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Monday, June 27, 2016

Food, Workout, Ideas, Cravings, Chocolate, & the Silly things i do to keep it going!

Just checking out what i'm missing. Not too happy with the outcome.  Need to bring down the fat percentage just a bit more. 
Aside from doing some Flamenco Dance cardio on fasted state (which can be seen on my facebook page or profile page: facebook.com/FlamencaMexicana or facebook.com/MovenergyEarthquick) gonna start going out to dance.  Yup! You heard it. Aside from teaching 1on1 personal training session in strength training & pilates, i teach HIIT classes, TRX, and; Dance Cardio.  Yet, i've been bad (meal cheating a little), so i need to tigthen up the food & add some nights where i get dolled up to go ouy dancing with the girls (otherwise, like i've done before, i'll go dancing alone for the sake of just sweating). I enjoy old school top 40 live bands that play earth wind & fire, chicago & or sum old solid gold era music style genre. I'm in my 40's, so i don't care if what i dance to ain't today's top 40. It was sure back then 😉

Don't forget to go to my snapchat, twitter or perisope, all under 'flamencamex'. 
ðŸ‘‡ðŸ―
ðŸ—Ģi got sum good stuff in there ðŸ“Ē
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One thing i do to beat the cravings, especially on these hot days is eat sum bcaa popsicles. It works. So yummy & good foe you. Yet, my weakness is chocolate. You heard it. So to beat the cravings, i add a tbsp of pure organic, bitter, plain cacao powder or nibs. Chocolate has been known (real cacao straight from the cocoa bean, unprocessed) to have beneficial post-recovery benefits as it reduces swelling, has anti-oxidants, & rich in amino acids. So that's i mix it with my protein powder, which has no flavor (the only sweeteners are the banana i add to it & just a little bit of the sugavida, which is a low-glycemic natural sweetener to ease the bitterness only by a little bit. Because after all, i love dark, bitter chocolate. The bitter, the better. 
And go to my snapchat to see the protein powder i take. Go check it out now before snapchat says goodbye to it. 
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(In this picture, is a still shot of my personal rehearsal. For me, to bust out a sweat. And boy, was i sweating buckets. I miss Spain). Again, you can see that video of my flamenco sweat 😂 either on my facebook page or profile:
Facebook.com/MovenergyEarthquick
Facebook.com/FlamencaMexicana


I swear, it brought the steps on my fitbit by a lot. At the enf ig my personal practice, what i call my flamenco cardio, i was already at 2,473 steps. It was intense. The sweat was well worth it. 

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Also, I have a lot of workout videos you'll want to check out to help you just a bit to reach our physical goals like these:

Glutes & Adductors



And this one for Upper Back (simple, but with resistance & good nutrition, you'll feel and see the difference as you progress)

Check out more of these videos by simply typing on the youtube search window "RocioPonceFitness.com".  You'll then be able to see more videos I have been posting of workouts. Mainly I post them for the clients I train, as I used to have my channel private, but since some of my clients have asked if they could show them to their families and friends, i decided to make my channel's public. 
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Also, so you know, I've been training clients 1on1 and or have been giving them shared privates in this manner. It sure saves them time, & it truly works!  Check out!

See you next time ;-)







/////////////////////////////////////////////


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Bikini Bodybuilding Competition April 2016

/////

Early morning on April 19th, 2016 on competition day before putting on my make-up. Didn't know how i was going to do it with the make-up. But i just ended up putting on my make up as if i was doing one of my usual Flamenco stage shows, or performance of other sort.


Here, I was in the tanning room with beautiful competitors chatting away. They all looked gorgeous. Wow!!  You can tell they also put in the hard work.. 

Just finished getting spray tanned so too a selfie. I know i know.. too many selfies. Back in my day, we didn't call them selfies, we called them "self-portraits", and it was a professional photographer taking our self-portraits. But today, I guess it's selfies.. ha!! LOL. What a trip how time evolves it's vernacular. 

OKAY, TODAY, I WAS A, CRAVING SOME SWEETS AND CARBS. SO I DID IT.. I GOT A RICE CAKE, PUT SOME ALMOND BUTTER, SUGAR FREE HAZELNUT SPREAD (IT'S NOT NUTELLA), I SPRINKLED SOME PROTEIN POWDER OVER IT, CINNAMON POWDER, CHIA SEEDS, AS A TOPPING FOR SLICES OF BANANAS. YUM!! IT WAS SO GOOD. OH, AND WITH PIECES OF CACAO NIBS, AND SPRINKLED SOME GROUNDED FLAX SEEDS. OKAY, NOW THE DESCRIPTION IS COMPLETE. OH YEAH!!



