Getting To Know Martha

For those of you who don't know us, we thought we could share a little bit about us and who we are!

I am a wife of almost 11 years and have 3 kids ages 9, 6, and 2. I have been a dental assistant for over 11 years and LOVE IT! I am opening a dental assisting school here in St. George soon and I am also competing in my first Figure Competition April 10th....photos coming soon! I have always enjoyed being healthy and active, but have never taken it to this level until after my 3 child. After gaining 50 lbs with him, I knew I wasn't getting any younger and needed to start kicking it up a notch if I wanted to maintain a healthy body/lifestyle. I have found a time each day that works for me where I can go to the gym without it interfering with my family's schedule and time we spend together. It gives me the energy I need to feel good and conquer all the crazy things that come at me with my busy busy life! I am very competitive, but more in the self-mastery sense. So coming to the gym is so rewarding for me because it gives me the chance to see what I'm made of and if I can be better than I was yesterday. So invigorating for me! My husband is very supportive of my fit lifestyle which I feel is a must if you are going to take it to the level that Cali and I have. He's like my little cheerleader always telling me I can do it! I am not certified as a trainer, but it is my goal to become certified sometime this year. This competition alone has taught me so much about nutrition and fitness that I just want to take it to the next level. That's what it's all about ladies, building slowly on what you already have. So your a mom with tons of kids and your busy and can't get off that baby-weight, or you've just never been able to lose that extra 10lbs or you're getting older and time is taking it's toll on your body. Just start from where you are and decide what you can change in your current routine to make time for YOU. It may not be that much time, but start with a little and build from there. I didn't get this dedicated overnight. It's been 2 years to be exact! If you have the desire....you can find the drive! Hope what we have to say will help fuel the fire for you all!

Martha's Workout

First off I have to give a shout out to Rindy and Shannon for actively reading our posts! I saw them at the gym this morning with a printed paper of our workouts on it! Yay girls! You're on your way!

Circuits seem like the easiest way for every to follow, so when I do circuits I will post them...like now!

Warm ups are always a good idea to warm up your muscles and get them ready for the hard work that lies ahead! 10min should do the trick whether its jogging, sprinting, speed walking, elliptical, stair stepper, stationary bike...whatever you need to add variety into your workouts.

I did 4 circuits total. Each circuit was done 3 times in a row before I start my next circuit. Make sense? If not, just follow along and it will make sense as we go! Ready, set.... sweat!

Circuit 1

10 pullups - you can use the machine for assistance until you can do them on your own

20 air squats (fast)

10 push ups - any variation (wide hands, hands in a diamond, chattarungas, etc)

-Now do that for 3 sets

Circuit 2

Decline bench chest press w/ 25 lbs dumbbells for 15 reps

40 lb bar on shoulders doing wide leg squats for 12 reps

Incline bench with your chest on the back part of the chair, hold 15 lb dumbbells and do flys for 10 reps

-Now do that for 3 sets

Circuit 3

Leg extension machine starting w/ 70lbs (each set move the weight up a notch)

Chest machine at 40lbs for 12 reps

Lat pull-downs with 70lbs for 10 reps

-Now do this for 3 sets

Circuit 4

Hanging Abs (10 - 15 reps)

Boat pose holding 15 lb dumbbell moving it side to side for 20 reps

35lb dumbbell standing side crunches for 15 reps each side

-Now do this for 3 sets

***Side note: I usually do 300 or more abs each time so I went to a machine and cranked out some more abs or you can lay on a mat and do more. It's good to always add variety to the muscle group you are working. It creates muscle confusion which forces the muscle to work harder and will in return build more muscle faster. Your muscles are naturally "lazy". So if you stick with the same repetitions and same exercises for each muscle group, you will reach a plateau and won't be able to improve from there. If you are "confusing" your muscles regularly, it forces them to continue to adapt to what you are doing...making them stronger and more tone! Happy Workout!

Martha's Food For The Day

My diet consists of a lot of protein and carbs. I measure most of my food items to make sure I am not cutting myself short or over-eating in one catagory. Like Cali, I pre-cook most of my food so that I can just pull out of the fridge and throw together items to make an easy meal. SO EASY! Cali posted her staples she keeps in her kitchen, what a great idea! So here are my staples as well: Eggs, Adams Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, cinnamon, fresh garlic, onions, oats, green apples, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, chicken, fish (tilapia and salmon are my favs), honey, agave nectar, beans (black, red, chick peas, etc), rice cakes (plain), almonds (plain), salsa to name a few :)

Alright, are you ready for some good food? Here it is!

