NEW! Your Online Wellness Center

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year to all of you! I wish you a very prosperous and healthy new year!
I urge all of you to not look back on the year past and I strongly recommend that you not give up on your health and wellness for bad economy reason and to move forward with confidence in 2009 and making it your BEST year ever.

Getting or staying fit and healthy is what will lead you to SUCCESS in every area of your life. Remember that when health is lost everything is lost so please take care good care of yourself and loved ones by giving yourself the gift of COURAGE and HOPE and don't give in to FEAR!

Opportunity is what you look for in times of hardship and uncertainty. One thing is certain, YOU have the POWER to get and stay fit, healthy and happy so everything else is balanced in your life.

FEAR + STRESS + POOR NUTRITION + INNACTIVITY = CHAOS IN YOUR LIFE!

HOPE + SERENITY + BALANCED NUTRITION + EXERCISE = ULTIMATE HEALTH & WELLNESS!

NEW! eCorporateWellness! Your Online Wellness Center is here....

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Labels: exercise, fitness, Fitness Diet Inspiration Motivation, inspiration, mindful fitness

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The Pro’s Tips For Successful Weight Loss

Saturday, December 27, 2008

I remember the moment I realized I was no longer a professional athlete. It was in 2002, a year after I had retired from the International Federation of Body-Building (IFBB). I was languishing on the treadmill in my neighborhood gym after a long day training people session after session, when a huge and ripped guy walked in and began warming up with 220 lbs before starting his legs training session and disgustingly bulging his gigantic body. I smiled weakly in his direction and thought; I used to look like that not too long ago. And of course when he passed me, I ran faster like there was no tomorrow.
Obviously, my 60-minute training sessions weren't having the same chiseling effects as the 4-hour training sessions I endured when I was in a competitive level. That's when I realized I'd have to change my stay-in-shape strategy. Here are a few of my pro-to-real-world fitness secrets.

Pro tip #1: Visualize the body you want.
Many professional athletes practice visualization, which means picturing themselves going through the motions to achieve a certain goal — complete with sounds, colors, tastes and smells — and have seen it pay off big time. During my 7 year professional career, I spent 10 minutes a day visualizing and looking at my body the way I wanted it to look and feel, the result that I mentally conceived in the visualizations were experienced in my training sessions, making them tremendously intensive and effective. Now, whenever I work out, I close my eyes and visualize my arm and leg muscles flexing, my heart pumping strong and my body looking ripped.

Pro tip #2: Set realistic goals.
You aren't likely to hear some rookie say he plans to win the Olympia championship (the highest bodybuilding competition) when they finished in last place the year before and he has yet to get off the bench. In other words, most professional athletes set realistic goals. So face it: You're not going to lose 30 pounds by your 10-year class reunion next weekend. (A more realistic goal is approximately two pounds per week.) Focus on taking one baby step at a time, keeping your ultimate goal in mind. It will be all the more rewarding when you finally get there!

Pro tip #3: Find a workout that works for you.
My challenge after retirement was to maintain the weight and body fat composition I had achieved as an elite athlete. No easy task when you're working a full-time job, right? Because keeping in shape also means aerobic activities, my body was used to fast, quick, blood-flow — something like pedaling on the stationery bike or walking/running on a treadmill couldn't match. But then I created a full body workout that uses strictly dumbbells, body bars and medicine balls, I call it the Total Body Work, I even made a DVD out of it. It was perfect for me because, in only 40 minutes, I get a cardio-toning workout equal to working out 2 hours with machines at a crowded gym. When time is an issue (and when isn't it?), you need to focus on finding workouts that give you the biggest bang for the buck.

Pro tip #4: Check your fuel gauge.
While you'd never put sugar in your gas tank, many of us put junk into our bodies on a regular basis and then wonder why we don't have the energy to get through the day. While training for the World Championships, I made myself eat healthfully because it was very obvious that my physical and my mental shape depended upon it. After I retired, however, I developed a weakness for junk food, despite the fact that it made me feel sluggish. Then my yogi master reminded me that I'd only been addressing half of my fitness dilemma. Besides focusing on exercise, I also needed to eat more wisely. Now I give in to my junk food cravings only one day a week, and my body feels and looks much better.

