Where did your fitness journey start? When was that moment that you decided it was going to be a priority in your life? Making your health and fitness regime a consistent part of your life is basically adding one more thing to do, on top of loads of other things. Why is It important to you? Was it a scare from the doctor? A look in the mirror? A person that impacted your life? Just a general concern for your health? Usually there’s something that happens when you decided the change is going to happen it may be up and down but the real conscious effort takes place to make better choices and move that body of yours more!

My journey has happend  in stages, like many things in life do. My first step was when I was a teenager and I was tipping the scale at 175lbs. That was my first step towards learning about food buying exercise videos and DVD’s because I was embarrassed to go to the gym. At this point in my life it was a little obsessive compulsive and my weight yo-yo’ed. Moving forward to the summer before my junior year of college I got a receptionist position at a local gym, little did I know that this would be a start to a healthy outlook, knowledge and what I would end up making my career! I owe my first step in the door of fitness to my dear friend Aisha she was a personal trainer who had a body type like mine and a kind personality who told me I should try training and from that moment on I’ve continued to educate myself. Learn and grow in this field. There have been many ups and downs but my favorite part is meeting different people ! Especially in the field and finding other health and fitness professionals that have made their daily work to help better others from the inside out. My mindset, body, outlook and way of eating have evolved a lot do to the roll fitness has played in my life. It’s one of the things I can kind of have sole control of. I give what I get and if I don’t get it it’s usually because of something I did or didn’t do. It holds me accountable. With dedication and self reflection.

Here’s a little of my story, what’s yours?

How do you make your favorite, possibly not so healthy foods last longer on the plate… add veggies!!! I’m all about adding vegetables to different dishes that are caloricilly dense like pasta. My new favorite green to add is….ARUGULA! It’s my current fav! Bowtie pasta, arugula, parm, cherry tomatoes, sautéed onions is delicious!! And my go to meatless meal. But if you love your meat! Then add some ground turkey, beef, fish. Whatever tickles your fancy.

Spinach, broccoli, and string beans are my next favorites! Cut them dice them roast them and add them to any food that you can’t have that much of. I love to add veggies to pasta because it makes the portion size bigger and also leaves room for treats or higher carb foods.

If you are on a lower carb diet then pile your plate full of delicious veggies and proteins. One of my favorites that I made this week was healthy turkey meatballs on a bed of massaged kale (yes my kale gets a spa treatment..lol) I massage it with a teaspoon of olive oil lemon juice and salt. It helps tenderize  it and yes you must rub down your veggie because the warmth from your hand will do the tenderizing.  You’ll be surprised how much you can eat and how full you will feel.

What are some of your favorite veggies to add some volume to your plate? Let me know.

This past Saturday night I hung out with my friend Montie. And instead of doing what most New Yorkers do on a Saturday night. Either dine out, club, movie, date night, or my fav prepare your dinner and in bed by 1030. Lol. Yes sometimes I am that person!

This Saturday night we did something a little unconventional. We went to a “sweat party”! At the the reebok store in union square. Now what is a sweat party you may ask….? that’s the same thing I was thinking. I knew it would probably have a lot of cardio and hopefully good music. After that I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was great!

---

It’s an amazing dance/fitness party! There was a DJ (who’s female, heck yes!) loud speakers! A choreographer and a trainer! Push-ups, squats, jumps, partner drills. And some awesome music from the classics like cha-cha slide to the na-na. The sweat party is a great way to meet people because there is partnering work. It’s a great way to cut loose and feel good about your Saturday night. Feel the endorphins and natural high of this awesome event. I definitely suggest everyone check out “the sweat party”. 

---

---

Source: Where are you getting your fit info from?!

There is  loads of information sites, and dozens on dozens of quick fixes to weight loss and how to achieve it. But do these articles and sites know what they are talking about it..? Unfortunately a majority of them are straight rubbish! It’s generic info that may or may not work for a percentage of the masses. Not everything works for everyone. So articles that are scientifically based help you to understand your own body and techniques and education about the fitness industry. Some of my favorite sites for accurate truly helpful info are.