Breakfast: 5 egg whites with a tsp salsa, 1/2 C oatmeal w/ honey, and a shot of wheat germ oil (about a TBS)

Snack: 1 Green apple w/ TBS Adams Peanut Butter, 1/4 C dry oatmeal w/ 3TBS applesauce w/ cinnamon

Lunch: Protein Pancakes w/ honey

Snack: Celery stalks (3) w/ Adams PB, 4oz sweet potatoes w/ cinnamon

Dinner: 6 oz chicken w/ 1/4 C Red Beans over a HUGE bed of fresh spinach w/ balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dressing

Snack: 1 Grapefruit, 1 rice cake, 12 almonds, 1/4 C bran buds w/ 2TBS applesauce w/ cinnamon

I drank 1 1/2 gallons of water by 9pm. Potty anyone?!

So my chicken, sweet potatoes were already pre-cooked, just had to grab it, measure it and throw it together...EASY CHEESY!

Cali's menu for the day!

Okay, here is a typical day of clean eating for me. During the day I try to focus on what I can eat and not what I can't eat. I try aiming for 1 gram of protien per pound of body wieght. Here's what I came up with....

Meal 1: oatmeal w/dash of cinnamon & ground flaxseed w/2tbsp almond butter
Meal 2: protien pancakes (featured recipe of the month) 1-2tbsp almond butter spread on top
Meal 3: (pre-workout) 2 Wasa cracker w/banana
Meal 4: (post-workout) protien shake w/apple
Meal 5: Large spinach salad topped w/ chicken, red pepper, zuchini, red oinions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, 5-6 chopped almonds. I use apple cidar vinegar for dressing. I like using balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Meal 6: 6 egg whites with spinach & salsa
Treat of the day: 1 handful of dark chocolate chips with a few walnuts (A girls gotta live right!)

I eat every 2-3 hours and try to get 1 gallon of water a day. All of my food for today was already in the fridge when I needed it. The chicken I cooked yesturday. All the veggies were pre-cut in baggies ready to eat. My fridge is always stocked with eggs, chicken, salmon, yams, brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, flaxseed, almond butter, salsa, spinach, all kinds of veggies and fruit. Not just for me of course, I have a husband and 3 girls. I hope this will give you some ideas on some clean eating choices. Happy clean eating!

I love Mondays!

Hey it's Cali! That's right, Mondays are the best! It is time to get back in the groove of things and hit the gym with full force. My weekend had a lot of kinks in it that didn't allow me to be as strict with my workouts or eating as I like to be. But that's life and you can't worry about what you didn't do only what you can do. I woke up had my 1/2 cup oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon and 1 TBSP 100% pure pumpkin. I love the flavor but if you don't have any a little honey will do. For my protein I had 5 egg whites with 1 tsp salsa. Today is also my cooking day. I will prepare enough protein, carbs to last me a 2-3 days. I have chicken, salmon, yams, and brown rice. I keep fresh produce stocked up in the fridge that way I'm always prepared. My motto, "If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail." It's all about planning and having the right stuff to eat. Now fueled and ready to start the day. Got the my little one off the school and hit the gym. Today....bicep, back, and legs. Remember, warm up first for at least 10 minutes then hit it hard! Do each circuit 3 times. Try to push your heart rate as high as you can. Rest in between each full circuit for 1-2 minutes. Let's do it!

Circuit 1: pull up machine-20 reps
bicep curls-10lbs-20 reps
standing lunges-10lbs-20 each leg
bent over rows-30lbs-20reps
jumping lunges-30 reps
Circuit 2: incline bicep curl-10lbs-20reps
cable pull down-55lbs-15 reps
crunches on stability ball-until failure
one armed cable bicep curls-15 each arm
no weighted squats-20
jumping squats-20
Circuit 3: seated row (cable) 20 reps
one legged squat(use bench you were just on)-15 each leg w/10lbs
run in place for 60 seconds
calve raises-no weight-until failure
hammer curl-10lbs-20 reps

If you want more, hop on the treadmill and do some sprints. Great way to sculpt those legs and burn some fat. Immediately after my workout I get a protein shake and an apple. We want to fuel our bodies with the right foods after our workouts the see all our hard work pay off. If you are fueling your body with the right foods and enough of them then you should feel the same. Think about this....Lets eat for our next workout instead of working out to get rid of what we ate. Make sense? If not let me know. Happy workouts!
Shout out to Jen who I met a the gym today! Hey girl!

