4/20 Cardio and Core Exercise Challenge

So today is the midweek break day, I am not completely taking a break though I am still doing cardio with jump rope skips and doing some light core workouts in between. Trust me when I say its a lot less than what we usually do.

This is the workout: 

Jump Rope Scissors - 75 reps
Leg Lifts on Mat - 25 reps


I am going to do those exercises back to back and repeat them 10 times. 

And that's it... rest and relaxation for the rest of the day. 

We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup.

When you think the foods you eat are safe, that you are eating the right thing. Guess again. High-fructose corn syrup is the most common added sweetener in processed foods and beverages.


Beverages containing high fructose corn syrup have high levels of reactive carbonyls which are linked with cell and tissue damage that leads to diabetes. Surprise Surprise...Fast food most often contains high fructose corn syrup.


For more information: Princeton University Research

AVOID AVOID AVOID!

Read food labels. This is the easiest and most sure-fire way to know if there is high fructose corn syrup in your food. High fructose corn syrup can be found even in products which aren't sweet, such as sliced bread and processed meats like
Avoid canned or bottled beverages. Soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and almost every sweet drink you can think of contains high fructose corn syrup.sausage and ham.
Buy fresh produce and learn to cook it. The real problem is too much refined and processed food, not any one particular ingredient.

I Thought I told You that We Don't Stop!

Yesterdays workout was amazingly intense. Our calves were hurting so bad from the jump roping that we came up with different cardio exercises for the second time we did the entire workout again. That workout did torture us and kicked our asses.

Random Googled Back Pic..LOL

On this lovely but rainy Saturday we are heading over to the gym to do some lower back weight training exercises and oblique exercises. Its important to have strong lower back muscles because it  dramatically improves your posture. This means you'll look and feel healthier, slimmer and more confident. A combination of weak lower back muscles and abdominals could result in poor back support which in the long run can cause some major back pain. So thats where I help you out.


Some of our exercises will include light to moderate weight. Were still doing cardio with jump rope skips in between sets.


Today we are going to do these exercises in 3 sets of 15-20 reps:

• The Barbell Good Morning
• Dead Lifts
• The Lower Back Extension
• The Bent Knee Bridge
• Side Twist With Dumb Bells
• Upside Down Pendulum 
• Standing Oblique Crunch
• Cross Legged Oblique Crunches

Thats a total of eight exercises, If your not sure how to do them. You can leave a comment or email me and I will tell you or you can Google the name of the exercise and I'm sure with the millions of information out in the internet you will be sure to find it. So Go Go and Stay Motivated!!!!

- MIRY

There is a good reason why I love Black Beans

Black Beans are a wonderful source of dietary fiber which has been shown to naturally help lower cholesterol. In addition, the high fiber content in Black Beans helps keep blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them a wise choice for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When Black Beans are prepared with whole grains such as barley or wild rice, the Black Beans provide a virtually fat-free, high quality source of protein. But that's not all.  Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging.




And I may be a little weird but I love Beans with Bananas! 




Banana's contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.


Yummy Yummy Yummy :)

Today 4/13, We rest our Bodies.

Yesterday those one leg burpees were killer!


We did have a very good workout yesterday and it seems that we are willing to push for our goals. Yesterdays workout was timed, Mabelle and I finished it in 19 Minutes and 57 Seconds, wooohooo for us almost 3 more seconds and it would have been 20 flat!


Today, however, we are taking a mid week break to give our bodies a chance to rest our muscles. 


Lately during my workouts I have noticed my breathing and breathing is a very important part of excersice though I forget that at times, Ive gotten better at breathing and noticing the way I breathe during my workouts. All in all it is vital that we get our breathing perfect to get the best results and see the changes in our bodies. 


If you want more information as to why breathing is important during exercise read this article that I stumbled upon: Exercise, Lactic Acid and the Importance of Breathing For Fast Weight Loss

Laters 

I want to go SHOPPING!

As you may notice this blog post is in all my blogs, why is the question you may be asking, and the answer is quite simple... I need to go shopping very badly in all areas of my life. I definitely need new workout shoes since mine are in terrible condition, I also need new workout clothes. I also have to go shopping for spring and summer apparel and accessories especially Bikinis ;P Not to mention that I ran out of my mineral Foundation, I don't usually use makeup during the week so I am surprised at how quickly it went, but that's OK I was planning on changing brands anyway. In conclusion I definitely need to find time to go shopping. Hopefully sometime this weekend I will.

