March Exercise Class Schedule
February 26, 2010 by Jenny Neighbour · Leave a Comment
Click here to download MARCH CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Click here to download MARCH 2010 CLASS SCHEDULE
March 2010 offers some great NEW classes to CrossTrain Fitness!
You will enjoy some “old favorites” such as Repeat the Beat and Drums Alive combined with some NEW classes such as Pilates Plus and Step/Interval class!
Our classes are perfect for ALL fitness levels and promise to be motivating and FUN for all ages!
May I “ash” you a Question?
February 17, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Happy Ash Wednesday! Forty-six days of Lent. A time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. I want to encourage you to fast in a way that honors God.
I plan on giving up sleep (an extra 30 minutes daily) to spend more time in the word and in meditation. What will you do to show your dedication and faith?
Following are some tips that I hope will inspire you today. As you grow more in mind, body, and spirit, you will feel more content and full of joy!
Mind
”Mind your Ps and Qs!” It was something I heard a lot as a child. At the time that phrase meant “Please” and “Thank you” (not sure how they got Q from thank you). These days I believe in minding your Ps and Qs in a different way: Positively and Questions. What positive thoughts are you absorbing, and what questions do you challenge yourself with on a regular basis? The new Ps and Qs you mind could change your outlook on life. Learn to accept positive affirmations and to ask quality questions daily.
Body
It may be difficult to swallow, but the average person’s metabolism slows by 5% each decade, starting at age 35. To create an increase in a declining metabolic rate you should NOT crash diet any more than you should continue with the same ol’ exercise program. It’s best to eat 5-6 small healthy meals throughout the day and to change up your exercise program by increasing tension/weight, distance, speed, or even the type of workout altogether. Want to see results? Try something new that will challenge and speed up your metabolism.
Spirit
Sometimes the road less traveled may seem difficult, but the key is to go down the path that is paved for you. Some of the most rewarding moments happen along the bends of a winding path. You may not be able see what is ahead, but you have the faith to move forward anyway. This “blind faith” offers an opportunity to learn and grow beyond your comfort zone.
Deb 
Have you fallen off the wagon and need help to get back up??
February 16, 2010 by Deb · 2 Comments
Every once in a while you need a swift kick in the butt to get you back on track and living to your full potential. I recently received a kick in the butt from a mentor. She actually called me ‘WEAK’, can you believe that? Not weak physically, but mentally. I was coasting through life and she let me know it. Are you ready for your butt kicking? Watch this quickie video clip from the movie “Rocky Balboa“. In this clip Rocky gives his son the kick in the butt that he needs to get back on track and living to his potential.
Okay…you need to view this video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uASVzkrEKgs This is what we discussed after viewing clip….maybe some of you can relate? Let’s discus some of the key points from the Rocky Balboa Speech…
The first important point thing that Rocky tells his son is, “When things got hard you started looking for something to blame.” Now let’s turn this back to you and your fat loss journey. Have you found yourself in a situation where things are going really great… you’re working out regularly, eating well, and feel awesome, then after four to six weeks something happens… you’re faced with a challenge or obstacle and you fall off the wagon? What is some of the self talk that goes on in your head when this happens and what do you tell others? Do you say, “Here I go again, I always end up sabotaging myself.” Do you say, “I’m just too busy to workout regularly, I’ve got kids and my work schedule is demanding.” Do you say, “That diet didn’t work, it’s too strict.” Or do you blame it on the genetics that your parents passed down to you? Where do you look to place the blame when the going gets tough?
Let’s take a look at the next point that Rocky makes to his son. “It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward… how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Again, we’ll use this statement and compare it to your fat loss journey… It’s absolutely important that you give each workout your very best effort. Hit each workout hard! It’s absolutely important that you give your best effort to following a healthy nutrition plan. Hit it with your best shot! But that’s not what will ultimately make you successful at burning all that unwanted body fat from your physique. The defining moments of winning the fat loss game are the ones where you get hit hard by an obstacle or challenge and you get back up stronger than ever before and continue moving forward toward your goals. Those moments where you feel at your lowest, whether you missed a few workouts because you were sick or you go way overboard on junk food while you are out with your friends at a party, these are these are the moments that you actually want to experience because they help you grow as an individual and become the best that you can be. Obstacles and challenges happen for a reason. They are not designed to make you fail… they are designed to help you succeed. How’s that for a mindset shift?
Let’s take a look at another important comment that Rocky tells his son, “If you know what your worth than go out and get what you’re worth, but you’ve got to be willing to take the hits and not pointing fingers and saying you ain’t where you want to be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!” Do you know what you are worth? Are you willing to go out and get it even though it means that you are going to have to take some hits and get knocked down several times along the way to receive what you are worth? I know that you are worth more than you may be thinking at this moment. Take some time and really think about what you are honestly worth. I also know that you are better than the effort that you have been putting forth. How do I know that? Because we can all do better. We can all dig deeper. We can all push our limits. We can all experience a new level of greatness.
