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)

Funk Roberts Boot Camp

I just finished designing the identity for Funk Roberts Boot Camp. This logo is a projection of Funk's fun, outgoing personality. The vector illustration of Funk flexing his guns communicates strength, confidence, health, and the great sense of accomplishment one feels afterwards.

The boot camp will be run through Not So Pro Sports and is great for quick fitness, fat loss, or a change in your regular workout routine. Workouts include cardio, speed & endurance, plyometrics, strength training with dumbbells and kettlebells, core exercises, military calisthenics and more!

Be sure to check out www.funkrobertsfitness.com for updates.

Mike Mahler's Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop

Last Saturday I flew down to NYC to attend Mike Mahler's Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop. I had a blast! Meeting Mike and seeing him demonstrate each exercise with great strength and ease was very inspiring and motivating. It's not everyday that you see a guy clean and press 2 70lb kettlebells!

I've been training with kettlebells since 2004 and have seen tremendous results. Everything from losing 40lbs, increased strength, muscle tone, endurance, flexibility, and going from 30% body fat to 10.8%.

For me, this workshop was an excellent opportunity to go back to basics, master the techniques and take things to the next level.

We began the workshop by introducing ourselves. Half the class consisted of beginners while the other half were comprised of personal trainers and people who have had been using kettlebells anywhere from 1-5 years. I was one of 5 girls in attendance.

The workshop was professional, well organized and catered to both the beginner and more advanced kettlebell users. Mike's extensive knowledge & teaching method was very clear, concise, and done with a good sense of humour. A wealth of knowledge and entertainment value, all in one!

Mike's emphasis on proper form ensured that by the end you can properly execute each lift safely and effectively. By breaking the moves down in a way that would build up to each lift, this was a great way of visualizing and understanding the mechanics that go into each move.

He took us through a series of joint mobility warmup moves and demonstrated/taught all the basic lifts including 1 arm swings, dead lifts, cleans, military presses, rows, snatches, windmills - which he had me demonstrate :), side presses, side bends, and variations on double cleans, military presses, and swings.

I learned a lot about the biomechanics, form, technique, and how to lift the heavier bells much more efficiently by making use of leverage points, generating body tension, and essentially working the body as one unit - functional strength that transfers well into the real world.

Once you have mastered the technique, going with heavier bells is only a natural progression. Everyone was encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and lift a heavier kettlebell. With that being said, I found that just by tweaking my alignment and technique I went from using a 26lb to being able to comfortably complete each move with a 36lb KB and clean a 50lb kettlebell. Needles to say, now i'm gonna have to get myself some heavier bells!

This in and of itself was an incredible experience. So good that my whole body was sore even days after the workshop (thanks mike!). If you're looking to learn from a leading expert in the field, Mike Mahler's your man. I recommend this workshop to anyone who is new to kettlebells or looking to learn the finer points and nuances of effective kettlebell lifting. You won't regret it!

Mike will be doing a Level 2 Kettlebell workshop in Vegas on September 13. Be sure to check it out as well as his books and dvds at www.mikemahler.com