The Strapless Dress Workout: Targeting Overboard Spillage and Back Fat

Pitties, spillage, the muffin top on top, back fat…whatever you call it, a strapless wedding dress can really accentuate unwanted upper body fat.  Add in a tight corset or stiff bodice boning and the problem areas are sure to go overboard.  

If a strapless gown is your dream dress,  cardiovascular activities that get your heart rate revving are going to be your BFF until the wedding day. 3-5 days of cardio a week is a great way to burn major calories to help melt the fat that protrudes out of a strapless dress.  While cardio and a balanced diet is an absolute must, working the upper body muscles will help increase your metabolism,  sculpt lean muscles, and give you a tall, confident posture. 

Add these exercises into your resistance training routine to target your chest and back. Performing 2 sets of 12-15 reps will tone the muscles without them getting overly bulky. If you’re upper body muscles tend to bulk up quickly, do 18-20 reps. Remember, the last 2 reps of every set should be TOUGH.

 

 Pullover (Serratus Anterior & Pectoralis Minor)

1. Lie on a bench or the floor. Hold a medium weight or gallon of water over your chest.
2.  Holding your core muscles tight, with a neutral spine, slowly lower the weight over your head for 2 counts.  Lower the weight only to the point where you can keep your lower back in a neutral position, but no lower than shoulder height.
3. Slowly raise the weight back over your chest for 2 counts. 

Scapular Push-ups (Serratus Anterior, Trapezius)

1. Get on the ground in a push-up position, either on your knees or toes. Make sure their is a long line from the crown of your head to either your knees or toes.
2. Without moving your elbows or shoulders, lower your chest a few inches towards the ground, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
3. Without moving your elbows or shoulder, push your back up towards the ceiling. Round out your back and seperate the shoulder blades away from one another.
4. Advanced: Put your hands on a stability ball or an upside down Bosu ball with your knees or toes on the ground

Bent over Rows (Rhomboids, Lattisimus Dorsi)

1. With feet shoulder width apart, lean your chest forward and hips back. Hold a resistance band or weight by the side of your legs.
2. Slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift your elbows towards the ceiling for 2 counts. Be sure to keep your elbows close to the side of your body the entire time.
3. Slowly lower arms back to the starting position for 2 counts.

 

Punching with Resistance (Serratus Anterior, Lattisimus Dorsi, Trapezius + many others)

1. Attach a resistance band to a solid object, or adjust a cable pulley machine to shoulder height.
2. With a solid bent knee stance, raise your elbows just below shoulder height at 90 degrees.
3. Start with your shoulder blades squeezed together. Slowly punch one arm forward, reaching as far as you can.
4. Slowly bring the elbow back to 90 degrees. Punch with the other arm.

 ###

Is your bathroom scale lying to you?

There is NOTHING more discouraging to brides than stepping on a scale to find out she’s gained weight, especially after weeks of kick-ass workouts and nutritious eating.  While a scale is the traditional fitness measuring tool, it is not THE measure of fitness success or failure. In fact, your bathroom scale could be lying to you.

Ann* asked for my help as she prepared for her wedding day. Her goal was to lose 9 pounds and fit into her dream wedding dress which she bought a size too small.  For  weeks Ann never missed a workout, drank a gallon of water a day and made certain her calorie expenditure through exercise & daily activities was more than her calories consumed by eating. A sure fire way to loose the weight she wanted, or so she thought.  

After 3 weeks of training, Ann came to me red-faced and enraged.  The look on her face was one I’ve seen before: she was so frustrated she was ready to catapult me across the room with a resistance band. When I asked her what was wrong, she squealed like a whistling teapot “I’ve gained 2 pounds in 3 weeks!”

After determining Ann wasn’t stressed at work, wasn’t emotionally overloaded with wedding planning, and she didn’t have any medical conditions that might cause weight gain, I explained to her that sometimes the scale can lie. 

• After a day full of chugging water and eating healthy meals, you could add a few pounds to your morning weight
• Alternatively, many low-carb diets cause immediate weight loss because you are loosing essential water weight.
• Resistance training builds lean muscles which could temporarily increase your weight on the scale. But the awesome thing about lean muscle is that it increases your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, even while sleeping!
• Traditional scales gives you a summary of your weight, including bones, organs, muscles and body fat.  Have you heard the term skinny fat?  A woman could weigh 110 pounds, yet still have a high percentage of body fat due to osteoporosis or a lack of muscle.  On the flip side, a woman could weigh 147 pounds, yet wear a size 6 and have a normal body fat because she has lean muscle. The scale doesn’t ultimately determine if you are healthy, sickly or overweight.

