Welcome to my blog!

Hi- The purpose of this blog is to start off the week right! I am posting brief and easy to follow suggestions and tips about exercise every monday in hopes of encouraging people the rest of the week. These are tips that everyone should know and should follow when starting or continuing an exercise regime. I hope this helps in some way- and feel free to ask any questions you may have. I will try my best to answer to the best of my knowledge!
Have a wonderful and healthy week! :)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Get fit with $1!

I have been adding this type of training for a while now- off and on.  Sometimes a bit more intense than other weeks.  Last week, I made it a point to make my $1 investment work for me! :)
I know you can buy a lot of diff. things with a dollar.  Perhaps, say... eat out, take a road trip (lets see how far a $1 gets you??), go shopping.... haha... watch a movie (That you can really do!), but this piece of equipment is the best way to add a level of difficulty to your work outs that you have never felt before!
A jump-rope~! Yes- and I bought mine at the .99 cents store! I have used many different ones before: the $5 dollar ones... the $25 dollar ones with pellets in the handles (adds speed to the flow) but hurts like a mofo- when you hit your shins, legs, back or chin! :)
After careful deliberation, research, market analysis, a spread sheet of investment cost- -- half life- opportunity cost and pocket depth: I decided that the results and comfort of my $1 jump-rope is unmeasurable! Now, how to use it and maximize its effects?

I do circuit or interval training with it.  I warm up for about 3 mins of non-stop jumping.  Then i go about my regular work out- and instead of resting in-between sets, I jump for about a minute.
so let's say its Monday: and I'm doing a chest work out:
I do: one set of 8 to 10 reps of bench press and one minute of jumping (repeat that for 3-4 sets- depending on your exercise plan!)
Things to keep in mind:
Neck- back, knee, or ankle problems (Joint pain): jump-roping may exacerbate (worsen) the pain... make sure you have good form- while jumping- chest should be high- shoulders back- and hands comfortably to your side so that your wrists are doing the work and not your whole arm.
The limiting factor for this exercise may be, (for me it is ), your shoulders.  After a while, your shoulders will burn as if you've been playing shirtless under 100 degrees for 3 hours with no sunscreen... lol but do not worry- this will ease up as you practice and your body adapts to it!
** for visuals check out my video at:
 http://www.youtube.com/fitwithsebastian
Go to the video: Get fit with $1-- and make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel! 

I need to stretch my my dollar. Which fish and cuts of meat offer the best value?
- JEROME, KENT, WA

The good news is that the cheaper, less popular cuts of meat also happen to be the most flavorful. With beef, pork, and lamb, skip the tenderloins in favor of cuts from the shoulder and leg. They'll need a long, slow braise in broth and wine, but you'll be rewarded with some of the tastiest eats money can buy. If you're cooking poultry, try swapping boneless, skinless chicken breasts for thighs or whole chickens. For fish, look for mackerel, monkfish, and fresh sardines; they're  inexpensive and full of healthy omega-3s.

Make this week your week! Get out there and no matter what you are doing, own it! Working on a school project- work hard and do it right! Office job- or any type of job- put on a smile and be contagious around your co-workers with 'feel good' energy! (People will wonder what 'kind' you have been smoking, but will either add to your positive energy or get out of your way! 
Working out and eating healthy- do it right! Go out and don't be embarrass to order only water with your meal, walk up the stairs for work, park far away from grocery stores, gyms, banks and so on.. and do something different anything- do something fun! you deserve it! 
Hope this inspires at least one person!! (if it does, I've done my part!)  now its your turn:)
your trainer,
sebastian







Thursday, June 2, 2011

Fun Sunday not Fat Sunday!! :)




Many people have different ways of managing the way they eat, the amount of food they eat and the quality of their meals.  Some people plan ahead… some people play it by ear and eat what ever is in from of them.  I said to myself a long time ago, “DR. Sebastian- (because that’s how I talk to myself- and the doctor prefix is motivational!) Dr. sebas- You will eat healthy and exercise very well Monday through Saturday and allow yourself to eat anything you want on Sundays.  This can be a great concept if you don’t exaggerate and over think it.  I tried it for a long time and found that it worked for me.  I looked forward to Sunday and everything I did and ate Sunday felt like a delicious treat and one that I had been waiting for a whole 7 days.  I also felt very accomplished throughout the days and felt entitled by the end of the week.  Weeks went on and I found that I got lost in the concept and started exaggerating and slowly the emphasis on Sunday became food.  My Sunday revolved around food.  I don’t know how that happened.  Fun became a synonym to greasy, salty and “bad” food.  The fix and a word that always comes to mind is: BALANCE.  I lacked balance during the week. I was so focused on avoiding bad-foods and lost tract of what is important and what fun really means to me.  Fun Sunday became Fat Sunday.  Last Sunday for instance, I ate a bad breakfast, then at Pita jungle (new restaurant in old town Pasadena) for lunch and decided that wasn’t ‘bad’ enough and proceeded to go to the taco truck J on Fair-oaks for dinner, then to the new coffee shop in old town Pasadena for a mocha and tiramisu.  Let me tell you… it had fun then! But felt miserable from that Sunday till the next Thursday.  The message behind all of this is that balance is crucial.  You should not deprive yourself of something…because guess what is the one thing that you will crave and have when given the chance? You are right… yes- that, which you have given up.  Instead, you might want to give in sometimes- always with moderation and balance in mind! Also keep in mind that FUN does not have to equate FAT or BAD!!!
Fun Sunday can be- going hiking, watching a movie, going dancing, and perhaps if you happen to eat something that is not so good- simply avoiding feeling guilty, but certainly not revolving your Sunday around food and not going on a quest to finding the worst food out there.
Need to tone up the chest area? Here’s a few exercises to get you started. While working out with your trainer you will have a spotter - but remember if you are doing these at home, always have a spotter.

A chest work –out

Bench Press: Start with 2 light sets of 15 repetitions to get warmed up. Then do 4 heavy sets with as much weight as you can handle, do declining repetitions of 10, 7, 5, and 3.

Decline Bench Press: 3 heavy sets of 10, 7, and 5 repetitions.

Incline Bench Press: 3 heavy sets of 10, 7, and 5 repetitions.

Are you having trouble eating healthy?  Maybe these tips will help you get on the right track!

Prepare it yourself
Yes, we know it’s easier to grab a bag of chips, or swing into a fast food drive-thru than it is to prepare a meal on your own, step one is to stop doing that! Many healthy meals can be prepared in less than 15 minutes, that’s probably the same amount of time it will take you to drive to the fast food restaurant and back. Substitute late evening ice cream with an apple, or some other type of fruit. Small changes will keep you at a healthier weight.

Create a meal plan
 It’s a lot easier to stick with a program if you have a plan. If you want to cut calories, or add more vegetables to your diet you can easily find charts and plans online that serve this purpose. It should only take you about 30 minutes to chart the entire plan and you won’t run into any problems because you’ll have everything you need.


Cook in batches
Have a cooking day and create several small meals at one time. Store them in containers in your refrigerator for later. Eventually, you’ll get used to grabbing one of your healthy concoctions instead of a bag of chips. It can also save money if you prepare a healthy meal to take with you to work each day. Healthy and rich? Sounds good.

Eating healthy has too many benefits to list. If you make a plan and stick to it, you’re body will reward you for it. Before you know it, fast food restaurants and junk food will be invisible.

I hope you can use these tips and story to help you get started on your new healthy life!
Your trainer
Sebastian