Ah, I'm behind! It's already July, and I never implemented this month's challenge! To re-cap last month we did a health challenge that challenged us to eat a green fruit or vegetable every day. I'll be honest, I was pretty boring and didn't mix it up a lot. I already eat a salad a day with a mix of romaine or spinach, so that was my "usual" green. It still fits the challenge, though! haha Were you taking the challenge with me? If so, how did you do? Did you mix it up or stick to a favorite? Please share your story in the comments! :)
So, that means July is a fitness challenge month. I'm sure you probably saw this coming since my last fitness challenge was a pushup challenge - crunches! You can mix it up however you would like - crunches, situps, reverse situps, obliques, etc. Since we're already a few days into the month (oops, I promise my scattered posts, falling behind, etc. is for a good reason right now) instead of 3,000 like I was originally planning let's do 2500! So, are you with me?? That's less than 100 a day, and you don't have to do all 100 at the same time. Because pushups are a "weak spot" for me, I split them up in sets of 10 throughout the day. This was also more feasible with the kids around, too!
Some tips for proper crunches and sit-ups:
If you prefer to put your hands behind your head make sure to keep your arms relaxed. DO NOT LEAD WITH YOUR ARMS. Concentrate very carefully on your abdominal muscles doing the work! The same is true of oblique crunches - concentrate on your oblique muscles doing the work!
If you're doing small crunches keep your face toward the ceiling. Don't tuck your chin! Again, lead with the abs, not your face or arms.
Keep your feet firm on the ground. If this is too hard ask if someone can hold them down for you or if you have a sofa nearby stick your feet under it! Again, focus on your abdominal muscles doing the work!
Breathe in on the way down and breathe out with force on the way up - this not only helps you to focus on breathing properly, but it also helps you engage your abdominal muscles!
With anything warm up and stretch before and after!
Crunches are great to improve your core muscles and strengthen your abs. If you're really looking to define your abs crunches alone are NOT the answer! The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is becoming popular because what you eat largely determines what might be "hiding" those abdominal muscles - particularly females. We have it a little harder because things like stress can also increase cortisol and therefore increase belly fat. I'm currently doing RevAbs again and have gotten great results, and not only is his passion awesome, but his knowledge of nutrition is phenomenal! He shares MANY great tips/tricks for beating the belly bloat and belly fat!
So will YOU be taking our fitness challenge this month? I hope you'll join me!
So I've decided I'm going to implement monthly challenges to focus on better nutrition and fitness. Last month was the water challenge. It actually didn't go as well as I had hoped. I know I started out sharing how I still wasn't drinking enough despite not having other beverages. I still continued to have that challenge. I decided it was time to back to an old trick. I am not one to mark down each time I have a cup of water. I don't remember to do it! It's much easier for me to remember everything in ounces. So, I'm back to using (re-usable) water bottles. The bottles that come with my water filter are 16 ounces, so I have to drink at least 4 of them per day. That is MUCH easier to remember, and I'm back on track. I'll admit, though, I'm happy to add some flavor back into y drinks! I'm still making sure I get enough water, but I'm enjoying my tea and juice again as well! :)
Since last month's challenge was nutrition based this month I'm going to implement a fitness based challenge! I'd love for you to join me! My goal for the month of May is 500 pushups! I'm admittedly terrible at pushups right now. I do have to be careful because I do have a nerve issue in my wrists, and pushups can trigger it. It doesn't mean I can't do them, though! I may have to split them up to different times of the day, so instead of doing 15 in a row I may have to do 5 three times a day. Whatever it is I'll find what works for me, and I encourage you to find what works for you! :) I want to take this known weakness of mine and turn it around!
Pushups are such an amazing exercise! They work so many different muscles and build a stronger core. I think with all the new fitness trends pushups get lost in the past, but still there is nothing that is better! So I'm going to make it part of my daily routine, and my goal is 500 pushups for the month that are NOT modified. If you need to modify (on your knees) that is OK! If you want to challenge yourself more by doing them on an incline, that's great! Take what level you need and join me! I know I'm really challenging myself by doing them without modifying, but I'm ready for the challenge! It's obviously already a couple days into May, but that's OK! The goal is 500 for the month, so if you take a day off, that's OK, too! Don't save it all until the last few days, though, to where you have to play "catch up" because you could burn yourself out! Try to finish all 500 by the last week of the month and give yourself a few days to spare. Then if you do fall behind you have those extra days. If you don't fall behind you can still continue your pushup routine anyway! ;) So, will you be joining me?
