Meeting My Inspiration

Meeting Dana Linn Bailey was one of the best days of my life. It's so awesome to learn from people who inspire you and the best thing about DLB is that she hasn't let fame get to her head! She is so down to earth and real. I learned all about her training style and diet which I have been incorporating into my own plan and it's not exactly what I expected from a physique competitor, but it is definitely a "train insane or remain the same" approach! I love the results so far. DLB worked from the ground up to get where she is today and her relationship with her husband, Rob Bailey, is very admirable! They support each other 100%. I've also become obsessed with their clothing line FLAG NOR FAIL. So, Whether you want to train for fun and health or to compete, I'd love to share some of the training principles with you that I learned at the DLB WARhouse Gym Camp! Hit me up with questions💪💪💪💪💪💪

Http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

I have a special going on for CYBER MONDAY

Recertified!

A few years ago, I (Juliane) made the decision to switch jobs and turn my passion of health and fitness into a life-long career. I have a degree in Television Broadcasting and worked in the media for ten years. One day, I just got tired of begging people for information and showing up at car crashes begging victims families to speak. So, I quit. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I work hard everyday learn new information in health and fitness so I can provide the best guidance possible for my clients. Staying certified isn't easy, (or cheap.) Yesterday, in the mail, I received my recertification for Personal Training, and just seeing that little piece of paper put a smile on my face. Make sure you are getting guidance from a certified Personal Trainer. It's easy to pull information from the internet to provide your own plan, but that's like never going to a doctor and reading Web M.D. to cure your own ailments. Getting a good qualified trainer is worth every penny because nothing is more important than your health. I want to share my expertise and passion with you... so let me help you begin your fit journey today.

Http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

Fit Fall Recipe

We love our veggies and in my nutrition plans, I promote getting most of your carbs from veggies rather than highly processed breads and pastas that our human bodies can't digest very well. If you're worried about a lack of energy, then you haven't tried falls friendliest veggies like the acorn squash... They are high carb and you can find them all over grocery stores during the fall season. Below is a recipe for a great high carb soup to feast on to fuel those heavy leg sessions and HIIT workouts.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

3 acorns, sliced in half and seeds removed
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
2 shallot, chopped
1 red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt

1 teaspoon savory
1/2 tsp. dried ginger

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
4 cups vegetable stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place squash, skin-side-down, onto baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast in oven for 45-50 minutes, or until flesh is tender and skin is starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, remove flesh from skin by using a spoon and scooping out the flesh. Discard skin and set flesh aside.

In a large, deep pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots, garlic, shallot and onions and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Once tender, add salt, ginger, sage, cayenne, allspice, savory, black pepper, squash and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and puree mixture, either with an immersion blender or a blender (in batches) or a food processor.

Once pureed, season to taste.

 

Use This Spice Daily...

We use TURMERIC daily because of the awesome benefits listed below. You can use it on anything, and we promise you really can't taste it, but it does turn food a little orange. We put it in our recovery shakes and add it to protein pancakes, omelets, and chicken. Give it a try..

            

For personalized nutrition and meal plans visit our website http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/ 

Finishers... Pushing Your Muscles to the Max

Finishers are a technique that we use regularly in our weight training to really push our muscles to fatigue and break through a plateau. If you are an experienced weight lifter looking to take your training to the next level you should definitely incorporate finishers into your training. A "finisher" is exactly what it sounds like... your final exercise in a workout.

Our favorite example is a drop set. Today I (Juliane) did a leg workout focusing on quads. So my final exercise was a drop set on the leg extension machine. You can do this with any muscle group.  Here's how it works...

Start with a little lighter weight than you would normally use for a regular set. Do ten reps. Then drop the weight 10lbs and do 12 reps. Drop the weight 10lbs and do 15 reps. Drop the weight 10 more pounds and do 20 reps. The only rest in between is enough to switch the weight. Your muscles should be burning by this point but sometimes I'll try to get in that 6th drop set of 30 reps to really fatigue the muscle.

               

Another example of a finisher is FST-7. It stands for Fascial Stretch Training and the seven refers to seven sets performed as the final exercise of a target body part. Basically you train that body part on any given day heavy as you normally would keeping the rep range between 8-12, but the last exercise you perform the seven sets 10 reps to finish off that particular muscle, with minimal rest in between to get the best pump possible. Keep rest intervals between 30-45 seconds and make sure to stay hydrated to push that fluid into the muscle and stretch the fascia even further.You should refrain from using  compound lifts as your "seven set," because they require balance and the use of ancillary muscles which takes focus off the target muscle. The goal is to bring as much vitamins, minerals, amino acids, oxygen etc. into the muscle, and also stretch the fascia surrounding it to help encourage maximal muscle growth. 

