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

Maintenance or Progression Workout?

I am on vacation this week hence no blogs, but in the PNP forums I've been popping in with pearls of wisdom. This week in our fitness forum my chat/discussion theme for the week was, "Grade Your Workout and Corinne Will Critique."

The reason for this was to help the girls think about the purpose behind each workout. Every workout needs a goal before you start: busting it, recovery, training for a marathon, building some muscle, losing fat, etc. I also wanted them to come to a natural conclusion: each of us can always do a little better even when we think we are working hard.

A lot of clients took the time to participate. I am happy they did because we learned a lot to help them move forward. Here's my "executive summary" for the PNP girls and I thought it could help some of you who have purchased my workout programs. Those workouts all have purpose detailed in the books so now you have a way to make sure you are getting there.

 

First: How to Grade Your Workout...Corinne's Way

Take a look at this quote...

"We're a species that seeks comfort and rejects pain. As a woman losing weight intent on success, whatever the goal may be, we must reverse this outlook. We must seek pain and reject comfort. When I speak of pain, I don't mean the type that causes injury, but the type caused by effort."

This week tell me how you feel after workouts. Your homework is to describe in detail your breathing, your muscles, your clothes, your mind, and anything else relative to what you feel like during and after the workout.

Second, start your post with a grade. Grade each workout this week. Don't do it 15 min. after you are done. All of you should have a journal/binder you are using at the gym. As soon as the workout is over I want you to grade the workout.

A = I did exactly what the goal of the workout was (steady state, vomit intervals, searing strength training, low intensity recover)

B = I was close to a GREAT workout. I didn't stick to the goal but I feel like it was a good workout.

C = I did a workout but it wasn't what was planned. It was an OK workout but needs to be more on target for me to be successful.

D = I punched the clock and wasn't focused. Hey, at least I was moving.

F = This workout was not worth the effort. I need to do more or I will get no results.

Most of us in fatloss mode, changing our shape, and preparing to be hot will spend a good bit of our workout time in the zone of kicking ass in the gym. I want you to really evaluate how you feel each time you workout and make sure that it is filled with INTENSITY, a GOAL, and focused on making you fitter and PHATTER than you have ever been in your life.

 

Second: Corinne's Summary of the Week...Lessons Learned

This week has shown me that "mentally" we/me/all of us need and usually can up the ante on most workouts.

It truly takes workouts with purpose to lose fat and get to goals. I've said it 1000 times but every workout needs a purpose and you work to the potential of THAT workout.

Endurance Training = filled with workouts that CAN'T and shouldn't be all out.

Fat Loss Intervals = you should look like that most of the time.

Strength Training =   you need a combo of angry faces, less talking, a little icky feeling because you are working so hard, and then whipped when you leave.

Recovery = there are times in our life we have injuries and we workout to make ourselves get back to those other faces and THAT is a good workout.

I CHALLENGE all of you to grade every workout and keep it in your journals. You will be surprised that when you are giving yourself a grade that you will work harder and probably push enough to go from maintenance workouts to progression workouts.

To me, a maintenance workout is you punching the clock and feeling good you did something for your health. We are all supposed to workout daily in some fashion just to have a normal, healthy life.

A progression workout is where you leave knowing you did something EXTRA to make a difference towards your goal. THOSE are the workouts I want you girls doing.

Workouts Aren't a Cure All

I got a newsletter today with a great quote for all of us to think about...

YOU CAN'T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET. PERIOD.

We've talked several times about making the most out of your workouts, kicking it with intensity, and putting the time in that your body DESERVES.

Many of us, though, who find the light bulb for exercise fail to flip our diet switch. We think tough workouts, endless cardio, running marathons, and any other athletic thing you can think of is going to erase a ding-dong here, a cup cake there, and a few drinks this weekend.

It won't. Trust me. This is the voice of experience talking.

Last year I competed. I worked out less than I did earlier this year. Last year I did almost an hour of weights five days a week and anywhere from 30-60 min. of cardio a day.

This year from January to June I put a ton of time in each and every day doing weights like a figure athlete, running like a marathoner, and cardio for tris. I truly worked out 2-3 hours a day.

Last year at this time I weighed 135-138 lbs. This year I weigh 145-148 lbs while exercising double! What's the real difference? Diet.

Last year the diet was tight and on target. I didn't eat out but one meal a week and stuck religiously to 1500 calories a day of lean protein, tons of veggies, healthy fats, limited carbs.

This year I eat a well-balanced diet BUT I sneak a protein bar in here and there instead of real food, have ice cream a couple of times a week, drink on Saturday night, and eat out once or twice a week whatever I want.

Don't get me wrong. I like where I am now. 145 is still sexy. It's not hard, defined, and such. I like that 135 Corinne, too. But I like the living a little Corinne. This Corinne means she can have a meal out with Mammy, drinks with Daddy, and ice cream with Loggie without having to rearrange a week's worth of plans.

