Come see whats new. I was able to gather the funding to launch my new site. I will get into a lot of what my progress has been like, post pictures, events, and basically do my site the way I envisioned. Follow the link below...
http://krisonfitness.com
Thanks for following!
Kris
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Brief Hiatus
Hello All!
I just want to thank everyone who has been coming to my site so far. I am really excited to continue this. I didn't want for you all to think that I have disappeared or gave up on this. Quite the contrary. I have been working on trying to launch an actual site instead of using a free blogging site. I have a vision and would really like to customize it the way I see this vision. This will take a little time as I am not up to date anymore with technology to create a personalized site. Another thing I lack unfortunately is funding to launch my site. I am working on this so hopefully I will get something up and running soon. If anyone would like to help I would really appreciate it, if not that is ok too. See button below. Otherwise, I will launch something within the next month. Thank you for reading and your help!
If you are donating, I am unable to make the button work on my site so click on PayPal to take you over to my donation site.
PayPal
Talk To You Soon!
Kris
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Overcoming Workout (Life) Obstacles
Hesitation. Self doubt. Lack
of commitment. I understand where that comes from. I feel at least one of those
feelings daily. Trying to overcome and move forward from those dark thoughts
can be a challenge. Starting anything new whether it’s starting an exercise
program, a new job, a new blog, etc can be extremely intimidating. Fear of
failure or even a fear to just get started can be overpowering. Never
underestimate the power of your own mind good or bad. When I start to
feel like things won’t go my way, I try to think about ways I can
start, succeed, and stay committed.
I, like many of you, always had to battle being overweight. I still am so I totally get where you’re
coming from. Starting a new workout program can be a daunting task. How do I
start? What do I do? The way to start anything is research, research,
research. Research gyms, research
workouts, research what people of your body type are doing to help themselves. Before
I start anything I research the heck out of it. Research enough to feel
comfortable to start but not so much where you find yourselves hesitating
again. It boils down to not so much learning to fail but actually failing to
learn. Knowledge is
power.
Start slow. The little voice
inside your head can hurt you if you give into it. This is why I love small victories. To do something and, after some work, achieving it. It doesn’t get better than
that. Small victories silence that voice. Small victories lead to bigger
victories and before you know it you’re getting closer to achieving the
ultimate victory. Everybody has self doubt at one point in time or another but
how we overcome it separates us from winning or losing.
I choose to win.
Building on small victories
helps your commitment to your goals. The road might be long but when the self
doubt hits, reflect on those small victories. We all have this power to succeed
and we all have the power to fail. The small victories springboard you to being
totally committed to staying on track. Feeling good and looking good are powerful
motivators to staying committed.
Whatever I choose to
accomplish I adopt this circle of success. It’s a daily task but one that comes
easily over time. The road will be difficult. Nothing worth anything comes
easy. It takes time and effort but it will be worth it in the end. Keep at it
and never look back.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Move Of The Week - Chest Presses
In
this segment I would like to get into our workout and discuss strength
training. The topic is Chest Presses.
Before I begin I would like to debunk a standard myth about any type of weight training. The myth is that if women weight train they will look like men. It is virtually impossible to look like the men you see in bodybuilding magazines. You can work out for years and never achieve that bulky, masculine look. Why? Women do not produce large quantities of testosterone, the male hormone that promotes muscle growth.
Benefits:
Chest presses are what I like to call a multi-hit workout. If I am short on time I make sure that I at least do a few sets. This is because you do hit some shoulders and triceps when doing this.
That's not to say you should skip all other upper body strength training workouts. That would not help at all but on those rare occasions that I have to squeeze some kind of workout in, I never skip this.
There is also a thought that chest presses will increase your breast size. This is not true either because breast tissue is made of mainly fat cells not muscle tissue. However, doing this workout may make breasts appear slightly larger due the lifting effect the tighter muscles. Who wouldn't want to be a perkier? Another benefit is the calorie burn. Your chest muscles are such a large group of muscles that you burn more calories than just working out smaller muscle groups.
Equipment:
Proper equipment is key to a safe and effective workout.
To do flat chest presses you would need a bench. If you are at the gym make sure that you try your bench out first. Find a bench that you can put your feet flat on the floor when you are laying down. No tip toes! I am short so I have a shorter bench with which I can do this. If you cannot find the right size then the steps below show you how to make due. You can use either dumbbells or a barbell. If using barbells you may be restricted to the size bench that is right for you. I like to use dumbbells myself. It kicks the workout up a notch because you are balancing a weight in each hand. That balancing act stimulates your muscles even more than using a barbell. Use weights that are not too heavy but not real light either. By the end of the workout you should be feeling fatigued. If you can't complete it then your weights are too heavy. If you feel like you keep going, either increase the weights or increase your reps.