Hahahahaha.. Back to me. Here in this pic, Spray tanned the 2nd time around. The previous tan was from the day before. Oh and by the way, Radiant Physique Wear made my posing suit. Nice, huh? Good job and thank you. You can find them on IG. 

Getting in some MindBody work in there ;-) 



For more videos on food or workouts, my youtube looks like this. Sorry, I don't know what my youtube URL is, but it looks like this. LOL!!! 
o

Also, did you know I am training folks online? I know all these younger katz are doing these online coaching meal plans and workouts, but with me, I actually train you face to face via Live-Stream Online in real time. It doesn't matter what part of this world you're in. The software i use allows me to meet up with you in real time.  Go to RocioPonceFitness.com and register for free. I can also give you a free Consultation on your Fitness Evaluation.  This is how I am teaching. Check it out here in this video:



Playing around before we go on stage for pre-judging.  I actually wanted to take a pic of the posing suit. I like the top. Where did my boobies go? I used to have some. Oh wait.. There's some glamorous padding in there. LOL!! But even with that, um, where the heck are they? LOL!!


A little sweat on with my glute work. I get bored and my body plateaus fast, so have to change it up asap when I don't feel challenged. 

My beautiful new friend Violet who is a vegan bikini-bodybuilder. Wow!! Even though i am not a vegan, i love vegan cuisine from time to time.  My favorite places to eat vegan is V-Station restaurant in Sherman Oaks CA and Flore restaurant in SilverLake Los Angeles on Sunset Blvd.


My friend Violet asked what plant based and other non-flesh components carry protein. I told I would put here. So Violet, this one is for you:


Yes!! I'm wacky. Actually, i was on my period and well, that ain't easy on a day like this, i guess. I don't care. I'm telling it all.

My boyfriend was taking a few shots of mua!

My awesome coach Jill and I after I was done with this competition. She's a professional Figure competitor.  She's freaking awesome. I left right away I was done because I was starving and my guy was also starving, and well, I had to work the next day.





Saturday, March 12, 2016

Burn Fat Build Long Lean Solid Muscle

Rocio Ponce (Flamenco Dancer):
Certified: Personal Trainer, Pilates Trainer, Group Fitness, Lagree Fitness, Yoga, former CIRQUE DU SOLEIL cast member!
B.A. in Dance/Choreography - CSULB; 
M.F.A. in Television, Film & Theatre - CSULA.         
(My unions: AEA & SAGAFTRA)    

Six Pack Abs Diet Strategy That Will Give You Maximum Result !!!
 
If you don’t pay proper attention to what and when you eat, even if your workout routine is perfect, you won’t see the results. Whoever said “Abs are built in the kitchen, not the gym” was bang on correct! The following article suggests a few pointers for the extreme diet to build shredded abs.

Daily Basis Six Pack Abs Diet Strategy

BREAKFAST
Breakfast is the first meal of the day; it is when the body is in a catabolic state and burns all that you feed. To build six pack abs, you should include protein in breakfast. Protein boost metabolism and provides important amino acids that are required to develop abs muscle.
Idea to load the breakfast meal with a maximum amount of carbohydrates, since the metabolism of the body is high and it burns off the calories through carbs, thus preventing the conversion to fat.

List of items you can include in your breakfast meal:

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables
Fruits or vegetables are the best options. An apple or kiwi during the early part of the day sets the tone for the day, keeps you full and energetic. You can make smoothies or merge fresh fruits along with oatmeals or yoghurt. Don’t go for fruit juice, they are loaded with preservatives and sugar that build up as extra fat in the body.Go for berries: strawberry and blueberry, for instance, have rich fiber content and antioxidants that are good for health. Muscles operate more efficiently with high antioxidant content foods.

2.  Whole grains
Oatmeal is another good food item ideal for consumption during breakfast. A whole grain source such as a muffin or whole grain bread toast will help your body get the essential fiber content. It will keep you feel satiated and prevent you from binge eating throughout the duration.

3. Proteins
For lean muscle mass, protein content has to be high in the diet. Utilize the catabolic mechanism of the body and consume the right protein foods in the morning.
Include egg whites, turkey sandwiches, broccoli or whey protein shakes.


