Sarah's Musical Madness Giveaway!

WINNER SELECTED!  Congrats to LaSophia for being Sarah's Music Madness Giveaway!  Check out here blog HERE.

I LOVE MUSIC!

No lie, I listen to music for at least 3 hours a day (thank you Sirius Radio).  When I get ready for work, on my way to work, at the gym, when I walk my dog.  It never gets old.  I'm also constantly looking for the perfect songs for my Spin classes which will motivate my attendees.  I know which songs make me Get Up & Go but what about you?  

Become a follower of Get Up & Go and be entered to win a $25 iTunes gift card to make your very own ideal playlist!  For those of you who are already followers you are automatically entered (just follow the red instruction below).  Winner will be announced on Friday, June 17th.

Here is what you need to do to win the gift card:

Become a follower by clicking on the "Follow Me" button on the Get Up & Go webpage

Post a comment on this post of your favorite workout song that gets you motivated

Below you will find my current favorite workout playlist to help unleash your inner DJ......

Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne
Ridin' by Chamillionaire & Krayzie Bone
Amsterdam by Paul Okenfold
Stiff Upper Lip by AC/DC
Love Lockdown by Kanye West
Uprising by Muse
Waiting for the End by Linkin Park
If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix
How You Like Me Now by The Heavy

Yo, Yo, Yo, Yolk!

Egg Beaters

+

Fresh Vegetables 

+

Microwaveable Omelette Dish



= Low calorie, high protein breakfast in 10 minutes!


This is my staple breakfast!  It is really easy and can be totally different from day to day.  I got my omelette dish at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $10.   You can pretty much throw anything in the omelette dish.  Here are my favorite omelette recipes using egg beaters (or 1 real egg and 2 egg whites) & whatever is in my house.  Just keep fresh ingredients in tupperware for you to use during the week.

1. Mexican Omelette- Black bean & corn salsa, sliced olives, green onions, jalapenos, banana peppers and tabasco sauce.
2. Veggie Omelette - Mushrooms, sliced black olives, broccoli & low fat cheddar.
3. The Everything - Spinach, tomatoes, meat (turkey bacon or real bacon), low fat feta cheese, onions & red peppers.

If you have an idea for an omelette please SHARE!  

Leg & Cardio Workout Routine ALL IN ONE

1. Warm Up:  Hold a 5 pound weight and spell out your FULL name using your whole body
2. Squats:  (4 sets of 12)  using 24 pound body bar
3. Jumping Jacks for one minute
4. Dead Lifts & Back Row:  (3 sets of 12) using 18 pound body bar
5. Jump rope in place for one minute
6. Hamstrings on Ball:  (3 sets of 12) - SEE PICTURE BELOW
7. Run in place with high knees for one minute
8. Lunges:  (3 sets of 12)  using 8 or 10 pound weights in each hand
9. Jump with both legs from left to right quickly for one minute
10. Inner & Outer Thighs on Machine At The Gym:  (3 sets of 20)  
11. Skip in place for one minute
12. Side Leg Squats: (3 sets of 12) using 18 pound bar to start - SEE PICTURE BELOW
13. Jump forward and backward with legs together for one minute
14. Calf Raises:  (3 sets of 20)  using 24 pound bar on your shoulders
15. Jumping Jacks in place for one minute
16. Stretch & YOU ARE DONE!

This is Hamstrings on the Ball.  Start Here

End Here

Start Here

End Here

Love Is Gone by David Guetta

Do sprint intervals with this David Guetta song.  My favorite Spinning instructor Rudy Fenner uses it for sprints and it KICKS MY BEHIND!

Jessica's First Official Weigh In

Weight Last Week:  172

Weight This Week:  169

Goal Weight:  140

First of all I have to say this again.  Jessica Grecco is incredibly brave for offering (yes, I said OFFERING) to do before and after pictures of this process!  Only someone who is confident in who they are and mentally strong would be capable of sharing their story to help others.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Jessica for allowing us to follow you through this process.  I want everyone to see that you don't have to be a professional athlete to obtain your fitness goals.  Just Get Up & Go!

How She Did It:

1. Tracked Food Intake                                             Jessica signed up for  http://www.livestrong.com/ (which is free) and tracked everything she ate.  She will continue to do this until she reaches her goal weight and maintains it for 6 months.  Jessica tracked her food 1 week prior to starting the program.  We realized that she was eating too many carbs and not enough protein (common mistake made by many).  The site allows you to enter how many pounds you want to lose per week.  Her goal is 2 pounds per week but this week she lost 3!
2. Planned Meals                                                           Eating 6 small meals a day.  Increased fruits, vegetables and protein.  Doing this was a big change.  Jessica wasn't always hungry but ate small meels to keep her metabolism fueled.
3. Exercise Plan                                                           Since Jessica doesn't have a job yet she is able to focus on longer workouts.  I realize this might not be realistic for everyone.  Her goal is to have a more realistic workout regiment once she reaches her goal weight which will be 4 hours per week.  Currently she is doing 90 minutes 6 days a week (workout plan below). 
4. Heart Rate Monitor  This tool really helps fine tune your workouts.  It programs her age, height & weight which results in exact calories burned per workout.  Jessica bought a brand new, top of the line high tech  HRM for $75 on Ebay.  You can also check out Amazon.  I'll do a whole other post on the specific benefits of the HRM. 

Jessica left for the beach this week and is so dedicated that she brought 10 pound weight,  resistance ball, her own snacks and a GAME PLAN to have fun relaxing but not go off of her plan.  Also, if she reaches her goal by October 1st I promised to reward her with a 1 hour massage at a local spa.  How is that for a personal training plan?! 

