Archive for the 'training routines' Category

Kyah’s 2nd birthday

Published on October 29, 2012 in Diet, fat loss, food and training routines. 0 Comments

This time 2 years ago, I was lying in the hospital bed, completely and utterly exhausted, waiting for my darling baby girl to finally poke her head out into the big wide world. After 19 hours of labour, a lot of pain and some very anxious moments – Kyah was indeed born.

So it was my (not so) little girl’s birthday party this weekend.

There’s nothing like a child growing up to make you stop and think how quickly time passes by.

We now have a house full of new toys that will keep her amused for weeks! She just loves to sit and read, build blocks or play with cars or trains (she’s not much of a doll person at this stage).

The weather was perfect for her party out at nana’s house and we all overindulged in some yummy home cooked food and Dora the Explorer birthday cake. Let’s just say I have some calories to burn off (lucky it’s leg day today!) and I’ll definitely be able to put Shaun Hadsall’s 4 Cycle Solution depletion cycle to the test this week!

We are actually selling our beautiful house – and moving from the town I was born and raised in. Which I must say is a little bit sad, but at the same time quite exciting.

I’ll be sad to move from my mum and family, and my awesome friends, but looking forward to new adventures in Adelaide.

At the moment we are going through inspections every weekend which is quite painful but after 2 we now have a good routine going and get the house looking spotless quite easily now.

So today to make up for yesterday’s diet indiscretions I’ve dropped carbs from my diet, all except one meal which I will consume after my workout. I’m training legs today as I mentioned, and to burn a few extra calories I’m going to walk to the gym and back.

My leg (and abs) session will go something along these lines:

BB Squat 12, 12, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 (finding the weight I can do 12 reps with, the last few being a struggle – then adding weight and reducing reps for each set thereafter)
Single Leg Split Squat 3 x 10
Box Jump 3 x 10
Walking Overhead Lunge 3 x 10

Hanging knee ups 3 x AMAP
Prone abs on TRX 3 x AMAP (actually I’m not really sure of the name of this exercise. In a prone position, you stick your feet in the TRX handles, hands holding you up in a plank position – then bring one knee out to the side and back, followed by the other one)

I focus on glutes and hamstrings in a session later in the week, that’s why you don’t see any of that here.

Give this workout a try – you might need a spotter on the squats if you are really going to give it everything.

Have a great week everyone.

Thanks, and a workout and recipe for you

Published on March 11, 2012 in cellulite, food, Recipes, stubborn fat, training routines and weight loss. 1 Comment

Hi there! What awesome weather it has been this weekend – not too hot, not too cold – perfect! Here’s hoping it hangs around a bit.

Firstly, I’d like to thank the 5000 plus ladies who downloaded my 51 page report ‘5 BIG FAT Cellulite Lies’. I’m overwhelmed :) I trust you gleaned some valuable information from my years of research. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can still do so here:

www.idealbodiesonline.com/FemaleFatFreeSolution (it’s free)

From my research into cellulite and stubborn female fat I’ve devised some very effective new ways to train. An example is the following workout comprising 3 parts – strength/hypertrophy, metabolic resistance, and fat burning. In the next week you’ll learn more about why a workout like this is extremely effective for burning stubborn fat. This chest focused workout should take about an hour, including a warm up. I did this one yesterday – give it a go and let me know how you went. You can find the exercises at our You Tube channel – http://www.youtube.com/idealbodiesonline (still being added to!) or at our exercise database.

WORKOUT

PART 1

DB Bench Press 4 x 6-8

DB Pullover 3 x 10
Push Up 3 x AMAP (as many as possible)
*superset the above 2 exercises

Alternating Incline Bench Press 3 x 8-10

PART 2

KB/DB Swing x 25
Spiderman x 10
Jump Squat x 10
Rest 30 seconds, repeat x 3-4

PART 3

20 minutes low intensity cardio at heart rate of 65-70% (Perceived Rate of Exertion (PRE) 3-4)

RECIPE

Now summer is over here in Oz (boo hoo), it won’t be long before we are searching for great warming soup recipes. Here’s one of my favourites. For those on the other side of the world, it’s still way cold enough to enjoy this one!

Leek, Carrot and Mushroom Soup with Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 carrot grated
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms
3 leeks, washed and sliced
8 cups of vegetable stock
½ cup basmati or brown rice
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Cooked grilled chicken (your serving size)

1 Heat oil in large saucepan and sauté the onion, carrot and mushroom until the onion softens. Add leeks, rice and vegetables stock, and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce to simmer and cover. Simmer for about 50 minutes and then remove from heat.
3. Add grilled chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Serves at least 6

*One serve would be equivalent to a serve of protein, veggies and about 1/2 carb serve.

