The Fit Skool | by Kelly

January 26, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Weekends aren’t always picture perfect

As I sit down to write this post and think of my weekend, I can’t say it was my favorite. I guess my weekend didn’t go as planned which made it not as great as others but stuff happens.

Friday night was great, I got to see my niece Emily who is a week old. She is SO cute and it was great to hold her.

Saturday morning we woke up with more snow on the ground then expected which meant my Boot Camp class was canceled. I guess it was a sign because Ava wasn’t feeling well, she was tugging on her ear, fussy, and had random spurts of crying. This wasn’t her normal self, she NEVER cries. So I ended up taking her to the Doctor. We waited for an hour for the Doctor to tell us exactly what we expected. She had an ear infection!! Ugh poor girl. We spent the rest of our day running errands to pick up medicine and food to keep her comfortable.

Saturday night we cooked dinner at home. I’m not too sure why I only took pictures of the veggies!

The steak we had was the best part and I only took pictures of the veggies, how did that happen?

Marc made Sirloin Tips in a red wine & balsamic sauce… it was AMAZING. Once it was on the table I gobbled it up.

Clearly my mind wasn’t focused on pictures or my blog this weekend.

But I did manage to snap a couple pictures of Ava smiling while she played with Cooper. Her medicine kicked in!!

It was so cute to see her holding the bone for Cooper to play with. Don’t worry he is EXTRA Gentle when she holds it.

Sunday we woke up, and I had a headache plus Ava was still under the weather. I kept going back and forth about bringing her to Rhode Island for a birthday party for our niece Natalie. After hours of contemplating we went.

Ava toughed it out and was such a trooper

but I might regret it today because she’s back to a fussy baby who’s got an earache.

Alright enough talk about the “lows” from my weekend.

This morning I taught Group Power and I was ready to go and super pumped up. I had a lot of energy and we had a great group of people.

I quickly ran home posted this blog and now I’m heading back to teach another class. Apparently there’s a blizzard heading our way this afternoon. The grocery stores were crazy last night, but we are all stocked up and have tons of whole milk for Ava.

We will be stuck inside for the next 2 days! I am not gonna lie, I am EXCITED for the crazy amount of snow we are supposed to get. I can’t wait to play in the backyard. I think they are saying between 1 1/2-2 feet! That’s like Ava’s height.

I am a bit nervous for the fact that we could lose power, that would stink!! How are we going to entertain Ava in the dark??? No Mickey mouse? Suggestions are welcome.

Good luck to all of you in the Northeast that will be hit hard from the storm, stay safe!

Are you going to get hammered by the snow? Have you stocked up?

Do you ever have a bad weekend?

January 23, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

5 Healthy Snacks I Keep in my bag!

Some days are busier then others and I know if I am not prepared my hunger will lead me to bad choices later in the day.

I always have snacks on hand wherever I go. You can even ask Marc! He often laughs at me, because out of nowhere, I will have food in my hand and be eating a snack. I remember one time we were clothes shopping and as I was checking out, I grabbed a bar out of my purse along with my money, and started snacking. Marc said, “where in the world did you get that?” haha

With my low-blood pressure I have had several instances where I have felt faint and that usually happens when I haven’t eaten in a while. I’ve learned my lesson and now I try to keep snacks in my gym bag, my car, my purse and even my night stand so I don’t run into any serious issues!

These snacks are great for anyone on the go, for anyone traveling, parents who have to chauffer their kids around, or for those who constantly find themselves in a hunger jam!

My 5 Go-To Healthy Snacks:

1. Banana, apple or orange: fruit is super nutritious, contains fiber, vitamins & minerals and it’s portable! It’s an all around win.

2. Protein Bar: usually I keep a Quest Bar in my bag. They are high in protein and fiber! Plus they are super filling & satisfying.

3. Granola bars: I try not to eat a lot of granola bars but they are still great to keep around. I especially love KIND Bars!!

