What You Can Expect From Your Essential Fitness Trainer (or anywhere!):
You should be the sole focus of your trainer during your session.
Your trainer should not discuss their personal lives with you during your session.Your time is precious, and your workout should be focused.You cannot learn form and focus when your trainer is prattling on about their latest date night.
You should expect your session to begin and end on time. As a professional, your trainer should be a master at managing the time before, during, and after your session.
You should expect to learn proper form on every exercise, and to be appropriately challenged. You should be positioned to be successful in completing most moves correctly. You can expect to only lift heavier weights when your technique improves.
It is not your job to fetch your weights. As a top service professional, your trainer will generally choose and give your weights to you.
Your trainer is the person to bring energy, motivation, and passion for fitness EVERY DAY. They must spend their time and energy moving you further along towards your goals- every time they see you!
Your trainer shall not do the following during your session: Be on their cell phone, Talk to other people, Eat. Refer to rules 1 and 2.
Your trainer should not lean on a wall, sit, or lounge in anyway while working. If they are passionate about changing lives, they will bring tremendous energy to your session, and work almost as hard as you.
You are not paying your trainer to be a tour guide, wandering around the gym aimlessly choosing a random machine to try. It is a reasonable to expect a well planned workout with your goals always in mind.
Your trainer should not accept your excuses and enable you to give up on your goals. Everyone may have a bad week or two, but outside of that, you need someone in your life that holds your feet to the fire. Someone who is invested in your success as much as you are, and who believes to their very core that you can do it. That trainer should never give up on you or take the easy way out. We know it’s hard to push people out of their comfort zone, but that is what you’re paying us to do – to make you better!
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Stretch at Essential Fitness
Brushing your teeth or having them professionally cleaned. Washing your face or getting a facial. Stretching or being stretched. The difference between doing these things yourself and having a trained professional do them for you is night and day. To be clear, we all should stretch every day. But that can’t replace the benefits of being stretched on a regular basis.
When you think of stretching, you think of loosening up for a few minutes after a workout, making sure your muscles don’t stay tight. It’s the forgotten segment of your workout and easily skipped if time is short. We’re going to change your mind about the importance of a good, long stretch.
Our 25-minute session will concentrate on major muscle groups of the core, back, shoulders and hips. This is a great option if you are looking to improve your range of motion and freedom of movement. This stretch can help alleviate muscle tightness from daily office work, that last 5K or intense workout.
Our 50-minute session is our deeper and more extensive stretch that focuses on all major muscle groups in the 25-minute stretch, plus extremities like the lower leg, foot, and ankle, neck, arms wrists and hands. An ideal option for anyone struggling with tight muscles, aching or stiff joints. This head to toe stretch will leave you relaxed and amazing!
The next time you want to reward yourself, consider booking a stretch session as a new and fresh reward for your body and mind- you will feel amazing!
Book a private stretch session at Essential Fitness- 25-minute sessions for $40; 50-minute session for $80. Monthly packages are also available and make a great gift!
Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons salted butter or coconut oil melted
2 cloves garlic minced
1½ teaspoons salt divided
1 teaspoon black pepper divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (can swap for chicken breasts but cooking time may change)
1 medium head cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
½ pound Brussels sprouts quartered
4 slices thick-cut bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, garlic, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cayenne. Brush the mixture over the tops of the chicken thighs.
In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and bacon. Drizzle with the avocado oil and sprinkle with the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Toss to coat well.
Spread the vegetables out in a rimmed baking sheet. Place the chicken thighs on top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the center of the chicken thighs registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Turn on the broiler and set the pan on the second highest rack of the oven. Broil 2 to 4 minutes to brown the chicken.
Thousands of choices everyday
We unconsciously make food choices all day long… hundreds, if not thousands of them! And when you think about it, most of them are unconscious choices, we go with what we usually have, without giving it much thought. It’s the typical “I’ll have the usual!”