Here’s one last important statement that Rocky makes in this clip, “Until you start believing in yourself you’re not going to have a life.” Wow! How’s that for a kick in the butt? That’s some serious tough love, but if you have seen the movie you know that it was exactly what Rocky’s son needed to hear. Rather than get defensive he took that hit from his dad, let it soak in, and used it to explore who he really is and what he is really worth.
We all have goals and dreams, but do you believe that you will achieve them? I mean deep down with every ounce of your being believe that you will achieve them? Losing weight is not easy. Maintaining that weight loss is not easy either. Believing in yourself is not always the easiest thing to do as you may have experienced. Striving to continuously discover new ways to improve yourself, your body, and your health, takes a heck of a lot of work. But the rewards are always well worth the price that you had to pay in order to achieve them. No one and nothing is holding you back from achieving the body and life that you deserve except for yourself. Take responsibility. Take massive action. Take the hits and keep moving forward. Focus on your goal and don’t stop until you’ve achieved it. Turn your WISH into a MUST! Don’t just HOPE for it to happen… EXPECT it to happen.
Embrace the challenges that you are faced with and use them to sculpt the body and life that you deserve. Carve out a new path and lay down the pavement for others to follow so they too will experience the incredible successes that you are about to achieve. It’s never to late to get back into the game! Make your new start TODAY!
Deb:)
Drums Alive – January 2010
February 16, 2010 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
Drums Alive © is unique and different from every other workout you have ever tried before! It captures the essence of movement, rhythm, and combines it with fun while delivering results! This class will help you burn fat, improve physical and mental fitness, improve cardiovascular health, release stress, work on cognitive education for right and left brain activation, and above all…will be FUN!
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Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone that has ever loved or been loved before…that means YOU! You were created for this very thing!!
This day has become more than just a “Hallmark” holiday; it has opened the door to invite sincere words…words that truly tell how we care and feel about those that are close to us. It’s even more important to show those people in our life how we care and feel about them. Simple acts of kindness go a long way!
Unfortunately, the ”busyness” of life tends to rob many people of the exercise in sharing heartfelt words and emotions with those that deserve to hear it often. When we allow the true essence of love from within to shine then it offers a domino effect to all those we encounter. Share your warm, kind heart with many this Valentine’s Day…this day and EVERYDAY!
If you want to do a workout that you and your sweetheart can do, I have included one for you to try! Working out together can draw you closer as well as burn a few good calories! Have fun!
Many Blessings,
Deb
Partners Band workout 1:00 minute each
1. One partner squats down and up holding the band
Other partner presses and pulls bands
Partners are facing each other
2. One partner hold loop part of band and does alt. reverse lunges
Other partner pulls handles down by hips alt.
Partners are facing each other
3. One partner holds looped band and holds down in a squat
Other partner does fast bicep curls with elbows up away from the body
Partners face each other
4. One partner holds looped band at chest level
Other partner does scissor arms
Partners are both facing sideways….at ½ way switch facing direction so switches arms
5. Shoulder presses alternating
Other partner is down on one knee leaning forward
Partners are facing away from each other….also switch knee ½ way!
Each partner does 1 exercise for 1 minute and then they switch and do 2nd exercise. Will take 10 to go thru one time go thru exercises 2x for 20 minute workout!
You must be willing to die to diet.
February 11, 2010 by Luke Carlson · Leave a Comment
The word diet creates a a negative image and some say dieting is like dying because die is the first part of diet. I say hallelujah! We have an opportunity to learn how to die while we diet. What a great training ground God has given us. Jesus teaches us that we are to die of this world so that we can be reborn. When we are reborn we learn to leave the world behind and allow the Holy Spirit to more freely work in us. Dying of this world is what it means to grow in our Christian faith and to live in Christ so that we can be free from the bondage of food.
Are you ready to die through diet? Knowing that this is your opportunity to be reborn you should feel a new joy about the word and ability to diet. Dieting is no longer a negative thing for Christians, but a chance to grow and give glory to God. We will have more dying to do than to just die from dieting, but a new beginning is awaiting us. It is never easy, but it will be worth every difficult step of the way. When times get tough know that you are not doing this to glorify your self, but to die of your old self so that the new self can be born and that God can be glorified.
Superbowl Workout
February 5, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Burn fat and improve your athleticism with a training routine you can do anywhere. All you need is your body weight. And since the workout is a speedy 5-minute circuit (a group of exercises performed consecutively, without rest), you can do it anytime. Customize it for you:
- Perform this 5-minute circuit as time allows. So if you only have 15 minutes to train at lunch, do it twice with a dynamic warm-up. If you have a half hour, aim for 4 or 5 rounds.
