"Secrets" of Fit People: Part 1

Have you ever found yourself in a rut where whatever you are trying, isn't working out? Maybe you were on a roll and then all of a sudden, you sputtered and eventually came to a screeching halt. This happens to all of us, and sometimes the only thing we find ourselves doing is standing their asking, "WTH?!?!?"

Truth is, fit people have fit habits. For many of us, the habits are so regular that we do not even realize we are doing them. It's like brushing our teeth!  Now, as you can see it sounds like I am referring to myself as a fit person with fit habits...and I have quite a few, but there are some I could improve upon which would probably make my life easier.

Taken from one of my favorites, Chalene Johnson, here are 5 of my favorite habits of fit people. Check back next week to see the other 5! How many of these are missing from your routine?

1. Look at exercise as a pleasure: What you think something is, is what it is going to be. Our mind does what we tell it to, so if we are constantly saying we hate working out guess what? You will NEVER like it! Look at the positives of working out prior to lacing up your sneakers: weight loss, stamina, energy, and most importantly getting healthier for yourself and your family. Also, find a workout that you will LOVE. Every person has a different workout personality, so it is important that we do what we will actually enjoy. Want to figure that out? Contact me!

2. Focus on short term fitness goals: It's not about losing 20 pounds your first week. It's about short term goals, and I MEAN short term goals. One of them could be "Do today's workout" and then, "Do tomorrow's workout". Maybe by the end of the week your goal is to do 5 push ups, or just get in 5 workouts. Focus on those short goals and once they are attained, then set your sights higher. When we make our goals smaller, they are more manageable and easier to achieve, thus giving us some gratification which is the fuel to move on to tackle our bigger goals.

3. Always upping the In10sity (shameless plug!): Or intensity..however you prefer to spell it. Leandro says it best in Brazil Butt Lift, "Don't settle for less!"  Your body is a machine. If you are properly fueling it, you can make it do AMAZING things, so always be looking to progress! Always challenge yourself with your workouts: do one more rep, go a bit harder than you did last week, throw in an extra workout if you are feeling froggy. Always set your bar for yourself higher than it was the week before, and therefor you will always be getting better and better. Soon it will become addicting!

4. Enjoy a weekly "unhealthy" treat: THIS IS MY FAVORITE RULE! Okay, so if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram (facebook.com/Nik4213 and @Nik4213) you KNOW that I am not someone who preaches about eating healthy 24/7, etc. I love pizza, I love cookies, I love cake, etc. and I am not afraid to shout it from the mountain tops! However, if I ate that stuff every day I'd be as big as my house not to mention doing some MAJOR damage to my body that could cause risk to the longevity of my life.  As a treat, I do one "unhealthy" meal a week, and eat balanced the rest of the time. Lots of veggies, lean proteins, no dairy (I use almond milk), very little bread if any at all, fruits, and of course, Shakeology. When you are eating good 90% of the time, that bacon cheddar burger isn't going to kill you (Disclaimer: It MIGHT give you a stomach ache)

5. Move beyond weight loss: Weight loss should not be your only goal when working out. There are so many more benefits out there than just the weight. Dropping your body fat percentage (to a health level) allows your organs to function more effectively and efficiently. Losing weight can help you to breathe better, sleep better, and have more energy..not to mention be more mobile in general. It's not about the number on the scale, it's about how you feel, too! Aren't you proud of your progress? Hasn't that upped your self esteem? Doesn't it make you feel good to know that you can do something today that you previously hadn't? Look beyond weight loss as your only reason for working out and it will become much more enjoyable for you.

Insanity Max Cardio Circuit Modifiers and Review

Today was my first day heading into Month 2 of Insanity. I woke up this morning at 5:30, thinking that would leave me plenty of time to get my workout in, shower, pack my lunch, make my breakfast and get to work on time.  I COMPLETELY forgot that I had my Fit Test today also, so naturally my plans did not work out.

I'm not sure if it was because I completed the Fit Test right before the workout, but it was difficult! All of the moves were combined in new and interesting ways, so as always you never got bored. Shaun T is just as motivating as ever during this workout, but the one thing I did hate was the length: 58 minutes. And that's just me not wanting to have to get out of bed earlier in the morning, haha. I don't mind actually working out for 58 minutes (today was more like an hour and a half with the Fit Test included).

