Jillian Michaels DVD Winners!

First and foremost, a big thanks to the 9 CFB readers who entered to win Jillian’s RIPPED IN 30 DVD. I wish that I had enough DVDs to send to each of you. I truly feel lucky to have loyal CFB readers, even though I find myself unable to post much these days.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A number was assigned to each of your names based on the order in which you entered this contest (e.g., Bree = 1; Shauna = 2; She who cooks = 3, et al).

And the winners are …



... Bree and Shauna.

Congratulations!

To claim your prize, email me at AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com. The subject line of that email should be JILLIAN DVD CONTEST. Please including your full name and postal address. I’ll get the DVDs out to you as soon as I can get to the post office.

And remember ...

In return for the DVD you agreed to provide me with a review of the DVD, including details on how you progressed through the different levels of the workout, whether or not you followed the meal plan, and your interpretation on the overall effectiveness of the program.

Reviews must be a minimum of 100 words, but should not exceed 500 words. Before and after photos are welcome, but not mandatory.

I cannot wait to hear your feedback and most of all, about the progress you make after doing this workout for 30-days!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Jillian Michaels DVD Giveaway

Since launching Catapult Fitness Blog I've been extremely lucky in having the support of the Jillian Michaels team, and they once again have come to the table with some goodies for CFB readers.

Arriving in the mail this week were a few copies of Jillian's soon to be released DVD, Ripped in 30.

These DVDs literally just hit my doorstep, so I have not been able to give the workout a test drive just yet.

The premise of the workout is similar to Jillian's 30-Day Shred, which I do recommend for those of you working out at home and find yourselves needing some motivation (Jillian is one heck of a motivator!).

As far as I can tell, here is what you get with Ripped in 30:

- 4 workouts, 24 minutes each. These are interval training sessions so you'll be working your butt off for those 24 minutes!

- Each workout consists of cardio, strength training and abs

- A free, 30-day online meal plan which I'm assuming translates in to a free 30-day membership to Jillian Michaels Online (again, this is just an assumption on my part, but it would make sense).

Now, here's the giveaway details ...

Two (2) CFB Readers will be selected at random to receive a free copy of this DVD (still in the shrinkwrap!)*.

In return for the DVD I ask that you provide me with a review of the DVD, including details on how you progressed through the different levels of the workout, whether or not you followed the meal plan, and your interpretation on the overall effectiveness of the program.

Reviews must be a minimum of 100 words, but should not exceed 500 words. Before and after photos are welcome, but not mandatory.

Entering this contest gives me authorization to post your review here on Catapult Fitness Blog.

To enter, simply post a comment on this posting telling me that you're interested in entering.

This contest is open from Friday, February 18, 2011 through 11:59 pm ET, Thursday, February 24, 2011. Winners will be announced on Friday, February 25, 2011 so keep an eye out for your name in next Friday's blog posting!

* U.S. and Canadian residents, age 18+ are eligible for this sweepstakes.


Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

The Big 3

It's been a brutal winter here in the Northeast, but as cold and snowy as it is outside now, spring is just 5-weeks away!

That's right. Before you know it we will be shedding our winter clothes and it will once again be time to show some skin.

For me that means it's time to focus on what I consider the Big 3 training protocols to ensure I'm looking good once it's time to shed the winter clothes ...

1. Interval Training. Research study after research study supports the fact that interval training incinerates fat faster than constant, moderate physical activity. And remember, interval training is not limited to the treadmill! If you need some tips on putting together an interval training program check out the Maximize Your Gym Time posting.

2. Bodyweight Strength Training. No gym equipment, no problem! Pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, bodyweight squats, and walking lunges will not only crank up your heart rate, but will enable you to realize tremendous strength gains.

3. Explosive Movements. For those of you training at a intermediate or advanced level, consider adding explosive movements such as Kettlebell swings, jump squats and burpees to your program. They will help you to generate both power and strength, and take your training program to the next level.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Foods That Heal Your Aches And Pains

Can eating spinach help to heal a stress fracture? Yes, it can!

We all have read articles on how nutrition can help reverse inflammatory diseases (heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, arthritis, et al) but truth is, what we eat can speed our recovery when it comes to injuries such as stress fractures, sprains, tendinitis and even muscle soreness.

If you find yourself with an injury, below are some tasty remedies to help speed your recovery, including some terrific recipe ideas from Roni over at Green Lite Bites!

Injury: Stress Fracture
Foods That Heal: Low-fat milk, spinach, yogurt, collard greens, basil, kale, shrimp, sardines
The Science: The combination of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K speeds up bone formation to help repair fracture.

Check out Roni's recipe for Spinach Ricotta Roll's

Injury: Sprain
Foods That Heal: Bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, raspberries
The Science: Vitamin C encourages collagen formation which is crucial for rebuilding injured ligaments.

Check out Roni's recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Salad

Injury: Tendinitis
Foods That Heal: Salmon, scallops, sardines, shrimp, cod, walnuts, flaxseeds
The Science: Polyunsaturated fats such as those found in fish and nuts help reduce inflammation

Check out Roni's recipe for Oat and Flax Crusted Tilapia

Injury: Muscle Soreness
Foods That Heal: Whole grains, lentils, cod shrimp, turkey, salmon, yogurt, eggs, peanut butter
The Science: Carbs help to restore energy and protein helps repair the damaged muscle fibers

Grab yourself a post-workout shake or peanut butter on a slice of Ezekiel bread to help ward off DOMS!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan