Week 3 In Review: 100 Push Up Program

Push ups are actually getting easier. I'm up to 35 consecutive toe push ups and that's after doing four sets that equal 92 reps. Getting there.....

2009 Goal Ideas and Challenge

(Winners must have two things: definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them.)


The ChallengeI'd really like for as many you as possible to think/pray/meditate over the month of December for one single area in your life to improve. Remember whatever you decide to work on, give yourself a reward, surround yourself with positive people (I can help here), write it down and visualize your success. Remember to only pick ONE goal!!

Ideas
1. Complete one race per month.
2. Limit pop, sweets, fast food, alcohol to once per week, twice per month or once per month.
3. Complete a marathon a month. That is, complete 26.2 miles of cardio in one month.
4. Commit to taking a class (and going to it) for a whole year.
5. Hire a trainer, stick with them, and do exactly what they say for a year.
6. Exercise for a day a month. That is, comeplete 24 hours of exercise in a month. That's an average of 6 hours per week of exercise. Not much considering there's 168 hours in a week.

That's all I've got for now. I know I have some pretty creative and talented readers so if you have any other ideas please email them to me or comment to this post.

If you decide to take the challenge and work towards a goal for the year please let me know so we can be a support system to each other. It's so much more fun to do something together. This way if you don't feel like you have a lot of positive support around you, we can be there for each other. Lastly, If you decide to reward yourself by setting funds aside for a spa day, I'd love some company! How fun would that be, a group spa day at the end of 2009!

Also, thank you Johnna and Jodi for stepping up to the plate with me. It feels good to have others working towards a similar goal.

Resolution Stats and Tips

While many of us think it's silly to make resolutions for the New Year, there's research that shows it does make a difference.

Stats
1. 40 to 45% of American adult make one or more resolutions each year.
2. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions.
3. Resolvers reported higher rates of success than nonresolvers; at six months, 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful compared to 4% of the nonresolvers.

I think sometimes we can get carried away with all the things we want to resolve in a given year. Here's some of the tips I've found to be most useful in my journey of resolve.

Tips
1. Make only one goal. Changing only one behavior is less overwhelming than two or three or four. By the end of the year it might just be mastered. Then the following year move onto something else while keeping pace with the previous years' behavior change.
2. Ignore pessimists. Exclude contact (as much as possible) with people that tend to tear down the possibility of success.
3. Be surrounded by support. Replace pessimists with supporters. Maybe someone at the gym, a co-worker with similar health interests or just someone that isn't threatened by success.
4. Write it down. I best like the form Johnna found from a Hallmark magazine.
5. Designate Rewards.Each month that I'm successful with my "sweet eat" goal I'm going to put $25 aside. At the end of the year if I'm successful that will go towards a six hour spa day for Mandy. I'm really looking foward to this!
6. Visualize Success. I'm already picturing myself without the crutch of sweets in my daily life. I like the way it looks. I'm picturing more energy, feeling better about myself and having a grip on food versus the other way around.

If you've decided to work towards something for 2009, I'd like to hear about it. Comment or email me (froehlich.mandy@gmail.com) and tell me about it!

Client of the Month: ALL OF THEM!!

I am so thankful to have the most wonderful clients ever! I just wanted to take this opportunity to brag about what wonderful people I have the privilege to work with. I am so thankful, and this seems to be the most appropriate season to express that. I would not love my job without these people. They work so hard for themselves and I'm honored that they allow me to work their tails off each and every week!

Thank you! May you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Holiday.


-Mandy

Jingle Bell 5K: 11 of 12

Last Sunday was the 11th race of 2008. Boy am I glad these are coming to an end! It will be nice to have something new and different to work towards. Speaking of which, stay tuned as we're working on a "Resolution Walk" for December 27th as our last race of the year. This will be something you'll want to make sure and attend as we all shift our focus to the great purpose 2009 holds for us.

New Year Resolution Possibilities

Now I'm not sure but is a New Year's Resolution something you always keep or does it just last for 1 year? My guess is that it's something you resolve to change from there on out. Well last year my goal was to do a race every month in 2008. I'm very close to meeting that goal which feels great. However, I'm all raced out. As many close workout buddies, clients and friends understand about me, I have what I've self-diagnosed as exercise ADD. Time for me to move onto a new adventure, because afterall, it has to be exciting and fun otherwise it's just not worth doing.

Exercise has never been a problem for me. I decided a long time ago I'd do whatever exercise I needed to do in order to eat what I want and maintain a certain weight range. Last weekend I reflected on my eating habits, or rather, what I wanted to change about it for 2009 and beyond. Here's some of the possibilites and I'll warn you, they are bold.

1. Give up Swiss Cake Rolls FOREVER. I think I'm ready for this. I've gone 4 months before without a single sinful bite of those addicting deserts. So far it's been about a month and I'm holding firm.

