Well it’s no real secret that my overwhelming passion for fitness evolved from a little 90-day program called P90X.  However, that’s not to say, that even after 3 years of absolutely loving the results that it gifted me, not to mention education on what I was doing horribly wrong at the gym….I always love to entertain and challenge other facets of fitness.

Now, there is SOOO much controversy out there about P90X-this and CrossFit-that, and each “cult”, as they tend to form, saying their regime is better than the other.

Admittedly, I may have had a hint of the P90X cult mentality, thinking it was the bee’s knees and nothing was better than it….but then I allowed myself to be open minded about CrossFit and the potential and opportunity behind it.  But don’t worry Tony Horton….I won’t stray far, just improve my strength so I can beat you in an arm wrestling contest!!

So, the intention of this blog is to simply give my PERSONAL REVIEW of CrossFit, based on my recent experience at CrossFit Interbay. Don’t worry, those of you reading this that have an opinion one way or another, I’ll invite you to comment below!

As you may know, I’m all about recommendations and referrals (thanks to Kate Kester for introducing P90X to me), I have heard so many of my trusted fellow fitness freaks rave about CrossFit.  Naturally…my interest was piqued. So I hoped on the internet and literally Googled: WHAT IS CROSSFIT?

Further piqued, I checked around at the Seattle area CrossFit gyms and saw that CrossFit Interbay was a stones throw away.  Perfect.  I wanted to check it out and if I could keep it to the neighborhood,#WINNING!!  I called up my sister-in-law, well ok, likely texted her, in fact, to see if she wanted to check it out with me.  She’s always down to try something new…that’s what I love about her!

I emailed Ron, the owner of my neighborhood CrossFit gym and asked if I could come in with my SIL to check out a class or two, to see what all the craze was about.  As luck would have it, I caught them on a weekend that all the gym Coaches were away on a CrossFit conference in Vegas…hmm…conference???  Yeah, ok guys!  Haha.  Hey, more power to them – work hard, play hard.  But Ron was great and immediately invited us to take a weekend “group class”, which was very different than the typical workouts that are typical throughout the week.

Whatever it was, we were there.  And it was fun.  They called it more of a “team workout”, so we worked in groups to challenge, motivate and encourage one another to get through the Workout Of the Day (aka WOD).

Since the class was split equally with Men & Women, we were, naturally, split up as “Men’s Team” and “Women’s Team”.  Go figure.  But it was great.  We started out doing a warm up of a group 400 Meter run, where we ran in tandem, and the last runner sprinted to the front of the line, then tranisition to a jog, until we make our way to the back of the line again, and repeated the sprint to the front.  A twist on a relay race, if you will.

After that, we went into the gym, stretched a bit and went over the general techniques to the WOD.  If you were to ask me what that was today…I can’t totally remember.  BUT, I know there were pull-ups, rowing, inch worms, push ups and maybe a clean or two, involved.

Overall, kicked my butt and I was pleased.

As Ron returned from his (ahem) ”conference”, he and his wife, Erin, of which they own the gym together, invited me back to experience a full week of the gym and the opportunity to work with them and learn the “fundamentals” of the format.

I won’t detail every single WOD I did when I took him up on the offer to check out the week (you can visit CrossFit Interbay’s website to check out the previous WOD’s – Ron is great about posting everyone’s results and photographic evidence, daily)….but it certainly tested my strength, endurance and stamina.  The adrenaline junkie that I am…I was intrigued.  I will brag for a second, thanks to one of the female trainers that is this petite little thing that you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley (she’s STRONG AS HELL), helped me learn what my 1RM (1 Rep Maximum) was with Dead Lifts.  If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve never thought or attempted to lift 205 lbs!!!  Of course no match to her 255 1RM, but I was rather impressed with myself.

After my week trial, I enjoyed the challenge and oddly, the fact that I was so sore that I could barely walk for days.  Clearly, I was ready and NEEDED the challenge, as I haven’t felt that sore since the day I started P90X or may even say Insanity gave me that too. Not to mention, I did like having a “Coach” to even guide me, hold me accountable, challenge me and bring my strength abilities to the surface.