One of the biggest questions I get asked about Insanity is how to modify the exercises when you are too tired to complete a full circuit. Anytime I feel that I cannot keep going, I jog it out. It is important that you keep your heart rate up during Insanity. A quick drop in your heart rate (which happens when you just stop doing anything phsyical with no cool down) is terrible for your heart and can leave you very dizzy/blacking out. Even if you feel like your legs are going to fall off, a little jog in place should do the trick. Then, once you are feeling up to it, jump back in an finish strong.

Moving push-ups: I typically do not have a problem with moving push-ups, but when I do I just stay stationary. I'll continue to do the same set, but with stationary push-ups. Now, maybe stationary push-ups are even above your level sometimes (which is fine). Drop to your knees, focus on a flat back, and do modified push-ups.  If modified push-ups are too much, hold the plank...just don't stop. Keeping the core engaged one way or the other will push you towards your goals and allow you to continue to progress and get something out of the workout.

Ski Abs: Ski abs are just awkward, especially when you add in the speed, so just go at your own pace. Even if it's very slow, going at a pace where you keep your form is better than going too fast with poor form and risking injury. Eventually, muscle memory will kick in, the move will be less awkward, and you will be able to pick it up. Never be afraid to take it at your pace. There is no cookie-cutter pace for Insanity. Just keep your heart rate up, keep trying your hardest, and you will get there. If you are too tired for ski abs, I would again hold a plank so that you can continue to work your core (or even a side plank to work the obliques). These same modifications can be use for in-and-out abs.

I think the most important thing to remember is that breaks are ALWAYS okay, and encouraged! Insanity is a no-joke workout! Most of us are not professional athletes taking these DVDs on, so our endurance and cardio might not be up to par just yet. It's great to take a breather, just make sure you keep moving and continue on with the set. Don't do 10 seconds of something and take a breather for the remainder of the set...take a few seconds and hop back in. Even if when you hop in you only get 5 more reps in, you've got to keep pushing. Knock down the mental barriers you are setting for yourself, because more often than not it is our mind, not our body, telling us to stop.

Best of luck and DIG DEEPER!

Transformation Story: Ashley

In April I ran a free Abs Challenge for whoever wanted to join, with a friend of mine. We had over 50 participants, but one of the one's that stuck out to me was my friend, Ashley.

Ashley and I met through doing promotional work for various companies, and she's such a fun girl! We are very much alike in that we love to have a good time, enjoy some beers here and there, but most importantly one of the most important things to us is just being happy :)

Ashley enjoys health and fitness, so when I opened this group and it was just a few weeks until her trip to the Caribbean, she was all in. Hard work, dedication, and a modified diet helped her to get the results that she did. 

She did an amazing job and I am so proud of her! Way to go, Ashley! Here is her story:

"When I began this challenge, I was very skeptical. I knew I had to do something to get beach body ready and I had to do it quickly. Vacation was fast approaching and I was in a panic. I wanted to be one of those people who was proud to strut my stuff up and down the beach in my itty, bitty bikini. Abs has always been such a trouble area for me. I constantly work on them with little to no results. Being a woman that lost nearly 80lbs in my lifetime, my mid-section didn’t reap the same benefits as the rest of my body. Some things didn’t bounce back as quickly as others.

This challenge really threw me through a loop. Every week, I’d take “after” pictures and I’d become even more obsessed with my results. The workouts weren’t time consuming and they weren’t too difficult to do, but they gave me a challenge. Muscle confusion played a big part in my success. I believe the coaches designed a great workout plan that had variety as well as techniques to work on all trouble areas. The girls in the group were my main motivation and support. Without those ladies, I would have quit after day 3. Seeing the changes in all of us really pushed me to work harder and to not give up. I wanted to make myself proud, but I always wanted to make the ladies in the group proud. Honestly, their unconditional support moved me levels above where I was when I first began the challenge. It was also nice to discuss working out, problem areas, new tips, recipes, etc without feeling embarrassed. It was so comfortable. I’d definitely sign up for more challenges.

As a natural pessimist, I never thought a challenge group like this would work for me. I always saw them floating around my facebook page and I’d ignore them. I always thought online groups couldn’t possibly give me the results that I always strive for. Boy, was I wrong! Since April 1st, I’ve completed three challenges and I don’t plan on stopping. I’m so glad I took a leap of faith and joined this challenge. It has motivated me to push myself even harder to try new things!" - Ashley

Quick Vacation Slim Down

I get asked by a lot of people, "I'm going on vacation in 2 weeks and have totally neglected my workouts. Is there anything I can do?"

