Category: gym

5 ways to stay on track for a fit 2016

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, goal, gym, health, motivation, resolution, weight loss, workout1 Comment

Is your New Year’s resolution to eat right? Lose weight? Get fit? Run a race? Although January has already come and gone, now is as good a time as any to go for fit! Even if it’s not fitness related, here are 5 great ways to help stick to your resolution and make 2016 a fantastic year of achieving your goals!motivational-fitness-quotes-pictures

1. Keep Track

Keep a calendar so you can check off each day, or a food log, depending on what your goal is. If you’re trying to keep track of what foods you’re eating, use an app (there are tons of free ones out there!). It will help you keep yourself honest and help track your progress! Same thing goes with a calendar: if you are trying to work out 5 times a week, mark off what days you do fit your exercise in and make sure you keep hitting your goals. One day at a time!

2. Have an accountability buddy

Maybe you and a friend have similar goals?! Buddy up and help motivate one another to stay on track  🙂 Everything is way more fun with a friend!

3. Give yourself an off day

The best way to stay on track? To allow yourself to get off track! If you’re working on your diet, allow yourself a cheat meal every once in a while. A meal will not undo all your hard work, I promise you 🙂

inspirational-workout-quotes-swvrmo4x4. Don’t be vague with your goal

Don’t just have your resolution be to “get fit”. Try wording your goal in more measurable terms, such as; I want to lose 10lbs this year. Or I want to reduce my body fat percentage to X%. Just don’t give yourself an unrealistic deadline! Be patient with yourself. You WILL get there.

5. Write it down!

Write down what your actual resolution is, and put it somewhere in your home or a place that might be particularly helpful to see the reminder. Just seeing your writing and remembering what your goal is will help you start and end your day on the right foot!

Remember, whatever your resolution is, make sure that it’s truly something you want for yourself. It takes 21 days to create a habit. Be patient with yourself, and don’t give up. Make 2016 your year!

What is your 2016 resolution? Mine is to eat right, lift weights at least 2 times a week and to work on flexibility!

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani

Eat The Frog Fitness: Finding your inner athlete

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, fitness, group fitness, gym, high intensity interval training, motivation, tabata, weight loss, wellness, workout2 Comments

I’ve been teaching group fitness classes at my gym at for almost 3 and a half years. While I’ve had many great moments there over the years, I’ll never forget the moment Olympian Bryan Clay, Silver and Gold Medalist Decathlete earning the title “World’s Greatest Athlete” (along with Joe Culver, the founder & CEO of my gym’s franchise), unexpectedly came into the group fitness room during my cycling class one Saturday morning to watch. We talked after class about how I create my classes, their structure, and how they’re developing an athletic training program with a team of professional athletes. After Bryan left, I proceeded to appropriately FREAK OUT that I had just met such an elite athlete, and was extremely curious as to what he was working on!

Fast forward almost a year, and now our gym is the very first in the world to introduce their training program, Eat the Frog Fitness, to the world. ETF is a blend of science and athletic-based training, functional exercises, personalized coaching and group fitness. It incorporates periodization training, heart rate monitoring, high intensity interval circuit training, and state of the art technology. This combination creates an exciting experience and effective training method for ALL levels of fitness; one that surpasses anything else out there and delivers REAL results.

What does “Eat the Frog” Mean?

imagesEat the Frog Fitness is based on the following quote by Mark Twain: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Think about something you procrastinate about. That is your “frog”; that thing you avoid doing. For many people, it is fitness. ETF Fitness is about pushing you to do what it is you don’t want to do, and getting it over with.

How does it work?

First, your current fitness level is assessed based on 4 categories; cardio, strength, flexibility, and core. Based on the results, you are instantly recommended a fitness program which aims to help you improve on areas of fitness which aren’t as strong. These training sessions should be done every week for the entire 8 week training block.

There are 4 phases within this FrogX Training System, creating the periodization aspect of this program with progressive cycles of intensity.

