My First Two Classes

I stink at updating.

But I said I'd update after I'd taught my first fitness class. It wasn't real until then. I didn't put the job title on my facebook until then, lol.

So I taught my first and second classes -- on a tuesday and a wednesday -- shortly after getting hired. The first one sucked. The second one was awesome.

And, I'm probably being a little hard on myself saying the first one sucked. My friend who came to class swore she didn't even notice that I was struggling. By struggling I mean there were parts where I forgot the choreography and lost confidence. That's okay. It was a learning experience. I'm really glad I taught again the next day because I started to have a omg-why-am-i-even-doing-this panic attack after the first one lol.

I got a regular class starting next week (!!!!!). I'm taking over for a guy who's going on an extended medical leave -- 3 months. So basically, the class is mine until then. And by that point I'll probably be teaching more than just one day so yeah. I'm starting to get nervous again because it's unfamiliar territory, what if they hate me, etc. I'm trying to plan and prepare as much as possible. I really want to practice the routine on the folks at my regular gym first but I don't think i'm going to have that chance...hmmph. I heard the people over there are huge fans of Turbo so that's a good and bad thing. Good because they're probably full of energy. Bad because it's intimidating to keep up with that lol. We shall see. I am excited though!!!!

And .. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I am excited for 2014!! Already got plans to get more certifications and do more awesome things. yay!!

UHHH I am awesome.

I auditioned again for an group class instructor position at the gym. This time the audition came out of absolute nowhere, I heard about it last minute, and only had like 2 days to prepare.

Apparently I did a good job because I got hired!!!

YAY!!!

More on this later after I teach my first class. Cause it really won't feel real until then.

I love LA!

Reason #2498754 I love where I live. The Runyon Canyon hike. The entrance is located at the intersection of Franklin and Fuller in Hollywood, and the 'hard' train is one heck of a challenge. However, it's short so you don't get bored, and there's plenty of fun people watching.

I heard that someone wants to do some sort of weird construction on there though that would destroy a section of the hike?!?!?! Does anyone know about this??? That would be HORRIBLE.

So What Do I Do With My Spare Time?

check out this video :)

My Tips For Making it Through a Tough Workout

We've all been there. We all visit there once in awhile, or maybe more often than we'd like. The "I DON'T WANT TO WORK OUT" place.

I spent 20 years refusing to work out at all, so I get it.

I've thought up some tips that will hopefully help you out. I also asked a couple of friends for their input -- thank you Molly, Hilary and Sarah :).

1. Figure out WHY: Why are you working out? Is it to lose weight? Get healthier? Those are good, but they're vague. How much weight do you want to lose? What does getting healthier actually MEAN? Is it measured by cholesterol points, body fat percentage, or something else? Is it fitness related? "Getting stronger" is a good place to start, but make it more specific --- "Be able to bench press 150 lbs" or "Execute a perfect high roundhouse kick" (that's one of my current ones!). Write your WHY down ON PAPER!

The point is, the bigger and more detailed your WHY is, the more likely you are to actually accomplish your goals. Which brings me to my next point --

2. Goals: SMART goals. Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Don't set a goal to lose 50lbs by tomorrow; it's not gonna happen. But 50 lbs by September of next year is totally doable. 

3. Mentally Prepare: Great, so you've figured out your WHY and your specific Goals. Now you're ready to go. And let's face it some workouts just are not easy. Did you buy P90x or Insanity? You're in for one heck of a ride. Mentally prepare by understanding what's coming, and embrace the CHALLENGE! 

4. Find a Workout Buddy: omg!! This has been ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for my journey. If I had no one in my corner supporting me I would be a dead duck. I can't even tell you. When I started becoming interested in losing weight years ago, I found a couple of buddies online I exchanged emails with and we helped keep each other on track. I did not feel comfortable talking to anyone at the gym or anyone in real life about what I was doing. I mean, I know firsthand that people will try to sabotage you and derail your efforts. That's why you have to find some people who are on the same train as you. Is there anyone out there that needs some support? I'll be your buddy! Go Here and click join, and I will connect with you from there. If you are doing any home workout programs I can probably connect you with people who are doing the same ones.

