Monthly Archives: June 2013

The Best Test of Willpower

If you read my post yesterday, you’ll know that I’m doing a contest to transform myself (from fit to extremely fit) and see how strong and lean I can make my body. I started off with a 10-day cleanse, a cheat day, and now Hell Week begins. Again, here is my bodyspace. This is when I need the most support. When the days look bleak and I’m not looking forward to much at all. When my stomach begins eating itself.

I’m not a fan of fad diets. And this isn’t a fad diet, it’s getting my body to a certain point where I can then maintain it for the next 5 weeks or so with lean proteins, veggies, and complex carbohydrates. But even before I knew about this contest, I wanted to do this challenge. I wanted it primarily for the ultimate willpower test. Now you’re probably screaming, “What ‘diet’ are you talking about!” Check this video out, don’t worry, it’s only 2-3 minutes long and it’s a lot of fun.

My “diet” is based on the actors who trained for Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the Starz series, the original series with the late Andy Whitfield. 4 water-protein shakes a day. That’s it. And that was all the while doing 4 hours of “Gladiator Camp”–which I would love to do, but it’s damn tough. To get lean and mean. I got my protein powder from tigerfitness.com (Machine Whey Powder) which Chris recommended as one of the best protein powders, especially for this task (and similar to what they used).  So this is what I’m doing: four or five (alternating each day) protein shakes, which is just protein powder and water. That’s it. For seven days. 

The protein I'm using

The protein I’m using

I just completed Day 1 and it feels like a century. 4 water protein shakes spaced roughly four hours apart. The first five hours and last five hours were the toughest. However, I was able to complete a 1.64 mile trail run with a dog and a 1.5 hour arms workout. Not bad, but again, it was rough and miserable. Any food sounds good. I use water and gum to curb my constant hunger. This is a willpower test and I can do it. I know I can. I want to see how far I can push myself. Like I said, I wanted to do this before I even knew about the contest just to test my willpower. 

Trail run

Trail run

So here I go, eating like Spartacus and also training somewhat like him (doing Spartacus workouts). I’m looking at 4-5 water protein shakes a day for the next 6 days. Every smell and glance of food will tempt me, but I will stay strong. This will keep me hungry and fit! 

My only sustenance

My only sustenance

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Fit is Entering a Contest

Some of you may have heard of BodyBuilding.com. No, I am not trying to become a body builder (though, that is what all of us do when we exercise or even eat–building our bodies in different ways), but I am trying to win a contest, and more importantly, show myself up. This is to prove myself that I can always be better than what I am and that I can use willpower to achieve whatever I want. I am entering the Strong to the Cor Challenge sponsored by Cellucor (a popular supplement company).

Buff chicas

It is a contest for already fit people (though I’ve seen some men with 27% body fat…not exactly “fit” for men) to get extremely fit. This means cutting down fat and building up muscle. If you know me already, I’m fit, but there’s always room for improvement. I want to get stronger, faster, and more capable. I have Hungry as my coach and I could ask for no better as he knows me best and also happens to live with me.

Me during a pull workout a few months ago

There’s a $10,000 1st place grand prize (in additional to like 2k worth of supplements and products) with some 2nd and 3rd place prizes too. And it’s 10k to both a female and a male. But that’s not why I’m doing it. I don’t think I’ll actually win the grand prize in the face of all the other females who are doing it–especially those starting with 27% body fat and able to get such a larger transformation. I’m doing this, like I said, to prove to myself that I can push myself farther than I ever have before and really see what my body can do.

Recent arms workout

Recent arms workout

It’s a 6-week transformation, ending in early August. Tomorrow, I truly start. For the past 10 days, I did a cleanse to prime the body and now it’s ready to kick butt. So today was my in-between day, eating whatever I wanted to savor it all up. Pancakes for breakfast, big cheesy burrito for lunch, and pizza and ice cream for dinner. I had been off dairy for 10 days so today was a goooood day. Tomorrow, I start a week of 4 water protein shakes a day, doing what the cast from Spartacus did to get lean and ripped. It’s probably going to be one the hardest tests of my willpower yet. But, I’m excited for it. It will be a week of hell, but I believe I can do it if I set my mind to it.

