Tag: fitness

An open letter to Orangetheory Fitness

LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Isn’t it both funny and amazing how one decision can change the trajectory of your life?

How one new relationship, connection, job, move, etc. can have a bigger impact on your life as a whole than all other decisions you’ve made combined?

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If you follow me on Instagram, then you definitely already know my love for Orangetheory, but maybe you don’t know how it started.

I had heard of Orangetheory Fitness long before I lived in a town where there was a studio. I mean, back in late 2016, Orangetheory Fitness hadn’t made its way into Iowa yet, let alone small town Iowa. I was so intrigued, and I had imagined traveling somewhere someday where I could try a class! But things have a funny way of working out exactly how they’re supposed to.

Whether you’re a current or former Orangetheory member, an owner, a coach or a sales associate, or someone simply interested, you’ve likely had an experience with Orangetheory worth noting. My hopes, is that many of you reading this have had a similar experience that I have. Because if that’s true, then it confirms my beliefs that Orangetheory is bigger than a 60 minute workout, bigger than a multi-country corporation, bigger than the numbers on the screen.

It confirms that Orangetheory is absolutely life changing. 

It’s hard to put into words something that takes up such a big part of your heart, something that has altered your life completely, but here it goes….

Dear Orangetheory,

It was approximately January 25, 2017 when my world changed. My husband got a job moving us 1,000+ miles across country from Cedar Falls, IA to Greensboro, NC. I was excited, shocked, and sad to be leaving home. However, the very next day began my search to get a job in our new city that we were bound to be in within 3 weeks. My first Google search? “North Carolina Orangetheory Locations”. And hold. the. flipping. phone?! There you were, a location right there in Greensboro.

Orangetheory, you already know the story, but for those of you who don’t, long story short, I got the job! I got in contact with the manager, had an interview only 10 days later when we flew out to find a place to live, and began work there 16 days after that interview.

When I stepped into Orangetheory for the first time, it felt as if I was in a movie when they open the doors to some place spectacular and a halo of light shines around it accompanied by an “ahhhhhh”. A bit dramatic? Maybe. But the point is that something struck me deep with that first step. I felt home, my gut feeling was that I was home. It’s been 2.5 years since then and I haven’t looked back once. Within 2 months I went from sales associate to coach, and 2 years later I went from coach to assistant head coach. I’ve grown as an employee, as a leader, and as a coach. I’ve gotten new, “big girl” jobs between then and now, I’ve moved houses, I’ve begun volunteering and taking on more responsibilities, but one thing remained the same: OTF has to stay on my schedule, and in my life.

In case I haven’t said it before, or said it enough, thank you Orangetheory.

Thank you for the friendships

When I look at all of my friends in this city, literally all of them, I know that I know them because of you. If I didn’t meet someone directly in the studio, between exasperated breaths after an all out, or while wiping the sweat from our faces, I met them directly through someone I did meet at OTF.

To this day, my very first friend in this city I met on my, oh 3rd day of the job, and she stood by my side at my wedding.

I guess it makes sense to make friends with people inside of these walls, because if we’re all crazy enough to be there in the first place, we all have a common factor 😉

Beyond that, I watch people walk in the door every single day at Orangetheory, and they too come there to chat with friends they’ve made along the way. The time in the lobby before class begins has become a little bit of a social hour. It’s amazing to be standing there, with the mic around my neck and coaches shirt on my back and watch new friendships bloom. I’ve seen people introduce themselves for the first time and weeks later they’re choosing each other for the partner workout and then hopping across the street after for post workout beers. That’s a benefit I have being a coach that the members don’t have, I get to watch friendships blossom, friendships that aren’t mine but put a smile on my heart just the same.

 

 

Call us a cult, call us a tribe, call us whatever you want. Orangetheory, you grow families, so thank you for that.

Thank you for the mentorship

Not many people become close friends with their boss in their lifetimes. I’m glad I’ve had that chance through you, Orangetheory. My boss, the OG head coach at our studio, has become more than my boss, more than my friend, more than my “NC MOM” (as I call her), she’s my mentor. I turn to her for advice that could be OTF related, dog related, LIFE related. And I recognize that none of this wouldn’t be possible had I not stepped into those doors on February 3, 2017. I think my head might have fallen off from whirlwind of stress had things gone differently.

