December 2014 Class Schedule

October Classes Schedule

New OCT Classes Schedule....A Few Changes to "Normal" Routine so look at all days/times. No Tues Night Yoga is one of the changes and will actually go into action this last Tues in Sept. We'll test out this new routine in October and based on feedback can make changes in November.  www.veryeffectivefitness.com/

Perfect Practice Repost

APR

10

Practice Makes??? 

You know the saying "practice makes perfect" but that's not really accurate.  If you are practicing bad form for example, then you will never get good form or good results as a result regardless of how much you practice...it will never be "perfect".  The saying really should be Perfect Practice makes Perfect.  You will only ever get out what you put in, so don't repeat bad behavior, bad mental dialogue, bad form, sloppy workouts, bad eating habits and expect to get anything out of it but bad results.  A good example of bad form would be the squat (Importance of a Proper Squat) or the push up....Folks will rush through those moves workout after workout and wonder why they don't get the results for their efforts....simple answer is you are not working the correct muscles and most likely just stressing your joints.  Same with mindless eating....If you nibble, bite, sample your way through the day not thinking those little tastes here and there amount to anything, you are sadly mistaken.  Results = the Effort you put into it.  Perfect Practice = Perfect Results!  Be sure to stop in at the VEF Studio to get the form correction you need!  

Good To Know:

The "Good To Know" Post will continue to be updated as new Posts are posted & will be placed 2nd to the Current Post for your convenience.....Be sure to check it out to see what' s up ...

The September Schedule is up at veryeffectivefitness.com ....Any last minute changes to classes, etc., will be on Facebook as well as events, specials, challenges so be sure and LIKE the Very-Effective-Fitness Page :-)

Pages available (can link from here or from pulldown menu below Site title on the top left): Home / Why Workout With Me? / How Effective? Very! How Do I Know? / What Some Clients Have To Say / Training Prices / Measuring Results / Inspiration & Encouragement / Workout Tidbits / Eating Supportively / Healthy & Yummy Recipes / Free Monthly Workouts / Current Fitness Challenge

Other Site Info: Sign up for daily e-mails of updated posts! Check out various PAGES for past posts on specific info by the Page. On Facebook at Very Effective Fitness.  Other Blogs By Me: http://veryeffectivescripture.blogspot.com/

Want to know more about me? Check out: Why Workout With Me? & How Effective? Very! How Do I Know? & What Some Clients Have To Say & Why A Free Blog

Be Sure to Check Out My Favorite Links & Books for Your Journey Lists.....

www.facebook.com/pages/Very-Effective-Fitness

5 Ways To Be "Clean"

Top Five Areas to be Clean:

1) Relationships
2) Self (body & mind)
3) Food
4) Home
5) Work

What does it mean to be "clean" in these top five areas?  Well simply put, don't do anything in any of these areas that you do not intend.  Intention is first and foremost, especially with your word.  Do not react!  Think first, breathe first, then with intention and honesty to both yourself, your word, and the other party respond (or in some cases, don't respond).  How does "intention" apply to food?  By planning and being purposeful and cognizant about what you are putting into your body you are applying the principle of intention.  Consistency would have to be a close second to intention in that you won't get any one thing perfect any or all of the time, but trying to make the next best decision/act each moment that is presented to you, will get you as close as humanly possible to balance and dare I say (softly) perfection.  There are others, but if you are practicing and applying the first two principles in living a clean and purposeful life the others will naturally and effortlessly fall into place and balance!

September Schedule

No Classes Sat 9/13/14.  All Regularly scheduled classes remainder of the month.....

Why Good Posture Matters Repost

MAR

10

Why Good Posture Matters 

We live in a fast paced world today with little focus on mind-body connection unless we take the time to unplug and pay attention....for real.  By the end of a day you are most likely hurting in your upper back, neck, shoulders, low back, hips, etc., and more than likely your posture throughout your day plays a big, big role in this ongoing pain cycle.

