The Clutch vs. Livefit Trainer, and how to customize your online training plan.

After completing 2 full rounds of the Livefit trainer. This monday, I decided to finally start The Clutch Cut. I have been wanting to try this program since it first came out. However, because of marathon training over the summer, I needed to build my muscle back and I knew the Livefit trainer would do that for me. My second round of the Livefit trainer ended right before my trip to Thailand, Feb 1st. Now, that I am back and have some significant muscle, I am ready to do Clutch.

What is The Clutch Cut? What is Clutch?

The Clutch Cut is a free training program found on bodybuilding.com. It is created by Ashley Conrad (follow her on instagram @ashley_conrad) a celebrity personal trainer, who has trained Kate Hudson and many others. It is an intense 21 day program, that promises to get you in the best shape. Why 3 weeks? The program was created with celebrities in mind… 3 weeks is usually the amount of time that most celebrities have in order to get in shape for a movie. Because it is only 3 weeks long, diet plays a huge role. Diet is the key to seeing results and being successful.

clutch nutrition

Clutch Diet

I have diet crossed out because I hate the word. This is not really a diet it is a way of life, and that’s Clutch. So every time you see the word diet, make sure you define it as a lifestyle choice.

The Clutch Diet is very similar to the diet on the Livefit trainer. Both are clean diets that eliminate processed foods. Both diets are based on eating organic whole foods. However, on The Clutch Diet, Ashley Conrad wants you to eliminate gluten and dairy as well.

Gluten and Dairy free…

It is a constant debate about eliminating gluten and dairy from your diet. Is it just trendy to go gluten free? Why go gluten free if you don’t have an allergy to gluten? Ashley has you eliminating gluten and dairy from your diet because they are both very hard for the body to digest, and because she wants you to see major results in a short amount of time. That is why, it is best to omit them completely.

Although, I hate labels, the reason why I am not calling myself a vegetarian. I will say this though, I eat a plant based diet, (most of the time.) And along with eating a clean organic, plant based diet, dairy and gluten are also pretty non existent – so I do not think this will be much of a challenge for me. However, I will definitely be reading labels, and making sure I stay gluten and dairy free – maybe I am getting more gluten than I think I am. We shall see… I also want to try to stay GMO free, and sugar free, whenever possible. I am hoping, if anything, this diet makes me more aware of what I am putting in my body, as fuel.

  1. Eat every three hours.
  2. Eat within the first 30 minutes of waking.
  3. Drink at least 1 gallon of water a day, with lemon.
  4. Eat gluten and dairy free with exception of protein powder.
  5. No fillers, preservatives, or color.

Carbs are Important…

Being a runner I greatly appreciate, how much Ashley stresses the importance of carbs. Do not eliminate carbs. They are important and you need them. They provide the ultimate energy for your physical body, and they are the reason your brain functions. The key is to be able to recognize good carbs vs. bad carbs. Make sure you know the difference between refined carbs (bad) and complex carbs (good.)

The Training Plans: Clutch vs. Livefit

Although, the diets are very similar, the Clutch and Livefit training programs are totally different. Here is why…

The Livefit trainer is a 12 week program that has 3 phases. Phase 1 is the muscle building phase. It consists of heavy lifting and no cardio. In phase 2, you incorporate supersets, heavy lifting, and 30 minutes of cardio. This helps you build muscle while burning fat. Phase 3 is your fat burning phase, your shredding phase. In phase 3, there are active rest periods, circuit training, and HIIT.

Weight lifting Day

The Clutch Cut is all circuit training and HIIT. Instead of lifting 5-6 days a week like in the Livefit trainer, the Clutch Cut has you lifting 3 days a week. On your weight lifting days, you are doing a full body circuit. You will be doing 12-15 reps of each exercise and 3-6 rounds of the circuit, depending on your fitness level. Your weightlifting day is followed by a day of cardio.

Cardio

When you are not lifting, Ashley has you doing cardio which ends up being 3 days a week. In my mind, cardio translates to running. Woohoo!!!