SYRUP OVERSTOCK – SAVE 40%

And finally, I just had a massive pallet of sugar free maple syrup delivered so I need to make some room in my garage! For a short time you can grab a massive 40% off my current stock. To purchase go here:

Syrup Sale

To claim the 40% discount, enter code SYRUPSURPLUS

Hope you have had a great weekend folks. My poor hubby had surgery on his head this week, so that was fairly stressful. The day after he got home he whisked Kyah off to him mum and dad’s 2 hours away, leaving me time to catch up on some work. I really miss my baby’s when they aren’t here!

Have a great week, I’m gearing up for a big one at the Female Fat Free Solution!

Sue

xoxo

 

 

I have ‘arisen’!

Published on December 11, 2011 in Baby Photos, competition, inspiration, photos, Pregnancy and training routines. 2 Comments

I’ve been prompted by an email from someone saying they miss my blog – so I am finally updating!

Firstly to my trip to the Big Apple in early November…

Saying goodbye to my little darling (and my big darling), was rather sad and there were a few tears. I couldn’t help but go through things like, what sort of a mother leaves her 12 month old daughter to jet off to NYC with a friend, and so on and so forth. I was feeling quite sick about it all, prior to leaving.

We did have a fantastic time though  and Nadia brought home the goods (literally, nearly 10kg of trophy hardware in her luggage!) from the competition. We did a lot of shopping, but unfortunately (maybe fortunately for the bank balance) it was going into winter there so I didn’t really want to be buying much in the way of cool weather wear.

We visited the World’s Largest Chocolate Show – plenty of tastings and worth every minute. Poor Nadia wasn’t able to even sample anything!

We had an awesome picnic in Central Park a couple of days after the comp. Central Park is amazing, so clean, and pristine – much like the city of NY really.

I visited the 9/11 Memorial which was very moving. In fact visited the actual site about 3 times but to get tickets to the memorial we had to line up first thing in the morning as they don’t just let everyone through.

We visited Times Square (a lot), Soho, Greenwich Village, did a hop on hop off bus tour, had dinner with Roman (Final Phase Fat Loss), ate a massive piece of cheesecake, and a full plate of baby back ribs (not at the same meal). Good coffee as usual over there was hard to come by.

Nadia's competition (in middle)

Had a great trip, but after a week I was getting really homesick for my little girl and my boy.

The trip home could be described as nothing short of insane; starting in NYC and ending in Mildura about 30 hours later. With all of 2 hours sleep. Anyway, I don’t want to think about that anymore!

Kyah was rather standoffish when she greeted me at the airport. Like “hmmm, you left me for 12 days and so I don’t think I want to hug you or even smile at you just yet’. By the time we got back to our house she was all over me. She started walking while I was in New York :( Very bad timing on my behalf. Oh well, can’t do anything about that. Now she is a little trooper, walking everywhere! So funny. I’m loving this stage of her development. She’s such a happy, sociable little kid. Last night we took her out for dinner with us, dressed her up in a little white party dress with pink flowers on it. She sat in a booster chair and did not grizzle once – she was so interested in people walking past, the Christmas trees, and everything else going on. We were dining al fresco, so let her go for a walk and she just took off, mingling in with everyone, big grin on her face.

Here she is on her birthday, back in October. I love this photo.

And, just a few days ago she said her first word (other than bub, mum, dad). She said ‘pretty’. I always tell her ‘pretty’ when I brush her hair or when she looks at my jewellery or sparkly things. Then she said it again to my mum while pointing at balloons.

Really looking forward to Christmas this year. We have a beach holiday planned and I can’t wait to sit back and relax!

Training is going well, even though I didn’t train once while in NY I didn’t put on any weight – which I find hard to believe. We walked and walked though. Not enough to walk off a big cheesecake and ribs though!

I haven’t even had time to post any pictures from my photo shoot, so here are a few below. I didn’t diet for these photos – I haven’t been on a ‘diet’ since my 2009 competition. Pregnancy seems to have done something very positive for my metabolism. I’m back to training 4 x week (when things go according to plan A or plan B). To be honest I haven’t been very consistent as there is always something that comes up like sleep deprivation or sickness (be that myself or Kyah, or even the day carer’s son). I went through a 2 month patch of severe night waking and was averaging 4-5 hours a night for that time. Thankfully I am sleeping a lot better now.