I was convinced this was a facet I was interested in learning more about and seeing what I was made of.  So, I’m the biggest newbie to CrossFit, but as I said, I enjoy learning more about other fitness platforms and continuing to apply and educate myself.

Again, as I can only speak to my personal experience, I can certainly see how and why there is so much negativity from the “industry professionals” about CrossFit and how some can be suseptable to injury.

BUT, and that’s a big BUT, I also believe that if you have the opportunity to work with a well educated trainer, that will properly guide you through the techniques and fundamentals of the “sport” to avoid injury, then, this could be a very effective workout for many.  Yes, even us P90X’ers!

My parting message to those that are reading this review (and thank you for reading my banter, by the way), fitness is a “sport” and one that you need to find that works for you and motivates YOU.  It’s not about the latest craze or trend, but finding that core solution to reach YOUR goals.  Do your homework and research from reputable sources, which workout is best for you, if either of them.  I enjoyed reading Mark Sisson’s recent article on P90X and CrossFit. **Note, I don’t get into the nutrition aspect of the two, as each camps have their own opinions, as do I (hint: CLEAN EATING).

For me, this is allowing me to expand on my goals, as my personal motto is: ALWAYS BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. I challenge even the elite athlete reading this (whether a 12x P90X grad or a born and bred CrossFitter), to have that mind frame as well.  Oh, and also to be open to all aspects of fitness and don’t HATE on the other dilienations of fitness.  We are all in it for the same purpose and should support and applaud one another for being active and contributing to ending the trend of obesity!

Am I right, or am I right?

Ok, if you are reading this and wondering what all this talk is about P90X is, be sure to check out a previous article to learn more about it, as I will always been it’s #1 fan, due to how it transformed my entire Mommy-physique!

If you’ve tried both, I’d love to have you share YOUR experience with either workout and what you like best/least about either.

Your partner in health & fitness.

Summer is over, Holidays are just around the corner, and there is no better time than now to commit to yourself for the next 30 days and get in on some great incentives to boot!

So grab a friend, or 2 or 3, and let’s get movin! WE’RE KICKING THINGS OFF ON OCTOBER 1ST. All orders need to be placed by SEPTEMBER 21st, 2011

Ok, so what’s the deal?! Kate Kester and I are firm believers there is power in numbers. Here you’ll get daily encouragement, accountability, support to reach your goals, and to sweeten the pot, a chance to win $500 a day just for doing your workout! And when you refer a friend to join you in the challenge –  $150!! “2 Covers You” **

If we are going to hold you to YOUR fitness goals, we need to know your using the right workouts and nutrition at home. Pick your program, dial in your nutrition, stay connected with us, and succeed with your goals!

Option 1 – Challenge Pack: You’re ready to commit for a serious transformation

For $250, you receive:

• Your choice of a premium workout program – P90X, Insanity or Turbo Fire
• Shakeology on Home Direct
• 3 months PAID membership to the Team Beachbody Club (access your own customized meal plan, recipes and online celeb trainer chats)
• Free shipping
• Combined package of savings of over $30
• FREE One on One COACHING

Option 2 – Shakeology: You’ve got your exercise program down, but need help with your nutrition

For $119.95, you receive:

• Shakeology Home Direct
• Your choice of Greenberry or Chocolate (or both)
• Two Free Shakeology Workout DVD’s
• Free Shipping
• A free Shaker cup, with your 2^nd order.
• Free One on One Coaching & guidance on proper nutrition

*****All orders need to be placed by SEPTEMBER 21st, 2011, to assure receipt of package before our OCTOBER 1^ST start date. So contact me and let me know you’re in!

**2 Covers You – If you refer 2 friends who join the challenge with Option 1 within 30 days, you’ll earn a FREE Beachbody Coach/discount account and receive $75 per Challenge pack purchased by your friends! (hint – this covers a months worth of your Shakeology and then some!) **Already have a workout & Shakeology? Still refer your friends, as we’ll be rewarding CASH prizes to those that invite friends and they join with a package above.