2. Only eat 12 or 56 sweets in 2009. I can't decide about this one. My intitial thought was only one sweet a month as this is my biggest hurdle when it comes to eating (well and carbs too, but one this at a time). However, I also thought if that was too radical maybe just one sweet per week. So, I can't decide, monthly or weekly?

So that's it! I think it's best not to get too crazy with resolutions and goals so I'm going to KISS (keep it simple stupid). I'm sure you all knew what that meant, I just have to state the obvious most all of the time-wow I am a nerd! Anyway, I'm going to do a test run for my 2009 goals to try and figure out what will be most realistic for me to stick with throughout the year. In December I am going to try and only eat 1 sweet. I figure if I can make it through December with all the holidays and parties, I can make it through 2009. If I fail, and you all will know if I do, then I will know it's more realistic for me to meet my goal and eat one sweet per week. Let the games begin...

Week 2 In Review: 100 Push Up Program

Yup, still very much dislike push ups. Maybe by the end of this program, I'll have a better feeling about them. It's so nice to be able to do the push up workout with my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because when the weekend comes I find it much more difficult to be motivated. Possibly, it could be the fact that my dear husband acts as my trainer. I really dislike this! Although a motivating man, he mostly smirks during each and every one of my 120 second breaks, loving the fact that he doesn't have to do them. That's okay, in 4 more weeks I'll be able to do more push ups than him....how embarrassing that will be for him! HA! (As you might have guessed, my husband doesn't read my blog:)

I have to report, I'm 1/4 of the way there! I did 25 toe push ups tonight.

Note: It's much easier to do lots of push ups when exahaling on the up and pulling the belly button in.

The Year's End

This is probably the most difficult time of the year as a trainer. I find myself always searching for ways to keep my clients motivated through the holidays. This morning my good old ACE newsletter popped into my email inbox. The subject line for a particular article that caught my attention, "How to keep your clients on track this holiday season." Immediately I opened it and began studying it's every word. I wanted to share part of it because it's exactly what I've been thinking about this whole week.

The New Year

Finally, with many clients splurging in the next few weeks with the good intentions of making it their New Year’s resolution to start eating and living healthier, a little early intervention is often warranted, Durkin said.

“Often clients get frustrated and say they will start exercising after the first of the year,” he found. “That’s too bad, because if they could just chip away between Thanksgiving and the New Year, they wouldn’t have to fight so hard to lose the extra weight.”

A little introspection may also serve trainers well in the coming year, according to Geiser. “If trainers take a step back and identify their ‘ideal’ client by looking into themselves and writing it down on paper, they find out what makes them unique and draw the people they really want to work with and want to work with them.”

So… how will you keep your clients motivated?

My initial reaction to this article was simple, I already have a plan, Holiday Meltdown, a program that runs from December 2nd-the end of January.

However I think it might take more than just that program to get people past the thought of "oh I'll just start in January." For some reason we all think that changing how we live needs to be done on a Monday, at the beginning of the year or on some other significant date. Although, every person I know that actually change their life, lose the weight and make a huge positive change for themselves will say they made the change on a random day. A day when they just felt like it needed to be done. See if we start doing rather saying we'll actually get to the place we want to be. Anyone can say they are going to lose weight but actually doing it is another thing. And anyway, why can't losing weight, eating better and exercising start today? What better way to change your life than to have a different Thanksgiving than last years by not eating yourself miserable?

My challenge: Set eating right and exercising regularly (maybe even join a class or hire a trainer) your first priority this holiday season.

Turkey Buster

Survival Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving Dinner
• Skipping breakfast and lunch is a sure recipe for overeating at the Thanksgiving table.
• Our bodies aren’t meant to handle 2,000-3,000 calories all at once and will store excess calories as fat.
• Better to eat smaller amounts and drink lots of water throughout the day and really enjoy a healthful dinner.
• Control your portion sizes: Draw a 12-inch dinner plate in your mind and divide it into three-inch-sized circles with each one representing one food group: proteins, vegetables and starches. The key is to stay within your circle for each food group: If you like turkey and ham, fit a little of both in one circle.
• If you’re worried about the food choices, bring your own low-calorie dish or veggie tray to family gatherings.
• Be active: Go for a bike ride, a long brisk walk, a run or spend at least one hour at your local gym to burn calories before the big Thanksgiving meal.
• Plan a family event that involves physical activity—a pick-up game of basketball, a snowball fight, a long brisk walk outdoors or a family bike ride—before, during or after the big meal.
• Be mindful of your alcohol intake: Mixed drinks tend to have high amount of concentrated sugar and quickly add empty calories. One glass of wine may be reasonable, but remember alcohol contains about 7 calories per gram, which makes it nearly twice as fattening as carbohydrates or protein.

If you follow all these rules (or even if you don't) and still need something to counter-balance the big eat day come to Turkey Buster. It's on Friday from 8-9:30am. This year I'll be hosting the sweat session!!

I Like These Exercises

Somehow I stumbled across the webpage the other day. I really like the three exercises it gives and how to do them with the varied timing. Ladies, we'll probably be doing some of them this week!

