this is too challenging perform with feet on the floor.



Bicycle Crunch
Works:Rectus Abdominis & Obliques
Start in sit up postition but with feet off the ground, legs bent, hands behind head. Extend one leg straight out keeping the opposite leg bent. Reach the elbow opposite to the bent leg to that bent leg until they meet. Then switch.



CIRCUIT #2

Perform 12-15 reps of each exercise. Do them all back to back. Once all of the exercises have been completed rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat 2 more times.

Stability Ball Wall Squat
Works: Quads & Glutes
Place ball between a wall and your back, your feet should be infront of your hips instead of inline with them. Slowly squat down until you legs are about at 90 degress and push back up to sarting position




Stability Ball Chest Press
Works: Chest & Core
Roll out on the ball until your back is supported. Your body should be in a straight line from your neck to your legs (don't let your hips drop). Hold the dumbells above your head with palms facing away from your face. Lower the dumbells down until your albows form a 90 degree angle then push back up to starting position.




Stiff Leg Deadlift
Works: Glutes, hamstrings, & back
Begin with dumbells infront of your thighs and palms facing in. Slowly lower the dumbells straight down your legs with your back & neck straight until the dumbells are infront of your knees or ankles (as far as you can go while keeping back straight & not letting your head drop). Lift your upper body back up to starting position.





Rear Delt Fly
Works: Back of your shoulders
Begin kneeling over with knees slightly bent and back straight. Lean over as far as you can without feeling uncomfortable but don't go further than a 90 degree angle. Hold dumbells straight down torwards the floor, palms facing in. "Fly" your arms out until you form a T shape, lower back down to starting position.



Reverse Lung
Works: Quads & Glutes
Start with hands on your hips feet hip distance apart. Step back with right leg & dip knee straight torwads the ground until front knee is about at 90 degrees. Push back up to starting position and repeat with opposite leg.




Single leg dumbell row
Works: Back
Stand on one leg with knees bent, slightly leaning over. Hold dumbells straight in front of you palms facing torward your legs. Row dumbells up to your armpits and lower back down.