Phit-N-Phat...Making Fitness and Weightloss a Lifestyle

Creative Walk and Treadmill Routines to Burn Fat

The other day I talked about doing things outside of the norm to get the results you need. When I checked in on my Facebook weightloss accountability groups, I had this from one of members...

I was thinking this morning while getting ready for some kind of workout in my basement while out of town from my normal schedule and remembered I had a resistance band and went to Pnp and found the travel phit section! Corinne really gives you no excuse to workout in most situations! We give ourselves excuses! If you take time to look for help it's right there! Thanks Corinne!

I love this! It's why I created something called a hood workout a long time ago for my clients on PNP. A lot of my clients can't run but they are some MAD WALKERS. But, they also get adapted quick to walking and rather than going LONGER I have them go HARDER with creative breaks in their walks. Thus, we call it a hood walk because you just need to hit the street and get busy.

This video is one of me a few years ago discussing a hood walk. 

Intro to Hood Walk

The Circuits

Conclusion

I also found this article on Women's Health that has several types of circuit finishers to a walk. What I would do is pick one and do a ROUND ever 3-5 minutes of your 30-60 minute walk depending on fitness level. You can even do this by hopping on and off the treadmill if you can't get outside.

Hot Tip! Buy a 3-ring binder. When you come across creative workouts you like, type it up, print it off, and then put in the binder. Each day it's time for cardio, open the book, and then choose a workout. You can make a cardio calendar at the beginning of the month listing each workout OR you can have a goal to not repeat a workout for 7,15, 30 days once you collect plenty!

And, a long-time client and now dear friend wrote a blog about hood walks last week. Give her blog a read. If you like the Queen you will love Angela!

For my PNP private members you have the Work Your Butt Off Book and all kinds of fun and creative workouts in your materails I give you with enrollment. If you don't know where to find them, just ask in the forums and we will hook you up with awesome workouts to keep you busy. I come out with new workouts frequently so take advantage of them to shrink THY BOOTY!

Home Challenge (Metabolic) Workout

So many of my clients are stuck at home during this winter storm without good weights, videos, and such to get in what they consider a great workout.

You know what? I'm feeling extra giving today so I'm giving you a workout all of you can do at home or away from home. A couple of exercises have a dumbbell option so if you have weights then use that. If not, bodyweight for you Missy!

The way this works is simple. You will do exercise #1, rest 10-20 seconds. Do exercise #1 and then exercise #2, rest 10-20 seconds. Do exercise 1, 2, 3, rest 10-20 seconds. You keep adding on the exercises until you do ALL eight exercises. Should be pretty hard but enough to keep you going through the weather or even while on vacation.

1. Step Ups (per leg):10 reps

2. Pike Walks or DB Punches: 5-8 reps or pike walks or 20-30 total DB Punches

3. Pushups (knees or toes): 10-15 reps

4. DB Deadlift to Rows or Bearcrawls: 15-20 reps

5. Mountain climbers or Rock Climbers: 40-60 reps

6. Dips: 15-30 reps

7. Plie Jumps or regular squats: 20 reps

8. Scoot and Move: 20 reps and move a DB for added intensity

 

This is the type of full body cardio routines I design for my private member programs and for my online personal clients. With ALL of my programs I work hard to push you outside of your comfort zone but I also provide a wide range of exercises to suit your physical needs. So, if you try this and it's not hard enough, I can amp it up in the comments. If you try it and you can't do certain things, ask me and I'll give you a watered down exercise to get you ready for this level.

This is also the kind of cardio I like to do. It's not always just about being on a treadmill. Bootcamps, body weight cardio, and metabolic challenges are great ways to exercise and reshape your body.

The key is keep moving!!! Y'all it's the 2nd week of the year and the gyms are already emptying because our first big roadblock came in the form of ice and snow. No excuses ladies. No excuses!

We Must Protect This House

I love this commercial and this is the kind of intensity you have to bring every day to the gym, to the kitchen, to the restaurant, the drive thru, the stressful situations, and YOUR MOUTH.

Your house is your body and that body you WANT. I promise you let some "cheese" into the house and you will not be at the top your game.

I don't care if you are 100lbs overweight or some Crossfitting maniac, this commercial and spirit applies to YOU. It doesn't matter your shape because as women fighting to have a healthy body we face the same issues.

Our CHEESE is...