The point is that I like to eat and I enjoy having some treats. That means sacrificing some of the definition and look I love. To be able to eat, though, I can't and you can't expect to make progress - NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EXERCISE. None of us can workout enough to erase all the food we sneak in during the week.

What I am saying is if you don't like how you look you gotta change something. Most of the time it's your food intensity; not your workout intensity. Just adding some cardio or another day of workouts isn't going to fix what ails you. Fix the problem not what's working.

I Just Can't Seem To Lose Weight

Funny how so many people feel like they can't lose weight even though they try so hard. Honestly, I can show any of you how to lose weight as long as you do what you are supposed to. The basics will get you there:

1. Consistent workouts: mix of heavy strength with intense cardio.

2. Consistent journaling: every bite goes on paper.

3. Consistent measuring: no guessing - use cups and spoons.

4. Water

5. Sleep 7 hours a night.

6. HONESTY!

Do you realize #6 is the hardest aspect of the weightloss journey? Let me give you a look into a "typical" PNP girl frustration and what I think.

Ms. Thang: Help. I've been doing everything right and my weight won't move. I'm convinced that this is the weight I'm supposed to be. (slams her keyboard)

Me: Let me see your workouts and your food journals for the past two weeks.

Ms. Thang: I've got all my food journals but I don't record my workouts. I just do what you say and hit some cardio.

Me: Well, send me the links to your food and let me look at it. Hope you have notes in there about the day and such.

Ms. Thang: Oh, I do! I write it all down because I'm so frustrated.

Me: Great!

OK...this doesn't sound too bad does it? Here's what I typically find.

1. She's eating around the calorie range I give her. Most girls who workout with PNP need around 1700-1900 calories a day when they do my workouts and 1500-1800 when they are off or only doing 40 min. of cardio. Ms. Thang will almost always be eating about 1750ish.
2. She's got in her journal a pretty clean diet. Nothing jumps out that should be changed outside of moving some snacks around or adding in more veggies.
3. Her workouts (cardio) are always TOUGH. She's ripping a new one on the cardio. Strength, she describes a good workout but I don't know if every exercise is done to the max because she doesn't list how much weight she is using and how many reps she can do.
4. Sleep is almost always on the short side. Most of my girls are moms, in school, working a job, and doing a lot. They tend to get the short end of the stick on their sleep.

Still sounding pretty good but let me tell you the LITTLE things that make all the difference in the world.

BLT's: I can't tell you how often I read food journals and think this looks great! She's eating a great menu and can't lose? Then I troll around her posts in other people's journals and read she's been having BLT's and not measuring exactly what she's eating.

Let's remember Ms. Thang is eating right BELOW maintenance. She needs to eat tight to get results in order to eat enough food to feel satisfied. By taking BLT's and not measuring she is throwing herself into maintenance calories.

Notice I don't care if she occasionally has a latte (1-3 per week), PB sammy instead of chicken and brown rice for dinner one night, and goes out to eat and has some fries instead of baked potato. What I absolutely CARE ABOUT is that all of this gets in her journal and that it is accounted for. I would rather see a journal filled with some "treats" every few days squeezed into the calorie matrix versus a journal that looks perfect but isn't complete.

PNP PSA: You see, OTHER GIRLS READ YOUR JOURNALS. When you moan and groan you aren't getting results eating a tight, clean diet (although you are BLT'ing and not measuring) you DISCOURAGE them from trying to eat clean. PNP Girls! This is me telling you to journal honestly and quit worrying about what people think. You only cheat yourself and you cheat someone else from making a clean leap when it's "not working." End of PSA.

Workout Journal: Everyone should have a workout journal especially if you are a little unsure of the intensity and what a solid strength workout feels like. By recording your reps and how much you lift you can see if you are able to do more over time. Most of you will lift about the same today as you will in five months and wonder why you stop making progress. Because you stopped upping your game!

I can help people better when I see how much you are lifting. Example, if you chest press and bicep curl the same amount of weight you aren't chest pressing enough weight. Your chest is hella bigger than your arms woman!

Same with bentover rows and lateral raises. You should row so much more than you lateral raise! Pet peeve.

Not only does a lifting journal show you progression but it also allows you to see declines in strength. For my girls who lift like no other, you can easily see when overtraining is happening because you'll notice your lifts are going down.

The workout journal can also show me when you are doing too much cardio. A lot of people think they need hours upon hours of cardio. If they ever skip a workout it is always strength. Next thing you know they are strength training twice a week versus three to four and only doing one body part they love. If you find you are always needing to drop workouts you need to find a new scheme that allows you to get in a balanced week. That's how you get results; you choose a program that is geared for you versus a program that is really hard but unlikely you can give 100%.

Let's all keep this in mind: It's not hard. It's consistency and honesty that yields results. Now go lift some weights, measure some chicken, get in bed and off Facebook (cough cough), and drink your water.