Press Pause Exercises

They have listed 3 exercises:
1. Lunge (hold at the bottom then switch)
2. Push up (like the hover in yoga)
3. Dumbbell back row (great for the upper back)

NOTE: Since this comes from a men's magazine it's got "increase your muscle size" all over the page. Ladies you can't grow muscles like men as you don't have the testosterone. Rather it will help increase strength and be a fun addition to your current exercise plan.

Week 1 In Review:100 push up workout

I thought I'd write my thoughts each week with the 100 push up workout. Hopefully some of you out there are joining in with me... besides all my clients and students that haven't a choice! That's right every client and student of mine gets to go through this process with me. Hey we've even impressed some of the regular gym guys with our goal of 100 push ups in 6 weeks.

I have to be honest, push ups stink! On Tuesday I did the day 1 workout with my am group training for women class. Halfway through our 5 sets of push ups I verbalized to the whole group how much I dislike push ups. Somehow we managed to make it through both Tuesday and Thursday's push ups together. Hopefully this weekend everyone did the workout on their own.

As weak as my upper body is I improved from 12 measly toe push ups on Tuesday to 18 toe push ups on Saturday. Gradually getting there and I have to admit its nice to see an improvement already!

Sunday and Monday will be a great break from push ups but Tuesday we'll be back at it!

Note: if you aren't a client of mine working out with me doing these push ups on your own make sure you are doing a couple of things.

1. Make sure when you are performing your push ups to keep your belly button pulled into your spine and try not to let your hips sway down towards the floor. Keep your body parallel to the ground at all times.

2. Try to work your antagonist muscles by performing back rows.

Join our Team!

This is a race near and dear to my heart. My friend and client, Sharon, suffers from Rhuematoid Arthritis and benifits from the Arthritis Foundation's services. She lives daily with all that comes from having this disease. She's a fighter and a wonderful example of living life everyday to it's fullest.

I hope you will join the Cardio Crusaders team at the Nov. 23rd Jingle Bell Run in Zona Rosa. This year there are new race options, a 1 mile, 5K and 10K option. If you can't make it please think about donating your entry fee to the team anyway. See the link below to click and join the team. Look at the top right above the thermometer picture and click on Register Now and Join this Team. The Team name is Cardio Crusaders and we are Team # 5.

If you have any questions you can contact Sharon at 816-304-3373 or email at kcracebabe@gmail.com. Please join us for this fun event. For those of you who don't want to miss church the race is early enough so you could still make it to church after you run or walk.

Click HERE to register for our team or make a donation.

Up for a Challenge?

I think this is the perfect time to offer up a challenge. Over the next 6 weeks I want to ask you to participate in the
100 push up challenge with me. Trust me, I really (to put it lightly) dislike push ups just as much as the next female. As women, our upper body is weaker than most men. That's okay though, male or female go this route with me for a bit.

All you need is about 30 minutes a week and no equipment is required! That's what's so beautiful about this challenge, you can do it anywhere-no excuses.

Check out the website for all the details.
The 100 Push Up Challenge.

Make sure to get a doctor's clearance before you begin this program if you aren't currently participating in an exercise program.

So the first step is to complete as many push ups as you can, either on your knees or on your toes. Time is no issue just do as many as you can. IMPORTANT: Do them correctly, don't do more than you can otherwise your training program will be too difficult. This means you need to CORRECTLY do as many push ups as possible. Bend your elbows and make your nose ALMOST touch the floor. Good form is VERY important.

You'll need to pick 3 days a week that you can do your push ups. I will be doing my push ups on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. My suggestion is to avoid picking consecutive days. Maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday is best for you.

Lastly, look over the website for the 100 push ups challenge and familiarize yourself with the program. I just paraphrased much of the information but you need to thouroughly understand it before you begin-do some homework!

Comment on this blog to let me know if you are going to join me!

S is for Sacrifice

Every avenue in life requires sacrifice.

I sacrifice time and money to go to school in order to get an education.
I sacrifice time with my family to go to work everyday.
I sacrifice money in order to buy new clothes.


There always has to be sacrifice in the equation in order to get what we want. I've never gotten anything in life that I wanted any other way.

The same principle applies to losing weight. I wish I could say it wasn't a sacrifice because I really don't believe it 100% is, however at first it may seem that way. Do you feel yourself drawn in two different directions?

I want my diet coke but I want to lose 20 pounds.
I want to eat the foods I've always eaten but I really want to lose 20 pounds.
I don't want to put much time into exercising because I don't like it but I do want to lose 20 pounds.

Do any of those comments sound familiar? I'm not trying to be cruel, rather just pointing out a mentality that could be occuring within your brain.

Realize and embrace that weight loss doesn't happen without some sort of sacrifice. Eating better and creating time for regular, consistent exercise requires sacrifice of time and energy.

Just think about it. What can you sacrifice in order to get where you want to be? Is sacrificing the diet coke worth 20 pounds?

Change doesn't just happen, you have to make it happen!