LUNCH

1. Egg and vegetable bowl
Use beans, olive oil, onions, tomato, three to four eggs, mash these in a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Your healthy lunch meal is ready.

2. Chicken with rice
Use brown rice instead of white rice and add broccoli or other green leafy vegetables as fillers.100 g of chicken fillet adds about 25 g of protein.

3. Salads
If you are a strict veggie or just want to eat good veg food, go for healthy salads. It hardly takes much time to prepare but does pack a punch as far as nutrition is concerned.


EVENING MEALS 
Eating fewer meals leads to energy imbalance. 2 hours after lunch or breakfast meals is a good step. Eating six times per day is recommended rather than consuming big meals at once.  Here’s what you can include for snacks:

1. Healthy fat foods
Consume more of liquid fats rather than solid fats.

2. High protein snacks
Go for brown bread, add peanut butter (I prefer almond butter as I am allergic to peanuts), a slice of vegetables, yogurt, cream cheese, etc. Have oatmeal, lean meat slices, cottage cheese, etc.

3. Smoothie Shakes
Instead of consuming processed carbohydrate foods, fried fatty foods, go for healthy smoothies. Use whey protein powder and berries in smoothies.


DINNER
 Don’t consume lots of carbohydrates just before sleep. Dinner meal has to be rich in proteins.

1. Sprouts
Eating sprouts before sleep will feed your body with healthy proteins.

2. Cottage Cheese
Casein is a little consuming protein that gets released slowly during the night. It will feed your muscles with essential amino acids while you rest and keep you satiated. Cottage cheese is rich in casein protein.

Best,

Rocio Ponce
* Rocio Ponce's Dance and Weightloss/BuildLongLeanMuscle program:

    * http://MovenergyEarthquick.com/
    * http://instagram.com/FlamencaMex
    * http://RocioPonceFitness.com/
    * http://yelp.com/biz/rocio-ponce-los-angeles
    * http://www.RocioPonce.com/pages/bio
    * http://pinterest.com/flamencamex
    * http://PonceRocio.BlogSpot.com/
    * http://facebook.com/MovenergyEarthquick
    * http://Google.com/+RocioPonceMovenergy
    * http://LinkedIn.com/in/rocioponcebabs
    * Sign my guestbook: http://users3.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g33-00420-0b
These are the ladies of La Crescenta raising the roof to another fitness level of fun, growth, and pure wellness! Aside from Rocio Ponce training folks 1on1, she also enjoys teaching group classes with a fitness challenge goal at the end ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸŒŠðŸ‘ŠðŸ―

👊🏞👊🏞👊🏞👊🏞
Rocio Ponce is a certified Hybrid Trainer:✌ðŸ―️
#PersonalTrainer (#Nasm)✔️
#PilatesInstructor (classical, basi, Lagree)✔️
#SportsNutrition (NASM)✔️
#GroupFitnessInstructor (#AFAA) ✔
#YogaInstructor (AwakenedWarriorTeacherTraining) ✔️
#Dancer (B.A. from #CSULB) ✔️
Actor / Singer (SAGAFTA & AEA w/ an MFA degree from CaliforniaStateUniversity in Television, Film & Theatre ✔️
👊🏞👊🏞👊🏞👊🏞👊🏞
& certified 2 #KickYourAss ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ŠðŸ―ðŸ‘ðŸ― ®
ðŸ—ĢðŸ‘‡ðŸ―
Join her @▫️
http://Facebook.com/MovemergyEarthquick 🌎🌊ðŸŒĐ ðŸ‘ðŸ―
Classes I teach: ✔️ ðŸ‘‡ðŸ― 

Mondays - 12pm HIIT Tabata at @Nufitpro studio in Glendale CA ➖

Mondays - 5pm, 6pm, 7pm #Lagree fitness @ @PilatesPlusByLagreeFitness in Encino CA. ➖

Tuesdays - 5pm & 6pm Lagree Fit & 7pm 25 min of HIIT Indoor Cycling & 25 min of Lagree Fit at @PPDTLA in DTLA ➖