So, my training regime is 2 x week with a split of back/chest and legs/shoulders, plus two Crossfit type sessions which I structure depending on how I pull up from the other sessions. I’m getting my strength back finally, for so long I felt like a weakling and quite unsteady in the weights room. Sometimes I will do Back/Shoulders which is what I did yesterday. My lats are so sore today. Here’s what I did – try it out!

Pull Up (I used a band, and had a spotter – you could use an assisted machine if you have one available)

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps (with about a minute rest in between, less as the reps get less)

So you do 10 reps and rest. 9 reps and rest. 8 reps and rest, and so on. Total of 55 reps.

Bulldog Row (that’s what I call them) – 3 sets of 10 each arm. One arm rows on a cable (or with a resistance band looped around a pole) while kneeling on all 4s. These are awesome for targeting the lower lats.

TRX Pull – 3 x 10. If you don’t have access to a TRX then you could do reverse pushups on a smith machine, or any other back exercise you like.

DB One Arm Row – 3 x 10

Shoulder stand – basically just standing on my hands against a wall to develop more shoulder strength. I tried to transfer the weight from one shoulder to the other. That’s hard. You might need a spotter for this.

Alternating KB (or DB) Press – 3 x 10

BB Push Press – 3 x 10

BB Upright Row – 3 x 10 

As for Kyah and her sleeping – she sleeps like a dream. She is like clockwork. Up between 6-6.30 (that’s cool with me because I am routinely up at 5am – no alarm needed), back to bed 9-9.30am, up at 11am. Back for a nap at 2pm and up around 4pm. Then ready for bed again at 7-7.30pm and sleeps right through. With her molars coming through she’s had a couple of off nights but it’s only rarely. I so swear by the sleep routines!

So, that’s a wrap from this end – I so love being a mum, but do still struggle to fit everything in (like all other mums!) but I’m managing fairly well.

I’d love to hear from you guys – either leave me a comment, or email me via sue@ idealbodiesonline.com (remove space). Hope you are all traveling well and thanks for being patient with me!
x

Coping with pregnancy and motherhood – and my training

Published on June 15, 2011 in Diet, inspiration, motivation, Pregnancy and training routines. 8 Comments

I’m back! Isn’t time flying? I like to think positively, so let’s see, winter will be over in just 2.5 months! And the longest day is coming up soon, which means we’ll be over the other side of the ‘hump’!

I’m back into training and I’m feeling rather good again. I’m doing 3 x week, 2 with a training partner and I am really finding my mojo returning! Boy let me tell you, did I get sore after my first session.  I thought you might be interested in the workout I did today. Here it is:

Incline BB Bench Press 4 x 8-10

DB Bench Press 4 x 6-10

DB Fly 3 x 8

BB Curl 4 x 8-10

Single Arm DB Curl 3 x 8-10

DB Hammer Curl 3 x 8

Bodyweight Squat to Ball (warm up) 2 x 12

Kettlebell Squat to Ball 3 x 10

Box Jumps 3 x 12

BB Overhead Walking Lunge 6 x 6

Kyah is growing up so quickly! She is now 7.5 months. Hard to believe.  She’s an absolute joy now, this age is just beautiful. And she’s sleeping through the night! She’s had her fair share of chest infections, gastro and now another little cold, but this will be par for the course I imagine. We went on a trip to the Barossa Valley for 4 days over the recent long weekend. She traveled so well and was great ALMOST all the time. Apart from the night we went to a dinner party – we had just sat down to eat the main course and she started to cry. And wouldn’t stop! We ended up bundling her up in the car and going home. It’s certainly different when you have kids! Which leads me to the next part of my post. I’m often asked how I manage/managed pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood. So, I wrote a little article. I hope you enjoy it :)

How I coped with pregnancy and motherhood

Do you ever wish there were more than 24 hours in the day? Do you imagine how much you’d accomplish if you didn’t have to sleep? It sure can be a difficult thing to manage a home, a career, a relationship, be a mother, a daughter, a wife and a domestic goddess all rolled in to one. Add getting in shape to all that and things can seem pretty impossible.

As a new mum at the ripe old age of 41, this was a new challenge for me late last year. Prior to this I was an independent woman who ran my company business from home and trained and slept whenever I felt like it. I used to compete in figure competitions, so I was very busy and I worked hard, but my husband and I could pretty much do what we wanted, when we wanted. Now, we have a beautiful addition to our family and I love my 6 month old daughter with a love that I never knew existed – but that luxurious world of independence that once existed has been totally crushed!

