The Fit Skool | by Kelly

October 21, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Trainer Tip #6: Choose exercise that you enjoy doing

I realized this past Sunday that Cardio machines are not my favorite way to enjoy aerobic exercise! I would much rather do a Boot Camp style workout for 60 minutes then do the elliptical for 20 minutes!

I did an elliptical interval and the whole time I was thinking about jumping rope and other ways I should’ve been doing my cardio. I rarely ever hop on a machine so I stuck with it, but now I realize why I usually choose other forms of cardiovascular exercise!

Trainer Tip Tuesday #5: Chose workouts that you enjoy doing!!

If you aren’t enjoying your workouts you most likely won’t stick with them. When I am not teaching classes, I enjoy doing bodyweight circuits, kettlebell circuits, agility ladder work, Insanity or T-25 workouts.

I also love practicing Push-ups.

My Tricep Pushup is finally bacK!

It took me a long time to build up my Tricep Pushup strength since my shoulder injury, but now I can complete multiple sets!

Here are 5 tips for finding an exercise you enjoy:

Choose an exercise activity that works for your health. Make sure you are cleared for exercise by your doctor and they approve of the activities you want to participate in.
Join a class. Classes keep you motivated and they usually have the same class times each week which makes it easier to have it set in your schedule. Classes also have great music and a set workout plan.
Choose exercise that works with your schedule. Does your class fit in with your work schedule? If you don’t have time to get to the gym, find a workout that you can do at home with minimal equipment, or get outside and go for a run before work if you like being outside.
Choose exercise that trains all aspects of physical fitness. I am a huge fan of boot camp class because we work on balance, cardio, & strength. Some classes only focus on strength training or only cardio so you will need to find other days to fit in the exercises you aren’t training.
Workout with a friend. Having a friend or family member to work out with holds you accountable and will help to keep you motivated to stay on track!

Do you have any tips for finding exercise that you enjoy?

What is your favorite type of exercise? How about your least favorite!?

October 20, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Coxsackie & Cardio

I spoke too soon on Friday when I said the week flew by and I was so excited for the weekend. Friday, Ava broke out with a 102 fever. She was so hot, I was sweating when I held her. I called the doctor, and they said the nurse would call me back. Ava took a 2 hour nap that afternoon and I checked on her every 15 minutes. Before she fell asleep she seemed so uncomfortable and not her usual happy self.

When the docrot finally called, they asked if she had any other symptoms. Besides the fever and being irritable I didn’t notice anything else. She said to just keep an eye on her and giver her Tylenol or Motrin to help the fever and discomfort.

Welllllll it was a long night let me tell you. Ava, my usually wonderful sleeper, would not sleep. She would fuss and cry, and anytime she fell asleep in our arms, the second we put her down, she would wake back up and make it clear that she was not happy. The worst part was she wouldn’t drink anything. I knew she was hungry, but she would not take her bottle.

This coffee was TOTALLY necessary in the morning!

So we took her to the Dr Saturday morning and sure enough she had Coxsackie Virus. While she did not have any visable rashes on her body, the doctor confirmed that her throat had blisters and ulcerations on it. Clearly the reason she was so fussy and in discomfort.

Unfortunately for my poor little girl, there’s nothing you can do for Coxsackie. As we had already been doing, keeping her as comfortable as possible and time were the only really solutions to our problem. We watched lots of Sesame street, mickey mouse club house, we cuddled on the couch, and we did whatever we could to keep Ava occupied and distracted.

(she did eat some cheerios and other fruit throughout the day)

We watched lots of Sesame street, mickey mouse, we cuddled on the couch, and we did whatever we could to keep Ava occupied and distracted.

This included a LONG walk. We bundled Ava up and put her in the stroller and got ready to head out. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone and getting Cooper some exercise was also an added plus. He was probably more excited to get out of the house than we were. The plan on our walk was simple; walk until Ava fell asleep. Marc and I walked in silence (something we usually never do) and were hoping for the best. I’ll admit a few times she had us fooled and we thought she was asleep. When she finally fell asleep I was literally fist-pumping the air!

We brought her inside from our walk and I put her down in her crib for her nap. I decided it was a perfect time for me to lay down. The lack of sleep and the day’s events had me exhausted! I think I napped for all of 15 minutes, but it seriously it did wonders for me.

Once she woke up from her nap, we made a quick trip to the store to get ice pops. After wandering up and down the isles, I had a genius idea to get watermelon. I was so determined to get her hydrated as fast as possible and this did the trick. She loved it. She was shoving her face so much that her cheeks looked like a chipmunk! I couldn’t have been happier.

Between the watermelon and the home-made Ice pops that I made, I knew we were on the road to recovery I could just feel it.We all know how important it is to drink lots of fluids when you are sick, it is the ONLY way to get better.

Sunday Ava woke up smiling, and so did I. It was such a better day then Saturday.

Marc was able to get out and play golf in the morning and I hung out with Ava. Once he got home I went for a walk/run with Cooper and then headed to the YMCA to do a little cardio.

It felt great to sweat after not exercising for a couple days.

I even headed to Muse Nail Salon for a pedicure. It felt great to treat myself!

The rest of our weekend was pretty relaxingg Our Sunday night Marc and I took some time to sit down and watch the Grey’s Anatomy episode that we missed Thursday night. Half way through the episode this happened…

Seriously it is 150 calories for the whole pint.

I didn’t eat the whole pint, I had a normal serving but I did add a scoop of peanut butter. I felt that it needed a bit more flavor but it did satisfy my craving for sweets!

Have you or your children ever had Coxsackie virus or something similar?

Have you ever tried ARCTIC ZERO?

What is something fun you did this weekend?

October 17, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Things I am loving lately

I love when Friday rolls around quickly, I woke up this morning and was SO pumped it was Friday. Do you get excited??

Boot camp last night was awesome, sweat was pouring off my face, we were all spent by the end of the workout! I wanted to snap a picture but my face was too red and my hair was a hot mess.

Now I would like to share with you some of the things I am Loving this week:

First up, a Happy Birthday to my best friend Shannon, she will be celebrating her last year in her twenties.

Clementines. They weren’t cheap but when you have a healthy craving it is okay! They are tiny so I eat 3 at a time, oops

Have you heard of or tried AMRAP bars? I won a box of them from Giselle’s giveaway and I have become a fan. This particular flavor is fig & cocoa and it has 270 calories & 15g of protein, they are definitely filling.

I have been mixing this bag of trail mix with these nuts and the combination is perfect. The trail mix has GOLDEN raisins which I pick out because I love them so much!

As a side dish last night for dinner I had some broccoli rabe and sweet potato pancakes. SO GOOD. Ava loved the sweet potato pancakes! I opted not to give her the broccoli rabe because it was a little bitter!

Marc and I love this Rudi’s Gluten Free bread. We keep it in the freezer and pull it out as needed!

Last but not least, I love this devilish smile!

What have you been loving lately?

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

October 16, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Jell-o Arms & Friend Time

Yesterday we had quite a crowd in Group Power. I love when the class is packed because I feed off of the energy in the room! I was able to increase some of my weights for the Legs and Shoulders track, so you can imagine my muscles were shaking when we finished. I literally had trouble lifting my water bottle. My arms were like Jell-o

I have been on a Whey Protein Shake kick lately so I refueled with Gold Standards Coffee flavored Whey protein & a banana. Those were both inhaled in 0.2 seconds.

The rest of my day flew by!

Last night I went to my friend Shannon’s house to celebrate her birthday.

Ava was blinded by the flash in this pic.

Whenever it is someone’s birthday we celebrate by going out to dinner or getting take out food. Shannon just recently had a baby so we decided to have a low-key night at her house.

Our girls nights are a little different now that we have babies running around, but it is still so much fun!