4. Nuts: I make little baggies with mixed nuts and keep them everywhere. My favorite are almonds, sunflower seeds & pistachios. I will even add golden raisins, dried cranberries, or regular raisins too! This snack is packed with healthy fats and will be sure to hold you over until your next meal.

5. Fruit & Veggie Pouches: even though these fruit & veggie pouches are marketed towards kids, they make a great healthy snack for ANYONE. I usually keep them in my car for Ava but I have eaten them before The ones with yogurt are great too.

The options are endless if you can keep a cooler/lunch bag in your car. Then you can bring sandwiches, yogurts, veggies, frittata squares, etc. By keeping healthy foods on hand you will never have an excuse to make bad choices!

Speaking of healthy snacks… I devoured this Quest Protein Bar last night after boot camp.

I am really looking forward to the weekend. Tonight my plans are to go visit my Niece who is only a week old and then come home to kick my feet up! Saturday morning I am teaching Boot Camp, and then we are driving up to Rhode Island for a birthday celebration! Can’t wait

What healthy snacks do you keep on hand?

Do you have any to add to my list?

January 22, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Finding motivation to workout

Post written by: Marc – my weekly guest spot on TheFitSkool

So its early Thursday morning, and as I sit down to blog, I thought of my workouts so far this week. Instantly, a common thread between them came to mind…

I really didn’t want to work out or go to the gym before any of them.

Sunday I kind of had to drag myself to the gym mid day before football started and I became a waste of space. I didn’t work out at all on Monday and it had nothing to do with time. After a kind of hectic day at work, I came home and whole-heartedly planned on going to the gym once Ava was asleep. Then I got lazy, watched an hour of TV on demand with Kelly, and then convinced myself I should just stay home.

Fearing the same thing would happen after a long day of work Tuesday, I made myself go to the gym later in the night.

I made it there around 8:30 and knew any workout was better than nothing. After a quick 5-minute warm-up on a bike, I did a shoulder workout that I figured would torch my shoulders. Here it is….

SHOULDER SCULPT WORKOUT

Complete 3 SETS of the Below Exercises

Alternating Balance Shoulder Presses, 12/10/8 reps

Alternating Front and Side Raises, 12/10/10 reps

Seated Shoulder Presses, 10/6/6 reps

Seated Shoulder Fly’s, 10 reps each

Swimmers Press, 10 reps each

I also incorporated several high repetition rotator cuff and labrum exercises at the end using lightweights.

***Except for the seated shoulder presses, I used moderately lightweights and limited my rest time between sets. This kept my heart rate up throughout the entire workout ***

Examples of a few of the exercises:

Alternating Balance Shoulder Presses

Front Raises

Lateral Raises

When I left the gym on Tuesday night, the way I felt could not have been more different than Monday night, which lead me to this thought; sometimes it is doing the things that you do not want to do, that make you feel better at the end of the day.

You have to step outside of your comfort zone at times. Do the things that you have been putting off, or dreading, and once it is completed the sense of relief will far out weigh that looming feeling you had prior.

How do you motivate yourself to go to the gym?

In case you missed Marc’s first two guest posts, here they are:

Something new to The Fit Skool

NO Better time than now

January 21, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

WIAW: Chocolate milk craving

I feel like since it’s Wednesday I need to let you know if my week is going fast or not. I guess it’s the point during the week when we say this week is dragging, but this time it’s flying.

It’s time for me to link up with Jenn and share my food journal and WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday).

I wasn’t really feeling eggs yesterday morning, but Ava was sleeping so I couldn’t use the blender to make a shake. I took some leftover broccoli and mushrooms and placed 2 over easy eggs on top, with a whole grain english muffin on the side. I’m glad I didn’t have that shake, it was tasty!

Mid morning after my clients, I had a big piece of Egg Frittata with kale mushrooms & tomato. I also enjoyed banana with some peanut butter.

Lunch was a BIG salad. My salad had rommaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, avocado, chicken & lemon juice with some red wine vinegar. It was delicious.

I also had a small piece of gluten free cheese pizza.. it wasn’t that great though. It was a little too dry for me, maybe I should’ve warmed it up.

