15x4 Fitness

01/17/2019

Day 3
So unfortunately the video that I recorded for today has disappeared as if it was never made. It is completely gone from everywhere. So I will post a video tomorrow instead.
I was going to post this tomorrow but I will post it today and the video tomorrow. I want to talk a little about Lactic Acid. It is a natural by product of working out and there are some things that you need to know about regarding it. Lactic acid Forms in the muscles as they are worked. Think about it sort of like the carbon dioxide of muscles except that it is not free flowing like carbon dioxide. The ache that you get in muscles is from lactic acid. It is created when we work out but can then get trapped in the muscles and sort of lingers there and causes pain and restriction in the muscle.
This can really discourage people from working out as the pain is often quite unpleasant. So here are some coping strategies.
1. Lactic acid dissipates from the muscle if the muscle is exposed to cold immediately following the work done. So if you do a heavy workout or try something new hit the muscles you worked with cold water in the shower just before you get out. This will help to break down the lactic acid and make the next day more manageable.
2. Lactic acid breaks down as the muscles get used. So baring any acute injury the best thing to do the day after a big workout is a gentle work out such as walking or yoga to bring activity back into the worked muscles.
3. DRINK WATER!! This is important for so many reasons but for this in particular it is important. Dehydrated muscles will reabsorb more dissolved solutes and when your organs need water your body will sacrifice your muscles needs to accommodate the organs. At rest your body needs around 1.5-2 L of water/ day so as soon as you add even moderate activity to the mix that need goes up. Being hydrated before a workout will help pull lactic acid out of the muscles and staying hydrated after a work out helps to keep the lactic acid from settling back into the muscles.

That's all for now. My apologies that there is no video I promise I will figure it out by tomorrow ;)

01/16/2019

Day 2
Today is a day of rest. As we get farther into the 90 days these days will be active rest days but for now because we are back at the beginning today is a full day of rest. I want to take a second and talk about periodization. When you start a workout program (especially at the beginning) you need to start slow. Yes it may be boring but it is integral to your future success that you make sure your technique is solid before you add or change anything.
For this reason I will be doing the same workout for first three weeks if our journey. As I (and hopefully we) become more confident in our technique we can add subtle variations into the program so please have any requests ready for February 😉. There are distinct changes in programming that occur along the way that are timed to challenge your body just enough to continue to see change. These stages are not the same for everyone but for our purposes I am going to try to keep everything general and therefore applicable to everyone 🙂 If there are any specific exercises that people would like to see let me know so that we can develop the technique now to be successful in the future. Ok that’s all for now.

As always finish strong people. No matter how your day is going finish strong. What did success look like for you today ? Comment and let me know !! I would love to share your successes and help with any challenges. Take care today and we will see you tomorrow for another work out.

Success is the sum of your repeated attempts to get there. Failure only happens if you give up after the first try.

01/15/2019

Day 1 video

Ok guys here is day 1 video. Credit to Mia for helping me film and making a rather large cameo appearance lol. Comment, like, share etc. Please be kind if you comment. If you have questions please feel free to ask as well.
-Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm - Winston Churchill
See you tomorrow 🙂
Happy Monday

01/14/2019

Today is day 1.
Because most people see their trainers as these impossible to match people I decided to blow that idea wide open. No one is perfect !!! I am going to embark on a new challenge right along side of my followers. Day one starts today. I will be posting my personal journey everyday for 90 days and I promise I will keep it real no filters, no lies. I just want people to know that success is not being perfect it’s about missing the goal but continuing to fight toward it despite having missed on the first go. NEVER GIVE UP. Follow the journey, get involved, post comments. My hope is to be your inspiration to go after whichever goals you have set for yourself.

Check back tonight for my Day 1 post and recap of the day 😉

08/04/2017

With the air quality so poor in much of BC right now it difficult to keep up your outdoor cardio routine. Did you know that swimming offers excellent cardio benefits as well as a low intensity resistance work out. So head to the pool to keep up your fitness routine in check !

04/26/2017

"Why do I do thousands of crunches and yet never see the definition in my abs?"