I did eventually start talking to people at the gym. Poor Mike, lol

5. Get Into A Routine: This one is self-explanatory. It is WAY TOO EASY to skip a workout when you don't have a set routine. You can plan on doing it before work in the morning, but then later tell yourself you'll do it after work, and you never do it. Sound familiar? Get into a routine. Just do it. Find out what time works for you and stick to it. And stay accountable with buddies I mentioned in the previous step.

6. Mantras or Positive Sayings: These can help when you are ready to die. Say to yourself, "I can do this" or "Push harder" or anything that motivates you! Everyone likes different types of quotes so whatever works for you, use it. Do you work out at home? Post some quotes and sayings on the walls of your workout room!

7. Music: Music matters!! Nothing like a great new playlist to motivate you to get movin', especially if you are not doing group classes or home DVDs.

8. Lastly: The last thing I would like to say is, know when to stop. Know when to push yourself and know when you are doing too much and need to stop. We don't want any injuries!! Alongside of that, if you really hate EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT you are doing.... don't do it. Find something ELSE that you will want to commit to. There is an activity or a soulmate workout out there for everyone. You just have to find it. And trust me, I tried EVERYTHING before I found my loves in Turbokick and BodyCombat classes!! 

Anyone have anything to add to this list?

Must Read Personal Development Books

Happy Tuesday!

I have been reading a lot this year. Specifically, personal development books. I never read these types of books before this year, but HOLY COW I was missing out!!

I am no expert, and I still have a LONG list of books I want to get to, but here are some of the books I have enjoyed this year. Hopefully you will benefit from reading them too. Any questions? Send me a message!

Click on each title of the book to be redirected to buy it.



First Steps to Wealth, Dani Johnson

I haven't even finished this book yet and it's risen close to the top of my Most Favorite Books Ever. It looks like a business book, but it's really an everything-book. In fact, the majority of it talks about how to talk to get to know people, identify their personality type, and how to talk to them based on their type. Personally I always feel like I could use more help in that area -- "People skills" -- so I am benefiting a lot from this book. Dani is someone who went from homeless to millionaire, and most of it was based on her success at how she communicated with other people. Her tone is straight and to the point with no sugarcoating. I like that!




The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential, John C. Maxwell

This book is amazing!!! John C. Maxwell is a very well known leadership speaker and author, and he definitely knows what he is talking about. I got the chance to attend a short presentation from him in June.  This book is all about creating a personal growth plan. Just because you exist and time passes by does not mean you are growing as a person. You have to be proactive about it and take ACTION. This book was easy to read and understand but the principles are extremely powerful. In fact, I think each chapter could be expanded into an entire book. Some of the laws discussed are: Law of Design: To maximize growth develop strategies. Law of Awareness - You must know yourself to grow yourself. Law of Consistency. Motivation gets you going. Discipline keeps you growing.   


Goals! How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster than You Ever 
Thought Possible

This was one of the first personal development books I read. GOALS by Brian Tracy is definitely the first book I would recommend to a 'newbie.' This book is very direct in its approach. It teaches you how to prioritize, set goals, organize yourself, and go after those goals, step by step. 

Car Smart, Chalene Johnson

If you know me even the slightest you know I ADORE Chalene Johnson. I cannot say enough good things about this lady. Most people get to know her through her home workouts Turbo Fire, Turbo Jam, or ChaLEAN Extreme. I actually first found out about her through word-of-mouth and didn't make the connection that she created these workouts until much later. Why? Because fitness is just ONE of Chalene's jobs. She is a teacher, and hugely into personal goal setting, success and just being an overall good person!! I've met her, spoken to her, and worked out with her on more than a few occasions and I can really say this woman practices what she preaches. So getting back to the Car Smart, which by the way is an Audio program for the car, not a book -- it's 12 discs each covering a different topic. Some discs are similar to the Brian Tracy book above and talk about priorities, goals, and to-do lists. Other discs talk about how to deal with difficult people, how to be confident in yourself, fitness tips, and more. This is well worth the money because you will want to listen to it more than a few times for sure!


