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 Circuit #1 on the Bingo Card 45 Seconds Each of the Following: Inchworm to Push-Ups Squats In and Out Squats Pledge Planks Seated Knee Tucks High Knees 30 Seconds each - up to 2 times: Plank Side Plank - 30 seconds ea. side Slow Mountain Climbers 12 reps each - up to 3 times: Stationary Single Arm Curls Overhead Triceps Extensions 30 seconds ea. - up to 3 times: Squat Hold Pulse Squat Squat Jumps 12 reps ea - up to 3 times: Short Crunch Neutral Crunch Long Crunch 30 seconds ea. - up to 2 times: Seal Jacks Mountain Climbers Up/Down Plank Jack 30 Minute Cardio Found under the Letter 'N' on the Fitness Bingo Card Walk Run or Cycle Circuit #2 on the Bingo Card 45 Seconds Each of the Following: Inchworm to Push-Ups Squats In and Out Squats Pledge Planks Seated Knee Tucks High Knees 10 reps ea. - up to 2 times: Wide Toe Touches Reverse Crunch/Crunch Side Crunches 12 reps ea. - up to 2 times: Single Arm Bent Over Rows Shoulder Press 10 reps ea. - up to 3 times: Front Lunges Side Lunges Reverse Lunges 12 reps ea. - up to 2 times: 90/90 Crunch Starfish Crunch Crunch/Extend 30 Minute Cardio Found under the Letter 'I' on the Fitness Bingo Card Walk Run or Cycle 30 seconds ea. - up to 2 times: Down/Down/Up/Up/Hop Plank Skier Hops Squat Jacks Circuit #3 on the Bingo Card 45 Seconds Each of the Following: Inchworm to Push-Ups Squats In and Out Squats Pledge Planks Seated Knee Tucks High Knees 10 reps ea. - up to 2 times: C-Sit Rotational Chops Leg Climbs Crossed Leg Lifts 30 seconds ea. - up to 3 times: Side Lunge/Lat Raise (15 seconds ea. side) Skater Taps Squat Walks BINGO!
Congratulations on finishing my January Fitness Bingo Challenge! this is the final square on your Fitness Bingo Card. 10 reps ea. - up to 3 times: Push-Ups Pullover/Skull Crushers Bent Overs/Kickbacks
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Hello, Fit Friends! During the month of December, in 2018, I decided to create the following Fitmas Challenge for my FB page. I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of participants. Why do I feel so many wanted to join my challenge? Accountability. Being held accountable is a huge part of our fitness success. I hope you enjoy the 5 day rotation that takes 25 days to complete. The series includes one day each of Push Ups, Squats, Upper Back, a Full Body Circuit and lastly, Cardio. Please note, these are high rep days which may be a lot for first timers. If that's the case, try performing the reps in increments of 20 - throughout the day. If you have bad knees, please modify the squats with another exercise for the lower body. Push ups may also be performed on an incline, either using your stairs or the kitchen counter. Doing it together, cheering each other on every step of the way! Day 1 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 100 Standard Push-Ups Day 2 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 200 Body Weight Squats Day 3 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 100 Bent Over Rows Day 4 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 15 min. Circuit: 10 Reps - Standard Push-Ups 10 Reps - Body Weight Squats 10 Reps - Bent Over Rows Day 5 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: Cardio of Choice 45 to 60 minutes of Active Rest: Walk, Run or Cycle Day 6 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 150 Close Grip Push-Ups Day 7 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 250 Body Weight Sumo Squats Day 8 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 150 Bent Over Rows - Reverse Grip Day 9 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 16 min. Circuit 10 Reps - Close Grip Push-Ups 10 Reps - Body Weight Sumo Squats 10 Reps - Bent Over Rows - Reverse Grip Day 10 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: Cardio of Choice 45 to 60 minutes of Active Rest: Walk, Run or Cycle Day 11 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 200 Wide Push-Ups Day 12 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 300 Body Weight Squats with Side Leg Lift 150 reps each side Day 13 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 200 Bent Over Rows - Wide Grip Day 14 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 17 min. Circuit 10 Reps - Wide Push-Ups 10 Reps - Body Weight Squats w/ Side Leg Lift 10 Reps - Bent Over Rows - Wide Grip Day 15 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: Cardio of Choice 45 to 60 minutes of Active Rest: Walk, Run or Cycle Day 16 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 150 Incline Push-Ups Day 17 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 250 Squats w/ Rotation Day 18 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 150 Single Leg Bent Over Rows - 75 Reps