Run Down

A few very exciting updates for Baby Bump Fitness. This past week I was featured in a fitness article in Mcleans magazine. Although the reporter told me the article was about interval training, and it is more about general fitness it is still great to be involved. Here is the link- All the Right Moves

I have picked up the soccer unifoms for my daughters soccer team, she is very excited and so am I.

It seems over the past week many of my clients are stressed out. They are tired, frustrated, getting run down and generally overwhelmed. I would normally never mention this but about 90% of them have been feeling like this, an uncanny trend. I cannot explain why and everyone has a different situation, but if you find your self going through this it may be time to take a mini break. Simple things fro mom to do- book a hair appointment, date or spa time. Get your husband to make you dinner, go for coffee with a friend. Bascially just try and break the mundain routine. If you do not do this finding motivation to workout will be extremely difficult. Breaking the routine and/or silence may be just the little boost needed to excel at your fitness goals. Take a week off of fitness or certain chores then return the following week with new vigour.

I do not beleive everyone needs a trainer and having a trainer does not fit into everyones lifestyle- especially a busy moms. You may be ties to the house, work shifts, budgeting. This is actually waht I wish was quoted in teh Mcleans article. Home interval training is the most efficient way for a busy mom to exercise and loose pregnancy pounds.

Like I mentioned last post I have started to ride my bike 1-2x / week again and just enjoy the outside. My husband and I are setting aside time each week for me to talk or bitch so I don't feel underappreciated or bored with the daily grind or serving others.

7 lb

There is a great feature over at Muffin Top Mamma where I am featured. What a great source for moms- check it out. http://www.muffintopmama.com/2010/04/hot-mama-meet-jacqueline.html

Mothers Day is fast approaching and if you have not grabbed your free 4 week fat loss workout program please do so now. Just visit the side bar and sign up.

What are your fitness goals for the summer, do you want to stay the same or do you want to MAKE A CHANGE? Myself I want to make a change, a change of 7lb. I am starting my pursuit of 7lb fat loss this week. I will need to add in another 1-2 workout a week, I have currently only been managing 2 workouts/week. No problem, I can use my backyard fat loss workout technique, just look at the featured video.

My next big kicker is to reintroduce only whole grains instead of regular grains, more fruits and veggies. I will also manage one bike commute to work a week for a bit of extra activity. Every other day I drive because I need to car seats to get the girls at there respected locations.

Busy Mom Fitness - 17 minute fat loss routine

Today my simple yet intense home workout routine. Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness for fat loss 17 minute routine.

Warmup- including static glut, hip flexor and pec stretches then wall slides, lunges, bridges, planks

Countdown workout I performed this superset continuously completing 10 of each then 9 of each until 1 of each.

Exercise Superset- Full squat press with 15 lb dumbells and assisted Vertical Pullups

I performed 1 prone jacknife for my abs after the countdown and was done. This took me 2 songs and one commercial break on Much Music.

My lunch was brown rice mixed with green lentils and a chicken drumstick- this was all pre-made in my fridge for when I got home from work. Throughout the morning at work I snacked on 2 oranges and a pile of mixed nuts.

Give this workout a try and let me know how it goes- time yourself and use vertical assisted pullups if you have the equipment, horizontal pullups (you can use under your dining table) or towel pullups if you have a stable pole or tree wrap a towel around it and put your body on a 45 degree angle to complete you pullup. Enjoy.

Sleep Deprived Moms- when to workout

Even though my daughters are getting older I still have the odd sleepless night- like last night. After a full day of training and running on fumes should I work out? Today yes, and this is the reasons why- I do not feel like I'm coming down with anything, I have overeaten and under exercised over the long weekend, I have a lighter day at work tomorrow. So given my circumstance I should workout today. I have looked deep in my archive and pulled out a sleep deprivation workout from last year- when I was chronically sleep deprived. The workouts below are from Feb 2009. Enjoy and if you are in this position of being sleep deprived, listen to your body to decide which workout is best for you.

