How To Make CARDIO your B****

We all hate cardio and if you don't you might be doing something wrong. We do cardio because not only is it great for our none-athstetic health goals but when done correctly, we get results: lose weight, get faster, etc.

There is a common idea is that if you bust your ass doing cardio for a long enough amount of time you will lose weight which I guess can be true when you are really new to working out and doing any sort of activity puts your body into shock and magical things start happening, but what if you have already been working on your fitness for a while? Does longer or more of still yield the same results like it did in the beginning?

Nope. The rules of the game have changed sweetheart. Get with it.  

If doing the same thing day in and day out gave everyone an awesome bod then Sally, who you see religiously on that stepmill every time you are in boxing, would have lost that weight by now RigHt?!?!  Or I mean, we would have seen some change in her physique, right?!?!
But nope, her body looks exactly the same as it did 6 months ago.
Sad face.
If I'm annoyed watching Sally do the same thing every day and her body is not changing I can only imagine how Sally must feel! It's not that Sally isn't working hard because she feels like she is! It's more that Sally has built up a tolerance to her particular workout. When she first started out on that stepmill it was new and exciting to her and what's more, it sucked! It was hard! Her heart rate skyrocketed and she was reminded what hard work felt like! But Sally's body, built to adapt/evolve/and strengthen got used to that stairclimber rather quickly and now Sally is wondering why she is working hard but nothing is happening. Sally thinks she is working harder than she actually is.

How can Sally stop the insanity? She can either use a heart-rate monitor to make sure she is woking at 75-80% capacity OR do my little trick... What I'm talking about is setting a caloric goal on your machine! Easy-peasy!
It's not about steps taken (kiss my ass 10,000 steps a day!)
It's not about keeping your heart rate in it's "fat-burning zone"! Poppycock!
For all you GymKitten's out there, if you want to loose weight, it's all about calories in vs calories out and what's more, it's about how many calories you burn (max that you can manage) in the shortest amount of time. I'm talking about intensity here Kittens! 

Your goal should be (*I do this) to burn as many calories in hundred(s) as minutes on the machine OR MORE! So if you are doing 35 minutes of cardio your goal should be to burn 350 calories.
How do you know that is what you are burning? You enter your weight into the machine BUT UNLESS you are a MALE of AVERAGE height/weight/stature the machine is not made for you and will LIE to you by approximately 50 calories!
Gasp.
You 'cheat' this by entering your weight - 5lbs = as close to real on that calorie counter as you are going to get!
So if you are 135, enter 130 and get to work!
The cool thing is that if you are watching your caloric intake (listen to your Nutritionist or Trainer for that info) and following this cardio formula you will burn the appropriate amount of calories and lose those lbs!
In turn, the number you enter into that machine will change as your weight changes (duh) and so will your effort, keeping your heart and body working and guessing and WORKING!!!

Some things to note:
Switch up your cardio. It is so easy for your body to adapt. I switch mine every few weeks or months. My general rule is if I'm ok with running, it's probably time for that stepmill again! If I'm ok with sprinting it's probably time to start upping my incline INSTEAD of my speed. If I am ok with running outdoors, its time to take it back inside and vise-versa. Whatever it is that sounds like work to me, I know WILL work because I will have to work harder doing it so that's what I do! If you only like the step mill, that's totally cool but you have to find new ways on that machine to challenge you. As I've said 1 million times before: your body is a magnificent, extroardinary machine and IT WANTS TO ADAPT.
IT should feel like work. If it's just so-so then guess what, your results will be just so-so. Sorry Sally.
Also, you should not be able to go for super long periods of time because it will be/should be/you are doing something wrong if it's not/ too hard to go at that intensity with that caloric goal per minute for longer then probably 45 minutes unless you are a machine! Plus, since your goal is to burn fat, you should know that research has shown it's better to break your cardio into two smaller pieces at higher intensity then go longer then 55-60 minutes at a less intense rate.
This is why I tell my boxing class not to do additional cardio after I have just kicked their butts in boxing. Hello?!? We just DID CARDIO for 50 minutes. If you can still get on a treadmill after that class, bottom-line: YOU DID NOT WORK HARD ENOUGH AND THAT JUST PISSES ME OFF but mainly (back to actual science:) FAT LOSS occurs through a process called lypolysis. Lypolysis occurs during periods when energy expenditure exceeds caloric intake and your body is working at what it considers "high-intensity". Through intervals and circuits this is easily accomplished within a 30-60 minute session and since it takes about 20 minutes for your body to get to that fat burning high-intensity place, when you do that bike/stepmill/treadmill after class you are not burning fat anymore (because you can't possibly cycle your body back to that high intensity/accelerated fat-burning zone). Yes, you will still burn calories (aka energy) but will you burn fat? 
The point of this whole post is this: Work Smarter! Work Harder! Not LONGER!!! And you will get better results!  