I was craving chocolate milk in the afternoon. I guess if I have a craving and its somewhat healthy that’s a good thing. I decided to buy some Silk Chocolate milk. I didn’t read the label and this milk definitely has more sugar then I expected but it was chocolatey and delicious so who cares! I also had a bowl of Fennel & Apple salad that Marc made. I am so mad there wasn’t more of it.

Dinner was a Zucchini topped with a Chicken Bolognese. I try and keep my pre workout meals simple. Veggies deserved to be smothered in meat sauce.

I had some Kabocha squash on the side.. I know it is pretty random but I was in the mood

Post Boot Camp I opted for a Protein Shake with almond milk. Marc also cooked up some plantains that he lightly fried in coconut oil! This has become a tradition on Tuesday nights and I don’t mind it at all…. especially when I don’t have to cook them

That wraps up my day of eating!! Your turn, what yummy food did you eat?

Do you like Fennel?

Have you ever tried Kabocha Squash?

January 20, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
8 Comments

Cardio MAX Bodyweight Circuit

Sometimes it can be challenging to work out at home with a little one running around or just because it’s hard to motivate and push yourself to exercise in the comfort of your own home!

When I tell myself I am going to do something I usually stick to it… so I quickly wrote down my workout plan. I find if I put it on paper I HAVE TO DO IT!

Sunday was the perfect day to workout at home because the weather was horrible, freezing rain and black ice!! From start to finish the workout took me 30 minutes and I was dripping sweat.

I started the workout with a 6 minute Warm-up alternating between Jogging, Jumping jacks, Butt Kicks, & Jump Rope (1 min 30 seconds each)

CARDIO MAX BODYWEIGHT CIRCUIT

AGILITY LADDER- HEISMAN DRILL

BURPEES

PUSHUPS

X-JUMPS

AGILITY LADDER HOPSCOTCH

SQUAT HOPS (AGILITY LADDER)

Each exercise is 1 minute, try to complete as many repetitions in 1 minute as possible. Rest 30-45 seconds in between each exercise.

Complete circuit 2x

Here are a few videos of the some of the exercises:

Burpees (This is a video of me doing the Burpee minus the pushup) IMG_2285

X-Jumps (During this exercise you perform a full squat with your feet close together and then Jump out into an X) IMG_2290

Pushups (Ava jumped on Marc’s back so I had to snap some pictures)

Agility Ladder Heisman

This workout took me about 20 minutes to complete. I took a little more rest after some of the more intense exercises like X-JUMPS. I was completely winded at one point so my rest was 45 seconds. At the end of the workout I did some light stretching to cool-down, I felt great!

***Consult your Doctor before beginning a new workout program***

January 19, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Cardio, Birthdays & Sunday Football

This weekend was pretty packed for our family….. minus Friday night.

We got take out and watched State of Affairs so it was pretty relaxing. My mom turned me onto the show. It is kinda like Homeland and Scandal combined so if you like those shows you should definitely check it out. Throw some Katherine Heigl in the mix and I am all in.

If I wasn’t tired I am sure we would have watched a couple more episodes.

Saturday I woke up early with Ava and let Marc snooze a bit more. I made us a similar breakfast to last weekend. Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes and Omelets with spinach. YUM!

I headed to the YMCA a little before 11am to attend the launch of our new program GROUP RIDE. Talk about sweat, fun, and butt kicking it was great. I don’t do a ton of cardio besides my boot camp workouts so this was refreshing and I was happy to get in some extra cardio while supporting my co-workers.

After the workout we got some amazing samples from Green & Tonic which is an awesome health food store in Greenwich. I am all for healthy smoothies & snacks especially free ones

I quickly got home showered & changed so we could head to our first kids party of the weekend. It was a 1st Birthday party and Ava enjoyed every second.

She got to play with kids her age while we hung out with our college friends for a few hours.

It was a great first Birthday Party.

