For those of you who don’t know much if anything about CrossFit, it’s a training methodology that is defined as constantly varied, high intensity, functional training.

In plain English it’s a HARD CORE workout that will get you in the best shape of your life.

The last workout of the day was extremely challenging.

It consisted of 25-45 reps of 8 exercises  followed by a 500 M. run. all to be completed  within  18 minutes.

To say the least it was NOT easy.

After the 4th exercise, as I’m painfully gasping for air and every part of my being wants to stop, I remember thinking to myself:

‘Shondelle, what the heck is wrong with you? Why do you continue to voluntarily put yourself through this degree of discomfort and pain.  This SUCKS!!!  Is it worth it?  Have you lost your frickin mind?”

I’m not exaggerating, I literally had this conversation with myself as my lungs were exploding, my knees were throbbing and my muscles felt like fireworks exploded inside of them.

However, when it was all over, I was already looking forward to another competition, so that I could do it all over again!

Some could call it masochistic and other would call it just ‘plain ole’ insane.

However, I call it riding the ‘Swing of Life’

Here’s how I can explain it.

Think of a child on a playground swing.

Does he have more fun when sitting motionless on the swing or when he given a hard push into the air?

Of course, he’s safer and perhaps more ‘comfortable’ if the swing is not moving, but he’s definitely having more fun and adventure flying into the air!

And typically, the harder the push, the better the ride!

Life is like the swing.

It must be moving, in one direction or the other,or it’s really not that fun.

Increase the swing, increase the momentum and you will increase your thrill or in other words, the greater the effort, the more exciting the journey, andthe greater the reward.

If you don’t want to swing very high, you just won’t have as great a reward.

Sometimes you’ll be swinging up, and sometimes you’ll be swinging down,but one thing is for sure, you don’t get stuck in mid air, but only if you’re sitting motionless at the bottom.

After all, what goes up, must come down right?

So the answer to myself as to why I continue to endure the pain and ‘suck factor’ of my Crossfit workouts:

It is because at the end of the day, the thrill,  and feeling of accomplishment and adventure after the workout,  far outweigh the discomfort I endure during the workout.

And it’s that feeling that makes the doing worthwhile.

I challenge you today, to find an aspect of your life where you’re sitting motionless on the swing of life and give yourself a push.

It could be your relationship, your career or perhaps your health and fitness.

In the beginning, it may take awhile to get your momentum going, and you may need  to come

outside of your comfort zone, and perhaps experience a little pain in the process, but I

promise you at the end of the day, your efforts will yield great reward!

Here’s to the Swing of Life,

Shondelle aka Coach

PS. If your health and fitness needs a push, my team and I at Synergize! can help you.  Visit our website at www.SynergizeWeightLoss.com and schedule a FREE consultation to see how we can help you reach your goals.

Are these possible?

The most common question I get asked about body transformation is:

How can I flatten my stomach and are six pack abs really possible?

We are an ‘abs-obsessed’ society and many people seem to define their fitness level by the flatness of their tummy.

Are ’6-pack’ abs really possible?

Yes and No.

Yes, we actually ALL have a ’6- pack’ already, but some people’s are are visible and others are hidden beneath layers of fat.

NO, some  people will never have visible abdominals because they lack the genetic makeup to get their body fat low enough to see the six pack. (Typically women’s body fat needs to be between 15-18% and men between 7-10%  to see the six-pack)

So in other words, yes a ’6-pack’ is possible for some with consistent (and intense) exercise and disciplined eating, but for most, getting those washboard abs  will always be a fantasy.

So does that mean you should give up exercising and eating supportively to flatten your tummy?

OF COURSE NOT!!!!

Just because a ’6-pack’ may not be in your near future, there’s a LOT you can do to flatten and tighten your midsection, no matter what kind of genetics you may have. And the reality is, you don’t need a ’6-pack’ to look great in a bathing suit.

Here are a few things you should STOP doing if you want to see an improvement in abs.

