Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while. I recently just finished my tour and was trying to see everyone when I got home. Keep checking back soon to see more posts! I plan to get back to this blog ASAP!
Feature Friday: Sandy Vo
First name: Sandy
Last name: Vo
City: Albany
State: New York
Age: 21
Height: 5’2″
Weight: 128lbs
Profession: Communication major, Business minor. Founder of Peer Academic Review Board for the school. Director of Communications for American Marketing Association. Proud intern at this awesome music company called Tunigo. If you’re a music lover, this will be your best friend for life.
Follow Her:
Twitter: @Msfitique
Instagram: Msfitique
Blog: http://www.msfitique.com
When did you start working out?:
I started this new healthy lifestyle, working out and eating clean consistently late March last year. I didn’t start lifting until July though! I’ve seen tremendous changes ever since I started lifting. To think that I used to be the one who was scared of weights because it would make me bulky is too funny to even think about it. Start lifting ladies 😉
How many days a week do you work out?:
I work out 6 days a week and make sure to have one rest day for my body to recuperate. Some weeks I have ultra energy and find it hard to have a rest day. That’s what this lifestyle does to you though. It makes you feel so good, mentally and physically, that you start absolutely loving it. Being an ex-college party girl who was almost always hung over, working out and eating clean was non- existent in my life. When I started, I did it because I felt like I absolutely had to in order to get healthy. Now, I do it as a hobby more than anything. It’s incredible how much my mental state has changed since then too. It’s so worth ditching parties, cheesy pizza and liver killing alcohol for =).
How long is your average workout?:
My average workout is 1 hour. When I first started and had no clue what to do in the gym, I’d hog the elliptical for almost 2 hours and got super skinny, and fragile looking as a result. Now, lifting and having knowledge about the right kind of training, it only takes 1 hour of my life a day to get fit. There are no excuses there.
Favorite muscles to exercise:
I love working out my glutes because I have some pretty fun exercises for that, and I love seeing the changes week to week. I also love working my legs overall, and shoulders.
Least favorite muscles to exercise:
If I had to pick, I’d say chest because I’m not a huge fan of bench presses.
Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
Yes! I’m actually competing for my very first show June 29th in Boston with the WBFF. After losing 30 pounds since I started this journey less than a year ago, it’s been rough to get my physique to where I wanted it. I was looking fragile and I wanted to be fit. So I started slowly upping my calories to gain weight but I did it the wrong way and I gained back all the weight. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to learn. I started prepping in January actually because I wanted to do this the healthiest way possible by giving myself time. So far I’ve learned that slow progress is the best kind of progress and real results take time. Patience is everything! I gained back all the weight because I was frustrated with not seeing the kind of results that I did. In January 23, I was 140. Now March 29, I am 128. Competing for me, has nothing to do about winning a trophy. That will be my cherry on top. It’s more about testing how strong your mind really is. Training for a show isn’t easy but it will be worth it in the end.
Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
– Amanda Latona, super hot body with a kick ass personality.
– Justine Munro
– Andrea Brazier is also another gorgeous, hard body inspiration.
What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I only take multi vitamins, fish oil, vitamin d, iron (because I’m low on iron) and that’s it! I don’t believe in using fat burners and unnecessary supplements that may harm my body. All the nutrients that we need is in our food! Supplements are just that, they supplement our diet, not replace it.
Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
Meal 1- 4 egg whites, 1 egg. 1/2 c oats
Meal 2- 1/2 c cottage cheese, blueberries
Meal 3- 3 oz chicken with small salad and 1/4 c brown rice
Meal 4- 3 oz chicken with small salad
Meal 5 -3 oz tilapia with veggies and sweet potato
Meal 6 – Protein shake
Of course I add my own little twist and turns to make my food super delicious. I turn meal one into scrumptious pancakes
Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
HIIT is very affective. I’m talking about a lot of calories and fat burned in a short amount of time. It’s also fun to play around with the intensity and challenge yourself. Normal steady cardio is boring. I find myself seeing the most progress with high intensity interval training always.
How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
Because I am prepping for a show right now, I do cardio 6 days a week. I do one session in the morning and one after lifting.
Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Start by believing in yourself. Believe that you can achieve that physique that you have always dreamed of, but more importantly, believe that you have that strong mentality and power inside of you to do absolutely anything. Back then, running at 8.0 mph for even 20 seconds was impossible to me. It was impossible because I limited myself. But once I tapped into that power I knew I always had inside of me, I finished a mile in 6 min and 30 sec. I’ll never forget how accomplished I felt. Another super important tip is be patient! All your hard work will pay off if you are willing to be patient for it. The small progresses are the best. Learn to love them, reward yourself for them versus picking on yourself for not seeing any changes. I promise you that you can wait just a little bit longer while continuing to do what you do, you WILL get there!
Do you have any other things you would like to say? (Comments, Suggestions, etc)?:
I’m currently in the making of my own incredible fitness journey and I have yet to be at the level that I want to be at but looking back, the fact that I have made it this far is what thrills me the most. I’m super excited to see how far I am going to take myself with this show coming up! I’m taking my readers a long with me through my journey on Youtube as well, so feel free to watch me go!
Did you like this Feature Friday Inspiration? Do you want to know more about Sandy Vo? Do you think you have what it takes to be my next Feature Friday Inspiration? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
Workout: Outside Body Weight Workout 4/6/13
When traveling, sometimes it is hard to really find the time and place to get in a good workout. Today we experienced exactly that. DO NOT LET THIS BE AN EXCUSE TO DO NOTHING!!!!! Right now I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the weather could not have been more perfect for a workout. With little time and little equipment, my fellow cast members and I put together a quick circuit training workout that we could do outside just using our body weight. All you need to perform this workout is a bench, wall, or other object that is a foot or two off the ground. Here it is:
20 pushups
20 tricep dips
15 burpees
15 box jumps
10 squats
60 second plank hold
Sprint around the pool
We did this circuit 5 times!
The goal was to do this as fast as possible with very little breaks. It doesn’t sound too hard when you read through the workout, but once you get your heart rate going and you really push yourself to finish quickly, you will definitely SWEAT and your muscles will be screaming!
TIPS:
1. If you have never done any of these workouts, please do proper research and make sure your form is correct and safe! I will be posting some techniques for these workouts in the near future, so keep an eye out.
2. Circuit Training workouts are great to do with a group of friends. Seeing others push themselves hard, only makes me want to push my limits too. Plus if you are competitive, you can see who is able to finish the workout first!
3. BRING WATER! Circuit training can be very hard and if you do not hydrate, you are chancing dehydration which is never a good thing!
4. Push yourself. If you find this workout too easy, make it harder! You can add 10 more pushups, 10 more box jumps, 10 more squats, or even add more workouts to the circuit!
After this workout I realized that I did have a little more time so I also did 3 sets of:
20 belt kicks
60 second side plank holds on each side
40 power squats
30 pushups
All of these workouts together make up a great, quick full body workout. I usualy like to focus on one or two muscle groups a day, but it is great to mix it once in a while. Circuit training provides great cardio while also building and toning your muscles.
Do you have any circuits you like to do? Sent them to me! Maybe I will try them out and post them :-). Do you have any other questions? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.
Men Need Zinc!
I was confused at first as to why men needed higher amounts of zinc than women. I honestly didn’t even really know what Zinc did for your body. Here is what I found:
HOW MUCH DO WE NEED:
The recommended amount of Zinc for the average male is 11mg per day and the recommended amount of Zinc for the average non-pregnant or breast-feeding female is 8mg per day. Males need more Zinc than females not only because they generally have larger bodies, but a sexual active male also looses zinc through ejaculations.
WHY DO WE NEED IT:
Again, I knew that Zinc was important, but I had no idea why we needed it. After researching I realized that Zinc is actually quite crucial for your health and well-being! Zinc is found in almost every cell in your body. It helps activate the enzymes that improve your metabolism, fight off infection, improve the strength and complexion of your skin, and play an important part in reproduction. If you do not have enough Zinc in your diet, you may experience fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, and many other unfortunate symptoms.
WHERE CAN WE GET IT:
As I said in an earlier post, most nutritionists suggest getting your nutrients from food rather than supplements. Zinc can be found in many foods such as oysters, red meats, fortified cereals, peanuts, some seeds, dark chocolate, and many other foods. If you believe you are not getting enough Zinc in your diet, consider taking a zinc supplement to try and reach the 11mg per day.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH:
Be careful!!! Zinc is one of those nutrients that you can overdose on! It is suggested to have no more than 40mg of Zinc a day. If you end up going over the 40mg recommendation, many side effects can occur. Some side effects include headache, dizziness, and loss of muscle coordination, nausea, loss of appetite. Too much Zinc also can lead to anemia because zinc interferes with the absorption of iron and copper.
