Happy Anniversary Mistransformation!

Today is a BIG day here at Mistransformation.  February 27, 2011, was the day of my first blog post!  My Mistransformation blog was born from a blog challenge within the Strong is the New Skinny (SINS) community.  The challenge was only supposed to last for six months but after six months I chose to continue maintaining my blog.

When I read the SINS post on the blog challenge I wasn’t sure exactly what direction my blog was going to take.  I’m not into CrossFit, I don’t eat a Paleo diet, I haven’t entered any Mud Runs and I have yet to have a booty shot posted on Wild Gorilla Man’s blog (although that is this years New Year’s Resolution).  I’m just a girl sweating it out day after day pushing weights and pushing my fitness level.  One thing that I already had going for me was submitting reviews of the workout DVDs I do on the Collage Video website.  Writing these reviews had already been somewhat of a hobby of mine.  Some of the DVDs I review I have bought directly from Collage and some I have purchased from other places but I still post the review at www.collagevideo.com.  So I decided that is what I would build my Mistransformation blog around.

As time went on, I started to think of other more personal things I could post about.  One of those posts made it to the Fytness Fanatik online magazine website when Amanda Lynn was looking for someone to inspire her and my post about how I used to let men treat me like crap before I started on my journey did just that.  I have continually written other inspirational articles for Fytness Fanatik and made it into the special print edition recently released.

A great asset that I have is the Fitness Blogger Buddies group that I belong to on Facebook.  We support each others blogs and I definitely see more traffic to my blog since I have joined the group.  I have been lucky enough to be a guest on two of the members’ blogs and for that I am honored.

The final achievement of my Mistransformation blog and the thing that brings a tear to my eye is having been named the 1st Strong is the New Skinny Angel!  Adam featured me on his blog and let me write about my trials and tribulations and explain how I have been able to overcome them with weight lifting.  It is a crowning achievement because I was recognized by the very thing that encouraged me to start a blog to begin with!  I will always be the first and I hope that I will continue to represent SINS well.

I truly want to thank my regular readers and followers to my blog.  I appreciate the time you have taken out of your busy lives to spend a little time with Mistransformation.  I hope I have given you something positive to take away from it.

My Guest Post

My guest post on Brooklyn Fit Chick’s blog:

Find her at:  http://brooklynfitchick.typepad.com/brooklyn-fit-chick/

Meet a Blogger! Missy from “Mistransformation” @MissyB17702

Hey there! Hi there! Ho there!

Today I am introducing you to the lovely Missy from Misstransformation to the masses. Missy writes a fitness-oriented Blog where she likes to review workout DVDs, offer inspiration and has the occasional giveaway for fun.

So why don’t we meet her now?

This is her website address: www.mistransformation.wordpress.com

Check out her picture here:

Questions from Brooklyn Fit Chick:

What is the name of your Blog?     Mistransformation – www.mistransformation.wordpress.com

How would you describe it to someone who has not read it before?     My blog is a fitness oriented blog wherein I primarily review workout DVDs.  I also list workouts that I do at the gym, do occasional workout DVD giveaways, post inspirational pictures and give opinions.

The overall goal of my blog is to give inspiration to others from someone who accomplished changing their life for the better.

How did you get interested in writing?     When I was a teenager I liked creative writing and used to secretly write stories that I never showed to anyone.

What is your favorite workout?     Kettlebells – cardio and strength all in one.

Who/whom are your “fitness heroes?”      No one famous.  Just the people who are out there giving it all they’ve got day after day trying to improve on their fitness level.

The biggest physical challenge you have overcome?     Being obese was physically challenging.  I could barely pick myself up off of the floor and I was only in my early 30s.  My back used to go out a lot and I would have to crawl on the floor to get to the bathroom.

Besides your Blog—what are you favorite reads?        Fitness-wise:  Oxygen Magazine, Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine, Women’s Health Magazine and various workout books.
For pleasure:  Sappy romance novels, biographies and books about history.

What is favorite TV guilty pleasure?     Billy the Exterminator

(Courtesy of A & E Network)

How do you motivate yourself when your mind & body are saying “Ugh, not today?”     I just try to keep in mind what my goals are and remember how good I feel after I work out.

Favorite place in the world to chill out.     Rock concerts.

Who/what makes you laugh when you need a mood lift?     My two teenage nephews.

Thanks Missy!

