Glutes Going Up on a Tuesday

I got a promotion!

I've been moved from a club manager to a Marketing and Social Media Manager for some Anytime Fitness locations in the Chicagoland area! Social Media, who would have thought?

I just started today and so far so good, just pumping out some posts and scheduling posts and making sure all of my pages are on the same page. I cannot wait for this 4th of July weekend, as I'm heading to Wisconsin with Ryan. I can't wait to not have cell phone service and just soak up some sun.

I had the MOST amazing glute workout the other day. All it consisted of was...

4x12 Lying Hamstring Curls super-set with
4x12 straight leg deadlifts with 5lb plates under my toes for elevation
4x12 (on each leg) split-squats on the smith machine super-set with
4x12 (on each leg) one-legged sit squats/bench squats/whatever you want to call them

I AM STILL SO SORE. But it's awesome, I'm always looking for ways to improve my workouts without tacking on hours at the gym and I totally succeeded. I then finished up my workout with some leg-raises and hyper-reverses on the rogue table of torture. (See:http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-reverse-hyper-2)

I didn't have to do extra cardio because my heart rate was beating out of my chest and I was dripping in sweat just from those few exercises. Goes to show that you don't have to spend hours upon hours in the gym to get a great workout in.

If you have any workout related questions or questions about anything in general, I would love to answer them! You can contact me at sarahpinks@yahoo.com

I am also going to be offering an exclusive glute program for $35 coming up during the month of July. It will include two days of glute workouts to go in along with your regular workouts for 8-12 weeks based on what your goals are! Email me for additional information and I will be posting information on it soon!

Have a great day!

- Sarah

New Blog. New Beginning.

Hi everyone!

I am starting a new blog instead of posting on the LiftStyle website. Together my LiftStyle partner and I have decided to take separate routes and work on our own thing. Still going to support the LiftStyle brand and way of life!

Anyways, on this blog I will continue posting my recipes, life advice, rants, workout tips, and more. Along with keeping you all updated on my life and what I've been up to.

SO it's summer! Finally. I don't know about where you live but here in Illinois it's been raining cats and dogs. There's been tornadoes and thunderstorms left and right! Crazy.

I've been busy with work, going to the gym every morning, applying to grad school, and life in general. I've got an AWESOME boyfriend, Ryan, who pushes me in and out of the gym to make goals and strive for more. WHICH IS GREAT. I think everyone needs someone like that in their lives, you just have to find your own! ;-)  I'm also really busy being a grandma, going to bed at 9:00pm and getting up at 6:00am on the weekends. I'm awesome, I know. I just love feeling refreshed and maximizing my time on the weekends. Now that playoff hockey is over, I don't know what to do with my time. I'm actively studying for my ACE certification as well, which I'm extremely excited for and will be super relieved to have that under my belt once it's done.

This week(end), since it's already Thursday, I will be focused on replying to your emails and inquiries. If you ever have any questions or concerns about anything or are interested in personal training or macro coaching, you can email me at sarahpinks@yahoo.com

I'm sure most of you follow me on Instagram (which is awesome and I love all of you from the bottom of my heart) and I really enjoy interacting with you all and answering your questions about whatever topics come to your mind!

Right now, I'm not sure when my next bodybuilding competition will be. I really want to change up the package I bring to the stage so I think I need more time off than a couple of months. I want to really bring in my waist and lean out. I know I have good muscle development and I think leaning out more will really change how I look on stage.

Enough of me rambling about myself...

I want to know what you want to see/hear/read! Let me know! Whether it being a comment on this post or an email, I'd love to know what you want me to post about.

I hope you all have a great day, and in honor of #TBT here's a post of me from January 2012, everyone has to start somewhere!!

Xoxo Sarah ☺️

French Toast Saves Lives (And FITS YOUR MACROS)

I hope everyone had a great weekend, mine went by too fast per usual but I got some great workouts in and even came up with some new recipes to share!

Saturday morning, I was CRAVING French Toast, but I wanted it to have a little more nutritional value and better macros. So I came up with this recipe!

