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What's on your workout playlist today? How about some Peas!

Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama

La, la, la, la, laah...



Finish the week strong!

Wordless Wednesday 6/22/11

Quote of the Week

"What makes the engine go? Desire, desire, desire." ~ Stanley Kunitz

How badly do you want the results you say you desire? Enough to make measurable changes? Your success, fitness or otherwise, is a direct result of your true yearnings.

Get rid of winter body fat.

Summer's just around the corner.
Want to blast winter belly fat?

Kick up the intensity!



Simply walking the dog or plodding along on the treadmill might be good for your heart but a recent study by the University of Virginia (UV) showed that women who regularly do high intensity workouts have far less belly fat than women who work out at an easy level.

This suggests that while just being "active" may be good for your overall health, if you want more significant changes to your body composition and body fat loss you need to work at a level that makes you breathe heavily. Additionally, one of the best parts of the UV study was that it was done with women who's mean age was 51 years old. This shows that despite the natural changes that occur with age, by increasing our workout intensity we can still change our bodies regardless of how old we are.

So, how can you effectively increase your intensity? Alternate short bursts of high intensity with active rest period or lower intensity exercises. This mode of training is typically called high intensity interval training, or "HIIT".

Below is a simple "Oh, boy!" workout I like to use when I'm short on time because it gives a big bang for the buck, conditioning the muscles, revving up the cardiovascular system and burning unwanted fat without taking a long time to finish.

Oh, Boy Workout:

50 Jumping Jacks
40 Alternating Rear lunges
30 Bicycle Ab Crunches
20 Pushups
10 Burpees (see pic above)

Be sure to warm up and stretch as needed.
Go down the list 2-3 times as fast as you are able.

No excuses!

Workout of the Week: Core 3/1/11

Important cues:
~ Be sure to "feel" your posture and alignment during the exercises.
~ Pull your navel in towards your spine, lift the head off the shoulders (no shrugging) and allow your shoulder blades to slide down your back.
~ Remember, "Quality" not "Quantity".
~ Take your time and do it right!
~ Breathe as naturally as possible.
~ Work at your own ability, keeping in mind any personal limitation you may have.
~ Have fun!

Workout: Face Up/Face Down #1

Cat and cow (stretch)
Child's pose (stretch)
Bird dog, 5-10 each side
Down dog, hold 15-30 seconds (option add 5-10 knee bends after 15 sec)
Hover (option alternate leg raises), hold 30-60 seconds
Lie on back, bring feet up (stretch)
Shoulder bridge (option, alternate knee lifts), hold 30-60 seconds
Lie on back, bring feet up (stretch)
Two ab crunches/one modified v-up, 10 times through
Hover (option, leg waves 5-10 each side), 30-60 seconds
Bikini abs, 10 each position

Cool down/stretch

No More UBC Sessions

Don't worry, we're not ending classes!
Starting this month, however, we're switching to a monthly system for URBAN Boot Camp.

That means: 1) no more trying to remember when sessions begin and end, 2) no more loss of momentum and hard-earned results, 3) new or returning participants can start at any time, 4) unlimited class participation at one budget-friendly price and 5) if you sign up for automatic billing, no more writing checks!

The monthly fee of $156.00 includes:
~ Fun, interesting workouts
~ Non-competitive, supportive team environment
~ Result-oriented programming
~ Seasonal goals and focused training
~ Nutritional guidance
~ Weekly assignments/emails

Contact us to get your Complimentary 1-Week Trial today!