 

Have fun incorporating these techniques into your training and always remember to use proper form!For personalized online plans visit our website at http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

Saving Time with Food Prep

                                  

Often times people say food prep is so time consuming. Well, if you think about it, it actually saves time. For example, if you buy a pack of chicken breast...on Monday night -get out the grill, thaw out the chicken, prep the chicken, cook the chicken, wait for it to be finished cooking, let it cool off, clean up the grill, and finally eat.... You continue doing that every night that week. That can get time consuming! Next time you go cooking one chicken breast - instead think about cooking all of them at once. You won't have to get the grill out, prep the chicken, wait for it to cook and cool off and then wash the grill 5 times in a row! Just one time!

                              

 Another example, if you are going to cook some brown rice, isn't it easier to cook the whole box at once!? Remember whatever you don't use, you can freeze. Jes likes the taste of frozen chicken breast better. Another idea for food prep is to get together with your gym buddy or someone that has a similar taste in food as you, and prep together and then exchange some food. One of you can cook a bunch of sweet potatoes and one of you can cook a bunch of turkey meat. Then swap! It's so easy! Jes gave this idea to some of her co-workers and they couldn't believe they didn't think of it before! When you food prep, you are much less likely to go for that bag of chips or something unhealthy because you know you have fresh, healthy food prepared and ready to eat! 

When can you food prep? On your rest days- when you would normally be at the gym- this is when Jes does it (Sundays and early morning Tuesdays and Thursdays) 

Instead of surfing that long lost friends Facebook page- this is a lot of lost time! Use it to food prep! 

While watching tv!

Another great time is right after a long work day. Jes likes to prep a little then too. This is the time when you would tend to get out that snickers bar. Instead, while you're snacking on almonds or pistachios , you can also be food prepping your nuts into small baggies!

                            

You can also make it a family affair and use food prep time to teach your kids about healthy eating habits. This way it doesn't take away from family bonding time and its a lesson that will last a lifetime. Jes' baby Luciana lives food prep time...

                             

Make sure you have some Tupperware handy and get prepping! 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

If you need some nutritional advice visit our website for personalized plans at http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/ 

Sweet Potato Power Prep

We love sweet potatoes and incorporate them into our meal plans everyday! I (Juliane) eat about 8 ounces with my last meal. You may need more or less depending on your goals. You don't need to spend hours baking the sweet potatoes. This is where my sweet potato power prep comes into play! I prepare 6 days worth of sweet potatoes in 25 minutes! 

 

Layout 6 small Tupperware containers and put a piece of cling wrap or press n seal on each one.

Measure out the sweet potatoes. You might get really good at eyeballing the size, but I like to measure out my carbs. This one was 8.04 ounces.

Get a good knife and chop them up into small pieces so they cook quickly. Then cover pieces with the cling wrap.

Pop them in the microwave (no lid) for about 2:30 (depending on the strength of your microwave.)

Take off the cling wrap and sprinkle with cinnamon and stevia while still warm! 

Put the lid on and place in refrigerator. If you don't use within the week, put them in the freezer. VOILA!  Sweet potatoes prepped for 6 days in 25 minutes...

 

HERE ARE 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD INCLUDE SWEET POTATOES IN YOUR MEAL PLAN

Superior fiber content

Heart-healthy

 

Rich in beta-carotene

 

A great source of manganese

 

Rich in vitamins C and E 

Why Women Should Supplement With Creatine

Creatine is a popular supplement with men, but creatine is very beneficial for women. I (Juliane) have been supplementing with creatine for over a year, and have made more strength and lean body mass gains in the that time period, than the first 10 years I lifted weights. The body makes creatine naturally. It is also found in a lot of red meats. But if you don't eat a lot of steak, then you need to get the creatine you are using up by training hard from supplementation. 

 

Here are some interesting facts I read in an article from Oxygen Magazine about the benefits of creatine for women.

 

Creatine works differently in women than in men. Surprisingly, we can get the all the muscle-building benefits without adding body fat. When you take creatine, it allows you to train at a higher intensity and a higher volume. That is why numerous studies have shown that creatine increases muscular strength, power and lean muscle mass. When a muscle cell has more creatine, each contraction can be more forceful, and you can do more work before the muscle fatigues.

The benefits are not only strength-related, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma at Norman separated participants into three groups: creatine, placebo and control. The creatine and placebo groups did four weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Unexpectedly, they found that creatine improved anaerobic threshold by 16 percent, versus the 10 percent bump experienced by the placebo group. In other words, creatine can help runners or cyclists improve their race times, and weight lifters push out a few more reps at their heaviest weights. 

Studies show that creatine benefits are greater in women than in men; and unlike men, women do not gain weight from creatine supplementation. One theory is that women have naturally higher levels of creatine than men. Creatine also has an antioxidant effect that reduces muscle damage, improves recovery and preserves lean muscle. Additionally, creatine has no hormonal effect.

 

You can buy creatine in pill, powder or liquid. Just make sure you get creatine monohydrate. There is no need for a "loading phase." Most women will find great results on about five grams daily of creatine monohydrate.

 

I've tried a variety of creatine supplements (shown below). Currently, I prefer to mix the powdered form, by Cellucor, in my post workout recover drink.

 

Questions: email Juliane  JulBrown22@hotmail.com Visit our website at http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com for online personal training and nutrition.