Giving Back

Hey welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. Since Christmas is just around the corner I wanted to share a couple things I have done to give back. 

I believe it is as important to receive as it is to give back. Being a healthy person also involves helping others, during the month of December I helped three charities and here is what I did.

My boss teaches a cooking class to the local Boys & Girls Club every year. This year it started December 5th and helped out last year so I decided to volunteer again this year. It's a strange feeling you get from helping others, it makes you feel just as good as they feel. Each Thursday we have taught the Boys & Girls Club about nutrition and how to make a healthy meal. This last week, we taught them how to bake a potato, sweet potato,  make chicken soup and broccoli soup. Each week I'm thrilled when I see how excited the kids are to cook and create healthy food for themselves. I always leave feeling really good about myself and I am genuinely happy I got involved.

The second thing I did this month was donate toys to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital. My sister and I won't be spending Christmas with each other this year so we got together before to celebrate a "Sissies Christmas" which stands for sisters Christmas. We met up at Chateau Marmont and had a wonderful breakfast together. We wanted part of our day to be helping out at a charity or giving back, so we researched and found out the Children's' Hospital was doing a toy drive. My sister and I set out to find toys and the specific items they had requested such as playing cards, coloring books, baby rattles, bubbles and more. We didn't stop till we found everything on their list and we had a great time doing it as well. We went to a couple different stores and listened to Christmas music on the way, it was truly a great time. After we purchased all our toys we headed to the Children's Hospital to drop off the goods. The helpers thanked us for our generosity and we felt like we had made an impact. We decided that every year we would make giving back/helping a charity a Christmas tradition.

The third thing place I helped  was a soup kitchen my friend helps out at. She had told me about it and I really wanted to help. Since I just went out and bought all new baking ingredients (all gluten-free, sugar-free and organic) I didn't know what to do with the other stuff I had. I wasn't going to use the baking supplies ever again but I didn't want to throw them away. I remembered the soup kitchen and had a thought, I should donate my baking stuff to them. I asked her if that was something they would take and it was. So I donated all of it. 

I know it's the holiday season and that's when most people give back but after this month I want to start making this a monthly tradition. Each month I want to give back in some way. I think it's healthy for the soul. Well from one Try-Athlete to another have an amazing holiday, whatever you celebrate and until next time stay strong and stay fit!!! Xoxo

LesMills Combat Week 2

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week was week # 2 of LesMills Combat and I was still sore from week one. I am starting to see results on my body. My abs are coming back, I used to have a six pack and was unmotivated for a couple of week and noticed my six pack was starting to go away. But this week I started to see definition again in my abs so I am going to keep it up.

Week 2 brought some new workouts I hadn't done yet. One was called "Hiit: Plyo" using high intensity interval training with cardio. This workout was tough, and definitely got my heart rate up. Just like last week their was a burpee series and that was the hardest part of the workout. Doing burpees for 3 minutes straight will tire out just about anyone.

The other new workout I did was "Combat 60," a 60 minute kick-boxing aerobic workout that worked my entire body. I noticed that I'm using my shoulders a lot with this workout and my arms are sore almost everyday. I'm excited about this because I played soccer growing up so I've always had defined legs but it has taken me awhile to build up my arm and shoulder muscles.

Another thing I wanted to touch on this week is diet, because 70% of your of how you look is based on your diet. So like I said earlier I was unmotivated for a couple weeks and I wasn't eating as healthy as I usually do and I definetly saw that on my body. But last week and this week since I started LesMills Combat I have been back to my healthy diet. LesMills Combat comes with a meal plan/nutrition guide and I've tried to follow it to the best of my ability. I am a vegan so their are a few modifications I have made here and there to accommodate my dietary restrictions. A typical day includes oatmeal for breakfast, a smoothie or energy bar for a snack mid-morning, rice cakes with hummus, avocado and tomato for lunch and a vegatable salad for dinner. Grazing on bananas and nuts as snacks when needed. 

I'm starting to feel like my old self again having endless energy and I attribute that to working out and eating healthy...that truly is the secret to my success. I would recommend this workout and diet guide to people that are looking to work hard and see results. Hang in there Try-Athletes and until next time stay strong and stay fit!