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So support me! I know that sometimes the killer workouts and nutritional plan are gonna make me want to quit, but I want to see how far I can go. Here is my BodySpace, I’ll try to be updating as much as possible. After watching Man of Steel, I’d love to be paid to workout every day and prime my body to become a superhero, but we can’t have it all, right? So with you guys supporting me and Chris there for me every step, I believe I can get far. Let’s do this! Time to be hungry and fit! 

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria found herself in a doll house in the house we're sitting at

Nymeria found herself in a doll house in the house we’re sitting at

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The Best Protein Shake

I noticed we had five drafts waiting for us to finish. Two are interviews between myself and Fit (those are going to be amazing) and then there are two others I already forget and actually put in the trash bin. We either did them or aren’t going to do them. You’ll find out what those are soon enough. This is the final one and I cannot believe I have not published this yet.

I have many recipes for post-workout protein shakes. I cycle supplements even though I have my favorites. I try new supplements when they are released so I can recommend them and, depending on my fitness goal at the time, I have different blends of mass gainers and protein. I also often purchase depending on price and deals. The base ingredients of my shakes are consistent and simple. I often combine my post-workout shake with a meal… typically dinner. Therefore, I don’t make them massive because I would not risk ruining my appetite. With that being said, here is my base shake with potential deviations.

The master product

1. MILK– I am almost always bulking or maintaining and I love dairy products. Milk is one of my favorite foods period. In a bulk, I might have whole milk. In a cut, I might have 1%. It’s not set in stone but I always use two cups of milk, which on average is about 16 grams of protein and 300 calories. I NEVER calculate fats or carbohydrates. Sorry. This is the shake’s foundation.

2. ICE CREAM– That’s right, more dairy. More fat. More calories and slightly more protein. My go-to ice cream I use 95% of the time is Breyer’s Natural Vanilla. It’s expensive so I wait for it to go on sale and buy, buy, buy. It’s been rated by Men’s Health as the healthiest ice cream for men year after year. I also have eaten Breyer’s since I was a kid. A serving is half a cup so I typically use a full cup in my shake. It’s somewhere around 300 calories and 6 grams of protein. Somewhere around there. This makes the shake rich and smooth.

3. Protein- This is the ingredient that will differ the most depending on everything I mentioned above. Right now, I am using Cytosport’s Whey Protein, which is a blend of whey concentrate, whey isolate, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It’s low in calories and very high in protein. I use two-three scoops depending on what other food I eat throughout the day. My go-to is two scoops, however, which comes out to 54 grams of protein and under 300 calories, I think. I use regular chocolate because I think a lot of the other flavors in the industry are disgusting, especially vanilla.

4. Banana- I love fruit and like to make sure my potassium intake is high enough for when I actually start swimming and playing sports again. Banana and chocolate is also the perfect mix. It may only be about 100 calories and 1 gram of protein but it’s delicious. Also, many primates eat bananas and they’re strong as heck so of course I’m going to eat some too.

5. Creatine- This one isn’t always present but when I am taking extra creatine (my pre-workouts often have it too, plus I do) I usually throw in two teaspoons in my shake during creatine loading cycles and one during creatine maintenance. I use Optimum Nutrition’s Creatine Monohydrate. It can be extremely grainy so mix well or be ready to deal with the texture. It is calorically void.

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That’s about it. I have been known to mix in other fresh fruits, especially strawberries or blueberries. I used to add peanut butter until I got sick of cleaning it off the blades afterwards. I used to add chocolate syrup but that’s long gone. And more. So there you have it. My typical protein shake measures out to a liter. It currently has about 75-80 grams of protein and between 1000-1200 calories.

If you have any questions about post workout meals, supplements, or anything related feel free to comment below! Stay hungry and fit!

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Hungry’s Movie Reviews: Man of Steel (Spoilers)

Let’s start by setting the scene. As you all know by now, I consider myself a nerd. Does that mean I have read every piece of canon work to all of the DC and Marvel comic characters and I am familiar with everything? Absolutely not. But I have developed a sense of the fictional characters that have been my heroes throughout my life as a child raised on cartoons, comic books, movies, and video games. Therefore, as a disclaimer, this movie review is done by me and not an objective or professional movie reviewer.

