The wrist Injury workout

I injured my wrist playing beach volleyball about a month ago and it still hurts. The doctor said I pulled a tendon and it's going to take a while to recover. When I heard that, the first thing that went through my mind was - "OMG!! does that mean I can't workout?!" Well, it certainly means i need to slow down and not put any further stress on the wrist. 

"Slow down?? but like going fast!" 

It was really hard for me to wrap my mind around it but over the last little while, I have found ways. No injury is going to hold me back! Though I did have to stop playing volleyball, the initial culprit. I'm still teaching boot camp but using moves that do not put strain the wrist. You'd be surprised how good a workout you can still get!

For my personal workouts, I've been doing moksha (hot) yoga - great for flexibility and loosening up the joints, rollerblading, cycling 20km 2x/wk - always good for burning the fat, and combined bodyweight and kettlebell flow exercises. No snatches or cleans - just very fluid movements.

Here's a sample 30-35 minute workout:

- perform each move for 30 seconds

Warmup

Bodyweight Superset #1 x3 (9 mins total)

1. swimmer sit ups

2. leg raises

3. knee in/outs

4. plank

5. side plank dips - l

6. side plank dips - r

Kettlebell Superset #2 x3 (7.5 mins total)

1. 1 arm swings

2. figure 8 side lunges

3. meet the queens

4. 1 arm rows

5. side kick squats

Kettlebell Superset #3 x3 (7.5 mins total)

1. tricep back scratchers

2. half squat bicep curls

3. the 'can can'

4. 1 leg health lift

5. standing side reach overs

Stretch

Remember - always burn the fat, and make it happen!

Hot Yoga

This week I did a couple of hot yoga classes at Moksha Yoga's brand new studio on Bathurst Street and I have to say I'm already hooked. Unlike the high intensity cardio workouts i'm used to doing, this one was a real change of pace. The class was very relaxed but at the same time you're engaging your muscles in various postures that help stretch, tone, and strengthen your muscles. All of which takes place in a heated studio - which has its benefits and is also my favourite part about it. It may still be summer but come winter, this workout will be a good escape from the bitter cold.

By working out in the heat, this helps detoxify the body, increase flexibility (muscles are looser when in the heat), and helps with weight loss.

For optimum results, this is a great workout to incorporate with any resistance training program.

Check them out at:
www.mokshayoga.ca

Bootcamp Success!

10:00am Saturday morning. Funk & I were pumped and ready to go. Plyometrics, killer ab moves, kettlebells, cardio, and pushing trainees beyond perceived physical limits made for one of the most intense bootcamp workouts ever! The trainees loved it and some were even sore from the workout!

Bootcamp was a success! I had a blast and am already learning tons as I go along. It was a great feeling taking on role of the trainer and motivating the trainees to achieve their fitness goals. It's hard to believe that it was only a couple of years ago that I was overweight and thinking how great it'd be to become a trainer someday. Well, it happened and I'm going to stick to it!

Planning for the next boot camp is in the works and it can only get better and tougher! 

Boot Camp #3

As a long time boot camp trainee, I never thought I'd find myself teaching boot camp. This coming saturday is going to be my first time ever. Given this amazing opportunity, I'm extremely excited and pumped. For the next 3 weeks, I will be instructing alongside Funk Roberts. We've got an incredible workout planned - it's going to be fun, intense and full of fat burning surprises that you just don't want to miss out on!

Be sure to come check it out!
www.waronbodyfat.com

The perfectly balanced lunch

In any meal, you should always aim to have a good balance of lean proteins and carbs. Proteins are king when it comes to losing weight. They help your body recover from exercise and repair muscle tissue, are very low in calories and won't be converted into fat. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy. Good carbohydrate rich foods are fine and as long as you don't consume them in high amounts they will assist you in weight loss. With that being said, here is what i have prepared for lunch: Stirfried green beans with tofu and chicken.

Ingredients:
2 blocks of firm tofu (diced)
1/2 chicken breast (sliced)
green beans
1/2 red pepper (sliced)
1 tsp diced garlic

seasoning:
olive oil
black pepper
white pepper
salt
garlic powder
soy sauce
water or chicken broth

directions:
1. in a pan, grill the chicken with 1/2 tsp of olive oil.
2. lightly grill tofu cubes, season with salt, pepper, & garlic powder
3. heat pan, using 1 tsp olive oil, stir fry and season green beans & red peppers until desired taste & softness.

Bon Apeitit!

The Birthday Workout

Yesterday was my 27th birthday and coincidentally was also Victoria Day. I had a incredible weekend doing all the things I love - everything from watching the fireworks, cooking a 6 course dinner, eating cake, partying with friends and family, shopping, and of course, fitting in a good workout! It was exactly 4 years ago that I made a promise to myself to lose the weight, get healthy and into the best shape of my life. Yes, i can say i took action, stuck with it, and have achieved all of the above but of course it doesn't end here. I'm always looking for new ways to continue challenging myself, improve, and grow as an athlete and yesterday's workout was no exception.

