6 Week Ab Challenge

Do you want to be more powerful in your athleticism? Do you want to improve balance and stability? Do you want everyday life activities to be easier and injury free? Core muscles need to be STRONG!

I am so excited to announce my 6 week AB Challenge(9/20-10/31). This is for you to do on your own and at your own pace. Please comment on how you are doing each day or week. Fitness is more fun when performed together.

Before you begin set the timer for 2 minutes and see how many sit ups you can get. This is your "baseline." Record it in a notebook. By the end of 6 wks you should be able to get a lot more sit ups!

"Baseline" test results from some of my clients:

Erin: 67 sit ups, Siobhan 53, Trish 64, Ellen 53, Denise 50, Lisa 59, Jen 57(someone was talking to her so it's not her 100%..Lol). way to go gals!

AB CHALLENGE RULES:

BEGINNERS: You have just started to exercise 2-3x a week. You will do these exercises every other day, 3 days per week(i.e Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday). No time component.

INTERMEDIATE: You exercise consistently 4 days per week. Each exercise will be performed 4 days per week(your choice of days). No time component.

ADVANCED: You consistently exercise 5-6 days a week(medium to high intensity) and your workouts consist of running, spinning, yoga and CrossFit style workouts. Each exercise will be performed 5 days per week.

Week #1 9/20-9/26

Perform these exercises at your own pace:

1)50 weighted butterfly sit ups (your choice of weight...beginners no weight) *NO AB MAT..NO WORRIES just perform the exercise without one. Click here to see a video demonstration.

2)40 leg lifts with stability ball. Put ball between ankles lift and lower slowly. Hands under lower back for support. If you are at home and don't have a stability ball do 40 slow leg lifts.. lift hips, bring legs down slow and controlled.

3)10 back extensions. Click here to see video demonstration.

IF YOU ARE AT HOME and not at a gym DO GOOD MORNINGS WITH A BROOM STICK. Click here for video demonstration.

Each week the # of sit ups increases and we will be doing different core exercises. The 6th week we will be up to 200 total.

remember to have fun, work hard and be thankful everyday that your body is strong, healthy and capable of performing these exercises. Need a modification comment below and I would LOVE to help you(:

WHY STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE?

-improve your posture

-Better balance and stability

-prevent injury

-excel at any sport...golf, swimming, running, CrossFit, biking, yoga etc.

-perform everyday tasks without getting injured....mopping the floor, picking up your child, carrying your groceries!

A few tips from Harvard Medical School about why a strong core is important...click here to read entire article.

3-2-1 GO!

Caitlin

Caitlin ChisholmSeptember 20, 2015Comment

Primal Chicken Cutlets

Honestly, this is one of my favorite recipes. This recipe started out on the website Laurainthekitchen.com. I adore Laura Vitale..she is my go to gal for recipes. She is the best chef! I took her recipe and changed a few things to make it more nutritious and lower glycemic. There are so many ways you can serve this chicken after it is all cooked according to the recipe. A few ideas..1) with a side of buffalo sauce and bleu cheese 2) top with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese 3) drizzle honey on it 4) slice chicken up and serve it on top of a salad... Simple dee-lish.

I wish I could video tape Conor after he took a bite of this chicken, he yelled, "MOM THIS CHICKEN IS SPECTACULAR"!! Conor is almost 18, works out like a mad dog(does CrossFit and Wrestles), is growing like crazy so needless to say he is starving ALL the time BUT being a teenager there are NO videos Mom can take of him. LOL. I am sure anyone having a teenage boy can relate. Feeding Conor seems like a full time job especially when everything that I make him is home-made. I wouldn't change it for the world. I am happy he wants to eat healthy.

If You have any ideas how to serve it please comment below(:

Caitlin’s Primal Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs hormone free, vegetarian fed, skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1.5 cups Almond flour/meal

1/2 cup freshly grated parmiggiano cheese

1 cup Tapioca Flour

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut milk or full fat organic milk

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1) In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half of the grated parmiggano, milk, salt and pepper, set aside. In a separate shallow dish, toss together the almond flour, the remaining grated parmiggiano and a touch of salt and pepper. In a third shallow dish or a large plate, stir together the tapioca flour, salt and pepper and set aside.

2) In a large skillet, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Bring it to temperature over low/medium heat. Olive oil burns quickly so keep a close eye on it.

3) Lightly dredge the chicken in the tapioca flour (making sure to shake off any excess flour) dip them well in the egg mixture to coat and coat them in the almond flour mixture.

4) Cook the cutlets in the hot skillet for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy all around then bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes in a 350 degree pre-heated oven.

Serve with your favorite sauce or just as it is. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Caitlin Chisholm

Caitlin ChisholmSeptember 13, 2015 Comment

There is NO magic Pill!