We typically always order Salad & Pizza since it is easy! I ordered their house salad which comes with grilled chicken, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, & carrots. Pretty basic but delicious!

I didn’t take any food pictures, it was a little too crazy feeding Ava & myself at the same time.

We laughed, chatted, played with the kids and before I knew it we were heading home. I love hanging out with my friends!

How do you celebrate your friends birthdays?

Have you had any tough workouts lately where you feel like your muscles are literally shaking?

October 15, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

WIAW: Meat & Potatoes

I really enjoy posting my food journal for What I ate Wednesday. It holds me accountable for what I am eating and it also motivates me to eat healthy. I also find that I try to make my meals interesting and creative for you guys.

That leads me to breakfast! You would be proud of me, I steered away from my over easy eggs! I made Marc and I scrambled eggs with spinach and I topped it with Fresh Tomatoes & Avocados with a piece of Rudi’s gluten free toast. UM, Delicious! I got hooked on avocado and eggs recently and if you haven’t tried the combo you really need to.

I also had some of my homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee… I love it.

My mid morning snack was a banana and a Purium L.O.V.E Shake. Again, this filled me right up.

Yesterday was kind of a warmer weather day here, so I wanted something cold for lunch. I got a salad to go from Arcuri’s. It had grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, gorgonzola, and their delicious house italian dressing. I’m a huge fan of this salad and believe it or not, it is too big to finish! Yay for leftovers.

In the afternoon I took Cooper to the dog park to run around. I enjoy taking him there to mix up his exercise. Sometimes our walks aren’t so exciting. Cooper was the only dog there so I ran around with him, we played fetch with a frisbee and he tired himself out. When I got back I ate an orange which was so refreshing, and I had a small oven baked sweet potato that was leftover from Sunday. Weird combo but it was satisfying.

My snack was halloween friendly with orange colors!

If you haven’t already figured out by now, I am a meat and potatoes girl. Literally I could eat a potato every day of my life and not get sick of them. Dinner was Al Fresco Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers, Onions & Potatoes. When ever we use sausage, I usually choose Al Fresco chicken sausage. They are tasty & healthy!

I made the potatoes separately so that Ava could enjoy them too, she actually ended up liking the chicken sausage, so next time I will throw the potatoes in the mix!

Ava thinks it’s funny to feed Cooper her leftovers!

After Boot Camp I opted for a Chocolate Whey Protein Shake. I also snacked on some plantain chips.

For more WIAW posts check out Jenn’s Blog!

What do you prefer to eat pre and post workout?

Do you like Avocado & Eggs?

October 14, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Trainer Tip Tuesday #5: Quality vs Quantity

Before I get to the topic of this blog, I wanted to share with you my dinner from last night. I made some Chicken Spinach Meatballs that were lightly fried in coconut oil and served over Zoodles! It was sso tasty and if I didn’t have to save some meatballs for Ava I would have finished them all!

Enough about food, lets talk training.

Have you ever had a fitness assessment with a personal trainer at your gym? I highly recommend it if you haven’t. Your trainer can tell you where your strengths and weaknesses are, correct your form on basic exercises, and help you set up a plan to achieve your goals.

TRAINER TIP TUESDAY: Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to workouts

As a Personal Trainer and Instructor I am super strict on form with any type of exercise. I am constantly repeating phrases like, push up through your heels, keep your core engaged, keep your back straight, etc. If you aren’t doing it right, you won’t use the correct muscles and you will increase the risk for injury.

When I work out during my classes or on my own at the gym I tend to go 110%, except for when I am performing a new exercise or trying out a new weight. If this is the case I always proceed slowly and focus on technique.

When you Focus on quality over quantity during exercise you will

avoid injury
perform with proper technique & form
focus on the muscles you are engaging with each exercise

When I am doing a squat for example, I always focus on tipping my hips back first, keeping the weight in the back of my feet, and as I stand up squeezing my glutes. Focusing on the muscle I am training helps me to perform properly!!

