Don’t be a Dummy, Get More Results with Kettlebells

 

I received a copy of Kettlebells for Dummies to review.  As a personal trainer and fitness expert I am always skeptical about new exercise fads that make over the top claims about burning fat, shredding muscle, etc.; however, studies done by the American Council on Exercise concluded that,

“Kettlebells can provide one heck of a workout. Based on
comparisons with data from previous research on standard
weight training, the HR and V•O2 responses during the
kettlebell snatch routine suggest it provides a much
higher-intensity workout than standard weight-training
routines.”

While I have yet to try a full kettlebell workout, I did find the book very informative.  Clear concise instructions were given on good alignment and form, how to generate force, and of course a breakdown of basic exercises.  There were sections that covered kettlebell training for pregnant women, how to put together an effective program and of course photos.  This book   definitely provides a good foundation and starting point for beginners.  k3929113

Something I didn’t know? Stay away from vinyl coated Kettlebells like the one at right.  Many of these are hollow and filled with something other than iron.  I like pretty things and of course bought a pair just like this.  This book has some excellent tips on what to purchase, how much to purchase and even where to get them and more information about training. Read more about this new workout book…

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Are You My Guru? A Guide to Living Happier

image Wendy Shanker’s new book Are You My Guru? is definitely on my top ten list of books that can truly help you to live a happier life without being labeled “self help”.  The only other book I have read that really impacted me was Waking by Matthew Sanford and both center around the author’s illness and what society would see as an alternative approach to yoga. Maybe it is the uniqueness of their stories that touches me, or how they come to yoga through tragedy to find healing – whatever it is, they are truly yogic.

Shanker’s book recounts her ongoing battle with Wegner’s and auto immune disease. Without evening knowing about Wegner’s (which you will be the end of the book) I felt an instant kinship with any woman who can “saunter around on John Fluevog platform boots” (I love my BabyCakes!) Add to this that Shanker is an absolutely phenomenal writer, extremely engaging and humorous, it was easy to be drawn into her story.  I would have read this book even if she hadn’t searched through Eastern Medicine and healing modalities that I practice, but she did, and I find her level headed approach to discussing them even more fascinating.

Too many times books are written by people who have “experiences” and try to sell you on the whole concept or dogma behind the way they were “healed”.  A true teacher doesn’t need to proselytize, people follow their path because they have faith in what they see to be true.  Shanker’s book is no exception and as she concludes through self-study (svadhyaya) we are all our own gurus. That is the truth this book has to offer and it does it without jamming pedantic rhetoric of yoga and healing down your throat. I can’t stand those types of books.

What else will you find within the pages of Are You My Guru?  A whole lot of laughs.  I had to read whole passages – especially the pigeons (you’ll know when you get there) out loud to my partner because I was laughing so hard.  For a book that is about a chronic, life threatening illness and contains discussions of magnetic noses – it has no real tear jerking sections. I appreciated this and attribute it to Shankar’s amazing comic writing ability.

As for the Eastern medicine, yogic philosophy and retreats scattered throughout the book – they added a great seasoning to an already interesting story and obviously secured the subtitle: “How Medicine, Meditation & Madonna Saved My Life”. If you truly open up to the message in this book though you will come to realize that nothing saved Wendy Shanker’s life other than her belief in herself and that is the most yogic message of all.

Wendy Shanker is best known for The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life—in which she used her humor to help women everywhere balance physical health and acceptance of their bodies.
This September Wendy Shanker is back with a new, hilarious memoir about another serious body issue: autoimmune disease, which affects 50 million Americans. Please take a moment to watch her great new video about ARE YOU MY GURU? How Medicine, Meditation & Madonna Saved My Life (September 7; NAL Trade Paperback): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSO6j_lbsPk

Desert Lab’s Introduces Hoodia Ice Cubes

I was contacted by a rep to review an “Ice Cube” diet.  Hey, its hot out and I like ice.  Without much thought I said ok, and was sent a box full of dry ice and what appeared to be 2 disposable ice cube trays packed with what can only be described as grainy green ice cubes (the ice cubes are smooth, but they look grainy).

