I just couldn’t bring myself to write about kettlebells and cardio as one. It just didn’t seem right, ya know?

And I just can’t stand the word cardio. I guess I’ll just add it to the list of words that I hate. Specifically ginormous. I know, I know, it’s in the dictionary but damn it, it’s a combination of two words, that does not count.

Anyway, I have a cool exercise for you today but I had to change the name. The Conditioning Cleans. This exercise is great to do as a finisher after a strength session. I did this one at the end of my training session on Sunday.

Here was my strength training session:

A1. Box Jumps 5×4
A2. Safety Bar Squat 5×8

B1. Chain Push Ups 4×12
B2. Mixed Grip Chin Ups 4x As many as possible (4-6 reps per set)

C. Single Leg Tire Flips 4×2 per leg

D. KB Conditioning Cleans

The conditioning cleans combines a Kettlebell Clean with a Kettlebell Front Squat and you run through the prescribed reps on each side without stopping.

• 8 cleans/3 squats- Right side
• 8 cleans/3 squats- Left side
• 5 cleans/2 squats- Right side
• 5 cleans/2 squats- Left side
• 3 cleans/1 squat- Right side
• 3 cleans/1 squat- Left side

In this video I’m going with the 16kg kettlebell because I was having some elbow pain, typically I’ll do 18-20kg for this finisher.

Check out the video below of my new favorite training finisher….

Click here to view the embedded video.

My answer is simple. Sprints.

If you are training properly with weights and resistance 2-3 days per week, adding 2 days of higher intensity sprint training is going to skyrocket your results.

When I talk about sprinting, that means an all out effort. But, at first it’s an all out effort for YOU. When you start out, you’re not going to be a Carl Lewis but as you get used to it and you supplement with your strength training, you will get faster.

The key is to push your effort during each set. This is not traditional cardio where you have to maintain a certain speed for several minutes. You’ll be done in 15-30 seconds so give it your all and then rest.

Here are just a few reasons why sprinting is awesome:

1. You will lose fat

A study from 1994 supported the theory that sprints are superior to steady state cardio for fat loss in a shorter amount of time.

Participants did either 20 weeks of steady-state aerobic training or 15 weeks of intervals (15 sprints for 30 seconds each). The interval group lost nine times more body fat and 12 percent more visceral belly fat than the aerobic group.

A 2010 study found that just 6 sprint sessions of six 30-second all-out cycle sprints with 4 minutes rest over 2 weeks led to a leaner waist by 3 cm., and a much greater use of fat for fuel.

2. You will build muscle

Don’t stop reading here ladies. You KNOW you want muscle. You’re not going to get all jacked up and bulky, that just isn’t happening. You do want to look lean and ripped though, so stay with me.

Sprints have been shown to increase Growth Hormone production and that GH surge helps to burn fat and build lean muscle.

3. Improves Insulin Sensitivity 

Alternating high work rates with short rest periods (interval training) has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar tolerance. What does that mean in regular language?

Basically your body will respond better to carbohydrates, process them quicker and they won’t get stored as annoying and clingy belly fat.

4. Improves Brain Volume, Cognition and Helps Prevent Depression

Am I suggesting this is the end-all, be-all for mental illness? Nope, but we KNOW that exercise can release a surge of feel-good hormones and sprint training is high on that list.

You feel energized, strong and it also improves hormone balance and decreases inflammation in the brain.

Winner.

5. It Saves Time

How many times have you skipped your training session because you just “didn’t have time?” 

We’ve all done it.

If you’re pressed for time, a short sprint sesh will do the trick. These are meant to be short and intense, so plan these in on the time crunched days and you’re good to go.

I could go on and on about all the benefits of improving your conditioning, heart health, boosting your confidence because you’re doing something challenging, improving your lung function, mobility and overall movement skills but let’s be honest, those are not the #1 reason that you’re reading this.

You want to look awesome. I get it.

So here’s the deal. 2-3 days of structured strength training and 2 days of sprints and you’ll not only look awesome, you will BE awesome.

