Does Your Workout Work For You?

When you get ready to head out to the gym do you know what you’re going to do when you get there? Do you have a plan or do you just get there, hop on a piece of cardio equipment and go through the same routine you’ve been doing for years? I can tell you that I have seen the same people year after year at the gym that look exactly the same as when they first joined and here’s why…

1. You do the same routine or go to the same class every day.

You need to add variety to get results. The body will adapt quickly to the same 30 minutes on the StairMaster every day. Do a combination of strength training and cardio, check out a different class, or get on a different piece of cardio equipment. I personally love kickboxing, there’s nothing like punching and kicking a heavy bag to release stress! If you really want to torch some calories I suggest adding in a kickboxing class.

2. You have no idea what you’re doing or how to use the equipment at they gym so you only go to the machines you know how to use.

My suggestion is to find a trainer that can help you learn how to use the equipment and create a plan for you to meet your fitness/weight loss goals. When working with a trainer start from day one writing down your workouts so you can use them on the days you are not with your trainer. For most people having a trainer is not a luxury, it’s a NECESSITY! Having a standing appointment with a trainer will help keep you motivated, safe, and most importantly ACCOUNTABLE.

3. You multi-task while working out. What I like to call “Cell phone cardio”.

I cannot begin to tell you the number of times each day I see women sitting on a recumbent bike, walking the treadmill, or some other piece of cardio equipment while texting away on their cell phones. If you can text while you’re working out, you’re not working out hard enough. I put one of my clients on an elliptical machine and she flipped out because her heart rate went up to 12o BPM’s she told me that “someone” told her that for her age/size she shouldn’t go above 120 BPM’s. I gently explained that you need to go by how you feel, NOT the number on the screen. Can you carry on a conversation? If the answer is yes, you are not working hard enough.

4. You find a routine in your favorite fitness magazine or one that a “celebrity” is doing and expect it to work the same for you.

I applaud you for making the effort to pull out the routine and try it. Unfortunately, more often than not, you’re not putting in the same kind of effort/intensity required. The model or celeb in the photos is working with a trainer and nutritionist on a regular basis. Not to mention, they airbrush these people to make them appear perfect. Find something you like to do, put the effort in, and stick to it!

5. You tell yourself that since you went to the gym today you should reward yourself with a bag of cookies or chips. WRONG ANSWER!

You can spend hours at the gym working out but if you fill your body up with processed junk food, you are wasting your time. You need to feed your body with healthy nutritious food not empty calories. Every Saturday I go to the grocery store and stock up on what I will need for the upcoming week. Fuji apples, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, chicken, turkey, oatmeal, egg whites (in the carton), almond milk, protein powder, etc. On Sunday, I grill/cook all my chicken and veggies so that it’s all ready to eat. Every night I put together my cooler and fill it with my breakfast and lunch for the following day. I also include a shaker for protein shakes, small Tupperware containers with 1 serving of protein powder, and apples for snacks. A little preparation goes a long way!

These are just some of the mistakes I see at the gym on a regular basis. If you are committed to making a change in your life through exercise and nutrition then find the help you need to get you where you want to be. Go to the front desk at your gym, look around at the people at your gym find the most fit person and ask them what they do. Go online and order books on fitness & nutrition. The book I’m currently reading and one I’d highly recommend is IMPACT by Todd Durkin it’s filled with great information, motivation, and inspiration.

Most of all just get up and MOVE!!!

xoxo Fit Chica

The search for the perfect pant…I love lucy!

As a fitness professional, I have been on the hunt for a pant that fits and looks great, and is functional for all activities. The search is over!

 The Hatha Power Pant by lucy is the best pant I have ever purchased. I wear this pant while training my clients and for my own workouts (i.e. weight training, running, TRX Suspension Training, and yoga). What’s great about this pant is that it fits like a glove with its maximum compression. No more having to pull your pants up in the middle of class. The moisture wicking fabric wicks the sweat from your body so it keeps you cool and yet somehow keeps me warm even at 6 a.m. on a cold beach run. Another great feature is the hidden front pocket that’s perfect for holding a key or money for a coffee 🙂

But by far, the best feature for me was the length, at 5 feet tall finding a pant that I don’t have to hem is just unheard of. Well, lucy has pants in lengths for all sizes. So, if you’re tall (5’9″ and up), average (5’4″ to 5’8″) or, a vertically challenged individual like myself, you can grab a short pair (5’3″ and under). 

What’s really cool is that on their website www.lucy.com, when you click on a tab i.e. Bottoms, you see models wearing the pants and they turn 360° so you can actually see what the pants look like on a person. This is so much better than just a static picture where you really have no idea what the pants (or tops) look like on.

The Hatha Power pant comes in black with black piping, black with fuschia piping, and navy blue with turquoise piping. It also comes in a capri length!

I now own 2 pairs of the Hatha Pant and plan on getting another pair very soon. The only thing I would like to see is the black pant with red piping to match the beautiful Power Yoga Halter I have in red. Thanks so much lucy for these amazing pants! Keep up the good work!

 

Pros: Flattering, Functional, Sexy, Sturdy, Stylish
Cons: They are a little pricey at $88 but, you definitely get what you pay for and compared to other retailers i.e. Lululemon, these pants are more affordable and you just cannot beat the fit and quality of lucy.
Best Uses: General Fitness, Strength Training, TRX Suspension Training, Yoga, Pilates, Running, and Sports Training

Bottom Line: I would highly recommend these to my friends and clients.

Rating (Out of 5):
Fit: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★★
Price: ★★★★ (you get what you pay for so they’re worth it)
Meets Expectations: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★

Welcome to Fit Chica

My name is Jennifer Billings. I am the daughter of parents who emigrated from Mendoza, Argentina to Los Angeles, CA in 1960. I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles called Glendale. When I was 13 years old, the Jane Fonda workout hit video stores across America and I, like millions of Americans, was hooked! Leg warmers and all, I would workout religiously to her video in front of the TV in our very small apartment in our even smaller living room. It was right about this time that a gym opened up down the street from our house and I begged my mom for the money to join. I took aerobics classes regularly but didn’t really lift weights because I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t want to look foolish. Two years later `The Terminator’ hit movie theaters and as I watched the scenes of Linda Hamilton with those kick-ass arms, I knew I wanted arms like that.

It took a little while but I ended up working out at a now defunct gym called 20 Minute Workout and I managed to get the courage to hit the weights. Oh how I remember the spandex and butt floss leotards that were all the rage back then. There was a little women’s area so I went ahead and jumped on all the machines and used the free weights. I just copied what I saw other people doing and voila! I felt like a pro 😉

I’m 40 years old now and have never lost my love of fitness. Over the last few years, I’ve added yoga, pilates, and TRX® Suspension Training to my repertoire. After being laid off in November ’08, I decided to focus my energies into figuring out what it is that I enjoy and what I really want to be when I grow up. After thinking it over I realized that what I really love to do is workout and what I really wanted to do is help people achieve their fitness goals. For years  friends have asked if they could workout with me and even a few strangers who would see me at the gym regularly asked if they could workout with me. So, after training people for free for years, I decided to get paid for it 🙂

I am now a certified personal trainer. Along with my personal training certification, I am certified to train others on the TRX®.

I like to incorporates traditional weight lifting with BOSU® balance training and TRX® Suspension training. I believe that a workout today will make you a better person than you were yesterday. That staying fit is the key to a long and healthy life.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts. I look forward to hearing from you.

In Good Health,
Jennifer aka Fit Chica