ea Leg Day 19 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 18 min. Circuit 10 Reps - Incline Push-Ups 10 Reps - Squats w/ Rotation 10 Reps ea side - Single Leg Bent Over Rows Day 20 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: Cardio of Choice 45 to 60 minutes of Active Rest: Walk, Run or Cycle Day 21 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 100 Hand Release Push-Ups Day 22 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 200 Prisoner Squats Day 23 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 100 Narrow to Wide Bent Over Rows Day 24 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy: 20 min. Circuit 10 Reps - Hand Release Push-Ups 10 Reps - Prisoner Squats 10 Reps ea side - Narrow to Wide Bent Over Rows Day 25 of 25 Days of Fitmas with Sandy:
Merry Christmas! Cardio of Choice 45 to 60 minutes of Active Rest: Walk, Run or Cycle Me, purchase ready prepared meals? Yes. After training for my December competition and cooking meal after meal (6 a day) for a solid 12 weeks ... this gal needed a break. Click on the Fitlife Foods link for more information. Notice the breakdown of my macros for tomorrow in the picture below taken from myfitnesspal account. I have my macros right where I want them for this week. Down the road I may make a few adjustments, but it's a good place to start for my goals right now. Doesn't the Chicken Pesto Tortellini look delicious? It was! Not sure what to do when it comes to prepping your meals for the busy work week ahead? Contact me today for an In-House Meal Prep Session. Please view my video, additional notes and photos below. The process of my In-House Meal prep Session:
Here's what others are saying about my In-House Meal Prep Sessions "Many recipes to choose from and very easy for follow". "Oh, and the food was tasty too"! "It was great to have food prepped and ready for a busy week". "This was a lot of fun, especially with friends". Cheryl, Jill, and Mary    That's the first question you should ask when interviewing, yes interviewing a personal trainer. Below you will find a breakdown of additional questions. The reason for this blog is to make you aware of who you've entrusted your health and well being to and what to look for in a personal trainer. I take my certification seriously and am very passionate about what I do. I am not too happy when I hear about 'trainers' working with clients without a certification. Sadly, there are those out there. If this is the case, I hope the 'trainer' makes their clients aware of such.  Seminole Community College, who at the time, offered a classroom setting for my 6 week certification course. This course was all day, every Sunday, in the Sanford location. I had textbook in the morning and hands on in their gym in the afternoon. In addition to the course, to receive my W.I.T.S. (World Instructor Training School) certification, it was required of me to intern for so many hours and become CPR/AED certified. I did my internship through Florida Hospital's Fitness Center. Best experience ever; learned so much from the trainer at that site. The clientele there were mostly elderly men and women. I remember having to check their blood pressure, among other things, the minute they stepped through the door. Now that you know a little more about my personal training certification, let's discuss other key areas to ask the trainer during your interview with them. Certifications: *Are they Certified? *Who are they certified through? Trainers are to pass an exam through nationally accredited organizations. *What other certifications do they have? *Have they re-certified or has it expired? *Are they CPR certified and is it current? Not only should you ask if they are certified, you should ask to see their certificate or the wallet sized card, we all receive one. These will show you the date issued along with the expiration date. Yes, certifications expire. Is their certification active or dead? Mine lasts two years. Before the two years are up, I re-certify through their extensive continuing education courses. They are not easy and they are very time consuming. However, they are very informative and helpful for my career and a must for staying certified. They range from Nutritional Concepts to Business Management. CPR: Trainer's are not able to receive their certification if they are not CPR certified. Experience: *How long have they been certified? Do you want to be, as we say, "their guinea pig?" Do you want someone who has been around and has perfected their programs? *Notable achievements I have been certified for 8 years. I've even gone further with my career by entering several body building competitions. A great way for me to learn more about my physique and nutrition in hopes of passing that