Here’s one of my favorite sprint training workouts for you:

• 5-7 minute foam rolling work
• Warm up with lateral lunges, inchworm and walking lunges (10-15 of each)
• Sprint for 50 yards Walk back as your rest. Do 5 sets
• Rest 2 minutes
• Sprint for 50 yards. Walk back as your rest. Repeat for 5 sets
• Sprint for 100 yards. Walk back and repeat 2-3 sets

This will take you about 15 minutes of actual work. You should spend about 8-10 minutes on your warm up (this is super important before you sprint). 25 minutes maximum and you’re done.

Be sure to “Like” this post on Facebook and leave a comment if you are doing a sprint workout this week.

Click here to schedule a 60 minute training consultation with me and get your fitness on track with no diets or wasted time. Just fun workouts that will get you RESULTS. See you soon.

I’m having a baby!!! Oh yeah… Oh crap…..what does this means for hips, thighs, butt and belly?

When I first found out I was pregnant I was so elated, and thought wow this is going to be amazing. I get to experience one of the truly life changing events and most amazing process for the human body.

Then reality set in. My body is going to change and be COMPLETELY out of my control. So naturally, I freaked out for about a week. Having been formerly very heavy (fat kid right here) I knew with certainty I didn’t want to back there. I couldn’t go back there.

But sitting around freaking out about what I couldn’t control and what hadn’t happened yet was not going to help me avoid the dreaded fat.

Pre pregnancy…. 

Action Time:

Instead I start thinking about what I could control. I started reading about what my body could and couldn’t  do while pregnant, I read, surfed and asked any doctor that would talk to me.

The big question how do I maintain a level of fitness/sanity and still make sure my little bun was safe? To my surprise (and the delight of my husband who was scarred to see me without the sanity of a good workout under my belt) I could do most of what we do at Durbrow Performance well into my pregnancy.

In fact not only was it safe for me to workout, it was encouraged by my doctors, was going to help fight gestational diabetes, make delivery easier (who wouldn’t want that), help prevent baby blues after delivery, aids in a speedy recovery from childbirth and help prevent my child from having type 2 diabetes in life.

So, knowing that this all looked good on paper, safe, would even help the baby, and mommy stay happy and healthy, what was next? Well the hard part, the work.

I knew I wanted to be the best mom I could, and to do that I needed to be my best self. Exercise and taking care of myself makes me better, healthier, more confident and above all clears my head to take on the challenges of being pregnant and becoming a new mom.

I also knew I want to be around for my children as long as possible. Although it seems like a good excuse (that people have been using for YEARS) and this will make some people angry: I think it is selfish to not take the time to take care of yourself when you are a mom. There is a reason why on an airplane you put your oxygen mask on first then the kiddos. So, the excuses“my kids are everything, they take up all my time, it would be self serving if I go to the gym at night for an hour, my vanity is not as important as my children” doesn’t cut it with me.

I know motherhood is all consuming, but this also mean being a good role model, working to develop healthy habits as a family, and ensuring that you are there when they need you, like holding a grandchild.

Children watch their parents so closely, so going to the gym, biking, sprinting, those extra minutes of planking at home make such a difference in how they view what a lifestyle should be. Long story short I knew if I didn’t keep up the habit I would not be the only one who suffered in the long run, and after all it so wasn’t just about me anymore.

So, I continued my workouts. For the first few weeks I felt no real changes in my body. I started to get over the shock of being pregnant and started to really enjoy picturing my little one sway back and forth while I did KB swings, lunges and ran.

5 Weeks Along….

Then week 8 set in and my energetic, fast moving, veggie eating body turned on me. Suddenly it felt like I was made of lead and the only thing that kept me in the eating food business was toast with peanut butter. (OH boy did the food thing change later; I was convinced a few days that I could clear a Wholefoods if left to my own devises) All I wanted to do was sleep and eat carbs.

I went to the doctor for a check in, and they told me once again (what I already knew) that my body needed to move, I need to try to eat right although my prenatal vitamins were taking care of the baby, my body needed help, to be strong to support the baby.

A lesson about a body in motion stays in motion, so true if you think it is hard the first three months of pregnancy and throughout, try starting an exercise routine when you take a year off to “enjoy be pregnant” while you have a new born at home, and no clothes fit you so also a lot of shopping to do!

