I’m still in staffing but I’m only doing temporary staffing nor direct hire AND it’s general rather than niche.  That means I staff anything and everything that gets thrown at me.

It’s been a while since I did general temp staffing and although I remember the pace being quite frantic, I forgot what an emotional and physical toll it can take.  The good thing is that I’m so busy I don’t have time to think about anything else, the hard part is turning it off at night.

I had been thinking that I needed to start writing again, then on Tuesday I attended an event hosted by CareerBuilder that hit me like a bucket of cold water and said “WAKE UP! STOP PROCRASTINATING! START WRITING, you lazy….!

The first part of the presentation was about social media and simple strategies on how to boost your brand using sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc.  to attract potential candidates as well as clients.  However, what I took away from it, and I’ve talked about it before is the need to create my own brand that I can take with me regardless of my employment situation.

By creating my own “Michelle Becker, Super Recruiter” brand, I can build my own following of potential clients and candidates as well as intellectual capital that I can leverage.

My goal over the next few weeks is to discuss a variety of topics related to the job search.  I have also set a goal of posting one blog a week.  I’d like to do more but I think once a week is all I can manage at the moment.

Getting back to the CareerBuilder event.

One of the issues we spent a lot of time on was corporate social media policy, and of course the conversation naturally turned to the monitoring of employees internet usage and particularly Facebook.

We’ve all heard stories of individuals not getting jobs because prospective employers have searched these individuals Facebook pages and decided that the candidate was not suitable for the company. And of course reasonable people like us, think, well they were stupid A: because the potential employee in question didn’t make sure their privacy settings were turned on and B: Facebook is still to a certain extent, even if your privacy settings are on, it’s still public and you should be responsible for what you post.

BUT, that being said, I also found out, that some companies will hire people to FAKE “Friend” current and potential employees as a way to have access to their Facebook pages.  So even if your Facebook is on the tightest of privacy settings, if you happen to friend one of these fake friends, your employer has access if they want.

So take heed to protect yourself, I suggest the following steps:

a: make sure your privacy settings are on

b: don’t “friend” anyone you don’t personally know, OR if it’s a friend of a friend anyone that your mutual friend can’t personally vouch for.

c: Be careful of what you post on Facebook.  Don’t air your dirty laundry in public, don’t write anything that you wouldn’t want to come up in a court of law, keep the profanity to a minimum if at all, don’t post girls/boys gone wild photos, and definitely don’t vent about how your boss, co-worker, company etc sucks, especially if you are currently in an active job search.

Remember: “Big Brother IS watching” it pays to be a little paranoid.

That’s all for now, I think it’s time to re-read 1984 by George Orwell

Until next time

Michelle

Now that I got your attention.

The fact is strength training isn’t boring, just the opposite.  However, the majority of men and women in particularly are never introduced to the joy of lifting heavy shit.

Both anecdotal and scientific research speaks volumes that strength training provides innumerable benefits including:  increasing lean muscle mass, improved joint mobility and flexibility, improved strength, reduces risk of not only developing osteoporosis but can actually increase bone density and for those just concerned about aesthetics, well if you want to look good naked you have to strength train.

Having way too much time on my hands, I have been racking my brain trying to figure this out and then it hit me.  Thinking about my own progression in strength training and observing what the majority of women do when they strength train, it finally hit me.

There are many reasons that women don’t like to strength train but apart from the fact that they are afraid to get bulky or that they are intimidated to venture into a male dominated area.  Maybe one of the problems is the manner in which strength training is introduced.

Thinking back to my own gym history, I counted many times that I joined a gym because I actually wanted to get stronger.  I wanted to get lean and build muscle but I always ended up giving up after a short period of time.  Why was that? What was different about then and now?  Then it hit me.

I found strength training at least in the way that it was introduced to me boring.  The problem was not with me but in the way I was introduced to it at every gym I ever joined.

In every commercial gym across the country the following scenario is played out over and over again.  A new member joins, they are provided with an introductory session with a trainer in order to get them acclimated and learn some of the equipment, which means that they are shown the machine circuit.