 

Ann agreed to be patient. She continued her resistance training, cardio regime and faithfully wrote in her food diary to help keep her on track.  6 weeks into training Ann was a very different woman.   As she walked into our training session, her glowing face told a different story. ”The dress fits!!!”, she squealed.  This time, the whisteling teapot’s squeal was one of joy.

Ann lost only 4 pounds,  but an impressive 2.5% body fat .  Although she didn’t hit her target weight loss of 9 pounds, she reached her ultimate goal of losing a dress size and never felt better about her body.  As I told Ann,  if you’re committed to tightening and toning your body before the wedding, don’t let a lying scale discourage you. Stay focused and find other ways to measure your fitness success.

***

Omron hand held

Tanita Scale

While there are many different ways to determine fitness success that I love, a scale is not one of them.  I prefer to use an electronic body composition meter to track a client’s progress.  These composition monitors are becoming more and more popular.  In fact, many bathroom scales now have a body fat monitor built in. You can buy many popular brands of monitors online. Such as the $32 handheld Omron Fat Loss Monitor or the Tanita InnerScan Body Composition Monitor and scale for $129.

Breaking Down the Egg

As someone who has borderline high cholesterol complements of my gene pool, eggs were a food I often shied away from.  Like you, I questioned if adding eggs to my diet was beneficial to the active, healthy lifestyle I was striving to achieve.  What about the cholesterol and fat? Just whites or should I use the yolks?

After weaving my way through medical research, raising eyebrows at misinformed, egg-guzzling bodybuilders and seeing the spin the egg-doting American Egg Board has put on their product, I’ve come to a conclusion: eggs are one of my favorite go-to foods.

Surprised? By adding up the numbers and listing the pros and cons, I’ve found that adding a healthy dose eggs  (mainly whites for me) was a quick and easy way for me to get a high-quality source of protein and a great source of vitamins and minerals all while keeping my cholesterol in check. 

Can eggs fit into YOUR daily diet?  Find out as we Break Down the Egg. 

The Break Down:*
Egg White:
57% protein, 3.6 gr
1% fat
11% vitamins and minerals
0 grams Dietary Cholesterol

Egg Yolk:
43% protein, 2.7 gr
99% of fat, 4.5 gr
89% of vitamins and minerals
213 grams Dietary Cholesterol

Eggs are a source of High-quality protein

• Protein increases your satiety and feeling of fullness after eating, which makes it an important macronutrient for those wanting to lose weight. Studies show eating protein in the morning leads to eating fewer calories throughout the day.
• Protein helps repair the slight muscle damage that occurs during exercise and helps build new muscle tissue
• Eggs are an inexpensive source of protein, about 3 cents per gram of protein compared to over 10 cents per gram of protein for many protein enriched bars and shakes. *Based on September 2008 Boston prices.

Eggs Yolks contain the richest source of Choline available in food, 125 mg per large egg

• Choline reduces risk factors associated with heart disease
• Choline is important for brain function and is a component of neurotransmitters that send messages between nerves and muscles.
• Choline is important in fetal brain development.
• Recommended daily intake of choline: 550 milligrams per day for men and 425 milligrams a day for women, more if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. It’s estimated 90% of Americans do not get enough Choline in their diet.  Choline can also be found in soy beans, wheat germ, chicken, cod and salmon.

Cholesterol

• It IS true that the yolk contains 71% of your day’s recommended maximum dietary cholesterol intake of 300 grams, but it also contains 89% of the vitamins and minerals. If you limit the intake of other dietary cholesterol, saturated and trans fats in your diet throughout the day, you can enjoy your nutrient-rich egg yolks guilt-free.
• For those who have a higher cholesterol sensitivity, such as those with chronic conditions as heart disease or type 2 diabetes it’s recommended to limit your max dietary cholesterol to 200 grams per day.
• Find out the cholesterol content in other common foods at the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

*Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Note: There is a small varient in nutrition from free-range chickens, caged chickens and the type of diet the chickens are fed. Be aware of possible egg allergies. Avoid consuming raw eggs.