Pro tip #5: Make appointments with your body.
It's easy to put your body first when it's the source of your income. Still, as soon as I finished my training session, I started filling my calendar with clients’ one on one session. No wonder that at the end of most work days, I was either too zonked or too preoccupied to go to the gym. So on Sunday nights, I began checking my calendar to determine my business and social obligations for the week, then penned in when I planned to work out each day, literally making appointments with my body to exercise. And just like I faithfully stuck to the rest of my schedule, I never once canceled a workout. I made an appointment with myself.

Pro tip #6: Always be ready to work out.
As a professional athlete, competing and working out are always in the forefront of your mind. The rest of us have 28 million other things to think about, which means that we need to make exercising as convenient as possible. I joined a gym close to home, and being able to drive, run or bike there has proven effective in keeping me on a consistent schedule, regardless of the weather. For added motivation, I always keep a clean set of workout clothes in my car so I can head to the gym or the local park on a whim. (After all, if you don't go home first, you won't find excuses to stay home.) I also keep a stash of fitness gadgets in my closet, including a medicine ball, workout bands and a stability ball. These let me exercise my entire body and, because they're so different from what I usually do at the gym, I generally look forward to using them again. Plus, most of these items travel well, which allows me to workout when I'm on the road.

Pro tip #7: Great bodies think alike.
While being a pro athlete I had an entire organization looking after me— not to mention a paycheck — to motivate me to stay fit. In the real world, we have to find other sources of motivation: friends, family, even a local sports team. When you've entered into a pact with someone else, you're more likely to remain committed. Once you've found a workout partner, consider signing an agreement that outlines your fitness goals. Seeing your fitness dream written down on paper may give you the boost you need to achieve it.

Pro tip #8: Celebrate your successes.
When I was a pro, working out regularly and being in top shape was a given. These days, I feel an incredible sense of achievement whenever I complete an ordinary 40-minute workout. Sure it’s nothing compared to the super-intensive workout sessions I use to go through when I was competing but now I am happy that I am able to keep training for fitness and for health. You can give yourself little rewards here and there — as long as it's not junk food. Instead, splurge on a bouquet of flowers or a smoothie, or celebrate your successes with something bigger, such as a pedicure, a facial, a night out with friends or even a trip!

Labels: body image, exercise, fitness, Fitness Diet Inspiration Motivation

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Small changes make a big difference

Thursday, October 02, 2008

How many times have you told yourself that you need to lose weight?

I'm not talking about a couple pounds either – I'm talking about 20 or more pounds of extra fat that you'd like to see disappear.

I've come to notice a trend. Most people psyche themselves out before they ever start losing the weight. It's as if the enormity of their goal simply puts them into shut down mode, and they give up on the idea entirely.

Has this ever happened to you? You try out a diet or exercise plan for a week or so, and then you get frustrated when your body looks the same as before. So you give up.

Weight loss isn't a speedy thing. It takes time to gain weight – many people put on weight for years and then expect to lose it in a few weeks or months. It doesn't work that way.

So instead of pressuring yourself into losing 50 pounds in two months, how about sticking with a realistic, proven way for long term weight loss: Small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

In practical terms, make it your goal to drop one pound a week.

Now, this may not seem like that much, but if you did this consistently for one year it would result in 50 lbs lost. All it takes are small changes in your daily lifestyle. Let's break the process down...

How to shed a pound a week: Burn 3500 extra calories.

It really is that simple. Try the following three steps:
Record your normal weekly exercise – look at everything from walking to participating in sports to exercising in the gym. This is your starting point. You need to burn an additional 3500 calories on top of your normal weekly exercise. If you don't currently exercise, then this step is really easy for you, a simple blank page will do.

Record your normal weekly food intake – this may be hard to do honestly, but remember that you are only cheating yourself by not recording everything. Calculate the total number of calories that you eat in an average day. In your quest for dropping inches you shouldn't exceed your normal daily caloric intake – you should, rather, work at slowly decreasing that number. Remember, we are going for a 3500 calorie deficit each week – this can be done by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) as well as a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).

Chart the difference - now that you know your starting point for both calorie exertion and calorie intake it is time to turn the tables in your favor. Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity, and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier selections. Record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it often. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see your progress written down on paper.

Remember, if you burn up 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.

Here are some practical ways to lose calories:

If you normally...Do this instead...
Drink regular soda pop...Drink water or diet soda pop (160 calories lost)
Eat a snack from a vending machine...Enjoy an apple (180 calories lost)
Hit the snooze button in the AM...Jog for 30 minutes before work (150 calories lost)
Skip your workout...Call me for an invigorating workout (changes your life!)