Every gym has one. It’s a series of 8-10 strength machines designed to provide a full body strength workout.  Typically a member would move through each machine in a prescribed order, completing 10-12 reps for one set then move on to the next machine eventually completing 1-3 rotations.  This would be performed 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days.  Think Curves.  In fact many a commercial gym responded to the success of Curves by developing their own full body workout in less than 30 minutes program to attract members away from Curves.

Now I understand why this is what trainers are encouraged to teach to new members.  First the session is free so they don’t want to give anything away nor do they want to spend too much time with someone who may or may not purchase training.  In addition, it’s impossible  to “program” for someone you just met and the circuit provides a quick and easy program that the member can do by themselves without risk of getting injured.  In addition, the thought process is that the trainer will build some rapport with the member and as soon as the member gets bored doing the circuit they will come find the trainer and buy sessions.

The problem is most people stop at the circuit.  They either continue to utilize it year after year or they give it up completely.

Because the fact is sitting on a circuit is well F*&*& G BOOORRRING!!! and frankly not effective for anything but wasting time.

Now what if instead of just placing someone on the circuit a trainer actually took a member into the free weight area and introduced them to 4 movements that hit the big muscle groups.  4 big compound movements done on their feet, not sitting down, no bosu balls, stability balls or anything that makes you look like you’re auditioning for Cirque de Soleil.

• Squat or dead lift variation  (no Smith machine squats allowed)
• Pushup variation
• Row variation
• Core stabilization

But Michelle what about arms? I want Michelle Obama arms.  Yup you are right no arms, but remember all the above movements will hit the arms and shoulders as well.  This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive program but an introduction.

Basically the above scenario is how I finally got of the circuit merry-go-round and got into real strength training.  I was fortunate enough to be paired with a trainer who was also a martial artist.  I told him I wanted to get stronger and he gave me maybe 3 free weight exercises:  A dumb bell bench, assisted pull up and some ply0-metrics.  Nothing major just a few things that got me on the right road.  Not to say there weren’t eventually some bumps and wrong turns before I ended up where I am today but it was a start.

ADVANTAGES:

For the gym goer:

1: You aren’t sitting down.  99.9% of people going to a gym sit 99% of their day so why do seated exercise.  I really think this is one of the reasons people spend so much time on a treadmill is that at least on a treadmill they are upright, moving their whole body and it feels really good after sitting all day.

2: Unlike machines where one is locked into a movement pattern dictated by the confines of a machine, free weight exercise allows for one to move their bodies in a natural way, allowing one to develop better proprioception and allow for improvement of faulty movement patterns.

3: related to #2 most people are disconnected from their bodies.  They don’t know how they are supposed to feel when they move.  Free weight exercise forces one to develop that mind/body connection

4: Free weight exercise provides for greater variety of progression and regression.  In other words a given movement can easily be made more challenging or less challenging dependent on needs.

5: What sounds more satisfying, being able to do your first unassisted pull up and real military push ups OR sitting on your butt cranking out leg extensions?

6: Free weight movements are functional and translate to daily activities. Like carrying groceries, changing the empty water bottle on the cooler, moving furniture and carrying crying kids while trying to vacuum.  You can’t do that on a machine.

7: Variety, variety, variety.  There is only one way to use a leg press and frankly most people get that wrong.  There are innumerable ways to squat, dead lift, lunge etc. You should never get bored with free weights.

Advantages for the Trainer:

1: For the trainer the advantage is: it doesn’t take any more time than teaching the circuit

2: It provides additional practice for instructing members on the basics

3: It provides a better opportunity for discussing the value of continued training with the member as it shows the member that you are able to address their unique needs and concerns.  Why should anyone want to pay money to have you put them on a machine?  But if you can show them that you can get them to be able to walk up stairs without pain or be able to lift and carry their groceries without assistance or perform a real pushup or be able to squat their body weight then you have them hooked.

Final thoughts:

Most gyms provide a free assessment/training session when you join a gym.  I encourage everyone who is not familiar with strength training to take advantage but make sure you take control.  Don’t be afraid to tell the trainer you don’t want to be shown the circuit.  Tell them you want them to show you some free weight exercises as mentioned above.