Do you have any fitness tips?

Have you ever injured yourself exercising? How did you overcome your injury?

Does your trainer or instructor correct your form or give you cues on proper technique?

October 13, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Jacobs Ladder & Rope Training

It is SUPER rare that Marc and I workout together but when we do I feel like we both train hard. We used to go to the gym a lot together, but that was before Ava became part of our family. Now we usually do separate workouts but it is always fun to workout together.

On Saturday, we visited a new local gym called Clay Health Club & Spa. I actually shouldn’t say we visited a gym, Clay feels like a high-end luxury resort more then it does a gym. The people there are over the top friendly and there was a calming feel about the space.

I was in love with all the equipment, and they had top of the line EVERYTHING. We quickly warmed up on a couple of ellipticals and then we explored the wellness area.

I decided to start with a quick set of Pull-ups. Marc spotted me since I hadn’t done Pull-ups in forever. While I did not do as many as I was hoping for, it felt great to incorporate them back into a workout!

Rope & Kettle Bell Workout

Here is what the rest of my workout consisted of:

15 kettlebell swings (25lb Kettlebell)

Alternating Rope slams (30 seconds) Marc and I did a bigger range of motion then the clip in the video

Rope Jacks (30 seconds)

10 squat to upright rows (25lb KB)

I completed 4 rounds and took rest as needed.

Marc and I then finished our workout with the Jacobs Ladder. It was awesome & challenging and my heart was racing. I wish I had one of these in my basement.

We would have loved to stay longer at Clay Health Club but little Miss Ava was super tired. While we worked out she had fun playing in the childcare area!

As for the rest of my weekend, we ordered some delicious italian take-out food, we enjoyed the fall weather and being outside with Cooper, I did an awesome cardio workout thanks to T-25, and we hung out with family!

It was a great weekend How was yours?

Have you ever used a Jacobs ladder?

Are you a fan of rope training? If you have never used them would you try it?

October 10, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Fitness Friday: Plank Punches

I am so happy it is Friday!! My weeks usually fly but this week was going in slow-mo… so I am extra happy that we are finally here.

Today is a rest day for me. I got in some fabulous workouts this week, but my body is telling me to lay off the squats, pushups, and anything involving weights!

I wanted to share with you my favorite new exercise of the week!! We practiced Plank Punches this week in Boot Camp and I loved it. I am a huge fan of planks because they help to build a strong core. Having a strong core is the foundation for everything you do with fitness!

PLANK PUNCHES!

For this variation of the Plank you start in a Pushup Position on your hands and toes.

(Little miss Ava snuck in this picture! She can’t sit still)

Keep your body straight as a board. Lift up one arm and punch directly in front of you.

Return to your plank position and switch sides.

You can add this exercise into any workout! Try starting with 3 sets of 30 seconds! Remember to keep your core tight and your hips pointing towards the floor, so we get the most out of this exercise!

I am super happy to have no plans on my schedule this weekend. We are going with the “go with the flow” attitude and see what the weekend brings!!

Have you learned any new exercises? If so, please share!

Are you a Planker?

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

October 9, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Random Thoughts

Yesterday was a very productive day for me but once Ava fell asleep I basically crashed on the couch. I kicked my feet up, opened my lap top, logged into my Fit Skool account and found myself staring at the screen for about 20 minutes. As I was writing this post I had so many random thoughts floating through my mind that I started getting frustrated as I looked at a BLANK post. I always have so many different blog topics that I think about throughout the day but sometimes putting everything together seems impossible.

I usually write my ideas down on paper, expand on them a bit and see which ones are appropriate for the day. Well, not today. Today I wanted to share with you a few of my random thoughts. It is a chance for you to see what is going on in my crazy mind.

Here goes:

1. As I flipped through the TV channels last night I thought to myself, how come shows have to end. The fact that 2 of my favorite shows Greys & Scandal just started back up, really got me thinking of why TV Shows take breaks and have different seasons. I wish they were always on. Obviously it keeps us hanging and eagar to watch the next season but WHY do they do this to me?

