Jim Rowley…Congrats! I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to work with you and meet you back in the 24 Hour Fitness Days! Thank you for dedicating your passion in life to fitness and keep up the great work!
Leslie
via barre3
Madonna with barre3 co-founder Mark Mastrov and our colleague and friend Jim Rowley at Hard Candy Fitness opening in Mexico City. (via barre3)
Posted in Fitness
Taking a Chance on Fitness- Fitness Trainer ~ Chance Geving
One of the many wonderful things about life is that everyday we get a chance to become our best. We get a chance to make decisions that will either empower us or bring us down to failure. We get the chance to discover opportunities that have either a positive or negative value on our lives. We also get the chance by the grace of the Universe to reconnect with someone that was an inspiration to us at an earlier point in our life.
I got the chance to do just that and I thought I would share this person so that you may have the opportunity to be inspired and take your fitness to the next level.
I met Chance Geving 20 years ago while training at the only and “old” Gold’s Gym in Reno, NV. He was a trainer at Gold’s and I was just 17 years old throwing iron with the rest of the Gold’s crowd. My weight lifting role models at the time were Marla Duncan, Rachel McLish, and Cory Everson.
I remember Chance as being in incredible condition, humble, smart, and passionate about fitness and helping people achieve their goals. I wasn’t lucky enough to get the opportunity to train with him at that time but I specifically remember Chance offering help and advice about fitness. He wasn’t intimidating and I could ask him just about anything when it came to getting in shape. Chance was partly responsible for me sticking with fitness and making it a permanent part of my lifestyle. Then all of a sudden I didn’t see Chance train at Gold’s anymore and so life goes on and so does fitness.
Fast forward 20 years later…so here I am…a fitness enthusiast, fitness writer and fitness competitor preparing for my first competition after 6 years of not competing and I stumble across an article in the local news about fitness trainer, Chance Geving. Wow! I can’t believe it! With shear determination I made it a goal of mine to reconnect and get the opportunity to train with this fantastic person.
Mission accomplished! I am now training with Chance after 20 years and he is literally kicking my butt!!! He’s unlike your ordinary trainer. He trains with focus and intensity and incorporates basic moves such a plyometrics, sprinting, resistance bands, circuit training, and track workouts.
Chance brings 25 years of Personal Training experience to Northern Nevada. He has spent the last 20 years in LA training athletes, models, celebrities and people with sincere desire to get in the best shape of their lives. His approach is different in that he really focuses on your own personal goals and makes it a priority to really understand your attitude and your mindset about fitness and nutrition before engaging in a fitness program. Chance also is the type of trainer that doesn’t stand on the sidelines and gives orders; He actually is involved in almost every exercise that he instructs you to do which pushes you further beyond your limits. I have found that every session that I train with him is more valuable than the last. I believe this is what you hire a trainer for.- Someone who pushes you beyond your limits, someone who wont let you quit when you want to give up and someone who constantly fills your brain with positive feedback so that you can literally visualize your results as you’re giving it all that you have on that last rep.-
Another reason that I have chosen to train with Chance is because he offers group and individual training sessions. The group sessions are great for fitting into my busy schedule and the individual sessions are great for focusing on specific areas that need more attention and improvement.
It has been such an incredible experience training with Chance that I want to share my positive results so that someone else can get the same benefits that I have. I have gained amazing strength, agility, core stability, cardio endurance, dropped fat, and increased my lean mass. I am able to knock out 3 sets of Shoulder handstand push-ups faster and easier that I ever have before!! I have also trained in a way with Chance that my body isn’t used to. Each training session is different from the last. My body doesn’t have a second to get used to specific exercises so I am constantly working new nerves and muscle fibers which in turn burns more calories and improves my overall conditioning.
I am training for 4 NPC Bikini Shows this year and I plan to train with Chance throughout this whole process. I am very happy with my results and I hope that if you are interested in turning up the heat with your current training and desire to take your fitness to the next level, I suggest that you give Chance Geving an opportunity to turn it up a notch. He is really amazing and definitely a trainer like no other.
Summer is almost here and wouldn’t it a shame if you had the chance to get in the best shape of your life and you let it pass you by???
Chance Geving can be contacted at: Gold’s Gym in Spanish Springs on Disc Drive in Sparks, NV. 775-359-9393 ~ All the best to you and happy training!
Posted in Fitness
Alcohol and Fitness
(This was published last June in the Reno Passport and I decided to re-post as it’s always good to stick with healthy habits- AND Spring IS 5 weeks away. Soon your abs will see the light of day if you keep up the hard work!)