As a breastfeeding (and proud) momma I decided to research Hoodia a little further.  My only experience with Hoodia prior to this point has been when Brittany Spears post baby numero uno was caught driving her car sucking a Hoodia lollipop.  Since that particular pop princess isn’t known for good ideas, I thought I better look into this further.

A quick trip to Wikipedia dug up some very interesting information, especially for those of us out there who are eco-friendly and want to save the planet and plants. “On January 18, 2008, the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (representing botanic gardens in 120 countries) stated that "400 medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, from over-collection and deforestation, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease." These included Yew trees (the bark was used for cancer drugs, paclitaxel, although current licensed syntheses do not); Hoodia (from Namibia, source of weight loss drugs); half of Magnolias (used as Chinese medicine for 5,000 years to fight cancer, dementia and heart disease); and Autumn crocus (for gout). The group was said to have found that five billion people rely upon traditional plant-based medicine for health care.[3]

Fascinating right? Well, Hoodia looks to be part of a holistic plan to lose weight – but supplements, herbs and plants are not regulated by the FDA in this country so I looked a little further.

Drugs.com had mentions that there are no standards around production and known cases exists where supplements have contained toxic metals or other drugs.  Furthermore individuals below should proceed with caution:

Who should not take Hoodia?

  • Do not take Hoodia without first talking to your doctor if you have
    • diabetes,
    • heart disease or high blood pressure,
    • a bleeding or blood clotting disorder,
    • anorexia, bulimia or any other eating disorder.
  • Talk to your doctor before taking Hoodia if you have any other medical conditions, allergies (especially to plants), or if you take other medicines or herbal/ health supplements.
  • Do not take Hoodia without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant.
  • Do not take Hoodia without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
  • There is no information available regarding the use of Hoodia by children. Do not give any herbal/ health supplement to a child without first talking to the child’s doctor.

Read more: http://www.drugs.com/hoodia.html#ixzz0vsRUVBZS

What’s with all the information you ask?  Well as you may know I am not an advocate for drugs – whether natural or man made.  If pushed to choose I would choose holistic, plant based medicines.  I also take a more realistic approach to weight loss.  Surgeries, supplements and pills provide only a quick fix to a deeper lying issue.  I believe many illnesses, obesity included, have emotional and psychological roots.  Masking these does not serve to fix the larger issue.  But we are all adults and need to make our own choices, so I present to you a review of a plant based alternative to appetite suppression.

Again, I had to remove myself from the actual review – though I did lick and ice cube to taste test and check the validity of my reviewers’ opinions – because I fall under a few of those fields above.

Subject one is a 21 year old student, female friend of mine who has been steadily losing weight while staying with me.  I have educated her on food choice – moving towards whole grains, away from processed foods and High Fructose Corn Syrup, with this alone she has lost a substantial amount of weight.

Subject two is a 32 year old male friend of mine who is a vegan, office worker and overall sedentary.  His weight does not fluctuate much.

Both individuals are not “Cravers”.  They don’t compulsively eat and they have a healthy relationship with food – eating when they need to.  Subject two probably could do with eating more and getting away from the computer.

Neither experienced a large amount of appetite suppression. Again, they aren’t people who overeat or race to the fridge for snacks.  They both had similar views of the taste, which seems reasonable since Hoodia is from the cactus family.  It tastes like “Cactus”, earthy, a little bitter (this could be the lemon juice) and has a dry chalky aftertaste – commonly found in sucralose (which is probably more dangerous than Hoodia is). I am surprised that Desert Labs doesn’t keep with the desert theme and use Agave – a natural, sugar free medicinal plant to sweeten its product.

So can it work for you? Well lets look at some facts:

How does Hoodia work?

  • The appetite suppressant effects of Hoodia were first observed in 1937 by a Dutch anthropologist studying the primitive San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert.
  • It was noticed that the nomadic Bushmen, (who call it Xhoba) ate the stem of the Hoodia plant to stave off hunger during long hunting trips in the sparsely vegetated area.
  • The active ingredient in Hoodia is the appetite-suppressing molecule, P57, which is licensed to the British pharmaceutical company Phytopharm who are researching its potential as an anti-obesity drug.
  • Scientists from Phytopharm say P57 acts on the brain in a manner similar to glucose. It tricks the brain into thinking you are full even when you have not eaten, reduces interest in food and delays the time before hunger sets in.

