JANUARY...CHECK!

First rule, never let em change you.

Rule two, do you to the fullest

And never be ashamed to.

Your just good at what they can’t do.

And they hate that, they wanna paint you

In they color, put you on another.

But what they don’t accept, and what they don’t see

The best thing is what you already be.

January 15th Marks event one of 2011. This took place at Hybrid Athletics in Stamford, CT. A Crossfit/strongman partner challenge consisted of the following post below. It was something I could have trained harder for, but in real time, I had prepared as much as I could mentally.

The gym was cold, I was sore from a workout from the day before, it was early and it was Saturday. On the flip...I was surrounded by people who are if not more enthusiastic about fitness than I am. A room full of hundreds of fitness gurus pushing their bodies to the limits. Tires, Kettlebells, dirt, sweat....I've been told by one "you're all crazy."

My coach/coworker walked in to the scene after the second event to watch and he was shaking already...he wasn't even doing the workout. It was a strength in numbers and feeling of empowerment. Maybe it was also the line up of coolers and protein shakes along the middle of the gym.

Was it hard...absolutely. Was it fun? You know it. What I enjoyed most about it...The support, energy, and learning from the what, how, and WHY others train the way they do.

Awesome day, thank you to all that came to support. And Thank you to Rob, Tim, Mike, James, Katie, and KA at hybrid. I'm so glad to have met all of you and to be a part of the community.

enjoy....

Event 1 Twin Deadlift.....7 Big Jumps followed by 20 pound jumps for all divisions

Each team will be given 30 seconds to step up to the bar and successfully deadlift the weight. If they don’t finish the lift and return it back to the floor within 30 seconds they are out of the event. If they successfully lift the bar they go to the back of the line and make the next attempt. Small Jumps are in BOLD LETTERS.

Women’s LW 220...2 plates per side. 30 pound jumps
220, 250, 280, 310, 340, 370, 400, 420, 440, 460, 480, 500, 520, 540

Women’s HW 270...2 plates and 2 25’s per side. 50 pound jumps.
270, 320, 370, 420, 470, 520, 570, 590, 610, 630, 650, 670, 690, 710

Men’s LW 355...3 plates and 2 25’s per side. 70 pound jumps up to 705..then 50 pounds
355, 425, 495, 565, 635, 705, 755, 775, 795, 815, 835, 855, 875, 895, 915

Men’s HW 435...4 hundred pound plates per side. 90 pound jumps.
435, 525, 615, 705, 795, 885, 975, 995, 1015, 1035, 1055, 1075, 1095



Event 2 Twin Tire Flip and Log Viper Press from lap to overhead 5 down to 1

Each team will begin with tire flips for 5 reps. Then, each person must clean and press the log from the lap position to the overhead position for 5 reps. After they’ve completed the first set of 5 they will move back to the tire to complete a set of 4 flips and 4 presses each. Down to 1 rep of each movement. Possible 45 points awarded, 1 for each successful rep. 10 MINUTE CAP

Women’s LW...75 Pound Log...5 pound plates per side and 650 tire

Women’s HW...95 Pound Log... 10 pound bumpers, 5 pound plates per side and 740 tire

Men’s LW...135 Pound Log...35 pound bumpers and 1,000 pound tire (good tread)

Men’s HW...155 Pound Log...45 pound bumpers and 1,000 pound tire (no tread)


Event 3 Carrying Medley

Teams have 8 minutes to move the following material across the length of the gym and back. Each person on the team must do a full length with each piece of equipment...meaning that 1 person CAN’T move the yoke down and back. Equipment can be moved in any order and has to touch the ground on the opposite end of the gym before it can be returned. Teams can assist one another to put the equipment in the required position. Points are awarded for each implement getting across the full length of the floor. Each stack of weights counts for 1 point. KB’s must both be moved to earn 1 point. 8 MINUTE CAP

Women LW
300 pound Yoke...55 pound bumpers x 2
25 pound plates x 20(4 stacks of 5)
110 pound sandbag carried in the lap or gut...no shouldering allowed
90 pound atlas stone carried in a bear hug
44 pound KB’s carried in the overhead position

Women’s HW
420 pound yoke...45 pound metal plates x 4, 10 pound metal plates x 4
35 pound plates x 20(4 stacks of 5)
130 pound sandbag
135 pound atlas stone
53 pound KB’s

