Being Your Best You: Strength

Welcome back for week 3 of the July Challenge link-up! 

Today we're hitting one of the more important pieces of your training plan - Strength. 

So you've been wanting to get strong, you've been wanting to get lean and you've been wanting to see muscles, right? 

You want it, but you may just not know how to get there.

You don't know what to do with the weights in the gym, you don't want to be the only girl in the weight room, you don't want to invest in your own equipment at home and you really just don't know where to start! Believe me, I didn't know either. 

I switched my focus from running myself into the ground to a strength, conditioning and lover-of-trying-new-things  attitude and I've never been happier.

Being a short on time 20-something I've been hot on the search for workouts that I can do quickly and efficiently. Last week Brooke sent me a note and said that I should download the 12 Minute Athlete App and I am seriously hooked. 

You open the app, select what equipment you have (or don't have) and it puts together a list of exercises for you to do. 

The format is 12 minutes total - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, and on to the next 30 seconds of work in a circuit form. 

If you like what you've been given - awesome you're going to rock it! 

If you don't like it, shake your phone and it will give you a new set of exercises. 

If you're comfortable with some and not others, all good - you can modify it to fit your needs. 

For example - if I can't do "Reptile Push-Ups", I do a modified regular push-up version instead! 

No time? It's only 12 minutes.

No equipment? There's a "no equipment" option.

No experience? Modify. Practice. Improve.

Want to use a kettlebell? It lets you select that in your options.

Loved a workout and want to save it? You can do that too!

Plus, there's this great animation and there's example videos for every. single. exercise. 

 

From experience, my health, confidence, fitness and overall strength have completely improved once I decided to focus on my muscles.

Go get after it and find out for yourself!

Chelsea, Rebecca and I would love to hear what you do to make yourself stronger, both inside and out! 

Being Your Best You: Energy

Wake up! Wake up! I need you to get excited with me for just a few minutes. 

I know that's a lot to ask considering that it's Thursday and we are already looking forward to no morning alarm on Saturday morning, but I have another important topic in this month's July challenge. 

To me, energy is like currency. You can earn it the same way that you can spend it.

At the end of the day your energy is something that you can manage if you want to, and something that you can then choose to spend whichever way you'd like to as well.

"Earning" energy is different for everyone and I truly believe that it comes down to your personality type. Introverts recharge through alone and quiet time. Extroverts recharge in the loud and obnoxious company of others. Many of you have never met me, but I'm an introvert through and through so I'm going to share the ways that I, as an introvert, earn energy and refill my tank. 

:: Rest

Seriously, sleep. Get the sleep that you deserve each and every night and get the non-sleep rest too. Netflix binges count.

:: Say "No"

This goes back to our balance conversation that we had last week. The more you say "no" to things you're not 100% wanting to do, the more time and 'energy' you get to put back into your life and the things you find to be the most important and meaningful to you. 

:: Nourish your body with clean and healthy foods

I've never finished a bag of potato chips and thought "Wow, I have so much energy now."

You can avoid that gross-all-the-time feeling by sticking to healthier foods like vegetables and good proteins while avoiding empty calories and "bad foods" that we all know aren't good for us. For me, meal prep is the key ingredient to this effort - but that's something we can talk about a different day!

:: Work out

Okay so I know this sounds like it's a way to spend energy - but it's also a way to get the blood flowing and to "get the fuzz out". If you sit around all day, chances are you're going to feel a little lethargic. Try moving your stuff for at least 30 minutes a day and see what it does for your energy levels and overall outlook on life!

Then from there, spend your energy however you choose! Whether that's being social with friends, going out dancing, putting in a little extra effort at work or going hard on reading blogs!

Chelsea, Rebecca and I would love to hear how you energize yourself in the comments and on your own blog in the July Challenge link-up!

Don't forget, there's more opportunities to join the link-up each Thursday in July!

July 24: Strength

This week is all about health and fitness. Share your favorite workouts, tips, tricks, and ways to reach your peak strength. 