Do you think you are getting enough Zinc in your diet? Do you take a Multivitamin or Zinc Supplement? Do you have any other questions for me? Contact me at Corestrengthalec@gmail.com!
Vitamins for Women
Sorry guys, this post is specifically for the women who read my blog. The next one will be for you.
Obviously men and women are physically different and have different needs, especially when it comes to the amount of vitamins and nutrients they require. Because men, in general, have larger bodies they usually need more of certain nutrients than women. This got me questioning, which nutrients do nutritionist believe are the most vital for women to have?
After doing some research, it appeared that nutritionists almost always recommended getting your nutrition from foods rather than supplements; however, they do highly recommend certain supplements for people who may not be getting all of their proper nutrients through their diets. For non-pregnant women, there seems to be two nutrients that nutritionists frequently suggest supplementing into a diet if you are not getting enough with the food you are eating.
IRON:
Women who experience menstrual bleeding frequently do not have enough iron in their diets, especially those of which who are dieting and consume less than 2,000 calories a day. Because of this, Anemia is fairly common in women. Anemia is a condition that occurs when there is not enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin in your blood. Due to the blood loss during a woman’s menstrual cycle and the lack of iron in a woman’s diet, a woman with iron-deficient anemia does not have enough iron to produce enough hemoglobin to transport oxygen to the body’s organs. This will cause fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and multiple other symptoms. You can get Iron from red meat, eggs, fortified cereals and numerous other sources; however if your diet does not allow for the recommended amount of iron (18mg a day) a supplement may be the answer.
CALCIUM:
Women are more prone to a condition called osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones which can cause a lot of pain and weak, easy-to-break bones in later years of life. Calcium is highly recommended for women to help prevent this issue. It is recommended that a woman should have 1000mg of calcium a day. To get this amount a woman would have to drink four 8-ounce glasses of nonfat skim milk a day. Of course someone can get his/her calcium in many other foods such as dairy products, spinach, and even fish; however, to have the recommended amount of calcium every day is not easy.
Did you like today’s topic? Do you currently take any supplements? Do you have any other questions or concerns? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
LARA Bars
Just a few years ago, I was drinking Redbulls, Monsters, and other insane, high sugar, high caffeine energy drinks in order to get me through my day. It seemed like everyone around me was drinking these artificial drinks to find the extra boost they needed during the day as well. Today, it apprears that many people, including myself, are trying to find more “natural” ways to get their energy. So what are our choices?
One of my new favorite things to do is have a LARA bar. LARA bars are simply made with fruits and nuts. No extra sugars, preservatives, or additives! If you ever come across a LARA bar, look at the label of ingredients! No LARA bar contains any more than nine ingredients (most of them have much less). For example, the Banana Bread LARA bar consists of Almonds, Dates, and Unsweetened Bananas. The Peanut Butter Cookie LARA bar contains Dates, Peanuts, and Sea Salt. Very simple ingredients and very delicious flavors. To view all of the different flavors of LARA bars CLICK HERE. On this website it will show all of the different flavors, and when you click on one of the bars that you may be interested in, it tells you what ingredients are used, the nutritional facts, and also some beneficial vitamins and nutrients you get from the bar.
Another great thing about LARA bars is that people with all different diets can still have them. LARA bars are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and many flavors are Soy Free for people who may have allergies. LARA bars also are Vegan and Kosher for those people who follow strict diets. Every LARA bar consists of Dates and some sort of nut. Because of this, the bars have a good source of dietary fiber, and is high in natural sugars and carbs which give you the energy you need (23-32g of carbs per bar). The nuts give a good source of healthy fats and protein to feed your body, fight hunger, and also provide energy.
Next time you need a little pick me up, consider trying a LARA bar. They are easy, quick, and delicious!
What do you think about LARA bars? Have any other questions? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.
Feature Friday: Johan Stephan
First name: Johan
Last name: Stephan
City: Johannesburg
Country: South Africa
Height: 1.76m (about 5’9″)
Weight: 75kg (165 lbs)
Profession: TV Producer
Follow Him:
Twitter: @jostephan
Instagram: jostephan
Tumblr: http://jostephan.tumblr.com/
When did you start working out?:
I started working out in 2005.
How many days a week do you work out?:
6 days week.