GOOD LUCK JESSICA!

Day	Cardio	Weights	Abs
Monday	Day Off	Day Off	3 Different Exercises
Tuesday	90 Minutes	None	3 Different Exercises
Wednesday	30 Minutes	60 Minutes (Upper Body)	3 Different Exercises
Thursday	90 Minutes	None	3 Different Exercises
Friday	30 Minutes	60 Minutes (Lower Body)	3 Different Exercises
Saturday	90 Minutes	None	3 Different Exercises
Sunday	30 Minutes	60 Minutes (Core)	3 Different Exercises

                                                                                                                  

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Workouts: What Is The Difference?

We all strive for balance in our lives.  Working out isn't any different.  I always have to have a road map to success with my fitness goals.  What are your goals?  Are you trying to reduce stress?  Maintain your existing weight?  Increase strength?  Train for a specific fitness event? 

Remember if you ever need help designing a fitness plan....CALL ME!

What to do, what to do.......

High Intensity Cardio?

          

Or Lifting Weights?

Or Both?  You better not say neither!



Here is some information I found on line that best describes the difference between aerobic and anaerobic workouts.  Enjoy!

If you've ever sprinted a half-mile, you know that your body reacts differently than when you slowly lift hand weights. That's because your body uses a different system to supply the energy you need when you burn energy quickly than it uses when you burn energy slowly. Scientists have identified two types of respiration: aerobic--literally, "with air"--and anaerobic, or "without air," which determine the benefits and drawbacks of your exercise strategy. A balanced workout program incorporating aerobic and anaerobic exercise will strengthen your cardiovascular-respiratory system and improve muscle strength and flexibility. 

Aerobic exercises: are those that require steady, nonstop exercise at a comfortable pace, usually using the muscles of the lower body.  Walking, running, rowing and dancing are all aerobic exercises. Anaerobic exercises include start-stop activities that force your muscles to work in an oxygen-deprived state, like tennis, skiing and sprinting, as well as low-intensity exercises that don't require you to draw on your body's oxygen reserves, like weight training and yoga.

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise:  Working out in the aerobic stage has many benefits: it improves overall cardiovascular and respiratory health, and trains your heart and muscles to use energy more efficiently. Over time, you'll find even the most intensive aerobic exercise easier to perform.

Anaerobic Exercise:  Anaerobic exercise challenges your body in a different way. Your muscles are working in an oxygen-deprived state, causing your body to expend energy faster than the body can replace it. Your short-term energy stores are quickly burned up, and lactic acid will begin building up in your system. Soon you'll feel "winded" or out of breath and won't be able to go on.

Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise:  Anaerobic exercise won't improve your cardiovascular strength or health, but it will help you strengthen your muscles and increase your body's flexibility. The good news? Anaerobic strength recovers quickly, so you could be sprinting again within five minutes of an all-out dash for the finish line.

Balancing Your Workout:  A balanced workout plan will incorporate elements of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. This could include walking at a moderate pace on a treadmill, which is aerobic, followed by fast interval training, which is anaerobic. Or wind down from stair-climbing, which is aerobic, with some light weight training, which is anaerobic. Your doctor or fitness trainer can help you devise the optimal workout plan for you.

World Spinning & Sports Conference 2011 & My Brush With Fame

I'm at the WSSC in Miami getting my learn on with a side of Spinning.  I love teaching spin and am here with the best instructors around the world learning how to better motivate my classes (and myself).  Three cycle classes and 3 lectures later I am EXHAUSTED to say the least.  Here is my first class with over 50 other Spin instructors.

To end the day we did one HUGE group ride with all attendees.  There were 6 instructors from around the world (South Africa, Italy, China, Japan & USA) leading the class using indigenous music.  Even though we all spoke different languages one thing was clear and simple.......riding a bike!

During lunch there was a Q&A with 3 winners from The Biggest Loser.  The crazy part was one of the winners I have run into 2 times before today!  What are the odds?  Needless to say I was a SUPER DORK and got picture with all of them.



What a transformation!



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Season 3 Winner Erik Chopin

Then there was Bill & Jim Germanakos.  This was the 3rd time I've met Bill.  We sat next to each other on a plane where I proceeded to grill him about the secrets of the Biggest Loser. 





Me & The Twins! 

All in all the conference has been great.  One day down 2 more to go!  Please, please come to one of my Spinning classes so I can put what I learned to good use.



Ali In The Jungle by The Hours

Listen to the words and prepare to be motivated.  Happy Friday!



Got a Salty/Crunchy Craving?

Ok, Ok.  I know what you're thinking....kale chips?  Really?  Before you judge let me just say I thought the SAME thing when I went to a friends house who made them for us.  I apprehensively gave one a try and was totally blown away by how similar they taste to veggie chips or baked salt & olive oil chips.  Once you scroll down and see how low the calories/fats are you will thank me for this lower calorie salty snack.  Besides a little extra kale never killed anyone! 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 58 | Total Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Know Your Body: Heart Rate Monitor

Jessica has the Polar FT4 & I have an older Polar F6.

Sarah's F6

Jessica's FT 4

I started using a heart rate monitor a few years ago and I must say it has completely changed my workout!  I work out more efficiently in less time and know exactly when my body is starting to plateau from a routine.  You can program the HRM with your age and weight so that it gives you exactly how many calories you burn and where your heart rate should be working to get the most out of your workout.  Don't trust the calorie counters on the machines at the gym.  They are incredibly inaccurate (off by at least 100 calories).  

The best brand of watches is Polar and they are about $75 if you go on Amazon or Ebay!  

Below is a chart that breaks down your heart rate by age and type of workout.