July 31: Total Package 

With this being the end of the month and the last day of the link-up, share with us how you define being the BEST version of you. Get creative; anything is fair game here! 

Stand Up For Yourself

You read that right. Stand up for yourself. 

I’m not talking about picking a fight with a bully. I’m talking about getting out of your chair and not living the daily sedentary office lifestyle many of us have been forced into.

There’s serious research behind how sitting for long durations each day is slowly killing us. 

Isn’t it obvious? 

Full infographic (Worth a look!) here

I'm forced to sit up to two hours already at a minimum just from my cross-city car commute, the last thing I need is to get to my desk and continue to flatten my ass on the chair leather. 

Long ago at work I requested an elevated desk and an elevated chair so that I can commit to standing half of the day at my desk at a minimum! This has led to improved flexibility. I also try to take a walk around our beautiful campus with co-workers every opportunity I get - which sometimes even just means tagging along for a walk to the cafeteria even though I've packed my lunch. 

Recently I’ve been having more meetings at work which for me has meant more sitting. In the four walls of the conference room there’s no other option than to sit at the table and take notes while nodding your head in agreement (and trying to ignore the snapchat notifications that keep rolling in). You bet I'm also taking notes on the time that I'm sitting and combatting it every way I can. 

Are you still sitting?

Redefining My Motivation

Hi fitness friends!

Most of my fitness and health goals over the past few months were driven by a serious desire to confidently wear a swim suit on a tropical vacation with my family. This was kept secret from my blog considering the vacation was a surprise, so I’m sorry that I never mentioned that in my goals. Actually I’ve also been training for my flex pose for Instagram sweaty selfies. 

Judge me, I do. 

Both of these goals were purely aesthetic, but approached with patience and done with my sustainable health in mind. 

In my opinion, I far exceeded my expectations for myself and am proud of my attitude toward toning and firming the healthy way. 

For me, the “healthy way” meant ditching the scale, lifting weights, staying hydrated and fueling my body with the good whole foods that it could use for good and not store for bad. 

This is what that approach got me, along with a huge sense of accomplishment and confidence.

This foundation I built was different than crash diets I’ve tried in the past. 

This was the game-changer and a huge positive because ‘quick fixes’ don’t exist usually mean exhaustion, fatigue and quicker re-gain because the body wants to store and secure anything and everything to prepare for hibernation. Sorry body, I’ve been an asshole to you in the past. Never again. 

Now that I have this foundation down, I have my sights on much more than ‘looking good’ in a bikini. 

I have my focus on strength. 

I have my focus on push-ups.

I have my focus on testing my boundaries. 

I have my focus on inspiring others. 

I have my focus on fitting workouts into a busier work schedule. 

I have my focus on broadening my paleo food horizons.

I have my focus on maintaining and improving the work I’ve done. 

I have my focus on being kind to my body. 

I don’t need a race to train for, or a third Tough Mudder under my belt. 

I just want to keep health, fitness and balance at the forefront of my life because I’ve found that doing so brings me great happiness. 

Happiness from the stress-relief I gain, happiness from the way I inspire others, happiness from the way I feel - inside and out. 

What’s your motivation?

Linking up for Tough it Out Tuesday with the rest of my fit-fam ladies!

Back to Reality

Hey fitness blog, it’s been a while!

As some of you readers may know, I was soaking up the sun in Belize all last week and didn’t prepare for any guest bloggers to fill the air. The week prior to that, I was scrambling at work trying to prepare for a week off. And yep you guessed it, this week will be equally busy trying to catch up for the five days that I missed. Lucky me!

Here’s what I expected my fitness activities to look like in Belize:

:: Circuit workouts in the sand

:: Jogging on the beach

:: Taking walks along the island

:: Dock-side yoga

:: Bedroom pilates (not an innuendo)

:: Stair sprints outside of our 2nd story condo

:: Ocean freestyle swim / shark avoidance

:: Poolside planking

This may come as a shock but I did none of these things. 

