Planking

Everyone from athletes to those simply interested in developing core strength to alleviate lower back pain can benefit from incorporating plank exercises into their workouts. The plank can be performed from a front-lying or side-lying position, depending on which muscle groups you’d like to focus on. Always perform a brief dynamic warm-up consisting of walking or other light aerobics to prepare your muscles before jumping into plank exercises.

The Right Way to Plank

Front plank is performed by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended and together and your elbows set on the floor directly under your shoulders. Lift your torso and thighs off the floor so that your weight is on your elbows and toes. You should create a straight line throughout your torso and thighs. Hold this position for 10 to 60 seconds. For side plank, lay on your side with both legs extended and stacked atop each other with your bottom elbow on the floor under your shoulder. Lift your torso and thighs so your weight is on your elbow and feet and hold that position for 10 to 60 seconds, switching sides on the next set.

Safeguards Your Spine

Front and side planks develop isometric strength in your core muscles, which means that they improve the ability of your muscles to hold a static position over time. Front and side planks challenge your muscles to maintain your body a static position against gravity. This is similar to how they have to work to maintain proper posture when you’re standing or sitting. As a result, consistent front and side planks can help reduce your risk of lower back pain due to poor posture.

Hits Multiple Core Muscles

Although focus tends to falls on the abdominals, there are a number of other muscles in your core essential for maintaining proper posture. Your obliques, glutes, hip flexors and hip abductors also work to keep your spine properly aligned. The front plank primarily strengthens your abdominals, but also develops your obliques and your hip flexors. Not only do the hip flexors play an instrumental role in maintaining proper posture, but they help ensure you’re able to walk, run and jump correctly. During the side plank, the obliques become the primary muscle worked, and your glutes and other hip abductor muscles on the outside of your upper thighs are recruited to keep your leg from collapsing to the floor.

Easy to Change it Up

Planks can be easily modified to reflect your training status. Those who need to work up to doing the traditional versions of the front and side plank can begin by doing the exercise from the knees instead. If you want to increase the difficulty of the exercise, you can do so by placing sandbags on your hips or having a partner press down on your hips. You could also lift one foot off the floor during the front plank or your top leg when performing the side plank.

No Gym Necessary

Because you’re using your own body weight as resistance, you don’t need any exercise equipment to perform either the front and side planks. An exercise mat may be more comfortable, but all you need is a soft floor surface, which means you can do the exercises nearly anywhere. This also means you can easily incorporate them into a home workout program or simply an exercise to do before you go to bed each night to keep your major core muscles strong.

If you've ever done a beachbody program you will notice that there are multiple exercise's that incorporate planks.If your looking to strengthen your core or just all around better your general health I can get you started with a program to fit YOUR specific needs. Just fill out my FREE fitness assessment today to get started. What a great time with the holidays to treat yourself to the gift that keeps on giving!

Insanity Max 30

Great news everyone! Insanity Max 30 has been released and I'm looking forward to starting this new chapter in my fitness journey. I am looking to get 5 other people with the same aspirations and goals as me to join my challenge group. First here is the information on the program.

What is INSANITY MAX:30?
Welcome to the craziest 30 minutes of your day—and the best results of your
life! If you’re ready to push harder than ever before . . . and Dig Deeper® than
you ever thought you could . . . then Shaun T’s INSANITY MAX:30 can help you
see results you never thought possible. Because it’s not about finishing the
workout—it’s about seeing how far you’ll go before you MAX OUT.
There’s no equipment needed in these killer cardio and Tabata-style strength
workouts. Just push to your MAX and get INSANE results in 30 minutes a day!
Why is INSANITY MAX:30 effective?
INSANITY MAX:30 can help you get ridiculous results in 60 days thanks
to Shaun T’s MAX OUT training. The goal is to work as hard as you can for
as long as you can until you MAX OUT—the point when you just can’t
do anymore or you begin to lose form. Each workout pushes you to beat
your last MAX OUT time to keep you accountable. Go one minute longer
and you’ll get remarkably stronger—every single day. That’s how you
lose more weight and get an INSANE body fast.