along to my clients. Ask your trainer about their past Experiences. Ask them about their current physical activities or their notable achievements. Has the trainer ever weight trained? Don't laugh, this one is important too as part of experience. Do an impromptu; ask them to show you a few chest exercises, back exercises, etc., Does the trainer you are interviewing know what an incline chest press is? Have them show you. I would like to add here; modifications. Does your trainer know, right off the top of their head, a modification for an exercise you may not be able to perform due to an injury? Put your trainer through the test. Specialties: What do they specialize in? I have worked with the youth as well as middle aged men and women from weight training, sport specific training to training for a 5k. Besides entering body building competitions, I have run several 5k's and marathons. Knowing what they are passionate about will also indicate that they are aware of the 'sweat and tears' and have a vested interest into those types of training. There is a bit more to this, but wanted to briefly mention. Personality: *What style is your trainer? *A screamer or a cheerleader? Find someone that works best for you, ask them what style they are. Consider what motivates you. Don't be afraid to ask to observe a group session they are conducting or ask for a free training session. See if you are comfortable with him/her. I could go more in depth with this one as well, but again, wanted to briefly mention. Progress: *Will the program your trainer creates be geared specifically for your goals? *Will he/she document your progress? *Do they have a tracking method? For my clients, I offer a fitness assessment and a fitness test. Especially if I am unaware of their physical abilities. My fitness test consist of a muscular strength test, endurance, flexibility, and sit up test. I also measure, weigh and take before photos of my clients. Once I've completed the above steps, I create a personalized exercise program and track their progress so they can see their hard work is paying off. Location, Availability and Cost: Below are additional things to consider when choosing a trainer. *How far are you willing to travel to stay motivated and committed to your training program? *Where do they train? *Do you prefer a big gym setting and feed off the energy of others around you? *Do you prefer a small studio or are you more comfortable in your own home? *How busy are they? *Is the trainer available for you to remain consistent? *What is his/her cancellation policy? Cost: A couple options available; one on one, semi-private or group classes. If choosing a package, keep in mind, the more sessions purchased the lower the per session rate. If one on one is not in your budget, ask about their semi - private rates. I personally do not train (weight train) more than 2 people at a time for this option. Lastly, ask about group sessions. Consistency, consistency, consistency! Whatever it takes from the above to get you started, keep you on track and committed. Last week I compared my steady state power walk with my power walk/climb interval. Due to my back issues, I began my cardio sessions with an easy, comfortable pace. If I felt any discomfort I reduced my speed and at times the length of my sessions. Finally, I felt well enough to increase the speed and length of my workouts. Now I'm able to add a climb. During my steady power walk my pace was 5 mph. This was challenging, but manageable for the 30 minute session. I performed my walk/climb interval as hard as I could, especially on the climb. Note the differences with the calories burned according to the treadmill's readout. Both sessions were for 30 minutes in length. I walked a few less steps as shown in the second photo; walk/climb workout, but I burned 63 more calories during this more intense session. Video below is a quick example of the walk/climb workout. For the actual workout, after a 3 minute warm up, I power walked at 5 mph for one minute on a zero incline. I then brought the incline up to 15 with a 3.9 mph climb for one minute. I continued in this manner for 30 minutes. Notice how I get down lower instead of remaining in an upright position on the climb. This is my favorite treadmill workout; great for shaping, toning your legs and lifting your backside. I try to incorporate this routine at least once or twice a week. This does not need to be done every time you hit the gym. I feel it's always good to mix things up; bike, swim, run or row. I'll answer that for you. "No!" I have been training clients for 8 years and during those 8 years I have viewed a lot of food diaries. What have I noticed? We don't eat enough. Notice I said we. Yes, I'm guilty of this as well. There are