Be well, train hard

Michelle

Good news is that I have updated body re-composition numbers and pictures for you today.

As of today my weight is holding at 109lbs so I’ve lost a total of 2 pounds but again this is about fat loss and lean muscle gain not about weight.

What I’m really happy about is I dropped 1.5% of body fat I am now down to 18.5% body fat.  I need to be honest, I had the caliper test taken a few weeks ago but there were some logistical issues that caused a delay in getting the results.

and now for the pictures.  I am starting to see some improvement in the abdominal and hip region.  you can really see a difference in the side shot, not so much in the back shot but it does appear that I may be showing a little more muscle in the upper back region.

I have to apologize, the most recent pictures were taken in the evening so the lighting isn’t as good, and yes they are a little bit further away but I think you can still get the idea. Also, there’s something funny happening with the alignment.  I apologize that back pictures aren’t lining up next to each other.  I’ve been playing with it for nearly 30 minutes, but I have other things I need to do so this is going to have to do for now.

Let me know what you think.

Feb 2010 20%

March 2010 18.5%

Feb 2010 20%

March 18.5%

Feb 20%

March 18.5%

I’m happy with my progress so far.  I obviously haven’t reached my goal of 16% by April 1 but regardless slow and steady wins the race.  My weight is holding steady, I’m losing fat and my strength levels are still going up in all my big lifts: Squat 115lbs, Deadlift 150lb, bench 75lbs, chin ups 7 reps (band assisted)

Until next time.

Be well, train hard

Michelle

I was on the train heading into Boston yesterday and I picked up the day’s edition of the Boston Metro, which is a free local newspaper, handed out at train stations and other spots across the city.

It’s not a great paper. Basically it’s like cliff notes of the day’s local, national and international news, including sports, entertainment etc. but it’s quick, easy and free.  Just what you want for your morning commute.

Anyway, they have a well being section and yesterday’s topic was on exercise and nutrition for pregnancy and the go to “professional” and I put that term in quotes because the person in question; one Tracy Anderson, is only a “professional” fitness person because she gets paid.  She has no credentials in terms of a degree or certifications except that she trains celebrities.  Most notably, Gwyneth Paltrow.  Apparently she used to also train Madonna but I’ve heard they have parted ways.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Anderson

Now before I get into what Ms. Anderson said in the article.  Let me just explain why I think she’s a moron and no one with a brain should listen to any of her advice.  She tells women they should never lift more than 3lbs or they will get bulky.  Do I even need to say more?  I mean really, I don’t know about you but between my handbag, my gym bag, grocery bags, picking up children (if I had any but I’m trying to make a point) etc.. we should all be HUGE, muscle bound monsters.

She’s also said a bunch of other stuff that I won’t get into here because it would turn into an epic novel.

My point is she is no expert she’s an idiot.

Regarding exercise and pregnancy in the article Tracy recommends and I quote:

“Do exercise to keep your muscles tightly knit and your structure together. Walking on  its own won’t cut it, as muscles and tissue are continually stretching.- Work on keeping the skin close  to the muscle to regain firmness..”

What does that mean?  That doesn’t even make sense.  Muscles tightly knit?  They don’t come undone, muscles aren’t a knitting project.  They get stronger and more dense with training, or they atrophy and become smaller and weaker but they don’t unravel.

Now with pregnancy, your joints and connective tissue in the pelvic/hip region do loosen up in order for you to give birth .but they don’t unravel. And it’s not uncommon for women to have to adjust their activity especially in the late stages of pregnancy to account for this.

As for: Muscles and stretching, well that is sort of how they work, they contract, they stretch, they contract. That’s sort of the point, that’s how they work, it’s called full range of motion.

But I’m sorry the best part “keeping the skin close to the muscle”. WTF does that even mean?. I seriously don’t even know how to respond to that silly statement. Except that maybe she is referring to the skin stretching due to the fact that you have a little person growing in side you and there is going to be some stretching but that has nothing to do with your muscles.