Sunday started off slow, the roads were super icy and there were weather alerts not to travel because of black ice. We didn’t rush out of the house at all which was nice, so I did some food prep and started to make some dinner for the Patriots game. Shortly after I decided I wanted to do more cardio. I did a Quick Cardio Circuit at home.

Check out that MAX Heart Rate…. 191!! Clearly I was working hard. I will share my workout with you this week. I was dripping sweat but loved it. As much as I enjoyed doing the spin class on Saturday… I would much rather be jumping around and doing fast paced cardio (burpees, pushups, X-jumps, etc.) I know I’m weird!

Around 2pm I headed to our second birthday party of the weekend. Unfortunately Ava didn’t make this party, she was a little under the weather so Marc stayed home with her.

We headed home around 4… I finished prepping some food and then watched the Patriots game. THEY ARE HEADED TO THE SUPERBOWL and we couldn’t be more excited WOOHOO

Have you ever done a choreographed spin class?

What was a highlight from your weekend?

January 17, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

NO better time than now.

In case you missed my first post check it out.

Getting back in to the gym and working out on a regular basis has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I can honestly say that before just a couple of weeks ago, going to the gym and working out was not in my schedule at all. It would cross my mind throughout the day, but by the time I got home from work, it just wasn’t happening.

Let’s go back aways….. I used to work out quiet regularly for a period of time. Before Kelly was pregnant with Ava, and even during her pregnancy I would almost always attend Kelly’s bootcamp classes. I would go to the gym maybe 1 or 2 times a week on top of that, and with softball 1 night per week, I considered myself a highly “active” person.

In the last year+ (since Ava was born) – not so much. Between lack of sleep for a few months and a desire to spend time at home (when not at work) exercise took a back seat. Kelly’s bootcamp classes became a thing of the past, as I was now spending that time watching Ava, while Kelly taught class.

Luckily I have a rather fast metabolism, and with eating right, gaining weight was not an issue. But on an overall health level, I felt like I was failing. Besides walking Cooper, I honestly worked out at the gym 3-4 times in the last year. And even those times, I felt like Kelly was forcing me to go and not be so lazy!

Anyway, back to the present day. We are 2 1/2 weeks into the new year, and I have made it to gym a total of 9 times. I also started playing in a men’s basketball league 1 night per week (the only cardio I really do) and worked out 1 time at home with Kelly. I told myself I was going to try and work out 4-5 days/week, and after 17 days I have worked out 12. Not too bad.

I have been trying to mix up my workouts to keep myself entertained. Getting to the gym on weekends has been much easier than on weekdays, as expected, but I can’t complain. Currently my weekday workouts have been shorter on time and because of this, more total body and compound movement exercises. Weekends I have focused more on individual body parts in an attemp to regain some strength.

What type of workouts do you prefer? Full body, cardio based, or working on a single body part?

Post By: Marc Garofalo

January 16, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Things I am loving this week!

It’s Friday guys and I am pretty pumped! We have so many things going on this weekend and I really think because I was looking forward to the weekend it made the week draggggg. Saturday I am headed to a new class that the YMCA is launching called GROUP RIDE (it is similar to Group Power but it’s a spin class) My co-workers are teaching it for the first time so I am going to support them and also get my sweat on. Shortly after, we will be driving to Wallingford, CT to attend a 1st Birthday party! We get to see some college friends which is always a lot of fun!!

And guess what is on the agenda for Sunday… a 2 year old Birthday party haha. Ava should have a blast and be exhausted after all her fun play dates.

On a totally different note, did you like Marc’s post yesterday? I am excited for you to get to know him a little better, he has so many great things to share with you over the next few weeks about his fitness journey! Be sure to check in tomorrow he has a follow up post.

Besides being excited for the weekend. Here are a few other things I have been loving this week.

The FOAM ROLLER. As torturous as it is, my legs get a lot looser after I use this bad boy. It gets rid of my tightness from millions of squats and I walk away feeling so much better.