How long is your average workout?:
My average workout is about 1 hour.
Do you play any sports?:
I used to play rugby, but now only get time for the gym.
Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I would like to reach an aesthetically balanced physique and build ultimate muscle strength and tone.
What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I don’t take any supplements. I follow a strict diet plan.
Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
I follow a food plan based on the Mineral Body science. It’s a fairly new and relatively unknown science but I’ve been following it on a trial basis for the last 6 years and have only benefitted from it. It’s a complex eating plan to explain and I will be publishing more details on this science via my personal website and Tumblr blog soon.
Does your diet consist of cheat meals? If so, how often do you have one?:
No cheat meals really.
What is your personal website?:
My personal website is http://www.johanstephan.co.za although it’s currently being upgraded.
What are you a TV Producer for?:
I produce fitness videos, but this site is also being upgraded. The website is http://www.getfittv.co.za.
How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
I don’t do any cardio.
Do you model? If so, what have you been featured in?:
I have only done exhibitions for major photographers in South Africa.
What has been your biggest fitness accomplishment so far?:
Launching my own fitness media site GetFitTV, which will soon be completely revamped and relaunched.
Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Make realistic, short-term goals and reach them first before giving up on bigger goals that are often unrealistically set.
Did you like this Feature Friday Inspiration? Do you want to know more about Johan Stephan? Do you think you have what it takes to be my next Feature Friday Inspiration? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
Kombucha
“Organic” is a word we hear a lot these days. We try to eat “organic” and “natural” foods to help stay far away from the processed junk we have been so accustomed to eating. Processed foods have been linked to many health issues including obesity, heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer. With organic foods, we hope to ward off such health problems and live a more healthy lifestyle.
Today I was finally able to drink an entire bottle of an Organic Kombucha drink. I have seen these around for a while now, but whenever I had a chance to try one, I honestly could not get passed the disgusting taste. Today I was able to find one of the Synergy Kombucha drinks, a juice variety of the Kombucha tea, that I was able to finally enjoy. I will admit it wasn’t the most delicious thing I have ever tasted, but it was not bad.
Many of you may be reading this thinking, “What is Kombucha? I have never heard of it.” Kombucha (pronounced kom-BOO-cha) is a fermented drink made of live bacteria and yeast that supposedly has many health benefits. Some claimed benefits have been increasing your immunity, lowering your cholesterol, and improving your digestion.
Kombucha drinks do have helpful probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, and nutrients. In the bottle of Raspberry Chia Synergy Kombucha drink I had today, the only ingredients were organic raw kombucha, raw chia seeds, and raspberry juice. With only these three ingredients, the label still claimed that there is more than 8 times the omega-3s found in salmon, more fiber than oatmeal, and more antioxidants than blueberries. That is very impressive for such a simple drink. Because of the Chia seeds inside, this drink also provided some “Raw Energy.” I will admit that I drank the Kombucha before my workout and it did give me a nice energy boost in order to hit the gym full force.
According to Janet Helm, a Chicago-based dietitian and nutrition communications consultant, “It is a new way to get the beneficial bugs that people are looking for in yogurt, kefir and other probiotic dairy drinks. Kombucha also provides a source of prebiotics, which helps fuel the growth of helpful microorganisms in your digestive track. The black and green tea in kombucha also offers some beneficial antioxidants and polyphenols — although you could get the same with a simple tea bag.”
SETBACKS
Now Kombucha also does have some possible downfalls. Although you can buy Kombucha drinks in the bottle at a natural grocers, it is also possible to make this fermented drink in your home. People sell kits in order to make your own Kombucha, but this can lead to some problems since sterile environments and how the bacteria is incubated and kept is unknown. Kombucha teas, specifically home brews of Kombucha, have been linked to some health issues including liver damage and acidosis because of the high levels of different acids. With this in mind, nutritionist suggest drinking Kombucha in moderation. You should not be drinking a Kombucha tea every day, but rather weekly or a few times a month.
One other issue is the taste. Many people who try Kombucha can not get past the harsh taste which is why I was only able to drink the Synergy drink which mixes juice with the Kombucha tea. Although some people find Kombucha to be refreshing, many others find it to be down right disgusting. Kombucha is also not a drink that goes down easily like a glass of water, but rather more like a glass of Orange Juice with pulp. Kombucha tea has floating strings of bacteria in the tea, and the Raspberry Chia tea I had today had many chia seeds floating inside, making it a very weird consistency.
