Strong Bodies

Strength, Food, Fitness, Life.

Consistency is key, right? That’s what I always preach, but I truly haven’t been to consistent with blogging, have I?

I intend to change all that and post at least two blogs per week from here on out - that is certainly a manageable goal.

Strength, food, fitness, life. This blog is going to revolve around those themes, and I do believe they are all interconnected. As my “training age” progresses, I realise how important strength is to me from a mindset standpoint — the strength I develop in the gym, I call upon in all facets of my life, physically and in the more abstract, mentally.

I’ve also developed the firm belief that we women SHOULD be physically strong… and ladies, let me re-assure you, you can be phenomenally strong without looking like some she-hulk (but if you want to look like a she-hulk you can and that’s awesome, just be prepared to eat your body-weight in chicken breast on a daily basis… and I’m exaggerating only a little bit).

Body image issues, feminism and encouraging and inspiring women to strength train are also going to be some of my favourite topics :)

We women are taught from a young age that we should be passive, diminutive, that we should second guess ourselves, that we need help with everything, especially anything physical and I’m here to tell you that IT’S BULLSHIT.

We’re taught to be afraid of strange men in the street because A MAN, ANY PIPSQUEAK MAN, if he decides to, could hurt us and overpower us quite easily… well… that’s bullshit too. 

And lastly, still on a deeply feminist bent, we have this skinny, weak, noodle-armed mainstream “ideal” of the feminine physique foisted upon us everywhere we look, and guess what? To achieve that look, most grown women have to starve and undertake exercise regimens that make them weaker, less powerful, less healthy and just less “better” in every way. That is a sad state of affairs I don’t want to buy into. I mean, who told us bone thin and WEAK was “feminine” and “beautiful”  and that’s all there was to aspire to?

Strong, natural bodies are the most beautiful on earth. Regardless of the genetic hand you were dealt, everyone can look fantastic and from there continually improve in aesthetics and performance and feel absolutely amazing along the way. Aspire to THAT.

Posted on: 31st May 2012 - 0 notesReblog

This Is Why You’re Not Getting Results, Part I.

Diet + Training x Consistency = RESULTS.

“I work hard and I eat really healthy, I come to the gym 4 – 6 days a week but I don’t have the results I want”…

It’s a common story. As a personal trainer, I hear it all the time.

For every 20 people that claim they eat perfectly and do everything right and their results are still crap, I estimate there is perhaps 1 amongst them that can truly make this refrain, and that is likely due to poor genetics, or a metabolic or digestive issue.

For everyone else it’s one of three things, or all of them.

Your diet isn’t as dialled in as you think.

Your training isn’t the right program for your goal, or you are not executing your training plan correctly.

You just aren’t consistent enough with either one of these, or you aren’t as consistent as you think.

***

First and foremost, you have to be willing to be brutally honest with yourself and you have to be willing to do the work.

This might mean keeping a meticulous and HONEST food log for at least 7 days.

This might mean keeping a training journal and recording all your sets and reps and exactly what you do each session, including the length of your rest periods.

This may mean changing your training style altogether. If it isn’t working, change it!

You may want to get a knowledgeable and trustworthy coach or a trainer to evaluate your form and your programming.

There may be a better way of doing things – you have to be open to finding it and troubleshooting to get there.

Posted on: 23rd August 2011 - 30 notesReblog

The Skinny On Dietary Fat

(Or more aptly, why you should never go on a low fat diet.)

On a hot summers day in New York City, I opened my cupboard and reached for the peanut butter jar and my roommate exclaimed in exasperation, “I have never seen anyone eat so much peanut butter and lose so much weight! What the hell?! I don’t get it!”…

I chuckled to myself, because whilst I am preparing for competition and dieting strictly:

1) I know that fat does not make you fat.