On your cardio days, Ashley has you doing HIIT. There are many ways to do HIIT. You can do this cardio on a bike, treadmill, outside, etc. When choosing a treadmill start out with at speed 5.0 for 1 minute, up the speed to 7.0 for 30 seconds, up the speed again to 10.0, then repeat up to at least 10x. Cardio is followed by a core/ab circuit. Each core/ab exercise is done until failure and you complete 3-6 rounds depending on fitness level.

The focus on core/ab work is another major difference between The Clutch Cut and Livefit trainer. I like how in The Clutch Cut they have a separate day for core. Ashley really has you focus on the core, where in the Livefit trainer, you worked core along with another body part.

Customizing your Program

There has been a lot of criticism about online diet plans and training programs. People claim that they are cookie cutter. I agree with this in some ways. Unlike a trainer, online programs can not personalize a plan based on the clients fitness level and goals. But you can be your own trainer and customize the online training plan based on your own needs. Listen to your body and use the online plan as your guideline.

On my weightlifting days, I may customize the plan by substitute one exercise for another depending on how my body feels.

Because I am a runner, who hates the treadmill, I will be customizing my cardio days. There will be days when I will run long distance outside. There will be days when I will do track workouts and hill repeats as my cardio. There are also tons of different ways to do HIIT and I plan on switching it up a lot. For all my readers who are runner’s who hate the treadmill, keep in mind that HIIT is equivalent to speed work. By doing HIIT on the treadmill you are not only burning fat, but you are also getting faster. These treadmill workouts will definitely help you PR in your next race.

As for customizing weight lifting days. There are tons of exercises equivalent to the exercises listed in the circuit. Don’t be afraid to substitute a different type of squat for the one listed, or add weight. Do push-ups on the TRX instead of regular push-ups. Switch it up. Customize.

First Week done… but will be repeated…

backprogressBack Progress after completing the Livefit trainer

day 1 clutchDay 1 of The Clutch Cut

day 2 clutchWeek 1 of The Clutch Cut completed.

I have completed my first week of The Clutch Cut. But because it was a new program, I needed to use the first week to get use to it. The first two weight lifting days I only had time to do 2 rounds of the circuit. Today, I did 3 rounds of the circuit and felt pretty good. I also have done all of my cardio days and will be doing a long run tomorrow. I am going to repeat week one (start over) so I can really kick it’s ass in the gym. Along with repeating week one, I will be doing the diet closely and taking the supplements.

As you may know, I absolutely love the Livefit trainer. It makes since to me. I saw amazing results, and it helped me discover a new passion for weight lifting. Because of the Livefit trainer I now know what strong feels like. However, during the Livefit trainer I was weight lifting 5-6 times a week. It became really hard to fit my running or yoga in. I felt like it was hard to do both and find balance.

So far I am really enjoying The Clutch Cut. I love how they have separated the weight lifting and the cardio. Now I have days of the week where I can really focus on weights. And I have days of the week where I can really focus on running. This will help me stay strong in both lifting and running. Plus, I want to do the running strength training program from The Cool Impossible, and I think it will be possible to fit it in on my cardio days, when I am focusing on my running.

What’s next…

When I complete, The Clutch Cut, I plan on completing phase 1 and phase 2 of Clutch program on Ashley Conrad’s website. And always, I will customize the plan, depending on my fitness goals.

Other Blog Post you may like…

  1. Livefit Trainer Progress
  2. Livefit Trainer Phase 1
  3. Transformation Tuesday
  4. The Cool Impossible

Have you tried Clutch?

˙© 2014 sweatdaily

Who would have thought… The gym has become my playground!!

I know I have posted this motivational quote time and time again. tumblr_mijzdgHfwG1rwkaswo1_500

But I had to post it again, because it is the TRUTH! I am actually very shocked I have seen such results this quickly. Maybe it is because I have always had confidence in my body, and didn’t feel like I needed to change much. I went into this trainer, hoping to build strength so I could better myself as a runner, not really thinking about what I would physically change appearance wise.

My upper body has always been skinny and weak. My core was by far the weakest part of my body. People always told me strengthen your core and you will be able to run further and faster. So that is what I did, during this trainer, and now I am running better than ever.

