Workouts that Work with Amy...Signing Out

From high school jock to overweight college student, from marathon runner to teacher, from trainer to business owner...my, what a path it has been! :)


I'm sure many of you can look back on the last decade and decidedly see where life took you on a different path than expected. And whether those side roads, obstacles and opportunities were positive or negative experiences, they formed you into who you are today. I can confidently say that the path my life has taken over the last decade has provided so many changes, moments of growth and led to me a business that has truly been a blessing.


As this is my last post (please forgive the sappiness) I must thank each and every one of my clients, group class participants and my Facebook group. When I begin to add up the hundreds of you I've had the privilege to guide to a healthier life, it's overwhelming. I've been inspired by you. You've shown me how to rise to the occasion even when life is tough. You've made me laugh before 5 am and have fun training you in freezing, pouring rain. You've forgiven my inability to count reps and tolerated my crazy ideas well. You've become my friends, and some of you I consider my family.


I would be terribly mistaken to not thank my family as well. Aly told me the other day that she was a "gym rat". I asked her what she thought that meant. Her definition: "Kids that can do pull-ups and burpees and stuff because they are in the gym a lot with their mom". I love it. My kids are amazing gym rats. They have attended too many classes to count, sat quietly through  numerous personal training sessions and have been my biggest cheerleaders.

Running your own business has several ups and downs. The downs were tough. I would question whether I should find something more stable and feel guilty for the income dip. Bart, my husband, was always the quiet, confident voice of reason reminding me of my passion and gifts and to never quit. He gently pushed me to do things like run more boot camps, even giving up his garage gym and backyard rig for my classes to meet at the house. He created spreadsheets and patiently explained them ;), edited and gave input on my blogs and programming ideas, and listened as I shared silly stories and successes from my day. Having a husband who recognizes my talents, pushes me to grow and supports me no matter what, among many things, made running my own business that much easier.


As I close out my last blog entry for Workouts that Work with Amy I look forward to yet a new path at Elite Edge Gym in Ankeny as both the Head Trainer and Manager. I am thrilled to continue to use my gifts to motivate and inspire others to lead a healthier lifestyle! Please pop in and visit! I would love to see you all there!


Thank you all for all of your support. What ride it's been! I will leave this blog open so you can access all the information I've gathered throughout the last few years.


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!
This is Workouts that Work with Amy...signing out :)

Nutrition: My Straight Up Advice

Before you read this let me say I'm not a nutritionist or dietician. I'm a formally obese person who now is fit. I'm a trainer who has worked with hundreds of people over the course of 3 years and read too many nutrition related blogs and books to count. I am no expert. I just speak from experience. Now that that's out of the way...here's my straight up advice on what it takes to eat well.


My husband and I enjoy a cheat meal on the weekend. Well...I enjoy a cheat meal and he kind of enjoys a cheat day. :) It's a day earned by 6 days of disciplined clean eating and 5-6 days of intense workouts. It's a day that helps us stay on track all week because we know if we stay mentally tough and committed to eating clean and working out we can enjoy that cake or pizza in a few days.


I have many clients ask me if this is the way to go with their nutrition. Yes for some...no for others.


It takes a very disciplined person to eat clean 6 out of 7 days a week AND workout at least 5 of those. It requires planning meals ahead of time, even hours of food prep on the weekends, and saying no to birthday cake at work or high calorie coffees on your way there. It takes putting workouts on your calendar not to be rescheduled, and working out when it's the last thing you want to do.


If you're truly honest with yourself and know you are not ready for that much discipline and commitment on a weekly basis, then I honestly recommend at least 3-4 weeks of clean eating...no cheating. Wait?!? If I'm not disciplined enough to say no to donuts on "Donut Fridays" then I should just cut them out altogether?!? Yep. Your body becomes dependent on junk. It craves crap and turns you into a processed food junkie. And just like junkies can't have just 1...neither can you. Cheat days turn into cheat weeks, turn into cheat months...you get the idea. Your body and mind need to detox. If adding in workouts along with this clean eating commitment throws you over the top...then start with nutrition. Once that overwhelming sensation disappears, jump into some walking or a fitness class! Believe me, once your body feels better because it's fueled properly, workouts will actually become easier and something you enjoy!


Pair either option by drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily, and you set yourself up for healthy lifestyle success!


And if this is how you feel...

Buy and read this...

Clean Eating Made Simple:

http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Eating-Made-Simple-Whole-Food/dp/1623154014/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VT7V9D5EVY4J2XEDVTV

Over 100 meal ideas, a week of meals planned out for you and a simple explanation for clean eating and why it's the way to go.

Winter Boot Camps!

