Looking Good (for a mom)

Today’s post is from a personal friend and fellow fitness blogger, Anna Dornier of Path to Fat Loss. Anna and I first met on the Turbulence Training forums, and she was the one who first got me interested in kettlebells.  Now, Anna is a Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor (RKC) and Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). She teaches bootcamps and kettlebell class in Northern California under her company ATD Fitness... Read More

Around this time of year, many people make getting fit part of their New Years Resolutions. As a result, you’ll see a huge uptick in gym attendance. This is great from the perspective of people getting healthier, but if you’re one of those people who sticks with their fitness plan all year long, it can be frustrating to have all of these extra people descending upon “your gym” and taking up equipment during your normal workout time. And if you’re trying to do circuit training and/or supersets, where you go from exercise to exercise with little to no rest, the crowding can absolutely mess with the effectiveness of your workout... Read More

I’ve been following Rachel Cosgrove on Twitter and reading her blog for a while now. Of course, I’ve heard about the amazing gym she and her husband run together, and know many fitness gurus really respect her professional expertise. If you’ve seen pictures of Rachel, then you know that she’s a lovely and fit woman.  And often, when you see someone in great shape, it’s almost instinctive to assume that it’s just easier for them to stay fit than it is for everyone else. I have to admit, I assumed that about Rachel. I knew from reading her blog that she struggled with the same body image issues that all women do.  But when I read her new book, The Female Body Breakthrough, I was shocked to learn that Rachel had gone through periods of being significantly overweight, and even struggled with an eating disorder... Read More

Ever wonder what it will take to get you off the couch and into shape?  How about a deadline, accountability, and a gameplan?  Well, a transformation contest can provide all of these things, and help you achieve your goals.  A few weeks ago, the 6th Turbulence Training transformation contest concluded. This was a great contest because anyone at all who completed it was given a 6-month membership to the Turbulence Training site. The bonus brought in a lot of new people, and a huge amount of seasoned veterans who needed to prove that they could get in peak physical condition... Read More

I love jeans. Absolutely love them. A good pair of designer jeans just makes me happy.  Why?  Well, it’s the butt. A great pair of jeans really makes a woman’s butt look fantastic. And I know I’m not the only one who appreciates this! Every time I slip on a great pair of jeans I just feel sexy.  But even after I lost my first 20 pounds, I still had some extra fat in my rear view.  How did I deal with that?.. Read More

I don’t do round-up posts as often as I’d like, but as we’ve reached the end of another month, I thought it was about time I put another one together. So here are some of my favorite (and timely) posts of the past few weeks:.. Read More

As I’ve delved into the world of blogging, I’ve met a number of fantastic fitness-minded folks. Among them is Josh Hanagarne, a Russian Kettlebell Certified strength enthusiast who is a librarian by trade, and whose blog, World’s Strongest Librarian is an eclectic combination of literary insights, personal reflections, and tales of strength. Josh recently offered to write guest posts for his fellow bloggers. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get a man’s perspective on strong women. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!.. Read More

It’s been a while since I shared some of my favorite posts from around the web, so I’ve accumulated quite a few. I’ve retweeted a few of them, so if you follow me on tweeter, you may have seen a few already. I love getting inspiration from others, and I hope you do too!.. Read More

If you’ve been reading my blog, but haven’t started your exercise program yet, my post on Getting Started: Many Small Steps appears today on Sandier Pastures, a great blog maintained by an ex-pat who took a leap of faith and moved from Japan to Dubai, and shares her experiences and perspective frequently with her many readers... Read More

People spend an amazing amount of time trying to find the best exercise. A google search on the words retrieves millions of articles on the subject, and there are nearly 20,000 books on exercise! People search through dozens of these resources looking for answers. They’ll look for the best exercise for weight loss, muscle growth, whittling their waist, or whatever their current goal is at the time. Then they’ll spend hours each week sweating away at whatever exercise is the recommended one of the era, even if they hate it the entire time. It’s a recipe for failure. If you’re going to stick with an exercise program for the long-term, it has to be fun and something you enjoy... Read More