I have more books to add to this list, and more books to read, but I am going to stop here for now....What are your favorite personal development books! I'd like to hear them!

Happy reading!

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:)

Completely Random Crayon Art Post.

Okay, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with fitness or goals, but I did this crayon art the other day and I just had to share it SOMEWHERE.

You know those melty-crayon pictures you see on Pinterest all the time? I decided instead of melting the wax straight down, I wanted to make a circle shape.

I lined the sink thoroughly with paper towels -- you need to do this because the wax WILL splatter!

I glued the crayons in a circle on the board and then gently started melting using a low setting on the hair dryer. There were times were  I turned it on full blast for a few seconds to create more splatter effects. But you have to be careful doing that! I rotated the board slowly as I melted so the colors would blend together a little bit.

And here is the finished product, with a little bit of digital clean-up!!! 

I LOVE how this came out!!! The colors make me SO HAPPY lol. . . I will proudly display it on my wall.  I will definitely be making more of these too. The whole thing came together in less than an hour!

Have you ever done any crayon art? 

Unplanned Workout ... at the Beach

Yesterday a friend asked me if I wanted to go to the beach. I said sure. I packed a towel, a book, my ipod, and got ready to enjoy a nice day doing nothing.

That ... is not what happened.

We did go to the beach -- Palos Verdes beach. I'd never been there before. It is GORGEOUS. And it's a rocky beach, not a sandy beach like I assumed we were going to go to. Call me ignorant but I didn't even know rocky beaches existed anywhere near me...

Anyway, we ended up hiking up and down this steep non-path... I fell twice. :(  We also had to cross a large area of rocks at the bottom of the cove which was NOT easy at all.

Oh well, all in the name of getting some interesting pics, right? Enjoy..

10 Signs You're Addicted to Fitness

I know, I am WAY behind on ACTUAL BLOGGING, and I have a LOT to say, but I thought this was cute. I got it from the Idea World Fitness Convention page -- is anyone else going?? August 7th through 11th -- I am so excited!!! You know I will be there supporting my Beachbody people!! Is anyone else going?

10 Signs You're a Fitness Fanatic

1. You obsessively troll Pinterest looking for new motivational fitness quotes. (well, not pinterest, but I find a lot of good quotes in books I read.)
2. You have an extra set of workout clothes in your car just in case the right opportunity should suddenly arise to get your sweat on.
3. You've tried all the latest workouts. Barre classes? Obviously. Zumba? Tried it before everyone else even heard about it.
4. You have a different pair of shoes for each type of workout you do. (sad but true!!!!!)
5. You've considered getting a fitness certification for fun on multiple occasions. (done)
6. You pout when you don't have a chance to get your workout in that day.
7. You skip going out with your friends on certain nights because you have a workoutbright and early the next morning. (guilty!!!!)
8. You've become besties with your personal trainer and fitness instructors.
9. You don't even consider taking the elevator unless you would have to climb 15 flights of stairs or more.
10. You check yourself out in the mirror every few days (or every few hours) to see if there's any change in your muscle definition. (okay I don't do this one. That's just too much.)

T25 baby!!!

I have SOOOOOO much to talk about but I am soo busy right now at a Beachbody event in Vegas. I just wanted to make this quick post as a cry for help!!


Yesterday, I worked out with the one and only Shaun T, creator of Insanity, Asylum, Hip Hop Abs and more.I got to experience his brand new workout program, T25, live! The above video is one I took yesterday at the event, and he explains a little bit about what the workout is in it.

So, I'm a sucker and I bought the program.