If you see Sally, tell her to subscribe to 'GymKitten'!

Eat.Sleep.Lift.Meow.
xoxo
T

"How do I get rid of this?" The lower-belly Conundrum

A lot of women come up to me, lift up their tops, pull the skin from their lower belly's and ask: "How do I get rid of this?"

I mean, if I had a dollar for every time a woman asked me this I'd have at least 43 dollars! ;)

**This post is intended for those of you are are leading healthy lives, have reached an ideal weight or body fat percentage but are still having trouble with their lower stomach. If this is you, READ ON!

If it's belly fat you are dealing with, keep going! If you keep working on your resistance training and diet and cardio and keep loosing those pounds properly you will get there. Hear me when I say THE ABS ARE THE LAST THING TO COME IN AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM YET IT JUST MEANS YOUR BODY FAT IS STILL TOO HIGH. QUIT BITCHING, STOP CHEATING, AND KEEP WORKING!

For everyone else, I think it's important to know the difference between "belly fat" (which you can rid through proper diet and exercise, see above) and "loose-skin" (usually associated with pregnancy or extreme/rapid weight loss) which cannot.

I know, I know, say it ain't true! But alas, it is!

If you can pull the skin away from your stomach and it doesn't bounce back (usually marked by stretch marks or 'tiger stripes') then chances are it's loose skin and and not belly fat!
Sad face?

Hey you! It's not death! It's just some lose skin! Through diet and exercise this can be diminished to a certain extent but it will NEVER completely go away. So let's make peace with this. Please acknowledge the following:

This does not mean you were lazy during pregnancy! I have seen both women who gained 15lbs during pregnancy and women who gained 90lbs during pregnancy, those who ate clean and exercised regularly and those who did not and those who slathered on cocoa butter every day and those who did not, and IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

***IF YOU'RE GENETICALLY-DISPOSED TO YOUR SKIN REACTING THIS WAY, IT WILL!  Case and point: My Mom has some "interesting" veins so chances are, this is my future! Genetics do play a part whether we like it or not!
I'm not saying to give up! Obviously, if you are pregnant and planning on getting pregnant do your best to stay beyond hydrated, eat clean, do yoga, and stay moisturized, because you should be doing this anyway!
BUT if you are one of those women who have already given birth and is dealing with this issue don't beat yourself up about it! What the hell is that going to do for you?!?
I've seen soooooooo many women at competitions who are in crazy-awesome shape and they have that little bit of stretch marks and little bit of loose skin AND THEY WIN OVER GIRLS WHO DON'T HAVE IT!!!! Seriously! I can't make this ish up! So get over it! 

It's all about you making peace with your body, AND you focusing on what you DO have! And making everything the best that it can be. If you dwell on the negative or what you don't like about yourself you are simply giving yourself an excuse to not work and what's more, you are feeding that insecurity! Don't give some lose skin power over you! You've dealt with worse! It's ten times easier to give up because of one little issue then it is to keep working towards being your best self ! 

If you want to completely get rid of that loose skin on your belly then get really, really fit, grow some muscle, get your body to peak performance, THEN get a tummy-tuck. If spending $8-$10 grand to be rid of this problem is worth it to you, do it right! Set yourself up for success! Do the hard work first, then reward yourself with the surgery so that your results can be maintained. If not, don't be surprised when after the surgery you have a whole other slew of body issues and insecurities to deal with. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice or hard work, even when you are paying for it! 

This loose skin is not just restricted to the tummy either, this just happens to be one of the more common places we focus on. As we age we lose elasticity and collagen production diminishes. Evidence of this shows up first in our upper arms, then elbows and then knees, as the skin begins to loosen and sag... The good news about these areas is that if you stay on top of your clean eating and resistance training you can avoid this is a big way! 

I personally would rather have a little loose skin and some stretch marks with a banging ass and some kick-ass shoulders than a tight tummy and a saggy bum! But that's just me.
What do you want?
What can you live with?
What is it worth to you?
Whatever it is, decide, commit, and BE HAPPY. Life is too short to be anything else!