How To:
Start out by lying on your back, feet flat to the floor. Bring the weights to a point just above your shoulders, palms facing towards your feet, and elbows out.
Press the weights straight up until they're locked out right over your collarbone not your face.
Slowly (I can't emphasize this enough), lower the weights back to your starting position feeling the stretch in your chest muscles as your elbows drop below the level of the bench.
This can be a bit awkward and clumsy at first but these are the best types of workouts. Always remember slow and controlled moves. Never rush.
SAFETY NOTE - If using a barbell and just starting out, it may be good idea to have a spotter behind you in case you run into a problem.
How Much:
As I said before, I prefer the Body For Life method in my workouts which would have you do these twice one week and once the next, and so on. If you choose not to use this workout method then use the work out one body part per week method. If you do this then start out doing 4 sets with each set containing 6 - 8 reps. If you choose to use lighter weights then increase the reps to 10 - 12. Keep in mind that once you are on the last set, the last couple of reps should be a little tough. You will be sore. That's ok. I always noticed that I am a little more sore a couple of days after a workout. It will go away and you will be more tone because of it. To prevent injury, never work out the same muscle groups two days in a row.
STEP IT UP - Once you get the hang of this, you can kick it up by using a stability ball. The same rules apply but now you are balancing yourself as well as the weight stimulating even more muscle groups in your abdominals.
The most importing thing is to have fun with this. Strength training should be an enjoyable challenge. I love to have some great music that pumps me up. Do what makes you motivated. This time you put in will be well spent!
Thanks for reading!
Before I begin I would like to debunk a standard myth about any type of weight training. The myth is that if women weight train they will look like men. It is virtually impossible to look like the men you see in bodybuilding magazines. You can work out for years and never achieve that bulky, masculine look. Why? Women do not produce large quantities of testosterone, the male hormone that promotes muscle growth.
Benefits:
Chest presses are what I like to call a multi-hit workout. If I am short on time I make sure that I at least do a few sets. This is because you do hit some shoulders and triceps when doing this.
That's not to say you should skip all other upper body strength training workouts. That would not help at all but on those rare occasions that I have to squeeze some kind of workout in, I never skip this.
There is also a thought that chest presses will increase your breast size. This is not true either because breast tissue is made of mainly fat cells not muscle tissue. However, doing this workout may make breasts appear slightly larger due the lifting effect the tighter muscles. Who wouldn't want to be a perkier? Another benefit is the calorie burn. Your chest muscles are such a large group of muscles that you burn more calories than just working out smaller muscle groups.
Equipment:
Proper equipment is key to a safe and effective workout.
To do flat chest presses you would need a bench. If you are at the gym make sure that you try your bench out first. Find a bench that you can put your feet flat on the floor when you are laying down. No tip toes! I am short so I have a shorter bench with which I can do this. If you cannot find the right size then the steps below show you how to make due. You can use either dumbbells or a barbell. If using barbells you may be restricted to the size bench that is right for you. I like to use dumbbells myself. It kicks the workout up a notch because you are balancing a weight in each hand. That balancing act stimulates your muscles even more than using a barbell. Use weights that are not too heavy but not real light either. By the end of the workout you should be feeling fatigued. If you can't complete it then your weights are too heavy. If you feel like you keep going, either increase the weights or increase your reps.
How To:
Start out by lying on your back, feet flat to the floor. Bring the weights to a point just above your shoulders, palms facing towards your feet, and elbows out.
Press the weights straight up until they're locked out right over your collarbone not your face.
Slowly (I can't emphasize this enough), lower the weights back to your starting position feeling the stretch in your chest muscles as your elbows drop below the level of the bench.
This can be a bit awkward and clumsy at first but these are the best types of workouts. Always remember slow and controlled moves. Never rush.
SAFETY NOTE - If using a barbell and just starting out, it may be good idea to have a spotter behind you in case you run into a problem.
How Much:
As I said before, I prefer the Body For Life method in my workouts which would have you do these twice one week and once the next, and so on. If you choose not to use this workout method then use the work out one body part per week method. If you do this then start out doing 4 sets with each set containing 6 - 8 reps. If you choose to use lighter weights then increase the reps to 10 - 12. Keep in mind that once you are on the last set, the last couple of reps should be a little tough. You will be sore. That's ok. I always noticed that I am a little more sore a couple of days after a workout. It will go away and you will be more tone because of it. To prevent injury, never work out the same muscle groups two days in a row.