Read more: http://www.drugs.com/hoodia.html#ixzz0vsS5o71w

You can watch fun videos of the taste test on MomTv.com

Hydration woes? Take a HINT!

 

For those who know me well you know that I have no clue when it comes to pop culture, celebrities and the drama.  So when I was contacted by a rep to review HINT water as part of a story about how Kourtney Kardashian lost her post baby weight with HINT, I thought, “Huh? There’s more than the one that was peed on in the video?” My second thought was, “How does some celebutante who has personal trainers, personal chefs and more money than sense relate to my clients?” So, scrapping the whole how a famous for no reason individual lost weight I decided to focus on someone more down to earth, more like everyone else – ME!

Ha, ha! I finally have the chance to review something that I already love and talk about all the time. Now, I don’t get paid for reviews, I simply receive products – but seriously HINT should put me on their payroll because I talk about this drink ALL THE TIME – especially to my prenatal mamas who, like me, hate to drink water. With both of my sons I experienced serious dehydration during pregnancy.  Water just tasted blah, and who wanted to drink blah if it meant also going to the bathroom more.  With my second son my husband was working at Whole Foods during a store opening, and HINT handed out a sample.  Knowing my issue with water he brought it home for me to try – I was hooked.  I had long given up the other flavored water lines because of calories, sugar and of course some of the “additives” such as Guarana, Taurine, etc.  Plus they were too sweet, sickly so.

So, half of my husband’s paycheck would go towards buying me cases of HINT at a time.  Honeydew Hibiscus, Blackberry, Pear, Watermelon, Lime, and more!  I was in heaven, especially after they released some new flavors.   I went through the next 8 months of pregnancy without a hydration care in the world. Chilled and delicious – I was set with HINT.  The flavors are literally just a hint, a touch of sweetness that can’t be mimicked by simply dropping a piece of fruit in your glass at home, trust me I have tried.

When these bottles arrived I stashed them deep in the back of my refrigerator, far from the sticky hands and wasteful mouths of my sons.  They love this stuff too, but my youngest spills more down his front than in his mouth.  Before you groan at my lack of sharing – I did give him the Tangerine Mango flavor in case there was any mango in the flavoring – I didn’t want an allergic reaction during my review.

How long do 6 bottles of HINT last? Exactly two days if I pace myself.  I’m not sure what it is about HINT. It seems colder, more satisfying and far more refreshing than plain old refrigerated water. I love it during an intense Zumba class- it completely picks me up, ices my insides and helps me to keep bringing the party! Water is an integral part of weight loss, it keeps all of your organs functioning, helps you to process and burn fat, hydrates your skin and muscles, gives your brain a boost and most of all helps to eliminate waste and flush out your system.  You need 1/2 of your body weight in fluid ounces daily!

You may ask if my love affair with HINT is still strong and I must answer honestly. This review opportunity was a way for me to reconnect with my love for HINT, but like a scorned lover, I can’t go back.  At least not to paying $2 a bottle which is the cost at Whole Foods.  When I was pregnant the cost was $1.29 and that seemed a bit steep for a working family – especially when other well known water brands loved by rap artists go on sale regularly for 0.75 at Meijer. My plan then? To sit back and pray that executives decided to save themselves and the consumers (haha, not likely) some moola and start packing this water in larger containers, such as gallon size.  The larger the container, the less the overhead, the less waste.  It would be more eco friendly – I could refill my mug and take it with me instead of throwing away so many bottles.  Water doesn’t spoil so why the heck not HINT? Arizona does this with its drink line.

I digress.  Let’s get back to the beginning, to the roots of this review.  Here is the original press that I would like to at least acknowledge and share.  You be the judge of which is a better story and be sure to check out http://drinkhint.com – and drink a HINT!

 

 

 

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How did Kourtney Kardashian get her body back after giving birth to baby Mason?

Well, of course she spent countless hours hitting the gym burning off those baby pounds, but in order to re-hydrate and stay healthy during and after her workouts, she chose to indulge in HINT water instead of those other high calorie, high sugar energy drinks.