My Rant On Sweating

Yesterday I wrote the story about a lot of women who show up at the gym and punch a workout clock to only get zero to little results. I forgot that I had also ranted about it on a video so I threw it together on Youtube!

I get passionate about intensity because next to diet it is the one thing that will change your body. I hate to see girls keep cutting calories when simply taking their workouts up a notch will make all the difference in how their body responds to diet and exercise.

Enjoy my rant and the rest of the week we will read more lessons learned at Phat Camp. I have Amy and Becca's story about their experience all ready to go!

Why We Sweat Video

PNP Subscribers! Next week's menu is posted for you to ask questions and shop for over the weekend. Click here to view and discuss.

Lifting Like You Actually Want the Body of Your Dreams

Girls, outside of dumping the Fat Girl Thinking (FGT), there is one thing I am on your butts about religiously and that is working out with intensity. There is NOTHING more infuriating to me than seeing women who clearly want to change their appearance (i.e., a few extra pounds, hanging head, extremely baggy clothing) that leave the gym as fresh and clean as the moment they walked in. Let me give you a scenario I see far too often...

Sue walks into the gym in her matching Target capri black pants and champion women's cut black t-shirt with her hair pulled back. She's got her Ipod in hand, a small bottle of water, and is casually strolling into the gym floor.

She looks around at the machines and sits down to the bicep curl machine because she hates her arms. 12 reps, rest 30 seconds, 12 reps, rest 30 seconds, 12 reps, rest 30 seconds and now let's stroll over to the tricep machine. A girl has to have sexy arms. Rinse and repeat the bicep routine. Not one grunt, sign of fatigue, curse word, bead of sweat, or even a break in pace.

Wooooo! She might hit the shoulder press or chest press but remembers the last time her muscles burned so today she's going to take it "easy". Now for abs. 100 crunches later, because she's doing a 100 crunch a day challenge...she's on her way to cardio.

Wait! What's that? My cell phone. "Hey girl! What's up? Oh, I'm tearing it up at the gym. I'm fixing to do my 30 min. on the elliptical. Sure we can talk! It will save me time."

Geesh...I can't even type this anymore. This chick will leave the gym, barely have worked up a sweat, probably bought a fruit and sugar laden smoothie on her way out and then moan and groan that she works out five times a week and doesn't see any results.

Sound funny? GOOD! You must already be an avid reader of mine and know I would put some serious smackdown on any of my girls if they were doing this. Sound familiar? JOIN PNP! LOL. Seriously, do yourself a favor. Watch my videos on Youtube and learn what it's like to lift. Second, go to the www.phit-n-phat.com website and download a free strength and cardio routine. Third, get your butt in the gym and workout like you actually want to see some results!

To see results you don't walk out of the gym pretty. You crawl out of the gym stinky, sweaty, wondering what you did to yourself, and feeling a sense of pride because you are making a difference in your health picture.

OK...here is my latest video to help you with what a leg day looks like for me. This day was AFTER a 45 min. fasted bootcamp cardio two hours before. The workout took me about 43 total working minutes. The other videos are just good reminders of what it's like to lift and I threw in some old links to my blogs on intensity for a gentle reminder.

My Leg Day - Make It GOOD! - NEW VIDEO!!!!

Lift Like You Mean It Part One

Lift Like You Mean It Part Two

Hood Workout Intro - Great Cardio Routine to do in your Neighborhood

Past Blogs
Make Ugly Faces When You Lift

Muscle Pump for Women

Strength Training and Lifting with Purpose

Why Track Cardio to Burn Fat?

Workout or Go Home

This past week has been wonderful at PNP. We've had many great lines come out of the blogs.

"I like to wear grey t-shirts at the gym because it shows my sweat the best." - Monica

Oh my God! That made me laugh because you KNOW you are a PNP girl when you are choosing workout gear that shows off sweat, muscles, cuts, or whatever. We don't really dress to impress but we do dress to look like we work insanely hard BECAUSE WE DO!

"I almost didn't get up this morning but I figured "I'm awake - get your booty out of bed!!!"  - Sherri

How many times have you woke up early and sat around surfing the internet, drinking coffee, and watching TV versus just getting your butt out on the pavement for a good powerwalk? Amen! Me too! I'm guilty but these days we are all so on fire that if we get up early our first thought is, "Heck yes! I can get in some fasted cardio!"

My challenge to all you is to think about your workout intensity and your dedication to those workouts. Are you really leaving everything at the gym, on the pavement, or in your workout room? When you workout, dig deep down and push yourself. Most of us don't have the luxury of workout partners and trainers yelling at us to move our butts. We have to be strong women who wear their big girl panties to the gym. This means lifting like you mean it, squeezing out an extra rep or two, sprinting that last minutes of a workout even though the finish is near, and sweating like we mean it.

I can promise you, if you want to look like the fit girls in the gym you better workout like them. When I leave I'm a hot mess. Hair soaked, muscles wore out, a little limpy, and ready to eat my next fueling meal. That's how you approach working out if you want results.