Wednesdays - 6pm #Piloxing at @NBCfitness at @UniversalStudios ➖

Thursdays - 5pm & 6pm Lagree Fit & 7pm 25 min of #HIIT Indoor Cycling & 25 min of Lagree Fit at @PPDTLA in #DTLA ➖ 
Fridays - 9am #Piloxing & 10am #PiloxingBarre at FoothillAthleticClub in Foothill La Crescenta ➖
On other times Rocio is not teaching class, she is training folks 1on1 by appointment only in SouthernCalifornia ðŸ‘‰ðŸ― #Glendale, Encino, DTLA © ðŸ‘ðŸ―
ðŸ’ŧ
or online @ ðŸ‘‡ðŸ―
http://MovenergyEarthquick.com ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―
So Make your appointment now for your mealplan & workout plan if your time is limited ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ‘™ðŸ‘ŠðŸ―
ðŸĪ“🌊🍑ðŸđ #EquinoxGym ðŸ–ðŸ―
👙👙👙👙
ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ’ŠðŸ―ðŸ’“ðŸ’“
#NuFitPro #BurnFatFaster #BuildLeanMuscle #LaCrescenta #AthleticFoothillClub #EquinoxGlendale  #Strength #Burbank  #EquinoxMadeMeDoIt #glendalecommunitycollege  #IdeaFit  ðŸ‘ˆðŸ―

Sunday, February 14, 2016

2/14/16 Valentines Day

Haven't blogged in a long long time. So sorry. Been busy:
Training folks
Working on my online business
Getting ready for a bikini bodybuilding competition
And simply living 

Will be coming back to add more. 
In the meantime, part of my prep is my usual body alkalizer. I take this 1st thing in the morning when I wake up on an empty stomach with ingredients such as

1. Baking soda
2. Braggs apple cider vinegar
3. Organic molasses
4. 1 organic lemon
5. 1 cup of drinking water
6. Dried Grounded cayenne pepper
7. Dried Grounded ginger 
8. Dried Grounded clove 
9. Dried grounded curcumin or turmeric
10. Dried grounded cinnamon  
11. 1/2 tsp of brightcore organic powdered wheatgrass


How to prep:

Pour 1 cup of water into a glass
Add 1/4 tsp of baking soda
Add 1/4 tsp of organic molasses
Add 1 lemon 
Add 2 tsp of braggs apple cider vinegar
Add a pinch or a couple of shakes of the powdered spices (turmeric/cucumin, clove, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, 
Add 1/4 of the brightcore wheatgrass
Mix together gently so that the fizzle won't bubble out of the cup, drink up. 
Kind of tastes like a soda 😉

ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―ðŸ™†ðŸ―

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

#41 A Healthy Lifestyle Is A Goal In Itself

POST #41 UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT POSTS #1 THROUGH #40:

#41 A Healthy Lifestyle Is A Goal In Itself

Healthy Eating,Insanity workout,healthy lifestyle,pilates,Fitness,Wellness,flamenco,mindbody,personal training


Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here! 

You can also join me on Instagram & Pinterest under Flamencamex.

Always drink plenty of water (if you can't drink a gallon a day, then stay hydrated to avoid being thirsty - remember, when you become thirsty, that means you're not drinking enough water).

Please share this blog with others!

I added a new awesome ingredient into this Alkalizing concoction :-)
1) My day begins:
On an empty stomach, drink this liver detoxifier/PH-balancer in order to jump start your metabolism.  The taste isn't bad at all.  You acquire a taste for it. I'm already used to it. This mixture not only gets out all the yuckies in your body, it also alkalizes your ph level (first thing in the morning when you wake up on an empty stomach):
One cup of filtered or Alkaline water
One tsp of baking soda (bicarbonate)
One or 1/2 organic lemon
One tsp of organic molasses
One or two sprinkles of cayenne pepper powder
Two tsp of Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of cinnamon powder
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of clove powder
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of ginger powder
3 sprinkling shaking dashes of Curcumin powder
(please google the benefit of all these ingredients)


What's more refreshing than a simple lunch that can give you the essentials you need. 
Kale salad with a bomb salad dressing I made and some avocado using a little Black salt sprinkle to devour it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't eat all this to myself, although I could have :-). It was a healthy lunch for my boyfriend and I. This is how we've been trying to for these couple of years. When I first met him a few years ago, we spoke about juicing, eating healthy, and he said he wanted to make a change. Well now, he mentioned that he's addicted to eating healthy and getting his workouts in.