  • Phase 1: ETF Fit Test
  • Phase 2: Weeks 1-3 of high intensity
  • Phase 3: Week 4 is a series of recovery sessions which allows the body to recover and not over train
  • Phase 4: Weeks 5-7 are high intensity, week 8 concludes with retaking the Fit Test to track results

What does a Training Session look like?

indexPicture this. You walk into the group fitness room and your Coach presses a button which turns on 3 large TVs and a huge projector screen. The projector screen and 1 of the TVs display what exercises you will currently be doing, for how long, and what is coming up next. The other two TVs will automatically display your heart rate which links up with your new SUUNTO heart rate monitor, along with your fellow fitness frogs! The shades are drawn, lights are dimmed, awesome music starts playing and immediately you realize this is a workout experience you’ve never seen before.

Now you being your 5 minute warm up. Depending on if you are doing a Strength, Cardio, or FlexCore Session, the warm up may be on beautiful new Keiser spin bikes and Concept2 rowing machines, or a series of simple exercises to bring up your heart rate.

After the warm up, you begin your first of 3 total 12 minute modules. Again, depending on what Session you are doing, that could involve using sandbags, TRX suspension, or biking/rowing. During each of these 3 modules, the intensity will be a High Intensity Interval format. This just means short bursts of high intensity followed by short rest periods, repeated over a series of time. After completing the first module, there will be a quick transition period to the next set of equipment being used for that second 12 minute module, and then the same thing happens with moving onto the third and final module. With the exception of a biking/rowing module, there are only 4 exercises which are repeated 4 times in a module. This allows for you to get comfortable with each exercise and really get that proper form down and build intensity.

After completing the third module, we have the cool down. You are dripping in sweat and high-fiving your frog friends, and wondering what just happened. You ate your frog!

Why is it unlike anything else?

This is NOT a group fitness class. It is personalized group training by certified personal trainers. And more affordable than personal training! The science behind this training is based on knowledge from passionate professional athletes who have dedicated their lives to the fitness world; in Olympic stadiums, collegiate training centers, and gyms.

Everything involved within the training program has been researched and selected to perform a precise function. The equipment used in a high intensity interval format stimulates fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, minimizes bodily wear and tear, promotes central nervous system function and healthy hormone production, and catabolize fat tissue. ETF busts plateaus and creates a well-rounded and balanced fit person, regardless of their previous fitness level.

Each person is individually analyzed and personally recommended a workout especially for them, allowing for better results and reaching personal goals in a fun and SAFE manner. The focus is on quality, not quantity of repetitions unlike other fitness companies out there today. No company has merged personal training and group training, until now.

The goal is a focus on well-balanced fitness, and discovering the inner athlete. A runner may have great cardio capacity, but maybe doesn’t focus on flexibility as much as they should. Or a weight lifter may be strong, but maybe doesn’t focus on cardio. This program addresses areas which need to be addressed more, and achieves just that!

Want to eat your Frog?

Check out www.etffitness.com, and ask yourself this. ARE YOU READY?

 

Strength Training: Why it’s essential for overall fitness

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, goal, gym, health, home workout, motivation, weight loss, workoutLeave a comment

Strength is a fun topic! Personally, when I hear strength training, I immediately think of weight lifting. It should rank high as a fitness goal because it can be directly translated into every day skills. That heavy bag of groceries? No problem if you lift weights regularly. Carrying around a toddler? Strength training can help make that easier as well. Yardwork? It’ll be a breeze if you are in shape. It really can help prepare you for every day tasks and prevent injury while doing them. If you play a specific sport, strength training can also help make you a better athlete.

When building strength, it is important to keep your personal goals in mind. Maybe you want to squat a certain amount of weight, or generally sculpt a fit physique. Your goals don’t have to be specific, but you do want to make sure that every couple weeks you are increasing your weight by a little bit. I recommend increasing somewhere between 5-10% at a time. Be sure to listen to your body, and back off weight if it’s too much. Keep a notepad with you as you workout, and write down how much weight you used for each exercise, along with how many repetitions you were able to do with good form. I personally recommend 10-12 repetitions for each exercise, repeating the exercise for 3 sets. If you aren’t feeling challenged towards the last couple repetitions, you should definitely increase your weight.