Basically, you only work out a mere 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week, following the calendar is comes with, and hollyyyy cowwwww you should see the test group results.

Luckily, it's a progressive workout which means you don't start off doing crazy things. It's challenging, but not impossible. Shaun works with you and progressively moves you towards harder stuff.I feel like any level could do this and those who find it hard can modify and still be working out. I personally had to modify probably 1/3rd of the workout yesterday.


Here's the thing though. I've never done a home workout. I NEED ACCOUNTABILITY. I need someone to join me. I need someone to get this workout and do it with me and check in with me a few times a week.

anyone???

help!!!

I know myself. I am so used to the gym. Working out at home is no joke, I find it to be a lot harder in some ways. I need a partner for this one. Let's both get results!!! Send me a message and I'll give you more details about it, or just send me a message or comment if you just want to know more about it period.

thanks!!!

here's my email if you don't want to leave a public comment -- turbogirlreena@gmail.com

and here's the official T25 promo. ignore the last part where he says leave your email address to know when it comes out -- IT'S OUT NOW!:

BoSu Ball Madness

This is a Bosu Ball.

It is a fitness training device commonly used for balance exercises.

Balance is something I REALLY need to work on, so I decided to embrace the Bosu ball. Let me tell ya, this thing looks more innocent than it feels!! 

I tried some squats. It took me forever to be able to stand stable enough to get these pictures, lol. And I couldn't even get down in my squat very far, eeek!! 

Then I tried some pushups.

.....tried.

I don't know how people do stuff like this.

Practice, I guess!!! I will keep it up with the BoSu ball and hopefully be able to post a lower squat next time. ;)

Have you tried using a BoSu ball? What are your favorite exercises?

BOOOO.

did not get the instructor position. WAHHH.

Okay but I got some good feedback AND they said I am welcome to try again in a few weeks.

sigh okay fine thennnn. *grumble*

Just a small bump in the road I guess!! I will get to my destination, darn it.

First Audition

I had my first audition at a gym today to be an official instructor!!!!!

It was ..... okay. I KNOW I could have done better. But I don't think I was the worst one either (it was a group audition).

Yeah, I'm gonna be upset if I don't get it. But there will be more. They said we can audition often enough.

I JUST WANT TO AND AM READY TO TEACH!!!!  Sooo exciting lol.

I am going to take a minute to pat myself on the back because I think I'm the only one who thinks this is pretty momentous.

First of all, I think it's pretty nerve-wracking for ANYONE to get up in front of a group and SPEAK, much less speak, demonstrate movements, be excited, and be able to motivate others.

Second, I am overweight still. I have a ways to go. I feel like I'm really fit on the inside but it doesn't show on the outside yet. I think a lot of overweight people would not want to classify themselves as fitness instructors. I was concerned about this at first, of course. Will people even accept me? I did a poll on a message board of women that I frequent. What do you think of overweight fitness instructors? Would you stay for the class? I got about a 50-50 answer. I'll take that!!! Plus, i'm probably getting ahead of myself right now but I think my passion for Turbo will show and I will grow with the class and hopefully one day people will be like yeah, she's awesome!! hehe. (plus, i am obviously working on losing the weight)

Third, considering where I came from, I think I've made some pretty good changes. Hated exercise. I even got out of doing PE in grade school. Hated people, hated talking to people, was AWFULLY shy, reserved, hated asking for help, always thought people were judging me, worried about what they thought, and all those other stereotypes lol.  I guess through Turbo I have gained more confidence and direction, overall. I am setting goals and ACTUALLY ACHIEVING THEM. Mind=blown. I never even knew what a goal WAS and why I should have them.

So can I get a high five!!!! :D

I still have a long way to go, I swear every week I feel like I've learned something new. I'm definitely not perfect or an expert about life or anything like that. Right now I am kind of just in a, "I don't give a freak I'm gonna do what I want and I'm gonna get there, darn it" kind of frame of mind.