I was prepared for it as much as I could be. I’d heard stories from other women about how they lost their pre pregnancy shape and never regained it, and that they never had a moment to themselves when the kids came along. I admit – I was a little bit scared.

I’d had my fair share of body image issues and disordered eating patterns in the past and I definitely didn’t want to revisit those topics. Funnily enough, childbirth didn’t worry me (although in hindsight it should have!), but losing ‘my life’ and my body as I knew them were my major concerns.

I actually talked to my husband at length about my concerns prior to getting pregnant. I had a career, one that paid our mortgage, so I was never going to be able to be a ‘full time mum’. Training was part of my life – it’s what I do, I don’t just talk the talk, I definitely practise what I preach and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to continue that. My husband was great, and he was adamant that he intended to share the child rearing responsibilities.

I’ve never been a great sleeper, so this was my biggest worry initially. I had no idea how I was going to be able to look after a newborn and get enough sleep to enable me to run my business – let alone get back in shape! I’d heard that if you managed to actually have a shower before lunchtime you were doing well! Crikey!

About 8 weeks before the birth, I prioritized.

My baby and my health were my number one priority. Even though I’d put on 16kg (35lb) I wasn’t too concerned about it but I knew that even if I didn’t have time for exercise yet, there was definitely something I could do to start my way back to great shape. So, this was my simple list of priorities after Kyah was born:

  1. Get enough sleep so I could cope with the new challenges that would come my way
  2. Get back to the nutrition principles that I know get me lean and keep me lean
  3. Walk outdoors with my baby, when possible

Pretty simple really!

Prior to the birth I made sure that I had delegated as much of my business tasks as possible to my wonderful Programs Manager Kristin, though being a Managing Director of your own company means you will never be able to fully delegate everything. I talked to my husband about the need for some time each week to keep up with the basics. So basically I had a plan for my business after the birth.

I also decided that exercise was not a priority at this early stage and that I wouldn’t beat myself up if I wasn’t able to exercise regularly (or at all). Consequently, I think all I managed was a couple of walks and one gym session in the first 8 weeks.

I did however concentrate on eating good food, and found that because of my previous fitness lifestyle, that the weight came off easily. Within 10 weeks I was only 2lb off my pre conception weight. I highly recommend being in shape prior to conceiving ladies!

The first 3-4 months of being a new mum was very challenging. I still had a very busy business to run, and a household to tend to, as well as a beautiful little girl who was diagnosed with reflux at 2 weeks old.  I also had to go back to hospital for surgery for retained placenta 2 weeks after Kyah’s birth – I spent 2 more nights in hospital.

My husband and I played a bit of tag which allowed us both to get enough sleep to deal with everything else we had going on. I wouldn’t have been able to manage without my husband who shared the responsibility of night feeds, bottle washing and general household duties. So, you could say we didn’t have a smooth start to parenthood.

I’m happy to say that things do settle down somewhat after that initial period that is much like a whirlwind. However, I realize it’s never going to be the same as it was without kids, and nor would I want it to be. I have discovered that success (in anything) is all about priorities, and this is a topic that you will see raised again and again in my upcoming blog posts.

A final word of advice for all mum’s – please, do not put too much pressure on yourself – keep reminding yourself you do an amazing job, every single day. It is really important you be kind to yourself!

My 5 best and worst diets – and what I eat

Published on May 26, 2011 in competition, Diet, fat loss, training routines and weight loss. 1 Comment

I often have people ask my opinions on various diet and exercise programs that are available so I thought I’d review a few and let you know my five best, and five worst – and the reasons why. Please bear in mind this is my personal opinion, based on my experience and trying different programs and diets over the years. If you disagree with me that’s ok :)

The 5 Worst Diets:

Cohen’s Diet

The portions are so small they wouldn’t satisfy a fly. They also tell you not to exercise ‘because it may make you binge’ (this *may* be because you are starving). I’ve had a number of clients come to me after ruining their metabolisms via this particular diet. Big thumbs down to this program.

Tony Ferguson/Ann Morgan/Celebrity Slim etc

These are all ‘shake diets’. Generally these are based on eating 1 meal a day, and 2 shakes. Yes, you’ll lose weight if you are only drinking liquid as a meal, but it’s not really going to be sustainable. Something that bothers me is that they make out these shake to be healthy – when in fact sugar is one of the main ingredients.