Well, it’s available through your favorite Team Beachbody Coach.  Oh wait, that’s me, right??

Not a Team Beachbody member yet?  Not to worry, we can settle that quickly.  Go HERE and create your FREE account, so we can get you Insanity’s Asylum.

Maximize your Sports Performance in as little as 30 days!  Want to see what you are up again if you order Insanity The Asylum?

Ok,  now onto the good stuff.  Watch this clip and LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (You Insanity nuts, will know what this is all about).

You see why they dub it: “Train like a pro. Play like a star in 30 days.”?

This is sports conditioning at it’s finest.  Former track-and-field star Shaun T will challenge you to Dig Deeper^® than ever with sports-specific training and drills inspired by pro athletes.

This 30-day program, he’ll push you to build your speed, coordination, agility, strength, and power.

Want to know what you get?  This is what comes with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM:

6 Intense Workouts:

• Speed & Agility: Get quick on your feet—fast, with this intense cardio workout. (45 minutes)
• Vertical Plyo: Jump higher than ever with this lower-body training routine. (40 minutes)
• Relief: Stretch out to build long, lean muscle and increase your flexibility. (25 minutes)
• Strength: Increase your strength and power by cross-training with weights and resistance. (50 minutes)
• Back to Core: Build the rock-solid core, glutes, and hamstrings for the explosive power you’ll need to play and dominate at an elite level. (45 minutes)
• Game Day: Put your new sports skills to the test with this cross-training workout. (60 minutes)

Plus, sports-inspired training tools:

• Agility Ladder: Build strength and agility by using this portable ladder to sharpen your focus and your form.
• Speed Rope: Improve your foot speed and endurance with this ultimate training secret.
• ASYLUM Workout Calendar: Check it each day to cross-train like a professional athlete.
• Guide Playbook: Map out your 30-day transformation with this smart step-by-step guide.
• Eat to Win Nutrition Plan: Follow meals and tips used by Shaun T and you’ll be ready for game day—every day.

And receive 2 FREE bonus workouts:

• Sports Performance Assessment: Discover the improvements you’ve made in your fitness and skills with this performance measurement tool. (25 minutes)
• Overtime: Add this 15-minute monster to any Asylum workout to see if you’ve still got game.

So who’s ready to take on a new challenge?  Pick me! Pick me!!  Get yours TODAY: http://bit.ly/AsylumAtHome

Your partner in health & fitness.

We all laugh along with the pain that he instills with our P90X workouts, so of course it only makes sense for him to do Improv right?

Makes it a tad easier to get up at 5:30am to PUSH PLAY when you have his stupid humor to look forward to.

Your partner in health & fitness.

If the name doesn’t give you any indication to what this workout is all about.  Let me break it down to you.

TurboFire® is an intense cardio conditioning program from fitness innovator Chalene Johnson. She’ll help you get leaner with exercises that burn up to 9x more fat and calories than regular cardio does (after burn anyone??). And with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes, TurboFire® will pick you up and push you past your limits.

So forget the excuses. Forget the gym. Now the hottest classes in Southern California come to you, in YOUR home.

Check out how TurboFire® will fire up your fat loss and blast through that plateau.

Burn up to 9x more fat than with regular cardio doing TurboFire. Featuring High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), these 12 workout classes make you sweat with the hottest music and moves. And forget about rushing to the gym for the best spot in class. With TurboFire, class starts when you Push Play.

THE SECRET BEHIND TURBOFIRE

TurboFire workouts include interval training known as “HIIT.”

These routines combine short bursts of intense exercise with quick recovery periods to ignite your metabolism. The result is a phenomenon known as the AfterBurn Effect, which enables you to burn fat at an accelerated rate for a full 24 to 48 hours after your workout.

In fact, studies show that with HIIT, you’ll work out for less than half the time you normally would doing regular cardio, and burn up to 9x more fat.

