Monthly Archives: January 2012

Follow Michelle Again!

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Ready for another week of sweating and toning your body? Here’s another complete workout routine which I will be following for this week. Remember that you can always modify these workouts to make it fit to your body’s own fitness level! I’ve been training on and off on toning my body and gaining more muscles for almost a year; therefore, these workouts are specifically designed for those who have been exercising regularly to a some extent. Follow this week’s workout and treat yourself to your favourite dessert on the weekend for all your hard work (I know I’m hitting up ‘Juliet et Chocolat’ again)! Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Monday

Intensive Cardio

On Elliptical

2 min @ level 3 – Warm up at normal speed

3 min @ level 5 – Increase level at normal speed

5 min @ level 5 – Same level at higher speed

8 min @ level 7 – Increase level at higher speed and pedal backwards

2 min@ level 3 – Cool down at lower level and normal speed

*10 min – Stretch and Drink Water

Tuesday

Sexy Abs Workout 

Cardio:

30 reps – High Knees

30 reps – Burpees

30 reps – Side to Side Jumps

30 reps – Towel Swipes

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Abs:

30 reps – Alternating Crunches

1 min – Leg Hold

30 reps – Leg Up Sit Ups

1 min – Plank

30 reps – Butt Lifts

Wednesday

Intensive Cardio

On Elliptical

2 min @ level 3 – Warm up at normal speed

3 min @ level 5 – Increase level at normal speed

5 min @ level 5 – Same level at higher speed

8 min @ level 7 – Increase level at higher speed and pedal backwards

2 min@ level 3 – Cool down at lower level and normal speed

*10 min – Stretch and Drink Water

Thursday

Tight Booty Workout 

Cardio:

30 reps – Jumping Jacks

30 reps – Reverse Leg Kicks

30 reps – Lunges

30 sec – Fast Pace Shuffle

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Booty:

30 reps – Alternating Legs

20 reps – One Leg Squats

30 reps – Jumping Plank

30 sec – Chair Hold

20 reps – High Knee Jumps

Friday

Intensive Cardio

On Elliptical

2 min @ level 3 – Warm up at normal speed

3 min @ level 5 – Increase level at normal speed

5 min @ level 5 – Same level at higher speed

8 min @ level 7 – Increase level at higher speed and pedal backwards

2 min@ level 3 – Cool down at lower level and normal speed

*10 min – Stretch and Drink Water

Saturday & Sunday

Rest and Recovery

PS. Stay tuned for next week’s complete workout routine! It’ll be all about how to get those sexy toned abs with tips on what types of food to eat and what types to avoid to get rid of those love handles and flabs!

Love,

Michelle!

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Zero Confidence

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Splurge of thought. I find that most guys (like girls) have their specific preference of ‘the perfect body’ from the opposite sex. While some may find rock hard abs on a girl with muscular arms and legs as sexy and appealing to their eyes, others might think it’s ‘too manly’ or ‘she-hulk-like’ and actually become turned off by a more ‘masculine’ girl. With this in mind, some girls fools themselves to thinking if they looked a certain way, that super cute guy with deep, blue ocean eyes and messily perfect curls from Math class might actually do a double take for a full body check out on them. It’s may be true that these girls may get the immediate attention from guys (what guy wouldn’t glaze over some girl with a hot body?); however, it’s not simply the physical appearance that draws attention, but their level of confidence as well.