These next 3 aren’t particularly terrible, but they have flaws and the big one is that they do not contain a resistance training portion as a key part of the program. You can diet all you like, but if you don’t train right, you won’t change your body shape or get that lean, firm look most people are after.

Jenny Craig

JC is mostly packet food so it’s portion controlled – which is necessary for weight loss to occur.  Packet food though is processed food. Not that good for you and not that good for fat loss. It’s also a very expensive way to get your food.  A good thing about this program, and Weight Watchers below, is that they provide support and accountability. I don’t really like how they showcase celebrities who have lost a bit of weight, but still have a whole lot more to go. They are still in the obese/very overweight category.

Weight Watchers

As far as I am aware, WW doesn’t instruct on what types of foods to eat – it is based on a points system and you can eat all your points in junk food if you prefer. This won’t get you the body you want. I believe they may have a new program now that is nutritionally better – you can fill me in if you know about it.

Lite ‘N Easy

Great for convenience, but in my opinion this is not a long term option. How long can you go on getting your food delivered? A big part of successful, long term weight loss and maintenance is the ability to make it a lifestyle. You must learn how to plan in advance and be efficient and effective in the kitchen! It’s really not hard. It is another very expensive option. The food is heavy on the carbs, light on the fat and protein – the old fashioned way of dieting that we know doesn’t work!

**As mentioned, with JC, WW and Lite ‘N Easy there is no strategic exercise component – it’s more about just being a little bit active. While this might be ok for overweight people to lose a few kg, it won’t get you in awesome shape if that’s your aim so keep that in mind. These diets are not designed to be used in conjunction with a challenging exercise program (which is the only way you will get an awesome body!)

Ok so what the BEST programs to consider if you want to really get in great shape. Well firstly it MUST contain a challenging resistance training portion.

My 5 Best Fitness/Fat Loss Programs:

Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss by Sue Heintze

Ok so I’m biased. I wrote the programs. Between Kristin and I we spent the better part of 12 months working on this series of body transformation programs. They are awesome. What else can I say!

We cover nutrition, training, commitment and motivation. This is your blueprint to a new body in just 12 short weeks.

*Here’s a whisper…there is special email about to go out on the Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss system. Next week. Stay tuned.

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto

http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/burnthefat

An oldie but a goodie! BTFFTM is a very comprehensive e-book about proper nutrition and weight training for fat loss and muscle gain. One of the first books I learned from. This one is a must for every fitness enthusiast’s library. Covers EVERYTHING!

Shapeshifter by Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock

Yet to come! Watch out for this “Body Redesign” program in the next few weeks. I’ve reviewed it. My goodness the guys have gone out of their way to impress with this one. This program incorporates training (all bodyweight exercises, so you don’t even need a gym), nutrition, and lifestyle advice. If you like bells and whistles, awesome graphics, this is a program you’ll love – and get great results with.

WATCH THIS SPACE – I’ll be back with more on this one in a couple of weeks.

Xtreme Fat Loss Diet by Joel Marion

www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

The current rage on the internet. This is a short, 25 day rapid fat loss diet. Being a figure competitor who has used a lot of different strategies when dieting to low body fat levels, I am super impressed with the fat loss strategies Joel uses in this program. The diet cycles in 5 day blocks, each day using a different strategy for a specific result. No doubt, this is the smartest, rapid fat loss diet (and training is included) you will ever see. No wonder it is a bestseller.

Currently $30 off and some great added bonuses with this program until Friday www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

 

Final Phase Fat Loss by John Romaniello

http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/final-pha

Roman (as he’s known) is awesome. Just ask him – he’ll tell you J The thing is, he’s pretty spot on. Not only is he hot to look at, he’s pretty darn smart too. FFFL is a training program based on hormone manipulation and is specially designed to target stubborn fat deposits – be that belly fat or bum and thigh fat.  Hormones such as cortisol, testosterone and estrogen, have a direct effect on where we store fat and how much and how easily we store it. By utilizing different training methods that Roman uses in this program, we can target the particular area that is most troublesome.

There are actually quite a few more really great programs around such as:

The Get Lean Program www.idealbodiesonline.com/getleanprogram

The Diet Solution Program http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/dietsolutionprogram

but thought I would limit it to 5 for today.

“So, Sue, what do YOU eat on a regular day?”

People are always intrigued about what I eat. I often trial new diets and ways of eating so my diet varies at times but I also have my usual staples that I probably will always eat.

At the moment I don’t need to lose any weight – I’m sitting only about 2-3kg off my stage weight and around 13% body fat.  I’ve been experimenting as I am designing a new diet program – it’s based on cleansing and detoxing and includes plenty of antioxidants to fight cellulite, uneven fat deposits, and fights aging.