STEP IT UP - Once you get the hang of this, you can kick it up by using a stability ball. The same rules apply but now you are balancing yourself as well as the weight stimulating even more muscle groups in your abdominals.
The most importing thing is to have fun with this. Strength training should be an enjoyable challenge. I love to have some great music that pumps me up. Do what makes you motivated. This time you put in will be well spent!
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
The New IPod Touch 5th Generation
We have
been all been there with our workouts. The first question - what kind
of music should we listen to? Although everyone’s tastes are
different one thing remains the same, we all want a good music
player. Since I am able to work out in my basement, I was thrilled
when my husband got me a boombox for Christmas one year. I was happy
that I could play my CD’s in the player when I worked out.
Something was missing however and I didn't realize then. That was
1999.
Fast
forward to today and the choices are endless. What started out as
huge “portable” radio/players evolved into small, ultra-light MP3
players, and my personal favorite, the IPod, particularly, the IPod
Touch. I was able to use the older model 2nd generation.
This model is still going strong with the exception that you no
longer are able to upgrade the software to get all the new apps. This
got me thinking about the new IPod Touch 5th generation..
The more I looked into the new IPod the more I liked it. Here are
some of it’s cool features.
The Look
– Let’s face it, we all love eye catching designs and this IPod
delivers. The new IPod is starting to look similar to the IPhones in
its design but where it really differs is the bold new colors. Apple increased height not the width so you still only have to use one
hand to use it. With the larger height, the screen size increased as
well. The new 4 inch retina display makes it easier to view more. A
plus for all us Angry Birds addicts! Add a super sleek and light
aluminum body and you have a lean, mean music playing machine.
The
Camera – The new IPod has a 5-megapixel ISight camera. Capture the
view on your scenic runs with their new panoramic feature. Record
your workouts with the 1080p HD video. Advanced optics, tap to
focus, face detection, and LED flash, you can show off your progress
after your workout. Also, with Shared Photo Streams, you can share
it on Facebook in a flash.
The
EarPods – This is pretty cool idea... make the earbuds fit
comfortably in your ear. When earbuds first came out they were a bit
of a one-size-fits all mentality. Extremely uncomfortable. Companies
then added the rubber covers to increase the comfort and fit. That
was better but with only three sizes you are still limited to either
using something too snug or too loose. The new EarPods solves this
problem. This is what Apple has to say, “Creating
one-earbud-fits-all headphones is a challenge. That’s because
everyone’s ears are different. So when Apple engineers were
designing the new EarPods, they didn’t start with the speaker,
they started with the ear. Unlike traditional circular earbuds, the
design of the Apple EarPods is based on the geometry of the ear.
Which makes them more comfortable for more people than any other
earbud-style headphones.” How
cool is that? So whether you are out running or hitting the weights
at the gym, the new design of these earbuds won't distract you from
what you want to do.
Power
– Finally, to pull it all together, iOS 6 software and a powerful
duel-core A5 chip has over 200 new features to make everything
easier to do. Also, what everyone loved about the Iphone 4S, Siri
makes her debut on the new Ipod 5 to join you on your workouts!
Overall,
this device is worth a look. When working out at home, use a high
quality docking station that won't break the bank like the Philips Docking Entertainment System. Great sound and a reasonable price at
around $150.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Getting Started - A Look At Body For Life
Hello All!
I would first like to say that I love love love the Body For Life principal. Bill Phillips, who created this book did a great job. It was very motivational and easy to follow. This post will highlight the workout and eating structure of this plan. As I have said in my first post that one size does not fit all but this plan is a great way of getting started. My husband bought me this book as a Christmas gift. I know what you are thinking.. why in the world would he give you that for Christmas?! I was not mad but very grateful because I was a bit lost as to how to get started. He knew my struggles and this helped me along. The great thing is we did this together and in the end looked and felt a ton better. Below I have outlined what this particular plan entails.
Eating-for Life Method
The principal behind this is pretty simple.
-Eat four to six small meals a day, one meal every two to three hours.
-Drink at least 10 cups of water per day.
-Eat a portion of protein and high quality carbs at each meal.
It sounds daunting but it's not that hard. I only found that drinking that much water was a bit tough. A portion of protein is easy to measure out. Simply use the palm of your hand to gauge a portion. There is no real need to measure. The same thing goes for the carbs. If you have say brown rice then just use your palm once again as a gauge. I recommend to load up on the veggies. Tons of good fiber and it helps make you feel more full. Add some healthy fats like olive oil and you are golden.