LesMills Combat

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the lastest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. It's been a couple weeks since I've posted and I apoligize I took a couple weeks off for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I'm back in full force now trying a new workout DVD series called LesMills Combat combining kickboxing, strength and high intensity interval training. It was time for me to try a different DVD series since I was a little burnt out doing Insanity and Asylum for many years so I went to the BeachBody website and found LesMills Combat.

This is my first week doing the LesMills Combat program and I'm excited to tell you all about it. The first video labeled "Combat 30," was cardio kickboxing for 30 minutes. It was a great start to this new workout, it got my heartrate up immediately with kickboxing combos and every other song rotating upper body to lower body. I was doing roundhouse, front and back kicks and we even did jump kicks. I really enjoyed this first video and was pumped for the next day.

Day two was "Kata" 45 minutes of kickboxing aerobics. It was intense and taught different routines from the previous day. I did expect the tempo to be a little faster on a couple of the routines that was my only critique of this video. I was still sweating and getting a great workout but just felt at a couple of points I could go faster than the video was going.

After a little disappointment from the video of day two I went into day three not knowing what to expect. 

Well let me tell you, the video labeled "Power Hiit" a 30 minute workout bringing together strength and high intensity interval training, kicked my butt. This workout started with cardio and then threw in some weight training and kept going back and forth like that. We worked arms, legs and abs and this workout had me dripping sweat and it was only 30 minutes long. I have tried other workouts that were only 30 minutes and they rarely made we sweat and work as hard as this video did. I actually had to take a break from one exercise (burpee with a jump and then squat) because I was so tired. When this workout was over I was sore from head to toe, I can't wait till tomorrow for my next workout.

This is my first week doing LesMills Combat but so far I would definetly recommend this to people that want a workout challenge but also enjoy kickboxing and having fun. The music in this DVD series is upbeat and it pumps you up while you are working out. I will keep you posted on how week two goes and until next time stay fit!

Medicine Cabinet Makeover

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. Did you know you can fix anything that is wrong with you with plant-based medicines?

Last night I attended a "Medicine Makeover" party hosted by this new company called Saffron & Sage. The event was all about plant-based essential oils and how they can replace everything you have in your medicine cabinet currently. 

I am a big believer that diet and exercise can cure any problem you may have. I met a woman last night who had two tumors and by eating raw/vegan and using essential oils her tumors went away. She was very inspiring to listen to and it was amazing meeting someone in person who has used plants to cure themselves. 

I learned a great deal and I want to share what I learned with you. I already knew oregano oil was very good for our bodies but I wasn't sure why. I learned that oregano oil keeps you healthy, if you are feeling under the weather or are sick or feeling low energy taking a few drops of oregano oil can make you feel better. Last week I was feeling low energy and my sister gave me 5 drops of oregano oil in about a half a cup of water and after drinking it I felt better. I no longer felt low energy, I recommend oregano oil whenever you feel like your getting sick. 

Something else I learned was lemon oil detoxes the body and regulates blood pressure. I intend on telling my dad about that one since he is on high blood pressure medication. To demonstrate that lemon is a detoxifier and gets rid of toxins the host of the gathering put three drops of the lemon essential oil on a styrofoam cup and within 10 minutes it had eaten through the cup. 

Another thing I learned was wild orange oil is a mood elevator and gets rid of depression. Putting one drop in your palms and rubbing your hands together and smelling them is all you need to do to lift your mood. You can also put a few drops in a diffuser and use it that way as well. 

Onguard is an essential oil blend that keeps you healthy. It is made up of orange, clove, eucalyptus and sage and is an anti-viral oil. Onguard is known as "the theives blend," because back during the time of the plague there was a group of theives that would rob the dead. They never got sick and didn't catch the plague, eventually when they were found they confessed they had rubbed themselves with the blend of "onguard" and that's why they didn't get sick.

I was fascinated by what I learned at this event. You can basically replace everything in your medicine cabinet with plant-based essential oils! This medicine has been around for thousands of years and I'm not sure why we ever got away from it. 

A couple other things:

Lavender oil is good as a sleep aid, ditch the Tylenol PM and try lavender oil instead. 

Peppermint oil helps with an upset stomach or digestion problems. Fennel, carraway seed and peppermint is a blend that helps with acid reflux so you can throw away your Tums. 