Phantom Menace 3D glasses what up

Phantom Menace 3D glasses what up

With that being said, I am actually somewhat picky when it comes to “recent” superhero moviesespecially the blockbusters. I did not like any of the five recent X-Men movies except First Class. All 3 Spiderman movies were trash. I enjoyed but wasn’t thrilled with Nolan’s Batman series. Superman Returns was far from great. The Incredible Hulk’s were incredibly lacking. Punisher was solid but its sequel wasn’t appealing enough for me to watch it. Iron Man‘s star made the movies enjoyable although I had a lot of issues with all three, especially the second one. Ghost Rider was awful but entertaining, the sequel never even got a chance. Green Lantern was similar. And I actually really enjoyed Captain America, Thor, and The Avengers. Did I forget any? I’m neglecting the older Batman movies, Superman movies, Supergirl, actually… now that I think about I could list a hundred superhero movies so this paragraph ends now and might find itself continued in a new post. (Because Blade, Spawn, and Hellboy will not be ignored)

Essentially, I have not been thrilled with many adaptations. And a lot of it is just a feeling… while a lot is me nitpicking these characters and story lines I know so well. I tried not to do that in Man of Steel and I tried so hard to not enjoy it because the reviews have been so on the fence after I was so ridiculously pumped for it for months and months. They made such a tremendous trailer and it seemed that they dropped the ball on the main project. However, I don’t completely agree after seeing it.

I think that Henry Cavill has the ability of being the Superman we need and deserve. It wasn’t completely evident in this film as Snyder and Nolan applied their darkness that cast over the Dark Knight and Watchmen. I feel that darkness doesn’t belong with Superman compared to the others but I’m being open to their effort. Amy Adams did an admirable job as well. I think the casting and acting all in all was good. All four of Clark’s/Kal’s parents really stole the show in my book, and I was questionable about Kevin Costner ahead of time. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack, which removed John Williams’ iconic Superman March for the first time in decades, was spectacular and fit the movie perfectly. The sets and CGI for Krypton and Earth were stunning visuals. However, the movie, as a movie and as an interpretation of Superman was a steady downhill in my book.

Let me say that I did enjoy this movie tremendously. It might be my favorite Superman movie yet, even if the original movies are an overall better package. I would hope they make this a trilogy in order to fix some issues that I have, otherwise, this movie will lose points over the years. Clark Kent and Lois Lane first met in 1933 when Action Comics #1 was written. It was released in 1938. For 75 years their romance has been the most prominent in comic books and arguably in popular culture. This movie was seriously lacking that romantic spark and chemistry and it will be up to the team that led this project to develop that further in the sequels. While I don’t mind changing Clark’s background that much (All-American football star vs. the kid that was always bullied, etc.), I do mind the fact that they changed who Superman is so early on in a potential series.

man-of-steel-poster

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS INCOMING

Superman does not kill. He said it himself when he killed the only person he has ever killed in 75 years. At that point, Lois comforted him and he reacted with that iconic line. In this movie, when a similar event occurred, they moved on quickly like it never happened. This is a monumental change in who Superman is. He would not ignore a city being completely destroyed and millions dying in order to continue a punching contest with one person. He does this only to snap his neck in the end? All of Superman’s powers and he simply breaks a neck with a headlock instead of trying to not kill. I hope they aren’t recreating the character completely and are rather plotting a series where it will take many trials and tribulations for Superman to develop his array of powers. I hope they touch back on this point and how it will haunt him forever to some degree. Killing is not okay and if any superhero embodies that… it’s Superman.

But this happens at the end of the movie! In the beginning, Russell Crowe and a beautiful Krypton provide us (or at least me) with a tear-jerking early origin story. The flashbacks that compliment his current endeavors are not accurate to the story completely but they continue to build the man who is Superman. It gives a look into his origin on Earth with the Kents in Smallville, by having memories in his thirty year old form triggered by things that he sees. As the movie progresses, however, it gets worse in every way. The action picks up but mostly to the degree of lots of punching and loud noises. This culminates with Superman yelling a lot as he flies around the world and runs through machines and aliens with his fists. Back to the Zod point I made earlier.