• Ill fitting fat clothes that make us feel bad rather than comfortable enough to walk in the gym.
• Boneheaded co-workers who have candy dishes in your face, the "oh just one won't hurt ya" attitude, or let's all go out to eat EVERYDAY!
• Kids who must fight in the car and then scream in unison we want ice cream.
• So much housework, laundry, dinners to cook, and crap that we don't "feel" like rolling out of bed at 4:30 am to crack our own whip.
• Friends that think every weekend is a right to party and you are the poop for not wanting to get donkey with them at the drop of every hat.

Ladies! If you don't protect your house, our PNP house, who will?

Here's the Off the Wall Treadmill Routine you can add to your 12 week PNP workshop. Watch the video and then figure out how many ways you can be who you want to be...not who everyone one else thinks you are!

45 min. Off the Wall Treadmill
Set your treadmill for 45 min. on a 0-3% incline. The less incline you have the faster your walk. Each of the following Body Part Segments you will do three times then move to the next group of exercises.

3 min. of fast walking with 5lb DB's in your hands.

Apprx 2 min. for each of the following Lower Body exercises:

• 10-20  Regular or Jump Squats
• 10-20 Alternating Lunge or Forward Lunge on Step
• 10-20 Ball Rollouts

Back on Treadmill for 3 min. of fast walking and then go through above segment two more times. Now, move to Upper Body.

• 10-20 Straddle Push Ups on Bench or Regular Pushups
• 10-20 Single DB Deadlifts
• 10-20 Iron Crosses with or without squat

Back on Treadmill for 3 min. of fast walking with DB's and then go through above segment two more times. Now move to Core.

• 20-40 total Forward Reach Lunges
• 10-20 per arm Lawnmowers
• 10-20 Sammy Switches or Jumping Jacks

Cool down good for 3-5 min. and stretch ladies.

YouTube - PrOtEcT ThIs HoUsE

Cardio Queens!

In the workshop this week I discussed the importance of cardio and where it falls into your workout priority.

Let's face it, you gotta do it and it has got to mean something when doing it to burn off fat. Strength training is what makes your physique, food is what allows you to lose the fat and build the muscle, and cardio is what helps burn off the crap covering what the weights and food are building down in there. Simple and crude but it's the truth!

I will give you girls a few routines this week. As always, if you need a book filled with a lot of interesting cardio routines you can get mine. All my PNP girls have it and we use the toot out of it in our training. I even use the routines to kick my own tushie while training for my figure competitions!

Today I did a little routine for 45 min. that is easy to change to meet your fitness level.

 

Treadmill Blocks
This routine is broken into three-fifteen minute segments. I like variety so I almost always mix routines up this way to pass the time.

45:00-30:00 - Walk 1 min. on 2% incline at a comfortably hard pace (for me right now that is 3.8 MPH). Run/fast Walk 1 min. at a good pace (for me right now it is 5.2 MPH). Alternate until you hit 30:00.

30:00-15:00 - Set the incline to 4% and walk at your comfortably hard pace holding 5lb DB's for five minutes. Increase incline to 8% and drop the speed just enough (maybe go from 3.8 - 3.5) to be able to keep the DB's. After five minutes increase the incline to 12% and drop the speed enough to keep holding those DB's (maybe 3.2 - 3.5).

***I rotate my arms from hanging at sides like carrying groceries to bent arms. If you need to set DB's down, do so for 1-2 min. and then pick up again until you CAN hold DB's for 15 min. Your goal is to work the hams and your arms. Once 5lbs is too easy, simply go to 8's then 10's, then 12's.

15:00 - 0:00 - Set incline to 8%. Do 1 min. of Glute Squeezes, 2 min. of FAST walking on 8% without DB's.

 

 

 

 

 

This Is What Vacation Is All About

Our fabulous moderator, Maggie, just got back from Hawaii and I wanted to share with her wrap up of the trip. She had two huge victories: a physical triumph and then coming home and hopping right back on her eating plan. I've included her story, her menu the first day back, and her workout!

We're all so proud of the lifestyle you lead, Maggie. You are a true friend to me and such a bright spot to so many girls on the site.

My biggest victory was how great I felt when we hiked Diamond Head and Makapu'u Point. Both had quite big elevation gains compared to what I'm used to (Diamond Head had lots of stairs, Makapu'u was paved) but the big difference was how I felt this time versus last time. 