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Thank you for my physical health

Sometime in the fall of 2017 I said, somewhat arrogantly, “for the first time in my career, I contribute my physical health and success to something outside of my own workout programming”. I’m talking about YOU. In all of the jobs I’ve had, the group exercise classes I’ve taught, I’ve never fully wanted to participate in the workouts like I want to participate in these. In the past, I felt like I had to, you know just part of the job description. But now, you are a part of my weekly routine. You’ve helped me run a half marathon only 1 month after signing up. You’ve helped me be the most confident in clothes and swim suits that I’ve ever been. And my strong heart and strong muscles are here to prove the rest of the benefits I’ve felt from you.

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And then there’s the members, the transformations they’ve gone through. Losing 50+ lb, running again for the first time in years, lifting weights they never though possible, going from awkward and novice rowers to leaderboard rowers! The list could go on, and I’m sure to anyone reading this, you could find a friend that you know who does Orangetheory, and they have some sort of success story to share!

Thank you for the connections

Beyond the friendships, the connections I’ve made through people I’ve met inside your walls has been INCREDIBLE. I’m not going to go into details of every little thing, but let me just leave it with: I’ve done things, experienced things, and tried new things that never would have crossed my mind had I not been influenced by my connections from you.

Thank you for the stress relief

After a hard day at work, a long day in general, family stress, life stress, any stress, I turn to you. I hop in my car, get to the studio 20-30 minutes before class and shoot the sh*t with my friends and connections there. And then, when the studio door opens, my phone is on do not disturb, and I laser focus on the workout. If I need to get out of my head completely, the bumping loud music, the interactive heart rate monitors, and the fast paced, grueling (yet fit for anyone) workouts do the trick!

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Thank you for the comic relief

On the days when I’m not there solely for stress relief, well, we open the door to fun a little more. The one-line zingers from coach Val, the comedic relief to keep us going into our 10th all out from Tracy, the friendly competition on the rowers from Kristen, Ed, or Dave, or when I trip over another dumbbell, all offer much needed comic relief. Life needs comedy, every single day. And there is not a day I leave this studio without smiling ear to ear at least once.

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Thank you for the career skills

A person cannot grow within a company like I have without learning crucial career skills along the way. They just cannot. The skills I’ve learned, so far, through you have spilled over into my day job. Literally, my boss has said before that he appreciates the added skills and creativity that Orangetheory offers me, he can see it in how I program my classes and schedules at work. I believe that job should always be more than a job, it should leave you with more, it should give you more. 

Thank you for the life skills

Besides the ability to multi-task like a freaking pro (legit, watch a coach the next time you’re in a 3G class and how they most of the time, seamlessly get 36 different people going, throughout 3 different sections, all within a 2 minute window. Or for more comedy, watch how a coach talks through the “Orangetheory works through 5 heart rate zones” warm up while a member is asking them a question- and the coach can still spout off that warm up scpheel while helping the member fix their heart rate monitor), I’ve learned necessary life skills through you. Patience, extra customer service, how to not give up, how to put yourself first, how to truly care for yourself. The list could go on.

Thank you for quite literally everything about my life as is.

When everything in life seems to be going left, I turn right….. right to Orangetheory. I know I annoy my non-orangetheory friends with how much I talk and post about you, but when you’re passionate about something you should let it be known!

And to all of my friends that I have met through Orangetheory, all of the members, and my co-workers. I love you DEARLY. I couldn’t do my weeks without you. If the sad day comes sometime when I can no longer coach (you know, if kids ever come), I will hands down STILL purchase a membership to be there! I’m not letting you go, and I’m not letting YOU let me go”

 

-Much love, now and always,

Carly B

And for the record: for those of you thinking “if she says everything about her life here is from Orangetheory, how do you explain her full-time job, and the people she’s met there?” Well, while at Orangetheory, my friend (the first friend I made if you recall), told me to use the Linkedin easy apply options just for shits and giggles, something that never would have crossed my mind. The result? I found the job I currently have and obviously….. I got it.

 

Thanks for reading!

Are you an Orangetheory member too?

Let's connect! @lifeofcarlyb_

Got questions? Want a topic covered?

Email me @ lifeofcarlyb@gmail.com

In HEALTH,

Carly B

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable- Part 1: Health and Fitness

LifeOfCarlyB2 Comments

My favorite quote of all time:

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.

Meaning, in the quickest explanation possible, that nothing can be achieved within your comfort zone. If you’re uncomfortable, embrace that, because it means something great is on the horizon.

In this 3 part series we will talk about what it means to get comfortable being uncomfortable in 3 different areas of your life. Your health and fitness, your relationships, and your life and lifestyle in general.