SUCCESS STORY

See how Deawna scorched calories with TurboFire.

Deawna H.

Lost 45 Lbs.
Lost 48.5″ Total

“This truly is a workout that’s so much fun, you forget you’re exercising.”

THE BEST TRAINER

Chalene has helped countless thousands reach their goals with ChaLEAN Extreme^® and Turbo Jam^®. Now you can turn up the burn with TurboFire.

THE BEST MUSIC

With over 20 hits, the TurboFire soundtrack is smoking-hot. You’ll love scorching calories to remixes of “Bad Girls,” “In the Ayer,” and “Proud Mary.”

THE BEST WORKOUTS

TurboFire classes (some as short as 10 minutes) will have you punching harder and kicking higher to help you burn 9x more calories than with regular cardio.

THE BEST SPOT IN CLASS

Tired of driving to pricey gyms and working around their class schedules? Try TurboFire and you’re always guaranteed the best spot in class (not to mention your money back if you don’t leave some DNA behind!!).

Want to know FIRST HAND?

Here you go…..get your order on!!

Your partner in health & fitness.

I was honored to be asked by Certified Personal Organizer®, D. Allison Lee, to do a guest blog piece on her website on “How to Make Time for Exercise”.   After some self-doubt on my own organization, I knew that I had mastered making time for exercise – even as a busy Mom of 2 active kid’s.

I invite you to check out the blog post – CLICK HERE – although I’ll offer in quick summary, my suggestions on how, as little as 20 minutes a day, can supercharge your day, kick start your metabolism and set the stage for your new physical transformation:

• Schedule your workouts and COMMIT!  No excuse.
   
  • Is that at 5:00 AM? For me it is!
  • Is it during your lunch break? Remember, only takes 20 minutes!
  • Is it before you go home after work?  Hit the gym before you head home, as once you get home, your likelihood of getting motivation to exercise goes down by 40%!
• Make them fun.  Be creative.
• Switch up your workouts regularly.
  • Continue to challenge yourself and get the most out of your results.
• Try something new.
  • New walk/run route.
  • New at-home workout program
  • New fitness challenge.
  • New Wii Fit game.
  • New group fitness class.
• Get a buddy.
  • Working out with a friend often offers more motivation and accountability.  Two key elements in sticking to your commitment.

Moral of the story, make fitness a part of your daily “TO-DO” list.  It’s just something as part of your day, just like eating breakfast, brushing your teeth and calling your Mom.  DON’T FORGET.  No excuses.

Your partner in health & fitness.

This is a great article that was posted by a fellow Beachbody Coach and friend, January Shea Robbins, and it’s been a major topic of discussion with many customers and friends about the basics to getting back into shape.   They are BASIC, straight forward and a must to follow if you want to find success in your fitness goals.

Knowing the four basics listed below will help you to have successful results. Don’t just know them… DO THEM!

By: David Gluhareff

Resistance training
Cardiovascular training
Nutrition/supplements
Rest/recuperation

Resistance Training Exercises

These are anaerobic (without oxygen) exercises that help build muscle. Resistance training can be performed with free-weights, rubber bands, plate-loaded machines, weight stack machines, or by using your own body for resistance such as a push-up or walking lunge. The muscle your body builds will aid in continuous fat burning twenty-four hours per day.

You can work multiple muscles at once by doing exercises such as bench presses (works pecs, front shoulders, forearms, and some triceps), squats (works quadriceps, hamstrings, buns, and inner/outer thighs), and dead lifts (works traps, rhomboids, forearms, low back, buns, inner/outer thighs, quads, hams, and some calves). By doing compound movements such as these your body will work more muscles at once which will really stoke the fat-burning furnace.

Keep variety in your resistance training always! Never keep doing the same exercises week after week. You will only bore your body and progress will be stagnant. Resistance training not only helps burn fat, it helps keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at normal levels, helps strengthen bones, and also helps relieve stress. Always study and learn different exercises, which use different equipment.