1.  Stop doing long, low intensity, repetitive cardio exercise.

This includes walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes, or doing the elliptical machine for 30 minutes while catching up on your favorite tv show.   There are many disadvantages to doing this type of cardio:1. It’s boring. 2. You don’t burn many calories. 3. Metabolism doesn’t stay elevated for any time at all 4. It’s boring.

Instead of focusing on long bouts of slow cardio, increase your intensity BIG TIME so that you’re maximizing the number of calories you burn DURING your exercise sessions and most importantly AFTER your workout. For example, sprint for 30 seconds, walk for one minute. Repeat 10 times. (If you can’t sprint walk on a steep incline) Advantages of this high intensity interval workouts: 1. Burn more calories during exercise, 2. Burn more calories after exercise 3. Increase cardiovascular capacity 4. MUCH faster results

2. Stop wasting money , time and energy on, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, endless crunches and other infomercial ab-gimmicks… they’re all a complete waste of your time and money. I cringe whenever I see someone using these ‘ab contraptions’, Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using these magical “ab contraption”… they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition.

You cannot burn fat in a specific area of your body by exercising that area. This is called SPOT REDUCTION and does not exist.  In fact, you have NO control over where your body burns fat. So instead of wasting your time, doing crunches or using these ‘magic ab-devices’ focus on exercises that strengthen your core and burn calories, such as planks, overhead squats and mountain climbers.

3. Stop Eating So Much Starch.

Starches include foods like potatoes, rice, bread, cereal and pasta. Most people consume WAY to much starchy.  carbohydrates relative to the amount of calorie expenditure. Cereal for breakfast, sandwiche for lunch and pasta for dinner is not an abnormal eating regimen for most people.

The problem with eating this way is that your body stores a finite supply of carbohydrates in your liver and muscles and  once that supply is full, it’s full, and additional carbohydrate consumption will be stored as fat. Limit your starchy carb  intake to mornings and after an intense workout session, and this still should not exceed  1 gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight.  I personally eat starches 2-3 times per week. The rest of the time my carbohydrate consumptions comes from fruits and vegetables.

So those are just 3 of the ‘Flat-Belly’ secrets I have for you today. Follow them and you’ll be showing off your flatter tummy, and for a few of you, your ’6-pack’ in just a  few months!

If you need  a little accountability and help with staying motivated long enough to see RESULTS, my team and I at Synergize! can help you, and we have the perfect 30-day program to get you started.

Check it out at www.SynergizeRapidFatLoss.com

Hope to see you At Synergize! soon,

Shondelle Solomon-Miles

By avoiding these common blunders, you’ll put yourself on the fast track to results. Check out the following 5 fitness mistakes and the solutions you need to avoid danger and to get fit fast.

Mistake 1: You don’t challenge yourself

The goal of a good workout is to challenge your body, not to simply go through the motions. If you don’t need a few minutes to fully recover after a workout, or if your clothes are as dry after your workout as when you walked into the gym, then chances are, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough.  Unfortunatley, just going to the gym is not enough, you actually have to work hard, get out of your comfort zone , and break a good sweat!   Lack of intensity, in my opinion, is THE biggest reason that most gym goers don’t get RESULTS!

My motto: Train HARD or Go HOME!

Mistake 2: You do the same routine

You may have noticed that most people do the same exercises each time they visit the gym. Maybe you’ve been doing the same exercise routine as long as you can remember – if it isn’t broken then don’t fix it, right? Wrong.

The truth is that exercise routines have expiration dates, and that is the date that they begin to lose their effectiveness. The best way to prevent a plateau and maximize your results is by consistently confusing the muscle.  In other words, you vary your workouts frequently, if not daily. My clients never perform the same workout within a 3-4 month span.  The benefit of this, is one: their bodies never get used to the workout, and two: they never get bored with their ‘routine’. 