We, unfortunately, were unable to attend this year's Team Beachbody Coach Summit in LA. We already had our tickets, plane tickets, hotel, etc. and were ready to go until last month we realized my husband had so many Doctor appointments that there was no way we could go! We're getting everything ready to find out whether he'll be parting from the military as soon as next month to as long as next year, so it's really important for him to keep those appointments right now! So although it was necessary for us to not go this year - I still got excited every time I saw new updates and pictures from Summit, and I can't wait to go next year - even if it is in Las Vegas! haha I know I haven't posted in a while, but this is a post worth waiting for! hehe So here are some of the key updates!
1) FREE Coaching for Active Duty Military!! This is one of the reasons I LOVE Beachbody! They truly care about others - ending the trend of obesity in our country, offering healthier alternatives for fundraising for non-profits (FREE as well), donating money to wonderful causes like Rain Catchers, and now honoring the men and women that serve our country! I'm not saying this just because I'm an Army wife, either! ;p A lot of companies don't recognize the challenges faced by military families. Offering an opportunity for them to own their own business for FREE while they're serving our country not only gives them an opportunity to change their health and fitness and share that passion with others, but it also sets them up for success for when they part with the military - whatever the reason. In our case, my husband will most likely be parting with the military due to medical reasons - knee injury, having had cancer twice resulting in complications from the surgeries as well as the chemotherapy. The thought of returning to the civilian world with no idea where to live or where there are even jobs available (there aren't many) was a bit, well, stressful. That burden was lifted when we found this opportunity, and now for the offer to no longer have business fees for my husband is just icing on the cake! Why not start your own business at no cost and build up some residual income while you're serving? Or for the military spouses whose Active Duty member (their spouse) is not a coach - the benefit transfer to them! I know I'm not the only military spouse that was looking for a great business opportunity that allows me to stay home with the kids! :)
2) The New Beachbody Challenge (win $100K) Beachbody has revamped their challenge! What used to be the Million Dollar Body Game® will now be the new Beachbody Challenge! • Lots of prizes! ♦ Commit to Get Fit and be eligible to win $100,000.00! Two winners. ♦ Coaches nominated by each $100,000.00 winner will win $20,000.00. ♦ Each finalist will take home $25,000.00. ♦ Coaches nominated by each finalist will win $5,000.00 ♦ $500.00 daily prizes ♦ $1,000.00 monthly prizes ♦ $500 monthly prizes for Coaches nominated by the $1,000.00 winner
• ONLY Team Beachbody members can participate. • Team Beachbody members can participate by submitting a Success Story, OR "Commit to Get Fit" with a Beachbody program and submit your ultimate results. • Keep an eye on Beachbody Challenge for more info to come!
3) The new Shakeology Flavor is - TROPICAL! • Get psyched to study some Tropicology! That’s right—Shakeology's new longawaited flavor has been unveiled: TROPICAL! • The new flavor brings the taste of summer vacation home. It’s perfect for the warm weather and those who love to wake up to a refreshing fruit smoothie. • The Tropical flavor profile: pineapple, papaya, and banana • Stay tuned for more details on the new flavor… Plenty to come! I will keep you updated as I get more information!
4) P90X2 will be available for pre-order in August! If you've already completed P90X, get ready for the next level! A natural extension of its revolutionary predecessor, P90X2 paves the way for the future of exercise science and will blow minds across the world. It will have 14 new, cutting edge workouts and an enhanced nutrition plan. Discover the many new phases of P90X2, and what is being referred to as a "PAP workout." I'll keep you updated!
5) New TeamBeachbody.com Web Tools! • Find a LIVE Fit Club! Maybe you don't live in the area and can't come to our Fit Club. No problem! Now you can find a live Fit Club wherever you are! Just enter your zip code and the radius you're willing to travel! If there isn't one in your area - ask me how to get one started!
• WOWY® (The online super gym) gets a new look! ♦ Calendar colors in days to show workouts completed. ♦ Coming Soon in Phase 2: Suggested buddies based on primary workout program and fitness goals. ♦ Coming Soon in Phase 2: See what members have been up to with the new "Recent Member Activity Feed" ♦ Coming Soon in Phase 2: Share your WOWY workouts on Facebook and Twitter. (I'm excited about this!!)
• Find Buddies/Member Gallery Revamp This summer, they're updating the layout and design to make it easier for members to: o find people they already know o find new buddies who share the same interests
• Improvements to Online Workout Groups ♦ Share a status message with your group members. ♦ View ― "Group Superstars" who have completed the most WOWY workouts. ♦ Group message boards enable discussions between group members. ♦ Ability to share groups on Facebook and Twitter.
Wow! So if all of this news isn't enough - if you're already a coach - there is EVEN MORE! Connect to the news Here I will keep you up to date as the upcoming news unravels into more details! The Active Duty sign-up is ready NOW! Contact me for the full details! And as always - if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to discuss your progress towards your current goals contact me any time! :)
