A Lil About Me!

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ACE Certified Personal Trainer; NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist; CSEP Certified Personal Fitness & Lifestyle Advisor; MaddDogg Spinning Instructor; NCCP SwimCoach; NLSC Aquafit Instructor; Wellness & Weight-Loss Consultant.

Monday, 3 October 2011

Motivation Music

Since It's #MUSICmonday & #MOTIVATIONmonday I thought I would post some of MY Motivation Music on Monday!!

For me, to get me thru CARDIO, whether Long and SteadyState or HIIT / Fartlek / Tabatta, it's gotta be FAST & make me want to MOVE! I like premade House or Soca mixtapes, so it's fluid & contiuous.

The two I've been vibing on this week are ::
@LilJon's Jell-0 (download here: www.liljonyeahh.com/2011/09/jell-o-vol1-new-house-mixtape/)
or @socaboycc Close Connections Miami Carnival 2011 Soca Mix

 
This is my "ZONE" playlist for my Abs Days --
  1. On my Level - Wiz Khalifa
  2. F''K You - Wale
  3. Niggas in Paris - KanyeWest & Jay-Z
  4. Hustle Hard - Ace Hood
  5. Monster - Kanye, JayZ, NickiMinaj
  6. Imma Boss - Meek Mill & Rick Ross
  7. John - LilWayne & RickRoss
  8. Swobbin' - VNasty
  9. Can't Get Enough - J.Cole & TreySongz
  10. Club Paradise - Drake
 
On Legs days I LOVE Booty/Trill&Tip Songs --
  1. Ladies Love Me - Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber
  2. A$$ (Dance) - Big Sean
  3. Bait - Wale
  4. Make it Rain - TravisPorter
  5. GFN - Roscoe Dash
  6. Grove Street Party - Waka Flocka
  7. She Bad - Lil Wayne
  8. Toppa the Line - Yung Trap
  9. Rack City - Tyga
  10. Oh My - Dj Drama ft. Fabulous
  11. Long Heels, Red Bottoms - Trina
  12. Tony Montana - Future ft. Drake
  13. Spend it - 2Chainz
  14. Im On It - 50cent
  15. No Hands - Gucci Mane ft. Waka Flocka


For the rest of my lift days, it depends on what I'm feeling that day, anything from RageRock to Old School HipHop, to some GarthBrooks & Shania, to Sh-Emo (e.g. Lykke Li, Little Dragon, Ellie Goulding, Metric, etc) & ANYDAY is a great day for Soca & Dancehall. I LOVE to wine my waist between sets!!

 
When I do my boxing drills I Need DUBSTEP
I love tracks by Modestep, Nero, 12th Planet, Skrillex, Diplo, Avicii, MagneticMan and I throw in some Swedish House Mafia & Tiesto for that Deep House.
 
Feel Free to Comment back & Add some tracks! I love new music!! All kinds :)

Some Half-Marathon Tips!

Hey guys,

I ran my first half-marathon this past February, and was VERY un(der)prepared. I finished, the time wasn't bad (2:23.13 with bathroom breaks) but I was in pain the entire back 5miles! Since I will be running my second half-marathon in December, I took the initiative and have begun to prepare, earlier as well as more wholely. Here are a few tips from NY Running Room for any other Halfers out there!

http://www.nyrr.org/resources/training/half_marathon_strategy.asp


From my own experiences, here are MY 10 tips for new Runners ::
  1. Get OUTSIDE! - The Treadmill (*or worse, elliptical running) is NOT THE SAME as open road running. The shear force, power outputs & footstrike implications are VERY different, make sure you're getting in road miles, along with the indoor miles.
  2. Build a strong Base - Yes everyone says "Be Marathon Ready in 10-15 weeks" BUT this is based off of the assumption that you can already, and DO already do 15+ miles each week. Take an extra couple of weeks on the road!
  3. Pick a Timeline - i.e. pick what LENGTH of program/plan you want to use 8wks, 10wks, 12wks, 15wks. If you're an avid runner - 20-25miles/wk already you can prepare in a shorter time. If you do 0-10miles/wk, it doesn't mean you won't be able to do it, it just means you need more prep time! (*case-in-point :: ME - I was doing 10miles/wk, and I did took on my halfer 6wks out... BAD IDEA)
  4. Pick a Method - i.e pick what KIND of program/plan you want to use; the types of workouts, weekly mileage, and the number of times you run each week.
  5. More is NOT Always Better - Yes, be able to run more miles weekly is a better way to ensure you finish the half-marathon distance, it's also a better way to ensure an injury, if you're coming from a non-runner base of fitness.
  6. Mix your Runs for quality and quantity - I would recommend a mix of 2-3 tempo or building runs 7mi to 10miles, working on your pacing. One weekly Long run (*12-15miles, to work on distance completion), and one weekly recovery run (3-5miles), slower and shorter.
  7. Do some Cross-Training - this one is KEY! Swim or Cycle to improve cardio, do some weights to build lower-body strength & some upper body work, as your arms pump your stride! Yoga is also great to open up the lower back, hamstrings and hip-flexors.
  8. Find a team/group - commitment is easier when you're accountable to others. Also, you have people to help keep you on pace, motivate you, share tips & break the boredom of logging miles (*if you cant find the ZEN)
  9. Know your RACE - Go online, find the race path, and run it, if you can! If you know when to turn, speed up/slow down, where the hill climbs & descents are (if any), and where the water & food posts are, it's MUCH easier to train for it. PLUS, find out which brands of sports drinks, fuel gels & snacks will be used on the route & be sure you can eat them, in case you need to carry your own (*you should, anyway)
  10. REST - allowing the body to recover from the beatings of logging 30+ miles per week is imperative for success!