PROGRESS PIC

Anyway, I wanted to post a progress pic. I found a photo of me from 6 months ago wearing the same outfit as I was a couple days ago. week 9 results

6 months ago I had already ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler 2012 and The Parkway Classic 10 Miler 2012. I was running 5-6 days a week and I had been training for the Annapolis 10 miler. In the photo above I was at the Annapolis 10 miler expo getting my bib. So I was very athletic, but running my body was not sculpted with muscle.

As you can see in the photo above my upper body was very weak and skinny. My core was weak as well, and my body overall was just not as toned. I had a different shape. If you look at the current photo, taken April 5th, you will see my shoulders are starting to take shape, my arms and chest are much more toned. My core and hip area are showing strength. Overall my body has a more sculpted shape. I feel stronger and my running has improved.

LIVEFIT TRAINER UPDATE…

At the moment, I am currently finishing up week 9 of the livefit trainer! Week 9 is the first week of phase 3. In this phase we are incorporating (all of these are defined by bodybuilding.com.

  • Supersets: performing the first exercise and then immediately do the next exercise. Only then do you take the 2-minute rest in between before repeating again.
  • Triple set: Perform the first exercise, followed immediately by the second exercise, followed immediately by the third exercise. Only then do you take the 2-minute rest in between before repeating again.
  • Active rest: Do the first exercise, and then instead of resting, perform the active-rest movement (for example, jump rope). Immediately repeat the first exercise.

The supersets is something that was introduced in phase 2, but the triple set and active rest is something that is new to phase 3. The superset and triple set is suppose to help you continue to build muscle and maintain the muscle you have. The active rest period gets your heart rate up so you are able to burn fat. I actually really like the active rest part, way better than just resting. Before when it was mandatory to take a minute or two in between sets, I always felt antsy to continue on. I love having active rest periods, but boy does it kick my ass. 

On leg day, some examples of an active rest periods are squat jumps and jumping rope. So I bought this new jump rope, so I would personally have my own at the gym. 529476_10101060508754006_1519705170_n-1

On upper body days, active rest periods consist of ab work/core strengthening, and tons of push ups. The hardest push ups yet are kettle bell push ups.  (photo found on bodybuilding.com)

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My favorite new core strengthening exercise is the Exercise Ball Pull In. (photos found on bodybuilding.com.)

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Anyway, those are my two favorite new exercises, and above are the new terms added to phase 3 of the livefit trainer! Another new thing added is treadmill sprints. This is something that I can tolerate, because it is switching up routine on the treadmill, so it is not as boring.

I never thought I would enjoy weight lifting as much as I have. The work has been hard, but I really do like pushing my body, and challenging myself. I have seen amazing results, in myself, and my running.

Although, I always head outside for my runs. When it comes to weigh lifting… The gym has become my playground!!

Question for You…

  • Where is your playground? examples: pool, the ski slopes, the half pipe, the trail, yoga studio, the gym, tennis court …
  • Do you prefer to work out indoors or outside?

© 2013 sweatdaily

Livefit trainer, Progress pic…

Hey!! I have some EXCITING NEWS to tell you guys, but I am going to hold off until tomorrow… So stay tuned…

Today, I am going to talk about how I am doing on my livefit trainer…

I have completed day 53 of the Livefit trainer. Two more training days and I will be finished with week 8 and totally done with Phase 2. I am now not only feeling stronger, but starting to see some serious change in my upper body and in my core. (My legs have always been pretty strong because of running.)

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Anyway, this morning, I woke up and headed to the Gold’s gym that I regularly go to, and the power was out, so they were closing until the problem was fixed. My time is precious so I didn’t wait around. One of the perks of living in the Washington, DC area is that there is a Starbucks and Gold’s gym on every block. So I headed down to the next closest Gold’s.

What a different vibe…

This Gold’s was so much darker, and over packed with gym equipment. The benches were old, and so were the weights.

look at these Old School weights…

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Although, everything was older, my work out was still good. That is one of the positive things about lifting free weights. You don’t need to be picky. If the weight  weighs 15 lbs, then the weight weighs 15 lbs, regardless if it is old or new.