My only form of exercise was swimming back and forth in our 30ft leisure pool, intermittently stopping to change the music on my spotify playlist.

And I’m not a single bit upset or worried that the week off put me any steps behind in my fitness. The relaxed vibe and less laundry situation was good for me - plus I was already sweating enough just from the humidity!

The first thing I did when I got home and set down my luggage was lifted my 10lb dumbbells and gave them a big warm embrace and a kiss.

I sure missed my babies and I know you missed my sweaty selfies!

Time to get back to work!

Weekend Challenge - Clean out the Junk

Alright, the same rules from Easter weekend apply - I want you to have a few mimosas this weekend with your family for mother's day (or while you're skyping with mom from afar).

Onto business...and your weekend challenge!

When I talk to people about what their goals are and what they're doing to help clean up their act, many people refer to three main things getting in their way:

- Grazing, snacking, boredom/emotional eating

- Not having a grip on portion control

- Not LOVING their workout (aka you haven't yet found your soulmate)

This weekend I'm going to give you an assignment that won't CURE #1, but will really help out with the way that you handle grazing, snacking, boredom and emotional eating. 

You and/or your roommate, significant other, alter ego will hate me for this but my challenge to you is to TOSS OUT all of the crap that's in your pantry. 

You know what the junk is. 

The wheat thins, the potato chips, the tortilla chips, the sugar, the ice cream, the oreo's, the nonsense. 

I did this activity when I started paleo. While it wasn't easy to dump out all of my comfort snacks, it really helped when feeding time came along because I didn't have the same usual suspects lying around begging to be eaten. You know, the treats that know how to immediately stick to your hips and thighs while simultaneously making you regret the binge and lower your self worth. Bite by bite. 

When you do your big clean this weekend, tag me on instagram (@Jessifitpdx) with all the junk you're tossing out! 

There'll be a surprise in it for you! 

(okay since you're just starting out you can keep the Trader Joe's PB cups, but put them in the freezer!)

Best of luck! 

Ignore the Obstacles

What I love about Tuesdays around here is our serious conversations about where we are both mentally and physically in our lifelong fitness journeys. 

I truly learn a lot from you - your excitement and feedback pushes me to put a little extra focus into this post. Hopefully I'm returning the favor by teaching you something about me and the way that I approach my goals that you can translate into your own life. If not - let me know how I can because this blog is all about you! (yes, you!)

Today's topic comes from some wisdom I gained over the weekend while reading one of my personal development books - Push by Chalene Johnson. The chapter that got me inspired was "Destination Fixation" and was all about creating the habit of ignoring the obstacles.

On your fitness journey it's so easy to get distracted. You have doubts, you have fears of failure and you see the million little speed bumps that stand between you and your goal. Holidays on the horizon, office parties, birthday celebrations, weekends, sporting events, co-workers with candy trays... I could go on and on.

All of these little things are nagging at you because subconsciously your doubts distract you and keep you from reaching outside of your comfort zone. The unfortunate thing is that thinking of these distractions causes you to fixate on them and you only start heading back toward them. You steer toward them the same way that you'd drive toward a cone in the road if you were staring at it. Why do you think horses wear blinders?

I know this isn't something easy and is going to take a little work, but what can you do today to get the negativity out of your head and create a crash free environment for yourself? Does it mean having a serious conversation with your family and friends about the healthy lifestyle you've chosen? Does it mean listing out all of your possible obstacles, crossing them out with a bold red marker and hang them up someplace meaningful because they don't rule you anymore?

Here's what I did recently:

I removed the scale from my bathroom. While a great measure of my relationship with gravity, the real issue is that it was telling me lies that were hurting my mental wellness. I see my body getting slimmer, more toned and more beautiful every day. For the first time ever I went to H&M and had to size down after trying something on - rather than do the walk of shame out to get a bigger size.

I know I'm getting results and I know I'm feeling amazing. So, what good does it do me to step on it every single day and watch as water weight fluctuates up and down? What good is there from worrying about a number that doesn't define my worth, my intelligence, my beauty or my strength?