Nevertheless, the beginning was so tremendous that my overall feeling for this movie was positive. Perry White’s antics, Jor-El in the escape scene and Superman’s crash landing provide comic relief. Clark’s moments with his mother provide joy and warmth. And his scenes with Lois have small hints of romance and chemistry. Thus, that feeling could become more positive if they develop their romance, his life at the Daily Planet, the development of his powers, introduce exciting new villains (there are many) and show that Superman thinks that killing is not okay.

This could be a great jumping off point for a trilogy. And while Henry Cavill may never be the Superman that Christopher Reeves was, he could still be the one this reboot deserves. Hungry gives this a double thumbs up, with potential for more (or less) depending on sequels or deleted scenes. (A date with Lois or a grieving scene of his murdering of Zod would make this movie VERY amazingly good for me.) I do very much so want a sequel. Sorry, this was not organized and was just me speaking my mind.

Try to watch movies but make sure to stay hungry and fit if you do!

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Hiking for Fitness

Chris often says that hiking is a tougher workout than running. Master Kim, our old Tae Kwan Do teacher, said that hiking is the best form of exercise besides Tae Kwon Do itself. If you believe anyone about fitness and life, it’s that guy.  I like to go hiking sometimes when I’m planning not to run that day. And almost always, I am passed out on the couch afterwards, zapped of energy. Which is a good thing! I know we are lucky enough to be in Colorado and thus have a seemingly-infinite amount of hiking trails, but there are hiking trails everywhere. Yes, even in Iowa. You just need to go find them.

A dam

A dam

This post is encouraging people to hike for fitness and not just spend all of their time in the gym. And there will be pictures from my most recent hike in Lyons, Colorado at Button Rock. Now, as you all know, I have nothing against gyms–nothing at all! In fact, we spend 2 hours there per day, usually. But we must never forget the beauty of nature and what we can enjoy outdoors. We must always find a balance between the indoors and the out.

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Hiking is a great form of exercise. It (usually) costs nothing, spare the gas or parking fees, and it is almost enjoyable. Some people detest gyms and if you are one of those people, take a hike! Hiking has an extraordinary amount of benefits including cardiovascular endurance training or as we like to shorten it to “cardio.” Not all hikes are uphill, but I know that ours definitely was. Hiking is walking on steroids. As you continue going upwards, the air gets thinner, and your body has to work harder to gain its homeostasis (basically, the “normal” state of our body at rest). And even if you’re not necessarily going straight uphill, the terrain of hiking is often unsteady, thus your body fights to maintain balance and recruit muscles to stabilize yourself.

My friend and her dog

My friend and her dog

There are incredibly cardio benefits to this (in fact, it is almost just as powerful in this way as running is, as your body has to try to regulate your breathing just as it does while you run or jog), but there are also just as many muscular benefits as well. After I’ve hiked, I feel that I ran a 5k and did a heavy leg workout. It of course has these effects, because of the strain you put on your “cardio” system (as we spoke of earlier) and the amount of work your poor muscles have to do!

Her dog loves to be thrown sticks and retrieve them in the water

Her dog loves to be thrown sticks and retrieve them in the water

After a hike, I can almost certainly not do a heavy leg workout. I remember one time I did this hike and it was a planned leg workout that night. As soon as I got home, I passed out on the couch for an hour and then I dragged myself to the floor to do some leg work without weights. Just when your body is trying to balance upon the unsteady terrain, your legs (all the way from your feet to your glutes and even core) recruit all the muscles they can to maintain that stability. Your glutes help you power up the steep hills and rocks, your quads help slow your descent downhill, your calves help to delicately step up a pile of boulders, and your hamstrings keep you going. It is a fully functional total leg workout. And the legs almost never get a break the whole time!

photo 1 (4)Even with just the slight amount of benefits I’ve already told you, why aren’t you lacing up your hiking boots already! Take a day off from the gym, or even combine the two, and go for a hike! My traps even feel sore afterwards too. If the workout benefits haven’t convinced you, then maybe the rest of these pictures will! Or you could just decide to take it to another level, kick up the intensity, and run the trail instead. For more information on the best trail running shoes, check out Gear We Are! Go hiking to stay hungry and fit!