Another thing that I loved about this Gold’s was because it was over crowded with equipment, the lifting area was more private, which was really nice. Even though, there were plenty of other people around, I felt like I was the only one in there. This privacy made me very focussed and it seemed peaceful – which is funny, because I was lifting heavy. Never thought weight lifting would be peaceful in anyway, but it was today.

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Along with this new found peace, I am also finding that I am really starting to love weigh lifting.  It isn’t up there with running or yoga yet, but it is close behind them. I have come to the conclusion that I like sports that are simple. For example in running, all you really need is a good pair of shoes, and some runners will argue that you don’t even need that. Weight lifting is similar, in the way, that it is simple and you don’t need a bunch of stuff to see results.

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Anyway, in the end, I am happy I got the opportunity to try the other Golds. They are both by running trails too. This is a plus since I hate the treadmill, and love running outside right after I lift. They are also both near organic grocery stores and Starbucks. So I think I may alternate Gyms depending on my mood. Its good to keep things interesting and switch things up.

Tomorrow, is day 54, in which I am going to hit Legs hard. However, it is also my day off, so I might also squeeze in day 55, if I have time, and then go for a run. We shall see… but I know I am a total fitness junkie, because I am already getting excited about my tomorrow work outs. Hopefully, the weather man is right, and it will get warm this weekend, I really want to run in shorts.

I’m going to leave you with a progress pic…

Livefit trainer, Week 8, day 53

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Questions for You?

  1. What is your favorite body part to work out?
  2. Do you switch up your gyms, or gym routines?
  3. What work outs did you do today?

© 2013 sweatdaily

New weight lifting gloves…

Friday, was a gorgeous day! And because J had class in the morning, we planned to hit the gym in the afternoon.  It was an amazing 60 degrees out. Trust me, I was so tempted to go for a run, but I didn’t. I am still in Phase 1 of the Livefit trainer- NO RUNNING just building.  So instead, I decided, it would be a perfect morning, to go shopping in George Town.

I immediately hit up City Sports. I haven’t been to City Sports in forever, and I had forgotten how much I love that store. They have everything.  I picked up some weight lifting gloves for both J and I.

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There are several benefits of using weight lifting gloves, and I have been wanting to buy a pair ever since I started the Livefit trainer.

The benefits are… 

  1. When wearing weight lifting gloves you protect the hands from calluses that would other wise form after time.
  2. With weight lifting gloves you are guaranteed to lift to your highest potential, and not bail out of reps or even a whole set do to hand strain.
  3. Weight lifting gloves protect hands from bacteria and germs that could be lingering on sweaty free weights.

Later that day, I hit up the gym to do Day 19 and 22 of the Livefit trainer. This also gave me the opportunity to put my new weight lifting gloves to the test. They ended up working out great. I love my new gloves.

Livefit update…

Phase 1, Week 3, Day 19 -Shoulders and abs

  • Crunches – 3 sets 10 reps ( holding plank in between each set for 1 minute.)

Phase 1, Week 4, Day 22 – Legs

As for the diet – Still eating mainly vegetarian clean meals. Getting tons of protein through beans, eggs, yogurt, and lentils. Trying to drink more water and get 5-6 small meals in daily. I am really excited that this is the last week of Phase 1.

Questions for You…

  1. Do you wear weight lifting gloves?
  2. What is in your gym bag?

© 2013 sweatdaily

Missing my RUNNER’S HIGH.

Tuesday was Mardi Gras. Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Today, is Valentine’s Day. All of these special days falling in one crazy week. I am so thankful today, although it is everyone’s Thursday, it is my Friday. (If that makes since…)

AT THE SALON

This has been a crazy work week for me. I have had a week full of hair color transformations. It is only mid February, but for some reason everyone wants to go lighter. I wasn’t expecting to change my brunettes to blonde bombshells until March or April, but it happened this week, which meant long days, and late nights at the salon.