I clearly remember the first time I went to Diamond Head because I was at least 50 lbs heavier and felt every one of those pounds trying to get up the trail.  But it wasn't just that I was heavier...I was really out of shape. I was in much worse shape than everyone we were with and I really slowed everyone down, and remember being really embarrassed that I had to keep stopping and catching my breath.  It takes less than two hours to finish the hike, yet I remember being completely wiped out for the remainder of the day.  I don't really remember the first time we did Makapu'u but it was the same trip, so I'm sure it was more of the same sucky feelings. 

So here's the BIG victory for me -- the only thing that slowed me down while getting up Diamond Head was being too polite when trying to pass people on tight sections of trail, and I'm not joking when I say that I wanted to RUN up the paved path to Makapu'u Point.  I know I wouldn't have been able to make it the whole way -- that thing is STEEP -- but my body wanted to run!  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!  If that's not a huge  "bringing tears to my eyes" victory, I don't know what is.  

Okay, back to reality.  We got home yesterday evening and I was back to work today.  Food was:

• Breakfast:   1/2 cup Gluten Free oats, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/2 scoop PP, chia gel
• Snack 1:  Apple & packet of Justin's PB
• Lunch:  4oz shredded chicken taco meat (YAY for freezing extras!), 3 cups mixed greens, green onions, sweet potato
• Snack 2:  3/4 cup LF cottage cheese, 1/2 red bell pepper
• Dinner:  Tofu stir fry with rice noodles, celery, broccoli & mushrooms
• Post workout snack:  grapefruit

I just got back from the gym and did 40 minutes of leg frying work on the treadmill.  I'm tired, but loved it!  I switched things up from what was planned based upon how I felt, but think I made a good decision by listening to my body. 

I started with a 5 minute warm-up (walk @ 3.6-3.8), then alternated the following series 5 times to get up to 40 minutes: 

• 2 minutes of running @ 5.5 with no incline
• 2 minutes of walking @ 3.5 at max incline (12 on our gym treadmill) -- long steps, working the calves, upper hams & glutes
• 2 minutes of walking backwards @ 2.2 at max incline -- dropping down and really concentrating on squeezing the quads
• 30 seconds at 3.5 walking forwards while the treadmill drops back down to no incline
• 30 seconds at 3.5 walking at no incline to rest

Here's to the start of a great week back home. 

What an awesome trip and return home! Since this has been journaling week, I thought it appropriate to show off the work of someone who journals a lot: emotionally, her food, and her workouts. Go Maggie!

The Queen's Warm Up

Ever feel like you can't get your HR up enough to make a great cardio session out of walking or jogging? Well, this weekend I want you to try a warm-up that any of us can do!

1. You set a timer for 12 min.
2. Pick one of the exercises below that suits your fitness level.
3. Follow the outline for your exercise for 12 min. OR when you cannot complete the reps before you run out of time.

 

Jumping Jacks
Min. 1 - 10 Jacks
Min. 2 - 15 Jacks
Min. 3 - 20 Jacks
Min. 4 - 25 Jacks
Keep adding 5 Jacks at the start of each min. until you cannot finish in time for another round to start. It starts slow so if you want to march in place the first 2-3 rounds you can. By min. 5 you'll see the rests are short and the breathing is hard. If you don't make it, you have a goal for next time!

Catch your breath and start your cardio. If you are feeling really crazy, reverse the order and work your way back down for a good cardio session.

Pop Squats
Min. 1 - 5 Pop Squats
Min. 2 - 10 Pop Squats
Min. 3 - 15...just like above.

Burpees with or without a pushup and hop. You might start with both, drop the pup, then drop the hop.
Min. 1 - 2 Burpees
Min. 2 - 3 Burpees
Min. 3 - 4 Burpees...just like above.

 

These routines are sure fire ways to show the FGT to take a hike. She won't be able to breathe!

The Weightloss Workshop Has BEGUN!

If you signed up for the workshop you should have an email waiting for you. If you don't, you might have a Spam blocker on and need to email me for a reply of the email I sent.

We talk this week about setting up exercise schedules and monitoring progress. You'll notice I have posted pages to the blog (on the right hand side of screen) of these plans. Your email has links and other information included. You can post questions about these workouts in the comments section on those pages for me to answer.

Weighing and Measuring
This is key and everyone should do it. You NEED the initial baseline to get a gauge on what you are doing and if it is working. I have several key measures for you so you aren't locked into the scale as your only sign of success.

