I sit in Barnes and Nobles as I write this – my second stop of the day to get Wi-fi. No I don’t need to be connected EVERY day but when you haven’t had power or technology of any sort for 4 days – could be 5 – the urge to be connected to the ‘real’ world and your usual routines becomes necessary.

What happened? We had a HUGE storm on Saturday – rain from all directions – wind reaching up to 65 mph – according to reports only a few miles faster and it would’ve had a name – as a Hurricane. However, it remains the “Nameless Storm of 2010″ and one of the worst power outages in the history of my city.

They have recruited crews of people from other states and even workmen have come down from Canada to help restore power. Its amazing the damage that has been done and whenever you turn a corner while driving your mouth drops open in amazement to see what tree has fallen next – which houses were lucky and which weren’t quite as lucky.

Life without power is difficult….you don’t get warm water…your food gets spoiled and you keep turning on every light switch in hopes the light just may turn on. It makes it even more difficult when you are 4 1/2 weeks away from a show and are trying to maintain a certain macro-nutrient intake. My scale is battery operated and it works but oh the looks I would get if I busted it out at a restuarant to weigh my chicken breast – haha.

Lucky for me the gym – my place of sanity – has power. I’ve been able to get my workouts and sweat sessions in and am honestly feeling pretty good – my butt hurts after my Saturday Tushy Session with my posing coach and then my leg workout yesterday. I feel good. Every day is a new challenge. If you can’t rise above the challenges that are given to you – no matter how big or small – you will never come out on top. And I haven’t dieted since January to let it all go to waste now – 4 weeks before my show.

One of the best things I’ve done since losing power is start writing daily in a journal. I’ve always ‘meant’ to do it, but never had time or got distracted by the wonders of technology. Its allowed me a new place to really see what challenges I face daily with myself – your mind is a powerful tool – it can either help you or hinder you. Having the right mind frame and understanding how your mind works will only help you figure out which direction you are going to go.

Its honestly pretty exciting. I feel more focused on my goals and confident in the directions I want to take my life. Will there be more bumps in the road – absolutely! Especially once the power is back on and schools back in session. Then my life will return to its usual hectic and stressful lifestyle. The one that makes me slightly more impatient with the ones I love and not as happy as they know I can be…but I’ll make it through…one day at a time. Focusing on the small moments…writing in my journal, and always remembering time for ‘me’ – which is usually the hardest to fit in – but without it – where would I be?

Enough rambling for now….I’ve included some pictures of the damage around us! I will have some pictures the next few days of my new healthy cooking with no power techniques – haha – maybe I should write a book!!!

Happy Training and Positive Thinking!

~Melissa

I woke up this morning at 5am and was out the door, in the pitch black by 5:30 on my way to the gym. (I need to work on my turn around time – getting things ready the night before, so all I have to do when I wake up is get my stuff, brush my teeth and walk out the door.) But that’s not what I’m writing about today – we’ll save that for another day…

Today I just wanted to tell you about the KILLER leg workout I did at 5:45 this morning while the majority of the world was still asleep…the leg workout that I’m currently feeling in my glutes at this moment as I write this and wondering how I’m going to move tomorrow morning…the leg workout that MADE my day and took me another step closer to my goals.

So enough jabber…here it is….

If you need a change up in your workout go ahead and give this workout a try…if you have any questions let me know. No matter what – make sure you keep at it and find a way to BEAST it whatever you do!

In the pursuit of a flat stomach one cannot forget the importance of a good leg workout.  However, sometimes life comes at you fast and you don’t have time to get to the gym. No worries! These four leg exercises can be done anywhere – in the comfort of your own home, at the gym or at the track.   It doesn’t matter WHERE you workout – as long as you workout!

Leg training days are some of my favorite workouts – I love the feeling of my legs getting stronger and my glutes getting tighter, plus there is just something awesome about not being able to walk up the stairs the next day – haha.   Plus, one of the many benefits of a good leg workout – is that it will help you get rid of cellulite in some of those problem areas.

You can modify the sets and number of reps in this workout to fit your fitness level.

Beginners – Start with one set of each exercise – 12 reps each – take about a minute between each exercise – repeat  each circuit of four exercises at least three times.

Advanced – If you want to make this part of your cardio workout for the day – 15-20 reps per exercise – no rest between exercises – 3 to 4 sets. Or challenge yourself – time yourself for one set of each exercise and try to beat your time on the next time through.

Enough chatter – its time to workout!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2bx2Vxu3Jc[/youtube]

I had to share my workout from two days ago, because I’m STILL feeling the effects two days later (Thank You D.O.M.S!) plus its a great workout to help you get lean legs and a tight toned butt. (And who isn’t working towards that?)

I wrote about my last shoulder/leg workout a few weeks ago – it was an awesome workout, but it’d been a few weeks of it and I was getting bored, so it was time to change it up. Changing my workout was definitely beneficial as I felt the burn and feeling the results of the change – new muscles are being worked that weren’t necessarily targeted in my last workout.