During my high school years, fitness has always been a part of my everyday routine as I was the point guard for the school’s girls basketball team for 4 years. At first, I didn’t care too much about the shape of my body – I was a petit girl with toned arms and legs with absolutely no butt at all (I still don’t, I have to admit…). But as the pressure to be ‘picture perfect’ in the eyes of other people played like a broken record player inside my head, I suddenly felt insecure, vulnerable and dissatisfied with my body –  I became over-obsessed with fitness and losing weight for all the wrong reasons. Although I became more toned and lost quite a lot of weight, I still wasn’t feeling the confidence I expected out of all this work into transforming myself into the ‘perfect’ me. In fact, my self-esteem took a downward plunge as I tried harder and harder to reconstruct my body to look more appealing to the eyes of others. On top of my confidence crash, basketball was no longer a passion of mine; I dragged myself out to practices and games as just another means to burn calories and exhaust my body. The excitement of sweating with my teammates and playing hard for my team seemed to have vanished into thin air as I dribbled down the court with only the thought of losing weight in my mind. With zero confidence, I not only played poorly on the court but I let myself and the team down. I knew I had to change my ways of thinking if I were to ever to accept myself and be happy with who I am. It was time for me to regain my confidence again.

Without a doubt, it’s a difficult task to completely disregard what other people may think of you (it was certainly a hard struggle for me to put off the judgement of others) as everyday most of us unintentionally judge ourselves and others around us. However, you are only who you make yourself to be and no one can tell you otherwise. As soon as other people’s perspective of me became more important than my own perspective of myself, I had zero confidence. The ultimate goal of becoming fit and healthy should never be for the appraisal and fancy of others but your own self-satisfaction. Feel confident in your own skin as confidence goes a long way to make you feel beautiful from the inside out.

 

Love,

Michelle!

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Every 4 Hours

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Why You Need to Eat Every 4 Hours

“Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads” by Christine Avanti


Imagine this scenario: You’re a contestant on Survivor. You haven’t eaten anything but a few ugly bugs for 24 hours. Suddenly, you come across a wild bird sitting on a nest of six eggs. You quickly scoop them up and hide them in your pockets. You are tempted to eat all six at once, but your instincts tell you otherwise, so you eat one now and save the rest for later, one every few hours. That way you will spread out your energy resources as long as possible.

That’s an extreme example, but you get the idea. If you ate all the eggs at once, you’d have consumed extra calories your body would not be able to use that would just go to waste (or waist, as the case may be). This is essentially what happens when you eat three large meals a day with many hours in between each meal. By eating smaller meals every 4 hours, your body gets just the right amount of energy and uses it for the fuel it needs.

Many studies have shown that eating smaller, more frequent meals is not only better for losing weight, but better for your general health as well. One early study divided participants into two separate groups. Both groups were given the same number of calories to consume each day, but one group ate a regular breakfast, lunch and dinner while the second group was fed 17 small snacks throughout the day. At the end of the study, the ‘nibblers’ had lowered their cholesterol by 14 percent and decreased their average insulin level by 28 percent.

Here are some other reasons to munch around the clock:

 

- muscle tissue is better preserved when you eat every 4 hours

–> this is good because more muscle means a faster metabolism

- liver tissue is preserved if you eat every 4 hours

-> this is good because a healthy liver also means a faster metabolism

- the brain needs a constant, steady stream of glucose for survival

-> brain cells use up to twice as much blood sugar as any other cell in the body

- it’s nice to eat often

-> who doesn’t like to eat?

 

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

 

Love,

Michelle!


Follow Michelle!

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   Today I challenge all of you to follow me in this week’s daily workout routine! Clear away all those excuses that continue to pop into your mind – school, homework, extra-curriculars, work. Just focus your thoughts to some of your fitness goals for the month (if you don’t have one, create one!) and keep encouraging yourself with positive self talk and positive reinforcements.

Positive self talk is a key component in fitness as it motivates you to push yourself beyond your boundaries and stay disciplined within a routine. However, positive self talk need not to be always verbal, but it can be communicated through writing as well. For me, writing this blog on a daily basis serves as my own positive self talk. In a way it acts like an online fitness journal which constantly motivates me to push through and keep disciplined.