Juggernaut.com. This site is awesome because the people writing the articles have been in the business of weightlifting for years and they have studied and taking the time to write content to help the most basic weightlifter to the advanced. They have also released books from lifting to eating a renaissance diet.

Iifym.com- I am a macro counter. I enjoy counting macros because i believe my body reacts well to it and I have seen significant changes in my body. So I used this site to help figure out my macro numbers. It ask a series of questions and gives you a nice base of information. To help educate you on counting and understanding the benefits of counting macros.

Brookbushinstitute.com- this guy is amazing he has YouTube videos that I watch all the time. He does in depth videos and articles about the muscles the joints and how they move. The content is very thick but if you are a person who wants to learn the actually mechanics of the body and how it works. Definitely check out this site and Bret the founder he is amazing. I’ve taken several of his live workshops and I’ve always left with so much knowledge.

Skinnytaste.com- I love this woman! She is amazing she makes delicious healthy meals. With full nutritional info. That is already logged in my fitness pal. I make one of her dishes a week. I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve made.

Nasm.org/blog- this is the organization that I received my personal training certification from. The info is accurate and researched. And I give it a million thumbs up!

Where are you all getting your info? And what made you choose it?

I hope this helps you in your training life!

---

What do you look for when choosing a personal trainer? A lot of people look at how the trainer looks, because they want to look like them.but is the trainer really knowledgable about the body? I respect all trainers in the industry but some of them start their clients off on a level they’re not ready for and it ends up doing more harm than good. Any trainer should take you through a proper assessment called a PAR-Q which every trainer can tweak it to work for them and their clientele but a trainer shouldn’t just start you moving off the bat without asking a few questions and assessing you in case you have previous injuries. Or have a dysfunction you’re not even aware of. If you are training with an independent trainer make sure they have liability insurance. If you have a trainer though your local gym, the gym usually insures its’s trainers that work for that company. But if you are training outdoors in a park at your home check for insurance!

Why do trainers get certified? If someone has found a way that works out that seems good and they get results why shouldn’t they just shout it from the rooftops and everyone do it? Because there is a basic foundation of anatomy and physiology that needs to be taught as well as the nervous and circulatory system. And also, knowledge of things you shouldn’t be doing as a personal trainer because it is out of our scope of practice.
It is very easy to train with someone who looks good and they say “I’ll train you” and you pay them. And most likely their fee is a lot less than a certified trainer. The reason is certifying to become a trainer takes almost a year to do and a good chunk of change! There are workshops and lots of studying to do. There is learning the science, program design, and special population. So, that’s why certain trainers charge more. And the more specialization a trainer obtains the more they have a tendency to charge. Like anything else you are getting what you pay for.

When a person gets certified like anything else it shows that they were taught the basics and are competent to help someone in the fitness area.

When picking a trainer have a goal in mind.

Do you want to run a marathon, do a outdoor race, gain muscle, lose fat, compete in a fitness completion, or just general health? These are all things you should take into consideration. And it is ok to switch trainers. Training and body transformation is a very intimate and vulnerable experience. So , if you don’t feel comfortable you will not want to go and or continue. To me working out should be an enjoyable experience that helps expand your horizon and push your limits a bit. And most importantly build confidence in you.

Hey everyone!

So with the end of summer coming to a close I’m trying to buy and eat as many of my favorite summertime fruits as I possibly can. My top favorite summer fruits are!

watermelon
Red Grapes
Pineapple
Peaches

Watermelon this time of year is sweet and delicious and helps with hydration! I sometimes blend watermelon and spinach together for a refreshing beverage.

Red grapes are my favorite fruit to add to yogurt and salads! I eat them all year long but this time of year they are exceptionally good!

Pineapple is sweet and delicious on its own. But it is amazing when you grill it! The heat caramelizes the sugars and adds an extra layer of sweetness. They also help treat indigestion, constipation, and fatigue!