The Expert you Want to take advice from:

Now I’ve never been pregnant and I’m not an expert on exercise and pregnancy, BUT if you are pregnant and interested in a true Fitness and Nutrition Professional who really knows what she is talking about?

You want to check out Cassandra Forsyth.  Cassandra is a Ph.D and R.D. in nutrition as well as a certified strength and conditioning coach who is also an accomplished researcher and writer.  She is also 37 weeks pregnant and has been blogging about her experiences.

The Pregnancy Fitness Expert you should listen to

Please, do yourself and your pregnant loved ones a favor. Do not take advice from charlatans like Tracy Anderson.  Just because someone trains a celebrity doesn’t make them an expert.  One should always be careful of who they accept advice from when it concerns one’s health but it’s even more important during pregnancy and remember always check with your doctor before starting or changing your exercise routine.

Until next time

Be Well, Train Hard

Michelle

TAZA is one such company.  Founded in 2006 and located in Somerville Ma, TAZA distinguishes itself from the rest of the industry by producing high quality, organic chocolate in the Mesoamerican tradition while seeking to remain socially responsible.

The biggest difference tasters will find between TAZA and more traditional chocolate is because TAZA is stone ground rather than melted, it does have a grainy texture as opposed to smooth.

TAZA comes in a variety of products from bars of 60, 70 and 80% dark chocolate, to chocolate covered cocoa nibs and Chocolate Mexicano discs.

Chocolate Mexicano: yerba mate

TAZA can be found in many specialty stores in the Boston, Cambridge area as well as Whole Foods.

For my test taste, I chose to purchase two different varieties of the Chocolate Mexican:  Yerba Mate and the Vanilla.  Whole Foods also had the salted almond and cinnamon varieties as well, along with the 60, 70 and80% dark chocolate bars.

I will admit it was a hard decision. I would have liked to try all of  the Mexican varieties as well as the 70% bar but at about $4.50 each for the 2.7oz  discs and $6.50 for the  3oz bars I had to make a choice.

TAZA 70% dark chocolate bar

On to the test.

Presentation. I’m a total pushover for products that are presented well.

What first drew me to TAZA was how the Mexican Chocolate is presented.   It’s round, you don’t often see round bars of chocolate and then it’s wrapped in waxy paper with very Mexican inspired graphics.  It just looks really interesting. Perfect for those waiting at the counter at the café or bookstore impulse buys.  Even if you don’t buy it, you can’t help but pick it up and look at it and think,  this looks interesting.

Opening the wrapper you find 2 round discs of chocolate imprinted so that the disc can be easily broken into 8 pie shaped pieces to be shared.

Taste:

Let me first say, this is NOT the type of chocolate you eat for a snack like a snickers bar.  This is the type of chocolate you savor. The kind that you eat a small amount maybe 1 or 2 pieces after dinner with a cup of coffee or during the day because you just need a little chocolate pick me up.

Also, you don’t want to just pop the piece in your mouth and start chewing.  Nibble a little, let it sit on your tongue.  At first it just tastes sweet but once it hits the back part of your tongue where your taste buds register bitterness that is when you start to appreciate the full flavor.

Of the two flavors I found the Vanilla to be a bolder flavor which I prefer. My husband also enjoyed the vanilla over the Yerba Mate.  Although we think of vanilla being the opposite of chocolate, I found the inclusion of the vanilla provided a nice introduction of flavor that prepared me for the full flavor of the chocolate.

My preference for the vanilla does not imply that I didn’t like the yerba mate variety.  I did, it’s just different.  I thought it was a little sweeter than the vanilla and that the yerba mate overpowered the flavor of the chocolate in that it took longer for the full flavor of the chocolate to hit my tongue.

A lot has been made over the texture of this product.  As I mentioned I really didn’t think it was gritty. I don’t like that term as in my head it makes me think of dirt, sand that type of thing.  In fact, I expected it to have a harsher texture.  I would say the texture reminded me of granulated sugar or honey that has become granulated.    Unlike a fine creamy chocolate that I would normally let melt on my tongue in order to appreciate its full flavor, with the TAZA you will want to nibble small amounts to experience the fullness of the flavor.