Plants and herbs are truly amazing things that come from the earth and I urge you to try one of these oils instead of the over the counter pill and see how you feel. Until next time stay fit and stay strong. 

No Sugar, Part 2

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diets trends so you don't have to. I decided to give up sugar for the second time this year. This time for 5 weeks.

Why give up sugar?

Well I workout daily and eat extremely heathly but I'm still lacking the six-pack I want. Last time I gave up sugar I could see a difference, I'm a naturally skinny person but with sugar cutout of my diet I was even leaner. 

My birthday is coming up on Halloween so I decided to give up sugar until my birthday. You don't relalize that sugar is in everything until you aren't eating it. The first couple of days were the hardest and the first night I was craving anything with sugar in it. You also don't realize till your off sugar is how addictive sugar is, it's kind of like a vicious cycle...have a little sugar than have more sugar. I have also been craving pumpkin everything because it's October. I have seen pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies. Everything I have seen featuring pumpkin flavor has sugar in it! I did get some pumpkin tea, which obviously doesn't have sugar in it but it didn't really fulfill my pumpkin sugar craving.

One of my friends asked me the other night if giving up sugar really did anything? If I could see a difference in my body? I told her yes, I can see that my body is leaner without it. I'm the Try-Athlete so I'm always trying new diets and cutting out foods that are "bad" for me. And since I've cutout sugar I have seen results unlike any other diet change. I have about two weeks left till my birthday but I'm looking so good I'm not sure if I want to stop. I encourage you to give up sugar for a week or a month and see what results you get. Until next time stay fit and stay strong.

Slack-Lining

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I tried slacklining, have you ever seen it or heard of it? 

Slacklining is kind of like tightrope walking between two trees. The slack line looks like a dog's leash and you use rock climbing carribeeners to connect it to 2 trees about 20-30 feet away from each other. 

Slacklining takes tremendous balance just like tightrope walking. You start by trying to balance on the line with one foot and then try to walk. When you first start your leg shakes and it makes the line shake too. You have to push yourself up quickly as not to shake the whole line. 

First I tried my left leg and the whole line shook but then when I put pressure on the line it stopped and I could stand up for maybe one second. I then would alternate each time to the opposite leg so they both got a good workout. It was a workout too I started sweating and my friend I was doing it with told me to take a break. 

So I took about a 10 minute break and when I went back and started again I was much better. My friend said this happened frequently, when you took a break and then attempted the slackline again you would improve. I was staying up for 5-10 seconds this time. I decided to try and walk and I was almost getting there when my foot slipped and I fell off the slack-ine and directly onto my shoulder. I heard a crunch and it hurt but I wasn't seriously hurt so I continued. 

I tried a few more times to walk but my balance wasn't as good as it was before my fall. My shoulder was sore so I decided I had had enough slackline for the day. I had such a great time slacklining that day. I had watched people on a slackline before but I had never tried it. It was really fun and everytime I got up on it I wanted to improve. I was impressed by how good my balance was for my first time trying it. I would definitely encourage friends and other workout enthusiasts to try slacklining. It is great for your balance and your confidence. And even though I fell off I didn't let that get me down because I had stayed up all those other attempts. So until next time stay fit and stay strong!

The Asylum, Insanity Hybrid

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fintess and diet trends so you don't have to. Last week I started a new workout routine. I have done the Insanity workouts for the past 3 years and Asylum workouts for 10 months but I have never done them together. 

Each workout program comes with a calendar which tells you what day to do what workout. On the Asylum calendar it has a Asylum/Insanity Hybrid and a P90X/ Asylum Hybrid as well. I have never attempted the Asylum/Insanity Hybrid before and I thought why not. I'm ready for the challenge and since I just finished the entire Asylum program for the second time I thought I'm in good enough shape to try it.

The first day was Strength from Asylum paired with Pure Cardio from Insanity. Basically weight training and cardio paired together lasting for about an hour and a half. I powered through it pretty well, I was excited I was doing so well. After I finished Strength I immediately started Pure Cardio and I could tell I was tired from the other workout but I told myself I would finish it so that's what I did. The next day my shoulders and inner thighs were really sore. 

I have to admit the next day the weather was so ideal for a run I couldn't resist deviating from the workout calendar and going for a run. We aren't talking about a easy run around the block I pushed myself on this run. I usual run 3 miles but instead I pushed myself to run 4. I was really tired at around 2.6 miles but I told myself I could do it and I think that is the only reason I finished cause I was running on empty.