What makes us most uncomfortable in each area? Do we avoid whatever makes us uncomfortable because we don’t know how to handle it? Are we staying stagnant and going through monotonous efforts because we don’t know how to step outside of our comfort zone? More importantly, because we don’t know why we should step outside of our comfort zones?

The easiest and most obvious comfort zones that we can identify nowadays are those related to your health and fitness journey, which is why that is Part 1 of this series. Those comfort zones are what keep people from achieving their goals that they’ve had for a long time. The goals that they’ve written down at the beginning of each new year, resolving to finally achieve them, but don’t.

In order to step out of these comfort zones and launch ourselves on this great health and fitness journey, we first need to pin-point the areas that are holding ourselves back.

Generally, these are the areas where we feel the slightest ping of discomfort and we go running for the covers. Hiding from what could be. They can be broken down into physical and mental barriers. 

The physical:

When your body actually feels, oh I don’t know, the actual effects of exercise

This one kind of baffles me. So many people go to the gym, yet they don’t push themselves to the points they need to. When was the last time you’ve gone outside of your routine in the gym (that is if you’ve been actually going to the gym)? It’s hard for people to feel levels of well, pain.

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But here’s the truth:

The last few reps of your sets should be hard. If they’re not then you simply are not working hard enough. Put those 5 lb weights away that you’ve been using for the past year and pick up something heavier. But wait, that is where people lose it. When they get to rep 8 out of 10 in a set of bicep curls and their muscles are burning. It’s weird, so they stop at that 8th rep and drop their weight the next set they do. Wait what?!? That is not helping you grow, at all. It’s actually teaching yourself to accept failure. You let that feeling of discomfort win over you.

No my friend, those last few reps of each set should be challenging. Aim for the last 2-4 reps, depending on how many reps total you’re doing (the more reps total, the more challenging reps you’ll feel). Because if you find that the reps are getting challenging, it means you are challenging yourself. Get comfortable with that. That is where the magic happens.

And when doing cardio? You need to get comfortable with the feeling of your lungs burning. If you hop on the elliptical day after day and only break a light sweat, then you haven’t challenged your body to a new stimulus. Therefore, you will not improve, and your fitness goals will always be dangling in front of you – just out of reach. Try incorporating HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) into your workout. There will be points where you can’t speak more than a few sentences, that’s normal, don’t let that scare you. And when you really amp it up, there will be points where you can’t speak more than a few words. Again, that’s normal. All of the above (including some steady state such as the elliptical), need to be worked into your workout in a balanced format. Try doing some intervals – on a cardio machine, or with bodyweight cardio exercises. To program a HIIT workout, you can use the formats below, in order of beginner to advanced:

1:1 ratio= equal work and rest time

2:1 ratio= 2X the amount of challenging work to rest time

4:1 ratio= 4X the amount of challenging work to rest time

The above ratios can be seen in formats such as:

60:60 = 60 seconds of challenging work followed by 60 seconds of rest
60:30= 60 seconds of challenging work, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
60:15= 60 seconds of challenging work, followed by 15 seconds of rest.

or 30:30, 30:15, 30:10, 20:20, 20:10, and so on. As long as you have rest periods on there, you are working in a HIIT format.

In addition to creating your own HIIT workouts, you can also try publicly known workout programs such as Orangetheory Fitness, first class free!

*p.s. this is not an Orangetheory sponsored Ad, but I know first hand the amazing effects that can come out of it, in true HIIT fashion. Not to mention I’ve seen it first hand help people overcome every single one of the barriers listed in this blog 😉

And lastly, if your muscles are shaking, that isn’t a BAD thing! Shaking muscles while holding a plank or a wall sit? Yeah, your muscles are under constant contraction, and this is okay, as long as you are keeping good and proper form!

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The mental:

“I’m scared”

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know where to start. I am probably the only person in this gym who hasn’t worked out before”.

You’re scared? Good. Use that and let it ignite the flame. Don’t use is as an excuse to turn towards the door and run. You’ve already paid the gym membership, you’re already at the grocery store. So don’t waste your money, or your time. Finish what you came to start.

If we all let our feelings of being scared dictate the ending of each situation we’re in, then we all would have walked into a job, felt scared, and turned right back around. We’d let that happen over and over again until we’re all unemployed and living under a bridge.

But what do you actually do when you’re scared and nervous on your first day at a new job? You run with it! You let it fuel you. You focus in on learning as if your life depends on it, because it kind of does. You are open to trying new things. And most importantly, you COMMIT to it.

