The Aldo 30 day challenge

So you've signed up for the 30 Day Challenge and completed the baseline

test with us...

So now what?

Plan to improve on your test results!

1.  Build your upper body strength: one pushup at the time!

Do 10 or more pushups every other day.  Now you know how we measure a

proper pushup, and you have your personal number.  Bonus with doing pushups

is that you're working your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs and core all at

the same time! Plan to increase your number by at least 2 or 3 more.

2.  Build upper body strength: one TRX pullup at the time!

This one is a little tougher to do without a TRX.  You can do pullups on

the gravitron machine we have in the gym, or also use the lat pulldown

machine.  At home, you can get dumbells, bend over and do Db rows. And, if

you're really creative, you can get a broomstick place it across two

chairs, lay under it, and pull yourself up!  Do as many as you can!

3.  Build abdominal strength: one plank and sit up at the time!

Plan to do planks every other day.  Do them before you go to bed if you

have to!  Planks are the single best exercise that exists to build core

strength!  If you feel a pull in your lower back as you are doing them, you

know that your abs are not doing their job.  Pull them in, and get your

butt in line with your shoulders!

Situps aren't for everyone.  If you have any herniated or degenerated

disks, skip this one, and do planks.  (If planks hurt, start with having

one knee bent and touching the floor.)  To do a situp correctly: imprint

your spine into the mat and then roll up one vertebrae at the time!

4.  Build lower body strength in your legs (hips and butt): one squat at

the time!

Yup, you know it… squats give you a good butt.  Need we say more?  And that

goes for the guys as well as the girls!

5.  Improve your cardiovascular health: one step at the time!

Your heart is a muscle just like all the other muscles in your body. Only

it's the muscle that keeps all the other organs in your body alive!

Strengthen it by doing an activity that uses your legs.  Shoot for a

minimum of 15-20 minutes to improve your heart's fitness.  Go for 30-60

minutes if you want to lose weight.  Best plan for your money?  Interval

training!  Alternate 30 seconds of running with a minute of walking.  More

calories burned in a shorter period of time.

6.  Improve your flexibility: one stretch at the time!

Did you know that one cause of lower back pain is tight hamstrings?  Did

you also know that sitting all day can shorten your hip flexor muscles,

which can also cause lower back pain?  Why don't you try a yoga class to

improve your flexibility?  We have 2 yoga classes every week at ALDO!  No

time for a yoga class? Then make time every day for a few lower back

stretches.  Lay down on the floor, and pull your knees into your chest! Now

keep one knee bent and place that foot on the floor.  Straighten the other

leg, and hold for 20 seconds. Change sides!

7.  Change your body: one measurement, one pound at the time!

If you haven't already, time to clean up your eating habits.  Cut out sugar

snacks and desserts. Cut down alcohol. No snacking at night. Cut out the

bread. Eat your pasta for lunch, and keep your salad for dinner.  Drink 6

glasses of water a day.  Eat breakfast.  Eat protein with every meal. Plan

to workout 3x a week to see a change.  Better yet… exercise every day for

then next 30 days! We have lots of activities to choose from at ALDO, or

your can do your own just about anywhere. The point is to get fit ONE DAY

AT THE TIME!!!

There you have it.

Please contact Linda Sproull (lindaliz.sproull@gmail.com) if you have any

questions or concerns.

See you soon and get out there and make a difference in your health!

A Holiday Plan of Attack

(For cocktails, food, and fitness)

Food strategies:

Pre Holidays

:

1. Always eat  a little something BEFORE the party and if you can make it protein. Don’t go to a party or 5 a 7 hungry, and have food in your stomach before you have a drink.  Protein makes a natural barrier for alcohol.  Alcohol as you know, lowers the inhibitions which can result in excess calories, translating into holiday weight gain!  Don’t adopt the “its ok, I’ll deal with it after the holidays” philosophy!   Have a plan, make your goals now!

2. Remember if you are going to indulge…everything in moderation.  Have small amounts of the things you love.   Then plan to be active the next day, and get back to good eating habits.  Focus on other aspects of the holidays that you love.  Try not to make it all about the food and the drinking!

3. Limit your alcohol.  Here’s one strategy:  make every second drink, a glass of water, or cut wine with soda water or diet 7up.  Stay away from the mixed sugar drinks which are MUCH higher calories. 

4. Avoid the nuts, the dips, and anything wrapped in pastry.  A cup of roasted nuts can equal close to 1000 calories… the same amount of calories as a Big Mac and fries.  Instead munch on the raw veggies, which will fill you up, and if you have to eat cheese, choose the harder variety.  The softer the cheese, the higher the fat.

5. Here’s food for thought:  One pound of fat is the equivalent of 3,300 excess calories.   Now think of how many calories you burn doing your cardio. Lets say you gain around 5 pounds over the holidays, how long will it take you to burn off 16,500 extra calories??? Remember that as you are reaching for the puff pastries…

Post Holidays food plan:

1. Ok time to clean up your act:  remove refined sugars, white flours, processed foods and alcohol from your diet.  Refocus on veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.    If you make an effort to remove the above, your body will eventually stop craving them… that should give you incentive…

2. Up your water intake to at least 2 liters a day, more if you’re really active.  Try warm water with lemon in the morning, it’s a natural detoxifier.