Today in busy mom fitness I want to talk about working out while sleep deprived. As a parent I think you have a new sense of “normal” when it comes to the amount of sleep you get. If you are only moderately sleep deprived like one bad night, but you still have you regular “mom” energy level you can still get a great benefit from performing Tabata fat loss circuts. These are the short 4 minute circuts I post with 20 second work 10 second rest intervals, repeating the circut 2 to 3 times. These are intense while you perform them and have a great after burn affect for fat loss. The workouts are short enough that you can manage them with less sleep and intense enough to help increase you growth hormone for a great health benefit.

If you are extremely sleep deprived or feel like you are fighting a virus I suggest performing a joint mobility workout with foam rolling ending with some static stretching. You should feel energized by getting your blood flowing, release some tension and you will not be lowering your immunity by performing intense muscle breakdown work. (As a bit of back ground this is how muscle grows- first by causing micro tears that stress the muscle tissue during your workout and, then repairing it with proper sleep and nutrition) When extremely sleep deprived you do not want to start this breakdown cycle, you want to focus on maintenance and relaxation.

As a busy mom integrating fitness into your life you have to trouble shoot what you need and what you can manage. We have talked about two totally different types of mom workouts that are both beneficial depending on your unpredictable schedule.

Supersets for Super Mom

Ava, my baby, turned 2 this weekend. Wow, after a weekend of 3 birthday parties, cake and wine I feel over sugared. I am definitely performing day 4 of the Baby Bump busy mom program using superset training today. She is thriving and often wants to be with me when I exercise on Monday at home with her. How do I adapt my workout to accommodate her changing nap schedule so I can still fit in my superset workout with her running around at my feet. Rule 1 for me- I do not lift weights when the girls are in the "gym"(old room at home where I work out). Take a look at my workout.

DAY 4

Exercise Day 4 Reps Sets Rest
Warm up 2
1 a) Bridge on Stability Ball Heel Lift 10/leg 2 0
b) Split Squat 10/leg 2 1 min
2 a) Shoulder Press/Retract/ Side Lower to shoulder level 12 2 0
b) Plank with elbows on stability Ball- add spotter 12 2 1 min
3 Kneeling Knuckle Pushups Body Weight Squats
Tabata- 20 seconds work/ 10 second rest intervals, 8 sets consecutive

2 Exercises alternate between them using the pattern, 4 minutes total for this set


As many as you can in 20 seconds 8


I did not change a thing in this workout to accommodate my children being with me. I was able to use body weight resistance using reciprocal suspersets to get the maximum fat loss benefit. (See the studies listed below for proof on reciprocal supersets.) You can notice superset 1 uses a hip followed by a knee dominant pattern, superset 2 uses a back followed by a front pattern.

2 STUDIES

1. This is a great study showing that using reciprocal superset resistance training increased energy expenditure, EPOC and lactate over traditional weight lifting. You guessed it the Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness program incorporates 2 days of superset resistance training in the program for your maximum time sensitive energy expenditure. My program is based on scientific research and not just a jumble of thrown together exercises to make you uncomfortable.

"Incorporating this method of resistance exercise may benefit exercisers attempting to increase EE and have a fixed exercise volume with limited exercise time available. "

(C) 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/The_Metabolic_Costs_of_Reciprocal_Supersets_vs_.99274.aspx

2. Here is the abstract of a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. The study reveals compliance of working out 3-4x/week, for 8 weeks continuous will significantly reduce body fat. Yes you guessed it 3-4x per week is prescribed in the Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness Program.

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2009/11000/Frequency_of_Exercise_for_Body_Fat_Loss__A.26.aspx

Back Warm Ups and Who Am I?

Today I had a great workout and integrated many TRX suspension training exercises. My focus was upper back and core strength. My back has been a little sore as I only got in one workout last week and Ava has gained weight again-yes this means lugging around a few more pounds. Here are a few warm up exercises for you back before you begin your exercise routine.



Many mothers ask about back pain and how they can manage it. This video provides some helpful tips, addressing the main soft tissue issues that contribute to back pain.

After a weekend of visiting some mom friends it's back to work. Much needed venting, a walk and a few drinks and laughs can clear the air and make you feel appreciated again. The reality is one of my friends that I played University Volleyball with came to visit. She has 3 of her own children now, the date for a visit was set 2 months previous. We caught up and I cannot beleive she actually bought Bud Light Lime- it resembles dish soap flavour- she used to be a Sleeman rep-what happened? She and I admitted it is easy to lose yourself,who you are, once you become a mother (and this was reflected in her beer choice). I assured her and myself we are the same people we were before children, before careers, you are your passion and your values. This for me has held strong and true from the time I was a teen to now, I love sports and volleyball and I am honest. This I know, I will continue my identity based on this. Have you ever asked yourself lately WHO AM I? You are not alone. I am sure every mom has asked herself this.