2. How come the weekends are only 2 days? Why does time go much faster on the weekends? Like seriously yesterday was so long.

3. Speaking of yesterday, Ava’s teeth were bothering her. I thought I was genius by letting her sit in the living room with a frozen pancake to chew on. Not thinking or watching her, I turn around and there are crumbs everywhere. At least Cooper got something out of it!

4. It’s not even cold out and I am trying to book a trip to Florida. Apparently I like the beach & sun. I am preparing for the winter and getting myself ahead of the game.

5. I started lifting a little heavier this week, and although I am feeling stronger I am feeling sore and my butt hurts when I go to sit down.

6. I ate these Emmy’s Chocolate Macaroon treats, and I had to close the bag after I ate one, yes ONE. They are deadly. Although they are made with super healthy ingredients I came to my senses that I couldn’t eat them all.

7. It’s supposed to rain here Saturday which means this is one less weekend I have left to go apple picking.

8. I saw Christmas decorations in the store this week. I am pretty sure last time I checked we haven’t celebrate Halloween yet.

9. As I am typing this post, my computer practically freezes and I had a mini heart attack because I am not sure when the last time I hit the save button. Why does that happen? I think it is time for a new computer.

Our keyboard is missing 7 keys. Cooper ate a few when he was a puppy. He is now 2 years old.

10. I am sure you are sick of my random thoughts so I am going to wrap it up. Tomorrow I will be blogging about something SUPER interesting I promise!!

Have a fabulous day

October 8, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

WIAW: All about Leftovers

Today I am linking up with Jenn and sharing with you some of my eats for a What I Ate Wednesday post. Are you a leftover person? I personally love having leftovers in the fridge. When I don’t have to think about food, I am a much happier person!! Opening the fridge and seeing containers full of food makes my life so easy!

Now.. on to my food journal from yesterday.

I need eggs in the morning, but I think I could also use a little more variety too. Every time I try to switch it up and have scrambled eggs, I think to myself “why didn’t I make over easy eggs??” Runny eggs have so much more flavor to me. You could just say that its my thing, I don’t know what to tell you!….well actually I do. It works with my schedule and more importantly it works with Ava’s! Getting her ready and feeding her in the morning is my priority, and that is why my breakfast has gotten boring. I’m kind of stuck for now, but eventually someone might have to force me to get more creative with my Breakfast!

Here is my breakfast, 2 eggs over easy, some toast and sauteed spinach. I always try to have spinach in the morning because I have low iron.

My toast was a little blah so I ended up sprinkling cinnamon on it! I guess that’s not quite a sprinkle, it came out quite fast.

After training one of my clients in the morning I snacked on a small banana and a Cashew Cookie Larabar. Nothing wild here. Sometimes simple is better, and it certainly was in this case.

My lunch consisted of Leftover Chicken Francese, Broccoli & Carrots and a 1/2 of a leftover Sweet potato. Chicken francese is not a meal I typically order or like too much. However in this case, it was left over, it was not my original meal, and I have to admit it was pretty tasty. With a very light breading and just the perfect amount of lemony-ness I wish there was more than the 1 piece.

In the afternoon I wasn’t too hungry but I snacked on an apple with peanut butter, and also a piece of watermelon. Ava’s teeth were bothering her so I had bought her some watermelon to dig her teeth into. Even though it’s fall, this juicy watermelon tasted great.

Normally before Boot Camp class I have something light, but we ate some leftover Beef & Veggie Chili with Avocado stuffed inside an Acorn Squash. It was quite delicious and a little too filling but I loved every bite. (I had twice the amount of chili that is in the acorn squash)

I always eat something after Boot Camp Class.. we burn too many calories not to. I opted for a Protein Shake!

Also not pictured, were some plantain chips that I had with my snack. I forgot to snap a pic!

Are you a fan of leftovers?

What are some of your go to snacks?