Til Laters,
Miry

Motivational Quote

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.  ~Plato

Those Three Girls..Hehe

Mabelle, Caro and I during our workout!!

 

Showing off them Muscles!

Saturday @ The Gym!

Equipment!

Nice Legs!!!!

Mabelle and I

My gym Experience!

Tday was a sucessful day, I posted the workout I did on the last post but I made a variation to it. So this is how mine went:

20 rounds Broken up into 5 Parts with 100 Jump Rope skips in between.

First 4
Timer: 4 rounds 50 Seconds Work 10 Seconds Rest
-Forward/Backward Lunge & Ball Lift
-Core Split (If you dont have the dip station do it on the floor)
-Dynamo Push Up (Good Luck! These are Killer!)
-Sleeping Crab

100 Jusmp rope skips
**(Do all of that 5 times)**

End the whole Thing with jump ropes:
6 rounds Jump Rope 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest

:)

Here Are Pics

Quick Break Pic

Equipment

After Workout Kick Ass Mood (my face shows how hard I worked!)

Well There you go!

I wear many hats.

Awesome Ab Exercises

I thought Id make a post of cool ab exercises that everyone can try at the gym or at home. 

Abdominal Hold

The Side Crunch

Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

Squat Thrust with Twist

 

FYI - I love fitness magazine :)

Ballet Twist

The Single-Leg Stretch

The Cobra

Medicine Ball
(Lying Leg Raise, Triceps Extension/Squat A, Medicine Ball Swing, Medicine Ball Tap)

Good Luck with your Fitness!

A tasty treat for us who refuse to drink Whole Milk

Almond milk is also one of the healthier, tastier options among such alternatives. In the past times, people supposed that the body had difficulty to metabolize whole almonds, so they made almond milk to help the body for the better absorption of the almond’s nutrients. As the name suggests, this milk is derived from the milk of almonds and has a light, fresh taste somewhat similar to that of cow’s milk.

Almond milk is a healthy and nutritious alternative to cow’s milk which has proven to be extremely beneficial for those who lactose intolerant. It is an extract of protein rich almonds and loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is a great for those who have lactose intolerance and those who are on a strictly vegan diet. Also, it has a pleasant almost neutral taste which makes it perfect for milkshakes. Commercially, almond milk is available in a variety of flavors like chocolate, vanilla and plain.

 :)

Regular Exercise Benefits

Think that exercise is not for you, think again exercise isn't just for looks (even though its what most of us do it for) Take a look below at all the health benefits that comes with regular exercise. 

Workout Of The Day: Lunge and Press

Go ahead try it out!

Truth about 6 Packs

I decided since some people don't know the truth about 6 packs and need a little education on this topic I was going to blog about it. 

We all have a 6-pack, you just can't see it.
If you've ever asked someone how to get a 6-pack and they told you to do crunches, then you were lied to. But don't worry, they probably didn't lie on purpose, they just don't understand how your body works. You can do crunches all day and night but, if you still have a layer of fat over them, you'll never see them.Ha ha ha!
You can't pick a spot on your body, do exercises just for that part and have the fat JUST from that area disappear. Your body fat is one layer; when you lose fat you lose it from the whole layer equally. So, wherever your fat is the thickest, that's the last place for it to completely leave. The sad thing is that our midsection seems to be one of the thickest spots on average.

!!!Lower Your Body Fat Percentage!!!

So, if you want to show off your 6-pack, you're going to need to lower your body fat percentage. You'll have to build up the muscle to get them to show earlier and look better, but you need to get that layer of fat off there first. The only way to do that is to burn more calories than you consume.
There are two factors you have to pay attention to: your diet & your activity level.
From my personal experience, you need to pay attention to your diet first. You need to eat less calories overall in a day than you're use to. Eat smaller portions, but eat more often, never let your body go hungry.
Stop eating fast food or guzzling soda and beer. Cook at home more often so you know what you're eating. Get lots of protein from lean meats, fish, dairy and nuts. Don't cut your carbohydrates out completely, just eat a little less and choose better carbs like: wheat breads, brown rice, wheat pastas and so on. Load up on your vegetables; they have very little calories on average and will fill you up. Eat fruit as your snacks and watch out for saturated and trans fats. Unsaturated fats, like what's in fish, are actually good for you. And of course, make sure you're drinking enough water.
Next you're going to want to be a little more active. You don't have to have a gym membership, there are so many different things you can do to be more active. You can ride a bike, go on hikes, do body weight exercises and so on. Anything you do above and beyond what you did before is going to help you burn extra calories. Have fun with it and you won't think of it as a chore.
If you want to run then I recommended that you do intervals. They are more efficient at burning calories, not only when you are running but throughout the rest of the day and they'll save you time.
If you want to lift weights, you can workout in an interval style too. Lift fast with very little rest between your exercises and do a few different exercises back to back in circuits. Then you can take a breather for a minute or two and then start the circuit over again.