HINT water is 0 calorie 0 sugar, unsweetened essence water.  Using natural fruit to add flavor, with no preservatives or artificial ingredients, HINT water won’t add empty calories to your diet and leave you feeling bloated after you’ve busted your butt in the gym! Kourtney Kardashian is a big fan of HINT, and especially loves the Blackberry flavor!

Workout Clothing That Takes You Out on the Town too.

I was contacted about running a release about Jenny B’s new clothing line.  As you know I value my readers and the response you have to products I review – so I requested to be sent a piece so I could see for myself if $30 a tank was worthwhile. 

Let’s start with the press release…

You never know who you might run into when you’re out; whether it is your boss, your ex, or "the one". Even when working out, it is important to have a pulled together and fashionable look. Finding cute workout clothes can be a challenge, but that ratty old t-shirt and sweatpants is not a good look. Luckily, Jenny B Clothing has got you covered!
Jenny B Clothing is a casual and cool mix of the laid back California lifestyle and fashion-forward looks. Perfect for yoga, Jenny B tops are breathable and easy to move in while still expressing yourself in fun burnout prints. Jenny B Clothing will keep relaxed and cute while working out, no matter who you run into!

Jenny B Clothing is making a statement throughout the fashion industry by creating trends with her unique designs and witty slogans.  All of Jenny B’s vibrant casual designs are manufactured on 100% USA linens, which can be purchased in many stores nationwide and online. Starlets who favor Jenny B’s trendy chic line include Audrina Patridge, Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson, Pink, Ashley Tisdale, Christina Milian, Annalynn McCord and many others. For more information please see Jenny B clothing at www.jennybclothing.com

As you may know I hate name droppers, and I never buy clothes based on what the “stars” wear.  What do they know about reasonably priced, affordable fashion?  Do they truly evimageen care where their clothes are made?  I was happy to see that Jenny B clothing is manufactured on 100% American linens and produced in the USA – nice.  My belief is that consumers will come to appreciate Fair Trade and American Made and not balk at the slightly higher price tags overtime.

So what did they send me? Hold on there.  I don’t want to judge the whole line on my one top.  I perused the site a bit to see the new line – tanks, tees, wraps the whole thing.  Let me show you some of the awesome prints that are available like this barbed wimageire tee shirt and wrap on the right.

Or how about this mysterious fingerprint tank top that mesmerizes with its concentric circles and random dots. It looks like some giant touched you.

There are even some fantastic animal prints, snakeskin prints and cloud prints that would definitely be attractive. They look wonderful in long sleeve and tank.

But I received an awful tank top. It is labeled “Congo” print and it reminds me of something my grandmother – or any other grandmother in Boca Raton would wear.  The colors are muddy brown, black and beige.  With a motif I can only describe as crawling out of the 80’s that women would wear under a blazer to spice up their office look.  It is an almost animal print with a leaf like pattern arrangement- definitely Congo looking, definitely not attractive in a shirt. To me this drips with New Jersey ala 1988, add some thick gold hoop earrings, some fold down black suede boojennybts, black leggings and teased hair – and viola!  Which is sad because the shirt is actually quite comfortable.  The material is soft and supple – which would be great in a yoga class if I ever wanted to look like I was on a retro safari.  I’m not a seamstress but it does appear to be very well made, and can hold up to tugging and stretching. The nicest part is that a size medium is actually made for a real women.  The shirt fits very nicely in any other pattern would probably be form fitting flattering – not so for a busty gal like myself, its atrocious.

You can see this very unflattering top on me at MomTv.com during my Tee Shirt Recycling Episode. I won’t be donning it again- ever.  I will however, be giving this away on Facebook next week so look for it Aug 9th through the 13th you could win this $30 tank.  The Congo Print can not be found on http://www.jennybclothing.com which leads me to believe this is why it was sent to me- check out Jenny B Clothing and post a reply on Facebook with which top would have been a best foot forward for a review. Here is a photo:

You can find Jenny B Clothing online at jennybclothing.com or at these local retailers:

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Celsius – Can it Turn Up the Heat for Calorie Burn?

I received a giant box last week full of Celsius products for review.  It included all timageheir flavors in can and a box of their mix packets that can be added to water.  Let me first say I applaud their ethical use of warning labels.  The can are labeled not for use by “pregnant or nursing women” and not intended for use “by caffeine sensitive or children under 12”.  So basically this stuff is going to get you hyped up and juiced.

