Fitness Cure

The moment of enlightenment is when a person’s dreams of possibilities become images of probabilities.
Vic Braden

Fitness Motivation

You CAN DO IT.

You CAN RUN FOR 3 MILES

You CAN EAT CHICKEN BREAST

You CAN DRINK A PROTEIN SHAKE

You CAN LAST A WEEK EATING ‘CLEAN’

Right now – you should be overcoming all the little things you thought your couldn’t do…or wouldn’t do…

But now – you CAN DO because you have a dream you want to attain.

Once you start putting that dream into motion…

Once you start manifesting results…

Life becomes a game of ‘when’ not ‘if’ you will attain your goals.

You can accomplish it now -

or later.

You can be in shape for the summer -

or the winter.

You can eat the chocolate cake on your ‘cheat’ day -

or during the week.

You can be the best person you know you can be in this moment -

or in years to come.

What is the probability of you making stuff happen RIGHT NOW?

Make that probability good.

Because I will ‘probably’ work out today, eat 5 meals, stay disciplined this weekend and look HOT by summer time.

What’s your probabilities???

Yay!

That is exactly what I heard when I went to my local Max Muscle store to pick up a magazine. In fact, a few people have said that about my physique lately and while the past last week was like a mini vacation, it may have been the mid-challenge break I needed to really focus on these last 6 weeks to push myself harder at the gym, discipline my eating and stay focused.

This morning I was running on the treadmill and was SOOOO annoyed because my cotton capri’s kept falling down towards my hips (I can even imagine it going down my legs if I didn’t hold them up) I guess this is a good sign…although I should’ve known that my workout clothes were unfitting for a run anyways. (they were always a little bit loose, but now, it’s more loose)

SO, I ended up working out to a radio, performing squats, kicks and jumping jacks. Now – YOU KNOW you are focused when you have nothing to motivate you but your own body telling yourself to MOVE! People often forget that performing cardio doesn’t mean just running or taking an aerobics class – in fact, you don’t need ANY equipment at all. All you need to do is get your heart rate up to a sustained level for 20 + minutes. My target heart rate varies between 140-180. If you are younger or older, it will alter, so learn more about your target heart rate here.

My schedule this week has been pretty busy since I came back from LA on Monday – BUT! I’ve been training everyday. YAY! I’ve also been very good at taking my John Scott Nitro Supplements and accredit them to my ability to recover fast, get more energy with my workout and enough protein in my diet. For a list of what I take, click here.

Here are my goals for the week:

1) Cardio 2x/day – 3x this week

2) Cook all my meals and store it in tupperware

3) Have a CLEAN weekend

Here is my workout schedule for the week:

Sunday: Rest – Recreational Biking
Monday: Quick Plyo Workout (traveling day)
Tuesday: Cardio 2x: Chest/Run/Elliptical
Wednesday: Back/Abs/Zumba
Thursday: Cardio 2x: Combo Cardio/Shoulders/Stair
Friday: Cardio 2x: Run/Arms/Abs/Elliptical
Saturday: Athletic workout at Velocity training studio

Okay – so it’s not that much of a secret that I’m a BIG fan of Oxygen Magazine.

I like Oxygen for a few reasons:

- they feature women who are fit and athletic versus skinny and flabby

- they have great workout tips

- they update people on the competitive fitness world

- they featured me in 3 sections (at 3 different times) I was in their Future of Fitness, Love and Fitness and Website Feature!

Their April issue is out and mother of 6, Francisca Dennis makes a 2nd appearance! Besides being a super, duper mommy, she is a fitness competitor, a writer, a personal trainer and a wife.

I am writing an article of her in Max Sports coming out in May so I’ll indulge all of y’all on some of the answers she gave me to common fitness and lifestyle questions! Stay tuned for the full enchilada!

Snippet of Maria Kang’s interview with Francisca Dennis:

1. What does your daily routine look like?

4:15am: wakeup
5:00am: at gym
7:00am: breakfast and kid prep
9:00am: out the door to work
3:00pm: kid pick up and running around
4:00pm: family dinner prep
5:00pm: dinner and kid running
7:00pm: homework for kids
8:30pm: bed for kiddies
9:00pm: evening cardio
10:00pm: chill time
10:30pm: bed!