What makes Insanity Max 30 so unique? Every day is a brand new challenge in Insanity Max 30.

With killer cardio,challenging Tabata-style strength workouts plus 150 new moves designed to shatter your limits, Shaun pushes you to work harder,go longer, MAX OUT later. It’s not about making it through all 30 minutes. Its about pushing yourself more each day to get the body you’ve always wanted in 60 days! And even though Insanity Max 30 is a challenging program the great thing is you can follow the modifier in a separate screen, whatever your fitness level—to MAX OUT and still get MAX results!

Now the details. To participate in the challenge group you need to purchase the Insanity Max Challenge Pack which includes your first months Shakeology. You will also be added to an elite online group through Facebook where you will be required to post your daily workouts and perform simple assignments. This will help keep you accountable through the duration of the program.

If you prefer to just purchase the program at this particular time you can follow the link below and that will take you to my Team Beachbody home page where you can complete the purchase!

Thanks for reading and if your interested in joining my team and earning some extra income click on the work with Steve tab!  http://bit.ly/1hoUxPm

Insanity Max 30

Alright so you might be aware Shaun T the creator of Insanity and Insanity Asylum is releasing his latest program Insanity Max 30 this December. The program will be a 60 day workout with the workouts being 30 minutes. This will be a pretty intense workout and I can't wait to see my results when I'm finished. So I am inviting 5 other people to join me in this test group. Here's the details: You need to purchase an Insanity " Challenge Pack" which includes the program and you first months Shakeology. I will also provide you with your first 3 days of shakeology (a 15.00 value) as my gift to you. You will be added to an exclusive online fitness support group through facebook where you will post your daily workouts and complete assignments. This will help keep you accountable as well as the support and motivation that will be provided.

Here is a short video on the program itself so you have an idea of what to expect!

 I want people like me that will be 100% committed! I love what I do and look forward to helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. Together we can help end the trend of obesity in the U.S.
Message me ASAP and I will get you started immediately. Peace Out!

Thanksgiving Dos and Don'ts

Well we are getting to that time of the year where most of us look forward to spending time with our families and friends and of course plenty of FOOD! You've spent the year completing your fitness program and following the meal plans to the "T". I have some helpful dos and don'ts that will help guide you through without feeling guilty. This article and many more are always available on your Team Beachbody account. If you don't have one please feel free to fill out the free fitness assessment form and I will get you set up!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Dos and Don’ts for Filling Your Plate

I know you’re probably going to eat more on Thanksgiving than you would on most Thursdays. And, I understand. It’s one of my favorite holidays too! I want to eat all my favorites (stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie…), but I also don’t want to wake up the next morning and feel like I’ve undone my progress. Of course, if you’ve been exercising and eating right, one day won’t undo all the work you’ve done. But, as we head into winter, it’s easy to fall off the horse and really struggle to get back on. So, with that in mind, I snapped these photos during Autumn Calabrese’s most recent video shoot to help you plate your Thanksgiving meal.

The Typical Plate
Honestly, this is kind of what it looks like when I usually eat Thanksgiving dinner. But, after watching Autumn’s video, I learned where I was going all kinds of wrong. First off, where are the greens? And, secondly, this plate is filled with so high in carbs and sugar, it’s no wonder I always want to nap after dinner.

Approximate Nutritional Information for the typical plate:

Our Registered Dietician, Ani Aratounians weighed in on my typical Thanksgiving plate. “It’s high in carbs and there’s lot of sugar and fat. Especially saturated fat. There’s butter everywhere and hardly any fiber. After eating this plate, you’ll feel stuffed and bloated.” And this doesn’t even take into consideration the pie. Or the wine. Or seconds…or thirds.