It happened pretty spontaneously. I was walking along the beach scouting a good location for a kettlebell workout until i saw these olympic rings and monkey bars which happened to be right next to a set of stairs --- just perrrfect!

This workout included a warm up, cardio, bodyweight conditioning with rings, and strength training with kettlebells.

I haven't really worked out with rings much so this proved to be a good challenge and addition to the workout. Great for muscular strength, control and stabilization. I incorporated some pull ups (that was tough, but definitely something i will work up to doing more reps of) and different variations on front flips (ie: slowing down the movement, hanging upside down w/ legs extended or bent for varied times to challenge balance)

Of course, by incorporating kettlebells this is excellent for building functional strength, toning the arms, butt, and core, shoulder mobility, and working the body as one unit. Strength & cardio training all in one - gotta love it!

In honour of it being my 27th birthday, I did 27 reps of the windmill using a 35lb kb for 1 set -- my personal best to this date :)

Feel like a challenge? Give it a try:

ESTELLA'S BDAY WORKOUT

warm up
running stairs (10x up & down)

olympic ring front flips (5)
pull ups (3)

stair run (8x up & down)

olympic ring front flips (5)

using a 35lb kettlebell
3 rounds of the following circuit (left and right):
1 arm swings (10)
1 arm cleans (10)
1 arm military press (5)
windmills (27, 15, 10)

Sgt Shanahan Boot Camp is BACK!!!

Yup, that's right! Boot Camp is back again for another season. Get set for some major fat burning workouts and tough love from the Sgt starting Saturday June 7, 2008. Once you're in, you're in ALL THE WAY!

www.waronbodyfat.com

Tanita InnerScan™ Body Composition Monitor

"A very precise health monitor with stylish design."

I just bought myself a state-of-the-art body composition scale from Tanita. Being an athlete, I love rollerblading, cycling, kettlebell workouts, thai boxing, beach volleyball, and everything in between and wanted a scale that would monitor more than just my bodyweight. I have to say, this has proven to be the perfect tool for the job! I absolutely love it!

This futuristic looking digital scale is sleekly styled with a silver X and an 8mm glass platform. It features an easy to read 2.25" LCD display, a 4 person memory as well as a guest and weight only mode. The monitors use Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) to accurately monitor a very comprehensive set of health components including: weight, body fat %, body water, muscle mass, physique rating, daily caloric intake (DCI), metabolic age, bone mass, visceral fat rating.

Lately I've been working on getting those sought after sexy 6-pack abs so this will be great for monitoring the body fat and muscle mass. I've lost 2lbs since Sunday and wow! my metabolic age is 12!

I would recommend this scale to anyone who wants to improve or monitor his/her health and fitness level. It will keep you honest and it's definitely a great motivator when you start seeing the results of your efforts.

My stats as of 2pm today:

* Weight: 138lbs
* Body Fat: 18% -- i'm 10.8% with the calipers
* Body Water: 58%
* Muscle Mass: 108lb
* Physique Rating: 9 (out of 9!)
* Daily Caloric Intake (DCI):2880
* Metabolic Age: 12!!!
* Bone Mass: 5.8lbs
* Visceral Fat Rating: 1

Spring Beach Volleyball!!

"Looking to join a team or sub for the spring season. Preferably 4's but can also play 6's if needed. I've been playing beach for the past few years, am fast on the court, have a good serve and love to dive and dig for the ball."

The spring vball season started (and i missed the deadline) so I just had to get in on the action.

6:45pm - Today I got to sub in for a girl on an advanced 4's team.

It felt great to play beach again. The sun was shining and well, just by being on the beach it felt naturally felt warmer. We won 4 out of our 6 games. I definitely felt lighter and faster in the sand, and had explosive strength thanks to the off season and kettlebell training. The serves were great, i had a few good digs, sets, and even spikes. LOVE IT!! It's gonna be a great season....once i find myself a team!

Push kicks & sore calves

Yesterday I went to a Mixed Levels Muay Thai class at the newly opened Krudar gym. Located at 468 Spadina Avenue where what used to be a grungy billiards joint, the gym's walls were painted in bright red and yellow hues and was fully equiped with several punching bags and a huge matted area for classes.

The class consisted of a series of drills that included jump rope, various push up variations, leg raises, sit ups, jabs, punches, upper cuts, knees, and squat jumps.

My heart was pumping, i worked up a sweat and my calves are really sore today along with my abs and upper body. What a great workout it was!

One of the main techniques learned was the PUSH KICK.

This is an excellent move that will improve co-ordination and not to mention, is great for sculpting strong, lean calves.

To perform a push kick, assume a fighter stance, guard up, bring your knee up to your chest and push the leg outwards (pushing the opponent away from you). Always come onto the ball of your foot with the other leg and come back into your original stance position after the kick.

push kick tips:
keep arms out in front of u (protect your face)
keep your stance at all times (makes it so you're stable and harder to knock over)
breathe out as you kick (release the tension, staying loose)