So I had a ‘lemon/maple smoothie’ which contains lemon juice, pure maple syrup, some Udo’s Oil for essential fatty acids as well as a few fat burning and cleansing spices. So refreshing!

My usual breakfast every day is oats made into porridge, sweetened with some stevia, with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter mixed in, topped with cottage cheese, a drizzle of pure maple syrup and some bran cereal (lots of fibre!).

Later today I had a green smoothie! This was a first for me. I generally can’t stomach green drinks. But this was yummy! It contained spinach, kiwi, banana, apple, whey and a few other things. Thanks to my lovely friend Di for this recipe.

For lunch I had some taco mince with broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin, avocado and a sprinkle of cheese.

Dinner, well, Damien was in charge and he cooked up schnitzels, mash and veggies. Not my usual fare, but if I were dieting I would have something like a leafy chicken salad with avocado, or a salmon fillet with veggies.

Something you may be interested in – I am actually in the process of writing up my 2009 competition diet. This was my last competition, and I prepared my own diet and training. This is what I looked like (could have been a little leaner).  

*If you are interested in finding out what my exact diet was for this comp, keep an ear out as I will be giving you the opportunity to get hold of this info in the next few weeks.

I hope you enjoyed my (not completely unbiased – however, honest!) reviews!

Sue x

18 days to go – nearly there!

Published on October 4, 2010 in motivation, Pregnancy, training routines and weight loss. 12 Comments

I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact I will be delivering a live (well I certainly hope so) baby in the next few weeks. My tummy is exploding in these last few weeks and I am very uncomfortable now! Bub doesn’t have a whole lot of room in there anymore.

Today I had my 37 weeks appointment which went the same as usual – feel the tummy, and pay $70. All good that there are no problems of course.  My blood pressure has remained low right through – today, 102/60. Not bad for an old broad in her first pregnancy!

Doc reckons my baby is about 7 lb – I hate to think of the size of it if I go over my due date. At this stage of the game, baby puts on 30g of fat each and every day. Above is my tummy last week – I’m sure it’s grown even more now.

Still very swollen feet and ankle bones despite putting them up as often as possible. Still numb, tingly hands though they have improved by massage. I swear by massage – I’m now having a full body massage every week. My lower back is always very tight which is not surprising in the least.  But even to date, I still have had no back pain which I put down to my fitness background, massage, chiropractic and pilates.

I’m sleeping pretty good, most nights I don’t even have to get up to go to the loo which is surprising because when I am awake I am going every 5 mins.

I’m busy trying to get everything up to speed for my new website – yes that’s correct, new website. We have a brand new range of instant programs coming out very soon and these will have their own site.  Be on the lookout for Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss! I’ll be sending out an email or two when we are launching the new range. Along with that, my Motivation Magnified – Win the Mental Game of Fat Loss will also be released. I’ve had excellent feedback on it, and I believe it’s something that is severely lacking in the fitness and weight loss industry at present. So, if you are one of those people who (like most of us) struggle to finish what you start, this book is for you!

www.bodyblitzblueprint.com - Coming soon!

The last couple of days have been awesome weather wise – such a different feel when the sun is out! I hope everyone is enjoying it!

So, does anyone care to make a prediction on what gender my bub will be, based on my tummy pic? :)

Free fat loss report and competition winners

Published on August 25, 2010 in training routines and weight loss. 0 Comments
First – quick heads up - the f.ree stuff from Dr K I’ve been telling you about
is closing down as of 2pm Thursday so please, if you haven’t already,
grab literally hundreds of dollars worth of fat loss gifts here:

www.idealbodiesonline.com/defatloss

Don’t miss out on this brand new angle on fat loss training that has been proven to be super effective. You don’t have to pay a cent to get this great info right now (and you can always unsubscribe later on):

I’ve spoken with Kareem personally, and the next couple of weeks he is going to teach you all kinds of stuff, such as:
  1. The Final Answer To Fat Loss – TS + EST + HRSMS = Rapid Fat Loss (video)
  2. A Killer Method To Make Every Exercise Rip Up Your Core (article)
  3. A Lunge Tutorial (video)
  4. The reason your muscles aren’t turning on… (video)
  5. The secret to staying fit once you get there… (this is easier than you think)
  6. The science behind DEFL and why NBC decided to feature this exact program on TV
  7. Workout demonstrations that will give you an insane metabolic burn so you can start losing bodyfat right away…
I told you he was serious.  Please, join us!
 