Ingredients:

2 slices of Ezekiel Bread
2 egg whites
2 TBS cup Almond Milk
1/2 scoop protein powder (I used cellucor cinnamon swirl, but you can use any flavor you want)
1 TSP Coconut Oil
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Toppings: Waldon Farms Syrup, E.D. Smith Michigan Cherry Preserves

Combine egg whites, almond milk, protein powder, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together. It will be kind of chunky with the protein but blend together the best you can. Meanwhile, heat up a flat griddle and add 1TSP of coconut oil to the griddle. Dunk your slices of bread into the egg/protein/almond milk mixture and make sure to coat both sides of each slice completely. Place slices on the heated griddle and cook on both sides until golden brown.

Then top with whatever fruit or toppings you want! I love using a fruit and Walden Farms combo

Lack of Motivation? Loss of Dedication?

Motivation, hard to gain, easy to lose.

I'll admit it. I've been there. Motivated one day, totally unmotivated for a whole month, and so forth. It sucks, to be honest. Everyone wants to stay motivated so they get the results they want as soon as possible, but lack of motivation happens to the best of us.

Start with laying out your goals, write them down if you have to. Whatever way you lay them out, keep them handy to remind yourself why you started. Even if you workout totally SUCKS one day, at least you went. That counts.

Make sure to update your goals as you achieve them, keep your goals within reach. Don't make goals like "lose 50 pounds and drop 5 sizes in a month" because that's just crazy. I'm sure it's possible, but it wouldn't be healthy physically or mentally.

Reward yourself, and not with food. I hate seeing people say "When I get through with this workout I'm going to reward myself with a HUGEEEE cheese burger." Well then, there goes the purpose and meaning of that workout. Rewarding yourself with food is a double edged sword. Sure, reward yourself with a healthy, wholesome meal, not junk.

When it comes to rewarding myself, I usually use things like clothes or shoes. A single item that once you reach your goal, you can go buy it, because you earned it baby! Lululemon, Nike, Reebok, Target, whatever your vice may be.

Workout with a friend. If you know that so-and-so is going to be at the gym at 6:00am every day, you better get your happy little butt there and not let them down. Accountability is KEY.

Bored of your workouts? Have no idea how to work out? Don't know where to start? Well, without being too sales-y, that's what we're here for. We offer 12-week exercise and diet programs to get you started, change up your workout, or even beat your current plateau. These 12-week LiftStyle Change programs are created for you based on your needs, goals, etc. We're not trying to trick anyone into buying a plan and not using it. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR RESULTS AS BADLY AS YOU DO. That's why we're in this field, I,personally, love to help people change and mold their bodies into something they never thought they could. I love helping people, and I WANT TO HELP YOU!

Our programs and diet coaching include constant contact and updates with us, we require you to check in, send us progress pictures, ask us questions, vent to us, whatever else to want to do. That's what we're here for.

PLEASE email me if you have any questions about anything. I am here to help you, emails don't cost anything. LiftStyleCoaching@gmail.com If you want to register for the LiftStyle Change, visit our homepage. www.liftstylebrand.com

Have a great day!

- Sarah

My View on "FIT" and MAN Sports

So today's subject in the word "FIT" regarding social media...

I see A LOT of accounts adding the word 'fit' to their name as soon as they start a fitness journey or gain recognition for their transformation. I think any health improvement is AWESOME, don't get me wrong. I just feel that adding 'fit' to a username defines you as only FITNESS related or attempting to be fitness related or whatever.

My social media is more than just FIT. Yes, fitness is part of my life, a HUGE part, but there's more to me than fitness and the gym. I do have a life and interests outside of fitness, believe it or not. I don't mind if you have 'fit' in your username, it's just not something I'll ever do. 

I commend anyone who starts their fitness journey at any point in their life. Fitness is a great thing to have in your life, but like everything balance is key. Adding 'fit' or 'fitness' to your username won't make you any more fit or active or swole or cool for that matter. What makes someone admirable is the work and determination they have, not their username. Anyone can put the word 'fit' or 'fitness' in their username, but not everyone can put in the work and have the motivation to continue their fitness journey.