Men and women can absolutely lift heavy weights and build strength in the same way. Numerous fitness magazines use the word “tone” when referring to women’s strength training to make it more appealing to women. This is because many women are afraid of weight training. They don’t want to become “bulky” or “too big”. Women don’t have as much testosterone as men, therefore it simply isn’t possible to add mass as easily as men. However, doing repetitions in the higher range of 12-15 repetitions with lighter weight creates longer and leaner muscles, and the lower range of 6-8 repetitions with heavier weight creates bigger muscles. Depending on your age, body type, genetics, current fitness level, what works best for one person may not work best for the other. Try out both methods, and see what works best for you.

I personally aim to work one particular muscle group each day, giving the other muscle groups rest. For example, Mondays I work my back, Tuesday I work shoulders, Wednesday I work legs, Thursday I work biceps and triceps, and Friday I work chest. My goal is to feel a little muscle soreness the next day or two in that area. If you aren’t feeling any muscle soreness at all, that is a sure sign you aren’t lifting heavy enough or aren’t doing enough repetitions.

No matter how you decide to build strength, whether it’s practicing a push-up or a weighted squat, know that each day is forward progress. Even if you don’t see the scale move, it’s okay! When I started incorporating strength training with my cardio regimen, I actually gained 5lbs in 3 months. That would freak out most women. But it’s a good thing! Why? Because I put on muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Muscle also dictates metabolism, and helps increase it. Don’t go by the scale, go by how your clothes fit and how you feel. I promise you, weights are the best way to dramatically change your body. Go for it!

Happy lifting!!

Warmly,
Dani

This week’s cycle class video, playlist and choreography! (Ride 9)

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, cycle, fitness, group fitness, gym, home workout, motivation, playlist, spinLeave a comment

 Here is a video recording of the ride we did this week, woohoo!  Now you can do this ride anytime, no excuses!  It’s 45 minutes of sweaty, rewarding fun, and at the end of the ride we do a full cool down and stretch. Muahaha…enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Always remember to warm up and workout within your ability according to your doctor. Listen to your body, and if you need to stop, please do so. I am NOT responsible for any harm you may cause yourself! Please be sure to have the proper safe bike setup.  Now that that’s said and done, lets have some fun!

Watch Dani’s video here: https://youtu.be/WzXcChHy6Is

After a 4 minute flat warm up, we start Track 2 coming out of the saddle right after adding to a small hill to position 2. shifting to position 3 for 3 sets.

Track 3 is a sprint track, with 15 second intervals. You can add a small incline during each sprint if you’re feeling fancy. Yum!

Track 4 starts off adding to a small hill with a slight incline, coming up to position 2 and shifting to position 3 for 3 sets, adding each set and ending at a heavy hill.

Track 5 drops to a flat road and is a gradual seated climb, ending with a heavy hill.

Track 6 holds the heavy hill from track 5 and shifts for 3 sets from position 2 to position 3.

Track 7 drops to a small hill and has 3 sets of jumps, from position 1 to position 2.

Track 8 drops to a flat road and is a gradual seated climb, ending with a heavy hill.

Track 9 holds the gear and shifts from position 2 to 3 for 2 sets.

Track 10  is sprints; 3 sets during each chorus. You can add a small incline during each sprint if you’re feeling fancy. Yum again!

Track 11 we have 3 sets shifting from position 2 to 3, each set adding to get to a heavy hill. That’s it! Whew! If you have any questions about the ride, don’t hesitate to ask! What are your favorite spin songs?

Want your very own playlist choreographed by yours truly? Drop me a line!

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani

This week’s cycle ride with video, choreography, and playlist! (#8)

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, cycle, fitness, group fitness, gym, playlist, spin, workoutLeave a comment

 Here is a video recording of the ride we did this week, woohoo!  Now you can do this ride anytime, no excuses!  It’s 45 minutes of sweaty, rewarding fun, and at the end of the ride we do a full cool down and stretch. Muahaha…enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Always remember to warm up and workout within your ability according to your doctor. Listen to your body, and if you need to stop, please do so. I am NOT responsible for any harm you may cause yourself! Please be sure to have the proper safe bike setup.  Now that that’s said and done, lets have some fun!

