Where's the Beach?

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the official launch of Where's the Beach Fitness, LLC. . For many years I talked about wanting to become a certified personal trainer , or perhaps at least teach some group fitness classes. I am passionate about fitness, health and helping others. But, I always put barriers in my way, mostly doubt and fear of the what-ifs: what if I failed, what if I was a terrible trainer, what if ... what if ... I finally stopped talking and started doing by enrolling in the ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer online course. I studied daily, spent hours on the weekends studying, testing myself, trying to push doubts to the back of my mind. I had a goal. I was going to pass that test and then my next step was to start a business. Period. If it failed, it failed, but at least I tried. And, I did. I'm proud of myself for doing rather than talking. It's scary, I still have doubts, but whenever I interact with my clients, I know I made the right dec...

Why Should You Hire A Personal Trainer? While you can go online and search for free exercise plans, nutrition plans, even running plans, they are generic and not personal to you and your specific needs. What weight rotation works for some, may not work for you. With nutrition, it's never a one-size-fits-all solution. And what running plan works for one person, may not help another one bit.  If you're new to fitness or new to running, then generic plans may leave you more confused and frustrated or possibly even injured. Generic plans do have their place of course. I offer many free workouts . But they aren't geared towards someone's very specific goals or needs. They're great when you're in a rut with your own workout and offer something new and different, maybe even something challenging. But they aren't part of a well-planned workout rotation. This is where having a personal trainer or running coach comes into play. As a certified persona...

It's really hard to believe it's already a new year. 2013 seems like a blur right now. In looking back at my New Year's post from last year, I think I fully embraced my word: Change . I don't intend on letting go of that word. I'll just add it into my vocabulary for this upcoming year. I don't set out specific goals or resolutions. But I love the idea of giving myself a word for the year. Last year was going to be a year of change one way or another (I mean, every day is change if you want to be honest), and I wanted to remind myself that change can be a good thing. I think it's important to embrace it rather than fight it. In 2012, I set out to live fuller. I think Change goes well with Living Fuller and this year I want to expand on those ideas. I think Hope will be my word for the year. Hope ... To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. To have confidence; trust. To look forward to with confidence or expectation. We hope t...

I thought it would be fun to do a special Halloween workout. Things get a little spooky around Halloween and make you kind of jumpy. And so will this workout. Have you already had a few handfuls of seasonal M&Ms? What about those cute little candy corns. If you've already indulged, or you plan to, give this "jumpy" interval workout a go ... if you dare (said in spooky voice of course). Feeling Jumpy Warm up for 10 minutes with a brisk walk and dynamic moves. Complete as a pyramid where you'll move up the pyramid then back down. Begin with the first exercise for 15 seconds, then rest 15 seconds, move to the next exercise adding 5 seconds all the way to 40 seconds then begin moving back down. Rest 1 minute then repeat once unless you're not spooked, then repeat twice. 1/2 turn squats right - 15 seconds Low jacks - 20 seconds Air jacks - 25 seconds Squat jumps - 30 seconds Lateral hops - 35 seconds High knee jogs - 40 seconds Speed skaters...

I haven't talked much about my weight workouts lately. Since I have been running and biking more, I've been keeping my weight workouts split up and on the shorter side. This allows me to fit them in during lunch or right after work fairly easily. This loose plan goes along nicely with my 7 tips for fitting in workouts . I know I am going to do them, but not always exactly when. But having them thought out and ready to go makes it easier to fit into my schedule. Last night I went with biceps and triceps. Because I was trying to fit in the workout in a specified timeframe, I went with supersets. Supersets are when you perform two exercises in a row without rest. They can make for a quick, efficient workout. And if you want to take it one step further, add in a bonus burn at the end, which is what I did last night for a Biceps Triceps Supersets plus Bonus Burn (ouchie). *21’s explained – 7 reps starting at bottom and curling halfway up. 7 reps starting at to...