Pedal NYC Carnival Fitness Offer

The number of days until Trinidad Carnival is now in the double digits and most of us are starting to feel the crunch. You have your costume, your boots and your Monday wear; but is your body ready?

Even if weight loss is not a concern for you, do you have the stamina to go from night till morning for days, straight through to Ash Wednesday? From now until February, Pedal NYC is offering discount prices on fitness classes if you mention Trinidad Carnival Diary or Trinidad Carnival 2K12 when you register.

www.pedalnyc.com

Pedal NYC is a unique entity to the fitness world. A brand-new boutique gym on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, centered around indoor cycling & multifunctional synergistic core training classes such as, TRX & RIP Trainer Suspension Training, Yoga/Pilates, and CoreRxN™ . The studio’s name, an acronym for “physical excellence delivered around life,” represents Pedal’s philosophy of integrating the entire body into every workout. Pedal’s brand-new, sun-drenched studio is the perfect venue for motivating you to push yourself to the limit. PEDAL is designed to fully engage its clients through an instructor led environment.

The Fitness Guru who is responsible for the classes that will whip your body into Carnival shape is Ray Wallace. Ray has been known for whipping high profile bodies into celebrity shape for years. Ray & Team Pedal guarantees results for your short as well as long term goals. Read Ray’s bio below:

Ray Wallace

Pedal’s strengths and competencies are a direct reflection of our Co- Owner & Chief Fitness Strategist, Raymond Wallace.

Ray Wallace is an astute asset to Pedal. He embodies 13+ years in the health and fitness industry. He is not only highly skilled and qualified he also has extensive experience with the launching of major New York City fitness institutions such as Equinox and NYSC. Having multiple certifications (NASM, AAAI, Functional Movement training, Spinning & Cancer Exercise Specialist, Pre-Natal & Post Partum training, and AED/CPR certified) in conjunction with his compassion and dedication for the health and well-being of others, Pedal’s clients are set up for success right out of the gate.

• Ray has and continues to have a substantial impact on the fitness industry helping countless people reach their health & fitness desires and goals. He has retained over 90% of his customers, including clients who started their journey with Ray 13 years ago!

• Ray understands and emblemizes grunt and grind to succeed as a leading trainer and wellness coach. Ray’s love and passion for fitness can be seen through his tireless work ethic.

• Most importantly Ray’s fervor for success through helping others is contagious! He approaches everyday with a renewing spirit to achieve positive results within himself and in others!

• Notable media: FitTV, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Buff Brides (Discovery Health), Fox 5, Muscle & Fitness, Toni on NY, previous traveling trainer to high profile celebrities.

Trinidad Carnival Price List:

On site (Westend Ave & 61st St)

Classes and schedule can be found on Pedal NYC’s website: PEDALNYC.com

Through February…

Classes: 11 classes: $280 (this price includes 1 free class)

22 classes: $520 (this price includes 2 free classes)

Class descriptions and cancellation policy can be found on the website.

Zumba Comes To Movietowne

I am definitely checking this one out! Click on the flyer for more details on Zumba Classes at Movietowne:

Carnival Fitness Tips

• PROBLEM :No carb diets will not get you that physique that you want.

Many people attempt to omit all forms of carbohydrates from their diets when gearing up for carnival. They attempt to totally stop eating foods like rice, flour and provisions because they believe that carbohydrates are the enemy. The hope is that in the absence of carbohydrates for energy, the body will turn to the excess fat that is stored. The fact is that the change in diet is usually so sudden that the body enters starvation mode and burns muscle instead of fat. The result? A slowed metabolism and even more flab! It's simply not healthy to go from eating as many carbohydrates as you want one day, and the very next day you attempt to go to zero carbs. It's just too much shock on the body.

SOLUTION: Gradually cut back on your calories. You should only cut calories to the extent that you begin to lose weight. As long as you are losing weight every week (apprx 2lbs per week for an average individual) then there is no need to make your diet any more strict. When the weight loss slows, only then should you cut your calories any further. One trick is to start off by cutting your carbs in one of your meals by half. Eg at dinner have half a cup of rice instead of one cup and replace with veges. Only when you stop losing weight from this, then cut back half your carbs at another meal as well, such as lunch. In this way, the changes are more gradual and the body becomes more accustomed to functioning on a lower level of calories so that your energy levels will not be affected and you will be shedding that body fat.

• PROBLEM: You have lost the weight but on Carnival day that edge is missing

SOLUTION: Do not diet up to the day before carnival. Diets tend to deplete glycogen stores in muscles, causing them to look flat and therefore there's less tone. Eating higher calories from at least 4 days before Carnival will help replenish those glycogen stores giving those muscles a more filled look and therefore more tone.