According to authoritynutrition.com, these are the nutritional contents & nutritional benefits of Kale:

A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains (1):

  • Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene).
  • Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDA.
  • Manganese: 26% of the RDA.
  • Calcium: 9% of the RDA.
  • Copper: 10% of the RDA.
  • Potassium: 9% of the RDA.
  • Magnesium: 6% of the RDA.
  • Then it contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus.

This is coming with a total of 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein.

Kale contains very little fat, but a large portion of the fat in it is the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid.

Given the incredibly low calorie content, kale is among the most nutrient dense foods in existence. Eating more kale is a great way to dramatically increase the total nutrient content of your diet.

Benefits of Avocado: 
Avocados may help lower cholesterol
Avocados may reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease
Avocados may promote a healthy body weight and BMI
Avocados may help prevent cancer

I teach at California State University Los Angeles in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutritional Science and our last day of class (their final), my students demonstrated the ability to teach a series of workouts giving queues for good form & alignment, giving modifications & adding extra challenges. They actually did an awesome job:

POST #41 UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT POSTS #1 THROUGH #40:



Sunday, September 14, 2014

#40 A Healthy Lifestyle Is A Goal In Itself

#40 A Healthy Lifestyle Is A Goal In Itself

Healthy Eating,Insanity workout,healthy lifestyle,pilates,Fitness,Wellness,flamenco,mindbody,personal training


Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here! 


You can also join me on Instagram & Pinterest under Flamencamex.

Always drink plenty of water (if you can't drink a gallon a day, then stay hydrated to avoid being thirsty - remember, when you become thirsty, that means you're not drinking enough water).

Please share this blog with others!

1) My day begins:
On an empty stomach, drink this liver detoxifier/PH-balancer in order to jump start your metabolism.  The taste isn't bad at all.  You acquire a taste for it. I'm already used to it. This mixture not only gets out all the yuckies in your body, it also alkalizes your ph level (first thing in the morning when you wake up on an empty stomach):
One cup of filtered or Alkaline water
One tsp of baking soda (bicarbonate)
One or 1/2 organic lemon
One tsp of organic molasses
One or two sprinkles of cayenne pepper powder
Two tsp of Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of cinnamon powder
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of clove powder
4 sprinkling shaking dashes of ginger powder
(please google the benefit of all these ingredients)

Did you know that the less you sleep, the more you eat. Why? Your body needs energy to stay awake. When we lose energy, our bodies get hungry. Part of your workout rÃĐgimen should include getting some rest. 

I know that some of us get bored of drinking water, that because it's part of your workout rÃĐgimen.  Well, it is. However, you can make your water drinking a lot of fun. Google home made flavored waters. Here in this image is one way of flavoring your water so that it's that much desirable. 
In a glass jug, or big mason jar, fill it with water, add sliced strawberries, & some rosemary. Leave in the fridge over night, and yummy! Oh yeah!! Taste so yummy. 

Breakfast!!!! The most important meal of the day, ladies & gentz. 
Why?
Because it jump starts your metabolism. Plus, if you were sleeping all night, then it also takes energy to sleep; thus you've been on an empty stomach all night. 
Here is one of my usuals. 
Ingredients: gluten-free quick oatmeal, almonds, walnuts, blueberries, raspberries, vanilla protein powder, almond milk. 
Preparation:
Mix half scoop of vanilla protein powder to the dry oatmeal (1/2 or 3/4 cup of oatmeal) & mix together.
Pour boiling hot water over a 1/2 or 3/4 cup of quick oats. 
When the oatmeal's gotten soft, add the almonds, walnuts, the berries, and almond milk. Yummy!!! :-)

Use a tracker you can wear around your wrist to keep track of your calories. 

(1) On all fours. Tuck your tail bone & leave it tucked. Slide your shoulders down your spine, contract your abs. 
(2) Lift the leg, but make sure you don't compromise the tight form you've created up above on number one. Make sure both hip bones stay horizontal or parallel to the floor. Make sure you don't shrug your shoulders (keep those shoulders away from your ears). 
(3) Bring the lifted leg's knee to your chest. And repeat the back leg lift exercise for a total of 30 to 45 seconds. Switch legs. Circuit train the 'Hip Extension Glute Blaster' three times on each side in between the other exercises your about to do. In other words, do three sets (keep scrolling down). 
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Remember, 80 to 100 percent of your workout regimen is your diet. So if you eat unhealthy and still workout, the results will show. Possibly not the results you want. So while you're working out, you might as well eat clean. Remember, food is for fuel, not therapy. 