Competition Winners
 
I announced an in house giveaway last week, inviting people to provide feedback on our site, as well as asking what their favourite Ideal Bodies Online success story was. I had some fabulous responses, and a myriad of different favourites. There were 2 packs to give away, but I have decided to give away 4 prizes. Here are the winners of our supplement prize packs, and their submissions:
 
 
I love the whole Ideal Bodies website not only for the content – (the member’s area is fantastic and a great place to communicate with other like minded people, the FAQ’s were really spot on and straight down the line, especially going into my program, and the online store has products you just can’t get anywhere else), but the website signifies more than those things for me…it’s symbolises a real positive, exciting phase of my life…something I had wanted to do for a long time, and now almost 2 weeks into my 12 week program am realising my dream body – and feeling amazing!
The changes I want to make are not massive weight/fat loss, but honing my already advanced level of fitness and getting my body fat down to almost competition standard if possible…. and the amazing thing about Ideal Bodies is that you have worked out programs that are getting me to reach my goal, and also doing the same for people that do need to lose lots of weight and start their fitness journey from the ground up (and everyone in between).
To that end I’d have to say that although they are all fantastic and inspiring I’d have to say that Carolyn Gerdtz would have to be my favorite success story, purely because I know how hard you have to work to have a body that you’re proud of and how excruciatingly hard it is for most people to change their dietary habits…She (with the Ideal Bodies online expertise) has done an amazing job…her transformation is pretty unbelievable and shows that anything is possible – something I think we all need to be reminded of now and again (or every day!)
As far as new info goes I love reading as much as I can get my hands on about the latest nutrition and supplement breakthroughs and theories/opinions on exercise/ training, so any articles on those would be fantastic on the website.
Absolutely love your work Sue, thanks for taking the time to read this.
 
Lisa M
 
 
Well where do i start!
 
I love your website, and what got me hooked was reading your own personal success story! I myself found your website after logging onto the 12 week body blitz challenge, and i started looking at other sites in mags for motivation, i love that you have come from the same place as us and that your experience has made you want to share. Thank you very much and congrats on it turning into a successful business!
 
I also love that you offer the free 6 workouts, it was this advert in a mag that got me into your website in the first place, i wanted all the tips i could get for my 12 week transformation :)
 
I’m glad you have found a great team and i enjoy going through all the pictures, it motivates me to see that other people have done it so i can too.
 
You have great tips throughout your website, but not really any glimpses into the nutrition side of things unless you buy the plan, i would like to see maybe some snack ideas, or coming into summer healthy smoothies to be made at home with ingredients that are easy to come by.
(Please note we do have a nutrition page on my blog, and, various emails are sent out to those on our subscriber list, with nutritional information and recipes!)
 
Now when it comes to the success stories there were two that really stood out to me, they were Vanessa Maddocks and Michelle Wood, they bpth had beautiful soft figures for there after pics which is exactly what i am aiming for, the still have curves which i dont want to lose but are slim and toned and most importantly look healthy and happy!  I was very excited to read the salmon stack recipe on Vanessa’s page and i am going to try it tomorrow yum! and Michelle referred to a book on her page that i have just purchased, the 7 habits of highly effective people.
 
The only thing that was a bit dissapointing for me was that there were no before and after weigh ins so I couldnt get the sense of just how much they had achieved!
(We shall keep this in mind but remember, scale weight doesn’t take into account body composition changes!)
 
Thank you very much for providing a great website, with great and inspiring content
 
Jo R 
 

I was going to e-mail you with feedback anyway to say what a great concept IBO is and how it has changed my life – forever.  I’m into Week 5 of my program and really enjoying it.  I’m also starting to notice changes.  I don’t think I would have been as motivated or focused on my program if it wasn’t for your informative and inspiring website.  The library and forum are fantastic sources of information and I refer to both regularly.  But the thing that struck me most about your website when I  first visited was that evidence of the wonderful results you and your team achieve is right there, in your face.  The Before and After  photos prove that anyone can achieve extraordinary results if they wanted to with the guidance of IBO.  

My favourite success story would have to be Carolyn Gerdtz.   Her determination and success is totally awesome and inspiring.  But the thing that struck me most was Carolyn’s generosity and honesty in sharing her story, photos and all.  I have thought of Carolyn many a cold morning when deciding whether to get out of bed and go to the gym.  I decided to suck it up because she did. 