The next day I went back to the calendar and the next workout was Max Interval Plyo which is an hour of cardio circuit training. My knees were sore from my run the day before so it was tough at first but when I loosened up I felt better. This workout is one of the harder ones but I tried to pace myself. The rest of the week was pretty much like this I was sore every morning but I knew that was because I was working my muscles harder than they were used to.

The Good:

I knew I was getting in even better shape because I was doing double workouts on some days. I've done 2 a days in the past but it was nice having a set schedule so I always knew what I had to do. 

The Bad: 

I was literally sore this whole week! 

The Unexpected:

I was actually surprised by how well I did this first week. I know I am strong and fit but I really hung in there. I was strong mentally and that's really what I was excited about. 

Recommendations: 

I would only recommend this workout to people who are in very good shape. People who like to push themselves and do hard works like Cross-fit on a regular basis. This workout isn't difficult to learn but you need stamina and endurance to get through all the workouts. So until next week stay strong and stay fit!

Detox your Life

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week was about detoxing. 

I recently watched the documentary called Food Matters and the film highlighted how important it is to eat organic. It also touched on how you have to get all the bad toxins out of your body first before the good stuff comes in. 

This gave we an idea, I've been wanting to detox for awhile but not just what I eat but what I use in my home to clean and what I use on my body to clean myself too. 

I started this journey because I had chronic stomach aches and everything I ate upset my stomach. Now that I'm eating predominately fruits and vegetables I don't have the stomach aches I used to. I wonder how my body would react with getting rid of all the old toxins into body...probably wonderfully. 

I started transitioning to all natural products, new dishwasher soap is Eco, the laundry detergent is unscented Arm & Hammer baking soda detergent. I just got a new body wash from Trader Joe's it's a organic tea tree body wash. 

I have only been buying organic fruits and vegetables. Ralph's and Trader Joe's are the grocery stores I frequent and they both have good organic selections. Recently our organic produce section grew at Ralph's and I can usually find everything I need there. I started drinking this Peach Detox tea nightly, it supports healthy liver and kidney functions. 

I feel as though with this new detox lifestyle I am being more socially and environmentally responsible, I am only putting toxin free things back into the earth and I feel refreshed and better than I have in a long time.

 

I understand detoxing isn't for everyone but if you can start to transition to natural products you will feel good and you will be helping the environment too. I will continue to detox and cut things out of my life I don't need or are toxic. 

Pound

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have. Last week a friend asked me if I had ever tried the workout "Pound," I hadn't so I was instantly intrigued.

What is Pound? Well she explained it to me, you use drumsticks and drum to the beat of the music. You are in different positions for each song, sometimes in a standing squat and drumming the ground in front of you and to the side as well. Pound is a full-body workout working abs, arms, legs and butt. Some songs you are in a seated position pounding the ground to the sides of you and working your core. 

I googled "the Pound workout" and watched a couple videos and I had to try it. I love any workout that involves rhythm and music and sweat dripping down your face. I found a class at a gym in Santa Monica, and since I go to Los Angeles every week for a on-camera hosting class, I decided to sign up for my very first Pound class. 

The Good:

This class was really fun! It was completely different from any workout I had ever done. Using drumsticks or as they are called in class "ripstix" was truly an art form. I could feel my muscles working and using muscles differently than they were used too. The music totally pumps you up, it's loud and the beat is easy to follow. The music kept me going even when I was really tired. 

The Bad:

Since it was my first time trying this workout some of the moves I would mess-up on. I got off the beat a bit sometimes when it was a new move. I was right in the front row too so I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly for others watching. I could feel my leg muscles cramping up halfway through the workout, we didn't stretch at all before the workout. Next time I would stretch out before the class so my muscles don't cramp up. 

The Unexpected: 

I've been doing the Asylum workout for the last four weeks and feel really strong so you can imagine how surprised I was when I was sore right after this class. My legs and lower back were so sore I could barely move let alone drive home after class. I thought I was in great shape so it was exciting to see I can step it up another notch. 