Weight loss doesn't have to be allusive. Make small changes each and every day toward a healthier, fitter you. Remember that small changes make a big difference.

I'm always available to help – call or reply to this email to set up your free coaching consultation.

Labels: exercise, fitness, Fitness Diet Inspiration Motivation

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Emotion Creates Motion

Friday, September 19, 2008

Can you remember a time when you felt completely discouraged with your body? It's easy to beat yourself up when the body that you have is miles from the one you want. When negative emotions flood over you resist the urge to get down on yourself, rather turn the tides in your favor. You may have heard the expression 'emotion creates motion'. This is a very powerful tool. Channel your dissatisfaction with your body into 'motion'. Take control of your body and put a plan into action. The choices you make always determine your destiny, you maybe heard that too but have you given a thought to it at all?

Labels: exercise, fitness, Fitness Diet Inspiration Motivation, inspiration

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24 Minutes are Enough to Do the Trick

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Do you feel destined to be unfit or not as toned as you would like to be? Many people feel like with work, kids, community activities, and all of their responsibilities that they simply don’t have the time that it takes exercise and feel good about themselves.

Many of us live from year to year never really being happy with the way that we look but settling because we believe that this is the best that we can look and feel. The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym each day or each week to look and feel good. Instead, you can spend less than 30 minutes and get the workout that you need to impact your body in a positive way and tone up.

You Don’t Have to be a Slave to the Gym

Did you give up on that gym membership long ago because you just don’t have the time? Or, have you kept that gym membership in hopes that you suddenly find the time? The fact of the matter is that you don’t have to spend hours a day in the gym to tone up and feel good about yourself. In fact, you can lose weight and tone up in as little as 24 minutes a day. While that might even sound like a lot of time to you, we can all easily carve out 24 minutes in our day to feel and look better.

Making a conscious choice to take time to exercise by preparing your mind first. If you are willing to do this you can become the toned individual that you have dreamt of being but assumed that you couldn’t. Having the mental preparedness is 60% of the battle.

How to Tone up in 24 Minutes

A resource that hundreds of thousands of people have found to be very effective is my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head! In this book you will learn how you really need to put your mind to losing weight and toning up. In the book there is a short and amazing workout that will allow you to tone up with less time and effort than you would have ever thought possible. The philosophy is that you really have to be prepared mentally to tone up and get in shape, and when you do this you can achieve any goals.

The book is very positive and will give you all of the information that you need to change your life, your mind, and of course your body. When you are able to reprogram your mind you will be able to change your life, which will ultimately change your body. The change can be a lot less painful and time consuming than you might think!

Labels: body image, book, diet, exercise, fitness

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If Only I Had The Time...or Do I

Monday, June 16, 2008

'I don't have time' is the reason that most people don't exercise. Well, they call it a 'reason' I like to call it what it really is - an excuse.

Most people believe their workouts need to be 60-90 minutes in order to really count. With this kind of time commitment it is no wonder that exercise becomes the activity that you simply don't have time for. Before you know it one missed workout becomes two and soon you realize that you haven't put on your gym shorts for a month.

Missed exercise is a slippery slope toward irreversible consequences. Obesity wasn't gained in one day…or even in one year. Neither was heart disease.

Question: Have you ever wondered if long workouts really deliver the best results?

The truth is that exercise doesn't have to take 60-90 minutes anymore. The experts agree that short, intense bouts of exercise can actually deliver better results than traditional low intense exercise.

In fact, a study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine that tested whether multiple short bouts of exercise would deliver better results than one long bout of exercise. They found that participants who performed short bouts of exercise stuck with the program longer and experienced greater weight loss than the participants that performed long bouts of exercise.

Throw out the idea that you need an entire afternoon or a free evening to have a great workout. It simply doesn't take as much time as you think. Here's one example:

12 Minute Results-Driven Workout

-Dumbbell Squat Press: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. First lower down into a squat position. Make sure that your knees do not go past 90 degrees. Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead while you straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Dumbbell Lunge and Curl: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand down at your sides. Exhale as you lunge forward with your right leg and curl the dumbbells up toward your chest. Make sure that your knee does not go past 90 degrees. Inhale as you return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Dumbbell Bent Over Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and lean forward from your waist, keeping your back flat. Exhale as you drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-V-Ups: Sit on the edge of a chair or bench and lean back. Exhale as you drive your knees in toward your chest, squeezing your abdominal muscles. Inhale as you lower your knees back down with control. Complete 15-20 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Think outside of the box. Could you do a 10 minute workout in the morning and a 15 minute workout before bed?