Most importantly learn proper form to prevent injuring yourself when performing an exercise. To be on the safe side always look like a chicken when performing an exercise. Keep your chest forward, butt back, and lower back in. Always stretch each muscle after you work it. This will increase your flexibility and decrease post workout muscle soreness.

Cardiovascular Training Exercises

These are aerobic (with oxygen) exercises. These train the most important muscle in the body, the HEART. Aerobic or cardiovascular training, helps burn fat, keep blood pressure and cholesterol in normal ranges, relieve stress, strengthen heart, lungs, and the rest of the cardiovascular system, and also promotes perspiration to help your body sweat out any excess water it does not need.

Examples of aerobic activities are: walking, biking, roller blading, rowing, using elliptical machines, stair stepping, Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, basketball, jogging, hiking, and aerobics classes at fitness facilities. Always remember to do a light warm-up for five to ten minutes before really getting into the exercise, and remember to do a five to ten minute cool-down after you do the exercise. Do not forget to stretch the muscles you worked after exercising.

Nutrition and Supplementation

When you workout you expend energy, which eats up your body’s nutrients. You need to replenish those nutrients as soon as you workout. Within forty-five minutes after a workout consisting of weight training and cardiovascular training you need to eat a meal.

This meal should be a small serving (one handful) of simple sugars (banana, grapes, 12-16 oz. sports drink, or post workout carb drink), a medium serving (two handfuls) of complex carbs (brown or wild rice, sweet or red potatoes, veggie pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal), and a large serving (three handfuls) of proteins (lean red meat, deer meat, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, buffalo, egg whites, whey protein powder, soy protein powder, cottage cheese, or tuna) and of two tablespoons of a monounsaturated fat (extra virgin olive oil or canola oil).

That meal was just post workout, which should make you a little full. Your whole day should consist of five to six small meals that should never make you full, but keep your metabolism in high gear. Each small meal, except post workout, should contain a small serving (one handful) complex carbs (brown or wild rice, sweet or red potatoes, veggie pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal), a medium serving (two handfuls) of proteins (lean red meat, deer meat, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, buffalo, egg whites, whey protein powder, soy protein powder, cottage cheese, or tuna), and a medium serving (two handfuls) of green vegetables.

With every meal and throughout the day always drink water. Even with all this healthy food your body will not get certain nutrients or enough of them. This is where supplements come in. Taking a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement will help give your body important vitamins and minerals it may be missing. Sometimes you may not be able to cook or prepare all of your food on time. This is where meal replacement bars and powders can come into your daily diet routine.

Rest and Recuperation

You can workout hard and eat right for ten years, but never see lean muscle appear or see your body take shape if you do not get enough rest and recuperation. By rest I mean you need to get at least nine hours of sleep at night or eight at night and an hour nap after your workout. Sleep is important because this is when your body is producing its greatest amount of growth hormone which aids in repair and growth of your body.

You can have the best workout of your life and get no growth from it if you go out and party all night and get no sleep. By recuperation I mean not over-training. Do not as a beginner do a total body workout everyday with the weights. If you do you will not ever progress. Your muscles will constantly get beaten up every day and never have time to recuperate and repair themselves. As a beginner give yourself at least a day to two days rest between resistance training exercises. If you are still sore two days later, then do not work that area until the soreness has passed.

Your partner in health & fitness.

These are incredibly inspiring stories, that will be featured in the newest People Magazine, although featured on this morning’s the Today Show.  Amazing transformations from 3 people that lost the weight ON THEIR OWN!  No pills. No surgery. No magic.

The 2nd story features a gentleman that lost 180lbs using Beachbody’s at home fitness program.  Nothing like continuing to get free publicity on air.  WHY?  Because it works!!  Watch this and be inspired:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Anyone following Pink on Twitter?  How about David Archuletta?  They both are finding great results with P90X.  Best part is, they aren’t getting paid to endorse it.  Same with Sheryl Crow and her announcement of P90X and how it’s changed her figure.