Martha's Workout Of The Day

Hey there everyone, Martha here! Just thought I would let you know I am competing in a figure competition on April 10th so the food I'm eating right now may seem a bit unrealistic for most of you. That will all change in the next couple of weeks, so take what you want and add what you need. If Cali posts food, she would be more realistic in her diet.

Today I will be posting an old workout I did a few months ago. It's a little easier today, but I thought you all would like it. You can make it harder by increasing weight and reps if you need to. If there are any questions, we can post photos of some of the workouts so you can better understand what we are talking about, just let us know which ones you need help on!

This one is Cardio/Chest/Abs. Ready, Set, Sweat!!!

Ran for 15 min to warm up. Decline chair chest press with 45lb bar and added 10's on each side (2sets - 15reps, then 8reps for the 3rd set...super hard for me), push ups - 3 sets of 12reps. First set was 3 movements...it was chattarunga, then moved my right arm out to my right for a wide stance (that is 1 rep), then back to chattarunga, then move my left arm out to my left (did 10 reps). Second set was go down like normal, but when you come up...lift say your right arm and left leg then rotate arms and legs for a set of 10 or 12. Third set was P90X way....hands make a diamond shape and when you come down, that diamond should be in the center of your chest for 10reps. Chest flys 3 sets of 12 using 15lb dumbbells, 300 abs (crank them out as fast as you can breaking maybe every 50 or so and switch up what kind of abs you are doing. 15 min run at the end adding in some sprints (10.0 speed for 30 sec at a time). Your heartrate should be up and you should be pushing your limits today. If not, add more weight to see what your maximum is! Happy Workout!

Thought you all might want to know who these 2 Fitgals are, so we will be posting photos of each other and share a little bit about our busy lives and how we manage to get in our workouts everyday. If we can do it, you can DEFINITELY do it too!!!!

Sneak Peak!

Just a little peak of our photo shoot and what we have coming up for you...so stay tuned.

Recipe Of The Week

PROTEIN PANCAKES

I LOVE protein pancakes! In fact, I'll eat them twice a day sometimes! If you are working as hard as we are, your body will crave this kind of fuel. With that said, lets find out how easy they are to make!

1 mashed banana

1/2 C oats

2TBS ground flaxseed (optional)

5 egg whites

Cinnamon to taste

Mix until combined

Yeild: 3 pancakes

Instructions: Heat up your skillet on med heat (not too hot or it will cook the outside, but not the inside) with a little organic olive oil spray and serve with honey or agave nector.

ENJOY!

Trying Out Videos On Here...AWESOME!

Just think... you could be doing these workouts right along with us! So jump in the fun and let us know how you're doing! We all can use a little motivation once in a while. Hope this helps! Happy Workout Ladies!!!!

Just A Little Taste Of What We Do

Work it out!

Now here comes the fun part: workout! I love it, it's my passion! By the way, I'm Cali. Working out to me is the fun and easy part of having a healthy lifestyle, it's the diet that takes a little more effort and dedication. I love to get 60-90 minutes a day that I can leave everything at the door and get my pump on. When I'm done I get the biggest rush of energy and endorphins that help me to take on whatever the day may bring and be a better mom, wife, and woman. OK, here's how I roll. I am a believer in circuits, circuits and more circuits. I love getting my heart rate so high I can barely breath then slowing it down and then going back for more. I pick 5-6 exercises and do them in a row as fast as I can for 3 sets. I always incorporate legs in my circuits to help get my heart rate up and cardio in at the same time. Lots of plyometrics. I'm not one to get on the treadmill or elliptical and go for 45-60 minutes, drives me nuts! So I lift weights and get my cardio in at the same time. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone, love it! Let me give you an example of my workout today. I worked chest, biceps, triceps, hamstrings and glutes. I threw in a little bit of abs and calves also. I know it sounds like a lot but just stick with me. I ALWAYS warm up before any kind of work out. At least 10 minutes on some kind of cardio machine. This allows your body to loosen up and get warm. Take this time also to mentally prepare and go over your workout your about to start. Map it out, get a game plan. Let's do it!