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I Passed Instructor Training!!

Yay!! Now I have to perfect my skills and get this going...

YAY for goals and the 30 day push. I am serious, everyone needs to go thru Chalene Johnson's 30 day push. it's FREE and it's life changing. 30daypush.com. I never knew how to prioritize, set goals and be organized before I did that.

I didn't expect the cert to come so fast... lol crazy. honestly I would like to lose a little more weight before I even try to teach a class, I think I would just feel better doing it... but we shall see.. I'm gonna keep plugging away. I definitely need to prioritize eating cleaner things. Quality calories really matter! 

Tried a NEW workout -- Boxing!!

I tried a new workout!!

Boxing!

I got to HIT THINGS!!

It was awesome!!!

I like exclamation points!

My friend Laura found out that we could do a trial class for free at a boxing gym in the Valley. Well, free is my favorite number, and I'm always down for trying a new type of workout.

I learned that hitting the heavy bag is SUPER FUN. I was literally laughing while doing it. Not sure if boxing is supposed to make you laugh? well it did. haha. My hands and arms were SORE the next day. I so wish I could afford to keep going there. Add it to the list of goals I will accomplish soon. :)

Here's some pics. Ignore my less than perfect form. It was my first time!! :D

I was trying not to laugh here

The teacher of the class wanted to get in on the pic :)

Have you tried any new workouts lately? 

If you don't work out, why not? Is it because you find working out boring? Have you tried different activities? Message me and we can talk. I can give you LOTS of options and ideas. 

The Scale is Not a Measure of Success

The scale.

THE SCALE.

The thing that causes so many people, especially women, pain and suffering.

WHY? It only tells part of the story. Not even close to all of it.

I used to freak out over the scale. I had to make sure I was wearing the exact same outfit at my time of weigh ins every week to not disturb the number. I would worry about eating small things before stepping on the scale.

I had to get a grip and gain some knowledge.

First of all, your weight fluctuates up to 7 pounds up and down in just one DAY. So getting on the scale multiple times a day is a surefire way to disappoint yourself.

Your weight can also fluctuate based on what types of foods you've consumed. High sodium things may make it go up.

Next, if you are working out a lot, your scale may stay stagnant for awhile. "WHAT?! I thought working out is supposed to help me LOSE weight!" Settle down, it does.  However if you are at the beginning of your journey and have JUST started working out, the scale is probably going to be stuck for awhile. Your body is adjusting to the change. It has no freaking clue what's going on. Let it adjust and be consistent with the workouts.

It also depends on what types of exercise you are doing. Cardio tends to burn a lot of calories and may make the scale go down faster. Weight lifting and strength training may make the scale go up. Why? You are building muscle!! Muscle is heavy! But the great news is, weight lifting is what REALLY causes you to see some major changes in your body. Since muscle takes up LESS ROOM than fat, you will lose inches and appear more toned -- EVEN if the scale still says the same thing.

Another benefit of weight lifting: it revs up your metabolism and you continue to burn extra calories all day long. Those calories will add up! So lift weight, ladies!!! And do lift heavy!! Tiny little barbie weights won't create much change.

I had one friend who "only" lost one pound last month. Yet she lost 11 inches overall. And you can PLAINLY see her progress. This is why the scale shouldn't matter!!!!

If you MUST weigh yourself, it is recommended to only do it once a week around the same time of day. I really only do once a month. Or even less. My clothes are getting looser and everyone keeps telling me I look like I've lost weight. So I must be doing something right!!!

Try not to freak out over gains. Gains happen. Often. Don't use that as an excuse to throw in the towel and decide you're never going to succeed.

Feel free to leave me questions or comments!

Mark This Date Down

Facing fears can be cool. After only a week and a few days of going to Turbokick Instructor training, I got the chance to teach in front of a live class. LET ME TELL YA, it was a lot harder than doing it in my house alone, lol.