BEST!
leslie@lesliemccarroll.com
So summer is finally here and it’s time to show off your sexy shoulder, chiseled abs, and your string bikinis right? Your hard work at the gym has finally paid off and you want to flaunt it, so go for it! Many of the up coming summer events will have great food, great people, and plenty of alcohol to enjoy. Oh yes, a beer or two here and a few glasses of wine there and then who could resist margaritas and martinis?
Without a doubt, these events and festivities are definitely worth the wait and you should enjoy them as much as possible. While on the other hand, many of these upcoming events that include alcohol can wreak havoc on your fitness and your nutrition.
Alcohol, can lead to relaxed eating habits which in turn produce undesirable results. The average alcoholic drink has 120 calories and not to mention excess sugar that can cause hypoglycemia. Since alcohol is primarily metabolized in the liver, it can be extremely taxing on your system if too much alcohol is consumed too quickly in a short period of time. The body simply can’t keep up.
In men, significant alcohol consumption can lower Testosterone levels by as much as 20%. Not good for the libido! As for women, alcohol is processed differently than men so women tend to feel the effects of alcohol a lot quicker.
Alcohol is such a part of our social culture that sometimes too much of a good thing can lead to unwanted results. However you can avoid this if you choose to drink in moderation. Plan ahead and decide to have only 1 or 2 drinks tops. Also be prepared to drink at least 1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink to avoid dehydration and possible hangover.
Now, the chances that you are striving for a perfect body like those seen on the cover of a fitness magazine may be far stretched, however it is possible to maintain a rockin’ physique while monitoring your alcohol consumption and still have fun at the same time. And last but not least, never drive while under the influence. Have a great summer and keep up the hard work!
Posted in Fitness
Is your fitness bringing Sexy back?
Have you ever wondered why some people just stop traffic or always make an entrance when they walk into a room? Is it their looks or their attitude? Is it the way they carry themselves that is somehow different from everyone else? Beauty is only skin deep and the opinion of what is sexy to one person can vary widely to the next.
One thing for sure is that regular physical fitness and attention to proper nutrition can enhance your confidence, body image and overall sex appeal. Fitness and personal care are vital to one’s sense of well-being and quality of life. You don’t have to be a chiseled size 2 or have abs of steel in order to be sexy.
It is also known based on scientific research that regular physical activity releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins improve your mood and give you a general feeling of well being. When you feel good you exude confidence. Also, with the release of endorphins and regular physical activity one is less likely to become depressed, develop eating disorders, and become addicted to alcohol and drugs.
Physical fitness among couples creates another way of connecting, increases closeness and intimacy. No need to worry about the lights being off either! Physical activity allows for more fun and passion-who doesn’t want that?!
So what is sexy? It’s a matter of opinion of course but sexiness starts with the desire to become your best from the inside out. Attention to whole nutrition and regular physical activity will take your life to the next level. You owe it to yourself! Now that’s SEXY! Cheers!
Posted in Fitness
Fitness is everything during these Economically Challenging Times
The gym, a run outdoors, a walk with a friend, extending everything you have to complete that last set on shoulder press. Whatever your path to fitness is- it can be everything right now just to get you through one of the worst economically challenging times in history. I say this because it is a topic of discussion at my gym with my fellow gym rats. I also know this because the gym, aside from being a mom, is the highlight and probably the most rewarding part of my day. I look forward to just zoning out with my iPOD and releasing my pent up frustration and energy that I have carried on my shoulders. It’s my time to feel the best about myself, my strength, the progress, the feeling I have when I’m with cooking my glutes/quads and 45 min of cardio. I love to see the same familiar group of people who have a strong dedication to fitness and I know that it is better than any high out there.
When I’m finished working out I just have a sense of well-being and that everything is going to fall into place. Fitness provides the physical and mental strength that nothing else can and on top of that you can burn a whole lotta calories and its one thing that’s easily affordable when you’re watching your budget!
If you figure that the average cost of a gym membership is $30 (about $1 a day) and the average cost of a Starbuck’s Tall Café Mocha with whipped cream is $3.40 (3 x’s/week for 4 weeks=$40.80) and packs an extra 340 calories and 19 grams of fat (an extra 4080 calories!!), I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck don’t feel like slaving myself to the stair stepper just to burn an extra 4080 calories let alone looking and feeling bloated by all the extra sugar, fat and oh by the way, I’ve just spent an extra $10 to gain an extra pound that will require me to spend twice the amount of time in the gym with my busy schedule!!!
