The Val Blog

I Want My Bikini Body - Sneak Peek!!

2009-05-07T15:01:00.001-07:00

The girls from Diet.com stopped by a couple weeks ago to get a sneak peek at one of my upcoming "I Want My Bikini Body" workouts . . .

Like what you see?
This is just a small sample of what's you can expect from the "I Want My Bikini Body" workouts.

"I Want My Bikini Body" is coming Monday, May 18th!!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

2009-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today on the fifth of May, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by native Mexican (and American) people everywhere. This observance of the Cinco de Mayo victory is a special symbol for all Mexican people who celebrate their rights of freedom and liberty. In the spirit of this holiday I'm sharing 3 of my favorite Mexican recipes, ole!

I love mexican food! I could eat it every day at any meal. However, if you're eating your basic American/Mexican (you know, cheese quesadillas, enchiladas, taquitos, and chips) you are seriously de-railing your chance for a bikini body anytime soon. Fortunately, there is a way to get your Mexican food fix without having to fall off the Red Carpet Ready track.

Here are 3 of my favorite Mexican recipes - one for each meal of the day!
The third recipe (and what I believe to be the best recipe) is brought to you by my good friend and Red Carpet Ready contributor, Gavan, The Healthy Irishman.

For Breasfast: Val's Easy Breakfast Taco

Servings: 1

Ingredients:
1-2 corn tortillas
1/2 cup of Eggology or 3-4 egg whites
1 tablespoon shredded cheese
1 tablespoon of salsa

What To Do:
Spray Pam in a non-stick pan and heat the pan on medium.
Add the egg whites and cheese, and turn the heat to low.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Serve the cooked egg whites in the tortillas, top with salsa, and enjoy!!

For Lunch: Ay Caramba! Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 Chicken Breast
2 cups of roughly chopped lettuce
1/2 chopped tomato
1/4 of an avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon of shredded cheese
1 tablespoon of prepared salsa
1 tablespoon dressing of choice
Chipotle seasoning by Mrs. Dash

What To Do:
Pound the chicken breast to make grilling faster.
Season your chicken with Mrs. Dash Chipotle spice, and grill on the BBQ or in a stove top grill pan, on medium/high until the meat is fully cooked through (about 8 minutes total).
Allow the chicken to cool off before chopping.
Assemble your salad - lettuce, tomato, and you dressing of choice.
Place the chopped chicken on top of your salad and then add cheese, salsa, and avocado.
Enjoy!!

For Dinner: Cinco de Mayo Red Snapper Veracruz
All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.
www.TheHealthyIrishman.com
Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Veracruz is a central Mexican city on the Gulf of Mexico. Food is the passion of virtually everyone who lives there and seafood in particular, is eaten all through out the day. This sauce, although Mediterranean in style, is a classic dish from this area and goes down as a treat with all the locals. You'll love how easy this is and the taste--man, outrageous!

RECIPE: Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 x 5 oz Red Snapper fillets
1/2 cup white onion - fine dice
2 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 large Jalapeno - cut in 1/2 lengthwise
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup green olives - pitted, chopped
2 tbsp capers - drained & chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano - chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Preheat skillet on medium heat for 1 minute. Add olive oil. Saute onion for 1 minute, stirring. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low until sauce begins to reduce and thicken about 25 minutes approx. Taste and season.
Preheat oven to 425F. Lay 4 tbsp of the cooked sauce in bottom of baking dish. Season each snapper fillet with S&P and place fish on top of sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over each fillet and bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes, until fish is firm to touch.
Fresh, simple, healthy and muy delicioso! (says the Irishman)

Secrets Of The Red Carpet

2009-05-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of being a celebrity trainer is that something you get to go to movie premiere. Last week and I had the good fortune of attending the premiere of "Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past", starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner. I loved this romantic comedy about a notorious photographer (McConaughey) with a bad boy reputation of loving beautiful women and dumping them when they fall in love with him. On the eve of his brothers wedding, the infamous bachelor is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends and gets a huge wake up call.

Jennifer was radiant in the movie, and luminous on the Red Carpet - just 3 and a half months after giving birth. While celebrities have resources that might not be as readily available to most of us, there are some secrets that can have you on your way to looking Red Carpet Ready.

1. Start Now
Jennifer knew months ago when this premiere would be, so we circled it on the calendar and started exercising a few weeks after Serafina was born. In the weeks in between, other press opportunities came up. Fortunately, we had not delayed getting started. You may not have a movie premiere coming up, but with Summer fast approaching, you may be invited to the beach or a pool party. How would you feel if you were asked to put on a bikini, today? It's possible that you would skip the event or keep yourself covered up if you did attend. Then don't wait! Start a comprehensive fitness program such as Red Carpet Ready today, and notice results in less than 2 weeks.

2. Eat Better
You cannot look and feel your best if you are eating junk. You will see the most dramatic weight loss if you eliminate processed foods and refined carbohydrates.
- Focus on real food
- Eat 5-6 times per day (3 meals, and 2-3 snacks)
- Include a small portion of protein and a large portion of veggies at each serving
- Get adequate fiber, this means 25-30 grams, spread throughout the day
- Drink lots of water. About 80-100 ounces/day

3. Be Accountable
People are more likely to stay committed to their diet and exercise program when they have someone to be accountable to (this is part of the reason personal trainers are so popular). Try getting a workout buddy, or creating your own blog, so that you can share your progress and your slip ups. Online communities and forums are also very popular for the very same reason. Many of the women in my Red Carpet Ready Club find the support they receive to be invaluable. Regardless which avenue you choose, you are more likely to stick with it if you have someone counting on you, and visa versa.

Red Carpet Ready on E! News

2009-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you might already know, I have a segment airing on E! News every Monday. I am coaching 2 women (Julie & Maria) to lose weight and reach their fitness goals. The girls have been following my Red Carpet Ready program and both of them have seen amazing results. Maria has already lost 20 pounds, and Julie is down a could dress sizes, in just 6 weeks!!

I'm so proud of Julie and all of her hard work. Julie started the program with no exercise experience and struggled through the first couple weeks. Now, she is starting to enjoy the process and has been successful in making Red Carpet Ready a part of her new and healthy lifestyle.

Maria, while familiar with exercising, found out that in order to see Red Carpet Ready results she needed to increase the intensity of her workouts. Additionally, Maria enjoys going out with her friends and co-workers, so it was an initial challenge for her to get over the hump of Happy Hour temptations. However, she is now able to make smart choices when it comes to her diet, even when eating out.

In an upcoming segment, my friend Gavan - The Healthy Irishman - stops by to show the girls, and E! News viewers some delicious and healthy meals that anyone can cook in the comfort of their own home. I'll be sure to keep you posted!!

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. With all the talk about global warming and the current condition of our Earth, we have to wonder: what can we do to help protect our planet? There are organizations online that offer the opportunity to adopt a rainforest, or donate money to preserve our wildlife, but what would you say if I offered a suggestion that would help you lose weight, save you money, and help the environment all at once?

Bring your lunch to work.

Believe it or not, something as simple as bringing your lunch to work can reduce your carbon footprint - which means that you can be proud of yourself on Earth Day (and every day) that you're not contributing to the 1.8 million tons of trash created by the packaging that take-out food comes in. That's a whole lotta trash!! An added bonus is that you're not only helping preserve Earth's environment, you're also saving yourself the money of eating out. If you were to eat out during the work week, let's say spending $7 a day on your eats, you'll be saving yourself a whopping $140 a month by bringing your lunch to work! Additionally, you'll be sparing your body the aftermath of what you might have consumed had you gotten your fast food fix. Even if you were attempting to make a healthier decision by heading to Subway for a tuna sandwich, you'd be consuming around 700 to 800 calories (that's after the drink and bag of chips to make your meal a combo). By packing your own lunch, you will be much more aware of what you're putting in your body and therefore less likely to overdo the sodium, fat, carbohydrates, and overall calories. So come Summer, not only will you be rockin' your hot bikini body, you'll know that you've done your part to preserve the planet we live on.

Kicking Off Motivational Mondays

2009-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend in LA was truly spectacular - it was a little taste of Summer! Many people were enjoying their time on the beach, soaking up the sun. If the thought of being in a bikini has you in a bit of a panic, don't worry, my "I Want My Bikini Body", the ultimate beach beach body workout, is coming soon. These workouts will help you burn excess body fat, flatten and tighten your belly, lift and shape your butt, and tone your arms. Some of the girls in my Red Carpet Ready Club have been sampling these workouts for the past couple weeks, and loving them. Here is what one of them had to say:

"Oh, my gosh. What an incredible workout! In my opinion, this workout was one of the most intense workouts, but incredibly enjoyable ... I loved this workout. I liked the combination of valslide/valband cardio, traditional strength and then the sculpting exercises. Val, I cannot tell you how excited I am to get this ebook. I think my body will really respond well to these workouts."
-Jennifer Hardy

Since my beach body workouts aren't quite ready for release, I wanted to provide another form of motivation to get everyone fired up for Summer - it's just 5 weeks away!! I've found that we often respond very well to a visual stimulus of what we hope to achieve in terms of goals having to do with how we look. Taking that into consideration, here are what I believe to be bikini worthy bodies:

All of three of these women have made diet & exercise a priority in their life, and it shows!

Your $30 Treadmill

2009-04-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

Want to get a kick-butt, heart thumping cardio workout without going to the gym, or having to spend $3000 on a treadmill? I specialize in fast pace circuits that burn a ton of calories, while sculpting a lean and sexy physique.

Here is a new workout that I created to beat beach body panic and to get you bikini ready in time for Summer. You might be skeptical and wondering how the workout below is going to take the place of a treadmill, but trust me on this one. The combination of these exercises will get your heart rate up and I promise, you will feel this all throughout your body!
All you need are your Valslides and about 8 square feet. You might want to also have a bottle of water, because you're going to get thirsty!!

Take a few minutes to warm up, and then get ready to SWEAT:

Squats - 20 reps
Skater Jumps - 20 reps
Valslide Reverse Lunge - 20 reps (each leg)
Valslide Side Lunge - 20 reps (each leg)
Valslide Tricep Push-Up - 10 reps
Valslide Mountain Climber - 20 reps
Valslide Painful Push Away - 20 reps
Valslide Sliding Crunch - 20 rpes

Do this circuit 3-4 times, with 1-2 minutes rest in between each circuit

To find out more information about the Valslide, visit www.Valslide.com

In you're interested in additional workouts, such as the one featured in this blog, be sure to check out my e-book Red Carpet Ready at www.RedCarpetReady.com

25 Random Things About Val

2009-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got tagged on Facebook with with a chain letter message. Unlike a typical chain letter, this one required me to fill in 25 things about myself that most people may not know, and then continue the chain by tagging my friends with my post. I had a lot of fun filling this out and thought it would be even more fun to share with you, 25 random things about me!

1. It's been more than 18 years and I still get a thrill out of training clients. I love seeing their lives change as a result of becoming more fit.

2. I believe in manifesting, karma, and intuition.

3. Lessons I learned at High School track practice still influence me today.

4. I grew up in "The OC".

5. Cindy Crawford was my first celebrity client, and we worked together for 15 years.

6. I used to eat Tom Ramen or Taco Bell Bean Burritos nearly everyday (fortunately, I got over this!).

7. I work at being motivated to exercise. I often remind myself of my motto, "You are only one workout away from a good mood", to get myself to the gym.

8. I love my dogs, Cody & Lexi, and feel so blessed to have them. They bring me joy each day.

9. Growing up, I owned a horse.

10. I love to surf, even though I'm afraid of waves over waist high, I am afraid of running into someone, I don't like seaweed and I freak out when fish touch me. In spite of these issues, I keep trying.

11. I prefer "1 on 1" or small groups rather than big parties or events.

12. Mexican food is my favorite!! I could eat it everyday.

13. I love Twitter! Twitter changed my life - follow me at www.twitter.com/valeriewaters.

14. You will never find me at a horror movie. I don't even like seeing the commercials or trailers for them. They give me nightmares.

15. My parents had a small garden when I was a kid. I think it is so cool that I was able to watch things grow, pull them from the ground, and eat them for dinner. One Halloween, we planted the seed from our Jack O Lantern, and about 10 months later we have a gazillion pumpkins. We made pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins,pumpkin pie, and more!

16. I am very proud to have created The Valslide. This very simple exercise tool can add dozens of new exercises to your repertoire.

17. I love to read. Recent favorites are: The Outliers (by Malcom Gladwell), Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And, of Course, Surfing) (by Laird Hamilton), and Words That Work (by Frank Luntz)

18. I used to be a workaholic. I am so much happier and healthier since I cut back.

19. Kauai is my favorite place. One of my best friends owns a company called Pure Kauai that provides luxury health and fitness services. I go at least once a year to surf and take in the beauty of the island.

20. I attend a lot of trainer conferences such as Perform Better, to learn new stuff, but also so that I can run with my tribe.

21. I love LA! I am truly a sunshine girl.

22. I stepped into a weight room for the first time at the age of 15. I haven't stopped lifting since!

23. As a trainer, the people who have inspired me the most are Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Gray Cook, and Mark Verstegen.

24. I have a love/hate relationship with Yoga. I love how good it makes me feel when I'm done, I love my instructor, and I know it's good for me. But, it is still torture while I'm there. I would rather be lifting weights.

25. Favorite Sundays go something like this: Wake up and have coffee, walk the dogs, go surfing, take a hot shower, eat a mexican breakfast, crawl back into bed and read/nap (Cody & Lexi like this part too!), go to farmers market, go to yoga, see a movie with a friend.

Hooray for New Playlists!

2009-04-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

I am off the gym with my IPOD filled with a new playlist that one of my clients sent me. I always feel like my workouts go up a notch when I have new music I love. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Val's Latest Playlist

If you need some extra motivation right now, the girls in my Red Carpet Ready Club have a Bikini Challenge going on. Come join in on the fun at www.RedCarpetReady.com

Celebrating The Valslide

2009-04-02T13:40:00.001-07:00

One of the things I enjoy most is getting e-mails from customers sharing with me how pleased they are with their Valslides. I designed the Valslide with simplicity in mind, and knew that this effective exercise tool would provide results in record time. It makes me feel so great when Valslide users contact me to share their positive feedback and their love for my product.On that note, about a month ago I opened this e-mail:

Hi Val,

I just had to write & thank you!
I have worked out my whole life. Everything from step aerobics (way back when), yoga, pilates, weights, the ball, the bean, etc. etc. Although, I was blessed with great genes, I always disliked my little pooch of a stomach and the lack of a backside. (I am 5'5 and about 118 lbs since forever.)

I was never able to rid myself of the little shelf I called my stomach no matter how hard I tried. I just figured that's the way I was born.

Well, at 44, thanks to less than three months of the Valslide, I have a different body! I have a butt and a defined, flatter midriff which just amazes me!

I absolutely love my Valslides and tell everyone about them. I am a true believer!

Thank you, Val!

Sincerely,
Hallie H.

When I read this e-mail, it makes me so happy! The Valslides really can change your body, and they do really work. No matter what other workouts you've tried, you will not be disappointed with the results you see from using the Valslide.

Because the Valslide is such a versatile exercise tool, I'm always coming up with new exercises. The latest new move, Valslide Reverse Lunge With A Reach, is a modification of the original (and highly effective) Valslide Reverse Lunge - check out the video below.

Val's Top 5 Bikini Body Shortcuts

2009-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung, and bikini season will be here before we know it. Can you imagine yourself on the beach in a bikini? If that thought has you mortified then read on for my "Top 5 Bikini Body Shortcuts".