Again, this is not a stab at anyone, and I'm not going to dislike anyone because they have the word 'fit' in their username. This is just me saying WHY I won't ever have a "SarahPinksFit" account. There's more to Sarah than just the gym. Don't label yourself, be you. Show everyone who you are and everything you do, and be PROUD. Don't follow the mainstream 'cool' thing to do. DO YOU, BABY BOO.

EXCITING NEWS!

I am now a BRAND AMBASSADOR for MAN Sports! YAY! I am SO EXCITED. Their products come in creative and awesome flavors and WORK as they should! The best part of this is that THIS BENEFITS YOU! Who doesn't love supplements that WORK and DISCOUNTS?! I will have more information on the products and my own personal reviews, but until then to put it out there... My affiliate code (to be used at checkout) is SARAHPINKS (See, no 'fit' there) so feel free to visit their site and check out the products they have to offer! You'll get 15% off by using my code! http://www.mansports.com

Have a GREAT Thursday and I'll be back to posting on a regular basis again soon :)

- Sarah 

Glutez

GLUUUUUTES...

Whenever you're doing a glute exercise such as a squat, hip thrust, etc. make sure you're squeezing your glutes at the top of the lift or when you come up. This really activates the glutes and engages them i the exercise instead of going through the motions.

Squats and lunges aren't the only exercises to build your booty. Make sure you're working ALL of your glute muscles, such as the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius. This includes various lunges, squats, cable work, etc.

Another topic I want to touch on is bodyweight squats. Sure, they're great to warm up with, but other than that, if you're able, ADD WEIGHT. Barbell, dumbbell, or kettle bell squats will help build your glutes more than 100 bodyweight squats a day will. Start with a manageable weight and work your way up, in 5-10lb increments. Also, make sure you're squatting properly. There's almost nothing worse than bad squat form. 

See here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump1.htm

That's all for now, I'm working on recipes to post so you flexible dieters can have some fun with yours meals! Also, make sure to head over to MAN Sports and use my code SARAHPINKS at check out for 15% off your order! 

- Sarah

Flexible Dieting

Ahh the beauty of Flexible Dieting...

The word diet is stypid but when I mean dieting I'm talking about what I eat daily, not some stupid fad diet or extreme diet. Not my thing. Flexible dieting has saved me and changed my life COMPLETELY.

Flexible Dieting isn't eating food while doing a wounded peacock or a destroyer of the universe pose. Flexible dieting is a lifestyle, you're given a calculated amount of calories and therefore macronutrients to hit each day. I, personally, don't always 'hit my macros' but as long as I'm in ballpark range, that's flexible dieting. Now this does not mean you can eat cheeseburgers and donuts all day, every day, BUT it does give you the FLEXIBILITY to fit those into your daily caloric intake if need be. If you need to get off track a bit for a meal here or there, IT'S OKAY. You're not going to melt. You're not going to explode. You're not going to gain 10 pounds. You'll be okay, just get back on track for the next meal.

This also means fun recipes and experimenting with different food groups. I like to keep my diet pretty 'clean' but I do enjoy things like donuts and bagels so I'll eat them if I want to. Because I can. And I will. #DonutsAreLife #Carbs

A lot of people have a mindset that food is an enemy. Food is not an enemy, food is your friend. Your mind is your enemy. Your mindset of being scared of food or binging is what is holding you back from your fitness goals. Food is the answer. By calculating your amount of calories and macros to aim for each day, your body is getting a healthy amount of calories. Now it's just up to you to stick to it and make sure you're feeding yourself more quality calories than empty calories.

Yesterday, I made sweet potato brownies. Yes. 'Healthy' brownies. They still had real chocolate chips and cocoa powder in them, but they included wholesome ingredients like sweet potatoes and coconut oil. YUMMMAY. I may sound like a super pinterest-y person, but I'm not. I pin more recipes than I'll ever make but I was dying for something sweet and I'm currently 3 weeks out from my show so I'm trying to keep my Reese's egg intake to a minimum. (Personal decision, nothing to do with flexible dieting) So I whipped up a double batch and they were pretty good! I'm going to experiment with another recipe and post whichever is better tasting to me. But have fun with it, there's a lot of recipes that are fairly easy to make and can help you with your cravings! 