LIVEFIT UPDATE

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PHASE 1, WEEK 3, DAYS 16,17,18

DAY 16, Monday, 2/11/13,

BACK and BICEPS

  • Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown – 3 sets 10 reps – (30lbs) alternative work out PULL UPS

  • Seated Narrow Grip Cable Rows – 3 sets 10 rep – (30lbs)

  • T-Bar Row – 3 sets 10 reps – (10lb weight, 20lb bar, total 30lbs.

  • Back Extensions – 3 sets 10 reps – (body weight or hold weight with arm across chest) NOTE: This is my new favorite work out for lower back muscles.

  •   Barbell Curl – 3 sets 10 reps – (20lb straight bar) NOTE: I really felt this worked my biceps. They were super sore the next day.
  •  Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets 10 reps – (started first set with 5 lbs just to work on proper for then went up to 10 lbs for the rest of the sets) 
  •  Alternate Hammer Curl – 3 sets 10 reps – (10 lbs)

Tuesday, 2/12/13, REST DAY

The original plan for this day was to hit the gym at night. I am busy all day with an art class and work, so night time is the only time I have to work out. I ended up not being able to get home until 9:00 pm and the gym closes at 11. I decided I didn’t want to be the one closing the gym, so I used this as a rest day and planned to do that day’s work out, Day 17, the next day along with that day’s work out. Double duty. Didn’t want to fall behind.

THE DOUBLE DUTY DAY

DAY 17 & DAY 18, Wednesday, 2/14/13

CHEST, TRICEPS

LEGS

Today, Thursday, 2/14/13 is DAY 19 of LIVEFIT. I will be hitting the gym this afternoon, to work on Shoulders & Abs. I will not be taking any more rest days until the end of phase 1. If for some reason I can’t make it to the gym, I will take a rest day and do double duty the following day. But this is only if for some reason I am desperate and can’t make it to the gym. Jamie Eason does have 2 videos of at home work outs just in case, but I’d rather just try to stick to the program as closely as I can.

SEEING RESULTS

First things First. I am desperately missing my RUNNER’S HIGH! But I also can’t believe how fast Phase 1 is flying on by. Today will be the last day of week 3 and then I am moving right on to week 4. 1 more week and then Phase 2 begins, where you can introduce cardio into the program, and for me running. Yippee!! Can’t wait to experience my runner’s high again. However, I will admit that I have really enjoyed focusing on getting stronger. I think that it is super important, and it gave me the opportunity to focus on eating clean as well. Plus, waiting to run, will just make my runner’s high that much sweeter.

I also wanted to tell you, that I am starting to see some results, and feel them too. I didn’t think I would see much results especially this fast, because I am an athlete already in pretty good shape. But, my arms are starting to take shape, and I have began to see even more definition in my legs and abs. As for feeling results, I am feeling stronger. I also have been really tired lately, but I think that has a lot to do with work and not really the Livefit program. I am pretty sore though, everyday. I am also much more hungry, but I think that is because my growing muscles need fuel and my metabolism is fired up.

CHALLENGES

I have already been eating clean for about 9 months now, but I was having challenges with eating enough calories. I am doing much better about preparing my meals, and packing my food. The two things I need to work on now, is drinking more water, and making more protein shakes. But I am still taking my other supplements.

So that sums up my update with the Livefit program. I can’t wait for Phase 2 to begin, in about a week, because during Phase 2 I will also start my half marathon training.

I found this on tumblr... Now she is hardcore!

I found this on tumblr… Now she is hardcore!

Oh BTW, I updated my about page, so check it out. I also updated my race times. Please follow me on twitter, athlinks, and instagram.

Questions for You

  1. Do you eat clean? What is your favorite eat clean food/meal?
  2. What challenges do you have it your fitness routine?
  3. To my Runner followers: What is the longest amount of time have you gone with out running?

© 2013 sweatdaily

The truth about… Abs.

Update on Livefit…

Today, Friday, 2/8/13 was Phase 1, week 3, day 15 of Livefit. Finally, the first two weeks are over. The reason I am saying, finally is because in the first two weeks there are three full rest days. Although, my body was pretty sore, I don’t like resting for three straight days – I mean come on I am use to working out 5-6 days a week.  All of these rest days, made me a little worried, but I just kept telling myself, that the trainer is going to get much more intense.