Love yourself. I know it's hard and it takes practice not picking on yourself all the time but it's worth it to get to a place where simply by treating yourself right, you are teaching others how to!
Perpetuate love. Perpetuate self-care. Lead by example. And if all else fails, ACT AS IF until it becomes your reality. Affirmations really work! Don't get scared now...

Repeat after me:
"I love myself!"
"Through working toward my own goals I inspire others to do the same!"
"I am perfect!"
"I work every day to become my best self and see positive changes every day!" 
"I am in control!"
"I am strong!"
"I am fit, beautiful, and healthy!"
"I am a hot piece of ass!"
"Everyday I see myself getting closer and closer to my goal!"
"I am enjoying my journey as it unfolds before me!" 

Keep going! Nothing can stop us now!
xoxox,
T

SO You Want To Compete eh?

I've been getting a lot of inquiry's lately about training and competing for bikini and figure competitions so I'd like to take a little time to discuss how to decide if competing is right for you...

1. SHOULD I COMPETE?

First, there a few things you should ask yourself:
1. Do I love working out A LOT?
2. Do I love eating clean?
3. Am I willing to eat clean and follow a strict meal plan with no cheating (food or alcohol) for 10-14 weeks?
4. Am I willing to sacrifice my social life and other aspects of my personal life to devote the needed time to prep & train for competition?
5. Do I have the funds needed for coaching, suit, heels, make-up, tanning, on-site tanning, nails, supplements, hotel, etc.

If you answered "YES!" to those questions, competing may be right for you!
When I started 3 years ago, I did it BECAUSE IT SCARED ME, ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED ME! That's how I knew, I HAD to do it! Also, FITNESS is MY LIFE! I am impressed by competitors who are full time Mothers, Nurses, etc. Although I do find that most of us are in the fitness industry to begin with, lately I am seeing a ton of men and women become personal trainers after they start competing (which I find humorous because making a living in a competitive/over saturated field such as this is 10x HARDER then competing #kiddingnotkidding).  I digress...

2. WHO SHOULD I WORK WITH? 

You do not need to be a fitness professional to compete, and while there is plethora of information available to you online on how to train yourself and compete, I strongly recommend the counsel of someone who has competed & understands both the physical and mental process. PLEASE do not waist your $$$ and time on someone who has never competed or does not work with competitors on a regular basis! When you make your decision of who to be coached by, be honest with yourself! Ask yourself these questions...
The first & most important is: What is your goal? 
Do you just want to get one competition under your belt to see if you like it? Are you doing this to get it off your bucket list or to see if you can follow through with a nutrition/workout plan and achieve a goal? Or are you like me and aim to become an IFBB PRO?
                      What are your expectations? Can you workout on your own or do you need 1-on-1 sessions. Do you need to be able to text a question or call your coach at the press of a button or are you cool with sending an email and awaiting a response? Do you want to be associated with a competitive "team" and be coached by a professional who works with competitors 99% of the time or is this not really necessary for you and your goal and are more comfortable in a smaller competitive setting?
                       What works for you? Do you need loving support or tough love? Do you need to feel like your Coach believes in you and thinks butterflies come out of your butt or are you going to go hard, no matter what, knowing you'll prove it to them no matter what?!

I know for me, I can train like a BEAST on my own but I need ACCOUNTABILITY more then anything else! I need tough love! I want the truth because I want to win. I know a lot of people say they need this but then they turn into a sappy mess week 5! There's nothing wrong with this but take note! Again I say: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
I also needed to respect my mentor/coach and believe undoubtedly that my coach could/would look at me objectively and not lie to me to spare my feelings but push me to be my very best. These are all things that work for me but I work with the opposite of this every day! Most people who choose to work with me are people who need to know they have me at the click of a button if need be or train with me instead of on their own because they know working with a personal trainer is the ONLY way to push themselves the way they need to be pushed! I respect this. "KNOw THY SelF!" Whatever (or whoever) it's going to take to get you where you need to be, do it! 

3. WHAT ARE THE 'UPSIDES' & 'DOWNSIDES' OF COMPETING...

On the negative... You will sacrifice a lot! You will go a little crazy! You might be a little hungry?! You will get in fights with your partner, sister, and cat! You will spend a lot of money and not get any of that money back. You will spend a lot of time at the gym, away from people you love and enjoy.