---

Peaches! Grill them, slice them, they add variety,to a multitude of things. Right now I love to grill them and add a scoop of attic zero to it. It’s refreshing and guiltless! And it helps with arthritis!

Eating fruit isn’t just delicious it helps to keep our bodies naturally full of vitamins, minerals and fiber! When choosing fruit it is always a win win!

I’m going to be sad to see these delicious fruits go. But I do enjoy harvest and root vegetables. What recipes do you all make in the fall?

This past sunday I took a Corrective Exercise Workshop through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and it was AMAZIMG! I’m currently studying for another Personal Trainer certification, CES. This cert enables me to-help people with postural imbalances. It teaches me how to assess a client through a series of test to see if they compensating anywhere in their body where they shouldn’t be.

This workshop was 8 hours long! It is 8 hours of education and hands on learning which I love. I’m a visual learner so I can read it but when I see how to apply it visually it just clicks in my brain. CEC are continuing education credits. When you are a Personal Trainer you have to get 2.0 CEC every two years in order to keep your certification in order to legally train clients. I love CEC because it keeps me accountable and educating myself in the field that I love.

The class itself started at 8am at an Independent Training Facility in NYC. An independent training facility means that it is open to trainers, so that they can bring their clients, but people can not go in without a trainer with them. The class consisted of about 25 people and two teachers through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. One was an instructor that I have taken a class with before Dr. Brent Brookbush. He is an awesome instructor super knowledge and makes learning a lot of fun! The other instructor was Rick Richey he owns the Independent Training Facility in Manhattan where the class took place. So, if you are a trainer in NYC and are looking for a place to take your clients definitely look it up!

The class bounced back and forth between classroom instruction and hands on assessments and case studies. Like I said I’m a visual learner so I loved the assessment and case study portion! (This class mainly focused on the overhead squat assessment). Both instructors were funny and energetic which made the class enjoyable and made getting up at 5:30am to get there by 7:30am a bit more bearable.

As a trainer I love these LIVE workshops! Online is great and allows you to work from wherever you are. But, theres something about face to face interaction that I enjoy especially in this industry. When you are working with someone in such an intimate way as body transformation and changing ones lifestyle or training for something specific I enjoy one-on-one interaction and helping give clients positive energy and feedback. (No shade to online training programs. I do those aswell. But, I love face to face, just my preference).

It is very important to me as a trainer to not jump on the band wagon of fade workouts and trends. The National Academy of Sports Medicine is scientifically proven information that is taught to its students. They have such a wide variety of certifications for trainers who’s clients come from all different walks of life. The content they produce is reliable and proven and studies are always being done to keep their trainers in the know. Of course there are tons of other certifications out there that are just as good and as well known. But, I like the teaching style of NASM.

If you ever wondered how trainers become trainers or where they get their research and content from this is what we do, to ensure that we are training our clients properly, and within our scope of practice.

A question I get asked a lot mainly from women who feel uncomfortable in the gym is. “What can I do at home to workout? I don’t like gyms”. I was self conscious at first as well. So, even though I feel like saying once you start you won’t feel uncomfortable, that rarely works.  In order to build people’s confidence before they are ready to make the gym membership commitment. These are my preferred home “Training Equipment” buy’s. In no specific order.

1) Jump Rope- Jump Ropes are amazing because they boost your heart rate and if you are a runner it really helps improve your stamina! 20 mins with a rope feels like an hour of cardio. It’s quick efficient and portable.

2) Free Weights (varying weights)- You can cover a lot with a good set of free weights. I suggest 3 pairs light, medium and heavy. You want lighter weights for upper body exercises like shoulders and rotaters and delts. medium for biceps, triceps, and ab twist. And your legs have some of the biggest muscles in your body. So, I always like to add weight to any lower body exercise. Feel the burn!! Not pain!