To start off week 3 of the Livefit trainer.  Jamie Eason opens up with an amazing video in which she explains everything about abs.

“Abs are made in the Kitchen.”

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Jamie Eason explains that abs are made in the kitchen. She says that you can do all the sit ups in the world, but with out clean eating which helps eliminate your body fat, you will never see them.

Some people have flat shallow abs, while others have really defined abs. Some people have a very defined waste, while others may be straight up and down. If you are more straight up and down, twisting exercises are ones to avoid, because they may enhance that. So when it comes to abs focus on diet and engaging core muscles while performing other exercises. Also remember your abs are the same as any other muscle group, so why treat them different? Give them a day or two of weekly training, just as you would your other muscle.

Jamie promises once you lean out in Phase 3, your abs will be revealed. It is then that you can do some ab work. She even suggests possibly doing some weighted exercises to create some density.

Although, the video was about abs, today’s work out was focused on legs. This week J and I, completed 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise with a 1 minute rest in between each set.

As for me, I am still struggling with getting enough calories, and eating on regular intervals. This weekend I am going to spend the time preparing my meals for the week. I also need to continue to drink more water. I never thought eating enough and drinking an adequate amount of water would be such a challenge.

So again, do not forget… Abs are made in the Kitchen….

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but… this looks like fun… 

Questions for You…

  1. What is your favorite ab exercise?
  2. What is your favorite muscle group to train?

pictures found on tumblr

© 2013 sweatdaily

Protein Bar Recipe

Quick update on Livefit…

Today, 2/3/13, was Phase 1, Week 2, day 10. I can’t believe how fast 10 days came and went. Remember this is the muscle building phase. No Cardio for me, which means NO RUNNING. I have missed running, but have been able to tolerate the no cardio rule, because the weather has been so cold and snowy. Anyway, I have been really enjoying the strength training exercises that Jamie Eason has mapped out for us. I have been pretty sore too, so that means I have been working hard, right? The only thing is that in these first 2 weeks there are a total of 3 consecutive rest days. This is a lot of rest days, for me, because I am use to exercising 5-6 times a week. But I know next week there will only be 2 rest days, and later in the trainer there are weeks when I will be working out 6 days a week. So I am just going to cherish this last week of that consists of three consecutive rest days. Your muscles need rest in oder to grow, so these rest days are important.

When it comes to the nutrition plan the only thing I have really struggled with is eating enough – so I am going to work on that.

On Friday, after my gym session, J and I decided to try to bake Jamie Eason’s homemade Protein Bars. This recipe fits in the”Clean Eating” category, and is actually pretty easy to accomplish.

Chocolate Protein Bars

  • 96 calories
  • 1.4 grams fat
  • 12 grams carbs
  • 10 grams protein

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp  baking cocoa
  • 4 egg whites
  • 8 oz berry flavor baby food, or apple sauce
  • 4 oz water
  • sugar: (splenda, stevia, sugar- which ever one you desire)

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix all dry ingredients: 1 cup oat flour, 2 scoops vanilla protein powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa.
  • Mix all wet ingredients: egg whites apple sauce.
  • Add sugar, (in this recipe I used stevia) to the wet ingredients.
  • Combine all ingredient together in a big mixing bowl, add water.
  • Pour mixed ingredients into a class baking pan.
  • Bake for 25 minutes.
  • Eat and enjoy

All of the ingredients I used were all natural, and organic.

Dry Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

The bars fresh out of the oven. Tasted like a brownie. YUM!

The bars fresh out of the oven. Tasted like a brownie. YUM!

It is best to cook or bake your own meals/snacks because you know exactly what ingredients are used. You should try these bars! They are easy to make, and will be an awesome snack post work out.

Click here, if you want to watch a video of Jamie Eason making these protein bars.

Questions for You…

  1. What is your favorite protein bar?
  2. Have you ever made your own?

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

Livefit. Phase 1. Day 3 & 4.