Let's be honest, you make time for the things that you feel are important. If I told you that for every minute you spent exercising I would give you a thousand dollars, would you find a minute to exercise? Sure you would! You'd probably find quite a few minutes to exercise.

Short bursts of intense exercise will give you the results you want, all you have to do is make the time for it.

Somewhere deep down inside you know that it's now or never.

Will you choose to simply close this email and allow your hectic schedule to slowly push you down the path of obesity and health risk? Or will you find creative ways to fit exercise into your day as you steadily regain your shape and health?

Make this the day that you finally make the change. Click on the title of this post to schedule your no-obligation fitness coaching consultation and I'll show you many other high intensity time effective workouts that deliver amazing results.

The choice is yours.

Labels: body image, diet, exercise, fitness, mindful fitness

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MIND OVER BODY

Friday, September 07, 2007

Know that dieting is not just what you eat. What are you really feeding your body? What is your mind feeding it? What is your spirit feeding it? This will all eventually show up in your physical state of being. The way you think and feel affect the way you look. Your fitness level is very much controlled by how you think and feel. Your body is a direct reflection of the inner soul. What are you really carrying around? It may be more than a few extra pounds. Blocking emotion and carrying negative thoughts can cause you to carry extra weight. Weight can actually be an armor built up to create a wall that actually keeps you from being who you really want to be. Break through that wall and you will begin to create the physical body you want to achieve. If our physical being is our car that we ride in, it is the mind and the spirit that drives it.









WATCH A TV INTERVIEW ABOUT MIND OVER BODY

Labels: body image, book, diet, exercise, fitness, inspiration, recipes

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You CAN have Amazing Abs: Learn How

Sunday, May 06, 2007

So you want to narrow your waist, flatten your abs and become the envy of all your friends, right? Of course you do - who doesn't?

Well, here is yet another reason to get flat abs: recent studies suggest that an excess of fat deposits around the abdominal region significantly contributes to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other life-threatening conditions.

Whether your motivation for attaining great abs is rooted in the health benefits or, more likely, in looking phenomenal then this is one newsletter you simply must read all the way through.
Why is it that so many people wish they had great abs, but never attain it?

Contrary to popular belief, doing millions of crunches will not sculpt your abs. While there is a time and a place to use the beloved crunch in your waist slimming effort, this alone will not create the body of your dreams. The key to creating an enviable midsection lies in your ability to effectively challenge your abdominal muscles.

The "crunch" movement only targets your upper abdominal muscles, the ones found between your rib cage and belly button. Imagine you are doing a crunch - better yet, get down and do one - notice where you feel the burn. Those are your upper abs.

To effectively sculpt your waist, focus on strengthening your upper, lower and side abdominal muscles. In order to achieve an overall look of symmetry your flat abs routine should consist of at least one exercise for each portion of your midsection.

A surefire way to kick up the intensity, and thus the results, of your abdominal workout is to add resistance training. By working your midsection against resistance you open up the possibility for greater muscle stimulation which equals greater results. You can do this by using a medicine ball, cable machine, elastic band or dumbbell.Oh yeah, just one more thing...in order to show off your breathtaking abs they need to come out of hiding.

This means burning off the layer of fat. (No matter how big or small it may be.) The following two pronged approach works every time:

First, consistent cardiovascular exercise is needed to burn off stored energy. Follow these three tips to ensure your success:

1. Choose an aerobic exercise that uses major muscle groups such as walking, jogging, swimming, or biking.
2. Find an exercise that you enjoy. This will make it easy for you to stick with it.
3. Make sure that you are exercising aerobically for at least 30-60 minutes three times a week. However, feel free to do it longer and more frequently.

Second, to uncover your abdominal muscles we have to discuss....your eating habits. I'm sorry to say it, but the food that you put in your mouth will surely have an effect on the size and shape of your waist. Use these three pointers to slash fat:

1. Eat small meals frequently throughout the day and avoid overeating.
2. Processed foods should be kept to a minimum or avoided completely.
3. Load up on vegetables and lean meat before partaking in grains or starches.