So you’re scared as you walk into the gym? Let it fuel you. Let it help you learn new things. Let it open your mind (and body) to trying new things. Let it allow you to COMMIT.

Scared is a feeling of discomfort. But that’s what we’re looking for here aren’t we? Yes. So go run with it. Get comfortable with using your feelings of fright to launch you into something new.

“I’m not good enough”

I’m sorry, but good enough for what? The images you have in your head because social media has pounded them there? Yeah, okay, let’s stop that.

Let’s allow feelings of discomfort to come in for a moment to squash those images. I know, that’s a hard thing to do. Because you want to cling to those images to allow yourself to keep telling yourself you’re not good enough. Because with that, at least you have an excuse. 

Not today Satan. 

So go ahead, squash them. And then when you’re left with a clean slate. One where you can draw ANY image of yourself you want. Make it one you are proud of. And let me tell you, THAT can be one of the most uncomfortable things. Talking ourselves up, hyping ourselves up and dreaming big. But do it friend. The world needs more self-hype.

“I don’t know how to do it correctly”

This one can fall under both physical and mental, and it is the most logical barrier out of all of them. Bad form can indeed bring your fitness journey to a screeching halt. But what makes people the most uncomfortable is asking for help. But here’s the secret- ask for help! You don’t have to commit to hiring a personal trainer 4X a week, but every single gym [should*] have qualified professionals who can help you! In my years of working in a gym it has surprised me by how little people actually ask for help. I mean sometimes people don’t even ask how to turn on a machine. If it’s not on, it won’t work, and therefore- neither will you.

I think the biggest barrier here is that you might feel embarrassed for helping. But let me remind you that every single fitness professional, and every single long-term gym member all WERE BEGINNERS. None of us just “poofed” into the gym knowing how to use it all. We all had to learn. We all had those moments where we felt uncomfortable too. But the difference between your repeated efforts and repeated resolutions to telling yourself that “this is the year I go to the gym!” is that we actually sought out help. We learned. And now, we’re here to HELP YOU TOO! And if you find that someone is an asshole and not willing to help, politely tell them to fuck off, and then go ask someone more friendly (there’s always one asshole or one un-knowledgable person who only got the job because their mom is screwing the manager in each gym. I wish there wasn’t, but if you find them on the first try, just move onto to the next employee or a friendly well-versed member and ask for help!)

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When it comes down to it, it’s talking to yourself and telling yourself that you are bigger than even your BIGGEST barrier. Mind > matter.

What’s your biggest barrier in actually going for your health and fitness goals? Identify it and read the paragraph corresponding to it above. And if you’ve identified a barrier that isn’t listed above (because had I listed out all barriers, you’d be here reading this for the next year) then reach out to me at lifeofcarlyb@gmail.com OR on Instagram at lifeofcarlyb_ and I’d be glad to help you find ways around those barriers.

But spoiler alert:

The first thing I’m going to tell you to do is….

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.

Your true abilities don’t lie within those comfort zones.

They’re somewhere out there, behind each lie you tell yourself and each excuse, just waiting for you to grab them.

Just like how the juiciest apples could be sitting at the top of the tree, but no one wants to climb to get them.

Your greatest abilities could be sitting up there too, just out of reach if you stay in your comfort zone.

So go grab that apple friend.

Go grab it.

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Thanks for stopping by!

Be sure to subscribe to my email list 

so you don't miss out on parts 2 & 3 of this 3 part series

(going over lifestyle and relationships comfort zones)

Happy to have you here!

HIIT IT- Memorial Day Style

LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Who’s got big Memorial Day Weekend plans? Many of you I’m sure. Who wants to get their sweat on before or after (or both) they attend all their parties, etc?!

No fear, I’ve got your back.

Test this MDW (Memorial Day Weekend) workout on for size:

-8 exercises X 8 reps each (AND EACH SIDE) X 8 rounds and DONE!

All you need is ONE weight

Exercises:

Snatch burpee

Side lunge high pull

Double jack

Ground to ceiling squat press

Lunge to curl

Around the world

Plank drag rows

Alternating v-ups

 

You are racing against the clock – let me know how you do! Or find me on Instagram @lifeofcarlyb_ and let me know how you do!