My final analysis:

Was TAZA the most awesome thing I have ever tasted?  No, I didn’t have an OMG moment.  However I did really enjoy it and look forward to trying additional varieties.

I would highly recommend this product.  I found TAZA to be an excellent high quality chocolate product.  I do think that the price point is a little high at least for regular consumption, but again with good chocolate a little goes a long way.  The novelty of the product in that it’s produced in the traditional Mesoamerican way, combined with the exceptional way it’s presented and some of the more unusual varieties and the flavor makes it an excellent option for those who appreciate chocolate.  So if you are looking to treat yourself to some chocolate goodness or are looking for a gift for a favorite chocolate aficionado then make sure you include TAZA.

TAZA Tasting set

Until next time:

Be well: train hard

Michelle

Happy Monday everyone.  Hope you had a nice weekend.

The weather here in Beantown has been spectacular, bright, sunny and a warm 60ish degrees.  The birds were even chirping.

It’s really amazing how much better I feel when the warm weather starts up after a long, cold grey winter.  Granted it’s still only early March and it’s still winter and for those of us who are native New Englanders it’s not safe to say Winter is over until about May.

I don’t know about you, but with the advent of nicer weather and the hope that I’ll be back in shorts, t-shirts and Teva’s in a couple of months, I feel re-invigorated in terms of reaching my physique goals.

For me what helps me stay on track is to constantly picture myself the way I want to look. Imagine how I will feel in a cute pair of shorts and cute top or better yet, imagine how good I’ll feel when I go shopping and try on a bikini.  If you’ve never tried this technique, I encourage you to try it.  Take a moment, close  your eyes and imagine yourself in the body you want.  Think about how you will feel, how your clothes will feel, even how your friends and family will comment on how fabulous you look.

It takes practice, but once you get into the habit, it can help especially when dealing with cravings or times when you don’t feel as in control.

It’s now early March.  There have been requests for updated pics, I will probably have them soon.

Until next time.

Be Well, Train Hard

Michelle

There I’ve admitted it. I know I promised to get back on track with blogging and I promised reviews, my favorite exercises etc and I have done none of that. So what have I been doing the last week or so? Good question, the answer I’ve been in a complete funk. I have no excuse, it could be the weather, that time of the year late winter, I really need a vacation, blues or just who knows. I just haven’t felt like doing anything. What I do know is that the only person that can get me out of this is me. I need to pull my head out of my ass and just get to work, set some goals and get moving again.

I’ve been studying, sort of, for my American College of Exercise (ACE) Lifestyle and Weight Management Consulting certification. I need it because my personal training cert needs to be renewed and I need the continuing ed credits. During my reading on bio-mechanical principles the book went into Newton’s 3 laws of motion. The first being the law of INERTIA, which states that a body at rest will stay at rest and a body in motion will stay in motion UNLESS acted upon by external forces. Now external forces doesn’t necessarily have to be another person such as hiring a personal trainer to kick your butt. We can be our own external force. What I mean is we can make a conscious decision to do something to get moving.

Basically for the last couple of weeks I feel like I’ve been in a state of inertia. This is a common phenomenon for people attempting to make lifestyle changes. You start of full of energy and enthusiasm, start to feel good, start to see some progress and then all of the sudden the novelty wears off and it can become a grind. You start to question why you are putting yourself through this. You start to rationalize not working out or relaxing on your nutrition plan a little. You haven’t slipped back into old ways, you’re still holding on but you’re stuck.

The danger with being in this state is it’s easier to slide back into old bad habits than it is to keep moving forward and developing good habits. For me, the issue of not training, isn’t an issue. I may not train as hard as I should, or I may go from 4 training sessions a week to 3 but I can usually get myself going because I have been training for so long that I know that I’ll feel worse if I don’t go.