2) I know that peanut butter, with its high fat content, fiber and protein is very satiating and in actuality A GREAT DIET FOOD in moderation. I won’t be hungry after a tablespoon of peanut butter, or one of its cousins I am very fond of, like almond or cashew butter.

3) Making sure you still eat the things you love, within a calorie deficit, is the key to adherence to your diet. Have I mentioned how much I love peanut butter? I love it. I really, really do love it! Ha!

4) The primary factor in any weight loss or fat loss program is ADHERENCE TO YOUR DIET and remaining in a calorie deficit.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you shovel soup spoons full of peanut butter into your mouth  at every meal in order to lose weight. Nope.

What I am suggesting is that you make it a priority to include healthy fats in your diet - fats that come from whole foods and natural sources like nuts and nut butters, avocados, olive oil, wild caught salmon and other fish, flaxseeds, eggs, grass-fed beef, etc.

Fats help slow digestion (enabling slower release of sugars into the blood as well as aiding in nutrient absorption) and help with satiety (i.e: helping you feel full). In addition to this, fats are fundamental to the functioning of your body on the cellular level as every cell membrane in your body is made of fats. Healthy fats from natural sources, especially Omega-3s, help keep this membrane soft and malleable - necessary for cell division and regeneration.

Fats are also crucial to joint health and function, help in avoiding joint pain, fundamental to hormone production, as well as brain and heart function. They also keep your eyes, skin and hair moist, supple and healthy. 

Here are a few more sources and reading materials that may help you understand that importance of dietary fat and how you can healthfully incorporate them into your daily nutrition plan: 

* Harvard School of Public Health - Fats & Cholesterol.

* Web MD - Good Fats, Bad Fats: The Truth About Omega-3

* ABC News - Managing Arthritis With Diet & Exercise

Posted on: 27th July 2011 - 1 noteReblog

Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of Self (and other such aberations!)

GWYNETH PALTROW ON THE COVER OF A MAGAZINE PROMOTING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR WOMEN?

Apparently. If you could only see the look of pure disdain on my face right now. Maybe I should start doing video logs? Really. There is no being tactful about this, she is the last celebrity anyone should emulate for health, fitness and nor for that matter, looking good (at least in my opinion… too skinny).

Recently, Gwyneth was diagnosed with something called osteopenia.

Osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis, both are conditions where bone density is dangerously low. When your bone density is low, you are much more likely to suffer a break - and breaking a bone is not something anyone wants to go through. Certainly not worth being thin. Personally, I’d rather go into my 50’s and beyond healthy, strong and mobile. not worrying about how if i lose my balance, I’m probably going to break a hip.

Women are especially prone to developing these conditions, especially if you eat an overly restricted, low-calorie diet and over exercise.

The way you avoid developing osteopenia/porosis is through eating a balanced diet high in calcium and vitamin d and do some resistance training on a regular basis (2 times a week). That’s it. No one is saying you have to become a competitive powerlifter, for the record. 

Gwyneth Paltrow has followed a macrobiotic diet for over a decade (no dairy… guess what? dairy is the most plentiful sources of calcium) and she also trains with Tracey Anderson.

Tracey Anderson is the woman who defrauded clients in Indiana before becoming notorious famous through her celebrity clients like Gwynny and Madonna.

Tracey Anderson preaches that women should never lift more than 3lbs* and eat ultra low calorie  diets comprised of things like spinach shakes and do high impact dance cardio and endless repetitions of  tiny movements she claims will sculpt “accessory” muscles and not the “big bulky” ones.

Basically, her entire philosophy is in contradiction with all the scientific information we know about the human body, exercise, human movement and good nutrition in 2011. 

Don’t do what Gwyneth does!!! She is possibly the worst celebrity example out there, short of anyone famous with a full-blown eating disorder.

Eat a balanced diet where your weight loss calories are at least 10x your bodyweight, lift weights regularly and use progressive poundages to challenge yourself and unless you absolutely LOVE the activity you’re doing, you don’t need to work out for more than 1 hour a day. 