Don't let cold weather get you down and out of your healthy routine!
What healthy routine, you ask? Well...let's start one then!
Join my quick, effective and totally fun winter boot camps!
We will mix body weight exercises along with resistance bands  for a total body workout done in half the time most people spend...
AND you'll get the results you are looking for!

Exercises will be demonstrated and modified for ANY ability: beginner - athlete!    

DATES:
November 3 – December 18
     *No class November 5, 7 & 28
     *There will be class November 4 & November 11
     *Class on November 26 will be 1 hour long in Polk City (5:30-6:30 am) and 1 hour in Ankeny (5:15-6:15 pm). Expect all sorts of Thanksgiving fun! This will be the make-up class for November 28 and count as 2 punches.

LOCATIONS AND TIMES:
POLK CITY

West Elementary, 1400 West Broadway Polk City, IA 50266
Monday, Wednesday & Friday 
5:30-6:00 am, and
6:00-6:30 am
FRIDAY 5:30 - 6:00 am ONLY

ANKENY
First United Methodist Church, 710 NE 36th St, Ankeny, IA 50023
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
5:30 - 6:15 pm

PUNCH CARDS:

Included in all punch card purchases:

• 2 resistance bands: 1 long and 1 figure 8
• Membership to a private Facebook group where you'll have 24/7 access to a trainer, ME!, fun challenges, access to group information and daily interaction with other participants.
• A 7 week nutritional challenge and weekly food journal review/feedback

All punch cards can be used at either location.

Punch cards cannot be transferred to other individuals or split amongst participants.

All punch cards expire December 19, 2014.

Extra punches can be purchased during the session for $8.50 each.

POLK CITY ONLY (30 min classes):
21 punches: $179
14 punches: $129
7 punches: $79


ANKENY ONLY (45 min classes):
21 punches: $189
14 punches: $139
7 punches: $89

Simply sign up by clicking on the PayPal link on the right side of my blog!
Payment due no later than Friday, October 31!

Small Daily Goals Lead to BIG Success!

Yesterday I did 5 strict pull-ups in my garage on my way to grab waters from the fridge. I did 5 strict pull-ups while waiting for my kids to put their shoes on. I did 5 strict pull-ups before my workout and 5 after. I did 5 strict pull-ups as I waited for the veggies to cook.

Why??

Because I'm not good at strict pull-ups and I want to get better. My goal is to do 25 strict pull-ups every day for 30 days. I am keeping track on a whiteboard in my garage and I have a friend from CrossFit doing it with me. We check in with one other for accountability. I figure by the end of those 30 days I will have done 750 of them and I will doing them in 1-2 sets rather than 5.


On Monday I took a functional movement screening test. Test = 1, Shoulders = big, fat 0. So now I am taking small steps every day to improve my shoulder mobility and core stability. Just 5 minutes of exercises done 1-2 times/day. I will meet with my chiropractor once a week and he will know if I've done these exercises or not.


Why??

Because I hurt and I shouldn't. Because I am limited by my shoulders and I want to get better. My goal is to pass that functional movement test in 6 months.


I don't share these things to put the spotlight on myself, and definitely do not expect a round of applause for my efforts. Simply stated, exercise is empowering. When things at work just aren't going well, it's usually not a quick, well defined fix that gives us instant gratification we're moving forward. It usually involves relying on others which can lead to frustration, waiting and slow resolutions. But spending a few minutes out of your day working on your bodies weakness provides instant gratification, knowing that YOU have done something good FOR YOU and you're making progress toward an attainable goal.


How??


Choose 1 goal and set your time frame. Set a daily goal that's not time consuming and create a way to keep track for accountability. Then see how empowering exercise can be when you break down a big goal into small ones done on a daily basis!

KISS

Red wine, dark chocolate, coffee, eggs...just a few of many items frequently in the news about either their health benefits or new claims that they really aren't healthy after all. To compound the confusion we have ads after ads promoting exercise that works without having to change your diet, pills that will change your body without any changes made to your lifestyle and machines that magically drop the pounds in less than 20 minutes.


How does one navigate this seemingly endless and unregulated health industry to know what's truly the best path to becoming a healthier, happier version of themselves? Common sense.


You know processed foods are not the best choice. You know if it comes in a box or a can it's less healthy than fresh foods. You know that moving your body and breathing hard are a better option than choosing to sit and stare at the computer. And when you know better, it's your responsibility to ignore the health propaganda and just do better.


Common sense will tell you chocolate, no matter the color or flavor, has sugar and alcohol isn't going to help you meet your goals. So trust your gut, go for foods with minimal ingredients and fresh produce and meat, and find a way to move your body daily that requires you to work hard and sweat. You got this. Just KISS (Keep It Simple, Sister :).

NEW! Fall Boot Camp with Amy Classes!