1. Start Now!
Don't wait for Monday or until you're less busy, stressed, tired, etc. You can make simple changes right now that will have you feeling bikini ready by June.

2. Kitchen Purge.
This is a great place to start. If you've decided that you're ready to get a bikini body, then it helps to take immediate action. Get a large trash bag and throw out all the junk. This includes cookies, crackers, white rice, bread and pasta, sodas, peanut butter that isn't all natural, and any other overly processes food. The reason for this is to eliminate temptation. I believe that if you have to rely on willpower, your program will ultimately fail. If your trigger food is not in the house when a craving hits, you are far less likely to eat it. If you want to be bikini ready, you will need to learn how to eat "clean". In my book, Red Carpet Ready, I share with you the best foods to have on hand, but to get you going, choose foods with few ingredients, ie. chicken breast, spinach, eggs, oats, apples ... you get the idea.

3. Strength Train.
The best shortcut to a bikini body is to use resistance. It can be body weight, stretchy bands, machines, or free weights. My specially designed circuits will blast fat and create sexy curves in record time. You can do them at home or at the gym, so there is no excuse!

Val's Sample Circuit:

Valband side to side hops (20 reps)
Single leg reach across (15 reps)
Valslide reverse lunge with 2 arm row (12 reps, each side)
Dumbbell chest press with twist (15 reps x 10lbs)
Stability ball roll-aways (15 reps)
Crunches on stability ball (20 reps)
**do circuit 3 times**

4. Be Accountable.
One of the reasons I am so successful with getting clients in shape is that I hold them accountable. I have my clients write down the foods they are eating and I review this with them. While not everyone has a trainer to be held accountable to, the Red Carpet Ready Club (members' forum) does an amazing job. As one Red Carpet Ready member said, "The forum is one of the first things I think of when I might get off track with my eating or exercise. To know that everyone is supporting me and cheering me on towards success keeps me motivated to stay on track, be accountable for my workouts and think twice before I eat something I know I shouldn't" -Nikki
Get 2 months free access to the Red Carpet Ready Club when you purchase the e-book at www.RedCarpetReady.com

5. Get Valslides.
The Valslide was voted "Best Stability Trainer" by Men's Health magazine for good reason. The Valslide will accelerate the results of any fitness program and will add dozens of new exercises to your repertoire. You will be amazed at how fun yet challenging using the Valslides can be. Get yours at www.Valslide.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:21:00.001-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday in Ireland observed to commemorate one of their patron Saints. Here in the US we've taken it upon ourselves to use the day as an excuse to turn things green.

To show my holiday spirit on St. Patrick's Day, here are a few of my favorite and not so favorite green things:

Cody & Lexi wearing GREEN bandanas to show their holiday spirit! (a favorite)

GREEN Bagels, NOT a favorite. Bagels are not on the Red Carpet Ready plan when they are NOT green, so adding the food coloring just doesn't help!

Show your St. Patrick's Day spirit by taking your Valslides (they're GREEN and a total favorite) to the gym with you!

GREEN Eggs & No Ham - delicious and Red Carpet Ready. How could this not be a favorite?

GREEN Beer, NOT a favorite and NOT great if you want to look Red Carpet Ready

The Luck of The Irish Tropical GREEN Smoothie. Nutritious, delicious, GREEN & a favorite!

I've listed below the recipes for the Green Eggs and the Green Smoothie, enjoy!

Green Eggs & No Ham (serves 1)
Ingredients:
1-3 egg whites OR 1/2 cup Eggology liquid egg whites
1 green onion (chopped) including the green part but reserve the green part for topping
3 cooked asparagus spears (I used grilled asparagus from a left over dinner, but you could easily microwave 3 spears in about 30 seconds)
A bit of cheese (I used about 2 tsps of goat cheese but any or none will do)

Directions:
Spray skillet with Pam cooking spray and heat to med-high.
Add green onions and cook until it begins to wild (1-2 minutes).
Meanwhile, whisk egg whites with a teaspoon of water and salt & pepper.
Add the chopped asparagus spears and give a bit of a stir.
Add the egg whites and turn heat to low.
Gently stir your mixture and add the cheese.
Cook for about 2 minutes.
Top with green part of the green onion.
*Serve with fruit or 1 piece of Ezekial toast

Luck of The Irish Tropical Green Smoothie (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 big handfuls of raw spinach
1 mango
1 banana
1 cup of water
Some ice cubes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Valslides In The Media

2009-03-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Valslides' popularity is growing!!

In the past month alone, Valslides have been featured in Men's Health magazine (pg.92), on an E! News segment, and on a television show in the UK called "Superzise Super Skinny", which swamped us with international orders.

In celebration of Valslides success, I made you a video with two new exercises:
Valslide Reverse Lunge to Overhead Lift
Valslide Tricep Push-Up

Scoring BIG on Super Bowl Sunday

2009-01-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

The Menu:
Val's "Holy Mole" Guacamole - Baked Chips - Spicy Buffalo Chicken Strips served with Celery & Carrot Sticks along with Blue Cheese Dip - Spinach & Artichoke Dip - Val's Black Bean Soup - Val's Beef & Raisin Chili - Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Super Bowl Sunday isn’t a day associated with healthy eating. In fact, some say that the idea of a healthy Super Bowl Sunday is an oxymoron. The Super Bowl is more than a football event, it has become an eating event. It should come as no surprise that after Thanksgiving, Americans eat the greatest amount of food on Super Bowl Sunday. Let’s keep in mind that when we say “food” we are referring to fried finger treats, hot & spicy buffalo wings, loaded nachos, pizza, and a variety of chips & dips (just to name a few). According to the Calorie Control Council, “the average Super Bowl armchair quarterback will consume 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat”, and that’s just from snacking. Factor in your meals for the super day and you’re not headed for a touchdown or even a field goal, but 2500 calories or more --- not the makings of a MVP.

Everyone knows that the proper execution of any play requires a game plan. Super Bowl Sunday eats are no different. To ensure that the men are satisfied and that the ladies can still fit into their jeans the day after the big game, I’ve put together some tasty Super Bowl recipes that wont threaten your waistline or your mans taste buds. To ensure that everything runs smoothly on Sunday, and that you score big with the crowd, here’s the game plan:

The day before Super Bowl, make the Beef & Raisin Chili and the Black Bean Soup. This way, you’re not stuck in the kitchen during game day. Plus, both of these delicious recipes taste even better the day after they’re cooked. I didn’t think they could taste any better than they already do, but trust me! On Sunday, all you’ll have to do is place your soup and chili on low heat over the stove an hour before the game, and they’re ready to serve. The Black Bean Soup is a perfect option for vegetarians, but I can guarantee that non-vegetarians will love this soup too.

VAL'S BEEF & RAISIN CHILI
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS
A little over 1 lb of lean ground beef
Vegetable Oil
1 whole red onion
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
2 stalks of celery
1 cup California Raisins (secret ingredient!)
1 - 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 - 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 small can of sliced olives
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 Teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder (optional)
3 Tablespoons cumin
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon of ground clove
Salt

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef over the stove in a little bit of vegetable oil. Be sure to break up the meat so that it browns evenly and cooks thoroughly. In a separate pot on the stove, combine chopped red onion, chopped celery stalks, and sliced mushrooms with a little vegetable oil.

Once the ground beef has browned, drain the excess fat and add to the pot with onions, celery, and mushrooms. Mix in chili powder, cumin, garlic salt or garlic powder (optional), ground clove, sugar (optional), and salt to taste.

Stir in crushed tomatoes with the meat, vegetables and spices. Add the whole tomatoes to your chili pot, making sure to break up the tomatoes as you stir them in. Mix in small can of sliced olives and California Raisins

Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for at least an hour.

Garnish with shredded cheese (optional) & serve hot

VAL'S BLACK BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (15oz) cans of black beans
1 cup of chopped celery
¾ large onion, chopped
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of finely chopped jalepeno
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 (14.5 oz) can of Rotel (tomatoes with green chili’s)
Red pepper chili flakes
Soy Bac-o-Bits (optional for garnish)

DIRECTIONS
Combine ¾ of the beans with ¾ of the tomatoes, and water in a large non stick pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and use an immersion blender to puree contents in the pot. *if you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer mixture to a blender and pulse until well pureed.

Add the celery, onions, jalepeno pepper, garlic, cumin, along with the remaining beans, and remaining tomatoes. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover pot, leaving lip slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape, and reduce heat to low.

Simmer 25 to 30 minutes (or until vegetables are tender)

Serve soup while still hot, and top with Soy Bac-o-Bits or real Bacon Bits (optional)

On the day before the game, be sure to also prepare you veggies. Wash & slice the vegetables you'll be serving with your blue cheese dip/dressing and those you'll be serving with the Spinach & Artichoke dip. You can separate your cut up veggies in plastic bags or containers and place them in the fridge until you're ready to set them out the next day. The chicken that you'll be using for your Spicy Buffalo Chicken Strips can be marinated on the day before to ensure that they are juicy and savory when served during Super Bowl. Also, fully prepare your Spinach & Artichoke dip and refrigerate it - on the the day of the game all you have to do is heat it up,add Parmesan cheese on the top and place under the broiler (just enough to melt the cheese). The only item that you'll be preparing on Super Bowl Sunday is the Guacamole, which should take you no longer than 5 to 10 minutes - I'm all about keeping it simple!

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts in water, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
4oz reduced-fat bar cream cheese
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Raw veggies for dipping (red & yellow bell peppers, asparagus, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower)

DIRECTIONS
Place half the artichokes in a food processor; add cream cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, and 3 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth.

Add scallions, remaining artichokes and spinach; pulse briefly. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.

Top with Parmesan cheese (1 tablespoon) and place under broiler just until cheese has melted.

SPICY BUFFALO CHICKEN STRIPS (Men's Health)
Servings: 2 (we had to taste these... but this recipe will yield more than is pictured below in final photo)

INGREDIENTS
12 chicken tenders
3 teaspoons of honey
3 tablespoons of hot sauce
2 tablespoons of low sodium Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoons paprika
Blue Cheese Dressing, low in fat (Ken's Steak House Lite)

DIRECTIONS

Stir together the hot sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and paprika in a small bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, stirring if the honey clumps.
Place the chicken and half of the spice mixture in a large ziplock bag and shake until coated. Refrigerate until you're ready to grill.

When ready to cook the chicken, put the coated tenders on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, checking to make sure they're cooked sufficiently inside. Baste with the remaining spice mixture.

VAL'S “Holy Molé” GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS
2 large avocados
2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Jalepeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Mexican spice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons salsa
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ to 1 lime

DIRECTIONS
Peel and mash 2 avocados, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro & serve with baked chips, pita chips, and veggies.

Don't think I forgot about dessert...
Chocolate covered strawberries, and you guessed it, prepare these delectable treats the night before the game.

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

INGREDIENTS
16 large strawberries (about 1lb)
2 4oz bars of dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS
Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or by using a double broiler.

Wash the strawberries and make sure they have dried.
Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate and then place on a cookie sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.

Refrigerate until 1 hour before serving

I hope you enjoy the menu that I've put together for Super Bowl 2009. While you're enjoying these delicious and good for you eats, be sure to pay close attention to the commercials during the game ... the trailer for GI Joe (which features Action Hero Babe, Rachel Nichols) is scheduled to air right before kick off!!

All I want for Christimas ... is a SUPER SEXY BODY!

2008-12-15T18:48:00.001-08:00

Why wait to January 1st to get your best body ever? Start now and you can have a jump start on every one else. There are a few things that will assure you are a success.

1. You have to want it, baby!
There is a big difference between wishing you looked better and deciding right now, to get in shape. Make fitness a priority and your body and life will change.

2. Have the right program.
It is obviously frustrating to work really hard, only to find that they program you were following produced little or no results - or worse, it bulked you up! If you like the toned and sexy look, favored by my Hollywood A-listers, then my Red Carpet Ready system is for you. Check out my webshow, RCR TV, and see how two "regular" women get in amazing shape using this program.

3. Get support.
All of us at one time or another need encouragement or guidance to make sure we are on the right track and to cheer us on when we need it most. As part of my Red Carpet Ready system, you get 2 free months in the Red Carpet Ready Club. Here, not only will you find workouts, exercise videos, recipes, and motivation, you will also find a group of women dedicated to being in shape, and willing to help you on your journey.

4. Motivation.
This comes in many forms. I think the biggest is a deadline, real or self imposed. Nothing lights a fire like deadline. Sometimes though, we need mini motivators like a great movie, a new workout outfit, or a new play list.
My current fave play list:

1. Just Dance - Lady Gaga
2. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
3. Because The Night - Cascasda
4. Circus - Britney Spears
5. Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf (Feat. Lil Wayne)
6. When I grow Up - Pussycat Dolls
7. Live Your Life - T.I. (Feat. Rihanna)
8. Hot & Cold - Katy Perry

5. New equipment.
It is true that the body adapts, so we must continue to shake it up with new exercises. Try the Valslide, which not only will accelerate your results, but give you dozens of new exercises. For more information, visit www.Valslide.com

The 3 Best Butt Exercises You Can Do At Home

2008-12-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Nearly every client I work with wants to know if I can reshape their back side. They either want to pick it up, fill it out, slim it down, or make it rock solid. Fortunately for them, I consider this my specialty. Fortunately for you, I am going to share a few secrets. If you are already doing squats and lunges, then congratulations, you're off to a good start. Compound moves like these not only create size and shape for your butt, they also burn a ton of calories. The problem is, these exercises also develop the quads. That's no problem if that's your goal, but what if it's not?

Before we get into my favorite butt exercises, lets start with some important information.

1. Even the best exercises in the world can't overcome a bad diet. If you have cellulite and/or excess body fat, I am willing to bet that you're eating too many refined carbohydrates. I can't emphasize enough, if you want to have a lean, sexy body (and a great butt!), then stop with the junk!! No fast food, no chips, no cookies, no white flour or sugar! Whew! Glad we got that out of the way...

2. You need to burn the fat. So, I want you to do 3 full body workouts each week to add some muscle and rev up your metabolism.

3. To burn more fat you will also do 3 cardio sessions each week. I outline specifically what to do in my transformation system, Red Carpet Ready, but for now, any cardio will do. Even better if it's intervals.

4. Do special butt shaping exercises.

My 3 current favorites are:

Valband Forward backward marching

Place Valband above your knees. Your feet should be hip width apart and band should be taught. Sit back into a squat and march forward but slightly out to the side, maintaining squat position and resisting the band from pulling your knees together. In the same position march backward to your starting position.

Valslide reverse lunge with kettlebells or dumbbells

Stand with feet together, place the ball of your right foot on the Valslide®. Slide your right foot back; Left leg will bend at 90˚. Slide your right foot up to start position, pulling up with the glute (butt) of your left leg. Finish reps and switch sides. NOTE: be sure to use the stationary leg to return to start, not the sliding leg. Think of the sliding leg as just going along for the ride.
**You will feel this in your glutes and quads

Single leg - 2 arm RDL's

Hold a bodybar or barbell and lift one foot off the ground slightly. Pinch the shoulder blades back together as this helps keep the spine in the proper position. Begin by pushing your hips backward while keeping the non-working leg extended and in alignment with your torso. Continue to push the hips backwards with the working leg and keep a neutral/flat back throughout the movement. Stand back up by squeezing the glutes, pushing the hips forward and standing up straight.

Who's Gonna Win?