times I don't feel like deciding what meals I want to cook. I don't feel like writing a grocery list, shopping for the food and prepping the meals on yet another Sunday! I want a break! So, I took a break from all that for about a month. Guess what? I can't take this break any longer. I'm starving! Yes, starving! When I don't have my prepared, packed meals readily available, I'm hungry all the time. I'm constantly trying to figure out which restaurant I can get a descent lunch/dinner or what am I in the mood for from Publix that is healthy, already cooked; just need to heat. Another thing I noticed while viewing diaries; we are not eating enough for our level of physical activity. Do you feel like you're getting the most out of your workout? I need to confess again. Last week I was so lethargic, I couldn't finish my lower body program. I actually had to stop to purchase a protein bar from the front desk in order to walk out of the gym. Trainers are human too. Yes, that is pretty bad and I know better. I knew I didn't eat near enough for what I had planned to train that day. What about muscle mass? Are you eating enough protein to sculpt those sexy shoulders you so desire? I bet not. Honestly, I'm currently not either. All this for me is rather frustrating and exhausting. I'm getting back on track this week. With all that being said, do you know how much you should eat? I'm going to take it old school for you with a formula I actually enjoy doing for my clients rather than using a calculator from the internet. I'm going to show you how I calculate first; Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) also called (Basal Metabolic Rate) and calculate my daily expenditure as an active person. Age, height and weight is required. If you are a male the RMR=88.362. Females RMR= 447.593. Height will be expressed in centimeters and weight will be expressed in Kg. 1Kg = 2.2 lbs. (Ref. Roza and Shigal 1984) Here's my calorie diet under the RMR value: Age: 52 Height: 5' 7" Weight: 132 Ht= 67" 67 x 2.54 = 170 x 3.098 = 530 Wt= (60 Kg) 9.247 x 60 = 555 Age= 52 x 4.33 = 225 RMR = 1308 Pretty cool, right? My RMR is 1308 calories. Multiply my very active 1.8 (lower scale) RMR = 1308 x 1.8 (Physical Activity - low scale of very active) = 2354 calories I should be consuming 2354 calories for my level of physical activity. Wow, that is a lot! It sure gives us a better idea of how much we're off when it comes to consuming the right amount of calories. Let's do this... If I wanted to lose 1 pound per week = 2354 - 500 = 1854 calories If I wanted to lose 2 pounds per week = 2354 - 1000 = 1354 calories I'm going to make some changes this week, are you? Don't forget to log your food daily so you can see exactly what your eating and whether or not it's enough for your activity level and what you hope to achieve. As I always say, "Plan, Prepare and Pack."  Planking; simple, effective body-weight exercise to build the core...improving your strength, balance and endurance.   I've been incorporating more TRX exercises into my program. A favorite circuit of mine targeting the lower body, upper back and triceps; 12 reps of TRX Split Squats, 12 reps of TRX Rows and 12 reps of TRX Triceps Extensions for three sets.
 My mom; young beautiful smart loving caring selfless... I could go on and on. She is the reason I do what I do. As a teenager my mother and I enjoyed many outdoor and indoor activities together; rollerblading, tennis, racquetball, sporting events, weight training and ice skating, to name a few. I mostly enjoyed playing racquetball and working-out with her at the club we belonged to in Pittsburgh, PA. One day, as a tenth grader, I remember my mom saying she felt sore, especially in her legs. At first she passed it off, thinking it was soreness from playing racquetball. After chronic discomfort she went to see her physician. It wasn't until numerous trips to the doctors, insisting something was seriously wrong, he diagnosed her with having Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. After receiving this diagnosis, she was told she had one year to live...she lived 9 more months. Why do I exercise and eat right on a daily basis? Research shows by eating a healthy diet, maintaining weight and being physically active will help reduce the risks of getting cancer. When I was in the eleventh grade, my mother passed away at the young age of 48. I work out to live a healthy life, but mainly I want to be here for my sons for a very long time. Since high school, I have been active by running and weight training. I am thankful to be living a happy, cancer free, active life for 51 years now!  |
Sandy BedontCertified Personal Trainer/Group Instructor Archives
June 2019
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