6 Months Along….

9 Months Along….

I needed to keep moving so we were both healthy. So I did, even on the days that I was sure I could move my mammoth belly and wanted to cry, I did the workouts I could do, AND it made me feel better, great actually. When labor and delivery came months later, I was swelling free, flexible and still able to do pushups on my toes. During delivery I had the stamina to push for four hours and delivery my baby (Benjamin) the way I wanted, surgery free! I also had the endurance to be up and moving during my labor so things moved along faster.

The payoff:

So onto the good stuff: self image and your body after pregnancy.

2 Months Post-Ben….

3 Months Post-Ben…

I am happy to say I am 4 month post baby and back to my original weight and back in a bathing suit. I am still working very hard to get my body fat percentage back to where it once was but I am well in the healthy range, and my strength is coming along. Amazingly, at only two week post Ben I started to see some tummy muscle under the nice layer of mommy fat.

Okay, you say this is all well in good but what did you actually do, eat only lettuce, water and run 7 miles a day? After the baby? No! I did all DPT workout moves DURING and after. Sometimes I only had time for three rounds but I did it. Because, I kept up my workouts during pregnancy I was able to not exactly jump back in, but do a lot with my body. One of the greatest benefits was I already knew I could do the work to get back in shape, I kept thinking “hell if I did this pregnant I can do this now”. Trust me the ability to see yourself as a work in progress after baby, when all your friends, relatives and folk are coming to see you, your baby and your messy house, is a godsend.

4 Months Post-Ben….

None of this is easy; it could possibly be the hardest thing you will ever do. You have so much on your plate preparing for baby then as a new mom; but here is the good news, we have figured it all out for you, all you need to do is show up at the gym willing and we will take care of the rest.

Please keep your body moving if not for you for that cute little growing bump. It’s not easy but you can do it!

Theresa has been training at Durbrow Performance since June of 2012. When we met for our initial consultation and talked about her goals and the plan of attack, I could tell she was ready. She was pissed, fired up and just ready to make a change.

I could see the fire and how bad she wanted to change and I was really psyched for her. I knew she was going to get results.

In the last 10 months Theresa has lost 11% body fat, 26 pounds of body fat and 31 inches. Pretty awesome.

She has been kicking ass in every single training session, pushing through when she doesn’t feel 100% and is always able to crack a joke, usually at my expense 

Theresa typically trains 3, if not 4 days each week and has now added two conditioning days so she pretty much lives at DPT but we love her for that!

Keep up the great work Theresa. Be sure to “Like” this post and show Theresa some love.

You know the basics.

•  More energy
• Alertness
• Less irritability
• Less stress
• Longer life expectency (it’s true)
• More muscle tissue
• Less fat

 Less fat?

I know that one probably got your attention. This is exactly the one I want to talk about today. I want to give you the down and dirty version about why less sleep can make you fat and more sleep can help you burn it.

It all comes down to your hormones, two hormones specifically. GH (growth hormone) and Cortisol. When you sleep, growth hormone is produced. This is a lovely benefit to your body because it helps you build muscle and repair the damaged tissue.

On the other hand, cortisol is a stress hormone, tied to your fight or flight response. The occasional surge in cortisol is great when you’re chasing your child after he ran into the street or lifting a big weight at the gym. Not so good when you want to ditch that little extra belly fat. Stress causes an increase in cortisol and when cortisol is elevated or constantly spiked, it makes it much more difficult to lose fat.

While you sleep, cortisol is extremely low. Combine that with the high GH production and your body is in a primed state to burn fat. This isn’t so simple as just going to sleep though. You have to have consistent, restful sleep.

Easier said than done.

Your hormones, specifically GH and Cortisol, are one of the main reasons why you are not getting results. If you are training hard, eating right and you still struggle with results, it’s time to look to your environmental factors. Today the focus is on sleep. I want to give you eight tricks that can help you lose fat starting this week.

It all starts with creating an optimal environment for restful sleep that last at least 7 hours. I know, I know. You’re going to tell me that you just CAN’T get that much sleep. You are too busy. I call B.S.