Great question (and a common one at that). The first thing I'd tell you is start working out. Don't go killing yourself, or working out five times a day..that's stupid and you are just going to end up injuring or exhausting yourself. If you exhaust your body you are more prone to sickness, and no one wants to be sick on vacation. Instead, start working out like you would if you didn't have a deadline. Do you have a Beachbody video? Start popping them in every day and get on a routine (and those can come with you on vaca!)  Maybe go for a jog every morning, or start taking walks.  I would also recommend 2 sets of 10 push ups, 2 sets of 10 dips, and some ab work..but again, nothing extreme.  This will give you some muscle tone in your arms, and begin to firm up your abs. Now, you are not going to have Cameron Diaz arms or some crazy six pack BUT you will have more than what you started with.

The second thing I would tell you is to watch what you eat. DO NOT CRASH DIET. Don't go eating an apple, or skipping lunch, or eating a Saltine cracker for dinner. Again..that's being stupid AND slowing down your metabolism. Just make some quick switches:

No more carbonated beverages. None. This makes your stomach look "puffy"

No more salt...also makes ya bloat and retain water so go for low sodium options

Drink your Shakeology

Limit gassy foods: Mexican, beans, broccoli, etc.

DRINK MORE WATER

No beer, no alcohol

Goodbye, dairy!

Nothing white (sugar, bread, etc)

Eat more fiber

Slow down your eating

Go tropical with your fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya)

Making these few simple changes can help you to look a lot less bloated while you are in your bikini or trunks. I'm not promising you are going to lose weight (if you wanted to do that you probably should have started earlier than a week or two before your vacation), but this will help you out.

Happy vacationing, everyone!

Insanity: Recovery Week

Woo! I made it! I have been staring at this week on my Insanity wall calendar as if it were a finish line...but really all it is, is the starting line for the next month.

The first month of Insanity was, by far, more mental for me than physical. The workouts always left me breathless feeling like I got in an AMAZING workout, but the mental aspect of the whole thing was the most difficult. Around week 4 I just got really tired. I'm not sure if that was my body CRAVING the recovery week at that point or what, but I was BEAT. I did not want to get out of bed, I did not want to do my workouts, but I still did them. As always, after the the first round of the warm up I was pumped and ready to go, but man getting to that point was rough.

Recovery week is a nice break, for sure. You are still working out 6 days in a row, but the workouts are at a much lower intensity. The first workout I did, I felt very tired afterward (which is exactly how you AREN'T supposed to feel), so I toned it down the next two times I did it and lowered the intensity a bit. I feel much better now. I feel as though I still got a great workout in, but that I didn't kill myself like I do with a typical Insanity workout.

The Cardio Core and Balance DVD focuses on minute intervals for the majority of the exercises, which are nothing that you haven't really done, but you focus more on posture, core, and control than speed and reps. Control is a big part of all the movements.  The first half is cardio-based, so you are doing your suicides, your hit the floors, vertical jumps, switch kicks, etc; however, sometimes these exercises are paired with an 8:8 ratio (Example: 8 switch kicks, 8 power jacks...something like that).

At the end its about balance as you work on your obliques and hip flexers. I can feel my core engaged this entire workout.  Your core is supposed to be engaged during a regular workout, but sometimes everything is going so fast you are lucky if you remember to breathe. With Cardio Core and Balance, you can really feel the focus on the core.

So there you have it! If you have made it this far, congratulations! We are half way there! If you haven't yet, then there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep pushing on, stay strong, and dig deeper!

All About Insanity: Pure Cardio

Insanity Pure Cardio is one of the workouts within the first half of the program that I have a love/hate relationship with.  I love it, because it seems to go by much faster than the other workouts; I hate it because it kicks my ass every.damn.time! I always find myself breathless within the first few minutes of the workouts, but at the same time I always find myself fighting to push through - after all, that's the point, right?

Pure Cardio starts off the same way as the other Insanity workouts with a 10 minute cardio warm up. Now, for many people the warm up in itself could be considered a workout!  Jogging in place, Heismans, 1 2 3 Heismans, butt kicks, high knees, jumping jacks, power jacks....all of these are done within the first 10 minutes getting faster and more intense as you near the end of the time period. But the reward comes after: the stretch.