Their PR department contacted me originally with an email that “Celsius is a great drink that has clinically-backed research showing it can help burn calories and provide lasting energy by boosting the body’s metabolic rate”. They weren’t kidding.  Along with the samples came a giant research packet of scientific studies from the Ohio Research Group and The University of Oklahoma.  Now the studies had very small test groups 20-27 people and one compared Celsius to a commercially available diet cola – which of course with its Metaplus blend of vitamins and only 100 calories per can and high caffeine – Celsius proved to enhance metabolic rate – no shocker here – diet colas aren’t meant to enhance anything.

Another study that attempted to prove the changes in body composition when using Celsius took 20 men and 18 women (again a very small sample population) and gave them an exercise regime that included taking a drink prior to each workout (either placebo or Celsius).  The problem here is that consumption of the drinks was ad libitum on non training days (at the discretion of the individual). This was not a highly controlled study as that variable is quite large – what if the Celsius group drank six extra cans on non training days?

The study concluded that Celsius is thermogenic (burns calories), it can improve body mass when used with an exercise program, and was tolerated and safe.  The last part again is questionable.  Participants were listed as sedentary but that definition is quite vague and also does not give us the ages or medical fitness of individuals. 

By now you may have guessed I am a skeptic when it comes to quick fix weight loss.  Beyond skeptic, I am a rationalist. There is no magic drink, magic pill or magic anything to help you loose weight that took years to put on. However, if you are going to be drinking unnatural, unhealthy carbonated sugary drinks, caffeinated beverages, etc.  why not put something in you that has vitamins and the possibility of helping raise your metabolism?

Again, I had to exclude myself from this particular drink sampling because I don’t need a juiced up 1 year old.  Just a plug for the moms and moms to be out there – breastmilk is the perfect drink of choice for baby humans – all the vitamins, antibodies (what we try to gain from vaccinations),nutrients and calories babies need – and its free!

Celsius comes in sparkling orange, wild berry, cola and ginger ale.  It is packed with green tea, ginger, guarana, caffeine, vitamins B & C, calcium and chromium. But how does it taste? I asked two different men to try Celsius since one of their big studies was sedentary men and I didn’t want to risk childbearing age women.

My husband, who is very active and fit chose to try the ginger ale flavor before working out.  He described the drink as “very viscose, twice as thick as water” and the taste “had an after taste similar to most drinks flavored with sucralose – almost bitter”.  He was not aware of any more energy or stamina during his workout.  The scientific studies followed groups over an extended period though.

A close friend tried the wild berry Celsius prior to a long day excursion to the Brookfield Zoo.  He is a sedentary office worker. He described the flavor as “metallic yet sweet and not very berryful” but did not feel that the drink was thick.  He also described an aftertaste which he states “can only be described as "geach”. He was unable to finish more than several sips.

We still have two cans and some tea packets that we are inviting studio clients to try.  If you are in the studio and would like to review Celsius’s effects for yourself, grab ‘em!

Can You Sip Away Your Stress?

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It’s been called "Weed in a Can," by FOX News and dubbed, "A Can of Drag Ass," by Playboy, and now it’s coming to Chicago.

drank,
the world’s first and most popular extreme relaxation beverage, is now available (as of today) throughout the Chicago-area, distributed by Central Beverage. Grape flavored and comprised of melatonin, valerian root, and rose hips, drank is essentially the opposite of a Red Bull, Monster, Amp, and the rest of the energy beverage group out there. Also available nationally throughout 7-11, as well as distributed through independent distributors in over 35 states. It’s edgy marketing and design has led to quite a cult following, resulting in features stories from Time Magazine, Playboy, Wall Street Journal and national television segments on Good Morning America, The View, Weekend Today and The Tonight Show.

I was contacted to review samples of drank, a relaxation beverage and of course received promotional items including copies of articles appearing in The New York Times Magazine, Time and Woman’s World.  The piece in The New York Times Magazine asked many of the same questions that were rattling around my head.  I won’t get into specifics because I don’t want to taint my review – I just love to consider all the marketing possibilities, outcomes and tangents that manufacturers might have come up with when naming and choosing marketing for their products.