Day 3– Sunday, 1/27/13

TRAINING – Yesterday was Day 3 of Phase 1 of the Livefit trainer. I had to work 10-6 at the salon, but I couldn’t wait to hit the gym right after. Why? Because Day 3 was all about targeting muscles in the Legs and Calves. Working out my lower body is my favorite area to train. I just love it – don’t ask me why- I just do.252220_494752083893099_271126486_n

Squat like your ass depends on it… 

and I did…

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Before we started we ate a small clean snack and took our supplements. Then we hit the gym. The work out went really well. J and I did 3 sets of 12 for each exercise, with resting for one minute between each set. I used the app gym boss in order to keep track of my timing. I highly recommend this app. It took J and I about 1 hour to accomplish the whole work out. We ended the work out with our protein shake, BCAA, and glutamine. I juiced organic kale, celery, and pineapple. I add this juice along with a blended banana to my protein shake. This tasted amazing.  A little organic pineapple can really sweeten a drink.

NUTRITION – I started my day with a clean breakfast, consisting of two hard boil eggs and greek yogurt. I am beginning to love hard boil eggs! They are a wonderful source of clean protein and they are super convenient. I pay a little more for my eggs, but paying the extra $2 is worth is because I am supporting a local farm and they are organic. I packed clean meals for the day, and I tried to eat on regular 3 hour intervals. The only thing I need to work on is drinking more water. livefitwaterDay 4 – Monday, 1/28/13

TRAINING – Today’s workout was focused on Shoulders and Abs. J and I did 3 sets of 12, with a minute of rest in between each set. Again it took about 1 hour to complete the full work out. We took supplements before the work out.

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NUTRITION – With in 1 hour of waking J and I ate a clean breakfast. Today we had organic local eggs on top of ezekiel bread and organic tomatoes.

livefit meals

 

After we were finished with our work out, we left the gym and hit up Sweet Green. I will write a post giving you more info on Sweet Green, but if you haven’t been to Sweet Green, you must go asap – it is amazing. Anyway, I had a salad from there that had spinach, kale, beets, carrots, sprouts, broccoli, etc… It was a pretty good size, so I saved some for my next meal. J and I also mixed up our protein shake with another green juice.

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We are now done with our work outs for week 1. The next three days are rest days. So we are going to focus on…

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But we need the rest more than ever. I haven’t been this sore in a while.

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I’m really sore, but it feels really good… You have to be training to understand…

Can’t wait for Phase 1, Week 2, of Livefit!

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

Livefit. Phase 1. Day 1 and 2

I have been wanting to weight train for some time now, but my love for running and yoga has over powered my small yearning to weight train. I also have been consistently training for a race of 10 miles or more, so I have felt it was my obligation to run. But I now have the time to switch it up a bit, so I have decided to start the Livefit Trainer.

The Livefit trainer is by fitness model, Jamie Eason. It is a 12 week program, which is a total of 84 days. I will be doing this program with my younger sister, J, –  (not, E, the sister I run with.)

Why are we doing this program? Well that is simple, we both love a fun challenge! J wants to do the Livefit trainer to begin a healthy lifestyle. And although, it has only been 2 days into the program, she has already learned a ton about clean eating and supplementation. The reason I decided on the Livefit trainer, is because I want to build my strength. Being stronger will help me run further and faster. More muscle will help me perfect my natural running form, ultimately improving me as a runner/athlete, and helping me prevent injury. I also love the idea of sculpting my body. Most people don’t realize how much control they have over their physical capabilities.

So lets talk about Phase 1 of the Livefit trainer…

Phase 1 is our building phase. For the next 4 weeks, Jamie Eason wants us to eliminate cardio from our daily fitness routine. This means no running. Unfortunately, you know I can’t go 4 weeks with out running. So I might be running a little here and there. But I will not to run everyday. I will not run on the days I lift, and I am planning on significantly cutting back on running during this phase- it is only 4 weeks.  J, on the other hand, will not be running at all. She is going to be following the exact plan.

The reason why Jamie doesn’t want us to do cardio is because cardio slims out muscle mass, and phase 1 is all about building,

So what does building mean? We will be doing weight training, eating clean, and taking supplements in order to build muscle. Week 1 and 2 we will be weight training 4 days a week, and resting 3 days. It is important to have rest days because your muscles grow while they rest. Week 3 and 4 we will be weight training 5 days a week, and resting 2 days.