The goal is to get toward this optimal sleep state. If it’s not every night at first, just build it up. Start with two nights and commit to a specific bedtime. Then add a third night. Keep going until you are as close to seven as possible. I’m a realist, I know you sleep in a bit on the weekends. Who doesn’t? But for the most part, try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time as many days as possible. 

Here we go with your tips….

1. Put away all back-lit screens 1 hour before bed (iPads, iPhones, lap tops or televisions).
2. Use black out curtains in your bedroom
3. Stop caffeine intake by 1pm each day
4. Try and go to bed at the same time each night this week
5. Avoid alcohol during the week as much as possible. If not possible, avoid it 2 hours before bed
6. Try to wake up without an alarm as many days as possible
7. Keep your bedroom temperature cooler than the rest of your house
8. Write down your “to-do” list before you go to sleep to help shut off your brain

These tricks may seem simple, and they are, but that is what it takes to create a fat loss supportive lifestyle. You have to look at not only the training, nutrition and stretching, but the environmental and hormonal factors.

Next week I’ll be back with an article on how to manage GH and cortisol through the foods that you eat.

Be sure to “Like” this post and let’s start spreading the word about just how important sleep is. Also leave a comment below if you are going to start improving your sleep. 

I just wanted to create a quick and easy grocery shopping list for you. This is one of the foundations of your healthy nutrition plan. If you have good stuff in the house, you’re more likely to stay the course.

We all know when there’s a box of cookies in the cabinet, they will get eaten. So how to do you remedy that? Just don’t buy them.

You want to focus on having your weekly eating plan 85% compliant. That means 2-3 small treats each week. The key is to only buy them when you’re planning to eat them and do not leave any leftovers.

For example, if you were going to have a slice of chocolate cake on Friday night, get a damn good piece that’s going to be so awesome and tasty. DO NOT buy a whole cake. You will eat more than a slice, I promise.

Eat like you normally would that day, enjoy that piece of cake and then go back to your plan. It’ll help keep you on track, and you won’t be using food as a reward or punishment, just a normal part of your life.

Back to the grocery shopping. I wanted to hook you up with the exact list you can follow. Try to shop once a week and stock up on all the good stuff. If you have to go twice to get more produce, that’s totally cool. Just make sure you have all the staples (meat, vegetables, nuts, greek yogurt, eggs) so you don’t just order out when you get home and don’t feel like cooking.

Vegetables

• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Avocado
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green Beans
• Jalapenos
• Lettuce- romaine, mixed greens
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Radishes
• Snow Peas
• Spinach
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini

Fruit (1-2 servings/day)

• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Berries
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mangos
• Melons
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Tangerines

Meat

• Lean Cuts of Beef- tenderloin, sirloin, filet, eye of round, flank steak for fajitas
• Longhorn Beef (Lean cuts and ground longhorn compare to turkey breast in fat and cholesterol. Range fed livestock can be purchased that is naturally raised without the assistance of antibiotics and steroid injection
• Pork Lean Cuts: tenderloin roasts or butterfly pork chops for fajitas or stir-fry
• Fish (Fresh): sea bass, tuna, swordfish, halibut, tilapia, and trout
• Shellfish: (low in fat high in cholesterol for those that need to limit cholesterol)
• Chicken, Turkey, and Poultry: breasts and thighs (boneless/ skinless), filets,tenderloin, Cornish game hens
• Ground Meats: Longhorn beef, round steak, sirloin, veal, pork loin, turkey, chicken, venison or blend of these.(Have them wrapped in 6 or 8 oz. portions to eat that day or to freeze for later. Thaw for a quick burger, spaghetti dish, taco salad, etc.)
• Wild game: Ostrich, Venison (most wild game is very lean and healthy with the exception of duck which is higher in fat)
• Deli Meats – ham, roast beef, turkey or chicken breast

Dairy, Cheese & Eggs

• 2% or Full Fat Greek Yogurt
• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Cottage cheese (2% fat)
• Free Range and Cage Free Eggs

Sauces, Condiments and Oils

• BBQ Sauce
• Mustard (all types)
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salsa
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Oils- olive, canola, sesame, avocado, macadamia nut

Herbs, Seasonings, Spices

• Herbs-dried basil, cilantro, dill, garlic, oregano, mint, basil, rosemary, etc.) Easy to grow fresh or if you have access to a store that sells herbs in bulk you can buy a small quantity which is fresher and cheaper than large jars
• Seasonings for flavor, seasoned  lemon, or garlic salts and peppers, curries, onion, cumin, mustard powders; poultry seasoning, cayenne or red pepper
• Spices-All spice, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, saffron

I also got some great comments from people who want to try IF and I’m going to be doing a series of articles over there to break down exactly how to eat and when to eat depending on what time of day you train.