2008-12-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Mary Bess and Cody Kennedy are in the fight of their lives. Each has struggled with years of dieting and many failed attempts at reshaping their bodies. Some of these past attempts worked for a while, but always in the end, the scale would beat them back down.

Well, Mary Bess and Cody has been training hard and following the principles of Red Carpet Ready. Now, here they are in the fourth round (week) and they are ready to deliver some knockout blows. See how they do it, LIVE tonight at 5pm PST at www.redcarpetready.tv

Cody's one-two punch of 11lbs gone and a tight flat stomach is going to send the scale to its corner. Mary Bess' commitment to the diet and the conditioning program has her weighing in at 8lbs lighter and makes her a formidable competitor.

Tune in tonight to see how they do it. Learn their secrets to staying with it, and I will be there LIVE to answer any questions you have regarding diet and exercise.

You too can finally transform your body and live as if your are ready for the Red Carpet.

Val's Raisin Chili Recipe

2008-11-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

When the days are short and the nights are cold, who doesn't enjoy warming up with steaming bowl of chili? To make sure that you stay Red Carpet Ready during the infamous weight gaining Winter months, I'm sharing with you my favorite chili recipe (RCR approved).

INGREDIENTS

A little over 1 lb of lean ground beef
Vegetable Oil
1 whole red onion
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
2 stalks of celery
1 cup California Raisins (secret ingredient!)
1 - 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 - 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 small can of sliced olives
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 Teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder (optional)
3 Tablespoons cumin
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon of ground clove
Salt

DIRECTIONS

Brown the ground beef over the stove in a little bit of vegetable oil. Be sure to break up the meat so that it browns evenly and cooks thoroughly. In a separate pot on the stove, combine chopped red onion, chopped celery stalks, and sliced mushrooms with a little vegetable oil.

Once the ground beef has browned, drain the excess fat and add to the pot with onions, celery, and mushrooms. Mix in chili powder, cumin, garlic salt or garlic powder (optional), ground clove, sugar (optional), and salt to taste.

Stir in crushed tomatoes with the meat, vegetables and spices. Add the whole tomatoes to your chili pot, making sure to break up the tomatoes as you stir them in. Mix in small can of sliced olives and California Raisins

Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for at least an hour.

Serves about 8

Garnish with shredded cheese (optional) & serve hot

The 3 Best AB Exercises You're NOT Doing

2008-11-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

You probably know by now that the Plank is the one of the best exercises for your abs. I agree that it is an important exercise to include in your fitness routine, the problem is, it becomes boring to hold your Plank position past 60 seconds.

You can create a bunch of new variations of the Plank with just 2 inexpensive exercise tools, the Valslide, and an Airex pad. Chances are, you are not familiar with these two excellent exercise tools because many magazines won't feature new equipment (regardless of how amazing it is) unless it can be assumed that at least 70% of people have it or have access to it. I understand that people who buy magazines might be disappointed if they had to spend additional money to do the workout the magazine provides, however, if there is no infomercial, and the magazines don't write about it, how are you supposed to know about it?

By familiarizing yourself with a few variations of the Plank exercise, not only will you avoid the boredom that may occur, you'll also be able to challenge yourself with some new moves in your routine.

Below are my 3 favorite variations of the Plank. You can do these as a circuit (if you're advanced) or mix them into your regular routines.

For these exercises you will need your Valslides and an Airex pad (or other squishy surface).

To download a PDF file of these exercise descriptions with pictures, click here

If you would like to see more of these workouts, make sure to follow me on Twitter.

Parties & Turkeys & Pies, Oh My!

2008-11-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

With the holidays around the corner, the opportunity for diet disasters are everywhere. Holiday parties, Christmas cookies, stuffing and pie, it seems temptation is everywhere. Couple that with the stress that many experience from shopping, traveling, or too many commitments, and it is no wonder that people gain weight between now and Super Bowl Sunday. Rumor has it that Americans gain a whopping 7 to 10 pounds during the holiday season, but it doesn't have to happen!!

Not only is it possible to make it through the holidays without gaining weight, but you can actually experience weight loss. More willpower is not the answer, what you need is more effective strategies. Here are a few of my faves:

Focus on what you can eat, not what you can't.

I will show up at my Dad's for Thanksgiving, looking forward to some turkey, green beans, and a bit of sweet potatoes. I know he will make me try his new brussels sprouts recipe (yuck!) and I will have a small piece of pumpkin pie. I will not feel sad about missing out on the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pecan pie. I would rather be able to still fit in my "skinny jeans" the next day.

Reduce stress

Stress makes you fat! The best way to reduce stress is to exercise. You need to take that energy and blow it out. Whether you go for a run or to the gym, it doesn't matter, just get moving!

Have a Plan B

Do your best to stick to your regular workouts, but have a backup plan. If you can't make it to the gym, have a few things you can use at home (Valslides perhaps?). If you don't have an hour, do an intense 2o-30 minute circuit training or interval workout.

Get Support

If you know that you struggle during the holidays, then get support! Find a fitness buddy that will hold you accountable and visa versa, or join an on-line community like the Red Carpet Ready Club. Here you will find inspiring stories, great workouts, and most important, encouraging words.

Also, be sure to check out Red Carpet Ready TV, my live internet reality weight loss program. I am doing to help transform the bodies (and lives) of Cody and Mary Bess using the workouts and strategies that I use with my Hollywood clients. You can follow along (or join in) as I coach them through the next 6 weeks.

You too can make the commitment and be Red Carpet Ready by January!

Red Carpet Ready beings airing LIVE today, November 12th, at 5pm PST (8pm EST) at http://www.redcarpetready.tv/

When you tune in make sure to say hi (there will be a live chat as well). Hope to see you there!!

What If You Don't Need To Be A "Big Loser?"

2008-11-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

What if you only need or want to be a medium, or even small loser?

NBC's hit series "The Biggest Loser" is now in it's sixth season, featuring overweight contestants vying to win $250,000. While I find the show inspirational and mildly entertaining, it certainly doesn't educate people on how to live a healthy and balanced life. You probably know the premise, overweight contestants competing to win by losing the highest percentage of their starting body weight. The contestants are isolated from "the real world" for 13 weeks, and put through grueling workouts accompanied by a drastic diet overseen by a team of "drill sergeants". The conditions under which these contestants lose weight, working out for 8 hours a day, while being completely removed from daily responsibilities is obviously unrealistic

I specialize in helping women lose 5 to 40lbs, and create a lean, sexy body. While I am mostly known for helping Hollywood beauties such as Jennifer Garner, Cindy Crawford, and Poppy Montgomery get Red Carpet Ready, I recently began coaching a group of women on-line via the Red Carpet Ready Club. These women come from varied backgrounds, some single, some married, some married with kids, some working, some not. They all seem to be a bit stressed and pulled in many directions (aren't we all?), but they all have the desire to be what I call, Red Carpet Ready. That is when you feel confident in your body, and you don't have to worry about what clothes you pull out of the closet - because they all look good.

After only 6 weeks on the Red Carpet Ready Program, here is what one of the members had to say about her experience and results:

"Val,
I want to thank you for changing my life! ... Your style of diet and training has become my way of life. I used to spend at least two hours in the gym, four days a week, doing more of the "traditional" lifting exercises followed by an excruciating hour of cardio. My diet was "decent", but I felt deprived a lot of the time ... I have been trying to lose five pounds for the past 6 months and you helped me lose it in 6 weeks. I spend about half the amount of time training as I used to and I can eat real food again. Amazing! ... Thanks again Val, for creating a wonderful program along with a great network of support and motivation made up of amazing women."
-Kristi Shumway

To give you the Red Carpet Ready experience, we are bringing it to you LIVE via the web. Red Carpet Ready TV will begin broadcasting Wednesday, November 12th, at 5pm PST. Tune in and follow along with two women on their journey to achieving the body of their dreams.

Red Carpet Ready TV can be viewed at http://www.redcarpetready.tv
Our first episode airs this Wednesday, November 12th at 5pm PST - tune in!

For more information about Red Carpet Ready visit http://www.redcarpetready.com

When The Going Gets Tough ... The Tough Go Workout

2008-11-07T12:13:00.001-08:00

It is nearly impossible to read the newspaper or watch the news without hearing about another doomsday prediction. Even with the election behind us, people are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety, and rightfully so. The stock market is all over the place, the housing market is still dropping, corporations are making massive layoffs, and country is badly in debt.

It would seem that there are more important things to focus on than your workout. I urge you to reconsider. Your fitness program is one of the most important things you can focus on. This is not just about fitting into your "skinny jeans" or looking "Red Carpet Ready" (although there is nothing wrong with these goals), this is about having the energy and mental clarity to do all the things you need to do. Exercise not only helps you look better, it helps you feel better. Exercise reduces stress, gives you a sense of empowerment, and increases your energy levels. In the fabulous book, "Power of Full Engagement", Jim Loehr explains that it is energy, not time, that is our greatest commodity. After all, what good would an extra hour in the day be if you spend it flopped in front of the TV?

If anyone has earned the right to sleep in and spend the day watching TV it would be President-elect, Barack Obama. After all, he has probably had a little stress theses past 2 years, and has been pushing pretty hard. Yet I read in the LA Times, that Barack Obama hit the gym the day after winning the election! Clearly he understand the importance of exercise. What about you? Have you worked out at least 3 times this week? If not, why not? Until you decide that exercise is a "must" not a "should", not only will you not have the body of your dreams, but you wont be functioning at your best.

In the last 6 weeks when it seemed the whole world was coming apart at the seams, I led a group of women through my Red Carpet Ready 6 week transformation program. The results were nothing less than astounding. They re-shaped their bodies and changed their view about diet and exercise. Many have said that they now "get it" and will continue on this program so that they can live their lives feeling Red Carpet Ready.

Here are what a couple members of the Red Carpet Ready 6 week transformation program had to say about their personal experience, and the results they achieved:

"HOORAY! I am now officially 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight!! Not only that, but my clothes are starting to fit again!! There aren't words enough to describe just how excited I am! I can't thank you enough, Val! Not only for putting together such a fantastic and effective program, but for creating a community where we can be encouraged and held accountable. Honestly, without this program, I would most likely have finished off a batch of cookies and be sitting in front of the TV, sobbing about how fat I am this evening. Instead, I just finished a fantastic shopping trip with my husband, where I was able to try on "normal clothes" and actually feel good about how they fit! THANK YOU!!!" - Stephanie Morrison

"First I have to say that I believe this eating and exercise is not going to be temporary for me. It has definitely become a lifestyle. The tools and support that Val has provided has made a huge different in my commitment and sustainability, and I will continue far beyond these six weeks. Prior to stating RCR, I had been working with a personal trainer for two months with no results at all. From the moment I watched my video assessment, I was convinced that RCR was a much better path for my health and fitness goals, and now I have the proof! Thank you so much , Val! I am amazed at the changes in my body in such a short time!" -Sonya Shelton

For more information about Red Carpet Ready visit http://www.redcarpetready.com

5 Things That Could Possibly Go Wrong on Election Day

2008-11-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

You have been hearing about the long lines, confusing propositions, and potential for chaos on Election Day. With only hours to go, here are 5 things that could go wrong and how to avoid them.

1. You are not clear on your intentions
Intentions are a big part of the Red Carpet Ready program and they can help you on Election Day. Intentions are a combination of goals and a "to do" list, but I believe, infinitely more powerful. Not only do intentions help clarify where you want to go, they are your road map for getting there. The clearer your intentions, the more spectacular your results will be. It's as if you are have sent a broadcast signal to the universe - the stronger the signal, the more clear and fast the reply. Much like the Verizon networks slogan, "Can you hear me now?" Get clear on your intentions for the day.

2. You skip breakfast
Studies show that eating breakfast helps improve memory, and positively affects the tasks that require the retention of new information. This would be especially important for those of you still studying propositions while standing in line to vote.

3. You miss your workout
Most of you recognize that exercise is good for the body, but did you know that it can also boost your brain power? Several recent studies have found that exercising increases the speed of decision-making, and helps to provide mental clarity. These additional benefits have obvious consequences for Election Day.

4. You don’t bring your lunch (and snacks) with you
Much like skipping breakfast, this could put your brain in a fog. As your blood sugar drops, your mental clarity diminishes, and you may feel "spaced out". If you were planning on voting in the afternoon, skipping lunch and forgetting your snacks could have some serious repercussions on your voting record.

5. You forget to be grateful
Regardless of who wins the election, be grateful that you have the right to vote. Regardless of how much you weigh, be grateful for your body that (if you choose) it can run, jump, and play. Be grateful that your body can think, feel, and love. Be grateful that even in times of uncertainty, America is still the land of opportunity.

How To Tackle Possible Problems on Election Day
Here are some simple steps to ensure your Election Day goes well …

• Start by preparing for Election Day the night before. Lay out your workout clothes, or pack your gym bag.

• Organize your food.
Make a lunch with leftovers from dinner – this could be a salad with chicken or even a turkey sandwich. Anything made at home will not only save calories, but also money (now more important than ever), and the hassle and stress of having to go out to get something.

• Don’t forget to pack 2 snacks: one for morning, one for the afternoon.
This doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Try 2 tablespoons of California Raisins and 2 tablespoons of almonds in a snack size baggie for one, and an applesauce, and a piece of string cheese for the other. Or, a slice of turkey with a slice of cheese rolled up, and a handful of grapes on the side.

• Write your intentions for the day.
Example: I intend to eat a balanced breakfast that includes some carbs and some protein.
I intend to finish my Red Carpet Ready full body circuit workout (or other strength program).
I intend to be clear on the issues & cast my vote based on what I believe to be the best for me and the planet.
I intend to be grateful for the democratic process, regardless of who wins.
I intend to love and appreciate my body as I work to make it stronger, thinner, better (use your own words, obviously).

Election Day Success!!

Step 1: Read Your Intentions

Step 2: Eat A Healthy Breakfast

Example:
- 1/3 cup scrambled egg whites (eggology) with veggies
- ½ broiled Florida Grapefruit (retro, I know) and ½ cup vanilla yogurt topped with crushed walnuts

Step 3: Do a Full Body Circuit Style Strength Workout (a la Red Carpet Ready)

Sample:
Valband Side Steps 15 (each leg)
Bodyweight Squats 20
Valslide reverse lunge 15 (each leg)
Push ups 10
Squat/row with stretchy-band 15
Valslide mountain climbers 20 (each leg)
Ultimate toe touch 15 (each)
Do Circuit 3X

Step 4: Bring your lunch and snacks with you to work (hopefully you packed these the night before)

Step 5: Make a Gratitude List

To learn more about Red Carpet Ready visit www.RedCarpetReady.com
To learn more about the Valslide visit www.Valslide.com

Happy Healthy Halloween Strategies

2008-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to enjoy Halloween without completely derailing your diet? Of course it is, but you might need a few strategies. Remember, strategy always trumps willpower. Don't try to white knuckle it through Halloween. You might be alright for a few hours or even that day but studies show that willpower is actually in limited supply, so resist the candy today, you probably won't be able to tomorrow.

Here are a few of my top strategies for surviving Halloween:

Leave it to the last minute- I know that doesn't sound like me (I'm all about pre-preparing) but when it comes to Halloween candy, it is best not to buy it too soon. If you do have to buy it early, under no circumstance should you open the bag prior to handing out the candy. You will be asking for trouble.

Have Healthy Options- You don't have to be the crazy fitness lady handing out apples and nuts on Halloween. Kids like candy and that is partly what the holiday is about. However, it's going to be a long night so you might want to have some fun healthier options for you to munch on. Try Pumpkin Pie Popcorn mix with Raisins. Recipe at www.loveyourraisins.com

I had this recently and it is yummy!!