Asking For Help!

Onto my newest topic... asking for help. So fitness is becoming really popular and 'trendy', which I think is GREAT. BUT, you need proper guidance and instruction to be successful. Without a plan or someone to help you, you're going to end up going around and around in circles. Nobody wants that. To maximize your time and results, I highly suggest either registering for our 12-week LiftStyle program, hiring a personal trainer, or tagging long with a friend or family member who has been lifting/working out/knows what the hell they're doing for awhile. 

Anyone can go to the gym and do the same boring routine every single day. Are you going to get results? Maybe. Are you going to get bored of your program? Probably. 

It's in your best interest to invest in yourself and your health. Invest in what matters to you. That new designer purse or your health and fitness? Your choice. 

You're never too young, either. I'm 23 and decided a year ago that I needed to stop partying on the weekends and drinking benders and get my ass into the gym. Do you want to spend your money at the bar on drinks that will only lead you to a miserable hangover and regrets? Or do you want to invest that money into your health that will last a whole lot longer? 

Just something to think about!

- Sarah

Abs and H20

I have a lot of people inquiring about abs and how to get a flat stomach and visible abs. Let me tell you this, abs ARE truly made in the kitchen, no amount of crunches will make your abs show, and I never had visible abs before 2015.

With all of that being said, you can do ab exercises to strengthen your ab muscles and core in general, but to get those muscles to show, you have to eat right! Flexible dieting allows you to eat donuts and have treats, but if you only eat donuts, you're not going to see your abs. Eating a cleaner diet 90% of the time will give you better results when it comes to your midsection. You also have to shed fat in order to see your abs. To do that, incorporate a little extra interval cardio into your current routine and make sure that you're drinking 1 gallon of water a day.

Drinking a lot of water has a lot of benefits! Here's a few...

1. Water helps clear your complexion! Over time you will notice clearer skin (who doesn't want that?)

2. Always having water on you/drinking water throughout the day keeps you hydrated and you won't experience spells of dehydration!

3. Water helps flush built up toxins from your body

4. More water means less bloat. Believe it or not! Staying hydrating keeps your body from trying to hold onto what little water is left in the body!

5. Drinking water makes you feel full which is likely to help you eat less! (within reason)

6. Most common headaches are due to dehydration, DRINK UP!

We're Not Bragging (Pre-April-Show)

HOLA.

9 days out from my SECOND OCB bikini 'bodybuilding' competition. I don't consider myself a bodybuilder by any means but by definition, I kind of am. ANYWAYS, this post is kind of rant-y so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

I see A LOT of people posting about shakes, wraps, and other pills and potions that help you lose weight. Okay sooooo... that's cool. But do any of these things give you long lasting results?

Nope.

Do any of these products help you build lean muscle mass that will shape and tone your body in a healthy manner? 

Nope.

SO WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE TRYING THESE THINGS?

Simple... Because it's easy.

If bodybuilding/weight lifting was easy, everyone would do it. Everyone would find at LEAST an hour in their 'busy' schedule to get their ass to the gym and put in the work. But most people don't do that. MOST people claim to be too busy for the gym so they pop a pill that Dr. Oz said might help them lose 15lbs. 

I'm not most people. I will never be most people. I don't settle like most people.

I found the motivation within myself. I find the time every damn day to get my ass to the gym. Yes, I'm training for a show, but most of the time I'm just training for LIFE. Training daily because I love the way I look and feel, because I love the feeling of lifting heavy shit over and over again. Because I love being a smaller size than I EVER was before. Because I found passion and a hobby in the gym. I don't see the gym as a chore. I don't skip the gym because I don't feel like it. I LOVE going to the gym, even when I'm lacking energy. But again, I'm not most people.