Posture is key, but it can't just be a stretch and then right back to slumped over business as usual.  A solid stretching or yoga practice helps with awareness and alignment; but in addition to stretching and awareness, you need to be sure and apply good posture practices throughout your day and including tv viewing hours.  You'll know it's become habit once it no longer "feels weird" to sit or stand with good alignment.

Why is it important?  You mean besides eliminating unnecessary aches and pains?  Poor posture not only causes grief to your muscles from either being overly contracted or overly flexed, but it pulls your skeletal alignment out of place and causes dysfunctional movement patterns and joint issues over time.  Good posture doesn't just look good, but it feels good once you put it into practice.  Added benefit is you will actually look up to 10 pounds slimmer just by standing with good form!

Be Who You Are

Eat to be Healthy & 

Train to Be Fit....www.veryeffectivefitness.com/

Perspective Repost

AUG

2

Perspective 

So can you tell the size of the people belonging to these legs?

What about the next pic, can you see the rainbow?

That's the thing about perspective, it's unique to you and it's unique depending upon your vantage point.

The top pic was taken May 2013 and is a picture of my just turned 5 year old (string bean) daughter (sitting on top) of my legs.  Women especially obsess about their thighs and the size, but the perspective of the look and size is unique and might not be real.  Most cannot tell just how tiny my daughter's thighs are in reality from this picture.  Just like us looking in the mirror each day does not realistically tell us our progress or how we look to others (check out the Measuring Results Page for a better way to track results).

The bottom pic was taken just a couple of weeks ago in Florida and contained a beautiful and profound rainbow to the right of the sun, but it could not be captured on film.  Just because we don't see with our eyes something that is there doesn't mean it doesn't exist.  Inside of us is strength we most likely have not yet tapped into and abilities not yet tested.  Trust you are amazing and so much better than your excuses to not succeed!  

Looking For Meal Ideas?

Yummy Savory Lunch/Dinner:

Cajun Chicken Salad

3 cups Romaine Mix

2 cups Spinach

½ large Cucumber w/peel

½ Bell Pepper (red, yellow, or orange)

1 cup diced Tomatoes

3 ounce of Chicken strips sautéed previously in Olive Oil & Cajun Seasoning

4 tablespoons Salsa

(you can add any veggie and/or a ¼ cup of Fage 0% Greek Yogurt)

For more meal options be sure and check out Healthy & Yummy Recipes Page

Free Workouts All Levels w/Descriptions

  Free Workouts All Levels:

Warm Up & Cool Down for All Levels:

Warm Up *

• Arm Circles 5 each direction
• Arm Crosses 10 times
• Toe Touches 10 each leg
• Inchworm to Spiderman Crawls 5 each leg

*Proper Warm Up:  If you do stretching, even brief stretching, before high-intensity workouts it may actually inhibit the ability to achieve full intensity during your workout. This is attributed to the fact that stretching improves muscle elasticity (decreasing tissue viscosity), which lowers the force-generating capacity of the contractile proteins of the muscle. Moreover, the practice of stretching before performing any warm-up is not justified either and may potentially be harmful. The warm up may be subdivided into a more general cardiovascular warm-up followed by a more exercise or event specific dynamic warm-up based on unique muscular elements that are to be performed during the workout session. For these reasons is why you want to do Spiderman Crawls or Squats or Lunges or Jumping Jacks or a handful of exercise specific dynamic moves before workouts as opposed to static stretches…..Save the Static stretches for your cool downs and in between workout days. 