Phase 1 is about building which also means we are working on getting our metabolism fired up. Some people yo/yo diet – which slows down the metabolism. Most women eat too few calories – which slows down the metabolism. So along with a work out plan – which has pictures, videos, and written instruction of how to do each work out/ lift each weight. Jamie also has video explanation about clean eating and a written out meal plan. In this phase we will not be counting calories, but rather eating ever three hours, which adds up to 5-6 small balanced “clean” meals a day.

So here is the run down…

We will be waking up and eating a “clean” breakfast with in an hour of waking – this will help start the metabolism. At breakfast, we will take a Multi Vitamin and an Omega 3. I like to alternate everyday between a flaxseed oil and a low mercury Fish oil. Before we hit the weights we will take a BCAA. And always remember never strength train on an empty stomach. After the work out, which should last about 1 hour, we have a 30 minute window in which our newly born muscles will take in protein. So we will then be drinking a protein shake with glutamine.

When it comes to protein powder, I am obsessed with Vega Sport. The protein does not contain soy or whey. The guy who created it is an endurance athlete who does Iron Mans, and he is vegan. Glutamine helps with muscle recovery. With this protein shake we will also be taking another BCAA. BCAA stands for Branch Chained Amino Acids. This helps support new lean muscle growth and reduces muscle breakdown. I also want to point out that in a hurry you can make a protein shake with glutamine and water. But I am going to rush home from the gym, so I can use my blender and juicer. I want my protein shake to include kale, beets, and other veggies if possible.

For the rest of the day, we will be eating clean organic whole foods every three hours. Jamie recommends setting a timer, for consistency is key. On the three hour mark, she wants us to eat small well balanced meals. So this means the meals will consist of a protein, complex carb, and unlimited vegetables. I have heard some reviews on this meal plan from vegetarian and vegans, who have said it is impossible to follow because it is so high in protein. I want my vegetarian and vegan friends and followers, to stop thinking, protein as an animal. Protein is protein, and there is tons of plant based protein options. An example of a small meal/snack would be veggies and hummus or apple/celery with peanut butter.  I truly feel since May I have been really good about eating clean organic whole foods. And although I am following Livefit, I am still going to cook my favorite vegan and vegetarian meals. Any fish/eggs/dairy I eat will be organic and local.

Along with eating clean, we will be drinking tons of water. When lifting weights you create toxins, such as lactic acid, so because of this we will be flushing our systems constantly with water. In order to discover how much water you should consume, take your body weight divide it in half and take that number and convert it to ounces. That number is how many ounces of water you need a day. Tea and coffee is also good beverages to consume because they are metabolism stimulaters.

Supplements 

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Day 1 and 2 Breakfast205631_10100942305379516_269830507_n

Day 1 – Friday, 1/25/13

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Day 1 was Chest and Tricep day. Above are examples of a few of the exercise we did. We did 3 sets of 12 at 60% effort weight wise. Later in the program we will be using 100% effort working with max weight.

Day 2 – Saturday, 1/26/13

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Day 2 was Back and Biceps day. Again 3 sets of 12 at 60% effort weight wise. Later in the program we will be using 100% effort working with max weight.

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After we worked out, I took J, over to MOM’s organic market. On her first trip there, she immediately fell in love- I knew she would.  She stocked up her fridge with healthy organic whole foods, and prepared meals for the next couple of days.

I went home and cooked a vegan Eggplant dish.

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Although, it has only been two day in, so far I am loving Livefit. Phase 1 makes total since. Eating clean on regular 3 hour intervals will spark the metabolism. Protein shakes/supplements along with lifting will build muscle. Muscle will burn fat. This is true. End of story.
Tomorrow is day 3, and it is legs and calves – my favorite! I love working out my lower body. Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Oh and btw… I am sooo sore, but it is a good feeling!
Questions for You...
  1. Have you started the Livefit trainer?
  2. What is your favorite body part to train?
  3. Any good recipes for protein shakes?

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