Battle of the Badges

I am thrilled to report that in addition to all of the other cool fitness and wellness stuff I do, I am also the resident Fitness and Wellness Specialist on the board of directors of this very cool, non profit organization called, First Responders for Fitness. (FR4F)

FR4F

We believe that all First Responders and their families should embrace and find balance, with 4 strategic areas of fitness and wellness: physical, psychological, spiritual and nutritional. With this as the cornerstone, we believe all First Responders can in turn better serve our communities.

We are planning an amazing event- the first ever of its kind- called, “Battle of the Badges” to be held on Bell Isle this summer, August 23 -25, 2013. Policemen and Policewomen, Firefighters, EMS, and Lifeguards are all First Responders who must be *FIT and Ready* at all times to protect and serve our communities. This weekend long event will be packed full of games, challenges, friendly competition, family and community fun, entertainment, and more, all in our beloved city!

“The Rock” as Bell Isle is affectionately called by us Detroiter’s, was my stomping ground as a youngster while growing up in Detroit.  I spent many a day there and I am proud to bring it back home, and contribute to my city and community.

Are you ready to BATTLE, and have BIG FUN?? Stay tuned for more exciting details to come!

New Year, New us!

Hey all! I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but I  took a little hiatus to work on my family, my music, Facebook page (check it out at www.facebook.com/FITEnterprises)  and stepped away from blogging for a spell,Dena Got Music but guess what? I’m back! A friend posted a pic on my Facebook page which said:

BE STRONGER THAN YOUR STRONGEST EXCUSE. We all have them don’t we? So…in the spirit of this new year and moment, and a new us, I humbly submit to you the following:

Are your workouts set in your calendar? Have you hired a certified experienced trainer who will also serve as a lifestyle coach? Do you need to do a better job holding yourself accountable? A few tips:

1) Choose to be around positive, uplifting, supportive people, who are like minded and share your health and wellness goals. Others? Keep them at a distance.

2) Stop trying to fix and rescue other people. You already have your plate full with trying your very best to take care of you. YOU, are your most important asset. Say politely, ” No, I’m sorry, but I can’t. It will be okay, really, it will!

3) If will power is a problem for you, remove from your home: all junk food and whatever stuff you tend to go for when contemplating a binge. Out of sight, out of mind! Remember for many, it is not what you are eating, it’s what’s eating you. Figure it out. Ask yourself,
” Why am I eating this? Am I really hungry? Am I tired?” (yes when you are sleep deprived, the body sends mixed signals to the brain to fool it into thinking you are hungry…you’re not) Are you bored? Lonely? There are great trained professionals to help with this if binge eating is an issue.

4) Schedule your workouts in your daily planner as an appointment and also in your task manager. Keep your appointment with yourself, your trainer and let nothing or no one deter you from your “you” time. Check off your workout in your task manager and you will gain great satisfaction seeing it crossed off, and will feel a great sense of accomplishment too! Smart phone people, I recommend the google calendar. It does all of this.

5) Keep a journal of your food and fluid intake along with your activity. Remember to include all information especially the timing of your eating. If you reached a plateau, dig a litter deeper to find out exactly what the problem may be . It may very well be that you are not eating enough food, your carbohydrate intake is too high, your protein intake is too low , you may be working out too hard- and depleting all your glycogen stores…it could be anything. Be willing to listen to your coach, trainer, nutritionist, and/or team of professionals and do the work to take it to the next level. Remember: no change= no change.

6) Engage yourself in a hobby you love or get back to one of your God given talents that you have placed on the back burner; music, art, volunteering, spending time with friends and family… feed your soul!

7) Feed yourself spiritually. Spend time in nature, unplug and get away from ALL electro magnetic energy for a while. Go to church, temple, practice yoga, pray, meditate, read inspirational books, scripture, whatever path you are on…keep working on yourself and edifying your spirit.

We are responsible for our own health, wellness, and happiness. Find yours, because no one is going to do it for you. Be stronger than your strongest excuse!

 

 

Happy 2012- Exciting News Flash!

TRX Suspension training is here!Happy 2012 to you all!  Every day is a new beginning and making a fresh start and/or significant changes in our lives does not have to wait until the new year. I made some significant changes in my training and coaching at the end of 2011 and am so EXCITED to share them with you! Before I go on, here is just a little tidbit  about me that may interest you.

  I started my journey of health, fitness, and wellness in my youth and began regular gym workouts when I was 12 years old at Silhouette American Health Spa on Fenkell and Grand River in the heart of Detroit. (Yes, I am from, and love the D, defend the D, and make no bones about it!) I love training with a passion but soon realized after years of traditional machine training, I was missing out on something. We didn’t know as much back then, so we did what we were taught. I implemented free weight training and did get off of the machines – and onto my feet – some of the time, but it wasn’t until I began a much more integrated approach and started more functional training, like using free motion equipment, working with stability balls, etc. that I started to see much greater gains in my strength, core, and overall performance. I recently began suspension training and all I can say is WOW! There really is no other training quite like it. I love it! Even better, I am taking my career to another level and  have recently added “Certified TRX Suspension Training Instructor” to my list of credentials! You must try this training and ANYONE can do it!

 Suspension training started with the Navy Seals. Yes, the hard-core, bad-ass, Nacy Seals. And you know, not only do they mean business, they are the most fit and “ready” individuals on our planet. This kind of training gives us a distinct edge over a pure regimen of traditional strength training. Why? Because every suspension training exercise builds true, functional strength, improves flexibility, active range of motion, balance, and core stability all at once. This is required on the playing fields of every sport and most importantly, in life.

 Why should we train using the TRX: Life and sport demand significantly more of our bodies than standing still and flexing our muscles.  The premise that our bodies know “movement,” not muscle, is new for some and a switch from the single joint, isolating exercises that are done by sitting on machines. For example: A knee extension machine (which works the quadriceps) calls you to sit on a chair, fully supported – with no core engagement or integrated movement involved- only the knee extending (straightening) as you lift your leg up, and then flexing (bending) to lower the weight stack down. While this kind of training does have some benefits such as helping with absolute strength gains, and may increase the size (or help tone) a given muscle, if done alone it does not sufficiently demand the neuromuscular coordination required to build optimal strength and coordination. In other words, you may look great but will have little functionality. We are poetry in motion and life demands us to move freely through space, not within the confines of some machine. Think about it…

 To that end, I say this: Train your body like you move. Work to improve the overall quality of life, every day activities of living, and if you are athletically inclined, this training will greatly improve your performance. Oh, and by the way, when done along with a nutritionally sound plan of eating, you will look and feel better too! So, let’s be “ready” for anything! Get off those benches and knee extension machines and train with TRX! And, when you are ready for a personalized fitness plan, reach out. This is what I do and love!