Recommendations:  

I would recommend this workout to anyone who wants to have fun while they workout. It's a tough workout but you're having fun while doing it so your mind doesn't dwell on the pain. Pound does take coordination and rhythm, but with practice I think anyone would be able to stay on the beat and follow the instructor. I'm already signed up for another Pound class I liked it so much, so until next time stay fit.

Asylum Strikes Back

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. After doing a few weeks of T25 the new workout from famed trainer ShaunT and BeachBody I felt I needed to step my game up. Some people only have 25 minutes to spare to workout but I make working out a priority and put aside an hour to improve myself daily. No judgement to anyone who likes T25 or only has a short period of time to workout, that's just not me. I love to workout and when I'm dripping sweat that's when I know I'm working my hardest. 

Earlier this year I completed Asylum and loved it, because its all about bringing out your inner athlete. I wanted to get back into the shape I was in when I did it before so I decided to do Asylum again.

The Good:

I got into great shape fast, I was sore every day for the first couple days. I like when I'm sore because then I know I'm working my muscles differently than before. Since I have done this series of workouts before I knew what I was doing so I excelled at moves that had been hard for me in the past. 

The Bad:

One of the workouts I literally hate the warm-up and I had to face that workout. It's not that the warm-up is really tough it's just annoying and repetitive and for some reason I just don't like it. Since only one of the workouts has that warm-up I just decided to do it. And once I had, it actually wasn't as bad as I had built it up in my mind.

The Unexpected: 

I was surprised how fast I was able to see changes in my body. My abs started to get more chiseled within a week and so did my shoulders, thighs and butt. I was also surprised that I remembered everything from when I did it before and it all came back just like riding a bike as they say. 

Recommendations:

I would recommend this workout to advanced fitness people. Beginners shouldn't start with this workout as it is very intense. This workout is an excellent way to get your cardio in and enjoy doing it. I feel like an athlete when I do these workouts and everyone has an athlete waiting to come out. 

So until next time stay strong and stay fit. 

Juicing Part II

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week was dedicated to juicing. One of the companies I work for just opened a juice bar. I had the pleasure of helping out for the week and by doing so I got free juice for breakfast and lunch. 

I have done a juice cleanse before but that was when I wasn't eating as clean so I was interested to see how it would effect me since I've been eating clean.

Juicing is such an amazing way to get the nutrients you need and get them fast. Since juice absorbs into your system quickly you feel the benefits of the juice and you feel energized. 

The first day I started I got to try a taste of all the juices on the menu. Nine recipes total, they each were interesting and tantalizing combinations. My taste buds were one the ride of a lifetime with every sip of apple, kale, mint and orange, lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper. The combinations or the juices complimented each other so well and was making juicing fresh and new for me. 

The next couple days I supplemented breakfast and lunch with juice. I still worked out and made myself a healthy vegan dinner of mostly grilled veggies. I realized the 3rd night that all I had eaten for three days was fruits and veggies. I felt good, I felt refreshed and energized and decided to keep it up. 

The Good:

I felt amazing, just juicing and only eating fruits and vegetables really gives you the nutrients you need. It's also nice having someone else juice for you, I try to drink my juice within 15 minutes of it being made. When I make my own juice I am usually cleaning my juicer while drinking my juice instead of just enjoying my juice. 

The Bad: 

When you eventually eat something that isn't juice or fruits and vegetables your stomach tells you so. I had organic blue corn tortillas chips on my last night and my stomach rejected them. I had a horrible stomach ache which I never got when drinking juice.

The Unexpected:

I've juiced before but it's been awhile since I drank a lot of juice and I was very surprised about how much energy I had just drinking juice. I also craved carbs this week which was weird because I don't consume much carbs. I didn't have any but I noticed at lunch time I was craving bread.

Recommendations:

I would recommend juicing to anyone and everyone. It is a great way to get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we need on a daily basis. For someone just starting on the path to health I would recommend supplementing one meal for juice. It might take a few days to get used to but eventually you will feel the benefits. Until next time stay strong and stay fit! Connect with me @genevievemelzer. 