So, as you might guess, I have a no sympathy with people who continue to eat doughnuts, Doritos, pork rinds, coffee drinks laden with sugar and fat and at the same time complain about how broke, out of shape and sick they are. There are no excuses especially during financially challenging times. We all have the choice to make our health and fitness a priority and it’s all in our favor. When you start taking take of yourself coincidentally the rest of your life seems to follow and will ultimately build you up and make you more adept to cope with anything that life may throw your way, especially if you are down to your last dollar, it least you have your health and with out your health- you have nothing.
Posted in Fitness
Local woman takes 1st Place at Fitness America Pageant in Las Vegas
With a statuesque physique at 5’8″ and a smile that could sail a thousand ships, Brendy Scheerer did exactly that when she walked across the stage and accepted the title as Model America at the Fitness America Pageant in Las Vegas on November, 21 2009. Brendy also placed 5th in the Miss Bikini Division at the same show and is now on her way to compete in the Amateur Division at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio on March 4th.
Not too shabby for only competing for a little over a year and once weighing 175lbs. Brendy, and yes that’s Brendy with an “e”, is on her way to super stardom in the fitness world and at only 25 she has the world in the palm of her hands, but it wasn’t always this way.
A long time ago, Brendy was at her highest weight of 175, depressed, unmotivated, and stuck on unhealthy eating habits and no physical activity whatsoever. At this same time she experienced the tragic and unexpected passing of her sister in 2008 that really made her realize what life was about and started taking care of her health and fitness. She dedicated her free time at a local gym with a personal trainer and turned her focus on educating herself on healthy eating and proper physical exercise and set a goal to compete in her first fitness show.
In November of 2008, Brendy placed 4th in M. Bikin at the 2008 Fitness America Pageant and she is not slowing down. Brendy has aspirations to be a great role model for women of all ages teaching women that anything can be accomplished with a strong desire to succeed and disciplined focus. Currently she is working on her NASM Certification (Personal Training Certification) so that she can inspire and help others achieve significant fitness results.
Brendy grew up in Reno, NV and currently lives in L.A. to pursue her fitness and modeling career and has a packed schedule this year with many Fitness Competitions on the books. Her main goal is to earn her procard and make a name for herself in the fitness industry. With her commitment to fitness and living on purpose be sure to keep an eye out for this fitness starlet to grace the next cover of your favorite fitness magazine in the future!
Posted in Fitness
Ultimate Environment for Ultimate Success
What I know for sure is the power of a supportive environment to help you reach your fitness and wellness goals. You won’t be able to reach your goals with an environment that will drag you down mentally and physically. This includes the people that you choose to associate with, the activities that you participate in such as happy hour (too often), partying, alcohol and drugs, romantic relationships that are contaminating you, non-supportive family members, your living environment, your job, and your thoughts and belief system.
The combination of these influences will either ultimately support you or tear you down to failure. I have to assume that most of the people that start on their New Year’s resolution and give up 30 days later didn’t have a plan or a supportive environment to begin with in the first place. It doesn’t surprise me. It takes work and awareness to tackle these things head on. It’s a job in itself and it takes planning and strong determination to become your best.
To become physically and mentally fit requires strength, courage, confidence and the power to say ‘no’ to activities that won’t contribute to your success when you know you should be focused on improving yourself. Try it for once and give yourself a 21 day goal to commit to one positive habit that will improve your fitness. Then after 21 days, set another goal or the same goal for another 21 days and so on. Pretty soon you be quite surprised how natural your new positive habits have become as you see the progress you are making towards your goals. Your environment is everything. It can either make you or break you. The only person that this really matters to is you! I congratulate you on setting positive goals for yourself for 2010. I promise you that if you focus on creating your ultimate environment that supports your fitness and wellness goals, you can’t help but succeed. What you focus on grows! Cheers and here’s to an incredible you in 2010! Small disciplines everyday = Huge success!
Posted in Fitness
10 Tips and Reasons to make January 11-17th one your best weeks!
Only as strong as your determination.
- Get up, get dressed and make yourself look amazing even if you don’t feel like it. It’ll change your attitude. (Thanks Mom!)…..because “baby if you look good, you’ll feel good! From the mouth of Billy Crystal
- Focus on the possibilities and solutions in front of you rather than your current situation. What you focus on grows!
- If you hate your job- just remember that it’s only temporary- it’s not your life. Go out and get what you really want and create the opportunity that you are passionate about.
- “To fail is temporary, to quit is forever.” Lance Armstrong
- Eat healthy and workout like it’s your job. No matter what- at the end of the day you can’t help but feel good about yourself.
- Take an inventory of the people you associate with this week. Are they a healthy influence on your life? If not- decide to do something about it- NOW!