Men’s LW
520 pound yoke...45 pound metal plates x 4, 35 pound bumpers x 4
45 pound bumper x 16 and 25 pound bumpers x 4(4 stacks of 5 with the 25’s on top)
175 pound sandbag
175 atlas stone
62 pound KB’s

Men’s HW
600 pound yoke...100 pound metal plates x 4
45 pound bumper plates x 20(4 stacks of 5)
200 pound sandbag
210 atlas stone
80 pound KB’s


Event 4 and 5 Back Squats and Burpees x 4 rounds

Teams will have a choice of 3 different weights to squat. One athlete will squat while the other performs 25 burpees. They will switch places and repeat for 4 rounds....meaning they will each squat and each do burpees 4 times. They will receive 2 scores on this event....overall time to complete 4 rounds of burpees and total pounds moved on the squats(reps x loaded weight). Only the top 3 teams per division will compete in this workout. We’ll go women in the first heat and men in the final heat of the day.

LW Women 95, 115, 135

HW Women 115, 135, 155

LW Men 135, 155, 185

HW Men 185, 205, 225

The Beauty

Each day in 2011 has yet to bring me a new adventure. Today I'm home...not by choice, but because of the beautiful snowfall we were presented with last night. Last night I had the same feeling I had when I was in elementary school when you know the world is going to stop tomorrow. No school and a full day of relaxing. I would get so excited about snow when I was growing up...I guess it still means I have yet to plan my future as a grown up.

Asleep at 2 am. Up at 7 to watch the snow fall.

Total accumulation so far: 12 inches.

My first thought: I'm not able to get to the gym.

My second thought: Time for myself!? I had to actually say it to myself to know it was true! Time to catch up on programs, ideas, e mails, and recovery for my body.

ME+my Keurig= PRODUCTIVITY!

How am I going to get a workout in today? Shoveling and use of my TRX in the house! Just because we aren't able to physically get out of the driveway, doesn't mean we aren't able to move. Shoveling is an incredible workout...just make sure you have a great playlist: may I suggest the new Kanye West album. Monster.

I've been working on a few things outside of my own personal workouts: a new Personal Training studio, new clients, and a new website. Stay tuned for updates.

Moral of the story: don't be afraid of nature. Take it for what its worth, use it to your advantage. Take time for YOU, be creative, innovative and have fun with your workouts and ideas.

EXCITEMENT!!

2.0.1.1.

It seems like yesterday it was 2007. I was graduating from Penn State and thought: Where is this life really going to take me?

"I wish that I knew what I know now....when I was younger"

Do I really wish I would have known where I am now? No. Everything in my past has lead me to success, failure, and more importantly...its all about the trials.

Word of the year: EXCITEMENT:

2011 is going to be full of new ideas, experiments, programs, diets, workouts and competitions. Every month I have decided to fill my calendar with something I have never done. One big competition every month.

So far here is the plan:

January 15: Hybrid Athletics partner competition. Partner: Kara O'Conner. Two Kara's...get serious.

February 27: Climb to the Top: A unique opportunity where participants get to Climb to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, while making a difference in the lives of those affected by MS!

March: Open to Ideas!

April 16: Fitness Atlantic Fitness modeling competition, New Haven, CT.

Exciting? Absolutely.

I'm taking this year to make my body my own experiment, my own work of art. What obstacles do I have to overcome to make it to the top. I will be blogging more often, and i just bought my own mini flip...so be expecting videos as well!

Join me for 2011...share your goals, aspirations, and what is going to MAKE 2011 yours.

Holiday Detox

If any of you were like me this past holiday season—It was time for the best of my cheat meals to come out. Yes, meals is plural.

Now…my ‘cheat’ meals are similar to the average American’s daily intake. I may be a little over the top in saying I felt guilty when indulging in spaghetti and meatballs the day after Christmas.

However, traveling from one city to another, visiting relatives and friends allows us to tell stories, laugh and enjoy great company. On the other hand, we do all of this with snacks, chocolate, and lots of wine in front of us. After one story you realize the caramels have disappeared to half the portion size and your wine glass as been filled by your uncle 2 times over. All so delicious, yet calorie dense and rich.

Lets now take a step back, look at our closets at the New Years Eve outfit we have bought. Take it out of your closet. Hang it up somewhere you are able to see it everyday this week. There is your motivation. And to you that are ‘staying in’… No, you can’t take out your pajama pants and hang them up. Take out a nice outfit, a belt, a pair of your favorite shoes and place them in sight. If you don’t have anything to do: come into NYC…that will also give you an excuse.