Cool Down Stretches **

• Standing Quad Stretch
• Standing Hamstring Stretches
• Arm Stretches (Shoulder Pull & Tricep Stretch)
• Shoulder Stretches (Eagle Arms & Table/Upward Plank)
• Forward Bends (Standing & Seated)

**Proper Cool Down:  The cool down post workout should be of approximately the same duration and intensity as the warm-up (i.e., five to 10 minutes of low to moderate intensity activity). As opposed to the warm up, the cool down is an excellent time for stretching of your worked muscles. The cool down is directed primarily toward preventing the tendency for blood to pool in the extremities, which may occur when exercise ends. An active cool down also helps remove metabolic waste from the muscles so that it can be metabolized by other tissues as well as reduce the potential for muscle soreness and stiffness.

 Beginner Workout w/Move Explanations:

  

• Chair or Bodyweight Squats 8-10 Reps
• Wall Press Ups 8-10 Reps
• Wall or Assisted Kneeling Push Ups 8-10 Reps
• Split Squats 6-8 Reps each side
• Bird Dogs 6-8 Reps alternating each side
• Forearm Plank Hold for 15-25 seconds

Complete Circuit 2-4 times through with 30-90 seconds rest between each circuit for best results.  Followed by intervals as explained below ***.

Chair or Bodyweight Squats:

Starting Position: Stand in front of a chair with your feet just greater than shoulder-width apart.

Action: With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement at the hip joint, push your hips backward, and "sit back into a chair."  Make your hips go back as far as possible and keep your knees in a straight line.  Squat to chair level, but don't sit down.  Push with your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to return to start position.

Be Sure to: Keep your lower back tensed in a neutral position. Don’t let your lower back round.

You are working: Glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps

Body Benefit: Lower body strength

Wall Press Ups:

Starting Position: Stand with your back against a wall. Your feet should be 6 inches away from the wall and your butt, upper back, and head should all be in contact with the wall at all times in the exercise.

Action: Stick your hands up overhead. Try to keep your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in contact with the wall at all times. Slide your arms down the wall and tuck your elbows into your sides. This should bring your shoulder blades down and together. You should feel a strong contraction in the muscles between your shoulder blades as well as the shoulder muscles. From the bottom position, try to slowly slide your arms up until they are straight and in a “stick-em up” position.

Be sure to: Keep everything in contact with the wall. Try to improve your range of motion in this exercise each week.

You are working: Shoulders, upper body, back

Body Benefit: Shoulder mobility and postural control

Wall or Assisted Kneeling Push Ups:

Starting Position: Keep the abs braced and the body in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Place hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, thumbs coming to armpit. Knees stay on the floor (above kneecap). (If on the wall, then place hands on the wall slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and stand in a straight line far enough from the wall that your arms can push to full extension while keeping your feet flat on the floor.)

Action: Slowly lower yourself down until you are 2 inches off the ground (or wall). Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position.

Be sure to: Keep your body in a straight line at all times.

You are working: Chest, arms, core

Body Benefit: Upper body strength

Split Squats:

Starting Position: Stand with your feet “lunge” distance apart one foot offset in front of the other, both toes facing forward.

Action: Slowly lower yourself to the ground by bending your back knee. Right before you reach the floor, extend your BACK leg and squeeze your glutes.  Repeat for all of the repetitions on one side and then repeat with the other leg. 

Be sure to: Keep your back straight, shoulders back, and face forward with your body aligned, back leg is the working leg.

You are working: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes

Body Benefit: Lower body strength

Bird Dogs:

Starting Position: Kneel on a mat and place your hands on the mat under your shoulders, knees under hips. You should be on “all fours” like a dog.

Action: Raise your right hand and left leg simultaneously while keeping your abs braced. Point your right arm straight out from your shoulder and your left leg straight out from your hip. Your pelvis should not rotate (if someone placed a ball in the small of your back, it shouldn’t fall off.)

Be sure to: Keep your back flat like a table. Hold for 5 seconds then slowly lower without rotating your pelvis.  Repeat by alternating each side.

You are working: Abs, hamstrings, glutes, chest

Body Benefit: Core strength and balance

Forearm Plank Hold:

Starting Position: Lie on your stomach on a mat. Raise your body in a straight line and rest your bodyweight on your elbows and toes so that your body hovers over the mat.