I used to be like most people, until I found out that I was digging myself a deep hole at the young age of 21. Binge drinking, eating fast food, sugar filled coffee drinks, and whatever else I felt like is NO way to live for ANYONE. Sure, I still have a cheat meal every once in awhile, but you won't catch me binging on crap food like I used to. You know why? I love my body. I've invested in my body, and I'm not letting that hard work go to waste.

You're willing to spend $4 on your high calorie and whipped cream covered coffee drinks every day, but you aren't willing to spend that on a gym membership or personal trainer? You're willing to buy a couple of nice purses but won't buy a training package? You're willing to play the whole 'I love my body' but feel miserable when your clothes don't fit as well as they used to? That's your choice. 

I've heard every excuse in the book. Working at a gym and going to the gym you hear everything. From 'I don't have time' to 'I don't know what I'm doing' to 'I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!'. They're all excuses. Your body wasn't made to digest crunch wrap supremes and Starb's fraps.Your body was made for you to take care of it. Life is about balance. 

If you don't know how to start, ASK. I cannot stress this enough, you will not be effective if you do not know what you're doing. If you don't 'have the time', schedule out an hour at least 3-5 days a week and get your ass in the gym, go to a group fitness class, do a daily burn workout or find something on youtube. I don't care what it is, JUST DO IT. (So Nike of me) I don't listen to excuses. I don't pretend to agree with your excuses. I will call you out for being lazy and not having your priorities in check. BUT I can't change that, only you can.

One last thing, just putting in the time is not enough. You cannot go to the gym and walk on the treadmill and do a couple bicep curls with 5lbs and expect results. EDUCATE yourself. Get into a routine. LIFT HEAVY SHIT. Get into it, sweat, do whatever you have to do. If you have to hire a trainer, do it. If you have to research lifting, do it. If you want me to help you, ASK ME. I LIKE TO HELP. I LIKE TO LIFT. PERFECT MATCH.  Just like going to work, punching in, and sitting there all day isn't productive, neither is going to the gym without a plan or without knowledge of how to better yourself. 

Back to the topic of 'We're Not Bragging'...

I Instagram, a lot. I tweet, a lot. I use social media, a lot. I workout, a lot. SOOO obviously there is going to be some form of crossover there. I post pictures of me at the gym, or posing, or whatever else my little heart desires. I don't do it because I think I look good and want you all to be jealous of my banging bod. No. That's not me. I post these things because I was once in an unhappy place. I was once wearing a size 30, IN THE SUMMER. I once had ripples in my stomach and thighs. I once had chubby cheeks. Now I don't. You know why? Because I decided to put in the work. I kicked my ass in the gym, straightened up in the kitchen, and the results came. Sure, it was a lot of trial and error. But I found what worked for me. Just like anyone else can. Instead of using excuses after excuse and bad mouthing people for showing off their hard work on their social media accounts, get off your ass and do something to make yourself happy about yourself.

It's not going to be easy, I'll tell you that right now. But I will tell you, it' s so damn gratifying. I'm not stuck up or cocky, I'm confident in myself and with my body. For the first time in a long time, might I add. So yes, I will post whatever I want on my social media accounts, take it how you may but I'm just letting you know that you can do whatever you want if you quit bitching and simply put in the effort. Also, don't tell me you want to 'tone', because you aren't a damn printer. You are a human, and you want to put on some sexy ass muscles. Thank you.

Rant Over. 

- Sarah 

Guac and Post-April Comp

Hi Everyone! Long time no blog.

Well I am back and ready to go. After my show, I took a nice vacation and a couple weeks off from the gym. Since then, I've been crazy busy at work and what not. I just want to let you know I didn't forget about any of you or this blog!

Lately, I've been experimenting A LOT with recipes. No more boring food or dinners for this girl. I've expanded my pallet by incorporating a lot of fresh fish into my diet. My carb sources are still mainly veggies and potatoes, along with sprouted grains. Ezekiel bread is still my best friend and I still put fruit preserves in my oatmeal. 

Last week I made fresh guac and grass fed beef tacos on a spinach tortilla with greek yogurt and goat cheese! #YUM I added spinach, tomatoes, and green onions on the tacos too. The recipe for the guac (WHICH WAS AMAZEEEEE) is below!