The Revised Thanksgiving Plate

One easy way to totally redo your Thanksgiving plate (and still have all your favorites) is to start with the green veggies. Put the green beans and the salad on your plate first. Then, add the turkey (aim for the the skinless pieces if you can find them), and then add on your other favorites.

Approximate Nutritional Information for the revised plate:

The calories aren’t low, but they’re much more reasonable than the first plate. Aratounians’s thoughts on this plate were much more positive. “This is much higher in vitamin and mineral content, and antioxidants. Overall, this is much more balanced for your blood sugar with the protein and fiber balancing out sugar content. And, I can’t help but notice that it’s a much prettier plate!” She recommends, if you are going to go for seconds (and really, who isn’t), go for the greens and protein (again, ideally, without skin).

I hope that this comparison will help you come Thanksgiving! Let me know, will you consider trying the “revised plate” approach?

Inflatable 5 K

I had found an advertisement on facebook for one of the Insane Inflatable 5 K races and decided to sign up for it. To my amazement I had a fantastic time! The Insane Inflatable 5K -- a new dynamic and extreme obstacle race, made up solely of inflatable obstacles -- will challenge you, surprise you, and leave you bouncing back for more! We didn’t just throw together a couple slides and bounce houses – we took imagination, creativity, and a collection of notes on bar napkins, and went to the leading manufacturer of custom inflatables. We told them, "Throw out the rulebook, we want to go extreme and INSANE!” This race was so much fun that I can't wait for the next event in my area. Here is a few pictures of some obstacles that we had to complete.

We ended up finishing 3rd place and 4th place overall in the first wave! I talked with quite a few participants afterwards and we all agreed at how much fun and the uniqueness of the obstacles. If your interested in running one of these races with our team message me and I will add you to my group and keep you posted when the schedule is released. 

Glazed Yams

Check out this healthier version of glazed yams!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Glazed Yams with Cinnamon and Nutmeg

By making a few substitutions to this classic fall side dish, we’ve made it healthier without sacrificing the flavor.

Total Time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 60 min.
Yield: 12 servings, 2/3 cup each

Ingredients:
2½ lbs. medium yams, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1 tsp. sea salt, divided use
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 Tbsp. 100% orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. raw honey (or maple syrup)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Arrange yams in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season evenly with ¼ tsp. salt. Set aside.
3. Combine orange peel, orange juice, lemon juice, butter, and honey in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Pour orange juice mixture over yams; toss to coat.
5. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ¾ tsp. salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Bake yams, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork tender.

Dragon Boat With 352!

I must say when I decided to become a beachbody coach 2 years ago I really didn't know what was in store for me. Since that time I have become an avid obstacle course racer, started my own 352 Fit Club, and have been building a team of coaches under me with the same goals and visions as myself. Together this team is accomplishing amazing things and this Saturday was no different. We had been looking for something a little different to test our skills and endurance and decided to enter the Lake Hernando Dragon Boat event in our local area. Two reasons for this choice one, we have never done anything like it and two the proceeds go to our local food bank. Now for the details!! We did a practice session Wednesday evening and it turns out we weren't half bad! We picked up on the commands pretty quick and we did an actual practice run with a professional coach and steerperson. On to race day and our first heat. We were in the mixed (men and women) 10 person open division and there were 5 boats. We were a little slow off the start as none of us heard the horn. We ended up finishing second place at 1:54. We were happy but felt we could do better. The next heat we were pitted against some better competition and we stepped it up finishing 3rd at 1:46. We knocked 10 seconds off of our first run and were excited! Could this be a Cinderella story in the making? On to the 3rd heat we go and let me tell you we left nothing on the table everyone giving 100%. We finished 4th place at 1:47 but earned a lot of respect for our determination and endurance. I am so proud of my 352 Fit Club group as not only are they committed to ending the trend of obesity but are leaders and role models for others. We hold free classes every Tuesday evening at 7PM and offer live Insanity classes on Wednesday and Saturday. If you need a free Team Beachbody account fill out my fitness assessment or message me and I will get you started. Join our team of dedicated fitness enthusiast and be part of something special!