Nutrition on the other hand is where I can really start to slip, and as I’ve mentioned before Nutrition is 100% of the equation. You cannot out train a bad diet and for me where I have so little to lose, I don’t have a lot of wiggle room.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve been craving chocolate, the cravings have been coming and going and this weekend I just felt I need a real break. Not a I’ll have a cookie break, but a real full meal with desert diet break. My thinking was, eat it, get it out of my system and get right back on track the next day.

Now that didn’t mean I went and pigged out all day on Sunday but I did have a controlled cheat DAY not just a meal but a day. Saturday is normally cheat meal. I was home by myself as my husband was away, so I ordered a small pizza and a salad. I had 2 slices of pizza and ½ the salad. On Sunday I had 2 more slices of pizza and the rest of the salad and then Sunday night, I met a friend for dinner. We went to Rock Bottom Brewery where I had a turkey burger, with French fries and then we split a piece of chocolate stout cheesecake (the picture below is not from Rock Bottom)  Believe it or not I didn’t have any beer.  For me, I really don’t care about alcohol, I’d rather have desert.

YUM CHEESECAKE: CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Can I tell you how good that cheesecake was. OMG It was exactly what I needed. Because it had been so long since I’ve eaten anything like that, it tasted even more amazing. It made me really appreciate the fact that I haven’t been eating that type of food, because now when I do, I just appreciated it so much more.

Did I feel guilty for eating what I did on Sunday?. No, because I had decided before hand that I was going to and I knew that I would get right back on track on Monday. For me it was like a little vacation and it was enough to get me refocused. The point of all of this, is that sometimes, you just need a break, we need to do something different to get us going again. It doesn’t need to be anything huge, like going on an exotic vacation; it could just be going out for dinner and allowing yourself to eat something not on the plan. It could be instead of going to the gym, getting out to a park and taking a hike. Just something different to break things up and help you refocus. However, just be careful that you get right back on track, that the one meal cheat doesn’t turn into days or weeks. So with that, hopefully I’m back on track.

Until next time

Be well, train hard

Michelle

In conjunction with the above article, I want to draw your attention to an article by JC of JCD Fitness entitled “Muscle Building Guide for Women” The article is an excellent primer for women on how to start gaining muscle.  One of the things I like most of the article is that JC goes into more detail about a subject that Leigh alluded to in her’s. The fact that there is a genetic limit to the amount of muscle that one can gain over their lifetime, provided that they are NOT using any type of anabolic steroids.

For women this equates to 17-25lbs of muscle mass over the course of a lifetime. For men it’s between 35-50lbs.  Now 17-25lbs of muscle may seem like a lot to some and not so much to others.  It’s really relative to the type of physique that you want.  But the fact is if you want to shed fat and have the physique you aspire too, adding muscle by strength training is the surest way to get there.  You aren’t going to gain 17lbs of muscle overnight.  You’re not even going to be able to do it in 6 months or a year, believe me unless you’re using drugs NOT going to happen ladies.

Putting on muscle doesn’t mean you are going to look like the hulk, there is a wide spectrum of physiques that encompass variable amounts of muscle depending on your genetics and taste.

So time to put down the pink dumbells and stop doing 200 sit ups and come join me in the weight room.

Until the next time

Train Hard, Be Well

Michelle

Here are some of the things to look forward to:

1: I get a lot of emails asking me about programming and what exercises I like.  Therefore I thought I would start a series detailing the good the bad and the truly ugly in terms of effectiveness, complete with pictures and links to video’s.

2: A primer in basic programming as well as recommendations for articles, books and resources to get you started

3: More product reviews.

Also if anyone has any suggestions, or questions they would like me to address, please don’t be shy.

Results of my most recent Body Fat test:

As I mentioned in my post last week, I was scheduled to get my body fat tested this past Sat. 2/13/2010.

The results were good and very interesting.  First it was discovered that Greg, who is helping me with this, accidentally miscalculated the January numbers.  He had said I was 19% which I thought was too low.  As it turned out I was right, he used the chart for men rather than women.  He discovered his mistake and my Body fat% for Jan. was 21% right where I thought it was.

So with that correction here are the results.