Action: Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs tight but breathe normally.

Be sure to: Hold this position for the recommended amount of time

You are working: Core

Body benefit: Core strength and balance

***Intervals =  30 seconds of work & 30 seconds of active rest for 10 Complete Rounds.  Interval “Work” Moves can be Jumping Jacks, Jump Rope, Butt Kicks, Knee Highs (Running In Place).  Interval “Active Rest” Moves can be walking in place or Butt Kicks.  Active rest should allow your body to recover from the work phase without lowering your heart rate too much.  Most effective is to pick two work moves and alternate them each round. 

Intermediate/Advance Workout: (2 Workouts to alternate between...e-mail me with any questions regarding the moves ;-) Have fun!)

Supersets Workout A = 2-4 Sets Each

      *Low DB/KB Sumo Squats 10-12 Reps
      *Spiderman Push Ups 6-8 Reps each side

      *1 Leg Reaching Lunges 6-8 Reps each side
      *MB Reverse Crunches 12-15 Reps
      
      *DB Presses 8-10 Reps
      *T-Ups 8-10 Reps alternating each side

Complete each Superset 2-4 times through with 30-90 seconds rest between Supersets for best results. Followed by intervals (40x20 for 15 Rounds).

Supersets Workout B = 2-4 Sets Each 

      *Low DB Squats 10-12 Reps
      *DB Upright Rows 8-10 Reps each side

      *DB Forward Lunges 10-12 Reps each side
      *SB Mt Climbers 12-15 Reps alternating each leg

      *MB or DB Good Mornings 10-12 Reps
      *Forearm SB Plank Hold for 45 seconds

Complete each Superset 2-4 times through with 30-90 seconds rest between Supersets for best results. Followed by intervals (40x20 for 15 Rounds).

September Free Monthly Workout

September 2014 Workout
SuperSet 2-4 Times

In/Out Squats for 40 seconds

Bear Crawls for 50 seconds

Step Ups to Reverse Lunges 8-10 each side

Declined Push Ups 6-8 each side

Russian Twists 40 seconds

Forearm Plank Hold 40 seconds

Be sure to check out the Free Monthly Workouts Page for additional workouts and/or Yoga/Stretching routines!

Measuring Results 

For those of you who are getting fit in part for weight loss know that the scale is not the best way to ascertain your results.  You can lose a lot of weight on calorie restriction focused diets, but what you are most likely losing is muscle mass.  To lose fat and maintain muscle, the scale might take longer to move.  It's not that fat weighs less/more than muscle (a pound is a pound), but fat takes up a lot more space than lean muscle mass....so, when you lose fat and increase lean muscle mass, the scale doesn't move a lot but the reduction in inches lost is quite substantial and easily measured.  To be consistent and get the most out of your progress assessment, you want to try and use standard sites and procedures.  All measurements and weight assessments should be done first thing in the morning after you go to the bathroom, before you eat/drink anything, and with as little to no clothing.  If you are doing your weight assessments at a facility other than your home and/or at a different time of day, then it's best to do your assessments at the same time of day and under the same (similar) circumstances (e.g., before lunch every time as opposed to sometimes before, sometimes after).  All measurements should be taken while standing upright and relaxed with feet together.  All measurements should be made with a flexible yet inelastic tape measure.  The tape measure should be placed on the skin surface without compressing the subcutaneous adipose (fat) tissue.  Take duplicate measures at each site, and retest if duplicate measurements are not within .25 of an inch.  Rotate through measurement sites before retaking measurements at any one site so as to allow time for skin to regain normal texture.  When taking your measurements, look in a mirror if necessary, verify that the tape measure is horizontal and even along the measurement site (in other words, if taking the measurement of your hips, the tape measure should come straight around your buttocks and not droop anywhere making an uneven line).  You only need to take the measurements of one side of your body (e.g., one bicep, one calf, etc.), but in doing so be sure to take the measurement of your dominant side (e.g., if right handed then of your right bicep, right calf, etc.).  You may take measurements at other sites than what is listed below which is more than okay, just try and apply the logic that is presented in the sites listed below to apply to additional measurement sites.