Not Your Favorite! -Don't buy your favorite candy, you know, the one that is always calling your name. Choose something that is not a trigger for you. For me, that means no Reeces Peanut Butter cups. I could easily eat 4 (and I don't mean the mini) before I realized what I had done. Instead, I will purchase Milky Ways and Hershey's Chocolate Bars. I will enjoy having one snack size treat but they won't continue to taunt me from the bowl.

Get Moving- Don't forget to do an extra good workout in the morning before the festivities. This is like fitness in the bank. Do a little extra now so when you make a withdraw (splurge) later, you won't notice it on the scale.

The Morning After- Get all candy out of the house! You don't need it around and frankly neither do your kids. A friend of mine has a great strategy with her kids; they each get to pick 5 pieces of candy to keep and then when they donate the rest they get a gift card for Target or Border's. I think it is an excellent trade-off.

I hope you all have a very happy, healthy, fun Halloween.

Val

ps: If you need any help getting started on your fitness program, check out my 6 week transformation system at www.redcarpetready.com.

How Michael Phelps Won 8 Gold Medals

2008-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

While I don’t know Michael’s exact training strategy and haven’t met him personally, I am pretty confident I know some things that helped him win 8 gold medals, and they are the same strategies you can use to get Red Carpet Ready.

1. He decided. That’s right. He made a very clear decision that he would win 8 gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing. I feel confident saying, he probably wrote this down somewhere. Then he held that vision very clearly in his minds eye and did not waver from his goal.

Here’s what you can do:

Decide right now to get fit or more fit. Take some immediate action so you can get some energy behind your decision. This could be something simple like a kitchen purge and restock or buying new workout shoes or a pair of Valslides.

2. He told everyone about it. Accountability is a powerful thing and telling everyone about your plan is like giving them your word. Michael told his plan to the world; it was announced through every form of media. Once he did this, I don’t think he ever considered missing a workout.

Here’s what you can do:

Tell your friends and family you are starting a new program and you would like their support. You could also start a blog (I have seen this be very effective for people) or you can join an online community. To find out about the Red Carpet Ready club go to www.redcarpetready.com/blog

3. He put forth the effort. It is hard for me to imagine that this young guy blew off workouts because he wasn’t in the mood, he was tired, busy or hung over. You might want to argue that swimming is Michael’s job. He’s an athlete and his job is to be fit. Newsflash: “Swimming and being fit is his job because he put the effort in.” His amazing god given talent would have meant nothing had he chose to miss practice and play video games.

Here’s what you can do:

Make your workouts non-negotiable. Schedule them in your calendar like any other important appointment. Ideally first thing in the morning. Implement the 10-minute rule. No matter how bad you feel or how busy you are, you will do at least 10 minutes. Chances are you will complete the workout. Crank up the intensity. You will not achieve a Red Carpet Ready body if your whole workout consists of walking or doing a workout that does not challenge you.

4. Recognize that recovery is important. Michael Phelps has someone measuring, testing and analyzing anything that can be analyzed. 3 minutes after Phelps’ race, someone will prick his ear with a needle and that blood will be measured to see how much lactic acid is in his system and he will swim slowly until it has dropped to an acceptable level. The coaches know how much to push him, how much sleep he needs and when he should start tapering his swims before a meet.

Here’s what you can do:

While you may not have a team of people looking after you, you can take one full day off each week. Build in some kind of soft tissue work. This could be massage or foam rolling. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Don’t eat junk food. Fuel your body with lean protein and veggies. Don’t’ forget to hydrate.

It is true that Michael Phelps was incredibly blessed. His body was built for speed. He has come of age during a time of advancement in training and equipment technology and he has the ability to turn off the outside world when necessary. Talent and blessing, however, are never enough. It is effort that brings forth the rewards. The way to your best body lies in your decision to have it and the effort you are willing to put into it. You have it in you. Dig a little deeper. The rewards are on the other side of effort and it’s not just the great body you will have. The latest magic potion or exercise pill will NOT give you the same as what you’ll get when you work for your goal. You might have to trust me on this in the beginning but you will thank me later!

The Sumo Wrestler Diet

2008-08-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

I frequently receive calls and emails from frustrated women trying to lose weight. My years in the trenches has helped me to easily spot dietary mistakes and given me an arsenal of tricks to get someone Red Carpet Ready.
One of the most common mistakes I see, men and women alike, is skipping meals. The excuses may vary:

“I’m not hungry in the morning.”
“I forgot to eat.” (I personally have never understood this one)
“There was no food in the house.”
“I don’t have time.”

Most of these are just the result of poor planning or lack of strategy. I address all of these in my book Red Carpet Ready.

Sometimes though, a person is trying to use this as a method of weight loss and is frustrated that it’s not working. Regardless of the reason, skipping breakfast and/or lunch usually results in over eating or making poor choices at dinner. After all, you’re now starving!

This strategy of skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating a healthy (but big) dinner is the same strategy used by Sumo Wrestlers. These powerful athletes have staggering proportions. Their weight is their asset and they often weigh over 500 lbs! Like most professional athletes they take their diet and training very seriously.

Sumo Wrestlers purposely starve themselves all day and then have an evening meal that includes protein, vegetables and rice, immediately followed by sleep. This is their secret weight gaining technique and it has been used successfully for hundreds of years. By first starving the body, they send it into fat-storing mode. This is your bodys weapon to protect it from famine.

By starving the body of fuel, it holds onto every calorie available as fat to be used as energy for the next starving period. Sleeping directly following the evening meal allows the body to hold on even tighter to these calories.

Are you on the Sumo Wrestler diet? Was this your intention? Do you want to look like a Sumo Wrestler? or do you want to look Red Carpet Ready?

To lose stubborn body fat, you must do five things consistently:

EAT- Preferably 5-6x per day.

AVOID- Refined carbs and overly processed food.

Drink 64-100 oz of water everyday.

Do 3 full body circuit style strength training sessions as described in Red Carpet Ready

Get 7-8 hours of sleep- Adequate sleep is often the missing equation in a fat loss plan. This really is that important.

Do these 5 things consistently and you will be on your way to feeling Red Carpet Ready!

Love,
Val

Another Red Carpet Ready Success Story!

2008-07-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share another Red Carpet Ready success story with you all the way from Germany. People all over the world are getting results with Red Carpet Ready. Stefanie's email below is inspiration for you and a reminder to me that helping people feel better about themselves is what makes my job so rewarding!

______________________________________

Success Story

Dear Valerie,

Ever since my husband proposed to me in October 2007 I was wondering how
to lose weight and build up muscles. I have tried various programs and none really worked to my satisfaction. I had just recovered from an accident and a workout pause of six months. During this time I put on 12 pounds.
12 P O U N D S!!! I am 34 years old but I looked a lot older.

Inspired by lovely Jennifer Garner and an interview in SHAPE where your
name came up I started searching for your website - and found it. I
decided to order your ValKit for Travel and also bought your Red Carpet
Ready Program. I started working out in February 2008 - 4 months to go
until our wedding on June 21st.....

I have been with Weight Watchers for years and already dropped approx 30
pounds but they used to claim that potatoes were top of the list for
weight loss (they know better now concerning the glycemic index). Since
I am a vegetarian I thought about how to increase my protein intake.
Luckily I do eat eggs (I buy them at a nearby farm) and dairy products
so I focused on that instead of fish or meat. Also I started watching my
portions of pasta and brown rice and realized I always had too much of
it! This was why shortly after eating I was feeling hungry again (we
remember: WeightWatchers and potaoes).

We Germans simply LOVE bread, it is one of our substantial foods. I
always used whole grain, anyway, but now I've reduced it to one
piece in the morning along with yogurt or egg whites (instead of
additional 2-4 pieces in the evening). I stopped eating at our canteen
at work (my favourite was baked potato with salad..) and started cooking
again. My husband loves it because he switched to my vegetarian way of
living shortly after we met and even he does not want to eat any chips
or sweets anymore - he COULD eat it, though, because he really is thin
but he just does not crave unhealthy stuff like he used to. This is
thanks to your program!!!

Now we keep fit and concentrated throughout our working day and I go
straight to the gym afterwards. Even on very hot days I do not give up
and use our cool cellar instead of the gym - I just kept going. I never
knew I could be so determined! Even my husband now takes time to workout
with me 2 days a week (it's a start).

The Red Carpet Ready Workout is challenging and I needed some time to
adapt to it - especially the ValSlide - staying balanced while sliding
is not that easy. Now I do really well with it and a trainer at the gym
even asked me if I was a trainer myself because the workout looked so
professional to him.

I never was slim and although I still have a long way to go until I have
my "dream figure" I am sure I will succeed! I was so happy when my
wedding gowns (which I bought in November 2007) had to be adjusted TWICE
to my slimmer shape and on our wedding day they would fit quite
loosely...

I dropped more than one dress size and I will now try your action hero
workout - I am curious how I will look like in 6 weeks :))

Enclosed I am sending you 2 photos of our wedding - one after the
registry office (in Germany this is mandatory) and one after our
ceremony in the evening under a bright blue sky....

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the inspiration, the super program through this
making me feel so attractive on my wedding day and ever after.

You big fan from Hamburg, Germany!

Stefanie

Stefanie (before her wedding)

Stefanie (after the ceremony)

______________________________________

If you want to be Red Carpet Ready for your special event, then start now! It's never too late.

Click here for more information.

Lastly, I've had so many of you interested in joining the Red Carpet Ready club, and I'm so excited to get it started! If you haven't joined the interest list and want to be kept in the loop on the Club's progress, then visit www.chatwithval.com and sign up.

All the best,

Val

Earthquake Workout

2008-07-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

“Call on God, but row away from the rocks.” -- Hunter S. Thompson

As I sat down to write today’s blog, my house started to shake. It turns out that LA was having an earthquake. Did you feel it? It registered at 5.4 and lasted 30 seconds. My heart is still racing as I write this. Nothing like an earthquake to get a little adrenaline pumping! It heightens your awareness and gives you the energy to get your butt moving. Of course, had the earthquake been more serious, that fight or flight response just might have saved my life. To learn more about how to increase your chances of survival during an emergency, read on.

According to a recent Time magazine article, surviving a disaster is not merely a product of luck, though it might seem so as we watch a fire take down a row of houses and then skip a few before burning through several more, or as a tornado that narrowly misses your house while flattening your neighbors’. It might seem that when disaster strikes it is so random that there is nothing you can do. Well, apparently there is actually quite a bit you can do to increase your odds of preventing or surviving a disaster.

People who study disasters and those that survive them have learned that there are specific things that survivors have in common:

1) Know the drill. If you live in an area prone to fire, mudslides, tornados, or hurricanes, have an action plan to get your family out. Often when disaster strikes, people freeze. The more automated your response is, the better chance you have. Run fire drills with your kids. Teach them which way you want them to exit. Do this repeatedly so they could do it with their eyes closed. Know where you keep important documents and have an evacuation plan for your pet. If you work in a high-rise, practice going down the stairs. As much as everyone thinks these kinds of drills are a pain, they could make the difference in your survival.

2) Knowledge. According to a Time Magazine article, knowing that you can survive might give you an edge in resilience. For example, did you know that 56% of people involved in serious plane crashes between 1983 and 2000 survived? Makes you want to pay attention to the in-flight briefing. Your belief that it is possible to survive helps you take responsibility in your survival.

3) Get Fit. If you need another reason to get in shape, here it is: When disaster hit the World Trade Center on 9/11, people with low physical abilities were 3x as likely to be hurt while evacuating the towers. People who are better conditioned are able to move faster to get out of harms way.

To increase your odds of surviving a disaster you need to make sure you and your loved ones have a basic level of fitness. You should be able to complete the following circuit 3 times without feeling like you might pass out.

Survival Circuit
• 15 Bodyweight Squats
• 10 push ups (or modified push ups for women)
• 12 alternating forward lunges
• 12 two arm rows with a stretchy band or dumbbells
• Plank hold for 30 seconds
• 20 Bicycle Abs
• 15 reverse crunches

Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

This is the minimum you should be able to do.
To get more fit, go to www.redcarpetready.com

Enjoy!

Val

PS. Just a few more days until I start working on the Red Carpet Ready club. It’s coming, so if you’re interested be sure to visit www.chatwithval.com to join the interest list so I can keep you updated.

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How To Make Water Fun!

2008-07-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Many of you wrote in following my Chat With Val asking how you can increase your water intake. (basically how can you make water more FUN!))

Well take a look!

Also, I’m participating in a Tele-seminar tomorrow called My Ultimate Body Fundraiser. The proceeds go to a charity called Trekking for Kids. We’re going to

Also, my good friend Scott Colby has put together an amazing event. It’s a tele-seminar where all of the proceeds will go to a charity called Trekking for Kids. It is a 7 call series and your donation will give you access to each of the calls as well as mp3’s and transcripts of each call for you to keep. Even better, you get to submit questions during the call.

You can sign up here: http://www.MyUltimateBodyFundraiser.com

I’ll be speaking tomorrow at 1 pm PST as part of the discussion on women’s health and fitness.

Even if you cannot attend the calls, you can still write in your questions before the calls begin and you will be given a copy of the mp3 audio replay of each call and the written transcripts.

Here is the link if you’d like to know more:

http://www.MyUltimateBodyFundraiser.com
Love,

Val

Valslide Cover Model

2008-07-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was at the newsstand today and was so excited to see Jesse, our Valslide Manual cover model, gracing the cover of Maximum Fitness Magazine. Check it out!

Here's a sneak peak inside the Valslide Manual that's coming soon!

My Secret Weapon Exercises

2008-07-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Valslide & The Valband

As promised, here are a couple of exercises for you to do using your Valkit for Travel while at home or away. Have a happy 4th!

Travel Tips

2008-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Staying Fit on the Road

One of the busiest travel weekends is fast approaching. Whether you plan to be in a bikini or to simply be active (mountain biking, hiking or kayaking), I hope you have been following Red Carpet Ready or another plan so you feel confident and excited. Once you get there, you don’t need to let the vacation de-rail your fitness. Of course, you have earned a little break from your strict diet and your hard core gym routine but this doesn’t mean you eat anything you want and simply veg at the pool for a week. Fit people know (and I hope this includes you) that it is much more fun to be active and eat healthy while on vacation. I just got back from Kauai where I had the best time experiencing my friend’s Luxury Fitness Vacations (http://www.purekauai.com/). I stayed in a beautiful condo overlooking Hanalei Bay (I chose a condo for the kitchen), I surfed 2 hours everyday, ate healthy local fare and did my 20 minute Valkit for Travel workouts every other day to stay on my program. I came home completely refreshed, recharged and a couple pounds lighter. While your vacation may look different, here are some tips to stay fit on the road:

Travel Tips

Lodging

If possible, choose to stay in a house or condo so you have access to a kitchen. You don’t have to cook all your meals there (obviously you want to get out to some local restaurants) but it is nice to have the option. If you must stay in a hotel (or prefer to) have them clean out the mini bar before you get there. You don’t need the $7 M&M’s calling your name at 11 pm. Once you get settled find a local market and stock up on some easy snacks. I always get a few bottles of water, a bag of almonds, some California Raisins, a couple of low sugar protein bars and a couple of bananas. This way I have a few things to tide me over if my next meal is more than 4 hours off.

Find a Running Route

If you’re a runner, but don’t want to get lost in unfamiliar territory then check out http://www.runtheplanet.com/ People post information about the best running routes all over the country. Get your run in without getting lost!