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A Great Way to Lose Weight

This is for everybody, but mostly aimed at parents, kids, those trying to lose weight, or maintain weight. My message is simple: Food should not be a reward. I’m not really one to talk, but now I try to follow this too. Of course, we look forward to special dinners, nights out with friends, and barbecues with families, but what I speak of is different. Think about this situation: reminding your child before you drop them off at kindergarten that if they are good all day and don’t cry, they get to go to McDonald’s after!

Who thought eating at Wendy's could be so seductive?

Who thought eating at Wendy’s could be so seductive?

Now, what’s wrong with that situation? Well, many things, you might say. But think about the habits that it forms. Child thinks…do not cry, get to go to McDonald’s. Being good = deserving yummy food. They then depend on it. This doesn’t just revolve around children because children tend to grow up into adults. And then we develop emotional eating. 

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I’m sure we’ve all experienced emotional eating at one point or the other whether it be happy (like the McDonald’s child) or sad. Every time, we feel we deserve a reward, we often think of food…cupcakes, an ice cream, you name it. It just sets us up for failure if we’re trying to stay on a healthy lifestyle or lose weight. We aren’t dogs (although, I tend to resemble one when it comes to churros) and we shouldn’t treat ourselves like dogs. When you’re sad, or when you were a child and became sad, doesn’t the thought of ice cream cheer you up? Stop your tears right in their tracks? Now it’s time to reverse that habit.

This takes a lot of time, effort, and willpower to reverse this bad habit that is so constant in our society. Whenever you feel like you deserve something, that you did something well, instead of celebrating by binge-eating that batch of brownies your partner made, go out dancing, to a museum, to a convention, on a trip! Find other ways of rewarding yourself. Put this into your mind! Think about it and let it seep into your life. Food is not a reward. It is an energy source. There are so many other things we can reward ourselves with.

Girl Scout cookie madness

Girl Scout cookie madness

This is so important for those trying to lose weight. Again, sometimes I do this myself (I could argue I’m not trying to lose weight, but it’s good to set examples), but I’m urging you to simply get out of the habit of rewarding yourself with food to avoid emotional eating or setting triggers for yourself. Let’s set ourselves up for success, not failure.

Yup.

Yup.

Feel free to comment or contact us in regards to any questions with how to break this. I hope you enjoyed these ridiculous pictures of Chris. Cheers! Use this post to stay hungry and fit!

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THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

Today’s post is going to be short! It’s not because we are feeling tremendously lazy due to the heat and long work days. It’s not because we’ve run out of ideas… we have pages full of ideas that will last us until 2014. It’s simply because we’ve been very much into what we have been doing on our blog at www.hungryandfit.com (this site!) ever since we started last year. In fact, we are becoming continually more enthusiastic about it, as you can tell by the additions and innovations to the website.

Sajah being adorable on a hot summer day

Sajah being adorable on a hot summer day

For months, we have been tracking our progress and setting some unofficial goals. Obviously, we don’t make much money off of the blog… we simply love to offer some advice and tell fun stories to people who are interested. While we continue planning to expand upon our free and paid-for services, such as online comprehensive training and free YouTube videos (and MORE), we will keep the blog alive. So let’s get to the main point because I’m speaking without thinking about structure since I’m so happy. Just today, we passed the 1,000 follower mark, whatever that means. We’ve been aiming for it for quite some time and we hope you continue to refer us so that number can grow and the number of people we entertain and educate can expand.

Getting ready for a wedding...Chris the self-proclaimed French hairstylist

Getting ready for a wedding…Chris the self-proclaimed French hairstylist

Thank you again for all the love and support. And please look on our other pages besides the blog posts. We have some interesting stuff to see and it will continue to get better. Please let us know if there is a topic you would like us to talk about so we can add it to the list!

Stay hungry and fit!

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Workout Smart: Speed vs. Contraction and Form

Working as a trainer in a gym, I see all kinds of people working out. Some are experts, some are beginners, and some are just plain doing it wrong. I never like to judge: people workout and train for all kinds of purposes and goals, which means they workout differently. However, there are still ways you can workout the wrong way, despite training differently for various goals. It’s not just annoying to see this, it worries me. Working out the improper way doesn’t just make you look silly, but you could seriously hurt yourself too.

