Trufit Pilates

Category: Fitness

  • HIIT Week 5

    If you are new to HIIT welcome!!! Set up your timer like we did in WEEK 1. Compete this circuit in three rounds resting about a minute in between. Do as much as you possibly can because this is a short, explosive workout designed to have you burn F A T for 48 hours after you are finished. Have fun!!

    Squat jacks: two of my favorite exercises in one! It’s just like a jumping jack except you land in a squat when you jump your legs open.

    Alternating Lunges: step your left foot forward. Bend both legs to create 90 degree angles at the knees. press of the front foot to come to standing. Repeat on the other side.

    Push ups: Starting in a plank position, bend your elbows wide to the side lowering your body to the floor. Press up explosively.

    Rope Climb: Lay on your back with your feet towards the ceiling. Imagine you are trying to climb a rope at the end of your feet. Alternate reaching your hand toward your opposite foot to climb while isolating a crunch in your obliques.

    Squat Kicks: squat down as low as you can go. As you press up through your heels, Kick straight forward. Repeat squat kicking with other leg

    Star Jumps: Start in a bent position with feet and knees touching. Hands are by your toes. Explosively, jump into a star position (hands and feet wide to the side). Land in the starting position.

    This week is intense. Modify Modify Modify.

    xoxo,

    K

  • Cardio for maintaining muscle mass

    Cardio. It’s 110% required if you want to be a well rounded athlete or if you just would like to have a healthy heart. Listen, I have a less than stellar relationship with cardio. Honestly, I totally hate (most) cardio.
    My issue with cardio is, if done to often or for too long, burns MUSCLE not fat.
    I sincerely hope that wasn’t earth shattering for you. If it was, I’m so sorry but the good news is you don’t have to spend hours running or on the stair master. You’re welcome.

     

    If you start burning muscle…you are slowing your metabolism and burning LESS calories at rest. Gross. So counter productive and I know you don’t have time for that. Plus gaining muscle is H A R D and you want to keep what you worked hard for.
    “So Katie, how do you burn fat and keep muscle?”
    GIRL IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Shorter cardio sessions with higher intensity. Personally, I do HIIT, rhythmic cycle classes and the stair master. All three have a focus on sculpting the booty and legs while increasing the heart rate. WIN WIN.
    HIIT is essentially the FREE workouts I post for you. I hit the biggest muscle groups with compound movements traditionally used for strength building. When done in a circuit, at a fast tempo it’s cardio. SIGN ME UP
    Rhythmic Cycle is BOMB because you can drop it low like your a shot girl at the club. It’s typically 45 minutes which is the LONGEST amount of time I will do cardio. Like HIIT, your instructor tricks you into doing intervals of climbs and sprints with Cardi B blasting through you soul.
    Last, and purposely  least, the stupid effing stair master. I max out at 25 minutes. I hate it. It’s the worst. BUT it works your BUTT. It make it tolerable I do sprints. I will pick a goal. Example: 150 flights in 25 minutes. That equals about 6 flights a minute. It sucks but the time flies.
    If you follow me on Insta you have probably seen a story or 30493 of me on the stair master. My goal is to complete 25 minutes 5 times a week until my 25th birthday. I hate to admit it, but GIRL it is making me shed F A T. Try it with me. Let me know how many flights your getting in 25 minutes. Lets challenge each other.
    Okay, I have to go workout.
    I love you
    xoxo,
    K

  • WHY I HIRED a PERSONAL TRAINER

    Several weeks ago I posted my weekly workout routine on Insta and the majority of question I received were all about my trainer.

    “If you already know how to lift why are you paying someone?”

    “You are a trainer… why do you have one?”

    Being in the fitness industry and hiring another fitness professional isn’t a sign of weakness. There is strength in understanding you cant possibly know everything about everything.

    While working out is my jam, I am NOT a personal trainer. I have been lifting for as long as I can remember. I am a certified Pilates and cycle instructor. I know what I am doing in the gym but sometimes I just need to zone out and be told what to do. I want my form picked apart. I want feedback on my progress. I want someone to force me to work on my weaknesses. I want an expert to make me better, stronger and faster.

    I told my dad I was sick of my own workouts. I was bored of the routine; chest and tris on Monday, back and bis on Tuesday. YAWN I wanted fresh eyes on my form (aside from creepy old dude who hangs out by the squat rack). He mentioned there was a trainer at the barber shop one time who climbed a mountain in the middle of a blizzard or something like that. I knew that was exactly the kind of trainer I wanted…someone slightly batshit crazy to get me out of my comfort zone. I was also dreaming of a trainer who had a private facility because, believe it or not… I hate lifting with an audience.

    Then, along came Ryan. Ryan pushes me. He pushes me to lift heavier and makes me work on my weaknesses. Before Ryan, I was squatting maybe 105 and wondering why I was literally never sore. He showed me (by adding far more weight than I usually do) that I am more than capable of squatting 175lbs for 8 reps. He also makes me work on balance…by far my biggest weakness (which means it’s my biggest opportunity for growth).

    I have never done conditioning…like ever. I didn’t play team sports growing up. I needed someone to teach me the basics and push me to do it. Someone to watch the timer while I sprint on the versa climber…someone to get me on the versa climber in the first place. As it turns out, I love conditioning. I love suicides… and if you add a weighed sled to it, it’s super painful and burns in the best way. Who knew?

    Since working with Ryan, all my workouts have improved. I lift far heavier on my own. I actually work on my weaknesses because I am far more aware of them and how they impact the way my body moves in and out of the gym.

    So how do you find a trainer that is right for you??? SHOP AROUND. Ask your friends. Check them out on social media. Call them to chat about their certifications and training style. GOOGLE their certs to make sure they are nationally accredited. Read their testimonials.

    Most importantly, make sure your personalities mesh well. Ryan is the perfect trainer for me…he knows he can push me. He knows when I am cursing at him that I don’t mean it. He knows I am highly motivated by stories about his family… especially his twin boys. Ryan works with ALL levels…so if you are in the Lansdale area PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give him a call. I promise you thank me!

    xoxo,

    K

    http://www.trainforlife.us

  • HIIT THREE: Booty Work

    THIS WEEKS HIIT IS A BOOTY KILLER. Set up your timer just like we did Week One. If you need a refresher click HERE. Remember this is 15 minutes of work for fat burning benefits up to 48 hours. Do this three times this week!

    Skaters: Start in a small squat. Jump sideways to the left, landing on your left leg. Bring your right leg behind to your left ankle, and don’t let it touch the floor. Reverse direction by jumping to the right with your right leg. This completes one rep.

    Burpees with jump knee tuck: Start standing. Place hands on the floor and jump feet back to land in a plank position. Quickly jump feet back in toward your hands. As you stand, explosively jump tucking your knees into your chest.

    Duck Walk: In a squatting position walk two steps forward and two steps back. See if you can hold your squat low enough to have your thighs parallel to the floor. Play with the pace of your steps. Challenge yourself to squat deeper and increase your tempo each round.

    Cruches: this is your ‘gift’. Lie on your back with feet planted on the floor. Crunch up focusing on your breath. This is your  ACTIVE recovery. You’re welcome.

    Pause Sumo Squats: With feet wider than hip distance and toes pointed outward squat deep holding for a slow count to three then power up through the heels squeezing your booty at the top.

    Butt kickers: run in place kicking your heels toward your booty. Go as fast as you can…. this is your last exercise before your break. Give it all you have!!

    Repeat this THREE times through with a one to two minute rest in-between sets!!

    Let me know what you think!!

    xoxo,

    K