8 Week Fall Class Options: September 1st – October 24th

Ankeny Extreme Boot Camp at Kensington Gym

729 SE Kensington Rd, Ankeny, IA 50021

Monday & Wednesday evenings, 5:45-6:30 pm

Punch cards:
16 classes = $160, 12 classes = $132 or 8 classes = $96

 

Polk City Express Boot Camp at West Elementary

1400 W Broadway St, Polk City, IA 50226

Monday, Tuesday &Thursday mornings, 5:30 – 6:00 am & 6 - 6:30 am

Punch cards:
24 classes = $180, 18 classes = $153, 12 classes = $108, 8 classes = $80

Class Descriptions

Express Boot Camp

All fitness levels can attend and enjoy an effective workout in only 30 minutes! Classes will include mostly body weight exercises and will take place both indoors and outdoors, weather depending. Modifications will be shown for ALL exercises. It's the perfect class for busy mommies to professionals, fitness beginners to athletes and everyone between! Purchase of a punch card also includes free membership to a private Facebook group giving you 24/7 access to a personal trainer (me!) for all your fitness/nutrition questions as well as access to all boot camp participants! Challenges, recipes and all class information will be posted on the site as well.


Extreme Boot Camp

During this 45 minute class body weight exercises along with equipment such as kettlebells, barbells, medicine balls, sleds, tires and ropes will be incorporated for a fun, fast and intense full body workout! Modifications will be shown for ALL exercises and no experience with the equipment is required. It's the perfect class for those wanting to take their fitness to the next level or are just looking for fun group to challenge themselves! Purchase of a punch card also includes free membership to a private Facebook group giving you 24/7 access to a personal trainer (me!) for all your fitness/nutrition questions as well as access to all boot camp participants! Challenges, recipes and all class information will be posted on the site as well.

Sign Up!
Use the PayPal link at the top of my site! Sign up today to reserve your spot as classes will be first come, first serve!

Summer Boot Camp with Amy: Session 2!

Looking for some extra motivation and outdoor fun this summer? Join Summer Boot Camp with Amy: Session 2 and get in fun & effective outdoor workouts!

Here's the information you need to know,

a NEW PAYMENT OPTION ,

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP and

a NEW "EXTREME" CLASS OPTION!

CLASS OPTIONS:

• Boot Camp Express: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
• 5:30 - 6:00 pm OR 6:00 - 6:30 pm
• Georgetown Park in Ankeny across from Ashland Ridge Elementary
• Boot Camp Express: Tuesday and Thursday
• 5:30 - 6:00 am OR 6:00 - 6:30 am
• West Elementary in Polk City
• Boot Camp Extreme, NEW!: Wednesday  evenings
• 5:45 - 6:30 pm
• 729 SE Kensington Road Ankeny, IA 50021

**ALL CLASSES will run for 5 weeks beginning the week of Monday, July 21 through Thursday, August 22nd.**  

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

• Boot Camp Express: If you don't have a lot of time but want a quick, effective workout, this class is for you! Benches, playground equipment, trees...they're all fair game for this class! We will focus primarily on body weight exercises that can be modified for a true beginner to a full blown athlete. Your children are welcome to play on the playground that's in plain sight the entire class, however no adult supervision is provided.
• Boot Camp Extreme: Does swinging a kettlebell, using a barbell, flipping a tire, learning to climb a rope and pushing a sled sound like fun?!? Those are just some of the exercises we'll tackle during this challenging 45 minute class! All exercises will be demonstrated and modified, absolutely no experience with any of the above mentioned equipment is necessary! You just need to be willing to show up and work hard! The class will take place in my fully equipped garage gym as well as my backyard using my giant rig and tire. There will be no childcare provided but you are welcome to bring your children and my daughters will happily play with them.

FACEBOOK GROUP:
Members of all the mentioned classes will be added to a private Facebook group! I will post nutrition information, motivational challenges and you can connect with others in class! It'll be a great way to get to know one another and hold each other accountable...plus you get 24/7 access to a personal trainer for all your burning fitness and nutrition related questions!

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

• Boot Camp Express Punch Card: Can be used at any location, any class time
• 5 punches: $55
• 10 punches: $80
• 15 punches: $95
• Boot Camp Extreme:
• All 5 Classes: $65
• Combo:
• Boot Camp Express 5 punches + Boot Camp Extreme: $110
• Boot camp Express 10 punches + Boot Camp Extreme: $130
• Boot Camp Express 15 punches + Boot Camp Extreme: $140 

Total payment is due NO LATER THAN July 21.
Punch cards will handed out at your first class.
Send payment to Amy Boyd at 729 SE Kensington Rd. Ankeny, IA 50021.

*Bring mat or beach towel for work on the ground and water to every class.

EMAIL: BOYDAMYR@gmail.com to get signed up TODAY!!!