All that's left is to pick a race (if you haven't already) and get to training!!

Hope it helps!

Thermogenics + HOT Iced Tea Recipe!

Thermogenics are drugs, herbs, or supplements that increase the amount of heat (cellular energy) that body produces.
 
You can find the drugs & supplements marketed as "fat-burners" or appetite suppressants, e.g Hydroxycut, Lipo-6 & they typically claim to help dramatically speed up weight loss.  The same processes used to "speed up metabolism" cause negative side effects which come from an elevated metabolism & heart rate: such products, including nervousness, jitters, insomnia, anxiety, & chest pain.
*sidenote: I took Hydroxycut in first year uni, to counter act the "Freshman 15" and had a panick attack & nearly collapsed in the middle of the road, one day.
I believe it's more beneficial (for the long term) to increase your thermogenesis through regular exercise & consuming a diet that includes thermogenic foods.
 
The thermogenic foods increase the rate that the body burnsstored fat to release energy.  Remember, as you burn more calories, you produce a need for more fuel (fat) for physical activities which in turn burn MORE CALORIES, by burning fat.  When u combine thermogenic lean protein foods w/ the right amounts & types of essential fats,green vegetables and complex unprocessed carbs and 100% whole grains, your body will becomes its own revved-up fat burning machine, minus the adverse side effects!
  
"Natural Thermogenic Extracts" found in Supplements:
  • Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange): This increases metabolic rate, promotes weight loss and increases energy level. (This is a caloric expender and fat burner)
  • Guarana: Increases body's metabolic rate
  • L-Carnitine: Aids in cellular function, recovery time & increases the metabolic rate.
Foods
  • Turkey
  • Bison
  • Chicken (*use breasts, or thighs - leanest)
  • Egg whites
  • Seafood, Salmon, "Game fish" which contain high levels of Omega 3s
  • Broccoli
  • Kale, Spinach
  • Red Cabbage
  • Ginger
  • Cinnamon
  • Cayenne peppers, Hot peppers (Members of the "Hot Chili, Hot Pepper" families contain Capsaicin. The enzyme which you sense as "burning".)
  • Green Tea Extract (*the amino ECGC) is an antioxidant thermogenic
  • Black Tea, Red Tea & White Tea also contain these thermogenic & antioxidant properties.
  • Coffee: Contains caffeine, a diuretic, and metabolism booster, can also have thermogenic properties. (*Black,  Green, Red, White Teas also contain caffeine)
------------------------
>> While eating proper food combos help, I also like to sip on my Thermogenics!
Heres a quick Hot MixedBerry, Ginger, Peach Iced Tea

Hardware
  • TeaKettle or Large Covered Pot (*able to boil 9-10L of water)
  • 8L Juice Pitcher (*must be able to hold HOT AND COLD liquids - some plasic pitchers crack in extreme heat!)
Ingredients
  • 6 Tea bags -- 2 Natural leaf Green Tea, 2 Ceylon Black Mixed berry tea, 1 GingerMint herbal teabag, 1 Peach blossom herbal tea
  • 6-8cups of boiling water
  • 1/4c Organic Raw Agave syrup or Honey
  • 2tsp Cayenne Pepper (*it's enough, I promise!)
  • 1TB fresh cinnamon
  • 1 tsp fresh shaved Ginger Root
  • 2 trays of Ice
  • 1 Large peach peeled & sliced (*I cut it into halves & then 6pcs each half, and then wet & froze for a few hours before making the tea)
  • 15 Blackberries (I used frozen, to help cool the tea)
Method
  • Steep tea bags for about 10-15mins (*it seems long, but you want a strong taste & a lot of the extracts. plus its a LOT of tea!)
  • Add the Sweetener (honey/agave) and the cayenne & cinnamon while the tea is steeping & scaulding hot!
  • Remove tea bags and add in the ginger & 1 tray of Ice Cubes. When melted, add in the 2nd tray of ice, plus frozen fruits & put in Fridge. (*uncovered until cooled)

It's best served ICE cold, to mute the effects of the Cayenne & Ginger (*I recommend straining out the ginger, if you're sensitive to heat!)

My fave part: the longer it stays in the fridge the spicier & fruitier it gets! I LOVE IT!
Enjoy!