Learn a new sport.

Anywhere you go on vacation, there is something active you can do. Don’t sit on the side lines just because you don’t know how. Sign up for a couple of lessons with an instructor and have the chance to feel like a kid again. Depending on where you are, you could learn to surf or boogie board, kayak, rollerblade, cycle, horseback ride, mountain bike or play volleyball. The options are endless.

Take your gym with you.

I like to get at least a few gym sessions even if I’m being active. While I always stay near a gym, I still bring my Valkit for Travel so I can be sure I have everything I need. Actress Kim Raver of Lipstick Jungle says of hers, “You can bring it to the gym or workout with it in your living room. I travel all over the world with mine, so I have no excuse NOT to workout.” If Kim can do it, so can you. Don’t leave home without yours!

If you can't see this video click the following link or copy and past this link into your address bar:http://youtube.com/watch?v=fsvxO46Q4eY

Newsworthy

The Valkit for Travel goes on Vacation

Last summer the Valkit for Travel went to France and Italy. This year, it went to Kauai, Prague, Australia, Greece and Germany! Where did you take your Valslides? Send us a picture and tell us where you took yours. We’d love to share your story!

My upcoming teleseminar

Check out my latest project here. I'll be one of the speakers participating in the Mid Year Resolutions tele-seminar. I think you'll get some great info. They'll cover everything from nutrition, making more money, getting fit, building healthy relationships, and more! I'm super excited and I think you'll find the information worth while. The best part is that it's free! The speaker schedule isn't out yet, but check back here as I've been told it will be posted soon!

New Years Resolution check-in

2008-06-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here we are, nearly half way through the year. How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along?

Have you lost weight?
Reduced your stress?
Improved your health?
Saved some money?
Reduced your carbon foot print?

I am not sure all of these were on your resolution list but if you are like most people, chances are a few of them are. What if I told you that just one action done consistently would allow you to put a check mark by all of these things. You would want to know, right? Well there is. It’s something we can all do with just a little forethought and about 5 minutes. What is it?

Bring your lunch to work.

I talk in my book Red Carpet Ready about the importance of this from a weight control standpoint. Losing weight is hard enough without the extra difficulty of waiting so long to eat and then rushing to get the most convenient (not necessarily the healthiest option) and scarfing it down in 5 minutes because the line was long and now you are running late. Imagine instead that during your lunch break you calmly open you cooler and pull out your healthy salad or wrap. Maybe you nosh on some baby carrots and hummus while you browse one of your favorite magazines or lose yourself in a chapter of a favorite book, such as “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Before anyone else has gotten back with their fast food fix, you have enjoyed your lunch and had a few quiet moments to yourself. You have also saved approximately $7 and with a 5 day work week that is $35 in savings. That is $140 per month that you’re saving. But wait, there’s more! You can reduce your carbon foot print by bringing your lunch in a reusable cooler which means that you’re not contributing to the 1.8 million tons of trash created by the packaging that take-out food comes in!

That is a lot of benefit for one small action. Be part of the club that brings their lunch to work!

A Red Carpet Ready Success Story

2008-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Since releasing my eBook, Red Carpet Ready, I have received such positive feedback and heard many success stories, I thought I’d start sharing them with you to get you inspired to reach your own goals.

I received an email from April Dunn on April 4th of this year. She had just purchased the Valslide and was excited to get started. She had a couple of questions for me and shared a few of her struggles:

“Valerie, I’m 33 years old and a happy size 10. I’m going to be in my sister’s wedding in 7 weeks and could stand to lose 10 pounds. I started lifting weights last fall in preparation for the wedding. I was doing a strength program that I found on the internet three times a week using 5 lb weights (for a total of 40 minutes each time – 10 minutes on abs, butt, thighs and arms). To my surprise, I ‘bulked up’ rather than toned down! After doing this consistently for four months, I quit cold-turkey. I’ve been very scared to try any weight lifting again. I tried the Valslide workout and whoa…what a workout!”

After reading April’s email I suggested that she do my program Red Carpet Ready, and three weeks later she sent me a progress report. In just 3 weeks, April had lost inches in her chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and biceps, and dropped 1 dress size!

“When I started your program three weeks ago, my attitude was “I can do anything for six weeks”. Now I’m realizing I want to keep doing your workouts even after my six weeks are up. I can do the weights in 50 minutes (three times a week) and the cardio only adds another hour and a half to my week. So, I figure with only four hours of commitment weekly, I can look and feel a whole lot better!”

In the end, April met her goal! Here's what she told me:

Valerie,

Where do I begin? Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting together an AMAZING workout! I met my six-week goal! In Six Weeks, I accomplished the following:

· 13 pound weight loss
· Chest – 3 inches lost
· Waist – 2 ½ inches lost
· Waist (2” below Bellybutton) – 2 ½ inches lost
· Hips – 2 inches lost
· Thighs – 1 inch lost
· Calf – ½ inch lost
· Bicep – ¾ inch lost
· From a tight size 10 to a loose size 8

These are REAL numbers – REAL results! It’s amazing!

I must admit I was skeptical – How much change could you make to your body in just six weeks? See the attached “Before and After” pictures for the answer! I felt confident, toned and fit! I had so many wonderful comments from friends and family members. I actually had people refer to me as “skinny”, “thin” and “hot”! I’m a 34 year old mother! What a thrill! Your workouts are the most effective I’ve ever done. I had dreaded the fact that I was 12 years older than all the other bridesmaids in my sister’s wedding…that was until I didn’t look like it!

Hearing these stories is what makes my job so rewarding; and not just because April saw the numbers change, but because she is more confident and happy because of it. What I know, and what April learned, is if you do the Red Carpet Ready program and commit to it for the full 6 weeks, you will undoubtedly see results! Great job April!

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The Indiana Jones workout

2008-06-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

I recently saw the new Indiana Jones movie and while it felt a bit old fashioned, it was still good fun and great to have Harrison Ford back as Indy. You’ve got to admit the guy still has it; rugged good looks, a sense humor and the ability to get himself and others out of a jam.

If you were wondering how Harrison is able to look so good at 65 then read on. My good friend Jamie Milnes is one of Hollywood’s premier personal trainers and Harrison’s long time trainer. So I had to ask him how Harrison does it, and of course share the inside scoop with you. Be sure to watch the video of a sample Harrison Ford workout and try it for yourself!

Behind the Scenes:
With Jamie Milnes

Personal Trainer to Indiana Jones star, Harrison Ford

Jamie, tell us a little about your background and how you came to train Harrison Ford?

I’m originally from Manchester, England. I came to the States almost 15 years ago and established my training career in New York City. After a few years I moved to LA, primarily for the lifestyle. I love mountain biking, snowboarding and kayaking, which isn’t very easy to do when you’re living in New York City. I was introduced to Harrison through another client of mine who I have worked with for a number of years. He started training with me in preparation of his role in Hollywood Homicide, and we’ve been working together ever since. For me, word of mouth has been the best way to build a clientele.

Harrison has been an action hero for many years. How is it that he can still kick the bad guy’s butt and look good doing it, regardless of his age?

Very good stunt men! Just kidding. Joking aside, Harrison moves extremely well…especially for someone in his mid sixties. He's a living testament to the fact that you can maintain a high level of athleticism if you continue to work at it. He leads an active lifestyle which doesn't just mean he just goes to the gym to workout. He still skis and plays tennis, among other things, which has also allowed him the ability to “keep kicking the bad guy’s butt.” Working in the gym will definitely help you maintain your health and fitness, but I think playing outside gives you that extra edge. I also think it gives you extra incentive to workout if you know ski season is around the corner for example, rather than just "I'm going to the gym because it's good for my health".

I see you and Harrison in the gym regularly and his workouts look tough and ever changing. Is there a method to the madness?

Yes there is. For Harrison, and many of my clients, time is an issue so we don’t necessarily work to the hour. I have set work for Harrison to do each session and when it’s done he leaves, whether it’s 20, 30 or 50 minutes. We put the emphasis on movements that integrate the whole body in multiple planes of motion with high athletic demand. This gives us the most bang for the buck, especially when he is pressed for time. This type of training, does however, require a high level of fitness.

It has been written that Harrison is quite the adventure seeker. He flies helicopters, does most of his own stunts yet he seems to be quietly living his life on his own terms. Do you think diet and exercise plays a part in this?

Undoubtedly. You can't be as physical as he has been for so long without taking care of yourself. He has definitely taken his fare share of knocks over the years but still managers to do a lot of his own stunts and lead a very active lifestyle. You can be a daredevil and an adventure seeker, and never workout a day in your life…but only for so long. You must stay strong and healthy if you intend to keep it up year after year. If you have passion for adventure you can experience a lot more, and keep on doing it for much longer if you take good care of yourself. But you’ve got to have the passion…and either you have it or you don’t. Harrison has it.

There is no question that Harrison Ford is always in great shape. Does he diet before a movie role or is he pretty consistent year round?

He keeps active all year round, whether it’s in the gym with his workouts, playing tennis or skiing in the winter. You have to be consistent throughout the year. I don't mean you have to train hard all year round. Professional athletes don't even do that. I think the best philosophy is to always maintain a base level of fitness and then when you have something coming up, such as ski season, take it up a few notches. Harrison, like all smart athletes, treats a movie the same way and just shifts into a higher gear for a few weeks before he needs to be ready.

I know they change regularly but can you share a sample Harrison Ford workout?

Circuit 1
Single Arm Dumbell Snatch---- Do 8-10 reps, then switch arms
Hanging Knee Tucks ---- Do 12-15 reps
Hamstring Curls on Valslide ---- Do 12-15 reps
Repeat circuit 3 times.

Circuit 2
Standing Single Arm Pulley Row ---- Do 10-15 reps, then switch leg/arm
Push Ups on Stability Ball ---- Do 10-15 reps
Crunch with Single Arm Press on Stability Ball ---- Do 12-15 reps, then switch arms
Repeat circuit 3 times.

view video here:

Any final tips or quotes you can share if we want to keep kicking butt when we’re 65?

Find something that you enjoy doing or something that excites you. That may be mountain biking, hiking, or surfing. Then think about how you can improve your ability to enjoy that activity. The more fit you are the better you are able to handle the work required for any particular activity. And when you can handle that work, you can start to hike steeper hills, or bike more mountainous terrain or surf bigger waves. In other words…get fit and go play! Keep working at it and keep exploring new activities. Don't settle for quick blasts of activity followed by long stretches of inactivity. Always maintain at least a base level of fitness because you never know when you may need it. Stay ready.

To learn more about Jamie visit www.getfitgoplay.com

Eat Better Mondays: Favorite Sweet Treat

2008-06-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

Even when you're eating the Red Carpet Ready way, you might still have a craving for something sweet. Here's one of my favorite new treats that won't blow your diet. It's a little like chocolate fondue. I've used strawberries in this example, but any fruit will do.

The Un-Happy Meal

2008-06-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you haven't completely given up fast food, then check this out. It will make you think twice about ordering a burger and fries or picking up Happy Meals for your kids.

Remember that hamburger you ate last year? It may still be in there!

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Get Happy!

2008-06-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

What brings you joy?

I would love to know the first thing that popped in your head. Have you experienced that lately?

If not, why not?

I have been taking surf lessons the last few days and when I am on a wave, I have a smile from ear to ear and feel so happy I might burst. It got me thinking about joy.

Joy is defined as the emotion of great happiness. If we all felt joy more often, I believe the world would be a better place.

Here are a few things that bring me joy:

• Surfing

• Playing with Cody & Lexi

• Watching someone I don’t know, using the Valslide at the gym

• Dancing

• Finishing a great workout

• Seeing a client master a tricky new move

• Reading nice blog comments

• Running with my tribe (more on this later)

• Reading Red Carpet Ready success stories

• Watching motivational sport movies like The Rookie, Miracle, and Rocky.

Want to feel happier?

Here are my top 4 tips for getting more joy:

1. Know what brings you joy and do more of that. Okay, we can’t always be surfing or dancing, or what ever it is for you, but certainly there are small things you can do each day. Maybe it is watching a funny or motivational video on youtube. Maybe it is surprising a loved one with a love note in their brief case or lunch box. Maybe it is taking a few minutes to read a couple of pages in your favorite novel or motivational book. Find something you can do today that makes you smile or laugh.

2. Fake it until you make it. If you are really stressed or are having a hard time finding joy in your life, act as if you are happy by smiling at others. Generally the response you get will make you feel good.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh said:

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,

but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

3. Exercise regularly. I don’t need scientific studies to tell me that exercise can ease depression, anxiety and stress. I have long considered exercise my wonder drug. My motto “you are one workout away from a good mood” says it all. If you are not exercising regularly you might find it difficult to dump daily stress, worries or frustration. Think of exercise as the “Norton Utilities” for your body. When you’re clogged with worry and stress it is hard to hear joy knocking on your door.

4. Count your blessings. Recognize what is good in your life and focus on it. You will quickly be reminded that you do have things to be joyful about.

Joy Blockers

If you haven’t experienced much joy lately, check to see if one or more of these joy blockers are in the way.

• Clutter: It is nearly impossible to relax or feel happy when every surface is covered with papers, bills, magazines, and other clutter. I recently did a major clutter clearing and it was almost as if I could breathe easier.

• Lack of sleep: Stop with the bragging about only needing 5 hours of sleep and go take a nap. Besides the fact that failing to get enough sleep heightens the risk for a variety of major illness such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, it is really hard to feel happy when you are chronically sleep deprived.

• Poor nutrition: Much like the lack of sleep, poor nutrition contributes to a variety of major illness but it in addition, it simply does not allow you to function optimally. Think about how you feel when its 3pm and you haven’t eaten or if you over indulged on some greasy Mexican food. It’s hard to feel really joyful.

• Over-scheduled: We have become a society of schedule driven Blackberry (aka: Crackberry) obsessed people. Often joy wants to sneak up on you, but without a little breathing room it can’t get in. So create some breathing room. Take your child to the park and watch her laugh as she feeds the ducks. Share a funny story with your best friend. Take an early morning walk and you might see something special like an amazing rainbow or a mama duck feeding her babies. These moments of joy might have been missed if you were rushing to your next appointment or texting on your Blackberry.

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Behind the Scenes with Rachel Nichols: GI Joe’s hottest Action Hero

2008-05-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

To be an action hero you have to be tough enough to kick the bad guys butt. To be a female action hero you not only need to be tough enough to kick the bad guys butt, but you have to do it with big hair, body hugging clothes and high heels. I recently posted a couple action hero workouts that I have been doing with my client, Rachel Nichols, who has been cast as Scarlett in the new GI Joe Movie that hits theatres in August of 2009. Since the workouts have been so popular, I thought it would be fun for you to get a glimpse as to what it’s like to play an action star. Rachel has been kind enough to give us a peek behind the curtain.

I first asked Rachel if there was anything she could tell us about the movie or her character Scarlett. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to share any specifics. (We will just have to wait until the movie comes out!) I can tell you that GI Joe isn’t just 1 person. It is actually an elite counter-terrorist team, whose main purpose is to defend human freedom from Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. So here’s what the lovely Rachel had to say:

What is it like playing an Action Hero babe?

Playing an action hero comes with a lot of outside influence and expectancy. When fans are familiar with a character, they expect certain elements to crossover between the fantasy and the human playing the role and I certainly don't want to let anyone down. Playing Scarlett has been so much fun. I've never had two months to physically prepare for a role and I took advantage of it. It's not every day I get to have fight scenes on elevators, break necks, jump through fire, and almost get washed away by waves of water in an underwater bunker!