Arm  Midway between the shoulder joint and the elbow joint (mid-bicep)
Abdomen  At the level of the umbilicus (belly button)
Waist  If you desire a separate measurement for your waist other than that of your belly button then:  At the narrowest part of the torso above the belly button and below the base of sternum
Buttocks/Hips  At the maximal circumference of the buttocks
Upper Thigh  At the maximal circumference of the hip/upper thigh, just below the gluteal fold (thickest part of your upper thigh)
Calf  At the maximum circumference between the knee and the ankle (thickest part of your calf)

Other forms of measuring your results....How your clothes fit.  There will be no mistaking the effectiveness of your fat loss plan if you are losing inches and going down in pant sizes!  Don't let a slow moving scale give you a head trip if you are losing pant sizes.  Seriously, would you rather weigh less and be in the same pant size or weigh the same and be two sizes smaller?

Another way to see your results is by taking before and after pictures throughout your fat loss journey.  A picture can show you places you have trimmed down that you might miss when measuring yourself.  The best way to go about this is to wear a swimsuit or shorts and sports bra (for women...no shirt for men) and take a front pic, back pic, and side pic.  Take a before picture and then follow up with pics every 6 to 12 weeks until you reach your fat loss goals.

Post Links of Other Helpful Tidbits to Know: 
Body Comp v Scale   
Greater Muscle Mass = Higher Metabolism  
Not Getting Results???
Body Composition
How Much Should You Weigh?
Skinny Or Fit??? You Decide...
Afternoon Bloat?
5 Pounds Of Fat
Scoop On Fat Cells
GOALS
Discerning Good From Bad Fad

Muscle Mass Matters

MAR

28

Greater Muscle Mass = Higher Metabolism 

First, what is metabolism?  Metabolism is the process by which the body generates the energy it needs for maintenance, repair, growth of tissues, and for muscles contraction and movement.  The energy is obtained from the foods we eat.  However, the chemical energy stored in the food that we eat is not directly used to fuel our bodies, but rather it is used to generate adenosine triphosphate ("ATP").  Only a small amount of ATP is stored in the muscle cells.  The body must regenerate ATP once it is used through the process of metabolism.

Muscle is very active tissue and requires continuous energy supplies for ongoing cellular processes such as protein synthesis,  maintenance, and building.  It is estimated that a pound of muscle uses between 30-50 calories a day at rest to meet its metabolic requirements.  That's one pound a day at rest.  How many pounds of skeletal muscle do you have?  How active are you?  Exactly!  When muscle mass is increased so too is your metabolic rate increased, both during activity and at rest.  Conversely, when muscle mass is decreased, your metabolic rate is decreased as well at activity and at rest.  If you are not performing regular strength exercise, muscle mass decreases with age at about one-half pound of muscle every year of inactivity after the age of 25.  It is this reduction in muscle mass that research reveals that resting metabolism decreases approximately half a percent every year after age 25.  Endurance exercises increase metabolic rate only during the activity session and shortly following; however, strength exercises increase metabolic rate during and for a relatively long period following the workout.  No worries if inactivity has been your life thus far, as strength gains have shown to be made even in your 90s...so get moving!

Make sense why Eating Supportively is so important?

More Than One Way

It's okay to change course....Don't judge yourself or others for doing so and your journey will be a lot smoother!!!  

CLASS UPDATE

NO CLASSES TODAY Monday 8/25
NO AM CLASS Tuesday 8/26 (but all evening classes are a go)
NO CLASSES Saturday 8/30
NO CLASSES Monday 9/1
September Schedule will be posted later this week.....www.veryeffectivefitness.com/