Positive reinforcements are also a great way to keep you on track of your workouts. Sometimes it’s hard to do ‘all work no play’. Sure the award of looking toned, lean and fit will come further down the line as a long time reinforcement, but what do we get in the short run? This is when you can get creative with what rewards you believe will further drive your fitness ambitions. For example, when I follow through my daily weekday workouts, I award myself with the weekend as my ‘recovery days’ by treating myself out to dinner with some friends or indulging in the delicious chocolate molten lava brownie and cinnamon sprinkled white chocolate latte I’ve been saving for a cozy movie night in. It can also be as simple as splashing into the bathtub for a relaxing, aromatic bath after an intense cardio workout or telling yourself that after following through the workout routines for a month, you’ll reward yourself by getting that sexy, new halter top you’ve been wanting ever since you first laid eyes on it. Whatever your positive reinforcement may be, be sure it’s doesn’t interfere or detriment your workouts!

 

Anyways here’s the snap shot of this week’s complete workout routine!

Monday

Sexy Abs Workout 

Cardio:

30 reps – High Knees

30 reps – Burpees

30 reps – Side to Side Jumps

30 reps – Towel Swipes

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Abs:

30 reps – Alternating Crunches

1 min – Leg Hold

30 reps – Leg Up Sit Ups

1 min – Plank

30 reps – Butt Lifts

Tuesday

Intensive Cardio

On Treadmill:

2 min @ 4.0 mph – Walking

10 min @ 7.0 mph – Running

3 min @ 4.5 mph- Speed Walking

5 min @ 5.0 mph – Jogging

*10 min – Stretch and Drink Water

Wednesday

Tight Booty Workout 

Cardio:

30 reps – Jumping Jacks

30 reps – Reverse Leg Kicks

30 reps – Lunges

30 sec – Fast Pace Shuffle

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Booty:

30 reps – Alternating Legs

20 reps – One Leg Squats

30 reps – Jumping Plank

30 sec – Chair Hold

20 reps – High Knee Jumps

Thursday

Intensive Cardio

On Treadmill:

2 min @ 4.0 mph – Walking

10 min @ 7.0 mph – Running

3 min @ 4.5 mph- Speed Walking

5 min @ 5.0 mph – Jogging

*10 min – Stretch and Drink Water

Friday

Bigger Bust Workout

Cardio:

Bust:

20 reps – Body Rolls

20 reps – Double Pushups

20 reps – Pushup Side Jumps

30 sec – One Hand Hold (Right hand)

30 sec – One Hand Hold (Left hand)

Saturday & Sunday 

Rest and Recovery

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

PS. More workout routines to come!

Love,

Michelle!

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ABCs of Weight Loss

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As Easy as ABC 

“Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads” – Christine Avanti



Amount:

Many people think that dieting means eating less. But the truth is, slashing calories alone will not help you lose weight. When you skip breakfast or any other meal, you slow your resting metabolic rate – the number of calories your body burns at rest. Metabolism is the process whereby the body converts food into energy, uses it for repairs, or stores it as fat for future use. In simpler terms, a faster metabolism burns calories more efficiently and stores less fat. A slower metabolism burns calories less efficiently and therefore causes more calories to be stored as fat.

Balance:

Eating to keep your blood sugar stable is not about starving; just the opposite. The key to success is having it all at once by combining the three leading macronutrients found in the foods you eat: protein, high-fiber carbs, and healthy fats. If you want to give your body optimum fuel while burning fat, you’ve got to balance your blood sugar levels. Too high or too low and you’re storing fat or losing muscle tissue.

Clock:

Symptoms such as headaches, sugar cravings, caffeine cravings, dizziness, mood swings/ irritability, lethary/ lack of energy, lack of concentration, or extreme hunger most often appear when you’ve waited too long between meals. Eating every 4 hours is perfect because your brain and nervous system can store enough glucose to fuel them for about 4 hours. If you go too long without food, your body thinks there is a food shortage and your metabolism tends to slow down. Meals eaten too far apart promote fat storage, low energy, headaches, and sugar cravings.

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Love,

Michelle!

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Bigger Bust Workout

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Day 3 – Bigger Bust Workout

What You Need: 

- yoga or exercise mat

Cardio:

(See the cardio section from my past recent blogs and mix and match!)