Some of the meals in between like meal number 2 and 4 are using things like protein shakes. EAS's Myoplex shakes are pushed pretty heavily in the book. I will review these kind of supplements later but this is good for the program. It has all three items - protein, carbs, and water.
You do get one cheat day. I had my rest day and cheat day all in one but you pick what's right for you. The thought behind the cheat day is that you stay on track for the rest of the week. Caution - it is easy to get carried away on your cheat day. Don't undo what you worked for all week. I found for me that one cheat meal was good enough.
Strength Training
The book has an exercise guide. I won't go into two much detail about each exercise and for what body part but just a quick overview. I will cover workouts later. He gives a breakdown of body parts - chest, shoulders, back, triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings, calves, and abdominals. All of the workouts including cardio are based on interval training. The idea behind this is you start out high repetition (12 reps) with lighter weights and work your way to 10 reps, 8, and finally to 6 with heavier weight. My dumbbells go up in 5lb increments so my workouts for say chest presses would start off with 15lbs. and finish off with 30lbs. You go back the 12 reps with the wieght you used for your 8 rep sequence and finish off with a different exercise for the same body part also at 12 reps.
Example:
Dumbbell Chest Press
12 @ 15lbs
10 @ 20lbs
8 @ 25lbs
6 @ 30lbs
12 @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Flies
12 reps @ 10lbs
Sounds complicated but once you get going it really isn't.
Cardio
The same method applies with your cardio. I run so I do this on the treadmill. The cardio is a 20 minute workout. Does not seem like much but if you play with the intensity (speed) you can get a pretty challenging workout and not spend a whole lot of time. Great for busy people. You would start out at a level 5 intensity and finish at 10. You pick what works but keep in mind each level is a minute long so make sure to pick a speed that is challenging but not so much you quit after the first 20 seconds.
Example:
Minute 1 & 2 - Level 5 (Warm up)
Minute 3 - Level 6
Minute 4 - Level 7
Minute 5 - Level 8
Minute 6 - Level 9
Minute 7 - Level 6
Keep doing this until minute 18
Minute 19 - Level 10
Minute 20 - Level 5 (Cool down)
This workout is a little complicated but well worth the effort to learn. After a couple of weeks you will find that it will come as second nature and will be a snap to do. I add some music from my IPod or now snag my son's IPhone 5. I definitely need music to workout with especially the cardio!
The workouts are split up with three days of weight training and three days of cardio with one rest day. This is outlined below.
Monday - Upper body strength training
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Lower body strength training
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Upper body
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Cardio
Monday - Lower body
...and so on.
Overall, this is a great plan. I really did well with it and continue to apply this workout method. Later, I will breakdown the different workouts for various body parts and their benefits. I look forward to hearing your comments, goals, and successes. Feel free to email me at krisonfitness@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
I would first like to say that I love love love the Body For Life principal. Bill Phillips, who created this book did a great job. It was very motivational and easy to follow. This post will highlight the workout and eating structure of this plan. As I have said in my first post that one size does not fit all but this plan is a great way of getting started. My husband bought me this book as a Christmas gift. I know what you are thinking.. why in the world would he give you that for Christmas?! I was not mad but very grateful because I was a bit lost as to how to get started. He knew my struggles and this helped me along. The great thing is we did this together and in the end looked and felt a ton better. Below I have outlined what this particular plan entails.
Eating-for Life Method
The principal behind this is pretty simple.
-Eat four to six small meals a day, one meal every two to three hours.
-Drink at least 10 cups of water per day.
-Eat a portion of protein and high quality carbs at each meal.
It sounds daunting but it's not that hard. I only found that drinking that much water was a bit tough. A portion of protein is easy to measure out. Simply use the palm of your hand to gauge a portion. There is no real need to measure. The same thing goes for the carbs. If you have say brown rice then just use your palm once again as a gauge. I recommend to load up on the veggies. Tons of good fiber and it helps make you feel more full. Add some healthy fats like olive oil and you are golden.
Some of the meals in between like meal number 2 and 4 are using things like protein shakes. EAS's Myoplex shakes are pushed pretty heavily in the book. I will review these kind of supplements later but this is good for the program. It has all three items - protein, carbs, and water.
You do get one cheat day. I had my rest day and cheat day all in one but you pick what's right for you. The thought behind the cheat day is that you stay on track for the rest of the week. Caution - it is easy to get carried away on your cheat day. Don't undo what you worked for all week. I found for me that one cheat meal was good enough.
