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Definition Fitness Beginner’s workout in Southside Park

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Introducing our “Workout in the Park” series… tune in to our YouTube channel where we will be showing 1 new video every 2 weeks so you can exercise while your kids play in any park or travel out of town on vacation. No excuses this summer!

MEMORIAL DAY WORKOUT IN THE PARK!!

Join us Monday morning at 9 am for a group workout in the park behind Definition. We will meet in the gym and then all head out together. All are welcome to attend and it is only $15!

If the big group workout doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, then you can still schedule a regular workout with your trainer!

Please call ahead to sign up- 398-6442. Hope to see you there!

New Bike Rack outside!!

Ride your bike to Definition for some extra calorie burning and keep it safe outside

Recipe of the Week

Chocolate “Lara bars” (or balls)

1 cup walnuts (cashews or almonds work also)
1 1/3 cup pitted dates
3-4 TBS cocoa powder ( I like dark chocolate)
2/3 tsp vanilla

Mix in food processor or magic bullet
Roll into 1/2″ to 1″ balls or spread into brownie pan and cut bars
Keep in refrigerator

Literally takes 5 min and so good!

Melissa’s 10 Commandments of Eating

My nutrition journey started about 5 years ago. I was exhausted, apathetic and on the verge of depressed. People would look at me and tell me I looked tired or sad. And the worst part was that I was in pain. My stomach was constantly hurting. There was a throbbing, stabbing pain and I always felt bloated. I finally decided something was wrong with me and sought an answer. Numerous doctor appointments, ultrasounds, and even a colonoscopy later, no one could tell me why my stomach hurt. Then I realized not a single doctor had bothered to ask me what my diet was like. That’s when I decided to see a wellness coach. She was able to analyze my blood and urine tests, as well as my visual appearance. She urged me to take wheat and gluten out of my diet for 30 days. She had a strong suspicion that’s what was making my stomach hurt. Take wheat and gluten out? How would I do that? I was someone who thought pretzels and fat free chocolate pudding was eating healthy. So I started reading…a lot. After a very expensive trip to Native Sun to restock our pantries with food I could actually eat, I mentally prepared for what I thought was going to be the hardest challenge I would ever face. Not even a week had went by when my stomach started to feel better, the bloating went down, my energy levels increased, and I no longer had that sad, tired look. Keeping this up with out going crazy would be the hard part though. Salad every day? What else was there with out gluten in it- especially for lunch? It would take trial and lots of error before I felt like I had a good handle on this gluten-free thing- and do it affordably. Over the last 5 years I have tried the Zone Diet, the Paleo Diet, Advocare supplementation and cleanses, and juices cleanses. From these experiences I have compiled what I call my 10 commandments of eating (in no particular order of importance), and I try to follow this 95% of the time. This will be the first installment in my monthly nutrition tips and tricks. Keep in mind, this is what I have experienced and what I believe has worked for me- you may or may not agree, but I thought I’d share…

My 10 commandments of eating:
1. Eat breakfast everyday
2. Eat 4-6 hours after my last meal, or 2-3 hours after my last snack
3. Make sure there are always these 3 nutrients represented at each meal or snack:

• A carbohydrate (in the form of veggies or fruit)
• A lean protein (in the form of lean meat, Greek yogurt, eggs, etc)
• A healthy fat (avocados, olives, nuts and seeds, or the fat in animal meat or oils)

**This combination will ensure the meal or snack’s glycemic load doesn’t impact your blood sugar levels too greatly, thus avoiding a spike then a crash.

4.  No processed flours- that includes bread, pasta, crackers, cereal and cereal bars, EVEN if its gluten free. And that goes for cookies, cakes, and other desserts of course 😉
5. COLOR- your plate must have color. Green, orange, purple, red. Keep a food journal for 2 to 3 days. Look back over it and close your eyes to picture the food you ate. Is it a colorful memory or is it all brown and white?
6. No sugar. Unless it is coming from fruits (no more than 2-3 whole servings early in the day or for dessert) or dark chocolate…for my desperate fix 😉
7. I try to make sure there is 12 hours between my last meal of the night and my first meal of the day- allowing my digestive system to do its job and then rest.
8. When drinking alcohol, red wine or clear liquor. No sugary mixers- only water or soda water, unless its fresh squeezed juice with herbs
9. Take the time to measure your servings. Do this for about 1-2 weeks, and you will have committed to memory what 1 serving of coffee cream is or what 1 serving of deli turkey is. This step is incredibly important.
10. Eat organic vegetables and grass-raised animals whenever possible. Have you ever seen the picture of the farm worker wearing a HAZMAT suit to spray to spray the crops? If it’s not okay to touch his skin, why is it okay for us to consume it?

Celebrate National Nutrition Month- Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day

Official National Nutrition Month Website

Megan’s Grocery Shopping/ Eating Habits:

My motto as far as food goes is – eat when you’re hungry and indulge a little! Let’s be serious, life is too short to count every single calorie that goes into your mouth (not to mention that is close to impossible); but as long as you eat when you’re hungry, until you’re satisfied, and give in sometimes – you should have no problem keeping on track with your diet. I keep a food journal and knowing that I am going to have to write down everything I have eaten makes me second-guess those french fries or bowl of ice cream (word of advice- it only works if you are honest about what you are eating). I always make sure I have snacks with me so that I can eat when I get hungry that way I avoid overeating when I do get around food. When I grocery shop I tend to start in the produce section so I fill up my cart with lots of fruits and veggies first, that way when I get closer to the oreos and ice cream I already have a cart full of good food and am less likely to buy those things. I also make sure to buy plenty of lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish. I do eat breads and pasta but try to keep the servings small. Organic food is not a thing of mine, I don’t think it’s any different nor do I want to spend the money on it.