All I did was teach the warm up section in my friend's class... that's all i felt comfortable doing for now lol. I was NERVOUS. A lot. And it showed. It was not a perfect performance because I felt like I should have put more personality into it. Also, I should have been louder on the mic. But at least I didn't mess up any of the choreography or timing. It wasn't a disaster by any means. So... yay!! One day when I'm teaching lots of classes, I will want to remember this day of doing it for the first time. :)

And 3 people told me I did a good job, woohoo!

Random Beach Day

The other day, I had time to kill before I met up with some friends. So I went to the beach. I haven't gone down to the beach in forever!! I miss it. It was a hot day, but really beautiful and the water felt SO refreshing on my legs!!

So yeah. Here's a short video and some pictures.

Have you done anything relaxing lately?

TurboKick Certification Training Day!

So, I realize this blog hasn't been here very long, but if you know me at all you know I LOVE Turbokick. It's such a unique cardio kickboxing workout that is set to great music and has awesome moves that make you feel like you're at a party. And it's created by Chalene Johnson WHO I JUST LOVE. More about her in future posts, surely.

So I went and got certified to teach it.

LOL, no I didn't decide on this overnight. I have been thinking about doing this since last September. I noticed that I A. Loved the format, B. Wasn't getting sick of the format after taking it for quite some time, C. I really UNDERSTAND the format as far as how the layers were put together, and strived to get my form better and better with each class, and D. I CAN ACTUALLY DO AND KEEP UP WITH THE CLASS.

That last one is the big one.  Like I said in a previous post I spent my entire childhood and young adult life hating exercise, being uncoordinated, and being frustrated over not being able to keep up with the other kids.  Running, Swimming, even Biking, I could not/still cannot keep up with other people.

But that's distance stuff.  Turbo definitely requires SOME coordination (but not nearly as much as Zumba), and definitely endurance, but I can actually DO it. I was literally shocked when I realized that.   I can't even explain that moment of realization, ahha. I think it was about halfway through my third class. I no longer hated the instructor for telling us to cheer and make noise (love her now by the way. she's my favorite), and I was twisting and turning and kicking and punching right to tempo along with everyone else.

Ok well anyway. On to the certification day. Unfortunately I was having way too much fun to take pictures of the actual class and training, haha. But it was held at the Beachbody Headquarters in Santa Monica which was pretty sweet. I'm a Beachbody Coach so I thought it was cool to see what the actual company office looked like. An employee showed me around during a break in training.

They have motivational posters and advertisements for their programs all over the place.

Imagine driving this thing around all the time.

And I found the famous SHAKEOLOGY WALL. Sorry, I'm a huge dork, but I love Shakeology and I also love visuals so this was pretty cool.

And they also have a kitchen in there. They let us use it. There was Shakeology right there on the counter for us to use. Yummy!! I finally tried the Greenberry flavor, which I really surprisingly liked. It was sweet, yet mild.

Can you believe not everyone has tried the stuff? ;) I whipped up a couple of shakes for a few people at the training who hadn't tried it.

that is MEGA SWEAT hair.

Anyway, the training... was freaking AWESOME. Ever been in a room full of people who are as obsessed with something as you are?? Talk about high energy and fun. We had two awesome Master Trainers teaching us everything about it from basic steps, form and technique, how to connect with your class, and a bunch of other fun stuff. 

Favorite part? When we got into groups to practice and then one person from the group had to get on the microphone and teach a section to the entire room. I volunteered for that, and it was really awkward but really fun!! I definitely need a ton of practice as it's a lot harder than it looks.

Can't wait to find out if I passed training ... I'm sure I did but there's always a slight nervousness, lol. I'm gonna go crazy waiting!! 

In the meantime, I have a TON of fun music and choreography to keep me occupied.

12 rounds!!

And Turbowear.

"keep calm and turbo on." (i hate taking selfies)

I feel accomplished and proud of myself... but it's gonna be even better when I actually get to teach a real class. Stay tuned. :)