I met Andrea 1 year ago in August 2014, she had just had her first child 8 months prior. Andrea and her husband Todd are very successful chiropractor's. Together they own and and manage their own Chiropractic office in Easton. Andrea had just started getting interested in CrossFit. She had taken a few classes here and there but really wanted that one on one individual training. I was very flattered when Andrea asked me to train her. She is a Dr…ya know!

June 2015, after 1 year of HARD WORK and DISCIPLINE!

Like most Mom’s post- baby Andrea was exhausted, out of shape, flabby, not eating healthy and was NOT making any time for herself. She was ready to make a change! I began training Andrea 2x a week. Our workouts consist of 2 strength exercises and a timed conditioning. Sometimes the conditioning is short and intense, medium or long. I stuck with the CrossFit method…high intensity, functional training that is constantly varied. No machines, all body weight exercises and functional…squats, deadlifts, push press, pull ups, dips, lunges, Kettlebells, running, rowing, core work etc. Every single workout Andrea gave 150%.

People are put in your lives for a reason. Andrea and I were meant to meet. I could tell she was hungry.…she wanted desperately to be fit, lean and strong! When she told me she was ready, she wanted to work as hard as humanely possible and she wanted to be as fit as she could be. I was so excited. It was my project for the next 10 months. I saw myself in her. We have the same work ethic. Soo refreshing!

After months of hard work Andrea decided to enter her first bikini fitness show. She was eating a zone/paleo diet 70% of the time. She knew she had to get stricter with her diet to do well in the show and increase the intensity of her workouts. So she did. Andrea trained with me 2x a week and did strength 3 more times a week at a local gym and ran a short run on Sunday’s.

Every meal she ate was fuel for her body and designed to decrease her body fat, give her energy, and gain muscle. Andrea was on a mission!

Here is Andrea’s story…

‘Ive always been active. Being a Chiropractor, I am regularly educating my patients about their overall health and wellness. When I found out that I was pregnant I made it a goal to stay as healthy as possible for myself and my little girl. I worked out and ate healthy my entire pregnancy.

After having my daughter, I figured I would just bounce right back. Boy, was I wrong! Just like all new Mom’s I struggled with time issues, lack of energy, sleep deprivation etc.

I decided to try CrossFit. I was hoping to get the most "bang for my buck". I knew that the workouts were short but intense, just what I needed with my schedule.

I started taking some classes but again the schedule didn't fit my life. (I was back working in my practice, balancing the new demands of motherhood, family etc). Then one class I took, Caitlin was Coaching. I knew right away that I wanted to train with her. I mean, look at her! Lol

We began training and right away I knew that she was going to get me where I needed to go. She has a great no nonsense way with training and has always pushed me to levels that wouldn't have thought I could handle while form and safety being the first priority. I’ve worked with many trainers over the years and they often become complacent after a while. I want my butt kicked every time!:)

I started seeing my body change and knew I wanted more. In February of 2015, I decided to try competing in my first bikini fitness show. With Caitlin's encouragement we began the journey. I trained with her twice a week and I also worked out in a class environment with two great guys at another gym near my house 3 other days, with 1 day off per week. All my workouts were early in the morning because of work (I often don't get home until 7:30pm). It was tough finding that balance but I did it! I hired a Health Coach that specifically works with clients competing in bikini competitions/shows. She gave me a game plan through the whole process, which was KEY! All my meals had to be prepped and measured every week. It was no joke, like a second job!

But when I set a goal, I don't give up.

Caitlin kept me focused the entire time. She would listen to my complaints about being hungry and tired. She was my sounding board through the whole process. So many days I would come into the gym, ready to throw in the towel and she would always build my spirits up.

It was a tough journey but I realized what it takes to really get to that next level. It's NOT easy and when I see ads on TV or read "fitness magazines" about weight loss I often laugh. It comes down to pushing your limits and being uncomfortable. Which is often the case with so many things in life.

When it was all said and done, I placed 4th in one of my divisions. That was a shock, I really wasn't expecting much.

Post show, I'm focusing on maintaining a healthy weight and really trying to incorporate restorative types of exercise as well (yoga). I'm still prepping most of my meals and allow myself 1-2 cheat meals a week and some wine;).

I may try for another show next summer. I've found that having a goal is so helpful in staying fit and healthy.

Caitlin was such an instrumental part of this process. Meeting her really changed my life! She is an incredible trainer, coach, motivator and friend!

-Andrea Wuotila

Here is an example of Andrea’s food diary 3-4 weeks before her competition…

5 small meals per day, 1 gallon of water each day

Monday, May 25, 2015

Breakfast

Elite protein pancakes, 1 serving(s)

Stop and Shop - Blueberries-Frozen, 3 oz(s)

Spinach - Chopped Frozen, 1 cup

Dymatize Elite - Dymatize Elite 100% Whey Protein - Gourmet Vanilla, 1 scoop (33.6 g)

Dunkin Donuts - Large Iced Coffee - Black, 32 Fl Oz