There you have it - your plan for awesome abs. Do you have questions about the information presented in this newsletter? Or how would you like to slim down just in time for the holidays?
I am here to help. My passion is coaching people just like you to achieve their goals.
Contact me today - or click here to get Nordine's Total Abs, Hips and Glutes Plan. I look forward to hearing from you.

Labels: exercise, fitness

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Top Ten Benefits of Exercising

Thursday, April 19, 2007

• Decreased Risks of Coronary Disease (CHD)
• Reduced Hypertension
• Improved Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins
• Enhanced Cardiac Functions
• Enhanced Bone Health
• Lower Smoking Risk
• Healthier Weight & Body Fat
• Better Control of Blood Glucose
• Increased Muscular Strength and Flexibility
• Increases Self Esteem

Start the process of getting fit: get your Fitness Program 4 Life today!

Labels: exercise, fitness

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The Triple Threat

Monday, February 26, 2007

There are three main components to quick and healthy weight loss. These are

1. A balanced, calorie specific meal plan
2. A consistent aerobic routine
3. Regular resistance training

Be sure to include each component into your weight loss plan for exciting results!

Labels: diet, exercise, fitness

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Who is the F.I.T.T.E.S.T. of us all?

Monday, February 19, 2007

Recently Men's Fitness released their annual list of the top 10 fittest and fattest cities in the country - did you see it? I couldn't pass up this opportunity to point out the factors that go into making a city fit or fat, and how this filters down to our own lives and individual fitness levels.

But first, let's take a look at the list...

Top 10 Fittest Cities

1. Albuquerque, N.M.
2. Seattle
3. Colorado Springs
4. Minneapolis
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Baltimore
9. Portland, OR
10. Honolulu

Top 10 Fattest Cities

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Miami
4. Mesa, AZ
5. Los Angeles
6. Houston
7. Dallas
8. El Paso, TX
9. Detroit
10. San Jose, CA

So what makes a city fit or fat? According to Neal Boulton, editor of Men's Fitness, the survey examines lifestyle factors in each city such as number of fast food restaurants and the average amount of television each household watches. All of these lifestyle factors were tallied to rank each city as either fit or fat.

We will touch more on lifestyle factors later...

You may be wondering, as I was, what motivated Boulton to create such a list. His answer, "to motivate folks to look at simple things in their lives they can do to be healthy." He is concerned that America is always going to be a fast-food nation where people have long commutes and busy lives. But instead of a soft drink during the commute, he suggests, they can choose water; instead of a fast-food snack, they can eat almonds.

Another reason he publishes the list is to grab the attention of mayors and governors - after all, what mayor wants their city to be named the fattest in the nation?

"There's a consciousness among mayors that they can motivate the population and go beyond the PR.," said Boulton. "It's more than just having a mayor run the marathon. That doesn't motivate people. What motivates people is starting a Fit City program. ... It takes action."

Let's look at the top 4 lifestyle factors that were used to compare cities, and examine how each one has a hand in your own fitness level:

1.Number of Gyms: While you don't control the number of gyms in your city, you do have control over your own workout schedule. Take the time to exercise, preferably 3-5 times per week, and watch you personal fitness factor skyrocket.

2.Nutrition: This is broken down into the percentage of people in the city that eat 5 or more servings of fruits and veggies each day. What a great goal to have for yourself - imagine actually eating 5 or more servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day. It is a simple goal, but one that will dramatically increase your energy level.

3.Exercise/Sports: This is calculated by the number of city residents who are involved in fitness-related activities. Here is a simple way to join in this number: get started on a fitness program today - simply call me and together we will create a program that is designed around your goals.

4.Junk Food: Surveyors looked at the total number of fast-food places, pizza parlors, ice cream and doughnut shops in each city. Again, you don't have control over the number of fast-food joints in your city, but you do control the frequency in which you partake in less-than-fit-fare. Enjoy in moderation.

Frankly it doesn't matter what city made the fit or fat list. The fact of the matter is that you and I have full control of our lifestyle and eating habits. And best of all I'm here to help guide you to your fitness goals. Now all you have to do is click on the title of this article and you are on your way to total fitness.

(520)744-5108 info@tripleimpactcoaching.com

Labels: diet, exercise, fitness

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Core Training: Why It Matters to You

Monday, February 12, 2007

It seems that you can't walk through a gym these days without the term "core" landing on your ear. Likewise, infomercial products routinely promise to tighten, trim, and tone your "core" and even magazine headlines boast ‘Secrets to an Envious Core'.