Tight Booty Workout 

Sexy Abs Workout 

Bust:

20 reps – Body Rolls

20 reps – Double Pushups

20 reps – Pushup Side Jumps

30 sec – One Hand Hold (Right hand)

30 sec – One Hand Hold (Left hand)

Additional Info: 

Body Rolls – go in a table position, with your hands and knees on the ground, then dip your chest towards the ground and swoop up in a semi circle motion with your neck extended and your eyes looking towards the ceiling, try to keep your elbows in as much as possible and repeat

Double Pushup – go in a pushup position with your legs apart, lining them up with your arms, then lower yourself into a proper push and come back up, then bring your right hand together with your left hand while bringing your right leg together with your left leg, then immediately extend your left hand and left leg into the first position then lower yourself for another push up, repeat (for beginners, you can start on your knees)

Pushup Side Jumps – go in a pushup position with your legs together, then bend your knees and jump into the middle and jump back into original position, then with your legs still together, jump to the right as far out as possible and jump back, jump into the middle and jump back, then jump to the left and jump back, repeat in a middle-right-middle-left-middle order

One Hand Hold – go in a push up position, then extend your left or right arm to the sky and balance on one hand and one foot

PS. These exercises won’t actually ‘enlargen‘ your boobs, but it will definitely make them more perkier while also toning your arms!

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Love,

Michelle!

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What’s Your BMI?

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Body Mass Index:

Sex: Female

Height: 5 feet 3 inches / 161 cm
Weight: 106 pounds / 48 kg
My BMI: 18.8 –> Normal Weight Range

Although the BMI method or Ideal Weight Calculator is NOT an 100% accurate measurement, it can be used as a guide for a healthy weight range for each height and gender.

The above table shows the measurement of my Body Mass Index and my ideal weight range; however, because the calculations does not take my age and body frame into consideration, another person who has the same height and weight may have different results.

Click the link below to check your BMI calculations!

http://www.bmicalculator.org/

In Depth: What is BMI (Body Mass Index)?

(Here’s a super quick article I found on the Internet about BMI!)

The first thing you should know about body mass is that you want your BMI to be fairly low, but not too low. When you go to the doctor and you tell him or her that you want to lose weight, they are going to want to determine your body mass index. This isn’t so that they can determine how much fat you have, but to determine your obesity level.

In order to determine your BMI a formula is used. This formula looks relatively simple as it is your body weight divided by your height squared and then multiplied by 703. In order for this to configure accurately, you need to convert your height into inches. Therefore, if you are 5’4”, for example, then your starting point would be 64”. You would then have to take your height squared (64 x 64 = 4096), divide that number into your weight total, and then multiply by 703. So if you weigh 135 lbs the formula looks like this: 135/4096*703= 23.

Sound complicated? No worries, you can use our free BMI calculator to quickly determine your own BMI without having to figure it out on your own.

According to current BMI calculations, if you have a BMI level over 30 then you are considered obese. There are, however, some considerations that may adjust this obesity level. For example, if you are a very tall person, then your BMI level can be higher and you will still be healthy. In addition, muscle weighs more than fat, so it is important to take into consideration your fat percentage as well; to determine that, you will have to use a different calculator.

Here are the BMI levels:

If your BMI is:

Less than 14.9 is considered anorexic
15 – 18 is considered underweight
18.5 – 22.9 is considered normal
23 – 27.5 is considered overweight
27.6 – 40 is considered obese
Over 40 is considered morbidly obese

Interestingly, these are the calculations for the US. Other countries have their own determination of what is normal, overweight and obese.