• PROBLEM: You do a million crunches and sit ups, but those abs don't come

SOLUTION: The truth is that it is impossible to spot reduce fat on any part of the human body without invasive liposuction (which in itself is extremely risky). No matter how many abdominal exercises that you do to develop those abs, once there's fat covering the muscle, abs won't show. Abdominal exercises do little in terms of burning calories. A fat loss regimen of combined nutrition, weight training and cardio will help you to develop those muscles and shed the fat that covers them.

Tip: The bulk of your workouts should be cardio and compound movements (squats, deadlifts, clean and presses). Compound movements burn more calories than isolation movements (such as bicep curls) because they involve a combination of muscles. Strength training has also been shown to keep your metabolism elevated for as long as 48 hours.

• PROBLEM: Not Drinking enough water

SOLUTION: Water is undoubtedly one of the key factors in weight loss. Most persons think that they are drinking enough, but they actually aren't. A person on a caloric deficit should be drinking at least 10 glasses of water per day. Diet drinks and coffee do not count as a serving of water. Fat is best metabolized in a water rich environment. Without sufficient water, then the body finds difficulty in utilizing the fat stores for energy. It's always best to keep a bottle at hand at all times and keep careful track as to how much you drink to ensure that you are drinking enough.

• MAJOR PROBLEM: over reliance on weight loss shots and pills

SOLUTION: Avoid these at all cost. The side effects range from as mild as cramps, insomnia,fatigue, heart palpitations, rapid pulse, increased blood pressure, nervousness, loss of memory and fainting to as severe as glaucoma, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, seizures, psychosis and death. Most of the common weight loss pills today, such as lipo 6 and Hydroxicut, recommend that they be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Most people ignore diet and exercise as the major source of weight loss and simply think that these pills will do wonders. THEY WONT! The fact is that appetite suppressants and other weight loss drugs should be used only as a last line defense when diet and exercise are not enough and in most cases, they are enough, even if we don't think so. Most people don't need them. It's our urge for a shortcut method that drives most people into taking them. In addition, we can't stress how much diuretics for weight loss should be avoided. Any weight loss using diuretics is temporary, as you are losing water, your goal should be to lose fat, not water. The body is perfectly capable of getting rid of unwanted water, it doesn't need help. In addition, they can strain your kidneys and liver. Your body will thank you for the extra fruits and veges anyway, so stick with them and dump those pills and say no to shots if you have bought them.

FINAL TIPS:

• Stick to the basics, your diet will be responsible for approximately 80% of your results and your exercise for the other 20%.
• A good night's rest will also help reduce stress levels and it has been shown that persons who get at least 7 hours sleep at night tend to crave less junk food.
• Look up healthy recipes and prepare them before hand
• Drink water, water and more water
• Avoid juice, soft drinks and other sugary drinks
• Instead of totally avoiding foods that you like, try having a taste to help fight those cravings. A block of dark chocolate a day to fight those chocolate cravings is fine, just try not to eat the entire bar.
• If you're hungry, volumize your portions by adding extra veges
• Eat for your day. If you know today is an extra active day for you, then eat the extra food that your body will need. If you know today is a lazy Sunday, then cut back on your calories for that day.
• Give yourself time to lose weight. Rushing your weight loss increases your risk of entering starvation mode and burning your muscle and slowing down your metabolism.
• If you don't have the time to prepare healthy meals, consider a meal delivery service, such as Slimdown 360.

For more info or advice, view the contact page at www.slimdown360.com

Westshore 5k Carnival Health Burn

Here is a good way to burn off some of those post Christmas pounds and get some stamina for Carnival 2010:

Registration Fee: $30.

Registration Dates: Monday 28th December, 2009 to Friday 9th January, 2010

Goodbye Hungry Hippo.. The Carnival Weight Loss Challenge

Meet Safiya - Weight 215 lbs

Meet Sam -Weight 177 lbs

Safiya and Sam are best  friends who have issued to each other a throw down Carnival 2010 weight loss challenge which will be chronicled on their blog "Goodbye Hungry Hippo...Welcome Skinny Minny". Personally speaking I think both ladies are nowhere near the "hungry hippo" description, that just goes to show how punishing those uber skimpy costumes are on our self esteem, and I hope they retain some curves and do not turn into "skinny minnies" as curvy is in (when it went out of style I have no idea!)

Anyway, the ladies have written to me asking to share their journey and quest for the ideal Carnival body with my blog readers however I will not reveal too much here, visit their blog for more information on the challenge, view their videos and plans for the compeition.

Good luck to them both and hopefully they inspire some of us (self included) to start working on weight loss goals of our own... only 3 months and 15 days until Carnival 2010 people!