This is where the topic of today comes in: speed versus contraction and proper form. Some guys and girls, usually teenage boys (but sometimes 60+ men which is the most worrisome), will try to do reps of exercises–whether it be curls, rows, pull-downs, you name it–as fast as they can. I’m not sure if it’s because they can’t properly handle the weight so they try to get it done as fast as possible or they are trying to show off their abilities. They are wrong in both reasonings. They might even think that doing it as fast as possible is the right way to do it–WRONG. 

Proper form

Proper form

Don’t get me wrong, I will give an exception where fast training is okay. Plyometrics. Athletes. Competition trainees. These are the few exceptions. Athletes need to use plyometrics (training muscles to exert maximum force in the smallest amount of time possible with the most power possible) to get better at their sport. They improve their speed and power this way. You will see athletes doing plyometric jumps or lifts as well as other agility drills. This is okay! People who are training for certain competitions also need to do power-lifting, in which you will see a lot of jerks and snaps for getting their weight up. This is also okay!

I’m talking about the people who aren’t training for competitions, but just working out to achieve certain goals. The average gym-goer. Form is my #1 priority with my clients and they know it! They learn so well that they are able to point out others’ bad form in the gym while we are training. And because I love good form so much, I hate bad form even more. Attention weight lifters: you do not look cooler, sexier, or fitter when you yank that bar down so fast you pull a muscle.

Us in the weight room

Us in the weight room

Weight-lifting is all about control. Control is power. It’s not even all about not injuring yourself (although working out in jerky, fast motions without proper muscle control is a quick road to injury), it’s about maximizing gains and muscle strength. We could get very detailed about how fast repetitions should be based on what you’re looking for (muscle endurance, hypertrophy, strength, power, etc.), but that’s for another post.

Let’s just go to the basics. You will “feel” the reps more when you slow down. You will feel your muscle working, breaking down, and getting stronger. If you don’t believe me, try it out for yourself. Try a set of bicycles (lay on your back, knees up, elbow to opposite knee, repeat). Do 30 seconds of it fast, and then try 30 seconds slow. I’ll bet your abs will feel it a lot more when you go slower. I always have my clients slow down, for example, doing rear delt flyes, even on machines like leg extension, you will get such a better workout if you just slow down. 

Just think about it. When you slow down, and thus get the full repetition, you are allowing your muscle to go all the way through the motions, feeling it at each range of motion. Also, another quick note: don’t skimp out on the “negative” motion of a muscle action (aka the release, the elongation, the extensionof a biceps curl, not the actual curl). Many are tempted to quickly let go of the muscle tension and let it “fall down” to the starting place rather than controlling it. Again, we control it, we gain strength, we show power. If we cut it short, then we don’t get to strengthen the muscle at the most important part: the elongation of the muscle where it feels it the most.

Gunz from lifting with CONTROL

Gunz from lifting with CONTROL (haha jokes)

Next time you hit the weights or the machines, remember about good form and slowing down. Don’t hunch, keep your shoulders back, and your heart strong. Use these tips to stay hungry and fit! Cheers!

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BONUS KITTY PIC 

Sajah hiding

Sajah hiding

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A Sweet Tooth’s Delight: Peddler’s Creamery (Los Angeles, CA)

While we were back in my home town (Santa Monica, California), we traveled to where my brother lives–in Downtown Los Angeles. Not exactly my most favorite part of LA, but what are you going to do! He shares a really nice apartment with his awesome girlfriend, Sophie. And there’s two Famima!!s right underneath them–you really can’t do better than that. Anyways, onto the good stuff-THE FOOD! Sophie works at a fantastic local ice cream shop called Peddler’s Creameryand that, my friends, is where the magic happens.

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She works there as a “Maker,” meaning she literally develops and creates ice cream flavors. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Best job ever, am I right? And Peddler’s is special because not only is it locally-owned, but the ice cream is made by them using a bike to churn it. Get a workout and then eat ice cream–sounds like a good day to me. I love how unique this place is and that they literally churn their ice cream by using a bike. And not only do they use organic ingredients, but they use fair trade ingredients too! A huge plus for me.