3. eliminate all junk food and goodies in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.  Don’t buy it and you won’t eat it.

4. Keep a food diary.  Be accountable to yourself.  Research shows that people who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight.

      Exercise Strategies:

Pre Holidays:

1. To busy to get the workouts in?  Then try accumulating exercise by walking more to and from the car, the shopping center, etc.   Try shortening your routine instead of skipping it, or just doing a few minutes of intense cardio.  Even 20 minutes counts for something. Anything and everything adds up!

2. On Sunday, decide which days you’ll work out on, and write them down in your agenda.  Keep your appointments… you wouldn’t blow off a business meeting, so don’t cancel your commitment to yourself.

3. If you can’t get into the gym, then try buying a workout tape, or a ball and dumbbells for home.   TRX is a great way to stay fit at home or in your hotel room.  Now you can squeeze a quickie in at 5 am, or at 10 pm.  Do pushups, situps, dips, lunges, and squats.

4. Make appointments with your trainer.  This way you will have to keep your workout time and your trainer can maximize your workout.

5. Plan to workout with a friend.  Join an aerobics class, or a group training class such as Bootcamp.  Being accountable to someone else is great incentive.

6. Plan to pay.  If you indulge, plan to work harder at the gym to counteract the extra calories, but don’t get caught up in the “I can eat it, because I work hard” trap.  Try to stay in front of the 8 ball, not behind it!

Post Holidays exercise stategy:

1.      Pick up the pace.  Chances are that before the holidays you were in maintenance mode.  Now’s the time to go full throttle and prepare for spring.  Go a little more hardcore, and plan a regular training schedule.  Stick to it.

2.     Reassess your goals:  No need to set yourself up for failure with lofty resolutions.  Be realistic.  If you want to lose weight, focus on that.  If you want to train for a sport, focus on that.  Make your goal realistic and well within your reach.  Write them down, and give yourself a target date.

3.     Formulate your plan:  periodization is the most effective and efficient way to achieve results.  January is a great time to get started on preconditioning for the summer. (be it for bikini wearing, or bikini watching…)    Changing your program and reassessing your goals every 8-12 will give you the best results, and will prevent you from getting bored, and reaching a plateau.   

Have a safe, happy holiday season, and a Healthy New Year!!!!

Yours in Fitness and in Health,

Linda

www.livestrongtrain.com

(514) 946-3022

The 5 Best Protein snacks

clients often ask me: what can I eat for a protein snack?

Here are my top 5 picks:


1.  Greek yogurt: 15-20 gr of Protein, 80 cal
2.  Whey powder shake: 20+gr of Protein, add water, juice, or fruits for a great shake or smoothie. Feeling creative? add to your oatmeal, or to your fav baking recipe.
3.  3 eggs:  19 gr of protein, 232 cal
4.  3 oz of chicken, turkey, or tuna: 14-22 gr of protein, 66-100 cal
5.  2% chocolate milk:  17 gr protein, 333 cal.

Hardcore: Mastering the 1 arm pushup

Do you want to have the ultimate hardest core in the gym?

then the 1 arm pushup is the way to go,

and here's how to do it:

****this plan will take you a few weeks depending on how quickly you master all 6 pushup techniques.

1. master the military pushup with perfect form, chest going all the way down to the ground

2. next master the staggered pushup: one arm forward, one arm back

3. Now work on Med ball staggered pushups

4. Ready to take it to the wall with 1 arm pushups

5. next work on perfecting 1 arm kneeling pushups

6. and final step, try a few negative 1 arm pushups

7. You should be good to go with your first few reps of the single arm pushup!!!!

Lululemon ambassador photoshoot

DISCIPLINE

My father taught me that only through self discipline can you achieve freedom. Pour water into a cup and you can drink. Without the cup, the water would splash over. The cup is discipline.--Ricardo Montalban

It is no accident that the words discipline and disciple come from the same root. To be a disciple of any path, one must be disciplined. Life works best when we learn to discipline ourselves.Discipline liberates rather than confines you. Discipline allows you to function with ease and grace.


After years of practicing his strokes, a tennis player can hit the ball without having to think about it. What once took conscious effort is now second nature.Unfortunately, many of us had discipline forced upon us as children. Naturally, we rebelled against an externally imposed structure. We were not shown that true discipline always comes from within, and the motivation for that urge is love.


When we are doing what we love, when we are pursuing something that has meaning, discipline becomes natural. As one Olympic athlete explained, "I don't mind working out every day. Because I love what I am doing, my training is not a burden but a joy.

"Discipline is your ticket to freedom and path to excellence. Choose to be disciplined in all your endeavors and become the master of yourself and your life."

Taken from: Listening to Your Inner Voice by Douglas Bloch