A few other key points were brought up that night. She indicated she does not workout at all now, even though she does have 20-30 minutes a day, she just feels lazy. I think she was looking for something inspirational or insightful, but not from me. I said I think you do not feel pushed yet, for the most part you look good and although you may feel 10 lb overweight I cannot tell. You have to look at this from a different perspective, such as health, muscular discomfort relief , quality and longevity of life- not just looks. This may be you, you may be 10 lb overweight and you may feel content with this, no one else can tell. Well in all honesty no one else cares if your 10 lb overweight, but you should, if you don't care who will. Set your own boundaries, goals and limits, this may help take you to new places.

I had a great gym workout today in true Busy Mom20 minute fashion. Dynamic warmup, I used the barbell for a combination of cleans, push presses, bent over rows and dead lifts in succession to get my heart rate up. I then did dumbbell hand cleans and finished with a burpie pull-up countdown from 5 to 1- 5, rest 4 rest 3 ect. All of these moves can be performed with dumbbells or kettle bells from home.

10 Tips to Help New Moms Get Their Bodies Back

Well, you have had a baby and need to get your body back. It's natural you are going to feel a bit out of sorts, look at what you have just been through. Gaining 30-50lb, a complete body overhaul, exhaustion all to get your beautiful bundle of joy that you spend most of your time appeasing. When you feel ready to get your body back, regain your composure follow these simple tips to save you time and frustration.

Losing that Muffin-top

1. Make sure you are ready for regular exercise- this means at least 3 times per week 15-20 minutes per session. If you are not physically and mentally ready for this commitment you may be better to hold off. I see many women try to jump into exercise before being able to make a commitment- they end up frustrated from not getting the result they deserve and this leads to a negative exercise experience. Exercise integration is the key, you can regain your posture with some small exercises and learn how to permanently make exercise a part of your weekly routine, even as a mother. This is exactly what phase 1, the first 6 weeks of the Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness program teaches. Not Addressing muscular imbalances/instability from pregnancy posture before starting an intense program- new or old muscular imbalance and instability can lead to injury. Frustration and drop out is just around the corner. The truth is many of these nagging little aches and pains can be avoided with the correct exercise, progression and stretches. Set yourself up for success and start at the right place for your body, work methodically-this will still be very intense.

2. When ready for regular exercise and losing those last 10 lbs Avoid Performing Single Joint Exercises. They are a waist of a busy moms time. The time it takes to do 10 single joint biceps curls, you could have performed at least 5 full body burpies to get you heart rate flying and get the metabolic boost you need.

3. Too Much Traditional Cardio and Not enough Strength Training. I say traditional cardio meaning running, elliptical, biking- this type of repetitive movement at a moderately elevated heart rate takes much longer to burn calories and can set you up for overuse injury. Take the faster road less travelled- high intensity interval training. This means you can use sets of sprints instead of jogging for a greater calorie burn, but the best form of calorie burn involves resistance (strength) interval training. You can use a group of full body resistance training exercises in succession to gain strength and get a high heart rate for cardiovascular training- all at once. This is what phase 2 of the baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness program focuses on- fat loss.

A few other Simple Rules to follow when time to Loses that Muffin-top

4. Lifting heavy enough, you want to reach failure between 8-12 reps, meaning you cannot physically perform another lift

5. Eating- it is easy to skip or even forget about eating as a busy mom

6. Work out of your comfort zone- losing fat efficiently is uncomfortable, if something becomes easy it is time to progress the exercise or move to the next phase of your program. a good program will have progression built in.

7. Know what muscle you are flexing- you will enjoy exercise more when you understand it

8. Working through full range of motion

9. When is Exercise Good and When is exercise bad? If you have a virus, injured or are severely sleep deprived exercise is bad. If you are healthy, tired, have some general muscle soreness - not an injury, then exercise is good.

10. Making your program progressive- this is needed for intensity and to avoid plateaus