However, if you can consciously change your mind set to “how can I make this meal a little better?” Or, “How can I find more ways to reduce my sugar?” You will have tons of new food and drink choices that are better for you, contain less sugar, and help you lose weight! You just need to be open to trying new things, and stop the momentum of choosing the go-to usuals that may not be very good for you.
Here are some easy examples of foods/ drinks to switch out:
Beans:
Same brand, totally different ingredients. The maple cured bacon one has 1.5 grams of fat and and 10 grams sugar. Swap out black beans for ZERO fat and 1 gram sugar!
Try these simple switches today and look for others that you can easily implement.
Weight Training: Why it’s important + Why we do it
If you have 1 day a week to workout, what should you do? Weight training.
What if you have 2 days a week? Weight training.
3 days a week? Weight training.
Do you notice a trend? Resistance training is the #1 way accomplish so many of your goals such as:
Did you know that after the age of 35 we lose 1/2# of muscle mass every year? That means that by the age of 45, women could lose 5 or more pounds of muscle mass! Trust me, if you haven’t been lifting regularly your whole life, then you don’t have that much muscle to spare.
As women age, they start to notice their lack of strength more, and they often start to feel weaker and more vulnerable to injury. That is why it is so important to get proper coaching in weight training, and devote a couple hours a week to building strength back up in their upper body, low back, core, and legs.
When you start mastering the foundational moves such as squats (no, when done properly, they don’t hurt your knees), lunges (same), push ups and crunches- you will acquire a lot of strength, balance and coordination. As a result, your joints will hurt less and your balance will improve.
After spending some time on these simple, yet compound (many muscle groups per exercise) exercises, you will have a nice baseline of strength in your core and extremities for ongoing training- a great beginning towards your goals!
We Love Muffins!
Doesn’t everyone love muffins? We definitely do! We just prefer the Essential Fitness version.
These protein packed muffins from Cynthia taste just like a chocolate cupcake!! But they are a much more nutritious alternative than its sugary and calorie dense counterpart.
Enjoy these pre or post workout!
(12 grams of protein per 2 muffin serving)
Here’s what you will need:
2 cups Kodiak cakes Dark Chocolate power cakes mix
1 cup milk
3 Tbs egg whites
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c softened butter (not melted)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all in mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 F for 14-18 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out slightly moist. Makes 12 muffins.
5:00 A.M., 6:00 A.M, 7:00 A.M.
If you are a busy mom, a busy professional, or both – these early times can be your “best and most productive” hours in the day. If you want to get more fit and lose weight, then you need to workout, and to get your workout in, you need to find some time!
Trust me, there are many busy women out there that know what they want but don’t think they have the time to do it. That’s where the early morning hours come in…
5 great reasons to set your alarm at 5 or 6 am to get a workout in:
1. There are no meetings at 5 or 6 am. Generally most jobs don’t start until 8 or 9 am…
2. Almost all of the stores are closed. No need to grocery shop or anything, therefore no guilt about not getting 1 more thing done…
3. An early workout gives you energy ALL DAY. As compared to the later workout that hangs over your head all day.
4. You will burn more calories all day, which leads to better results!
5. The kids and the rest of the family are (usually) sleeping! They won’t even miss you, we promise! No soccer practice, no volleyball matches, nothing!… unless of course your kid is a swimmer, and they may practice at 5:00 am, but then you can drop them off and workout while they are at practice, you’re up anyway!
If you think you need help making this change to early mornings, hire a trainer and make an appointment. Knowing that someone is waiting on you will get you out of bed until your body adjusts and it becomes easier. As a bonus result, your evenings become more relaxed, and you will be happier and healthier.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Prep Time: 5 mins. Cook Time: approx 25 mins.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
5 green onions, sliced on a bias (white and green parts)
1 lb ground pork (can also swap this out for ground turkey, beef or chicken)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp Sriracha or garlic chili sauce, more to taste
14 oz bag coleslaw or half a head of cabbage finely shredded
3 tbsp Coconut Aminos or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the garlic, onion, and white portion of the green onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add the ground pork, ground ginger, sea salt, black pepper and Sriracha. Sauté until the pork is cooked through.