I would love for each of you to post HERE what you feel about your beginning measurements, photos, and weight. Are you upset, motivated by the numbers to do better, or shocked?

I also want to discuss the pros and cons of weighing daily or weekly. Some people need that constant accountability. Others can't handle scale fluctuations without going off program. What kind of girl are you?

Personally I don't weigh these days. There are times when I do and times when I don't. Right now my goal is putting on weight to gain muscle. Seeing the number go up makes me feel fat even though I know I am doing the right thing for my competition goals in June. Rather than allowing good ole fat girl to rule what I do for my body, I am monitoring things by the mirror.

Now, there are other times in life when I need daily weighing to keep me focused on losses. I know when I diet down that what I do is right for me so small bounces don't bother my psyche. It is just a way to make sure I am in a calorie range and exercise deficit most effective for my goals.

So, pick your exercise poison and weigh-in. We're ready to roll!

***PNP Clients: you will use our custom schedules for this workshop. These are more detailed and designed for several levels and goals. I want you to stay with those plans. :)

The Best FATBURNER On the Market Is Here!

Well, I was at the gym this morning and had a conversion with someone drinking an energy drink. I asked why and she said she was just looking for something to amp her up a bit. No problem with that. I've been known to toss back a Speed Stack, coffee, whatever when I'm tired.

In the midst of the conversation I mentioned that I have been working towards getting off so much caffeine because I felt "juiced up" all the time and when I didn't have my "fix" I was snappy. For example...

Logan drops a piece of paper - I snap why are you making all that noise????

OK...it's not that bad but you get my drift. Lately, I've been drinking some green tea with mint in the mornings and then switching to water and caffeine free green tea in the afternoons. I think I'm feeling better.

Back to the gym though; I made the off-handed remark, "You know, green tea is a natural fat burner, too." I said this, looked at my workout for the day, and said, "Well, cardio and weights are the best natural fat burners so I best put up or shut up." I put on my headphones and got busy.

While working out I couldn't help but think of that comment. One key piece of advice from me when it comes to a fat burner that really works: Expect the fat to come off your body to match the effort you give in the gym AND the effort you give in the kitchen preparing foods and menus for your week.

It's not fancy but it works. I will tell you when you are doing EVERYTHING RIGHT with diet and exercise you can try things like green tea, CLA, fasted cardio, etc., to give you an edge. But, tricks and gimmicks don't work until you get to about 18% body fat. Even then, nothing helps more than your food selection and level of intensity you bring to the gym.

Now, go out there and burn up some fat ladies! I posted a workout for the stairmaster on the PNP Fan Page on Facebook this morning. I did it myself and it was nice. Check it out!

Do the Complete Opposite

Many people have heard this before...

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again achieving the same results."

Are you stalled in your weightloss but FEARFUL if you change something you'll gain or it won't work? Paralyzed by that fear you continue to do the same elliptical routine, eat the same frozen dinners for lunch, then have weekends where you can't control your eating.

Are you waking up and skimping or skipping breakfast, making a plan to workout at night? The problem is you are tired, stressed, and ready to gnaw off your arm when you get home so you eat until the kids go to bed where you collapse in the bed to watch TV.

Are you always giving into temptations...lunches with co-workers, cake at the office, Burger King on the way home, and a hot latte when Susie Q. needs a caffeine fix? Each week you think about packing some snacks, having prepared meals at home, and then just don't do it thinking you'll "wing it" this week.

Girls, girls, girls...are you INSANE? No...but I think you are in desperate need of help.

Starting Jan 4, 2010, I will start a 12-week email workshop of one to two messages a week. In those messages you will get motivation, sample workouts, instruction on healthful eating, and lifestyle techniques to be a phitter you in 2010. It is open to all my PNP readers: clients and blog followers.

We'll have some mini-challenges and exercises we will do in the blog but you NEED TO SIGN UP with me in email (corinne@phit-n-phat.com)  if you wish to be a part of the workshop. It's FREE and I'm doing it in hopes of inspiring you to start 2010 unlike any other year. Maybe you will become a PNP Member or buy a book, but I really just want to teach more people how to start living the live they DESERVE. This workshop CAN be all you need to make the first twelve weeks of January unlike any other year.

Check out this video. It's a good laugh but it also shows how changing one little thing can lead to BETTER results for you!