The stretch is a little slice of heaven for your muscles, lungs, etc. At this point, your muscles are nice and warm so you can really get deep into the lunges, making the whole first ten minutes totally worth it. It is during this time that Shaun T politely comments that he's actually afraid of the upcoming workout. Awesome. This should be good.

You start right off with suicides for about 60 seconds, and then head into switch kicks. The majority, if not all, of the exercises are done for 1 minute periods before you switch to the next challenge. The entire circuit lasts about 16 minutes with exercises taking you to the ground, in the air, and side-to-side. Insanity Pure Cardio is just that: PURE CARDIO.  Unlike the other Insanity workouts, water breaks are not provided during the pure cardio portion; however, Shaun T is always one to remind you to never sacrifice form, and to take a break when needed. You never stop moving and sometimes, once it is all over, I ask myself if I actually BREATHED during the workout, haha! As soon as you start, you blink your eyes and you are at the cool down (another amazing stretch). 

Every single time I find myself reflecting during the cool down saying, "That wasn't so bad...", yet every time I push play I still find myself saying "WTF Shaun T!" a few times during those 15 minutes haha. Insanity Pure Cardio definitely packs a punch and can make any athlete feel a little bit humble at the end, but it really is something that anyone can enjoy. From beginners to the advanced, Pure Cardio continues to offer challenges and rewards. Shaun T encourages taking breaks if your form is off, getting water when needed, listening to your body, and checking on your heart rate. For this reason, anyone can do this workout and feel comfortable going at their own pace.

Always a great reminder: Insanity is nothing but a challenge against yourself. No one else.

Interested in seeing if this program is right for you? Shoot me a message to the right, or simply email me at nik4213@gmail.com  After a proper assessment of your current activity level and interests, I can recommend something that will fit your schedule and needs perfectly.

Thanks for reading!

Les Mills Combat Transformation

I am SO excited about this particular blog post because it is featuring a good friend of mine, Lindsay. 

Lindsay was someone I had been working with for about a year, trying to find a program that really spoke her language. She went through a few of them, but nothing really clicked. Nothing kept her engaged, excited, and continuously pushing play so she could get the results that she desired.  In addition, this girl had tried every shake on the market, just about, only to get an upset stomach from each one. I recommended Shakeology to her, and with proper usage she found that it was the one shake that not only tasted good, but more importantly did not make her sick.

I'm so proud of her today. She is an amazing inspiration to others, a mom (and a kickass mom at that), and one of her best qualities is that she doesn't apologize for who she is! She drinks beer, she likes birthday cake, and also enjoys bar food - SHE.IS.REAL and that's what I love most about her.

Here's her story:

How did you get hooked up with Nicole? "We met at pole dancing class!"

What's your deal?  "I got started January 1, 2013 because I was tired of flowy shirts and pants that didn't fit. I had tried 10 Minute Trainer wasn't for me. It was great time-wise, but I needed something else. I tried the gym - hate leaving my kids. I love combat because it kicks ass and I love Dan and Rach - they aren't your typical corny dvd trainers - Rach isn't some chic in hot pants that you want to punch." (I told you Lindsay was real, lol)

How is your life different now?  "Life has changed immensely! I cannot WAIT to shop for a baithing suit this year and not cry in the dressing room. I get up each day and look at my new toned body and I'm so proud of me - couldn't have done it without my shakes either though!"

What did your coach do to help you along? " Nicole helped me by not giving up on me. She knew I could do it and she didn't listen to any of my BS excuses.  She kept posting pics of her all toned up and I was jealous! She knew what it took to kept me going, and I knew I could do it if I put all of my BS aside and press play.  


Lindsay, as you can see, is definitely someone you don't want to meet in a back alley, lol, but she is more importantly a true inspiration. Being a mom takes up a lot of time (and her kids are in soccer  and dance, and if you have soccer kids or dance kids you now how that goes!) She works a regular 9-5, has a newer puppy to take care of, house chores just like the rest of us but she makes NO excuses and gets her workout in EVERY day.  Congratulations on your achievements, Lindsay! Can't wait to see what else is in store for you!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Combat is ON SALE for June ONLY! Get this program, and a 30 day supply of Shakeology (which was the equation that Lindsay used for her success) for only $140..that's a $70 savings! Head over to www.beachbodycoach.com/Nik4213 and find the quick link on the right to purchase!