3) Resistance Bands- If you feel uncomfortable with weights then try resistance bands. you can work almost every body part with resistance bands. (squat presses, Flies, abs, Sumo walks). Just to name a few. And like a jump rope they are easy to travel with. Disclaimer- I had a client travel with the resistance bands on a business trip and he put them in his carry on bag. He was stopped by airport security because they were viewed as a weapon. So put it into your checked bag!

 If you are a more intense workout person short on time or just not a fan of the gym but want some intensity and a kick but workout here are some intermediate advanced suggestions. 

4) TRX – is an awesome piece of equipment that targets every muscle group and that you can adapt to where you are in your fitness journey. You can attach it to a tree at a park or to a door hinge at home. You can get an amazing workout in about 40 minutes with this piece of wonder equipment. 

I was lucky enough to be able to get certified in TRX by one if their top instructors in NYC and love their philosophy on wellness and fitness. 

5) Battle Ropes- If you have access to a lot of space like a park then these are so much fun! They are great to use with a partner so while one is using them for a certain amount of time the other person can be doing squats, planks, pushups or lunges, then alternate.

6) Kettle ells- A lot of people don’t like kettle ells because they are afraid of injuring themselves. I definitely suggest getting instructions in the use of KB before getting a pair. Again you can hit almost every muscle group with KB.

Last but certainly not least is……..

FOAM ROLLER! Stretching and keeping your muscles healthy is so vitally important to a healthy exercise regime. I have been injured a few times and muscle recover is just as important as the workout it self. So, don’t neglect it, because trust me it will turn around and bite your in the butt! (When foam rolling do not roll over your joints! For example you shouldn’t roll over the back of the knee or the knee itself. So be mindful of this, when using this piece of equipment).

Happy, Healthy, Fit Life! 

I think a question that I get a lot is, “what do you eat?”. A one hour workout is only 4% of your day or 6% if you hit an hour and a half. But still that other 94-96% is spent not trying to stuff my face with foods that would hinder my progress in accomplishing my goals. But, balance is key to anything in life. So, I thought this would be a good time to post what I get when I go to the grocery store. I train clients as well as manage a fitness facility. aka (desk job). Therefore I pretty much have all my meals planned out, accept for two meals a week I leave open for dinner out with friends or nights I am just too tired to cook.

I usually have “my necessities” in my kitchen at all times. Or at least try to. Right now I’m running low and need to stock up

I always have brown rice and Jasmine rice on hand. I can make a pot and eat off of it for 2-3 days. (Yes, I eat rice! It’s about portion control people).

Egg Whites (a large carton)- I have egg whites almost every morning. Sometimes cooked up with some veggies and reduced fat cheese. Or I put it in my steel cut oats to add protein first thing in the morning along with my healthy carb.

Spanish/Red onions

Ground Turkey-I buy a few and store them in the freezer.

Tuna- Which can be added to a pasta dish to boost the protein or my new fav zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Greek Yogurt- Which isn’t just yummy on its own, but can be added to a few different dishes to make yummy sauces.

Sweet potatoes- I love to eat sweet potatoes on leg days. They just give me the kick in the butt that  I need.

Veggies!!!! Luckily in NYC we have veggie cart people on almost every single block so I can stock up on all of nature’s goodies at a fraction of the cost that the grocery store charges. They’re not organic but organic in the city can cost an arm and a leg. But if there is a sale I but organic

Nut Butters- Yes butter(s). Plural! I can have up to 4 different nut butters in my house at one time. Why…ummm…because I do.

And if you are having a busy hectic week like many of us are, one of my favorite go to’s is a whole rotisserie chicken from your local market. I have a Whole Foods down the street from me and I can eat off a whole rotisserie chicken for a week. I make healthy chicken salads, Fajitas or 1/4 chicken with veggies and rice. There are quite a few possibilities. So I highly recommend picking one up!

As far as snacks go because it is summer I’ve been eating a lot of fruit! Pineapple, watermelon, and cherries just to name a few. And all of these taste good on top of yogurt with some fat free redi whip or half a tablespoon of chocolate chips! (hey a girls gotta live).

Hope this helps a few of you out when it comes to making your grocery list for the week.