How did your program change for this role?

The only thing I did...was tell Valerie that I needed a kick-butt body to go with the character! She took it from there and the results were pretty amazing. We wanted to add muscle (not pointless bulk) so that I could be believable in the role of a highly trained combat soldier. I needed to be on a moving treadmill for an entire scene wearing a sports bra and I didn't want ANYTHING jiggling around while I was running! I also wanted to arms and abs to be a bit more substantial and I needed to build up my stamina for all the long, physical days of shooting I knew I would encounter. Thankfully, I have Valerie (we've been working together for 3.5 years) and she knew exactly what to do to get me where I needed to be.

Compared to when you were a model, how has your body changed?

I modeled for a long time while I was at college in New York and will always look back on that period of my life with great fondness. I learned a lot about myself during that time and have been able to use some of that knowledge in my current profession. When I modeled, however, my body was completely different. I didn't work out...ever...and my diet was not a healthy one. I battled with food for many years and I still occasionally have issues with food, but I am a much healthier person now than I have ever been. When I got hired on ALIAS, they suggested that I begin working with Valerie to get in shape for the physicality of the role. During out first session I almost passed out! I had not done and working out in a very long time and I had not eaten breakfast before seeing Valerie (big mistake)...and that was the day I started changing my body, mind, and diet. Valerie taught me what to eat and when to eat it and we started training together 3 times a week. My body started changing in the first 6 weeks and it has been getting better ever since. I began to feel better, my muscles were showing tone and definition, but I wasn't getting bulky. My stamina was greatly increased, my butt started firming and lifting and I actually began to feel strong! It was so empowering to finally have control over my body. It was invigorating and exciting and the more I worked out, the happier I felt...and the cycle continues today.

I know from my own interviews that everyone thinks it is easier for celebs to be in shape because, after all, they have trainers, chefs, etc. Obviously, you and I know that’s not necessarily true. Most people don’t realize how difficult making a movie can be. Maybe you could share what a typical week of shooting looks like?

I completely understand how public perception can be a little bit off when it comes to the entertainment industry. It seems like it would be easy for me to stay in shape because I have a trainer and sometimes the luxury of a food delivery service, and I'm not by any means saying I have it rough, but some days are definitely a challenge! I have been shooting GI JOE since February and am currently finishing the film in Prague for 6 weeks. If I sometimes find it difficult to workout enough during filming in LA...it's definitely more of a challenge here in Prague! A typical work week for me usually begins with a 5 or 6am call time on Monday (meaning I might be heading to work as early at 4:30am) and a 7 or 8pm wrap and that's pretty much the way it goes every day. I always train with Valerie on the weekends because it can be tricky to fit in sessions during the week. When I get home at night, I have to look over all of the material for the next day of shooting. I try to get on the treadmill for 45 minutes at least three times a week before going to bed, but if I have to be awake at 4am and I didn't get home until 8pm that evening, sometimes I have to opt for sleep instead! I usually try to be in bed by 10pm. Some weeks, obviously, are much easier and I do have occasional days off...plus, I love what I do so much that even the hard weeks are fun.

How do you stay on your diet when on a movie? Again, I don’t think people really understand what you are up against (ie: The Craft Service table luring you in with warm chocolate chip cookies, chocolate malt balls, chips and dip, every type of candy you could ever wish for).

I have a terribly sweet tooth...and I freely admit that it is impossible for me to stay on a strict diet for more than a couple of weeks. There have been several times where I knew a specific scene was going to be shot on a specific day and I took the weeks before to prepare my body to be ready to look my absolute best...which meant that I had to adhere to a proper diet. Sets are very dangerous when it comes to food...because there is food all over the place! All the time! And even if, yes, there are veggies and proteins available...I usually want to eat the cookies and chips. What I have come to realize is that I can curb cravings for sweets by "little cheats" - one string of chocolate licorice, 10 Gummy Bears, chocolate skim milk, chocolate rice cakes, or berries with a little bit of chocolate syrup can usually tame my need for sweets. But I also find that if I acknowledge a craving and wait for about 10 minutes, it has usually subsided. And then sometimes I just eat that piece of pie, but I eat it slowly and I savor every little taste...if you're going to splurge, then you'd better enjoy it thoroughly! When I work, I often have a food delivery service prepare all of my meals. If, however, there are no services where I am shooting, then I usually stick to greens and proteins...chicken, veggies, fish, egg whites, fruit, yogurt, salads with a simple dressing. Surprisingly enough, and contrary to popular belief, healthy food can be very tasty! I live by the motto "try anything once, have an open mind when it comes to food" because I am very often surprised by the way something tastes compared to the way it sounds. I mean, "veal cheek" doesn't necessarily sound appetizing, but I had some last night and it was amazing.

Any other tips or thoughts for aspiring action babes?

Take care of your body - it's the only one you have. If you have a span of unhealthy behavior, take a few weeks off to relax and cleanse. If you splurge, make sure you properly enjoy it. If you are frustrated and want to change your body and/or diet then DO IT...don't waste time talking about it! Love yourself no matter what because you can't be happy otherwise. Appreciate your faults and your weaknesses. Set goals for yourself and meet them. and always remember - YOU'RE ONLY ONE WORKOUT AWAY FROM A GOOD MOOD (words of wisdom from Valerie)!

If you want be able to train like Rachel check out http://www.redcarpetready.com/

If you want to learn more about her secret weapon, The Valslide, visit http://www.valslide.com/

Summer Kick Off

2008-05-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Technically it's not summer yet, but the season has officially begun. How did you feel Memorial Day Weekend? Were you bikini ready? Do you feel that you successfully navigated the weekend BBQ or did you leave feeling like your program was derailed? Did you manage to get in a workout and chose the more healthy food options?

If not, don’t let one weekend throw you off track for good. Re-commit to your workouts and plan your meals for the upcoming week. Strategy trumps willpower! And if you need some direction and a little boost check out my Red Carpet Ready program.

To help you prepare for the next summer BBQ, here are the 5 foods you must avoid and 5 you should choose.

Avoid:
1. Hot Dogs
2. Cheeseburger
3. Chips & Dip
4. Potato Salad
5. Beer

Hot dog with bun: If you actually read the ingredients in a hot dog it would be easier for you to pass. Add the bun (which is devoid of almost all nutritional value) and other fixings and you will realize this is a diet buster.

Cheeseburger: A 4 oz burger with American cheese comes in at a whopping 630 calories and 41 grams of fat. Eliminate the cheese and make sure the patty is from 95% lean, grass-fed beef, and you can put this back on the menu.

Chips & dip: A 1 ounce serving of Lay’s chips, which is about 17 chips, delivers 160 calories and 10 grams of fat. Add 2 tablespoons of Lay’s onion dip, you just added 60 calories and 5 grams of fat and you barely even noticed your snack. Chips are definitely something that is best to not even get started on. We all know how hard it is to just eat one.

Potato salad: The problem here is the mayo. If you can make it without mayo, using mustard instead, then you may enjoy a small portion.

Beer: Okay, technically this not a food, but they don’t call it a beer belly for nothing.

Choose:
1. Grilled Chicken or Fish
2. Veggie Kabobs
3. Watermelon
4. Veggies with hummus
5. Red wine

Grilled Chicken or Fish: Fish in general and salmon in particular are excellent sources of Omega 3’s. Omega 3’s are amazing because they have numerous benefits like protection from heart attack and stroke, and reduction of inflammation, to name a few. Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein, just be sure to remove the skin and read the label of any bottled BBQ sauce you may use. Avoid those with “high fructose corn syrup.” Plain grilled chicken or fish is best.

Veggie Kabobs: It’s really hard to eat too many vegetables. Fill up on these first and you will be able to enjoy your BBQ without sabotaging your diet.

Watermelon: One medium size hunk is only 46 calories and naturally sweet.

Veggies & Hummus: Hummus is a great source of dietary fiber and protein. And like avocado, Hummus contains heart-healthy fat.

Red Wine: Unlike other types of alcohol, red wine contains vital antioxidants which help repair damaged cells. In moderation, drinking red wine can improve heart health and circulation while also preventing cancer. The key word here is “moderation.”

Fiber...are you getting enough?

2008-05-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

I just got back from doing a radio interview with Leeza Gibbons. She is GREAT! Her office had a really cool Zen vibe and one of her employees even brings his dog to work, which I love! One of the first things Leeza said was how excited she was to meet me. Isn’t that cool. She was excited to meet me! No wonder she is so successful. She makes people feel so special. I had a blast talking to her!

Yesterday I did a radio media tour, which means I got up at 4 am to do 16 radio interviews in a row. During each interview I gave a bunch of fitness tips and talked a lot about fiber. As you may, or may not know, I am a member of the National Fiber Council. Our mission is to educate consumers on the importance, as well as the benefits, of getting adequate fiber every day. I have been a long time advocate of fiber, not just because it’s great for the body, but because it helps tremendously with weight loss. Sadly, most people only consume about half of the daily recommended 32 grams.

If you missed the interviews, then here’s the “skinny” on how fiber makes you skinny.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber are undigested, and are not absorbed into the blood stream. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance that traps sugars, fats and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and passes through the digestive system largely in tact. So how does fiber make you skinny (and healthy)?

-Soluble fiber binds with sugars, fats and cholesterol
-Soluble fiber slows digestion in the stomach, thus making you feel full longer
-Soluble fiber regulates blood sugar, thus making you less likely to crash and then crave junk
-Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol
-Insoluble fiber promotes regularity
-Insoluble fiber removes toxic waste through the colon in less time
-Insoluble fiber helps prevent colon cancer

I think it’s pretty amazing that just 32 grams of fiber every day, can have so many benefits.

In order to get your daily fiber dose, you’ve got to eat more of these things:

-Fresh fruits & veggies
-Dried fruit
-Whole grains
-Nuts
-Flax seed
-Wheat germ

So how do you incorporate these things into your diet? Here’s how:

-Eat more veggies. Add spinach, mushrooms, onions or other veggies to your egg whites in the morning. Have a salad for lunch and not just lettuce. Add cucumber, tomatoes, walnuts, and/or cranberries.
-Add berries to your cereal or yogurt
-Add lettuce, tomato, and grilled peppers to your burger
-Switch to whole grains, like brown rice instead of white, or whole wheat bread instead of white.
-Start your dinner with a salad

So what does eating 32 grams of fiber every day look like?

-Breakfast: 1 package of plain instant oatmeal ( 3 g) with ½ cup of blueberries ( 2 g) = 5 g
-Snack: Apple ( 3 g) with ¼ cup of almonds ( 3.4 g) = 6.4 g
-Lunch: Salad: 2 cups of mixed greens (2 g) with ¼ cup artichoke hearts (2 g), 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds (1g) and 4 oz of grilled chicken = 5 g
-Snack: Medium banana = 4 g
-Dinner: Salmon with broccoli (5 g) with ½ cup of brown rice (3 g) = 8 g
-Dessert: ½ cup of raspberries = 4 g

TOTAL FIBER: 32.4 grams

It may seem like a lot at first but fruit and veggies are naturally low in calories. By choosing from a wide variety of these and switching from refined carbohydrates to whole grains, you will be well on your way to getting enough fiber. If you are still struggling, try a fiber supplement like Metamucil. There is a new Lemonade flavor that tastes good and delivers 3 grams of fiber per serving. Just mix with water.

If you want more information on the benefits of fiber or how to get more of it into your diet go to www.nationalfibercouncil.org Request of the new free “Dine In, Dine Out” pocket guide to help you make better, high fiber food choices!

Twitter

2008-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

Follow me on Twitter! If you havent heard about this site then check it out. It's pretty fun!

www.twitter.com

Revlon 5K run/walk

2008-05-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 10th, 2008 is the 15th running of Revlon's 5K run/walk to raise funds for the fight against womens cancers. 50,000 people, many of them cancer survivors will participate in this amazing event. While I am not participating this year, I have many times and I can tell you it is incredible. The race finishes inside the LA Collesium and regardless of whether you ran your best or walked in support of someone, the crowd makes it a special experience.

Click here for more information or visit: http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/

I was interviewed by ABC's Lori Corbin to provide some tips to the runners/walkers. The segment aired today on the 4 o'clock news and if you missed it or have a race in your future, I have outlined my tips below:

General Advice for first timers:

Don't do anything different on race day than you have done for any of your training runs.
Enjoy it and remember thta you have done all of the hard work in your training, now you are here to enjoy the race and be proud that you made it to the starting line.
Don't start out to fast. It is a common mistake for many first time racers to go out too fast and then feel miserable by the second mile. It is normal to be excited just be sure to ease into it.

What to wear:

Breathable athletic wear
If you wear layers, plan on how you will remove them while running.
If you wear layers, plan about where you will put your race number (you won't want that hidden when you pass the photographer!)

What to eat:

It is just a 5K, so you don't need eat much before. Half a bagel with peanut butter or half banana should be just fine.
Drink some water and/or a sports drink but don't overdrink. If you have too much liquid in your stomach, the risk of getting side stitches is higher.

What to bring:

Something to put on after the race as you may get chilled
Race information

The warm up:

Walk and/or easy jogging to get your muscles warm
Dynamic stretching such as leg swings, warrior lunges and plie squats to get the muscles firing

What to do if you aren't feeling well:

Slow down
Play mental games...look at the next tree and get yourself there, then find a new landmark.

Post race protocol:

Easy walking to cool down.
Do the following stretches: quads, hamstrings, calves, hips
Refuel with a sports drink and a healthy lunch.

Competing in 5 and 10K's is a great way to stay motivated in your workouts. If you've never participated in one, sign up now for one that is 30-45 days from now and get ready. You will be so happy you did. Not only does it keep you focused for the next month, but you'll feel amazing when you cross the finish line!

Action Hero Workout #2

2008-04-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Meet Rachel Nichols, Hollywood's hottest new action hero!

I received such a great response to the first action hero workout, I thought I would share another. While I have helped many beautiful ladies get in action star shape (Jennifer Garner, Kate Beckinsale and Carrie Ann Moss to name a few), this particular plan was created for Rachel Nichols the sexy star of the new GI Joe movie. For the last few years Rachel has been on the "Red Carpet Ready" plan, so obviously she already looked great but for this role we had to step it up. The thing with being a female action hero is not only that you need strength, endurance and agility to fight the bad guys, but you have to be ready to go to battle in body hugging clothes, big hair, high heels and a push up bra. The complete plan requires the desire to achieve the look, a serious commitment to both the workouts and the diet and time for recovery in terms of proper sleep and massage or foam rolling to work the kinks out. This program is not for everybody but if you are game, try it out and see if you have what it takes to be an action hero babe!

Circuit 1

Single leg glute bridge --- Do 12 reps, switch legs

Side plank with reach under --- Do 10 reps, switch sides

Valslide 1 arm slide w/ feet on Bosu --- Do 10 reps, each hand alternating

Ultimate crunch --- Do 12-15 reps, switch sides

Do circuit 2-3 times.

Circuit 2

Valslide reverse lunge with stretchy band --- Do 12 reps, switch legs

Step up to high step --- Do 12 reps, switch legs

One arm row to balance --- Do 12 reps, switch arms

Bruce Lee kick --- Do 15 reps, switch legs

Valslide push up ½ fly --- Do 5 reps, each side alternating

Do circuit 3 times.

Circuit 3

Valband side hops --- Do 12 reps there, and then back

Valslide side lunge --- Do 15 reps, switch legs

Squat press --- Do 15 reps

Bicep curls --- Do 12 reps X 10 lbs in each hand

Kickbacks --- Do 12 reps X 10 lbs in each hand

Do circuit 3 times.