When it Comes to Exercise, Sometimes Less Is More

LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

How many of you…

have wanted quick progress in the gym or push past a plateau? How many of you adopted the mentality that in order to do that, then more was MORE? In other words, the more I workout, the quicker I will get to my goals, because afterall a calorie deficit is what I’m aiming for right? You’ve worked yourself day in and day out, not missing a workout, restricting your calories, and so on. And you get to a point where you are now just so fatigued all the time that you don’t even want to work out, but you do it anyway because that is what is pushing you towards your goals? Maybe you’re not even sure if you’re exercising right – you’re working the same muscle groups each day, you’re always sore, but you don’t know if its right or wrong, but it doesn’t matter because your FitBit tells you that you just burned 800 calories in 2 hours – SCORE! So you develop this relationship with the gym that is nothing short of an obsession.

I’m sure some of you have been there, I have.

But what if I told you that less is more?

That you don’t have to workout 7 days a week, sometimes 2 times a day, and restrict your calories and feel so fatigued you could fall of the treadmill? Maybe you’re not quite that obsessed with the gym, but you still can’t go a day without skipping the gym without feeling guilty. But what if LESS was MORE?

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Let’s start here.

Do you know what happens to your body, specifically your muscles when you workout? Let me tell you what most people say to this answer – my body is getting stronger! I’m building my muscles! WRONG. When you exercise you are literally tearing your muscle fibers apart. The growth happens in the rest period. So no, you aren’t getting stronger when you are working out, when you’re curling 50’s and squatting 200’s. No, you are setting your muscles up to get stronger while you are resting. The workout is like the pre-game. The fun stuff, the magic happens AFTER you leave the gym.

When it comes to muscle fiber repair, one of two things can happen leading up to this.

A) You aren’t overloading your muscles enough to break down the muscle fibers enough to a point where they have to be repaired during the rest before. Thus starting a repeating cycle of working your muscles to an almost pointless effort. If you’re not setting them up to repair and get stronger, you are essential wasting your time (Cue encouraging words to start lifting HEAVIER! You will NOT get bulky)

B) You overload too much to a point where your muscles can’t sufficiently repair themselves in the rest period. This can happen from lifting too much weight, but it likely going to be cause from lifting too much weight too frequently (Cue talk on overtraining).

The phenomenon of OverTraining. 

Overtraining occurs when you push your body too hard and pass the point that your body is able to recover from. To improve you must overload the muscles and then allow adequate time for recovery and growth by resting. Overtraining occurs when either the overload is too high, or the rest period (recovery time) is too low.

Overtraining in the form of too much intensity on a constant basis, in the form of working out for hours on end, in the form of not challenging your muscles enough but still working them too much, in the form of over exercising and under eating will all hinder your results.

Let me show you a real life example.

At the beginning of my fitness journey I would work out for HOURS upon HOURS and be so freaking happy that I burned 700 calories on a total of 3 different cardio machines combined. I didn’t bother to try to educate myself on proper nutrition, I didn’t really care, because I was working out. I mean at this point, I was an 18 year old who just graduated high school – I was naive. BUT this exercise obsession continued into college, trying to beat the Freshman 15. And here, in college, I discovered that 2-a-days were a thing. UM HELL YEAH sign me up?! More exercise, yes please!

So I exercised, and exercised, and exercised. I was doing too much. I thought I was working at high intensities, but now seeing what I CAN do, I realize that it was definitely only moderate intensities – I couldn’t muster up energy for more!

I became “skinny fat”. Where I would hold on to extra body fat, primarily around my stomach, because my body was screaminggggg for proper nutrition and less exericse, but I didn’t know. My arms and legs looked relatively skinny, but my mid section didn’t exactly match up. My body fat was at a solid 23%, which was in normal range so I was happy with it. And so I kept going- working out 7 days a week for probably, oh 10 hours in total or more.

BUT what happened was I started to get educated. I mean I was now in school for Exercise Science & Health Promotion. And I learned the right way to do things, I actually began to love researching articles on those topics in my free time. I was like WOAH.

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(Over-exercising -left VS. Getting it right -right)

So now? Now I exercise 5 days a week and eat more than what I used to – but my body needs it! I’ve figured out how to truly work at my highest intensities. BUT THATS OKAY! Because now I take 2 rest days and I kid you not, I only exercise for a total of 5 hours a week – MAX. Most of my workouts are now between 45 – 55 minutes and IT. IS. GLORIOUS.

And what has happened to my body composition? 8% lower body fat, more muscle, and more personal records. My body is thriving. And it’s because I stopped digging it into a hole I couldn’t get it out of.