So what is drank all about?  Well from what I can tell by the can and the description given to the New York Times Magazine by CEO Peter Bianchi its supposed to be “more of an urban approach, a hip approach” to herbal-remedy relaxation.  Obviously Innovative Beverage Group, Inc was trying to tap the hip-hop, urban culture market with a name that is synonymous with a slang term used in the rap scene and a logo very reminiscent of Beyonce’s Dereon line.image The use of “slow your roll” as a tagline shows how far removed from this market the company truly is, “slow your roll” went out in the 90s, you don’t hear that or “I’m Audi 5000 G” much anymore unless it is from suburbanites trying in a vain attempt to gain “street cred”.

But what about the product you may ask? Well of course you won’t let me keep talking about the exploitation of the hip hop culture so lets talk about the contents of the can.  Before I received the can I was not too sure what the ingredients were.  Although drank’s reps claim it “is now available throughout the Chicago-area, distributed by Central BeverageI have never seen it on a shelf where I shop. Their description of the drink is “Grape flavored and comprised of melatonin, valerian root, and rose hips, drank is essentially the opposite of a Red Bull, Monster, Amp, and the rest of the energy beverage group out there.”

Here is where my dilemma starts. I don’t drink sodas, carbonated beverages and even steer clear of juices.  I don’t need the extra sugar and my family has a history of Type II Diabetes.  The main ingredient on the can is High Fructose Corn Syrup which I don’t allow in my house.  If drank is meant to be an herbal-remedy for relaxation and we are to believe that quality ingredients go into it, you lost me drank.  You should use cane juice or even better – agave which has many of its own healing properties and doesn’t raise your glycemic index (ie: no sugar high and crash).  Moving on to the other ingredients.  With a husband who is proliferate in herbs and their uses he strongly suggested that he be the one to physically drink the drank as I am still breastfeeding.  Valerian root is a known medicinal herb used to sedate and has tranquilizing properties.  I am a big proponent of nursing and pregnant women staying away from all drugs – even herbal supplements – since there is little to no long term research on side effects. 

David DiPersio, clinical pharmacist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center agreed with me in an article in Time in which he was quoted to say, “I would not recommend it.  Valerian root and rose hips are not really reviewed by the FDA.  You can’t be certain of the safety and efficacy of the drink.”  DiPersio also added that valerian root withdrawal can cause seizures. Actually, the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements or herbs at all. This is outside of their scope, since these products are not sold as food and always claim not to be sold as drugs. I was disappointed to find nowhere on the can a warning about women who are breastfeeding or pregnant.

Let’s say we move past all the skepticism and harsh criticism of capitalists looking to make a long term “quick buck” by urbanizing sugar laden herbal remedies in a can and talk about the actual product.  Here we go then.

Typical Monday night in my house- I teach a boat load of fitness and yoga classes, husband watches the two crazy monkey boys of ours (want to talk about need for sedation), we hit the gym for an hour, come home and stay up until 3 am.  My husband sleeps poorly.  He gets up on average two to three times a night for many reasons:  our littlest co-sleeps and kicks like Rooney, Beckham and Pena combined, our eldest likes to turn our TV on and watch Drake and Josh on Netflix until he passes out – super loud, our dogs hear a sound audible only to them and possibly bats. 

This past Monday I tell him I need to review the drank product. I usually review things the same day I receive them – he offers to give it a try and stops on the way home from the gym at my yoga studio to pick a can up.  He sips it before bed and comments on its “lightly carbonated grape soda” taste. Next morning he mentions how he slept through the night uninterrupted. Coincidence? I doubt it.  An online query into Valerian root turned up research from a number of studies which have shown that Valerian root extract can improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia. Is it safe? Is it effective? Maybe, maybe not.  But I would believe that High Fructose Corn Syrup and the herbs in drank have to be safer than some of the man-made designer sleep drugs on the market.

WANT TO TRY A CAN OF DRANK?? We have an extra can at the studio, if you are in the area stop by and mention this article to try a sip!

Montenegro Method DVDs – Gold Standard for Trainers

I was contacted by a representative of Marta Montenegro to review her newest venture, The Montenegro Method, a series of 3 DVDs aimed at getting you toned and tightened for all your summer activities.