- If you’re just getting back into exercise, rest for 30 seconds between movements, but decrease your rest time every workout until you’re performing the full circuit without breaks.
- If you only have time for two circuits, perform them back-to-back with no rest. This approach saves time and it’s more challenging.
Training
Although there’s no equipment used in this workout, each of the five exercises challenges your body in a unique way: The wall sit is isometric, meaning it challenges your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps muscles by holding a bent-knee position; the push up improves muscular endurance by doing as many reps as you can in 60 seconds; the single leg squat improves balance; the jumping jacks increase your heart rate; and the plank challenges your core stability.
Perform each move in succession, minimizing your rest periods between moves. Once you’ve completed each exercise, rest 60 to 120 seconds before repeating the circuit. Decrease your rest between circuits by 10 to 15 seconds each time you complete this workout. And when you return to the gym, be sure to incorporate extra pull-ups or rows since this fast routine is short on upper body pulling movements.
The 5 Minute Body weight Circuit
Warm up 3 minutes
Push Ups- 60 seconds
Wall Sits – 60 seconds
Squat – Single Leg Balance – 30 seconds each leg
Jumping Jacks – 60 seconds
Plank Hold - Single Arm Lift with Wide Feet – 30 seconds each arm
Hopefully you can do this circuit a few times throughout the game….it can help counter affect the intake of the few extra calories you may be getting!
Enjoy and I hope YOUR team wins!
Deb:)
6 Healthy Superbowl Recipes
February 5, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Chilled Garlic Dip
Extremely simple to make, the chilled garlic dip has three ingredients: lite cream cheese, garlic and milk. This appetizer only has 58 calories per serving. Serve this zesty dip with reduced-fat ruffles or veggies.
Cook Time
25 minutes
Serves
20
Calories
58
Protein
2.6g
Total Fat
5g
Saturated Fat
3g
Carbohydrates
0g
Dietary Fiber
1g
Ingredients
- 2 bricks lite cream cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bag reduced-fat Ruffles
- 1/8 cup milk
Preparation
- Allow 2 bricks of lite cream cheese to soften on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Put softened cream cheese into a bowl, and add 1/8 cup of milk, while whipping the contents with a fork.
- Press 1 clove of garlic, and add into the cream cheese mixture.
- Whip dip together until it reaches desired consistency.
- Serve with reduced-fat Ruffles.
BBQ Hot Wings
Cook Time
10 minutes
Serves
8
Calories
170
Protein
9g
Total Fat
7g
Saturated Fat
2g
Carbohydrates
6g
Dietary Fiber
0g
Ingredients
- 8 chicken wings
- 1 cup barbeque sauce
Preparation
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Grill chicken wings until cooked thoroughly.
- Warm up a 1 cup of barbeque sauce in the microwave.
- After pulling cooked wings off the grill, toss them in the barbeque sauce.
- Plate and serve.
6-Layer Mexican Dip
Cook Time
20 minutes
Serves
8
Calories
224
Protein
18g
Total Fat
14g
Saturated Fat
5g
Carbohydrates
2g
Dietary Fiber
6g
Ingredients
- 12 oz 96% lean ground beef
- 16 oz fat-free refried beans
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 8 oz low-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup guacamole
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1/4 cup tomatoes
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1/4 cup romaine lettuce
Preparation
- In a large skillet, brown 12 ounces of 96% lean ground beef. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Spread 16 ounces of fat-free refried beans on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
- Top with 1/4 cup of shredded romaine lettuce.
- Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheddar-Monterey jack cheese blend over the beans.
- Next, place the drained beef over the cheese and spread flat.
- Add an 8 ounce layer of low-fat sour cream followed by 1/2 cup of guacamole and 1/2 cup of salsa.
- Top with 1/2 cup of black olives, 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of green onions.
- Sprinkle any leftover cheese on top.
- Serve immediately or place it in the fridge over night and serve cold.
- Use tortilla chips for dipping.
Artichoke and Spinach Dip
Cook Time
45 minutes
Serves
10
Calories
87
Protein
6g
Total Fat
4g
Saturated Fat
2g
Carbohydrates
5g
Dietary Fiber
1.28g
Ingredients
- 10 oz spinach
- 1 can artichoke hearts
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup fat-free sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 dash Tabasco
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tomato
- 1 bag whole wheat pita chips
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Drain 1 can of artichoke hearts, and chop them into small pieces. Place in a bowl.
- Chop 1 bunch of green onions, and mince 1 clove of garlic. Add to bowl.
- Chop 10 ounces of spinach, add to bowl, and mix.
- Blend in 1 cup of fat-free sour cream, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 dash of Tabasco, and salt and pepper (to taste).
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, then transfer them to a food processor, and pulse until blended.
- Put mixture in an oven-proof dish, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes (or until bubbling around the edges and browning on top).
- While dip is baking, chop 1 tomato.