(Too much cardio, not enough strength VS. getting it right)

My point is not to brag about what I’ve done, but rather show you that LESS IS MORE when it comes to your exercise, and WHY that is true.

Is it tempting to want to exercise more, to hit the gym after a night of rough eating, even though it isn’t supposed to be on the schedule? Absolutely. Do I sometimes do extra? Sometimes, yes. But I make sure that if I’m doing an extra workout it’s because I want to not because I’m trying to punish myself.

Working out less and eating more [of the right things and right proportions] are the hardest thing to wrap my clients minds around. But it WORKS. Results will 110% not come over night. Hell, you won’t have your “dream body” (whatever the hell that means) in one month. Nope, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And the patience needed for that is something that is LONG GONE in this day in age where we all have access to instant gratification.

But do yourself a favor. Love yourself enough to do things the right way. Eat right, exercise right, and give yourself a solid 6 MONTHS to start seeing the progress you want. Hell, it has taken me FIVE YEARS.

Let that sink in.

For more tips & tricks, or just to have the tea spilled in your inbox weekly, subscribe to my email list! CLICK HERE, new friend 🙂

 

In health,

Carly

20 Minute Bodyweight HIIT Burn

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Crunched on time? No time to make it to the gym? Find a spot in your home, your garage, your backyard and take this for a spin!

Need help dechiphering those exercises?

  • Burpee: Starting in a standing position, bend over placing your hands on the floor, jumping or stepping your feet back into a plank position (core is tight!) and then hop or jump your feet back to your hands to return to a standing position. Additional option: add a push up at the bottom once you hit a plank position
  • 90 degree turn squat jump: Starting in a standing position, begin your squat by pushing your hips back and down keeping the weight heavy in your heels and your knees behind your toes. On the way up from the squat begin to jump by powering through your legs BUT turning 90 degrees to the side. To initiate the turn, drive through the hips to make the 90 degree movement.
  • 3 step side shuffle plank: Think of a basketball drill here. Bend your knees slightly keeping your chest tall and begin to take 3 side step shuffles to one side. Once you do 3, drop your hands down to your feet and hop or step your feet back into a plank position, return to standing position (that is 1 rep). Side shuffle to the other side and repeat
  • Squat plank thruster: Beginning in a full plank position, using the power from your hips drive your feet (jumping or stepping) up to right outside of your hands, landing with your heels in contact with the ground and then lift your chest so you are looking forward (at this position you should feel like you are in a low squat position- remember good form for this!). Hop or walk your feet back and repeat.
  • Crab crunches: Think of elementary school PE here. Starting with your feet and hands in contact with the ground, your body is facing UP not DOWN. Pull your hips up by squeezing through your glutes (you should be in a reverse table top position here). Finding your balance with your feet about 1 foot apart, lift your right hand and left foot off the ground, reaching your right hand to touch the left knee as both limbs crunch towards each other (this is 1 rep). Return to the ground and repeat.

 

Ready, set, go!

21 Day ‘Be The Machine’ Program: Week 3

LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Here it is week 3 out of 3, day 21 out of 21. I had to get extra creative this week with a big MOVE to a new house happening so you will see that 2 out of the 4 workouts I did were outside… ENJOY!

 

Monday: 

Exercise options:

  • single leg hop – take out the hop and do side to side steps with a calf raise on one foot on each side
  • Jump lunge- step back lunge
  • Balance hop- take out the hop
  • Broad jump to back pedal- run/walk forward to backpedal

Tuesday:

Have fun with this one 🙂

Wednesday:

Exercise options- for the run it is listed in there, basically do half

Thursday:

Friday:

Active rest. For me it was moving a sh*t ton of boxes!

Saturday; 

Active rest.

Sunday:

Orangetheory Fitness

While you’re watching, go subscribe to my YouTube channel 🙂

21 Day ‘Be The Machine’ Programming: Week 2

LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Hey all! How was week 1 for you? Do you feel like a machine yet?

For those of you who are new- Be The Machine programming is all about YOUR body being the machine. We’re forgetting about strength machines (and cardio machines too if we can help it) and turning your body into a fat burning, muscle building machine with the assistance of free weights and accessory weights.

Let’s see what week 2 has in store for you:

Monday: LEG DAY

Exercise options

  • Instead of a barbell use a dumbbell or kettlebell

Tuesday: ARMS- Dumbbell only workout!