On the positive... you will have the hottest body of your life and you will feel what it is like to follow through and actually accomplish a goal.

On the negative... after you compete you might get a little depressed. For most of us (I'll refer to us as humans) unless you are making a career of this or your natural body type is: "I hate you",  It's practically impossible to maintain what you looked like on stage and even if you could you probably wouldn't want to! It takes a while for your brain and body to readjust to your life and for you to look at yourself and love your body without comparing it to your "stage-self".

On the positive... you are now a part of unique group/percentage of the population who compete in aesthetic competition a.k.a. bodybuilding... one of those most challenging sports in the world. Simply by competing you accomplish what most only dream of! What's more, you gain the belief in yourself that you can do anything!

On the negative... you don't always win. In fact, you might NEVER win. Sometimes you train your ass off and there were five people who were better then you in some aspect, end of story. You get nothing (but the satisfaction of competing and your epic cheat meal after)!

If you decide to compete, your #journeytothestage will be whatever it is you make it, but once you commit, COMMIT!
GO FOR IT. After all, What have you got to loose?

I hope this helped!
I'm aways here, keeping it cray-cray real for you ;-)
All my love, xoxo
T

It's Not You, It's ME

I recently competed in an NPC Bodybuilding competition, placing third in my class. It was my first figure competition and the hardest transformation I've EVER gone through (understatement of the year).  I'm incredibly proud of my accomplishment, but because I take this so seriously, and I dream of so much for myself in this sport, I did not let myself go into full-celebration mode. It was like I placed, but in my head I'm straight into the next competition. I can do better! I WILL do better. I want to do better. I want more. This is my third year competing and now that I feel I found my "division" I can't stop, won't stop, until I get THERE!

Even though I just worked for months on this, I can't slow down! I haven't reached my goal. Everything else must fall by the waste side (except for work because I'm not a complete idiot and time with my clients keeps me sane).

When I say "everything else" I mean EVERYTHING:  Entertainment, hygiene, chores like laundry and washing dishes, and mostly: relationships. This is the worst part about competing. Maybe some competitors are better at balancing then me. Maybe I'm a bad communicator? Maybe they don't understand because I don't explain it well enough? Maybe it's a million things. Maybe it's just me? I mean, It's quite possible that I suck at life, but truth be told I get so incredibly busy and EXHAUSTED balancing my work and my workouts that I'm forced to choose myself and my goal over almost everything 100% of the time.

My family and friends do not understand this.  They say they do and then they are asking me to hang out or making me feel guilty for not committing to spend time with them...
"I'd love to but I can't, I have to workout."
    "I can't, I have to eat at 2:30."
" I cant, I have to create four new workout plans."
" I can't I'm freaking tired and I choose to lie here and watch TV for two hours and shut off my brain instead of doing ANYTHING else." Oops.

People who matter like my Mother and best friend, as much as they love me and are trying to be supportive, just can't process my priorities and I've learned that I cant expect them to BECAUSE I CHOOSE THIS. This is not a punishment. Nobody forced this desire upon me! This is MY PASSION  burning in the deepest parts of me, forcing me to keep going, keep fighting!
THIS IS MY DREAM.
THIS IS MY GOAL. I choose to place it above all else.
Even my boyfriend, who I live with, who sees me bleeding for my goal, gets pissed off because even though he sees me all the time he never gets time with me.

DO I want my loved ones to understand? YES!
Do I want them to feel un-loved or left-out or ignored? HELL-TO-THE-NO! 
Do I want more time with them? Yes!
... but not more then I want this for me. 

I'm writing this entry because I want people to hear me when I say: All that matters is WHAT you want. You get one life. DO whatever it is you have to do to be happy (short of hurting others on purpose but that goes without saying). I see so many mothers choosing everyone else over themselves. Where does that leave you at the end of this? I see so many men and women running their own companies and when they finally make the time to invest in themselves, really give themselves permission to go for personal happiness, it's like a literal wight is lifted from them.
NOBODY WILL GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO GET YOURS. Even the people who love us most can't see past their needs to to let you BE YOU, in all your "selfish"glory. They might not get "it" but they don't have to! Release the need to be accepted in this way (by others), it does not lead to happiness. 

If you have something that you have been putting off, this is me telling you right now: STOP. Do IT NOW. MAKE THE TIME NOW. YOU ARE WORTH IT. 

All my Love,
Go get YOURS!
xoxo T