Two A-Days

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. Do you remember when you where a kid and you attended all day sports camp? Well I do I went to soccer camp every year. I also had a week of conditioning before school started for soccer. That week was brutal running suicides as they call them and seeing how fast you could run a mile. I run a mile a lot faster now than I did back then.
I was thinking about those camps this past week and I thought about how football players and other athletes workout 2 times a day. They call them 2 a days and it gives them a break to eat or refuel and then workout again. I used to run around all day at those soccer camps so I decided to workout twice a day this week. Here's how it went...
The first day I started with a T25 workout since I'm still doing that workout I incorporated it into my 2 a day schedule. I did the T25 video "Cardio" and then I did a video from the BeachBody series Asylum called "Strength." This was a great way to start out my two a day week. Talk about working hard first I did Cardio so I got my sweat on and then I did Strength 50 minutes of weights working back, arms, chest and abs. I felt like a muscle machine after doing both of these workouts. For the rest of the week I did similar workouts trying to combine different muscle groups.

The Good:
I was able to do it. I'm in good enough shape that I was able to do 2 workouts and not pass out or throw up. I was working multiple muscle groups daily. I could tell I was getting stronger because I didn't need to take breaks I powered through my workouts. I definitely got my sweat on, when I would first start to sweat it would be the end of my first workout and so when I started my second workout I would be dripping with sweat the whole time.

The Bad:
Two a days take more of your time. Instead of just working out 30 minutes to an hour I now found that I was working out up to 2 hours. While that isn't really that long of a time if your busy with work, family or other obligations 2 hours is a long time.
I also noticed the days I didn't eat enough. I felt sluggish and even nauseous at times. It is so important to fuel your body for a workout especially 2 workouts. By the end if the week I would make sure to fuel up before each and every workout.

The Unexpected:
I was a little surprised at what I was capable of doing. I totally believe in myself don't get me wrong but I was doing 2 very challenging workouts and I was able to complete them. I guess I'm in better shape than I thought which is pretty exciting. Since I need to built up my endurance because eventually it's one of my dreams to run a marathon I feel these 2 a days are helping with my endurance and my confidence.

Recommendations:
I would recommend starting 2 a days to someone that is already in great shape and is training for a fitness event. I think it is always important to know your limits and know when to stop, but also know when to push yourself because that is the only way you will improve. So until next time stay strong and stay fit!

Hiking Runyon Canyon

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I hiked, I'm still doing the workout T25 but I switched my day off so I could hike Runyon Canyon.
Runyon Canyon is a State park in Los Angeles, CA located right in Hollywood. It has amazing views and hiking trails. If you're ever in the area you must hike it.

The Good:
This hike has amazing views and vista points you can see the whole city of Los Angeles and it is truly breathe taking. I usually workout alone or with a group of people in a class but no one is taking. I went on this hike with my sister and we had a great time catching up and chatting about everything and anything. It was nice to have her with me and we were outside in the middle of a city working out.

The Bad:
This hike is very popular which isn't necessarily a bad thing but we did have to stop a few times to let people by and that was kind of annoying because I wanted to get my sweat on. As soon as we got to the higher part of the trail there wasn't as many people and that was more peaceful and I enjoyed that.

The Unexpected:
I was surprised when climbing the steepest part of the trail I was out of breathe, unable to talk and had to stop. I consider myself to be in great shape so I'm always shocked when something is working me to the point I need a moment to catch my breath and this was just a hike! But elevation and incline can really do that to anyone.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this hike to anyone! It is a great way to break up your workout week by adding something different and getting a break from your usual gym routine. You are outside and soaking up nature and getting a workout. For a challenge I would run it next time. This hike was definitely a different kind of workout than what I'm used to but I enjoyed the change of pace, so until next time stay fit!