It’s important to know that this is not a dogmatic approach. If you don’t want to practice IF, I really don’t care. This has worked well for me and for a lot of my clients because it’s simple and there’s no hassle. You don’t have to pack 6 meals in your little cooler and set your clock to eat every 3 hours.

If eating every 3 hours was the key to fat loss, we likely wouldn’t have a 65% obesity rate in the United States. I’m just sayin’.

Check out my article, Intermittent Fasting: What It Is and How You Should Do It and please leave a comment over there at FitnessRX to let us know how you feel about IF.

So the idea of starting small group personal training scared me a little. (OK, a lot.) But I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Prior to joining I had tried everything- Weight Watchers, random “healthy” diets, plans to go on long walks multiple times a week, I’d done one on one personal training a number of times, and joined countless gyms and bought multiple packages for yoga that I would attend in spurts. Nothing ever seemed to hold my attention or provide results that would last.

So one day last summer in a state of utter exasperation I googled “Cambridge Personal Trainer”and stumbled upon Callie. I filled out the info on her website and quite honestly forgot about it until she emailed me back and arranged for a consultation. Before I knew it the ball was rolling and there I was in a training session doing things that I had no idea that I was capable of doing. But I quickly learned that I could do them and continued to add more and more exercises and strength building to my repertoire.

That was eight months ago and I have seen pretty incredible transformations to my body (22 inches, over 10% body fat, 15 pounds body fat, and I’ve gained 10 pounds in lean tissue) but most importantly I feel stronger and more confident than I have in years.  

Working out with Callie and Emily is actually fun. The other members of the gym are incredible and inspiring and I feel very connected to many of them. Their kindness and support have encouraged me to try new things; to go up in weight when I thought I couldn’t possibly lift another pound, jump higher when I felt terrified of falling, and achieve physical accomplishments that felt completely out of my reach. It’s funny, but after these past several months, I’m starting to see myself as athletic all because of the support, encouragement and training provided by the trainers and team at DPT.

And the other day I actually surprised myself and ran to catch the bus and noticed I wasn’t gasping for air when I got there. Who knew?

Here’s Chrissy before….

Here’s Chrissy after….

I have always been fairly active.  I have a 10-year-old son that is very athletic and I try to take every opportunity to play tennis, basketball or just throw the baseball around with him.   I also do a lot of walking.  I never considered myself out of shape or overweight but after a year of training with Callie, Emily and Caitlin at Durbrow Performance Training, I now know differently.

My friend Liz referred me to Callie.  She was so excited about what she was doing at Durbrow Performance Training and the results she was seeing.  She also told me how much fun she was having.  I was hooked after the first session with Emily.  After a year of training, I have been transformed.  I feel like a different person.  I have more energy than ever and can’t believe some of the things I am able to do.   I am so much stronger and fitter than I have been in quite a few years.

My favorite exercises are anything involving the TRX, most of the core workouts, the agility ladder and push-ups.  I also really love doing box jumps.   My favorite finisher is ropes.  The new facility has created an opportunity to do a lot more than we could at the previous space and I love that Callie and team are constantly changing up the workouts and offering new exercises and challenges every week.

I have Celiac Disease and am constantly challenged with the gluten-free diet, but Callie’s nutritional guidance has certainly helped me to be more conscious of what I am eating.  I try to do off-day workouts and a lot of the time I will do them with my son.  He loves learning some of the exercises and we have even done a couple of pyramids together.  All the work I have done at Dubrow Performance Training has made it possible for me to keep up with him and his activities!

Here is Maureen before….

Here is Maureen after….