**For more information on the diet visit http://www.redcarpetready.com/

**For more information on the Valslide visit http://www.valslide.com/

Circuit 1

Single Leg Glute Bridge
Lie on your back with your arms at your side. Extend one leg straight out, inline with opposite knee. Begin by squeezing your glute muscles and lifting them up until your body forms one line from your head to your toes. Inhale as you lower your body back to the floor and exhale as you raise your lower body. **You will feel this in your glutes and hamstrings.

Side Plank with reach under
Get into a side plank position by lying on your side with your elbow under your shoulder and your feet stacked. Raise your hips off of the ground and hold. As you hold that position, reach under your body and then reach toward the ceiling. That is 1 rep. Repeat for remaining reps and then lower your body back down to the floor. Switch sides.

Valslide one-arm slide with feet on Bosu
Get in push-up or plank position with a Valslide® under each hand and both toes on a Bosu. Slowly slide your left hand several inches out in front of you, and then bring it back. Then slide your right hand out and back. Alternate back and forth until you have completed all the reps. Don’t let your hips drop. **You will feel this in your abs.

Ultimate Crunch
Lie flat on your back with your hands out to the side. Sit all the way up, pulling your left knee in and hugging it. Lower back down without allowing your head to touch the floor. Finish all reps on one side and then switch sides. **You will feel this in your abs.

Valslide Reverse lunge with stretchy band
Attach a stretchy band to a stationary object to the side of you. Stand with feet together, place the ball of your left foot on the Valslide. While holding onto the band slide your left foot back until your right leg bends at 90˚. Slide your left foot up to start position, pulling up with the glute (butt) of your right leg. Finish reps and switch sides. Resistance placed on the band will try to pull you off balance, engaging your core. To increase level of difficulty, slide back on the foot closest to the band. **You should feel this in your glutes and in your abs.

Step up to high step
Stand facing a bench or step that's about 12 inches high. Lift your right foot and place it firmly on the step, and push your body upward through the right heel bringing your left knee up balancing on the right leg. Lower yourself back down leaving your right foot on the step. NOTE: Make sure your foot is completely on the step. Keep your head and chest up. At the top position, try to balance on the supporting leg or just lightly touch the step with your opposite foot. **You will feel this in your glutes and quads.

One arm row to balance
For this exercise you may either use a cable machine or attach a stretchy band with a handle to a secure object. Holding the handle in your right hand with your left foot forward in a lunge position. Stand far enough away so that the cable or band is taut. Lean forward and reach toward where the band is attached. You should feel a stretch in your glute. Stand up as you row your right arm back and while you bring your right knee toward your chest and balance on your left leg. Repeat for remaining reps and then switch sides.

Bruce Lee Kick
Stand near a chair or something for balance. Stand with feet hip width apart, abs tight. Inhale as you bend at the waist keeping the right leg very straight and pulling the left knee up. Exhale as you extend your left foot all the way straight pushing through your heel and squeezing the left glute. Pull the knee back in and lower the leg to the floor to reset. **You will feel this in your glutes.

Valslide push up 1/2 fly
Start in a modified push up position. Place the Valslide under one hand. As you lower in push up position, slide your Valslide slightly out to the side. Pull the hand in as you push back up. Finish reps and repeat on the other side. **You should feel this in your chest and shoulders.

Valband side hops
Place the Valband around your ankles, with your feet apart just enough to feel tension. Get into a squat position and then hop to the left, leading with the left foot and then following with the right. To increase difficulty, place the Valband around your thighs just above your knees. **You will feel this in your glutes and hips.

Valslide side lunge
Stand with your left foot flat on the Valslide®™. Slide your left foot to the side, keeping your left leg straight. At the same time, allow your right leg to bend sitting back into a squat. Slide your left foot back in, coming to a standing position. Finish reps and then repeat on other side. NOTE: always keep toes pointing forward. Do not let them angle out as you perform the exercise. **You will feel this in the inner thigh of the sliding leg and the glute of the stationary leg.

Valslide Curtsey Squat
Stand with feet together and place the ball of your left foot on the Valslide. Slide your left foot behind you towards your right side. Your right leg will bend at 90˚. In the lowered position, you will be in a curtsey. Slide your left foot back up to start position, while squeezing your right glute. Finish reps and switch sides. **You will feel this in your glutes and hips.

Shoulder Press
Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing your ears. Slowly raise the dumbbells extending your arms toward the ceiling. Slowly lower back down to starting position and repeat. Be sure to keep abs tight and knees slightly bent. **You will feel this in your shoulders.

Bicep Curls
Stand with your feet hip width apart, abs tight and a dumbbell in each hand. Knees are slightly bent and hands are at your sides with palms facing out. Exhale as you curl both arms towards your shoulders. Keep elbows close to your waist line. Inhale as you slowly lower them back down to the starting position. **You will feel this in your biceps.

Kickbacks
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees bent and bending forward at the hips. With a dumbbell in each hand keep your arms tucked into your side at a 90 degree angle. Slowly extend your arm out and keep your elbow in. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat. **You will feel this in your triceps.

Eat Better Mondays

2008-04-28T15:19:00.001-07:00

Today for lunch, I had a rotisserie chicken salad wrap. I got this recipe from my fabulous assistant Laura, and it's my new fave! Because I had everything on hand, it took about 5 minutes to make. I also made a little extra for lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients (makes 1 serving):

4 ounces of Rotisserie Chicken

1/8 - 1/4 of a Red Onion

2 Tablespoons of dried cranberries (all natural)

2 Tablespoons of chopped Walnuts

1 Tablespoon of Light Mayonaise

2-3 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

In a bowl, combine the rotisserie chicken (choped or shredded) with the onion, cranberries, and walnuts. Add the mayonaise and vinegar and stir until all ingredients are combined. Serve on a spinach tortilla or over a bed of greens. Enjoy!

Eat Better Mondays

2008-04-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

This morning for breakfast I had a poached egg on my new favorite bread called “Women’s Bread,” with a side of steamed asparagus. This super yummy meal has all the healthy components of a good breakfast, such as protein, good carbs and fiber. Plus it takes less time then it probably took you to get your Grande Mocha Frappuccino (380 calories, 47 g sugar, 15 g fat) and a bran muffin (410 calories 36 g sugar, 14 g fat) from Starbucks.

Making a breakfast like this is easier than you think. Try it first on a weekend and you will realize how easy it is.

Ingredients:
Light colored Vinegar (rice vinegar or cider vinegar)
1 free range organic egg
1 slice of bread
Asparagus

Directions:
Fill and 8” skillet with about 2” of water add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat to allow the bubbles to die down. First, crack egg into a small bowl (so you can make sure the yolk doesn’t break and there are no shells). Then gently slide the egg into the hot water, cover skillet with a lid and let the egg cook for 5-6 minutes. While the eggs are cooking steam the asparagus and toast a slice of bread. After 5-6 minutes, remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it on top of toast. Add a teaspoon of butter and a little salt & pepper. Serve asparagus along side your egg.

Not a chef?

Well you don’t have to be. As I have mentioned before, one of the best ways to control your weight is if you learn to cook a few things. It does not need to be overly complicated or time consuming. If you are just getting started I recommend “How to Boil Water” brought to you by the Food Network. This book will teach you the basics from how to hold a knife to roasting chicken. It has lots of great pictures and breaks things down step by step:

Your best summer body starts now!

2008-04-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

With Memorial weekend a mere 6 weeks away, there is not a moment to lose to get bikini ready. It will take a commitment to both exercise and a healthy diet but I promise it’s worth it. Imagine how it will feel to wear your bikini with confidence. If you start now, not only will you look good, but you will be stronger and have more energy. Maybe this will be the summer you learn to surf, mountain bike or train for a triathlon. Let’s get started.

Valerie’s Top 5 Bikini Body Tips:

1. Decide right now you want it. No, I mean really want it, and be willing to do what is necessary. Nobody gets a hot bikini body by accident (especially if you are over 20).

2. You must lift weights. I know you love your Pilates and yoga but strength training will get you the shapely toned body faster. It doesn’t have to bulk you up. My program Red Carpet Ready is especially designed to keep you looking long and lean.

3. Interval train. It is hard to feel confident in your bikini if you have a lot of excess body fat. To burn maximum fat you need to stop reading magazines on the treadmill and jack up the intensity. You don’t need to start out sprinting but you should not feel like carrying on a conversation. If you find this difficult to do on your own, try a spinning class or one of the new treadmill workout classes.

4. Eliminate fast digesting carbs. This one step is going to help the fat melt off. What are fast digesting carbs? Sugar, white flour and most products made with them such as bagles, cookies, pasta, most bread, and candy. Fruit juice is another carb that needs to go. I know it seems healthy but it is loaded with sugar. What to eat? Lean protein such as fish, chicken, and grass fed beef and lots and lots of veggies with the exception of potatoes and corn.

5. Drink water! At least 80-100 oz every day. Feeling bloated: Drink more water. If your body is not getting enough of this valuable resource it will hold on to all it can as a survival mechanism. This results in swollen feet and a puffy body. By drinking more water, your body will realize it is safe to release this excess water.

Here’s a sneak peak from Red Carpet Ready Abs, my new program coming soon to http://www.blogger.com/www.redcarpetready.com. This sample workout is an intermediate to advanced workout. You are going to do each exercise 1 time without resting between exercises. When you complete the circuit you can rest 1 minute. You want to work up to doing the circuit three times.

Red Carpet Ready Abs – Sneak Preview Workout:
Single leg glute bridge --- Do 12 reps, switch legs
Valslide Mountain Climber on Bosu --- Do 15 reps each side, alternating
Valslide 1 arm slide --- Do 10-12 reps each side, alternating
Modified Turkish get up --- Do 10-15 reps X 5 lbs in 1 hand, switch sides

Do Circuit 3 times.

Single leg glute bridge
Lie on your back with your arms at your side. Extend one leg straight out, inline with opposite knee. Begin by squeezing your glute muscles and lifting them up until your body forms one line from your head to your toes. Inhale as you lower your body back to the floor and exhale as you raise your lower body.
**You will feel this in your glutes and hamstrings.

Valslide® Mountain Climber on Bosu (oblique crunch)
With both hands on an upside-down bosu, assume the push up position, body straight, arms under shoulders, and each foot on a Valslide. Draw abs in and activate glutes. Slide your left knee towards your right elbow and back. Then slide your right knee toward your left elbow and back. That is one rep. Repeat for remaining reps.
**You should feel this in your abs and shoulders.

Valslide® Plank with one-arm slide
Get in push-up or plank position with a Valslide® under each hand. Slowly slide your left hand several inches out in front of you, and then bring it back. Then slide your right hand out and back. Alternate back and forth until you have completed all the reps. Don’t let your hips drop.
**You will feel this in your abs.

Modified Turkish Get Up
Lie on your back with a dumbbell in your right hand, your left leg extended and your right knee bent. Crunch up while reaching the dumbbell toward the ceiling and keeping the leg extended. Lower back down. Repeat for remaining reps and then switch sides.
**You will feel this in your abs.

Daylight Savings – Workout #1

2008-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled that daylight savings arrived early this year. I love the extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. Yes, I know it is now a little harder to get up in the morning but the morning schedule rarely changes. The alarm goes off and it’s feet on the floor. I like to do my gym workout first thing in the morning before clients; it sets my day. However, having an extra hour of sun at the end of the day just begs for me to get outside. What are you doing with the extra hour of light?

One of my favorite workouts is Santa Monica’s own outdoor stair-master. The Santa Monica Stairs is great workout for all fitness levels. Located on 4th street where it dead ends just north of San Vicente, you’ll get to enjoy an amazing view and fabulous weather. There are two sets of stairs; one wood and the other cement. Challenge yourself to do “the loop.” Down the first set, jog across to the next, take it up and jog back to your starting point. Make sure you follow protocol though, which includes being aware of others and stepping to the side to let faster climbers pass. Be careful not to mess with someone’s counting system. If you see a neatly arranged pile of rocks, this might be someone’s way of tracking how many sets they have done. This particular set of stairs is obviously unique to Los Angeles but get out there and find something similar in your area. Maybe it’s the bleachers at the local school or doing intervals up and down a steep hill near your home. Whatever it is, take advantage of daylight savings and get outside.

Can women get too muscular?

2008-03-24T13:58:00.001-07:00

This is a big topic in the athletic world, and the general consensus among my colleagues and peers is a resounding no. It likes to be said that because women don’t have enough testosterone they should quit worrying about getting bulky and start lifting weights, yet my entire (and very successful) business has been built on the premise that they can get too muscular. I have created programming that assures that my girls, while looking fit, won’t come off as overly buff or ripped. So what gives? How can the majority of some of the top fitness professionals believe it is a myth that women can get too muscular, much like before Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile it was believed to be physically impossible to do. This is a topic I am so passionate about, that I am giving my first ever presentation on the subject. It is being delivered via the web on Wednesday, March 26th at 3 pm PST. To learn more about my “Movie Star Fitness” presentation click here

During my seminar I will break down the secrets of programming I have used to help my clients achieve the look I call Red Carpet Ready.

I think that the confusion lies with not clearly understanding the word “too.” According to Webster’s dictionary, the adverb “too” means: more than desirable, more of an amount or degree of something than is desired, necessary or fitting. Frankly I think this explains things perfectly. It means the term “too muscular” is subjective to the person desiring the muscle and not the person doing the programming.

Here’s a comparison: I am a novice surfer. I have the basics down but I will not be going out on the tour anytime soon. While I know how to catch a wave, I get very scared when the waves are “too big.” My instructor often laughs at what I consider “too big.” More skilled surfers wouldn’t waste their time on the waves I take because they could be considered “too small.” So who’s right? Does it matter to me that they say it can’t be considered to big unless the wave is overhead or the swell has a certain amount of volume or intensity? No, because once the waves hit shoulder height I’m sitting on the beach.

One more example. I love to look at the magazines and see what the stars are wearing. Sometimes I think “wow, her clothing is too revealing” other times I think, “she dresses too conservatively.” Am I right? I am sure the person in question thinks they look nice and really, who am I to judge?

So the next time your client, girlfriend or fellow gym goer says “I’m afraid of lifting weights because I don’t’ want to get too big,” please don’t tell her she is being ridiculous. Instead, ask her what that means to her. Better yet, get her to show you pictures of what body type she likes and what she thinks isn’t right for her. She has her reasons and it just might open your eyes.

Snack Better

2008-03-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Part of eating better is learning how to snack. Snacking is a very important part of my Red Carpet Ready diet and healthy eating in general, yet this more than anything else seems to confuse people. Let me clarify the meaning of a snack:

1. Snack to control blood sugar. One important reason for snacking is to avoid low blood sugar. We all feel better when our energy supply is constant. Besides, if you have lunch at 1 pm and dinner is not until 8 pm, I can almost guarantee your healthy dinner plans will be derailed. Once your blood sugar drops, you go from “I am kind of hungry” to “if I don’t eat right now I might pass out.” At this point, chicken and green beans will no longer do. Whether you know it or not you will be looking for something that will bring your blood sugar back up quickly (ie: pasta, tortillas, pizza, candy).

2. A snack is not the same as a meal. A snack should be about 150-200 calories. A snack does not need to fill you up. All it needs to do it to satisfy you. Again, it is about controlling your blood sugar so that you are able to make healthy choices at your next meal.