This one could be done at home if you have a pair of 10 or 15 lb dumbbells 🙂

Exercise options:

  • Incline plank with tricep kick- do a knee plank with tricep kickback
  • Mountain climber get up- Don’t do the get up, just do mountain climbers
  • Rolling burpees- do a regular burpee with a squat at the top

Wednesday:

Orangetheory fitness. If no access to Orangetheory, or another class based workout try one of the following options:

Option A:

  • 25-40 minutes of hill runs/walks

Option B: Repeat for 2 rounds

  • 1 min regular (a semi-comfortable working pace, you should be able to do this for 25 minutes)
  • 3 min mid sprint (uncomfortable effort, you should only be able to sustain this for 2-4 minutes if you had to)
  • 1 min regular
  • 2 min mid sprint
  • 1 min regular
  • 1 min mid sprint
  • 1 min regular
  • 30 sec mid sprint
  • 30 sec full sprint
  • 1 min walking recovery
  • 30 sec mid sprint
  • 30 sec full sprint
  • 1 min walking recovery
  • 30 sec full sprint
  • 1 min walking recovery

Option C: Bodyweight cardio tabata

Focus on one exercise at a time and do 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest

  • Squats
  • Tuck jumps (option= high knees)
  • Plank jacks
  • Push up to mountain climber
  • Jumping jacks

Thursday: PUSH/PULL (CHEST/BACK)

NOTE: begin and end this workout with a 6 min run/walk

Exercise options

  • Instead of a barbell, use a dumbbell or kettlebell
  • Instead of jumping/hopping over the bench, do step ups all on one leg and then switch

Friday: ACTIVE REST

Go for a walk, enjoy the nature 🙂

Saturday: Orangetheory fitness

Refer to Wednesday options for options here- choose a different one!

Sunday: ACTIVE REST

Enjoy the weekend. Play some volleyball, disc golf, go tubing, etc!

Enjoy! And don’t forget to stretch 🙂

-Carly

How to Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals

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… and not only realistic, healthy.

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Whether you’re coming up on spring break, summer, a wedding, etc. There’s SOMETHING coming up that likely makes you want to lose some weight. What better time of year to realize that you aren’t where you want to be? That your goals might have been forgotten about, or maybe half-assed the last oh, 6-8 months?

So it’s March, and new weight loss goals are being set. And the fitness industry knows this. Now, I am proud to be apart of, present and past, of organizations that revolve their goals for members around healthy achievement, but I do know that that is not the case for everyone in the “health and fitness industry”.

Nothing. Nothing Makes me cringe more than the weight loss ploys to lose 5-10 lbs A WEEK! Like What?! Have you ever taken a course in nutrition or how the body works?!

Excuse me while I go calm myself down…

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OKAY. I’m back. Here’s the thing, if you have been victimized by one of those weight loss ploys there are a few different things that could be happening here.

  1. you are shaking your head yes with every passing sentence thinking about the money you spent and the results you did NOT get.
  2. you are shaking your head yes with every passing sentence thinking about the results you did get, and the weight gained back- not to mention how your body hasn’t been the same since.
  3. you are shaking your head yes with every passing sentence just simply because you couldn’t agree more.

I’ve seen it. I’ve seen friends, acquaintances, co-workers, community members, new clients, etc. put money into something that just didn’t measure up. I’ve seen people with such damaged metabolisms that no matter what they do they can’t get it back on track. I’ve seen people with cupboards full of supplements, detoxes, pills, powders, and fridges full of cucumber waters, etc. that aren’t being used because they don’t work.

And here’s why they don’t work

Based on scientific, long-research, mathematical equations, a person should only *healthily and realistically* lose up to 2 LBS per week. TWO POUNDS! Why? Well here’s some math for you…

1 lb of weight loss per week= 3,500 calorie deficit per week = 500 calorie deficit in one day. Double that for 2 lbs.

What does a 500 calorie deficit look like? For most people starting out, who likely eat maybe 3 meals a day, that is essentially cutting each meal in 1/3. But realistically it is cutting your dinner in half, because that is where most overeat.

Sure, this may sound easy, and to some it is. I’m not saying the caloric deficit is hard, I’m saying that a deficit more than that is hard on the body.

What do most of these “lose 30 lbs in a month” or “lose up to 20 lbs in a week” ploys do? They put you on a restricted diet. And for the love of God, don’t get me started on the “CUT OUT CARBS BULLSHIT” like do you even know what your body’s preferred source of energy is? It is NOT 4 servings of green tea a day + 1 bowl of cottage cheese (eye roll). And if these weight loss fixes don’t put you on a restricted diet they are filling your body with chemicals that confuse the heck out of your body.