Mistake 3: You ONLY Use Machines

When was the last time in your ‘real’ life were in a seated position, having to extend your knees with a 75lb load strapped to your ankles (aka the leg extension machine)? My guess is NEVER!   If your strength training routine consists of ONLY machine training, you are doing yourself a huge disservice, because machine do NOT in any way relate to real world movement. Most people spend all day sitting at a desk, and then they go to a gym to improve their fitness and strength, by sitting on a machine!  Call me crazy but that doesn’t make much sense.  What does make sense is to train your body as it naturally moves so that it has practical value in your ‘real’ life.

Mistake 4: You use bad form

Gyms are filled with people performing exercises with bad form. The two biggest reasons are that you aren’t focusing on the exercise (because you’re hypnotized by the TV), you’re trying to lift weight that is too heavy (most often not the case with women), or you learned by watching someone else who had bad form. Lifting with improper form almost always results in injury. Take the time to achieve proper form, by doing so you’ll avoid injury and will reap the full benefit from each exercise.

Mistake 5: You workout alone

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and typically see fewer results. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Why rush to the gym if no one is there waiting for you? Why push yourself if no one is watching? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster. I’ve been a trainer for nearly 15 years and I still workout with a trainer for guidance and accountability  (and I do pay).

The best way to avoid injury and to see results is to work with someone who will push you to your limits and who understands what it takes to get results.  Working with a fitness professional is ideal, but if not, at least someone who knows what they are doing , will not let you ‘wimp out’, and is passionate about seeing you achieve results – without wasting time, energy and effort on mistakes.

If you’re making any of these mistakes and need a little help getting on the right track we still have 5 spots in the 12-week Synergize! Weight Loss Study (3 menopausal women, and 2 pre-menopausal). It’s only $99 a month, and it will be worth every penny! Go to www.SynergizeWeightLossStudy.com to apply.

Train HARD,

Shondelle aka Coach

www.SynergizeWeightLoss.com

I was in Jacksonville competing with 5 of my teammates in the Cross Fit Southeast Regionals (If you don’t know, Crossfit is like super high intensity, borderline insane, tortuous fitness training).

It was an INTENSE yet FUN weekend, and we ended up placing 24^th out of 46 teams-not too bad for our first year -Next year we’ll WIN, the damn thing!

Anyway, I was reminded of some valuable lessons this weekend that apply to both fitness and life, that I hope you will allow me to share with you.

1. Give MORE!- When you push yourself beyond your perceived limitations, only 1 of 2 things can happen 1. You Die 2. You accomplish more than you ever thought possible.  Chances are you won’t die, so when you think you have nothing left to give, dig deep and give a little more.  What you’ll be able to accomplish will absolutely amaze you!

2.   Surround yourself with people who are ‘better’ than you.- In order to get better at anything, you’ve got to surround yourself with greatness, not mediocrity.  If you play golf, do you think your  game would get better by playing with Tiger Woods or Paris Hilton (ok, maybe an exaggeration but you get my point)?  Get inspired rather than intimidated by those who have accomplished more than you have, or can do ’more’ than you can. Allow another’s mastery to push you forward rather than pull you back, and one day soon you’ll be an inspiration to others.

3. Celebrate your Victories: For some reason many people have a tendency to dwell on  defeat  rather than celebrate victory. The problem with this, is that you never feel that you’re getting better.  You’re always focused on the horizon, not realizing how far you’ve come from the shore.  ANY and ALL degrees of progress should be recognized and rewarded. Sure, your goal may be to lose 25 pounds or do 20 pushups, but if you’ve lost 1 pounds and completed 2 pushups, isn’t that better than where you started? Celebrate that!

4. Finding a TEAM is MANDATORY- Have you ever heard the acronym for the word TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes More ? If not, store it in your mental rolodex, because it’s not only true, but it’s critical to your fitness (and life) success.  You’re not always going to be able to motivate yourself, celebrate your victories, and recognize your mistakes, but when you have a supportive team on your side to cheer you on when you’re ‘on’, and pick you up when you’re not, then its so much easier to stay on course. Don’t be afraid to ask for support- people can, will and most of all WANT to help you.