So what is all the hype about "core" training? And - more importantly - why should you care?

Since the fitness industry is notorious for going through crazes (remember jazzercise in the 80's and kickboxing in the 90's) it's understandable for you to be skeptical of the latest fad. However, I have news for you.

Core training is definitely worth your time.

In fact, training your core will result in tremendous benefits in a relatively short amount of time. This is because a strong core improves your posture, decreases your chance of injury, increases your power and functionality, and gives you a great-looking lean midsection.

Core training is rapidly gaining popularity for one specific reason: sitting leads to a weak core. Sitting? Yep, sitting.

Think about your typical work day. If you are like most people then your day starts with a 30-60 minute drive to work, followed by 8 hours at your desk and then another 30-60 minute drive home. That's a lot of sitting. And it all adds up to one thing: a weak core.

What is Core Training?
The term "core" refers to the muscles of your abdominals and those of your lower back. If you picture your body and then aim for the very center you would be looking directly at your core. The muscles that make up the core play a unique role since they provide stabilization for your entire body.

Core training seeks to strengthen the muscles of your abdominal and lower back using coordinated movement. A strong focus is put on contracting your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button in toward your spine throughout the exercises to ensure that your core muscles are engaged.

What are the risks of a weak Core?
Unfortunately many ailments stem from having weak core muscles. You may be personally acquainted with the most common ailment...lower back pain. Other problems include poor posture, being injury prone, having minimal strength and (drum roll please) a bulging waistline.

If you are suffering from a weak core then read on...

What are the benefits of a strong Core?
Alleviating persistent back pain is one of the most welcomed benefits of a strong core. An increase in strength and protection from injury are also nice, and who doesn't love to lose inches from their waist as a result of tightened muscle?

Everyday motions such as lifting, squatting, reaching, twisting and bending will become less challenging after strengthening your core. While you may not immediately see the value in this, remember that it is better to be safe than sorry - who really wants to throw out their back while taking out the trash? I sure don't...

How can I strengthen my Core?
A great place to start is to practice the technique mentioned earlier - pull your belly button in toward your spine, not by simply sucking in your gut, but by contracting your abdominals. Do you feel it? Good. Now make it a habit to do this exercise while you sit. Like on the drive to work...at work...on the drive home - you get the idea.

It doesn't stop there - you also want to routinely exercise the muscles of your abdominals and lower back. This can be done by performing exercises that target these specific areas such as crunches and bridges.

If your interest has been roused and you want to lean more about core training, then give me a call! I work around the clock to bring fitness into the lives of my clients, and I want to help you too. Contact me now, and let's get to work on reshaping your body - starting with your core.

Labels: exercise, fitness

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Exercise Adherence

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Nordine's Mindful Tip

When starting a fitness regimen, feeling anxious about your adherence to it is normal and should be expected at first. However this does NOT represent a reason to steer away from working out.

Nordine's Mindful Wisdom:

Paying attention to how you feel before, during and after each workout for the first 30 days is crucial if you want to make it an automatic behavior or positive habit.

Nordine's Mindful Action:

When starting each workout, visualize yourself feeling and looking the way you want to feel and look. You can do that while warming-up on a cardio machine or simply before you even start, in your car if you go to a gym or in a quiet room if you workout at home.

Labels: exercise, fitness, mindful fitness

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How To Make 2007 Your Year to Get into Shape

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Here we are, already two weeks into the New Year. You know I have to ask...how is that fitness resolution coming along?

If the pounds haven't budged yet, don't panic. I have some words of wisdom for you to live by this year - words that will aide in getting you to your fitness goal.

Shoot for dropping a pound a week.

Now, this may not seem like that much, but if you did this consistently for the rest of the year it would result in 50 lbs lost. This may be extreme for you, but the good news is that once you achieve your idea body, maintenance is a breeze. How great would it be to begin 2008 with a brand new body?

This all sound well and good, but how do you go about the business of shedding that pound each week? I am here to tell you that it doesn't have to be allusive, mysterious or frustrating. In fact, with a little calculation, you can consistently drop one pound a week until you reach your goal.

All it takes are small changes in your daily lifestyle. Let's break the process down...

How to shed a pound a week: Burn 3500 cal. more than normal.