Chicken Pizza

BAM! Here is a recipe for a Chicken Pizza which can be found on your Team Beachbody page. WHAT!! You don't have one? Fill out the free fitness assessment form and I will set you up with yours today. More recipes like this plus access to beachbodys personal trainers and programs.

This healthy homemade pizza is topped with lean chicken, fresh ingredients, and a touch of Parmesan cheese.

Total Time:​ 18 min.
Prep Time:​​​ 10 min.
Cooking Time:​ 8 min.
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:
¼ oz.​​​​ active dry yeast
1 cup​​​ warm water (100 – 110° F.)
2 tsp.​​​​ sugar
3 – 3¼ cups ​​​whole wheat flour, divided use
½ tsp.​​​​ fine sea salt (or Himalayan salt)​
2 tsp.​​​​  olive oil, divided use

Ingredients for Pizza:
½ cup all-natural pizza sauce, no sugar added
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz.cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless, shredded
1 cup cherry tomatoes
¼ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cups fresh arugula

Preparation:

For Pizza Dough:
1. Place yeast, water, and sugar in a medium bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until yeast becomes foamy.
2. Combine 3 cups flour and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Mix with clean hands until mixture does not stick to your hands. Add additional flour if needed. Roll dough into a ball. Brush with ½ tsp. oil. Place in a bowl; cover with a towel. Let rise for 2 hours.
3. Punch down dough to remove air; knead and roll into a ball. Brush with ½ tsp. oil. Place in a bowl; cover with a towel. Let rise for an additional 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 450° F.
5. Roll dough until it will no longer stretch. Let rest for 5 minutes. Continue to roll until it reaches your desired diameter, about 10 to 12-inches, and about ½-inch thick. Place on baking pan lightly coated with spray.
6. Brush with remaining 1 tsp. oil.

For Pizza:
1. Spread pizza dough evenly with pizza sauce, stopping ½-inch from edge.
2. Top evenly with cheeses, chicken, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
3. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until crust is golden.
4. Top with arugula.

PiYo Challenge Pack

November 5, 2014 at 7:54 am

Kick-start your transformation with The PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack!

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Isn’t it time you take control of you life, ditch your bad eating habits and implement some healthy ones, and do a workout program that helps sculpt lean muscles while you define your body? Then the PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack is for you!

The PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack includes the 60-day PiYo program, one full month’s supply of Shakeology, and the 3-Day Refresh kit. This Challenge Pack is the best way to get back on track with your nutrition, ditch junk food cravings, and load up on energy all while you quickly sculpt the body you want—and deserve.

Want to see what’s possible? Check out these three Success Stories from inspiring women who got amazing results with PiYo, Shakeology, and the 3-Day Refresh. Each one shares their life-changing story in hopes of inspiring others to take the first step toward a “brand-new you.”

BEFORE WEIGHT: 144     AFTER WEIGHT: 134

Christine B. // “I lost 10 lbs. and am noticing muscle all over that I didn’t have before.”

“PiYo, Shakeology, and 3-Day Refresh have significantly changed my body—both inside and out. I did PiYo because I love the trainer, Chalene Johnson, and wanted to try something other than intense cardio and weights. So when I heard about PiYo at Summit, instantly I knew that program was for me.

PiYo was amazing. The workouts made me feel tighter, leaner, and even a bit taller. Now I’m more flexible, and much stronger in my core, arms, and legs. And best of all, I have that overall feeling of balance within. I lost a total of 3.75 inches, and losing the ones around my waist means the most to me because it was always harder to lose fat there! I truly felt that my body craved PiYo.