- Drop what you are doing when you get home and give your kids a big hug. They could care less about what your day was like- they’re just happy you are there. (We often forget this.)
- Know that you are on the verge of Greatness! And expect it to happen!
- Read at least one inspiring quote today that resonates with you and paste it somewhere where it always catches your eye.
- What other people think about you is none of your business. (Thanks John!)
Posted in Fitness, Motivation
76 Days to a bodybuilding comeback………Sushi, Sake, Rice…..riiight!
Today I started my first Cross Fit training Session with great Cross Fit Trainer Troy Becker (http://crossfitthrowback.weebly.com/the-trojan-perspective.html) and because I knew it was going to be different from my normal training routine I allowed myself to indulge and truly have a great time with a wonderful person over Sushi last night. Not only was the company awesome but I think I actually burned up enough calories laughing my tail end off all night equivalent to the amount of Sushi I ate. I actually tried a few new items that I hadn’t before……. Raw Salmon and Ahi- so good for your health and not to mention great fish for getting lean…..however forget about it when you add all of that rice and did I forget to mention Sake??? Oops! Oh well, alcohol is not permitted on a bodybuilding diet… but what the heck…. Here’s to the next 76 days of blood sweat and tears….. And competing in my first NPC Figure Show in 5 years!
Today’s Cross Fit session was quite basic learning the fundamentals of the right squat technique, shoulder press and getting through a circuit. I will tell you that I think I am in pretty good shape however I forgot what it was like to train with such intensity using plyometrics and explosive movements. I actually had to leave the session early today as I was just getting into my routine. Also my Asthma was kicking in quite intensely so needless to say I had to stop and take my inhaler. Thank goodness! I am in for it and I do realize that I will have to mentally prepare for each session that I attend. I won’t however refrain in any way of using loud expletives and possibly crying and throwing a tantrum during each session until I build up my stamina and endurance. Please stay tuned. We will be posting some great training videos and techniques in the very near future and prepare to be inspired!
Tip: I find that with my busy schedule preparing meals can often be a chore. I love the easiness and taste of Oh Yeah RTD Shakes – Banana Cream and Cookie’s & Cream with 32 grams of protein (www.ohyeahnutrition.com) and Frozen Green Beans & Almonds by Green Giant (www.greengiant.com), 100 cals and loaded with fiber and any easy way to get your greens. I eat the whole package minus the almonds. I save the almonds for later as a snack.) Stay tuned for my next blog: I’m going to perfect the perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie- for those gotta have cheat snacks and cheat days.
Happy Training and would love to hear your Fitness/Nutrition Tips.
Much Love,
Leslie
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- 2 years after Having baby
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- Ready to get this show on the road!
Posted in Asthma, Motivation, Training, Women's Fitness and Health
Commitment To Consistency
A Day at the Beach
Song for Motivation- Great for your iPOD
I love new beginnings. New opportunities, new friends, new romantic relationships, new clothes, new hair style, new lipstick, you name it, NEW- I love it. but What I love most is the opportunity to start over. 2010 is the start of a new decade and new chance for people to treat themselves better, treat other people better and start a new life. A life that has been only but a dream come true.
We all have our demons and at some point in our lives our demons have a greater influence than we’d like them to have and can take over if we allow them. The key is acknowledging that you are not perfect and neither is anyone else. Nothing ever great was achieved without some sort of internal struggle or pain- be it blood, sweat and tears. Even the most positive people who you would least expect can have personal challenges that they are sometimes afraid to deal with and admit.
That’s what I love about life- its inconsistencies. It makes it interesting and colorful. What I know to be true is that throughout these inconsistencies in this experience called “life” is that if you remain consistent to a life of health and fitness your almost certain to never go wrong. Committing to a life of health and fitness can help you heal and deal with life’s adversities. You can have a really crappy day at work, hate your job, be broke, in an unhealthy relationship, but at the end of the day if you can get your workout in and eat at least 90% clean- you’ve accomplished something- something that most people only talk about or wish that could have done.
This year I hope you decide to change for the better. What ever that means to you whether it is to lose weight, quit smoking, drop a bad relationship or find a new one, stop drinking so much, stop doing drugs…. what ever it is…..I wish you the best year of your life.
So here I go and starting my first Cross Fit session and also Bikram Yoga. Here’s to Living Out Loud and taking wonderful chances. And last but not least… may you be blessed with amazing true friends and family to get you through the rough spots.
“In order to achieve what most people wont, you have to do what most people don’t.” - (I don’t remember where this came from… but I love it.)
Much Love-
Leslie
P.S. I love the video I posted. It’s great for motivation. iPOD Material for the gym and crank it up for a killer cardio session.