- Take dip out of the oven, and garnish with tomato pieces.
- Serve with whole wheat pita chips (a single serving of dip with a chip is 3 ounces).
Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
Cook Time
20 minutes
Serves
8
Calories
144
Protein
14g
Total Fat
11g
Saturated Fat
2g
Carbohydrates
11g
Dietary Fiber
4.5g
Ingredients
- 1 packet lite cream cheese
- 8 whole wheat tortillas
- 16 slices turkey
- 8 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup salsa
Preparation
- In bowl, whip together 1 packet of lite cream cheese and 1/4 cup of salsa.
- Spread the mixture on the bottom layer of each whole wheat pita.
- Layer pitas with sliced turkey and leaves of romaine lettuce.
- Roll up tortillas and slice.
- Place toothpicks in the roll-ups and serve.
Homemade Hummus with Pita
Cook Time
10 minutes
Serves
8
Calories
50
Protein
1g
Total Fat
3g
Saturated Fat
0.5g
Carbohydrates
4g
Dietary Fiber
2g
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon
- 12 whole pitas
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 pinch oregano
- 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Place 1 can of chickpeas into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Pulse until it creates a smooth consistency.
- Add 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), juice from 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Take whole wheat pitas, and brush them lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
- Dust them with 1 pinch of oregano, 1 pinch of salt, 1 pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Place them into a toaster oven on medium.
- When they come out, slice them into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter.
- Serve hummus with pitas for dipping (a serving is 2 tablespoons of hummus and 8 pita triangles).
Acts of Kindness
February 5, 2010 by Jenny Neighbour · 1 Comment
This morning, my 16 year old had an issue with her car. Now keep in mind that she is a NEW driver and a little nervous on the snowy roads. She ran over a plastic bag that got STUCK underneath her engine somehow. I guess it made a weird sound and gave off a “burning-type” odor as well. This scared my daughter and since her dad was at work…she came to me!
I couldn’t reach the bag so I told her to go to the local BP Amoco station owned by a great guy named Tim. Deb and I know him well and I just knew that they would take good care of her! My frightened and extremely SHY girl went to the gas station and do you know what they did for her?
They put that car up on blocks…got the bag out…torched the remainder of the bag off of the engine so it wouldn’t smell…and sent her on her way with a smile on their face. They treated her with the highest respect and didn’t even CHARGE her for the service. Can you believe this???!!!
I went over to the station after I got off of work to thank them and to see if I could pay them. They acted like it was no big deal and would not take any money! I am pretty much a SAP but sitting in Tim’s Amoco with tears in my eyes was pretty embarrassing! I was so proud to be a member of this community! I was so happy that my daughter was well taken care of and that she was able to SEE first hand, what it feels like to be on the receiving end of kindness.
Another act of kindness…JUST TODAY! After teaching my Drums Alive class this morning, I found out that one of our precious members named Wreta, actually SWEPT the exercise floor before our exercise class. She said the floor needed swept so she grabbed a broom to take care of it. She didn’t want anything in return…she just did it out of the kindness of her heart! (I did give her a HUG, however!) Also…before class…3-4 sweet ladies helped set up for the class for me! I didn’t even ask them to do so…they just DID IT on their own!
Look around you. What can you do to offer a little bit of kindness to someone else? Who knows…maybe if we all actually LOOK around for something nice to do…we can make this world a better place. The thing is…it doesn’t have to be big…even the smallest of things can make someones day a little brighter!
Let’s give this a try! Let’s join the ranks of Tim, Wreta, and the Drums Alive girls today…join the KINDNESS team and spread a little JOY!
God bless!
Christians can lose weight by surrendering.
February 4, 2010 by Luke Carlson · Leave a Comment
The Bible doesn’t tell us to have a strong willpower. That if we try hard enough we can keep from sinning. It tells us to surrender our will to God and follow the Holy Spirit. Even some research is pointing in that direction. Roy Baumeister did a study to see if resisting a chocolate chip cookie for five minutes made willpower stronger, weaker or unchanged. They found out that those that had to resist eating a chocolate chip cookie for even five minutes gave up on complex math problems more quickly than those that didn’t have to use their willpower. They concluded that our willpower fatigues us and eventually we not only quit trying to avoid what we are trying to avoid, but we give up on other things that challenge us as well.
Willpower sounds like a recipe for failure to me. Our addictions and bad habits with food can’t be willed away, but Jesus can steer us away from these bad habits if we let Him do the driving. It is time now to ask God to guide us in the path to health and wellness, and surrender our will to His. What does this mean? Reread the section of “who’s in charge?” in the e-book to get a more in depth explanation. This is a simple concept, but takes lots of practice and continued growth to achieve. Let weight loss be your training ground to surrendering to God, and as you become better at surrendering just imagine the blessed and glorious life that awaits for you.