REVIEW
So my overall review of Kombucha is mostly positive. If you can get passed the taste and consistency of the drink, I suggest that you should try drinking it in moderation. It does appear to be a nice natural health source and it contains a good amount of antioxidants, just be sure not to drink too much.
Do you like this review of Kombucha? Are there any other foods you would like me to try reviewing? Do you have any other questions or concerns? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
Leg Lifts with Alternating Stability Ball
I obviously like to use the stability ball in many of my core exercises and this exercise is no different. I like to do this exercise almost every time I do a core workout! I can feel it really working and strengthening my entire core from my upper abs, to my lower abs, obliques, and even lower back! Similar to the regular leg lift exercise with the stability ball I posted a few days ago, this exercise adds more difficulty to the standard leg lift exercise and really helps tone the “V” cut in your lower ab/hip region.
Leg Lift (w. alt. stability ball) – Position 1
Leg Lift (w. alt. stability ball) – Position 2
Leg Lift (w. alt. stability ball) – Position 3
Leg Lift (w. alt. stability ball) – Position 4
To Perform a Leg Lift with Alternating Stability Ball:
- 1. Lie flat on the ground with a stability ball between your feet.
- 2. Extend both arms straight back behind your head.
- 3. With the stability ball between your feet, raise the stability ball a few inches off the ground (Now you are in Position 1 as shown in the first picture to the right).
- 4. While still squeezing the stability ball between your feet, lift your legs up so the stability ball is above your lower torso and lift your arms to touch and grab the stability ball (You are now in Position 2 as shown in the second picture to the right).
- 5. Grab the stability ball with your hands, and let go of the stability ball with your feet.
- 6. Bring the stability ball back behind your head so that it is a few inches off the floor while lowering your legs back down, leaving your feet a few inches off the floor. (This is Position 3, shown in the third picture to the right).
- 6. While still holding the stability ball in your hands, raise the ball back up over your toso and raise your legs straight up to wrap around the sides of the stability ball (You are now in Position 4 as shown in the fourth picture to the right).
- 7. Switch your grip of the stability ball from your hands to your feet.
- 8. While squeezing the stability ball between your feet, lower your legs back down having the stability ball only a few inches off the floor and lower your arms back behind your head. (You have now returned back to Position 1)
- 9. Repeat the exercise for the recommended amount of reps (I usually do three sets of 15 reps).
Tips:
- 1. When lowering your legs, both with and without the stability ball, it is important to activate your core and keep your back flat on the ground. Try not to create any sort of arch in your back during this exercise
- 2. Try to make this exercise one fluid motion; don’t do each position one at a time. Instead, flow through the motions and make them nice and controlled.
- 3. Exhale while lowering your legs down toward the floor.
- 4. If you have never tried this exercise before, first try doing the exercise without the stability ball. If you can comfortably perform the exercise, then add the stability ball into your workout.
- 5. Start with 8-10 reps of this exercise and work on reaching more reps as your core becomes stronger.
- 6. To increase the intensity of this workout, you can also wear ankle/wrist weights for increased resistance.
Hope you enjoy this exercise as much as I do. Let me know if you end up using it in your core workout routine. Have any questions or concerns? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
Obesity in the USA
I was reading about nutrition tonight and came across a website that I thought was very interesting. It is obvious, based on the media we see and hear every day, that obesity is becoming a very big issue in the United States. There are countless reasons and theories as to why this is true, but did you ever wonder where the highest percent of obese people were in the USA? Do you want to know where your state racks up in the rankings? Check out http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/ (Click Here) to see where your state ranks among the others. You may be very surprised!
I was happy to see that my home state, Connecticut, was the third leanest state of the 50, but I was still surprised at how high some of the numbers were.
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– 15 years ago, Connecticut had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 45.2%. 10 years ago, it was 52.1%. Now, the combined rate is 59.8%.
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– The diabetes rate in Connecticut was determined to be 6.9 (up from 5.5 fifteen years ago).
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– 15 years ago, Connecticut had a hypertension rate of 21%. Now, the rate is 25.7%.
These are some scary numbers, and the sad part is that these are the numbers from the third leanest state! I can not imagine some of the numbers in the more obese states.
If you were wondering, the most obese state was determined to be Mississippi, and the leanest was determined to be Colorado. Where does your state rank?
Do you have any questions or concerns? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com
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