Ox ox,

Brooklyn Fit Chick

(BFC)

Follow me on Twitter: @BrooklynFitChik (note the spelling!)

“Friend” me on Facebook at “Brooklyn FitChick”

My Favorite Resources

One of the best things for me on my fitness journey has been having the capability to research fitness tips and find workouts that I can take to the gym with me.  There is an overload of information out there, however, and finding legitimate websites isn’t always easy.  Below are some of my go to favorites.

1.  Weight Loss and Training is a great web page where you can find information for weight loss programs, workouts and training, healthy recipes, supplements and nutrition.  The page is “owned” by Sam Omidi.  He is very knowledgeable and he has created a great resource.  You can click on the workout movements to see a demonstration of how to complete it.  I think that is a very important element.

You can find it here:

http://weightlossandtraining.com/

You can also find the page on Facebook under:  Weight Loss and Training Tips

2.  Angry Trainer Fitness.  Alfonso Moretti is the trainer that is responsible for Angry Trainer Fitness. He reviews different fitness systems, gadgets and celebrity trainers while he gives you the straight dope on whether or not he thinks they are useful to the rest of us. Alfonso is not as “angry” as what may be perceived to be.  He is pleasant and enjoyable.  Seems like a regular guy even though he doesn’t look like it! Alfonso hosts a weekly Ustream video chat show that has become a part of my regular Tuesday night viewing routine.

You can find the website by clicking here:

http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/

Alfonso/AT is also on Facebook.  Find him under Angry Trainer Fitness.

3. Get Beyond Fit is the brainchild of Marco Reed.  I used to exercise with Marco on the now defunct Exercise TV.  He put out one of the first hardcore workouts on that channel with the Rock Hard Body workouts.  On his Get Beyond Fit webpage, I like his innovative workout videos.  I have incorporated some of them into my own gym routine.

Click the link below for the website:

http://getbeyondfit.com/index.htm

Find Marco on Facebook at Get Beyond Fit.

4. Metabolic Effect is a stellar source of information.  It seems like they definitely “get” it when it comes to fitness of each individual.  They realize that it isn’t as easy as calories in and calories out and they explain a lot of the physiology behind it and also give some great workout demonstrations.  I incorporated the mini-chains into my workout where you string along a couple of workout moves instead of one stagnate move.  This fires the metabolism because you are moving and getting your heart rate up and building muscle at the same time.

Check it out here:

http://www.metaboliceffect.com/

Find them on Facebook at Metabolic Effect.

 

Let the pictures tell the story….

Please look at the following motivational sayings and then leave a comment telling your own story.

Personal Training with Jackie (Warner) 30 Day Fast Start DVD Review

If you are looking for a workout that is going to work your upper body to fatigue – THIS is it!  I think this is a great upper body workout and the ab section is good as well.  It’s not such a great lower body workout for me because I train my legs pretty hard and since a low amount of weight is required to superset the moves with the shoulders, my legs really don’t feel it.

This workout is all toning and you will need a couple of sets of medium to lighter dumbbells.  Jackie recommends 8s and 5s.

This workout is a pyramid style workout which is similar to the ladder workout I posted on here back in June of last year: https://mistransformation.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/descending-ladder-workouts-nos-1-and-2-my-own-design.  This means that rep counts are gradually increased and you do one rep, then two, then three, then four up to ten within each set.

In Workout Number 1 – Upper Body – Jackie supersets chest with biceps and you work the reps on those body parts with three separate movements then back and triceps are supersetted.

In Workout Number 2 – Lower Body – Jackie supersets shoulders and legs and then she finishes with the ab segment.

I like to do Workouts Number 1 and 2 together and consider that a total upper body workout since the shoulder segment is so effective.  I do the abs segment on my abs days.

Sometimes towards the third movement my muscles would be so fatigued I’d have to dropset the weight and use a smaller load.  I start with 8 though and after doing over 50 reps at a time, believe me you feel it.

Although time seems to go by fast, this workout definitely doesn’t have a fun factor.  Jackie is pleasant, however, and I trust that she knows what she is doing to train a person.  She says she uses these pyramids to rip a person up fast and also to break through a plateau.  Jackie is in phenomenal shape so she must be doing something right.

One thing I would like to add is that she does go up the pyramid but she doesn’t go back down.  A true pyramid is going up in a count and then going back down to 1 rep.  You might want to keep that in mind if you choose to do this kind of workout so you can try that technique as well.

I think watching the video will help you understand the setup of this workout.