Focus T25

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I tried the newest workout from BeachBody called "Focus T25," the workouts are taught by Shaun T the same guy that brings you Insanity and Asylum.
I had received an email from BeachBody notifying me that Focus T25 was out and I could order it. I was intrigued immediately so I watched the commercial for it and it was on. The commercial claims all the workouts are 25 minutes long hence the name T25 and it boasts that you can get just as good results with these twenty five minute workouts as an hour workout. The slogan is "It's about time," so we ordered it and it arrived Monday.
It was time to see if this workout would give the same results Insanity or Asylum gives in only 25 minutes. The first workout was "Cardio" it was pretty easy and I got through it without breaking a sweat. It was a good workout but nothing like Insanity which I am used to. We built on the exercises so instead of just doing switch kicks we started with a low kick and added on from there.
Tuesday I did "Speed 1.0" it was a bit harder than Cardio but still not as tough as I'm used to. We built on exercises again and had to do them faster and faster. It involved a lot of jumping and cross jumps too. This workout made me sweat but only a little.
Wednesday was "Total Body Circuit" and let me tell you, up to this point I had underestimated this new workout. Total Body Circuit kicked my ass...and in only 25 minutes and I dripping with sweat. Sweat was pouring down my face, I even got some in my eyes. Everything was covered in sweat! This was what I had been waiting for, a hard core workout in only 25 minutes. We worked core, legs, arms...everything. We did push-ups and squats and lots of jumps too it was tough to get through this workout. I was stoked at the end of this workout because I knew T25 was going to give me the results it promised.
Thursday was "Ab Intervals" which focused on all ab work. This workout left me sweaty and sore. My abs and my lats were hurting, which was exciting for me because that meant I had worked them hard. We did plank holds and added jumping and piking to them. Each exercise got harder and harder till I was almost unable to do them because I was so tired from the previous exercise.
Friday was double time, I had to do 2 of the workouts so a total of 50 minutes. I started with "Lower Focus" which is all about the lower body and had a lot of lunges and squats and was a pretty good workout. Then when I was finished with that I had to do "Cardio" which I had started with Monday. Doing it by itself is one thing but doing another workout before it is another. I am excited to see what week 2 is gonna be like. After my double workout I can't wait to see how each week gets harder.
Overall, I think I got a great workout this week. At the beginning of the week I wasn't sure but by the end of the week my faith was restored and I know I'm going to get results from Focus T25. So untill next week stay fit!

Trampoline Hot Mess

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I tried working out on a trampoline. I signed up for a trampoline class at the trapeze school in Los Angeles, CA. One of my friends had told me about a trampoline class she had been to and it sounded tough but fun. When I signed up for this trampoline class I didn't realize it wasn't anything like the class my friend had been to.
When I got to school it was located on the Santa Monica Pier. It was outside so tourists and onlookers could watch you. Since it was located on the pier it smelled like cotton candy and popcorn. The trampoline was an Olympic size trampoline and the class ended being learning tricks on the trampoline. Usually each class had about 4 people in them and each person worked on a trick and then the next person would go and the others would observe and watch.
In my class it was just me, I was the only one who signed up that day. I was super excited because that meant the whole hour would just me learning tricks on the trampoline. My instructor had me stretch out to start, when I got on the trampoline he had me learn basic jumps. How to jump the correct way and then had me do jump turns the correct way. He taught me how to stop myself if I got out of control and how to always be safe.
After I had learned the basics he taught me how to do different kinds of jumps. When I had all 4 down he had me do series with all of them together. This was about the time of the class when I started to get tired. The sun was out and it was hot, I was sweating a lot. Then we moved on to back-flips, the instructor put a harness on me to protect me during the backflips. Backflips look really fun and I was very excited to try them. I did 2 of them and I was exhausted. You use almost every muscle to do a backflip and I was already tired before I started the backflips.
After the backflips I got a much needed break. I was sweating and the sun was beating down on me and I was tired. I workout all the time and do hard workouts everyday so I didn't know why this was effecting me in such a way. I couldn't believe I had 20 minutes left in the class and I wasn't sure if I could finish the hour class. After the break I started doing the jumps I had already learned and then moved on to a jump where you fall back, your back hits the trampoline and bounces back up. On one of the attempts of this jump I did a backwards summersault on accident because I got to much bounce and I hurt something in my neck. I probably should have stopped at that time but I wanted to finish the class and it was just sore it wasn't hurting when I moved it. The last 10 minutes of the class where the hardest I had no energy left and I was so hot. The class ended with going over everything I had learned and I really had to use my mind to get through it because I was so exhausted.
When the class was over I felt nauseous and fatigued. I realized if their had been other people in the class it would have given me more breaks I wouldn't have gotten so worked. I would recommend this class to someone who was adventurous with their workout and wanted to learn new things. I would say make sure for your first class that you aren't the only person in the class. Even though I had a somewhat bad experience I would try this class again. I would take a friend with me and make sure other people had signed up for the class. Have a great week and until next time stay fit.