5. Some things just plain SUCK- Some things there are no sugar-coating;they just plain-ole SUCK! I’m sure you’ve been told before that ‘life isn’t fair’  Well, add to that,’ Some things just SUCK’.  Everything cannot and should not be easy.  The things and situations that seemingly SUCK in your life, will most  often bring out the best in you, IF YOU ALLOW IT!. Progress and growth occur OUTSIDE the comfort zone.  If  it happened inside the comfort zone you  would already be and have what you want (and if you do, then at some point you were out of your comfort zone). If you choose to embrace, rather than resist discomfort, the  reward is  strength, resilience, progress and JOY!. In a nutshell: Suck It Up, because what’s won’t kill you, will only make you BETTER!

Train HARD,

Shondelle aka Coach

P.S.  There are still 8 spots available in the Synergize 12-week Weight Loss Study.  Check it out now at www.SynergizeWeightLossStudy.com

2. You are not eating enough. You need to create a caloric deficit by reducing you calorie intake slightly. If you go too far below your maintenance calories, your body goes into starvation mode; sheds muscle and stores calories as fat, for a future energy source. Not eating enough supportive foods also lowers the amount of calories you burn….less thermic meals = less body fat burned.

3. You are not lifting weights – cardio burns calories but it doesn’t boost your metabolism. Resistance training is *critical* to maintaining your muscle and tone. If you’re not lifting weights while trying to lose body fat, you will lose muscle and tone and your metabolic rate will decrease causing you to burn fewer calories 24 hour-a-day!

4. You are simply not exercising anywhere near enough! You can only decrease your caloric intake so much before you start losing your fat burning muscle. The only other alternative is to increase calories out. VERY FEW people are successful at losing weight AND keeping it off without exercising almost everyday!! Make it a rule to be active at the very least 30 minutes a day.

If you’re having trouble losing weight, 20 minutes of exercise three times a week isn’t going to cut it! Most people who tell me they are *really serious* about losing weight are not willing to do what it takes to get where they want to be. If you’re not willing to make exercise a *serious* priority in your life, your chances of succeeding at losing weight and keeping it off are VERY small!
5. Are you impatient? Are you looking for *instant* results? When it doesn’t happen, you may give up. You HAVE to be resolved to the fact that it takes the integration of the Factors of Fat Loss and change WILL be slow yet steady! Try focusing on progress, not perfection

6. Are you any skipping meals? If so, do not expect to see results.  Skipping meals slows your metabolism causing body to store calories rather than burn them
7. Are you eating sugary foods or simple / refined carbohydrates?  White rice, white (non whole wheat) flour products, white pastas, soft drinks , sweetened drinks – like juice, and the hundreds of products that contain added sugar that’s deceptively listed on ingredient lists with names like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, etc. turns off the hormones responsible for releasing your body fat and instead turns ON the hormones that store fat.

8. How many alcoholic drinks do you have each week? Alcohol stimulates your appetite, slows your metabolism, and it’s loaded with empty (sugar) calories!

9. Are you having fruits and/or vegetables EVERY time you eat? Are you taking your whole food multi-vitamin and omega supplements every day?

10. Are you planning and preparing your meals ahead of time? If you have not planned your meals, you are more likely to cheat and find yourself off track.

11.(BONUS) Are you drinking a recovery drink immediately post workout?  if not you are depriving your muscle the indregients necessary for repair and growth, and thus compromising your metabolism BIG TIME (For a great post workout drink visit www.synergize.getprograde.com.

As you can see, fat loss can be VERY difficult…….if you don’t want it bad enough to do what it takes. If you really want to change, quit playing around with it. Get serious about it and make it an absolute, non-negotiable priority in your life… and it will happen!

You want to be slimmer and to tone your body, but your weight won’t budge.

Read the following 7 Weight Loss Blockers to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker #1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.
•Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you’ve always wanted.
•Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
•You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
•Give up the belief that you can’t achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker #2: Your Fear

Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.
•Believe that something MUST change. You can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be considering it. You can’t even be pretty sure about it. You’ve got to be rock solid.
•Believe that YOU must change it. You can’t pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It’s on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.
•Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn’t matter. When you put your mind to it, you’re able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you’ll be unstoppable.