Watch Dani’s video here: https://youtu.be/kyLYxzQroJw

After a 4 minute flat warm up, we start Track 2 off with sprints; 3 sets during each chorus. You can add a small incline during each sprint if you’re feeling fancy. Yum!

Track 3 is a gradual seated climb, ending with a heavy heavy hill.

Track 4 is 15 second jump intervals, shifting from position 1 to 2 (seated to standing run), holding your small hill and increasing the incline each set. You’re welcome 😉

Track 5 is sprints; 3 sets during each chorus. You can add a small incline during each sprint if you’re feeling fancy. Yum again!

Track 6 is a small hill out of the saddle, shifting from position 2 to 3 for each chorus. Each set add a gear, ending on a heavy hill.

Track 7 is a gradual seated climb, ending with a heavy heavy hill.

Track 8 is our mega track! We hold our heavy hill and shift from position 2 to 3 for 4 sets.

Track 9 drops to a flat road where we sprint for 3 sets.

Track 10 we have 3 sets shifting from position 2 to 3, each set adding to get to a heavy hill.

Want your very own playlist choreographed by yours truly? Drop me a line!

Happy sweating! Warmly, Dani

This week’s cycle ride with video, choreography, and playlist! (#2)

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, cycle, fitness, group fitness, gym, home workout, playlist, spinLeave a comment

Here is a video recording of the ride we did this week. Woohoo!  Now you can do this ride anytime, no excuses!  It’s 45 minutes of sweaty, rewarding fun, and at the end of the ride we do a full cool down and stretch. Muahaha…enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Always remember to warm up and workout within your ability according to your doctor. Listen to your body, and if you need to stop, please do so. I am NOT responsible for any harm you may cause yourself! Please be sure to have the proper safe bike setup.  Now that that’s said and done, lets have some fun!

Watch Dani’s video here: https://youtu.be/pf_qKQKNvmg

After a 4 minute flat warm up, we start Track 2 off with sprints; 3 sets during each chorus. You can add a small incline during each sprint if you’re feeling fancy. Yum!

Track 3 is a gradual seated climb, ending with a heavy heavy hill for the first 3 minutes then drop to a small hill with a fast pace during the beat change. Add back the heavy hill and drop again to a small hill during the beat change and finish track with the fast pace small hill.

Track 4 holds the small hill and you come up to position 2, and shift to 3 for each chorus. Each shift, add a gear ending at a heavy hill.

Track 5 is a jump track, 8 count in position 1 to 2 for two sets, then shifting to 3 for the final 2 minutes.

Track 6 is an active recovery track where we hold our small hill and shift from position 2 to 3 with the slow beat.

Track 7 recover on a flat road, then add to a small hill and come up to position 2, go for 2 sets of jumps during each chorus, 8 count up to position 2 and 8 count down to position 1.

Track 8 is our mega track where we hold our small hill, then add to get heavy and shift from 2 to 3 for 3 sets.

Track 9 is 15 seconds sprints on and off sprints. Last sprint track!

Track 10 we have 3 sets shifting from position 2 to 3, each set adding to get to a heavy hill.

That’s it! Whew! If you have any questions about the ride, don’t hesitate to ask! What are your favorite spin songs?

Want your very own playlist choreographed by yours truly? Drop me a line!

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani

Tabata Tuesday!

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, fitness, goal, group fitness, gym, high intensity interval training, home workout, motivation, tabata2 Comments

We did this last month in class, it was killer!!! Try it yourself if you dare! Watch the video a few times for form 🙂

  • What is Tabata? 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. It’s high intensity interval training at its finest!!
    This video has 8 exercises. Do the first exercise for 8 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, then rest 1 minute and move onto the second exercise for 8 sets…etc until you complete all 8 exercises for 8 sets each!
  • Don’t forget to switch arms or legs! I used 15lb dumbells, but make sure you can keep the form otherwise drop the weight. Whew!!
  • Be sure to warm up before and properly cool down and stretch afterwards.IMG_5095

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani

Top 5 best ways to stay on track for a fit summer

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, goal, gym, health, motivation, nutrition, resolution1 Comment

How have your new year’s fitness resolutions been going? Do you have a hard time keeping yourself consistent? It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up on yourself! Here are my top 5 ways to help you stay on track to reach your fitness goals this summer!