BF% 21-20%

Weight: 109lbs-110lbs

Site changes: 7 site caliper test

chest: +1

mid-axial: +2.5 (side of the rib cage)

Tricep: -1.75 (one of the places I tend to store fat)

Subscapular: -2

Abdominal: -1

Suprailiac: -2 (hip)

Thigh: -1.5 (the other site I tend to store fat)

Summary: I’ve managed to lose 1% of fat WHILE actually gaining a little muscle.  The resulting fat stores have shifted a little ie: chest and midaxial which is fine by me, but at the same time I have lost mm’s at every other site including the two spots: tricep and thigh which are the areas of greatest fat storage.

I am very happy with my progress.  My goal for this month is to lose 2% more.

Now for the really cool stuff:

Lastly  before I go, I want to leave you with a link to a great blog post by Leigh Peele from this past June.  Leigh is an highly accomplished trainer and nutritional coach.  She is a regular member of the the fitcast as well as having written and published a number of ebooks and articles on training and nutrition especially for women.  What I like about Leigh is not only is she very direct, but she also takes the time to read the research for herself but also conducts her own research, she speaks to women at the point they are at.  For example if someone wants to look like Victoria Beckham, though in all honesty, I really can’t fathom why anyone would want to emulate her body.  I mean to me she looks like a stick figure with 2 balloons for boobs, but that’s me, to each their own, she’ll explain how that figure is most likely achieved.  Leigh is also very anti-dogma, which is great because you get a more balanced opinion.

The following blog is entitled: Defining Bulky, Once and for all. and it basically looks at womens attitudes towards desirable body types, strength training and when we refer to a woman being bulky what does that actually mean.

This is an awesome article, one of my favorites, I refer back to it often.

Enjoy and until the next time:

Be Well, Train hard

Michelle

It has been one month since beginning my 2010 body re-composition project.

Before posting my pictures I just want to detail my numbers when I began on Jan. 1.

Weight: 111lbs: fluctuating between 110-112

BF: Tanita: 24%

Calipers: 19%

2/8/2010

Weight: 110lbs: for the last 2 weeks my weight has been fluctuating   between 108-110

BT: Tanita: 22%

Calipers:?  I’ll be having this done on Sat and will update then.

I definitely feel like things are happening.  I feel a lot stronger and more solid. As far as the numbers on the scale, I will admit I was hoping to report 108lbs today, however as I have mentioned before, this process isn’t really about weight for me it’s about reducing body fat and maintaining or preferable building lean muscle.

jan side view

feb side 2010

I will be having new caliper measurements taken on Sat.  I am hoping for a 2% decrease but as long as the numbers go down I’ll be happy.

Below you can see my progress in pictures.  The angle isn’t quite the same but I am starting to see some minor changes. I think my stomach on the side poses is a little flatter and my waist looks a tiny bit smaller. January pictures are on the left, Feb. on the right.

jan 2010

feb 2010

As far as my nutrition is going.  I feel I’ve been doing pretty well.  Though last week I felt a little off but that could have been because, my workout schedule got a little messed up and I find when I’m not quite on point with training I tend to loosen up on my eating. Not that I did a lot but it could have been tighter.

back jan 2010

back feb 2010

Speaking of training, I’m really loving the Cardio strength training element that I’ve been playing around with instead of more traditional cardio on the treadmill.  As I have written in the past, I originally planned on doing 20-30 minutes of run/walk intervals on the treadmill 2 min. walk/1 min run.  However after picking up the book Cardio Strength Training by Robert Dos Remedios I have been substituting the interval training with complexes and tabata protocols.  One of my favorites has been a kettle bell complex: 6 swings, 6 bottom up squats and 6 clean and presses: 4-5 rounds.  Another favorite has been a tabata protocol using the heavy bag and punching.  Today I was able to do a full 8 rounds of 15 sec. on 15 sec. off.

Over the next few weeks my plan is to start a series detailing my favorite exercises and why I like them complete with pictures.

I would love to hear you’re suggestions and/or comments.  If you don’t feel comfortable posting directly to the blog, you may feel free to email me at: knittedbrow@hotmail.com

Be Well, Train Hard

Michelle