Lean Beef Meatballs.. I made these for Ava and snuck in some spinach. It’s the only way I can get her to eat spinach and they were so delicious

Walks with Cooper… we got in some great walks outside this week. Despite the cold and my nose freezing off on some days, it was fun and we had some great views!!!

Assisted Pull-Up Machine… this machine really helped me this week. I was sore the other day, so I really needed the assistance and it has helped me improve my Pull Up strength. There was no chance of me doing them on my own!

Because we all love food. Last night my Pre Boot Camp dinner was Al Fresco Chicken Sausages. They were red pepper & asiago cheese flavor… UM amazing. I devoured mine and Ava was begging for more. You gotta try them. Instead of using a bun or bread I used Romaine and I’m glad I did because you can taste all the seasoning from the juicy sausage!

Ava has been quite the character this week. She has made me laugh a ton and I can’t help but try to make her giggle too.

It’s so fun to watch her learn new things… like rocking herself on her toy Giraffe.

I hope you all have a great weekend and be sure to check back in tomorrow for a post from Marc!

Looking back on the week, what are some things you enjoyed?

Any fun plans this weekend?

January 15, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Something NEW to The Fit Skool…

I will start off with saying; I’m not really sure how this blog post will turn out. You may like it, or then again you may not. It may be a little different than what your used to reading on thefitskool.com, but hopefully it will be a good thing in the long run. I can assure you that it will definitely give you a different view point, and in turn maybe yourself or someone you know will be able to relate. This is in fact the idea behind this whole thing.

3-4 months ago “this idea” came up, but nothing ever happened. Then WE discussed doing this about 1 month ago. I made excuses why the timing didn’t work. With Ava’s 1st Birthday party and the holiday season to follow, I put it off. I was trying to buy myself some time (I admit I am a procrastinator.)

Well, with the New Year upon us and resolutions to be made, I had no excuses. I was much more on-board and figured its time I give this blogging a try. Thanks to the support, knowledge and enthusiasm of my super talented wife, this will be my first, of hopefully, many “guest” blog posts.

Oh sorry. Did I forget to mention, this is Marc, not Kelly!

I will leave the trainer tips, the healthy recipes, and Ava & Cooper stories to Kelly. I will more or less recount my own adventures back into the gym while working full time. My hope is to just get back into a regular workout routine and I do not have any specific goal in mind. However, knowing myself, I’m sure it won’t be long before I am challenging myself in one way or another.

Check back Saturday for an update of where I am 2 weeks into the New Year!

January 14, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
8 Comments

WIAW: 5 meals

I really do enjoy sharing my food journal with you guys. Like I have said before it holds me accountable and keeps my eating on track.

I am linking up with Jenn to share WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) or in this case what I ate Tuesday.

My morning began with a cup of coffee, 2 eggs served over spinach, 2 pieces of toast, a spoon full of guacamole and blackberries. I try to eat a big breakfast every day so I can power through my day. If I don’t eat a big enough breakfast I feel like my day crumbles and I am constantly hungry.

After training around 10am, I had 1/2 of a leftover baked potato topped with eggs and peppers with some olive oil. It was delicious and eggs always make for a great morning snack.

For lunch I had leftovers again. Are you surprised? Salmon with sliced sweet potatoes and 2 stuffed mushrooms! It was simple & delicious

Also not pictured was a granny smith apple that I had right before lunch!

Around 3pm I veggied out with a big salad. My salad had cucumbers, tomato, celery, carrots, avocado & a red wine vinigarette dressing. Salads are the easiest way for me to add veggies and feel satisfied. (I need my afternoon snack to have veggies because it keeps me full until dinner) I noticed when I have fruit & yogurt or something like that I don’t stay as full.

My pre boot camp fuel was Homemade Chicken Soup with Kale, Celery, & Carrots. I drizzled some olive oil on top and sprinkled some parmesan cheese in the mix.

After Boot Camp class I needed something filling so I had a Protein Shake with almond milk & banana.

I was still hungry so I balanced my snack out with a scoop of peanut butter right out of the jar!

Yum!

What did you eat yesterday that was tasty?

What is your favorite morning snack?