Billy Blanks Is Boss!

One of the best ways to workout is by videos. Some of my favorite workout videos include: Richard Simmons (You get a workout just laughing at this guy) any pilates videos, and Billy Blanks.

If your someone who has tried Billy Blanks, you know where I'm coming from!!! It's a great video workout because it's clear and easy to follow. Some of the moves are repetitive and soo fun. My favorite thing about the Billy Blanks videos is how he encourages you.

Seriously this guy seems sincere and like he isn't going to give up on you!! When I was doing 'Fat Blasting Cardio' last night I wanted to give up so many times (not that I'm out of shape, I'm just really sore from my personal fitness class) But he encouraged me so much not to give up and to pace myself, which definatly kept me going.

I like other workout videos like Richard Simmons, but It's just not the same. The problem with Richard is that his moves aren't repetitive, and he switches them so fast.. you barely get time to learn the move their doing before he switches. And then your left standing there... like an idiot... trying to keep up... wondering..... How come those fat people can keep up with him and I can't??

Anyway, I would definatly recommend some 'Sweatin To The Oldies' but if you want a really good workout... Definatly try some Billy Blanks...

Afterall Billy is Boss!!

Don't make fun of slow eaters

A couple years ago I used to think it was hilarious when people were slow eaters. It was sort of annoying watching them eat something so slow that I already finished a half an hour before.

But actually slow eaters are usually healthier. Why?

They eat alot slower, become full faster and stop eating. They stop when their full and you don't even feel full at all right? So you eat more, and more, and more. After you eat all this food and fill yourself up do you feel like crap? This is because your brain has finally processed that your full (which was probably about 2 scoops of icecream before) and sent it to your body.

Then you usually become achy, gross feeling, grumpy, tired and bloated. Imagine if you ate slower like your annoying friend. Then this wouldn't have happened.

What you should do is to try and eat slower. An easy way to do this is if you take a couple of bites of something and have a sip of water (remember to have a sip and not a gulp because if you gulp the water you'll become bloated). Chew about 7-10 times and don't feel bad if your at someones house and can't finish it all.

If this happens whether it's at your friends house or a restaurant ask to get a doggy bag. Trust me, your friends wont be offended.

So don't make fun of slow eaters, it will come back to you on your hips, butt, and tummy.

Never go on the treadmill because you hate running?

Are you just not the running person? Do you avoid using the Treadmill because you just dont want to run?

Well I say, Give it another chance, but don't run....Walk!

Try:

ºGo on for about 20-30 mins (maybe 10 on your first time, don't over do it)
ºSet your speed at a good steady pace that will be easy or medium for your body.
ºPut your incline up high, anything over 10.0 will do you good.
ºWalk, put in your music...really get into it

When you have a higher incline, it seems easier than running, but you burn tons of calories. You might even burn the same amount that you would have running!!!

If you end up liking this, I suggest trying out a light jog at the end of your session, during the cool down.

To Do This You:

ºFinish your time on the treadmill and continue into cool down.
ºLower your incline completely
ºSet your speed to a nice jogging pace for about a minute
ºContinue to cool down

When you lower the incline completely you'll feel like your floating. It's a great feeling, I love to do this, running then is incredibly easy:)

If you still hate the treadmill, I suggest the elliptical machine:)

Be Angry, Shed Calories

How you should feel when you go to the gym:
Happy
Energetic
Angry?

Have you ever gotten in a fight with someone and just wanted to sulk around? Well instead go to the gym, run on a treadmill, or use the elliptical. I find that when I'm angry and workout I push my self harder, end up talking out my anger on some poor treadmill and running for longer than I normally would have.

Another upside? When your excersising endorfins will be let out in your brain and you will become completely calm again. You'll end up going back to your house and feeling happy instead of angry and everything will be fine.

Ways to fake anger:

ºListen to rock/alternate/or heavy metal, this music is upbeat and will want to make you push yourself harder.

and

ºGo to the gym alone. When you do this you (hopefully) dont end up interacting with anyone which will let you get into your music.

You don't always have to be angry to go to the gym but you do get good results:)

New Balance Shoes

Last year I wanted to become a better runner. So when my class had the 12 minute run I was stoked!!!! Unfortunatly after I ran it my my legs killed. Seriously it did!

Imagine this. Having your calf muscles permenatly flexed and sore at the same time! I could barely walk down my stairs! I couldn't imagine what would have done this...sure the 12 minute run makes you sore, but it doesn't usually leave you unable to walk. I tried to think of things that would have caused it... Out of shape? Maybe, but still I would have still felt a little better than this.

And then I thought to myself...wasn't I wearing my flat shoes that day? and my problem was solved. I was wearing my normal flat bottom shoes with no arch support. What I learned? Never to run in those things...sure they look nice, but looks can kill....your legs

So this year my mom begged me to get proper running shoes. After all, she had to listen to me complain the entire time I was injured. I wanted a low budget shoe, but one that had arch support. So when I was shopping for them with my boyfriend I just marched into sportcheck and picked the first one that seemed to fit nicely and look nice.

I ended up with green and white New Balance shoes that only cost about 75$!!!! I'm not advertising them or anything, I just wanted to write about how much I love them. Can't run without'em

Working hard or hardly working???

I'm in this personal fitness program at my highschool and I love it! You know the person at the gym that you hate because their having this awsome time working out while your counting down the minutes till you have to go? Yes, I'm afraid that is who I am...
I'm not this super manly girl who benches 120 or anything. Nope...much to small to do that. I can barely bench the bar! I'm also not this athletic girl who can run for hours on end either. (And by the way, whoever hates the people who love their workout, The ATHLETE is the person those gym lovers hate, The athlete hates the manly girl who benches 120 and so on and so forth...)
Anyway, my school has this personal fitness program. It's co-ed.
All the girls are stuck with these annoying guys who just sit around pretending to work out all of the time. I'm not even exaggerating a little bit. When the class does our twice weekly 14 minute run the guys can't even handle it and just end up walking or trying to trip each other or something.
And trust me, I'm not this super uptight person or anything. But this really bothers me. How come they're allowed to do practically nothing and still get an average mark? How come they can eat all the junkfood they want and still not look like shit? How come the girls can still feel self concious about themselves even though they work 100x harder than anyone of them?!?!
I don't understand how all of the girls can work so hard and only lose a few pounds, and the guys do nothing at all and still be considered athletes. There not! Just because they can runfast for like one minute, lift 150 two times, and do one chinup doesn't mean that their athletes at all.
For example, when we go to the gym (which is three times a week) they all stand there (excluding a couple of guys that actually try) and lift the heaviest wieght they can twice...put it down... and talk to their friends about what buff meat pies they all are. Do they think that it impresses the girls? Cause if they do they obvoiusly dont hear us making fun of them after class.
Is it all their testosterone that makes them like that? Is it their natural competitive instincts? Is it their need for acceptance from their other guy friends? Is it their ignorance?
Whatever it is... they act like idiots and for once in my life I wish that I wasn't in co-ed gym. I just wish they knew how much we made fun of them, or how stupid they look everyday........That would hopefully bring their ego's down a couple of notches.