4. Add the coleslaw mix, coconut aminos, and rice wine vinegar. Sauté until the coleslaw is tender.
5. Top with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Serve over a bed of brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Your Rights as a Personal Training Client
What You Can Expect From Your Essential Fitness Trainer (or anywhere!):
You should be the sole focus of your trainer during your session.
Your trainer should not discuss their personal lives with you during your session.Your time is precious, and your workout should be focused.You cannot learn form and focus when your trainer is prattling on about their latest date night.
You should expect your session to begin and end on time. As a professional, your trainer should be a master at managing the time before, during, and after your session.
You should expect to learn proper form on every exercise, and to be appropriately challenged. You should be positioned to be successful in completing most moves correctly. You can expect to only lift heavier weights when your technique improves.
It is not your job to fetch your weights. As a top service professional, your trainer will generally choose and give your weights to you.
Your trainer is the person to bring energy, motivation, and passion for fitness EVERY DAY. They must spend their time and energy moving you further along towards your goals- every time they see you!
Your trainer shall not do the following during your session: Be on their cell phone, Talk to other people, Eat. Refer to rules 1 and 2.
Your trainer should not lean on a wall, sit, or lounge in anyway while working. If they are passionate about changing lives, they will bring tremendous energy to your session, and work almost as hard as you.
You are not paying your trainer to be a tour guide, wandering around the gym aimlessly choosing a random machine to try. It is a reasonable to expect a well planned workout with your goals always in mind.
Your trainer should not accept your excuses and enable you to give up on your goals. Everyone may have a bad week or two, but outside of that, you need someone in your life that holds your feet to the fire. Someone who is invested in your success as much as you are, and who believes to their very core that you can do it. That trainer should never give up on you or take the easy way out. We know it’s hard to push people out of their comfort zone, but that is what you’re paying us to do – to make you better!
Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto
Summer is coming and it’s too hot to turn on the stove. Zoodles for dinner is a great go-to when the temperatures are rising. This recipe is great for the whole family or just you (and leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch). You can swap ingredients in and out for every eating style. Vegetarian? Go with the beans and leave out the chicken. Vegan? Use beans for your protein, and garnish with slivers of sun-dried tomato.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
3 medium zucchini
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 small avocado
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon (juice + zest)
Sea salt to taste
1 can (16 oz) chickpeas rinsed or 1 lb cooked chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
Sun-dried tomatoes to garnish
Step One – The Zucchini Noodles
Slice off the top and bottom of the zucchini. Then, using a mandolin with a julienne attachment, a julienne peeler, or a spiralizer, slice zucchini into thin pasta-like strips and set aside.
Step Two – The Pesto
In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, avocado, garlic, lemon juice and sea salt. Process until smooth, then taste and adjust any ingredients as necessary. Pesto comes out differently every time, and always needs adjustments – don’t be afraid to throw in more basil, garlic, or salt. You can even add a little water if the sauce is too thick.
Step Three – Toss
Add the zucchini noodles to a bowl and toss with the pesto. Then, add in the chickpeas or chicken and sun-dried tomatoes and toss again. Transfer to serving plates and garnish each plate with a sprig of basil.
Optional: Parmesan, goat or feta cheese make a delicious garnish as well!
Amazing Super Salad
This amazing super salad is easy to make, is Gluten-Free, Paleo, and Vegetarian approved, and is a great addition to any meal. Use your own salad dressing and enjoy!
Ingredients:
4 cups baby kale
2 cups sprouts
2 cups butter leaf lettuce
2 cups spinach
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups chopped cucumbers
2 cups shredded raw cheese
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chia seeds