Ideal Weight Chart

Height Men Women
Feet &
Inches		 Metres lb Kg lb Kg
4′ 7″ 1.397 86 – 107 39 – 49 80 – 102 36 – 46
4′ 7½” 1.410 88 – 109 40 – 49 82 – 104 37 – 47
4′ 8″ 1.422 90 – 111 41 – 50 83 – 106 38 – 48
4′ 8½” 1.435 91 – 113 41 – 51 85 – 108 39 – 49
4′ 9″ 1.448 93 – 115 42 – 52 86 – 110 39 – 50
4′ 9½” 1.461 95 – 117 43 – 53 88 – 112 40 – 51
4′ 10″ 1.473 96 – 119 44 – 54 89 – 114 41 – 52
4′ 10½” 1.486 98 – 121 44 – 55 91 – 116 41 – 53
4′ 11″ 1.499 100 – 123 45 – 56 93 – 118 42 – 53
4′ 11½” 1.511 101 – 125 46 – 57 94 – 120 43 – 54
5′ 1.524 103 – 128 47 – 58 96 – 122 43 – 55
5′ ½” 1.537 105 – 130 47 – 59 97 – 124 44 – 56
5′ 1″ 1.549 106 – 132 48 – 60 99 – 126 45 – 57
5′ 1½” 1.562 108 – 134 49 – 61 101 – 128 46 – 58
5′ 2″ 1.575 110 – 136 50 – 62 102 – 130 46 – 59
5′ 2½” 1.588 112 – 138 51 – 63 104 – 132 47 – 60
5′ 3″ 1.600 113 – 141 51 – 64 106 – 134 48 – 61
5′ 3½” 1.613 115 – 143 52 – 65 107 – 137 49 – 62
5′ 4″ 1.626 117 – 145 53 – 66 109 – 139 49 – 63
5′ 4½” 1.638 119 – 147 54 – 67 111 – 141 50 – 64
5′ 5″ 1.651 121 – 150 55 – 68 112 – 143 51 – 65
5′ 5½” 1.664 123 – 152 56 – 69 114 – 145 52 – 66
5′ 6″ 1.676 125 – 154 56 – 70 116 – 147 53 – 67
5′ 6½” 1.689 126 – 157 57 – 71 118 – 150 53 – 68
5′ 7″ 1.702 128 – 159 58 – 72 119 – 152 54 – 69
5′ 7½” 1.715 130 – 161 59 – 73 121 – 154 55 – 70
5′ 8″ 1.727 132 – 164 60 – 74 123 – 157 56 – 71
5′ 8½” 1.740 134 – 166 61 – 75 125 – 159 57 – 72
5′ 9″ 1.753 136 – 169 62 – 76 127 – 161 57 – 73
5′ 9½” 1.765 138 – 171 63 – 78 128 -164 58 – 74
5′ 10″ 1.778 140 – 174 64 – 79 130 -166 59 – 75
5′ 10½” 1.791 142 -176 64 – 80 132 – 168 60 – 76
5′ 11″ 1.803 144 – 179 65 – 81 134 – 171 61 – 77
5′ 11½” 1.816 146 – 181 66 – 82 136 – 173 62 – 78
6′ 0″ 1.829 148 – 184 67 – 83 138 – 176 63 – 80
6′ ½” 1.842 150 – 186 68 – 84 140 – 178 63 – 81
6′ 1″ 1.854 152 – 189 69 – 86 142 – 180 64 – 82
6′ 1½” 1.867 154 – 191 70 – 87 144 – 183 65 – 83
6′ 2″ 1.880 157 – 194 71 – 88 146 – 185 66 – 84
6′ 2½” 1.892 159 – 197 72 – 89 148 – 188 67 – 85
6′ 3″ 1.905 161 – 199 73 – 90 150 – 190 68 – 86
6′ 3½” 1.918 163 – 202 74 – 92 152 – 193 69 – 88
6′ 4″ 1.930 165 – 205 75 – 93 154 – 196 70 – 89

*Don’t forget this is ideal weight chart and BMI index should only be considered lightly and as a guide!

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Love,

Michelle!