3. Snacks should be the right combination of macro nutrients. You want about 1-2 ounces of lean protein and ½ cup – 1 cup of carbs that are low to moderate on the glycemic scale. Yes, the combination is important. An apple by itself is not ideal, but an apple and a piece of string cheese is a good choice.

4. Some snacks should be portable. It is wonderful to be home at snack time, and when I am I might make a crudités platter and a hardboiled egg. Most often you will be away from home at snack time so you need to plan ahead and bring it with you. I use a mini cooler to keep snacks with me when I am running around or at the gym more than 4 hours straight.

When it comes to snacks, don’t over think it. Some of the best snacks are very simple. Here are a few of my favorites:

Low fat vanilla yogurt and mixed berries

Celery and almond butter

Small handful of almonds & California Raisins

Other ideas include:

1 oz roast turkey with mustard rolled up with 1 slice of low fat swiss cheese in a lettuce leaf.
tablespoons of Whole Foods roasted pepper hummus with 12 baby carrots
2 oz left over chicken chopped and mixed with a teaspoon of mayo and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar on top of a whole grain Wasa cracker.

Learning to snack right will not only give you more energy, it will speed you on your way to your weight loss goals.

Vogue Editor & the Valslide

2008-03-20T17:50:00.001-07:00

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of training Vogue's Features Editor, Sally Singer. I had 2 weeks to give her the experience of how I might get one of my celebrity clients Red Carpet Ready. Sally is such a delight to work with and it was great fun getting to peek behind the curtain of the fashion world.

The April issue of Vogue just came out and I am thrilled with the write up she gave me. Even more exciting is knowing she still uses her Valslides and takes them with her when she travels.

If you would like to experience a program similar to Sally's, you can get my new book "Red Carpet Ready" available on my website http://www.valeriewaters.com/

To learn more about the Valslide go to http://www.valslide.com/

Gym Equipment Expo

2008-03-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I went to IHRSA, the largest exercise equipment tradeshow of the year. I went to see what is new or interesting in the industry. When I design a home gym for a client I want to make sure I know about the latest, best, most useful exercise equipment out there (besides the Valslide of course!). At this show, I did see a few cool things that I will be sharing with you later. What was really special for me was that I connected with some people I love but had not seen for quite some time.

Me and Johnny G at IHRSA

I am sure you have all heard of Spinning®. What you might not know is that I am one of the original spinners. That’s right; I had the privilege of being coached one-on-one by Johnny G, the creator of Spinning®. We sat side by side on these stationary bikes he had rigged and pedaled furiously while he shared his vision of a group spinning class. I was there when the first spinning centers opened and Johnny would teach 5 classes per day. I was there to witness this phenomenal idea spread around the world! He really wanted people to experience the joy of exercise and help them make the mind-body connection. Johnny G is a true visionary and I am proud to know him and his beautiful wife Jodi.

Well, visionaries never rest on their laurels. Johnny is back with his newest creation, a revolutionary program called “Kranking.” Think cycling for the arms. Check out their website to learn more. http://www.krankcycle.com/

Here is a clip from the show. You can feel the energy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure what St. Patrick’s Day is all about but I’m all for a little holiday spirit!

My idea of holiday spirit: Having Cody & Lexi wear green

Not my idea of holiday spirit: Green Beer

Eat better Monday’s

I am here to help you realize that eating well doesn’t have to be boring or time consuming. Check out my yummy dinner.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Asparagus and Arugula Salad

This was made in 15 minutes which includes prep time. The key is good ingredients prepared simply.

Ingredients:
3 organic lamb chops
½ of a bunch of asparagus
1 cup organic arugula
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Rosemary
Salt & pepper
Mint jelly

*serves 1

Spray non-stick cooking spray on grill pan and heat to medium-high. Sprinkle salt, pepper and rosemary on both sides of the lamb chops. For medium rare, grilll for 4 minutes on each side. While that’s cooking, steam asparagus for about 6 minutes (should still have a crunch when done), drain and rinse under cold water. Dress the salad with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and toss well.

Serve the lamb chops with mint Jelly on the side. I found this excellent garlic & mint one at Whole Foods Market.

Eat Better Mondays: Is your cereal making you fat?

2008-03-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

Judging by the number of different kinds available it is obvious that cereal is a popular breakfast option. If you are a regular reader of my newsletter than I am pretty sure you are not choosing Captain Crunch or Fruity Pebbles, but that doesn’t mean you are not sabotaging your weight loss plans. As I see it, the problem is two-fold:

1. Sometimes you may think you are making a healthy choice, especially when the box tells you so. Often they still have too much sugar. When reading labels the number 1 ingredient you want to avoid is “high fructose corn syrup.” (I'll explain more on high fructose corn syrup later.)

2. The second problem (and probably the greater problem) is portion control. I find it incredibly easy to over eat cereal. When I pour cereal into a bowl I use a small bowl to help monitor the amount but I actually measured the amount and I found that I was eating more than double the recommended serving size. Of course, their serving size was about 4 spoonfuls of cereal. But even still, if I want to consume only the 110 calories listed on the box then I have to eat the serving size they recommend.

This is what my bowl looked like when I just eye balled the amount:

This is the recommended serving size according to the box:

Where’s the cereal? You can still see the bottom of the bowl.

When choosing a breakfast cereal make sure you read the label and avoid any with HFCS or sugar as a main ingredient. Look for one with a high fiber content and always measure! You can even add a small handful of berries to your cereal.

Off to IHRSA

2008-03-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am off to IHRSA. IHRSA stands for "International Health, Raquet and Sports Club Association. Basically it is a trade show serving the health and fitness industry. I go there to check out new exercise equipment, network and pick up new ideas. At past shows I discovered the slide board (from which the idea of the Valslide sprang), the Cybex Functional Trainer (still my favorite machine) and the Nordic Track Treadmill which is really cool because it goes to a 50% incline! I will report back on anything of interest.

Even though I am just driving to San Diego and then back tomorrow it will be a very busy two days. With that in mind I want to make sure I have a strategy for eating so I am not stuck eating convention food!

I had a healthy breakfast before leaving and I packed my lunch and snacks. I grilled chicken last night, so naturally I grilled extra for today. I will take that and some arugula for a yummy salad. I also packed a couple of pieces of celery with hummus. For a snack later, I have a baggie with almonds and California Raisins. I know I will be out to dinner and would like a little freedom there, so I want to eat well all day. For the morning I am bringing a packet of plain instant oatmeal and 1 scoop of protein powder just in case I don't like the breakfast options or don't have time for room service. I took a picture of my cooler for you. This is so easy, you can do it too!

Get an Action Hero Body

2008-02-05T13:19:00.001-08:00

If you are tired of your muffin top or of being “skinny fat” (you know, thin but squishy) then it’s time to bring some heat to your workouts. If you want an action hero body, you won’t get it in Pilates and you won’t get it jogging your 30 minutes on the treadmill while reading a magazine. It is time to step into the weight room and kick butt!

I recently created this new program for a beautiful client that just got “our” dream job. I say “our” because she recently landed the kind of part that warrants the making of an action figure doll and requires lots of fight training. Already the stung guys are impressed with her level of fitness and the perfection of her kicks. I have been working with this client for 3 years, so obviously she has looked good for a while, but with this new program she has taken her body to new levels of perfection and is having a blast a long the way. I can’t give you more information about the part just yet, but I can share one of the most recent workouts. Try it out and be one workout closer to an Action Hero Body!

The Workout

Movement Prep

Leg Swings --- Do 10 reps
Leg swings side --- Do 10 reps
Plie squat --- Do 10 reps
Forward lunge --- Do 10 reps
Warrior lunge --- Do 10 reps

Circuit #1

Single leg glute bridge on foam roller --- Do 12 reps, switch sides
Valslide mountain climber (hands on med ball) --- Do 20 reps, each leg, alternating
Painful push away --- Do 20 reps
Kayaker --- Do 15 reps, each side

Do circuit 3 times.

Circuit #2

Valband side steps --- Do 15 steps each way
Lunge/kick --- Do 15 reps, switch sides
Bentover row --- Do 12 X 20 lbs (use a 20 lb bar or 10 lb dumbbells in each hand)
Romanian dead lift --- Do 10 reps X 20 lbs (use a 20 lb bar or 10 lb dumbbells in each hand)
Dumbbell chest press --- Do 15 reps X 10 lbs in each hand

Do circuit 3 times.

Circuit #3

Bulgarian split squat --- Do 10 reps X 5-8 lbs in each hand
Single arm shoulder press --- Do 12 reps X 8 lbs
Valslide reverse lunge w/ front foot on airex --- Do 12 reps X 8 lbs (if this is easy add one 8 lb dumbbell)
Bicep curls --- Do 12 reps X 10 lbs
Dips with feet up --- Do 12 reps

Do circuit 3 times.

Straight Leg Swings
Swing your leg forward keeping it straight. Only go as high as your flexibility allows. You will feel this in your hamstring (back of leg).

Plie Squat
Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out. Maintain erect posture and tighten abs. Inhale and lower yourself straight down. Exhale as you push up through your heels and squeeze your glutes.

Forward Lunge
Stand with your feet hip width apart and abs tight. Take a big step forward with your right leg, allowing your right knee to bend at 90 degrees. When your foot touches the ground the back leg will also bend. Exhale and push back with the right foot, pushing through the heel. Repeat for remaining reps and then switch legs.**You will feel this in your glutes and quads.

Warrior Lunge
Start with feet hip width apart, toes pointing forward and abs tight. Take a big step backwards with the left leg allowing the right knee to bend to 90 degrees. Simultaneously extend both arms up toward the ceiling to feel a stretch in your hip flexor. Push off with your left foot to return to start, allowing your arms to drop back down to your sides. Alternate back and forth until you have completed all reps.

Circuit 1

Single Leg Glute Bridge on Foam Roller
Lie on your back with your arms at your side with one foot on a foam roller. Extend one leg up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips off the floor using the foot that is on the foam roller. Finish all reps on one side and then switch sides.

Valslide® Mountain Climber on Medicine Ball
On floor, assume push up position with hands on a medicine ball with your body straight, arms under shoulders, and each foot on a Valslide®. Draw abs in and activate glutes. Slide right knee towards chest and exhale. Slide back to start. Slide left knee in towards chest and exhale. Continue to alternate between legs for remaining reps.**You will feel this in your abs.

Valslide® Painful Push-Away
This is a killer. It was named the painful push-away by the client who now has the Action Hero Body!
Get in push-up or plank position with a Valslide® under each hand. Hold abs tight as you slowly slide both hands out a few inches in front of your shoulders until you are just barely able to maintain a plank position. Walk your toes in a couple of steps to come back to a comfortable plank position. That is one rep. Repeat for remaining reps. Remember not to let your hips drop. **You will feel this in your abs.

Kayaker
My new favorite ab exercise! Keep your body very still. Only move your arms.
Lie across the top of a stability ball with your feet placed firmly on the floor. Your lower back should be centered on top of the ball. Hold a light weight dowel or broom stick with both hands and extend arms toward ceiling above your chest. Crunch up slightly to engage your abs. Slowly bring both arms to your right (keeping them straight) and then back toward your left side to complete one rep. Continue for remaining reps. **You will feel this in your abs.

Circuit 2

Valband Side Step
Place a mini band around your ankles. Stand with your feet hip width apart and get into a squat position. Step to the side with your left leg, and then bring your right leg towards the left leg, but not all the way as to keep some tension on the band. Continue across the room stepping out with your left leg. Return to the other side of the room facing the same way stepping out with your right foot. NOTE: make sure the foot doesn’t get out from under the knee. **You will feel this in your glutes and hips.

Lunge/Kick
Stand with feet hip width apart and abs tight. Step back with your right foot and lower into a lunge so your left knee bends to 90 degrees. Squeeze your glutes as you push up through your left heel bringing your right leg forward, kicking it in front as you stand and straighten your left leg. Then bring your right leg back again into a lunge position and repeat for remaining reps. **You will feel this in your glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Bent Over Row
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, abs tight and knees bent. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back flat. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging down, and palms facing your legs. Exhale as you bring the dumbbells toward the chest while squeezing the shoulder blades together. Inhale as you lower the weight. You will feel this in the middle of your back.

Romanian Dead Lift
Place your feet hip width apart, abs tight and holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees to 20 degrees and keep your back straight. Keep your eyes focused straight ahead and your shoulder blades pinched together. Lower the dumbbells down your legs toward the floor (making sure to keep your back flat) until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings. Inhale as you lower the weight and then exhale and squeeze the glutes as you come back to your starting position. **You will feel this in your glutes and hamstrings.

Dumbbell Chest Press on Stability Ball
With a dumbbell in each hand, lie on your back on a stability ball, with your arms out to the sides and bent at 90 degrees. Your head and neck should be supported by the ball. Hold up your hips so they are even with your knees and keep your abs tight. Exhale as you press dumbbells up directly over your chest toward the ceiling. Inhale as you lower back down. Repeat for remaining reps. **You will feel this in your chest and core.

Circuit 3

Bulgarian Split Squat
Stand with your feet hip width apart and abs tight. With your back facing the bench, place one foot on the bench (shoe laces touching bench). Hop forward with your other foot to come away from the bench. This is your starting position. Lower yourself down, until your right knee bends at about 110 degrees. Allow your right knee to bend naturally as you lower yourself. Push back up to the starting position. Repeat for remaining reps, and then switch legs.**You will feel this in your glutes and quads.

Single Arm Shoulder Press
Stand with your feet hip width apart and abs tight. Hold a dumbbell at shoulder height with palm facing your ear. Slowly raise the dumbbell extending your arm toward the ceiling. Slowly lower back down to starting position and repeat. Be sure to keep abs tight and knees slightly bent. Repeat reps on one side, and then switch sides.**You will feel this in your shoulders.

Valslide® Reverse Lunge with Front Foot on Airex
Stand with your left foot on an Airex pad and the ball of your right foot on the Valslide®. Slide your right foot back until your left leg bends at 90 degrees. Slide your right foot up to start position, pulling up with the glute (butt) of your left leg. Keeping your abs tight will help you keep balance on the Airex pad. Finish all reps on one side and then switch sides. NOTE: be sure to use the stationary leg to return to start, not the sliding leg. Think of the sliding leg as just going along for the ride.**You will feel this in your glutes and quads.

Bicep Curls
Stand with your feet hip width apart, abs tight and a dumbbell in each hand. Knees are slightly bent and hands are at your sides with palms facing out. Exhale as you curl both arms towards your shoulders. Keep elbows close to your waist line. Inhale as you slowly lower them back down to the starting position.**You will feel this in your biceps.

Dips, with Feet Up
Sit on a bench or chair holding the edge with both hands. Place both heels on a step in front of you. Hold yourself up using your triceps. Slide forward just far enough that your hips clear the edge of the chair or bench and begin lowering yourself so your elbows are at 90 degrees. Push yourself up until your arms are straight. Repeat.**You will feel this in your triceps.

A Skinny Parody

2008-02-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

I live and work in LA where thin is always in. I have seen and worked with beautiful fit size 4 actors that are often made to feel big because their 18 year old co-star is a size zero. I take pride in the fact that my girls look lean, fit and healthy and they achieve this by working out consistently (not obsessively) and eat healthy (without starving!). I find this parody for the new Mac Book Air laptop hilarious, but a sad reflection of our society’s desire to be thin. Just as 3 lbs is the new 5 lbs in the computer world, a size 0 seems to be the new size 4 in our world. This video captures the struggle that many go through to “fit” the mold that society and the media set, rather than appreciating the benefits of a strong healthy body. Maybe I am reading too much into this but watch it and you decide.