Listen to an invitation from Carl Daikeler, Beachbody’s CEO, and how he wants to include YOU to be a part of this explosive growth in helping yourself, and others, get financially fit.

We are entering into Phase 2 of this exciting change, and are currently looking for dedicated individuals to join us in taking this opportunity to a whole new level.  Change some lives.  Including your own.

I’ve been asked this question in more ways than one, and after talking through it with each person, I decided to make a post about it – well and through great suggestion from a good friend.

Who doesn’t want more energy?

I’m afraid people feel like they need to settle with the lack of energy, because they are killing themselves with a workout.  NOT TRUE!!!  Take care of your body, as you need that energy to successful burn the unwanted fat and build that much needed muscle.  Why?  Because MUSCLE BURNS FAT!!  Sound familiar?

So, are you finding that you are bonking mid-day?  Having a hard time getting up in the morning after a workout the evening before?  Chances are, it’s due to your diet and lack of nutrients.

Not only is your diet a key variable in any successful workout regime, but also the proper supplementation.  We can get an abundant of your energy stimulation from the foods we eat, but chances are – are you really eating the right things?

For those of you that I’ve advised with particular Beachbody at home workout systems or helped guide with proper nutrition*, you know that I will always default to the nutrition guide that came with your workout system, whether it be P90X®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, Insanity™ or Slim in 6®.  These nutrition guides were developed specifically for these programs, so do yourself a favor – and FOLLOW, USE AND ENJOY THEM!!!  The recipes are good and fairly easy, even I can make them!

If you don’t follow a specific workout regime or a nutrition plan, then this could very well be your problem.  If my experience, as a self-professed gym rat, prior to P90X, Insanity and all my new Beachbody favorites, I was at an all time low in the energy department, and I DIDN’T HAVE KIDS AT THE TIME!  Now I have kids and I have MORE energy than I ever have.  Why?  I eat appropriately, according to my workout regime and I have a workout regime that keeps changing.

As many of you may know, I’m in the midst of training for my 2^nd marathon, all while doing the newest Insanity™ workout system.  Well, if Insanity isn’t enough, trying to keep up with my energy to get training runs in each week, I have to be very careful and very particular about what I eat, so I don’t bonk.

Yeah, yeah, many of you are shaking your head saying “Shoot, if you workout that much, you can eat what you want”!  In my case, and the bulk of American’s, not so much.  If I were to eat what I wanted, I surely wouldn’t have the appropriate protein/fat/carbohydrate ratio to properly refuel before and after each workout.   So I need a balance.  That’s where my diet is key here.  This should go for everyone and anyone that is looking for results, good energy and success with their selected workout plan.

Now, as I say diet is the key to most any results, whether it be weight loss or muscle gain, so is proper supplementation.  Do you take a multi-vitamin?  Do you take a Joint Support supplement?  What about your daily nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, etc., etc.?  These are all essential compliments to your diet, in order to sustain good energy to keep you going through the day.

Many know that I’m a big fan of Beachbody’s latest supplement creation, Shakeology®, and won’t go a day without consuming it as either a meal replacement or as a snack.  It’s A) DELICIOUS (check out the recipes) and B)  provides you with over 70 vital vitamins, nutrients, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics and a list of other words and terms we would otherwise NEVER use in our vocabulary.  But these are what provide your body with the fuel to keep and stay energized throughout the day, as it fulfills what the body lacks, as we work hard through our fitness program and just day-to-day life.

So, to make a long post even longer, the moral to the story here is proper diet and supplementation (as it’s next to impossible – although not entirely – to get it all from diet) is essential to deliver results and sustain proper energy to avoid that mid-day BONK!

As always, if I can help guide you in a direction towards good health, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

To your health & fitness!

* I am not a certified nutritionist or dietitian.  If ever in doubt or have questions about your health and diet, please consult your doctor or a licensed professional.  My advice is based off personal experience and self education and research.  I am also not a certified Personal Trainer…..yet.