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Tight Booty Workout

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Day Two – Tight Booty Workout 

 

 

What You Need: 

- yoga or exercise mat

Cardio:

30 reps – Jumping Jacks

30 reps – Reverse Leg Kicks

30 reps – Lunges

30 sec – Fast Pace Shuffle

 

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Booty: 

30 reps – Alternating Legs

20 reps – One Leg Squats

30 reps – Jumping Plank

30 sec – Chair Hold

20 reps – High Knee Jumps

 

Additional Info:

Reverse Leg Kicks – get in the ‘crab’ position (on all fours with your tummy facing upward) and stretch out your right leg, then as you kick out your left leg, place your right leg on the ground and alternate as fast as possible

Lunges – drive forward your right leg as you drive backward your left leg, making a 90 degree angle with your knees, then jump back into a standing position, then drive forward your left leg and backward your right, alternate as fast as possible

Fast Paced Shuffle - in one spot, shuffle your legs alternating left and right as fast as you can

Jumping Plank - in a plank position, kick both legs outward then inward as fast as you can

Alternating Legs – get in a push up position with your right leg bent towards your chest then drive your left leg towards your chest while kicking out your right leg, alternate as fast as possible

Chair Hold - get in a position as you would be making sitting on a chair and hold

High Knee Jumps – keep your hands facing down above the waist and when you jump, your knees should slap your hands

 

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

 

Love,

Michelle!

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No Excuses

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When it comes to getting ourselves out the door and towards the gym, we seem to find a million excuses NOT to get our lazy asses off the couch. My car ran away. I have a pile of homework to do. My dogs need a bath. I sprained my baby toe. It’s funny how we can come up with the most bizarre excuses to avoid the one thing that will actually make us feel better from the inside out. It’s no question that at times our schedules won’t go perfectly according to plan and unexpected occasions will rise up. However, it really depends on how you set your priorities and the motivation you have towards a healthy lifestyle. Spending time fishing for every possible excuse to steer yourself away from hitting the gym or going for a run outside is not only a waste of time, but those few minutes of ‘pondering’ could have been used for a quick 10 minute jog around the neighbourhood or a “15 Minute Workout“.

So what can you do to actually get off that super comfy couch and get yourself motivated?

1) SET A DEFINITE AND DETAILED GOAL - Thinking about the idea of working out is definitely not the same as setting up a specific goal, writing down the ways of achieving that goal, and actually working towards reaching that goal. You can keep telling yourself ‘I need to work off that piece of cake‘ or ‘I want a more toned and sexier butt‘, but without a definite target and a floor plan of how you will go about of reaching that target, it will be extremely difficult to motivate yourself in following through your ‘wishes’.

2) KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR INSPIRATION – Inspiration can come from anything. Whether it’s that brand new, beautifully hand-sewn, designer-brand cocktail dress that you want to look extra stunning in, a fitness guru you’ve watched on YouTube (read my blog about my “Inspiration from YouTube“), a friend who works out and eats healthy on a daily basis, or a fit freshman McGill student who loves to blogs about her passion for fitness and zeal for healthy eating (hm…wonder who), you can feel inspired by anyone or anything anywhere!

3) TELL EVERYONE ABOUT YOUR GOALS – Although people may look at you weird at first for sharing your personal goals for fitness and healthy eating with everyone, I find that the more I talk about my goals, the more I push myself to actually follow through with my words. It’s obvious that no one likes to be ‘all talk and no show’ and thus if you put yourself out there where everyone knows about the fact that you’re going to hit the gym daily as a regular routine during your bustling week, the more you will feel compelled to do what you say and not be just ‘all talk’.

4) MAKE LITTLE POST-ITS AND REMINDERS – Don’t go too crazy with post-its (I know it’s fun to stick them around everywhere), but create a way to keep yourself reminded and accountable of your new goals. For me, I check my iCalendar on my computer quite often during the day, so I keep a list of my goals and habits I need to change on the right side bar of my calendar. I also put up post-its of my daily work out routines on the full length mirror of my room so not only I can see myself during my work outs but keep me reminded of my goals as I use the mirror to get ready for school, a night out, etc.