Summer Slump

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. We are in the heat of summer and this last week I went on vacation. I got back Friday and I have found it very hard to find the motivation to workout. Even as the "Try-Athlete" I love to try new fitness trends but this week I just didn't have any motivation.
It's summer so it's extremely important to look good in your swimsuit. Since I just got back from vacation and don't have anything planned yet I had no motivation. I was also busy after work each day so I used that as an excuse but I ALWAYS make time to workout so I knew something was up. It's been over a 112 degrees everyday here in Palm Springs, CA where I live and I used the heat as an excuse as well. Neither of those things is a valid excuse because you can always make time to workout and you can always go to a fitness class or gym that will be in air-conditioning.
I decided to reach out on Twitter and asked my followers "how do you get out of a workout slump?" I received so many helpful comments and advice. One person told me to have make a new goal for myself. I thought this was great advice because whenever I have a goal or trip planned I workout extra hard because of it. I really want to run a marathon this year and their is one in Vegas in November so I'm seriously thinking about training for it. Also their is a new BeachBody workout with my favorite trainer Shaun T so I could buy that too. I'm also researching a trip to Hawaii in August so maybe that will be motivation as well.
Another person said they stand in front of the mirror for 10 minutes before getting in the shower everyday. Looking at yourself will motivate you to workout to get the body you had before or the body you have always wanted. Admire what you like and see what you want to tweak.
Someone else said take a break and refocus. This is also great advice because giving yourself a couple days off to rest will refocus your mind and then you can get back into it.
After reading all these helpful comments I was ready to get back in the game. I had taken a week off due to my vacation and lack of motivation. But instead of getting down on myself which would just make me feel worse about myself, I decided to make good choices starting today. I decided to go for a run even though it was very hot outside and I had a lot of things on my to-do list for today.
I ran for a little over 2 miles and my confidence and motivation is slowly coming back. I'm still in shape and will continue to build on my fitness level and accomplish my goals and dreams. So when you are in a fitness slump and can't find your motivation don't get down on yourself it happens to everyone. Happy to say I'm back in the saddle so until next time stay fit.

Are you a Vegetarian?

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I struggled with my Vegetarianism. I don't like labels I eat healthy but I don't necessarily put myself into any categories even though I pretty much am vegan and vegetarian and eat mostly raw as well. I'm not sure why I don't really tell people I am these things.
I have watched so many food documentaries lately that it seems cruel and horrible to eat animals that lived an inhumane life just to die for me to eat. I haven't eaten any meat, poultry or fish in over a month and I haven't missed it. It's interesting when you cut something out of your diet for a few weeks and you end up never looking back.
I just want to be socially conscious about what I'm putting in my body and how it was raised and treated. This week was a struggle because we went to a seafood restaurant right by the ocean and I love seafood. As soon as we sat down I saw this lobster salad that looked amazing and I don't even like lobster. But something else caught my eye when scanning the menu the Crab & Shrimp Louis, I used to love crab and shrimp before I started on this journey.
I ordered the Louis with no egg and the dressing on the side but I still ordered it with the crab and shrimp. When it arrived it looked healthy and delicious but a part of me felt guilty because or the crab and shrimp. I ate it plain without the dressing and each one of the components was so flavorful the dressing wasn't needed. I ate the whole thing and once I was done the remorse set in. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had done something wrong I didn't know where they got their seafood from or if it was caught wild and not harmful to other sea life. I knew if my some of my girl-friends were with me they would look down on me.
I feel like we all make mistakes and struggle sometimes with change and new ideas. I got myself out of my funk by realizing I'm not perfect and no one really is even though we all try to come off like we have all the answers we don't. Sometimes we mess up or fuck up or order the wrong thing but it's our future choices that can help us feel better about ourselves. Next time I go to a seafood restaurant I most likely won't order fish because I will remember how I felt the previous time. Or next time I won't even put myself in that situation I will just pick a different restaurant something vegan or vegetarian or raw.
As long as you feel good about your decisions and find out if the meat/poultry/fish you are consuming was humanly raised, grass fed, wild and all the other things we need to ask then enjoy. I choose to cut all animal protein out of my diet because I've seen and heard too much to eat those things but even I had a slip up and I think it's normal to sometimes fall and get back up, dust yourself off and continue on your healthy path. This is a journey that has just started for some of us and I believe hiccups will happen but we can overcome them and it will just make us stronger! It is a marathon not a sprint so until next time stay strong and stay fit!