To be honest, I can’t think of anything else that I want to see on your website.  The fact that other people are ripping off the website and whole IBO concept is a good indication that you’ve got it right.  Sad but true.

Thanks again.

Annmarie H

 
I’ve just printed off and read Belinda’s free report and I must say I can’t wait for the launch of her product.  She looks absolutely amazing.
 

What I love about your website is that it is user friendly and I love the easy links for the supplements and products store when I wish to purchase something.  I also like how close the website makes you feel to other people out there also trying to achieve a weight lose goal.  The message board has been a fantasic tool in keeping myself motivated.  Not just being able to share thoughts and feelings with other but the excellent knowledge and tips that are on there.  To see you so committed in helping others achieve goals is truely amazing. 

And of course the success stories on there are a true inspiration.  I have found it hard to pick a favourite as what fantastic success all these women have achieved. Everyone has had their own hurdles to overcome, and to achieve what they have done is a true credit to themselves.  Although what you have done and provided has help guide and make it possible for people to achieve success, this women have all still had to dig within themselves to do it.
I definately take my hat of to the ladies that have achieved this with children, what a fantastic effort that is.
However if I was to pick out one lady that stood out for me, that would be Michelle Wood.  My reasoning for this is that I could totally relate to Michelle’s story.  I to have suffered depression with my weight and it has been a constant on going battle. I to have worked in the fitness industry but have missed out on futhering this and some great opportunites due to lack of confidence and not feeling like “I look the part”.  Well done Michelle, you look amazing and that even shows in her smile!

There is nothing I would like to see more on your site Sue, you already provide that and that shows by your support of and sharing Belinda Benn’s program. 

Thanks for such a great program and products!

Jacqui S

 
Thanks ladies!  Please email me with your delivery address details so I can send your supplement packs!
 
Have a great day everyone. If you have any questions re Dr K’s program, don’t hesitate to email me. And look out for my own bonus gifts over the next 2 weeks.
 
Sue

www.idealbodiesonline.com/defatloss

I can’t stop eating this…

Published on June 22, 2009 in food and training routines. 2 Comments

Creamy Blueberry Crunch

I have this for breakfast every day, and I sometimes have it for dinner too!!

Creamy Blueberry Curnch

Cottage cheese – 1/2 cup

Blueberries – 1/2 cup

Natural yoghurt, 80g

Bran cereal, handful

LSA, 1 heaped tsp

Walnuts, about 5 1/2 ones

Sugar free maple syrup, squirt

YUM.

I have a leg workout for you:

Lumberjack squats, DB Walking Lunges, Jump Squats – 10 reps each

*This is a tri-set, so go from one exercise to the other with very little rest (10 sec max).  Have 3 minutes rest between tri-sets.  I did 4 tri-sets.

Hamstring curl (7-8 reps, heavy), DB Swings 10-12 reps (use a heavy DB! I used 15kg)

*This is a superset.  Have 2 minutes rest between supersets.  I did 3 supersets. 

 Rope Pull Throughs, Bench Jump Overs (hands on bench, jump across the bench and straight back 20 times)

*This is a superset.  Have 2 minutes rest between supersets.  I did 3 supersets.

See how high your heart rate gets!  Mine was up in the 170′s on numerous occasions!  One reason is that I’m not quite as aerobically fit as I was, but, also because it’s a tough workout!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Half reps

I wanted to clarify a bit more about my posting on Half Rep Harry yesterday.  Half reps can actually be useful, but most often they are used (unintentionally) when people are training with a weight that is too heavy!  Generally speaking, you should always use full range of motion (ROM) when performing an exercise.  I use half reps when for instance I’ve maxed out my full reps, and all I have left in me are partials.  For example, I often use them doing BB Military Presses.  I like to go heavy to try and grow my puny shoulder muscles (not so puny now), so I will lift what I can for about 5-8 reps, and on the last couple of sets when I have maxed out I will continue with partial reps until I can’t do anymore (so I may get another 3-4 half reps out).  As far as doing partials all the time – that’s just cheating.

Jools – I have my blog set to be sent out at a certain time of day, so you won’t get it immediately as I write it.  I think I will change the time again to the middle of the night so that way it’s there to read in the mornings.  Thank you for the compliment also :)

Great weather here today, I was up at 4.30am – not because of the weather however.  I did go for a walk/jog at 6.20am, in the dark!  That was rather refreshing actually.  Tomorrow is shoulders and biceps and will also do a bit of cardio.

Have a lovely evening everyone.

*Note, yes should be frozen blueberries Janelle!