2. What is your weekly workout?
   It varies.
   But I generally train 6 days/week weights and 6-7 days of cardio (45mins) I’m always mixing up my training. But I try to train 2-3 body parts w/o and hit up abs 3-4 times per week

3. What is your philosophy on training?
   I’m pretty intense in the gym. I stay very focused and leave little rest time between sets. I always superset to be as efficient as possible. I feel like I’ve wasted my time if I don’t put 100% into it every workout and am disappointed in myself. I love the hard core exercises using my own body weight… pull ups, chin ups… dips… leg raises…push ups etc…. they are so effective.

4. What question are you asked the most? What is your answer?

I’m frequently if I had all 6 kids myself.
Well…I laugh usually, and let them know that I would’ve loved to have had my husband Mark carry a few babies for me…but nope… I did that one on my own…. All six…(no twins)…. And YES WE’RE DONE!!!

5. What is your biggest accomplishment?
   I’m very proud of my family. My kids range in age from 20-5 … it’s been a challenging, rewarding and amazing experience every step of the way with them. They’re all incredible people and I’m so proud to be their mom. So I would have to say, raising my children has and still is my greatest achievement. I can’t take all the credit though… my husband is awesome and an incredible dad.

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Stay Tuned for her full interview, which I will post in a couple months when the article comes out. In the meantime, check out her website and pick up the latest issue of Oxygen!

Wow! Look at those Genes!

She is the ultimate role model – in fact, she is my FAVORITE fitness mother

“What’s money? A man is a success
if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night
and in between does what he wants to do.”

-Bob Dylan, US singer & songwriter (1941 – )

Success is all about creating circumstances that force you to succeed… accountability is a huge tool you can use to direct any life goal into a successful outcome. This week, if you weren’t able to complete your goal, alter it a little bit so that you can complete it this week.

For example, instead of saying you will run three times last week and only did it once- this week make it a goal just to run twice this week. Always look at the step ahead not ten steps ahead.

My success was dictated on how much I helped others, because the more I helped others, the more I started holding myself accountable to listening to my own advice. This week the goal is to locate a weblog with a person who you feel a ‘connection’ with, whether it is goals, emotional issues, age, gender, whatever… and I want you to post advice on their blog.

Remember, that you can only get what you give. If you want support you need to give it. – Maria Kang

I’ve been doing A LOT of research for my nonprofit and have found how increasingly important PARKS and RECREATIONS are for our kids and for our families – Not only is this the place were people congregate to celebrate events and get in touch with nature, but it’s protected by the state and the hazardous development that occurs in every city.

Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to close 48 state parks in order to keep within his state budget. He also proposed to reduce lifeguard staffing at 16 state beaches in Santa Cruz, Orange and San Diego Counties.
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Please take the time to read a letter from the CPRS President:

The 48 parks proposed for closure span California and include 17 state parks, 17 state historic parks and museums, 3 state beaches, 9 state recreation areas and 2 state reserves. This action will close nearly one in every five parks currently operated by the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation. In reality, the cost savings to the State for these closures is relatively minimal at 9 million, when compared to the $14 billion state deficit. For a list of the proposed park and beach closures click here: http://www.cprs.org/doc/ProposedParkBeachClosures.doc
Closing state parks and reducing lifeguards will create significant negative consequences for California resident’s a health and safety. Millions of children and adults rely on our state parks for recreation, mental & physical health, and social connections between people and nature. Closures will result in a degradation of California ’s valuable cultural, historic and environmental resources preserved and protected within these state parks.
As CPRS members and as professionals involved with providing park and recreation for California , it is important that we tell our Governor and our State Legislators that these cuts are not only imprudent, but penny wise and pound foolish from a health and safety perspective for California . It needs to be said that the action of the Governor and the Legislature in balancing budgets by closing parks will be closely watched by local government officials as they wrestle with similar fiscal problems.

As CPRS President, I ask you to write your State Legislator and Governor Schwarzenegger urging him to keep our state parks open and our beaches safe. Ask the Governor and your Legislators to find other more responsible ways to balance our State’s budget and solve California ’s fiscal crisis. For the sample letter to send to the Governor and your respective State Assembly and State Senator, please click here: http://www.cprs.org/doc/LegLtr_1.doc

As a profession, we need to stand together in making a strong statement about the importance of parks to the safety, healthy and economic vitality of California . Thank you for consideration of this request in preserving the integrity and viability of California ’s State Parks.
Mike Shellito
CPRS President
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I am sending a letter – and I hope all of you will too! We need our parks, we need our beaches – we need protection for our hills, beaches, trees, grasslands, etc. WE NEED OUR PARKS.

Take care of our parks – utilize our parks – FIGHT for our parks!!!!