This is more common than a person might think. Many reasons can contribute to a lack of definition in the mid section despite doing millions of "crunches." To break it down you have to look at what is happening in the mid section as a whole.
First off your abs are impacted on both sides by your other body processes. Behind them lie all of the organs responsible for digestion and in front of them lies the mesentary which is responsible for fat storage. Knowing this it we can start to understand how the millions of abs just don't make a difference.
The mesentary is a big storage center for unused fat. This isn't necessarily just ingested fat either it is stored fat that is a by-product of digestion and absorption. When your body has enough nutrients any excess is stored. Many of the excess nutrients are stored here in the mesentary.
Another issue is with the organs underneath the abs. If you don't have the proper intestinal flora digestion can cause excess gas to accumulate in the intestine. This causes "bloating" which pushes the abdominal muscle outward creating the "belly" that we all loathe despite doing our abdominal workout religiously. Excess food consumption can also lead to slower movement through the digestive tract which leads to expansion of the organs and again pushes the abdominals out.

The second issue is with technique. The abdominals should be worked as a whole. Exercises like the crunch isolate a tiny section of the abdominals and fail to pull the activation through the length of the muscle. Further to that many people do not actually contract the abdominal muscle when they do their ab workout. Every repetition should see you pulling your belly button in towards your spine. If you are doing this your upper body should naturally lift off the floor.

To finish things up, you have probably heard that "abs are made in the kitchen not the gym". This is also true. If you eat poorly you will not see the definition you crave because of the reasons I talked about in the start of this post. However you also need to work out the muscle to get the definition you want. So what should you do?
The simple answer is eat clean and do exercises that target the entire abdominal muscle. My favorites are the plank with an oblique rotation, prone mountain climbers, and supine isometric leg holds.

Not sure what these are? Message me to find out and gain access to video that will guide you step by step

04/07/2017

Ok guys here's your chance to get some questions answered. What do you desperately want to know about regarding your fitness ? Post on the page and I will try to answer your questions in this Monday's post.

04/03/2017

Spring is finally here !! With the arrival of spring comes an opportunity to recommit yourself to your goals. Contact us today to start your journey to a healthier, happier, you.

04/03/2017

Spring is finally here !!! Over the coming weeks I will be posting some exciting new workout strategies and tips for motivating yourself back to your routine. Look for updates every Monday !

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will. " - Gandhi

10/03/2016

This is a nice light dish that is balanced calorically yet very palate pleasing. Great as a make ahead meal but also easy to make after work.

In this quick and easy noodle bowl recipe, moist chicken and juicy snow peas simmered in a lemony broth are served over angel hair pasta.

09/30/2016

As the temperature drops and the days shorten you may find yourself asking why am I so hungry? Or why do I seem to be gaining weight? Did you know that your body is preprogrammed to do this? From an evolutionary standpoint the change in weather used to indicate a decrease in food supply. In preparation for this our bodies adapted to be able to store calories over the winter when there wouldn't necessarily be food readily available. We in effect "Hibernate" for the winter just like the bears.

So does this mean weight loss over the winter is impossible? Quite the opposite. Some of the greatest successes in weight loss happen over the winter because you are more able to focus on your training schedule. You also do not have the same distractions of bbq's and summer get togethers.

Many of you will say "Yeah but Carly, what about Christmas and Thanksgiving?" Yes there are holidays that you will have to navigate. However, I have always said that over eating during the holidays is just an excuse. Why do we really do it? Is it because we are hungrier? Maybe. More likely is that everyone around you is also gorging themselves and as a society we have generally accepted this behaviour as normal at the holidays. So I encourage you to say "no thank you" to an extra helping and resist the urge to overfill your plate, the same way you do the rest of the year. You can still enjoy dinners with family just like every other year but this year aim to just enjoy it. Is it really all that pleasant to over eat and feel stuffed and uncomfortable?

My message to you is this; DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR GOALS! Just because it is winter and your body wants to slow down and store calories does not mean that it has to. Many professional athletes train (and recover) in the off season, which happens to be the winter. I also personally train my hardest over winter when I am able to really focus on my training schedule and not be distracted by awesome beach days :) Sticking to your work out and continuing to eat healthy will do heaps to keep your weight loss or maintenance goals on track during the holidays.

Here's to a happy, healthy, successful Fall season!! Watch for upcoming posts on how to switch up your routine during the fall, as well as some tantalizing recipes to try out this fall.

08/11/2016

This is a great recipe to add to any collection. Satisfies the potato craving without all the carbs.

Steamed cauliflower is mixed with sour cream, Cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing mix in this rich recipe for loaded cauliflower that is very similar to a loaded potato.