5) GET PUMPED AND HAVE FUN - Who said working out has to be dreadful, exhausting and boring? Some people get the idea that working out is all ‘hard work’ and ‘no fun’ when in fact, you should anticipate reaching that last rep of arm curls and be excited for the new fitter you! Fitness helps me keep disciplined and grounded as it pushes me to follow through my goals on working out on a regular basis, but at the same time it keeps me feel energized through pumping up my heart beat and making me sweat with adrenaline.

As you can see, there’s no ONE solution of how to start and continue feeling motivated. At times, we can lose all our motivation for the things we love to do and want, but that’s just a simple fact of life. The fire for living a fit and healthy life can burn out as fast as it was lighted and it can be restored into flames again that much quicker or slower. But we should live each day – moment by moment, memory by memory – to its fullest potential. For me, living a fit and healthy life is simply a way for me breathe and enjoy my life in my greatest physical and emotional condition. I feel revitalized and ravishing from the inside out. I feel…just damn good. :)

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Love,

Michelle!

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15 Minute Workout

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Sweating and getting your heart rate up once a day is a crucial part of my everyday routine. Although at first it may seem like a daunting task, it only takes 15 minutes of my day – roughly the same time to put on make up, do the laundry, or check my emails – and it keeps me feeling energized, refreshed and fit in the long run.

Day One - Sexy Abs Workout

 

What You Need: 

- yoga or exercise mat (You can find super cheap, good quality yoga mats Winners for around $15 min to $30 max)

- hand towel (Simply grab a towel from your bathroom)

Cardio

30 reps – High Knees

30 reps – Burpees

30 reps – Side to Side Jumps

30 reps – Towel Swipes

 

*1 min – Rest and Drink Water

Abs

30 reps – Alternating Crunches

1 min – Leg Hold

30 reps – Leg Up Sit Ups

1 min – Plank

30 reps – Butt Lifts

Additional Info

High Knees – drive your right knee towards your chest and as you place it on the ground, drive your left knee towards your chest and alternate as fast as possible

Burpees – jump straight up with your arms in the air and land in a squatting position with your hands placed on the ground by your feet, then kick out your legs and land in a push up position, then jump into squatting position again and repeat

Side to Side Jumps – pick a spot on your mat/ floor and jump side to side while touching the floor with your two hands every time you land

Towel Swipes – grab a towel tightly by the ends and hold your arms out straight in front of you, then as you jerk your arms to the right, drive your right knee towards the left and as you place your leg on the ground, jerk your arms to the center, then as you jerk your arms to the left, drive your left knee towards the right and alternate as fast as possible

*All this should be done in roughly 15 minutes. No longer than 30 minutes max.

 

Please comment below if there’s any technical questions on how to properly do each of these work out moves. Also read tomorrow’s blog for more info on how to motivate yourself to living a healthy lifestyle!

 

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

 

Love,

Michelle!

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New Week New Start

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For me, weekends are what I like to call my ‘workout rehab days’, meaning I give myself two days of the week to take a break from any sort of intensive cardio (exercise that keeps the heart rate running) and to treat my sweet tooth with either a decadent, chocolate oozing brownie or a lightly buttered crepe topped with white chocolate drizzle and hazelnut. You may think and say, ‘well isn’t that breaking the rules of ‘healthy eating’?’ And in a way, I am doing the complete opposite of what should be done to have a rocking body; however, by allowing myself  to break the rules once in a while and indulge in yummy sweets which I’ve craved over the week, I reward myself for the commitment towards a healthy lifestyle, while allowing muscles to recover and satisfying my sweet tooth without any extreme restriction. For girls especially, restricting certain types of food (ex. carbs, food with high content of fat or calories) can become dangerous if not taken with reasonable and mindful consideration. It requires practicing of positive self talk and determination to confidently say ‘no’ to eating that greasy McDonald’s Double Big Mac every time you need a bite to grab or stuffing your mouth with a box of Christmas chocolates. The road to a having a fit and healthy body can be anything from a 10 minute walk to the park or a 10 hour drive to different city for others. Depending on your motivation and commitment, you can get that hot beach body you’ve always dreamed of in a month or maybe even two years. But if you have really want to wolf down that blueberry cheesecake that’s been sitting seductively inside your fridge and you’ve thought about it to the point where you picture yourself licking the plate off clean, you should definitely treat yourself to that cheesecake as the more we restrict, the more we crave and think about it. Besides, one cheesecake isn’t going to kill you, is it?