Where is my Poop!

As the title of this post states, today I will write about Poopie.

Oh come on everyone has bowel movements and has to go to the bathroom. The question is are you going as often as you should? Being constipated is not fun, is a serious problem and can lead to medical problems. Having 2-3 bowel movements a day is considered normal. So consider your bowel movements and keep reading.

 You see going to the bathroom regularly is imperative to your digestive system health.

The type of foods you want to remove or minimize:
Caffeine
Refine foods which are low fiber and very little nutrients which tends to stay still there.
Alcohol
Processed foods
Meats & Animal Products

Foods you want to stick to:
Fiber Foods
Whole Wheat
Fruits and Vegetables
Lots of Water which helps flush things through .
Omega3 which you find in fish oil.

Working out helps because activities stimulates movement.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you have to go, then GO!

I said no meat dammit!

Yes you heard me correctly.
I am denying meat, sticking to fruits and veggies and of course whole grain foods.

I can stick to it, Yes I can!

Eating too much meat is bad for you because of all the fat meat has, which builds up your cholesterol. As a vegetarian you have more energy then someone who eats meat because you don’t eat foods that have fat. People who substitute fruits and vegetables for meat get more nutrients then people who don’t. They also get more fiber.

I Guess this means I am sorta-kinda becoming a vegetarian-ish.

2OO8 to Now 2O1O

In two thousand and eight is when I started my whole self improvement phase, it is then where I started at 123lbs and 40% body fat. Those numbers and getting them lower were the sole purpose as to why my fitness lifestyle changed. 

In January 2OO8, I met a new friend named Joey who happened to be a personal trainer with Porky's gym. From the moment I entered the gym that day everything changed. With great effort my eating habits changed, I became more knowledgeable as to what I put into my body and I became stronger I saw results, lost a bit of weight and then I had to leave my trainer because paying $480 a month was just not cutting it anymore so after 3 months with my trainer, in April I said goodbye and kept it up on my own.

A few months later, 8 months later to be exact, January 2OO9 I got my body fat and measurements done again at Porky's with a really nice trainer guy named Laz. I was at 116-117 lbs and my body fat was down to 26%. That's a lot better than I expected! I stayed at Porky's gym for about 3 more months and again I changed in April I decided to cut my hair up to my neck and become a member of a new gym 24 Hour Fitness. I was at it again but this time I had a goal in mind. My goal was to be 110lbs by December of 2OO9. I think I worked out a little to much and watched what I ate just right because I achieved that goal by August of  O9. All my job was to do is maintain.

January 2O1O arrived and I was still going to the gym still eating correctly. In March I had to slow down a little bit since I got a job and a boyfriend all in the same week, how would I juggle all these things and the gym especially since during my unemployment I would go at the perfect time. So now I had to go through rush hour and be in the gym during the busiest time of the day. So I took it easy yet I worked out on my own and with my boyfriend making up exercises.

Now June 2O1O I am still down to 110lbs and my body fat is at 19%, Trust me, I couldn't believe it either I had gone from 40% to 26% to 19%...

So my new body goal, especially since I want to do some fitness modeling as a hobby, is 108 lbs and 16% body fat. I hope to be there by the end of the summer. Piece of cake! wait... I cant have that. ;)

We All Need a Plan!

Three Steps:

1.) A weight loss plan is a must! Do your research learn about different types (trust me there are many weight loss plans) Find the right one for you.

2.) Sick to the plan! Stick to it, Track your calorie intake, learn what foods are good, which are bad, educate yourself on good fitness and nutrition.

3.) EXERCISE! Diet is 80% so you need to put in those other 20% into exercising to get the results you want. So get out those Running shoes, workout clothes and hit the gym or take a jog in the park! Do it!