Circuit 1: bench press-20 reps
triceps dips on bench-15 reps
tricep push ups on bench-10reps
standing lunge-20 reps on each leg
crunches on bench-30 reps
stiff legged dead lifts-20 reps

Circuit 2: biceps curls-20 reps
tricep extensions-20reps
jumping squats
push ups-15-20 reps
kick back butt machine-15 reps
calve raises-until failure

Circuit 3: incline bicep curls-15 reps
cable tricep pull downs-15 reps
jumping lunges-30
incline bench press machine-15 reps
jog in place 60 seconds
crunches on stability ball-until failure

In my workouts I use light to moderate heavy weights. I prefer higher reps with lighter weight. I have found this is what works for me. Try it, you may love it! Don't be intimidated by all the different workouts and machines you will be doing. I once had a friend tell me she could never do that because everyone will be staring at her. Newsflash! Everyone is looking at themselves at the gym. No one cares. Just crank up the ipod, put your head down and get sweating! Remember, do each circuit 3 times and rest at the end of each one only to catch your breath. One more thing....water, water, water! Drink it through out your entire workout. I usually drink between 50-70 ounces while at the gym. Happy workout!

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to ask. We are here for you!

Our First Official Daily Login!!

Before I start I want to give a shout out to Lisa and Teresa whom I met today at the gym this morning and they wanted to know more about being fit and healthy. I told them to check out this blog, so if you ladies are ever on here, please post something and say hello! I have to say to them "GREAT JOB" for waking up at 6am for a morning workout!!!! Keep up the good work!

This is so exciting to be able to share what we do each day to accomplish the results that we have been able to accomplish. So here is today's food by Martha:

The first thing I feel like I should cover is that I find a time each day (an hour to an hour and a half) that does not interfere with my kids schedules or time with my hubby to workout. I have found that I can put my 2 girls on the bus at 8:30am and be to the gym by 8:50 or 9am with my 2 year old in the day care there (which he totally loves). I have recently started working part-time and found time on those days to go to the gym at 6am while everyone is in bed (I don't want to go after work because that cuts into time with my family) and I can still be home in time to get myself ready for work and my girls ready for school. I have a very supportive husband (almost a must) that helps make us all breakfast on those mornings so we can all stay on time.

My food for today:

I pre-make a lot of my food so I don't have to worry about preparing it throughout the week. For instance, I boil almost an entire bag of chicken and cube it and put it in tupperware for when I'm ready to mix it with rice, salsa, or whatever I choose for that day. I also prepare my sweet potatoes in proportion sizes (40z) in tupperware precooked. Brown rice is made in bulk as well and kept in containers in the fridge.

I eat every 2 hours (sometimes 3 if I am running late somewhere and forgot to take my food with me) P.S. I worked today, so all this was prepared the day before and taken to work with me...

Breakfast 8am: 5 egg whites with 2TBS salsa, 1/2 Cup Oatmeal with honey drizzled on top

Snack 10am: Sweet potato with cinnamon and a green apple dipped in Adam's Peanut Butter

Lunch 12:30pm: Protein Pancakes with honey for syrup - you can use agave nectar as well (will be our featured recipe of the week, YAY!)

Snack 3:30pm: chicken chunks (5oz) over 1/2 C brown rice heated through and put a little salsa over the top.

Dinner 6:30pm: Can of tuna, 1C frozen spinach and 1/2 brown rice heated through and garnished with a fiesta lime spice that made it taste SO GOOD (couldn't even taste the spinach or the fish!)

Snack 9pm: 2 plain rice cakes dipped in Adam's Peanut Butter

Drank over a gallon of water throughout the day. I always have a jug of water by my side at all times!

Can't wait to talk to you all tomorrow! We are working on getting some fun pics up too! Let us know if there is anything else we can do to make this more informative!

Ready, Set, Here We Go!

Ok gals! Our first agenda is to understand what you would like from us. We want to share what has worked for us when it comes to nutrition and exercise. Are there any other specifics you would like us to cover? We will be posting photos, videos, recipes, our daily workouts and the food we eat. We hope you will find it useful and enjoyable because working out should be fun and not a "chore". It has become a lifestyle we have maintained and enjoy! We are 2 mothers that have very busy schedules, but have found time to take care of ourselves. In the mean time we have found more energy and joy in our lives with our families! We hope you enjoy this blog and please feel free to make any comments, suggestions or questions you would like answered.