Sophie, my brother, and my mum

Sophie, my brother, and my mum

It’s a small little shop with some outdoor seating–very cute. You can see an old-fashioned bike in the front and the one they actually use in the back. We met the owner, who gave each of us a handshake and a genuine greeting–it’s not often you get that from the owner of a food joint, very nice guy. When we visited, the scooper was patient and very friendly as we all (my family and Chris) took awhile to decide between all the unique flavors.

The inside...there's Sophie!

The inside…there’s Sophie!

Now the flavorsThese flavors change daily and are subject to season (another awesome) and are probably the most unique ice cream flavors I’ve seen to date. Some special ones are Mexican Chocolate, Chile Mango, Honey Lavender, and Kumquat. I got the cinnamon (I have a crazy obsession with cinnamon-type desserts, see: CHURROS) and boy did I make the right choice! Each bite was infused with the creamy “spicy” flavor of cinnamon. It was a melt-in-your-mouth kind of deal and also a where-did-my-ice-cream-go moment too. I was reluctant to share with my family, but I did. They got some yummy ones too like the Honey Lavender and a Mocha one.

Cinnamon flavored ice cream...SO GOOD

Cinnamon flavored ice cream…SO GOOD

If I worked there, I would be as big as a balloon and probably get fired for eating too much on the job. If you are anywhere in the Los Angeles area, GO HERE. I have linked the website with the address and everything several times throughout this post, but here it is again. This adorable, eco-friendly local shop serves top-notch quality ice cream with interesting flavors and great service to boot. You’re missing out if you don’t find this gem! I will always be hungry (and fit!) for Peddler’s Creamery!

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Some Help on Training Splits and Achieving Goals

This is going to be a fairly short post compared to what I can say on the topic but it was prompted by my own changing of my split. Obviously, there are many muscle groups in your body. Major muscle groups include pull muscles, push muscles, lower body, core, and so on. Some people like to split them up even further into back, biceps, triceps, chest, abs, quads, calves, and even more. Some people like to split them up even more but I won’t do that to you.

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Depending on your fitness goals, you might be trying to focus on certain muscle groups more than others. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably targeting all those groups equally in some intense interval training paired with lots of cardio to cut down. If you’re trying to gain mass and strength you might be methodically working out each group in detail in order to build clear-cut muscles so your arms don’t fit in your shirt. Either way, it is very intelligent to plan your approach to achieving your goals.

Every personal trainer initially assesses their client’s health conditions, background in fitness, personal goals, nutritional plan and diet and so forth. This information helps the trainer create the most fitting workouts and lifestyle for their client to achieve these goals. Even personal trainers and professional bodybuilders have trainers and nutritionists that help them achieve their goals so don’t think that you’re too good or smart for some help. It’s always helpful to have someone objective pushing you and leading the way, constantly motivating you to achieve your own goals. It’s hard for me to push myself to failure when I don’t have that motivation or person telling me try harder. Whatever your motivation might be, some extra push can help if the person with you knows what they are doing.

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Splits have many depending factors, such as time. How often do you plan to do strength workouts? Every day? Every other? Maybe every 3 days. Depending on which one, you want to plan your workouts accordingly to give enough rest and recovery time. What happens when we don’t give ourselves proper recovery time? We overtrain and lose progress. So plan to give yourself proper rest in between each muscle group to avoid overtraining.

You typically wouldn’t want to go to the gym and work your chest out every day. This would not allow proper time to recover. Depending on your personal recovery rate, you may be ready to workout a certain group every other day, although that is rare. I typically allow somewhere around 4 days before repeating a workout that is targeting the same muscle group if they are intense workouts. If you plan on doing full body workouts multiple times a week and are not trying to gain massive amounts of strength, power, or size, less rest is necessary.

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Some of the greatest bodybuilders of all time have claimed to workout only two to three times a week while some workout six days a week doing double sessions every day. No matter what you decide, to do make sure you are allowing proper recovery time. If you have any questions about how to fit “cardio”, strength training, performance training or whatever you do together to maximize results, please let us know in the comment section below. With these tips, we hope you can stay even more hungry and fit!

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