Strength Training
The book has an exercise guide. I won't go into two much detail about each exercise and for what body part but just a quick overview. I will cover workouts later. He gives a breakdown of body parts - chest, shoulders, back, triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings, calves, and abdominals. All of the workouts including cardio are based on interval training. The idea behind this is you start out high repetition (12 reps) with lighter weights and work your way to 10 reps, 8, and finally to 6 with heavier weight. My dumbbells go up in 5lb increments so my workouts for say chest presses would start off with 15lbs. and finish off with 30lbs. You go back the 12 reps with the wieght you used for your 8 rep sequence and finish off with a different exercise for the same body part also at 12 reps.
Example:
Dumbbell Chest Press
12 @ 15lbs
10 @ 20lbs
8 @ 25lbs
6 @ 30lbs
12 @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Flies
12 reps @ 10lbs
Sounds complicated but once you get going it really isn't.
Cardio
The same method applies with your cardio. I run so I do this on the treadmill. The cardio is a 20 minute workout. Does not seem like much but if you play with the intensity (speed) you can get a pretty challenging workout and not spend a whole lot of time. Great for busy people. You would start out at a level 5 intensity and finish at 10. You pick what works but keep in mind each level is a minute long so make sure to pick a speed that is challenging but not so much you quit after the first 20 seconds.
Example:
Minute 1 & 2 - Level 5 (Warm up)
Minute 3 - Level 6
Minute 4 - Level 7
Minute 5 - Level 8
Minute 6 - Level 9
Minute 7 - Level 6
Keep doing this until minute 18
Minute 19 - Level 10
Minute 20 - Level 5 (Cool down)
This workout is a little complicated but well worth the effort to learn. After a couple of weeks you will find that it will come as second nature and will be a snap to do. I add some music from my IPod or now snag my son's IPhone 5. I definitely need music to workout with especially the cardio!
The workouts are split up with three days of weight training and three days of cardio with one rest day. This is outlined below.
Monday - Upper body strength training
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Lower body strength training
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Upper body
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Cardio
Monday - Lower body
...and so on.
Overall, this is a great plan. I really did well with it and continue to apply this workout method. Later, I will breakdown the different workouts for various body parts and their benefits. I look forward to hearing your comments, goals, and successes. Feel free to email me at krisonfitness@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Introduction....
Hello All,
I am very excited to get started on my fitness journey and take you all with me. A quick background on me, I am a married, almost 43 year old with two great teenage boys. We live in Western New York. My husband and I have been doing things in fitness for over ten years now. Even though fitness isn't my full time job, I have always been interested in how to improve by reading and trying out different things. I also understand what it's like to juggle full time work and taking care of the family all the while trying to either get into shape and staying in shape. My goal has always been to be healthy. I would like to be around for my kids and future grandkids. Also, I don't want to rely on medications in my later years because I didn't take care of myself now. This is a good goal for everyone to approach. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love to look great in a pair of skinny jeans but putting that kind of pressure early on can be overwhelming and defeat the purpose of getting healthy. From my experience fitness is really a marathon not a sprint. A lot of trial and error goes into it and just because one thing doesn't work nothing will. Change it up and try something else. We are all different and one size doesn't fit all!
In my posts I plan to cover topics that range from workouts to supplements as well as fitness gear to include shoes, apparel, and devices like the IPhone. Also, where to get the most bang for your buck for these items. I will also review magazine content like my favorite, Oxygen. Comments are always appreciated. I look forward to talking with you soon. Thanks for reading!
Kris
I am very excited to get started on my fitness journey and take you all with me. A quick background on me, I am a married, almost 43 year old with two great teenage boys. We live in Western New York. My husband and I have been doing things in fitness for over ten years now. Even though fitness isn't my full time job, I have always been interested in how to improve by reading and trying out different things. I also understand what it's like to juggle full time work and taking care of the family all the while trying to either get into shape and staying in shape. My goal has always been to be healthy. I would like to be around for my kids and future grandkids. Also, I don't want to rely on medications in my later years because I didn't take care of myself now. This is a good goal for everyone to approach. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love to look great in a pair of skinny jeans but putting that kind of pressure early on can be overwhelming and defeat the purpose of getting healthy. From my experience fitness is really a marathon not a sprint. A lot of trial and error goes into it and just because one thing doesn't work nothing will. Change it up and try something else. We are all different and one size doesn't fit all!
In my posts I plan to cover topics that range from workouts to supplements as well as fitness gear to include shoes, apparel, and devices like the IPhone. Also, where to get the most bang for your buck for these items. I will also review magazine content like my favorite, Oxygen. Comments are always appreciated. I look forward to talking with you soon. Thanks for reading!
Kris
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