Then there was Shakeology, which I absolutely love! It’s not only the healthiest part of MY day, but also my favorite. It gives me a ton of energy (which helps with the workouts) and takes away my junk food cravings. Shakeology gives me mental clarity and has done wonders with my digestion and regularity. It has also greatly improved my mood, sleeping patterns, skin, and hair. I also noticed that my allergies are now gone. Just poof, gone, no more—and that is awesome. I never want to be without my Shakeology. EVER.

The 3-Day Refresh was great, too, because it REALLY helped me get back to my healthy eating regimen. It helped boost my weight loss and keep me on track. Today I can honestly say that I LOVE the way I look—which is really powerful considering the fact that I have battled emotional eating and a bad body image for many years. I also love that I can now fit into clothes that had gotten too small. Thanks, Beachbody, I am hooked!”

BEFORE WEIGHT: 136 lbs.            AFTER WEIGHT: 125 lbs. 

Sarah H.+ // “I can’t believe that in 60 days I lost 19 inches all over my body and I didn’t do heavy cardio or lift heavy weights!”

“PiYo was the perfect workout for me to do while I was recovering from a stress fracture in my left foot. It was low-impact and promised to deliver incredible toning results. So I did the program and couldn’t be happier. The changes I saw in my body were absolutely AWESOME! Plus, I loved the fact that I did not have to pick up a single weight during the 60 days of PiYo. Instead, I just used my body as resistance and it really sculpted my muscles.

The amount of inches I lost around my waist is incredible! I felt the toning everywhere. My arms, my glutes, my abs, and my thighs all leaned out. I used to have horrible neck and back pain, but after strengthening those muscles, the pain is gone. And for the first time in 25 years I’m finally able to do real push-ups, not the ones on my knees!

Not only did the 3-Day Refresh take away my bloating, it gave me a ton of energy, and I actually learned to like vegetables. I even tried new veggies that I wouldn’t try before, and it made me realize how much better I felt after eating fresher foods. Plus, I really enjoyed Shakeology and the Vanilla Fresh protein shake. I loved their taste and texture, and for a picky eater like me, that’s huge! I felt so good after the Refresh that I plan on doing it once a month.

Now that I’ve lost weight, am leaner, and so much more toned, clothing just feels and looks a million times better on me. When I took my AFTER photos from PiYo, I couldn’t even wear the original shorts I had on because they were falling off of me! I really sculpted my body with a low-impact workout and I can see the changes all around. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.”

BEFORE WEIGHT: 155.6                 AFTER WEIGHT: 141.6

Janelle H.+ // “After years of struggling with my weight, I finally broke through my plateau and lost 14 lbs.”

“Before finding Beachbody, I was overweight and didn’t love my body. I was always tired, and with three kids keeping me busy, I often made excuses not to work out. I’ve struggled with my weight ever since junior high and have always been a size L or XL. Six weeks into PiYo I went shopping and was shocked to discover that size large shirts and skirts were too big and that my size had changed to a medium or even a small. This was a first for me!

PiYo transformed my body in ways other workouts never have been able to do. Not only did I lose 14 lbs. in 8 weeks, for the first time in my life I feel like a strong person. My body feels tighter, leaner, and stronger than ever before! And here’s a first, today I can actually see my abs! My flat butt has lifted and become rounder, and the flab on my arms is gone. Plus, PiYo helped me overcome physical and mental barriers that have held me back in the past. I love this program. And I will never feel weak or wimpy again.

Shakeology was great, too, because it helped change my eating habits like nothing else has ever done before! Not only did it help me lose weight, Shakeology helped me blast through the plateau that I thought was impossible to get past. Then I was able to lose even more weight when I did the 3-Day Refresh.

Today I am now healthier and stronger than ever. Plus, I have so much more energy to chase my three young kids around. I now know how important it is to take care of myself, because when I take care of myself I have more energy to be a better mom for my kids!

I can’t say enough good things about PiYo and the Beachbody programs. And I love the fact that I can get a great workout at home WITHOUT a gym membership, especially since I live in a very rural area and going to the gym isn’t an option for me. Pretty much, I love it all!”