Click on link here:

Our supplementation. You never know how depleted our food can get after taking it out of the earth, or when you eat grass fed animal protein, we still need a little healthy boost of what we might not be getting with our foods. Yup!! This is how home looks like :-). 
Sometimes, I open my capsules and blend them with my green drinks.

You can't deny this green smoothie. Tastes delish. On a hot day like today, add ice so that it's nice and cold. And if you want (optional) add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Oh yeah!!! The coconut water will hydrate you. 

(1) Squat Jumps:
Make sure when you squat down, you go down to the best of your ability without out compromising your form & alignment; and also when squatting, don't let your knees go in front of your feet. You can always ask me any questions you'd like here on this blog, or email me personally. 
(2) Squat Jumps:
You push from your squat up off the floor. In other words, jump up :-). Do this squat jump over & over for about 30 to 45 seconds. Circuit train this one in between the other exercises three times (do three sets of these). 
Modification: don't jump, just do simple non-jumping squats.
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When you start a workout regimen, try to always stay positive & motivated. Do what it takes to get the junk out of your head so that you can work on your body. Don't let anything or anybody stop you from achieving your mental & physical goals. You have the power to transform yourself into a better you. 

It is so important to workout while on your portion control meal plan. 
Why?
Because as your meal plans are helping you from letting fat accumulate, exercise helps the elasticity if your skin stick to your muscles so that as you lose weight, your skin doesn't sag. Yes, I said it. It's true. I gotta say it how it is. Tonality doesn't just develop from eating clean. It will help your workouts though. However, tonality comes from building muscle. 
So if you want to sculpt & tone, you have to do both: exercise & eat clean.  There's no cutting corners on this one. 

Hahahaha!!! So true. No ladies, You won't look like a dude if you contract that muscle. I do both Pilates & body weight training. That's me. So if you use free weights, don't be scared. With a good diet, some cardio, plus strength training, you can't go wrong. It's not a mystery. It's just science. 

Hip Bridge:
1. Lay flat on your mat
2. Place both feet on the floor (soles down)
3. Tuck your tail bone (so that your lower ribs are super close to your hip bones)
4. Bridge up your hips (don't let your top ribs open up. The top ribs closer to your heart). 
5. Bring one leg up
6. Bring your hips half way down then up right away. Do this over & over for about 30 to 45 seconds. You'll feel this one on that Glute :-). Then switch sides. 
Circuit train this exercise in between the other exercise in three sets. 

Hip Bridges (modified):
You can do the hip bridges with out having one leg up (optional).
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Carrot-Parsley-Quinoa salad:
I made this the other day & oh boy. It was indeed delicious.
Ingredients & mixes -  
1) shredded carrot/s
2) chopped parsley
3) cooked quinoa in chicken broth
I added all the ingredients together. And I also added pressed garlic. 
For dressing, I added extra virgin olive oil, squeezed some lemons over, and sprinkled a little bit of black salt.
Delicious, yum! 

I also had a palm sized piece I grass fed beef sirloin. I grilled it and simply added a little bit of Himalayan salt on the meat before I grilled it. It was so good. 
Now, usually I eat chicken, turkey, or fish, but today is my cheat meal day, so I'm rewarding myself with a palm sized sirloin steak. I don't recommend you eat beef every day, okay? Keep the protein lean & light. 

We also grilled some asparagus & green onions. 
Before grilling them, I marinated them in olive oil, garlic & sea salt. Watch your salt intake. I only use a pinch or two of salt. I don't pack it on. 

Lateral Plank:
You can hold this one for about 30 to 45 seconds. Do both sides, okay? 
You can also turn this exercise into hip lifts (lift your hip over & over, but never lett your hip touch the floor. Your stating & ending point should look exactly like this image of me before and after you lift that hip. Again, hip lifts are optional. You can simply hold this position for the amount of time I mentioned (optional is hip lifts over & over for the same time duration). 
Queues & tips: 
Make sure the shoulder that's closest to the floor doesnt shrug up to your ears. Keep your neck long, shoulders should be pressed away from your ears & towards your feet. Keep your spine long, pull your abs in.
Lateral Plank (modified)
--------------------------------------------



(1) Leg Pull Front w/ Oblique Crusher
a. Get into a plank position
b. Lift one leg
c. Bring that lifted let's knee to the opposite elbow while staying in a plank as much as possible.
Do this exercise over & over without compromising your form for about 30 to 45 seconds, then switch sides. Circuit train this exercise in between the other exercises three times (do three sets of this, in other words), okay? 
----------------------------------------------

Here's this one. You can substitute the Leg Pull Front exercise for this one if you'd like. But if you're crazy, you'll do this one too. I dare you :-). 