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe avocados

1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Cut the avocados along the sides and divide in half. Remove the pit, and scoop the avocado into a bowl. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add the onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and chopped jalapeno, and continue to mash until the guacamole looks mixed and fluffy. Place an avocado pit in the middle of the guacamole to help keep it from turning dark. Garnish with sliced lime and jalapeno.

Guac is great because it incorporates healthy fats! Not processed fats or dairy fats. You can make tacos and top it with guac, cook chicken and throw some guac on it, whatever you want!

I will be blogging more often, I promise!

- Sarah  

Spaghetti Squash For the WIN!

This post is dedicated to my favorite CLEAN food, because us macro-maniacs still like to fill our diets with wholesome and nutritious meals!

Spaghetti Squash & Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 pound LEAN ground turkey
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp dried sage
• OR You can use a Mrs. Dash Italian Blend :)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 jar organic tomato sauce (make sure there's no added sugar)
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice spaghetti squash in half and remove all seeds with spoon
3. Place spaghetti squash face down on large baking sheet, add ½ cup water and cover with foil
4. Cook spaghetti squash for 45 mins
5. While spaghetti squash is cooking, mix together remaining ingredients (except cheese) in a large bowl
6. Make 2 tbsp size meatballs with hands and place on a greased cookie sheet
7. Bake for 20 mins (along side the spaghetti squash) (turning half way through)
8. Remove turkey meatballs from oven, and place into a pan with sauce, warm sauce thoroughly
9. Remove spaghetti squash and scrap insides
10. Place spaghetti squash in a bowl and pour sauce and meatballs on top
11. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

SO GOOD. And so good for you!

This weekend, make it a point to get out and get a little sweaty! It's never too late to start a regimen.  Don't give up on yourself or your body! Do what you have to do to kick your own ass into gear and get started. If you need our help, email us at lifestylecoaching@gmail.com and we'll be sure to get you started!

TGIF!

- Sarah 

WHAT SHOULD I EAT?

Food. We all need it. Most of us LOVE it, and some of us eat too much of it, some of us too little.

WELL, I'm here to help!

Now that it's summer, it's the perfect time to bust out your grill and cook a bunch of food at the same time! Makes it easy to meal prep for a week or even just a few days.

CHICKEN.

I have come to hate chicken. After two contest preps, I hate chicken. UNLESS it's grilled.
SO, what I do, take some FRESH chicken breasts (frozen is okay too..kinda) and toss them into a ziplock bag with some olive oil, or balsamic, or dijon mustard, and some pepper, Mrs. Dash seasonings or whatever your litle heart desires. (Frank's red hot sauce is good too!)

Let those chicken boobies marinate for at LEAST a half hour in the fridge, I like to let mine marinate over night so the chicken soaks up all the flavor. 

Toss those babies on the grill for about 10-15 minutes (no pink insides!) and BAM. Meals done for like 10000 days, right? Well kind of.

VEGGIES.

I LOOOOVE grilled sweet peppers and grilled onion. SO GOOD. You can chop some into decent size chunks, throw some olive oil and spices on them, then put them on wood skewers (soak these in water for 20-30 minutes beforehand so they don't burn) and toss them on the grill. Turn them every 5 minutes or so, for about 10-15 minutes. Once they're a little charred and soft, they're ready!

Ps. Grilled Pineapple is phenomenal and goes with chicken so well.

You can also add chicken to the skewers if you want, and cook it that way. Whatever is easiest! I made these this past Sunday and I'm good until AT LEAST tomorrow with meals to bring to work!.

My current favorite recipe is a Mediterranean Quinoa salad! It's easy to make and goes great with a lot of dishes. To me, it tastes like a pasta salad without all the pasta carbs. Here's a link to a recipe for it, I tend to add more olives and red/green/yellow/orange sweet peppers to make it more colorful. Low-fat Feta cheese is amazing and should be in every recipe, EVER.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/04/mediterranean-quinoa-salad.html

HAPPY COOKING!

- Sarah