Interested in transforming your life, too? Then do the PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack. You’ve got nothing to lose but bad habits, lame excuses, and a bunch of unwanted pounds and inches. The time to define and refresh yourself is NOW!

 Fill out my free fitness assessment form today and I will set you up with your own personal fitness coach and your free team beachbody account!

Beachbody Fit Club

Wow ! We had one of the biggest crowds in quite some time for our weekly "Fit Club" workout at The 352 Fit Club. I started this club 2 years ago with the hope of offering free workouts to the public and have watched it grow steadily. Now it may not have grown as fast as I wanted but I have found that I can inspire others to get out and get fit and help end the trend of obesity. Our classes are always free and we feature a different Beachbody program every week to keep it fresh. We even have occasional Shakeology sampling for those that choose to try it. If your ever in the Citrus County area look us up at www.meetup.com/352-fit-club or www.352fitclub.com. We meet Tuesday evenings at 7pm in the Dance Dynasty Building on Homosassa Trail.

We also offer some other outdoor activities like Live Insanity classes, or occasional obstacle course training at one of the local gym's here in our area. Feel free to message me if you'd like to join us were happy to have more people in our Fit Fam!

Clean Eating Basics

Clean Eating Basics

November 7,2014

I know many people struggle with the nutrition aspect of weight loss and health. Here are some basic tips to get yourself on the right track to eating for your best self! Anyone, feel free to add your own tips, as well :)

√ Eating 4-6 small meals a day is usually better than 3 large meals.

√ The less ingredients something has, the better - and if there are ingredients you can't pronounce or don't know of, it's best to steer clear.

√ Keeping yourself hydrated is so important! Drink at least 64 ounces per day!

√ Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up each day.

√ Avoid WHITE! This includes white sugar, white flour, and white bread.

√ Get enough fruits and veggies per day!

√ It's best to cut out most (if not all) soda, high-calorie juices, and limit alcohol consumption (for optimal results).

√ Keep in mind proper portion sizes. You may think you're eating the right foods, but if your portions are out of whack, it's counterproductive.

√ Get in 2 servings of healthy fats per day - canola oil, flaxseeds, salmon, hazelnuts, olive oil, etc.

√ When dining out, look for items that are "baked", "grilled", "dry-sauteed", "broiled", "roasted", "poached", or "steamed".

√ Avoid: "breaded", "au gratin (with cheese)", "casserole", "carbonara", "creamy", "sauteed", "tempura", "gravy", "fried", or "bisque".

Drinking Shakeology will supply you more than the minimum daily requirement of fruits and vegetables in just one shake!

Fill out my free fitness assessment today and I will set you up with your FREE team beachbody account!

Organic Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes!

Organic Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes Recipe

For those of you who are constantly craving something sweet and “pancaky” in the morning, here’s a super delicious pancake recipe. Not only it tastes wonderful but it’s full of protein, is gluten-free and grain-free. An awesome recipe that your kids will love.

Photo from Whole Lifestyle Nutrition

You’ll need:

• 1 Cup of Organic Almond, Peanut or any other Nut Butter
• 4 Organic Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup of Organic Greek Yogurt
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Organic Strawberry Jam
• Organic Agave Syrup
• Organic Coconut Oil

Directions:

1. Mix the eggs, almond/peanut butter, greek yogurt, vanilla extract and the strawberry jam in a small bowl.
2. Blend everything together using a whisk.
3. Preheat a skillet to 350º F.
4. When the skillet is hot, add some coconut oil to lightly cover the bottom of skillet.
5. Pour batter into skillet and cook on both sides until lightly golden brown.
6. If needed, add agave syrup or more strawberry jam on top

 This along with my Shakeology is the perfect way to start off your day especially if you have a long run planned. I have found that it really keeps me fueled during my run which is important. For a free team beach body account fill out my free fitness assessment form and I will get you started right away!