It's a process. Don't expect results in 12 sessions with me. You have to be committed to changing your mindset first. Then the rest will fall into place.

Sexy Back Extensor Toner:
1. Lay prone (face down)
2. Bring your upper body up, but leave your legs on the floor.
3. Also lift your arms with palms facing up
Lift up over & over for 30 to 45 seconds. Circuit train this exercise this three times (three sets).
Queues & tips:
When your upper body goes up, press your shoulders into your hips,
Squeeze your shoulder blades together slide them down toward te direction of your glutes,
Don't let your shoulders shrug up to your ears,
Keep your neck long. Remember that your neck is an extension of your spine, so when your torso comes up, the neck should not crease & head should not look forward. Your neck & head will only come up as far as your torso allows it. 
Extreme Sexy Back Toner:
Same queues & tips apply to this one as well. 
Optional:
When your body goes up, tap your heels three times like Dorothy from the wizard of oz, then come down, do this over & over for up & down with taps included for the duration of 30 to 45 seconds. 
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(Straight Leg Curl Up:
a. Press the back of your waist & the back of your ribs into the mat. 
b. Legs straight up w/ feet flexed. Hands behind your head, shoulders toward the direction of your hips, pull in your abs. 
c. When you curl up (crunch up), simultaneously bring one leg down while the other stays up. Bring that leg up while bringing upper body down.
d. Curl up the upper body up again while the other leg goes down. Keep doing this over & over alternating legs. 
Queues & tips: 
When you bring your upper body down, keep your back imprinted into the mat by pulling in your abs.
When bringing the upper body up, don't let your shoulders shrug up to your ears.
Do the Straight Leg Curl Up exercise for the duration of 30 to 45 seconds & circuit train this one three times in between the other exercises (do 3 sets). 
Abdominal Leg Lift:
Spine completely neutral (straight)
Straighten one leg up out in front, while the other is bent from the knee. 
Lift the same leg up & down for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch to the other leg for another 15 to 20 seconds. Circuit this exercise three times in between other exercise sets. 
Queues & tips:
Lengthen your spine.
Scoop those abs in.
Bring your shoulder blades together toward each other & slide those blades down your back in the direction of the floor.
Press shoulders down by activating & engaging your Lats (Latissimus Dorsi) down. Your Lats are those muscles surrounding the lateral back part of your ribs, located right under the arm pit on the lateral part of the shoulder blade facing away from the spin. 
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I'm a Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor. I teach private sessions, semi-private sessions, & group classes. Don't miss my Pilates Reformer classes as shown below. You'll feel the muscle fire up while you're sweltering with sweat. Why? Because that's how I designed it. Feel the burn. 

May I recommend some Calm by Natural Virality? I've been taking this stuff for a couple if years now. Not only does it reduce the soreness of muscles after a good workout, but it relaxes your muscles (you'll fall asleep within 10 minutes of drinking it. Do it right before you go to bed). Also an all time stress reducer :-).


Also, I am not only a Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor, Group Fitness Instructor at Total Woman Gym & Spa, Equinox, Pacific Coast a Pilates Studio and also a Lecturer for The School of Kinesiology & Nutritional Science at California State University Los Angeles, but I am also a Flamenco Dancer for over 30 years. We're putting a list together of those whom are interested in taking Flamenco Dance Cardio at Back To Basics in Glendale CA. 

My flamenco dance teaching is based on the body's ability to develop strength, sweat, musicality, grace & discipline. My strength training background comes from a foundation to strengthen the body's center of equilibrium (core) to better assist the body's sports performance whether it's for dance, track, regular exercise. etc. I understand the body & its ability to change and I know what musculature system can tone, sculpt using compound to isolated muscles, tendons & ligaments (all important to shape the body correctly); in this class, a lot of styling will be used to embellish & develop the Flamenco body, so I will give modifications to beginners while making it intricate to the intermediate & advanced levels. If interested, email me at RocioPonceFitness@gmail.com
Rocio Ponce toned arms from doing Flamenco Dance arm work exercises. 

Rocio Ponce


SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON BLOG #41.
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