Gwyneth Paltrow is 5’10 and her genetics make her long limbed and thin, lean, whatever you want to call it, NOT her trainer. The fact that Gwyneth claims to workout for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week is actually embarrassing, in my professional opinion. She should look amazing! She should glow with vitality! You should be able to bounce a quarter off her tight, perky ass!

Sadly, she just looks tall and skinny, same as she ever did. Her butt is flat and shapeless and she looks like she needs a big juicy steak sandwich. 

Women don’t need to torture themselves with 700kcal juice diets and 2 hours of mindless, repetitive “toning” exercises for small “accessory” muscles. We should be empowered by eating good healthy food that energizes us and nourishes our bodies, and our training should strengthen our bodies and shape us into beautiful physical specimens that can at least carry our own groceries and open a pickle jar without assistance.

God forbid a woman be able to move her own furniture or feel confident that she could defend herself with force in the street.

* Biologically, women were designed to care for and carry babies. Babies weight more than 3lbs. I’m just fuckin’ saying!!!

Posted on: 17th April 2011 - 7 notesReblog

How Much Cardio Is Too Much?

What I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is cardiovascular activity for weight loss and how to strike a good balance between what is enough and what is too much. Its common when you’re super motivated to do way too much and hamper  your efforts, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been one of those people in the past.

Yes, you can do TOO MUCH cardio.

The first thing you have to remember is that weight loss is primarily a function of your DIET. 

There is no weight loss without a calorie deficit and the easiest way to create that deficit is through your diet. You get on the treadmill and try to burn off a burger and fries and get back to me with your verdict 3 – 5 hours later on how efficient you think that is.

Just don’t eat the goddamn burger :)

More is not always more, especially when it comes to cardio. When dieting, it is very easy to put your body into a state of stress and inflammation, which will cause you to burn muscle and hold onto fat, something none of us want to do. When you say you want to “tone” what you’re actually saying is that you want to lose fat and retain your muscle mass – that is what creates a “toned” look. Hours and hours of cardiovascular activity is counterproductive to this goal.

So how do we know what is too much? Well, that could be an article in and of itself.

I try to keep it simple for my clients and I will keep it simple for you – fat loss  should primarily be a function of your diet, cardio is merely “extra”. My advice is to do at least 20 minutes and no more than 60 minutes, 4 – 6 times a week for optimal results. And stick to your diet.

Stick to your diet!

Stick to your diet!

Stick to your diet!

Let your diet do the work. Be patient. Be consistent.

Can you lose weight without doing any cardio? Absolutely. But there are definite health benefits to regular cardiovascular activity, one of which is increased circulation, and increased circulation is beneficial for fat loss, so it is always my recommendation for you to do SOME cardio. But unless you’re training for an ironman or a marathon or some such endurance event, there is certainly no need for hours and hours of running/ellipticalling or anything else per day.

A topic for another day is high intensity intervals, the most time efficient cardio that will give you the most bang for your buck.

For another day my pretties!

Posted on: 31st March 2011 - 3 notesReblog

Strength, Fitness, Motivation, Life!

Hi there, I’m Zvezdana. It’s phonetic. Sound out the letters a few times, you’ll get it. 

I’m a personal trainer here in New York City, I primarily train clients in lower Manhattan. This is my blog. 

I plan to share my thoughts on fitness & nutrition primarily - they are two enormous passions of mine, but also my journey as I compete this year in both powerlifting and bikini.

What is the one thing I can share with you about health and fitness that I think is the most valuable?

That there are no shortcuts.

Just hard work, consistency and good nutrition.

You will not reach the pinnacle of your physique and performance goals overnight and you won’t get there in a month or even 6 months. It takes doing the right things, consistently, over a long period of time, to reach greatness. 

Keep at it. Record your progress monthly. Challenge yourself, push hard. Never, ever give up!

Posted on: 27th March 2011 - 0 notesReblog