1. Lose it app

This app keeps me accountable for everything I eat. One might say that it is a little excessive to log everything you eat, but think about it. Wouldn’t you be less likely to fall off track if you account for the things you eat? I know I am much less likely to eat that fifth cupcake 😉

2. Never miss a Monday

Habits are essential to success, and Mondays can be hard. But if you make sure you never miss a Monday, it will help you significantly to keep on going. Sure, we are all tired on Mondays. Maybe we had a little ‘too’ much fun this weekend and are paying for it. It’s so easy to say to yourself, “Ah, I’ll just hit the gym tomorrow”. But then that becomes the next day, and the next day, and before you know it you’ve missed an entire week. Don’t let the Monday’s get you down! Take out your frustration on Mondays at the gym!

3. Eat clean, and shop on the outer parts of the grocery store

Ever noticed how you feel better when you eat well? Your skin is clearer, your mood improves, you sleep better, you’re more ‘regular’ in the restroom? I know I sure do. Some cheat meals just ruin the way I feel for the rest of the day, or even the next few days. Eat real foods, and don’t undo all your hard work that you’re putting into the gym. I promise you this: You can not out train your diet. If you have to skip anything, skip the workout over the healthy foods.

4. Have a workout buddy

If I promise a friend I am going to meet them for a run, I’ll be there. It’s that simple. Find someone with a similar goal; it could be your significant other, a coworker, a friend, whatever! Make specific plans to meet at the gym or go to something active together. Maybe sign up for a race and train together. Anything done with a friend will make working out that much more fun!

5. Reward yourself

Don’t completely deprive yourself. Make sure that you still allow yourself room for the little things. Not every day, and not in a large amount. I am definitely not recommending you reward yourself with a big sugary latte every time you leave the gym (refer back to #3). I am saying that you shouldn’t go crazy and not allow yourself to enjoy some guilty pleasures every once in a while. Just don’t let it become a habit, because they are super hard to break!

I hope these tips help you to keep going and stay on track! For daily motivation, find me on Instagram @danisanusifitness!

Happy fitting!

Warmly,

Dani

So you want to take a spin class? 5 tips for a great first class!

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn athletic clothing, cardio, class, cycle, fitness, group fitness, gym, high intensity interval training, legging, spin, workoutLeave a comment

Don’t be intimidated. Don’t! Spin classes are so much fun! They’re a fabulous cardiovascular workout that is paired with great music to make that hour fly by! Don’t let any preconceived notions you may have about it keep you from trying it. If you want to try out a class on your own before joining in on the fun in the group fitness room, check out my free online classes: http://wp.me/P5qZmk-2C. All you need is a spin bike and wifi!

Here are my 5 tips for taking a spin class! Be sure to also check out my article about what everyone needs to know before their first fitness class: http://wp.me/p5qZmk-2q.

1. Wear the right clothing. Clothing is super important for spin class. Think of what cyclists wear. Yup, you guessed it! Spandex. There’s great reasons for doing so. I recommend fitted leggings, because you won’t want your pants to get stuck in your bike while pedaling. You don’t have to get padded shorts, just any non-cotton moisture-wicking leggings will work just fine. I would strongly recommend (especially if you go commando) to make sure your pants have a smooth and nice quality gusset, especially if you are a lady. Trust me, it makes for a much more comfortable ride 😉

As for shoes, you need to make sure your shoes are stiff. Don’t use your regular running shoes. Why? Check out my article about foot discomfort during cycling class: http://wp.me/p5qZmk-5W.