 

 

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With summer in full swing and weddings galore, now is the perfect time to get fit fast. That’s why I want to introduce you to fitness expert, Marta Montenegro (MF, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT) and her latest venture, The Montenegro Method, a series of DVDs that fuses fitness, sports, and science.  Marta’s method is proof that a high intensity, athletic-based workout delivers the most efficient results, boosting your metabolism and burning fat even after you’re finished working out. 

The Montenegro Method is based on the fact that you only need 21 minutes for 21 days to get the lean body that you’ve always wanted.   The scientifically proven method will help you look your best for the next big event, whether it’s a wedding, reunion, or a pool party.

imageMarta has worked with many athletes and celebrities, including pros tennis players Carlos Moya, Fernando Verdasco, and Feliciano Lopez, as well as The Today Show’s Natalie Morales, The Real Housewives of New York’s Bethenny Frankel, and Extra’s Mario Lopez

www.montenegromethod.com

 

Marta Montenegro (MF, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT) is a Venezuelan-born journalist, health and fitness expert, professor and Editor-in-Chief of SOBeFiT Magazine. Marta holds master’s degrees in finance and exercise physiology. She has contributed to local and national media outlets on topics ranging from nutrition and diet to sports medicine and personal fitness. Her passion for wellness inspires her daily training sessions, complete with running, boxing and weight training – a routine that rewards her with freedom, stress relief and strength.

Reading Marta’s background as a journalist her DVDs make more sense.  The third in the set MM10 POWER has a brief interview (mine popped up in Spanish when I hit PLAY ALL WORKOUTS) with tennis pro Feliciano Lopez.  Montenegro looks at her best when sitting and speaking with Lopez.  This is not to say that she looks poorly elsewhere, she just comes across more natural and personable in her interview portion and when she is working one on one with him.  Some people are born to be on screen playing up to a camera, others are better one on one.

I personally was not enthused by any of the three DVDS.  Again, this is not a negative – it just takes a lot for me to get motivated by an onscreen trainer or fitness instructor.  Montenegro knows her stuff though, the exercises are wonderful. I should know, I use a lot of these in our Power Yoga and Bootcamp classes which may explain why I wasn’t super excited about completing them at home in my messy living room when I have a beautiful studio I can do these in.

Montenegro obviously pushes her clients to be their best and herself as well.  Many times throughout all DVDs she is noticeably out of breath, and I laude that.  I love seeing trainers be pushed by their own workouts, demanding more of themselves and those around them. Montenegro utilizes many compound exercises which allow you to burn more calories, workout faster, increase co-ordination, balance and heart rate.  You can tell these exercises are working you, even Montenegro wobbles a little during the squat – side kicks.

These DVDs promise 21 minutes 21 days to a healthier life and I can’t disagree.  Anything you do will help you to be healthier if you do it consistently – The Montenegro Method DVDs are no exception.  Keep in mind that you will need dumbbells for the MM21 Strength DVD – though I opted to use my 25 lbs infant for most of the workout and that was a challenge.

The MM21 Endurance was by far my favorite DVD and why I titled my post The Gold Standard for Trainers.  If you are a trainer looking for some complex and challenging moves to share with your clients or classes, this is perfect for you.  There are great circuits given, you can incorporate these into Bootcamp and other group fitness classes.

Visually I was not a fan of the DVDs.  They were well lit, the set was clean and the sound quality was superb.  As a curvy fitness expert (yes, we do exist) and as someone who has purchased many workout DVDs I have found that I don’t enjoy looking at people on screen who are not like myself.  Although a University of Alabama study indicated that women preferred a thinner fitness instructor than men do, I prefer not to see each vertebrae coupled with a lot of cleavage. This type of mixed signal of super thin and sinew-like with large breasts for me is a trigger, reminiscent of the times I would stare at unattainable bodies in fashion magazines. The study also showed that enthusiasm, motivation, and being physically fit were considered the most important characteristics overall.  Again, your own perception of what “fit” is will drive your decision about what and who you want to see on your workout DVDs.

I will be giving this 3 DVD set away on my Facebook Fan Page, so become a FAN of Sky Yoga Studio and More Naperville IL.  Contest ends August 6th and it is super easy to win!

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