   Last night was a party for my sweet tooth as my girlfriends and I went to “Juliet et Chocolat” on the corner of St. Laurent and Prince Arthur, and devoured  a ‘pesto goat cheese with walnuts crepe’, ‘salty caramel crepe’, white-hot chocolate, Bailey’s coffee and a beautiful fondue set (not too beautiful after we’ve destroyed it). At the time, I didn’t worry about whether or not the white chocolate fondue was going straight to my thighs nor the high fat and sugar content of the caramel crepe. I simply savoured every bite of the scrumptious desserts and every second of the time I was spending with the girls.

But with that being said, you don’t simply wake up one day to a fit and healthy body just like that. For a lean, toned body, you need to work hard and be aware of the types of food you regularly eat. In order to keep my body in shape, Monday to Friday, I alternate between cardio (such as running, elliptical or any constant movement that keeps your heart rate up) and short full-body workouts. Saturday and Sunday, I rest my body by doing a bit of stretching or yoga and mentally prepare myself for the week to come.

Read tomorrow’s blog for a more detailed description of my 15 minute full-body workouts and cardio workouts!

Stay fit and beautiful from the inside out!

Love,

Michelle!

Freshman And Fit

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With the new semester starting and everyone waking up from the Winter break hibernation, it seems to me that most of us (referring to first years) are determined to transform themselves from ‘party animals’ to ‘keener nerds’. Of course, first semester as a freshman is always a challenging period to just focus on school as we’re constantly adapting to the new environment, meeting new people and experiencing the ‘college party life’. And on top of  all this newness, most of us who live in residence and/ or moved far away from home are granted this unlimited freedom that allows us to eat whatever, sleep whenever and party wherever. Although all this freedom can be good for us and feel liberating to finally live our own lives, it also brings a whole load of responsibilities. I, myself as a freshman student at McGill University living in residence and away from home, am currently experiencing the infamous ‘freshman year’, but one simple thing I dare not to experience is the dreaded ‘Freshman 15‘.

I’m sure most of you either heard of it or experienced it, but for those who aren’t aware of the one most feared thing by first years, the ‘Freshman 15′ is “the average amount of weight gained by students during their first year of college” – Dictionary.com. However, there’s no need to panic and give up all our favourite sweets and junk food by emptying our drawers of all those chips, chocolates and candies. A research conducted in North America (mainly Canada and United States) has proven that the ‘Freshman 15′ is actually a myth and that most ‘freshies’ don’t actually gain the 15 pounds of extra weight in their first year of university or college. In fact, most college weight gains aren’t caused living the ‘college life’ but it’s simply because our bodies are still growing as young adults.

Although the old cliche and trite saying of the ‘Freshman 15′ is proven to be a myth, it doesn’t mean that we can simply indulge ourselves with greasy, gravy smothered poutines, high sugar and caffeine energy drinks and late night pizza on a regular basis. For me, even with the freedom I have as a first year, I always try to keep body balanced and fit by eating healthy foods, hitting the gym and working out as a part of my daily routine. As a former basketball player in high school and current ‘health freak’, I take great importance of eating the right foods and keeping my body up and active. My goals for this year are not only to start my semester with a ‘party-less-and-study-more’ mind set and strive for a higher GPA, but to dedicate a piece of my time everyday (if possible) to blog about fitness and healthy eating. :)

PS. Check out my past blogs for more info on fitness and healthy eating! And follow my blog for continuous updates and posts about how I keep off that ‘Freshman 15′ and insight into my daily regimes of being fit!

Love,

Michelle!