Now…on to the plan. Keeping it simple, clean, and lean.

Rule 1. Make sure to drink plenty of water. Drink 8 oz of water before consuming any meal or snack. Water, tea, and coffee are the only liquids consumed for one week. This means…NO ALCOHOL.

Rule 2. Do not top or season with salts, sugar, processed chemicals to ‘make it taste better’

Rule 3. Keep it clean, lean and often. Keep to the 3 hour rule. I know it seems like a lot, but lets bump up your metabolism starting NOW.

Rule 4. Stick to the plan! This will not only allow you to start feeling better about yourself physically, but knowing you have a plan and action for the week will keep you on track with a healthy lifestyle!

Rule 5. Please make sure you’re working out too! E mail me for more information on fat burning cardio strength training workouts to REALLY see results!

Rule 6. Play (and eat) like a champion TODAY.

Holiday Detox

Breakfast
FIRST THING UPON WAKING

• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 2 egg whites 1 whole egg with a handful of fresh spinach (make as an omelet) Top with oregano, pepper, seasonings for taste.
• 1 piece of Ezekiel toast
• 8 oz green or coffee (lay off the cream and sugar!)

3 hours later:
Snack:

• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Sliced red delicious apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter or Almond Butter

3 hours later
Lunch

• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 1 cup fresh Greens (spinach or lightly sautéed spinach or my favorite—kale with garlic)
• 4 oz Lean Protein: grilled, baked, or broiled: mahi mahi, cod, halibut, chicken, grass fed beef or pork. Season with low sodium spices (Mrs Dash and I are bff’s)
• 4 oz of complex carbohydrates: sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice
• 1 oz of hummus, avocado, almonds

3 hours later
Snack:

• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 0% chobani or fage yogurt
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries/strawberries or raspberries
• cinnamon to taste

3 hours later

Dinner

• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 8 spears of asparagus or ½ cup artichoke hearts
• 4 oz lean protein: chicken with spices, baked or grilled

3 hours later
Snack before bed *if needed!
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese

Get lean, get clean....

Let me know your results!

TRX!

Give the gift of Fitness for the Holidays!


http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&AFFIL=rQU121xu

Training ADD

I recently read a great article on t-nation.com referring to training ideas before bodybuilding. To read the full article, find it here:

http://www.tnation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/9_things_i_wish_i_knew_when_i_started_bodybuilding

#8 Thing I wish I knew before training for bodybuilding: Don't have Training ADD.

If I could describe myself in one phrase during my competition training, this would be it!

Crossfit, lifting heavy, dancing, endurance training, cycle classes, swimming...you name it, I did it to prepare for my show. Was it fun, sure...but was it right...no.

I was exhausted and drained both mentally and physically because I wanted to do it all. Sometimes when you think you're superwoman (or man) you're up so high until something called exhaustion comes and slaps you across the face to tell you to slow down.

Programs work, this is why training is science.

To achieve your goals, it takes time to periodize your schedule to see the right results. If your goals are fat loss, weight loss, building strength, increasing flexibility, it all takes time. Your success can't be delivered UPS overnight.

Slow down to look at the science behind it and make it obtainable. Release yourself from the gimmicks, build a system that works for you and stick with it. Not only will this mentally prepare you for success, but also allow your mind to centralize your outcome.

Make sure your program includes the following aspects: exercise, nutrition, rest and recovery.

Questions about your program? I'm learning to become an expert. At life. Send them to me!

Fire

Today I'll paint the town red. Why red? Red is a power and strength. Red is Hot.

Its the Fire...

I have this fire--this red passion for life. As I train for life and for the future, its fun to keep painting and to create my story. We may or may not have control of our own destiny, but we might as well give it our all.

I can't think of a more fantastic job than mine. Besides really getting paid to be cool. Besides the point...I wear workout clothes all day, run around, meet interesting people, learn, educate, and motivate. I'm sold on my life.

Its the stories that I've heard in the past few months as I haven't been blogging (I'm BACK!!) that have created this fire inside of me to do it all again. Its funny how things can just hit you across the face when you're not looking--like on my Starbucks cup this morning...Stories are Gifts--SHARE.

I shared my story with you--and I continue to as my fire still burns!

Stick with me--New and exciting things are happening. I continue to work on my brand, my ideas, my knowledge to share. I'll keep painting, you keep sharing your stories!