Blocker #3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don’t allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.
•Don’t skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
•Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
•Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker #4: Your Commitment

How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it’s no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.
•The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don’t give up until your goal has been achieved.
•Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you’ll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.
•If you don’t give up, then you’ll never fail.

Blocker #5: Your Diet
If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you’re weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.
•Don’t eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
•Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
•Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker #6: Your Patience

It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:
•Review your goal. Is it specific and measurable? Is it small and attainable, rather than monumental? Focus on your goal when the going gets tough.
•Make each workout a new experience. Challenge your body with different resistance, new exercises and a varied pace.
•Remember that anyone can have one great workout, but that won’t get you the body you want. The only way to achieve your goal is by consistently exercising and eating right, plain and simple.

Blocker #7: Your Support

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and are more likely to fail. It makes sense. Who would rush to the gym if no one is was waiting for them? Who would push themselves if no one was paying attention? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.
•Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet, work with me, your local fitness expert, to guarantee your results.
•I am passionate about seeing you achieve results – don’t waste your time, energy and effort on mistakes.
•When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. I’ll be in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when you need it most.
Get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you’ll ever do.

Register for the Synergize! Beach-Body 90-Day Challenge before May 30th and receive a 40% discount on our 3x a small group week training praining. Go to www.SynergizeBeachBody.com for details. But hurry there are only 10 more spots available.

Yep-seven days a week!

Now I know, losing weight is no easy task especially as you get older, but 1 hour every day?

Give me a break!

As you may know I am a BIG TIME advocate of short and intense workouts.

In fact, in many cases, more than 30 minutes per workout and 5 days per week is overkill.

I get my workouts done in about 2 hours per week, and at the MOST I train 5 days per week.

I am not saying this to brag, but to affirm that to get results  you don’t need to spend seven hours a week working out, unless of course…

Your workouts lack intensity.

My grievance with this research is that  moderate exercise is considered ‘brisk walking,  leisurely bicycling and golfing’.

HA!

Give me a break! If that’s considered moderate exercise, then what the heck is ‘mild?’

Sun Basking?

In my experience and observation The PRIMARY problem that most women  have when it comes to losing weight  and changing their body  is not how much TIME they spend working out, but rather , what they DO when working out.

Go into any gym, and I bet you’ll find many women who are very consistent with their workouts, who have minimal, if any results to show for it.

What do you tell these women?  Work out more often?

Heck NO!

I would tell them to put down the cell phone, the magazine and turn off  the TV, and actually break a sweat!  Burn some calories!  Lift some weight! Feel some discomfort!, AND WHEN IT’S ALL OVER, FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING.

Now, please don’t get me wrong?

Consistency is important, and I applaud all those women who at least make exercise a priority, because that is the starting point.

However, the message I think these ‘researchers’ should be spreading is not do MORE, but DO more!

There are TONS of studies that show high intensity training maximizes fat loss, weight loss and increases metabolism, and I have client success stories a out the ‘wazoo’ to prove this is true (see them on www.synergizeweightloss.com).

I could go into all the reasons why high intensity training is ideal for maximal results in minimal time, but I’ll save that for another day

I recommend you read the article for yourself  HERE, and then if you want to see what a short and intense workout feels like, so that you don’t have to spend an hour every day walking on a treadmill to nowhere, CLICK HERE and see what the Synergize! 21-Day Rapid Fat Loss program is all about.

Not ready for a consult yet, then at least check out this 7-minute workout video I did a few weeks ago. It will give you some great exercises to do to turn up the heat on your workouts so you’re not having to spend an hour at the gym every day HERE .

TRAIN HARD,

Shondelle Solomon-Miles aka Coach

p.s. You have nothing to lose by scheduling a free consult and trial workout. IF you LOVE it-fantastic!  If not, no worries, we can still be friends.