Legs and shoulders are easily my favorite training day – I think because I can really feel the burn and tight toned legs really show dedication to your workout, plus who doesn’t love sexy shoulders?!? Another reason – its summer and I love feeling comfortable wearing shorts!

Here’s the workout below:

*To see image full size click on image*

If you have any questions about the exercises let me know – I’d be happy to explain them further. If you’re looking for a new leg workout – I definitely recommend this one – my legs and glutes are STILL feeling the burn two days later!

What’s your favorite leg exercise? Leave a comment below and let me know – I’d love to know!

Today’s workout was shoulders/legs (a GREAT idea courtesy of @mandystafford from Twitter).  That’s one of the best parts of social media – exchanging ideas with people all over the fitness industry.  Mandy and I always compare our workouts – and once she told me about this split, I knew I had to try it and I LOVE it. Not rocket science, but it’s different than my last 4 week routine and my body loves it.

I’ll be lifting weights again Monday – which will be chest/biceps and my third weight day is back/triceps.  Combining body parts this way allows me to work each body part just a little bit harder – and means I’m just a little bit sorer the next day (but we all know that I love feeling the results of my workouts!)

Quick tip – make sure to change up your weight routines or workouts every four weeks. This will keep your muscles from getting too used to the exercises. It will also ensure that you are continuing to build muscle and burn fat, while you do your flat stomach workout and getting you closer to reaching your fitness goals.

So, enough chatter – here’s today’s workout.

*The letters denote supersets. So, if two exercises have the same letters in the left hand column, this means that they were done immediately after each other with no rest, until after the second exercise has been completed.

You want to lose weight and get a flat stomach, but you’re not sure what to do to get there.  You’ve read magazine article after magazine article and tried every diet, without success. You’ve tried the low-carb diet, [singlepic=28,300,220,,right] to only binge on a bag of potato chips two weeks later. You’ve tried going to the gym and spent hours on the treadmill, seeing some results, but then life gets crazy and you never go back.

But you still want to lose weight and get a flat stomach – what can you do that will work?

Here are five quick tips to help you get on the road to a flat stomach:

1)  Make the commitment – nothing will work until you make the commitment to yourself to lose weight and get a flat stomach. Write down your goals – what you want to achieve and by when – then put it in a place where you can see them daily. Reminding yourself daily of your goals will keep you focused and make sure that everything you do will help you lose weight.

2)  Lift Weights – No, lifting weights will NOT make you look like a man.  Lifting weights will build muscle on your body and help you get a flat stomach. The more muscle you have on your body the more fat you will burn for longer periods of time after your workout. Try this leg workout for a start.

3)  Do Cardio – Spending hours on the treadmill walking at a slow pace is not an effective way to lose weight. To lose weight and get a flat stomach you need to use high intensity interval training. This type of cardio will increase your heart rate quickly and help you burn fat for up to 48 hours after your workout.

4)  Eat More Often – Eating smaller meals more often will help to increase your metabolism. Decreasing the time between meals will allow your body to stop storing fat. Instead your body will continue to burn fat throughout the day, allowing you to lose weight and get a flat stomach.  Making sure that these meals are healthy options is also an important part of the weight loss process.
[singlepic=27,290,200,,left]
5)  Drink Water – Water has tons of benefits. It is a great alternative to other sugar-filled drinks.  Drinking water throughout the day will also help to keep you full – making sure that you eat when you are hungry not just because you are bored or think you need to eat.

So make this time different.  Make the commitment to yourself to lose weight and get a flat stomach.  Use this five tips to help get you there.

I know the topic is not 100% fitness/workout related, but while I was trying to get through my 20 minutes on the StairMaster after my leg workout this afternoon, I couldn’t help but look around at the people in the gym [singlepic=14,260,190,,left] and I just had to share what I saw and thought.

First of all I would just like to say that the gym is a GREAT place for people watching. Yes, I’m totally focused on my own workouts, but honestly there are some VERY interesting characters walking around the gym (at least MY gym) that it’s really hard sometimes not to notice and take a moment during your brief rest and stare (in the most polite way of course).

However, not all stories are silly/annoying/’what are you doing?’ situations, there are those few moments that you take a look at a person who is working SO hard and you are truly inspired…however, that doesn’t happen that often.

Here’s some of the things I’ve seen or thought about when in the gym the last week and thought I’d share:

- A man with two dumbbells in his hands, swaying back and forth, trying to scratch his armpits with the weights in is hands – okay I’m being too polite here – he looked like he was a gorilla. The way he was swaying back and forth – I’m still trying to figure out what muscle group he was working on. Any ideas?

