She's Got Legs Workout

I created this workout for a few cousins of mine that wanted to focus on legs.  This workout includes both cardio and strength while incorporating isometric and traditional eccentric/concentric contractions.  Blah, blah, blah...just enjoy!

10 mins cardio (bike)

12 squat lunges right w/ 20lb bar

25 calf raises

12 squat lunges left w/ 20lb bar

25 calf raises 

:30 wall sit

10 mins of cardio (treadmill)

3 sets of 8 leg press (50-95lbs)

3 sets of 12 hip abduction/adduction machine each

Walking lunges with 15lb weights (2 sets of 12)

:30 wall sit

10 mins of Cardio (your choice)

2 sets Single leg ham curl machine 8R, 8L, 8both

3 sets of 8 Leg Extension machine (heavy weight)

:45 wall sit

Isometric Abs

1:00 plank

:50 Russian twist

:40 boat or V-set

:30 side plank

:30 side plank

:20 plank to push up

10 walk down plank, push-up,walk up

Thanksgiving Day Wellness Tips

1.  Eat dinner once.  A lot of times we make these huge dinners to feed an army when we only have a family of 4.  Consider eating once and donating the leftovers to the homeless or some less fortunate.  Also, don't eat dinner so early, that you're tempted to have a 2nd dinner by the time the 2nd football game comes on.  Try healthy snacks for the latter part of the night instead.

2.  To-go is a no-go! If you're traveling for dinner don't take to-go plates home with you.  Enjoy it once and make the next day "Back Friday," as in get back to business.

3.  Eat dinner on smaller (appetizer size) plates.  The less you put on your plate the less you will eat.

4.  Prepare 1 dessert option.  I love sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, pound cake, banana pudding, chocolate cake, ice cream and cobblers as much as the rest of you, but as a family decide on 1 dessert to prepare and keep the sugar to a minimum.  You don't want to be stuck eating all those desserts.  Your waist line will pay for it!

5.  Play! Most of our cold geographic areas won't allow us to go outside, but for those who have Wii or Kinect games, wipe the dust off and play them during the half times of each game.  That's 3 games, at 12-minutes halves per game for a wopping 36 mins of shared family activity.

Finally don't forget to give thanks and give back!  Our family has been blessed in so many unimaginable ways.  Consider lending a hand or making a donation during this time of year.

Let's Streeeeetch!

Never underestimate the wonderful fitness & wellness values of stretching.  Flexibility is one of the 5 health related components of fitness along with cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and body composition.  We exercise flexibility to allow our joints the ability to move through a full range of motion.  The benefits ranges from full mobility, posture and balance to muscle relaxation and stress relief.  Here's some stretching tips for all populations:1.  Only stretch warmed muscles.  Warming muscles prior to stretching can prevent injuries.  Imagine your muscles are frozen rubber bands.  If you stretch a frozen rubber band it will most likely snap, but if you warm it, it will stretch and perform its purpose for you.  2.  Be aware of hyperflexed and inflexible joints.  Let's face it.  We're all made differently, so there's no one size fits all programs.  Be especially aware if you are hyperflexed (joints move farther than normal) or inflexible (muscle strength does not allow joint to move through full range).  Your range of motion might differ from the norm and should not be forced to normal ranges.3.  Consider a class.  Classes can be very beneficial to flexibility health.  Well organized, choreographed classes such as yoga, pilates and tai chi will help you reach your flexibility goals as well as improve balance and coordination.  Try one.
4.  Hold it right there.  When performing stretches hold each for about 15-20 seconds before switching to opposite side or opposing muscle group.
Thanks for reading, now get up and get active!


About the Author:  Rae D. Upchurch, MA is a fitness and wellness educator, coach and owner of Total Lifestyle Fitness Consulting.  For more tips and information about coaching, visit www.totallifestylefitness.com and follow her on twitter and instagram @raeupchurch.

The 8-Minute Workout

Here's a sneak peek at a workout that I did while short on time.  Each exercise was done for a minute with a 30 second break on the interval.  My medicine ball is a little over 13lbs and my body bar weighs 27lbs.

Enjoy!

Subscribe to my Youtube channel and follow me on twitter and IG: @raeupchurch

Not so fast, Mr. Salad!

I shared this tip with my family and thought I'd do the same for you.  Enjoy!

Beware of the almighty healthy salad myth.  I LOVE salads! Could literally eat them everyday, but did you know that some salads have the same caloric value as a whopper?  How? Well creamy dressings, loads of cheese, bread crumbs and other high calorie dense additions along with portion size can manipulate both your salad and your thinking.  Try this the next time you have a "healthy salad":  

1. Use non cream based dressings like ranch, blue cheese, 1000 island, ceasar.  Instead use italian, vinegar/oil, balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinaigrette,  

2. Avoid cheeses, 

3. Add lean proteins like chicken breast, shrimp or eggs, 

4. Load it with vegetables that provide vitamins and nutrients and 

5. Place it on a medium plate to control portion size. If dining out eat 1/2, take 1/2 home.

This tip has been provided by Rae Upchurch, Owner of Total Lifestyle Fitness.  Contact us if you're interested in online fitness/wellness coaching.  Join our E-mailing list by clicking here: http://totallifestylefit.wufoo.com/forms/join-our-mailing-elist/  

www.totallifestylefitness.com

Heart Attack Grill, Seriously?!

Every semester when we get to the nutrition portion of the Lifetime Fitness & Wellness class that I teach at a local community college, I show my students this video on a restaurant called Heart Attack Grill.  I should warn you, that what you're about to watch will disgust you, unless you're into clogged arteries and early deaths.  (Sorry, just being real!)  I learned today, that one of my friends in networking dined there in Vegas and I had to do everything to keep myself from getting sick as she described it!  Check out this video and you'll see why...

Hair Struggle in Fitness

So I use to have this crazy hair struggle with fitness and working out, right?  A few of the pics below are of me before I decided to leave the gates of HAIR JAIL!  I use to have many days of hair depression simply because my workout was leaving my hair eff'd up!  I have natural hair and a lot of it, so a 1-hour sweat session was like kryptonite to my super thick hair.  I would stay in on Friday and Saturday nights, b/c I didn't have the money nor the energy to put into making myself pretty.  I have to admit, sometimes I would choose my Friday night over workouts.  The result...resentment to the 10th power!  Eventually, I put a stop to it by just cutting it all off.  Now I wear the short wash and go version that you also see below.  This blog mainly applies to black women who share the same struggle.  We've tried everything from wigs to extension sew-ins, and still just can't get it right.  The reality is that it's still a constant struggle.  My present day truth is, sometimes I don't feel like I look AS pretty as I did with my hair, but luckily for me I have a husband who ABSOLUTELY loves it and gives me the confidence to rock it out!  I wanted to share my story for the girl who is going through the same struggle.    My advice is to absolutely, under all circumstances Choose your Health!  Here's a few pointers:

• Schedule your hair appointments around workouts.  Set your workouts for Mon-Thurs and off days on Friday, Sat & Sun.
• Wear a sweat band like the "Save your Do"
• Go natural and chop it off.  Rock a TWA.
• Wrap and scarf your hair during workouts (never worked for me)
• Wear braids or twist.