Media: Stuff@Night article

Hi Everyone! Check out the recent article in Boston’s Stuff@Night Magazine about moi…it’s not every day I go sprinting in high heels!

Jill Tomich@Night

by Erin Byers Murray  |  September 08, 2008

Jill Tomich@Night

When Jill Tomich isn’t whipping her clients into shape as an instructor for Ultimate Bootcamp (a company she co-founded), she’s working on her own physique, training for one of many fitness competitions. The former architectural designer ditched her old job to start Ultimate Bootcamp because her passions were deeply rooted in staying fit and active. Unfortunately, that means she occasionally has to avoid her absolute biggest temptation: eating at her favorite Boston restaurants. But on the nights she’s not training, she hits the town with her fiancé, Josh.

@ 6:15 p.m.: If I’m not doing an evening class of Bootcamp on the Common, I’m finishing up my own workout. Then I have to hit Cafénation in Brighton for a latte. When you’re up early every day, caffeine is a must.

@ 7:30 p.m.: I love restaurants, so if I’m not training, we’ll go out for a bite. Right now, I’m totally obsessed with the ahi tuna tacos at Olé in Cambridge.

@ 9:45 p.m.: Josh really likes the South End, so we’ll gravitate there for dessert. Petit Robert Bistro has this incredible chocolate dessert. I can never remember the name and I’m really not a chocoholic, but I love this. It tastes like fudge and is so, so rich.

@ midnight: We’ll head over to the Beehive or we might go downtown to Mambo’s — anywhere there’s good music, really. I love to salsa dance so we go to Mambo’s a lot.

@ 2 a.m.: By now, we’re definitely heading home, especially if I was up at 5:15 a.m

Newbies Surf Guide to New England

Secretly I’ve always wanted to be a surfer girl…catching waves until I’m tired,  playing frisbee on the beach with my dog, sleeping under the sun, making a bonfire with friends at the end of the day, and let us not forget the 100s of pairs of cute flip flops and tank tops I would own.

Cape Cod National Seashore this weekend

I got the surfing bug when I visited Hawaii in January of last year.  The warm water off Waikiki Beach had waves you could ride forever. It was the perfect place to strap a big piece of plastic to your ankle and try to outsmart mother nature.

High off my Hawaiian adventure, I came back to New England in search of the surf.  What I found in the Northern Atlantic Ocean was quite different:  59 degree water, frozen hands, and waves that broke too close to shore and my spirit.  This was definitely not a Beach Blanket Bingofantasy come to life. If it was, I’d be sandwiched in between Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello to keep me warm.

Since my first Cape Cod surf experience, I’ve learned that you CAN have a blast surfing in New England, you just have to be prepared.  Here is my Newbie Surf Guide to New England:

1. Watch the waves. The waves aren’t as bountiful in New England as they are in other places, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  For beginners, small waves (1-2 feet) are perfect. Be sure to check the weather and get a surf forecast online from sites like Magic Seaweed before heading to the beach.
2. Get lessons.  The instructors will show you exactly what to do on shore before you head onto the ocean.  They’ll also tell you specifics about the beach that you’re surfing on, such as where the big rocks are and currents to watch out for.  I took my first New England lessons from the folks at the Pump House Surf Shop in Orleans, MA. You can find a list of surf shops throughout New England at www.nesurf.com
3. Use a soft top surf board, sometimes called “foamies”.  Yes, you CAN use your friends sweet fiberglass board if you enjoy being frustrated, but soft tops make for a much more enjoyable ride for beginners.  They are more bouyant and stable, making the chances of you catching a wave on your first time out much greater.  Adults typically use 8 foot boards and kids typically use 6 foot boards.
4. Wet suits are a must! Spending the extra $10 a day to rent a full wet suit will help keep you warm.  There isn’t anything worse than shivering in the water while looking out for the next wave.  Wet suits come in different thicknesses and sizes.  Having the proper fit is crucial.  The suit should be snug so you aren’t storing gallons of water, but loose enough to not cut off your circulation.

From Old Orchard Beach in Maine to Second Beach in Newport, RI, there are a suprising number of places where you can experience the thrill of riding a wave.  While some of the best surf spots are kept secret by their keepers, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a surfer girl or guy in New England. So get out there, head to the beach, and have fun!

~JT