What happens when you restrict your caloric intake?

You restrict your nutrient intake. You might be eating less and not physically feel starved (but honestly most of the time you will) but instead you will start feeling lethargic, your immune system will suppress and you will be sick more, you might break out with more acne, you might get injured more easily. There could be a lot of “side effects” that you won’t even realize are related.

Not getting enough nutrients in your diet because you are eating 600 calories per day? You’re going to get sick. Or maybe you’re drinking some sore of drink that is “full of nutrients” which it MIGHT be, but chances are your body is only absorbing 10% of those nutrients (this is common among most multivitamins anyway). So if you’re drinking a nutrient rich drink and not absorbing it, where are those nutrients going? You’re peeing them out.

OH and when you lose a lot of weight each week, what kind of weight do you think you’re losing? Fat? Yeah sure, you’re losing some. But you’re also losing muscle. Muscle doesn’t only exist on bodybuilders and gym rats, EVERYONE has muscle. And even if you don’t have muscle definition you still have muscle and that muscle is the support system of your body. It is what keeps you tall with proper posture and supports your core in daily activities. You need muscle, not only for that, but for the fact that you want your body, your bones, your organs, protected.

The jyst here: I could go on and on about why these things don’t work but it all comes down to the fact that health and fitness professionals, along with scientist and people who dedicate their lives to their field have proven that weight loss should not happen in more than 2 lbs per week, and that fact has stayed tried and true for YEARS.

*Side note: if you are BRAND new, to a fitness and health program there is a good chance that you do  lose more than 2 lbs per week, this is called adaptation. It is not something that lasts*

So how to set realistic health and fitness goals

  • Set that goal for 1-2 lbs per week!
  • Incorporate not only a cleaned up diet but also a prescribed fitness routine by a professional
  • Set small goals that lead to a big picture
  • Know that not all goals need to be weight loss related. Make performance goals.
  • Realize that progress is still progress no matter how small. We are not sprinting here, we are running a marathon, and that-that is what makes results that last. Why? Because you are creating not only healthy habits but a healthy lifestyle. You are not falling into a 1 month quick fix only to “bounce back” and relapse as soon as you’re done. No, to be healthy you have to realize that it is a lifetime commitment to yourself

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When it comes down to it, trust your gut, but more importantly trust yourself. You are much  more powerful than you think you are. You got this. Go rock the world.

 

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The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle- Even if you’re ACTIVE!

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It has been known for some time now that being sedentary, lazy, inactive, etc. has a negative effect on your health. Sure, it is no secret that everyone needs to exercise and that exercise puts you farther away from health risk, but what about what we do with the rest of our day?

In recent years, research has shown that although you might meet the exercise daily recommendations, if you are sedentary with the rest of your day, you are still at an elevated risk for many health concerns. Think about it, if you meet the recommendations of an hour workout a day, maybe 5 days a week you are only working out 5 hours a week, that is hardly 3% of your week. If you have a desk job, chill on the couch while at home, spend a lot of time traveling in a car, don’t actively think of being well, active, you are spending 97% of your week being inactive. So what to do?

Let’s start with a sedentary definition: 

sed·en·tar·y

adjective

(of a person) tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive.

synonyms: inactive, sitting, desk-bound.

What are your risks?

  • Increased risk of cardiovascular death
  • Quicker rate of bone loss- leading to osteoporosis
  • Increased rate of all cause premature death
  • More likely to experience cognitive and mental decline
  • Increased risk of high blood pressure and triglycerides
  • Increased risk of stroke
  • Lower ability to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

What you can do about it:

  • Be mindful of getting up to go to the bathroom every hour, half hour is better!
    In between bathroom breaks, get up and go get a drink of water
  • After you complete a task, get up and stretch
  • Find some personal space to do a few bodyweight exercise during your work day
  • Stretch upon waking AND before bed
  • Spend more time on your feet- cook, watch TV standing, stand while working
  • Clean your house more- it keeps you on your feet!
  • Instead of crashing on the couch after work- go for a walk!
  • Park farther away from stores
  • Use the stairs!!!!

 

What are your favorite ways to stay active daily?

I'd love to hear them!

Find me on Instagram @lifeofcarlyb_ 

Or email me at lifeofcarlyb@gmail.com

Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996155/
http://www.nchpad.org/403/2216/Sedentary~Lifestyle~is~Dangerous~to~Your~Health