It's that simple! No fancy pills or powders necessary, just a progression of calories exerted without an increase in calories consumed. Try the following three steps:

1. Record your normal weekly exercise - look at everything from walking to participating in sports to exercising in the gym. This is your starting point. You need to burn an additional 3500 calories on top of your normal weekly exercise.

If you don't currently exercise, then this step is really easy for you, a simple blank page will do.

2. Record your normal weekly food intake - this may be hard to do honestly, but remember that you are only cheating yourself by not recording everything. Calculate the total number of calories that you eat in an average day.

In your quest for dropping inches you shouldn't exceed your normal daily caloric intake - you should, rather, work at slowly decreasing that number.

Remember, we are going for a 3500 calorie deficit each week - this can be done by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) as well as a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).

3. Chart the difference - now that you know your starting point for both calorie exertion and calorie intake it is time to turn the tables in your favor. Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity, and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier selections.

Record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it often. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see the positive changes that you are taking in your life written down on paper.

If you burn up 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.

Labels: exercise, fitness, inspiration, mindful fitness

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Take your cardio workout to a new level with HIIT

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Take your cardio workout to a new level with HIIT

Can you think of anything more torturous than spending an hour pedaling away on a bike or plodding along on the treadmill? You're not alone. Most exercise enthusiasts dread conventional cardio - why?

Because it's b-o-r-i-n-g.

So why do it at all? The goal of a cardio workout is to lose the unwanted inches and to develop the efficiency of your heart and lungs. But new studies are out that show our slow-go cardio sessions may not be as effective for burning off that holiday bulge as we thought.

When you plod along on the treadmill at an even pace, your body enters what is called a steady state. This means that your body has adjusted to the pace and is now trying to conserve energy.

Conserve energy? But I thought the point was toburnenergy?

And so your dilemma goes: You can't stand the monotony of traditional cardio and it leaves you with less than satisfactory results. So what should you do?

The answer is HIIT, a new training technique that blasts both boredom and fat.


Check out what experts are saying:

"In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose (fat) tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise - up to 50% more efficiently."

"HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for some time after your workout. The bottom line is that HIIT training burns a greater number of total calories than low-intensity training, and more calories burned equals less fat on your body."

What is HIIT?

High-Intensity Interval Training: is an exercise strategy that improves performance with short training sessions. These sessions involve a warm up period, several short, maximum-intensity efforts that are separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cool down period.

In other words, your 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio is replaced with more effective, High Intensity Interval Training for as little as 15 minutes. The addition of explosions of speed into your comfortable pace will increase your power, muscle tone, speed, strength, endurance and best of all will melt the inches off.

Here is an example of a HIIT program - this can be done on any form of cardio equipment or even jogging outside or swimming laps:

• Start with an easy 4 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.
• Once you are sufficiently warm, sky rocket your intensity for 30 seconds.
• Return to your normal pace for the next 30 seconds and then sky rocket again.
• Repeat this 30-30 interval for 6 minutes and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

After your HIIT session you can expect to burn more calories due to an increase in your metabolism - sounds good, right? If you aren't ready to jump into a full-fledged HIIT session, try on of the following modified HIIT workouts:

Modified HIIT 1:

• Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.
• Once you are sufficiently warm, increase your intensity for a full minute.
• Return to your normal pace and remain here until you have recovered enough to go again.
• Repeat this 1 minute interval with full recovery time between each one for the full extent of your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

Modified HIIT 2:

• Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.
• Once you are sufficiently warm, change your speed and intensity for 2 minutes.
• Return to your normal pace for 2 minutes and then change your intensity and speed again. The key is to keep your body guessing - you aren't doing full intensity work, but you also aren't staying at the same pace for the entire length of the workout.
• Repeat this 2 minute interval for the full extent of your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

There you have it - all you need to take your cardio workout to the next level. Do you have questions about the information presented in this newsletter? Or how would you like to slim down just in time for the holidays? I can help. And best of all I have many more strategies and techniques to help you achieve maximum results in minimum time.

I want to talk with you, one-on-one, to design an exercise program that will fit your unique goals. Just click here.

Labels: exercise, fitness, mindful fitness

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NEW- Nordine's Workout " A la Carte" MENU

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Check out our new Nordine's Workout Plans from the "a la carte" menu. These perfectly safe and effective plans are designed by Nordine to target specific areas of the body. You can choose from Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels, and whether you want to use free weights, an exercise machine, a physio ball or a combo fo the three.


Click here and get your plan today!

Labels: exercise, fitness, mindful fitness

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