To sum it up- eating healthy is not rocket science! Food is not the enemy; it doesn’t kill you to have a few French fries or a dessert as long as you don’t go crazy. If you happen to slip up at a meal and eat badly just make it up at the next meal. Happy eating!

Welcome, Fred!!

My name is Frederick Preston. I am a recent transplant to Jacksonville from Gainesville, FL. I began my fitness training journey back in 2007 as a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I have since continued my education to become a licensed massage therapist through the Florida School of Massage. I have sought through continuing education to radically diversify my approach and understanding in how I handle clients; I have learned things from the Ayruvedic Panchakarma to Charles Poliquin.

Fitness is a tremendous force in my personal and professional life. It’s unique among the different forms of wellness, in that it is truly accessible any where and by anyone. We are never without the kinesthetic experience or our bodies and it is something we often overlook in the rush of our lives. That is until something goes wrong. I believe in a proactive approach that doesn’t just prevent injury but learns to take advantage of the inherent joy present in the journey.

For me, fitness has been a tremendous anchor in my life and a barometer for how I am responding to other challenges in my life. It something that is always there from getting to know the city on foot, hiking mountains in the back country, tossing sandbags in a renovated horse stable, or doing crunches at a high end gym on the swiss ball. I see the pursuit of fitness as a conduit through which fears or courage can be realized. Like Jillian Lynn, the famed choreographer, I am someone that “Moves to Think.” I find comfort in the fact that I can strap on a pair of boxing gloves or pickup a set of dumbbells and put myself in a better place in ten minutes.

I love the benefits that a more intimate training studio provides because it allows the client to really address what is meaningful to them in terms of barriers to obtaining the growth they would like to see or getting and staying out of pain. An awful lot of people just beginning their fitness journey feel self conscious or don’t know where to begin. The nicest thing about a private studio is that it makes it easier to remember that we all start somewhere and that we are all part the community together. For all the cool exercises or modalities that we use as a practitioner, the real magic comes when we realize that biggest help is to just listen.

My message to my clients is always that no one is immune to the ups and downs of life and what is right for me is not necessarily right for you; and that success in reaching your goals isn’t just about having a good plan but about listening to what your body is saying, responding to challenges, and remembering to find renewed passion for what interests you.

Thanksgiving Day Exercise Tips

Thanksgiving Day Exercise Tips

Turkey Day has arrived and with that means lots and lots and lots of food. There is no doubt that we all will take in a few more calories than normal, but that doesn’t mean all that hard work you’ve been doing at the gym should stop. By performing a good workout session the day before, the day of, and the day after, you can help reduce the impacts the meal has on your overall health and fitness.
You’ve probably been planning and planning for this upcoming dinner and now you’ve been up at sunrise prepping the infamous turkey and side dishes, as well as playing host/hostess, but now you have a small window of free time…what should you do (besides wanting to rest), squeeze in a quick 20-30 minute workout, run, or walk. Time is of the essence on Thanksgiving so here is a few ideas you can do:

First off keep it simple…

Workout #1 Repeat Sequence X 3
10 Long Jumps: Do a long jump forward and then two small jumps backwards.

10 Push Ups: Kneeling or Regular

15 Sumo Squats: Wide stance with feet slightly turned out as you squat.

15 Burpees: Squat down, place hands on floor and jump out into a plank position. Then jump feet back towards your hands, then pop up into standing position with a jump up to finish it.

20 Bicycle Crunches: Lie on your back, bending your knees into your chest and hands behind head and crunch/twist your opposite elbow to your opposite knee while moving your legs as if you are pedaling a bike.

20 Mountain Climbers: Start off with regular, then opposite knee to elbow mtn. climbers, then mtn. climbers to the outside of the same elbow (change each round).

Sprints: Run fast and hard for 30 seconds then rest for 10, repeat X10

Workout #2
(Part 1-Rounds 5)
5 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
15 Squats
(Part 2-Rounds 5)
10 Burpees
20 Bench/Box Jumps or Chair Step Ups
30 Push Ups
40 Squats
50 Lunges

If trying to cram in that workout session before dinner seems too difficult, then plan on going for a walk right after. It will help with digestion and burn off some of the calories you just ate. Be sure to invite everyone, and make it a family event or even plan to get outside and just play with the kids for a while.
Bottom line do what you can when you can and just get back on track ASAP and enjoy Thanksgiving Day and we’ll see you soon here at the gym.
Happy Thanksgiving!

How many calories did I just eat?!?!?

This is truly what we believe an average American consumes on Thanksgiving. Drinks, snacks, dinner, dessert, and leftovers were all factored into our traditional meal. We will be accepting guesses on the calorie count until Friday – closest guesses win a prize! Leave a comment, post on our facebook wall, or tell your trainer what you think the correct number is!

Drinks:
1 glass of wine
1 cup of coffee with cream and sugar

Snacks:
½ cup mixed raw vegetables
½ cup fresh fruit
3 cups salad with diet dressing
½ cup gelatin with fruit

Meal:
6 ounces cured ham
6 ounces white and dark turkey
½ cup stuffing
½ cup cranberry sauce
½ cup mashed potatoes
½ cup gravy
½ cup green bean casserole
½ cup candied sweet potatoes
1 dinner roll
1 pat of butter

Dessert:
1 piece pumpkin pie
½ cup whipped cream
½ cup ice cream

Leftovers:
1 open face turkey sandwich with stuffing and gravy

Don’t forget to check out our facebook page for daily tips on how to enjoy your Thanksgiving Day but keep it healthy!