Absolutely nothing - it's just a distraction. And I'm done with distractions.

Put your blinders on and race toward your goal with nothing standing in your way.

Tell me - what are your goals? What are you going to focus on to reach them?

Wait, What Do I Eat?

Hello and welcome to Not the Average Bear if this is your first visit!

If this isn't your first visit, it means you're savvy and you won the game this week by paying close attention to my power moves in the beautiful world of the internet.

Once again, I have to assume there's only a few reasons you came to this sparkly, shiny and new (read: baby blog) corner of the internet. 

1. You're my dad (hi dad!)

2. You like fitness.

3. You like eating clean.

4. You like eating Paleo.

5. You want to learn more about fitness.

6. You want to learn how to eat clean or what the heck paleo is (?!?!).

7. You hopped over after the official reveal from my Lifestyle blog (thanks!)

Yesterday we discussed the foundation of what I'm going to be bringing you when it comes to fitness.

Today, we're going to cover the basics of #3 and #4.

My approach to nutrition has changed significantly in the past year and it always leaves people asking me "so, what do you eat?". It also has them saying, "wow! What is that, it looks so fresh, healthy and wonderful!" I like that question better.

Starting weight lifting made me want to give my body the best shot possible to grow those healthy lean muscles. To me, that meant cutting the dairy, cutting the grains and cutting the sugars that only boosted my cravings in my past-life. It meant sticking to clean vegetables, healthy meats and the biggest secret of all:

All the water I can drink.

Simply, I try to follow paleo in all areas possible - with the occasional let-loose-and-live cheese + alcohol allowances.

Why paleo? Because I've seen results in myself and others!

Since starting Paleo:

+ I've lost 15 pounds
+ Dropped a pant size
+ Can show off my arms for the first time in years
+ Am confident beyond belief
+ Don't miss bread, pasta, pizza or milk for a minute.

Expect to see beautiful creations like this and more on this page, with recipes, how-to's and substitutions for some of your favorite foods that you're not ready to give up on.

You should read my absolute favorite explanation of the paleolithic diet to understand what it is that "we" eat.

From there you can follow along and ask me all the questions you want!

Until next time!

So You Like Fitness?

I've made it to day two on this blog, off to a good start! It takes 21 days to make a habit right?

So you're here reading my little fitness blog and I'm so happy to have you. We're learning to crawl before we walk over here - so thanks for sticking through while all of the proper introductions are made and the foundation gets laid for this exciting new avenue. 

Since this is a new slice of the internet I have to assume you could only be here for a few reasons:

1. You're my mom (hi mom!)

2. You like fitness.

3. You like eating clean.

4. You like eating Paleo.

5. You want to learn more about fitness.

6. You want to learn how to eat clean or what the heck paleo is (?!?!).

7. You hopped over for a sneak peek from my Lifestyle blog (thanks!)

If you fall under #2 and you like fitness, what you're going to find in this space will be a lot of the following:

+ high intensity interval training 

+ at-home workouts you can do in under 30 minutes 

+ weight-bearing exercises (this includes just your very own body weight)

+ Treadmill / hand weight options

+ hip hop dance class (success and horror) stories

+ Little dips into my mind from my former passion - running. 

Here's an example of an at-home workout you'll see from me - and maybe video of me doing these workouts someday if you're lucky!

Even with YouTube videos made by people who are better at this than me for when you don't know what a "squat press" even means!

Swings

Squat Presses

Wall Sit

Russian Twists

As always, what I share here is just a guide. If you don't have a kettlebell - no worry - use just your body weight or even a milk jug (full of water). If you can't do 4 rounds - do two and work your way up! If you're a beast - do more than me OR direct me to your fitness page and teach me your secrets! Please, knowledge is power!

Last but not least, there will be zero fitness shaming here on this blog. That's my promise.

My mission is to help you achieve your goals by sharing what I've found works for me to live a happy, healthy and balanced lifestyle. 

I hope you stick around!