The last thing you’ll need is a nice moisture-wicking shirt. Why so much moisture-wicking material? Because you’re gonna sweat. A lot.

So, to recap:

  • fitted leggings
  • stiff sole shoes
  • moisture-wicking shirt

2. Get there early to set up. You should try to arrive early to claim your bike and introduce yourself to the instructor. They can help get you properly set up and go over how they set up their class.

Here’s a quick explanation on how to set up the bike: First, stand next to the seat, and find your hip bone. That’s where the seat height should come to.  Next, to adjust your seat distance from the handlebars, take your elbow and place it on the inside of the seat edge. Extend your forearm and fingers towards the handlebars so they are just able to touch them, and adjust your seat accordingly. And finally, adjust your handlebar height so it’s at a comfortable height for you. It’s personal preference, but keep in mind that the lower the handlebars, the more of a strain on your back. So if you’re new to cycling or have back issues, I’d keep the handlebars high until you’re more comfortable lowering them. Now you’re ready to hop on the bike. Make sure your straps are nice and tight on your feet. Safety first!

3. Your butt might hurt. A lot. But, it’s totally normal. My very first spin class was so uncomfortable because of the seat and my butt just wasn’t used to it. Just as is the case with any workout, your body has to get used to certain movements and using certain muscle groups. Your bottom is another one of those areas that has to get used to cycling. The good news is it will go away. If you go back within the next week, it will improve each time until the discomfort is completely gone. I promise!

4. Try different instructors. You may not like the playlist your instructor chose for the class you go to. Don’t let that stop you from going back. It could be that the next playlist you’ll enjoy more. Or maybe you should try out different instructors and find someone who is a good fit for you. Maybe you’re looking for an intense workout with an intense instructor, or maybe you’re looking for a fun and easygoing type of instructor. Shop around until you find someone that really works for you, because once you find that person, you will be hooked! 🙂

5. Have fun! Once you find the right instructor with the right ‘feel’ you’re looking for, you’ll really enjoy it!

Just a few other notes. There are several schools of thought on how to set up a cycling class. Personally, I set mine up based on perceived level of exertion. It works perfectly with the gear dial, and truly makes you listen to your body. So on a scale of 1-10, 10 being so hard you can’t pedal at all, I like to set up class based on a flat road being your 3 out of 10. 2 and 1 are essentially downhill, where you feel out of control of the pedals while going fast and don’t feel the connection with the pedals. Your 3 out of 10 feels like a slight pull on the legs, so it’s just enough resistance to have control over the pedals. Your hips are stable in the saddle and aren’t bouncing around. You are able to keep a fast pace easily. Increasing to your 4 our of 10 is a very slight incline, and you have to feel out the resistance dial to figure out what that is for you. Adding to your 5 feels like a small hill, which is just enough gear to come out of the saddle with control and keeping the pedals in smooth circles. When you come out of the saddle, you have to have at least your 5 to support your body weight. 6 feels like a slightly heavier hill, 7 is a heavy hill, and 8 feels like you are pedaling through mud. Rarely do we go to 9, but it does happen on occasion 😉 I choreograph all the music’s BPM (beats per minute) to RPM (revolutions per minute), so I use the literal beat of the music to dictate your target pace. Combine that with a set about of resistance makes for one fun and tough class!

Now go out there and start cycling!

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani

Last week’s killer total body tabata workout video!

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn cardio, class, fitness, group fitness, gym, high intensity interval training, home workout, motivation, tabata6 Comments

We did this last week in class, it was killer!!! Try it yourself if you dare! Watch the video a few times for form 💪👊
👉What is Tabata? 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. It’s high intensity interval training at its finest!!
👉This video has 8 exercises. Do the first exercise for 8 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, then rest 1 minute and move onto the second exercise for 8 sets…etc until you complete all 8 exercises for 8 sets each! Don’t forget to switch arms or legs! I used 15lb dumbells, but make sure you can keep the form otherwise drop the weight. Whew!!
👉Be sure to waTabata Recaprm up before and properly cool down and stretch afterwards.

Happy sweating!

Warmly,

Dani