- A man doing a dead lift with a ROUNDed back. I looked at him and could only say, ‘OW. Please sir, straighten out your back, mine really hurts looking at yours.’ (I always wonder – can I say something? Would he be offeneded? I just want to help him not hurt himself…but I’m sure that would hurt his ego if a girl came and corrected him, so I just stay away). [singlepic=13,280,200,,center]

- Some poor man fell on the treadmill. Lost his footing and went face first into the treadmill. Ouch. He was definitely seeing stars, he got up…he was walking and looked okay…now I’m nervous I’ll be the next to fall…

- There are a lot of interesting outfits at the gym. I am always so curious to know what people thought about when they got ready for the gym. You can tell that some people didn’t think, which is totally fine, and others put WAY too much thought into their outfit.  Just be comfortable in whatever you are wearing, that’s all that really matters.

- People who bring coffee into the gym. I’d love to know why. And I can’t imagine after a really hard set going and gulping my coffee to quench my thirst and feeling refreshed and ready for the next one.

Well, I think that’s enough ranting and raving for one day. Hope you had a laugh or a smile or may be able to relate to one of these stories. Honestly, I love the gym and all the interesting people that go there. I will miss seeing them when I have my own gym one day, well, maybe I’ll make sure to go back and visit every once in a while.

I’d love to hear your stories…what are crazy things you’ve seen at the gym?

Who doesn’t want a butt like Monica Brant? I know I do!! I found this awesome video of Monica Brant, from one of her FEM Camps, demonstrating some exercises that are great for your glutes! And when it comes to having a nice bum – I’m all in – so I had to share!

Depending on how you train you can make good use of the exercises Monica Brant shows in this video. If you train legs one day or lower body one day – you can take this exact routine she demonstrates and make it your leg workout for the day. Or if you prefer to do a full body workout – choose 3 of the exercises Monica demonstrates and add them to your full body routine in place of what you are currently doing for legs. Its a great idea to change up your workouts every few weeks to keep your muscles guessing as to what you’re doing next.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pxYtwehlaU[/youtube]

I know I’m excited to incorporate some of these exercises into my workout (short season IS just around the corner). I’m really looking forward to trying the reverse hack squat and the single leg leg press, incorporating the heel movement (which targets your hamstrings).

What’s your favorite exercise to tone and tighten your glutes?

Ladies, short season is just around the corner which means its time to get your legs toned and ready! Personally, seeing a woman with lean legs is one of my favorite things. I don’t mean to sound like a guy, but for me toned legs represent dedication and hard work, unless of course this person is just genetically programmed to have HOT legs.

However, since many of us are not programmed that way we have to spend our time in the gym making sure are legs are ready for short season.

So I’ve shared with you one of my favorite leg workouts to get you those lean legs in time for summer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7W0seCn14s[/youtube]

(You can do these exercises as a workout one day or separate the exercises into your workouts throughout the week – depending on how you train).

PS – The BEST part of a leg workout – not being able to walk down the stairs the next day or sit down comfortably! Would you agree? How’d you feel after THIS workout?

Oh my mind is racing today! Went to the gym for a simple little workout and the parking lot was jammed packed with people who couldn’t drive all fighting for the one spot that is closest so they don’t have to take those extra five steps, that they really need to!
Once I finally made it into the gym, I was slightly more calm – but ready to take the frustration out on the weights. Today was Leg Day – honestly, one of my FAVORITE workouts of the week! So I head upstairs to the free-weight section and look around – the gym is packed – with people I’ve never seen before in my whole entire life. Did the gym get a whole new membership of people who decide to go to the gym at 3:00 on a Monday? Its fine to see new people, but when you’ve NEVER seen these people before in your life and they get in the way – it gets extra annoying – especially the creepy guys (I don’t mean to offend anyone).
So I put the music on my iPod just a little bit louder, focused and I was ready to go home waddling.
Here’s my workout today:
Warmup: Bridges and Clams
*No rest between exercises – about 1 min rest between sets*
A1 – Walking Dumbbell Lunges (20 steps one direction, turn around, 20 steps back/3 sets)
A2 – Mountain Climbers (30 seconds/3 sets)

B1 – Single Leg Extensions (10 reps/leg  – 4 sets – resting leg is held in active position with light weight)
B2 – Stability Ball Leg Curls (10-12 reps/4 sets)

C1 – Plie Squats (10-12 reps/4 sets)
C2 – Single Leg Calf Raises (10 reps/leg – 4 sets)

D1 – Single Leg Deadlifts w/dumbbell (10-12reps/leg – 4 sets)
D2 – X-Band Walk (15 steps right – 15 steps left)

After that I hit up the StairClimber to let some of the lactic acid out of my legs and hope the burn won’t be TOO bad tomorrow.  I only had the time for 10 minutes today, but some time is better than no time and I made the most use of that time – doing intervals of 1 min slow walking, followed by 1 minute of a higher walking pace.
Headed home (to be hit by someone in the parking lot who didn’t know how to drive!) and had a protein shake with peanut butter and its off to class.
Had to share my workout and my rant – how was your workout today?